RUMFORD – Veteran Selectman James A. Thibodeau is being challenged by two men for a seat on the Board of Selectmen.

James L. Adley, 57, a resident of 20 Congress St., made two unsuccessful tries for a seat on the board in the 1980s. He was also a Canton selectman in the early 1990s where he was vice president of the Oxford County Municipal Association and a former volunteer fireman. He is an alternate on the Rumford Board of Appeals.

“I enjoy the job of selectman and doing things for people. I will weigh the issues for all people, not for just a select few,” he said.

He wants new business opportunities for the town.

“I read of new businesses in Mexico. I want to see something happen in Rumford. I will try to do the homework on potential businesses. I would look wherever that is possible,” he said.

He supports the efforts of the River Valley Growth Council as well as a proposed east-west highway to come through the area.

“That highway would improve the economy,” he said.

As a disabled person, Adley said he has the time to devote to municipal matters and to bettering the community.

He volunteers for the Rumford Information Center and for the Free Store in Mexico. Prior to becoming disabled, he worked as a delivery man and as a security guard. He served one year in the Air Force.

Volunteers should be recognized for their good works, he believes, by receiving certificates of appreciation. He also wants more people to turn out at town meeting, and to use their right to vote.

“I know I’m not going to make everybody happy, but I think I could be a good selectman. As a selectman, I would be the voice of the citizen. I won’t treat anyone different from anyone else,” he said.

Adley attended Rumford High School and Canton High School. He is currently working toward certification in gerontology in the University of Maine System. He is a member of the Eagles Club, the Rumford/Mexico Lions Club, and the American Legion.

Albert J. Cyr Jr., 74, a resident of Falmouth Street, is making a first-time bid for elective office.

“I want people to start thinking about the future,” he said. “People must know what is going on. The population is declining. We have to start building a new tax base. We can’t depend on the mill, but must be very aggressive, to arouse the town. We need a population growth of 4,000 or 5,000.”

He said he will go after state and federal money for such things as urban renewal. But he believes the average citizen, not just town officials, should write letters to their congressional delegation, stating the need for help.

“I want to show people that they can make a difference,” he said.

He said if he was elected, he would try to bring regional leadership back to the town, push for business relocations to the downtown area, try to redefine Waldo Street as a significant business area, and use and update the town’s Comprehensive Plan.

He supports the goals of the River Valley Growth Council and the newly launched River Valley Arts Initiative and the Rumford Public Library.

“Instead of fighting regionalism, I will use it to benefit Rumford by combining services and cutting costs,” he said.

“We must start now to prepare for the future,” he said. “If you want something, you have to go out and get it.”

Cyr, a retired self-employed carpenter, grew up in Rumford, left for a number of years, then returned in 1980. He served four years in the Marines. He is a lifetime Amvets member, and past member of the Eagles Club, and attends St. Athanasius and St. John Church.

He and his wife, Joan, are the parents of three adult children and have about a dozen grandchildren.

James A. Thibodeau, 62, is seeking a fifth, three-year term on the board. For the past several years, he has served as chairman. He also serves on the Rumford Water District Board and the Northern Oxford Regional Solid Waste Board.

Thibodeau and the current board have initiated a search by a Washington, D.C. consulting firm that is looking for federal money that would benefit the town. He said building the town’s infrastructure is a first priority because the economy is cyclical and he wants the town to be ready when the economy resurges. He doesn’t expect that for a while yet, however.

Any money obtained from the consulting company’s search will go into sewer and water line extensions and other parts of the infrastructure, he said.

“Everything you do takes time,” he said.

Although some say he is too pessimistic at times, he said people who always sound positive are sometimes trying to be popular.

“I am a truthful person. If I feel things are going to take a dip, I’ll say so,” he said.

He believes the town should be eligible for various state and federal grants whether it regionalizes or not.

He is still opposed to the merging of the Rumford School Department and SAD 43 and believes the town could dispose of its solid waste more cheaply itself rather than through Northern Oxford Regional Solid Waste.

He is concerned about the possibility of the elimination of a state tax reimbursement program known as BETR. Under this plan, the personal property tax industries would ordinarily pay to the town is paid from the state. The state is considering eliminating the benefit.

“Once you stick your foot in something, you don’t back out of it,” he said.

He views as positive things the recent purchase of Black Mountain by the Maine Winter Sports Center and the purchase of about 400 acres by a private individual who hopes to begin a housing development.

“We need to bring people here, to stimulate the area,” he said.

Thibodeau served in the Army from 1960-1964. He has worked on the Moontide Water Festival and is a member of the the American Legion and St. Athanasius and St. John Church. He graduated from Stephens High School in 1960, then completed two years of course work at the University of Maryland. He is a self-employed telecommunications consultant.

He and his wife, Jutta, are the parents of two adult children and the grandparents of four.

eadams@sunjournal.com

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