By Kelly Morgan,Staff Writer

NORWAY – Gov. John Baldacci was treated to a few wisecracking remarks about his hairline and also his days in Washington when he attended a gathering Tuesday to celebrate pending redevelopment projects in Norway.

Introduced after a handful of speakers and a performance by dancers from the Art Moves studio, Baldacci spoke at Norway Savings Bank on the importance of the “creative economy” in redeveloping a community like Norway.

“The anchors to redevelopment aren’t in the Sears and the JCPenneys, but the anchors to redevelopment are in the arts and in the theaters and in the libraries,” he said. Baldacci added that he is delighted that the state has been able to provide grant money for some downtown redevelopment projects in Norway.

His remarks were part of a “celebrate downtown Norway” event hosted by the Growth Council of Oxford Hills, Norway Downtown Revitalization, the Norway Business Association, the town of Norway and the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce.

Brett Doney of EnterpriseMaine, of which the growth council is a subsidiary organization, said the gathering was held to celebrate the success of projects like the Western Maine Office Technology Park and redevelopment of the C.B. Cummings & Sons Mill property.

Efforts to bring redevelopment through both projects are far from realized, but EnterpriseMaine’s organizations have been instrumental in securing funding to help with infrastructure improvements at the sites.

In February, it was announced that $750,000 in grants has been received to help with infrastructure improvements at the mill. An additional $65,000 for asbestos cleanup was announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this month.

“We’re planning to see construction on the site this season,” Doney said.

As for the office technology park, which would sit on 161 acres off Roberts Road overlooking Pennesseewassee Lake, Doney said the site should soon see improvements that include a roadway, stormwater drainage system, fire protection system and electric and telecommunications lines. All that work is being covered by a $1,955,000 grant formally announced by the Economic Development Administration in March.

The site “will be ready for construction in 2006, so if somebody wanted to put a building up, they’d be able to do that next season,” Doney said.

At the celebration, Baldacci said “the strong light of a beacon” would continue to shine in the Oxford Hills and Norway thanks to redevelopment efforts.

Before the celebration at Norway Savings Bank, he purchased a pair of shoes at New Balance and attended a gathering of the Oxford County Democrats at the soon-to-be-open Colonial Coffee Shoppe on Main Street.