STRONG — Eight employees from the Strong Hardwood Sawmill found work at the Dixfield Sawmill following last Friday’s closing of the Strong mill on Chandler Road, a representative for the mill said Tuesday.

Mary Keith, a spokeswoman for J.D. Irving Ltd. of St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, said the company is still looking for work for the mill’s other 28 workers.

“We’ll continue to review where we can match people’s qualifications and find places for the workers,” Keith said.

The company brought in a group of people to talk with all 36 employees on Friday about work transition and their health insurance, Keith said.

Over the summer, piles of logs will remain in the yard and the mill will remain as is until the company undertakes a review during the first week of September, she said. The challenge relates to the market price and demand for the logs in the yard, she said.

Rebecca Croteau, chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen, was glad to hear Tuesday that at least eight workers were offered positions. She had only heard of two on Friday but thought the rest had planned to meet with Patty Ladd at the state CareerCenter in East Wilton on Monday.

Croteau received calls from U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe last week, who said the employees were eligible for retraining under the North American Fair Trade Act. She thought that was going to happen but had not heard any more about it, Croteau said.

“People in town are feeling pretty beaten up,” Croteau said. “There’s a bunch of cottage industries started through the Strong Area Business and Civil Alliance but there’s no benefits with those jobs.”

Eight years ago the town had four wood mills, the Strong Nursing Home, two grocery stores and a bank, she said. Now, there is one store. When the mills closed, the local economy was hurt, as was the town’s tax base, Croteau said.

“I grew up in this town and it’s heartbreaking to see but maybe we can find something,” Croteau said.

Croteau e-mailed Gov. John Baldacci last week about the situation in Strong.

In response, she said, she received a call from Brian Hodges of Fairfield, who works trying to develop businesses. Hodges suggested that Strong look within itself.

“That’s fine,” Croteau said, “but in the meantime there are kids to feed and bills to pay. We just don’t have much.”

Croteau sent a letter back to the governor expressing not only her view but the view of many of Strong’s residents.

“Even though we’re a small community, we’re still a part of Maine,” she wrote. “They take our tax dollars.”