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Cheers to Keiser Homes for landing a $2 million contract to provide modular homes to the Maine State Housing Authority. And cheers to the authority for giving that work to a Maine company.

Before awarding this contract to Keiser, the MSHA had contracted solely with a Pennsylvania company to provide low-income Mainers with mobile homes. Keiser, which manufactures energy-efficient modular homes, lobbied the agency to expand its contract to include modular construction. And, to its credit, the agency listened.

Going forward, MSHA will contract with Keiser for modular homes and the Pennsylvania company for mobile homes to replace pre-1976 mobile homes for low-income Mainers.

Having Mainers build new homes for this state’s neediest residents is good for our economy. The only thing that could make it better is when MSHA contracts for all of its replacement homes through Maine companies, boosting job opportunities in Maine’s manufacturing industry.

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Dorothy Bannister is a fortunate woman. She has a new home. But, more importantly, she has tremendous friends.

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Bannister moved into a new, two-bedroom mobile home on Grove Street in Lewiston on Wednesday, a colossal improvement over the dilapidated 30-foot travel trailer she had been living in for the past 60 years. The mobile home was provided through the Maine State Housing Authority’s trailer replacement program (see above), but the real gift here is that her friends and family worked to fill the trailer with furniture, electronics and kitchen appliances, so, when Bannister moved in, she truly had all the comforts of home.

The driving force behind this amazing generosity was Clayton Roy, the son-in-law of one of Bannister’s friends, who originally offered to help repair Bannister’s travel trailer. Once he saw the condition of that home, where animals and snow entered with equal ease, he set in motion a plan to replace the trailer, working with state and city officials to get that done.

Roy is the manager of the Lewiston Marden’s store. His enthusiasm for the project infected store employees, who worked with him to collect and donate contents for the house, including a new flat-screen television.

This project was an act of pure love, and the result for Bannister is a home, sweet home. Cheers to every person who had a hand in this gift.

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Morty might be moving to Dixfield.

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The wooden moose, which has been a fixture on the front lawn of Riverbend Property Real Estate in Farmington, is a fitting replacement for the life-size Bullrock statue destroyed early this month by strong winds that swept through Dixfield.

As the Dixfield Economic Opportunity Council explored options for replacing the town’s beloved Bullrock, members learned it may cost $5,000 to carve a new moose, which is a lot to raise in the current economy. But, Bullrock was important to this town, and the fundraising began.

At the time same, in nearby Farmington, Morty the Moose was put up for sale — the asking price is $2,000.

That’s a real deal.

Dixfield residents want some assurance of Morty’s structural well-being before purchase, which is understandable given Bullrock’s demise, but they’re looking at a $3,000 savings in public art.

Cheers to buyers and seller alike for exhibiting such solid financial sense. There’s a moose to be proud of in this transaction.

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The opinions expressed in this column reflect the views of the ownership and editorial board.

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