RUMFORD — Work will begin immediately to tear down a 10-unit apartment building damaged by fire Saturday, according to Fire Chief Bob Chase.
Chase told selectmen Thursday that the owner of 206 Cumberland St., Peter Robichaud, has hired a contractor to raze the structure. He said there’s one wall where the roof is gone, the third story is gone and part of the second story is gone.
“So there’s no support, laterally, for that wall, at all. We want to mitigate that risk as soon as we can,” Chase said.
A nine-unit apartment building at 125 Rumford Ave., less than 6 feet from the destroyed building, received limited fire damage to its roof. It’s owned by the town and has been boarded up for nearly a decade, according to Chase.
After limited discussion, selectmen voted unanimously to place 125 Rumford Ave. on the demo list.
At the start of the meeting, board Chairman Chris Brennick presented a symbolic key to the town and a clock plaque to Gary Dolloff, the 2017-2018 Citizen of the Year.
Dolloff is the director at the Greater Rumford Community Center, and has served on its board of directors for 27 years.
As a coach, Dolloff said he won state championships. But this award “means the most to me. I love my hometown.”
Seth Carey wrote in his nomination letter that if not for “Gary’s tireless dedication to the GRCC,” Rumford would no longer have “this gem of the town that most of us grew up with for generations.”
Also recognized were Rumford Elementary School students Zakai Salmon and brothers Lance and Drake Burns.
Rumford police Sgt. Tracey Higley told the audience that last spring the three young boys were walking to Rumford Elementary School when they found a wallet on the street with a large amount of cash inside. The wallet was wet and had been there awhile.
“They picked it up and decided they were going to take it to school,” he said.
About that time, Higley, on school patrol, was about to drive past them when the youngsters started waving.
Higley said he waved back.
“Then they almost ran into the road because they had to talk to me … they said, ‘We found this and want to make sure this gets back to the person that it belongs to.'”
Higley said, “They chose to do the right thing, which isn’t always the easiest thing to do. I really appreciate these young gentlemen for what they did, in making the right choice.”
Town Manager Linda-Jean “LJ” Briggs presented framed Certificates of Appreciation to the boys. She read a quote she placed on the certificates, from C.S. Lewis, which said, “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.”
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Gary Dolloff, left, receives a symbolic key to the town and a clock plaque Thursday from Rumford Board of Selectmen Chairman Chris Brennick after being selected as the 2017-18 Citizen of the Year.
With Certificates of Appreciation from the town of Rumford are, from left, Lance Burns, Drake Burns and Bob Grinnell, on behalf of his grandson, Zakai Salmon. With them are police Sgt. Tracey Higley and Town Manager Linda-Jean “LJ” Briggs.
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