OXFORD — The Board of Selectmen offered deep appreciation Thursday night for Norway resident and Oxford benefactor Suzanne Grover, who died this week.

“We wouldn’t have a food pantry without her,” said Selectmen Chairman Pete Laverdiere, who praised Grover for her many contributions to the Oxford Hills and particularly her hands-on work at the local food pantry, coming to help out each day even through her illness.

“She gave tremendous support to the town of Oxford,” Laverdiere said at the opening of the meeting. “When she was running a project, you knew who was running the project.”

Grover, co-owner of Grover Gundrilling with her husband, Rupert, and one of a small group of the original investors in the Oxford Casino, benefited many, people, organizations and events in the Oxford Hills and beyond.

She served for 11 years as president of the Oxford County Agricultural Society and as the Helping Hand Food Pantry board president. She also volunteered for many other organizations including the Oxford Hills Growth Council, the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce and the Oxford Hills Education Exchange.

She was honored by Gov. Paul LePage after being named Oxford Hills Distinguished Citizen for 2014 by the Boy Scouts. At the time, Grover was working with Ann LePage, the governor’s wife, on the Travis Mills Project.

“She’s going to be missed,” Laverdiere said.

In other matters, new highway foreman Mark Fox introduced himself to the board, saying he was pleased with the support he has received from the town and that he hoped people appreciated the work his crew is accomplishing in some tough weather conditions.

Fox, who was hired a month ago, said later in the meeting that the department is hoping to have money put in the 2019 budget for calcium liquid, which is used instead of salt or along with salt, but gives better performance when the temperature dips below 15. Calcium liquid is useful down to zero degrees, where salt loses its effectiveness at about 15 degrees, he said.

Selectman Scott Hunter asked Fox about plowing at the public safety building and other areas that he thought could be improved. Fox said he would look into it.

Town Manager Butch Asselin reported that he met with engineer Brent Bridges on Thursday to discuss the possibility of tying Oxford Elementary School into the municipal wastewater treatment plant. He also discussed a water-leak issue at the plant in Welchville, near the intersection of Routes 121 and 26.

ldixon@sunmediagroup.net

Suzanne Grover (Sun Journal file photo)