OXFORD — At Oxford’s Board of Selectmen meeting Thursday night Town Clerk Elizabeth Olsen announced that the March 3 presidential primary voting will move to a new location – the Oxford Station House Community Center on 223 King Street. For the last several years voting has taken place at the Public Safety Building on Route 26.
“We decided to move voting due to safety concerns,” Olsen told the Board. “If emergency vehicles are called out, it can create issues with pedestrians and traffic in the parking lot. And it disrupts the election when they have to open the doors for vehicles and cold air blows in.”
The Community Center has parking in front and behind the building with entrances on both sides. The rear entrance is handicapped accessible. Hours to vote will be 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
New business
In new business, the Board approved Daddy O’s LLC’s application for a liquor license. According to co-owner Amanda Ouellette, they will serve liquor primarily at functions they cater for.
Daddy O’s will start serving breakfast cocktails and plans to include liquor sales with its catering business. Advertiser Democrat / Nicole Carter
“We plan to add breakfast cocktails like Mimosas and Blood Mary’s to our regular menu,” Ouellette said. “But we get a lot of requests for alcohol when we do catering. We’ve lost out on a couple of jobs because of it.”
Ouellette said she and her husband Aarron are also working on expansion plans at their diner location at Oxford Plaza. They will add a meeting room so they can cater larger events on site, and serving spirits will be important to growing that business.
Selectmen approved a bid from BHE, LLC to convert lighting at the Oxford Public Safety building to LED. Five contractors had submitted bids. The amounts ranged from BHE’s low of $7,535 to one almost $37,000, received from Northlight. The Board also approved paying BHE an extra $1,500 for bulb disposal.
Selectmen also approved a transfer of $7,837 from the State of Maine to the town, money seized in a 2019 drug arrest. The money will be deposited into a dedicated account and used for police training.
Chief Ward recognized Captain Rickie Jack, who was just named Employee of the Year by the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce.
Another item on the agenda involved a request to transfer from 85-01-85-43 Picnic Area Reserve to 60-25-30-02 Pismo Field Maintenance building/grounds in the amount of $547.00. Resident Lois Pike reminded the Board that the funds had been budgeted to pay for cleaning and maintenance for the outhouse located at the picnic area on Aspen Avenue. The 38-acre site had been improved sixteen years ago as a recreational site but plans were dropped in favor of sports field development.
Land had been cleared, a parking lot built and the outhouse was set in place, according to Pike. While the project wasn’t completed, the area is still used by snowmobilers and ATV riders. The outhouse is still in place and in need of maintenance and repair as well as the cleaning that had been overlooked.
Vice-Chair Samantha Hewey suggested a review of the project and wanted find out if grants are available to complete the walking trails. She asked if Health Oxford Hills should be invited to partner on it.
“It’s a nice area for families who aren’t part of baseball and other leagues to recreate,” said Pike. “It runs along the brook, which has good trout fishing.”
Town Manager Butch Asselin said he would pull documentation and deeds on the property and review the plans.
Recreation Director Patty Hesse said that Oxford will hold its Winter Fun Day on Saturday, February 29. There will be ice-skating and a bonfire during the day, followed by a community spaghetti dinner and then an evening dance with DJ. Winter Fun Day will take place at the Oxford Station House Community Center and all are invited.
Hesse also talked about plans use Oxford’s Community Day next summer to celebrate Maine Bicentennial. She is working with the Oxford Historical Society to have historians on hand and set up a pictorial to showcase the town’s past. The historical theme will extend to include a pig roast and fiddlers for entertainment. Community Day is annual event; this year it will be held on July 19.
State Representative Kathleen Dillingham attended the meeting. She said that there is a pending bill in the Legislature regarding sovereignty determined by Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act, a 1980 law. If this bill becomes law Native Americans would not be required to seek town, county or state approval for developments. With Native-owned property in Oxford County it might mean that an additional casino could be built that would not have the same restrictions that Oxford Casino operates under.
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