FARMINGTON — The Farmington Select Board heard updates March 10 from Greater Franklin Economic & Community Development Executive Director Charlie Woodworth and SeniorsPlus President and CEO Betsy Sawyer-Manter on regional economic initiatives and services supporting older residents.

Woodworth said he attended the meeting both to provide an update on Greater Franklin’s work and to introduce SeniorsPlus as one of the county’s key community service organizations.

“The goal being you hear about our work, you hear about their work and what it means for your constituents,” Woodworth said. “And if it resonates with you favorably, please share that with your commissioner.”

Woodworth discussed the region’s broadband expansion efforts, noting that most addresses in Franklin County now have the option to connect to fiber internet service.

“We’ve got 96% of every address in the county can connect fiber,” he said. “Customers have choice and low-cost solutions. Nowhere else in the state has come close to this.”

He said the expansion has resulted in about $34.4 million in taxable infrastructure investment across the county as fiber networks were built to homes and businesses in communities including Farmington, Rangeley, Jay and Livermore Falls.

Selectman Scott Landry thanked Woodworth for the county’s broadband progress.

“A lot of people don’t realize how lucky we are,” Landry said. “When talking to people from other counties, they are amazed that we have that much connectivity.”

Woodworth also highlighted digital literacy programs supported by Greater Franklin through state and federal grants in partnership with Regional School Unit 73 Adult Education. Since January 2023, the initiative has offered more than 1,400 classes for 684 students at locations including libraries, the Healthy Community Coalition Recovery Center, food banks, the county jail and SeniorsPlus.

Classes range from basic internet use to practical skills such as using MyChart, an online health portal that allows patients to communicate with doctors and pharmacies and manage medical information.

Woodworth said Greater Franklin hopes to expand the program by creating mentorship opportunities between adults and students involved in robotics and computer clubs at Mt. Blue and Spruce Mountain high schools.

Childcare remains another major challenge in Franklin County. Woodworth said the county has about 1,500 children under age 5 but only about 740 childcare slots, leaving hundreds of families unable to access care.

“That means about 760 parents or families prevented from reentering the workforce,” he said.

Communities are working to expand childcare options. In Rangeley, a new childcare center with 75 slots opened near the school following a $3.6 million project supported by public and private funding. Additional in-home childcare providers are also being developed in towns such as Phillips, Kingfield and Strong.

Woodworth also noted ongoing workforce housing initiatives in communities including Rangeley and Carrabassett Valley, where projects are being developed to provide housing for people who work locally. He also mentioned redevelopment work at the former Pixelle mill site in Jay, along with potential solar and recycling projects tied to economic development in the region.

SENIORS

Sawyer-Manter then spoke about the services provided by SeniorsPlus, which serves as the designated Area Agency on Aging for western Maine. The organization’s roots date back to 1973, when the Western Maine Older Citizens Council began in Wilton, eventually evolving into SeniorsPlus.

“We do a lot of information assistance, and we are growing in the area of caregiver support,” Sawyer-Manter said. She said many residents are balancing jobs with caring for aging relatives. “It is a lot if you work full time and have to care for a sick person,” she said.

SeniorsPlus provides a range of services including Medicare counseling, caregiver support groups, respite care assistance and nutrition programs for older adults and people with disabilities.

Sawyer-Manter said the organization is also seeing growing housing challenges among older residents.

“People are outliving their housing,” she said. “They can’t do stairs anymore, the home is too big. Maybe they don’t drive anymore, and so those are issues we are paying attention to.”

SeniorsPlus operates a Meals on Wheels program in Farmington that delivers meals to residents who cannot prepare food or leave their homes. Sawyer-Manter said there are currently three people in Farmington on the waiting list for the program. “Every meal costs about $10 to produce and deliver,” she said.

She thanked Franklin County officials for supporting the organization’s work. “I want to recognize (Woodworth),” Sawyer-Manter said. “He has been instrumental for us social service folks and helped us be funded.”

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