BUCKSPORT — It’s been a tough year so far for the Raymond family in Bucksport. Days before the New Year, Geoff Raymond, 27, fell from a ladder and broke both of his feet. The father and husband was out of work until July.

Then, just three months after returning to work, he found out he’d be out of work again — this time because of the pending Dec. 1 closure of the Verso Paper mill where he works on the winder. The mill, which employs 570 people, has anchored and provided jobs for Bucksport-area families since 1930.

The Raymonds are just one of the hundreds of families left wondering how they’re going to make ends meet, especially on the cusp of Maine’s notoriously difficult winter and right before major holidays.

Maintaining the status quo

Since the announcement, Geoff and Mary Raymond have tried to keep their household running as normal as possible.

Early each morning, Geoff Raymond continues to pack a lunch and coffee and then heads into work in the dark, not returning until after 5 p.m. His wife, Mary Raymond, spends her days overseeing school drop offs, bills, doctor appointments, babysitting her nephews and putting meals on the table for their growing family. Raymond is pregnant with the couple’s third child.

The pair tries to keep discussions about their options to a minimum until their children, a 6-year-old and 15-month-old, are asleep. But it can be difficult, especially since nearly everyone they know are facing the same uncertainties.

Some, such as her father, who makes his living harvesting and hauling spruce and fir to the Verso Paper mill are contracted by the mill, while others such as her stepfather, several friends and uncles work there in various capacities.

“There’s so much to think about. What do you pay first? What do you worry about the most?” she said.

Raymond said many families began worrying about the future of the mill after the No. 2 machine shutdown in October 2011 and more than 100 people were let go. Geoff Raymond barely made the cut that year, but once he did, the couple breathed a sigh of relief and went about life as usual.

“It’s been a fear, but honestly, most people hoped [the shutdown] would be five to 10 years from now,” Mary Raymond said, adding she and others thought the worst that would happen would be another machine would shut down. “I don’t think anyone saw this coming. It left a lot of people feeling blindsided.”

The search begins

Since the announcement, Geoff Raymond has been looking for jobs online and working on his resume. Mary Raymond said they are thankful he’s worked elsewhere and could seek additional training if necessary.

Fortunately, the Maine Job Bank hit an all-time high number of available jobs the week that Verso announced the planned closure, according to Julie Rabinowitz of the Maine Department of Labor. However, for many families such as the Raymonds, that would mean moving, since many of the listings for full-time work include places such as Bath Iron Works and Bar Harbor’s Jackson Laboratory.

“It’s great that there’s jobs, but that’s in Bath. Is it worth moving away from family?” Mary Raymond asked. “Some people can pack up their house and go, but for some people, it’s a lot harder than that. They might have to sell their house … and with the real estate market just starting to come up, what’s everything going to be worth now?”

Geoff and Mary Raymond purchased a home last year in anticipation of their growing family. They worry about increased property taxes and the value of their home dropping.

However, Mark Eastman, real estate agent and owner of Ocean’s Edge Realty in Bucksport, said families shouldn’t worry about an immediate market crash. Eastman said he’s only sold one home in the last year to a mill family because many have either lived in Bucksport for decades or commute from somewhere else.

The rest of the town is made up of families who live there and commute out, often because of the low cost of homes and easy access to cities such as Bangor and Belfast.

“We’re a bedroom community,” Eastman said. He hasn’t had any calls since Oct. 1 from families looking to sell because of the pending mill closure.

Verso pays about 44 percent of the town’s property taxes. However, Eastman is hopeful homeowners will only see a minimum increase since the company is still viable and will continue operating its Bucksport power plant, unlike Great Northern Paper Company in East Millinocket, which filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.

“Don’t panic, Don’t make rash decisions — let this unfold a bit,” he advised.

Community Support

Mill employees haven’t been told if they will receive any sort of severance packages, which for the Raymonds is probably the scariest part of what’s ahead.

Mary Raymond is due with a third baby girl on Dec. 13, and while she’s given birth the last two times a few weeks before her due date, if this baby doesn’t come early, she could find herself without insurance to cover her birth.

“There are just so many unknowns right now. They’ve said ‘OK, we’re closing,’ but we really don’t know what that means for stuff like health insurance. Will it cover our birth? Are we going to be able to add the baby [to our insurance]?” she said.

Verso spokesman Bill Cohen said the company is negotiating with the labor unions about severance packages, but he said nothing certain has been determined.

Community organizations such as churches and food pantries in the area are poised to help families, and some said they are anticipating an increased need, especially as the reality of unemployment sinks in.

Colin Meshey, the youth pastor at Bucksport Bible Church, said leaders are meeting sometime in the next few weeks to talk about what they can do to help the community at large. There aren’t many, if any, mill families that attend the church, Meshey said, but he anticipates attendance may go up as financial burdens begin weighing on residents.

“I don’t know if we will see a direct impact, but generally it’s the case that when people start to worry about finances and the future, they turn to places like the church for help and comfort,” Meshey said.

A glimmer of hope

Town officials and others such as the Raymonds and Eastman are optimistic that Bucksport will remain viable, despite the loss of revenue and jobs.

In the meantime, Mary Raymond said she hopes employers in the greater area will remember that the men and women who’ve lost their jobs are people, skilled and willing to work hard for themselves and their families.

“Millworkers know how to work. … They have a good work ethic. It’s hard work in there,” she said.

Still, she knows her family of almost five will have to adapt in the coming months — at least for a little while.

“Our normal is about to change,” she said. “[But] complaining isn’t going to fix it, and we have to remember that as bad as our situation is, there’s people whose situation is a lot worse.”

Need help or want to pitch in?

The following organizations are available to help residents in and around the Bucksport area with things such as food and heat:

Bucksport Community Concerns: The pantry is located at the Elm Street Congregational Church, 31 Elm St. It is open 9:30-11:30 a.m. Wednesdays and 5-7 p.m. the second Monday of each month. It provides groceries, clothing and household essentials to Bucksport, Orland and Verona Island residents. To donate or for more information, call the pantry at 469-2400.

Searsport Congregational and Methodist Church Food Cupboard: The pantry is located on Main Street in Searsport. It is open every Saturday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. To donate or for more information, call Ralph Harvey at 548-6204.

Heat Assistance: The Maine State Housing Authority low-income heat assistance program offers money to families and individuals who need help paying for heating costs. The amount given depends on household size, income and energy costs, among other factors. For more information or to find out if you are eligible, call 624-5778 or visit mainestatehousing.org.

MaineStream Finance: This organization is a subsidiary of Penquis in Bangor and offers support and financial services for families and businesses in Penobscot, Piscataquis, Knox and Waldo counties. Programs include reverse mortgage counseling and foreclosure intervention. For more information, call 974-2403 or visit mainestreamfinance.org.

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