MEXICO – Maurice Bernier signed the first lease. David Driscoll presided over the plan, and Brenda Gammon now oversees the entire vocational school operation.

The three directors, former and current, were among the nearly 300 people who turned out for the official ceremony and open house Thursday afternoon to mark the end of a $4.9 million renovation and expansion project that has taken nearly a decade to complete.

“It’s hard to conceive from the plans that it’s something as nice as this,” said David Driscoll, a former director of the Region 9 School of Applied Technology. “It’s wonderful for the kids.”

Region 9 board Chairman Norman Clanton was thrilled, as well.

“We kept our faith with the citizens,” he said.

But more important, the vocational students were pleased to have the bright, modern facility.

“Last year we were building in very little space,” said Rick Rose, a second-year building-trades student from Telstar High School. “This is a lot larger space and is a lot more accessible.”

Alan Hadley, a senior from Telstar who took wood-harvesting last year, and is enrolled in computer technology this year, was equally pleased with the new facility.

“The wood-harvesting equipment can be brought in now,” he said. “And there is a big improvement in the computer room. There’s a lot more space.”

Norman Jamison, diversified occupation instructor, is glad to be out of the cellar and into a bright, white bay.

“There are windows. We can see outside,” he said as former Region 9 student Kevin Kaulback checked out the new instructional area.

Kaulback is now the technology director for SAD 21, one of the sending districts to Region 9.

When he was a student, the vocational programs were scattered over the Rumford-Mexico area. His truck-driving class was in the parking lot of what is now Mountain Valley High School. In 1989, it was still Rumford High School.

Bringing all the vocational programs under one roof began with Bernier, who signed the lease with the building’s former owner, Alan Archibald. Eventually, the vocational board bought the building from Archibald, and a couple of years ago, voters approved adding about 24,000 square feet onto the building and renovating the existing building.

“This is absolutely fantastic,” Bernier said. “Students can see what vocational education is.”

Ed Roach has always supported the aims of the vocational school board.

“I always told Norm (Clanton) to keep pushing. This is a system that is really needed,” he said.

Also among the visitors were representatives from Maine’s Congressional delegation and local selectmen, Gammon said. Vocational students in the Skills U.S.A. group provided tours for anyone wishing to the see the entire facility.

With the open house completed, Gammon is ready to start recruiting students for the next school year. With the renovated facility, came two new vocational programs in automotive technology and early childhood education.

Student services coordinator Cheryl Ellis will soon begin visiting the region’s three high schools to make students aware of the vocational offerings available to them.

With the newly refurbished school and the two new programs, the current enrollment of 165 is expected to grow.