Western Maine Expo use stopped for large events

WILTON — Large events held at the Western Maine Expo, formerly Nichols Expo, on the Weld Road are coming to an end.

The decision among owners Mark Berry, Rick Johnson and Gil Reed to stop offering the large former Bass Shoe Shop building for large functions or mass gatherings such as craft fairs, the Franklin County Chamber Business Expo and the Pine Tree Sportsmen Show finally came after Reed ended up in court last week.

“It wasn’t just that, but that was the frosting on the cake,” Reed said Monday. “I can’t afford or keep up with regulations and you can’t fight city hall only so long.”

Reed was in court for a violation filed by a state fire marshal investigator for allowing a tenant to have a dance without a license, he said.

According to Maine law, any building offering public dancing, habitually or occasionally, needs to apply for a one year license at a cost of $117, said Tim Fuller from the inspection and licensing department of the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Either the owner or tenant can apply, and the building undergoes an inspection for fire safety rules, he said. There is no fee for buildings owned by the state or municipality although they still undergo inspections.

When a local snowmobile club held a fundraising dance there last fall, there was a miscommunication, he said. The Western Maine Expo doesn’t have a dance license and has been told by the State Fire Marshal’s office that it didn’t need one as long as their tenants have one. The snowmobile club called and was told that they were covered by the owner’s license, he said.

When he realized he was facing a criminal misdemeanor charge that even the judge couldn’t read without laughing, he said, he pleaded not guilty and after negotiating with the district attorney paid a $150 filing fine. The charge will be filed for six months and dismissed based on no future occurrences, according to court records.

This and other state regulations concerning a wood boiler installed for the building that can’t be used without further costs, for instance, caused the owners to consider turning the space into storage, something that would bring in more money, he said.

“We’re behind on our taxes,” he said, suggesting that increased money from storage would be good for the town allowing the owners to pay their taxes.

“Trying to help the community, our plan didn’t work as planned,” he said of the large events that bring numerous people from all over the state to Wilton. Letters are being sent out to event organizers to let them know.

A Wilton Blueberry Festival concert featuring Dave Carroll planned for Aug. 6 at Western Maine Expo will be allowed to go on for this year only.

Signs will be posted that no dancing is allowed under any circumstances, said organizer Shannon Smith.

“He has tried to help so many organizations and the community,” she said of the loss for the community without access to the Expo building.

Line up for the Blueberry Festival parade will still take place in the parking lot and other outside activities will be considered.

The Wilton Free Public Library can keep their book sale room in the building. Other small businesses including a motorcycle school and a proposed new business, a prefab panel manufacturing shop, would not be affected and neither would the larger Sykes and Barclay telemarketing businesses located in an adjacent building, he said.

“It’s just the mass gatherings, no more large functions,” he said.

The owners have four large projects they are trying to lure to the site but it takes time and the building has been for sale since the day they bought it, he said.

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