10th Anniversary Events

January 4, 2025

Drawing by Larry Wahl

December 17, 2024 was the 10th anniversary of the closing of the Bucksport paper mill. The mill museum held two open house events to commemorate this anniversary.

The first was during the Bucksport Parade of Lights on December 14, when Restoration Foreman Chip and Marie Stubbs decorated the museum’s exterior and opened the museum to visitors. About a dozen people stopped by that night, including a couple who came to the parade and stopped by after noticing the building was lit up. They expressed their gratitude for the work that the Working Group is doing.

On December 17, the museum was open to recall the final shift. About 75 people attended the event, including officials from the Town of Bucksport. Jerry Andrews, former mill worker, was the first to arrive and received a personal tour guided by Chip.

Visitors to these events included former mill workers and their families, as well as those with no connection to the mill who wanted to learn more about the mill’s history. Guests were impressed by the progress that has been made on the museum building and expressed a shared belief in the importance of preserving the history of the mill and those who worked there.

Parade of Lights

Bucksport Paper Mill Museum's stationary float at the Bucksport Parade of Lights. Photo courtesy of Chip Stubbs

Ed Ranzoni, Gatehouse Renovation Crew, and Jean Lamontanaro, Communications Specialist. Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

Pat Ranzoni, Co-Chair (at left) and Larry Wahl, Restoration Consultant (at right). Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

Attendees enjoyed perusing the mill artifacts on display in the gatehouse building. Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

Bucksport Community & Economic Development Director Rich Rotella (at left) and Town Councilor Tracy Hair deliver congratulations and a proclamation of support  from the Town Council. Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

Arline Smart Lamarche, Co-Curator, records an artifact donation in the foreground. Marie and Chip Stubbs, Restoration Foreman, set up a photo slideshow in the background. Photo by Jean Lamontanaro

Chip Stubbs, Restoration Foreman, wearing his Black Sunday hat. Black Sunday took place on January 1, 1989 when mill workers lost double time pay for working on Sundays. Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

Marie Roy, Collections Clerk. Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

Ed Ranzoni, Gatehouse Renovation Crew. Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

Dick and Charlene DiBiase. Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

Left to right: Dick DiBiase, Restoration Foreman Chip Stubbs, Community & Economic Development Director Rich Rotella and Town Councilor Tracy Hair. Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

The view from the back side of the gatehouse building at sunset. Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

Left to right: Attorney Bill Tymoczko, who helped secure the deed to the gatehouse, stands with Town Councilor Tracy Hair and Community & Economic Development Director Rich Rotella. Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

Jodi Clement with her father, Restoration Foreman Chip Stubbs. Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

Pat Ranzoni (at left), Working Group Co-Chair, and Chip Stubbs, Restoration Foreman, were both in attendance. Ranzoni's father was a rigger at the mill and Stubbs was tender of paper machine #5, known as "the big dog."  Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

Pat Ranzoni, Co-Chair, and Larry Wahl, Restoration Consultant. Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

Rod Chase (middle) and Restoration Foreman Chip Stubbs (at right) in conversation with another guest. Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

It was an evening filled with good conversation. Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

Pat Ranzoni (at left), Working Group Co-Chair, speaks with Bucksport Town Manager Susan Lessard who presented the group with a resolve from the Town Council commemorating the 10th anniversary of the mill's closing in 2014 and support for the immediate founding of the museum effort. Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

Bucksport Town Manager Susan Lessard (at left) with Restoration Foreman Chip Stubbs. Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

Julia Gray, Museum Consultant, and Pat Ranzoni, Co-Chair. Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

The gatehouse was the perfect gathering place for this anniversary event. Photo by Arline Smart Lamarche

GATEHOUSE BLESSING

FOR ALL YOU’VE BEEN, GATEHOUSE, & MORE

Guardshack. Security. Personnel. Pay. Spares Gate for waiting for work that day.
Timeshack where thousands clocked through your yard, where, times good and hard,
you bought chances and gave. Main Gate to your mill home, going both ways. Gate
to our history and forthcoming days. What you gave, here, we honor and save.
Thank you! And God bless! is our abiding prayer, still and always seeing you there.

~ Patricia Smith Ranzoni