Governor LePage Designates $10,000 In Contingency Funds For New Gloucester Veterans Monument

July 31, 2014

For Immediate Release: Thursday, July 31
Contact: Adrienne Bennett, Press Secretary, 207-287-2531

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage has designated $10,000 from his contingency fund to support the building of the New Gloucester Veterans Monument. The memorial is a joint project of the New Gloucester, Maine Historical Society and Lunn-Hunnewell AMVETS Post No. 6. The finished work will especially honor all New Gloucester veterans, those who served in times of war and those who served in times of peace.

“My wife and I cannot express enough our gratitude for our brave men and women who sacrificed for the sake of our freedom,” said Governor LePage. “I commend the work of the community members, the engineers, the McCann family and the New Gloucester Veterans Committee for their cooperation in the construction of this very special memorial honoring New Gloucester residents.”

“We were overwhelmed, the whole committee, I mean,” said Bill Kiley of the New Gloucester Veterans Committee upon hearing the news of the Governor’s designation of funding. “We had a chicken barbeque to raise money; we fed 184. We told the crowd what the governor had done - $10,000 for the monument. Response was everything but a standing ovation. Well, actually there was a standing ovation. Without that [funding], we’d be still be struggling.”

Throughout his administration, Governor LePage has made it a priority to support Maine’s veterans and active duty service men and women. First Lady Ann LePage has dedicated herself to the cause of supporting our military members and their families through participation in welcoming troops home, hosting veterans and their families at the Blaine House and her commitment to the Wreaths Across America organization.

At this point, 1,142 names of New Gloucester veterans will be engraved on a set of granite tablets surrounding the centerpiece. Behind the arrangement of memorial stones will wave the American flag, the State of Maine flag, and the POW/MIA flag. Land for the memorial was donated by the McCann family on Route 100 in Upper Village.

“As the daughter and grand-daughter of Navy veterans, I am very pleased with the support Governor LePage and First Lady Ann LePage have shown to our military men and women, veterans and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our great country,” said Representative Ellie Espling of New Gloucester. “Their support of the New Gloucester Veterans Monument project is deeply appreciated. As a small town, we are humbled by this support for a project that means so much to us.”

Community volunteers have donated time, gravel, equipment and more. The New Gloucester Veterans Committee just recently met with the engineers to get ready to prepare the ground.

To learn more about the project and how you can help, please visit www.newgloucester.com and click on “New Gloucester Veterans Monument.”