8355-R5_ML&P_BuxtonAnnualReport_2021-2022_Web

Dedication of the Annual Town Report

It is with great pleasure that the Board of Selectmen dedicate this year’s Town Report to Joann Groder. Joann was born in Buxton on Skip Road in 1936 and has been a lifelong resident. Joann has spent her life giving to others. She has worked a number of jobs, including driving school bus for MSAD 6 for 14 years, all while raising 5 kids. She has worked for the Town of Buxton in a number of positions, including being a volunteer driver for both fire trucks and rescue. She also was a dispatcher for 10 years, working out of the Bar Mills Station, the Elden Store at Buxton Center and retiring in 1996 from the current Public Safety location. In 2004, Joann held the first of many free Thanksgiving dinners at the Pythian Sisters Temple. There was never a lack of volunteers or donations to make this happen and feed whoever was in need of a Thanksgiving meal or companionship. Helping others has always been in Joann’s nature. When it was learned that Hannaford Supermarket was coming to Buxton, Joann made it her mission to find out how to get the food that the store would throw away and give it to anyone who was in need of food. The Buxton Community Services Corp., also known as the Buxton Food Co-op was formed in 2007 and set up in the Pythian Sisters Temple on Long Plains Road to distribute food. Every morning, 7 days a week, Joann would drive to Hannaford and load her truck up with boxes of food. The Co-op was open 4 days a week, but food needed to be picked up daily. In May of 2009, the state police gambling unit raided the hall for an illegal Texas Hold‘Em tournament. Card players donated money to play, with the money being used to keep the heat and lights on in the building so the Co-op could operate. When the Co-op was moved to Joann’s house on Haines Meadow Road, cars would line up on both sides of the road. In 2014, the Co-op partnered with Good Shepherd Food Bank and was moved to the Elden Store location, where it currently operates out of. Joann has recently retired from running the Co-op after 16 years. Joann enjoys playing cards, bingo and going to the casino. She has 5 children, 10 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and 1 great-great grandson.

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