Dry Hydrant fund
Dry Hydrant Update - April 25, 2022
From the Dry Hydrant Committee:
Thanks to the generosity of our members, along with the monies the Harford Point Association committed to the project, $16,088 has been raised for the Dry Hydrant project.
This would have been sufficient to cover the proposed costs given to us by Danny Daigle. Unfortunately due to losing employees, Danny is unable to complete the project.
Jerry Nutt has contacted multiple contractors in the area in an attempt to find someone willing to complete the project. LoConte Properties, LLC, has agreed to take on the project and has given us a firm bid. Unfortunately the bid is significantly higher than Danny’s. The bid is $29,900, leaving a shortfall of $13,812. We will ultimately be reimbursed $3500 by the grant we were awarded by the Forest Service so that would bring the total needed down to $10,312.
While this process has been challenging and this final bid is significantly higher than we had originally hoped, our community is very fortunate that Tony Loconte has agreed to work with us to complete our dry hydrant project. Tony and Jerry have spoken at great length. The increased cost is due to the fact that Tony has redesigned the project utilizing materials that should address every concern for performance and duration. Jerry and the rest of the Dry Hydrant Committee are confident that Tony has the depth of knowledge, experience, and thoroughness to complete the project successfully.
Tony needs 8-10 weeks lead time to order the materials. We can’t start the project until we are confident that we can cover the $10,312 shortfall. As much as we hate to ask again, we need to ask you to contribute what you can so we can finally bring the Dry Hydrant to reality.
Contributions will be tax-deductible and should be made out and sent to Greenville Firefighters Association, Box 1109, Greenville, ME 04441, with the designation Harfords Point Dry Hydrant Fund on the memo line of your check.
Dry Hydrant Fund
September 18, 2021
Dear Harfords Point Neighbors,
At the annual meeting on July 31, the Harfords Point Association voted to initiate a fundraising effort to install a Harfords Point Dry Hydrant at the lakefront access point, generously offered by the Kliem family to help protect our homes from the devastation of a wintertime fire. It’s now our turn to step forward and contribute what we can toward an important firefighting resource for our somewhat remote location. Please consider donating $100-$200 from your household to this communal effort. If that’s too steep, we’ll certainly accept what you can contribute; and if you can exceed that amount, we’ll gladly appreciate your generosity. Contributions will be tax-deductible and should be made out and sent to Greenville Fire Department, Box 1109, Greenville, ME 04441, with the designation Harfords Point Dry Hydrant Fund on the memo line of your check.
To learn a bit more about this initiative, please read on:
A dry hydrant, used in what are considered remote locations, protects homes and surrounding structures from the devastation caused by wintertime fires when the combination of a frozen lake and limited-capacity fire trucks means no access to an uninterrupted water source. Time is of the essence in such a situation, so multiple round trips to the in-town fire station are far from ideal. Some of us remember the fire that destroyed a camp in Squaw Bay just as its ownership was being transferred from its owner to a new buyer; more recently, a camp on an island nearer to town burned before sufficient water could be transported to the site. While we’re not on an island, we ARE remote, at least in winter firefighting terms. A dry hydrant draws water from the lake, well below the ice level; it forces water into the part of the dry hydrant that is above water, from which it can be pumped to the fire engine’s centrifugal pump. It is commonly used in areas where municipal water systems are unavailable or not immediately accessible to firefighters. In our case, locating the hydrant close to the railroad crossing provides very easy access to firefighters needing to resupply trucks that can “pressurize” the water to suppress fires.
We are asking for your support for a project that is estimated to cost approximately $15,000. The Association voted to appropriate $3500 to this enterprise, and we will be reapplying for a matching $3500 grant from the Maine Forest Service. In addition, some members of the Association have volunteered to solicit funds from identified foundations and grantors, but customary limits from such sources are low. Individual contributions from residents will be critical to funding the implementation of greater protection of our homes and our community.
Please consider a generous contribution to this effort. You will give once, but you and your neighbors will benefit from increased security and safety long into the future.
Questions may be directed to Jerry Nutt,boat54@aol.com, who is spearheading our effort and has spent long hours exploring and coordinating the many pieces of an intriguing and challenging puzzle.
Thank you in advance for your active participation in this important initiative. We welcome your suggestions and comments!
Sophie Sevey, Jerry Nutt, Marjorie Droppa, and Charmi Sperling
Harfords Point Dry Hydrant Fundraising Committee