Wiscasset is moving its free sandpile from the town garage to the transfer station on Fowle Hill Road. The town has always made free sand available at the town garage for residents of Wiscasset to use on icy walkways at their homes. However, the sandpile is being moved to make it easier and safer for residents, especially elderly ones, to load up their buckets. 

 

Road Commissioner and Transfer Station Director Ted Snowden came up with the plan after he almost backed his truck into a car parked next to the big pile in the dark, cavernous town storage shed where the resident was trying to get some sand. 

 

"It was a close call," said Snowden. He noted that, when the sand in front of the town garage is depleted, some residents know where to go find the big pile in the shed. If it's after hours, the crew isn't around to move more sand out front, and the big shed door has always been open with warning signs posted to keep out. However, Snowden said, people don't necessarily see the signs and it's dangerous in the shed: “That's a 50-foot mountain of sand."

 

"If they go in there, they don't know that the sand can slide. It’s an accident waiting to happen," said Snowden.

 

Snowden said the $80,000 pile of sand often slides when the town crew fills up a loader to take sand down to the front of the town garage property for residents to pick up. From now on, for everyone's safety, the big garage doors will be locked, and the town's free sand pile is being moved to the transfer station. The move was set for Friday, Jan. 14. 

 

Residents can bring their buckets to the transfer station Tuesday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays.