Baldacci brothers hosting spaghetti benefit for displaced mill workers on Saturday

JAY – Former Gov. John Baldacci and his brother former Bangor mayor and city councilor Joe Baldacci are hosting a spaghetti supper to benefit the Good Neighbor Fuel Fund at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Saturday, Feb. 20, from 4-6 p.m.

Last fall, Verso Corporation laid off 300 workers, roughly a third of the workforce, at its Androscoggin Mill. The mill is the largest employer in the area.

“These are our neighbors. They need us all to pull together and help them and their families. We need to keep public focus on the workers and their families who need help and real leadership,” Joe Baldacci said.

The Good Neighbor Tri-Town Emergency Heating Fund helps assist people living in the towns of Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls, where most of the displaced workers live. The Baldaccis are working with Debra Kendall of The Good Neighbor non-profit.

Tickets for the spaghetti dinner are on sale at Otis Credit Union, open from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., at $10 for adults and $6 for children.

The Baldacci brothers will be cooking the spaghetti sauce from their family’s secret recipe that became famous at Momma Baldacci’s, the former family restaurant of Bangor. The brothers will be serving the meal.

“It’s a hard time for these workers, and their families,” said Gov. John Baldacci. “Helping those in need is second nature for the people of Maine. Our dinners have become a family tradition, one where we’re proud to help out when and where we can. Maine truly is one big family.”

Last month Verso Corp. filed for bankruptcy, as part of its continued restructuring. The Androscoggin Mill opened in 1965 and operated five paper machines; working at the mill soon became a proud tradition for many generations.

For years the Baldacci family ran an Italian restaurant in Bangor. Its last incarnation was Momma Baldacci’s and it became a meeting place known for its food, conversation, and community atmosphere. To highlight and help issues in the community and around the sate the Baldacci’s started hosting charity spaghetti dinners.