BUCKFIELD — The dilemma for voters at June’s town meeting: Accept a real estate gift or give it to an infamous motorcycle club.
Six articles on the warrant ballot for June 10 ask voters to accept the property at 150 Depot St. and funds for scholarships from the estate of James Jordan. If residents vote to not accept the gifts, the land will be given to the nearest chapter of the Hells Angels.
Jordan had no connection to the motorcycle group, nor was even a motorcycle rider, said his friend Roland Frechette of Hebron. He described it as more of a bad joke, and a way to make sure town residents accepted the gifts.
Depot Street is part of Route 117, heading out of town toward the town of Paris.
Jordan, a lifelong resident of Buckfield, died at his home March 16, 2024, at age 80. According to his obituary, he graduated from Buckfield High School and worked at Tilton’s Market while in high school. He then became a traveling salesman for Cornwall’s Manufacturing and later drove trucks of antiques from Maine to Texas. He retired as a manager at International Paper.
The first article in the six-question series, No. 29, asks voters to accept the gift of the residence at 150 Depot St. and a 2-acre parcel surrounding the structure “for the purpose of providing a location for the training and support for the town’s rescue unit.”
The article then states, “non-acceptance of this gift would result in the property being devised to the nearest chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Group of North America along with the residuary of the estate,” which is approximately $850,000.
The next article asks voters to accept the remaining property at 150 Depot St., a total of 13.9 acres for recreational opportunities for the public. with the same stipulation if the article fails.
If the real estate gifts are accepted, the $850,000 residuary would be used to create a maintenance fund for the properties.
The next three questions asks voters to accept the establishment of three scholarship funds from Jordan’s estate — two for $50,000 and one for $100,000. The money would be deposited into the residuary if any of the scholarship questions fail.
Article 34, the final one of the series, seeks to set aside $20,000 from the estate to fund an annual trip for the town’s senior citizens to Portland Head Light.