by Trisha Ingalls
IRASBURG — Roger Gagnon has been giving his time, treasure, and talent to the town of Irasburg for over forty years, and just completed another major contribution: restoring the Orne Covered Bridge.
Mr. Gagnon was born in Nashua, New Hampshire. After serving in the Vietnam War, he wanted to get away from the city and live a quiet life. He has lived in Irasburg since 1982. In that time, he has been a member of the select board and the planning commission, a lister, and more.
When asked about his motivation for giving so much of his time to his community, he became emotional. “I like being an American,” he said. “It’s the best country on earth, and people don’t know it. They are so foolish. They don’t appreciate what they have.” This conviction compels him to contribute, and he has been doing so since he was 19 years old.
He started out in carpentry, then joined the military and became a telephone repairman, which is what he did in Vietnam. After the war he tried carpentry again but knew that wasn’t going to be his career. He got a job with Sears Roebuck and became a repairman, fixing all kinds of appliances. He noted wryly that if he wanted to, he could be just as busy now as he was then.
Carpentry is still a hobby, however. He said he noticed people walking around the Irasburg common had no place to sit down to take a break, especially older people. “I thought, it would be nice for these people to have someplace to sit when they get tired,” Mr. Gagnon said. “I wanted something that [people are] not going to steal.” ….
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