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Old 06-08-2007, 06:33 AM
 
5 posts, read 15,680 times
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Hi everyone!
I've been researchig this forum for awhile trying to gather information about my upcoming move to Maine. My husband and I are from Florida and he was hired as a Maine state trooper in January. So now we need to find an area to live in. I have fallen in love with a home in Benton right outside of Waterville, but I'm hearing bad things about this area. I love, love, love the house-it is my dream home but I'm concerned. What is so bad about Benton? If anyone can help me i would be so grateful. We do have a small son and I am considering putting him in Mount Merici school in Waterville. So If anyone has any reviews of this school, that would be great too. Thanks again everyone.
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Old 06-08-2007, 10:50 AM
 
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Born and raised in Waterville! It's a small town (15K - 16K) and yes, it has gone downhill over the past decade or so. However it is not a bad place to live and since your DH already has a job lined up, and that is the biggest problem in the area, you should be fine. In the past year, there have been some improvements to the area with the Hathaway mill being purchased and renovated into a mixed use arts/professional/residential community. Some other businesses have also moved into the area and others are expanding a bit.

Benton is a tiny town without a lot of amenities but is an easy drive to Waterville. Fairfield is also close by but aside from a convenience store, a few gas stations and a pharmacy, there isn't much in Fairfield these days. I know several people who live in Benton and love it because you are "outside" without being too far away.

As for Mount Merici, it is an excellent private elementary school and your child will get a superior start to their education. Many years ago it went thru 12th grade, but sadly it is now just K-6, and I believe they have an after school program as well for working parents who need it.

We just left there a year ago and can't wait to move back to Maine. My mom lives in Winslow which is sort of snuggled in between Waterville and Benton. If I can answer any other questions, please feel free to ask.
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Old 06-08-2007, 11:51 AM
 
Location: on a dirt road in Waitsfield,Vermont
2,186 posts, read 6,825,213 times
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I agree, Waterville is coming back IMHO.....don't forget about Colby College one of the jewels of the small liberal arts colleges in Maine. Nice health food store. I think it was disaffected abit by all the sprawl off the interstate. Glad to hear the Hatheway factory is recovering.

BacktoMe - I assume you saw the movie that was filmed in Waterville, with Paul Newman. When it came out on the whole family watched it but were abit disappointed and found it alittle boring. I assume since you grew up there you probably appreciated it more than we did. It must have been an exciting time when it was being filmed.
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Old 06-08-2007, 12:06 PM
 
5 posts, read 15,680 times
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Thank you so much for your replies. My husband's friends in the trooper academy are telling him to pick anywhere but Benton/Waterville. My real estate agent took us on a tour through Waterville and I thought it was fine. If anyone else has any additional input I'd really appreciate it. We have 5 weeks left until our move. Thanks!!
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Old 06-08-2007, 12:14 PM
 
2,133 posts, read 5,877,204 times
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I can't imagine why your DH's friend at the academy would be so down on WTVL/Benton; what were his reasons? Perhaps I can address them for you.

Of course WTVL isn't perfect, no place is. One of the things I really liked about it is the close proximity to just about everything. You can be at the coast in 1 hour, the mountains in 1 hour, lakes in 30 minutes or less, shopping in Augusta in 20 minutes, the Bangor Mall in 1 hour, Portland Mall in 75 minutes. And of course, Colby College offers year 'round cultural and sporting events for just about every interest.

Are you looking for a house in a neighborhood situation? Or do you want to be out in the country? If you want to, you can e-mail me at nancdon@yahoo.com or you can PM me here and I'll check back later.
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Old 06-08-2007, 01:07 PM
 
19,969 posts, read 30,222,115 times
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heather waterville is a fine area, as is benton,,,i use to drive thier quite a bit.
benton is a rural town outside of waterville, fairfield,,,but just minutes away,,if you like the house,,buy it!!
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Old 06-08-2007, 01:46 PM
 
5 posts, read 15,680 times
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Thanks guys.... I'm looking for a situation where we have land and a beautiful house in a safe area. We are coming from Miami so when Mainers say that something is a "bad" area I kinda take it with a grain of salt. Every area in Miami is a bad area unless you're a millonaire and you can afford the beach. The bad areas in Miami don't really compare to the ones in Maine. I think the guys in the academy just mean that Benton might be a little poorer than other places with not much to do; but we've done our share of partying and now we just want to raise our son in a safe place with lots of land for him to roam on. We love outdoor activities so I thought that Waterville was perfect because like you said backtone you can easily access just about everything within an hour. I lived 10 miles from the beach in Miami and it took me over an hour with all the traffic to get there so driving won't be a problem for me . Anyway thanks again guys I really appreciate it.
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Old 06-08-2007, 03:32 PM
 
2,133 posts, read 5,877,204 times
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Ah, I'm guessing your DH's buddy is single? In which case, yes, WTVL can be pretty dull.

But if you are looking for a nice area to raise your son, and a good school for him, then you are definitely looking in the right location. If you found a house in WTVL, or a country home in Benton, you will be fine buying it.

You're absolutely correct that nothing "bad" in central Maine can compare to what you deal with every day in Miami.
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Old 06-08-2007, 03:54 PM
 
Location: on a dirt road in Waitsfield,Vermont
2,186 posts, read 6,825,213 times
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Plus..from Benton probably less than an hour to the ocean and one of the coolest coastal villages...Belfast.
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Old 06-10-2007, 07:26 PM
 
6 posts, read 14,819 times
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Hi there! We are also moving to the Waterville area in a few months from the South. I can't wait for cooler temperatures and varying seasons!

I have no inside information for you, but I also have two small boys. Since you are thinking private school, I'm not sure how much you care about the public schools. If Mount Merici is only K-6, then I guess it depends on how long you plan to be there! I am particularly looking in Waterville, just because I got a good feel for the Waterville schools. I am really basing that on absolutely nothing, though, just a gut feel. I liked hearing things like how the Waterville schools have a strings music program. And I like that they have a separate K-3 school (next door to the upper elementary school, which is grades 4-5). However, from everyone I talked to, the area public schools all seemed to be relatively equal in quality. Due to growth in some areas, some of the other districts have new buildings. (Or at least that was my understanding.)

All that said, we have not started actively looking for houses yet. We are waiting until we get our current house on the market. I think finding the "right" house is going to be more important than limiting myself to only the Waterville school district.

We used to live in Maine (Portland) and we had moved there from Metro Detroit. When we got there, my friend drove us through the "bad area" of Portland, and it was nothing like what I considered "bad". So I know exactly where you are coming from when you compare Maine to Miami!

Good luck with your plans!
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