SACO — It’s people who care about a community that help make it great. An example of that sort of shining star is Sandy Shaw.

Shaw is well known throughout the city for her dedication and community service. She spent 23 years on the city’s Conservation Commission and also served on the Planning Board and the School Board. 

Mayor Ron Michaud said there are a number of city assets, including parks and open space projects, that can be attributed in part to Shaw’s hard work and dedication.

“It’s people like Sandy that make a community exciting to live in,” said Michaud.

Michaud said he served on the Planning Board with Shaw and it was an honor to be able to recognize her Tuesday at a tree planting ceremony at Riverfront Park on Front Street.

“She’s a dedicated, committed person who really cared about Saco, and who continues to care about Saco,” said Michaud.

University of New England Environmental Studies professor Thomas Klak brought a hybrid sapling to the dedication that was 93 percent American Chestnut and 7 percent Chinese chestnut.

Klak works with the American Chestnut Foundation to help bring back what he called a 
“keystone species of our forest.” 

He said the tree, which typically has a massive nut production, needed to be in the region, as it was important to animals and people and was a key point to the region’s ecological health.

“It’s a testimony to Sandy,” said Klak. “It’s a good symbol of her dedication and the future of our community.”

Shaw raised two children, taught chemistry at University of New England when it was St. Francis College, and was co-owner of an H&R Block branch. She always found time to do community service, something instilled in her at a young age.

“It was something I was raised with. My parents did the same thing,” she said.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.

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