Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 13 J U N E 1 2 , 2 0 2 3 F O C U S L E W I S T O N / A U B U R N / W E S T E R N M A I N E Ware-Butler Industrial will supply prod- ucts to earthwork and concrete jobs, roads/bridges/construction jobs, grow businesses, storage units, livestock farms, health centers and commercial buildings of all types, infrastructure projects such as sand-salt sheds and municipal buildings, etc. WAREBUTLER.COM CONTACT US for your non-residential and commercial construction needs across Maine. Put our statewide buying power and experienced sales team to work for you! industrial@warebutler.com Fabric / Pipe / Culverts / Styrofoam insulation / Construction lumber Sheet goods / Millwork / Metal roofing and siding products PRODUCTS OFFERED: CUSTOM WORK AVAILABLE C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » Building at Burgundar O ff a dusty road in Harrison, Burgundar's Dylan Sirois recalls his first LARP experience, via a gift certificate from a high school teacher. "I remember seeing the gate," says Sirois, who teaches high school social studies. "You walked through the big village gate, and you were in a dif- ferent place. You were no longer in Maine. You were no longer worried about the politics of the world. You were kind of a different person." That's also what appeals to Doug Andrews, an Army veteran and part-time state employee working in child protective services who'd rather be working at Burgundar full-time. "I find it very cathartic," he says. I love being in the woods anyway, but it's fun, and it's one of those hobbies where the humor is so situational and so odd." That might include a character trying to sneak up on someone in a Medieval game when a cell phone suddenly rings."Not great, but funny." On a more serious note, Andrews says he'd like to write a therapeutic game for kids one day. There's still work-in-progress, like an open-air theater backdrop. Burgundar was featured in an episode of the "Maine Cabin Masters" cable-TV series about renovating rustic dwellings. "We have now done over 120 cabins, so many that I honestly forget some that we have done, but I will never forget about the time spent at Burgundar," says cast member Ryan Eldridge, of Kennebec Cabin Co. in Manchester. "From the moment we pulled into the parking lot on the first day of filming, I knew it was a special place." Now that's worth celebrating over a tankard of imaginary ale at Burgundar's village tavern. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F M A I N E C A B I N M A S T E R S Ryan Eldridge of Maine Cabin Masters of says "From the moment we pulled into the parking lot on the first day of filming, I knew it [Burgunrdar] was a special place." "Many people come to western Maine to take advantage of the affordability of the lakes and mountains region and to enjoy the local lifestyle," the Norway resident says. "Some of those people bring new ideas and start new businesses, while others provide support as consumers for interesting small businesses in the region."

• Cover