Helping to fund Cornerspring Montessori School’s building campaign

Win a Belfast home by describing the American Dream — in 200 words

Fri, 07/24/2015 - 12:00pm

    BELFAST — The essays have been rolling in, report homeowners Julie and Jason Romano, who have put their intown Belfast home on the market — that “market” being the best 200 (or fewer)-word essay to describe the American Dream.

    This is no gimmick, and the Romanos want to divest their three-bedroom, two-bath house, as well as raise more than $50,000 — maybe even $100,000 —  to benefit the Cornerspring Montessori School’s “Journey Home” campaign to build its own new school in Belfast (see sidebar).

    The Belfast Maine House Contest began at the end of June, and already, interested buyers have been checking in from 50 countries, and every state in the union.

    Who can resist? The house, appraised at $306,000, is warm and welcoming, has recently been renovated, and is within walking distance of restaurants, shops and schools.

    The Romanos are working in collaboration with Cornerspring Montessori School, and with Camden-based New England Real Estate Company Realtor Beth Gindel to make their contest a success. In addition to getting a new home, winners will also receive $10,000.

    “This is a win-win,” said Julie Romano, in mid-July, just a few days after she and Jason sat down to begin reviewing the first essays that had arrived that week.

    Cornerspring Montessori School announced earlier in July  that the campaign to build the first Passive House Montessori school in Maine reached a major milestone. The new school is being funded by a capital campaign, Journey Home, The Campaign for Cornerspring Montessori School. The $2 million campaign includes plans to establish a tuition assistance fund and a capital reserve fund.

    A gift from athenahealth, Inc., helped Cornerspring to surpass the $500,000 mark. The Watertown, Mass., company has an operational site in Belfast that employs more than 800.

    “We are profoundly grateful to athenahealth for their generous support of Cornerspring Montessori and for their gift to the Journey Home campaign,” said Sarah Tomalty of Brooks, campaign cochairman.

    The capital campaign has raised $512,060 to date in contributions, pledges, and in-kind gifts from individuals, local businesses and a grant from the Unity Foundation.

    The new Cornerspring Montessori School was designed by GO Logic, a Belfast architecture and construction firm. It will be the first Montessori school in Maine to target Passive House certification.

     Under the Passive House standard, which relies on a highly insulated building shell and heat recovery ventilation, a building uses 90 percent less energy than code-complaint construction. The result is long-term energy savings, significantly improved indoor air quality, and exceptional occupant comfort. Construction of the 6,100 square foot school on Lower Congress Street in Belfast, is set for this autumn.

    Cornerspring Montessori School serves 68 preschool, kindergarten and elementary students. Founded in 2001, Cornerspring is one of 34 Montessori schools in the state. Visit the Journey Home page at cornerspringmontessori.com 

    The rules are fairly simple: Compose an essay of 200 words or fewer about the American Dream. Submit it along with an information application and and entrance fee of $175, which confirms entry to the contest. (See complete contest rules and details).  

    The owners are the initial judges who will receive the anonymous essays from Cornerspring Montessori School with a number assigned to them.  They will then choose the top 125 and give them back to the panel of secret judges who will then decide the winner of the house and the cash.  See "About Us" page on this fundraising partnership.

    The idea to divest their Belfast home via an essay contest came to Julie last year, after she caught wind of another such contest whereby the winner would assume ownership of the Center Lovell Inn, a contest, she said, that, “has since been cleared by authorities after the investigation of any wrongdoing during the contest.”

    She said: “I morphed that into a fundraiser for Cornerspring.”

    She and Jason are trying to relocate to Massachusetts, where Jason has gotten a new job. He has been commuting during the week to Massachusetts while she stayed home in Belfast with their four young children. In an attempt to sell their Belfast home, so she decided to give the house contest idea a whirl with their own property.

    Their children had attended the Cornerspring Montessori School and the Romanos decided to turn the house sale into a fundraiser.

    Cornerspring Montessori had recently launched a multi-million dollar campaign to build a new and permanent school. The Journey Home Campaign seemed to fit so well with what the Romanos were also living, they wrote on their website.  Julie began the online investigation of legalities, called the State of Maine numerous times, consulted accountants, an attorney and then finally presented her idea to the board of Cornerspring Montessori.

    They have capped the contest at 2,500 entries, and Cornerspring will receive more than $100,000, “when we reach that,” said Julie. If they do not reach the minimum number of entrants at 2,000, they have pledged that they will return all entry fees.

    Julie and Jason arrived in Maine 11 years ago as newlyweds to start their new jobs.

    “They figured they would give it a year and see how they felt moving far from family and friends,” their website said. “Well, six months here in Belfast, and they were hooked! They looked for their new nest, stopped renting and bought the little beauty in the historical section on the corner of High Street and Bell Street.  Jason had a great job as a human resources director for a nonprofit helping children and families and Julie worked as a foster care director.”

    Then, their children arrived.

    “As things go in this economy, Jason's company was merging with another larger one and his job was being phased out,” their site said. “Time to find a new one with a family to support. He did. The only issue was the commute.... it is in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Their home on the market, Julie stayed the year here with the children and Jason comes home on the weekends.”

    Contest interest is growing. At first, a few folks were checking in from around the region. Now, it’s global. That’s understandable. The American Dream is right there, in Belfast, waiting for just the right person who has a way with words.

    Keep up to date with the contest developments at facebook.com/BelfastMainehousecontest.