Chicken barbecue to raise money for Baker’s Country Store in Conway

Robert Baker of Baker’s Country Store, pictured in August, reveals what heavy rains did to their parking lot. As the Bakers continue to try to address tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage that resulted from a July rainstorm, a chicken barbecue is set for Saturday, Oct. 19, to help raise more money.

Robert Baker of Baker’s Country Store, pictured in August, reveals what heavy rains did to their parking lot. As the Bakers continue to try to address tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage that resulted from a July rainstorm, a chicken barbecue is set for Saturday, Oct. 19, to help raise more money. STAFF FILE PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ

By CHRIS LARABEE

Staff Writer

Published: 10-04-2024 1:10 PM

CONWAY — As Baker’s Country Store owners Helen and Robert Baker continue to try to address tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage that resulted from a July rainstorm, a chicken barbecue is set for Saturday, Oct. 19, to help raise more money.

The event will be held at the Conway Sportsman’s Club, 245 Elmer Road, from 4 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $30 and can be bought at the Conway Inn, Baker’s Country Store or through Heidi Flanders, the organizer of the event and the Bakers’ daughter. She can be reached at heidiflanders@comcast.net.

The meal includes barbecue chicken, baked potatoes, salads, iced tea and lemonade. Alongside the meal, there will be live music and raffles. There are also opportunities for business and community organization sponsorships.

“It’s a community asset, honestly. It has nothing to do with [her being] my mom,” Flanders said. “She’s really been there for the town and she’s in a tough spot right now. She doesn’t have the means to repair all of it, and without it, she’s facing closure.”

Baker’s Country Store, which has operated on River Street for more than 50 years, is in danger of closing following a July 17 rainstorm that dumped upwards of 2 inches of rain on the town in an hour, overwhelming the catch basin above the store on Route 116 and sending water over the 6-inch berm the Bakers had built. The flooding damaged the embankment, crushed the septic tank and washed away part of the parking lot.

As a result of the damage, the store has no bathrooms and can no longer sell fuel. The state Department of Environmental Protection advised the Bakers to stop selling fuel because the 2,000-gallon tank was at risk of damage.

After the storm, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation upgraded the catch basin on Route 116 and had several conversations with the Bakers. Due to the damage being caused by an unusually severe storm and not MassDOT’s action or inaction, it does not have the responsibility to repair the damage. No previous damage complaints were logged to the agency prior to the storm.

A GoFundMe, available at bit.ly/3X0rMiD, has also been set up to help the Bakers. It had raised $22,884 as of Friday afternoon.

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Since the July storm, progress has been made toward some of the repairs. Flanders said her parents have begun repairing the bank and are just starting to replace the septic system.

“The people who have helped so far, we can’t thank them enough,” Flanders said, adding that her parents and the store have helped so many people in different times of disaster. “It’s very weird for us to be on this side of the coin.”

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.