Nov. 27 turned out to be an eventful day for local Good Samaritan Chris Hodgdon. Hodgdon was scheduled to leave his Barters Island home for back surgery at 9 a.m., but before he could leave, around 8 a.m., a neighbor’s home was on fire. His neighbors, Kelo and Gayle Pinkham, lost their home in a pre-Thanksgiving Day blaze.

Hodgdon recovered from back surgery and was determined to help his neighbors. While recovering from surgery, Hodgdon began calling fishermen about assisting the Pinkhams. His phone calls led to a lobster trap fundraiser which netted $1,000 for the Pinkhams. He contacted Brooks Trap Mill, a lobster trap material supplier in Thomaston, for buying stock, and Riverdale Mills Co. in Massachusetts, who supplies aqua mesh for trap construction.

“I constructed 10 lobster traps and contacted 10 fishermen who purchased each one for $100. It took maybe 30 minutes of phone calls, but we did it,” Hodgdon said. The two lobster trap material suppliers donated all the materials. Hodgdon wants Brooks Trap Mill, Riverdale Mills and the fishermen who bought traps to take all the credit. 

“I like helping people and just want to thank those who participated. They are the ones who deserve credit.”