Summer’s here, Rec begins
IN THE CITY
by Chris Beaulieu
Another summer’s worth of activities at the Presque Isle Recreation & Park has begun.
The crew and summer staff have been working all spring to prepare facilities and create programming for the children and adults of the city. Summer always brings with it some of our fondest memories and that is true of the time we all spend engaged in summer recreation activities. With warm weather comes one of the busiest seasons.
Contributed photo
SUMMER FUN — Youth baseball and softball are just a sample of the summertime fun and activities planned by staff at the Presque Isle Recreation & Parks Department.
One of the most popular offerings, the Outdoor Pool, is now open. As always large crowds of kids are expected throughout the summer season. Along with free swim, lessons are in full swing. The Indoor Pool, as always, is open, so a rainy day shouldn’t get in the way of a dip in a pool. The new slide at the Indoor Pool has proven very popular. If you haven’t seen all the new changes at the Indoor Pool, stop in for a look.
For all our athletes, summer offers many ways to get involved and stay active. We often hear that kids today are not as physically active as in the past. That would not seem to be the case if you were to observe the number of kids taking part in various programs. On any given day one can see kids learning to play tennis at the Mantle Lake courts, baseball and softball fields filled with kids both morning and afternoon, older tennis players later in the day, and Hershey track participants at the middle school track. If you see kids mountain biking, kayaking, hiking mountains, and camping at Aroostook State Park they are probably part of the Recreation Department’s Adventure Camp which is already in full swing. For adults the softball leagues have begun with games at the pool field most evenings.
For the second year in a row summer arts and crafts is being offered in cooperation with the Wintergreen Art Center. Thanks to a federal grant the Recreation Department and Wintergreen have been able to forge a strong and productive partnership that offers Presque Isle’s kids art instruction second to none. If you and your child have not taken advantage of this great program, it is not too late. Stop in at the William V. Haskell Community Center to sign up for the next session.
Two of the city’s most used attractions are busy and getting busier. The walking/bike path is always maintained and has become the social meeting place of the community. Members of the community, young and old, can be seen enjoying the shaded paths at almost all hours of the day. Some young entrepreneurs have even set up stands to sell water to the walkers on warm days.
Mantle Lake Park remains a focal point of the city’s activities for young and old. On a recent morning parents could be seen with their little ones as they fished in the lake, families picnicked near the water, older kids played football, and a father and son played a game of catch. The playground equipment was full as were the tennis courts. If you visit you will notice that new restrooms are almost complete. The block walls are up and the roof will go on this week enabling families to spend the day at the park.
In another collaborative effort, the Recreation Department is partnering with Carol Ayoob to offer “Open Mic Night” at the Riverside building on Friday evenings. This has proven to be popular with musicians of all ages and will continue through much of the summer. While at Riverside you will notice the cleared area on Chapman Street that once held five properties.
Most of these had become unsightly and detracted from the beauty of the riverside area. Their removal opens up the view to the soccer field, expands the possible uses of the park in the future, and fits in with the long-term plans for community center development. After giving the ground time to settle this area will be seeded and add additional green space to one of the prettiest parks in town.
If activities in the hot sun are not for you, no worries, Summer Ice at The Forum begins July 5.
For two weeks, participants can enjoy various public skating sessions including Friday evening’s Family Skate. Or dust off the old hockey equipment and hit the ice.
If you haven’t already taken advantage of some of what the Presque Isle Recreation & Parks Department and the City of Presque Isle has to offer, we would encourage you to come out and see the changes and maybe even take in a game and see the town’s young people playing and having fun.
One look will remind you why we live in Presque Isle and will make you thankful that Presque Isle has always cared, supported and provided our youth with fun and healthy activities. Active kids are healthy kids. Come out and enjoy it with us. Summer’s here!
Chris Beaulieu is Presque Isle’s director of recreation and parks department. He can be reached at 764-2545 or via e-mail at pirec@maine.rr.com.
