PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee chairman recently expressed a need for more help with committee events as the city focuses on planning for next year’s Rocking on Riverside.
“We need more volunteers,” chairman Clint Deschene told councilors during a budget workshop at City Hall on Oct. 11.
In a follow up interview, later, he told The Star-Herald, “We need people to set up and tear down the stage for bands (at Rocking on Riverside).”
City manager Martin Puckett believes help is on the way thanks to a partnership between the city and the University of Maine at Presque Isle.
“The council has approved a program in partnership with UMPI for an internship within the city. And part of the intern’s role will be helping with the [revitalization committee],” Puckett said in an email to The Star-Herald a few days after the budget workshop.
Rocking on Riverside provides free concerts and hosts food trucks and vendors at Riverside Bicentennial Park to draw residents and visitors to the area every other Thursday during the summer months of June, July and August.
In future, the committee plans to reduce spending on “unnecessary” items such as promotional bags, according to Deschene. He said the committee wants to put more money toward bands, banners and holiday lighting.
“The downtown committee has done an excellent job attracting great bands and vendors to the downtown, creating a great atmosphere for locals to enjoy,” Puckett said.
Deschene expressed satisfaction about this year’s Rocking on Riverside events and said the committee looks forward to seeing everybody there next year.
