HOULTON, Maine — Riverfront Park in downtown Houlton received a makeover thanks to efforts of the Region Two School of Applied Technology’s forestry department.
Eight forestry students, under the guidance of forestry instructor Ted Wright, spent the day June 3 cutting and clearing dead trees from the park.
“The students wanted to give something back to the community, while also gaining some hands-on experience,” Wright said. “We do something every year. It was the forestry class who originally cleared the area for the park, so it’s nice to come back every year.”
The students worked with chainsaws to cut away broken branches and clear out the dead trees.
“The kids really seem to enjoy doing this,” Wright said. “The show up ready to go in the morning and always seem to have a smile on. They are doing what they love.”
Riverfront Park
In the late 1990s the Riverfront Park project was just a dream of a few select Houlton community members, but in 1999 the thought and dream took a major step forward. Former resident Walter “Buzz” Burlock came up with the idea of doing a community service project and chose his former hometown as the site. That project became the Gateway Crossing Bridge, which served as a focal point for Riverfront Park.
Vital Pathways created a rain garden along the trail to remediate water runoff and replaced several plants in the park.
A non-motorized walking trail is also located on the north side of the parking lot. The trail can be also accessed from the north side of the Highland Avenue Bridge following a wooden stairway. A mid-sized public parking lot is located in the Park next to the Meduxnekeag Bridge.
According to the group’s website, “the non-motorized trail is a wide, graveled path running parallel to Meduxnekeag River. Hikers can walk for a round trip, or use it as a one-way connector trail connecting Highland Avenue Bridge. The park has a large, sheltered picnic area. A statue of a bear, sculpted by Forest Hart, sits next to the parking lot, greeting visitors to the park.”
From the park, hikers can walk across the Meduxnekeag River via the Gateway Crossing Bridge, to Houlton’s historic downtown Market Square.
Inside the park and along the length of the trail are a number of installed, educational plaques that have graphic illustrations and narrative explanations of local history and local wildlife and plants. Pets are allowed but their wastes must be removed. The park provides dog waste bags without charge.
Vital Pathways is based in Houlton and serves 11 towns in Aroostook County. It’s board of 17 members meets twice a month and is assisted by a part-time coordinator and an AmeriCorps Vista member. Riverfront Park encompasses 1.69 acres of land owned by the town of Houlton and is assessed at $16,900 according to property tax maps.
A web cam and free wireless Internet are among the other perks of visiting the park. For more information, visit www.houltonriverfront.com.
