Playground renovation plans ongoing

Houlton Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
DONATION — Marie Carmichael, Houlton Parks and Recreation Department program director, accepts the third donation check from Ryan Bushey of the Houlton Rotary Club to support renovation to the main existing play structure. The Rotarians have raised $27,000 toward the playground project.
Houlton Rotary Club donates $27,000 to fundraising effort
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — When more than 150 kids descend upon Community Park each summer, the playground equipment gets used each and every day. That is not counting those from the community who take their children to the playground after hours.
    The “Just for Kids” Playground in Community Park at the end of Randall Court in Houlton was built around the 1950s, with the very first update happening in 1990.
    “The equipment is simply old and worn out,” said Marie Carmichael, Houlton Parks and Recreation Department program director. “It has served the community well. However, it is in dire need of rehabilitation.”
    A mission to raise money to add/rebuild portions of the playground is under way.
    Local businesses have generated approximately $5,000, which has already been used to update the swing set and install a tunnel ball hoop. Now, the plan is to renovate the main existing play structure.
    “We recently had the original engineer come to the park to give us an evaluation of what is currently there and to propose or suggest necessary changes,” explained Carmichael. “There clearly are ways to rehabilitate the park at what is, by today’s standards, a minimal cost.”
     The Houlton Rotary Club is one of the primary supporters of rebuilding the park. Rotarians have generated $27,000 toward the project through their fund-raising efforts.
    According to Carmichael, the recreation department is applying for matching grants for the project.
    “Houlton Rotary believes that the playground in the park is a wonderful investment for our community’s youth,” said Ryan Bushey, Rotarian. “The playground serves as the center of entertainment for the “Just for Kids” program each summer. The playground is also a great place for families to gather and also promotes healthy lifestyles through playful exercise for kids and adults alike.”
    The rec staff is looking to purchase items such as a “Space Net Climber, Safety Turf or perhaps providing funds to update existing equipment that is worn out or that has been vandalized.
    The playground project cost is between $65,000 and $90,000.
    Currently, the playground fund has $21,000, without the third donation from the Rotary Club.
    Taking one step at a time, planners say they have high hopes of breaking ground by the beginning of next summer.
    Community Park playground adopted the name “Just for Kids” after staff at the Houlton Parks and Recreation Department held a contest. The winners of the contest were announced in the Pioneer Times on  July 8,1981.
    Seven-year-old Aimee (Fournier) Goff and her 10-year-old brother, Richard “Dickie” Fournier, children of Joanie and Bob Fournier of Houlton, were the winners. Each child received a T-shirt with the winning name imprinted on it.
    “You know the story don’t you?,” asked Goff. “I didn’t have a name [to submit to the contest], so I was crying on the way to school. My mother told my brother to share his name with me. So, we both passed in the name and won.”
    Goff is now the mother of two children, Jeremiah and Janelle, and is a teacher at Hodgdon Mill Pond School. Her brother, Dickie, is the father of two daughters, Natalie and Hailey, and is an elementary principal.
    Goff’s children are involved in many of the Houlton Parks and Recreation programs.
    “As a town, we are determined and committed to update the equipment in the park and provide a much needed area for children and families to visit and play safely.  The park is enjoyed by thousands of children each year. Keeping our children outdoors, active and busy doing healthy activities is a goal that really is necessary for the future of our community,” said Lori Weston, town of Houlton community development director.
    “We are proud to be able to assist in supporting such a worthwhile project in our community and excited to see families enjoying the new equipment,” added Bushey.
    Donations can be made to the Houlton Recreation Department at 128 Main St., Houlton, Maine.
    “We hope that you will consider a contribution to this worthy cause, understanding that a strong community is built from the ground up;  and in this case … the “Playground” up,” Weston added.