HOULTON, Maine — Taking a stroll along the Meduxnekeag River in Houlton is a far different experience than it was generations ago.
A parcel that was home to a prosperous lumber and hardware store in the late 1960s and early ‘70s (Horten Building Supplies) has blossomed into a picturesque picnic area now known as Riverfront Park.
Several years in the making, Riverfront Park includes a scenic walking trail to the Highland Avenue Bridge, beautiful landscape and a picnic area for residents and visitors to enjoy.
Through the generous donations of time and resources, the park has new picnic tables under its gazebo. Roger Larson, owner of Stairs Welding, forged metal frames for the new tables, while Scott Dionne of S.W. Collins donated the lumber.
The three original picnic tables have also been refurbished and are now placed in other spots inside the park.
As nice as the new tables are, though, park supporters have even bigger plans for the second half of 2014.
“We are trying to start a promotion to do some other things here in the park,” said Bob Anderson, a founding member of Vital Pathways, the non-profit group that oversees Riverfront Park.
Anderson said the group is trying to raise money for the construction of public bathrooms for the park, since there are no public facilities in downtown Houlton. The group also hopes to create a small, illuminated playground area for children and is lobbying for an additional parcel of land to be paved, which would increase parking at the site and reduce erosion.
“We are doing this all through Vital Pathways,” Anderson said. “Obviously, we need to do a lot of fundraising.”
Vital Pathways was formed in 1994 when Houlton was selected as one of five sites in Maine to be designated as a “Healthy Community.” The group has a broad definition of health, which goes beyond the “medical model” to include education, environment, technological and economic development, and recreation.
The park was created in 2005 to coincide with the construction of the Gateway Crossing Bridge. That bridge was built with grant money.
Don Collins, past president of Vital Pathways, explained that all the plants and vegetation in the park were installed to assist with erosion problems.
Vital Pathways is based in Houlton and serves 11 towns in Aroostook County. Its 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.
In 2013, Vital Pathways assisted in obtaining a bear statue for the park, which replaced a moose statue. They also created a rain garden along the trail to assist with water runoff and replaced several plants in the park.
Anderson presented his concept for public restrooms to the Houlton Town Council several months ago, but received a lukewarm reception. The council advised the group to first do the fundraising for the project before it would give its blessing.
“Originally, we had talked of a separate men’s and women’s facilities with a storage unit in the center,” he explained. “That was an $80,000 project, so we are thinking of scaling it back to a single restroom with potential to expand if need be.”
The group would like to see the restroom project begin later this summer, but has a long way to go to reach that goal.
“We don’t want to start something without being sure we can pay for it,” Anderson said. “Our job as a committee is to be good stewards of the park.”
A website has been created to assist with fundraising. A link to that site can be found on the group’s Facebook page. Donations can also be mailed to Vital Pathways. C/O Director, Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce, 109 Main St., Houlton, ME 04730.
