New signs planned at ‘Million Dollar View’

    WESTON —The Million Dollar View Scenic Byway Committee is working with the Northern Maine Development commission (NMDC) and Nancy Montgomery Design, Inc. to develop interpretive panels that will be placed at scenic turnouts along Route 1 between Danforth and Orient, designated as the Million Dollar View Scenic Byway. The project involves assembling historical information such as photographs, artifacts, and other archival material that would help tell the story of the Byway communities. Funding for the project is being provided by the Maine Department of Transportation's Scenic Byways Program, whose mission is to showcase outstanding cultural, historical, archeological, recreational, natural and scenic resources found along Maine's State Byways and then preserve, maintain, protect, and enhance the intrinsic resources of these scenic corridors. These efforts help promote economic prosperity, community recognition, and broaden the traveler's overall recreational and educational experience.
    In March of 2004, The Million Dollar View Scenic Byway Committee received approval of a Corridor Management Plan (CMP) from the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation, which administers the Maine Scenic Byways program. The CMP identified the creation of Interpretive Panels as a needed enhancement that would provide the traveler with interesting information on the history and culture of the byway communities. "The local Byway Committee completed phase one of the project in 2006, which involved developing the themes and content for the individual panels with input from the committee members," stated Brian Longstaff, NMDC Senior Planner and Byway project manager. These laminated panels use words, pictures, and maps to explain the significance of historic site, buildings, and events, or educate the traveler on various natural treasures that are found in the area such as lakes, mountains and wildlife. They can also tell the story of a particular industry, or depict a way of life such as that of the early settlers and Native Americans. As travelers learn more about the history and significance of Byway's many resources, they gain a sense of place that makes their trip more memorable and may serve to bring them back again or be better able to relate their experience to others so that they too will want to visit this region.
    Scenic Byways were identified as a major element in the Five-year Tourism Business Plan for Northern Maine, which NMDC has been implementing since December 2005.
    Dave Spooner, who is the tourism coordinator for NMDC and works closely with the Aroostook County Tourism group, explains the connection between successful tourism and scenic byway development.
    "The five-year plan analyzed successful tourism initiatives in other parts of the country, and Scenic Byways were invariably a big part of what drew people to each of those regions. We also conducted a random survey of potential and past visitors as part of that project and the results indicated that over 59 percent of travelers sought out scenic drives and foliage tours, which was the most popular activity by far," he said. Nancy Montgomery Design, Inc., a firm based in Portland, was selected by the Maine Scenic byway program to take the thematic concepts of the Byway Committee and assemble supporting artwork and text into attractive and informational panels.
    According to Montgomery, the key to the project is finding resource materials such as old photographs, written records, paintings, memorabilia such as postcards, contracts, antique items like logging boots that could be photographed, or documents. These will help tell the stories that the Byway committee has identified as those most unique to the "Million Dollar View" area. Montgomery will meet with the Byway committee and interested public at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 22 at the Weston Town Office. She hopes that the public and committee members will bring along historical photos, artifacts, stories and documents that she might be able to incorporate into the panel designs.
    "Informational packets have been mailed out to a number of people in the Weston area that we believe may be able to help us track down those resource materials, just to explain the project, invite them to attend the meeting with Nancy Montgomery, and ask if they might bring any of these materials in their possession. People may have some great pieces in old family photo collections, or stored away somewhere in the attic, but may have forgotten about them," explained Longstaff, who plans to follow up the mailings with calls and visits to those who respond to the request. Anyone who has these types of resource materials with an historical focus on Danforth, Weston, or Orient, and would be willing to allow them to be reproduced for use in the project, is asked to contact Brian Longstaff of Northern Maine Development Commission at 532-0664, email blongstaff@nmdc.org; or Margaret Frye at the Weston town office at 448-2316; email townofweston@midmaine.com.