Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – Terrific weather combined with great volunteer turnout made this year’s Community Spirit Day project a big success.
This year’s project had volunteers painting and making improvements at Peace Park, the recreational site located just off Parsons St. in Presque Isle.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
OOPS! DID I DO THAT? – Emily and Grace Bemis, daughters of Frank and Ellen Bemis, were two of the younger volunteers helping spruce up the Peace Park, located off Parsons St. in Presque Isle, during Community Spirit Day. Here, the sisters, trying to avoid paint drips, practice their painting on a piece of playground equipment.
Organizers were pleased with this year’s participation.
“The event went well. It makes such a huge difference to the park. It really adds a lot of color to the area and looks like the community really worked hard to improve the park,” said Jennifer Trombley, a member of the City Council and member of the Community Spirit Committee.
Trombley said volunteers “managed to get everything painted, change the swings and chains, plant flowers and trees, trim the hedges, level the woodchips, paint the lines on the basketball court, paint the backboards and stain the picnic tables.”
A local business provided supplies for the project.
“The paint and paint supplies, like brushes, buckets and scrapers, plants, benches, swing chains and seats were provided by Lowe’s through their Hero’s Grant. The Community Spirit Committee applied for the grant back I May and was awarded the grant,” said Trombley.
At that time, according to Trombley, the Committee rescheduled the event to accommodate the grant award process and for the availability of Lowe’s employee volunteer, since spring is the business’s busy season.
Additional materials, including basketball court paint, wood chips and barbeque items were supplied by the city.
Volunteers came from various groups and organizations, as well as individual participants.
“Lowe’s had several volunteers. We had 27 volunteers from Presque Isle Rotary, the Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Revitalization Committee, as well as some community members too,” said Trombley.
According to Trombley, the project was a joint effort to get the work done, with local businesses helping too.
“When we decided to put the wood chips in, we coordinated with Presque Isle Public Works to dig out the dirt around the structure (playground equipment). Then we had to figure out how to get the wood chips there without having heavy equipment around all the volunteers and kids. Star City Sanitation donated the use of a roll-off container to park at the mill to be filled with wood chips and alter moved to the park and dumped around the play structure,” said Trombley.
Before the chips were dumped, Lowe’s employees volunteered to build a wooden frame around the structure to contain the chips.
“Winnie’s Dairy Bar allowed volunteers to use their bathroom the day of the event,” said Trombley. “It all came together perfectly.”
“We’re extremely pleased with the results this year. The weather was beautiful and participation was phenomenal,” said City Manager Tom Stevens, noting plans are already being made for next year’s event.
Community Spirit Day was initially created as a way to get community members actively involved in cleaning up the community, making it a better place for all to enjoy.
“Community Spirit Day traditionally was a ‘clean-up’ day where each spring the city and PIACC encouraged citizens and businesses to clean up trash around the city and offered an appreciation barbeque at Riverside Park,” said Trombley.
The day has evolved, now focusing on a particular site rather than having volunteers spread throughout the city. The barbeque continues to be a part of the annual event, providing a free meal for all participants.
“A couple years ago, the Committee decided that it would be a good change to use Community Spirit Day to do a project each year that leaves a lasting improvement that the community can see and be proud of their efforts. Last year we painted at the outdoor pool; and this year we came up with the idea of sprucing up the Peace Park,” said Trombley.
Organizers have already begun planning for next year.
“As we look toward next year, we are looking at expanding the Committee to include a few more people and will be asking community groups such as Rotary, Kiwanis and the Elks if they would like a representative on the Committee. We have not picked a project yet but plan to once we have a new Committee formed for 2009,” said Trombley. “We would like people to submit any ideas they have to Chris Beaulieu at the Presque Isle Recreation Department, located on Main St.”
Committee members this year included: Nola Farley, of U.S. Cellular, representing the PIACC; Jennifer Bridges, of North Woods Communications; Cathy Beaulieu, of Wilder’s, representing the Downtown Revitalization Committee; Chris Beaulieu, director of Presque Isle Parks and Recreation; and Jennifer Trombley, representing Presque Isle City Council.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
CONSTRUCTING birdhouses kept some participants busy during Community Spirit Day activities at Peace Park in Presque Isle Sept. 6. Here, Carrie Lambert, of Lowe’s, and Matt Bridges help youngsters build birdhouses using kits donated by Lowe’s. The children are, from left: Mitchell Dumais; Rachel Ayotte; and Bridges’ sons, Will and Grant Bridges.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
TURNOUT WAS GOOD for this year’s Community Spirit Day Sept. 6 in Presque Isle. Here, volunteers lend a hand at Peace Park, located just off Parsons St., making minor repairs and adding a new coat of paint where needed.
