News

New skating rink at Fairgrounds
Volunteers completed it on Saturday
By Naomi Morrison

New Gloucester--The Fairgrounds Committee has put a package together and are ready to start making changes on the grounds so residents can start benefiting from their purchase.

"My theme has been, let's do something," said Director of the Fairground Committee Cliff Andrews. "I was getting tired of all the discussion."

New Gloucester volunteer firefighter Brian Hodgman, monitoring the hose while the rink fills. It could take up to 5 truckloads to fill the rink. Other Fairgrounds committee volunteers were preparing to patch the dozen or so holes in the plastic, sandwiched between the boards. David Lunt, Selectmen and Fairgrounds Committee liaison, said that the community had been extremely generous in helping to get the rink installed for this skating season. Between the anonymous monetary donations, the local business community such as Hotham Lumber and Cooks' hardware offering great prices on lumber and plastic, to the volunteers digging and sawing in the freezing temperatures, to Cloutier's donating hot coffee, Lunt said that the Committee is grateful to the entire community for their help. The Monument: Prata photo

New skating rink

One of the projects that has just been completed is the ice skating rink. With an anonymous New Gloucester resident's donation of $1,000 cash and $500 gift certificates (that were raffled off at the Community Fair for $365) the rink was started. Selectman David Lunt told the Fairground Committee that it would cost roughly $400 for the lumber and plastic to make the rink. The rest of the money will help with putting in a porta potty, lights and power in the barn.

The dirt was donated by the town, and volunteers did a lot of leveling and preparing for the lumber and plastic to be put together. The fire department filled the pool with water on Saturday and the skating can begin when the water freezes.

A volunteer has offered to use his own equipment to plow the snow off the rink. Town Manager Rosemary Kulow said that snow piling on the ice shouldn't be a problem. "If you leave a couple of shovels down there, the people using it will shovel the snow," she said.

Andrews said he wants to use volunteers as much as possible. It's a community property, said Andrews, and involving the community to take care of it gives them a better understanding of how much more it is their property.
Right, the rink, partly filled. The Monument: Prata photo

Plans for Fairgrounds

About $25,000 was budgeted for Fairground improvements and maintenance. Andrews presented a list of both short range and long range plans at the November 14 Board of Selectmen meeting for suggestions and approval. The list comprised the responses he received regarding what residents would like to see happen on this property.

Items such as mowing, maintaining the barn, installing power to barn and areas of the field, placing a fence near the river, trimming near the river, installing porta potties and picnic tables and improving the boat launch area were recognized as part of the short range plan. Andrews said the money to be used on these goals would come from contributions and a little from this year's budget.

Under the long-term plan, upcoming improvements are items such as providing access and parking, improving the infield, building an amphitheater, preparing gardens and flowers, maintaining a track, improving the barn, designing a picnic area and walking trails, building a multipurpose field and a ball field, and building a playground and a community center.

Committee, Selectmen Chair clash

At the November 4 Fairgrounds Committee meeting, the members agreed to grant Luther Gray permission to begin plowing the fields, said Andrews. The biggest problem of the property is the soil. Some areas are just sand and in others it's all right, said Fairground Committee Member Carl Wilcox.

Andrews said that Pineland is willing to donate 100 tons of manure provided the town trucks it. This is a huge savings for the project, he said. In the spring when the manure is dropped, Andrews said all they'll need is machinery to plow and plant the seed to avoid a lengthy smell, and again, Andrews is hoping that local farmers can help.

But at the November 15 Selectmen meeting, Chair Steve Libby berated Andrews for starting a project he did not have the money to complete but that possibly commits the Town to an expenditure.

The money is there, said Andrews and the Fairgrounds committee decides what to do, the town just didn't vote on it yet. "I did get running too fast, but it was to take advantage of free things," he said.

The plowing of one-third of the field began prior to Selectmen approval and now something has to be done to finish the project, said Libby. "I don't like Special Town Meetings unless they're necessary," he said. "Based on the circumstances here, this one is necessary."

The $25,000 budgeted for improvements on the Fairgrounds can only be taken out of reserve after a town meeting vote. If the residents approve spending almost $16,000 on soil, harrowing and seeding the fields, then the work already done was not a waste. If residents don't approve the use of the funds, then the Selectmen will have to fix the plowed area by spending about $1,000 to seed. On November 29, the Selectmen will decide if this item will be added to the special town meeting, yet to be sceduled.
Later, Gray told Andrews that he'd be happy to volunteer his team of horses because they needed the exercise anyway.

The Fairgrounds Committee was formed to make a plan for the property based on needs and wants from the community then report back to the Selectmen for approval. If the improvements go over the budgeted amount, the Selectmen would then consider adding the balance to the following year's budget to complete any projects.