
Greenville community creating changes for common good
GREENVILLE — The good people of Greenville have always banded together for a community cause and as September comes to a close the activities downtown have picked up in the spirit of cooperation for the common good. You may have noticed a lot of people down on the boardwalk near the Steamship Katahdin hammering and sawing away as they replace boards in the walkway.
Janet Chasse, who owns the online business Moosehead Marketplace, got together this past spring with Josh Brown of Maine Mountain Soap and Candle; Bethany Young, Deputy Clerk from the Greenville Town Office, and Town Manager Jesse Crandall and suggested the idea of replacing boards and railings to the Maine Woods Consortium. As their website indicates, they are “a network of non-profit organizations, businesses and government agencies dedicated to advancing a ‘triple bottom line’ approach (economy, environment, community) to enhance human and environmental well-being in the Maine Woods region.”
“We send out a big thank you to Mike Wilson and the [Maine] Woods Consortium for giving the Town the funds to help make this happen this year,” said Town Manager Crandall. “They agreed that they would contribute around $3,000 for supplies to repair the boardwalk and the handrails around East Cove, as long as the operation was carried out solely by volunteer labor,” he added.

Observer photo/Shelagh Talbot
BOARDWALK REPAIRS — Volunteers from Greenville businesses work together to repair the boardwalk area in East Cove.
Judging from the amount of people bustling on the boardwalk, this was not a problem. “Everyone is pitching in to make this happen,” said Chasse. “Some shopkeepers are supplying labor, while others who could not take time off supplied hot coffee, fresh doughnuts and sandwiches. The work is proceeding nicely and should be finished by the end of the month.
“We like that the community has come together so quickly to make this happen,” noted Mike Boutin, owner of Northwoods Outfitters Inc. in downtown Greenville. He and a number of his employees were busy ripping out the old boards and fitting new ones in place.
Recently Bethany Young and Wendi O’Connor, both deputy clerks at the Greenville Town Office, sent out letters to local businesses about making additions to the kids play area at the Greenville Junction Wharf. They have started a campaign to replace the old pirate ship with a spiffy new one and with a nod to the Greenville Junction Depot building, will add a wooden locomotive and rail cars on a stationary track for children to climb around on. Town Manager Crandall suggested (tongue in cheek of course) that super soakers should be mounted on each for added appeal!
The goal is to raise $15,000 to cover the cost of the new equipment, wood chips and groundwork. You can stop in at the Town Office and see a Donation Thermometer with donations from generous groups and individuals already topping the $5,000 mark.
The Moosehead Riders ATV Club and Leisure Life Resort are hosting a Fall Foliage Ride complete with a nice lunch on Saturday, Sept. 29 to benefit the Junction Wharf Playground. The event begins at the Depot Street Parking Lot at 9 a.m. with lunch at Leisure Life Resort around noon. $30 per person gets you in for the ride and lunch; or if you prefer, you can just show up for lunch: $15 per person for just the meal. Either way it’s a win-win. Registration forms are available at the Town Office or Moosehead Motorsports. For more information call 207-695-2421.
Out on Route 15 at the Greenville Visitor’s Center there’s more hammering and sawing going on as a replica of the Squaw Mountain Watchman’s Camp is being built. This is thanks to a group called the Forest Fire Lookout Association of Maine Chapter and volunteers gathered together recently to work on the construction of the building. They made terrific progress in getting the base built and have added a roof and windows.
These volunteers will continue for the next two weeks until the camp is boarded in for the winter. It will be a nice complement to the visitor friendly Watch Tower already in place.
Yup, Greenville is a busy place this time of year, with so many townsfolk volunteering time, effort and funds. Next summer promises to have more wonderful things to do and places to explore around town.