by Emily Burnham
of The Weekly Staff
Like many Bangor residents, Sean Gambrel takes full advantage of the outdoor activities in the area, including the two-mile-long Kenduskeag Stream Trail, which runs from Franklin Street in downtown Bangor out toward Valley Avenue, on a leisurely, sun-dappled, tree-lined path along the stream.
And like many in Bangor, Gambrel found himself dismayed by the condition of parts of the trail, most especially the three-quarter-mile stretch between Franklin Street and Harlow Street. Walkers, runners and bikers might see anything from graffiti scrawled across retaining walls, to damaged signage or fencing, to discarded drug and alcohol paraphernalia among the maple trees. Some even have reported being harassed while making their way along that stretch.
“I think like a lot of people in town, I would use the trail and just be disappointed by the condition of that first part,” said Gambrel. “And I’ve always had it in my mind that someone should do something about it, but never acted on it.”
Last month, Gambrel and a handful of other volunteers started a group called Friends Of the Lower Kenduskeag Stream, or FOLKS, a new organization dedicated to the improvement and preservation of the trail as a whole, with a special focus on the part closest to downtown. A Facebook group has attracted approximately 100 members, and a meeting in early July brought nearly 20 people to Bangor City Hall to discuss a plan to fix up the trail.
“We need a group to focus that energy and to work together to make things better,” said Gambrel. “We have this amazing resource right in town and it’s a shame that it’s not better cared for.”
The Downtown Bangor Adopt a Garden program was a major inspiration for Gambrel. During this year’s adoption, he took on the area of the trail immediately adjacent to Franklin Street. While working on it, he realized the task of improving the trail was much too big for one person, or even a few people. With Bangor Parks and Recreation resources focused more on the upper part of the trail off Valley Avenue, it seemed unlikely that official channels would be the most efficient method of fixing it up.
“There’s so much that needs to be trimmed and cut and mowed, and while I was down there working I had so many people come by and say they were so glad something was being done,” said Gambrel. “If we can coordinate resources, we can accomplish so much more.”
The big initial goals for FOLKS will be to clear brush and trim back bushes, remove garbage, clean up graffiti, and repair fences. The group also hopes that they can maintain a consistent presence on that part of the trail, to discourage unsavory activity such as drug and alcohol use and vandalization.
“If there’s eyes on the street, so to speak, and there’s people there witnessing things, eventually, they will stop happening,” said Gambrel. “Some people say they feel unsafe on that part of the trail, but if we have people there all the time, that perception will go away.”
Eventually, FOLKS hopes to turn its attention to making the entire trail wheelchair and stroller friendly, and to installing better lighting throughout its two miles.
“We need better lighting to make people feel safe, and we need to grade the trail in a couple parts that are a bit steep, so that we can make it accessible to the most amount of people,” said Gambrel. “It will probably take some grant money or fundraising, but there’s a lot of energy to make the trail the great resource it is and can be.”
The first official trail cleanup day is set for 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, piggybacking upon the Downtown Bangor Partnership’s downtown cleanup day. Volunteers are most needed for trash collection, brush cleanup and brush hauling. To get involved in the Friends Of the Lower Kenduskeag group, emailFOLKStrail@gmail.com.