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Kudos to the Community of Fairfield!

By BARBARA GUNVALDSEN, Fairfield resident,
(May 31, 2000)

At the beginning of the last century, Fairfield was the place to be -- home of the first electric railway system in Maine, home of the first electric light plant in Maine, home of one of New England's finest hotels, and home to a circle of entrepreneurs and business adventurers. During the past years, Fairfield has been somewhat overshadowed by its neighbor to the south but now, at the beginning of the current century, the community has been refinding its self and reestablishing its own worthy identity.

Current projects that are well underway are: a local cable station of Fairfield's own, the biotechnology park on Interstate 95, three new bridges to replace the old ones (with a major redoing of the downtown area), a bike and hiking path along the bank of the Kennebec River, and the restoration-expansion of the park on Mill Island.

Cable Channel 6

A project with origins in a local community group is going to bring improved communication and development potential as well as educational opportunities to Fairfield.

In the summer of 1998, a member of Harpswell's community cable TV station visited the Fairfield Historical Society to do research. From this unlikely beginning, the domino reaction of activity resulted in a community/government committee being set up a year later in order to explore a range of alternatives which would result in Fairfield's establishing it's own local cable station.

In the fall of 1999 the cable committee first met with Jim Bishop who heads a community TV cable station (channel 16) in Madison and surrounding towns. After a series of meetings and discussions, the committee recommended to the Town of Fairfield that it take advantage of the expertise and equipment of channel 16 by entering into an association. Early this year, the town councilors agreed. Three residents of the Fairfield (representing the educational, governmental, and community sectors) will join the local cable consortium's board of directors. The result is that Channel 6 in Fairfield, Maine is about to become a reality.

Channel 6 will carry filming of community interest: local plays and school events, sporting events, community affairs, and town government. Furthermore, the actual filming and programming is going to provide opportunities for local students so that they can gain on-the-job experience.

The new station, which has already attracted sponsors, provides educational, cultural, and economic opportunities for the Fairfield community.

Biotechnology Park

Technology is the way to the future and Fairfield is going to be on the cutting edge. In the fall of 2000, construction work will begin on the Thomas M. Teague Biotechnology Park. The park is to be located on Interstate 95, just before Exit 36 (Route 201) and adjacent to the Kennebec Valley Technical College. The Biotechnology park is being designed to provide facilities for graduate students doing research, which could lead to product development and the growth of production facilities all over the Fairfield area.

The Bridges

Fairfield has received $14 million from the state in order to construct a new three-bridge structure across the Kennebec (Fairfield-Mill Island-Bunker Island-Benton). The new bridges will be 42-feet wide and access to the bridges will alter the landscape and traffic flow on both shores. Fairfield residents are invited to view a map of the future bridges and roads at the town hall on Lawrence Street.

A community committee has been working hard with town planners to come up with a proposed plan that is aesthetically pleasing with green areas, picnic areas, a rest/observation area, and a lighting system that is not a "light show". Student interns from the University of Maine (Farmington), under the direction of Dr. Paul Frederic, have been involved.

The resulting new bridges should be safer and more efficient than the old ones and the entire area around the bridges will be more (not less) attractive.

Bike Path

Taking advantage of the opportunity for construction afforded by work on the three new bridges, a bike and hiking path is going to be constructed along the bank of the Kennebec River. With advice and encouragement from Faye Nicholson (REM) and Peter Lyford (KVCOG), a committee of Fairfield citizens (Steve Kierstead, Chris McMorrow, and Dave Hallee) has been hard at work on this project that is expected to begin in early June. In the immediate future, the path will extend down to the Head of Falls in Waterville where it will meet a path being established in that town. Both Skowhegan to the north and Augusta to the south have expressed interest in a similar undertaking and so the Fairfield bike path will be part of a network of community paths along the Kennebec.

Mill Island Park

Another project associated with the new bridge construction is the revitalization of the park on Mill Island. Mill Island is in the middle of the Kennebec River between Fairfield and Benton and is one leg of the three bridges that span the river at this point. Historically is was at the hearth of Kendall's Mills (as Fairfield was called) but today the old mills are in ruins. The current park, which is about six acres in size, has fallen victim to neglect and underutilization. The new park will have a history nature trail (with stops and posted explanations) along the way on the west side of the island with the return trail (with observation sites) along the east side. Eventually a place to launch canoes and kayaks will be added.

Unity College students have surveyed wildlife on the island whole Lawrence High School students have been making studies in coordination with the University of Maine. Students from the University of Maine in Farmington will also be working on the project.

Farmers' Market