The park at Robie Gym recently got a much-needed makeover. New park benches have been installed along South Street and picnic tables and trash receptacles have been added on the lawn. The garden at the corner of Preble Street was given a radical clearing, uncovering a beautiful Japanese Maple that had been overshadowed for years. This previously underutilized area is now a lovely place to sit and watch passersby, do homework, or have a picnic.
Although the Gorham Parks and Recreation Department oversees the space, the Gorham Village Alliance (GVA) created the vision and took the initiative to spruce up this corner of town. The GVA is a non-profit started three years ago by a group of volunteers from all walks of life whose mission is to revitalize Gorham. They work closely with the town and other organizations to identify opportunities for improvement and also to dig in and make their ideas come to fruition.
Photo credit Tina RuelGVA President Kathy Garrard
On a hot day in May, as temperatures were edging towards 80 degrees, the GVA Design Committee Volunteers: Josh Haiss, Kathy Kigin, Laci Hoskins, Joey Smith, Kelly Dearborn and Tina Ruel were wrapping up the project by literally digging in, doing the final weeding of the garden and prepping it for new perennials for all to enjoy.
The project was completed just in time for the GVA sponsored art fair Art on South which will be held on June 5th, followed by a Gorham Lions Club sponsored craft fair on June 26th. To learn more about the GVA, check them out on Facebook. Future scheduled events can be found on Gorham Rec’s website.