The "Park/Open Space" choice on Article 3 is a vote for "community involvement" in our town. The Camden Select Board has tried for many years to sell or give away the tannery site with the idea that it would create new jobs. They have had few takers over the many years that they have been attempting to sell the land and they also have made little effort to work with the Millville neighborhood in finding a suitable solution for the former tannery land, which would complement and enhance the surrounding neighborhood.

A community park is an idea that could help help create a better Millville neighborhood. It will also help attract new families to the Millville neighborhood who will want to live near a park. Many of the new families that are settling in Camden are entrepreneuers with small businesses working out of their homes. It is part of the new type of economy that is moving to Camden. A great potential is there, that as these businesses grow they will create new jobs and add additonal economic vitality to our town of Camden.

The community wants to take the lead in a future park at the tannery site. The first step could be to simply beautify the new park space through some landscaping and plantings, making it greener, safer and more accessible using the natural beauty that surrounds the site and the already existing wonderful Riverwalk.

The additional features of the park can be built piece by piece with a community-led effort that will not only save the town money, but build a stronger sense of community.

As community involvement evolves so will the features available in the park. An example of this would be that there has been a strong voice by families with small children for the need of a playground for preschoolers in Camden. A committee formed by those interested families can take the lead in organizing, designing and fundraising for a great preschool playground.

The same process can take place for a basketball court, a bicycle learning course, a sculpture garden, a gazebo and any new idea that the community has enough support to raise funds for.

We would be building a community park built by the community. This can be done very efficiently through volunteerism and fund raising, both personal and corporate . We have many talented people in our town that have already stepped forward to offer their imagination and talents toward the idea of this park.

Building this park with community effort will give Camden a chance to become and be seen as a truly creative, caring community that cares about itself as much as it cares about being a beautiful place for our visitors to come and our tourist based businesses to profit.

A community park will be something Camden will be able to take a great pride in.

Tom Resek lives in Camden