Valley volunteers

The St. John River Valley volunteers are enjoying a deserved vacation following a hectic month. The first weekend was devoted to the Can-Am dog races, involving 50 teams in three different races. Then followed the National Junior Biathalon championship involving 60 skiers. Finally, the Maine Winter Sports Center hosted the North American, Canadian and U.S. Biathalon competitions numbering 160 athletes from Alaska, British Columbia, Colorado, Minnesota and other areas.

Volunteers of all ages made these projects successful and placed Fort Kent on the map. There are already plans to follow up and expand all these activities next year and in future years. What is needed now is the completion of I-95 to the Valley so all these athletes, coaches, friends and spectators will travel the length of the state instead of the Transcanada Highway.

Fort Kent serves a population of 15,000, the medical center has the potential of serving 90,000 patients in psychiatric care, and the city of Edmundston, New Brunswick, across from Madawaska, has a population of 17,000. Both sides of the river are populated from Allagash to Van Buren and an express highway is vital to the continued growth of this section of Vacationland. Normand Cyr Fort Kent