Motorcycling park takes shape in Madawaska

MADAWASKA – Motorcycling has been coursing through the veins of Joe Lachance most of his life. Ten years ago he decided to use that background to help promote his hometown, and his dream is on the verge of becoming a reality.

Lachance and six other enthusiasts are developing a downtown motorcycle park with the goal of luring motorcyclists to Maine’s northernmost town. Madawaska is one of four communities in the continental United States chosen as the “four corners” by the Southern California Motorcycling Association for their Four Corners Trip.

The group sponsors the trip in which participating bikers must visit each of the corners within 21 days. The other communities are San Ysidro, Calif., Blaine, Wash., and Key West, Fla.

In the late spring and summer months, motorcycling groups of up to four riders, bikes loaded with belongings and equipment, are common in Madawaska.

Lachance’s group has raised more than $40,000 in cash and in-kind donations to make the Madawaska park a reality. They estimate the project will need $60,000 to $70,000 before it can be completed.

The town gave the group a site at 633 Main St. for its park. The group has cleared a house, trees and brush from the tax-acquired property, and landscaping work began about a week ago.

The Ed Pelletier Construction Co. donated material, equipment and manpower valued at about $10,000. Other contractors including Vince Frallicciardi have donated labor and equipment.

Members of the group have spent a considerable amount of time working at the site.

“Joe brought me into this almost four years ago,” James Pelletier of Madawaska said Tuesday. “My heart and everything else is into this since Joe gave me the bug.

“I’ve been interested in bikes since I was young, and now I see this park as something bigger than we can actually see here,” he said. “As bikers see this park dedicated to what they are doing, biking, we are hoping they will come back to Madawaska with friends and family for longer visits.”

Pelletier said they’ve heard from four people from Spain who will be visiting this summer after they heard of the local effort. The group will be shipping their motorcycles and then riding them to Madawaska.

The Madawaska Four Corners Park will include an 8-foot-high granite monument – which the group already has – a 20-foot-wide fountain, paved walkways and riding paths and granite benches and tables.

The monument will be transferred to the site within two weeks. The monument and fountain will be decorated with flags of the United States, Maine, Canada and Acadia.

Bikers doing the Four Corners Trip will be able to shoot pictures there to prove they made it to Madawaska.

Lachance and his group have raised money through raffles, spaghetti feeds and the sale of logo clothing.

“There’s already been a lot of work done there,” Pelletier said. “There’s a lot more to be done.

“We don’t expect it to be all completed until next year,” he said. The flags, fountain and monument will be done this summer, and groundwork is expected to be completed by next summer.

The monument, benches and tables were all made in Maine by Elias Monuments in Gray.