Flood-damaged Fort Kent facilities improving

Things are steadily improving in Fort Kent in the aftermath of the flooding that ravaged the Canadian border town this spring.

That includes the local recreation areas, which also serve several of Fort Kent Community High School’s athletic teams.

One of the more damaged areas in that regard was Jalbert Park, home to the Warriors’ baseball field and tennis courts, as well as an outdoor skating rink. The park was submerged by the overflowing Fish River, leaving a recent renovation of the baseball field ruined and the tennis courts badly damaged.

As a result, the Fort Kent baseball team had to play all of its games on the road this spring, yet still managed to finish with an 8-8 regular-season record good for a top-eight finish in Eastern Maine Class C and a berth in the regional playoffs.

Ann Beaulieu, director of the Fort Kent Recreation and Parks Department that oversees Jalbert Park, is optimistic that repairs to both the baseball field and tennis courts will begin soon.

“We’re hoping to get the improvements made by the end of August so they’re ready for the schools to use next year,” she said.

Like other areas of the community damaged by the flooding of the St. John and Fish rivers, Jalbert Park and another recreational area, Riverside Park, were subject to inspections by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to determine the extent to which the federal government would help fund needed repairs.

According to Beaulieu, FEMA will defray 75 percent of the cost to repair qualifying damage, with 15 percent from the state and 10 percent from local resources.

FEMA officials have toured Jalbert Park, and Beaulieu expects to learn about the agency’s findings in the next few weeks.

Estimates also have been secured from various contractors to do various repairs.

In the meantime, she is busy operating the town’s active summer recreation program.

The community swimming pool is up and running after repairs were made to water pumps damaged by the flooding, and electrical issues at Riverside Park have been resolved.

Also recently cleaned up were 29 downed trees in Riverside Park caused not by the initial flooding but by a microburst that hit the area three to four weeks later, Beaulieu said. She added that most of the remaining work required at that park is aesthetic in nature.

“Everybody’s doing the best that they can,” said Beaulieu. “The biggest thing has been to get the people back on their feet.”

Lobster Bowl practices looming

With the dog days of summer fast approaching, more than 80 of the state’s top high school football players from the Class of 2008 will begin practicing this weekend for what for many will be their final organized game.

The 19th annual Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic pits teams of recently graduated Eastern Maine standouts against the best of the West. The game is scheduled for Friday, July 25, at historic Waterhouse Field in Biddeford, with the gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the opening kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.

The game caps off a week of activities for players, coaches and cheerleaders that begins Sunday when the teams report for the start of pre-game practices, the players at Hebron Academy and the cheerleaders at Central Maine Community College in Auburn.

The teams will go through multiple daily practices leading up to the game, with a pre-game banquet scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23, at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston.

The West leads the series 14-4, but the East has won the last two games – including a 47-27 drubbing of the West in the 2007 contest – and three of the last five meetings.

Players on the East roster include reigning Fitzpatrick Trophy winner Jack Hersom, Shawn Champagne and Isaiah Underwood, all of Eastern Maine Class A champion Lawrence of Fairfield; Tyler McDade and Kyle Vanidestine of Eastern A finalist Bangor; Fitzpatrick Trophy finalist Kyle Stilphen, Brad Carleton and Bill Kelley of Class B state champion Gardiner; and Jon Geiger and Evan Worthing of Class C state champion Foxcroft Academy.

West players include Fitzpatrick Trophy finalist and 2007 Gatorade Maine player of the year Justin Villacci of Gorham and Kyle Wedge, Matt Spearin and Ricky Hoyt, all of Class A state champion Bonny Eagle of Standish.

This year’s East squad will be coached by Butch Arthers of Belfast, who stepped down as the Lions’ co-coach after last season. The West head coach is Tim Roche of Wells.

Since this game was started by the Kora Shriners in 1990, more than 1,500 players, 350 cheerleaders and 275 coaches have participated, and more than $340,000 has been raised to support Shriners Hospitals.

eclark@bangordailynews.net

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