City Council Votes Unanimously to Accept Recommendations of the Vaughan Field Committee!
At their monthly meeting on Monday, April 9th, 2007 the Hallowell City Council voted unanimously to accept all 4 recommendations of the Vaughan Field Committee (VFC). Vaughan Field will now going to be officially rededicated as a "park and playground to which all the children and citizens of Hallowell shall have access." Many thanks to all who helped make this a reality - it wouldn
The Vaughan Field Committees recommendations were:
1. The Vaughan Field Committee recommends that, in conformity with the 1923 deed from Bertha Vaughan, the city permanently restore the property located at 3 School Street to a public park and playground to which all of the children and citizens of Hallowell may have access, and that it be rededicated as “Vaughn Field”.
2. Based upon the report from MSAD 16, and other information gathered by the committee, we recommend the former primary school building be torn down.
3. To properly accomplish recommendation #1, we recommend that a drainage study be conducted and money is included in this year’s budget.
4. We recommend that the city, under the direction of DEP and working with the city manager, refuse all bids submitted on 3/12/07, complete the asbestos inspection, and based on this information, reissue the appropriate RFPs.
Report on Vaughan Field Property completed
On Tuesday October 10th, 2006 the Friends of Vaughan Field presented the Hallowell City Council with the final Report on the Potential for Re-use of the Vaughan Field Property by land-use consultant,
FoVF raised over $6000 to fund the study by Dominie, which determined the costs and benefits of various scenarios for the re-use of the property recently returned to the city from SAD 16. FoVF presented the report to the general public at
Copies of the full report or the executive summary can be downloaded by clicking on the links below (Warning! The full report is 49 pages and may not be suitable for downloading over a dial-up connection). Copies of the report are also available at the Hubbard Library.
Click here to download the full report (Warning! This is a very large file)
Click here to download the executive summary
Finally, to read a recent Kennebec Journal article about the report presentation clickhere.
City accepts return of Vaughan Field property from SAD 16
The Hallowell City Council voted to accept the return of old Hale-Dale Elementary School from SAD 16 during it's meeting on September 11th, 2006.
On September 12th, Schiavi Homes of Oxford, Maine began removing the modular classrooms as the first step to restore the field to it's former condition. SAD 16 has contracted with Ellis Construction Co. to fill, grade and reseed the site. On September 18th, the City Council Property Committee voted to recommend to the city council that the frost walls and cement piers under the modular classrooms also be removed. The work is slated to be completed by October 1st.
This marks the first step in the restoration of Vaughan Field to it's former use as a public park and playground. The FoVF will be sponsoring a park clean up day later this fall, once the site work has been completed.
FoVF Art Show a great success
The FoVF art weekend at the Harlow Gallery was a lot of fun and won the hearts of many good people. The show was beautiful and everyone loved the quilts, the artwork and the historical pictures of old Vaughan Field. The Friends of Vaughan Field especially want to thank Gary Crocker, who gave a superb reading from the Ballad of the Beantowne Bosox, by Dan W. Bates. Also a BIG thank you to Dan and Gary, who donated 100% of the sales of their book and CD to the FoVF.
FoVF also sends out a heart-felt thanks to the following: Deb Fahy and Katy Perry for coming up with the Art Show idea; The Kennebec Valley Artists Association for their contributions and creative work; All the artists who loaned their time and talent; And finally, to all the great FoVF volunteers, for giving up a precious sunny weekend to set up, entertain, gallery sit, break down and clean up!
It's a BOY! and a GIRL! and a BOY! and a GIRL...
Announcing the arrival of hundreds of baby American toads in the vernal pools along the paved drive to the parking lot at the rear of the school building on the Vaughan Field property. A few of their cousins, the larger wood frog tadpoles and some tiny spring peepers are also there. Tadpoles make their home in this wetland ecosystem until they develop into full grown toads and frogs and wander off to the uplands to consume insects and other small invertebrates.
While classes draw to a close at Hall-Dale Elementary, there's another 'school' (of tadpoles) still in session!
FoVF Yard Sale raises over $1,300
More than 500 people attended the Friends of Vaughan Field Yard Sale, raising over $1,300 and showing their support for the restoration of the site to its original use as a park and playground. Citizens from all over Hallowell donated items to be sold at the event which was held on Saturday, May 20 at the current elementary school auditorium. Many thanks to all the people who worked to make this day so successful.
New England Grassroots Environment Fund Grant
The New England Grassroots Environment Fund has awarded FoVF a grant of $1500. The NEGEF provides funds to organizations to help increase engagement and participation in grassroots environmental initiatives and to build and connect healthy, sustainable communities in New England. FoVF will use these funds to pay for mailings and other outreach activities.
Dance Party Benefit a great success!
The Friends of Vaughan Field's April fund-raising dance at Slates Restaurant in Hallowell raised over $3500 to help pay for the Vaughan Field parcel study. More ...
FoVF begins study on Vaughan Field parcel
The Friends of Vaughan Field has retained the services of land-use consultant Holly Dominie to complete a study outlining both the short and long term costs and benefits related to possible outcomes of this parcel. Many of you may know Holly’s work, which includes: the Manchester Open Space Plan and
