Members of the Sanford Kiwanis Club recently marked the 30th anniversary of the development of the Mousam Way Trail at a lunch in Mousam Way Park in Springvale. Some of those who helped along the way, from left, are Norm Baker, Rotarian Roger Durant, Geoff Titherington, Paul Dest, Dave Lawrence and Marcel Blouin. In front is Hazen Carpenter, the Kiwanis Club’s chief trail guy and a longtime champion of Sanford’s trails. TAMMY WELLS/Journal Tribune
SPRINGVALE – An idea hatched 30 years ago was the beginning, and, over time, the community trail system that began with a Kiwanis project has expanded in a big way.
Sanford Kiwanians came together last week at Mousam Way Park, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the birth of the Mousam Way Trail.
There was talk about the seven bridges they built, and the 300 feet of boardwalk over wetlands. And there was laughter and camaraderie and reminisces of the hands-on effort to build trails in the community, for the community, by a community service organization.
The 10 or so miles of trail that make up the north and south divisions of the Mousam Way was the first in town. Later, a trails committee was established through the municipality, and together with the Mousam Way system, and the Mousam Way Land Trust, the trail system through Sanford and Springvale now totals about 25 miles, according to Sanford Trails Committee chairman Lee Burnett.
The Mousam Way Trail, comprised of north and south divisions, takes the walker through some of Sanford and Springvale’s most scenic areas, including vistas along the Mousam River.
Back in 1988, the Kiwanis Club was looking for a project, said Kiwanian Hazen Carpenter.
He recalled that when he was in grade school, his father, H.E. Carpenter, was a member of the Springvale Improvement Corporation – and that group as well, looked for projects for the betterment of the community.
Sanford Kiwanis Club, developers of the Mousam Way Trails, recently marked the 30 year anniversary of the trail .TAMMY WELLS/Journal Tribune
“They started the Springvale Recreation Area,” said Carpenter by telephone on Friday. “They operated it for several years before the town took it over, and I used to go down there with him. I got the idea it would be nice to open a trail to the river.”
Carpenter, an outdoorsman, has been a driving force behind Sanford’s trail system, both with the Mousam Way system and with the trails built through the municipal Sanford Trails Committee. At a recent City Council meeting, Carpenter was honored with a Conservation Hero Award from the National Park Service for his work on the community’s trails.
At a special Kiwanis lunch a week ago – at Mousam Way Park, adjacent to the Village View apartment complex, Carpenter talked about how the Mousam Way trails developed. There were old news articles from the Journal Tribune and Sanford News, with stories about work parties and the community spirit among those who toiled to get the work done and those who contributed financially to the effort.
Carpenter recognized a few of the people who helped over the years, from Norm Baker, who designed the logo, to former Sanford Parks ad Recreation Director Marcel Blouin, with whom he frequently consulted, and others. There was Dave Lawrence, who always helped with Kiwanis trail work parties and Geoff Titherington, who was a faithful worker on every project, Carpenter pointed out. Roger Durant was on hand too, representing Sanford Springvale Rotary Club, whose members frequently worked with Kiwanis to get the job done.
He also acknowledged Wells Reserve Director Paul Dest, a former state planner and former public affairs supervisor at New Hampshire Fish and Game. Dest was editor of the weekly Sanford News back in 1988, said Carpenter and was generous with publicity.
“The Mousam Way Trail) a model for what came afterward,” said Dest, the guest speaker. In 1988, he said, the service club created a trail right in the center of town, an uncommon occurrence at the time, when trails were usually confined to more rural areas.
There were other stories.
“I used to run into you on the trails when I was mountain biking,” said David Parent. When he saw 25 people getting together for a work party, he said “sign me up,” he told the group – and Parent also became a Kiwanis Club member.
As the Kiwanis Club marked the 30th anniversary of Mousam Way Trail, club members are also looking to the future.
Carpenter reminded the club that when the Mousam, Way Trial effort began, it was to be a 10 year project – and it has been 30.
Pointing out it will likely be more difficult to attract volunteers in the future, Carpenter told the club membership of a plan to turn the assets of the Mousam Way Trail, with the exception of the park, over to the city.
“There’s a strong city trails committee, so it will be in good hands,” said Carpenter.
He spoke to the thousands of hours put into the Mousam Way Trail over the years.
“So many came out to work,” he said. “We’re so indebted to all those people. It has been a great project.”
— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 780-9016 or twells@journaltribune.com.
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