To the Editor:

We write to thank the many people and organizations who contributed to a lovely day at Paris River Park celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Air Act, authored by Rumford native Ed Muskie. The celebration was a collaboration between the town of Paris and the Western Foothills Land Trust as part of a several-month series of events organized by the Androscoggin River Watershed Council (ARWC) with corporate support.

Ripley and Fletcher Ford, Bessey Motors Company, and Coopers Farm contributed to the healthful lunch. Steve Wight of ARWC Advisory Board and Glenn Tippy of the board of the Millinocket chapter of Trout Unlimited organized an opportunity to practice fly casting. Chantelle Hay of Oxford County Soil and Water Conservation District provided a fishing game and a conservation tic-tac-toe game and provided information on native and invasive species.

Sarah Otterson created a banner tracing the Little Androscoggin River from the source through Paris, illustrated with photos of previous and current uses. A scavenger hunt and a hunt for painted rocks encouraged attendees to explore the park. Ferg Lea, chair of ARWC, led a paddle in the river. Rick Little brought two peddle kayaks and guided a ‘peddle’. Pop-up gazebos from Lorie Olsen and Paul Ricci provided shade during the sunny hours and a cooler from G.W. Rice kept food safe. We also thank all the summer session teachers who distributed information to students. Everyone at Paris Cape
Historical Society willingly shared pictures and history of the park site and local industry over the years. The waters in the Little Androscoggin and the larger Androscoggin Rivers are cleaner now than 50 years ago and can be enjoyed for recreation because of the Clean Water Act. Enjoy Paris River Park and the rivers, as clean-up continues.

Carl Costanzi
Jacalyn Lynch
Carol Rice
Paris