RUMFORD — Selectmen paved the way Thursday night for Envision Rumford to hold its second annual Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Festival on May 10.
By 5-0 tallies, they approved taking $500 from the economic development fund and giving it to the local economic development group to fund radio broadcasting of the festival by WOXO; approved the festival’s parade and agreed to close the same downtown streets as last year as needed for the event.
“It was a really good day last year,” Selectman Brad Adley said.
Envision Rumford’s president, Jennifer Kreckel, said the $500 would help the radio station provide publicity for the festival.
Jim Rinaldo of Envision Rumford said they intend to leave Canal Street open for the cafe, which did a lot of business last year during the festival.
He also asked that the first floor of the Municipal Building be left open to provide access to restrooms.
Kreckel said Envision Rumford will connect the festival with several other events happening in Rumford at the same time. She said the Hope Association is sponsoring a craft festival and the Eagles club is holding its annual Kids Festival.
“Right now, we are trying to work it so that we can provide transportation to each of the events so that people can go to all of the events together,” she said.
Area businesses are chipping in funds to enable the group to hold free horse and carriage rides.
Kreckel said they will also hold an event at which people can place other people in jail and raise money from the crowd to regain their freedom.
The parade will start at the old Puiia building on Prospect Avenue, travel south on Bridge Street, turn left on Franklin Street and follow that to Rumford Avenue. It will cross Memorial Bridge over the Androscoggin River, turn right onto Congress Street and follow that to Route 108, turn right on River Street and continue to Exchange Street, Kreckel said.
Congress Street would be closed from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.; River Street and Exchange Street by the Elks Club would be closed from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Exchange Street and the park would be 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Canal Street would be closed between 3 and 5 p.m.
“We wouldn’t shut Canal Street off until we opened up River Street so we would have traffic going on one of the following streets all day long,” Rinaldo said.
Additionally, if they close the festival earlier than expected, they would reopen the closed streets.
He asked the board to ensure that the town crew brings down road closure barriers like they did last year on the Friday before the event, so the group can set them up themselves.
Town Manager John Madigan said the town would be happy to help out.
“We do put a lot of our own money into this event and we do hope that you will participate in our event,” Kreckel told the board and Madigan.
She said selectmen could volunteer to help with the group’s fundraisers, such as the festival’s Pie-in-the-Face Throwing Contest. She said Oxford County Sheriff Wayne Gallant has already volunteered to be a target.
Selectman Jolene Lovejoy started laughing, and implied with facial gestures that she would be interested in throwing pies at Gallant.
“I hope each one of us agrees to go down there and get creamed with a pie,” Lovejoy said, still laughing.
“You go first,” Selectman Chairman Greg Buccina said. “I’ll be working that day.”
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