The Hallowell All Age-Friendly Committee is one of 184 awardees chosen for a 2020 AARP Community Challenge grant from @AARPLivable and AARP Maine, according to a news release from the committee.

“One of the most popular gathering spots in Hallowell is the riverfront bulkhead and its colorful chairs,” according to Bob McIntire, chairman of the committee, in the release. “There is a fairly steep bank from the parking lot to the boardwalk. Public Works built a small ramp that helped provide access for folks with mobility issues. Having a longer, wider ramp would be so much better, so we applied for the grant in early summer and learned we won in August.”

“Hallowell Public Works estimated that more than 100 people use the community space on a nice day. Chris Buck, the director of Public Works contacted Ryan Masse from Hammond Lumber Company’s Belgrade office who met with us and provided specifications and a quote. The company also contributed 10% of the cost of the ramp through a donation discount that helped immensely in our efforts. Thanks to AARP and Hammond Lumber for the generous support that made this ramp possible to help make this community a great place for people all ages,” said McIntire.

The ramp arrived onsite Oct. 1. The Public Works crew with help from Masse assembled the ramp and moved it into place. The official ribbon cutting was held Oct. 14 with Mayor Mark Walker.