RUMFORD – Nearly 100 people turned out Wednesday night to hear plans for the expansion of Black Mountain and to learn how they can help.

“This is an exciting time for Black Mountain and Rumford,” said Roger Arsenault, chairman of the newly formed Black Mountain Board.

It was appropriate, he said, that the first public informational meeting was held in the historic, nearly century-old, municipal auditorium because skiing in the area also has historic credentials.

Explaining the soon-to-begin project was Andy Shepard, director of the nonprofit Maine Winter Sports Center, the business that bought Black Mountain, and Peter Phillips, the director of skiing at the small mountain.

“We want to reawaken Maine’s skiing past,” said Shepard.

And to do this, he said, what’s needed is inspired leadership, community support, a world class facility and adequate and continued funding.

“There are only a handful of communities that have the rich heritage of skiing that Rumford has. We’ve gone to Utah, to New Hampshire, to Vermont, and everyone knows Black Mountain,” he said.

The leadership, in the form of the newly created Black Mountain Board and the philosophy of MWSC, is in place. So, too, are the funds.

But equally important is the amount of community support needed to expand Black Mountain.

Wednesday’s first public information meeting was meant to gauge the interest and to begin gathering volunteers. While MWSC will provide most of the funding, the community, through volunteerism, must provide most of the labor.

One of the major focuses of the project is to get youngsters outside and exercising, particularly through alpine skiing.

It’s Phillips’ job to learn what is in place in the schools, and what needs to be done to encourage greater youth participation. He recently began meeting with the principals of some of the area’s schools.

A model in one of the area schools will be used to set up similar programs in each upper-elementary and middle school in the River Valley area over time. He will also be responsible for organizing beginner adult programs.

Volunteers began giving their names at the informational meeting. Jeff Knight, mountain manager, said Thursday that a master list will be maintained to draw from for a variety of skills.Other volunteers will be needed all along the way.

Periodically, informational meetings will be held to update the community and to put a call out for more volunteers.

“It is our sincere hope that this will all be in place by November,” said Black Mountain Board member Jolene Lovejoy. “It is so great for the community.”

Plans are to expand the downhill vertical drop to 1,125 feet, install a chairlift, build a beginner alpine slope, and increase the number of lights and snowmaking facilities.

Similar programs, focusing on nordic skiing, have been successful in northern Maine since MWSC began its work four years ago.

“The Rumford community will help define what the Alpine model will look like,” said Shepard. “New York, California, other states are looking at what happens here.”

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