RUMFORD — For the first time since it was built in 2017, the gazebo in Veteran’s Park will be the site of three concerts this summer.

Cheryl Dickson, executive director of the River Valley Chamber of Commerce, made the announcement at Thursday’s meeting of selectmen. The concerts will be from 6 to 8 p.m. June 23, July 14 and Aug. 11. They are free and sponsored by Franklin Savings Bank, she said, and will include country, jazz and classical rock.

Donation containers will be available, and attendees should bring their own chairs. A food truck will be set at the other end of the park and a portable toilet will be available.

Dickson said her top concern will be controlling traffic in the area of the park at the end of Congress Street.

“I want to make sure that we have everything taken care of so that we don’t have to worry about someone wandering across the street and a big logging truck comes by,” she said.

Town Manager Stacy Carter advised, “Route 108 is a state road. We won’t be shutting down the bridges. We will be able to put our message board out to alert traffic. We can put cones or barrels along the road so that it slows traffic.”

“We do have a beautiful gazebo that was built just for instances like this and I’d like to try it this year,” Dickson said.

The gazebo was built in 2017 by EnvisionRumford, a local group of volunteers promoting downtown Rumford, for community concerts and to bring people downtown. In 2020, town officials announced it would be dedicated to John Kazel of Rumford Center, a strong supporter and volunteer at Maine Veterans’ Homes. He was appointed to the Maine Veterans’ Home board of trustees by Gov. Paul LePage. However the dedication was never held because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kezal died Oct. 23, 2021.

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