Lake lovers rejoice

The town of Cumberland’s decision this week to buy a piece of property on Forest Lake in order to build a public boat launch will probably cause frustration for neighbors in the area. But for lovers of Maine lakes, it’ll bring applause and happy hearts, for a long-closed body of water will finally be open to the public.

It’s understandable neighboring families, 66 of whom live on the Windham side of the lake, won’t be ecstatic about the decision, but they should dwell on the following benefits:

1. If Cumberland treats the project with the care and attention it gives other projects, such as the public safety building and recreational fields on Tuttle Road, the boat launch will be functional and attractive. And that may offset any negative impact the project could have on surrounding properties. In fact, the launch could boost property values.

2. It’ll increase police presence around the lake. Cumberland police rarely venture into the labyrinth of roads around Forest Lake. Sightings of Windham police are even more rare. The boat launch will give them a reason to make sure all’s well. Plus, game wardens are required to patrol lakes that have public boat launches. Their presence on the lake will be a huge benefit.

3. Finally, the launch will be a boon to those who enjoy kayaking and canoeing. Cumberland’s only lake is Forest Lake. People need outdoor recreational activities nearby, and this access will provide nature lovers another outlet. And talk of big boats infiltrating the lake is exaggerated since big boats won’t want to stop at Forest Lake because of its small size. They’ll choose bigger lakes in the area.

The launch is a good idea, and it’ll make the area more desirable in many ways.

Mall back on track

While it seems like just another store opening in the megastripmallopolis known as North Windham, the debut of Marshalls is a welcome sight to those who remember the glory days of the Windham Mall.

Marshalls, one of the first discount clothiers in the country, had its grand opening last Thursday. It is expected by many to lift sales for tenants at the mall, which has been sagging both in appearance and activity since its heyday in the 1980s and early 1990s.

At its peak, the mall was a place to get everything from greeting cards at Romard’s Hallmark Store to rare collectibles at Hall’s Stamp & Coin. Shoppers could get their hair done at Shear Design, buy pruning shears at Skillin’s Greenhouse, or go to a drugstore, shoe store, bookstore and travel agency all in the same visit. Gradually, though, these businesses closed or moved.

To have this feature in the Lakes Region was, and is, a bonus to locals. Its success helped pave the way for further development – and jobs – such as Wal-Mart in 1996 and the current crop of big box stores. The Windham Mall, and the adjacent strip mall, North Windham Shopping Center, is where today’s growth began.

But the new century hasn’t been good to the mall. In fact, talk was rampant last year that the end was in sight when so many tenants moved out and spaces sat empty. It’s with an eye on the past that we look to a prosperous future for Windham’s newly renovated mall.

And it’s just in time for the warm weather! Can you say “tourist magnet?”

-John Balentine, editor