At its last meeting of the year, the board of directors of Boothbay Harbor Waterfront Preservation unanimously and enthusiastically named Chris Nielsen as its Volunteer of the Year. Over the past two years, Chris has worked tirelessly from spring through fall on our grounds, a challenge that most would have long ago given up on.  

When the motel was demolished and the massive asphalt parking area removed, what remained was a ravaged gravel base with little to no soil. And even though we have not been allowed to continue workon the park, we, and especially Chris, were determined to do everything we could to ensure that the sloping lawn down to the piers was not an eyesore.  

Starting in the spring of 2023, Chris could be seen several days a week raking, removing stones, seeding, fertilizing, mowing, and most importantly, watering and watering and watering. With his care, grass has emerged and people strolling down to the water or coming up from their boats are met with, maybe not a lush carpet, but a strong, healthy green expanse.  

So we thank Chris for all his hard work in making the park as attractive as it can be for now. But also for all of us who love the park, his volunteer work reminds us every single day that, no matter how challenging the obstacles or how many stones are in our path, we are not giving up on our vision of a beautiful waterfront space for all. Like Chris, we will continue to water, to nurture until the park is the lovely green reality that we promised the community.