South Portland’s [ME] Redbank neighborhood, park aims to escape ‘blighted’ past (Bangor Daily News, ME)

Bangor Daily News
(8/7/2014 6:37 PM, Shelby Carignan)

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — Residents and city officials had good reason to celebrate Tuesday at the sixth annual National Night Out neighborhood block party in Redbank Community Park. The event, which brought together more than 200 people for an evening of family activities “against crime,” was an unofficial reintroduction to the Redbank Village park after a year’s worth of investment and restoration. City Parks and Recreation Director Rick Towle described the empty, former school property as “blighted.” But now, the untamed fields riddled with debris have been cleared for a new central pavilion, with clean pathways and landscaping next to the community center. The park also has a new playground and will soon have new sidewalks.