HOLLIS – “Eww, you go there?”

This wasn’t always the response when you told people you were going to Silver Lake State Park in Hollis. But over the years, because of a lack of sustained leadership and maintenance, the park had suffered a dramatic downturn.

Until lately, that is.

For the better part of the 1990s and early 2000s, the park was under the management of park ranger Steve Rand. According to lakeside resident Deb Walters, Rand did an excellent job balancing a small budget while keeping the park clean and presentable. He was also good at listening to the requests of the lake community and keeping peace with the park’s neighbors.

After Rand left, however, park conditions deteriorated.

This changed in the summer of 2011 when park ranger Meredith Collins was placed at the park.

“Things just started to get cleaned up,” lakeside resident Jon Lavoie said. “The park had a crew that was actually working on something every day when I got home from work.”

Lavoie had been mowing the park entrance area across from his house for years.

“I just started mowing it because they weren’t, and I like to play over there with my dogs,” he said. “I told Meredith that I would continue because she was really doing a good job over there cleaning things that had been neglected for years.

“Then one day I came home ready to mow and it was already done.”

The efforts of Collins and her crew drew attention from others, as well, particularly Hollis Nor’Easters Snowmobile Club trail administrator Amos White and local club members. White, owner of Bentley Management Group, approached Collins and volunteered his company resources, as well as the Nor’Easters’ manpower, to help spruce up the Park.

“Silver Lake State Park is really the hub of our local snowmobile system,” White said. “The Hollis Nor’Easters are committed to helping our community. The park is important to us, and we knew they could use our help.”

The club spent the afternoon of Friday, May 17, and the morning of Saturday, May 18, doing a number of things to clean up for the park’s opening over the Memorial Day weekend.

Machinery was brought in to rejuvenate the beach. Various chain saws and pole saws were used to cut up fallen trees that were gathered and transported out of the park. There were also multiple volunteers raking and taking out brush from the fall.

“This park is really a beautiful resource that this town has,” White said. “With enough interest from the state and some aid from the Nor’Easters, I think people will begin to see that again.”

Efforts of the Nor’Easters volunteer work at the park can be seen at www.noreasters.org.

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