BELFAST — On Saturday, October 3, Mayor Sanders and members of the Belfast City Council dedicated a spot along the Rail Trail to and Joe Slocum, former City Manager from June 2007 to March 2020. A stone marking “Slocum’s View” was placed as an acknowledgement to Slocum’s years of service to the betterment of the community and its citizens.

The dedication reads:

“Slocum’s View” City Manager Joseph J. Slocum served the people of Belfast from June 18, 2007 until his retirement on March 6, 2020. His years of service as City Manager to the people of Belfast were marked by a successful and detailed approach to opportunities and issues, both large and small.

No project presented as much of an opportunity as converting the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad rail bed from downtown Belfast to City Point into the pedestrian and biking rail trail we enjoy today, and will for many years to come.

Joe Slocum wholeheartedly embraced the project. His efforts as the City navigated complex legal, planning, design, and financial challenges ensured that the Belfast Rail Trail on the Passagassawakeag went from a long imagined dream to a reality.

This gathering place, boat access, and picnic area is named “Slocum’s View” in Joe Slocum’s honor in recognition of the extraordinary part he played in the creation of this rail trail, and to honor Joe for his years of service to the people of Belfast.

Slocum attended the ceremony with his wife, Jan Whitcomb Slocum, and his children Emily and Ben Slocum and their spouses.

All members of the City Council spoke during the event as well as representatives from Coastal Mountains Land Trust, Belfast Parks and Recreation Commission and former Mayor Walter Ash.

“It is the Council’s honor to dedicate this picnic area to Joe,” said Belfast Mayor Eric Sanders, in a news release. “He was quite a visionary. He gave us so much in his tenure, and was the key to take our dreams, and turn most of them into reality.”