Visitors to Owen Park can see a new 8- by 8-foot structure with a metal frame and wood accents adjacent to the town dock. The square metal frame provides a window to Vineyard Haven Harbor, and the structure will eventually include a QR code, providing information about the waterfront.
The interactive exhibit was installed by Expedition Blue in Owen Park through a $1 million grant from Gov. Charlie Baker’s Seaport Council, given to the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce. It’s one of more than 30 across the Cape and Islands, and the only one on Martha’s Vineyard.
The Vineyard Haven exhibit still had two orange barrels, a wooden brace, and caution tape as of Thursday. Bert Jackson, the director of community engagement for Expedition Blue, said the new installation was scheduled for an inspection on Thursday, July 15, to see if the concrete base had cured enough to remove the caution tape and barrels.
The 8- by 8-foot panels with a bench, named waypoints on the Expedition Blue website, are integrated into trails across Cape Cod and the Islands, intended for passersby to learn about the waterways of the area. According to the website, waypoints “bring awareness to our region’s identity, understand our pride in place, and [let us] be inspired by those who actively work in our blue economy.”
Jackson told the Times that a few locations for the exhibit were discussed, but ultimately the town chose the location. “At one point there were plans for it to be larger, on public land,” Jackson said, “but we had to regroup to find another spot.”
In a previous article written by The Times, Jackson said several Cape towns have responded with proposals for the Blue Expedition project. Nantucket, Bourne, and Falmouth are among the communities participating, with some towns having multiple waypoints.
“The structures are up everywhere,”Jackson said during an interview on Tuesday.
Upon approval of the proposal, Jackson also mentioned that “the town agreed to maintain the physical structure for 15 years; however, all the parts have a longer warranty than 15 years.”
Jackson said that the Exhibition Blue website is up and running, and contains more information about the structures and their purpose within communities; visit bluecapecod.org.
