BUXTON – The sign posted at the entrance to Pleasant Point Park on Simpson Road explains the rules – no overnight camping, no open fires, no firearms or hunting, drugs or alcohol, and more. It specifies that open hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

But over the past weekend, police here say the rules were ignored, and that has resulted in criminal charges against six New Hampshire residents.

According to Buxton Police, officers James Bradbury and Hunter Smith responded to the park for a report of people camping there in violation of the rules, on July 14.

“The officers located six male subjects from New Hampshire that had two tents and two hammocks set up from the night before,” police said in a social media posting. “The officers also discovered the remnants of a camp fire that the subjects had the previous night as well as evidence of underage drinking.” Police noted that all but one of the six were under the legal drinking age of 21.

Charged with criminal trespass and burning without a permit were Kyle Filion, 26, of Dover, New Hampshire, and Nathan Goodman, 19, Cameron McKinney, 19, John Dowst, 20, Collin Burleigh, 19, Jacob Grzybowski, 20, all of Newmarket, New Hampshire.

Buxton Police Chief Troy Cline was unavailable on Friday, but his executive assistant, Frank Costa, said the 60-acre park contains some of the most pristine land in Buxton. Pleasant Point Park, like other Buxton parks, is not staffed and so prohibitions on camping, fires, drugs, alcohol and other behavior have been instituted.

Fire Chief Nathan Schools said the Buxton department was not called out in this instance, but does get called to the area  a couple of times a year.

He noted Mainers like campfires and cooking fires, but that state permits are required – and in places like Pleasant Point Park, fires are prohibited by the municipality.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 780-9016 or twells@journaltribune.com.

 

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