AUBURN, Maine — After more than 60 years of beach days, the owners of Crescent Beach in Auburn have made the tough decision to close its gates after the passing of one of the owners.
Owned by Deeanna and Linwood Andrews for decades, the two purchased the spot after seeing an ad for it in a local newspaper.
"That's the way it's been for all of the years we've been here," Deeanna said. "Just to repeat every summer, but the people all come back and it's so nice to see the people come back."
Being a close drive from the Lewiston-Auburn area, many residents called the spot a go-to place to cool off during the summer months. Relying on word of mouth for many years, changes and additions like freshly made french fries drew in crowds and became a popular snack for beachgoers.
"I'd sit out there and [Linwood would] go out there and clean the beaches while I would be peeling the potatoes, 'cause he didn't like peeling the potatoes," Deeanna said. "He would do it if it came to the nip and tuck, but he didn't care much about it."
Ray Andrews, who grew up at the beach, saw the dedication his parents put into the spot to keep loyal visitors happy.
"This is what's important. It's about working hard and having something greater than yourself, and being a part of a community and that's what my folks created here," Andrews said.