Each week, City Manager Tom Aspell razes his giant cornfield and builds a baseball field in its place. The ghosts of former baseball stars appear out of the corn, but they can't take the field until Tom's done laying down the chalk lines. Viewed from above, those lines spell out the city memo!
Share the road safely
hogs need not apply
With the weather warming up, bicycles are being dusted off and cyclists are taking to the streets in increasing numbers, Aspell writes. For a safe ride in our bike- friendly community, here are a few rules of the road to keep in mind. According to New Hampshire law, bicyclists have the same rights and duties as drivers of motor vehicles (RSA 265:143). Riding by the same sets of rules as motorists makes the cyclist predictable and greatly reduces the risk of a crash. Law-abiding actions send a message to motorists: “I belong here and I'm going to share the road in a predictable, courteous way; just as I expect you to.”
Ride on the right side of the road, with the flow of traffic (RSA 265:16-II). Motorists and pedestrians may not look for bicyclists coming from the wrong direction. Riding against traffic is the single largest cause of collisions with cars.
Don't ride the wrong way on a one-way street (RSA 265:23-II).
Don't ride on sidewalks (RSA 265:26-a). Cyclists and pedestrians don't mix well on a narrow sidewalk space; and motorists leaving driveways won't expect a bicycle to be zipping by as they cross the sidewalk area.
Stop and yield to cross traffic at a stop sign (RSA 265:30-I).
Don't cross the stop line when the traffic signal is red (RSA 265:30-I). Sadly, many of the reported bicycle crashes in Concord involve a cyclist not abiding by one or more of these rules.
The above guidelines are excerpted from the State of New Hampshire's “Don't be a Road Warrior; Don't be a Road Hog” pamphlet, which highlights bicycle safety rules and laws for both cyclists and motorists. This well-prepared and detailed, yet concise, document is available at most bike shops in the state, as well as on line at nh.gov/dot/programs/bikeped/documents/roadwarrior.pdf.
early birds
Waste cleanup begins
The annual spring curbside yard waste collection program began a week early April 9, and will run through May 25, Aspell writes. Concord residents who currently participate in the curbside trash collection program are eligible to participate. Materials to be collected must be placed curbside by 7 a.m. on the same day the regular trash is collected. Residents have two options for pickup:
1) Yard waste is placed curbside in paper yard waste bags, which are available at local stores (paper yard waste bugs must be used if this option is chosen). No plastic bags containing yard waste will be collected.
2) Yard waste is placed curbside in 30-gallon barrels weighing less than 50 pounds and clearly marked “Yard Waste.”
Acceptable materials: Leaves; grass; hedge trimmings; weeds; fruit tree droppings; mulch; and garden plant waste. Brush, branches and limbs must measure 3 inches or less in diameter, be cut to 3 feet or less in length, and be bundled.
Unacceptable materials: Sand; dirt; rocks; bricks; root balls; concrete blocks or other masonry items; anything plastic or metal (including wire); and painted, stained or pressure treated wood.
can you hear me now?
Base station unveiled
The General Services Department recently deployed a new base station for its two-way radio system, Aspell writes. This new base station improves coverage and reliability, which, in turn, will enhance the department's capabilities. The communications technician, who works in the department's equipment services pision, accomplished this work in-house. As part of this process, the base station building was refurbished with help from the department's highways and utilities pision.
