The city manager’s office sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter last Friday. The full newsletter can be found by going to concordnh.gov and clicking the “Newsletter” button. Here are some highlights:
Skating
The White Park Pond, Beaver Meadow Pond and Rollins skating areas will be open for skating.
The Merrimack Lodge at White Park will be open Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Masks are required while inside the building and occupancy will be limited to 8 people in the building at a time. Unfortunately, skate rentals will not be offered at this time.
Rail history
A new historic interpretive panel has just been unveiled celebrating the glorious former Concord railroad station near the pocket park at the intersection of Storrs Street and Pleasant Street Extension. This location is very significant because the railroad station stood just footsteps away from where the panel has been erected. The panel is full of wonderful information about the former railroad station that was demolished in 1960, plus many historic photos and information about the vibrant railroad yard that once occupied this part of Concord before Storrs Street was built.
The panel was developed as historic mitigation for the Sewalls Falls Bridge Project and was funded 80% with the State Bridge Aid and 20% with city funds. The creation of the panel was a team effort with research and text by Elizabeth Durfee Hengen, graphic design by McFarland Johnson, panel construction by Advantage Signs, and coordination by the City of Concord Engineering Services Division.
Trail Guide Cost
Due to the rising cost of printing and supplies, the Conservation Commission had to raise the price for the trail guides to $11 (or $13 if mailed). This price covers the printing cost, no revenue is generated through the sale of the trail guides. The price change is effective as of Jan. 14, 2021.
Book Bingo is back
Back by popular demand, the winter reading program, Book Bingo, started Jan. 4 for all ages!
The challenge is this: to complete as many squares as you can by Feb. 26. As you complete each task, record the title of the book in the corresponding square. Every time you complete a Bingo — five boxes in a row in any direction — you’ll earn a raffle ticket for our prize drawing. Show your Bingo card to a staff member by Feb. 26 to claim your raffle tickets.
Everett Arena
Public ice skating is taking place at the Douglas N. Everett Arena Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sundays 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is $6 for ages 14 and up and $5 for ages 13 and below. Skate rentals are available in the Pro Shop for $5. Please remember that ice skating is limited to less than 50% capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions. The arena does not take reservations for public sessions. It is advised to arrive early.
Adult Stick Practice (ages 14 and up) hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Helmet and gloves are required. Admission for adult stick practice is $10.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, no visiting team spectators allowed for high school hockey games. Immediate family only allowed in the building for home team high school games. You can still stay connected to the Everett Arena from anywhere by watching events live and on demand with LiveBarn! Learn more at concordnh.gov/arenalivebarn.
Masks or facial coverings are required inside of the arena and while on the ice during public ice skating. Masks are recommended while on the ice during stick practice and hockey, but are not required when actively engaged in athletics. Skate rentals will continue to be thoroughly disinfected after each use. Other COVID-19 guidelines at the arena remain in place, including one-way traffic throughout the facility and on the ice, only unlocking building doors 15 minutes prior to events, reducing public skating to 50% occupancy or less, and limiting spectating to immediate family only. Siblings must stay with a parent at all times or the group will be asked to leave. The Everett Arena has been exceeding all guidelines for cleaning and sanitization, has had extra precautions in place for increased air filtration, and continues to provide hand sanitizer throughout the facility.
All Everett Arena visitors and staff will be required to complete a COVID-19 screening in the main entrance lobby. A screening kiosk has been installed that uses touchless mobile technology to guide guests through a COVID-19 risk assessment. The screening process includes scanning a QR code at the arena on your phone, filling out a quick questionnaire, and using a unique QR code that is then generated on your phone to scan at the kiosk to log your visit if needed for contact tracing. The QR code is time sensitive and will expire after the end of the day. Once the code is scanned, visitors will use the hands free thermometer to scan their wrist or forehead for a temperature screening.
Find full COVID-19 guidelines and more information about programs at the Everett Arena at concordnh.gov/arena.
Drought update
As of Jan. 21, Concord is still experiencing abnormally dry conditions. New Hampshire now has 41.52% of the state experiencing abnormally dry conditions, down 7.83% from last week. The majority of the state (46.28%) is currently not experiencing any drought conditions, while 12.2% still remains in a moderate drought. The National Weather Service predicts a 33-40% probability of below precipitation for the region in the next 8-14 days. Concord’s water consumption continues to remain low, which is consistent for this time of year. Please continue to use water wisely. Drought conditions will continue to be monitored. Low-income residential well owners may qualify for assistance with the State of New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) and NH Drinking Water and Groundwater Advisory Commission if they are experiencing drought-related loss of a safe, reliable source of drinking water at their primary residence. Short-term relief is available through the Drought Assistance Program for bottled water and financial assistance for activities associated with replacing or improving a homeowner’s well or connecting to an available community water supply. We thank everyone for their efforts to conserve water. Every drop counts! Find drought updates and water conservation tips at concordnh.gov/conservation.
Parks and Rec Sticker Campaign
Show your support for cross-country skiing at Beaver Meadow. Donations of $25 or more will receive a limited edition “Ski the Beav” sticker. All proceeds benefit the Enhance Skiing at the Beav Project to purchase at tracked groomer for the trails at BMGC. The goal is to raise $100,000 by Aug. 2021. For more information on this project, visit concordparksandrec.com.
Winter operations
Sign up for winter parking ban email notifications at concordnh.gov/notifyme. Sign up for both Winter Storm Event Parking Bans and Winter Maintenance Parking Bans to get alerted for both city-wide and downtown bans. Winter parking bans require all vehicles to be removed from indicated streets between midnight and 7 a.m. for snow removal operations.
Free parking is available in the City garages on weekends, observed holidays, and Monday through Friday from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. for permit/lease spaces (marked with signage) and until 9 a.m. for metered spaces. Penacook residents may park at the Canal Street Municipal Parking Lot at the corner of Village Street and Canal Street near Chief’s Restaurant. Although this lot is posted for no overnight parking, the City’s Parking Division will suspend this regulation during city-wide winter parking bans to accommodate Penacook residents. Residents should only park in the public spaces on the south side of the lot along Canal Street.
Concord General Services works as quickly and efficiently as possible to plow the 220 center line miles (440 lane miles) of streets and 90 miles of sidewalks throughout the city on a priority level basis. Plows require a lot of space on the road, which can make plowing difficult if cars are parked on the street, especially on narrow streets. Cars parked in tight areas or on narrow streets can block plows from fitting through the street. We appreciate the community’s cooperation to park off-street, even when a parking ban is not issued, to allow crews to plow more efficiently and restore safe road conditions. Visit concordnh.gov/winteroperations for more information.
Winter fest
The Hotel Concord and Intown Concord are excited to announce Winter Fest will be returning for its third year in a row. Masked spectators will enjoy watching ice-carving demonstrations and meeting some of New England’s most talented ice carvers on Jan. 29 followed by an ice carving competition on Jan. 30, 2021.
Downtown Concord’s unique boutiques will welcome shoppers and browsers looking to enjoy a winter shopping stroll.
More information on the Intown Concord website, intownconcord.org.
