Category Archives: Stewart Park Project

Monday

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2014-04-21 07.57.01

We do need more bike racks in Town and I know it’s hard to find a spot. This one was moved a few times and even this location is not optimal.
This is a perfect visual statement and I doff my hat to the hooligan.
Mike

UPDATE

I was zipping past the boat ramp drive and caught something( probably the whirligig) out of the corner of my eye. I swung it back around and took that photo above and did not see a placard attached explaining the installation. It was only today that I spotted another one in front of Town Hall , got out and read the details. I thought the boat ramp rack was a one off.

Here is some  information on the bike rack initiative lifted from an email passed to me just now by Lara Bricker

“Exeter NH Transition Town” has partnered with the Town of Exeter Parks & Rec department to bring an Earth Day Art Installation to the four public bike racks that the town installed last year in the downtown. Phillips Exeter Academy’s Sustainability department wanted to host a bike rack also, so they installed a new rack in their mini park on the corner of Water and Main Streets. The art consists of a wind turbine and a solar sunflower with a banner strung between that reads “More Bikes = Less Gas”. The global Transition Town movement seeks to lower the carbon footprint of a town while creating local resilience and sustainability. Exeter NH Transition Town has created a public Facebook page, which can be seen by anyone even if they dont “do ” Facebook here:
The ENHTT web page has almost daily posts about the green and sustainable events happening in Exeter in the areas of local food, alternate energy, public transportation, local/sustainable businesses and more. Want to know who is selling fresh eggs out of their barn? Who is making a greenhouse in their back yard and how they are doing it? If you can recycle that couch? When the public meetings will be held to discuss the Exeter River? Check the ENHTT Facebook page and you may find the answer!
ENHTT hopes to host a Solar Awareness night this June with ReVision Solar, NH Solar Garden and a representative from municipal solar. Look for more info upcoming soon. For now, the Bike-Rack Awareness art displays will remain for one month, and the town is looking into where to install a few more bike racks next year. The current locations, listed on the Parks & Rec webpage include: Town Hall, Town Office, Public Boat Ramp, Library, and Public Swimming Pool on High St. (There is also a public bike rack at Hannaford’s Market on Portsmouth Ave.) So, you no longer have to chain your bike to a tree in downtown Exeter, please use a spiffy new rack!
So now you know “the rest of the story”
Mike

Dedication

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P1040235Tomorrow morning at 9am(5/23) we will be dedicating the Great Bay marker at Stewart Park. A gathering, a few words on the Great Bay Estuary  and a great  many thanks will be expressed to all that facilitated this project. I just swung by the park and Luann Faber was there planting some new salvia.

See you in the morning.

Mike

“the new lawn doesn’t seem to be coming along”

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So, its time  to do  a little project.  It really needs to be done in order to educate everyone  about the Squamscott River and the Great Bay Estuary. I have discussed it  before on the blog and  would like to pursue the matter. I would like to  place an informational kiosk, or backing down from that  immediately, a series of stations or one station along  the Swasey.I would  prefer the signage that would utilize an etched metal plate with  a map of the waterways. I really would prefer a signage system that  would   stay fresh for years to come. That’s why the  wood kiosk  really  is  not attractive to me . There are  some examples of signage in the posts under the “Stewart Park Project ” in categories, on the sidebar.

If this example did not fade, then maybe, but all possible  options will be explored, the goal, longevity, no maintenance.

Possible   candidates for inclusion on the stations or the one sign, would be  birds of the  Squamscott, some  history , that sort of thing. The most important thing though, is to inform people that the Squamscott is a tidal river, brackish, salt water, and is only 6 miles from Great  Bay.

Today  I was headed to the  Dunkies for  my Aunt’s coffee  and cruller. I was late and as I blew past the  Boat House  on Water  Street I spied a truck  on the boat ramp. A tank truck , so I  ducked down the alley to see  whats up.  Nothing, they were  looking at the turtle nests. I pulled away slow still checking the rear view. I saw  one of them grab a pump from the truck , and  a big hose.

No way!

Way!

I backed up  to the Hydro Seeding Truck and asked if they were planning on taking  water from the River. “Yea”

I told them it was a tidal  river, still  no reaction. It’s  a salt water river. “Oh geez” they say.

I directed them to  Gilman Park and the   fresh water of the Exeter River.

It is allowable  for operators of such businesses to  withdraw up to 5000 gallons a day  from Rivers.

Please send along your own ideas about interpretative signage. I have spoken to Don Clement  today about this post. He is on board to  help  move the discussion along.

This  will be fun,

Mike

Luann Faber

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If you stroll  down to Stewart Park on the banks of the Squamscott you will see the new “Turtle Nursery” sign. I have a picture of it. This sign  however and another  recognizing  the work of  Luann Faber are the more important signs. I am sure given the amount of time that Luann is at the Park , the turtles will be fine. It is great that Park & Recreation responded with the whimsical signs. Luann got some mulch as well  in the last few weeks. That was a bit touch and go I heard, mulch no mulch (budget concerns). I have seen her there as the Sun comes up and goes down, she has not only adopted the park , she has embraced it. I know that about the Town there are many examples of this adopt a spot/park  program. This is simply the one  I  visit  frequently.  This is either the second  or third year  that Luann has  worked her magic, and it really shows. Say hello to Luann  next time  you are down at Stewart Park.

Mike

update July 1

I ran into Bette Henneberry down at Stewart Park, out for her stroll.  We were discussing some stuff. The mulch came up.  It seems Bette is responsible for  collecting a few donations from downtown for mulch. She has just a little left to purchase to complete the job. Nice.

Conservation Commission takes on Squamscott awareness project

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The Committee discussed the idea planted here for a sign near the Squamscott, site to be determined. The kiosks currently in use around the area are nothing more than bulletin boards, and they get messy. I took some pictures this am. Durham has no sign at the Oyster River landing. Newmarket has one but frankly, it’s pedestrian. Chapman’s Landing on Rt 108 crossing to Newmarket on the Squamscott has one, its a bulletin board. Here are the photos.

Newmarket, too rustic in my opinion.

Chapmans Landing, it always looks like this.

Here are a few examples with a different flavor. These are not bulletin boards. They most likely would involve a graphic artist and some silkscreen techniques  on metal or some other surface material.

Three sides , lots of room for info, graphics.

The graphics of birds and animals make this exceptional.


Just a cup of coffee

This one was sent to me by Don Clement , he took the picture in Damariscotta ME.

I like the graphic of the River , which is key to our Project, but still don’t like the wood kiosk. They get tired over time.

Mike

Deliberative Session this Saturday!!!