Antrim Parks & Recreation Commission
Minutes
July 14, 2016
The meeting was called to order at 7:02 pm.
Attendance
Parks & Rec Commissioners: Joan Gorga, Peter Lamb, Isaac Lombard and Mike Genest
Recreation Department: Monica Hagelberg
Antrim Residents: Chris Morris, Bill Bryk
Minutes
The minutes from the June 9, 2016 meeting were approved as written.
Gregg Lake
Beach. In response to heavy beach use, a system has been set up in which the lifeguards and beach assistants can call in a second lifeguard when needed. There have been no major incidents so far.
Boat launch/dog swim area. There has also been heavy use of the designated dog swim area this year, which is also the boat launch. Families are choosing to swim with their dogs, creating potential hazards when boats are being launched or removed. For safety, we will move the dog swim area just to the east of the boat launch. Rocks will be placed to define the area, and we will ask owners of moored sailboats to move them farther out to leave space for swimmers with dogs and for kayak launching. This area was marked for no parking last year, but without lines and signs, has become a parking area. It will be clearly marked with No Parking signs, to allow for families to swim with their dogs and safe kayak launching out of the area of motor boat traffic.
Little Free Library. The Antrim-Bennington Lions Club has asked permission to install a Little Free Library at the beach. They will build it, install it and stock it with books, which are free to be taken, read, and returned or replaced with other books. The Commission voted to grant permission.
Other Beach/Boat Launch Issues. In collaboration with the Gregg Lake Association, water testing through the NH Volunteer Lake Assessment Program will be done three times this summer. The Gregg Lake Association, the White Birch Point Association and the Rec Dept will each pay for one of the tests, which cost approximately $100. Missy Lombard and Joan Gorga were trained by a state limnologist when they collected the first set of samples on June 14. GLA member Helen Perivier joined Missy and Joan for the second round of sampling on July 13, and a third sampling is planned for mid-August. Helen and Joan are also working on a thorough Weed-Watching survey of the lake. The only invasive found so far is a single stalk of purple loosestrife, which will be removed as soon as permission is obtained. The heavy algae growth observed last year
appears to be beginning again this year. More leeches have been seen at the beach than in years past. They seem to be attracted to the buoys holding up the swimming area ropes. The lifeguards have been removing them at the beginning of each day.
Memorial Park
Life Scout Project. Liam Veverka finished the sturdy picnic table he built as a Life Scout project. It was placed in Memorial Park under the pine trees near the northeast corner of the tennis court and has already been well used.
Signs. Lisa Hennessy has nearly completed a welcoming sign for Memorial Park, which will be placed on the tennis court fence.
Landscaping. Joan and Frank Gorga removed several bags of garbage from under the bandstand, stapled hardware cloth behind the lattice sheets at the base of the bandstand and replaced the damaged lattice to prevent more garbage from being inserted. With spontaneous help from several town residents, Joan planted eight blueberry bushes of five varieties that should remain near the height of the bandstand floor. She also planted five low-growing rose bushes, as well as daylilies and hostas donated by Sidney Wilson Smith and the Bass Farm, and annuals donated by the Tenney Farm. Daffodil bulbs donated by Shelley Nelkens remain to be planted. All plants are looking healthy with heavy watering from buckets dipped into the Mill Pond this warm, dry summer.
There have been more complaints about patches of poison ivy in the park. Peter will try to remove it this weekend.
Two more of the pines in Cram Grove are dead or dying and will need to be removed.
Shea Field
Lights. The electrical conduits for the upgrade to 400 A service were successfully installed. Pete borrowed a sod cutter, the Highway Department rented a small excavator, and, with extra manual labor provided by Isaac and Joan, the trench was dug from the electrical pole to the backstop and then up the School Street side of the field to the shed. Delivery of the lights is expected at 8 a.m. on July 18, and installation will take place the same day if the weather permits. The equipment should be able to approach from the playground area to avoid damage to the turf on the field.
Invasive plants. Heavy growth of oriental bittersweet has taken over the area along West St. and is beginning to come down School St. Peter will see if he can find someone to remove it.
ConVal Agreement. After receiving the updated draft of the agreement, David Martz asked Joan to schedule a meeting between several ConVal and Antrim representatives. David said Jim Elder still wants to change the four-week notice requirement to two weeks, and David is hoping to get ConVal to contribute more toward maintenance costs. Mike said that the Antrim Selectboard had been prepared to send ConVal a letter stating that the four-week notice requirement is not negotiable and that we simply need to have a signed agreement in place. Mike asked whether another meeting was even necessary, and suggested that Joan and Donna Hanson get together to draft a letter instead. Joan will contact Donna.
Dugouts. The Lions Club has once again offered to paint the dugouts and shed when dugout repairs are completed. Peter will check into getting them done, as it would be better to complete the painting before fall sports begin.
Town Gym
Update. We will check to see if the floor refinish has been scheduled for late August.
Goodell Park
Eagle Scout Project. A major story about Henry Johnson’s Eagle Scout project was published in the Ledger-Transcript. Most of the features stipulated by the Parks & Rec Commission, the Selectboard and the Historical Society Board have been completed. However, a few elements remain to be installed. Ian Johnson told Joan that those last elements have been made and would be installed this week.
Recreation Department
Groups looking for projects. The Lions Club and the Antrim 2020 Steering Committee have asked for suggestions for service projects that could be done. Some ideas tossed out: Build a picnic table with a chess/checker board painted on top for Memorial Park, install a Little Free Library at Memorial Park, paint the dugouts/shed at Memorial Park, dig a flat area for a picnic table at Memorial Park, plant daffodils or other fall bulbs at Memorial Park, cut brush and remove invasives at Memorial Park, remove bittersweet at Shea Field, paint the shed at North Branch Cemetery, clear trails at McCabe Forest.
Change meeting days? We will look into the feasibility of changing Parks & Rec Commission meeting days from Thursdays to Wednesdays.
The next regularly scheduled Parks & Recreation Commission Meeting will be Thursday, August 11th at 7:00 pm at the Rec Office.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:21 pm.
-Joan Gorga, Chair and Secretary
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