Each week, City Manager Tom Aspell turns City Hall into a set, sits in his director’s chair and films a movie. He submits it to the Sundance Film Festival, where it’s met with a 10-minute standing ovation. Once it comes out on DVD, we watch it and transcribe it – and here it is: Tom Aspell’s City Memo.
hurricane hustle
City leaps into action
City employees from the Fire, General Services and Police departments were busy responding to the effects of Hurricane Sandy last week, Aspell writes.
The city’s Emergency Operations Center was open for 12 hours to coordinate responses to downed trees and power lines and other resident needs. The city was also in touch with Unitil’s emergency response center, though with lines down the communication was done through soup cans on a string.
Police and fire units made an immediate response to calls and communicated information on hazards so that General Services crews and Unitil workers could move in quickly to handle downed power lines, remove fallen trees and re-open roads. At the height of the incident, more than 10,000 Concord residents were without power. All power was restored by noon on Wednesday. In some cases, residents obtained super powers.
In other news, four Concord Fire Department officers have been deployed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be on the front lines of the nation’s response to the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. Bureau Chief Sean Brown, Battalion Chief Guy Newbery, Derek Kelleher, and Lieutenant Tim Robinson were activated late Sunday with Massachusetts Task Force One, an urban search and rescue team.
pulverizing in place?
Sounds muscle-y
Work continues on paving of sidewalks, driveways and curb patch between Call Street and Curtice Avenue, Aspell writes.
Minor delays will continue in this area. The contractor expects to finalize the drainage between Curtice Avenue and Penacook Street early this week. Shortly thereafter, the asphalt pavement will be pulverized in place – is that a new workout trend? – creating a new crushed gravel layer that will be graded and base paved. That work will begin Nov. 7.
If the weather cooperates – and we’ve promised it milk and cookies if it does – pavement will be placed on Nov. 13. Stay tuned to the on-site message boards for real time updates to the paving schedule. There will be no work in the city right-of-way Nov. 6 due to the election (vote fast commute!).
weekend warriors
Get on the bus, Gus
As of Saturday, Concord Area Transit began offering Saturday bus service through the holiday season, ending Jan. 5, 2013, Aspell writes.
Modified routes for both the Heights and Penacook lines will provide service to the major shopping destinations such as Downtown, Fort Eddy Road, Loudon Road, and the Steeplegate Mall. What, no Bloomingdales bus?
Copies of the Saturday schedule are available in the city clerk’s office at City Hall, on the CAT buses, or on the web at concordareatransit.org. But everyone knows the Saturday schedule starts with cartoons.
chilling out
The Beav gets icy
Work began this week on the new pond at Beaver Meadow Golf Course, Aspell writes. More places to hit golf balls!
Tree work should last another few days and then work will begin on the new pond. This winter, Parks and Recreation staff will maintain the pond as a new ice skating area – will it be green? – and the Bar and Grille will be open on weekends.
futbol
Pink is the pick
The Concord Parks and Recreation Department’s adult soccer program culminated the season with a tournament Oct. 28, Aspell writes. Tom put the finishing touches on the tournament with an exhibition of bicycle kicks and flip throw-ins.
Despite the threat of a hurricane, team spirit was in abundance as players took to the field. And nobody even blew away! Team Pink, from the Franklin Pierce PT Program, took home the win. Son of a gun! We had fuschia in the office pool.
