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:
Parks and Rec
Concord Parks & Recreation wants to remind families that we are currently accepting registrations for Youth Soccer (ages 4 to grade 6), NFL Flag Football (ages 6 to 11) and all other fall programs.
The registration deadline for soccer is Aug. 14 and the registration deadline for flag football is Aug.28. Our recently updated fall brochure and access to online registration is available at concordparksandrec.com. Concord Parks & Recreation will be reopening the City Wide Community Center Wednesday, September 9 with limited hours. Programming will begin the weekend of Sept. 12. Full details will be available on our website after Aug. 20.
Water safety
The communities of Boscawen, Canterbury, and Concord want to remind the public that swimming and boating in rivers or water bodies with a current can be extremely dangerous. There have been two fatalities and several water rescues on the Merrimack and Contoocook Rivers in the past month. With the normal recreational areas being closed due to COVID-19, there is increased public use of remote river areas with no lifeguards on duty.
Please use caution when swimming or boating on any water bodies, but be extra careful when you are on or in moving water. Even if a river looks calm, there can be fast-moving undercurrents. Always enter unknown or shallow water cautiously, feet first.
Here are some additional safety tips:
Personal flotation devices (PFDs) are always strongly recommended, even if you are a strong swimmer.
Know the location or name of the area you are in so that you can identify it to 9-1-1 if you have an emergency.
Check with those that are familiar with the area to identify areas with current or steep drop-offs.
Don’t swim alone – always have a swim buddy.
Learn CPR and rescue techniques. Review the steps to hands-only CPR (no mouth to mouth resuscitation needed) here from the American Heart Association, which can help save a life and be used until help arrives cpr.heart.org/en/cpr-courses-and-kits/hands-only-cpr.
Our Fire and EMS personnel want you to enjoy summer water activities safely. While drowning deaths peak among one and two year olds, drownings continue to be the second leading cause of preventable death through age 15. According to the National Safety Council, 353 people age 5 to 24 drowned in 2017.
Drought conditions
As of July 23, Concord is still experiencing moderate drought conditions. Although Concord has been receiving sporadic rain showers, precipitation is approximately 4.91 inches below average for this time of year. Water consumption returned to relatively normal conditions last week at 5.2 MGD (millions of gallons per day) due to rain every few days. However, hot weather returned this week and once again increased the demand for outdoor water use and irrigation, increasing consumption back up to 6.5 MGD+ each day. Hot weather will be continuing into next week, but we hope residents will minimize their outdoor water use as much as possible. Irrigation and watering can be reduced, despite the heat, to make a difference in water usage.
Conservation is still strongly advised, especially in regards to irrigation and outdoor use. Please use water wisely. There are no water restrictions currently in place for Concord, but it is possible restrictions could be instituted based on high consumption. Water levels at Penacook Lake remain decent while supplementing from the Contoocook River. Water customers should conserve water as a proactive measure to maintain our water resource. If watering is needed, please water at night or early morning to minimize evaporation and consider using weather-based irrigation controllers to avoid unnecessary watering. Thank you for doing your part to conserve water. Find drought updates and water conservation tips at concordnh.gov/conservation.
Absentee ballot information
Residents wishing to vote in New Hampshire who are concerned about participating in-person due to COVID-19 may register to vote, and vote, by absentee for the 2020 elections. Find more information on the State of New Hampshire’s website, sos.nh.gov/VotingEmergency.aspx.
Updates from the NH Secretary of State
The 2020 absentee ballot application now has a box to check for those who choose to vote absentee due to concerns re: COVID-19. Also, voters now have the option to request absentee ballots for both primary and general elections on one application. Download here: https://bit.ly/3fKZCBm
Ward 9 Polling Change
Due to COVID-19, City of Concord residents in Ward 9 will vote at the City Wide Community Center, 14 Canterbury Road, during the New Hampshire State Primary Election on Sept. 8, 2020 and during the general election on Nov. 3, 2020.
More information about elections, including a link to request an absentee ballot, polling locations and hours, voter information, and ward maps, is available online at concordnh.gov/elections. You may also contact the City Clerk’s Office at 225-8500 or by email at cityclerk@concordnh.gov.
Please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (603) 225-8500 or via email at cityclerk@concordnh.gov with any questions.
