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:
Wreaths Across America
The annual Wreaths Across America event will be held on Dec. 18, in area cemeteries.
Each December on National Wreaths Across America Day, the mission is to “Remember, Honor and Teach,” carried out by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as at more than 2,500 additional locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea and abroad. More information at wreathsacrossamerica.org.
Bridge repair completed
The North Pembroke Road Bridge was officially reopened on Dec. 8, following the final inspection from both the City of Concord and the Town of Pembroke! A special thanks goes out to all the residents of North Pembroke Road for their wonderful patience during the lengthy construction this fall.
Beaver Meadow Golf Course Tree Project Meeting
Thank you to everyone who attended the meeting last Saturday to learn more about the tree project.
Concord Fire Department lifesaving party
A lifesaving celebration ceremony took place earlier this week at Banks Chevrolet in Concord.
Banks Service Technician, Chris LaPage, survived a cardiac arrest while at work on May 13, 2021. 9-1-1 Telecommunicator Marti Dennerly answered a 9-1-1 call for a service technician who had passed out in the bed of a truck in the service area. The caller, who was not near the patient, reported the employee was found unconscious and turning purple. Police and EMS dispatch were notified immediately. Following the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch – IAED protocol, TC Dennerly instructed the caller to retrieve an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) if one was available; another employee retrieved the one and only AED in the building. Dennerly assisted the caller with the correct application of the defibrillator, advised the caller how to follow the AED prompts and, instructed the caller through correctly paced Compressions-only CPR.
Successfully resuscitated at the scene, Concord, NH Fire Department transported Chris LaPage to the hospital. His recovery was nothing short of a miracle. Mike Mercer, Chris’ supervisor, described the event as ‘the perfect storm which unfolded perfectly.’ Chris was back to work full-time only two and a half months after his cardiac arrest. He says, ‘I feel great!’
Since Chris’ return, he and his wife, Deborah, have taken a CPR course and received their certifications. Deborah, who works for the Epsom Central School, along with the Epsom school nurse, have earned their CPR instructor certifications. They provided training for the school basketball coaches who have earned their CPR certifications. Ideally, they said they hope to add CPR instruction/certification to the 8th curriculum.
As for Banks Chevrolet, their Safety Committee purchased, registered, and installed five additional AEDs for their facility. They have also sent 20-25 of their staff members through the American Red Cross training.
This was a full-circle moment Chris and Deborah and an opportunity to express their gratitude to everyone involved for saving his life.
Winter operations
Concord received its first accumulation of snow for the season. Crews spent time earlier this week hooking the plows to trucks and filling up the sanders. However, there is a lot more behind-the-scenes work that goes into preparing equipment for winter operations.
There are approximately 38 trucks city-wide (27 for General Services) that get equipped with plows and sanders for the winter season. This includes pick-up trucks to heavy-duty dump trucks. General Services trucks first require the removal and proper storage of leaf boxes from the dump body. Road crews from the Highway & Utilities Division complete this task and then install the sander by chaining it to the body. Mechanics from the Equipment Services Division then connect the hydraulics, lubricate the chains and spinner of the salt/sand spreader, replace any hydraulic lines if needed, complete a thorough maintenance check, and return the trucks over to Highway crews to install the plows.
In addition, there are six Bobcats and four trackless loaders that Equipment Services converts to sidewalk plows. The trackless loaders used for leaf collection require some additional steps, compared to the Bobcats, to remove the necessary components used for leaf collection.
A lot of work goes into preparing for winter operations. It is not always realized that the same pieces of equipment used for bulk leaf collection are also used for winter operations, and that it takes several hours to a day and a half to transition one piece of equipment. This is why it is important to have time to complete this process after bulk leaf collection ends and before it starts snowing. General Services staff does an excellent job completing this work in time to be ready for the winter weather, and work continues through the season to keep the equipment well-maintained and operational.
Wastewater facility electrical upgrades
A variety of electrical improvements have been completed at the City’s Hall Street Wastewater Treatment Facility. This is an ongoing Capital Improvement Project (CIP #104) to upgrade outdated infrastructure at the facility and improve system reliability. Three out of four phases of this project have been completed, which included replacement of the emergency generators, replacement of electrical switchgear, and installing three new transformers. The fourth phase will take place over the next couple of years to replace the motor control centers. All of these pieces of equipment in this project are/were over 40 years old and original parts of the facility from when the building was built in 1979. The facility’s electrical systems were at the end of their useful life and required replacement. The upgraded systems are now up to current code and will improve the overall efficiency and operations of the facility.
Fall Leaf Collection Concludes
Concord’s Fall Leaf Collection started Nov. 1 with bulk leaf collection. Bagged leaf collection started on Nov. 22.
The trackless leaf loaders used for bulk collection proved to be successful again this year, allowing road crews to efficiently collect leaves throughout the entire city, ahead of any snowstorms this year.
Gelinas Excavation & Earth Materials Recycling Center is now closed for the season.
We thank residents for their participation in this year’s program. More information is available at concordnh.gov/leafcollection.
White Park work
Work was done at White Park Pond last week to remove invasive lotus plants. Working with NH Department of Environmental Services and SOLitude Lake Management, we have mechanically cut the lotus plants. The lotus plant first arrived at the pond three years ago and this year, took over around a third of the pond. A larger restoration will take place next year.
Penacook Tree Lighting Ceremony
Watch the Blanchard Family, City Councilor Brent Todd, and the Penacook Elementary School Choir celebrate the Penacook Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Dec. 1. Video from Concord TV at youtube.com/watch? v=NUQzptNgiuE.
