MARCH 28, 2009

PORT OF MANCHESTER WORK PARTY A HUGE SUCCESS STORY

Saturday proved that the hard working citizens of Manchester were not to be deterred by a steady rain and 42 degrees weather.   Over 20 showed up at 8:00AM with their shovels, wheelbarrows, pruners, rakes and gloves.    With 21 workers the work was done by ll:30AM and we earned 81 in-kind hours towards the 25% grant obligation.   There were other in-kind donations as well that might go towards in-kind credits.   Joyce Rada came with her canopy, 4 large pots for coffee, decaf coffee, tea, cider, and hot chocolate.   Dawn Gogel came with refreshments from the Manchester Grocery.  5 yards of planting soil were donated by Jim Strode, as well as 2 yards of beauty bark by Morrison Sand & Gravel, both delivered by Manchester Water District staff. 

Three large trees were removed from the park and the side of the parking lot that will be made in to parking spaces.  The trees will be stored and offered for sale at the upcoming April 18^th Friends of the Library Plant Sale.  The large slope between the North and South floats were tilled and dirt added for a beautification project using native plants of many varieties.  Numerous large shrubs were moved from the North side of the parking lot and replanted on the slope.  There were enough large heather plants to border the lower level of the slope.  Over 100 of the plants were donated from the library gardens, Beautiful Blooms garden, and others.  A really big thank you goes out to everyone who made the event such a success. We urge all to come and take a look at the end results, it is a huge improvement to the area and will be enjoyed by residents and visitors.   

Those participating included Ray Pardo, Norma Brady, Dawn & Alex Gogel, Commissioner Steve Pedersen, Carol Campbell, Ron and Joyce Rada, Bud and Wanda Larsen, Jim Stephens, Rich & Gigi Weixler , Paul Nuchims, Eric Cisney, Commissioner Jim Strode, Ben Pfeiffer, Paul Gilligan, Joe & Margaret Guariz, and Bob Ballard.   If anyone was left out, we apologize,  there were lots of folks there, lots going on, and the signup list kept getting wet.  A great day for Manchester. 

Submitted by:   Wanda Larsen  

(click photos to enlarge)

 

A note of appreciation from Port Commissioner Steve Pedersen!

Dear Bud and Wanda:  Just a short note to thank you both for an outstanding effort on this past Saturday's Port Clean Up and beautification down at Pomeroy Park.  It is extremely gratifying to see so many Manchester Citizens come out for this wonderful civic project and in such nasty weather.  Please, could you forward this letter of thanks on behalf of myself and the rest of the Manchester Port Commissioner's to each and every member of all of the groups that participated and made the above project so successful.  Additionally, I would like to thank Norma Brady and Carol Campbell for the Native plants along with all of our other fine friends:  Port of Manchester Advisory Committee; Manchester Public Safety Committee; MCC; and last but not least, The Friends of the Manchester Library.  Everyone's effort made this a wonderful experience and I hope that from time to time we can do this again, but in weather that is not quite so nasty.  Please forward this thank you to all of our groups.  I for one appreciated each and every effort put forward for Manchester.  I think what we did looks very, very nice.  Again, thank you all.  Sincerely, Steve P.