Preparations for next spring and discussions concerning the town’s skate park took the stage during the Londonderry Recreation Commission’s latest meeting at Town Hall on November 13, whose goal it is to provide recreational activities and facilities for residents of all ages.
Members began the meeting by briefly going over old business, starting by noting how treatment for grubs on the Londonderry Athletic Fields Association Fields on Sargent Road has been ongoing since their discovery early last month, but there are fears that the field near Nelson Road will also require treatment in the future.
There were also concerns over the possibility of the commission’s diesel mower starting to malfunction due to some of its electrical components not functioning. A new model would most likely run the commission eleven to twelve thousand dollars, although it was pushed more towards the group’s long range plans, as this is currently the off-season for the fields and budget talks are not really a concern as a result.
Upon moving on to new business, discussions continued over upgrading the lighting system at the Nelson Road Softball Field, due to the fact that the wooden poles used to hold the lights have a life span of roughly forty years and they are quickly approaching that benchmark. Some have also begun to show signs of twisting on the upper portions.
Such a renovation would run the town anywhere from one hundred and twenty thousand dollars to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Jim Edwards, a “softball activist” in Londonderry for over thirty years, has recently been working with the local softball leagues to drum up support and funding for the project.
The commission is also preparing to take bids via a petition warrant article to have a maintenance building built for the sake of equipment storage, as various field and groups have had to rely on metal crates to store their equipment so far.
Finally, a local woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous, announced earlier in the week to the commission that her son, who was living in Florida at the time, recently passed away. Since he was an avid skater, the mother was hoping to donate funds to the skate park for general use. However, members advised against this, as it would be mainly focused towards the purchase of lumber and other materials. Although it is not official as of yet, members did suggest that the funds instead be put towards a granite bench with her son’s name on it, which would be placed outside the fencing area of the skate park.