Photo by Eric Anderson

June 2019 Monthly Bulletin

Welcome to the monthly bulletin from the Town of Bow. As part of our commitment to keep citizens informed and involved in the community, we hope you find this information to be useful. Follow the public meeting schedule. Sign up for text and email notifications through NotifyMe®. Follow Bow Police, Recreation, and Library on social media.

Photo by Eric Anderson

Town Manager's Report

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Spring is flying by and Summer will be here this week.

A lot is happening in Bow: new commercial buildings are going up and additions to existing commercial buildings are underway; the Board of Selectmen has hosted employee recognition and volunteer recognition cookouts; our Summer Recreation Day Camp begins next week; the Summer Reading Program at the Library kicks off this week with a party; a Natural Resources Inventory is being conducted by the Conservation Commission; the lineup for the Bow Rotary summer concerts has been set; and more.There is plenty to do in Bow - Enjoy!

As always, please contact my office, a member of the Board of Selectmen, or any of our Departments if you have any questions or concerns on anything that is going on. You can also find a ton of information on the Town's website: www.bownh.gov

Girl Scout Troop getting ready for the Memorial Day Ceremony

photo by Eric Anderson

Girls Scout Carrying the Wreath before the ceremony

Photo by Eric Anderson

Photo by Eric Anderson

Memorial Day Services

The Town of Bow honored those men and women who have died while serving in the U.S. military, with ceremonies at the Town Gazebo and Town Pond.

After the ceremonies, there was a community picnic put on by the Bow Men's Club and a concert by the Freese Brothers Big Band.

Photo by Eric Anderson

Community Development

Planning Board Updates
The Planning Board recently approved a site plan for a new 5,000 SF warehouse for Tri-State Curb, a site plan modification for Granite State Solar to add solar trackers to the site, and an addition to the Eversource warehouse building on River Road.

Business Development Commission and Bow Drinking Water Protection Committee
Town committees met with Dubois & King, Inc. representatives to discuss the draft of the feasibility study to extend the water main to Bow Junction area affected by MtBE contamination.

Building Department
Bow Coastal Products has been issued a temporary certificate of occupancy for their new 250,000 SF warehouse facility.

Continuing Education
Several staff members participated in workshops, including ones regarding Class VI roads and the application process for grants and loans for drinking water infrastructure.

Missed a meeting? Read the latest meeting minutes for all the Town boards here.

Photo by Eric Anderson

Department of Public Works

Fleet Maintenance

The Public Works fleet is ready for spring and summer work. The plow trucks have been switched over for summer use, snow tires on the fleet have been changed off and the rest of the summer use equipment maintenance has been completed.

The Department received a new 6 wheel dump truck which has been set up for service and completed major engine work on another truck.

Highway and Grounds
The DPW crew has been busy with spring maintenance and construction. The safety chips at the playgrounds have been laid out and catch basins in the WHPA have been cleaned out.

A concrete pad for the new Men’s Club storage shed has been pored at the Old Town Hall. Gravel roads are being graded and paving was completed at the entrance of Sterling Drive. Construction has begun in preparation for future paving at Merrill Crossing and Stoneybrook Road. Ditching of Merrill Crossing and Stoneybrook is under way and drainage culverts on each road have been replaced.

The Parks and Cemetery division has been busy mowing and preparing the public fields for use when the spring rain has allowed it. The cemeteries are being spruced up and ornamental trees are being replaced as needed.

DPW welcomes Kara!

The Department of Public Works recently hired Kara Tracy, as the new part time Administrative Assistant. Kara comes to Bow with six years of municipal experience. Welcome, Kara!

Photo by Eric Anderson

Bow Parks & Recreation

It’s time to sign up for Summer Activities!
Summer Fun with Bow Recreation. Check out all we have to offer, Yoga, Line Dancing, Zumba, Body Blast, Princess Camp, Scrapbooking, Bootcamp, Teen Bootcamp, Yoga in the Park, Track & Train, Pilates, String Lessons and Dance Camp. Registration for all our programs is first come/first serve and many will fill up! Find more on the town website www.bownh.gov

Summer Day Camp
The staff has been hired, the Counselors In Training interviewed, supplies are ordered, training and planning is right around the corner and we will welcome campers to A Summer of Fun on Wednesday, June 26^th. We can hardly wait! Six weeks of games, sports, crafts, special events, trips and so much more!

Discount Amusement Tickets
Looking to go to Fun Town Splashtown, Six Flags New England, Candia springs Adventure Park, Chuckster’s Family fun Park, Hilltop fun Center, Whale’s Tale or Water Country this summer? We will have discount tickets to these venues for you to use any date throughout the summer. Tickets are limited; so check in early.

Pre-School age and Kindergarten Fall Soccer
If you want to sign up for our Fall soccer (ages 3/4, 4/5 and Kindergarten), don’t wait! Registration is booming. Stop on by with payment and a registration form to get your child registered.

Check out our Face Book Page "Bow Parks & Recreation” This page is updated regularly to keep you informed of “Parks & Recreation Happenings” here in Bow.

Photo by Eric Anderson

Baker Free Library

Summer Reading Programs at the Baker Free Library
Our summer reading programs for children, teens and adults begin on June 21. Register for A Universe of Stories (for students entering kindergarten through grade 6) or Bookopoly (for teens and adults) beginning at our kickoff party on Friday, June 21 at 4:00 p.m.

Summer Reading Kickoff Party
Our annual kickoff party will take place on Friday, June 21 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Bring the whole family to register for the summer reading program, enjoy free dinner provided by the library, and take part in crafts and activities as part of our Astronaut Training Camp! This event is free and open to all ages. Teens and Adults This year, you have your own program! Diversify your reading by taking on Bookopoly, a game-board style program that will encourage you to read more broadly. Registration for this program will also begin at our kickoff party. For more information, visit our website or call 224-7113.

New DVDs on 7-Day Loan
New movies, purchased by the library within the last six months, will now be loaned for one week beginning on June 1. All other DVDs will still have a two week loan time. We hope that this change will cut down on wait times for popular titles.

Book Donation Day
The Friends of the Baker Free Library will hold their next donation day on Saturday, June 29, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. If you have any questions about what we accept for donations, please email info@bakerfreelib.org.

Free Community Yoga Classes
In collaboration with Yoga NH, the library is pleased to offer FREE 1-hour yoga classes to Bow residents and library cardholders! June's classes will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 1, 2019 and Sunday, June 30, 2019.

Bow residents, please register in advance by emailing info@bakerfreelib.org or calling 224-7113. If this is your first time attending our community classes, please arrive by 8:45 a.m. to fill out the liability waiver. Non-Bow residents can attend for a fee of $12 per class. Pre-registration and payment is required through http://yoganh.com. We cannot accommodate drop-ins for non-Bow residents, so registration and payment is required prior to class.

Classes are held in the Library's Merrimack County Savings Bank Room in the Lower Level. Because these classes are held outside of library operating hours, participants will need to enter through the Lower Level door near the handicapped parking ramp.

Bow Business Development Commission

Business to Business Event

The Bow Business Development Commission held another Business to Business event hosted by SERVPRO of Concord at their new facility in Bow. The event was attended by local business owners and employees, Bow Selectmen, and Business Development Commission members. The program included a guided tour of the facility.

The Town would like to thank SERVPRO owners and staff for continuing the business networking tradition and being so helpful with the organization of this event.

Community Development

Turee Pond S Crystall

Conservation Commission

Turee Pond Milfoil Treatment

The invasive variable milfoil (Myriophyllum hetreophyllum) was identified in Turee Pond in 2015. Activities undertaken to date have been unsuccessful in managing the milfoil. Chemical treatment of Turee Pond for milfoil was conducted in early June.

Turee Pond is subject to two boating restrictions under state law and Marine Patrol rules:
RSA 270:126. No person shall use or operate any powerboat equipped with any type of power motor in excess of 10 HP.

Saf-C 5102.90 No person shall operate a motorboat at a rate of speed exceeding 10 miles per hours upon the waters of Turee Pond in the town of Bow.

Wherever you boat, please note that under state law, transport of any aquatic plants on recreational gear and related trailers is prohibited. The same law requires that boats and other water-containing devices be in the open drain position during transportation.

Remember:

CLEAN off any plants, animals and algae found during your inspection and dispose of it away from a waterbody.

DRAIN your boat, bait buckets, bilges and other equipment away from the waterbody, leaving your boat’s drain in the open position during transport.

DRY anything that comes into contact with the water.

The water quality of Turee Pond is monitored by the Conservation Commission under the NH Department of Environmental Services' Volunteer Lake Assessment Program (VLAP).

Check the Conservation Commission website for further information.

Let's protect our valuable natural resources that support clean water for drinking, recreation, and wildlife!

Bow Drinking Water Protection Committee

BDWPC held its annual "Test Your Well Water" Event at the Community Center on Saturday, June 1^st in conjunction with the Scout Yard Sale.

Following this event, the Committee will hold an informational session about the water test results, at the Baker Free Library. Please check the website and stay tuned for more information.

Courtesy of Community Development Department

Gary Lynn

Recycling & Solid Waste Committee Honors Volunteer Gary Lynn

Gary Lynn was recently honored for his lengthy service on the Town of Bow Recycling and Solid Waste Committee. Gary was appointed to the Committee in 1997 and served the Committee and the Town in many capacities, finishing his final term as Chair of the Committee.

Gary was instrumental with the licensing of the transfer station on Robinson Road. Over the years, he handled the annual grant applications and contracts for the Town's annual Household Hazardous Waste collection.

Until his retirement, Gary was a long-time employee of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, which provided him with up-to-date information on state policies and environmental concerns. His substantial knowledge of environmental sciences has been a great resource to the committee, particularly with tough hazardous waste questions.

After more than twenty years of writing annual recycling reports, attending minutes and preparing minutes, coordinating hazardous waste collections, and helping out by recycling at the Scout yard sales, Gary is retiring from the Committee to travel and take on new projects and adventures. The rest of the Committee will miss him, but we wish him well!

Bow Recycling - Let's Keep it Clean!

From the Bow Solid Waste and Recycling Committee
Similar to many other towns in New Hampshire, Bow was recently forced to reevaluate our recycling program due to increased costs associated with recycling. The Bow Solid Waste and Recycling Committee is pleased to announce that the Selectmen voted at its meeting on May 28, 2019 to continue to fund the recycling program. The annual cost to continue the recycling program is approximately $30,000. This estimate is based on the current market and assuming that our recyclables are designated as “Class A” recyclables. The designation of our recyclables as “Class A” is based on the amount of contamination (less than 5%) in the loads from Bow. In the event we do not receive a “Class A” designation, the cost of recycling will significantly increase and the town will again need to reevaluate its options.

It is imperative to the success of our recycling program that we reduce contaminants in our curbside recycling totes. Many of us are “aspirational recyclers” and will include items in our curbside recycling tote hoping that they can be recycled. If we are throwing away items in the hope that they are recyclable, we are creating more harm than good. Over the last two years, China has imposed strict restrictions over the acceptance of recycling loads that are deemed to be contaminated. With that in mind, Pinard Waste has created a new flyer called “Can I Recycle This? Know When It’s a NO!” The flyer helps identify the types of items that should not be recycled.

The most frequent items that contaminate recycling loads are plastic bags and Styrofoam. Those items should not be placed in the recycling bin, even if they have a recycling number on them. Styrofoam should be placed in the trash. Plastic bags can be recycled at several local supermarkets, and otherwise they should be reused or placed in the trash.

When it comes to plastic, according to Pinard, it is important to only recycle items that are “containers” or “vessels,” such as plastic bottles. Even if an item has a recycling number, it may not be recyclable because there is no market for it. Plastic toys, plastic utensils, straws, clothes hangers and bulky plastic items are considered contamination and should not be placed in the curbside recycling. Colored plastic cups (such as red Solo cups) are also not accepted for recycling. Metal (other than tin, clean aluminum foil and aluminum cans) is also not accepted for recycling.

It is important to empty beverage containers before putting them in the recycling bin. The liquids are not only messy, but can be deemed hazardous waste by recycling workers. While food containers do not need to be laboratory clean before recycling them, it is necessary to rinse containers such as peanut butter and catsup jars to avoid rodents and other pests from being attracted to the recycling load. And the ongoing pizza box question? According to Pinard, the actual box can be recycled unless it is heavily saturated with oil. All food should be scraped and removed from the pizza box. The plastic pizza saver used to protect the pizza from sticking to the box is not recyclable, and should be placed in the trash.

Please review the new flyer from Pinard Waste on updated Recycling items.

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