Pelham - Windham News

May 28, 2010 - 5

‘Significant Progress’ Made on Windham Section of I-93

by Barbara O’Brien

The last time that representatives of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (DOT) paid a visit to Windham selectmen, they were there to discuss flooding issues centered on Exit 3 of Interstate 93. The region had just been hit by three consecutive torrential rainstorms, causing the closing of portions of Route 111 and the infiltration of silt into the nearby wetlands. That was this past March. On May 17, I-93 Expansion Project Manager Peter Stamnos returned to Windham to provide town officials with an update. “The contractors have made significant progress,” Stamnos said, referring to erosion control efforts regarding Cobbetts Pond and Canobie Lake. “The focus has been on what could be done immediately” following the late winter flooding.

In the past couple of months, a 750,000-gallon drainage basin has been completed off Range Road, near the Common Man Restaurant. The basin is three times the size of the previous one, Stamnos explained, and an impervious PVC liner has been added to limit possible seepage. “A lot of work has been done over there,” Stamnos said. A 500,000-gallon storage basin is also being built adjacent to this area. “There is quite a bit of capacity already, and we’re adding more,” Stamnos told selectmen. Jay Levine, also representing the State DOT, explained that water could be pumped from the drainage site if that becomes necessary and trucked to other locations. The drainage basins are designed to handle 50-year events. The Department of Environmental Services has approved the designs, Levine said. The access road to the site has also been raised to minimize the chance of future flooding. In the event of future severe rainstorms, they “plan to stay ahead of the curve by scheduling tankers in advance” to truck water from the area, Levine said. “There’s no guarantee that there won’t be any intrusion into the watershed,” Stamnos said, “but we’re doing everything we can to minimize the potential.” Levine said the membrane that has been layered inside the

drainage basin is designed for long-term use, but plans are to add a clay liner to lengthen its life even further. The clay liner will be put down in about two years, Levine said, after there has been sufficient time to determine the effectiveness of the PVC membrane. “This will be a state-of-the-art system when completed,” Stamnos added. “There will be a lot of progress made between now and August,” Levine commented.

“Will this protect Canobie Lake?” Selectmen’s Chairman Charles McMahon asked. “Yes” was Stamnos’ single-word answer. When asked about the quality of the water in the drainage basin, Levine explained that there is a significant level of turbidity that occurs during construction, much of which is due to run-off from the roads used for hauling.

According to Stamnos, a long-term DOT maintenance plan is being developed, one that is being planned in conjunction with the required permitting process. Stamnos said all maintenance would be done at state expense, without any impact on local coffers. Windham resident Bud Sweetser, who represented the Cobbetts

Pond Improvement Association at the selectmen’s meeting, said he went on a tour of the drainage area with representatives of the DOT. “It was a learning experience,” Sweetser said. “This is a very unique project.” Sweetser said he feels that the DOT and DES, along with the contractors doing the work, have worked tirelessly to fulfill their obligations. “Now, it’s up to the Board of Selectmen to keep the pressure on,” he said. Bill Schroeder, also a member of the Cobbetts Pond Improvement Association, agreed that those working on the I-93 project in Windham have been “very cooperative.” “They are doing their best to prevent further erosion into the lake,”

Schroeder said. Schroeder also questioned whether wells in the area are being monitored for nitrate levels due to the blasting that has been taking place. Stamnos again answered “yes,” adding that plans are to minimize the potential of any contamination from blasting. Levine said that about 99 percent of the required blasting in the Exit 3 area has been completed. The two bridges included in this phase of the project (on Routes 111 and 111A) are nearly done and are expected to be fully completed by July. A rock-crushing operation will be set up along Route 111, approximately 800 feet from the location of the former Dunkin’ Donuts (now a detention pond). It is expected that the approximate hours of operation of the rock-crushing operation will be weekdays between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Seeding and fertilizing on area slopes is also getting underway in an effort to prevent erosion.

As for the near future, the next phase of construction will take the project in a southerly direction along Route 93, adjacent to Route 111A. There is about a mile of work to be done in this area, according to Stamnos, a task that will take place this construction season, as well as most of next year’s.

Folk Literature Day at the Academy

submitted by Presentation of Mary Academy

The students in Mrs. Psoinos/Mrs. Toth and Mrs. Schmidt’s second-grade classrooms at the Presentation of Mary Academy in Hudson celebrated Folk Literature Day on May 17. The teachers had students read the various folk tales, and then discussed them together. Each student and teacher dressed as a character from a folk literature book of their choice, wrote a book report, and created a box float. Parents, grandparents, and students from the other classrooms were invited to walk through the enchanted classrooms to view the projects. The second graders had so much fun while improving their reading and comprehension skills.

courtesy photos

Charlie

Outdoors

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Thank You for Our Freedom

My “thumbs up” to Representative Shawn Jasper for supporting HB 1665, Representative Coffey’s amendment to RSA 159:16 and RSA 159:19-a, to remove the penalty for carrying or selling stilettos, switch knives, daggers, and dirk knives and making the criminal use of such weapons a crime. While it may not seem all that important, citizens now have the freedom to carry any knife that they feel they need for their job or sport. The governor signed the bill into law.

Also, “Pro-Gun NH” Council of Advisors elected former State Senator and Senate Majority Leader Bob Clegg as the second president of the organization. Bob, who is now a registered lobbyist, will be active within the State House in advancing the cause of gun owners. When you see these men, tell them thanks for all they do for our freedoms.

Charlie Chalk can be reached at outdoorswithcharlie@areanewsgroup.com

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