PDA Seeks Grant to Cut Trees in Newington Historic Center

The subject line says it all. Town officials met with the PDA just over a week ago to discuss PDA plans to obtain an FAA grant to "manage" trees including those shown in this picture along the edge of the cemetery. PDA officials would not say how far down they planned to cut trees or what they actually proposed. After pressing, they indicated that if the land owner refused consent, they could do so without land owner consent.

Twenty years and millions of dollars at its disposal and the PDA has never cut down trees on Town land. It is troubling that the PDA is willing to spend federal government money to do this project but not its own.

The Town has asked for the PDA's grant application and its data on tree penetrations. The PDA agreed to provide this information but has not done so yet. More to come....

Weeding out!

Thanks to everyone who helped weed the beds at the Newington Public School on Saturday.

We had six adult volunteers, plus a number of assistants: the Grubes, the Muellers, Jane Hislop, Jane Kendall and Sharon Brown.


PHOTO: Bed above between the school and the fire department needed the most weeding. Two inches of mulch should be added next week. A swale will be added to address drainage from the parking areas above the school.

Also a big thank you to the Newington Fire Department for letting us use their grill and picnic table. Everything looks great and another layer of mulch should keep the weeds down significantly.

All of the beds were weeded out in about 3 hours including lunch which was grilled organic hot dogs, fruit popsicles and potato chips.

PHOTO (above): Daffodils were relocated throughout the beds for next year. The results met with audience approval.

May 14: Spring Cleaning & Grill Extravaganza

Spring is here and it is great to see some life come back to the Newington Public School Landscaping after all of the time, money, and effort invested by many last year. I am pleased to report that other than some winter burn (see below) for which a full recovery is expected, things look great.

PHOTO: The Chanticleer Flowering Pear, Pyrus calleryana var. Chanticleer is in full bloom. Stop by and take a look.

Unfortunately, there is some weeding and other work that needs to be before mulch is delivered to the beds the week of May 16, 2011. Dandelions, grasses and other weeds have started to work their way up through the beds. They need to be removed with small hand tools before the mulch is delivered which will help maintain the beds and the appearance of the school.

PHOTO: The Dwarf Inkberries, Ilex glabra var. Compacta, were adversely impacted by the unusually cold winter and deep snow. Weeds coming through the mulch needs to be removed!

Ms. Guare has already brought the kindergarden class out and weeded around the sugar maple tree and did a fantastic job avoiding the Lilly of the Valley, but in order to get this done before LJH Landscaping arrives, I'd like to organize afternoon a group to go out on Saturday May 14 to help get things ready.

I would like have the Conservation Commission hold a "Weeding Day" on Saturday May 14, 2011, and offer food and drink, to feed any volunteers willing to help out. I think if we had 4-8 volunteers, it could be done in an afternoon. All are welcome, and the more people that come, the more time we can spend by the grill, rather than in the dirt. This will be a BYGT (bring your own garden tools) event.

PHOTO: Horsechesnut, Aesculus carnea var. Briotii, leafing out by the driveway to the school.


Please email me if you are interested in helping out so I can plan who will be there etc. Or even better yet, RSVP on Facebook.

Hope to see you there!


Justin Richardson

Fox Point & Onions

The Newington Selectmen held a meeting at Fox Point on Sunday to discuss the location of the proposed pavillion. The site of the former Mott House was selected. Right next to where the building once stood were onions growing. The house was last occupied in 1980 so I picked one of the onions on the off-chance it might be an heirloom or unusual variety since the land has likely been a farm for the last several centuries.

If anyone happens to know more about these onions please let me know.

Knight's Brook in Winter

These pictures are taken of Knight's Brook which winds its way slowly from ground-water discharges from the boiling springs aquifer through the Frink Farm on its way toward Little Bay.

I am putting these photos here because the DOT is looking to purchase conservation easements and/or land around Knight's Brook as mitigation for wetlands impacts (12 acres) from the expansion of the Spaulding Turnpike. The Commission voted this month to propose to jointly acquire a conservation easement with the DOT in exchange for using its conservation fund to help acquire the land or easements.

The photo above was looking from a field toward the woods on the Hislop property. This one is taken on the Brook itself which has a good flow even though it is the dead of winter.

It is a small watershed but the area around the Library, meeting house and the Old Town Hall is a large sand and gravel aquifer which releases water slowly throughout the year. The consistent flow makes the brook valuable from a water quality and habitat perspective.

Not that I would suggest drinking it.... there are beavers, muskrats and other animals that use the water and the aquifer itself is contaminated due to the former military base. The Town dump is also opposite its headwaters. It's unknown what impact that may have on Knight's Brook.

The land also has recreational opportunities and there are numerous trails that can be used, at least when it is not impounded by beavers which is frequently a problem.

There is a network of trails maintained by individual property owners. One of the more difficult questions will be how much and what types of public access are appropriate.