2011 - Sandown, New Hampshire

FALL FESTIVALLast year’s Fall Festival was truly a community affair and was the best yet! The themewas the “Sandown Mountain Bike Challenge and Festival.” It included a 2-hour bikerelay race sponsored by Apex Races that drew over 25 participants. The festival also drewa larger crowd than in years past with the help of local vendors and clubs that participatedin the event. New to this year’s festival were the Mother’s Club, the Garden Club, theFriends of Library, and the Eastern Fat Tire Association (EFTA). There was also a widervariety of family activities, such as the nature walks guided by UNH Extension EducatorForester Fred Borman, scavenger hunts organized by Ultimate Treasure Hunt, build-abirdhouse with Larry Cormier, a pumpkin toss contest, a scarecrow contest and facepainting. During the festival, people enjoyed BBQ cooked by J&B Butchers, hot coffeeand cider from Natalie’s Coffee, and pizza and soups from Sandown’s own Bruchetti’sPizzeria, all while listening to live bluegrass performed by the Taylor River Band.The Conservation Commission would like to extend a special thank you to the HighwayDepartment for repairing the entrance to the Fremont Road Meadow on short notice, theSandown Police Explorers for helping with the logistics of parking cars and keepingtraffic under control, the Police Department, Jonathan Goldman from the FireDepartment, and Michelle Short for judging the scarecrow contest, and everybody elsewho helped make this a successful and hugely enjoyable event!ANNUAL FISHING DERBYThe annual fishing derby was a busy event as usual. There were over 70 participants thatcaught 160 fish. Heidi Chaput did an excellent job planning and running the derby. Aspecial thank you goes to Sal Genualdo for continuously allowing the SCC to utilize hispond for the annual fishing derby.COMMUNITY GARDENThe community garden, located off Main Street operated at full capacity last year,keeping Scott Burt (Community Garden Chair) busy. Thanks also to Brian Butler whomowed the garden plots several times with his tractor.EARTH DAY CLEAN UPThe Conservation Commission organized the annual Earth Day clean up in April. TheEarth Day clean up event was successful volunteers picked up over 100 bags of trash.The town earned fifty lilac trees donated by the “Beautiful Litter Free NH” program.RED BARN PROPERTYSCC members Ed St. Pierre and Brian Butler marked the red barn property boundarieswith boulders. Additionally, Brian mowed the meadow adjacent to the red barnthroughout the season making it accessible for people to enjoy the pond nearby.WELLS VILLAGE ROAD TOWN FORESTOn March 8, 2011 the town voted to make the recently acquired Porter Property offWells Village Road a town forest. It is now known as the Wells Village Road TownForest.117 112