Manchester
Parks & Recreation
Spring I 2023
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With winter in the rearview mirror, Manchester's parks are exploding with activity.
The past month alone has seen: the Easter Bunny handing out baskets at Livingston Park; a carnival in the JFK Coliseum parking lot; youth baseball, soccer and lacrosse teams taking the field; and live music playing in Veterans Park.
Not to be lost in all the activity is the incredible outpouring of volunteer energy this spring. In just the past month, hundreds of volunteers have removed trash and invasive plants from 18 parks across Manchester. Many groups have signed up for year-round commitments through our reactivated Adopt-a-Site program.
Dates for outdoor movies and concerts have been set (see stories below). Independence Day fireworks return July 3. Take some time to enjoy these and other events in our parks.
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Mark Gomez
Chief of Parks, Recreation & Cemetery
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Do you enjoy spending summer outside? Come work for Parks & Rec this year! We have multiple seasonal positions available:
- Recreation Specialist I (Camp Counselor)
- Lifeguard I
- Recreation Aide (Pool Checker)
- Recreation Maintenance Worker (Golf Course)
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Fun in the Sun is a FREE 6-week summer camp for Manchester residents 6 to 12 years old. Activities include playground games, nature walks, arts and crafts, swim lessons, free swim, and more.
There are three camp locations: Livingston Park, Piscataquog River Park, and the JFK Coliseum. Spots still remain for the JFK Coliseum camp, which takes advantage of the nearby Sheridan-Emmett and Sheehan-Basquil parks. Register online.
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Tennis in the Parks spring session has come to an end, but the summer session is open for registration!
Tennis in the Parks is for new and beginner-level tennis players. Led by a SafeSport-approved coach, the focus is on fun and learning the basics of the game.
First-time participants receive a tennis racquet and ball. All sessions take place at the Memorial High School Tennis Courts.
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Youth Program
Thursday Nights
$65
7/6, 7/13, 7/20, 7/27, 8/3, 8/10
Grades 1–2 4 PM to 5 PM
Grades 3–5 5 PM to 6 PM
Grades 6–8 6 PM to 7 PM
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Adult Program
Tuesday Nights
$75
7/11, 7/18, 7/25, 8/1, 8/8, 8/15
18 yrs+ 6 PM to 7:30 PM
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Summer Photography Program | |
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Do you have any budding photographers you want to encourage this summer?
Join Hunts Photo Education at Livingston Park for a week-long program to strengthen their interest, improve their skills, and get them genuinely excited about being artists, creators, and (just maybe) the family photographer!
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Golf Season in Full Swing
Derryfield Country Club golf pro Cory Mansfield hit the ceremonial first shot on April 7th to kick off the 2023 golf season.
Come out and play Manchester's 18-hole municipal golf course, nestled on 116 acres in the heart of the city.
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The Easter Bunny Delivers | |
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The Easter Bunny was in the house April 1 for the 3rd Annual Easter Basket Giveaway, hosted by Parks & Rec at Livingston Park.
We would like to extend a big thank you to the Kiwanis Club of Manchester for soliciting donations and assembling 300 Easter baskets for the kids.
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Join Parks & Rec at Hallsville School Gym for pickleball madness.
- Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays 9 AM to 11 AM
- Wednesday evenings 5:30 PM to 8 :30 PM
Adults only. Open to players of all abilities. Maximum of 12 participants per session. $3 per person.
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Movies in the Park returns this summer at a new location... Victory Park!
All movies start at dusk. Snag an amphitheater seat, or bring lawn chairs and blankets.
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June 14th - Back to the Future
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June 28th - Top Gun Maverick
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July 13th - The Goonies
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July 26th - Coco
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August 9th - E.T.
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Outdoor concerts return to Veterans Park this summer. This year's tentative bands and dates are the following:
- June 30 – Last Kid Picked
- July 21 – Marc Berger and RIDE
- August 11 – Roots of Creation
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During February school break, Parks & Rec hosted the Minds in Motion RE/CO Robot camp at Hallsville School.
Children engaged in hands-on activities that introduced them to fundamental engineering concepts. They eagerly constructed their very own robots, which they later brought home for use around the house.
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The annual Manchester Spring Carnival took place in the JFK Coliseum parking lot during April school vacation week. Patrons enjoyed the Super Slide, Expo Wheel, and the Seven Seas, among other carnival rides and attractions. | |
Green Thumbs in the Greenhouse
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For the third straight year, Pine Grove Cemetery is hosting students and staff from Manchester High School West at its greenhouse.
Each year, the cemetery houses hundreds of geraniums that are placed on graves for Memorial Day. Students learn to care for the plants and use their knowledge to ensure flowers remain healthy and in bloom throughout the spring.
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Over the past few months, the newly formed Friends of Piscataquog River Park has spent countless hours removing invasive species and and trash from this 135-acre open-space gem.
Turnouts have been tremendous, with the latest cleanup on April 29th drawing 51 volunteers!
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Webster School Playground | |
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Webster Elementary School is getting a new playground this year, replete with slides, various climbing features, and elements for children with special needs.
Among the inclusive features built into the playground will be a Roller Table that provides kids with sensory stimulation through the application of deep-muscle pressure. Many thanks to the PTO for its generous donation to help defray the cost of this and other inclusive elements!
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Just in time for the spring tennis season, Parks & Rec arranged for the cracks to be filled and surface repainted on three courts at West High School.
The better news is that all six tennis courts will be fully rebuilt this summer! This renovation project is funded through a partnership between the Manchester School District and the City of Manchester.
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Trails to Transit City Park Day | |
Saturday, July 1, is Manchester City Parks Day for the Transit to Trails program. In its second year, the program provides accessible transportation to ensure that everyone – regardless of zip code – can enjoy the outdoors.
Take a free ride to one of four featured parks -- Sheehan-Basquil, Rock Rimmon, Piscataquog River, or Raco-Theodore -- or visit them all! Catch the bus at Veterans Park (9:00 am, 11:00 am, and 1:00 pm) and each participating park until 4:30 pm.
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Arbor Day at Jewett St School | On April 21, with an assist from Parks Operations Manager Kelly Koetsier, Ms. Cassidy's second-grade class at Jewett St School planted a flowering cherry tree. The tree was planted in celebration of Arbor Day and will beautify the campus for decades to come. | |
Parks & Rec contractors addressed fencing needs at several schools in late winter and early spring. Work at Beech St, Parker-Varney, and Northwest elementary schools included installation of new gates and repair of existing playground fences. At Central High School, several areas were enclosed to improve security. | |
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On and around Earth Day 2023, Manchester's parks received an unprecedented amount of volunteer attention. We are grateful to all the volunteers who raked, pulled weeds, removed litter, refreshed playground surfaces, mulched, and more.
Corporate and non-profit groups leading the charge on some of the larger cleanups included: Allegro Microsystems at Pine Island Park; City Year at Enright, Harriman, and Sheehan-Basquil parks; Eversource at Stark Park (in coordination with the Friends of Stark Park); and Savings4Members at Livingston Park.
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Merrill Cemetery Restoration | |
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When Life Forest Co-Founder Mel Bennett heard that gravestones had been knocked down, broken, and desecrated with paint in the historic Merrill Cemetery, she immediately contacted the Parks, Recreation & Cemetery Division to offer her team's support.
On April 22, the Life Forest team joined cemetery staff in repairing the damage.
Thank you, Life Forest, for your amazing assistance -- and for sharing your mission to proved a positive surrounding as a foundation of healing and sustaining emotional connection to those who have passed.
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Operations & Maintenance | |
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Once the ground thaws, Parks & Rec crews begin preparing athletic fields for the season. Infields are groomed and low spots are smoothed. All base anchors are leveled off for safe play.
Crews return throughout the season to rake infields, chalk batter's boxes, and paint foul lines. In many cases, they collaborate with local youth leagues to keep fields in good playing condition throughout the season.
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Each year, the appearance of the tent and stage in Veterans Park is a sign that event season is upon us.
Parks & Rec staff work hand-in-hand with contractors to erect the enormous tent, then return in the following days to assemble the stage beneath.
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Every March, Parks & Rec staff remove all the glass from the perimeter of the JFK Coliseum ice arena in preparation for the Southern New Hampshire Skating Club show and a variety of summer events.
The larger pieces weigh as much as 400 lbs. The process takes six workers roughly three hours. The same crew spends another five hours reinstalling the glass in late summer.
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Play Ball!
Gill Stadium hosted its first baseball game of the spring season on Monday, April 10. The contest featured teams from Trinity and Manchester Central/West high schools.
In addition to preparing the field itself, opening the stadium involves installing windscreens in the outfield, repairing the backstop netting, securing the batting cages, and reconnecting all water piping after the winter.
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At the conclusion of each ice season, Parks & Rec staff painstakingly remove ice from both the West Side Arena and JFK Coliseum. Ice removal takes two employees roughly twelve hours. | |
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Parks & Rec personnel utilize a dizzying array of equipment to keep the Derryfield Country Club golf course in top shape throughout the season.
Verticutters are regularly deployed at tees, fairways, and greens. These units promote lateral growth by slicing the rhizomes and stolons of the grass, reducing thatch and creating denser turf.
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We are very pleased to welcome Matthew Scheide to the Parks, Recreation & Cemetery Division as our new Irrigation Technician. Matt has extensive irrigation and turf management experience-- primarily at golf courses, where precision is critical.
Matt comes to us from Pembroke Pines Country Club, where he worked as the assistant golf superintendent. Prior to that, he spent eight years at various golf courses throughout the Chicago area and Northern Arizona.
Outside of work, Matt enjoys fishing, hiking, and cooking.
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