Project Updates & Annual Reports
(Last Update: 1/9/19)
Upcoming Projects:
Completed Projects:
At the November 17th, 2015 Special Town Meeting, $5,000 in Community Preservation Funding was approved to create engineering drawings for a drainage system on Tetreault Field. In 2016 the Commission began working with an engineering firm to draw up plans for the system. At the June 21st, 2016 Special Town Meeting in Article 12, $25,000 in CPA funding was approved for the project. After soliciting bids the cost of the system was higher than anticipated so an additional $15,000 was requested and approved in Article 17 at the annual town meeting on May 5th, 2017.
Work on the project started in November of 2017 and was completed in December by Eric Peterson Landscaping. The project installed over 1,500 ft of drain lines in the Tetreault Field outfield and around home plate. This project will improve the drainage on the field and increase playability. In the Spring of 2018 the commission will look at top-dressing and seeding the Veteran’s Park field.
Eagle Scout Projects:
Eagle Scout Chad Lamont from Whitinsville completed an external staircase for the Pezzella Field Concession Stand in the summer of 2017. This project removed the steep interior staircase from the stand and created a second entrance to the second floor from the outside. The interior stair case was a safety issue and took up valuable space in the shack. The exterior staircase will also allow for separate use of the floors of the building.
Eagle Scout candidate John Giacomuzzi from Milford began work on a new storage shed at Veteran’s Park. This shed is a 12x16 shed behind the Grant Field first base dugout. It will replace the small shed at Grant and provide additional space for the Nipmuc Youth Baseball’s programs. As of December 2017 the shed was 90% complete and just needs final painting. The shed will be ready for use in the spring of 2018.
The Commission would like to thank the two scouts and all those who assisted and/or donated towards these projects. These projects are the latest in a long history of Eagle Scout projects at Memorial Park.
Memorial Park Water System Infrastructure
In the early spring of 2017 a massive overhaul of the Memorial Park Water system was completed. Previously there were repeated issues with water contamination. After consultation with the Town’s Certified Water Operator and several contractors it was determined there was a flaw in the design of the system allowing water to sit, stagnant in the pipes. The system was reconfigured by moving the central pressure tank and hub from the Memorial Park Bathrooms to the Pezzella Field Shed. A new waterline from the well to the Pezzella Shed was installed along with new wiring for the well. This will allow water to flow from the well to the pressure tank and then out to the Beach and Bathrooms. The system repairs were completed in time for opening day and have solved the water quality issues. The total cost of this project was $5,735.03 and was funded entirely from profits of parks programming at no cost to the Town.
New Mowers
At the Annual Town Meeting in May, Article 26 authorized $25,000 for the purchase of new mowers for the department. The current mower, a John Deere F925 was purchased in 1997 and had reached the end of its useful life. Two new pieces of equipment were purchased, a John Deere Z970R 72” Zero Turn Mower with bagging attachment, and a 636M 36” Stand-On Mower with bagging attachment. These new mowers are significantly more efficient than the older equipment and will allow a much higher level of service. Previously the Department did not have a functional system for removing grass clippings from athletic fields. Additionally, with the construction of a new library and proposed new police station, the workload of the maintenance crew has increased. These new mowers will allow the Department to continue to maintain these new properties along with the existing fields, cemeteries, and buildings.
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Fall 2015
Home Run Fence on Tetreault Field and
Thanks to a $4,300 donation from Imperial Cars the Mendon Upton Senior Baseball group completed the instalation of a home run fence on Tetreault Field.
Renovations to Lowell Softball Field
The Nipmuc Youth Softball (NYS) program constructed a new T-Ball field adjacent to the existing Lowell Softball Field. This $7,000 project was funded through the NYS program and over $4,000 worth of donations from league parents. The new field will provide increased opportunities to the many children participating in the softball programs as well as expand the capacity of our facilities. In addition NYS took on a massive overhaul of the Lowell Softball Field. This project included excavating and leveling the infield area, replacing the infield material with a high quality clay material for better drainage, replacing all bases and mounds, repairs to the outfield, and correcting a safety issue with the backstop. This $16,000 project was also funded entirely by the NYS program.
In Oct. of 2013 the Parks Dept completed the installation of surveillance cameras at the Memorial/Veteran's Park complex. These cameras will help ensure the safety of all patrons and aid in the prosecution of vandalism.
No mention of the Parks Department was found in reports prior to 1964.