City meetings are held in person in Council Chambers at 37 Green Street (unless otherwise specified on the City's calendar). Upcoming meetings include:
A section of the cross-country ski trail will be closed through Tuesday, February 7 (it will be accessible on the weekend) for scheduled tree work. The area is noted on the trail map (black x's). For those familiar with the course, it is the perimeter section along 15 connecting to 2. Please obey all posted signs.
CONCORD FIRE DEPARTMENT NEWS
Winter Heating Safety Tips
With extremely cold weather forecasted for this weekend, we want to remind the community to use heating sources properly and carefully to avoid a fire.
According to the National Fire Protection Agency, local fire departments responded to an estimated average of 44,210 fires involving heating equipment per year in 2016-2020, accounting for 13% of all reported home fires during this time. These fires resulted in annual losses of 480 civilian deaths, 1,370 civilian injuries, and more than $1 billion in direct property damage.
Anyone requiring assistance in a non-emergency should call 211. Always call 911 in the event of an emergency or a fire.
CONCORD GENERAL SERVICES NEWS
Transfer Station Closed on Saturday
The Concord Transfer Station will be closed on Saturday, February 4, 2023, due to extremely cold weather conditions. The facility will reopen at 8 a.m. on Monday. We appreciate the community's understanding.
Winter Operations
Concord General Services crews have been busy with snow removal throughout the city. This week, crews continued to clear sidewalks and worked to haul snow out of narrow streets and areas with high snow banks to improve line of sight for drivers. Emergency No-Parking signs are installed on streets anticipated for snow removal by noon the day before. Please follow these no parking signs throughout the season to allow crews to effectively clear snow. Crews will continue to work through areas as time allows.
Sign up for alerts for road closures, winter parking bans, and trash delays at www.concordnh.gov/notifyme. Winter parking bans and trash delay alerts are also available on the MyConcordNH mobile app and shared to subscribers of the General Gazette newsletter. Alerts are also displayed on the City website and social media. Follow General Services on Twitter @ConcordNHGS for road closures.
Watch our winter operations video for details on how road crews perform snow removal for Concord. Crews work as quickly and efficiently as possible to plow the 220 center line miles (440 lane miles) of streets and 90 miles of sidewalks throughout the city on a priority level basis.
Thank you to all of our snowplow operators and winter laborers for working hard to provide safe conditions of streets, sidewalks, and public spaces. We appreciate all of the support from the community and thank everyone for their patience as crews continue snow removal throughout the city.
Come ice skate at the Douglas N. Everett Arena! Skating hours are Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sundays, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Admission is $6 and free for ages 3 and under. Skate rentals are available for $6 at the arena's pro shop, and skate sharpening is available for $7 per session. A $60 punch ticket can be purchased for 10 sharpening sessions (that’s a $10 savings, with no expiration). Ice skating will continue through March 16, 2023.
Adult stick practice will be offered through March 15 for ages 14 and up. Hours are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 to 11:15 a.m. Admission is $10 and free for goalies. Helmet and gloves are required, and full equipment is recommended.
The White Park Pond and Beaver Meadow Golf Course Pond opened for skating earlier this week. Please use the two small rinks next to the parking lot at White Park for pick up hockey. Ponds will remain open as long as the ice thickness is safe; please obey all signage.
Great Kilt Skate - Feb. 5
Sharpen your skates and join NHSCOT for our Second Annual Great Kilt Skate on Sunday, February 5 from 2-4 p.m. Free and open to all ages. We had a blast last year and can’t wait to get back on the ice! For more information, visit https://nhscot.org/events/second-annual-great-kilt-skate/.
Adult Pickup Basketball
Adult Drop In Futsal
CONCORD POLICE DEPARTMENT NEWS
Scam Alert from the AG's Office
Attorney General John M. Formella issues a scam alert for New Hampshire residents, especially its older adult population, concerning a recent increase in scammers perpetrating the “Grandparent Scam.”
In a “Grandparent Scam,” a scammer calls or e-mails a victim posing as one of the victim’s relatives, typically a grandchild. The scammer posing as the relative then claims to be in trouble, often saying he or she has been arrested by law enforcement in another state or country. The scammer may also pose as a member of law enforcement and claim to have arrested or detained the victim’s relative. The scammer will instruct the victim to not tell anyone, sometimes threatening that the victim is under a “gag order” to not speak about the incident. A gag order is a court order prohibiting public disclosure or discussion of information related to a case.
In recent weeks, several New Hampshire residents have reported to both local law enforcement agencies and the New Hampshire Consumer Protection Bureau, through its consumer hotline, that they have received these calls from scammers. At least one of these incidents resulted in substantial monetary loss to the victim, who was told that a family member was in legal trouble. Another would-be victim was addressed by the scammers by a unique name only the family knows, lending credibility to the scammer’s call. Residents have reported the scammers have arranged to pick up cash directly from the residents’ homes.
The Attorney General reminds New Hampshire residents that legitimate law enforcement officials will never:
• Issue a "gag order" regarding the release of a relative over the telephone or by e-mail;
• Demand immediate payment over the telephone or by e-mail by wire transfer or in-person payment of cash or other valuables in exchange for the release of a relative; or
• Ask for your personal identifying information in exchange for the release of a relative.
The Attorney General urges New Hampshire residents to be vigilant. Anyone receiving one of these calls should take the following steps:
• Do not engage with the caller;
• Hang up immediately;
• Do not provide money or personal information, including home address;
• Contact the family member in question directly, at a known VALID number;
• Call someone you trust for an opinion about the call you just received;
• Contact your local police department immediately, especially if you have lost money or other valuables, or made arrangements for the pick-up of money or valuables from your own home; and
• Report the scam to the Office of the Attorney General – Consumer Protection Hotline:
1-888-468-4454
E-mail: Doj-CPB@doj.nh.gov
www.doj.nh.gov/consumer/complaints
Anyone with knowledge that a vulnerable adult has been scammed or financially exploited should also contact the New Hampshire Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services, at 1-800-949-0470.
CONCORD PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWS
Storytime Stations at the Heights Branch
If you're looking for an indoor activity this weekend during the cold weather, come join us at the Heights Branch during Storytime Stations from 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Upcoming Program: Racial Struggles
in the Northeast - Feb. 6
Beat the Librarians Trivia Night - Feb. 9
CONCORD COMMUNITY NEWS
Chamber Webinar: NH Paid Family
Medical Leave Plan - Feb. 9
Register for this complimentary webinar on Thursday, February 9 from 9-10 a.m. to hear about the NH Paid Family and Medical Leave plan (NH PFML), a new voluntary employee benefit available to NH employers and employees. Information will be presented by Catherine Keane, Deputy Commissioner of the NH Department of Administrative Services (DAS) and Richard Lavers, Deputy Commissioner of the NH Employment Security (NHES). Register here.
SkitheBeav 5K Citizens Youth Race/Ski - Feb. 12
This event supports Nordic skiing at Beaver Meadow Golf Course on February 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Race or enjoy our 5k course at your own pace. Skate or classic. Cost: $30 donation ($5 and age appropriate distances for kids through 8th grade). More info at www.SkitheBeav.org.
