Artist's landscape paintings haven't left the building
If you miss the James Aponovich paintings in City Hall, just look up.
Aponovich is an internationally known New Hampshire artist whose work includes landscapes and cityscapes painted in an ultra-realistic style.
For years, City Hall displayed two Aponovich paintings in the main-floor foyer. One showed the Millyard area, another a Nashua River scene.
Recently, a few residents have noticed the paintings no longer are there and wondered what became of them.
About a year ago, city officials moved the paintings high on a wall in the back of the third-floor auditorium. The reason: The display cases that protected the paintings on the first floor had become cracked and damaged.
To preserve the paintings, and yet have them placed where they could be prominently displayed to the public, they were moved to the auditorium, the site of planning and zoning board of appeals meetings and other public functions.
Aldermen on Tuesday will consider two bonds: One for $7.5 million to replace the city’s pre-DOS computer software system and for $4.5 million to renovate five city-owned buildings.
The board of aldermen meets at 7:30 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chamber of City Hall.
Both bond proposals require support of 10 members of the 15-member board to be approved. On July 7, both won the recommendation of the aldermen’s budget review committee.
The two projects have been in the planning stages for years. The Enterprise Resource Planning, or ERP, computer system would bring the various functions of the city under one
com computer system. The current system is outdated and prone to crashing and other problems, city officials said.
The building bond would cover work at City Hall, the two downtown parking garages, the public health building on Mulberry Street, the Hunt Library and the theater at 14 Court St.
City officials have already earmarked $1.4 million in cash, partly for energy-related work at City Hall, including replacing the heating and air-conditioning system, windows, lighting and doors.
As part of its federal lead abatement grant, the city is offering free training provided by the Institute for Environmental Education.
Training will be held July 27-July 30 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the City Hall auditorium. Participants have to meet federally mandated income limits.
The course prepares participants to be a lead abatement worker or a lead abatement contractor/supervisor. On completion, the participant may then get licensed through the state.To register, call 1-800-823-6239.
Three years after her death, friends and family are still keeping the memory of Nicole Scontsas alive.
Scontsas and friend Stephanie McGowan, both 16, were killed in an automobile accident in June 2006. They were students at Nashua High School North.
Later that summer, a concert was held in Greeley Park to raise money for a scholarship in the girls’ honor.
There are plans for another concert to be held this summer, said Scott MacDougald, who coached Scontsas on the high-school tennis team. The Nicole Scontsas Memorial Concert will be held Aug. 22 at Greeley Park. The rain date is Aug. 23.
MacDougald said the concert is dedicated only to Scontsas because he could not get permission from the McGowan family to make it in honor of both girls.
MacDougald said he is still looking for bands to play at the concert, as well as anyone who wants to donate prizes or help out the day of the concert. Anyone interested should e-mail MacDougald at packersox@ yahoo.com.
You’ve probably driven over the Nashua River a zillion times, but have you ever strolled along it?
If not, you may want to join a free “River’s Edge” walking tour today from 3-5 p.m.
Kathy Hersh, Nashua Community Development Director, will discuss the past, present, and future connections between the city and the Nashua River. She will also talk about the Nashua River Watershed Association’s work to protect the river.
The tour is presented by the nonprofit NRWA as part of its yearlong 40th anniversary celebration.
Walkers should meet in the Water Street parking lot, on the south side of the Nashua River, just west of Main Street, in Nashua. The walk will take place rain or shine, but officials ask that people not bring dogs.
For more information, contact the NRWA at 978-448-0299.
