Dining Out on Main Street

Here in Nashua, NH, the holiday weekend brought a new look to the city's downtown as a lot many Jersey barriers were placed along both sides of Main Street. That's because as of last Monday, March 18, local restaurants were allowed to expand their take-out offerings and include outside dining (with restrictions). Inside dining is still not allowed.

This, of course, inspired the punster in Grenville to come up with several creative tag lines, for example, There's No Barrier in Coming Downtown or his personal favorite, Eat The Street in Nashua. 

This latest development came about as City of Nashua officials recognized that local eateries, which offered inside and outside spring and summer dining on city sidewalks, needed more space as inside dining would not be allowed because of the corona virus health restrictions.

To achieve that goal, city officials made the decision to convert Main Street into a two-lane roadway with a single line of traffic in either direction. So the Jersey barriers came to Nashua, NH this past Friday morning.

What’s a Jersey Barrier? (for those wondering)

A Jersey barrier, also called a Jersey wall, is a modular concrete or plastic barrier often used to separate lanes of traffic. Jersey barriers can reroute traffic and protect pedestrians and workers during highway construction. 

More recently, they’ve been used as temporary and semi-permanent protection against land-borne attacks like suicide vehicle bombs. The California Department of Transportation refers to a Jersey barrier as a K-rail, a specification for temporary concrete traffic barriers, or as a Jersey bump. There's always a Jersey connection even in CA.

Why it's called a Jersey barrier . . .

Because, just like Grenville and myself, Jersey barriers are native to to the state of New Jersey. 

The Jersey barrier was developed either in 1946 or in the 1950s (more on when and who later) under the direction of the New Jersey State Highway Department as a way to divide multiple highway lanes. In 1959, it was introduced in its current form when its usefulness as temporary barriers became more widespread. The barriers are now used in road construction as a generic, portable barrier during construction projects, temporary traffic rerouting for carpools, and for reversing busy highway lanes during rush hour traffic.

Earlier barriers erected in 1949 were put in to stop head-on collisions when cars crossed highway medians that were as narrow as nine feet across. Many of the original barriers built in NJ in the 1950s and early 1960s weren’t modular, like now, but poured in place, like curbing. Some early NJ installations were shorter, about 2 feet high. Dividers on county and local roads that replaced a raised concrete rumble strip intended to discourage, but not prevent, traffic from crossing to another lane, were even shorter. In time, these were replaced by higher barriers. Taller barriers had the added advantage of blocking most oncoming headlights. 

How large is a Jersey barrier?

It’s not small. The usual concrete barricade size is 10 feet long x 24 inches wide x 32 inches high and made of steel-reinforced poured concrete or plastic. Many are built with an embedded steel reinforcement on each end, and can be included in permanent emplacements when linked together by concrete. The weight of each is about 4,000 pounds when the construction is steel-reinforced concrete; plastic barriers are lighter.

Who invented them is less concrete (pardon the pun) . . .

The New Jersey Department of Transportation gives that credit to William Van Breeman, a state research engineer. An official account of the barrier’s history stated that Van Breeman conceived the original parabolic shape in 1949. Van Breeman was widely recognized for his contributions in improving basic pavement systems. 

A schematic drawing of an early Jersey barrier offered 

no clues to the design’s inventor

Van Breeman was widely recognized for his contributions in improving basic pavement systems. According to the NJ records, he conceived the barrier's design without modern engineering formulas, extensive testing and certainly without a computer or CAD (computer-aided design) program. 

Van Breeman has competition for the barrier concept too. There's another contender — Charles M. Noble, an engineer, who headed New Jersey's State Highway Department from 1946 to 1949, when the earliest version of the Jersey barrier was thought to have been developed. (I wasn't able to locate much online information about this claim compared to Van Breeman.)

Yet a third claim for the barrier's invention comes from the prestigious Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken NJ. The university claims that the earliest barrier versions were designed and developed at there in 1946, three years before Van Breeman’s design. 

Even if that claim is disputed, the NJ university, named for inventor Edwin A. Stevens, has other claims to fame. Stevens was the first major U.S. educational institution to require that students purchase personal computers for classroom use. It also lays claims to designing steamboats, locomotives, and railroad tracks. Stevens alumni invented IMAP (the modern form of email) and bubble wrap. Another Stevens graduate, sculptor Alexander Caldor is credited with inventing the kinetic mobile. Stevens has plenty of other bragging rights.

Whether Van Breeman or Noble fathered the Jersey barrier or if it was designed at Stevens Institute remains unclear even now. When NJ closed its state transportation library in the 1980s, many records were discarded. And, Van Breeman can’t be asked as he died in 1977 at the age of 75.

Who dubbed it a Jersey Barrier?

That’s not exactly clear as NJ state transportation records from the 1950s and 1960s refer to them as concrete median barriers, or center barriers. It’s thought that whoever termed it as a Jersey barrier wasn’t a NJ native but someone who named it after the state where it originated.

As stated earlier, there's always a NJ connection and now it's here in downtown Nashua.

Once restaurants started setting out tables and chairs from Water to Hollis streets, we and others could start enjoying many of our favorite Main St. Courses. And, as before,  that pun was another one of Grenville's creations.

It didn't take most of the downtown restaurants long to start expanding their serving areas after the barriers were in place. These two eateries, Casa Mezcal and Oddfellows Pub Brewery, are almost next door neighbors on Main Street.

Servers must wear masks at all times and customers must don them when entering the restaurant to use restroom facilities. Social distancing between seatings is to be enforced. 

Martha's Exchange is one of our favorite places to enjoy a burger, something we do not prepare at home. We dined there on the sidewalk last Monday, before the expansion.

Fratello's is a very popular Italian restaurant which has the advantage of a corner location. We have spent a number of Happy Hours inside with mill apartment neighbors.

Stella Bleu has a dual advantage of being on a one-way side street and also away from most of the Main Street traffic. We've never eaten at this restaurant which is on our dining out radar in the next few weeks. There's so many choices; we'll space out the dining out times.

The plan is to keep barriers in place at least through summer months and possibly into the early fall. There's no word on when restaurants will be allowed to permit inside dining.

Nashua's Department of Public Works (DPW) is expecting that the revised traffic pattern will cause more traffic. DPW has already recommended that motorists try to find another way around to get downtown.

Grenville has already staked out a seat at one of places we plan to visit soon.

UPDATE: Thanks for all your comments/feedback on what the City of Nashua is doing to help local eateries. There are very few retail stores located on Main Street now compared to years ago when there were clothing and furniture stores, a hardware store and auto dealers. Today, aside from two jewelry stores, banks, wine store, and two retail pharmacies, most of the downtown business consists of restaurants and/or breweries.

Friday Funnies

We went to the car wash last week for the first time in many months. This sign caught our attention at the entrance, aptly named ATTENTION.

It lists a lot of we are not responsible for items, but the one that caught our immediate attention (the arrow is my addition). Both our vehicles are over 5 years at 13 and 16 years "old" and both have over 100,000 miles. But then we were already in line.

After going through with my car (2007 Jeep Liberty) one day, we returned a day later with Grenville's car (2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee). Yes, both made it through without any issues.

Speaking of signs, doctors have it tough enough these days, but are some moonlighting?

There's always a sign that can be viewed in a humorous way, and not how it was intended.

This weekend celebrates  Memorial Day, considered the unofficial start of summer here in the U.S. More importantly, this U.S. federal holiday honors and mourns military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. 

This year, it will be not be marked with community events, parades or remembrance visits to cemeteries and memorials. Silent salutes and prayers will be offered by many, including ourselves. Grenville's uncle Bill died in WWI.

               Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone
Take time to remember/honor those who served and died.

Good Eats at Home

The post title partly refers to the title of a popular cooking show that we always enjoyed on the Food Network. And, describes what's been happening at out home during self-isolation. We've been cooking at home a lot more vs. take-outs from local eateries.

Good Eats is/was (not sure if it has returned) was created and hosted by Alton Brown. He explained how to create a meal, and included wacky teaching methods to explain how ingredients interacted when put together.  (Update: Good Eats Reloaded is available on the Cooking Channel. I watched a couple of new episodes online. It’s still a fun show.)

NH has thankfully been less corona virus impacted than some neighboring states. We've been in self-isolation mode since mid-March (how time does go by) and cooking more with favorite recipes. Home cooking isn't something new for us as we enjoy meal prep and working in the kitchen, just not at the same time, due to space constraints in our galley kitchen. And, clean-up is the least favorite part of the process.

None of our dinner recipes have been complicated ones. We like to cook but the easier and quicker the better for us. That said, one-pan/pot meals are huge favorites. (Did I mention we both dislike cleanup?)


Shown above are a few tried and true favorites — sheet pan roasted chicken and vegetables, stuffed peppers, and pasta e fagiola (often called pasta fasul or fazool). The last one is a traditional Italian pasta and beans dish commonly made using cannelloni beans and pasta, traditionally ditalini. The soup base includes olive oil, garlic, onion, celery, carrots with tomatoes. It's best served with chunky fresh-baked bread. Yes, we've been making bread too, hasn't everyone?  

The stuffed pepper filling was leftover meatloaf with added rice and tomato. Leftover meatloaf is good, but a different meal was better.

Yes, pizza has been on the menu quite a few times in many different varieties and toppings: sausage, pepperoni, extra cheese. The Lodge cast iron pizza pan purchased on our cross country trip 2 years ago has been getting a real workout. We've used store bought pizza dough in the past, but recently have started preparing our own dough, after all we do have the time and, lately, the flour and yeast too.

No recipes have been included in this post for several reasons — there's so many available online, everyone has a favorite recipe/method and, more importantly, space because who wants to scroll through several long recipes in a blog post? (No, I didn't think so either.)

Before and during meal prep photos also have been excluded since it's really difficult (and quite messy) to snap a pic when working solo in the kitchen (as mentioned earlier we work alone).
Now, at the risk of making you hungry, above are a few more recent meals and none were difficult. Clockwise from the top: sausage with peppers, onions and potatoes was another easy oven-cooked, one pan meal. Chicken pot pie was easily done using store-bought rotisserie chicken, a frozen pie crust and either fresh or frozen peas and carrots with spices and a cream soup base. The homemade sauce as done by sautéing garlic and onion, adding spices, and two cans of crushed tomatoes. The resulting sauce was used for pasta and pizza. Leftover meatloaf/stuffed pepper filling was re-purposed in a dinner omelet. 

Good news here is that NH restaurants re-opened for outdoor dining only this week with socially distanced tables of from 2 to 6 people, depending on the restaurant and outdoor space. Servers are masked; customers are not unless entering the restaurant to use the facilities. We're looking forward to outside dining as warmer weather is finally here and looks like it's staying around.

Aside from dinner, I've also been doing some baking, recently termed stress-baking and thankfully some neighbors have been willing recipients of my banana bread and soda bread. I've also made fettuccine using a pasta maker my late mother gifted to me over 30 years ago and which I recently started using — it was long overdue, details in a future post. Thankfully, flour has become more available in several local supermarkets.

How about you — cooking and baking at home more often these days?

A Dated Anniversary

Quite a long time awhile ago — 23 years to be exact.
Who's counting?

We are, but if you suspected a wedding anniversary, you're wrong.
No, this wasn't that anniversary date, which comes around in August.

So, what did we celebrate over the weekend?

Our 1st date anniversary — which happened in NJ after several months of emails. 
This was in the days before texting.

Here's a few pics of us back then in (ahem) 1997 when we were just a bit much younger.

These pictures were taken before digital/cell phones, when we still used cameras and are not "selfies" in the sense we didn't take them ourselves.

Here's ones from this year, the ever-popular selfies, all from our cell phones.

Masks off for our celebration ice cream from a local creamery. Yes, it was very good.

Followed that evening with dinner at home as all restaurants here remain closed. Outdoor dining is available this week for a belated dining-out meal very soon.

It's these special little celebrations that we enjoy, and since we’re the only ones who remember them, they’re very special. Now, more than ever, it's the little things that bring us joy (like ice cream).

Do you celebrate special occasions — no matter what the occasion ? 

Friday Funnies

These sights were seen in downtown Nashua, NH this week along Main St.

A new business was shut down before opening and a former Nashua businessman was given protection. Both reflect new realities and those responsible sought some humor.

The artwork is a bronze sculpture of former Nashua resident, Lawrence C. Elliott. It's dressed in a suit coat, tie, and dress shirt, with a pair of eye glasses, and is placed on top of a square brick base. The sculptor was Patricia Verani, a NH native. The sculpture is listed on a Smithsonian website which listed the subject as "a businessman and philanthropist."

Despite an online search, I didn't find more information on Elliott and his Nashua ties, except that he was formerly president of the now-defunct Nashua Beef Co. That scarcity seemed unusual considering the wording on the plaque beneath the sculpture. The lone exception was a front-page obituary in an archive of the Nashua Telegraph newspaper, which was available only at a cost. (I didn't need to know more to buy it.)

Thanks to everyone who posted comments on an earlier post about virus testing and steps being taken to reopen NH businesses. I appreciated reading the information you shared about what's going on in your state or country. These are very unsettling times.

Despite relaxed restrictions in NH this week, we stayed close to home. Our only trips out were for groceries and for several walks. Barbershops re-opened with restrictions. Grenville had an appointment. He had to wait outside until called on his cell phone; his temperature was taken when he entered the shop. I have a haircut appointment next week and the same procedure is to be expected. We wonder if this is the new normal going forward.

Enjoy Your weekend, Everyone.

Weather forecast is sunny & warm, we'll be outdoors

Testing and State Reopening

Drive-Up Coronavirus Testing, Nashua, NH

Testing, testing — and the results are negative for both of us, thankfully.

This is where we went last Friday after reading a recent news report that there were more COVID-19 testing supplies available in NH than people asking for the test. We showed no symptoms and didn't suspect any infection. But, since testing was available, we participated as we fall in the "certain age" group.

State health officials hope that more widespread testing will give a better picture of the extent of the outbreak here.

The Nashua Division of Public Health and Community Services provided drive-in testing by calling a COVID-19 Hotline and by appointment only. After calling last Friday morning , we walked 10 minutes to the outdoor testing site at a nearby church parking lot. We were tested by late afternoon (think of a large Q-Tip being inserted up your nostril for the test), and received a call yesterday with the results. 

Only the humans in this car were tested

This week, state health officials announced promising trends statewide with an overall plateau and a lower percentage of hospitalizations. More than 34,000 people have been tested; the state has averaged 1,200 tests daily over the past week. There were 89 new positive cases of COVID-19, raising the state’s total to 3,160 with 1,231 recovered to date. There were no additional deaths; NH’s total is 133 deaths.

The percentage of those hospitalized has dropped; 318 people were hospitalized at some point, about 10% of the 3,160 positive tests. A broader range of people are being tested now, previously only those showing serious illness and corona virus symptoms were tested.

NH Governor Chris Sununu issued a stay-at-home order, March 26, for NH residents, in effect until May 4. The governor asked everyone to stay home unless absolutely necessary, especially those over age 65 or with chronic health conditions. However, people could still go outside for exercise, to work, and to buy essential supplies.

The stay-at-home order differs from a shelter-in-place order. Transportation services were not closed, the state border wasn't closed, people weren't prevented from leaving home, residents of other states weren't prohibited from entering.

This week, more closure restrictions were lifted as part of plan to reopen the economy while encouraging social distancing, a process called, Stay-at-Home 2.0.

State parks, campgrounds and manufacturing facilities have remained open, but with new guidelines. The state parks policy has reopening guidelines for inland state beaches, with limited occupancy and other restrictions. Seacoast beaches remain closed; NH is working with neighboring states on when/how to relax that restriction. It would be nice to take a drive to the ocean, but No Parking restrictions are in place along the seacoast routes.

NH businesses reopening this week included malls and outlets in Nashua, Salem, and Manchester. The Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua and the Mall at Rockingham Park, border MA, a state hard hit by COVID19. NH state officials are concerned about out-of-state visitors who come to shop here as NH has tax-free shopping. 

Retail store employees must wear face masks, follow sanitation guidelines, stores must enforce social distancing of six feet. Mall officials said employees temperatures will be taken at the start of their shift. Stores will operate with modified hours to allow for deep cleaning areas. Retail locations will only be able to operate at 50% of max. occupancy. Customers are encouraged to wear face coverings, order ahead or do curbside pick up. It's easier to stay home and shop online as no face covering or social distancing are required.

Next Monday, May 18, NH restaurants can reopen with outdoor food services, in addition to take-out and delivery. Servers must wear face coverings. Customers exempted as dining would not be possible when masked.

Only outdoor dining will be allowed; no indoor dining is permitted. Tables will be limited to no more than six people and set up six feet apart. Also, reservations will be required.

A walk downtown this week showed 3 local eateries (Martha's Exchange, MT's and Fratellos) are set up for outdoor dining in advance of nest week's lifted restrictions.

Barbershops and hair salons could reopen as of this Monday, and only see customers by appointment and must limit the number of chairs in use. Staff and customers must wear face coverings and only hair cuts and colorings are allowed. Grenville was lucky, able to make an appointment and get a haircut at his favorite barbershop. But, my hair salon has opted to remain closed until June 1 and I'll have longer (and by then grayer) hair. Thank goodness for Miss Clairol.

Golf courses will only be allowed to open for NH and/or current club members. Clubhouse use is prohibited; only personal equipment can be used. There's also restrictions on food and drinks. Luckily, neither of us participate in this sport; but our neighbor was glad for the lifted restriction.

As of Monday, May 4, hospitals could resume elective procedures previously on hold, such as time sensitive MRIs and CT scans, knee and hip replacements, biopsies and other invasive testing. Dentist offices were allowed to reopen and must follow the new restrictions. Our appointments were cancelled in April. We're waiting for reschedules.

Internet source: Northfield, NH Drive-In (2015) 

Did you ever go to to a drive-in movie theater? As a child, who attended the (long gone) Somerville, NJ Drive-In with my family, there was no better form of entertainment and in car dining on a warm summer evening.

Recently, I've read that people may be return to drive-in movies when they can reopen. Of course, there will be restrictions on food and beverages, and guidelines to prevent crowding, especially at restrooms. 

An online check showed that NH still has some drive-in theaters statewide:  Weirs Drive-In Theater, Weirs Beach; Milford Twin Drive-In, Milford; Northfield Drive-In, Hinsdale and Northern Lights Drive-In, Lancaster. Like indoor movies, it's now a costly outing as prices listed were from $30/car of 6 to $8/adult, but you can bring your own food and drink. We've never been to one here, but are thinking about doing it again as a way to get out in and social distance, maybe with a couple of neighbors too.

That's HOW virus-related things are looking in here in Nashua, NH and within the state.
How are they going where you live and are you coping OK?

Mother's Day 2020

Today, May 10, is celebrated as Mother's Day holiday in the U.S. It's been a number years since I visited the history of this holiday; this is a rehash and update and I wanted to share with everyone. (I'm nice that way.)

Sadly, both our mothers are deceased; Grenville's for over 45 years and mine for more than 5 years. If you're fortunate to have your mother, celebrate her everyday. 

(Of course, in some cases, sadly there have been mothers who may not be as fondly remembered.)

Mother's Day This 'n That

Mother’s Day has become one of the biggest holidays for consumer spending. More people buy flowers and plants than for any other holiday, except Christmas and Hanukkah.

Anna Jarvis, the woman credited founding Mother’s Day was never married and was also childless. She established the holiday to honor her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis.

The correct placement of the apostrophe is Mother’s Day. Jarvis, was very specific — “mother’s day” is a singular possessive referring to a single mother (yours), not a plural possessive commemorating all mothers.

The U.S. Congress rejected a 1908 Mother’s Day proposal from Jarvis for a national holiday. Jarvis garnered public support and, by 1912, every state observed Mother’s Day.

President Woodrow Wilson has been called the father of Mother’s Day.

Jarvis urged people to stop buying gifts and flowers for Mother’s Day, upset that it had become over-commercialized within 6 years of the 1914 holiday proclamation. 

Mother’s Day marks the highest U.S. phone traffic of the year. More phone calls are made this day than any other day of the year; phone traffic often spikes nearly 40 percent.

Hallmark Card sales show that most people do not make homemade greetings as its founder had proposed.

Jarvis died in 1948 and is buried next to her mother in a Bala-Cynwyd, PA cemetery.

Way Back Where It Began

The origin of Mother’s Day pre-dates the Civil War (1861-1865). In 1868, Ann Reeves Jarvis (called Mother Jarvis) started mothers’ day clubs in West Virginia teaching women how to care for their children. Jarvis had 13 children, only 4 survived to adulthood. Epidemics were common; up to 30% of infants died before their first birthday.

These clubs became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. Throughout the war, Mother Jarvis, a peace activist, had organized many women’s brigades, asking women to do all they could without regard for which side their men had chosen.

Anna Jarvis, Mother's Day Founder

After her mother’s 1905 death, Anna Jarvis considered that a Mother’s Day holiday could honor sacrifices mothers made for their children. Jarvis wanted to set aside a day to honor not only her mother, but all mothers.

The first Mother's Day was celebrated May 1908 in Grafton, West Virginia at the Methodist church where Anna Jarvis taught Sunday School. While not there, Anna sent 500 white carnations, her mother’s favorite flower, to be to represent the purity of a mother’s love and be worn by sons and daughters to honor their mothers.

Jarvis had financial backing from retailer John Wanamaker. That day, thousands attended a similar event at Wanamaker’s department store auditorium in Philadelphia, PA.

Following the success of these events, Jarvis resolved to see the holiday added to the national calendar. She started a letter writing campaign to newspapers and prominent politicians urging the adoption of a special day honoring motherhood.

In 1908, the U.S. Congress rejected a proposal to make Mother's Day an official holiday joking they would also have to proclaim a “Mother-in-law's Day.” 

In 1912, she trademarked the phrase, Second Sunday in May, Mother's Day, Anna Jarvis, Founder, and created the Mother's Day International Association to promote her cause. She appealed for public support with letter writing, country-wide promos (this was way before TV, radio and internet). Financial assistance came from backers such as retail magnate John Wanamaker and entrepreneur H.J. Heinz. 

Jarvis devoted herself full-time to the promotion of Mother’s Day and argued that U.S. holidays were slanted to male achievements. She urged the adoption of a special day to honor motherhood and recalled her mother's words, in a 1978 Sunday school lesson on Biblical, There are many days for men, none for mothers.

It worked. By 1912, states, towns and churches observed it as a local holiday. The first in 1910 was West Virginia, her home state. President Wilson signed a proclamation in 1914

President Woodrow Wilson

making Mother's Day a national holiday honoring mothers on the second Sunday in May.

What Happened Later

Commercialization, as always, flourished after Mother’s Day became a national holiday as florists and others capitalized on its popularity. By the early 1920s, Hallmark Cards, the oldest and largest U.S. manufacturer of greeting cards was marketing Mother's Day cards. There was a huge profit margin in this new holiday. 

Jarvis, at first, worked with the floral industry. Her version of the day was to wear a white carnation as a badge and visit one’s mother or attend church services. She argued that appreciation of mothers should be through handwritten letters of love and gratitude, not store-bought gifts and cards.

In retaliation, she organized Mother’s Day boycotts and threaten to issue lawsuits against companies, spending most of her personal wealth in legal fees. She railed non-stop against Mother’s Day profiteers, speaking out against confectioners, florists and even charities.

In 1923, Jarvis protested at a candy makers' convention in Philadelphia and in 1925 at a meeting of American War Mothers. Carnations, her mother’s favorite flower, had become associated with Mother's Day. Selling carnations to raise money angered Jarvis, who was arrested for disturbing the peace.

She launched countless lawsuits against groups that were using the name “Mother’s Day.” By the time of her 1948 death, she had disowned the holiday, and lobbied the to see it removed from the U.S. holiday calendar.

Today, Mother’s Day is way more popular than Jarvis imagined. Just check out any greeting card rack to find cards to honor any mom-like figure in your life.

Our Mothers before they were moms — Clara Rose & Mary Elizabeth 💐

Friday Funnies

We've been going outdoors as often as possible, weather permitting, as being indoors all the time is confining. Hopefully, many of you are doing the same, if possible. 

Humans are not the only ones capable of practicing social distancing these days. 

On a walk in a city park earlier this week, we spotted this pair of Canada geese doing the same. The mallard duck was also keeping a safe distance.

Not to be outdone, we noticed this pair of kayakers were also distanced apart.

State parks in NH are open and there are 93 total which includes campgrounds, historic sites, natural areas and beaches. Reservations for camping, pavilions and historic sites are put on hold until further notice. NH Governor Chris Sununu said he has no plans to put new restrictions in place even though cars filled parking lots on a mild weekend recently. The governor said that while cars were not distanced, hikers, monitored by park staff, were doing so on the trails.

Park visitors are requested to follow all precautions, which include maintaining social distancing, washing hands often, limiting groups to less than 10, and staying close to home. Under the NH stay-at-home order, this type of outdoor activity is allowed. The governor has said he encourages people, who have been confined indoors, to get outdoors for exercise and fresh air, but with proper spacing. The caveat is that if behavior changes on hiking trails, then state parks could possibly be closed.

Mine Falls Park is the largest city park here in Nashua encompassing 325 acres. It's within walking distance of our mill apt residence. We go there often and did so earlier this week. 

During our visit, there were a number of other walkers, cyclists, kayakers out as well, all social distancing

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone

Go for a walk in a neighborhood or park

Nashua's Canadian Ties

In recent weeks, we've been doing a lot more walking around the City of Nashua, NH. As regular readers of this blog may know, we live in a building that once housed a major New England textile mill. (This blog has featured many photos from our 5th floor river view. This post presents a different view, one with a history.)

Clocktower Place apartments, the former Nashua Manufacturing Company, was part of the city’s original textile mill empire. The first major building, Mill No. 1 was built in 1825 and was in operation a year later. Several mill buildings followed in later years.

This view was taken in a pocket park located between a parking area and the banks of the Nashua River, a very short walk from the mill apartments. The parks official name is Le Parc de Notre Renaissance Francaise, but it's locally called Renaissance Park or simply the French Park. It's dedicated to French-Canadian immigrants who settles here in the 1800s and worked in the textile mills. 

The first wave of French-Canadian immigrants arrived in Nashua between 1870 and 1872. By 1936, 14,560 of Nashua’s 31,938 residents were French-Canadian immigrants who worked in Nashua’s textile mills. They expanded their new community by building schools, churches and establishing new businesses to meet the needs of the growing population. The immigrant workers quickly learned the trades needed to support the rising demands of the textile industry.

The park features a small flower garden that's part of the city's parks department, but is maintained by a couple of our neighbors who tend to it on a regular basis. Currently, it has a variety of tulips and daffodils in bloom.

But, the park's centerpiece is not the flower garden, it's a 6-foot bronze statue, La Dame de Notre Renaissance Francaise” (The Lady of Our French Renaissance). It is situated on a 3-foot base and depicts an 1870s millworker and her young son. 

The woman has an arm around the boy and is wearing a cross around her neck. She has a weaving shuttle in her left pocket. The boy is looking up at her and holding a book written in French.

This art was the first full figure erected in Nashua in a century and the first in New England to recognize and honor Franco-American culture by recognizing women and children who worked in the mills during the first half of the 20th century. It was privately funded by the Franco-American community. (Unfortunately, graffiti has marred the plaque detailing its history.)

At its May 2001 dedication, the sculptor's creator, Christopher R. Gowell said that

she was proud to have had the chance to sculpt the figure of a strong French-Canadian

Christopher R. Gowell

woman. 

Gowell, who has sculpted the human figure for 40 years, is the Director/Owner of Sanctuary Arts, a realist art school in Eliot, ME. She has a bronze casting facility and teaches figure sculpture and technical sculpture workshops. Her public commissions also include a bronze firefighter’s memorial in Manchester, NH.

The Nashua Manufacturing Company was a major cotton textile manufacturer in operation from 1823 to 1945. It created roads and churches and opened a bank in 1935 to pay mill workers in its own currency. Others mills operated in the same period, but the Nashua Manufacturing Company was always the largest.

Photo Credit: Nashua Historical Society

Like most New England textile mills, the company struggled during the Depression and shut down after WW II, when much of the industry moved South for cheaper labor and land. In 1945, the mill was acquired by Textron, Inc. and, in 1949, was again shut down. A cluster of diversified industries, including an electric company and toy company later occupied the expansive properties and also ceased operations. The former Nashua company properties are listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.

Friday Funnies

Most everyone (especially guys) knows that duct tape is useful for lots of home repairs. 

But, did you know that it's also used for home auto repairs? 

Anyone ever used it for this type of repair? As for myself and Grenville, we have not yet (or possibly ever).

Thanks to everyone for the comments on yesterday’s masking up post. Your viewpoints were well taken and I enjoyed reading them. We may not all agree all the time, that’s OK as I appreciate and learn from other views.

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone
If you see a light at the end of the tunnel, make sure there's no train