Senator Shaheen visits City of Somersworth Jules Bisson Park

SOMERSWORTH — U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen visited Jules Bisson Park in Somersworth on Wednesday morning to highlight the significance of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Grant Program. Deputy Mayor/Councilor David Witham welcomed Senator Shaheen to Somersworth and thanked the Senator for her support of LWFC program funds. He also remarked about the significant improvements to other City recreational areas such as the Noble Pines Splash Pad, Mast Point Dam kayak launch and other associated upgrades made possible with LWCF Grant funds. Councilors Nancie Cameron, Rick Michaud, and Don Austin were also in attendance to thank the Senator for her support throughout the years. The Senator offered remarks about her involvement with the City to include working with former Mayor George Bald and others in organizing the start-up of Somersworth’s International Children’s Festival.

The Senator was joined by State officials, City Councilors and City staff for a tour of the park improvements, many of which would not have been possible with LWCF Grant Funding. Eric Feldbaum, Community Recreation Bureau Administrator at the NH Department of Natural and Cultural Resources presented Senator Shaheen with the President’s Award of Merit from the National Association of State Outdoor Recreation Liaison Officers (NASORLO) in recognition of her continued support for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the development and management of grants in the program in New Hampshire and throughout the United States.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund is America’s most important program to conserve irreplaceable lands and improve outdoor recreation opportunities throughout the Nation. In 2019, the City received $45,000 in federal assistance through a 50/50 matching Land and Water Conservation Fund grant to complete several improvements & upgrades to the Jules Bisson park. The total project cost was $90,000. As part of the grant project, the old playground structure was removed in July 2020 and replaced with vibrant new playground components with a river theme aspect to them. A new covered gazebo was installed in July 2020. The City installed 4 park benches and an ADA pathway to connect the parking area to the new gazebo and the ADA ramp to the playground structures. The City worked with staff from the NH Division of Parks and Recreation including Eric Feldbaum, LWCF Community Recreation Bureau Administrator, Bill Gegas, LWCF Grant Coordinator and Janet Horvath, LWCF Compliance Specialist.