Dear Community Member:
Each year, the Dover Main Street program continues its mission to keep downtown beautiful, clean, and a destination for residents, businesses, and visitors. Rarely do we have a chance to make history but this year we do!
Dover Main Street, in partnership with the Dover Rotary Club and City of Dover Community Services, will be creating a public garden along the Cocheco River in the center of Dover with rhododendrons and plantings from Dover’s own Joe Parks, and we think you will want to be a part of it!
Few people know, as they travel past Joe’s home on a secluded road in Dover, that they are passing a six-acre garden that has been proposed for inclusion in the Smithsonian Institution landmark gardens. Joe, a past president of the Massachusetts Rhododendron Society, has developed over 30 rhododendron hybrids specifically for our climate.
The ground work has begun and soon the walkways along the Cocheco River will be transformed in several phases. This quarter of a mile of public space, running from the Central Avenue Bridge, under the Chestnut Street bridge (with its murals) and behind Dover Housing Authority’s senior housing complex, will feature not only plantings but also some of Joe’s original sculpture from his garden.
This is no little project – we estimate the cost at over $50,000. Fortunately we have a wonderful group of volunteers including Master Gardener, Tree Stewards and donors of materials and labor that we expect will take care of 75% of this cost In fact, they’ve already put in over 400 hours, planning, prepping, designing & planting the space.
This leaves only about $12,000 in actual cash needed for materials and future maintenance. Dover Rotary Club has already pledged $4000 of this balance. Attorney Tom Dunnington is working up the details of a trust fund to keep the area beautiful for many generations to enjoy.
We hope that you will help us preserve this piece of history in your backyard by making a financial contribution to the Joe B. Parks Public Garden Project c/o Dover Main Street Program at the address listed below. Contributions of time and materials are also most welcome. All contributions are tax deductible as permitted by law.
Best Regards,
Elizabeth Fischer, Steering Committee Chair
Steering Committee:
• Betsy Andrews-Parker • Dover Rotary • John Batson – Jenesis Gardens & Design LLC • Marilyn Donnelley • Dover Main Street Beautification Committee • Cindy Imbro -Wells Fargo & Dover
Rotary • Norm Fracassa Landscape Designer • Patrick McElhiney – www.DoverWasFirst.com • Joe B. Parks – Dover resident • Michael Provost – Dover Main Street Executive Director • Gerry Reece – Riverside Rest Home & Dover Rotary • Connie Roy – Reverie Design • Carol Salava -Masiello Real Estate & Dover Rotary • Doug Steele – City of Dover Community Services • Henn Stolzenburg • Dover resident • Judy Von Feldt – Stafford County Master Gardener
Items needed for project
Cash Donations
Team Leaders for Beds D, F, G, H, 1& J
Workebees for potting & planting parties
Crews to spread bark mulch & compost
Team Leader for mural under Chestnut
Street bridge
Load of soil
Hay bales & s takes
Experienced pruners to shape junipersand prune trees & shrubs
Snacks and water for workerbees
Grant writer
Contact for Eagle Scout Program
Volunteers for spring plantings
Person to coordinate possible time capsule planting
Small dump truck to pick up materials
Person(s) to look into painting of wall on building across the river
Irrigation system contractor
Strong crew members to move granite
In- Kind Supporters as of 11/3/07
Eva Christensen-Earthtenders- Farmington NH
Lindt Chocolate
Harvey’s Bakery
Alan Crowell-SUR Construction
Vachon Trucking & Landscaping-Union NH
Moe’s of Dover
Donna & Phil Rinaldi- Dover Secretarial
Dover Chamber of Commerce
Lonza Biologics-Portsmouth NH
Jewelry Creations
Dr. Ron Henderson DDS
Dover Community Services: Paul Talon and
Dave Trudell & their hardworking crews
GC-AAA• Fences, Inc
BJ Hickman Magic Shows
Cocheco Printworks
Attorney Tom Dunnington
Rolling Green Nursery-Greenland NH
Fosters Daily Democrat
Dover Agway-Paul Welch
Volunteers as of 11/3/07
Karen Drapaniotis- Brentwood resident
Mary-Lou Carpenter- Durham resident- SCMG
Malcolm McNeill- Durham resident
Mike Spinelli- Spinelli Cinemas
Hanna Jacoby- Dover resident
Tony McManus-Dover resident
Stephen Roy-Dover resident
Claudette Chambers-Dover resident
Jeff Depolio-Dover resident
Darla Mitchell-Dover Resident
Cindy Brown-Portsmouth resident
Jerry Reece-Dover Resident
Jaklyn Roy- Dover Resident
Dover Police Chief Anthony Colarusso
Dover PO Community Service Workers
DHS Jr. Navy ROTC
May 1″ Community Clean-up Cr9YO’
Jack Buckley- Dover Housing Authority
Jim Verschueren- Dover Adult Learning Center
Guy Marshall-Portsmouth resident
Tim Noonan Construction
Jim Kageleiry-Dover resident
Bob Steele- Dover resident
Deputy Fire Chief Eric Hagman
Dick Pollotioro-Dover Resident
Jim Meyer & Eileen Ricdo-Coco Beach Florida
Robert J. McCabe, Jr.-Dover resident
Mayor Scott Myers & Dover City Council
PSNH
Jason Desjardin-Dover resident
Krista Hoppe- Linewebber & Giffin Insurance
Carol Smack• Barrington resident- SCMG
Dover High School Girls Soccer Team
Peter Widmark-Dover Resident
Noreen Gaeljens- Lee resident• SCMG
Jim Berry- Rollinsford resident- SCMG
Dover City Manager, Mike Joyal
Dr. Deb & Dr. Peg-Wellspring Chiropractic
Financial supporters as of 11/3/07
Rotary Club of Dover NH
Strafford County Master Gardeners (SCMG)
Anonymous
Dover Main Street Beautification Committee