Shining up
Rotary Park
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — Enhancements at the Putnam Rotary Park are shifting into high gear next week, starting with the screening of the Port-A-John area at the Bridge/Kennedy streets side of the park.
Parks and Recreation Director Willie Bousquet said the creation of a concrete pad is on tap first next week. Originally the 4-inch thick concrete pad was to measure 8 feet by 24 feet and the adjacent section, 10 feet by 24 feet, was to be open with 8 inches of asphalt millings. The millings would allow the Port-A-John truck to back in easily for service.
Bousquet said the area will now be squared off with no millings, just concrete. The section the truck would be using will be sloped toward the parking lot for easy access.
In addition, Bousquet said, the sidewalk between the parking lot and the Port-A-Johns will be redone.
Following that, an 8-foot tall black chain link fence will be installed running on three sides of the concrete pad. A black privacy screen will be attached to the chain link. The Port-A-Johns doors will open toward the river, the open side.
Also, an events sign will be placed on the fence/screen.
The approximate cost of the project, $5,000, is split between the Putnam Rotary Club and the town of Putnam. Putnam is contributing in-kind labor on the project.
Bousquet is shooting for a Memorial Day finish date.
And that’s the same hope for the Bandstand painting project, he said. The new red metal raised-seam roof is installed on the Bandstand, as are the gray finials on the peaks. Scraping the ancient paint off has been underway for a couple weeks. Bousquet said he hopes the painting project will be finished by Memorial Day, also. It will be repainted the same colors. The painter is Bradley Painting.

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