EMERGENCY APPEAL TO SCENIC CUSTOMERS

As you know, we have had many years of hardships and events since our start in 1997 that have severely affected our business income and survival and  revented us from thriving! The flood of 2007 was thus far the worst (see pictures) with 4 feet of water over the highest point in the nursery.

Here is a list of the events since 2001:

1. 2001 ==== 9/11 obvious terrible economy for all due to war.
2. 2002 a severe problem with wildlife and beavers eating our expensive trees and shrubs costing thousands.
3. 2003= over 2 feet of snow lingered through April 15th, extremely late start up costing us over 1-1/2 month of usual sales that we could not recover.
4. 2004= It rained for almost 2 months, not a day went by without some rain.  It did so until June 12th.  We derive 75% of our income from 4/1-7/1.
5. 2005= The NH State Dept of Transportation shut down Dudley Rd. for 3 ½ weeks between Mothers Day and Memorial Day.  That being the busiest time of those days mentioned above 3 months, cost us over $80,000 in lost gross income.
6. 2006= Mothers’ Day Flood, we all remember that one (look it up some time) We all thought that was as high as any flood could get. Cost = another $80 K approx. in direct losses.
7. 2007= WAM BAM!!!!  April 17th at our peak level of inventory of the year for sale of products (FULLY STOCKED) and still have to pay for those items and have not even been billed yet – a 1000 year flood event hits us.  We had four feet of water inside the greenhouse and that is at the highest point of the sales yard.  ALL our stock was underwater or gone. It removed or destroyed over 75 % of the stock we had grown or purchased over the years. Cost = OVER $500,000 in direct and economic losses (none of the 2 insurances including federal crop insurance paid us ANYTHING). (Recorded at the SBA) . We should have gone bankrupt in hindsight, but we did not anticipate the terrible future economy to come.
8. 2009= Present= The change of administration and the beginning of the WORST economic recession since the great depression.  No one has discretionary income to spend and help support Scenic by purchasing our products or services. IT’S ENOUGH TO MAKE ONE SEEK GOD. And I did look.
9. 2013= On= FUTURE???permanent closure , possible demise of Scenic as over 80% of most garden centers sales are from IMPULSE sales. (DRIVE BY) – but bridge is closed and no drive by traffic will occur.

I must now show you the event of the DOT dealing with the maintenance of the Dudley Rd. bridge.

Back in the 70’s, the state did a major repair on the bridge, after its completion whereby it was shut down for 1 ½ years!!!They kept trying to give the road to the town to maintain. Wisely, the town refused to take it over, and since then the state has NOT reduced the weight restriction or the type of vehicles going over this bridge. They did reduce the weight to 60% of legal load of which would be 60,000 lbs or 30 tons.  But to this day we have seen full triaxle loads of loam or a full tandem of logging trucks go over this bridge. These are at the full legal load, by the way.  Now even to THIS day they have NOT reduced the weight, why not if it is so dilapidated it has to be shutdown.

This bridge has been on the “RED list” for over 20 years, with inspections at 6 month intervals, at least. Lately it has been monthly.  Pretty strict inspection regimen considering NO CHANGE or RESTRICTIONS?!?!?!

Where is the logic??!!  I would almost consider that it is DELIBERATE behavior to accelerate the destruction. We have appealed to the town and the DOT in the past to reduce the weight limit to deaf ears. This bridge was built over 150 years ago FOR HORSE AND BUGGY weights of a few tons, not today’s 30 tons or significant travel.

In the winter of 2004 and 05, the DOT hired out the snowplowing and sanding for this road and bridge. They used a HUGE Mack or Peterbuilt with a sleeper cab to plow. I witnessed the truck set its wing plow pushing against the bridge outer curb, leaving sparks coming off and a great gouge all the way down the length of the bridge.  Now that gouge is hidden by 2 inches of pavement that they put on at the spring 2005 repair.  I recall mentioning this issue to the driver on at least one occasion.

Spring arrived with a tremendous spring rain and I noticed NO water coming out of the drains of the bridges. But then I saw water and sand and small rocks wash out of the entire side wall on our side of the bridge.  I then call the DOT and they sent out a man.  As we spoke we noticed that the plow had pushed the curbing away from the pavement well over 2 inches and the water was flowing down that and washing out the material under the road and through the slabs.

The man said that it was not that bad and not to worry, as I had asked, knowing better, that they needed to repair soon; I asked that they NOT work on it until after Memorial Day. 2 weeks later they showed up and one man spoke to me and said they HAD to repair this bridge and shut the road down for that. He said it would be 2 weeks MAX and started just before Mothers day.  After the repair they still had not reduced the weight. It took them over 3 and ½ weeks.

The point I am making is that it sure seems like this is a deliberate attempt to accelerate the demise of this bridge. It’s either stupidity or deliberate.  Either way Scenic Nursery will be affected again.  I will have to work until I am 75 just to pay for the debt we incurred for the major flood, and I was willing to do that if there was HOPE for a recovery. But now after they close the bridge, we WILL lose our home and the nursery.  And to add one more problem to the mix, I have been diagnosed in 2009 with severe crippling Rheumatoid Arthritis which I am now permanently disabled by my doctors.

We can continue to struggle and make the dream come true IF the bridge is NOT demolished.   Please consider what they are doing and help us hold on to what’s left of our livelihood from collapse.

By the way, not only will it affect us, but all cross traffic will now have to go around the points of 27 and 107.   What happens when there is another flood that covers the state bridge on 27 again? How will we all get through, how about emergency problems etc? They have not thought about the proper management of the bridge all these years – why should we listen to them now?  I think I have a case of negligence on my hands, I just need the money to take them to court, but only if they shut it down so please help us by attending the meeting, so that hopefully they won’t .

Thank you,

Glenn Caron
Scenic Nursery & Landscaping