My fingers are crossed tightly for you guys and that the fairgrounds remain intact. I hope it gets on the register - the memories that place has created for so many - it would be a tragic loss for all on so many levels.
Hi Harris, Lisa,
You should start checking out thegrotonline.com a local website. Art Campbell posted an article and there are responses such as “you mean the town owns this land and it’s exclusively for horses”? Not a direct quote, but you get the gist.
More bashing of the barns and area which annoys me when those folks (Groton Riding and Driving Club) are trying their best maintain it on a shoestring budget (at no cost to the town, I may add).
Anyway, thought I would bring this up in case anyone wants more local reading.
[QUOTE=my3ponies;5474680]
Good point Lisa, But also a bigger issue to me is the fact that the Soccer contingency is not willing to SHARE the fields… Jeff Oringer on the Parks and Rec. Board has effectively blocked the Lacrosse groups from using the FIELDS. I would think the sports groups that use town and school fields should learn to play nice together and share!
Did you pick up on the request for use of the soccer fields every day from DAWN to DUSK??? Or was that right about the time the floor gave way? But Don did deny the request, stating that the request needed to be more specific! Lots of stuff going on behind the scene, and as this all comes to light. It may be possible to once and for all protect the FAIRGROUNDS. I am a board member of the Groton Historical Society and also help with Grotonfest. I think I can safely say that the G.H.S. has an interest in seeing that the Fairgrounds aka Hazel Grove Park retains it current use and the town has some other agricultural types of events to take place there.
Thanks again to EVERY ONE who turned out…it is nice to know people will take the time to show up for life.[/QUOTE]
I was at the meeting and I had the same impressions. My proposal… if they do end up taking the fairgrounds to make more fields, we can meet at the soccer fields with our horses to ride at dusk.
I was at the meeting as well. I agree there where some wonderful points made by some very caring people. I loved the older white haired woman who said she rode there when she was younger and she had the soccer guy(who was kinda arrogant) on the ropes!! I also thought it was extemely silly of them to say they had the new land that the town had just purchased but the poor people actually had to drive throught AYER for 200-300 ft to get to the new fields GOOD GRIEF!! I think Don Black was very surprised at all the people who showed up for the meeting and when the floor fell, that was just frosting on the cake.
Chism - I do believe at the end of that meeting someone asked if they could pull up thier trailer, unloaded their horse and ride all over the ssoccer field. I think the answer was sure but don’t get caught or something of that effect. It was a great meeting but we are going to have to keep at it if we want to save the fairgrounds
SITE WALK this Sat. at 10:30 am
For all who can attend, this Sat. at 10:30 am there will be a site walk of the Fairgrounds in Groton MA, aka Hazel Grove park to determine the suitability of the site for Lacrosse fields…
The Fairgrounds are located at the end of Jenkins Rd. right off of Mill St. in Groton.
Please attend and show your support for keeping this a horse friendly park.
my3ponies beat me to it…thanks for the update on the site walk!
Also, by coincidence, the pony club had previously selected that very same morning as “fairgrounds clean up day”, where we bring in a dumpster and basically get the area back into shape after whatever ills winter has bestowed upon it. Anyone attending the site walk will also see the pony clubbers out busily maintaining town property.
And, if I may be allowed, for anyone wanting to show support for retaining the fairgrounds as a site for equestrian endeavors, there is an online entry available for the April 17th schooling 2-phase with the option of cross country schooling. Show your support of the fairgrounds and support pony club at the same time, a win-win!
Be sure to have some banner or something so the people walking around know it is the pony club that is cleaning up.
Who’s running for the Parks and Rec. Commission & Information Kiosk
I just had a long talk with Laurie Smigelski last night, some of you may know her, Laurie and her husband John sell hay under the name of Excalibur Farm. Laurie is running for Parks and Recreation this coming term, as the issues on the Parks and Rec. commission have gotten a little too close to home for Don Billingsly who has served for a long time, but has an affiliation with the riding and driving club down at the Fairgrounds. So he is stepping down…
Lets all try to support Laurie in her bid for election to the Parks and Rec. so we can be certain to have a voice for the equine community in Groton and surrounding towns!
On a more pleasant note, I would like to let folks know that Meridith (Scarlett Hill Farm) is working on getting a Kiosk up at Hazel Grove with a site map and other information about the Fairgrounds.
Please come and show your support for the Groton Fairgrounds if you are in the area… and lets give the impression we are a united group! I know there are many people who are passionate about this issue.
Site walk changed to Saturday April 9 10:30 am
Email sent around to the locals:
Good morning,
Due the the gift of white from Mother Nature, the Site Walk scheduled for 10:30 AM Saturday at the Groton Fairgrounds has been postponed until next Saturday, April 9,2011 at 10:30 AM. I hope that this meets with everyone’s schedule.
Please help pass the word of this schedule change.
Thank you,
Don Black
Park Commission
change of date
Lisa, Will the pony club be changing the date for clean up too?
Yes, the pony club has rescheduled the clean up day to April 9th, as well.
Not able to attend the site walk, but sent the following email to Mr. Black.
Dear Mr. Black,
I am reading of the possible conversion of Hazel Grove Park from a horse-oriented venue to sports fields with great dismay. I ran the Nashoba Valley Hunt Horse Show there for many years, and found the location to be ideally suited for such events. Believe me, I searched long and hard for similar accommodations and was unsuccessful. The Groton Pony Club and the Groton Riding and Driving Club work incredibly hard to preserve and maintain this unique site is . It would be a great shame to see this property removed from the roster of horse-friendly areas, which, due to construction and population growth, are rapidly diminishing. There are many sports fields available to enthusiasts, in comparison to those that encourage equestrian activities. Please allow Groton to preserve its rural heritage and encourage the tradition of notable equestrian activity, including the Shepley Hill Horse Trials, the Middlesex Hunt, and the Groton Pony Club, which produced Olympic rider Karen O’Connor.
Thank you.
I actually thought I heard through the grapevine that the Hazel Grove land was given to the town expressly for the use of equestrian purposes? Was this not done on paper (hard to believe it wasn’t) or did I just hear a rumor?
I don’t understand why people are pursuing this venture if there is paperwork specifying the land be used only for equestrian purposes?
Anyone care to clarify?
Ruth0552 - many people thought the property was given to the town for the purpose equestrian use. What I have heard, and this is something like 3rd or 4th hand, so perhaps someone better connected can clarify, is that the deed has been thoroughly researched and no documentation supporting the equestrian use clause has been found.
According to the Historic Commission or Deeds (I can’t remmeber the name iof the group that had the ownership paper from the meeting), it was given to the town for agricultural use (not strictly equestrian). But it was given on a handshake (as was often done back then), nothing documented so although all committees agree it was “probably” done with a specific intent, there is no proof of it. Sigh.
Documentation
Just a quick update… I have found an elderly woman who received the secretaries records from the Groton Riding and Driving Club. She now live in Shirley with her daughter. I am working on trying to get any documentation that might indicate the intended use of Hazel Grove. The daughter was actually at the meeting on March 9th in Groton and spoke with several other attendants of the meeting, but did not voice her knowledge of the Fairgrounds, due to the fact that Don Black asked specifically that only Groton residents speak. I will keep you all posted!
Cross you fingers that something is in writing.
Out come of site walk
It looks like there will be a one year moratorium on the Groton Fairgrounds, with a committee formed to review it’s purpose…
I couldn’t make it Sat to the walk (had to make an un expected visit to the emergency room. sigh). How was the turn-out? What was discussed?
FYI, on the 1 year moratorium. Does this mean it is completely off the table for 1 year?
I was talking with a friend who is a rider, parks, trails and snowmobile person in Hollis NH and she has heard that the Hollis ring will be taken for parking.
The reason I mention this is has come up before and people never thought it would come to this so I’m wondering what we can continue doing now to save the Fairgrounds for equestrian use?
And as an aside, is there anyone from Hollis Area Equestrians who reads this and can update us on their situation with the Hollis Town ring?
Let me know if I should start a seperate thread for the Hollis town ring.
Thanks…
Latest status
Update!!!
Groton Fairgrounds lives on as a multi-use property (with many people focused on keeping it for primarily equestrian use)!
The Hazel Grove Agricultural Association (HGAA) now “owns” the “right to use” of the property and continues working closely with the Groton Pony Club and the Riding and Driving Club (standardbreds in training).
Things are slowly moving forward and interest seems to be high for fixing it up and keeping it mainly equestrian and agricultural use.
More as it’s known…
An update…
There is a new volunteer committee who manages Groton Fargrounds.
May I present: Hazel Grove Agricultural Association.
Website: http://hgaa.org/
There will be a membership available as well. More details to follow.
For anyone interested, there is a Benefit 10/20 miler and versatility on Sept 29.
Details are on the above website or http://hgaa.org/trailride/
This ride is listed with NEHT so mileage counts!
And, it will pass over the newly installed Fitch’s Bridge which has opened up alot of trail access from either side of the Nashua River. (It’s a lovely bridge, equestrian friendly - I even rode my nutty TB over it).
Questions, please feel free to PM me…