CPA Letter.docxNorthampton CPA Committee
c/o Sarah LaValley
210 Main St
Northampton, MA 01060
Dear CPA Committee,
I am writing to voice the NOHO Pétanque Club’s support for the proposed Flood Resilience Plan for Maines Field Park. In early 2021 an announcement was put in the Northampton Neighbors
list serve looking for members who might be interested in learning about and playing the French game of pétanque, somewhat like Italian bocce. The response was encouraging, and we
met at Maines Field where I described pétanque and demonstrated the basics. Most of the participants had never heard of or played the game. This was during the height of COVID but,
as we were playing outdoors, we followed protocols for masks and distancing. Through the announcement and word-of-mouth, we soon had over 20 people who showed interest in the game.
Now the NOHO Pétanque Club has 12-15 regular players who meet two or three times a week.
Our search for a permanent petanque court was an exercise in frustration. For the first two years we played on the Maines Field dirt parking lot. In January 2023 we were awarded ARPA
funds for the construction of a court in Maines Field. The contractor was scheduled to start construction, but the first flood caused Maines Field to be closed indefinitely. We moved
to the parking lot in Look Park. Maines Field reopened in October and the court was finally completed next to the pavilion. Three weeks later Maines Field was closed again due to flood
damage.
The country has recently experienced examples of the perils of climate change. Events such as the 2023 Mill River floods may well become more frequent. The proposed Flood Resilience
Plan would not only reduce the vulnerability of the park to flooding events, but it would be a major step toward ensuring that the many activities that call Maines Field Park home will
not be interrupted by future extreme weather events.
The Members of the NOHO Petanque Club strongly support the proposed Flood Resilience Plan and urge you to prioritize funding to ensure this park will continue uninterrupted to sustain
the many valuable recreational and social activities it provides.
On behalf of the members of the NOHO Petanque Club thank you for considering our support for the proposed Flood Resilience Plan for Maines Field Park.
Sincerely,
Richard Taranto
Founder