Pease buildings set for demolition

The Pease Development Authority plans to tear down a total of eight buildings over the next four months, freeing up 37 acres of land. Demolition of the first building began three weeks ago and all eight should be finished by mid-November. They are being torn down to make room for additional development, according to Dick Green, executive director of the PDA.

The buildings include two old schools, a gym, tennis courts and several other old Air Force facilities. Most of the buildings were constructed in the 1950s and would be too costly to renovate, Green said. While the PDA does have prospects for each of the eight sites, Green declined to identify potential tenants because the board has yet to approve a formal lease. “It’s not easy to say who is going to be there until they are approved by the board,” he said.

Businesses that are interested in setting up shop at Pease will often approach the PDA and offer to do the demolition work themselves. But in the case of these eight buildings, the PDA took the initiative to tear them down because they knew the sites would be easy to fill. Businesses must pay slightly more on their lease when the PDA does the demolition work. “At the end of the day it doesn’t matter, as long as the cost is covered in the lease or by us as we develop the land,” Green said. The PDA leases, rather than sells, all of its property.

The demolition project was sent out to bid two months ago. The S&R Corporation of Lowell, Mass., won the bid with an offer to complete the project for $1 million. The PDA is considering demolishing eight other buildings, but the fate of those structures is still up in the air. “It depends on the level of interest. Right now we have not made a decision,” Green said. 

The demolition work is part of a steady stream of activity that is transforming the former military installation into a thriving business park. Three months ago, the PDA approved an elaborate expansion plan proposed by the chemical and biotech company Lonza. Construction for that project will take place between now and next year. “There is a lot going on. The commercial market for Pease is very active. It’s a nice place to work, and the facility has been developed to preserve a lot of open space. That has added to our receptivity,” Green said. The fact that an airport is located on site has also enticed a number of businesses. Corporate jets, cargo planes and commuter flights can fly in and out of Pease on a daily basis.

a waterless carwash?

A new business is making it possible for New Englanders to wash and polish their cars—without even picking up a hose. James Dudra, the 25-year old founder of Eco Touch, first noticed waterless car wash products while living in Australia during a semester abroad in college. When he returned home, he decided to bring the idea back to the states.

“I had done auto detailing for two years and never heard of the concept of a waterless carwash,” Dudra said. “I saw products like this being used overseas and it just clicked with me. I wanted to introduce a new concept like this to people in the states.”
So, how exactly does one wash a car without using water? There are two steps.

First, you spray some of the formula onto a micro-fiber towel and some more onto an area of the vehicle. After letting the dirt lift from the car, you wipe the area clean with the towel and use a second towel to polish the spot. That’s it.
Businesses like Eco Touch are often successful overseas in hot, dry climates where water is scarce. But for New England residents, Dudra says the main idea is to foster awareness about the adverse effects of a typical car wash and to encourage consumers to make more environmentally-friendly cleaning choices. “It impacts our drinking water, fish and algae,” Dudra said. “Many carwash detergents can contain phosphates, which can impact the gills on fish, making it harder for them to breathe, deplete the oxygen levels in the water and create excessive algae blooms.” Eco Touch cleansers use a water base and plant-derived soaps that seep right back into the ground after use. The micro-fiber towels can be used up to 50 times before disposal.

Although Seacoast residents are not accustomed to the type of droughts that have afflicted places like Australia, Dudra hopes they will still be conscientious about saving water. The last U.S. Geological Survey, conducted in 2000, found that the United States has the third highest water usage of any country in the world, consuming an impressive 345 billion gallons per day, which equates to approximately 1,200 gallons per person per day. Eco Touch hopes to reduce that number, if only a little. Just 22 ounces of Eco Touch can provide up to eight full car washes, depending on the size of the vehicle. Eight conventional car washes with a sponge and hose would use about 800 gallons of water, according to the International Car Wash Association.

Of course, Eco Touch can’t compete with layers of caked mud, so there will be times when a hose is necessary. To save as much water and pollution as possible, Dudra has a bit of advice. “If it’s an overly dirty car, find a commercial carwash that recycles a large amount of its water,” he said. “Or, if you want, you can do a quick rinse with your hose and follow it up with the Eco Touch product.”

Eco Touch merchandise is available locally in Philbricks Fresh Market in Portsmouth, On the Vine Marketplace in Exeter, and 14 Carrots Natural Food Co-op in New London. For more information, check out the Web site at www.ecotouch.net.

House Speaker endorses Clinton

Seated at a table in the back of Café Espresso on Islington Street, House Speaker Terie Norelli announced last week that she is endorsing N.Y. Senator Hillary Clinton for president. The Portsmouth Democrat will serve as co-chair of Clinton’s New Hampshire campaign, alongside attorney Bill Shaheen.

“I’m ready to hit the road and travel across the state, something I know how to do well,” Norelli told a small gathering of voters and reporters on the morning of Aug. 1. She accused President Bush of making corporate interests a higher priority than the American people, and blamed him for a “broken healthcare system.” Clinton, she said, has a solid exit strategy for troops stationed in Iraq and has a “commendable record of bipartisanship.”

“Wouldn’t it be a bonus that the next president would be the first woman president?” added Norelli, who is only the second woman to become speaker of the N.H. House.

Norelli stressed that she thinks many of the Democrats seeking the presidential nomination next year are strong candidates, but Clinton’s experience and intelligence put her above the rest, she said. She immediately began campaigning on the senator’s behalf, scheduling 10 events in the first two weeks following her announcement. “We need some real change in Washington,” Norelli said.

Clinton was first lady of Arkansas when her husband, Bill Clinton, was governor of the state, and was first lady of the nation when her husband was president. She was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000.

By comparison, Sen. Joe Biden was elected to the U.S. Senate in Delaware in 1972 and has maintained the post ever since. Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Connecticut) is serving his fifth six-year term in the U.S. Senate and previously served three two-year terms in Congress. Bill Richardson has been governor of New Mexico since 2003 and served seven terms in Congress before that. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) is serving his fifth term in Congress and was previously mayor of Cleveland. Mike Gravel served two terms in the U.S. Senate in Alaska from 1969 to 1981.

Barack Obama (D-Illinois) is serving his first term in the U.S. Senate. John Edwards (D-North Carolina) served one term in the U.S. Senate before becoming the vice presidential nominee in 2004. Despite having the least real experience in government, Obama, Edwards and Clinton are currently the frontrunners in the Democratic primary.

Chestnut Street closure begins

A temporary closure of Chestnut Street, which runs past the entrance to The Music Hall off of Congress Street in Portsmouth, began last week and will continue until Jan. 1, 2008. Barricades were placed at either end of the one-block road on Aug. 1, preventing motor vehicles from entering. Pedestrians can still walk on the side street.

Directors of The Music Hall hope Chestnut Street will achieve permanent status as a pedestrian walkway. They initiated the Dream Chestnut Street program, inviting artists to submit design bids to beautify the street and turn it into a community gathering space. On July 25, The Music Hall announced a winning team comprised of DeStefano Architects of Portsmouth, Sasaki Associates Architects of Watertown, Mass., and Cathartes Private Investment of Boston. 

The team’s design is called “Chestnut Court.” It will be unveiled with a ribbon cutting outside the theater on Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. The event will also offer guests a chance to check out the theater’s newly restored dome ceiling, which is currently undergoing restoration work.