Honoring Those Who Make This Town Tick

Merrimack is celebrating Public Works Week from May 18 to May 24 to recognize the work of Public Works employees.

The week will include several activities, including a coloring page contest at local schools with the theme, "What is Public Works?"

The students from kindergarten to second grade will have their artistic work displayed at Merrimack Town Hall during the week.

Students whose work is judged the best will be invited, along with their parents, to the annual Merrimack Public Works employee luncheon May 22 at the Wasserman Park Function Hall, where the Public Works employee of the year is honored.

Merrimack Public Works is comprised of 61 employees, according to Public Works Director Rick Seymour.

The department includes buildings and grounds, the highway division, equipment maintenance, and solid waste and wastewater operations. Highlights include:

• paves and maintains 175 miles of road,
• handles more than 15 million pounds of trash and recycling annually
• cleans 500 million gallons of sewage or wastewater annually
• mows and rakes parks and athletic fields
• maintains a fleet of about 100 town vehicles.