All photographs are copyright Heather Counselman and cannnot be duplicated or copied without explicit written permission.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

9:48pm and a little light reading.

"The city has taken steps to brick up the first floor windows and secure all doors at
the plant."

"Timed." 2011.

 "Clean up of the Central Steam Plant will make the Steam Line Trail/Park much more
appealing and environmentally safe for users. Trail and park users will be able to recreate
in an area free of petroleum and hazardous substances, which pose a threat to human
health."


"Previous assessment efforts have shown that the principal hazards at the site are related to the presence of two underground storage tanks, non-friable and asbestos-containing materials within the steam plant building, and possible contamination of the ground water.."






"Fitchburg had a manufacturing based economy dating back to the 19th Century with the City’s historic emphasis on mill industries situated along the Nashua River. Prominent
mill owners harnessed the river’s hydropower by building a series of dams to retain water in mill ponds, which was then transported through wooden penstocks and turbines to
power the mill equipment. As the need for water grew, the plant owners built the Central Steam Plant in 1928, to provide steam-generated power to the 13 paper mills located along the banks of the Nashua River. Eventually it became more cost effective to purchase power from the electric companies to operate the mills. The steam plant became a co-generation facility, providing both steam and electricity to the mills. Coal, oil and gas have been used at the site."


"In the 1990s, the Central Steam Plant closed, along with most of the paper mills. Two
mills remain active. They are: Newark America and Crocker Technical Paper. A third
mill, Munksjo Paper, was recently closed. All are within a mile of the Central Steam
Plant."

Bye-Bye Central Steam Plant, Hello Munksjo Paper.........

*Works Cited*
"20100336 Central Steam Plant Community Meeting." Home. Web. 19 Jan. 2011. .

Monday, January 17, 2011

My Bad...


After realizing there was almost a one year lapse in between posts, something had to be done. 
So, here's what I've been up to.

 
In the name of maintaining some kind of productivity, I've started photographing many everyday moments using my phone. It isn't always practical to bring my camera everywhere and there are definitely places I would just rather not take it. And newsflash: Apparently, TSA doesn't really appreciate a photographer in their terminals. In the name of stealth, I've resorted to a camera phone to capture a few fleeting moments.




And for those skeptics, I still very much regard what I do via an iphone app just as much art as I do shooting on my Nikon. I only mention it because it's been called into question. I figure, so long as technology keeps advancing, I might as well screw with it and see what turns up. Any idiot can buy a fancy camera but not everyone can actually produce.....something.




Most are collective moments throughout the day; nothing earth shattering, just a snow storm or water droplets on a wall. But it's the desire to keep working, even if it's photographing the peripherals of the day, that lead to something bigger, more substantial. It's a reminder that the most insignificant things can be made important by just merely paying it some attention.