To the editor:

Through the efforts of a Portsmouth High School student working on his senior project, Nathan Minese, and the great assistance from Brian Woodhead and the Portsmouth Public Works Department, the monument at Fort Butts has been stood up after lying on the ground for about 30 years. 

This was a major cooperative accomplishment and I am very proud of both Nathan and Brian and his DPW staff for carrying this out. As town historian and president of the Portsmouth Historical Society, I have been, and remain, very concerned about the deteriorated condition of Fort Butts, a very important memorial from the Battle of Rhode Island in 1778.

Nathan has been working on restoring the Battle of Rhode Island signs which are in badly need of redoing. I have been his advisor on that part of his project, but it is most important that the Fort Butts monument project is all Nathan’s own idea. 

What a wonderfully motivated young man Nathan is, and I am very pleased to see his initiative. We could use a few more like him!

James Garman

President, Portsmouth Historical Society