Melville Park steward reports 11 months of volunteer work, finds loaded handgun during cleanup

Steven Luce, the Melville Park steward, presented an 11‑month summary of his work to the Portsmouth Town Council on May 11, describing trail maintenance, invasive‑species removal, tree plantings, and trash pickup across Melville Park.

Luce said he has spent roughly 500 hours so far during the stewardship pilot and is paid as an independent contractor at $20 per hour. He described routine tasks—mowing, trimming, laying wood chips, rebuilding a short boardwalk—and coordinating with the town’s Department of Public Works for larger jobs and equipment.

Luce also described an incident in which he found “a 1911 handgun that was rusted … it was loaded, had about a half dozen rounds in it,” and he said he immediately left the weapon and called police. He said police documented the recovery, sent the firearm to a lab for analysis and that it was not reported stolen as of the report.

Luce said he has planted approximately 40 saplings, patched stairs and boardwalks, and removed invasive species such as multiflora rose and Japanese knotweed. He asked the council to consider more signage, occasional volunteer assistance (scouts and other groups), and possibly access to a town pickup to reduce the need to transport tools by personal vehicle.

What happens next: Council members praised Luce’s work, asked staff to consider volunteer recruitment options and clarified budgeting lines for ongoing trail and pond maintenance. Luce said he would provide a short list of goals for the coming year and work with staff on signage and volunteer outreach.