The Friends of Hemlock Gorge
Annual Letter to Members, 1995
December 2, 1995
Dear Friends of Hemlock Gorge:
At this time of Thanksgiving and Holiday Cheer, we write to you
to mark the end of another eventful year for the Friends and to
appeal to you to renew your membership and your commitment to
our activities in 1995.
Above all else, we invite you to participate in our monthly meeting,
held at 7:15 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month at the Emerson
Community Center on Pettee Street in Newton Upper Falls. (Mark
these upcoming 1996 dates: Jan. 2, Feb. 6, Mar. 5, Apr. 2, and
May 7!) Please do come to the next meeting; we need ideas and
look forward to the pleasure of your company!
The following were among the activities sponsored, supported,
and lobbied for by the Friends in 1995:
- Our outstanding achievement in 1995 was the approval and construction
of the long awaited parking lot at the corner of Ellis Street
and the Route 9 offramp. This small but much needed lot was designed
and approved by the City of Newton more than twenty years ago.
Under the leadership of the Friends, the plan was resurrected,
introduced to the Board of Aldermen, approved (not without struggle),
and finally built. We hope that all of you will share our delight
in this civic improvement and will join us for the dedication
ceremony next spring.
- Spring cleanup of the Reservation was well attended. We're
pleased to report that the Gorge remains well cared for and tidy.
- Legislation to improve the Stone Building has been introduced
into the legislature.
- We have seen to continuing removal of graffiti on the bridge
and on the Ellis Street underpass as soon as it appears.
- The Gorge has a new MDC Site Supervisor. Kevin R. Hollenbeck
has replaced Rob McArthur as our ranger. Kevin has attended several
of our meetings and we look forward to working with him.
- State Representative Kay Khan has taken an active interest
in the Friends and their activities. She is particularly interested
in providing for care and maintenance not only of the Gorge but
also of the riverfront along Quinobequin Road.
- A very successful ice skaing party was held at New Pond.
Activities planned for the immediate future that require volunteers
are numerous.
- The Friends still hope to construct a Bridge that we shall
name the Friends' Bridge. It will span the small raceway behind
the Devil's Den where a rustic bridge was once located.
- We will work with the Mass. Water Resources Authority to restore
the ironwork on Echo Bridge and to reconstruct the Echo Platform.
- The restoration of the Ellis Stone Building, has entered a
new phase with the architect's com-pletion of the interior drawings
and a landscaping proposal. The Stone Building subcommittee needs
new members interested in this historically important restoration
project.
- We are working to create a World Wide Web home page for the
Friends of Hemlock Gorge on the Internet. This page would list
our scheduled activities, offer some grapical images of the Reservation,
and provide an archive of our activites. The City of Newton now
has an official home page, and we hope to link to it in the first
half of 1996.
- Finally, we will redouble our efforts in the legislature to
generate the funding and the mandates needed to maintina and preserve
both Hemlock Gorge and its associated MDC properties downstream.
None of these activities can or will take place, however, without
your support. The financial needs of the Friends are few but important.
Your dues pay for stationery, postage, and the buttons and T shirts
that we sell at fund raisers. It also pays for our new post office
box that gets your correspondence to us quickly and reliably!
Please take this opportunity to read the enclosed brochure, fill
it out, and renew your membership for 1996 in whatever amount
you can.
Whether you're an active member, a member who may not have paid
dues for 1995, someone who would like to join formally for the
first time, or just a Friend, we welcome your response and participation.
Because we want to inform as many members of the community as
possible about our efforts, it's not necessary to be a member
in order to receive mailings, but we would like to know who is
interested and who isn't. Enclosed is an envelope complete with
stamp and our NEW ADDRESS to make your response easy. Please fill
out the enclosed membership card and return it with your preferences
indicated. If you wish to join or renew, dues categories are listed
on the card. Dues for 1995 can be paid now or at any meeting.
Thank you for your interest in the preservation of the Hemlock
Gorge/Echo Bridge Reservation. We hope to see you in January,
1996.
With best wishes,
Brian Yates, President
John P. Mordes, M.D., Membership Coordinator
This page last modified January 12, 1997
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