Category: Update

  • Public comments on Stone Building due December 19th

    Public comments on Stone Building due December 19th

    On November 28th, DCR’s project team presented the preliminary design plans for the rehabilitation of the Ellis Stone Storehouse at Hemlock Gorge Reservation in Wellesley. The written public comments are due December 19th.

  • Important Stone Building News

    Important Stone Building News

    Rep. Balser is now working with the DCR and state authorities to move the restoration forward. Last year she was able to secure $250,000 in state funding for the restoration of the building that remains available and should cover the priority 1 repairs.

  • New Stone Building Railings

    New Stone Building Railings

    At our October, 2018 meeting, Evan Weststrate announced that fencing for the Stone Building project has been fabricated and installation is now complete. The new railings, shown in the photo below, taken during construction, are gorgeous. This project has been championed by Evan, who announced last December that the DCR approved our public-private partnership proposal…

  • Rehabilitation of the Elliot Street Bridge

    Rehabilitation of the Elliot Street Bridge

    State authorities have completed reconstruction of the Elliot Street Bridge reconstruction at the southern end of Hemlock Gorge Reservation. Restoration of the meadow is proceeding. The dedication was held in late November, 2012. The efforts of the Friends were recognized and President Brian Yates was an invited speaker. For details click here. To read Ken Newcomb’s…

  • Saving the Hemlock Trees Project

    Saving the Hemlock Trees Project

    Through the efforts of Bob Burke, a plan was made to treat the hemlock trees in the Reservation with an insecticide on Arbor Day, April 29. Jason Lupien of Lupien Tree Service was organizing the program to provide the labor at no cost, if the Friends could purchase the insecticide. See the minutes of our…

  • A Birth!

    Congratulations to Site Supervisor Erica Aubin and her husband on the birth of their daughter Mallory Joyce Aubin on March 24!

  • Spillway Dam Repair News: 2012

    June, 2012 Pre-construction meeting was held April 3 with Site Superviser Erica Aubin.  The tentative schedule is to put up the safety fencing early during the second week of April (Mon/Tues) and begin construction shortly after.  The Ellis Street/Route 9 corner will be fenced off through early July when the project is expected to be…

  • Stone Building Windows News

    Stone Building Windows News

    The Stone Building windows and screens are installed. See pictures to the right and below. We are planning a dedication event for the spring, probably in April. NOTE: No idea when this was originally posted, but the images date back to October 14. -Charles

  • The ‘QBTrail’: A New Resource

    Melissa Moody, a Girl Scout working with Site Supervisor Erica Aubin, has put in place a remarkable signage project running along the Quinobequin Road trail, downstream of Hemlock Gorge. Instead of static signposts, she has installed interactive signage with QR barcodes. Go have a look and bring your smartphone and QR barcode reader. It’s the…

  • Burke: The ‘Memory House’ at Hemlock Gorge (Newton TAB)

    By Bob Burke/Guest ColumnistWicked Local NewtonPosted Jul 06, 2011 @ 07:00 AM Original: https://web.archive.org/web/20110711150410/http://www.wickedlocal.com:80/newton/news/opinions/x230666382/Burke-The-Memory-House-at-Hemlock-Gorge Newton — In mid-April, I joined 25 other volunteers at the Friends of Hemlock Gorge’s Annual Spring Cleanup.  This was another fun-filled success for a community association that has helped transform Echo Bridge and the 23-acre Hemlock Gorge Reservation from a neglected…

  • Your government at work: keeping you away from nature

    Citing statutory “interests,” the Newton Conservation Commission has closed the hiking trail along the Charles River just downstream from Hemlock Gorge in Waban. Near the river with views of aquatic wildlife, the narrow trail had been enjoyed by residents for many decades. The Commission has replaced it with a newly blazed trail four feet wide…

  • Adelgid Updates: May, 2011

    Some members of the Friends who visited the Arnold Arboretum this spring we surprised to see Hemlock Hill still populated with healthy appearing tall trees free of adelgids. It was particularly surprising because the Arboretum, unlike the Friends, had decided to take no steps to arrest the infestation of the adelgids. Bob Burke made additional…