| January | February | March |
| April | May | June |
| July: No Meeting | August: No meeting | September |
| October | November | December |
Present on January 5 were Brian Yates, Ken Newcomb, Susan Sherman, Marguerite Murphy (both new members), Kevin Hollenbeck, John Mordes, Hank Lysaght, Bobbie Demers, Vaunita Schnell, Nina Koch, and Hannah Sherman.
MONEY: a bill including money for repair of Echo Bridge, etc., is closer to being passed. The MDC has money for trails hut not for bridge-building. ICT has to authorize expenditures but we hope for better results from this highway repair organization.
CLEAN-UP DAY will be April 25,a Saturday. The usual schedule will be followed: meet at 10 A.M., lunch in the Stone Building. Special attention will be given to cleaning Turtle Island.
The MDC's possible purchase of land abutting the Second Baptist Church in Newton is on hold for now.
The National Lumber Company "owns" the Rte.9 roadway adjacent to New Pond. Bobbie Demers says they DO clean it at 6 A.M.. Brian Yates wondered if they would contribute to restoration of the Stone Building since it is on their roadway.
FUTURE MEETINGS: Brian will ask Tom Gowrys to address our February meeting. We can ask him about the cost of repair to Echo Bridge. Also in February we will plan a field trip to the Olmsted National Historic Site in Brookline. The Dan Driscoll Slide Show needs a larger audience than we can supply by ourselves. We consider which other organizations might join. us in this project.
The FRIEND'S BRIDGE: Hank Lysaght and John Mordes will join Kevin Hollenbeck to measure the site carefully and develop a design. The Conservation Commissions of Wellesley and Needham must be consulted because the land surrounding the bridge is in those towns. A USGS map will show the boundaries of their holdings. An MDC worker could help design the bridge.
The light outside the Stone Building is still OUT. John Mordes asks for history of the Stone Building to add to our Web Page. Kevin suggests we consider printing a newsletter (quarterly?) which could be sent to local libraries to give us more publicity.
We are told that Eugene O'Neill has offered to pay for eradication of poison ivy from the Gorge. Kevin says it can be killed only by cutting. Chemical treatment could leach into the river and add to its pollution.
This meeting adjourned at 9 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
Hannah Sherman, Secretary
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This meeting was attended by Brian Yates, Walter Frey, John Mordes, Vaunita Schnell, Nina Koch, Hank Lysaght, and Hannah
Sherman.
We signed a card expressing our sympathy to Ken Newcomb on the death of his wife, Martha. We hope to see Ken again at
our March 3 meeting.
FUTURE EVENTS. The guest at the March meeting will be Suzanne Bremer. She will talk about helping to "publish" Ken Newcomb's book on the Web Site. A copy could be made for the archives at Newton Public Library.
Our April meeting guest will be Tom Gowrys of the MWRA. Brian Yates arranged this after the February meeting.
CLEAN-UP DAY--April 25.We are told we may advertise on cable TV. Ads in the TAB must be submitted 3 weeks before the publication date.
ADOPTION CEREMONIES of the ADOPT-A-STREAM project will be on April 26.Certificates of adoption will be distributed.
WORK IN PROGRESS Hank Lysaght and Kevin Hollenbeck did measure the site of the Friends' Bridge. Kevin will have an MDC surveyor check John Mordes' figures for the site. Bobbi Demers (not present)sent word of her work in advertising the Gorge to residents of two large condominium projects.
John Mordes says Kevin Hollenbeck was to place rocks to prevent cars from ruining Quinobequin land, but has not done so.
The light outside the Stone Building is still out.
The CWRA shows interest in helping with the mailing for a meeting at which Dan Driscoll could show his slides of the Charles River Walking Path project.
In March we will make further plans for a field trip to the Olmstead Site in Brookline.
This meeting adjourned at 8:29 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
Hannah Sherman, Secretary
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Present on March3 were Brian Yates, Ken Newcomb, Vaunita Schnell, Nina Koch, John Mordes, Kevin Hollenbeck, Bobbie Demers, our guest Suzanne Bremer, and Hannah Sherman.
Suzanne Bremer, from Newton Public Library, spoke of our Web Site and its connection to other sites. She has linked us to the City of Newton Site and to the Chamber of Commerce and Newton Citizens' sites. Newton Library is publishing "Newtoniana"-a guide to the Newton Collection in the library. They will print 11 or 12 copies and put it on the Web Site. John Mordes says we want Ken Newcomb's book on the Site but there should be a printed copy also. The library should have the MSS and photos. (Ken has 217 photos to choose from to illustrate his book). Ms. Bremer is enthusiastic about reproducing the book. She envisions a party to celebrate the Web 'Publication" We should pick a date (in May) after consulting the Library's schedule. Would we use the auditorium? We thank Bobbi Demers, John Mordes and others whose hard labor made this possible.
CLEAN-UP DAY: Kevin will bring flyers to the Apr.7 meeting so we can distribute them early.He will also make the traditional arrangements for lunch, bring a canoe, etc. He advises we check deadlines for items to put in the local papers. We are already on the MDC list that appears on Thursdays in the Boston Globe Calendar section.
FRIENDS" BRIDGE: Kevin has submitted plans to the MDC who must send out a contract. A GREAT UPROAR greeted his remark that the bridge would be STRAIGHT instead of the ZIG-ZAG form we want (to look like the old photos). Discussion included the nature of the site and location and, efficiency of adjoining trails. COME ON APRIL 7 TO ADD YOUR OPINIONS.
WOOLLY ADELGID: We were given colored photos of the insect at work. These should inspire people who see the insect to call the proper authorities. Kevin suggests planting Western Hemlocks, which resist the bug.
CWRA has volunteered to pay postage for a NEW NEWSLETTER! Bobbi submits a sample copy. How often will we print it? What will it contain? COME to the APRIL meeting to discuss it.
This meeting adjourned at 8:55 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
Hannah Sherman, Secretary
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Present on April 7 were: Brian Yates, Ken Newcornb, John Mordes, Kevin Hollenbeck, Vaunita Schnell, Nina Koch, Walter Frey, Hank Lysaght, and Hannah Sherman.
Our intended April guest, Tom Gowrys of the MWRA, could not attend, but agrees to come to the June 2 meeting.
CLEAN-UP DAY. Kevin brought flyers which were mailed and otherwise circulated resulting in better attendance on April 25. We had many workers, delicious food (from Roche Bros.), and good weather (except for the noon shower). Kevin did bring a canoe so the river banks could be more easily cleaned. We actually saw woolly adelgids!
The WOOLLY ADELGID is now resident in the Gorge. Various remedies were discussed at the meeting: oil treatment will not suffice for a large stand of trees. Kevin says the MDC plans discussion of the problem, as ours is not the only reservation affected.(Wilson Mountain, Breakheart Reservation, and Elm Bank are all affected). Planting Western Hemlock (it is immune to the bug) is a possibility but will it grow here? Some officials say ignoring the hug is the only possibility. Lose the trees and plant something else. Brian plans to alert government representatives in hopes of getting State or Federal funds to help fight the bug.
FUTURE MEETINGS. We plan a visit to the Olmsted Site in Brookline to look for his plans of the zig-zag bridce we want to replicate as the Friends' Bridge. We may nave a picnic in July.
The light on the Stone Building has been mentioned to the MDC who should send an electrician to cope with it.
Hank Lysaght explains that the CRWA will pay postage for our mailing with their ADOPT-A-STREAM material and the Newsletter. Brian Yates suggests that the Newsletter be a more in-depth treatment of our concerns than the regular minutes afford.
This meeting adjourned at 8:20 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
Hannah Sherman, Secretary
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Present on May 5 were: Brian Yates, John Mordes, Kevin Hollenbeck, Hank Lysaght, Carol McPherson, Bobbi Demers, our guest Paul Shiman, and Hannah Sherman.
After the successful clean-up on April 25, we congratulate ourselves on the large attendance and good work of all the volunteers. Brian Yates suggests that we concentrate next time on canoe-based efforts to clean New Pond. The advance notice to other organizations helped increase attendance, so we must do that again. The Newton Conservators’ Dinner on May 27, with a Speaker at 8 P.M. (following the 7 P.M. dinner), will honor Dan Driscoll for his great work with the Walkways along the Charles. After further discussion of our projects for the summer (i.e., Visit to the Olmsted Site, Picnic, Field Trip to Houghton Gardens) we devoted the evening to our enemy the woolly adelgid.
The VIDEO from the USDA, which Kevin brought and set up, was informative and inspiring. We now know that the bug spreads about 20 miles per year, BUT its spread is hastened by wind and storms such as Hurricane Gloria which introduced the bug to Connecticut in 1985. In Hemlock Gorge 30% to 50% of the trees are eastern hemlocks. Brian wants to alert our government reps to put us on the list of endangered places, thus making us eligible for Federal money to attack the culprits with injections of the trees or using whatever other new cure researchers may find. Kevin mentioned a symposium to be held in November at Durham, N.H. This is a USDA event. If we do not attend, we can at least get copies of the papers presented then. Meanwhile, Kevin says our best bet is to telephone our State representatives to ask them to phone the MDC chief, Mr. Balfour, asking him to give priority to the adelgid problem (which affects several other MDC properties, too) This is SOMETHING WE MUST ALL DO. TELEPHONE KAY KHAN, LOIS PINES, CYNTHIA CREEM, etc. ASK THEM TO PHONE COMMISSIONER BALFOUR. HELP SAVE THE HEMLOCKS! DO IT NOW! TELEPHONE NOW!
Our June meeting features Tom Gowrys of the MWRA. Kevin suggests we ask him to bring his plans for repair of the Echo Bridge Platform, etc. Hank Lysaght talks of the fish ladders which were planned but not built. John Mordes wants to know if we would be willing to spend extra money to register a name for our Web Site. We vote him approval to cost out this expense.
This meeting adjourned at 9:09 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
Hannah Sherman, Secretary
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Present at the June meeting were: Brian Yates, Ken Newcomb, Bobbi Demers, John Mordes, Kevin Hollenbeck, Carol McPhersoh, Hank Lysaght, Hannah Sherman, and our guest Tom Gawrys of the MWRA.
Mr. Gawrys spoke of the on-going water work in Newton, up-dating us on the pumping station near Waban Reservoir (this will take two years or more) and the new 26-inch water main between Walnut Street and Grant Avenue. In reference to Hemlock Gorge, he said that Kay Khan's two bills have been read and one has been referred to the Ways and Means Committee. The MWRA directors say there will be no more work on Echo Bridge. The Mass. Historical Committee wants new railings to reproduce the old. Restoration of existing rails is too expensive. Also, the disability factor increases the cost--for some people, making the bridge accessable to the handicapped is a priority. Brian Yates asks if the MWRA can ask for I.C.T. funds. The MWRA does not own anything, it merely takes care of places. Permission to change, and requests for funds go to the State and Federal Governments. Some part of I.C.T. money must go to non-automobile projects. Brian suggests we ask the Disability Committee to specify their needs. If making the bridge accessible to the handicapped is not feasible, we escape that expenditure. Mr.Gawrys showed copies of the 1994 plans to restore the bridge. Altogether he was an informative speaker, so ve contemplate asking him to address us once a year.
THE ADELGID. Brian Yates spoke to Lois Pines's office but was told that she does not believe in pesticides so is probably not interested in helping to fund that solution to the adelgid problem. John Mordes says inquiries show that Mass. nurseries do not stock Western Hemlock.
Brian will ask the City to post a sign acknowledging our ownership of the Ellis St. Parking Lot. John Mordes reports that we have had over 800 hits on the Web site. Registering the site as HemlockGorge.org proves expensive, so he will seek alternative ideas.
The August 4 picnic vas a pleasant event with good weather and the presence of several members whom we had not seen lately. Brian has a copy of the Lahey Clinic TV ad showing the Gorge. We'll see this and maybe a re-run of the adelgid film at the September meeting--Sept.l at 7:15 at Emerson Center.
The June meeting adjourned at 9:30 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
Hannah Sherman, Secretary
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NOTICE: The October and November meetings will BOTH be on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, October 13 and November 10.
Present at the September meeting were: Brian Yates, Ken Newcomb, John Mordes, and Hannah Sherman. Brian announced the Friends' treasury balance as of July: $397.50. John Mordes said our Web Site costs $10 per month, and that this will increase in October to $12.50 per month. From the Internet we received an inquiry from a Georgia couple about having an outdoor wedding at the Gorge in August, 1999. Our Internet presentation intrigues them.
Meanwhile we are getting more exposure: the "Chronicle" program on channel 5 used the Gorge as background for an introduction. Mary Richardson and Peter Mehegan both appeared. The Lahey Clinic clip showing our small bridge and a canoeing couple was not shown at this meeting. We hope to show it in October.
John Mordes wrote to Mayor David Chohen of Newton about celebrating the appearance of Ken Newcomb's book on the Internet. The mayor approves our Celebration to be on November 19 at 7 p.m. in the Newton Room of the Newton Public Library. Ken should present a copy of the book to the library for the archives. After all, this is an historic event!
CLEAN-UP DAY is now October 31, Hallowe'en! the October 24 date was not good for Kevin Hollenbeck.
Kay Khan, Lida Harkins, and John Locke all wrote to David Balfour asking him to spend MDC money to find a deterrent (or a cure!) for the hemlock woolly adelgid. Cynthia Creem telephoned Mr. Balfour for the same purpose. We are most grateful to these legistators for their efforts on behalf of the Gorge and the Friends.
This meeting adjourned at 8:07 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Hannah Sherman, Secretary
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NOTICE: the November meetings will be on the 2nd Tuesday of the month due to the elections on the first Tuesday.
At the October meeting (attended by Brian Yates, Ken Newcomb, Kevin Hollenbeck, Hank Lysaght, John Mordes,Vaunita Schnell, and Hannah Sherman) we laid plans for CLEAN-UP DAY, October 31, and for a PARTY to CELEBRATE KEN’S BOOK on Nov.19 at Newton Public Library.
CLEAN-UP DAY PROJECTS:
Kevin says a chemical to drench the trees is obtainable hut must be sprayed over each vhole tree from a tank on a truck Each tree rnust be within 300 yard.s of the truck. Could we pick out a fev trees to be sprayed? At least we could save a few this way. Who pays for this? On October 31 we’ll designate some peogle to look for adelgids. The MDC would then mark these trees for the sprayers.
Hank Lysaght asks for more canoes on CLEAN-UP DAY.
The PARTY for KEN’s BOOK will be on November 19 at 7 P.M. at the Newton Roon of the Newton Puhlic Library. The library will supply refreshments. We discussed inviting guests, bringing brochures for prospective menbers, wearing our FHG.buttons, and other pertinent matters.
INTERNET. Our site now has gotten more than 1300 hits. An E-mail to John Mordes asks ”when will the 'History of the Friends of Hemlock Gorge,' promised for 1997, appear?”
FRIENDS' BRIDGE: John Mordes discovered from an email sent to the Friends that the Library of Congress has an actual picture of the original bridge showing very clearly that it is a straight span, not a Z-shape. There is a walkway in front of the Devil’s Den and then a straight, level bridge.
QUINNOBEQUIN ROAD RIVERBANK guard-rails have been requested but have not heen installed. Kevin can write a contract for surveying and will talk to Dan Driscoll about implementing it.
On Sunday, November l at 2 P.M. Vaunita Schnell will lead a tour of the Gorge sponsored by the Newton Conservators. If you go on this tour, park at the Ellis St. Lot. Kay
Khan dropped by on her vay to a CDC meeting. She is doing fine work on our behalf. We thank her.
After some discussion as to who should remain on the mailing list, this meeting adjourned at 8:40 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
Hannah Sherman, Secretary
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Brian Yates, Ken Newomb,
Hank Lysaght, John Mordes, and Hannah Sehrman attended the
November meeting.
After congratulating ourselves on the success of the CLEAN-UP DAY, we discussed the plans for the November 19 PARTY for KEN NEWCOMB and his Internet book, The Makers of the Mold. The Newton PUblic Library's lack of projection equipment will be compensated for by John Mordes and Hank Lysaght who will borrow from the Wellesley Library.
ADDENDUM: THE PARTY FOR KEN NEWCOMB was a great success, thanks to all the people who worked so hard to prepare the book for the Internet, to plan the celebration, and to contribute time and effort to the production of a wonderful evening. We had a large attendance, including frineds, relatives, and City and State officials. Mayro Cohen of Newton read a Proclamation honoring Ken. Brian Yates read statements from Lois Pines (in the State Senate) and Kay Khan (in the State House of representatives). There was much praise of Ken for his many years of dedicated work.
At the
November meeting we again saw an old photo of the bridge spanning the channel
opposite the Devil's Den. this is another proof that the
bridge was two separate straight spans.
Brian Yates reported on a lecture he and Kevin Hollenbeck attended at the Arnold Arboretum about the WOOLLY ADELGID. The lecturer, Dr. Mark McClure, has bred a tiny species of lady bug that is being used by the State of New Jersey to combat the adelgid. Brian has already called a forester in New Hampshire who knows who stocks these bugs in Massachusetts. Brian suggests that legislators in Massachusetts be presuaded to invest in an MDC program to fight the adelgid.
John Mordes and Brian Yates will plan the annual dues letter and the report of our activities, which should be mailed out after the December 1 meeting. As in past years, we'll meet at the MILL FALLS RESTAURANT to do this mailing. Do come ehlp us on December 1!
This meeting adjourned at 9:00 P.M.
Respectfully Submitted,
Hannah Sherman, Secretary
Present on December 1 were Brian Yates, Ken Newcomb, Kevin Hollenbeck, Hank Lysaght, Bobbi Demers, Carol McPherson, and Hannah Sherman.
The purpose of this meeting was to prepare the annual dues letter for mailing. This was accomplished in less than an hour, so we had plenty of time to enjoy the elegant refreshments prepared by our host, Larry Wolozin. While we feasted on little cakes, cookies, coffee, and tea, we discussed the PROBLEM of the WOOLLY ADELGID.
It was pointed out that the informative lecture by Dr. Mrk McClure at the Arnold Arboretum was primarily designed for landscapers, not for caretakers of a forest. This June there will be a lecture in Durham, NH aimed at foresters. Will the MDC send Kevin to this event? Can any of us attend? Brian again talked about buying bugs bred by Dr. McClure to attack the adelgid. Kevin says ask the State to tive money to by \them. He also suggests we plant sugar maple trees to replace dead hemlocks. They enjoy similar habitat witht he hemlocks and woud at least keep the property from being entirely treeless. An infested hemlock takes 3 to 4 years to die.
Plans of the broadcasting tower-erecting folk that now annoy Upper Falls citizens were mentioned. The tower people promise planting along the Charles River Pathway.
The Friends of Hemlock Gorge need money. Shall we try to sell maps? More T shires? Pins?
Kevin plans to return the unused plants sent to us by the Wildflower Organization for our fall Clean-Up Day.
Kevin did cut down the tree that was bothering Larry Wolozin.
We are greateful to Larry Wolozin for letting us meet at this restaurant, The Mill Falls, this night. The refreshments were delicious, as always.
This meeting adjourned at 9:07 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Hannah Sherman, Secretary
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