Friends of Willard Brook
Board of Directors Meeting MINUTES
1. Attending were Eino Kauppi, Tom Nevins, Joellyn Nevins, Sherisa Sterling, John D'Angelillo, Bruce Colburn, Sussie Holzberlein and Jayne Perkins.
2. Corrections to
the minutes- none
3. Treasurer s report $1,932.65
4. Membership
report - 102
5. Publicity
a. Fall
newsletter update is out.
b. Winter
newsletter tentative schedule is for Dec. 15, with submissions due by Dec. 8.
6. September
programs
a. Beaver talk
had 16 attending and fly fishing had 4 people.
b. cranberry picking Sept 26 - the berries were not ripe and
this was postponed to Oct. 17.
7. October programs
coming up
a. October 11
Fall Colors Walk Along the Rail Trail
b. October 17 Picking the Wild Cranberries
c. October 31 Halloween Hike to the dead Swamp.
d. November 7 Neat Streets Clean up
e. November 15, Introduction to Geocaching.
f. November 29 Post-Thanksgiving Hike on
g. December 6 Bare Bones Botany.
8. Friends of
NRRT Bruce
a. work day results - it was a busy day on the trail. Bruce
worked with Duane from Sand Hill north.
The Pepperell town line and several mile markers were found and
uncovered, mulch put around them to keep the weeds down. Some erosion was fixed. They found some
floats on the edge of the river. They
ran out of chips above Pepperell center.
b. Murals -
will check with Duane next month.
c. kiosk replacement has not begun because DCR has decided
that they need to be redesigned. DCR has tabled this project, so maybe someone
from our board should inquire of DCR for a kiosk in Ayer, by going to the DCR
web site; this may put it back on the DCR radar.
d, day of celebrating human-powered transportation - next
month.
e. bike shop signs on trail - Bruce doesn't see a problem,
they aren't big and they are at a parking lot and not on the trail.
9. Trails
committee Emily
a. Flagging Dead Swamp Trail Sussie to talk to
Emily.
10.
a. target date - authorization has been received and this
will be done when equipment, materials and man power are all in place.
11. DCR /
Bruce and Ed are in the process of shutting
down the parks for the
winter.
Pearl Hill closes Columbus Day; the
remaining seasonal staff will be
done then.
A budget cut is anticipated, full effect
unknown.
Off season projects have been started, the
roads at Damon Campground
have been done.
Big repairs are planned for the Pearl Hill
gravel road.
Mowing has been done at the access road at
Work to be done to maintain the mountain
road for DCR and emergency
vehicle access to the top of the
mountain.
The Rail Trail project is done at Groton
Pond. Granite stones have
been set as benches and riprap
set along the edges of the pond. There is a silt fence to be removed.
The 20 man Yurt is to be constructed in the
next few weeks. The Yurt
will be
Work on the old Stoddard residence has been
halted due to budget
limits.
Environmental Police held ATV trainings
last month.
The cost of refuse removal has been cut at
Willard Brook and
Hill by changing to a call for pickup
instead of automatic pickups and by removing one of the dumpsters at Pearl Hill
Campground.
12. Other business
a. Annual report for Comm. of MA due
b. Winter Carnival for this year? Bruce said to email Ed on it and see where it
goes.
c. It was
requested by FOWB and agreed by DCR not to move the honorary monument on
13. Next meeting
November 5,