Friends of Willard Brook

Board of Directors Meeting – MINUTES

Thursday, May 12, 2011. 7:00 PM. Willard Brook State Forest Headquarters. Townsend, MA

1. Attending were Sherisa Sterling, Jeff Dominick, Tom Nevins, Joellyn Nevins, Emily Norton, Deborah Smith, Bruce Colburn and Jayne Perkins.

2. Corrections to minutes – none.

3. Treasurer’s report – Tom - $3,002.10, includes $250.00 from Amanda Dwight Fund toward our speaker at our annual meeting.

4. Membership report – Sussie – 67 current, 21 1 year past due, and 20 1-3 years past due.

5. Publicity

· Newsletter went out; tech problem resulted in deletion of photo contest poster; Emily will email poster to members and add it to the summer newsletter.

· Emily will also email an article for PR to Cheryl.

· Annual meeting posters; Joellyn, Sherisa and Jeff will post them. Where town halls, libraries and others.

6. Spring programs so far

· NRRT litter pick-up, 22 people including Boy Scouts turned out to clean up the trail.

· Vernal pools field work – it rained the night before but Cathy and Emily found 2 pools, Jennifer and Emily found one off Old Turnpike Road and one on

· Fish and Wildlife land, and one at Hillside Cemetery.

· Earth Day – cool day, Smokey did come, 5 new members, 2 renewals at the table worked by Sussie, Emily and Deborah.

7. Upcoming programs

· May 14 – Neat Streets Clean-up

· May 28 – Fly-fishing Seminar and Beaver Walk

· June 5 – Invasive Species Weed Pull

· June 18 – Sunrise Hike on Watatic

· June 24 – FOWB Annual Meeting

8. Invasives committee – Emily

· Partnership grant info or lack thereof – after many emails to Conrad, Emily heard that Tom Flaherty will get estimates. FOWB will get in touch with Cons

· Comm to get permit process started.

· First weed pull scheduled June 5; MA Fisheries and Wildlife gave permission

9. Friends of NRRT – Duane – no report.

10. Trails Committee –Sussie will put new blaze markers on the trees for the FOWB trail.

11. Photo Contest – Joellyn – Joellyn has the posters, Bruce will put some up around the parks and posters can be placed with the annual meeting posters.

12. Annual Meeting

· Publicity should mention Amanda Dwight Fund, it has been added to the posters.

· Nominating committee – Up for re-election are Tom, Joellyn and Sherisa. Committee to check with Sussie on folks who checked their membership forms

· that they would like to be on the board.

· Invitation addressing – Emily’s at 6:30 on May 17

· Pot Luck needs – John Bilotti to bring Tea and Lemonade in coolers. Coffee, tea, placemats, sugar and cream. Jeff will print placemats. Sussie will work

· the membership table. T-shirts and hats will be available. Joellyn will verify the rest but we should have all the plastics we need.

· Membership table

13. Every Day Grant – we did not get it.

14. DCR-Friends Groups Policy; John B. looking in to liability insurance, need a report.

15. Fessenden Hill Road gates – North end of road to be done first. Bruce has a gate. He needs another large gate for the south end.

16. DCR/Forest news – The contractor has been in touch with Bruce about the gate. Lumber has been purchased for summer work. Gravel for the fire road

repair is here from FEMA. Flowers have been planted around the parks. 50 tons of sand for beach repair has been delivered. All long term personnel are on

duty, except 1 spot to be filled. Sand Hill Road parking lot has been graded. New cleaning products purchases will be green products, as stock runs out.

Damon Pond Campground had an electrical problem traced to stolen underground wiring about 1200 feet of wire was stolen, Ashby and Environmental police

have been informed. Tree cutting has been started, trees at the old ball field have been taken down. Old City Road has some and several other places with be

addressed. Bears have been active around Hosmer Road area and the old Stoddard field. Clean up of Damon Pond has begun.

17. Other business

18. Next meeting: Thursday, June 9, 2011, 7:00 PM at Willard Brook headquarters.

Respectfully submitted by Jayne Perkins.