Friends of Willard Brook

Board of Directors Meeting – MINUTES

Thursday, June 9, 2011.  7:00 PM. Willard Brook State Forest Headquarters.  Townsend, MA

 

1.  Attending were Sue Holzberlein, Deborah Smith, Jeff Dominick, John D’Angelillo, Sherisa

     Sterling, Tom Nevins, Joellyn Nevins, Emily Norton, Bruce Colburn and Jayne Perkins.

2.  Corrections to the minutes - none

3.  Treasurer’s report - $3,081.83. Tom has done a P&L statement for FOWB.

4.  Membership report – 63 current, 24 1 year, 22 1-3 years. Renewals coming during Annual

     Meeting.

5.  Publicity

·         Annual meeting – Posters and flyers out in several places by Joellyn, Jeff and Emily.  Emily did an email to the news outlets.

·         Summer newsletter – articles: annual meeting, list new Board of Directors, invasive species pictures before and after; DCR

·         forest news; schedule; Photo contest poster and year in review article.

·         Can FOWB purchase two portable signs? Jeff will email info later on costs.

·         Let’s get working on FOWB poster – Deborah will design a poster and Emily will send pictures for her to work with.

6.  Spring programs May/June

·         May 14 – Neat Streets – 4

·         May 28 - Fly-fishing, beaver program, there were 8 at the beaver walk.

·         June 5 – Invasives weed pull – 2

7.  Upcoming programs

·         June 18 – sunrise hike up Watatic

·         June 24 – annual meeting

8.  Invasives committee

·         Partnership grant – no communication from Conrad this month, Emily will talk to Leslie Gobrilska of Townsend Conservation

·         Commission for permit help.

·         Next project? Bittersweet at the old well.

9.  Friends of NRRT – Duane is resigning from being head of the NRRT Committee but will remain   

     on the board of directors.  Dann Chamberlain will take over as chairman of the Friends of the

    NRRT.

10. Trails committee – Sussie, Ray

·         A summer trails work day for our membership? Ray will lead work day on August 20 starting at 8:30.  If needed, another work

·         day will be planned for second weekend of September, 9/10 at 10:00 am work on the FOWB trail blaze markers and remove

·         placards.  Sussie will let people know where to meet.

11. Annual meeting

·         Nominating committee Emily has several new people. John Bilotti will step down but is still willing to do our printing.

·         Are we set for the meeting? Yes.   Supplies; Jeff will print placemats, Jeff B will bring ice tea and lemonade in his big containers.

·          Set up time is 5:00 PM. Sussie will run the membership table. Emily will call the speaker. RSVP’s?? Joellyn has several

12. Photo contest – ongoing; no news.

13. Liability insurance prices – John B working on this.  So far, costs are much higher than previous

      policy and they provide less coverage.

14. Fessenden Hill Road gates – Bruce sent a letter to MA Highway to request the contractor

      install the gate DCR has only one, also asked if MA Highway might be able to supply the

      other gate that is needed.

15. DCR/Forest news – Pearl Hill Campground has several trees uprooted and down because of

      the recent thunderstorms. The circuit road is shut down by a downed tree. Tomorrow the

     work will be done to clear all the trees.  Both camping areas are full for the week-end.  The

     Yurt is rented for every weekend this summer.  All of Willard Brook was full both days of the

     Memorial Day weekend. The Nashua River Rail trail has been mowed from Sand Hill north.

     There are new bullhorns for the staff to use if people jump from the bridge into Damon Pond. If

     jumpers from the bridge don’t listen, staff will call Ashby police.  There are some new maps for

     the kiosks.  Zep Corp. met with Bruce for a quote on green cleaning supplies.  Three more staff

     are starting a week from Sunday.

16. Other business - none

17. Next meeting – Emily will send email the second week of July to the members of the board.

     The next gathering at the headquarters is September 8?