Friends of Willard Brook
Board of Directors Meeting – MINUTES
August 6, 2009.
7:00 pm. Willard Brook State
Forest Headquarters, Townsend
1. Attending were Tom Nevins, Joellyn Nevins, Sherisa Sterling, Don Stoddard, Eino Kauppi, Deborah Smith, Bruce Colburn, John Bilotti, Duane Cromwell and Jayne Perkins.
2. Corrections to the minutes - none
3. Treasurer’s report – Eino - balance $1,931.69
4. Membership report – Eino - 101 members.
5. Publicity
- Summer newsletter out; thank you to John B. for printing it!
- Townsend Times carried a great article on the annual meeting.
- Fall newsletter: target date for submission of articles: 9/7; for publication: 9/21/09; article suggestions:
§ Something by Environmental Protection Officer, on how we should handle illegal dumping when found
§ Riverways article by Eino & Emily
§ Lunenburg Snowmobile Club
- Volunteers for fall programs –
§ Tom & Joellyn – Geo-caching (date to follow)
§ Neat Streets - date to follow
- PSAs - Don doesn't know if they have been done, he has sent the email.
6. Summer programs so far
- Blueberry picking on Watatic (July 11) – 13 attended
- Nature along rail trail with Peter Alden (July 18) – 5 attended, in the rain!
- Nature hike for Townsend Girl Scouts (July 25) – 9 scouts, 3 leaders
- Nature watching with Jennifer Pettit and Emily Norton (Aug 1)
7. Summer/fall programs coming up
- Watatic hike with Bill Stanwood – Aug 15
- Damon Loop hike with Sussie Holzberlein – Aug 22
- Cranberry picking with Emily Norton – Sept 26
8. Friends of NRRT – Duane -- Next meeting Aug 17 7:30PM at NRWS
- Mural - a few details to finish, the dedication sign on the completed mural and solar LED lights. Planning a second mural for the Pleasant Street tunnel, the subject to be the railroad history of the trail in this area.
- Kiosk replacement - all DCR kiosks will be redesigned and redone. Could take a while before they get replaced.
- Tamper-resistant signs - all materials are here per Bruce, just not enough manpower. We'll plan for a Friends work group to help get this done.
- Other - DCR planning to attend a meeting of NRRT. Bruce mowed in Groton. Groton also mowed some but they are short staffed. Also trees were trimmed in Dunstable on the equestrian trail and that will get mowed, too. Lots of folks on the trail expressed their appreciation. NRRT Committee to plan for a day of celebration of all things human powered, like bikes, recumbants, “whimsicles,” etc. Duane and Bruce will check to see if the bike shop signs that have been showing up on the trail, should be stopped. Duane has removed them and will return them to the bike shop with proper instructions.
9. Trails Committee – Sussie and Ray
- Cross walks on New Fitchburg Road (John D. and Ray) Not done yet, Ray and Eino to get it done, Bruce has the materials. [Has since been completed – looks great!]
- New flagging method – slash and paint rather than metal markers
- Flagging Dead Swamp trail – date for the fall? Need to talk to Emily or Sussie.
- Other - DCR headquarters praised Willard Brook for getting trails safe so quickly this spring.
- Ray worked with an Eagle Scout on meetinghouse Hill Road trail.
10. Fessenden Hill Road gating
- Townsend selectmen have given the OK to gate off Fessenden Hill Road. A certified letter was received at Willard Brook and the gates can be put up. Materials are on hand but need work and manpower to complete the job. Also need to find the locations for the gates.
- Target date? as soon as it can be worked into the schedule.
11. Scouting connections
- Emily spoke to regional Boy Scout leaders June 8 at the Nashoba Valley Council Round Table.
- Emily brought 9 Townsend Girl Scouts on nature walk in Willard Brook State
- Forest; saw toads, frogs, lots of birds, bear scat, lots of plants.
12. Post Annual Meeting discussion – what went right, what went wrong, suggestions for
next year. The overall opinion was it was great this year, just the way we did it. Suggestions for next year, maybe a wire sign outside announcing our program for the evening. We should stick with animal topics as it seems more people are interested.
ACTION REQUIRED: Send thank you o the Amanda Dwight Fund for sponsoring the speaker.
13. DCR / Forest news -- Bruce spoke about the problems with illegal dumping. When
an incident is taken to court, conviction can be jeopardized if someone has handled the dumped items and contaminated the evidence. RECOMMENDATION: If you see something dumped illegally, don't touch it. Don't even go near it. Stand on the road and take pictures and call Bruce or Ed. They will get the EPO to handle it, after they take photos. The EPO will try to prosecute. Incidents need to be tracked and reported to all channels. Steve McAndrews is the Environmental Protection Officer (EPO) for the Townsend area.
Good news, a fourth vehicle with a service body – 1 ton with more safety lighting – has been received at WB. Work is being done to rehab it for use with towing abilities. The hybrid truck is in the shop.
Camping has been busy on weekends. Lifeguards have had two swim rescues and 4 “bandaids.” Mostly the swimming areas have passed on water quality. Pearl Hill Pond weed eradication will be done this fall. Eddie has a permit. Rehab to be done on Pearl Hill beach area, permit to draw down has been given.
The yurt foundation is in. Ongoing re-stabilization at Groton Pond has been in process and is delaying the finish of the yurt. Staff is tied up, but the yurt is next on the list. The well pump at Damon was replaced. An email was received from the Boston office showing that people have rated Pearl Hill as “Exceeded expectations.”
Damon closes Labor Day. Pearl Hill closes Columbus Day.
14. Other business
15. Next meeting: Sept 3; John D. to chair.