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Vol. 6, No. 12
Monday, November 8, 2004
Contents | Wellington News | Home
Hello and welcome to all our readers. This issue contains information on TWO very important events - an NCSC / Wellington Park Neighborhood Community Brunch to be held on Sunday, Nov. 14, 11:30-1:00 at Newton Community Service Center AND our CPA Proposal for improvements at Wellington Park, to be presented to the Community Preservation Committee next Wednesday, November 10, 9:30 pm at the Newton Library Auditorium. PLEASE read further about these important developments. You may be tempted just to close this without reading but take the time this time!
Contents | Wellington News | Home
You are cordially invited to an informal neighborhood community brunch at the Newton Community Service Center (NCSC) next Sunday morning, November 14 at 11:30 am. We will have bagels (and cream cheese of course), muffins, donuts, juice, hot beverages and other snacks. Adults, teens, and children are all invited to this free event! We will convene in the Cooper Room at NCSC which is most easily accessed from the right steps entrance on Waltham Street. NCSC is at 492 Waltham Street, the next building on Waltham Street away from Washington Street past CVS. In its former life it was known as the Davis Elementary School.
You may have walked by NCSC many times and wondered what it was all about. Maybe you went there to vote recently and wondered if people played basketball there as well as fill in little ovals on pieces of paper. The official name of NCSC is Newton Community Service Centers. They have a great website at http://www.ncscweb.org with more details. There will be a tour of the Center and program description for those who are interested by Judy Weinstock, who is the family daycare director for NCSC. Around 12:30 pm, there will also be a behind the scenes tour of NCSC's brand new Youth Center on Cherry Street.
The Newton Community Service Center was established nearly a century ago by a group of people who wanted to build a better community, instituting the core mission that remains today: to provide human service programs based on community needs that allow even the most needy person to have a voice and the level of care they deserve. They run a truly amazing gamut of programs servicing all age including childcare, after-school care, family day-care, child assault prevention programs, a summer camp, parent-child home program, young parents programs, adult day health care, senior volunteer programs, the outstanding Teen Reach program, as well as athletic programs (basketball, etc) in their gym. NCSC has a number of family day care providers around our neighborhood, (e.g. Claire Yerardi who has the most colorful toys on Henshaw Street.)
As you may or may not know, our park organization, Citizens for Wellington Park, is affiliated with the Newton Community Service Centers. They are our non-profit sponsor and in fact are the keeper of our monies in the Wellington Park Fund. Our affiliation with NCSC began in 1999 when we ran our first Wellington ParkFest. We approached Star Market to see if they could donate some soda for the ParkFest but they required a letter and proof of non-profit status. Tony Bibbo, executive director of NCSC, came to the rescue and allowed us to ask in their name. This relationship became even more crucial as we moved forward with our playground build in 2000. The city gave us a grant of $12,500 as a start for a new playground and NCSC, as a non-profit, administered our Wellington Park Fund. Donations could then be made to our fund via NCSC and be tax deductible. With this mechanism, we were able to select, negotiate with, and pay the play equipment company, cement company, and other vendors involved in the playground build. Your editor, Ted Kuklinski, was asked to join the board of directors of NCSC around that time. Kelley Brown, another active Citizen for Wellington Park, joined the NCSC board this year cementing even further our strong neighborhood interconnection with NCSC. On a sad note, our sympathies go to Tony Bibbo, director of NCSC for over 40 years, who recently lost his wife Barbara. She kept the books at NCSC and was a wonderful help to us during our playground build.
This past Sunday was the grand opening of the new Youth Center at 429 Cherry Street. Interestingly, this building housed NCSC prior to their move to Waltham Street. The building, officially named the Anthony J. Bibbo Youth Center, has been completely renovated and should be a destination for teens from all over the city. It is a safe, fun, and FREE place for teens to drop in, hang out and relax, or join one of their new and exciting programs. It has a fantastic teen lounge and entertainment center, with pool table, foosball, large screen tv, video games, internet, snack bar, a computer workroom and homework center, a culinary arts teaching kitchen, counseling center, fitness center with cardio and weight training equipment, a music practice and production center, and a theater space for band, comedy and drama performances. There will be free workshops and classes in such things as yoga, cooking, creative writing, music production. There will be homework help, tutoring, job hunting and resume help, social action, and a lot more. Hours of operation will be Monday-Thursday from 4-10 pm and Fridays form 6-11 pm. Sound interesting? Bring your teenager or teenager to be for a look-see at this exciting new neighborhood facility.
NCSC's motto is "building community one family at a time." Building community is what Citizen's for Wellington Park is all about too. Please come and join your neighbors on Sunday morning at this neighborhood event. If you can attend, an RSVP would be appreciated to either Ted Kuklinski at 617-969-6222 or to Michelle Groper at NCSC, 617-969-5906 x119. This is just so we can get an idea of how much food to prepare. However, please come even if you didn't RSVP - Sunday 11:30 am! Hope to see you there!
Contents | Wellington News | Home
On October 15th, Citizens for Wellington Park submitted a proposal to the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) to fund improvements at Wellington Park. The main body of the proposal content is provided at the end of this newsletter as an appendix. Links to the full proposal itself (in both Microsoft Word and PDF forms) can be found shortly on our website at http://www.wellingtonpark.org/wpip.htm.
Newton is one of the towns which has implemented the Community Preservation Act (CPA) which provides Newton a fund (from a 1% real estate tax surcharge matched by state funds) which can be used for open space, community housing, historic preservation, or recreation. You can find out more about the CPA process on the City of Newton website at http://www.ci.newton.ma.us/Planning/CPAC/committee.htm. Recently, it was reported that about 20 more towns have adopted the CPA in their own communities including nearby Needham.
In Newton, approximately $4M are available each year in Newton which can be used for projects involving open space, community housing, historic preservation, or recreation. About $2M comes from the surcharge and it is 100% matched by the state. A total of 21 project proposals were submitted by the October 15th deadline totaling over $6M so there is some degree of competition for grants this year.
One of the requirements for improvements on Newton park land is that we have co-sponsorship of the proposal with the Newton Parks and Recreation Commission. We have had great cooperation and support from the Newton Parks and Recreation Department but we needed to formally ask for sponsorship from the Commission as well. On Monday, October 18th, we put our proposal before the Commission at their meeting and were provisionally approved. At their next meeting on Monday, November 15, 7:30 am (probably Room 209 City Hall) there will be a public hearing on this project before they give final approval since they felt the need to notify abutters and hold a fully public noticed hearing. You are invited to attend this hearing and it is hoped that they would ratify their provisional sponsorship of the proposal.
More importantly, there will be a public hearing before the Community Preservation Committee on this coming Wednesday evening, November 10th at about 9:30 pm in the Druker Auditorium of the Newton Public Library. This will consist of a 10 minute presentation (PowerPoint) by us on the project. Following this there will be up to 10 minutes of public comment. It would be great to have some residents come to that hearing and make a brief statement (a minute or two, even a sentence or two) in favor of our proposal. There usually is a sign up sheet for those who wish to speak. If you let us know ahead of time that you are coming, we can put your name on the list. There are sometimes parties who make statements disfavoring certain types of CPA projects as a matter of course. This will actually be the last presentation of the night - the library closes at 10 pm. So put the kids to bed and come over to the library on Wednesday night. Its another way to participate in government besides voting.
Following this public hearing, if the CPC wants to go forward with the proposal, they will schedule working sessions to go over the details of the proposal before formulating a formal recommendation on the project. Following that the proposal goes before the Aldermanic CPA and Finance Committees. Lastly, it needs to be approved by the full Board of Aldermen. The funds would then be available after another period of time. The process typically could take six months. It would be hoped that the process could be completed in time for a bid to be put out in the spring and the work to be done over the summer. Attendance at any of the hearings, committee meetings, and aldermanic meetings indicates community interest in completing the project.
Paper copies of the proposal will be provided shortly to our Ward 3 aldermen, Anthony Salvucci, Ted Hess-Mahan, and Leonard Gentile. Support from the public and the aldermen is an important component of the success of any proposal. Carol Stapleton of the Parks and Recreation Department will be helping us in the process of moving the proposal forward. Parks and Recreation Commissioner Fran Towle, Bob DeRubeis, Deputy Commissioner, and Tom Cahill have also been very supportive. Other Parks and Recreation personnel have been helpful in getting the proposal copied and distributed.
In our last newsletter we urged readers to send letters of support via email and you responded very well. Many of these were included in the proposal itself. We would urge anyone who has not written a letter of support to do so. It can be in email or letter form. We will collect these and forward them to the Community Preservation Committee. The CPA application includes a section on "Community Support" where the following question is asked: "What is the nature and level of support for this project? Include letters of support and any petitions." Could you take the time to dash off an email to wellingtonpark@aol.com or by replying to this newsletter. You could also mail to or drop off a letter at 24 Henshaw Terrace, West Newton, MA 02465.
Your email or letter could be addressed as "Dear CPA Committee". The basic message is to urge the committee to favorably consider our proposal. You could mention how pleased you are with the improvements so far and how you have been waiting a long time for the additional improvements, how much you look forward to playing tennis or basketball on a non cracked surface, how tennis has not been possible for over 20 years (have you ever seen a net?), how a completed pathway will make it easier for wheelchairs and strollers to access the park, how some additional play equipment will provide more variety, how a hose connection will allow our volunteer gardeners a means to keep the flowers growing, how the park builds a sense of community which is so lacking today, or any of a myriad of other possibilities. You can write an individual email or just let us know that you are in support of the project and we will add your name to our general petition.
The main body of our CPA Proposal follows below:
Contents | Wellington News | Home
Wellington Park Improvement Project
CPA Proposal
Recreation
Submitted by:
Citizens for Wellington Park
Newton Parks and Recreation
October 15, 2004
Project Description
Citizens for Wellington Park (CWP), in cooperation with the Newton Parks and Recreation Department, is pleased to submit this proposal for improvements to Wellington Park to the Community Preservation Committee (CPC). Wellington Park is a small neighborhood park on Kilburn Road in West Newton. Wellington Park is its local name but is officially referred to as Wellington Playground in city documents.
The park was originally donated to the city in 1930 by Frank Wellington. The park contains a number of open areas, a tot lot area, and some heavily cracked court areas (one a basketball court, the other formerly a fenced tennis court). Through the 1980's, the play area contained two swings and a sliding board. The slide was broken and removed in the late 90's. Citizens for Wellington Park was formed in 1999 for the purpose of fostering community and to advocate for improvements at Wellington Park.
Utilizing a city grant ($12,500) and local fundraising, a successful playground build was completed in October 2000 with a total budget of approximately $18,000. The picture on the cover of this proposal is taken from that playground build that was organized by CWP and illustrates how a park can bring people together. In addition, CWP and Newton Parks and Recreation have worked cooperatively in maintaining the park and bringing about a number of other improvements at Wellington Park. There are new shade trees, fencing for the play area, a picnic bench and a volunteer maintained flower garden. CWP sponsors the annual Wellington ParkFest each fall to foster the sense of community. The 6th annual event was held this past September. Citizens for Wellington Park maintains a website (www.wellingtonpark.org) and publishes an email newsletter (10-12 times per year). One can follow the recent history of Wellington Park by referring to these resources. Two Newton Serves cleanup and planting projects have taken place at Wellington.
In 2001, there was a request to the Mayor's Committee on Handicapped Accessibility for funds to make Wellington Park more accessible. The playground area was designed with handicapped access in mind yet there was no accessible pathway from the street to the play area entrance. The Mayor's Committee approved an expenditure from Community Development Block Grant Funds (CDBG) of $10,000 for accessible pathways and benches at Wellington around the play area. While the funds are still available, the work was never performed in anticipation of new courts being put in first.
Perhaps the main need at Wellington is for new courts. There is a basketball court and another high fenced court which at one time functioned as a tennis court. The paved areas actually serve many uses. Most children learn to ride bikes on the surfaces. Both surfaces are heavily cracked and in need of replacement and may pose a tripping hazard. The area was once a peat bog which contributed to the cracking of the court surface. Currently the most popular activity on the court surfaces is chalk drawing. The basketball standards are functional but experienced metal fatigue cracks several years ago that were repaired. The fenced paved area in the former tennis court has two metal posts and some faded lines but has not functioned as a tennis court in at least the last twenty or twenty five years. No net has been there over this period. It has been the site of bicycle training, formerly street hockey (before the cracks were too deep), wiffleball, and a variety of other activities. We propose a tennis court for the site but an area which could function for other activities as well.
The courts at Wellington have been a priority project with the Parks and Recreation Department for many years. In the late 1990's, there was a request from the Ward 3 aldermen (Salvucci, Gentile, and Bullwinkle) for Capital Improvement Funds of $60,000 to fund new courts. Due to heavier than anticipated snow removal costs, the approval for funding was delayed several years until late in 2002 when it was approved by Mayor Cohen. In the spring of 2003, the City Engineering Department prepared plans for construction of a basketball and tennis court at Wellington Park. In July of 2003, this project was put out to bid (http://www.ci.newton.ma.us/purchasing/bids/fy03/03-87.pdf) with two bidders (http://www.ci.newton.ma.us/purchasing/bids/fy03/87-results.pdf) and a minimum bid of $96, 794.50. The project was put out again in April of 2004 (http://www.ci.newton.ma.us/purchasing/bids/fy04/04-64-A.pdf) and there were 5 bidders (http://www.ci.newton.ma.us/purchasing/bids/fy04/04-64-results.pdf) with a bid range from a minimum of $93,550 to a maximum of $118,040. It is unlikely that the cost will go down in any future bidding process. Costs have escalated over the past five years since the original amount of $60,000 was proposed and without additional funding the needed new courts cannot be built.
We can anticipate an additional cost of approximately $35,000 above the $60,000 allocated for court work.
In addition to the court work, there are a number of other desired improvements at the park as determined by citizen input at a number of meetings and in cooperation with the Parks and Recreation Department. These include the following items:
" Extension of accessible pathway to the south Kilburn Road entrance
" Estension of accessible pathway to Princess Road entrance
" Bi-level accessible water fountain
" Garden hose connection and backflow valve
" Play equipment - upper body climber, etc.
" Benches
" Additional tree (sugar maple) around play area for shade
" Bulletin board / information kiosk
" Signage
" Miscellaneous - portable soccer goals, trash can covers, bag dispensers
The estimated cost of these additional improvements is expected to be about $30,000. The total cost for Wellington Park improvements is anticipated to be about $135,000. Wellington Park has currently allocated or committed funds towards these improvements of $71,000. Of this, there are $60,000 in CIP funds, $10,000 in CDBG funds, and $1,000 in CWP contributions.
We are requesting an allocation of $64,000 in CPA funds to complete the improvements at Wellington Park. Any funds not used would be returned to the CPA general fund.
1. Goals:
What are the goals of the proposed project?
The goals of this project are to complete the rehabilitation of Wellington Park in West Newton. Included will be new basketball and tennis courts, additional play equipment, accessible pathways, fountain, and other park amenities. We want to make Wellington Park (Playground) into a fully functional and accessible recreation facility in Newton. We are asking for CPA funds to supplement existing CIP, CDBG, and CWP funds to complete the improvements needed at Wellington Park.
2. Community Need:
Why is this project needed? Does it address needs identified in existing City plans?
There is a need for safe parks and recreation areas in Newton. Wellington Park was an older neighborhood park that is in the process of being revitalized. Accessible paths and amenities are not just a convenience any more but a requirement. New courts will provide safe local recreational opportunities to Newton residents. Parks function as a focus and meeting area for a neighborhood, a place where young and old can come together, where friendships are formed, where folks can play sports or just sit on a bench and enjoy the day. Parks add immensely to the quality of life in an area. The City of Newton's Recreation Open Space Plan for 2003-2007 discusses the value of such neighborhood parks and in particular the need to make them handicapped accessible.
3. Community Support:
What is the nature and level of support for this project? [Include letters of support]
This proposal has strong community support. Appendix A includes many letters of support to the CPC in favor of this proposal. The local Wellington Park community is well organized and Citizens for Wellington Park functions as a neighborhood organization to help bring the community together. The major improvements in this proposal have been thoroughly discussed in meetings and publications in the local community. In addition, they have support of the city which has previously attempted to bring about these improvements. The annual Wellington ParkFest attended by hundreds of people from nearby and from across the City of Newton attests to the value that citizens place on Wellington Park as a community resource. Many citizen volunteers and local business have contributed to improving Wellington Park over the past several years.
4. Timeline:
What is the schedule for project implementation, including a timeline for all critical elements.
The following gives an approximate timeline for processes. The project should be put to bid early enough so that contractors can allocate time over the summer of 2005 for work to be done. We would hope to complete the park improvements and celebrate with a grand opening at the 7th Annual Wellington Parkfest in September 2005.
" Submit CPA Application - October, 2004
" Parks and Recreation Commission Approval - October/November, 2004
" Possible CPA Approval - March/April 2005
" Redraft engineering plan (including any new items) - January - May, 2005
" Prepare Bid - April 2005
" Put specifications to bid - May 2005
" Award bid to low qualified bidder - June 2005
" Begin court construction (and other) - July-August, 2005
" CDBG Path work (if separate) - August, 2005
" Complete construction and improvements - September 2005
" Grand opening - September 2005
5. Credentials:
How will the experience of the applicant contribute to the success of this project?
The Newton Parks and Recreation Department and Citizens for Wellington Park (CWP) have worked cooperatively for the past 6 years in bringing about the rehabilitation of Wellington Park. In particular,
CWP provided the organization for a playground build at Wellington Park completed in October 2000. CWP was sponsored by the Newton Community Service Centers, Inc, at 492 Waltham Street who served as a non-profit sponsor for fund purposes and in administering the project funds. A CWP committee helped design the Wellington play structure, select a vendor, arrange for stone, cement deliveries, etc. in close cooperation with the Newton Parks and Recreation Department. Citizens for Wellington Park maintains a website (www.wellingtonpark.org) and email newsletter (wellingtonpark@aol.com) to keep the local citizenry informed on park matters. The following if a description of the organization on its website:
Citizens for Wellington Park is an informal citizens organization dedicated to the betterment of Wellington Park, a small neighborhood playground park (1.9 acres) on Kilburn Road in West Newton, Massachusetts (02465), one of the villages of the city of Newton. We believe that our little park can be a focal point for building a spirit of community and cooperation in our neighborhood and beyond. We encourage the cooperative and constructive enjoyment of the park by many diverse users, including parents and children, pet owners, athletes, kite-fliers, frisbee throwers, picnickers, nature lovers, bench sitters, and anyone else who enjoys a friendly neighborhood park experience. Every fall, we sponsor an event known as the Wellington Parkfest, a kind of big block party. There are kid's games, chalk drawing, face-painting, balloons, bike tune-ups, musical entertainment, soda, hot dogs, ice cream, and lots more fun. The Parkfest is a great opportunity for neighbors in the Wellington Park area to get to know each other. In cooperation with the City of Newton, our original improvement focus was a new play structure for the park which was installed in a community build several years ago. Currently we are looking to do additional improvements to the park - in particular to complete new tennis and basketball courts. While this website serves as our virtual bulletin board, we maintain a real bulletin board at the park for those who are not wired. Our organization is affiliated with the Newton Community Service Centers, Inc, our non-profit sponsor.
Citizens for Wellington Park
c/o Ted Kuklinski
24 Henshaw Terrace
West Newton, MA 02465
(617) 969-6222 (messages/fax)
www.wellingtonpark.org
wellingtonpark@aol.com
This project would be administered by the Newton Parks and Recreation Department, chaired by Commissioner Fran Towle. The Recreation Dept. maintains approximately 1,060 acres of land and is responsible for the care and maintenance of parks, playgrounds, school grounds, burial grounds, and all municipal grounds and recreation buildings. Staff also includes 48 maintenance personnel from recreation and forestry, and 250 seasonal part-time recreation leaders.
Newton Parks and Recreation Department
70 Crescent Street
Auburndale, MA 02466
(617) 796-1500
(617) 796-1512 (fax)
This project will be going before the Newton Parks and Recreation Commission on Monday, October 18, 2004 in order to ask for their co-sponsorship on this proposal. The Parks and Recreation Commission has jurisdiction on the specific improvement items of this proposal.
6. Success Factors:
How will the success of this project be measured? Be as specific as possible.
As with any park area, ultimate success is measured by the number of people that use the park facilities in the proper manner. After the playground build at Wellington Park, usage of the park has increased tremendously. There are even people who travel to Wellington from other parts of the city to experience a nice friendly park setting.
After many years of delay in implementing needed improvements, success will be completing the project in a timely manner and within budget. Hopefully bidders on the project would submit bids within the funds allocated. It would be desirable to receive funding by the summer so that work could be completed over the summer. Ultimately, the project will result in a safe, user-friendly, and aesthetically pleasing open space park area that the entire community can enjoy.
7. Budget:
What is the total budget for the project and how will CPA funds be spent? All items of expenditure must be clearly identified. Distinguish between hard and soft costs and contingencies.
An estimated total budget for the project is provided below. The estimated figure of $95,000 for the courts is based on previous low bids. The figure of $10,000 for the accessible pathway is based on previous estimates and is allocated from CDBG accessibility funds. Cost estimates on other items are preliminary and will be firmed up in the near future. A contingency figure of $10,000 is included in the budget. Any funds not used would be returned to the CPA general fund. Detail budget for the court work may be found in the previous bid documents (Appendix) .
The total cost of the project is estimated to be $135,000, of which we are asking $64,000 from the CPA Fund.
Item Estimated Cost
Courts (Basketball and Tennis/multiuse) 95000
Accessible Pathway (North Kilburn gate around play area) and benches 10000
Extension of accessible pathway to the south Kilburn Road entrance 5000
Extension of accessible pathway to Princess Road entrance 5000
Bi-level accessible water fountain 1500
Garden hose connection and backflow valve 1000
Play equipment - upper body climber, etc. 3000
Benches (3) 2100
Additional tree (sugar maple) around play area for shade 400
Bulletin board / information kiosk 1200
Signage 200
Miscellaneous - portable soccer goals, trash can covers, bag dispensers 600
Contingency 10000
TOTAL 135000
8. Other Funding:
What additional funding sources are available, committed or under consideration? Include commitment letters, if available, and describe any other attempts to secure funding for this project.
The total cost for Wellington Park improvements is anticipated to be about $135,000. Wellington Park has currently allocated or committed funds towards these improvements of $71,000. Of this, there are $60,000 in CIP funds, $10,000 in CDBG funds, and $1,000 in CWP contributions.
9. Maintenance:
If ongoing maintenance is required for your project, how will it be funded?
Maintenance of city parks is normally handled by the Parks and Recreation Department. It is not anticipated that there would be any significant additional burden of maintenance beyond what is done currently.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
10. Control:
Documentation that the applicant has control over the site, via Purchase and Sale Agreement or deed.
Wellington Playground is a city owned parcel of land. It is under the jurisdiction of the Parks and Recreation Department.
11. Plans:
For projects that include construction or rehabilitation, include the existing and proposed site plan, floor plans, elevations, and any other drawings as necessary to visually describe the proposal.
The Engineering Department has prepared a detailed plan for the court and accessible path at Wellington Park for previous bid purposes (see attached Appendix C). This plan will be modified to reflect additional paths and features.
12. Zoning:
Evidence that the project is in compliance with the zoning ordinance, Architectural Access Board Regulation, or any other laws or regulations. Or, if zoning relief is required, specify what relief is needed and when an application will be made to the City for zoning review.
Not applicable
13. Approvals:
Evidence that appropriate City Boards and Commissions have approved the project (for example, proposed new uses on Parks and Recreation land requires approval from the Parks and Recreation Commission)
The project has been reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Department. It will be presented before the Newton Parks and Recreation Commission hearing on Monday, October 18, 2004 at Newton City Hall (7:30 pm) in order to obtain co-sponsorship of the proposal.
14. Hazardous Materials:
Evidence that the proposed site is free of hazardous materials or that there is a plan for remediation in place.
This site does not contain any hazardous materials. IPM (Integrated Pest Management) methods are used in Newton's parks.
15. Professional Standards:
Evidence that appropriate professional standards will be followed if construction, restoration or rehabilitation is proposed.
Much of the work will be performed by private contractors. Prior to accepting the qualified low bidders for the various aspects of the project, references will be checked to make sure that the contractors are qualified and meet the standards that are necessary for the project. Some of the work (e.g. pathways) may be done by qualified city departments such as Parks and Recreation or DPW.
16. Leveraging:
Information indicating how this project can be used to achieve additional community benefits.
This project will vastly improve the usability of Wellington Park and bring more people together there as it becomes even more of a neighborhood focus. Wellington Park can be a model for how other neighborhood groups can work to build a sense of community.
Respectfully Submitted,
Theodore T. Kuklinski
Citizens for Wellington Park
Robert J. DeRubeis,
Deputy Commissioner
Newton Parks and Recreation
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"Conventionally, neighborhood parks or park-like open spaces are considered boons conferred on the deprived populations of cities. Let us turn this thought around, and consider city parks deprived places that need the boon of life and appreciation conferred them. This is more nearly in accord with reality, for people do confer use on parks and make them successes or else withhold use and doom parks to rejection and failure."
- Jane Jacobs, "The Death and Life of Great American Cities"
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The more than fifty folks who showed up at the historic 1781 West Parish Burying Ground (River and Cherry Streets) on a recent chilly Sunday (October 24) learned a lot about its history from Sheila Donahue of the Historic Burying Grounds Committee. It is undergoing stone restorations and other improvements via CPA. There is currently a Phase 2 proposal for the three historic burying grounds also before the CPA. Perhaps the most significant visual improvement proposed at West Parish is the design and construction of a new fence and gate to replace the combination early wire mixed with chain link current fence and gate. The black paint makes it less noticeable but it is a rather sad looking fence. A later Phase 3 proposal is slated to provide new interpretive signage and other features so we would have what would actually look like a historically significant burying ground that it is. It has already been declared a state historic site recently and application for federal recognition is underway. If you are in a writing mood and wish to write any letters of support for the burying ground improvements, you can send them by email or mail to the same place as those for Wellington Park and we will forward them on to David Olsen at the Newton History Museum.
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You may have noticed the new plants that sprouted in the garden area this summer. This new activity was undertaken by Southgate Park resident Lena Fried. She recently planted some new spirea bushes and more flowers. Unfortunately, ran out of time to do more gardening at the park this fall but she has additional plants, mostly irises, day lilies, and a few more spirea bushes that can be added to the garden this month; they are already dug up and just need to be transported and planted. As you may have noticed, there's a pile of mulch and a smaller pile of topsoil - towards the end of November, it would be a good idea to spread the mulch over the planted area.
Any garden oriented volunteers out there? If anyone is interested in planting or other garden activities, please contact Lena by phone at 617-630-5703 or email us and we will forward your email to her.
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There was a recent incident of some vandalism at Wellington Park. Two hooded teenagers, not believed to be from the immediate neighborhood, came through Wellington Park and ripped apart the wooden signboard that was to be our interim bulletin board for postings, apparently just for the heck of it. They also broke apart several of the clipboards that are hanging on the fence which serve to provide a place for notices. One of the local residents who saw that they were up to no good yelled at them and they took off. This past weekend, some of our dog walking users reported cleaning up a considerable number of beer bottles from the back area. If you see destructive behavior (or drinking or drug use) at the park, please call the police immediately. If you are hesitant to call yourself, please leave a message at 617-969-6222 or 617-763-3470 (cell) and we will call.
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Wellington Park News is an email publication of Citizens for Wellington Park. If you would like to receive it by email just send a request to wellingtonpark@aol.com. The Wellington Park News email edition is the fastest and easiest way for to keep in touch with you. If you wish to subscribe, just send an email or call (617) 969-6222 and leave a message. Or if you wish to be removed from the list, let us know the same way. Email addresses change often, so, if you used to get this newsletter and now don't (since you may be reading it on a clipboard), send us your new email address. And of course, check out our web site www.wellingtonpark.org. We send out emails via the address dolanpond@aol.com (Friends of Dolan Pond) since that address has a so called "bulk mail permit" from AOL.
Back issues of Wellington Park News are available online (although your editor needs to update it). Please send along any notices that you might have. Maybe you'd like to write a little article or opinion piece for our newsletter. Perhaps you might have a recollection of the "old days" in the neighborhood that you'd like to share. Hope to see you at the park soon!
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