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Vol. 4, No. 2
February 13, 2003
Contents |
Dolan Pond News |
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Contents | Dolan Pond News | Home
Welcome to the Dolan Pond News, an email publication of Friends of Dolan Pond, a local organization that promotes the protection and preservation of the Dolan Pond Conservation Area in West Newton, MA. Please visit our website at www.dolanpond.org.
Welcome to any of our new members, especially those on Webster Park. We are expecting to hold a meeting of Friends of Dolan Pond in the very near future after we confirm a host location. Watch your email for notice of that meeting. Apologies for the putting the wrong date on the subject line of our last email issue. The correct date for Vol. 4, No. 1 was January 7, not January 11. Sometimes that happens when using a previous issue as the starting point for the current one and your editor is in a hurry.
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The Community Development Block Grant Committee for West Newton met on Tuesday, January 7, at the Newton Community Service Center at 492 Waltham Street. CDBG funding is being used for the current Dolan Pond improvement project. Dee Spiro gave an update on the Dolan Pond project to the attendees.
The contractor, Liberty Siteworks (of Everett, MA), has suspended work over the winter due to the frozen ground and snow. They will resume work when the weather gets warmer. The boardwalk and observation platforms have been completed except for the curbing cleats along the edges. The main task remaining is the installation of the stabilized soil path which goes from the Webster Park entrance to the Banana Pond bridge and from Auburndale Ave to the boardwalk beginning at the base of Stratford Road. The handicapped parking area at the Webster Park entrance also remains to be completed.
The Dolan Pond Improvement project has been over budget mainly due to the cost of the metal supports (helical piers) for the boardwalk. As you may know, many more extensions were required due to reach solid ground underneath the path. Piers needed to go down an average of some 17 feet to reach solid enough footing. CDBG funds in the current budget cycle had to be reallocated to meet the shortfall in this ongoing project. The current allocation in this funding cycle has grown to $200,340 from the original estimate of $150,000. Nonetheless its still a far cry from Big Dig overruns!.
The information kiosks are being built offsite and will be installed in the spring. The contractor's carpenter redesigned the kiosks a little bit to make them smaller at the request of Martha Horn, Newton's environmental planner.
The entrance steps at Stratford Road and Cumberland Road (North) were felt by some area neighbors to be too high. Martha Horn and Dee Spiro visited the steps and agreed. Ed Demling, the city engineer who had worked on the plans, redesigned them. The site contractor agreed to change the steps at no cost. Basically there will be intermediate steps, with each step being about half their former height.
There was some discussion of some email comments received that indicated a desire for railings on the boardwalk. Dee related that the boardwalk design was done to code. Specifically, there is no requirement for railings if the height of the boardwalk is less than 30 inches above the ground. In looking at other boardwalks such as the Charles River Pathway (in Nonantum), there are railings only in sections of the boardwalk that are on a slope or where the boardwalk is substantially elevated above the ground. Otherwise, the boardwalk just has side cleats as the one at Dolan Pond will. The walk was designed to replace the path which sometimes was too soggy to traverse due to the swampy nature of the area. At present the side cleats are not yet in place over most of the boardwalk. When these are in place, it should give a better physical and visual indication of the edge of the boardwalk.
There was also a question raised as to the chip material used on the Cumberland Path and concern that it might degrade at fast rate. It was felt that the decomposition of the chips in this section would be substantially slower than those in the Auburndale path. Perhaps at some point in the future, when funding was available, the path could possibly be done in stabilized soil as will be done with the Webster Path.
It is anticipated that the Dolan Pond work will be completed in early spring. There was some discussion on having an opening event in conjunction with Community Development week. The week as originally scheduled this year fell during spring school vacation week. Newton's Community Development week will be scheduled one week later from April 28-May 2. While normally events are held during the week, Newton's CDBG planner, Steve Gartrell, was open to the idea of having an opening event at Dolan Pond on a weekend. This may make it more possible for those who live nearby the Dolan Pond Conservation Area to attend. The weather may be warmer as well. If this plan was followed, the most likely date for the Dolan Pond opening ceremony would be on Saturday, May 3.
The agenda for the meeting also included Franklin School Tot lot Improvements, Ryan Park Improvements, and River Street Playground. The Advisory Committee is seeking new members who live in the West Newton CDBG Target area. If you are near Dolan Pond you may be eligible to become a member. In any event you are always welcome to attend these meetings as an interested citizen. For questions, please contact Dee Spiro, CD Senior Planner, at 617-796-1125 or by email at dspiro@ci.newton.ma.us.
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We received some sad news that Irene Forte', who lived on Webster Park, passed away recently at the grand age of 104 years. She was beloved by many in the neighborhood and a familiar site in the summer walking around the Webster Park loop with her walker for exercise. The following was gathered from obituaries which recently appeared recently in the Newton Tab and the Boston Globe:
Irene W. Forte of West Newton died Thursday, Jan. 30, 2003, at her home. She was 104. Miss Forte, an accomplished violinist, taught at the All Newton Music School from 1916 to 1965. With Lillian West, she served as the school's co-music director from 1940 until West's retirement in 1952, then continued as sole music director until her own retirement in 1965.
In addition to her teaching, Miss Forte played professionally during the summer months with an all-women's chamber music trio from 1916 to the mid-'60s at resort hotels along the New England seacoast and in the Catskills and Berkshires.
Since the death of her sister Doris in 1990, Miss Forte lived by herself in the West Newton home where she was raised. At age 101, she fell and suffered a concussion and thereafter required the assistance of home-care aides to remain in her home. Until arthritis reduced her ability to play her instrument in her mid-90s, she played her violin daily and discussed music with friends and former students.
She leaves numerous nieces and nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews. A memorial celebration for family and friends will be held Saturday, Feb. 15, 1:30 p.m., following her burial in Newton Cemetery. Arrangements were made by J.S. Waterman and Sons Funeral Home, Wellesley.
In lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Miss Forte may be made to the All Newton Music School, 321 Chestnut Street, West Newton, MA 02465, or Hospice of The Good Shepherd, Inc., 2042 Beacon St., Newton, MA 02468.
There is an online guestbook at the following web address if you wish to write a remembrance of Irene: http://www.legacy.com/bostonglobe/LegacySubPage2.asp?Page=GuestBook&PersonID=776351. Natalie Zakarian (Watertown, MA) comments there: "I will never forget Miss Forte. I began taking violin lessons with her when I was ten and she continued to give lessons during my first year in college. I can remember vividly going to the Gardener Museum with her in her 1946 Plymouth to a Sunday afternoon concert. She was just a wonderful person. "
Editor's Note: My connection to Irene Forte' was through birding. After passing by her house many times, one spring day I knocked on her door and asked permission to take a look in her backyard for some warblers that I had heard calling in her tall trees. Since that time, on many occasions she welcomed me as she did many other visitors into her parlor for a chat. My son, Chris would sometimes accompany me and he would often race to her doorstep on his bike and be inside talking with her before I could catch up. She was always the curious one inquiring of me what birds or animals I had seen down at Dolan Pond. Of my son, she always asked about the subjects that he was taking which she amazingly could remember - he always remembered her serving him eggnog or cookies on occasion.
She would keep close tabs on happenings in the neighborhood and the city and would often discuss some of the election issues in Newton. On some afternoons, she delighted in listening to her beloved Symphony broadcasts on her Bose radio, one of her few concessions to the modern world. On another visit, I was surprised to find her watching and commenting upon the tennis bouts between the wonder sisters Venus and Serena. She never liked to bring attention to herself and almost seemed embarrassed that her wonderful niece Helen (a spry person in her 80's) was going to host her 100th birthday party. What was all the fuss about, she protested. At her party, it was amazing to see so many of her relatives who had come from near and far to celebrate her special day. As Irene told me, the name Forte' was actually of French origin which is why it really had an accent mark. Her neighbors on Webster Park were there and held her in high esteem as did many of her former music students. Her neighbors would look out for her, shoveling her walk, cutting her grass, and even helping with a downed tree in her yard.
She was still an active and independent woman until only a few years ago. Once she was rescued in her yard where she had fallen and her cries for help were heard by a man and his sons walking by the area. As she became less agile, a group of dedicated aides spent time with her around the clock. Winter was a difficult time for her in latter years and she sometimes spent at least parts of recent ones in the nursing home but she always enjoyed coming home in spring to the house that her father had built (in 1923 I believe). Prior to that her family had lived in what is now the pink Victorian style house around the corner on Webster Street.
She had tales of the nearby Dolan Farm and remembered when bluebirds used to nest locally. One spring morning, we were delighted to hear the rough but sweet song of the scarlet tanager in her yard. Every spring, the "zeee zeee zoo zeee" of the migrating black-throated green warbler is heard in her hemlocks overlooking the vernal pool which was informally named, "Irene's Pond". Irene was a good steward of her land which is higher than the surrounding properties. Along its western edge was afforded a wonderful view into Dolan Pond Conservation Area, sections of which are otherwise inaccessible. Blackburnian warblers sometimes visited her tall trees in the spring and in summer she loved to spend afternoons in her screened porch overlooking her expansive almost sanctuary like back yard with its feathery carpet of haircap moss. She always inquired if the shad bushes had bloomed. Anyone who ever attended one of the bird walks at Dolan Pond has probably gone with me into Irene's great big backyard. One of my favorite vantages was the back corner of her property where one could "spish" and be almost guaranteed that interesting birds would come.
In the past few months, her aides were more concerned and there were more and more days when she was not feeling up to visitors. A big regret is that she won't be able to traverse the new accessible path and boardwalk at Dolan Pond to see the shad bushes in bloom herself. We will miss her.
Irene had expressed concerns about what would happen to her property when she passed away. It was her desire that, if possible, her property be sold to the City of Newton rather than be fully developed. We had discussions about how that might be possible under the provisions of the Community Preservation Act (CPA) which was passed in Newton. Some discussion has been initiated between the Newton Conservators and her family in this regard having in mind putting in a CPA proposal which would make some of her property into open space and preserving her house. Neighborhood support of this initiative is very important. Please attend the next meeting of Friends of Dolan Pond to learn more.
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The Dolan Pond Conservation Area is locally a basin. Since cold air tends to sink, it makes the ponds a little colder than the surrounding area. Quinn Pond and Dolan Pond are both fairly shallow, only a foot or two in most places. This combination leads to them being particularly suitable for ice skating under proper conditions. The local residents often clear the snow from Quinn Pond, the pond closest to Auburndale Avenue and Stratford Road. There is usually a bench on the side to change into skates and often hockey goals are seen on the ice. The pond can be a real "Currier and Ives" scene on a weekend winter afternoon.
Dolan Pond (near Cumberland Road) can also sometimes be skated upon with the right combination of thawing and freezing. It often has a thin coat of snow on it this winter, making it an excellent place to observe animal tracks (especially after a fresh snowfall).
Naturally, caution should be exercised at all times around ponds, even shallow ones. In particular, Banana Pond, the deepest pond at perhaps 5 feet in places, could be potentially dangerous. Early in this winter season, there was a lot of snow but not particularly cold temperatures. The effect was that the coating of snow insulated many bodies of water and they did not freeze particularly hard. Your editor learned this the hard way at Quinn Pond while examining what appeared to be fox tracks when suddenly his foot broke through the thin ice. Luckily the penalty in this case was just wet cold feet. In deeper water, it could be tragic.
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Newton Conservators Spring Lecture at the Newton Free Library
Jon Regosin, Environmental Consultant and Tufts University Ph.D. candidate
in Biology
Wednesday, March 19, 7 PM
Did you know that spotted salamanders, spring peepers, and wood frogs make their homes in parts of Newton? Have you ever heard strange sounds on early spring nights, and wondered what you were hearing? Many amphibian species still reside on Newton Conservation lands and other urban forest fragments. Vernal pools, small ponds lacking fish, provide critical breeding habitat for Newton's remaining amphibian populations. On rainy nights during March and April, many amphibians in our area stage dramatic migrations to their breeding sites.
Jon Regosin, a Ph.D. candidate in Biology at Tufts University who studies vernal pool amphibians, will present a lecture and slide show on vernal pools in Newton, and on conservation issues affecting amphibians in eastern Massachusetts. Jon, a Newton resident, is an environmental consultant on wildlife and rare species issues with Hyla Ecological Services, and was formerly a Conservation Planner for The Nature Conservancy of Rhode Island. A board member of the Newton Conservators, he has led a number of programs as part of Newton Biodiversity Days and the Conservators walk series. A vernal pool walk will be scheduled later this Spring in conjunction with the Newton Conservators to see first hand the wonders of vernal pools in Newton.
This free lecture is co-sponsored by the Newton Free Library and the Newton Conservators (www.newtonconservators.org), an organization that promotes the protection and preservation of Newton's open space areas. For further information on this event, please call the Newton Free Library at 617-796-1360 or the Conservators event coordinator, Ted Kuklinski at 617-969-6222 (dolanpond@aol.com).
The ponds in the Dolan Pond Conservation area can be considered vernal pools and Jon Regosin visited our area last spring looking for tadpoles. He may be visiting again this year in search of salamander egg masses, particularly at Banana Pond. So if you would like to know what makes that trilling chorus of sound every spring at Dolan Pond, come and find out!
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If you would like to receive Newton Nature Notes, a free email newsletter about nature related events, walks, publications, bird sightings, etc., in or near Newton, please send an email to dolanpond@aol.com with your request to be added to the list. This email newsletter is sponsored by the Newton Conservators (www.newtonconservators.org), our local open space organization.
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Friends of Dolan Pond is a local organization that promotes the protection and preservation of the Dolan Pond Conservation Area in West Newton, MA. We have a website, www.dolanpond.org and an email address, "dolapond@aol.com". If you are interested in the organization, please contact Ted Kuklinski at 617-969-6222, write to Friends of Dolan Pond, 24 Henshaw Terrace, West Newton, MA 02465, or send email to dolanpond@aol.com. If you wish to be removed from this list, simply reply to this email with the word "remove" in the subject or body of the reply.
This newsletter is primarily published and distributed by email. If you wish to receive the newsletter or request to discontinue receiving the newsletter by email, please contact us as above. If you change your email address, please let us know. Dolan Pond News is also often posted in paper form on clipboards at the major entrances to the area. If you have any information, material, photos, poems, writings, etc. concerning Dolan Pond that you would like to share, please send them along. Please forward the email version along to anyone you know who might be interested in receiving it or ask them to send us an email to join our subscription list. Hope to see you at Dolan Pond soon!
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Hope to see you at Dolan Pond soon!