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Vol. 2, No. 11
Tuesday, May 12, 2000
[Home]
Response to date to our fundraising drive has been very heartening. To date, we have received almost $3500 in generous donations to the Wellington Park Fund. Do you think we can get to $4000? These additional contributions can make a big difference in the quality of the play structure or in how many swings we have or in covering the cost of a protective fence around the play structure.
If you were thinking of making a donation, please do it soon so that we will have a better idea of just how much we can allocate for the play structure. At the moment we may be really counting on $3-4K in fundraising to afford the current proposals. In addition to the structure itself, we need to pay for supervision, Fibar, swings, etc. Otherwise, we will have to adjust the structure by removing components to meet our budget.
Your contributions are tax deductible thanks to our sponsorship by the Newton Community Service Center. They have been most generous with our organization. If you wish to make a donation to the Wellington Park Fund, please make out your check to NCSC, Inc. and write "Wellington Park Fund "on the check and send it to:
Newton Community Service Centers, Inc.
Wellington Park Fund,
492 Waltham Street,
West Newton, MA 02465
We wish to acknowledge the generous donations of the following individuals to the Wellington Park Fund:
They join our current Wellington Park boosters:
We also want to acknowledge donations by the following businesses. Please give these businesses your full support. Shortly we hope to have some capsule summaries of these businesses and links to their websites if they have them!
They join our current Wellington Park business boosters:
In addition, we have also received some donations of goods (e.g. lobsters
for a future raffle) from several other businesses:
For our Parkfest in Fall, 1999, we received support from the following
businesses:
We also acknowledge the generous assistance of the Newton Community Service Centers, Inc., our non-profit sponsor, and their terrific staff (especially NCSC director Anthony Bibbo and Paula Fiske, who administers the Wellington Park Fund for us).
There will be an important meeting of the Wellington Park Play Structure Committee on Wednesday evening, May 17, at 7 PM primarily to discuss the choice of play structure vendors. This meeting was originally to be held May 2 but was postponed. The meeting will be at the home of Lorraine and Scot Miller, 377 Waltham Street (yellow house, wrap around porch). Rear access is also available through the gate at the end of Princess Road.
To date, we have had three play structure vendors give us proposals in the same price range. Each of the vendors, Landscape Structures, Little Tikes, and GameTime, have given a presentation at one of our play structure meetings. Detailed accounts of these meetings are available in past issues of the Wellington Park News accessible on our website (http://wellingtonpark.8m.com). There appear to be advantages and disadvantages to each of the three possibilities. They all appear to be quality vendors who make quality equipment. There are differences in approach, paints, coatings, pole diameters, deck hole sizes, warranties, play panel selection, etc. Lorraine Miller, Play Chairperson, is in the process of gathering feedback on each of the vendor/structures that we have seen. She solicits your input so please send any of your thoughts or opinions to her via email (atrain@tiac.net), mail (377 Waltham St., West Newton, MA 02465), or phone (617-969-8651). We would like to have a chart of pluses and minuses for each of the proposals to discuss at the meeting. If you have seen enough information to make a comparison, please send her a rank ordering of the vendors so we can get a preliminary idea of preferences. All are welcome to attend
Spring is in the air and so is bird song. This weekend is the peak migration time for warblers through the Boston area. Keep your ears and eyes out for these colorful songsters especially in oak trees (the ones not completely filled out yet). As I write this, in my own yard, I hear a Yellow Warbler ("sweet sweet, a little more sweet"), the rising buzz of the Northern Parula Warbler, the "zee zee zoo zee' of the Black-throated green Warbler, the lazy song of the Red-eyed Vireo, the melodious random song of the Gray Catbird, the continuous twitter of the Chimney Swifts overhead, and the quack of the Mallards swimming in the cover of the pool next door. Just last week (5/2/00), I was very surprised to see an American Kestrel dart in front of me on Henshaw Place and head into Wellington Park. This colorful but small falcon (about robin-sized) was formerly known as the "sparrow-hawk" for its taste for sparrows, but it mostly eats insects. However the next day in the park, while scanning the back fence area for dog doo, I came across a pile of feathers. Coincidence? Check out the "Nature Notes" section of our website and feel free to send us any interesting wildlife sightings in the neighborhood (WellingtonPark@aol.com)
If you would like to see and hear some of this for yourself, please join me tomorrow morning (Saturday, May 13, 9-10 AM) at the Auburndale Park ("the Cove") parking lot where there will be a "Birding by Ear" tour of the new potential conservation area known as Flowed Meadow. We might expect to see or hear at least 30 different species of birds on this wetland wooded habitat walk sponsored by the Friends of Dolan Pond (http://dolanpond.8m.com) and the Newton Conservators (www.newtonconservators.org). Bring binoculars if you have them (not necessary) and wear sensible shoes, as some of the trails are narrow and may be slightly muddy. Check out other free Conservators' walks at www.newtonconservators.org/walks.
Calling all naturalists (professional and amateur)! Newton Biodiversity Days will take place the weekend of June 9-11. We are seeking those who know birds, bugs, frogs, mushrooms, butterflies, plants, flowers, trees, fungi, or other living things to assist in leading or participating in this first annual species count in Newton. Please call 969-6222 or email DolanPond@aol.com if interested. See more info at www.newtonconservators.org/biodiversity.
Ann Dorfman has a wooden swing / play structure set that she would be willing to give to someone who could use it. Give her a call at (617) 244-9321 if you are interested. (Editor's Note: perhaps the recipient would even be willing to make a small contribution to the Wellington Park Fund).
A silver bracelet with the name "CURTIS" inscribed on it was recently found near the southwest (Henshaw Street) entrance. If you can describe the reverse inscription, it's yours. Please contact Ted at 969-6222 or WellingtonPark@aol.com.
If you like to sing but don't have too much opportunity, then try singing with the Boston Minstrel Company, a very low pressure, no obligation, group that provides musical outreach to area shelters and prisons. Visit their website at www.bostonminstrel.com for complete schedule and more details. They get together once a month to practice (all types of music from blues, broadway, rock, folky) at the United Parish of Auburndale (Grove Street and Woodland Ave). You are welcome to attend any of these sessions if you like to sing. Tonight's (Friday, May 12, 7:30 PM) will feature a session on "No Fault Harmony", with well known song leader Nick Page. Tim McHale, BMC's founder, had lent us his considerable file of playground equipment literature and has relayed to us his experiences in supervising construction of a GameTime play structure at St. Anthony's in Brighton..
Coming up on Thursday, May 25, 7:30 PM at the NCSC Auditorium (492 Waltham Street) will be a neighborhood presentation on the CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) funded River Street reconstruction project by Planning Department member Steve Gartrell (sgartrell@ci.newton.ma.us). Prior to this at 7 PM in the same location, the West Newton Advisory Committee for CDBG will be discussing other CDBG projects (current and future). The Advisory Committee seeks additional members who live in the federally defined West Newton "block" (west of Cherry Street, south of River Street to Washington).
Newton Community Service Center is our non profit sponsor and they have an amazing number of great programs for ALL ages from infant to elder. Please visit their website at www.ncscinc.com to get an idea of what great things go on there or drop in to their office (482 Waltham Street). For instance check out their summer camp program, adult day care, or even golf lessons! Your editor (Ted Kuklinski) recently was asked to join the NCSC board as part of fostering a greater link with the neighboring community.
The Youth Commission of Newton presents Symposium 2000 - Making the Connection - A Plan for Reaching Teens on Tuesday, May 16, 2000, 6:00-9:30 P.M., NCSC Auditorium, featuring: a video presentation of local teen reflections: In Their Own Words, Main Speaker: Michael Thompson, Ph.D., noted child psychologist, and an Internet demo: Dangers of Chat Rooms and Cyberpredators. Free registration. Please call 969-5906 (x 125)
The Newton Community Service Center's Child Care (Infant, Toddler, Preschool, and After-Kindergarten) Programs are looking to hire full or part time teachers (or subs). Please see their website www.ncscinc.com/jobs for details or call 969-5906 and speak with Lonnie (x123) or Margie (x132).
The NCSC Family Center presents "Where's the Time for Me? - Finding Time To Care and Nurture Yourself " for parents or caregivers, Wednesday, May 17, 2000, 7 PM NCSC Auditorium. Contact Judy Weinstock, 969-5906 (x115).
Please get on our email list. You will receive the Wellington News directly by email. It is the fastest and easiest way for our organization to keep in touch. Just send an email to WellingtonPark@aol.com 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. And of course, check out our web site http://wellingtonpark.8m.com. All back issues of Wellington News are available online.
If you are not wired, just read our high tech cork bulletin board at the park. You are most welcome to submit items for publication here (childhood remembrances about the park, opinions, yard sale notices, etc.) by email or regular mail (Wellington Park News, c/o Ted Kuklinski, 24 Henshaw Terrace, West Newton, MA 02465-1632).
Please make sure the Velcro tape is sealed along the side of the plastic cover so that rain doesn't get into the board. Lately, we have had a lot of information on the bulletin board related to the play structure not leaving too much room. If you have other notices, please try to keep them small enough to fit in the currently available space and keep them under the plastic cover.