Park News: Winter 2004 / 2005

Park Trees

Once again this winter, the Friends will hire ArborCare to prune dead branches from trees near Park pathways. The work will probably begin in January – and once again ArborCare will donate two days’ labor of the five days they will be working in the Park. As a further donation to the Park, ArborCare will treat the Park’s hemlocks to combat wooly adelgid. Our thanks, too, to Ted Siegan and David Bean for labeling more specimen trees in the Park this year.

Memorial Benches/Memorial Trees

With the installation of two new benches this past fall, our memorial bench program has come to a close. New opportunities will soon be available for memorials to loved ones when the Friends initiate a MEMORIAL TREE program in 2005. Many of the Park’s older and larger trees are dying and this program will be a wonderful way to restore native trees to the Park scene.

Volunteers

Many thanks to the volunteer crews that helped “stem” the invasion of alien plants on a number of workdays during the past year. Also, blueberry bushes were planted, weeded and maintained. Volunteer workers included: Nancy Barry, Steve Batzell, David Bean, Michelle Deziel, Charlie & MaryAnna Foskett, Richard Goldberg, Jo Hartel, Therese Hattemer, Biff Maier, Josh & Julia Martin, Don Mattheisen, Kristen Philips, John Pickle, Clarissa Rowe, Dolores Schueler, Judy Weinberg and Laura. Two WeedWrenches have been purchased for next year’s invasive plant clean-ups.

Dogs

DogWalkers: Many people use the Park fields and pondsides where it is very important to keep your dogs under strict control. —- Please keep them on a short lead near children and seniors. And thanks for scooping to keep our Park clean.

Safety

Our thanks to the Arlington Police Department for replacing the Pedestrian sign at the Jason Street crosswalk. It has made crossing Jason Street much safer and has had the additional benefit of slowing traffic.

Learn about your park

Two wonderful publications about our Park are now available: a new publication by journalist and author Pat Thomas, The Benches of Menotomy Rocks Park, ($12) and a new edition of Menotomy Rocks Park: A Centennial History ($10) by Don Mattheisen. For a copy or copies, please send your check made out to Friends of Menotomy Rocks Park to: Friends of Menotomy Rocks Park, 54 Brantwood Road, Arlington 02476.