tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36065032746428448042024-03-13T05:50:17.540-04:00Maynard Life Outdoors and Hidden History of MaynardMaynard, MA, USA: Beacon-Villager newspaper column on local history, observations on nature and recreational activities, plus an occasional health-related article. Columns from 2009-11 collected into book "MAYNARD: History and Life Outdoors." Columns from 2012-14 collected into book "Hidden History of Maynard." - David A. MarkDavid Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11094134230554905626noreply@blogger.comBlogger329125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-7511422408535791872024-03-02T18:20:00.010-05:002024-03-05T04:57:13.999-05:00"Water Always Wins" a book review<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <i>Water Always Wins</i> Erica Gies (2022)</span></p><p><i>Water Always Wins</i> (327 pages, 290 references) is a treatise on how water behaves and misbehaves on our planet, and how our human attempts to control water via dams, channeling rivers, dikes, draining of wetlands, shoreline management, and so on, and so on, fail. The subtitle: "Thriving on an age of drought and deluge" points toward how human-caused climate change has exacerbated the problems we have with out-of-control water. </p><p>The overlying theme of the book is "slow water," meaning that in a nature-pristine state there are mechanisms such as plant cover, porous soil, drainage obstructions (including beaver dams) and so on that slow drainage, and that by doing so lessen flooding in times of heavy rain or snow melt, and also recharge the local and regional surface water and ground water, lessening the impact of drought.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRC_wsgipWQUt9PUpxGIMGxrwIhNN7Q3ZJTJOUrr5APomVprcP8ZxEcB_VWemj4QHGoySWxuGQOdInJx2Q0CfZ2fz_s9vQyFJzLgsN4NnY3k8sjKD51qXDW28FeEr9wSU9OXuxSa9FN2cCxbEl4A6aFKe5ZDGtmUj242oohZWUtL70o6XqK7yui1z-i0pE/s2048/IMG_4153.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRC_wsgipWQUt9PUpxGIMGxrwIhNN7Q3ZJTJOUrr5APomVprcP8ZxEcB_VWemj4QHGoySWxuGQOdInJx2Q0CfZ2fz_s9vQyFJzLgsN4NnY3k8sjKD51qXDW28FeEr9wSU9OXuxSa9FN2cCxbEl4A6aFKe5ZDGtmUj242oohZWUtL70o6XqK7yui1z-i0pE/s320/IMG_4153.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beaver skull: see that the gnawing teeth are <br />separate from the eating teeth, and that the former<br />have an orange enamel on the outside surface. <br />These teeth grow throughout the animal's 10-12<br />year lifespan. The orange enamel is harder than<br />the white, so these teeth are self-sharpening. The <br />bite force is twice that of a human, but much less <br />than that of large dogs.</td></tr></tbody></table>Chapter 4: "Beavers - the original water engineers" describes the impact this species had on North America prior to European colonization and fur trapping, and how the more recent recovery from extirpation (regional extinction) is being accomplished. A rough estimate of 60 to 400 million beavers population North America prior to arrival of the Europeans. Trapping for the fur trade reduced the numbers to an estimate 100,000 mostly in Canada. With government protection, the beaver population has recovered to an estimated 10-15 million.This includes live-trapping of beavers in areas where their activity infringes on human habitat - flooded farm fields and suburban lawns plus gnawed trees - for relocation to ideal habitant is empty. Beaver dams slow water from headland tributaries, and be doing so, mute floods and maintain water flow in times of drought. The water impoundments also stongly support biodiverisity.<p></p><p>Chapters 5, 6, 7 and 8 are in-depth case studies of how water was and is and will be managed in various countries, specifically India, Peru, US and China, and Kenya. The common theme across all of these chapters is that deforestation and urban sprawl are contrary to the concept of slow water, and need to be addressed by plans to support slow water, and to also plan for space within and adjacent to cities that are allowed to flood in times of excessive water. The chapters also address that while reforestation in theory can be beneficial, planting the wrong types of trees or only a few species of trees, i.e., monoculture, can be counterproductive. </p><p>Chapter 9: "Sedimental Journey", describes the best and worst ways to manage the land/ocean interface in these times of rising ocean level. Worldwide, our current practices are mainly the worst. By building to the water's edge, and in places trying to defend that edge with seawalls, we have removed all of the natural coastal ecosystems - salt water marshes, mud flats, mangrove forests, coral reefs, barrier islands, sand dunes, kelp forests - that when in place blunt storm damage and coastal erosion. The chapter adds that building dams on rivers compounds the problem by preventing river sediment from restoring and actually increasing the land height of marshes, beaches and river deltas. Efforts to restore natural waters' edge barriers to San Francisco Bay are described in great detail.</p><p>Chapter 10: "Our Shared Future", loops back to the concept first broached in the title "Water Always Wins", To wit, stop fighting and adapt. Towns, even cities that have a frequent history of flooding have been abandoned, or even moved. Sometimes the catalyst is a refusal by insurance companies to provide flood insurance. Efforts at rewilding coastland and river valleys provides space for water. On the drought side of the equation, limits on development recognize the fatal flaw in allowing population growth in places where water cannot be guarenteed, neither by reservoirs nor pumping ground water in excess of what can be replenished by rain and snow melt. Ditto on water-intensive crop choices in areas with water limits. If water always wins, make peace, not war. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-49756535423212621772024-02-22T09:09:00.004-05:002024-02-22T16:37:22.992-05:00Consultant Jokes (3)<div><i>If you know any consultants, please mention these postings to them.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZMtHbxficEWN7G_t70LVMvH3cVXvMAxI-bq3HMajzhGEoG2iLBjtSjDV8GH5E1wagrf52mZ3K9m7-8vq_lt3ZdGxCuAjBGp1LyQ7oNyr3GQqumrg-mB-nBgsfrPcJL3Bi6tXrC3byzwpmuB2qKu1GsnEaEd6bE6c9d5OE0QJiqcyDbI8Kf4C7dLwr1ls/s500/Getting%20Started.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZMtHbxficEWN7G_t70LVMvH3cVXvMAxI-bq3HMajzhGEoG2iLBjtSjDV8GH5E1wagrf52mZ3K9m7-8vq_lt3ZdGxCuAjBGp1LyQ7oNyr3GQqumrg-mB-nBgsfrPcJL3Bi6tXrC3byzwpmuB2qKu1GsnEaEd6bE6c9d5OE0QJiqcyDbI8Kf4C7dLwr1ls/w133-h200/Getting%20Started.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Back when I was a self-employed consultant I started to collect consultant jokes, with the half-baked idea of self-publishing and selling a paperback book of jokes and cartoons. Below, the first part of what I had collected.</div><p></p><p>For people who are seriously considering a career in consulting, I strongly recommend buying a copy of Alan Weiss' book, <i>Getting Started in Consulting</i>. When I was getting started, I would read the entire book every few weeks. It help tremendously in understanding how to establish visibility, 'gravitas', reputation, etc. as means of rising above the competition. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Tahoma",sans-serif"></span></p><p>I also remember being asked and answering two key questions about becoming a self-employed consultant: Separate from your credentials, experience and knowledge, "Are you comfortable talking to strangers? Are you comfortable talking to no one?" Because if you cannot do the first, you won't find clients, and if you cannot do the second, sitting home alone in your office with the phone not ringing an no one to have coffee with will be depressing.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>MORE CONSULTANT JOKES</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Tahoma",sans-serif">Consultant or
Prostitute?</span><span face="Tahoma, sans-serif"> </span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9pt; text-indent: -9pt;"> 1. You work very odd hours. <br />
2. You are paid a lot of money to keep your client happy. <br />
3. You are paid well but your pimp gets most of the money. <br />
4. You spend a majority of your time in a hotel room. <br />
5. You charge by the hour but your time can be extended. <br />
6. You are not proud of what you do. <br />
7. Creating fantasies for your clients is rewarded. <br />
8. It's difficult to have a family. <br />
9. You have no job satisfaction. <br />
10. If a client beats you up, the pimp just sends you to another client. <br />
11. You are embarrassed to tell people what you do for a living. <br />
12. People ask you, "What do you do?" and you can't explain it. <br />
13. Your client pays for your hotel room plus your hourly rate. <br />
14. Your client always wants to know how much you charge and what they get for
the money. <br />
15. You know the pimp is charging more than you are worth but if the client is
foolish enough to pay it's not your problem. <br />
16. When you leave to go see a client, you look great, but return looking like
hell (compare your appearance on Monday AM to Friday PM). <br />
17. You are rated on your "performance" in an excruciating ordeal. <br />
18. Even though you might get paid the big bucks, it's the client who walks
away smiling. <br />
19. The client always thinks your "cut" of your billing rate is
higher than it actually is, and in turn, expects miracles from you. <br />
20. When you deduct your "take" from your billing rate, you
constantly wonder if you could get a better deal with another pimp.<b> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>THE SHEPHERD JOKE</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>A shepherd was tending his flock in a remote pasture when
suddenly a dust cloud approached at high speed, out of which emerged a brand
new BMW. The driver, a young man in an Armani suit, Ferragamo shoes, the latest
Polarized sunglasses and a tightly knotted power tie, poked his head out the
window and asked the shepherd, "Hey! If I can tell you how many sheep you
have in your flock, will you give me one?"</p><p class="MsoNormal">The shepherd looked at the man, then glanced at his peacefully grazing flock
and answered, "Sure." <br />
<br />
The driver parked his car, turned on his Blackberry, surfed to a GPS satellite
navigation system on the Internet and initiated a remote body-heat scan of the
area. He printed the results on the laser printer in his glove compartment, subtracted
three (for himself, the shepherd and the car), and pronounced “You have exactly
1,586 sheep." <br />
<br />
"Impressive. One of my sheep is yours." said the shepherd. He watched
the young man select an animal and bundle it into his car. Then the shepherd
said: "If I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you reverse
the bet?" <br />
<br />
Pleased to meet a fellow sportsman, the young man replied “You’re on.” <br />
<br />
"You are a consultant." said the shepherd without hesitation. <br />
<br />
"That's correct," said the young man, impressed. "How ever did
you guess?" <br />
<br />
"It wasn’t a guess," replied the shepherd. "You drive into my
field uninvited. You ask me to pay you for information I already know, answer
questions I haven’t asked, and you know nothing about my business.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Now give me my back my dog."</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: -9pt;"> </span><b style="text-indent: -9pt;">THE RESTAURANT JOKE</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: 9pt; padding: 0in; text-indent: -9pt;"><span style="text-indent: -9pt;">A customer at a fancy restaurant noticed during the salad course that each of the waiters had a spoon in his jacket pocket. He asked his waiter, “What gives with the spoon?”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: 9pt; padding: 0in; text-indent: -9pt;">The waiter replied, “The owner brought in a time efficiency expert who discovered that the utensil people dropped most often was a spoon. If we all carry replacement spoons we improve service speed by 3.4%.”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">During dinner the same customer noticed that that his waiter
had a string hanging out from his pants zipper. And so did all the other
waiters. He asked, “And what’s with the string?”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The waiter replied, “The same consultant observed that we
were using too much time to wash our hands after going to the bathroom. Now I
just pull down my zipper, tug on the string, and I can manage my business
without dirtying my hands.” With that, the waiter bustled off to another table.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Over dessert the customer stopped the waiter one more time. He
said, “OK, I can see how you get started, but how do you put everything away
without using your hands?”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The waiter leaned over and softly said, “I don’t know about
the other guys, but I use the spoon.”</p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">DEFINITIONS OF CONSULTING TERMS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></b><b>Consluting/Conslutant</b>: A search on any decent Internet search engine
will garner many hits for consulting or consultant, but also a fair number for consulting
or conslutant. Either a small percentage
of consultants are dyslexic, or ‘consluting’ is a rare subspecialty of
consulting. Possible definitions:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 21.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">-<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Someone who gives away for free what others charge
for<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 21.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->working for competing clients – and providing
the same answers to both<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 21.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->propositioning your friends’ clients and
promising more for less<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 21.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->submitting reports without checking your
outgoing material for viruses<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 21.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->decorating your website with gaudy gifs, clip-art,
sound effects and backgrounds<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 21.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->invoicing twice for the same work and hoping to
get lucky<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Bozone</b>: The
substance surrounding stupid people which stops bright ideas from penetrating.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Dopeler effect</b>:
The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when coming at you rapidly.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Contruck: </b>Is a
contract with a small-print clause that makes you feel like you were run over
by a truck when it is invoked.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ignoranus</b>: A
person who's both stupid and an asshole.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Invice</b>: Is an
invoice with a criminally high total considering how little work was actually
completed.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Sarchasm</b>: The
gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: -9pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-indent: -9pt;">A doctor, lawyer and a consultant were discussing whether to
have a wife or a mistress.</span></p><div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: 9.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -9.0pt;">The doctor said he enjoyed time with his wife, building a
solid foundation for an enduring relationship.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: 9.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -9.0pt;">The lawyer said he enjoyed time with his mistress, because
of the passion and mystery he found there.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: 9.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -9.0pt;">The consultant said, "I like both."</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: 9.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -9.0pt;">"Both?" asked the doctor and lawyer in unison.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: 9.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; text-indent: -9.0pt;">The consultant replied, "Yeah.
If you have a wife AND a mistress, they will each assume that you are spending
time with the other woman, so you can go to the office and get some work
done." </p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>A time management consultant dies and goes to Hell. On
arrival the Devil says, "I'm going to give you three choices, which is
more than you ever gave your clients. Whichever room you choose will be how
you'll spend eternity."</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So the consultant opens the first door and sees a mob of
people sitting on a floor covered with spikes. He goes to the next door and
sees a humongous crowd of sinners lying down in spoiled food and maggots. At
the third door, there is a throng of people talking and drinking coffee,
although they are up to their knees in pig manure.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">"Thank God," he exalts, "It smells terrible,
but at least I could drink all the coffee I want and be able to talk to
people."</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">He enters and joins the group. He is about to sip his first
coffee when a loudspeaker announces, "Coffee break is over. Back to standing on your heads!"</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-80866497549217590162024-02-18T08:30:00.005-05:002024-02-22T16:37:05.785-05:00Consultant Jokes (2)<div><i>If you know any consultants, please mention these postings to them.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZMtHbxficEWN7G_t70LVMvH3cVXvMAxI-bq3HMajzhGEoG2iLBjtSjDV8GH5E1wagrf52mZ3K9m7-8vq_lt3ZdGxCuAjBGp1LyQ7oNyr3GQqumrg-mB-nBgsfrPcJL3Bi6tXrC3byzwpmuB2qKu1GsnEaEd6bE6c9d5OE0QJiqcyDbI8Kf4C7dLwr1ls/s500/Getting%20Started.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZMtHbxficEWN7G_t70LVMvH3cVXvMAxI-bq3HMajzhGEoG2iLBjtSjDV8GH5E1wagrf52mZ3K9m7-8vq_lt3ZdGxCuAjBGp1LyQ7oNyr3GQqumrg-mB-nBgsfrPcJL3Bi6tXrC3byzwpmuB2qKu1GsnEaEd6bE6c9d5OE0QJiqcyDbI8Kf4C7dLwr1ls/w133-h200/Getting%20Started.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Back when I was a self-employed consultant I started to collect consultant jokes, with the half-baked idea of self-publishing and selling a paperback book of jokes and cartoons. Below, the first part of what I had collected.</div><p></p><p>For people who are seriously considering a career in consulting, I strongly recommend buying a copy of Alan Weiss' book, <i>Getting Started in Consulting</i>. When I was getting started, I would read the entire book every few weeks. It help tremendously in understanding how to establish visibility, 'gravitas', reputation, etc. as means of rising above the competition. </p><p>I also remember being asked and answering two key questions about becoming a self-employed consultant: Separate from your credentials, experience and knowledge, "Are you comfortable talking to strangers? Are you comfortable talking to no one?" Because if you cannot do the first, you won't find clients, and if you cannot do the second, sitting home alone in your office with the phone not ringing an no one to have coffee with will be depressing.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">MORE CONSULTING JOKES</span></b></p><p>A doctor, an engineer, and a consultant were arguing about
what was the oldest profession in the world.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p>The doctor remarked, "Well, in the Bible, it says that God created Eve
from a rib taken out of Adam. This clearly required surgery, and so I can
rightly claim that mine is the oldest profession in the world."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>The engineer interrupted, and said, "But even earlier in the book of
Genesis, it states that God created the order of the heavens and the earth from
out of the chaos. This was the first and certainly the most spectacular
application of civil engineering. Therefore, mine is the oldest profession in
the world."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>The consultant leaned back in her chair, smiled, and then said confidently,
"Ah, but who do you think created the chaos?"<o:p></o:p></p>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<hr align="center" size="2" width="100%" />
</div>
<p>An efficiency expert concluded his lecture with a note of caution.
"Don't try these techniques at home."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>"Why not?" asked somebody from the audience.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>"I watched my wife's routine at breakfast for years," the expert
explained. "She made lots of trips between the fridge, stove, table and
cabinets, often carrying a single item at a time. One day I told her,
"You're wasting too much time. Why don't you try carrying several things
at once?"<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>"Did it save time?" the guy in the audience asked.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>"Actually, yes," replied the expert. "It used to take her twenty
minutes to make breakfast. Now I do it in ten."<o:p></o:p></p>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<hr align="center" size="2" width="100%" />
</div>
<p>The classified ad said, "Wanted: CEO needs a one-armed consultant, with
a social sciences degree and five years of experience."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>The man who won the job asked, "I understand most of the qualifications
you required, but why <span style="color: dimgrey;">'one-armed'</span>?"<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>The CEO answered, "I have had many consultants, and I am tired of
hearing with each advice the phrase <span style="color: dimgrey;">'On the other
hand…'</span>."<o:p></o:p></p>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<hr align="center" size="2" width="100%" />
</div>
<p>A man had a male cat that howled all night, every night. The
sleepless man concluded that the cat has too much testosterone and took him to
the vet to be castrated. To his great surprise, the cat continued howling.<br />
"Why are you doing it now?" he asked the cat.<br />
"The other cats hired me as a consultant."<o:p></o:p></p>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<hr align="center" size="2" width="100%" />
</div>
<p>There’s a glass of water on the table...<br />
First consultant says, "It's half full." That’s an optimist.<br />
Second consultant says, "It's half empty." That’s a pessimist.<br />
The Human Resources consultant says, “You have too much glass there.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<hr align="center" size="2" width="100%" />
</div>
<p><b>A consultant is ...</b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Someone who takes the watch
off your wrist and tells you the time<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">A person who in theory knows 99 ways to
make love, but doesn't have any actual experience<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Someone who is called in at
the last moment and paid enormous amounts of money to assign the blame <o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<hr align="center" size="2" width="100%" />
</div>
<p><b>Consulting Revisited</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Good advice is something a man gives when he is too old to set a bad
example.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>It takes two things to be a consultant - grey hair and hemorrhoids. The grey
hair makes you look distinguished and the hemorrhoids make you look concerned.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less, until he knows
absolutely everything about nothing.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>To spot the expert, pick the one who predicts the job will take the longest
and cost the most.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>After all is said and done, a hell of a lot more is said than done.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>If you consult enough experts, you can confirm any opinion.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Hiring consultants to conduct studies can be an excellent means of turning
problems into gold (your problems into their gold).<o:p></o:p></p><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">LIGHT BULB JOKES<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">How many consultants does it take to change a light
bulb?</span></b></p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">We
don't know. They never get past the feasibility study</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Two.
One to change the bulb and one to speculate how Tom Peters would have done
it</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">That depends
- how much money is in your budget...?</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">None.
Time to buy a new fixture - with a service contract. For a reasonable fee
we can survey light fixture suppliers, conduct on-site examinations of the
finalists, and make a recommendation</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">That's
difficult to say. First, we need to do a major study to see if you really
need light in that area, determine historically why the light burned out,
and conduct an analysis to determine whether it's the right kind of light.
We may need to survey employees for risk of light sensitivity. After that,
we can: develop RFPs and RFQs, evaluate the abilities of various
maintenance workers to perform the task, recommend personnel selection,
and supervise the activity.</li>
</ul>
<div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p> A consultant who came upon hard times and had lost quite a
few clients was forced to have a serious economic discussion with his wife and
told her that they would simply have to cut back. "If you can learn to
cook, we can get rid of the cook," to which the wife replied "Yes,
dear, and if you can learn how to make love we can get rid of the gardener
too."</p></div>
<div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">A consultant is an ordinary person 50 miles from home with a
PowerPoint presentation.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">A consultant is someone who comes in to solve a problem and
stays around long enough to become part of it.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">One consultant, told he was a pain in the neck, said he was
glad to have been moved up.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">A client with one consultant knows what to do. A client with
two consultants is never sure.</p></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><b style="text-indent: -9pt;">A consultant is someone who…</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt; text-indent: -9.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b><span style="text-indent: -9pt;">…spends weeks
asking you about your job, then tells you how to do it better.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt; text-indent: -9.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-indent: -9pt;">…solves a
problem you did not know you had, in a way you don’t understand.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt; text-indent: -9.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-indent: -9pt;">…think a
half-day means leaving at 5 o'clock.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt; text-indent: -9.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-indent: -9pt;">…knows the
people at airport security better than the next door neighbors.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt; text-indent: -9.0pt;"><span style="text-indent: -9pt;">…borrows your
watch, then charges you to find out the time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt; text-indent: -9.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-indent: -9pt;">…has room
service on speed dial.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt; text-indent: -9.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-indent: -9pt;">…is on a
first-name basis with the dry cleaner at O’Hare.</span></p>
<div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<p style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p>A consultant died and went to heaven. There were thousands
of people ahead of him in line to see St. Peter. To his surprise, St. Peter
left his desk at the gate and came down the long line to where the consultant
was, and greeted him warmly. St. Peter took the consultant up to the front of
the line, and into a comfortable chair by his desk. The consultant said, "I like all this attention, but what makes me so
special?" St. Peter replied, "Well, I've added up all the hours for which you billed
your clients, and by my calculation you're 193 years old!"</p></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-22144411448517378252024-02-13T09:53:00.003-05:002024-02-18T08:33:55.082-05:00Consultant Jokes (1)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc0iNfJba_ckHBAJc6N1PY-v4T-CyDb2OjOWn3OjLbf3n0jVkEkd2okn-GYtgocoZkYJXhXaP0fdUgZIQe2fYywQEAcqsi2wZEGY9SD4LjQ9Fo9fbMG1vvt8YCRhwL1KVmwxR0dydLQFpjFxEWervi65nSBOJZHZKJ_OsL4vT6V_EEwz2dnPF45WZjYIzC/s500/Getting%20Started.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc0iNfJba_ckHBAJc6N1PY-v4T-CyDb2OjOWn3OjLbf3n0jVkEkd2okn-GYtgocoZkYJXhXaP0fdUgZIQe2fYywQEAcqsi2wZEGY9SD4LjQ9Fo9fbMG1vvt8YCRhwL1KVmwxR0dydLQFpjFxEWervi65nSBOJZHZKJ_OsL4vT6V_EEwz2dnPF45WZjYIzC/w133-h200/Getting%20Started.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div><i>If you know any consultants, mention these postings to them.</i></div><div><br /></div>Back when I was a self-employed consultant I started to collect consultant jokes, with the half-baked idea of self-publishing and selling a paperback book of jokes and cartoons. Below, the first part of what I had collected.<p></p><p>For people who are seriously considering a career in consulting, I strongly recommend buying a copy of Alan Weiss' book, <i>Getting Started in Consulting</i>. When I was getting started, I would read the entire book every few weeks. It help tremendously in understanding how to establish visibility, 'gravitas', reputation, etc. as means of rising above the competition. </p><p>I also remember being asked and answering two key questions about becoming a self-employed consultant: Separate from your credentials, experience and knowledge, "Are you comfortable talking to strangers? Are you comfortable talking to no one?" Because if you cannot do the first, you won't find clients, and if you cannot do the second, sitting home alone in your office with the phone not ringing an no one to have coffee with will be depressing.</p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;">YOU MIGHT BE A CONSULTANT IF...</span></b><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>PRIVATE LIFE<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">Ha!
Like you have a private life</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You refer
to dating as test marketing</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Your
love letters have executive summaries</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
refer to your significant other as "my co-CEO”</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
decide to reorganize your family into a "team-based organization"</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Your
"deliverable" for Sunday evening is clean laundry and paid bills</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
start doing your kid's math equations in reverse Polish notation</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
insist that you do some more market research before you and your spouse
produce another child</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
believe you never have any problems in your life, just "issues"
and "improvement opportunities"</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">At
your last family reunion, you wanted to have an emergency meeting about
their brand equity</li>
<li class="MsoNormal"> You believe that e-mail between you and
your spouse is enough to keep your marriage strong</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You refer
to divorce as "divestiture"</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
refer to your previous life as "my sunk cost"</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
insist that your friends submit time sheets at the end of the month so you
can see what you missed</li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>TRAVELING</b></p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">You
are upset when you come home late at night and the lights aren't on, the
bed isn't turned down, and there are no chocolates on your pillow</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
can tell the hotel staff what their room-rate policy is</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You also
understand airline fare structure</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">In
fact, writers for the OAG call you to verify flight numbers and times</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
have seen more movies at 35,000 feet than you have at a movie theater</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
ask the car rental agent if the car comes with an Internet connection</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
like both types of sandwiches: ham and turkey</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">A good
lunch consists of vending machine snacks</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">A good
dinner consists of vending machine snacks</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
feel naked without a laptop hanging from your left shoulder</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You've
been staying in the same hotel so long you instinctively call it
"home"</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Your
spouse flies “home” (to your hotel) for the weekend</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
can call room service and order multiple entrees without looking at the menu</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">The
hotel staff recognizes you and gives you the same room every week</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
know the valet parking guys by first name</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
get more calls from the hotel staff to see if you're OK than you do from
your friends</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Then
you realize the hotel staff are your only friends</li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">ON SITE</span></b></p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">You
use the term "value-added" without falling down laughing</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You believe
it's efficient to write a ten page work-plan with six people you’ve never
met before</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
can explain the difference between "down-sizing,"
"right-sizing," and "firing people's asses," and you
actually believe your explanation</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
believe every company is "a traditional functional organization, with
promotion based on tenure, but one that needs to change as it is facing
ever increasing competition..."</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
know every single piece of clip art in PowerPoint</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Your
favorite stories begin "Bob Jones, VP of marketing, sat at his desk
and stared out his window..."</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
believe the best tables and graphs take an hour to comprehend</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">The
new client staff come to you for information on how to start the coffee
machine</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You can
tell the copier repair person at the client site exactly what's wrong with
the machine and what parts need to be replaced</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
cry when your PC won't start (you have a name for your PC. It’s a secret)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Someone
mentions a 7:00 meeting and you say, "AM or PM?"</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">New
staff point at you and say, "... that's him, that's the old guy ...
"</li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">JARGON RULES YOUR LIFE</span></b></p><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal">You
use the word "paradigm" in a sentence</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
use the word "granularity" in a sentence</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
use the word "robust" in a sentence</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
can spell “paradigm”</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
believe CAPM is just as important as the Theory of Relativity</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
believe CAPM</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
carry on a 5 minute conversation about data warehousing (encryption,
search engine optimization, web usability guidelines, etc.), then you ask
what it means</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-30891096677728504912024-01-23T04:31:00.004-05:002024-01-23T05:10:59.192-05:00History of maynardlifeoutdoors.com<p> www.maynardlifeoutdoors.com actually a blog, not a website, was started January 2010 as a place to post the columns I was writing for the Beacon-Villager, the weekly newspaper put out by Gatehouse Media for the towns of Maynard and Stow. The paper ceased publication in May 2022. After letting this lie fallow for months, I decided to resume posting new and recycled content on a not quite weekly basis.</p><p>As of January 2024, there have been roughly 500 postings, 30-40 per year. Cumulatively, the postings have accrued 919,000 views. The total should top one million in a couple of years. The chart provided by the blog server shows a gradual increase from 2010 until reaching a plateau of 5,000-10,000 per month from 2015 onward. The top four:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9eLBNSHNYvdSgUtDJZWKyeheqBEeCzCvhxiUeOooMy017onvS1XZmkCeCQ6C1EcUn-cdiQbNuLlGyed56RbgqnnTnjHHZY_WwnVH_GTbfTlB3gApzsOMt6En518GH7ZC9d0k_l62Wtb7yaLNX2Kzb7kRV1KoxdzLa0zzoQVNJnJS0yvdZ7QDPBwfFEj0/s2985/Luna%20Moth.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2239" data-original-width="2985" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9eLBNSHNYvdSgUtDJZWKyeheqBEeCzCvhxiUeOooMy017onvS1XZmkCeCQ6C1EcUn-cdiQbNuLlGyed56RbgqnnTnjHHZY_WwnVH_GTbfTlB3gApzsOMt6En518GH7ZC9d0k_l62Wtb7yaLNX2Kzb7kRV1KoxdzLa0zzoQVNJnJS0yvdZ7QDPBwfFEj0/s320/Luna%20Moth.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Luna Moth: Photos, Symbolism and a Poem (May 28, 2013; 106,000 views)<p></p><p>Calories in Human Blood (September 15, 2010; 40,300 views)</p><p>Wild Cucumber - Annoying Native Plant (August 20, 2013; 21,900 views)</p><p>Recovery from Donating Blood (March 5, 2011; 10,500 views)</p><p>All the others are in the broad range of under 100 views to low thousands.</p><p>Thus, hundreds of thousands of views, yet fewer than 300 comments over all that time. The golden era of blogging - posting and following - was in the early 2000's, when popular bloggers would have thousands of followers and many had monetized their blog on Blogger - a free service owned by Google - by allowing advertising to appear on their blog. From the beginning, I doubted I could ever have that sort of following - no going 'viral' - and so chose not to monetize. I figured a non-cluttered site would promote repeat visitors. My expectations held true. As of 2024, I have 24 people who signed on to see my blog whenever they logged on and I had posted something new. I guess that all the other visitors are people who stumbled across my site from having it turn up from an internet search on a topic. </p><p>Long-since the golden era of blogging, "going viral" applies to Facebook (already fading), YouTube, Instagram, Twitter (now X) and TikTok. People aspire to millions of views. 'Influencer' has become a status to achieve, and for a few, a profession. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEKRovbWfgxSSPq_GUMoAQrDpU8SiAnpvacMiMS9yNiHoJmrujD3ESG0Fnq5MpnyI5BFsdaVvqojXm05ad3c5332sNUzuHr5rC-lvabL1NoAsg1bd97xLH4zYeKCWeN5EcGKInD9Z63lN4JWsW6jqhgZQ_etUsC5XZsiywSIfLteFejviaSQL7Nlr2gox/s3024/BOOK!%20square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEKRovbWfgxSSPq_GUMoAQrDpU8SiAnpvacMiMS9yNiHoJmrujD3ESG0Fnq5MpnyI5BFsdaVvqojXm05ad3c5332sNUzuHr5rC-lvabL1NoAsg1bd97xLH4zYeKCWeN5EcGKInD9Z63lN4JWsW6jqhgZQ_etUsC5XZsiywSIfLteFejviaSQL7Nlr2gox/s320/BOOK!%20square.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MAYNARD MASSACUSETTS: A Brief History<br />was written for Maynard's 150 anniversary (2021)</td></tr></tbody></table>The majority of my 500+ postings (that includes ~50 column repeats) have to do with Maynard's history. Many were collected into three books which are described in the About Me content at the top of the blog. There is also a chronological listing of columns separated by topic: History, Nature Observations, Recreational Opportunities, and Health. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>this is a work in progress </i></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-48304917202839316092024-01-13T09:45:00.002-05:002024-01-19T06:32:25.252-05:00The Operation Generation<p>Baby Boomers – men and women of a certain age – can also be
thought of as members of an operation generation. Their grandparents were
extremely unlikely to have undergone surgery for any condition. The odds their
parents had surgery were much higher, but mostly for life saving and life prolonging
procedures. For those earlier generations an osteoarthritic knee or a ligament tear
were more likely to put a person on a cane for the rest of their life rather
than the operating table.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Today, we the aging have higher expectations for surgery as
a means of repairing damage and restoring mobility in order to sustain an
active lifestyle later in life Be it hips, knees, ankles or feet, we are
damaging ourselves more often than our parents did, and we want stuff fixed.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQ0Y-Pccl2q9xuVulaKyXg_VF1wulZ5z9ToopDCbhzW9E8rQtuvWpP64wn8LX2wjfl5Q-Yz2CL2hfomH_5wdU6UDX-NP73GgPGqNIRJIHk5-X_3bLGkv-q3p7UwT_DoexH7d6vlgW1NWBe-OUsHjaJeyl9pZ5U6O1DZ-t1gsGgriHPTTqwJdbK60UBLpD/s2556/Knee%20X-ray.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2469" data-original-width="2556" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQ0Y-Pccl2q9xuVulaKyXg_VF1wulZ5z9ToopDCbhzW9E8rQtuvWpP64wn8LX2wjfl5Q-Yz2CL2hfomH_5wdU6UDX-NP73GgPGqNIRJIHk5-X_3bLGkv-q3p7UwT_DoexH7d6vlgW1NWBe-OUsHjaJeyl9pZ5U6O1DZ-t1gsGgriHPTTqwJdbK60UBLpD/s320/Knee%20X-ray.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">X-ray of knees showing thinning of cartilage <br />between the bones (dark space) and mis-alignment<br />of bones in right knee (left side of image)</td></tr></tbody></table>According to the American College of Rheumatology, each year
there are close to 800,000 knee replacement surgeries in the United States. The
number of hip replacements is a bit more than half that of knees, with the number
of knee replacements per year is growing at a faster rate than hip replacements.
The prime age for both procedures is 60-80 years, with the major cause being
osteoarthritis.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ligament and tendon surgeries are also trending up, and
represent more evidence that we expect to stay physically active despite the
betrayals of our bodies. Passage of Title IX in 1972 led to a ten-fold increase
in the number of female students participating in competitive sports. One
consequence has been an increase in knee surgeries to repair tears to the
anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Estimates are that there are more than 200,000
ACL surgeries per year, mostly associated with high school and college basketball,
soccer and football teams. Not counting foorball, girls outnumber boys by about
3X.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Exact numbers are hard to come by, but Achilles tendon
injuries are not so much the downfall of the active young athlete as they are
of the somewhat older person, more likely male, who is living a sedentary life
yet at times participates in recreational sports. The high risk age is 30-40,
when the mind remembers how do to what the body has forgotten. This weekend
warrior lifestyle leads to “Snap, Cripple and Pop!” Post-surgery recovery
involves weeks in a cast, months in an adjustable boot, followed by more months
of physical therapy exercises.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQyCWjM1JYTYyflLBJpoKajyiR1mNJ5-J1AB3jX9ZnDed1OYk0c7XInPdBpeW6HDdaAs19A7iyzDyKsoKTIeBxWKPXWE3MzUzX9hXn6_1zmPqe2u-z-xZhKeicDiPP3PeMk52y2hoNe693R1gYlIJa4mai2YBMGE3nJvJERZVElF3FPliD_Rhvk6gQTTo/s3024/Knee%20replacement.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQyCWjM1JYTYyflLBJpoKajyiR1mNJ5-J1AB3jX9ZnDed1OYk0c7XInPdBpeW6HDdaAs19A7iyzDyKsoKTIeBxWKPXWE3MzUzX9hXn6_1zmPqe2u-z-xZhKeicDiPP3PeMk52y2hoNe693R1gYlIJa4mai2YBMGE3nJvJERZVElF3FPliD_Rhvk6gQTTo/w200-h200/Knee%20replacement.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knee replacement</td></tr></tbody></table>The next generation will surely utilize surgery to improve
on the human condition vis-à-vis performance. The concept was humorously presaged
by Ray Bradbury’s 1954 story “The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse.” His protagonist
says “If somehow my leg was severed accidentally, I wouldn’t wear a wooden leg,
no! I’d have a gold leg crusted with precious stones made, and part of the leg
would be golden cage in which a bluebird would sing as I walked or sat talking
to friends.”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">More to the point, professional athletes are already having
their vision laser-surgery modified to improve vision to 20/10. Gene modification
theoretically could increase testosterone synthesis, make muscles respond better to exercise, or
permanently increase red blood cell production, thus carrying more oxygen. Only
time will tell if our bones, cartilage and tendons (or our surgeons) can keep
up with our muscles.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-35627521835137772222023-12-30T13:16:00.009-05:002024-01-03T09:28:32.234-05:00New Business Card for David Mark<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOqFgMbBattXUX4du9tq1lMAvK-Im31fI8SGmDxh8zkT8UeMzi29HqVV9y56dNBl1jsOXjmr-ZFLPAO_xNIh5b2UyOOumztNt9T00ixDUltuhmBHQA7rUNtAO6UrGQhzH0DsTCMYnJNaEAQAWER5KlJN7cxCGBzCoR-GGPYRrLiOVAR7pYcMMtaLyT1MF/s3024/Business%20cards%202023.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOqFgMbBattXUX4du9tq1lMAvK-Im31fI8SGmDxh8zkT8UeMzi29HqVV9y56dNBl1jsOXjmr-ZFLPAO_xNIh5b2UyOOumztNt9T00ixDUltuhmBHQA7rUNtAO6UrGQhzH0DsTCMYnJNaEAQAWER5KlJN7cxCGBzCoR-GGPYRrLiOVAR7pYcMMtaLyT1MF/w400-h400/Business%20cards%202023.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old business card over new card</td></tr></tbody></table>The image indicates a transition from my role as an author to my involvement with the Assabet River Rail Trail and Trail of Flowers organizations. <p></p><p>As a Maynard author, I penned some 425 columns for the Beacon-Villager newspaper, starting fall of 2009 and ending May 2022 when the B-V ceased to be a newspaper in print. Pre-dating that, I had submitted the occasional letter to the newspaper with topics of local history or observations on nature. Two that became early columns were on the history of Maynard's stone walls and an observation that some robins no longer migrated south for the winter. When I contacted the editor in 2009 - Brian Nanos - he welcomed my proposal to submit columns on local history, observations on nature and outdoor activities readers might pursue in Maynard. And made clear that the paper could no longer afford to pay columnists. I agreed to those conditions. </p><p> Over the years I submitted 30-40 columns per year. Initially, all columns were new, but starting in 2014, I started submitting repeats, limited to 3-5 per year and not counted in that annual or cumulative total. The repeats incorporated some minor revision, and were indicated as repeats. Looking at all the articles, roughly 50% were history topics, 25% observations on nature, 20% suggestions for outdoor recreation (bicycling, kayaking, hiking, etc.) and 5% health-related. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0HjNt6UGXMw3IcGjizz23IrBPrYCi_H_qJRdWggqS1ponqkqiI7zuv5GKEyU_JGcL2tOu9s-h7sdkCXNuiQ1xU6i_BaZ1XPGAe_Evzwb4B3tD1CPtONNlfaIdm0xP-i7DZkaKh9nPnas4XJLRfsxlQ9BSLdnrCaUnGFfgF4qxtVsRZkv0N2gg_VXbmVZc/s3024/BOOK!%20square.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0HjNt6UGXMw3IcGjizz23IrBPrYCi_H_qJRdWggqS1ponqkqiI7zuv5GKEyU_JGcL2tOu9s-h7sdkCXNuiQ1xU6i_BaZ1XPGAe_Evzwb4B3tD1CPtONNlfaIdm0xP-i7DZkaKh9nPnas4XJLRfsxlQ9BSLdnrCaUnGFfgF4qxtVsRZkv0N2gg_VXbmVZc/s320/BOOK!%20square.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Some of the columns were incorporated into paperback books published by The History Press, a publisher that specializes in town histories. <i>Maynard: History and Life Outdoors</i> came out in 2011. <i>Hidden History of Maynard</i> in 2014. and <i>Maynard Massachuetts: A Brief History</i> in late 2020 as a Town of Maynard publication in celebration of the town's 150th anniversary. For each book I had to provide 50-75 photographs with captions. Those were either my own or sourced from the archives of the Maynard Historical Society. The second and third books have some overlap in content, specifically how Maynard became Maynard. Sales of each were in the range of 750-1000 copies. All are available via Amazon. Given the specifics of my contracts (no advance on royalties before publication, royalties on books sold equal to 7% of wholesale price) I did not get rich. In fact, in the best early years it meant a royalty check once a year that would cover a dinner for two at a moderate-priced restaurant. <p></p><p>After a no-submissions sabbatical, during which I was often triggered by an idea that I thought would make a good column, I decided in the fall of 2023 to resume posting to this website. Without the newspaper columns' mention of this website, I anticipate lower views. <b>I am asking here that if you find my output - old or new - intersesting, that you mention maynardlifeoutdoors.com to family, friends and acquaintenances, either directly or through social media, so that I can feel that I still have an audience. </b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIFsAgFGIGs70UriGX-iED9WVjOb-wG-yXfj5nviCHP1QggHJ5JhQ1w8huSbVa00jfVoMNDU1cD4cVr0mFYlXIOzPOMCUtW1DYHOz_0k0Vh2bsQwpRGj0mbevWotrqgZw_cxkt5NT5HLoeAltfRKF9dZCB_Pf7LiMM-q1HUGJiZy6ZRIRQ2S8jIApsf8C/s2448/Trash%20Bin%20Maynard.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="2448" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIFsAgFGIGs70UriGX-iED9WVjOb-wG-yXfj5nviCHP1QggHJ5JhQ1w8huSbVa00jfVoMNDU1cD4cVr0mFYlXIOzPOMCUtW1DYHOz_0k0Vh2bsQwpRGj0mbevWotrqgZw_cxkt5NT5HLoeAltfRKF9dZCB_Pf7LiMM-q1HUGJiZy6ZRIRQ2S8jIApsf8C/w200-h200/Trash%20Bin%20Maynard.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>The banner across the top of the new card assumes recipients know that ARRT refers to the Assabet River Rail Trail organization. I have been a volunteer for ARRT for more than ten years. Paving of the north end - Acton and Maynard - was completed in August 2018. Much of the work before that involved clearing the future route of the rail trail in Maynard and Acton, so that all parts could be walked, run and orr-road biked. Post-paving, volunteer work has included clearing fallen branches and trees, replacing wooden railing broken by those falls, picking up trash, emptying two trash receptacles in Maynard, and removing dead standing trees that had been part of the original 2017-18 landscaping.<div><br /></div><div>Last, Trail of Flowers, website provided on both cards, is an organization I started in the fall of 2018. The thinking was to create a volunteer organization that would plant and maintain flowering plants bordering the Assabet River Rail Trail. From 2018 through 2023, TOF has raised and spent a bit over $10,000. The funds have come from a mix of private donations, towns' Cultural Council grants, towns' garden clubs, corporate donations and sale of ONLY IN MAYNARD coffee mugs at several stores in Maynard. The arrival of COVID-19 was a setback in growing an organization structure for TOF that hopefully will be remedied in 2024. TOF counts itself very lucky that FTD (Florists' Transworld Delivery), the network of local florists that allows arrangements to be ordered on line, has an arrangement called "Trail of Flowers" as a casket adornment, did not ever register that as a website domain (nor did anyone else). So, our local Trail of Flowers is www.trailofflowers.com. </div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcHBNI0I3KQ3D-Jhzmdft_XhNykkG8DtUmC_f8K-IiVmc-0ebrn9mCD29QT417y3JPkDWYFuDxvTo2I0vN002gNSFO9FQqOInzSrxwIcz1TLVv3BoN6xX6yApONQQRNNyp1oE62kt_n2stO3trcbetqYG7GEsHZaQ322C8N3pJaEa32m2F3jRL1nGhk59/s224/Weigela.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="224" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcHBNI0I3KQ3D-Jhzmdft_XhNykkG8DtUmC_f8K-IiVmc-0ebrn9mCD29QT417y3JPkDWYFuDxvTo2I0vN002gNSFO9FQqOInzSrxwIcz1TLVv3BoN6xX6yApONQQRNNyp1oE62kt_n2stO3trcbetqYG7GEsHZaQ322C8N3pJaEa32m2F3jRL1nGhk59/s1600/Weigela.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weigela "Sonic Bloom"</td></tr></tbody></table>Having reached the end of 2023, TOF has planted thousands of daffodils, hundreds of flowering annuals such as daylillies, irises and hostas, and close to 100 flowering shrubs and trees, mostly in Acton and Maynard, but beginning in 2021, in Marlborough. The plan is to add Hudson in 2024. Donating garden clubs recommended that TOF plantings include pollinator-friendly and bird-friendly plants in addition to the daffodils, tulips and forsythia that provide neither nectar nor pollen, so there has been diversification in the more recent plantings. Those include Beauty Bush, Winterberry (berrys for robins), Weigela and Butterfly Bush. Wild, i.e., not planted, growth of such as Queen Anne's Lace, Goldenrod, Phlox, Blackberry and Japanese Knotweed are allowed. Yes, Knotweed is an aggressive invasive species, but there are patches that are somewhat contained, and the late summer flowers are favorites of honeybees. </div><div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-13588814990315778762023-12-21T10:02:00.010-05:002024-01-04T06:49:18.873-05:00Assabet River Flood 2023<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>Click on photos to enlarge</i></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOTsboelcVBTs1_vRvTnevZdZ0FtqH1kKlz1SmE3RoPq2cj3cxiu9p5caQ43_8ijt6xkU0uwDCgbikxdbdltSW_EoUeWdPGP22SKQZLxtP9SnNEQg3ZbysiD9gUubGuZ75IcMMro8MpYR5v3cKzygZ_I3gV_tkhgBwKrzXsvvRi-5iPk12GuCTVXGZeg9/s4000/Powdermill%20Assabet%20Flood%202023.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOTsboelcVBTs1_vRvTnevZdZ0FtqH1kKlz1SmE3RoPq2cj3cxiu9p5caQ43_8ijt6xkU0uwDCgbikxdbdltSW_EoUeWdPGP22SKQZLxtP9SnNEQg3ZbysiD9gUubGuZ75IcMMro8MpYR5v3cKzygZ_I3gV_tkhgBwKrzXsvvRi-5iPk12GuCTVXGZeg9/w200-h150/Powdermill%20Assabet%20Flood%202023.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Powdermill dam (behind the<br />Subaru dealership on Rt, 62)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The Assabet River starts
in the Westborough marshes that drain into the George H. Nichols flood control
basin, then works its way first north, then east. For much of its length the
Assabet drops five feet for every mile. Within Maynard, river elevation is 175
feet over the top of the Ben Smith Dam and 145 feet out the east side. All this
downhillness means that water moves quickly through the Assabet watershed. The
rainstorm of December 17-18 dropped about four inches of rain on earth that was
already near-saturated by an earlier storm. Peak water height at the official
Maynard recording site was 6.0 feet, reached Wednesday morning. Over 5.0 feet
is considered a mild flood, over 6.0 feet a moderate flood. This recent peak
was the highest since the flood of March 2010, which had reached 7.1 feet. The
last significant flood before that was 7.17 feet recorded in 1987. The highest
since record keeping began in 1942 was 8.94 feet, reached after Hurricane</span> <span style="font-size: medium;">Diane, August 1955</span>.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76zNugxnxYD5AJtFV6rHlog08H6DBr-8F7-KnzYIPBkOnIzOg1Dzp75rdownEambuGFGZUj1BF5aae7HhP5HjtZTB6jFMJFigbFXWA_gdLG8QEBN04fjBbFou5LyvhvJbOu2Wu7NfLfnSE9sdkxdhQEpez3MQjnjkznzSF0ui9G7vqepimuotrNVcrF_x/s1600/10Powdermill090616.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1142" data-original-width="1600" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76zNugxnxYD5AJtFV6rHlog08H6DBr-8F7-KnzYIPBkOnIzOg1Dzp75rdownEambuGFGZUj1BF5aae7HhP5HjtZTB6jFMJFigbFXWA_gdLG8QEBN04fjBbFou5LyvhvJbOu2Wu7NfLfnSE9sdkxdhQEpez3MQjnjkznzSF0ui9G7vqepimuotrNVcrF_x/w200-h143/10Powdermill090616.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Powdermill dam, non-flood</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium;">Even though this latest
was quote/unquote a “moderate” flood, there was next to no street flooding or
property damage in Maynard. Rather, the water stays in its channel and just
moves noisily faster. Only when the river exceeds eight feet does it get into
buildings, including the mill complex.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">There is a delay in time
between the peak rainfall of storms and peak height of rivers. This is because
water takes time to drain from the tributaries into the river. For the Assabet
River, flood crest levels occur two to three days after the heavy rains began.
Sometimes skies are clear and the sun shining while the water is still rising.
Interestingly, although the Assabet and Sudbury rivers drain watersheds of
approximately the same size, and thus reach similar flood volumes after heavy
rainstorms, the Assabet crests much faster because of its steepness compared to the
Sudbury. Henry David Thoreau observed that when the Assabet River in flood reached Egg Rock, Concord, where it merges with the Sudbury River to become the Concord River, the surge of water caused the Sudbury River to temporarily flow backwards for a distance of several miles. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGhbW5AmtgpCZ4WfYJWDmpdsbPPRlRhpgeE_ECtMiK-l26iFH-ph19DoT1iggp13ciHW-pW59Nv-fcmjIkyILhn0KzdNr6c79d7pw6-25aT78YymemnTs8Z8y-Sf8u4UKBYtgj_YIWaUGV0fFe_NG_CpVVJVfKFeq-NjYWfvSZrNe-T74epckhpFn6Z3Pf/s4000/Danforth%20Brook%20Flood%202023.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGhbW5AmtgpCZ4WfYJWDmpdsbPPRlRhpgeE_ECtMiK-l26iFH-ph19DoT1iggp13ciHW-pW59Nv-fcmjIkyILhn0KzdNr6c79d7pw6-25aT78YymemnTs8Z8y-Sf8u4UKBYtgj_YIWaUGV0fFe_NG_CpVVJVfKFeq-NjYWfvSZrNe-T74epckhpFn6Z3Pf/w200-h150/Danforth%20Brook%20Flood%202023.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danforth Brook dam,<br />December 2023 flood</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaUhdtbBHEy46w7g6sUkWk6XSQl9uyllojf_tCZjzWlE0jEoJuXpN6d4RrJolcQsd5mYhR6G2sIFWJdLLpiTi0izjodoA8belYHhXk5hsdcmHqlagMNhHGdX57YTrBkFgdb5BFBApdxVq0feVvlwgifjWg_ytwkvF7MnXPpS0fOc5u0y7I5wgbaFJGaMX/s2048/J_Larkin2.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaUhdtbBHEy46w7g6sUkWk6XSQl9uyllojf_tCZjzWlE0jEoJuXpN6d4RrJolcQsd5mYhR6G2sIFWJdLLpiTi0izjodoA8belYHhXk5hsdcmHqlagMNhHGdX57YTrBkFgdb5BFBApdxVq0feVvlwgifjWg_ytwkvF7MnXPpS0fOc5u0y7I5wgbaFJGaMX/w200-h150/J_Larkin2.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danforth Brook dam, in<br />drought condition</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">There is a history of
severe floods on the Assabet River, especially before the two flood control
dams, George H. Nichols Dam and Tyler Dam, were completed in the 1960’s. The
impoundment area behind Nichols is kept partially full in order to be able to provide
water to the Assabet in times of drought, but usually has a 500 million gallon
flood hold-back capacity. Tyler’s impoundment is kept low between floods and
has a hold-back capacity of 1,800 million gallons. The amounts sound huge, but
the Assabet River’s days-long March 2010 peak</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">of 2,400 cfs (cubic feet per second) converts to 1,500 million gallons
per day, and the 1955 flood, courtesy of rains from the remants of Hurricane Diana, which predated the flood control dams, peaked in Maynard at 8.94 feet and 4,250 cfs which converts to 2,650 million gallons per day! </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thus, the two flood
control dams on the Assabet, plus flood control dams on some of the
tributaries, are enough to mute the worst outcomes of these every 10 to 20 year
floods, but not enough to prevent them completely.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">It's interesting to realize that Maynard draws less than 1,000,000 gallons per day for all its water needs, but there are no plans for Maynard nor any other community on the Assabet to create reservoirs that would provide a water supply. What we do hope for is that rain and snow melt recharge the aquifers that our wells depend upon.</span></div></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQzFtXvxQoKmt7aDkk4c7eVAFRU8O-4iTKVTmdtMx8PnIfFscOjO2PBIMf4yTC4ZaoJhJrlYRF0_H4XnXJOThPMTXhFELu4prh7oLu-pxZjZwdI5FmsNF9d7YbmmnfmFgy1Wyg53ynoHVREXY3N7QEFIrJEBO0ODGetfUTN6UeulIZ5roNeCoYAjPOZPd/s2048/MillSt7.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQzFtXvxQoKmt7aDkk4c7eVAFRU8O-4iTKVTmdtMx8PnIfFscOjO2PBIMf4yTC4ZaoJhJrlYRF0_H4XnXJOThPMTXhFELu4prh7oLu-pxZjZwdI5FmsNF9d7YbmmnfmFgy1Wyg53ynoHVREXY3N7QEFIrJEBO0ODGetfUTN6UeulIZ5roNeCoYAjPOZPd/s320/MillSt7.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mill Street bridge, 2010 flood</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Back before the flood
control dams were in place, the November hurricane flood of 1927 is recorded as
washing away both a dam and the Waltham Street bridge. The dam dated to when there was a papermill at what is now the site of
the 7-11 convenience store. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">A flood in
March 1936 washed out the wooden bridge for Mill Street, replaced by stone arches. Hurricane Diane in
August of 1955 brought the most rain recorded in any one month since a gauge was installed in 1942. The river
crested at 8.94 feet. No bridges were lost. More recent floods of note occurred
in March 1968, cresting at 8.15 feet, and January 1979, cresting at 8.11 feet.
Retirees from Digital Equipment Corporation remember sandbagging the buildings
in 1968 in an attempt to keep water out of the production facilities. Afterwards,
DEC had the river retaining wall on its side built higher along the lowest
stretch next to the mill buildings complex. The wall kept the river out in
1979.</span><div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">An observation: for an undammed river, each flood moves tons and tons of rocks, dirt and organic debris such as trees, branches and leaves, downriver. This can raise the level of land under the river, especially when it reaches areas with less vertical drop per mile. However, all of these solids never reach the center of Maynard because those settle out in the miles-long body of water backed up by the Ben Smith dam. Only clear water overtops the dam, and then scours the river bottom through Maynard down to bedrock, hard clay and large loose rocks. </span><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-60025192138070321292023-12-13T09:51:00.007-05:002023-12-21T05:18:41.136-05:00Assabet River Rail Trail - Users<p><i>A few facts and observations now that the Maynard & Acton section is in its fifth year.</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rjIUovjSX5n_rVF20-2Jz1KmA6SLMPh8y18p1VCAzQyxFHbWTuY4yJEFgjXYh6FYRKhlBh8oSwpA0C9MoHqtIVs1lh13PNhHEKGAaWKwkeEz7BSLHRhtrAyLcFiKBX4BHag8RuSfBP_N_3CbE2JfgPUcVoIXt1IIwOoU_jL6rrQmnMKuwg1_iLljUADQ/s2757/Ribbon-5%20cropped.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1581" data-original-width="2757" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rjIUovjSX5n_rVF20-2Jz1KmA6SLMPh8y18p1VCAzQyxFHbWTuY4yJEFgjXYh6FYRKhlBh8oSwpA0C9MoHqtIVs1lh13PNhHEKGAaWKwkeEz7BSLHRhtrAyLcFiKBX4BHag8RuSfBP_N_3CbE2JfgPUcVoIXt1IIwOoU_jL6rrQmnMKuwg1_iLljUADQ/s320/Ribbon-5%20cropped.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ARRT dedication ceremony, August 10, 2018</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The Maynard and Acton portion of the Assabet River Rail Trail was formally dedicated at a ceremony held in Acton on August 10, 2018. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">The trail gets heavy use. In fact, the combination of dog walkers, stroller
pushers, walkers, runners, bicycle commuters and recreational bicyclists so fill
the pavement that serious cyclists – the weekend Spandex-clad crew that wants to speed
along 15-20 miles per hour – are perforce finding that they are at such risk of
crashing into other users that they must abandon the trail. Just as well, as signage at the Ice House Landing parking lot includes posting of a 15 mph speed limit. Unfortunately, at times there are users on battery-powered bicycles that travel at speeds exceeding 25 mph. </span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><u></u></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIX-S4jJFv1JpmMRPKV6zryvHhG_7F6BxNnK3iDG-GdsRqF34w5ShT_v-bP8ciPxlQK0QgJ6fbFmDe7INLMOZ0Hy61RUDV6zYRso_iBf2OaFhapRNVU3JtbB7i8Tz13m5DHEikuPGSc51rcnAuJK5BsFazNgTrBxjV1pbUEhM971REIdz_Uxy0M98BYmV3/s1304/Rules-3.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="979" data-original-width="1304" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIX-S4jJFv1JpmMRPKV6zryvHhG_7F6BxNnK3iDG-GdsRqF34w5ShT_v-bP8ciPxlQK0QgJ6fbFmDe7INLMOZ0Hy61RUDV6zYRso_iBf2OaFhapRNVU3JtbB7i8Tz13m5DHEikuPGSc51rcnAuJK5BsFazNgTrBxjV1pbUEhM971REIdz_Uxy0M98BYmV3/w320-h240/Rules-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sign also includes keeping dogs on lease shorter<br />than six feet and picking up poop</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>Construction</u>: At a ceremony in Maynard on Thursday, July 21, 2016, representatives from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the
towns of Acton and Maynard met to oversee and celebrate ground-breaking for the
$6.7 million construction of 3.4 miles of the Assabet River Rail Trial (ARRT)
in the two towns. As noted, paving and landscaping - the planting of nearly 600 trees - was completed in August 2018.</span><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Amenities</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">: Mileage markers are in place. Maynard’s start at
the Stow/Maynard border (White Pond Road), at 0.0 miles. Touch the stones for a
surprise – granite, but clear-coated with some type of rubbery-feeling
substance. For the numerically compulsive (as in runners and walkers) there are markers every quarter mile,
so that the last in Maynard reads 2.25. And then, 100 yards farther is the
Maynard/Acton border with a 0.0 stone to indicate the start of the Acton
section. The northernmost Acton stone indicates 1.0 miles; the trailhead a bit farther on</span>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9B4jgnL8UpuE5rGv_wzhg7mbA4_3vOCDs8sRbL4lOu3TwMYBZsuvHPnKzVYIK4ZJnOTkFRUSkytDNpuv0vh9GWLHFrp8Hmf6KlKSYoWS2dVV8vSvy3AFm6Cjd41LqRIeei0vnVqeV1yI8xlAWgL1g9Q_xKfbeivbZkYzHbr3TGZZCS-M4JIQK1Vg51PP7/s3264/Maynard%201.25.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9B4jgnL8UpuE5rGv_wzhg7mbA4_3vOCDs8sRbL4lOu3TwMYBZsuvHPnKzVYIK4ZJnOTkFRUSkytDNpuv0vh9GWLHFrp8Hmf6KlKSYoWS2dVV8vSvy3AFm6Cjd41LqRIeei0vnVqeV1yI8xlAWgL1g9Q_xKfbeivbZkYzHbr3TGZZCS-M4JIQK1Vg51PP7/s320/Maynard%201.25.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maynard mile marker</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium;">Of the planting of nearly 600 trees - mostly native to North America - roughly 10% died and have been cut down at ground level. The main cause was lack of watering during the first years, although some failed to prosper because of being planted where the ground was too wet or in deep shade. What remains is doing well. For example, tulip trees in the open space south of Concord Street are approaching 30 feet in height. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBU9NfWo1dkhZXPF2jwIjlBalHOISBd8VPfJezSrIXJxlg8leB-5-dYlOidN8uzkgw6buIt9UnRghDJfT5hBVIPy1Y81sxoFyUoYkl2iPitWlsJ3hkGfi81_9JZy1iWOL9IjMce1kaB2FsuLOn7xjaB-y2NsBwK17rizXKUGy0z8Mb8adgk22Eep3dSBj/s3024/2020%20C%20Daffodils.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBU9NfWo1dkhZXPF2jwIjlBalHOISBd8VPfJezSrIXJxlg8leB-5-dYlOidN8uzkgw6buIt9UnRghDJfT5hBVIPy1Y81sxoFyUoYkl2iPitWlsJ3hkGfi81_9JZy1iWOL9IjMce1kaB2FsuLOn7xjaB-y2NsBwK17rizXKUGy0z8Mb8adgk22Eep3dSBj/w200-h200/2020%20C%20Daffodils.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daffodils at Marble Farm Park</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium;">In addition to what was planted as part of the construction budget, a volunteer organization - Trail of Flowers (www.trailofflowers.com) - was started in 2018 for the purpose of adding flowering plants, shrubs and trees to the borders of the rail trail. With more than $10,000 raised and spent, TOF has planted thousands of bulbs and other perennial plants, and nearly 100 shrubs and trees. Many of the latter are indicated by small signs. Some - including nine Kousa dogwoods along High Street - will take years of growth before annual blooming begins. </span><div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNsSd9Q9JVvVQCTh3MJkYRE-0cpEEWfkHSuUD3SK7QYvjNa_nBiUXiRKQinykZt1cK3o2Oz8Qp_3_fkkUrwZNRtvMheDpjjl4ds8YEaJctEp5ovxHZLqICQdOKQIxtbhD8M77AzyzCnvZ7_XtOPMqBSXS0n9u9c-ZPDpax62laUbPcowJPoGaBz10JyCUq/s2448/Maynard%20Trash%20Bin.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="2448" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNsSd9Q9JVvVQCTh3MJkYRE-0cpEEWfkHSuUD3SK7QYvjNa_nBiUXiRKQinykZt1cK3o2Oz8Qp_3_fkkUrwZNRtvMheDpjjl4ds8YEaJctEp5ovxHZLqICQdOKQIxtbhD8M77AzyzCnvZ7_XtOPMqBSXS0n9u9c-ZPDpax62laUbPcowJPoGaBz10JyCUq/w200-h200/Maynard%20Trash%20Bin.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trash receptacle</td></tr></tbody></table>In addition to plantings, Acton has three informational kiosks (informationally underutilized) and four benches at one location. Two more benches - dedicated to long-time ARRT leaders Thomas Kelleher and Duncan Power, to be installed soonish. Maynard has two kiosks, 14 benches at six locations and two trash receptacles maintained by volunteers. Neither town has bathroom facilities or water fountains on the trail. The Bruce Freeman Trail, Lowell to Sudbury, uses donation funding to pay the communities to place and maintain Porta-Potties at convenient trail locations. <br /></span><p></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>Users</u>: Informal observations count walkers as the most frequent trail users, followed in no particular order by runners, dog walkers and recreational bicyclists - often adults with children. The warmer months (with longer daylight) see bicycle commuters heading toward or away from the South Acton train station, where there are a combination of enclosed bicycle lockers and open-air bike racks for people to park bikes and take a train. Staff and children from the Blossom Station Childcare Center walk the Trail and also play on the lawns at the Marble Farm Historic Site, in Maynard. Neither Maynard nor Acton clear snow from the trail, so winters see some cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. </span><p></p></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>Maintenance</u>: At five years, the Acton and Maynard section is in good condition. The Departments of Public Health mow the borders, at times as much as four feet from the paved section. Both do leaf blowing in the fall. Neither clear snow. The Hudson and Marlborough section is approaching 20 years of age, Portions are overdue for crack sealing. In places, there is minor pushing up from underlying tree roots. High winds and ice at times bring down large branches and trees on the trail. Smaller debris is cleared by volunteers using non-powered tools. DPW use chainsaws to clear the larger stuff. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Members of the Assabet River Rail Trail organization do some maintenance and trash removal, and also maintain the blue caboose in Hudson. Members of Trail of Flowers, a sub-organization under ARRT, plant and maintain flowering plants, shrubs and trees along the rail trail, and also mow the grass and rake leaves at the Marble Farm Historic Site (Maynard). </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-67625563991490806032023-12-07T20:42:00.004-05:002023-12-09T21:36:43.749-05:00American Planning Association Awards David Mark<p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehlSp5r8fHYW2QPMf-PrWjM-kLn6oearJbzhyAbOVfsNdskdGbwTlIz4a7j5ojJtsUV9UP3RE-ZHJrPi9etaWvP6ovClD5W0q0kGPOrIcjR-xD9k21a-LL97tvKj7HCtog2mAecyC1rrAv8dJahlW6ClO-As5Iz9uqklXf-Klm-oXt-sSlZ01MOPPYWqH/s640/OnlyIn-C.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehlSp5r8fHYW2QPMf-PrWjM-kLn6oearJbzhyAbOVfsNdskdGbwTlIz4a7j5ojJtsUV9UP3RE-ZHJrPi9etaWvP6ovClD5W0q0kGPOrIcjR-xD9k21a-LL97tvKj7HCtog2mAecyC1rrAv8dJahlW6ClO-As5Iz9uqklXf-Klm-oXt-sSlZ01MOPPYWqH/s320/OnlyIn-C.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Mark in collectors' item<br />ONLY IN MAYNARD shirt</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">For 2023, Maynard
resident David Mark was selected to receive the Citizen Planner Award from the American
Planning Association - Massachusetts Chapter (APA-MA). The AMA-MA awards were
bestowed at a lunch event on December 8</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, at the Colonial Inn,
Concord. David attended with Jean D’Amico, his wife. Also attending from
Maynard were Greg Johnson, Town Administrator, and Bill Nemser, Planning
Director.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The APA-MA has annual
awards in several categories. Most of these are for city and town employees.
The Citizen Planner Award is described as this “For a non-professional citizen
who has made a distinguished contribution to planning such as members of
planning boards, zoning boards, economic development boards or other elected or
appointed officials. It could also include roles of citizen activists or
neighborhood leaders.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The award is to one
person for the entire state of Massachusetts. David, upon hearing from the Town
of Maynard that he had received the award, professed complete surprise, as the
town employees who nominated him had kept secret the nomination. The award is
for David’s several-years effort to have the Town of Maynard to create a
historic site/park at the north side of Maynard.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">MARBLE FARM HISTORIC SITE
REPORT</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">A dedication ceremony for
the Marble Farm Historic Site was held on May 2, 2023. This was the culmination
of a 3.5-year effort to convert a historic site on town property into a
historic site/park. Prior to the start of the project there had been
preliminary clearing of the site – as an Eagle Scout project – in 2009. The
history of the site itself dates to 1705, when the Marble family had moved
there from Andover. Descendants of the family lived there until 1924, when the
house burned to the ground.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmly1lfxOjWrP0EIhR7PwfO4FABBV8tn1Qm12343Zew3D-lpRnFPGO6iEhpS-oN1hWDEvLbB7zU-nLXvUklZntiGRDoQ2rwlykj_e_qj2xGKZ01mYIvgUE2i_flWHJsp7sWynOcn-CoSvXCFWxm3rclrClBRCh5f49yYcN6B2uJUpcxxm2-QD9EFMoI2Dm/s3783/DrawingDec2019.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2622" data-original-width="3783" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmly1lfxOjWrP0EIhR7PwfO4FABBV8tn1Qm12343Zew3D-lpRnFPGO6iEhpS-oN1hWDEvLbB7zU-nLXvUklZntiGRDoQ2rwlykj_e_qj2xGKZ01mYIvgUE2i_flWHJsp7sWynOcn-CoSvXCFWxm3rclrClBRCh5f49yYcN6B2uJUpcxxm2-QD9EFMoI2Dm/s320/DrawingDec2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Initial drawing (David Mark 2020)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">As for the timeline of
the site project, David Mark, Maynard resident, proposed to Maynard’s Community
Preservation Committee in the fall of 2019 for a landscape architect
feasibility study. In the spring of 2020 this was approved at the annual Town
Meeting with a budget of $8,000. CBA Landscape Architects, Cambridge, MA was
contracted for the feasibility study and provided an itemized estimated budget
of $101,717. In 2021 this was approved by the Select Board, with a sign-off
from the Conservation Commission, and then approved in the spring of 2021 at
the annual Town Meeting. Justin DeMarco, Director of Department of Public Works,
supervised the project.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The project was put out
to bid. Three bids were received. All were significantly higher than the
landscape architect estimate. The proposal was reviewed by David Mark and the
Town of Maynard to determine which parts could be cut from what was originally
proposed (see figure), for possible addition as a separate project at a later
time. Cut were the stone dust path around the foundation, the stone dust path
connecting the parking area to the Assabet River Rail Trail, the bicycle rack,
and a bridge spanning the swale between the rail trail and the site. (There is
a level-ground entrance to the site next to where the bike rack was to be
created.)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1RAKT6s5gB0xGa86B9rUQeXQiM2JO8tSu_XMBNTlfTY61BMI1lZfg3E-GrugECXYGB93Q5CLSjak6zWD8jUfla40uoiln6TxPm6lpRSm7ACQxzQg-NGbDboagALyTk-amQELzghI-qNaOJliDTEt8hLE4RzgFnO3haWxq8_g6E4nick7MdkblavnmwfE/s2200/MarbleFarmColorPlan.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1700" data-original-width="2200" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1RAKT6s5gB0xGa86B9rUQeXQiM2JO8tSu_XMBNTlfTY61BMI1lZfg3E-GrugECXYGB93Q5CLSjak6zWD8jUfla40uoiln6TxPm6lpRSm7ACQxzQg-NGbDboagALyTk-amQELzghI-qNaOJliDTEt8hLE4RzgFnO3haWxq8_g6E4nick7MdkblavnmwfE/w400-h309/MarbleFarmColorPlan.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Landscape architect's original plan</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The project was put out
to bid again. Four bids were received in the fall of 2022. Low bid was
accepted, and a ground-breaking event was held on October 17, 2022.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The location is just
north of Rockland Avenue and across from Christmas Motors. The site,
approximately two-thirds of an acre, encompasses the basement stone walls of
the foundation of the house, now surrounded by a four-foot high steel</span> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">fence,
two lawns, several stone walls, and an extensive planting of daffodils and
flowering shrubs that began in 2018, courtesy of the Trail of Flowers
organization. (</span><a href="http://www.trailofflowers.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">www.trailofflowers.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">),
which was started by David. Construction was completed in the spring of 2023
and a dedication ceremony was held on May 2, 2023, to coincide with peak
daffodil blooming. Starting with fall 2023, flowering shrubs and tulips have been added to the Marble Farm plantings. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-40823594213100667212023-12-03T12:48:00.005-05:002023-12-04T08:35:29.613-05:00Maynard MA: Unusual Businesses<p>Extracted and condensed from 2014 book <i>Hidden History of Maynard</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Unusual Businesses<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Most New England cities
and towns have had their share of businesses that elicit a sense of “You're
kidding, right?” when mentioned in today's conversations. Maynard has had more
than its share.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Funeral Homes and
Cemeteries</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Henry Fowler—a signer of
the 1871 petition to create the town of Maynard—was an undertaker. His son,
Orrin S. Fowler, followed into the family business in 1887. Orrin and his wife
Nellie were a power couple. He was on the founding boards of banks and held
many town government offices. She was a member of Daughters of the American
Revolution and first president of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary. They
were among the honorables on the very first electric trolley ride, in 1901.
Their son, Guyer Fowler (Harvard graduate, class of 1915, and World War I
veteran who served in France), followed the family business until his death in
1956, age sixty-three years. Fowler-Kennedy Funeral Service, Inc., at its
present location on Concord Street, was started by Guyer and his business
partner in 1941. Although the Fowler family no longer has any connection, this
is by far the oldest same-name business in Maynard.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexX5pGRFG2zLavZpkkkUTWQfonHn-nlUnWj2kXXWAqSRa_er2wS76DCRtITcr48Zmw6tEQvz0uNNJU-kjZ7ZY7JvGVtdnAKw_PWSGZnu1Yf_h4ktrfi8bwt2tcqW8DZtcq0jTO4xlFB_Nsz1FtSdydvzoDDa1zhQHv2SWsUL8tQ6uO0iRjiQ_Od19AI_i/s2172/033.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="2172" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexX5pGRFG2zLavZpkkkUTWQfonHn-nlUnWj2kXXWAqSRa_er2wS76DCRtITcr48Zmw6tEQvz0uNNJU-kjZ7ZY7JvGVtdnAKw_PWSGZnu1Yf_h4ktrfi8bwt2tcqW8DZtcq0jTO4xlFB_Nsz1FtSdydvzoDDa1zhQHv2SWsUL8tQ6uO0iRjiQ_Od19AI_i/s320/033.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one time there were four. Herbert Martin Funeral
Home started in 1927. Years later, his son-in-law, John Doran, joined the
business, making it Martin & Doran, which later moved to Acton. Sheehan and
White Funeral Home operated on Bancroft Street into the 1970s. The W.A. Twombly
Funeral Home had started out on Main Street near the Methodist Church before
relocating to 42 Summer Street and then closing in the 1950s.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prior to the founding of the Town of Maynard
in 1871, the dead would have been buried in Sudbury or Stow. But with the start
of church congregations circa 1850 in what was then known as Assabet Village
and the sense of becoming a community, people wanted to be buried closer to
their families. Part of what is now Glenwood Cemetery was in use as a burial
ground as far back as the 1850s. The first occupant after the cemetery was formally
dedicated in 1871 was Thomas H. Brooks. Saint. Bridget’s Cemetery also got off
to an informal start, as a man named O’Donnell was planted in 1859, a decade
before James Heffernan officially reached six feet under. Both cemeteries are
still active. The buried dead number an estimated 11,500, or about the same as
the number of people alive in Maynard today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The Gunpowder Mills on
Powder Mill Road</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Ka-boom! There was a
105-year history of gunpowder manufacture in this area. A 1921 history of
Maynard noted that many local men found employment in the American Powder
Mills, adding, “occasional explosions, sometimes serious, do not permit us to
ignore their [APM’s] existence.” A newspaper account of an explosion on March
12, 1878 described widely scattered body parts of two workers being gathered in
pails, including a detached finger bearing a gold ring. The location of this
spread-out complex was along what is now Route 62, encompassing parts of
Maynard, Acton, Concord and Sudbury on both sides of the Assabet River.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MvRhwVWDLX13Ph6hcoctnR55KTPe-I6vUK6D4mkRVFzuOQRv22Rv653eAmK5KqKWVvh6j5ZCY2QtS3FkSBNA8aI4-aXBgF2JqMH-dE9bKOTUBUXIhrMUt8Z7B19U9Y_bH881Q20judhIzAK0yrbvlyVvdug9JR7KW0hyLN5wvhE9ctLoF8bpDFol3DNp/s2048/035.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MvRhwVWDLX13Ph6hcoctnR55KTPe-I6vUK6D4mkRVFzuOQRv22Rv653eAmK5KqKWVvh6j5ZCY2QtS3FkSBNA8aI4-aXBgF2JqMH-dE9bKOTUBUXIhrMUt8Z7B19U9Y_bH881Q20judhIzAK0yrbvlyVvdug9JR7KW0hyLN5wvhE9ctLoF8bpDFol3DNp/w200-h150/035.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The black powder manufacturing process in
brief: potassium nitrate, sulfur and softwood charcoal are each milled
separately to a fine powder, then mixed together while dampened with water. The
blend is pressed to remove water, the presscake then broken into the desired
coarseness (for cannons) or fineness (for guns) in the kernel-house, sieved to
remove dust, with the resulting grains glazed with graphite to prevent
sticking, dried and then packed into copper-nailed oak barrels or tin
containers. Because of the dangerous nature of gunpowder, this type of
operation was typically composed of modest-sized wooden buildings quite a
distance apart from each other. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thoreau’s journal mentions the gunpowder
mills several times. Passing by on an 1851 walk to Lake Boon, Thoreau
complained that the harsh chemicals irritated his throat. Later the same year,
he recounted having asked a worker about the dangers of working with gunpowder.
Per his journal, the workmen wore shoes without iron tacks, so as to reduce the
risk of striking a spark. The workers considered the kernel-house the most
dangerous. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The site of all this was the gunpowder mills
that Nathan Pratt built in 1835. Previously, a dam at that site had provided
power for a saw mill. Pratt had learned his trade at the gunpowder mills in
Barre, Massachusetts. That operation became incorporated as the Massachusetts
Powder Works, which then bought Pratt’s business in 1864, moved its own
equipment to Pratt’s site because his was close to a railroad and then took on
his company’s name: American Powder Company. Under subsequent ownerships by the
American Powder Mills (1883–1929) and American Cyanamid Company (1929–1940),
the operation grew to some forty buildings scattered over 401 acres—mostly in
Acton and Maynard—employing at times as many as sixty men and a dozen or more
women (the latter to assemble cartridges). The company had its own small-gauge
railroad to carry freight to and from the railroad a mile north.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Descriptions of the time mention willow tree
wood being brought in from Sudbury to make the charcoal, and of unshod mules
being used to pull wagons within the mill compound because of the fear that
horseshoe-shod horses might strike sparks. Coming off work, men would leave
their gunpowder-soiled clothing in the changing room and wash thoroughly before
changing into clean clothes to go home.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>American Powder Mills added production of
smokeless powder for shotguns, including the renowned brand Dead Shot, but
continued making black powder. Interestingly, during World War I, the
facility’s entire production was contracted to the Russian government. And why
weren't they selling to the United States? Because DuPont had an exclusive
contact. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first fatal explosion mentioned in
historic records occurred in 1836. The Concord Freeman reported that three men
were blown to bits and a fourth succumbed hours later to burns and fractures.
Various records documented twenty-three explosions—many with fatalities. A New
York Times article told of five deaths in a multi-building series of explosions
on May 3, 1898. A September 4, 1915 explosion was heard as far away as Lowell
and Boston. The last three explosions on record took place in 1940; the mills
were closed shortly thereafter. The dam still exists, with an adjoining,
recently modernized hydroelectric facility operating under the name Acton Hydro
Company. The body of water is named Ripple Pond, visible from Route 62. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Maydale Beverage Company</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Maynard’s one-time
bustling soda company, epitomized by the very popular Maydale Ginger Ale,
ceased operations in the mid-1960s. The customer list was sold to Chelmsford
Ginger Ale, at that time a division of Canada Dry Ginger Ale. The term “dry” in
this context means a milder ginger taste and lower sugar content than was
typical of the traditional (now rare) golden ginger ale. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maynard’s soda business originated with
Waino Keto owning and operating Maynard Bottling Works, on Euclid Avenue. He
started the business in 1899. Returnable glass bottles were washed, rinsed,
filled, capped and labeled by hand. Production was a few dozen cases per week.
Karl Paul Hilander, who went by the name K. Paul Hilander, started working for
Keto in 1913, then bought the company in early 1914. A year later, he relocated
to Glendale Street at a site that had access to spring water. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Immigration records indicate that Hilander
was born in 1889 in Bjarnbarg, Finland. He immigrated to the United States in
1908 and became a citizen in 1921. Somewhere along the way, his name morphed
from Helander to the perhaps more American-sounding Hilander. What’s missing
from this story is where, at age twenty-four, he got the money not only to buy
the soda company, but also buy out the Cullen Wet Wash Laundry that had been
operating at the Glendale site. One possibility is money came from his wife’s family,
as her maiden name was Keto; it's possible she was related to Waino Keto, the
original owner.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1916, Hilander decided on the name
Maydale, from combining Maynard with Glendale. His businesses provided spring
water as the Maydale Spring Company and bottled soda as the Maydale Beverage
Co., Inc. In addition to ginger ale, flavors included root beer, birch beer,
sarsaparilla and orange.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At its peak, Maydale was the bottled
beverage of choice in Maynard and surrounding towns as far away as Fitchburg.
Production topped thousands of cases per week. A nickel would buy an eight
ounce bottle. The clear glass bottles are not infrequent finds whenever people
dig on their property to put in gardens or paths. Hilander had between twelve
and fifteen people working for him, including drivers for his delivery trucks. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hilander owned the business into the 1950s.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The soda and spring water business continued
for a while under Arnold Anderson, until he converted the site to an auto body
shop for his Ford dealership, later relocated to Acton.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Taylor’s Mink Ranch</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Older residents of
Maynard remember when the town had a mink farm. What was the Taylor farm is now
the site of the senior housing complex on Concord Street Circle, off of Concord
Street, east of Route 27. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Town directories from the 1920s onward list
John W. Taylor as a fur dealer living at 60 Concord with his wife Hulda.
Townspeople remember the Taylor’s farm as still in operation into the 1960s.
George Walls recalled, “As kids, we would sneak over there to see the minks in
rows of small cages. The smell from all the feces and urine dripping through
the wire mesh was horrible.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Typically, a mink farm, or “ranch” in the
parlance of the day, would have had two to ten thousand mink in individual
cages under long, open-sided sheds. Each wire mesh cage was about twenty by
twenty by thirty inches, with the bottoms thirty inches above ground. Each year
started with breeding animals in early March, followed by births of four to
eight kits per litter in May. Come November, most of the mink were killed and
skinned at the farm. The remaining 20 percent were overwintered to be breeding
stock for the next year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John Taylor was more than a mere mink
farmer. As a furrier with a store in Boston, he partnered with Percy V. Noble,
a Canadian mink rancher. Together they turned a fortuitous color mutation which
had occurred in Noble’s breeding stock in 1937 into the first ever offering of
natural white mink. This was just after the end of World War II. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Sonja Henie, the famous Norwegian Olympic
figure skater and later ice show and movie star, was one of the early wearers
of Noble-Taylor white mink coats and also incorporated white mink into skating
outfits for her ice skating shows. One of her mink coats was valued at $20,000
back when a new car cost around $1,500.<o:p></o:p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-I86xEXjxFItATgyIql9Nc0RtoodLOxQdPXwsN26IxTrMPLx5QbVNFendwB-9g0x20Ch4s1wCKDsl1yQWs3cLoVp5FfghTY6iRP9sSpNv7exgV49Dh7GX-u67voJZd_JquDP-aOYs_u-Oi2eXqx00LlYpP-AsvPUVslh7jW4Y22cpO5_MoJLpOcMZV8-/s2941/038.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2941" data-original-width="2357" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-I86xEXjxFItATgyIql9Nc0RtoodLOxQdPXwsN26IxTrMPLx5QbVNFendwB-9g0x20Ch4s1wCKDsl1yQWs3cLoVp5FfghTY6iRP9sSpNv7exgV49Dh7GX-u67voJZd_JquDP-aOYs_u-Oi2eXqx00LlYpP-AsvPUVslh7jW4Y22cpO5_MoJLpOcMZV8-/s320/038.jpeg" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sonja Henie admires white mink pelts</td></tr></tbody></table></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to Frederick Johnson of Maynard,
whose sister was married to Taylor’s son, Taylor’s interest in furs began after
World War I with his buying pelts from local trappers. He subsequently opened
up a furriers on Washington Street, in Boston, and became known for offering
high quality fur coats. He bought only top-quality pelts at the annual auctions
in New York City.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In time, he started breeding mink on his
property along Concord Street. As Fred tells it, “Mr. Taylor and his wife Hulda
had a huge mink ranch—maybe as many as ten thousand animals. He was an expert
on the rare, light-colored fur mutations. What he did not raise on his ranch he
got from Percy Noble, his Canadian partner.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for what the mink were fed, Fred went on
to recount, “Any time a horse died in Maynard, south Acton or Stow, one of
Taylor’s employees would go round with a wagon. The carcasses would be
processed for food.” Purchases were also made from slaughter houses and fish
processing facilities.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Powell Flutes</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRelqBpSuA_049syIgo11WXVGtYR5k7IOWa0U7yOw1rkwaNWDDLl_Muz32Pl2roEl3uwSWHQ7kpB5ez_mivI28LPEMHSw4mdflf1z7EkpGxtLfU5Pwvi4fIfYRtuXTJi-5nUs1bNx0djoDDrp8oq52P-LOHHrx99QWPt5cos66hCti5Fs97tDI12osWG3G/s1828/039.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1220" data-original-width="1828" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRelqBpSuA_049syIgo11WXVGtYR5k7IOWa0U7yOw1rkwaNWDDLl_Muz32Pl2roEl3uwSWHQ7kpB5ez_mivI28LPEMHSw4mdflf1z7EkpGxtLfU5Pwvi4fIfYRtuXTJi-5nUs1bNx0djoDDrp8oq52P-LOHHrx99QWPt5cos66hCti5Fs97tDI12osWG3G/w200-h134/039.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">An inverted triangle logo
and “Powell Flutes” grace the end of the Clock Tower building closest to the
Farmers’ Market parking lot. The triangle displays the stylized letters VQP for
Verne Q. Powell, the founder of the company.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to postings at powellflutes.com
and flutebuilder.com, Powell was a jeweler and engraver living in Fort Scott,
Kansas. He came from a musical family and played piccolo and flute (wooden) in
the town band. During a visit to Chicago he heard a European flutist performing
on a silver flute. He was so impressed with the quality of the sound that he
decided to craft a silver flute. As the story goes, he melted silver coins,
watch cases and teaspoons to make the first silver flute made in America, in 1910.
The keys were inlaid with gold from gold coins. The instrument became known as
“The Spoon Flute,” and is still in the family’s possession to this day.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This flute came to the attention of William
S. Haynes, one of several wind instrument makers based in Boston. Haynes hired
Powell as foreman, where he worked for over ten years before setting out on his
own, in 1927. Powell’s shop was on Huntington Avenue, near the New England
Conservatory of Music and Boston Symphony Hall.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the beginning, Powell flutes and
piccolos were renowned as top-quality professional instruments. Still, the
business grew slowly. It took twenty-five years to reach flute number one
thousand. Verne Q. Powell sold the company to a group of employees in 1961 and
retired in early 1962. The company moved from Boston to Arlington in 1970 and
then to Waltham in 1989. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Steven Wasser, a graduate of Harvard
Business School, bought into the company in 1986, bought out the other co-owner
in 1989, then moved the company to Maynard in 1999. Under his management Powell
continued to innovate at all levels while having also launched a lower cost
line of instruments to complement the higher-priced brands and custom-made
flutes. In 2016, the company was purchased by Buffet Crampon, joining nine
other brands of wind instruments to complete the largest group of wind
instrument manufacturers in the world. Powell Flutes employs about fifty
people. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eastern Massachusetts is a nexus of American
flute manufacture. The William S. Haynes Company, from which Verne Q. Powell
had left to start his own company, still exists, and, much like Powell Flutes,
exited Boston after many years in the city. Haynes is now located in Acton. The
Brannen brothers left Powell in 1977 to make flutes on their own, and are
currently in Woburn. Lillian Burkart and Jim Phelan met while working at
Powell, married, and later launched Burkart Flutes & Piccolos, currently in
Shirley. Di Zhao worked for Powell and then Haynes before starting Di Zhao
Flutes in Westford.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s more. David Williams was at Powell,
put in a stint at Brannen Brothers, and in 1990, launched Williams Flutes in
Arlington. Lev Levit followed the same Powell-to-Brannen path before starting
Levit Flute Company in Natick. Kanichi Nagahara started in flutes in Japan,
then put in a few years at two Boston area flute companies (coyly, his website
does not name names) before starting Nagahara Flutes, now in Chelmsford. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Powell flute (#365) commanded the highest
price ever paid for a flute. This platinum flute with sterling silver mechanism
was commissioned for an exhibit at the 1939 World’s Fair, in New York. In 1986,
the same flute was auctioned at Christie’s for $187,000. For a time, it was on
display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lastly, a Powell flute has journeyed into
space. Massachusetts resident astronaut Catherine “Cady” Coleman had three
trips into space over the period 1995–2011. Her last was a 159-day stint in the
Space Station. Included in the personal belongings each Space Station
inhabitant is allowed was her handmade sterling silver flute. On April 11, 2011
she played a flute duet with Ian Anderson of the band Jethro Tull (she in
space, he on earth, both on Powell flutes).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Northern Recording Studio</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Once upon a time, gods
and demigods of rock and roll walked the streets of Maynard. It was the ’70s.
Aerosmith, Talking Heads, the Cars, Tommy Bolin Band, Johnny Barnes,
Thundertrain…all recorded at the Great Northern Studio, aka Northern Studio,
Northern Recording Studio, Northern Sound or Northern Lights Recording Studio,
located on the second floor of the brick building at 63 Main Street.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back then, the Rathskeller—better known as
“The Rat”—was a live music club in Kenmore Square, Boston. Many Massachusetts
bands that came through there became almost famous. Some of those bands, when
cutting a demo tape, recording songs, taping a live radio show, or maybe just
adding tracks to songs recorded elsewhere, often ended up in Maynard. The
building itself has a long history. This upstairs space in Colonial Hall, which
was built in 1914, served as one of Maynard’s early movie theaters, and also did
duty as a dance hall and meeting room. Downstairs, Woolworths moved in with a
small store in 1916, later expanding to the entire ground floor. One anecdote
that connects the two comes from Joe Viglione’s History of New England Rock:
“Worcester/Boston radio station WAAF broadcast Duke & the Drivers live from
Northern Sound on the day Elvis Presley died, August 16, 1977, with
approximately 1,000 people jammed into the studio atop a Woolworths
five-and-dime.” Likely a wildly exaggerated number, but definitely crowded.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Great Northern Studio was started by
Peter Casperson and Bob Runstein, both out of Boston. Casperson is still very
active in music management. Runstein’s book, Modern Recording Techniques, now
in its fifth edition, is considered the Bible of the industry. Later, the
studio was taken over by Bill Riseman and operated under the name Northern
Studio. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And thus it was that up one long flight of
steps, Thundertrain came to record songs for their first album, Teenage
Suicide, including “Hot for Teacher!” (ten years before Van Halen’s hit of the
same name). Reddy Teddy taped their first album in 1976, as did the Earl Slick
Band. The Tommy Bolin Band recorded “Live at Northern Lights” during a WBCN
broadcast the same year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One year later, the Cars did a demo tape of
“Just What I Needed.” Also in 1977, side one of The Name of This Band Is
Talking Heads was recorded for a WCOZ radio broadcast, but did not appear on
that double album compilation until 1982. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">Aerosmith was in for three nights doing some early rehearsal work on what became Toys in the Attic. “Having Aerosmith record in Maynard was very exciting, and as word slowly leaked out there was a steady stream of teenagers hanging around the back door. I say ‘slowly leaked out’ but I should say ‘blasted out,’ as even the acoustically insulated walls of the studio could not contain the ripping, thundering sounds of Aerosmith.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stories have it that many other bands
recorded a track or two, or maybe an entire song or album at Northern Studios
through those years. One of the few that bothered to credit that in the liner
notes was Boston, which on the 1978 album Don't Look Back acknowledged that the
piano track on “A Man I'll Never Be” was recorded in Maynard. Researching
obscure discography added recording work done for Duke and the Drivers, James
Montgomery Blues Band, Barbara Holliday, Cap’n Swing, Andy Pratt, Eastwood
Peak, the Dawgs and the Blend. Some of this appeared on the Jelly Records
label. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life at the studio must have been
interesting. This from a forum post on gearslutz.com: “The first time I ever
saw a ‘beer machine’ [soda machine stocked with cans of beer] was at Northern
Sound in Maynard, MA in the late ’70s. I thought it was the coolest thing in
the world!”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-88746772258407403582023-11-29T10:08:00.006-05:002023-12-05T06:24:42.517-05:00"The Ammo Dump" Maynard, MA<p><i></i></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2E6gAw4TBSFiSiGBhQsJvFChlDsEDfm0oQmroJ-EvmXYsgICekWlj_t5tcl5U7X2tLWfIHAub_lUBOaBviN4o-0Jion5lhNczELsrcmtHF4NsWzKlKc6UyMxvkCGlRF-ZsHAnEXL_PFqqKYTZFU7YEbUfJzVQc-qRRRG-07gg7J0XfPJzrx0QfC61G3Qg/s2048/052.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2E6gAw4TBSFiSiGBhQsJvFChlDsEDfm0oQmroJ-EvmXYsgICekWlj_t5tcl5U7X2tLWfIHAub_lUBOaBviN4o-0Jion5lhNczELsrcmtHF4NsWzKlKc6UyMxvkCGlRF-ZsHAnEXL_PFqqKYTZFU7YEbUfJzVQc-qRRRG-07gg7J0XfPJzrx0QfC61G3Qg/s320/052.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildlife Refuge visitors touring one of the bunkers</td></tr></tbody></table><i>The Ammo Dump</i> is the title of a 2023 book co-authored by Paul Boothroyd and his sons Paul Boothroyd, Jr. and Todd Boothroyd. In the spring of 1942, the U.S. Army seized by eminent domain some 3,100 acres of land spanning Maynard, Stow, Sudbury and Hudson. The purpose was to create an munitions storage facility at a distance from Boston harbor, so that if German battleships appeared off the Massachusetts coast, the munitions facility would be too far inland to be shelled from the sea. An extensive network of railroad tracks and widely spaced 'bunkers' (earth-covered warehouse buildings) would hold munitions until ships docked at harbor to take on supplies for transportation to Europe. <div><br /></div><div>The book is for sale at Russell's convenience store, Main Street, Maynard, for $21.99.</div><div><br /></div><div>The book is broadly divided into three chronological eras; first, from Native American occupation through the colonial and post-colonial settling by European colonists; second the taking of the land by the U.S. Army for use during World War II and after; and third, turnover of the land from the Army to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, for the majority of the land to become the Assaber River Natural Wildlife Refuge. </div><div><br /></div><div>The land was mostly flat, with a few hills, bodies of water either contained or bordering (Puffer Pond, White Pond, Willis Pond, Bottomless Pond, Taylor Brook and Assabet River) and wetlands. On the eve of the taking, more than 80 families owned land, predominantly operating as small farms and pasture. Over years of research, the authors contacted scores of the evicted families to gather their stories, and in many instances acquire use of photographs of the homesteads and people. One odd fact: Henry Ford - of automotive fame (1863-1947) - owned 140 acres at the time of the land seizure. He also had purchased larger amounts of land in Sudbury, including Wayside Inn, for planned construction of a reproduction of a 'colonial village'. The property within the seized land may have been meant to provide food supplies for the village. </div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxQNORZmLCKmJ2n91L6mlNwx-NYy8t9eCyDceCgaPcgcFIfIcym0lQAkOvbpd-uQ5PJkEpd8-DJsagVeDHeVSt0GOuu8e4iDO8YQVqNMdr2h4h-v3C2Wmi_s3K7o6nRl4UPxIUNzMQhbZS1to5LyKyXWh0bnO2n3-dthg_vnVEoUq4i9HY3li_4EO-dgG/s2048/053.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKxQNORZmLCKmJ2n91L6mlNwx-NYy8t9eCyDceCgaPcgcFIfIcym0lQAkOvbpd-uQ5PJkEpd8-DJsagVeDHeVSt0GOuu8e4iDO8YQVqNMdr2h4h-v3C2Wmi_s3K7o6nRl4UPxIUNzMQhbZS1to5LyKyXWh0bnO2n3-dthg_vnVEoUq4i9HY3li_4EO-dgG/w320-h240/053.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bunker blueprint of what the U.S. Army call 'igloos'</td></tr></tbody></table>Occupants - some of them third and fourth generation farmers - received notice of their land being taken by eminent domain, giving them up to a month to as little as a week to find a new place to live and move out. They were paid what the federal government calculated as far market value for the land. This harsh disruption is documented in interviews of people who had been the children of landowners at the time. Farmland was replaced by a network of rail lines and 50 munitions storage bunkers. There were vague promises of being able to buy back the property after the war but that came to nothing when the Army decided to keep the land for testing of new equipment and training facilities. Testing included munitions, so Maynard residents became used to hearing the occasional explosions. The abandoned houses had long been demolished, and the fields and pastures reverted to meadows and forest.</div><div><br /></div><div>The third act for the land, documented in Chapter 8, was the turning over of the land from the Army to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department in 2000 so that two-thirds could become the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge (ARNWR) in 2005. The delay allowed for some of the worst polluted land to be remedied as a Superfund clean-up site. A volunteer organization - Friends of ARNWR - provides educational programs at the visitors' center and does tasks such as combating invasive plant species. Maynard residents find the Refuge a beautiful place to walk or bicycle in all seasons. Dogs not allowed. Deer hunting is allowed to prevent over-population. <p style="text-align: left;">Other books by Paul Boothroyd, Sr., with Lewis Halprin:</p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Assabet Mills, Images of America</i>. Mount
Pleasant, SC: Arcadia, 1999.</p><p class="Bibliographytext"><i>Maynard
Massachusetts, Images of America</i>. Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia, 1999. </p><p>
</p><p class="Bibliographytext"><i>Maynard,
Postcard History Series</i>. Mount Pleasant, SC: Arcadia, 2005.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-78191573729829898152023-11-22T14:10:00.009-05:002023-11-22T14:22:18.450-05:00Maynard, MA: Unusual People<p>These people profiles were first published in Maynard's newspaper, the Beacon-Villager, and then assembled into Chapter 6 of the 2014 book "<i>Hidden History of Maynard</i>."</p><p> <b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Poet Laureate of Maynard</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3qN6ObefFcjKzK-aUEybE_p9voVsbTlMUE7RoCyoeqgorHwLMdynuqzQZAFIDvc6Y1G2Fm57ARRu5lOaDyRbrK-sTPFDlzQ0yKe6YcluFuAngtv3VcjRSE_3dqOXiILXa-gzb9bO55VMDwb-RF0CV7pXHM65yzDcyWPFlV8o_UkWnzjuMrgwKcYL7D_f/s2033/042.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2033" data-original-width="2031" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3qN6ObefFcjKzK-aUEybE_p9voVsbTlMUE7RoCyoeqgorHwLMdynuqzQZAFIDvc6Y1G2Fm57ARRu5lOaDyRbrK-sTPFDlzQ0yKe6YcluFuAngtv3VcjRSE_3dqOXiILXa-gzb9bO55VMDwb-RF0CV7pXHM65yzDcyWPFlV8o_UkWnzjuMrgwKcYL7D_f/s320/042.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Men on their way to Marlboro after Maynard<br />voted itself 'dry' in 1915 (3rd poem)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">One hundred years ago,
William C. Kenyon was locally known for poems published in the Maynard News.
Kenyon worked at the woolen mill. Little is known about him. Apparently, he
married Eva Wilson in 1895, lived in Maynard, and then moved away in 1919. The
newspaper published more than fifty of his poems over the period 1913 to 1919.
The Maynard Historical Society has on file a binder containing most of Kenyon’s
poems, transcribed from archived copies of the newspaper. Internet searches
yield no additional information.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His topics were local: the woolen mill, a
town election, the bandstand controversy; and also general: the war, death,
motherhood. Quite a number of the poems had to do with efforts to ban the sale
of alcohol. This was a topic Kenyon appeared ambivalent about, as in several
poems he portrayed the harmful influence of alcohol, while in another he
lamented Maynard voting itself dry. Here are excerpts from some of his poems
(which will benefit from being read out loud). The first example is the
beginning lines from “<i>Maynard's Woolen Mill</i>”:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Upon the river Assabet,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">which flows by Summer
Hill,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">in the old town of
Maynard, Mass, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">stands Maynard's woolen
mill.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A high imposing
structure,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">the largest of its kind;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">it answers well the
purposes,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">for which it was
designed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It is not a thing of
beauty,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">though planned with
greatest skill;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">it was ugly when
completed, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">and it is ugly still.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">This one goes on for
eight more verses of similar length. It was in print in 1918, about when the
large new buildings closest to the mill pond were being completed. The next is
from “<i>A Protest</i>.” Kenyon was castigating speculators who were driving up the price
of food during the war.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">And some of our men of
finance,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">if I had the proper dope,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">should be made to do a
high dance,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">with their necks inside a
rope.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">For the men who rob our
children,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">of their meat and of
their bread,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">should be hung from some
high building,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">and left there till
they're dead.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">This one also had eight
more verses in a similar vein. Kenyon’s style was not concise. Most of his work
fell into the range of three hundred to six hundred words. He tended to rhyme
alternating lines—except when he didn't.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next example: April 1915, and the town of
Maynard had just voted itself dry. The neighboring towns were consistently dry,
but Maynard flip-flopped from year to year. Prohibition was town-by-town,
county-by-county or state-by-state before it became Federal law in 1919. From
the start of “<i>The Wail of the Wets</i>”:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Yes, Maynard went dry,
and we wonder why,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">For no one seems to know.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Now, just how quick can
we make the trip, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">from here to Marlboro?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">For spring is here and we
want beer, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">we don't care what you
say.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">So we ask you, what shall
we do,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">after the first of May?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Titanic Disaster Affected
Maynard Resident</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The RMS Titanic sank in
1912. Per accounts in the February 14, 1913 issues of the Maynard News and the
Concord Enterprise, Frances M. Ford filed a lawsuit against the White Star Line
for losses suffered in the disaster. Miss Ford had crossed the Atlantic in
1911. She found work as a domestic servant. Her letters to her family, with
glowing accounts of the prospects of a good life in America, convinced them to
make the crossing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in England, Miss Ford’s mother,
Margaret Ann Watson Ford, sold the family’s meager belongings and bought
tickets for herself and her four other children: Dollina, age twenty; Edward,
age eighteen; William, age fifteen; and Robina, age seven. Also crossing with
the Ford family was Mrs. Ford’s younger sister Eliza Johnston, her husband
Andrew Johnston, and their two young children. In all, a party of nine. Their
one-way tickets in third class cost a bit more than seven British
pounds—roughly four hundred dollars per person in today's dollars.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of the Fords or Johnstons survived.
Miss Ford was living in New York at the time of the ship’s sinking, but she
became so despondent after her loss of nine family members that she gave up her
position to go live with an uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Watson, in
Haverhill, Massachusetts, later relocating with them to Maynard. It was while
living in Maynard that Miss Ford made the local newspaper by deciding to join
the many who were filing lawsuits against the White Star Line. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sinking of the Titanic caused many
wrongful death and loss of property lawsuits to be filed in the courts of the
United States and United Kingdom. Claims filed in the United States alone
easily exceeded ten million dollars. A legal definition of ownership of the
Titanic would be crucial to remuneration.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The backstory: John Pierpont Morgan, a
wealthy American, bought the White Star Line in 1902. A nuance of the purchase
was that White Star continued to be registered as a British shipping company
with British officers and crew. Hence RMS Titanic, signifying Royal Mail Ship.
By doing so, Morgan avoided enforcement of U.S. anti-monopoly laws. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was another benefit. White Star
claimed that the tragic loss occurred without any cause on their part, and
filed a petition to this effect asking for a cap on their liability based on
the Limitation of Liability Act of 1851. The U.S. government had passed this
law to make U.S. shipping more competitive via lower insurance costs. The law
specified that damages could not exceed the value of the ship at the end of the
voyage in question. Even if the ship was insured by the owner, the claimants
had no claim to the insurance payout, only the ship’s remaining value. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing could be salvaged from the Titanic.
Morgan argued that the remnant value of the Titanic was only $96,000—calculated
from the value of the recovered lifeboats—thus leaving little to file lawsuits
against.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Across the ocean, a British citizen
counterclaimed that since the ship sailed under British registry, England’s
maritime law should apply to his lawsuit. Under this law, the liability limit
would be determined by the size and value of the ship—in this case several
million dollars. Morgan initially lost his petition for U.S. jurisdiction,
appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, and won there. Thus, all successful
lawsuits filed in the United States would divvy up only $96,000 (minus lawyers’
fees). But because of the ship’s registry, lawsuits could be brought in Britain
and would have access to the larger pool of money.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>History does not reveal if Miss Ford was
successful in her lawsuit. On a different note, there was no mention of a Mr.
Ford being on the Titanic with his wife and children, the reason being he had
deserted the family in 1904, shortly after the birth of their last child,
leaving Margaret Ford to struggle in poverty as a single mother of five.
However, he joined the British lawsuits against the White Star Line and was
awarded a modest annuity.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Babe Ruth Shopped Here</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FuKecR4yPM6O0FA_xhkU6dCt9iN6nI7Zwm26dje4Sl69X4Oggy3LLDqzlS2UtjIKe2PokdbKp0c3MKi_4BtaFOdbKed5nNkdZ_OHKUGMl9dIGBps7Kky59aRhMHp-d9587iHkMyBm8p97RD-dyJLm_zJuep3Q-OZjnF5bB7M7kSwROHSZlzbsOuZH61i/s5181/043.tif" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4153" data-original-width="5181" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FuKecR4yPM6O0FA_xhkU6dCt9iN6nI7Zwm26dje4Sl69X4Oggy3LLDqzlS2UtjIKe2PokdbKp0c3MKi_4BtaFOdbKed5nNkdZ_OHKUGMl9dIGBps7Kky59aRhMHp-d9587iHkMyBm8p97RD-dyJLm_zJuep3Q-OZjnF5bB7M7kSwROHSZlzbsOuZH61i/s320/043.tif" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Babe Ruth in RED SOX uniform</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Babe and Helen Ruth
spent the winter of 1917–18 at their farmhouse in Sudbury, Massachusetts. They
often took a horse and buggy into the nearby town of Maynard, where Helen would
shop and Babe would buy cigars and play pool at the Maynard Smoke Shop, which
was owned by Frank and Joe Sheridan. The owners' younger brother, 19-year old
Ralph Sheridan, had followed the Red Sox since 2008, and he recognized Ruth the
first time he walked into the store.” (From the book </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Babe Ruth and the 1918
Red Sox</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> by Allan Wood)</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">This raises the question: Why was the young
Boston Red Sox pitcher living in Sudbury? Firstly, this was not the Dutton Road
farmhouse that Babe bought in 1922, when he was already a star for the Yankees.
Rather, the story goes that a couple of his teammates on the Red Sox had
invited him to visit Sudbury, where they would rent cabins to fish and hunt.
For the winter of 1917–18, Ruth rented a modest waterfront cottage near the end
of Butler Road (which has since burned down). Maynard was the closest place to
go shopping and also to drink, play pool, and otherwise carouse.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ruth was well off at the time but not rich.
He was twenty-two years old and had been paid $5,000 for the 1917 season. In
today's inflation-adjusted dollars that would have been approximately $90,000.
Baseball in the era before radio or television broadcasting, and all the
associated advertising, was America’s pastime, but no one got rich. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This story is not complete without a
connection to the legend of Babe Ruth’s piano. Again, Ralph Sheridan's
reminisces, as recounted by Allan Wood: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Several times that
winter, Ruth invited young men and kids from the area out to his house. Ralph
Sheridan worked in a nearby woolen mill and on the weekends, he and some
friends, all teenagers, would walk from Maynard, about one mile, across Willis
Pond to Ruth's farm. Babe and Helen were often out playing in the snow when
Sheridan and his friends came by.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sheridan recalled that he and his friends
would play outside with Ruth. When they got cold, Helen Ruth invited the boys
into the cottage and served them hot cocoa and cookies. “Mrs. Ruth would play
the piano and we would all sing along, including the Babe,” wrote Sheridan. “He
loved kids and always liked to have them around. And, always when we would
leave, he would say, ‘Come over again and bring the gang.’ We were thrilled to
be with him.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So how did that piano supposedly end up in
Willis Pond? As one version of the story goes, a daytime gathering at the house
got overcrowded—the cottage being only twenty by fifty feet—so Ruth and others
pushed the piano down the hill and out onto the ice. There, they continued the
party complete with singing and dancing while Helen played the piano. When it
was time to move the piano back it was too heavy to push up the hill. So, the
Babe simply left the instrument on the ice, where it eventually sank to the
bottom. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kevin Kennedy, a resident of Sudbury, has
been searching for the piano for many years. Teams of expert divers have been
in the pond more than once. In 2010, a group of divers pulled out pieces of
wood, possibly white oak, that piano expert David Sanderson, of Sanderson Piano
in Littleton, believed was the veneer of an old upright piano. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Babe Ruth Drank Here?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Initially, lore of Babe
Ruth drinking or otherwise carousing in Maynard appeared to be just that. A few
neighboring town waterholes—such as the Dudley Chateau in Wayland—claim to have
been speakeasies frequented by Ruth back in the day. The timing would have been
in the early 1920s, i.e., after national Prohibition was in effect. What is
missing from this story is confirmation of sites within Maynard that were
serving booze before or during Prohibition. The two oldest bars extant—the
Pleasant Cafe and Stretch’s Tavern (now Morey’s) —both postdate the end of
Prohibition.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Babe Ruth could have been buying illegally
in Maynard and drinking at his Sudbury estate just two miles away. When he
bought the farmhouse in 1922, it included a simple cabin on Willis Pond about
half a mile from the house. Babe and his friends could head out there for an
evening of drinking, card playing and whatnot without disturbing his wife and
daughter in the farmhouse. His name for the cabin was “Ihatetoquitit.” (I hate
to quit it.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A quote often attributed to Babe Ruth, but
in fact the work of current-day comic writer Jack Handey: “Sometimes when I
reflect on all the beer I drink, I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and
think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I
didn't drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be
shattered. I think, ‘It is better to drink this beer and let their dreams come
true than be selfish and worry about my liver.’”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand, this one appears to be
true Ruth: “I learned early to drink beer, wine and whiskey. And I think I was
about five when I first chewed tobacco.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First appearances were that Ruth was not
drinking during his Red Sox years. In Ralph Sheridan’s reminisces about
visiting Ruth’s cabin on Willis Pond, he said he never saw Ruth drink nor saw
any alcohol in the house. Babe Ruth spent mid-1914 through 1919 with the Red
Sox, initially as a pitcher, but by the end he was pitching less and putting in
more time as an outfielder. He was sold to the Yankees before the start of the
1920 season. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After two years of Ruth’s successes and
shenanigans in New York, Colonel Jacob Ruppert, the owner of the Yankees,
attempted to curtail Babe's drinking and partying. Thus an addendum to the
contract signed in late 1922: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“It is understood and
agreed by and between the parties hereto that the regulation set forth shall be
construed to mean among other things, that the player shall at all times during
the term of this contract [$52,000/year] and throughout the years 1922, 1923
and 1924, and the years 1925 and 1926 if this contract is renewed for such
years, refrain and abstain entirely from the use of intoxicating liquors and
that he shall not during the training and playing season in each year stay up
later than 1 o'clock a.m. on any day without the permission and consent of the
Club's manager.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">This appears to have been the first morals
clause for a professional athlete. Ruppert may have hoped that the Sultan of
Swat would also curtail his compulsive womanizing, but did not try to get that
into the contract. Supposedly, at the time of that meeting, the Babe told
Ruppert: “I'll promise to go easier on drinking and to get to bed earlier, but
not for you, $50,000 or $250,000 will I give up women. They’re too much fun.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While a Yankee, Ruth and his wife made one
more stab at reconciling. He returned to Massachusetts, bought the farmhouse
and farm at 558 Dutton Road, in Sudbury, and took up the public image of a
gentleman farmer living the good, clean life in the country with his wife and
their adopted daughter. Babe was in residence the winter of 1922–23. After
that, his wife continued to reside in Sudbury or elsewhere in the Boston area,
but Babe was mostly in New York. They formalized their separation (not a
divorce) in 1925 and she sold the house in 1926. Mrs. Ruth died in a house fire
in 1929. Babe Ruth remarried, and remained married until his death in 1948.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After this column appeared in Maynard’s
newspaper, I got a phone call from Bob Merriam, Maynard High School class of
1962, with stories about how his grandparents, Niilo and Saimi Hirvonen, knew
all about Babe Ruth’s drinking in Maynard. According to Bob, during the time
when Ruth was still with the Red Sox (and liquor was still legal), Babe would
show up at the bar at Bughouse Corner with a big roll of cash in his pocket,
slap it on the bar, and tell the bartender “Everyone drinks on Babe Ruth.” Not
only was he buying, but he also insisted that everyone stay until the bar
closed, because he liked being around lots of people. He would have been in his
early twenties at the time. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bughouse Corner was a nickname for the
intersection of Waltham and Parker, possibly due to speechifying Socialists,
and came to apply to the bar also. The latter was a low-key, smoke-filled
drinking haunt for workers coming off shift at the woolen mill. More than one
night, Ruth was too drunk to drive the two miles back to Sudbury (where his
wife was home alone in the remote cabin on Willis Pond). Instead, Niilo—himself
being a drinking man—saw no problem in inviting Babe Ruth back to his place,
where Ruth would sleep it off on the living room floor.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Bob Merriam told it, “When I was growing
up, my grandfather was proud that he had known Babe Ruth, but my grandmother
had nothing kind to say.” What he heard from her: “‘That man would wake up in
the night and go outside and pee off the porch instead of using the bathroom.’”
When Bob asked his grandfather if this was true, the diplomatic answer was
“Your grandmother has a good memory.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another story about the Babe and urination
is not as well documented. As the story goes, he was an avid golfer, at times
played the Stowaway Golf Course (in Stow), and when he did, had on occasion
stepped into the woods to relieve himself. Some players joke that they may be
wetting the same spot honored by Ruth, ninety years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Sid’s Airport (closed
circa 2017)</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0g5X0dv-kFARrBkQOiSXCez0d5Ug3pnwTwmJUQ-IR0Y3enU1ZIochNPTD1leiYG5T1HGTEFM8f0xsAD8IlcdL5Ff002TZ_MNGGBDg90SclOb0Yb1-NbaSX0jPOvrqZxVD0IMBN8KLSnEOZ5Af1KyfUtjhUEVUICAV61XawhVOZ22bp_AcYF70Z8qWIK6/s1734/045.TIF" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1146" data-original-width="1734" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0g5X0dv-kFARrBkQOiSXCez0d5Ug3pnwTwmJUQ-IR0Y3enU1ZIochNPTD1leiYG5T1HGTEFM8f0xsAD8IlcdL5Ff002TZ_MNGGBDg90SclOb0Yb1-NbaSX0jPOvrqZxVD0IMBN8KLSnEOZ5Af1KyfUtjhUEVUICAV61XawhVOZ22bp_AcYF70Z8qWIK6/s320/045.TIF" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sid Mason, wife, dog and his beloved plane</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Start with a Google
search on Maynard, Massachusetts. Select the Maps option. Zoom in a couple of
clicks. Drag the map so that it is centered on the west side of town, just
north of Summer Street. You will see a designation: “Sid’s Airport.” A switch
to satellite view will confirm a grassy airstrip. At this point, say to
yourself “Really?!?” Next time you are driving west on Summer Street, remember
to glance to the right two houses after passing Durant Avenue on the right.
Voila! Sid’s Airport.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sidney H. Mason created his backyard
airstrip in 1948 (the same year Orville Wright died). Sid was twenty-eight at
the time and an army veteran. He and three friends bought a used Luscombe 1946
8A in 1947 for one thousand dollars. The plane was a two-seater with an
all-aluminum body and wings, powered by a sixty-five horsepower engine. The
airstrip land was carved out of what had been an extensive Mason family farm
that dated back to at least 1875. In fact, back in the farm days, the family
had two runways, and many of the pilots in Maynard and nearby towns kept their
planes there.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sid was still flying in the left hand
(pilot’s) seat as late as 1997, at age seventy-nine. A few years before he gave
up flying, he had switched over to a 1955 Cessna that needed a bit more runway
than his private airstrip provided, so he started flying from Stow’s Minute Man
Air Field. Meanwhile, Sid's son—Jack Mason—had taken up his father's hobby
while still in his teens, earned his pilot’s license, and was flying a Vector
Ultralight in and out of the backyard. This meant that their landing strip continued
to be an active, FAA-numbered airstrip (MA52). Sid also soloed the ultralight
now and then.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Run the timeline forward to 2012, and Jack
Mason had just become the proud owner of a 1946 Luscombe 8E (a model with a bit
more horsepower than his dad's old plane). He won the plane in a lottery. By
choosing a propeller that maximizes takeoff and climbing power, he has a
vintage but modernized plane that can be flown in and out of the landing strip
behind his house. Thus, while the plane lives at Stow’s airport, Jack can start
a voyage from there, stop home for lunch, then head out again…or just step out
the back door and into an ultralight. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sid Mason passed on to the big airport in
the sky in 2005. His life-long love affair with the air is memorialized by his
tombstone, as it portrays his Luscombe in flight, with the plane’s registration
number N72025 on the side.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Women at Digital
Equipment Corporation</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">October 10, 1957: A short
item on the third page of the Maynard News mentioned that Kenneth H. Olsen and
Harlan E. Anderson had formed a new electronics company named Digital Equipment
Corporation. Both of them had been employees at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory before
striking out on their own. Ken was thirty-one, Harlan twenty-eight. They
started with 8,680 square feet of space, rented for $3,600 a year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the first three years, they were
producing electronic test modules for engineering laboratories, and in the
meantime working on Phase II of their plan: Digital's first computer, to be
named the PDP-1. By October 1961, the company had grown to 265 employees. In
time, Digital made Maynard the “mini-computer capital of the world.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Olsen was a big believer in numbers.
Employees were assigned consecutive numbers based on order of hire, later
becoming their badge numbers. Ken was #1. Harlan was #2. The first two women
hired were Alma E. Pontz, #5, and Gloria Porrazzo, #6.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Women were not rare at Digital. From
perusing a list of the first one hundred full-time employees, thirty-six were
women. Years later, the main reasons Olsen gave for locating in Maynard were
low rent and a local work force with lots of factory experience. Many of the
women were walk-to-work Maynardites who had worked in the same buildings in the
woolen mill era, ten to twenty years back. The newly refurbished work area was
clean, quiet and well lit, although hot during the summers, as no air
conditioning was installed until around 1970. Throughout the buildings, summer
weather meant lanolin from the old wool-processing days dripping down the walls
or from the ceilings above.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alma E. Pontz was the first woman hired.
According to her 2013 obituary, she had already put in twenty-four years in the
wool business before being hired by Olsen as the first administrative
assistant, and thus was more than a decade older than her bosses. She stayed
with DEC until she retired twenty-one years later. Gloria Porrazzo was the
first woman hired to work in assembling the Laboratory Modules and Systems
Modules. These products allowed Digital to be profitable from its first year
onward. The women who worked in assembly, informally “Gloria's Girls,” did
circuit board assembly, welds and quality control.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxq_0i_uE2jGq9WOZKQAozfXF5oW83Otru1fYaxLCKxc3bmnfNJIwOFY-SXFXDiWp5JCORuBAEfadUFMNHWLtiW_IGJr5f-p0oV4XbBsNTEZ7oDgARxhq49Tv-BWbpjhkoGg9Ft9o5J0Y73wRgJ59XY03cUs5UoJ3O6hl6pFxBvWuF8LXtNCRzZaxunNYH/s816/X-StephensonBarbara_DEC%20engineer.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxq_0i_uE2jGq9WOZKQAozfXF5oW83Otru1fYaxLCKxc3bmnfNJIwOFY-SXFXDiWp5JCORuBAEfadUFMNHWLtiW_IGJr5f-p0oV4XbBsNTEZ7oDgARxhq49Tv-BWbpjhkoGg9Ft9o5J0Y73wRgJ59XY03cUs5UoJ3O6hl6pFxBvWuF8LXtNCRzZaxunNYH/s320/X-StephensonBarbara_DEC%20engineer.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barbara Stephenson, DEC engineer</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Digital was not averse to hiring women with
technical expertise, but some of the customers had a hard time adapting.
Barbara Stephenson, MIT graduate, employee #71, was hired the second year. As
posted at www.computerhistory.org: “I was the first woman engineer at DEC.
Customers would call for an applications engineer. They would say, ‘I want to
speak with an engineer,’ and I would reply ‘I’m an engineer,’ and they would
say, ‘No, I want to speak with a real engineer.’ I developed this patter:
‘Well, tell me about the application you have in mind. We have three lines of
modules ranging from five to ten megacycles and…’ The line would go dead for a
moment and then I’d hear, ‘Hey Joe, guess what, I’ve got a…woman…engineer on
the phone!’”<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Women were promoted from within. Maynard
resident Angela Cossette was hired as an administrative assistant in 1963 in
support for DEC User’s Society. DECUS provided a pre-internet forum for
computer users to exchange technical information and user-developed software.
Cossette moved up to becoming the company’s first woman manager, in time with
as many as one hundred people reporting to her. In her own words “Digital
became very aggressive about giving women the opportunity to grow in their
careers and making it possible for them to move into key positions.” Cossette
retired in 1992. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her comment reflected Digital's
self-realization that it had a problem with its history of male dominated
culture. A Core Groups program was started in 1977, evolving into the Valuing
Differences philosophy in 1984. The stated goal was for the company and its
employees to pay attention to differences of individuals and groups, to be
comfortable with those differences, and to utilize those differences as assets
to the company's productivity.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Fleepo the Clown, aka
Philip Bohunicky</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">November 2014 marked ten
years since Philip W. Bohunicky, aka “Fleepo the Clown” passed away, a month
shy of his eighty-fifth birthday. Phil had been a fixture in Maynard’s parades
and celebrations for close to forty years. He, as have others, qualified for
the honorary title “Mr. Maynard” in his time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cjhxMsFxqf_DqYLpavq2ZAqclBFNGtSFYchrNmVEQgrMGnYJc0biNQR9iJeG8oC0oVXHL2EUGwG3J45VemMdYEp1kWI3jLhwad1-DAVxEGJdgh0HxeHtGWk8abxKnXhp779zqWE5rHZ1-_CaN0GYo1fecJjk0JdOc_VaYO44Wa9rbAmbYwAvk92epHU2/s2934/Fleepo-Plaque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2118" data-original-width="2934" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cjhxMsFxqf_DqYLpavq2ZAqclBFNGtSFYchrNmVEQgrMGnYJc0biNQR9iJeG8oC0oVXHL2EUGwG3J45VemMdYEp1kWI3jLhwad1-DAVxEGJdgh0HxeHtGWk8abxKnXhp779zqWE5rHZ1-_CaN0GYo1fecJjk0JdOc_VaYO44Wa9rbAmbYwAvk92epHU2/w400-h289/Fleepo-Plaque.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaque honoring Phil Bohunicky</td></tr></tbody></table> </span>Phil wrote up part of his life’s story for
the Maynard Historical Society shortly before he died. As he told it, he began
sponsoring and coordinating Maynard’s Christmas parade in 1966 because of an
event from his youth. His early memories were of growing up in a Catholic
orphanage. He described a snowy winter evening when the nuns told the boys that
after evening prayers they were to put on their winter outfits. They walked to
the center of town, where he heard a small band playing “Jingle Bells,” and everyone
joined in to sing Christmas carols.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his own words, “All of a sudden a huge
red fire engine appeared around the corner with its sirens and horns blasting
away. Standing in the back of the fire engine was a huge Santa Claus waving and
yelling ‘Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas! Ho Ho Ho!’ As Santa faded slowly in
the distance I was mesmerized, and to this day, oh so long, long after, I never
forgot when I first saw Santa Claus when I was only six years old and living in
the orphanage.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to starting the Maynard
Christmas Parade tradition, behind the scenes he also personally covered much
of the cost of putting on the event, a responsibility since taken on by the
Rotary Club. Phil also organized the annual Easter Egg Hunt at Crowe Park and
helped provide entertainment at the Fourth of July carnivals at the same
location. At many events he was joined by his children, and others in the seven
to ten age range, who performed as the Happy Toe Square Dancers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phil's main alter ego was “Fleepo the
Clown,” but he also put in appearances at children’s and charity events as
Grandpa Fleepo or Harmonica Phil. Many Maynardites remember Fleepo on WAVM’s
The Fleepo Show; or in costume, on roller skates, handing out lollipops; or
seeing him drive by—in costume, on his way to an event—with a very, very large
stuffed panda in the car as his sidekick. His license plate read FLEEPO. One
story that made local news in April 1990 was that Fleepo was hatjacked of his
signature antique top hat at the Easter Egg event. Sadly, the hat was never
recovered.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As to how his clown name came to be: Philip
clown-apprenticed for years with Chris Sclarppia, who went by the name “Bozo”
(not the famous Bozo). Chris took the French pronunciation of Phil’s name—think
“Fe-leep”—and from there mutated it to “Fleepo.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Out of costume, Bohunicky put in uncounted
hours supporting Little League baseball, T-ball and the water safety swim
program conducted at Lake Boon. He had served in the Army Medical Corp in
Europe during World War II, and appeared in uniform at Memorial Day and
Veterans Day remembrances. His post-war career was as an electronics technician
at MIT’s Lincoln Labs, in Lexington. Bohunicky died on Veterans Day, 2004. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little is known about Bohunicky’s family
history. One source mentions both of his parents dying when he was an infant,
and with no other family member to take him, he ended up at St. John’s Catholic
Orphanage in Utica, New York, until he was eleven, and then lived with a series
of foster families. His good luck was the last family insisting he finish high
school, and then the GI Bill putting him through Massachusetts Trade School.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phil's contributions to town spirit continue
to be remembered. Each year, the Philip Bohunicky Humanitarian Award is
presented at the WAVM banquet to a member of the town who exemplifies the same
type of dedication to his/her community.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-53078563125103166552023-11-14T08:03:00.009-05:002023-12-11T08:36:09.053-05:00Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia) in Massachusetts<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26z8lnvCVOdAhWtlMW0DTM28Mp6h9kDZLJMVfFU8_qnKY2zU78yDxJIFWStb7rRhvUUcvSByRVHfpaBVgIQVR2OYJBgH061qh4yRrPLACllvAFQ-QFWUQh_yfgEf87dGoE4lUmd4uVjMxi3pQJwvG7JvZNZDyjZt_xqynTVnpkA-p4gIbKuFlJLv0iOlf/s989/Arnold%20metasequoia.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="659" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26z8lnvCVOdAhWtlMW0DTM28Mp6h9kDZLJMVfFU8_qnKY2zU78yDxJIFWStb7rRhvUUcvSByRVHfpaBVgIQVR2OYJBgH061qh4yRrPLACllvAFQ-QFWUQh_yfgEf87dGoE4lUmd4uVjMxi3pQJwvG7JvZNZDyjZt_xqynTVnpkA-p4gIbKuFlJLv0iOlf/w266-h400/Arnold%20metasequoia.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arnold Arboretum metasequoia</td></tr></tbody></table>Metasequoia, species name <i>Metasequoia glyptostroboides</i>, is also commonly known as dawn redwood species, It is related to the North American redwood and sequoia trees, but native to China. While shorter than its relatives, metasequoia is fast-growing, and known to potentially exceed 150 feet in height under idea growing conditions. Many 20 year old trees have reached 50-60 feet in height. Unlike its relatives, it sheds its needles in fall and grows anew in spring. Also unlike its North American relatives, metassequoia is winter-hardy, and has been successfully grown across New England. <p></p><p></p>Roughly 65 million years ago, metasequoia was widespread across Asia and North America, but then disappeared from the fossil records thereafter, and was thus catagorized as extinct. In the 1940s trees were discovered by botanists in Lichuan, a county in Hubei provernce, east-central China. After a period of species misidentification, in 1948 the trees were formally confirmed as the 'extinct' metasequoia, hence a "living fossil." That same year, the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, funded an expedition to collect seeds. The first tree planted at the Arboretum now easily tops 100 feet, and in 1995 was incorporated into the Arboretum's logo. <p></p><p>Seeds were subsequently distributed to universites around the world. Commercial plant nurseries sell the original species and have developed several cultivars with different attributes, such as dwarf, narrow, weeping, yellow/orange instead of green, and so on.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh278VfgtYZkedQZM6tfEUxu6yhQ9pVvQP_PXmtIsKMiZGlPM8wI_Nf4G2pd6_suli5FH0ON1Fdov6c5nM5HxaaOCj4ZXks7eqX_MBRxV1EH2GnPZIJw7AxOExru0Xq89_EDNZWTmPIQeqJVNi-2QVrlWdbnKQ1N6t2zNO7HhxtKGvrXCZElT168qQK-uE/s1613/Metasequoia%20Gold%20Rush.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1613" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh278VfgtYZkedQZM6tfEUxu6yhQ9pVvQP_PXmtIsKMiZGlPM8wI_Nf4G2pd6_suli5FH0ON1Fdov6c5nM5HxaaOCj4ZXks7eqX_MBRxV1EH2GnPZIJw7AxOExru0Xq89_EDNZWTmPIQeqJVNi-2QVrlWdbnKQ1N6t2zNO7HhxtKGvrXCZElT168qQK-uE/s320/Metasequoia%20Gold%20Rush.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Gold Rush' Metasequoia</td></tr></tbody></table>For the original type, the needles are light green, in the fall turning a pinkish-tan to red-brown and then falling to the ground. Cultivars such as Gold Rush and Amber Glow have yellow/green needles and a mature height of 35-40 feet. The National cultivar tops out at 60 feet and only 20 feet wide. The dwarf cultivars top out at under 20 feet. The species is not considered drought resistant, and especially in early years, the soil should not be allowed to go completely dry. Optimal growth is achieved with full sunlight and damp to wet terrain.<p></p><p>Sadly, in China, the dawn redwood is threatened with slow-motion extinction. A survey of wild-growing trees in the original locations, conducted in 2007-09, counted just under 6,000 trees. There are far more than that number existing outside of China - all planted after 1948. While it is now illegal to cut down or dig up dawn redwoods in China, the demand for seeds is so high that almost all seed-containing cones are collected, leaving no opportunity for new seedlings in the existing groves. The existing trees had diameters up to five feet and some exceeded 150 feet in height. Age was estimated as up to 265 years. Stumps of trees cut prior to protection indicate that these trees can survive close to 400 years, approach 200 feet in height and eight feet in diameter. While huge compared to most other tree species, those are smaller numbers seen for the American sequoia and redwood species. Those can exceed 300 feet in height, 25 feet in diameter, and 2,000 years in age.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-14607297083352983502023-11-07T07:54:00.014-05:002023-11-09T15:36:34.903-05:00Kousa Versus American Dogwood<p><i>Cornus</i> is a genus of more than 30 woody plant species commonly known as "dogwoods." </p><p><i><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_vDhQIYoeByS26xt3va0t2B-bPS_ak9oZAXfNzgdBal7aR8utks6uw5mPvCWna2db6Q8ZwicbNoMCJ4uSd-d0h7NoA-4yBmiWHk3q6cWMO84txqEHGekwMSX_4vGWJY3WiKFKoRdTNi73NDeqGdY2LDVGG1LgWl6fbuWySWyfzCreXp8kEOal5ihHFz0/s350/Dogwood%20fruit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="350" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_vDhQIYoeByS26xt3va0t2B-bPS_ak9oZAXfNzgdBal7aR8utks6uw5mPvCWna2db6Q8ZwicbNoMCJ4uSd-d0h7NoA-4yBmiWHk3q6cWMO84txqEHGekwMSX_4vGWJY3WiKFKoRdTNi73NDeqGdY2LDVGG1LgWl6fbuWySWyfzCreXp8kEOal5ihHFz0/s320/Dogwood%20fruit.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cornus florida</i> fruit</td></tr></tbody></table>Cornus florida</i>, often called "American dogwood," is native to eastern North America. In forests, this is an understructure tree, reaching heights of 15-30 feet and propsering in shade. Lifespan typically 40-60 years. Varieties were developed as ornamental trees for yards and parks. In the spring, these have inconspicuous flowers surrounded by four large petal-like leaves called "bracts" that range in color from white to pink to red. </p><p>In the fall, the tress display small clusters of hard red fruit. The fruit are an important food source for dozens of speices of birds, when then distribute the seeds in their feces. The leaves are a food source for several moth varieties. The fruit is astringent and ecxtremely bitter, and thus is not considered human-edible. The wood is close-grained and dense, used for making of tool handles.</p><p>Wild populations of American dogwood were severely afflicted by <i>Discula destructiva </i>(great name!), a fungus that first appeared in North America in the late 1970s, origin and means of reaching North America unknown. The diseased condition is called dogwood anthracnose. Millions of trees died. Trees with the disease usually show
medium‑large, purple‑bordered leaf spots
and scorched tan blotches that may enlarge
to kill the entire leaf. Die-back spreads to the twigs. As the disease
progresses, lower branches die, cankers
(detected as dark brown discoloration under
the bark) form on the limbs, and sprout
development (small twigs and leaves appearing on treet trunks and mature branches) increases.</p><p>Dogwood anthracnose is favored by
wet, rainy weather, and slow foliage
drying. A sunny
exposure from the east to dry the tree
early in the day is most helpful. Trees should be watered during drought. New dogwood
cultivars of the ‘Appalachian’ series
are anthracnose-resistant.</p><p><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRffxoTpyfEa92AVbSP2BJ1lgaM5iNoISyE3zEh63JeBqzKjphsEQBfI7QYWkTXeBhnvPE4OJUSMqaBA48feoyf0miY8ZCupeYI3wBf4AnUEOqjqTAQv7DCZX_YESwDfBgQu6j4pNb9Jyt8QibtTADQxWLQOljZFb4uMaf8b93LI6rU4aBygTsupmVwmK/s4032/X%20Kousa%20Dogwood.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpRffxoTpyfEa92AVbSP2BJ1lgaM5iNoISyE3zEh63JeBqzKjphsEQBfI7QYWkTXeBhnvPE4OJUSMqaBA48feoyf0miY8ZCupeYI3wBf4AnUEOqjqTAQv7DCZX_YESwDfBgQu6j4pNb9Jyt8QibtTADQxWLQOljZFb4uMaf8b93LI6rU4aBygTsupmVwmK/s320/X%20Kousa%20Dogwood.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kousa dogwood in bloom. Note pointed ends <br />of the white bracts. Native trees have bracts<br />with rounded ends.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-style: italic;">C</span><i>ornus kousa</i><span style="font-style: italic;">, </span>also known as Kousa dogwood and Chinese, Koran or Japanese dogwood, is widely cultivated as an ornamental tree throughout New England, and in some places has naturalized. It is not currently designated as an invasive species, but has potential. <p></p><p>When in bloom, in late spring, inconspicuous flowers are at the center of four white bracts, similar in appearance to native dogwood, but pointed at ends rather than rounded. The fruit is soft , pale red, round, and slightly smaller than a ping-pong ball. Kousa dogwood fruit is not consumed by American birds or other animals. The leaves are not consumed by American insects. Mature trees are about 20 feet tall and often multi-trunked. Lifespan can be 50-150 years. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOYUDrIQBNwTBWKN7ptqjewouZ4B2DO1SIZADCxgjF1msj9fv-0sV4OFa2D7HkrxZwUw2oopVTTMYYbc6TPk-rWD3niSzOS6bJ8JHb4yK4RCLrCJfHDMUkEzWsU6c8nGmXuClbelwua4tJkdQwINpO79NQpW_g2FbHZ5L4z5J29kk6aFLqOXTjoHZubHM/s4000/Kousa%20fruit%20(3).JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOYUDrIQBNwTBWKN7ptqjewouZ4B2DO1SIZADCxgjF1msj9fv-0sV4OFa2D7HkrxZwUw2oopVTTMYYbc6TPk-rWD3niSzOS6bJ8JHb4yK4RCLrCJfHDMUkEzWsU6c8nGmXuClbelwua4tJkdQwINpO79NQpW_g2FbHZ5L4z5J29kk6aFLqOXTjoHZubHM/w320-h240/Kousa%20fruit%20(3).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kousa fruit</td></tr></tbody></table>Kousa dogwood is resistant to the fungal disease that afflicts American dogwood, and so has been widely planted as a replacement. Given the large volume of fruit production and lack of consuption by birds or mammals, fallen fruit can accumulate on sidewalks and driveways, creating a squishy mess. <div><br /></div><div>Commercial varieties include dwarf, weeping, single trunk, etc. "Milky Way" (pictured above) is profusely covered in white bracts in late spring. </div><div><br /></div><div>There has been some success in breeding a florida/kousa hybrid with disease resistance. Several named varieties are available from plant nurseries. The hybrids are sterile. <p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-72658318286568922222023-11-02T21:16:00.003-04:002023-11-11T04:24:04.158-05:00Trail of Flowers 2023 Maynard MA<p>In the fall of 2018, <b>Trail of Flowers </b>(www.trailofflowers.com) was started as a program, with the intention of using volunteers and donations to plant flowering bulbs, shrubs and trees along the Assabet River Rail Trail, in eastern Massachusets. This was shortly after the north end of ARRT - 3.4 miles in Acton and Maynard - completed paving and was open to the public. (ARRT in Marlborough and part of Hudson were paved in 2005-6. Stow, the middle section, may never be completed.) </p><p>To date, TOF has raised and spent about $10,000 and has planted thousands of daffodil bulbs, hundreds of daylilies and irises, and scores of flowering shrubs and trees, primarily in Maynard and Acton, but with modest plantings in Marlborough. The intention is to add Hudson in 2024. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0USlXtImFMIunYkQMM-LZ7Pfxi32m6f_MCxmOZxTDLHt2kpZf2BehOdCmF7y2I3Vf3YviCgdTbjPobzDXVjLnXAQ5GCvSb3EaLeWYU2nfTLbkRzdf21ae4yRpt3N9nxgM6iR3nKKxzKiq4H0ulEIWvbSAjHkoZhQGLk7WjMbYEI9o7oPqyqgkTFLHJghm/s3653/Dedication%2005-02-23%20A%20orig.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3653" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0USlXtImFMIunYkQMM-LZ7Pfxi32m6f_MCxmOZxTDLHt2kpZf2BehOdCmF7y2I3Vf3YviCgdTbjPobzDXVjLnXAQ5GCvSb3EaLeWYU2nfTLbkRzdf21ae4yRpt3N9nxgM6iR3nKKxzKiq4H0ulEIWvbSAjHkoZhQGLk7WjMbYEI9o7oPqyqgkTFLHJghm/w400-h331/Dedication%2005-02-23%20A%20orig.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dedication event - May 2, 2023</td></tr></tbody></table>Plantings and more were accomplished in 2023. The creation of Marble Farm Historic Site was dedicated in May 2023, bringing to a conclusion 3.5 years of applying to the Community Preservation Committee for funding, putting out to bid, and construction. The park is on the north side of town, adjacent to the Rail Trail, across Route 27 from Christmas Motors. <p></p><p>There is a little story about the sign. Requests for bids were solicited for incising the lettering into three cedat planks. Bids came back at $1,100 and 1,700. Taking this as unreasonably high, the Assabet Regional Technical High School wood show was contacted. Butler Lumber donated the planks and posts and the school incised the letters for free. </p><p>Plantings in 2023 took place in three phases. First, Acton-Boxbrough High School has a senior students community service day. TOF took advantage of this to have eight students plant 15 shrubs - forsythia, weigela, verburnum and winterberry - in Acton, near the Sylvia Street access ramp. The area was chosen because it gets good sunlight. The new plants join winterberry, white fringe trees, royal purple smoke trees and daffodils from earlier plantings. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6ABik6_N2D1iZvbCOz3tECtMY4wXkgLvIAkBih8xJ9AgX_TrJYJdjVgPuIC9IVLkFitWCRFcy7LemYUyS1N2wajuRNOXwfOgWPDay0m6dBAFWu_9MXd0HWOT9MfK6KKA1Gh_oStcIJyPbJCYldqXa8dvRh2FYwlpljU_fTUBD-RHHY7zvU2VQ0sFsZXk/s3024/BeeMeadow%20installed%20last%20cropped.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6ABik6_N2D1iZvbCOz3tECtMY4wXkgLvIAkBih8xJ9AgX_TrJYJdjVgPuIC9IVLkFitWCRFcy7LemYUyS1N2wajuRNOXwfOgWPDay0m6dBAFWu_9MXd0HWOT9MfK6KKA1Gh_oStcIJyPbJCYldqXa8dvRh2FYwlpljU_fTUBD-RHHY7zvU2VQ0sFsZXk/s320/BeeMeadow%20installed%20last%20cropped.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of six 'art posts' donated to TPF by the <br />Honeybee Meadow Committee</td></tr></tbody></table>The second phase involved plant donations from the Maynard Community Gardeners annual plant sale.Over 100 irises and dozens of daylilies were added to the section between Concord and Summer streets. The third involved adding 150 tulips to the display at Marble Farm. There are inside the fence that encircles the foundation which is all that remains of one of the oldest residences in what later became Maynard. The Marble family and their descendants lived there for more that 200 years. <p></p><p>The third effort- last quarter of 2023 - added more flowering shrubs to the Sylvia Street site. </p><p>In addition, the Honeybee Meadow Committee, ArtSplace, donated six decorated posts (six inches square and six feet tall) to be installed along the trail. Each post has an informative plaque about pollinators:</p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">These posts were
created in 2017 for the Maynard Honeybee Meadow, which was located at 61-63
Summer Street. Given the uncertainty of the future of that parcel of land with
the closing of ArtSpace, the Honeybee Meadow Committee donated the posts to the
Assabet River Rail Trail for the Trail of Flowers project (</span><a href="http://www.trailofflowers.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">www.trailofflowers.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">).
The artists who worked on the posts are:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Priscilla Alpaugh</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Lola Chaisson</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: .5in 3.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;"> Catherine Evans Jen Maestre<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; tab-stops: .5in 3.0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;"> Jill Pottle Sandy Wilensky<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Pollinator-friendly
plants found along the Rail Trail, either planted or naturally occurring,
include Beauty Bush, Chicory, Goldenrod, Iris, Queen Anne’s lace, Rose of
Sharon, Weigala and others.</span></p><p>Lastly, 150 tulip bulbs were planted inside the fence at the Marble Farm Historic Site in order to protect them from deer. As the new bulb site is below lawn level, the tulips will be barely noticeable from the Rail Trail. To bring the tulips to the attention of passers-by, a sign will be added to the TRAIL OF FLOWERS daffodil blooming sign, reading TULIPS INSIDE FENCE. And a tulip sculpture the same size as the daffodil sculpture will be located inside the fence.</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-36168563179244279042023-08-13T13:14:00.005-04:002023-09-03T22:14:34.055-04:00Thoughts on getting older<p>You hit 65 and your 'check engine' light turns on.</p><p>Every part of your body has a medical specialist - you just have not met them all yet. </p><p>It is upsetting to realize you are the same age as 'old people.' </p><p>New-found skills include tripping while walking up stairs, having a coughing fit from taking a drink of water, and getting to a room only to forget what it was you wanted there.</p><p>I am not afraid of dying - I just don't want to be there when it happens.</p><p>When you drop something on the floor, you pause first to decide if you really need it...</p><p>...then, you figure it can stay there until one of your kids visit.</p><p>You accept you are old when you realize that your childhood toys are now valuable collectables (except your mother threw them out).</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3FgwaTLnm6_bY7Mc8WTM-54CNb232sDDiNUcjUndYRJ-lq68cvk943Pvi56IDKELhR7cAkbub9AKdPrN1B97W9mkqHWrWk1vQ3OIUaI-R0btzxnQZhtso4biG9zSETj84MoljI28rKYveO9xOsNOYFPGzost_t1tqjsGkEIXKVR700vHNQ1IN-fCC6UFL/s1200/Old%20men.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3FgwaTLnm6_bY7Mc8WTM-54CNb232sDDiNUcjUndYRJ-lq68cvk943Pvi56IDKELhR7cAkbub9AKdPrN1B97W9mkqHWrWk1vQ3OIUaI-R0btzxnQZhtso4biG9zSETj84MoljI28rKYveO9xOsNOYFPGzost_t1tqjsGkEIXKVR700vHNQ1IN-fCC6UFL/w400-h266/Old%20men.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Older men, hanging out</td></tr></tbody></table><br />There comes a time when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.<p></p><p>Some people say that wisdom comes with age, but sometime age shows up all by itself.</p><p>Stop complaining about being old when the alternative is being dead. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-69760109436067365562023-04-15T06:00:00.004-04:002023-05-03T06:37:08.218-04:00Marble Farm Historic Site dedication<p> On May 2, 2023, a 4:30 PM, Maynard's newest park will be dedicated. The event is planned to coincide with peak daffodil blooming, as thousands of daffodils were planted there, starting fall of 2018. The site is on the Assabet River Rail Trail, across Route 27 from Christmas Motors.</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i> Below, parts taken from a 2019 newspaper column about the site</i></p><p class="MsoNormal">As for this site’s history, start with a witch trial. In 1692,
Joseph Marble, resident of Andover, Massachusetts, posted bond for his two
nieces, accused of witchcraft. Abigail Faulkner, their mother, had already been
convicted of witchcraft and sentenced to be hanged. Her execution was deferred
because she was pregnant. By the spring of 1693 the witch hunt frenzy was over.
Abigail was pardoned, her daughters never brought to trial.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRd01Fh_Sr0hZ0-EmrBa8hoYDsyPzu_BqM1oUgJ0PdpSaNWLW3aiFKMgOyZUUqsvL59MQBh5FyrQErVariamTUMUm-I_sjSn5ljp7gbfWibYK99kNtpkyt3S9_Txv5JmC6BLnJTPljN7KVnJ6V7SSNcXKDrbEBY6-QDCLdbgcxOB9IuPTnXtL5QOLjA/s1833/MarbleFamilyHouse.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1311" data-original-width="1833" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRd01Fh_Sr0hZ0-EmrBa8hoYDsyPzu_BqM1oUgJ0PdpSaNWLW3aiFKMgOyZUUqsvL59MQBh5FyrQErVariamTUMUm-I_sjSn5ljp7gbfWibYK99kNtpkyt3S9_Txv5JmC6BLnJTPljN7KVnJ6V7SSNcXKDrbEBY6-QDCLdbgcxOB9IuPTnXtL5QOLjA/s320/MarbleFamilyHouse.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maynard Historic Society photo of the house <br />with barns in the background</td></tr></tbody></table>Locally, records show Joseph Marble buying 140 acres of land
in Sudbury in 1704. Exactly what land he bought and from whom has not been confirmed,
but a good guess is from William Brown and at the northeast edge of what is now
Maynard. Joseph is recorded as attending Sudbury town meetings. Joseph’s son
John and his neighbors petitioned to switch their land to Stow in 1730. In 1871
the same land was included in the creation of Maynard, carved out of parts of
Stow and Sudbury. Thus, over the years the homestead was located in three
towns.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The family line at the homestead was as follows: Joseph
Marble, then his son John, John’s son John, and that John’s son, John. (Whew!)
John-the-last is buried in Glendale cemetery with his wife Lois. Their daughter
Sarah Marble married Daniel Whitney and they inherited the house. Their
daughter Mary Whitney married Joel Parmenter. Mary and Joel lived in Sudbury
until Daniel Whitney died in 1871, then back to the homestead, making it the
Parmenter house until Joel died in 1919. Mary’s and Joel’s son Harry owned only
half of the house and none of the farm at the time the house burned to the
ground in 1924. The house was never rebuilt and the barns (spared by the fire) are
long gone. The land is owned by the town of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Maynard</st1:city></st1:place>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A few highlights: The original immigrants John and Judith
Marble, John and Elinor Whitney and John and Briget Parmenter, all arrived in
New England in the 1630’s as part of the Puritan Great Migration. Joseph’s
“witch” sister-in-law gave birth to Ammi Ruhamah Faulkner in 1693. His name was
derived from Hebrew and translates as “my people have been saved” – apt for a
child whose pregnancy saved his mother’s life! Around 1740 Ammi moved to <st1:place w:st="on">South Acton</st1:place> and bought the mill. His home is now the
historic Faulkner Homestead. His first cousin John Marble was already in
residence at the Marble homestead, a mile down the road. Whitneys were early
inhabitants of Stow; Parmenters early inhabitants of Sudbury.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BPVNd_sZZ97S23yXCTftIqZfC5B6jfSaMuhUb4dqu5R5zkQxGWh91UPU44or2wyAcu94SDYZN6X_S6CaACJQUVz5MiKlVvELpucLMCkmn9WKvq6QdkhSSj2pbsWlVH_sbZKCjulHSoz6LVGln6XHmB5GTIAYXy2sJ7gBbZd57ccNyFMkekjicaMu2Q/s1280/MarbleGroupShot.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BPVNd_sZZ97S23yXCTftIqZfC5B6jfSaMuhUb4dqu5R5zkQxGWh91UPU44or2wyAcu94SDYZN6X_S6CaACJQUVz5MiKlVvELpucLMCkmn9WKvq6QdkhSSj2pbsWlVH_sbZKCjulHSoz6LVGln6XHmB5GTIAYXy2sJ7gBbZd57ccNyFMkekjicaMu2Q/s320/MarbleGroupShot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maynard Boy Scout Troop #130 at site</td></tr></tbody></table>The site consists of a 28’ x 32’ house foundation and
surrounding stone walls. In April 2009 Maynard’s Boy Scout Troop #130 cleared
the site and installed a post and chain fence around part of the foundation. The
east border is a walled ditch running parallel to the Assabet River Rail Trail.
A historic plaque marks the site. The house burned on April 2, 1924. The
nearest fire hydrant was too far away to be of any use.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Marble Farm was the topic of a presentation to the Maynard
Historical Society in 2009. In attendance were two descendants of Joseph
Marble! Charles Marble was a descendent of John, one of Joseph’s sons. Sally
Wadman, maiden name Chandler descended from one of Joseph’s other sons – Edmund
– who had married Mary Jewell in August 1711.Their daughter Dorothy married
Moses Chandler in 1742, and through their son, Samuel Chandler, reached down
through eight more generations to Sally. Chandler is another New England name
dating its arrival to the early 1600’s, in this case to a William Chandler who
arrived around 1637. Thus, through Sally’s genealogical research she was able
to connect with her Marble, Jewell and Chandler ancestors who all arrived within
20 years of the Mayflower.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After the Scout effort the site reverted to wilderness, overgrown with
Oriental bittersweet, sumac, blackberry and Japanese knotweed. Dead trees fell or were threatening. Starting in 2018, volunteers cleared a portion between the foundation
and the rail trail this summer past and planted grass. In October of that year, more than
1,000 daffodils were planted. This was the first step toward converting Maynard’s
portion of the Assabet River Rail Trail into a “Trail of Flowers.” The project continued in 2019 with more daffodils. A web site, www.trailofflowers.com, was launched.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>New content</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8XlpP51aKe2mfAqdAAqipz2Eb3JpC4BSkxn7EUxZzNKl6EYpaOC5fpfqJD8hRsK3vJod-aOqYLFrdINxOApsZgt_zpr-2kIhV3BEj15VJ6FkPy2qAdZbJ3ekEYPl7pNc0l2IGzqTkj0LrkHvt0Ax6RF_ukqf9bPR5sXCWOKyawKorGQOuHBvI1Tjhw/s3783/DrawingDec2019.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2622" data-original-width="3783" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8XlpP51aKe2mfAqdAAqipz2Eb3JpC4BSkxn7EUxZzNKl6EYpaOC5fpfqJD8hRsK3vJod-aOqYLFrdINxOApsZgt_zpr-2kIhV3BEj15VJ6FkPy2qAdZbJ3ekEYPl7pNc0l2IGzqTkj0LrkHvt0Ax6RF_ukqf9bPR5sXCWOKyawKorGQOuHBvI1Tjhw/w400-h278/DrawingDec2019.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Initial drawing submitted to CPC in 2020</td></tr></tbody></table>In 2020, Maynard's Community Preservation Committee funded a feasibility study for a landscape architect company go create a park creation design. The result was a design for a 2/3 acre park with a safety fence around the foundation, removal of brush piles, dead trees, brick entranceway and a well house, and addition of paths, and amenities such as benches, bike rack, entrance bridge and signage. In 2021, the CPC funded and the citizen vote approved a $100,000 budget. This went out for bid, no bids accepted, design elements removed, out for bid again, and a bid accepted summer of 2022. Project reduced to fence, removal of brush piles, dead trees, well house and deteriorating brick causeway, but no replacement bridge, stone dust paths or bike rack. <div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqPBmprfy8OeXAs5k_JvayQ-t5-SjdeIGWNmt4D3woPwKzXYBAlGLihfHBxi1dD2UWg92zU4gX54TkzgQTB2oWCq2ahC7FDCqtRsz00XUAlUNKjWsplGL10_HNbhfE6jPtjVVcyhQ9zn_sirvF_S0t3b5JGJ2U4zodmN-ccUUDYVGFP0VCH5uhVEU2w/s2943/Dedication%2005-02-23%20A.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2207" data-original-width="2943" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqPBmprfy8OeXAs5k_JvayQ-t5-SjdeIGWNmt4D3woPwKzXYBAlGLihfHBxi1dD2UWg92zU4gX54TkzgQTB2oWCq2ahC7FDCqtRsz00XUAlUNKjWsplGL10_HNbhfE6jPtjVVcyhQ9zn_sirvF_S0t3b5JGJ2U4zodmN-ccUUDYVGFP0VCH5uhVEU2w/w400-h300/Dedication%2005-02-23%20A.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dedication event, May 2, 2023</td></tr></tbody></table><div>A ground-breaking event took place in October 2022. Construction was completed in early 2023. A dedication event took place on May 2, 2023 (to coincide with peak daffodil blooming). The park, officially MARBLE FARM HISTORIC SITE, joins MapleBrook Park, Tobin Park and Ice House Landing as a series of parks adjacent to the Assabet River Rail Trail. The volunteer organization Trail of Flowers continues to augment the parks and other parts of the Rail Trail with flowering bulbs, perennials plants and flowering shrubs and trees, many chosen to be pollinator- and bird-friendly. The lettering on the sign was incised at the Assabet Valley Regional Technical/Vocational High School.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /><p></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-15559772768411694192023-04-06T04:41:00.003-04:002023-04-08T09:10:53.716-04:00Some Robins do not Migrate<p><i>Maynard, MA no longer has a newspaper. This is a re-posting of an old column.</i></p><p>Robins don’t leave anymore. American robins are omnivores,
consuming fruit, berries, earthworms, and insects. They used to leave – their
Latinate name <i>Turdus migratorius </i>says
exactly that – and then come back in the spring. The “Turdus” part refers to being of the thrush family. Emily Dickinson’s poem “I dreaded that
first robin so” started with robins
and went on to list other Spring-signs she dreaded such as daffodils and bees.
And actually, they still do leave, mostly, but enough stay to make robin
sightings year-round not particularly newsworthy. The reasons for seeing robins
year-round is probably a combination of in part global warming and part a
better winter food supply. A good resource for shifting bird territories is The
Great Backyard Bird Count (<a href="http://www.birdsource.org/">www.birdsource.org</a>). </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyNzf7-WZdthBKqac7JaMsMP73AcQYf9h_QBmf3Wd9nSshbUt9Lmv_d7eN_yvpeWlJBo1s8bEto1ePaUmNAZ8ceT8tNl8bcs77PpAsTWQziRzSAmkptLjr1U1OFWTqVmTRBee_ekgwVL3ElZa8FcnzE8ZrgRE079uB4RyG1_t41Pbgoyphem9fZgxRQ/s1616/Robins-A2.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1616" data-original-width="1616" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzyNzf7-WZdthBKqac7JaMsMP73AcQYf9h_QBmf3Wd9nSshbUt9Lmv_d7eN_yvpeWlJBo1s8bEto1ePaUmNAZ8ceT8tNl8bcs77PpAsTWQziRzSAmkptLjr1U1OFWTqVmTRBee_ekgwVL3ElZa8FcnzE8ZrgRE079uB4RyG1_t41Pbgoyphem9fZgxRQ/s320/Robins-A2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robin in a winterberry bush</td></tr></tbody></table>Robins that leave New
England spend the winter months in the southern states along the Gulf of Mexico
or in central <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region></st1:place>.
Coming back, the male show up first. They travel 50 to 200 miles a day, staying
behind the northward advancing line of temperatures above 37<span style="font-family: Symbol;">°</span> degrees. That
temperature is when earthworms will start appearing on the surface and also
when the ground softens enough for female robins to collect mud with their
beaks for nest building.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Spring sightings here
in New England will be a combination of flocks stopping off temporarily but
heading further north, and those that have stopped here, declared territories
(the males) and started nest building (the females). If you hear a robin
singing it is a local male declaring his territory.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In passing, “robin
egg blue” as a color is defined as a<span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #202122; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span>shade of cyan (greenish-blue color) approximating
the shade of the eggs laid by the American robin. Tiffany Blue is a trademarked
name and trademark-protected version of robin egg blue uniquely associated with
Tiffany & Co., a New York City based jewelry company. The company began
using the color in 1845, not many years after its founding in 1837.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The robins that
don’t leave, more males than females, gather in flocks of 20-50, sometimes
co-mingling with wintering flocks of starlings. These are not the plump and
gentle birds of summer with the hop-hop-hop-stop method of working a lawn for
worms and grubs. In winter, robins are noisy and combative, working their way though
berry bushes with the remembered aggressiveness of Bostonians at a Filene’s bargain
basement sale.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Robins like
winterberry berries (as do Cedar waxwings), but will eat just about any type of
berry or fruit. One reason they may find New England more winter-friendly now
compared to years ago is the prevalence of two invasive plant species: Oriental
bittersweet and multiflora rose. Both the tree-topping vines and the arching
ground brambles are lush with red berries by late-November. Many bird species
will eat the multiflora rose berries, but the bittersweet crop is left for robins
and waxwings</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And why the name “robin?” When the English colonists started
arriving in the 1630’s they named the local bird “robin” because its appearance
reminded them of the European Robin. The species are not related. The European
bird is smaller and has a red/orange face and bib, but a whitish belly. It is
the national bird of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United
Kingdom</st1:country-region></st1:place>. When the English got to Australia
the local red-breasted birds also became named robins. These “Flame robins”
look a bit like our birds, only brighter. Unlike our species, the females lack
the red breast color.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Little Robin Redbreast” is an English language nursery rhyme.
It goes, “Little Robin Redbreast, Sat upon a rail; Niddle noble went his head, Widdle
waggle went his tail.” Earlier versions, dating to the 1700s, revealed a more
coarse humor, to wit: “Little Robin Red breast, Sitting on a pole, Nidde,
Noddle, went his head, And poop went his hole.”</p><p class="MsoNormal">There was an Atlantic Ocean crossing important to American
robins. The common earthworms we see robins tugging from the earth and feeding
to their chicks came over with the colonists. Although there were many species
of worms native to the Americas, these immigrants are more adept at managing
the colder climate of the northeast. Back across the ocean, earthworms are
being threatened by another invasive species: the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">New Zealand</st1:country-region></st1:place> flatworm. In parts of
Scotland and Ireland native earthworms are now scarce – and the fertility of
the soil is declining. Here in the US, earthworms are threatened by another invasive species: "jumping worms." from Asia. These (actually three species) live in the leaf litter on the surface, consume dead organic materials, and leave behind nutrient-poor worm poop. Unlike earthworms, they do not burrow, and thus do not contribute to soil aeration and water absorption. Robins will eat jumping worms.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-62490382852040959302023-04-02T16:24:00.004-04:002023-04-02T16:24:44.258-04:00TRAIL OF FLOWERS ANNUAL REPORT: 2022<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-align: left;">Trail of Flowers (TOF) </span><a href="http://www.trailofflowers.com/" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">www.trailofflowers.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; text-align: left;"> exists
to plant flowering plants, shrubs and trees along the Assabet River Rail Trail
(ARRT). As of 2022, plantings have been in Acton, Maynard and Marlborough. Plan
is to add Hudson in 2023. Stow is not yet part of paved ARRT</span></p></blockquote>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuh7W-VOMPeGSQRvDq2Ie_H-5lSxXYuElZ0-lXi0Mq02jC_mvUlcQ2NvEEiwa6Ec2q4ZjwT01njbJ3aumcBemQurIBWee4utYpFAbgm1yV9PmmIiXS-c1_H4g1YZErtrbwdPKB1cUV7Ebb7iSw6s0ZGOTJGUtS2uPTxysrOFPK-3B3sS4UX6WoMo19cA/s2895/Signs%20David%20holding%20B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2171" data-original-width="2895" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuh7W-VOMPeGSQRvDq2Ie_H-5lSxXYuElZ0-lXi0Mq02jC_mvUlcQ2NvEEiwa6Ec2q4ZjwT01njbJ3aumcBemQurIBWee4utYpFAbgm1yV9PmmIiXS-c1_H4g1YZErtrbwdPKB1cUV7Ebb7iSw6s0ZGOTJGUtS2uPTxysrOFPK-3B3sS4UX6WoMo19cA/s320/Signs%20David%20holding%20B.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plant identification signs added fall of 2022</td></tr></tbody></table>SUMMARY</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">:
Trail of Flowers was started in 2018 by David Mark. As of 12/31/22, total income
from grants, donations and sale of ONLY IN MAYNARD coffee mugs has been $9,216
and total expenses $8,088, leaving an end-of-year balance of $1,296 (per ARRT
accounting rather than simple subtraction) in an account maintained by ARRT.
Mug sales income made up $1,811 of the total. Through volunteer efforts, more
than 7,000 daffodil bulbs plus hundreds of other plants have been planted in
three towns.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Contact information:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">David A. Mark<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">10 Maple Street<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Maynard, MA 01754<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><a href="mailto:damark51@gmail.com"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">damark51@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">508-633-8061<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Grants and donations to
TOF and expense invoices are forwarded to Assabet River Rail Trail Inc. (</span><a href="http://www.arrtinc.org/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">www.arrtinc.org</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">),
a Massachusetts-based, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed for the purpose
of promoting the creation of a multi-use recreational rail trail that when
completed will pass through the communities of Marlborough, Hudson, Stow,
Maynard and Acton. As of 2022, there exists a paved section 3.4 miles in length
in Acton and Maynard, and a paved 5.6 mile section in Hudson and Marlborough. As
of January 2023 there is no paving or connection in/through Stow because some
of the original right-of-way is private property, and because bridges are
missing from two crossings of the Assabet River.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">ARRT maintains a bank
account for TOF and accepts grants, donations and profits from sale of ONLY IN
MAYNARD mugs. ARRT reimburses TOF expenses. No one is paid for TOF work. Car
mileage for TOF purposes is not submitted as an expense.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Plantings in almost all
locations are sited more than six feet from the edges of trail pavement, so as
to not interfere with towns’ mowing of borders. The towns’ Department of Public
Works are not expected to provide maintenance. Shrubs and trees are sited so
that at full-size, will be away from the pavement, and not interfere with any
sight-lines at street crossings. See </span><a href="http://www.trailofflowers.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">www.trailofflowers.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">
for photos. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">2022 Annual Report</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2agbxnYZW4Ak0X_IVu0Crr0O-k85kf8rTZ90TyvEVxnLvhvh0p9cTIrjW-8ROsMKpYYXNBuMf7AjKe7Ny_qhdra2MP0pPgRivZDcaI4VARjILLgNCGY7hx5cZAI_QbvZk3vzBLk25W6yMEPOyzgfL17XG1JdmGxhkgJ66srxGoca_NswUXwLDhUHclQ/s3024/Future%20A%20Beauty%20Bush.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2agbxnYZW4Ak0X_IVu0Crr0O-k85kf8rTZ90TyvEVxnLvhvh0p9cTIrjW-8ROsMKpYYXNBuMf7AjKe7Ny_qhdra2MP0pPgRivZDcaI4VARjILLgNCGY7hx5cZAI_QbvZk3vzBLk25W6yMEPOyzgfL17XG1JdmGxhkgJ66srxGoca_NswUXwLDhUHclQ/s320/Future%20A%20Beauty%20Bush.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What mature Beauty Bushes will look like</td></tr></tbody></table>Summary</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">:
The fifth year of operations saw purchase of 1200 daffodil and 100 tulip bulbs,
all planted in Maynard, split between the Marble Farm Historic Site and east
side of Rail Trail north of Summer Street. Maynard volunteers participated.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">In Acton, near the Sylvia
Street access, plantings were two more Royal Purple Smoke Trees and two more
Winterberry bushes. In Marlborough, near the trail end, planting of six Beauty
Bushes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Donations & Mug Sale Income</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">:
$1,099.00</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Expenses</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">:
$1,845.95<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">End of year balance</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">:
$1,296 (per ARRT accounting)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As in previous years,
sale of ONLY IN MAYNARD mugs generates income. Through 2022, 576 mugs purchased
for a total of $2,109.82 and 535 sold. Direct sales are at $10/mug. Sales at various
stores in Maynard are at $10/mug with stores keeping $3/mug, leaving $7/mug to
recoup cost and generate income for TOF. Through 2022, mug income = $1,811. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">Mug costs have increased, so starting in 2023, price will by $15, with stores keeping $5.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Other actions</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">*Website
www.trailoflowers.com updated to capture 2022 activities. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">*Grass mowed and leaves
raked at Marble Farm site by TOF and ARRT volunteers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZnkxpoje_2UKa6CK85ut15NzwopTgTyEVCsik3YN7NP85l0dWi8VLpoT_Fuxj7hbmFVM-B7EVS5Io3ZPNeKdnROU5pVPyeepIlKkEwkgOFxw2nNoSR2n7TKQhj0Y96ygOy9jT-lctRgOuZGMiCf0RAph3WE7joOWiWAd3wr0AMyvKMifaroxIVbPuA/s3415/Groundbreaking%2010-2022%20A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2561" data-original-width="3415" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZnkxpoje_2UKa6CK85ut15NzwopTgTyEVCsik3YN7NP85l0dWi8VLpoT_Fuxj7hbmFVM-B7EVS5Io3ZPNeKdnROU5pVPyeepIlKkEwkgOFxw2nNoSR2n7TKQhj0Y96ygOy9jT-lctRgOuZGMiCf0RAph3WE7joOWiWAd3wr0AMyvKMifaroxIVbPuA/w400-h300/Groundbreaking%2010-2022%20A.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">October 2022 groundbreaking event</td></tr></tbody></table>Marble Farm Park</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">:
Maynard’s Cultural Preservation Committee (CPC), the Select Board and </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">the voters at a May 2021
Town Meeting approved a budget of $101,707 submitted by CBA Landscape
Architects LLC, Cambridge, MA, to convert the town-owned Marble Farm site
across Route 27 from Christmas Motors to an official town park/historic site. A
bid was accepted fall of 2022 and work completed: removal of dead trees, brush
piles, a deteriorating brick entranceway and a pump house, plus construction of
a metal fence around the historic house foundation and in 2023, installation of
a bench and a sign. Trail of Flowers volunteers will continue to be responsible
for the flower beds and maintenance (primarily lawn mowing and leaf raking).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Plans for 2023</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzwTT5dbSfpw87YTuyaK5TmkKYBG2JpcNDx2FkFsvCFIu_ZM_-HLfMwUYqmIkCnjkQDYfew5xJ2huy0voxJQNjyzzvZ0JIVju1yVLUMRFbKNy6PiyBeDO6G-TMWUIzF2bAhtQKzf8dvEYFSbAbvnNqcBYPEsLvDHH-o38ro1IbDXkLPyxaHoOYtgVtw/s3024/ONLYINMAYNARD_mug.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzwTT5dbSfpw87YTuyaK5TmkKYBG2JpcNDx2FkFsvCFIu_ZM_-HLfMwUYqmIkCnjkQDYfew5xJ2huy0voxJQNjyzzvZ0JIVju1yVLUMRFbKNy6PiyBeDO6G-TMWUIzF2bAhtQKzf8dvEYFSbAbvnNqcBYPEsLvDHH-o38ro1IbDXkLPyxaHoOYtgVtw/w200-h200/ONLYINMAYNARD_mug.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ONLY IN MAYNARD mug</td></tr></tbody></table>Plans are to start a
membership organization with annual membership fee, periodic email blasts </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">of events and what’s blooming, and development
of a volunteer cadre for spring, summer and fall planting and maintenance. There
will be a first annual zero kilometer run/walk event. Also an intention to seek
corporate donations in Maynard, plus requests to towns’ garden clubs and
Cultural Councils, and ARRT.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Plans are to coordinate
with City of Hudson government/DPW and Hudson Garden Club
(hudsongardenclub.org) to start planting in Hudson, and to continue to expand
plantings in Acton, Maynard and Marlborough.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-48476903309961437032023-03-04T11:30:00.006-05:002023-03-10T07:47:59.489-05:00Micronation Constitution for Užupis (Vilnius, Lithuania)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJC2vb_ds8JMsuId1WHU7scylIn7Q1bQB8tFzRHk-NxQen0yrLqcHHGXbfGR-357sDA8MPvtuvDDyOZObSmTy1gObk8ZdexlP_AydhFTVrdaxyFJ4XYJUAanfMDwv_PH360Rb9TxngEMllYfCIFdFkYUqwITEQ5jMm4BvrXJZGDUAYINUZHYXplKw9A/s300/Uzupio.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJC2vb_ds8JMsuId1WHU7scylIn7Q1bQB8tFzRHk-NxQen0yrLqcHHGXbfGR-357sDA8MPvtuvDDyOZObSmTy1gObk8ZdexlP_AydhFTVrdaxyFJ4XYJUAanfMDwv_PH360Rb9TxngEMllYfCIFdFkYUqwITEQ5jMm4BvrXJZGDUAYINUZHYXplKw9A/w400-h224/Uzupio.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Wikipedia defines what constitutes a micronation, and then has a list of micronations article, with links to articles about each micronation. The list has two tables, showing current and former micronations, each with name, flag, date of creation, country location in (if any) and a brief description. Some micronations have constitutions and other evidences similar to 'real' countries. Below, one example: <div><br /></div><div>Elsewhere, for Ladonia, a micronation in Sweden, the national anthem is the sound a rock makes when it is thrown into the ocean.<br /><p></p><h2 style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-family: "Linux Libertine", Georgia, Times, serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px;">Constitution of the Republic of Užupis</h2><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to live by the River Vilnelė, and
the River Vilnelė has the right to flow by everyone.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to hot water, heating in winter and
a tiled roof.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to die, but this is not an obligation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to make mistakes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to be unique.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to love.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right not to be loved, but not
necessarily.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to be undistinguished and unknown.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to idle.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to love and take care of the cat.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to look after the dog until one of
them dies.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">A dog has the right to be a dog.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">A cat is not obliged to love its owner, but must help in
time of need.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Sometimes everyone has the right to be unaware of their
duties.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to be in doubt, but this is not an
obligation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to be happy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to be unhappy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to be silent.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to have faith.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">No one has the right to violence.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to appreciate their unimportance.
[In Lithuanian this reads Everyone has the right to realize his negligibility
and magnificence.]<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">No one has the right to have a design on eternity.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to understand.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to understand nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to be of any nationality.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to celebrate or not celebrate their
birthday.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone shall remember their name.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone may share what they possess.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">No one can share what they do not possess.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to have brothers, sisters and
parents.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone may be independent.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone is responsible for their freedom.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to cry.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to be misunderstood.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">No one has the right to make another person guilty.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to be individual.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to have no rights.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone has the right to not to be afraid.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Do not defeat.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Do not fight back.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">Do not surrender.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-72772232578308199692022-12-16T13:03:00.006-05:002022-12-22T22:13:16.934-05:00Assabet River - a No Flood Year<p>With 2022 drawing to a close, this was a year with no recorded floods for the Assabet River. Daily data is generated by an automated gauge located about 150 feet upriver from the Waltham Street bridge. It posts river depth and volume in cubic feet per second (cfs) at https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv/?site_no=01097000&agency_cd=USGS. The default is to show data for the last seven days, but that can be increased. A minor flood is officially defined at water depth exceeding 5.0 feet, which requires a flow of 1,200 cfs. A moderate flood, 6.0 feet; a major flood 7.0 feet. </p><p>Looking back to 1942, which is when the tracking system was installed, in roughly one in five years, there were no official floods, or conversely, in four out of five years there were one or more floods. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXASGTMSoAWY6g1DRNuXD3wYRDmKp0SEIf4_1ouDjVhOMJXeF6q2m-iRgNoO-_R_Fi_9NMxZtfNp-eOtoc26eQJkAIYuraTFmqcB3bVujnPD-ikVy4WqyQPzBuSC_4bNGmRbxVxUqLF_KMqbmQTiPvnLHb04cuzGEhMkAz8Upd-qD_PbnBK2UtQW8-g/s2048/MillFlood1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXASGTMSoAWY6g1DRNuXD3wYRDmKp0SEIf4_1ouDjVhOMJXeF6q2m-iRgNoO-_R_Fi_9NMxZtfNp-eOtoc26eQJkAIYuraTFmqcB3bVujnPD-ikVy4WqyQPzBuSC_4bNGmRbxVxUqLF_KMqbmQTiPvnLHb04cuzGEhMkAz8Upd-qD_PbnBK2UtQW8-g/w640-h480/MillFlood1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the footbridge over the Assabet River, looking toward the Main Street bridge, March 2010</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Floods do not necessarily equate with property damage. The Assabet River's transit through Maynard is so channeled that at 5.0 feet, 6.0 feet, or even up to 7.0 feet, parts of backyards are under water, but no buildings or streets are flooded. The tracking system recorded only five instances where the river topped 7.0 feet, the last being mid-March 2010 at 7.14 feet and 2,400 cfs. Records before 1942 add severe flooding in 1927, 1936 and 1938 but without depth or flow data. The on-record largest flood for Maynard was due to Hurricane Diane, August 1955, cresting at 8.94 feet and 4,250 cfs. <p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VbLw2XkmB_dEL6l3gbE8k4EHCRZl7WP1Wk3pVHu3lZJNIfEu5QLtfI9cl5R1Pp7FgMko9uOFahGoR15zYJIZMWfJ7ZjX7d8n5ONBXK_mF0sakigFlkArWlaZqoq7JVJ-SeEj7dXz3c2oBYUCCwhxF_nBYFBw3AW3_FlgWJBZTavoj6ECc7DxGNGl7Q/s4000/Wastewater.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VbLw2XkmB_dEL6l3gbE8k4EHCRZl7WP1Wk3pVHu3lZJNIfEu5QLtfI9cl5R1Pp7FgMko9uOFahGoR15zYJIZMWfJ7ZjX7d8n5ONBXK_mF0sakigFlkArWlaZqoq7JVJ-SeEj7dXz3c2oBYUCCwhxF_nBYFBw3AW3_FlgWJBZTavoj6ECc7DxGNGl7Q/w320-h240/Wastewater.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maynard wastewater discharge</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Looking to the future, the long-term trend for eastern Massachusetts has been increasing precipitation overall and stronger storms, so we can expect that at some point in the future either a nor-easter or a hurricane will hit big and wet, and deliver the next severe flood despite the existance of three major and several minor flood control dams on the Assaber River and tributaries.</p><p></p><p>The summer of this year was an extended drought, lowering river depth at the gauge to 1.0 feet and the flow to under 10 cfs. Most of that volume is from the discharge of wastewater from upriver towns. Wastewater treatment specification mean that the discharged water is cleaner than the river. Maynard's wastewater is discharged at the Maynard:Acton border. In the winter, the warmth of the discharge water keeps an area of the river from freezing. Ducks, geese and swans congregate there. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-20361890008169882242022-10-22T06:06:00.002-04:002023-01-11T05:44:43.049-05:00Marble Farm Park, Maynard, MA - Groundbreaking Event<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">On the morning of October
17</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, a modest audience attended a groundbreaking event celebrating
the creation of a new town park and historic site. Funding for the project
comes from a grant by the Community Preservation Committee, which supports open
space and historic preservation efforts. The work, to start this fall, will be
done by Belko Landscaping LLC, of Salem, NH.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">In the early 1700s, the
Marble family moved from Andover to land that is now adjacent to the Assabet
River Rail Trail, on the north side of town. The family’s descendants lived
there until 1919; the house burned down to the foundation in 1924. In time, the
land was seized by the town for non-payment of property taxes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The location is just
north of Rockland Avenue and across from Christmas Motors. The site,
approximately two-thirds of an acre, encompasses the basement stone walls of
the foundation of the house, two lawns, several stone walls, and an extensive
planting of daffodils that began in 2018, courtesy of a project called Trail of
Flowers (www.trailofflowers.com).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0aFUdRTOVs4TF-de_ChABJ-utiVNRWuBjvglSZd7HFFqqaCgwsEPxymScIlEDeerBgOGnzjQ9k7XPDyqNFBu4uNlfVaTqOoXZ7M-xNevca9V1EyaR4QSeO1XLQ0vkZllcc4H-5X3YraEYL4VJt22RBkKNitHKsE5h1AxQsfKzaVU7tY9mfYBrmaiNqg/s3415/Groundbreaking%2010-2022%20A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2561" data-original-width="3415" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0aFUdRTOVs4TF-de_ChABJ-utiVNRWuBjvglSZd7HFFqqaCgwsEPxymScIlEDeerBgOGnzjQ9k7XPDyqNFBu4uNlfVaTqOoXZ7M-xNevca9V1EyaR4QSeO1XLQ0vkZllcc4H-5X3YraEYL4VJt22RBkKNitHKsE5h1AxQsfKzaVU7tY9mfYBrmaiNqg/w640-h480/Groundbreaking%2010-2022%20A.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">From left to right,
Natalie Robert (Planning Board), Sam Webb (resident at the nearby Marble Farm
Road development), D.J. Chagnon (CBA Landscape Architects), David Mark (Maynard
historian and Trail of Flowers founder), John Dwyer and Ellen Duggan (Community
Preservation Committee), Paul Boothroyd (Maynard historian and author), and
Justine St. John (Select Board member), all posed with a motley collection of
shovels and pickaxes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">An initial clearing of
the site was performed in the spring of 2009 by Maynard’s Boy Scout Troop 130
as an Eagle Scout project led by Jason Shomacker. Volunteers from ARRT and TOF
did some site improvement starting in 2018, including creating the lawns. Going
forward, creation of the park will include erecting a steel fence around the
foundation, and removal of more than a dozen dead trees, two large brush piles,
a deteriorating pump house building and a crumbling brick entranceway. All of
these actions address site safety issues.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBTdhn6wGmwXHOhIvfB7ICd6BhqiYC5jjbWucARHqClV1nt73ofJ0i08HmHboWd_6362olLItd8seBhfK1umTe717yuzdlSsrFvdlmPZvL0gRzvpC2H5T31x0aMkW_9xqx4DpntLuX2qv-aD7uZQnbZ0sLER8qtsOhNrOIJBr2t9pbioJUdlq9kRscg/s2200/MarbleFarmColorPlan.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1700" data-original-width="2200" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBTdhn6wGmwXHOhIvfB7ICd6BhqiYC5jjbWucARHqClV1nt73ofJ0i08HmHboWd_6362olLItd8seBhfK1umTe717yuzdlSsrFvdlmPZvL0gRzvpC2H5T31x0aMkW_9xqx4DpntLuX2qv-aD7uZQnbZ0sLER8qtsOhNrOIJBr2t9pbioJUdlq9kRscg/w400-h309/MarbleFarmColorPlan.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Initial plan led to bids well over budget, so the project was<br />reduced to essential for safety, with nice-to-have left to a pos-<br />sible second proposal to Community Preservation Committee</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Gregory Johnson, Maynard
Town Administrator, led off the event with a mention that town resident David
Mark was instrumental in getting volunteers to do initial site improvements,
and then submitting a proposal to the Community Preservation Committee. Select
Board member Justine St. John added how this becomes a third town ‘pocket’ park
on the Rail Trail, joining Tobin Park by the Assabet River bridge, and Ice
House Landing. David Mark spoke to the old and recent history of the site. John
Dwyer explained CPC’s involvement of seeing the process through from proposal
to accepted bid. D.J. Chagnon from CBA Landscape Architects LLC added a few
words about the evolution from initial plan to the formal project description,
with its prioritization of site safety.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">A construction start date
has not yet been set, but is expected to be early November.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">UPDATE: All major construction completed as of mid-January 2023. A sign will be added indicating the name as MARBLE FARM HISTORIC SITE. There may be a dedication cermony coinciding with the peak daffodil bloom. </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-69669019115714694912022-10-17T23:18:00.005-04:002022-10-22T06:17:26.972-04:00Maynard's Historic Fires<p class="MsoNormal">There are more than a handful of historic fires that changed
Maynard, or at least the architecture of Maynard. These can be roughly divided
into businesses and schools. All are well documented in the collection of the
Maynard Historical Society, including many photographs. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The paper mill fire was reputed to be arson. At the
gunpowder mill, fires caused explosions and explosions caused fires so
frequently that the company had its own fire-fighting equipment. A compilation
of various records show 24 explosions and 29 fatalities. The wool mill fire of
1920 meant the end of original wooden buildings from 1846.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>DATE</u> <u>WHAT BURNED</u> <u>BUILT AFTER</u> <u>THERE
NOW</u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1835-1940 Gunpowder mill gunpowder
mill Stop & Shop; car
dealers<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">5/14/1894 Paper mill ????? Tedeschi's/Dunkin
Donuts [7-11]<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">11/26/12 Music Hall Tutto's
Bowling Alley recently torn down
buildings<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">9/20/16 Nason St. School <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Roosevelt</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype></st1:place> Maynard Public Library<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2/11/17 Naylor Block one-story storefronts Gallery Seven, Serendipity<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1/25/18 Trolley building rebuilt office
building<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2/1/19 Bent Ice House another ice house that
one burned in 1950<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">8/17/20 Wool mill more
mill buildings Mill & Main
buildings<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1/29/21 Maynard Hotel Memorial Park Memorial
Park<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">7/14/34 Riverside Block same building, fixed Gruber
Bros Furniture [gone]<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1/30/36 Riverside CO-OP brick building Knights
of Columbus [KoC left]<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">12/17/52 Woodrow Wilson School Town hall and library Town
hall and police station<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">3/13/55 Fraternal Order Eagles two story building Masciarelli Jewelry [gone]<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">7/29/65 Amory Maynard's house apartment building apartment building<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Not listed above, but Booth's Bowling Alley burned in July
6, 1906. Suspicions at the time were that a pet monkey, which had the run of
the place at night and knew how to strike matches, was responsible for the fire
(the monkey suffered burns, but survived). </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhTHduB_I6nT_PYHX3bSf5WblKlEGMTvwOClvgPYkMfh8GS3mTQxWuq50RiVq5IdAoymhPlpDxvheB9vp-BHJUjFworsMb-ArXZCDRuso-xrmITlGSVTMfvtpqA4N78dE3Q_7GUgDEGfBamtziZdyoz9K4go28el42Dycc-rW6gYoNe_vlsBICH87Xg/s2402/X-FireNaylor.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1601" data-original-width="2402" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhTHduB_I6nT_PYHX3bSf5WblKlEGMTvwOClvgPYkMfh8GS3mTQxWuq50RiVq5IdAoymhPlpDxvheB9vp-BHJUjFworsMb-ArXZCDRuso-xrmITlGSVTMfvtpqA4N78dE3Q_7GUgDEGfBamtziZdyoz9K4go28el42Dycc-rW6gYoNe_vlsBICH87Xg/w400-h266/X-FireNaylor.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naylor Block, corner of Nassan and Main, the morning after the<br />February 11, 1917 fire (courtesy Maynard Historical Society)</td></tr></tbody></table>After the trolley's building and rolling stock went up in
flames the brick building was rebuilt and replacement cars purchased, but the
line was already in financial decline. Trolley service ended with a last run on
January 16, 1923. Today, the building houses offices. The back of the parking
lot provides access to the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Assabet</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place> downstream of the
Ben Smith Dam. Upstream of the dam, the Bent Ice House burned in February 1919.
A replacement was built on the same foundation. That one burned in November
1950. <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Amory Maynard's mansion is the only private dwelling listed
here. It was built on the hill south of the mill in 1873, went up in flames in
an early morning fire on July 29, 1965. The Maynard family was long-gone from
town and the building divided into apartments. His son's former house still
stands at <st1:address w:st="on">5-7 Dartmouth Street</st1:address>.
It, too, was divided into apartments, but still provides semblance to Amory's even
larger mansion. Both were capped with a Mansard roof. Copying this style became
quite the vogue for well-to-do Maynard residents. See south end of <st1:address w:st="on">Maple Street</st1:address> for
examples.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the modern era, the two-story building on <st1:address w:st="on">Main Street</st1:address> that
housed Salsalito's Restaurant and T.C. Lando's Sub & Pizzeria was consumed
by flames in 1998, NAPA Auto Parts ditto in 2001, and Gruber Bros. Furniture
suffered a smoky fire a handful of years ago.
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To paraphrase Robert Frost, someone there is that doesn't
love a school. Often a student. This is not to believe that school fires do not
happen by accident. But history records five school fires (two in the table
plus Nason Street School in 1879, Emerson-Fowler School in 1977 and Maynard
High School in 1992) - and no record of any major church fires.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>This write-up was not published in the Beacon-Villager </i></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3606503274642844804.post-34383694670555337212022-08-18T23:30:00.003-04:002023-02-03T11:15:40.752-05:00Alexander Calder Forgery<p> Calder, Warhol and Dali are among the most frequently forged
20<sup>th</sup> century artists.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Alexander Calder (1898-1976) is best known for his mobiles
and stabiles, the former made of metal shapes and wire, moving in response to
air currents, the later to pieces that stand on the ground – some quite
monumental in size – without movement. Auction prices for these one-of-a-kind
pieces range from $1,000,000 to $15,000,000. As Calder's professional
reputation expanded in the late 1940s and 1950s, so did his production of
paintings and of lithographs (prints), the latter typically produced as a
limited edition, each copy signed and numbered by Calder. Current prices for signed
lithographs range from $1,000 to $10,000.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 1987, the Calder Foundation (<a href="https://calder.org/">https://calder.org/</a>)
was established by Calder's family, "dedicated to collecting, exhibiting,
preserving, and interpreting the art and archives of Alexander Calder.” The
Foundation identifies misattributed works, either complete forgeries or
unauthorized lithographs of his art (see <a href="https://calder.org/contact/misattributed-works/">https://calder.org/contact/misattributed-works/</a>).
Forgeries, often two-dimensional lithograph abstracts in the Calder-associated red, blue,
yellow and black, are an ongoing problem. Owners of work thought to be by
Calder can be submitted to the Foundation for examination and registration in
the Foundation’s archive.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A catalogue raisonné (critical catalogue) is a
comprehensive, annotated listing of all the known artworks by an artist either
in a particular medium or all media. The works are described in such a way that
they may be reliably identified by third parties. There have been several
serious authenticity issues concerning Calder’s work. In 1993, the owners of <i>Rio
Nero</i> (1959?), a sheet-metal and steel-wire mobile ostensibly by Calder, went
to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia charging that
it was not by Alexander Calder, as claimed by its seller. Klaus Perls, a
recognized Calder expert and manager of sales of Calder’s output from 1954 to 1976,
had declared it a copy. There were also issues of work supposedly designed by
Calder but not created until after his death. For example, stage sets designed
by Calder but built after his death were rejected by the Calder Foundation. The
Foundation was known at times to err – in 1999 it had declared a hanging glass
dove to be fake and had it destroyed; it was later confirmed as a genuine work
from 1955.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ironically, after Perls death in 2008, the Calder Foundation
sued his estate for $20,000,000, accusing it for holding and selling hundreds
of Calder works that were not known to the Foundation, then channeling the
proceeds into his Swiss bank account, and also knowingly or unknowingly selling
counterfeits. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2013, with Judge Kornreich of the
New York Supreme Court describing it as “An incoherent stew of irrelevance and
innuendo.”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 1995, questions arose about another purported Calder, <i>Two
White Dots</i>. Calder had created a model for a stabile in 1973 and sent it to
the Segré Foundry in Connecticut, a business that had for decades created the
full-size stabiles and mobiles so submitted. In this instance, the Foundry
constructed a full-size version in 1982 and sold it in 1983 for $70,000.
Subsequent sales, all claiming it was a Calder artwork, ended with a purchase
for $1,000,000 in 1995. It was subsequently submitted to and rejected by the
Foundation. The gallery that had sold the work refunded the million dollars and
sued the Foundry. The suit was settled out of court. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7MGsfH_574fCmW0ZitG8MT_dTAF_k2dyXngvcrRymitnBvpnjtP488HTKTWJrg00f16tATULYOAZBErAq_AgR9C9VFwn5kYO-WhC2KObWKHY1xQ4-cevrjVzgQ5Pc13cIORZddwURu-ef0OKenE2_Edw15nyXOL1tTOypNiDFwhReRcsCyrhFhRiCXQ/s590/Calder%20Squash%20Blossoms%20image.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="452" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7MGsfH_574fCmW0ZitG8MT_dTAF_k2dyXngvcrRymitnBvpnjtP488HTKTWJrg00f16tATULYOAZBErAq_AgR9C9VFwn5kYO-WhC2KObWKHY1xQ4-cevrjVzgQ5Pc13cIORZddwURu-ef0OKenE2_Edw15nyXOL1tTOypNiDFwhReRcsCyrhFhRiCXQ/w306-h400/Calder%20Squash%20Blossoms%20image.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexander Calder "Squash Blossoms"<br />unsigned, not numbered, circa 1972</td></tr></tbody></table>Back to lithographs, and specifically to <i>Squash Blossoms</i>,
a lithograph print I purchased for $125 in 1974, shortly after starting my
first post-college job as a lab technician at Harvard Medical School. Mine is
signed and marked <i>a/p</i>, signifying
artist’s proof, a term applied to test copies run for the artist’s approval
before a numbered run is printed. This artwork was created by Calder in 1972
for a book titled <i>XXe Siecle - a Homage to Calder</i>, published in Paris by
San Lazzaro. Each copy of the book came with an original lithograph in color,
unsigned and unnumbered. No information on how many books printed. There was also a numbered run. The
lithograph was done by Mourlot Printer, Paris, France.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">And here is where the question of forgery arises. A
Google images search on Calder "Squash Blossoms" yields many examples of the lithograph
either for sale now or previously sold by galleries or at auctions. One
identifies that particular lithograph as being number 6 out of production run
of 100. Other are unsigned (likely separated from the book), or signed and
indicated on the left lower corner as a/p, E.A, or H.C. As noted, a/p signifies
artist’s proof; E.A for épreuve d'artiste, meaning the same in French. Unnumbered
prints that are gifted to someone the artist knows personally or are for some
reason unsuitable for sale are marked "H. C.", meaning "hors de
commerce", i.e., not for sale. My guess is that some (all?) of the E.A.
and H.C. prints were separated from the books and have forged signatures.
(There are copies of the book for sale which indicate the lithograph was
removed.) It is also possible that fake prints were made at a later date. Sales
prices appear to be under $500 for unsigned and $500 to $2,000 for signed</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0