2012 Awards Presented at Annual Meeting, Oct. 25, 2012

Emily Cole and Matt Wilson receive the Five Year Monitoring Award. Photo Credit: David Mussina

MyRWA's Katrina Sukola presents the Volunteer of Year Award to Meghna Marjadi. Photo Credit: David Mussina

Ripple Award recipient Ken Krause. Photo Credit: David Mussina.

Patrick Herron presents the Mystic Municipal Collaboration Award to Wayne Chouinard. Photo Credit: David Mussina.

Peter Braun shares his memories of MyRWA's earlier days. Photo Credit: David Mussina.

Congratulations to all 2012 Awardees!

The Five Year Monitoring Award recognizes volunteer water quality monitors with MyRWA's Baseline Monitoring Program who have served for 5 years. Congratulations Emily Cole and Matt Wilson!

Meghna Marjadi, MyRWA's Herring Monitoring Intern, received the Volunteer of the Year Award. Meghna managed over 80 volunteers during the inaugural year of the Herring Monitoring Program, overcoming bumps along the road with grace and enthusiasm. Meghna has been volunteering with MyRWA since January 2012.

The Ripple Award recognizes the efforts of an individual that have had a broad impact on the community. Ken Krause of Medford received this year's Ripple Award of recognition and appreciation for his many years of dedication to community improvements.

Wayne Chouinard, Town Engineer for Arlington, received the Mystic Municipal Collaboration Award, for his dedication to stormwater awareness and improvements for the Town, and his strong collaboration with MyRWA.

Honoring Our Founders: As part of the 40th Anniversary, MyRWA President John Reinhardt honored those individuals involved with MyRWA at the outset. While not all of the founders were able to with us to celebrate, John highlighted the work of Peter Braun, Doug Turner and Ingeborg Hegemann.

MyRWA endorses Question 4 in Somerville: Community Preservation Act

Vote Yes on Question 4 to Invest in Somerville this November 6!

Participation in the Massachusetts Community Preservation Act (CPA) will give Somerville a valuable new source of funding for projects that benefit our entire community, including parks and open space, preservation of historic city buildings like schools and libraries, and programs to ensure that families now living in Somerville don’t find themselves priced out of the current housing market.

For more information see: http://www.somervillema.gov/cpa

New Mural At Upper Mystic Lake Dam

Thanks to volunteer efforts under the guidance of artist Yetti Frenkel, the Mystic River Watershed mural is complete! Check it out at the Upper Mystic Lake dam in Medford (1001 Mystic Valley Parkway). The mural replaces a map at this location. Thanks to MA Department of Conservation and Recreation for their assistance in this project.

US EPA to unveil new smartphone app

Please join MyRWA and the US EPA for this special announcement on Friday at 2:00PM at the Upper Mystic Lake dam - let's bring a crowd!

In support of the Fall 2012 launch of the Riverview Project, Below the Surface will embark on a paddle down the Mystic River.  The team will paddle from the Upper Mystic Lake in Medford, MA and paddle downstream to the Little Mystic Access Area near the mouth of the Mystic River in Boston Harbor.  US EPA Administrator Nancy Stoner will join the team for a 2 pm kickoff event officially acknowledging restoration work on the Mystic River, and launching Below the Surface’s Riverview Project Mobile App as a crowdsourced tool to engage citizens in enjoying and protecting rivers and coastline.

Show your support of the Mystic & send-off the paddlers!

Arlington To Get Two new rain gardens!

Hardy School before rain garden implementation.

MyRWA and the Town of Arlington have settled on two rain garden locations:

• Hurd Field

• Hardy School

Your input is needed!

Please attend the final Community Meeting to review the designs and help select plants on Thurs. Oct. 11, 7pm, at 27 Maple St., ground floor conference room, Arlington. Free and open to the public.

Excavation and plantings are being scheduled for Oct. 2012. Check back for more updates! The Hardy School Rain Garden design was generously provided by Fay, Spofford & Thorndike (FST).

18th annual Mystic River Fall Cleanup Announced

Friends of the Mystic River will hold its 18th annual Mystic River Fall Cleanup from 9:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012. For more information see: http://www.fomr.org/

Check-in is at the Condon Band Shell park on Mystic Valley Parkway (Route 16), east of Winthrop Street across from St. Joseph's Church. Volunteers are invited to collect trash and debris in the Condon Shell Park/Route 16 area, or at any other location of their choosing between the Lower Mystic Lake and Torbert MacDonald Park.

The Friends will supply bags, gloves and pokers. Refreshments also will be provided.

Volunteers also are needed to help staff the check-in table.

In the event of heavy rain on Sept. 29, the cleanup will be canceled.

Friends of the Mystic River (www.fomr.org) is a Medford-based community organization focused on the enjoyment, protection and enhancement of the Mystic River in Medford.

For more information, call 781-391-2604 or e-mail Mystic02155@hotmail.com.

Somerville Depaving Project Oct. 13

Sponsored by Somerville Climate Action:

DePAVE the WAY to a sustainable future

Take part in the greening of Somerville

Cador & Lenni from Somerville Climate Action are organizing a Depaving Party:

* * Saturday October 13 from noon to 4pm * *

Esther Kim's house at 109 Rogers Ave. (Ball Square)

Rain date: Sunday, Oct. 14 from noon to 4pm

If you haven't already, please sign up on this Google Groups form to let us know you'll be there.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFFZbE1OS05XblFXYl9EQUc2UzVKcmc6MQ

For safety, we ask all active participants to be at least 14 years old.

Younger children must be supervised by a parent at all times at the event.

See the TEDxSomerville DePAVE the WAY video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlTG0Y_zknc

Check out the time-lapse Depaving Maple Avenue video:

http://somerville.patch.com/articles/residents-rip-up-18000-pounds-of-asphalt#video-2291440

For a high-energy party we need:

* Hands-on work:

- Wield a sledgehammer and pick axe to pry up the asphalt

- Haul chunks of asphalt in a wheelbarrow to the dumpster

* Tasty food

* Energizing music

* Help in organizing volunteers

* Help organize publicity

* Organize clean-up

A Kayak Trip: The History, Birds, and Environment of the Mystic River

Please join us on Saturday, October 13, 9am-12pm for an informative paddling trip on the Mystic River in Medford.

Starting and ending at the Condon Band Shell, Route 16, Medford.

Join the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) to explore the Mystic and Malden Rivers and hear from leader Rick Beinecke and MyRWA staff about the rich history, natural life, and environmental issues on these local rivers. The trip will start and end at the Condon Bandshell put-in on Route 16 and is limited to 15 boats. Bring your own boat and PFD.

Fee: $10 suggested donation. Rain date October 14.

Register today by emailing Beth@MysticRiver.org

This is part of the 2012 Medford on the Mystic Arts Festival.

Ethanol Transport Community Forum 9/13

Sponsored by the Chelsea Collaborative

You are invited to an important community forum where we will discuss and inform residents of Chelsea, East Boston, Everett, Revere and other affected communities about an egregious proposal to bring 280+ million gallons of high flammable ethanol through our community by rail.   

The meeting will map out steps to stop the ethanol trains. It will take place on September 13, 2012 at 6pm at the Williams Community School, 180 Walnut Street Chelsea (please enter on the Arlington St. side).

 As you may remember, Global Oil located in Revere, MA, proposes to bring freight trains carrying ethanol to its facility along the Chelsea River.  Ethanol is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid that burns at extremely high temperatures.  Global is proposing to bring 187,200,000 - 280,800,000 gallons of ethanol through the communities of Fitchburg, Leominster, Ayer, Littleton, Acton, Concord, Lincoln, Waltham, Belmont, Cambridge, Somerville, Everett, Boston and Chelsea to their final destination in Revere.                         

A 2011 study commissioned by the state Department of Environmental Protection found ethanol is now the largest volume of hazardous material being transported by rail.   

 Alcohol-resistant foam is necessary to extinguish ethanol fires along with specially trained fire-fighters. 

 Just a few weeks ago, the public witnessed the derailment of a commuter rail train in Belmont, MA; and an accident where a car was crushed by a train in Medford, MA.  An accident involving these proposed ethanol trains could decimate entire neighborhoods throughout the Commonwealth.

We need your help to stop the "bomb trains!"

Join us on September 13th at 6pm
Williams Community School
180 Walnut Street, Chelsea MA 02150

Meet Me At the Mystic Draws Paddlers, Artists, Musicians, Families to the Banks of the Mystic

Photo by David Mussina.

On a sunny and gusty day, over 30 paddlers took to the Mystic Lakes along with bicyclists, walkers and others to enjoy art and live music. The day celebrated all the Mystic has to offer as part of this 40th Anniversary event, and brought together approximately 150 people. MyRWA would like to thank everyone who joined in the festivities and especially the volunteers who planned the event, Charles River Canoe and Kayak, Dunkin Donuts, Whole Foods of Medford, the Medford Boat Club and all of the wonderful artists and musicians!

Musicians:

• Ceol Maidin ag an Abhainn

• The Pennies

• Leftist Marching Band

• Katya Popova

• Miller’s English

• Ryan Stapler, Lowbred Watts

• Second Line Social Aid & Pleasure

• Society Brass Band

• Dan Blakeslee

• Chris Nauman

• Anthony Leva

Dancers:

• Red Herring Morris Dancers

En Plein Air Artists: Marilyn Davidson,

Cambia Davis, Jenn DesAutels, Peg Kane,

Massoudeh Edmond, Tina Riedel, Karen Wibhey.