Martins Pond Newsletter

Final Loosestrife Report

2009-12-28T12:29:00.000-05:00

Greetings! The Town of North Reading, Massachusetts, the Martins Pond Reclamation Study Committee, and Merrimack College have partnered in many projects to improve Martins Pond and the watershed. Martins Pond is a roughly 100 acre pond 20 miles North of Boston. One of our collaborations has been the raising and release of Galerucella beetles to combat the invasive species commonly known as

Come Hear Dr. Jon Lyon at Merrimack College Nov 17 at 7pm

2009-11-16T11:54:00.000-05:00

Join us for the “LAST LECTURE” of Associate Professor Jonathan Lyon Department of Biology Tuesday November 17, 2009 at 7 PM Cascia Hall The Last Lecture is delivered as if it were the very last opportunity a professor has to speak before students and colleagues on any subject. The effect of this fiction is a presentation in which the lecturer shares what is of the greatest importance and value

New Grant Awarded!

2009-11-14T11:43:00.000-05:00

North Reading Stormwater Infiltration Project: Reaching Out to Address Runoff The Town of North Reading, in collaboration with the Martins Pond Reclamation Study Committee and Dr. Jon Lyon of Merrimack College, were awarded a Section 319 Non-Point Source Grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Administrative Summary {pdf}

Volunteer for the Children's Haunted Playground

2009-10-07T20:20:00.001-05:00

This message is for anyone interested or who has a kid interested in helping out at the children’s Haunted Playground on October 17th. If anyone wants to help in the graveyard or help tour guide, or basically volunteer in any capacity like games and concessions, set up or clean up…please call me or come to the actors meeting at Clarke Park on Saturday October 10th at 3PM. I will go over all the

Flood Damage Report

2009-09-09T19:29:00.002-05:00

Here's your chance to help the effort to get the Rte 62 bridge replaced. Print out the Flood Damage Report on the Martins Pond site, fill it in, and send it toMartins Pond Association c/o North Reading Town Hall 235 North StNorth Reading MA 01864

New Invasive Plant

2009-08-06T18:20:00.000-05:00

UPDATE FROM JANET:Hi all,Dr. Lyon just completed an annual plant survey of Martins Pond. Good news/bad news.Good news - Fanwort appears to still be contained and not heavilyencroaching in on the pond.Bad news - We have a very dangerous new invasive - Water Chestnut. We needto pull this immediately and will be doing so. I will let you know if we dothis in an organized fashion. See the pdf

historical photo Martins Pond of yesterday

2009-05-24T08:44:00.001-05:00

Old timers have been telling us for years that the pond used to be much lower, that they once had a beach which is now gone, and that they did not flood in the old days. This 1930’s skating party photo at the Kittredge’s house on Batchelder seems to support the claim. Notice water levels here in the 2007 color photo. Water levels in Martins Pond were were about 74.5 feet above sea

Painting Day a Big Success

2009-05-21T12:59:00.002-05:00

Go to our Martins Pond group on Flickr to see more pictures from Clarke Park and Martins Pond.

Paint the Park! Sat May 16, 9AM to 1PM

2009-05-09T06:33:00.001-05:00

Hi, We could use more volunteers for painting day in order to get it all done. We have about a dozen so far but have a lot to do. We could use double that. We hope to paint the train, plane, rocket ship, pirate ship, pavilion, and stain all the picnic tables, tot swings, sign and shelters. THAT’S A LOT!!! And we need to paint the insides to cover all the graffiti of the rocket ship,

Updates!

2009-04-07T07:04:00.001-05:00

Hi Everyone! · As you catch the breeze and smell the fine spring air, please don’t get carried away whizzing down the street. Drive slow! Children are out and the roadways are still covered in sand, leaving kids to ride further in the street. A girl was hit by a car on Hillside Road this weekend but is OK. Speed of the car, and sand in the road

Local Hero: Martins Pond Rescue

2009-04-04T09:27:00.001-05:00

2009-03-22T11:39:00.001-05:00

Hi, I find there is no good way to start this conversation. Please note that clearing and cutting trees within 100 feet of the shoreline must be approved and heard before the Conservation Commission and approval must be granted BEFORE any cutting/clearing takes place. In our neighborhood this virtually means the cutting down of any tree around the pond or the clearing of any shoreline

Update/Winter Festival!

2009-01-13T12:33:00.001-05:00

Hi, Happy New Year! Here’s an update on what is going on… Our 16th Winter Festival will be Saturday February 7th, 12-3 at Clarke Park. Please come down to support the work of the association, beat the winter blues, and appreciate the beauty of New England in Winter. We’ll have pony rides, hot food, a fire with smores, kids games with prizes, and tug of war and a pie eating contest.

Restoration Day Sat 7/19

2008-07-17T15:29:00.001-05:00

Hi, We are having a Project SHORE shoreline restoration day this Saturday 7/19 from 8AM to 2PM, starting out at 14 Comeau Rd, then if we have a good turnout or get far along, move some people to the end of Poplar to Oakhurst. We will do more of these as we move around the pond restoring shorelines and planting native vegetation. Please come do a few hours. Gloves a must, small or large sledge,

Summer Solstice Concert

2008-06-07T13:11:00.002-05:00

Enjoy the triumphal return of the North Reading Community Band and welcome summer on Thursday June 19th at 6:30pm. Bring a picnic, or just a chair or blanket, and enjoy the music.

fish kills info

2008-06-04T19:50:00.000-05:00

Below is an excerpt from a MassWildlife info sheet on Fish Kills. People have noticed more dead fish on the shore than usual this year. Usually this is a natural thing. Read on if interested… After the long, hard winter months, lakes and ponds across the Commonwealth are finally beginning to warm up. While this is a welcome sign to anglers and swimmers alike, it can be an extremely

Here comes Summer!

2008-04-27T08:09:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone, The weather has been just wonderful. Time for a Spring update on all the great things happening. Flyover – On April 19 local pilot Nancy took a group up for a flyover of Martins Pond and the drainage areas above and below to help identify any flow issues ,beaver dams, encroachments, etc. that may impact the area. We have a DVD of the flight and many photos. The good news

"All About Martins Pond"

2008-02-27T09:42:00.001-05:00

Hi, We hope to see many of you at this Friday, February 29th’s informational meeting All About Martins Pond. We will discuss the state of the pond, flooding, wildlife, and our new Grant project the Martins Pond Shoreline Restoration and Sedimentation Reduction project which is just underway. We will have info on how you can get a dock permit, what is ,or is not allowed at the pond, history,

Save the Dates. Feb 9th Winter Festival, Feb 29th Martins Pond Presentation and Celebration

2008-01-25T19:05:00.001-05:00

Hi, Please come to the following 2 events: FEBRUARY 9TH - Martins Pond Winter Festival Noon to 3PM at Clarke Park. Our 15th Year! Skate, play games, eat great hot food, make smores, ride a pony. Talk with neighbors and friends. FEBRUARY 29th – Our first ever All About Martins Pond Night. 7:30PM at Town Hall Rm 14. We will celebrate accomplishments and discuss future challenges.

What's going on?

2007-11-24T10:05:00.000-05:00

What is that at the Park? It is a Rain Garden. Historically surface runoff after rains flowed over the grass areas in the park and collected and eroded the shoreline each year, bringing excess nutrients and sediment into the pond. A Rain Garden is a garden placed in a water runoff area which collects and sends the surface runoff down into the ground where it will perk and be cleaned by

Email Notification List/Halloween Event NEWS

2007-10-03T15:39:00.000-05:00

Hi everybody, We are now offering two options for Email notifications. Please email hobbit@avian.org if you wish to be added to either list and begin to be informed about Martins Pond issues. Martins Pond Announcements - this list you will receive announcements and news only and you will not be able to reply, nor will anyone else. This list is ideal for those of you who receive too

319 Grant Shoreline Restoration Fact Finding Underway

2007-07-19T13:15:00.000-05:00

Hi all, Lida Jenney, Jon Lyon and I went on a tour of some Western Massachusetts sites this tuesday in preparation for our restoration at Martins Pond. We visited a failed restoration of a very steep bank in Montague where plastic blanket was used. It was ugly. Some lessons learned there about using enough loam for seed to grow, proper anchoring, and site design. We then visited and

Diagnostic & Feasibilty Study for Martins Pond now online

2007-06-26T14:44:00.000-05:00

The Martins Pond Assessment and Remediation Project is complete and available to everyone. It consist of the Diagnosic & Feasibility Study by Merrimack College, and the Wateflow Improvements and Public Outreach Report. This was a team effort between the Town of North Reading DPW/Engineering, the Martins Pond Reclamation Study Committee (MPRSC), Merrimack College, and Malcolm Pirnie

Great Summer Concert

2007-06-22T21:33:00.000-05:00

A sudden squall didn't dampen spirits at the Summer Solstice Concert by the North Reading Community Band at Clarke Park Thursday June 21. The concert was great and the audience had a great time. Let's hope it becomes an annual event!

Bridge Grant not on first cut list, but wait-listed

2007-05-24T13:46:00.001-05:00

Hi, Mike Soraghan, Town Engineer, heard from the State today that North Reading DPW's grant application to replace the Rt 62 bridge was not recommended for initial funding, but was put on the waitlist should FEMA provide additional funds for this year's applicants. This is disappointing news. However, I spoke to our contact at DCR today and there is still a glimmer of hope for this year's