News Briefs

BELLE ISLE HARVEST FESTIVAL

The annual Belle Isle Harvest Festival will be held On Sunday, Oct.1, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Belle Isle Marsh Reservation on Bennington Street in East Boston.   The event is a free family event and open to the public.  Veronica Robles and her Spanish Dancers will be the main entertainment. The Veronica Robles Cultural Center in East Boston facilitates cross-generational relationships and learning opportunities around arts and culture and promotes Latin- American culture as an engine for stronger communities and economic growth.

The Harvest Festival will feature pumpkin decorating, live animals with the Creature Teacher, raptors from the Blue Hills Trailside Museum, the Harborkeepers, Eastie Farm, information tables, photo exhibits and much more.  Enjoy a fall afternoon in the Reservation.

The Friends of Belle Isle Marsh is an environmental advocacy organization formed for the protection and preservation of the largest urban saltmarsh in our area.  The reservation is home to more than 275 species of birds and a wide range of mammals, insects, fish, amphibians and – in the fall – you can see magnificent monarch butterflies before they begin their journey to Mexico!

The reservation is staffed with a DCR site supervisor who conducts nature walks every first and third Saturday of the month throughout the year.  In addition, DCR offers educational programs at Belle Isle, Winthrop Beach and Revere Beach.   Check the bulletin board in the parking lot of the reservation for more information on all programs.

The Belle Isle Harvest Festival is sponsored by the Friends of Belle Isle Marsh, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Winthrop Marketplace and Save the Harbor.

 

NARFE to meet

The North Shore Chapter of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) will hold its monthly meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 1:00 p.m. at the Peabody Community Life Center, 75R Central Street, Peabody. This very important business meeting will include election of officers for the coming year. Refreshments will be served. For further information, contact Mike Evers, 978 922-6932.

 

Construction update for Winthrop Shore Drive 

The following work items are ongoing along Winthrop Shore Drive until Oct. 6.  You can expect to see these activities continue over the next two weeks.  The work will continue to move north and includes:

Installation of new water main.  This work is made possible through the cooperation of the Town of Winthrop and the DCR.

Other work may include:

Installation of foundations and conduit for new light poles on the oceans side of Winthrop Shore Drive

Seawall repairs in the Highlands area between Locust Street and Grovers Avenue:

The granite block seawall work includes injection grouting to waterproof behind the wall and repointing of the joints between the blocks.

This work is tidally dependent, so work hours will vary to coincide with favorable tidal conditions

The construction work areas will be closed off for the safety of the public.

Traffic and Parking Impacts

During the work day, traffic is detoured off Winthrop Shore Drive to Shirley Street.  Detour signs are provided to direct traffic.  State and Winthrop Police are provided to assist in the detouring of traffic.

After the work day is completed, two-way traffic is restored on Winthrop Shore Drive.

Please note that where construction is scheduled to occur, there will be signs prohibiting parking between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m.  Please remove cars from Shore Drive by 6 a.m. to ensure that construction can begin promptly at 7 a.m.

 

Local resident graduate

Local residents were among a record number of graduates presented with diplomas at UMass  Lowell’s 2017 Commencement exercises on Saturday, May 13 at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell.

UMass Lowell held two Commencement ceremonies to accommodate this year’s graduates, 3,97 0, a record number for the 10th consecutive year that is the result of UMass Lowell’s 55 percent increase in enrollment since 2007 and climbing student success rates.

Both ceremonies were presided over by UMass Lowell Chancellor Jacquie Moloney, who is a two-time UMass Lowell graduate. The commencement addresses were delivered by NBC and MSNBC political correspondent Steve Kornacki, a native of nearby Groton whose coverage of the 2016 presidential election included reporting on polls by UMass Lowell’s Center for Public Opinion, and Freeman Hrabowski III, a civil rights activist who has been named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People and serves as the president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Local residents who are members of UMass Lowell’s Class of 2017 are:

 

* Daniel Pantano of Winthrop, who received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration.

* Kristin Bartone of Winthrop, who received a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering.

* Molly Corcoran of Winthrop, who received a Doctor of Education degree in leadership in schooling.

* Jeneta Zebicz of Winthrop, who received a Bachelor of Science technology degree in mechanical engineering technology.

UMass Lowell is a national research university located on a high-energy campus in the heart of a global community. The university offers its 18,000 students bachelor’s, master‚s and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences and social sciences. UMass Lowell delivers high-quality educational programs, vigorous hands-on learning and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be ready for work, for life and for all the world offers. www.uml.edu.

 

Farmer’s Market Moves

The last two farmer’s markets of the year will be held on Oct. 8 and 22, and will be held in French Square in Winthrop Center. For the fall there will be a craft table for kids, meet the Boston Blades, Halloween costumes and candy, a fall photo booth and fall produce.

 

Take-out Tuesday in the Center

Interim Town Manager Terence Delehanty created the Take-Out Tuesday music series. Just bring your dinner and come listen to the music at French Square and Hagman Road. Next Tuesday, Oct. 3 there will be a performance by Just Kill Me Rico from 5:30-7:30 a.m.

 

Golf Tournament Hosted by the 11 Foundation

The 11 Foundation hosted their first golf tournament fundraiser in memory of Mike “Mase” Mason. In addition to the tournament, participants had the opportunity to take part in a putting contest, raffles, a BBQ and dinner. All proceeds went to the 11 Foundation, which is dedicated to activities that support Winthrop’s youth and the town that Mason loved. The 11 Foundation supports kids activities and sports and pays for activity fees for students who can’t afford it. The number 11 was Mason’s for all the sports he played.

The foundation is near and dear to Mason’s family and friends and offers them a chance to give back in a way that he would be proud of. Mason was well-known for excelling at athletics and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009. He passed away in 2011 after an illness.

“Mike loved the town and he lit up every room he walked into,” said 11 Foundation board member, Mary Spinale. “The foundation allows us to give back to everything that he loved.”

 

DCR State Park ACTIVITIES

Fall is here, and with the foliage starting to show, now is the perfect time to get out and see some of our local state parks.

Join a DCR park interpreter to learn about the wonderful natural history of your state parks.  All programs are free and open to the public. All ages and experience levels are welcome.  Children must be accompanied by an adult.        For program cancellations phone 978-937-2094 ext. 121, one hour before start time. Rain cancels.  Bring water.  Strongly recommend sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and footwear suitable for walking on the beach, and on paths.  For more information phone (781) 485-2804 Ext. 105 or email [email protected]. For a listing of programs at other DCR state parks visit www.mass.gov/DCR .

Belle Isle Marsh Reservation
 
Belle Isle Harvest Festival
is on Saturday, Oct. 1, 1-3 p.m.
Free fun for the whole family including pumpkin decorating, live animals, crafts and Veronica Robles Cultural Center dancers presenting Latin-American dance “Folkloric Style” Sponsored by the Friends of Belle Isle Marsh, DCR, Save the Harbor, The Winthrop Marketplace and the East Boston Foundation.

An Oasis for Wildlife   
Saturdays,  Oct. 7 and 21,  8-9 a.m. 
Discover the abundant birdlife at Belle Isle Marsh Reservation, a restored wildlife sanctuary. We will walk while birding for a distance of a mile on easy level terrain. Some binoculars and a spotting scope will be provided, but please bring these items if you have them.  Reasonable accommodations available upon request. Meet at: main parking lot near the bulletin board, located on Bennington Street, East Boston between 1236 Bennington St., East Boston, and 173 Bennington St., Revere. Parking is on a paved lot and is free of charge.   Accessible by public transportation: MBTA Blue Line, Beachmont Station. Exit station, turn right, at intersection cross State Road/Bennington Street, travel right along Bennington Street to park entrance on the left. Visit www.MBTA.com for bus and train information.

Co-sponsored by the Friends of  Belle Isle Marsh.

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