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The River Current || August 10, 2006 || Issue XXXIII ||
The bi-monthly e-newsletter of the Charles River Watershed
Association
...bringing our backyard river to your door...
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In this issue:
1)
CRWA
Benefit Dinner Cruise
2)
Upcoming Weston Event
3)
CRWA
Annual Meeting with Bill McKibben
4)
Expedited permitting bill update
5)
Charles River Swim
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1)
CRWA Benefit Dinner Cruise
On
Wednesday, September 13, 2006 from 5:30-8:30pm a group of festive
supporters of the Charles River Watershed Association will UNLOCK
THE SECRETS OF THE CHARLES RIVER during our third benefit Dinner
Cruise. Boarding will take place at
Lechmere Canal, and parking is available. Tickets are $250
per person; reserve soon,
since seats are limited. For more information, visit our website at
www.crwa.org/events/dinnercruise.html
2) Upcoming
Weston event on August 20th
Come celebrate CRWA’s important work at
a gathering in our new neighborhood! Join friends of the river Erdna
Rogers and Claire Marno at a garden party at their home in Weston on
Sunday, August 20th from 2-4pm. Enjoy a swim in
Hemlock Pond and a stroll around the grounds. For more information
contact Kevin Hudson at 781-788-0007x231 or via email.
3)
CRWA Annual Meeting with author and speaker Bill McKibben
Save the date! On
November 15, 2006, at 5pm, CRWA’s Annual Meeting will take
place at the Newton Marriott Hotel. Popular speaker and
environmental author Bill McKibben is the featured speaker. The
first fifty people to make a reservation will receive a free copy of
McKibben’s book, Wandering Home, so reserve you space early
by contacting Kevin Hudson via email or by calling 781-788-0007 x231. We look forward
to celebrating the accomplishments and future strategies of CRWA and
honoring dedicated volunteers and important civic leaders.
4)
Thanks to all of you who responded to our last
action alert
and called your senators!
Unfortunately, the expedited permitting
bill, H. 5207, was passed with all sections intact by the Senate
after a late night session that involved a vote to suspend the
Senate’s rules and a filibuster by Sen. Wilkerson. The bill was
signed into law by the Governor on the last day of the legislative
session. The fight was a tough one, and though we weren’t able to
modify key sections expanding the jurisdiction of the Land Court in
environmental appeals and allowing developers to build at their own
risk during appeals of special permits, the final bill does contain
a bright spot – a section that authorizes holders of conservation
restrictions to recover legal costs from landowners who have
knowingly violated the terms and conditions of these agreements. Click
here to view the action alert.
5)
Charles River One-Mile Swim to take place on September 9th
Due to dramatic improvements in water
quality over the past ten years, the Charles River is now
swimmable 50% of the time, according to the U.S. EPA report card
(created using CRWA data). Inspired by these improvements, the
Charles River Swimming Club is hosting the first open-water swimming
race in the Charles River. The race is intended to raise awareness
of efforts to improve water quality, as well as make recreational
swimming a possibility for the future. For more information, visit
http://www.charlesriverswimmingclub.org/home.html
WATERSHED INFO
