The River Current

|| THE RIVER CURRENT || ISSUE VI || OCTOBER 28, 2003 ||
The mostly monthly e-newsletter of the Charles River Watershed Association
...bringing our backyard river to your door...

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In this issue:
1) Parklands Update - Kathy Abbott takes the helm at DCR
2) Honors - SmartStorm Plan Selected as a Finalist For Business Plan Competition
3) Advocacy Alert - Help Save the Clean Water Act!
4) Recreation - Upper Charles River Reservation Nearing Completion
5) Event - Chief of Commonwealth Development Doug Foy to Speak at Annual Meeting
6) CRWA News and Noteworthy
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Hello Charles River Friends!
As you'll see from the numerous and diverse topics in this issue of River Current, fall is a busy time for the Charles River and for CRWA.  From parklands to pollution, recreation to reorganization, CRWA continues to press for positive change in our watershed and beyond.  We hope to see you at our Annual Meeting on November 19, where we will be celebrating the progress of the Charles and CRWA's achievements over the last 38 years.  In the meantime, read on about our river, current.

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1) PARKLANDS UPDATE: KATHY ABBOTT TAKES THE HELM AT DCR  

Kathy Abbott, the former CEO and President of the Island Alliance, was sworn in as the new Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).  Ms. Abbott is charged with the difficult task of remaking the Division of Conservation and Recreation into a more transparent, effectively managed agency than its predecessors, the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) and the Department of Environmental Management (DEM).

Click here for the complete article: http://www.crwa.org/articles/kathyabbottDCR.html

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2) SMARTSTORM PLAN SELECTED FOR SECOND ROUND IN BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION

CRWA made the difficult first cut in the Yale School of Management-Goldman Sachs Foundation Nonprofit Ventures Competition.  CRWA's submittal of its SmartStorm® business plan was one of eighty selected to proceed to Round II.  Four hundred and forty five organizations submitted entries.  At least three outside evaluators with expertise specific to the venture reviewed each submission across three dimensions: 1) Business Concept, Market and Competition; 2) Organizational Capacity and Fit; and 3) General Impression and Overall Presentation. 

Evaluations of Round II entrants will be completed by February 16, 2004.  A total of 20 entrants will be selected to compete in the final two rounds in mid-February.  Winners will be announced in mid-May.

For more about SmartStorm, visit our website www.charlesriver.org and click on the SmartStorm logo.

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3) ADVOCACY ALERT: HELP SAVE THE CLEAN WATER ACT

Please call your congressperson and urge them to sign the "Dear Colleague" letter to President Bush, calling on his administration to stop its plan to weaken the Clean Water Act. Environmentalists from across the nation will join forces to send a strong message to members of Congress: stop changes to the Clean Water Act that could threaten tens of millions of acres of wetlands, streams, and other water bodies with pollution or outright destruction.  

Four Massachusetts congressmen have still not signed the letter: James McGovern, District 2; Martin Meehan, District 4; Michael Capuano, District 7; and Stephen Lynch, District 8.  The deadline for signing this letter is October 31. The letter needs as many signers as possible to send a strong message to the administration.

Click here for more information, phone numbers for congressmen, and talking points:

http://www.crwa.org/alert/savethecleanwateract.html

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4) UPPER CHARLES RESERVATION NEARING COMPLETION

Construction on the final five segments of new riverfront park between Commonwealth Avenue in Newton and the Watertown Dam is well underway.  When completed, it will be possible to ride or walk from the Newton Marriott Hotel on Commonwealth Avenue to the New Charles River Dam along pathways on the banks of the Charles.  CRWA applauds the efforts of DCR planner Dan Driscoll, whose vision and perseverance over 11 years are making the parks a reality.  Watch the River Current for an announcement about the grand opening, probably next spring. 

Click here to read more about the reservation: http://www.state.ma.us/mdc/upperch.htm

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5) CHIEF OF COMMONWEALTH DEVELOPMENT DOUG FOY TO SPEAK AT CRWA ANNUAL MEETING

Doug Foy, former President of the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) and current Chief of Commonwealth Development, will be the featured speaker at the Annual Meeting of the CRWA on November 19.  The meeting will celebrate the organization's achievements this year.  Foy's talk will draw on the experiences he has had as the liaison between the Governor and the departments of housing, transportation and environmental affairs.

In addition to Foy's lecture, CRWA's Annual Meeting will include cocktails, a buffet, awards, and a brief business meeting, and will be held at the Newton Marriott.  The dinner is $40 per person, and reservations must be made by November 14th.  Call (781)788-007 ext. 200 for reservations and invitations.

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6) CRWA NEWS AND NOTEWORTHY

NEW EMAIL ADDITION: The River Current will begin an occasional series called "Educate Yourself!" that will help our members navigate the sometimes difficult issues that affect our watershed.  The first installment will be on low impact development and land analysis.  Look for it next week in your inbox!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: We are looking for volunteers for our monthly water quality testing program.  Sampling happens every third Tuesday of the month at 6 AM at various sites along the Charles.  The very important data gathered contributes to our understanding and monitoring of the river's baseline health.  Call or email Ariel Dekovic at CRWA today to sign up: 781-788-0007 x200 or adekovic@crwa.org.  Click here for more information about the project: http://www.crwa.org/projects/IM3.html 

MATCHING GIFTS: Many companies match donations to nonprofit organizations.  Filling out and mailing a simple form from your HR department is an easy way you can double your contribution to CRWA.  Please take a moment and check with your HR department today.  For more information about contributing to CRWA's important work, please visit: http://www.crwa.org/support.html

FISH LADDER VOLUNTEERS SET NEW WORLD RECORD FOR CLEAN UP TIME: Well, okay, if anyone were actually keeping records on fish ladder clean up times, I'm sure our clean up on September 27 would have beat all previous records.  With incredible enthusiasm and a fantastic disregard for dirt, our eighteen volunteers cleaned the entire Waltham fish ladder at the DCR Moody St. Dam in just over three hours.  Thanks to all of our volunteers and to Bill Gode from DCR for overseeing the project.  For pictures of the cleanup, please visit: http://www.crwa.org/fishladdercleanup.html.