Autumn in the North Cemetery.

Sixty miles west of Boston, Massachusetts there is the small New England town of Sturbridge. Located at the junction of I-90 (The Mass Pike), and I-84 it has become known as the "Crossroads of New England". The town was first settled over 300 years ago, and like other small New England towns it has grown just enough over the years to be in a difficult place today. How do we embrace the future without forgetting how we got to our present? How do we attract the right kind of growth, and maintain who we are? And, what about our culture out here in Central Massachusetts?



These pages will cause one to think about how to protect what we have, our future direction, and how to move on in the very best way.


Those thoughts, and other ramblings, will hopefully inspire more thought, conversation, action, and occasionally a smile...

...seems to be working so far

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Volunteers Really Clean Up

Cub Scouts standing by the efforts of their labor from volunteering at the
Westville Dam Recreational Area on National Trail Day this past Saturday.
This past Saturday Mary and I spent some time at Westville picking up trash along the river as part of National Trail Day.

Yep.  I was a bit sore the next day, but the volunteers pictured at the left were still going strong at the end of the day.

Great way to harness all that energy.

I received the following email from organizer, Army Corp of Engineers Ranger Tom Chamberland this morning:

Wally: I hope you and Mary were not too sore!  Attached photo of all trash in
back of truck with Cub Scouts.  Some #'s from area trail day:

       Westville: 50 volunteers, x 3 hrs = 150 hours @ $20.25 (national
volunteer rate) = $ 3037.50 value in service.  In addition to trash, 15 drain
culverts were cleaned and maintained to minimize trail erosion, Park entrance
& park were cleaned and spruced up from winter debris, and 250' of trail
shoulder edge had loam spread and seeded.

       Sturbridge: 38 volunteers at Leadmine Mt along with 4 small tractors,
chain saws and brush chipper total value est. $3526.25 spread approx 90 tons
of fine gravel 1000'long x 6' wide x 4" thick final trail surface to Arbutus
park trail, wildlife habitat improvement to 1/4 acre of open field, and cut
back brush, removed Hazardous trees along 2000' of the Arbutus park Trail.

       Brimfield: 21 volunteers, 2 tractors, est. value = $ 1725.00. Spread
125 tons fine gravel surface, 10' wide completing 1500' section of Titanic
Rail trail, clean winter and flood debris off of 3 miles of Titanic rail
trail and 500' of trim and improve trail clearance from low limbs.

       Southbridge: 3 volunteers, chain saw trail cleanup after logging
operation at Cole Forest property Est. value $ 282.25.

Tom C


Amazing what a hundred volunteers can do in three hours.  Thanks for the opportunity, Tom.  See you next year.

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