Living history day at Fyfeshire

Mr. Fyfe, 18xx, gave Fyfeshire its name

Saturday, April 28 (Rain date Saturday, May 12)

1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Fyfeshire Conservation Area

516 Wattaquadock Hill Road, Bolton

Take a stroll back through time and learn a bit of Bolton history.  Go back to Post Civil War Bolton and meet Mr. Fyfe, talk with his descendant Helen Plummer, who donated the area to the town in 1969, and learn about the button factory that stood near the small pond, all while enjoying a walk along the water’s edge on a (fingers crossed) lovely spring day. Finish off with an old fashioned  picnic in the park (bring your own blanket/basket). Light refreshments will be provided to complement your picnic basket.  Come in costume if you wish.

 

For a “total immersion” history experience, plan to drop in and see the corresponding collections at the Historical Society after your visit to Fyfeshire. They are holding special hours:

2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Sawyer House

676 Main Street (Rt. 117), Bolton

Always wanted to work at Old Sturbridge Village? This is the next best thing. We could use a few volunteers to play the role of farmers and townspeople from the 1800s. (NHS students earn community service credit.) Call 968-365-6867 or send an email to fyfeshire@yahoo.com

 

Sponsored by the Group for the Preservation of Fyfeshire Ponds and supported by the Bolton Conservation and Historical Commissions 

P.S.  If the weather looks threatening on April 28, check this blog after 9:00 a.m. to see if the event will be held, or call 978-365-6867.

Pond Day at the Flat Penny

Many thanks to everyone who showed their support for Fyfeshire Ponds by dining at the Flat  Penny in Berlin on Feb. 20th.  Business was brisk all day and everyone had a great meal with friends and family as they contributed toward solving the dam problem (pun intended!) at Fyfeshire Conservation Area in Bolton. To view the latest proposal, read our posting New alternative would keep the Fyfeshire Ponds intact

Congratulations to Bill Beauchaine who won the 50-50 raffle.  Bill graciously donated a large chunk of the winnings back to the cause.Thank you, Bill!

Many thanks to everyone at the Flat Penny for hosting the event and helping us to raise some money toward conserving Fyfeshire Ponds!

Photo Contest Winners Announced

As you may be aware, the Group for the Preservation of Fyfeshire Ponds has been running a photo contest over the past few months. The entries were on display at the Flat Penny.  Here they are, for your consideration.

Fyfeshire Dam by Roger Breeze

Submitted by Elizabeth Curry

Submitted by Elizabeth Curry

Submitted by Elizabeth Curry

Submitted by Elizabeth Curry

Two otters (look carefully...) by Alex Ablavsky

Two otters by Alex Ablavsky

Fyfeshire Doe and Fawn by Susan Fly

Fyfeshire Fawn by Susan Fly

Fyfeshire Coyote by Susan Fly

Fyfeshire Doe and Fawn by Susan Fly

Fyfeshire Deer in the Headlights by Susan Fly

Tree with Sawdust from Carpenter Ants by Susan Fly

Cool Plant by Katelyn Mumford

Grass and Water by Margaret Mumford

Submitted by Kelsey Fly

Submitted by Kelsey Fly

Submitted by Kelsey Fly

And the winners are....

in the adult category:  

Water and Log by Margaret Mumford

in the junior category:  

Fuzzy Mushrooms by Katelyn Mumford

The judges did not see the names of the contestants during the judging, but the winners happen to be mother and daughter.  The Mumford family joined us for a free dinner at the Flat Penny, and the contest winners each received a framed copy of their winning photo. Here they are posing with their prizes:  

 

Many thanks to everyone who submitted photos and congratulations to the winners!

Pond night at the Flat Penny

Come to the Flat Penny (formerly the Train Stop)
263 West Street, Berlin, MA

Monday, Feb. 20 - Presidents Day - 11:00 a.m. - 9:00


Present the below coupon any time on Feb. 20 and they will donate 10% of the price of your bill to support the ponds at Fyfeshire Conservation Area!  Up to 4 people per coupon.

See you there!

click image to view larger image for printing

New alternative would keep the Fyfeshire Ponds intact

You may have noticed the Jan. 13 article in the Clinton item: 

Lowering Dam Level May Be “Win-Win” Solution that outlines a preliminary proposal to lower the crest of Fyfeshire Dam.  The Group for the Preservation of Fyfeshire Ponds met with members of the Bolton Conservation Commission to review the proposal, which is posted on the Bolton town website. (View proposal.)  Here’s what we learned:

The dam as it stands now is almost 9 feet tall, bringing it within the jurisdiction of the state of Massachusetts, whose Office of Dam Safety has declared it structurally deficient and in an unsafe condition and ordered the town to complete a repair, breach or removal.  The basic idea behind the new proposal, submitted by Fuss & O’Neill at the request of the town of Bolton, is to lower the top of the dam by about three feet—still above the water level under normal conditions, as illustrated below: 

 

This would do a few things:  First, it would make the dam safer in storm conditions without substantially increasing downstream flooding. The concern right now is that a large storm could raise the water level to the current height of the dam, putting pressure on it to the point where it could give way and release all the water in a rush, flooding the area downstream.  If the dam were lowered, the pond might still overtop the dam in a large storm, but with the deficient structure removed, it’s much less likely to result in a catastrophic release of flood water. 

Second, it would leave the big pond and general environment largely unchanged, since the water level does not reach the top of the dam.  The smaller pond would be unaffected.

Third, it would make the dam “nonjurisdictional,” meaning that it would no longer be subject to the state’s dam safety regulations. 

According to the report, this solution would cost between $159,000 and $243,000.  Still not chump change, but much less expensive than earlier proposals for repair or removal which approached half a million dollars. 

This solution is in keeping with the scale of the problem. Fyfeshire Dam is not, after all, in the same league as the Breeds Pond Outlet Dam in Lynn, a 50-foot dam that sits over a densely populated neighborhood of homes, schools and businesses.  Most of the dams identified by the state as unsafe are at least 15 feet in height and impound 50 acre feet of water, according to a state report released a year ago. Fyfeshire, in contrast, is less than 9 feet tall and impounds a 10.3-acre pond.

There are still many details to be worked out, but we think the town is on the right track with this proposal.  We will now shift our attention to raising funds to defray the costs to the town.  Please support our efforts to keep Fyfeshire Conservation Area a beautiful recreation spot for all to enjoy. Your tax-deductible donations can be made to:

Friends of the Oxbow (on check, please write Fyfeshire on the memo line)

P.O. Box 646

Bolton, MA 01740

The Fyfeshire year in review

To all outward appearances, 2011 was not a very eventful year at Fyfeshire—the ponds and trails look very much as they did a year ago at this time. But that is deceptive—both the town and Mother Nature have been active in the Fyfeshire Conservation Area. We thought we’d take a moment to review some of the highlights:

January—The year starts with the Conservation Commission’s decision to remove the dam threatening the existence of the ponds. The Group for the Preservation of Fyfeshire Ponds begins meeting on a regular basis. The state releases a report [pdf] on the local financial impact of the Dam Safety Law, stating that out of 627 municipally owned dams in Massachusetts, 100 “relatively large” dams in 62 cities are in poor or unsafe condition. Of 32 such dams in Worcester County, most were designated in "poor" condition, with six in the “unsafe” category, the lowest designation, including Fyfeshire Dam in Bolton. The report recommends creating a loan program to help cities and towns address their failing dams.

February—The Conservation Commission plans to submit an article for removal of the dam at the town meeting in May. The Group begins collecting signatures on a Citizen’s Petition to put repair of the dam on the town meeting agenda.

March—The Bolton Conservation Trust holds a walk around the Fyfeshire Conservation Area led by Beth Lambert, River Restoration Program Coordinator for the Division of Ecological Restoration of the MA Department of Fish and Game, who talks about dam removal in Massachusetts. At a Bolton Selectman’s meeting, the Group for the Preservation of Fyfeshire Ponds presents the case for dam repair. See posting for details on both of these. At the end of the month, the state Office of Dam Safety grants an extension to the town of Bolton to comply with the dam order until June 2012 to allow the town to take advantage of pending legislation that would give dam owners assistance in complying with dam safety orders. Both the Conservation Commission and the Group remove their warrant articles from the town meeting agenda. View posting: Both dam articles being pulled from town warrant for details.

April—the Group hosts a pond party and art exhibit, featuring a narrated slide show of Fyfeshire Conservation Area, an exhibit of wood carvings of plants and animals native to Fyfeshire, and lots of refreshments. Kids have the chance to pet a live snake and view other live animals. State representative Kate Hogan is in attendance. 

State Representative Kate Hogan (left) admires a carving
by artist Rona Balco (right) at a Pond Party last April.

View more photos of the event

July—Massachusetts Senate passes SB.1985 which is now before the House. View Nature Conservancy press release. This bill would establish a loan fund to provide low-interest long-term loans for repair and removal of unsafe dams.  View the bill. 

August—the Group organizes a Community Service Day to clean up the area.  The next day, Hurricane Irene hits.  The dam holds, and we capture the flow of water over the dam before and after the storm on video. View posting with before and after videos.

September—the Group holds a Save-the-Ponds night at the Bolton Roadhouse to raise money to defray the cost to the town of repair of the dam.  The place is packed! 


October—over 200 witches and wizards descend on Fyfeshire to participate in Potterwalk, a Harry Potter themed walk around the ponds.  Abutters give permission for families to walk through their private land so hikers can walk all the way around the pond during the event.

John Balco coaches a young wizardas he tries
to catch Hufflepuff's cup on the tip of Gryffindor's sword.
View posting of Potterwalk with photos

At the end of the month, a freak snowstorm hits the area, causing lots of downed trees and several days of power outages.

The entrance to Fyfeshire the morning after the
October snowstorm that downed trees and caused
massive power outages throughout New England.

Thanks to Rona Balco’s chainsaw artistry and the help of volunteers, the trails are now clear once more.

December—the Conservation Commission offers an alternate solutionl: to lower the water in Fyfeshire Pond to a level that would remove the pond from regulation by the state.  The Bolton Selectman discuss the idea in a recent meeting, as reported in the Clinton Item:  Lowering dam level may be win-win solution.

We are now looking into this latest proposal and hope that it may prove to be a viable solution to make the dam safe without destroying the ponds or disrupting the habitat of the creatures who live at Fyfeshire.  Fingers crossed, and may this be the best dam year ever! 

Over 200 witches and wizards descend on Fyfeshire

Potterwalk was a resounding success! Over 200 witches and wizards--two thirds of them underage wizards ranging from toddlers to teens-- tried their hand at Quidditch practice, identifying wand woods, warding off a dementor, avoiding an arachnomantula,  spotting the giant squid, learning their heart's desire in the mirror of Erised, and more as they walked around the Fyfeshire Ponds on Saturday.  Many folks were from Bolton, but we also had visitors from Lancaster, Shrewsbury, Hudson, Berlin, Clinton, Hubbardston, Sterling, Boylston, Rutland, Leominster, and Methuen, MA. We even had folks from Woonsocket, RI and Londonderry, NH.  The Death Eaters tried to deter them with a sudden brief rainstorm, but they remained steadfast and made it all the way around the pond. 

The House Cup went to Gryffindor with 692 points, followed by Hufflepuff with 261, then Ravenclaw with 168 and finally Slytherin at 43.  Of course, there were 75 people in Gryffindor House--the sorting took a person's preferences into consideration--25 Hufflepuffs, 15 Ravenclaws and only 5 Slytherins.  So on an average points- per- witch/wizard basis, Ravenclaw came in first, followed by Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and finally Slytherin.  But these numbers are approximate--it's hard to count points after a couple of butterbeers.  The main thing is that everyone had a good time and many families came out to see Fyfeshire for the first time. 

A couple of young witches lost wands while they were in the woods.  (We asked Binky--she didn't take them.)  If anyone found a wand as they went around, please send an email to fyfeshire@yahoo.com and we'll return it to its owner. 

Below are a few photos from the event. If you have any photos of the event that you are willing to share, please send them to fyfeshire@yahoo.com and we will add them. 

Many thanks to everyone who helped out with this event, and to everyone who attended!

Here are some photos from the event: