Sunday, March 26, 2006

Fresh Pond, Cambridge, MA - Your comments

Bob La Trémouille reports:

1. Concord Avenue, Cambridge, MA, resident - loves the reservation.
2. North Cambridge, MA, resident - loves nature, nesting hawks.
3. Nearby neighbor of mine in Cambridge Highlands - move out please.

I have received some comments that I think might be of interest.

1. Concord Avenue, Cambridge, MA, resident - loves the reservation.

This message is for the City Manager and the City Council:

I am a resident right in front of the recent cut down of a lot of the mature trees near Neville Manor.

It is very upsetting for me to see this. Fresh Pond is a big part of our life. We enjoy all the woods and the greenery there.

For all those mature trees to be cut down is such a shame, is such a shame. And I can’t express to you how upset me and my family are about this.

I know there will be saplings that are replacing those, but that does not give us the woods and the green area and all the creatures we see when we walk Fresh Pond and when we get to Fresh Pond.

I heard from a Realtor that it is going to be replaced by a soccer field, but that does not excite me as much as the natural woods that we have loved, and we really really want to prevent any more trees from being cut down. That is my very strong opinion.

I just wanted to voice that so that you are aware that a lot of the residents here are not very happy about this.

If you want to reach me, my number is [omitted]. I would be glad to talk with you if you want, but please please stop the destruction of our trees, the native trees which have been here for decades. It is just not worth the sacrifice to have new plants.

I just do not understand the reasoning, and I am really really going to miss them, the ones you cut.

It is like seeing animals killed. It is very very saddening.

Ok have a nice day.

2. North Cambridge, MA, resident - loves nature, nesting hawks.

I am a resident of North Cambridge.

I received a letter. "Do you think Fresh Pond Woods should be destroyed?" . . .

My personal opinion: no.

I have been watching the Hawks out here build their nests and raise their babies.

It is a sin.

I just hope you do the best you can.

3. Nearby neighbor of mine in Cambridge Highlands - move out please.

Bob,

I got a flyer at my door tonight. It is about the on going improvements at Fresh Pond.

I see and feel you don't think this is improvements. They are and will help this area for people

You Bob are a trouble maker have been and I guess always will be We don't like trouble so please go away.

Dan Brennan

Fresh Pond, Cambridge, MA, USA: The villains identify themselves

Bob La Trémouille reports:

A new sign has appeared just west of the Neville Manor complex on Concord Ave. This is the location of the first and most visible of the logging on the Fresh Pond reservation.

A large number of mature trees was very visibly logged here at the beginning of this outrage: 20? 40? Once they are down, they are rapidly chopped up to give the impression they never existed.

The sign, appropriately, is in black background.

It announces "landscape improvements," neglecting, of course, to mention that saplings are in no way an improvement over the mature trees which have been destroyed, unless, of course, you are paid to destroy the mature trees or paid to install the saplings. And frankly, the most visible supporters of these projects tend to be people who make money out of destruction and replacement.

The most visible villain on the sign is City Manager Robert Healy.

Immediately below the name of Healy appears, credit given to Cambridge, MA Mayor Kenneth Reeves.

Below Reeves are the names of ALL eight other currently incumbent Cambridge, MA City Councilors including three who claim to be environmentalists.

One caveat: The city manager does a lot of lying by omission. He claims he has a right to only tell people about the saplings (or grass) he is planting; the Cambridge City Manager claims he has no duty to volunteer the nature of destruction involved.

Of course, as with regard to the truly sick situation on the Charles River, extended silence is very clearly consent and approval.