1. Day 391, Marathon Crowd.
2. First view of “Improvements” at Magazine Beach — Good Stuff Essentially Non Existent.
Bob La Trémouille reports:
1. Day 391, Marathon Crowd.
On April 19, 2010, I once again set up at the far side of the BU Bridge because the east side is blocked of for the needlessly destructive BU Bridge repairs. This prevents leafleting next to the Goose Meadow. Similarly, leafleting of cars is now impossible, but the main target has always been pedestrians.
People, as usual, were very nice. Quite a few friendly beeps from the cars.
Clearly, a significant percentage of the folks walking were returning to their hotel from the Boston Marathon.
There were a lot of local residents, and they were interested.
The last person I leafleted discussed the various items of destruction with me and told me he would call Cambridge City Councilor Seidel. I informed him that I have posted on this blog Seidel’s commentary providing his definition of “environmentalism.” I informed him as well that Seidel voted for the destruction at Magazine Beach. This happened when he was on Cambridge’s version of a Conservation Commission.
2. First view of “Improvements” at Magazine Beach — Good Stuff Essentially Non Existent.
The normal reaction of people in the past when they were told of coming “improvements” at Magazine Beach has always been that work on Magazine Beach made no sense. There never was any need to improve it.
The fences are down. It is now possible to walk the construction zone.
The most overwhelming impression is that nothing of value has been done.
Then, when you look around, you realize that a lot has been done, and it is all either bad or could have been done without massive destruction.
Magazine Beach is now firmly walled off from the Charles River with a bizarre wall of introduced vegetation which hides the river from people using the playing fields, and starves the Charles River White Geese. The key bureaucrat has spouted “no intention to harm” for ten years, but explains that starving them, in his bizarre world, is not harming them, and he has publicly bragged of starving them.
The size of the playing fields has been significantly reduced by the massive drainage system to drain off the poisons needed by the introduced grass to keep from dying. The grass that was destroyed in this project survived for most of a century without poisons.
The playing fields have been rearranged, but you did not have to destroy to do that.
Then you realize that the area to the west of the construction zone has not been rebuilt.
It is impossible to distinguish between the two areas of grass: (1) the poison maintained stuff which was introduced in place of healthy environmentally responsible grass and (2) the healthy responsible stuff that has been there for the better part of a century and which is exactly the grass they destroyed.
The Bumpy Memorial Pond was introduced in the eastern end of the fields as part of the first destruction several years ago. It was intended to replace wetlands which were needlessly destroyed for the bizarre bushes. We always considered the Bumpy Memorial Pond bizarre because it was an artificially created pond feet from the Charles River with no connection.
The geese loved it. That may be the reason it has been destroyed. The pond has been filled in and it is now wetlands.
The wall of bizarre introduced bushes has been extended to wall off pretty much all of the Charles, vastly increasing blocking in the area near the Bumpy Pond and the small boat launch. That small boat launch is the only place clearly open for access from the Charles River. The massive increase of bushes is clearly designed to minimize the value of the poisoned grass to the Charles River White Geese.
Some people were playing on the softball fields. I do not know if they paid the $90 or so which is now required to use the fields even for pick up games.
Summary: reprehensible, stupid, a lot of destruction and less usable playing fields. Outrageous, but we are dealing with the City of Cambridge and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The Cambridge Machine has no shame. The Cambridge Machine will be bragging.
