1. Archie’s Report.
2. Response.
3. Prior reports.
1. Archie’s Report.
CHARLES RIVER MEMORIES, PART IX
By Archie Mazmanian
Consider the architecture along and over the Charles River downstream of the Weld Boathouse. The Charles River bridges [yes, Virginia, bridges are architecture!] along this stretch are varied in style, size, construction and materials; they can be best examined leisurely on walking or bicycling trips along the river and over them, whereas safety requirements in driving a motor vehicle limit the opportunity to do so (although passengers may do so safely).
Along the Charles River, the buildings present varied architectural styles. While these may be appreciated driving along Storrow and Memorial Drives, they serve as teasers to leisurely examining them on walking or bike trips. There are the traditional Georgian buildings of Harvard?s Cambridge campus, that contrast with the post WW II Harvard Business School campus and the very recent Harvard dorms on the Allston side of the river. There are the more recent modern commercial and residential structures on both sides of the river. And consider the rehabbed Ford Motor Company building at the northerly end of the BU Bridge.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I have had mixed thoughts about some of the recent additions along the river. What are the obligations of developers along the river to respect the Charles River and its enjoyment by the public? Should Boston have a voice on development on the Cambridge side? Should Cambridge have a voice on development on the Boston side? Should the MA public beyond Boston and Cambridge have a voice on such development since he Charles River belongs to all of us?
Another way to enjoy the architecture along and over the Charles is directly on the river. In the summertime, I have observed tour (including duck) boats from downtown Boston that make their way to the BU Bridge and back. Unfortunately, they cannot proceed further upstream to the Weld Boathouse and beyond to Watertown Square because of the low rail bridge under the BU Bridge.
Sailboats and sculls are another means of enjoying the architecture along and over the Charles, including at the sailing pavilion in the Esplanade area as well as the sailing operations of several area universities. The annual Head of the Charles Regatta provides magnificent views for the rowers who can maneuver the low rail bridge below the BU Bridge.
In my contributions to this Blog on the Urban Ring Project, I have been critical of the proposed utilization of the rail bridge by expanding it to accommodate two travel lanes for Bus Rapid Transit’s 60-foot articulated buses for the Project?s Phase 2 Charles River crossing. Such would further segment water travel upstream and downstream of the BU Bridge.
But what if the Charles River became a mode of commuter boat public transit between Boston and Watertown Square without the obstacle of this low rail bridge under the BU Bridge? This would be much shorter, and safer, than commuter boat trips between Hingham and Boston, with more interesting vistas, including architectural along and over the Charles.
Yes, beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. But so is ugliness. Until recent years, we have had the benefit of beholding the beauty of the Charles River White Geese (and their family values) outside of their private habitat of several decades at the northerly end of the BU Bridge, their habitat being their architecture closer to nature than that of man over and along the Charles. Their private habitat was not intended for us to behold. Now we have the ugliness brought about by MA and Cambridge government officials intent upon destroying this habitat and thus destroying the Charles River White Geese. Bob?s post on Day 399 should shame these officials and we should be outraged by their ugliness.
2. Response.
Thank you Archie.
The sickness in Cambridge and their friends is their contempt for nature.
The sickness is multiplied by fake group’s with fraudulent and misleading names who fool people into supporting them and these fake groups are a very major part of the problem.
In is particularly outrageous to have a fraudulently named group
a. destroying the environment including, apparently, pretty much all ground vegetation between the BU Bridge and the BU Boathouse, and
b. Through use of their fake name, enticing people who want to support the environment into “liking” them when really want to friend the Charles River White Geese.
This rottenness is a major reason how very destructive people get elected to office in Cambridge, MA, USA.
The fake meeting on Magazine Beach which allowed the destroyers to talk and talk and talk but EXPLICITLY PROHIBITED negative comment is highly common in Cambridge. To call this some sort of public meeting is the sort of lie which is normal in Cambridge, MA.
It is possible that Governor Patrick saw through the lies of the destroyers and did not approve their seeking Obama money to destroy hundreds of healthy trees on Memorial Drive between the BU Bridge and the Longfellow Bridge. I think Marilyn may have provided him with the plans submitted by the bureaucrats to the Cambridge Conservation Commission which directly contradicted flat out lies about the quality of the trees being destroyed.
Unfortunately, the destroyers may be getting the money through a state legislature austerity budget, and the very destructive Cambridge Pols.
3. Prior reports.
Part VIII, 4/20/11: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/charles-river-memories-part-viii.html.
Part VII, 4/16/11: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/charles-river-memories-part-vii-charles.html.
Part VI,4/11/11: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/charles-river-memories-part-vi.html.
Intermission, 4/1/11: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/charles-river-memories-intermission.html.
Part V, 3/29/11: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/charles-river-memories-part-v.html.
Part IV, 3/7/11: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/charles-river-memories-part-iv.html.
Part III, 2/19/11: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/charles-river-memories-part-iii.html.
Part II, 2/5/11: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2011_02_05_archive.html.
Part I, 1/29/11: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2011_01_29_archive.html.
