Cambridge City Council happy with censorship of Reality on the Charles River.

 Cambridge City Council happy with censorship of Reality on the Charles River.

Monday evening, March 29, 2021, the Cambridge City Council received my letter concerning the poisoning of the Charles River and my CENSORSHIP in the prior meeting when I attempted to speak about it.  That communication is currently the first item posted on the Friends of the White Geese page at http://www.friendsofthewhitegeese.org/ar1.htm.  It is copied below, page by page.

The city council with its silence supported the censorship.  Very clearly, the last thing the Cambridge City Council wants is for the outrage going on on the Charles River to be heard by the people watching its meetings.  

The following is an email received by all city council during the previous day and emailed to between 100 and 200 people in Cambridge:

* * * *

RE: [CFL] Does Cambridge Want to Know What it Is Doing on the Charles River?

Last Monday, the Cambridge City Council chair person announced that three people had signed up to talk to the City Council.  On them only one person answered the call.  She suggested that people could continue to sign up to 6 pm, another 20 or 25 minutes.

Trouble is that I HAD SIGNED UP TO TALK as chair of Friends of the White Geese with plenty of time to get recognized.  

I did do an offensive thing.  I said I wanted to talk about City Manager’s Agenda #2.  That item concerned Cambridge’s handling of the poisoning of the Charles River BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION.  The item neglected to mention the very clear DCR responsibility for the poisoning that the City Council was were supposedly trying to correct.

I went to the sign up page.  It informed me that sign up was closed.  Several hours later, I got an email from the City Clerk’s office apologizing for somehow losing my sign up.  They suggested I sign up again.  Since I had already tried that, the suggestion was useless.

Enclosed is my formal statement of what I was trying to speak about last Monday. [ed: link above, and attached hereto, page by page]  It is on the agenda as the only communication on the agenda, BUT THE PUBLIC CANNOT HEAR OF THE VERY MAJOR OUTRAGE GOING ON ON THE CHARLES RIVER.

I had to spend $27 to get this letter under consideration.  That is the cost of Express Mail Next Day and Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested.  

My prior two letters took approximately three weeks to get through themselves, and expensive mailing.  Both had clearly strange handling by the City Clerk’s office, accidentally or otherwise, in very clear violation of procedures.  Copies of all three are posted at the top of Friends of the White Geese’ documents page at http://www.friendsofthewhitegeese.org/ar1.htm. 

The attachment is only the latest communication by us about the outrages on the Charles River INCLUDING MANY, MANY, MANY objections to the poisoning of the Charles River by that “activist” using funds and “volunteers” supplied by the DCR.  That “activist” is being paid by the City Council (unless she has finished the project) to do preliminary work on the destruction of the excellent grove across from MicroCenter and next to the Swimming Pool / Bathhouse.

The “activist” has a long, destructive record on the Charles River.  She has repeatedly lied that no trees are being destroyed, a lie which is strikingly blatant.  As has been repeatedly documented in my many letters of objection to the City Council which cannot see anything wrong with her or with the DCR.

My solution is to finish the job the legislature started ten years ago when they destroyed the Metropolitan District Commission.  Many legislators were trying to protect the Charles River from this destructive entity.  Instead, the destructive “planners” sent to the DCR with their destructive plans and Cambridge government friends.  They have proceeded WITH CAMBRIDGE SUPPORT with destruction of hundreds of mostly excellent trees and heartless animal abuse.  Goals WHICH ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING FURTHER IMPLEMENTED WITH EVEN MORE VIGOR.

So, rather clearly, the ZOOM sign up procedure has become a situation in which OBJECTION TO THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CHARLES RIVER is kept from BEING HEARD by people watching city council.

This is a very bad situation.  Just look at the top City Council letters posted on the Friends of the White Geese page.

Thanks.

City of Cambridge Government Outrages Multiply concerning the Charles River and the Grand Junction

 City of Cambridge Government Outrages Multiply concerning the Charles River and the Grand Junction

Monday night, March 22, 2021, I signed up in a timely manner to speak by ZOOM to the Cambridge City Council on City Manager’s communication 2, funds supposedly to repair the flood of algae on the Charles River.  

I was not recognized to speak by the chair, although she acknowledge three sign ups and allowed one member of the public to speak.

The chair said that any other people who wanted to speak should sign up on line.  I attempted to sign up on line AGAIN and was faced with a window that said signing up was closed, in spite of the fact that there was 15 or 20 minutes left to sign up before 6 pm, the deadline.

I have since sent express mail, return receipt requested a more detailed analysis of my intended comments to the City Clerk for presentation to the City Council as a communication at its next meeting.

An early draft of the letter is posted on the Charles River White Geese blog at https://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2021/03/more-money-from-cambridge-ma-usa-city.html.  I would be pleased to provide a PDF of the final draft to anybody who wishes to receive it.  Please contact me at boblat@yahoo.com.

The short of it is that the poisoning of the Charles River is the direct result of malfeasance by the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Cambridge City Council, acting through an “activist” who has since been funded by the Cambridge City Council to take initial steps toward the destruction of the admittedly excellent grove next to the DCR Magazine Beach Swimming Pool across from the MicroCenter Parking Lot.

This is part of the ongoing destruction of 60 or more mostly excellent trees at Magazine Beach by the DCR and the Cambridge City Council with that same “activist” lying that no trees are being destroyed.  Details of that destruction are posted on the web page Charles River White Geese at http://www.friendsofthewhitegeese.org/agenda1.html.  This communication has been repeatedly provided to the Cambridge City Council.

It follows on the destruction of hundreds of trees on Memorial Drive by the DCR with silence by the Cambridge City Council which can only be interpreted as consent.  He who is silent in circumstances which call for outrage consents.  

That outrage is dramatically presented by my video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTplCCEJP7o.  

Three key city council communications are connected on the Charles River White Geese web page as the first three postings at http://www.friendsofthewhitegeese.org/ar1.htm.  There have been major recent problems in getting communications properly posted in the official City Council record.

Here are photos: 

(1) of the rerouting of poisons from the Magazine Beach playing fields to the Charles River, 

(2) algae created (Phil Barber Photo); 

(3) a drone photo of the excellent grove being destroyed at the Magazine Beach Pool, across from the MicroCenter Parking Lot (source:  “From Cambridge to Boston with the DJ Inspire 1 Drone footage,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN-OmMzvHhw, minute 2:33); 

and 

(4) my photo from the ground of the excellent doomed grove.  

This destruction is only part of the ongoing outrage on the Charles River and up the Grand Junction.

More money from the Cambridge, MA, USA, City Council for destructive bureaucrats on the Charles River?

More money from the Cambridge, MA, USA, City Council for destructive bureaucrats on the Charles River?

The Cambridge City Manager’s Communication 2 in the Cambridge City Council’s Monday night, March 22, 2021, meeting involves the expenditure of money supposedly to respond to algae floating in the Charles River.

The basic problem is extreme mismanagement of the Charles River in the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and in the Cambridge Development Department.  The basic problem is, of course, being ignored.

The algae stemmed from

1. Cambridge and the DCR dumping poisons on the previously pristine Magazine Beach playing fields starting in the late 2000's,

2. That was combined with the installation of expensive drainage to keep the poisons out of the Charles River.  No care was taken that I am aware of to refrain from poisoning resident / visiting animals.

3. In December 2017, this was followed by the blocking of the drainage by an “activist” with money and volunteers provided by the DCR.  Her activities rerouted poisons which should not even be used on the Charles into the Charles River.  We have reported on this in detail.  One photo is attached.  Trash from the destruction was picked up by the City of Cambridge.   We have photographs of that.

4. Most recently, the Cambridge City Council has funded that same “activist” for “environmental work” preparatory to the destruction of the excellent grove across from MicroCenter.  Photo of affected area attached

The most basic need is replacement of bureaucrats in the DCR and the Cambridge Development Department responsible for these outrages by competent people.  This should be initiated in the state legislature, but any changes would have to be combined with changes in attitude on the Cambridge City Council.  The Cambridge City Council’s actions have supportive of destructive behavior by the DCR and the Cambridge Developmen Department.  The supportive actions combine with non stop claims of environmental sainthood.

Giving more money to the destructive people involved is going in the wrong direction.  Replacement through the state legislature of the MDC  with MassDOT would be an intelligent step.  MassDOT is not perfect, but the DCR and the Cambridge Development Department, and their “activist” approach being perfect from the wrong direction.

Here are a photo of the blocking of the drainage, a photo of some of the algae created by these bureaucrats and the “activist”  (Phil Barber) and a drone photo of the excellent and doomed grove which the DCR in its destruction plans admitted is excellent.  The drone photo is taken from “From Cambridge to Boston with the DJ Inspire 1 Drone footage,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN-OmMzvHhw, minute 2:33.  The doomed AND MAGNIFICENT grove adjoins the upper right corner of the pool.

Further details are available in a number of reports filed in the files of the Cambridge City Council but more readily available on the web site of Friends of the White Geese at http://www.friendsofthewhitegeese.org/ar1.htm.  

These are the first three items currently listed, spelling out the reality of the Interstate 90 Off Ramp to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (plus?) being sold as a bike path, documentation of tree destruction which is claimed to not exist, and the full documentation and photos of the DCR’s report to the Cambridge Conservation Commission on the ONGOING and increasing destruction at Magazine Beach by the Cambridge City Council and the DCR.

Tossing money at entities which are unfit for their duties on the Charles is going in exactly the wrong direction.

The Charles River White Geese seek food denied to them ‒ IN CONTEXT.

 The Charles River White Geese seek food denied to them ‒ IN CONTEXT.

1. The Charles River White Geese seek food in spite of the Cambridge City Council / DCR

2. Analysis.

3. Visual Detail.

4. Context.

5. Magazine Beach.

6. The real target, the private off ramp from Interstate 90 in Boston.

7. The last food of the Charles River White Geese.

A. The blocked entrance to the Destroyed Nesting Area.

B. The on ramp which the Charles River White Geese so carefully cross.

C. The, HORRORS, food under Memorial Drive.

8. The Charles River White Geese admiring the Charles River in Winter.

1. The Charles River White Geese seek food in spite of the Cambridge City Council / DCR

Mike reports:

Hard to fight the good fight for so many years - you are a trouper or perhaps a noble knight (not kidding) a Round Table or Man of LaMancha level.

I was coming on a Bus over the BU Bridge and saw the Charles River White Geese in a clearing to the right along the river as one comes into Cambridge.

2. Analysis.

The Charles River White Geese are extremely responsible jaywalkers.  

They stand on the sidewalk and look both ways until everything is clear and then walk over.  They cannot help it that they are geese.  There is always a straggler, and the cars going up that ramp are filled with commuters with big smiles on their face.  Watching that guy finish his dawdling

Here is my latest city council letter on this nightmare:  http://www.friendsofthewhitegeese.org/ar1.htm.  That is our web page.  It is the top letter.  The letter is in two parts, a PDF conversion from my word processor which, in turn, got overloaded with all the graphics when it was just one file.

3. Visual Detail.

Here is an overview taken from “From Cambridge to Boston with the DJ Inspire 1 Drone footage” posted at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN-OmMzvHhw, minute 10:55.

For most of the last 40 years, the Charles River White Geese have lived in a mile long habitat on the Cambridge (left) side of the Charles River centered on the BU Bridge.

Heartless abuse by the Cambridge City Council and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation has destroyed most of that habitat for them except for their Destroyed Nesting Area in the triangle formed by BU Bridge, the on ramp to Memorial Drive (between the Bridge and Memorial Drive) and the Grand Junction Railroad (its bridge highly visible).

The woods beyond the Grand Junction, the Wild Area, is part of their remaining habitat, along with many other free animals, the combination is that last remaining free animal area in this part of the Charles River.  The DCR has plans to destroy every tree in the Wild Area but one.  The City Council has blessed destruction in a deniable motion which is a very common act, apparently drafted by the Cambridge Development Department.  They call this sort of behavior failure of transparency.

The opening where Mike apparently saw the Charles River White Geese group is under Memorial Drive to the far left.  The on ramp where they are such careful jaywalkers is the roadway between the DNA and Memorial Drive.  It is the last food left to them by the ongoing heartless abuse, and the DCR has a blockade established to keep them from getting that food.

4. Context.

Cambridge and the DCR not that long ago destroyed hundreds of mostly excellent trees between the BU Bridge and the Longfellow Bridge (2d bridge east of the BU Bridge, above the top of this photo.  Destruction of the Wild Area was not accomplished then, but is now being sneaked in with FRAUDULENT public hearings which lie that the area of destruction ends at the BU Bridge, BUT IS EXPANDED TO THE WILD AREA by slides shown in the “public meetings.”

This particular still starts immediately west of the Wild Area.  It extends beyond the next bridge to the east, the Mass. Ave. (officially “Harvard”) Bridge.  It is from minute 9.28 of the drone video:

The drone footage was taken just before destruction.  Large areas in the still were destroyed in previous years and the DCR deferred replacement of that outrage until they had destroyed the hundreds in January 2016, to give a false impression of responsible behavior.

Our video report of the destruction is posted by me at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTplCCEJP7o, Memorial Drive Destruction, January 2016, Final Cut.  The video gets very close to the Longfellow Bridge with hundreds of photos, including before and after photos, of the destruction, along with plans.  The excellence destroyed by Cambridge and the DCR is very clear.

The Grand Junction Railroad is the left of three apparent highways in the photo.  It looks like a planned off ramp from Interstate 90 on the Boston side of the Charles River.  The apparent lie is that it is to be a bike path.  Lots of details in our letter to the Cambridge City Council published on our web page at http://www.friendsofthewhitegeese.org/ar1.htm.  It is the first document on the list.  It is in two parts.  The graphics are so extensive they overloaded my word processor.

5. Magazine Beach.

The Cambridge City Council is an open partner (subject constantly changed) in destruction at Magazine Beach, to the west of the BU Bridge.

Here, from minute 9:13 of the drone footage is a still showing the relationship of the Magazine Beach destruction area to the Destroyed Nesting Area.  This was the core part of the habitat of the Charles River White Geese until the heartless abuse from the Cambridge City Council and the DCR started in the 2000's.

At the bottom is the doomed Wild Area, then the Grand Junction Railroad, and the Destroyed Area.  Immediately above the BU Bridge is a sensitively designed sewage treatment plant.  It is off season.  The brown area is a grassed roof.

Following that is the playing fields of the Magazine Beach Recreation area, and excellent and doomed park, a swimming pool, with major destruction planned next to it.  The first still comes from minute 1.59.  

This closer view of the swimming pool and the magnificent and doomed grove is from minute 2.33.

Here are the DCR plans with photos of doomed trees, posted on the Charles River White Geese web page at .  http://www.friendsofthewhitegeese.org/agenda1.html.

I presented this letter to the Cambridge City Council in response to a public presentation by members of the Cambridge City Council on the City Hall steps May Day 2017.  I was responding to the lies of environmental sainthood in the rally and to Order 1 of the Cambridge City Council when they proceeded with their meeting, praising the DCR for this outrage and promising funding for part of the planned destruction.   Many funds have since provided, with the MAXIMUM SECRECY possible.

6. The real target, the private off ramp from Interstate 90 in Boston.

In 2003, the local transportation authority, the MBTA, proposed the off ramp mentioned above which is now being called a bike path.  Cambridge and the DCR are trying to sneak it into the rebuilding of Interstate 90 in Boston across from the destruction area on the Cambridge side.  NON SECRET attempts at related construction have failed because of public opposition.  So secret attempts hopefully will yet fail.  The responsible agency, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation is not perfect, but it is a breath of fresh air compared to the Cambridge City Council and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

The above photo from minute 1.59 shows I-90 in the bottom right.

Here is a closer view from minute 4.40.

I-90 is at the bottom right.  The plans created a curving loop from the right hand side to the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge (under the BU Bridge) to connect inbound traffic to the Grand Junction.  The Grand Junction Bridge would be widened by cantilever construction.  Connection to the outbound lanes would be simple.

My detailed letter on the off ramp is mentioned above.  The full version is posted on the web page at http://www.friendsofthewhitegeese.org/ar1.htm.  

The reality is that a lot of the other destruction looks like it is designed to speed up traffic on Memorial Drive to handle traffic from I-90

7. The last food of the Charles River White Geese.

Going back to the original topic, here are photos of the location where Mike saw the gaggle of the Charles River White Geese.

This opening was created to support the lie that the Destroyed Nesting Area of the Charles River White Geese is a public park.  It has never been used as that.  When the DCR found out that the Charles River White Geese had the nerve to get food under Memorial Drive, they started putting in an obstacle course.  Food is not allowed.

A. The blocked entrance to the Destroyed Nesting Area.

B. The on ramp which the Charles River White Geese so carefully cross.

C. The, HORRORS, food under Memorial Drive.

8. The Charles River White Geese admiring the Charles River in Winter.

The structure above is the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge.