Conference 7.286::maynard

    How dirty is the Assabet's water? I see people fishing off the White
    Pond bridge whenever I ride by. Can you actually eat Assabet's fish?
    (Not that I want to, just curious.)
    
    -Andrea-

Maynard sent a flyer to residents regarding an upcoming town meeting.
One item on the agenda was hooking several houses to the sewer system
because they currently dump into the river...

-Mike

    Re: .2
    
    I don't think it is particularly good.  I think the water quality has
    been affected by the drought conditions over the past couple of years.
    Since there is dumping of sewage into the Assabet, I seriously doubt
    that the volume of water flowing through the river (on average) can
    handle the waste we are putting into it.
    
    When we had those rainstorms in early April, the river (especially
    behind my house, where there are rapids) didn't smell quite normal. 
    It's settled down to "normal" over the past couple of weeks, but
    if the weather continues to stay on the dry side, I believe that the
    water quality in the river will always be on the down side.
    
    - dave

     The last time I talked to the fishermen they told me one guy takes
    them all home and uses them to fertilize his tomato plants.
    

            The River cleanup is coming!
    
    June is National Rivers Month
    
         Sponser by OAR and the Maynard Neighborhood Assoc.
    
            June 3, 1989  ("Cleanup Central" to be announced
           
              9AM-12:00     rain or shine
                8:30-9:00   FREE t-shirt to the 1st 50 people who show up
    
            Awards Ceremony & free concert
    
               12:00-3:00    Wood Park,Hudson (downtown rotary, Rte.85
                                  ( South,over river,bear right at Armory)
                                  (Wood Park on right on river)
     
               B.Y.O. picnic
    
    
            This should be alot of fun! Sign up now or just show up!
    
    Call: Mary Holtorf  897-3181 (days 493-2332) VAXRT::HOLTORF 
                (need name,phone,shirt sz.)
    
      NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITE "MESSY RIVER SPOT"  FOR CLEANUP !
    
          You should show up at "Cleanup Central" (to be announced) around
    8:30 AM. You will be assigned(or pick) a cleanup site. Oar will be 
    handing out t-shirts and trash bags. You can walk,drive or be delivered
    to your site. Arrangements are being made with the DPW and Board of
    Health to collect the bags.
          Return to "Cleanup Central" or proceed directly to the
    celebration at Wood Park,Hudson.
          The Maynard Neighborhood Assoc. will be discussing details of the
    cleanup at their monthly meeting:
          TH. May 25th  7:00  Town Hall meeting room(upstairs)

    Assabet River Clean-Up registration will begin at 8:30 by Grueber's
    Furniture on Main St.  Given the nature of the work, heavy gloves,
    boots or throw-away sneaks are a good idea.
    
    The clean-up will be 9 - 12 on June 3. It would be great if you can
    bring handsaws for cutting tree limbs, rakes and pickup trucks, to
    carry away the bagged trash to Town dumpsters. 

    -Steve    

    How did the Assabet River Cleanup go on Saturday?

Who would have thought of Maynard as a hotbed of environmental activism?
Judging by the forty highly motivated people showed up to clean up the
river on Saturday, it sure seemed that way. 

People divided up into the following crews:
	
	Ben Smith Dam/Town Hall
	Mill Street Bridge
	St. Bridget's
	Walnut Street
	River Street
	Store 24
	Elk's
	Powder Mill Circle

The crews removed an amazing variety of stuff from the river.  Shopping
carts were very popular, especially at the Elks and Store 24, along with
lots of other heavy metal junk. 

River Street featured barbed wire and an auto bumper.
Walnut Street had both a bed frame and mattress, and 4 car batteries.
Mill Street was big on auto parts, construction scrap, and poison ivy.
The Ben Smith Dam area had very assored rubbish, much apparently from local
dumpsters.

Both the St. Bridget's crew and Powder Mill Circle crews dealt mainly
with plastics, particularly Styrofoam.  Lots of it; about 7 oversided
bags at St. Bridget's. 

My personal favorite was a ring of decent quality found on the riverbank 
near Store 24, still in the box. I envision some couple having a fight
on the bridge, and the woman gets mad at the guy, and says "Oh yeah?  I
was nuts to think of marrying you!" and heaves the engagement ring into
the void. 

Then we went to Hudson and had a picnic with people from the other
OAR river cleanups.  Commissioner Bickford of the Dept. Fisheries and
Wildlife said some encouraging words about how the quality of the
Assabet has been improving.  OAR passed out awards, which were these
little 12 inch paddles with a metal plaque.  Mary Holtorf accepted on
behalf of the MNPA. 

What happened to all the junk?  The metal scrap went the the DPW's
private junkpile.  The bags of stuff went to town dumpsters. 

    Re .9 (Steve):
    
>What happened to all the junk?  The metal scrap went the the DPW's
>private junkpile.  The bags of stuff went to town dumpsters. 
 
    And the ring?
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.   

    I believe that Sally (who found it) just took it home.
    
    I suppose that we could use that in advertising the cleanup next
    year...
    
    Why play the lottery when you can join the ...
    
    *******************************************
    ***   FABULOUS ASSABET RIVER CLEANUP!   ***
    *******************************************
    
    Shopping carts! Exhaust systems! Jewelry! Beer cans! 
    Something for everyone!

    

        The sixth annual Assabet river cleanup will be next
        Saturday, June 6, from 9 to 12 a.m.  It is being run
        by the Organization for the Assabet River.


    For Acton, Concord, and Maynard:
        Meet near the Papa Gino's on Rt 62 between Maynard and West Concord.
        Call Kathy Kelly (897-8934) for more info.

    In Hudson and Stow:
        Meet at the Riverside Gun Club, Rt 62 in Hudson.
        Contact Dick Lawrence (568-8977) for Hudson and
        Bob MacDonald (568-1751) for Stow.

    For Marlborough:
        Meet at the Hillside School, Robin Hill Rd, Marlborough
        Call Larry Roy (481-1113) for details.


    Gloves and Rugged clothes are advised.

(crossposted to riverrats notesfile as weel)