HomeMy WebLinkAbout1971-05-12 Town Forest Committee Minutes 52
April 12 , 1971 7:30 PM
A formal posted meeting was held at the home of
Chairman James S . Perry , 15 Pratt Street , Reading.
The following members were present :
James S . Perry, Chairman
Benjamin E . Nichols , Secretary
Irving E . Dickey
It was voted to purchase 500 Hemlock four year transplants
and 1,000 Scotch Pine three year transplants for a total
coat of ,190.00 from the Testern Maine Forestry Nursery Co . ,
Fryeburg, Maine .
Chairman James S . Perry will file for a reb,te from the
U. S.Department of Agriculture for N75 .00 on the purchase
of trees under Section A-7-Forestry Practices .
The Town Forest Committee organized for the coming year,
with James S. Perry elected Chairman and Benjamin E. Nichols
elected Secretary.
The pay scale for semi-skilled men, who are eapableof using
a chain saw , was discussed. It was voted to pay these men
$3.00 per hour as part time temporary help, with no frixge
benefits . The men will be covered by the Town of Reading
blanket insurance .
It was voted to furnish the lunch to the men of the Junior
Chamber of Commerce ontheir work project on May 8, 1971.
Irving Dickey will put out the picnic tables , made during the
minter , in time for the opening of the fishing season .
He will purchase chains and padlocks to secure these tables
to trees . lion have been hired for the forest watch during
the three opening days of the fishing season.
The Hemlock and Scotch Pine transplants will be purchased,
picked up and brought to Reading on May 7 , 1971 in time for
planting the neat day. If the ground in Maine is not suitable
to get the trees , the planting day may have to be put forward .
The minutes of the last meeting on November 24, 1970 were
read and approved .
The meeting was adjourned at 9:25 PM
May 12 , 1971 7 :00 PM
Meeting with representatives of Meadow Brook Golf Club to
discuss mutual problems of boundaries , and problems with
motor bikes and snowmobiles .
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The Meadow Brook representatives present included :
William Marshall, President
John Forest, Greenskeeper
Floyd Brown
The TownForeet Committee members present included :
Janes S . Perry , Chairman
Benjamin E. Nichols , secretary.
We took a walk along the Old Hundred Acre Road pointing
out point boundary points , and the fact that the Road was
an old Town Road. 'Tne Town doreat Committee feel it would
be used for ;fieri trucks, Town Forest work equipment , golf club
equipment and players, an d occasionally groups such as
Boy Scouts going in to camp at night.
The repair of the road was discussed , including filling in
some of the hollows, and filling in the sides of hills in
the road to make it more passable .
At present there is a chain between two posts at the top of
the Ordway Pit Hill, where the Club road swings easterly onto
the fairway. The Club would like to have some boulders
brought in to reduce the width of their opening. James Perry
will work this out with John Forest and the Board of Public
Works .
The Town Forest Committee is planning to work with the Board
of Public 4Yorke in filling in the low spots on the roan down
the Ordway Pit Hill.
The group then walked to the southwest boundary of the Ordway
Pit , which is a mutual boundary with the Club . The Club
representatives did not realize their property extended as far
in this direction. The boundary line of the Club and the
Board of Public ',Yorke that rune about 720 feet to Grove
Street was shown. The Club representatives realize now thtV
have a valuable piece of potential residential property on
Grove Street .
Chairman James S. Perry has a copy of a map of the
Meadow Brook Golf Club drawn by Davie & Abbott in 1925 ,
which is black on what probably was once white paper, but
has now aged. Secretary Benjamin E. Nichols has a blueprint
cupy of tnie same map in tna files. This map snows thu road
from Grove Street through the present Golf Club property which
goes to the part of the Town Forest now called the Ordway Pit .
The wording beside this road reads, "Old Road to Hundred
Acre Meadow ."
See also the map in Book 11553 Page 120 in Southern Middlesex
Registry of Deede , which was filed regarding the dedication
of thio piece of property to the Town dOrast,. and devoted to
the Cyulture 03 forest trees: Sex also in tnia Log Book
on gage 4-Q a Copy of this registered map.
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It is interesting to note the wording in the deed of
the Ordway Pit property from Campanella & Cardi Construction
Company to The Inhabitants of the Town of Reading on
July 27 , 1969 wi.ich appear in Book 9776 Page 363, in .the
Southern Middlesex Registry of Deeds. The wording in the
deed reads, "following an old town or bridle way ."
The :;o-din, on the mEp of 1925 and the deed of 1959 can: be
considered the. authority for the inhabitants of the Tonn of
Reading to use the road through the property of the Meadow
Brook Golf Club as "Right of Slay" to go from Grove Street
to the Town Forest.
Tay 22 , 1971
Lenneth Lever in goy Scout troop 702 , sponsored by the
Old oouth iiuethodiat Ohurch, run a C,naervatien project for
his Life renk in Scouting. Lis Scout workers from his troop
included : Tom Blanch.xd , Lark Hotel , i;llen Rice , Don Norton,
Steve Norton and Tom Fuller. They out down the small and
defective trees on the small knoll going into the Forest
just beyond the filter house .
August 26 , 1971
The Reading Chronicle carried a map of the Town Forest on the
Editorial Page . The following information was printed
underneat9the map.
This map prepared by David V.Galvin shows the
252 acres of heading's Town Forest and wellfields ,
located in the Northwest corner of town. The Forest
is comprised of about 152 acres acquired piece by
piece over many years , an dedicated to recreation
and conservation. The remaining 100 acres contain
the town 's water supply , its wellfields . The entire
parcel is critical watershed land adjacent to the
Ipswich River . Engineers and scientists are firm in
their belief that the Ipsw.ch River and its watershed
will soon be the lone source of domestic water for not
only Reading, but most of the communities which lie
along its banks . Identifiable land marks on the map
include the town filtration and pumping plans at the
end of Strout Ave. , and the system of paths (dotted lines)
and roadways through the Forest. Vehicular traffic
is banned in the Forest , but the area is used extensively
by campers , pienicers and nature lovers .
August 30 , 1971 7 :30 'M
,� lermal pealed woetina el the lbwn s'ore6t UemmdtLee wrs
held at the residence of Chairman James S. Perry, 15 Pratt
Street , ReadirE, Mass .
Members present included : James S. Perry , Chairman
Benjamin E. Nichols , Secretary
Irving E . Dickey