2023 Park Photos

2023 Park Photos
Many on the Minuteman Trail stopped at Peggy Fenner’s whimsical fairy house to write letters to fairies. They put their messages in the box on this tree overlooking the path through the park. Karen L. Grossman, FSPP President, walked through Spy Pond Park with her friends Mary and Lidia (photographer) to see Spy Pond and the beautiful fall foliage October 28, 2022. Rae Construction readied materials for the base of the playground renovation. You can see the machinery that they used to spread the foundation of the playground. Justin Tirani and Todd Graham of Rae Contracting put finishing touches on the new sandy North Beach and handicapped ramp that was re-paved with a pervious surface. Adrienne Landry was pleased to be honored with the FSPP’s Good Citizen Award at our January 29th, 2023, Annual Meeting. The Citation expressed our gratitude for her faithful service to Spy Pond Park.
In the snowy stillness the playground equipment awaits the return of Spring when visitors might have imaginary races on the rocking horses and enjoy climbing activities. The storm on February 23 made the park look like a beautiful winter wonderland. Ice formations stand guard along the edge of Spy Pond. Viewing the see-saw and the swing structure in the renovation, children can’t wait for the playground to open. The playhouse, hanging drums, and xylophone will provide lots of opportunity for youngsters to exercise their imaginations, too. The pathway through the playground is nearing completion. Soon an eager visitors will arrive to ride the green ponies, rest on the logs, and climb up and slide down the slides.
Older children 8-12 years old will enjoy this new, nature-based playground equipment. This eagle, the female of the pair nesting in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, has been perching regularly on the steeple of Calvary Methodist Church on Linwood Street, one block from SPP. Geese at sunset over Spy Pond Thanks to designer, Kari Percival, Arlington’s artist-in-residence, who has created this beautiful poster to publicize FSPP’s endeavors. It references the natural beauty of Spy Pond Park, our volunteer opportunities, and park or pond recreation. Oakes Plimpton donated 40 copies of The Ice Business booklet for FSPP to sell during outreach in the park and events such as Town Day and Feast of the East. Volunteers (front) Linda Clark, (l-r back) Bill Stalcup, Brian Hare, Adrienne Landry, Parvis Khosravi, and Kerry McConnaughay participated in an EcoFest activity on Earth Day under Adrienne’s supervision, planting 7 native bushes in Spy Pond Park’s planting beds in the holes BU alumni dug previously for their BU Global Day of Service.
A new Fairy box by Peggy Fenner appeared this spring in the same spot on the three branched tree overlooking the Linwood entrance to Spy Pond Park. Scouts removed English Ivy, an invasive plant, when the “other side” of Spy Pond got a facelift on Spy Pond Trails Day. Young (and fashionable) volunteers planted dogwoods. Members of The Family Connection, an organization that connects families and caregivers of children from birth-6 yoa with activities, events, workshops and volunteer opportunities in the community, participated in the June Work Day. Alicia Brennan (r), an environmental science student at Westfield State, has come from Wakefield with her friends, (l-r) Anna McCormack and Kaitlyn Sample several times over the past two years to help in SPP. Spy Pond Park playground neared completion the end of April, just missing having the swings installed with everyone hoping for a May 1st opening.
Monet Rosenberg joined up with FSPP last year, worked almost every Work Day and sat at the FSPP Town Day booth last year. Monet first came to fulfill the Arlington HS Community Service requirement, but soon took on many additional tasks. We congratulate (l-r) Todd Graham and Justin Tatami and Rae Construction on the beautiful job they’ve completed, renovating the SPP playground. The seesaw attracted a lot of interest after the playground re-opened. The car careened down the slide first as he tested it out. Her gymnastic skills gave her an upside-down worldview. She hopped on; there was room for one more!
Looking towards the pond, she trotted towards it by horseback. Taia, Max, and Lillie, enjoyed climbing the web on the apparatus for older children. Blooming park! Even after the lilacs and crabapple blossoms were gone, Spy Pond Park was still full of flowers in early June – Multifloral Rose (invasive) here and more than a dozen species, some of which follow. Eastern Bluestar Beauty Bush Eastern Bluestar
Buttercups Tower Mustard Dandelion Arlington’s Department of Public Works removed murky, natural debris from Linwood Beach June 20-23. The pond was lowered to protect the endangered sedge at the water’s edge while they cleaned up the area. Linda Clark, FSPP volunteer, helped in many ways this year. She is an avid gardener and has been willing to share her knowledge with the volunteers, tend plants she planted on a FSPP Work Day, and remove invasives on her own. In July, People Making a Difference® workers trimmed bushes and cut down invasive growth.
Jordan O’Hare Gibson and Kayleen LaRose, Parterre Ecological employees, worked for hours on Friday, September 15 to remove invasive plants and aggressive, weedy vegetation in a couple of planting beds in Spy Pond Park. They focused on species such as: false indigo, common buckthorn, honeysuckle vine, multiflora rose, various rubis species, sweet autumn clematis, mugwort, and mulberry. Phragmites by the pond bank were also mechanically removed. Tessa Flanagan (r.) organized Silman, a TYLin Company, engineers to come to Spy Pond Park. Karen L. Grossman, FSPP President, (2nd from right) joined the volunteers and collected trash for the Reverse Tashlich project she launched with the Mystic River Watershed Association. FSPP display board at Town Day telling FSPP’s undertakings was protected from the rain under the canopy. Lauren Bonilla, Outreach and Communications Chair, set up a great booth for Town Day and talked to passersby at Arlington’s Town Day detailing projects, answering questions about the Friends of Spy Pond Park and selling t-shirts and “Ice Business” booklets all day. Betsy Leondar-Wright, FSPP Park Activities Chair, was very grateful to all the volunteers who made Fun Day a wonderful experience again this September. Kudos to Betsy for all she’s done over the years to make youngsters and their families appreciate nature in Spy Pond Park! There were lots of natural materials available for constructing bark boats on Fun Day in SPP.
It was precise, thoughtful, delicate work decorating a fairy house. Miyabi Saito and her father were eager to begin making a bark boat together. Sam reached into the tube to pull the mast stick through the bark to make his boat. Winnie Burke was happy with the little monkey face painted on her forehead. Sienna Burke modeled her dramatic cat face. Charlotte Schneider concentrated on her leaf printing while her snow cone waited for the next slurp.
Opal Shrestha created a beautiful leaf print on Fun Day. Susan Chapnick, Arlington’s Conservation Commission Chair, Nick and Matthew topped off their Fun Day pleasure via the Mystic River Watershed Association’s peek-through board. It advertised the May Herring Run and Paddle Races, celebrating the return of Alewife swimming up the Mystic River along E. Arlington’s border with Medford. Cousin Louis Band entertained the crowd at Fun Day. There was even spirited dancing, swinging to the musical rhythms rising above Spy Pond! Everyone had a great time!