From Good Towards Great

METROPOLITAN BEACHES COMMISSION TO HOLD
PUBLIC HEARINGS IN NINE COMMUNITIES THIS SUMMER

  

The Metropolitan Beaches Commission (MBC) recently completed two public hearings on Beacon Hill to assess the state of the region’s public beaches and announced that they will hold a series of 9 public hearings in the region’s beachfront communities this summer.

“These first two hearings focused on the important contribution these beaches make to the quality of life in our communities and the region,” said Commission Co-Chair Representative Kathi-Anne Reinstein, who represents Revere, home of America’s first public beach. “I am very much looking forward to holding additional public hearings in every community with a DCR beach to find out what we can do to help move our metropolitan beaches forward.”

“We are looking to move these beaches from good towards great” said Commission Co-Chair Senator Tom McGee, who represents Lynn, Nahant and Swampscott. “Working with Save the Harbor / Save the Bay and the public we intend to build on the success of our work in 2007 and are seeking new ways to enhance public access, increase beach programs, expand water transportation and improve water quality and beach flagging.”

At Monday’s hearing MBC Commissioner Paul Grogan, CEO of The Boston Foundation, stressed the importance of the region’s beaches and the Boston Harbor Islands to the region and the contribution they make to the economic vitality of our coastal communities. “These beaches are important civic assets with the power to improve the quality of life for all the region’s residents” said Grogan. “They are also economic drivers in many communities. These hearings are a great opportunity for us to work together to get it right.”

The Commission was originally established in 2006 by the Massachusetts Legislature to recommend improvements to the Boston Harbor region’s public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket. It has begun to examine the impacts of the recommendations made in its first report and intends to make additional recommendations for further improvements in 2013.

So far this year the Metropolitan Beaches Commission has held two public hearings at the Massachusetts State House. Commissioners have heard from DCR Commissioner Ed Lambert about the agency’s budget, staffing and plans for the metropolitan beaches. Secretary of Transportation Richard Davey also addressed the Commission about the economic benefits of water transportation to coastal communities and the need for a coordinated and strategic approach in the region. They have also heard from expert panels on beach and harbor island access, programming and partnerships, water transportation and excursions, and water quality and beach flagging.

EEA Secretary Richard Sullivan, who also attended Monday’s hearing, praised the Commission’s efforts, saying “Their work has served as a roadmap for improvements to our beaches and parks across the Commonwealth”.

The Commission will hold nine public hearings in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy, and Hull this summer. The first will take place on June 11, 2013 in Revere. These hearings and the Commission’s report will also identify and showcase economic development opportunities for local communities made possible by public investment in clean water and better beaches in our region’s waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities.

If you are interested in being informed of the hearing date in your community, please send an email to info@savetheharbor.org.

About the Metropolitan Beaches Commission

The Metropolitan Beaches Commission was created in 2006 by the Massachusetts Legislature to take an in-depth look at the metropolitan region’s public beaches in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull that are managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. You can download a copy of their 2007 report “Beaches We Can Be Proud Of” at http://savetheharbor.org/downloads/mbcreport.pdf

The Commission has reconvened in 2013 to examine the impacts of the reforms and recommendations made in its first report and issue additional findings and recommendations to better leverage these remarkable resources for residents in the future. The MBC is comprised of elected officials and community, civic, nonprofit, and business leaders from Boston and the metropolitan region’s waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities. For more information visit www.savetheharbor.org/MBC2013 or follow us on Twitter @MetroBeaches.

About Save the Harbor/Save the Bay

Save the Harbor / Save the Bay is a non-profit, public interest environmental advocacy organization made up of thousands of citizens, as well as civic, corporate, cultural and community leaders whose shared mission is to restore and protect Boston Harbor and Mass Bay for everyone to enjoy.

For more information please visit www.savetheharbor.org or contact Save the Harbor’s Director of Strategy, Communications and Programs Bruce Berman at 617.293.6243 or bruce@bostonharbor.com

Outgoing Interns!

Save the Harbor's interns Amanda, Jess and Jackie on the Fish Pier.

         My name is Amanda Gourgue, and I love the beach and my community!
         Like most college students contemplating their future, I found myself staring into a never-ending abyss of internships and applications. My mind was in a state of chaos by the sheer volume of choices in front of me: Where do I begin? Do I do this or that?! Finally caving, I went to my school advisor and she asked me the one question I had overlooked: What do I want to do? Her question touched upon the foundation of internships. They are a chance for students to work in different organizations and gain hands on experience they wouldn’t have otherwise gained in the classroom. It is a great opportunity to find out what is right for you. 

            Being a beach lover and dedicated to the improvement of my community, I was able to find my niche at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay! Interning here has enabled me to identify career strengths and skills that I could build upon and use in future workplaces. Additionally, I’m also able to help my community, see the ins and outs of the non-profit sector, work with an amazingly dedicated team and in the process have fun! A highlight thus far was being able to see the rewards of our hard work at our organization’s yearly corporate fund-raiser, Destination Boston Harbor. We had a chance to honor Boston Harbor Heroes, who help to make our harbor great. We were also able to exceed our fund raising goal, which will help support the work we do which is so important to our community.

            My internship has also brought my in contact with other interns from all over: Jackie, a graduate of Boston University, was able to turn her internship into a job as a water quality analyst. “I liked the fact Save the Harbor combines environmental awareness with community building” Jackie says.

           Another intern, Jess, a graduate of Eckerd College, was attracted to Save the Harbor/Save the Bay after participating in environmental relief near her college in Florida. “Not only does this organization work on public policy to improve marine environment, they also change the life of thousands of youth each year” say Jess, who will be helping out with Save the Harbor's youth environmental education programs this summer. I also enjoyed working with our other interns Andrew and Guillermo, as well as with Matt, Sue, Rajani, Becky and the rest of the staff - including Bruce and Patty, who all really care about the work we do, and want us to succeed in school and in life.

           Besides getting to meet and work with these great people, what interning has taught me is the importance of community. Our beaches and harbors here in Boston are an important source, not only for marine life, in uniting our citizens who are able to enjoy it together.

            If you have an interest in environmental awareness, non-profit organizations and want to get involved, submit your cover letter and resume to info@savetheharbor.org

I hope to see you soon on the harbor, the waterfront or on the beach.

All the best,

Amanda

From Good Towards Great

METROPOLITAN BEACHES COMMISSION RECONVENES TO
EXAMINE AREA BEACHES FROM NAHANT TO NANTASKET

The Metropolitan Beaches Commission (MBC) has reconvened to assess the state of the region’s public beaches and is holding its first public hearing on Monday, April 8, 2013 at 1:00 P.M. at the Massachusetts State House, Room 437. The Commission, originally established in 2006 by the Massachusetts Legislature, will examine the impacts of the reforms and recommendations made in its first report and make recommendations for further improvement under the leadership of co-chairs State Senator Tom McGee and State Representative Kathi-Anne Reinstein.

Commissioner Ed Lambert of the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will testify at the first public hearing about DCR’s mission and vision for the beaches. The commission will also hear from representatives of beach friends groups from Quincy, South Boston and Revere, as well as a panel of experts on water quality. There will be a second public hearing in May 2013, followed by a hearing in each of the nine communities from Nahant to Hull beginning in June 2013.

“These public hearings will give the region’s residents an opportunity to share their ideas about how to improve our region’s public beaches, and give the Commission the chance to assess where we are today and where we hope to go in the future” said Commission Co-Chair Senator Tom McGee. “Working together, I am confident that we can protect what we have accomplished since 2007 and help move these beaches from good towards great.”

The Commission was created in 2006 to take an in-depth look at the Commonwealth’s public beaches managed by the DCR. This year the Commission will issue additional findings and recommendations to better leverage these resources for all the residents of the regions’ coastal communities in the future. As in 2006, the Commission will hold nine public hearings in the towns of Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy, and Hull. The hearings and report will further identify and showcase economic development opportunities for local communities made possible by public investment in clean water, better beaches and our waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities..

“We’ve made great strides on these beaches for all the region’s families,” said Commission Co-Chair Representative Reinstein. “They have truly benefited from public and private sector investments in our beaches and it’s important that we don’t lose the progress we have made.”

The Metropolitan Beaches Commission is comprised of elected officials and community, civic, nonprofit, and business leaders from across the region. The 2013 MBC Commissioners are:

Co-Chair Thomas McGee, State Senator, Third Essex

Co-Chair Kathi-Ann Reinstein, State Representative, Sixteenth Suffolk

Carlo Basile, State Representative, First Suffolk

Kip Becker, Boston University

Barbara Bishop, Speaker DeLeo’s Office

Garrett Bradley, State Representative, Third Plymouth

Nick Collins, State Representative, Fourth Plymouth

Mark Cullinan, Nahant Resident

Paul Grogan, The Boston Foundation

Douglas Gutro, Quincy City Council

Carol Haney, Revere Resident

Robert Hedlund, State Senator, Plymouth and Norfolk

Bradford Hill, State Representative, Fourth Essex

John Keenan, State Senator, Norfolk and Plymouth

Manny Lopes, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center

Chris Marchi, East Boston Community Advocate

Joan Meschino, Hull Resident

Paul Nutting, Savin Hill Shores

Daniel O’Connell, Massachusetts Competitive Partnership

Samantha Overton, Department of Conservation and Recreation

Anthony Petruccelli, State Senator, First Suffolk and Middlesex

Robert Tucker, Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach

“The Commission has made a big difference on these beaches, which belong to all of us,” said Patty Foley, president of Save the Harbor / Save the Bay, which will once again help to lead and manage the inquiry. “The findings and recommendations the MBC made in 2007 have served as a blueprint for improved management of beaches and parks across the Commonwealth. These hearings are a great way for people who love their beach to get involved.”

If you are interested in being informed of the hearing date in your community, please send an email to info@savetheharbor.org. For more information about the MBC or Monday’s hearing please contact Rick Stockwood at 617-953-0178 or Bruce Berman at 617-293-6243.

About the Metropolitan Beaches Commission

The Metropolitan Beaches Commission was created in 2006 by the Massachusetts Legislature to take an in-depth look at the metropolitan region’s public beaches in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull that are managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. You can download a copy of their 2007 report “Beaches We Can Be Proud Of” at http://tinyurl.com/betterbeaches2007

The Commission has reconvened in 2013 to examine the impacts of the reforms and recommendations made in its first report and issue additional findings and recommendations to better leverage these resources for residents in the future. The MBC is comprised of elected officials and community, civic, nonprofit, and business leaders from Boston and the metropolitan region’s waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities. For more information, visit www.savetheharbor.org or follow us on Twitter @MetroBeaches.

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2013 Destination Boston Harbor

Happy April, everyone!

Last Thursday night I have had the honor in participating in my very first Destination Boston Harbor Event :)

It was such an awesome experience, and I loved interacting with our Save the Harbor Save the Bay family and friends :) I would like to thank you guys who read our blog post, who come out on our All Access Trips, partake in our summer activities, and who support us financially. We are all one team made of thousands.

Let's continue to work together and keep our Harbor clean!

All the best,

Karrisha M. Gillespie

2013 Boston Harbor Heroes

2013 Boston Harbor Heroes, From Left to Right - Carol Churchill, Karrisha Gillespie, Carol Haney, Jack Hart,
Timothy Kirwin, Dr. Andrea Knox,
Save the Harbor Board Chair Joseph P. Newman, Save the Harbor President Patty Foley

Just 25 years ago, Boston Harbor was a national disgrace, as our waste washed up on the beach and shore from Cape Cod to Cape Ann. Working together we changed all that.

Today, Boston Harbor, Boston's waterfront and the Boston Harbor Islands are civic assets for all Bostonians, the region's residents, and visitors to enjoy. And, thanks to the remarkable success of the Boston Harbor Clean-up, Boston Harbor is now home to some of the cleanest urban beaches in America!

None of this would be possible without the hard work and dedication of thousands of people who each believed in the power of Boston Harbor to change lives and transform communities. 

During our 25th anniversary in 2011, Save the Harbor established an annual tradition of recognizing  Boston Harbor Heroes (http://www.savetheharbor.org/heroes/) for their extraordinary commitment to the harbor we have worked so hard to restore and protect at our annual corporate gala, "Destination Boston Harbor"

The inaugural Harbor Heroes included:

• Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino
• Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick
• Judge A. David Mazzone
• EEA Secretary Richard K. Sullivan, Jr.
• Jack Connors, Jr.
• Amos Hostetter
• Beth Nicholson, Founding Chair, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay
• Senator Jack Hart 
• Senator Anthony Petruccelli
• Rep. Kathi-Anne Reinstein
• George A. Russell, Jr.
• U.S. Rep. John Joseph Moakley
• Paul S. Grogan
• Frederick A. Laskey
• William O. Taylor
• Claudia Smith Reid
• Thi Tranh
• Kyel B. Werwick

The 2012 Harbor Heroes included Lowell Richards of MASSPORT, Professor Charles Haar of Harvard University, Harold Sparrow of the YMCA of Greater Boston, Ronda Ivy McLeod of JetBlue Airways, and Will Clark, Co-Chair of Save the Harbor's Youth Committee. 

On Thursday, March 28, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay honored six new Boston Harbor Heroes at their Destination Boston Harbor gala event at the InterContinental Hotel. They were recognized for their extraordinary commitment to Boston Harbor’s revitalization, its future, and its impact on the community.

Carol Churchill, of Distragas GDF/Suez - For her support of efforts to connect the region's youth and teens to boston harbor and the boston harbor islands.

Karrisha Gillespie - For her extraordinary work to share the harbor with young people from every neighborhood in the city as a boston harbor explorer.

Carol Haney - For her leadership in the restoration and revitalization of revere beach

Jack Hart - For his leadership as a state senator and chairman of the metropolitan beaches commission in restoring the region's public beaches from nahant to nantasket, and making the beaches of South Boston some of the clenest urban beaches in america

Timothy Kirwin - For his generosity and the work he has done to strengthen the harbor and the city by helping to transform the fort point channel into a destination for residents and visitors alike

Dr. Andrea Rex - For making sure that all of us have the facts we need to make good decisions, and for insisting that good policy be based on good data and sound science.

Thanks to them, and to all Boston Harbor Heroes!

3rd Annual Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash

They came (in costumes), they donated, they splashed.
Because they love our beaches!

On Saturday, about 200 splashers braved the icy waters and raised more than $30,000 to support free events and programs on our region's public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket this summer.

"What a fantastic way to spend the first Saturday of spring, with a refreshing dip and a fresh Harpoon on one of the cleanest beaches in America with Matt Light, Kennedy Elsey and our friends from Save the Harbor / Save the Bay" said Dan Kenary, Co-Founder of Harpoon Brewery.

The fun kicked off even before the dip in the frigid Atlantic, as Matt Light, the former Patriot's All-Pro, and Mix 104.1's Kennedy Elsey, judged a very competitive and spirited costume contest. The winner, the lovely Ms. Anti-Cupid, received a FREE roundtrip ticket from our partners at JetBlue Airways, who were on-hand to donate the prize.

Donnie Todd of JetBlue Airways and Dan Kenary of Harpoon Brewery
with this year's winner, Heather Foley - the Dark Angel.

Backed by the rocking sounds of The Siracusa Project, the party continued after everyone splashed, with guests enjoying a cold Harpoon and some delicious Tasty Burgers. 

Save the Harbor's Artist in Residence Guillermo Erice
perfects his sand painting technique on the beach.

This year's splash raised $30,000 to support sand sculpting competitions, concerts, family reading nights and festivals on the region's public beaches in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.

And after the final tally, we want to thank and congratulate South Boston's Bob Dougherty for being this year's top fundraiser with $1,585! Mr. Dougherty received a free roundtrip ticket from our partners at JetBlue Airways. 

Thanks to everyone who made this such a great event. It really "wetted" our appetite for what is haping up to be a great summer beach season. 

P.S. - It is not too late to make a contribution to support this year's splash. Just visit www.cupidsplash.com and follow the links.

I'M BACKKKKKKKK

I'M BACKKKKKKKKKKKKK!

Hey you Save the Harbor Save the Bay followers!

This is Karrisha Gillespie reporting live!

So I have experienced a lot of new changes since this past summer: I am now a sophomore at The Kents Hill School, and I was honored with the title: Boston Harbor Lead Explorer 2012! I am currently on Spring Break, which is why I am writing this blog! I will be working for Save the Harbor for the next few weeks then I will be off to study abroad in England!

I am SO excited to be back in the office, but even more excited to be out and about with all of Boston Harbor Explorers!


Get ready, we are all in for a terrific summer :)

 

 

 

 

I am ready, are you?

<3
Karrisha M. Gillespie

Why Do We Splash on March 23?

On Saturday, March 23 more than 250 Splashers will brave the cold waters of Boston Harbor as part of the 3rd Annual Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash to benefit Save the Harbor / Save the Bay.

Here's why we do it. 

25 years ago Boston Harbor was a national disgrace as our waste washed up on the beach and shore from Cape Cod to Cape Ann. 

Today, all that has changed thanks to the hard work and dedication of  Save the Harbor / Save the Bay, the region's leading voice for clean water and the restoration and protection of Boston Harbor and Mass Bay.

As a result, Boston Harbor has been transformed from a "Harbor of Shame" into a source of recreational opportunity and civic pride. Today, as a result of their advocacy, the beaches of South Boston are among the cleanest urban beaches in America!

The Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash is loads of fun, with live music, fresh Harpoon beer and great prizes including round trip tickets from JetBlue Airways and awesome gifts from Harpoon Brewery.

The fun is important, but the fundraising piece is important as well. 

The Kids Beach Bash and Splash is one of 30 free beach events
supported by the Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash

The money we raise together at the Splash this year will make the summer special for underserved kids and families from all of Boston’s neighborhoods, most of whom cannot afford to get away to Cape Cod or 
Cape Ann in the summer.

In 2012, the Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash raised more than $30,000 to support 30 free events and programs on the region's public beaches including sand sculpture competitions, beach parties, and family reading and movie nights in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.

So register today at www.cupidsplash.org, and then get on the phone, on twitter (Our hashtag is #cupidsplash) and on Facebook, and ask your friends to register and join you on the beach – or make a small donation to support your splash. These free beach events and activities mean the world to all of us and to the region's kids and families. 

We hope to see you on the beach on Saturday!
 
Your Friends at 
Save the Harbor / Save the Bay

PS. Even if you can't (or won't!) join us in the water, you can still come to the party. Just register for the Splash, make a contribution and join us on the beach.

Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash to benefit Save the Harbor / Save the Bay!

With the Boston winter slowly, but surely (we hope) turning to spring, the 3^rd Annual Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash to benefit Save the Harbor / Save the Bay on March 23 is right around the corner. And while the temperature might be warming, the water remains icy. That makes this event your chance to demonstrate your bravery, while helping your beach.

Registration is easy at www.cupidsplash.org

 “We’re really lucky to have great beaches, and great partners like Harpoon Brewery and JetBlue Airways , who share our commitment to our community and our love for these beaches” said Bruce Berman, Save the Harbor’s Director of Strategy, Communications, and Programs.

The 2012 event raised $30,000 for our beaches, and 2013 is shaping up to be Boston’s best beach bash yet. With Harpoon providing fresh beer and Tasty Burger cooking, well, tasty burgers, there promises to be plenty reasons to eat, drink, and be merry…and then eat, again.

The event is a unique opportunity for Boston-area residents to show their love for life, beer, and their beach, with some help from Harpoon. The Boston-based brewery, which just opened a Beer Hall on Boston’s waterfront, is returning as a sponsor, providing participants with beer and other great prizes.

"We are excited to support our friends at Save the Harbor Save the Bay.  We have been brewing on Boston’s waterfront for more than 25 years, and we believe in their mission,” said Charlie Storey, Senior VP of the Harpoon Brewery, whose philanthropic program, Harpoon Helps, is co-producing this year's Splash in South Boston. "The Cupid Splash is a great way to spend the first Saturday of spring; a quick dip into the icy water to get the blood flowing, followed by a cold Harpoon with your friends - all to support a great cause!"

This year there will be four ways to win a round trip ticket from JetBlue Airways. The person who raises the most money and the person with the best Cupid costume will both win a round-trip ticket on JetBlue Airways to any non-stop destination from Logan Airport.  Additionally, all registered participants who raise $100 or more will be entered into a raffle and any pledger or donor will also have a chance to win a round trip ticket from JetBlue Airways as well as great gifts from Harpoon.

Patriots great Matt Light will be joining us on the beach this year and Kennedy Kelsey, of Mix 104.1’s Karson and Kennedy program will be bringing  the Mix Street Team to liven thing up.

For those who want to attend the party, but do not want to splash, you are still invited. You just have to register before the event and pay the regular registration fee.

About Save the Harbor/Save the Bay

Since 1986, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay has been Massachusetts’ leading voice for clean water and an effective advocate for the restoration of Boston Harbor, the waterfront, our region’s public beaches and the Boston Harbor Islands National Park. Since 2002, our two free Youth Environmental Education programs have connected 73,545 youth and teens to Boston Harbor and Boston Harbor Islands.

Look for Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash updates on Twitter at twitter.com/savetheharbor or follow the hashtag #cupidsplash

I'm Back! Couldn't Wait Til' Summer

Hi everyone, its Will Clark, I'm back at Save the Harbor preparing for another great summer. I had so much fun and learned many new things last year and I'm back hoping this summer will be even better. I miss the Boston Harbor, All Access, Camp Harborview and all the people that I worked with last summer. I had many good times last summer with kids and co-workers. One memory that really stuck to me from last summer was being able to take the kids from the Camp Harborview fishing club on the Boston Harbor to go fishing. They were all so excited to get on the boat and go fishing since they were so used to just fishing off the dock. The kids caught 2 pretty big striped bass and the captain of the boat filleted the bass in front of the kids and they each were able to take a piece home. It was a very exciting day and enjoyed every minute of it. I hope we get to take more kids on the Boston Harbor for fishing trips this summer. The Boston Harbor is an amazing place with many activities to offer and I hope more kids get to experience what it has to offer this summer.

I hope everyone has a great rest of the year and I'm looking forward to Summer 2013 with Save the Harbor. It will be my fifth summer as a member of the staff and I definitely know this summer will be just as good as the ones before if not better. I hope everyone will be back to enjoy the summer on the Boston Harbor with me.

-Will Clark

Last of the Begining

1 hour until I say goodbye or rather I should say see you later to the lovely people I have worked with for my February vacation. However, not for long for this amazing organization will be the beginning of a new family in my life. I want to go far in this organization especially with the great work and awesome programs that happen here. As I do have a great interest in Marine Biology as a future career. Also I love the ocean and the vast wonders and surprises the ocean has in store. Also there is so much to explore and discover about it. I want to aspire to be that person for you never know maybe the cure for cancer could be there in the ocean you never know. I really had at a great time at Save the Harbor Save the Bay and I wish it didn't end so soon.

The most valuable thing I learned while here is that there is so much out there in the world and that there are so many problems out in the world. And everyone goes for the biggest thing that "must" be helped. But oblivious to where they need to start which is at home. I believe this program instills in not only youth that work here but every bring that encounters or works with Save the Harbor Save the Bay. An example of Save the Harbor Save the bay at is http://www.blog.savetheharbor.org/2012/07/young-clams-and-young-bostonians.html here youth and others go to work planting clam seed and getting dirty. Also a specific person who really represents Save the Harbor Save the Bay is a long time friend of mine a girl, by name of Karrisha Gillespie, I attend the Epiphany School with her back in 5th grade. She is an active positive force in the Save the Harbor Save the Bay organization just look for yourself http://www.blog.savetheharbor.org/2012/07/second-time-around.html / http://www.blog.savetheharbor.org/2012/07/ahoy-mate-camp-harbor-view.html

I really couldn't ask for a better welcome into this program and  introduction to life and the great values that need to be looked into. I truly am thankful and grateful to the staff here and also Epiphany in getting me this internship here. Trust and believe there will be more blogs and a lot more Zeke around.

< The great magnificent people I got work with!

< My two favorite places in the office.>

My First Day at Save the Harbor Save the Bay

 

My name is Ezekiel (Zeke) Mercer-McDowall. I am from Dorchester over by Codman Square area. I am 17 and I attend Another Course to College High School in Brighton. I am interning here at Save the Harbor Save the Bay for the week of February vacation. The first day was awesome and being that this was my first internship I could ask for it to be any better. I was able to be comfortable and be myself and show who I was and what I can do. I got to work at STHSTB due to connections with my former middle school The Epiphany School.

So, far I have learned a lot it’s only my second day. I have learned about things such as pollution in water having to do with prescription drugs in the water and how it affects the eco system of the marine life. And there’s much more. Just being able to get an early start on what I want to do in life. A marine biologist and or a forensic scientist, I am really appreciative that I have this opportunity not everyone gets a chance to see the real deal first hand and go behind the scenes to the main foundation where the magic happens. I hope to continue on with this program. I can see that I can and will go far here. And this chance may only come once and I am going to take advantage of it now rather than later.

^The marvelous Patty and I watching the seal in the Harbor.

This was the first seal I have ever seen in The Boston Harbor!>

Treasure Hunt - Part II

In October we found this porcelain head during Save the Harbor's

late season "Treasures of Spectacle Island" cruise.

 

Porcelain doll heads, feet and hands are not uncommon finds at Spectacle Island, which served as the city's dump until the 1950's. However, after a little detective work, we determined that the artifact was actually a carnival cane top. This particular piece was made in Japan for the US market between 1900 and 1930, and was a popular prize at the traveling carnivals and amusement parks across the nation until the late 1950's.

Here's a nice collection. You can see the one we found in the front row.

Here's a close up.  

Here's a typical "cane game" or "ring-toss" from a carnival of that period.  

Here's a collection of carnival canes evaluated by Gary Sohmers of Antiques Roadshow:

You can findthe whole interview from Antiques Roadshow here.

Carnival canes were popular prizes at arcades and amusement parks like those at Nantasket Beach and Revere Beach - which as you can see were popular destinations for the region's residents.

My dad went to law school at Boston University around 1950, and visited has some great memories of visiting Nantasket Beach with his roomate. It is easy to imagine him returning from a day trip with a carnival cane as a souvenir, and just as easy to imagine how that treasured item became trash.

It's always a treat to hunt for treasure on Spectacle Island - or any urban beach. However,  the real treasure hunt begins after I discover something that I want to learn more about. 

Sometimes its involves researching a shell, a stone, a piece of flotsam or jetsam or beach glass or pottery. Sometimes it is simply discovering a story - and sharing a bit of history - with my Dad.

For me, that's a real treasure.

Bruce Berman

From Minnesota to Boston - Via Madrid!

Hello!

My name is Guillermo Erice, I have been the "Artist in Residence" at Save the Harbor / Save the Bay for just about six months now, and it has been a blast. 

Initially, my role here at Save the Harbor was mainly doing some graphic design on external communications sent out to our funders and cpartners. For this, I worked on collages and different informational packs that explained the importance of this organization in its dual roll of improving water quality and reconnecting the population with what have now become some of the cleanest urban beaches of the country. 

You can see some of my recent work here and here.

I've had the pleasure of working alongside the whole Save the Harbor Team and it has been great. A special shout out to our official photographer: Mike Murowchick, who has made my task much easier with incredible photographs. These pictures are, without a doubt, one of the organizations most prized possession because they tell the story, our story.

In these last few weeks, I have been working closely with Bruce Berman, who I first met when I took his class at Boston University, to kick off a new series of activities for the summer involving art on the beach and shore. I am currently back at BU, studying for my Masters and Advertising - which I hope to complete later this year.

I have a past as a street artist, even though I was born in Minnesota, I spent 12 years living in Madrid. It is in Madrid where I started my career as an artist. 

I started painting graffiti in in 2000. Pretty soon I began to toy with the idea of making money painting. In 2006 I finally began to start painting businesses more regularly.  

So with a growing demand for my services, I started my own business in 2009 called SoapTwo -art& design-. It was born as a small business that offered creative graphic art solutions.

My client list grew quite fast, and so did their needs, I quickly had to adapt and began to explore graphic design, which also landed me my first big clients: Inditex and GreenCoast. For these clients I worked with ImagineCube (another startup in Madrid). We collaborated on some projects that ranged from corporate imaging to managing 5 designers in producing a tourist map for Alcalá de Henares - a suburb 20 minutes away from Madrid rich in historic monuments. 

Street art was still the main source of income, I was invited to participate in graffiti festivals in New York, The Hague (Holland), and across Spain. And in early 2011 I was hired by Grupo Las Rosas S.L. to paint the biggest project up until this moment: 3600 square feet painted in 3 months in two mall parking lots, one in Madrid, Spain, the other one in Charleroi, Belgium. 

For this project I teamed up with Gonzalo also known as Taquen, an amazing artist and great friend of mine. We had previously worked together on some other projects, but nothing quite like this. After finishing, it was clear that we needed to actually form a team, SoapTwo was kept for my own personal projects, but ForTheWall was born. Mainly focusing on aerosol art. 

We painted some smaller store fronts after the parking lots and two months before moving to Boston, I was contacted by the Spanish branch of Porter Novelli, a big-time Advertising Agency with offices all over the world! It was an exciting moment!

This time, our task was to design a limited edition bottle for the well established skin care company Nivea. We were also asked to work on the design and implementation of canvases that would be used in the official launch of the limited edition bottle. 

Another great project to work on, a pleasure working with Porter Novelli, Nivea and of course Taquen.

We teamed up with ImagineCube yet again to produce the making of video for the Nivea event:


Here are some samples of the work done over the past few years: 

Some projects were "abstracts" or as this particular client put it "Something bright and colorful that has no meaning at all" 

This car was painted in collaboration with one of the participants of Rally Mauritania. He would then drive the car to the South Africa where it would be auctioned off and the money donated to local schools. 

These pictures are of the mall parking lots

Young Tiago is a Cars fanatic, we transformed his room 

This piece was painted one of my last days in Madrid with my best friends and girlfriend -I have to admit, I have an obsession with letters, fonts and colors!

I hope you enjoy looking at my work as much as I enjoy doing it.
If you want to see more, just visit my facebook page   "For The Wall"

All the best
G-

Nemo Tosses Tons of Clams on Boston Area Beaches

When "Nemo the Nor'easter" blew through the region last week, it left residents of the region's coastal communities to cope with the the impacts of pounding surf, coastal flooding, 50 mph winds and up to 40 inches of snow.

The worst blizzard to hit new England in decades also left an unexpected bounty on the region's public beaches - tons and tons of clams.

According to Revere resident Kathleen Heifer, who sent us these images,  Revere beach was "literally littered" with quohogs, littlenecks and cherrystones, as well as seed clams, scallops, crabs and juvenile lobsters. There were so many clams on the beach that the seagulls ate their fill and then just sat on the beach, seeming "to full to fly". (We will post a link to her video here as soon as we can.)

According to Save the Harbor / Save the Bay's BayWatcher Bruce Berman,  Nemo's strong winds pounded the region's beaches from Nahant to Nanatsket with waves to 30 feet. The surf tossed clams on the beach hundreds of feet above the typical high tide line, where frigid temperatures quickly froze them solid, killing tens of thousands of the tasty creatures.

"It is an unexpected bounty for the seagulls" said Berman. "But it may be bad news for diggers and shellfish lovers, who could find clams harder to come by this year."

 With snow emergenices, school closures and parking bans still in effect in many communities, there are two bright spots. First, it should be a great year for treasure hunters. The same conditions that tossed the clams on the beach have also deposited a fresh crop of flotsam, jetsam, beach glass and other historic artifacts for beach goers to discover. Second, Berman predicts that Nemo will have no impact on this year's Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash pledge fundraiser to support free beach events and programs this summer, .scheduled for Saturday, March 23 2013.

Hopefully things will have settled down by then!

Save the Harbor Needs You!

As we begin a New Year on Boston Harbor, we hope you will take a moment to read our annual appeal and make a generous contribution to support our work!

Dear Friend of Save the Harbor / Save the Bay,

As I sit at my desk in Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's office on Boston's Fish Pier watching late fall turn into winter, I often take a few moments to reflect on what we have accomplished over the past year, and what we hope to do in the year ahead.

From where I sit, 2012 was a great year for Boston Harbor. From my window I watched thousands of people board boats to see tall ships during the 1812 Bicentennial Celebration. I watched them walk down Seaport Boulevard to eat at Legal Harborside, catch a concert at the Bank of America Pavilion, or watch the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series at the ICA on Fan Pier. It was also a terrific year for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay.

Save the Harbor / Save the Bay's summer youth program staff shared Boston Harbor and the Boston Harbor Islands with 13, 545 youth and teens this year.

• In March, nearly 500 people took part in the Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash, raising more than $30,000 to fund thirty free events on the region’s public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket this summer as part of our Better Beaches program.
• This summer our thirty-two outstanding youth environmental education program staffers led twenty-eight free All Access Boston Harbor trips to the Boston Harbor islands. By summer's end, we connected more than 7,245 youth and teens to the Boston Harbor Islands, an increase of 33% from 2011.
• Our free Boston Harbor Explorers program ran daily at eight program sites around the harbor, teaching 6,300 young people about Boston Harbor's history and the marine environment, an increase of more than 20% over 2011.
• In August, our Youth Beach Bash and Splash brought more than 650 kids to Carson Beach to celebrate clean water, while our Swim for Boston Harbor brought swimmers from as far away as Chicago to take part in a one mile race on one of the cleanest urban beaches in America.
• More than 1,000 young people and their families joined us on one of our free weekend Marine Mammal Safaris in the spring or Treasures of Spectacle Island Cruises in the fall.

Save the Harbor also began two important new policy initiatives this year, as we continue to work to improve water quality - and the quality of life - in Boston's waterfront neighborhoods and the region's beachfront communities.

Early this year we reconvened our Beaches Science Advisory Committee, co-chaired by Dr. Judy Peterson of MIT Sea Grant and Dr. James Shine of the Harvard School of Public Health, to help understand and address the persistent pollution problems that still cause some of our beaches to close, and to help us find ways to improve the accuracy of the beach flags used to tell the public when it is safe to swim.

In May, Save the Harbor released our first report card on water quality and flagging accuracy on the region’s public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket. While many of our beaches received very high marks, others were closed as often as one out of every four days in 2011, which is simply unacceptable (You can find a copy of the report card on our website at www.savetheharbor.org).

In response, in July the Legislature reconvened the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, co-chaired by Sen. Jack Hart and Rep. Kathi-Anne Reinstein, which Save the Harbor will help to lead and manage. Beginning early in 2013, the Commission will hold eleven public hearings and technical meetings in Boston’s waterfront neighborhoods and the region’s beachfront communities. Working together with our elected officials, and with citizens, scientists, technical experts, advocates and civic, corporate and community leaders we will set a new agenda for the next round of public investment in Boston Harbor and the region’s public beaches that begins with clean water.

 At Save the Harbor/Save the Bay we understand that we all have to make important decisions about how best to invest our time, energy and money.  I know you agree that the harbor, the islands and our public beaches are among our region's most valuable assets.  Your financial commitment to support our work has enabled us to move Boston Harbor towards the center of civic life in the city and the region.

As 2012 draws to a close, I urge you to make a generous contribution to support our ongoing efforts to restore and protect Boston Harbor and to continue to connect the region's families to this spectacular urban natural resource.

More than 650 youth and teens celebrated clean water this year at the
2nd Annual Youth Beach Bash and Splash at M Street beach.

Your tax deductible contribution of $50, $100, $250 or more will enable Save the Harbor/Save the Bay to continue offering our free, first rate Youth Environmental Education Programs, host and sponsor free events on our beaches from Nahant to Nantasket, and continue our policy and advocacy work to restore and protect Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay. 

To make an online donation today, please visit www.savetheharbor.org/contribution.html.
I hope we can count on your support.

Wishing you the best in 2013,

Patricia A. Foley
President

Make a contribution today to support our work.
To learn more, visit our website at www.savetheharbor.org