Some of the News stories that we have featured are archived here. They are being kept to give a sense of how various issues have evolved and been resolved. News about the adelgids is extensive and archived as a collection elsewhere. Click here to go to the adelgid archive.
Media Event! An 1897 shingle-style home in Newton, Massachusetts is the subject of This Old House TV's current season. Footage of Echo Bridge was included in episode 8 of the series. That episode is being re-broadcast on December 20 at 8 p.m. on channel 44. Web link for for more information on the Newton house project is: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/tv/house-project/overview/0,,1626217,00.html.
Walk with Newton's Mayor in Hemlock Gorge: Newton had in 2007 a summer program called "Walk with the Mayor." A short walk featuring Upper Falls and Hemlock Gorge took place Wednesday, July 11, at 5:30 p.m. We hope to hear from people who had the chance to talk Mayor David Cohen in person about Hemlock Gorge and the Bridge. Click here to see the flyer from the mayor's office with the schedule of remaining walks.
March 18, 2006: Echo Bridge
Promenade Closed Pending Temporary Barrier Installation:
As explained in the next story, published here earlier, we have been
assured that The Echo Bridge Promenade will remain open during the
railing repair process. However, the Promenade was closed on
March 17 pending installation of temporary safety barriers. The
picture to the right shows how the closure was effected on the Newton
side by locked gate. There is a similar barrier on the Needham side
We don't know exactly when the gates you see in the photo will
re-open, but we believe it will be very soon. What we have learned is in the
following stories.
Echo Bridge was closed to pedestrians with this locked gate on March 17. It remained closed only a few days, until temporary safety barriers were installed soon after the photo was taken March 19, 2006.
Echo Bridge Promenade to Close
March 17, 2006: We have been informed by the
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA)
that Echo Bridge will be closed temporarily to pedestrians beginning
March 17, 2006, fast upon the Ides of March. Et tu, MWRA? It is
to remain closed for an indeterminate length of time. The reason is
safety--the deterioration of the railings.
Click here to read the text of the official announcement from the
MWRA.
Click here to see the October 2005 inspection report that raised the
issue (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader). See the photos to the right for
illustrations of the past and present of the Promenade.
Click here to see Steve Clark's collection of Panoramas of Hemlock
Gorge taken from Echo Bridge.
Follow up: The Friends have discussed this matter at their March meeting
and are formulating plans to ensure timely repair and re-opening of the
bridge. The Newton Tab reported the closing on the front page of
the March 8 and March 15 issues.
The Restoration of the
Echo Bridge Railings has been on the
agenda of the Friends on our allies in the legislature since the
mid-1990s.
Click here to see a decade old
report of our valiant efforts and old cost estimates for bridge
restoration. You may also click here to see the
consequences of valiant efforts in the past to survey the Reservation
and prevent encroachment.
Echo Bridge Promenade Closing March 17, 2006: We were
informed at the beginning of March, 2006 by the Massachusetts Water
Resources Authority (MWRA) that Echo Bridge would be closed
temporarily to pedestrians on March 17.
It was to remain closed for an indeterminate length of time. The reason
is safety--the deterioration of the railings.
Click here to read the text of the official announcement from the
MWRA.
Click here to see the October 2005 inspection report that raised
the issue (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader). See the photos to the right
for illustrations of the past and present of the Promenade.
Click here to see Steve Clark's collection of Panoramas of Hemlock
Gorge taken from Echo Bridge.
The Friends discussed this matter at their March
meeting and formulated plans to keep the bridge open, or at least ensure timely repair and
re-opening of the bridge. The Newton Tab reported the closing
on the front page of the March 8 and March 15 issues.
The Restoration of the
Echo Bridge Railings
has been on the agenda of the Friends on our allies in the legislature
since the mid-1990s.
Click here to see a decade
old report of our valiant efforts and old cost estimates for bridge
restoration. You may also click here to see the
consequences of valiant efforts in the past to survey the Reservation
and prevent encroachment.
Friends President Brian Yates points out a deteriorated railing atop the Bridge in 2004.
Echo Bridge to Close to Pedestrians March 15, 2006
What follows is the text of a memorandum sent to the Hemlock Gorge Reservation Site Supervisor by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) that Echo Bridge will be closed temporarily to pedestrians. This text replaces (on March 8, 2006) a draft document that was previously posted on this page.
MWRA Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 6, 2006
CONTACTS:
Ria Convery, 617-788-1105 or
ria.convery@mwra.state.ma.us
ECHO BRIDGE CLOSED TO PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC
Handrails a danger to public safety
In the interest of public safety, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) must close the top of Echo Bridge to pedestrian traffic. Built in 1896, Echo Bridge spans the Charles River from Newton Upper Falls to Needham. The closure will go into effect on March 15, 2006 until the historic handrails are repaired or replaced.
The historic cast iron handrails along the top of the 500-foot long bridge are original and are in very poor condition. Eight sections of rail and 18 ornamental tops are missing, sections of the handrails are detached and other sections are cracked or splitting. To protect public safety, the MWRA has determined that the top of the bridge must be closed to pedestrian traffic.
The MWRA will be installing a temporary chain link fence on either end of the bridge with warning signs to prevent public access to the top of the bridge. However, other areas of Hemlock Gorge, including the area surrounding the bridge and the recently completed Echo Bridge platform under the main arch, will remain open to the public.
The pedestrian bridge is actually a conduit for the MWRA’s Sudbury Aqueduct. The aqueduct is no longer used for daily water supply, but is an emergency back-up transmission line.
MWRA and its Advisory Board have determined that ratepayer money cannot be used to complete this work. However, since the hand rails are historic, MWRA has offered to work with elected officials and other interested parties to identify potential sources of outside funding.
For more information, please contact Tom Lindberg at (617) 788-1184 or Tom.Lindberg@mwra.state.ma.us.
# # #
| Sad News at
the Gorge: Housing at the Reservation Property Line Amid the changing beauty of the river and the soft quilt of newly fallen snow, we took note of an unhappy event in the winter of 2005. At the property line of the Reservation on the Needham side, high on the ridge, just a few dozen paces from the ridge trail, new housing is going up. As you can see from the photos, this new housing looms over the trail and even the rustic footbridge below. The Friends of Hemlock Gorge often urged the MDC, predecessor of the DCP, to survey the property and then buy buffer properties to ensure preservation of its quiet charm. Click here to see one example. Now it is too late. |
 The new estate, a few dozens of feet from the trail. |
|
The substantial new house that overlooks Hemlock Gorge and the Charles River. Note the logs--remnants of the forest that abutted the reservation now lost.
|
 A view of the new footbridge with the new house at the top of the view.
|
|
|
At left, the new house nears completion near the property line of the Reservation, April, 2006. |
Adelgid Update
Mr. Burnham reported that there have been excellent results using these ladybugs, formally called Pseudocamnys tsugae, in more southerly states, and he is cautiously optimistic about the outcome for Hemlock Gorge. He will be returning to the reservation later this spring to quantify the level of adelgid infestation on several tree branches. Comparison of this level with the level of infestation on these same branches a year from now will give us a good idea as to how well our project is succeeding.
This release will be the culmination of years of environmental and legislative struggle to try to save the trees in Hemlock Gorge. The Friends worked extraordinarily hard and well with Sen. Creem, Rep. Khan, the DCR and many others to bring this about, and Friends' President Brian Yates, who was present at the release, extends his thanks to all who helped in this effort.
The Boston Globe ran a nice article on the efforts of the Friends to combat the woolly adelgid. The online version is no longer available.
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Urgent News (July 26, 2000): To everyone concerned with the Friends' efforts to save our hemlocks from the woolly adelgid: We have learned that the $60,000 budget item we requested to grow and release ladybugs to safely combat the adelgids has made it into the compromise budget that was passed by the Legislature and is now in the hands of Governor Celucci. It is his decision to leave the money in the budget or to veto it. LAST YEAR HE VETOED A SIMILAR APPROPRIATION! We must try to persuade the governor not to veto it.
We urge all Friends and concerned citizens to PLEASE take a moment to call the Governor's consituent services line at 617-727-6250 and tell the nice person who will take the call that you urge to governor to approve the funds. Calls from concerned citizens might make all the difference.
You may also write to the Governor's office (Gov. Paul Celucci, The State House, Boston, MA), but time is of the essence for this very worth cause.
If you have time, we similarly urge you to please also call MDC Commissioner David Balfour (click to see his recent letter to us) at 617-727-5114. You might also contact MDC Secretary Bob Durand (20 Somerset St., Boston, MA 02108) and any one else who might communicate the importance of this issue to the Governor.
Thank you!
We did
receive a supportive letter from MDC Commissioner
Balfour stating his position on
the adelgid and efforts to combat it. Click on the image
of the letter to see it.Hemlock Gorge on Channel 4 (September 10, 1999): Channel 4 Anchor Jack Williams did an op-ed column in the Herald and was contacted by Brian Yates. He filmed a story in Hemlock Gorge on Sunday with Brian and Charlie Burnham. It ran Sunday September 19 on the 6:30 and 11:00 o'clock news on Channel 4. Video tapes of the broadcast will be shown at a future Friends meeting.
State Senator Birmingham had a brief
but successful visit to Hemlock Gorge. Brian met him,
Senator Creem, and their staffs at the Ellis Street
parking lot. They walked up to the Bridge and got as
close to the echo station as was safe. They also walked
up the stairs and took note of the need for repairs to
the stairs and the bridge railings. Brian pointed out
trees that were already dead and others that were heavily
invested. He was informed about the partnerships for the
parking lot and the Stone Barn. He seemed interested in
coming back to see more. Senator Creem's staff was very
pleased. Representative Kay Khan was there also.
Page last updated Saturday, January 12, 2008
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