2015 Park Photos

Johanna Soris meets new friends at Linwood Beach on a sunny January day. Hockey on smooth, January ice was wonderful this year! Anne Ellinger (left) and Annie Hoffman are exhausted, but happy with their achievement.  Digging out the storm drains under 5-foot snow banks at Linwood Circle and at the corners of Belknap and Linwood was quite a job! Friends of Spy Pond Park Robbins Library display in March President, Karen L. Grossman, was happy to receive an award on behalf of the Friends of Spy Pond Park for their long-term partnership with the volunteers of People Making a Difference. The original bench donated in memory of long-time FSPP member, Enid Caldwell, has been replaced by a new, more durable bench at Linwood Circle where she loved to sit.
"Spy Glass", painted wood by Michael Dewberry, stood at Linwood Beach before a view of the Spy Pond mural across the water on the Boys and Girls Club wall. Two of "Spy Pond Characters" depicted in Adria Arch's exhibit of wood and acrylic paint were Jerome Moisand and Sam, his student in the fishing class he has taught from Spy Pond Park for six years. Doris Powell (DP), a faithful fan of Spy Pond and our park for many years, was also depicted in Adria Arch's "Spy Pond Characters". "Petrified Fish", limestone, by Tim DeChristopher stood on a concrete slab soon to be re-occupied by a park bench. "Grass extension" made of aluminum hardware cloth and green plastic-coated gardening wire by Freedom Baird changed shape with each person who manipulated the strands. "The Original Spy Ponder" by Suzanne McLeod was a silhouette of a mastadon of rebar and plastic piping that blended into the foliage in a planting bed on the bank of the pond.  You can view the real mastadon tusk at the historic Jason Russell House in Arlington.
Many youngsters enjoyed climbing through "Tunnel Vision" made of plastic hula hoops, cellophane and wood stakes.  This installation by Maria Ritz represented long ago ice that formed on Spy Pond. "Cycling" was an interactive, solar-powered sculpture by Susu Wang. Kathy Modigliani, who led the bark boat activity, formed a base for attaching the sail to a bark boat. Making bark boats was quite a creative endeavor on Spy Pond Fun Day, planned with Brad Barber and the Spy Pond Committee.  There were many sponsors this year and it was held in May highlighting actvities in and around Spy Pond. A happy youngster carried his bark boat to participate in  adventures at another location in the park. There were games and toys for the younger crowd at Spy Pond Fun Day.
Anne Ellinger (l) guided participants who solved paper puzzles and went on a scavenger hunt throughout the park. Loren Wherry and Samantha McKean attracted a long line of youngsters to their wonderful face painting. Agnes O'Donnell, FSPP member, helped children make leaf prints. There were many adults and children who posed for photos with the fish on the FSPP peek through board. Conveniently located nearby, people  bring their boats from the Minuteman Trail via bicycle to Spy Pond! At the boat ramp the Arlington Land Trust and Arlington/Belmont Crew members helped people travel to and from Elizabeth Island.
People enjoyed being out on Spy Pond learning how to paddle and row. "Stoker" Rogovin's Creek River String Band entertained us with their energetic mix of bluegrass, country, folk, blues and rock music. BU volunteers are ready to work on FSPP's first Work Day this year as part of BU's Global Days of Service. Betty Athanasoulas stands with BU volunteers. They cut branches into smaller segments to put into bags. BU alumnii and students worked hard to clear away refuse and natural debris.
Grooming the planting beds is hard work! The volunteers worked as a team. They fill up the bags for the DPW to pick up on Monday. What a great day!  Thanks to BU for organizing this effort around the world in April every year since 2011. Marshall McCloskey, Sally Hempstead, and Ruth Slotnick were happy to assist with outreach and grooming planting beds on the July Work Day. Arlington/Belmont Crew Team members wield their gardening tools.
Rowing team members stuff the bags. Richard Norcross rests from pulling invasive plants amoung the goldenrod. Eurasian watermilfoil is an invasive plant, transported into Spy Pond via moving boats. Coontail is a free floating submerged invasive plant in the pond. Englemann Sedge is an endangered plant on the shore. There is a lot of Filamentous algae ("wet wool") in the pond this year.
Before releasing their fish back into the pond, brother and sister, Robbie and Katie, show off their first carp they caught nearly at the same time during Jerome Moisand's "Carporama" at the end of June. Spy Pond Park in autumn Sally Hempstead and Marshall McCloskey, FSPP Board members, after their September 17th wedding in Spy Pond Park President Karen L. Grossman (l) and Communications and Outreach Coordinator Sally Hempstead greeted passers-by at the FSPP Town Day booth. Digging out more invasive plants Bags of natural debris
Cobblestones before cleaning Cobblestones after cleaning Arlington Swim Team volunteers raise their tools in jubilation. Fall sunset from Spy Pond Park Elizabeth Karpati shows off her Good Citizen's Award from the FSPP in honor of her many years of service to the organization as Secretary, member of the Beautification Committee, and volunteer in, and advocate for Spy Pond Park.