FOC Newsletter, Chairman's Letter, Winter 2012

The winter, so far, has been a mild one. Nevertheless, Saturday, January 21st brought us the first snow of the season. Fortunately, the snow did not deter eighteen hearty beginning bird watchers who attended the first Birding and Breakfast of the year on the same day.

Our two principal projects, the grist mill restoration and the reopening of the trout hatchery, continue to occupy the majority of our time. The firm of Jan Hird Pokorny Associates, Inc. has completed a detailed 3-D modeling analysis of the mill and the respective loads and has determined which framing members will require replacement and which can be re-used for reinforcement. That information has not yet been received by the Friends’ Board. Regarding the hatchery, a plan rendering and estimate have been received from the architectural firm of Burton, Behrendt and Smith. After discussion and review by the board, it was determined that some changes to said plan are necessary, thus it will be revised.

We were happy to see the fishers back on the river on November 4, 2011 at our Fishing Outing. Through the generous sponsorship of the Idle Hour Fly Fishers, there was plenty of fish for the anglers to catch. That was followed by the annual Hunt Dinner, held on Saturday, January 28th; dinner coordinator, Richard Remmer, stated that “it was a great night with good fun, food, and spirits; we raised over three-thousand dollars.” Our deep thanks to all who supported both events.

Only a few copies of the Friends of Connetquot calendar remain, most have been snapped up. Those who still want to purchase a calendar are urged to visit the gift shop at the Preserve soon to avoid disappointment.

A third photography workshop is scheduled for Saturday, April 14th. A short classroom session will be followed by a walk in Connetquot Preserve to capture the beauty of spring. Daffodils should be in full bloom at that time. Additionally, the Friends are offering a new Earth Day Family Walk organized by dedicated volunteer Fran Levesque in collaboration with the owner of Dragon Gate Martial Arts Academy, Mike Iannone, who will lead the walk designed with a fitness component for beginners.

We will be visiting local libraries again to present our program on the history of Connetquot Preserve with a slide show that features the park as it is today. Please check our website and newsletters for the libraries and the dates.

Sincerely,
Bob Labuski

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