HSHA - Highlight, February 2005

Highlight Banner

The Newsletter of the High Street Hill Association

February 2005

You are cordially invited to Welcome Spring with our
	Annual Musicale and Ice Cream Social Sunday, March 6 at 3:30 PM First Parish Church 382 Walnut Street Featuring Our Own Neighborhood Performers Josh Weilerstein, Violin Vivian Weilerstein, Piano and Bennett Hammond, Guitar Lorraine Lee Hammond, Banjo, Dulcimer

Links to info about the performers:
Josh Weilerstein online performance, Vivian Weilerstein bio, Bennett and Lorraine Lee Hammond website.

What Would Harry Downes Do?

On February 16th the Town Park and Recreation Commission held the first of several meetings to discuss a proposal to install artificial turf within the track oval at Downes Field. Chairman John Bains, Director of Recreation Bob Lynch and Director of Parks and Open Space Erin Chute discussed the benefits of a "synthetic infill system," why Downes field was chosen and what the impact on the neighborhood would be. Funding for the project will come from a $400,000 private donation and a $200,000 National Football League Grant, leaving the Town to come up with $300,000 from specified field improvement funds and community development block grants.

In order to answer the many questions from those in the neighborhood, a series of public meetings will be held on the following topics:

February 28 Facilities, Parking and Traffic -- Main Library, Hunneman Hall, 6:30 PM
March 16 Health and Environmental Analyses -- Town Hall, School Committee Room, 6:30 PM
March 28 Synthetic Turf Product Review -- Town Hall, School Committee Room, 7:00 PM

A Design Review Committee, consisting of 4 Park and Rec members and 3 members from the public (one Downes Field abutter, one neighborhood person with design/landscape experience and one representative to the neighborhood) will be assembled by February 28 to make a final recommendation. If you are interested in joining the DRC, please send your request for participation to Erin Chute.

For more info please contact Alan Cohen (617-566-0344) or Sarah O'Neill (617-566-8175), co-chairs of the newly formed Friends of Harry Downes Field or Director of Parks and Rec Erin Chute.

If only there was a group in the neighborhood that would...

meet regularly with Town Meeting Members to discuss how upcoming Town Meeting issues will impact the neighborhood?
put on a free October Barn Dance for children and adults with a fabulous, energetic caller?
give a free concert with musicians from the neighborhood who happen to be world-class performers?
develop and maintain a really useful web site with photos of every house and lots of historical information?
work with other neighborhood groups in Brookline to meet common goals for zoning, parking, open space?
organize a Father's Day Picnic on the Green with free pony rides, volleyball and even a juggler?
lobby the Town to reduce the clutter of signs on Walnut Street and install a much needed traffic light at Lincoln School?
organize a celebration of Leverett Pond and the Emerald Necklace that includes artists, bagpipers, and a dog parade?
publish and distribute a local neighborhood newsletter to each mailbox in the neighborhood?
be a strong advocate for historic preservation and environmental issues?
make contributions to a neighbor's memorial, to buy books for the Lincoln School library or to plant trees in Olmsted Park?
hold an annual meeting and potluck dinner with an interesting speaker?

Do you think that our neighborhood would be as livable without the HSHA?

These are just a few of the important things that the committed volunteers of High Street Hill Association have done for our neighborhood in the past year or so. But it takes support from you to continue the activities and the advocacy. Your $10 per year dues brings quite a return. Please send a check to our treasurer, Jean Peteet at 100 High Street or use the stamped envelope that will be attached to the next Highlight. Thank you.

Save the Dates

April 25 HSHA Annual Meeting and Potluck Dinner

June 19 HSHA Picnic on the Green

Regular board meetings of the HSHA are held on the second Monday of the month. As always, all neighbors are invited to attend and we welcome any new issues.

The Highlight is printed several times a year and is distributed on foot or by bicycle by HSHA Board members and their usually willing family members. If you have a comment or contribution contact the editor, Rob Daves, at 617-566-7334 or robdaves@rcn.com.