Meeting Notes: Selectmen Hear Vine Lake Preservation Report; Discuss State Hospital Status

Rob Gregg of the Vine Lake Preservation Trust met with the selectmen Tuesday to address the board on the trust’s initiative and its success.

 The trust is now two years old, according to Gregg and its mission is to “preserve, enhance, interpret and celebrate Medfield’s historic Vine Lake Cemetery.”

This Saturday, the Vine Lake Preservation Trust will be celebrating the cemetery’s history with a walking tour to honor Civil War veterans buried in the cemetery. The tour will include a reenactment color guard and musicians from the Massachusetts 28th Volunteer Infantry Regiment. This rain or shine event will meet in the old section of the cemetery at 10 a.m. and last until approximately 1 p.m. Admission is $5 per person and students under 18 are free.

“There are 53 [veterans of the Civil War] buried [in Vine Lake Cemetery] and we will visit the sites of 24,” Gregg said. “There will be some pageantry there as well with the color guard and musician from the reenactment company. They will talk about their experiences and why they were formed and what it is they contribute to the celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War.”

Selectman Ann Thompson said she had been on these walking tours in the past and described them as “wonderful.”

Gregg also highlighted the trust’s preservations efforts since its inception in 2009.

“In terms of preservation, our most recent 2010 Fund Drive resulted in 103 families contributing funds and provided the resources to repair and clean 59 memorials this summer in the old section of the cemetery,” Gregg said.

The trust is currently addressing the old section of the cemetery and a total of 76 memorials have been preserved, according to Gregg.

“[These memorials] were either broken, tilted or leaning and some of them were loose in their vase,” Gregg said.

In two years, the trust has funded $14,276 to address preservation issues in the old section of the cemetery.

The trust’s next Fund Drive, which will take place at the end of this year, will focus on some of the tallest and most complex memorials in the cemetery, Gregg said.

There are currently 30 volunteers in the preservation front including selectman Mark Fisher and two out-of-town women.

“We have one who comes from Plymouth and one who comes from Lexington,” Gregg said. “The reason sometimes for this out-of-town volunteerism is we strive to make family connections with those people who are interred in the cemetery. These people come because they are connected to families in the cemetery.”

The 30 volunteers have cleaned 176 small headstones and footstones and have reset 103 headstones and footstones, according to Gregg.

Selectmen Approve Comfort Zone Camp’s Request to Hold 5K Road Race

George Gallagher, who grew up in Medfield, is involved in the Comfort Zone Camp organization that helps children through the grieving process of losing a loved one and proposed a 5K road race be held in Medfield in November to raise funds for its efforts.

“[Comfort Zone Camp] helps them through the grieving process [through] healing circles,” Gallagher said. “Those are sort of therapeutic opportunities for kids to get together with their peers who are trying to get through a similar situation.”

The organization has been in existence for 10 or 11 years, according to Gallagher, but it is relatively new in Massachusetts, getting started in the Commonwealth in 2009. A regional council was formed and Gallagher suggested a 5K road race in his hometown Medfield would be an ideal start to fundraising efforts.

“Growing up in town, it’s got this sense of spirit and community that’s created at camp,” Gallagher said. “One of the first things that struck me at camp was it was sort of the same spirit and feeling that I get when I’m in Medfield and one of the first things I saw at one of the first weekend camps I went to in 2009 was a Medfield sweatshirt on one of the campers. That to me made the connection.”

Gallagher said the organization has done some work with Medfield Police Chief Robert E. Meaney Jr. and Superintendent of Schools Bob Maguire to “lay some of the ground work” and get the course approved, which will be the course the Medfield High School student council uses for its Running Water 5K Road Race.

“We’ve spoken to Mr. Maguire about use of the grounds and we have some other activities that are planned,” Gallagher said. “We anticipate some forms of entertainment … face painting, family oriented type entertainment. We anticipate running from about 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.”

The event will be held on Nov. 12.

Selectmen chair Osler Peterson commended Gallagher on the work he and the Comfort Zone Camp organization has done.

“I took a look at the website and it’s just a wonderful organization and a wonderful concept and it looks like you’re doing a lot of great things already,” Peterson said. “I’m just delighted you’re doing this in Medfield.”

Selectmen Discuss Update of Medfield State Hospital

On Monday, the Board of Selectmen held a special meeting with the Army Corps of Engineers to discuss the town’s view regarding DCAM’s cleanup and remediation efforts of the C&D areas of the .

“We had about 18 people here,” Medfield Town Administrator Michael Sullivan said. “We had representatives from the Charles River Watershed Association, the neighborhood PIP group, SHERC, the selectmen, Congressman [Stephen] Lynch, State Representative [Denise] Garlick were [all] here.”

Karen Adams from the Army Corps of Engineers explainedto  those in attendance that the organization administered the Clean Waters Act, according to Peterson and generally, it is looking for less work in aquatic environments.

“Minimum work to get results,” Peterson recalled.

Lynch and Garlick each said after Monday’s meeting they would follow-up with letters requesting remediation work on the site not proceed until further information is provided, according to Peterson. State representative Dan Winslow was also expected to co-sign the letters, according to Medfield resident Bill Massaro. Sullivan explained what appears to be the next steps for the town.

“Letters are going to Army Corps and DCAM,” he said. “Clock is ticking on deadline for doing work and rain could raise levels of Charles River and delay the work.”

Check Medfield Patch Thursday for full story on State Hospital update.

Notes:

• Selectmen approved the request to execute the agreement to join the statewide Public Works and Public Safety mutual aid, which makes the town eligible for reimbursement when it sends employees into other communities.
• Selectmen approved Medfield Fire Chief William Kingsbury’s request to award the bid for a new 4x4 brush truck to Minuteman Trucks, inc. in Walpole in the amount of $165,069 and dispose of the 1973 4x4 brush truck.
• Sept. 6 meeting notes were approved as amended – Peterson pointed out a correction needed to be made in regards to the mention of the Army Corps of Engineers’ role in the cleanup of the state hospital site.
• Selectmen approved the following licenses and permits: Katherine Andes’ request to block off Lantern Lane for a fundraising event to benefit the Medfield Coalition for Public Education on Oct. 16 from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m.; Medfield Lions Club’s request to hold its Toll Booth Fundraiser on Oct. 15; The Angel Run/Walk committee’s request to post signs from Oct. 10-24 to promote early registration for its Dec. 4 event.

The selectmen sent their condolences to the families and friends of Edward Perry and Clinton Clark. Each man passed away recently. Perry served on the town’s finance committee from 1959-1963 and was elected selectmen in 1963, serving for one term.

“I knew Ted Perry, he was the selectmen when we moved here,” Thompson said. “Clint Clark I knew very well. He and his wife were wonderful people.”

The selectmen ended the public portion of the meeting before meeting in executive session to discuss Medfield Fire contract negotiations.