That's a Wrap for the CRWA Annual Meeting! |
Another year has come and gone and as of last Friday so has our 55th Annual Meeting -- which we SUPREMELY HOPE will be the last one we conduct online via Zoom. Socially distanced as it was, the need for a virtual meeting didn’t stop our team from celebrating CRWA’s past year of hard-won victories, recognizing watershed superstars, conducting the business aspects of the meeting, and (of course) having plenty of fun along the way. For those who couldn’t join us, here’s a quick recap of what you missed:
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Articles of Organization
The amendments to CRWA’s Articles of Organization passed, clearing the required threshold of 2/3 of Class B members voting in favor (thank you to all who submitted proxy votes in advance of the meeting)! If you are interested in learning more, please see the Amendments to CRWA's Articles of Organization in the accordion below.
CRWA's Bylaws
The amendments to CRWA’s bylaws passed unanimously. If you are interested in learning more, please see the Amendments to CRWA's Bylaws in the accordion below.
CRWA Directors
The candidates for election/re-election to CRWA’s Board of Directors were elected unanimously. Congratulations to Peter Fernandez, Toni Hicks, Pat King, Aditya Perakath, and Larry Yu! You can learn more about our new members by viewing Toni and Aditya’s welcome videos or reading their bios on our Annual Meeting webpage.
CRWA Officers
The candidates for election/re-election as CRWA Officers were elected unanimously. Congratulations to Board President, Linda McLane, Board Vice President, Lance Campbell, Board Clerk, Larry Yu, and Board Treasurer, Sarah Slaughter!
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Newly Elected Board Member Aditya Perakath |
Newly Elected Board Member Toni Hicks |
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2021 Anne M. Blackburn Recipient Denise Provost |
2021 Clean Charles Award Recipient Gabby Queenan |
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Congratulations to our Honorees! |
Anne M. Blackburn Award
Former State Representative Denise Provost
Clean Charles Award
Gabby Queenan, Former Policy Director at Mass Rivers Alliance
Ginger Lawrence Volunteer Award
Code For Boston, A Code for America brigade and grassroots organization
Special Recognition Award
Suzanne Carleo, Former CRWA Comptroller for 16 years
CRWA Young Leaders Award
Emma Koskovich, Natick Resident and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2024
Volunteer Monthly Monitor Milestone Awards
25 Years of Service
Damon Carter & Paul Whelan
10 Years of Service
Tammy Viggato
5 Years of Service
James Bastain, Nick King, Bill Lawson, Lee Mabry, & Terry McKiernan
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After what certainly seemed like 365 days of nothing but bad news in 2020, we sent our colorful CRWA team out into the field to report on the GOOD news (yes, you read that right) You can watch the full broadcast now on YouTube.
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We could think of no better way to end this year’s Annual Meeting than with a closing poetic pallet cleanser by our own Maury Eldrige, which you can also view on YouTube.
The full Annual Meeting will be available on our YouTube channel in the coming days. So stay tuned!
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On March 16, with a coalition of approximately 20 environmental partners, CRWA sent a letter to then-Mayor Marty Walsh and the Boston City Council expressing our shared concern over the proposal to build a new Amazon distribution center in the area of Widett Circle and Frontage Road. Our letter highlighted flooding concerns and asked city leaders to prioritize building climate resilience as called for in the city’s own plans. Read the letter and then check out the great coverage in the Boston Globe.
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Zoom limitations notwithstanding, “Lobby for the Rivers Day” on March 18 was a great success. We met with 17 of our watershed state representatives and senators to discuss river and watershed priorities, including improved state-level response during droughts, a comprehensive approach to invasive species management, and increased funding for state environmental agencies. Learn more about the events of the day here.
- March 15 was the first meeting of the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Special Commission, formed in 2019 by the state legislature to study DCR’s responsibilities and operations and make recommendations about how to improve the agency’s effectiveness and efficiency. We will be following the Special Commission’s progress closely as we work with DCR on many issues from invasive species management to dam removals to projects on DCR land along the river.
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Our brand new interactive E. coli Monitoring Dashboard is now available on our website thanks to the work of our friends at Code for Boston. The new interface is updated in real-time as we receive new data on changes in the water quality of the Charles. Make sure to check it out!
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- A big shout out to Tom Brady (no, not *that* Tom Brady) of Brookline and Michele Grzenda (MSMCP-Weston-Lincoln), who will be recognized at Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commission’s Annual Environmental Conference Annual Service Award Ceremony.
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Look good and stay warm in new CRWA apparel long sleeves and sweaters!
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Think you or someone you know would be a good fit for the CRWA staff team? Good news: we’re searching for a Seasonal Field Work Coordinator! The job posting is available on our website and we welcome submissions from any and all qualified applicants.
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Ready to get back out on the Charles in your canoe or kayak? Be sure to register for our annual Run of the Charles, Boston's premier paddling race taking place between Sunday, April 25 and Sunday, May 23. Registration launches this Thursday, April 1. Is your company interested in competing and sponsoring? Check out our Sponsorship Levels and Benefits Package! Questions? Contact Meg Rivett, Race Coordinator at [email protected] or (508) 698-6810.
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Join the River Network and American Rivers from April 27 to April 29 for their Action Days for Clean Water and Rivers to network face-to-face via video chat with your members of Congress and/or their staff to advocate for increased federal funding to fix water infrastructure for safe and clean waterways across the country. Learn more and register here.
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Join us for one of two community engagement discussions with Middle Watershed (April 1) communities and Upper Watershed communities (April 7) as part of our Charles River Climate Compact (CRCC) Building Resilience Across the Watershed initiative. With the help of your input, we’ll be able to finalize a Charles River watershed flood model that aims to provide simulations on different kinds of flooding events and possible solutions like green infrastructure.
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Also coming up in April are two Climate Resilience 101 Trainings for both Waltham and Milford. These trainings help local officials to better understand how a changing climate will fuel weather-related threats to their local communities while also offering concrete steps that can be taken to reduce these impacts.
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Charles River Watershed Association | www.crwa.org
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