Attending: Chris Blackler, Leigh Hall, Vinny Ieni, Nancei Radicchi,
Robertson Ward, Maddy McComiskey, Loretta Pardi, Lucy DelMuto, Sal Matti, Arthur Horn, Roberta Horn, Gail Miller, Antonio Gambale, Laura Baring Gould, Shauna Gillies-Smith, Mark Dannenhauer, Thomas Starr, Christine Lamas and Liesel Fenner (New England Foundation for the Arts), Charlie Tracy (Nationa Park Service), Juan Camillo Toro, Andres Builes, Cindy Hernandez, Rachel Pierre-Antoine, Shaundra Miles and Matthew Como (E3C - Environmental Chelsea Creek Crew), Meghan McGrath and Stacey Chacker (NOAH).

Meeting facilitated by: Rachel and Nancei

I. Introductions - Ana Maria Gomez will be in class on Weds for several months.

II. February meeting minutes: They were accepted with one correction - it is not the Chelsea Creek Revel, but the "Chelsea River Revel".

III. Updates/News/Misc:
* Chelsea River Revel - June 5th: Leigh and Meg reported that planning for planning for the Revel continues. Progress is being made on closing the McCardle Bridge for the festival. Meg got invited to a special event meeting by the Police to work on permitting. She is also in contact with the MBTA about changing the bus routes for the day. There will be music, food, 5K race and other activities. E.B. Open Studios is the same weekend. We need more volunteers to wok on this event, as trying to break down into sub-committees. Maddy volunteered. The next meeting is 3/16 at 6:30 at NOAH - with pizza. Please ask others if they'd like to help.  

* Bronx River - Chelsea Creek Restoration Partnership Exchange: Leigh
reported that in addition to Chelsea Creek staff - Vinny, Lucy, Nancei and
herself attended all or parts of this exchange which was very exciting and
educational. The biggest thing she learned was that it's important to have a
coalition of groups working on these issues, that CCRP has come a long way on the projects we're working on, and that all of the work we are doing has a cumulative impact on building change - the events, the meetings, etc. We will talk about this in more depth at a future meeting.
*
* Snowshoeing at the Condor Street Urban Wild: Matt reported that the
event was successful with about 30 people - even though there was no snow and lots of drizzle. EMS was great - and brought down tents and winter gear.  Vinny, Leigh, Ana Maria helped out. (Note: nothing was in the EB SunTranscript about this event - despite the fact that NOAH sent in a notice before and a press release describing the event after. This has been an on-going problem for NOAH and CCAG, as well as Boston Natural Areas Network (BNAN). It was agreed that we should set up a meeting with the EB Sun-Transcript to discuss this issue. Gail, Nancei, and Bobby will attend with NOAH. We will also invite BNAN. This will bring representatives from the following groups - CCAG, NOAH, BNAN, East Boston Greenway Coordinating Council and Friends of Belle Isle Marsh. Another suggestion was that we pay for ads to assure it gets in the paper - which NOAH plans to do for the Chelsea River Revel - but does not have the budget for each event). Loretta offered to make announcements about events at the Harborside's Community Planning Meetings - the 3rd Thursday of each month at 10:30 (anyone is welcome), and at the Harborside's first night of classes orientation session - on April 5th. She can also e-mail her teachers.

* Condor Street Urban Wild - April event: Participants had the
following ideas - 1) plant swap (would need to check with BNAN as they do
this annually); 2) seed plantings (in pot or cups) with children; 3) Easter
egg hunt; 4) Make art bunny rabbits. All agreed that this should be a simple
event as Meg is busy with River Revel. It was also pointed out that this
could be promoted as a taste of the River Revel.
*
* Toxics Action conference - Saturday, 4/3.Chris will attend. Contact
Stacey if you're interested.
 
* March to Abolish Poverty will march by Chelsea Creek - Saturday, 4/3
-Chelsea Green Space Alliance is participating, as it will stop to protest
at the Salt Pile. Call Stacey for more information.
 
* Mystic 2010: Research Supporting Watershed Goals - Saturday, 4/3
-Sponsored by the Mystic River Watershed Assn. Call Stacey for more
information.
*
* Environmental Justice in the 'Hood conference - Saturday, 4/24 -
E3C may attend, and possibly Chris. Call Meg for more information.
*
*Cashman's/Sterling Equipment: Stacey reported that they are filing
an Environmental Notification Form with the State to build a Confined
Aquatic Disposal (CAD) cell. Generally, this calls for dredging the river in
front of Cashman's, and storing the contaminated sediments in the cell in
the bottom of the river. The deadline to file comments is on 3/12/04. All
agreed that it is important to file comments, and that we should voice
concern that Cashman's may try to then bring in a floating dry dock, which
CCAG is opposed to. Aaron has agreed to write comments on CCAG's behalf.
*
*Chasen/Walton Houseboat - Stacey reported that the Attorney
General's (AG) office contacted her to say that they were aware that
although the houseboat had been removed - Chasen left a big mess in the
river. The AG is ordering that Chasen clean up this mess and possibly pay
fines.
*
* Channel Fish: Stacey reported that a long time ago, EB-CCAG named
Channel Fish most improved business. We promised to take a picture with CCAG and Channel Fish and submit a press release to the paper. E3C (if Channel Fish can do after 3), Nancei, Lucy, Maddy, Sal, Leigh, Vinny, Stacey and Meg all agreed to go if available. Nancei will make a certificate, and Meg a "golden dustpan". Stacey will contact EB Sun-Transcript and submit press release. We will meet at Channel Fish on Wednesday, April 7th at 3:15 p.m. (time change due to Channel Fish).

* Friends of Belle Isle Marsh: Gail announced their Annual Meeting
Sunday, 3/14, 2004

IV. Art and Community Landscape/Chelsea Creek
Rail Trail:
A. Art and Community Landscape (ACL):
* Liesel explained that the National Park Service, National Endowment
for the Arts and New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) sponsor ACL.
NEFA is a non-profit that promotes arts in the six New England states, and
Boston, and is administering the ACL project nationally. They have worked
with NPS on several of these projects - even in instances where there is no
rail trail. Artists plan and facilitate the creation of artwork to help promote the vision for the Rail Trail - it could be a visioning process, a performance, temporary art installation ... anything. In ACL Round 1 (Chelsea Creek is part of Round 2), an artist team worked in North Vermont on three projects to promote a canoe trail - this included a dam warning sculpture (a barrel with paddles - on one side saying: warning, dam = get out of the river; and from the other, visible to pedestrians on a bridge: lines of poetry). Another artist did a floating sculpture that helped gain political and monetary support.
*
* The three semi-finalist artists/artist teams were selected from 51
artists who submitted proposals for either the Chelsea Creek and/or a
project in North Carolina; NEA, NPS, NEFA and two artists from ACL Round 1 selected the semi-finalists. Stacey attended as a non-voting advisor. Stacey explained again how this process was different than that CCAG used to hire B. Amore or consultants where a CCAG committee was formed to make the selection. The reason for this is that CCRP did not apply for this program  - instead we were nominated by the NPS - and this is a process that NEFA, NEA, and NPS have set up for this. Each of the artists were selected for their track records working on projects related to the environment and their successful work with community groups.
*
* The artists/artist team briefly introduced themselves: 1) Laura
Baring Gould grew up in Alaska. She is a public artist and has lived in
Somerville for 15 years. She's familiar with the Chelsea Creek, as she works on the Harbor cruise boats as a cook. She was also an artist-in-residence at the Charlestown Navy Yard and works on another project in Dorchester. She likes talking to people, knowing where they are, and helping them to see the possibility for change; 2) Gillies-Smith and Thomas Starr, are an artist team with Mary Rickel-Pelletier (who could not attend the meeting). They applied to ACL together as a team as they thought they each had interests that could help bring visibility to this project. Shauna is a landscape architect and landscape artist. She has created artworks that highlight the natural qualities of a site. Tom is a graphic artist and works with words, Mary is "green urbanist" (she's presently teaching a class at Cornell on solar energy issues - as it relates to the urban environment, and also works on "green (landscaped) roofs); and 3) Mark Dannenhauer works in puppetry theatre (with puppets up to 12-14 feet high). Puppetry combines sound, movement and performance, and often draws from animals and cultures from around the world. He believes that theatre is a dialogue, and that with environmental restoration you need to have cultural restoration to draw people back to the place. He believes that theatre helps take individual visions about what to do with a landscape and make it into a community expression.

* Next Steps: The artists/artist team will each receive a $1500
planning grant and will work over the next three months to learn about the
Chelsea Creek project and submit a proposal (due sometime in early June). Until June, they will meet regularly with Liesel, Charlie, Stacey, and
several CCAG and an E3C representative(s). Maddy, Leigh, Gail and Nancei volunteered, and Shaundra is interested in representing E3C. When the proposals are submitted, NPS, NEFA, NOAH, appointed CCAG representatives, and perhaps NEA will meet to decide which artist/artist team will be selected for the project. This artist/artist team will have a $50,000 budget (possibly more - if we decide to and can raise more money) and will work with CCRP over the next year on the creation of the "artwork".

B. Chelsea Creek Rail Trail:
* Follow-up on trail name. At the CCAG February meeting, it was agreed
that Stacey would get opinions from active EB-CCAG and Chelsea Green Space and Recreation Committee members regarding the name for the trail. The general consensus was that the name should include the River - and not suggest solely East Boston, Chelsea or Revere (thus the name, Eastie Trail seemed inappropriate). Stacey came back with two names - "Chelsea River Walkway" and "Chelsea Riverway" (a suggested new consideration as some people response to Walkway was that it did not connotate biking as well). At the meeting, there was a proposition that we use Winisemit Trail (Path, Pathway, or some other second word) instead (The river was called Winisemit by Native Americans who originally lived here and it means "land of many springs"). There was general consensus that this was an interesting name -
one that evoked history, peaked curiosity, and made connection to the past.
Charlie said that he thought that this name could be problematic for
promoting the trail - and that his role here was to help us market the trail
and leverage funding (federal and other) to get the path built. He explained
that in the Berkshires - he started working with a group that on a path they
were calling the Ashuwillticook Trail. They changed it to the Berkshire Bike
Path and it was built in two years (with other strategies as well). He said
he thinks that the name needs to clearly define where it is in order to
market it- and that we could choose a "working name" for the fundraising
period, and change it later when it's built. A vote was taken, and the
general consensus was that we should use the name "Chelsea Riverway" as a working name, and reconsider a name change after it's built to Winisemit XX.

* Meeting with MBTA: Stacey reported that Charlie, Aaron and she met
with T officials who were open to the idea of giving a 99 year lease for
this land (with many conditions), and with agreement from Guildford - who is
leasing the right to use this trail for freighting. Aaron is following up
with Guilford.
*
* Meeting with Coastal Zone Management. Nancei reported that Charlie,
Aaron, Stacey and she met CZM officials and that although CZM has concerns about the property being part of the Designated Port Area, they are open to thinking about ways it could work through appropriate design. The group will take CZM on a tour to see the Riverway on March 22nd at 2:30.
*
* We need to meet with Representative Capuano to discuss the Riverway
as he is no the Transportation Committee.

V. Interpretative Planning Process: We brainstormed the following based on the question: "What are the important stories that need to be told about the Chelsea Creek?":
- Boston Lockport Block Company - all riggings and pulleys in ships were built there.
- First electric generating plant in U.S. was at 82 Condor Street;
- Esterhill Boatyard was where the Quaterdeck Marina is now;
- Green Shipyard was between Walton and Cabot Stains in Chelsea. An oil tanker at the Greene Shipyard (on the railways) blew up there in 1952 killing several people and blowing out windows in Eagle Hill and Chelsea;
- Monroe Shipyard - was where
Fitzgerald Shipyard is now;
- U.S. Coast Guard Base was where the Eastern Mineral salt pile is now - moved to the North End during WW II; - Boston Sand and Gravel at the Urban Wild.
- Seaboard Construction - in Chelsea between Texaco and Walton's;
- William Ellis Company - builder of docks and bridges - now Boudreau Boatyard;
- Boston Pottery made pottery for steam and sailing ships and rail-lines; 1800 up to approximately the depression;
- River was originally called "Winisemit" - Land of many springs:
- Duncan's Beach - a man named Duncan dumped sand by Urban Wild to make beach for local kids;  
- Creek used to be full of quahogs, oysters, and razor clams.
- Battle of Noddle Island, first naval battle of Revolutionary War was on Chelsea Creek.
- Clipperships were built on Border Street
- Cabot Paints and Forbes Lithograph were in Chelsea.
- Slade's Mill - was Spice Mill on Mill Creek in Revere.
- Chelsea Naval Hospital was on Admiral's Hill.

VI. Executive Committee Elections: Vinny nominated Leigh and said he'd like to step down from the committee (to loud protests, and despite a nomination by Camillo). He agreed to stay on as an "Ex Officio" or advisor. The following slate was elected: Nancei, Ana Maria,  Lucy and Leigh. Rachel expressed interest in serving on the committee. All
agreed it would be great to have an E3C seat; they will discuss this and let
us know if anyone will serve, and who. Stacey will coordinate with members
to set up a meeting in the near future - if possible during the day.

EB-CCAG 2004 meeting schedule

April 14th
May 12th
June 9th
July 14th
August 11th
September 8th
October 13th
November 10th
December 8th

Call 617-569-0059 ext. 13 with
corrections or additions.