Woodbridge Park Association
2003 Annual Letter
Dear Friends,
As we approach the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Woodbridge Park Association, it is my pleasure to report to you on the activities of the Association during the past year. The Association has been active in joining other supporters of open space initiatives in Woodbridge to encourage the Town to devote additional funds to the acquisition and preservation of open space. The vote at the annual Town Meeting in May to authorize funds to purchase more than 20 acres of woodland on Seymour Road as an open space preserve was a welcome milestone in the Town’s long range plan for open space preservation. The Woodbridge Park Association recognizes its shared mission with the Town, the other land conservation groups in Woodbridge, and the many citizens of Woodbridge who cherish the town’s rural quality to preserve the open spaces that make it special. We are pleased that First Selectman Amey Marrella and her team, Senator Joseph Crisco, and Representative Themis Klarides are showing such strong leadership and commitment to open space initiatives. The Woodbridge Park Association continues to seek opportunities to purchase land for preservation as part of the Association’s holdings, to supplement the Alice Newton Street Memorial Park and the preserve on Newton Road.
The primary focus of the Association’s activities remains the flagship Alice Newton Street Memorial Park. Eagle Boy Scout Jeff Stauffer completed the construction of a new bridge on the main trail, over the Wepawaug River. Eagle Scout Peter Hubbard undertook significant improvements on the yellow Meadow Trail from the meadow to the East Boundary Trail. Eagle Scout Jeff Lange completed repair and marking of the cross trails between the Blue Trail and the Meadow Trail. Eagle Scout Dan Ireland executed plank walks and marking on the East Boundary Trail. We are grateful to these Eagle Scouts for their outstanding work, continuing the tradition of service that Eagle Scouts have provided the park and its users for many years. Plans for additional improvements to the main trail, primarily to address drainage issues, are in place. In spite of rainy weather that forced the cancellation of the annual park cleanup in April, the work was completed by Board members and friends who reconvened later in the summer.
A second focus was the Association’s preserve on Newton Road, which has been essentially inaccessible since its acquisition. Although the Association’s charter permits the acquisition of property solely for preservation purposes, it has long been hoped that the Newton Road property might be opened up for hiking. To this end, Association Director Michael Walter designed and cleared a new trail to permit sufficient access to study the terrain and determine what would be required to open safe and accessible trails. As a first step, Eagle Scout candidate Andy Dickgiesser will blaze the proposed trails. The overall project, which will be undertaken with the help of other Association directors and additional Woodbridge Boy Scouts, will no doubt take several years to complete, but the resulting trails will offer new opportunities for recreation for our town.
In preparation for celebrating our 75th anniversary, the newly activated Archives Committee began a long term project to research and write a history of the Association. Through an examination of old records, it was determined that the Association was incorporated on October 4, 1928. It was not until January 14, 1929, however, that a Board of Directors consisting of eight members was elected. Subsequent records indicate that the latter date has since been viewed as the founding date for the purpose of marking anniversaries. We plan to provide further details about the early years of the Association’s history at the 75th anniversary celebration, to which we hope to welcome you all.
At the annual meeting in May, the Association received and accepted with great regret the resignation of three of its long-time directors and officers, Donald G. Rowland, Louise Rowland, and Paul Konwerski. Don Rowland, past vice president and president of the Association, is mentioned in the historical records as far back as 1967 as Park Superintendent. Louise Rowland served as secretary for many years. Paul Konwerski, also a director of long standing, likewise served as both vice president and president. I have had the pleasure of working with all three of these generous and dedicated Association directors for many years, and, on a personal level, I will miss their warmth and spirit. I am sure that I speak for everyone involved with the Park Association in thanking them profoundly for their devotion to the park and the Association’s goals. They have been true friends to the people of Woodbridge.
The annual meeting marked the end of my third and final year as president, and I want to take this opportunity to thank my fellow officers and directors for their dedicated stewardship of the Alice Newton Street Memorial Park and the generous vision of the Association’s founders, and their energetic efforts in moving the Association forward toward its other preservation goals. I am also grateful to attorney David W. Schneider for his wise and expert guidance in the increasingly complex issues surrounding open space preservation. An outstanding slate of new officers were elected at the annual meeting: Dr. Richard J. Forselius, President; Christopher R. Dickerson, Vice President; Barbara W. Adams, Secretary, and Michael E. Burt, Esq., Treasurer. Winchester L. Hubbard was re-elected Park Superintendent, and Michael Walter was elected to the reinstated post of Assistant Superintendent. Rebecca Daymon was elected as a new member of the Board of Directors; we welcome her warmly. I look forward to working with this exceptional new team of leaders for the benefit of the park and the open space preservation goals that so many of us in Woodbridge share.
Please come and enjoy the Alice Newton Street Park, and share with us any historical knowledge or personal experiences about it that you and your family might have – our history will be the richer for your contributions.
With all best wishes,
Susan B. Matheson
President