Work is moving along on the new River Center. The utilities are connected, and finish work is ongoing inside the building. The lumber that was saved from the third floor has been planed and now makes up the wainscoting and work stations on the second floor. The old sliding door has been re-purposed in the second floor hallway.
Soon, workers will complete the installation of the elevator and composting toilets, and the flooring will be laid in place. The final phase will be the grading and landscaping of the landing area, to be completed in September by a
contractor hired by the Town of Westport and funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Seaport Economic Council.
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We have moved back our planned date for the Open House celebration to October, due to uncertainty about the completion date for the grading of the parking area. We will let you know the date in our next issue of River News.
We are so grateful to all our generous donors, our general contractor Page Building Construction Company, DSK Architects and Planners, and the talented workers who have worked so hard all this year to bring us near to completion of this wonderful project! We are very close to our fundraising goal. Please help us cross the finish line with a
donation
in any amount.
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Sellout Crowd Enjoyed Our Summer Concert 2019
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Our fourth annual Summer Concert at Westport Rivers Vineyard was a fun evening of great music with picture-perfect summer weather.
Twisted Pine, a folk/bluegrass trio from Boston, opened the musical evening with a beautiful set of inspired tunes. Roomful of Blues raised the energy level with their classic rock/blues repertoire, with guests dancing until the sun went down.
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Tracy Greenwood of Westport was the lucky winner of our raffle of an Oxford Paddle Board at the Summer Concert. Congratulations and Happy Paddle-boarding!
Thanks to volunteers David and Jennifer Beausejour for mingling with the crowd to sell raffle tickets!
Special thanks to concert co-presenter the
Narrows Center for the Arts, and to our sponsors Page Construction, DSK Architects & Planners, Lees Oil Service, Bayside Restaurant, and to Westport Rivers and Buzzards Bay Brewing for their support and hospitality.
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Is the River Clean Enough for Swimming?
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WRWA has been sampling the River to test for fecal coliform bacteria since 1991; monitoring for the presence of bacteria pollution. Bacteria do not generally damage the ecosystem, but can make people sick when they eat tainted seafood, or swim in contaminated water. They are also a marker to identify the possible presence of other pathogens that come from the same fecal sources. (Bacteria in the River comes from human wastewater and domestic and wild animal waste). You can visit our website weekly to see water testing results for the Westport River. Go to:
The laboratory tests are done by the City of New Bedford Health Department Lab. WRWA's collection and analysis of samples has been utilized by the town and state agencies to document bacterial contamination in the river. WRWA's data is not used to open and close shellfish areas, this sampling is done by the
State Division of Marine Fisheries
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Many of the most common pollutants come from two sources: humans and animals. Human fecal matter in water bodies constitutes the greatest public health threat because humans are reservoirs for many bacteria, parasites, and viruses that are dangerous to other humans and can cause a variety of illnesses. Bacteria/pathogen pollution is transported to the river primarily by rainfall and resultant runoff. The amount, duration, intensity, and time span between rain events are factors that influence fecal coliform levels in the river.
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Acoaxet Club Recognized For Environmentally Friendly Practices
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On July 26, The Westport River Watershed Alliance held a reception to recognize Keith Kruger and the Acoaxet Club for their prudent environmental stewardship of the golf course and grounds of the Acoaxet Club. In particular, the WRWA wanted to recognize the design and installation of a state-of-the-art Golf Course Maintenance Facility, recirculating irrigation system and closely monitored fertilizer application program, all of which moderate the effect of nutrients on neighboring Cockeast Pond.
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Photos: Above left; Acoaxet Club President Tom Slaight, Assistant Grounds Manager Josh DelDeo, Grounds Manager Keith Kruger, WRWA President Tom Schmitt, WRWA Executive Director Deborah Weaver.
Right: Keith Kruger receives plaque from Tom Schmitt
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Summer Gala coming up on Saturday, August 10
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Our annual Summer Gala is just around the corner. Don't miss out on all the fun. Tickets are still available - $100 for members and $120 for non-members.
Fine dining by Wilhelmina's Catering, live jazz music from the Joe Mulholland Trio, an open bar, and a unique and surprising silent auction are all part of the festivities. We are returning to the beautiful Charlton Estate at the entrance to Westport Harbor.
Please join us on Saturday, August 10, from 5 to 8 p.m. Tickets available on line at
www.westportwatershed.org, or by phone at 508-636-3016. This is our most important fundraiser of the year, helping to support all of our science and education programs.
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Summer Programs - Fun & Learning
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Our summer programs offer children the opportunity to learn science, make friends, and build self-confidence, all while having fun by the shore!
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Shelli and her interns Bailey and Andi are having a great summer with a terrific group of youngsters. The children have enjoyed discovering the variety of living things in the River, as well as kayaking and paddle-boarding.
They particularly enjoyed discovering pearls in some of the oysters they examined!
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Thanks to everyone who renewed their WRWA Membership for 2019. If you haven't renewed yet, now would be a great time! Just click on the link above, or send your donation to WRWA
PO Box 3427, Westport, MA 02790.
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Thank You to our Corporate Sponsors
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