“This beautiful sheet of water, like a sapphire gem set round with emeralds…” Samuel Francis Smith, History of Newton, Massachusetts, 1880
Those who purchase Foust's art prints or 2025 calendars featuring images of Bullough's Pond will be pleased to know that Ms. Foust generously donates 30% percent of proceeds to support the work of the Bullough's Pond Association. To make a purchase please email:
[email protected]. |
Head on Over to Must-See City Hall Exhibition of Extraordinary Photos of Bullough's Pond by Ellen Foust
Bullough's Pond Beauty: From Cloudscapes to Closeups is an exhibition of recent works by Foust, now on display at the Fine Art Gallery on the second floor of Newton City Hall. The exhibition is open Monday through Friday, from 8:30am to 5:00pm until September 30th. This photographic artist has been observing and taking pictures of Bullough's Pond since 2018. Her work has explored the reflections, clouds and textures one sees at the pond, but she has more recently also produced closeups of the flora and fauna of Bullough's, as well as edited and post-produced "dreamscapes" that manifest a fantasy vision of the pond and capture some of the artist's emotional responses to the images she makes with her iPhone camera. This show is not to be missed... Learn more by watching a recent NewTV interview with the artist, which you can watch HERE.
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Tiemann Wins Bullough's Pond Association Scholarship
Grey Tiemann, 2024 BPA Scholar and NNHS graduate
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The 2024 BPA Scholar Grey Tiemann has been volunteering at the pond since 9th grade, but does community service work on environmental issues for numerous organizations. Grey is graduating from NNHS this year, where he has focused on the sciences. He's heading to U. Mass Amherst in September to major in Animal Science and Biotechnology. He loves the outdoors and plans a career involving the natural environment and conservation. Congratulations Grey!
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BPA Sponsors Another Successful Newton Serves Event
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On Sunday, May 5, 2024, Newton Serves Day, Bullough's Pond Association volunteers turned out for our annual spring clean up from 9:00am to noon. We focused on removing trash and debris from the pond's banks and from the pond itself. Amongst the hardworking volunteers were the 2024 BPA Scholar,
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Grey Tiemann; BPA board members Griff Resch, Kevin Sloan and Kathleen Kouril Grieser; as well as former Newton City Councilor and current candidate for MA State Representative Amy Sangiolo. The Mayor and the Parks, Recreation & Culture Commissioner also stopped by to thank the volunteers. Photos below...
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Volunteers turned out and worked hard on May 5th. In the photo in the top row at left, BPA board members Griff Resch, Kevin Sloan and Kathleen Kouril Grieser and BPA Scholar Grey Tiemann are in the back row, from left to right. In the center photo (just above this caption) is former Newton City Councilor, and current candidate for MA State Representative, Amy Sangiolo (in orange-colored jacket).
The Bullough's Pond Dam Working Group Reconvenes
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The Bullough's Pond Dam rehabilitation project had been moving very slowly, perhaps because so many other parks and public facilities projects (Gath Pool, Levingston Cove, Senior Center, etc) have been, or are currently, underway. The Bullough's Pond Dam Working Group is tasked with evaluating dam rehabilitation options designed and presented by GEI, the engineering consultants hired by the Administration for that purpose. The Working Group is led by the Commissioner of the Department of Public Works (DPW) and includes the City's Chief Operating Officer, the City Engineer, staff from DPW and PR&C, four Newton City Councilors, the president of the Newtonville Area Council, and representatives from the BPA board.
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The Working Group had not been convened by the Administration since December 15, 2022. In the interim, the heavy rains of 2023 and so far this year have once again demonstrated the dam's great strength. The Working Group reconvened at a meeting on March 27, 2024 and viewed a presentation by GEI of some technical design alternatives. The members of the Working Group were asked to submit feedback in writing. We'll continue to keep you updated...
The Dam Working Group met on March 27th.
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Consultant GEI presented several design options.
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BPA Brings City Councilors on a Tour of Bullough's Pond
Ward 2 City Councilor David Micley, BPA Vice President Kathleen Kouril Grieser, Ward 5 at-Large City Councilor Rena Getz, Ward 2 at-Large City Councilor Tarik Lucas, Ward 3 City Councilor Julia Malakie and City Council President/ Ward 7 at-Large City Councilor Marc Laredo, along with Councilor Micley's young son Eitan, tour Bullough's Pond in March. Photo by Councilor Micley.
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On the misty morning of March 17, 2024, five Newton city councilors, including City Council President Marc Laredo, took the time to walk all the way around the pond on a BPA-led educational tour of some of the challenges the pond is facing and BPA efforts to address those challenges. The councilors learned about the historic and aesthetic importance of the dam and Laundry Brook Forest. Other topics covered included stormwater infrastructure, silting, invasive plants, and the need for improved stonedust sidewalks, granite curbing, rebuilt retaining walls, new fences and railings. They learned of problems resulting from tree-cutting on slopes and construction near the pond, loud late-night parties at an abutting short-term rental, and the recent increase in visitors leaving behind trash, dog poop, beer bottles and worse. We are grateful for the interest these councilors are taking in BPA efforts to preserve the environment and serenity at Bullough's Pond and the adjoining Laundry Brook Forest.
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BPA Gifts a Fifth New Bench as the Association's Bench Upgrades Continue
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The BPA works diligently with Newton's Parks, Recreation & Culture (PR&C) Department in an effort to maintain and improve the natural and aesthetic environment of Bullough's Pond. As PR&C has a constrained budget, the Association is providing new benches at existing seating areas around the pond, which PR&C and other City crew members install when they can. The BPA's newest bench at the Half Moon (see right) was installed on March 25, 2024 at the Half Moon opposite Berkshire Road. It would have been better if planned work to address stormwater issues that have repeatedly washed out stonedust and the retaining wall (see below) had been addressed first, but the bench can be re-installed when they are.
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This newest bench at the Half Moon is in addition to the two new benches purchased by the Bullough's Pond Association that were installed by City workers, on November 28, 2023 on the pond's bank, near the willow trees at the corner of Bullough Park and Dexter Road. The benches match the two that were provided by the BPA at the Medallion Overlook in 2018, and all five have plaques honoring the membership of the BPA, as your donations make such improvements possible.
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The BPA board is grateful to Director of Parks & Open Space Luis Perez Demorizi and staff from Newton's busy Parks, Recreation & Culture (PR&C) Department for working very cooperatively with the BPA board.
More Updates: The BPA board is working with Luis and PR&C on further upgrades, as well as on addressing ongoing stormwater-related damage at the Half Moon seating area (below, left). This year's heavy rains once again demonstrated the dam's great strength (below center), but did lead to an explosion of invasive plant growth (below, right), so invasives removal is again high on the BPA's agenda during 2024.
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BPA Gift Shopping:
Did you know you can support the care and protection of Bullough's Pond and take care of some of your gift shopping at the same time? Visit the Shop page on our website, or email [email protected] to order BPA merchandise and arrange pick up or delivery.
Bullough's Pond Holiday Cards feature an image of peace that's perfect for any of the winter holidays, and elegant Bullough's Pond Note Cards make a wonderful small gift. Give your family, friends and co-workers a little taste of our neighborhood with a cheerful and stylish BPA Logo Coffee Mug.
For a young child in your life, purchase a copy of Jamie and the Ducks of August, a charming story about a little boy and the ducks he loves on Bullough's Pond, written by the BPA's own Helene Tischler and illustrated by her longtime Bullough's Pond neighbor, the artist Charlotte Lockwood. Proceeds support the Association's maintenance efforts at the pond. Click the product photos to shop.
Did you know you can support the care and protection of Bullough's Pond and take care of some of your gift shopping at the same time? Visit the Shop page on our website, or email [email protected] to order BPA merchandise and arrange pick up or delivery.
Bullough's Pond Holiday Cards feature an image of peace that's perfect for any of the winter holidays, and elegant Bullough's Pond Note Cards make a wonderful small gift. Give your family, friends and co-workers a little taste of our neighborhood with a cheerful and stylish BPA Logo Coffee Mug.
For a young child in your life, purchase a copy of Jamie and the Ducks of August, a charming story about a little boy and the ducks he loves on Bullough's Pond, written by the BPA's own Helene Tischler and illustrated by her longtime Bullough's Pond neighbor, the artist Charlotte Lockwood. Proceeds support the Association's maintenance efforts at the pond. Click the product photos to shop.
Bullough's Pond Holiday Cards, 5 pack $10
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Bullough's Note Cards, 10 unique cards $16
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BPA Coffee Mug $14
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BPA Children's Book $10
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A Way to Give is to Renew Your BPA Membership With Your Annual Gift
You may have recently received an annual appeal letter (like the one pictured at right) from the BPA. If you haven't had time to join or renew your membership yet, please take a minute to do so as soon as you can, so the BPA can continue to care for and advocate for the pond, the historic dam, and the adjacent forest. You can make your tax-deductible contribution online here, or send a check made out to the Bullough's Pond Association to:
Bullough's Pond Association P.O. Box 600669 Newtonville, MA 02460 |
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Bullough's Pond Bird
& Waterfowl Visitors All photos by Kathleen Kouril Grieser 
Geat Blue Heron
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Swan
Red-tailed Hawk
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Mallard
Cormorant
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