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WRWA sponsors or participates in a variety of events during the year. Many of these events offer opportunities for volunteers to get involved with watershed issues. The events listed below are those which are scheduled for the next few months. Details on additional events will be posted as information becomes available. Fly-Fishing Clinic: In conjunction with the Western Mass Fly Fisherman's Association, WRWA will hold a fly fishing clinic on Saturday, September 11 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the turnout along Rt. 20 just east of Huntington (across from the health center). There will be fly tying instruction, fly casting instruction, and identification of insects found in the river and on the banks. This event will be held rain or shine. Contact Bill Rose (786-0195) for more information. 2010 River Cleanup: This year's Westfield River cleanup is slated for Saturday, October 2, in conjunction with the Connecticut River Watershed Association's "Source to Sea" Cleanup. As in recent years, most of us will meet at the Westfield Gas and Electric substation parking area (near the new bridge) off Meadow Street and fan out to sites on the Westfield and its tributaries in Westfield, Russell, Huntington, and West Springfield. A second group will meet in Agawam and work at sites in Agawam and at the mouth of the river. We meet at 9:00 am and typically work until about noon or 1:00 pm. Remember to wear clothes that can get dirty; it's also helpful if you can bring your own work gloves and water. We'll supply trash bags. For more information, contact Mark Damon (572-9991, for the group meeting in Westfield) or Sheryl Becker (821-0818, for the group meeting in Agawam). If you know of a particularly dirty site that we've missed before, let us know. 1955 Flood Documentary DVD: The Pilgrim Candle Marketplace, in partnership with WRWA (the Westfield River Watershed Association), will sell DVDs of Five Feet and Rising: The Flood of '55. This 28-minute documentary, produced by Jack Hayward of Hayward Communications and co-produced by Mark Saint Jean of Westfield State College in cooperation with WRWA, recounts the devastating Westfield River floods of August 1955. The film includes a number of interviews with Westfield residents recalling their experiences of the 1955 event - the largest recorded flood in Westfield's history. The Pilgrim Candle Marketplace, located at 16-30 Union St. in Westfield, is open from 9-6 on Monday through Saturday and from noon to 5 on Sunday. Non-profit organizations can obtain free copies of the DVD by contacting Kathy Meyer at 568-4252. Westfield River Exhibit: WRWA partnered with The Pilgrim Candle Marketplace in Westfield in the creation of an exciting new Westfield River exhibit, which was unveiled on November 24 and is available for viewing during The Pilgrim Candle Marketplace's business hours of M-Sat 9-6 and Sundays from 12-5. The Pilgrim Candle Marketplace renovated unused space and developed it into a large exhibit highlighting the history of the area, celebrating the Westfield River in all its wild and scenic glory, and depicting the Great River Bridge Project in its various stages of construction. The display is divided into the Past, Present and Future. The Past features historic photos and drawings of the river and Westfield. The Present includes a large poster on the Westfield River highlighting its Wild and Scenic features. The Future includes architectural drawings and models of the Great River Bridge. WRWA funded the printing of the Present poster, which is a reprint of a display posted in a kiosk on Route 20 in Huntington. |
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