The BoldWater News 2011 Summer Edition Fifty cents
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- 2011 Annual Repor
- 3AM August 16, 1991
- August 19, 2:30 PM
- August 20, 7 AM
- August 20, 6-9PM
| The BoldWater News
2011 Summer Edition Fifty cents F  rom the president’s desk
Fergus Henderson Dear Neighbor. Greetings and a warm welcome to all. Hopefully, each of you had an enjoyable and productive time as 2010 transitioned to 2011. As we did last year, we are planning a full slate of activities for the summer that should be challenging and enjoyable for you and your families. Over the summer, we will have tennis tournaments, sailing regattas, beach clean-ups and, most importantly, some evening gatherings on the beach and at the homes of some of our neighbors – these gatherings give us a chance to meet our neighbors and contribute to a cohesive sense of community. See Debbie Loughrey’s and Leah Rukeyser’s Summer Schedule on p 7. Some of you may have read this letter on our website – boldwater.info. For those of you who are seeing this for the first time in our newsletter, I encourage you to look at the website. The website has information that relates to BoldWater, the Great Pond, Edgartown and Martha’s Vineyard. If you have comments or suggestions on how we can improve the website, please contact Carter Fleming. The Electrical Upgrade is progressing. Joan Shumway will have additional detail in a separate report. We all owe Joan a round of applause for the difficult and productive effort she has expended to make this really big project become reality. Burt Fleming will have a better report, but I can say from personal observation that the cut presently operating is the biggest and longest lasting in my association with BoldWater. Further permitting, dredging, and pond improvement initiatives are, as always, dependent on financial support from all of us riparian property owners. I urge you to visit to the Great Pond Foundation (“GPF”) website - greatpondfoundation.org - to view the 2011 Annual Report. The report details Foundation projects and activities in support of its mission, Enhancing the Quality of Edgartown Great Pond. Contributions to the GPF are welcome and helpful. Best wishes for a fun filled summer. Remember, the Annual Meeting is scheduled for 0900 on 27 August at my house – 7 BoldWater Road. Please plan to attend! Best Regards, Fergus Summer 2011 The BoldWater News page 2 The great BoldWater Electrical Saga Joan Shumway1 After over a year of researching, planning, meetings and negotiating, the NSTAR specified electrical system upgrade, with subsequent transfer to NSTAR, began this spring. Bennett Electric, owned by Mr. Bill Bennett, an Island resident and third generation electrician, was awarded the contract officially in March. Fergus Henderson originally began his research with NSTAR, Edgartown Town Hall, Jim Reynolds, Esq. and multiple electrical contractors in 2009. The information Fergus garnered was presented at the BWRA annual meeting last August. The membership voted to approve the upgrade and transfer of the electrical system to NSTAR. At that point, estimates were requested from several on Island electrical contractors with Mr. Bennett, the most serious contender. Concurrently, the five resident households of Swan Neck were contacted via letter that contained an explanation of the proposal and a request for voluntary funds to support the endeavor (two have contributed). Fergus, with some assistance2, spent the fall in pursuit of information, electrical system schematics, legalities, easements and general, overall, due diligence on behalf of BWRA. Several meetings scheduled in January to review the plans in detail with NSTAR had to be postponed due to blizzards, which resulted in one of the first unanticipated delays 
NSTAR required an upfront, non-negotiable fee of approximately $384,000.00. The combination of the fee and Mr. Bennett’s estimate made the proposal, at that point, untenable for our Association. Mr. Daly contacted Fergus and me via email and wrote that there was a possibility of a carrying charge refund. He requested patience, as he needed to further research our eligibility. It was determined that NSTAR would indeed be able to make a refund of the entire carrying charge under provisions of a federal stimulus program if the upgrade could be completed in 2011. The full amount remained an NSTAR pre-requisite, thus a short-term loan was obtained from Edgartown National Bank, the NSTAR fee was paid, and the full amount will be re-paid upon completion and acceptance of the work. The project could now move forward once again. (continued on next page) Summer 2011 The BoldWater News page 3 BWRA Electrical Saga (from 2) In early April, technical schematics were approved by NSTAR. The contracts were negotiated and signed with Bennett Electric and NSTAR, after review by Jim Reynolds. Bennett Electric completed a mechanical and electrical review of our current system to assess the stability of the conduits and cable. Mr. Bennett applied for all required permits and ordered all necessary supplies (one to eight week wait time) for the project. In early May, work began in earnest and it was discovered that multiple sections of the electrical conduit were damaged or destroyed. The broken areas needed to be excavated with a backhoe, replaced with new sections and back filled. As a result, the cable installation  was postponed as the segments were replaced, resulting in yet another unanticipated delay.
The effect of all of these delays was that the project is threatened to interfere with the busy early summer season for both BWRA residents, as well as the electrical subcontractors who are committed to other projects. Earlier this month it was decided to wrap up operations for the summer by June 18, with resumption scheduled for 10 days to completion in beginning September 12. Many thanks to Fergus for all of his time, effort and expertise on behalf of our membership and to the BWRA membership itself, for your continued patience and support.3 Pond openings: Art or Science? Burt Fleming, GPF VP for Science and Education Starting with the Wampanoag and down through the decades into the 21st century, opening the Pond to the Atlantic has afforded inhabitants some measure of control over those things that we deem worthy of our attention. With the resident Indians, as with present-day Vineyard shell-fishermen, the subject was oysters. Salinity encourages growth and flavor. More recent concerns accompany our development of homes within the watershed. Residences and agricultural activity contributes nitrogen (sewage and fertilizer), Continued on 4 Summer 2011 The BoldWater News page 4 
nourishing aquatic plant growth inimical to a balanced pond, and, unpleasant to deal with, to say the least. So ridding the fresh-fed pond waters of this nutrient is essential. And, residences close by the Pond’s shores are subject to basement flooding when pond levels reach critical heights. Again, demanding intervention. What was largely an intuitive process in times past (open the cut when the water is high, keep an eye on the phase of the moon, and maybe, offer a few prayers to the gods) has given way to a keener desire to understand the physical science behind a successful cut. Variables include: pond height (the pond should be at least 3 feet above sea level to insure an initial outflow) timing-the-tide (a final cut at beginning of ebb tide means 4-6 hours of outflow), timing-the-phase-of-the-moon (“neap” tides, when the differential between flood and ebb is least), wind direction (onshore winds4 drive waves and sands toward the cut, northerly winds drive water out) removal of pond-side sand build up (perhaps the most essential controllable variable) prayers and chants (see above) And with all of our knowledge, both empirical and spiritual, nature often confounds us with shifting winds and off-shore currents, leading to early closure despite our best efforts. And, even with the most successful openings, huge volumes of sand are carried in by wave action with each successive incoming tide. The resulting delta build up thus requires an ongoing program of removal. Or, as with the opening this spring, the longest in duration since Hurricane Bob and the one following the Town’s first (and only) dredging operation in early 2000. Very good, yes? Well, maybe so, and then again, maybe not. While 11 days is considered optimal for the necessary flushing of nutrients and increase in pond salinity, too long an opening in early spring may result in an abnormally low pond in late July, prior to the all-important mid- Summer 2011 The BoldWater News page 5 summer opening. And, further, the “set” of the oyster spat could be disrupted, resulting in decline in the oyster population. This leads to the question: do we now try to effect pond “closure,” as well as “opening”? Probably desirable in a well-funded world, although the cost would be considerable. Given the cost of present programs to restore pond quality, the greatest (and most important) of which is dredging to facilitate openings, controlled closures are probably not in the cards, at least in the immediate future. For now, then, insuring that adequate pond-sea exchange takes place 3-4 times a year is the most practical goal. Surviving “BOB” in BoldWater Lynn & Burt Fleming, Senior Survivors 3AM August 16, 1991: the tropical depression off Nassau becomes “Tropical Storm ‘Bob.’” Vineyarders are alerted to a probable track up the East Coast, with increase in intensity likely. August 19, Morning: morning broadcasts warned Bob would make landfall in New Bedford around 3pm and sweep the Cape and Islands shortly thereafter. Residents were advised to: fill containers and bathtubs with water, stock up on non-perishables, flashlights and candles, and, to protect storm-facing windows with masking tape. Power to the Island would be cut in advance of expected arrival and roads would be closed to non-emergency vehicles. Never having experienced a hurricane in thirty eight years spent together in coastal areas of New Jersey, Florida, Mississippi, and now the Vineyard, Lynn and I were both excited and, admittedly, a bit anxious. Being a good deal younger then, and imbued with the adventuresome and resourceful spirit of my boyhood heroes, Franklin Dixon’s “Hardy Boys,” I set about our preparations. Lynn’s mother was visiting and expressed considerably less enthusiasm for a first-hand encounter with “Bob,” so we drove her to Cliff Meehan’s safe house on Dark Woods Road to ride out the storm. Windows taped, tubs filled, larder stocked, I now recalled survivors of an earlier Gulf hurricane, floating about on roofs of houses and trees. Thus, to insure our boat would be handy to ride to safety should the Atlantic rise ten feet or more, I dragged it up our access road with the Jeep and tied it to a substantial oak tree. August 19, 2:30 PM: Now, with the sky an eerie yellow we waited in the veritable “calm before the storm.” Soon enough, the wind began gently, then rapidly picked up speed until, by a little after three in the afternoon it was pushing close to 100 mph. Leaves were stripped off the wetland trees, and like so much chafe, and soaked by rainfall, plastered against our windward windows and doors. I must admit to missing the actual process, since there seemed nothing more to do than take a nap. I awoke to a semi-dark house, the leaf and debris cover was total! In the meantime, Lynn paced Summer 2011 The BoldWater News page 6 nervously, opening and closing windows (safeguard against atmospheric pressure differential), and nursing a headache due to the extremely low barometric pressure. Climbing to our observation tower (and nearly being blown off the ladder), I could see huge waves breaking not over the beach, but actually through cut into the pond. The pond off our point looked like an angry ocean. Hoping for a closer look I attempted to navigate our path to the pond’s edge. Nothing doing: the water at low parts of the path was mid-thigh, and overhead branches and debris flying in the wind, made the wetlands inhospitable; I retreated. August 20, 7 AM: What a mess! Trees down everywhere, some across the deck, some across the road. And yet, no major damage to house, deck, or cars. The rescue boat survived destruction when the tree to which I’d tied it, blew down beside, rather than on, it. Looking out over a now-calm pond, the ocean could be seen flowing into the pond through a huge breach. Joe Bower and I hailed each other across a cut stretching from the dunes to the west to those on the east – a distance about the same as the length of football field. As to depth, consider this: a few days after the storm, a formidable stench wafted from the beach to our point. Grandson Christopher and I set out in our boat to investigate. There, about 50 yards inside the pond was the partially decomposed body of a small whale, being fed on by a multitude of happy gulls! A day later the carcass has disappeared, either carried out on the tide, or, sunk. In either event, now the crabs were happy. (In the weeks following Bob there was a virtual epidemic of bee stings, many treated at MV Hospital ER. Evidently their life cycle was disrupted, resulting in unusual irritability. Likewise with the trees, stripped of leaves by the wind, and with return of summer-like calm, tricked into thinking it was time for new leaf growth: springtime in September!) This AM the radio reported of Island-wide power outages with plans to request assistance from power crews as far away as Canada. And sure enough, in the days and weeks that followed, the whine of chain saws and sights of multiple power company trucks abounded. And within 24 hours, BoldWater power was back on; back then, our troubled electric system of today was a model to be envied. We had to rescue some perishables from Dave Luening’s freezer, as Kanomika was not so fortunate. Cleanup: The windows were a big problem: the matted mass stuck like glue, finally yielding to a strong hose wash. The protective tape, unneeded it turns out, left an adhesive film that could be removed only with steel wool and acetone. Seeking to avoid a repeat of that experience we purchased 10 sheets of half-inch exterior plywood, cutting to fit the at-risk windows for some future storm (as of this writing, some 20 years later, the stack sits unused in the storage shed. I’d probably be unable to manhandle them into place even if the need arose. Lucky.) Swinging a chain saw right, left, up and down, the clearing of downed trees from our driveway allowed us to exit the property. Nancy and Joe Bower were similarly trapped, and we cut our way into their driveway circle. August 20, 6-9PM: Ingress as well as egress assured, that night the Bowers hosted a small group of us for a “Survivors’ Steak Dinner!” With candlelight and wine, it was an exhilarating event. Hopefully, for those of you who missed this one, maybe you’ll get another chance sometime soon. Then again, hopefully not. Summer 2011 The BoldWater News page 7 BoldWater Social and Athletic Calendar – Summer 2011 July 9------- Sat barrier beach--beach clean up 9:30am Meet at the Cut (Fergus Henderson) July 25--- Mon Our neighbor, journalist, author & 5:00pm commentator, EVAN THOMAS, will speak on a current topic that you’ll not want to miss. Cocktail party to follow. (venue to be announced)
10:30am encouraged to participate (Joe Bower) Aug 14--_ Sun Edgartown Great Pond Regatta 10:00am Meet at Committee Boat. 12:00pm Barrier beach cookout (Jeremy Henderson)
9:30am Meet at the Cut (Fergus Henderson) Aug 21-- Sun- Bill Smith Clam Bake 6:30pm Lynn & Burt Fleming’s Beach (Leah Rukeyser & Deborah Loughrey)
9:00am Sarah and Fergus Henderson. 
Summer 2011 The BoldWater News page 7 This page intentionally left blank 1 Ed Note: Mrs. Shumway is Special Counsel to the President for Electrical Matters 2 Ed. Note: The author is being unduly modest.. 3 See Ed. Notes 1 & 2. 4 No, this is not a mistake; the adjective describes the wind direction, not from whence it blows. Download 0.91 Mb. Share with your friends:
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