Island Neighborhood Association
of Waltham and Newton
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The Island Neighborhood Association of Waltham was organized in 1998 to protect and improve the health, welfare, environment, and social quality of life in the Island / Forest Grove areas of Waltham and Newton Massachusetts.
Membership is open to any resident or property owner within the Island neighborhood.. Membership dues are $12 per person, per year. For membership information, contact Adrian Wilkins at (781) 899-4645, or email to: adrianwilkins@rcn.com. The Association publishes a newsletter every few months.
The Island is located in the southwest corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, adjacent to the Auburndale section of Newton, and across the Charles River from Angleside. Formerly Morse Meadow Island, surrounded by the Charles River, it gradually became a peninsula as the cities of Waltham and Newton encroached on the water with landfill activities over the course of the 20th century.
The Island can be reached by Woerd Avenue off Crescent Steet in Waltham, or Rumford Avenue off Lexington Street in Newton. Both "gateways" travel through commercially zoned property consisting of office, light manufacturing and warehouse operations. The residential neighborhood is primarily situated along the Charles River and two of its coves, Cram's Cove and Purgatory Cove. Housing is mixed, including multi-family homes, small cottage style houses, large Victorians, and medium sized bungaloes and capes.
MDC-managed recreational properties enhance the area, including Forest Grove and the Woerd Avenue boat launch, providing public boating access to the scenic "Norumbega Lakes District" of the Charles. Views across the river and coves include Mt. Feake cemetery, the site of the former pumping station, Angleside, and portions of Brandeis University. At the center of the neighborhood is Logan Park, managed by Waltham Parks and Recreation. The Island Neighborhood Association is an active organization of residents, property, and business owners dedicated to preserving and improving the quality of life in the Island neighborhood.
Hovey House is located at the corner of Woerd Ave. and Crescent St. Enter from the back door at the Woerd end of the building. Please, no parking in the Hovey House lot.
| President | |
| Recording Secretary | |
| Corresponding Secretary | |
| Treasurer | |
| Auditor |
The officers are elected by the general membership of the Association, and serve for one year. Executive Board meetings are held monthly and are open to all members in good standing. General membership meetings are held quarterly and are open to any interested parties.
| Cove and Grove Committee | Bart Nichols, Chairperson. The purpose of the committee is to promote and implement improvements to the coves and park areas along the river, which will lead to a cleaner environment, more open space, and a better habitat for island residents, visitors, and wildlife. (bartn@aol.com) |
| Land Use and Zoning Committee | Lela Chiavaras, Chairperson. (morimput@aol.com) |
| Membership Committee | Adrian Wilkins, Chairperson (adrianwilkins@rcn.com) |
| Historical Committee | Sam Picariello, Chairperson. (617)332-7180. |
| Newsletter | To contribute material to the newsletter contact Bart Nichols (bartn@aol.com) |
| Web Site | To contribute material to the web site, contact Jim Van Donsel webmaster@islandneighborhood.DELETETHISPART.org |
If you are interested in joining a committee, please contact the committee chairperson.
(Click on the small pictures for a better view.)
| Here's an aerial photo of the neighborhood, taken in 1994. |  |
| Here's a map of the neighborhood, from 1896. The Island is pretty much an island here. |  |
| This is a portion of a 1903 USGS map showing the
Island area. Notice the wetlands surrounding the Island.
The entire map can be found on a UNH
site. |
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| Click Here for some pictures from the Forest Grove cleanup from April. |
Executive Board Minutes, November 8, 2000
The MDC's Request for Proposals for its Charles River Restoration project. Document is dated 1998, and contains scant details.
January 2000 Newsletter in Acrobat PDF format. (A free Acrobat PDF reader is available from Adobe)
Executive Board Minutes, May 12, 1999
Executive Board Minutes, April 21, 1999
A History of the South Side, by Warren Glancy, 1974
Executive Board Minutes, March 17, 1999
Executive Board Minutes, February 17, 1999
General Meeting Minutes, February 3, 1999
| Charles River Watershed Association | The Charles River Watershed Association is a non-profit organization protecting the Charles River and its watershed since 1965. |
| www.walthamlandtrust.org | The Waltham Land Trust is dedicated to preserving undeveloped land in Waltham. |
| http://web2.mln.lib.ma.us | The catalog of the Minuteman Library Network, including Waltham Public Library. |
| www.city.waltham.ma.us | This is the official home page for Waltham, Massachusetts. Lots of good information, including contacts at City Hall. |
| www.hardypond.org | This is the home page of the Hardy Pond Association. A well-designed web site with interesting Waltham history. |
| www.waltham-community.org | An unofficial Waltham page with lots of information and links to other local pages of interest |
| Metz Links | Some links with information about the Metz automobile company of Waltham. |
| The Waltham Museum | A lot of interesting Waltham history. |
Send comments on this web site to webmaster@islandneighborhood.DELETETHISPART.org