My Husband is the Lynn Woods Ranger
by Jane M. Kelley, 1st Vice-President
Dear friends:
My husband is the Lynn Woods Ranger and frankly, that is why I was originally interested in becoming active in the Friends of Lynn Woods. I have lived in Lynn for my entire 38 years, but never gave much thought to the woods except during the occasional field trip that I took as a girl, or when my children were involved at school, Brownies, or Girl Scouts. Of course, like all Lynn teenagers, my friends and I had our day (or night) in Lynn Woods.
In recent years, simple conversations with my husband over Sunday morning coffee have led me to want the Lynn Woods Reservation, the spectacular place that it is, to be recognized as such. People are still frightened by the woods. They believe that the hordes of juvenile delinquents and other such undesirables that frequented the woods in the 70s and 80s are still there. They remember the burned-out cars and trash that littered the interior of the park in the days when vehicles were allowed beyond the gates. This is simply no longer true. The hard work and dedication of my husband and a plethora of volunteers has changed all of that.
Of course, there are those who insist on filling the barrels in the parking lots with personal trash or dumping yard waste over the guardrails. There is still the occasional dirt biker or ATV user who interrupts the quiet enjoyment of the park by others. Naturally, there are those who not only disregard the rules of the park, but do not even bother to read them. There will never be a day when all park users respect the rights of others or follow all the rules and regulations. Some of them will allow their dogs to soil the children's softball field and not clean it up. Some will toss their water bottles into the woods during road races or track meets and never go back to get them. Some kids will have a keg party and leave inordinate amounts of trash behind, and still others will not only ride rogue trails on their mountain bikes, but actually cut new ones and then brazenly put up a trail head sign. These selfish people are fortunately in the minority.
The good people I have met in and around the woods over the past few years inspired me to get involved. I am now the Vice President for outreach, membership, volunteerism, and fundraising. The people I have met are dedicated to making the Lynn Woods Reservation what it once was and they are doing a marvelous job. I cannot take any credit for this, but I can strive to meet their dedication with dedication and commitment of my own. Making the woods an even better place for the children and families of Lynn and the surrounding communities is something that smacks of good. There will be a day when Lynn's kids will know there are no tigers or monkeys in Lynn Woods, and there will be a day when the children in our community will know what vernal pools are and will want to explore them.
The only way to accomplish these goals is to recruit new members and volunteers, and to raise money. Increased membership and funds will enable the Friends to expand and improve their public programming, maintain the Rose Garden, rehabilitate the Park House, and someday repair and reopen the Stone Tower. You have shown your support by joining the Friends but we still need you to do more. Volunteer for anything that you are interested in. Help maintain the Rose Garden, or help with children's activities on Kid's Day or Dungeon Rock Day. Everyone is capable of doing something, even if that something is getting your friends to join the Friends of Lynn Woods or buying a ticket to our biggest fundraiser to date, the Horizon's Edge Casino Cruise on Friday, July 9, 2004 (editor's note: please see Casino Cruise with Horizon's Edge). Please call the Friend's Hot Line at 781.593.7773 for information or tickets. Leave a message and I'll make sure you get a prompt reply.
Thanking you all in advance for your time, cooperation, and continued dedication.
Sincerely,
Jane M. Kelley, Vice President, Friends of Lynn Woods