Welcome to Watson Park

Welcome to Watson Park.

We can finally say it.   The parcels that have been informally called Watson or Taylor Park for years, are now an official Boston Park.

The properties (both properties; all 5 parcels) have been transferred from the BRA to the parks department, and are now part of the Boston parks system.  The Parks department voted to accept the land back in August;  and this month the BRA has finally filed the deeds granting the land transfer.

Thanks to everyone involved in this multi-year effort; many who have worked hard behind the to make this happen.   Many, many phone calls; gathering signatures and petitions; attending countless meetings, and enduring the challenge of navigating through many city and BRA processes spanning two Mayoral administrations.

Through everyone's hard work the land is now an official park, ensuring it remains open space parkland in perpetuity.


We are working with the city to have some kind of ribbon cutting / ceremony in the park to officially recognize the establishment of the Parks.  We will post information when such an event is scheduled. In the mean time,  Watson Park will have a bulb planting in the park 11am on November 1st. A full park cleanup will take place during Fall Boston Shines (later in November).


If you are interested in becoming involved in the forming Friends of Watson park, please contact us and we'll pass your name on.


Watson Park is located at the corner of Milford and Taylor streets, and is named after the father of long time Taylor resident Charlie Watson.

Parks & Cleanups

Hi everyone,

Boston Shines

Mark your calendars - next Saturday come join your neighbors as Eight Streets takes part in Boston Shines.  This year we'll be cleaning out Watson park, as well as the alleys between Shawmut and Bone, and Shawmut and Taylor.   We'll also give a hand where we can with cleanups going on in Ringgold and Peters parks.   The city will provide bags and tools (ad hopefully some gloves) - we just need the manpower.

Join us and help put a Shine on the southern end of our neighborhood.   After the cleanup, Friends on Ringgold is hosting a pot luck and plant sale in the park from 11:30-2

A Flier for the Boston Shines cleanups can be found here.

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Watson Park

Speaking of Watson Park, the city has arranged for an in-park community meeting.  The BRA ad Parks Dept. will be there, so we hope to get an update  on the status of transferring the park to Parks.  The meeting is this Wednesday at 6pm in the park.   We hope abutters and interested neighbors can attend.

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Facebook

The South End Forum has created a presence on Facebook.  They have a Page for announcement and such, and a Group which is an open community board where anyone can post.   Visit both if you'd like to keep up on South End-wide information

South End FB Page.

South End FB Community Group.

and of course, the Eight Streets FB Page.

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Hope we can see you this week:

• Wednesday, April 29, Watson Park Meeting.  6pm in the park.
• Saturday, May 2, Boston Shines.  8:30-noon.  Meet at Watson Park
• Saturday, May 2, Ringgold Park Pot Luck and Plant Sale, 11:30-2

Cleanup & More Cleanup

Thanks for a great Cleanup!

We'd like to thank everyone who took part in the Ringgold park cleanup this past weekend.   We had a
great crowd and cleaned up a lot of winter debris - 40+ bags for parks to take away and compost.   it was great meeting all our neighbors, and the park looks ready for Spring.    During Boston Shines, may 10th, we'll be getting free mulch from the city, and meet back in the park to mulch around the plantings.

We have a bunch of photos on our Facebook page.

Thanks to

• All who participated, of course!
• Friends of Ringgold Park, for coordinating with the city
• Parks Department, for access to tools and for doing a special pickup to collect the bags of debris
• The Wholey Grain, for some great coffee to start our day!

We hope some of you want to become more involved in Ringgold Park.   A number of FoRP board members will be stepping down, and we'd like to get park neighbors to step forward and help out.   Please contact Michael if you're interested in joining the Friends, or would just like some more information.

Speaking of cleanups

Last month we went on an alley security walk with Officer Litto.   One alley we walked down is the Waltham/Hanson alley.   The alley was in rough shape, filled with lots of debris.   Officer Litto was concerned that if Police or Fire had to respond to an emergency, they would rick injury themselves trying to navigate the alley in the dark.

We'd like to get Waltham/Hanson alley abutters together to do an alley clean-up on Boston Shines day, May 10th.   If enough neighbors get together, we can provide tools and arrange for DPW to pick up everything we remove from the alley.   In the past neighbors helped clean up the Hanson/Milford and Milford/Dwight alleys, and we hope the Waltham/Hanson neighbors will be just as enthusiastic about cleaning up their common alley!

If you abut the alley, please contact John and I'll put you in touch with the folks organizing the cleanup. This would take place the morning of May 10th, as part of Boston Shines.  (and in conjunction with our Ringgold mulching.

Hope to see you then!

Ringgold Park Clean-up

Mark your calendar

April 12th we'll have a cleanup of Ringgold Park.   Let's get the park ready for Spring and the Easter Egg hunt.  This is your chance to get involved, meet your neighbors, and to be the one to make your neighborhood a cleaner place to live.

You'll also get a chance to meet some of the current Friends of Ringgold Park members.  The Friends is looking for more members, as well as some local residents to join the board of FoRP.   Many of the current board no longer live in the area, and we need local residents to step forward and take up leadership positions.

The Parks department will provide tools, gloves and bags, and ESNA will be providing some coffee and goodies.  All you need to bring are good spirits and a willingness to make our neighborhood a better place.

Hope to see you there!!

Saturday, April 12th, starting at 9am.   
Rain date Sunday, April 13

Download the flier with this link.   Print out and share with your neighbors!!

Ringgold Park updates

Spring is almos there, and like the bird and flowers, the great folks of Friends of Ringgold Park are making their return and gearing up for the return of warmer weather.

Friends is on the lookout for some new board members.   If you enjoy the park, live near the park, or just want to get a little more involved, the boar dof Friends of Ringgold is looking for new members!!   Contact ringgoldpark@verizon.net to join or for more information.

Upcoming events:

• Community meeting on playground improvements.  April 5, 6:30, Blackstone community center. We are excited to announce that the City of Boston is holding a public meeting to discuss the 2012–2013 playground improvements to Ringgold Park! The meeting will take place at the Blackstone Community Center, 50 West Brookline Street, 2nd floor. This is your opportunity to comment on the playground renovation design, so please mark your calendars and plan to join us!
• April 7 - Spring Cleanup!!! We have our spring cleanup scheduled for Saturday April 7th from 9 to 12. Please stop by the park for a few minutes or hours to lend a hand as we tidy up after winter. Tools, gloves, and refreshments will be provided.
• April 8 - Spring Easter Egg Hunt - if they get volunteers!!!  Contact ringgoldpark@verizon.net to help out or for more information.  If volunteers can't be found to help organize the event, they won't be having a hunt this year...
• May 6, 12:30 - Fountain Plaza Opening Celebration. Please join us for our opening celebration of the new fountain plaza in Ringgold Park! Mayor Menino, Parks Commissioner Toni Pollock, City Councilors, Parks employees, and Ringgold friends and neighbors will join together in the park to admire the newly constructed fountain. Refreshments will be provided — please stop by and say hello!

To keep up on all the latest park news, visit http://ringgoldpark.org/news-events and sign up to have news delivered to your inbox or your favorite RSS reader

Ringgold: Informal opening & Fall Cleanup

While we tend to forget our parks come winter time, this Saturday, Dec 3 at 9am, Ringgold will have an informal park opening to celebrate the end of construction and the completion of the center area, including plantings, seating and the new fountain.   Come and join them for coffee and muffins to show off the new park and discuss Ringgold's future.   (There will be an official ribbon cutting come spring)

And while you're there, bring your gloves and help doa little Fall clean-up.  (Yes, by the calendar its still fall.  :)  Now that the fencing is down, you can actually get into the park, so time to clean before winter actually arrives.

You can see some fountain photos on the ESNA Facebook Page.  (Like us while you're there!)

Ringgold - Halloween is back on

Friends of Ringgold will be partnering with Friends of Peters Park to hold the Ringgold Halloween Celebration in Peters Park this year!!

The celebration will be from 4:30 to 6 in Peters park.   Friends of Ringgold is looking for volunteers to help set up, clean up, and "donate savory food items".  To help with Halloween please email ringgoldpark@verizon.net.

Additional info:

We will host a cleanup beforehand, tentatively scheduled for Sunday, Oct 30, from 2 to 4 pm.  Rakes, bags and gloves provided. Please join us in making this fun community event a success!  Our friends at the D4 Police Precinct are planning to close Shawmut Ave and Waltham Street for a short period so we can safely parade back towards our traditional trick or treating route, up Waltham and Hanson Streets before branching out to surrounding streets. All are welcome!

South End News also posted an article on the fountain construction... 

To get more involved with Ringgold park, please email the Friends of Ringgold park....

Ringgold park news

Friends of Ringgold Park just sent out a lot of news updates.   To summarize:

• The construction of the fountain has been delayed a bit due to manufacturing issues with some of the custom-designed pieces.  Fountain work should be complete in November
• Given the delay, there will not be Ringgold Park Halloween party this year.    Sorry kids.
• Parks department has announced the two Ringgold playgrounds will be renovated in 2012!!!

Check out the Ringgold Park News page for complete details.  And while you're there subscribe to their newsletter, subscribe to their news RSS feed, and Friend them on Facebook!!!

Dog Run users - feedback wanted!

  Peters Park Dog Park Patrons
We need your Help and want your Feedback !!

Tues June 28, 2011

7-8pm

Note Change of Location: The Franklin (11 E Newton St - corner of Washington St)

• Come and meet other DRS Users (and learn their names)
• Discuss planned improvements
• Learn how to be a good DRS user
• • Boston City License
  • Leash Law/Dog Fouling
  • Park Rules
• Review ongoing maintenance costs for park
• Learn ways to volunteer and contriute
• Share your thoughts in a positive way with us

Sorry - No dogs at the meeting

Dedication of Land Wave

Mayor Menino will be on hand to dedicate the sculpture LandWave - the undulating mass of Land and Sea in Peters Park, next to the ball fields adjacent to Washington street.   The artwork represents the meeting of Land and Sea at what was once the "neck" of boston - the narrow strip of land (often covered at high tide int eh early days) that made the original boston land mass almost an island.  

Join the Mayor at 11:30am on Monday, April 25th for the dedication ceremony.

Complete information on Monday's event and an over view of LandWave.

The LandWave web site

Egg Hunt Postponed Due to Weather

The Ringgold Park Egg Hunt has been rescheduled due to inclement weather.



Please join us next Sunday, April 24th, at 10 am.

We hope to see you there!

The Friends of Ringgold Park

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email: ringgoldpark@verizon.net

Ringgold fundraising deadline approaches

Ringgold park has gotten Landmarks approval for the new center circle design, but the fundraising deadline is fast approaching.  The Feb 22 fundraising deadline is a little over 2 weeks away!!!  Get full details in this South End News article on the design and fundraising effort.

Read here to read Ringgold Park's latest call for donations.  Or, jump right to the on-line donation page to make your donation!  They need your help in order to make this renovation happen!

It's not too late to donate to Ringgold

Theres still a day left to make your tax deductible donation to Ringgold Park and help raise money for the center circle capital campaign fund.   Use their on-line donation form to donate to ringgold park and have your donation apply to the 2010 tax season.  (Or start the new year off by donating on January 1).

Any donation you make will help bring us closer to completing this beautiful project in Ringgold Park.

Ringgold on-line donation site.  From here you can use your credit card to donate any amount.

More Information on Ringgold Donations and the Center Circle project.