Olliepalooza!

Hey guys! This past Thursday, the South Boston Neighborhood House hosted an event at Moakley Park called OlliePalooza. This was a fun free event for anyone to come to. They offered free hot dogs, popcorn, slush, water, water balloon games, moon bouncing, a DJ for dancing, an inflatable GaGa Ball arena, and much more. We were invited to set up a fish printing table, and to assist the pirate Mary Read with her stories about the Boston Harbor.

We set up the table in the shade of one of the giant moon bounces, as Thursday was one of the hottest days we have had this summer. Fact: children and families are likely to come visit your table if you are in the shade rather than in the sun on a day like that. We were using sea bass instead of flounder, which was new for me. I was unsure at first because these fish were significantly smaller than the flounder we have been using all summer. However, smaller doesn't necessarily mean worse. The fish prints came out beautifully on the t shirts we were using, and our visitors had a great time choosing their colors and making multicolored fish prints. I have to say though, one of the best moments of the day was when one of the teachers at the Ollie Preschool thought we were doing face painting, and I said "No, Ms. Cathy. Fish printing." And she looked and saw a real fish on the table and actually squealed in disgust. It was hilarious.

I also loved capturing the looks of interest, intrigue and excitement on the faces of children who stopped to hear some stories from Nora Dooley .. I mean Mary Read the pirate. They had so many questions for her, and listened so intently, that they were able to answer any questions she had at the end when she quizzed them on her information. Aside from the heat, OlliePalooza was another successful better beaches event that I am thankful we got to be a part of!

See you at the beach!
Bridget

New Experiences This Summer

During our Staff Meetings, Bruce asks us to share one thing that we've done this summer that we've never done before. There have been many firsts for me this summer. I was surprised when I was chosen to be a Senior Marine Educator, but it has been a great experience to learn while doing and absorb as much information about the harbor and marine life as I possibly can. I really enjoy working with the Jr. Program Assistants at the Children's Museum to provide a great fishing and crabbing program. I've worked with high school students for the past 4 years, and it's never a dull moment.

Children's Museum JPAs

This is also the first summer that I've fished almost everyday. When I was younger, I fished with my father, but my fishing duties were limited to passing him worms to bait. I never complained about my duties, because I was pretty happy looking out into the ocean view with my pink Barbie fishing pole. Since then I've learned how to bait a line and what type of bait to use, how to tie a weight and hook to a line, how to cast, and how to catch the small blue fish, herring, and pier fish in the channel by the Children's Museum. I've learned a lot in a month.

A Great Catch at the Children's Museum

This is my first summer as the Better Beaches Coordinator, so when I'm not at the Children's Museum, I'm busy scheduling events and signing up our Summer Staff to work on the weekends (I call it a leadership opportunity). I've been able to work at the Revere Beach Sandcastle Festival, South Boston Neighborhood House Family Literacy Night, Friends of Lynn/Nahant Kids' Event and Concert, and many others. From my previous work with Americorps and City Year, I am really eager to be in different communities and learn how they function. Since I'm a Boston transplant, I've learned a lot about the coastal communities and about the culture of the city.

Summer Staff at South Boston Neighborhood House 

Even though there's only about 3 weeks left of our summer programs, I hope to still have many firsts.

Stay Sandy,
Iris Ayala

The Summer's Not Over Yet!

It may be September already, but the beautiful days to enjoy our Harbor and our beaches certainly aren't over yet! And nobody knows this better than our Better Beaches groups- who are working to bring their communities to their beaches throughout the entire year. Our friends over at the South Boston Neighborhood House hosted their second "Family Fun Night" of the summer on September 2nd, reminding us that summer isn't over-- there's plenty more fun to be had, and plenty more memories to be made, on our beaches this year!

Sarah Appleton and I headed over to McCormick Bathhouse for Family Fun Night - one of my favorite Better Beaches events. The Neighborhood House consistently creates events that are shining examples of what the Better Beaches program is about: They've received just a small sum from the Better Beaches Grant Program (which the South Boston community raised themselves this year at the Cupid Splash!) and they've leveraged it into something so much bigger, tying in so many more pieces of the community and bringing families together against our favorite backdrop: the Harbor. Kids and their families listened to a local storyteller, created paintings and spin art with local artists, played on the beach, danced to the DJ, ate, and spent time together. Boston Public School representatives were there with information for parents about the new year, the South Boston Community Heath Center was on hand with information about healthier lifestyles for families, and Sarah and I were there providing some marine science. But my favorite part? Super Duck Tours donated free rides to and from Castle Island in the Super Duck Boat, an exciting new way for families to experience the Harbor together, and a great example of expanding the vision and creativity of what a Better Beaches event can be!

The South Boston community, and all of our Better Beaches groups, do a phenomenal job with pooling and leveraging what they have and what they are given through their grants. They don't just say, "We have this amount of money, what can we do with it?" They ask: "What are our resources as a community?" and "Who else can get involved?" It's really amazing to see what they create and who joins the fun.

The sunset brought some chilly air in South Boston, but the party continued. I know that some of my favorite memories as a child were on the beach on nights like this, late in the season, wrapped in a sweatshirt, cold sand under my feet, seeing lights sparkle all around me across the water. And in those memories, I was always with my family. The South Boston Neighborhood House is creating memories like that-- time spent together on a gorgeous night as the summer dwindles. I'm very proud to be a part of giving families the chance to make these memories together.

But hold on.... these kids get duck boat rides, storytellers, and spin art? Little elementary-school me is very, very jealous.

Hope to see you on the beach all year round!

Michelle

Better Beaches Event Calendar!

June 2011

6/25/11 – 12pm: Friends of Lynn and Nahant State Present: World Folk Festival @ Lynn Heritage State Park

6/25/11 – 12pm: Friends of Wollaston Beach Present: Kids’ Fest @ The Beach on West Elm Ave Pavilion

6/27/11 (Rain Date 6/30/2011) – 11am-4pm: East Boston YMCA and the Friends of Constitution Beach Present: Beach Kick-Off Day @ Constitution Beach

July 2011

7/3/11 – 7pm-9pm: Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach Present: Summer Concert Series @ Red Rock Park

7/7/11 – 6pm-8pm: Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach Present: Summer Concert Series @ Red Rock Park

7/9/11 – 10am-12pm: Friends of Belle Isle Marsh Present: Artists on the Beach and "The Sea, The Shore, The Sky"

7/14/11-7/17/11: Revere Beach Partnership Present: Revere Beach National Sand Sculpting Festival @ Revere Beach Bandstand
7/14/2011:South Boston Neighborhood House Present: Early Books Family Night on the Beach Link 7/14/11 – 6pm-8pm: Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach Present: Summer Concert Series @ Red Rock Park 7/19/11 – 6pm: Friends of Wollaston Beach Present: Dancing in the Park @ Tot Lot on Quincy Shore Dr & East Elm Ave 7/21/11 – 6pm-8pm: Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach Present: Summer Concert Series @ Red Rock Park 7/28/11 -- 12pm-4pm: Revere Beach Partnership Present: 6^th Annual Summer Fun Health Fair @ Revere Beach Bandstand 7/28/11 – 6pm-8pm: Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach Present: Summer Concert Series @ Red Rock Park 7/30/11 – 12pm-3pm: Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach Present: FNLB 2^nd Annual Children’s Concert @ Red Rock Park 7/30/11 – 6pm-9pm: Hull Lifesaving Museum Present: Harbor Illumination @ Windemere Harbor in Hull July TBD: Friends of Belle Isle Marsh Present: Tide Pool Exploration Link
August 2011
8/4/11 – 6pm-8pm: Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach Present: Summer Concert Series @ Red Rock Park 8/11/11: South Boston Neighborhood House Present: Early Books Family Night on the Beach 8/11/11 – 6pm-8pm: Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach Present: Summer Concert Series @ Red Rock Park 8/12/11 – 6pm-11pm: The Friends of Paragon Carousel Present: Midsummer’s Night Showcase @ Nantasket Beach Hotel 8/13/11 – 11pm-1pm: Friends of Belle Isle Marsh Present: The Night Sky – Perseid Meteor Showers and the Full Moon @ Winthrop Beach (meet at the Flagpole on Shore Drive) 8/18/11 – 6pm-8pm: Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach Present: Summer Concert Series @ Red Rock Park Week of the 22^nd – Weeknight (Exact Date TBD): Friends of Savin Hill Shores and Columbia Savin Hill Civic Association Present: Dorchester Beach Festival Family Movie Night 8/23/11 – 6pm: Friends of Wollaston Beach Present: Reading in the Park @ Tot Lot on Quincy Shore Dr & East Elm Ave 8/25/11 – 6pm-8pm: Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach Present: Summer Concert Series @ Red Rock Park August TDB: Friends of Belle Isle Marsh Present: Tide Pool Exploration

9/17/11 – 12pm-6pm (Rain Date: 9/18/11): Hull Chamber of Commerce Presents: Endless Summer Waterfront Festival @ Various Locations at Nantasket Ave

September TBD: Friends of Belle Isle Marsh Present: The Birds on the Beach Forum

TBD: Winthrop Parks and Recreation Present: Events at Yirrell and Winthrop Beach

Funds to support this year's awards came from the 1st Annual Cupid Splash cold-water plunge and pledge fundraiser held on public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket in April, with additional support from Save the Harbor's "Better Beaches Program" funding partners at Comcast Massachusetts, the Department of Conservation & Recreation, Jet Blue Airways, Harpoon Brewery, National Grid, and the Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust. Thanks also to our 25th Anniversary partners at The Boston Foundation, The State Street Foundation, John Hancock, P&G Gillette, and Distragas of Massachusetts / GDF Suez for their generosity and support.

Family Fun Night

Last night, July 22nd at Carson Beach, there was first Family Fun Night held by the South Boston Neighborhood House. Save the Harbor staff Dan, Carolyn, and Tom Reagan went to teach the youth with the touch tank. Earlier in the day Dan and Carolyn had been lucky enough to catch two lobsters! The kids eyes widened as saw the massive lobsters come out of the tank.

The weather was gorgeous. They really enjoyed the beautiful weather and had a great time. The organizers did a fantastic job. The families even signed a poster thanking Save the Harbor/Save the Bay!

Cassie