Barque Hill Association

Semi-Annual Report (Oct. 31) – Six Months Fiscal 2005 (year ending April 30, 2005 )

 Treasurer’s Report

      The first six months of our fiscal year are recorded on the attached Income Statement. To date 79 households out of 106 have paid dues. A second dues notice will accompany this report.

      Our expenses have been, with two exceptions, as anticipated. Our largest expense, mowing, will approximate the $6,000 budgeted figure.  On The Green, our mower, charges $200 per week, April-November, to mow six tracts of Association property.  We may face an increase next year as landscaping costs escalate in the normal course of events. The two exceptions, tree work and a survey, are discussed below.  

      Other expenses are in line with our budget. With some income from a second dues notice, we expect this year to show a small loss, reducing our accumulated surplus to ~$2,000. This amount will provide us a modest amount of flexibility to undertake further improvements in our neighborhood.

 Web Site

John Garvey has created a very interesting and attractive web site (www.barquehill.org) which contains the history of our area, pictures and other helpful information. He is always looking for more material – pictures, articles, etc.

 Grounds

      Mowing:  We are fortunate that Bill Goodwin and his On the Green staff have been attentive and efficient in caring for our grounds. In addition to mowing, they have provided a spring clean-up and some minor trimming. Mowing on common land, particularly the center strip on Barque Hill Drive and the frontage of Till Rock Park , is hampered by dog owners not picking up after their pets. Please be considerate of our neighborhood where so many of us walk and play by cleaning up after your dog.

      Tree Work:  When we hired a tree crew to remove the rope swing in Shipyard Park this spring, we were able to take advantage of their equipment in clearing part of Till Rock Park . This expense exceeded our budget but seemed an excellent opportunity to provide our neighborhood with a pleasant area where brambles, dead trees & branches, and heavy undergrowth had before made the area practically unusable.

      Flowers and Rocks:  Jessie Chai and Loann Keene have done a wonderful job in planting flowers at the foot of Barque Hill Drive and Till Rock.

      Shipyard Park :  We have made great strides in reclaiming Shipyard from spreading growth. Wider spaces were evident at the Picnic and work is ongoing to open more space.

      Clean-up:  This fall more dead trees & branches on Barque Hill Drive were removed. Similar clean-ups took place at Till Rock Park , Landing Green and Barque Hill Common. Barque Hill Trail was once again opened with trimming and removal of undergrowth. A neighborhood crew of Cleo Jones, Jon Keene, Jeff Lundgren, Eric Thorbahn and Dan Uhlman raked the center strip of Barque Hill Drive in early November and reflective rebars have been placed along the road to protect the lawns from the sweep of snow plows.

      Survey:  We have always been unsure of the boundaries of Landing Green, given the odd shape of that parcel and its bordering on a large undeveloped, privately owned tract. To clarify the area we could clear, we contracted with a local firm to survey the lot and mark the lines with rebars. That area is now well defined.

      Right of Way:  The Association owns a narrow right of way which runs from the end of Fox Hill Lane to back part of Shipyard Park . We have been advised by the town Fence Viewer to clear that small area to remind all that the path belongs to the Association.

 Social Events

      Picnic – September 18:   We had nice weather and a great time with activities and games organized by Matt Hendison, food prepared by Paul McCarthy and salads and desserts brought by many. Matt was able to provide a several inflated bouncers for the kids, and pony rides were also a hit.

      Halloween Parade:  We held a Halloween parade at Shipyard Park on October 31 to give the kids a chance to show off their costumes in the daylight. There were more games, treasure hunts, and tractor rides, accompanied by desserts, making for another successful day.
      The evening trick-or-treat activity went smoothly without any serious disruptions or damage to individual property. Most of the activity appeared to be over by 8 PM .

      Christmas Caroling:  With the Christmas season soon coming upon us, Matt Hendison has again volunteered to look into arranging a caroling group or groups to serenade the neighborhood.

Roads

      Condition:  After many long years of concern and with seemingly no hope in sight, the Barque Hill area this fall was regraded, and the first layer of repavement was laid down. Drainage concerns were addressed and higher berms were built along road edges. We expect to have the topcoat laid down this spring. This welcome work may well have been the result of the Town Meeting passage of a $1 million bond issue to deal with the deterioration of Norwell roads.

Rope Swing and Shipyard Park

      As the result of a neighborhood wide discussion and vote on our web site, the rope swing was removed in late spring. The overriding concern was the liability the swing represented along with the extra traffic, trash and constant presence of strangers in Shipyard Park . There followed a flurry of accusations and threats, all of which faded shortly thereafter.

 Other Topics

      Welcome Committee:   Anne Merna has taken the leadership of this committee which greets each new resident in our neighborhood with a gift and some material describing Barque Hill.  Thus far in 2004, six new homeowners have been greeted.           

 Respectfully submitted,