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Community Corner

A Truly Spectacular Day on Spectacle Island

On Saturday, October 26, more than 250 people from Boston’s neighborhoods and the region's beachfront communities joined Save the Harbor/Save the Bay for a free day of family fun on Spectacle Island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Park.

Save the Harbor's Board members, funders, friends and supporters from beach friends groups and youth and community organizations spent a crisp and beautiful fall day discovering artifacts from the island’s past, searching for hidden marbles from the "Simply Marble-ous" Treasure Hunt and enjoying spectacular views of Boston Harbor and the city. Some of the younger participants took part in a treasure hunt, and joined the Department of Conservation and Recreation as “Junior Rangers”.

The event was hosted by Save the Harbor’s BayWatcher Bruce Berman, Save the Harbor Board Chair Joe Newman of Arlington, Save the Harbor Board Member Paul Foster, and Save the Harbor Board Member Mark Chrisos of North Reading.

“Sharing the harbor with the region’s kids and families on a crisp autumn day is what Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay is all about,” said Save the Harbor Board Chair Joe Newman of Arlington. He spent the day on the island along with his wife, Patricia.

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State Representative Kathi-Anne Reinstein of Revere and her husband Bob joined Save the Harbor for her first visit to Spectacle. “There’s so much to see and do on this island and Boston harbor,” she said. “It really is a spectacular place with a great beach. Almost as nice as Revere!”

Young harbor explorer Jacob Tubman from Newton spent the day on Spectacle with his family as well. “I really liked looking for marbles and glass on the beach,” said Jacob. “It made me feel like a real treasure hunter!”

Neighborhood groups from Nahant to Nantasket, students from Boston University, and participants in Save the Harbor’s free summer youth programs and their families bundled up for the brisk fall weather as they embarked on Bay State Cruise Line’s flagship Provincetown II.

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“Boston Harbor connects our neighborhoods and our communities with each other and the sea.” said Bruce Berman, Director of Strategy, Communications and Programs at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. “Everyone had so much fun today that we are already planning for a winter cruise.”

This "Treasures of Spectacle Island" trip, and Save the Harbor’s youth environmental education programs are made possible with Leadership Grants from Bay State Cruise Company, Distrigas/GDF SUEZ, The P.I. Garden Fund, The Coca-Cola Foundation, The Ludeke Foundation, and Yawkey Foundation II.

Save the Harbor is grateful for Partnership Grants from The Andus Baker & Rowen Murphy Family Fund, Forrest Berkley and Marcie Tyre Berkley, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Jay Cashman Inc., The Chiofaro Company, Circle Furniture, The Dolphin Trust, Fan Pier, a development of the Fallon Company, John Hancock Financial Services, Inc., HYM Investment Group, Lee Kennedy Company, Inc., Mass Humanities, Massachusetts Bay Lines, Massachusetts Port Authority, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, National Grid Foundation, P&G Gillette, William E. and Bertha E. Schrafft Charitable Trust, and The Clinton H. and Wilma T. Shattuck Charitable Trust.

Save the Harbor also appreciates funding support from Arabella Insurance Group Charitable Foundation, Inc., Bank of America Pavilion, Boston Centers for Youth Families, Breckinridge Capital Advisors, Carnival Foundation, Department of Conservation and Recreation, Lovett-Woodsum Family Charitable Foundation, Inc., The Paul & Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation, BOMA, Boston Bruins Foundation, Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Community-Suffolk Inc., DeMarco Produce, Thomas & Lucinda Foley, Goulston & Storrs, Matthew J. & Gilda F. Strazzula Foundation, Mobile Beacon, Reebok Foundation, South Boston Community Development Foundation, Sovereign Bank Foundation, Stuart Vidockler and Lynda Clare and hundreds of individual donors.

If you would like to be invited on Save the Harbor's next adventure on Boston Harbor, send an email to info@savetheharbor.org.

To find out more about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's All Access Boston Harbor trips, visit their website at http://www.savetheharbor.org, their youth blog, “Sea, Sand and Sky” at http://www.blog.savetheharbor.org, and their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/savetheharbor.





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