[SPEAKER_08]: table on my left. I've had the good fortune of working over the last few months with one of my favorite local agencies, the Mystic River Watershed Association. And they've supported a number of recent community center outreach programs, and they are one of the busiest organizations in the area whose mission is based in conservation, recreation, and restoration of our local waterways. So tonight, we have a few of their leaders here to talk about the special work they have planned for the summer, and in particular, about a forward-looking initiative called the Mystic Lakes Pathway Improvement Project that they're hoping to bring to a stretch of the river, just a stone's throw away from where we sit. Our guests for this portion of the evening's program are friends, and they certainly have a great story to tell. Let me first reintroduce to you the executive director of MIRA, Mystic River Watershed Association. That's my friend Patrick Herron. He's been at the helm of the agency since September of 2016, and he leads the overall vision of the organization. He manages the finances and the board of directors, and we know what that's like. He joined MIRA as the Water Quality Monitoring Director in 2009 and became Deputy Director in 2014. During his tenure with the organization, Patrick has worked with the staff to initiate many new programs for the association, including water chestnut or invasive species removal, River herring monitoring, that's really a key clue to the health of the river. Mystic Greenways and waterfront restoration. During his time at the association, he has written and managed many of the grants that have underpinned this work and established collaborations across the watershed. There's more to say, but I'll leave it right there. Suffice it to say that he's a busy man running a very important organization. Joining Patrick at the table is Carl Alexander. Carl is charged with leading all aspects of the aforementioned Mystic Greenways program, working alongside a dynamic, collaborative team on the community-led design of park and shared-use path projects along the watershed. Most recently, Carl served as an urban planning and design consultant for open space and greenways, mobility and placemaking projects in the greater Boston area. A few of the highlights of which include the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway in East Boston, the Airwife Linear Park in Cambridge, and the Neighborways Program in Somerville. He has a BA in politics from Bates. Bates is a good school up there in Maine. Up there in Maine. and an MS in urban planning and community development from down here at UMass Boston School for the Environment, resident of East Somerville. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, gardening, and hiking. I didn't know this about you, okay. So as is my custom in beginning these evenings we share, I would like to offer a bit of verse to get us thinking about the themes of equity, history, accessibility that we'll be talking about for the next little while. This piece is called A river runs through it. Our valley is a place of legacy. Monuments of wood and bronze and stone. Stories we tell and make our own. Colonial towns that stand the test of time. Old graveyards that reckon our lost prime. Thoughts that bring a poet to a rhyme. And a river runs through it. Our valley is a place of history. Heroes that fought in foreign wars. Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Corps. Pride and service that extends their tours. Courage seeping, sweating through their pores. Death and loss that bravery ignores. And the river runs through it. Our valley is a place of misery, native kindness lost in exploitation, liberties for some through subjugation, faith distortions used to build a nation, confinements to the distant reservation, hopeful spirits lost at every station, museum cases filled with infiltration, and a river runs through it. Our valley is a place of shame, treaties that were violated, tribes that were decimated, disease that was initiated, environment that was devastated, trust that was annihilated, greed that still is celebrated, and a river runs through it. Our valley is a place of industry. Iron was smelted. Tallow was melted. Chips were built. Frames were gilt. Leather was tanned. Bridges were spanned. Fabric was dyed. Fish was fried. Rum was distilled. Barrels were filled. Glass was blown. Crops were grown. Metal was stamped. Soldiers encamped. Milk was homogenized, pasteurized, and fortified. And a river runs through it. Our valley is a place of injury. Lies were told as papers passed. Covenants never intended to last. Stolen lands, great wealth amassed. Rampant correction now put on blast. How did it get so bad so fast? There's silent guilt that sanitizes, race unrest that paralyzes, black lives trying to matter, brown skin made to scatter, red blood spilled and splattered, homes that only sell to some, banks don't lend to everyone, police don't look to serve and protect, fear and loathing breed disrespect, and a river runs through it. Our valley is still a place of denial, for graves undug to drive a pile. The landed gentry remains on trial for sins committed in the church's aisle. And failure to turn equality's dial for actions thought both vain and vile, no small amount of desecration where progress in turn the bones of First Nation. with never a notion toward real preservation and a headlong rush toward contamination. Where is Missituk's compensation? Are bluebacks and herring a standing ovation? The watches gather around the formation and a river runs through it. Our valley is a place of nativity, indigenous braves or slaves in captivity, immigrant enclaves in exclusivity, a treacherous path to beloved community. Each clan wears a kindred face, covets a homeland's warm embrace, competing gospels of time and space, every religion and every race, tribal spirits of fire and ice, a thousand types of beans and rice, and a river runs through it. Our valley is a place of fertility, verdant shores by the sandy beaches. Nature grows with the soul beseeches. Ash and elm and maple preaches from the silent spring to the epic speeches. Yet poison into the soil leeches, open wounds and ugly breeches. We've yet to learn what nature teaches, and a river runs through it. Our valley is a tapestry, threads for every color and shade, stripes for every soul displayed. Winter and spring, summer and fall, translucent rain that showers all. Rainbows await the heart's desire. Together we face the cleansing fire. Families grow strong with true resilience. School invests in each child's brilliance. God's design put the scales in balance. Each one brings their gifts and talents. Neighbors embrace a common will despite the screeching fool on the hill. Poems are written that resonate still, and a river runs through it. Our valley is a place of vibrancy that takes great pride in its energy, that seeks out moments of synergy, that wraps its models in honesty, that guides its resources zealously, that seeks its level with urgency, and a river runs through it. Our place is a place of true rebirth, as we try to protect our precious earth, where good people meet to set things right, and the cleanup ensues through the waning light, and then the party takes over the night, and the food and the music is out of sight. We gather our kin at the father's shore, and labor together to open the door, and a river runs through it. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So, Patrick, I want to start with you. For the folks that may not be familiar with what you do, can you talk a bit about the overall work of your organization, the communities you serve, and what drew you to the occupation?
[SPEAKER_00]: It'd be a pleasure, but before I do, let me just say that while the Mystic River is a glorious river, it is a humble river, and I can't think of another river around that has been so flattered with words like your poetry on this river. I don't think the Hudson River has poetry about it, or the Connecticut River, or the Saugus or the Nepenthe, so I think we're really grateful that you've made this a work of art for all of us. Our organization is trying to create a healthy Mystic River watershed, and that has a lot of different meanings. It has meanings from the ecological sense, but also from the sense of all of us as residents of this watershed. We're trying to create a place. And this organization started in 1972 and really had as its focus the water quality for real concerns about the history of industry and the impact it was having. And I think we've really expanded to think more about the presence of all of us as people as really important denizens of this watershed. And we need to do the work to make sure it's healthy for us as well. And so the work of our organization really covers a lot of ground now. We are still focused very much on water quality and fish. We're also focused on recreation and active transportation routes through the Domestic Greenways Program, which Carl will share more about tonight. We do a lot of work on climate resiliency in partnership with our communities. to try to leverage the money that's going into creating protections against climate to make sure they're directed at creating healthier communities. We do environmental education as a big part of our work, and we center environmental justice and equity in our work. that a big part of our work is to make sure that we are directing our resources and our capacity as a staff to addressing the pollution where it's most severe, where conditions are furthest behind. And so that's also a piece of work that we probably didn't have a word for in the 1970s, that I think we are more fluid in terms of how we talk about that. We serve 21 communities. It's a small watershed, but it's 21 communities, and that's one of our challenges. So all the way from Reading and Burlington, down through Winchester and Arlington and Medford and Somerville, and down past Everett and into Boston Harbor where Chelsea and East Boston and Charlestown and Revere and Winthrop. Those are all communities that we're focused on and working in partnership with residents and other community-based organizations and the state and regulators. We're a very collaborative organization. We're very rarely out there to get anybody. Instead, we're inviting them into the room to try to work with us. We start with the assumption that everybody really wants a healthy place for all of us to be. And how I got into this work, I came from academia, and I was just really excited about seeing science applied in partnership with community. And this is an organization that really tries to hold credible science and viewpoints that are informed by Data, data that we gather from water bottles, data we gather from engaging directly with residents to understand concerns. So I guess there's one more piece of work we've started to do recently is on air quality. Just for this reason that we believe that air quality supports healthy people, it's really clear. And we've got a really interesting watershed with a lot of industrial areas. Let's try to understand what those conditions are to see if we can mitigate those pollution sources and help people live healthy lives.
[SPEAKER_08]: Fantastic, fantastic. That explains a lot. Carl, if you don't mind, can you kind of do the same with regard to the greenways programs you oversee and bring us into the discussion of the prospective Mystic Lakes pathway initiative? Sure.
[SPEAKER_01]: Terry, thank you so much for having us again here this evening. The Mystic Greenways program started in 2016, so we're approaching 10 years. And its vision is to connect 25 miles of paths and parks throughout the Mystic River watershed and its tributaries. Our watershed is the most highly urbanized watershed in New England. It carries the brunt of very heavy industry. And it's very densely populated. And so as a result of all of those factors, we don't have a lot of open space. And so providing linear spaces, linear corridors that connect to these larger parks and connect into communities, you're able to create a network of open spaces. So you often hear, oh, 15 minutes walk to a park. Maybe you might hear that. And from here there, but it's it's a really exciting job where we get to Steward and lead on several projects we get to help catalyze Certain parks and pathway projects and others were you know, we're standing with community members advocating for them or advocating for you know Agencies like DCR or cities to to better take care of their open spaces as well and So, it really runs the gambit. And, you know, as part of our vision of 25 miles of connected paths and parks, you know, we rely on, you know, really solid planning processes to help identify projects that can make the greatest impact for residents of the watershed and the region at large. And just on the eastern shoreline of the, of the mystic lakes here has incredible history, you know, dating back to pre contact pre colonial contact it was a, you know, very, you know, highly utilized, you know, space for indigenous communities to fish into. really, really thrive. And over time, as colonization took effect, it was heavily used for industry. You have the Middlesex Canal that ran from Lowell to Boston Harbor, right along Mystic Valley Parkway on the eastern shoreline of the lakes. And then, you know, fast forward, Frederick L. Olmsted and his partner, Charles Elliott, they are the landscape designers who designed Boston Common and Central Park and many of America's parks that you see today, really saw a lot of public value in this space and designed a parkway, which at the time did not include cars. speeding 40 to 60 miles an hour it was you know carriages and people walking and they even thought Yeah, it's a you know moving moving more than five miles an hour was considered a little bit too fast for that space and so You know, all of these things are leading up to what you see today at Mystic Valley Parkway and And some improvements have been made to the shoreline over the years. Recent improvements up at Shannon Beach with a new bath house is very, very nice. In the town of Winchester, there was a small improvements project to add a sidewalk and some parking areas and some nice decorative lighting. But as soon as you hit the Medford border, it goes into an unimproved, not accessible dirt path Going all the way to the high street rotaries which are inherently dangerous as well. And so You know, they haven't the space hasn't been looked at in decades, but that doesn't mean people haven't used this space people have made this space their own and really appreciate it for the hiking nature of its of its feel and people walk their dogs, you know as Maybe perhaps you do Each and every day and really treat it as a valued resource in the neighborhood And and so really our goal is to take everyone's ideas with this project the Massachusetts Department of Conservation Recreation has identified this as a parkway to improve and make safer and more accessible and And as a result, came to us and said, would you like to help kick off this process? We have some greater capacity and partnerships to help gather ideas from folks about what they would like to see for the shoreline. And at the same exact time, they're working on a safety improvement project for the rotaries as well right here, and put in crossing for pedestrians to make it a safer, modernized roundabout. And so combine all of this together and you're really helping to advance the regional network for safe mobility, for recreation, or just going from A to B, or staying. There's so many opportunities for improving the amenities that folks can enjoy along this stretch as well. So that's kind of how we came to be, and it's an exciting part of the larger Mystic Greenways vision.
[SPEAKER_08]: Very good, very good. I've had the good fortune of serving on a steering committee that's discussing this Mystic Lakes pathway project. I think the focus and the drive to get people to see a vision has been outstanding and we'll talk a little bit more about that, but I want to come back to Patrick because You're not a state agency, you're not a city agency, so can you kind of describe your funding and how it fits into the larger scheme of municipalities and communities that you serve?
[SPEAKER_00]: That's such an interesting question, because we're a people's agency. I don't know. I think the hope is that we are driven by community desires and ideas. And that helps make us who we are, whether it's folks on the steering committee or folks that we recruit to join our board and give direction to us as a staff. The goal is we're serving the community. So we are a nonprofit, and we have to raise funding to hire staff to hopefully serve the community interests. And we try to turn over every rock there is to find funding, both to make sure we have staff to do this work, but also to actually build the project sometimes or design the project. So we are, a lot of our funding comes directly from community members who will send us in a check once a year and say, look, this is the work that I want to see happen in my community. And I think we think you're catalyzing that. We also reach out to state agencies and federal agencies and apply for grants because a lot of the goals we have here in the MISTIC and that our community members have are shared by these agencies. And we also reach out to foundations and corporations who want to be associated with this work because they share our values. Whether it's around a healthy environment, whether it's centering equity, that's what we do as an organization. We try to act on those values that are informed by residents in the community.
[SPEAKER_08]: Excellent, excellent, excellent. Carl, I would like to have you, if you would, talk a little bit about the community outreach component that has kind of advanced the discussion of the pathway project and where you are now with that aspect of the initiative.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so once we received our funding for the project, it was the Mass Trails State Program with some match funding from the Solomon Foundation, we set off to kind of lay out our process for community engagement. You know, looking at just the eastern shoreline of the Mystic Lakes, it's a part of, you know, such a valuable asset for, you know, Medford residents, Winchester residents in the region at large, and so we knew It's it's a very valuable asset people, you know, really really cherish it and it's also You know, it's not just the parkway It's the these peninsulas that kind of jut out into the lakes that are overgrown with you know Invasive species and their shoreline erosion and then as you go south of High Street this you know have the same, you know problem with the shoreline here as well and there's a On this side, there's no path that someone with a wheelchair might, for example, be able to use. So we knew that this is just the start of the conversation. And so we wanted residents in the room at each and every step. And so from the outset, we sought to convene a steering committee of residents who expressed an interest in being involved in the project. We received over 45 applications from folks in the area, and we ended up selecting 10 residents that we feel have been great to collaborate with and receive guidance on from the project. We've had the opportunity to, you know, meet with them in a more formal setting three times now. However, we've done some site walks and, you know, and they've helped to table at recent community events as well. So, and Terry is on the steering committee, so thank you. And then we also have Simon here this evening who's on the steering committee as well. But you really as a guiding hand, see the steering committee as a guiding hand in our work and also our engagement strategy. Because it is a large project, we wanted to make sure that the meetings that we're holding publicly for residents, and we've hosted three to date so far, or two to date, and our third public meeting for this round of work is this coming Tuesday. There's information on the table that you can receive in order to kind of see our refined design concepts for the project. However, we started that process in the very first public meeting with a initial visioning phase. So we really asked folks for their hopes and dreams. What do you currently like about the shoreline in Mystic Valley Parkway there along Mystic Lakes? What don't you currently like? What would you like to see that's not currently there? And what do you think we should avoid? And we received over 1,200 unique comments from members of the public that we were able to really package up and summarize for our design team to start to get to work on some initial ideas. We then came back for our second round of engagement. The first round was in February, second round was in the beginning of April, where we presented three initial ideas that had a mix and match of different themes and strategies for the project. And we asked for folks' preferences and additional ideas and thoughts on those. Shook that up and now we're at our third phase of the work that we're doing in this stretch. We want to have the opportunity to speak with residents in each and every stage and really appreciate the steering committee for lending a guiding hand through that process.
[SPEAKER_08]: It's been a very, very constructive conversation. And I think if folks might avail themselves of the opportunity to attend the third public meeting, they'd get a real good sense of overall how we came to some conclusions. And that's fantastic. OK, so Patrick, you kind of have a 10,000 foot vision on everything that's going on in the watershed. Can you share a few thoughts about, from what you've seen in the science that you've seen, the work that your folks are doing, how climate change is impacting the watershed, both from a science perspective and a people aspect?
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's a prescient comment. I feel like we're living in a climate-impacted watershed now. I think for a long time we had this language of, well, we have to be ready for 2030. Well, we have to be ready for 2070. Gosh, we've got to be ready for now. We are experiencing really intense rainfall events, and that's unusual weather patterns. We are going to experience periods of drought that we won't expect. And we're experiencing sometimes very hot temperatures that will impact some of our residents more than others for a variety of reasons. And so how does this translate into what we see on the ground here in the watershed? Well, first of all, When we see rain coming in really big bunches like we do, and we've got a bunch of rain already this year. We had a bunch last year. Our infrastructure can't hold it back. So that water is overrunning our sewer systems. And we're actually dumping raw sewage into Alewife Brook and to the Mystic River. And so on one side, we're like, oh, come recreate on the Mystic River. But then we have to tell you on Tuesday 5 million gallons of sewage went down the river because our infrastructure wasn't big enough. It wasn't big enough for now, let alone 2030 or 2070. So there's a tremendous investment that needs to be made to protect this resource. And in terms of temperatures, as we get warmer and warmer, It's really clear that our communities in leafy suburbs and well air-conditioned homes, I think they're going to be okay. I think that communities that are living in rental properties or lower income, they are typically living on streets with less trees, in homes that may not have air conditioning, or just turning on the air conditioning may be a big investment for them in terms of their bills. So, HEAT's going to begin impacting people, both their public health as well as their pocketbook. So, what do we do? And I think the thing we're trying to do is to shine a light on this problem and get the state to prioritize some of these investments and infrastructure. We're working with many of our municipalities here and the state to plant more trees in communities with less trees, and really work with residents to find out what kind of trees they want and where they want trees. In Medford, we're working with some great groups to actually give people trees they can plant in their own backyard if they want as well. So, yeah, it's happening right now, Terry.
[SPEAKER_08]: Carl, I want to ask you about, you've been kind of bringing these new infrastructure and environmental projects to the public forum, not only with this project, but others that you've been helping to lead for a number of years now. What kinds of things that you've learned are kind of really surprising to you?
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, I think I think to dovetail off of what Patrick said it's it's like creating spaces for that work, not like for now, and help us now not only 30 years from now, has been really eye opening. You know, it's these, you know, spaces that are going to provide really strong respite from heat, even though you might live in a heat island area or you live in an area with a lot of asphalt and no tree cover. We are leading a project in Charlestown on the Little Mystic Channel, which is, you know, underneath the Tobin Bridge, essentially. And it's a census tract that's a hundred percent, you know, low moderate income housing and we're creating a nice cool shaded plaza right next to affordable housing complex using Community Preservation Act funding and some funding from our private foundations who we work with as well. And it's a quick project. It was a you know fast design project. We we largely engaged the residents of the public housing immediately adjacent and Got to work where we're gonna break ground and next month and it's gonna be done by the spring and we started that process last summer so it's So fast in an infrastructure sense, right? I think that's the biggest surprising thing is these projects do take a long time and there's a lot of regulation involved and a lot of public process that should be done. And I think what does surprise me though is I think we've come a long way, or I hope so, in terms of the way that infrastructure projects are done. You know, a lot of recent memory, you know, dating back 40, 50 years where highways are going through communities and never, I never had to say when I had to leave my house or received a notice of the taking. And I think nowadays it's a lot more, it's a lot more collaborative, it's a lot more engaging, which is great. But in terms of the projects, it's really hearing about the passion of folks who are really excited to see improvements in their own backyard and have the opportunity to help make it a reality is really exciting.
[SPEAKER_08]: As we've been sitting and having these public meetings and having meetings of the steering committee, I think what's been illuminating to me is the notion that there's a lot of different kinds of people that use these resources in a lot of different ways. And when you build something that works for these folks, but you don't take these folks into consideration, there can be a lot of hurt in that. And I think one of the things that has been really good about, and Patrick and I were talking about it earlier, about the steering committee, is you thought about handicapped access. You've thought about folks potentially in wheelchairs or walking with canes. You've also thought about people that have dogs and folks that need to be able to avoid bicycles and avoid these new e-bikes and scooters and all manners of other contraptions that are out there that they have to share the road with. And that's been illuminating to me is that We use these resources in a lot of different ways. And so you can't be monolithic in your thinking. You really have to be more expansive. And bringing all these different kinds of folks to the table has led to a real rich discussion. Yeah. Yeah. Very rich. Okay, so you're in a new organizational home now in 23 Maple Street in Arlington. Talk about how that all came about. I just got a chance to visit it recently.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, yeah, thank you for highlighting that. It's been long overdue. We've been in the town of Arlington for a long time. To their credit, the town of Arlington a long time ago gave us a tiny little office space when we had one staff person and said, you know what, you can just have it. And we grew to two staff and three staff, and we had to come and say, well, there's a closet over there. Do you think we could use that closet? And they were like, fine, you can use that closet. And eventually, we outgrew the space. And they were really generous. We ended up paying for that space. And we were really struggling to find a new home. We looked in Malden, and we're pretty close. We were really excited about getting on the Orange Line, which was right there. It didn't work out. A building that was right next door to our building, which is about four times larger space, opened up, and we've had the chance to improve the floors, paint the walls, and welcome our community. It has enough space for a team of about 19 people now, and we've got five summer fellows there with us. I don't know, the work really comes alive when you've got that number of people all working, young to older people like myself, all in the same building and in a productive space. And so it is really exciting and hopefully it's like the next chapter of the organization or that next rung that lets us reach up a little higher with our work.
[SPEAKER_08]: It's interesting because the community center here, from the street, this looks like a home. And your building, it must have been somebody's residence at some point in time.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's right, a long time ago. And what will make it even a better home is to get Terry's poem, A River Runs Through It, on one of our walls inside the building. So we still have to work that out, but that will make it feel like a home, quite frankly.
[SPEAKER_08]: Yeah, well, that's nice. Thank you. Thank you very much. It's a third public meeting on the Mystic Lakes pathway project, and you mentioned it, but I'd like to have you mention it again. It's happening next week. Can you tell folks what will be discussed and how they can be included?
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, sure. The third public meeting, it's being held online on Zoom this coming Tuesday evening. There are pros and cons to in-person versus online. We've been able to, I think, reach a broader, a lot more people online, which has been good. But I'm happy to talk about the project and the meeting in person here tonight, if you'd like. And as I mentioned before, you know, over the past five months, we've been going through a process to help, you know, identify a vision for the project on the eastern shoreline of the Mystic Lakes. And then present some initial ideas for what might be incorporated into the project. And then this project is presenting a refined design concept. And this is, again, this is the first step in a longer process. After tonight's meeting, or Tuesday's meeting, and we receive feedback we're going to finalize a report that we are then going to hand to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. And hopefully they will put the project kind of into their mechanisms for being designed and eventually constructed. So after June 30th, we're going to be kind of taking a step back from the project and becoming local champions and advocates like you to help see it happen. So that's the meeting this coming Tuesday night. And we have also, there's a list of other upcoming events. If infrastructure or Greenways projects isn't your thing, we have some volunteer opportunities, some educational events coming up. So we have a list on the table as well if you're interested.
[SPEAKER_08]: Could you maybe talk a little bit about what some of those opportunities are? What types of things folks who want to get involved can do?
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so we have we have no no short of an invasive species In our watershed, so we do do volunteer cleanup days. It's a good good way to get outside, but we have literature on community boating programs and we are hosting a number of tablings that Farmers markets we were at the Medford farmers market just yesterday and so our staff and our summer and Fellows especially are kind of all throughout the watershed kind of doing these different initiatives and As I mentioned too, we have a robust educator program. So if you're interested in nature based education we go into local schools and our educator Natalia does an amazing job with that and always looking for for educators as well and so so yeah, there's I think education, you know volunteering in a stewardship capacity and Patrick we have I don't know if there's anything to add but we also are wrapping up our herring annual herring run where the the it's a wife herring That's right.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can go online mystic herring org and you can help us count the fish there's a camera in the water at the dam and We record these videos and ask for help, and we get about 5,000 people coming online to help us count the fish. And I'm sorry, this is a little trivia here, but this Mystic River is home to one of the largest migrations of herring in all of Massachusetts. It's usually number one or number two in the whole state. So it's a source of great pride, I have to say.
[SPEAKER_08]: Very good, very good. So if you had your druthers, between the science piece, the people piece, and the out in the nature piece. What's the biggest pull on you personally?
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, it used to be the nature piece, but now, you know, we're not rural Montana. We're among the most densely developed places, and this is something that Carl was mentioning, and we're 76 square miles, and we're 21 communities. 76 square miles is the same size as Brooklyn, which is one community. So we've got this amazing challenge ahead of us to create a place that's so filled with people that people will really have a healthy life here. Whether you're growing up in West Medford or you're Cambridge or you're down in Chelsea, that everybody's got clean air, access to great parks, access to recreation. And a lot of these improvements are overdue. They're just so overdue. And there's other places you can go and be like, gosh, we've still got a ways to go in a lot of these places. So that's the work that really excites me and makes me feel like the more people involved pushing for it, we can create a place that we're all really proud of.
[SPEAKER_08]: And in that, obviously, you have to establish priorities for the different things that you would like to do in a perfect world. You want to do all of it. But how does that piece kind of get settled out in terms of, OK, we have these nine things that we want to do. What's the highest priority?
[SPEAKER_00]: That's always hard. And sometimes you recognize emerging moments that you have a moment that you can grab. And I think that's what's happening on the Mystic Lakes right now. We have a moment that we saw with a Mass Trails grant and some relationships there. And if we're really lucky, we'll all come together if we do our work right. Other times things are emerging and are of moment For example, at Shannon Beach. Shannon Beach, I don't know if you know this, it was closed all last year because of water quality. You could go there and swim, but the lifeguards were all over at the picnic table because they'd been told they can't, you know, be out there because it never met the water quality, the way they calculated. And so it's a moment to be like, how can that be? We've got to work on this. We either have to fix the water quality, or we've got to fix the notification system. How is it that this incredibly important resource is not being used to its full capacity by all these residents who are showing up and trying to get a parking spot and ending up on side streets. And there's so much need there, and it's like a moment, so we have to work on it. It's the residents say it, but it's also team members inside Myra who are just outraged. They can't sit still. They're like, I have to be in the room to talk about this and work on this. Fantastic, fantastic.
[SPEAKER_08]: And this moment that we're in where the potential exists for doing something really meaningful with that, that's about a two mile stretch. What else that you have on your plate right now kind of equals that in terms of one, the people's desire to get it done, and your desire to see it get done?
[SPEAKER_01]: I think in terms of regional benefit, it's probably numero uno. It's a state park. It's Mystic Lake State Park. But there's no sign that says, welcome to Mystic Lake State Park, much as you might see in the suburbs where you turn off the state road. And then there's a nice park service sign that says, welcome to the state park. And then there's the ranger who's says hello right this is very like very like I'm entering this space that's very you know kind of natural and oh there's there's trail maps and I can there there's a visitor center with the bathroom right we have that at Shannon Beach now which is great but like the the experience at a state park should be a lot better than highway or sorry a road where You know 99% of the cars speed and I can't cross the street because there's no place to cross the street there's no signage saying that this is a state park and All the shorelines overgrown and there's only one place to access it at Shannon Beach Officially and so it's like what are we doing? and so I think it's like it's it's an incredible regional asset and Needs to be valued Two miles goes by very quickly, and so how can we make it as accessible, as safe as possible? Can we make it a regional destination for people with physical or mental disability by adding in a sensory trail for people with visual impairments or neurodivergence? You know at bare minimum making sure that it's ADA accessible for everyone to equally or equitably enjoy the space We're working on very valuable projects that are services serving City of Malden or residents in Charlestown or other DCR parks But I think like this is a this is a regional destination where people are going to swim barbecue enjoy life and and I think that's that's it's it's pretty pretty up there and
[SPEAKER_08]: Yeah, yeah. Well, you know, the first time I ever got to fish it was down at, we called it Sandy Beach at the time.
[SPEAKER_01]: There you go. An elected official at some point got his name on it.
[SPEAKER_08]: It is what it is. So folks, if you have an opportunity, there's information about it over on the table about the third public meeting of the Mystic Lakes Pathway Planning Committee. It would be a good thing to do if you can get on Zoom and have a listen because there's a lot that's being talked about and the ultimate plan is a pretty robust use of the space and a pretty significant change to the space.
[SPEAKER_01]: If I can say one more thing, so we have some flyers that you can grab and take with you but if you can't make the meeting and Putting kids down to sleep or dinner or just I don't have any for a zoom meeting. We have we'll have the same materials available online or contact information as well on a website that's on a flyer for for a few weeks, so So, you know, if you can't make that exact time, no worries, pop in a few days later and you'll have a chance to engage in the project.
[SPEAKER_08]: Thank you. Thank you, Carl. I'm going to give you the last word. What do you think you want the people to know about who you are, what you're doing, and why you're doing it?
[SPEAKER_00]: I think I've said a lot of that, Terry, and I'm Let me just say that one piece of trivia is that you've got bald eagles that have just hatched and have three eaglets in the nest, but a half mile away from us here, just on the other side of the lake. I think we forget that we're embedded in the Mystic River. And Terry, I know your roots run really deep here. And maybe my last message is just gratitude that you've taken this river under your wing and raised attention of this and contributed your art toward raising awareness of both the river and also the issues and social history around this river and West Medford being centered for a lot of the history here. Kami is grateful for having us and for your work.
[SPEAKER_08]: Well, the community center benefits when, in our general environment, things happen that can reflect the light back onto what this community is, what this community's been. in the access that we've had, but also the access that we've been denied. So if I have an opportunity to do something meaningful in that regard, I'm probably going to try and take advantage of the opportunity. Gentlemen, I think that's about all the time we have to chop it up, as they say. Hopefully, we haven't had to water the discussion down too much. See what I did there? OK. Thank you so much for bringing your organizational perspectives and working experience to the table this evening. We are clearly in a season of dramatic change in our natural environment. Thoughtful stewardship and diverse collaboration is needed more than ever before. It's good to know that the Mystic River Watershed is advancing progressive approaches to preserving and sharing the river's resources across a broad span of connected communities. And to everyone watching, thanks so much for your attentiveness and your interest in our discussion. Get ready for something very special on the musical side of the coin right after we take a break to reset our stage and share some WMCC announcements. Thank you very much. All right, folks. We have a pretty quick turnaround, so we're going to settle in. If you want to grab a seat. Okay. All right. All right. Promotionally speaking. If you're out there watching or in here watching and you want to join us, the elders, the folks that I deal with Tuesday through Thursday for a nutritious lunch and good fellowship, lunch is served at 12 noon. You can call 781-483-3042 to make a reservation. We'd love to have you. Just want to call your attention to some current attractions. There's really quite a lot going on in West Medford and Medford proper over the next few weeks. So Sunday, June 9th at Duggar Park, so this Sunday, you can come out and support the eighth annual Hoops for Hope celebration. Basketball clinics, games, food raffles, prizes, and giveaways. It's really a lot of fun, particularly if you've got kids. There's professional athletes. There's all kinds of good stuff that goes on at Hoops. for hope every year, so come out and support that effort. June 11th, again, we talked about it here tonight, the Mystic River Watershed Association is convening their third public meeting on the pathway project. We've been discussing, it's gonna be on Zoom, and for more information, or to register, you can go to mysticriver.org, and there's information over on the side table as well. June 15th is the annual cachet celebration of all things Medford. It's called Circle in the Square, right in the heart of Medford Square from three to seven. Music, arts activities, activities for the kids, food, and more. June 18th is Medford's flag raising and official observation of Juneteenth at City Hall starting at 4 p.m. and then June 19th, which is the actual Juneteenth, you can join us here at the Community Center for a great program of food, fundraising, commemoration, and a community celebration from four to eight p.m. For more information and tickets, this is a ticketed event as a fundraiser, you can talk with Lisa Crossman, you can talk with Melinda as well. June 22nd, Saturday, is West Medford Open Studios at Duggar Park, starting at noon and featuring a celebration of the arts and artists from across the city. This is the 25th year of the event, and it's going to be pretty amazing. Again, it's just one day. It's all in one place. There will be some of the artists in West Medford Community Center, but most everything else is taking place across the street at Duggar Park. And there will be literary arts as well as music, so come on out. And last but not least, June 26th is the fifth program in the Medford Connects Black Health Series, and this program will be focused on men's health and mental well-being. This is a live program, and it's also on Zoom from 6 to 8 p.m. Now, how you can help us, the West Medford Community Center, your tax-deductible donations help to support the mission of WMCC. Partner with us in carrying the mission forward. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to this vital community organization. You can make your donation by phone, online, or by check. You can contact Lisa Crossman at 781-483-3042 for more information or to become a member. Okay, so now it's time to turn our attention, as we always do, to what I refer to as the lyrical miracle that we've engaged for this evening's side of the musical ledger. So in 1785, the Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry or astray. Tonight's musical program is a classic example of that sentiment. Now, our original entertainment for the evening was supposed to be a return engagement for the wonderful pairing of Athene Wilson and Rollins Ross. However, Athene called me early this morning in with considerable regret, informing me that she had no voice and was really, really feeling quite poorly. Still, being the pro that she is, she secured another amazing colleague and vocalist to join brother Rollins, who's back here on the keys, for this evening's show. He is none other than the remarkable David Fuller. David is an accomplished musician and a retired educator. He has decades of experience on the stage. He's also a teacher, a Councilor, an administrator, former. He is currently a working drummer and vocalist who performs all over New England at weddings, club dates, and a variety of special events. He praises God for his extensive career and his opportunity to develop friendships, support students, and make music. Noah Thien, no problem. David is here to help save the day. David is accompanied by an old friend of the program, Rollins Ross. See that? See that? See how that works? All right. Rawlins is a frequent collaborator with the Theme Wilson and numerous other musical luminaries in the Boston area. He is also a music educator and has a heart for getting young people involved in music and music production, conducting workshops and classes throughout Boston neighborhoods. He is a keyboard virtuoso, an arranger, and prolific music producer as well. We're excited and blessed to have him and David back in the building. With that said, I'm going to get out the way and let the brothers play. Ladies and gentlemen, David Fuller and Rollins Ross live at 111 Arlington Street.
[SPEAKER_06]: Terry, thank you very much. I just want to say a couple of words about West Medford. West Medford is very close to my heart. I'm from Brooklyn, Framingham, but I met a guy many years ago, Stanley Benders, who lives, well, he used to be in Jerome Street way back when, and now he's on Oakland Street. Stanley's my best friend, and I was in a group called the Ellis Hall Group in the 70s. I was the drummer. And I met so many wonderful men and women from West Medford. Now, West Medford, you can look around and see the history. But West Medford is very, very, very unique, this community, the history behind that. In fact, my father was a social worker and did some community work in this area. So this is close to my heart. And I played with so many good musicians from West Medford. I mean, you know the Terry Lynn Carrington's and the Sonny Carrington's and the Alan Dawson's and those folks. I had Alan as a teacher when I was at Berkeley years ago. And of course, Terry Lynn, we all knew her when she was a little person and now she's a giant. Rollins works with Terry exclusively and knows her dad also. But I just want to say that the talent that came out of West Medford musically is unparalleled. And as a musician not from here, it's amazing. It's amazing to see the talent that has come out of here. And it continues to come out. So I'd just like to say that and give a shout out to West Medford. Terry, thank you for your wonderful work that you're doing. And we just want to look at some songs tonight about a positive thing, a positive vein. And we want to start with a song by Bill Withers called Lovely Day, because we need more lovely days than ever. Amen? All right. When I wake up in the morning, love, sunlight hurts my eyes. Something without wanting love weighs heavy on my mind. Oh, then I look at you, and the world's all right with me. Just one look at you, and I know it's going to be. A lovely day.
[SPEAKER_07]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: A lovely day. Ooh.
[SPEAKER_06]: When the day that lies ahead of me seems impossible to face, then someone else instead of me always seems to know the way. Oh, that I look at you, and the world's all right with me. Oh, just one look at you, and I know it's going to be a lovely day. Once again, on keyboard, Mr. Rollins Rollins.
[SPEAKER_03]: A lovely day. A lovely day, a lovely day when I look at you. Such a lovely day. A lovely day. Thank you.
[SPEAKER_06]: And I know you know this song, the classic songs. You know, it's cliche nowadays to say they don't write songs like they used to, but they really don't. I know you remember this. And if you want to sing along and sway from side to side, now, this is not a dance floor, and that's OK. But you can sway. And I think you're going to want it, too. Darling, you send me. I know that you send me. Darling, you send me. Honest, you do. Honest, you do. Honest, you do. Whoa. bitter girl you thrill me i know i know i know that you thrill me darling you You thrill me. Honest, you do. Honest, you do. Honest, you do. At first, I thought it was infatuation. But it lasted so long. Now I find myself wanting you. And then to marry you and take you home, whoa, you send me. I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know that you, pretty girl, you send me. I know that you. Send me. Honest you do. Honest you do. Honest you do. Ramos, what you going to do, brother? What you going to do? See, he's talking to me right now. He's talking to me right now.
[SPEAKER_03]: Honest you do, honest you do, honest you do.
[SPEAKER_04]: Thank you.
[SPEAKER_03]: Cigarette holder, big wigs me.
[SPEAKER_06]: Over her shoulder, she digs me. Out cattin' that satin doll. Baby, shall we go out skippin'?
[SPEAKER_03]: Careful, amigo, you're flippin'.
[SPEAKER_06]: Speaks Latin, that satin doll. Well, she's nobody's fool, so I'm playing it cool, asking B. I'll give it a whirl, but I ain't for no girl catching me, uh-uh. Switching Rooney telephone numbers, well, you know. Doin' my rumbas with an uno and battin' by seven dollars. Go ahead, Rollins. Oh, she's nobody's fool, so I'm playing it cool as can be. I'll give it a whirl, but I ain't for no girl catching me. No, no, no. Switch your phone, eh, telephone numbers. Well, you know, doing my rhumbus.
[SPEAKER_03]: Oh, and that my saddened dog.
[SPEAKER_06]: Oh, and that my saddened dog.
[SPEAKER_03]: And that my saddened dog.
[SPEAKER_04]: Thank you, thank you, thank you.
[SPEAKER_06]: Yes, one of the classics that everybody knows. You know, we do a lot of weddings and club dates. But especially weddings, when you look at the audience when we sing this song, there may be a five-year-old little boy or girl that knows this song. And it goes way up to 85-year-olds. Everybody knows this song. Check it out. I got sunshine on a cloudy day. When it's cold outside baby, I got the month of May.
[SPEAKER_03]: Mm-hmm.
[SPEAKER_06]: Well, I guess you say, what can make me feel this way? My girl, my girl, my girl. Talking about my girl, my girl. I got so much honey. That the bees envy me. I got a sweeter song. Yes, I do, baby. And it burns in the tree. Well, I guess you say, what can make me feel this way? My girl, talking about my girl. Yeah. I don't need no money. Fortune or fame, no, I don't. I've got all the riches, all the riches, all the riches, baby. One man can claim.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. Oh, I guess.
[SPEAKER_06]: you say, but can make me feel this way. My girl. Talking about my girl. Talk about my girl. Talk about my girl. As her brother says, she's fine as wine. Talk about my girl. Each and every day I think about my girl. So much in love talking about my girl. If you remember this song back in the 60s, I had an opportunity to see this band. I was in my high school years, but I went and saw this group. They did a song called on a Sunday afternoon. Really, really, couldn't get away too soon. Want to say it again, baby. Groovin' on a Sunday afternoon. Oh.
[SPEAKER_03]: Really, really, really, really, really, really, couldn't get away too soon.
[SPEAKER_06]: Now, you remember the song about the temptations?
[SPEAKER_03]: Each day through my window, I watch her as she passes by.
[SPEAKER_06]: And then I say to myself, David, you're such a lucky guy. To have a girl like her is truly a dream come true. Well, out of all the fellas in this world, baby, she belongs to you. But you know what? It was just my imagination. Runnin' away with me. Fellas, can you relate to this? It was just my imagination, baby. Runnin' away with me. And then I thought, I said, possibly. Soon we'll be married. And then we'll raise a family. A cozy little home in West Medford with two children, maybe three. I tell you, I can visualize it all. Yes, I can. This could be a dream for two real, it all seems.
[SPEAKER_03]: But it was just my imagination once again running away with me. Oh, it was just my imagination running away with me. Keep it right there. Running away with me. Running away with me.
[SPEAKER_06]: Running away with me. Ah, yes.
[SPEAKER_04]: Thank you very much.
[SPEAKER_06]: Ah, yes. There's so many songs that are out there, some good messages, some not so good messages. Terry and I, Rollins, and many of you grew up in an era where the lyrics talked about true love. I mean, true love, and not gibberish. I'm sorry, I had to say it. And I appreciate it's their time. I understand it. My lovely daughter lives in New Orleans, playing great music. But I taught her how to do the real stuff. And she does it all. She's traveled around the world. God bless her. She studied at Berkeley and had a great education. But these songs are songs of love and hope. And yes. And one of the most prolific writers was Lionel Richie. Now, you see him on TV right now. And I saw them when I was in college, Historical Black College, West Virginia State University down in West Virginia. And he was in the Commodores. And he played saxophone. He had his afro like we did. I don't know what happened. But who knew he would move on to a level of writing significant songs. And you don't hear, this wasn't one of his biggest hits, but one of our favorites. And it talks about love will find a way, because we truly believe that love will find a way. Love has to find a way. And it's up to us to teach the little ones to grow up and do that. As an educator and a musician, I told my students all the time and my kids, you better love. Don't worry about that other stuff you love. But it starts, as my father said, around the dinner table. Talk about love will find a way. Listen to the lyrics. Are you feeling down and lonely? Feeling like you just can't go on? just remember love will find a way tell me if you're going through changes time seems like it's passing by just believe that love will find a way I see the tears that you cry. I see the pain that's in your eyes. So many times you were so lonely and no one seems to care. But if your hopes For your tomorrows are drowning in your sorrows. Know your heart will show you the way.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_06]: Listen. Are you trying to find a beginning? Or something just to hold on to? Always know that love will find a way. Is it hard this life you're living? Does the world seem so unkind, so unkind? Don't you know that love will find a way? Some say we've lost our way. Some say the world has gone astray. But if you know where you are going, there's nothing you can't do. Because problems will come. Oh, they will leave you. The world will try to deceive you. But the truth will always be in your soul.
[SPEAKER_03]: Be in your soul, soul, soul, soul.
[SPEAKER_06]: in your time. Are you trying to find some peace of mind? All you need to know, love, love will find the way. Are you looking for a place to go where the truth is all you really, really need to know? Boy, you need to say love.
[SPEAKER_03]: Love will find a way. Love will find a way.
[SPEAKER_04]: I truly believe that, y'all.
[SPEAKER_06]: Love will find a way.
[SPEAKER_04]: Can you sing with me?
[SPEAKER_06]: Love will find a way. Come on. Love will find a way. Love will find a way.
[SPEAKER_03]: I believe love will find a way each and every day, each and every way. Love will find a way. I truly believe that. Love will find a way.
[SPEAKER_06]: Whoa. Love will find a way, y'all. Thank you very much.
[SPEAKER_04]: You know what?
[SPEAKER_06]: Let's up-tempo it a little bit. I know they remember the song, Rockin' Robin. You remember that song, Tweedle-dee-dee? Ah, yes. Tinkle them ivories, brother. Listen. He rocks in the treetop all the day long, hopping and a-bopping and singing his song. All the little birds on Jaybird Street love to hear him rob and go. Rockin', robbin', tweet, tweetly-dee. Rockin', robbin', tweet, tweetly-dee. Rollin', rockin', robbin', gonna really wanna rock tonight. Listen. Every little swallow, every chickadee, every little bird in the tall old tree. The wise old owl, the big black crow, flap their wings singing, go bird, go rockin', robbin', tweet, tweet, tweet, rockin', robbin', tweet, Take it to the bridge, brother. Take it to the bridge. Started going steady. Bless my soul. Out bop the buzzing and the Oreo. Rocks in the treetop all the day long. Hopping and bobbing and singing this song. All the little birds on Jaybird Street. Up the little ribbon going tweet, tweet, tweet, rock and robin. Tweet, tweet, rock and robin. Tweet. What you gonna do, man? What you gonna do? Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
[SPEAKER_04]: Give a round of applause to Rollins Ross, y'all.
[SPEAKER_03]: It's way, the way, the way, the way, the way, the way, the way, the way, the way,
[SPEAKER_06]: Barely the raven on the bird band stand. Rockin' and a-robbin' and it was grand. Thought I'd go on the stadium and bless my soul. Out boppin', robbin' and an Oreo. We bopped in the treetops all the day long. Boppin' and a-roppin' and singin' a song. All the papers on Tabor Street, hopped a little rhymin', goin' tweet, tweet, tweet, a-rockin', robbin'. Oh, rockin', robbin', Lord. Oh, the rockin', robbin' gonna really gonna rock tonight. Keep it right there. I said, ooh, they're rockin', rockin', gonna really gonna rock tonight. Gonna rock tonight, y'all. Ooh, they're gonna rock, they're gonna really gonna rock. Oh, Lord, tonight.
[SPEAKER_04]: Thank you. Are there any blues lovers here? That was blues, but... Ah, my man. You listen to the blues while you're doing this scientific study, right? Like every day.
[SPEAKER_06]: I need B.B. King. I need all the blues I can get. I hear you. Some days you have the blues. You go, wow, will this job ever be done?
[SPEAKER_04]: Thank you for all your work, you and the brother here. Thank you so much.
[SPEAKER_06]: Listen, every day, Every day I have the blues. Every day. Every day I have the blues. You know what? That's when you see me worried because, girl, I hate to lose. But listen, I realize that nobody loves me. Nobody seems to care. I'm going to say that again. Nobody really truly loves me. Nobody seems to care. Remember, this is the blues. Speaking of bad luck and trouble, well, you know I've had my share. So you know what I'm going to do, Rollins? I'm going to pack my suitcase and move on down the line. Route 16 right over here. Oh, I'm going to pack my suitcase, Lord, move on down the line. Because I know that nobody's worried, ain't nobody crying. Every day, every day I sing the blues. Every day, every day, every single day, Lord, have mercy, I'll sing the blues. If you really see me worried, it's because I hate to lose. And I just want to say one thing. I realize that nobody loves me. Nobody seems to care. Everybody needs love. And I know that nobody loves me. Nobody seems to care. Well, I've had my share of bad luck and troubles. You know I have my share. Brother, what you gonna do? Help me out here. Come on, I got the blues, brother. Tinkle them, tinkle them. Hey, Lord have mercy. Yeah, I hear that train coming. I hear it. Every day. Every day. Every day I sing the blues. Well, I furtured my baby. I've got the blues. Talk about I've got the blues. Baby, I've got the blues. I wish things would change, but I just don't think they're ever going to change. So I'm going to move on down the line. I just hope I don't get hit by that choo-choo train. You know what I'm saying? Here we go. Well, I won't be in trouble. Because I ain't got nothing to lose. Yeah.
[SPEAKER_04]: Yeah. All right. Thank you very much.
[SPEAKER_06]: The great Marvin Gaye wrote this song, and he was way ahead of his time because he was asking the same question that I ask every day. Mother, mother, there's far too many of you crying. Brother, brother, brother, there's far too many of you dying. You know we've got to find a way.
[SPEAKER_03]: to bring some loving here today. Father, Father, we don't need to escalate.
[SPEAKER_06]: War is not the answer, for only love conquers hate. You know we've got to find a way. to bring some loving here today. Picket lines, picket signs, don't you punish me. Brutality, talk to me so you can see what's going on.
[SPEAKER_03]: What's going on? What's going on? I want to know what's going on.
[SPEAKER_06]: What's going on, y'all? Hey, hey.
[SPEAKER_03]: Mother, mother, mother, mother, mother.
[SPEAKER_06]: Everybody thinks that we're wrong. Ooh. Are they to judge us simply because our hair is long? You know we've got to find a way to bring some loving here today. Picket lines, picket signs, just don't punish me with your brutality. Come on, talk to me so you can see. What's going on?
[SPEAKER_03]: Hey, yeah. What's going on? Hey, hey.
[SPEAKER_06]: Keep it right there. What's going on? Somebody tell me what's going on. I want to know. I got to know what's going on. Hey, hey, what's going on? What's going on, y'all? The late, great Bobby Caldwell sang some great songs. A lot of people thought he was a brother. That's how soulful he was. Blue Eyes Soul, one of his favorite songs. I guess you wonder where I've been, search to find the love within. I came back to let you know, got a thing for you, and I can't let it go. My friends wonder what is wrong with me. Well, I'm in a daze from your love, you see.
[SPEAKER_03]: I came back to let you know.
[SPEAKER_06]: Got a thing for you, and I can't let it go. Listen. Some people go around the world for love, but they may never find what they dreamed of. What you won't do, do for love. You tried everything, but you won't give up. In my world, only you make me do for love. But I would not do. My friends wonder what is wrong with me. Well, I'm in a daze from your love, you see. I came back to let you know. But I do fall in love. But I would not do. Go ahead, Ross. Listen. My friends wonder what is wrong with me. Well, amid the days, in the days, in the days with your love, you see, I came back to let you know, Lord, I got a thing for you, and I can't let it go. And though I only want the best, it's true.
[SPEAKER_03]: I can't believe the things I do for you.
[SPEAKER_05]: What you want to do for love, you tried everything, but it don't give up. In my world, only you.
[SPEAKER_04]: Thank you. Bobby Caldwell, The Late Great.
[SPEAKER_06]: All right. I know this is one you all remember. Fly Me to the Moon. Classic. Fly me to the moon. Let me sing among the stars. Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars. In other words, hold my hand. In other words, baby, kiss me. Fill my heart with song. Let me sing forevermore. You are all I worship, all I worship and adore. In other words, please be true.
[SPEAKER_03]: In other words,
[SPEAKER_06]: I love you. Go ahead, Bryce, throw. What you going to do? Oh, fill my heart with song. Let me sing forevermore. You are all I long for, all I worship and adore. In other words, please be true. Oh, in other words.
[SPEAKER_03]: Oh, in other words, baby, in other words, I love you. I love you. I love you.
[SPEAKER_06]: I tell my wife every day, I love you, even though I drive her crazy.
[SPEAKER_03]: I love you.
[SPEAKER_06]: Thank you very much. Ah, great songs. Now, the church down there is the Shiloh. That church was there for many, many years, correct? Because it's still two different locations. So we're going to do a sort of a gospel-y song, but you know this. Oh, they're going to sing along. You know this one. Oh, happy day. I really want you to sing along for this one. Oh. Come on, y'all. Ooh, happy day. Oh, happy day. Ooh, happy day. When Jesus walked. When Jesus walked. Oh, oh, when he walked. When Jesus walked. He washed my sins away. Oh, such a happy day. I'm going to say it again. Oh, happy day. Oh, happy day. When Jesus walked. Oh, when he walked. Oh, my sweet Jesus walked. He washed my sins away. Oh, happy day. Oh, such a happy day.
[SPEAKER_03]: Oh, happy day. He taught me how, how to watch, fight, and pray, fight and pray.
[SPEAKER_06]: ends of living. Rejoicing every day. Every day. Oh, happy day. Oh, happy day. When Jesus was Oh, when he washed, when Jesus washed, he washed my sins away. Oh, such a happy day. Oh, such a very happy day. Oh, such a happy day. Such a happy day. Oh, such a happy day.
[SPEAKER_03]: Oh, such a happy, happy day. Such a happy day.
[SPEAKER_04]: Thank you.
[SPEAKER_08]: All right, all right. David Fuller. Rollins Ross. Live at 111 Arlington Street. What a treat, absolutely. David, thanks so much for taking the baton from Athene and for getting us to the finish line in style. And Rollins, you already know. Now that's a wrap for this live edition of WMCC's Words and Music program. We're going to take a summer hiatus for July and August. We'll be back in September with something real good. Real good. We're so happy to be back at the center and visiting you and your living rooms and other household places. I want to thank all of our guests for sharing their spaces, showing their faces, and giving us their graces. Special thanks to Patrick Herron and Kyle Alexander for chatting up The Current. and perspective work of the Mystic River Watershed Association. Air dap to my man Kevin Harrington from Method Community Media for helping us be live on local cable and the web. Thank you all for spending another evening, enjoying our programming. And I just want to, again, invite elders to join us Tuesday through Thursday for a nutritious lunch and vibrant fellowship. Lunch is served at 12 noon Tuesday through Thursday. And you can always call 781-483-3042 to make a reservation. Coming attractions this Sunday, Hoops and Hope at Duggar Park. come out and support the eighth annual celebration, basketball clinics, games, foods, raffle, prizes, and giveaways, a whole lot of stuff going on right across the way. June 11th, Mystic River Watershed Association is convening their third public meeting on the pathway project that we've been discussing this evening. It's on Zoom, and for more information or to register, you can go to mysticriver.org. June 15th, cachet, celebration of all things Medford, circle the square, right in the heart of Medford from 3 to 7, music, arts activities, and more. June 18th, Medford's flag raising and official observation of Juneteenth at City Hall starting at 4. June 19, even better, join us at the WMCC for a great program of food, fundraising, commemoration, and community engagement from 4 to 8 p.m. For more information and tickets, see Lisa Crossman. June 22, West Method Open Studios, again, right across the way at Duggar Park, starting at noon and featuring a celebration of the arts and artists from across the city. This is their 25th year, and the event's gonna be pretty amazing. And lastly, June 26, the fifth program in the Medford Connects Black Health Series, focusing on men's health and mental well-being. This is live in the room and also on Zoom from 6 to 8 p.m. Your tax-deductible donations help to support the mission of the WMCC. Partner with us in carrying the mission forward. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to this vital community organization. Membership is also something that we want everybody to do and have. Thank you very much. You've been a lovely audience. We thank you for sharing some of your evening with us. Please be safe out there. Enjoy the rest of the night. You ain't got to go home, but you got to get the heck up out of here. All right. God bless y'all.