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Community Corner

The Esplanade Association Reflects on 10 Years of Service

The non-profit neighborhood group held its tenth annual meeting on May 19.

The Esplanade Association celebrated its accomplishments and discussed more plans for the future at its 10th annual meeting Thursday night in Beacon Hill’s historic Hampshire House.

A group of the nonprofit's founders, board members, staff and volunteers filled the room, reflecting on the organization's significant contribution to the beautification and restoration of the Charles River landmark. The thin stretch of park has been subjected to considerable wear and tear since its opening in 1910.

Jeryl Oristaglio, one of the association's founders, spoke of how far the organization had come since forming a decade ago.

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“I don’t think there’s anyone who went down to the Esplanade 10 years ago that can’t say it's better now,” Oristaglio said, mentioning some of the Esplanade Association's hallmark accomplishments, such as rebuilding the community boating docks, installing water fountains and renewing the parks lush landscape.

However, Oristaglio said, the organization needs to focus its attention on the future, and work to achieve even more before 2020.  In the near future the group plans on creating new park programs such as art classes, photography and family yoga, and then see how the public responds. Rebuilding the notoriously dilapidated Commissioners Landing overlook is another goal.

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“Why don’t we all clap if we want to see Commissioners Landing restored?” Oristaglio asked the crowed before being met by a shower of applause.

Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Edward Lambert was the keynote speaker of the evening. During his address he referred to the department’s role in nature preservation as a stewardship and credited the work of community groups like the Esplanade Association for ensuring the government is meeting the needs of its parks.

Lambert said that persevering open spaces such as the Esplanade is especially important for local working families and anyone else to whom its natural beauty might act as a respite from the hardships of everyday life.

“It gives local citizens a chance to enjoy the finer things in life close to home,” he said, adding that parks are “vital and intrinsic” to quality of life.

A video presentation outlining some of the organizations visions for the future emphasized its desire to scale back Storrow Drive to restore land that was lost during the highway's construction in the early 1950s.

While most who attended the meeting are involved in efforts to improve the Esplanade, some came out of pure curiosity.

Local resident Charles Shurcliff , whose grandfather, the noted landscape architect Arthur Shurcliff, created the layout of the Esplanade, said, “I was curious to see how they are going to fix it up."

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