As originally published in The Allston-Brighton TAB in July 2002.

Paddles For The People
by Peter Golden

On a warm Wednesday evening with the sun sinking in the west, a dozen intrepid supporters of parklands renewal set out on a journey of discovery on the Charles River. Their mission? To observe nearby Herter Park, Hell's Half Acre and Greenough Boulevard from the water so as to better understand how to improve them.

Knowing that a master plan devised by the Metropolitan District Commission will one day lead to renewed parklands in Allston-Brighton, Watertown and Cambridge, they hope to see first-hand the effects of erosion and lack of maintenance on the parklands.

Using small craft provided by the MDC public canoe rental service at Herter Park, the group heads west up the Charles, dodging rowing crews and powerboats along the way. Paddles flash in the light of the setting sun and whoops of excitement escape the lips of the paddlers, some of whom are experiencing the pleasure of being out on the water on their own for the first time.

From just off the rental service dock, they observe erosion where granite armoring has disappeared along the shoreline of Herter Park. At the shoreline by Greenough Boulevard, they see places where road runoff allows sand and motor oil to enter the Charles. "Wetland restoration and filtration systems can help solve that problem," says Roger Frymire, who is leading the evening's outing. While Frymire highlights ecology concerns, Ralph Boynton keeps a watchful eye on the group.

"There's so much that needs to be done," says Boynton, who runs the Herter Park boat rental service and has made his boats and guide services available to the Charles River Conservancy, sponsor of the event. Boynton, a former marketing manager, says he loves helping people gain access to the river.

"You don't need to be a member of a fancy yacht club or join a college crew to rent one of our kayaks," he says. "For about what it takes to see a movie you can walk right up, pay a small rental fee and experience the peace and beauty of the Charles. Plus, you'll get some exercise and really enjoy yourself."

Boynton works out of a wooden kiosk managed by the Charles River Canoe and Kayak Service just a few hundred yards west of the Eliot Bridge. "We put people from all over the world out on the river and they love it," he says. "Russians, Cambodians, Hispanic people, they all come and enjoy the Parklands and the river. Lots of Allston-Brighton people come here," he adds. "It's really beautiful."

When Boynton first thought of starting a rental service at Herter Park seven years ago, he encountered problems dealing with his nominal sponsor, the MDC. The state agency is responsible for all the parks up and down the Charles. But support from groups like the Allston-Brighton Civic Association and Allston-Brighton Improvement Committee made all the difference in cutting through the red tape to get his service going. "We give local kids summer jobs," he adds. "This is great for the Allston-Brighton community."

"It's important to recognize how important it is for Ralph and his boats to be here," adds Renata von Tscharner of the Charles River Conservancy, a volunteer group dedicated to renewing the Charles River Parklands, including Herter Park. "Being able to rent canoes and kayaks from Ralph made this lovely event possible for us. It also allows visitors and community residents alike to enjoy getting out on the river. We want to see people have easy access to the Charles."

While she speaks, Roger Frymire and his paddlers are returning from their tour, which took them as far west as the Arsenal Street Bridge. One paddler reports seeing a black crowned night heron, a rare and beautiful bird native to the region. Others talk about ways to improve Hell's Half Acre, an area on the Cambridge side of the river where the Charles River Conservancy has been leading a parklands renewal planning process. Allston-Brighton residents have easy access to the area by crossing the Eliot Bridge.

"The river and parklands need to be protected," notes Frymire, who is often out on the water in his own kayak, looking for sources of pollution and unchecked erosion of the precious shoreline. "In the stretch along the Charles where Allston-Brighton, Watertown and Cambridge meet, the Parklands are under assault from boat wakes and traffic noise," he says. "We'll need to make improvements, so that people and the wonderful birds and other wildlife in the Parklands can coexist in an attractive and enjoyable environment."

As paddlers pull into the dock at the end of their excursion, the sun ducks behind the Arsenal Street Bridge and daylight begins to fade. Conservancy staff members help the boaters ashore and pass out box suppers. "This is such a wonderful place," notes the Conservancy's von Tscharner. "There's much, much more to be done to make the Parklands really shine," she says, leaning on a newly installed bench provided through the courtesy of a Back Bay-Beacon Hill improvement group called the Esplanade Association in partnership with the MDC. "But what a rich legacy we have to work with!"