2008 Accomplishments

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=160 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="24af46b0.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="107" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">   </B></div> <div> <A HREF="id125.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MISSION"><U><B>MISSION</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id127.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WHAT TO DO?"><U><B>WHAT TO DO?</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id132.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="JOIN CUSH"><U><B>JOIN CUSH</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id135.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="POLLUTION SOURCES"><U><B>POLLUTION SOURCES</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id136.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MEDIA"><U><B>MEDIA</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id137.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WATER TESTING"><U><B>WATER TESTING</B></U></A><B>    </B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#006666" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><B> </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CUSH HOME PAGE"><U><B>HOME PAGE</B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=275 BGCOLOR="#006666" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <IMG SRC="24eb44e0.jpg" border=0 width="180" height="78" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id128.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Next Meeting"><U>Next Meeting</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id129.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Past Meetings"><U>Past Meetings</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id130.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lectures"><U>Lectures</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id131.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Water Testing Plans"><U>Harbor Outings</U></A></div> <bR> <div> Watch for Youth Activities</div> <div> in the future</div> </td> <td valign="top" height=320 BGCOLOR="#FFFFCC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="10" CELLPADDING="8" CELLSPACING="5" WIDTH="682" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#CC9933" BORDERCOLORDARK="#006666" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF HEIGHT= 716 WIDTH="634"><bR> <div> <B>CUSH 2008 Accomplishments</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The CUSH Water Testing Program,</B> which represents half of our primary mission, was launched in January by Claire Gavin, a retired toxicology researcher who directs the all-volunteer effort.  By February, a Water Testing Advisory Committee of local experts had been assembled and twelve proposed testing sites were chosen along Mystic River, around Stonington Borough, Barn Island, and Sandy Point.  Twelve volunteers signed up to draw samples twice a month, but to ensure continuity of data in the first year, teams of two were assigned to each site, which meant testing only six sites.  Sampling began in June and ran through October.  Data was returned from URI's Watershed Watch lab by February 2009, and results are posted to this web site under the Water Testing tab. </div> <div> <B>Harbor Friendly Yards</B> planning began in January and was launched in March, thanks to Gloria Gorby, Saren Langmann, Bruce Biddle, and Amy Nicholas.  A 4-page Yard Care Guide for the Coastal Homeowner was printed and tucked into 24,000 newspapers going to all residents of Mystic, Stonington and Pawcatuck, with grant funding from the Town of Stonington.  Two educational lectures were held:  organic landscaper Frank Woods on “Creating a Harbor Friendly Landscape” and Susan Addis' talk, “Poison in the Grass,” discussed health risks from lawn care chemicals.  A handout sheet outlining harbor friendly lawn practices CUSH recommends homeowners follow was created.  When residents agree to adhere to these guidelines, they receive a 4 x 4 inch CUSH Harbor Friendly Yard signs to plant on their property.  Over100 signs were up during Stonington Garden Club's tour, which attracts over 3,000 visitors, and an educational page in the directory was devoted to harbor friendly yard practices.  This successful program will be expanded to Mystic, Pawcatuck and the remainder of Stonington Town in 2009, with more signs expected to sprout up in 2009.</div> <div> <B>Media support</B> for CUSH's mission remained strong during our second year.  Activities were featured in 10 newspaper articles, two magazines, and Channel 8 television covered the Mystic pumpout boat service in July.  Five radio stations also aired three 20-second educational public service announcements from CUSH each month July-September.</div> <div> <B>CUSH's first Fund Raising</B> drive began in May, through the efforts of Bill Dohrmann, Willis Arndt, Susan Piver, Jeff Dolph.  A second team of “stuffing and mailing” volunteers sent out 3,000 letters by early August.  In spite of the slowing economy and mortgage meltdown, contributions exceeded $9,000.  Paid individual and family memberships increased from 33 in 2007 to 101 in 2008.  </div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <B>Restoring Stonington Harbors to Pristine Condition</B></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>