THE SENIOR MEN'S CLUB OF NEW CANAAN
Minutes of the Regular Meeting of November 9, 2001
President Lee Hindenach opened the business meeting at 10:00, in breezy sunshine, with
138 members present. We now have 500 members and 29 waiting.
Membership Concerns: Laurie Koch is recovered and back at SMC. Dick Depatie reported
no medical malfunctions 'mongst the members. And welcome to our newest, Peter Coleman.
Activities: Bowling will convene today, as usual, as will the bridge team.
Phil Tol1's 4F-s will
meet on the fifth F, which is realty the fourth meeting F; they wi11 dine someplace as yet
unknown. Paddle tennis and racquetball roll on. In a 2001 valedictory, Jack Murray told
us that Trailblazers would hike November 14th at Sleeping Giant State Park.
Couth: "42nd Street", with dinner at "21", is sold out for
November 14th. The bus will leave St.
Marks at 11:45 but travelers are urged to be there at 11:30. The December trip to Radio City
will cost $100 per person and has space available. On January 17th we will go to Mohegan Sun,
and the bus will also shuttle those interested to the Native American museum at Foxwoods.
Other News: Charlie Morris announced again the Christmas luncheon, on December 7th
for members and POSSLQ's, at the NCCC. Menu announcement next week, and money
accepted any time @ $30 per. Bring two kids' gifts, clearly marked "boy" or
"girl", to be distributed by the Salvation Army. Finally, President Lee read a
complimentary and completely accurate description of the nature of old "geezers",
of which we are many.
Resident Humorist: John Berg described a clever system for isolating and stalking
male and female houseflies, after which he explained how phone, e-mai1, and fax
functions could be programmed into the human body.
Speaker: VP Ron Seger introduced Tim Northrop, state director of The Trust for
Public Lands. TPL is a national group; New England is one of its seven regions.
In our area it has helped save Treetops, 94 acres in Greenwich, and the Kelda Lands.
Kelda is a European company which
bought Aquarion, our water company. The Kelda lands are about 15,000 acres, 140 of
them in
New Canaan. TPL is a convener and facilitator, not a permanent owner or steward.
It provides technical assistance in making strategic plans (greenprints),
in negotiating and mediating, in
arranging financing, and in organizing informational campaigns. Tim showed us
slides of urban, suburban, and rural projects across the country. He emphasized
that land conservation was much broader than passively saving trees or wildlife;
rather it dealt with the active transformation of communities so that they would
come together to face issues of water, resources, recreation,
history, and local culture. Since 1972, the TPL has been involved in over two
thousand projects encompassing more than a million acres.
In New England pressure on land comes from suburban sprawl.
In New Canaan our
land is already 90% built out, and very expensive. Fortunately, open space is a
hot issue in CT, and
Governor Rowland is an advocate. In New Canaan, the present focus is on the Windsome
Farm
property, 75 acres of horse farm. TPL, the town, and private interests are
working to create a preservation package, which may include the non-profit
Pegasus Therapeutic Riding group. Surveys indicate that New Canaan residents would
support moderately increased taxes, such as for a bond issue, to advance in sound
and logical fashion the cause of land conservation.
Peter Schurman - Assistant Secretary