2020 President's Annual Report
Even though, the 2020 Davisville Civic Association Annual Meeting was cancelled due to the health threat to potential attendees as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, we have prepared Annual Reports from both the President and Treasurer, John Driscoll. For both attendance and health concerns, cancelling was the correct decision. For your information, our neighboring East Falmouth Village Association also, for the same reason as we did, cancelled their 2020 Annual Meeting.
Here is my President’s report which I would have given had we held the meeting. I’d like to report on several, largely positive developments in the last year for Davisville and your Association.
First, for those of us who are year-round residents, we experienced a winter of much smaller snowfall than is typical, especially compared to the year 2015! But, as usual, spring greeted us with a number of heavy rain and wind storms.
At least year’s Annual Meeting, attendance was very strong with over 35 new members joining the Davisville Civic Association – a very positive development. For those of you who are interested in trivia, an analysis of our membership reveals that membership residency is split about 50/50 between seasonal and year-round residents.
Communication
Perhaps the greatest success over the past year was the development of our Association website, led by Carol McLeod, a board member and owner of Carol McLeod Design, a branding, web and print design organization located in Mashpee. I am delighted to inform you that Carol volunteered all of her time and consequently there was minimal cost to the association for the website development and on-going maintenance. This was a tremendous gift to the association and resulted in the savings of many thousands of dollars in development expense. There are relatively minor annual expenses paid to other vendors for technical services supporting the site on an on-going basis. A subcommittee, consisting of board members - Libby Hearne, John Driscoll, and Dean Lundgren - assisted Carol in its development. Thank you, Carol, for this wonderful gift to all of us! Check it out at: Davisville Civic Association.org.
Those of you who attended last year’s Annual Meeting filled out a questionnaire regarding two communication issues: a) should we develop a website; and b) would you like us to inform you of relevant issues by email. The response for both was overwhelmingly positive: 100% in favor of website development and 86% positive for developing email communication capability with members. I am pleased to inform you that both President’s and Treasurer’s Annual Reports will be posted on the website. In addition, we will be emailing these two reports to all of you who provided your email address to us on the 2019 or 2020 membership dues form. Also, throughout the year, when any key new information is being placed on the website, we will inform you by email.
Davisville Road Extension Beach
For those of you who either use or take walks to the Davisville Road Extension Beach (at the end of the “dirt road”), you will have noticed that the beach had deteriorated significantly over the years as a result of storms and wave erosion. This left many boulders and 80-year-old sharp wooden stakes at the waterfront. As a result, it became increasingly precarious for beach goers to enter the water from the beach, especially those of us who are “seniors”. I appointed a board committee consisting of Mike Kinney (who serves on the Town’s Waterways Committee) and John Chapman (an executive with an international marine engineering firm), and neighbor association member, David Moor (a landscape professional) along with myself to attempt to remedy the situation. We met with both Town of Falmouth Conservation Committee and Public Works staff to seek a resolution of this problematic situation. In late March 2020, the Town worked successfully to make significant improvements. However, Mother Nature through spring storms had other ideas. The beach has subsequently deteriorated to some degree. We hope to work with the Town to get a mutually agreeable more permanent solution. Stay tuned!
Menauhant Beach West and Bridge
The widening of the Bournes Pond Inlet with a New Menauhant/Bournes Pond Bridge is, supposedly on schedule for completion in 2022 or 2023. The Menauhant West Beach, as far as we know, is still scheduled for a $1.5 million beach nourishment and installation of groins likely during 2021. In early June 2020, I contacted the Beach Superintendent requesting their immediate action relative to Menauhant Beach West regarding fencing off the dangerous former Bournes Pond Bridge and filling a six-foot deep cistern on that beach. We were pleased with and thanked them for their immediate response.
Financial Update
As John Driscoll’s Annual Report presents, your association remains in a strong position for future planned and unexpected expenses.
For those Association members who have not yet mailed in their 2020 membership dues, we have included in this distribution the membership dues form. The modest $10 annual fee enables us to have adequate funds to respond to both planned and unanticipated expenses in the coming year. Thank you!
Board Membership
Due to the cancellation of the Annual Meeting, we were not able to hold the annual elections of officers and board members. Bob Collette who has served so well for many years has elected to complete his service as a board member; he and wife Diane, a former Association Officer, will continue their active involvement in the association. At our next annual meeting, attendees will be asked to approve the ongoing service of the following who have agreed to continue serving: 2023 board members: Len Miele, Carol McLeod, and John Chapman (moving from Clerk/Secretary to board member) and Officers: Dean Lundgren, President; Mike Kinney, Vice President; John Driscoll, Treasurer; and Clerk/Secretary, currently vacant.
We look forward to seeing you all at the next Davisville Civic Association Annual Meeting on Saturday July 31, 2021 at the usual time of 4 PM. Stay safe and healthy!
Dean Lundgren, President
If you have not yet sent in your ten-dollar 2020 membership dues payment, we greatly appreciate your doing so at this time to support your association. Thank you!
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Please fill out and detach the form below and mail with a check for $10 to:
Davisville Civic Association, P O Box 353, East Falmouth, MA 02536
Please print legibly (so we can record your information correctly, as you’d want it).
NAME(S) ______________________________________________________________________
SUMMER ADDRESS ______________________________________________________________
WINTER ADDRESS _______________________________________________________________
TELEPHONE NUMBER(S) __________________________________________________________
EMAIL ADDRESSES ______________________________________________________________
We intend to use your email if you provide it to us, to inform you of any important news or updates to our website. We will not share this information with any organization.