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A.P.P.L.E. Seed A.P.P.L.E. Seed's mission statement declares us to be "A Brookfield citizens' organization dedicated to the betterment of our community as a more desirable place to live and grow." We are a direct result of a survey sent to the entire town in 1993, designed to find out what the citizens like and dislike about Brookfield, and what the needs of the community were. One of the most consistent items of contention was the lack of communication in town. Our first task, therefore, was to remedy it, and so formed the Brookfield Citizen as a forum for airing the "good news" in town. Enhancing the natural beauty of our community had also been established as a goal for this group. To that end, the Twitchell Grove and caves area were examined for rehabilitation to a park type atmosphere with nature trails, and flora and fauna identification. We feel that this area is a definite plus for the community, and should be used by all, as it was intended. A cleanup program was developed and executed to remove trash and detritus, and trails were marked for future development. Some of the existing trees were identified. A picnic bench was installed near the elementary school end of the park. For a while, a Program Manager was available to keep tabs on the area, monitoring its use, and notifying the police of unlawful activities, but that person developed health problems, and was unable to continue. Re-activating that project would be a great idea but needs a volunteer to head it up. (All are welcome!) Another beautification project was the George Washington Highway Trees Project, headed up by one of our staff members. Over a course of three years, over 80 flowering Kwaisan Cherry trees were planted along the highway from the West Brookfield line to the East Brookfield line. Trees were funded through grants and donations, and preparation and installation by volunteers throughout the town. During the past year, grants provided funding for flower plantings at the base of the trees. We continue to maintain these trees, but some have been lost due to disease. A replacement tree project will be undertaken soon, and donations and volunteers will be solicited. In the Spring of 1995, A.P.P.L.E. Seed organized Operation Clean Sweep, which cleaned up the highways and byways of Brookfield. This event has been repeated every year since. On or about Earth Day, citizens are urged to clean up the streets adjacent to their properties, and in areas that they notice as needing sprucing up as they pass through. We welcome suggestions and ideas from the community and anyone wishing to join our group, please contact Philip Peirce at (508) 867-9553, or anyone listed below. Current
members of A.P.P.L.E. Seed, Inc. |