Page Four of The Watershed, Vol. 7, No. 2, Summer 2003

(LIVINGSTONE... Cont. from page 1)

grew the Pond Watchers Project, and eventually, OPET. Today Bob prefers to be an "honorary" rather than regular boardmember because, at the age of 82, he doesn't want to feel too guilty if he misses an occasional board meeting. But Bob's dedication to the pond is unwavering: last winter, in the middle of one of many severe snowstorms, I came across Bob taking pictures down by the weir! Bob has had a colorful career, his undergraduate schooling at Oregon State University interrupted by World War II and three years service in the U.S. Army, including 9 months in the 4th Infanty Division in "The Battle of the Bulge."

After finishing his B.S. at Oregon State (where he was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity), he pursued graduate studies for two years at the University of Washington School of Fisheries. Bob has had a longstanding interest in conservation issues, and has been an avid birder since his days in Oregon. Besides being an invaluable knowledgeable resource in OPET matters - he is our resident fish expert - Bob is active in the community in other ways as well, mainly through outreach programs of the Church of the Messiah, where he has been an active member since 1957. These programs include the annual Cape Walk for the Homeless, now in its 18th year, and a monthly food collection for the Falmouth Service Center.

Somehow, Bob also still finds time to play a little tennis (this is how he met his current wife Laura), practice digital photography, and enjoy music, especially jazz. Between the two of them, Bob has 8 grandchildren, and Laura has two. With all of Bob's other interests, we are grateful that he continues to make time for Oyster Pond projects. by Mindy Hall

OPET has now been in existence for eight years, and in that time has addressed a number of important issues affecting Oyster Pond. "A Coastal Pond Studied by Oceanographic Methods," written by K. O. Emery and originally published in 1969, was updated and reprinted. The mortgage for the land that was to become Zinn Park was taken on by OPET, and the mortgage was subsequently paid off. The weir was constructed on the pond side of the culvert at the southern end of Oyster Pond, to help regulate the salinity in the pond, and the Trunk River jetties were repaired. OPET has also sponsored and aided research projects by students concerning the pond's ecology and pubicized results on our website and in this newsletter.

Ongoing monitoring of water quality and fish populations in the pond is clearly desireable. Beyond that, however, there are many possibilities, for investing the resources of OPET, and at this juncture, your boardmembers seek your input on prioritizing these issues. To that end, we have included a survey on the back of your membership renewal form, and ask that you return it to us in the return envelope. Please feel free to include additional comments on another piece of paper. Replies will be most helpful if received by the end of the summer, when the new OPET board members for year 2003-2004 begin their work; however, a late reply is preferred to none at all! Thank you for your input.

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