#1 What I Know (Field Analysis Blog, Bundle 2)

        My uncles restaurant Crossroads Cafe is located in Acton, Massachusetts. He has had this business for over twenty years.  About ten years ago he also owned another restaurant in Townsend, Massachusetts which was called J&B's (named after my two cousins Jay and Bret). That restaurant closed about ten years ago because once the no cigarette smoking law in restaurants took place, he lost a lot of business and had to close that restaurant and then put all efforts into his current restaurant Crossroads. He started in the restaurant business because my great grandfather (my mom and uncles grandfather) owned a restaurant in Concord, Massachusetts named Russo's (this was years ago). Anyway, in present day my uncle owns Crossroads and it has delicious food and delicious drinks (at least I think so). The menu has Italian, Mexican, and American food, also many other dishes with a wide array of ingredients. I am really excited to do bundle 2 about my uncles restaurant because I am really close to him and it's something I know a lot about and would love to share with others.

#4 Go There (Field Analysis Blog, Bundle 1)

        I visited the Delaney Project on a warm Sunday afternoon with my dog, Holly. I was surprised at just how many people were there (and that was only a few... maybe 4?). Just from the parking lot I saw kids fishing with their parents and people bike riding. I walked down the narrow path that leads to the park and noticed how high the grass was and the beautiful Delaney pond in the distance. There were a lot of joggers and people walking their dogs just like me. I took a lot of pictures of the area (which you can see in my bundle). It was a good trip seeing as I hadn't been to the project in a while.

#3 Ask Somebody (Field Analysis Blog, Bundle 1)

             For my first research analysis blog I am supposed to ask somebody and get some personal input from others about my topic. My mom has lived in Stow all her life so I decided to ask her about the Delaney Project and how long it's been there and what not. I asked her if it was around when she was a kid and she said of course "I'm not 100, I'm only 50!". I also asked her if she ever went there and if people were still doing the same outdoor recreational activities she said yes things were still the same forty years later and nothing has changed. I asked her about the history and if she knew any of it, not surprising to me she didn't know any of the history behind the Delaney Project. In turn, I told her all of the history I had found out about the Delaney Project. She was intrigued with the fact that the little Delaney pond right near our house used to house not only one, but two different mills!

 The day I went to the park there wasn't really many people around to ask so I thought interviewing my mom about it was just as good because she has lived near the project her whole life. I didn't learn too much from my mom that I didn't already know but it was a good chance to share my knowledge about the Delaney project with her. So even if I didn't learn anything new I'm glad that I taught someone else something new. Overall, no one seems to know too much about the Delaney project (my dad has lived here his whole life too and didn't know anything). And there isn't even that much on the internet about the Delaney project. I think it would be really cool to further investigate the Delaney Project and see if anything else interesting occurred there.

#2 Read More (Field Analysis Blog, Bundle 1)

I did a lot of research on the Delaney Project in Stow (a small conservation land). Surprisingly, there weren’t many articles about the reservation.  However, I did manage to find a few articles about the park. The first article I found spoke about the Delaney project also known as “Stow Conservation lands”. The article goes speaks about all of the conservation lands in Stow, Massachusetts. The article states how the area now known as The Delaney Project, was originally designed to be a flood land for the Elizabeth Brook. The Elizabeth Brooke now flows through the pond at the project. The Delaney Project was also designated to be hunting ground during certain times of the year. Now it is a recreation ground for hikers, cross country skiers, dog walkers, children, bikers, hunters, and many more. The Delaney Project is run by the Massachusetts division of fisheries and wildlife.

The second article I read, “A Walk around the Delaney Project” goes over a few of the activities that Delaney Project has to offer. Shockingly to me, there are actually some jumping posts set up around the park for horseback riders. The article also mentions what a great place the project is to go for a jog or walk your dog. In the last article I found, it discusses the history of the first mill that was built on Delaney pond. The first mill that was built there was called Brown’s Mill in 1830. Brown’s Mill was a saw and grist mill. The mill eventually became known as Zander’s cider mill after Thomas and Nils Zander. After the death of Thomas and Nils the mill’s equipment was moved to Bolton which is the next town over. The cider mill was used until 1983.

Works Cited

 Childs, Ethel B. History of Stow. Stow, Mass., U.S.A.: Stow Historical Society Pub., 1983. Print.

Crowell, Preston R., and Olivia S. Crowell. Stow, Massachusetts, 1683-1933: Compiled in Honor of the Two Hundred Fiftieth Anniversary of the Town. Salem, MA: Higginson Book, 1995. Print.

Solins, Joanna. "Elizabeth Brook History." OARS. Oars Inc. Web. 06 June 2011. <http://oars3rivers.org/river/tributaries/elizabeth-brook/photos-history>.

"Stow Conservation Lands." Conservation Land. Stow Conservation Trust. Web. 06 June 2011. <http://www.stowconservationtrust.org/land.php>.

"Stow Things to Do." Virtual Tourist. 25 Oct. 2007. Web. 06 June 2011. <http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Massachusetts/Stow-796416/Things_To_Do-Stow-TG-C-1.html>.

What I Know (Field Analysis Blog, Bundle 1)

            What I know, I surprisingly don't know that much about the Delaney Project. This is a little strange considering the fact that I live less than a mile away from the park. I've lived near this park for about 12 years of my life and I've only ever visited it a few times to walk my dog Holly. What I know mostly about the Delaney project is that it is a conservation land in my hometown, Stow, Massachusetts. I also know that people go biking, hiking, walking, fishing, canoeing, and walk their dogs there. I also see photographers there sometimes when I drive by. The Delaney project has a beautiful and peaceful landscape with a lot of trees, flowers, and wildlife with a nice bike/walking path.

Hi

Hi this is the first blog post for my field analysis blog for my summer writing class.