Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today is St. Patrick's day and here's a bit of Irish blessings for you. If any of our members of Irish ancestry wishes to submit a few more words of wisdom - please do! And

yes I know... I have already been asked what this has to do with Manchaug Pond as first it was the Native Peoples and then it was the Swedish who settled most of the shores of Manchaug Pond not the Irish! Well, today's Manchaug Pond is a blend of many nationalities, backgrounds and experience. And St. Patrick wasn't Irish either!

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

View of Manchaug Pond from Area 8, Summer 2006

Wishing you always...
Walls for the wind,
A roof for the rain
And tea beside the fire.
Laughter to cheer you,
Those you love near you,
And all that your heart may desire.
Stairs leading to a home in Area 7

May neighbours respect you,
Trouble neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And heaven accept you.


Fall asters on the earth embankment, Manchaug Pond Dam 2006


Bless those minding cattle,
And those minding sheep,
And those fishing the sea
While the rest of us sleep.

Water's Farm Days 2006


And remember, Murphy was an Irishman:

Murphy's Law
Nothing is as easy as it looks.
Everything takes longer than you expect.
And if anything can go wrong,
It will, at the worst possible moment.Area 1, 2 fall 2006

And one for Saint Patrick whose feast day it is:

Legend of Saint Patrick
Good St. Patrick travelled far, to teach God's Holy Word
And when he came to Erin's sod, a wondrous thing occurred
He plucked a shamrock from the earth and held it in His hand
To symbolise the Trinity that all might understand
The first leaf for the Father
And the second for the Son
The third leaf for the Holy Spirit
All three of them in one.
Manchaug Pond 2006


If God sends you down a stony path,
may he give you strong shoes.
View of Manchaug Pond from ramp at Public Boat Ramp 2006

May your day be touched
by a bit of Irish luck,
brightened by a song in your heart,
and warmed by the smiles
of the people you love.
Some Neighbors of Area 5 & 6

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at you back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
May the rain fall saft upon your fields.
And, until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Public Boat Ramp, fall 2006

Have a restful day!

Sutton Selectman's Meeting Last Night

Click the title of this blog entry to read what the Telegram reporter got out of last night's meeting.

After hearing Sutton Selectmen last night, one, or I should say two, things stay uppermost in my mind:

1. we need a district to give ALL PROPERTY OWNERS a voice! whether you love or hate the MPA, whether you're a Douglas or a Sutton resident, whether you're a registered voter or not, whether you're a business or individual, whether you have been on the lake 106 years or 1 year, whether you formed the association or never heard of it, whether you swim or otherwise use the lake you live on or not. A District would give you the vote by ballot or proxy and the facts- you'd decide. Whether you want a Dam or not. Whether you want chemical weed control or not. What action or non action you want on any other subject.
(see MPA's Proposed Objective #1 for the District: "Provide a strong, single voice for the over 120 current property owners abutting Manchaug Pond who reside in 32 communities in 7 states.")

2. we need to remember our common goal is the welfare of Manchaug Pond! There was no vision in that discussion last night. Actually there was more accusations than facts or discussion. No direction, or planning for the future.

Here's a beautiful photo of Manchaug Pond from Water's Farm in Sutton.

Yesterday's Questions: My Taxes and the District

Yesterday's questions came from a caller and neighbor in Area 3 I haven't talked to since the summer. (Winter hibernation!)

She asked:

Q: If I chooses to support the Manchaug Pond Watershed District, where will my tax money go? The town general fund? Will I get a separate bill? How much will I have to pay?

A: All tax money assessed for the District will go to the District. You will be billed by the town on your property tax bill (quarterly in Douglas and semi-annually in Sutton) with the amount for the District appearing as a separate line item. The amount you are taxed will depend on two things: first, the budget you and other members vote on at the District's Annual Meeting the year before and secondly, the assessed value of your property which is determined by the Town. This makes for a proportionally fair assessment.

The MPA has proposed a first year budget of $8,000 based on the expenses of other Massachusetts watershed districts and state requirements for municipalities. This would include a bond for the treasurer, audit, mailing costs for the annual meeting warrant, and a stabilization fund, and perhaps but may not be needed, attorney fees and town fees reimbursing the tax collector's office for services in the collection of your money. Given the average home is valued at $350,000. you are looking at an $82. tax for the year spread out in 2 or 4 payments depending on your town. The town would then cut the District a check for the amount collected.

Q. I was told the District would be required to hire a full time engineer and a full time caretaker for the dam. Is that true?

A. No, there will be no paid employees of the District. The day to day functions of the District will be carried out by the District Clerk (elected yearly), the Treasurer (elected yearly), and a Management Committee of three individuals (elected, staggered three year terms): all are volunteers and all elected and property owners in the District.

Currently, the dam's ownership is still with Interface Fabrics Group. The Manchaug Pond Watershed District is being modeled after successful, experienced Massachusetts' Districts formed in the 1990's, who have helped us develop/project a realistic budget. These Districts do own and control their dam and use the volunteer staff for daily monitoring and adjusting of the water level and many of the maintenance needs such as mowing, brush cutting, etc of the dam. With Manchaug Pond's dam, every other year the services of an engineering firm would need to be contracted for the state required dam safety inspections - this is not a full time position.

Sutton Calls Meeting on the District

A MPA member called the MPA President today from Florida for an update an lake events as he hasn't gotten his Massachusetts mail in awhile. So if you haven't gotten your mail from the Town, or the MPA newsletter, here's the latest meeting announcement!




The Sutton Board of Selectman has called a public meeting "with the abutters of the Pond to hear your support and concerns." The Meeting will be held this
Thursday, March 15, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. at the Sutton Senior Center on Hough Road in South Sutton. (Off of Whitins Road ) The Board of Selectman explained in their letter, "We have heard many discussions by the association about the benefits of forming such a district, but as a Board we feel that we have yet to actually hear from the Sutton residents..."

The MPA encourages all to attend, both Douglas and Sutton property owners on Manchaug Pond, with waterrights and, if you like, those who rent or have other interests. You do not have to be a registered voter or a Sutton resident to attend and voice your opinion.

If you cannot attend the meeting Thursday, the Board ask that you contact them in writing: Selectman Chairman, Sutton Town Hall, 4 Uxbridge Road, Sutton, MA 01590,
Or participate in the Public Comment Period during the Board's regularly scheduled meetings at 7 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of every month,
Or email Selectman Clerk for the Board at Fattman4sutton@gmail.com

See you there!

Flashboards Going In

The Interface employee and caretaker of the Manchaug Pond dam, gave the MPA a call this morning to update all of you on today's activities with the dam.



He reports that he has to open the gate a bit to take the water down so he can get the flashboards back in. Once the boards are in, he will begin filling the lake for its summer level.

This photo was taken June 10, 2006.

Question of the Day!

Playing Trivial Pursuit (Young Players Edition!) today with my daughter we came across a question in the "Science and Technology" category for you!

"Who invented the first successful outboard motor - Ole Evinrude, Lionel Johnson or Clyde Mercury?"


This photo was taken in January. The 12ft green Mirro craft on the right of the photo had a 1969 six horsepower Johnson until last year when it was sadly retired.

Oh, and the answer is: "Ole Evinrude"

MPA Newsletter in the Mail!

The blog has been quiet not because there isn't much happening but just the opposite! I have been busy working on the winter newsletter I had expected to get out in Dec. Well, today it came back from being printed so I am pleased to say it will be in your mailbox starting tomorrow (and well before spring!) This issue is 12 pages of information from the grant award to facts about the district effort, two articles on the history of Manchaug and an advertisement from a MPA member offering his home for sale to us first on the lot I have always considered the best spot on the lake. I hope you enjoy this issue. If you would like to submitt a few words for the next issue, I would love it. Also if you see a few errors - words not centered or an extra tab - it is the process of transfering the newsletter from the publishing program to the copy machine. We did a whole lot better this time with the transfer than we did with the summer issue.

The lake is doing a whole lot of moaning and groaning and the temps have been very cold at zero F in the morning and a strong, bitter cold wind through the day. If you want a change... go to warmer temps with the blog of a former Manchaug Pond resident (he used to wind surf the waters during the days of professor Nunnemacher, sail a sunfish with his Dad in the days of MPA sailboat races and tour the lake int the little motorboat with the old Johnson motor) as he checks out the deserts states of California, Arizona and the like in his Airstream. Niced photos!
http://www.hikenbike.net/wordpress/2007/03/08/everybody-is-here/

Is Our Dam Safe? YES!

I had an email today asking whether or not our Manchaug Dam is safe. There is talk around that it is not and with this rain, warmer temperatures, and flooding in the forecast lets look at the facts based on the reports held by the state Office of Dam Safety.

Without doubt, the dam is in GOOD CONDITION and continues to be inspected daily and maintained regularly and as needed by the owner, Interface Fabrics Group, and under state requirements. It has been inspected within the last six months by a professional engineer registered with the Commonwealth and by the Office of Dam Safety. Official engineers and inspectors, as well as the MPA president, were on site when repairs were made to the low-level outlet gate in Sept. 2006.

MPA holds all dam safety reports on record with the state which reports "the dam has performed satisfactorily for nearly 170 years, and no significant deficiencies were observed." All maintainence and recommendations are listed from bolts replaced to brush cut to masonary work performed. The reports also give photos, engineer's plans/drawings and details from reservoir size to the surficial geology of the area, faulting and seismicity of the area and bedrock. Details, details, details. The stack of reports are 4 inches high and have been read by the MPA President and Corresponding Secretary with no surprises found.

Our "dam has been classified as a large, high-hazard dam under DEM (now Department of Conservation and Recreation or DCR) guidelines by virtue of the height of the dam and reservoir storage." So all dams the size of Manchaug's and because it holds back more that 1,000 acre-feet are listed as high-hazard. This classification requires inspection every two years by a professional engineer.

Hope this puts your worries to rest! A memo from Dam Safety states,"It is the dam owners decision to operate the dam as he/she desires, as long as operation is conducted safely in compliance with dam safety laws and any other applicable local, state or federal regulations." There is alot of space there for the owner to flood us, dry dock us and let the dam get rundown! I remember under the previous owner about 24 years ago, the lake was so high we took the boat across the lake to visit my sister-in-law driving right over her lawn in 3 feet of water right up to the top of the deck. My brother in law was in the doorway yelling, "Don't make waves!!" We thank Interface caretaker for keeping the Weather Channel on 24/7, and for Interface for getting permission from the state to delay drawdown last summer until after Labor Day so we could enjoy the lake and we thank Interface for making maintenance a priority!

Rest easy.

Beautiful Day Yesterday

It was beautiful on the lake yesterday: sunny, blue skys, and the 7 -8 inches of snow we received in the past few days gave a fresh layer to the lake. The day was quiet as it most often is on a weekday, with an ice fisherman or two seen at lunch time, a couple snowmobilers mid afternoon and as supper time approached, a man and his dog. My daughter and grandson walked across the lake for a visit and coaxed us into a walk back to her house for a visit. On our way home, the big old Golden Retriever ran the distance to give my youngesst daughter a big friendly greeting and then was off running home as well.




On the walk over, these tracks were seen where a seagull had touched down for a little rest.



One thing I wanted to mention... our MPA President was quoted in the January 18th Worcester Telegram at a Douglas Selectman's meeting as stating about the 40 year old MPA's ability to preserve the welfare of the pond, "We need to move up to the 21st century". Specifically in the past few years under his leadership, the MPA has been doing just that from putting memberhips lists on Excel spreadsheets, to storing documents on the computer, to writing grants, and now - responding to the call of our membership - moving toward the formation of a lake district. The days of keeping our treasurer's records in a shoebox are long gone! and our response to the issues of today can not be just meetings with talk and more talk. Positive action needs to be taken with the future of the residents and the lake in mind.

and speaking of technology... I need a new battery for the digital camera as it is not keeping the charge and I could only get a picture or two out of it today AND if you need to reach me about the water level, meetings or anything else, email me as my phone service is down until March 9th as I am caught in the Vonage - Verizon abyss! sorry! Truly frustrating :((

So What is Going On?

To start, here's a photo shot from Area 2 by our VP.
Thank you for the contribution!

So what is going on?! Well, to put it mildly, PLENTY!
Besides the usual calls that the lake is too high or too low, and "I'm calling from Florida - is the lake up yet since the dam repairs?", and the calls from Fuddy, the caretaker with Interface, on how much the dam is open and closed, the rainfall and snowmelt, and news on the mill, etc....

.... the Stormdrain Grant is a definite! The Federal/State Government will fund $129,000 for the MPA to reimburse the Towns of Douglas and Sutton as well as the engineering firm CEI as we oversee a number of projects around the lake which will address aquatic weed growth by reducing pollutants/runoff into the lake. We have been busy reviewing project scope of work drafts, sending in vendor and affirmative action requirements, and the MPA President has become handy with the pen signing contracts with DEP and CEI on behalf of the MPA. Personally, I am thankful for the expertise we have on the MPA Board of Directors, ie. a real certified public accountant for a treasurer to ensure proper recordkeeping and management of those monie$! The project time-frame started this week and goes into 2010.

.... The District Initiative has been the object of many meetings with the residents around the lake, friends and MPA members, with the MPA Board of Directors, and with the Towns of Douglas and Sutton whose support we seek before we go to the state legislature. In an effort to secure the Towns blessing... At our first meeting before the Sutton Board, State Rep. Jennifer Callahan noted its merits as well as our efforts getting the grant. But both Towns still are working to understand how a watershed district can work within the Town. Douglas has verbally granted their support but Sutton is still talking and asking questions. MPA attorney for the project, Walter Jabs Jr. and COLAP Representative Dick Johnston of Cedar Meadows Watershed District have provided hours of information to the town administrators and Boards of Selectman on our behalf as well as the Town Administrators and officials in the towns of Leicester and Spencer which have a number of districts they work with, but the Towns continue to scratch their heads about it all. The Town of Sutton has decided to call a meeting of people around the lake to get everyone's opinion. Their public meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, March 15th at 7 p.m. at the Sutton Senior Center on Hough Road. I'll get a hard copy to everyone in the mail this week. The Selectman want to hear from you as to the benefits of the district, at this meeting, in writing or one of their public forums.

This week I have also been reading dam safety reports the MPA secured last year on the Manchaug Pond dam. The MPA President read them a few months ago. They go back to 1991 and give alot details on the maitenance performed on the dam. Good shape it is!

More to come!

Sunset from Area 2

Thanks to our VP photographer!

Lots is happening with the grant, newsletter, and district. I'll get you the details soon!

Tired of the Cold...

For those of you who are tired of the cold, not into snowmobiles, hockey and the like, don't have a warm firesplace to sit by on a wintery day like today... don't despair! spring is on the way! Here are some photos from last summer on Manchaug Pond!

Sunday Photos!

The ice was beautiful for skating but most of the action was on dirt bikes, four wheelers and snowmobiles especially near the causeway.







Fishermen report the ice to be about 14-16 inches thick!

Dam Closed with One Inch of Flow

The dam here at Manchaug Pond has been closed down this weekend to 1 inch by the dam caretaker. Prior to this, the dam was opened a couple inches to take the water down so the docks are not in the water/ice. The dam now can't be closed down more than an 1 inch as to maintain a flow for the creatures downstream :)

Today provided a beautiful day with CROWDS of people enjoying the ice!

Did you see that!?

Whoa! What was that about? Just as I was signing in to post a message, a huge plane just flew over, very low, over Manchaug Pond, over my house, and heading south. It was low, big and dark! Sorry for the lack of technical adjectives - my husband the Marine veteran of the Vietnam War was in the cellar and missed the whole thing! Those are the words of the wife with the degree in Plant and Soil Science, the 9 year old daughter and the 16 mos old grandson. It definitely looked military and it immediately brought to mind "The Bombing of Blueberry Island", an article written by a Founding Father of the MPA which appeared in the last MPA newsletter. I didn't have time to turn on the digital camera to get you a picture before it was gone. If you got a photo or have any info let me know!

Catching the Big Winner!

The state's top anglers will receive special honors on Feb. 10 at the Eastern Fishing and Outdoor Exposition at the DCU Center in Worcester. I didn't notice any winners from Manchaug Pond but I did notice that fish caught in our waters could have had a
chance. For instance the neighbor's grandson caught a 6lb + bass when he was 10 years old. For the youth pin a minimum weight of 4 lbs is required for a bass and who knows who will enter.

Every fish caught at our dock is a winner! Big or small it is a thrill. Fish
are named and thrown back in to lure out another day or in 5 minutes if
they are hungry :)) This fish was caught this summer. A beauty by any
standards!


Click the title of this post to get the list of winners, the requirements for the program, and the weight stations to
bring in your prize fish. And send me photos of your prize catch!

Super Bowl Sunday

Sunshine, but cold and breeezey.

Snow means Snowmobiles!

Finally snow! and on the lake, snow means SNOWMOBILES! and four, three and two wheelers!
Saturday, quite a few came from the boat ramp as well as the a few cottages around the lake.

How many snowmobiles does a trailer like that hold? Four?

Life on the Lake

Having raised 4 children on the lake, over the years I have to say I have never heard any of them say they were bored. The lake certainly is the center of activity no matter what the season! Here's more photos from Sunday:

How about 4 wheeling and a visit with neighbors!


or ice skating!


or snowmobiling!


or snowboarding!?


or ice fishing!


or cross-country ice skating!?


or your own fishing derby!


Whatever the fun, we are always a little sad when we have to go home!


Manchaug Pond, a great place to be!

Sunday a Great day on the Lake!

Great day on the lake today: Blue sky, sunshine, little wind, and good ice!
Area 1 (the homes before Holbrook') and the south cove of Areas 5 and 6 had plenty of socializing ice fishing and snowmobiling. The rest of the lake was quiet except for some ice skating & hockey at a couple homes in Area 7 & 8. I also saw the four wheeler of Area 8 riding along the shore.

Dam Still Open

The dam is open with the Interface dam caretaker watching our docks
so the ice does freeze around them. The dam is open 6" which
is more than the usual 2 inches at this of the year.

We have noticed a number of duck swimming and eating in the flow between Manchaug
and Steven's. I figure they are enjoying the peace of the water there
under the cover of the trees. Area 2 reports that the seagulls this
year are quite aggressive with a member witnessing an attack of a visiting merganser duck.

Ice Fisherman Hit the Lake

Manchaug Pond, with this cold spell, has a thin coat of ice on it - enough for the ice fisherman to be out on the lake in the area in front of the dam. Clearly not thick enough for me :)

Ice on the Lake

This just in from a photographer in Area 2! With this cold spell this week (morning temperatures in the teens), ice has finally been forming on the lake. Later in the day, the wind opened up this "river".

Email your photos - we'd love to see them! Remember we have members in 30 communities other than Douglas and Sutton and from 7 states with some "overwintering" in Florida. They love "seeing" how the lake looks each day.

Dam Owner Keeps Water Level High

Manchaug Pond is at high water levels for this time of year, with the gate repaired and low water a distant memory.


The dam owner called this week to give the MPA the inside info on how they're handling this unusual winter with no snow cover. (Of course, its snowing as I write this!) First of all, Fuddy, the caretaker will have you know that in his 23 years at this job that this is very unusual to have no snow by mid-January. The plan is to keep the water as high as possible, without ice damage to docks, in case we have a dry spring. Without snow cover we won't have a spring melt to bring us up.

In the meantime, we have been getting plenty of rain and a frozen ground that means plenty of run-off. The first week in January we recieved 2 inches of rain which brought the lake up 20 inches. In response, Fuddy had the gate opened 18 inches.

This week he had the gate back to two inches and was monitoring the weather channel for the possibility of rain - ready to open it up again. "No one watches the Weather Channel as much as I do! Its on all day!" Fuddy reports.

Look to the Sky... Eagles!

The sky above Manchaug Pond has been the focus the last few weeks with a number of eagles hunting our waters. A member from Area 2 reported spotting two immature eagles feeding at Blueberry Island and circling the other islands of the lake on Christmas Eve. Since then other members from Areas 2, 3 and 8 have reported seeing 2 immatures and 1 adult soaring, hunting, and perched high in the trees.

The giant and majestic adult pictured here was caught this week circling high over a chicken coop in Area 3. After about 5 minutes of checking out the coop, it headed toward Steven's Pond.



For a closer look at an adult Bald Eagle click on to the title of this entry and it will take you to the recent Worcester Telegram article on the recent count results held each year in Massachusetts.

Also if you have any photos you would like to share, email them to me at phyllis@abragraphics.net and I will post them here for all to see! Did anyone get a close-up shot or get a new camera lens for Christmas! :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR MANCHAUG POND!!

Happy New Year! 2007! Time sure does fly!


With 2007, the Manchaug Pond Association celebrates 40 years of service to the lake, the year-round and seasonal residents, and to the community. The MPA was formed in 1967 to "the promote the welfare and correct use of Manchaug Pond and the contiguous area."

2007 promises to be a full year for the MPA with two MAJOR projects to bring to fruition. First, to oversee the implementation of the federal EPA storm drain grant we secured in 2006. The project brings $129,000 to the MPA to build storm drains, catch basins and the like on the roads around Manchaug Pond and to develop educational materials and programs for residents and businesses operating in the watershed. The benefits are long-term with specific measures designed to reduce nuisance aquatic weed growth and improve water quality. The engineering firm of CEI (Comprehensive Environmental Inc.) will oversee the technical and reporting end of things, the Highway Departments of the towns of Douglas and Sutton will do the work on the roads and at the state boat ramp and MPA volunteers will work with CEI on the educational component.

Secondly, the MPA will continue the effort to form a municipal watershed district for the lake area. This will directly give the lake a stronger presence within the two towns, will empower us to act quickly and effectively on future issues, and will open doors for future grants monies available only to municipal entities. The MPA Board of Directors began in February of 2006 looking at the best options for the future of the lake and met again in May consulting the Congress of Lake and Pond Associations (COLAP) and the Cedar Meadow Lake Watershed Association. They voted unanimously to bring the municipal district option to the membership. Informational public meetings were held in June (with the District Clerk of Cedar Meadows Watershed District speaking to the pros and cons & ins and outs) and in August with the many in attendance voting unanimously at both meetings in support of the formation of a Manchaug Pond District. A third public meeting was held in December with the MPA President giving a PowerPoint presentation on the initiative and the attorney hired by the MPA to spearhead the process answered questions asked by those in attendence. The MPA also met in June with the newly formed Whitin Reservoir Association, who is also looking to form a district.

Again, 2007 promises to be an exciting year!

Dam closed to 1 inch - Water is high.

Fuddy reports closing the gate to 1 inch on Sunday. He has Whitins open 3 inches. He found this to be his easiest year yet with no hurricanes hitting the area.

On the sale of the mill and three dams, he hasn't heard anything new. He says the dam owner is still trying to find a buyer who wants the whole package. Machines are still being taken out of the mill. Four large heater units have been brought in to heat the mill so the pipes do freeze. The propane blowers are outside the building and are cheaper than hiring staff to fire up the boilers all winter.

On the dams, the Douglas Board of Selectman told the MPA, that while they are not interested in ownership of any of the dams, they do want a written agreement with the future owner(s) that the 16 cubic feet per second flow will be maintained for their town's sewerage treatment plant.

Watershed District Topic of Meeting Set for Thursday

This Thursday, December 14th at 7:00 p.m. all those interested in Manchaug Pond and the MPA's initiative to form a Watershed District are invited to the church hall at St. Anne's Church on Main St in Manchaug across from Bek's Fuels. The MPA President will make a PowerPoint presentation explaining the mission, goals and objectives of the MPA members' call to form the municipal district. Further he and the Treasurer, in working with the District Clerk of the long existing Cedar Meadow Lake Watershed District have worked up an initial budget for the first year and the estimated cost to the pond abutters and those with water rights. Attorney Walter Jabs, hired by the MPA to spearhead this effort, will attend outlining the draft legislation and bylaws which will set the framework for the district. This action is driven by the MPA membership who voted unanimously at two meetings earlier this year to pursue formation of the municipal district.

All interested are invited and encouraged to attend. Bring questions, concerns and thoughts, as the purpose of this meeting is to provide factual information to all.

This meeting is the rescheduled from November where a blackout in Manchaug and

Manchaug Pond Indian Artifacts in Museum

Do you like arrowheads? Did you find a few while the water level was down?

This week a long time member and resident of Manchaug Pond from Area 2 brought to our attention the fact that a large collection of Indian artifacts from Manchaug Pond are on exhibit at The Robbins Museum in Middleboro.

Here's the details this member provides to all of you:

"WHAT? Indian Artifacts from the Central Massachusetts collection of C.C. Ferguson

WHERE? Massachusetts Archaeological Society at the Robbins Museum of Archaeology 17 Jackson St., Middleboro, Mass. Weds. 9-4 and Sat. 10-2. (Click title for link or call 508-947-9005 for direction and information.)

WHEN? Now through Spring 07'

NOTE: The bulk of C.C. Fergusons's collection comes from Manchaug Pond and downstream along the Mumford River. His collecting done in the 1920's, 1930's and 1940's and is the most complete of Manchaug Pond ever put together.

C.C. was a graduate of Harvard College, an educator and many years Superintendent of Schools in Millbury Mass.

A must see for anyone interested in the antiquities of Manchaug Pond."

H.A.