Sacred Sunday

Roadside Ferns, Manchaug Rd.

IRS Decision in ... Foundation Declared Public Charity!

MPA President reports the anxiously-awaited, official letter from the government concerning the Manchaug Pond Foundation has been received!  Remember the MPA membership voted twice in 2009 to proceed with a 501c3 for Manchaug Pond with paperwork filed last October 19. 

Here are the highlights of the letter:
 
"We are pleased to inform you that upon review of your application for tax exempt status we have determined that you are exempt form Federal income tax under section 501(c)(3)... You are also qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts... We determined that you are a public charity..." 

Whitins District Suggests Douglas Use Manchaug's Water

Remember the 16 cfs of flow needed downstream for the Town of Douglas Waste Treatment Plant? Since the beginning of June, only 7 cfs, and during a brief period of rain 12cfs, have been flowing through the treatment plant.   This, combined with the need to maintain a flow for wildlife downstream, are the reasons Manchaug is always maintaining a flow through the low level gate. Updated in 2006, it actually does not close up tight. The Town of Douglas has stated that Interface, the Manchaug Pond dam owner, has been very cooperative in maintaining our contribution of the flow.

Sutton's contribution today to the Mumford River from Steven's Pond dam.

So here are a couple of the meetings which took place concerning the Town of Douglas and the Whitin Reservoir Watershed District, the need for a greater flow in the Mumford River,  and the suggestion that water sources other than Whitin Reservoir be tapped.


1.)  First listen to the meeting of the Whitin Reservoir Watershed District.
Go to: http://www.douglasma.org/cable/online_programs.php


Scroll down and click onto:
Whitin Reservoir Watershed Management Committee: August 25, 2010

Click to view the Whitin Reservoir Watershed Management Committee meeting dated August 25, 2010. The meeting length is approximately one hour and seventeen minutes.

Manchaug Pond's water is discussed early in the agenda.

2.) then:
Board of Selectmen: September 7, 2010

Click to view the Board of Selectmen meeting dated September 7, 2010. The meeting length is approximately forty-two minutes. The agenda of this meeting is available here.

3.)  Next you can read the report in the Telegram Towns:


http://www.telegram.com/article/20100916/FLASH/9160502 


Thursday, September 16, 2010

Town looks at proposal to control Sutton dam

By Susan Spencer CORRESPONDENT

DOUGLAS —  Selectman Jeffrey LaPorte, a member of the Whitin Reservoir Watershed District’s management committee, suggested at last week’s Board of Selectmen meeting that Town Administrator Michael Guzinski look into the potential cost of having the town control the water flow through the dam at Manchaug Pond. The watershed district would like to purchase the pond, but not manage the dam.


“If it’s not prohibitive, would it be in our best interest to babysit the dam?” Mr. LaPorte asked, noting that downstream flow to Douglas, including to the water treatment plant, has been inadequate.


Mr. Guzinski said he plans to discuss the issue with the Sutton town administrator, since the Manchaug Pond dam is in Sutton.


Selectman Mitchell Cohen said having the town control multiple water supplies would likely require some type of mathematical formula. “There has to be something clean cut that says where the water is coming from,” he said.

Gatekeeper off duty for the season but ramp still in use...

With the passing of Labor day,  the ramp gatekeeper provided by the town is off duty for the season but the State Boat Ramp on Manchaug Pond is still open.  This morning boats roared out after 6:30 a.m. for some fishing.

Manchaug Pond definitely sees less activity with the arrival of September as the children have gone back to school, the weather has brought lower temps (this morning 54F), winter drawdown necessitates the removal of the shore docked boats, and the summer camps and campgrounds sadly wind down for the close of their season.

Manchaug Pond	Saturday, September 11, 2010	22	6:30 AM	7:00 AM	3:00 PM	Pioneer Valley Bass Anglers
Manchaug Pond	Sunday, September 12, 2010	12	6:30 AM	7:00 AM	3:00 PM	New England Bassmasters of R.I.

Manchaug Pond

Saturday, September 18, 2010

11

6:30 AM

7:00 AM

1:00 PM

A-1 Bassmasters

Manchaug Pond	Saturday, September 26, 2010	20	6:30 AM	7:00 AM	3:00 PM	Iceholes
Manchaug Pond	Sunday, October 03, 2010	15	6:30 AM	7:00 AM	2:00 PM	Central Mass Smallmouth

The ramp continues to offer public access to the great pond through all seasons - leaving our summer swimming and summer sports for the enjoyment of some fall fishing, kayaking, etc and then on to winter sports of ice fishing, snowmobiling and cross country skiing ...   enjoy the day!

Labor Day Weekend LIGHTING OF THE SHORELINE

LIGHTING OF THE SHORELINE 

Sunday evening at 8:00 p.m.

 The tradition of lighting the shoreline is longstanding here on Manchaug Pond! At 8:00 p.m. on Sunday evening, set your flares aglow at your beach or shoreline during our last celebration at the end of the summer!  Flares are available from your MPA Area Representative or purchase at cost at the local campground store.  $3. each or 2 for $5.00.


Thanks to the MPA member who sent in this photo of last year's event!

Pick up the Corn-on-the-Cob at Whittier's - After Earl, Nice Weekend

Storm Preparation Advise Courtesy of Lakeview Marine, Webster

Looks like Hurricane Earl will be bringing rain and wind to Manchaug Pond Friday afternoon into early Saturday morning.  Take today and tomorrow morning to secure umbrellas, lawn furniture, boats and other "toys" around your home, dock or campsite.

Here's advise one of our Board members received in an email from a local marina:

Greetings!

Although we are at this point unsure of what kind of weather this weekend
will bring, we wanted to pass on some tips for securing your watercraft
and keeping potential storm damage to a minimum!

A few key things to check IF your boat is in the water:

-Ensure proper operation of your bilge pump. Make sure your battery is
fully charged, and that the pump is working. During the storm if a
significant amount of rain has fallen, it is important to activate the
pump to keep the water from accumulating. After any heavy rain, always
check the boat to make sure that the automatic feature worked.

-Cover the boat securely to keep much of the water out. It is normal for
some water to seep in, but a cover will help to disperse most of it.

-Make sure that there are no loose items such as inflatable toys and
non-secured seat covers. If your boat has small fishing seats with
individual covers, make sure that the covers are tied down, or consider
removing them. When wind gets underneath those small covers, they have a
tendency to fly away.

-Check your lines and bumpers!! Double check that the dock lines are
secure and in good condition, and that the fenders are double knotted on
the lines. You certainly don't want to lose one in the storm and then
sustain damage to the boat as it hits the dock.

-On pontoon boats, lower the bimini top to the trailering position if
possible, and install the bimini boot. Open tops will act as sails and put
extra pressure on the lines and docks themselves. The boot will protect
the fabric from tearing in the wind. Putting the top down will reduce the
risk of damage to the top frame.

-For PWCs in the water, try to tie off the machine away from the dock.
Many times we have seen significant damage to a machine that has gotten
wedged under a dock during times with high waves. If you can't tie it away
from the dock, consider beaching it and securing it to something on shore.

-Check the area around your watercraft for branches and trees that appear
loose, dead, or saggy. A big gust of wind can cause trees and limbs to
fall down on top of watercraft and damage covers or worse.

IF your boat is on the trailer:

-Make sure that the drain plug is removed! The boat will fill up with
water otherwise, and literally sink on the trailer.

We have ordered some extra fenders and lines if you need some last-minute
supplies. We will be open regular hours, 8:30-5:30 Thursday and Friday. If
you need something and can't get here during those hours, call us and we
will make arrangements to leave it for you.

We are advising our slip customers to come and secure their boats.
Depending on the timing of the storm, we may not be able to personally
check each boat. If you have questions or need assistance, please call us.

We hope that we won't get a direct hit on this or any future hurricanes-
but it is always best to be prepared!

Happy Labor Day Weekend!!

Lakeview Marine Inc.

Great Boating Weekend? Check for Weeds Washed up on the Beach!

On Monday morning around the lake one just needs to take a look at their beach to know whether or not it was a big boating weekend on Manchaug Pond!

With the weeds growing up and the waterlevel going down - the plants are easily severed by motor boats.  The plant fragments wash in and pile up on the shore with waves bringing in more and more.  As the waterlevel inches down, ribbons of dried plants form on the sand. 



Two invasive aquatic weed species are dominant:  variable milfoil and tape-grass.

Variable milfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum)

Tape-grass or wild celery (Vallisneria americana)

 Variable milfoil grows in dense beds reaching up to the water's surface. Milfoil spreads rapidly, crowding out our native species, and blocking sunlight and oxygen.












Tape-grass is now flowering, sending up long spiraling stems we see at the surface.

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/Bay/sav/key/wild_celery.asp







What do you do with the wheelbarrows full of weeds that wash ashore?  Options include composting, bagging and bringing to a composting area at the town transfer station, or drying for incineration.

CONTROL: Since weeds have seeds and the plant fragments of some species can grow roots starting new plants, it is best to remove from the lake and dispose of.  A rocky beach and shore is best - it is also illegal to bring sand into the lake - need permission from Conservation Commission and DEP.

Lake-level drawdown  has been employed since 1991 to control the weeds around the shoreline.

Clean boat motors of any plant fragments when coming from a different lake or going to a new lake to prevent introducing a new species.

Sacred Sunday: Yesterday Morning's Bird Sightings

Adult Great Blue Heron on the dock

Osprey flying over rescue drill

Cormorant on the dock

Heron in flight

Two juvenile Great Blue Herons on Blueberry Island

ONLY A DRILL! Two Men in the Water and One Under

Remember, this is ONLY A DRILL! 


This morning at 7:45 a mock boat accident took place here on Manchaug Pond as part of a Boating Accident/Water Rescue Drill - "a joint operation between the Sutton Fire Department, the Douglas Police Dive Rescue Team and the Manchaug Pond Association."


  The accident resulted in two injured victims in the water and a third yet to be found.  With morning air and water temperatures both at about 57 degrees F, it was a cold morning indeed to be the two men in the water awaiting rescuers.

Sutton Fire Dept. first to respond.

Arriving at the State Boat Ramp on Torrey Road, the Sutton Fire Dept with the police boat and the Fire Dept's boat was the first on the scene.

  Later the Douglas Dive Team arrived to search for "Dolly" the rescue dummy.








The Fire Dept. reports the drill "is intended to test the procedures of, and readiness of the parties involved. "

Only a Drill!

One hour from now, right here on Manchaug Pond, volunteers from the Manchaug Pond Association (MPA) will assist the Sutton and Douglas Fire Dept. and the Douglas Dive Team in a rescue drill/training.  Victims will be in the water awaiting rescue,  the rescue dummy drowned and sunk in dark water, and a panicked witness on shore to aide fire departments' personnel in the rescue and recovery.

Sutton Police boat

As you see the fire trucks and rescue boats arrive on the water, please stay way back.  Tell your neighbors this is only a training/drill.

The MPA will post details and photos right here!  Further, we'll let you know if it is Rescue Jennifer, Rescue Randy or Resuscitator Annie who has drowned.

Thursday's Post and is "Anyone having internet problems today?

I posted Thursday about an opportunity for a $100,000 grant opportunity for a national or state by the Coca-Cola Company. Today the text is gone and replaced various codes.  I put more text up and home it will stay.


Another site I visited wrote on Thursday:

"Anyone having internet problems today?

Earlier today, on and off, I had some real problems with use of the internet.  Some sites wouldn’t load, and others would. I had particular problems with loading anything from a Google search.


Did you have this experience?
Did something happen out there?"


Attacks to the internet are high in the United States. Visit this site to see the world map.
http://www.akamai.com/html/technology/dataviz1.html


Something definitely happened to internet traffic on Thursday. Look at the graphs on this site.
http://www.internettrafficreport.com/7day.htm

VOTE Today for your favorite park! Purgatory Chasm and Douglas State Forest

Purgatory Chasm, Sutton  zip code is 01590

National and state parks have an opportunity to win $100,000 from the Coca-Cola Foundation.

Douglas State Forest-zip code 01516

Visit this site (or click the post title) to cast your vote for your favorite park! http://www.livepositively.com/#/americasparks 

Everyone needs to participate, pass the work, and must vote often if a local park is to win!

Purgatory Chasm? or Douglas State Forest? 


Who will the winner be?

Don't Forget to Bail the Boat!

It is amazing how much this slow and steady rainfall the past few days can add up in your boat! Don't forget to bail during and at the end of the rainstorms!

You might have a bilge pump system or some other fancy bailer you bought at the marina but if you don't here's directions from "how to do things.com" on how to make the easiest and cheapest boat bailer!

A 2009 rain event where a 5 gallon bucket did the trick!

"The easiest boat bailer to make consists of a one gallon plastic jug, cut in half along a horizontal line below the handle. One gallon milk jugs are the most common plastic bottles used to make a boat bailer, but other types of plastic bottles will work just as well. Discard the lower half of the jug and use the upper half with the handle and spout. It is a good idea to use this end of the jug because the handle makes it easy to bail water out of a sinking boat rapidly and is a good point to tie one end of a string to and the other end to the boat. This will ensure that the bailer does not float away in the event of heavy seas while taking on water. Just make sure that you don't throw away the screw-on top! Without it, your bailer will not bail water from your boat very well."

Guest Speaker, Rep. Jen Callahan, No Stranger to Manchaug Pond and Our Issues

Saturday, the YMCA Camp Blanchard Dining Hall on the shores of Manchaug Pond was once again the location of this year's annual meeting of the members.



 

Reports and updates from the president, treasurer, secretary and committee chairmans were given on topics ranging from water quality and the stormwater grant to boating safety and invasive species to the events held and planned for the fall. The Manchaug Pond Foundation, 501c3 public charity, was introduced with all its benefits in addressing current needs and future issues.

Also an election year, our Nominating Committee Chairman and 2nd Vice President presented a slate of officers and directors/area representatives approved by the membership for the 2010-12 term.

And our speaker,  Representative Jennifer Callahan, is no stranger to Manchaug Pond....  Her door has been open to us,  and she has solidly stood with us advocating, demanding the preservation of Manchaug Pond -  She was there in Boston March 09' as we attended a meeting with state agencies and officials looking at the issues of the lake's waterlevel; on the Manchaug dam April 15 at MassDEP's site evaluation;  at the Sutton Town Hall July 7, 09' at the Mass. Environmental Protection Act (MEPA) Public Hearing.  She has responded to our emails, our phone calls and met with us during our years pushing for historic waterlevels.

And Saturday at our invitation she came to Manchaug Pond once again.  Her presentation was right on target - starting with the history of great ponds and their preservation for the enjoyment of all citizens in the Commonwealth, and our efforts against the breaching of Manchaug Pond and our strong call for its protection by local and state decision makers.  

http://repcallahan.com/issues.html
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/RepJenCallahan?v=wall&ref=ts

Following the meeting, we all enjoyed a fabulous lunch of hamburgers, hotdogs and seafood chowder, salads, corn and more with those fudge Helen's Bakery brownies and homemade ice cream.

Sacred Sunset

Thanks to the Facebook photographer who sent in this sunset photo from earlier in the week.

43rd Annual Meeting of the Members THIS Saturday!

Attention all members!

Just a reminder that the Manchaug Pond Association will hold its 43rd Annual Meeting this Saturday,

 August 21, 2010 at the YMCA Camp Blanchard facility on Manchaug Road, Sutton.

We'll begin at 10:30, visit with lake neighbors and friends over a coffee or ice tea (punch for the children), purchase your flares for the Labor Day lighting of the shoreling event, pick up a registration form for our next fundraising event - The Dam Race, check out the new MPA logo hats (2 color!) and t-shirts (safety orange, black, dusk blue, azalea to name a few!) and view the 319 stormwater grant exhibit will on display with all the handouts to help you around your landscape.

The business meeting will begin with reports and updates (it has been a busy year!) from the committees, board of directors, and president and end with the election of officers and directors for the 2010-2012 term. (If you are interested in serving - give us a call or email.)

This year's speaker is Representative Jennifer Callahan of Sutton. Dr. Callahan is a strong defender of Manchaug Pond working on the state level the past few years with the MPA, Rep Kujawski, and the towns of Sutton and Douglas to preserve the lake through the maintenance of the waterlevel and dam.

12 noon, lunch will be served: our traditional menu of grilled hotdogs, hamburgers, seafood chowder, corn-on-the cob, and more!  and for dessert, Helen's Bakery fudge brownies and homemade ice cream. (Cost to members: $5/person; children $2)

MPA dues are payable at the door or by PayPal (see button on right). 

$60 members and $35 friends. 

Thank you for supporting our efforts together on behalf of Manchaug Pond!

From the Window of the Camper...

Each of us has our own view of Manchaug Pond; a portrait of the lake framed by a camper window, the porch of a summer camp, the large picture window of a year-round home, or even more simply from the vessel we launch at the state boat ramp.

the view out the back window of our camper...

Advocating for this natural resource is the mission of the Manchaug Pond Association. Founded in 1967, we collectively work "to promote the welfare and correct use of Manchaug Pond and the contiguous area." To deepen our efforts, the MPA formed a 501c3 last October- the Manchaug Pond Foundation.

If you want to do more than look at pretty pictures of the lake while sitting back in your lakeside lawn chair, stand with the members of the MPA by joining today!  For you convenience a PayPal button has been put on this site.  For  $35.  you can become a friend of Manchaug Pond - receive all mailings and meeting notices as well as our new quarterly newsletter SPLASH - or make a donation of any size to help us in our work. Volunteer now - I look forward to hearing from you!


This photo was sent in on Facebook by a seasonal camper of a local campground.  Thank you for capturing a view reminiscent of a cabin in the deep woods of Maine on a secluded pristine lake. 

Let's work together to preserve Manchaug Pond!

A Pair of Herons

As the water evaporates, exposing the wall in the channel, a pair of herons drop in to survey the area.

Snapping Turtle

Why did the turtle cross the road?

To get to the other side to lay her eggs.