Memorial Day Fully Celebrated on Manchaug Pond

An old photo from the files

Memorial Day weekend traditionally finds most of Manchaug Pond's summer population moving in! This weekend was no exception with campgrounds brimming with both seasonal and weekend guests. It was evident that this year brought many newcomers to the water with our old summer friends as we heard of boaters asking directions as to how to get back to a campground, another boater dropping off passengers on the shore who roamed through yards asking directions as to how to get to the other side of the lake by road, and the boating violations could have tipped the scales as happy jetskiers pulled two friends in a tube through the channel around and around the lake while others let their young children take a turn at the wheel of their personal motor craft.  A Facebook friend of Manchaug Pond event found it necessary to send an alert as to a large amount of broken glass on Blueberry Island.

Join us in our love of Manchaug Pond - the fun on the water, the cookouts, the campfires but please be safe and do your part to keep our beautiful lake a beauty.  Leave her better than you found her!

Memorial Day makes us remember... The Bombing of Blueberry Island

As the gun salute is given to veterans of past wars at a cemetary in the Manchaug Pond watershed this morning, a story comes to mind told by local residents from the days of the World War and witnessed here on Blueberry Island.

Take a moment to visit the website and read of "The Bombing of Bluebery Island."

Looking out the window of his Army P-40, a very different Blueberry Island was seen by the pilot than the one captured here in this 2009 aerial photo.

Sacred Sunday: Who was up at 4 a.m.!

 

Once the south end of the lake bedded down at 3:00 a.m. - the music amplifiers off, the dogs stopped barking, a car alarm was quieted, and the conversation ended -

silence engulfed the area so that after 4:00 the "who, whooing" of the owl was heard.

It's back! BIG BOAT RAFFLE/$10,000 GIVEAWAY LOOKS TO LAKE PRESERVATION

BIG BOAT RAFFLE/$10,000 GIVEAWAY LOOKS TO LAKE PRESERVATION

Great odds and a great cause make this the fundraiser worthy of your participation! The Manchaug Pond Association presents this year's BIG BOAT RAFFLE with a bigger and better prize than last year!

This year's prize is bigger and better!

The Prize:  A 2011 Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 20 ft pontoon boat and motor or $10,000 cash option is being raffled away with only 120 tickets to be sold. Purchase your ticket alone or with family or friends to share the winnings and excitement of this event to preserve this 380 acre community resource. Tickets are $200. each and include a free chicken dinner ticket for the day of the drawing.

Helping draw in the reverse raffle held last year!

The Drawing will be held Saturday, June 11th on the shores of beautiful Manchaug Pond at the YMCA Camp Blanchard boat house with a BBQ chicken dinner and reverse drawing. Yes, losers first!  The boat will be on-site the day of the drawing courtesy of USA Marine, of Route 20 in Worcester, and ticket holders do not have to be present to win. The event will begin with the first election of the Board of Directors of the Manchaug Pond Foundation by the members at 11:00 a.m. followed by the reverse drawing at 11:30 and lunch at noon.

Receiving a check for $8,000!, our 2010 Boat Raffle winner takes the cash option with winning ticket #99.

To support the preservation of Manchaug Pond by obtaining a raffle ticket call George Cammuso at 774-280-2328 or email infoMPA@charter.net.


USA Marine employees and MPA Board members and their spouses are ineligible.
All proceeds benefit the newly formed Manchaug Pond Foundation, a 501c3 non profit IRS approved public charity whose mission is to preserve Manchaug Pond. Raffle sponsored by the Manchaug Pond Association (MPA).

http://www.usamarineinc.com/



Winning ticket #99 gave 2010 raffle winner Donald Klocek of Grafton a check for $8,000 as presented by George Cammuso, MPA Fundraising Committee Chairman.

Are you ready for the next event? We are!

Will you be the next winner?

On the shore of Manchaug Pond, our Fundraising Committee chairman presents a check for $8,000 to the winner of last year's BIG BOAT RAFFLE. With winning ticket #99, he selected the cash option over the boat, motor and trailer package.



Email infoMPA.charter.net.

Sacred Sunday: Reflections Before the Rain

from our photographer at Holbrook's cove

That was a great fundraiser!

A huge thank you to all those who love Manchaug Pond and are supporting our efforts!

The results of MPA Fundraising Committee's Rockin' Spring Fling have been reported to the Board of Directors...   with feedback from attendees, the band, the Dudley-Gendron and considering the number$$ in funds raised for the foundation, it has been unanimously declared a huge success and placed on the event calendar for next year!

Talking number$ for those of you who like the details.... It looks like somewhere in the neighborhood of $4,149. was raised.  $225 paid out to the winner of the 50/50 raffle and $100 in expenses for the band.... leaving us with a grand total of $3,824. deposited in our fund to preserve Manchaug Pond. 

Special thanks to the band, our event coordinator and the Fundraising Committee for a fun evening and successful event!

The Evening's Sunset

We haven't had time to post an update on the success of our recent efforts: the Rockin'Spring Fling fundraiser, the launch of the next one - the BIG Boat Raffle/$10,000 Giveaway, the 319 stormwater grant's completion and the next grant applications, meetings and conversations to enhance and preserve our natural resources, etc ...

... but we are working hard, making great progress and love this lake noted for beautiful sunrises, tremendously fun days and classic sunsets!

Enjoy! and thank you to each and everyone of you who has sent their tax deductible dues and donations, bought a ticket or two, donated a raffle item or given us a pat on the back for our perseverance and dedication in working for Manchaug Pond.

Here's some of what you missed Friday night.... Final Notice

Last Night's FUNdrai$er a Huge Success!

Last night's fundraising event on behalf of the Manchaug Pond Foundation was a huge, shall we say, Rockin' success!  Standing room only!

We'll have some numbers in to you later but in the meantime, a big thank you to all those who attended, donated raffle and silent auction items, and to those who gave their time and talent to this new event to help preserve Manchaug Pond!

Ready for Friday Night ? Silent Auction added to the fun!

It's here!  Manchaug Pond's first fundraiser of the year! Everyone invited - tickets on sale at the door!

Friday, APRIL 29th, 2011,  Rockin' Spring Fling

8 pm to Midnight, Live music featuring FINAL NOTICE

Dudley-Gendron Post 414, 156 Boston Road, Sutton

Live Band, Dancing, Cash Bar, Snacks, lots of Raffles

Admission $10/pp. For tickets email mpadance@gmail.com

Check out the band's playlist here!

Help preserve Manchaug Pond!
All Proceeds benefit the newly-formed 
Manchaug Pond Foundation, a 501c3 non profit 
dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of Manchaug Pond. 

It should prove to be a fun filled  evening and a successful fundraiser!

If you can't make it for the whole evening, stop in for the raffles and the silent auction !

The SILENT AUCTION has been added to the fun with the donation of

~ golf for 4 at HIGHFIELDS GOLF COURSE

~ handcrafted garden bench from THE SADDLE SHED

~ golf for 4 at BLACKSTONE GOLF COURSE

~ original watercolor paintings from local artist KAY WENTZELL

~ RAFFLE TICKET in the MPA Boat Raffle/$10,000 Giveaway from PUTNAM SHEET METAL

~ 2 concert tickets to NEW KID'S ON THE BLOCK

~ handmade LAP QUILT- 57" x 57" used as a decorative tablecloth or wall hanging (www.marathonquilters.com)

~ BOAT WINTERIZE & WRAP PACKAGE from  DO IT FOR U


For RAFFLE ITEMS you'll find:

~the 50/50 raffle

~Framed photos of our favorite blog photographers - the eagle pics;  landscape and sunset photos; and aerial shots;

~gift certificates to restaurants from Peg's Diner, Janets, Hannah's, Kappi's, Brian's, Laurieann's and more;
~ 4 -twosomes at Cyrian Keyes

~Gift certificates from McLaughlin's Garage, a clown, Tuscan Spa, from Great Canadian Canoe and Kayak

~and baskets galore featuring themes which include wine, biscotti, beer, jelly, hair and nail products, perfume, jewelry, tea and more!

See you there!

Sacred Sunday: Grateful for the beautiful water and new buds!

Can you hear the peepers!

Thank you to our Holbrook's Cove photographer. 


Take a chance to win some of Manchaug Pond's favorite photos,  this Friday at the Rockin' Spring Fling benefit's raffle and silent auction from 8 to midnight at the Dudley-Gendron Post, Boston Road, Sutton.  All invited. Tickets available at the door. $10pp.

Rainy weather to bring us into the summer season

Many of Manchaug Pond's summer residents spent this week and weekend turning on the cottage water, getting the boat out of storage, working on the dock, and moving things .....

... all in preparation for the summer season.

Boat Ramp Sign Repaired

Special thanks to our Sutton Town Administrators office and the State Office of Fishing and Boating Access for taking care of our aging boat ramp sign.

Before repairs:

Today:

Rain and Waterlevel

Last night we received over 2 inches of rain here on Manchaug Pond.  Saturated soils in the watershed are making for plenty of runoff which is causing the waterlevel of the lake to come up very quickly.

Sacred Sunday

Not to Worry...

Not to worry... just Verizon fios coming to Manchaug Pond!

Barred Owl

The photographer notes "this Barred Owl said it didn't give a hoot about the Bald Eagles!"

Quess Whooo ?

Can you guess the star of the next blog post?   If you loved the photos of the eagles, you're going to love this next picture sent in by a friend of Manchaug Pond. Looking like a primordial forest, this wooded area abutts the southern end of Manchaug Pond.

Let's break for a commercial:
 
Help build our new organization!


Your purchases from Amazon, of Kindle, and through Goodsearch benefit the Manchaug Pond Foundation, a non-profit 501c3 organization recently formed and approved by the IRS to protect and enhance Manchaug Pond and its watershed.  Membership, donations, and your participation in fundraising events help build the foundation so we can achieve our goals in the protection of the lake and its watershed. Thank you for your support!

   stay tuned for another awesome photo...

Sacred Sunday with Eagles!