Readership Skyrockets! Membership Increases!

MPA is on the right course. The readership for the blog has skyrocketed! And MPA membership continues to increase! This demonstrates the 40 year old association knows the concerns of the lake and the people who use it and is proactively moving forward. Our blog counter shows the numbers for this month already significantly higher than totals for February. We’re talking daily numbers from 11 to 45 times higher than the numbers from the beginning of last month! The counter keeps track of new and returning visitors as well as their view of different pages as well as specific days and subject searches! For instance someone did a search looking for info on “Manchaug Indians”, another on the District. As for the numbers, clearly the day after the Sutton Selectman’s meeting at the Senior Center stands out and builds more from there. I guess press is good – even if you are missquoted, portrayed as the bad guy, or are billed as having a single issue. and the MPA mailbox was smiling with checks when I checked it Friday – unsolicited donations and new and old members renewing their committment for 2007. This was an unexpected surprise to me as …

Basic Town Services Give Life Lines

Thursday I thanked the Sutton Fire Department for the safety ladders by the dam, thinking of a boy who had fallen through the ice near Swenson’s Island many years ago and not realizing that Thursday night the Douglas Police and ambulance service would assist one of our youngest lake residents. Deepest appreciation to the Douglas Police Department and ambulance service for their quick response to the call and for finding their way through those dark and winding remote roads in record time. I am told a number of cruisers responded, blocking traffic to allow passage of the ambulance. Also worthy of our gratitude is the Douglas Highway Department for the plowing and sanding of these private ways and for the decision makers who realize that safety of all our citizens uppermost – even during a budget crunch. Here’s the quote for the day: “Sometimes we must do more than our best, we must do what is required.” Winston Churchall

Manchaug Pond Foundation Safety

Lake Still Thawing

March 22nd and we still have a lot of ice and snow covering the lake. They’ll be no swimming in March this year! Funny how some years the lake is frozen in November, others not at all, and this year we didn’t see ice until January. Thanks to the Sutton Fire Department for the safety equipment.

Snow Melt to Bring up Waterlevel

For our property owners in other states, let me tell you it is 57 degrees, sunshine, blue skies and no wind. Beautiful day! Fuddy the caretaker of the dam was happy with this snow cover as he explains that this will melt and give us water to fill the lake for the spring level. Fuddy thinks we are in good shape. 🙂

Caretaker Opens Gate

This photo was emailed in and titled “Waiting for Spring!” The Interface Dam Caretaker opened the gate agood 12 inches to take care of this snowstorm and the tremendous amount of runoff expected. Our lawyer did say that with all the “what if” of the future, the ONE THING WE CAN BE CERTAIN OF IS THAT GUILFORD IS GOING AWAY! I knew he was right, but I never thought I would hear that news yesterday. Those opposed to the District say that the state regulates the water level for Manchaug and that no dam owner could drain it down. Maybe to an extreme, but every year I see it different. Reality is that there is about a 9 foot spread. NINE FEET! up or down, whatever is seen fit and still within the state range! Our Dam Caretaker is a wonder! He does a tremendous job! Thank God the caretaker is dedicated, and concerned about keeping us happy and will spend the time needed to fine tune the lake level on a daily basis. Thank God over the years Guilford was concerned about the residents on Manchaug Pond. NO state official tells Interface to open the dam, the caretaker watches …

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 worldwith joy that long endures.May all life’s passing seasonsbring 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 rainAnd 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 …

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 …

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 …

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 thisThursday, 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, …

Manchaug Pond Foundation Waterlevel & Dam

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 …