MPF effort “most incredible outdoors story of 2013”

Article on Manchaug Pond Foundation:  December 31, 2013 Worcester Telegram Outdoors: Saving of Beaton Farm in Sutton offers inspiration of what’s possible Mark Blazis Outdoors Add a comment   For me, the most incredible outdoors story of 2013 was the improbable saving of Beaton Farm. Phyllis Charpentier, secretary of the Manchaug Pond Foundation, president David Schmidt, and treasurer Andrew Mosher proved to be the tireless inspiration behind the spectacular wild land’s preservation. Charpentier shared for the first time last week the unlikely sequence of events and “the rest of the story” that led to its miraculous, last-minute rescue from the bulldozer. With no local board or commission, state agency, land trust or other conservation group willing or able to save the farm, the town of Sutton left it up to the Manchaug Pond Foundation to try to raise the needed $1.925 million in just 90 days. Buoyed by its recent victory after a six-year fight to save the dam, which preserves beautiful 380-acre Manchaug Pond, the foundation, with naïve optimism, hoped to save the farm, too. During the long dam battle, the foundation strengthened itself, learned how to fight, broadened its scope from a lake association to a nonprofit and …

2013 Winners of The Dam Race 5K Run and 3K Health Walk!

What a great day!  Thanks to our many runners and walkers, our generous sponsors, and our many volunteers! MPF President Dave Schmidt awards 1ST Place Men’s #64 Jose Aponte  #12 Nicole Salmonson-Gantt – 1st Place Women’s 5 K Winning RUNNERS !21:01 Jose Aponte21:15 Nicole Salmonson-Gantt22:21 William Smith22:44 Jim Grady22:47 Scott O’Toole22:57 Jason Johnston 23:08 Nancy Ryan23:08 Howard Bottomly23:29 Glen Wilbur 24:06 Samantha Anderson24:12 Darnell Vega #11 Nancy Ryan of Sutton – 2nd Place Women’s 24:28 Desi Vega24:37 Jillian Bronson 25:08 Bandy Wilbur25:18 Wendy Kelley25:19 Joanna Anderson25:42 Kevin Wilbur26:16 Linda Bates26:30 Bettina Simpson26:45 Danielle Salmonsen27:09 Nicole Robbins28:25 Tim Isble28:36 Kevin Stockhaus28:42 Dawn Pepka-Jones28:52 Dave Garrett29:04 Jaclyn Isble29:06 Tina O’Leary29:09 Ken Deary29:43 Erica Tripp30:01 Abigail Clark30:24 Carrier31:25 Kathleen Laperle31:44 Danielle Carrier32:00 Alyssa Clark32:11 Matthew Rearwin32:21 Korinne Hadad32:23 Mary Mulrenin33:25 Amy Kuo33:55 Hannah Clark34:25 Dana Hamlin34:26 Colin Brennan35:00 Linda Osterman35:35 Ellen Briggs38:23 John Briggs38:57 Gary Graslic40:03 Damasse Olsson40:25 Angela Evers40:25 Kelly DeMeo42:38 Audrey Rossow42:56 Christopher Derderian50:04 Christina Pinor51:18 Christopher Jewell 3K and 5K Winning WALKERS !23:13 Paul and Patti Eklund26:19 Patti Frankian26:19 Julie Frankian 26:48 Paula DeMeo 26:48 Rhonda DeMeo28:31 Sherri Bloem28:31 Steve Bloem29:59 Samantha Nolan30:10 Rose Charpentier30:30 Anna Vinacco30:30 Paulette Caemme31:00 Betsy Salmonsen31:06 Judy Castonguay 32:52  Micah Hibbard33:00 Briana Vinacco33:00 Briana Morton33:05 …

Lake Clean Up Saturday October 26th 9-12

Bring gloves, waterproof shoes/boots and friends to enjoy a beautiful day on the lake to help us keep Manchaug Pond clean and healthy.  Meet us at the boat ramp at 9 AM, we should be done by noon.  Thank you to the Town of Sutton and Berkowitz Trucking for your support!

What a Day for Manchaug Pond! What Day for The DAM Race!

An amazing day! Manchaug Pond is spectacular,  as are the friends, neighbors, and guest runners and  walkers who joined a core of very special MPF volunteers to make our event a success. Here are a few first unofficial photos coming in of the over 150 runners and walkers, and the extraordinary sights from this year’s The DAM Race:

Race Day Tomorrow!

On your MARK!…. get SET! … GO! Manchaug Pond’s The DAM Race 5K Run and 3K Health Walk is tomorrow!   Manchaug Pond is all a glow READY FOR YOU! with beautiful fall foliage- colors of orange, red, yellow and more and sparkling water views to delight your eyes; crisp, fresh air to fill your being; a community of great volunteers to warm your heart; and a cause, the preservation and enhancement of our 380 acre lake, to boost your spirits. So if you haven’t registered, just come on down tomorrow and join us!  Registration begins at 8:30 with the race/walk starting at 9:30. Hot coffee for all!  with special refreshments for all runners and walkers!   Runners and walkers completing a post race survey will be entered in a drawing to win a backpack donated by REI.  2 chances to win! Visit our race page for more details and be sure to thank our sponsors and mention Manchaug Pond Foundation!

Eagle Visiting Manchaug Pond

  So, picture it… you wake up in the morning, walk to the kitchen, put up the shade and there before your eyes, up close and personal is … the American Bald Eagle… RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU JUST STANDING THERE! or you come around the corner of the house, and there before your very eyes, closer than your could ever imagine is … the American Bald Eye… RIGHT THERE! The wonder of Manchaug Pond!

WATERLEVEL UPDATE: October 8th – Drawdown to begin.

With a great season coming to a close, the water level will be taken down for the winter season beginning this weekend. . Three flash boards are currently exposed. Lake residents should check docks and boats.   Questions? Concerns? Ask them here with the MPF.

Get your sneakers… It’s time to register for The DAM Race!

Today’s To-Do List: 1. MARK YOUR CALENDAR:  Saturday, October 19th with a 9:30 a.m. start. 2. REGISTER: Get your pen or hit the Paypal button!Register today – all who register before Oct.1 get a free tech t-shirt! 3. BRING A FRIEND or family member ! Only $15 entrance fee so all can participate.  Run, walk, push a stroller, or just hang out at the finish line in your new t-shirt! 4. CHECK OUT OUR RACE PAGE:  This year we have a new course which lets you start and finish at the same location and still takes you over the famous Manchaug Dam, along the shoreline, and through those beautiful scenic roads during peak fall foliage season. Remember our smiling MPF volunteers along the course to cheer you on! 5. SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:  The sponsors are rolling in!  Check back to see who loves us! Thank them for sponsoring The DAM Race with your business.  If you want to sponsor us, we’d love to have you! Look forward to the FREE RUNNER DRAWING on race day with a chance to win a backpack from REI!  Two winners will be drawn! Register or sponsor us today!

Doplar says rain will pass… tonight is the Lighting of the Shoreline!

With the official end of summer, Labor Day weekend,  the Manchaug Pond Foundation hosts the Lighting of the Shoreline. At 8:30 pm light your flares, tiki torches and/or campfires tonight around the shoreline to show your solidarity.  A Manchaug Pond tradition since the 1970’s.

Manchaug Pond Foundation Conservation

Manchaug Pond Foundation Makes Worcester Telegram Again!

Amazing, phenomenal, epic! was the 90 day land acquisition by the MPF! Today’s Sunday Telegram lists this real estate transaction in Section F page 1 under Douglas and page 7 under Sutton. Make no mistake – all parcels were secured for only one $1.925m price tag. Our sincere appreciation to the administrators of the Bradford T. Beaton Estate for selling all parcels of the entire 100 acres estate to the Manchaug Pond Foundation for preservation; to the legal/accounting teams which got the job done; to our largest, most significant contributor: the Anonymous Donor whose gracious and generous gift made “the improble, if not the impossible” a reality. A humble and true hero, a “gallant White Knight” making this conservation crusade victorious! for the Town of Sutton Board of Selectman who voted to give this small but mighty Manchaug Pond non-profit a chance with their First Right of Refusal assignment. and the Sutton Town Administrator who brought us in to the situation. Well Done !

Lake water level 1″ below the flash board.

WATERLEVEL UPDATE  August 17th :  Lake water level 1″ below the flash board The dam was opened a short time earlier in the week to bring Steven’s Pond up. Dam presently closed with rain in the forecast. Work also done on the road – berm replaced and road leveled.  Questions? Concerns? Ask them here with the MPF.

Waterlevel Update: August 7, 2013

With rain here and there through the summer season, the dam caretaker reports that from the end of June to present we have had the water level at 2 inches over full to full. The goal is to maintain that level until mid to late September and then begin the slow drawdown to take us into winter and control the invasive weeds. For the last month, the town has been releasing the minimum flow required for the Mumford River from Stevens Pond.   Yesterday morning, the gate at Manchaug was opened 2 inches to supply some extra water for Stevens Pond as their level has dropped from full to 8 to 9 inches below the top board. Forecasts for the end of this week say 1 to 2 inches of rain are possible, that should keep both ponds full or near full.