Keep up with the Manchaug Pond Foundation!
A 5 gallon jug comprises the gas tank which gives an hour of flying time. Note the air filter and carbuerator to the right of the pilot’s face. Pontoons can be removed with wheels to land on the ground. The pilot of this ultralite is also an airplane mechanic.
FALL RAMP, ROADSIDE, SHORELINE AND WEED CLEAN-UP RAIN!! POSTPONED TO SUNDAYSaturday, September 24th9 to Noon Meet at the State Boat Ramp. Garbage bags and gloves provided. All welcome to join in! Bring your fishing club, scout group, neighbors and friends.
This afternoon, this adult eagle was seen soaring and circling Manchaug Pond.
Register by October 1 to reserve your t-shirt! Download the registration form here and send to MPA, Box 154, Manchaug, MA 01526. Never ran in a race before? You’re all invited to walk it – many did last year… but if you want to give running a try… click here to Get training! Check out the couch to 5K running plan. Perhaps we need a trophy for most improved time! See you on October 15th with your running shoes on, or be out there to Cheer us on!
Photo of two Great Blue Herons taken August 16th.
At 4:00 pm this afternoon, power was restored to the last area of Manchaug Pond. We suspect this tree on Manchaug Road just after Holbrook’s Campground was the culprit. Hurricane Irene left the area littered with debris of branches and leaves primarily from oak and pine trees. Large trees came down on all roadsides around the lake and even into the lake! During the storm, the rain gauge overflowed after reaching 5 inches with no one willing to go out in the wind and heavy rains to empty it. Monday and Tuesday brought cool air putting nighttime temps in the 50’s, with daytime blue skies and sunshine making the cleanup much easier.
Over 3 1/2 inches of rain in the rain gauge overnight with power lost and restored was the situation as Hurricane Irene approaches. But now just one hour since this photo was taken, the rain continues to be heavy with the winds gusts tearing through the trees and the power has just gone out once again. The stormwater work done around the lake, of catch basins, infiltration areas and rain gardens, has made all the difference to reduce flooding and keep sediment from entering the lake. and now the power is out once again….
Forecasters are tracking Hurricane Irene expecting the storm to hit Manchaug Pond bringing with it wind and rain. Talk is of wind up to 150 mph and 8 inches of rain. The damowner has secured permission from MassDEP to adjust the waterlevel accordingly. The MPA/MPF has been notified the waterlevel will be taken down one foot from yesterday’s level. If you haven’t already, today would be a good day to take out your boats and tomorrow, batten down the hatches (which includes lawn chairs, umbrellas, and the like.)
You are all invited to attend the MPA/MPF Annual Meeting this Saturday, August 20th at 10:30 a.m. at YMCA Camp Blanchard in Sutton on the shores of Manchaug Pond. The agenda will include updates and reports from the Board of Directors on issues and events, a budget for the upcoming year will be presented for your vote, and your input and involvement is needed for upcoming activities and goals. A special menu has been planned to thank all of you for your continued support and extra effort in preserving Manchaug Pond and maximizing our efforts as we become a public charity the Manchaug Pond Foundation. If you still need to pay your dues, please have it at the door on Saturday or use the paypal button here on the blog, or drop in the mail to MPF, P.O. Box 154, Manchaug, MA 01526-0154. $75 for lake shore and waterrights property owners $35 for all others If it has been a while since you’ve attended or if you have never joined us, come on down as we have many new families and old working with our common goal of preserving Manchaug Pond. Let this be your personal invitation! Questions? email …
This is the scene at a local Manchaug Pond campground’s dock/marina where a boat sank last Thursday spilling gas & oil into the lake. While the MPF Board of Directors was holding their monthly meeting, the Sutton Fire Department was rushing to the scene. Please be sure to bail your boat when it rains! Two days earlier, Lake Singletary was the site of a spill when a boat sank… the story is told that as the owner and a neighbor worked with heavy equipment to bring the boat up, if flipped over … spilling gas and oil into that lake. We’ve had over 2 1/2 ” of rain just this afternoon…. Please be sure to check you boat. Bail often. One spill can have a big impact on the water quality of the lake.
The 2nd BIG Boat Raffle/$10,000 Giveaway proved just as exciting as the first! With the reverse drawing held at our Spring Social in June, ticket holders and MPA/MPF families shared in the excitement over a delicious chicken dinner. Children lined up to pluck, one by one, the one hundred and nineteen loser ducks from the little duckie pool in the reverse drawing. Leaving the winner, # 117, held by winning ticket holders Ken and Mel Winquist. The two brothers, who own a summer cottage on Manchaug Pond, had the choice of the 2011 Pontoon Boat package valued at over $12,000 from USA Marine or $10,000 cash… They each chose to receive a check for $5,000! Congratulations and a huge thank you to all of you who participated in this fundraising event by buying a Big Boat Raffle Ticket. Your support of our efforts to preserve Manchaug Pond is invaluable!
