Got Boat ? Decorate!

Boat Decorating Contest: SUNDAY, JULY 3rd Break out the garland, streamers and your imagination! The Second Annual Boat Decorating Contest is scheduled for Sunday, July 3rd starting at 2:00pm.   Pick a theme, decorate like crazy, and parade around the lake for all to see. We’ll follow the same route as last year, starting at Blueberry Island. We hope to have judges on the water this year so they can get a birds-eye view of your decorating skills! To participate, you will need to register. You’ll be issued a number that must be prominently displayed on the starboard and port sides of your boat.  If you don’t want to be a contender for the cash prizes, feel free to bypass the registration and simply decorate and join in the procession. To register, email boat.decorating.contest@gmail.com or call 508.234.9239. Please provide the following information:Captain’s Name: Telephone #: Boat Make/ModelDecorating Theme: Everyone had a lot of fun last year and the turnout was great with at least 18 boats decorated and parading around Manchaug Pond!  Cash prizes will be awarded! WANTED: JUDGES — We’re looking for people to volunteer their time to judge this contest. Please contact me at the email or telephone number …

After the storm – Pollen!

The tornado/thunderstorms split going north and south of us here on Manchaug Pond with just little rain received.  But now pollen is seen dusting the water. 

6:00 p.m. Danger Passes… for now.

At 6 pm as the weather reports show footage of a tornado touching down in Whitinsville just east of Manchaug Pond, these photos were taken here on the lake. 25 minutes later,  we’re told the “Sutton storm” is strengthening with thunder rumbling loudly giving us a bit of a shake to the west – Whitinsvile and south to Douglas – with lightening seen to the north. With many summer homes both cottages and camper trailers and tents on Manchaug’s shore,  we pray all continue to be safe. Stay tuned as another storm area has formed and grown once again in the Springfield area with another tornado now being reported in Westfield.

TORNADO COMING this way! NOW!

MANCHAUG POND!  Too late to batten down the hatches … if the storm holds together, East Douglas and Sutton are in the path of a tornado currently in east of Sturbridge heading toward us at 40 mph. Be prepared to head to the cellar/basement and invite that neighbor in the summer camp to join you. If you are watching the news – you know the shape of Manchaug Pond to know where we are! Check Twitter on the right side of the blog for our updates!

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 …

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 …

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.