Activity at the Dam Today!

Here’s the post you’ve been waiting for…. The flow continues to take the waterlevel down exposing the stone face of the dam allowing the annual fall maintenance to begin! Three cheers for the dam owner! (Photo taken at lunch time. The crew will be back working for a few days.)

ACCESS DENIED – Today’s Telegram Article

This past spring, I have heard from two statewide groups that public access was their biggest upcoming issue. Check out today’s article appearing from in the Worcester Telegram… (click on to our post title to bring you to the site directly.)Wednesday, December 16, 2009 Access deniedCONTROVERSY OVER PUBLIC USE OF GREAT PONDS PictureRobert J. Kane of Clinton standing at the closed gate access to Wyman Pond in Westminster says he and others are gathering the required signatures for a petition demanding public access to the pond. (T&G Staff/RICK CINCLAIR) By Paula J. Owen CORRESPONDENT8 comments | Add a comment Hundreds of lakes and ponds on the state’s list of great ponds should be accessible, under law, to the public. But each year state and local governments — or private entities in their own interest — either limit or ban access to one pond or lake after another. Fishermen who have launched their boats at some great ponds for more than 50 years pull up one day to find a gate across the access road, some accompanied by a sign stating, “For residents only.” Lake associations of homeowners living on the shore, and sometimes communities themselves, say measures restricting public access …

As Joe tells us “The ice cometh!”

This photo was taken later in the day after that fiery sunrise. What did the morning warning bring? Higher temperatures that afternoon which melted a bit of the snow… but I hear cold weather is in the forecast.

Snow Has Fallen!

Snow has fallen here on Manchaug Pond making for a magical morning sunrise.

Another Photo of the Fog…

Here’s the photo take by the secretary… I have to agree with the reader’s comment on the previous post that our guest photographer wins hands down!

Voters resoundingly back land-saving measure

Voters resoundingly back land-saving measure SUTTON — In a special election yesterday, residents overwhelmingly approved, by a 441-83 vote, a debt exclusion to fund the town’s $280,000 share of the cost to place an agricultural preservation restriction on 314 acres owned by Whittier Farms. “It’s a significant step to preserving a piece of Sutton’s history,” Town Administrator James A. Smith said. It also brings the town a step closer to solving its cell phone coverage problems. “It’s a win-win,” he said. After the closing of the APR transaction with the state, the town plans to buy five acres from the Whittier’s for $24,000. The goal is to offset the town’s cost of the restriction with revenue generated by leasing the land to a cell carrier. — Ruth Vecchione http://www.telegram.com/article/20091125/NEWS/911250301 Thank you to the Whittier Family for offering this gem to the community, to Sutton Town Administrator, James Smith, for heading up this effort, to Sutton Board of Selectman for supporting, and to you Sutton voters who came out for this single ballot item. I would venture to say that a good portion of Whittier Hill’s 314 acres lie in the 4,288 acres of Manchaug Pond’s watershed. The Manchaug Pond – …