December, 2009 Sluice Pond Association News

This holiday season we want to pause for a moment to remember Mrs. Nunez, the Peabody woman who drove her car into icy waters one year ago. While police searched both Sluice and Flax ponds at different times throughout the year, her car and remains were discovered in neighboring Flax Pond.

We wish all of the members of our pond communities a very safe and happy holiday season and remind everyone to take care of themselves and each other this holiday season.

November, 2009 Sluice Pond Association News

The biggest news for our pond community was the successful election of Judy Flannagan Kennedy as Mayor. She selected our own Wyoma Square for Campaign headquarters and the visibility put her over the top by 27 votes. "Not so fast", said incombant Mayor Chip Clancy in a recount held last week, before the winner's count rose to 30.

October, 2009 Sluice Pond Association News

Fall clean-up activities took place on October 17, 2009. This will be Dan McCarthy's last time to head up our pond clean up activities. He and his family are moving later this year to Danvers.

September, 2009 Sluice Pond Association News

The monthly meeting was cancelled and the next Board meeting will take place at Century 21 Hughes in Wyoma Square on October 7 at 7PM. A big thanks to everyone who helped to raise $1825 from ticket sales for the car raffle split between the Sluice Pond association and Briarcliff Lodge Adult Day Health Programs.

August, 2009 Sluice Pond Association Newsletter

The City of Lynn and Lynn Water and Sewer contracted with ACT for for weed treatment on August 20, 2009. We are awaiting notification for the September treatment of the Lilli problem at Briarcliff.

JUNE 27 TH- Sluice Pond Association needs volunteers for Round-The-Pond Yard Sale for a few hours on Friday evening, Saturday morning or early afternoon. Then join us at the Merchant Sidewalk Event in Wyoma Square. Proceeds will go toward boat speed control on the pond this year to avoid creating public health hazards in recreation.

From 10-2pm the Wyoma Square Annual sidewalk sale and festival will take place with live clowns and other activities. Most merchants will discount 10 percent and there will be merchandise raffles. Come and enjoy the local fun.

JULY 4TH- flares will be available at TruValue Hardware in Wyoma Square. Waterfront members should plan to light their flares along the pond edge at 9pm on July 4th. please dispose of the used flares in your trash, not in the pond. Contact Ippi or Paul Stonkus for more information or to order your flares in advance.

Also on INDEPENDENCE DAY we will celebrate with the annual boat parade that anyone can enter. Dress up your craft to celebrate. The parade will meet at the boat ramp at BRIARCLIFF LODGE at 2:45 for a trip around the pond. The parade will take place from the Briarcliff boat ramp and will circle the coves and pond and return to the Briarcliff ramp area. All youth and their parents are welcome.

We are still collecting membership dues of $20/household for 2009 so if you haven't paid your $20 membership please sign up online, contact an officer or send a check to Sluice Pond Association to Ruth Sarrette, 39 Bacheller Street, Lynn, 01904. There are 165 homes on Sluice Pond and we hope to increase our membership to improve our chances of getting more support for recreational activities and public property improvements.

Information about the scheduled fishing tournaments for Sluice Pond can be obtained at Ippi's Bait and Tackle. Tournaments are scheduled every two weeks in spring and fall and prizes of up to $300 can be caught for those preregistered. Lynn Fish and Game stocks sluice Pond with bass, trout, salmon and runs tournaments for adults, juniors and children.

SPRING, 2009

The SPA would like to thank volunteers for their time and effort during Spring Clean-Up. A big thank you to Clean-Up chair, Dan McCarthy for leading the team, bringing tools and making pick-up arrangements with the city for debris.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Briarcliff Lodge Adult Day Health Programs is looking for daily volunteers to spend time in the 'Day Away' Dementia/Alzheimer's program playing cards, sewing, singing, storytelling,walking or just sharing lunch and conversation from 8am-4pm.
Please call (781)598-4570, X121
and ask for Heidi Whear, Program Director.

Since the city began removing the nuisance Canadian geese from Flax Pond and Gannon Golf Course, many have settled at Sluice Pond and they have already driven away our native duck and ducklings. We are asking all residents to refrain from feeding the geese. IF YOU SPOT A NEST, EGGS CAN BE ADDLED BY SHAKING THEM OR RUBBING ANY TYPE OF OIL ON THEM. This will discourage the geese that have recently arrived at Sluice Pond to nest elsewhere.

AGENDA FOR SEPTEMBER, 2009

All members are welcome to attend the next meeting- this coming autumn on the first Wednesday of each month at Hughes Century 21 in Wyoma Square. See you at the meetings which will start again from September-December, 2009! Have a great summer vacation!

At the April, 2009 meeting members were re-elected to the Board Of Directors and the election of Officers took place. See the complete list of the Board and Officers.

WEED TREATMENT, STORM DRAINS and GEESE RAISED WITH WARD 1 CITY COUNCILOR

Mark Falzone's office has announced that there will be no state support for fighting the weeds to avoid dangers of drowning and death for wildlife in our ponds. The Aquatic Nuisance bill filed last year and the preceding year for $40,000 will not be available for FY 2009. The Board Officers have already raised weed control related issues with the city for Sluice Pond including boat ramp gates (flood control), new buoys for some control over boaters causing damage on the North side of the pond with their wakes.

We sought assistance from Lynn Water and Sewer for design of a boat washing station with faucets and drainage at the Briar Cliff parking lot for an invasive weed prevention program. We want to assist boat owners to remove all nuisance weeds from boats and trailers prior to entering the pond to control invasive weeds. We are also seeking new message buoys for boaters and assistance with shoreline vegetation and related public access issues.

Other items discussed:

-- re-directed storm water and street run off into the sewer system, there would be less water entering Sluice. We are monitoring federal Recovery Act funds for assistance with the storm drainage into the pond.
-the egg addling project led by Wayne was successful on Flax Pond, a couple of geese families were missed on Sluice and we need help by abbutters to addle the eggs.
-the continued Title V septic system vs. city sewage issue with a house on Sutcliffe. A letter was sent to the Department of Public Health for assistance with the continuous problem of discharge into the pond from an unknown source that causes "soap bubbles" in the coves.

Wayne suggested getting a list of items to him from the Sluice Pond Association to get our questions answered.