Beach Closure and Other Matters

I expect some of you have been wondering if or when it will be safe to swim in Joe's Pond again. The water in our rivers, lakes, and ponds has been severely contaminated by the recent flooding. There are all kind of pollutants in the water - and of course we continue to get more rain and flash flood warnings, so it could be a while before things get better. In the meantime, the public beach is closed. Eric Bach, Danville's Health Officer made this statement:  

The state told us they’ve taken a sample and will have it back to us as soon as possible. There’s nothing else we’re going to be able to do. It is unsafe to swim in water that may have E. coli and cause health problems to those who are exposed. The liability falls to the Town in the situation and it was our decision to not permit swimming. 

I know it is hard to stay out of the water, especially on these hot, muggy days, but please be aware that it could be very dangerous to swim in any local lakes, ponds, or streams. Runoff from farms, overwhelmed septic systems, contaminants from manufacturers and other businesses and homes have been washed into our pond, making the water unfit for swimming - not just at the beach, but anywhere. There may be bits of solid waste, fallen branches, or garbage in the water, so boaters should also be cautious. Testing will continue, and we'll keep you posted, but it will take time for the water to clear and be safe again.

In the meantime, some things around the pond are getting "back to normal" fairly quickly. Yesterday I had this message from John Moore (3918 Rte 2 W):

Hi Jane,
Residents on Edgewood Avenue greatly appreciate Kevin Johnson who used his front-end loader and four cubic yards of his own stockpiled gravel to fill in and repair the deeply gullied sharp, steep curve at the exit of the Avenue.  The gullies made the corner impassable.  Kevin spent a lot of his time making numerous trips to carry the gravel from his home near the head of Edgewood to the damaged corner.  He also smoothed out the numerous potholes along the rest of the dirt road. 

Additionally, my wife, Chris, and I share a narrow, steep driveway with our neighbor, Suzanne Masland, a year-round resident.  She was out trying to fill in gullies by hand.  She was spotted by our neighbors, Cory and Laura Heiden.  Cory quickly offered to repair the driveway with his front-end loader.

We campers and residents give our heart-felt thanks to Cory and Kevin for their concern and efforts to help their friends and neighbors in the aftermath of this extreme storm.  John S. Moore (camper since 1953) 

 ***************

Thanks, John - I've heard other stories of how our Joe's Ponders have been helping each other during and after this event. Boats that floated off their lifts have been rescued; another that was caught under a catwalk in a boathouse was released; bits of floating docks have been hauled back to their owners. People are watching out for their neighbors and pitching in to help when needed. It makes us proud to be part of such a caring community.

We had a thunder storm and another round of rain this evening. It didn't seem to be severe - at least there was no wind like was forecast for New Hampshire at about the same time. However, we had one very close clap of thunder and I'm wondering where or what may have hit by lightning. It felt like it was directly over my house, but when I looked around outside, everything seemed to be ok. It was too close, and I was glad that it seemed to signal the end of the storm. I do not like thunder storms - at all. Stay safe.