Grassroots fundraiser nets $3,000 for Lake Mishnock Preservation

 

PAUL KALTSCHNEE

Special to the Coventry Courier

WEST GREENWICH – More than 300 residents of West Greenwich, Coventry and surrounding towns took time Sunday to help in the efforts to preserve Lake Mishnock.
Their motto? “It’s all about the lake.”
The Lake Mishnock Preservation Association’s (LMPA) Fourth Annual Pasta Dinner fund-raising event was held at the Lake Mishnock Barn.  LMPA President Dan Albro said the event was a success.

“We had very good turnout and everyone had a fun time,” said Albro.  Former

West Greenwich Town Council Vice President Robert Meehan and his family, owners of the former Robins Nest restaurant, prepared the meal alongside the Coventry-West Greenwich Lions Club.
The joint effort of those involved served up a family-style all-you-could-eat pasta, meatball, salad, bread, and butter meal with numerous desserts.
Country line dancing followed the dinner to help burn off the calories.
The LMPA is a non-profit organization formed by local residents in March 2005 to address the deteriorating condition of Lake Mishnock and its surrounding ecosystem.
Lake Mishnock has been an important part of the heritage of West Greenwich for generations, but now is being polluted by the rapid growth of invasive weeds and lily pads, and is also being threatened by runoff from local roads and Interstate 95. As a result, portions of the lake have been unusable for boating, swimming, or fishing.
Responding, local citizens formed the LMPA and began investigating ways to restore the lake to its original condition.
“This is a grassroots organization that rolled up its sleeves and really
did its homework,” said state Rep. Raymond J. Sullivan (D-Dist.29). “The members researched the issue, consulted with university officials, and did
everything possible to educate themselves about their options.”
The LMPA decided to apply aquatic herbicides to eradicate the milfoil.  The Department of Environmental Management approved all treatments and all appropriate steps were taken to ensure application in an environmentally safe manner.
“You should see the lake now,” Sullivan continued, “the difference is like
night and day. They deserve all the credit. It's a great story.”

“The neighborhood has really come together a lot around the lake,” agreed Albro.
Public information and educational workshops will continue to be a part of the association’s membership meetings that are open to the general public.
A presentation on septic tank and wastewater management was given by Gorge Loomis and Holly Meehan from the University of Rhode Island, a phosphate management workshop led by Professor Jose Amadore of URI,  and a Healthy Landscapes program was presented by URI Master Gardeners Beverly O’Keefe and Steven Haunschild at recent annual meetings.
A committee headed by Board Director Diane Blaquiere is currently addressing the drainage and road runoff affecting the lake.
Directors Ken St. Onge and John Berchem as well as association Vice President Ken Brown are increasing the water testing of the lake as part of the URI Watershed Watch program to identify possible contamination sources.
The group now has 75 members and 29 individual donors, plus three beach-association donors.

The state and the town of West Greenwich have also given the LMPA grants in order to further the association’s efforts.
Interested parties can visit the LMPA website at www.lakemishnock.org for additional information on the organization.

 

Paul Kaltschnee is a director and membership chairman of the association.