The Friends of Lake Quannapowitt, celebrating 28 years of lake advocacy (1991-2019), are honored to share their plans for their gift to the town of Wakefield for the purpose of lakeside park improvements. The organization recently asked the town to accept a gift of $152,000 (plus a contingency if needed) for improvements to Col. Connelly Park and Gertrude Spaulding Park. Both parks are located next to the headwaters of the Saugus River on Lake Quannapowitt.

Ideas for the proposed updates, which were a year in the making, were presented to the Wakefield Town Council on Monday, June 24. Rick Stinson, the outgoing Director of Public Works added: “This is an opportunity to make a great park even better! “ FOLQ President Bill Conley thanked Richard Stinson and his team, and stated that the work will commence this fall if all aspects of town approval are completed. The plan is expected to go before the Conservation Commission soon for review and approval.

Referencing the proposed donation, Bill Conley stated: “We are excited for the town. There will be storm water runoff retention areas and opportunities to support the mission of storm water management and education. This work supports the goals relative to lake water quality and it supports our mission to protect park land.” Committee member Jim Scott ended the group’s presentation with appreciation for all the years of working closely with the retiring DPW Director Stinson.

Conley provided details explaining: “The plan calls for a well, pump and irrigation system that utilizes ground water, additional loam and seeding of the area, and the removal of one seldom used small path. Then, we move to replacement of the remaining main stone dust path with bituminous concrete to enable snow plowing in winter and to prevent runoff and erosion in the beach area where the path connects to Quannapowitt Ave. A rain garden and a stone swale will be constructed as additional devices to manage water run-off.

Following discussion, the Town Council voted to accept the donation, provided the present plan is accepted by the Conservation Commission

FOLQ welcomes feedback from the community about this proposal. Comments and questions can be mailed to: mail@folq.org

FOLQ is a 501 (c) 3 voluntary non-profit organization. It is dedicated to its mission: “To promote public awareness and provide long-term protection and enhancement of Lake Quannapowitt and its surrounding lands.”

Click here to view the presentation from the May 24, 2017 annual dinner at Bear Hill.

In addition to the presentation, we also took a moment to thank Ed Spaulding for his years of dedication to FOLQ!

Thank you for everything, Ed!

Happy to announce that FOLQ’s Annual Breakfast is next Sunday, November 13th from 8:00am-11:00am.  We invite you to come celebrate our 25th Birthday and meet other members interested in preserving Lake Quannapowitt. We’ll have breakfast, art and raffle prizes.  Well known local watercolorist Tom Maguire will be attending the Annual Breakfast with originals and reproductions of his work on display and for sale.  For the past twenty years Tom has done a number of local natural scenes, historical homes and of course Lake Quannapowitt. Details: Sunday, November 13th from 8:00am-11:00am, Bear Hill Golf Club, 2 North Street, Stoneham, MA.  Please RSVP using the link below by calling Eileen Shannon at 781-799-8136. Tickets are $15 and will also be available at the door. Link to eNewsletter: http://conta.cc/2fqLKOA

Title: Lake Clean Up
Location: Bandstand – Lower Common
Start Time: 9:00:00
Date: 05/09/2015
End Time: 12:00:00

Title: Lake Clean Up
Location: Bandstand – Lower Common
Description: You are invited to join FOLQ in cleaning up the land abutting Lake Quannapowitt in this Middle School/FOLQ initiative. If you are a group, please contact us about your interest in volunteering at mail@folq.org.
Start Time: 9:00
Date: 5/9/2015
End Time: 12:00

Wakefield citizens, by combining their efforts and resources, have had a profound impact on the environment of Lake Quannapowitt since the Friends of Lake Quannapowitt (FOLQ) was formed 20 years ago. Our operations are funded totally by volunteered time and small financial donations of members. We have no paid staff and few pieces of equipment. For your tax-deductible charitable dues and donations, we offer an almost total return toward funds spent on mission.

What’s Happened during FOLQ’s 20 years of work?

• Seasonal community lake clean-ups
• 90% reduction in goose population
• 20 years of water testing to track lake chemistry
• Education initiatives within the Wakefield public schools to enhance environmental understanding among our kids
• Provision of free doggie bags to encourage responsible dog-walking
• Replacement of aging benches around the lake with beautiful memorial benches
• Creation of Gertrude Spaulding park after blocking the establishment of a large restaurant on a lakeshore site
• Renovation of Col Connelly Park
• Establishing Bricks by the Lake as a means to raise money for lake parklands
• Rebuilding toddler playground at Col. Connelly Park
• On-going public education about lake and watershed issues
• providing a ready platform to be used for public advocacy when our lake environment is threatened…

We’ve worked hard. We are proud of our accomplishments. And we’ve had some fun along the way.

A pond of unity
A body of love

We hold great esteem
To this place of much beauty

She holds Walkers, runners, bikers and skaters
Making happier those mesmerized by her wonder

From a little girl’s first birthday
To a grand Fourth of July celebration

Creating perfect days
Building peace and tranquility

We thank her for all she gives
For all the smiles she creates each and every day

She is life as pure as each of us
Helping us to see the love in each other

For this pond of unity
Is a body of love

Poem by Al Gandolfo