July 7, 2026--Happy Birthday USA:  We think it fair to say that a good time was had by all this holiday weekend. Thank goodness that our beautiful lake provided some much needed cooling from the oppressive heat. 

Annual Meeting Tickets:  There are only 20 tickets left so buy your tickets now.  Early bird pricing is $65 per person.  The price increases to $80 on Saturday, July 18.  

We will again meet at the Spofford Yacht Club.  Building capacity is limited to 86.  We sell out every year, so purchase your tickets soon. 

At the Annual Meeting, we will vote on a slate of Board members and officers. Thus, to attend the Annual Meeting, you must pay your membership dues between January 1, 2026 and July 18.  (The SLA operates on a calendar basis.)  To pay online, login to your account or post a check promptly.  If you have already made a payment in 2026, thank you.  You are good to go. 

Event details:

• Check-in: Begins at 4:00p.   
  
• Featured Speaker:   Laura Diemer, Certified Lake Manager, at FB Environmental.  Laura will address the current state of the lake and what the future is likely to hold.
• Beverages:  It’s BYOB...Bring Your Own Beverage.  We will provide ice, water, and seltzer.  No mixers will be provided. 
• Parking:  Drive with neighbors and friends as parking its limited.
• Fundraising: 

--Raffle:  Each raffle ticket is $5.00 and can be paid for with cash or credit card.  Unfortunately, we cannot accept Apple / Google pay
--Silent Auction:  We will again have an auction to raise funds for ongoing programs and the Lake Preservation Fund.  Please consider donating an item to the raffle. To do so, please reach out to bruce@spoffordlakeassociation.org in advance of the event. 

”The babies were 3 weeks old on July 6 and are growing nicely. They're too large to ride on the backs of the adult loons now so they spend their time in the water…. Unfortunately, both adults dive at the same time leaving the babies on top, which makes them difficult to see. Hopefully they will be visible to boaters." 

Tales from the Ramp:  Whether you live on the Lake or drive in for a bit of fun, we all know that parking is a challenge.  Be aware that you should park in the marked spaces.  When entering the lot, go to the right for those with a trailer and to the left those without.  Earlier this month a vehicle was towed for an infraction, so pass the word to any friends and neighbors who might use the lot. 

More Water and Yet Less Water:  “The amount of rain falling on New Hampshire every year is going up, and projections say it will continue rising. But in what might seem like cruel irony, the storm patterns contributing to that trend are also a reason we’re seeing our landscape get drier, according to a study published last week by researchers from Dartmouth College.”  According to the article in the New Hampshire Bulletin…” a warmer world is a drier world”…” intense storms may pelt the earth with water faster than it can be soaked up into underground aquifers.”  

A Win for the Chesterfield Revitalization Group (CRG):   Here’s an update from a member of the CRG.  “After 5 months of anticipation, the grant ($1.5 million) for the Rt. 9A brownfield clean up and demolition was approved by the US EPA. …It's taken over 3 years to get to this point and many of you helped us with the grant application requirement by making a financial pledge towards a future use of the property.  Thank you for those pledges…. Our Board of Selectmen was also incredibly helpful and supportive throughout the process.

“The goal of having the brownfield cleaned up and the Electrosonics red brick building demolished, possibly replaced by a welcoming, happy park, is getting closer to reality… there is work still to be done, and if anybody is interested in helping in any way, our next meeting will be held Monday, July 13, 5pm, at the Town office….Join us if you wish, hear about the next steps in the process and share your thoughts.”

Happy Anniversary SLA:  On July 7, 1971, the Spofford Lake Association received notification from the State officially recognizing it as a not-for-profit organization.  We’ve been hard at work ever since fulfilling our mission of “To protect, enhance and sustain the ecological, environmental and recreational character of Spofford Lake and the surrounding watershed.”  

If you are not a member, we invite you join us.  If you are a member, we thank you for your continuing support.

Ciao for now, 

The Spofford Lake Association