With community support, we can remove 2 dense patches of water chestnut in Pecausett Pond in Portland. The pond is connected to the Connecticut River by a lovely short creek very near Portland Boat Works. Just show up at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 17 or, preferably, use the “Contact” tab above to register so we can inform you of any last minutes changes in plans. This will be a 90-minute event at high tide. We need many paddlers, especially in canoes and rowboats, to haul the plants out. (Only florets with nuts will be removed, not the root systems, to save cargo space.)
Last August, the city of Hartford released thousands of water chestnut plants into the Connecticut River from its North Meadows floodwater storage pond near Riverside Park. At the time, the plants had ripe seeds ready to fall, so this negligent release of plants resulted in the spread of mature seeds downriver from Hartford to Essex. New plants have emerged at regular intervals, posing a huge challenge to the volunteers trying to manage water chestnut infestations.
The Jonah Center’s most far-reaching project — to connect the 2 longest multi-use trails in Connecticut — has been awarded 2 grants: a $315,000 route study grant by CT DOT this past February; and a $500,000 grant by the state bond commission in April. The bond commission grant will allow preliminary design work to be done on at least some sections of the connector route. We are well on our way to making the connector route a reality for regional bicyclists. 
Since 1980, Bob Sequenzia has been running and walking on the Air Line Trail, even when it was an overgrown dirt path prior to its reconstruction for public use in 2016. He runs year-round, but when there is deep snow on the ground he runs a loop on local roads — Job’s Pond, Middle Haddam, Penfield Hill, and Pepperidge. He enjoys the feeling of accomplishment from finishing a run. He starts out with his wife Barbara, also an avid exerciser, before they diverge onto their different routes. Since the pandemic began, Bob has ramped up his routine to 6 days a week, covering 30-35 miles per week on average. 
As most of you are aware, the state is bracing for a trash disposal crisis. In CT we are losing the capacity to handle our waste in-state, which will increase the impact on the environment and increase costs for everyone.