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Summertime in the BelgradesContentsfor Printing
Article Summaries |
Golf Tournament/Dinner To Benefit Conservation Corps 10th Year
The 2005 summer season marks ten years, four hundred projects, and tons of rock — hand placed into runoff-stabilizing riprap — for the Conservation Corps of the Belgrade Regional Conservation Alliance. There is no value measure for what the many teams of area youth have accomplished over a decade toward protecting and preserving the water quality of the Belgrade Lakes watershed and of being environmental ambassadors, and there is no price tag on how much they have benefited personally in terms of summer work opportunities, education, and career direction. But there is a means to celebrate in a way that will help continue the proactive water quality work of the Conservation Corps and of the five lake associations in the watershed — East Pond Association, North Pond Association, McGrath Pond/Salmon Lake Association, Belgrade Lakes Association (Great and Long Ponds), and Snow Ponds/Messalonskee Lake Association. On Wednesday, August 17, the Conservation Corps of the BRCA will celebrate its 10th Anniversary with a Pro-Am Invitational Golf Tournament at the Belgrade Lakes Golf Club followed by a gala dinner at the Village Inn. Proceeds of the day's events — the goal is $70,000 — will be split between the Conservation Corps and the lake associations. For golfers, the Pro-Am Tournament is a great opportunity to play the Belgrade Lakes Golf Course with a top Maine professional golfer. Not only is the course rated by "Golf Digest" as one of the ten best public courses in the country, it is rated by everyone who visits it as one of the most spectacular lake views in the region.
The Village Inn, which also has spectacular water views, is planning a first class dinner — with possibly a "taste of Maine" theme. The festivities will include a reception on the lawn by the Belgrade Channel. Tickets are available for non-golfer supporters of the Conservation Corps for $100. In terms of format the golf tournament is Pro Am Best Ball. There will be 20 teams of four players plus a pro. Following a lunch at mid-day, the tournament will have a shot gun start. Each player will receive a premium gift pack, which includes dinner at the Village Inn. As a fund-raiser, the tournament goal is to involve participants who benefit the most from the Conservation Corps, i.e. local watershed property owners. Teams from both local businesses — the corporate fee is $3,000 — and each lake association — the fee is $500 per member — are currently being formed. To date nine corporations have signed up to sponsor a team: Hammond Lumber, Golden Pond Wealth Management, Boothby and Bartlett Insurance, Colby College, Northeast Laboratory Services, Town and Country Real Estate, Valley Distributors, Dead River Company, and Burger King. All have a vested interest in water quality in the Belgrade lakes. The number of corporate sponsors will be kept to a maximum of twelve.
No mention of the Conservation Corps and the Belgrade Lakes Golf Course is complete without including the Alfond family. Besides donating the use of the facilities, owner Harold Alfond — a long time Belgrade lake dweller — is one of the primary supporters of keeping the tournament local and of involving all the lakes. At least one Alfond family team will be in the tournament. "Ambitious, but I think we'll make it," is how Jerry Tipper, co-chair along with Brian Bernatchez, describes the tournament project. A golfer, very active with the East Pond Association (the family connection goes back 60 years), and an organizer, board member and chairperson of the Conservation Corps, Jerry has worked on three previous Conservation Corps tournaments. Brian, who emphasizes the cooperation of all the lakes in the August 17 celebration, is a Great Pond resident and on the board for the Belgrade Lakes Association. Anyone interested in working on the arrangements for the golf tournament or the dinner please contact Jerry Tipper (362-6881, gtipper@somtel.com) or Brian Bernatchez (873-2200, Golden.Pond@LPL.com).
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