Search found 14 matches

Last spring we lost one of our two mute swans
@ Smalley's Dam Pond

Behead

I still think it was the Canadians ...

. . . He use to single out one Canadian Goose
&
then chase it and pull tail feathers . . .

Yup . . . if'n you was ta ax me wat happ'n'd

them Canadians gang'd up on him . . .
. . . well I just hope after 25 years the pond
that he went quick . . .

He will be missed !

.

I got permission from C. Hutson 55 Stewart Lane
& Spencer Hawkins 214 Old Baltimore Pike for a gate.

Met with Mr. Harkins and I bought a 16' gate
{2} 6"x6"x10' treated posts

Dug (2) holes 5' deep

work has started !

I plan to rebuild this house before it is too late !
December 14 2016 will mark the 4th year since the house was burned downed
& the arsonist left me & my crew a hangman's noose !

... I think we have 6 years left before it is too late !

The plan is to offer 100 memberships to this beautiful property ...
... by sharing I hope to once & for all get rid of the destructive trespassers

When we get close to our goal of 100 members ...
... Start to rebuild the foundation to the house &
later rebuild the house & property !

This was the day before the fire & we went around the pond taking these photos
after we pumped out the flooded basement
boarded up & painted out the graffiti ...
... This was one solid house

& the next day ...
December 14 2012

PLEASE HELP ME RE-BUILD HER !
... visit our GoFundMe page
https://www.gofundme.com/help-me-rebuild-a-friends-house

Last night I stopped @ the pond for a quick patrol of the property.
When I got out of my truck, I saw this bald eagle flying fast & low,
he was only about two feet off the water

Like most times I see them I could not get a photo of course.

When I get to the edge of the pond,
I was met by two of my friends.

Our trees are not here for landscape, but used to attract wildlife.
Trees are important to keep the banks of the pond from eroding.

The beavers on the property take their share of the trees,
so cutting down any tree on the property is strictly prohibited.

The building on & around the property are not safe
All buildings and structures on the property are off limits.
You may look, but do not touch or enter any of the building on the property.

. . . simple

THERE IN NO HUNTING OF ANY KIND ALLOWED
@ 55 STEWART LANE !

I understand the lure of fishing this pond, I am hooked.

Anglers & fishermen are surrounding the pond looking for a nibble.
Most honor & respect property boundaries, but some do not.

While this is a public pond, most of the property surrounding it is private.
55 Stewart Lane is PRIVATE PROPERTY !
Fishing from our banks will get you arrested for trespassing.

55 Stewart Lane has it's own fishing permit that is issued to our members only.
This only gives you the right to fish here, but still need a state license to fish the pond.
A state fishing license is required to fish in both tidal and non-tidal waters in Delaware.

Better information on this subject can found here:
http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/fisheries/pages/fishinginfo.aspx

We have a boat ramp on the property,
one of two on the entire pond.
(the other belongs to the canoe club)

Our boat ramp is open to our members only,
and is CLOSED to the PUBLIC.

There is a slow no-wake speed limit on all ponds and lakes in Delaware
administered by the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife.

No gasoline motors are allowed on the pond.

After putting your boat in the pond,
please move your vehicle away from the boat ramp & park.

Northern Snakehead Fish in Delaware

This taken from:
http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/Fisheries/Documents/Becks%20Pond11.pdf

(just up stream from here)
Northern snakehead fish were documented in Becks Pond in August 2011 after an adult fish
protecting a school of fry struck at a kayaker. Additional adults and schools of fry were
observed during subsequent electrofishing. This fish can negatively affect the fish population
of Becks Pond. It is considered an invasive species and should be removed and killed if
caught. Contact the Division (302-739-9914) if you believe you have caught one and hold it for
retrieval.

It is illegal to transport, possess, purchase, or sell live northern snakehead fish in Delaware.

Remove and kill any northern snakehead fish if caught and contact the Division of Fish and
Wildlife (302-739-9914 or email: catherine.martin [at] state.de [dot] us ).

Members are given a special membership ID card to identity them as someone who has permission to visit the property.

Guests MUST be accompanied by a card carrying member while visiting the property.
The member must remain onsite during the guests visit.
Members accept full responsibility for the behavior of their guests.
Guests may not sponsor other guests onto the property.
All guests must comply with the posted rules here.

Members who are visiting the property are ask to report all trespassers immediately.
Block the road, take a picture & call 911 or myself.
Report what you find here at the website in the TRESPASSERS forum.

Trespassers do major damage to the property.
In the past they have broken into the houses & cabin on the property.
They use the property to dump tires & household trash.

Last year on December 14, 2012 a trespasser burned down the owner's house & left a hangman's noose.
The property owner has (9) nine years left to re-build it or lost forever.
I would like to raise some money to help this endeavor.

In February someone took all the power lines off the telephone poles.
They thought it was copper, it was copper plated steel (worth nothing)
It will cost over $15,000 to re-string the poles.

We will not allow trespassers on the property !
Make a few more examples of trespassers should get the word out,
TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED !

The Boy Scouts of America has an outdoor ethics they call "Leave No Trace"
... we need to adopt most of the principles here !

Respect the Wildlife
Leave What You Find
Dispose of Your Waste Properly
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Respect Wildlife
Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them.
Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors, and exposes them to predators and other dangers.
Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely.
Control pets at all times, or leave them at home.
Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.

Leave What You Find
Preserve the past: examine, but do not touch, cultural or historic structures and artifacts.
Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species.
Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches.

Dispose of Waste Properly
Pack it in, pack it out. Before you leave from your visit, inspect the property for trash or spilled foods. Pack out all trash, leftover food, and litter.

Minimize Campfire Impacts
Campfires can cause lasting impacts to the property.
Where fires are permitted, use established fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires.
Keep fires small. Only use sticks from the ground that can be broken by hand.
Burn all wood and coals to ash, put out campfires completely, then scatter cool ashes.

Be Considerate of Other Visitors
Let nature's sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices and noises.
Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience.

Official Leave No Trace Website
There are many wonderful sources of information about the Leave No Trace movement both in written form and available for free on the web. You might start learning more about LNT by visiting the official Leave No Trace web site at

http://lnt.org/

I stopped in for a quick look around . . .

Oh boy . . . what a treat !
(4) four Bald Eagles were dancing in the sky before me.
I stayed for about 30 minutes trying to get just one on camera.
Had to run, but will return to see more shortly !

I was gone for about 15 minutes and when I returned I saw . . .

That door was not open when I left . . . can you believe this . . . really
So I looked around, no real damage & head out to get parts

problem solved for now . . .

Greetings friends,

My name is Randy and I own Glasgow Lawn Care. Last year I drove my truck & trailer down this long, over grown, bumpy, dirt road for the first time. I was not sure I was going to make it, but it was too late to BACK out now.

When I got to the end of the road I met the property owner & her father to find out what their needs would be. It seems someone had been calling Code Enforcement about the grass needing mowed. I thought they were kidding me, I was in the middle of 45 acres of woods and no one had lived here since the mid 80's when the dam broke up stream at Becks pond.

No one should ever be down this road, but there were signs of trespassers, trash & vandalism everywhere. We were hired to mow once a month (which it did not need). Ever time down the road was something new. Sometimes we need a chain saw to get to the end of the road.

By December business being slow, my crew & I had some time to invest. We worked every day for 2 weeks trimming trees along the road, blowing leaves away from the house & back into the woods. We boarded up the cabin & house to keep out the trespassers. We opened the basement & pumped out the standing water & re-secured the basement. We even painted out the graffiti.

December 13, 2012 We were proud of our hard work & took pictures from all around the pond of this property & house.
December 14, 2012 someone tore off the steel basement door to the house & set fire to it & left a hangman's noose
December 15, 2012 when I showed up at the property the house was gone & a Fire Marshal was standing there.

It seems someone really does not want us cleaning up this property. The fire truck could not get down the road because someone narrowed the road to 8 foot using boulders. The fire burned for 3 days.

pictures & time line can be seen on my site at http://stewartlane.glasgowlawncare.com/

I have fallen in love with this special property. Today we still clean & maintain the property, but we take it more personal. I try to make it here at least once a day, sometimes twice. Every day it is something new (trespassers, trash & theft). I realize this is too big for me alone, so I have ask a few friends to help and use the property as it was theirs. This website will help us stay in touch with each other.