Lanesborough Residents Fed Up With Obnoxious Jet Skiers
Mark Fischetti speaks on behalf of many neighbors who have been disturbed by the antics.
Residents from the area have lodged a complaint with the town asking for ways to squelch what they say is a group of jet skiers racing, jumping wakes, drinking and partying, and using foul language right outside of their doors.
The residents say this summer the group has been using the town's boat ramp to access the lake and are speeding back and forth between one of the islands and the lakefront properties.
"The noise is just incredible," said Mark Fischetti, who was speaking for many Narragansett Avenue residents.
Fischetti says one of the jet skiers sets up buoys for a race course and he can hear them until as late as 10:30 p.m. He said the group parties on the island, leaving from the ramp in front of his house intoxicated. And he can hear everything they are saying because the sound carries over the lake.
His wife, Joanne Fischetti, says she's been cursed at by some in that crowd, feeling threatened. The couple has called the Environmental Police, who have been out there to talk with the jet skiers, but they continue to return. Others reported that the noise becomes so loud that they are unable to watch television without having to close doors and windows and the waves made are so large canoes can't go out there when the jet skiers are on the lake.
"It's certainly not keeping with the environment on the lake we've tried to foster," said Harbormaster Lee Hauge.
Jack Hickey of the Friends of Pontoosuc said the activities are breaking boating laws including driving on the lake without lights, jumping wakes, and speeding. Further, the island has been littered with trash.
But, Lanesborough Police don't have a boat to get to the island and the lake is in the jurisdiction of the state Environmental Police. The Selectmen told the group to continue to contact the Environmental Police to report the rowdiness. Further, the Selectmen said they'd ask town officials to patrol the roads in and out of the boat ramp more.
"We'll try to get the police chief active to just sit and wait for them to come in," Chairman John Goerlach said.
The Selectmen are under the impression that the same or a similar group had been driven off Onota Lake and he suggested contacting the Pittsfield Police to see if they have any further information or advice in doing the same here.
Resident Joe Marshall said the area hasn't had issues like that in the past and is calling for neighbors and the Selectmen to figure out a way to stop it.
Ronald Tinkham of Sunrise Street — also with frontage elsewhere on the lake — has seen the issue in the past in his area. He said a few years ago water skiers were causing disruption and ultimately they were identified and the town reached an agreement on such things as setting a curfew. He suggested the Narragansett neighbors do the same.
In other business, the Board of Selectmen is telling the state Department of Environmental Protection that the town will no longer pay for testing inside six homes on Ore Bed Road. Years ago contamination was found in a residential well near the landfill and the town has been footing the bill to test each one, four times a year.
Last year, the town launched a massive water line project that expanded up to that area to ease what was becoming an expensive burden. Since that water line was installed, three residents hooked onto the system and the DEP required less testing. The cost of those tests dropped about two-thirds since the line was installed.
"Two years ago we spent $60,000," Town Manager Paul Sieloff said. "The project did help a lot."
However, the DEP is still requiring six homes that did not hook onto the system to be tested once a year. The Selectmen received a bid for all water testing from Stantec of $14,000 to do all of the tests — the town is still responsible for a number of tests around the landfill — which includes those six homes. There is an additional $4,000 in the contract to inspect and repair the vents from the landfill.
The Selectmen did not award the contract Monday in hopes DEP will allow the town to be off the hook for the residential tests. Goerlach said the residents are offered the opportunity to connect to the line and the town voted in favor of the project so the burden should no longer fall on the board.
"The landfill is still our cost. But anyone who is capable of getting water from the water district shouldn't be tested on the town's dime," the chairman said.
Goerlach is remaining the chairman of the board after the reorganization on Monday. The other two selectmen voted for Goerlach to continue to be the chair for the next session at the first meeting since the election.
Tags: disruption, lakes, ponds, noise,
