Bondsville Dam property ruled off limits to public

[fisher16]

Bondsville Dam property ruled off limits to publicBondsville Dam property ruled off limits to public
By LORI STABILE
lstabile@repub.com
PALMER – Police are warning people to stay away from the Bondsville Dam property or they will be arrested.

“Anyone on the property will be arrested or summonsed to court, even fishermen,” Palmer Lt. John J. Janulewicz said Wednesday.

Police are stepping up patrols at the request of property owner Belchertown Land Trust. Land trust officials asked Palmer and Belchertown police for help enforcing no trespassing signs in the wake of a tragic accident at the upper dam last Thursday.

Ross W. Karnbach Jr., 15, of Palmer, was swept into the Swift River while attempting to cross the upper dam that links south Belchertown to the village of Bondsville. Karnbach died later that night at Springfield’s Baystate Medical Center.

Another teen, who was with Karnbach, was rescued by Bondsville firefighters after he jumped into the water and swam onto a rock in the river.

The dam has long been a popular summer swimming and fishing spot, even though public safety officials consider it to be dangerous.

In 1991, a 16-year-old boy drowned near the upper dam. This weekend, three teens were pulled from the raging waters, and nearly three weeks ago, an 11-year-old boy was rescued after he fell in while trying to walk across the dam.

[Toad]

People have used that area for recreational purposes for many, many years.Grinning1

Although there have been a couple tragic accicents the vast, vast, probably 99.99999999999999999% if people and kids over the years have been just fine.Tongue1

I feel for the family and the boy that lost his life recently but now the rest of us cannot use that area.

I'm just wondering when big brother Bash1 is going to stop trying to protect us from ourselves and let the process of "natural selection" run it's natural course.

[noresman]

Targeting fishermen using the area is a load of crap. We're not the ones causing the problems. I live in Belchertown and the Land Trust is a bunch of crap in my opinion. They buy a parcel of land to perserve it as open space then post it so you can't use it because some kids don't know how to behave. As Toad said I feel for the family that lost thier son but to take away the right to use this area for fishing from the rest of us is not right.

[noresman]

I just sent an e-mail to the Belchertown Land Trust politely telling them that thier decision to have fishermen arrested or summoned to court for using this area is a mistake.I pointed out this goes against there mission statement " To use all properties held or controlled by the corporation for the benefit of the general public for active or passive recreation." If anyone else would like to send them an e-mail the address is info@belchertownlandtrust.org. I also left a phone message expressing my displeasure. The phone number is 1-413-323-8560 if you feel the same way please contact them. If enough people express there disgust with this action maybe they will change thier actions. After all it wasn't us fishermen who caused this tragedy.

[Crazy Joe]

I've fished a swam there for years.A friend of mine got f-ed up jumping off the dam 30 years ago.He has been wheel chair bound since.He was drunk and did something stupid.When we were kids we did some stupid stuff, and most of us are still here to talk about it. and our PARENTS kept check on us ,and we got punished if we did not listen! Don't get me wrong ,a loss of a young life or any life, is awful.I could not imagine what his parents are going through,But,why sould fisherman suffer.If the EPO were not so buzy hanging around boat ramps and towing your vehicals,mabe they could check out a "few" other things that are going on! This country is the best place to live,but,we all need to take a check on what is more important,like taking care of our own and keeping the people who supposidly SERVE us in check. I don't Even want to get started on my political veiws,so here's my 2 cents !(for now)Wink1
By the way GW is an IDOIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fisher16]

Please Please don't go political on this thread. I understand all of your view points my intentions was to inform members about the enforcement of the trespassing law that the Belchertown PD and Palmer PD may take if someone is found in violation of the law.

I would recommend calling or emailing the number or address about this issue that Noresman has posted. Please do not take it upon yourselves to break the law and get into legal issues.