In the summer of 1989, the scene “at the end of the pond” in Weekapaug was what many of us remember as children — trips to the beach with family, sailing at the Yacht Club, tennis matches, riding bikes with friends past fields along Noyes Neck and Langworthy Road, and ice cream at the end of a hot day. It was an important summer for the future of the pond communities that were being “discovered” by developers in a way that could threaten the serene way of life of families that had been in the area for generations. Efforts were taken to rezone undeveloped residential areas for commercial purposes and many open spaces were being considered for subdivisions for new residential development. Fortunately, there were leaders in our community with foresight that stepped forward — to prevent what otherwise would have been increased development and potential damage to our natural environment. As with many important events in Weekapaug, it all started with the Weekapaug Fire District (WFD). As head of the WFD Planning Committee, Fred Whittemore presented the idea of the foundation as a separate non-profit corporation to the WFD Executive Committee on August 24, 1989. While the concept had been previously discussed, Whittemore was the driving force and guiding spirit behind the inception of Weekapaug Foundation for Conservation (WFC). He believed a foundation was essential to prevent the loss of the beautiful open space that otherwise could be poached for development. He found many friends and neighbors who agreed wholeheartedly and devoted themselves to the mission of the organization as described in its founding document: “preserving and maintaining the natural environment of the Quonochontaug Barrier Beach, Quonochontaug Pond and Watershed… maintaining and enhancing the scenic, historical, wild-life open space and outdoor recreational values of the physical environment of the WFD and of adjacent areas…” |