Lillinonah Beckons ‘Friends’ And Neighbors

By Kendra Bobowick

Staining their tongues red, blue, or green, Mangold cousins and siblings Emma, Ben, Zack, Cory, and Kyle all hung their feet over the side of a boat and slurped from melting snow cones. On shore beside his ice crusher and selecting from a row of bottled flavors — cotton candy, strawberry, lime, watermelon, Ryan Bollard made more of the icy treats for guests at the third annual Friend of the Lake (Lillinonah) Family Day at the town’s boat launch Saturday, August 1.

The icy dessert cooled the roughly 75 residents who enjoyed a grilled picnic lunch, a visit to the boat launch, and possibly a ride on a banana boat. Gazing at the crowd through sunglasses and with the scent of sun screen lingering, Amy Silverman and Joy Bollard both helped coordinate the afternoon while greeting guests.

“This was a wonderful event for the lake community,” said Ms Silverman. Friends of the Lake member Scott Conant also enjoyed the afternoon. “This gets the lake community together; people come and go.” Glancing at the clusters of children and families either onboard a boat, standing at the shore, or finding a spot in the shade for lunch, he added, “It’s a pretty good third year.” Despite this summer’s rainy weather, Saturday was filled with sunshine — unlike last year’s Family Day rainout.

Downhill from the lunch tables and past an inflated bouncy-house set up for the children, Newtown Bait and Tackle members Rich Newman and Charles LeLievre cast their lines and crossed their fingers while waiting for a bite. The men passed the time knee-deep in Lillinonah waiting for the telltale tugging on their fishing rods. A short distance away, a young Reed Woerner reached for a stone to toss into the water.

Waves from the banana boat’s wake drenched his legs while, behind him, Jeffrey Silverman stood waist-high in the lake and reached out a hand to steady the craft as groups of guests hopped on or off the ride. The coordinators hope the annual event will encourage more participation with the Friends of the Lake. Visit the organization at FriendsOfTheLake.org.

According to the website, “The lake is a destination for a variety of activities throughout the year. The goal of Family Day is to bring together neighbors, while offering an opportunity to demonstrate the many activities available to those that love the lake and all that it has to offer.” Founders established Friends of the Lake five years ago with the mission to not only be a vocal advocate for the protection of Lake Lillinonah, but also to build a strong lake community.