PHOTO: Fall sunset
Gary Mazoki, of Palermo, captured this fall sunset recently.
Up and down the Kennebec Valley: Agricultural Fairs
by Mary Grow
Your writer is pleased that she didn’t promise a story about Hathaway shirts this week, because, considering the season, she decided to detour to write about the country fairs our ancestors enjoyed. Some of the historians cited previously in this series mentioned them; your writer will share bits of their information.
Samuel L. Boardman, in his chapter on agriculture in Henry Kingsbury’s Kennebec County history, and Linwood Lowden, in his history of Windsor, summarized development of central Maine agricultural organizations, often sponsors of agricultural fairs.
Lowden’s list:
- The short-lived Kennebec Agricultural Society, “organized in 1787 and incorporated in 1807,” was the first in New England and the second in the United States. (On-line sources say the first in the country was the 1785 Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture, still active.)
- The short-lived Maine Agricultural Society, incorporated Feb. 21, 1818, “held cattle shows in Hallowell in 1820 and 1821.” The 1820 show was Maine’s first, Boardman wrote.
- The Winthrop Agricultural Society, incorporated Feb. 28, 1829, and reorganized in 1832 as the Kennebec County Agricultural Society, leased fairgrounds in Readfield beginning in 1856. By 1892, Boardman wrote, it had several buildings, a track and a grandstand; organizers continued “the old custom” of having a prominent Maine man deliver an annual address.
- The North Kennebec Agricultural Society, headquartered in Waterville, began July 31, 1847. E. P. Mayo (in the agricultural chapter in Edwin Whittemore’s Waterville history) wrote that its first exhibition was in October 1847. Another early action, Mayo wrote with approval, “was to raise $75 for the purchase of standard agricultural works for a library.”
- This organization bought land in southern Waterville and built a half-mile horse track in 1854. Its annual exhibitions continued into the 1880s, Mayo wrote, until competition from outlying towns cut too deeply into attendance. Its real estate was sold to expand Pine Grove Cemetery.
- The South Kennebec Agricultural Society, which included Windsor, was incorporated in 1853 and in April 1857 bought three lots in Gardiner for a fairground.
- The Kennebec Union Agricultural and Horticultural Society was incorporated on March 17, 1860, and took over “all assets” of the South Kennebec Society. Its “active career” ended in 1877, according to Boardman.
- The Eastern Kennebec Agricultural Society, organized April 4, 1868, “built a half mile race track, and held its fairs on a sixteen acre site at China,” the China Fairgrounds or China Trotting Park, west off Dirigo Road. In 1869, Boardman said, the Society added a 40-by-60-foot exhibition hall. The last fair was in the fall of 1874; Boardman wrote that bad weather on fair days kept income below expenses, and the society gave up in December 1877 and sold its property.
- A second South Kennebec Agricultural Society was organized March 24, 1888, in South Windsor, and incorporated by the Maine legislature a year later. This Society leased a lot with a trotting park, the earliest part of the current Windsor Fairgrounds. Lowden wrote that in 1973 the Society’s legal name became Windsor Fair.
* * * * * *
Albion historian Ruby Crosby Wiggin was delighted to find secretaries’ records of the Farmer’s and Mechanic’s Club of Albion (the apostrophes are as she placed them), organized Oct. 5, 1863, and sponsor of an annual October fair from Oct. 13, 1863, through at least 1891, when the records end.
The secretaries’ books answered a question that had plagued her research: local residents told her three different locations for the fairs. The records showed everyone was right.
The 1863 fair was in the Temperance Hall, on Bangor Road, with outdoor exhibits near the former Marden’s – later Drake’s – store. After what was first the Public Hall and later the Grange Hall was built in 1873, the fair moved there and used land behind Keay’s store, on Main Street. And after the town house was built in 1888, it hosted indoor displays, with outdoor events in the field behind the Besse building.
Wiggin’s list of animals at the first fair in 1863 totals more than 100 horses, oxen, cows, sheep and swine. Indoor displays featured farm produce, including locally-raised tobacco; cheeses; and buttons, “carpets, quilts, rugs, cloth, yarn” and other handicrafts.
Exhibits became more varied over the years, Wiggin wrote. She listed some she considered unusual: a “collection of stuffed birds”; a 100-year-old chair; an English table cover more than 100 years old; woolen stockings and a patchwork quilt made by women in their 90s; and a “worsted lamp mat” made by a six-year-old boy.
She found no description of baby shows, but, she said, in 1865 the “largest, fattest and best fed baby” won a prize, and in 1879 a committee named the “longest and leanest and poorest fed man.”
Old-time residents told Wiggin the Albion fair sometimes included a merry-go-round “run by two fellows turning it by a crank in the middle.” It was reportedly owned by Stevens Brothers, from Unity, and was a feature of annual Unity fairs.
* * * * * *
Palermo historian Milton E. Dowe, in his 1996 book of memories, included a short description of the annual Branch Mills Grange fair, where, he wrote, “A wonderful time was had by all.” His undated description refers to a time after 1909, when the Grange Hall, in Branch Mills Village, was built after the 1908 fire.
Behind the building, Dowe wrote, was a hitching rail where people left their horses for the day. On the grounds were cattle exhibits and the horse pulling competitions that were “the highlight of the Fair day.”
Inside, Dowe wrote, people admired “displays of handiwork, arts, crafts, vegetables, etc.” There was an afternoon baby show. The noon dinner included “baked beans, brown bread, biscuits, casseroles, pickles,…various kinds of pies…[and] always plenty of coffee.”
* * * * * *
Alice Hammond’s history of Sidney credits the Sidney Grange with starting the Sidney Agricultural Fair in 1885; it continued well into the 20th century. Kingsbury said its specialties were fruit –Sidney had many apple orchards – and “working cattle.” One year, he wrote, 75 yokes (pairs) of cattle paraded in a line.
Hammond included a report that the fair’s treasurer, Martin L. Reynolds, put in the 1890 town report “[o]wing to the inquiry of some of the townsmen” about the use of town funds.
From 1887 through 1890, taxpayers gave the fair $25 annually. In 1887, fair organizers spent $24.62. The largest expenditure was $9 to E. A. Field for “lumber and hauling same.” The two smallest were 30 cents each for two dozen hooks from O. Williamson and “Swifel Eye to machine” from J. S. Grant (Hammond wondered what a swifel eye was; your writer suggests a misspelling for swivel eye).
In 1888, A. E. Bessey chipped in $1 (he was probably, despite the spelling difference, Dr. Alden Edward Besse [Jan. 1, 1838 – June 15, 1903], born in Hebron, living in Sidney in 1880, died in Waterville, buried in Pine Grove Cemetery). Lumber was again the most costly item; total expenditures were $23.65.
The 1889 expenditure totaled $12.10. Joseph Field earned $2 for “care of lumber” – Hammond noted that the wooden animal pens were dismantled after each fair, stored and rebuilt the next year – and Badger and Manley charged $3.50 for posters (up from $2.50 in 1887).
In 1890 three individuals added $21.94 to the $25 appropriation. The account was nonetheless overdrawn for the first time, mostly because the Oakland Band, making its first appearance, cost $20. Because of earlier frugality, however, treasurer Reynolds reported a balance in the fair treasury of $12.91 at the end of four years.
The year 1890 was also the first year that fair organizers bought a police badge, for 75 cents. Hammond wondered if the crowd was getting rougher, or if the organizers were merely being extra careful.
* * * * * *
Alma Pierce Robbins focused her Vassalboro history on agricultural organizations, mentioning fairs only incidentally. The Vassalborough Agricultural Society was organized in 1820, she wrote. The town had three Granges, Oak Grove (1875, moved to Getchell’s Corner in 1883), Cushnoc at Riverside (1876) and East Vassalboro, organized in 1895 and still flourishing.
The Agricultural Society must have sponsored fairs, because Robbins wrote of spring “preparations to exhibit at the Fall fairs.” She also wrote about “premiums” for “wheat, corn, hemp, flax and silk,” and “prizes” for “cattle, sheep and swine,” and mentioned oxen-pulling and later horse-pulling.
Robbins specifically referred to Cushnoc Grange fairs “with fine exhibits of hand work, farm produce and stock.” She added memories of “the oyster stew suppers on cold snowy nights, the baked bean and brown bread dinners with great jars of home made pickles and dozens of apple pies,” where all the neighbors gathered.
* * * * * *
Windsor’s extensive fairgrounds are at 82 Ridge Road (Route 32), not far north of the intersection where Route 32 joins Route 17. The site includes a dozen historic buildings restored and maintained by the Windsor Historical Society, multiple exhibition halls for everything from livestock to jams and jellies, an oval racetrack and large parking areas.
Lowden wrote that the first Windsor Fair was held Oct. 3 and 4, 1888, before the South Kennebec Agricultural Society was organized and legislatively incorporated in the spring of 1889. There is some confusion about whether a formal racetrack was used that year; Lowden said “a firmly held local tradition” is that horses ran on the road that is now Route 32, across a bridge that “stood high above” Gully Brook. But he found an Oct. 5, 1888, newspaper report saying there was a race track by 1888, so he inferred the in-the-road races must have been earlier.
Lowden wrote that the horse races have always been the most popular attraction and “the financial backbone” of the fair. Other features he described included displays of and competitions among other farm animals. In 1888, the exhibition of horses and colts drew a local reporter’s praise; the reporter was even more enthusiastic about the displays of fruit, vegetables and “artistic needle and fancy work.”
The fair introduced inventions and new practices for farmers and their families, like a new parlor stove and a new kitchen stove in 1893; an automobile in 1900; a hot air balloon in 1902; and an airplane in 1917. The midday featured varied entertainers, simple games, food vendors; the first merry-go-round appeared in 1916.
Main sources
Dowe, Milton E., Palermo, Maine Things That I Remember in 1996 (1997).
Hammond, Alice, History of Sidney Maine 1792-1992 (1992).
Kingsbury, Henry D., ed., Illustrated History of Kennebec County Maine 1625-1892 (1892).
Lowden, Linwood H., good Land & fine Contrey but Poor roads a history of Windsor, Maine (1993).
Robbins, Alma Pierce, History of Vassalborough Maine 1771 1971 n.d. (1971).
Whittemore, Rev. Edwin Carey, Centennial History of Waterville 1802-1902 (1902).
Wiggin, Ruby Crosby, Albion on the Narrow Gauge (1964).
Websites, miscellaneous.
Upcoming fairs
Although Maine’s 2022 fall fair season is winding down, there is still time to take in some that aren’t too far from the central Kennebec Valley.
- Windsor Fair began Aug. 28, and runs through Monday, Sept. 5. See the website windsorfair.com for daily programs.
- The Clinton Lions Agricultural Fair, on the fairgrounds at 1450 Bangor Road (Route 100) opens at 3 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 8, and runs through 5 p.m., Sept. 11. Details are on Clintonlionsagfair207.com.
- Litchfield Fair, at the 44 Plains Road fairground, opens Friday, Sept. 9, and runs through Sept. 11, with free admission for seniors on opening day. See litchfieldfair.com.
- Farmington Fair runs from 10 a.m., Sunday, Sept. 18, through Saturday afternoon, Sept. 24. The fairground is at the intersection of Maple Avenue and High Street, on the northwest (right) side of Routes 2 and 27 coming from New Sharon. See farmingtonfairmaine.com.
- The annual Common Ground Country Fair runs from Friday, Sept. 23, through Sunday, Sept. 25, in Unity, at the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) education center, 294 Crosby Brook Road (off Route 139 in southeastern Unity). See mofga.org.
CORRECTION: The building in the photo in last week’s issue is the Clukey Building, located on the corner of Main and Silver streets, location of the Paragon Shop today. It was an editing error.
Courtesy boat inspectors busy
Pictured, left to right, are Wyatt McKenney, Alex Reitchel, and Brody Worth, all of Palermo. They will be incoming ninth graders at Erskine Academy, in South China, this year. (contributed photo)
The Sheepscot Lake Association Courtesy Boat Inspectors have been having a busy season at Palermo’s new boat launch! They have inspected over 100 boats for invasive species during their weekend shifts, and also educated boaters on the importance of self-inspections, both before entering and when leaving the lake. This is important since the inspectors are not always there to check your boat for you. It all plays a part in keeping Sheepscot the healthy lake that it is.
Endicott College announces local dean’s list students
Endicott College, in Beverly, Massachusetts, has announced its Spring 2022 dean’s list students. Hunter Scholz, of Augusta, a history major, is the son of Kimberly Scholz and Stephen Scholz
Hailey Hobart, of China Village, studies/education major, is the daughter of Deborah Hobart and Daniel Hobart.
Alana York, of Palermo, a business management major, is the daughter of Cheryl York and Andrew York.
Proposed WPA bylaws revisions to go before membership at Aug. 13 annual meeting (2022)
Webber Pond.
The Board of Directors of the Webber Pond Association (WPA) is recommending that WPA members approve the Revised WPA Bylaws shown below at the August 13, 2022, Annual Meeting.
CONTENTS
ARTICLE I. NAME AND PURPOSE Page 1
ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP AND MEMBER MEETINGS Page 1
ARTICLE III. BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND BOARD MEETINGS Page 2
ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS Page 3
ARTICLE V. INDEMNIFICATION Page 3
ARTICLE VI. AMENDMENT Page 4
ARTICLE I. NAME AND PURPOSE
A. NAME: The name of the Corporation is the Webber Pond Association, Incorporated (“WPA”).
B. PURPOSE: The purpose of the WPA shall be to protect and improve the water quality and water level management of Webber Pond to enhance recreational enjoyment. This shall be accomplished through education, conservation efforts, active management, and timely identification and correction of problems that arise.
C. REGISTERED AGENT and OFFICE: The Registered Agent and Registered Office of the WPA shall be as designated by the Board of Directors or President. The address of the Registered Office may be changed from time to time by the Board of Directors, President, or the Registered Agent.
ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP AND MEMBER MEETINGS
A. MEMBERSHIP: Membership shall be open to any person who supports the purposes of the WPA. A member in good standing is defined as an individual who supports the purposes of the WPA and has paid annual membership dues.
B. DUES: Membership dues shall be as determined by the Board of Directors. Members are to be notified of the dues amount at least 14 days prior to the Annual Meeting by the Secretary, President, or designee. Dues cover the period from one Annual Meeting to the day before the next Annual Meeting.
C. MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES: Only members in good standing are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting or any Special Meeting, serve as a Director or Officer, or serve on a committee. Each member in good standing shall have the right to cast one vote. The approval of a majority of members is required to elect members of the Board of Directors and Officers of the WPA; amend the Bylaws of the WPA; approve the sale or other disposition of all, or substantially all, of the assets of the WPA; and approve the dissolution of the WPA, or merger/consolidation into another legal entity.
D. VOTING QUORUM and MAJORITY RULE: Twenty members of the WPA must be present in person or by valid proxy at Annual or Special member meetings to vote on agenda items. A valid proxy shall serve as a presence for quorum purposes. A majority vote of members present, in person or by valid proxy, is required to pass a motion.
E. PROXY VOTING: Any member in good standing that cannot attend the Annual Meeting, or any Special Meeting, has the right to appoint another member in good standing to attend the meeting and vote in their place as a proxy. The member appointing the proxy must sign and date a WPA proxy form authorizing the proxy to attend a specific meeting and vote on their behalf. To be valid, the proxy form must be signed and dated by the member not more than 60 days prior to the meeting, be presented by the person representing the member to the Secretary or the person presiding at the meeting before or at the commencement of the meeting and shall be effective only for the meeting specified in the document. A member in good standing may only act as a proxy for up to two members in good standing. Members who have signed a proxy form have the right to revoke the proxy by providing written notice to the President or Secretary of the WPA at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.
F. ANNUAL MEETING: The Annual Meeting of the membership of the WPA shall be held on a Saturday in August, or as determined by the Board of Directors. The purpose of the Annual Meeting is to elect Officers and Directors for the following year, receive reports of the actions of the WPA and discuss issues of concern. Notice of the Annual Meeting shall be sent by the Secretary, President, or designee at least 14 days prior to the meeting and include the agenda for the meeting, the dues amount, and the recommended slate of Officers and Board Members.
G. SPECIAL MEETINGS: Special Meetings of the membership of the WPA may be called by the President, any five Directors and Officers, or any seven members of the WPA. Notice of a request for a Special Meeting shall be sent to the President and Secretary 28 days prior to the proposed meeting date and shall include the purpose of the meeting and a proposed agenda. The request including purpose and agenda shall be forwarded to members by the Secretary or President at least 14 days prior to the proposed meeting date.
H. POLL OF MEMBERSHIP: The Board of Directors my put questions to members by email if this is determined to be in the best interests of the WPA. The Board will include its position on questions posed.
ARTICLE III. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
A. RESPONSIBILITIES: The management and administration of the WPA shall be entrusted to the Board of Directors. The Board shall define, establish, and maintain policies and practices as necessary for the operation of the WPA.
B. NUMBER: There shall be a minimum of 5 and no more than 15 members of the Board of Directors, including those Directors serving as Officers.
C. QUALIFICATION: A person must be recognized as a member in good standing of the WPA to be a member of the Board of Directors.
D. TERM: Directors shall serve for a term of three years and remain on the Board until they resign or are replaced by vote of WPA members in good standing. Directors may be re-elected with no term limits. The Board may implement a system of staggered terms for Directors whereby approximately one-third of the Directors may be elected at each Annual Meeting, to provide continuity for the Board.
E. NOMINATION: 1. A Nominating Committee of 3 to 5 Board Members appointed by the Board of Directors shall ask WPA members for any expressions of interest in becoming a WPA Officer or Director or their recommendations for WPA Officers and Directors by the end of May. The Nomination Committee shall prepare a slate of candidates for the Board of Directors and Officers for review and vote at least 14 days prior to the June Board Meeting. The slate of Officer and Directors recommended by the current Board members will be included in the Notice of the Annual Meeting to be sent to members 14 days before the Annual Meeting.
F. MEETINGS: Board of Directors meetings may be called by the President or a majority of the Board members.
G. VOTING QUORUM: The attendance of half or more of the current Board members in person or electronically shall constitute a quorum to approve motions.
H. VOTING: For all matters coming before the Board of Directors, a majority vote of those at a meeting in person or electronically at which a quorum is present shall prevail.
I. USE OF ELECTRONIC MEANS: To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Board of Directors and committees may conduct business by electronic means, including, but not limited to, electronic attendance and email notices to Directors and committee members.
J. WATER QUALITY AND WATER LEVEL COMMITTEE: A standing committee of no less than 5 and no more than 11 members appointed by the Board of Directors, with a majority being Board Members and the balance being WPA members in good standing who have indicated an interest in participating. The committee shall develop, maintain, administer, and communicate water quality and water level monitoring and management procedures for the WPA. These shall be based upon Webber data, best practices, and recommendations from the Town of Vassalboro and relevant State of Maine and federal agencies. The committee shall also promote education and outreach programs that encourage best practices for lake users, such as the LakeSmart program that helps lakefront property owners manage their land to protect water quality.
K. VACANCIES: Vacancies in the Board may be filled by the Board of Directors. The person so selected will serve until the next Annual Meeting.
L. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: If any matter comes before the Board in such a way as to give rise to a conflict of interest, the affected Director shall make known the potential conflict, answer any questions that may be asked of them and withdraw from the meeting until the matter has been brought to a vote. The affected Director shall not participate in discussions or vote on the matter and shall not be included in the calculation of a quorum for the vote on the matter.
M. DISQUALIFICATION AND TERMINATION: Three absences from meetings of the Board of Directors shall constitute grounds for disqualification. Two-thirds of the Board of Directors shall have the authority to terminate a person’s position on the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS
A. OFFICERS: The Officers shall be a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary. The Secretary and Treasurer may be combined at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
B. QUALIFICATIONS: A person must be recognized as a member in good standing of the WPA to be a WPA Officer.
C. TERM: Officers shall serve for a term of two years and remain in office until they resign or are replaced by vote of WPA members in good standing. Officers may be re-elected with no term limits.
D. PRESIDENT: The President shall be the chief executive and administrative officer of the WPA, leading the affairs of the WPA in a manner consistent with the Purpose of the WPA and in cooperation with the Board of Directors. The President will preside at all Board, Annual and Special meetings and perform other duties as assigned by the Board of Directors.
E. VICE PRESIDENT: The Vice President shall perform duties as assigned by the President and the Board of Directors. In the absence or disability of the President, the Vice President shall perform the duties of the President.
F. TREASURER: The Treasurer shall keep accurate records of all monies received and paid out and shall have custody of all property, including bank accounts. All funds shall be paid out as directed by the Board of Directors or President. The Treasurer shall make a report of the financial condition of the WPA at Board and Annual member meetings.
G. SECRETARY: The Secretary shall count votes at meetings, keep a faithful record of all meetings, and perform other secretarial duties as required. Draft minutes of Board Meetings are to be sent to the Board within 2 weeks of the date of any Board Meeting. Draft minutes of Annual and Special Meetings are to be sent to the Board for review within 14 days and shall be reviewed by the Board promptly, so that they can be forwarded and to the members of the WPA within 28 days of the date of the Annual or Special Meeting.
H. VACANCIES: Vacancies in any Officer position may be filled by the Board of Directors. The person so selected will serve until the next Annual Meeting.
ARTICLE V. INDEMNIFICATION
A. INDEMNIFICATION: The Directors, Officers, volunteers, employees, and agents of the WPA shall not be individually or personally liable for the debts or obligations of the WPA and shall be indemnified by the WPA against all financial loss, damage, cost, and expense (including attorney’s fees) reasonably incurred by or imposed upon them in connection with or resulting from any civil or criminal action, suit, proceeding, claim, or investigation in which they may be involved by reason of any action taken or omitted to be taken by them in good faith as a Director, Officer, volunteer, employee, or agent of the WPA.
B. PRUDENT CARE: Indemnification is subject to the condition that a majority of a quorum of the Board of Directors comprised of those Directors who are not parties to such action, suit, proceeding, claim, or investigation, or if there be no such quorum, independent counsel selected by a quorum of the entire Board of Directors, shall be of the opinion that the person requesting indemnification acted in good faith and in the reasonable belief, under the circumstances, that their actions were in the best interests of the WPA, or that such person took or omitted to take such action in reliance upon advice of counsel for the WPA or acted on information furnished by a Director, Officer, employee, or agent of the WPA and accepted in good faith by the person seeking indemnification.
C. BENEFIT: The indemnification provided herein shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors, or administrators of any Director, Officer, volunteers, employee, or agent and shall not be exclusive of any other rights to which such party may be entitled by law or under any resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors.
D. INSURANCE: The WPA shall procure insurance covering the Directors, Officers, and volunteers of the WPA against any liability incurred in such capacity or arising out of their status as such.
ARTICLE VI. AMENDMENT
A. AMENDMENT: These Bylaws may be amended at any Annual or Special Meeting of members by a majority vote of members in good standing present in person or by proxy where a quorum exists. Suggestions for changes to the Bylaws to be made at an Annual Meeting must be submitted to the President and Secretary by any member in good standing no later than July 1 so that they can be considered by the Board of Directors and sent to WPA members with the Board’s input for consideration at least 14 days prior to the Annual Meeting. Suggestions for changes to the Bylaws to be made at a Special Meeting must be submitted to the President and Secretary by any member in good standing at least 28 days prior to the proposed Special Meeting so that they can be considered by the Board of Directors and sent to WPA members with the Board’s input for consideration at least 14 days prior to the proposed Special Meeting.
Sheepscot Lake Assn. meeting successful, well attended
The Sheepscot Lake Association annual meeting, held on July 21, was well attended, and successful, according to association officials. (contributed photo)
The Sheepscot Lake Association held its annual meeting on Thursday, July 21. The meeting was very successful and well attended, with Matt Scott, retired Maine fisheries biologist as keynote speaker. Matt devoted many years in working to protect our lakes and ponds through organizations such as the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program (VLMP).
The lake association also honored retiring board member, co-founder and past vice president Lynda Pound, for her more than 10 years of service to Sheepscot Lake.
If you were unable to attend and would like additional information about the Sheepscot Lake Association, or would like to renew your membership, or become a member, please visit their website: www.sheepscotlakeassociation.org. You can also reach them via email: sheepscotlakeassoc@gmail.com.
Lake Association Annual Meetings 2022
Image Credit: chinalakeassociation.org
2022 Lake Association Annual Meetings
* * *
SHEEPSCOT LAKE ASSN.
THURSDAY, JULY 21
7 p.m.
Palermo Consolidated School
Route 3
CHINA LAKE
SATURDAY, JULY 30
9 – 10:30 a.m.
China Middle School
Lakeview Drive
WEBBER POND
SATURDAY, AUGUST 13
10 a.m.
Vassalboro Community School
Webber Pond Road
* * *
To be included in this list, contact The Town Line at townline@fairpoint.net.
Sheepscot Lake Association news, July 2022
Ashley Wills, of Palermo, photographed this unusual sunset over Sheepscot Lake.
Hello fellow Lake-lovers! It doesn’t seem possible, but Summer 2022 is now upon us! The Sheepscot Lake Association looks forward to another summer full of fun-filled lake activities. We welcome both new members and returning to the lake association and thank you all for your continued support.
We will be hosting our Annual General Membership meeting on Thursday, July 21, at 7 p.m., at the Palermo Consolidated School, on Rte 3. Please join us that evening to renew your membership, meet your neighbors, and discuss the programs that help keep our Lake healthy. The Courtesy Boast Inspection Program, LakeSmart, Water Quality Testing, and the Annual Loon Count are all important programs that need membership involvement to continue functioning. If you are not able to attend the meeting and would like to renew your membership, join SLA, or get involved in one of these programs please email us at sheepscotlakeassoc@gmail.com.
Three board member positions are available starting July 2022 as we have some members retiring from their posts. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Lynda Pound and Sharon Nichols for their time and dedication during their years of service. If you or someone you know may be interested in serving on the board please put your name into nomination and attend the meeting on July 21.
Another exciting announcement is that SLA now has an online merchandise store. For a full selection of merchandise, you can purchase at any time via this website link: https://www.bonfire.com/store/sheepscot-lake-association/. We will have a limited selection for purchase as well at our meeting.
These are great ways to get involved and help be a part of preserving something special, Sheepscot Lake.
For more information you may also reach out to us either by email, or on our Sheepscot Lake Association Facebook page or the website (sheepscotlakeassociation.org). Thank you for your support, and we look forward to seeing you on July 21st!
Submitted by Maria O’Rourke
President, Sheepscot Lake Association
EVENTS: Sheepscot Lake Assn. annual membership meeting Thurs., July 21, 7 p.m. Palermo Consolidated School (2022)
Sheepscot Lake Association will be hosting its Annual General Membership meeting on Thursday, July 21, at 7 p.m., at the Palermo Consolidated School, on Rte 3. Please attend that evening to renew your membership, meet your neighbors, and discuss the programs that help keep the lake healthy. The Courtesy Boast Inspection Program, LakeSmart, Water Quality Testing, and the annual loon count are all important programs that need membership involvement to continue functioning. If you are not able to attend the meeting and would like to renew your membership, join SLA, or get involved in one of these programs, please email at sheepscotlakeassoc@gmail.com, or visit the website www.sheepscotlakeassocation.org.
EVENTS: Palermo library 2022 annual meeting slated
Captain David Sulin in Civil War attire. (photo by Mrs. Sulin)
Learn about Palermo Soldiers’ role in the Battle of Gettysburg at the Palermo Community Library’s Annual Meeting.
The Palermo Community Library will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the annual meeting on Sunday, July 10, 2022, at 2 p.m. The Palermo Historical Society joins the library in co-hosting our featured speaker, Captain Sulin, a member of Maine 20th Volunteer Infantry Company B reenactors. Captain Sulin will tell us about soldiers from Palermo and their role in the Battle of Gettysburg. He will also bring lots of artifacts and personal items from the Civil War.
Although the meeting starts at 2 p.m., Captain Sulin encourages the public to come as early as 1 p.m. to look at his large display and ask any questions you may have. Captain Sulin’s talk will serve as a nice lead-in to the Maine 20th reenactor’s Palermo Days encampment next to the Worthing House August 12, 13, and 14.
This is a public meeting and all are invited. Light refreshments will be served. The library is located at 2789 Route 3. For more information call 993-6088 or email palermomelibrary@gmail.com or visit www.palermo.lib.me.us.