Update on Sheepscot Lake dam opening

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Submitted by Carolyn Viens, Sheepscot Lake Association

Sheepscot dam

In March of this year, the residents of Palermo won a major battle in the opposition to LD922, the legislative bill mandating the opening of the Sheepscot Dam to Alewives, and other migrating fishes which would have had a negative impact on the health of the lake. Representative Jeffrey Pierce, of the Maine House of Representatives, and sponsor of LD922, withdrew the bill which is now tabled in the Maine House upon request of Governor LePage.

It was determined that several expensive steps would need to be taken before such legislation should be considered. These steps include the addition of appropriate biosecurity systems deemed necessary to adequately protect the Palermo rearing station, the securing of funding from private sources to assist in installation of a system meeting the DIFW criteria, and the determination of the appropriate timeframe to reopen the fish passage for sea run alewife once the necessary measures are in place at the Palermo rearing station. These steps would be extremely expensive and time consuming to complete, and as a result the legislation was pulled and the removal of the fish gate will not be permitted until needed infrastructure is in place.

The indefinite postponement was a direct result of the citizens of Palermo and the Sheepscot Lake Association (SLA) showing their concern repeatedly during town meetings, as well as through communication with government representatives. It would not have been successful without the ongoing involvement of Senate President Michael Thibodeau, who continually gave support throughout this process.

The Sheepscot Lake Association is continuing efforts to explore the impact of alewives and other species in Maine lakes. We have been working with representatives from other lakes, including Dennis Brown, of the Highland Lake Association (located outside Falmouth), regarding their experience with alewives and the impact on their deteriorating water quality, especially in seasons of low water levels associated with global climate change. Dennis will be discussing his experience at the SLA annual meeting on Wednesday, July 25, (7 p.m., Palermo Town Library).

Let’s all keep up our efforts to keep Sheepscot the beautiful, pristine, and healthy lake shared by so many each year! Thank you for your ongoing support and hope to see you on July 25th!

Fishy Photo: Nice trout caught at “hush-hush” pond

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Kayden Painchaud, 11, of Vassalboro, shows off a 24-inch brown trout he caught on July 14, at a pond he did not want to reveal.

Local youth meets favorite WWE star

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Isaiah Vear, 12, of Waterville, met his favorite WWE star on July 9 when Jeff Hardy arrived at the Augusta Civic Center for the WWE show. (Photo courtesy Central Maine Photography)

Local martial arts students claim title belts

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Huard’s Martial Arts students Skye Pollis, left, and Ely Yang, won prestigious Grand Champion Title Belts at the Black Fly Kids Brazilian Jiu jitsu championships, in Rangeley, held on June 23. Huard’s Martials Arts dojo is located in Winslow. (Photo by Mark Huard)

Waterville hosts regional Cal Ripken tourney

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Spencer Brown scores a run

Above, Spencer Brown, of Waterville, runs out a ground ball during the New England Regional Cal Ripken 12U baseball tournament held at Purnell Wrigley Field, in Waterville, last weekend. Teams participating were from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Below, Ben Foster, high fives his dad and coach, after Ben scored.

Photos by Cheyenne Paron, Central Maine Photography staff

Ben Foster and his dad

Palermo Scout earns Eagle status

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Tucker Leonard

On June 16, Troop #479 honored an Eagle Scout at a Court of Honor held for Palermo resident Tucker Davis Leonard at the China Baptist Church. Family, friends and Scouts attended the ceremony marking the advancement of this young man to the highest rank in Boy Scouts.

Tucker joins a group of Eagle Scouts who have completed community service projects with the help of fellow Scouts and other volunteers. Each Eagle candidate must plan and supervise an Eagle service project to demonstrate his capacity and willingness to exert his leadership ability in activities that are constructive and worthwhile in his community.

Tucker’s project at the Palermo Grammar School was to select a space on the trails in back of the school to clear an area for an outdoor class. He selected the area after meeting with a teacher from the school and marked the trees that needed to be cut. Trees were cut and the firewood was carried out to donate while the brush was dragged into the woods. The location of the tables were selected and raked. The many pieces of the tables were carried into the selected location across the rough trail. The five tables were then built and placed on pads. Scouts, leaders and parents came early in the morning to work in a light rain under his leadership. Christian Hunter reflected on what it means to be an Eagle Scout. In terms of badges, he has earned the Scout badge and the ranks of Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, and finally Eagle. Along the way, he earned 13 required merit badges and a minimum of 8 elective merit badges, served in troop leadership positions for a total of 16 months, and spent at least 13 hours on service projects, not including the many hours he spent on his Eagle Scout service project. In all, he has completed approximately 325 different requirements throughout his Scouting career.

Christian then introduced Scoutmaster Scott Adams of Troop #479 for the Eagle Presentation. Scoutmaster Scott Adams then asked Tucker to escort his parents to the front. The Eagle badge was presented to Tucker’s parents to pin on Tucker’s uniform. A miniature Eagle badge was given to Tucker to pin on his mother. An Eagle neckerchief was given to his father to place around the neck of his son.

Tucker was also presented a gift, a frame painting of an Eagle, by a friend Eagle Scout Derik Boutin who was presented this painting by his mother when he earned his Eagle rank.

Tucker recognized all those who helped him to reach the Eagle Rank. Tucker also thanks all the guests who took time to come to his Eagle ceremony and for all the Scouts who helped him with the ceremony. He presented the mentor pin to his father, Assistant Scoutmaster Doug Leonard, who helped him with the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. Always given him a push when he needed someone to remind him what was due next for advancement.

Ride the bus with us to Bible school

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Fair Haven Day Camps (photo: fairhavencamps.org)

Is there anything free anymore? Palermo Christian Church members, looking for an alternative to VBS and summer activities, touched upon the idea of partnering with Fair Haven Camps to provide free day camp to the youth in Palermo and adjacent communities.

PCC is inviting the neighborhood youth to a free Summer Adventure at Fair Haven Camps. Fair Haven Camps is sending their bus to the Palermo Christian Church from Monday, July 30 – Friday, August 3, to pick up children in our area to attend camp. Departure time is 8 a.m. with the young people returning at 5 p.m.

Fair Haven Camp is located on two sides Passagassawakeag, in Brooks. As a Maine camp, they are able to take advantage of the rugged beauty of their natural setting. Trained staff involve the boys and girls in programs that expose them to Maine’s environment and use the experiences as teaching opportunities. Campers will experience a full week of activities and make friends and memories that will last a lifetime. Fields for sports activities, wooded trails for hiking, the lake for swimming, boating and fishing, the stables with horses for riding, the lodge for large group activities and meals, and the cabins for lodging for boys and girls all encompass the realm of summer camp at Fair Haven. Check out their website for a full list of activities: http://fairhavencamps.org/day-camp/

Palermo Christian Church is sponsoring this week of Day Camp “Summer Adventure” as an outreach to the community believing that children of all ages will benefit greatly from this experience. Registration forms can be found online at: www.palermochristianchurch.org. FMI call the church office at 207-993-2636 or email: office@palermochristianchurch.org.

Palermo School third trimester honor roll 2018

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High Honors: Lily Bray, Isabella DeRose, Rachel Huntoon, Sophia Pilotte, Kaden Porter, Lilly Potter, Riley Reitchel, Aidan Tirrell, Lily Vinci, and Hannah York

Honors: Emily-Lynn Carlson, Nick Christiansen, Timothy Christiansen, Haley French, Grady Hotham, Hannah Huff, Kiele James, Bo Johnson, Brooke Leeman, Garrison Leeman, Richard Mahoney, Holden McKenney, Ella Moore, Angelyn Paradis, Karen Potter, Achiva Seigars, Kiley Stevens, Kinsey Stevens, Paige Sutter, Katherine Swift, Rachel Weymouth, Savannah Weymouth, Emily York, and Melanie York.

Square dancers in New Hampshire

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Pictured, front row, from left to right, Ellie Saunders, Ellie Mulcahy, Nanci Temple, Margaret Carter, Cindy Fairfield. Second row: Steve Saunders, Milton and Charlotte Sinclair, Dave Mulcahy, Fred Temple, Wes and Sue Burgess, Bruce Carter, Bob Brown. Back, Betty and Steve Harris, Larry and Kathleen Hillman. (Contributed photo)

East Hill Farms, in Troy, New Hampshire, was the venue for a weekend of advanced level square dancing for dancers from several New England states and three Canadian provinces. Friday, April 6, through Sunday, April 8, saw 10 squares of dancers enjoy the calling of Don Moger, of Montreal, Canada, and Ted Lizotte, of Manchester, New Hampshire.

Dancers from our area who were present were Bob Brown and Cindy Fairfield, of Newport, Larry and Kathleen Hillman, of Fairfield, Fred and Nanci Temple, of Richmond, and Bruce and Margaret Carter, of Ellsworth. It was a great weekend of high level dancing and camaraderie of friends we don’t get to see that often.

Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa, in Stowe, Vermont, was the setting of this year’s 60th New England Square Dance Convention. It all happened on the weekend of April 26 – 28. If you are a square dancer in the New England area, it’s the absolute place to be on the fourth weekend in April. The weather to and from and while we were there was beautiful, the resort was perfect, all the dancing was under one roof and the meals were super. The convention brought dancers from 10 states and 4 provinces of Canada totaling just over 600 for the three days.

Anyone interested in learning to square dance, call or contact Bob Brown at 447-0094 or Cindy Fairfield at 631-8816.

Invasive plant patrol workshop on China Lake

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China Lake Association has announced it will be hosting an Invasive Plant Paddle this year on China Lake. The Four Seasons Club has offered us the use of their facilities for this event. The training will be taught by members from Lake Stewards of Maine (LSM) formally know as Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program (VLMP).

This is a free three-hour workshop that takes place on the shore and on the lake. It is a great way to learn about Maine’s native aquatic plants and the invasive aquatic plants that threaten the beautiful lakes. Participants will each receive a free ”Quick Key to Ruling Out Maine’s Eleven Most Unwanted Invasive Aquatic Plants,” and will practice skills needed to spot suspicious plants while on the water.

The Plant Paddle will take place on Tuesday August 21, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Four Seasons Club, 570 Lakeview Drive, South China, Maine. To register and to find more information about the Invasive Plant Paddle go to : https://www.mainevlmp.org/invasive-plant-patrol-workshops/

Please register by August 14. There is a limited number of spaces but we also need at least 12 people to have the training. If you have questions message China Lake Association on Facebook or email Elaine Philbrook at esphibrook@gmail.com

Can you tell the Maine native waterweed from the invasive waterweed? Come to the Invasive Plant Paddle to learn the difference. Help keep Maine lakes safe from invasive aquatic species.