(Photo courtesy of Carolyn Viens)
Sheepscot Lake Association members were on the water early on July 20 to participate in the Maine Audubon Society 36th annual loon count. This year, six loons were counted on Sheepscot Lake, including a chick with parents. The annual event is one of many programs sponsored by the lake association to safeguard the beautiful lake and gauge its health.
Abby Haskell
Abby Haskell, of Windsor, a liberal studies major at the University of Maine at Augusta student, recently was named to the dean’s list, and received the Student Athlete Spotlight for Outdoor Track and Field. This was the first year for the UMA’s Outdoor Track and Field Team and the UMA Women won the USCAA National Invitational.
What is her favorite subject at the college? “I really like all of my education classes because they allow and encourage me to get in the classroom early and shadow teachers. This shows me what teaching is all about and it showed me that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”
Regarding her interest in outdoor track, she said, “I have bounced around a lot with track in high school actually. I did outdoor track my freshman and sophomore year and I did indoor track my sophomore and junior year. I bounced around so much because I also enjoyed playing basketball and lacrosse!
Balancing academic studies and athletics can be demanding. “I took all my classes online so I was able to get myself in a routine of days where I would sit down and finish my assignments. This routine allowed me to be able to attend some practices (when I wasn’t working!) and to attend the meets on the weekends! With all her accomplishments on the track and field scene, she is looking for improvement. “I’m looking forward to improving my personal records and to see how well the team can do together next year! Some teammates on our relay team had never done it before and I’m excited to see how we will improve our time next season.”
She compares her animal spirit to that of a turtle. “Because slow and steady always wins the race.”
Abby chose UMA because it was a lot closer to home and more affordable than where she was going before! “I also really wanted to continue playing sports and I knew that UMA was the perfect school for me to do that. I love the decision I made, I love UMA.”
Abby’s 2019 outdoor track highlights include: Triple Jump (first) nationally in the USCAA; Long Jump (third) nationally in the USCAA; 100m (fourth) nationally in the USCAA; first 4x100m Relay Team at the USCAA National Invitational Championship; and first 4x400m Relay Team at the USCAA National Invitational Championship.
Kathleen McCowan, of Winslow, was named to the dean’s list at Muhlenberg College, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, for the Spring 2019 semester.
Samantha Munro, of Waterville, graduated cum laude with a bachelor of arts degree in Veterinary Science, Pre-Veterinary Concentration from Becker College, in Worcester, Massachusetts.
(Photo courtesy of Palermo Community Library)
The Palermo Community Library, in conjunction with the Palermo Historical Society, will host Maine author, Mac Smith, as he discusses his book, Mainers on the Titanic. The presentation will be on Tuesday, August 6, 2019, at 6:30 p.m., at the Palermo Community Library and is free to the public.
Mainers on the Titanic traces the stories of passengers on that fateful ship who had ties to Maine. Many of them were wealthy summer visitors to Bar Harbor, but there were other residents of the state aboard as well. Their tales are retold, along with what was occurring in the state at the time.
Meticulously researched, this book reveals the agonizing day-to-day wait of Mainers for news of what really happened on the Titanic, and tells the stories of Maine passengers from their boarding to the sinking and rescue; and, for those who survived, of their coming ashore in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It’s a fascinating addition to the Titanic story.
Smith is a Navy veteran of the first Gulf War and former news reporter for The Bar Harbor Times. He lives in Stockton Springs, in the village of Sandy Point, where he is restoring the family homestead.
Copies of Mac Smith’s books will be available for purchase at the event. The library is located at 2789 Route 3. For more information call 993-6088 or email palermo@palermo.lib.me.us or visit www.palermo.lib.me.us.
Dark Money, a political thriller, examines one of the greatest present threats to American democracy: the influence of untraceable corporate money on our elections and elected officials.
The film takes viewers to Montana, a front line in the fight to preserve fair elections nationwide – to follow an intrepid local journalist working to expose the real-life impacts of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. Through this gripping story, Dark Money uncovers the shocking and vital truth of how American elections are bought and sold.
This film will be shown following a potluck dinner on Friday, August 26, at the Palermo Community Center, Turner Ridge Road, at Veterans Way, across from the ball field. You’ll see the electric sign. Please bring a dish to share at 6 p.m. The downstairs screening room is nice and cool! It’s free and all are welcome! Call Connie at 993-2294 for info and directions.
by Mary Grow“We’ll make a decision shortly, Shawn,” China Selectboard Chairman Robert MacFarland promised Public Works Manager Shawn Reed as selectmen for the fourth time postponed action on his recommendation that they buy an excavator for the town.
Reed first made the suggestion at the June 10 selectmen’s meeting. There were follow-up discussions at the June 24 meeting and July 8 meetings; by then Reed had a specific proposal with a price, and the town had a contract to rent an excavator for 2019-2020. Selectmen asked Reed to find out how long the dealer would hold the price.
At the July 22 meeting, Reed and Town Manager Dennis Heath reported Chadwick-BaRoss will hold the price on the Volvo machine Reed favors until Dec.1, but will not promise to hold the machine if someone else wants it. Two of the three selectmen present were initially willing to approve the purchase, but eventually all three voted to postpone a decision until a full board is present.
They were more decisive on another public works issue, approving Heath’s recommendation to spend almost $10,000 of the 2019-2020 maintenance budget for tools so that new employee Josh Crommett can take over much of the work that’s been done by private garages.
Heath also recommends buying a software program to track maintenance records. He is looking for the program most suited to China’s needs.
He said Crommett has already done five jobs on town vehicles and estimated a $1,500 savings, counting Crommett’s pay as part of the cost.
Reed reported he rented a second excavator for one day’s ditching work, a large machine with a two-ton hammer for breaking up ledge. China’s crew used to blast ledge, which he said was much more expensive.
The public works department continues to deal with beavers, Reed said. The current major problem is that they have blocked the new six-foot culvert on Bog Brook Road.
Replying to a question from MacFarland, Reed said China is buying road salt but no sand for next winter, expecting the current sandpile to last another two or three years. The state Department of Transportation (MDOT) offers annual training on salting roads with minimum risk of contaminating groundwater or surface water. Selectman Irene Belanger asked if China has salt contamination insurance; Heath will investigate.
In another related matter, Heath reported on negotiations with the MDOT about turning over the Weeks Mills Road to the town. The current proposal is that the state will pay for this year’s resurfacing before the transfer.
In other business July 22, board members unanimously chose Belanger as one of China’s representatives to the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments. Belanger invites anyone interested in serving as the second representative to get in touch with her to discuss the position.
Town Clerk Rebecca Hapgood commended staff member Kelly Grotton for her work organizing the annual China Community Days celebration, scheduled for Aug. 2, 3 and 4. The Community Days schedule is on the town website and on paper at the town office and other public places.
Hapgood praised summer intern Hannah Kutschinski for her skills and attitude.
Heath said the revolving loan fund to provide bridge loans for China business owners from the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) fund is in operation. The TIF Committee will meet Monday evening, July 29. Its duties include reviewing loan applications.
TIF Committee member Tom Michaud complained that the guardrails along the head of China Lake east of the new causeway bridge were not removed as he recommended so that participants in the Community Days fishing derby could reach the water. The guardrails are part of the first phase of a TIF project to build the new bridge and improve access to the lake for recreation.
Heath said the project engineer recommended against removal because of potential liability; instead, openings were made. Michaud fears the openings might present new hazards.
The next regular China selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for Monday evening, Aug. 5.
by Mary GrowAt their July 18 meeting, Vassalboro selectmen talked about money (funding for the Vassalboro Sanitary District [VSD] expansion and buying a police car) and people (creating a new town solar committee and appointing its members, a change in codes officers and a neighborhood dispute).
Richard Green of Hoyle, Tanner & Associates, engineers for the VSD project to connect Vassalboro’s sewer system to the Winslow-Waterville one, gave selectmen an estimated budget, including estimated sewer user fees.
Planned costs for the connection total $7.768 million, but Green hopes it will come in under budget. The money will come from federal and state grants and loans and from Vassalboro’s TIF fund. Green’s budget showed $290,000 in TIF money already granted and, he said, mostly spent. Selectmen said VSD officials asked for another $120,000 (see The Town Line, June 20).
Green said the plan for the future is to use town money for three purposes:
His report estimates the average annual user fee at $1,382, although he said the figure will be affected by many variables, including operating costs and annual charges from the town of Winslow once the system is operating and how many new users sign up.
Also, he said, using TIF dollars as planned could save each user about $50 annually.
Green estimated about 30 houses along about another 3,000 feet of Route 32 in North Vassalboro will be able to connect; Duratherm Window also intends to hook in, he said. No homeowner is required to connect unless his or her septic system fails. The more users, the lower the fee will be per user.
Selectmen thought the cost to users too high; Board Chairman Lauchlin Titus feared some residents’ sewer fees would be higher than their property tax bills. Green called his figures probably a worst-case scenario, with costs likely to be lower than expected and revenue perhaps to be higher.
After discussion, board members appropriated another $100,000 from the TIF fund to the sewer project on a 2-1 vote, with Titus and Robert Browne approving and John Melrose, who argued for a lower figure, opposed. They propose considering funding again in a year when VSD officials will have more complete information.
Town Manager Mary Sabins said the TIF fund had almost $144,000 available. Resident Michael Poulin again urged selectmen to expand the development projects for which TIF money can be used. It is currently limited to the sewer expansion and the Alewife Restoration Project (ARI); Poulin would like capital improvements at the transfer station added, and perhaps an improved outhouse at the East Vassalboro boat landing (see The Town Line, June 20, 2019, p. 3, and July 11, p.4). Selectmen asked Sabins to consult the state Department of Economic and Community Development, which sets rules for using TIF funds.
On another financial issue, Police Chief Mark Brown, asked to investigate options for the new police car voters authorized at the June town meeting, brought selectmen a recommendation for an SUV from Quirk Ford, in Augusta, for $36,303, less than the amount voters approved. Selectmen accepted Brown’s recommendation unanimously. They agreed to decide on financing later, as Brown said, delivery will be 12 to 14 weeks after the order is placed.
The newly-created Solar Study Committee is to be charged with recommending a company to install a solar generating system to serve several town buildings, again as authorized by town meeting voters. After considering residents who expressed interest, had relevant experience or both, selectmen appointed Donald Breton, Arthur Kingdon, Barbara Redmond, John Reuthe and Clough Toppan to the committee, hoping all will agree to serve.
Selectmen also appointed Patricia King a new member of the Conservation Commission.
Sabins reported that Codes Officer Richard Dolby has resigned, effective in mid-August, and will be succeeded by former Codes Officer Paul Mitnik, who resigned from his position in China at the end of June. Mitnik had already been hired by the town of Wayne, to whose officials he has given notice.
The Priest Hill Road neighborhood dispute comes under Dolby’s and/or Mitnik’s jurisdiction. Alan Johnston attended the selectmen’s meeting to complain about unlicensed vehicles, old trailers and other items he considers junk on Howard Crosby’s property across the road. He wants Vassalboro’s junkyard ordinance enforced. Later, Crosby and his wife Joanne told board members they are willing to get rid of things as weather and their resources permit.
The next regular Vassalboro selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening, Aug. 15. At either that meeting or a special August meeting to be announced they intend to set the 2019-2020 tax rate so bills can be mailed out. The first of four quarterly tax payments will be due Monday, Sept. 23.
Marie Michaud, left, China’s LakeSmart coordinator, presents Bonnie Easton McGann, with a LakeSmart award at the China Lake Association annual meeting on July 20. (photo courtesy of Elaine Philbrook)
Glen H Easton purchased this property on Killdeer Point in 1937. He was the supervising naval officer assigned at Bath Iron works in those days. The camp was well built boasting a lovely cathedral ceiling. Bonnie Easton McGann, oldest of the 9 grandchildren, continues to shares family ownership of the camp.
Of particular lake friendly buffers on the Easton Camp property are the deep natural canopy of tall trees at the lake front and the 40-foot deep stand of hemlock trees that are kept trimmed to ensure that the Easton family can enjoy a nice view of the lake.
Effective water front buffers protect our lake from harmful runoff and can allow a nice view of the lake!
LakeSmart Volunteers are available to provide suggestions to lake front property owner to help protect the lake. If you are interested in having a LakeSmart Volunteer visit your property or would like more information about a visit, please contact Marie Michaud at ChinaLakeSmart@gmail.com.
Members listen to Matthew Scott, director of the Maine Lakes Society, at the China Lake Association annual meeting on July 20. (photo by Eric W. Austin)
“We’re part of the problem,” Matthew Scott, the keynote speaker at this year’s China Lake Association annual meeting, told an audience of about 40 people on Saturday, July 20. “We’re also part of the solution.”
Matthew Scott, a director at Maine Lakes Society, was the keynote speaker at this years China Lake Associations annual meeting. (photo by Eric Austin)
His talk was entitled, “All Maine Lakes Are Vulnerable, Some More than Others.” Matthew Scott is the founder and past president of the North American Lake Management Society, and former chairman of the Maine Board of Environmental Protection. Currently, he serves as a Director for the Maine Lakes Society. He has been studying the health of Maine’s lakes since 1959.
Prior to 1970, China Lake was a clear, blue-water lake teeming with salmon and trout. Over the next decade, however, the China area experienced a population explosion and, along with it, a period of high — and mostly unregulated — rural development. Pollution from new construction, poor septic standards and runoff from agricultural production resulted in a change in the chemical make-up of China Lake. Phosphorous levels rose and dissolved oxygen levels fell.
As a result, in 1982 China Lake experienced its first algae bloom. An algae bloom is a rapid explosion in the growth of algae as a result of high levels of nutrients in the water.
Other lakes around the state would later experience similar changes for similar reasons, but China Lake was the first, and it gave its name to the new phenomenon, which came to be called “the China Lake Syndrome.”
Beyond the unsightly appearance, high levels of algae in the lake have other consequences. As the algae dies, it sinks to the bottom and starts to decay. The bacteria that aid in the process of decomposition suck oxygen out of the water. This impacts the populations of fish living in the lake, especially those species which prefer the high oxygen content of the dark, cool depths in the deepest parts of the lake, like trout and salmon. These species, once so common, began to disappear from the lake.
Dying algae can cause another problem as well – poisonous water. “What happens is that the algae die,” says Scott, “and when they die they release an endotoxin [called microcystin].” While toxin levels in China Lake have not risen above acceptable amounts laid out by the DEP, Scott thinks we can expect to see a greater need for microcystin testing in the future.
Part of these problems are also the result of Climate Change, says Scott. “We’ve recorded temperature changes since 1895,” he says, “and [average temperatures in Maine have] increased about three degrees Fahrenheit. That’s raw data. That’s real data. It’s a scientific fact.” Scott insists, whether or not you agree that Climate Change is the result of human activity, the world is growing warmer and we need to adapt.
“Maine is getting warmer and wetter,” Scott says. His data suggests we will see an increase in future snowfall in Maine by 40 percent along the coast, 20-40 percent in central Maine, and up to 20 percent for inland Maine.
Warmer weather results in warmer water, which is ideal for algae growth, and greater snowfall means more runoff into the lake when the snow melts, which puts greater importance on constructing vegetative buffers along the lake to help filter the runoff.
Scott sees the primary drivers of lake water quality as: Landscape fragmentation from development; seepage from faulty septic tanks; agricultural runoff from the use of fertilizers and certain pesticides; pollution and runoff from roads, driveways and nonpoint sources; and, finally, Climate Change.
Although Climate Change is certainly a factor, Scott says, it is these other sources with which we should be most concerned. “We all talk about Climate Change,” he says, “and people try to hang their hat on Climate Change and what it’s doing, but we are the problem, okay? We are the ones causing the problem.”
He’s talking about population growth, but concedes that growth is inevitable. “We’re not going to see that change,” he says. “[But] we’re going to have to control people’s activities through regulations, ordinances, laws and rules.”
Scott doesn’t think there are any silver bullets when dealing with lake water quality, but there are some promising options. One popular choice is “alum treatment,” which is the process of introducing a mix of aluminum sulfate and sodium aluminate into the lake. The aluminum sulfate chemically binds with the phosphates in the water, which then settle to the bottom and are no longer available to provide nutrients for algae growth. The sodium aluminate is used to control pH levels during the treatment. This sort of treatment has shown success in other lakes, but it is expensive, and Scott emphasizes that it should not be considered until the phosphate sources feeding into the lake have first been identified and eliminated.
Another option that generated discussion is the reintroduction of alewives into the lake. Alewives are a migratory fish which feed on the phosphate-rich plankton in the lake. The fish spend most of their lives in the ocean, but return to fresh water to spawn. After spawning, when they return to the ocean, they take the phosphates they’ve consumed with them. The problem is that there are so many dams constructed along the rivers between the lake and the ocean that these migratory fish have had trouble returning to the sea after spawning. If they are unable to return to the ocean, they become trapped, eventually dying and returning those phosphates back to the lake instead.
Landis Hudson, executive director of the nonprofit Maine Rivers, spoke about the work they are doing to clear a path along Maine’s rivers for migratory fish like alewives. “Lakes are connected to rivers, rivers are connected to the ocean,” she tells the audience, “and my work with Maine Rivers is to restore connections between lakes and the ocean, and to make the habitat more accessible and healthier for native creatures, including alewives. What we’re aiming to do is restore a self-sustaining population of up to a million adult alewives that should be returning [to the lake].”
Matt Streeter, a project manager with Maine Rivers, spoke about the progress they are making. “There were six dams on Outlet Stream,” he says. “There are now four dams remaining. This year, 2019, we’re working on a fishway at Ladd Dam. Next year, 2020, we’re going to be working on a fishway at Box Mill Dam. Those are the first and second dams on the river. The next year, 2021, [we’ll be installing a fishway at] Outlet Dam. The final piece will be Morneau Dam, probably in 2022 — although we haven’t decided yet if that will be a fishway or a dam removal. We fully expect that by 2023 there will be a returning round of alewives into China Lake, with full outgoing fish passage as well.”
Robbie Bickford, from the Kennebec Water District, spoke about their work with China Lake. (photo by Elaine Philbrook)
Robbie Bickford, the Director of Water Quality for the Kennebec Water District, then stepped forward to speak about how KWD is working with local communities to improve water quality. (He recently took over the position, as of July 1, from Matt Zetterman, who was also present.) “The Kennebec Water District monitors transparency data, and dissolved oxygen and phosphorous levels in all three basins of China Lake,” Bickford says. “Over the last six years, there’s been a pretty good trend of transparency data getting better.” Transparency is a gauge of how clear the water is based on how far below the surface an object can be seen. “July 3 actually marked the best transparency data that we’ve seen in the west basin since 1971, at 8.3 meters (26-1/2 feet),” he reported. “The best [data] we’ve ever seen since 1971 in any basin was 8.4 meters, so that’s awesome. The average that we’ve seen in July this year is still well above the ten-year average. That’s fantastic.” Bickford noted that phosphorous levels in the lake have improved as well.
The Kennebec Water District has operated the Outlet Dam, which controls lake levels, for the last ten years. However, this year they were unable to renew their contract with Vassalboro because of a dispute over certain cost increases they were requesting. As a result, the Vassalboro Public Works Department is now operating the dam. Everyone agreed that the current lake levels are unusually high for this time of year, but Bickford and Zetterman confirmed that water levels are within the guidelines set by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
Scott Pierz, president of the China Lake Association, suggested the town of China could purchase the dam in order to operate it themselves, but such a move would need to be voted on at the town business meeting next year. This was confirmed by China Town Manager Dennis Heath, who was in the audience.
Bob OConnor reports on the loon count for China Lake. (photo by Elaine Philbrook)
Richard Dillenbeck spoke briefly about the litter initiative he has been organizing with the China for a Lifetime Committee. “We’ve started this year an official approach to picking up litter along our highways,” he said. “We’ve gotten partial success so far. We’ve got it covered from Erskine Academy [in South China] to portions down the Neck Road [at the north end of China Lake]. We have about 30 volunteers who have stepped forward, but we need more. There are some portions that are still not covered. If you’d like to play a role, or know someone, please have them contact me.” This was greeted with raucous applause, but no volunteers. Dillenbeck can be contacted at 445-8074 or rvdillenbeck@knology.net.
Marie Michaud, coordinator for the LakeSmart program on China Lake, got up to present awards and speak about the progress they’ve made. She spoke about the importance of the program in educating lake residents on how to construct vegetative buffers to prevent phosphorous run-off into the lake. They are also beginning a LakeSmart ambassador program to help spread the word.
Finally, Bob O’Connor reported on the loon count for China Lake. This is his 30th year running the program. “We have 48 loons,” he reported. “We haven’t had that many loons since 2003. So, that’s really great. And there were four chicks!”