7357-R2_LSLA_2020_WinterNewsletter

Winter 2020/2021 Little Sebago Lake Association “Our mission is to protect, restore, and improve our lake’s water quality and fragile ecosystem. We will create and nurture a community of lake stewards, educate users on lake safety, and always be mindful that human needs must be balanced with the needs of the natural environment.”

Yesteryears Pg 20-22

Milfoil Militia Pg 4-5

Pirate Parade Pg 14

Safety Patrol Pg 18

Loonacy Pg 8-9

Photo Courtesy of Kimberly Skilling Shelley

Little Sebago Lake Association Winter 2020/2021

BOARD MEMBERS President Pam Wilkinson Vice President

Andy Mayo Secretary Cheryl Alterman

Treasurer Jim McBride Other Members Rod Bernier Diane Burnell Steve Davis Tim Greer Kevin Kaserman Gary Kenny Sharon Lamontagne

Contents... Mission Statement .................................... 1 LSLA Board members .............................. 2 Contact Information .................................. 2 President’s Message ................................ 3 Membership Contact Information Update . 3 Milfoil Militia Status on Invasive Hybrid Variable Milfoil 2020 ......................... 4-5 Milfoil Militia Tallies ................................... 5 “Lake Trash”, What’s Happening Around My Lake .................................. 6 Courtesy Boat Inspection Program 2020 . 7 2020 Little Sebago Loonacy .................. 8-9 2020/2021 Winter Hopkins Dam Report 10 LSLA Membership Letter ........................ 11 2020 LSLA Annual Meeting .................... 12 LSLA Functions & Finances ................... 12

LSLA Q3 Financial Update ..................... 13 Annual Pirate Parade ............................. 14 LSLA Gift Shop ....................................... 15 Road Association Contacts .................... 15 LSLA Scholarship Award ........................ 16 2022 LSLA Calendar Pictures ................ 16 Raffle Winners ........................................ 16 Good Ship Gelato ................................... 17 Safety Patrol Program 2020 ................... 18 I Remember When... Seeking historical Images and stories of life on Little Sebago .................................19 A Little Sebago Remembrance of Yesteryears .................................. 20-22 Thank You to our Supporters .................. 23 Sometimes, By Emmi Cross ................... 24

Debra Lavoie Kevin Murphy Arnie Rosario Barbara Sawhill

RESOURCE HELPERS Database & Membership Support Sharon Young LSLA Merchandise Tammy Rosario

Water Quality Rick Sullivan Pirate Parade Organizer Deb Gellerson

COMMITTEES Dam Committee Jonathan Bernier Dave Vance Justine Beaudoin Bruce Micucci, Honorary Member Loon Committee Sharon Young Betty Caton Island Committee Wendy Pickett Carol Ann Doucette

CONTACT INFORMATION Little Sebago Lake Association P.O. Box 912, Windham, ME 04062-0912 • 207-809-4706

info@littlesebagolake.com www.littlesebagolake.com

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President’s Message Winter 2020/2021

As president of your Little Sebago Lake Association for 15 years, I welcome you to flip the pages ahead to capture the essence of the summer of 2020, educate yourselves on lake matters and learn what is involved to ensure the lake continues to be a haven of escape and enjoyment. The National Weather Service in Gray recorded the warmest summer on record relative to the average temperature and average low since 1940. The 90 degree days gave way to increased boat traffic perusing the 2009 acres of our lake. Due to the close proximity of surrounding towns and the increased rental opportunities of those from out-of-state, the 15 board of directors are addressing added pressures from the impacts. We all sit at our special place on the 30.6 perimeter of the lake and wake each day thankful we have a reprieve to escape the heat, outside pressures of the world and we welcome that for others but it doesn’t come without consequences. As we travel approximately 6 miles from the Twin Brooks at the top of the upper lake to Hopkin’s dam on the lower lake, we need to be mindful and respect everyone’s vision of fun on the lake. From the quiet of an early morning coffee, swim or kayak to the back and forth pulling of tubers, wake surfing or personal water craft we need to look out for each other and keep safety in mind. So

whether you just wade the shoreline or drop the water quality testing probe down to our 54 foot depth, the internal messages written from the board and committee members will give you detailed information on what makes our lake tick and how each of you can be part of the stewardship protecting the ecosystem, shoreline and watershed while balancing the fun activities around the lake; which is our mission. I would like to thank the board of directors, committees and volunteers for volunteering countless hours managing, protecting and addressing issues that are brought to our attention.

On Behalf of your LSLA Board of Directors, Enjoy your winter while our lake takes a bit of a break to replenish and cleanse itself.

Pam Wilkinson

LSLA President

Membership Contact Information Updates Please contact Cheryl Alterman @ calterman@littlesebagolake.com

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Milfoil Militia Status on Invasive Hybrid Variable Milfoil 2020 Coordinators: Pam Wilkinson & Tim Greer

feeding the larger predators. These critters love the invasive milfoil for habitat, as well, but this invasive plant will create an imbalance that will choke the lake making it unstable for lake life including humans. Please educate yourselves by visiting our website as well as others to learn what invasive plants and organisms look like and how you can do your part to discourage invasive growth. In June the team met to discuss updated protocols for the upcoming year and Covid protections. Surveying existing milfoil beds began the last week of June with full operation running from July to the end of September. Two divers who live on the lake were added to the team. We encourage more divers to take the class to further assist us. The diver digs the roots of the milfoil from the bottom, feeds it into the suction hose to be retrieved into the trough and deposited into onion bags after filtering the water back into the lake. We are lucky to have a team of crew and captain returning each year to avoid retraining and continue consistency.

This article has to begin with thanking all those who reported suspicious plants or algae in their area. Without those eyes focusing on the bottom of the lake while kayaking, “SUPing”, or just going slow we would have missed some areas leaving rapid invasive growth to continue into next year. We just cannot cover the 30 mile perimeter plus the surrounding areas of the islands without all this help. It is so valued and we encourage more eye patrols in our battle against this invasive plant. For those who are new and have just purchased property on Little Sebago, we have battled a hybrid form of variable milfoil for over 20 years. We are proud to tout that the 80 to 100 bags per day hand pulled from the bottom of the lake in the first few years of operation has dwindled to the highest count in one day being 13 onion bags. While this is a great accomplishment we cannot be complacent with this fast growing relentless plant. What is encouraging is the large milfoil bed areas after years of harvesting are now showing carpets of native vegetation. This is good for the whole ecosystem of the lake; microorganisms and tiny fish live here Jim MacNaught, Pam Wilkinson, Tim Greer, Megan Wilkinson, Peter Dollard, Tom Hamann (Adelia). Missing Katie Martin.

Last Day of Milfoil Remediation

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Milfoil Militia Status on Invasive Hybrid Variable Milfoil 2020 Coordinators: Pam Wilkinson & Tim Greer

Due to the low water table, warm temperatures and bright sunshine there was a slight increase in our milfoil count this year. The lower water table allowed the sun to reach expanded areas in the littoral zone (area the sun can reach the lake’s bottom). We now have marked 44 areas to check, extract and revisit throughout the summer. Most areas get two or three visits. The total count extracted was 184 onion bags equaling approx. 1.84 tons removed from our lake avoiding regrowth of two to three times for next year. This was an uptick of approx. 20 bags from last year. The program ran later in the year due to a resurgence of growth in September. Our expenses were up a bit due to using dive tanks instead of our onboard air. The air test

sent to the lab were not satisfactory and while rectifying the problem this was necessary which also caused more down time while changing tanks. One of our boats needs a total overhaul for next year due to the decking having holes and upgrades that are necessary. We are going to use a composite that will last for years. We also will be incorporating a GPS tracking system for better plotting next year. If it wasn’t for our strong support by our membership the milfoil program would not be possible. Our property values continue to rise due to our protection of the lake from any invasive plants or organisms. Please contact pwilkinson@littlesebagolake.com with any questions or concerns.

MILFOIL MILITIA TALLIES by Pam Wikinson

Gray

Windham

Upper Basin

Twin Brooks

Beaver Cove

Farwell Cove

Mumford Cove

Bean Island

Misc Areas

Lower Basin

Bag Totals*

Volunteer Time in Dollars

Amount Spent

Total Project Costs

Year

2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

58.00 41.00 48.25 38.50 52.50

2.00

3.00 1 plant

1.50 4.00 2.00 1.00

1.25

2.00 116.25 6.50 109.00 0.75 93.00

184.00 163.50 162.25 183.75 236.50 389.50 630.75

$9,895 $8,138 $8,200 $8,311 $9,325 $9,246 $13,000 $13,910 $13,301 $12,466 $17,046 $13,786 $9,260 $9,255 $9,650 $164,790

$47,910 $44,183 $36,186 $28,814 $28,144 $32,233 $43,926 $51,508 $46,254 $48,350 $67,266 $51,580 $55,652 $67,296 $62,517 $711,820

$57,805 $52,321 $44,386 $37,125 $37,469 $41,479 $56,926 $65,418 $59,555 $60,817 $84,312 $65,366 $64,912 $76,551 $72,167 $876,609

3.00

2.00 16.00 2.00 10.00

0.25 0.25

0.00 2.00

130.00 126.50 164.50 353.00 760.75 954.00 500.00 1,491.0

23.50

34.00 71.00 28.00 33.50 20.50 16.00

93.00 11.00 50.00 180.25 54.50 15.00 314.50 25.75 49.00 86.50 50.00 16.00

3.00 3.00

1,186.50 1,130.00

178.00 17.00

7.00

718.00

187.0 390.0 215.0 271.0

54.0 58.0 62.0 55.0

2.0 9.0

47.0

1,781.0 1,720.0 1,769.0 1,260.0 1,200.0

296.0

967.0

63.0 91.0

97.0

1,332.0

133.0

710.0

2006**

Totals

2,153.50 393.25 357.50

0.50 784.50

9.25

9.25 7,097.00

12,714.75

TOTAL TONNAGE REMOVED TO DATE BY THE MILFOIL CREW: 127

* Each bag equals approximately 20 pounds dry weight. ** Lost info recovered from DEP. Only totals given, no breakdowns.

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“Lake Trash”, What’s Happening Around My Lake Pam Wilkinson

One residual of the milfoil program is the removal of trash from the bottom of the lake. In the “olden times” it was common to just dump “stuff” in the lake to get rid of it. The amount of collectible glass bottles is remarkable. You would not believe what has been brought up over the years and I thought it would be noteworthy to share what has been retrieved this year. Not included in the picture is a swing set, 3.8 1982 Mercury motor from New Hampshire, a gun, a toilet and an attempt to remove an old washing machine that crumbled. I know we know better now. Please be mindful while ice fishing not to leave debris to drop down during spring ice melt. We have even found milfoil roots embedded in the charcoal residual from camp fires on the lake. Another reminder to secure those articles on the boat prior to take off. Those red solo cups seem to be prevalent in various areas on the lake and not at the sand bars as one would think.

After the Fourth of July we dove at a couple of the high volume spots that had fireworks and found some residual debris but not as much as one would think. There was a bit of sparkly foil which was hard to capture and cardboard from the fireworks. We will continue to do this next year. It may be a great program for those who dive to make this a volunteer effort in appreciation for all the sparkles in the night’s sky. Photo provided by Tim Greer

Please contact me if you have interest: pwilkinson@littlesebagolake.com Thanks, Pam

Photo provided by Tim Greer

Photo provided by Tim Greer

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Courtesy Boat Inspection Program 2020 Pam Wilkinson

As with any program this year, there were changes on how we continue our program regarding Covid safety. Jim and Jackie Fitzgerald were not able to attend the traditional milfoil summit due to cancellation in order to get their yearly certification. Instead, we watched a Covid training program provided by the State on new safe ways to approach boats and people entering/exiting Little Sebago Lake. Most people were receptive allowing distant checks for possible fragments of invasiveplantsandorganisms.Therewereseveral fishing tournaments in which they are required to have their own inspector prior to entering the lake but we like to be there, as well. Most tournaments go without any problems except for the limited parking. This year people needed an escape from the confinements of Covid and found the outdoors just that relief. It is nice to see families enjoying each other on our lake. Lakes in Maine found an increase of usage and ours was no exception. Last year during 59 days of inspection from Memorial Day to Labor Day we recorded 1667 boats; some motorized and a lot of canoes and kayaks. This year we saw a 43% increase in usage with 2387 boats

Friday through Sunday and the full week of the Fourth of July. What is not recorded are the days during the week and later in the fall when the weather is still good and people wait sometimes until the end of October to take their boats out of the water. What would be an ideal situation would be to have volunteers assist with these times. The training is simple and it would be an opportunity to educate those entering our lake of the impacts of our invasive hybrid variable milfoil. If you are finding you have a day or two and want something to do that would be extremely helpful to this program please contact Pam Wilkinson pwilkinson@littlesebagolake.com with any questions you may have. Love to have y ou join us!

during the same time. Boats are normally inspected

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.

2020 Little Sebago Loonacy

help explain that higher number of nests simply by more eyes on the ground watching for each and every nest attempt – failure – and retry. Our reproduction rate is falling slightly below the desired 50% to sustain a healthy population. The slow rate of reproduction is somewhat counterbalance by the loon’s life span. Loons are known to live over 30 years, (as a matter of fact, Little Sebago is home to an adult female known to be very nearly 30 years old, and she did lay an egg this year that unfortunately was loss to predation). This means that although loons produce few chicks per year, they have the potential to produce many over their lifetime. Becauseof this, the viability of our loonpopulation also relies heavily on adult loon survival. Our Loon Rangers, and many lake dwellers, reported observing frequent and aggressive territorial disputes occurring this year. These displays are two loons chasing one another across the water for extended periods, with zigs and zags and wing flapping. They have even been seen extending that chase right onto occupied beaches! The chase results from an invader approaching an occupied territory and

Happy autumn lake neighbors and friends. I am happy to report that Ranger Wendy and I were able to visit with 22 of our most favorite creatures on the lake on October 14. Yup – 22!!!! I was somewhat surprised that our non-parent loons were still in residence as we had ventured out for one last time thinking to find only the chicks and their parents. Theseason, asawhole,wasnot as reproductively successful as hoped. Little Sebago was home to only 7 nesting pair. The 7 nests hatched 5 chicks, and 3 of the 5 chicks survived their first season. The two chicks that hatched and did not survive were both deceased in their first day. I have been recording data since 2015, and 2020 represents the 2 nd lowest number of annual survivals in these past 6 years The lowest number of survivals was 2 in 2016. Our best year for chick survival was 2018 where 9 territorial pair nested, 10 chicks hatched, and 8 chicks survived. 2020 also represents the 2 nd lowest number of territorial nesting pair. The lowest number of nests was 6 in 2017 and the highest number was in 2019 with 12 attempted nests. Our dedicated troop of Loon Rangers may

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one of the territorial pair “encouraging” them to retreat. In 2019 Hayden Bay was a disputed nesting site which unfortunately resulted in the female of the territorial pair being evicted by a new female, and the chick dying. This year the disputes occurred throughout all three basins of the lake and may have been the cause of the low number of nest attempts and late nesting attempts. The territorial pair may hold off mating while engaged in defending their territory. It is encouraging that the geography of our lake and quality of our lake water provides a very attractive habitat for breeding grounds, but a loon family need a fairly expansive territory to support their feeding grounds throughout their chick rearing season and this year’s display of territorial disturbances on Little Sebago may mean that the lake is at or at least approaching maximum population saturation. The good news is that we did not lose any chicks to non-parent adults this year, and no chicks or adults to human acts. Raptures were the likely cause of one chick’s demise and were observed taking one egg from one nest as the parents temporarily left the nest to take the already hatched chick to water. We did also lose one waterfowl to what appeared to be an injury caused by a predator, possibly rapture, but this was not a loon. We lost one nest as a result of a particularly bad weather event where the egg was washed out of the nest and damaged on rock below it, and another to what looked likely to be a predator of some sort. It disturbs me the most when human actions cause the loss of native species. We cannot be certain, but it appears that this year’s losses were not attributable to human activity. Results from the necropsy of a banded adult loon that was found deceased last fall off Northern Oak Drive determined cause as Aspergillosis, which is a fungal respiratory infection fairly

common among loons and other waterfowl. Two chicks were also necropsied. Both had hatched, survived for a period, then recovered deceased without any visible sign of injury. Blood levels for mercury, lead, and other contaminants were taken and determined well within safe ranges. Little Sebago was home to another wonderful Loon adventure this summer. I had the good fortune to host and get to know a talented local photographer with a keen interest in loons. His name is Bruce Small. He and his wife launched kayaks at my home weekly for the first three months of chick raising season. Luckily, my home is near where Chick “Sandy” hatched and brooded, so Bruce was able to provide us a photographic chronicle of Sandy’s development over the summer and into fall. You may visit Little Sebago Lake Association web site soon for a detailed pictural of loon chick phenology. That’s it for now, it really is hard to keep these updates brief with highlights only when I, and the Rangers, have so many interesting stories to share. You can visit Little Sebago Loon Watch for day by day news. Stay safe and we shall see you in the spring. Sharon Young Little Sebago Loon Monitoring and Conservation

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2020/2021 Winter Hopkins Dam Report As I write this on this cold and windy November 1 st , Little Sebago Lake is 6” below summer high. The Hopkins Dam was opened for the winter drawdown on October 15 th . We started 13” below summer high when the dam was closed on April 15 th . Winter melt and spring storms brought us to a full lake on May 3 rd . By May 12 th , the lake was 3.5” above summer high. The dam was opened and we went back down to summer high on May 23 rd when the dam was again closed. Early summer rains brought Little Sebago up 2” on June 29 th and then to 6” above summer high on July 1 st . With the dam opened again, the lake was back down to summer high on July 10 th when the dam was closed. The dam remained closed as there was virtually no precipitation for the remainder of the summer. By September 22 nd the lake level had dipped to 7” below summer high. Some early fall rain brought the lake to about 5” below summer high on October 15th. The Hopkins Dam was opened on that day to begin the State mandated winter drawdown. We can bring the full lake down about an inch a day with the dam open, but 1 inch of rain brings the lake up 3 inches. Our goal is to bring the lake down 16” to 18” inches before ice in – but Mother Nature will control that at this point. to design and build a replacement for our rusted 38 year old sluiceway gate. The gate should last at least a couple more years, but we don’t want to wait until it fails to replace it. Our early estimate is that the replacement will cost about $20,000. We are looking for an engineering stamp for the gate if anyone knows a PE that could help us. The State does not require a PE stamp for a replacement gate, but the dam committee would feel better if we had one. We are looking to install the new gate in the spring of 2021 or 2022. Lake level and weather conditions will be factors in the replacement timing. My thanks to the Dam Committee – Dave Vance and Justine Beaudoin – to the LSLA Board of Directors, and to the LSLA membership for your support. Rod Bernier Hopkins Dam DamKeeper

The repointing work by Breton Masonry has continued. The extremely low water level on the Mill Pond side of the dam exposed some holes in the lower part of the dam that were previously not seen. We are in hopes that the excellent work being done by Jon Breton and his team will last for many many years. The work done so far looks great. Our 130 year old dam looks like new. There are currently no leaks in the sluiceway and the dam gate mechanism is in good working order. Our plan is to work over the winter months

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Dear LSLA Members, You did it! You proved, once again, that Little Sebago Lake and its association, are a priority investment for you and your family. Despite the challenges of 2020, and LSLA preparing for a dip in donations, you came through. The results from the LSLA Spring/Summer appeal actually exceeded donations of 2019. It was a year where we all found a new normal. Virtual board meetings and an online raffle fundraiser were challenges met and conquered. The attendance at the LSLA Annual Zoom Meeting was impressive with over 100 members joining in and actively participating in online polls, voting and chats. Although we missed seeing everyone in person, the resulting energy and feedback demonstrated the interest our members have in ongoing work of LSLA. Each year, LSLA allocates tens of thousands of dollars from membership donations to programs that monitor and protect Little Sebago Lake. By now, you have undoubtedly been reading reports from program coordinators about many of those programs designed to provide all lake property owners with the peace of mind that - we’ve got you covered. Water quality and safety, wildlife protection, and dam monitoring and maintenance are just a few of the accomplishments we achieved in 2020 with the same level of concern and importance you would and should expect. The LSLA Marketing and Communication team works to keep members in the loop. We are blessed to have some of the most passionate and committed LSLA members supporting our efforts, and hope to engage those who have yet to join us. We know that you are depending on us to manage the programs that you generously support. We appreciate your faith in us, and will continue to carefully manage every donor dollar, prioritizing the health, safety and longevity of Little Sebago Lake. As always, thank you for your generous donor response in support of Little Sebago Lake Association. We couldn’t do it without you. Debra Lavoie On behalf of LSLA Membership and Communication Committee P.O. Box 912 North Windham, ME 04062-0912

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2020 LSLA Annual Meeting With a pandemic hanging over all of us, the Board decided to move the in-person meeting to online. The meeting started at 9am on July 11 th with a welcome from the Association’s President, Pam Wilkinson. The number for attendees peaked at around 110, not including the Board. The membership voted through the video conference’s polling option and questions from members were submitted using the chat function. Presentations included a report on the state of the Hopkins Dam, water quality reporting, and an update on the loon population. The meeting ended with the drawing for the online Raffle prizes, another first for the board. The meeting lasted just over 2 hours. Overall it was considered a success with much positive feedback from those attending. The meeting was recorded and can be viewed at the following URL: https://www.littlesebagolake.com/2020- annual-meeting/. The chat transcript is also available for viewing on the same web page.

WHAT WE DO Little Sebago Lake Association Functions & Finances

Milfoil Mitigation and Invasive Threat Awareness Membership Database Update Financial/Budgets By-Law and Policy Reviews Fundraising Planned Giving/Endowments Safety Patrol Program Courtesy Boat Inspections

Grant Writing Public Forums

Pirate Parade Day Annual Meeting Planning Operations of Organization Water Quality Testing Dam Monitoring & Emergency Plan Strategic Planning Fleet Maintenance Organize Educational Forums

Town-State-Federal interactions Road Associations Networking Website Newsletter Merchandise Lower Narrows Restoration Watershed & Erosion Control

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LSLA Q3 Financial Update - Jim McBride, Treasurer

Despite the profoundly serious global impact, financial concerns, and uncertainty regarding the Coronavirus pandemic, it has been another good year on the lake with strong support from our membership. Overall, Little Sebago Lake Association continues to be in good financial health. Here is a brief update based on the first three quarters of the year: • Year-to-date 2020 total income was $103,660, slightly behind last year by $5,260 or 5% due to the timing of expected grant revenue. Grant payments from State of Maine DEP and Town of Gray have not been received yet so we are $17,000 behind last year. Donations and endowments are actually higher than last year by $13,600, and much better than expected given the virus uncertainty. • Year-to-date total expenses were $104,505, lower than last year by $619 or 0.5%. Boat maintenance, equip purchases, and merch purchases are lower than last year. But the sandy narrows dredging, and payroll are higher this year. We are mostly on track compared to budget. • Year-to-date income was slightly less than expenses and we show a negative cash flow or deficit of $845. This is really a timing issue and will be resolved once we receive the anticipated grants of $17,000. • Net Worth at end of Q3 shows total assets of $328,701 including $17,550 in our operating account. Compared to year-end 2019, our assets are up by $8,701. Endowment and Reserves with Maine Community Foundation In 2015, the LSLA Board of Directors decided to partner with the prestigious Maine Community Foundation to manage both the Endowment Fund and the Reserve Fund for the association. The Maine Community Foundation is a statewide public foundation whose core purpose is to work with donors and other partners to improve the quality of life for all Maine people. The Maine Community Foundation (MCF) invests our funds, along with the other assets in their Primary Investment Portfolio, with a goal to preserve and enhance the real value through prudent institutional investment strategies. Despite the stock market correction earlier this year resulting from the pandemic, at the end of the third quarter, MaineCF’s primary pool had rebounded in value to its pre-pandemic level. At the end of September our Endowment totaled $59,933 and our Reserve Fund totaled $251,218. So far this year, we have received additional gifts for the Endowment totaling almost $10,000. Please consider a generous donation to the Little Sebago Lake Association Endowment Fund as part of your year-end charitable giving.

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Annual Pirate Parade

Pirates were not deterred in 2020 by Covid. In fact, with more folks at home; Sink me, maties! Creativity went wild! We eyed giant canons and ships with masts of gold! We spied Pirate Luaus, Tiki Bars and even a ship full of the Lost Children of Neverland. And our seas were littered with Man-O-War; ready to take on the nearest enemy! Mostly, were all ready to get out there in the open air and just have fun Thank you, everyone, for keeping this event exciting and family friendly. This summer were weren’t able to gather everyone socially at the Sand Bar afterwards. Let’s hope 2021 will bring back our tradition of volleyball and ice cream for all. While “Thank-You” is not part of the language of a Pirate; we will bid you farewell and safe seas, until we batten down the hatches and cast off again in our Grand Ships on the High Seas of Little Sebago! Captains Sully; Deb and Rick

The 15 th Annual Pirate Parade High Seas event for 2021 will be Saturday, July 24 th with a rain date of Sunday, July 25 th . Our rules and our schedule are working, so why change them?! EXCEPT for ONE!

It has been suggested to have a White Flag zone . Designed for the shipmates who want to dress up, bring the camera and the dog, and their people of any age but DO NOT WANT to be in the water battles. Please; put a prominent white flag on your boat with a big X through it. We will post on fb a reminder that these boats are the NO SOAK ME boats. Out there to have fun; see the parade, but not engage in battle. Please pass the word so that everyone can enjoy this annual event. The meeting time is at 2pm at the lower narrows. Folks in the lower lake should start out in plenty of time to get up to the narrows on time. At 2pm we proceed up the lake past the rope swing and onto to Pirates Cove for a few hours of water fun and frolic! We encourage and expect everyone to use safe boating practices. Please follow them so that this event can continue for years to come.

• Be sure your registration numbers are visible. • DO NOT throw water balloons or anything else! People get hurt and they are bad for the lake. • DO NOT throw buckets of water onto another boat. People have small children, pets, and cameras on board.

• Please be respectful of others; if a boat is out there watching; but not interested in the water battle, give them a wave and pass them by! • DO NOT approach other boats at an unsafe distance when you are moving. • We do not want any accidents to ruin our fun. Please keep safety in mind.

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LSLA Gift Shop

We would like to extend our appreciation to so many of you that took advantage of our “Open House” to shop for lake merchandise over the Labor Day weekend. Revenue exceeded $6,800 in the month of September with most of that attributed to the Labor Day sale. Shoppers have continued to contact us for additional merchandise, with sales carrying over into the month of October. We will once again have a presence at the Gray Legion Christmas Craft Fair which will be held on November 21, 2020 from 9 am to 2 pm. Please stop by to purchase Christmas gifts for your family and friends. If we don’t have the size or color in our inventory, there will be plenty of time to process an order for embroidered logo items with an arrival prior to Christmas! We will also host another “Open House” on Sunday, December 6, 2020 from 9 am to 3 pm at our home at 267 Smith Road in Windham. We will also offer shopping by appointment only on Saturday, December 5, with half hour blocks of time available from 9 am to 3 pm. You can schedule a half hour block by calling Tammy Rosario at 207-671-7464 any time after December 1, 2020. Any special orders for embroidered logo items taken during the open house weekend should also be available prior to Christmas. NOTE: I cannot guarantee that orders for screen print items will arrive before Christmas! Masks will be required for both the legion hall and our open house and social distancing will also be in effect. We also have loon masks

available in 3 sizes. These are made by a Little Sebago resident. Don’t forget your 2021 Little Sebago Lake calendar, available for $18!

Youth T-Shirts Rock!! Tammy and Arnie Rosario

Road Association Contacts An ongoing task for LSLA is to maintain an updated list of the road associations around the lake. This list is on our website for members’ reference. (https://littlesebagolake.com/resources/) If you are the current contact for your road association and you don’t see your name listed, please contact Diane at dburnell@littlesebago.com so I can revise the list. Thank you!

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The Little Sebago Lake Assoc. Scholarship Award

To help support our local communities and to encourage lake stewardship, the Board of Directors created a new scholarship in 2015. The goal of this scholarship is to assist graduating high school students who enroll in a college program to pursue a degree in general environmental sciences, water quality or watershed management. Up to two $500 scholarships will be awarded each year, one to a graduating senior from Windham High School and one from Gray-New Gloucester High School. Last spring, we were pleased to award the sixth annual (2020) scholarship to two most deserving students. The scholarship winner from Windham High School was McKenna Smart, a student who has a passion for the outdoors and a commitment to the environment and her community. She is a kind young woman who has been a leader on her cheerleading teams, as a middle school cheer coach, as a Girl Scout and as a summer camp counselor. This fall she is attending the University of Maine to study Environmental Science. The recipient of the Gray-New Gloucester High School scholarship was Colby Saunders who is attending the University of Maine at Machias to study Wildlife Biology. Colby has always loved being outdoors and is working hard at school hoping for a good job with the opportunity to work with animals in their natural habitat. We are proud to help support these hard-working students as they pursue their education and careers.

2022 LSLA Calendar Pictures Do you have any amazing photos capturing year- round activities, sunrises, sunsets, wildlife, etc. on our beautiful lake? I am always accepting high resolution .JPEG formatted pictures for consideration for the LSLA calendar. I have already begun saving potential selections for the 2022 edition. (cutoff date is June 2021). Please send your favorite pictures to Diane at dburnell@ littlesebago.com

RAFFLE WINNERS

Thank you everyone who supported the Association by purchasing ticketsduring our online raffle fundraiser. Here are the Raffle Winners from the 2020 Annual Membership Meeting! ● Nikon Monarch Binoculars Robert Gieringer ● LSL Corn Hole Game Sue Holloran ● L.L.Bean Paddleboard Jen & Jeff Thompson

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Good Ship Gelato

Hello Little Sebago Lake friends! Shannon and I sure hope that you are all doing well. As I write this, it has only been a month since we were last on the water and we already miss visiting you all, seeing your smiling kids and happy dogs! Summer is far too short up here so that just makes us appreciate it that much more and reminds us to make the most of each and every day that we drop the Good Ship in the water. We were invited to have space in this newsletter and would simply like to use it to extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone who made the Good Ship a part of their summer day! The season started off with some uncertainty but the Little Sebago Lake community showed up and it turned out to be the busiest summer that we have ever experienced. We are so very thankful and honored that we get to be the ones behind the wheel of the gelato boat, keeping the tradition of ice cream boats alive. Without this opportunity we would have

never had the chance to meet so many of the wonderful families who call Little Sebago Lake home. Shannon and I are having so much fun while getting to spend time together making new friends and lasting memories. We truly enjoy and love what we do! We sincerely thank you and appreciate you all so very much! We hope you have a wonderful winter and look forward to seeing you next season! Until then...please find us, friend us and follow us on Facebook so that we can continue to keep in touch and not have to miss you so much! Additionally, if you took photos of us and/or your family enjoying our treats then we’d love to see them and add them to our album. Please send those to us through Facebook Messenger or text Shaun at 207-232-9250.

Stay healthy, Shaun & Shannon ><((((°> Shaun Avery <°))))><

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Safety Patrol Program 2020 From Sharon Lamontagne, Director

Put simply, it was busy out there! During this unprecedented season, we saw firsthand how appealing being on the water can be. Mainers stayed close to home this year and we saw a huge uptick in the number of boats being launched, including novice drivers and new visitors to our lake, all just looking for a bit of normalcy, nurture and nature. So many of us had relatives and extended families move in for the summer, trying to stay healthy and looking for comfort in this troubling time. Our lake offered that coveted stress relief, but there is no denying that sharing it with so many caused new challenges for us all. But I am happy to report that we managed with no major accidents or incidents. The Safety Patrol was out on the lake a total of 450 hours from Memorial Day to Labor Day. We spent mornings at the boat ramp, where we greeted new visitors, offering advice, life jackets and information. We distributed two cases of whistles, lake maps and educational materials. We also handed out the newly produced Navigational Guide specific to Little Sebago. We towed a total of seven boats to safety, jump started six, and provided fuel to three. We also had numerous calls and complaints from residents regarding reckless and nuisance behavior, incidents of driving too close and too fast within 200 feet of shore, harassment of wildlife, and other offenses. We responded as needed and did what we could. We have limited enforcement authority but we do at least try to reason with and educate the offenders. Thank you Roger LeBlanc, Steve Sayan, Kate Martin and John Bernier for your dedication to the program. For the enforcement piece, we added extra patrols from the Warden Service and increased our lines of communication with them. We hired them for a total of 20 days this summer and they filled 15 of those days. Due to staffing problems, poor weather and emergency situations, five shifts could not be filled. They stopped 876 boats which is a striking 318 more than last year in the same number of days. They wrote 19 citations and 60 warnings. We were able to communicate with them regularly, advising them where the hot spots were or the

repeat offenders. By mid-August they managed to apprehend and fine the repeat offenders and things seemed to calm down quite a bit towards the end of summer. The citations issued were: - 10 for not enough personal floatation devices - 3 for unregistered vessels

- 3 for headway speed violation - 3 for towing without an observer The warnings were: - 35 for unregistered vessel - 19 for equipment violations - 1 headway speed violation - 5 towing without an observer

They also responded to a crash involving the collision of two jet skis which involved minor injuries. And they covered an alcohol poisoning incident at the boat ramp where they assisted in administering first aid and helped get the person safely off the lake. Considering the unbelievably beautiful weather, the huge increase in population on the shores, and increased number of boats on the water, I think we managed to have a safe and successful summer on Little Sebago Lake. Yes, there were increased headaches including nuisance jet skiers, larger wakes impacting our shores from newer deep-water boats, and crowded channels and throughways, but we did okay for ourselves. It is important to keep our complaints and troubles in perspective. Comparing ourselves to the rest of the country and even the world, we should all appreciate where we are and be grateful for calling this magical little piece of earth our summer home.

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I Remember When… Seeking historical images and stories of life on Little Sebago

Photo courtesy of Jon Davis Sr.‎

In anticipation of the LSLA’s 100th anniversary is 2023, the LSLA Historical Committee is seeking pictures, postcards, and stories about life on our lake. We know that many families and individuals have been enjoying Little Sebago for many decades, and our hope is to collect stories and images of earlier times to share with our larger community in time for our centennial. If you have any to share please contact Barbara Sawhill at bsawhill@littlesebagolake.com.

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This Covid-19 Summer of 2020 is the first year in our married life that my wife, Lynn, and I ( for me ... in 76 yrs.) have not resided at “27 Lake Avenue”, West Gray, Maine .

Ah! “Retirement” ! After 40+ years of singing professionally, started with Walt Disney, Leopold Stokowski, and Deems Taylor in 1952 to promote the 1st world revival of SNOW WHITE , and also promoting Disney’s CINDERELLA in London, England. That opened the door that led to a colorful career with ARTHUR GODFREY, RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL, THE LATIN QUARTER as an AGVA, AEA, and AGMA, as a Performing Artist, and fulfilling my boyhood dream to sing opera for years of enjoyment in the profession (and even teach aspiring voice students privately, and as an Adjunct Voice Teacher at Colgate University ). Now I’m still singing , plus hopeful that Lynn & I will enjoy many more beautiful sunsets on Little Sebago Lake, in West Gray, Maine!

My career concentrated mostly in New York (from Buffalo to NYC ) in a repertoire including many Opera, Oratorio and American Musical roles , and Symphony Guest credits, & Solo Concerts, with engagements predominately in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Ohio, Georgia, Florida, Canada, England, Ireland, Wales, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Burma.

My grandparents, Edward (Ned) C. & Neva (Denesha) Potter, (before it was designated as 27 Lake Avenue) named their one bedroom, bath, kitchen, dirt-floor cellar, dark attic, American style bungalow, SUNSET LODGE on Campbell Shores , in West Gray, Maine in 1938 (it remains in the same configuration today). It fit nicely into their retirement plans. Their children (Mr. & Mrs. Theodore E. Potter [Ted & Lil] & Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Mundt [Ina & Ernie] lived close-by in Westbrook, Maine), and Ned & Neva summered at Little Sebago Lake, and wintered at Indian Rocks Beach in Florida. The Mid 1930’s “Summer Folk” invasion upon Campbell Shores in Gray, Maine, brought more Seasonal “They Took To The Woods” Central Maine & New England enthusiasts to devote more time to be closer to dwelling in a pristine fresh air & waterway environment. “Hunt’em, Fish’em, Bag’em, Field & Stream sportsmen held sway from Fall to “Open Winter”, The Lake began its recreational oasis for additional boating, fishing, communing with the wildlife, hiking, exploring and sun- bathing as the times allowed.

Ned & Neva Potter

My mind snaps back to that Potter Cottage on a lake, alluvial fan, LOT 70, with a lovely sand beach when the Narrows Dam adjusted the shoreline appropriately, facing W over the Middle Basin, opposite Lyons Point. The cottage was typical of the 1930’s lake bungalow cottages built at the time, except for the Great Room . And how my grandparents retired there in 1938 ( just in time for Maine’s Hurricane of ’38 !! ) As grandchildren we got to play Tarzan & Jane in the numerous downed trees!)

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When the cottage was built, they insisted that the Great Room be fully paneled (including the corbelled ceiling) to accent my grandmother’s social graces - (China Cabinet for her Limoge, Dining Buffet for her Silver Service, & large Dining Table for Family gatherings [(Thanksgiving particularly)] , plus a piano for their love of music. They departed LSL for their Winter home in Florida after Thanksgiving ( when the floorboards were too cold for their bare feet, thanks to Mother Nature), and returned in April or May. And, yes, they were a wonderful pair of grandparents. The camp road was closed in the Winter (no snow removal plowing) then! During the time that they escaped Maine Winters, we (left behind) enjoyed skating on the frozen lake which entailed ski/snowshoe & tobogganing to the cottage from “the top of the hill”, and building a nice, warm, campfire on the beach. The Summer, next door, neighbors during “camp season” (through to 30’s & 40’s) were especially wonderful, sharing many happy family times - Everett & “Lottie” Bartlett on the South, at “Hi-Lot “, and “Jack” & Hannah Burns on the North.

Corbelled Ceiling

To date those properties have changed ownership at least three times: “Sunny” (Mildred) & Grant Paige; Farnham; Guido Pardsi; Rob & Laurie Lawrence on the north and Cook, Ed Goodrich; Nate & Fran Johnson; Scott & Christine Johnson on the South. The only non-neighborly surprise was rendered by Farnham , who tore down Burns’ 10’ X 10’ Great Room with small kitchen, bath, and dirt cellar, and quickly constructed an existing shell, which was purchased by a very good neighbor, Guido Pardsi, and refined into the mansion, It was later enlarged by an equally large garage with loft. It’s a shame that shore regulations no longer improve additions on the small 1930’s bungalows. Other LSL neighbors names that I recall during the era coming out of the WWI and “20’s” Depression Days, the “Spanish Flu, and smack into WW II’s Days of Anxiety ) were Vosburghs, McLeods, Sandborn, Bohnson, Cole, Close, King, Townsend, Pinkham, Skillings, Richter, Bowen, and LSL and bolstered by lake “luminaries” - The Whiteheads (on “Battleship Island”, built the first mansion type building that I remember seeing on LSL soil & covered the entire island ), Curtis School of Music Professor & Philadelphia Philharmonic, 1 st Chair, Flautist, Bill Kinkaid ( on Lyons Point ) and way-up-the road on the East

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Shore at “Gruesome Gulch” into the ’80’s, Walter B.Gibson (pen-name Maxwell Grant - author/professional magician - creator of over 300 novel-length “The Shadow” stories ). THE ’50’S added Warren, Yerkxa & Hodgeton, Weinstein & McGovern. Imagine the East Shore, Middle Basin view as open water, with no visible cottages at all on the Western shore!! The Lots were small, and cottages too ranging from “shanty” to (For the most part), single family, with indoor plumbing in kitchen, bath, small bedroom, large “Great Room”, and either attic - or loft bedroom quarters. Outdoor living reigned! A special delight was seeing Bill Kincaid dallying forth in his Chris-Craft (reputed to have been purchased from the proceeds for doing a Chesterfield cigarette endorsement) and rendering his “I Love LITTLE SEBAGO LAKE” crisscross wave to you, as he sped along his course !

The lake was open & glorious, but the camp roadways were narrow, dirt, roads, (single car accessible in choice spots), “scraped annually - in season ” by the Town of Gray, and notoriously “pot-holed” most of each year. There were no street lights & I remember that neighbor, Judge Sanborn, had numerous trees along the road “spot painted in white paint” so that he might avoid hitting them after a busy day in court in Gray, and darkness had fallen. My grandfather earned the title “Road Commissioner” of the Lower Campbell Shores Road because of his Summer regimen of taking his wheelbarrow on countless trips to fill as many potholes as he could (from “Fish Rock” to the top of the hill at Witherm’s Farm)! He retired as Chief Dispatcher for The Grand Trunk Railroad

(Portland, ME - Island Pond, VT, Sherbrooke & Montreal, QUE) in 1938, after coming through the ranks with Canadian National Railroad & New York Central RR. He also continued his boyhood allegiance to farming by getting the Witherm’s permission to plant a vegetable garden each Spring on their land at the top of the hill. Those were “banner years”. At my grandfather’s death, the cottage was left to my parents, Theodore E. & Lillian F. Potter (in turn, it came to me). It fit well while they pursued their careers (my father at architecture for Delano Mill In Portland, and my mother, a lifelong career as an author, journalist, & editor-in-chief for National Antiques Review. I didn’t know it then, but it led to my lifelong appreciation for the beauty and good fortune to have “grown up” on Little Sebago Lake with my peers and schoolmates.

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A Very Special Thank For All of Your Support to The Following:

To O’Donal’s Nursery for the buffer plants we gave out at the Annual Meeting. To The Good Ship Gelato for their generosity with the coupons for safe boating To Hannaford Bros. for supporting our cause through the Hannaford Helps Re- usable Bag Program.

To American Legion Auxiliary Hall in Gray for hosting our annual meeting this year.

To Gray Public Library for the use of their facility for monthly board meetings.

Good Ship Gelato

To the Town of Windham for your financial support for the milfoil remediation. To the Town of Gray for your financial support for the milfoil remediation.

To The Maine Warden Service for patrolling our lake this summer.

To Sharkey Graphic Solutions for their great service & expertise in

To Maine Label and Printing for all of our printing.

putting together our newsletters!

And to all who have supported the goals of LSLA to keep Little Sebago Lake safe for all to enjoy!

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