Clemons Pond Association 2013 Spring Meeting
The 2013 Spring Clemons Pond Association meeting will be held on Sunday, May 26, 2013, at Sandy and Bill Tate's (318 Notch Road). The meeting will start at 10:00 a.m.
Annual dues of $20.00 are due and please bring your own chair(s).
Special request: Please bring any current or old pictures of Clemons Pond events for our historical records.
2013 Legislative Alerts from the Maine Congress of Lake Associations (COLA)
Dear Friends of Maine Lakes,
This is the first in a series of Legislative Alerts from the Maine Congress of Lake Associations to inform you about 2013 actions affecting lakes in the Maine State Legislature. We provide this service to assist lake users and stewards make their views known about bills that could impact their lives and the well-being of their communities.
Today's note is a brief summary of 4 bills of interest. You will hear from us again when these initiatives are scheduled for a hearing. The general fund bond issue (#1 below) is a major focus for us this year.
An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue to Ensure Clean Water and Safe Communities
This bill creates a fund to preserve Maine’s high quality water resources. The Fund would be used to conserve land such as lake watersheds, aquifer recharge areas and forested headwaters and to improve man-made structures such as stream crossings, roads and culverts. Increasing pressure on lake ecosystems from climate change and development, coupled with budget cuts and agency downsizing make this vital measure one that all of us should actively support. Stay tuned and tell your friends!
LD 730: An Act to Protect Maine’s Loons by Banning Lead Sinkers and Jigs
Expanding the ban of lead sinkers to include the sale and use of lead sinkers up to 1 oz. and lead jigs up to 2.5 inches will reduce mortality and improve survival for Maine’s loons. Lead poisoning is the leading cause of loon death in Maine (97 lead poisonings out of 352 loon deaths have been documented since 1987 by Tufts University) Expected in Committee in late March.
LD 640: An Act to Exempt All-Terrain Vehicle Trail Maintenance from Storm Water Management Requirements
This bill extends to ATV trails the same statewide exemption from soil erosion precautions enjoyed by those who develop, construct and maintain snowmobile trails. Land use determines water quality. The snowmobile exemption already permits harm to Maine waters. It makes no sense to extend the application of a bad law on the grounds of equal treatment.
LD 674: An Act to Clarify the Natural Resources Protection Act
Here comes another Takings Bill! Not only that, but the clarification involved will drastically reduce setbacks for high and moderate value inland waterfowl and wading bird habitat (to 75') and vernal pools (75'). The Takings involves reimbursing landowners for the loss in property value caused by the setback. Takings inevitably inhibit land use regulation, and land use determines water quality.
Please share this with interested friends.
Best regards,
Maggie Shannon, Executive Director
Maine Congress of Lake Associations
http://www.mainecola.org/
Postcard from the Past
This blast from the past is a 1966 postcard, captioned "Roadside Grandeur along the Clemons Pond road off Rt. 113 in Hiram, Me." Still beautiful 46 years later.
Thanks to Walt and Louise Novak for sharing this piece of history. The photo is credited to George French and is also posted to the photo gallery.
Time Warner Fiber Optic Cable Installation
Time Warner has completed stringing fiber optic cable for TV, Internet and Digital Phone service in the Notch Road area of Hiram. This area includes most of the side roads that go down to cottages around Clemons Pond such as Neighbor's Way, Clemons Cove (road), and Twin Pines Lane as well as other side roads such as Sun Valley Drive. The installation of the cable was funded in a large part by a grant from the Connect Maine Authority in response to a proposal written by David Limbert with support and guidance from Aisha Saidi and Janice Campbell who wrote a proposal for providing broadband cable service to the Triptown Road area in Hiram. Several residents have already signed up for the service bundle at competitive prices from Time Warner. So we now have options including, but not limited to: Time Warner (for Phone, Internet, and cable TV), Fairpoint (for Phone and DSL Internet), Dish or DirecTV (for satellite TV), and Wild Blue or HughesNet (for satellite Internet). It is good to see competition. Some companies will partner with others to provide a bundle at a reduced price for all three services.
See the Utilities page for Time Warner Cable contact information.
