Thank you to Carol Merola and Pat Lavoie for co-chairing the pond picnic last year. A request was made for someone to volunteer to chair this year. The Merolas have kindly offered their home to host again this year. THANK YOU!!! A sheet was handed around and people volunteered to help:
*John Houy-grilling
*Bill Cook (no FB so contact by phone)
Annual Meeting 2021
Meeting Minutes
Wadleigh Pond Dam Association
June 19, 2021
Old Business
The meeting was opened by Linda Houy, President, and introductions by the group were made. Last year’s minutes were read by Evelyn Lord, Secretary, and accepted. The Treasurer’s Report was read by Cecile Dupuis. Last year’s dues and many additional donations made irt possible to make all completions on the dam. Thank you, all, whose dues and donations made this possible. We currently have a balance of $4,875. Last year’s picnic was canceled out of abundance of caution due to COVID. It WILL be held this year on August 7. Carol and Steve Merola and Pat Lavoie are chairing this year. THANK YOU to you both, also.
John Houy reported on the status of our dam now that the major work is completed. It should last 20+ years! Future plans could include fixing the pole for the gate that pulls the boards and replacing the current boards. He explained some history of our dam, which includes how much has been invested since 1979: $127,672.95! Our ability to make this investment is a direct result of dues coming in, fundraising, donations, and efforts of individuals making things happen.
John Houy will be updating the Emergency Action Plan, which was updated in 2017. It includes community member(s) who live near water, York County Emergency Mgt., State Police, and the Weather Service. Its purpose is to deal with an emergency (weather or other event) that threatens the safety of people in our area affected by a possible flood. Landowners are notified by a reverse 9-1-1 from the Biddeford Call Center so instruction can be given.
The results of water testing was, we received an excellent rating for recreational water. The reason the water isn’t perfectly clear is due to tannin, which poses no harm for swimming, boating, etc. The vegetation is bladder wort, which grows naturally. It can be contained a bit by not fertilizing near your shore, not going through the weeds/cleaning motors and oars off, etc.
New Business
Now that the dam is repaired, Linda brought up the question, “What should we do next?” We know we need to keep a fund from dues, fundraising, and donations should issues with the dam arise. There could be more than the dam to consider now. Pat read the original Association Charter, which describes the Association’s original purpose for “the betterment of the property owners”. Linda and Pat wondered if someone could write a grant to address vegetation. Two members brought up that, if a grant were written, the State would get involved and prevent any significant change to the creeping in of plants. When wetlands are involved, you can do very little,if anything. You ARE allowed to clear an area 10′ wide and straight back. It was suggested to pull the plants up by the roots. The plan to pursue this will be discussed again.
There is a great deal of growth over the spillway, as well as some loose wood. A small group will meet after the meeting to make plans.
The election of officers was held. Linda Houy announced she is stepping down as President. The slate of officers will be voted on as a whole. Patricia Lavoie is stepping down as Vice President and was nominated for President. It was seconded. Linda Koehler was absent but was nominated as Vice President. She had been asked if she received the nomination and was elected, would she accept and she said she would. Linda was nominated and it was seconded. Cecile Dupuis stepped down and Treasurer Amy Toussaint was nominated as Treasurer and it was seconded. Evelyn Lord was nominated to remain as Secretary and it was seconded. It was moved that the nominees be voted on as a group and it was seconded. The vote was unanimous. We can’t thank you enough, Lind and Cecile!!!! Your dedication to our pond and all who live here is extraordinary. MANY THANKS!!!!
The group decided to have the minutes from this meetings read at the picnic on August 7 so the larger group understands the importance of this group.. It must be emphasized that we are required by law to have a yearly meeting, an election of officers, and minutes kept to be considered as Association. If we fail to do this yearly, the State will take over the dam. THEIR wish is to allow the water to return it its natural state ( a river and marshland) and they will do NOTHING to repair any damage. The pond will become marshland again. We will work to make sure this never happens.
Meeting adjourned at 10:45.
Submitted by
Evelyn Lord, Secretary
Annual Picnic 2020
UPDATE: July 23, 2020 Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and with an abundance of caution, the board has voted to cancel the Annul Picnic for 2020. If you have donated a gift for the raffle, please contact Jean Dulong to make arrangements to pick it up. The annual Wadleigh Pond…
The annual Wadleigh Pond Picnic will be held on Saturday August 08, 2020 @ Noon. This year location is Steve and Carol Merola’s property, 33 Fernwood Loop off of Chappell Shores Road. Cost is $5.00 donation per person. Hamburger and Hot Dogs will be served. Please bring a dish to share. There will be a raffle and 50/50 drawing. Come and support the Dam Association and enjoy an afternoon with your neighbors. There is plenty of room for social distancing.
2019 WPA Annual Meeting Minutes
2019 Annual Meeting Minutes
June 22, 2019
There were 26 people in attendance at the meeting this year and it was called to order at 10:30. Roll call was taken and last year’s minutes were read and accepted. The treasurer’s report was read and accepted.
New Business:
The election of officers was held. The group elected the following officers: President: Linda Houy, Vice President: Pat Lavoie, Secretary: Evelyn Lord, and Treasurer: Cecile Dupuis.
The water was tested in June of 2019. The results showed no e-coli. And had an A+ rating. The previous water test was done in 2013. A discussion took place as to how often the water should be tested and how comprehensive it should be. Joe and Diane Leason wondered if we should have a comprehensive water analysis.
It was pointed out that this is a recreational pond and the standards are not the same as they are for drinking water. Testing is usually done in August as there is too much run-off for water testing in the spring and it’s not as accurate. After much discussion, Linda Koehler moved that we test the water in August, and if something shows up, then test again in the spring. The motion was approved by a hand vote. The board will manage the details of the water testing. See water test results at the end of the report.
Amy reported on the up-coming Annual Pond Picnic which is scheduled for August 24 at the Merola Pavilion. Thanks, Carol and Steve. We will provide hot dogs and burgers and as always, bring a tasty dessert, appetizer, main dish, etc. to share. A$5.00 donation is requested. Amy will be setting up a sign-up sheet soon looking for pop-ups, tables, etc, Jeanne Dulong offered to take care of the raffle table (THANK YOU!) Please bring your items early
to Jean at 107 Chappell Shores Road so she can prepare the item prior to the picnic to make set up easier.
Thank you John Houy for volunteering to build new boards for the spillway and dam. Dave was thanked for all his on-going work on the dam, including the many hours of meetings with DEP officials.
Some history of the dam for the curious:
*originally built in 1890 and named the Timber Crib Dam
*rebuilt in 1930
*the Advent Christian Church continues to hold the water right because they own the dam at Goodwin’s Mills
The posting of a NO WAKE at the Chapmans. This brought up the need for people to slow down and respect the No Wake law. The idea of marking stumps and other obstacles for boaters can be done by individuals if they wish, but the Association is not going to be involved in marking obstacles in the pond due to liability reasons.
A request for new bids went out in early June 2019 and three contractors are interested, and hopefully, an acceptable bid will be in by July and the work will be done in October. The structure will be reinforced, the spillway repaired, and then it will be back-filled. Once started, the turn-around time should be only a week or so. Our permit is good for four years. Once the dam is repaired, it is CRUCIAL that we maintain our Association, holding one meeting a year, and maintaining the dam structurally. If it becomes “unowned” by our association, the State/DEP will not repair it, or rebuild it if it fails.
Sharyn King has resigned after 25 years of service as secretary of the Association. THANK YOU, SHARYN!
On-Going Business:
Regarding the dam, Dave Dulong had one unreasonable bid ($50,000) last fall.
Other Business or Comments
Steve Lord presented information from the Lyman Historical Society. The organization meets on the 3 rd Tuesday of each month, and they are looking for new members. Upcoming events in the planning stages include:
*the sale of Pale Ale at Funky Bow on August 16-18
*a presentation and film on October 23at the library
*a presentation on Theodore Lyman February of 2020
The meeting was adjourned at 11:30.
Submitted by Evelyn Lord