Pond Picnics

2023

Annual Meeting 2023

June 10, 2023

 The annual meeting of the Wadleigh Pond Dam Association was once again held at the dam on the property of the Thayers.  Thank you for kindly allowing us to gather here.  There were 16 in attendance.  President Pat Lavoie called the meeting to order at 10:15.  Everyone introduced themselves and the group welcomed new residents and members, Nick and Marijo Lariviere.
 The minutes from last year's meeting was read by Secretary Evelyn Lord. Linda Koehler moved the minutes be accepted. It was seconded by Steve Lord, and the vote to accept was unanimous. Amy Toussaint, treasurer, presented the financial report.  The credits and expenses as of June 22. 2022 were explained and the  balance in our account is $14, 382. This year is the first year VENMO was used and $400 in payments were made using this method.  Paying this way helps with record-keeping. The money we cleared last year from the picnic is as follows:
  Entrance: $425, Donations: $155,  Raffle:  $950, and 50/50: $233 TOTAL: $1763.   

Going forward, the fiscal year for our Association will end on August 30 to allow so expenses and proceeds from the annual picnic can be reported. Linda Koehler made the motion to accept, it was seconded by Fred Koehler, and the vote to accept was unanimous.
Old Business
John Houy has been our faithful Dam Agent for five (5) years and explained the background of what has been done through the years in order to maintain the dam’s health. Since the 1970’s, approximately $127,672.95 has been spent, including the latest resurfacing, to ensure there would be no breach. Without these repairs, if the dam broke, the water would drain and what would be left is the original river and no pond. Without our Association to continue necessary repairs, the dam WOULD eventually collapse and the State of Maine would not help rebuild it as they would allow it to drain and return to a river. This year, Bobby Papazian kindly offered to take over as our new Dam Agent. This spring, due to a huge amount of rain, John, Dave Dulong, Bobby, and many volunteers made some very important decisions in order to avoid flooding on the pond. First, one board was pulled to allow water to flow downstream. When water continued to rise on the pond, docks became dislodged and water was rising onto properties, so the other board was pulled. By that time, rain was subsiding but the water level was carefully monitored. In such weather events, the spillway allows for some release of water. The pond can absorb about 2″ of rain but for more than that, close watch is needed. The physical work lifting those heavy boards in driving rain, along with making careful decisions based on conditions, was difficult. Many, many thanks for all their efforts! The water is still high but as the weather warms up, the levels will be checked and boards adjusted accordingly.

• Not discussed but important to note is the water levels are dictated by the Town of Lyman in their waterfront ordinances so decisions are aligned with those ordinances.
  New Business

1. The next crucial and expensive project is the resurfacing of approximately 100′ of the front and top of the spillway on John Spain’s property. Debris is cleaned up periodically by Steve and Nate Lord and others. Thanks, everyone. Mike, who lives across the street from the dam, has offered to gather brush cleaned out and dispose of it from the roadside. Thank you, Mike. Considering the cost of the work completed on the dam, it is necessary to look into the cost of this new project and to continue collected dues. Linda Koehler brought up the need for a long-range plan for raising money. Many new residents, as well as those who have lived here for years, would benefit from information of the history of the dam and the vital need for its maintenance. Many people on the pond contribute and understand the necessity. The Emergency Management Plan, a requirement of the Department of Environmental Protection, will be updated this year. The deadline is June 19, however, an extension will be requested. Bobby Papazian as the Dam Master, along with assistance from John Huoy and Dave Dulong, will be taking care of this.
   2. John Houy brought up the need for trapping of beavers, whose dams and building interfere with the flow of water through culverts. The trapping season is November into December. Some people have offered to look into this.
   3. Pat Lavoie reported the water on Wadleigh Pond has, once again, been found to be excellent for recreational use. She explained the health of our water can change day to day but on the day of testing, it was excellent. Thank you, Pat for taking care of this each year.
2. The officers will be looking at the By Laws for any amendments that may more closely reflect current practices and needs. The Association members will review them vote on the approval of the amendments. There is also a need for a consolidation of all records into one complete location. The officers will look into a fireproof strongbox for crucial hard copies of records such as the original deed, incorporation papers, etc., an external hard drive to store all scanned paperwork, and purchasing cloud space so everything could be accessed anywhere.
3. Evelyn Lord was curious about the name of our Association: Wadleigh Pond Dam Association vs. Wadleigh Pond Association. Evelyn’s concern was about confusion and pond residents’ understanding that our purpose is limited to the maintenance of the dam and any expenses associated with that maintenance. A vote was taken to keep the name Wadleigh Pond Association.
   *Note: After the meeting, Linda Koehler posted a very clear description of the difference between the Wadleigh Pond Dam Association and any money donated to the maintenance of the road.
   Thank you for those who attended our annual meeting for the Wadleigh Pond Association. Just a reminder that the WPA is responsible for the care and maintenance of the dam. Without our dam, we would only have a small river bed. The WPA has no association with any of the road improvement groups. The dues for the WPA are for the dam only.
4. Picnic

• This year’s picnic will be held August 12 (rain date August 13) at Pat and Dave Lavoie’s from 11:00 -4:00 Thanks so much, Carol and Steve for hosting for so many years and thanks to Pat and Dave for hosting THIS year. This year, we will have hot dogs and hamburgers, as in years’ past but this year, there will be NO CHARGE. There will be a jar for donations, if you wish. As always, it’s an opportunity to pay dues, if you haven’t already.
  • Rick Lavoie and Nick Lariviere will be our grill masters this year. Please bring appetizers, entrees, and desserts to share, your appetite, and anything special you’d like to drink. We will provide water.
  • Jean has kindly offered to do our raffle again this. year. It is a very time-consuming job and we are so grateful, Jean! Please bring raffle items to Jean and Dave Dulong (address) as soon as you can so she can organize everything.
  • We’ll also have a 50-50 and need someone to sell those tickets.
  • We need lots of help setting up at the Lavoie’s on Friday night. (Pat and Dave, should we make a request for awnings and tables in these minutes? Maybe a FB post would reach more people). We’ll aslo need people to help break things down after the picnic.

1. Boat Parade *The Annual Boat Parade will be on Sunday, July 2. We’ll gather at 2:00 over near Frye’s Bridge.
   • The most impressively-decorated boat will win the trophy and will have bragging rights! Please let Linda Houy know if you’d like to judge the parade from Fryes Bridge, It would look great on your resume!
     *Fireworks will be Sunday night. A good gathering place would be near Fryes Bridge.
   1. Dave Dulong moved we vote on the current slate of officers, as read and Bobby Papazian seconded. The vote was unanimous.

At 11:15, a motion to adjourn was made and seconded. It was unanimous.

Submitted by
Evelyn Lord, Secretary

Annual Meeting 2022


The meeting was called to order at 10:00AM at the dam. Thank you once again to Linda and Brooks Thayer, who are so kind to share this beautiful spot! Last year’s minutes were read by secretary, Evelyn Lord, and it was moved and seconded to accept the minutes and the vote was unanimous. The treasurer’s report was read by treasurer, Amy Toussaint, who reported a balance of $9237.12. Last year’s picnic yielded a profit of $1617, $400 of which was dues. We had 71 in attendance. We have 36% of residents who are paid members. It was moved and seconded to have the treasurer’s report accepted and the acceptance was voted on unanimously.
OLD BUSINESS: The dam report was presented by John Houy Dam Agent. The next area to work on is the growth at the wall bordering John Spain’s property at the end of the dam. President Pat Lavoie asked for members to volunteer to clean this growth and the growth and debris on the rocky spillway. The culvert near the dam is cleaned up by Mike across the street. Some clean-up has happened on the rocky spillway and some old boards there need to be removed.
Pat Lavoie reported on the water testing done in August and the results were that our water is excellent for recreational use (boating, swimming, fishing). She explained the person who did the testing cautioned that the test can be affected by the conditions day to day, everything looks fine and the test will be redone in August.
We thanked the many people on the pond who help with clean up and who promote our feeling of community. These include debris /culvert cleaning, dam repair, the boat parade and fireworks for July 4th, our Facebook page and website, and the road maintenance. Without people doing these things, our pond life would be very different. WE APPRECIATE YOU!!!
NEW BUSINESS: The BOAT PARADE will be held July 3rd at noon. Some people had requested a night parade but a survey showed most wanted a day event. It starts at Fryes Bridge. Linda Koehler suggested those who were able could pick up people at their property and join the parade. Great idea! People interested could see how this would work for them. Good fireworks viewing is at the deep end near Fryes Bridge. The people who do this are requesting donations now because they are in the process of buying the fireworks. The more donations, the more spectacular is the show. Donations can be made in person to Linda Houy (checks made out to CASH), Venmo, PayPal, or CASH. THANK YOU to those who do this to make the night of the 4th so special!
GOALS: We are concerned about the trash that accumulates along the wall of the dam, some that comes off boats and some left there by “visitors” hanging out or fishing. It was proposed we put a chained trash can there but the worry is, people would just drop off their household trash or car trash as they go by. We decided as a group to not do this, Mike across the street and John Houy regularly check and clean up. THANKS SO MUCH!

PICNIC: 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