Updated: Wednesday, October 30, 2002 11:44 AM
Newsletters HomeSpring 1990 Newsletter
| Topics: Message From The President Eagle Spotting Development At Branch Pond |
Sand Beach Phosphate Loading Politics and Branch Pond COLA Conference Test Your Water |
Message From The President
Dear Branch Pond Association Members:
Greetings and hopeful expectations that we all will enjoy the summer months ahead at Branch!
By way of updating my awareness of what the Association has been doing since 1982, I studied the bundle of letters, reports and documents passed on to me last year by Gloria DeAngelis when she seduced me into taking over the Chair of the Executive Board. She and Peter have been key people in keeping our organization alive and deserve our appreciation.
Here's the list of events, problems, and concerns derived from my study:
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Our Executive Board will be meeting during the last week of June and will be shaping the agenda for the July Annual Meeting around topics that merit action. A special notice will go out providing details of the meeting.
I regret that a family circumstance will prevent my chairing the July meeting. My wife and I will be abroad at that time. I had hoped to open up group discussion directed toward defining our goals as an organization and eliciting discussion on some hot topics. The structure of the meeting will be designed at the planning Executive Board meeting in June. Mention has been made of the desirability of arranging a panel discussion including local officials or members of statewide environmental groups.
I will be at Branch Lake (FR 328, Tel. 667-2670) from June 16 until July 6 and will welcome any opportunity to talk with members.
Sincerely,
Ellsworth Bourque, Chairman
Gloria DeAngelis reminds all members who received 'Eagle Spotting' forms how important soaring pairs of eagles are in the spring. Keep a SHARP EYE and record your spottings!
Steve LaFreniere, whose application for a bridge to 28-Acre Island was turned down in January, has filed an appeal of the decision with DEP. The date for the appeal has not yet been set. In essence the appeal is based on the fact that the island was once part of the mainland - a peninsula. The island was created when the dam was constructed at the foot of the lake. Stay tuned for future developments, or not as the case may be.
Sand Beach is a part of 1303 acres owned by the State at Branch Pond. A fall meeting produced the following plan:
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The state will look into the possibility of installing a parking lot on the Happy Town Road with a walking trail to Sand Beach. |
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Branchview Drive will be gated off with no parking allowed. |
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Program coordination with Ellsworth, particularly parking problem & fire access. |
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Possible grant to city for part-time security or conservation officer. |
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Parks Dept. to install a vault toilet and post signs. |
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State parks Dept will network with BPA |
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If BPA can find a volunteer, State will train, pay & insure that volunteer. Pay would be minimal. |
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Paul Reynolds will remain as the contact person for the Parks Dept. |
The state noted that it makes a payment, in lieu of taxes, to the city for this land. Last year the amount was $6,473.
Our lake water is affected by the amount of phosphorus that enters it, either directly or indirectly. This is, in part, caused by the soaps and detergents that we all use. The following list of detergents has been supplied by Ann & Don Hayes, Dick & Ginny Bourne and the Pleasant Lake Protective Assoc., New London, N.H. It is offered for your information and is not all inclusive.
Liquid Clothes Detergents
No mention of Phosphorus content and probably a bad choice.
Fab, Topco Bleach, Topco and Valu Time Bleach.
Powder Clothes Detergent
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%age |
Grams Phosphorus |
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Ajax |
0.5(trace) |
0.4 in I cap |
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All |
0.5 |
0.5 |
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Arm & Hammer |
0.25 |
0.4 |
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Borateem |
0.5 |
0.5 |
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Borax |
0.5 |
0.5 |
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Bright Water |
0.5 |
0.4 |
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Cold Power |
0.5 |
0.4 |
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Ivory Snow |
0.5 |
0.5 |
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Rinso |
0.5 |
0.5 |
High Phosphorus content - probably a bad choice.
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%age |
Grams Phosphorus |
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Axion |
8.0 |
4.8 |
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Bold 3 |
7.1 |
6.0 |
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Calgon |
High? |
10.0? |
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Cheer |
9.5 |
6.1 |
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Dash |
8.0 |
5.8 |
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Dreft |
8.2 |
6.9 |
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Fab |
7.1 |
6.0 |
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Fresh Start |
14.7 |
5.7 |
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Oxydol |
8.6 |
5.5 |
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Tide |
9.8 |
6.3 |
Liquid Dish detergents
Powder Dish Detergent (Automatic Dishwashers)
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%age |
Grams Phosphorus |
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All |
8.7 |
2.4 |
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Cascade |
8.3 |
1.1 |
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Electrosol |
8.7 |
2.6 |
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Sunlight |
8.7 |
2.0 |
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Topco |
8.7 |
2.4 |
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Valu Time |
8.7 |
1.8 |
THIS LISTING IS PROVIDED SOLELY AS A PUBLIC SERVICE, AND ANY SUGGESTION OF SALES PROMOTION OR INHIBITION IS HEREBY DENIED.
Branch Pond taxpayers are on the edge of one of the controversies over taxes, and bond issues. The new water-system for the city is expensive. There are two pieces of bonded indebtedness involved, one to build a standpipe to increase the pressure for homes on the western shores of the Union River and a second to cover the cost of the intake station at Branch Pond and the water main along Route 1 to the city. The initial allocation of costs to the residents on the water lines of the city by substantially increasing water rates has set with strong opposition. The alternative is to increase the tax bills for all taxpayers, which of course would include the Branch Pond properties. This is an ongoing discussion and merits attention.
The new valuations and, a yet to be announced, tax rate also merit attention. Requests for abatements cannot be filed until tax bills are issued.
The calendar refers to a conference on June 23rd at University of Maine - Orono. The focus is on enforcement of environmental regulations. Registration is from 9:00 to 10:00 with a panel discussion from 10:00 to 12:00. The panel is made up of Brook Barnes, DEP; Dan Soule, CEO cert.; a representative from Inland Fisheries & Wildlife; Rick Rogers, plumbing inspector; Brian Valiton, Army Corps of Engineers; and Matt Schweisberg, EPA Region 1.
Lunch is from 12:00 to 1:00 and is included in the registration fee. Pre registration for members is $15 and $20 for non-members. Registration after June 15 is subject to an additional $5 charge. Checks should be payable to MACC and mailed to P.O. Box 222,, Belfast, Me 04915. For more info call MACC at 338-5536 or COLA at 846-4271.
The afternoon session consists of two workshops that are held at 1:00 and repeated at 2:00. Topics are Land Resources and Water Resources. After the workshops the panel members will be available for questions and answers.
If you wish to test the quality of water at your camp here is the address and phone number of the lab.:
Maine Biological Laboratories
China Road
Winslow, Maine 04901
Phone 873-3989
