Well we WERE having some technical difficulties installing an SSL cert on the site and getting all the redirects working. We’re up and running now. Thanks for your patience, and thank you to those who pointed out busted stuff!
Category Archives: News
12 February 2021: Maine Cabin Masters on Clary Lake
A camp on Clary Lake belonging to the Andersen family was featured on Maine Cabin Masters this winter. The camp is over on the west shore of the lake. I recall the camp being worked on last summer, and more than once I waved at the folks working on it while out fishing. At the time I didn’t know it was a Maine Cabin Masters project and I didn’t learn that until long after they were gone. I also lost track of this project and didn’t know when it was going to air or I’d have posted about it sooner.
Check out the Maine Cabin Masters post. The before and after pictures are impressive, and the 3D model is pretty sexy 🙂
Many thanks to Dan Burns for bringing this to my attention.
22 January 2021: Clary_cam2 Has Been Upgraded
Dave Knight and I just finished installing the new Clary_cam2. The camera’s 1920 x 1080 image needs to be adjusted slightly, it’s a little dark. I’ll swing by this weekend and tweak it a bit. As is, it’s already a big improvement from the old camera:
Here’s the old image from earlier today. As you can see, the new camera has a wider field of view and better resolution, not to mention color rendition:
I was going to replace Clary_cam3 today but I’ve run out of gumption. I’ve got 2 more cameras on order and I’m going to hold off until I can replace both Clary_cam1 and Clary_cam3, sometime next week. Stay tuned!
14 January 2021: Maine Lakes Wednesday Webinars Are Back!
I received this email this morning from Maine Lakes (formerly the Maine Lakes Society) and thought I’d pass it on to our Clary Lake readers. I attended several Maine Lakes webinars last year and found them interesting and educational. I’m sure this year’s programs will be as well. I’ve already signed up for the first one, Winter Lake Monitoring. There’ll be more webinars. I’ll post notices of additional programs when I receive them.
Maine Lakes Wednesday Webinars Are Back!
In light of the continuing health concerns about COVID-19, Maine Lakes will be hosting this year’s Maine Lakes Conference speakers in another series of “Wednesday Webinars” running the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month, from February through June.
This year’s theme, A Deep Dive Into the Lake Book, features many interesting and relevant topics that correspond with our soon-to-be published 4th edition of “The Lake Book.” While we are currently finalizing speakers for some of the webinars, we are happy to announce that registration is open for the following presentations. Registration is free and easy. Hope to see you there!
Maine Lakes Fall 2020 Newsletter Is Out
The Maine Lakes Fall 2020 Newsletter is out, and it’s 20 pages are packed full of news, interesting information, and stories focused on Maine’s lakes and ponds. It’s available as a PDF or as a re-sizable webpage. You should also plan on attending some of their Maine Lakes 2021 Conference sessions by Zoom on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month at 4 p.m. starting February 3rd through June 16th. I attended several webinars last summer and they were fun and informative. To be notified when registration is open, check out their website, www.lakes.me, after the new year or email info@lakes.me. I’ll also post a webinar schedule here when it becomes available. The Clary Lake Association has been a supporting member of Maine Lakes (formerly the Maine Lakes Society) for many years.
09 September 2020: Sour Grapes
The hearing for oral arguments in the matter of Aquafortis Associates LLC (AQF) v. Board of Environmental Protection (docket AP-20-4) took place yesterday afternoon in Lincoln County Superior Court, Judge Daniel Billings presiding. The hearing was held using Google Meet (picture at left) and a few CLA board members including myself joined. I had planned on recording the hearing and making that recording available for viewing, but unlike Zoom meetings (with which I’m more familiar), recording is not an option with Google Meet. I did however take copious notes. Attorney for AQF Dennis Carrillo presented his case first, followed by Assistant Attorney General Scott Boak who represented the Board of Environmental Protection and finally, counsel for the Clary Lake Association Randy Creswell spoke. Judge Billings periodically asked questions. The hearing was scheduled to last 1 hour but it went considerably longer, about an hour and a half. Continue reading
26 August 2020: State Boat Launch Posted No Swimming
We were as surprised as anyone when a No Swimming sign appeared at the State boat launch on Clary Lake a few weeks ago. We spoke to Diano Circo, Chief Planner at the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W) and asked about the sign. It appears there have been numerous complaints of swimmers not getting out of the way when a boater wants to launch or retrieve their craft, both at the Clary launch and at other State-owned launches around the State. According to Mr. Circo, the IF&W has decided to post all State-owned boat launches. Whether this is true or not we can’t say, but another reliable source has confirmed that the State does plan on taking this action in the near future. Department of Conservation rules of conduct at State boat launch facilities prohibit swimming at State-owned boat launches but the no swimming rule has generally not been enforced. That “look the other way” stance has apparently changed. Continue reading
26 June 2020: Clary Lake Association Files Brief in AQF WLO Transfer Appeal
On Thursday June 25th the Clary Lake Association through their counsel Randy Creswell timely filed their brief in the matter of Aquafortis Associates, LLC [AQF] v. Maine Board of Environmental Protection [BEP] Docket No. WISSC-AP-20-04. The State of Maine filed their brief a week ago, on June 19th. AQF now has 14 days from the service of these briefs to file their reply briefs. For the State’s brief the deadline is July 3rd and for our brief, the deadline is July 9th. Someone is going to have a fun-filled Fourth of July weekend!
The Clary Lake Association is but a Party in Interest to this appeal and as such we really didn’t need to file a reply to AQF’s brief, especially considering how thorough and irrefutable the State’s brief is. Nonetheless we felt that providing some additional arguments supporting our right, title, and interest in the Clary Lake dam was a worthwhile effort. Continue reading
Lake Stewards of Maine’s Summer Webinar Series
The Lake Stewards of Maine (formerly Maine Volunteer Lake Monitor Program) is putting on a series of weekly webinars on various topics of interest to people involved with Maine Lakes. This notice is from an email I just received. I’ve attended 2 webinars so far, the first on Climate Change and it’s Impact on Maine Lakes and most recently, a program on Metaphyton. Highly recommend taking in some of these programs if you can find the time. Head over to their website to see what’s being offered. I’ll try to publicize future webinars here.
Please Join Us for our Summer Webinar Series:
In lieu of our Annual Lake Monitoring Conference, Lake Stewards of Maine – Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program will be hosting a series of weekly informational webinars from June through August on a wide range of topics pertaining to Maine Lakes. The sessions will be approximately one hour in length, and will include an opportunity for Q&A for those who attend the live webinars on the posted calendar date. Pre-registration is required for all who plan to attend. The webinars are open to Maine’s citizen lake scientists, as well as the general public.
The live webinars will take place at 4PM on Friday afternoons, beginning on June 5, and will go through August 28, with the exception of the holiday weekend of July 3. All sessions will be recorded, and made available for future viewing on our website.
The Next webinar looks quite interesting:
Citizen Stewards and Maine Lakes:
Collaborative Approaches for Sustainable Systems
Presented by Firooza Pavri, PhD; airing this Friday, June 26 at 4pm
Freshwater resources provide vital societal and ecosystem services. Keeping our lakes and ponds healthy for future generations will require that we strive to gain a more nuanced understanding of the complex factors that influence their well-being. Historically, models aimed at identifying which Maine lakes may be most vulnerable to ecosystem decline have rarely considered the role that private citizens may play in the process. However, local citizen stewardship efforts such as water quality and invasive plant monitoring, watershed surveys, and other citizen-driven conservation and management efforts can be a major factor in determining the long-term resilience of an aquatic ecosystem. In this webinar, Dr. Pavri will share her recent research looking at the important role that citizen lake scientists and other lake residents play in protecting Maine waters for the future, and how we can use this information to more clearly determine lake vulnerability.
Clary Lake 4th of July Boat Parade!
Shanna Pease is organizing a 4th of July Boat Parade on Clary Lake. This is not a Clary Lake Association sponsored event but it is nonetheless a Clary Lake event and we are happy to help promote it! Hope see you out there!
Please join in on the first
Clary Lake
4th of July Boat Parade!!
When: 4th of July
Where: Clary Lake
Time: 2 PM
Details: Decorate your boat and meet down by the public landing for a cruise of the lake! Let’s celebrate the 4th in style.
For more information or if you have questions please feel free to text or call Shanna Pease at 485-4171.
Drought Conditions
A while ago we had a Drought Monitor page on the website, but it stopped being supported and finally stopped working. I’ve added this U.S. Drought Monitor graphic to the Weather page. When I originally posted this article on June 18th, we were considered to be “Abnormally Dry.” So far this month we’ve only recorded a hair over 1″ of rain.
Hatha Yoga Classes at Clary Lake Bed & Breakfast This Summer
Looking for something to do this summer near Clary Lake? There will be Hatha Yoga classes held at Clary Lake Bed & Breakfast this summer! The classes will be held outdoors on Saturdays from 10-11 am. Classes will start June 13th, and continue all Saturdays throughout the summer until the end of August, with the exception of the 4th of July.
This is the second year these classes have been held at Clary Lake B&B. For more information please contact Kathryn Jensen or Linda Gallion.
CLA 2020 Summer Newsletter Mailed
The Clary Lake Association’s 2020 Summer Newsletter went in the mail a few days ago. If you live in Whitefield or Jefferson it has probably already been delivered. If you’re out of Town or out of State, it’ll probably take another day or two to reach you. The biggest news item is that the CLA Board at their regular May meeting a few weeks ago decided out of an abundance of caution to cancel this year’s Annual Meeting, originally scheduled for August 7th. It was not an easy decision to make, we considered just postponing it and also how we could hold a meeting while trying to maintain social distance and cancelling the pot luck supper but in the final analysis, given the uncertainty of what this summer may bring and given that pretty much all other public events have been cancelled this summer that we needed to follow suit. Dave Knight in his “President’s Message” does a good job of explaining our thought process around this issue. The health and safety of our Membership is of paramount importance. The newsletter discusses our deliberations around this issue. Continue reading
Catherine A. (Cathy) Rapp
I got a call the other day from a neighbor informing me of the passing of Cathy Rapp. I have never met Cathy but I knew of her and am friends with her son Ken Rapp and his wife Dedi who have been long time Clary Lake Association members. From what I’ve heard Cathy was a delightful woman. She and her husband Admiral Bill Rapp build the Rapp family camp on a piece of property they bought from Paul MacDonald in 1967 on the northeast shore of Clary Lake, next door to Thomas & Delph Gillette.
Catherine A. (Cathy) Rapp, 99, passed away peacefully on March 10, 2020 in Harbourway, Atlantic Shores Retirement Community. Mrs. Rapp was a native of East Orange, NJ and was the wife of the late V.ADM William T. (Barney) Rapp. She traveled the world as a Navy wife and eventually settled in Virginia Beach in 1974. She was preceded in death by a son, Richard Rapp.
Cathy is survived by two sons, Bill Rapp and his wife, Carolyn of Aurora, CO, and Ken Rapp and his wife Dedi of Virginia Beach, five grandchildren, eleven great grandchildren, a daughter in law Brenda Rapp, and several nieces, nephews and dear friends.
Cathy was an exceptional wife to her husband, a loving mother of three sons, and a compassionate grandmother to all of her grandchildren. She will be deeply missed.
A memorial service will be held on Monday, March 16, 2020 at 11:00 AM in the Eastern Shore Chapel Episcopal Church. Interment will follow at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery.
Online condolences may be made to the family at hdoliver.com.
Published in The Virginian Pilot on March 14, 2020
07 March 2020: AQF Appeal Scheduling Order Issued
With the January 17th Kennebec County Court ruling transferring Aquafortis Associate LLC’s 80C appeal of the DEP Transfer Order to Lincoln County, we’re essentially starting over in a new jurisdiction. On February 28th Lincoln County Superior Court Judge Daniel Billings has issued a Scheduling Order. The Petitioner (AQF) has 40 days from the date of the Order to file their brief (on or about April 8th) and responses by the State and CLA (if we choose to prepare one) are due 30 days after that. The Petitioner then has 14 days to file their reply brief. After that we can expect a hearing date to be set. Stay tuned folks, and don’t hold your breath.
2020 Clary Lake Ice Out Contest
I’ve wanted to have an Ice-Out contest for years but never found the wherewithal to actually do it. Until now. Guess the correct ice-out date and win a “We Give A Dam” tee shirt. FYI, the earliest the lake has been deemed completely free of ice was on March 13, 2016; the latest the ice has gone out was on April 24, 2001. Visit our Ice In and Ice Out page to see all our historical data back to 2001. Reviewing historical ice-in and ice-out data is NOT CHEATING.
We’ll close the contest some time before the ice actually goes out. And yes, you can submit more than one guess, but only your first guess will count. Or maybe your last guess 🙂
28 February 2020 Event Reminder: Alewife, Eel, and Lamprey Program at Sheepscot General
We’d like to remind you of an upcoming event that we believe will be of special interest to not just Clary Lake Association members, but to all Friends of Clary Lake. The program is on Alewife, Eel, and Lamprey Ecology and will be held at the Sheepscot General in Whitefield (map) on Friday February 28th from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. The program is free and open to the general public. The featured speaker will be Marine Resources Specialist Nate Gray with the Department of Marine Resources. Gray will discuss the important ecological role that river herring (alewives), eels, and lampreys play in Maine and why we might want to introduce them to Clary Lake. Have your questions ready!
If you’re interested in eating some of the fine food offered at the General, plan on showing up early!
Save the Dates: Two Upcoming Midcoast Conservancy Winter Programs
The Midcoast Conservancy is putting on a couple of informational programs this winter that look like they will be potentially of great interest to Clary Lake Association Members. The first program is on Alewife, Eel, and Lamprey Ecology to be held on Friday February 28th from 6:00 to 7:30 PM at the Sheepscot General in Whitefield (map). The featured speaker will be Marine Resources Specialist Nate Gray with the Department of Marine Resources. The other program is a ways off and still in development but I understand it will be on Climate Change and it’s impact on Maine Lakes. It is scheduled for Friday April 24th from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, also at the Sheepscot General. I’ll post updates on these programs as more information becomes available. While they’re a ways off, I did want to put them out there so you could “Save the Dates.”
Sheepscot General is renowned for their food, especially pizza, so if you’re interested in making a night of it, arrive early and get something to eat before the program!
Aquafortis Associates Appeal Hearing Reminder
The other day I emailed our Membership to remind them of the upcoming hearing on the Aquafortis Associates LLC appeal of the WLO Transfer, scheduled for 10:30 AM on Friday, January 10th. The hearing will be held at the Kennebec County Superior Court, 1 Court St Suite 101, Augusta, ME 04330 (map). I wanted to get notice out soon enough so those who would like to attend have time to make arrangements. If you’re not familiar with this proceeding and it’s history, I’ve posted about it a few times on the CLA website, most recently back in the middle of December. Here’s a link to that post, for more information: Continue reading
Maine Lakes Society Fall 2019 Newsletter
The Maine Lakes Society (of which the Clary Lake Association is a member) has published their Fall 2019 Newsletter. It’s packed full of interesting information. For example, check out the article on Freshwater Jellyfish on page 5. Who knew?
