CARRY PONDS ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY, 2016
President’s
Message, January 2016.
Sandy
Runyon
There’s not a lot to say this year. We had no new crises or initiatives, and it
seems turmoil was kept to a minimum.
Personally, I think that’s how things should go for our
organization. Pending winter damage, the
roads are in pretty good shape, and the bridges seem sound. We do, however, hope to try to get whatever necessary
road work done a little earlier this coming summer.
Your Board has met once since the Annual
Meeting to go over the billings for the 2015 road work. The minutes for that short meeting have been
posted on the CPA blog site. We will
also be planning a spring meeting to go over any loose ends, do some planning
for the Annual Meeting, and come up with a slate of officers for next year and
address two expiring Board positions. As
members, you could help on these issues: we certainly could use your
input on nominations for both the expiring Board positions and for the Officer
positions. We could also use some
volunteers for the Annual Meeting.
Recall that MaryEllen Royce offered at our last Annual Meeting to put on
a barbeque. The current menu is chicken,
beans, salads, desserts, drinks – hopefully for around $6. Hard to beat that. She says she needs no help right now, but
there’s nothing wrong with offering your assistance. I also expect that Steve Sperry could use
some help in erecting and dismantling the tent.
And we need a portable toilet.
Our Board members are elected for 3-year
terms. This year, Larry Stowell’s and my
terms will be expiring. I have been in
touch with Larry and he is not interested in seeking another term. Larry has served us well in several positions
and he’d like some time off. Similarly,
I am not interested in seeking another Board term. I’ve been on the Board for 7 years and it’s
time for some new ideas. Our Officers
are elected for 1-year terms so there are three positions available. Currently, I am president, Norm Kalloch is
secretary, and Wanda Calder is treasurer.
Norm has indicated that he is willing to serve another year, but
I expect that be his last year; Wanda would like to continue; I would
preferably not serve another year and think it’s time for someone else
to give it a stab. If you folks have any suggestions for members – including
yourself - who might be interested in a Board/Officer position or in helping
out at the Annual Meeting, please let me or any other Officer/Director
know. I can’t stress enough how valuable
it is to have this information significantly in advance of the Annual
Meeting. Nominations at the Annual
Meeting are always welcome, but advance notice is welcomed too.
Finally, a big thanks to Norm Kalloch. He makes this newsletter possible and he
keeps us all informed on his Carry Ponds blog site.
Sandy Runyon
New Gloucester
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Financial
Report
Wanda Calder,
Treasurer
Twenty-fifteen was a good year for Carry Ponds
Association. After three years when net
worth declined from $6,868 to $1,311 it was nice to see that a healthy profit
of $4,431 in 2015 brought our net worth back up to $5,743.
The annual expenditures for CPA are pretty predictable for
the most part. Administration, that is
office supplies, postage, newsletter, etc., averages $350 per year. Road expenses, both East and West are kept
within budgeted amounts.
The account for keys and locks is generally self-sustaining. Keys that are sold for $10 each provide
sufficient cash to cover the scheduled replacement cost of new locks and
keys. No road dues are allocated to this
account.
The wild card is the Contingency account. This account is funded for up to $5,000 each
year and covers the cost of bridges, gates, vandalism, and emergency road
repairs. This account was hit hard in
2013 and 2014. The current balance is
$2,869.
Now, barring unforeseen circumstances, bridges are in good
shape. Our roads, thanks to the work of
both road crews, are in pretty good condition.
Both road crews as well as volunteer property owners have contributed unpaid
time and effort to road maintenance.
The cash position of CPA as of 12-31-15 was $5,829. Invoices for road dues went out early in
January. Total billing was $15,000. As of February 7th dues were received in the
amount of $9,300, bringing our cash position to $15,252. Still outstanding is $5,700 which hopefully
will be paid by the first of March so that the Directors can address the
budgeting of these funds for the coming year.
The only unpaid road dues prior to the current year is
Joseph D. Abbiati, property owner on West Carry Pond, who owes $450 for 2014,
2015, and 2016.
Statement of Condition, Profit and Loss, and Delinquency
reports are generated every month. You
may receive a copy by contacting the Treasurer, Wanda Calder at 207 628-4632 or
email calder1095@roadrunner.com. Please
specify date & name of report.
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Birth
of the Carry Ponds Association
Dianne Maxwell
In the early 1980 ’s, responding to Deed
specifications, Robert Maxwell of West Carry Pond began conversations with Pond
neighbors regarding the need to form an association which would be responsible
for the upkeep of roads among the three ponds.
There was general agreement that this should occur and it was left with
Mr. Maxwell to pursue the issue.
Over a period of many months, considerable
time and travel was given to conversation and negotiations among landowners
from the three ponds. It soon became known
that not all deeds contained this specification; however, most owners were
receptive of the idea. All that was left
was to determine those issues of such an organization that would be
satisfactory to those on each of the three ponds. Again, time, communication, and good will
were required among all interested parties.
It became apparent that most landowners were talking of the proposal
among themselves which was most helpful in this pursuit.
Consequently, on the morning of September 4,
1983, a meeting of 42 West, Middle and East Carry landowners met at the Maxwell
camp on West Carry. This bright, sunny
day brought a fine exchange of ideas among friendly and interested neighbors. Coffee and donuts added much to the spirit of
the occasion. Subsequently, it was soon
apparent that this was the first official gathering of what was to become the
Carry Ponds Association as moved by Mary Ellen Royce and voted into
History! These minutes remain as a
matter of record.
Edward Cloutier, Esq. was voted moderator. Many issues were identified and voted upon
which made this founding association responsible and accountable for all the
business and concerns deemed necessary by the Landowners. Such a fine day’s work!
By vote of those present, the following officers
were first in command of this fledgling association:
President ……………………………………...Robert Maxwell
Vice-president…………………………………Edward
Cloutier
Secretary/Treasurer……………………………Mary Ellen Royce
Five member Board of Directors:
J. Arthur Haskell Martin Howard Leo Beane
Richard Parker
Stephen Shaw
The first meeting of the Board of Directors
was held at the Maxwell camp on September 5, 1983 where Richard Parker was
named Keeper of the Keys and Leo Beane would put new locks in place.
And thus, Association business was
underway. Through the years, many people
and events have brought many changes regarding the Association. However, the basic precepts of cooperation and
preservation of our “treasured land” among three gates remains unchanged and
strong over time.
And as the saying goes, “The Rest is History!”
(A special thanks to Dianne for taking the time to document how the Carry Ponds Association began!)
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Farming
on Bates Ridge
By Gary
Cobb told to Norm Kalloch
 |
| Gary Cobb looks over one of the Bates Ridge foundations |
It is hard to imagine in the year 2016, that
just north of the Carry Ponds, on Bates Ridge there was once farmland and
families homesteading, yet it did happen in the mid eighteen hundreds. Gary Cobb, of New Portland and of Cobb’s
Pierce Pond Camps has done extensive research on the Bates Ridge
Settlement. Recently I had the
opportunity to sit down with Gary and learn how he discovered the remnants of
several homesteads on the ridge and where his investigations took him.
One November day in the 1980’s Gary was
guiding two sports looking to tag a deer.
He placed the two hunters along Carrying Place Stream and went up onto
Bates Ridge to try to push deer towards them.
As he worked his way down the ridge, he stopped to take a break and
noticed though the trees what appeared to be a stone wall, after further investigation
he discovered a rocked well and a foundation.
Subsequently, he located four other old stone foundations scattered
along the east end of Bates Ridge
Gary’s interest in history led him to learn
more about one of the families that once made their homes on Bates Ridge.
 |
| History buff Buzz Miller sits beside one of the homesteads stone lined dug wells on Bates Ridge |
Josiah and Sophronia Bates relocated from
Fairfield, Maine to Bates Ridge in the early 1840’s. From what Gary could determine, they and
several others from the Bates clan homesteaded there for about twenty years
before abandoning their farms. After
leaving the ridge, Josiah and his wife
relocated first to Palmyra, then to an area known as Rockabema in Moro Township and then lastly to Hersey Township north of Patten where they are
buried.
Along with the remnants of the foundations are
several stone lined dug wells that are in exceptionally good shape after 156
years. Also, scatted through the woods
are piles of stone placed there when the woods was cleared for hay land and
growing their crops, perhaps intending to use them to make future stone
walls. The Old Canada Road passed quite
closely by two of the dwellings and is likely how they accessed their farms.
 |
| Winter view of Bates Ridge from Roundtop Mountain. The Bates homesteads were located on the extreme right of the ridge. |
Although the exact reason for abandoning Bates
Ridge is unknown, it might have been because of poor soils or perhaps as Gary
suspects, they had no legal title to the land or not enough money to purchase
their small farms and forced out by the owner.
Gary has shown the location of the foundations to company foresters to
protect them being destroyed during wood harvest operations.
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Alternative to Planked Bridges
Norm
Kalloch
About every 5-7 years, the CPA replaces the
decking on the three major bridges the organization maintains. In many cases, the bridge is completely re- replaced. All of this costs the CPA landowners a significant amount of money, although
certainly less than if volunteers did not step forward to help with the
work. Money spent for necessary bridge
repair means less available for road maintenance and improvements.
Money for bridge repair comes from the
contingency fund that is added to each year to cover this future work, and is
taken off the top before road funds are allocated.
Currently, all three bridges are in good
condition, all rebuilt within the past three years. However, that also means it is likely in five
or six years, all three will need replacement at about the same time and this
will put a major crimp in the CPA contingency fund.
:
This may be a good time to look at a more
permanent solution for maintaining our bridges before we begin the next cycle
of repairing and or replacing them.
One possibility is to use precast decking
instead of wooden planks and runners.
For example, Dirigo Timberlands in North Anson offers several sizes of
precast, 8” thick concrete deck panels, installed on steel girders that rest on
concrete abutments.
This method of construction would extend the
useful life of our bridges significantly.
Precast bridges are manufactured to specified widths and carry heavier
loads than traditional planked bridges.
Yes, they definitely would cost more up front,
and likely need to be phased in, but over the long run perhaps a better value
to the CPA landowners.
Concrete bridge components may be worth considering before
we are faced re-building our three bridges again.
To see concrete products available for bridges
construction visit: dirigotimberlands.com
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BITS AND PIECES
- Last fall, the Maine DOT shimmed the Long Falls Dam Road in preparation for complete resurfacing that will be done in 2016. Paving will begin at route 16 and go north for 17 miles.
- Plum Creek Timberland plans to cut this summer just north of the Spring Road, but does not expect to haul nor skid on the Spring Road, and will twitch the wood north to a log yard. They also intend to leave a buffer adjacent to the road as well.
- The 18 inch minimum length limit on West Carry brook trout remains in effect. Inland Fisheries biologists will at some point in the future re-inventory the pond to determine population and health of the fisheries and suggest modifications to the regulations, if appropriate.
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East
Carry Pond Memorial Garden
 |
| Bob and Elizabeth Smith planted lupine in honer of Bob's father who operated the East Carry Pond Sporting Camps in the 50's to early 60's. Bob's parents had a deep attachment to the Carry Ponds and his mother's favorite flower was the lupine. Bob and Elizabeth welcome any other camp owners to plant annual flowers that would grow with little or no care. Wanda painted the garden sign and she and Juddy have contributed flowers as well. |
New
Carry Ponds Camp Owners
West Carry Pond:
Richard and Christopher
Poulin, New Portland, Me. ----- former Kristen
Wiley property
East Carry Pond:
Joe
and Jen Barker, Gray, Me. ----- former Kathy Poulin – Guzman
property.
Mike Walker and
Heidi Godin, Skowhegan, Me. ----- former Michael and
Winnie Jackson
property.
Welcome to the Carry Ponds!
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Elizabeth Bridges, Happy Huntress
 |
| Elizabeth Bridges of West Carry Pond shot this bull moose that weighed 710 pounds dressed in Carrying Place Township on October 14, 2015. Her sub-permittee was her cousin, Roger Titus from Virginia. Rigging helpers included David Royce, Brian Goss, Arthur Bridges, and Faye Titus. Elizabeth reports the meat is both plentiful and tasty! |
CARRY PONDS CLASSIFIED
Older 14 foot aluminum boat, $250. Judy Diaz
Contact: judyavconst@hotmail.com
Camp. Owner Steve Staples, 69 Mass Pike, West Carry
Pond. Small red camp, outhouse,
boardwalk to lake, propane refrigerator, lights and stove.
$140,000 Firm.
Contact: (207) 623- 7674.
1999 Evinrude,
Model E8R4EEM, 8 HP, 4 stroke.
1988 Johnson Model J6RCCS, 6 HP, 2 stroke.
Both serviced and running in 2015.
Contact: Juddy Calder at calder1095@radrunner.com or 207
628-4632.
Looking to Barter. Need new roof on camp at West Carry Pond.
Willing to swap: boat, use of camp, cash.
Contact: David Lumb, Winter Springs, FL.
1-407-405-0788.
Please note: We plan to continue the classified
section in next year’s newsletter. So, if you have something to sell, swap or trade
consider listing it next year.
