FALL 1999 to Preserve, Protect and Improve the Unique Ecosystems of Merrymeeting Bay
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MerrymeetingMerrymeeting NewsNews The Newsletter of Friends of Merrymeeting Bay • P.O. Box 233 • Richmond Maine 04357 FALL 1999 To Preserve, Protect and Improve the Unique Ecosystems of Merrymeeting Bay. MERRYMEETING BAY Friends of Merrymeeting Bay is a 1999-2000 SPEAKER SERIES 501c3 nonprofit organization. 7:00 p.m. Beam Classroom, Visual Arts Center, Support comes from members' tax- deductible donations and grants. Bowdoin College, Brunswick (Nov. 17 & May 17 at Bridge Academy, Dresden, Maine) Education OCTOBER 20 Preserving the Bay: The Thorne Head Experience Hands Around the Bay, Speaker Se- Anne W. Hammond, Lower Kennebec Regional Land Trust; ries, field trips. Jack Witham, Holt Research Forest Conservation & Stewardship NOVEMBER 17 Family Farming on Merrymeeting Bay Protecting natural resources through (Dresden Bridge Academy) • 7:30 pm private and public ownership, ease- Jan Goranson & Rob Johanson, Goranson Farm, Dresden; ments and stewardship. Harry & Dave Prout, Prout Farm, Bowdoinham Speakers follow FOMB Annual Meeting and Raffle Draw- Membership Events ing (7:00 p.m.) – public invited, raffle drawing to follow (see Swan Island Picnic, paddle tours of the pg. 2 for details). Bay, field trips, conservation meetings, DECEMBER 15 A Bridge Back to the Year 1000: The Bay at the potluck suppers and shoreline clean-ups. Turn of the Millennium Steve Cox, Maine State Museum Research and Advocacy Water quality, data collection, toxics, JANUARY 19 The Bay as Inspiration for Art fisheries restoration. Bryce Muir, artist; Franklin Burroughs, author; FEBRUARY 16 Environmental Trade-offs: Are They Worth It? 1999 Steering Committee Edwards Dam, a Case Study Frank Burroughs, Bowdoinham Christopher St. John, Dana Cary, Topsham Maine Center for Economic Policy, Andy Cutko, Bowdoinham Moderator; Ed Friedman, Bowdoinham Steve Brooke, Kennebec Coalition and American Rivers; Kathleen Kenny, Dresden Jonathan Carter, Forest Ecology Network; Esther Lacognata, Topsham Kevin Gildart, Bath Iron Works Peter Lea, Brunswick MARCH 15 A Working Watershed from 1600 to 1950: Industry & Bob Lenna, Bowdoinham Agriculture on Merrymeeting Bay Pat Maloney, Topsham Edward Hawes, Consulting Historian Kathleen McGee, Bath Tenley Meara, Topsham APRIL 19 A Bird’s Eye View of the Bay: A Look at Current Conditions Bill Milam, Woolwich & Changes Over Time Using Aerial Photos Mark Milam, Woolwich Dave Edson, James W. Sewall Co.; Jay Robbins, Richmond Alan Haberstock, Kleinschmidt Associates Karin Tilberg, Bowdoinham MAY 17 Eagles & Ospreys in Midcoast Maine Executive Director (Dresden Bridge Academy) Betsy Ham, Bowdoinham Don Hudson, Chewonki Foundation On-Line http://www.col.k12.me.us/mmb/ FREE • Open to the Public • FREE [email protected] With support from Bowdoin College Environmental Studies Program, Patagonia Outlet, Enterprise Farms & Topsham Shop 'N Save Page 2 - Merrymeeting News - Fall 1999 Friends of Merrymeeting Bay THANK YOU FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE ANNUAL FUND Thank you to all 73 members, nearly and Nancy Barber, Bob BaRoss, Piers Stan and Loukie Lofchie, Shawne 25% of our membership, who have gen- Beirne, Helen Boynton, William and McCord, Tenley Meara, Merrymeeting erously given to our Annual Fund so far Jean Briggs, Robert A. Bryan, David Rowing Club, Bill and Nancy Milam, for a total of $7,264 dollars. Don’t see Nagler and Claudia Brzoza, Frank and Henry and Joanie Mitchell, Francis your name on the list? A few of you who Susan Burroughs, Richard and Nancy Moore: in honor of Linwood Rideout, renewed at the time of the Annual Ap- Coffin, Wilber Cooper, Dorothy and Bill Nels and Betty Nelson, Jim and Barbara peal mailing have not yet received your Corkhill, Dee and Clancy Cummins, Rob- O’Hare, Bob Olney, Maria Jackson appeal letter. When you do, please give ert and Nancy Curtis, Andy and Kate Parker, Fred and Lillian Pease, Steve generously. For others, its not to late to Cutko, Bob Dale and Jean Parker , Fran Pelletier, Ed Pert, Harry E. Prout, Leo give! If you have misplaced the form sim- Leyman and John Detweiler, Richard Redfern, Elizabeth and Carlton Reed, Jr., ply send your check to FOMB at Box 233, and Kay Evans, Roy and Joanne Farmer, Linwood Rideout, Jay and Lisa Robbins, Richmond, ME 04357 and mark Annual Jean and Bill Fawcett, Sally and Bob Mr. S.E. Rule, Richard Schager, Nancy Appeal in the memo section of your Fesler, John Frumer and Elizabeth Sonnenfeld, Doris Souviney, Richard check. We hope to raise $10,000 from Barrett, Edwin Gamble, Walter and Sa- Sperry, David and Elizabeth Steen, Bob this drive by the end of the year. rah Gebert, Mike and Caryl Giggey, Fred and Karen Stram, George S. Sugden, Joe Thank you to all of the following Haer, Virginia H. Hammond, Anne and and Adelaide Trafton, John and Sherrye members who gave generously to the Steve Hammond, John and Susan Holt, Trafton, Maxwell Ward, D. Ward and Annual Fund: Whitney Houghton, Natalie and Fritz Debra Lipscomb, E. John White, Don and Sara Amato, John and Petey Kempner, Susan King, Mort and Sally Connie Williamson, Charles Woodman, Ambrose, Ann and Mike Badham, David LaPointe, Bob Lenna, Ronald S. Ligon, Elaine Woodward, Elihu York, Eric Zeise. BUY A RAFFLE TICKET FOR A NIGHT ON THE TOWN Tickets: $10 BRUNSWICK: Dinner for two at Henry & Marty and two tickets to any Drawing November 17 show at the Theater Project. Sign up for a ticket on the night of Five fantastic nights on the town Christmas Carol, Waiting for Godot, the October or November Speaker Se- will be raffled to five lucky winners at Travels With My Aunt, and Blues for an ries and be automatically eligible to win the Annual Meeting and November Alabama Sky. Subject to availability of the door prize as well. Speaker Series on November 17th. seats reserve ahead. You don’t have to be present to win PORTLAND: Complete dinner FREEPORT: Dinner for two at the the raffle. Whoever is selected first will for two at Fore Street Restaurant and Harraseeket Inn and a $50 gift certificate get their pick of “night on the town” pack- two tickets to any show of the Port- at L.L. Bean. ages and so on until all five winners are land Stage Company during the 1999- BUCKSPORT: Overnight, dinner chosen. 2000 season including: Nixon’s Nixon and breakfast for two at the L’Ermitage To be part of the raffle simply fill out [until 11/21], Collected Stories, A and two theater tickets and a $25 gift the attached tickets and send the address certificate at the Alamo Movie Theater part of the ticket plus $10 per ticket to and Northeast Film. FOMB at Box 233, Richmond ME. Buy BATH: A night of blues! Dinner for one and sell the other to your neighbor or two at Beale Street and two tickets to the friend and join us at the Annual Meeting/ December 18 concert of Sapphire; The Speaker Series on November 17th (see Fall 1999 Uppity Blues Women (Chocolate Church). below for details) for the drawing! VOL. 9, NO 4 October, 1999 ANNUAL MEETING TO BE HELD NOVEMBER 17TH Merrymeeting News At the Bridge Academy in Dresden is the newsletter of Friends of Merrymeeting Bay, P.O. Box 233, 6:30 pm: Dessert and friendship will be shared (we will provide dessert). Richmond, Maine 04357, and is 7:00 pm: Official Annual Meeting begins with yearly reports and election of published seasonally. Steering Committee members. A slate of candidates nominated by Merrymeeting News is sent to the nominating committee will be presented. Nominations will also FOMB members and other friends be accepted from the floor. Nominations will be voted on by the of the Bay. For information call members. Betsy Ham, Executive Director 666- 7:30 pm: Family Farming on the Bay (see page 1 for details). 3376. Raffle drawing to follow speakers. Members, friends and family are welcome! Friends of Merrymeeting Bay Fall 1999 - Merrymeeting News - Page 3 THREATS TO THE BAY Deep in the heart of Topsham lies a wonderful piece of mation call: DEP [Bill Hinkle 287-3901], Dresden Planning land threatened by development. This approximately 500 acre Board [Town Office: 737-4335]. parcel contains a variety of significant and special features in- Finally, upstream in Augusta a bit more information on the cluding a large wetland, old quarries, timber and trails, ancient Kennebec PCB hotspot we brought to light in our spring issue sea coast caves and a magnificent gorge through which the of Merrymeeting News is available. DEP data on fish species Cathance River runs just above it's fall into tidewater. Through sampled in 1997 have been obtained by FOMB. Mean PCB the Cathance Gorge are a series of whitewater drops aerating levels for the four species sampled were as follows and are in the river just above it's tidal section where water from the gorge parts per billion [ppb]; striped bass 11.8, brown trout 54.6, nourishes at least half a dozen rare plant types as well as a smallmouth bass 341.6, and white sucker 830.6! Individual number of anadromous fish species for whom this section of levels in the white suckers went as high as 987. Health adviso- river serves both as spawning and nursery grounds. ries kick in at 11 ppb. Bounded by the Brunswick-Topsham Bypass to the south The physical distribution of contaminants and the source the Cathance River Gorge to the north, Route 196/201 to the both remain unknown at this time and only very preliminary west, and Route 24 to the east, this land is a jewel in the center sediment sampling has been undertaken thus far. It is impor- of Topsham. Used now by a variety of interest groups includ- tant that the state toxicologist not revise fish advisories down- ing the Mt.