Full Newsletter - Toddy Pond Association

Toddy Pond Association
Newsletter
Fall 2011
Issue 27
Our Mission
We believe that we have a responsibility to protect Toddy Pond and its watershed so that we and future generations
may enjoy its beauty and the recreational opportunities it provides. Our objective is to protect the air, water, soil,
plant and animal life of the watershed and to preserve its economic, ecological and aesthetic value by encouraging
responsible land and water use.
President's Message
Donna Foster
Dear Members and Friends,
The Toddy Pond Association had a very busy summer
season! It began with our first “Hail to Summer BBQ,”
held at the Balsam Cove Campground on June 26. Many
thanks to Joe and Michelle Letts at Balsam Cove for hosting this event in their beautiful, new open-air pavilion.
Thanks also to Hannafords in Bucksport, Jerry's True
Value, and Tradewinds Market for their generous support. The event was a tremendous success, attended by over
100 people from Toddy Pond. Folks were able to reconnect with friends and neighbors, make new acquaintances,
and learn about upcoming pond events. We look forward to
our second “Hail to Summer BBQ” in June 2012. Look for
the date and details in the spring newsletter and on www.
toddypond.org in mid-May. We hope to see you there!
Find more photos from the BBQ at www.toddypond.org
TPA hired a boat inspector for three days each week
during the summer months in order to have a frontline approach to preventing the introduction of invasive plants.
Jim Bonnes was an experienced boat inspector who provided a comprehensive addition to our crew of volunteer boat
INSIDE ...
Watershed survey...............................................2
Hazard markers..................................................2
Loon nests..........................................................2
Boat inspections.................................................3
Water levels........................................................3
Picnic islands......................................................6
Great Blue (a poem)............................................7
... and more
inspectors. Detailed information can be found in the article
by Phil Tardif. Thank you, Jim, for a job well done.
Following up on our spring article about the pond survey conducted by the Department of Conservation, the survey was completed and fifty-four markers were installed
in September. We thank all the property owners who responded to our requests for input. Please see my full report
on page 2.
Forty-seven people attended our annual meeting and
potluck at the Blue Hill Consolidated School on July 19th.
Laura Wilson, from the University of Maine Cooperative
Extension, gave a presentation on the Lake Stewards program, designed to teach practical skills for protecting our
lakes. Commitment was needed from twenty people to attend the training sessions, and we fell far short of that number, but may consider it again another year.
During the business meeting we discussed the current
budget and the annual rate for TPA dues. Considerable positive discussion ensued, with several membership suggestions such as establishing various rates, or raising the dues
in increments. With an expected deficit projected of $1600,
a motion was made and approved by an overwhelming vote
to raise the annual dues from $20 to $30. This new rate will
take effect for 2012 dues payments.
The Toddy Pond Association Newsletter is printed on recycled paper using non-toxic, vegetable inks.
At the final TPA board meeting of the season, on
September 20, two representatives from Verso Paper, Bill
Cohen and Jim Brooks, attended and provided information related to the seasonal variations in the water levels on
Toddy Pond. For more information please read the article
below.
As we turn toward our winter habits and habitat, I hope
that we all continue to remember how beautiful our times
on Toddy Pond are, and that we all are wanting the same
thing — to be able to enjoy our “piece of the pie”: to relax,
recreate, share time with family and friends, create memories. It has been a pleasure working with the TPA board
and our membership, meeting our new members, and being
a part of the Toddy Pond Association, working in concert
to keeping our pond viable and healthy. Wishing you all a
healthy winter.
Toddy Pond
Watershed to Be Surveyed
If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to
help conduct the watershed survey, please contact me at
megan.facciolo@me.nacdnet.net or 667-8663 ext. 3. Also,
please visit the District website to see similar projects that
have been done in the past at www.ellsworth.org.
Navigational Hazard Markers
in Place on Toddy Pond
Donna Foster
As reported in our spring 2011 newsletter, the Department
of Conservation, Boating Facilities Division, notified the
TPA that Toddy Pond was under consideration for inclusion
in the Navigational Aids Program for marking of navigational hazards. This came about through a survey of game
wardens and fisheries biologists, which established a list of
inland waterway marking priorities based on the number of
hazards and the amount of use on each water body, and also
requests from the public.
Tim Thurston from the Boating Facilities Division told
us that before undertaking a survey of the lake they seek to
learn the interest and concerns of lake residents, and asked
for our assistance in collecting comments. This was accomplished by the initial article in the newsletter, which was
mailed to 438 property owners in all four towns and asked
for input. The response we received was small but positive.
After the survey was completed the DOC team drew up a
plan for the specific locations of markers and an email was
sent to TPA members in late July, providing access to the
maps with the proposed markers identified. Several people
responded with suggestions, which were relayed to Tim
Thurston. We extend our thanks to all those who responded
with comments.
In September, fifty-five buoys were placed. We hope
they will make Toddy Pond a safer place to navigate for
fishing, boating, and water skiing. All costs associated with
the marking of hazards are covered by the Navigational
Aids Program; there is no cost to lake residents or users.
The buoys remain in the pond year round, and beginning with ice out 2012, the DOC team will check on buoys
monthly and perform any required maintenance.
Links to maps showing the location of the buoys and a
file with coordinates that can be uploaded to many GPSs
can be found at www.maine.gov/docks/parks/programs/
boating/buoymap.html.
Megan Facciolo
[Megan is District Manager of the Hancock County Soil
and Water Conservation District.]
As part of the Hancock County Soil and Water Conservation District’s continuing work to help protect area
lakes, the District wrote and received the Toddy Pond
Watershed Survey 319 Grant from the Maine Department
of Environmental Protection. The purpose of this grant is
to conduct an erosion survey of the entire Toddy Pond watershed, which encompasses over 17 miles in the towns of
Orland, Surry, Blue Hill, and Penobscot.
The Watershed Survey will identify sources of soil
erosion, a major source of phosphorus, which can cause
excessive plant growth, algal blooms, and murky water.
Phosphorus and other pollutants reach the lake through runoff from anywhere in the watershed. This survey involves
walking properties in the watershed to identify how water
drains into the lake through ditches, small streams, or over
the ground. Our goal is to document trouble spots and then
work to find reasonable solutions to reduce the amount of
soil erosion and phosphorus draining into the lake. Any information collected is strictly used to analyze the pollution
sources to Toddy Pond — none of the information gathered
will be used for enforcement purposes and we do not require anyone to do any improvements.
A Survey Training will be held for people interested in
volunteering in the beginning of May. The survey area is
broken up into sections, most of which can be surveyed in
a weekend, and volunteers pick an area they would like to
survey. Volunteers are given a few months to survey their
area. The survey sections will then be returned and staff
from the District and the University of Maine Cooperative
Extension Water Quality office will review all the sites. The
surveying and revisions will take place through the fall of
2012. Conducting this simple survey is an important first
step in working together to protect Toddy Pond. Your help
is greatly needed and appreciated!
Floating Loon Nests
Keith R. Heavrin, Jr.
In the early spring of 2011, TPA built and placed two wellmade floating loon nests on Second Toddy Pond. Research
predicted they would not likely be nested on that first season, which proved accurate, though loons were seen hauled
up on one of the nests several times. Experience shows that
loons using floating nests have an above 90% success rate
hatching their chicks. Evidence of numerous other wild
residents were observed on the two floating nests, including ducks, otters, beaver, and mink. 2
Early on, we had some difficulty keeping the nests anchored in place due to the very windy days we had in the
spring. We solved that with a 3” cedar pole driven into the
mud, then dropping one of the two anchor blocks down
over the stake. The floating nest placed in the beaver cove
midway up the west shore had every stick and upright piece
of wood on it gnawed off and hauled over to the beaver’s
lodge. We’ll solve the need to keep cover over any nest to
protect from eagle predation by installing pieces of upright
pipe long enough to get above the beaver chew zone. The
cover branches will then be placed in the pipe tops instead
of in the raft logs. We anticipate that next nesting season
will see loons using one or both of the floating loon nests.
As this season ends, Rob Giffin and I will bring the two
floating nests in to shore, haul them just out of the water
and store them for the winter so they won’t be damaged
by ice. Michael and Ellen Paige have generously offered
a place on their nearby shore for one of the nests to be
dragged up onto a couple cedar logs. We will find a place
to haul up the beaver cove nest as well. We’ll build two
additional floating nests for placement next nesting season.
Suggestions for a placement site on First or Third Toddy
would be appreciated. Parameters are: at least 100 feet
from shore, water depth of at least five feet, proximity of
good fishing for the loons to feed, and a location somewhat
protected from big waves and wind. Contact me at keith.
heavrin@gmail.com.
Boat Inspections
order to expand coverage, TPA needs more membership to
improve our financial position. Currently, almost all of our
membership dues are dedicated to paying a boat inspector,
leaving very little money for other projects.
As we enjoy the pond throughout the seasons, please realize that an infestation of invasive plants would forever
change the character of the pond. Financially, our meager dues will seem paltry compared to the cost of funding
eradication efforts. The expensive burden of eradication
will fall on all camp owners and could potentially involve
hundreds of dollars annually for each of us. Last year, boat
inspectors throughout the state recorded the removal of invasive plants from over 200 boats. Our records show that
some boats from infected lakes come to Toddy Pond; these
boats in particular pose a potential danger if they are not
inspected carefully. These inspections are vital to the preservation of a healthy Toddy Pond.
What are your opinions concerning expanded coverage?
What can we do to increase our membership? Please voice
your opinions by contacting a board member. We need your
input and financial support.
Water Levels on
Toddy Pond: A Wild Ride
Chris Dadian
On August 25, as Hurricane Irene stormed up the East Coast
toward New England, a longtime resident of Toddy Pond,
concerned that high water fed by torrential rains and runoff
could overwhelm our dam, contacted Verso Paper, which
owns and operates the dam (and the dams on Alamoosook
and Silver Lakes). A manager at Verso told him that the
dam’s gates would be opened ahead of the storm and the
water level lowered as a precautionary measure. We decided that this information should be passed along to those
on the Toddy Pond Association email list, in hopes of allaying concern.
In the end, Irene veered west and we were spared the
brunt of her destructive force. But we did receive an unexpected flood of response to the email. Everyone who replied felt that the precautionary opening of the dam was
prudent, but many complained about low water throughout
the summer, and were dismayed that because of the drawdown levels in the wake of the hurricane were likely to be
even lower. They cited floating docks sitting on the lake
bottom and submerged rocks that had not before been a
threat joining their cruel bretheren in menacing props and
keels. But others expressed with equal passion the opinion
that the level of water in late August, significantly lower
than earlier in the summer, was desirable, minimizing erosion of precious shoreline.
With no consensus, and a limited understanding of the
impacts of water levels on the total environment of the
ponds, the TPA could not — and has not — taken a position. But feeling we needed to learn more about an issue of
concern to so many, the board contacted Verso Paper and
eventually invited representatives to our September meet-
Phil Tardif
Northwest winds ushered in cooling fall air as Toddy Pond
prepared itself for its annual change of seasons. As school
resumed, vacations ended, and open-water fishing season
drew to a close, our pond once again experienced nature’s
cooling breezes in silence, only to be shared by the common loon and occasional boater. Toddy seemed to breathe
a heavy sigh of relief, as if knowing that its stewards had
helped protect it from invasive plants and pollutants.
Realizing that an infestation of invasive aquatic plants
would have devastating economic and recreational consequences, this year the TPA board approved an expenditure
of several thousand dollars to hire Jim Bonnes to be our
boat inspector. He covered Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays
from July 4th to Labor Day weekend. In addition, twenty or
so volunteers from our TPA volunteered their time to inspect boats on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Between Jim’s
hours and the volunteers’ efforts, our pond enjoyed protection for five days each week during the summer, leaving
only Mondays and Tuesdays without boat inspectors. We
realize that our coverage is not perfect, but is improving.
If residents of the pond want boat inspection coverage
to expand to seven days a week from Memorial Day to
Labor Day, our association desperately needs more financial involvement from residents and friends of Toddy Pond.
Fewer that 25% of the pond’s residents choose to pay dues
to TPA, yet all residents benefit from boat inspectors. In
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Thus, if managed according to Verso’s plan and the operating targets developed for the implementation of the plan,
and if factors such as prolonged extreme weather do not
interfere, the level of Toddy Pond would fluctuate through
a range of roughly six inches.
The gentlemen from Verso also brought charts showing
actual water levels on the lakes since 2000, and detailed
graphs for levels this year. Many people had complained
that the water this summer was lower than any time in
memory. However, according to the Verso information the
late summer water level in Toddy Pond in 2010 was about
the same as this year, even dipping slightly lower for a brief
time. In 2009 the late summer level was only about an inch
higher, and in several earlier years, especially in the first
part of the last decade, late summer levels were much lower than this year (in 2001, almost two feet lower!).
The graph below is based on the information provided by
Verso for mid-April through August of this year, plus levels
observed on dates in mid-October and early November (a
board with graduations at tenths of a foot is fixed to the
dam and indicates the current level; the level can easily
be read by anyone from outside the security fence). The
elevations are in feet and based upon an elevation of 100.0
corresponding to the floor of the overflow spillway; the
minimum level, 18 inches lower, is thus 98.5.
ing. Bill Cohen, communication and public affairs manager for the Bucksport mill, and Jim Brooks, environmental
manager at the mill and formerly acting head of the Maine
DEP, attended the meeting, presented Verso’s Lake Level
Management plan, and responded to questions. We learned
a great deal, and were impressed that both men were willing
to engage, listen to our concerns, and respond to questions.
They placed no limits on the discussion, and we hope that a
productive channel of communication has been opened.
What did we learn? To begin with, most of us were
unaware that water levels are — or could be — actively
managed, and were under the impression that, except in
emergency situations, such as a hurricane approaching, fluctuations were determined by two factors: Mother
Nature — rainfall on the watershed or lack thereof — and
use of water by the mill.
In fact, the lake level management plan has been around
since 1994, when Champion International owned the mill.
It was adopted by International Paper, Champion’s successor, and has been continued by Verso Paper after it purchased the mill in 2006.
Based on hydrological studies the plan identifies a minimum level for each body of water that will ensure an adequate supply of water for mill operations regardless of
forseeable weather conditions. For both Toddy Pond and
Alamoosook, the minimum level is 18 inches below their
overflow spillways (at the level of the spillways, the maximum amount of water is being stored behind the dams).
Within this range of a foot and a half, from the minimum
level to the spillway, water levels are to be managed to
meet various requirements. According to the plan:
May 1
June 1
July 1
Aug. 1
Sept. 1
Oct. 1
Nov. 1
plan maximum
(overflow spillway)
100.0
11/8
99.5
Flowage considerations include, but are not limited to, the
safety of shore property owners and the downstream public;
the water supply needs of the Bucksport mill; the maintenance of fish and wildlife habitat and water quality; minimizing erosion; and public access for navigation, fishing,
and other recreational pursuits.
spring target high
10/18
99.0
fall target low
98.5
plan minimum
98.0
Mr Cohen explained to us that they attempt to meet
these requirements by using operating targets that are well
within the 18-inch range established in the plan. On Toddy
Pond, the operating upper target is six inches below the
spillway. This “internal” target was established in 2009, after concerns were expressed by residents of Upper (Third)
Toddy about erosion, and is used to set a stable level in
early spring, when runoff from snow melt and rainfall are
filling the ponds.
During the normally drier months of summer the water
level is allowed to fall naturally (with withdrawals for the
mill) toward another target six inches lower (that is, six
inches above the minimum level). The lower water level
thus achieved by late summer is intended to minimize erosion, especially along the eastern shore when prevailing
winds shift from southwest to west. According to the management plan, in late fall the level is to be stabilized to allow furbearers to build or repair lodges for the winter, and
the relatively low level is maintained through the winter.
The shaded region on the graph is the range between
the spring and fall targets. The data shows that the water
level was kept stable around the spring target level of 99.5
through May, then was allowed to rise several inches, to just
below the spillway, for most of the month of June. Through
July and August the level was allowed to drop steadily toward the lower fall target of 99.0. By the time Irene rolled
through, the water was a couple inches below that target.
Thus, between the end of June and the end of August, Toddy
Pond’s water fell through a foot of elevation.
In response to the complaints about water being unusually low in August, Mr Cohen explained that the water
level normally is not taken down to its fall low until after
Labor Day, but that this summer levels in both Toddy Pond
and Alamoosook were being lowered early in anticipation
of repair work to be done on the Alamoosook dam (according to the management plan it is the mill’s policy to
4
lower or raise water levels in both lakes together). In fact,
Mr Cohen told us, this drawdown had already begun when
our member called about preparations for Irene, and was
“covered” by the precautionary drawdown. He apologized
for the misinformation and assured us that we would be
informed of similar anticipated deviations from the plan in
the future.
The extended rise in June — the driest month of last
summer — to a level well above the target of 99.5 feet is
more difficult to understand. Coinciding with the height of
the loon nesting season, it seems to contradict an objective
stated explicitly in the management plan:
What should we expect in the future? If Toddy Pond’s
water level was managed in accordance with Verso’s plan,
we might be spared the roller coaster extremes we experienced in 2011. Threats to loons, furbearers, props, and
keels would be reduced, and though the low level that produced so many complaints this year is only a couple inches
below the target, if the target were set for after Labor Day,
the ponds could be several inches higher in late August
than they were this year.
But it might be a good idea to keep our seatbelts fastened
for now. The data Verso provided for 2009 and 2010 show
the same profile as 2011: high water in June followed by a
drop of about a foot by early September, followed by another steep rise. Heavy, persistent rain in the spring of 2009
may be blamed for very high water then (and in turn the
complaints that led to Verso’s establishing the lower “internal” target). But the overall pattern since then is clear, and
suggests a lack of commitment on the part of Verso Paper
to their management “regime.” It is also discouraging that
despite expressions of sympathy from Mr Cohen and Mr
Brooks at our meeting in September and their assurance
that we would be kept informed, we received no forewarning that water would be allowed to rise far above the plan
level just a month later, and no satisfactory explanation
when we inquired about it.
Though the Toddy Pond Association cannot at this time
advocate for a specific level or range of levels there are
several things we can do:
The nesting season for loons starts about mid May and continues through mid July. Verso Paper’s lake level regime is
designed to ensure that significant and immediate changes
to lake levels … is implemented prior to the loon nesting
season so that the lake level is stabilized prior to the nesting
period.
For the human residents of Toddy Pond, high water
through June led to the roller coaster plummet — more
than twelve inches of our lake lost in less than two months.
It seems at least possible that for many of us the impression
of extraordinarily low water as we were enjoying the last
weeks of summer was reinforced by the magnitude of the
loss we had witnessed over the preceding weeks.
After the meeting with Verso I contacted Bill Cohen and
asked him to help us understand what happened in June.
After checking the dam operator’s log, he told me that the
control gates on the Toddy Pond dam during that period
had been open only 1.5 inch, that is, essentially closed (a
small amount of water is almost always being released to
support flow in the stream between Toddy and Alamoosook
while the fish ladder is open). But he gave no explanation
for why the water was being held back through June.
By mid-October, several weeks after Irene, the water
level in Toddy Pond had recovered somewhat, and rested
just above the 99.1 mark at the dam. But the next three
weeks saw another dramatic rise: on November 8 the level
was at 99.8, more than eight inches higher and just below
the June high. This is the season when furbearers are building and repairing their winter lodges, and, as again explicitly recognized in the Verso plan, not a good time for high
water. When I contacted Mr Cohen and asked for an explanation he admitted that the water was well above the target
level for this time of year and offered that runoff from fall
rains had been slower than normal, causing accumulation.
He did not respond to my reply that this was not a convincing explanation, since the control gates were, as in June,
open only enough to release a trickle of water: evidently,
the level had risen because it was being held back, managed perhaps, but not according to the plan. However, the
gates were opened that day (November 8), and ten days
later, as this issue was going to press, the level at the dam
was observed to have dropped several inches, to about 99.4.
Toddy Pond’s 2011 wild ride may not be over.
Learn
more about the hydrology of Toddy Pond and its
watershed and the impacts of water level management
(or lack of management) on the environment, and share
that information with the community.
Measure
and record water levels on Toddy Pond from
May through September and publish a summary on a
regular basis on www.toddypond.org.
Maintain
contact with Verso Paper and the Alamoosook
lake association, and seek ways to cooperate and share
information.
Listen
to the opinions of Toddy Pond residents on all
sides of the issue, encourage constructive dialogue, and
relay those perspectives to Verso.
If you would like to share your views on water levels,
please send a concise statement to toddymail@toddypond.
org, with “water levels” in the subject line, or to TPA, PO
Box 645, Blue Hill, ME 04614. The TPA board will review
any statements we receive and may relay a summary of
the response to Verso, without identifying individuals. If
there is sufficient response we may report on it in the spring
newsletter, so please let us know if you are willing to let us
quote you then.
Membership News
Nancy Lord
Our membership drive went well this year, with forty-three
new members. We want to thank all these new members for
5
A Guide to Picnic
Islands on Toddy Pond
joining as well as those who renewed their memberships.
The money goes toward paying our boat inspector, who
along with our many volunteers was able to cover more
inspection days.
The Toddy Pond merchandise project did well too, with
a net profit of about $700. We are looking for ideas for new
Toddy Pond items.
Do You Know Who Your
Board Members Are?
Sarah LeVine
Between them, Middle (Second) and Upper (Third) have at
least a dozen islands ranging from islets consisting of a few
heaped boulders topped by scraggly bushes to a couple of
forested islands several acres in size at the Blue Hill end of
Upper Toddy. All of course are privately owned and some
are closely guarded; but since people began summering on
the pond more than a century ago, the owners of three pristine islands -- Indian Island and Lord’s Island (in Middle
Toddy) and Twin Island (in Upper Toddy) --- have generously permitted others to explore, picnic and even camp
overnight on their property.
Indian Island (also known as Blueberry or Sand Island)
is roughly one hundred and fifty feet in diameter and lies
near the northern end of Middle Toddy not far from the
Narrows leading into Lower Toddy. It consists of a hill
ringed by maple and oak saplings that rises about twenty
feet above the water. Landing is best made on the pebbly
beach on the northwest side from which a path leads up a
slope clothed in moss and blueberry bushes. At the summit stands one lone white pine, a great spot from which to
gaze down the sandy southern slope cleared of vegetation
by children who for generation have used it as a slide, and
across the water to distant Blue Hill. (NB. For many years
a loon pair have made their nest on the beach. So until the
eggs are hatched in mid-July, picnickers aren’t welcome!)
Donna Foster
Each pond has three representatives so that the TPA general
membership has a place to be heard. If you have a concern
related to Toddy Pond, you can contact one of the reps from
your area who will then be able to bring that concern to the
monthly board meetings that occur from May to September.
Please see the last page of this newsletter to find out who
your reps are. TPA wants to hear your ideas. Share your
concerns and comments with your pond representative!
Let's Hear From You!
If you have an opinion, a suggestion, a story about our
beloved ponds and their denizens, a poem, recipe, photo,
or whatnot that you'd like to share, send it to toddymail@
toddypond.org, or to TPA, PO Box 645, Blue Hill, ME
04614. We'll publish some in the newsletter and more at
www.toddypond.org.
Indian Island (aka Sand Island or Blueberry Island), Middle Toddy
6
Lord’s Island (named for its late owner, Albert Lord),
long and narrow and roughly one hundred by thirty yards,
lies near the southern end of Middle Toddy. A mossy path
flanked by huckleberry and high blueberry bushes and
shaded by hemlock, cedar and maple follows the center
ridge into an open area. This offers a fire pit and a childsize picnic table; beyond it is a wide rock that slopes into
the water, a perfect swimming and sunbathing place.
Twin Island, in the center of Upper Toddy, is about the
same size as Indian Island. Within fairly recent memory,
it did indeed have a twin facing it across a narrow channel
on its southern side; but its twin gradually sank below the
surface of the lake and today all that remains is a crooked
line of sharp rocks. Twin Island itself boasts four tall pines
and one silver birch. It is fringed by massive boulders and
high blueberry bushes through which a path cuts in from
the western shore to an open area with a fire pit.
In addition, Toddy boasts three Floating Islands, which
lie in the large cove between Long and Short Points where
the Narrows wind between Lower and Middle Toddy.
Ranging from half to well over an acre in extent, they rise
about 4 feet above the water in slabs of densely massed
Great Blue
vegetation that include small pines, bushes and meadow
flowers. Since they are only lightly anchored to the lake
bottom, from time to time great chunks separate from the
main mass and are carried by wind and waves out of the
cove. More than half a century ago, Bob Jones and Nick
Webster and his sisters recall an island floating through
Middle Toddy until it crashed ashore in pieces several
hundred-feet square. Their fathers first tried cutting up the
beached islets; then they got in their motorboats and attempted to drag them back into the water; but this strategy
failed too. Eventually the islets drifted away from the shore
and sank in deep water where they’ve provided rich food
for the fish ever since.
A few winters ago a chunk broke off from one of the
island and floated into the Narrows, which it blocked until
some local camp owners got together to undertake the laborious task of chopping it up.
Though the Floating Islands mightn’t be ideal for overnight camping, they are great to explore and they too are
pristine. Not a single soda can or scrap of paper it to be
seen.
Let’s keep all our picnic island this way!
Keith R. Heavrin, Jr.
Daylight’s end and ducks still call, leaves turned glorious, beginning Fall.
Great Blue stalks our shore silently slow, legs so long in sunset’s glow.
Almost ashore and going south, a spear he carries for a mouth.
Hunter of shallow water fish, or cold slowed frogs for a late day dish.
So deliberately careful his every move, deep within a hunter’s groove.
Efficient and deadly this ancient art, skills long honed he plays his part. Spear flashes down, an invisible stab, a minnow meal nabbed in one quick grab. Tiny food for Great Blue along the shore, stalking slow again, he looks for more.
Our beach well hunted, he is done, he looks west to the setting sun.
Majestic and huge he lifts to fly, powerful strokes and one squawked cry.
Breathtaking beauty is true to describe, the fascinating Great Blue Heron tribe.
Such as these make us all so fond, of our wild neighbors on Toddy Pond.
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Toddy Pond Association
President
Donna Foster ☎ 667-1319
Vice President:
Bob Jones ☎ 664-6190
Secretary:
Keith R. Heavrin, Jr. ☎ 667-1319
Treasurer
Linda Jellison ☎ 469-3775
Board of Directors
First Toddy
Nancy Lord ☎ 469-2188
Jeff Smith ☎ 469-3557
Phil Tardif ☎ 469-0784
Second Toddy
Chris Dadian ☎ 469-0234
Sarah LeVine ☎ 667-1293
Bob LeVine ☎ 667-1293
Third Toddy
Ernie Gelinas ☎ 667-3738
Linda Jellison ☎ 469-3775
Dick Salminen ☎ 667-1279
Project Coordinators
Boat Inspections ...................... Phil Tardif ☎ 469-0784
Jeff Smith ☎ 469-3557
Boat Landing ........................... Dick Salminen ☎ 667-1279
Email List ................................ Chris Dadian ☎ 469-0234
Fishing ..................................... Bruce Brown ☎ 667-6190
Fish Testing ............................. John Manfred ☎ 667-9545
History ..................................... Sarah LeVine ☎ 667-1293
Loon Count . ............................ Ginger Doyle ☎ 326-8351
Membership and Mailings . ..... Nancy Lord ☎ 469-2188
Newsletter Editor . ................... Chris Dadian ☎ 469-0234
Pesticides ................................. Bob Jones ☎ 664-6190
Bob LeVine ☎ 667-1293
Plant Patrol .............................. Bob LeVine ☎ 667-1293
Water Rights ............................ Bob Jones ☎ 664-6190
Chris Dadian ☎ 469-0234
Water Testing ........................... Dick Salminen ☎ 667-1279
Website Managers ................... Donna Foster ☎ 667-1319
Ian Foster
Toddy Pond Association
P.O. Box 645
Blue Hill, ME 04614
OFFICErs