FALL/WINTER 2006

Clary Lake Association News

We are very pleased to announce that the Clary Lake Association was awarded the Water Quality Award for its conservation efforts by the Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District. Association president Bob Antognoni gratefully accepted the award on behalf of the association.

Board member Carol Carothers has resigned from the CLA board, as she’ll be moving. Jack Holland has agreed to fill in until the next election at the 2007 annual meeting. Thanks to Carol for her work with the association and we wish her the best of luck with her move.

We are still in need of a site for the next annual meeting to be held on August 4, 2007. If you can host the meeting, please let us know.

Clary Lake Association dues are still only $20 per family. It’s not too late to join! Please send dues to: CLA, PO Box 127, Whitefield, ME 04353

Words from Clary Lake Dam owners

As the owners of the Historic Clary Mill in North Whitefield, and as new owners of the dam which regulates the Clary Lake water level, Pleasant Pond Mill LLC (PPM) wishes to thank the Clary Lake Association, its Board and members for extending an invitation to join the Association. Thanks also for this invitation to contribute to this newsletter to again address all those interested in the future of the Historic Clary Mill and the dam, including those who may be interested in joining (or re-joining) the Clary Lake Association (CLA).

Those who attended this summer’s annual CLA membership meeting may recall the presentation PPM was invited to make prior to the members’ vote to pass a resolution regarding Clary Lake water levels. While at that

meeting, PPM was both enlightened and encouraged by the presentations made by David Hodsdon (water levels and quality), Ed Grant (water quality & State Grant programs), and Arolyn Antognoni (Loons). In fact, since joining the group this year, PPM has found the CLA to be well informed about the lake’s conditions, and proactive about preserving Clary Lake for future generations.

Our company philosophy is also motivated by informed decisions and a spirit of preservation; after purchasing the Clary Mill from the estate of Chester Chase in 2003, we undertook extensive research on the site and nominated it for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (the site achieved this recognition in December 2004). We also took steps to structurally stabilize the Mill building, including: jacking up the 5-storey structure to repair the foundation and to replace rotted sills; engaging an engineering study of the lower dam and flowage; and (consistent with that study), reopening the lower dam to drain the millpond in an attempt to stop serious water leakage which threatened the historic structure.

To further preserve the site, in spring, 2006, we negotiated to purchase the Lambert Camp and an abutting piece of land located across the road from the Mill, from Stephen Smith (Chet Chase’s grandson). We did so to forestall the removal of that building from its historic location atop the upper dam. To achieve this end, we also negotiated to purchase the upper dam itself from Arthur Enos. Due to the current condition of the properties, and to some complicated title and insurance issues, these purchases took some time, with the dam and camp sale this spring, and a final closing on the abutting land occurring just recently.

Both before and after undertaking the significant liability risks and any maintenance associated with the upper dam, PPM collected data from both public and private resources (including information provided by members of the Clary Lake Association). After the purchase, PPM joined the CLA, and worked throughout this spring and summer to regulate the upper dam so that the water level on Clary Lake was as consistent and predictable as current conditions allow (the current dam leakage rate is approximately 400 cubic feet per minute – equivalent to a bathtub full each second). We hope these efforts contributed to the building of a consensus among the CLA members regarding desired water levels on Clary Lake, and PPM was pleased to cast its vote for the water level resolution.

Now that the Mill site has been reconsolidated to include all the historic structures which previously contributed to its function as an economically viable property, PPM hopes to find a new use for this site, which will both respect its history and preserve it for future generations. The future of the entire Historic Clary Mill site is linked to the past of Clary Lake itself (the lake, formerly known as Pleasant Pond, was significantly increased to its current size when Henry Clary constructed the Mill and dams at the end of the nineteenth century, and the lake has borne his name ever since).

Working together with the Federal and Maine State Historic Preservation offices, with the town of Whitefield, and with other interested parties such as the Clary Lake Association, PPM hopes to move forward with a program of restoration of the entire site. To do so successfully will require research and planning, a commitment of time, openness to new ideas and solutions, but most importantly PPM believes, to the goodwill and efforts of all interested parties.

PPM’s membership in the CLA has proved to be a fruitful source of information, well worth our time, and a great benefit in establishing this atmosphere of goodwill which we hope will continue as we seek mutually beneficial solutions to the many challenges ahead. We encourage the current members of the Association to maintain their involvement and support, and PPM also strongly encourages all those who may have an interest in the future of Clary Lake to consider joining the CLA so they too can effectively participate in the efforts to preserve and protect this great resource for future generations. Thank you.

Richard Smith

Paul Kelley

Pleasant Pond Mill LLC

Clary Lake Sweatshirts!

Tom Vigue had this beautiful sweatshirt made and they may be ordered from the Association. Cost to members is $15 and $20 for non-members. The words and design are stitched. Please use the order form in this newsletter. The sweatshirts will make great gifts, so order early! Thanks, Tom, for this wonderful idea.

Available colors are red, gray, white and light blue. We’ve purchased M, L and XL sizes.

Best of holidays to all of you!