Effingham finally got a gas station in 2025. The NH Supreme Court upheld the town’s approval of a site plan based on a variance to its Groundwater Protection Ordinance. The ruling marked the end of the road for appeals by abutting residential property owners.
The Effingham gas station developer violated state and local regulations during the first week of construction.
The Alliance editorialized in “The Effingham Exception” that property developers across the state will take notice of the Supreme Court’s decision. The editorial urged municipal officials in towns with drinking water ordinances to learn from what took place in Effingham.
In September the gas station developer kicked off construction by encroaching on abutting State property and clear-cutting it, including two types of wetlands that are protected by Effingham’s Wetlands Ordinance.
The Alliance helped long-time lake volunteer Gloria Villari form Friends of Ossipee Lake. One of its goals is to revive the Lake Representatives Forum, an annual meeting at which members of the lake’s property owner associations discuss lake issues with State and local officials.
The new group’s June kick-off meeting focused on loons and attracted local media and a large crowd of elected officials, conservation groups and lake residents. More meetings are planned for spring and summer. The original Lake Representatives Forums ran from 2007 to 2013.
There was anger over a loon harassment incident in July. Good Samaritans took pictures of a jet skier chasing loon chicks while a loon parent tried to protect them. The pictures led authorities to the jet ski operator. Marine Patrol issued a warning letter and imposed a $84.32 fine. The punishment was widely ridiculed as insufficient.
Leavitt Bay’s Kyle Copeland won a seat on Ossipee’s Select Board. Copeland is a local businessman and president of Broad-Leavitt Bay Association. Broad Bay’s Edwina Boose received the Lakes Region Planning Commission Community Service Award for her work on Constitution Park. She was nominated by the Town of Ossipee.
Authorities quickly identified a loon-harassing jet skier but let him off with a token punishment.
The N.H. House approved a bill creating a multi-agency task force to brainstorm how to improve law enforcement on state lakes. The Senate Judiciary Committee then killed it.
A billboard went up in June asking for information on the whereabouts of Carol Gemmiti, who went missing in September 2024. Gemmiti was visiting family on Bay Point Road when she went for a walk and did not return. She remains missing.
In January, pictures of shoreline erosion and debris entering the lake from Wabanaki Campground runoff prompted renewed discussions about the need for a professional stormwater management plan. As the year ends, there is still no plan.
Months of Freedom Planning Board proceedings about building expansions at Wabanaki stalled after the board said changes to the property that had nothing to do with the expansions were being embedded in the site plan. The Planning Board told Wabanaki to start over. Meanwhile, an independent professional review of the site plan concluded that some of the buildings had already been expanded.
Wabanaki in April asked the Planning Board for an “informal discussion” (a defined process in the town ordinance) about a subdivision plan for the property. A discussion was scheduled but was postponed and never took place. In May, the Planning Board unanimously denied Wabanaki’s request to continue its site plan proceedings to June. The campground withdrew the application.
Tim Otterbach was a familiar face at public meetings for years.
Ossipee Lake Campground paid a $2,500 fine to settle with the State over unlicensed electrical work. It was one of a number of issues made public by a campground whistleblower in 2023. Neither State nor local officials could say whether the law requires the unpermitted work to be rewired by a licensed electrician.
Ossipee Lake lost a valued friend with the passing of Tim Otterbach, Tim served on Ossipee town boards, the Alliance’s board and others. The Friends of Constitution Park honored him with a memorial posted at a new kiosk near a trail to the lake.
“It’s going to be a great spot to rest, view the lake and mountains, and provide a great location for some quiet reflection and a brief escape from the realities of the world,” the memorial reads.
As we enter our 23rd year, we remain committed to keeping you informed about the state of the lake. Thank you for your support, and all the best for 2026. See you on the lake!