A long-simmering dispute over zoning enforcement and sales practices at Westward Shores has come to a head with a lawsuit filed in State Superior Court by more than 70 campers against the Town of Ossipee and the current and previous owners of the big lake business. The group has asked the court to 'grandfather' their camping units for zoning purposes, and is seeking monetary damages from current campground owner Northgate Ossipee, and two previous owners, Anthony Aversa and Joan Brassil.
Paving and grading at the entrance to the state-managed site on Route 25 in Ossipee will prevent boaters from launching or removing watercraft on October 18. The site will reopen the next day.
October typically has good weather for boating, and the state has slightly delayed the start of the drawdown process for this year. But keep your eye on the water level. By the end of the month it may be difficult to remove boats and docks in some places.
The September 14 decision found that a Superior Court judge erred last year by ruling in favor of the Town of Effingham after the children's camp sued it for denying its annual application to qualify for a charitable tax exemption. While the ruling focuses on a decision made by the town in 2015, the tax dispute between the camp and the town has deeper roots.
Flickers look different from most of the woodpeckers we commonly see in the New England wilds. It is more of an oddball in the woodpecker clan. It has a speckled, chestnut-brown body with a black crescent on its spotted breast, and a black mustache—when it is a male. We might see yellow under the surfaces of its wings and tail if it flies overhead. A new article by ecologist Dave Eastman.
The state advises swimmers to avoid the blue-green algae scum patches and colored flecks that have been found along the pond's shoreline and coves. Some cyanobacteria produce toxins that can cause human health problems, but the state says the Danforth Pond warning is not based on a toxin evaluation. Instead, it is intended as a precautionary measure.
At an Alliance forum on August 25, Jim Gallagher, the state's chief engineer, detailed plans for a major reconstruction of the Ossipee River dam complex starting in the spring of 2019. The DES official fielded an array of questions during the hour-long meeting, ranging from water levels to historic preservation to fish ladders.
Major Work planned for the Ossipee River Dam next year will likely alleviate flooding to some extent. But because of the geography of the lake, Mother Nature will remain a wild card. This is the last of the articles in our series leading up to the state's public presentation of its plan to replace the dam next year. The meeting is this Saturday, August 25, at 10 a.m. in Freedom Town Hall.
In this 2010 Alliance newsletter article, a state official articulated why the dam needed to be replaced to improve flood protection and prevent a structure failure that would devastate downriver properties. The article is also useful for its recounting of the dam's history.
A long-time resident of Freedom, Ned Hatfield, author of this article, died in July 2017. He was a retired teacher who served his town for a number of years on the zoning board. His deep interest in the lake is evident in this thoughtful article about the environmental implications of winter drawdowns, a topic he felt had not received sufficient attention. We're reposting it, along with other similar articles, to provide context for the August 25th public meeting we're hosting at which the state will present its plan to replace the Ossipee River Dam.
Bob Smart has written often about the Ossipee River Dam, including this newsletter article from 2004 about the dam's history and how it's operated. This is one of a number of articles we'll be reposting in advance of the state's presentation on how it plans to rebuild the dam next year. That public presentation will be August 25 in Freedom Town Hall at 10 a.m.
Ossipee Lake as we know it today was formed by the construction of the Ossipee River Dam more than a century ago. Next year the dam will get a significant upgrade. A public meeting to be held in Freedom on Saturday, August 25, will detail the state's plan.
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