November 27, 2024

Significant renovations completed at Raymond's Mill Street dam

Editor’s note; This is the final part of a two-part series about activities and renovations at Mill Street dam in Raymond.

By Kendra Raymond


The recent salmon egg retrievals that were conducted at Mill Street dam, also known as Panther Run, in Raymond were much easier this year, thanks to some major improvements that took place over the summer. Fisheries biologists and culturists are wrapping up the yearly “egg take” from salmon as they make their way up the Jordan River from Sebago Lake to spawn.

Restoration work performed this summer at
Mill Street dam in Raymond is shown.
PHOTO BY RICHARD PARKER 
Mill Street dam is an iconic spot in Raymond, frequented by residents and visitors hoping to participate in recreational activities such as fishing, picnicking, and swimming. Mill Street is located just off Main Street in the original downtown area. Motorists and pedestrians can observe the pastimes as they travel over the bridge heading away from town.

In recent years, the dam has become dilapidated and deemed unsafe after years of use and it became apparent that it was time to deal with the issues before there was a major failure.

Panther Pond Association member Bill Brennan said he’s pleased to see the renovations completed.

“Given the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the Dundee Park dam failure in Windham and results thereof, the Mill Street dam is a positive story,” he said. “I also know that these dams are aging out. The Town of Raymond is dealing currently with a request for the Dingley dam at Thomas Pond.”

Richard Parker is the Director of the Engineering Division for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. He emphasized that it was time to get the repairs underway.

“The water control structure of the dam was badly deteriorated posing unsafe conditions for staff who were tasked to manipulate the gate elevations to control water levels of Panther Pond,” he said.

Vital conservation role

The Mill Street dam plays a vital role in conservation of the area.

“The dam has two main purposes. It controls the water level of Panther Pond upstream. Secondly, it is crucial to provide water and flow to allow biologists to entrap spawning salmon for the purpose of removing the eggs to use to raise additional salmon at the hatchery,” Parker said. “Without the dam, water levels would be extremely low in Panther Pond. I would say it is very important to the community.”

Dam renovations began in May and were completed at the end of October, just in time for the spawning season. The process was involved and required a significant amount of planning.

Parker outlined the process.

“Steel sheet piles 30 feet in length were driven 12 inches upstream from the existing concrete structure to eliminate water seeping under the dam. Hundreds of yards of badly deteriorated concrete on the structure were removed to a point where the existing structure was solid, forms were erected, and new concrete with extensive reinforcement was installed,” he said. “The gate structure and gate were 100 percent replaced with new materials, and the right embankment received extensive drainage improvements and a new concrete retaining wall. One exiting upgrade that was made was the height of the left and right ogee on each side of the gate. The elevation of the left ogee is set to the ideal elevation of Panther Pond so water can naturally leave the impoundment without the necessity of opening the gate. The right ogee is set 3 inches higher than the left so it can alleviate high water caused by a storm. If rain events are extreme, then the gate can still be opened to evacuate the excess flow, but our hopes are this will only occur on a limited basis.”

Association involvement

PPA played a significant role in the renovations, as related by the Panther Pond Association Fall 2024 newsletter.

“Mill Street Dam is owned by the state of Maine and managed by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. The dam is critical for IFW in support of the fisheries hatchery activities focused on salmon spawning at the building adjacent to the dam. Many years ago, the state established a target water level for Panther Pond at 280.5 feet above sea level and have been managing to the target level ever since. This level assures there is enough water in Panther Pond to support a mid-October – late November release of water into the Jordan River of sufficient volume to allow salmon to migrate up the river to spawn. These salmons use a fish ladder to get into the building where they are milked for eggs, fertilized, and moved to the IFW fish hatchery in Casco. The salmon are then returned to Sebago Lake. The smolt are used to stock many lakes in Maine, including Panther Pond and Sebago. With a scientific name Salmo Salar Sebago, these fish have thrived as far away as Patagonia in Traful Lake and river.

“The old dam required a flood gate to be continuously opened and closed for management of the Panther Pond level with the goal of achieving the target level of 280.5 feet,” the newsletter article said. “Lake levels can fluctuate materially as most recently witnessed in the spring of 2022 and 2023. In 2022, many docks installed in mid-April were 6-12 inches underwater by the end of the month. Two significant rainstorms caused the lake to rise over a foot over a period of 4 to 5 days post-storm. The opening of the flood gates allowed the lake to subside, and it took around 3 weeks for the level to recede to the level it was at when the docks were put in. The results from the manual opening of the gate were a combination of art and science, with the goal of achieving the target level.”

PPA has good historical data on lake levels which fluctuate continuously depending on the extent of rain, melting, and other weather events.

According to the article, the new dam uses spillways to manage water levels, and the heights have been set and are completed.

“On Sept. 18, 2024, the lake level was 3 inches below the target level. There has been no material rain event in September to bring this level up and the dam is not releasing any water. The 2 inch drop below target level can be attributed to a combination of evaporation and some water seepage at the construction site,” information in the article cites. The engineering design of the new dam differs from the old dam in that the spillway height has been set to hit the Target Level of 280.5 feet, requiring no manual opening of the flood gate. Any water above the target level will naturally flow over the spillway until the target level is reached. A significant rain event will raise the lake level, and the spillway will overflow until the lake is back down to the target level. The PPA will be monitoring the lake levels of the new dam to determine how long it takes the lake to settle back to target levels after rain/melt events under the new dam engineering design.”

Salmon migration


On or about October 18, 2024, the flood gates were opened, bypassing the spillways, to release enough water into the Jordan River to allow the salmon to migrate from Sebago Lake to the dam to spawn. This flow will be maintained until late November and the fish will return to Sebago. In the absence of any material rain event, this will cause the lake to drop below the target level. This drop could be a material drop if there is no rain to offset the draw down.

Association members say the lake is very low, and many have commented that they have never seen it so low. Brennan concurs and believes that the lake should not drop much lower since the salmon drawdown has been completed.

“There is minimal water passing through the flood gate on the dam,” he said. “We have also experienced a lack of significant precipitation since August.”

The salmon milking on Nov. 13, was a success with more salmon in the milking house and in the pool below the dam than anyone can remember, he said.

“The lack of any meaningful precipitation created a condition where Panther Run was one of the few streams dumping significant water into Sebago Lake,” Brennan said. “IFW believes this concentrated the salmon into Panther Run and some estimates suggest that over 1,000 fish that made the journey to Mill Street dam. It was quite a sight to see all these salmon swimming up Panther Run and then settling into the pool below the dam. We hope mother nature provides the precipitation and deep snowpack that will be needed to refill the pond by spring.”

Brennan agrees that PPA is committed to the health and preservation of Panther Pond.

“The mission statement is about the water quality and ecology of the pond,” he said. <

Loon Echo Land Trust to build loop trail at Sebago Cove Forest

By Ed Pierce

Less than a year after conserving 362 acres along the shoreline of Sebago Cove in Naples, Loon Echo Land Trust (LELT) has obtained funding from the Land for Maine’s Future program for construction of a loop trail at Sebago Cove Forest.
Loon Echo Land Trust has obtained funding from the Land
for Maine's Future program for construction of a loop
trail at Sebago Cove Forest in Naples. COURTESY PHOTO

In a statement posted on social media, LELT Executive Director Matt Markot said that construction of the new loop trail is scheduled to begin in 2025, along with a nearby new off-street parking area.

“This 2-mile loop trail will improve public access to Sebago Cove Forest, guiding visitors right to the shore of Sebago Cove,” Markot said. “The trail will be accessible by car or boat. Our work goes beyond conserving land for wildlife and water quality. Supporting and directly providing access to the outdoors is at the center of our mission.”

This comes on the heels of LELT’s multi-year fundraising effort which allowed it to purchase a conservation easement from the landowner, Oani-SC LLC, enabling LELT to conserve the undeveloped forest land. While Sebago Cove Forest remains under private ownership, the easement permanently secured public access for hunting, fishing, hiking, and other recreational activities while prohibiting commercial and residential development and subdivision.

“The Lake Region has a long and proud tradition of public use on private land for hunting and fishing,” Markot said. “We’re proud to protect those traditional uses and enhance access for other recreational activities.”

Conservation easements limit future development and ensure that working forests, farmland, clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and scenic beauty remain an important part of the regional landscape for generations to come. LELT’s conservation easement for Sebago Cove Forest will run with the land regardless of future ownership.


Sebago Cove Forest is an important addition to the region’s network of conserved lands in the Lakes Region because of its 2,500 feet of frontage on Sebago Cove, part of Sebago Lake. It is part of a large network of undeveloped forest land near Sebago Lake and home to countless wetlands, vernal pools, wild brook trout habitat, and deer wintering areas.

It is also within the traditional and unceded territory of the Abenaki, a member tribe of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Abenaki First Nations of Odanak and Wôlinak maintain reservations along the St. Francis and St. Lawrence Rivers in the Canadian province of Quebec, where they sought refuge from colonial warfare in the Saco and Androscoggin River watersheds during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Markot said that protecting the Sebago Cove Forest also plays an important role in safeguarding the water quality of Sebago Lake, which is the source of drinking water for more than 200,000 Maine residents and many Cumberland County businesses. Sebago Lake is so clean, thanks in large part to its forested watershed, that it is just one of 50 surface water suppliers out of more than 13,000 nationally that is not required to be filtered.

The new loop trail will be funded with financial assistance from the Land for Maine’s Future Fund, part of the Land for Maine's Future Program, which is the State of Maine's primary funding source for conserving land for its natural, economic, and recreational value.

Loon Echo Land Trust was founded in 1987, and is a nonprofit organization that protects land, ensures public access to the outdoors, and builds and maintains recreational trails in Raymond, Casco, Naples, Harrison, Sebago, Bridgton, and Denmark. The organization currently conserves more than 8,500 acres of land and manages a 35-mile trail network across the Lake Region. LELT protects many important local landmarks like Pleasant Mountain, Bald Pate Mountain, Raymond Community Forest and Hacker’s Hill. <

Chamber preparing for ‘Bid of Christmas’ auction

By Ed Pierce

Amber Rankine has only been the President and Chief Executive Officer for the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce since October but she’s about to take part in one of the chamber’s most popular annual events, the “Bid of Christmas” auction.

A toy John Deere mini tractor will be part of
the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of
Commerce's 'Bid of Christmas' auction
for this year. SUBMITTED PHOTO 
This year’s holiday chamber gathering will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3 at Rustler’s Steakhouse, 61 Tandberg Trail in Windham and will include festive holiday food, a cash bar, live music, shopping and both a live auction and a silent auction of prizes donated to the chamber for the event.

Rankine said anyone can participate and bid for items in the chamber’s live online auction which runs from Dec. 6 to Dec. 13. Auction items for the online auction may be viewed online by visiting BID of Christmas Online Auction.

“We are expecting to auction off around 70 to 80 items and that is combined with the live/silent and online auctions together,” Rankine said. “Money raised from the auction goes toward the support of other events that we contribute to during the course of the year as well as for our Feed the Need Campaign.”

Feed the Need is funded by the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce Charitable Trust and benefits local food pantries in the communities of Casco, Gray, Naples, New Gloucester, Raymond, Sebago, Standish and Windham.

This will be the first time that Rustler’s steakhouse will host the chamber’s annual holiday event.

“Rustlers, the hosting location, is stellar. The auction, the people, the vendors, the food, it's all an amazing experience,” Rankine said. “It's a networking event but with lots of holiday cheer and laughs. It's one of the few times a year we can all collectively come together and appreciate what we do for one another as a community.”

About 75 people are expected to attend the holiday chamber gathering at Rustler’s and that’s in line with previous chamber events in December. The “Bid of Christmas” auction has proven its worth over the years since its inception and has helped raise thousands for chamber activities and charitable causes.

“My primary goal for this year is to foster a sense of unity and collaboration among local businesses, community members, and stakeholders,” Rankine said. “Of course, I would love to see us hit financial benchmarks for subsequent years but that's not what is most important. It's truly a great way for the chamber to honor, recognize and showcase our amazing businesses through auction contributions to the locals, visitors, and business partners that join in on the event.”

The “Bid of Christmas” auctions are sponsored by the chamber, Ruster’s Steakhouse, M&T Bank, Fielding’ Oil & Propane Company, Paul’s Boutique and Maine State Credit Union.

Some of the items up for auction so far include gift cards to Natural Beauty Day Spa; a gift certificate for a one-hour private pickleball lesson at The Woodlands Club; a gift bag from On the Docks; a gift card for Bob’s Seafood; a gift certificate for a free exam at Lake Region Animal Hospital; a holiday table decoration from Willow Tree Primitive Shop; a gift card from Erik’’s Church; a set of Tick Tweezers from Mainely Ticks; a gift card for Sportsman’s Kitchen and Keg; a gift card for Aroma Joe’s; a gift certificate for a two-hour set of live music with Doc and Dave; and a gift card for Rustler’s steakhouse. More items are expected to be added soon.

People are welcome to attend the live “Bid of Christmas” auction in person at Rustler’s or participate in the online auction by bidding on items through Bidding Owl at BID of Christmas Online Auction <

Community donations sought for Christmas season

By Ed Pierce

Residents of the Lakes Region are known for their willingness to help their neighbors in need and their generosity especially during the holidays.

This year is no exception and there are many ways throughout the community to bring much-needed holiday cheer and assistance to those experiencing difficulties this Christmas.

Here’s a quick rundown for ways you can help others in the community this holiday season:

North Windham Veterinary Hospital at 1 Badger Run in Windham and Sticky Buds, 815 Roosevelt Trail, Suite 1 are collection points for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots campaign. The Toys for Tots Program collects new, unwrapped toys each year and distributes those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted. The last date to drop off toys at North Windham Veterinary Hospital is Dec. 9 and Sticky Buds is Dec. 13. Pet supplies plus at 770 Roosevelt Trail Suite 2 in Windham, and Windham Automotive, Inc. at 385 Roosevelt Trail in Windham, are collecting new unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots and will accept donations through Dec.15.

Monetary donations are requested for Kids Peace of Cumberland County. The organization gives toys, food, gift cards and holiday Christmas baskets to low-income families in Windham and Raymond. To help with a donation, call 774-226-8414.

It Takes a Village 207 helps struggling families get on their feet, while making them feel loved and understood. It has Amazon wish lists to shop from on their Facebook page and a convenient Venmo to make donations to support their program. You can also contact them if you want to sponsor a child or family. To make arrangements call 207-322-7065. There are It Takes a Village 207 toy collection boxes at The Windham Eagle, 585 Roosevelt Trail in Windham, On the Docks, 889 Roosevelt Trail in Windham, and Percy’s Table and Better Fit Fitness at 111 Ossipee Trail East in Standish. All items are due back Dec. 14.

Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors provides one-time emergency assistance to those Windham and Raymond residents who require immediate heating fuel. It uses its resources on behalf of those who have fallen through the cracks and either don’t qualify or are stuck in a bureaucratic process waiting for assistance from other entities. To make a donation or to volunteer to help, call 207-749-1336.

Blue Seal Feed at 43 Main St. in Windham is a collection point for Home Instead’s “Be A Santa To A Senior” program. It has requests from seniors in need for items such as socks, gloves, scarves or stationary supplies that you purchase and return to the location or to Home Instead at 502 Main St. in Gorham no later than Wednesday, Dec. 4.

Rustler’s Steakhouse at 61 Tandberg Trail in Windham and Lake House Tavern at 907 Roosevelt Trail in Windham have giving trees where patrons select a request for a gift for a child and then purchase and return them to the restaurant. For more details, call 207-892-8808 or 207-894-3020.

Consider making a donation to many local nonprofit organizations, such as the Windham Food Pantry at 207-892-1931; Riding To The Top Therapeutic Riding Center at 207-892-2813; the Raymond Food Pantry at 207-655-4334; the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals at 207-892-3040, Safe Kids Maine at 830-1123; or the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing at 207-387-0855. The Windham Lions Club provides Christmas assistance to area families in need and gratefully accepts donations. To donate to the Lions Club’s holiday assistance program, call 207-892-5690.

Knuckle Up Customs at 608-A Roosevelt Trail in Windham is conducting a coat drive for children. Along with coats, drop off new and gently used hats, gloves, mittens, snowpants and boots. Monetary donations and gift cards will also be accepted through Dec. 13. Call 207-232-5533 for more details.

The Essentials Pantry at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, 40 Windham Center Road in Windham serves all those in need in the Windham area and provides bags of cleaning products and personal hygiene products provided by parishioners, local businesses, and benevolent organizations in the Greater Windham area. Monetary donations for the program can be made by calling 207-892-8447 or mailing a check to St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, 40 Windham Center Road, Windham, ME 04062.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 919 Roosevelt Taril in Windham is looking for warm winter clothing to give to those in need in the community. The church is asking for donations of warm clothing and gently used outerwear and putting it in the red barrel located in the Narthex coat room. Clothing will be distributed monthly. For further information, call 207-446-1012.

Windham American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 places wreaths every Christmas season on the graves of deceased military veterans in Windham cemeteries. It gratefully accepts monetary donations to keep the wreath program going. To make a donation, call 207-892-1306.

Both Windham Primary School and Windham Middle School each have programs available to assist families in need during the holidays. Call the schools at 207-892-1840 or 207-892-1820 to see what types of donations are needed. <

Collection of nativity scenes to be displayed in Lakes Region in December

The First Congregational Church of Gray United Church of Christ is inviting the public to view a display of more than 80 nativity scenes from more than 40 countries, collected over the years by the Rev. Dr. Paul Day.

The public is invited to view a collection of more than 80
Nativity scenes from more than 40 countries which will 
be displayed from 9 a.m.to noon on Saturday, Dec. 14 at
the First Congregational Church of Gray United Church
of Christ, 5 Brown St., Gray. COURTESY PHOTO 
The nativity scenes are representative of countries across the globe, some carved from native woods, others hand crafted porcelain figures, modeled from clay, made of stained glass, and even creches that were lovingly hand crocheted and one was built with Legos.

“It’s been a long time since I got my first creche,” Day said. “It seems as if I had a couple, then it sort of exploded. I looked for them when I traveled, went on mission trips, and found them in Fair Trade collections. And, of course, I received many as gifts from dear friends and family.”

There will be a special table for children where they can hear “touch me” instead of “do not touch” on some of the displays. They will also find the tiny “Nativity in a Nutshell,” nativity cookie cutters, finger puppets, the Veggie Tales crew, and the Lego nativity. Coloring sheets will also be available for them.

This outstanding collection will be set up in the church’s parish hall at 5 Brown St. in Gray, across the street from the Gray Congregational UCC Church.

Doors will open to the public to view the nativity scenes from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Dec. 14. Light refreshments will be available.

Entry to the event is free; however, gifts of new socks, warm mittens and hats, or donations to the Gray Food Pantry are encouraged.

By Christian tradition, a nativity scene includes art objects relating to the birth of Jesus. It involves a manger and crib and figurines that are arranged for display. Characters from the nativity story, such as shepherds, sheep, and angels are displayed along with a donkey and an ox, the Magi kings and their camels.

The first documented living nativity scene is attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi in 1223 in the Italian town of Greccio. Reportedly, Saint Francis had been inspired by a visit to the Holy Land where he toured the site where Jesus had been born.

Centuries later, nativity scenes and traditions continue around the world, and are displayed during the Christmas season.

For further details, visit the Facebook page of the First Congregational Church of Gray-United Church of Christ at https://www.facebook.com/grayfirst to learn more about the organization or call 207-657-4279 or send an email to grayfirstucc@mail.com <

November 22, 2024

State conducts annual salmon egg retrieval at improved Mill Street dam

Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series about the Mill Street Dam in Raymond. Part one discussed salmon egg retrieval that takes place there. Part two will explore the recent renovations to the dam.

By Kendra Raymond


Anglers in the Sebago Lakes region benefit from the skilled fishery management that takes place behind the scenes. Fisheries biologists work year-round collecting data and managing fish populations to maintain the resource in a way that anglers want. Hatchery staff coordinate spawning operations and raise the fish in a controlled and safe environment. This includes whatever population is needed to maintain the species and provide good size quality.

Landlocked salmon swim near the Mill Street Dam in
Raymond. A salmon sticking program there has the fish
enter a collection facility where they are sorted by
hatchery staff by sex and age class. When the females
are ripe, the staff strip eggs and milt from the salmon,
fertilize the eggs, disinfect them and bring them  to the
Casco Fish hatchery for rearing.
PHOTO BY BRUCE SMALL 
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife biologists with Region A based in Gray and the Casco Fish Hatchery recently participated in an annual “egg take” where eggs are retrieved from ripe female salmon. Salmon from Sebago Lake travel up the Jordan River (Panther Run) for fall spawning. Biologists work at Mill Street dam in Raymond to complete the task.

“Some of those fish will ascend the fish ladder and enter the collection facility where fish are then sorted by hatchery staff by sex and age class,” said Regional Biologist James Pellerin. “When the females are ripe hatchery staff strip eggs and milt from the salmon, fertilize the eggs, disinfect them, and then bring them back to the Casco Fish Hatchery for hatching and rearing.”

This is all part of a fisheries management program that aids reproduction and ensures enough fish.

“These fish support salmon stocking programs for southern and central Maine, which lack sufficient natural reproduction to sustain salmon fisheries,” said Pellerin. “In addition, MDIFW fisheries staff use the opportunity to collect data on the Sebago salmon to assess age and growth providing us long-term monitoring that goes back to the late 1960s.”

He says that there may be another egg retrieval in upcoming weeks to catch some of the unripe females.

Raymond resident Bruce Small is fascinated with the event and recently posted about the salmon egg collection on social media.

“I went on an annual visit to see the landlocked salmon run in Raymond on the Jordan River,” Small said. “They come up from Sebago to spawn. I have witnessed this almost every year since I first saw them in 1973. It has always fascinated me. The number of fish varies from year to year, but this was a banner year. I saw the most I have ever seen.”

Steve Tremblay, Casco Fish Hatchery Supervisor Supervisor, said that “egg takes” have taken place on the past two Wednesdays and anyone is welcome to observe.

The fish culturists who took part in the operation this year were from the Casco Fish Hatchery including supervisor Steve Tremblay, assistant supervisor Kenyon Twitchell and fish culturist Hayden Pelletier. Assisting from Dry Mills Fish Hatchery were supervisor John Dumais and from Palermo Fish hatchery was fish culturist James Beaudry.

Tremblay explained the process.

“The egg retrieval is the spawning operation. We spawn each individual fish, male to female from a different age class determined from a fin clip on the fish that was done before the fish was stocked in Sebago Lake,” he said. “We then take an aliquot of each fish we spawn and use the aliquots from all fish spawned and use that for our production fish that we hatch, rear and stock out of our facility in Casco,” he said. “This procedure gives us the best genetic variation we can have for our fish. This procedure we do every year supplies the state of Maine with all the Sebago strain of Landlocked salmon used to stock our waters that require the Sebago strain of Landlocked salmon.”

He described the timeline.

“After the eggs are fertilized at the fish trap in Raymond, we leave the eggs in buckets for a minimum of 1 hour to harden the water which allows us to safely transport the eggs to the hatchery in Casco. Once they arrive at the hatchery, they are bathed in an iodophor solution for 15 minutes to disinfect the eggs before they are allowed in the hatchery. This process prevents any type of potential diseases or viruses etc. from outside sources infecting our facility. Once disinfected they are rinsed and counted. This process involves taking a sample and measuring the size of the eggs in a 6-inch trough which we then can convert using a chart to figure out how many eggs are in an ounce.

“We then can measure how many ounces we have and calculate how many eggs we have on hand. This procedure is called the Von Bayer method of counting fish eggs. The eggs are then put on trays with 24 ounces of eggs on each tray,” Tremblay said. “The next morning, we must go through all the eggs and pick out all the dead eggs that are present. We can determine a dead egg by turning white. After this process is done, we must leave the eggs to incubate through the winter. The eggs after the 24-hour period are fragile and cannot be touched. We then can only treat them every other day with a formalin solution to keep the fungus that attaches to the eggs that die after we do our initial pickoff. The length of time it takes for the egg to incubate is determined by the water temperature. The warmer the water the faster the eggs develop. Our facility is lake fed, and our water temperature is cold throughout the winter, so our eggs incubate slowly. The eggs usually have a visible eye by January. At that point, the eggs are no longer fragile, and we do what we call shocking the egg. This is done by pouring the eggs in a bucket from about 2 feet into another bucket. This process will make the dead eggs that have not turned white turn white so we can determine the dead ones. We then must go through all the trays again and pick off all the dead eggs.”

They hatch out early to mid-March and the sac fry that emerge from the eggs start to swim up and feed in late April early May depending on water temperature, said Tremblay.

Bill Brennan is a member of the Panther Pond Association. He is proud of the group’s contributions to the Mill Street dam/Panther Run renovation.

“The dam was recently renovated this past year with significant involvement by Panther Pond Association and completed in time for the big day. I went over to the dam yesterday and the fish were jumping and ready,” he said.

Tremblay said that he also is pleased with the upgrades to the dam.

“The improvements to the dam have made managing water flow much safer and easier to maintain,” he said. “The dam improvements will also make managing water levels on Panther Pond and Crescent Lake much easier throughout the year and during heavy rain events.”

Brennan said that the PPA is an active group which has both a Facebook page and website.

“Over the last several years (PPA) was very involved with the state in renovating the dam,” he said. “Really rewarding to see so many things well planned and organized by the groups.”

Tremblay mirrored that sentiment.

“We are very pleased with the dam project and my mind is much more at ease not having to worry about the condition of the dam and potential catastrophic dam failure possibility,” he said. “The importance to this spawning operation and culturing fish in the state of Maine is critical to allowing fishing opportunities for the state. The states fish hatcheries supply a fishery to many places that would have very little or no opportunities for a wonderful fishing experience for sportsman. The fish hatcheries are also responsible for helping to maintain a fishery where it could not keep up with fishing pressure and other factors that exist,” he said.

Check out this underwater drone footage of the Sebago Lake landlocked salmon spawning run, provided by Maine DIFW: https://youtu.be/sa07-OUhj6Q?si=YPsTOOF3Fr0nIA4a

Learn more about the Panther Pond Association at: https://www.pantherpondassociation.org/ or search for Panther Pond Association on Facebook. <

Student project ‘Clean Air Campaign’ aims to improve local air quality

By Ed Pierce

A yearlong project undertaken by Windham and Raymond students in conjunction with the Be The Influence coalition aims to keep air indoors and outdoors clean throughout Lakes Region communities and improve everyone’s health and the environment.

The student project is called the “Clean Air Campaign” and since its launch earlier this year in February, it is already making progress and achieving results.

“Following the path of the National No Smoking indoors and the State of Maine outdoors no smoking spaces, Windham High School students felt it important that town ordinances stay current with the trends and available products within the community,” said Patrice Leary-Forrey, Be The Influence Project Director. “With the use of vapes and the medical and recreational use of marijuana in Windham, students wanted to make sign changes to open spaces in the community and keep current the no-smoking message and prevention education for the town.

The Clean Air project is open to any students in Grades K to 12 in RSU 14 who wish to participate and includes three phases.

The first phase of the project was to present to members of the Windham Town Council a sign change for public spaces indicating that vaping is not allowed. Participating students attended the Windham Town Council meetings in November to propose the sign ordinance change and the measure was discussed by councilors and passed unanimously during a council meeting on Nov. 12.

Existing signage in parks and town properties only listed a prohibition on smoking materials until the council approved amending the signs to include vaping.

The second phase of the project will be to create a community wide education on the change through what Leary-Forrey said is called the Clean Air Cling.

“This is an art design contest for youth in the community using art and doodle designs that represents clean air spaces both indoor and outdoor for all,” she said. “The designs will be voted on by a jury of adults and peers on Dec. 11 with the winning design printed on a window cling for distribution throughout the Windham and Raymond communities.”

Students can submit a two-dimensional art design for the Clear Air Campaign focusing on promoting healthy air free from tobacco, vape and marijuana smoke in town parks, trails, boats, cars and other spaces.

All submissions must be sized 4 inches by 4 inches circular and printed on a clear background. Those submitting entries are asked to use no more than four colors in their design. Digital design or 2-Dimensional artwork with a file resolution 300 dpi, bleed 0.125 are required and they must be submitted in PDF/PNG format with one submission allowed per student.

The deadline to make submissions for the art design contest is midnight Nov. 30.

Ultimately a five-person jury of two students and three adults will vote on the winning submission. The winner's artwork will become the property of BTI to be used for the 2025 Clean Air Window Cling Campaign.

Leary-Forrey said that the third phase of the “Clean Air Campaign” is prevention education of the health impact of Tobacco/Vape/Marijuana on an individual and for public and personal spaces.

“The Window Clings will be distributed by students in the spring and summer for individuals and families to put on their boats, cars, business, homes and they support clean air and community health and wellness,” she said. “The idea is to raise awareness of the science behind smoke of all types and the individual health impact it can have over time. Students will help distribute the window clings, prevention materials and provide the Quit Link/QR codes to anyone who wants to improve their personal health and wellness.”

According to Leary-Forrey, BTI is supporting this youth-driven “Clean Air Campaign” project and is committed to supporting youth and keeping the community healthy and thriving.

“Keeping the community current with education and awareness so that everyone can have a positive healthy experience when visiting and accessing indoor and outdoor spaces in Windham and Raymond is the primary goal for this project,” she said.

Be The Influence (BTI) Coalition has been nationally recognized by the Federal Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program and the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) for its highly successful youth engagement with students and schools as well its “Arts in Prevention” Series. It is funded by the DFC, a Windham/Raymond collaboration of local individuals, businesses and organizations that work together to reduce youth substance use and misuse with its mission to raise awareness and address these concerns by creating a safe space for everyone, particularly those in their formative years.

For further details about the “Clean Air Campaign,” call BTI at 207-804-6742 or send an email to btidirector@windhammaine.us <