New Mill Rate

At a recent meeting of the Clifton Selectboard held on Wednesday July 22, 2009, the board set the mill rate or tax rate for the year. Last years mill rate was $10.70 per thousand of value. This year the rate will be $11.10, an increase of .40 cents per thousand. As long as the evalution stays the same on your property, this would be the figure. $40 per $100,000 of value increase. There are some big jumps that caused this increase, two of which are the county tax and school budget which the board has no control over. Our share of the school budget is $548,000 for 158 children, which comes to $3468 per child. This is not a true figure for those attempting to understand the budget - the budget is much higher, but the SAD receives funding from other sources, just at the town's due. For a town it could be vehicle excise tax, for the SAD it could come from the State or grants. A true picture of the budget is to take the final budget and divide by the total number of students. Most of this can be found on eddingtonnews.blogspot.com, Rusty wrote a great article explaining this.

Also my hat is off to the folks in Eddington, what a great web site and newsletter, way to keep people informed.

Mud Trucks

Long before we had ATV's folks had the old jeep for hunting, trapping, fishing or just exploring. The roads were rough and untamed. Then came snow sleds and ATV's. There is much dicussion on the use of ATV's and damage they might cause. This all goes back to the operator. I have a lease site that in order to get to, I must cross private lands. The owner of my lease site doesn't allow ATV's, the private landowner I cross wants no trucks, just ATV. Each states just the opposite. ATV cause damge, ATV cause less damage than a truck. With the new ATV law one is almost better to invest in a nice registered off road jeep or toyota pickup truck. The terms used today are "muddin" and "rammin". There also seems to a swing by folks, mostly under the age of forty back toward mud trucks. I think this is mostly because ATV trails are very limited, cost more than a mud truck and can't be driven on the roads. I can buy a great mud truck for a lot less than the $8,000 it costs for a new ATV and I can use the truck on the farm to do chores like harrowing field, moving manure, towing the boat or canoe. Up north - Northern Maine Woods you can have a mud truck, but no ATV - whats the choice? I recently attended a DOC planning meeting on the Lower Penobscot Area to Machias - concerns were voiced about ATV's and damage. Within seconds a voice came forward about the people with mud trucks rammin. It seems that when we are younger we like to go forward and explore with our friends, mudin and getting stuck were part of the fun of life. Did it keep me off drugs and from drinking I don't know, but I am sure it helped. Kids will tell you (mostly boys/men) there isn't much to do and we put a lot of attention to NASCAR and Speedways or things with motors on them. So I guess mud trucks are here to stay. However damage to others property is not acceptable and folks with the toys need to understand that. That Maine way of thinking, that all that timber land belongs to the people is not correct - just look at gates and road fee's. Many owners will tell you gates are a result of litter on their lands, camp break ins and road damage. We need to police ourselves to insure these lands remain open and yes I own both an ATV and Mud Truck.

Pond v. Lake

One of the most common questions to the DEP or IFW biologist is what makes a Pond or Lake. Here are some comments from ME DEP/IFW - sunlight goes to the bottom of ponds; its the area or size; is it a kettle pond; truly some ponds are lakes and in Maine there is no Technical difference between the two. In fact some have the word lake before the name and some after.

In England they are called Lochs; out west everything is a lake, but in New England there is no standard.

Some thoughts across the country to decide - oh by the way no one I can find has a definition. Pond man or beaver made; lake made by creator; pond is filled by rain or stream - lake has stream and springs; its size; its depth; is the current in the body of water; its how clear it is; there is no standard; inlet v outlet; water temp on surface is difference than bottom; desolved oxygen at bottom; ph level; plants in the middle or a lot of alage; waves more than 12 inches; made by a glacier. These are just a few offered by biologists around the country. I say it should be depth, over 20 feet and greater than 10 acres is a lake. What do you think.

Boat Launch

Chemo is a wonderful pond full of rich history to the Penobscot Region and our native americans, it also is great for summer camp program and local recreation. It hold bass fishing tournments and float planes. However access by the public is restricted. The only landing I know of is private at Deans Landing, where one pays a fee to launch a boat. It is a long drive from Clifton and the East Shore. A resident at the end of the Getchel Rd was always kind enough to let us put the boat in, however a new home is present and that option is not available anymore. There is a launch on the Scott Point Rd, that is also private and located next a house. We use this launch, but always feel like we are bothering the homeowner. It is time we find a way to purchase a peice of land in Clifton on Chemo and provide public access to all. I am sure there are a number of issues on this, the first woudl be impact to neighbors and how to manage or pay for maintenance/upkeep. Also is there any land available in Clifton or would we have to look at the Bradley east shore. I would like to hear your comments.

Drinking & Driving

If you shoot a deer or moose at night, its called night hunting. The mandatory punishment is $1,000, 3 days in jail, loss of firearm and maybe the vehicle. If you are selling drugs you can lose the home, vehicle, cash and belongings. Here is a solution to drinking and driving. Mandatory 3 days in jail, $1,000 fine and loss of the loss of vehicle to state. For minors drinking or transporting, increase the fine to $1,000 and 90 day loss of license. I am very disappointed by the number of our minors I have seen or hear are drinking, especially with parents allowing such.

Tax Meeting

There will be a Select Board Meeting on July 22 to discuss and set the tax rate for Clifton. Meeting will start at 7 p.m.

Blog Concern

Sorry that I have not provided any stimulating notes on the blog for over a month, but between work, fishing and the fact I hadn’t much to offer opinion on until recently.

We live in a country that enjoys freedom and provides for a number of rights to its citizens. I am shocked that some elected officials don’t see a need for public opinion, information or comments. Question #55 of the US Citizenship/Immigration Services, Naturalization Test asks for two ways to participate in democracy. The answer, oppose an issue or policy, write to a newspaper and give your opinion are just a few. Others include forming groups, voting or political party action.

Notes of recent meetings:
July [1] 2009 Select Board Meeting
Special board meeting was called to meet with John Harris, regarding the trash contract. Mr. Harris failed to show for the meeting, thus adjourned.

June [17] 2009 Select Board Meeting
A new 3 year trash contract was awarded to JT Trash of Eddington. A report was given on the draft Land Use Ordinance, a draft is on file at the town office, it is reported that it can also be viewed on the planning board’s web site. A card will be mailed to all residents informing them of workshops dates. Also Jessica Johnson resigned from the Planning Board, the Select Board appointed Bruce Jellison as her replacement. [Comment – I wish to thank Jessica for her outstanding work and commitment to the board over the last few years]. The CEO report was accepted, as were the minutes and the fire department report. There was no report from the ACO or the SAD. A resident did offer a concern about the permit and inspection process. A discussion took place with the board, CEO and resident. The board voted to keep the current form as is. A resident spoke on his tax bill. The board voted to allow Bradley to put a dumpster at the town office for use by the Chemo Pond East Shore group to use. This will be a lease in the amount of $100 a month that Bradley will pay Clifton. The group is also exploring succeeding from Bradley and offering to become part of Clifton. There was discussion on our school board member, actions and attendance. Also discussion on my voting record and if I or the school board member voted recently. Ed and the office girls confirmed voting records of Mr. Fickett and me. Discussion that we have no planning board minutes on file, the board would like the calendar put back on the agenda and that board minutes be done by the Friday after the meeting or no later than the following Tuesday, not wait until the day before the next meeting. Discussion on paving bid. Discussion on ATV use on Pleasant St, cost of installing a fence along the roadway to restrict this use – will hold on this, mail letter to residents inviting them to the August meeting for a discussion.

[My opinion is that all town roads should be listed as ATV routes in accordance with state statutes. I don’t see the need to spend $2,515 for fencing, plus installation costs, of taxpayer monies on Pleasant St. This most likely is private property, and we should talk with the residents about the issue first, which we are doing in August. There is the enforcement consideration, if a problem exists, which I am not sure it does, call the police department.]

Plane Crash in Clifton

2 safe after plane crashes on pond

By Dawn Gagnon
BDN Staff

CLIFTON, Maine — A pilot and his passenger are lucky to be alive after the single-engine Cessna floatplane they were flying in went down Friday afternoon on Chemo Pond.

Though authorities would not release the name of the pilot or his passenger Friday, they did say that both men walked away from the crash.

“Luckily, nobody got hurt,” Eddington fire Capt. David Hughes said at the scene.

“Apparently, they were taking off and their engine went out. They circled back and hit the water real hard” as the pilot attempted to land along the shoreline, said Hughes, one of several members of the Eddington Fire Department who responded to the crash.

The floatplane, however, did not fare as well. The airplane, which landed in the tree line along the shore off German Cove Lane, had damage to one of its wings, bent float struts and damage to its pontoons. It was unclear if any fuel leaked into the water.

According to state police Trooper Michael Johnston, Chemo Pond camp owners reported the plane crash just before 3 p.m.

Based on preliminary interviews he conducted on behalf of the Federal Aviation Administration, Johnston said it appeared that the plane suffered a mechanical malfunction. He said he could not release the names of the people involved but confirmed they were not injured.

Johnston referred all other questions to the FAA, which he said planned to have an investigator at the crash site on Monday.

The pilot, who was at the scene Friday afternoon, appeared to be unscathed. He declined to be interviewed. The owners of the camp near which the plane was tethered ordered reporters and photographers off of their property.

People staying at neighboring camps said that the plane appeared to lose power, then crashed into the lakeside, hitting some trees with one of its wings.

Jim Peters, a public affairs contact assigned to the FAA’s Eastern Region, said the federal agency does not release the names of pilots, crew and passengers of aircraft involved in accidents.

He did, however, say that the floatplane was registered to Chad Gates of Clifton, but that a sale was pending and it was not immediately clear Friday who was in possession of the aircraft.

On May 3 of this year, Gates had posted a classified advertisement on a Web site on which aircraft and real estate properties associated with aircraft can be sold or traded. The asking price was $59,900.