Frank writes: “By way of bio, I am a retired statistical programmer, not a biologist or ecologist. I worked for the State of Maine for about 25 years. I have lived on Webber Pond since 1987. I am the out-going President of the Webber Pond Association. I have been President since 2001 and was the vice president since 1997. Alewife restoration was just getting started and Webber was one of the first dams where a fish ladder was installed. At the time, it was very controversial. There was some public concern that they might harm the lake. By 2005, I had become convinced that this was not true. In fact, they helped the lake. I began to support alewife restoration generally and testified at a number of public hearings. In 2012, CRLA recognized the good results on Webber and asked me to coordinate their project to improve fish passage for alewives into Three Mile Pond. That went very well and as a result CRLA began the project to restore alewives to China Lake. By then, the Town of Vassalboro had also become supportive. I have been active in ARI since the beginning in 2016. Maine Rivers and the Maine Department of Marine Resources have evolved as the primary agents for that. It has put Vassalboro on the map because of the complexity of the project – 6 dams and 5 different owners. However, that too is now going well. And very likely, that project will be finished in 2022. I am hoping to be standing at the China Outlet Dam, when the ladder is open for the first time and the first alewife in over 200 years ascends and enters the lake.”
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