2010 MLRA BOAT PARADE

            The Mousam Lake Region Association Boat parade took place on the first Saturday in July.  Twelve boats took part in the actual parade with many more out on the water with crews looking on.

            Gathering at Carpenter’s Cove at 11:30 am boat owners registered and by 12 noon the parade was headed down the Shapleigh side  of Mousam Lake, weaving in and out of the many coves. 

            Upon arriving at the foot of Mousam Lake, the judges had made their decision and the winners were announced.

            In the large boat category: 

·        First place went to “Santa’s Folly” (the Thyng Family);

·        Second place went to “The Lemonade Stand” (the Chartrain Family);

·        Third place went to “Aloha (the Adams Family).

In the small boat category:

·        First place went to “Flintstones” (the Coleman Family);

·        Second place went to “Rock & Roll” (the Estochen Family);

·        Third place went to “The Little Wooden Boat” (Mr. Bradley and Grandson

Congratulations to all the winners.  It was a great event to start off the summer.  The MLRA Board of Directors thanks all who participated in the parade.

            Many folks over the years have requested that the Town accept credit cards for payment of car registrations, etc.  The Town Clerk and the Selectmen have looked into the matter on several occasions but until now there has not been a proposal which would work both for the Town and the customer.  Harris Computer Systems will be installing the software and providing the professional services for the use of credit card customers.   Visa accounts take 35-45 days to go online after the merchant id’s (or in this case, the Town’s) are assigned.  When the system is up and running the notification will appear in this column.

RESCUE SQUAD

            Darren Rogers has resigned as Chief-of-Service of the Rescue Squad and has asked for a leave of absence for a year from the squad for personal reasons.  The Board of Selectmen at a regularly scheduled Selectmen’s meeting  accepted his resignation with regret.

ALL DECKED OUT

            Shapleigh Town Hall is all dressed up for its 225^th anniversary with red, white and blue bunting.  A banner proclaims the celebratory year.  The Shapleigh Community Day was the kickoff of events to come.

ROSS CORNER BAPTIST CHURCH

            A refreshing event occurred at Silver Lake on a Sunday afternoon of July 11, 2010.  In a tradition Christian baptism, Pastor David A. Dickinson of Ross Corner Church baptized 12 people in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Those who entered into the lake waters to be baptized, showing they have received Jesus Christ as their Saviour, and desired to follow the Lord’s Command to be baptized were:  Joan Stubbs (Ed Stubbs’ wife), Debbie A. Dow, Robin Waldron, Benjamin White, Heather White, Amber C. White, Jordan T. White, Mason R. White, Traver E. Brown Sr., Michelle M. Brown, Traver E. Brown Jr., and Takoda G. Brown.  A large supportive group of family and friends gathered at the beach to sing and celebrate this very special event.

            For those who are not familiar with the Ross Corner Baptist Church, the church was established in the early 1800’s, was closed for 31 years and is now resurrected back to life, a revived spirit as friends and members have restored its historic physical structure and have made many new changes in the building cosmetics.  God has purposed this church to be used as a House of God, especially for those who are searching for God, and they that are looking for answers which can only be found in Jesus Christ and God’s Word.

Meetings are held:

·        Every Wednesday night at 7 pm for Prayer Time

·        Every Thursday night for Praise and Worship Team Practice under the direction of Ed Stubbs at 7 pm

·        Every Sunday for Adult Bible Class from 9:30 am to 10:15 am

·        Every Sunday for Sunday School from 9:30 am to 10:15 am

·        Every Sunday for Worship Service at 10:30 am (Junior Church is held during the message time)

·        Every third Saturday at 5 pm for a Potluck Supper, with entertainment following the supper at 6:30 pm. 

Everyone is welcome to come to any of these meetings of this Bible Believing Church.

ONE EARTH NATURAL FOOD STORE

This month One Earth Natural Food Store celebrates their One Year Anniversary for "Reaching Out, Helping Others", a raffle held at the store each month.  Owners Alissa and Diane Laitres are so happy to sponsor this raffle, it's their way of giving back and benefiting many at a local level.

With so many things happening in the world that can make people feel helpless, Alissa and Diane feel this is something they can do to make a difference in our communities.  We all know someone in need or an organization, etc. that we would like to support.  This is what this raffle is all about!  If your name is drawn, you get to choose where the next month's proceeds go.  If your name is not drawn, at least you have the satisfaction of knowing the proceeds are going to a worthy and local recipient.

Currently, Alissa and Diane have a monthly customer base of 300.  Let's do the math, if each one of you participates in the Reaching Out, Helping Others raffle and spends just $1.00 per month, look at how much money could be raised to help someone!

Alissa and Diane thank all who have participated and want you to know the response from each and every recipient was absolute joy and gratitude!  “Our goal this year is to get all of our customers involved in our Reaching Out, Helping Others raffle!”  When you see the basket on the counter, spend a dollar and know that participating in the raffle is making a difference for someone local!

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has."     -Margaret Meade

SHAPLEIGH HISTORY

            (In celebration of the 225^th anniversary of the incorporation of Shapleigh, each week a segment of the “History of Shapleigh” by Amasa Loring is being printed in this column.  This narrative continues the chapter on “Proprietorship.”)

An undivided half of the tract originally conveyed to Small was made over to Maj. Nicholas Shapleigh.  His heirs early endeavored to effect a partition by honorable and fair negotiation.  They appointed Committees to go to Scarboro’, and treat with the heirs of Small, proposing at first, to take the Parsonstown township ( now Parsonsfield), the “Shapleigh township,” and enough lying towards the New Hampshire line to make up one half of the whole amount conveyed.

            It does not appear that this proposal was accepted in full, though Parsonsfield and Shapleigh were conceded to them, for they afterwards voted to petition the Supreme Court for a legal division.  It appears however the division was amicably effected at length; the heirs of Shapleigh taking Parsonsfield, Shapleigh, and one half of Limerick; and the heirs of Small the rest “to wit,” Cornish, Limington, Newfield, and one-half of Limerick—a division by no means equitable to the heirs of Shapleigh, as the sequel will show.

            The Shapleigh township, as surveyed by the above=mentioned Committee lies entirely south of the Little Ossipee; and was not included in Sunda’s deed to Small.  How then it may be asked were these claimants entitled to it?  Proprietors, who held lands south and east of it, by Indian deeds, did not extend their claims over it.  These proprietors justly claimed a large tract lying contiguous to it on the north.  Boundaries were not then well-defined and known.  The Colonial governments were at that time engaged in contests with the Crown, which led on to the Revolution; so that subjects of this kind could not be closely scrutinized.

            The heirs of Shapleigh therefore, it may be, under a misapprehension, stepped in and took possession of it.  Nor did they for some time seem to doubt the validity of their claim.  They lotted it out, in part; apportioned it among the different share holders; granted and sold lots; made reserves for public uses; and encouraged the peaceable and lawful settlement of it.  They consented to a division with the heirs of Small, much to their disadvantage, if their claim to this tract was not valid.

            At length the validity of their claim was questioned.  Two families were settled upon it, before they run out the township and took possession of it, others came and settled, before the township was fully lotted and assigned to separate proprietors.  Trespassers were committing depradations upon the timber it bore, and they never failed to dispute any title but their own.

            The Proprietors attempted to maintain their claim.  Agents were appointed to prosecute trespassers, and to protect the timber, but while the title was doubtful they forbore to do it.  The Proprietors evidently began to tremble; for in 1777, they voted to grant to the Hon. James Sullivan, one half of the Limerick township, on the condition that he would defend all lawsuits brought against their title.

            The next year (1778) they employed Mr. Sullivan to present a petition to the General Court, to have the southern boundary of the township established; concealing under this modest request the question of their title to it, which must of course be confirmed if this boundary was thus established.

            In this petition, they set forth in addition to their claim from its connection with the Ossipee tract, that they had expended considerable money in surveying it, laying it out and making roads; had reserved certain lots for public uses; and had at that time nearly forty families peaceably and lawfully settled upon it.”

            But at this time the Country was engaged in a burdensome war, and the Province of Massachusetts was abandoning its old English Charter and adopting a constitution, consequently Legislative business of that kind lingered.  For some time, the petition made no progress.  The Proprietors endeavored to urge it on, and added the Hon. Edward Cutts, who had been one of the Provincial council, to Hon. J. Sullivan, as an Agent to prosecute it, before the Legislature.  While the subject continued in suspense, a way was opened to effect the object.

            The General Court, in May 1781, passed a resolve appointing a Committee on “Eastern Lands,” a part of whose duty was to examine private claims, and to confirm peaceable and honest settlers of the public domain, in their title to lots taken up and improved by them.  This Committee consisted of Hon. Jedediah Preble of Falmouth, Hon. Jonathan Greenleaf of New Gloucester, Hon. David Sewall of York, John Lewis, Esq. of North Yarmouth, and William Lithgow, Esq., of Georgetown. 

            The proprietors then concluded to bring their claim before this Committee.  They accordingly appointed Hon. Benjamin Chadbourne, (who had been a member of the Provincial Council, and was now a member of the Governor’s Council), the Hon. James Sullivan, and Capt. Wm. Rodgers, as Agents to effect it, and to manage the cause before them.  A petition to that effect was presented to this Committee, accompanied with an agreement, to abide their decision provided the general Court would confirm it.

            A question had also arisen about the boundaries between this township and the Phillips tract, which lay on the south and east of it. 

            Capt. Sunda, and Fluellin Habinowell, an Indian Chief of Saco River, deeded it to Maj. Wm. Phillips about the year 1662, a territory extending from Saco River to Lebanon, and this unappropriated territory, and from Berwick to the Little Ossipee, excepting Lyman which had been previously conveyed to John Saunders.  But Fernando Gorges in 1670 confirmed this title, with more definite boundaries.  The Major’s wife, Mrs. Bridget Phillips, out-lived her husband, and by will, conveyed it to Peleg Sandford, her son by a former marriage.

            Sandford and Waterboro’, and Lebanon likewise were bounded by lines running North-East and South-West, and such as were at right-angles with them.

            As this was run out, with the south and east lines, directly East and West, North and South, its boundaries only touched the most northern corner of Lebanon and the most western of Waterboro’, leaving four triangles between it and these contiguous towns.

            The Committee, which run out, and took possession of the Shapleigh Township, went with the same Survey Company, run a line around them, and ascertained their respective dimensions—but it does not appear that the “Shapleigh Proprietors” claimed them, excepting part of the tract lying on the N.W. side of Lebanon. 

            It was necessary to have this question concerning the boundaries, examined and adjusted.  Hence they solicited the claimants under Mrs. Bridget Phillips, to submit their claim to the same committee of reference.

            To this the Phillips heirs consented, and appointed Col. J. Waters, Hon. Tristram Dalton, John Mason Esqr., and John Avery, Esqr., Agents, to manage it before them.

            Thee claimants respectively agreed, that if their claims should be established, they would not distress settlers already upon the territory, and would sell them land as cheap as they were selling lands of the same quality to others.