Last September I posted a blog about Bucky Badshorts and the saga of the jet ski on our little pond. As I recounted, a year-round resident on the pond, concerned about her grandchildren’s safety, filed a petition with the Maine Department of Inland Fish & Wildlife (IF&W) to place limits on horsepower as a way to keep jet skis under control. The petition was signed by virtually all of the camp owners at our end of the pond. The public hearing produced its share of drama, but at its conclusion, the opposing sides seemed to set aside differences.
IF&W issued its findings late last fall, after seasonal camp owners had returned home. The agency decided not to place horsepower limits on the pond, but indicated they’d reconsider their ruling if problems continued and the jet skier was unable to honor the 200-foot no-wake rule.
I spent most of this past dark winter counting the days until camp was open. Returning in late April, I was surprised to find a marker in the water identifying the no-wake zone and a seven-foot stockade spite fence along the property boundary between the parties. Sadly, since summer began, we have witnessed more than one angry exchange of words, and Bucky's high-speed antics have been as predictable as the sunrise.
We are enjoying one of the sunniest, warmest summers in memory. I can think of no better place to be than on a pond in Maine, enjoying the laughter of children swimming, watching osprey swoop down to catch fish, and listening to the quiet conversations of paddlers and kayakers. Unfortunately, life on the pond hasn't been as idyllic as I'd hoped because of the simmering resentment and the resulting behavior.
This is one small, personal example of how individual behavior can affect entire communities. Yet it begs the question: How do we resolve conflict like this in ways that honor both the individual and collective needs of the community and its members? Please share your stories, some of which surely have better endings than this one.