We were gratified to see Staff Writer Megan Doyle’s article in Tuesday’s Portland Press Herald about the death of the loon on Watchic Lake in May but disappointed that several misleading statements by the race organizer were unchallenged.

In the name of accuracy, we submit the following corrections:

Two loons frolic in the water at Watchic Lake in Standish. A recent loon death shows the necessity of moving the high-speed boat races to a bigger, more suitable body of water, a letter writer says.
Two loons frolic in the water at Watchic Lake in Standish. A recent loon death shows the necessity of moving the high-speed boat races to a bigger, more suitable body of water, a letter writer says. Staff photo by Brianna Soukup

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The dead loon was found less than 200 yards from the west end of the race area designated in the organizer’s application to the state, not a half-mile, as stated in the article.

There is almost no boat traffic on the approximately quarter of the lake taken over for the boat race. Most residents stay away from their homes knowing how loud and disruptive the races are, and the race organizers prevent people from boating in the vicinity of their event while they are racing.

The racing speedboats arrived at the lake May 18 and raced May 19 and 20. The still-bleeding dead body of a loon was found yards from their race at 1 p.m. May 20, while they were still racing, with a gash across its back.

Shawn Cavanaugh’s statement that it is “highly unlikely” that they killed the loon is a stretch at best.

Our purpose in speaking with the Press Herald was not to create friction between the residents of Watchic Lake, the out-of-state boat-racing organization and the Kiwanis Club but to highlight the fact that this race on this small lake in loon nesting territory is not an appropriate use of a precious Maine resource. These races need to be moved to a bigger body of water more suitable to high-speed boat racing.

Steve and Kim Lajoie

Standish

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