About Oxford County, ME

The perfect lakefront getaway location in the Sebago Lakes Region is McWain Pond nestled, in the hills of Waterford, Maine.

Formally known as Long Pond, it is approximately 450 acres and has no public access. At 3 1/2 miles long, it's perfect for boating, water skiing and swimming. Fishing too! The spring-fed pond contains large and small mouth bass, smelt, sunfish and blue gills.

Legend has it that after David McWain settled in the area around 1775, he helped later settlers survive hard winters by selling his surplus corn at a low price. He is also rumored to have hid silver in pine trees to protect it from being stolen. Hmmmm . . . might be worth owning a piece of lakefront property here just to learn more about this latter story.

Tony Butterall, President of the McWain Pond Association, recently told me that according the the Lakes Environmental Association, which monitors the water quality of the pond, "We are in the moderate/high degree of concern, however, we are in the middle of a Watershed Improvement Project and have made some major improvements."

Since the early 80s, the Lakes Environmental Association (LEA) has provided extensive water testing on McWain. And in the last couple of years, LEA has been a key partner in the McWain Pond Watershed Project. The project aims to curb eroding soil that washes from surrounding land carrying phosphorus into the lake, the chief threat to water quality in Maine.

In 2008, the McWain Pond Watershed Project reduced nutrient pollution by an estimated 22 tons. In 2009, the project continues with erosion control for town and camp roads, plus the addition of vegetative buffers. All of this will help the McWain Pond Association achieve their primary goal "to preserve the water quality of the pond and the gentle quality of the environment around the pond for future generations."

The shoreline of McWain Pond is fringed with seasonal and year-round residences. It is also home to two summer camps. Birch Rock is a small residential camp for boys. It's located on McWain Hill and was founded in 1925 by William "Chief" Brewster and his wife Onie. The camp continues today under new leadership, but the property is still owned by the Brewster family. Camp Waziyatah is a co-ed residential camp. Disney filmed the TV show "Bug Juice" at Camp Wazi.

FMI: McWain Pond Association, www.mcwainpond.org.
Birch Rock Camp, www.birchrock.org, 207.741.2930.
Camp Waziyatah, www.wazi.com, 207.583.2267.

If you have an interest in looking at the current lakefront properties for sale on McWain Pond just click on the box below:

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October 15-18, 6-9 p.m. Haunted Schoolhouse, a good old fashioned haunted house, $12/adults, $10/students, not suitable for young children, a "safe room" with crafts and games is available for any youngster, Schoolhouse Arts Center, 16 Richville Road, Sebago Lake Village. FMI: 207.642.3743, www.schoolhousearts.org.

October 15, 7 p.m. "C'est Si Bon," a jazz quintet made entirely of alumni of the Berklee College of Music in Boston who perform traditional French music infused with a jazz dimension, to perform for the Mahoosic Arts Council Performing Arts Series, $10/adults, $6/students and children, Bingham Auditorium, Gould Academy, 49 Church Street, Bethel. FMI: 207.824.3575, www.mahoosucarts.org, www.bethelmaine.com.

October 16-17, 2-7 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Falling Leaves Craft Fair, Standish Baptist Academy, 181 Ossipee Trail West, Standish. FMI: 207.642.3338.

October 16, 7-11 p.m. The Disclaimers, dance/concert featuring the best music of the 60s, 70s and 80s, to benefit the Lakes Environmental Association, BYOB, $10/person, $25/family, tickets available at the Cool Moose, Running with Scissors, LEA office or at the door, Town Hall, Main Street, Bridgton. FMI: 207.647.8580 or www.mainelakes.org.

October 16, 8 p.m. David Francey, Scottish-born Canadian singer-songwriter who recently earned his third JUNO (Canada's top music award) in less than five years, $20/person for concert only, dinner reservations available also, Stone Mountain Arts Center, 695 Dugway Road, Brownfield. FMI: 207.935.7292 or 866.227.6523, www.stonemountainartscenter.com or www.davidfrancey.com.

October 17-18, 8 a.m. Hunter's Safety Course, The Fryeburg Fish and Game Association will host the course, which satisfies the state's requirement for obtaining a hunting license, limited to 15 students, $50/person, registration is required, Harold Sanborn Room, Brownfield Recreation Center, 100 Main Street, Brownfield. FMI: 207.647.9486, www.fryeburgfishandgame.com.

October 17, 10:45 a.m. The 5th Annual Parrot Head Golf Classic, Join Jimmy Buffett enthusiasts from across New England for this annual 18-hole scramble tournament and "Party with a Purpose," supported by the Parrot Head Club of the Northern Tropics, includes live entertainment Friday and Saturday nights, fun mini-golf putting green challenge, golf cart decorating/parade, dinner/awards, pool party and more, $400/foursome, benefits the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Maine Chapter, Bethel Inn Resort, 21 Broad Street, Bethel. FMI: 207.824.2175 or 800.654.0125, www.bethelinn.com.

October 17, 7:30 p.m. AudioBody, " a modern day Smothers Brothers meets Blue Man Group", $6/person in advance, $10 at the door, Bingham Auditorium, Gould Academy, 49 Church Street, Bethel. FMI: 207.824.3575, www.audiobody.com.

Take a cruise through the current lakefront properties available in the area by clicking on the boxes below:

Search for lakefront properties in the Sebago Lakes Region $150k to $300k

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Search for lakefront properties in the Sebago Lakes Region over $700k

October 8-11, 9:00 a.m.-closing, 159th Annual Fryeburg Fair, Maine's Blue Ribbon Classic continues with harness racing, midway, food booths, the world's largest steer and oxen show, exhibits, energy row, Old McDonald's petting farm, agriculture, museums, demonstrations, entertainment, contests and more. $8/person except $10/person on Saturday, free/under age 12, $5/on site parking, Fryeburg Fairgrounds, Route 5, Fryeburg. FMI: 207.935.3268, www.fryeburgfair.com

October 8, 7:30 p.m. "Starr King's The White Hills and 19th Century White Mountain Tourism," free lecture presented by Randall H. Bennett, program marks the 150th anniversary of Reverend Thomas Starr King's seminal guidebook, "The White Mountains: Their Legends, Landscape and Poetry," (1859), Mason House Exhibit Hall, 10-14 Broad Street on the Common, Bethel. FMI: 207.824.2908 or 800.824.2910, www.bethelhistorical.org.

October 9, 8 p.m. Bob Marley, local comedian and national success, $25/person concert only, dinner is sold out (no credit cards accepted on site), Stone Mountain Arts Center, 695 Dugway Road, Brownfield. FMI: 207.935.7292, www.stonemountainartscenter.com.

October 10, 10 a.m. 4th Annual Mountainview Woodies Fall Foliage Cruise, launch at Moose Landing Marina at 10, motor to Caswell House in Harrison for lunch and then back. Join the fun via boat, or enjoy the view from the shore of these classic wooden boats. Moose Landing Marina, Route 302, Naples. FMI: www.mountainviewwoodies.org.

October 10, 11 a.m. 10th Annual Fall Festival Weekend at Sunday River including the North American Wife Carrying Championships, 278-yard course, winner receives wife's weight in beer and wife's weight times 5 in cash, also Arts and Crafts Fair, free concert with Entrain and more, Sunday River Ski Resort, 15 South Ridge Road, Newry.
FMI: 207.824.3000, www.sundayriver.com.

October 10, 5 pm to finish. Annual Harrison Village Library Turkey Supper fundraiser. On the eastern shore of Long Lake at the Camp Newfound dining hall, off Rte. 35 in Harrison. The food is great, the price is right, and the venue can't be beat. Adults $8, children $4. FMI: 207-583-2970.

October 10, 5-7:00 p.m. 16th Annual Turkey Dinner with all the fixings, plus homemade pie, $7/adults, $4/children, free/under age 4, benefit church's Outreach Programs, St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 42 Sweden Road, Bridgton. FMI: 207.647.8549, www.stpetersbridgton.org.

October 11, 11:30 a.m. 10th Annual Waterford 5K Fall Foliage and Fun Run Race, benefit the Tony Wadeier Scholarship Fund, 1-mile fun run for kids at 11:30, followed at noon by a scenic run beginning at the historic Waterford Commons and continuing beside Keoka Lake to Bear Mountain Inn and back, held in conjunction with the Greater Bridgton Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce's Great Western Chili Cook Off, free chili samples to all race participants, Waterford Commons, Route 37, Waterford Flats. FMI: race-207.583.4611, chili cook off-207.647.3472, www.mainelakeschamber.com.

October 14, 11:30 a.m. The Rooster Review, variety show with Carol Noonan, Mike Miclon, Lisa Saffer, Tim Ostendorf, Katy Noonan, Julia Hendrickson and Sonny Barbato, $36 includes lunch, entertainment, gratuity and tax, (no credit cards accepted on site), Stone Mountain Arts Center, 695 Dugway Road, Brownfield. FMI: 207.93.7292, www.stonemountainartscenter.com.

If you have an interest in lakefront real estate, why not check out the current local offerings by clicking on the boxes below:

Search for lakefront properties in the Sebago Lakes Region $150k to $300k

Search for lakefront properties in the Sebago Lakes Region $300k to $450k

Search for lakefront properties in the Sebago Lakes Region $450k to $700k

Search for lakefront properties in the Sebago Lakes Region over $700k

It's Fair Week in Fryeburg, Maine!

Known as Maine's Blue Ribbon Classic, the Fryeburg Fair is an 8-day agricultural fair held on 185 acres in the Saco River Valley.

Gates open at 7 a.m. and night shows begin at 8 p.m. This year's night entertainment includes NewFound Grass, Heartland, Kristy Lee Cook, The Kokomo Beach Show and Jamey Johnson.

The Fryeburg Fair has been a grand event for the last 159 years! It offers a piece of Americana that you shouldn't miss.

What's more fun than watching kids show their sheep, men exclaim over the latest in log splitting equipment and women compete in the skillet throw. Yes, the skillet throw. And one of the winners this year was . . . Kim Hanauer of Durham, N.C. It was Kim's first ever skillet throw and she tossed it 62-feet, 9-inches!! That's a long way to throw a heavy pan.

Roam the fairgrounds and you'll find games, rides, music, exhibits, pie contests, bright lights, brilliant colors and . . . fair food! Can't you just smell the popcorn, cotton candy and deep-fried oil? Or the Italian sausage sandwiches smothered in peppers and onions. My mouth waters for the Sunflower Farm pizza loaded with black olives and garlic. Oh, you can get pepperoni or plain, but trust me, the black olive and garlic is sooooooo good.

And the midway takes me back to my kid days. It's a wonderland of flashing lights, ringing bells and buzzing buzzers. Of course, no midway is complete without the "carnies" shouting, "Step right up. Everybody's a winner. Tons of prizes. Step right up."

Energy Row is back, adjacent to the Natural Resource Center, with renewable energy options on display including wind power, solar photoelectric panels, wood pellets and systems, outdoor wood and corn furnaces, generator power systems, geo-thermal power, gasification boilers and energy-efficient solar homes.

Parking is not an issue. You can either support local folks and organizations by parking on their lawns for a fee, or park at the fairgrounds for $5.

The Fryeburg Fair will run through Sunday, October 11th. Admission is $8 for adults, except $10 on Saturday and free for children under 12. So . . . this is your last chance to attend an agricultural fair in Maine this fair season.

Come roam the fairgrounds and eat some foods that you normally wouldn't eat. Visit the exhibit halls. Tour the museums. Marvel at the animals. Enjoy the people. Have fun.

FMI: 207.935.3268, www.fryeburgfair.com, camping: 207.935.2912.
www.newfoundgrass.com, www.heartlandband.com, www.kristyleecook.com, www.myspace.com/jameyjohnson.

If you're in the mood to visit some lakefront property currently for sale in the area, start the process by clicking on the box below:

Search for lakefront properties in Bridgton, Fryeburg, and Lovell

Tucked away only 30 minutes from Bridgton and about the same from North Conway, New Hampshire, is Keewaydin Lake in Stoneham.

The breathtaking scenery, mountain views, big sky and sparkling water make this 307 acre lake a gem to spend time on. Few large boats are found on the lake and jet skis are not allowed, adding to its tranquility.

During July and August, the water temperature averages around 75-82, just right for a refreshing dip. And a dip is the perfect way to end the day if you've been out on the lake.

Joan Lundin, a lakefront owner, loves to explore the Striped Ledge. According to the Maine Geological Survey the Striped Ledge is "an unusual bedrock outcrop . . . this ledge consists of metamorphic rock (gneiss) intruded by granite and granite pegmatite. The white pegmatite in turn is cut by a complex swarm of many narrow black basaltic dikes, giving the outcrop an unusual striped appearance."

Visitors can access the ledge to view the cross-cutting basalt dikes by pulling a boat up to it.

Joan says, "The best thing I like about the lake is the quietness. It is so peaceful, even on supposedly the busiest weekends of the year, i.e. July 4th, there might be only three boats on the water."

The day I visited, a loon was calling. Joan said there has always been a set of loons on the lake and some years she has seen a baby riding on its mother's back.

If fishing is your thing, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife stocks Keewaydin Lake with brook trout, landlocked salmon and splake.

Another quiet fishing spot is located less than a mile away on Virginia Lake. Because of its small size at only 145 acres, and maximum depth of 28 feet, Virginia Lake doesn't see much boat traffic. Bartlett Brook flows into Keewaydin Lake from Virginia Lake, but is not accessible via boat.

The White Mountain National Forest borders this area, so hiking trails are easily accessible.

From Keewaydin, you can hike through Albany Notch, the natural passage between Peter Mountain and Albany Mountain, to Crocker Pond Road. You'll also find yourself close to Evergreen Valley, Blueberry Mountain, and others hiking trails in Evans Notch.

"The trails go on forever!" says Joan.

If you want to get away from it all, this is the place to visit. Stoneham is a "small town overflowing with tradition."

And part of that tradition is located just up Route 5 from Keewaydin Lake. A.J.'s Everything is a mom and pop operation where you'll find canned goods, bread, milk, newspapers, video rentals and great food in their dining room. Just remember, they don't accept credit cards, but they do have an ATM machine.