A familiar figure on Chewonki Neck and at Chewonki’s Big Eddy Cabins and Campground in the North Woods for nearly two decades, Don Lamson is setting off on a new adventure: retirement. We couldn’t be happier for him. We appreciate all the care he has given to Chewonki people and places. Luckily, his wife, Dot Lamson, plans to continue her summer involvement with Camp Chewonki for Girls, so we expect to keep in touch with Don.
Big Eddy is now in the very capable hands of Sarah Sindo, who has worked with Don for the past several summers and loves the spot as much as he does. She can keep an eye on him when he visits.
Here’s an excerpt from a 2017 Chewonki Chronicle article about Don:
“With his neatly trimmed beard, twinkling smile, and soft Maine accent, Don Lamson is the genuine article. A native of Wiscasset, Don spent his childhood hunting, fishing, and exploring the woods and waters of Maine. His knowledge and willingness to share it make him an important resource to guests at Big Eddy and Chewonki as a whole. Don knew about Chewonki growing up, but it wasn’t until he met his future wife, Dot, then our director of environmental education, that his relationship with the place began.
“Don became manager of Big Eddy in 2013 after 12 years at Chewonki and 24 before that as a shipfitter at Bath Iron Works. He has intimate knowledge of the North Woods,
can launch a conversation with just about anyone, and is handy with maps, tents, canoes, guns, chainsaws, fishing rods, and flat tires. He’s a natural fit for the job of managing Chewonki’s site on the shore of the Lower West Branch of the Penobscot River, near the famous pool where the river swirls and reorganizes after running the Ripogenus Gorge. Big Eddy is legendary among fishermen of landlocked salmon and brook trout, so Don, a fly fisherman himself, is in his natural habitat.”
Congratulations, Don! We wish you many long, warm, fulfilling days.
