Recent News
A Message from the President
I am putting the final touches on my message the day after the final Spread Eagle Chain O’Lakes Association (SECOLA ) dinner of the year. SECOLA members, Don and Rachel Egelseer, hosted the event providing both a beautiful, his-torical venue and the wonderful cakes. Dean and Betty Premo of White Waters Associates gave us an incredible concert with all proceeds going to the SECOLA Invasive Species Fund. The event raised $1,000! Special thanks to Jane Patrick, Catherine Curran, Deb Cini, and Cindy Weber from the social committee for putting it all together.
With the first hints of fall color and the birch trees dropping a few leaves, it’s a good time to reflect on the impact SECOLA committees and volunteers have on our quality of life living on the chain of lakes. Thank you to all for pulling milfoil, helping with the fireworks, taking care of the island and all the great social events we had throughout the summer!
SECOLA continues to support the Clean Boats/ Clean Waters program and has once again committed funding the Florence County Land Conservation staff at the North Lake landing for the 2020 season. SECOLA members also provide hands-on assistance to Whitewater Associates, who help with the monitoring and removal of invasive aquatic plants. We continue to maintain our affiliation with other associations including, Wild Rivers Invasive Species Coalition (WRISC), Wisconsin Lakes Association, Florence County Lakes and Rivers Association (FLCARA), as well as working closely with the Florence County Land Conservation Department and Wisconsin DNR.
Fund raising for Invasive species has gone well this year. We exceeded our goal of $13,000 which we set for May 2019. Katie Reynold’s marketing plan utilizing YETI tumblers with a Spread Eagle Logo, was a success. Thank you to those members who contributed $250 or more to the fund and thank you to Katie for organizing this successful campaign. Our continued efforts to combat the spread of invasive species cannot be overstated.
This summer, a SECOLA Boat Wake and Safety Committee was established after concerns were raised over the increase in wakes and shoreline erosion. Chaired by Scott Reynolds, the committee developed “Boat and Wake Safety Best Practices”. This will be published on our website (www.spreadeaglechain.org ), on Facebook, and featured in this issue of the newsletter. We encourage everyone to read these recommendations and share them with friends and family around the lakes. Please continue to be considerate of kayakers, swimmers, other boaters, and property owner’s shorelines.
Improvements to Bass Island continue with trimming and mowing, opening of views, more work on the butterfly garden, and interpretive signage. Keep an eye out for a new basketball goal next spring! Thank you to all the volunteers and contributors who have helped with improving this beautiful island.
As my term winds down and ends in July 2020, I want to thank SECOLA for the opportunity to serve and get to know this great community. Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable fall and winter season!
Gary Weber
I am putting the final touches on my message the day after the final Spread Eagle Chain O’Lakes Association (SECOLA ) dinner of the year. SECOLA members, Don and Rachel Egelseer, hosted the event providing both a beautiful, his-torical venue and the wonderful cakes. Dean and Betty Premo of White Waters Associates gave us an incredible concert with all proceeds going to the SECOLA Invasive Species Fund. The event raised $1,000! Special thanks to Jane Patrick, Catherine Curran, Deb Cini, and Cindy Weber from the social committee for putting it all together.
With the first hints of fall color and the birch trees dropping a few leaves, it’s a good time to reflect on the impact SECOLA committees and volunteers have on our quality of life living on the chain of lakes. Thank you to all for pulling milfoil, helping with the fireworks, taking care of the island and all the great social events we had throughout the summer!
SECOLA continues to support the Clean Boats/ Clean Waters program and has once again committed funding the Florence County Land Conservation staff at the North Lake landing for the 2020 season. SECOLA members also provide hands-on assistance to Whitewater Associates, who help with the monitoring and removal of invasive aquatic plants. We continue to maintain our affiliation with other associations including, Wild Rivers Invasive Species Coalition (WRISC), Wisconsin Lakes Association, Florence County Lakes and Rivers Association (FLCARA), as well as working closely with the Florence County Land Conservation Department and Wisconsin DNR.
Fund raising for Invasive species has gone well this year. We exceeded our goal of $13,000 which we set for May 2019. Katie Reynold’s marketing plan utilizing YETI tumblers with a Spread Eagle Logo, was a success. Thank you to those members who contributed $250 or more to the fund and thank you to Katie for organizing this successful campaign. Our continued efforts to combat the spread of invasive species cannot be overstated.
This summer, a SECOLA Boat Wake and Safety Committee was established after concerns were raised over the increase in wakes and shoreline erosion. Chaired by Scott Reynolds, the committee developed “Boat and Wake Safety Best Practices”. This will be published on our website (www.spreadeaglechain.org ), on Facebook, and featured in this issue of the newsletter. We encourage everyone to read these recommendations and share them with friends and family around the lakes. Please continue to be considerate of kayakers, swimmers, other boaters, and property owner’s shorelines.
Improvements to Bass Island continue with trimming and mowing, opening of views, more work on the butterfly garden, and interpretive signage. Keep an eye out for a new basketball goal next spring! Thank you to all the volunteers and contributors who have helped with improving this beautiful island.
As my term winds down and ends in July 2020, I want to thank SECOLA for the opportunity to serve and get to know this great community. Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable fall and winter season!
Gary Weber
