Recent News
A Message from the Vice-President
As I am sitting in my sunroom enjoying the spectacular view of the lake, with all the colorful trees reflecting off the water, our tireless leader, Scott Reynolds, is working diligently in Florida to help restore his neighbors’ homes devastated by Hurricane Ian. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those who were impacted by the storm.
Fortunately we all have happy memories of a fun and safe summer on the lakes—from Luaus to Sock Hops, and all the gatherings in-between! The Bass Island Party hit a record high, with 104 members in attendance. Thank you, Chuck Hjerpe, for keeping the island so pristine and to all our boat captains for delivering us to and from the island safely!
It was doubtful if the fireworks would be a go this year due to weather, but Mother Nature cooperated. With an added donation from the Brule family, the fireworks were truly spectacular.
We celebrated another generous donation, this one at our Annual Meeting in mid-July. SECOLA presented the Carlson Family with a plaque commemorating the contribution of Dr. Ralph and Cynthia Carlson to the Association’s Invasive Species Fund. You can see the plaque at the pavilion on Bass Island.
We have welcome news for North Lake Road residents—the North Lake Road project is complete just in time for winter!
However not all is well in paradise! This summer we had many inquiries from concerned lake residents regarding the high lake water levels harming their docks and shorelines. In June we discovered that remarkably busy beavers were working overtime to close the outlet beyond the South Lake Dam (see Carl’s notes on page 4). We then became aware of the exist-ence of a Beaver Pond Leveler (BPL), that had been installed years ago, but was no longer functioning. The purpose of a leveler is to allow the water to flow without disturbing the beavers and their habitat. Over the years, the ice has heaved up sections of the leveler, the intake ends have degraded (the beavers have chewed through the existing caps), the anchors hold-ing the pipes in place failed, and the beavers quickly packed the culvert thereby blocking the water flow. A team of SECOLA members—with waders, shovels, pry bars, picks and strong backs— kayaked to the BPL. Knee deep in muck, they managed to unplug the intake, fabricate new cages, and temporarily anchor the baffles and culverts. As we paddled home, the water was flowing, and the current was strong. All of this is a temporary fix. Over the winter we will regroup, order the supplies needed and be ready in the spring to put in place a permanent solution. We are grateful to Paul Lundy, Scott Reynolds, Jay Brown, Bob Fox, Joe Rizzo, Mike Bianchi, Carl Sundberg, Sara Clark, Tim Clark, Mark Cini, Larry Warren, and Britt Reynolds for all their arduous work.
Once again the generosity of our membership is amazing, and we are grateful to all of you for supporting SECOLA with your time, talents and donations. Our waters will stay clean, safe, and beautiful for generations to come only because of your continued help.
We are looking forward to an active winter on the lakes, celebrating the holidays with friends and family, and the return of our summer neighbors!
Respectfully, Deb Cini, Vice President
As I am sitting in my sunroom enjoying the spectacular view of the lake, with all the colorful trees reflecting off the water, our tireless leader, Scott Reynolds, is working diligently in Florida to help restore his neighbors’ homes devastated by Hurricane Ian. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those who were impacted by the storm.
Fortunately we all have happy memories of a fun and safe summer on the lakes—from Luaus to Sock Hops, and all the gatherings in-between! The Bass Island Party hit a record high, with 104 members in attendance. Thank you, Chuck Hjerpe, for keeping the island so pristine and to all our boat captains for delivering us to and from the island safely!
It was doubtful if the fireworks would be a go this year due to weather, but Mother Nature cooperated. With an added donation from the Brule family, the fireworks were truly spectacular.
We celebrated another generous donation, this one at our Annual Meeting in mid-July. SECOLA presented the Carlson Family with a plaque commemorating the contribution of Dr. Ralph and Cynthia Carlson to the Association’s Invasive Species Fund. You can see the plaque at the pavilion on Bass Island.
We have welcome news for North Lake Road residents—the North Lake Road project is complete just in time for winter!
However not all is well in paradise! This summer we had many inquiries from concerned lake residents regarding the high lake water levels harming their docks and shorelines. In June we discovered that remarkably busy beavers were working overtime to close the outlet beyond the South Lake Dam (see Carl’s notes on page 4). We then became aware of the exist-ence of a Beaver Pond Leveler (BPL), that had been installed years ago, but was no longer functioning. The purpose of a leveler is to allow the water to flow without disturbing the beavers and their habitat. Over the years, the ice has heaved up sections of the leveler, the intake ends have degraded (the beavers have chewed through the existing caps), the anchors hold-ing the pipes in place failed, and the beavers quickly packed the culvert thereby blocking the water flow. A team of SECOLA members—with waders, shovels, pry bars, picks and strong backs— kayaked to the BPL. Knee deep in muck, they managed to unplug the intake, fabricate new cages, and temporarily anchor the baffles and culverts. As we paddled home, the water was flowing, and the current was strong. All of this is a temporary fix. Over the winter we will regroup, order the supplies needed and be ready in the spring to put in place a permanent solution. We are grateful to Paul Lundy, Scott Reynolds, Jay Brown, Bob Fox, Joe Rizzo, Mike Bianchi, Carl Sundberg, Sara Clark, Tim Clark, Mark Cini, Larry Warren, and Britt Reynolds for all their arduous work.
Once again the generosity of our membership is amazing, and we are grateful to all of you for supporting SECOLA with your time, talents and donations. Our waters will stay clean, safe, and beautiful for generations to come only because of your continued help.
We are looking forward to an active winter on the lakes, celebrating the holidays with friends and family, and the return of our summer neighbors!
Respectfully, Deb Cini, Vice President
