Spring 2009 newsletter Lake Owassa

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Volume 1, Issue 30
Spring 2009
THE O WASSA PADDLER
THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Loca Board
Members
Judy Roman –
president
Brad Batastini—
Vice President
John Lawson—
Past President
Dick Bell
Caren Berei
Ray Earle
Bob Hope
David Miller
Kevin Murphy
Andy Retz
_______________________
Steve Weissman,
Esq.—Attorney
Sherry Fischer—
Secretary
973-948-6866
[email protected]
After the long very cold winter,
we are at long last looking forward to a sunny and delightful
summer!! The Recreation Committee has already scheduled
many of our favorites and has
some new activities planned as
well. New this year is the “Boat
Gathering” for non-motorized
craft scheduled for May 24, 11
A.M. to 1 P.M. Another terrific
addition is a “LOCA Brunch”
directed by the Fiorentines to be
held on the island July 14.
Check the recreation calendar
included in this newsletter and
updated as needed on our Web
site, www.lakeowassa.org . Many
thanks go to chairpersons Caren
Berei and Ann O’Connor and to
the members of the committee
for all these wonderful events.
The Recreation Committee will
also be sponsoring a LOCA Yard
Sale (described elsewhere in
this newsletter) taking place on
May 30 to help members clear
out unwanted items. For other
tidying-up needs, LOCA members should be aware that they
can take advantage of the Sussex County Municipal Authority
(SCMUA) Solid Waste Facility on
Route 94 in Lafayette, open
Monday through Saturday, 7
A.M. to 2 P.M. (973-579-6998
or at www.scmua.org ).
Thanks to chairperson Ray Earle
and the members of the Fishing
Club a full schedule of wonderful activities is again planned
this year. Please be generous
with contributions to the Fishing
Club.
Unfortunately, on January 2,
2009, a leak from a home heating oil tank caused a substantial amount of oil to run into the
lake and to spread in front of
areas H-17 to H-27 on the East
Shore. However, fortunately,
many agencies and individuals
came to our aid rapidly. Involved in the clean-up were,
among others, the Fire Departments of Frankford, Branchville,
and Stillwater, the Blue Ridge
Rescue Squad, Frankford Road
Department, Sussex County
Board of Health, Office of Emergency Management, and Sheriff’s Office, and New Jersey Departments of Environmental
Protection, Emergency Management and Hazardous Materials.
Booms were placed in the lake,
and as much oil as possible
was removed before the ice
became solid. When the lake
thawed, the authorities returned and finished cleaning
the residual spill and washed
the shore line, rocks, and culvert from the road to the lake.
There no longer seems to be
any substantial oil or residual
odor in the area. However, if
you see a heating oil sheen
or detect its odor, please call
Brad Batastini at 973-9480160 or me at 973-9487171. All involved in this
matter were very diligent and
determined to restore our
lake to its pristine condition. I
thank each and everyone
who helped in this emergency. Excellent team work!!
This incident brings to mind
questions for any member
who has either an aboveground or an in-ground oil
tank:
When was the tank last professionally inspected?
How old is it? Does it need to
be replaced?
Is there proper insurance to
cover a spill?
Does your home owner’s
insurance cover oil spills?
As this event has shown, oil
spills can have very serious
consequences.
At our June General Membership Meeting as described in
the Meeting Notice elsewhere
in this newsletter, we will
discuss and vote on a change
to the LOCA Constitution and
The Owassa Paddler
Page 2
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE (CONTINUED)
7 ½ HP to 10 HP for watercraft permitted in unlimited
number for each membership. The LOCA Board of Governors is sponsoring and supports the amendment for the
following reasons. First, new
motors in the range of 7 ½ HP
are now generally not available. Then too, electric starters and remote steering are
generally not available on
motors of less than 9.9 H.P.
(Although small motors are
adequate to power a pontoon
boat, electric starters and
remote steering are needed.)
Moreover, new motors,
whether 4-stroke or 2-stroke,
run cleaner with greater fuel
efficiency and less pollution
than do the older 2-stroke, 7
½ horsepower motors.
This amendment requires a
two-thirds vote at the General
Membership Meeting. Your
vote either by proxy or preferably in person is most important.
As a reminder, ALL operators
of any type of motorized boat
must have completed by June
1, 2009, an approved boat
safety course that can award
the required Boat Safety Certificate. Courses are offered
at our local boat dealerships,
at Sussex County Community
College, and at other sites.
Call to register soon as
classes are quickly filling up.
As has been the case for
many decades, our lake activities are run by a remarkable
number of dedicated volunteers as it takes many hands
to make our fun happen. I
hope more members will
share in volunteering especially since it is a good way to
enjoy the lake and get to
know more wonderful LOCA
neighbors. Ted and I wish all a
wonderful, safe and fantastic
summer, and we are looking
forward to seeing everyone on
the water, at our many
events, and at the membership meeting.
Sincerely,
Judy Roman-President
MEETING NOTICE
Notice of General Membership Meeting
The regular General Membership Meeting of the Lake Owassa Community Association will take
place on Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at the Branchville Hose Company, corner of Broad
Street and Railroad Avenue, Branchville. A proxy for the meeting is included in this newsletter. At
this meeting matters to be decided include but are not limited to the following two items, both of
which are recommended by the Board of Governors:
Amendment of the LOCA Constitution and ByBy-Laws, Article IV, Section 3, Subsection C.
C Article IV,
Section 3, Subsection C currently reads “Each proprietary member shall be entitled to only one
motor propelled watercraft permit in excess of 7 ½ H.P. and there shall be no limit for any proprietary member on the number of permits below 7 ½ H.P.” The Board of Governors recommends that
this subsection be changed to read “Each proprietary member shall be entitled to only one motor
propelled watercraft permit in excess of 10 H.P. and there shall be no limit for any proprietary
member on the number of permits for watercraft of 10 H.P. or less.”
less
Increase of compensation for LOCA SecretarySecretary-Treasurer and LOCA Patrol Officer. The Board of Governors recommends increases in compensation for the fiscal year of September 2009 to August
2010 as follows: For LOCA Secretary-Treasurer, an increase of $225 (from $6400 to $6625 per
year); and for LOCA Patrol Officer, an increase of $150 (from $4230 to $4380 per year).
Please make every effort to attend. If you cannot attend, please make every effort to execute the
proxy included in this newsletter (last page).
VOTE
Castle Video
Annie’s Book Stop
Rt. 206 & Cook Rd.
Branchville, NJ 07826
973-948-7477 or 3111
Fax: 973-948-2475
For Rent:
Summer rentals: H-15,
sleeps 8, A/C, W/D,
deck, Dock, rowboat
and motor, newly renovated. $1,300/week,
$4,500/month. G-7,
sleeps 7, A/C, W/D,
enclosed porch, deck,
dock, boat.
$975/week,
$3,400/month - Call
(973) 222-7790
Page 3
The Owassa Paddler
RECREATION
CAREN BEREI & ANN O’CONNOR
2009 DATES TO
REMEMBER
May 24 Sunday 11:00—
11:00—1:00 Boat Gathering -NonNon-Motorized Craft —Come join us in the
center of the lake in a non motorized craft. Spend some time getting to know other lake members.
May 30 Saturday 8:00—
8:00—2:00 LOCA Yard Sale (Rain or Shine) - Great time to clear out all
that stuff that you have no use for but others might. Ads will be placed in local paper and signs will
be placed on each side of the lake. Members are responsible for placing their own signs at their
locations.
June 14 Sunday 11:00—
11:00—2:00 Continental Brunch on the Island—
Island— Hosted by Lisa and
Mike Fiorentine. $5.00 in advance, $8.00 day of. Please contact the Fiorentine’s by June 7th for
advance tickets. [email protected] or 973-948-8314
June 27 Saturday 8:00 am Buddy Bass Fishing Contest—
Contest See fishing news for details
June 28 Sunday 10:00 am LOCA General Association Meeting
July —
TBA
Swim Races—
Races Meet at the LOCA raft
July 4 Saturday 10:00 am Boat Parade—Decorated
Boats meet at the LOCA float
Parade
July 4 Saturday Dawn—
Dawn—3:00 Sunny Fishing Contest—
Contest See fishing news for details
July 25 Saturday 12:00—
12:00—4:00 LOCA Annual Picnic—”2009 Feeling Fine”$5.00 in advance,
$8.00 day of. Tickets will be on sale at the June 28th General Meeting or available through your
area advisor. Each family to bring a dish of your choice, please coordinate with your area adviser
on what category. Advanced sales available until July 20th.
August 9 Sunday Annual Fishing Contest Ends
August 29 Saturday 4:00—
4:00—8:00 Wine & Cheese—
Cheese Join us on the Island with a bottle of wine
and your favorite snack to bring the summer season to a close. It’s a wonderful evening to kick
back and relax with your neighbors over a casual cocktail or a game of horseshoes.
August 30 Sunday 10:00 am LOCA General Association Meeting
Hikes
Come join us for a hike. This year we will try something new, spend a glorious day walking along the Appalachian and through Stokes State Forest and culminate with a tailgate.
Share your favorite dip or snack and reminisce about the sightings of the day. Keep an
eye out on the web site for any upcoming plans. The 3—4 hour hikes will be moderate to
challenging so come prepared dressed in layers.
We will look for volunteers to position cars the morning of the hike.
The Owassa Paddler
Page 4
L A K E W A T E R S : B R A D B A TA S T I N I
Please do not fertilize our lake !!!
C.O.L.A.
We belong to an association entitled, “New Jersey Coalition of Lake Associations.” The following data comes from their early spring newsletter and may be helpful as you select cleaning products for in and around your lake house:
Phosphorus is not the only “no“no-no”
Nitrogen is bad as well. When phosphorus and/or nitrogen enter the lake they become food for algae and weeds to grow!
Things to remember:
use “phosphate-free” cleaning products.
use “phosphate-free” and “nitrogen-free” fertilizers; for example, “0-0-15” means 0 nitrogen, 0 phosphorus, 15 potassium (actually grass doesn’t need phosphorus or nitrogen to grow and stay green --- try it --- you’ll mow less
and still have an attractive lawn!)
slow down water “runoff” from carrying sediment and unwanted materials into the lake.
allow natural shoreline plants to grow uncut within 1 or 2 feet of the lake to control runoff and unwanted geese!
educate friends and neighbors (especially guests and new members) to protect our lake.
THANKS for not fertilizing Lake Owassa ….. ”Mother Nature” does a great job all by herself !!!
The Owassa Paddler
LOCA PATROL NEWS
TED ROMAN 973-570-3786
•
This is the final year for the Boat Safety Course. Everyone operating a power boat in the state of
New Jersey must complete the course by June 1, 2009 and have the course completion certificate. Everyone operating a power boat must also be in possession of a New Jersey boat Operator’s license.
•
A person 13 years old must have completed an approved Boating Safety Course. If they have the
boating safety certificate, they can operate a vessel with an electric motor or a vessel 12 feet long
or longer with less than 10 HP.
•
Children twelve and under must wear a Coast Guard approved flotation device when riding in a
boat.
•
ALL boats must have the LOCA AREA stickers (red & white) on each side. Please, replace them if
they are damaged or not visible.
•
Swim floats that are anchored in the lake, must have some LOCA AREA marking on them, so that
they can be identified if they drift free.
•
The current 2009 stickers will be ORANGE for small boat, kayak, canoe, etc... Boats with motors
larger than 25 HP will have PURPLE. You need to have the correct sticker on each side of the
boat.
While underway in a motorboat, DO NOT ride on the bow, gunwale, transom or other position that
is obviously dangerous. Please use the seats in your boat.
FISHING COMMITTEE—RAY EARLE
I hope you all are ready for another great summer of fishing on the lake. This fall the
fishing club stocked 1000 small mouth bass and 950 hybrid stripers. Some of last years,
small mouth bass have already been caught and things look good for their return to the
lake.
The annual fishing contest is well under way, so please try to get your catch to a weight
station and enter it. Remember all children win a trophy. Adults win 1st.,2nd and 3rd place
trophies. The annual Buddy Bass Contest will be held on June 27th 2009 . Please check
the web site for a list of rules. Start time will be 8 o’clock am . In the center of the lake.
Try to show up a little early to register with the patrolman.
The annual sunfish contest will be held on July 4th 2009 . Please bring your fish to the
LOCA island at 3 pm to be entered and prizes will be awarded at that time. Remember
there is a state law that allows no more then 25 fish per person . Remember also the
2009 adult and kids fishing contest is under way and will end on Aug. 9th 2009.
The2010 contest will start on Aug. 10th 2009 .
Please remember to clean your boat before your boat before it goes into the lake if it has
been in another body of water. So far there have been no sign of and virus in our fish.
Good luck. See the web site for the location of the weigh in stations and details.
LOCA S TO R E
We have a new store manager, thanks to Christine Lipari for volunteering.
Favorite items include: fleece vests or jackets, sweatshirts (hooded or zippered), sweat pants & tops,
long sleeve denim shirts , and other items you may want. Just call Christine at 973-948-6348.
On hand for ready pick up are our LOCA mugs- $8.00 each. These make great gifts for visitors and
family members!!
Page 5
Page 6
The Owassa Paddler
NEWS BLOG
Harmony in Motion, Sussex County's own acapella chorus of women barbershop singers, invites you to a free
concert on Mon July 20, 2009 from 7 - 7:30pm. We will
perform at lakeside, I-2 which is 229 East Shore Lake
Owassa Rd. You are welcome to come by boat or join us
in the yard. We will also present a full show at Walkill Valley High School on Sun. Oct 4th entitled Reaching for a
Star. Please contact me for tickets for that event or any
questions regarding our free concert. In Harmony Linda
Wistermayer 973-625-5611
Fiorentine Catering—offering
a 20% discount to LOCA memCatering
bers for upcoming graduations, etc., see our side bar add.
you know that since LOCA manages
TriTri-Co Credit Union—Did
Union
accounts with Tri-Co, all LOCA members are eligible for membership? Stop by, check out the web at www.tricofcu.com or
contact Tri-Co at 973-895-6726 for further information.
News & classifieds can be
sent directly to Caren & Ann
at:
[email protected]
Free business advertising
welcome, must be LOCA
members.
House Cleaning
Marie
Worthington
Earle
(h)973(h)973-948948-6237
LOCA WEBSITE
L.O.C.A Website!
If you’ve not logged onto www.lakeowassa.org, you don’t know what you’re missing. Go check it out! You’ll find great information, pictures and a printable calendar of the summer events including meeting dates.
WWW.LAKEOWASSA.ORG
VOLUNTEER
Becoming a volunteer can have so many positive results. It will help maintain our beautiful Lake Owassa and enhance the LOCA organization. It will
boost self esteem which will result in a healthier life style.
After the winter months the activities on the lake will begin to arise and the
need for volunteers will increase. Please look for information in
the newsletter and on the website.
(c) 845845-551551-2387
LAKE OWASSA COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION PROXY
Discussion:
No official business can be conducted at Association General Meetings unless a voting quorum is present. It is preferable that
members of the Association attend meetings in person; however, members may appoint someone as a “Proxy” to represent them in
their absence. If you should subsequently attend the meeting and decide to vote in person, the assigned Proxy may be canceled at
that time.
You may indicate on the Proxy how you wish to vote on each subject to be voted upon at the meeting and your representative is
obligated to vote accordingly. If you do not indicate a preference or if any subject should arise during the meeting which is not covered in the meeting notice, the Proxy is free to vote in accordance with his or her best judgment.
To ensure a quorum at the General Meeting, the Board of Governors requests that you appoint the Secretary of the Association as
your Proxy by signing this Proxy form and returning it promptly to the Secretary (LOCA, P.O. Box 657, Branchville, NJ 07826), especially if you do not plan to attend.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PROXY:
The undersigned voting member of the Lake Owassa Community Association hereby appoints the Secretary or
___________________________________ (other designated person), his or her lawful Attorney and Proxy, with full
powers of substitution, to vote at the General Meeting to be held on June 28, 2009 and at any adjournment thereof,
upon all matters that may properly come before the Meeting; provided, however, that such vote shall be as specified
below with respect to matters described in the Meeting Notice (Spring 2009 LOCA Newsletter):
AMENDMENT TO THE LOCA CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS, ARTICLE IV, SECTION 3, SUBSECTION C (Increasing the
horsepower limit from less than 7 ½ H.P. to 10 H.P. for watercraft which are permitted in unlimited number for each membership, as
proposed in the Meeting Notice.)
For ______
The Board of Governors recommends a “for” vote.
Against _______
Abstain _______
INCREASE IN COMPENSATION FOR LOCA SECRETARY-TREASURER AND LOCA PATROL OFFICER : (The amount of proposed increase is described in the Meeting Notice.)
For ______
The Board of Governors recommends a “for” vote.
Against _______
Abstain _______
BRANCHVILLE, NJ 07826
PO BOX 657
LOCA
P.O. Box 657, Branchville, NJ 07826
A N ews let t er o f t h e L a k e
O wa s s a C o mm u ni t y