For the preservation, protection, and maintenance of Lake St. Catherine
Good afternoon Lake St. Catherine.
We'd like to share a great idea our Trustee Frank Callahan had to those of you that may soon be closing up your camps for the summer:
"...a lot of lake people will be leaving soon. Perhaps they may want to give some food to the local food banks. The Poultney food bank is in the Stonebridge Inn, the white building at the northwest corner at the stoplight at Main Street and Route 30. Donations in Wells may be given at the Wellsmere Farm anytime, or the Wells Town Hall box Monday - Thursday. Both places are on Route 30."
"...a lot of lake people will be leaving soon. Perhaps they may want to give some food to the local food banks.
The Poultney food bank is in the Stonebridge Inn, the white building at the northwest corner at the stoplight at Main Street and Route 30.
Donations in Wells may be given at the Wellsmere Farm anytime, or the Wells Town Hall box Monday - Thursday. Both places are on Route 30."
So, if you soon find yourself cleaning out your pantry for the season, please consider Frank's suggestion.
Thanks!
We'd like to make you aware of some recent changes to the Vermont Aquatic Invasive Species Transport Law.
The changes as described by the State:
"As of June 8, 2017, the Vermont Legislature enacted new legislation regarding aquatic nuisance control. Act 67 adds four animals to the species list of which transport is restricted, and requires boat operators to visually inspect their own vessels and remove drain plugs while transporting a vessel. While the transport of ANY aquatic plant or plant parts, as well as zebra and quagga mussels, is still prohibited, it is now also prohibited to transport the following species: Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea) Fishhook waterflea (Cercopagis pengoi) Rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) Spiny waterflea (Bythotrephes longimanus) Act 67 requires any person transporting a vessel to or from a body of water to visually inspect the vessel, the transport vehicle, trailer, and other equipment used, and remove any aquatic plants, aquatic plant parts, and other aquatic nuisance species. The act also requires removal of drain plugs, bailers, valves, and all other devices designed to control the drainage of water from vessel while transporting it. All draining of contained water must occur in a manner that avoids discharge into a water of the State."
"As of June 8, 2017, the Vermont Legislature enacted new legislation regarding aquatic nuisance control. Act 67 adds four animals to the species list of which transport is restricted, and requires boat operators to visually inspect their own vessels and remove drain plugs while transporting a vessel.
While the transport of ANY aquatic plant or plant parts, as well as zebra and quagga mussels, is still prohibited, it is now also prohibited to transport the following species:
Act 67 requires any person transporting a vessel to or from a body of water to visually inspect the vessel, the transport vehicle, trailer, and other equipment used, and remove any aquatic plants, aquatic plant parts, and other aquatic nuisance species. The act also requires removal of drain plugs, bailers, valves, and all other devices designed to control the drainage of water from vessel while transporting it. All draining of contained water must occur in a manner that avoids discharge into a water of the State."
You can view the flyer provided by the State here:
You can view the full law on the Vermont General Assembly's website: Vermont Aquatic Invasive Species Transport Law.
On Saturday, July 24th, the Lake St. Catherine Association held their third meeting of the 2017 season in the morning, and the Annual Membership Meeting & Dinner later that evening.
First, the LSCA would like to thank all those who attended this year's meeting - we had a packed house! We hope you enjoyed the the Trustee's reports and the open discussion of LSC topics. We appreciate your continued support of the LSCA, and the work we do for the Lake. We hope that you'll spread the word to your neighbors around the lake.
The LSCA would also like to thank the Lake St. Catherine Country Club for hosting the meeting and preparing an excellent dinner. We hope you enjoyed that as well.
- LSCA President Jim Canders welcomes the Membership, thanks the LSCCC for and invited guests Ron Bremer, Select Board Town of Wells and his family.
- LSCA Treasurer Elaine Bagley gives the Treasurer's Report.
Other topics discussed: Milfoil Treatment & Suction Harvesting, Water Quality, the proposed Lily Pond Channel project, Boat Launch Monitoring, the Boat Parade, LSCA Publicity, a Membership Report, Lake Safety, Government Relations, an Advisory Committee report and Trustee Elections.
The presentation the Trustees used during their reports is available to view below:
If you have any questions about the topics discussed in the presentation, or any comments about the evening, please let us know: info@lakestcatherine.org.
Thanks again for your support - we hope you had an enjoyable evening!
Minutes of the Lake St. Catherine Association's third meeting of the 2017 season.
July 22nd 2017 Meeting of the Lake St. Catherine Board of Trustees
Lake St. Catherine Country Club, 8:30 AM
The Trustees gave their reports on many topics - Click here to see the full meeting agenda. Meeting minutes compiled by Jerremy Jones and LSCA President Jim Canders.
Present: Jim Canders, Mary Jo Teetor, Bob Williams, Frank Callahan, Phil Pope, Rand Burgner, Jerremy Jones, John Belnavis, Bill McLaughlin, Elaine Bagley, Ed Laird
Absent: Rob Goldman, Ken Abt, Rob Nesbit, Jeff Crandall
Jim called the meeting to order and the previous minutes were submitted and approved.
The Annual Meeting presentation was discussed and committee members suggested edits and changes to their slides. These were made, and the presentation was completed.
John Belnavis discussed the setup of the room and the logistics of the transition from meeting to dinner for the guests. It was decided that the presentation would be projected on the wall above the stairwell, and seating would be arranged in rows facing that wall. Trustees would stand up front, to the side of the projection to give their report. At the end of the meeting, guests would be asked to step outside as the room was prepared for dinner seating.
Jim Canders reported that he found a place to have a plaque made for the Greenbergs in honor of their years of service to the Association.
Frank Callahan discussed the two Lake Safety courses that were scheduled for Wells and Poultney. The Wells class only had 3 signups, so it had to be cancelled. However, a few days later, those folks were able to attend the Poultney class. The Poultney class had 11 attendees, all passed.
Frank also mentioned that people are tying their boats to the marker cones on the Sunken Island damaging them. He will mention at the Annual Meeting.
Phil Pope is still frustrated that he has not received the paperwork from the State that would officially permit the milfoil treatment, even though the Association was given the go-ahead. It was discussed that new employees and consolidation is most likely the cause of them being so far behind.
Bill McLaughlin proposed the Association should look into organizing lake property owners to better negotiate tax obligations with Wells and Poultney. Ed commented that this would be outside the Association's narrowly defined purpose under our 501(c)(3).
Bob Williams talked about the 5 people that will be put up for election to the board at the annual meeting: Jim Canders, Bob Williams, Jeff Crandell, Jerremy Jones and Martha Pofit.
Mary Jo and John mentioned that the milfoil treatment signs have been picked up. Mary Jo said that next year, stickers should be put on signs that say "DO NOT REMOVE FOR 30 DAYS".
Frank mentioned picking up some Association property at Woodard Marina.
Jerremy Jones reported that the Association received nice coverage in the local papers about the boat parade, both before and after the event. He mentioned that since the end of June, the Association's Facebook page has added over 50 new followers, now totaling over 300. Finally, he showed some possible designs for the Fall newsletter. The board selected their favorite.
Jim and Mary Jo will be attending the FOVLAP meeting on July 24th.
Meeting adjourned.
The Lake St. Catherine Association would like to invite you to the Annual Membership Meeting & Dinner on July 22nd, from 6 PM - 8 PM at the Fairways Restaurant & Tavern at the LSC Country Club.
The Trustees will make brief presentations, updating you on the work of the LSCA this season, including membership election of Trustees and discussion of lake affairs.
You are all invited to ask questions, make statements, meet your neighbors and enjoy an excellent dinner!
Dinner:
$15 option: Baked Haddock / Chicken Francaise, Pasta, Caesar Salad, Dinner Roll, Cake and Coffee.
$25 option: Prime Rib Dinner
We ask that you RSVP for dinner so the chef can prepare for the evening.
Please call or email Mary Jo Teetor, 802-287-5836 / ferncliff@comcast.net.
We hope to see you there!
The Vermont DEC's Lake Wise Program is conducting a 'Septic Social' on Lake St. Catherine on Wednesday, July 19th.
Little Lake resident Dede Kendall will host the Septic Social at her home: 15 Clayton Tract, Wells from 4:00 - 5:30 PM.
About the presentation:
Come learn about maintaining or replacing your septic system in a social environment!
Join septic experts, lake scientists, and other lakeshore property owners for a FREE social gathering to discuss proper maintenance, innovative systems, and more! Functioning Septic Systems are one of many important shoreland practices. To learn more about lake-friendly living and what you can do along your shore to protect water quality, natural shorelands and habitat, contact the Lake Wise Program. Also, remember to check with your local Shoreland Permit Specialist before making any changes along your shoreland property. Thanks, and hope to see you at the Septic Social! Bring your septic questions!
Questions? Contact Laura Dlugolecki at 802-490-6133 or laura.dlugolecki@vermont.gov.
Again, this free program will take place on Wednesday, July 19th from 4:00-5:30 PM at 15 Clayton Tract, in Wells, on the Little Lake.
Hello good folks of the Lake St. Catherine community! We hope you all had a great time watching and participating in this year's boat parade.
Thank you to our judges around the lake, and to Lila Burgner for coordinating and organizing another successful parade.
Here are the winners!
Overall:
1st Place - Beatles 50th Anniversary, Boat #16 - Jack McVicker & Kimberly Moore and friends
2nd Place - Hawaiian Volcano Luau, Boat #8 - Conine Family
Most Original:
1st Place - Peter Pan, Boat #7 - Corrigan Family
2nd Place - Super Heroes, Boat #1 - Goldman Family
Funniest:
1st Place - Rub A Dub Dub 2 Gals In A Tub, Boat #10 - Erin Wysolmerski
2nd Place - Happy Birthday, Boat #12 - Mulcahy Family
Most Patriotic:
1st Place - Wendell Family, Boat #11
2nd Place - Cook Family, Boat #6
Nice job all!
The LSCA would like to thank these generous sponsors for providing prizes for the Boat Parade:
Are you a member yet? Maintaining the lake costs approximately $100,000 annually. Grants, membership dues and contributions make up the majority of our funding. If you'd like to help, please consider becoming a member or making a donation. The LSCA is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and any contribution that you make is tax deductible.
Have a fun and safe 4th of July weekend!
On Saturday, June 24th, the Lake St. Catherine Association held their second meeting of the 2017 season.
June 24th 2017 Meeting of the Lake St. Catherine Board of Trustees
Present: Jim Canders, Jeff Crandall, Mary Jo Teetor, Bob Williams, Frank Callahan, Phil Pope, Rand Burgner, Jerremy Jones, John Belnavis, Bill McLaughlin, Elaine Bagley
Absent: Rob Goldman, Ed Laird, Ken Abt, Rob Nesbit
Lila Burgner reported on her efforts for the 5th Annual Boat Parade. She's collected 8 prizes that were donated by local businesses, and received ice cream certificates for all child participants. She's put up fliers around the lake, and was interviewed for an article that appeared in the Granville Sentinel last Thursday. Boat registrations are down from this time last year, with 7 confirmed - hoping for more signups this week.
Eliane Bagley handed out her Treasurers Report. Membership checks and online dues are still coming in. A suggestion was made that the board should have an audit conducted on the books for 2016. After a brief discussion, it was decided to look into what a non profit may need for an audit or financial review. Elaine also reported that we had received a $24,175.20 check from the State towards our Grant.
John Belnavis discussed the possible menu for the Annual Member Meeting on July 22nd at the LSC Country Club [more info on this soon]. A $15 option for salmon, chicken francaise, pasta and salad. A suggestion was made that we also offer another option for a higher price. For example, $25 for prime rib. John will check in with the CC chef for options. The board voted to provide a $250 facility fee to the CC for use of the dining room for our monthly meetings - including the membership dinner and tips for the waitstaff. Once the menu is finalized, we will start promoting via flyers, the LSCA website, Facebook and Jerremy will make contact with the local papers.
The board also discussed keeping the Trustee portion brief and focused. A projector will be set up to show photos and slides as each Trustee presents. A suggestion was made to bring in a speaker. The suction harvesting team Owen and Beck will speak about the work they are doing to control the milfoil around the lake this season.
Jeff Crandall detailed the milfoil treatment that took place on June 14th. The treatment went well, and followup water tests are underway. 42 acres were treated with the herbicide Renovate. Jim mentioned that lake water should be safe for drinking and preparing foods within the next few weeks. Suction harvesting is underway around the lake. A suggestion was made that the LSCA should create a history of the milfoil treatment in LSC to inform the lake community of the board's efforts to control it.
Rand Burgner gave a report on the boat launch. The 3 greeters are doing an excellent job and have processed 399 boats so far this season. The greeters will be staffing the boat launch Friday - Tuesday over the 4th of July weekend.
Mary Jo Teetor reported finding no issues with the weekly water tests. She mentioned adding the DEC Lake Score Card to the Water Quality page on the LSCA site. There is also a 'Septic Social' scheduled for July 19th in Wells [more details to come]. At a Septic Social, "homeowners learn about the options for a well functioning septic system and the good maintenance practices". Awaiting approval of Lily Pond channel permit. Funding for this potential project was discussed, funding from property owners?
Jerremy Jones discussed updates to the LSCA website and presented a website usage report. The blog is being updated with all the latest LCSA news, as is the LSCA Facebook page. A new business level membership was discussed. The idea discussed would have local businesses receiving a listing in the Sponsors section of the new LSCA site and an option to have their events and special occasions listed on our web Calendar. It was suggested that a committee be formed to decide how to implement it for the 2018 season. Rand and Elaine volunteered to work with Jerremy on this idea.
It was decided that the board would like a printed newsletter to be hand delivered around the lake and to local businesses to be available before Labor Day. Jerremy will call the company that printed the last newsletter to determine how many copies were printed and the cost.
Jerremy also mentioned that he will work to get all LSCA news and events into the local papers and requested that Trustees provide a photo for their listing on the Trustees page on the new website.
Frank Callahan talked about the 2 upcoming Boating Safety courses. Registrations are low - and at least 10 are needed per class. The courses were listed in the Thursday edition of the Granville Sentinel. Frank also discussed 'the rock' buoy washing up on shore, and that one of the cones at the sunken island had come loose. This appears to be from people tying their boats, damaging the line to the anchor. It will need to be repaired.
Bob Williams reports that there will be 3 openings on the board and the Trustees are actively recruiting to find interested lake community members.
Next, membership was discussed. Rob Goldman sent out a new mailing last week in an effort to reach out to those that have not sent in their dues for 2017.
Phil Pope informed the board that the State is very behind on their grant paperwork. He has been in touch with his contact weekly, but he is still waiting for the paperwork that will enable the filing of the Grant-in-Kind Report.
Finally, the board discussed participating in both Wells Variety Day and East Poultney Day, and Jim mentioned the upcoming fireworks by Rick Roberts and Jack Williams.
The next meeting of the LSCA Board Of Trustees will take place on July 22nd at 8:30 AM at the Lake St. Catherine Country Club.
Our Annual Membership meeting will be taking place the evening of July 22nd at 6 PM at the Lake St. Catherine Country Club. More details will be posted soon.
Hello Lake St. Catherine community!
The Lake St. Catherine Association would like to thank our 230+ (and counting...) members for their support in submitting their membership dues this year.
Your membership and the dues and contributions we receive allows us to accomplish our work. Maintaining the lake costs approximately $100,000 annually. While we do receive annual grants from Poultney, Wells, and the State, membership dues and contributions make up the majority of our funding.
However, our membership drive for 2017 is not over! There are still many of you out in the Lake community that we'd like reach - to ask for your support.
This week, we sent out a second round of mailings to the Lake St. Catherine community containing the 2017 Membership Application.
If you'd like to support the LSCA and become a member, you can fill out the Membership Form linked above, or you can fill in our online membership form and submit your dues online. If you'd like to try our new online form, you can click here to go to our Membership section.
Some of the services the LSCA provides are:
After receiving your dues, our Treasurer Elaine will send you a welcome mailing which includes a LSCA member card for your window, a LSCA pen and a hand-written thank you note.
To our members - please spread the word about the LSCA! Your endorsement of the LSCA with your friends, family and neighbors would be greatly appreciated. Building our membership helps us continue to do great work for the Lake and the community.
Thank you for your support!
If you have any questions, please contact us at at info@lakestcatherine.org.
Registration is underway for the Lake St. Catherine Association's 5th Annual Boat Parade!
So, it's time to come up with some creative ideas for your boat theme or decorations... Your creativity will be rewarded. How?
Fabulous prizes, of course!
So, you can see there is a lot at stake this year...
Prizes are awarded for:
To join in on the parade, please contact Lila Burgner at BurgnerL@msn.com or call 802-884-8093 to register your boat.
In celebration of Independence Day, the Lake St. Catherine Association is pleased to announce our 5th annual Boat Parade, taking place on Sunday, July 2nd. All are welcome to join the parade or cheer from the shore.
There will be 4 prizes for decorated boats:
Judges will view the passing boats from the judging stations marked with red, white and blue balloons.
Do you remember last year's winner - Fly Boarder Justice Cook flying through the air?
Creativity and patriotism were on full display last year. What will our boat paraders have in store for us this time?
The parade will begin with a gathering of all participating boats in Forest House Bay at 1 PM on July 2nd (rain date: July 3rd).
Participating is easy! Just contact Lila Burgner at BurgnerL@msn.com or call 802-884-8093 to register and get a boat number.
All children participating in the parade will receive an ice cream cone gift certificate from Stewart's Shops!
...and don't forget about the fireworks! Lake residents Rick Roberts and Jack Williams will be putting on their yearly show the evening of Saturday, July 1st.
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