RomeRock Association – Property Owners Association of Roaming Shores

Winter Storm Effects

Published December 1, 2020 | By admin

Our first snowstorm of the season is a doozy. Not only are we getting several inches of snow, it’s heavy and wet, so it’s been taking down many trees causing road blocks and power outages. Please report downed trees to the RRA Office at 440-563-3170 or reply to this email. If a tree is down on power-lines, please call 911.

Report all power outages to the Illuminating Company 1-888-544-4877 (1-888-LIGHTSS) don’t assume your neighbors have already done so.

Our guys now have double duty with plowing and tree removal so please be patient and DRIVE SLOW! If you can stay home, please do!

12/2/2020 Update:
Many in Roaming Shores still do not have power. The Illuminating Company released the following statement:
As our crews continue to work as quickly and safely as possible to restore service to customers across the Greater Cleveland area, safety of our employees and the community remains top of mind. The weight of the heavy, wet snow and ice caused many trees and large branches to fall into our power lines and equipment. Please treat ANY downed or low-hanging power line as energized and dangerous and stay far away. They should be reported immediately to 9-1-1. We also remind the public to stay far away from damage locations where our hazard responders and line crews are stationed, as there could be energized equipment nearby.After a major storm like this, our main priority is clearing hazards – such as downed power lines, downed trees and equipment blocking the roads – and assessing the damage so that our line crews can access the site of an outage and begin to safely make the repairs. We understand it is difficult to be without power, and our goal is to get all customers back up and running as quickly and safely as possible. Our crews will continue working around the clock until every last customer is restored to service, and we rely on the public to help us get through this safely. We will provide restoration updates for specific locations as they become available on our outage map: http://spr.ly/OHOutageMap. Thank you for your patience and support of our crews!

Lake Management Techniques: Erosion Control

Published November 25, 2020 | By admin

By Gerald Dixon – Lake Management Committee

The brown color of our lake is the result of suspended bits of rock and soil in the water. This suspended material is called sediment. Sediment is generated by erosion, which is a geological process in which earthen materials are worn away and transported by natural terrestrial and aquatic forces, as well as human and animal influences. Lake sediment causes un-navigable waters, unwanted green algae blooms, and weeds among other unseen detriments to a healthy lake. Shoreline erosion contributes significantly to our lake’s sediment and water quality issues. Most homeowners will not dispute the fact that Rock Creek’s watershed is a carrier of sediment. But another major contributor is our thirty miles of shoreline. Here are some of the aquatic forces that lead to our shoreline erosion:

Waves: Wave action can displace loose soil when the soil composition isn’t right for the area and natural vegetation has been removed.

Ice: When lakes freeze and then melt, sheets of ice are pushed up onto the shore. This is occurring more and more frequently as water levels rise and fall.

Storm Water: As storm water moves over loose soil, layers of the soil are removed in “sheets” leading to something called “Sheet Erosion.”

Flowing water: Run off from the lake’s watershed and flow of material contribute to the overall deposits.

Splash or heavy rains: Precipitation and storm water hitting loose soil cause heavy displacement depending on the slope of the property.

Human influences also cause shoreline erosion to happen. This is often referred to as “accelerated erosion” which happens much faster than natural erosion and is much more challenging to reverse. Sometimes, people who are trying to help control shoreline erosion are actually causing much more damage in the process. Removing vegetation in order to create more visibility and access to the water not only destroys many natural habitats, but gets rid of the natural erosion control that plants and tree roots offer.

Aquatic plant removal can have a similar effect. Shallow lakes, such as ours, tend to have more aquatic plants near the shore. These plants help protect the shoreline from erosion by reducing a wave’s energy before it comes in contact with the shore. When too many aquatic plants are removed, the ecosystem in the lake is not only damaged, but the full erosive force of waves is able to hit the shoreline and cause damage there too.

When home owners install impervious surfaces such as driveways or permanent structures, that surface area is now unable to absorb water from precipitation. This precipitation will therefore cause erosion instead of absorbing into the soil naturally. Paved sitting or observation areas beside the lake and long docks have a dramatic effect on the shoreline.

But the most severe erosion from human influence is created by watercraft. When boats are design to create waves, such as those we wish to board behind without a line, the damage to shoreline is the greatest; fortunately, deep water waves are not as damaging as shallow water waves. This is the principal reason our “No Wake Zones” were created. Unfortunately, the majority of boat operators do not slow to minimum steerage speed as required by the regulation.

Again, what we do on our properties can affect the lake, so always consider it when you make changes, especially along the shoreline. We should all do our part to “Save our Lake” and as always…

Be Lake Responsible

Christmas with Santa December 12th

Published November 18, 2020 | By admin

The Roaming Shores Polar Bear Club will host Christmas with Santa at the Clubhouse on Saturday, December 12^th. Due to the restrictions of the Clubhouse, we are unable to host our traditional breakfast. Santa will be here to share a gift and his Christmas Spirit with all the children and grandchildren of Roaming Shores residents, age 12 and under. As we are unable to host the children in the Clubhouse, we ask that each family drives to the front of the club house. Santa will bring his Christmas gifts to your children as they remain in their vehicle.

Registration is required with a cutoff date of Friday, December 5^th. Please email the Polar Bear Club at: joeythepolarbear@yahoo.com

When registering, please leave the following information:

Family name
Children’s name, age, and gender
Preference of 9:00, 9:30, 10:00,10:30 reservation (due to the amount of children, Santa has asked we spread out the times so he has time to spend with the children)

The Polar Bear Club will send an email confirmation that you are registered within 48 hours of receiving. We thank you and look forward to your family’s participation.

Updated: RRA Phones are Working Again

Published November 17, 2020 | By admin

The RRA’s phone and internet service has been restored!

November Board Recap

Published November 12, 2020 | By admin

The RomeRock Board of Directors held their November board meeting on Thursday, November 5th at the clubhouse with all directors present. Both Pat Sowry and Treasurer, Scott Soble attended via zoom. Louise Lisac called the meeting to order at 6 p.m. The meeting was held meeting social distancing guidelines and was closed to the public due to COVID-19 meeting guidelines.

The meeting opened with Cheryl Fain giving the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Minutes of the October meeting were approved. Treasurer, Scott Soble, reviewed the September financial statement. He again explained the importance of collection of past due accounts and their impact on our ability to meet our financial obligations. Nadine Pope advised the board that 20 registered letters were sent to delinquent property owners, as well as another group of letters sent regular mail as reminders to property owners who still have not paid their 2020 dues and assessments. Pat is compiling a list of delinquent accounts to forward to our legal counsel for review and recommendation as to our next step in securing collection of these accounts.

The board further discussed dues and assessments for 2021 and the cost for boat registration fees in 2021. This is all part of the budgeting process which is currently taking place. Our Maintenance Manager is compiling a list of potential equipment replacement and necessary repairs. We know these items will need to be prioritized over a period of time, but we are dealing with seriously aging equipment, some of which was already used when it was purchased. Another area of concern are our aging roadways, which haven’t been paved for 20 years.

Louise discussed plans to implement a new Strategic Planning Advisory Council to help the board plan for our lake community’s future. Several more residents came forward showing interest after last week’s article in the eblast. We need a plan for the health of our lake, dredging, our pools, paving of our roads, equipment replacement and many other areas. Our community is too important to leave all of these details to chance and hope that they take care of themselves. We have to plan for the future of our infrastructure and how to maintain and pay for it. Louise will be scheduling the first meeting in mid November.

Louise also advised the board that Maintenance Manager, Randy Ruebel has begun the interview process to add a new member to our maintenance team. He was very pleased with the response to our ad and hopes to have a decision very soon.

Lake Management – The committee has been extremely busy reviewing possible solutions for our lake’s battle with algae. They are looking at many natural remedies that will help filter unwanted toxins from entering our lake, such as buffer zones and RL lots not being mowed, especially along the waterfront, which will allow the grasses to help filter what enters the lake. We have listened to many possible solutions for increasing the health of our lake, while controlling invasive weeds and algae. The most important thing is to be sure we do it right. Therefore, the board will be sending out Requests for Proposals to several companies to hire a Lake Advisor to help us sift through the possibilities and come up with the right solutions for us.

The response to the Aqua Doc survey was extremely positive and this too will be looked at as part of our overall plan.

The board is also planning to have a dredging planning meeting for 2021. Several questions have been asked as to how it is determined where and when to dredge each season. The board, along with the maintenance manager will be meeting to come up with a plan to share with our property owners.

Lake Safety – Rory Marshall reported that all citations issued this season were paid. The most important thing though is that the person committing the violation learns from the experience and does not repeat the same behavior. We all need to look out for each other on the lake. If you see something unsafe, say something. We are hoping to have police presence on the lake next summer. The continuing pandemic is still making our plans unclear but we will be meeting with Chief Roskos to come up with a plan that we hope will be viable for next boating season.

Fishing Club – The Fishing Club has pulled the fountain by the clubhouse for the winter. Thanks to Dave Emick for finding a way for the fountain to efficiently operate this summer. Josh Baitt won the award for largest Bass caught this season. It was 5.36 pounds and 21 inches long. Congratulations Josh!

Our next meeting will be held Saturday, December 12^th at 10 a.m. This meeting will be open for members to attend via zoom. Details for joining the meeting will be published in our eblast in the beginning of December.

Can the Cruiser Cancelled

Published November 6, 2020 | By admin

In light of the dramatic number of increasing cases of Covid-19 in Ashtabula County I have unfortunately decided to cancel our 2020 CAN THE CRUISER food drive event scheduled for this Saturday, November 14th.

Although the CAN THE CRUISER event is extremely beneficial for our local area I do not believe that at this time it is a good idea to have our officers in direct contact with several different persons during the collection hours.

It is ultimately the responsibility of the police department to protect and serve the community of Roaming Shores. The loss of just one of our officers; short or long term due to a Covid-19 quarantine, would substantially impact our ability to do both of the above.

If you still wish to contribute to Country Neighbors Christmas Basket Program you can take your donations directly to Country Neighbor, 39 South Maple Avenue in Orwell and drop them off in person. You can also mail your monetary donation to the above address.

Thank you for your understanding and we truly hope to see all of our community events back on track in 2021.

Will Roskos
Chief of Police
Roaming Shores Police Department
2500 Hayford Road
Roaming Shores, Ohio 44084
440 563-3135
chief@roamingshorespd.org

Lake Management Techniques: Algaecides

Published October 30, 2020 | By admin

By David Ernes – Lake Management Committee

In an upcoming series of articles, the Lake Management Committee will be presenting a brief overview of the mitigation options we are investigating for our lake. The purpose of these options is to reduce the frequency and intensity of harmful algal blooms (HAB). The techniques can be summarized as being mechanical, biological or chemical in nature.

Algaecides are one example of a chemical option. While they kill the algae population, they are not retained in the water column. Instead they either sink to the bottom and become mixed with the sediment or breakdown to a form that is no longer effective. As such they must be applied at a frequency that is determined based on the characteristics of each lake (e.g. nutrient sources). It is important to realize that the effectiveness and longevity observed for one lake is unlikely to be predictive for another lake, like ours.

The two most common types of Algaecides used for HAB’s are based on either copper sulfate or hydrogen peroxide. The former has been used for years and is highly effective at killing cyanobacteria. While most people have heard that copper can be toxic to fish, plants and other species, this side effect largely depends on the form of copper used and its dosage. There has been a lot of discussion lately related to the use of a new copper-based product, LakeGuard Blue, which was used successfully at Chippewa Lake. They reported no adverse effects. Since the product allows the copper to stay suspended in the water column for up to 24 hours, a lower dose can be effective.

The RRA Board, as well as members of the LMC and EAC, recently attended a Zoom call with representatives from Chippewa Lake. We also hosted a representative from BlueGreen Water Technologies, the manufacturers of the product, at our lake. Both spoke highly of the product, and its efficacy. However, there is no guarantee that we would see the same success or longevity. The supplier also advocates testing to be used in conjunction with the product for the best outcome.

The second product, often referred as SPC, or PAK 27, breaks down in contact with water forming hydrogen peroxide. The released peroxide destroys cyanobacteria and has the added effect of also breaking down the toxins that can be released when they die. SPC does not accumulate, rather it further breaks down to water and oxygen. The disadvantages are a higher cost, and the fact that it is not as effective as copper on HAB. BlueGreen has a product, LakeGuard OXY, with the same suspension properties as the Blue product and is currently being evaluated in Florida.

Overall, these products are suitable for their intended application. However, as stated above, they are not a long term solution and have some disadvantages. In fact, where copper was used on a lake over a number of years, they saw the need for increasingly higher doses to achieve the same desired effects. And the longer it is used, the greater the chance for the buildup to cause negative effects.

These are just two of the options being investigated. Their advantages and disadvantages will be compared with the others. Then, in conjunction with the results of the Nutrient Budget, and the advice of experts, we will work to develop both short and long term plans for our lake.

Be Lake Responsible

Winter Prep

Published October 22, 2020 | By admin

Winter is coming! And the time to get prepared is now!

Winterization Tips

Weekenders and Snowbirds: Don’t fall victim to frozen pipes this winter! Please remember to shut off your water when you’re winterizing your homes! You can do so at the water meter inside your house.
If you need assistance, you can contact the RSV Utility Dept at 440-563-3146.

Snow Rules

Whether we like it or not, the snow and ice is coming! Residents should make sure their mail boxes and posts are secure enough to withstand the winter snow plowing at this time. Wood posts and mounts can rot over time. You may want to consider installing a snow shield in front of (not attached to) your mail box to help deflect the snow from the snow plows. Our drivers are highly experienced and our policy is to only repair the boxes we strike, not those pushed aside by the snow itself.

The Association would like to remind residents that parking on the roads/and or berms on association-owned roadways is prohibited when the snow depth exceeds 2″ (two inches). This is necessary in order to facilitate the plowing and/or removal of the snow.

Please help our plow drivers by removing your vehicles and all obstructions from the roadways.

The Village has an ordinance against plowing snow out into or across the roadways. Please make your plow drivers aware of this rule.

For garbage service, Waste Management asks all customers to please have the area and pathway around your container cleared of snow and ice.

Watercraft Winterization

Boaters, please remember to grab your state registration off of your watercraft before winterizing. Valid registrations are required when registering your watercraft with the RRA.

How to Winterize Watercraft

Safe Cleaning Products

October Board Recap

Published October 20, 2020 | By admin

The RomeRock Board of Directors held their October board meeting on Thursday, October 1 at the clubhouse with all directors present. Louise Lisac called the meeting to order at 6 p.m. The meeting was held meeting social distancing guidelines and was closed to the public due to COVID-19 meeting guidelines.

The meeting opened with Cheryl Fain giving the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Minutes of the September meeting were approved. Treasurer, Scott Soble, did not have the September Treasurer’s report available for review as yet. He again explained the importance of collection of past due accounts and their impact on our ability to meet our financial obligations. Nadine Pope is compiling a list of delinquent accounts to turn over to our legal counsel for review. These members will be sent letters and given one last opportunity to either pay their accounts in full or make payment arrangements before legal proceedings are implemented.

Louise reviewed plans to implement a new Strategic Planning Advisory Council to help the board plan for our lake community’s future. We need a plan for the health of our lake, dredging, our pools, paving of our roads, equipment replacement and many other areas. Our community is too important to leave all of these details to chance and hope that they take care of themselves. We have to plan for the future of our infrastructure and how to maintain and pay for it. We are pleased that several of our community members have volunteered to take on this responsibility and the council will be meeting in the near future.

We want to thank everyone who came to help out with Community Clean Up Day on September 26. A special thank you to maintenance employee Darren Savel for his assistance manning the frontend loader. He made everyone’s job easier.

Lake Management – The committee has been extremely busy reviewing possible solutions for our lake’s battle with algae. They are looking at many natural remedies that will help filter unwanted toxins from entering our lake, such as buffer zones and RL lots not being mowed, especially along the waterfront, which will allow the grasses to help filter what enters the lake. Lake Management is creating a survey for residents who participated in the Aqua Doc invasive weed treatment program this year. LMC is also looking at limiting dredging during July and August which should help to keep phosphorous levels from skyrocketing during the hottest months. Aeration is also extremely important and the many fountains that are popping up around the lake are helpful. Please be sure to read the information that LMC posts in the eblast. It contains valuable information for all property owners. The decision was made not to lower the lake this year. Several factors were considered. Currently the lake can only be lowered a foot per week due to EPA requirements. It has not been successfully lowered in several years. Lake Management recommended not to lower it in order to better control algae blooms for next year. Finally, with Covid being such a stealer of activities, keeping our lake available for as long as possible for recreational use is a priority. Discussions will be scheduled for all pertinent parties to determine how a real lake draw down, like the ones that longtime residents remember, might be achieved.

Lake Safety – Rory Marshall reported that he was very pleased with the Lake Patrol performance this summer. They tried to educate those they stopped and explain what they were doing wrong. Some residents were not receptive, but for the most part, those who were issued citations at least understood why. Our hopes for next season are to have a police presence on our lake. This year the pandemic put a halt to our plans due to the necessary training for our police department being cancelled.

Our next meeting will be held Thursday, November 5^th. Unless guidelines are changed, this meeting will not be open to the public. Our December meeting, however, will be held via zoom for members to attend virtually.

Leaves a Falling

Published October 1, 2020 | By admin

Edited by Dave Ernes – Lake Management Committee

Once again it is time for the annual falling leaves article. By the time this article is published, we may be days or weeks away from the time when the trees become a painting of fall colors. The problem starts once they fall.

Every year, it is a good idea to remind residents that blowing their leaves into the lake is wrong, and that you can be fined. (The fines range from $100 for first offense to $300 and loss of membership rights for the third.) This also applies to grass clippings and other lawn debris.

Why is this the case? Because leaves are high in nutrients. The Planet Natural Research Center web site states that 50-80 percent of the nutrients that trees absorb end up in their leaves. If the leaves end up in the lake, they will decompose, releasing their stored nutrients that are then available in the fall or next spring to trigger algal blooms.

If you think this is an issue just for those living on the lake, leaves accumulating in the drainage culverts in off-lake properties can breakdown and the resulting high nutrient “tea” will flow into the lake through fall rain events.

What you CAN do:

Some articles suggest leaving leaves on the lawn as it becomes dormant during the winter. However, too thick a mat could result in mold formation and thick mats can smother the lawn when it tries to awaken in the spring.
Most articles suggest that you mulch your leaves when mowing. Mowing more often in the fall will allow your mulching mower to do the hard work for you. When they are mulched into small pieces, the nutrients can be extracted much easier by water or rain and become absorbed by the soil (not the lake!) reducing the need to use as much commercial fertilizer in the spring. And it’s free!
The old answer of course is to bag your leaves each fall. You can always have your landscaper do it for you, or a young student looking for some quick cash. Whoever does it, they should all follow the guidelines of the Association.
If you do collect the leaves, and don’t want to use them to protect your plants or to produce compost, you can dispose of them, along with other fall debris, in the Village’s Compost Site rather than the trash. This site is a great Roaming Shores resource! (A key can be obtained from the RRA office or Village Hall during normal hours. Special arrangements can be made to keep the key during off-hours.)

With the help of all our residents continuing to act as stewards of Lake Roaming Rock, our combined efforts will eliminate one more threat to the health of our biggest asset.

(Original Article written by Tim Langer)

Remember to Love the Lake and Be Lake Responsible