Maybe It Is Time To Change the Name of the Lake!

Lake Safety Committee
By: Bruce C. Bower

Since I was not at the Lake for the day of the fireworks, I chose not to write my yearly column titled From My Deck, but this different style of article leading up to the 6^th and a little thereafter.

I looked up the sunset times for this short time period, it was 9:00 PM on 7/3 declining to 8:52 PM on 7/19. This means it is dark and there is a NO-WAKE speed, per State law, on our Lake. So here is some of what I saw:

7/3    3 power boats going full speed at 9:15 PM and then a Jetski at 9:20 PM moving fast.

7/4    a pontoon with NO lights, going the wrong direction, near shore, on the west side of lake.

7/5    a jetski going the wrong direction pulling a skier at 9:10 PM.

          a jetski moving fast at 9:15PM.

7/6   a jetski with 3 young men went between my neighbor’s boat and them and the shore,

           going the WRONG way. This was reported to me by the neighbors.

7/13  a 2 person ski pulling a tube, with 2 on the ski.

          It was reported that at around 11:30 PM, a power boat made several passes up and down

          the Lake. Neighbors hollered at the boat with no effect.

7/14  a 2 person ski pulling a tube with 2 on the ski.

7/19  now the sunset time is 8:52 PM.

Power boat and a pontoon going full speed heading south at 8:58 PM.

A pontoon just pulling the kids out of the water, off the tube, with only the dock lights on.

He then takes off with only the white stern light on.

A pontoon with only dock lights, wake speed at 9:11 PM.

A pontoon, no lights heading for Plum Creek at 9:15 PM.

A pontoon, all lights plus dock lights, going north at 9:15 PM.

Understand, folks these antics on 7/19 took an elapsed time of 17 minutes, and this is only what I saw happening right in front of me. What was happening on the rest of the Lake is left up to your imagination. Ok now we come to 7/20, the Lake is at “flood stage” which means NO WAKE. It’s on the internet and the signals are set on beach one and two and at the Marina. And as I have said in the past, for the slower to understand people, is that when you step up into the boat, instead of stepping down, is when the water is HIGH! At 6:45PM a pontoon came flying down the Lake, where there were several other toons just cruising at no wake speed. I could hear all the boaters screaming at this miscreant to “slow down, it’s No Wake”, it didn’t matter. When he got in front of my place, I hollered several times thru my bull-horn and promptly got the one finger salute. What a great, kind, and caring neighbor, I am so blessed and so is the entire community.

Gil, on the Patrol Boat, did a fantastic job of stopping the ridiculous, inconsiderate, self- centered, blah blah blah boaters who just don’t care. These are my words, not Gil’s. He did wonders to control the entire lake by himself, without causing a wake himself. We all owe Gil a huge thanks for trying to protect our seawalls, docks and boats from the damage caused by the Cretans who just don’t give a crap and can’t follow common sense rules when at flood stage! I therefore suggest that in difficult times, for those of us who follow the rules for the safety and protection of the members of our community and their property, we should change the name of our Lake to LAKE FEAR.

When I left the Shores on 7/21 at 2:00 PM, there was hardly any boat traffic and everyone appeared to be behaving. There were skis out, but even when they are trying, they still make a wake. In my opinion they should not be on the water, a wake is a wake. Here are some more opinions: the flood gate should be opened early, before everything really gets bad, there should be more warning devices on shore, and investigate the possibility of a sound warning every half hour or so. I also think there should be a formal protocol designed and agreed to by all, as to when and who opens the water gate. The high water situation appears to be happening more often and when the water is higher than your seawall, you’re going to take on damage when there are waves. Everyone probably has suggestions. Don’t keep it to yourself let the Village and the Association know your thoughts and opinions. Go to the meetings, write in, call, and get active.

 As always call me with your criticisms and suggestions.   216.906.2301

Bower out.