Labor Day Fireworks Cancelled!

We had hoped that our cancelled Fourth of July fireworks display could take place during Labor Day weekend.  Unfortunately, the situation regarding Covid has escalated during the summer.  The State of Ohio Health Department mandates allow fireworks displays, but they do not allow mass gatherings of more than 10 people.  Once again, the STARS Club, Association Board, the Fire Chief, the Police Chief and the Mayor all weighed in on the decision and it was the consensus that the risk is too great for our community at this time.  We talked directly to the State of Ohio Coronavirus Health Experts as well as our Ashtabula County Health Department officials in hopes that we could find a way to make it work with no success.  Therefore, the Labor Day 2020 fireworks are cancelled. 

While it is disappointing, we hope everyone understands the safety of each and every person, living, working and playing in our community is priority one.   Our past displays have drawn large crowds at both Beach One and along many of our roadways.  There is no practical way we can control this type of mass gathering without putting many at risk.

Please enjoy the rest of summer.  Stay safe, Stay healthy!  At least we have a beautiful community to enjoy sun and nature.  Thank you to all who contributed to the cost of this year’s fireworks.  The money will be used towards a 2021 display!  Let’s all keep our fingers crossed that our lives can soon return to some normalcy and that any pandemic issue will be only a memory.   Thank you to the many residents who have found ways to share special moments on the lake this year.  The July fourth private displays were awesome, and the music concerts have been much appreciated!  We truly do have a wonderful community full of wonderful people!

Please note change of venue to the Clubhouse

Date: July 18, 2020
Time: 8:30am until 5PM
Location: Clubhouse

No matter how much experience you have with boating, it is important to have the knowledge needed to keep your passengers, yourself and your boat safe. Get your state boating card and learn the skills you need to be safe while boating. Take the finest National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) recognized boating safety course available, followed by a boating test for boating certification*. By enrolling in the America’s Boating Course, you will learn navigation rules, equipment requirements, water sports safety and other valuable boater safety skills.

Cost for the class is $35.00. Please preregister with the RRA Office (440) 563-3170 or via Email. Pay at the door.

Who Must Carry the Card?

Vessel operators who are required to have the Ohio Boater Card must carry the card on board the vessel and have it available for inspection by an enforcement officer. Not carrying your Ohio Boater Card when it is required can result in a fine.

Ohio law requires all motorized boat and PWC operators born after January 1, 1982, who will be operating a vessel over 10 hp to pass a boater safety course and to carry a boater education card.

Shores Strong!!!!  What an amazing and generous community we have here in the Shores.  Our food pantry program is truly Shores Strong because of each of you.  From those that contribute, those that use and those that volunteer, every neighbor is making this a success!! Thank you to all!!!

We do have some changes to implement due to the hot summer weather.  Since these are outdoor pantries they can get extremely warm in the summer months.  That is not a good environment for canned goods.  So… during our warm months of June, July and August, please put canned goods in the pantry section of Pasta Oven.  Please continue to stock our outdoor pantries for other non-perishable food items .

These certainly are unprecedented times in which we find ourselves.  It is going to take unprecedented consideration and flexibility to get us through to the other side.  Thank you all for being such good neighbors!! 

Please continue to feel free to take what you need.  That is what it is there for!!!  Please let others know about this resource.  Please continue to leave what you can.  Just put the canned goods inside at Pasta Oven during our hot summer months. 

We will be moving canned goods within the next couple days so feel free to use what you can now.  I guess you could call it our first “Pantry Canned Goods Sale”!!!  I’m not going to complain about the heat though!!!  Hopefully, someone can use the current stock of canned goods and there will be very little to relocate.

Again… THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATE IN ANY WAY and a special Thank you to Pasta Oven!!!  Your Community Preparedness Team is appreciative of the overwhelming support of this project!  Stay safe, stay healthy, stay happy and stay well fed!!!  Shores Pride….Shores Strong!!

Lake Safety Committee

By: Bruce C. Bower

Among all the other situations I have moaned about, the boaters on our lake still manage to surprise me. Three or four years ago I noticed young parents taking their infant children for a ride on their jet-ski. Considering I’m not sitting on my deck for hours at a time, I saw many more than one incident every year. I called ODNR Watercraft Enforcement and asked about age limits for passengers on a ski. I also asked about what PFD is mandatory for infants/children under 30 pounds. I was told it was being considered to make an addition to the Ohio Revised Code. I was doing yard work at the lake last week and saw a young woman on a jet ski with an INFANT. The youngster could not have been more than six months old! Mom was holding the child and driving the ski at I estimate around 12 to15 mph.

I called ODNR Columbus and asked what was happening with the possible law to limit this activity. Here is what I got back: “there are no current proposals to set a minimum age or size for a passenger on a personal watercraft. The situation you describe is fairly uncommon so a law change would likely not be supported”. Do you hear that, our situation is FAIRLY UNCOMMON? We are UNIQUE. I do not have a degree in early child behavior or child psychology, but after watching my two children and four grandchildren grow and develop, I say youngsters do not remember occurrences before the age of one. What are these people trying to accomplish by putting their children in un-needed danger, certainly not for life long stunning memories? What about “shaken-baby syndrome, does that not apply here?

Here’s a list of What If’s: what if you run out of fuel, what if your engine quits, what if your engine catches fire, what if you hit debris, such as a semi-submerged log, what if you catch a wave incorrectly and tip over? What if you tip over, will you be able to save your child?  If you must continue this behavior, at least you should get a proper fitting PFD that keeps the child’s head up when in the water and one that is designed to flip the baby over to be face up.                                                                                                                                                                

This is the first article this season and I’m already hollering at you. As always, call me if questions or comments. Bower out      216.906.2301

Leave what you can.  Take what you need!
 
Mini Food Pantry locations are now at the Clubhouse Parking Lot and at Beach 2 by the pool!

Kathy Crandall making the first generous donation to our neighborhood food pantry cupboards! A huge thank you to both Kathy and Dennis Crandall as well as both Howard Tuttle and Christina White for making this possible! Roaming Shores, what a great place to live because of wonderful people! Now we need your help to spread the word!

The mini pantry movement is a grassroots, crowdsourced solution to immediate and local need. Whether a need for food or a need to give, mini pantries help neighbors feed neighbors, nourishing neighborhoods.  It allows for neighbors to put non perishable food  in the cupboard and it allows for neighbors who need the food to help themselves and feed their families.   It is totally on the honor system and is a self help program.  Simply take your non perishable items at your convenience and put them on the shelves.  If you need to feed yourself and/or your family, do not hesitate to take the food and use it in your home.  They will be open 24 hours a day and have no locks.

We live in an amazing community with truly amazing neighbors!  This COVID-19 attack has left all of us reeling from uncertainty to reeling from financial changes.  Many of us have felt like there is little we can do to change things. From a high level that’s true,  but from a local level each one of us can make a difference.  Several of our own have made that difference a very positive one!
 
Christina White, a local resident who has worked in the past with the Community Preparedness Club setting up informational seminars. Christina contacted me and suggested we consider installing a local food “cupboard” where residents could leave non perishable food for other residents who need it right now.  This type of movement is taking place all over our country.
 
Not to be outdone, Dennis Crandall and Howard Tuttle, came to the rescue and provided the “cupboards”.  A big thank you to them for their prompt generosity and action.
 
The Roaming Shores Community Preparedness Club will sponsor and monitor the program.  Please spread the word!  This is for all of us!  It is blessed to be a giver!  It is blessed to be a receiver!  That’s what community is all about!   While we can’t invite each other to dinner, we can invite our neighbors to take what is needed to fix a nourishing meal for themselves and their family.
 
In addition, you may leave small toys, books or puzzles for some added entertainment.  A small supply of bags and boxes will be at each location for your convenience.
 
Spread the word to your Shores neighbors and friends! Let everyone know of this neighborhood sharing program!  Any suggestions or questions can be emailed to lakeroamrockprepared@gmail.com or contact me directly at lowreylouise@gmail.com.

RRA Office

The RRA Office is closed during the “Stay at Home” order. However, we are performing our office functions remotely. We are still processing payments, collecting the mail, checking the dropbox, paying the bills, etc. We will now be processing RRA Decals and Membership Cards remotely, as well. Details below. We are also working on processing our Property Owners Information Forms. If you haven’t done so yet, please complete your form online.

The RRA Board of Directors will be holding a teleconference in place of their normally scheduled meeting this week to discuss many issues related to COVID-19 and its affects on the Association.

If you have Association-related questions, you can email Jen at IT@roamingshores.org, Dan at dmullins@roamingshores.org, or Board President Rick Brothers at djman78@aol.com.

Our mailing address is PO Box 8, Rome, OH 44085. We also have a dropbox on our office porch.

Common Areas

For safety reasons, the playgrounds, basketball and tennis courts have been closed.

The Clubhouse is closed to all Group functions. This includes all Club meetings, Board Meetings, Committees, etc. All current rentals are being refunded on a week to week basis. There will be no new rentals of the Clubhouse for 2020 accepted at this time.

We are just as hopeful as you are that our summer fun will be unaffected by COVID-19. However at this time, we can make no promises as to when our Common Areas will be reopened for use. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience. These are extraordinary circumstances.

Watercraft Registration

Members are now able to request their RRA Watercraft Decals online. Make sure to read our registration procedures completely before submitting your request.

If you are registering a new (brand new or new to you) watercraft for 2020, we will need you to provide proof of ownership.

The basic rundown of the process is:

• Collect your watercraft information and select the form based on # of watercraft you are registering.
• After you submit your form, the RRA will confirm your information and add up your total.
• If you still owe Dues and Assessments, your decals will be held until payment it received.
• The RRA will send an invoice via PayPal for the amount owed.
• Once we receive confirmation you have paid in full, we will mail your decals.

Note: Your 2019 RRA Decals are valid until 4/30/2020 – Now 5/22/2020

Dues and Assessments

You don’t have to come to the RRA Office for Dues and Assessments payments, you can mail a check or money order to P.O. Box 8, Rome, OH 44085, you can utilize your Online Bank’s Bill Pay feature, Pay Online, or drop off a payment in the big blue dropbox located on our porch.

Membership Cards

Due to the COVID-19 situation and our facilities currently closed. We are holding onto Membership Cards but are distributing them to anyone who would like their cards now and have their Dues and Assessments paid in full. Just email us if you would like your cards sent out now. If you purchased watercraft decals, your cards will be included when we send out your decals.

Lake Safety

Going out on the lake is a great way to practice social distancing while also enjoying time outside of the house, however, if you do go out, State laws, the RRA Boating Rules, and Common Sense still apply.

Lost and Found Lake Items

With such a high water event, it’s inevitable that things are going to be lost and found on the lake. Sandro and Jennie of Roaming Rock Marina have opened up their back deck as a “Lost and Found” for items that have washed away. Simply drop off or pick up any items you may have lost or have found on the lake due to the high water event. Thank you!

Compost Site

Arrangements for getting a compost site key can be made by contacting the Village at (440) 563-3132 or Email.

Protecting our Sewer System

Hopefully everyone has been made aware now the damage “flushable” wipes do to our sewer system. With more people wiping surfaces down with disinfecting wipes and the odd scenario surrounding toilet paper shortages (had to say it) please remember to only flush toilet paper.

Stay well, everyone! Follow the RRA on Facebook for the most timely updates.

Due to a gas leak the RRA Office is closing. The gas is shut off, but we won’t have heat until it the leak is repaired. With this coinciding with the situation surrounding COVID-19 we cannot at this time say when we will reopen. We are in the process of creating a system for accepting online Boat Registrations. Stay tuned and thank you for your patience.