MLID Meeting Thursday, 5/22/2014

I'm having surgery to strip out a Burmese python-sized varicose vein out of my leg and it's daughter # 2's birthday Thursday, so I won't be in attendance, but please do show up to discuss plan B (we're not getting an alum permit this year) and Lake Day planning.  It's very important.  Don't forget, the Brays own the title of fastest canoe on the lake, per last years regatta results, and we don't plan to relinquish the belt!

The Brays, owning it. 

Ultimately the blue-green algae is only a mild skin irritant, at best. If it's your primary drinking source, your pets or kids drink it--you may have some brain issues with the neuro-toxins the algae produces.  I swim late into the season and I'm normal...nevermind.

Official meeting notice:

The endless winter finally passed, and it's definitely spring.  We're faced with some tough questions this year in the Mohegan Lake Improvement District.  In the last two seasons, the County Health Department has closed beaches due to blue green algae.  So far, our record is 0 and 2 in combating excessive blue green algae growth in the lake.  Can we save the 2014 beach season, or will our losing record increase to 0 and 3?  Please join us this Thursday May 22nd at 7:30 P.M. for our MLID meeting to discuss the summer 2014 season.  The harvester is in the water, our lake manager, Wayne Poland, is hard at work, and our summer kids will be starting over the next two weeks.  We will update everyone on the status of our permit application to NYS DEC to apply alum to the lake, discuss a "plan B" if we don't get the permit, review plans for Lake Day (Sunday July 13th), and share ideas for work this season to improve the lake.  We will be meeting at the Calvary Chapel at Mohegan Colony (former Mohegan Colony schoolhouse), 99 Baron de Hirsch Road, Crompond.  Hope to see you there!    Ken

Mohegan Lake Copper Sulfate Treatment

They are applying another treatment this Tuesday.  Here's an update from MLID:

The next copper sulfate treatment is scheduled for Tuesday July 21st.  As usual, there will be no swimming for 24 hours after the treatment.  The County Health Department tested the lake on Thursday, and notified me that the beaches are ok to stay open.  This is the first time in three years that we have been open to swimming in mid-July.  Although we originally planned treatments every three weeks through the summer, our DEC permit allows treatments every two weeks.  It is the unanimous opinion of the MLID board that we should continue on two week intervals throughout the summer.  This will give us our best chance of staying open for swimming through Labor Day. 

Allied Biological, who is doing the copper sulfate applications, is also taking water samples.  A comparison of the sample taken before the first treatment and last week's sample shows that we still have lots of algae growing in the lake, but we have switched from having the water dominated by blue green algae to having healthier green algae species more dominant than the blue green.  That's a very positive indication that the copper sulfate application is doing what we want it to do, and is being applied in a small enough dose to minimize the impact on other living organisms in the lake.

Here's a video tribute to being able to swim in Mohegan Lake through July with limited algae (hat tip/Janis Joplin)

Getting Up To Speed On The Issues

I highly recommend you get on the official Mohegan Lake Improvement District (MLID) listserv.  You can stay up to date on current issues and meeting dates/times.  Get in touch with MLID president Ken Belfer, or send me an email at YorktownCode@gmail.com, if you're interested in joining.

Quick summary of the most pressing issues:

1)  The blue-green algae problem.  We have a plan to apply for a New York State Department of Environmental Protection to apply alum (aluminum sulfate) to the lake.  The idea is that the alum would bind the phosphorous which is what the algae thrives on--or at least that's my layman's understanding of the issue.

2)  The MLID weed harvester (big boat that harvests the invasive weeds that live under water) is on it's last legs.  It will likely not function for another season.  It is a big ticket item; the current weed harvester was purchased in the mid-80's.  It now spends more time on shore, getting repaired, than it does in the lake.

3)  The  budget.  For the first time last year (2012), the town adjusted our budget--without our knowledge--from the normal 5% admin fee the MLID fund pays to the town by $2,000.  That raised our admin fees to 7.4%.  There's a budget hearing tomorrow, 12/5/12.  We are hoping that they cap the admin fee for all districts at 6%.

4)  The budget, part 2: The MLID general fund has been depleted to the point where we may not be able to afford the alum treatment or a new weed harvester. Alum is a short term solution, but if we don't go forward, you can expect that the NYS Department of Health will likely shut down the lake to all swimming in mid-July again because of the blue-green aglae (ours is more green--neon green algae).  About three years ago our fund was over $300,000 because we had budgeted dredging.  Because of previous applications of copper sulfate (copper is heavy metal, in a bad way), the dredged material would have to be treated as hazardous waste and cost prohibitive to dispose of.  Now we may not have the funds to treat the lake to reduce--if not eliminate--the algae blooms.

So, in summary, we need you to get involved.

The Lake Is Getting A "Treatment" Tomorrow

Of Copper Sulfate, to be exact.

Stay out of the water for at least 24 hours; assume it's done by the afternoon.  If signs are still up, don't swim. Please enjoy its algae killing effects thereafter!

A message from MLID president Ken Belfer:

The lake is being treated Tuesday July 7th.  Signs are posted with the 24 hour swimming restrictions.  Thanks in advance with everyone's cooperation.  It was encouraging to see how quickly the water quality improved after the first application, and discouraging to see how quickly the algae was growing back after a week and a half.  Although our original intention was treatment every three weeks through the summer, I think we will stick with two week intervals for now.    Ken

Mohegan Lake Is So, So Swimmable Right Now You Guys!

LoHud has picked up the story on our [Mohegan Lake] copper sulfate applications.  Lake Carmel Town Supervisor Maureen Fleming says they are going to apply copper sulfate but that's only a "temporary solution," which is true.  However, they definitely won't be applying any copper sulfate to Lake Carmel this year.  We worked for a good 9 months to get the DEC permit to apply it.  While it's only a temporary solution, it works--really well.  We are aiming for an aluminum sulfate permit which is slightly longer term at 3 to five years.  Still a temporary solution.

Hat tip to LoHud for the photo. 

Mohegan Lake needs Yorktown to step up and sewer the houses around the lake that aren't already, at a minimum, to have any significant impact to the long-term health of the lake.  Blue-green algae is a real problem all over New York State and I hope we can all join together and find  a real long-term solution.

Won't you join me?

Hey, look at this photo of a foxy fox in front of our bloom last year.   Will put up an after picture, but suffice it to say, we have no algae there this year!  Copper sulfate!  Hook it to my vein!

6.6.13:MLID Meeting Notes

I'll aim to bring you full, proper notes of all meetings going forward.  Here are abridged, unofficial notes:

Mohegan Lake day will be on July 14th, 2013.  Save the Date.  Details of all activities to follow shortly.  Remember what a good time we had last year.  This year will be on par.

We love our beavers.  They do pose a problem.  Mohegan Ave is constantly flooded and it's too much maintenance for the town to keep up with.  There's a reason people say "busy as a beaver."  These cute little critters are industrious; they are making an amazing comeback all around the region (we should welcome it since our fore bearers nearly extincted them).

We are opening discussions with the town.  Aiming for a bridge over Mohegan Avenue because that's the real (and natural) solution.  Wetlands are supposed to regulate the level of the lake.  It's supposed to flow back and forth. Mohegan Ave never should have been built as it is because it completely blocks that natural flow of the lake to the wetlands and vice-versa.  The real solution is that the Army Corp of Engineers redesigns it.  In the meantime, we'll do our best with our able bodied Highway Department. 

Lake health is not awesome, but water quality is still fully swimmable--as of today.  Many factors contribute to water quality, but one problem is invasive plant species.  The kind that live under water, like water chestnuts and curly leaf pondweed.

Our weed harvester was bought new in 1984.  I was 6 years old then, now 35 with 4 daughters.  It's a machine and is basically kaput.  We have a decent budget, about $96,000 a year, but a new harvester is about 100K.  We'd have to bond it.  Going to be done as it's a necessity, not happening this year.
Wayne--our lake manager-- and his boys are using the Jon boat and elbow grease to do everything possible to remove as much plant matter as possible.  Remember, those plants just die and add to the nutrients that fuel the algae blooms.

Algae is bad and we'll get it again this year. We are exploring several solutions: barley straw, Phoslock (way too expensive), and Alum (expensive, but we could swing it, but there are DEC permitting issues).

If you have an interest in Mohegan Lake, please stay tuned and get involved.

The Outflow Issue

The level of Mohegan Lake is at an all-time high. The Yorktown highway department has been incredibly helpful in addressing some of the underlying issues, but there's still work to be done. I wanted to share a few photos provided by reader Abby Luby 2 months ago in October. They help illustrate the outflow issues. With no further ado.

Gross.  Our blue-green algae is decidedly on the green end of the spectrum.  This is the lake side of the Mohegan Avenue culvert.  Please note that you can't see the culvert opening on this side.

The Mohegan Lake Improvement District's fearless leader, Ken Belfer, risking life and limb and a dip in some gross algae water to take measurements at the Mohegan Avenue culvert(outflow side).  You can see a separation on this side between the lake level and the culvert.  This indicates we've got a blockage under the road itself. 

Man at work: Ken Belfer.

This interesting steel structure is the grating that keeps crap--for lack of a better word--like branches and trash from clogging up the first in a series of pipes circulate the waters of Mohegan lake.  This is just south of the Winery.

This is across the road (see Winery in background).

Word on the street is that this junction of the pipes was completely cemented shut by the State Department of Transportation.  Thankfully, Yorktown stepped in and fixed this part of the problem.  Unfortunately, our drainage issue persists.  As I type this, I can see half of Mohegan Ave covered in water, snow and ice. 

Thanks for the pictures, Abby!

Important Mohegan Highlands Information

1.  We are going Christmas Caroling this Saturday, December 6.  5-6 is cocktails and recital, caroling from 6-8.  BYOB (or flask) and an appetizer; if you have children, ration appropriately.  Open to all Mohegan Highland Property Owners Association members and their guests, but please do rsvp to YorktownCode@gmail.com
2. Are you a MHPOA home owner (not sure, email me--see above) and Friends with MHPOA on Facebook?  No?  Oh, you should be, it's just getting fired up and you get to see cool pictures of things like our neighborhood fox (see below).  She lives with her cub (?) just below the MHPOA beach.  How cool is that?  Foxes, I've heard, are one of the greatest judges of neighborhoods. 

 [photo: red fox/green algae courtesy of Shelley]
 You see that algae, right? You're attending the MLID meeting this Thursday, right?  Good. 

Reminder: MLID Meeting Tonight 2/28/13

A note from Ken Belfer: The Mohegan Lake Improvement District will be meeting at 7:30 Thursday February 28th in the kitchen of the Mohegan Colony schoolhouse at 99 Baron de Hirsch Road in Crompond. Among other things, we will be discussing whether to begin a program to control the overpopulation of geese, discussing the status of our application to DEC to apply Alum to reduce the available phosphorous in the lake (and therefore the blue-green algae blooms that closed our beaches last year), our summer schedule of lake improvement activities, and - last but not least - Lake Day 2013! Hope you can join us.

The Most Important News For Mohegan Lake In Some Time

We got approval for a copper sulfate treatment to control the flaming algae bloom we get every year.  On to aluminum sulfate, hopefully.  Looking forward to a full season of swimming.  No pool pass for us this year. 

Here's a note from MLID president Ken Belfer:

Thanks to the hard work of Laura Kosbar, who prepared the application and handled the follow up, we have received the permit from NYS DEC to apply copper sulfate this season to Mohegan Lake.  The first application date has not yet been set, but will be in June.  Notices will be posted at all of the beaches, as well as an email notification sent to spread the word.  The application will be done during the week, and there will be no swimming allowed for 24 hours after the application.  Let's hope this will allow us to have a swimmable lake for the entire summer this season.

Yay!  And a big thanks to the dedication of a very few number of people in our community on this matter.  They know who they are.  Are you involved with MLID?  Should you be?

And...We're Back

It's been a while Mohegan Lake.  We took an extended vacation this summer, rolling into the fall, but promise to keep bringing you all the Mohegan Lake news you can handle.



To get you up to speed, please be advised of the following:

• Lakeland athletics continues to be a powerhouse.  Both girls and boys soccer had respectable finishes.  You should make sure you cast your vote for our boys in this LoHud poll.  The girls field hockey team remains amazeballs.  Ranked number 2 in the nation.  Playing for their 6th straight state title, having won 50+ games in a row going back many years.  Stay up to date on the athletics schedule here. 
• The Mohegan Highlands Property Owners Association (MHPOA) is having their first annual Christmas Caroling Classic on Saturday, December 6th, 2014.  We'll have pre-Caroling refreshments at 5pm, with walking around the neighborhood and singing starting at 6pm.  If you're on our mailing list, you'll receive an email with details.  If not, email me at YorktownCode@gmail.com, and I'll hook you up.
• Word on the street is Evan's lawsuit against the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) will be successful.  The court has been reviewing it an inordinate amount of time, likely meaning their having a hard time wording it so as not to hurt the ZBA's feelings.  Also, Silverberg Zalantis got run over by an ambulance they went chasing--but that's a long story for another day.
• The Planning Board approved Faith Bible Church's new building.  If Evan's ZBA petition is successful, it will be challenged in court.  So litigious, so exciting.
• The Mohegan Lake Improvement District (MLID) continues to be a force in actively bettering the health of the lake.  Most of the algae is washed away and the lake looks great, as of Tuesday at MHOPA.  This month's last Thursday meeting will likely be postponed to early December.  Stay tuned.

Marinate on those five issues, and we'll talk soon.

Senator Murphy Throws Mother and Brother Under A Bus; Both Presumed Dead.

Just kidding, but he did throw both of them under the bus. Man, that's character.  Surely you've heard the news. 

Murphy immediately changes his facebook page to show you that he doesn't "own or operate" "Murphy's" restaurant and make it say he's merely an "investor." He scrubs it from his senate page, omitting any relation to Murphy's.  He denies any knowledge and absolves all of his family, including himself, except his brother and mother?   Read this quote from a local Yorktown paper in the picture below.  If you read it carefully, you'll see the moment he throws--nay, rather--pushes his mom and bro under the bus. So Machiavellian.

Brother Pat and Mom, I have your back here at SaveMoheganLake.com.  We support small business and want to help you climb out of you serious, and mounting, tax debt. We hope you disavow Terrence with his duplicitous ways and support my candidacy for Senator of the 40th! 

That's not cool.  It's not cool to be associated with a 117K in back-taxes (about to go up by about 50K).  Let's report him to the NYS Assembly's Ethic's Board!  Oh right, he sits on it.  Hmmmm...

The word on the street is that to relieve the stress of so much bad press, Senator Murphy has been making late night trips to Assemblyman Steve Katz's house to "chill." His press secretary, Matt Slater, clarified that "they've only been watching Netflix, not chilling."

This just in: I, SaveMoheganLake.com, am announcing my candidacy for the 40th NYS Senate District!  I'm 110 acres of spring-fed watery goodness, especially with the copper sulfate treatments I've been receiving, not much algae.  I get along with Republicans and Democrats and can forge a common path forward while paying my taxes--the whole time.

SaveMoheganLake.com: Make Yorktown Fun Again

Urgent Yorktown Town Board Meeting Today, 7/21/15

UPDATE: THE TOWN BOARD MOVED THE MEETING TO TOWN HALL BECAUSE OF "HEAT AND HUMIDITY" (BECAUSE IT NEVER GETS HOT AT TOWN HALL?) WHICH SEEMS PRETTY LAME.  OBVIOUSLY THEY ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AMPLE SHADE AND LAKE BREEZE THAT KEEPS US COOL UP HERE. 

Hi Team,

Just got a reminder that the Yorktown Town Board will be meeting from the Mohegan Lake Improvement District (MLID) about tomorrow's meeting.  It should be great weather and our lake is looking great after the Town Board was so helpful expediting our wetlands permit required for the copper sulfate applications that have tamped down the blue-green algae.  We should definitely give them a big thanks for their help.

As MLID's email makes clear, there is an important agenda item about a developer's proposal for a new house mostly within the 150' wetland buffer at 3211 Lakeshore Drive.  It's important to note that the Zoning Board of Appeals recently approved a variance a few years ago.  That approval languished and then the developer asked for a bigger variance in the form of the footprint of the building.

Considering all of the density and congestion (P.S. Mohegan Lake Motors is still storing motor vehicles at the pizzeria) we currently have, it's important to make it clear that we care about our community.  The ZBA variance plus building in the wetland buffer of our struggling lake so someone can make a quick buck?  There are many other Mohegan Lake issues to discuss.  If you have something you'd like to address the Town Board with (e.g. crumbling retaining wall on Mohegan ave. that will end up being the next Baptist Church Road shutdown in a few years, if not sooner), you should stop by.  Even if you don't want to speak, you should come enjoy the sunset on our most beauteous lake.

Unless weather changes the venue back to Town Hall, the Yorktown Town Board meeting is scheduled for 6 PM Tuesday July 21st at the Mohegan Colony Beach off Oak and High Streets.  Come out if you can to show we are a concerned, involved community. 

Of special interest is a public hearing to build a home on 3211 Lakeshore Drive.  Because the lot is on the lake, the seller needs to obtain a wetlands permit from the Town so that the developer interested in purchasing the lot can legally build on it.  Obviously, this affects the value of the lot, which is .4 acres, and I believe has access to sewers.  There appear to be existing houses to the left and to the right of this lot. 

Much of the lot falls in the Mohegan Lake 150' wetlands buffer.  In order to build, the Town Board must consent by issuing a wetlands permit - hence the public hearing. 

This represents a unique opportunity for the Town Board to hear from the community living around, or with rights to, Mohegan Lake. 

This is also a reminder that there will be a treatment of copper sulfate the morning of Tuesday July 21st, so there will be no swimming permitted for 24 hours thereafter.

[h/t Woot for the funny image]

MLID Budget Meeting This Thursday

From Ken:

This is the 2016 budget meeting of the Mohegan Lake Improvement District.  It is important, because this is when we recommend what we want to see happen and how much we are willing to  tax ourselves to accomplish it.  Please try to make sure that every beach is represented by at least one person (more is better).  We will be at Calvary Chapel at 99 Baron de Hirsch Road in Crompond at 7:30 Thursday September 3rd.  .

Personally, I'm literally doing back-flips (video from last night) I'm so excited about the lake water quality this year.  Hard to put a price on a full season of swimming whereas we have been closed as early as June because of the blue-green algae blooms.  In summary, tax away. 

Exciting News

The public hearing for the FBC application should be opened for comment in the beginning of the new year.  The town traffic consultant has been formally retained for the traffic study. This is the last step before a public hearing.  Interested parties will be receiving their certified mail notices shortly.

On another topic, I was at the Mohegan Lake Improvement District (MLID) meeting tonight.  There are a lot of interesting issues that we should all concern ourselves with such as the budget (it's bigger than you might think--about 100K), lake health (blue-green algae sucks--but we can suppress it with an alum treatment), a permit from the DEC to get an permit to treat the lake with alum (very difficult, but possible), Canada goose egg addling (ooooh, sign me up), beavers, the blocked up Culvert under Mohegan Avenue that the beavers are stuffing with felled trees and branches, etc...

We have a beautiful lake but you and I maintain this lake; it's maintained solely by volunteers.  If you live within the MLID special tax District (about 1,500 of us), then you pay taxes to MLID and can't change that; if you care about Mohegan Lake, may as well get involved, right?

We are rolling out a few social media platforms that will allow us to maximize community participation.  You can actually already start following this facebook page that will feature all things MLID.  A formal website for the MLID will be live by the new year as well.

In summary, Mohegan Lake needs you, so please get involved with the MLID.  There are monthly meetings and a few, extremely dedicated people that do it all.  I don't claim to be one of them, but I have been attending a few meetings and have helped out with Lake Day activities and try to pitch in whenever I can.  They need your help.

Hope to see you soon.

-Evan

Mohegan Highlands Property Owners Association (MHPOA), We've Got a Problem

Nothing we can't overcome, but there are dock issues.  Biggest issue is probably the T-shaped, big wooden dock.  The good ice we had this year was bad to the wood.  The floating dock was ripped off it's anchors, but seems to be intact.  There's the another, small T-shaped dock that I think we should aim to rehabilitate.  Oh, and there's a random floating dock that ended up in the turtle cove; we should advertise a found dock and if no one claims it, perhaps we float out in the middle of the lake for longer swims? Point being, we're hoping we can do this in house and not have to go out to bid (town requires 3) to make these repairs.

Below are some reconnaissance photos I took this weekend.  We have beach clean up/repair days scheduled for April 20th and 27th.  We're actually going to be looking into rehabilitating the tennis courts (not as tennis courts cause it's so expensive) and the field up the hill.

You can see that header beam is cracked just to the left of the center float.  The whole thing is dipping there.  I think we have to detach that section of the "T", float it to shore, repair and re-float/re-attach.

You can see where the ice pushed it into the shore and turned over 45 degrees; it's still anchored with chains--firmly.

Our ghost dock into turtle cove.

The decking looks to be in decent shape.

Need to advertise this to the other home owners associations.  If it goes unclaimed, we can certainly put it to use.

Yum.  No blue-green algae in sight. 

"Septic & Parking Area, Lakeland Jewish Center, Lake Mohegan, N.Y."

These are photographs of original documents in the Planning Board file for FBC's new development. They clearly show that the last documents approved by the town of Yorktown, NY, had 23 parking spaces.

Astonishingly, the building's septic and parking systems are designed for the following occupant loads (click on image below to enlarge):
"MAX OCCUPANCY - 80-100 PERSONS-3 HOURS-3DAYS A YEAR
USUAL OCCUPANCY 15-20 PERSONS-2-3 HOURS DAILY,
PARTY OR SUPPER - 80-100 PERSONS 3-4 HOURS ONCE A MONTH"

THERE ARE ONLY 23 LEGAL PARKING SPACES ON SITE TO SERVE THE 98 CARS (ON AVERAGE) THAT SHOW UP WEEKLY!

It's frightening to think that the septic and parking systems were designed to accommodate such a terribly modest occupant load; per this article in the Yorktown Examiner, the church accommodates 160-170 people on Sunday. Not to mention the additional loads totaling 4 to 6 days of septic and parking activity per week.

I hope the remediation of public lands required for the proposed new development takes into consideration the extreme overloading of the current septic and parking systems. It's a fact that organic waste plays a crucial role in the algae blooms that plague Mohegan Lake.

Deep Breaths

There's a whole lot going on up here in Mohegan Lake and it sure can get stressful. We have to remember to take a few deep breaths occasionally and keep things in perspective.  Think about how this late blast of winter is going to make spring seem that much sweeter.

A quick recap of all things Mohegan Lake:

• Friends of the Holland Club was assertive in rejecting the town supervisor's proposal to level the steep slopes with an undetermined percentage of 86,000 cubic yards of "clean" fill.  The contractor performing the work graciously offered the fill and some labor up, now the town is now seeing if there is a suitable site that can accept such an incredible amount of fill.  We've determined the Holland club needs very little, if any of the fill.  Really appreciate the offer though. 
• The Faith Bible Church application to create a facility capable of accommodating 730 people is currently under review by the planning board.  The town's traffic engineer is currently reviewing the church's traffic consultant's response to their initial comments.  Should see some action during the April 9th planning board meeting.
• Spring is upon us.  Is anyone going to claim this boat? 
• The blue-green algae problem.  Interested in how you can help?  Get involved with the Mohegan Lake Improvement District.  
• We've decided to seek a seat on the town board via the democratic primary.

Hectic indeed, but  I'm now thinking back to simpler times, just a few short weeks ago when I was simply a father, clearing an ice skating rink for my girls. That's my happy place.  Should get me through til next winter!

Hard work, but totally worth it. 

Yes, that is the Holland Club property in the background.

Going places.

We've got moves.

Recapping The Holland Club Proposal

•  Michael Grace, Yorktown supervisor has proposed using 86,000 cubic yards (about "6,000 dump trucks worth," according to planning director, John Tegeder).
•  There is no site plan for the proposal.
• This work has to begin when the widening of route 202 begins in April; the state has offered the fill and labor to "back blade and roll" the dirt around. 
• The Holland Club Property is one of the most beautiful properties in Yorktown, if not the count, according to supervisor Grace.  Yet we should dump 6,000 dump trucks worth of "clean" fill to clear cut huge swaths of trees, negate the steep slopes and cover the natural beauty of the rock on the site? 

Will they plant it?  If not, how badly will the sediment runoff affect the trouble Mohegan Lake?   Can we promise not to fertilize the fields so that we don't exacerbate the perennial blue-green algae bloom that closed the lake to swimming for the season beginning in July?

Below is a photo of Mohegan Avenue where the lake outflow is taken tonight on my way to George Washington's K-2 open house with the family.  Please note that the lake edge extends over the double yellow line dividing the two, tight driving lanes.  Can we use 1 thousand of the 86,000 cubic yards of fill to create a berm and repave the road so we don't have to drive through 1-2 feet of water in the eastbound lane?

If you want to stay apprised of the goings on, like our facebook page: Friends of The Holland Club.

I know you already like Save Mohegan Lake's page, right?

1st Annual Mohegan Lake Ice Fishing Derby and Ice Skating Festival

It's ON! (maybe)

I'm closely monitoring the weather and the National Weather Service is telling me that we'll max out at 30 degrees Fahrenheit beginning Sunday night (1/20/13) through Friday.  If that holds, I'm going to make a bold prediction that we're skating on Saturday morning through the weekend.

Ice fishing?  You know it.  Considering that this is probably the last hurrah before another early spring and a prolonged algae bloom, I say we celebrate with an ice fishing derby and ice skating festival.  1st annual.  If you don't show up, I'm taking home all of the prizes. 

All lake activities will be conducted "at your own risk," as it may be a little dangerous.  It's also advisable that you have lake rights so you're not trespassing. There are ceratinly precautions you can take, like wearing a life vest under your coat, the buddy system, ice claws, etc... to ensure you're safe.  NYSDEC recommends 2 inches (seems thin, right?) of solid clean ice for people.   3 inches for people single file.  7.5 inches for small cars, etc..

Anyhoo, stay tuned.  We may get another winter miracle that provides us with a 105 acre ice skating/fishing ground next weekend.