The Beautiful Lake and Quality of the Water ….the tagline for many, many rentals.       Fran Rotunno Fish

We have started to get a variety of inquiries on our “contact us” tab on our website, SkaneatelesLake.org. Some are from those who want to tell us about weed location that they think is milfoil or have concerns about something someone has done on lakefront property that “is not good” for the lake.

Fran Rotunno Fish

The Skaneateles Lake Association Milfoil Crew has completed the component of the 2016 season plan that involves laying down 5 acres of matting on large, defined milfoil patches. The areas that were matted this year were defined by a survey of the lake done by Bob Werner last year during the late summer and early fall.

Fran Rotunno Fish

Annual Meeting Attendees Gather for Speakers

The few short rainfalls came to an end, the sky opened up with the sun and over 200 members of the Skaneateles Lake Association gathered on the waterfront at the home of Elsa and Peter Soderberg on Sunday, July 10^th for the SLA’s third annual meeting.

Fran Rotunno Fish

Hopefully, most of our readers are fortunate enough to have a good neighbor. The person who watches over your property if you are away, waters your plants, brings chicken soup when you are sick and knows how to jump start your car. You may even be lucky enough to have one who sends his/her teenager over to shovel your walkway.

The Skaneateles Lake Association is starting its 6^th year after emerging from its predecessor organizations.  Our mission to promote environmentally and aesthetically sound regional management of Skaneateles Lake and its watershed remains the same.  What we must do to achieve that mission has evolved from milfoil removal and milfoil growth control, to the prevention of the introduction of other invasive plant and animal species and investigation of other potential threats to the clear lake and pure waters for which the lake has long been known.

In 2011, the Skaneateles Lake Association evolved from its predecessor organizations and its board planned a funding program which focused on annual membership fees generated by a broad membership base of lakefront and lake rights owners, businesses that thrive on the lake setting, the entire Skaneateles Lake community that is enhanced by the lake and all those who enjoy the lake for a wide range of recreational activities.

With the introduction of an annual membership campaign the SLA membership began to slowly grow. After starting with 293 members in 2011, our membership grew to 705 members in 2015.  What was especially important about our growth in 2015 is that 140 people/families/business/organizations joined the SLA for the FIRST TIME.  It is also significant that 125 of those 705 members joined the SLA every year since 2011!  These sustaining members are the backbone of our financial stability and our ability to continue all of our efforts.

The first focus of our 2016 campaign is to regain the all of the 2014 members who did not renew their annual membership in 2015. Individual letters have been sent to each of them asking them to “jump aboard” again in 2016.  .  Our 2^nd membership effort for 2016 is focused on renewal of the memberships registered in the first quarter of 2015.  Letters were sent by mid-February requesting renewal of those memberships. Memberships in the SLA are rolling.  Membership extends for 1 year from the date of the prior membership date.  Because we have a rolling membership we send our annual renewal notices out in the early part of each quarter.  But, members do not have to wait to get a renewal notice letter.  To join at any time during the year, you can go to SkanaeatelesLake.org and click on the “Membership/Support” to join for the first time or rejoin for 2016.  For those who find it easy, there is a membership application on the back of each of our newsletters.  Finally, you can also call 315-685-9106 and ask for a member registration form to be sent to you.

The SLA is planning its 3^rd annual meeting to be held on Sunday, July 10^th from 5 pm to 7pm (location to be announced at a later date).  This event has been an informative and fun gathering of those who love our lake.  Please save that date on your calendar and join in this special event.

For those of you who have lakefront or lake rights property, this is the time of the year when the combination of increasing lake water level and spring storms can play havoc with the waterfront. If you can, it is a very good time to check your waterfront and anything you might have left on it.  Make sure all items are secured and, if you chose, identified in some way.  If you should lose (or gain) any item remember to use the “contact us” tab on the SLA website to give us the details and how to reach you and we will post the item on our “Lost and Found” list.

Source:  Skaneateles Press

Supporting the work of the Skaneateles Lake Association is primarily done through the funds that come from our Annual Membership Campaign. This year 610 members have joined to support our work related to milfoil growth control and the prevention of the introduction of other invasive species into the Skaneateles Lake water.  The funds from those memberships are the backbone of our ability to plan for and contract for the work we do.

During this season there are two other smaller ways that members of our lake community can help to financially support the SLA.

On Saturday, Dec. 5^th, the Skaneateles Artisans Gallery will be featuring the SLA as the nonprofit recipient of 10% of any sales from the work of the 100 participating artists who display their works at the Gallery.  Located in the lower level of the old Stone Mill building, the Gallery is a treasure chest of great art for you, your home or for gifts.  Teresa Vitale and the artists who display there recognize that our beautiful lake is not only a drawing card for potential customers, but also an inspiration for many of their artists.  Thus, supporting the SLA is a natural for these artists.  You can visit SkaneatelesArtisans.com for the posting of this benefit day and, of course, more information about the Gallery.  Please visit Skaneateles Artisans that day and hopefully find something that is perfect for you, your home or someone on your gift list while you help support the SLA.

You can also help support the SLA through AmazonSmile. When you do your shopping at Amazon, just indicate that you want the Skaneateles Lake Association to be the recipient of the AmazonSmile donation credit.

If you have not yet, joined the SLA for 2015, you can still do so and include your membership fee and any additional donations in your charity deduction for 2015. There are 3 easy ways to join the SLA.  You can:

Go SkaneatelesLake.org and register as a member; or

Call 315-685-9106, ask for a registration form to be mailed to you, complete the form and mail it with your check to the Skaneateles Lake Association P. O. Box 862  Skaneateles, NY 13152; or

Use the registration slip on the bottom of this summer’s SLA newsletter, complete the form and mail it with your check to the Skaneateles Lake Association P. O. Box 862  Skaneateles, NY 13152.

One last word, from the SLA, if you live on the lakefront or have lakerights and have not “battened down the hatches”, DO SO NOW! The wicked lake action in October did plenty of damage and that was with the lake level quite low.  The Spring lake level makes the potential for loss and damage much worse.

Source:  Skaneateles Journal