News from the Skaneateles Lake Association: 2016 Annual Meeting was a shining event
By Fran Rutonno
SLA
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 10th for the SLA’s third annual meeting. Full time residents, summer residents and week-enders, new residents, newish residents and legacy families gathered with one common thread…a love of Skaneateles Lake and a willingness to be a part of and support protecting it.
Those who attended enjoyed the long, south view down the lake, as well as, a wide variety of treats from many of the Skaneateles restaurants and food vendors. A wide selection of appetizers from the Sherwood Inn, Roasted Brussel Sprouts from Gilda’s, hot roast beef sandwiches from the Lake Side Pub, Johnny Angel’s heavenly burgers, Doug’s famous cole slaw, meatballs from Moro’s Kitchen, stuffed mushrooms from Rosalie’s Cucina, sushi from the Blue Water Grill, fried green tomatoes from the Mandana Inn, Antipasto Skewers from Joelle’s French Bistro, pizza from Valentine’s and juicy, sweet fruit from TOPS were all donated by owners who recognize that beautiful Skaneateles Lake is a foundation for drawing customers. Other refreshments, both food and drink, were donated by members of the SLA Board of Directors.
All who attended had the opportunity to share their stories of the lake and their love of the lake and there was lots of just “catching up” with old friends and meeting new people.
The formal part of the meeting was informative on all the issues with which the Skaneateles Lake Association has long been involved, as well as, a new issue not know to as many of those attending. Bob Werner gave an update on milfoil removal, matting and overall status emphasizing the progress that has been made, as well as, the reality of it being something that will continue to take effort to control. Bill Dean spoke on the type of algae found in the lake from spring to fall and also on foam and its relationship to biological activity in the lake. Buzz Roberts gave a report on the efforts of the Invasive Species Monitoring Stewards and the SLA’s expanded coverage of the most active launch sites around the lake. Fran Fish reported on the status of our membership whose annual dues are the major component of our funding. She noted that the current membership, those who have joined in the last 12 months, is 729 and that over 250 of those had made donations beyond the annual dues. She noted that the donations that exceed annual dues keep the SLA financially stable as they “cover” the hundreds of lakefront and lake rights owners who are not and have never been SLA donors. She challenged all present to reach out to their friends and neighbors who were not members and encourage them to join.
Our county legislator, Mike Plochocki, was present and spoke about the extreme importance of Skaneateles Lake to tourism. Last year Mr. Plochocki presented the SLA with a check that was used to purchase a replacement motor for one of the milfoil boats. As a result Skaneateles Town Supervisor Jim Lanning’s efforts, the SLA was pleased to receive a check for $7000 from Mr. Plochocki that will be used to cover the cost of the enhanced Invasive Species Monitoring Steward coverage. Following presentation of the check Supervisor Lanning outlined the efforts that the Town was funding to monitor Shotwell Creek and the possibility of building a retention basins to reduce sediment flow into the lake.
Featured speaker, Robert Duckett, local forester, arborist and naturalist and lover of our lake and Caroline Marschner, an Extension Associate for Invasive Species with the New York Hemlock Initiative of Cornell University spoke on the threat of the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid to the water of Skaneateles Lake. They noted the importance of the Hemlocks, so common in the Finger Lakes, for filtering water and preventing erosion of steep slopes. They also noted that the Hemlocks provide shade for temperature sensitive tributaries. Duckett and Marschner described the monitoring efforts that are a part of the Hemlock Initiative and both the insecticidal and biological controls being used and the considerations to be taken in their use. All who attended came away with an understanding that this infestation has real implications for our lake and that owners of woodlots in a region of known infestation need to start planning to manage this pest.
The Skaneateles Lake Association 2016 Annual Meeting could not have occurred without the gracious hospitality of Elsa and Peter Soderberg. We also thank our members Don Plath, Jason Slottje, Joan Thomsen, Steve White, Janet Dippold, Elaine DuBois, Patty Orr, Kathy Gorr, Ann Killian, Matt Delmonico, Peg Kelly, Mike Kelly, Salli Tuozzolo, Mary Menapace, Jo Werner, Patty Weisse, Larry Weiss and Kati Weiss for their assistance. We could not have done it without them.
