Here we are nearing June, and it almost seems like we went from winter to summer and ignored springtime, with the lake ice breaking up a few weeks before we had 90-degree weather in April. This year does not seem to be one of your average years as we are also experiencing one of the worst economic climates in memory. And to top it off, we now are faced with a possible worldwide pandemic of swine flu. I hope everyone is taking an occasional opportunity to find something humorous that provides a hearty laugh or at least a small chuckle.
“Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting the bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian.” – Dennis Wholey
The small amount of good news we can report is despite the economic problems, Town officials signed the contract for the application in late June of the herbicide Diquat that is sorely needed to control the invasive Eurasian Milfoil weeds. There is a chance the application this year may possibly eradicate the plants. During the last few years, the Diquat application has reduced the area of the application of the herbicide on the invasive plants in the lake from 44 acres to a proposed 10 acres this year.
The State and Federal economic problems have caused a delay in the Town’s application for a grant to provide funding for a Diquat application. Clare Stevens has worked with Town officials on the grant request, and we expected to be notified of the grant request in mid-February. However, State officials have notified us decisions for grant applications were being held until the State budget was finally approved. See the report from Clare on page 3 for more details.
Another issue with the water quality of the lake has been pointed out by Dr. George Knoecklein, our consulting limnologist. He has been concerned with problems he has recently noted and recommended a thorough study of the conditions of the lake, especially focusing on the apparent depletion of the oxygen levels of the lake.
The seriousness of the problem also caused me to write, on behalf of the HLWA Board of Directors, to Commissioner Gina McCarthy, the head of the Department for Environmental Protection (DEP), for a grant for this study. Ms. McCarthy graciously responded, citing State budget problems for the reason the DEP could not provide the necessary funds. We were disappointed with her decision but are working on other means to provide the money to fund Dr. Knoecklein’s study.
The issue of the current condition of the lake will be our main topic at the HLWA annual meeting on Saturday, July 11, at Gilbert School. Dr. Knoecklein will be at the meeting to discuss the issues and to answer any questions. Please mark your calendars to make sure you attend this very important meeting.
The same evening, July 11, starting at 8:00 p.m., we will hold our annual boat parade around the lake. This year we plan to judge the boats and award prizes for the decorated boats. See Jackie’s article on page 5.
On a happier note, our celebration of the 50th anniversary of the HLWA is proceeding with a full schedule of events. Shirley Allshouse, chairman of the Historical Committee, and Pat Masucci, chairman of Membership Services, the Board of Directors, and other HLWA volunteers are working hard to make this a very memorable 50th anniversary. They could use some help, and if you would like to join the fun, please call Pat and your participation will be welcomed.
Fran Delaney, recently returned from some major surgery, was in charge of the Bottoms Up scuba diving event held on May 16 and worked very hard to assure its success. Since this hasn’t been scheduled by the HLWA in nearly 25 years and we are without much knowledge of scuba diving, the HLWA Board of Directors has learned a lot about the subject and been absolutely amazed at the amount of details that have gone into the preparation for this project. It is a very worthwhile venture and we hope cleaning up the bottom of the lake might become a frequently scheduled event. See Fran’s article on page 10 for details.
The rest of the summer’s schedule will contain a historical twist as we proceed in the anniversary year. Shirley Allshouse and her historical committee are adding different touches that celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the HLWA. The annual meeting and the boat parade on July 11 and the picnic on July 12 will remind us of the years of service by wonderful volunteers to preserve the watershed over these decades.
Shirley’s committee is also working on a “Reflections” book project. The HLWA will be publishing a compilation of Highland Lake and Winsted residents’ memories of the past around the lake. See Shirley’s article on page 9 for more details.
The best party on Highland Lake (the fifth annual “Evening on Highland Lake”), this year scheduled for August 15, is our only designated fundraiser for the year. This year the party will be located at Bob and Sue Moore’s on Perch Rock Trail. We are planning for a fun evening, and if you haven’t attended this event in the past, I recommend you join us on August 15. Whatever the weather, we can guarantee you will have a great time. And as a special incentive this year, we are lowering the donation from $75 to $50 a ticket.
Last year’s Highland Lake “ItsAllAboutFun” Relay, a joint effort of the HLWA and the Winchester Recreation Department, was a huge success, and we are currently planning to run the event on September 12 and expect a larger number of participants.
There is a new event this year, scheduled to coordinate with the Friends of Main Street’s Fall Festival on October 3. In a joint effort with the Winsted Economic Development Commission, the HLWA is sponsoring an antique boat show to be exhibited along with the antique car show on Main Street. We are still working on the details and will have more information as we get closer to the date.
For more information on all of these events, see Pat Masucci’s article on page 7.
The Board of Directors has planned for a number of events for the summer of 2009 that hopefully will provide a memorable celebration of HLWA’s 50th Anniversary. Please join us and help make this a very special year.