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By Mark Granger

President, Schroon Lake Association

WAIT FOR IT…..WAIT FOR IT…..IS IT SPRING YET?Those of us who live all year up here know that spring in the Adirondacks is a cruel joke. Despite the fact that it is in the 60’s tomorrow, tonight it will be 26 degrees. The ice is out on the lakes in record time but don’t consider putting your toe in!
I am glad to tell you that we are all excitedly getting ready for spring and summer at the Schroon Lake Association. Our volunteers are hard at work getting ready for the:

Hobie Regatta (6/17-19)
Membership Informational Meetings (7/8 and 8/19)
47thArts and Craft Fair (7/16)

Gatherings and parties are planned for April 30 and May 29, with a big party involving SLA, ESSLA AND PARADOX LAKE ASSOCIATION onSaturday, August 27 at the Fish and Game Club. See the Calendar of Events on the right to keep track of important dates for this season.

Our milfoil harvester AIM is all set to make 5 trips to the lake this summer. Our reconnaissance team is all set to start looking for invasives. The Town is now hiring boat launch Lake Stewards who will protect our watershed. The SLA makes asubstantial contribution to the Town to pay the Stewards. Paul Smith’s College will train them on May 14. Our Lake Manager and our CSLAP volunteers have their sampling and analysis all set. We are ready!

I am proud to say that the three lake organizations covering the Schroon-Paradox Watershed have joined together in a resolution to install a boat decontamination station at the Paradox State Campsite. This would install a protective gateway for boats coming from the north and from the east from Lake George and Lake Champlain. Our goal is the prevention of the spread or microscopic organisms that grow into hydrilla, Asian clams, and zebra mussels, which are already growing in Lake George and Lake Champlain. We will be asking for your help to establish the station on DEC property, supply a portable self-contained boat decontamination station, and maintain it. More to come.

Our next Social Event is a Beach Party at Sticks & Stones from 2-5 pm on Sunday, April 30th. Free food and cash bar. Be there! Please RSVP to the invite you received. All are welcome.

Our Membership Meetings in July and August will focus on the fight to keep our lakes clean and free of invasives. July 8 will be a forward looking meeting seeking answers on where we are going and will entail thought provoking speakers and perhaps a surprise or two. August 19 features our State of the Town and Lake as well as our Annual Meeting and Elections.

SLA will again be sponsoring a NY State Safe Boating Course on Monday & Tuesday, July 25-26, from 8 am to 1 pm. This two day course, taught at the Boathouse on Dock Street in Schroon Lake, is designed to help anyone age 10 and above to pass the Boating Safety Exam. This difficult written test, given after taking the course, enables operators aged 10 and above to get a Boating Safety Certificate. A Boating Safety Certificate permits people to operate boats and personal watercraft in NY waters. It is required for anyone under 18, anyone born on or after May 1, 1996, andall operators of personal watercraft. Preregistration is required by July 10, 2016. Please contact me at the numbers below to register.

The SLA is sponsoring a Hobie Cat Regatta June 17-19. More information is posted on the flier, which you can get by clicking here.

May is Membership Month at the SLA. We will be asking you to renew your membership and to consider a larger contribution to the SLA. We will be doing a mailing to every household and business in the Town of Schroon and areas abutting the lake in Chester and Horicon. Try to get others involved! In June we will send a follow up to those who have not yet paid. We hope you will be generous with your volunteer time and tax deductible donations.

We have much to accomplish and many goals to reach this year. We hope you will join us in the effort.

HAPPY SPRING!

Mark

Mark S. Granger, President
Schroon Lake Association
mgranger@mgrangerlaw.com
518-532-7459