LAKE PARKER ASSOCIATION, INC.

PO Box 69, West Glover, VT 05875

June 2000 Newsletter

LPA Annual Meeting

Saturday, July 8^th, the date for our annual meeting and potluck supper, is fast approaching and I hope everyone plans to attend. The pot luck supper is from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM with business meeting following. We have been very busy this past year and we want to report to you on what we have been doing but mostly, we are just looking forward to seeing everyone again and having the opportunity to share ideas about our common interests in Lake Parker and the Association. So bring a favorite dish to share and come for a neighborly get-together. Updated maps will be available for LPA members. Please mark your calendar and plan on attending.

LPA Annual Meeting

Saturday, July 8th 2000 5:30PM

West Glover Church

Annual Meeting Agenda

5:30PM - Pot Luck Supper:

Tableware and beverages are provided - Just bring food, especially hot dishes.

7:00PM - Business Meeting:

Announcements

Minutes of last meeting.

Treasurer’s Report

Questions for Committee Chairpersons

New Business

LPA Web Site – Surf to http://www.lakeparker.org to learn about the threats to Lake Parker and what you can do to help.

Go Wild!

JD says “Go wild about lake protection”!

Leave a “no-mow”, well- vegetated, buffer strip along your shoreline to prevent erosion, filter runoff and create wildlife habitat.

JD is a water dog and observer of life on the pond.

Need trees and shrubs?

The Lake Parker Association has a shoreline re-vegetation grant from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. We will provide trees and shrubs if you will plant them along your shoreline. For more information call JD or Bob at 525-4078 evenings. Hurry, we need to do this soon!!!!

Summer Activities – Please mark your calendar and plan on attending.

EVENT	DATE	TIME	PLACE
Finish 2^nd Better Back Roads Grant Project	Deadline is October 31, 2000
Work on Shoreland Re-vegetation grant	Call 525-4078 evenings to get your trees and shrubs Need Volunteers on Aug 26^th or Sept. 9^th for planting trees on South East side of lake.
Water Quality Workdays	July 15^th and July 22nd– Need Volunteers
Work on Walking Path	Can we finish this summer? – Need Volunteers
* LPA Annual Meeting * and Potluck Supper	Saturday, July 8th	5:30 PM	West Glover Church
* Glover Day *	Saturday, July 29th	All Day	Glover, VT
Dixieland Band	Sunday, July 30th	1:00 PM	Lake Parker Boat Access

New Bulletin Board

Thanks to the kindness of Barbara and Bud Buchanan and the volunteer efforts of Ernie Lord, we now have a bulletin board at the Lake Parker Store on which to post our latest messages and announcements. Check it regularly when you stop by the store.

Year 2000 coffee hour meeting
More than 30 people attended Madeleine’s Year 2000 coffee hour meeting. Some notable attendees were:

John Urie - Chairman of the Glover Select Board.

Jim Greenwood – One of our State Senators from Essex-Orleans County.

Bob Kinsey - one of our Representatives from Orleans-Caledonia District 1.

Susan Warren and Shannon Grannith from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation.

Susan made a presentation on how to identify Eurasian Watermilfoil, and a number of people volunteered to watch a section of shoreline for this invasive plant.

Madeleine explained the shoreline re-vegetation grant that we have from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and how we plan to make trees and shrubs available to those who want to plant a buffer strip along their shoreline.

Many thanks to Madeleine and Ron Ducham for hosting the coffee hour at their camp.

The Lake Parker Association receives EPA Environmental Merit Award. The LPA was one of 37 groups and individuals from across New England chosen to receive an EPA Environmental Merit Award for our lake protection work. An awards ceremony was held in Boston, MA on April 19^th, 2000 - Earth Day. More information is at http://www.lakeparker.org on the “News” page. Thank you! to all of the volunteers who work so hard on behalf of Lake Parker.

Here we are at Faneuil Hall in Boston. Standing left to right are EPA New England Acting Deputy Regional Administrator Ira Leighton, Bob Johnson, Bob Richards, Glenn Barber, EPA New England Regional Administrator Mindy Lubber, sitting are Madeleine Ducham and Susan Warren. à

Weed Harvesting

Our aquatic nuisance control permit was renewed for another 5 years, but this time it has some new requirements and restrictions. There are two areas where we can no longer cut the weeds due to the presence of a rare native aquatic plant that grows in Lake Parker. See the map.--à

A more detailed map is posted on the weed machine to remind the operators not to cut in these areas.

Jeff Millette and Ernie Lord have completed a great deal of work on the weed machine and trailer this spring to get it ready for the cutting season. Thanks Guys!

The machine is ready to go at Jeff’s camp, #16, and he has offered to check anyone out on the operation of the machine who wants to learn and help out with the weed control project. Remember to report the time you spend on the project.

Matching Fund Water Quality Program

Thanks to the generosity of many of you, as of this writing, we have about $3700 in the fund, available to support water quality improvement projects. To refresh your memory, for each $1.00 contributed, the LPA will match it with an equal amount from our treasury, up to a maximum total of $5000. We hope this will be an on-going fund, as many projects being considered will carry over for several seasons. You will soon see signs of where this fund is being used to improve water quality in Lake Parker. So both new, and additional donations, will always be most welcome, and will be put to good use. Thanks again for such great support.

Boating Safety

By the time you read this, we hope that summer weather will have finally arrived, and you will be out and about on the lake in your boats. A couple of important reminders:

1) Jet skiis are NOT ALLOWED on Lake Parker, as the lake is less than 300 acres in size.

2) Approved life jackets are required ON BOARD all boats for all passengers and MUST BE WORN by all under age 12. In addition, one approved “throwable” must be on board every boat that is over 16 feet in length.

3) It is wise for everyone to wear a life jacket when in unstable boats such as kayaks and canoes.

Have a great summer on the lake! Operate your boat responsibly! Respect the rights of others to also be on the lake with you, and we will have another safe boating season at Lake Parker.

Old Stone House Museum Project The Old Stone House Museum in Brownington is having an exhibit on lakes and ponds in Orleans County this spring and summer.

Grant Update

The LPA has been awarded a Vermont Conservation Plate Grant in the amount of $332.00 to be used for construction of the walking path. Thanks to Beryl Adams, camp 86, for her efforts to make this happen.
This summer we will be working with the Town of Glover to complete a Better Back Roads grant to inventory the roads in the Lake Parker Watershed. This will lead to road maintenance projects that will not only improve the roads, but lake water quality as well.

Learn to Identify Eurasian Watermilfoil

The statewide total of Eurasian watermilfoil lakes has risen to 49. New infestations discovered in 1999 were in Indian Brook Reservoir in Essex, Lake Willoughby in Westmore and Seymour Lake in Morgan. Two of these lakes are in close proximity to Lake Parker, increasing our risk of infestation. Eurasian watermilfoil is a non-native aquatic plant that was introduced to North America from Europe by accident. In nutrient-rich lakes, such as Lake Parker, it can form thick underwater stands of tangled stems and vast mats of vegetation on the water’s surface that interfere with boating, swimming, fishing and other water recreation. It also crowds out important native water plants. One of the most insidious things about Eurasian watermilfoil is that it propagates by stem fragmentation. Imagine a motorboat passing through a patch of watermilfoil with the propeller cutting away at the plants. Each of the separate pieces can take root to form new plants. In fact, the plant is spread primarily when pieces of milfoil become entangled on boats and trailers that are transported from infested lakes to un-infested lakes. This is why we ask people to thoroughly clean their boats and props when leaving a lake.

So far, Lake Parker has been spared the problems that a Eurasian watermilfoil

infestation creates. However, we should be vigilant and redouble our efforts in watching for the plant in our lake because an infestation that is discovered early is much easier and cheaper to control than one that gets a good head start before being discovered. An identifying characteristic of Eurasian watermilfoil is that each leaf has from 12 to 21 pairs of leaflets, whereas the native northern watermilfoil has from 5 to 9 pairs of leaflets. If each of us learned to identify Eurasian watermilfoil and acquired the habit of regularly checking the lake in front of our camps, we would have a much better chance of detecting an infestation early enough for effective control measures to be taken. We’ll be talking more about this in the summer.

2000 Membership Dues - The LPA fiscal year starts on July 1. If you haven’t paid your dues for this year it’s time to do so. You can use the attached form and send them in now while it’s fresh in your mind or you can pay at the Annual Meeting on July 8^th. When you pay your dues, please take the time to give us both mailing addresses and phone numbers. This helps us to keep our records up to date and assures that your mailings are sent to the correct address. There is also space on the form to share your ideas on Association matters. Thank you for your continued generous support.

In preparation for this year’s annual meeting, just in case you have any questions about the business conducted at last year’s annual meeting here are the meeting minutes for your review.

MINUTES OF ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING, JULY 10, 1999

The annual business meeting of the Lake Parker Association was held on Saturday, July 10, 1999 at the West Glover church with approximately 60 in attendance. President Bob Johnson called the meeting to order at 6:50 P.M. Officers were introduced along with the following new members: Norm & Rita Airoldi #62, Chuck & Becky Holden #99, Roland & Tessie Cote #56, Rob & Terry Johnson #52, Deb Hunter & Gene Kaslow #43A, Rejean & Francois Richards #102, Dan & Mary Ann Scott #41, Rich & Mary Ann Royer #61, Robert & Brenda Hudson #47, Mr.&Mrs. Harry Byrne #122.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

It was announced that Jennie Monette and Ken Dewing, long-time members, had passed away during the year. Sympathy was extended to their families.

Volunteers, who had helped with the Watershed Survey and the ensuing work were thanked.

A thank you note was read from the ambulance squad thanking the LPA for our donation.

The "Across the Fence" public television program will be presenting a program on lay-monitoring on Monday, July 12 on (Channel 3) which will include a tape made by Randy Williams showing Bob Richards demonstrating the Secchi disk.

Susan Warren reported the Dip-In with Gov. Dean was a success.

LakeFEST T-shirts are for sale at $12.50 each.

On Saturday, Aug.14 at 10 AM, there will be a work-day at Sue Camp's #112.

John Urie was thanked for his work on the Dewing Brook culverts.

Plaques will be presented to Barbara Wright and Nadean Adams, who were unable to attend the meeting, giving

them Life-Time Membership in the LPA.

Rick Welch, chief of the Glover Fire Dept., requested some monetary help with the installation of 2 new dry hydrants around the lake to be used for drawing water in the winter in case of fire, ($1505 approximate cost per hydrant) The locations will be on the south corner by camp #122 and the north-west area by camp #31.

Last year's minutes which were included in the August newsletter, were approved.

Treasurer Joyce Croteau read the treasurer's report which was accepted.

There was no old business.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Membership: Glenn Barber reported 82 paid members last year. A discussion followed. It was decided to put together a brochure outlining the purpose of the LPA.

Land Use & Conservation: Madeleine Ducham presented the Watershed Survey. She thanked John Washburn for initiating the survey and Bob Johnson for the computer graphics. The state was very pleased with the results and plans to use the survey as a model. A summary of the survey is available to anyone. The LPA is now working with the town of Glover especially with the culvert problem. If anyone needs help with drainage etc., there is a group of volunteers who are available.

Water Quality: Bob Richards reported that the Secchi disc measured 5 meters this past week(water clarity) which shows a slow improvement. We must be careful of our lake as it is a shallow lake.

Weed Harvest: Jeff Millette stated the trailer has been painted. He and Ernie Lord have worked on the weed machine and Jeff will teach anyone how to use it. Thanks to the foresight of Ernie and others, spare parts have been accumulated which are no longer available. A suggestion was made to have a sign on the weed machine as to who owns it (LPA) since we have had requests to borrow it.

Fishing: Glenn Barber reported that 10000 rainbow trout had been stocked in the lake. He also stated that Lake

Bomoseen now has zebra mussels. Bob Johnson stated that the chemical found in fish in Lake Parker 2 years ago, has not been found in fish tested recently.

Camp Security: Joyce Littlefield reported that there was one unconfirmed camp break-in.

Govt. Liaison: We are working with Rick Welch, Glover road foreman, on a Better Back Roads grant. Madeleine Ducham reported we are also working with govt. agencies on problems discovered as a result of the watershed survey.

Grant Writing: Beryl Adams stated that the LPA has a reputation as being responsible and as a result, we are getting grants. Our grants have been accepted by the Better Back Roads - see newsletter.

Ambulance: Randy Williams thanked all for their donations to the ambulance squad. Work is still continuing on their building in West Glover. There will be an Open House on Sunday, July 25 from 10AM-Noon. Randy introduced Mark Creaven from the squad who is offering a CPR course. The squad has a map of the new E911 addresses which is now being used as it shows mileage from certain points.

Boating Safety: John Washburn pointed out the safety rules on the information table and asked that each camp have a set of rules posted.

NEW BUSINESS

Bob Johnson thanked Joanne Veelander, Mary Ann Royer, Beryl Adams,& Sharon Smith for the flowers on the table.

New Maps: A motion was made, seconded, & passed for new maps which will be free to members. Discussion followed. Glenn Barber, with a committee, will be responsible for the maps. A motion was made, seconded, and passed to put a $300 ceiling on the cost of the maps. Road signs are on order.

Grants: We will be paid by the state for time spent checking for milfoil. Bob Johnson showed a sample of milfoil. If any milfoil is found, take the sample to Bob. He will host a training session on Aug.14 at 6PM to help us to identify the milfoil weed.

Donations: A motion was made, seconded, & passed to give $500 to the Glover Fire Dept. and $300 to the Glover Ambulance Squad. A second motion was made, seconded, and passed to give $50 as a token of appreciation to the Orleans County Fair Assoc. for storing the weed machine.

Walking Path: Frank Davio explained plans for a walking path around the lake. A discussion followed. A motion was made, seconded, & passed to spend no more than $500 for a walking path around the lake. Beryl Adams will look into a grant.

Matching Funds: John Washburn explained the matching funds program whereby a donation to the LPA will be matched (up to $2500) by the association. This money will be used only for water quality improvement projects.

A FLATLANDER'S VIEW

By Beryl Adams

Bob says there's something contradictory about packing our bags and leaving Lake Parker to go "on vacation." But once in a while we do it. Like this April, when an unusual sequence of events sent us scrambling for our birth certificates. Barb and Terry Davis, lake-neighbors to the north, had a week-long time share on the island of St. John, in the Virgin Islands. (Oh?) Something came up, and they couldn't use it. (Oh.) So they offered it to Rich and Mary Ann Royer and Bob and me. (Oh!)

The morning we left Vermont, it was snowing heavily. That afternoon, when we stepped off the aircraft and into the steamy heat of the Caribbean, we were scrambling for the sun-block. Well, at least those of us who are primarily descended from Northern Europeans. Bob, on the other hand, traces his lineage from some decidedly unwarlike operations of the French and Indian War.

Bob is virtually weatherproof and tans at the drop of a sunbeam. He also has the uncanny ability to pick up living creatures, kind of like Father Nature or something. And he can eat large amounts of ice cream every day without gaining a pound. Genetics can be so unfair.

The Virgin Islands are ruggedly mountainous, and the shortest driving distance between any two points is either straight-up or straight-down. This means you spend a lot of time choking on your seatbelt. None of that sissy switchback stuff for these guys. When the islanders build a road, they just aim a concrete truck at the mountain top, crank it into low-low gear, and let 'er rip.

Throwing in other complicating factors, they drive on the left side of the road, but in vehicles made for right-hand driving. Rich and Bob had no trouble adjusting instantly, probably because they're both left-handed and think in mirror images anyway. However, Mary Ann and I suffered many close calls, since we carefully checked for traffic in the wrong direction before confidently stepping out in front of oncoming cars.

Islander conversation is a delightful, sing-song blend of English and Caribbean slang. Everyone is addressed as "Mon." This is a highly contagious word that should never be used by North Americans because it loses something in the accent-translation and comes out sounding really stupid. However, when it's done right, by a native islander, it's completely charming. Here's an example of how it worked its way through the melodious conversation of the condo custodian.

Rich: "Uh, excuse me, Powie. Our shower doesn't work.”

Powie: "That's all right, Mon. You have no water either.”

Rich: "Uh, that's going to be fixed, right?”

Powie: "Oh, to be fixed, Mon. As soon as the water come.”

Rich: "And the water, it comes from St. Thomas?”

Powie: "It come from the sky, Mon, in the rainy season. Maybe 5 month.”

Rich: "You mean, five months from now?”

Powie: "If we all lucky, Mon.”

Rich: "Powie, we need to get this fixed now.”

Powie: "I don' wanna hear it, Mon.”

The written communications we saw were worded in impressively clear language. Consider these two signs. No shades of gray here.

To their credit, the Virgin Islands have cute reptiles. Part of their cuteness comes from the fact that they are very small and they run away, with teeny-tiny toenail sounds.

(EDITORIAL NOTE: This size thing is very important. I once visited Tampa Bay, Florida, where they have signs around the golf courses warning us that crocodiles and/or alligators shuffle from water hazard to water hazard, getting hungry along the way, and you shouldn't encourage poodle-traffic along those paths. Poodle danger signs are posted: a large white circle, with a red, diagonal slash-mark across a poodle icon, i.e., a curly dog silhouette with a small but perky bow on its topknot.)

Bob knows all the different reptile categories, and he pointed out geckos, newts, iguanas, anoles, holsteins, and chameleons. But then, he could have been making it all up, since none of the rest of us knew (or cared) about the finer points of reptile taxonomy. We just yelled, "Cool! Lizard!" And took bad pictures.

It was a great vacation and a great gift from Barb and Terry. It was also a wonderful way to celebrate our friendship with the Royers. This is a friendship that has been built on years of mutual trust, respect, and fun. A friendship that means I take the picture while they drink Margaritas. A friendship that extends to the kids. A friendship that has carried us through some rough times and many good times. A friendship too valuable to risk for a cheap laugh. Mon.

LPA Annual Meeting

Summer Activities – Please mark your calendar and plan on attending.

EVENT

DATE

TIME

PLACE