Holiday Wishes – this is the last article for the year and like every year one of the busiest and most stressful times of the year for many. One of the blessings we all share is our community and the support we all have together. My thanks to all the volunteers who worked so hard on our planning efforts and the execution of so many projects. We are blessed with a great staff that cares deeply for our community and works hard to preserve our assets. No matter how your family comes together to celebrate the various traditions, I hope we all take time to remember we share more in common than we do our differences.
Their Legacy Endures: A Tribute to Those We Said Goodbye to This Year – as we reflect on those we’ve lost in 2025; we honor their lives and the impact they had on our community. While I have done my best to include everyone, I recognize that some names may not have been missing. If I missed someone dear to you, my apologies.
James Caldwell
Carl Beer
Scott Chase
Patricia Fjoser
Scott Griffiths
Curt Guilfoil
Chris Lang
Mike Lombardino
Rhonda Trosen
Irene Zabel
Low Water Crossing Opens – The crossing opened to traffic on December 5th. Crews will occasionally work in the area to add rock reinforcement, plant grass, and place large rocks to restrict parkway access to golf carts. The Road Committee is considering a minor change to the west guard rail, and the south gate will be reinstalled. The crossing may close during extreme rain. In spring, resurfacing will include adding a northeast access ramp for golf carts.
Dam Tree Removal – for those that cross the dam every day you may notice a lot of activity at the base and hip area (south end) where we will be taking down a lot of trees. In the last inspection by the state, we were asked to remove trees that could fall and damage the dam. To support this effort, we are also extending the clear space at the base to make it easier to manage in the long term.
Dam Water Seepage – another reason for removing trees along the south hip of the Dam, where it connects to natural land, is to better inspect water seepage that has persisted for years. Following extensive discussions and a review of archived design drawings, our next step is to determine whether the water flow originates from the dam’s internal weeping (French drain) system. If this proves true, we will engage Allstate Consulting to recommend long-term management strategies, as this could indicate possible damage or risk to an essential part of the dam’s structure.
Purchase of New Front Loader – After a request from Operations and review by the Ways & Means Committee, the Board of Directors approved buying a new Caterpillar 963 from Foley Equipment. Our current used loader was purchased and performed adequately for the type of work done. Over the past two years the loader has seen maintenance costs increase and its performance not meeting the demands of silt basin work. The newer model offers greater power, making it easier to move wet material in the basins, which we will be doing regularly as we launch our multiple year dredging plan. Purchasing a new loader allows us to benefit from both the manufacturers and extended warranties, protecting the LLA from large repair expenses in the future. The current unit will be sold as soon as possible with the proceeds helping to fund dredging and silt basin work next year.
If you have questions or topics, you would like discussed regarding the Association, please feel free to drop me a note at President@lakelotawana.net.
Sincerely,
Jeff Clemow
President