Patrolling the Pond
By Mike Miller, Board Member, Vice President, Lake Lotawana Association
Not everything goes as planned. Imagine the planning that goes into a day like Lotawana Day or Lotasmoke. Hundreds of hours of meetings, organizing, and the executing the plan. As for Lotawana Day, yeah there were a few changes to the schedule due to weather but overall, a big THANK YOU to everyone who was involved in the planning and performing of another great day for our lake. A special thanks goes to Julie Ungashick who took on the planning and coordinator role for this year’s edition. This was a follow-up to what I think was an exceptionally fun pickleball tournament last summer. Weather forced some tough game time decisions, but Julie and her team truly executed everything flawlessly. After the fishing the annual Lotawana Day Buddy Bass tournament with my son and a hefty plate of hot, buttery Chris Cakes, I had the chance to catch up with Matt, Julie’s husband, to ask him what it’s like seeing Julie in action. “She wakes up with a list in her head of what needs to be done and then does it. She’s the best.” Apparently Julie is a task master! You might ask how Matt handles being the spouse of someone who raises their hand for coordination of big events like Lotawana Day with all of the extensive planning, managing for all contingencies, and then delivering everything with excellence. Matt’s response? “My wife tells me marriage is like a bank robbery; Just do what your told and everything will be just fine!” Wise words from someone with experience and understanding.
August is always the “tweener” month. We are somewhere between school starting and summer ending. Nearly everyone is back from summer vacation and yet we have our wonderful lake to look forward to every day or each weekend. August is a month of new beginnings and what seems like early endings. Like the waning days of a summer fling, the days are getting shorter now, not noticeably so but shorter indeed. We’ve even had a little reprieve from the stifling heat of the last couple of weeks of July. And while school might be starting again and the Chiefs have their first pre-season game this weekend, there is plenty of time to enjoy all of the water activities you can think of and more. Here are a few reminders on a few of safety related issues as you enjoy August:
- Driving your boat inside the shore buoys is not allowed. This can create a dangerous situation for any swimmers. Make sure that you pay attention to the buoys especially around dusk or after sunset and stay way outside of those boundaries.
- Be courteous on the lake. Everyone you see driving a watercraft is your neighbor.
- You probably noticed this year that our Water Safety patrol typically has two people on each patrol boat. One is to watch the activity on the water and the other one is to watch and drive. It’s proven to be a successful way to operate this year but, that said, they cannot be everywhere on the lake at once.
One of my neighbors called me about calling the Water Patrol for towing. The Water Safety Patrol’s primary duty is to monitor the activity on the water vs. towing. That said, if your boat’s battery dies in the middle of the lake they will likely tow you to the next closest safe location and out of the way of traffic (which may not be your dock). They do have some discretion on towing but know that their primary responsibility is to monitor boat activity. You will not typically get a tow back to your dock. It’s always good to have a plan with a neighbor or friend if you should get stranded with mechanical issues at the other end of the lake. While we like to think that by this time of the year the mechanical kinks of our favorite watercraft would have all been resolved, as you know, not everything goes as planned.
Until next time, See you on the Pond!
SAFER SEVEN Lotawana Days 2025: Skiing, Swimming, and Fish, OH MY!
It’s August. It’s hot (though not so much this week but it’s coming back). Kids are going back to school soon (too soon if you ask me). It’s time for all of us to go back to school on a few of the hottest topics on the Pond. Test your knowledge of these rules that come from really anywhere in the Rules and Regs. This is NOT a final exam but a review so that you can make your last full month of summer safe on the Pond
Answer True or False to the following statements.
- You’re getting ready to take advantage of some end of season boat sales. You decide you want to test drive a boat. You can get a two-hour temporary permit to put the boat on the lake for a test drive. TRUE or FALSE? TRUE!
- Every motorized watercraft, electric or gas, needs an operational fire extinguisher on board. TRUE or FALSE? TRUE!
- After dark, it’s ok to drive your boat down the main channel with your docking lights on. TRUE or FALSE? FALSE. You can get a citation for up to 3 points doing this (Section III, Part G, 4, p. 13). You also are blinding everyone coming toward you. Use your docking lights when your 100ft from shore or approaching a stationery watercraft.
- When approaching a watercraft head on neither watercraft has the right of way and you should pass on the port (left) side by at least 50 ft. TRUE or FALSE? TRUE!
- You can get up to 6 points for driving a watercraft under the influence of alcohol or drugs. TRUE or FALSE? TRUE. In fact you get up to 15 and a year suspension of privileges if you harm anyone while driving intoxicated OR refusing to take a breathalyzer test (Section III, Part J, 3, p. 16).
- Spotlights and shore lights or dock lights shall not invade the privacy of others. TRUE or FALSE? TRUE! You can get 3 points if you violate the dock lighting or shore lighting rule.
- You should always have an observer in addition to the driver and that person needs to be at least 5 years old. TRUE or FALSE? TRUE!