Patrolling the Pond: Labor Day Fanfare and Leaning into September
By Mike Miller, Board Member, Vice President, Lake Lotawana Association
The Labor Day weekend has come and gone and here we sit in September. I say it every year…where did the summer go? That said, I do like the change of seasons (with the possible exception of ‘fake spring’ which is when you get spring temps in early March only to get snow again in late March) though I am becoming less of a fan of a long winter. And while Labor Day has passed us by, it didn’t do it without some fanfare on the Pond! If you couldn’t find live music everyday last weekend you weren’t looking very hard! I counted at least three different opportunities to pull up a space and enjoy some local musician and band favorites AND have the chance to donate to the Lotawana Parks and Rec (you can still donate btw). It was also great to see so many other activities on the water. From sailing to wakeboarding and tubing to fishing and riding the waves, everyone seemed to take advantage of the best that Lotawana has to offer. I was personally committed to the Magellan Voyage, i.e., circumnavigating the lake via kayak, but had to withdraw due to a pesky case of IT band tendonitis. Yeah, I guess I could have done it with a traditional paddle, but I enjoy peddling my kayak. I did show up at the finish line so graciously hosted by Bill and Vicki Ryan and learned that the event saw more than 90 participants get their certificate and sticker as official Voyagers of Lake Lotawana. Lisa and Chris Gunderson also hosted a halfway stop! It was a record number for the event that will likely grow in 2026. My disappointment with being on the I.R. was quickly dispatched when I learned that the event is an ‘Evergreen’ event that you can do anytime and not just on Labor Day. That said, it seems to be more fun in numbers. Congratulations to all of the new Magellan Voyagers and to everyone who organized a wonderful event. While the weather wasn’t perfect last weekend, everyone seemed to manage around it and find time to enjoy their time on the Pond.
Of course I have to again give kudos to our Water Safety staff. Their presence on the water was impressive. It seemed like I saw them everywhere. You have to know that this is a tough thing to do when many of the regulars have found their way back to college or school. Of course you will recall that our required age for driving a boat for Water Safety is 21. This makes the staffing pool and options a bit more challenging. And yet, I would say, and many would agree, that I have seen them more this summer than many of the previous years. While they can’t be everywhere or see everything on a 640-acre lake, they have been on top of it all season. It’s really hard to read FB posts on Lake Rats that suggest differently. We are all Water Safety! Holiday rules are in place for reason: Water Safety. There are ELEVEN other weekends in the summer where no Holiday rules apply. That all said, Water Safety is taking steps to let everyone know if the Holiday rules are “Lifted” because of light traffic or other reasons. The Holiday rules are always in place for the entire weekend starting at 6pm Friday and ending at 12am of the holiday. They CAN BE lifted at the sole discretion of Water Safety. The key is how to communicate that to everyone when it needs to
be communicated? We have several channels that can be used and some new ones to explore. A communication plan will be in place by Memorial Day 2026. Stay tuned.
Back to the idea that Water Safety isn’t present or doesn’t do enough to issue citations. It struck me that unless you actually see what is being done or know the stats, the job they do may simply go unnoticed. Most of us probably have no idea what the Lotawana Police Department does day to day because we only read about it once a month in the Police Blotter in this great publication. That gave me an idea: A Water Safety Blotter! It’s time to share some of the activity that most of us don’t see. In the next issue I will be highlighting the citations that have been issued and other statistics that demonstrate both the presence of Water Safety and that they are doing what we ask them to do: Keep our homeowners and their guests safe even on the busiest weekends. By posting the citations that have been given in a month you will get a good idea of the activity of Water Safety and some of the more common violations. No names. No lot and block numbers. The goal? To raise awareness of Water Safety and keep our Lake and water activities fun and safe for everyone. We can all learn from others.
September is my favorite month at the Lake. I know, most including my wife would probably say July or even August is their favorite month. The steamy days and nights of summer make the lake a refreshing respite from the heat and troubles of the world. Others would say June is their favorite month because they’re looking forward to summertime with family, friends, and all of the lake activities to come. Why is my favorite month September? September is a month of transition. A month of change. A month of endings that turn into new beginnings. The romances of summer become the memories, and the memories of summer become romantic. And here we sit. Baseball is ending and football is beginning. Vacation is ending and school is starting. While it seems that the balmy days of summer left a few weeks ago, September brings warm days, less humidity, warm water, and cool nights. The crowds of summer have moved on to their fall activities, full time pursuits, and part-time pleasures. On any given day, venture out and you may be the only soul on the water. Peace. Serenity. Where did the summer go? It’s a memory and now a whole new season is about to begin at the Lake.
See you on the Pond!
The Safer Seven Quiz took Labor Day off and will return in the next issue.