Patrolling the Pond: From On Ice to On the Water.
by Mike Miller, Board Member, VP Lake Lotawana Association
Is it me, or did winter come back? Actually, it never really left and decided to make a reappearance to show that it shouldn’t be forgotten so quickly. We were put back on ice this week with some high winds and snow. Not to fear, we should all be back on the water later this week as temps soar!
Congrats to everyone who won their District vote this year. Our Board plays an essential function in representing your interests and voice in the community. Lotawana is unique in that we have 37 districts. Most HOAs have somewhere between 6 and 10 board members. Having more districts means you can be represented even more effectively. And you can be sure that your District Board Member is a neighbor! I want to personally thank everyone for their service. Serving on the Board is just one way to give back your time and talents. If you haven’t done it I recommend trying it sometime! Or at least give your time and talents to one of the many committees we have that represent rules, regulations, and social activities. There is something for everyone! One kick-off meeting I attended tonight was the Water Patrol and Safety meeting.
Water safety doesn’t start when the patrol boats take to the lake; it’s a year-round effort that begins before the temperatures are above freezing and while the Whalers are in storage. I attended the opener for the Water Patrol and Safety Committee for the 2026 season. Dave Cooley, the Committee Chair, assembled his team to discuss topics like:
- Handling phone calls in 2026.
- Reporting flow for incidents and citations.
- Reviewing the available equipment required to run an effective operation.
- Hours of operation.
- Training the staff for 2026.
- Other issues to anticipate: all possibilities and to be prepared.
Jen Stafford will once again run the staff operation. She already has commitments from several returning Safety Officers. Boats will also be staffed with two team members to provide better coverage and observation. Typically, anyone on the staff under 21 will be the spotter. Patrol boats will also have an identifiable flag this year. At the end of the two-hour 2026 kick-off meeting, I asked the team how Patrolling the Pond could help them do their job. Here is what they said:
- Ask everyone to review the lake’s rules. Everyone.
- Review the rules with your family and all of your guests.
- If you are new to the lake, WELCOME! And REVIEW THE RULES. Make friends with an experienced neighbor to help you. Take a lesson driving your boat with your new friend.
- Know the Top 10 most frequent violations of the rules (a quiz coming up).
- Don’t Be That Guy! Follow the rules and if you’re pulled over by the Water Patrol, be kind. They are doing their job to keep the lake safe.
If you signed up to own property on the lake, you signed an agreement to follow all of the rules. Water Safety is here to enforce the rules, but also, and more than anything, give of their time and talents to make our lake a safe place for everyone. Water Patrol doesn’t just show up. There is a huge amount of careful planning and preparation that goes into making this year and every year a success. What is success? Everyone can have fun and be safe on the water. We should all be grateful for the volunteers on the Water Safety Patrol Committee as well as our hired staff. That said, water safety begins with you. With temps moving toward normal and we move out of the freezer and onto the water again, it’s important to remember that we are all Water Safety! Until next time, see you on the Pond!
SAFER SEVEN is a write-in quiz this week. Here is the question:
What are SEVEN of the TEN most common rules violated on the water each season?
Send your responses to me at VP@lakelotawana.net. We will put the names of all who answer this question correctly into a hat and draw one name for a $50 Bass Pro Shop gift certificate. I will announce the winner in the next Lotawana News. Send your entries to me at the email address above by March 30th, 2026.