Newsletter: Issue 45
UPCOMING EVENT
BMLA All – Lake Gathering
Time: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Date: Friday June 10, 2022
Place: Vet’s Camp Large Pavilion on Big Marine Lake
Meet and greet your Big Marine neighbors including Big Marine Lake Association Board members and Vet’s Camp members (who were so gracious in providing a venue for this event).
This is a great opportunity to hear about the great things your Big Marine Lake Association is doing to protect this wonderful lake from pesky aquatic invasive species!
The Vet’s Camp will have tacos available for purchase for $5.00. Root beer floats will be provided by the BMLA.
Boat parking is limited so we encourage arrival by car, the camp has plenty of vehicle parking.
The Vet’s Camp will be preparing for their Flag Retirement ceremonies to be held the next day, Saturday. If you have flags that need to be destroyed, bring them along for the burning ceremony Saturday, our proud veterans will take care of them.
Check out www.vetscampmn.org
For possible event updates check out the BMLA website at the heading Resources/Events.
Message from the Board
BMLA Annual Meeting
The BMLA Annual Meeting on April 20 had 36 attendees at the Scandia Community Center. It was also on Zoom. Due to the fact that we are Zoom rookies we were not successful in recording the Zoom presentation.
Items reviewed at the meeting have been entered on the BMLA website. Website categories added or with changes include Lake Ice Cleanup, EWM treatment maps for 2021 and 2022, new AIS species, and WCD inspections.
Thanks again to everyone who attended, to Jeff Dahlberg for preparing a well done Power Point presentation which was the core of the meeting, and to Jeff Dahlberg, Tony Vavoulis, and Ken Larson for their work on setting up the Zoom. Lastly, thanks to all the presenters, including Jeff Forester of MN Lakes and Rivers Advocates. Check out the MLRA Website. It has articles which cover topics discussed by Jeff Forester.
Comments
Ken Larson at the Vet’s Camp recently received a unsigned handwritten letter which cited a newspaper article about human waste left on the lake ice. The writer implied that this was a problem in the area of the VC ice fishing houses. The fact is that the VC provides as many as 2 portable toilets on the ice and 2 on shore as needed. In addition, there are 3 portable toilets in the camp itself and many veterans bring their own.
Most of all, the letter was very irritating to Ken, primarily because it was not signed. As outlined in a new FAQ on the BMLA website, the VC and the BMLA have been diligent in efforts to leave the ice clean before ice-out.
It is extremely upsetting to receive letters such as Ken received without being able to discuss the issues with the complaining individual. If anyone has a complaint with the VC or the BMLA, kindly provide the complaint with your name included so that the issue can be fully addressed. About a year ago I also received an
unsigned letter with comments about care of the lake from very likely the same person. Those comments irritated me similarly.
In summary, if anyone has complaints, please have the courtesy to sign the message you send to us!!! The VC and the BMLA are intent upon being good stewards of BML. We are willing to listen, but would prefer to be able to have a two-way conversation.
Our Neighbor
Tony Vavoulis, BMLA’s president elect and his wife Joyce have been on the lake for 12 years. While their primary home is in St. Paul they spend time on Big Marine throughout the year. The quiet of winter months may be their favorite time, but summer brings the family together on the water. Joyce and Tony have three children and seven grandchildren, all under 10 so the summers are busy. It was while kayaking in the early morning summer months that Tony observed and became interested in the variety of plant life in and along the lake’s shoreline. The most recent DNR survey identified 28 different native lake plants in Big Marine, 12 is considered a healthy level of diversity. Learning that the Association’s mission was fighting invasives and protecting the health of the lake lead Tony to become involved with the BMLA. “I’ve learned that keeping this great lake healthy doesn’t just happen, it’s complicated. Being involved with the lake association has been very rewarding; I’ve met a lot of great people and learned a lot about the lake.” Tony, an architect and Owner’s Representative primarily worked assisting non-profits with their real estate and construction needs. Joyce was a special education teacher in the St Paul system. Both retired, they are looking forward to spending more time, “up at the lake”.
