| May 8, 2013
BOAT AND WATER SAFETY CLASSES OFFERED
The Gull Chain of Lakes Association in conjunction with Cass
and Crow Wing County Water Patrols, DNR Enforcement and US
Army Corps of Engineer is sponsoring two boat and water
safety classes for all youths ages 12 to 17. According to
Minnesota state law, all teens 13-17 years old are required
to have a permit to operate a personal watercraft and all
youth ages 12-17 must have a permit to operate a boat with a
motor of over 25 HP. This class not only goes through all
rules and regulations, but also provides all participants
some hands on boat operation training as well. This class
qualifies participants for the required permits. The
sheriff's office strongly recommends that all young people
in this age bracket take the class.
There will be two opportunities to take this class; Tuesday,
June 11 and Thursday, June 27 at Zorba's Restaurant on
County Road 77 in Lake Shore. Class starts at 8:30 a.m.
Zorba's will provide lunch for participants at no cost. All
who are interested should call Mary Kay Larson at the Corps
of Engineers for details and pre-registration. She can be
reached during the day at 651-290-5770. Call now since the
class size is limited.
Second option:
We also have been told that this same training will be
available at Breezy Point on June 5 and 19. Contact Game
Warden, Nikki Schoutz, at: 218-380-9979.
February 2013
Update
Dear North Long Lake Association Member,
I thought I would share with you some of the big items that
our NLLA Board has been working on this winter. As we have
mentioned in the past, we are always looking for any
financial help we can find to fund our projects to protect
our lake. We have had some success! Our grant application to
the DNR for help in paying for boat inspectors (at our boat
accesses at 371 and the Merrifield Bay) has been accepted.
We are happy with this news. The grant covers 50% of the
cost for 2 part-time boat inspectors from fishing opener
through Labor Day. The value of the grant is $6,463, which
means that our association is responsible for the other half
($6,463) next fall. Since the hourly pay for inspectors has
gone up, this equates to a savings of $1300 less than what
we paid for inspectors last summer.
We had a aerial survey of our lake in November to look for
Curly leaf pondweed (CLP) and the results showed that our
infestation has spread from about 6 acres (primarily near
the Merrifield boat access) to approximately 27 acres in
various locations. Cost to treat our infestation will be
$9,800 whereas we thought it would be about $5,900. We
requested financial help from the Thirty Lakes Watershed
District. They have agreed to pay $3,376, assuming we treat
all of our known infestation. We are very thankful for this
help from TLWD. We also have applied for a new DNR grant for
CLP (or milfoil). If we are accepted - the DNR would pay an
additional $3,376. We don't know the exact day the DNR will
let us know about this grant yet. Bottom line, we will be
responsible for $6,424 if we don't get the DNR grant or
$3,048 if we do get the grant. Keep in mind, we didn't have
this expense last year because we did not treat the
infestation (as we were told it was "gone" by more than one
source the previous fall).
For 2013, we have received $1350 in dues plus $2015 for
Invasive Species from 54 members, which is fairly typical
for this time of year. By the end of 2012, our members had
generously helped us reach our financial goals to cover our
2012 expenses and we have every expectation this will again
happen this year. If you haven't sent in your 2013
dues/donations yet and would like to have a membership dues
statement, please go to northlong.com and print the form
from there (or look in our newsletter).
I will be providing the latest membership detail in our
spring/summer newsletter and a bit more on our budgetary
needs. Until then, "think spring"!
Sincerely,
Kay Hondo, Pres.
North Long Lake Association |
|
If you attended the annual meeting/picnic, we
were glad you came. If not, we missed you! This note is to
give our members an update from the picnic:
Thank you to everyone who worked at the picnic! We had great
weather and a good turn out of about 190 people. Our main
speaker, Jeff Forester of MSRPO, spoke about how his
organization lobbies on the behalf of property owners on the
lakes and rivers of Minnesota. For more information, please
go to: http://www.msrpo.org/ !
We will soon have a few pictures posted on our web site:
http://www.northlong.com/ which will show the overall
festive atmosphere. We had over 40 drawings for prizes and a
great lunch. We successfully raised $1,075 for the Invasive
Species fund from NLLA apparel sales, plant sales, a silent
auction and donations for a NLL mug. In addition, about 51
members paid their annual dues ($1,275) and made additional
donations ($910) towards the Invasive Species fund. At this
point, we have overall donations of over $12,000 which is
very good for this time of year. We still have a push this
fall when we contact our property owners who have not joined
the association and hope for a good response that will help
us insure we have enough funds to cover the costs we have
this year for boat inspectors, a curly leaf survey and misc
other expenses. Please consider asking your neighbors if
they are members and if they aren't, encourage them to join
us in our efforts!
We had a new Board election process which resulted in ballot
voting (from 65 households) for the re-election of 2 Board
members (Kay Hondo and Sandy Loney) and the election of two
new members: Deb Johnson and Jeff Weaver. We asked if there
were additional nominations/volunteers from the floor. While
no one responded, there were 3 write-in votes on the
official ballots. However, that number is not significant
enough for election.
New Board members will attend their first meeting on August
9th, at which time the officers will be elected.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or
another Board member.
Regards,
Kay Hondo, Pres.
NLLA
August 1, 2012 FORM FOR ENGRAVED LAKE MAP
The attached link will provide a
form
for ordering the engraved lake map that was
displayed at the NLLA meeting/picnic on Jul 21.
June 28, 2012
NOTICE: North Long Lake Annual Meeting/Picnic on July 21
This is to remind you that the annual
meeting/picnic for North Long Lake Association (NLLA)
members will be held at Legionville on Saturday, July 21,
2012. Registration opens at 10:00am with the start of
meeting at 10:30am. The guest speaker will be Jeff Forester,
Executive Officer, of the Minnesota Seasonal Recreational
Property Owners Coalition. Jeff will brief us on current
(and possible future) state legislation that impacts lake
property owners.
At the meeting, Board members will give a few updates and
elections for Board members will take place. Each voting
member (i.e. property owner) will be given one ballot to
represent their household. This ballot will be for 2
incumbent Board members and include nominees for 2 open
positions. If you would like to nominate someone for the
Board, or you would like to volunteer yourself, go to
www.northlong.com and print out and complete the nomination
form. Please return the form by Jul 12th for inclusion.
Once again, we will have prize drawings during the meeting
but a new twist will include a plant sale, silent auction
and possibly other items for sale. Of course, you will still
be able to order North Long Lake apparel. But, the objective
is to raise additional funds for our Aquatic Invasive
Species fund. So, please don't forget your checkbook,
especially if you haven't paid your annual dues yet! (Your
address label shows "2012" if you have already paid this
year's dues).
Support your lake association by coming to the annual
meeting, you will become better informed and you will enjoy
the picnic lunch! Remind your neighbors to also attend. We
should be finished by 1:00pm. Here's hoping for clear skies
and balmy weather! …
June 22, 2012
Crow Wing County New Release
Land Services Department to Hold Information Sessions
June 22, 2012
Dear NLLA member:
Board Nomination Form
On an annual basis, we usually have a couple NLLA Board
members up for re-election and sometimes an opening or two.
At this date, we are aware of two openings to be filled at
our annual meeting on Jul 21. Instead of having potential
Board members nominated (sometimes on the spur of the
moment) at the annual meeting/picnic, we are changing the
process. We believe that by asking for
nominations/volunteers in advance, we give potential
candidates more time to decide if they can offer both their
time and dedication to a Board position. I am attaching a
Board nomination form which you can use to either
nominate someone for a position on the Board or volunteer
yourself.
Our election process is also being modified. Instead of a
show of hands at the annual meeting, we will provide each
member household with one ballot. The ballot will show both
the Board members up for re-election and the nominees for
the openings. Each household will vote for 4 (depending on
the openings) candidates. The votes will be tallied and
posted later on our website: http://www.northlong.com/ .
You may be aware that we have hired 2 watercraft inspectors,
one for the Merrifield asscess and one for the 371 access.
We had hoped to also reinstate the camera at the Merrifield
access but that was not possible this season. You may not
know that curly leaf pondweed has again been sighted at the
Merrifield access. Even though the curly leaf appeared to
have died out last summer, we are not surprised that it has
come back. We anticipated having to treat that area for a
few years and expect that we will re-treat next summer. The
DNR will be doing a survey for us sometime soon and then we
will have a better idea of how wide spread the problem is.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Also, be
sure to add the annual meeting to your calendar. Jul 21 at
10am at Legionville. We will have the meeting, prizes and a
picnic lunch.
Regards,
Kay Hondo, Board Pres.
North Long Lake Association
May 14, 2012
The following links were included in a new AIS
legislation DNR handout. The DNR intends to have more
information available on their website in the near future.
Q&A About Aquatic Invasive Species Rules Decal on Watercraft
Aquatic invasive species decal law changes; higher penalties
go into effect July 1
May 4, 2012
Following a wave of phone calls from folks across
Minnesota, Gov. Mark Dayton signed HF 2164 into law.
Here are the final provisions:
The Legislation:
" Doubles fines for noncompliance of AIS laws, including
failure to pull the boat plug when transporting a boat.
" Broadens the definition of Lake Service Provider,
including persons moving boats or other water related
equipment to the AIS training and permit requirements passed
last session.
" Expands the prohibition on placing a watercraft or trailer
with AIS on it to all water related equipment.
" Prohibits a boat lift, dock, swim raft or associated
equipment that has been removed from the water from being
placed into another water body for at least 21 days.
" Allows the commissioner of natural resources to delegate
inspection authority for watercraft and related equipment to
tribal and local governments, but also transfers liability
and responsibility for inspection programs on public waters
within their jurisdiction and requires a plan, reporting and
certain standards to be met.
" Allows conservation officers and other peace officers to
require water-related equipment be removed from a water body
if necessary to implement aquatic invasive species control
measures.
" Allows the commissioner to require mandatory inspections
before a person places water-related equipment into a water
body.
" Allows inspection stations to be established and
establishes location, staffing, and other requirements for
the stations.
" Requires the commissioner of natural resources to
establish a statewide course for preventing the spread of
aquatic invasive species and best management practices. The
DNR will issue an aquatic invasive species trailer decal to
those who complete the course. A person may not transport
watercraft or any water related equipment without an aquatic
invasive species decal. Violation of this section carries no
penalty. It becomes effective July 1, 1915.
April 5, 2012
Re: North Long Lake Association (NLLA) News
Dear NLLA members,
Our NLLA Board was concerned at the end of 2011 whether or
not the association received enough dues to afford the ILID
(camera) at the Merrifield boat launch in 2012. With the
cost of the camera and the cost of treating the curly leaf
pondweed (CLP), we were low on financial resources. We did
get a good response late in 2011, receiving annual donations
of $12,361. This is our best ever year. However, our
expenses have also been at an all time high with the
following costs taking the biggest bites out of our budget:
$5406 for CLP treatment, $3460 for camera and $672 for last
portion of cost for DNR interns in 2010.
Even though we now feel that we can afford the camera for
the coming summer, the NLLA Board has not been fully
satisfied with the process of viewing videos and expecting
any prosecution of offenders who might be seen with weeds on
their boat trailers. By the time the offender can be
reported, they would be long gone and the likelihood of
prosecution is very slim. So, the Board voted to again apply
for the DNR grant which covers half the cost for DNR Interns
(approximately $5100) to man the boat launch on week-ends as
well as some weekdays. We recently were told that our grant
was turned down as we didn't meet the criteria the DNR had
set for their limited dollars available. The Board will meet
on April 12th to discuss our options.
We got a very good report from Lakes Restoration (the
company that did our CLP treatment last spring). They (as
well as the DNR) surveyed the area that was infested and
believe most of the CLP responded well from the treatment
and may have died out. We asked Dave Betland and Duane Saari
to take some weed samples shortly after the ice was out.
Marty Peisch brought them to the DNR and they are NOT CLP
but a week that is native to our waters. We will watch to
see if there is spring growth but this means that we may not
need to treat again this year. If the CLP does come back, we
may be able to wait to treat it in 2013.
Are you on Facebook? Make friends with "Our North Long Lake"
to share information.
We have had reports of substantial damage from ice ridges
this year. The 371 Bay and parts of the big lake seem
hardest hit. Note that we have our recent update here on the
website that details that you do not need a permit to
correct the damage done to your property by the ice ridges.
Please read the entire notice for the full details.
We will provide more information on these subjects and
finances in our spring newsletter which should be mailed in
May.
Regards,
Kay Hondo, Pres.
NLLA
March 23, 2012: No permit needed for ice
ridge repairs -
Click here to read teh decision from Crow Wing
County.
August 17th Update Re: Annual Meeting and
Elections
Picnic Photos
On July 16th, the North Long Lake
Association held their annual meeting/picnic at Legionville.
Around 164 people attended. Two new Board members, Joe
Laudenbach and James Cook, were elected to 3 year terms.
Both new members attended their first Board meeting on
August 11th at the Merrifield Marathon clubhouse. At this
meeting, the Board elected the new officers for the
2011/2012 year which begins effective the August Board
meeting. Since Kristil McDonald had resigned her position of
President, V. P. Kay Hondo was elected to replace her as
President. At least for the time being, Kay retains the
responsibility for Membership and communications. Sue
Kumpula resigned her position as Treasurer but remains a
Board Member. Marty Peisch was elected as Treasurer. Bill
Hartup was reelected as Secretary.
Upcoming Board meetings will focus on
several issues, such as committee assignments, reviewing
whether or not to renew a contract for the I-LID (camera)
and next steps for the curly leaf treatment. We recently
learned that we may have two new (small) curly leaf
infestations. The general feeling is that we should treat
the current infestations with the intent to kill them off
before it becomes a massive problem. Other pending items of
discussion will be winter meetings, fund raising
possibilities, setting goals and which interagencies/associations
to reach out to. Keep in mind, that the Board meetings are
open and you are welcomed to visit. However, if you wish to
address the Board, please let the Board President (Kay
Hondo) know what your issue of concern is so that we can add
you to the agenda. See Board members for contact information
or find "contact us"
within this
website.
June 24, 2011 NORTH LONG LAKE ASSOCIATION
MEETING/PICNIC
Save the date!! The NLLA Annual
Meeting/Picnic will be Saturday, July 16th at Legionville.
Registration begins at 10 a.m. while the meeting starts at
10:30 a.m. Heather Baird, a DNR Habitat Specialist, will
talk about the value of lake shore restoration and grant
possibilities. We will have updates on the curly leaf
treatment, loon nests and our History Committee. Become
better informed while you enjoy interacting with your lake
neighbors!
We have two Board members who are up
for re-election plus two new open positions. If you are
interested in joining the Board, ask someone to nominate
you. Be prepared to tell us a bit about yourself.
As always, we will
have drawings for great prizes from many local businesses.
The meeting will be adjourned for the picnic lunch at noon.
Tables will be set up by various committees: you can see
and/or order some of our logo clothing line, chat with a
master gardener or learn more about the “History” project.
June 24, 2011 MEMBERSHIP DUES ARE NEEDED
If you are current with your
membership, “2011” will show in the upper right hand corner
of this postcard’s address label. No year showing or a
previous year? This indicates you have not paid dues for
this year. We need your financial support more than ever.
Please consider mailing your dues in now (or you can pay at
picnic). You can find a Membership Dues Statement at our web
site: www.northlong.com or in the last newsletter.
May 16, 2011 Curly Leaf Treatment
Curly leaf treatment was applied today, May 16,
2011 in the Merrifield Bay near the boat launch. Water from
the area should not be consumed, however, there are no other
restrictions.
May 9, 2011 Update at Merrifield Launch
The DNR put in the docks today. The LID camera
will be activated this week as well, in time for opening
fishing.
MAY 2010 UPDATE
Watch your mailbox for our Spring newsletter. It
has gone to print and should be mailed around May 16th. This
newsletter will be reminding you of how important it is for
each of you to support the association.
The Merrifield boat launch should be totally functional
soon. The cement ramp that was just put in last fall caved
in from the ice and had to be repaired by the DNR. The DNR
says repairing ramps is a common occurrence. The new ramp(s)
are configured somewhat differently than the old ones.
Hence, the DNR will put in 2 docks, one on either side of
the double ramp. They believe this will facilitate faster
launches.
We have volunteers taking daily water temperatures since the
ice went out. The purpose is to report temperature changes
to Lakes Restoration. When the DNR gives approval. Lakes
Restoration will apply the treatment for curly leaf pond
weed when the temps are between 50 and 60 degrees. The area
for treatment is near the Merrifield boat launch, Anderson's
Bay and Train Bell Resort.
At least 3 brand new loon nests have been put out for the
loons. Keep your eyes open for the babies!
Update on Curly Leaf Treatment: Spring
2011
As soon as the ice is out, water temperatures
will be taken daily and reported to Lakes Restoration.
Treatment for curly leaf will be applied when the water is
between 50 to 60 degrees. This should be in early May. The
areas to be treated include: near the Merrifield boat
landing, in front of Train Bell Resort and in the corner of
Anderson's Bay. Treatment will have to be reapplied for a
period of up to 4 years in the hope to eradicate or at least
control the spread of curly leaf pondweed. Last summer, the
curly leaf became so thick that it presented a hazard for
boaters in that area.
Sep. 24, 2010 Update on Merrifield Launch
The boat launch and parking lot are still slated
to be closed on Monday, Sep. 27th. However, the construction
company is planning to reopen the ramp for the week-end of
Oct. 2 & 3 before closing it again on Monday. If you miss
this window of opportunity, you can try using the newly
renovated boat launch on the 371 Bay. With the deeper water
this year, you may be able to remove boats and watercraft at
this location.
September 16, 2010, UPDATE on Boat
Launch
The DNR has notified the Lake
Association that the contractor will be closing the
Merrifield Boat Launch on Monday, Sep 27. If you haven't
taken out your boats by then, you can try the newly revamped
371 ramp.
September 13, 2010, UPDATE regarding Boat
Launch
The DNR will be closing the Merrifield Boat Launch in the
near future to put in new ramps and pave the parking lot.
The exact closure date hasn't yet been determined between
the DNR and the construction company but it could be closed
soon and remain closed for several weeks (until Nov. 1). The
DNR will put notices in the Brainerd Dispatch and notify our
Lake Association. You can go to their website:
www.dnr.state.mn.us/water_access/closures.html or call
218-833-8710 or 888-646-6367 (M-F, 8am-4:30pm) for updated
information. We will continue to put updates here on our
website.The DNR recently made improvements to the 371
Access, including a cement ramp. With the deeper water this
year, you may be able to use that ramp instead of the
Merrifield launch.
We hope you will find this information helpful as you
prepare to take your boats and watercraft out of the lake
this fall. 08/30/2010 Update Regarding
Merrifield Boat Launch Closing
The Merrifield Boat Launch will NOT be closing immediately
after Labor Day as we originally were told. The DNR is
keeping us advised of their progress with the renovation
plans for the boat launch and the parking area. The bids are
in and the DNR will soon be hiring a contractor. Then the
DNR will begin having pre-construction meetings with that
contractor. At that juncture we should have a better
understanding of how the project will proceed.
We have been very vocal about the effect the closing of our
only functional boat launch (September through November)
will have on our property owners especially at the time when
boats are being taken off the lake at the end of the season.
Another concern is about how the DNR will handle
notification.
We will continue to update you at this web site when any new
information becomes available.
08/24/2010 Alert! Merrifield Boat
Launch to Close
The DNR is closing the Merrifield Boat Launch this fall to
do a major renovation. The parking lot will be blacktopped
and painted. A walkway will be put in from the upper parking
lot to the lower parking lot and also down to the lake. The
cement in the launch area will be reworked as well, and the
area will be "de watered" to accomplish that piece of the
project. A possible date to close the launch was proposed to
be September 6, 2010 although it seems a bit unlikely at the
moment since the contractor has not been selected. The
launch may be closed into November. Watch here for updates
as the Trail & Waterways Division gives the NLLA Board new
information. |
To
some of you my name will be familiar, but for those of you
to whom it isn't, let me tell you about myself. I have lived
in our home on the west bay with my husband Ral, since 1973.
We have made changes to our home and property in these past
35 years, but our love for the lake has never changed. We
have been active in the lake association for a good portion
of that time. Our two daughters grew up on the lake and now
our grandchildren come to visit in each and every season.
At 10:30, the meeting was called to order by the President,
Kristil McDonald. A speaker from the Sanitary District
explained the process that organization has made and how it
may impact property owners on the lake in the future.
