The Twin Lakes Association set its two member meetings this summer for June 24 and Aug. 5. Both will be at Isola Bella, starting at 10 a.m. The 122nd Twin Lakes Day festivities will follow the Aug. 5 meeting. Please save the dates. These are the key meetings of the year, and a large turnout is the best way for the board to understand where members stand on issues.
At the June 24 meeting, we expect to hear from Michael Nadeau, a land-care consultant who will speak to the importance of natural buffers. Nadeau sits on the Sharon Energy and Environmental Commission and is a leading authority in the field of sustainable organic and ethical land care strategies. He has a master’s degree in plant and soil science from the university of Maine and is widely sought to help create attractive and sustainable environments using organic practices. He is co-founder of Connecticut Northeast Organic Farming Association.
Other topics will include permit applications, water studies and other investments in water quality. There will be an update on TLA income and expenses and membership matters.
We would like to recognize Justin Miller for his many excellent years running Twin Lakes Day, a leadership role he has handed off to long-time lake resident Sharon Aiuvalasit. Thank you, Justin and Sharon.
Time to pay dues for 2023. It is easy on the Twin Lakes Association website. It is also easy to make a separate donation in addition to paying dues. On the home page, click “Pay Dues” in the top right corner to pay the membership fee of $25 per person. You must be at least 18 to be a member. On the same page, click “Donate Now” in the top right corner if you wish to make a separate contribution. You can then follow the on-screen directions.
Pay with your PayPal account or enter a credit card number. We also welcome paper checks sent via the U.S. Postal Service. (P.O. Box 99, Salisbury, CT, 06068.) Directions for filling out a membership application and mailing in dues are also on the website. To find those instructions click on “Pay Dues.”
There are many reasons to contribute to the TLA. Only fully paid members have a vote at the June and August meetings. Beyond that, the TLA depends on membership fees and donations to carry out its mission of caring for the lakes.
To boost membership, the TLA board will mail letters the old-fashioned way to addresses throughout the community. We have about 350 members but a great many others use the lakes and we encourage them to join the TLA and support our efforts through the annual membership fee of $25 per person. Please advise your friends and neighbors that this letter is on the way. It will explain the TLA’s function how proceeds help us keep the water clean and comply with often complex state regulations. The TLA is also an advocate for the lake community in Hartford as well as with local authorities. The TLA is a registered 501(c)(3) volunteer organization. All dues and donations are tax deductible and are spent on matters that help maintain the lakes.
We are waiting for a response from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection as well as from the state Natural Diversity Data Base regarding our application to treat the lakes for invasive weeds this year. This is an annual effort that sometimes gets bogged down and results in us treating the water later than we’d like.
This year, our contractor GEI Consultants submitted a three-year plan, which can be viewed on the TLA website, along with all required reports on rare plants and species.
The TLA board held one meeting this winter. Please find the minutes of the March meeting on the TLA website. Much of the board discussion centered on water quality, testing and treatment. The board also discussed plans to transition member data to a new software system known as Little Green Light that will make it easier to track dues and publish a member directory.
Long-time lake resident Erica Cohn has joined the TLA board and will serve on the education subcommittee led by Jackie Blombach. Please welcome Erica, whose bio has been added to the TLA website. The subcommittee’s goal is to provide simple, focused education to the lake community about individual steps that can improve lake ecology. These include things like not using weed control products on lawns, pumping septic tanks annually, and monitoring for invasive plants along the shoreline.
This year’s photo contest theme is “peace,” a nod to the war in Ukraine and economic tumult of the day. The lakes and our natural surroundings, and the comfort of family and friends, offer peaceful moments in abundance. We are looking for great pictures of anything that makes you silently smile. Please describe where the photo was taken. Winning shots will be displayed on the home page of the TLA website.
This contest is open to residents, members, and visitors—in other words, everyone. We offer $50 prizes for the two best shots. Photos must have been taken within the 12 months ending Aug. 1 and submitted no later than Aug. 1. We encourage multiple entries any time between then and now. You can submit by replying to this email or by posting on Instagram using #TLAphoto23 or tagging TwinLakesAssociation.
The Twitter franchise has taken a public relations hit since Elon Musk bought the company. But we are staying with it as a useful tool to share timely information on lake matters. Please consider signing up and following twinlakesassociation @twinlakesassoc2.