BLCA - Summer 2019 Newsletter
Burden Lake Conservation Association, Inc.
Update From the President - Richard Amadon
There has been a lot of sunshine to enjoy and your BLCA board has been taking advantage of the season to get club business done.
Thank you to those members who continue to support the BLCA. Currently we have many individuals and family memberships. Water Quality donations continue to come in and have reached over $16,300. The entire list is noted below and posted in the clubhouse. If membership and water quality donations slipped your mind, you can still join this year by going to our website and clicking on the membership application. Please recognize the Eustace family and friends for their generous donation as well.
Stay updated on lake news and events by visiting us on the web, Facebook , twitter and Instagram. Enjoy the rest of the summer with family, friends and neighbors.
Sincerely,
Rich Amadon
Check out the new BLCA sign!
Thank you Judy for all your hard work ending with spectacular results!
A burden lake sunrise.
The eco-harvester at work.
A beautiful burden lake afternoon.
Information that was shared with our neighbors on the second Burden Lake by Cornell.
I had a lovely conversation today with Barbara Colandrea, secratary of the BLA. She gave me permission to paraphrase and publish the following about plant life on the lake.
On Saturday, August 2nd a paddle review was done with Gwen Temple from Cornell Extension. She was very informative and thinks from what she saw in the second lake that the North and Central sections of Burden lake (AKA Lake 1 & 2) are in pretty good shape. Very disturbing was to see 3 to 4 inch fragments of milfoil coming through the pipe by Kay’s. It is believed to be from the south. She found lots of native weeds but occasional Eurasian milfoil plants in both 1st & 2nd Lake that looks a lot like native plant, Coontail. They spread by fragments from other plants. Barbara said they found a few invasive plants and a lot of healthy native lake plants. Purple loose-strife grows on the shore. Pretty to look at but also invasive. If you have any, pull it out by the roots and bag it.
Summarized by Olga Ashline
Safety is very important especially on the lake. The BLCA wants to promote safety for everyone.
Below are other important links like the burden lake boat safety map showing boaters should maintain a counter clockwise travel direction and be mindful of smaller water vessels. Click this link to see it in it's entirety.
https://www.theblca.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/2017-boater-safety-map.pdf
Boating Laws for NYS can be found at https://www.theblca.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ny-boating-laws.pdf
July 9, Annual Meeting Highlights
The meeting began with Rich Amadon explaining the biggest changes that occurred in the past year. The BLCA is established as a not-for-profit 501c3 and has tax exempt status. Rich Amadon needs to meet with the town assessor to file and secure the tax advantages.The deed for the clubhouse has been filed with Rensselaer County.
The next order of business is the members to vote on the appointment of the Board Of Directors and Officer positions. Then the by-laws need to be adopted and a committee needs to be formed to revise and update the by-laws.
It was presented the need to appoint the Board of Directors for 1 and 2 year terms.
Members motioned to vote that the current directors remain as officers. Seconded and voted unanimously by all members present.
Finance Report to Members:
Steve Quillinan stated the BLCA fiscal year ends June 30, 2019. The figures have been calculated and are final, ready to be filed for the BLCA. Copies of the 2019 balance sheet and profit/loss statements were shared with members.
Steve reported 2019 paid members at 110 and water quality donations received from 93 members. The balance in the operating account is $21,172.
Water Quality Report to Members -
- Steve Scarlata reported on the Eco-Harvester bought by the BLCA and it’s current activity status. There was a review of how DEC has been involved and are still in contact about procedures for the harvester use and operation. It is anticipated that procedures will be finalized soon but members will continue training and be working on a schedule imposed by Steve Scarlata and Craig Cioffi. Thank you to Member Dennis Ryan who created a grid zone map of the third lake which was shared for all to see.
Events Report to Members
Wendy Will finalized the summer events calendar and Donna Kopcho created the decorative calendar available on the BLCA website.
Meeting Minutes will begin to be available through the website in the future.
The next BLCA monthly meeting is Tuesday, August 20, 2019 at the clubhouse.
2019 BLCA Members
Thank you to all BLCA contributors this year. Members, Water Quality Donors and event participants.
We would like to extend our gratitude to the following Organizations, Families, and Individuals who paid membership dues and have contributed to the Water Quality Fund for 2019 as of July 25, 2019. We are grateful for the generosity in the efforts of protecting the quality of the third burden lake. Thank you! NOTE: Every effort is made to list all contributors. Please let us know if anyone was overlooked who donated for 2019. Donations are gladly accepted at events and through the year to the BLCA. The contribution list may be viewed through this link https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DSAjctCf56awoL8mXgstPGRdcbM12gkEktwGn-hkn3I/edit?usp=sharing and is posted at the clubhouse.
Please let us know if anyone was missed and we'll make adjustments.
A special donation this year was...
Given in loving memory of Bogie, Ronald Bogardus by Sheila Eustace and the entire extended Burden Lake Eustace friends and family group which totaled over $3175. All much appreciated as we remember our burden lake friend, Bogie!
The BLCA Board and Committees
BLCA Board Members include:
Richard Amadon, President 518.479.1219
Olga Ashline, VP/Secretary 518.281.1750
Richard Amadon, President 518.479.1219
Steve Scarlata, Vice President 518.674.6071
Steve Quillinan, Treasurer 518.281.7020
Olga Ashline, Secretary 518.281.1750
Paul Ashline, Maintance 518.365.2501
Kyle Murphy, Events 646.753.2189
Wendy Will, Events 518.522.8535
Adam Cioffi, 518.674.5936
Craig Cioffi, 518.421.8594
Paul Yonkers 518.477.6543
Special Committee Members include Dennis Ryan, Russ Bennett, Digger Dunigan, Alea Ashline, Larry McKeough, Judy Scarlata, Donna Kopcho, Rick Kopcho , Cindy Keeler, Barbara Kania, Chelsea Zantry and Mark Cioffi. And thank you to all our members that try to help in so many special ways! More volunteers are needed to help with signage, advertising, and by-law editing. Please contact Rich Amadon at 518.479.1219 or 518.469.2483.