Bayfield County Lakes Forum [Cable Lake ]

Updated: 9/6/2010

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The Cable Lake Association

. . . to preserve, protect and enhance Cable and Wiley Lakes.

CLA MEETING MINUTES AND NOTES POSTED BELOW

We need YOU to be a member or supporter of Cable and Wiley Lakes. All contributions are tax deductible and important to the future health of our lakes. More info below.

This site will offer contact information, agendas, minutes and membership information for the CLA. All photos on the BCLF site were taken on Cable and Wiley Lakes by Jim Brakken. Reprints and CDs are available for members.

SEND YOUR NEWSETTER ITEMS AND RECOLLECTIONS TO KIM BRO SOON!

Your CLA Board of Directors:

Jim Brakken, President jim.brakken@yahoo.com

Paul Gilbert, Vice President pjg40955@cheqnet.net,

Susan Racher, Secretary susanracher@whcf.org

Liz Ganitopoulas, Treasurer ganos875@sbcglobal.net

Kim Bro, Past President kmbro@centurytel.net

Bob Hildreth, Director-At-Large bob@esp.com

Joe Piraino, Director-At-Large piraij62@uwosh.edu

(Serving as a Director takes little time and makes a big difference. Please consider a seat on the CLA Board. Contact jim.brakken@yahoo.com)

COMING SOON: THE CLA FACEBOOK PAGE! Check back for details on this new effort to share information with our members and friends!

2010 SILENT AUCTION RAISED $1,367 FOR THE TOWN OF CABLE AIS PREVENTION PROGRAM! Thank you to all who helped by donating items, helping with the auction, contacting donors and by bidding on the great items!

2011 SILENT AUCTION PLANS: The event will be held at the July 4th celebration at the Depot Park. Please keep an eye out for new or like new items to donate to the silent auction tables.

CLA BOARD MINUTES (approved) and ANNUAL MEETIN MINUTES (not yet approved):

Minutes of the Cable Lake Association Board of Directors

Saturday July 3, 2010

Cable Natural History Museum

Board members present: Jim Brakken (President), Paul Gilbert (Vice President); Kim Bro (Past President), Jim Hinman (director at large); Susan Racher (secretary), Liz Ganitopoulus (treasurer), Joe Pirano (director at large)

Other members present: Sybil Brakken, Bob Hildreth; Ann Hildreth

The meeting was called to order at 10:10 a.m. at the beautiful Cable Natural History Museum. Thank you to the Museum and to Sue Benson for their hospitality!

1) The minutes of the September 5, 2009 board meeting were accepted.

2) Treasurer’s Report: Liz Ganitopoulus reviewed the Treasurer’s report and made available the check register for the Board’s review. At the present time there is a cash balance of $776.40 in the bank. For the year, we had revenues of $ 1,487 and expenses of $2,539, leaving a negative balance of $ 1,052. Several outstanding bills were paid following the meeting for Wisconsin Lakes Association annual meeting, and for mailing the CLA newsletter. The Treasurer’s report was accepted by the board.

3) Discussion about the landing camera: prior to the meeting, Jim Brakken had requested Board approval (via e-mail) of a camera to be set up at the public landing. Cameras have been installed at Lake Namakagon and Lake Tahkodah as a deterrent and to photograph the bottoms of the boats and trailers, and the boat registration. Several lake communities have used the I-LIDS security camera to monitor their landings. That camera is expensive as it costs about $6,000 to buy and about $1,600 annually to maintain. Unable to obtain grant funding, Jim identified a substitute camera that is more affordable, and the Town of Cable is willing to build housing for it. The board approved the purchase of the camera, and Jim will seek out the best equipment possible for our budget.

4) Board nominations: Nominations were requested for the positions of President, Vice President, and a Director. We agreed that it would be optimal to broaden our board participation with Lake homeowners who have not previously served. Bob Hildreth was nominated s a Director at large, accepted the nomination. Paul Gilbert has agreed to stay on as Vice President until a replacement is named; and Jim Brakken has agreed to run for another term as President.

5) The venue for our 2011 Annual CLA Silent Auction: Jim advised us that the Lions Club would welcome us in conjunction with the Town of Cable’s Annual 4^th of July Celebration. We need to confirm the logistics and determine if there is a suitable space in which to have the fundraiser.

6) AIS Program Report: Rex Christianson is the landing monitor in the early morning, and Sybil Brakken is out there at 10 or 11 am. It is critical that we pay more attention to viral hemorrhagic septicemia, which has been confirmed at Lake Superior. We must caution people not to transport water from infected lakes, and to disinfect their boats with a bleach solution after exposure to an infected lake.

7) Lake District conversion: We discussed the pros and cons of converting CLA into a Lake District. A Lake District would impose a small tax on every homeowner to support lake protection and other community initiatives. The advantage is that we would have full participation of the 40 homeowners on the lake. Currently, only half of these homeowners are contributing to CLA. The cons include the fact that a Lake District is a unit of government and therefore a lake district could incur more overhead than CLA. Jim will present this concept at the CLA meeting following this Board meeting, to drive higher penetration in membership participation and to underscore that Cable Lake homeowners should join CLA to be able to vote on important issues like creating a Lake District.

8) July 2011 Board meeting: Bob Hildreth and Joe Pirano both volunteered to host the Board meeting, which will be July 2, 2011. We will discuss the meeting locale at our September board meeting.

9) Request for zoning change for horse ranch: We were updated on Lisa Hoffman’s request. It was turned down by the local zoning board and county zoning board. .Unless Lisa installs manure handling facilities, there will be no chance of her obtaining a permit for a horse ranch.

10) Public launch fee: The Town of Cable determined that they will not impose a launch fee at the public landing. The logic was that imposing a launch fee would give the Town some degree of responsibility for lake activities, which could result in potential liability to the Town. The Town would therefore have to obtain liability insurance. In order to be economically justified, the Town would have to collect $15,000 in launch fees, which is a high level to meet.

11) Community support for AIS: Following a suggestion last fall, Paul Gilbert met with Scott Wald and Ron Vanderploeg, to reach out to community businesses to enlist their support in fund raising for Cable Lake protection initiatives. Businesses in town have really stepped forward this year to help us raise money for our effort. There was tremendous and generous support for today’s silent auction fund raiser. Jim will write an article for the newsletter and Sybil will send out a letter acknowledging the contributions.

12) Multi-Unit/ Conservation Development Loophole: Jim updated us on efforts to change county zoning inequalities that allow up to 3 times greater density on waterfront property. The Town of Barnes objected to this loophole, and developed an “overlay” strategy to basically exempt themselves from this higher density zoning. There will be a zoning meeting Monday night at the Cable Community Center and Jim is encouraging as many people as possible to attend. We discussed the wisdom of attacking this loophole versus reviewing the Cable comprehensive zoning plan in its entirety.

13) The next meeting of the board is September 4 at 11 am. At Liz Ganitopoulus’ home on Mud Lake.

14) The Meeting was adjourned at 11 a.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Susan Racher, Secretary

Annual Meeting Minutes

Saturday July 3, 2010

Cable Natural History Museum

1. Call to order: The Meeting of the Cable Lake Association was called to order by Jim Brakken at 11:10 a.m.

2. Welcome and silent auction instructions: Jim Brakken thanked our CLA membership for attending the meeting, and he reviewed the logistics of the silent auction which will ensue during the meeting. Jim thanked contributors to the auction, which was replete with wonderful household and hardware items, art, gift certificates, bric-a-brac and creative contributions such as dinner cruises and home cooked gourmet meals. He especially acknowledged Suzanne Newcomer, Joe Pirano and Sybil Brakken for their efforts to make this a success.

3. Agenda review and Minutes: No other items were added to the Agenda. One correction to the minutes was that Marietta Schwend was present at the meeting.

4. Treasurer’s report: The CLA has $776 in its checking account as of June 30, 2010.

5. President’s Report:

a. The Bayfield County Lakes Forum Annual Meeting will be held on July 24. Stacy Craig, from Northland College, will be providing a Loon Watch report. She will be talking about the Gulf Oil spill and its effect on loon populations as they migrate toward the Gulf area from Minnesota and Wisconsin.

b. There is a great conservation effort in Wisconsin to ban lead from fishing sinkers. Just one sinker, if ingested, could kill a bird. Jim has worked with Stacy Craig on this initiative, and Jim has written a resolution forwarded to the Wisconsin conservation congress. Such a resolution has been passed in Douglas County but has not been adopted by Bayfield County. Jim is continuing the effort and is hopeful that by next year, there will be a phase-out of lead tackle, and an exchange program where lead sinkers would be exchanged for non-toxic substitutes.

c. Jim discussed the MUD/CD Loophole and explained how it allows developers to build homes/condos at density levels that are excessive. Jim passed around the county map of Tamarac Point, an example of where this loophole had allowed a doubling of density at the waterfront. Jim urged members to attend a meeting Monday night at 6:30 p.m at the Cable Community Center where the planning commission will discuss this issue.

d. We have an enforcement gap: we may need some help writing letters to encourage enforcement of conditions imposed on lake property. There is not sufficient funding in county budgets to address and take action against violations.

e. Discussion about the landing camera: It is important to monitor the landing to prevent invasive plant species from entering the lake. Cameras have been installed at Namakagon and Lake Tahkodah as a deterrent and to photograph incoming boats and trailers. Several lake communities have used I-LIDS security camera to monitor their landings. That camera is expensive as it costs about $6,000 to buy and about $1,600 annually to maintain. Since CLA has been unable to obtain grant funding for the camera, we have identified a substitute camera that is more affordable. The Town of Cable is willing to build housing for it.

f. Volunteer report form: As we enjoy Cable Lake boating, we also have an opportunity to “earn” State of Wisconsin grant money: when you’re boating in the lake, keep an eye out for Asian milfoil and purple loosestrife (which generally shows up in August). Make a note of its location, on the back of a green form that was distributed. The time you have spend as an “AIS volunteer” will enable us to obtain matching funds from the State of Wisconsin, at a ratio of 3:1. Forms to fill out and identification cards showing photos of milfoil and loosestrife, were distributed. Forms may also be obtained on the Bayfield County Lakes Association web page BayfieldCountyLakes.org).

g. Thank you to the AIS fund raising contributors: Two years ago we discovered milfoil and so had to increase our surveillance, which eroded out budget. The CLA put in $2,000 and embarked on a special fundraising campaign to which half of the lake families contributed. We reached $3,000 but were still $300 short. We thank those who contributed.

6. Board of Directors elections: Kim Bro presided over the Board of Director elections: The slate consisted of Jim Brakken for President; Paul Gilbert as Vice President, and Bob Hildreth as Director at Large. There were no other nominations from the floor. The Board terms are for 2 years. The slate was endorsed, and with all voting in favor, it was adopted.

7. Next board meeting announced to be held September 5, 2010 at 11 am at Liz Ganitopoulus’ home on Mud Lake. The Board meetings are open to public and all were invited to attend.

8. Taxation and Lake District concept: As opposed to a lake association where membership is voluntary, a Lake District would impose a small tax on every homeowner to support lake protection and other community initiatives. If we became a lake district, everyone would automatically be taxed. The concept was discussed as an alternative to a Lake Association such as we currently have. CLA has had budgetary shortfalls because only 50% of homeowners on the lake have joined CLA. No action items were advanced; this was merely a discussion. In addition Jim discussed the revaluation of property in the Town of Cable. Taxable valuations have increased this year, however the mill rate has gone down. Accordingly, total property taxes should not increase dramatically. Jim passed out a concise and understandable analysis of the Cable property taxes, and a comparison between a Lake District and a Lake Association so that our members would understand the impact of such a change were it to happen. (Available on website) Jim made a plea for more participation and financial contributions to the CLA so that we will obtain enough funding to provide the protection and resources we need to be a successful lake community.

9. Request for zoning change for horse ranch: We were updated on Lisa Hoffman’s request. It was turned down by the local zoning board and county zoning board.

10. No wake laws: Joe Pirano had expressed concern that the no-wake rules are not being followed. Jim encouraged all lake members to report any violations of our no wake policy to a Board member and we will advise the warden.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:20 after which the winners of the silent auction claimed

their purchases. All items were “claimed” and the silent auction raised $1367.00. The auction was highly successful, as well as enjoyable. As we perused the exhibit of available items, we were able to enjoy snacks provided by CLA members, and become better acquainted with our Cable neighbors.

Respectfully Submitted,

Susan Racher, Secretary

JUNE 2010 NEWSLETTER ITEMS:

CLA Members step forward to protect our waters

The Cable Lake Association would like to thank the following members for their generous contributions to
our Town of Cable AIS Prevention Program. Over the winter, letters went out to
all waterfront owners and members. Below are the folks who responded with their contributions. The CLA Board sincerely thanks them for showing their concern for our
waters by pitching in with a donation to this important program.

Contributors: Ann Hempel, Pat Quinn, Alice Racher, Paul Yanke, Bill Broughton, Anne Bogaslavsky, Kim Bro,

Wildlife Watcher level: Scott Wald, Beth Howard, Tom Read, Joe Piraino, Sean Murphy, Tom Baker.

Loon Lovers: Greg Roy, Bryson Read,

Lake Stewards: Phil Schwend, Mel Piraino,Sandy Krsko, Jim Hinman, Susan Racher, Marietta Schwend, Dale Kent, Mike Schwend, Doug Hoelscher, Bob Hildreth.

Keeper of the Lake: Sybil Brakken.

In addition, outstanding sponsorships were contributed by Rick Minkley and Jim Brakken.

Again, thank you sincerely for the interest you have shown
in keeping Cable and Wiley Lakes clean and healthy. You join many across northern Wisconsin who care enough to protect our waters for the benefit of all, including those
not yet born. You each deserve a medal. For now, please accept our sincere
thanks! The CLA Board of Directors

Yes! I wish to join the CLA!

Name:____________________________________________

Address:__________________________________________

City, State, Zip:____________________________________

E-Mail:___________________________________________

___Member . . . . . . . .. . . . $ 20.00

___Wildlife Watcher . . . . . $ 50.00

___Loon Lover . . . . . . . . . .$ 75.00

___Lake Steward . . . . .. . . .$100.00

___Keeper of the Lake . . . .$200.00

___Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $_____

___AIS or I-LIDS . . . . . . . $_____

Membership term is July 1 to June 30. Please consider gift memberships for

family or friends who also enjoy our lakes.

Mail form and check, payable to Cable Lake Association, to

Liz Ganitopoulos, CLA Treasurer

875 Huckleberry Ln

Northbrook, IL 60062

June 2010 Town of Cable AIS Prevention Program update:

Jim Brakken, Cable AIS Prevention Program Coordinator

At the April 13^th Town of Cable annual meeting I offered an update on our efforts to keep aquatic invasive species (AIS) out of the lakes in the Town. Here are the highlights of that report:

Cable’s AIS Prevention Program goals are to monitor boat landing traffic for invasive species and to educate boaters and other lake users about AIS. In order to accomplish this, the Town hired 4 part-time seasonal employees, trained by the UW Extension’s Clean Boats – Clean Waters program. DNR AIS grant funds and contributions were used to cover the wages of the landing monitors.

In 2009, our paid staff worked approximately 1,500 hours and volunteers put in an additional 657 hours. A total of 648 boats were inspected and 1,332 boaters were alerted to the problem of EWM and other invasive species and the need to spread the word about prevention of the spread of these species. This is up from about 300 boats and 650 boaters last year. (Of this, 1,000 hours of monitoring took place at the Cable Lake landing. We inspected 555 boats and ‘educated’ 1117 boaters.)

During the boating season, no Eurasian water milfoil or other invasive species were found on any of the boats entering Cable, Wiley, Tahkodah and Perry Lakes. Non-invasive plants were removed from several boats and verbal cautions were offered to those boaters.

The person who was cited for transporting EWM to the Cable Lake landing in July, 2008 returned to the landing in June of 2009. He had a boat that he said would not be used anywhere but on the clean lakes in the Cable area. He was far more aware of the seriousness of possible AIS contamination and appeared willing to cooperate.

Purple Loosestrife

The purple loosestrife that continues to plague the lake remains a problem. In 2007, a volunteer collected 800 Loosestrife-eating beetles from stands of loosestrife near Lake Superior. They were transported to Cable and most were applied to the large patch of loosestrife in Cooper’s Bay. Some were applied to the patch in the channel between Wiley and Cable. As expected the beetles were healthy and hungry for loosestrife in 2008. By fall, the Cooper’s Bay loosestrife patch was almost gone. Remaining plants looked very poor and the beetles were plentiful. In August, 2009, only one healthy loosestrife plant could be found in Cooper’s Bay. Unfortunately, more plants have been found elsewhere. Several plants were removed from the Cable-Wiley channel (west shore) and two plants were removed from between the two docks at the Wall cabin on Cable Lake. Many plants were found on Tamarack Point. Those that were accessible by water were pulled by hand. It is assumed that the plants on Tamarack Point are the source of seeds that result in the Loosestrife spread. We have contacted the owners of Tamarack Point with requests to address the problem but with no results. They will be contacted again and directed to control the growth of purple loosestrife plants on their property. All waterfront owners and boaters are asked to watch for the plant, especially in August when it blooms. Report any sightings to the CLA so we can pull the plants before they go to seed. If you pull any plants, they should be immediately secured in a plastic bag and put in the trash or burned.

Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS)

VHS has now been confirmed to be in Lake Superior. Cornell University researchers have found it in several fish off the Apostle Islands. This means it is very important for all boaters, especially those in our northern counties, to follow the laws requiring them to not transport any live fish, to drain all water from boats, to dispose of minnows in the trash and not in the lake, to not use minnows on more than one waterbody and to wash or, a the very least, dry any boat coming out of Lake Superior thoroughly. Our CBCW monitors include VHS information at the landings. We have stepped up efforts to prevent its spread to Cable’s lakes this year.

Education

In addition to information given to boaters at the landings, our education efforts included a free CBCW workshop at the Cable Natural History Museum (CNHM), articles in local papers and newsletters, presentations to community organizations and distribution of AIS education materials.

Legislative activities

Working with the Bayfield County Lakes Forum, we were able to help encourage two improvements in the laws regarding the transport of aquatic plants. First, we were successful in getting the Bayfield County Board to increase the penalty for aquatic plant transport. Second, with our help and partnerships with the BCLF and the Northwest Waters Consortium, we saw substantial improvements in the Wisconsin laws regarding statewide transport of aquatic plants. These two changes resulted in better tools being available to control transport of aquatic plants and animals and will result in the slowing of the spread of AIS to the waters in the Town of Cable and our region.

Amenities:

In 2009, the Cable Lake Association provided a portable toilet at the Cable Lake landing and the Cable Lumber Company donated a picnic table for use by monitors on duty. Both of these amenities were used extensively by the appreciative public.

2009 program costs

The total program cost in 2009 was $17,779. The DNR provided $12,000. 3 contributions came in from Perry Lake totaling $325 and the Tahkodah Lake District donated $200 in addition to the funds they spend on their ILIDS landing monitor. The Cable Lake Association contributed $2,000 28 generous CLA members contributed $2,855. We expect more donations to come in soon to cover the last $350 we need to raise.

2010 AIS Prevention Program

We have received another AIS grant to fund our efforts for the upcoming boating season. The amount from the state is $2,000 less than last year. In order to keep within this limited budget we will reduce the amount of time spent at the Cable Lake landing unless we receive contributions to pay for the coverage we enjoyed last year. If some of our members are willing, we may make an effort to get greater participation from the community and businesses that benefit most from the recreation opportunities our lakes offer.

Rex Christenson, Dave Thune and Sybil Brakken have been monitoring boats at Cable and Perry Lakes. Brian Nordine covers the Tahkodah landing and Jim Brakken fills in when someone can’t be there. We encourage volunteers to participate. Call Jim at 798-3163 for information.

We expect to work with the CNHM to produce a traveling AIS education display.

With some financial support from our businesses, waterfront owners and help from a few more volunteers we expect to keep invasives out of Perry, Tahkodah, Wiley and Cable Lakes again this year.

((END June 2010 Town of Cable AIS Prevention Program update))

==========================

Landing Camera

The video capture system, now very successful on many landings in northwest Wisconsin, was not funded within our grant again this year. These units photograph the trailer and bottom of each boat prior to launch. It causes the boater to carefully inspect the equipment prior to launch. Because a landing camera is on duty all the time, it is very useful in preventing AIS contamination.

The CLA Board has approved funds to purchase a lower cost camera that will serve the same purpose. The Town of Cable has agreed to construct a vandal-proof housing and provide the mounting platform. The cost of an I-LIDS camera is $6,000 plus $1,500 per year support. Our camera cost $210. We hope to see it installed soon and may have a report in the August newsletter.

It’s not too late!

Contributions to the Cable AIS program are still needed. Each dollar donated is matched by 3 grant dollars from the DNR. Checks payable to TOWN OF CABLE AIS PROGRAM can be sent to the Town of Cable, P O Box 476, Cable, WI 54821. If you prefer, you can send your check to Jim or Liz along with your CLA dues.

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Volunteer lake inspectors needed

The next time you go for a boat ride or a paddle, watch for Eurasian Water Milfoil (EWM) and Purple Loosestrife. Note the date, time, and number of people in your party, along with the type of boat used on our volunteer lake inspection form. Also note the location of any suspicious plants. If you see none, that’s good to know, too. Later, turn the form into one of our landing monitors. Doing this simple volunteer project not only provides valuable information for our AIS Prevention Program, but it also helps us satisfy our grant requirement.

We are required to log 400 volunteer hours as part of our grant agreement. If you have a party of 4 on your boat and you are out for 2 ½ hours, then we can claim 10 hours of volunteer time. In addition, if you used a pontoon boat, we can claim $90 of ‘in-kind’ value toward the grant because that is the going half day rental rate for a pontoon. It only takes a minute to fill out the form. More forms are available from our landing monitors and the BCLF website, bayfieldcountylakes.org.

((((((Volunteer form is somewhere in this document)))))

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Changes in Summer Social plans

At last year’s September meeting it was decided to hold our CLA Summer Social in July rather than near Labor Day. It will follow the July 3^rd Annual Meeting. Over the years our Summer Social has been great fun and we encourage everyone who will be here on July 3^rd to take part. Bring a dish to pass, your own tableware and a guest or two if you wish. If your guest can provide a silent auction item, well, that’s all the better!

Don’t miss the CLA Summer Social and Silent Auction, July 3^rd

Last summer we experimented with some fund raising events. Our July white elephant drawing brought in $34 and the September CLA Silent Auction netted $130. We hope you’ve been looking around for some interesting Silent Auction items to bring because we’re going to have another one on July 3^rd. Please bring an item or two for the table.

The funds we raise will help pay for our efforts to keep invasive aquatic plants out of our lakes. All funds raised at this event will be credited directly to the CLA portion of the contribution, thus directly benefiting our lake. And every dollar earned is matched three-to-one by the DNR! Here’s how the silent auction will work:

1. Each member is asked to bring, by 11 o’clock, an interesting, unwrapped item to place in the auction. 2. The items will be displayed along with a bid sheet. 3. Anytime during the luncheon bids can be written on the bid sheets. 4. Near the end of the luncheon, an announcement will be made that the bidding will end in 10 minutes. 5. At the end of the bidding, the winning bids will be announced, payments received and the prizes awarded. The event will begin at 11 a.m. and end at about 1 p.m.

side bar 1: What to bring: We urge members to be creative. Homemade baked goods, handmade crafts, interesting new or like-new ‘re-gift’ items, creative gift items. We encourage items valued at $20 and above. The more items we receive, the more fun we will have as the bidding proceeds.

=======================

Yes! I wish to join the CLA!

Name:____________________________________________

Address:__________________________________________

City, State, Zip:____________________________________

E-Mail:___________________________________________

___Member . . . . . . . .. . . . $ 20.00

___Wildlife Watcher . . . . . $ 50.00

___Loon Lover . . . . . . . . . .$ 75.00

___Lake Steward . . . . .. . . .$100.00

___Keeper of the Lake . . . .$200.00

___Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $_____

___AIS . . . . . . . $_____ (AIS contributions are matched 3 to 1 by the DNR)

Membership term is July 1 to June 30. Please consider gift memberships for

family or friends who also enjoy our lakes.

Mail form and check, payable to Cable Lake Association, to

Liz Ganitopoulos, CLA Treasurer

875 Huckleberry Ln

Northbrook, IL 60062

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Northwest Lakes Conference moves to Drummond High School

The 12^th annual Northwest Lakes Conference will be held at Drummond High School on Friday, June 18th. The Bayfield County Lakes Forum worked hard to keep this conference in Cable for you, but the closing of Telemark forced us to find better pastures. The new auditorium and the large commons areas in the school fit the bill!

This will be another great conference with a special presentation by Dr. Scott Craven, the wildlife biologist you’ve heard on Wisconsin Public Radio, is our keynote speaker. Enjoy breakfast, lunch, seminars, workshops and a chance to learn more about your lake. Complete info at the WAL website, WisconsinLakes.org. Contact Jim Brakken (Jim.Brakken@yahoo.com) soon for possible discounts before you register.

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Surfing Cable and Wiley Lakes?

CLA Board Minutes, agendas, updates and newsletter items can all be found on our webpage. Go to BayfieldCountyLakes.org and click on ‘ Cable Lake’. The BCLF hosts pages as a service to member lake associations. While there, check out the BCLF website where you’ll find a wealth of information about caring for our lakes and a host of photos from Cable and Wiley. The CLA is a charter member of the Bayfield County Lakes Forum.

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Lake Association or Lake District?

Last summer we discussed the idea of changing to a lake district. Several other area lakes are making this change and, many more are following suit across the state. There are reasons for this. The first is AIS. Actually, it’s the cost of AIS and how to fund the programs needed to either keep it out of the lake or, in many cases, to try to control it once it is in the lake.

Forming a lake district includes drawing a boundary line. All of the property owners within the district boundary are members. There are no dues. They elect a board of directors. Funds needed to address the needs of the district are paid for by tax levies on all the property within the district boundary. Folks with higher property values pay a little more than those with lower property values. This makes sense because, should property values fall due to AIS or other water quality issues, folks with higher property values have the most to lose. An adequately funded AIS protection program increases the value of waterfront property and gives them the greatest gain.

The Tahkodah Lake District is one of northern Wisconsin’s oldest lake districts. It has been very successful. There are few complaints. They don’t pay dues. There’s no need. The additional taxes they pay are about the same as the dues paid by members of the Cable Lake Association. Everybody participates. It is a good system. The State of Wisconsin has very strict guidelines that must be followed to the letter by lake distict boards. In spite of this, those lake associations that have taken the plunge into district status will tell you that it is well worth the extra effort and they would never turn back.

The CLA’s recent attempt to raise funds for the Town AIS Prevention Program gives focus to the need for such a program. 28 CLA members, representing about 18-or-so families on the lake, pitched in. This leaves about 10-or-so families and maybe twice that many individuals who contributed nothing, although the AIS prevention work benefits them just as much. A move to a lake district would level the field. Each property owner would, by law, pay his or her own share: No more, no less. Fair for one, fair for all.

Should we become a lake district? There’s an old saying. If everyone does a little, no one will have to do a lot. It applies here. If we see greater participation by all those who benefit from keeping our lakes clean, safe and healthy, we won’t need to move to a lake district. The first step is to join the lake association. Not only does that show that you support the work being done to protect the lake, it also give you a vote. You can use that vote to help determine the direction of the CLA. That might include voting for or against formation of a lake district at some future meeting.

This issue is on the agenda for the July 3^rd Annual Meeting. Bring your questions. We will try to give you the answers.

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Fireworks ordinance now in effect

The Bayfield County Lakes Forum’s effort to educate waterfront owners about proper use of fireworks near lakes has been successful. Still, there are some who remain unaware of the laws regarding home use of fireworks. Of all the issues that concerned members of lake associations in Bayfield County last year, fireworks abuse ranked number one. Sheriff Bob Follis penned a good article explaining the rule (and the penalties) for not following them. Use of fireworks without a permit from the town is illegal. Littering is also illegal. These are separate issues, governed by separate regulations and penalties. Please observe the law and keep all fireworks away from the lake. You can read Sheriff Follis’ article at the BCLF website, BayfieldCountyLakes.org.

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Volunteer Lake Inspection Report

Lake __________________________________________________________________

Town ______________ Date _________________ Time _________________

Name(s) of Inspector(s) Hours Total

_______________________________________________ _____ x $12/hr = $______

Total value of volunteer time (line A) $_______________

Equipment used:

Pontoon Boat □ ½ day@ $90 □ Full day@ $160 $______

Boat □ ½ day@ $40 □ Full day@ $75 $______

Canoe/Kayak □ ½ day@ $30 □ Full day@ $50 $______

Sub-total Equipment used (line B) $______

Total value of volunteer time plus value of equipment used: (lines A+B) $______

Name of person completing this report ______________________________________

Phone ________________E-mail __________________________ Date ____________

List all suspected AIS sightings. Report the exact location of any suspected AIS on the

back of this form and return to your AIS Coordinator for credit to your AIS program.

Thank you for helping keep aquatic invasive species out of our lakes!

Summer Social, Silent Auction and Annual Meeting: Saturday, July 3^rd, 10 to 1 pm.

Save a stamp: 2011 membership dues can be paid at this meeting. A limited number of Neighborhood Watch window signs will be on hand, along with other materials and handouts available on a first-come, first-served basis.

CLA Board and Annual Meeting Agendas

Note: The meeting place has not yet been reserved and will be announced by e-mail as soon as possible. A notice will also be posted on the King’s Realty bulletin board, next to the post office.

The agenda of the 10 a.m. July 3^rd CLA Board Meeting will include: Call to order, Agenda repair; Past minutes; Treasurer’s report & payment of bills; Board nominated slate for CLA VP & Director; Brief AIS Prevention Program report; Recognition of AIS fund contributors and results of fund raising efforts to date; Revisit Lake District concept; Request for zoning change to allow horse ranch; Other business. Next meeting date (Sept 4) and place; Adjourn to Annual Meeting and Summer Social.

The Annual Meeting Agenda will include Call to order, Agenda repair; Past minutes approval; Treasurer’s report; Election of VP & Director; President’s report (Brief AIS Prevention Program report; Recognition of AIS fund contributors and results of fund raising efforts to date; Revisit Lake District concept; Bayfield County Lakes Forum activities; Wisconsin Conservation Congress initiatives; Northwest Waters update; Other business). VP’s report on Request for zoning change to allow horse ranch; Member input; Next Annual Meeting date (July 2, 2011) and place; Adjourn to Guest Speaker followed by Silent Auction and then the announcement of winners.

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From the President’s desk

New Neigborhood Watch signs posted

Have you seen any dastardly scoundrels sneaking around your place lately? No? Maybe it’s because the roads leading to our lake have those new Neighborhood Watch signs. The CLA purchased and posted the signs last fall, placing one on the south end of West Cable Lake Road, one on Wald Road near the highway, and one on each end of East Cable Lake Road. Those four signs send a message to would-be criminals: Go somewhere else! And they do. There are plenty of other neighborhoods to choose from. No need to risk getting caught here around Cable and Wiley Lakes!

The research confirms this. Neighborhoods without a watch program see more crime. And although, like Lake Tahkodah, we have a ‘passive’ Neighborhood Watch program, it still helps. So, what is our program? Well, we don’t patrol. We don’t confront anyone. And we aren’t like the Freeway ‘Angels’ in San Antonio who cruise the city looking for opportunities to assist those in need. All we are asked to do by the Sheriff’s Department is to 1. be alert for odd or out of place occurrences in our area and 2. call it in. That’s it. That, alone, will help the Sheriff, should a problem arise.

Here’s how it works. Say you see a blue truck parked along the town road where you’ve never seen a truck parked before. Jot down the license plate number. Call 715-373-6120 (The Sheriff’s non-emergency number) and tell them you think it’s odd that you saw a blue truck along the road between those two driveways down there where you never saw a blue truck before. You give them the plate number. No big deal. Maybe a county patrol car will swing by. Maybe the truck will be gone by then. There probably will be a good explanation. A worker. A berry-picker. But . . . should there be a problem such as a break in or theft of a grill or the poaching of a deer, there will be a record of the time, place, color and license number of that blue truck. It’s a pretty simple system. In the fourteen years our program has been in force I have called in about a half-dozen ‘odd’ sightings. Most were nothing. One turned out to be a cabin break in and an arrest. Others have similar stories.

All CLA members are strongly encouraged to participate. Write 373-6120 on the cover of your phone book. If you see something odd anywhere around the lake, call it in. You won’t have to give your name or go to court. The Sheriff will sort it out. It will probably be nothing. On the other hand, you could be doing yourself and someone else some real good. Be a good neighbor and participate in the CLA’s simple Neighborhood Watch program.

Jim Brakken

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Illegal to operate boats at greater than slow-no-wake speed within 100 feet of the shore of all lakes

That’s the new boating law. It will be safer for boaters and swimmers and better for our lakes and the wildlife that depends on them. The map below shows how this affects our lakes. The new law makes it illegal to speed through the narrows and the channels between Cable and Mud Lakes and Cable and Wiley Lakes. As you may know, the CLA-recommended no-wake areas include all of Mud Lake and Wald’s Bay, plus the north third of Wiley Lake. This new law will help protect our waters and those who enjoy them. Slow-No-Wake is defined by the DNR as the slowest a boat can go while still maintaining steerage. The penalty for violating the S-N-W law is $187.90. Call 1-800-TIP-WDNR to report violators.

SEE OUR NEW BROCHURE: E-mail Jim.Brakken@Yahoo.com for your free copy of our new CLA brochure. Specify whether you want the one directed toward lakeshore owners or the brochure designed for general lake users and friends of our lakes.

MEETING MINUTES AND NOTES

DON'T MISS OUT! Minutes and news are e-mailed to those on our contact list. If you don't receive updates from us now, please send Jim.Brakken@yahoo.com your e-mail address so you can be kept up to date on all the lake news and issues. Also, if we don't have your address, you won't get the CLA newsletter. Thanks!

SUMMER, 2009 UPDATE

Help Wanted

Next time you’re boating around the lake, keep an eye out for Purple Loosestrife and EWM and keep track of your time and the number of people on the boat. By doing so, you can add to our in-kind volunteer match hours that help bring in more DNR funding. Four people cruising the lake in a pontoon for 1 hour could result in over $100 from the DNR. Contact Jim Brakken for a form to record your cruises. We will have forms and plant identification cards at the annual meeting.

The jet-ski issue . . . 17 years later

It’s hard to imagine that it was that long ago, 1992, when a number of Cable and Wiley Lake folks organized a preemptive action to educate others about the many lakes just south of us that suffered from aggressive use of personal watercraft (PWCs). Encouraged by others, Jim and Sybil Brakken worked with Reeva Ulrich to draw up a simple petition to the Town Board asking for a time of use policy for PWCs. Almost everyone on the lake signed, along with many from off the lake.

The result was two-fold: We got the okay from the Town to post PWC hours at the landing ( 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. only). More importantly, everyone on the lake learned that almost all their neighbors were very opposed to any jet-ski use on Cable and Wiley. This has resulted in no Cable or Wiley shoreland owner ever purchasing a jet ski for use on these lakes. Over the years the three jet skis that have been owned by our Cable and Wiley Lakers have been used only on other lakes and only 6 others have come to the landing. It is wonderful that almost all who enjoy Cable and Wiley, including those who enter via the landing, appreciate the quiet, pristine qualities of these lakes.

And then there was a third result: Following our success at that 1994 July Town Board meeting, Ron Vanderploeg suggested to Jim Brakken that perhaps this would be a good time to explore the concept of forming a lake association. One year later the CLA arrived and the rest, as they say, is history.

Northwest Lakes Conference held at Telemark again

The 11^th annual Northwest Lakes Conference was held at Telemark on Friday, June 19th. The Bayfield County Lakes Forum works hard to keep this conference in Cable for you. This was another great conference with a special presentation by DNR’s Chief of Enforcement, Randy Stark. Enjoy breakfast, lunch, seminars, workshops and a chance to learn more about your lake. Complete info at the WAL website, WisconsinLakes.org. Contact Jim Brakken (Jim.Brakken@yahoo.com) as soon as possible for information on possible discounts before you register.

Fireworks ordinance now in effect

Of all the issues that concerned members of lake associations in Bayfield County last year, fireworks abuse ranked number one. Sheriff Bob Follis penned a good article explaining the rule . . . and the penalties for not following them. Use of fireworks without a permit is illegal. Please observe the law and keep all fireworks away from the lake. You can read Sheriff Follis’ article at the BCLF website, BayfieldCountyLakes.org.

CLA’s winter membership campaign a success!

Many readers may recall receiving our new brochure and a letter requesting membership renewals. Over 50 letters went out to many who enjoy and wish to protect our lakes. We had a great result: Over 21 responses, including 15 renewals, bringing our memberships up to 36 and almost doubling our annual contributions for the 2008-2009 year. The CLA Board of Directors sincerely thanks all who show they value these lakes by continuing membership in the Association and making additional contributions. The funds received will allow us to make our share of the match amount for the Town’s AIS control grant and support other lake education efforts in our area. We strongly urge those who are not members to consider all the CLA has done to protect your property values and your lakes over the years. We’re all in this together. Demonstrate your interest in and love for your lake by joining the Cable Lake Association. Consider it an investment. We guarantee a great return.

Mid-winter notes from Jim Brakken, CLA President . . .

Cable Lake Association Members and Friends,

Hello again from Cable and Wiley Lakes! Plenty of ice on the lakes now. We see a few ice fishermen now and then. One fellow was out there at 7 a.m. the other day. The thermometer said –17. What some people won’t do for a few bluegills!

Here’s an update on our membership drive, the latest AIS grant, I-LIDS monitors, our newsletter and more CLA business:

I wrote a new 2009 AIS control grant to cover work at our landings and some training and education activities for the 2009 season. This grant will pay the wages of the landing monitors, among other things. It is a 3 to 1 matching grant. This means that for every thousand dollars raised, the DNR will give us $3,000! The maximum amount we can get from them is $12,000. That would give us great coverage at our landing and the other landings in Cable. I have had some success raising funds from folks on Tahkodah and Perry Lakes but, because Cable Lake gets the most landing traffic, we need the lion’s share of the coverage and contributions.

Today, I am preparing an I-LIDS grant for the Town. If all goes as planned, this grant will result in a new I-LIDS unit at our landing. It will also place one at Perry Lake and provide support for Tahkodah’s unit. The Town Board has called a special meeting this afternoon to review this. What is I-LIDS? It is a special camera that captures images of boats being launched with aquatic plants attached. They’ve been very successful in gaining compliance to our new AIS transport laws. When boaters see the I-LIDS unit, they carefully check their boats for plants. I-LIDS don’t take the place of a landing inspector. Rather, they fill in when the monitor can’t be on hand. I-LIDS are on duty seven days a week, from early dawn to dark. They transmit the images via DSL that will be reviewed by our paid landing inspectors. [see the I-LIDS unit at www.environmentalsentry.com] The grant is for $30,000. The State’s share is $23,000. This is a 3 year grant covering 3 landings so the Cable Lake share would be about $900 per year. I recently learned there would be additional costs, not covered by the grant, of approximately $600 per lake. I believe we can do some in-kind match to cover some of this, but we will need to raise at least $800 per year for 3 years if we want an I-LIDS unit at our landing. This is pretty cheap insurance considering that the Namakagon Lake Association pays about $4,000 each year for their units, without the grant. Also consider that folks on the Minong Flowage will invest about $200,000 for EWM treatment this summer. We don’t want that. I'll post the results of today's meeting on this page soon.

Membership drive: As most members know, one of your CLA Board’s goals is to work on increasing membership in our organization. We finished two membership recruitment brochures. One is for Cable and Wiley waterfront owners and their family members and friends. The other is for folks who live off the lake but use, enjoy and value Cable and Wiley Lakes. I mailed the brochures to all non-members and those who have let their memberships lapse. Thus far we have had about a dozen renewals and over $700 in contributions come in. This will help us catch up to the AIS prevention work expenses. I also sent copies out to our CLA members so they could see the result of the effort. We hope all members will share them with those you know who may be interested in protecting the lakes and sharing in the success of the CLA. If each member can encourage just one friend or family member to sign up, we will almost double our membership. This will enable us to do more for the lakes and for our members. Your participation can make a big difference for the future of our lakes.

Membership levels: Several members have chosen to make additional contributions as offered on our CLA Membership schedule. We thank you for your generosity! The schedule is at the bottom of this message, along with the mail address for those who wish to participate. Remember, you can ‘earmark’ your donations (other than ‘member’) for special purposes such as AIS, newsletter, etc. Also, in the past we suggested ‘memorial memberships’ for those who are no longer with us. Although this is still an option, it may be better to use the term ‘memorial contribution’. The CLA also welcomes bequests. All funds we receive are used to work toward our mission, to maintain, protect, and enhance the quality of the lake and its surroundings for the collective interests of the members.

Northwest Lakes Conference update: Mark your calendars for Friday, June 19th. After 11 years I have never heard anyone say they did not really enjoy this fun event. The schedule of activities, sessions, workshops and speakers will be out soon. People travel hundreds of miles to attend, spending hundreds on lodging and travel. Each year I lobby to keep this event at Telemark so more from our area can attend with ease. 2009 might be the last Telemark NWLC for a few years. Please take advantage of this great opportunity. The cost is $45 per person including a great lunch, breakfast, materials and more. I will have some ‘comp’ registrations to offer on a first-come basis. Send me an e-mail.

Clean Boats/Clean Waters training will not be at Telemark this year. We’ve moved it to the new Cable Natural History Museum. I believe it will be scheduled for a Saturday in May. It’s a good opportunity to learn the ropes about aquatic invasive species. Complete the workshop and you are qualified (but not required) to monitor our landing. The Town will hire three landing monitors this year. Attend the CB/CW workshop if you wish to qualify for this great summer job. Contact me soon if you wish to have the CLA cover your $25 registration fee.

CLA webpages can now be found on the home page of the Bayfield County Lakes Forum. Go to bayfieldcountylakes.org to see the CLA pages and many Cable and Wiley photos.

Tamarack development: As I reported in December, the Bayfield County Zoning Committee chose to postpone any decision on the changes in conditions requested by Mike Burg.

Newsletter update and call for submissions: As you know, our newsletter is making a come-back. Your Directors want the first new issue to be a great one and we could use your help making this happen. In past years we have had many members contribute articles, histories, recipes and ideas that helped make each CLA newsletter a big hit. Please consider sending in your newsletter contributions. E-mail your short article about one of your favorite memories, an old photo or two, your thoughts or concerns about the future of these waters, your favorite ‘up at the lake’ recipe. We promise that every item we receive will be considered for publication and we will do our best to fit it in. We will also carefully correct any typos, etc., if there are any. With your help, this can be an excellent publication. We don’t ask for any Pulitzer Prize novels, just something from you that is a reflection of our lakes. Although the deadline for submissions is February 1 but we would appreciate them as soon you’re ready to send them.

Eurasian Watermilfoil: You already know that our Clean Boats/Clean Waters landing monitors, Sybil Brakken and Bridey Shaugnessy intercepted a boater with EWM, saving the lake from certain infestation. You may have heard my report about our friend who sold his mother’s Lake Minnetonka home and how realtors told him he could have gotten from 20% to 50% more if the bay in front of her place wasn’t filled with EWM. And you probably know that, after getting tangled in EWM, two young people drowned in Minnetonka. One was a U of M swim team athlete in training. My point is this: If there was no effort by the CLA to get the Town of Cable to develop the AIS Prevention Program and if a CLA leader had not written the 2006 and 2008 grants, and if we did not have funds to employ our monitors, our lakes would have EWM right now. While our native plants go dormant, it would grow through the winter, displacing them. EWM grows best in water that is between 2 and 15 feet. The mean depth of all 220 acres of Cable and Wiley is 6 feet. Only the 3 deep holes in Cable Lake would be spared. It is impossible or nearly so to get a boat through EWM. Boating would be shut down. The cost to treat (not get rid of) EWM is from $800 to $1,000 per acre and the State would only bear a small share. Most would be the responsibility of the waterfront owners.

There are three reasons I offer this information: First, our landing monitor funding comes from a ‘matching’ grant. That means that, in order for us to get money from the State, we need to raise some of our own. The second reason is that we are about $1,000 short in contributions this year.* The third, most folks who own waterfront property and/or use and enjoy our lake have not made any contribution toward the AIS Prevention Program.

In the past year Sybil and I have contributed $1,100 toward the AIS program in addition to over 400 volunteer hours and many non-reimbursed miles. We do this because we know what we will all face without support of this program. A couple of our members have also made generous contributions. But if we hope to keep EWM and other invasives out of our waters, the CLA needs your help, too. How much? Well, any donation helps but I suggest at least $1 per foot of lakeshore, at least for those of us who have regular lots. If your check is made payable to the Town of Cable AIS Program, it is entirely tax-deductible. Remember, every dollar you contribute earns three more dollars from the State! We all share this responsibility. Shouldn’t we all share in the effort to raise the money we need to protect our lakes and our investments? You can send your check to Liz, our Treasurer, or to me, the Town of Cable AIS Prevention Program Coordinator, or directly to the Town of Cable, PO Box …., Cable, Wisconsin 54821. Thank you for whatever you can do.

Waterfront for sale: We now have several lake properties for sale on the lake. Some folks may remember a suggestion in a newsletter sent out about ten years ago that perhaps the CLA be given a heads up if you are thinking about selling. Reason? There are folks on the lake with family members who may be interested. This could result in the property going to someone who already understands the sensitive nature and other qualities of the lake. It could also result an ‘easier’ sale and, maybe, a better financial result. Case in point: When the Anderson home was listed by a local realtor, a number of interested buyers took note. With some encouragement from a CLA Director, the Racher family took a close look and we are now fortunate to have David and Susan Racher as the new owners of the property. I’m not sure this can happen with all sales, but who knows? Maybe you or your neighbor will be able to come out a bit better using this strategy. Just let any CLA Director know if you hear of an upcoming change in ownership. It certainly can’t hurt.

Thanks for wading through all this news and information. I hope to see you at our annual meeting if not before!

Jim Brakken, CLA President

Next Annual Meeting Date: Sunday, July 5, 2009 (not regular Saturday date because of conflict with July 4 holiday) – 1 pm board meeting, general meeting 2 pm. Location TBD.

Yes! I wish to join the CLA!

Name:____________________________________________

Address:__________________________________________

City, State, Zip:____________________________________

E-Mail:___________________________________________

___Member . . . . . . . .. . . . $ 20.00

___Wildlife Watcher . . . . . $ 50.00

___Loon Lover . . . . . . . . . .$ 75.00

___Lake Steward . . . . .. . . .$100.00

___Keeper of the Lake . . . .$200.00

___Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $_____

___AIS or I-LIDS . . . . . . . $_____

Membership term is July 1 to June 30. Please consider gift memberships for

family or friends who also enjoy our lakes.

Mail form and check, payable to Cable Lake Association, to

Liz Ganitopoulos, CLA Treasurer

875 Huckleberry Ln

Northbrook, IL 60062

Minutes from the latest meetings:

CLA Board of Directors Meeting 8-30-08

Call to Order at the Ideal Market, 10 am

In attendance: Jim Brakken (President), Liz Ganitopoulas (Treasurer), Paul Gilbert (Vice President), Peter Racher (Secretary), Sybil Brakken (Member).

Past minutes – approved

Treasurer’s Report -- $888.34

Membership -- Jim notes difference between Bayfield County list of [Cable/Wiley] improved property owners (approximately 37) – diverges from the CLA’s own record of membership. Discussion and agreement that Board needs to try to ensure everyone who is owner of improved property is also a CLA member.

Action items:

· Jim to contact all Wiley Lake residents not currently members of CLA.

· Peter/Liz agree to contact any members of the Riffe, Barrett, Racher, Bro, Cooper families who are not current members of CLA.

· Paul agrees to contact Cable area residents who fish or otherwise use the lake but are not yet CLA members.

Dues -- Discussion re dues: Jim proposes discounting memberships that are purchased as gifts for others – after discussion, rejected.

Aquatic Invasive Species -- Jim suggests contributions to fund efforts to resist aquatic invasive species and recommends perhaps $1 per linear foot, as practiced by Delta Area Lakes Assn. Discussion. Board concludes that each CLA member should be encouraged to make an annual contribution to a dedicated AIS fund but the amount of such donation shall be left to the discretion of each member.

Jim: the boater who twice brought EWM to the lake and received citation has not yet contested the citation. Jim advises that in the future fines for repeat offenders may be increased substantially. [January update: Dick Swenson, the boater, paid a forfeiture of $148.60]

Marketing -- Need a brochure re CLA to extol the benefits of our Association, to encourage lakeowners and non-lakeowners – all lake users – to contribute (and gift!)

Website: www.bayfieldcountylakes.org – a link to the CLA website on page 1.

CLA Newsletter changes – Jim explains that the newsletter will be revived and will concentrate on items of particular interest to our lakes – to be delivered in proximity to 6/6 and 8/1. Kim has volunteered to manage this task, w/ assistance from other directors. Liz agreed to mail. We can email the newsletter but must also mail the product for maximum impact. Content may include a “meet your neighbor” column, also a map denoting property ownership and CLA membership status with asterisk. Also: anecdotal/past history/cultural history columns. Also: recipes, poetry, pictures. CLA members can look to the Bayfield County Lake Assn newsletter for general articles re lake health and biology, sound lake ownership practices, lake protection, etc. – the CLA newsletter will be more narrowly focused on topics of interest to the Cable Lakes.

Action item: all board members to write profiles of themselves, include photographs. No more than 3 paragraphs. Submit copy to both Jim and Kim

Property ownership developments – discussion re the fact that several CLA properties are now or are anticipated to be listed for sale soon: Bakers/Harmons, Berg, Hoffman, Hildredth properties.

Next Annual Meeting Date: Sunday, July 5, 2009 (not regular Saturday date because of conflict with July 4 holiday) – 1 pm board meeting, general meeting 2 pm. Location TBD.

Adjourn

CLA Annual Summer Social

Upon conclusion of the CLA Board of Directors meeting, and after “get-reacquainted” session and devouring Ideal Market pizza and soft drinks, Jim Brakken made a few brief announcements including changes in the CLA newsletter changes and web page. Jim solicited “Meet Your Neighbor” copy, recipes, other contributions for the newsletter from all members. Everyone: send your contributions to Kim Bro and also to Jim.

Jim discussed CLA membership status and forthcoming effort to get all lakefront property owners to join CLA, plus expand membership among Cable community residents

Announcement regarding schedule for next year’s meeting.

Discussion of aquatic invasive species program, mussels and Eurasian Water Milfoil, etc.– Jim reported on status of criminal case brought against a boater who attempted landing on Cable with EWM on boat/trailer/anchor rope. Repeat offender. Cited by Bayfield County Sheriff’s office.

Jim explained need for town match for state contribution toward aquatic invasive species control/prevention costs – Jim solicited contributions from CLA members to help fund watchers at the lake landings and made an opening contribution of $100.

Questions regarding miscellaneous land use topics concluded the social meeting.

DRAFT: CLA Board of Directors meeting minutes: July 5, 2008 at the Ideal Market

Called to order @ 10 a.m. Present: Kim Bro, Marietta Schwend, Liz Ganitopoulas, Jim Brakken, Directors and Sybil Brakken, Paul Gilbert, members. Excused: Peter Racher.

Agenda repair to include payment of bills, contributions to Town of Cable AIS prevention program, newsletter discussion.

President Bro read the most recent meeting minutes. Motion to approve as read by Brakken, 2^nd by Schwend, carried.

Treasurer Ganitopoulas offered the Treasurer’s report: $378.05 in the CLA account. 40 paid members through June 30 2008. (note: membership runs from July 1 through June 30. The $20 membership fee for the 2008-2009 term are due now. Members can choose from several contribution levels and are encouraged to purchase memberships for other family members and friends who enjoy the lakes.)

Lengthy discussion of Board vacancies and possible new Directors. Three vacancies exist. Result: Board could recommend Brakken as President, Gilbert as VP. Third post could be decided on the floor of the Annual meeting or filled by appointment at a later time. Ganitopoulas so moved, Schwend 2^nd, carried.

Payments due: $50 to Wisconsin Association of Lakes and $100 to Bayfield County Lakes Forum. Brakken moved, Ganitopoulas 2^nd, carried.

No Town action thus far on the CLA resolution regarding the landing: 'No overnight mooring of boats'.

Newsletter discussion resulted in consensus agreement that the CLA should have a newsletter containing items specific to our lakes delivered near June 1 and August 1. Bro will manage the task with help from other Directors and members. Ganitopoulas will mail. Content may include a ‘meet your neighbor’ column, anecdotal past histories, items from the ‘canoe trail’ research done several years back. Consensus agreement.

Sybil Brakken mentioned that Earl Karow reported someone had taken out the beaver dam on his land, thus dropping the level of his pond. (Note: The CLA has always cooperated with Mr. Karow and we ask that no individual threaten our relationship by acting alone.)

Adjourned to Annual Meeting at 10:59

2008 CLA Annual Meeting

Called to order at 11:20. Mick Endersby of the Ideal Market was thanked for letting us use the Ideal Market for our meeting place. Brakken encouraged members to return with others. In addition to above, roster included Becky Brown, Bryson and ___ Read, Jim Hinman, Sandy Krsko, Gary Borkenhagen, Alice and Manny Racher, Bob Lang, Suzanne Newcomer, David and Jeanette Baker.

President Bro read 2007 CLA Annual Meeting minutes. Baker Moved to approve, Brakken 2^nd, carried, followed by Treasurer’s report as above.

Elections: Board-recommended slate was presented. Sybil Brakken offered a floor nomination: Jim Hinman for At Large post. Following discussion, motion by Baker to close nominations and approve. 2^nd by Ganitopoulas, carried unanimously. Upon adjournment of this Annual Meeting, CLA Board will be: Jim Brakken, President, Paul Gilbert, VP, Peter Racher, Secretary, Liz Ganitopoulas, Treasurer, Kim Bro, Past-President, Jim Hinman, Director At Large. (Moving Brakken to President leaves vacant the second year of his term as Director At Large. This can be filled by appointment with consensus of the Board of Directors. Attending members were asked to spread the word that this one-year appointment to the BoD is open and available. Contact President Brakken.)

The efforts of Marietta Schwend, both as Vice President and Treasurer for the first 13 years of CLA’s existence, were noted by the Board. It was pointed out that Marietta did a great service for us all those years and she is very deserving of our gratitude.

President Bro led discussion of upcoming county and town planning and its relationship to Cable and Wiley lakes.

Speaking as Town of Cable Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Program Coordinator, Brakken gave a brief overview of the AIS program, now in its 3^rd year. Comments included: The program began with a cooperative effort between the CLA and the Town. Brakken wrote a $15,000 DNR grant to fund AIS education and landing monitoring. The Tahkodah Lake District was engaged. The CLA contributed near $4,000 in the first two years as part of the required match funds. (Note: This contribution along with our payment for the recent lake study substantially reduced our CLA account balance. The CLA is now unable to contribute toward the 2008 effort and individual members are asked to pitch in if we hope to keep our waters free of AIS.) The TLD contributed near $1,000. A few CLA members and others contributed many ‘in-kind’ volunteer match hours. Landing monitors were hired by the Town, then trained and employed to educate boaters and inspect boats and trailers for invasives. In 2007, a second $15,000 grant was approved. This money is now being used to keep our monitors at the landings during peak boating periods. Our ‘Clean boats = Clean Waters’ monitors are Sybil Brakken, Cecelia Peterson and Bridey Shaughnessy. Pay is $10 per hour. Suzanne Newcomer often works as a volunteer CB/CW monitor at the Cable Lake landing.

Brakken then announced a recent success story: On June 28, 2008, a boat and trailer from Lake Minnetonka , Minnesota carrying Eurasian Water Milfoil was intercepted at the Cable Lake landing before launching. Sybil Brakken was on duty and Bridey Shaughnessy was there in training. If not for our landing monitor on duty, this interception would not have been accomplished, the boater would not have been educated and Cable Lake would have been exposed to EWM. All Cable and Wiley waterfront owners are very fortunate that the DNR AIS control grants are available to fund the landing work. This again points out the importance of contributing to the Town AIS program to increase the State share. (see note below)

Brakken next mentioned that a Namakagon resident recently sold his mom's place on Lake Minnetonka. He got $2.1 million for a modest home on a small waterfront lot. The home is on a bay that is so choked w/ EWM that you can't boat or swim there. (2 swimmers, one a UM swim team athlete, have drowned after being tangled in EWM on Minnetonka.) His realtor said he could have gotten at least another half-million dollars if there was no EWM there. That relates to at least a 20% of the property value! If we apply that info to the 35 Cable Lake homes, 7 Perry and 53 Tahkodah homes in the Town of Cable, we would have 90 homes each losing somewhere between $50k and $150k, approximately. Total loss would be near $9 million in value. Cable/Wiley home owners would lose about $3.5 million. This does not consider waterfront not developed. The AIS grants offer that 'ounce of prevention' to ward off many 'pounds of cure' but individual financial support is essential.

Brakken continued: Although it would be better if no AIS ever came to our landing, we are very pleased that Sybil caught this. She pulled quite a bit from the boater’s anchor. Although both MN and WI prohibit AIS transport, as does Bayfield Co., it took a landing monitor to spot and solve the problem.

Brakken again pointed out that it is essential that individuals contribute to the fund if we hope to continue the program and keep Eurasian Water Milfoil out of the lake. Because this is a matching grant, every ten dollars donated results in not one but two hours of monitoring at our landings. To assure that donations are tax-deductible, checks should be made payable to the Town of Cable and delivered to any CLA Director. Members can choose to volunteer at the landing instead, although not before training.

Brakken then added that anyone boating around the lake should look for Purple Loosestrife and EWM. This could be result in many in-kind match hours that would bring in significantly more DNR funding. Brakken then passed out cards identifying the plants and a form used to report any time spent looking. He noted that 4 people cruising the lake in a pontoon for 1 hour would result in $32 of in-kind value from the DNR. This would put one of our workers on a landing for another 3 hours. There would be no cost or risk to any boater doing this. All hours are recorded on a simple form, available from the Brakkens. If any AIS is found, write down the exact location. If EWM is suspected, it would also be helpful to place a sample in a plastic bag. Location and sample should be given to a landing monitor, game warden or Brakken.*

President Bro then adjourned the meeting, introducing our guest speaker, Stefania Strzalkowska, Bayfield County AIS Coordinator. She spoke on the county AIS prevention and control program and related efforts. Information on the program is located on the county website at http://www.bayfieldcounty.org/conservation/AIS_strategic_plan.pdf

*Strzalkowska added that the idea of CLA members keeping an eye out for EWM and purple loosestrife while cruising the lake is not only a good way to accumulate grant matching hours, but it is also very useful. If these plants are sighted it could result in the county’s AIS Rapid Response team taking action to prevent a major invasion. She also said that finding no invasives also gives us important information.

$20 CLA membership dues and other CLA contributions should be mailed to Liz Ganitopoulas, Treasurer, [insert address] . AIS contributions should be made payable to the Town of Cable and delivered to any CLA Director or Sybil Brakken, 45255 E Cable Lake Road, Cable, WI 54821 or directly to the Town office.

The CLA always has room for new members. Membership is open to all and runs from July 1 through June 30. Please consider memberships for friends who visit our lakes and for family members.Encourage your neighbors to join. We also have had several memorial memberships for those who can no longer be with us at the lake. Our members are our strength. You can assist in making the decisions that shape the future of this resource. Share in our strength. Help bring new members into the Cable Lake Association!

Note: UPDATE on AIS at Cable Lake Landing: On Sunday, July 20, the fellow returned, again with EWM on his boat trailer. Sybil, our CB/CW monitor, had no choice but to call the authorities, based on his previous action. B C Sheriff’s deputy and Recreational Officer Larry Loch arrived, took info and the plants as evidence. We expect that a citation will be given. Again, had no monitor been on duty, Cable Lake would have had EWM introduced. Please consider making a contribution to the Town of Cable. We all share the beauty of the lake. Shouldn’t we all share in the chore of protecting it and our property values? Your donation is matched by grant funds. Thank you for making a generous contribution.

CALENDAR ITEM: Meeting time and date for next CLA Board meeting and Annual Summer Social was selected by straw poll. We will not have a pot-luck picnic this year. Instead we will all meet at the Ideal Market on Saturday, August 30 (Board meets at 10 a.m. sharp and Summer Social begins at 11 a.m.). The Ideal Market will provide unlimited pizza and a soft drink for $10 per person to be paid by each individual. It was mentioned that there is no need to prepare food, deal with leftovers. We will have a brief lake news update following the social. We hope to see you, your family and your guests at the Ideal Market for this brief, fun get-together on the Saturday nearest Labor Day, from 11 to noon. Meanwhile, enjoy the lake!