Reminder - Home Electronics and Propane Collection Event

Just another friendly reminder, Cayuga County Residents can recycle thier discarded Home Electronics this Saturday, May 30, 2009, at the Natural Resource Center, 7413 County House Road, Auburn. The event presents an excellent opportunity to discard home electronics and propane tanks in a safe manner. Proper disposal protects human health, our community and the environment.
For more information click on the link below.

Link to detailed blog entry on this recycling event:
http://owlanews.blogspot.com/2009/05/home-electronics-and-propane-cylinder.html

Focus on mowing, not fertilizing.......

With the lawn care season in full swing, we are all spending time caring for our yard. I have seen numerous articles in magazines and newspapers lately with various bits of environmentally friendly guidance for our lawns. One article I read on the web was quite interesting. It was from the Horticulture Dept. at Cornell and the title was "For A 'Green' Lawn, Focus On Mowing, Not Early Fertilizing" It really hits home with the on-going issues with heavy Phosphorus loading in the fingerlakes. We can all do our part to minimize the amount of phosphorus that gets into our lakes and streams. Take a look at the article through the link below.

- get out and enjoy the outdoors! - Lakeman

link to Cornell Dept. of Horticulture lawn care article :http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/news/lawn.html

Boating Safety - It's National Safe Boating Week!

With the boating season upon us, all boaters should take a moment to refresh their boater safety knowledge.

The Auburn Citizen has a regular column on Sunday's during the spring and summer covering all aspects of safe boating. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxillary authors these columns and we encourage you to take a look. In their upcoming series they plan on covering a few of the safety aspects that tend to create trouble. These include, among others, navigation rules, anchoring, docking, trailers and trailering and distress calls.

Link to Auburn Citizen article:http://www.auburnpub.com/articles/2009/05/10/lake_life/lakelife02.txt

There are plenty of sources for Boater Safety information on-line, as well as in the user manuals that come with most marine equipment.

So take a few minutes today and review proper safety procedures in your boat's owners manual or check out some of the links we have included at the bottom of this article. As the weather gets nicer and we take to the beautiful waters of upstate NY, please remember to boat safely!

Get out and enjoy the Lake! - Lakeman

- link to the NY Boater safety guide: http://www.nysparks.com/boating/resource.asp
- link to US Coast Guard Boater Safety web-site: http://www.uscgboating.org/SAFETY/safety.htm
- link to an online Boater Safety Course: http://www.boatingbasicsonline.com/

Home Electronics and Propane Cylinder Recycling Event

Just a reminder, Cayuga County Residents can recycle thier discarded Home Electronics two weeks from today; MAY 30, 2009.

Details from the solid waste web-site:

This spring all residents of Cayuga County and the City of Auburn are invited to participate in the 2009 Home Electronics and Propane Collection Event. The event presents an excellent opportunity to discard materials in a safe manner. Proper disposal protects human health, our community and the environment. The materials collected at this event will be recycled to the fullest extent possible by our contractors.

Date, Time, Place:
Saturday, May 30, 2009.
Running from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Located at the Natural Resource Center, 7413 County House Road, Auburn, next to the jail and nursing home.

Fees:
$5 fee for each small Freon applicance (air conditioner, dehumidifer, and mini-fridge), TV and computer monitor (limit is 2 TV's)*
All other household electronics are FREE**
Propane tanks accepted for FREE (size limit- 40 pounds)*TV's and computer monitors can contain 6 to 8 pounds of lead in their cathode ray tubes, so they cost more to process. Many computer manufacturers provide recycling services for products purchased from them. However, these services usually cost between $10 and $30.** Floor model copiers are not considered home electronics, but may be accepted at the sponsor´s and contractor´s discretion for $10 each (limit 1).

Acceptable Household Electronics Include:
All computer components
Computer monitors $5 each
TV's (Limit 2) $5 each
VCR's
DVD players
Printers
Desktop and Tabletop Copiers
Stereo systems
Radio
Microwaves
Telephones
Cables
Ethernet wires
Modems
Game systems (for example Nintendo or Sega systems)
Cell phones

Also accepted will be:
1 pound to 40 pound propane tanks
Hand held cylinders containing such gases as oxygen, MAPP and helium
Small freon appliances such as air conditioners, dehumidifers, and mini-fridges for $5 each (see below for larger freon appliances).

If you have questions about whether or not a specific item will be accepted, or if you are a business and want references for electronics collection and recycling services, please call Irene Holak at 315-255-1183, or email solidwaste@cornell.edu.

This event is sponsored by Cayuga County Solid Waste Management Program Office, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County, Cayuga County Department of Planning and Economic Development, and the Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District. Funding is provided by the Cayuga County Legislature, NUCOR Steel of Auburn, Inc. and the NYS DEC.

link to the Cayuga County Solid Waste web page:http://cayuganet.org/hazwaste/electronics09.htm

New bi-weekly OWLA column in the Citizen

Starting this past Monday May 5th, the Auburn Citizen began publishing a bi-weekly column from OWLA concerning Owasco Lake and it's watershed. The first column was written by Charlie Greene, our Vice President. OWLA's goal with this column is to raise awareness of lake issues, as well as to educate the public on various topics relating to the preservation and protection of the Owasco Lake Watershed.

Quote from the Citizen's editors recent column describing thier new bi-weekly feature:

" On page A9 of Monday's paper, we launched a new column that will run in that space every other Monday into the fall.“OWL Watch” is a column that leaders of the Owasco Watershed Lake Association will write to inform readers on a wide range of issues related to the health of the watershed. Owasco Lake's well-documented water quality challenges deserve special attention, and we're fortunate to have a group such as OWLA willing to put in the time to share information with readers.This week's column dealt with a basic explanation of how watersheds work, and future columns will build from there."

see the OWLA web-site home page for a link to the complete article in PDF at: http://www.owla.org/index.html

OWLA Meeting Wed. May 6th at 7pm

Message from our President Joe Wasileski:

Dear Owls,

Please come to our May 6th meeting at the Springside Inn at 7 PM.

We will be meeting with all our new VOLUNTEERS to integrate them into our committee structure. If you are a Committee Head, please come and be absolutely prepared to offer two or three specific projects and goals for your committee to work on for this Summer and the rest of the year. If you have any questions regarding the meeting please contact me asap! We have sent out invitations to over 40 new Volunteers to join us that nite.

ALSO!!!! There will be a SPECIAL Board of DIRECTORS meeting of OWLA starting at 6PM SHARP!! Please be there, if you are on our BOARD. (Call Joe for board mtg. agenda)

Upcoming Boater Safety Courses

With spring in full bloom and the summer boating season almost upon us, its time to be thinking about taking a boater safety course. There are some new requirements since 2006, so be sure to visit the NYS Office of Parks and Recreation web-site at http://nysparks.state.ny.us/boating/edu_boat.asp .

(excerpts from the NYS Parks web-site)
Legal Requirements in NYS - Persons Required to Complete a Safety Course

You must hold a safety certificate if:
-You operate a personal watercraft and are at least 14 years of age. Until 2009 operators age 10-13 can still operate with restrictions.
-You wish to operate a motorboat (other than a personal watercraft) and you are at least 10 years old and less than 18 years old.
-If you are less than 10 years old you may operate a motorboat (non-PWC) only if someone over 18 or someone between the ages of 10 and 18 who holds a safety certificate, is on board with you.
-Anyone may operate a personal watercraft if someone at least 18 years old is riding on the craft and they hold a safety certificate.

Upcoming courses in our area:

Sunday, April 19, 2009
Bass Pro Shop, Auburn, Cayuga, Gray, Ralph (315)258-2700
This class is for adults and children

Saturday, April 25, 2009
Sennett Fire House II, Cayuga, Nedza, John (315)364-7251
This class is for adults and children

Sunday, April 26, 2009
Bass Pro Shop, Auburn, Cayuga, Gray, Ralph (315)258-2700
This class is for adults and children

Sunday, April 26, 2009
Cayuga Comm. College, Auburn, Cayuga, Stiver, Leonard (315)255-1743
This class is for adults and children

Sunday, May 17, 2009
Bass Pro Shop, Auburn, Cayuga, Gray, Ralph (315)258-2700
This class is for adults and children

Monday, May 18, 2009
Bass Pro Shop, Auburn, Cayuga, Gray, Ralph (315)258-2700
This class is for adults and children

Saturday, May 23, 2009
Meridian Fire Dept., Rt. 326, Meridan, Cayuga, Nedza, John (315)364-7251
This class is for adults and children

Link to the full NYS Parks training course schedule:
http://nysparks.state.ny.us/boating/cls_boat.asp?sortBy=0&filterBy=Cayuga

Summary of the 4/1/09 OWLA Meeting at the Springside

Summary of OWLA meeting 4/1/09

President Joe Wasileski brought the meeting to order and the subjects we talked about were:

1. Contacting and recruiting members who are interested in our committees.
2. Membership – Joe Wasileski and Kathy Clay: Elaine Dec is working on using new memebership software. We sent out renewal forms and are waiting for Decals to send out Thank You letters.
3. Communications - got out the newsletter. Web site – Al Kozlowski talked about web development and will contact Tony Hart and Charlie Green who are working on it.
Kathryn Cappella Hankins – The Citizen is willing to publish Lake Awareness Stories and needs guest writers sponsored by Owla members with topics ranging from the Buoy Weather Station, water evaluations, alternatives to fertilizers, etc, to be 500 words every week for several weeks. *At our next meeting we need to know which members and volunteers would be willing to write articles .
4. David Carr - OWN (Owasco Watershed Network) Grant Status
Bob Brower – All state expenditures are under review with not much action.
2009 Owasco Lake Buoy deployement is still in discussion.
5. Agriculture – Terry Lattimore: Tap into some info from other water sheds.
Do some extensive testing on the Inlet. Make people aware that just because you don’t live on the lake, you are still responsible because you drink the water. Article on "Where do the farmers put their manure?" handed out. Farms can be a Biological Chemical Co. The solutions need to be big scale because we have so many cows in the watershed area.
Bob Brower: We need to keep our focus on the connection between the watershed and the phosphorus. Much of the phosphorus is coming from agriculture. Cazenovia banned all phosphorus including dishwashing detergent and is fining people who do not comply.
Joe Wasileski: Talked about an organization called Citizens Campaign for the Environment. They have an office in Syracuse with a focus that includes Owasco Lake. Dereth Glance or someone from her organization might be a good speaker for Lake Day. You can go to the website: dglance@citizenscampaign.org or www.citizenscampaign.org to find out more about them.
We need to find a chair person for Lake Day and a dynamic speaker to draw as much public support as possible.
6. LandUse/Zoning – Kathryn Capella Hankins is the new chairman:
The Inter-Municipal Agreement spearheaded by John Klink, the Owasco Supervisor is a great start to address land/use around the
Lake. He has met with the Inter-municipal Committee three timesalready. John and Ed Wagner have been contacted by Joe to propose a phosphate ban in the Town of Owasco. The Cazenovia Lake phosphate ban will be used as an ongoing example. Kathryn needs volunteers for her committee to help John Klink with his mission.
7. Owasco Flats – Sandie Doran: Working on Education, Storm Water Pamphlet, presented sample drawing of map to go on Kiosk. Attained funds along with commitment of funds from OWLA to move forward with the Kiosk. Needs 5 volunteers to help with fundraiser at Cascade for Flats and the Owla. Education: Blog that will link to OWLA site. Needs volunteers to help with Kayak Trip. Talked about doing Herp Studies at Owasco Flats and needs someone to run the study. Schools want to help. Others subjects talked about: Milfoil project - Bob Johnson and Japanese Knot Weed.
8. Corporate – Stas Kott: Letters to Corporations to get donations. Putting logo
on the website to sponsor OWLA and the Flats. We need Sustainability. Get Norma to help with putting together a letter. Maybe have 3 tiers of sponsorship and recognition. Had patch designed and made up for OWLA.
9. Treasury Report – Jeff Trescot: Handed out copies of treasury report to members in attendance.
10. Environmental - Joe Wasileski reporting for Jim Beckwith: Jim will head up water testing on the lake. Dick Coalson – will compile statistics and compile a report for 2009.
Questions remain on the buoy deployment this year. The weather station on the buoy gives weather reports every 40 minutes and is beneficial to the community. It is also on the web. We need to revisit options to possibly get help from Cornell. (Al will spearhead getting this done) We could advertise on the Weather website those corporations willing to donate funds that will keep the buoy on Owasco Lake.
11. Education – Sue Muldoon: The Stardust Foundation with student involvement wish to create buffers within the watershed. Al and Stas volunteered to have buffers installed on their property.
12. Anonymous Donor - willing to fund Lawyers to continue to deal with several Owasco Lake issues. Have a lawyer from the law firm come speak to us to determine if legal action would be effective. Al Kozlowski volunteered to arrange this future meeting.
13. Joe urged all members present and especially committee chairman to come to the meeting on May 6th prepared with 2 specific tasks for new volunteers to work on.

The "Owasco Lake News" is one year old!

Yes, this month the Owasco Lake News blog is one year old!

We set up this blog as a communications tool to help inform our membership, and for that matter the world, on the latest happenings and news about OWLA and Owasco Lake.

A few statistics about the blog (during the last 12 months).....…….
- we have had over 1,846 visits to the blog
- we have had over 3,223 page views
- we average betwwen 6-10 visits to our blog daily, depending on the season
- we have written and posted 70 blog articles
- we have over 24 links to other "lake related" web sites
- about 25% of our visits come from our link on our web-site OWLA.org, ~25% from direct entries, and ~50% from search engine search results re-directions (like Google)
……….not too bad for the blog not being publicized very well!

We have had a lot of great comments from folks who have been enjoying the content.

What do you think?
What could we be doing better or add to the blog to keep our members and the public more informed?
What topics would you like see discussed?
Do you have news, meeting information or interesting topics we can discuss on the blog?

Please send us your comments and ideas to our contact e-mail address at owlanews@gmail.com.

We really need your help to give us suggestions, provide content and to publicize the blog site.

If you print or send out any mailings, newsletters, and other information to our membership, please add the Owasco Lake News blog URL (http://www.owlanews.blogspot.com/), as well as the OWLA web-site URL to your documents and help spread the word. Also tell your friends, family and colleagues who love the lake to please check us out.

Thanks for everyones support!

Also, Thanks to CELESTE for being our first registered "Follower"

- Tony (aka - Lakeman)