Fall 2020 NEWSLETTER
We have had a truly beautiful summer on Deering Lake. Many people spent more time than usual, and some all summer, due to COVID-19, and there was also increased boat traffic. More about that later. We were blessed with mostly great weather, but too little rain resulted in a drought. We learned to do Zoom, and life went on, perhaps with smaller parties, but still summer as we like to enjoy it. There was a July 4 boat parade, with decorations, and wonderful, better than ever, fireworks this year. People were out on the water just about every day, from dawn to dusk, fishing, paddling, boating, and swimming; and some of us just sitting on our docks and enjoying the scenery. Best of all, we were surrounded by all the wonders of nature, including a bald eagle, the loons, herons, and plenty of other wild life.
NEWS from the DLIA Board:
There was a general meeting by Zoom on August 29th. If you missed the meeting, here are the highlights. Full minutes will be available in May.
A new slate of officers was elected on August 29th:
- President: Deb Degan
- Vice President: Betsy Holmes
- Treasurer: Scott Adams
- Secretary: Beth Bauer
- Directors: Charlie Hambrick-Stowe, Lillian Carter, Ben Barkhouse
Also, we have a continuing director, Donna Raoust, whose term expires in 2021.
Scott Adams, and wife Susan, are fairly new to Deering. He’s been renovating his Janelle Drive property for about 3 years. Lilian Carter and Charlie Hambrick-Stowe both are long time Deering folks and will bring a good sense of history and tradition to the board.
• A big THANK YOU to Bob Monahan, who has been our treasurer for the last two years, and before that served as a director, VP, and President. Well done, Bob!!
And, Thank You to Steve Avery, who has resigned, but was very active on the board and with Lake Smart.
• Though we were not able to meet in person this summer, we did still have expenses. The DLIA contributes annually to the Loon Preservation Committee, Piscataquog Land Trust and NH Lakes. We also gave cash gifts to our Lake Hosts at the end of the summer. If you have not paid your dues yet, please mail your $20 check to: DLIA, PO Box 691, Hillsboro NH 03244.
And THANK YOU to those who have paid their dues. We are in the black as of the end of August.
• The board is working on a short survey, to determine what the priorities and important issues are for our membership. When you receive it, please respond, to help us make good decisions.
• HUGE thanks to Nancy Huckins, who has been our Weed Watch Coordinator for quite a few years. Nancy is stepping down, and Jennifer Battistello has agreed to take over as Coordinator. Thank you, Jenn!
• Thank you to the entire 2019-2020 board for their hard work, especially Donna and Betsy for setting up Zoom meetings, and a big welcome to our three new board members.
NEWS from the LAKE:
• We continue to observe the three loon chicks and their parents. We are happy to report that Deering’s loons are at 3 times the state average for chick survival this year! ie: the average is one chick survival per 2 loon pairs. We had 3 chicks fledge, so our loons are doing well.
• The Lake Host program ended on September 13th for this year, thanks to some volunteers who are filled in after the regular Lake Hosts left for college. As expected, it was a very busy year on the lake. We all noticed the larger number of fishermen, and visiting boats. The Lake Hosts logged over 1,000 boat inspections at the public launch this summer. The most ever! Last year it was about 600. That may get us more funding for next year. The Lake Host also reported that owners are doing a good job keeping their boats clean and free of invasive species. We are grateful for the work of our Lake Host employees and volunteers, who are helping us keep our lake clean. The boat launch was manned 7am-5pm every Friday-Sunday since Memorial Day. Great job, Lake Hosts!
• We still need an ICE OUT observer. If you have a year-round home on the lake and can see the ice from your home, please consider being an observer. All that is needed is to report the date on which the ice has melted from the main body of water.
NEWS of and for MEMBERS:
• We closed out the summer with a boat parade on Sunday, Sept. 6th. We counted 23 boats participating. Thanks to all who joined in the fun, or cheered from shore! You can see pictures at the end of this newsletter.
• Remember that the state usually starts pulling boards from the dam around Columbus Day, this year October 12th, BUT the lake is already quite low, due to the drought. Please keep that in mind when deciding when to pull your boats.
• We are at work on a Directory and are trying to get it out to you. Please be patient as it is a work in progress. Not having in person meetings made it harder to do a final edit. Welcome to new neighbors: Laura and Susan on Barne’s Road and a new family I haven’t been able to meet yet on Lakeshore Drive.
• Our next roadside cleanup is Saturday, October 3rd, 9am. All are welcome. It takes about 1 hour. Please arrive a few minutes early to get a vest and bags.
• The Lake Smart team evaluated 3 properties in August and also re-evaluated one. Congratulations to Steve Avery, whose property in Campbell Cove is now Lake Smart!
• We have sold almost all the tee shirts. We plan to reorder shirts and ball caps for the spring.
Contact List:
Deb Degan, President debdegan@tds.net - 603-554-6832
Beth Bauer, Secretary eebauer@yahoo.com
Scott Adams, Treasurer adamsfinservices@aol.com
Betsy Holmes (Lake Smart) eleoneh@yahoo.com
• I’ll be back in touch in spring. Our wish for each and every one of you is for a safe and healthy fall and winter. While we do not know what the new year will bring, or when we will meet in person, we can all look forward to being at Deering Lake again in 2021.
Deb