PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE By Larry Nokes
Since I am new at this, I hope you will all be tolerant as you read my first letter. I would first like to note the great job Bruce Bassett did as our past president. With his leadership many positive things have happened on and around our lake. and we all owe him our gratitude. I can only hope to do as good a job.
At time of writing this things seem to be in pretty good shape at the lake. Other than the water being a "little low" it appears to be clean, clear and have lots of fish. Whether you can catch the fish is another question? There are still ongoing projects that DLPOA is working on as the following articles will describe in detail. The one thing that was concluded at the September Board meeting was the fact that to do all that DLPOA is trying to do is costly. We felt an increase in annual dues was in order and it was unanimously voted to raise the annual dues to $15.00. Since this is the first increase since the inception of DLPOA, I think we are doing quite well. This minimal increase with the membership drive we have in progress, should provide the funds to keep DLPOA and the lake moving positively in the new millennium.
With the existing committees and the formation of a couple of new ones, many of the lake's needs are being addressed. Thanks to Mr. Tony Delgado, our new county commissioner, we are being kept abreast of what is going on at the County. Tony, very considerately, is planning to attend most of our board meetings. If you feel there is something that we, as DLPOA, need to be addressing, either contact a board member or feel free to attend any board meeting. They are held the second Thursday of the month at Loon Lake School at 7:00 PM. I am proud to represent DLPOA as it's President and am confident with the great people on the board with me, and the association's member support, this next year good things will happen.
WATER, WATER WHERE DID YOU GO? By Bruce Bassett
We have had a number of inquiries as to what we have done with the water. Nothing!! It is just Mother Nature doing her thing. As head of the outlet, flood control committee, I've had very little to do this year. Because of the lack of water content in the snow last year the lake never got to flood level so no water went out of the overflow. The only time the outlet comes into play is when the lake reaches the point of breaching the natural barrier in the bay at the boat launch and then only excessive waters are let out. Hopefully this winter will bring normal snow fall with normal water content. I've been a resident for 23 years and this year is about average.
MEMBERSHIP By Dean Crump
The Deer Lake Property Owners Association is fortunate to have a group of men and women that give freely of their time to serve as Officers and Board Members. They meet once a month September through June, excluding December, to discuss our beautiful lake and surroundings and how to preserve and improve it. Anyone interested can attend these meetings, your questions and suggestions can be heard, and if you would like to serve on a committee, that too can be arranged.
We want to add to our membership and are enclosing an envelope for your convenience in submitting the $15.00 annual dues and any donations as well as suggestions and comments. We are pleased with the added contributions that some have given - Thank You. This past year we started the fireworks show and we want to expand on this. This coming year there will be a parade where young and old can participate by marching; bikes, wagons, horses, whatever! We also have road clean-ups twice a year to keep our residential roads looking good, and work with Stevens County to enhance Deer Lake.
If you are not a member, send your name, address and the $15.00 annual dues to be included on our member list. We need your participation. Come join us and lets enjoy one of the most beautiful places in the world -- TOGETHER.
FOURTH OF JULY, By Larry Nokes
I think July 4th, 2001, was a banner day for the lake. The enthusiasm and participation in the boat parade was amazing with over 50 craft participating in a very orderly parade. It was enjoyable for both participants and viewers and made us all feet proud to be an American at Deer Lake. We are hoping to expand the boat parade in 2002 with prizes and other fun to be announced.
The fireworks appeared to be a great success. I feel all went well for our first year and was very pleased with the display that was provided for the money spent. A total of $4000.00 was paid to the providers for the display which over half was paid by donations. This coming year is a "new ball-game". All the funds for the fireworks must come from donations since the general fund cannot support the display. If you enjoyed the last display and would like to see it continue, please send donations specifically marked "fireworks" to the DLPOA Treasurer. Please remember all this money will be specifically for the Fourth of July, 2002.
We are also considering a fun parade and/or bicycle race and would be interested in your comments. The parade would be decorated wagons, bicycles, tricycles, 4-wheelers, tractors, and whatever! Great fun could be had by all. The bicycle race could be on or off road, with the groups and prizes accordingly.
Please let me know what you think. With a tittle planning and some help, I feel we can really make the Fourth of July something special at Deer Lake.
SIGNS AT DEER LAKE By Larry Twitchell
As many of you have noted, the two big signs at the East road and the North road have been repainted and cleaned up. The wood really soaked up the dark stain so I will plan on doing them again in the spring. Additionally, during that time I will paint and clean up the directional sign at the "Y" on the North road. We put up a new carved sign at the East road location to assist those coming from the Hwy 2 turnoff on Garden Spot Road.
Plans are being finalized to replace one of the logs at the East road sign The old one has served its time and has, given away. to rot. Dean Crump of the Deer-Lake Resort, has graciously offered one of his logs and Alien Reed will dig out the old log and plant the new one.
FISHERIES By Bruce Bassett
At last it's Fall. I love this time of year, quiet, peaceful and absolutely beautiful. The lake is boat free with only an occasional fisherman to add to the serenity. What more could we ask for? Oh yes, the fishing. We lost about l000 Brookies because of the heat, but considering they ran
70 to the pound when we received them, that is not too bad. We did release 9000 plus that ran 5 to the pound., (about 5-6 inches). Jim Santora, who is now a director on our board,. released his 15,000 Rainbows, all in excellent shape and about six plus inches. This year we will have a first for our penning project, Rainbow that are sterile and grow at a more rapid rate. I think this will be an-exciting new project.
EMERGENCY SERVICES By Gerry Block
I'm baaaack! Yes, it is true and I hope to keep everyone updated on all the news from Stevens County Fire Protection District #1. Communication between the fire district and the community is so very important. I consider my position as a source for getting information to the citizens of the DLPOA area.
I want to thank everyone for the safety measures that were met during our extremely dry summer. We need several inches of rain and a lot of snow this winter with a good water content.
With the closing of summer homes and a general preparedness for winter by the "full timers", I want to send a message to remind all of us for what may be ahead. I know that everyone gets tired of my concerns about home fires, but a loss is devastating! We have been fortunate to not have any loss of life in the home fires we have responded to. If there is a home flre, get everyone accounted for, get out and move away from the fire scene. Many folks in Stevens County have ammo on their property. Ammo may come in different forms; firearms, propane, extra gasoline or anything that adds to fire danger.
Time to check the chimney/wood burning and propane heating stoves. Some chimneys are older and in need of repair and all systems need to be checked.
Cell phones are great. These become the extra eyes and ears for EMS. If you witness an event that prompts a call to 911, please give as much information as you can about the situation. Location, injuries, vehicles involved, all gives fire dispatch what kind of response is heeded.
Thanks for your support and cooperation with SCFPD #1.
WATER QUALITY By Mike Phillips
Our water is looking good but will it stay that way? Please do not pollute our lake. Anything you put into or allow to go into it will come back to you one way or the other. Our drinking water is drawn from wells that are fed by lake water that filters through the ground to them. The vegetation in the lake flourishes with the addition of items such as ash and fertilizer, which are applied or left too close to the shoreline.
Most lakes are fed by a stream or river and have an outlet to release the same amount of water that is coming in. This cleansing action will completely change the water every 11/2 years on average. Our lake is different. We have a small stream that sometimes dries up and an outlet that dumps out wafer only if there is enough snow melt to fill the lake to overflowing. The average time it takes to change Deer Lake's water is nine .years. That should tell all of us that whatever we put in the lake is going to stay for a long time.
I hope we all think about this the next time we burn our pine needles and yard waste next to the lake. I hope we all think when we pour our cold coffee, warm pop or beer into the lake. I am sure everyone can think of other personal items, both liquid and solid we have left in the lake. This may be a little blunt, but maybe it needs to be.
PLEASE KEEP OUR LAKE CLEAN!
ARE YOU PREPARED?
By D.J. Hill, Fire Prevention Officer Stevens County Fire District No. 1
Winter is fast approaching and SCFD #1 staff and volunteers are preparing for the inevitable house fires (hat seem to crop up this time of year. It is our job to try to reduce the number and severity of fires through the education of the public, fire code enforcement, inspections, hydrant testing, etc. The hardest part of this job is to try to get people to listen and take to heart the prevention messages we deliver.
In the last few weeks, every third grade student in our district has had the opportunity to learn how to properly react in case of a fire in their home or if their smoke detector is activated. They have learned to "fall and crawl", "stop, drop, and roll", "call 911", and "change the batteries in your smoke detector when you change your clocks". They have had the opportunity to evacuate a smoke filled room properly, thanks to the Escape Drills In The Home, Fire Safety Trailer we have access to, and they have taken home Escape Plan worksheets to work out their own plan with their families.
There are three issues that are key to our success in helping you with your emergencies.
Addresses: Without properly marked houses and access roads, response time can be increased by several minutes. The Fire District, as a community service, sells and installs at no profit, reflective address signs. They are ten dollars and take 4-8 weeks to receive.
Access to your home: We must have room to turn around, and overhead obstructions such as wires must be at least, 16' in the air. If you would like us to come out and evaluate your property we would be happy to do so.
Fire hydrants: We are asking citizens to "adopt" their fire hydrants. In the winter this means you would be willing to shovel them out to provide access for the Fire Department. In the summer you would be responsible for keeping the grass and brush clear of the hydrant. If there is something obviously wrong with the hydrant (caps are missing or unscrewed, etc.) we. would ask that you notify us.
In closing, we are accepting applications for volunteer firefighters. Station 5, .covering East Deer Lake, is located by Haney's and has only three dedicated members. Station 2, covering North Deer Lake, is located in Loon Lake and has 10 members. These stations are staffed with volunteers, many who hold down full time jobs making response very limited at certain times of the day.
If you have any questions regarding this information, or want to order reflective addresses call 262-9660 Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
DLPOA ANNUAL MEETING, June 16, 2001
The DLPOA annual meeting was held on June 16, 2001, at the Salvation Army Camp Gifford. It was attended by approximately 50 people plus the Officers and Directors of DLPOA.
The existing board of directors was introduced and each gave a report on their committee assignments.
Discussions were held about personal water crafts and water safety. DLPOA had laminated flyers available listing rules and courtesy guidelines which were given to anyone who wanted one.
Some changes to the bylaws were discussed, made and approved by vote.
Election of officers was held. Larry Mokes was elected President Larry Twitchell was elected Vice President; Mike Phillips and Pete C;ark, the present Secretary and Treasurer will continue to fill those positions.
Jim Richardson was the guest speaker. Jim explained what a Lake Management District is and what is involved in setting one up. He said it is set up for a specific period of time to do a specific thing and the county commissioners oversee the LMD. The way a LMD works is this: the county collects the funds from taxpayers on the lake and if the funds are not completely used they go back to the taxpayers. There is a vote to set the amount collected for the fund and it is based on the front footage of the properties. There is usually a maximum that can be collected from each property. The vote to set one up is based on 51 or better vote. Each property gets a vote per each front foot of property. It usually takes one to 1 1/2 years to set one up and we would like to start the procedure so that if Milfoil were to be found in our lake, we would be prepared to take on the battle. The cost to treat Milfoil is $450.00 per acre. Loon Lake's cost was about $30,000.00 the first year and our budget should be about $40,000.00. Right now there is a government debate about treatment and there may be a three year wait for a permit.
After the meeting, a potluck barbecue was enjoyed by all. There were also games and prizes for children and adults alike.
BUILDING AT DEER LAKE By Larry Twitchell
Whether you've just acquired a piece of land at the lake and are busting to get started on your dream home, or looking to redo your existing quarters, there are some rules and restrictions you should know about.
First, for a fee, you need a building permit from Stevens County (509/684-8325). Mike Clash or Ken Alexander will review your plans for code requirements to ensure a sound structure. They are also the two Building Inspectors who will come to your site to verify the completeness of the building process.
To be connected to the water and sewer system you must get a written commitment from PUD for your location and it's going to cost you another fee. Special Projects Coordinator, Charrise Wiltis (509/685-2009) is expecially helpful in working with you on your requirements.
For another fee, you will need to acquire an-Electrical Permit from the Dept. of Labor and Industries in Colville (509/684-7417). This covers the services of the Electrical Inspector who will verify that your electrical installation is, code-compliant and ready for Avista to hook you up to power. By the way, if this is a new service you will have to contract with Avista to provide materials and labor for hook up. This will cost you more out of pocket.
Hang on now, we're almost finished with the Bureaucracy portion of the process. If you're building within 200 feet of the shoreline you come under the provisions of the Washington State Law requiring you to submit a Joint Aquatic Resource Permits Application and $75.00 to the Building Planners at Colville. Jenni Anderson (509/684-2401) is the "Shoreline Guru" who will work with you on your requirements and keep you within the law. This law specified a certain setback the new structure must have from the high water mark, prevents adding new fill dirt below the normal high water line, and encourages that you maintain the natural vegetation at the shoreline.
If you want to put out a dock at your place, the rule is generally one dock per lot unless restricted by another covenant. In the latter instance there is usually a provision to use the facilities of a common dock nearby.
Finally, if you have any money left you can start on your project. Good luck.
Make no mistake, these laws are not optional and carry some heavy, cumulative fines for non-compliance. No longer is it possible to build whatever you want without regard to these restrictions. A quick tour of the lake will show the wisdom of the intent of such laws. Remember, the lake is just a big spring-fed tub and whatever gets dumped in it stays there. Fill dirt spreads
silt over the natural vegetation and spawning grounds affecting future fish population and is a source for spreading Milfoil. So far we have dodged the bullet on Milfoil contamination but if/when it hits it will cost each of us an eradication fee over a number of years.
WATER SAFETY By Doyle Knight
The start of the boating season was quite cool which reduced the number of people on the lake. Then as it got warmer it brought out a lot more people. By the 4th of July there were so many boaters, that I thought there would be an accident. But common sense prevailed and none occurred.
The DLPOA patrol boat spent 42 plus hours on the water this season with only 3 safety tickets written showing our boaters are being more responsible and obeying the water safety rules..