Pelican Lake News
ROMEOs
(Retired Old Men Eating Out)
meets at “PJ’s at Bayview” every Tuesday morning at 8am during the lake season to discuss and solve the world’s problems. Lyle Severson seems to be the unofficial CFO of the 14 year old organization and orchestrates the rolling of the dice, 1st for sport and then to see who pays the tip. Not sure how you qualify, other than I’m neither old enough nor retired enough to get in on anything other than a guest pass!!
Jeff Peltier
46th
Annual Wallwork Regatta
The annual two day sailing regatta was held on
Pelican Lake July 31st and August 1st with 23
boats competing. Established in 1965, it is developing quite a
history. Lack of winds caused cancelation of a couple of
races, but didn’t dampen the enthusiasm. The boats were split
into 3 fleets with Brian Harris (Big Cormorant) winning the E Fleet,
Tim Krech (Lake Minnetonka) winning the C Fleet, and Mike Ostbye
(Pelican) winning the Open Fleet. Co Chairs, Rhonda Loberg and
Carol Schlossman made sure it was a well run event.
Pelican Lake Sailing School
This was the biggest year ever for the Youth Sailing Program with 30
students spread over (3) 2-week sessions. The instructors,
Medora Sletten, Reed Deardorff, and Kent Deardorff made sure it was
both a fun and learning experience with many planning on returning
next year. A group from Concordia College is expected in
September to wrap up the season. Support from the lake
association along with the newly established “Brad Burgum Endowment”
in honor of all he has done for sailing on the lake, go a long way
toward keeping the costs low for the youth of our lake.
Challenging weather for this year’s parade
Though the parade was relatively short, the support by the
spectators was outstanding.
As the parade moved around the lake, there were very few
docks and decks that weren’t crowded by waving and cheering
spectators, lifting the spirits of the parade participants.
They certainly deserved your cheers.
The winners of the competition were:
1st place - Foss Family
2nd place - Tonsfeldt/Prondzinski Famlies
3rd place - Johnson Family
4th place - Hella Family
The theme for next year is “Favorite Vacation
Site” and the parade will be counter-clockwise.
Any questions or comments should be directed to Jim
Prondzinski, 532-2066.
PLPOA Membership cleanup day is set for June 16th
There are a few changes brought about buy new expenses charged on some items. Appliances and TVs have been added to the list of things that won’t pickup along with paint, tires, batteries and construction material as it now costs Ballard Sanitation $40 each to get rid of them. Also, same as before, don't put your regular garbage out on that day, as they are not there to pick that up. You can call Ballard’s (218) 863-1385 to arrange a special pickup for these items or take them to the Ottertail County Transfer Station on Hwy 108 1 mile West of Pelican Rapids, then ½ mile North. (218) 863-8496
Both PLYC & PLSS have a busy year Planned
All
lake members are welcome to join in the activities for just
$35/year. Below is a
quick summary of what's going on this summer. visit:
www.plyc.info
or contact Jeff Peltier
peliter@plyc.info
for more details.
Social Calendar:
- Brunch for a Bunch: at the Clubhouse, Sun, May 30 at 10 am
- Fun Sail Thursday Nights: west end of the lake, June—Aug at 6:30 pm
- Sail-Fest, Sat, June 19: 3-5 pm meet/greet on Pelican Lake for sailors & friends, followed at 6 pm by a BBQ at the Clubhouse; live music; the Brad Burgum Sailing School Fund Fundraiser; participation awards & more; weather date Sat, June 26
- Fireworks & Raft Up: Sun, July 4 at 9 pm , east end of the lake
- Wallwork Regatta Dinner & Dance: Sat, July 31 at 6 pm for PLYC members, Wallwork sailors & friends of sailing; catered by Convent on Reeves; live music by Dave Herzog. RSVP is required
- Raft-Up Party : Sat, Aug 14 at 5 pm on Pelican, location tbd; bring appetizers & fenders
Pelican Lake Sailing School: Want to
learn how to sail or improve our sailing skills? For more
information contact Jeff Peltier at 218.532.3388 or
peltier@plyc.info
- Age 9 thru High School; $125
per session; Mon - Thurs; 9 - 11:30 am with Session 1: June
28: July 1 & July 5 - 8, and Session 2: July 12 -
15 & July 19 - 22
Adults: Private lessons are available by
appointment; $40 hour plus a fee for sailboat usage if needed
Pelican Lake Sailing School Clinic - Improve Your Sailing
Skills: Saturday, July 17th
Love to Race? PLYC's regular Sunday races
begin June 6 at 11 am on the west end of the lake. The sequence of 2
races for the C-Scows and Open Fleet. For more information contact
Brad Schlossman @701.866.7290 or
bradschlossman@gmail.com.
Ice went out on Pelican Lake April 3rd
This is the earliest Ice off we have recorded since the start of our data in 1965.
Pelican Rapids School District is trying again to pass a levey
Pelican Rapids School Board decides on a mail election for the referendum and ballots won't be forwarded, making it harder for seasonal lake people to vote.
This time they will be asking for $700 per student for eight years.
The vote will be Monday, May 3rd.
A ballot will be mailed to every registered voter
in the district along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope that
will return their ballot to the county auditor. On May
3rd there will also be a polling place at the high
school, open from 8a.m. until 8 p.m. for those who did not mail in a
ballot.
By running a mail ballot referendum, the district forfeits the right
to run a polling place vote in November.
Before the ballots go out,
the district must first issue notices to the county and then mail a
notice to every property owner in the district explaining the vote
and how to properly fill out and return the ballot.
(This is a summary of the February 24th
Press article, submitted by Aldie Kelsven)
If you do not receive the above mentioned
‘information’ notice (by early April) in advance of the ballot
mailing you may want to call the Otter Tail County Auditor at
218-998-8030 to double check on your registered voting status and
addresses on file
Cormorant starts at Town Hall Series
If you have questions, contact Charlotte Skistad 218-532-3891. See the schedule below:
Talk of the Town Series at Cormorant Town Hall 2010
Open to public start at 9 am:
April 30th Eric Bergeson, Bergeson Nursey Fertile, MN.
June 18th Larry Longtine, Accomplished artist and wood carver.
July 16th Dennis Reimer, former Chief of Staff, US Army 1995 to
1999.
August 20th John Askew, Insights of Lewis &
Clark Survival Travel.
2010 SWIM PROGRAM has been established
It’s that time again to prepare your summer activity schedule. Dunn Township and the Pelican Lake Property Owners Assoc. will offer FREE swimming lessons. These lessons are free of charge and open to the public regardless of residency. Classes are offered for pre-beginners thru swimmers. Classes are Tues. and Thurs. afternoons for 4 weeks, starting Tuesday July 6, 2010 . Class dates are: July 8th 13th 15th 20th 22rd 27th 29th.
Times are as follows: Primary Skill/Pre-Beg. 12:00-12:30, Stroke Readiness/Beg. I 12:30-1:00, Stroke Readiness/Beg. II 1:00-1:30
Stroke Development/Adv. Beg. I 1:30-2:15, Stroke Development/Adv. Beg. II 2:15-3:00, Intermediate and/or Swimmers 3:00-3:45 Depending on the program participation, class times may vary and class sizes are limited. Pre-registration is not required but very helpful. Lessons will be held on Pelican Point Dr. next to Fair Hills Resort, on the North shore of Pelican Lake on Cty Rd. 20, Fire # 51628. Parking is available across the road. If you have further questions regarding the program or would like to register, please contact Faye Spitzley-Engkjer at 218-532-7066 or Faye@cableone.net
Area Sailors meet in Bora Bora for a Winter Break
In January, 16 sailors went to Bora Bora in the
South Pacific for a winter break.
There were 14 people from Pelican Lake and surrounding lakes
and of those 10 were members of Pelican Lake Yacht Club.
Two 44' catamarans provided room and transportation during
the week on the water.
The weather was great for sailing, snorkeling, and exploring the
islands. The scenery was spectacular both above and below the water.
Conversations on where to go next year are already in the works.
Lake property owners, farmers to feel tax pinch
By
Tom Hintgen
(Contact)
| The Daily Journal
Published Monday, December 14, 2009
Thousands of Minnesota property owners, including many lake property
owners and farmers in Otter Tail County, will face property tax
increases next year. Other taxpayers, however, will see their taxes
stay the same or even decline.
Those changes relate to Limited Market Value (LMV) that was created
by the state legislature in 1993, an effort to protect property
owners from the tax impacts of sharp valuation increases. This law,
however, was changed for 2010 and succeeding years.
Pelican Lake froze over on December 5th
Who will be the 1st to get an ice house out on the lake? Just to refresh your memory, here are the safety guidelines for good quality clear ice.
- 2" or less - STAY OFF
- 4" - Ice fishing or other activities on foot
- 5" - Snowmobile or ATV
- 8" - 12" - Car or small pickup
- 12" - 15" - Medium truck
Pelican Lake Sailors have another great season in college competition.
For
those that wonder what our next generation has been up to.
Here is an article written by Medora Sletten. Medora has been
a big part of the success of our sailing school since the year we
revamped it in 2000. She took lessons that year, which was the 1st
time she had ever been on a sailboat, and then went on to became a
US Sailing Certified instructor for the school in 2004. She has been
the lead instructor of the sailing school since 2007 and a big part
of it's growing numbers and the many returning students.
Brandon Wilson and Kirstin Wilson have also been both students and
instructors at our sailing school and Nick Hovland was a student.
Jeff Peltier PLSS Chairman
It was another memorable season for Pelican Lake sailors from the University of St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota
(Nick Hovland, Brandon Wilson, Kirstin Wilson, Brady Solum and myself, Medora Sletten). As we look back on the Fall season we have a lot to be proud, both on and off the water.
Each
semester the underdogs of St. Thomas have been moving up in the
Midwest Collegiate Sailing Association (MCSA) and proving that even
as a small team we can do big things. Minnesota continued their
winning tradition with another great semester and many wins.
St. Thomas hosted its second Tommie Cup, which was a huge success thanks to our parents wonderful cooking, and Minnesota hosted the Streufert Team Racing Regatta. Both teams finished in the top three for each regatta. While Kirstin and I were at Women’s at the University of Wisconsin, the St. Thomas and Minnesota men headed off for the first ever MCSA Sonar Match Race in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Brandon, Nick, Brady and I also sailed in the Sloop Championship in Detroit - where stories from the weekend’s adventures are brought home more often than trophies.
After eight regattas and ten weeks of practice, we all finished the regular season at Area West in Madison, Wisconsin where both teams qualified for the Timme Angsten Memorial Regatta in Chicago over Thanksgiving Break, a favorite regatta of all of ours. We experienced typical shifty Chicago breezes and tough competition, but in the end St. Thomas finished second and Minnesota finished third to the University of Wisconsin.
With both teams sailing at the Wayzata Community Sailing Center, it says a lot about our coaching staff that they can create two teams who constantly fight each other for the finish line. Although it’s friendly competition, we push them just as much as they push us, at the same time cheering each other on.
For now, all we can do is look forward to the Spring season and hopefully another trip to Nationals. But no matter the outcome, we’ll have fun. Nick and Brandon will continue to battle it out in A’s, while Brady and I will have another season of one-upping each other in B’s, and Kirstin crewing for either division.
For me, Brandon and Nick it’s a bittersweet feeling knowing we only have one more semester before we leave college sailing behind. It sure is fun going through it all together – there truly is never a dull moment.
Submitted by Medora Sletten, Commodore University of St. Thomas Sailing Team
This years parade was a big success.
Blue
skies, warm temperatures, and a gentle breeze, made the perfect
combination for this year’s July 4th parade on beautiful
The Geston “Space Shuttle” float won top honors
with the McDonough “Statue of Liberty” entry placing second, and the
Prondzinski/Tonsfeldt “Happy Birthday/America Takes the Cake” entry
in third place. Special
mention must be given to Tom Bastian.
He decorated a small rowing shell with a statue of George
Washington depicting
The PLPOA is already planning next year’s
parade. We have put in
an order for perfect weather for the parade and have assembled a
great group of volunteers.
The Yacht Club has generously agreed to again host the picnic
on their grounds. The
theme for next year’s parade will be “Favorite
Musical.” We
encourage all
If you have any comments or recommendations to improve the parade, contact Jim Prondzinski at 532-2066.
Fireworks
Display was spectacular!
After a picture perfect day for the 4th, great for boating and outdoor barbeques and family gatherings, the sky remained clear as temperatures dropped into the 60’s for the start of fireworks. The pre-show displays on shore and in the pasture turned parking lot across from Wildflower were numerous and impressive. The nearly full moon cooperated by staying low in the southeastern sky. Cars kept arriving at the parking lot even into the first few minutes of the display, perhaps encouraged by reports on radio station 104.1 that there was still plenty of room to park. On the water, boats filled the east end of the lake with all their anchor lights making for quite a view on its own. There were many comments about how well the music matched up with an excellent fireworks display. All went off without a hitch thanks to the help of lake volunteers (and conscripted family members), the Pelican Rapids Fire Department, Otter Tail Sherriff’s posse and others.
Slowing
economy brings out innovation!!
The Big Pelican from Fair Hills hasn't been as
busy as past years, so they're trying something new.
Loaded with burgers, hot dogs, pop, beer and other treats,
the Big Pelican has been heading to the Sand Bar on weekends to drum
up some business. For that purpose, it's called the "BURGER
BARGE". The grill is on the back and people can
either eat on the boat or take it to their own boat. Their
goal is to be out there from about 11am to 3pm, weather providing.
It's always nice to see another option on the lake, so if you see it out there, feel free to stop by and check it out.
DNR issues ice safety reminder
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) water safety officials have issued an ice safety reminder now that temperatures have surpassed 40 degrees in many areas of the state.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) water safety officials have issued an ice safety reminder now that temperatures have surpassed 40 degrees in many areas of the state.
“Even with the relatively thick ice produced by our cold January, it doesn’t take very long for ice conditions to become hazardous when it warms up,” said Tim Smalley, DNR water safety specialist. “That’s especially true for vehicles.”
The usual safety guidelines for cars (8-12 inches of new, clear ice) don’t apply under this week’s melting conditions. The slush created on the ice’s surface adds weight. The ice also softens farther down and may have less than half the strength of the same thickness of ice earlier in the season.
“A good rule of thumb is that when the temperature rises above freezing for six of the last 24 hours, multiply the recommended minimum thickness by two,” Smalley said.
The ice becomes unsafe if temperatures remain above freezing for 24 hours or more. Contact your local bait shop or resort to ask about the conditions of any lake you are planning to visit
.
PGOLID Lake Management Plan is now on the web!
The PGOLID Lake Management Plan is a comprehensive
report from over a decade of data collection and effort from many
organizations. It is a summary of water quality data along with
information and background about the surrounding area, demographics
and land use. Moriya
Rufer, our Water Resource Coordinator, has done an excellent job of
organizing this into easy to navigate segments so you can quickly
find particular items of interest. Go to
http://pgolid.org/LMP/main.htm to view the information.
The PGOLID Septic Inspection survey and report is available and you can read it by clicking here. Moriya Rufer, our new water resource coordinator, did an excellent job of assembling this information, so be sure to read it for a better understanding of the state of our systems and how to manage them.