Programs

TODAY – Online Storefronts, Elaine Slater-Kogel

October 8 – Hedge Fund Basics, Evan Dreyfuss

October 15 – Tea & Treasures, Mottville Post Office & Emporium

October 22 – Willow Glen Café, Cindy Eldredge

October 29 – Elderberry Pond, Merby Lego

Suggestions for future programs are always welcome. Please forward your ideas to Marion at amkrauter@verizon.net.

News & Notes

Milfoil Eradication Project seeks to preserve quality of lake water

Eurasion Milfoil is threatening the crown jewel of our community.

Chris Scholz discussed the Skaneateles Milfoil Eradication project at our meeting September 10, 2009. Scholz is a professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at Syracuse University and Scholz for the Skaneateles Milfoil Eradication Project.

Skaneateles Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in the country, if not the world with exceptional water quality, Scholz says. This is high praise coming from a professor who has visited numerous lakes throughout the country and the world

The exceptional water clarity is due to a variety of unique factors including the exceptional depth and volume, the small size of the watershed, the presence of limestone bedrock in the ‘catchment’ area of the lake (which buffers acide rain), the basin’s shape which becomes very deep very quickly to remove pollutants to the very depths of the lake and the relatively modest human impacts over the years compared to a lake such as Onondaga, which has suffered from municipal and industrial impacts.

Eurasian Milfoil is threatening that exceptional water quality. Specifically, the invasive weed traps sediments in and near the shallow shore area decreasing the oxygen levels and increasing the chemical nutrients in the shallow areas causing them to be unsuitable for boating or swimming and causing the water quality to suffer.

Milfoil is an invasive species that was likely transported to the lake by a visiting boater. It has been present on the lake since 1974 but saw a marked expansion from 2001 to 2006. The plant is capable of reproducing very quickly and has spreads to the north and south ends of the lake and to many of the shallow areas of the lake.

The Skaneateles Milfoil Eradication Project has been working for three years to map the incidents of milfoil, develop stragegies to eliminate it and ultimately remove the weed from the lake.

To that end, the project has developed a vacuum system whereby teams of trained scuba divers dive to the lake floor and literal vacuum the weed, roots and all, to a party barge where they are gathered and removed to land and turned into mulch.

The project has removed the weed completely in the areas they have worked and those areas have not experienced any regrowth. So far, milfoil has been removed from a total of 12.5 acres of area. The biggest challenge to the eradication process has been the cost, which would be prohibitive for other lakes. So far, the project cost has exceed $1 million with more than 90 percent of the funds raised from private sources.

Vernak Farms brings new conveniences to country store

Chris and Charlene Vernak had always talked about opening a small community store when they retired.

The Vernaks lived in the Point Pleasant area of the Jersey shore where Chris worked as a financial consultant and Charlene worked as a pharmacist.

But with the area growing ever more congested, the two tired of the rat race and began looking to move to a quieter area where they could raise their children. After studying demographics of several different areas, all of which featured close proximity to water, they settled on the Skanteateles area.

Together, they opened Vernak Farms Country Store in January 2008 on East Lake Road in Borodino just north of the hamlet. Initially, they were looking were looking for more of a country store atmosphere, but as they have grown to know their customers and their community, the focus has shifted to more convenience items such as pizza and sandwiches.

In addition to serving the needs of the Borodino and Spafford, the Vernaks hope the store will be a destination for folks in Skaneatles and the Homer & Scott areas.

Club Business &

Dates to Remember

Call to Order; Pledge of Allegiance & Invocation

lIntroduction of Guests/Visitarians

lHappy Dollars & Fines

District Major Events

October 13 – GSE Team from Japan visits, Skaneateles H.S. Cafeteria

November 7 – RLI, Canandaigua

Old Business

Committee Reports

lClub Administration

President – John Rooney

Treasurer – Toni Feldmann

Secretary – John Paddock

l Service Projects

Food Pantry – Daryle Pickering

Sea Scouts – John Paddock

Programs – Krauter/Beckwith

Early Act – Tom Seeley

Fire Equipment –

Service Committee – Mark Shafer

lWinterfest & Craft Fair – Seeley/Krauter

lMembership (& Retention) – Beckwith/Feldmann

lFoundation/Community Recognition

lSocial Chair –

lSergeant at Arms – Daryle Pickering

New Business/Program

q Milfoil Eradication

Evening Club Programs

October 1 – Seward House, Jenifer Haines

October 8 – Citizen of the Year @ The Lodge

Officers & Directors

Officers

President – John Rooney

President-Elect –

Past President – Thomas W. Seeley

Treasurer – Toni Feldman

Sergeant-at-Arms – Daryle Pickering

Secretary – John Paddock

Committee Chairs

Club Service – Mark Schafer

Food Pantry – Daryle Pickering

Membership – Beckwith/Feldmann

Program Chair – Marion Krauter

Rotary Foundation –

Social Chair –

Youth Exchange/RYLA – John Paddock

Members

Sidney Beckwith, Robert Brown, Toni Feldmann, Paul Frickey, Maggie Gilson (visitor), Marion Krauter, John Paddock, Daryle Pickering, John Rooney, Thomas Seeley, Mark Schafer, Paul Torrisi, Rhett Weiss

Exchange Students

TBA

TRY OUR ROTARY WEBSITES

Our District Website: http://www.rotary7150.org/

Rotary International: http://www.rotary.org/

RYLA http://www.rotaryryla.com/

Skaneateles Rotary: http://www.skaneatelesrotary.org/

e-club http://www.rotaryeclubny1.com

SUNRISE EDITORS

Thomas W. Seeley 685-2311 Fax: 685-2460 tws@mlsattorneys.com

The Sunrise

Newsletter of the Skaneateles Sunrise Rotary Club

District 7150

Bulletin #2010-8 Date: October 1, 2009

News & Notes

TRY OUR ROTARY WEBSITES

SUNRISE EDITORS