Loon Callswww.lakesylvia.org Fall 2015

G R E A T E R L A K E S Y L V I A A S S O C I A T I O N

Inside this issue:Executive Board,

Directors, Committees . . .2

A Word From Your

President . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Event Calendar . . . . . . .2

GLSA Summer Picnic . . . .3

Chairpeople needed . . . .3

Advertisers . . . . . . . .4 & 5

Membership Update . . . .6

Fall Loon Report . . . . . . .6

Lindala Landfill . . . . . . . .7

News Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Peninsula Entrance

. . . . . . . . . . . .back cover

From the AIS Committeeby Steve Holmstoen

Al’sAlmanacby Al Ostlund

It has been a busy 2015at Lake Sylvia. This willbe the final report to

members on our efforts tocontrol Curly LeafPondweed (CLP), EurasianWater Milfoil (EWM), andZebra Mussels (ZM). TheMonitoring Program at thepublic landing will end onOctober 4. So far this year2889 boats have beeninspected. 213 have cometo Lake Sylvia from infectedwaters. 112 boats have beendenied access until they were cleaned ordecontaminated. Thanks to everyone whocontributed to help extend the monitoringhours and weeks. The Committee believesthat the program has been successful inbuilding awareness and keeping infectedboats out of Lake Sylvia.

GLSA engaged the services of PLM LandManagement to treatthe lake for EWM.Roughly seven acreswere treated thisyear. GLSA has alsoengaged the servicesof FreshwaterScientific Surveys tosearch the entireshoreline of east andwest lakes and thechannel for EWM.The process is calleddelineation. Theinspection was con-ducted immediately after Labor Day andtook about five days. Underwater cameras,subsurface rakes and other techniques wereused to locate and pinpoint areas infectedwith EWM. The data will be used by PLM in2016 to guide the treatment program. Theresults should be available in October.

GLSA has mounted an aggressive searchfor Zebra Mussels. Early detection isrequired if there is any hope of treating an

infestation. Forty-three tubesamplers have been deployedat member docks throughoutthe lake. Two larger platesamplers were installed andhave been inspected twice. Noadult ZM’s have been found.GLSA has sampled four loca-tions on the west lake andthree locations on the eastlake for ZM veligers, the lar-vae of ZM. Veligers are micro-scopic and not visible to theeye. Our summer and fallsamples showed no evidence

of veligers. Please check for any sign of mussels when

your dock is removed this fall. Zebra mus-sels are small, fingernail-sized animals thatattach to solid surfaces in water. Adults are1/4 to 11/2 inches long. They have D-shapedshells with alternating yellow and brownishcolored stripes. See the accompanying pic-

ture. If you have a sus-picious shell, pleaseleave it in place and callSteve Holmstoen at612-242-3696, ChrisHector at 320-286-8771,or Mike Mischuk at262-951-5675.

Just a reminder ofthe need to stay aware… the DNR confirmedthe presence of anotherinvasive weed: StarryStonewort in LakeKoronis. This is the

first time that SSW has been found inMinnesota. Lake Koronis is nearby inStearns County.

The committee would like to thank every-one for the contributions and for their con-cerns. Only by remaining vigilant and work-ing together can we control and hopefullyeradicate the spread of Aquatic InvasiveSpecies throughout Minnesota and specifi-cally, Lake Sylvia.

Stopping invasives a top priority

Precipitation for the months of Jan.-Sept. 11th, 2015Jan. . . . . . . . . .0.28”Feb. . . . . . . . . .0.43”March . . . . . . .0.52”April . . . . . . . . .1.08”May . . . . . . . . .5.21”June . . . . . . . . .1.87”July . . . . . . . . .7.22”August . . . . . .6.47”Sept. 11 . . . . .1.01”Total . . . . . . . .24.07”

Zebra musselson Lake John

The GLSA was notified onSept. 21 that zebra musselswere confirmed in Lake Johnby the DNR. Check the GLSAwebsite for updates.

Zebra mussels are a quarter inch toone and a half inches long.

Summergives way to fall

The energy and rush of sum-mer is now making way for thefall season. It is a quieter timeon Lake Sylvia. The boats anddocks will be coming in soon,making each remaining boat rideever so special. It is a great timeof year to gather around a camp-fire or just sit out on the dockwith a steaming cup of coffee.

The year has been successfulfor us as an organization. Ourmembership remains strong andsupportive of the work we do.Fundraising efforts have kept usin a good financial position.Water clarity has been exception-al. The Picnic and Golf Outingwere well attended and enjoy-able. This year’s boat parade re-captured the fun and excitementthat we remember from yearsgone by.

We also face some challenges.Lake levels continue to be high,ending this year again with awake restriction. Milfoil andCurly Leaf treatments will haveto be expanded next year. Thelist of lakes across Minnesotawith zebra mussels continues toincrease with Clearwater beingour nearest neighbor.

There are still too many boatsentering the lake at private land-ings without being inspected.

We on Lake Sylvia have beenblessed with a beautiful place toshare with our family andfriends. We also have a greatcommunity and a strong tradi-tion of caring for this lake. Thereare so many ways you can makea difference and we need yourhelp.

• Share this newsletter,spread the word

• Join the GLSA if you are nota member

• Give a membership as a giftif you are a member

• Remember the GLSA in yourcharitable giving

• Inspect your docks and liftsthis fall for Zebra Mussels

• Launch your boats at thepublic access where they can beinspected

• Honor the wake restrictionsand channels

• Volunteer on a committee, onthe Board or at an event

Thank all of you who aremembers of the GLSA for yourongoing support of this organiza-tion.

Loon CallsPage 2 Fall 2015

A Few Words From Your PresidentChris Hector

GLSA Event Calendar for 2015October 10 - Board Meeting 9 a.m.Southside Township Hall8209 Co. Rd. 3 NW, Annandale

All members are welcome to attend board meetings. To request a presentation to the Board, contact President Chris Hector.

Executive BoardPresident

Chris Hector 952-239-8103chris@logictran.com

Vice PresidentKent Davidson 320-274-6448

robinkentd@gmail.comTreasurer

Tysann Forsman 320-282-9316tysannforsman@gmail.com

SecretaryAllison Barkley 320-815-9916allie_barkley@hotmail.com

Board of DirectorsBlaine Barkley

lksylvia@lakedalelink.netJerry Dock

jerry@greenhavenmarketing.comJerry Euteneuer

euteneuerd@aol.comRuss Fortner

russfortner@hotmail.comTom Hansen

twhansen@lakedalelink.netDon Holm

olmcyril5@aol.comSteve Holmstoen

sholmstoen@yahoo.comMike McNellis

mmcnelis@lakedalelink.netLisa Peery

uragoodboy@gmail.comJim Struble

jim@electricalproduction.comDave Wefring

drwefring@mmm.com

GLSA Loon Calls EditorRuss Fortner

russfortner@hotmail.com

GLSA Committees• Executive Committee

President Chris Hector (Chair)Vice President Kent Davidson

Treasurer Tysann Forsman Secretary Allison Barkley

• AIS Committee Steve Holmstoen (Chair),

• Fundraising CommitteeRuss Fortner (Chair)

• Governance Committee Chris Hector (Chair)•History Committee

Nancy Hector (Chair)• Membership Committee

Allison Barkley (Chair)• Nominating Committee

Jim Struble (Chair)• Picnic Committee

Allison Barkley (Chair)•Water Quality and Clarity Committee

Mike Mischuk (Chair)•Wildlife Conservation Committee

Kent Davidson (Chair)

Please contact any chair if you would liketo join their commitee

Visit lakesylvia.org/boardfor additional contact information

Once again this year’s GLSApicnic was a success! We hadapproximately 500

people attending at CampChi Rho on Saturday,August 8th. Thanks toMother Nature, we hadgreat weather. Music byPistol Whippin’ PartyPenguins was outstand-ing! The bandthanked us forchoosing themand raved aboutthe event andthe camp. Weserved close to600 pork chops, 40hot dogs and not a singlemorsel of brownies or cornbreadwas left over.

New this year, and the placewhere many ‘hung out’, was thebingo tent. People filled the seatsthe entire time playing for prizes.Thank you to those who donatedthese items; thanks to Kent

Davidson and John Liepold for call-ing bingo for us; and, thanks to the

bingo volunteer team who puta tremendous amount ofwork into this to makethis fun and successful!

Besides the bingo tent,we had RJ Stables givinghorse-drawn wagon rides--this was a hit, and theykept moving the entiretime. The bungee bounce

activity was back again bypopular demand and madelots of kids happy.

As you see our sponsors,be sure to thank them and

support their businesseswhenever possible.We are in search of one to two

ambitious individuals interested inchairing the 2016 picnic.

Please contact Rhonda (763-229-8856) or Allison (320-815-9916) ifyou are interested or would likemore information about the role.

by Peggy Jo Fortner

GLSA is so successful because of itswonderful volunteer base. Thisincludes being on theBoard, the AISCommittee, the WaterClarity function, LoonCalls, and many morevolunteer positions.

For the past twoyears, the GLSA GolfTournament Fundraiserhas been successful inproviding a fun eventand in raising funds for AIS.  Thisfundraiser was organized by RussFortner, Dave Wefring, and MattJohnson. Thank you Russ, Dave andMatt!  We recognize this was a lot oftime and effort on your part.

For the last three years, the GLSAPicnic at Chi Rho was a great familyevent, and was organized by AllisonBarkley and Rhonda Brau. Thank

you Allisonand Rhonda!This event,too, took alot of timeand effort.

Thesegreat volun-teers haveworked

very hard to organizethese two great events for GLSAmembers.  We have all reaped therewards for all their hardwork.  Please thank them when yousee them!

We need new charipersons/vol-unteers!

There may not be a picnic (atleast like we’ve had), and there willnot be a golf fundraiser in 2016unless we have some new volunteerscome forward.

We need to rotate volunteers inall GLSA functions – new blood, newenergy, new ideas.  We would allmiss these events if no one steps for-ward. If you have an interest inbeing part of the 2016 picnic, pleasecontact Rhonda Brau (763-229-8856)or Allison Barkley (320-815-9916).If you want to be Chairperson, or onthe committee, for the golf fundrais-er, please contact Russ Fortner (320-274-8228). Thank you!

Loon CallsFall 2015 Page 3

Summer picnic is a huge success!

GLSA’s success still needs volunteers

Thank you toour sponsorsAnchor Dock & LiftBackyard ReflectionsCarefree LawnEMSCOHoffman ConstructionLake Country Cabinets

& TrimOak RealtySchwebel, Goetz Sieben

Thank you to our volunteersLibby CorrJohn Liepold Robin & KentDavidsonMike McNellisBill and Sandy GreyPat, Peter & Candy NashSteve & Vicki HoienJane & Todd OlmanLaurie & Brandon JohnsonViv O’SheaCarrie & Myron KlinkerLisa PeeryCarol & Galen LeeDale & Sandy Williamson

Jefferson BishopOwnerOffice 320.274.6500Cell 612.384.4192JeffersonBishop@anchor-dock.comAnnandale, Minnesota

www.anchor-dock.com

HEDLUND PLUMBING & HEATING, INC.

• Septic & holding tank pumping

• Portable toilets & sewer cleaning

320-286-2368MPCAL818

Master Lic#058290PM

270 Elm Street East, Annandale, MN 55302 | 320-274-2233

Your Hometown Realtors with World-Wide Presence

RemaxGo.com

LAKE PROPERTY LANDSCAPE SPECIALISTS

320-274-6336 / www.backyardmn.com

www.starbank.net

Young & Brown, LLPLawyers for Lake People

www.annandalelaw.com63 Oak Avenue South • Annandale

• Wills • Real Estate

• Trusts • Boundary Issues

• Estates • For Sale by Owner

“BEFORE YOU SIGN”call

320-274-8221

Timothy L. Young

Sheldon R. Brown

Matthew B. Brown

Since 1974

www.oakrealtymn.comAnnandale 274-5737 | Maple Lake 963-2088

Est. 1892

E X C E P T I O N A L J E W E L RYQ U A L I T Y R E PA I R

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MAIN STREET, ANNANDALE 320-274-5313

JOHN PEERYRealtor, GRI

Cell (612) 490-6161 • Fax (763) 682-8995johnpeery61@gmail.com

1100 Hwy 25 N, Suite 4 Buffalo, MN 55313Each Keller Williams Office is Independently Owned and Operated.

Catering – Artisan Baking

Barb Westman 320-493-0416barb.westman@gmail.com

cottagegourmets.com

The Loons, for the most part,have already taken flight ontheir annual migration to

warmer climates. Watching the baythis week we’ve only seen one youngof the year still cruising aroundlooking for a meal. Not yet full flightfeather I suspect, it skitters acrossthe water but doesn’t get any alti-tude, still plenty of time for that.The occasional loon calls I’m hearingare distant, and not near a frequentas in the spring time. They stillcause’s me to pause for a moment ortwo and wonder if it was from alocal Lake Sylvia raised bird, or onethat spent the summer in the northcountry, and now just looking for atraveling mate.

Please stay alert when boating.Even though the Loons have mostlyleft the lake for the year it doesn’tmean when you’re on the water thatyou don’t have to be on guard forone on this summers babies. Therestill a lot of good boating in the fall,

after the speedster havepulled out. Watching fallcolors change during aslow tour of the lake,and inhaling good coolevening air with a littlewood smoke will mixedin, is still the all timebest trip of the year.

For the fall fishermanthis is when the larger fish go on afeeding rampage when the waterstarts to cool and lake weeds startdying off. Most fisherman know theedge of the weed lines close to deepwater, this time of year, bring insome of the nicest trophies of allspecies. Me, I take my boat out earlyand wait for first ice. There are somany things to do this time of yearand fall is just too short to geteverything done.

The editor said he edits my articlesome, when I get off topic. “Some” isa big word if you ask me. Loons andConservation is a big subject, and I

could go on for quite a while if givenenough room, so back on topic.Loons are to most everyone thefavorite topic when sitting around afire pit in the evening. Spring, sum-mer or fall, having a loon swimmingby, flying by, or calling from theother side of the lake is part of LakeLife, and should be revered byeveryone. Now that I’m done writingthis article, I’m going out on thepatio with Lucy the wonder dog, anda glass of Pepsi to enjoy the evening,say goodbye to summer and hello tofall.

I might even hear a loon say “Seeyou in the spring.”

Loon CallsPage 6 Fall 2015

Fall Loon Reportby Mike McNellis, the Old Loon Ranger

There are many bene-fits of being a GLSAember. Here are a few:

• Help fund efforts toprotect and improve thequality of Lake Sylvia

• Directory of homes onthe lake

• Discounted price forthe Lake Sylvia HistoryBook

• One vote at theAnnual Meeting

• Your $50 membershipfee to GLSA is taxdeductible

• Three newsletters ayear to keep you informedof our activity

• Invites to social activ-ities like the picnic whichis for members only! 

Membership myths debunked

Myth: You have to ownproperty on Lake Sylvia tobe a GLSA Member.

Not true! GLSAMembership is open tofriends and residents ofLake Sylvia. Do you havea son/daughter/grandchildthat you struggle toChristmas shop for eachyear? Give them the gift of2016 GLSA Membershipthis Christmas!! Not onlyare dues payments taxdeductible, but there willbe no lines to stand in andno assembly required!

Myth: You can onlyhave one GLSAMembership per house-hold.

Not true! Oftentimes wehear from lakeshore own-

ers “Our membership is inso-and-so’s name. We ownthe property together.”Don’t’ forget that GLSA isa 501©(3) non-profitorganization and yourdues and donations aretax deductible to theextent allowed by law. Weencourage all propertyowners to have their ownmembership. With multi-ple memberships perhousehold, we will takecare of communicatingimportant informationregarding the lake to all ofthe owners of your proper-ty. Each member willreceive their own directo-ry, letters, emails andcopies of the Loon Callsnewsletter.

Myth: We sold ourhome on the lake so wecan’t be members anymore.

Not true! We appreciatebeing notified of owner-

ship changes around thelake, but you don’t have toend your membership justbecause you sold yourhome. Many people whohave sold their lake homeshave shared with us howmuch they will miss thelake and that they plan onrenting cabins on the lakefor vacations in the future.If you sell your lake homeand would like to remain amember, please let usknow and we will keep youon the mailing list. As adues-paying member, youwill also continue toreceive the Loon Callsnewsletter which is some-thing we all love to read!

If you would like to pur-chase a 2016 GLSA GiftMembership or you haveany other questionsregarding GLSAMembership, please con-tact me at 320-815-9916 orallie_barkley@hotmail.com.

Membership Updateby Allison Barkley

Loon CallsFall 2015 Page 7

The Lindala Landfill MPCA rep meets with GLSA membersby Blaine Barkley

Recently a meeting was heldwith a representative of theMinnesota Pollution Control

Agency (MPCA) to determine thestatus of, and future plans for, deal-ing with any pollution caused by thelandfill. The meeting was part of anongoing effort by GLSA to try toinsure proper state oversight of thepotential pollution from this landfill.In addition, a meeting was held witha water quality specialist from theWright County Soil and WaterConservation District (WCSD) tobring the county up-to-date withactivities and findings of the MPCAwith a future face-to-face meetingbetween the MPCA, GLSA team,and WCSD being planned.

For background, the landfill beganin 1973, according to state PCArecords and is less than a mile fromLake Sylvia. At that time, therewere few or no restrictions in placerelative to what could be placed in

the landfill, and the landfill was lit-tle more than a place where mostanything could be dumped includingoil, battery acid, chemicals, paint,and other items collected bygarbage-collecting companies andthe general public. At a later date,the landfill was forced to close overcompliance issues and the site isnow owned by the State ofMinnesota and monitored by theMPCA. The landfill site, like most ofthe area surrounding Lake Sylvia,could be compared to a sandbox withvery porous soil under and aroundthe landfill which makes the landfilland groundwater quality of particu-lar concern.

During our meeting with theMPCA we learned they are currentlymonitoring ground and surfacewater in nearby ponds for chemicalsdeemed harmful to human and ani-mal health. Groundwater monitor-ing consists of testing various wells

drilled by, and owned by, the stateon the perimeter of the landfill, andtesting privately-owned wells of sev-eral residences in the area.  Basedon the test results, some of the sur-rounding homes have water filtra-tion systems to remove chemicalsfound in the drinking water abovestate recommended safe levels, paidfor by the MPCA. At the presenttime, the groundwater pollutionappears to be limited but moving ina westerly direction. Of particularconcern to us is the fact that LakeSylvia is spring-fed with the watersource and directions of the springslargely unknown.  

The GLSA team will continue towork with the MPCA and WCSD toassist them in obtaining cooperationto expand and improve their moni-toring efforts and will provide morein-depth information as furtherinformation is obtained.

• We have a new treasurer – TysannForsman. Tysann is an Annandale native.She and her husband, Dave, moved fromHowardLake tothesouthside oftheWestLake(TotemPoleBay)arounda yearago.Welcome Tysann, and thanks for takingthis important position.

• Please submit your ideas for future arti-cles in Loon Calls to Russ Fortner at russfort-ner@hotmail.com.

• The Editor of Loon Calls reserves theright to edit for grammar, punctuation,and inappropriate language. If you dosubmit articles and want to see the finalcopy before going to print, please let RussFortner know when you submit your arti-cles. Thank you for your submissions!

• Remember to think of GLSA whenmaking your year-end contributions. GLSAis a 501(c)3 organization, so your contribu-tions are tax-deductible.

• If you would like to receive your LoonCalls electronically, please contact AllisonBarkley at allie_barkley@hotmail.com. Youwould receive an email with a link to thenewsletter – it’s that easy!

• SNOWBIRDS – do you have troublereceiving mail from GLSA in the winter?Sign up for electronic mail and you’llalways get Loon Calls and any communi-cation from GLSA!

G R E A T E R L A K E S Y L V I A A S S O C I A T I O N

PO Box 41Annandale, MN 55302

Editor: Russ FortnerAdvertising: Lisa Peery

Layout & Design:Annandale Advocate

Mission Statement:To Protect and Improve

Lake Sylvia

Non-Profit

Organization

U.S. Postage Paid

Permit No. 5

Annandale, MN

55302

Deliver to addressee or current resident.

Updated Peninsula entranceby Rose Mary Nelson

The Peninsula Road Committee made the deci-sion to plant two new trees by the large rock atthe entrance to the Peninsula Road, as the old

trees had been suffering the last two years from theharsh winters. Many Peninsula residents madedonations to purchase these trees; but, in the mean-time, Lars Raisanen, owner of Backyard Reflections,decided to remove the old trees and donate the newtrees. The money collected will be held in a fund topay for any future maintenance of this area.

This land actually belongs to Jack and BettyWaldhauer, and they donated the land for our beau-tiful entrance project several years ago. A big thankyou to both of them for their generosity. You mayhave noticed the young couple that has been cuttingdown and trimming the trees along the road by theentrance. This is Jack’s and Betty’s grandson, NateStewart and his fiancé, Elissa Brown. They areremoving an invasive species that was planted yearsago by Betty’s father, Stan Bull, who didn’t realizethat it was an invasive species at the time. JackWaldhauer will be coordinating a controlled burnwith our Annandale Fire Department to remove all

the large brush piles at this location. As you know, it takes lots of volunteers to accom-

plish projects. A big thank you to Bobbie Peterson forkeeping track of all the money we collected for thetrees; Doug Greven for mowing down both sides ofthe road and around our trees and rocks; and DonNelson for watering the trees every morning andtrimming weeds around the trees and rocks. Wehope our 105 residents on the Peninsula will enjoythe new trees at the entrance.

The entrance to the Peninsula Road has been updated with thislovely landscaping.