Issue 24•January 2007 Keeping you informed about the land and water we care about.
You can reach us by phone: 540-674-0166; or mail: Friends of Claytor Lake, PO Box 815, Pulaski, VA 24301
We meet the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 6pm in the Council Chamber of the Dublin Town Hall.*
In this issue:
1. Virginia Boating Safety Bill
2. FOCL Boating Safety Card
3. 2006 Clean-Up Update
4. State Park Road
5. Claytor Lake State Park Construction
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1. Virginia Boating Safety Bill
There is a recreational boating safety bill on the docket for the Virginia General
Assembly. Delegates Kathy Byron & Allen Dudley are the patrons of this Bill. The FOCL
Board has endorsed this Bill and encourages you to contact your representatives to see
this Bill through. It is House Bill No. 1627.
You can find out about your representative and more information regarding the
Virginia General Assembly at the following link:
http://legis.state.va.us/
2. FOCL Boating Safety Card
Through Boardmember Laura Walters authorship, FOCL has produced a handy Boating
Safety Card that succinctly summarizes safe and smart recreational boating practices for
Claytor Lake—and all bodies of water! At our website you’ll find a link to print a copy
on your own:
http://www.focl.org/programs.html
FOCL’s Boating Safety Card
Nice job Laura!
Or contact us and we'll tell you how to obtain some of these already-printed, handy,
double-sided and durable cards.
info@focl.org
3. 2006 Clean-Up Update
2006 was a difficult year for the Lake Clean-up Operation. Fortunately, we had few
high water events to bring in a lot of debris and we had a very good year in 2005
meaning the lake ended up in not bad shape. Though our clean up program always
has been very cost effective, it is not always as timely as we would like it--mostly
due to the difficulty in obtaining trustees to do the work. So once again we have
been discussing ways to improve upon the program.
The most important idea we are exploring is eliminating the use of trustees. Because
we currently use trustees, an off-duty Sheriff’s Deputy is required to be a part of the
clean-up team. Pulaski County pays for the off-duty Sheriff’s Deputy. We are exploring
the idea of suggesting to the County that part time (non-trustee) help is hired for the
lake clean-up crew and allocating the cost of the deputies to these employees. As this
discussion unfolds, we’ll keep you posted.
4. State Park Road
At the November FOCL Board meeting Dublin resident Sherry McGuire brought to
FOCL’s attention the condition of the road from the exit off Interstate 81 to the State
Park. She would like to see it taken better care of--specifically the litter kept in check
and nicer landscaping to better introduce visitors to our beautiful State Park. As a result
of this discussion, the Board formed a task force to examine State Park Road issues further.
Also, this came up during the discussion:
Ever wondered why the Interstate 81 sign for the exit to Claytor Lake State Park is
highway-green rather than the traditional brown used to point out Park & Historic
Destinations? County Supervisor & FOCL Boardmember Ranny Akers explained that
the sign was supposed to have been brown and that there has been concern that
people may miss the Park due to the lack of the typical brown sign. However,
changing it is cost prohibitive—though if someone were to provide the state with
the funds, it could probably be done. Of course, the sign works—so maybe we should
chalk it up to just another thing that makes Claytor Lake unique!
5. Claytor Lake State Park Construction
Claytor Lake State Park underwent quite a transformation in 2006. Thanks to FOCL
Boardmember Dave Collett—who just happens to be Claytor Lake State Park’s
Manager—we were able to see the results of this transformation in person. The
November FOCL Board meeting was held at the brand new and beautiful Conference
Center.
Conference Center outside from the Lake & inside during the FOCL Board meeting
Dave Collett with John Johnson
After the meeting, Dave took the FOCL Board on a tour of one of the new cabins.
To do them justice, you’ll have to see these beautiful new cabins in person, but
here’s a little inside tour for you:
Kitchen/Bar area of the Great Room A Bunk Room
Vaulted Great Room ceiling Gas Log fireplace
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clean up boating safety community environmental stewardship
Lake clean up, boating safety, water quality monitoring, promoting community, environmental stewardship.
We do it for Claytor Lake—the land, the water, the community.
As a part of the Claytor Lake Community, we need and appreciate your support!
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Thanks for your support of FOCL and Claytor Lake. http://www.focl.org
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