Community Alert: See Something, Say Something!
by YLPA Board of Directors
Once again, vandals have damaged the landscaping around the Clubhouse. The State Police are conducting their investigation, and we ask that if anyone has any information regarding these incidents to please contact the police at (845) 888-2681.
As a member of our community, we are enlisting your help in reporting to the police any suspicious acts that you see. Please do not approach anyone, or try to intercede, as we never know how dangerous a situation might be. Instead, please call 911. It would be appreciated if you would also let YLPA Board member Alice Salmans know [(845) 888-5777] if you have heard or seen anything related to these acts of vandalism at the Clubhouse.
Below is an example of some of the latest damage caused by a vehicle driving through the property. Lying to the left of center in the photo is a tree that was mowed down and plowed into the mud.
As always, thank you for your help in protecting and preserving our community.
Bald Eagles at Yankee Lake — Summer 2011
Photos by LindaLou Bartle
Fishing Tournament 16 July 2011
Text and Photos by Tom “Cutter” Yonskie
What a glorious day for a fishing Tourney. July 16th 2011, 4:00 pm starting time and the sun is shining bright. A constant southeast breeze kept everyone from cooking. It blew light and steady 'til dusk, then it was flat calm. We had 14 boats register and fish hard into the night. The old adage, “Never Fish a Full Moon,” bit some of the anglers. Others just proved the old adage wrong. That’s why it’s called “Fishing” and not “Catching”!! If it was easy, everyone would do it, and it wouldn’t be as much fun.
Walt was early on the board with a 2 pound 14 ounce water Wolf. It stood as biggest fish for most of the afternoon. Tommy and Louie made their presence known by bringing a five-fish stringer to the scales. The two biggest were a Bass and a Pickerel that both weighed in at 2 pounds 8 ounces, for an even 5 pounds. They remained top boat for a couple of hours "til Kevin and Paul floated up to the scales.
Kevin jumped to the lead with a 6 pound 2 ounce Bass. A real lunker, and a beauty of a fish. His partner Paul added a 2 pound 10 ounce Bass to put them at the top with a total of 8 pounds 12 ounces. That total would stand for the rest of the night, but not for lack of trying by the other participants.
Louie brought in a 3 pound 11 ounce Catfish, kicking his and Tommy’s total up to 6 pounds 3 ounces. Perry and Tony made a mighty run at 1st, bringing in a 4 pound 12 ounce and 3 pound 5 ounce pair of Bass, for a total of 8 pounds 2 ounces. Tim and Dan brought in a pair of nice Pickerel for a two-fish total of 5 pounds 10 ounces. Walt came back in during the waning minutes with a couple more fish to weigh. Their 2 pound 2 ounce Bass brought his and his partner Chris’ total up to an even 5 pounds. Teresa and “Kite Flyer” Mary were our only women’s team. Teresa’s happy as long as she out fishes Bill. Bill and Nick were unusually quiet this tournament. Hank and Elwood took a few minutes to catch up, but had a tough day finding any big ones.
The Judge's “Heart Award” goes out to 11 year old Shawn, who rowed out alone to register, and fished hard. I watched him for awhile with my binoculars. This young angler picked excellent locations and had great presentations. He just had trouble connecting with the biggies. Good job Shawn! And look out guys. He did it all without a motor. It won’t be long before he’ll be pressing you for the win.
Our angler teams were not the only ones enjoying the great weather on the best lake in Sullivan County. I counted 22 other pleasure craft out during the afternoon hours. We were all treated to a spectacular sunset, then an awesome moonrise. I think everyone had a good time and the activity around the shore line was vigorous with folks swimming, barbequing, swimming and just enjoying the wonderful day. Get out and enjoy the lake!
Responsible Wildlife Viewing
John Haas is the author of A Birding Guide to Sullivan County, New York, copyright © 2007
We are fortunate to have an abundance of wildlife in the area around Yankee Lake. Deer, Bear, Turkey, Geese, Bald Eagles, Raccoons, Porcupines, Opossum, Foxes, Otters, and even an occasional Coyote may all be seen.
While we all enjoy seeing these animals, it is important to view them responsibly. An easy method of assessing whether or not you are doing so is called the “Rule of Thumb.” Hold your arm out in front of you as far as you can. Do a “thumbs up.” In your field of view, hold your thumb next to whatever animal you are viewing. If the animal appears larger than your thumb, you are too close. If your thumb is larger than the animal, you are viewing it from an acceptable distance.
In the case of some of our more sensitive species, like our resident Bald Eagles, I suggest doubling the distance (your thumb is twice as large as the animal) to ensure as little stress as possible on these magnificent creatures. Viewing animals from too close a distance can be very stressful on the animal. It can cause fear, separation from young, aggression, and in rare cases an attack. Above is an example of acceptable viewing distance.
By all means, go out and enjoy the lake and the environment. While you are out there, hopefully you will get to see some wildlife. As you view them, give ‘em a “Thumbs Up!” and maintain a proper distance between you and the animal.
Remember, viewing wildlife responsibly ensures your safety, and the welfare of the animal you are watching!
Community Alert: See Something, Say Something!
by Alice Salmans
Yes, unfortunately this is also a reality here at Yankee Lake. We have experienced a rash of vandalism to the YLPA Clubhouse property since 24 May 2011. We have reported each of the three incidents to the State Police, and we are asking the community to help the police find the perpetrator.
Additionally, we have become aware of a series of burglaries around the various lakes in our area. As a member of our community, we would enlist your help in reporting any suspicious activities that you see to the State Police (845-888-2681 or 911). Please do not approach anyone, or try to intercede as we never know how dangerous a situation might be. 
It would be appreciated if you would also let Alice Salmans (845-888-5777) know if you have heard or seen anything related to these acts of vandalism at the Clubhouse.
The photo is of the latest damage caused by a vehicle driving through the parking area and driving over one of the spruces planted there. As always, thank you for your help to protect and preserve our community.
Annual Meeting
The YLPA held its annual membership meeting on Sunday, 29 May 2011. We had excellent attendance for such a beautiful spring day. Approximately 85 members participated this year. Topics discussed included the introduction of new officers, the quality of the lake’s water, and state-imposed dam regulations and how we are complying. The membership present voted in favor of the 2011 budget proposed by the Board of Directors. Thank you for your participation.
Yankee Lake Ice Fishing Tournament 2011
Text and Photos by Thomas "Cutter" Yonskie
The sun broke over the tops of the leafless trees, sparkling off the bluish ice like a thousand diamonds. The blue skies and bright sun were pretty, but deceiving. The temperature was only eleven degrees, and with sustained winds of 25 miles an hour, the wind chill was below zero. That kind of cold makes iit very important to protect your skin.
Fred Fusco's Grandkids Dressed for the Weather Kevin Armistead
Participation was very low this year. I don't think it was so much the weather, but because it was the same day as two other major ice fishing tournaments in the area.
We had three generations of Harding men trying their luck but that was not to be. Our big fish of the day was a fat 25 inch Chain Pickerel, caught by Ron Fello.
Three Generations of Harding Men Ron Fello with his 25 inch Chain Pickrel
Tommy Fusco had the big Catfish of the day, with a mudder just short of 13 inches. The Bass I saw caught, although a bit skinny, was very healthy looking, with good color and gave the fishermen a good tussle. He was quickly returned to the lake. Surprisingly, no perch were caught. I noticed that the participants all were using pretty large baits. Maybe that had something to do with it.
Tom Fusco With his Winning Catfish Nice Bass
A few folks came out onto the ice to play and say hello and see how the fishermen were doing. Someone was even flying a kite. It was a great day for kites. Around a quarter to one, the wind laid down and the temperature came up some. It was actually quite pleasant without the wind trying to blow the skin off your cheeks. After the 2 pm end, everyone went to the clubhouse for hot chocolate. Overall it was a nice day. Just not a lot of fishermen this year.
How to Identify Native and Invasive Plants
Invasive non-native plants are becoming a huge issue for New York lakes. It is extremely important that anything that has had contact with another body of water be thoroughly cleaned before being introduced into Yankee Lake. That means if you have used a canoe, kayak, fishing boat, sailboat, pontoon boat, pedal boat, anchor, fish net, fishing gear, paddles, oars, life preservers (personal floatation devices), or any other obect that was in contact with another lake's water, then you must clean the object before introducing it to our lake.
Lakes can be completely over-run by invasive plants very quickly. Please learn about what plants are native and properly belong in and around our lake, and what plants are non-native and potentially destructive to our eco-system. An excellent resource from the state of Maine can be downloaded by clicking this link.
If you think you have found a non-native plant, please pull a sample, including stem, leaves, flowers and roots if possible. Put the sample in a bucket of water, leave it in the shade, and contact Georgia Rampe, Chairman of our Lake Conservation and Preservation Committee.
Yankee Lake Water Quality Report Available for Download
Click Here to Download the Report
Yankee Lake’s waters will continue to be monitored throughout the 2011 summer season. The Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP) is a volunteer lake monitoring program run by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the NYS Federation of Lake Associations, Inc. It was modeled after successful volunteer programs in Vermont, Maine, Illinois and Minnesota. We have received our 2009 CSLAP report, the latest available. These reports are posted on our web site and we invite you to download them by clicking this link.
A Rain Garden at the Clubhouse
The Landscaping Committee, chaired by Board member Alice Salmans, was established in 2009 to develop and implement a long-term plan for making the clubhouse grounds more attractive, functional, and low maintenance. Installation of a Rain Garden was recently completed. Click this link to be taken to the fuller description of the landscaping plans and accomplishments. (You may also use the menu to the left to select Projects, then click on the Landscaping the Clubhouse menu item.)
Fulfillment of the landscaping plan is totally dependent on donations from the members of the YLPA, and will proceed as quickly or as slowly as donations and volunteers are available. Donations can be made on the back of your annual dues form, or by contacting Alice.
Do You Have an E-mail Address?
Your Association is trying to increase its efficiency in informing members of upcoming events, action alerts, volunteer opportunities and more! E-mail is a timely method of doing so. About half of our members have provided us with their email address. If you have not done so, please join the YLPA list! Click here to be added to the YLPA e-mail list.