7102-R4_LSLA_2020_SummerNewsletter_Web

Safety Patrol From Sharon

There are two main components to this program. One is the actual Safety Patrol Boat that the lake association owns and manages. The second is hiring the State of Maine Game Wardens to be on our lake as much as feasible. I am going to summarize both for you in this article. First will be the patrol boat. The association has a fleet of boats that do various things for us. One of the boats is a dedicated Patrol Boat. You can’t miss it! Red, yellow and orange colors scream that it is on the job. We man the boat every Friday night thru Sunday with paid drivers who work for the lake association. We have a very dedicated crew. John Bernier, KatieMartin, Steve Sayian, and Cedric Harkins are all managed by Skipper Roger Leblanc. The main purpose of this boat is to patrol the perimeter of the lake, hand out educational materials, life preservers, offer assistance if needed, and be a constant reminder that we take safety very seriously. This summer you will also see them docked by the public boat launch on Mt Hunger Shore Road every Saturday and Sunday morning from 8 to 11. This new shift will be a “meet and greet”. Most day trippers, renters and visitors use the launch. These guests to our lake are an important target for our educational program. Our goal will be to offer educational and navigational handouts, boating rule books, maps, and life preservers if they don’t have enough. They will be advised that the wardens are on the lake, that we take safety and boating courtesies very seriously. We will remind them to check their registrations and any other licenses they may need to stay within the law. We will still offer the safe boating class that is free to all supportingmembers of the lake association. This class is the National Association of State

Boating Law Class which will give you a lifelong boat driving license good throughout the United States. Date and time will be announced on the website, Face Book page, and if we have a current email address for you, we will send you a notice. We also will hold private classes on your beach for children. We will go over proper fitting of life preservers, rescue and throw ring techniques, paddle board and kayak laws, age limits for boat driving and fishing laws. Just reach out to us to schedule a visit from Roger. The Safety patrollers also work with the Cumberland County Emergency Dispatch Center to assist them if there is a call from the lake. There are predetermined access points for emergency vehicles and if we are able to assist we will. Also, we may be looking for one more member of our team. If interested, and you are an experienced boater and know our lake, please reach out to me through the Association’s phone number 207-809-4706 or through the website. Our drivers typically work a couple of three hour shifts per weekend. The schedule is very flexible and it will be the most fun job ever! The second piece of the Patrol Program involves working with the State of Maine Game Wardens. Little Sebago Lake is not the quiet, serene little lake that our elders remember. Being so close to southern Maine and a large population center, it has become an urban getaway. Many of the little camps and cottages along the shore have been renovated and enlarged and are now year round homes, second homes or rental properties. Many docks that protrude from the shore now have a speed boat, pontoon boat, fishing boat, a couple of jet skis, kayaks and paddle boards.

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