articles from August, 1995 newsletter:
President's Message
Where did all that time fly? Three years ago I was assuming the role of president of the board of directors. Now l'm trying to write this message closing out my tenure. I know some of my older friends tell me that as age sets in, time goes by rather quickly. But nobody said it was this fast. It must be something else happening. Maybe it's just the fact that time flies while you're having fun. Ahhh, now that feels much better.
As I look back over those three years and as I re-read the old newsletters and minutes of board meetings, one thing stands out -- the fine people in this Club. When I've asked for help with a project, when I've asked someone to attend a meeting -- nobody has said no. Whether it was board members or Club members, the answer was always, "What do you need done?" When I've talked to new members or members who haven't been involved in anything yet, they ask if there's anything they can do to help. Now, I haven't talked to all our members, not by a long shot, but can you picture all 1800 of them asking to help with something? That's a group --- no -- that's a community of really fine people.
l'd like to thank all of you for making my tenure fly by so fast. I can't list all of you here, but you know who you are. How can I ever pay you back? 1'l1 do what all the fine past presidents have done. 1'11 dig in and work towards the goals of our Club. 1'11 help with any project, attend any meeting and never, never say no.
To the Lake, Rick Pearson
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27th Annual Meeting is Saturday, Aug. 5 in Tower
The 27th annual meeting of the Sportsmen's Club of Lake Vermilion will be held at the Tower Civic Center on Saturday, Aug. 5. The social hour will begin at 5 p.m., with a buffet dinner to follow at 6 p.m. Cost of the dinner will be $7 for adults and $1 for children under age 6.
Dinner reservations are necessary and must be received no later than Tuesday, Aug. 1. Please contact one of the following to make your reservations: Rick. Pearson, 666-2353; Vi Harris, 666-2300; Shirley Korpela, 7533034; or Paula Bloczynski, 753-2107.
The following directors will stand for re-election: Joe Cantrell, Harold Korpela, Leon Long and Paula Bloczynski.
We will also be electing a director to fill the unexpired term of Pat Patrow. Nominations from the floor will be accepted, but please have the nominee's permission before presenting his/her name.
The program will consist of a review of the past year's activities, and members will have an opportunity to bring up matters of personal concern regarding Club business or problems around the lake. There will be door prizes too, so come prepared for an enjoyable and informative evening with your Lake Vermilion friends and neighbors.
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So long, Pat ... it's been good to know you
It was with regret that your board had to accept the resignation of Pat Patrow as a board member. Pat and his wife, Helen, have both been extremely active in the business of the Club: Pat as a board member since 1991 and Helen as a volunteer at Pike River Hatchery. Pat and Helen are leaving the area for points West, but have assured us they will be back during summers.
Willis Irons, a member of the Club since 1980 who resides on Everett Bay Road, will be nominated to fill Pat's place on the board.
Our very best to both Pat and Helen.
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Fund Raiser Planned
The day of the Annual Meeting, Aug. 5, is going to start pretty early for some folks -- Steve Anderson and Todd Bethel, for example. They plan to pedal their way from the Cook end of the Lake to Tower.
Notice I didn't say paddle, but pedal. And not on an ordinary bike, mind you, but on a Hydro Bike. They'll be starting at 6 a.m. from Steve's home near Pehrson Lodge and are planning to finish their trek at the East Two River bridge in Tower in time for the social hour at 5 p.m.
Along the way they hope to accomplish two things --- present to the Lake a new type of water recreation vehicle and help the Club raise money for our Scholarship Fund. Steve and his wife, Lori, have recently moved to the Lake and hope to bring their new business here -- Vermilion Hydro-Sports. Todd is Steve's nephew and just likes pedaling around.
An accomplishment like this is not new for Steve. In 1982 he and another friend pedaled road bikes through 48 states in less than eight months to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Then in 1993 they took on the mighty Mississippi River with Hydro Bikes. Not downstream, by the way, but upstream from the Gulf of Mexico to St. Cloud. That time they raised money for a home for women and children in Minneapolis. Now they're hoping to raise money, and membership, for the Sportsmen's Club.
So how about it? Would you like to pledge some money to the Scholarship Fund for their efforts? The money won't be spent in our immediate area, but just to some school somewhere. But it will be spent by one of our local kids for an education. Since the start of the Robert Olson Memorial Scholarship, the Club has helped four local kids with their tuition moneys.
The total awarded to date is $1300. It's not a lot of money and we'd like to award more. But to do that we must have more than our dues income . While you're digging out the checkbook, how about also showing this to your neighbor who hasn't yet joined the Club?
Maybe this will convince him or her that the Club is worth joining.
By the way, at the Annual Meeting we'll be drawing a prize for some Club member who has donated money to the Scholarship Fund. And we'll be drawing a prize for any new member who donates also. We'll be drawing prizes for a lot of other things too, so plan to be there. Another thing -- let's keep this under our hats. Steve and Lori have offered to take $200 off the price of a Hydro Bike to any and all Club members.
That offer is good through the month of August. Want to look at the bike in action? Keep your eye on the Lake Aug. 5. Come see Steve and Todd at the finish fine in Tower. Come meet them at the Annual Meeting. When you do, thank them for their efforts.
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Scholarship Awarded
The Sportsmen's Club of Lake Vermilion has announced the recipient of this year's Robert B. Olson Memorial Scholarship Award. This year's award goes to high schooir senior Joseph Michael Zaitz from Tower. It was presented May 19 at the Tower High School award banquet by current Club President Rick Pearson.
The Robert B. Olson Memorial Scholarship was established March 13, 1991 , by the directors of the Sportsmen's Club of Lake Vermilion, Inc. with the approval of the Olson family. The scholarship honors the memory of Robert B. Olson, a Tower civic leader and Lake Vermilion resident. He was an avid hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman who was serving as a Sportsmen's Club director at the time of his death Oct. 5, 1990. With matching funds from the Sportsmen's Club, the scholarship this year has a value of $500.
The scholarship is open to any high school senior who is a resident of the Tower or Cook School attendance area and is intending to study a college curriculum relating to conservation or the environment. Joe plans to enroll in the Forestry Program at the Vermilion Community College in Ely. He was selected by the directors of the Sportsmen's Club of Lake Vermilion, Inc. at their May 10 meeting. At the meeting they reviewed and scored several candidates' application forms, letters of recommendation, essays and transcripts. The scholarship is awarded on the basis of leadership qualities, scholarship and career potential. From all of us in the Club, we wish Joe all the best.
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Water Clarity Research Project Initiated
The Sportsmen's Club, in cooperation with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Citizen Lake Monitoring program, has just initiated a lake-wide water clarity monitoring program. The purpose of the program is to establish baseline data reflecting the clarity and quality of Lake Vermilion's water. The Club will utilize the data as a kind of early warning device so it can take action if the water quality in any part of the lake becomes threatened. The data will be shared with the MPCA and entered into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's water quality database. The annual Citizen Lake Monitoring Program Report is produced from this data. Every two years this CLMP data is used in the state's 305b Report to the Congress of the United States, an assessment of Minnesota's surface waters.
To gather this data, an instrument called a Secchi Disc is used. A Secchi Disc is a heavy metal disc, about eight inches in diameter, painted white, to which an eye bolt is attached. A 25-foot dacron cord is attached to the eye bolt.
The cord has graduated markings at 1/2-foot, one-foot and five-foot intervals. A test site is chosen, well off shore in deeper water, and the transparency readings are taken on bright days between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. when the water is calm. The disc is lowered from the shaded side of the boat, until it just disappears completely from view. The disc's depth is noted by way of the marked cord. The disc is lowered a bit farther and then raised until it just reappears and that depth is noted. The two readings are averaged to the nearest 1/2-foot and recorded on a standardized form. Four other items of data are also collected at the same time.
These include PHYSICAL CONDITION, SUITABILITY FOR RECREATION, COLOR OF LAKE WATER and OTHER NOTES. The first two are a determination by the observer of the amount of algae in the water. High levels of algae can indicate a pollution problem. The color of the water (i.e., clear, green, tea stained, etc.) can be influenced by a number of factors including temperature, rainfall, a river flowing into a lake, etc. Other notes may include weather conditions, observation of wildlife, amount of nearby development, etc. Subsequent readings are taken at the same test site during the months of June through September. The readings are taken once a week, at least three days apart.
On Lake Vermilion, 10 sites will be monitored by five qualified volunteers. Board member Dale Lundblad is coordinating the program and will collect and compile the data. The results will be published each year in this newsletter.
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The Wildlife of Lake Vermilion
So many of us know so little about the wildlife that inhabit these Northwoods we all share. Our lack of information is not brought home to us until we get into a sketchy conversation with friends or neighbors, or perhaps a guest will ask us some question they (and we) feel we should know the answer to. And then we wish we knew more and our curiosity is peaked. So we decide we're going to look some of these things up -- tomorrow. But the days run one into the other, we forget about our intended research until the question comes up again. "Oh, yes, " we say, "1 was going to . . . " As a result, some of us got our heads together on this and we came up with an idea for all of us Sportsmen 's Club members to better understand the wildlife that surrounds us -- this column. Knowledge leads to understanding which in turn heightens one's interest. In each issue of our Sportsmen's Club newsletter, we will feature one particular subject, beginning with the Black Bear.
We are very fortunate and privileged to have WALT GESSLER, Wildlife Habitat Specialist from the State of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, who has volunteered to write this series for us. We welcome any and all suggestions from the membership as to subjects that interest you the most. Contact Walt or me with your communications.
Walt Gessler, Wildlife Habitat Specialist
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
1429 Grant-McMahan Boulevard
Ely, Minnesota 55731; (218)365-7280
Mardy Jackson
2065 County Road 77
Tower, Minnesota 55790; (218) 753-3549
Lake Vermilion Black Bears
Black bears, like all forms of wiIdlife in the Lake VermiIion area, are dependent on four things: food, water, shelter and space. These are the things that make up a black bear's habitat, and what l'd like to do is talk about these different aspects and relate them to the bears that live araund Lake Vermilion. At a future date 1'11 talk about hibernation as that is an article in itself.
General Habitat Information
Black bears are found over the entire Lake Vermilion area. They are animals of the forest and because almost all of the area is forested, the entire Lake Vermilion area provides habitat for the black bear. Good black bear habitat would be described as a forested area in a variety of ages with scattered grass/forb/shrub openings.
Different plant communities or habitat types provide for the needs of bears at various times of the year. In the Lake Vermilion area there are 20 different broad plant community or habitat types. From wetlands to upland areas and everything in between the black bear will utilize these different habitat types in some way to meet its needs.
Generally speaking, the black bear goes through an annual cycle of habitat use depending on what their needs are and what's available. A good reference to the different habitat types in the Lake Vermilion area is "Northwoods Wildlife: A Watcher's Guide to Habitats" by Janine Benyus.
Other factors are also important and influence black bears in the area. These factors are climate and prevailing weather patterns, soil, topography and land use.
Climate influences what grows in the area and how long the black bear can eat during the year. Bears in this area have about seven-eight months to meet all of their nutrition needs. However, prevailing weather patterns can lengthen or shorten the amount of time that food is available to the bears. Anyone who picks berries in this area can attest to how berry crops change from year to year. Weather has a big influence on our berry crops and has a big influence on bears. Last year, for example, we didn't have a late frost and rain wasn't in short supply, which provided plenty of blueberries and other fruits for bears to eat. By contrast, this year we had a frost in June and only an inch of rain in the month of June. This type of weather pattern will change what foods are available to the bears and the bears will have to adjust to these changes.
Soil and topography also infuence the bears' food supply. Soils are important in that better, more productive soils produce more and better foods and where they grow. Most of the soils in the Lake Vermilion area are not very productive. The better soils are found along streams and rivers and the least productive soils (little or no soil) on rock outcrops.
Topography influences vegetation in many different ways in this area, but one of the most interesting is the effect that the lake itself has on the vegetation in the area. Because Lake Vermilion is so large it influences vegetation and the weather somewhat around it. Probably the most important effect the lake has is that it may reduce the potential for frost to damage food crops along the shores of the lake and provide a reliable food supply for bears on a regular basis.
Probably the biggest impact on bears in this area will be long-term changes in land use of the area. Because bears are dependent on forest environments any conversion of forested land to non-forested land will have some impact on bears in the area. Because of the large public land base in the area along with the number of people interested in wildlife these impacts will hopefully be minimal overall.
Food
The black bears diet is primarily made up of vegetation with occasional additions of various amounts of animal protein also consumed. A list of vegetation that bears eat is too long to list for this article, but it includes grass, forbs, fruits, nuts, leaves and flowers.
When bears eat grass, forbs, leaves or flowers, they eat primarily young or new plants and avoid the older plants. The reason why bears do this is because the young plants contain more nutrients and also the bear is not able to digest the older plants. Most of this vegetation is consumed in the spring when there is lots of new growth available. An interesting experiment can be conducted simply by noting the difference between clover (a common bear food) in early May and late June, just note how tough the vegetation gets over the summer. Openings in the forest are good areas for bears to find these types of foods.
Fruit or soft mast are the most important food for bears in this area. Blueberries, cherries, juneberries and just about any wild fruit will be consumed by bears in this area.
The soft mast is the primary means by which bears put on weight each year and has an important effect on reproduction in the bear population. In years with poor food crops, bears gain less weight and cub production is less because the females go to den in poor condition. Bears find soft mast in all habitat types with edges of openings overall providing the most abundant production of soft mast.
Around Lake Vermilion, areas with regenerating forest are also important areas for bears to find food with young jack pine areas being especially good for blueberries.
When it comes to soft mast, bears are not shy about hitting a fruit tree in town or someone's yard. Crab apples do well in this area and at times are utilized by bears. A couple of years ago there was a sow and two cubs that spent a couple of weeks in the city of Ely feeding almost entirely on crab apples. The threesome didn't cause any major problems other than making some people nervous and leaving behind some bear sign.'The bears would spend the day in a tree, right in town, and then come down and feed at night on the crab apples. On more than one occasion someone called me about these bears wondering what they should do, and at least in this case we were able to leave them alone and let them eat the crab apples. They eventually left town to go and hibernate.
Another important soft mast food for bears in this area of the state is the mountain ash. Mountain ash is not common around Lake Vermilion, but is abundant in the North Share area inland to about Isabella. Bears in the Ely area have been known to migrate 60 miles or more to the North Shore area to feed on mountain ash and it wouldn't surprise me if some of the bears in the Lake Vermilion area did the same. The bears stay a week or two and feed and then return to their home area.
The last category of vegetation that is important to bears for food in this area is nuts or hard mast. The mosf common hard mast food source in this area is hazelnuts followed by oaks, with hazelnuts being a more reliable source of food. When either or both of these two food sources are available in abundance they provide an excellent food source and can mean the difference between a bear going to den in poor condition or good condition. Oaks are not very common in this part of the state, but can be found regularly in the Lake Vermilion area. The reason for oaks being common here probably has something to do with the microclimate that the lake produces. Bears will actively seek out oaks that are producing acorns and will make a long trip like bears do to seek mountain ash along the North Shore.
Overall animal protein is not the most common food item in a bear's diet, but can be the most common during certain times of the year. Insects probably are the most common form of animal protein in the bear's diet with ant, wasp and bee larvae being the main sources. When they are abundant, bears will also feed heavily on forest tent caterpillars. Another source of animal protein in this area are white-tail deer fawns and moose calves. Bears at times will actively seek fawns and calves as a food source, but by no means is it their main source of food.
Water
Water in any form from lakes to wetlands are required to meet all of the bear's needs. Bears need more water when they are feeding on vegetation, nuts or insects, but need less water when they are feeding on soft mast. Water is also important to bears during hot weather as a means to cool off.
Shelter
Black bears utilize shelter for a variety of reasons with protection from the elements and avoiding humans being the most common. Most any forest cover can be a form of shelter for a bear simply by providing a place for a bear to hide. On cold, rainy days, a sow with cubs will seek out an area that will provide protection for her cubs from the weather. Bears will also seek out shade on hot days to avoid heat stress. Probably the most important form of shelter, at least in this area, are large rough barked trees, with white pine being one of the most important. These large trees provide important escape cover for bears, especially cubs. In timber sale areas and other areas where mature trees have been removed, the presence of these trees scattered within the area provide refuge sites so that bears can more fully utilize these areas.
This is some very brief information on black bears in the Lake Vermilion area. A book could be wn'tten on the bears in this area just on the many interesting encounters that people have had with bears around the lake. I have included some other information in the newsletter specifically relating with dealing with nuisance bears that I hope will be informative and helpful to you.
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Preventing Bear Problems Before They Start
Walt Gessler
Habitat Specialist, Area Wildlife Office
Now that warm weather has arrived many of us are starting to enjoy the activities associated with this time of year. From fishing to camping to outdoor barbecuing, there are many activities to choose from. Unfortunately some of these activities can potentially create problems by attracting bears to areas where they are not welcome unless some simple steps are taken to help prevent this from occurring. Following are some techniques that can be used to help prevent bears from making a nuisance of themselves.
"Good Housekeeping" is the rule in bear country. Simple sanitation measures can be the key to preventing bear problems.
1) Do not leave garbage in and around camp areas. Grease, fat, bacon and meats are extremely attractive to bears and should be disposed of in sealed containers. Burning garbage makes it more attractive.
2) Clean garbage cans and containers frequently with ammonia or bleach and place camphor disks, mothballs, air fresheners or ammonia soaked rags in garbage cans to help hide any food odors.
3) Containers that held food should be rinsed before thrown away and recycle the items that can be recycled.
4) Keep retrigerators and other insulated containers that are left outside clean.
5) Put plastic bags in garbage cans to help hide food odors.
6) Store garbage cans in a secure place rather than in the open. The garage or shed is a good place.
7) Empty garbage dumpsters after dinner if possible to decrease the chance of attracting bears. At the minimum, make sure that dumpsters can be securely closed and keep bears out.
8) Do not place garbage out for pickup overnight.
9) Remove the grease cans from barbecue grills after every use.
10) Keep barbecue grills clean if they are left outside. Using aluminum foiI and cleaning with ammonia are ways to keep your grill clean.
11) Do not place food out to attract wildlife from April to October, especially bird seed and suet. Besides attracting bears, feeding bird seed in warm weather can also be deadly to birds by spreading a bacteria that grows on the seed that will kill the birds.
12) Do not vent food odors outdoors if it can be avoided.
13) Do not leave pet food outside.
14) Do not hand feed or intentisnally feed bears! Doing this may teach the bear to associate people with food which could be to the detriment of both bears and people. A bear is a wild animal and should be respected.
Remember, in bear country, "good housekeeping and simple sanitation" can go a long ways in preventing bears from making a nuisance of themselves.
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Personal Watercrafts - Do You Know the Rules?
All personal watercraft are considered motorboats and thus any regulations that apply to moterboats also apply to personal watercraft.
- Anybody operating or riding on a personal watercraft must wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved Type I, II, 111 and V personal flotation device (life jacket).
- You may not operate a personal watercraft between sunset and 8 a.m. the following day.
- You may not travel at greater than a slow speed no wake speed - within 100 feet of any shoreline, dock, swimmer, swimming raft, any moored or anchored watercraft or non-motorized watercraft at any time.
- You may not chase or harass wildlife.
- You may not travel through emergent or floating vegetation at greater than slow speed - no wake speed.
- You may not operate a personal watercraft in a manner that unreasonably or unnecessarily endangers life, limb or property.
- You may not weave through congested watercraft traffic or jump the wake of another watercraft within 100 feet of the other watercraft. This includes other personal watercraft.
- All personal watercraft must display valid registration decals and state registration numbers on the front half of both sides of the craft.
- Your watercraft license card must be kept on board your craft when it's in use.
- All personal watercraft with enclosed engine or fuel compartments must carry a fully charged, readily accessible U.S. Coast Guard approved fire extinguisher.
- It is unlawful to operate a personal watercraft whle intoxicated.
There are also age of operator requirements. They are:
- Under 13 years old: A person under the age of i3 years old may not operate a personal watercraft, regardless of horsepower, unless there is person 18 years of age or older also onboard the craft.
- Age 13: A 13-year-old operating a personal watercraft must have e watercraft operator's permit. The 13 year-old must also be under unaided observation by a person 18 years of age or older. (The observer may be on shore watching the operator, but he or she must be within sight without the aid of binoculars.)
- Ages 13 to 17: Persons 13 through 17 may operate a personal watercraft without a watercraft operator's permit if somebody 18 or older accompanies them on board the craft.
- Ages 14 to 17: Any person at least 14 years of age, but less than 18 years of age may operate a personal watercraft alone, regardless of horsepower, if they have a valid watercraft operator's permit.
It is also unlawful for the owner of the personal watercraft to permit its operation in violation of the age restrictions.
Violation of any of the watercraft safety laws is a misdemeanor and punishable by a fine of up to $700 and/or 90 days in jail.
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Loon Lover's Digest
LOON MAGIC ... This is the last of the articles on the loon ... if you remember everything that has been in them . . . consider yourself .. AN EXPERT!!!
THE FINAL TEN ... BEYOND FANATICISM
40. Do some loons have green heads?
Looks are deceiving. A loon's head sometimes looks green, but it is really jet-black. When the feathers on the head are slightly raised (a display loons use in social gatherings), sunlight refracting through the feathers creates the green, iridescent effect. In an argument . . . bet on black.
41. Do loons nest on the ocean?
NO. There has never been a report of a loon nesting on the coast. However, loons are commonly seen off the coasts of Maine and New Hampshire during the summer breeding season.
42. Okay, what is this foot waggle business?
All serious loon watchers know about the foot waggle business. Every 10 to 20 minutes loons will extend a foot and wave it. It could be that the foot is being used as a crude solar coIlector to pick up heat. The waggle certainly conserves heat since the blood vessels in the foot would release heat into the water. Supporting this notion is the fact that after the waggle, the foot is uaually tucked up under the wing --- a place to keep it warm. Or it could be that the foot waggle is part of a stretching exercise . . . loon yoga, perhaps?
43. Are small lakes better habitat for loons than large lakes?
Small lakes are probably better habitat for loons, especially if one pair is able to claim the entire lake as its territory. This reduces competition for food and other resources and allows the loons to focus all their attention on raising their young. Chicks may actually develop more rapidy on small ponds than on large lakes.
44. When does the molt begin?
The fall molt seems to vary region by region--earlier in the West and later in the East. The first noticeable loss of feathers is usually mid to late September. New breeding plumage is donned in March and April. Loons lose their wing feathers only once -- in late winter, usually February.
45. In summer, do loons travel much?
Recent research indicates loons travel a lot in summer, especially late summer after nesting duties are completed. One Wisconsin loon, tracked with a radio transmitter, flew 12 miles from its home lake to feed in another.
46. How many loons have been banded?
587 ... next question.
47. How old are loons before they return to the northern lakes?
Unlike ducks or geese, loons hang around their coastal homes for a full two or even three years before reaching sexual maturity and fly north for the first time. These immature loons do not have the black and white plumage. This delayed breeding might give loons the time they need to learn the fishing and general survival skills necessary to successfully raise young.
48. Will loons reject a chick touched by humans?
No. Many chicks have been handled for banding and have been safely returned to their parents. Other chicks, which were abandoned, have been rescued by people and subsequently adopted by adult loons.
49. How long after copulation will the eggs be laid?
No biologist seems to have the answer. It is a short period of time though . . . measured in days rather than weeks.
50. Where do 1 find out more about loons?
You are an over-the-edge loon fanatic. But if you want more information on loons in your region, contact the North American Loon Fund affiliate nearest you.
Minnesota Loon Appreciation Committee
812 Oriole Lane
Chaska, MN 55318
Wisconsin Project Loon Watch
Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute
Northland College
Ashland, WI 54806
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Buoy Placement and Maintenance
To report any buoys missing or having drifted off mark, please call any of the following numbers:
Fred Smith -- Tower
- 753-6723 (home)
- 753-6004 (Pier #77)
- 343-4456 (cellular)
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