Regatta and POA updates for July
This Saturday: RBL Annual Regatta
Let’s start with the fun stuff: please join your neighbors at the annual Roaring Brook Lake Regatta at Children’s Beach this Saturday, July 20th, for egg tosses, hot dogs, town gossip, and much, much more. This is one of the most fun days of the year on the lake, and a great way to meet (and compete with) our community. We’ll have boat races and bike races, a balloon pop and a pie-eating contest. Our fire truck and emergency truck should make a visit mid-day (emergencies permitting, of course). We’ll have a raffle, and lots, and lots of food. See the full schedule here.
July 13 POA Community Meeting
Big thanks to RBL resident wrangler Tim Harper for this synopsis:
The big state-mandated dam maintenance and upgrade project is not happening this year. The engineering company the town has been working with… made a few paperwork missteps, and bids have to go out again. [POA note: If the Town did not choose to rebid the work, it could have led to expensive lawsuits by the previous bidders.]
Instead of the lake being lowered in early September for the work to be finished by March 2025, the lake will now be lowered in mid-October, and the work will be done the following fall of 2025 into the spring of 2026.
Jacqueline Annabi, the Putnam Valley town supervisor, told the two-dozen-or-so residents at the POA meeting at Children’s Beach that the delay could end up being a good thing. It could mean more time for lower bids to be received; more time to apply for grants (up to $900K potentially), which would lower our costs significantly; and more time to get better loan or bond terms. She is hoping federal grant money, including from the big storms last July, can be redirected to the dam project. She said a new plan should be taking shape by September or October.
On other town-wide matters, she said the penalties for violations (for big parties, for example) of the new Short Term Rentals regulations will be $1,000 per day. She said residents can call the sheriff’s office when people or cars without RBL tags are spotted on RBL district property, including beaches and parking areas. She said half a dozen cars were recently towed from a big party on Children’s Beach.
She also said that she is against installing an EV charger on PV property because the town’s emergency services are against it, and that she does not know when the brewery will open, but the owner is making progress, and it will open at some point.
After Jacqueline Annabi, there were discussions about requesting beach and parking tags and new efforts to rid the beaches and landings of abandoned "garbage" boats. Bob Macedo, the new beach supervisor, said he wants to remove all boats that have plants growing out of them. If "it doesn’t float, it’s not a boat," he said.
Ina Cholst, the head of the lake committee, said RBL water conditions are good, with no reports of harmful algae blooms despite recorded HABs in other area lakes. She said she is also hearing that the fishing is better this year.
POA Chairman Mike Moculski and reigning regatta czar Tommy Gazzola reminded everyone that this year’s festivities are next Saturday the 20th at Children’s Beach, starting at 10am with games and contests for kids and progressing through the barbecue lunch and afternoon (slightly) more grownup competitions such as the egg toss and the greased watermelon free-for-all. All are welcome to come socialize with their neighbors.
Coffee and Lake Learning: New Septic Technology
On Sunday, August 11, 10am, our community’s new nonprofit, The Fund for Roaring Brook Lake, is hosting a Sunday morning get-together and information session on what we can do to help our aging septic systems keep the lake clean and clear. Learn about:
Best practices for maintaining your septic system
Taking advantage of community discounts
Knowing if your septic system is outdated or failing
RSVP to FundForRBL@gmail.com by Aug. 9th. And learn more here.