March 2016 Newsletter: Ballston Lake Improvement Association

This is a wonderful time of the year.

This is when we who live on Ballston Lake can think about and look forward to another beautiful summer of activity on the lake. We are a lucky group of people. As you all may be aware, Ballston Lake Improvement Association is a group of folks who continue to work hard to preserve and improve the Lake. We are definitely making progress toward this goal. My message today is safety. New York State has a regulation that requires any power boat or personal water craft that is towing a water skier, wake boarder or an occupied tube have an observer in the boat that is ten years of age or older. This law has been around for many years, yet it is constantly ignored on this lake, even on very busy days.

There is absolutely no excuse for anyone to disobey this New York State law. Parents need to instruct their family boaters and there should not be any exception to obeying this law. This is a matter of safety for all boaters on the lake. I have been a member of the United States Power Squadron for more than thirty-five years. The primary function of this organization is to provide safe boating courses. I will again be teaching the boating course that the state requires for young boaters between the ages of ten and eighteen, date and time to be determined. This is essential for all young boaters in this age range in order to drive a power boat.

This is the same course people fourteen years and older are required to take and pass in order to have a certificate to drive a personal water craft. Let's do everything we can to make Ballston Lake as safe as possible. Please contact me at (518) 399-5803 for details of this course.

Peter G. Herman
President: Ballston Lake Improvement Association