Fall weather makes appearance at Marion Co. Lake
By TOOTSIE SNELLING
Marion County Park & Lake Reporter
It was so foggy this morning, I couldn't see the lake, a sure sign it's fall. Wasn't Sunday a beautiful fall day? I went for a walk in the afternoon. The lake was so pretty with the leaves starting to turn to their fall colors and the colors reflected in the water. The air was crisp enough that I didn't work up a sweat, maybe I didn't walk fast enough? There are some beautiful mums and fall flowers around some of the houses here at the lake. It makes for a nice Sunday drive.
I've been gone the past couple of weeks with family commitments. I spent a week in Breckenridge, Mo., at the Prothmans, going with my sister for tests and waiting for results. While there, my sister and I put a quilt together, which was fun, and I enjoyed walking up and down their country road. I saw several Monarchs flying through there, but hadn't thought of taking my tags along.
I went to Topeka last week to sit with another sister, Virginia, while her husband was in the hospital. Sorry to report he died Thursday. Dale and I returned on Saturday for his funeral.
The fishing has slowed down on the lake due to the cooler weather. We did have some campers out this weekend who came to fish. They caught mostly channel cat.
Fishing in the heated dock has really picked up but the crappie aren't cooperating. Some days they just bite in the afternoon, then some days they just don't bite at all. Some nice channel cat were taken off the dock, best bait being chicken liver and dough baits. One woman caught an eight-pound Walleye inside the dock Saturday.
We had several bass boat fishermen out over the weekend but they didn't report much success.
The hall was used last Sunday by the Collett family and on Sunday of this weekend by the Gayers.
Chat and Dine will meet the first Saturday of November, then election, then the hall will be shut down for the winter months.
A lake board meeting was held Oct. 17 in the lake hall. Lake board members present were John Reznicek, Kent Becker, and Mary Avery; and county commissioners Leroy Wetta and Bob Hein.
Dale reported permits and trailer rent to date totaled $86,591.92. Projected total was $90,000, so there still is around $5,000 to come in. Total expenditures as of now are $87,018.
He also reported that John Laurin has finished rebuilding the doors and cupolas on the six stone restrooms around the lake and will replace the seats at the cement tables around the lake with bridge planks as needed.
The office and heated dock have been repainted outside. The patrol pickup has been repainted and a new used pickup was purchased for a work truck.
October, November, and December bills will be paid with the remaining money in the budget. $10,000 will be set aside for the 2003 fish order, new permit books and brochures will be printed, new signs will be ordered to replace old rusty ones around the lake, and dam road work will be done to meet state criteria for the breach analysis study.
A motion was made and passed to raise the rates of the trailer leases to cover the new sewer and water rates that were passed on to the county. There also was discussion on a new shop building.
