Author: Lake Melissa/Sallie

July news

BOAT PARADE RESULTS – 2018
At 10:15 our lakes were windy, cool with rain threatening. Most were nervous about yet another challenging day of parade weather. Fifteen minutes later the sun was bright, winds calm, and no rain. One of the best parade days in a decade or more! Melissa started with three boats but quickly grew to 25. And there were problems with the sound system, but everything else worked.

Melissa had competition for the parade with seasoned participants that are hard to beat. Once again the Swenson family on Dakotah Beach won best decorated pontoon with “‘Rockin’ the prehistoric 4th “ with a couple Wilma’s, Pebbles, BamBam, Dino and the gang.

The Hawaii Theme Pontoon was 2nd and The adorable Bubbles and Rubber Duckie certainly deserves honorable mention.

The ever coordinated Feder clan won the judges over for first for shore decorating and enthusiasm.

The Tupa family and an unidentified family tied for 2nd.

Sallie’s competition was spirited as always. The Okeson crew came in first in the boat parade with a MASH hospital theme.

Tied for second were the Michaelson crew with their ice cream truck and the Hatle crew with Queen Sallie beauty pageant float.

The Tool/Ferguson family on Fairhaven Beach won the shore decoration trophy with the Leverson family on Pebble Beach coming in second.

We want to give a special thanks to the judges who work hard to make the parade a success. We deeply appreciate your input and continue to ask for volunteers to help in future years. And to all the participants on and off the water – GREAT JOB, LOTS OF FUN!!

FOUND – BLUE KAYAK, McDonough Beach, Lake Sallie
A blue kayak washed up on our shore and is one our beach. Kathy Score NOTE: this happened several days ago, so it may already have been claimed. We normally do not send emails specifically for lost watercraft. MelSal assumes the owners will logically search the beaches nearby, taking into account the wind directions when watercraft were lost. With proposed new system for emails, it may be possible to more easily post such notices in a timely manner.

ASSOCIATION FEES DUE NOW
Attached are the forms to pay your fees and update Contact Information. These 2018 fees are past due!

PHOTOS OF BOAT PARADE AWARD WINNERS
If the winners of the trophies the this year’s boat parade would like to have a photo of their boat/beach included in upcoming newsletters, please email a computer file to me, with your name. Only computer (jpg or pdf) files will be accepted.

July 2018 Updates

ANNUAL JULY 4TH BOAT PARADES
Get ready for the big events. At 10:30 sharp watercraft will gather at the channel, Lakes Sallie and Melissa, to celebrate the birth of our nation. Preliminary weather: windy, hot and possible scattered rain – not the best, but good enough for all the watercraft to join in. Clockwise.

In past years, watercraft have occasionally encountered swimmers some distance from docks. We ask that, for the several minutes the parade approaches your property, swimmers clear the water beyond the end of their docks. Safety first!

As usual, judges will be busy reviewing watercraft, dock, and home decorations. Traveling trophies will again be awarded to the “best”, with runner-ups. Help by somehow identifying your watercraft.

We will work diligently to announce the recipients as soon as possible. Occasionally it takes hours, or even days, to track down the winners and publicize the list. You will let you know as soon as we can.

HEADQUARTERS BUSY
MelSal volunteers are busy staffing our office from 10:00 – 1:00 each Saturday and Sunday. Stop by to pay fees, purchase clothing (and lots more), borrow a book, ask questions, or just to say “hello”.

2017 AERIAL BOAT PARADE PHOTOS
Last year’s boat parade participants on both lakes were photographed from a helicopter. A copy of your boat/participants was available at the Annual Meeting, but with lousy weather, many did not attend. So the photos will still be available ($20) for those interested. Great memories for years to come. Call Hans Tronnes by July 15 to set up time to see your photo.

GETTING CLOSER TO ON-LINE DATA BASE
Wanda Roden continues to work diligently on developing our web-based system to collect Contact Information, pay fees, make contributions, and otherwise “modernize” our system. For those who prefer the “old” way to stay current, we offer that option. Stay tuned.

HOME TOUR “GREAT SUCCESS”
“Wow” was the most frequent reaction to the incredible collection of Sallie and Melissa homes on our 2018 tour. It is truly amazing to see the creative designs/decors – some old, some new. Special thanks to those who shared their homes. Truly the most special event of all the MelSal volunteers. Plan to join us in Home Tour 2020!