10/11/12
Some good comments on the LMCC candidate videos are arriving at the Insider. Keep 'em coming.
One comment regarding AIS is worth some Insider comments.
All three council candidates mentioned AIS as an issue. The Insider thinks it was worthy of mention if only because of all the press it's gotten in the past few years. Interestingly, only Woodruff had a position on how to pay for AIS programs, regionally and at the state level. The other two candidates just spouted the Lizee, Zerby and Osgood party line. Also, Woodruff is the only one who has hands on AIS experience as a LMCD AIS Task Force member.
Yes, AIS is a serious problem, but who is really affected and who has a real stake in the game?
Affected are lakeshore property owners, boaters, fishermen and of course, those who derive their living from serving those who use the lakes. The majority of Shorewood residents may be concerned, but don't see this issue as the most important in their lives.
What's interesting to the Insider is how the local newspapers and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District have allowed two homeowners associations and some local business people to co-opt them into making AIS the headline story on a weekly basis. The LMA's Executive Director, Dick Osgood, whose column seems everywhere, doesn't write just for altruistic reasons, he gets paid to lobby and has a consultancy that benefits financially from pursuing AIS management.
Next week, Shorewood is getting a Watershed Heros award for implementing the boat inspection on Christmas Lake. Arguably, the inspection program has some merit and is being mostly financed by the homeowners association. But an award for Shorewood? Seems odd that one person who was material in getting the DNR to agree to the inspection, former Administrator Brian Heck, was asked to leave just after getting the DNR agreement. Also seems strange that Mayor Chris Lizee went to work for the Watershed just after the inspection program was started and now will be the one accepting this award. Maybe this is a parting gift for Lizee who is not running again for mayor?
The real hero here is Herb Suerth of Woodland who for years labored with AIS as a LMCD Board Member and chair of its AIS Task Force. Herb refereed the discussions about AIS and put up with the attacks from Osgood and others. Herb's getting a well deserved award too and the Insider congratulates him.
Happy Reading!
The Insider
Just a thought-years ago, back in the late 70's, I worked with a person who owned a home and an outlot on Christmas Lake and I believe they still live there. This was a couple years before I moved to Shorewood.
ReplyDeleteAnd all I ever heard from this individual was how were they going to keep the general public off of "their lake."
There are NO heroes at the LMCD.
ReplyDeleteIt should be disbanded and the lake administered by the DNR and the Water Patrol.
As it is now, the lake is administered-badly-by appointed amateurs with a lot of time on their hands.