Laker 2 - June 14, 2021

No. 2 June 14 – June 28, 2021

FREE

WIG OUT FOR WAPOGASSET P. 6A

BEEF UP ON BONE LAKE P. 2B

Also Included GETTING INTO THE MIX ALONG WAPO THIS SUMMER BUYING THE BOAT OF YOUR DREAMS BATTLING THE LARGEMOUTH BASS

Sentinel Publications: Amery Free Press, Baldwin Bulletin, Burnett County Sentinel, Country Messenger & Osceola Sun

The Cargo Manifest Galley GETTING INTO THE MIX ALONG WAPO THIS SUMMER

p. 3A

Riggings BUYING THE BOAT OF YOUR DREAMS

p. 4A

Port of Call WIG OUT FOR WAPOGASSET

p. 6A

BEEF UP ON BONE LAKE

p. 2B

Fishery BATTLING THE LARGEMOUTH BASS

p. 4B 2A

THE LAKER | JUNE 14 – 28, 2021

Shore Leave p. 10B

Fishers of Men p. 11B

Time to take it easy School’s out for summer, Father’s Day is just around the corner.

Yes, June and summer time have arrived. Time to ditch the routines and head to the lake.

Inside this Laker, we have features on Lake Wapogasset and Bone Lake. There’s a look at the Mix Up, a profile of the elusive bass, a story about cabin renovations and a column about the “boat from hell” from writer C.L. Sill.

Find some shade, and remember the sunscreen!

Five more Lakers before summer is done.

The publication dates are as follows: • Laker #3 Deadline: Wednesday, June 23, Delivery Date: Week of June 28 • Laker #4 Deadline: Wednesday, July 7, Delivery Date: Week of July 12 • Laker #5 Deadline: Wednesday July 21, Delivery Date: Week of July 26 • Laker #6 Deadline: Wednesday, Aug. 4, Delivery Date: Week of Aug. 9 • Laker #7 Deadline: Wednesday, Aug. 18, Delivery Date: Week of Aug. 23 Got a comment or a story idea?

Email us at polkcountylaker@ gmail.com Enjoy the Laker, and your summer!

Tom Stangl, Publisher tstangl@theameryfreepress.com Cover photo courtesy of Teresa Ann Rogers

SENTINEL

PU B L I C AT I O N S © 2021 The Laker is proudly published

by Sentinel Publications , carrying on from Ledger Publications

Galley

GETTING INTO THE MIX ALONG WAPO THIS SUMMER

By Kelly Holm Just west of Amery and in close proximity to Lake Wapogasset, The Mix Up has long been a fixture of the surrounding community, but is now rebranding alongside new owners.

Formerly known as Miki Jo’s Mix Up, this countryside bar is gearing up for a busy summer as COVID-19 loses its stranglehold on the world.

Current proprietors Liz Sieben and Luke Johnson, who own businesses in their hometown of Menomonie, could never have foreseen two years ago that they would take the reins of this Amery staple.

Sieben has long dreamed of running a bar, but Johnson never thought it was in the cards until the establishment, previously ran by a friend of the pair, went into foreclosure in early 2020.

“The landowner, who actually owned and ran the bar for 32 years [before the titular Miki Jo], was foreclosing, so we actually in-

Contributed

Contributed The outdoor dining area has been expanded at the Mix Up.

tercepted the foreclosure,” Sieben said. “We got it out of foreclosure in February [of 2020], remodeled it, opened it in the middle of March five days before the shutdown, then put in the patio and opened fully in the middle of May.” COVID-19 brought a rocky start that no entrepreneur could have foretold. But in the early

months of quarantine, Sieben and Johsnon reached out to the Amery community to build rapport.

“We did to-go food, which was really great. We were shut down during Easter during that time, so we actually delivered 174 free Easter dinners to the community here… to everybody that couldn’t leave their house,” Sieben said.

“[It was] a little more difficult than a normal restaurant and bar opening… [but] we didn’t know what normal was, because we’d never owned a bar and we didn’t own it before the shutdown. We delivered all winter long on the weekends— obviously takeout, carside options, all last summer, all of the above.”

During that time, Sieben,

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Johnson and their 19-person staff came to know certain members of the community very well, becoming perhaps some of the only familiar presences in a period of isolation.

“A lot of elderly people in the community relied on us to deliver food. There was a lot of people that I delivered to, might’ve been an 82-year-old grandmother that lived by herself. She had no means to go anywhere, she didn’t CONTINUED ON 5A

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Riggings

BUYING THE BOAT OF YOUR DREAMS a boat for every time of aquatic activity. Cruising, fishing and watersports are the three main categories.

By Kelly Holm Few things seem more quintessentially Wisconsin than a relaxing day out on the lake in your boat, whether you’re behind the wheel or chilling in the back with a cold beer in hand and a dog at your feet. Indeed, our state ranks fifth in the nation for boat ownership numbers, with neighbors Minnesota and Michigan also appearing in the top five. If you’d like to add to the more than half a million registered watercraft in the state, but don’t know where to get started, here’s an introduction.

Cruising boats The aforementioned beer-andman’s-best-friend scenario would fit best on a cruising boat, of which common models are the sailboat and the pontoon. Sailboats are diverse in their design, and can be found in a variety of lengths, sizes, sail numbers and hull configurations. As for what every sailboat has in common?

They’re all propelled, to some extent, by the wind.

Pontoon boats, meanwhile, would be a great fit for the boater who likes to invite large groups

What are the most common types of recreational boats?

Whether you’re angling for largemouth bass or trying to fling your kids off the inner tube, there’s

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Galley THE MIX UP | FROM 3A want to go anywhere, and she felt like this was her option,” Johnson said. “Seven days in that week, we would deliver to the same house every night for dinner and meals.”

Others that the Mix Up was able to offer support to as the initial lockdown period eased? Local musicians.

“All of these musicians were not working, so we were able, three or four days a week, to give them employment when they weren’t working. This is their bread and butter as well,” said Sieben.

Many of the artists who have played at the Mix Up are within a 10-mile radius of Amery, but others hail from Menomonie, Minneapolis or even Texas.

“We have some bigger-label bands coming for the rest of the summer, and we’re just happy to be able to do it and we love it,” Sieben said.

One can hear live music out on the Mix Up patio on Fridays and Saturdays from 6-10 PM and Sundays from 2-6 PM. Official announcements regarding what

Contributed

Contributed The new owners haven’t changed long time items on the food menu.

musicians will be performing will be made later in the season.

Patrons who enjoyed the venue in its previous incarnations will still find plenty that is familiar within the new direction, Sieben says. One customer, a woman in her nineties, was inspired to visit the Mix Up as it was built on the

location where she went to elementary school.

“The chicken and the burgers and things are still the same as… when it was called Home Base Bar, and people would come up here for their food and their roasted chicken,” she said. “We didn’t actually change anything pertain-

ing to the menu that’s been here for 30+ years.”

One “fan favorite” is the Wapo Popper, consisting of bacon-wrapped, deep-fried jalapeno cream cheese. On the beverage front, the “Keisha Shot,” named for one of the Mix Up’s bartenders, is popular, but its ingredients are mostly secret save Crown Apple Whiskey.

“It’s really weird to have 21-yearolds hang out with 75-year-olds and everybody gets along and mends well. That happens here every day of the week,” Sieben said. “I personally would like to own three more bars!” ■

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Port of Call

WIG OUT FOR WAPOGASSET

By Kelly Holm A crown jewel of Wisconsin’s “City of Lakes,” Amery, Lake Wapogasset encompasses over a thousand acres and is home to 600 residents, two local businesses and two summer camps, but did you know that it used to be called Sucker?

In the 1800s, the 1189acre lake was known as Sucker Lake, was surrounded largely by dairy farms, and was home to plentiful pike, walleye and bass populations. Fertilizer in the runoff was mostly natural, and Wapogasset teemed with plant life. Five miles long from tip to tip and about a mile wide at maximum, the lake also encompassed a smaller body of water known as Bear Trap Cove.

By 1911, Wapogasset

6A

was lined with cottages, so a man by the name of Dr. James Wallace founded what is now known as the Lake Wapogasset Bear Trap Improvement Association, dedicated to preserving and protecting the lake for residents and recreational users alike.

Wallace was not a medical doctor, but rather the president of Macalester College in St. Paul. “[Wallace] came out with his family, and he bought a large tract of land, which was Pine Island at the time, and named it Wallace Island, and he built a summer cabin here,” said Marty Noonan, the association’s current president. “The train would come from Minneapolis to Deronda, which is on the east side of Wapogasset.”

These days, you may

THE LAKER | JUNE 14 – 28, 2021

Contributed Lae Wapogasset is a great spot to view fireworks on July 4.

Port of Call

Contributed

Contributed

A kayaking group recently formed to paddle the lake.

A race is part of annual fun day celebration on Lake Wapogasset.

not hear very many railroad whistles blowing when you visit the lake, but be grateful: back in Wallace’s time, one would have to take a horse-drawn cart around Wapogasset to get from the train station to their cottage. In little more than a century, the lake has gone from a rural farming destination to a popular motorboat hub.

As for Bear Trap Cove? In the 1960s, it was promoted to Bear Trap Lake, though it’s still connect-

whether in the form of collaborations with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources or citizen-comprised committees.

One such project, the Clean Boats Clean Waters effort, aims to curtail the arrival and spread of invasive species within Wapogasset and Bear Trap.

“On the weekends, we have a full-time employee that we pay to inspect the boats going in [at two public landings, to] make sure

ed to Wapogasset via a small narrows and its northwestern edge.

Surrounding Wapogasset, you’ll find more than 650 families who choose to make their home around Amery’s largest body of water, and about 30 percent of them keep a full-time address there. Out of all these residents, 508 (over 75 percent) are voluntary members of the association.

The association is always busy with lake preservation efforts,

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their wells have been drained before they go on to the lake so that they don’t bring in invasive species from other lakes,” Noonan said. “We’ve done some water diversion around Friday Creek… to prevent nutrients from coming into the lake which will enhance the algae bloom.”

The DNR has stocked the lakes with native species like walleye

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THE LAKER | JUNE 14 – 28, 2021

Port of Call WAPOGASSET | FROM 7A and northern pike in order to diminish invasive species’ impact, and five settlement plates are also used in order to keep taps on the lakes’ biodiversity and watch out for zebra mussels, which are common pests in other area lakes but are not yet present in Wapogasset and Bear Trap.

One common invasive species that has made its home in Lake Wapogasset is the curly leaf pondweed, a nuisance to many lakes throughout Wisconsin. Five years ago, the association received a grant from the DNR to purchase a weed harvester for use during the summer months and does a sur-

Contributed A boat parade is part of July 4 festivities.

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Every year, 250 tons of curly leaf pondweed (about two-thirds of which is water weight) are harvested from Wapogasset and Bear Trap lakes. Most of the harvested product goes to local farmers, who convert it into fertilizer.

“We’ve been working on instructing the local lake residents about not using nitrate fertilizers on their lawns,” Noonan said. “A lot of the properties have lawns that go all CONTINUED ON 10A

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Port of Call

Riggings

WAPOGASSET FROM 9A

BOATS | FROM 4A

the way down to the lakeshore.”

The association is promoting getting the closest 25 feet of land to the lakeshore back to its natural vegetation habitat, in order to prevent erosion.

The industrialization and development in earnest of Wapogasset’s surrounding land began shortly after World War II, when two summer camps, Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible camp and YMCA Camp Icaghowan, were built along it. Not long after, the building surge of the 1950s began, when property owners built uninsulated two-season cabins, with no building code or inspector.

In the 1970s, the association played an instrumental role, alongside the DNR, in developing the Lake Wapogasset and Bear Trap Lake Sanitary District, which instituted the lake’s first sewer system, only the second of its kind on a Wisconsin Lake.

“With the sewer system, the water quality of the lake improved drastically,” Noonan said.

After the sewer system was built, many buyers purchased the original two-season cabins from the 1950s, tore them down, and built year-round homes or insulated cabins.

Now, boaters and fishermen from both Wisconsin and Minnesota can be found out on the lake each weekend, or participating in one of Wapogasset’s annual fishing tournaments.

Noonan’s six-year term as the association’s president expires in September, so someone new will need to step up to fill the role. ■

of friends or family out for a breezy afternoon on the lake.

Designed for maximum buoyancy, they have wide, quasi-rectangular decks and cushy seating all around.

If said guests enjoy a leisurely lakeside jaunt but still want to feel the wind against their faces or maybe even give waterskiing a try, a bowrider might be the best bet. With a V-shaped hull and a swim platform, bowriders are a great choice if you have passengers who enjoy watersports, but aren’t die-hard aquatic athletes.

A longer trip may require a trawler or a cabin cruiser. Ranging from 25 to 75 feet, these boats are longer than others in the cruiser category, and usually possess additional features like a kitchen and a sleeping area. Trawlers are more fuel-efficient, while cabin cruisers are more equipped for handling rougher waters.

Fishing boats If you’re fishing alone or in a pair on shallow water, a bass boat

Metro Creative Connection A fishing boat gets lots of use.

or an aluminum boat may be an ideal choice. In addition to being a more low-maintenance size, these vessels are good for navigating tricky areas such as shallow inlets. Meanwhile, sport-fishing boats or center console boats are a solid bet for larger parties, bigger fish and choppier waters.

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Watersports boats It all depends on what you’re into. If you prefer a lower-maintenance vehicle and maybe want to pull someone on an innertube, you might be best off with a personal watercraft such as a jet ski.

Fish-and-ski boats are stellar for those who love both angling and sporting, while jet boats are a lucrative option for those who could go for either a casual cruise or a thrill ride. Wakeboard boats and ski boats are designed for those who love the titular sports.

Of course, you’ll want to insure your boat before you use it, and you’ll have to be informed about both safety protocol and local and state regulations prior to setting sail. For further information, check with the DNR. ■

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THE LAKER | JUNE 14 – 28, 2021

No. 2 June 14 – June 28, 2021

LAKE R

FREE

Section B

Photo courtesy of Mark Elsbernd

Sentinel Publications: Amery Free Press, Baldwin Bulletin, Burnett County Sentinel, Country Messenger & Osceola Sun

Port of Call

BEEF UP ON BONE LAKE

By Kelly Holm Bordered by Luck and Milltown, Bone Lake encompasses nearly two thousand acres, with a shoreline spanning more than five miles. The Rest Point Resort and the Calderwood Lodge are located along its banks, as well as more than 500 families who make their home there, whether part- or full-time. Vibrantly colored leaves reflect upon its surface in the autumn months, and the lake’s history is just as rich and intriguing as its appearance.

Its namesake is quite literal in nature, stemming from a battle between the warring Ojibwe and Sioux tribes that took place on one of its islands. Bones from victims of the conflict were found on and surrounding the island, thus producing the name Bone Lake. In the local native language, the body of water was historically known as Onondogacona, which translates to Lake of the Small Pines.

The archaeology of Bone Lake offers many more clues to its historic inhabitants, from the Native Americans whose records date back more than a thousand years to the French fur trappers who arrived in the 1700s. Artwork, such as pottery and beads, made by indigenous peoples in about 900 AD, has been found at campsites, with carbon dating estimating its approximate age. The remains of

Amber’s Amateur Photography Bone Lake was historically known as Onondogacona, which translates to Lake of the Small Pines.

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a French-built trading post, spanning 24 by 36 feet in size and surrounded by cabins and a religious altar, have also been discovered along the south end of Bone Lake.

Here, the Ojibwe and the French traded their respective goods every spring.

The pines that inspired the lake’s indigenous name were also considered a lucrative resource for settlers. The Ward Logging Company capitalized on the white pine population in the mid-1800s, and timbermen Abe Johnson and Loren Larson ran sawmills on Bone Lake in the latter half of that century. When the Calderwood Lodge was constructed around the turn of the 20th century, it became the subject of rumors surrounding Al Capone and his gang, who were supposedly among the lodge’s early guests. Though these urban legends are not verified, they are to this day a selling point for the lodge.

In any case, the shadiest characters around Bone Lake these days are invasive species, not wanted criminals, and the Bone Lake Management District is in charge of combating the problem rather than the FBI. “We don’t have a lot of plant growth, but we do have some curly leaf pondweed,” said Phil Foster, the management district’s chairman. “We have a small acreage of that, so we do some moni-

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toring and spraying.”

The district runs an active Clean Boats, Clean Waters program, and hires the children of local boatowners to assist in landing inspections.

Additionally, both of the lake’s public boat landings are monitored by camera, in order to track and prevent the introduction of new invasive species into its waters.

The district also runs committees dedicated to protect-

ing and maintaining the numbers of indigenous wildlife populations, from Bone Lake native fish like the perch and crappie to the local eagle population. The DNR has also recently stocked the lake with smallmouth bass. As the percentage of Bone Lake homeowners who are year-round continues to grow, Foster is hopeful for more volunteers and increased awareness of both the issues surrounding

Port of Call

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the lake and the steps the district is taking to tackle them.

“One of the things that can create problems, too, for lakes is septic systems,” Foster said. “If an owner feels that they have a possibly not performing septic system, we will have somebody come out and check that, and we as a district will pay 2500 dollars toward helping upgrade their system.” ■

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THE LAKER | JUNE 14 – 28, 2021

3B

Fishery

BATTLING THE LARGEMOUTH BASS

By Kelly Holm Though largemouth bass are common in many Polk and Burnett County lakes, these greygreen critters can be a sneaky catch. As one of the most intelligent and stubborn fish species in northern waterways, their senses are keen to fishermen’s trickery, and they snub numerous bait offerings time and again.

But at the end of the day, snagging one of these (on average) 12-pounders often just comes down to plain old persistence, sticking it out until the bass has no choice but to bite. If you’ve never pursued them before, what is there to know about this carnivorous species before you go for the gold?

Identification facts With its wide, gaping mouth and jaw that extends beyond its googly eyes, the largemouth bass might look like a perpetual grump. But this pouty expression is one of its core distinctions from its smallmouth cousins, whose jaws are not quite so elongated.

Additionally, largemouth bass have golden eyes, while those of a smallmouth are red.

Though their juvenile bodies are slightly rounded, largemouth bass become flatter as adults, with spiny rays on their front dorsal fin and smoother rays on the back end.

When it comes to color, they

Contributed Largemouth bass are plentiful in Polk County lakes.

are primarily green in appearance, with some black or grey dappling across their scales.

Their bellies and lower sides tend to be yellow or white. As with their shape, largemouth bass change in hue as they age, with juveniles being very bright and elderly bass being dull and darkly colored.

Where to find largemouth bass They are plentiful within Polk and Burnett counties, with half a million juvenile largemouth bass stocked by the DNR each year. If you travel to southwestern Wisconsin, though, finding a largemouth foe might be trickier than usual. They prefer shallow lakes and river backwaters to deep water, and enjoy hiding among aquatic plant life. Their habitats are known as “structure” to the

Bryant

fisherman. Where smaller fish like bluegills and golden shiners are, the largemouth bass will be close behind— any aquatic creature of lesser size is potential prey, and they are even known to cannibalize each other.

When to find largemouth bass If the temperature is in the low 80s, it’s a good day to seek them out, especially during the early morning or early evening when they are most often on the hunt for prey. May and June are mating season, with males constructing nests in shallow water for copulation, so this is a lucrative time to reel one in. Largemouth bass take about an hour to mate, and both males and females will spawn with multiple partners to result in a lay of 5,000 eggs per nest. Early autumn is a prime fish-

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ing time as well, with largemouth bass being active as the water cools off.

How to catch largemouth bass It can come down to trial and error. Pack a variety of types of bait, from live bait to poppers, and see what attracts and what doesn’t. You’ll have to make time to experiment, knowing that the patterns of the fish’s activities will take a while to catch on to. When you succeed at reeling in a largemouth in a certain spot— within a cluster of cattails, for example, try to replicate the action at a similar location within the lake, and keep adjusting your rationale according to the knowledge you’ve accumulated from your experimentation.

For more information on all things largemouth, check out the Wisconsin DNR. ■

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4B

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The Ropes

THE BOAT FROM HELL

By C.L. Sill I’m fairly certain my boat is cursed.

At the end of last summer I bought a 14-foot Carolina Skiff off a slightly creepy dude on Craigslist. They’re wide, flat bottom boats made of fiberglass that are generally associated with fishing saltwater shallows. They’re heavier than a dead preacher, but very stable and perfectly suited for fly-fishing.

When I bought the boat, it was mostly held together with duct tape. I’ve spent the last year doing my best to fix it up and while I’ve made some progress, it’s been marred by a continuous cycle of disasters and mishaps.

The boat’s maiden voyage was a day trip to Hayward in search of musky. One mile (not an exaggeration) into the trip, the lid on the boat’s middle bench flew off and smashed into a million pieces on the side of I-94. When we got to the lake, the battery for my newly purchased, never used trolling motor was dead and when I tried to start the outboard I pulled the choke clean out of the motor like a Three Stooges’ routine.

Fall came quickly last year and that was the only trip we took before other priorities trumped fishing. I did manage to fix the trailer lights three different times (the right turn signal still doesn’t work), but other than that the boat sat forgotten all winter.

This spring I felt a renewed invigoration for the ship and figured the time had come to put the Hayward incident behind us.

Last weekend Dan and I hauled

C.L. Sill I thought for sure one of us would run a hook in our finger or drop a rod in the water, but miraculously Dan caught and released this northern without incident.

the boat up to the Apple River Flowage to cast for bass and northerns. We made it to the boat launch without incident, but as we motored away from the dock and Dan gave it some gas, my brand new, still never used trolling motor slipped off its mount, pulled the battery cords loose and sank to the bottom. We turned around and went home.

The first thing I did when we got back to the house was call my dad to ask him how he could have raised two sons who were such idiots.

Dad cast a large shadow over us as kids and it remains mostly intact today. That phrase sounds

kind of negative, but it’s not meant to be. He wasn’t one of those dads who would scream at you for missing a ground ball or losing a wrestling match (which I did on a regular basis). He was quiet, knowledgeable and supportive.

Most importantly he was always, always there. Didn’t matter if we were playing cowboys and indians or struggling with our homework, he was never too busy for us. We were spoiled rotten, but with time instead of money.

Dad’s shadow was cast not by intimidation or fear, but by expertise. He was, and still is, good at everything — including putting a boat in the water without some

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kind of stadium sized meltdown.

And as these disasters kept pilling up, it started to make me a little mad at him for not being a better teacher.

“If you’re so damn good at this, why couldn’t you make me better at it.”

When things go wrong we all try to find something or someone to blame and Dad briefly became a scapegoat for my inability to be self sufficient, at least in terms of boat ownership.

But the more I thought about it the more I realized I just really missed him. I wished he didn’t live 350 miles away and the boat became a constant reminder of the distance between us. If he was here he’d come over to help work on it and fix in one afternoon what I’d been trying to figure out for two months, and probably still have time to clean my gutters and invent some new kind of solar-powered ceiling fan out of toothpicks and Elmer’s glue. I’d be pissed at how easy it all was for him and probably make some snide comment about it. But secretly I’d be glad he was still there to be my Dad. After our initial idea of lighting the boat on fire and pushing it off the Highway 36 bridge was deemed inappropriate, Dan and I decided to buy another trolling motor and venture to the flowage again the next evening.

We tiptoed up and down the channel until dark, ready to capsize or fall overboard or get struck by lightning at any moment. But CONTINUED ON 11B

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5B

The Laker is published 7 times during the summer Week of May 24 • Week of June 14 • Week of June 28 Week of July 12 • Week of July 26 • Week of Aug. 9 • Week of Aug. 23

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6B

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7B

The Ropes

OUR CABIN-REMODEL OR REBUILD? The Tap Architecture Team The cabin is the place for family gatherings, both young and old sharing life experiences, fishing, swimming, and camping.

A place to get away from it all, take a break from the daily grind and recharge the batteries. Some are first time cabin owners while other are multi-generational, handed down from parents or relatives.

Some cabins are from a vintage time maintained through the years to try to keep up with today’s demands. Others have been repaired or added on to, along with upgrades of plumbing, electrical or heating systems. While some may have been intended to sleep one family, the demand to lodge extended family or friends is all too common. Perhaps it

has become too small for the growing needs of the family. Parents and kids have all developed needs for greater space, as well as special use and privacy.

The problem is that the structure cannot grow and adapt to these needs.

Then there are the conditional needs of the building itself. Rooms are too small and disconnected, bad approach and views, a roof that needs patching or replacement, windows that are old, leaky and inefficient, floors may be sagging, or the place is just plain ugly and outdated.

There are major decisions to be made: modify the cabin, patching it up as best you can, re-planning and updating the existing structure and adding space as needed, or tear down and start over, building a new cabin to meet the needs of today.

Metro Creative Connection It’s an age old question: fix up or start over the cabin?

So what to do next and how to do it? Let’s tackle modifying and adding to the existing structure

in more detail. An initial first step is to develop a “Project Program”, which is tailored to and defines

your specific needs and objectives. Topics like architectural style and specific details and materials

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The Ropes regarding the interior and exterior. Do you want to compliment or completely change the aesthetics of the existing cabin? What special amenities or design elements should be incorporated and what types of rooms, their sizes and the relationship to one another are considered.

Another critical step in initial stages is to assess the condition of the existing cabin structure, “the bones”. What type of foundation, if any, does the cabin rest on and what condition is it in? Does the cabin need updating to meet current codes and construction methods and can it support modifications or an addition? Are the plumbing, electrical or heating systems in good working condition or are they in need of an upgrade as well? Of course you are not expected to make these determinations on your own but a professional architect or contractor is qualified to assess and determine these very topics.

A subsequent step is to determine what zoning ordinances, regulations and local building codes your project will have to conform to. This will include things like what size of an addition or what maximum building height can be

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built. Determining if the existing cabin is conforming or nonconforming with current zoning regulations.

Also checking what jurisdiction your property will fall under depends on the location of your property.

In some instances you are just working with the city, county, or state however in some areas you might be working with all three.

If after assessing the conditions of the existing cabin you decide to tear down and start over the initial steps are similar. However, building new sometimes offers more flexibility in design, providing a variety of options to consider without having to contend with dilapidated building issues or system components.

Cost and budget are also major considerations when determining whether to remodel or build new. Remodeling cost per square foot can sometimes be more than building new because it can be more labor intensive to update and bring to current building standards.

There are many decisions that need to be made when deciding to remodel or build new.

We highlighted some important steps to take and things to consider. In subsequent articles we will

Metro Creative Connection Cost and budget are major considerations when making a decision about what to do with the cabin.

discuss how Architects can provide a vital role in helping to access existing structures and property conditions and also provide options to consider through collaborative design process. Describing in more detail what is involved when planning, designing, remodeling and

or constructing a project.

We will elaborate on types of Architectural Services, how to establish a project program, budget, and construction schedule. We’ll also identify other professionals that are critical to the project and what roles they will perform.

It might seem a bit over-

whelming to take on this endeavor, however taking the right steps and considering your options along with great design can be an exciting and fun process that will provide lasting memories for current and future generations to come. ■

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9B

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10B

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The Ropes SILL FROM 5B finally, at long last, no tragedy befell us. Not only that, but just as the sun set, a 35” northern T-boned Dan’s intruder and together we landed his personal best pike on the fly.

I couldn’t wait to get home and call Dad. We were there on that lake in a cursed boat because for 30 years I’ve been chasing his shadow instead of running from it — trying in every way I can to be like him. I knew he’d get a kick out of us finally getting some productive use out of the skiff, even though it’d also make him sad that he wasn’t there to do it with us.

I was proud that I’d put together a successful trip and was excited by the thought of a summer filled with fishing new places. The curse had finally been lifted. Then as we loaded up to head home, I shut my tailgate on all three rods I’d brought and broke every one of them in half……

Not really — but I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had. ■

ATTENTION ANGLERS AND BOATERS Keep Wisconsin’s Waters Healthy And The Fish Biting By Draining Your Livewells And Fish Buckets The DNR urges boaters and anglers to drain their livewells and fish buckets before leaving boat launches. / Photo Credit: National Safe Boating Council As Wisconsinites head out to fish and boat, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is urging boaters and anglers to drain their livewells and fish buckets before leaving boat launches.

During Wisconsin’s annual Drain Campaign June 4-6, boat inspectors from the Clean Boats Clean Waters (CBCW) program will visit boat landings across the state reminding those coming out of the water to drain their boats of any water to stop aquatic hitchhikers. These efforts help keep Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers healthy and the fish biting.

Draining all water helps prevent the spread of numerous invasive species that you can’t easily see, including diseases such as Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) and

microscopic larvae of zebra mussels. Draining efforts help contribute to Invasive Species Action Month, which is a time to learn, identify, report and control invasive species in Wisconsin.

Additionally, draining and rinsing your engine – especially if you don’t use your boat frequently – reduces the chance of mussel’s larvae plugging your engine intake.

When it comes to moving your catch, ice will keep the fish fresher than water as you move them from the lake to the plate, too.

Taking a minute or two to remove all the plants, animals, mud and debris from your boat and trailer while draining water from the bilge and livewell can prevent a new invasive species from establishing in your favorite lake or river.

Every boater and angler has a role to play in protecting Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers. Start your day with a clean, dry boat. Later, when you leave the launch, following these prevention steps will comply with Wisconsin state law and help to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species in our waters:

•

Inspect boats, trailers and equipment for attached aquatic plants or animals • Remove all attached plants or animals • Drain all water from boats, motors, livewells and other equipment • Never move live fish away from a waterbody • Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash • Buy minnows from a Wisconsin bait dealer • Only use leftover minnows when either fishing with them on the same body of water or on other waters if no lake/river water or other fish have been added to the container.

Lake and river organizations can apply for annual grants to help fund their work at the launches.

The Lakes Monitoring and Protection Network Surface Water Grants provide non-competitive funds to counties to hire aquatic invasive species (AIS) staff who also support the CBCW program with training and often make launch visits themselves.

Fishers of Men Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church 507 Main Street Balsam Lake (715) 405-2245

Saturday Mass 6:00 p.m.

Sunday Mass 8:30 a.m.

Georgetown Lutheran Church Sunday Services 10:30 am

715-857-5580 887 190th Ave., Co. Rd. G

East of Milltown & Balsam Lake Pastor Diane House • Fully Accessible www.georgetownlutheran.net

Join us for worship on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. on Facebook live @Georgetown Lutheran Church, Balsam Lake Communion First,Third and Fifth Sunday of the Month

East Balsam Baptist Church Sunday Worship 9:00 A.M. Join us in person or online at www.eastbalsam.org 715-857-5411 contact@eastbalsam.org

1816 - 108th St./Co. Rd. I Balsam Lake, WI

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A hearty Welcome - Come as you are!

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11B

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