Contributed
This year marked the 27th year that volunteers, mostly from the Lake Auman Sports Club (LASC), have delivered and placed Christmas trees under lakefront homeowner docks around Lake Auman. Sixty-eight trees were delivered and prepped on March 20 with trees being placed under twenty-four docks on March 23.
The 19 project volunteers appreciated the warmer March temperatures, both air and water, than the usual frigid February conditions in past years. The following LASC members and volunteers delivered the trees and prepped them at the docks: Wade Bliss, Joe Easley, Ron Easley, Don McGinn, Don Smith and Bob Temme.
Seven community residents needed assistance disposing of their Christmas trees and were able to have their trees picked up and taken to the designated tree drop area by Don Smith.
This year, there were four “in-the-water” men available and willing to don their wet suits and enter the 58 degree water to place and secure the trees under the docks. They were Ben Benjamin, Ethan Martin, Ryan Scott and Jeff Timmons. Assisting them from the docks were Jeff Brisson, Bob Bruzina, Larry Chaney, Tracy Cicatelli, Jim Deak, Bill Graham, Bruce Keyser, Bill McCord and Don Smith. Blueberry muffins were provided by Debbie Chaney and very much appreciated by the Saturday morning team.
This annual fish habitat project provides the lake’s small fish with protective cover to escape from larger predator fish and contributes to increasing the lake’s fish population, both in size and number. Thanks to all the volunteers for a job well done and to the lakefront homeowners who participated this year and in the past to make this program a success. The project was organized and managed again this year by Don Smith.
