COPAKE LAKE CONSERVATION SOCIETY

  PO Box 37, Craryville, NY 12521       Email:  info@copakelakecs.org
 

A Memorable Event

A momentous step was taken by CLCS in 1980, when after much discussion and research, our first weed harvester was purchased.

To raise money for the used harvester, affectionately nicknamed the “Copake Clipper, all manner of fund raising activities were held. For me, the most fun and memorable was Las Vegas Night.

The enthusiastic cooperation around the lake communities was spearheaded by Moose Karn and Lucille Landers, our CLCS President. Everyone pitg tables were formed.  A food tent was raised, adjacent to the Casino to sell hotdogs, hamburgers, fries, soda and other refreshments.  All this was done under the supervision of the Copake Clipper Captain, Chip Pivarnick.  Volunteers decorated the firehouse with colorful streamers.

One of the biggest draws to the Las Vegas Night was free beer for those 18 and over. I can still visualize Lucille Landers running from table to table  filling cups. What a sight! The Casino was crowded with players, the game operators wore white shirts, bow ties and straw hats, and the aroma  from the food tent wafted over the entire scene.

A wonderful time was had by all,.  And we raised a goodly sum. Here’s a photo of Chip Pivarnick, moose Karn, and the crew of volunteers who took care of maintenance.

Sarah Leshner  Presidential Estates

I Remember. . .

All my memories of Copake Lake, have been wonderful; but perhaps my fondest are those in connection with the years spent in improvement of the lake. There was so much to learn about lake management,  so many different approaches to improve lake conditions,  it seemed a never ending process. Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. The lake today is a tribute to the hard work and the faith of our lake residents who believed that it could be done.

But my most treasured memory is the campaign to raise the money for the (first) weed harvester, its purchase and its launching. It was a memorable Sunday in Spring. The event was carefully planned and widely publicized. The launching took place at the waterfront at Washington Drive. There were balloons, ribbons and many cars. There were babies in carriages. There was music. There were local politicians. There were speeches.  And of course many CLCS members and officers. It was exciting.

We had opening exercises, a salute to the flag and then the ceremony. My job was to address the gathering officially, introduce the CLCS officers and  finally to launch the harvester. Moose Karn steered the harvester to our waterfront area and handed me a bottle of champagne covered with netting to crash against the side of the harvester. I tried to hit the harvester - no luck. I didn't know exactly how to curve it. After all. This was a totally new experience. Not being daunted, I tried again. No luck. But the third time, with the help and advice of Morris Leshner, our vice-president ­ Hallelujah!  I did it. Everyone applauded and cheered as Moose steered the machine slowly and gently out onto the lake.  It was a moment to remember.

Lucille Landers    Lincoln Drive

Now and Then:

Here's a photo of a house in the Cove area of Copake Lake in 1912, when Gretchen Longley and Barbara Bunger's grandmother enjoyed life on the lake. You can see how far the lake is from the shoreline vegetation. This is how the lake used to be before CBC raised it about 15 years ago.

Gretchen, then 21 years old, and her Aunt Kornelia as well as another aunt, Anna Louisa (Mrs. Percy Cadby and then Mrs. J. C.Hogeboom after a second marriage), were among the surviving passengers when the Titanic sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic.

Looking at a current photo of this house on the Cove of Copake Lake, please notice the distance from the plantings to the lakefront now.

For additional information refer to the book,
Copake Lake Historical Sketches, by Wes Keeler,
Published 1999 by Gateway Press, Baltimore, Md.