President’s Corner
Leadership is back up and running for the new year. The Executive Committee met
for the first time in 2022 on January 26. Lots of planning underway.
We are so happy for our long time Executive Director, Moira Underwood, who has
decided to retire this year. Her steady performance over so many years has been a huge asset to the LGA and our membership. President’s and board members come and go but Moira has been the steady influence and the one constant we could all count on over the last 17 years. We have lots of work to do to ensure a smooth transition. You will hear much more about this in the coming months.
In other news, the first committee meeting of the new year was held on January 11
for Government Relations. The NC candidate forums will be scheduled soon. They
will be also planning the 5 County Forum in March where we invite key officials from
each county who serve as elected commissioners, board supervisors and county managers. The topics are being finalized. Membership and the public are invited.
I, along with several other board and committee members who serve on the Lake
Environment committee, had a most interesting 2 hour Zoom call with our counterparts with the Smith Mountain Lake Environment committee. Committee chair Jeff Zimmer thought it would be helpful to share how both organizations address water clarity, vegetation issues, etc. I don't want to steal Jeff's thunder since he will talk more about this meeting in this issue. Suffice to say the Zoom discussion was beneficial and I hope to set up subsequent Zoom meetings to discuss other mutual areas of concern including public safety issues.
Speaking of Public Safety, the next Jack D Saunders Community Shred Event will
be on May 7. Start saving your important papers you no longer need to take to the
shred event. As with previous years, there is no cost for this service but donations are
welcome to help defray the cost of bringing the Raleigh-based shred truck to Lake
Gaston. This committee is partnering with the Community 911 Task Force to develop useful lake related information for new residents, renters and new boat owners. We are also coming up with a new 911 card including “What3Words”. Along with the Lake Gaston Water Safety Council, we will be all singing off the same sheet of music (sorry, I usedto be in the choir).
What else to talk about. Oh, the Eaton Ferry navigation bridge light project.
NCDOT has confirmed the purchase order was cut for the equipment in early
December. Looks like it will happen in 2022.
We continue to monitor the Omicron virus issue. As I write this in early January,
even though I’m boosted, I’ve again started to wear that darn mask when I’m in Food Lion or other areas where lots of people congregate. Our next monthly membership meeting is on February 2 so it’s way too early to predict what restrictions, if any, will be in place. Check the web site for recent updates. Our speaker will discuss high speed Internet solutions in Brunswick and Mecklenburg counties. We will also learn about an unique HOA solution.
Just a reminder about the security of your personal on line information. Where permitted by your bank or other financial institutions, health care, and other highly sensitive data systems, use an ID that is not your email account.
Upgrade your passwords to at least 12-14 characters (including numbers, uppercase, and special symbols) and don’t use as passwords items that could be easily identified in social media. Use a separate/different password for each of your key accounts to prevent someone from getting a common password and email and using them to invade your bank and other personal accounts. For maximum security, set up a two-factor system for key accounts like banking, where you put in your User ID and password and then the bank or other institution sends to your phone a text message with a six-digit number challenge code to verify your ID.
It’s a great time to be at the lake! No traffic, short lines in Food Lion and the lake view is spectacular now that the leaves are down and those sunsets, oh my! We have a new coffee shop and soon a new bakery. Life is good at the lake.
Stay safe and look out after each other. Be kind.
Brian Goldsworthy