We are pleased to have two guest speakers at our meeting which will be on Zoom at 9:30 AM.
RWVFD Fire Chief Lorenzo Wilkins and LGA member Sherry Herzing will speak from the heart about a topic deeply personal to each of them. Chief Wilkins will talk about the new Ebony coverage and issues that the VFD could use help with and Sherry will talk about how the E-911 Border Response Workgroup is working on helping with Border issues for our first responders. Learn how the task force and first responders are working together to educate the public on what they need to know to help themselves and to help our first responders get to them as fast as possible.
We think this discussion should resonate with LGA members and non members. Watch for the email.
Our Annual Meeting on Saturday June 12 will be at the Lake Gaston Baptist Church. I think we are all Zoomed out. More details to come.
Emergency Cut Off Switch. You are going to need to wear it after April 1, 2021. This is a new USCG regulation and not optional on Lake Gaston. Take the time to know.
A little more of the backstory. Thanks to NASBLA*, we learned ECOS was incorporated into the National Defense Bill of 2021. On December 23, 2020, President Trump vetoed this bill. Congress overrode his veto and it became law. Buried in this law on page 2,814 is a section entitled "Engine Cutoff Switches, Use Requirements". This section is part of Title 46 of the US Code. It requires a mandatory wear requirement of the engine cut-off devices on all recreational crafts equipped and traveling above displacement speed.
If you Google HR 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, you can read the 2,000+ page act.
As previously stated this will be enforced by the USCG. It's not totally clear what NC Wildlife will do (we've been told yes to enforcement) and Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources said no. Stay tuned.
It is with great sadness that we note the passing of Jack Saunders on February 8, 2021. Jack was a pillar of the Lake Gaston community contributing his talents and time to many organizations in the Lake Gaston area. For the LGA, he was an invaluable member of our team, not only a member of the LGA Board of Directors, he was our Treasurer, and chair of our Public Safety Committee.
More importantly, Jack was a close and dear friend. Jack’s spirit of friendliness, caring, and community giving will live on through his influence on all of us.
We are all thankful for the opportunity to have worked with and alongside him. We truly will miss him, but will never forget him.
