By Mary-Justine Lanyon
The newest director on the Arrowhead Lake Association board was installed at the Oct. 25 meeting. Justin Frank, the At Large A director, was elected with 493 votes out of a total of 875 ballots cast.
The other two candidates – Michelle DiSimone and Gary Clifford – received 217 and 165 votes, respectively.
Following Frank’s installation, the board elected its officers for the 2025-2026 year. Bud Macer was reelected president; Marilyn Dishell, who has been the acting vice president, was elected for that office; and Jim Hannon was reelected secretary/treasurer.
Justin Frank was installed as the new At Large A director.
In his general manager’s report, Mike Pate said that all the silt removal scheduled for this fall has been completed. He showed slides of the Burnt Mill Beach Club clubhouse where dry rot was repaired; the building was waterproofed and repainted.
ALA’s strategic planning is “coming along,” he said. The plan will “help us think through the next one, three or five years and aspirationally 10 years.”
The association is on draft #7 of the next year’s budget; a budget town hall will be held after the Nov. 15 board meeting, to be held at Burnt Mill Beach Club.
Pate invited the community to the valve project open house alternatives workshop on Nov. 8 at 9 a.m. at Burnt Mill Beach Club. Representatives of the engineering firm will be present to answer questions.
In comments from the directors, Eran Heissler thanked the candidates in the special election for being civil, referring to their treatment of each other.
Director Jim Hannon noted that he “deals in facts. I become alarmed when I hear that information may not have the best integrity.” He shared slides of what he called “questionable assertions” about decreasing funds for fishing, ALA “giving up your docks” to short-term rental guests (the owner has the discretion to allow access to their dock or not) and a dramatic increase in ALA administration wages.
The board unanimously approved a two-year contract with Mt. Lassen for stocking the lake with rainbow and lightning trout. There will be two 6,000-pound stockings and one 4,000-pound one. The cost is $88,320.
President Macer noted the price per pound is $5.52. “You can buy trout cheaper at Jensen’s,” he said, “but you don’t have the fun of catching it!”
The board also approved an appropriation of funds for flooring – a combination of vinyl planking and carpet – in the Ralph Wagner building. Director Marilyn Dishell said she had been told nothing had been done with the flooring since 1985. “This is a long overdue project,” she said, adding it’s disturbing for members and visitors to see shredded carpet hanging from the stairs.
Director Jim Hannon countered some claims made during the campaign for the special election.
Director Kelly Wallace said she had thought the board would be getting the bids – there were two – so they would be fully informed when voting. General Manager Pate said that “we were instructed that happens at the committee level.” And Director Hannon noted there were a dozen sets of eyes on it.
The vote was 5-1 in favor, with Wallace voting no.
In her comprehensive report from the Lake Safety committee, Director Dishell said they were informed of a new invasive species – the golden mussel – which has been found in Lake Silverwood. The fear, she said, is not that banded boats would cause a problem “but a lot of people go to other lakes. Even is we inspect their boats, they have water toys. We are putting a plea out to members to be aware that if this comes into our lake, it will be a big problem for members and our water supply.”
Dishell added that Fish and Wildlife checks Lake Arrowhead for invasive species once a month.
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