Lake Country This Month

By Chris Bennett Special to The Freeman WAUKESHA — Safe boating is made far easier if one adheres to two maxims: Stay in the boat and wear a personal flotation device. "The one overriding thing would be to wear a personal flotation device," Kyle Drake said. Drake is a recreational safety warden with the Wisconsin Depart- ment of Natural Resources. Drake is stationed at the DNR's Waukesha Service Center at 141 NW Barstow St. and is 23-year-veteran of the agency. "Ninety percent of our fatalities are because peo- ple drown, and they drown because they're not wear- ing a life jacket," Drake said. "Wear a PFD — it's that simple." Staying in the boat obvi- ously decreases the need for a PFD to be forced into action, but does not lessen the need for the safety device. "Most of our boating fatalities are not from colli- sions," Drake said. "They're from people falling overboard, or volun- tarily leaving a moving boat and not having a life jacket on." Drake said two important rules to remember regard- ing boating in Wisconsin are to carry an appropriate PFD for each individual in the vessel and to make sure the boat is registered, if necessary. Drake said 2014 was a rel- atively safe year for boating in Wisconsin, when eight people died in boating acci- dents on state waters. Drake said six of those inci- dents listed alcohol as a contributing factor. "I think part of this is as the age for the mandatory safety course keeps going up, we're going to see that (number of accidents) keep dropping," Drake said. Safety course required One of the DNR's safety education courses is a boater safety course that is required for anyone operat- ing a boat who was born on or after Jan. 1, 1989, accord- ing to the DNR's web site. The objective of the safety courses is to reduce the number accidents, injuries and fatalities, and also reduce potential conflict between participants, landowners and others using Wisconsin's resources. Another objective is to promote safe, responsible and ethical use Wisconsin's environment and resources. According to the DNR, the course emphasizes nav- igation, laws, ethics, per- sonal safety and the proper use of boats. It costs $10 in a classroom setting or $30 online. More information is available at http://dnr.wi.gov. In Wisconsin, no one under age 10 may operate a boat. A child 10 years old, but less than 16, may oper- ate a boat if accompanied by a parent, guardian or person designated by the parent or guardian. Anyone under age 12 may operate a boat if they suc- cessfully completed the boater's safety course, or have a certificate showing they did so in another state. Age requirements do not apply for boats without a motor. According to the DNR, no one less than 12 years old may operate, lease or rent a personal watercraft — more commonly known as a wave runner, water scoot- er or, in trademarked form by Kawasaki, a Jet Ski. No one under the age of 16 may rent or lease a per- sonal watercraft. A child at least 12 years old may oper- ate a personal watercraft upon successful comple- tion of a boater's safety course. Watching the water Drake said the DNR patrols all lakes in Wauke- sha County several times each week, and a lot of those lakes are also patrolled by the Waukesha County Sheriff's Depart- ment and local municipali- ties. The U.S. Coast Guard gets in the mix on Lake Michigan. "We have three field war- dens, because we have a lot of resources and a lot of people," Drake said. "Most counties only have one." Boaters can receive cita- tions for infractions on the waves, and those citations carry the same weight as those received behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. "You can get in trouble with law enforcement," Drake said. "We are out there." In addition to state and sometimes federal regula- tions, boaters must also abide by any local rules. Drake said specific rules governing a lake are posted near launch points, and offered speed limits as an example. "We don't have a state speed limit for boats," Drake said. "If you go to Nagawicka Lake, they have a speed limit. If you go Pewaukee Lake, they have a speed limit. Pay attention to local boating laws." At 2,147 acres, Pewaukee Lake is the largest of the 145 lakes in Waukesha County, according to the DNR. Nagawicka and Okauchee Lake both have a maximum depth of 90 feet, and are listed as the deep- est in Waukesha County. More information on PFDs, registration require- ments and the rules that govern boating in Wiscon- sin are available at http://dnr.wi.gov, the home page of the Wisconsin DNR. 2 • FREEMAN & ENTERPRISE LAKE COUNTRY JUNE 2015 Circulation Dept. To reach the Circulation Department call 542-2501 or go to www.gmtoday.com/wfhelp. MANAGEMENT Bill Yorth - Publisher & Editor-in-Chief..513-2671 byorth@conleynet.com Arthur Thomas – Managing Editor........513-2657 athomas@conleynet.com Jim Baumgart - Freeman Group Ad Director 513-2621 jbaumgart@conleynet.com Tim Haffemann - Circulation Director....513-2640 thaffemann@conleynet.com Patricia Scheel - Prepress Manager.....513-2690 pscheel@conleynet.com NEWS DEP ARTMENT Local News - Arthur Thomas................513-2657 athomas@conleynet.com Sports - Dan Mike.................................513-2667 dmike@conleynet.com Death Notices - Shana Duffy................513-2618 obits@conleynet.com Newsroom Fax.............................(262) 542-8259 CLASSIFIEDS: 542-2211 Hours: M -F 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. PHOTO REPRINTS Color reprints are $25 each. Call 542-2501 PAGE REPRINTS Go to www.gmtoday.com/freemanreprints 262-542-2500 Hours: M-F 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. 801 N. Barstow St., P.O. Box 7, Waukesha, WI 53187 The FREEMAN How to reach us Lake Country T H I S M O N T H If you have a news tip from the Lake Country area, contact Arthur Thomas at 513-2657 or athomas @conleynet.com To advertise in "Lake Country This Month," call the advertising department at (262) 513-2624. To subscribe to the daily Freeman or weekly Enterprise, call 542-2500 Freeman subscription rates • By in-county mail 13 weeks...........$36 26 weeks...........$66 52 weeks.........$120 • Out-of-county mail 13 weeks...........$51 26 weeks............$99 52 weeks..........$192 Easy buy .....$10 a month with credit card Electronic edition ......$10 a month with credit card & ENTERPRISE Enterprise subscription rates • Oconomowoc ZIP code 6 months.....$21.00 1 year..........$35.00 2 years........$68.00 • Ashippun, Ixonia, Neosho, Rubicon, Okauchee, Watertown and Sullivan ZIP codes and other Waukesha County addresses 6 months.....$25.00 1 year..........$43.00 2 years........$84.00 • All other addresses 6 months.....$29.00 1 year..........$51.00 2 years........$99.00 July 18 & 19 Mukwonago American Legion Post 375 Celebrate our 59 th Annual Maxwell street days flea market FIELD PARK, MUKWONAGO - Hwys 83 & NN OVER 600 SELLERS Offering a Variety of Goods (Buyers allowed on grounds after 7 am) Reasonable Off-site Parking Available (Pets, Bicycles & Skateboards Prohibited) For information and 2015 schedule: www.maxwellstreetdays.net www.mukwonagochamber.org Always FREE ADMISSION FOOD & REFRESHMENTS Available on Grounds 244393002 FOXBROOK & CAPITOL HILL — S E N I O R A P A R T M E N T S — Foxbrook Senior Apartments 18915 Thomson Drive, Brookfield (262) 790-0033 ➤ Underground Parking ➤ Weekly Activities ➤ Movie Room ➤ Game Room Capitol Hill Senior Apartments 17390 Crest Hill Drive, Brookfield (262) 790-1845 1 & 2 Bedroom 55 and Over * ➤ Library ➤ Chapel ➤ Beauty Salon *Income Restrictions Apply ➤ Voluntary Morning Check In Service ➤ FREE Weekly Shuttle to Shopping 244049016 Back row - Paul Bucher, Paul Kntzer, Thomas Simon, Steven Lownik Front row - Jodie Massey, Susan Calvanico, Deborah Mueller We now handle wills and probate Our staff is available 24/7 to provide immediate intervention with the expertise and legal acumen to assist with the many needs of our clients. We are located in Delafield at 355 Austin Circle, Suite 110. To schedule a free consultation, please contact us at (262) 303-4916, or visit our website at www.bucherlawgroup.com When You Are Really in Trouble... Bucher Law Group, LLC, has over 100 years legal experience, with five staff attorneys to assist you with every legal need. We offer assistance in criminal defense, real estate, probate, litigation, worker's compensation, social security disability and family court matters. 2 4 1 6 6 9 0 0 2 Lake name Pewaukee Lake Big Muskego Lake Okauchee Lake Lac La Belle Nagawicka Lake Oconomowoc Lake Pine Lake Little Muskego Lake North Lake Lower Phantom Lake Beaver Lake Eagle Spring Lake Upper Nemahbin Lake Golden Lake Lower Nemahbin Lake Lake Keesus Silver Lake Lake Denoon Upper Nashotah Lake School Section Lake Size (acres) 2,437 2,194 1,210 1,154 981 818 711 470 440 373 313 279 277 252 239 235 217 167 131 122 Official max depth (feet) 45 23 90 45 90 60 85 65 78.4 12 46 8 60 44 36 42 40 55 53 8 Area lakes Freeman file photo Boaters make a fast run on Pewaukee Lake in April. Stay safe on the water this summer DNR emphasizes use of life jackets

• Cover