Estling Lake

Athletic Field – Mowing Plan

Hi all,

I hope this email finds you well. As we get ready for the season ahead, we wanted to trial a shared approach to keeping the athletic field mowed and maintained throughout the season. Below is a link to a sign up site that campers can reply to and select weeks throughout the season where you could commit to having that responsibility for the particular week. A mower is available to borrow or you are welcome to use your own. When signing up for a date, you do not have to mow on Saturday, just coordinate your plan with the volunteer from prior week. Thank you Brian for lending his mower and that will be stored in the open shed along the back path of the ball field. We will offer the chance to get volunteers familiar with the controls when we have the final list.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904044BA5AB2FAAFE3-athletic

Some may even say a ride around the field is relaxing and therapeutic! Another lake activity to look forward to.

Please reach out to me with any question or concerns.

Appreciate your consideration and time to help.

Todd

Certified Letter from Einhorn Barbarito

Over the next few days, you may receive a certified letter from Einhorn Barbarito regarding an application by Estling Lake Corporation to the Denville Planning Board. No action is needed on your part and you are not required to attend the meeting. This is just to give notice to residents and neighbors that we are going to be preparing a portion of our property to receive materials removed from the lake. This topic has been reviewed during past Town Halls and Corporation Meetings. Should you have questions, please reach out to Chuck, the Director in charge of Lake Maintenance, who is overseeing this project.

Annual Email List Confirmation

Thank you for being part of the Estling Lake General Email List. This message is to confirm you want to remain on the list so that you can continue to receive updates related to our community. To stay on the email list, no action is needed, you will automatically remain in the group. If you wish to be removed from the list, please reply to info@estling.org and we will unsubscribe you from the group. If you have other family members that would like to be added to the list, please reply to info@estling.org with their names and email addresses and we will ensure they get future updates.

Family looking to buy a camp

Hi campers

We hope you’re all well and that you’re enjoying the fact that Spring is finally here.
Friends of ours are very interested in buying a camp at the lake. They have two daughters (aged 6 and 9) and live in Glen Ridge, NJ.

If you’re thinking of selling or if you know of anyone who isn’t on this distribution list who might be, we’d be really grateful if you’d contact us.

Thanks
James and Carol (Camp 60)

Are you ready for summer yet?

I hope that everyone has been able to enjoy the winter season and you have stayed healthy during these unusual times.  While NJ still has a number of COVID restrictions in place, we have seen progress toward reopening and allowing for social activities.  It is still unclear how we will be operating this season, but I am optimistic that we will see the return of many of our favorite events.

Generally speaking, the off season was quiet, however, there are a number of updates I would like to share with everyone.

• Water turns on April 10th: Weather permitting, our dedicated team of volunteers will open up the water line on April 10th.  Anyone interested in helping should meet at the beach parking area at 10 AM on Saturday the 10th.  The process typically takes several hours and can go longer if problems are found.  An email will be sent out once the work is complete and water is available to all campers.
  
• Caretaker: Our new caretaker, Brian Williams, and his family have settled in at the cottage and made a number of improvements to Camp 58.  Brian diligently watches over the property and provides the Board with regular reports of his activity.  Be sure to say hello to Brian, Dana, Leah, and Aimee when you arrive this season. Below is a picture of Brian and the family when he was promoted to Sergeant in 2019.
  
  
  
• 75th Anniversary: While COVID may have delayed our larger 75th anniversary celebration until 2022, we are still moving ahead with a smaller celebration in 2021.  Activities are planned for Saturday, July 31st and Sunday, August 1st, so make sure you keep those dates open on your schedule.
  
• Calendar: Our online calendar has been updated with a draft of the events planned for 2021.  As we get closer to the summer season, we will be able to confirm this schedule and inform the community of any restrictions (such as maximum capacity, social distancing, and mask requirements).
  
• NJ COVID Restrictions: NJ has made progress toward reopening and I’m hopeful that the trend will continue.  Here is a summary of the current limitations, just be mindful that these can change (for the better or worse) at any time.  As of now, restaurants are operating at 50% capacity (EO-230). Masks are still required at all indoor activities and outdoors when social distancing cannot be maintained (EO-163).  Indoor gatherings are limited to 25 people and outdoor events are capped at 50 people (EO-230).  Those coming from out of state are still required to quarantine, regardless of vaccination or COVID test status (Travel Advisory).
  
• Dam/Spillway and the DEP: In February, a letter was sent by the NJ DEP to NJ Transit and Estling Lake.  The letter states that they accept the conclusions of the NJ Transit consultants as set forth in the PFMA report and includes instructions to submit permits for the remedial work by April 30, 2021.  While we all have many questions around this remediation work, I don’t have any additional information to share at this time.  The letter and the PFMA report can be found on our website on the Dam/Spillway Committee page.
  
• Development near Thurmont/Estling Lake Rds.: As part of the Township’s affordable housing obligation, an agreement was reached with a developer (Lennar Corporation) to build an estimated 106 units off of Thurmont Rd.  Lennar has approached the Corporation to discuss a possible easement for access to the sewer line.  An initial meeting was held with Estling and Lennar to share information about the project.  The developer expects construction will not begin for at least 12-18 months (possibly longer).  You can get a high level overview of the project on the Denville Township’s COAH page (scroll to the bottom and look for #4 – Lennar).
  
• Emergency Access Road: At a recent Town Council meeting, it was announced the NJ Transit would be working with the Township Engineer to create a permanent Emergency Access Road between Thurmont Rd and Lacawanna Ave.  The timeline for this project was not shared and it’s unclear if this road will be open to normal traffic.  You can read the minutes from the 1/19/2021 meeting and the 2/2/2021 Town Council agenda for more details.
  
• Email Validation: Later this week you will be getting an email confirming that you still want to be part of our mailing list.  If you want to stay on the list, you do not need to take any action, you will continue to get emails.  If you would like to be removed, reply to the message and indicate you wish to leave the list.

That’s all for now, looking forward to seeing all of you soon!

Estling Lake Summer Jobs

Hello fellow lakers!

While the lake sits under snow right now, we are already dreaming of summer. It’s time to start thinking about the upcoming lake season, including workers.

Lifeguards: If you or your child are interested in lifeguarding, here are the parameters for being able to be a guard at Estling Lake:

• 16 or over
• Must be Open Water certified (not just pool certified.) (Attached are details for an upcoming Open Water certification class through the YMCA and another through Lake Mohawk.)
• Must be certified in CPR/First Aid
• Hours include 1-5:30 daily starting June 26-September 5.
• Schedule and number of hours will vary per week and are flexible to work around other commitments.
• Additional hours may be available coaching swim lessons (position TBD.) 

Additional positions needed throughout the season:

• Mail distribution
• Janitor for community house
• Beach raker

If interested in any of the positions above, please send an email to Pat G. and she will send you an application. You may also call Pat G. if you have any questions about the positions above.

Thank you in advance for your service to our community. It cannot run without everyone helping out! 
Until we meet again.
ᐧ

Full Season Rental

Greetings campers!

Rob and I have a dear friend who is looking for a full season rental (water on – water off). Unfortunately, there was a fire in her apartment building which severely damaged her home and it won’t be habitable again until October. She would love the opportunity to rent in the Estling community during this time. 

Her name is Dena and many of you know her already as she has been our guest many times. She lives in Montclair and works in Wayne. She is a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine and will be, as a healthcare worker, fully vaccinated by the end of next week!

Please let me know if you’re interested in offering your camp for rent or if you know another camper who might be interested and I’d be happy to put you in touch.

With gratitude,
Erin (Camp 41)

Dr. Andrew Fono

I’m sorry to share that Andy Fono (Camp 7) passed away this weekend.  The family will be doing a small, private ceremony and hopes to have a community memorial during the summer.  I will pass along more information as it becomes available.  Here is a great memory of Andy captured in our July 10th, 1985 newsletter:

On the afternoon of July 10th a mystery sailboat was sighted sailing serenely in the center of the lake, heading in a northerly direction under full sail but without a skipper. With a following breeze, the boat picked up speed, changed direction slightly and sailed by dead reckoning directly into Prices‘ Cove. Keen eyes from shore finally picked up a head bobbing in the center of the lake and identified it as belonging to Andy Fono. It seems that he was enjoying his usual swim alongside his boat when the boat took advantage of a gust of wind and went off without him. Andy made it safely to shore and no damage was done either to the boat or Andy.

Obituary

Andrew Fono left us peacefully on January 3rd, 2021 while surrounded by family and friends. He was a kind, generous and gracious man who loved his family dearly and was loved by them even more. Andrew never spoke a critical word about anyone.  He never judged but he was quietly grateful by the kindnesses extended to him over the years. Grateful for the kindness of family and friendship, kindness of courtesy, kindness of honesty, kindness of compassion and the kindness of caring. To Andrew, those people were the heroes of the world…the good souls who gave of themselves to help others. Just as Andrew did.

He is one of the very last of his remarkable generation and representative of that group. Andrew was positive and upright, never one to complain about life’s aches and pains. Whenever asked how he was, he never responded in any negative way; the answer was always, “Good! Good! Good!”  He was also known for his curiosity, determination, brilliance and humor despite going through enormous challenges in his lifetime.

But Andrew genuinely enjoyed and embraced life, most notably his time at Estling Lake since his arrival there in 1962. He loved to sail, swim the beautiful water there, enjoy the annual barbecue chicken dinners, share time and conversation with members of the community and spend quiet time at Camp 7 with family. He loved to hike and bicycle with his wife Inge throughout the area, play chess, cook, listen to music or just read at the camp.

And, no doubt, those are things many of you at Estling Lake already know about Andrew. But before his time with the community, Andrew had already lived a remarkable life. He was born in Budapest, Hungary to Dr. Albert and Dr. Nina Szilaszi Fono on April 24, 1923. He studied chemistry and physics at Tasmany University in Budapest. Andrew received his PhD at the young age of 22.  After graduating, he went to Sweden to do research at the University of Stockholm (under Dr. Euler and Dr. Hevesi – Nobel Peace Prize winners). During that time, he learned English and Swedish.  In 1947, he came to the United States to do research at the University of Chicago. After that, he worked at the Firestone Tire Company and then at Royce and Company in East Rutherford until his retirement in 2014 at the age of 91.

Andrew is survived by his wife of 39 years, Inge Fono, his son Nicholas Fono, stepson Willi Waizenegger, stepdaughter Brigitte Parisen and her husband David Parisen, his grandchildren Ian Parisen, Victoria Parisen and Christopher Waizenegger.   He is preceded in death by his first wife, Edna Snyder Fono, daughter Penelope Fono and his brother Peter Fono.  

In lieu of flowers, please make any memorial contributions to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital. They can be reached at 800.608.3023.

May Andrew rest in peace and watch over us all until we join him.