December 21st, 2014.
The Otsego Lake Association Board of Directors wishes you and your family a happy holiday season. 
December 19th, 2014.
Ommegang Brewery generously donated $2,000 to OLA to help fund the volunteer dive team. The volunteer dive team is responsible for maintaining the no wake buoys on Otsego Lake.
October 27th, 2014.
Glimmerglass Film Days, a showcase for powerful films reflecting humanity’s complex relationships with the natural world, will take place November 7-9, 2014 in Cooperstown, New York. For more information visit Glimmerglass Film Days.
September 30th, 2014.
Route 80 road repairs. OLA releases a position paper outlining the reasons for our opposition plus four suggested design alternatives for DOT to re-evaluate and then implement.
“OLA STRONGLY OPPOSES NYSDOT’s RIP RAP DESIGN ALTERNATIVE”.
August 30th, 2014.
Attention photographers!! Submit YOUR best photo of your motorboat playing it safe (i.e. wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) etc.) on Otsego Lake to info@otsegolakeassociation.org. If we choose your photo it will replace these photos
and
on our Rules of the Road – Boater Safety brochure. If your photo is used, you get one FREE OLA t-shirt. Limit one entry/photo per person. Entries must be submitted via email by 5:00pm Tuesday September 30th, 2014 to be eligible. Please provide name & additional contact information so we may contact the winner and provide photo credit for the photo used. If more than one photo is submitted only the first photo will be considered for prize. OLA is not responsible for lost or misplaced entries.
August 8th, 2014.
Attention photographers!! Submit YOUR best photo of our Annual Meeting held on August 9th, 2014 at Camp Minnetoska to info@otsegolakeassociation.org. If your photo is used on our website or other OLA promotions, you get one FREE OLA t-shirt. Limit one entry/photo per person. Entries must be submitted via email by 5:00pm Tuesday September 30th, 2014 to be eligible. Submitted photos must be used by December 31st, 2014 to receive prize. After December 31st, 2014 OLA reserves the right to use all photos on our website and/or promotions without awarding a prize. Please provide name & additional contact information so we may contact any winners and provide photo credit to each entry. If more than one photo is submitted only the first photo will be considered for prize. OLA is not responsible for lost or misplaced entries.
August 8th, 2014.
Boater Safety Course
Motorboats
New Law Effective May 1st, 2014
All individuals born on or after 5/1/96 are now required to successfully complete an approved course in boater education to operate a motorboat. Approved courses include those offered by NYS Parks, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary or the U.S. Power Squadron. Individuals less than 10 years of age may not take this course of instruction. Certain allowances to this law have been made for visitors to New York, persons renting a boat from a livery and persons purchasing a new boat for the first time. Courses are being offered at Glimmerglass State Park on Otsego Lake. Call Bill Hanrahan 518-332-8259 to register or find a course near you on nyparks.com.
August 7th, 2014.
Divers recover boat for church camp.
By Joe Mahoney THE DAILY STAR Cooperstown Crier
It was the summer of 1995 when a 16-foot fiberglass sailboat dubbed Blue Jeans filled with water while being towed to shore, falling to the chilly depths of Otsego Lake near Cooperstown.
The boat belonged to the Pathfinder summer camp operated by the American Baptist Church. When divers made several attempts to locate it, they could find no trace of it.
But an image that appeared to be the lost vessel showed up in a side scan sonar survey funded two years ago, by a professional underwater archaeologist from the Saratoga Springs area, Joseph Zarzynski. He was working in conjunction with the dive team of the Biological Field Station that is an arm of the State University College at Oneonta.
– Read the entire story here.
– Check out the pictures here.
Photo credit: Paul Lord
July 22ND, 2014.
Press Release – Otsego Lake Assn. Features Otsego Lake Nostalgia at Historic Camp Minnetoska.
Dateline: Cooperstown, NY — The Otsego Lake Association (OLA) will hold its 2014 annual meeting at historic Camp Minnetoska, a former Girl Scout camp now privately owned by the Clark Foundation, located at 759 County Highway 31 north of the Village of Cooperstown. A full program of topics related to boating on Otsego Lake will be offered free of charge to Association members and non-members on Saturday, August 9, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
The Saturday morning events kick off with coffee and doughnuts, prior to the brief business meeting, which will include the election of officers and the presentation of the Lake Citizen Award.
Read more here.
July 4th, 2014.
“We Love Our Lake, Boat Parade”
The first Annual July 4th Otsego Lake boat parade was a huge success many thanks to the boat parade committee for all their hard work in organizing the event. Special thanks to Louis Busch Hager Jr. and his boat the Chief Uncas. Very special thanks to the 35 plus decorated boats that participated. Some pictures of the parade have been uploaded click here. With so many amazingly decorated boats it was very difficult for the judges (Scottie Baker, Wayne Bunn & Paul Lord) to choose the winners. Congratulations to the following winners.
Antique or classic Boat: Chief Uncas – Louis Busch Hager Jr.
Man-powered: no participants, so this prize was awarded to the Pirate Ship
Original or unusual: Titanic – William and Mickie Richtsmeier
Patriotic theme: Flags – Catherine and Don Raddatz.
Photo credit for Patriotic theme: Tina Claiborne (daughter of Scottie Baker).
Joyful/party decor: Disney – Tom Chase
Humorous: Santa/Noel – Keith and Kay Additon
Grand prize/best of parade: Gilligan’s Island
Photo credit: Timothy Pokorny
June 28th, 2014.
Attention photographers!! Weather you float your boat or view from shore submit YOUR best photo of OUR “We Love Our Lake, Boat Parade” held on July 4th, 2014 on Otsego Lake, NY to info@otsegolakeassociation.org. If your photo is used on our website or other OLA promotions, you get one FREE OLA t-shirt. Limit one entry/photo per person. Entries must be submitted via email by 5:00pm Tuesday July 15th, 2014 to be eligible. Submitted photos must be used by December 31st, 2014 to receive prize. After December 31st, 2014 OLA reserves the right to use all photos on our website and/or promotions without awarding a prize. Please provide name & additional contact information so we may contact any winners and provide photo credit to each entry. If more than one photo is submitted only the first photo will be considered for prize. OLA is not responsible for lost or misplaced entries.
May 18th, 2014.
BFS Volunteer Dive Team.
The all-volunteer dive team has deployed all 19 no-wake buoys for the 2014 season.
Photo credit: Timothy Pokorny
May 10th, 2014.
BFS Volunteer Dive Team
The all-volunteer dive team needs your help. Certified volunteer divers & dive tenders/boat drivers are needed to assist with BFS projects throughout the summer. If you can volunteer your time, please contact Paul.Lord@oneonta.edu for more information.
May 10th, 2014.
Spring BoD meeting
Things are really coming together for 2014. The annual meeting is Saturday August 9th, 2014 at Camp Minnetoska on historic boats. A boat parade with prizes will be on July 4th. Be on the lookout for new publications and new projects that help protect the lake. Click events to find out more about the boat parade and annual meeting. Read the minutes here.
April 13th, 2014.
Otsego ice out is here, spring is just around the corner.
Check out the video below.
Photo credit: Timothy Pokorny
March 30th, 2014.
OCCA announces Otsego Lakes Festival.
The seventh Otsego Lakes Festival will be held this year on Saturday, July 12 at Lakefront Park in Cooperstown from noon to 5 p.m. Organized under the aegis of the Otsego County Water Quality Coordinating Committee, the Lakes Festival offers residents and visitors alike a day full of fun and festivities celebrating our lakes – educational exhibits, children’s activities, hands-on workshops and lake tours will all focus on the importance of protecting our waterways and ensuring water quality throughout our region. OCCA Executive Director Darla M. Youngs serves as WQCC facilitator and on the Lakes Festival Planning Committee. To make a financial contribution toward the Lakes Festival, or to register as an exhibitor or vendor, please contact Youngs at admin@occainfo.org or (607) 547-4488.
March 24th, 2014.
Beautiful day on the ice today looking northward.
Photo credit: Timothy Pokorny
February 8th, 2014.
Board of Directors meeting. The agenda was packed full of excitement for 2014.
Read the minutes here. We welcomed three new members to the board.
Michael Richtsmeier, Director for the Town of Middlefield.
Bob Sutherland, Director for the Town of Springfield.
Kiyoko Yokota, Technical Advisor.