The Mail-Journal, Volume 19, Number 24, Milford, Kosciusko County, 30 June 1982 — Page 11

Summer

Good fishinq at Waubee Lake

While Waubee Lake near Milford in Van Buren Township is not big enough for water skiing or high-speed boating, it is very popular among fishermen, swimmers and boaters Bluegill, crappie and bass are all abundant in Waubee Lake, attracting dedicated fishermen from all over the state the year

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MERRY-GO-ROUND — Nathaniel Flanner, two-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. George Flanner of Milford, seems to be enjoying himself on one of the merry-go-rounds at the Waubee Lake Park. < Photo by Doug Walker >

f To Our Friends & Customers ... ® Have A Happy & Safe 4th Os July | / t From All Os Us At The | Wawasee Boat Co! W* S P' J JWfr b J | I Vjr jOl’l I I 'Sq/ ~ w»Ja p j ■ W> WW> .- ;_ >gT Kj 1 Come See Us For A Large Selection Os These Brand Name Boats: W j , ' —... I \ ' R 1 ' : < Ea I 3 ■■ . K 4 ar —JW-Xgroms— £ 1 RLUMACMFT W/SONM g j FISHING BOATS K j * > 12 j 2 yachts MacGregor Saifeoats CATAMARANS B Despite world and local economic problems, people still deserve to have fun. Boating is an activity that UJ « can be enjoyed by the whole family, young and old. ■ Kt 7 We at Wawasee Boat Co. are committed to carrying the finest lines of boats and accessories, while &t 4 offering excellent service and storage to back it up. KJ 1 “Thanks to our customers for a fine g I season to date — there’s still a lot of summer | j ahead! Join us at...” £n g L *"-'i jWawasee Boat Co.U | | “The Largest Marina On Indiana’s Largest Natural Lake” B North Shore, Lake Wawasee 12 At Harkless Harbor 457-44<>4 U_F.> W

round. Each winter, a large number of fishing houses are in view on its ice-covered surface. The entire east end of the lake is owned by Camp Alexander Mack, which is located on ground originally belonging to Jacob Neff. The camp, one of the area’s largest, is named after an early leader of the Brethren Church

Camp Mack was founded in 1925. An island which was once located off the north shore of the lake gradually sank in the first half of this century. Early residents remembered it as being covered with cranberries. The area surrounding Lake Waubee was developed for yearround living fairly recently when compared to the ages of homes

built on other area lakes / The first cottage on4ne lake was little more thap-a small hut constructed by Russell Homan and Eugene Felkner in 1913. Prior to that, the only type of shelters in the Waubee area had been boat houses belonging to John Sharp, Alonzo Doty and Mel Cooper. The first year-round home was constructed by a postmaster from Plymouth on the north side of the lake in 1945. He never lived there, rented it to two families and then sold it to its present owner, John Chambers the following year. Chambers’ neighbors, Jerry and Katheryn Bushong, built the second yearround home on the lake in 1946 and have lived at the lake longer

Skinner Lake good for crappies

Fishermen familiar with Skinner Lake, a 122 acre lake east of Albion in Noble County, know the lake contains more crappies, on an acre by acre basis, than any other lake in northeast Indiana. At times, Skinner Lake seems literally full of six to eightinch crappies. While Skinner Lake crappies as a rule aren’t exceptionally large, every three or four years, the lake produces a strong year-class of crappies. Most crappies in Skinner Lake reach a length of about eight inches, and live approximately four years. Once the strong year-class subsides, crappie fishing at Skinner Lake slows until another

than anyone else. The south side of the lake was developed in the middle 1950 s and the northwest corner in the early 19605. Waubee Lake offers one of the finest parks and swimming beaches in the area, with a concession stand, lunch pavilion and playground equipment all available at the facility. The Waubee Lake Association will be holding its annual meeting at the Milford Community Building July 15 at 7:30 p.m. A report will be presented by a representative of Ball State University on the water quality in the lake, and Jed Pearson will speak on the lake's pike population. Elections of officers and board members will also be held.

strong year-class emerges. Skinner Lake’s water quality has changed in recent years. Because of its large agricultural watershed, Skinner Lake is now more turbid than most area lakes. In 1977, a cooperative program between various governmental agencies, local residents and farmers was initiated to reduce soil runoff into the lake and to restore good water quality. A major pan of the improvement program, construction of a silt sedimentatiop basin on the main inlet, was completed last year. If the water quality improves, it is anticipated the Skinner Lake crappie will grow in size and numbers.

3 years later — John Goebel skiing again

By DOUG WALKER

On the afternoon of August 11, 1979, John Goebel seemed to have everything going for him. Earlier that year, he had graduated from Homestead High School in Fort Wayne, and was only weeks away from entering Franklin College on a football scholarship. The afternoon found Goebel, not surprisingly, on Lake Wawasee participating in a ski show. Goebel's family had been spending the summer on the lake since 1962. and he had been skiing since the age of five. Though only 18, he had already captured eight Indiana State Ski Championships. Goebel’s fortunes changed quickly. At 3:20 on that' afternoon, Goebel had just completed a complicated manuever allowing him to ski under two fellow performers who had gone off a ski jump. The positioning of the ramp made it impossible for Goebel to spot a spectator boat which had drifted dangerously close to the ski show area Traveling in excess of 30 mph. he plowed directly into the portside bow of the spectator boat. Looking back on the incident nearly three years later. John Goebel remembers that he never lost consciousness as he lay in the water critically injured. He had suffered massive internal injuries. including a tear in his stomach and a ruptured artery, and had broken the third lumbar vertebra in his back. He also could not feel his legs In some respects, Goebel was lucky. The tear in the artery would have in most cases resulted in his death, but the injuries to his stomach and spleen had caused the flow of

a ■I SB 1 BACK ON SKIS—Jota Goebel, eight-tine Indiana State Ski Champion, has recovered from serioes injuries suffered in a ski show mishap in August I>T». Goebel to currently giving ski lessons in the Lake Wawasee area. He will be attending chiropractic. school in Chicago this fall. (Photo by Doug Walker)

WAUBEE LAKE PARK — Waubee Lake Park, shown here, offers visitors one of the finest sand beaches and recreational facilities in the area. (Photo by Doug Walker). „ - ——■ •. k ■-- • • ~ — - ' - — — CAMP MACK — Camp Alexander Mack, located on Waubee Lake, has been an area landmark since its inception in 1925. (Photo by Doug Walker)

blood to be pinched off. in all likelihood saving his life. The paralysis would prove to be temporary, though numbness in his legs has and continues to give him occasional problems. Today Goebel gives credit to the people who used a backboard to remove him from the water. Had they attempted to move him in a different fashion, he would probably now be paralyzed. What followed for Goebel was several days in the Goshen Hospital, and six months in a body cast. The football career at Franklin was obviously not to be, so he entered Ball State University, where he studied premed, specializing in chiropractics. While many people would have been satisfied just to have survived such an accident, Goebel was determined to ski again. Having lost 30 of his 160 pounds, he knew that regaining his strength would be no small task. Goebel said that more than anythmg else, the months of work following his accident had taught him to be patient. “It takes a long time to rehabilitate from something like this,” he said. “While at school, I lifted four times a week and ran every day. I knew that I had to get back to where I had been. I had seen other people in similar situations who seemed to lack the determination to come back. I knew I couldn't let that happen to myself." Goebel’s work paid off nearly a full year after the accident, in August of 1980, when he skied again for the first time. “My doctors were reluctant, but it was something that I had to do.” Goebel said. While his injuries have made jumping on skis too hazardous for him to attempt.

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Wed., June 30,1982 — THE MAIL-JOURNAL

Goebel today slaloms, trick skis, and. to the slight disconcernation of his doctors, occasionally ba refoots This summer, Goebel has decided to put his vast knowledge in the area of skiing to work, and is operating John Goebel's Ski Clinic, offering beginners and experts alike individualized lessons in any and all phases of water skiing. He is especially looking forward to giving lessons

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to a friend from France who will be coming to Syracuse later this summer. The son of Dr. and Mrs. Harold Goebel, he recently completed his third year at Ball State, and for the next five years will be studying at a chiropractics institute in Chicago. He plans to keep his ski clinic in operation each year when he returns to his family’s Ogden Island summer home.

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