The Mail-Journal, Volume 29, Number 15, Milford, Kosciusko County, 23 May 1990 — Page 52

SUMMER — Wednesday, May 23,1990

MARY ANN Irß DRIVE-IN I -A 4WESE / J Call Syracuse AMERICAN FOOD 457 4312 EAT IN OR CARRY OUT WAWASEE VILLAGE SR 13S SYRACUSE

yiu - When In Syracuse Stay At The ANCHOR INN Bed & Breakfast Hosted By Bob And Jean Kennedy Anchor Inn is located 3.5 miles south of Syracuse on State Road 13. The beautiful Victorian three-story, yellow and white frame house with its inviting front porch overlooks the greens of South Shore Golf Course. Call 457-4714

»sr.iSr '*«?,**' *v>x I Ipsjffsl I ■ I STERN DRIVES & INBOARDS |[ I CLARK'S MARINE I "Where The Fun Begins 11 St. Rd. 13 —1 Mile North Os North Webster • SMOKER CRAFT • TRAILMASTER I • SHORELANDER * ACCESSORIES Sales, Service & Storage ■ Op en 7 Days ■ IQ3 834-2491 SI Factory Trained Technicians fl

*~fl'' I MB I SI Wb v'■ MM— , » V •■ MBS ■ V isS vw. ) ' , »» BB r**Sl W •*" MMBBSIfm ' ' x. J Bl r* ' .W< -: CHECKING ANSWERS — Coast Guard Auxiliary member Sue Gaugler, left, teaches an annual boating safety class at the Lakeland Youth Center in Syracuse. She is pictured watching a couple of her students, Brian White and Kambi Essig, as they go over test answers.

«mJI 1 J ® < " BHO EARLY EDI CATION — Boating safety education starts at an early age for some area residents. These youngsters learned about safety on the waterway s by taking an Indiana state boating safety c'purse at the Lakeland Youth Center in Syracuse. Coast Guard Auxiliary member Sue Gaugler taught the course. Pictured in the front row, from left, are Brian White, Heather Paradis. Janay Peterson and Kambi Essig. Standing in back row are Gaugler and Josh Wells.

Boating safety is an important part of summer

Recreational boating is a basic part of life for people who live around the lakes of Northern Indiana. The summer months are particularly active on the area lakes, as people take to the water for such fun activities as fishing, water skiing, sailing and paddling. But a great deal of responsibility goes along with the privilege of operating a boat. Unites States Coast Guard statistics show there are approximately 6.000 boating accidents reported each year, nationally. Those accidents involve about 7,000 boats, and result in approximately 1,200 fatalities and over sls million in property damage. The most common type of fatal accidents are capsizing and falls overboard. For nonfatal accidents, the most common problems are collisions with other boats or fixed objects. Common sense and courtesy on the w’aterways can go a long way towards preventing accidents. “Some people are courteous and some people aren’t.” said local Coast Guard Auxiliary representative Sue Gaugler. “We've been very fortunate on these lakes not to have any true serious accidents.” But even one semi-serious accident is one semi-serious accident too many. Education is the key for preventing danger on the waterways. If people know the rules of the water travel, and how to react to potential emergencies, they can make life a whole lot easier for themselves. Gaugler gets to some boaters at a young

age by teaching an Indiana State Boating Safety class at the Lakeland Youth Center in Syracuse. The four-week course is designed for children 12 years of age and older “What we’re teaching them is the main rules and regulations and the safety equipment that’s on board, and that sort of thing.” she said. There are an almost endless array of factors that are involved in boating safety, such as boat maintenance and knowing the rules of right-away. Personal flotation devices and fire extinguishers are a couple of vital pieces of equipment for boaters. "Safety is the whole name of the game and I have been stressing that they should wear a personal flotation device." Gaugler said. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources puts out a pamphlet on state boating laws that can be a great help to boat operators. Gaugler also relates some tricks of the trade to students that she has gained through years of experience. She recommends that boat owners smell around the hatch of their vessels before operating them. If there's a strong smell of gas, then there may be a fire hazard. She also recommends that people make sure their boats are properly warmed up before they leave the pier. The summer season will bring a lot of boaters to the area lakes. Knowing the rules and using common sense and courtesy could make it a much safer summer.