Larry Ossenkop, the clerk of the sanitary improvement district, says the lake has 863 lots. About 320 are permanently occupied, according to the lake’s SID, but he noted that many who have seasonal homes live there through the summer.

One of its most attractive elements is that nearly all cabins and homes are on the waterfront.

Jack Wieland, who has lived at the lake for 22 years, agreed that as accommodations improved, the lake’s demographic makeup changed.  “In the beginning, people came to enjoy fishing and boating and leave the cares of their weekly endeavors behind,” he said. “A great debt of gratitude is due those early families who planted trees, established lawns and constructed sea-walls as barriers against erosion of the shoreline.”

His wife, Joann, president of Johnson Lake Development, said new blood is also improving life at the lake.  “The newcomers seem younger, energetic, more socially driven and have arrived with a host of ideas brought from where they lived of how to improve and diversify life at the lake,” she said.  Some of the diversity comes in the variety of summer events that have been created. Memorial Day Weekend features a communitywide garage sale and a parade of boats.

A new activity is the Art and Wine Festival June 9 in the Lakeview Acres Park. The festival has been discussed and planned for two years. Painters and sculptors, many nationally known, have accepted the invitation to show their work and offer it for sale.

Organizers such as Realtor Patty Johnson view the festival as having great potential to grow.  “We’re so excited at the enthusiastic response we’ve had from artists from across Nebraska and other states. For our first attempt at an art and wine festival, it’s shaping up to be a wonderful event for the lake and surrounding communities,” she said.   Mac’s Creek Winery of Lexington and the Three Brothers Winery of Farnam will offer wine. Many food vendors will be present.

In addition to events, Johnson Lake now has several trails winding around it.   Allan McClure, active in the trials’ development, said the Lexington Foundation has been a generous supporter of the trails, as has Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District, the lake’s owner.

“One purpose of the trail system is to get bikers and hikers off Johnson Lake Drive. Accidents have happened,” said Chuck Olsen, another organizer of the trails.  The first trail winds through the state park and is named for the late Larry Roper, a former supervisor of the state parks at the lake. This trail is 1.1 miles long.  The Matson Trail — named after Paul Matson, who led the creation of the trail, before he died of cancer — is on the west side of the lake and is 2.1 miles long.  Work continues to create a trail that will circle the lake.

This law just past, detailed in the following article, goes for around J-Lake!! However, it should be noted that it is also against the law to ride on the roads where a Bike Trail is available!! This is especially important on the East end where traffic is heavy and the commercial businesses are located and the NG&PC main campground entrance is located. Bikers need to use the provided trail...

Law on the side of bikers being passed

By Katy Healey, WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER, « Metro/Region, April 30, 2012
 

It happened quickly. Martin Cordes was biking to work, as he did most days. Then, without warning, he wasn't.
“I heard this roaring sound behind me, and all of a sudden I was flying through the air,” he said.
The sound belonged to a truck's engine, humming as it rounded a street corner. The truck hit the bike and launched Cordes.
The January 2011 accident crushed his ribs, broke his pelvis, misaligned multiple vertebrae in his back and injured his elbow and left foot. He spent a total of five months in four specialty hospitals recovering before he returned home to North Platte, Neb.
At the time there was no law under which to ticket the driver who hit Cordes. But his story helped to propel a new state law to protect bicyclists and others on the road.

The law, approved by the Nebraska Legislature in April, requires motorists to leave a 3-foot clearance when passing cyclists, pedestrians and people using electric scooters.

Law enforcement personnel are authorized to pull over drivers who pass too closely. Drivers can be fined $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second offense and $300 for the third.

The law goes into effect July 19.

Sen. Tom Hansen of North Platte introduced the bill, citing several incidents in his district involving vehicles hitting joggers and cyclists, including Cordes.  More than 270 people were injured in bicycle-motor vehicle accidents in Nebraska in 2011. The number was the highest in seven years. Two people died.

“I think it's real smart,” Cordes, 67, said of the law. “I wish it'd be 5 feet, but it's something. We definitely need it so people are thinking about (safety).”

About half the states have similar laws to protect cyclists. Passing clearances generally range from 2 feet to 5 feet. Hansen said 3 feet seemed to be the most common measure.  Iowa law does not mandate a specific minimum clearance distance when passing a bicycle, according to David Stutz of the Iowa Department of Transportation. The state's driver's manual does recommend drivers leave three to four feet.

The new Nebraska law is “an affirmation,” said Julie Harris, project manager with Activate Omaha, a public health organization. “Yes, we have a right to be out there and be safe if we choose to transport ourselves using a bike.”  Harris said the law also benefits motorists who do not know how to interact with cyclists.  Her advice: Drivers should pass bikes the same way they do cars, moving into the next or oncoming lane to pass. If there is oncoming traffic, drivers should slow down and follow the cyclists until oncoming traffic clears.  Prior to the legislation, the state driver's manual suggested drivers allow 3 feet to the left of cyclists when passing but did not fine those who didn't.  “If it's just a suggestion, it may not be taken real seriously, but if people find out you can get ticketed for this, it may make a little difference,” Hansen said. “Hopefully it makes everyone safer.”

Giving Away Used Goods for the Good of the Planet

In terms of being green, giving away used goods through a charitable organization reduces waste and fits in with the eco-friendly idea of reusing as much as possible. If you’re interested in giving things away to people who need them more than you do, you can donate just about anything.

A few organizations that accept household or clothing items:

• Goodwill Industries International

  Local stores welcome donations of clothing and household items for resale.

• Habitat for Humanity

  Habitat accepts tools, building materials, furniture, and appliances in good working order, either for use in homes being built or for resale to the public in order to help raise funds. The organization also accepts vehicle donations.

• Hands Across the Water

  This group collects unwanted books and sends them to schools and libraries that need them around the world.

• Lion’s Clubs International

  Lions Clubs recycle eyeglasses, collecting used eyeglasses at a number of eyewear chain stores and in some libraries and redistributing them in developing countries.

• Nike Re-Use a Shoe

  Take worn-out athletic shoes of any brand to your local Nike store or other drop point and the company will process them into material used for sports surfaces such as playgrounds for youth around the world.

• The Salvation Army

  This unarmed organization operates local centers that accept household and clothing items for resale.

Charitable organizations don't accept all types of items, but that doesn't mean you have to add to the waste stream by tossing them away; you can be greener than that. If you don’t want to sell your unwanted goods, Internet share sites can put you in touch with folks who need what you have:

• Freecycle was one of the first Web sites to offer members a way of giving unwanted possessions away for free to other members who would make good use of them. This program takes the principles of reducing, reusing, and recycling into cyberspace. Community members can offer unwanted items to local members, who then respond by e-mail. The rule is that everything offered must be free, legal, and appropriate for all ages. Membership in Freecycle is free.

• Sharing Is Giving acts as a one-stop source for all free-transfer Web sites. You can post a link to your share site; all Sharing Is Giving asks in return is that you put a link to their site on your home page. This site has the same rules as Freecycle about listing only all-ages, profanity-free, legal, and free items.

LakeShore Marina

Upcoming Events:

Saturday, February 11^th

Pre-Valentine’s Day Dinner Special

Tuesday, February 14^th

Valentine’s Day Dinner Special

Tuesday, February 21^st

Fat Tuesday Party

Saturday, February 25^th   

Mardi Gras Party

Saturday, March 17^th

St. Patty’s Day Celebration

Saturday, March 24^th

Spring Break Party w/

Bases Loaded Band

JOIN US FOR ALL THE FUN!

Updated road closures,  6/28/11

The Nebraska Department of Roads  recommends using highways 77 and 81 to and from Kansas.

NDOR discourages use of Highway 75 because of major construction and lane restrictions. A minor accident on Highway 75 south of Nebraska City last week caused a traffic tie-up involving more than 100 vehicles.

Information regarding road closures can be found at www.roads.ne.gov/flood/.

For travelers eastbound on I-80 from points west of York, if you are intending to travel north on I-29 once you reach Council Bluffs, Iowa, the Department of Roads said it strongly suggests you take U.S. 81 north at York to I-90 in South Dakota. That will allow you to avoid all of the detour traffic in Iowa.

Nebraska 2 is closed from Nebraska City as it runs east into Iowa due to water completely covering Highway 2 on the Iowa side.

Highway 12 is closed east of Verdel to the Niobrara State Park Recreation Road. The state park is open.

Highway 12 is also closed one mile east of Niobrara to the Santee Spur (S-54D).

Highway 14/37 is closed from the junction with Highway 12 to the Nebraska-South Dakota border (Standing Bear Bridge). Highway 14 is open going south from the junction of Highway 12.

The U.S. 30 crossing from Blair to Iowa will temporarily close Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. The closure will be for approximately 48 hours, depending on equipment, weather, and other factors. The public will be notified when the road is reopened.

The Decatur Missouri River crossing to Iowa Highway175 is closed due to erosion of the bridge embankment on the Iowa side. Officials will evaluate the erosion and determine if mitigation work can be done to enable the bridge to reopen.

Highway 136 is closed from Brownville as it runs east into Missouri. This closure is due to water topping a levee on the Missouri side.

Highway 159 is closed from Rulo as it runs east into Missouri. Closure is due to a levee break on the Missouri side of Big Lake resulting in water over the road on the Missouri side.

I-680 into Iowa is closed north of Omaha due to I-680 in Iowa being covered by floodwaters.