Boat Safety Course Will Satisfy NJ Regulations

$65 two-night course available April 29, 30 on Lake Hopatcong.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 67 on Lake Hopatcong, will conduct a safety boating class Monday, April 29 and Tuesday, April 30. The course will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. each night and taught by United States Coast Guard certified instructors licensed by the state of New Jersey. The course will cover all the subjects to satisfy requirements for the mandatory New Jersey Boating Safety Certificate needed by all powerboat operators in the state. Sponsored by the Lake Hopatcong Marina, the course will take place at that location, which is 155 State Route 181, Lake Hopatcong, NJ, 07849. Fee for the course is $65. To register, email Frank Federico at f.federico@att.net or call 973-610-1121.

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Hoops Star Boards Pirate Ship at Seton Hall

Jaren Sina, released from his commitment to play at Northwestern University, will stay in state and play for the South Orange school.

I’m a Pirate!!! Ready to play for my state!!!!! #SetonHallPirates That’s the tweet Lake Hopatcong’s Jaren Sina sent out April 17 breaking the news he had committed to play for the South Orange college. Sina, ranked as the 23rd best point guard in the nation entering college in 2013, had previously committed to playing at Northwestern University, was released from the school’s program by request when the team fired its head coach, Bill Carmody in March. Once he was free of his obligation from the school, Sina began being courted by Alabama, who initially tried recruiting the Gil St. Bernard’s standout in 2012, Indiana, and Seton Hall. At the time of Carmody’s firing, Sina became “50-50” on staying with the program, his father told Patch. …

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3 Colleges Reportedly Eyeing Local Hoops Star

Lake Hopatcong's Jaren Sina's recent release from Northwestern commitment has created a stir of recruitment.

March has truly become madness for Lake Hopatcong’s Jaren Sina. The four-star recruit who spent his high school career at Gill St. Bernard’s was planning on wearing purple in college after committing to Northwestern University late in 2012. But when Northwestern fired its coach earlier this month, Sina, the school’s top recruit, asked to be released from his commitment. He hasn’t said he’ll be leaving the program for a different one, but his father told Patch recently his son was only “50-50” on keeping his plans. With Sina now on the free market, rumors of Indiana, Alabama, and New Jersey’s Seton Hall University recruiting the point guard have emerged, according to sippinonpurple.com, a website for Northwestern University sports. That …

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Safety Course Trains, Certifies NJ Boaters

Coast Guard will teach drivers about safe boating.

Boating safely is a major issue for those who take advantage of Lake Hopatcong’s body of water, and now residents have the opportunity to learn more. The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 67, which is stationed on Lake Hopatcong, will conduct an “About Boating Safely” course on Sunday, Feb. 17 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The course is taught by USCG certified instructors and covers all the subjects that satisfy requirements for mandatory NJ Boating Safety Certificates, according to a press release from the USCG. Those who complete the daylong course will be able to obtain a New Jersey State Boating License from the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission. The class is being sponsored by the Hopatcong Homestead Beach Club and will be held at the …

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Lake Hopatcong Plunge Will Benefit Special Needs Kids

Fourth annual Leap in the Lake will be held Feb. 9 at Hopatcong State Park.

Those brave enough to face the freezing waters of Lake Hopatcong for the annual Leap in the Lake plunge Feb. 9 will do so to benefit special needs kids spending time at Camp Moore. This is the fourth consecutive year the program has been hosted by the Lake Hopatcong Elks #782. According to nj.com, organizers are hoping to raise more than $50,000 during the plunge. This year's event will kick off at 1 p.m. at Hopatcong State Park. The Elks will also host a "Post Leap Party" from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Elks lodge for $20 a ticket, although plunge participants will receive a complimentary ticket. Plungers will also receive a Leap in the Lake t-shirt. Proceeds from the plunge will benefit the Lake Hopatcong Elks Special Children's Committee, …

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'Ice-Eater' Systems a Concern on Lake Hopatcong

Warm weather and prevention of ice near docks create a potentially hazardous condition.

Lynne Scanlon always thought the “Danger” sign on Lake Hopatcong dock was enough to warn people that she was operating an “ice-eater,” a system that uses air to slow the formation of ice around docks and other structures in the water. What Scanlon found out is that her sign, which includes the word “DANGER” in large white-on-red print, a warning “Ice not safe,” in black print and a symbol of a skater with a red slash drawn through the image, did not meet Jefferson signage code. Scanlon owns a home on one of the lake’s islands. "I do know that most people are completely unaware of this code requirement and the exact signage dimensions required," Scanlon wrote in an email. "If there is a sign at all on the end of a dock, it most often is a …

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jazzman

5:23 pm on Saturday, January 19, 2013

ice eaters over all else can disrupt the ice if weather permits,so IF we had a couple a warm days during good winter ice freeze and IF the dock owner has already intruded out into the lake more then allowed,then you MIGHT have a incident with a night time snowmobile who`s not familiar with the area,who also having limited visiblity,might go through the ice....with temps in the teens you can walk …   more ›

Lake Hopatcong Ice-Fishing Contest Cancelled

Lack of ice leads organizers to put off first 2013 event.

An ice-fishing contest on Lake Hopatcong scheduled for Jan. 20 has been cancelled due to lack of ice on the lake, according to AIM Jefferson. The contest was to be the first of the year hosted by the Knee Deep Club. The club had been planning for the event for months and sent out notice earlier this month. Ice-fishing contests by the club have drawn a good amount of participation, including last year's February contest in which 85 anglers fished. First-, second- and third-place winners split a $1,360 cash prize.

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Three Men Treated For Hypothermia After Canoe Flips Over in Lake Hopatcong

Three men were treated for hypothermia after their canoe flipped over in Lake Hopatcong in Mount Arlington early Monday morning.

Northwestern Next Stop for Lake Hopatcong's Sina

Gill St. Bernard's standout ready to bring his talents to the Chicago school next fall.

The best way to find out what kind of a basketball game Jaren Sina is having is to watch the man guarding him.  If the Gill St. Bernard’s senior point guard takes a long deep breath and sighs in resignation before tugging on his shorts and taking a defense stance, you know Sina is doing pretty well. The Lake Hopatcong resident is a menace to anyone who is trying to cover him on the court. Sina recently signed his National Letter of Intent to play basketball at Northwestern University next fall. Preseason workouts are underway for the Knights in preparation for their season and home opener on December 14 against Our Saviour New American of Centereach, N.Y. Sina was heavily recruited by numerous Division I programs and was more than happy to…

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Trapped in Freezing Water, Woman 'Lucky' to be Alive

Two firefighters rescue woman after she drove into Lake Hopatcong.

NORTH JERSEY -- The woman who drove her car into a lake Thursday night may not have survived if it wasn't for the two rescuers' quick response and her stroke of luck that night. The two Hopatcong firefighters who saved the woman—whose identity police have not released—said she's "lucky" to be alive after being trapped in her car in the freezing cold Lake Hopatcong for at least 15 minutes after hitting a guard rail. When the two rescuers, Billy Long and Robert Tallaksen, first arrived to the scene on Hopatcong Street they saw the car on its side in the water, unsure of the woman's condition. "At first, I thought it was a good possibility that she wouldn't be alive because more than three quarters of her car was submerged," Tallaksen said. …

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