Page 56 - Discover Summer 2020
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L
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            The “Little” People
            Th
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             One of my favorite authors and story             are adventure, physical and mental well being,
      characters are Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss)         and a little peace and harmony with the beauty of
      and his protective little creature, “The Lorax”.        the lake.  Some are even scholastic and collegiate
      When the Lorax has seen enough of the                   athletes.
      devastation of the forests, he gets up on a tree
                                                                      If you watch, social distancing has the
      stump and  commands,  “I am the Lorax, and I
                                                              Little People popping out all over the lake now,
      speak for the trees!”   Well neighbors and guests,
                                                              starting long before the traditional watercraft
      as your Water Safety Council  (WSC), we are
                                                              season that spans from Memorial Day to Labor
      compelled to speak for the human-powered small
                                                              Day.  They are out in canoes, kayaks, rowing shells,
      craft and the swimmers:  the “Little self-propelled
                                                              and skiffs.  The elusive wet-suited paddle boarder
      People”, who create no wakes as they navigate
                                                              has even been spotted.  Most follow one another,
      the little places of Smith Mountain Lake (SML).
                                                              like little ducks....six feet apart of course!  Yes,
      After the previous year’s incident reports, as well
                                                              even those young people at the end of the whip
      as the trends over the past two years, we need to
                                                              being towed behind power craft, they count as
      “talk”. So pull up a soap box while I climb up on a
                                                              Little People too.
      stump.
                                                                       In order to gauge the presence of local
             Who are these “Little People” anyway?
                                                              small craft, we conducted a site-survey of 100
      They come in all ages and skill levels, from 5 to
                                                              docks. We found that there are more human-
      95 years young.  Many are youths experiencing
                                                              powered craft visible than powered craft, by a
      their first tastes of freedom and Command at Sea.
                                                              factor of nearly two to one. In sheer numbers, the
      Little People couldn’t care less about the price of
                                                              Little People win!
      gas, for they provide their own power.  Their goals
      54     Discover Smith Mountain Lake  SUMMER 2020
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