By Phoebe Donald Robinson / Community Columnist

The Lay Lake Home Owners and Boat Owners Association’s 17th annual meeting is Saturday, Oct. 11, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 pm. at the Childersburg Rec Center, 300 First Street SE in Childersburg. Refreshments will be served. The Lay Lake HOBO is a “grass roots citizen’s action group that organized to keep Lay Lake a clean, safe and beautiful environment for all living things,” see laylakehobo.org. The group was organized in 1997 and membership is over 400 families strong.
President Art Giddens has invited a representative from the Alabama Wildlife Center to give a bird presentation of birds in the Coosa River area. Focusing on raptor birds which are bird of prey that hunt and fish for food, the demonstration will focus on the osprey which lives on Lay Lake as well as other birds.
Assisting Giddens are HOBO Treasurer Chuck Jenson, Secretary Frank Jones, Waxahatchee Creek Board Member Jerry Dozier, Talladega County/Cedar Creek Board Member Marvin Pipkin, Talladega County/Lay Lake Estates Board Member David Gustin, Lay Lake Marine Patrol Officer Steven MacLeroy, and Shelby Shores Area Representative and Publicity Chair Karen Jenson.
Lay Lake HOBO has a water monitoring program that has been ongoing since 2000 chaired by Judy Jones. There are 16 monitors who test lake water monthly for parameters on dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, PH and others.
Every April since 1999, Lay Lake HOBO under the leadership of Judy Jones who chairs the Annual Lay Lake Cleanup. The cleanup involves five counties, Shelby, Talladega, Coosa, Chilton and St. Clair. The week-long clean up concludes with a free picnic for volunteers at Beeswax Park.

The Annual Christmas Parade led by Joe Sullivan will be Saturday, Dec. 13. The parade starts at Beeswax Park and boats lit with Christmas lights and festive music float down the river ending at Okomo Marine. To register for parade, see Lay Lake Christmas Parade on Facebook or Joe@sullivancomm.com.
For more information contact Giddens at 441-1116 or artgiddens@yahoo.com