Friends of Yellow Creek remembers our founding board member, Patrick F Gates, 86 of Nanty Glo, who passed away on March 17, 2023. Pat was an enthusiastic, no-nonsense volunteer. H was always ready to help, whether planting trees, registering bike racers, or building picnic tables. When we rehabbed a pontoon boat for the Friends group, Pat showed up with a battery he’d purchased for us at Walmart — “I thought this would be useful.” He also made connections and sought donations from other groups for the park. Pat was born April 10, 1936 in Hollsopple. Pat was a United States Marine Corp Veteran and retired from Bethlehem Steel. True to form, Pat made sure to renew his own membership for 2023, signing up in December, beating all the rest of us. Here he is pictured after helping us sink posts for a canoe rack at the lake.
Families have enjoyed being part of the sailing base this season. Many have joined us for the Windy Wednesday “Learn to Sail.” But some days the wind isn’t there. Community Sailing Base members can also enjoy access to kayaks and paddle boards.
Friends, enjoy your Memorial Day weekend. Community sailing begins this Wednesday and every Wednesday through Labor Day, at 4pm. Our volunteer instructors will help novices or those who need to brush up their sailing skills earn their US Sailing certification. Experienced sailors can “check-off” their skills and gain full access to the FOYC fleet.