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December Newsletter.
It is with a greatly saddened heart that we start this news letter with the announcement of the closing of Wabank Aquaculture to divers for the 2004 season. Current scuba diving activities are suspended indefinitely. We will not be hosting the Chili Dive this year. We have arranged to hold it at Myerstown. All are invited and we hope to see you there.
We will not be offering a 2004 membership. With the recent excavating, the entrance is impassable to any vehicle other than four wheel drive. No matter which entrance we use mud is tracked in. Due to all the dirt being moved, water quality has already been affected and we feel this will only make matters worse. So for your safety and to ensure a quality dive environment, we will be ceasing dive operations immediately. The decision was not an easy one. We tried to balance an already fragile ecosystem with soil erosion and traffic from divers. We also have a budget to meet and must consider the needs of our divers, friends and partners. Unfortunately we had to face the reality that we must close for the 2004 season.
Please do not fret. We will be progressing forward and focusing on 2005. We want to look at this as an opportunity. We would like to think of 2004 as a reorganization year. We will be educating ourselves and focusing on the true meaning of 'Aquaculture'. An analysis of all the work over the years will be compiled and with help maybe even published. Let us not forget the meaning of Aquaculture - "The science, art, and business of cultivating fresh water marine animals for a viable food source under controlled conditions." Each one of us shares this dream, where someday hunger will be as extinct as the Do-Do bird.
What will the future hold? I am a firm believer that “all things work for the good to them that believe.” As the neighborhood goes up around the water, the next challenge will be whether we can integrate or not. I still dream of creating a large aquarium where we could give the diver a private place to hone skills and have an aquatic environment chock full of fish. We intend to continue with the fish, monitor their progress, and work with the ecosystem now established. The air transference from your tanks kept the system functioning. The benefit that provided can now be evaluated in the upcoming months.
I want to Thank those that started with me; Scott Stoneburner, George & Dianna Ruelens, Jimmy Miller, Kent Bachman, our wives and friends who shared the dream. To those who joined and helped us grow, Jim & Helen Brubaker, Darin Boling and many others too numerous to mention; Thanks for all you have contributed. It's been a blessing and honor to meet you and a privilege to dive with many of you (even when I get lost on night dives). To all the shops, we can't thank you enough for your friendship and business. You have encouraged us to provide the best visibility possible. In doing so I have learned so much and will not forget the lessons learned. One thing about a walk of faith is that it's never boring and we will dive together again.
We at Wabank want to wish you all The Merriest and Most Blessed Christmas ever. May our Lord Embrace you with Blessing of all sorts as you celebrate the joy of His gift to you; Himself. We will be in touch and will keep you posted on any progress. Hang tight – Big things are being planned…
Sincerely,
Frank and the
Wabank Staff
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