Baldwin Lake Association Newsletter
An Anchor for our Community
October 2005 Volume 12 Issue 4
President’s Corner
October is the time of year I gamble on whether I can enjoy the boats and pier one more week before they get covered with ice or snow. It is that time and I am hopeful for a few more warm days, if not weeks!
Due to the unusually dry summer mosquito spraying was required only one time and it is a good thing, as the funds collected would not have allowed for several sprayings. Please keep sending donations in case we need to spray more next year.
There were some questions about the validity of the results of the water testing done after Labor Day; repeat testing was done and those results are not back yet. We will report them in our next newsletter.
I was disappointed in the number of residents attending the annual meeting in July. But the picnic was well attended and the rain held off until the very end before we had to run for cover. The Parks are great hosts and everyone enjoyed the good food and company.
Residents on Sunset are electing to forego an organized road cleanup this year and are urging all to keep areas around their property clean. My thanks to Karen Balch and her friends and neighbors for the good job they do cleaning up Hilltop. We still need some one to chair this clean-up project.
Our annual Holiday Dinner Dance will be the first Saturday in December, 12/03/05, and we are holding the event close to home at the Cass County Conservation Club so people will not have to worry about driving any distance in bad weather. We have arranged for a caterer and a DJ, which is a considerable financial commitment, and will need a good turn-out to meet. Please mark your calendar and celebrate the beginning of the season with your neighbors. More information and the reservation form are attached.
The next newsletter will be out after the first of the year. I wish you a good autumn and I hope to see you in December.
Alice Ann Troy BLA President
WOULD YOU LIKE A NEIGHBORHOOD DIRECTORY?
I am willing to compile and print up a directory of the neighborhood around Baldwin Lake, but I need all of you interested in receiving one to cooperate with me. I would like each of you to legibly print or type the information listed below and send it to me at: Judy Kankel, 70833 S. Baldwin Lake Drive, Union, MI 49130 or preferably, if you have a computer, e-mail me at jkankel@earthlink.net and put DIRECTORY in the subject line. Please don’t wait till the last minute. The sooner I have the information, the sooner I can complete this booklet. If you send in information, we will see that you receive a copy of the booklet. Any questions or comments? You can call me at 269-641-2335.
Here is a list of the information I would like to include:
1. Names of everyone in the household
2. Address
3. Telephone number (or tell me if it is unlisted)
4. If you are not a permanent resident, your winter address and telephone number
5. Your e-mail address
If you prefer not to divulge any or all of this information, that is fine .I will only print what is given to me either by mail or e-mail. Thanks, Judy
Michigan Water
So, you have a place on a lake. Do you know how that water gets there? Do you know how many ways there are for water to get there? Last, but not least, do you know that 20% of the world’s fresh water lies within Michigan and the Great Lakes? Now doesn’t it seem reasonable for us to become quality stewards of this fantastic natural resource?
Your lake water, no matter which lake in Michigan you call home, comes from rain, ground water, or streams. The watershed is the single most important feature of your lake. The watershed is defined as the area where all of the rainfall tends to flow toward your lake. Think of it as an ordinary shed with a peaked roof, built so it completely surrounds your lake. Of all the water that falls on that shed, some flows down one side of the roof and some down the other side. Only that water that flows down the side toward your lake is in the watershed of your lake. That which flows down the other side is in a different watershed.
When rain falls to the grounds, five primary actions take place:
1) Some of it runs downhill on the surface and ends up in a body of surface water
2) It soaks into the ground where some of it is taken up by the roots of plants
3) It attaches to soil particles and remains near the surface
4) It seeps into a lower strata and becomes part of the ground water
5) It evaporates into the air from which it came.
The source of nearly all streams is ground water, one exception being glacier melt. The ground water may be at the same level as the stream, but is more likely to be several feet beneath it. The water forming the stream comes from springs that bubble up from the ground, forced to the surface by underground pressure. In a sense, every stream is ground water moving at the surface.
Ground water is typically a vast reservoir of water stored in the cracks, crevices of rocks, and between grains of sand. Under normal climatic conditions the depth to the top of the ground water remains relatively stable. If a well near a lakeshore has to be driven to a depth of forty feet to access the ground water (or water table), and the lake is 75 feet deep, then the bottom 35 feet of the lake is part of the ground water system inter-mixed with the top forty feet of the lake water. So the distinction between surface water and ground water is not always easy to ascertain. Land-locked lakes (no inlet/no outlet) are kept filled by ground water welling upward and rainfall.
Some lakes are stream fed and also have an outlet stream. Because of the nature of streams, these are being fed by ground water that has moved along the surface. Seldom does surface water exist without some ground water source to keep it replenished.
Because the source of most of our water is from the ground, then anything that you would not choose to drink, or mix with your bathwater, should not be allowed to come in contact with water. This is truly your opportunity as an individual to contribute one small bit to keeping our beautiful Michigan water clean and useful. If it kills plants or lubricates motors or fuels your car, it’s not likely something you want to ingest. This is a good time to use common sense. Work at keeping your own lake clean. Contact the Michigan Department of Natural Resources or MLSA for brochures that will give you leading ideas on how to cope with potential pollution problems on your lake. Remember, Paracelsus stated some centuries past, "The poison is in the dose." Don’t contribute to the dose of poisons in your water.
An Editorial by Delavan Sipes from "Michigan Lake and Stream Association"
May, 2005 MLSWA newsletter.
JUDY’S JOTTINGS
…..submitted by Judy Kankel
IN THE GARDEN
: Now is the time to plant those spring bulbs (tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinth, etc.) A good rule of thumb is to plant them a depth equal to 3 times the width of the bulb. This seems to work for me. Also, mark where you plant them with a plant stake or something to remind you next spring not to plant something else right there. You may want to save some leaves to use as winter mulch for your tender perennials. They must be shredded, however, or they may get too heavy with water and smother the very plants they were meant to protect. Trim the plants back to about 3" and cover with 3 – 6 inches of shredded leaves after we have had a hard frost or two, so that you will be certain the plant is truly dormant. Canna and dahlia tubers should be dug up after a hard frost and stored in a cool, dark place till spring.OUR FEATHERED FRIENDS: While visiting Saugatuck, MI in September for a day’s outing, we spotted two brown and white birds that had several black horizontal stripes across their chest, a rather large bird, robin-size, near the lake…I have no idea what they were, reminded me of killdeer, but had more stripes. Anyone have any ideas what they were? Everyone wants to know when to stop feeding the hummingbirds…according to Mike Maloney, Elkhart’s congenial gardening expert, you stop feeding them when they are no longer here, no special time frame…I notice they are really filling up already for that long flight coming up soon.
FROM MY KITCHEN
:A pretty way to serve a head of Cauliflower:
Remove outside leaves and wash head of cauliflower. Leave intact and place in boiling water with some salt added for 15 minutes. Remove from the water and allow to cool. Place in casserole dish. Frost with mixture of ¾ cup mayonnaise and 2 tsp. yellow mustard. Place shredded Colby cheese on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Yummmmmm!!
Here’s an easy appetizer for you:
CHINESE CHICKEN WINGS
1 bottle of Wishbone Italian Dressing
3 ½ Tablespoons Soy Sauce
½ Teaspoon Oregano
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
4 pounds chicken wings
Mix together the Italian Dressing, soy sauce, oregano and garlic powder. Place wings in bowl and cover with this mixture. Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight. Next day place wings in roaster in a single layer. Do not cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Turn over and bake 45 more minutes.
Enjoy!!
Backdoor Embroidery
BLA has, in the past, ordered embroidered shirts from Backdoor Embroidery. Though we will no longer be providing this service, you can order directly from the owner. Jenny Stutsman, of Edwardsburg, has been in business since 1995. She works on sweat shirts, hats, jackets, and lots more. If you have your own design, she can put that on your item. Call her for more info. Think personalization for Christmas gifts!
Mark Your Calendar
This year's Christmas party is going to be a true community celebration. We have reserved the Cass County Conservation Club for a dinner dance, close to home. Carrie Rogers from Chic Unique Eats is going to prepare a delicious gourmet meal for us. The disc jockey, Prime Cut has been hired to provide us with your favorite tunes.
In order for this to be a successful event, we need to have good attendance. So please encourage your friends, family, and especially neighbors, including neighboring lakes, to attend.
So mark your calendars for Saturday night, December 3rd. RSVP by Nov. 14th!
Get in the Holiday Spirit
With Your Friends, Family & Neighbors
at the
Baldwin Lake Christmas Party
Saturday, December 3rd at 6:30
At the Cass County Conservation Club on US 12 in Union
Dinner Catered by: Chic Unique Eats
Chicken w/ caramelized onions, portabello mushrooms, in a robust Dijon sauce
Baby spinach Caesar salad w/ gouda and sun dried tomatoes
Herb roasted red skinned potatoes
Roasted parmesan winter vegetables
Chocolate cakes w/ tiramisu topping
Your DJ for your favorite music
(*** Vegetarian meal upon request ***)
Cocktails at 6:30 - - Dinner at 7:00 - - Entertainment at 7:30
$25.00 per person
Non-alcoholic beverages provided—cash bar available
We want this to be a party for everyone who enjoys Baldwin Lake
So invite your friends and family and especially your neighbors!
Call Mike Crofoot 641-7968 or Karen Balch 641-2512 if you have any questions
______________________________________________________________________________________
Please complete this form and send with your check to:
Baldwin Lake Association
P.O. Box 311
Union, MI 49130
Name________________________________________________
Number of People Attending______ Phone Number____________________
RESERVATIONS MUST BE MADE BY NOVEMBER 14TH