Baldwin Lake Association Newsletter
September 2001 Volume 5
President’s Letter
The year seems to be passing quickly- we had the Flotilla, small as it was this summer, and the Annual Meeting & Picnic, and we are now looking at Labor Day. There has been some thought as to possible "rotation" of the picnic location to various areas around the lake. We would appreciate hearing from anyone who thinks that they would be willing to "Host" the picnic. A few things to keep in mind are that the "Host" is not expected to provide anything extra other than the space for the picnic and parking. The Association rents sanitary facilities, and the setup (chairs, tables, tents) will be done by the committee. Apparently there have normally been somewhere in the area of about 50 people. (Some folks walk over, some drive and others boat over, so you do not have to have room for 50 cars!) We would appreciate hearing prior to January so that plans can be made, including location, during the winter.
We had 12 homeowners do the Home Water Quality Testing for Coliform, Nitrates, & Lead, which should be done every couple of years.
The lake water quality tests have been going well and will continue another month or two.
Porter Township board has requested that each Lake Association take a basic survey of all landowners to determine the interest in a Waste Water Collection/Treatment System for the Lake Areas in the Township. That survey, and a self-addressed envelope, is being handed out with this newsletter and we strongly urge that you make your opinion known so that we can give the Township a better idea of the desires of the Baldwin Lake landowners.
We are still working on setting the physical "Benchmark" to show the legally recorded normal lake level for Baldwin Lake. This will help us know when, and if, the level changes and to what extent, as well as allowing us to try to control those changes.
We want everyone to know that the officers and advisors always welcome your suggestions and comments. Those can be given by E-mail to baldwin-lake-366@mlswa.org or by phone.
H.C. Scot Billings BLA President
Community Affairs
A very important questionnaire is included with this newsletter and the community needs your input to help the Township Board decide how to proceed on the wastewater collection system issue. Please take the time to fill it out and mail it in so your vote will be tabulated. Your only cost is a few minutes of time and a 34-cent stamp. Only the number of "yes’s and no’s" will be provided to the Township. We need to ask for a property address so that if the board has any questions as to the validity if our numbers we will be able to support our information. If requested we will provide the Township Board the addresses of the respondents but not how they voted. We also have numbered each questionnaire to protect the accuracy of the count, preventing duplicate responses from giving us inaccurate figures. We can assure you that this information will be held in strict confidence.
The second important item coming up, is a public meeting of the Porter Township Zoning Appeals Board. This meeting addresses the request by the Hollywood Shores Campground to overturn the denial of the special land use permit by the zoning board last August. Over ninety residents were present at that meeting to voice their concerns over the request by the owners of Hollywood Shores to expand the present campground onto residentially zoned property. If you feel strongly about this issue please plan to attend the meeting scheduled for Monday September 17, 2001 at 6:30 PM Indiana time. These are the type of issues that need community input to inform the local boards how the community feels on a particular issue. Mark your calendars and we will plan on seeing all the Baldwin Lake residents on the 17th of September.
We will not publish a newsletter before our fall clean up of the roads so we still need your help on Saturday October 6. Please plan to set aside a few minutes to clean the roads around Baldwin Lake.
Blood Drive
Saturday, September 15
Keep this date in mind! You have an opportunity to make a difference to up to 4 needy persons. The Community Policing Association is sponsoring a blood drive. It will be held at the Porter Township Fire Station from 8:45 –2:45(MI).
Remember to have a healthy breakfast, and extra fluids. Ladies, if you have been turned down in the past because of low iron, an iron pill will keep your iron count high enough to donate blood.
For more information call 1-800-382-6382
For the Birds!
Bethany Haynie (Hilltop) looked out to see a blue Heron in her mom’s garden pond, located just outside the front door. It had eaten her pet fish-aptly named Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Maybe she ought to name her next fish "Mid-afternoon Snack"!
There have been several sightings of peacocks on Hilltop. One was a colorful male; the other was an unusual white peacock. Pretty as they are, bird-lover Lenee Vance says not to feed these birds. Hungry birds will find their own way home!
Used Printer Cartridges
Baldwin Prairie Elementary School is collecting empty printer cartridges. You can help our kids by dropping off your empty containers at the school. Drop them off in the office, or look for the container near the front door!
Our kids need you!
Michigan Apples
Apples are Michigan’s #1 fruit. They are by far the state’s largest fruit crop by volume. Michigan produced about 1.4 billion pounds of fruit in 2000, including blueberries, grapes cherries and peaches. 60% of that was apples-850 million pounds! 2001 should be a banner year for apples, with a projected harvest of over 1 billion pounds. That’s a lot of apples!
Part-time Deputy?
Jeff Johnson’s term as full time deputy for Cass County for the past years, will end this fall. The Township cannot afford a full time Deputy for extra patrols because of the decrease recorded on our last census and the fact that Cass County cannot find any grants to help pay for an officers salary. Hopefully we will be able to hire an officer on a part-time basis, sharing him with Marcellus.
Either way Jeff will apparently be the DARE officer for the entire County, including our school.
Crime Watch
There has been a rash of car break-ins on Sunset. Cell phones, loose change and CDs have been reported missing, thus leading to the suspicion that the crimes are being committed by youths. Keep an eye out for any suspicious activity and report it immediately.
Remember to lock your car doors, even when they are parked in your own driveway!
We are no longer be including specifics about area criminal activity on our web page. If you want to be notified by e-mail about crime alerts in our area, please contact Don Henke at DBHENKE@aol.com
December 8th!
CALENDAR
SEPTEMBER