OFFICIAL NOTICE OF THE

      ANNUAL MEETING

      BALDWIN LAKE ASSOCIATION

       

       

      All members of the Baldwin Lake Association are hereby officially

      notified of the annual meeting of the association to be held

       

      Saturday, July 15th, 2006


      At the Cass County Conservation Club on US 12

      10:00 A.M.

       

      A social time with coffee and donuts will begin

      one half hour before the start of the meeting.

       

      The business of the meeting shall be:

       

      1.      Reports from the officers and committee chairs

       

                      2.  Election of President, one Vice President and of the

                           Treasurer for 2-year terms of office.

      Incumbents, Alice Ann Troy, Phil Yoder, and Keith Kankel have agreed to put their names on the slate.    

      Additional nominees can be made from the floor if    the nominee has agreed to run.

       

      3.  Presentations by our Fire Chief concerning the upcoming millage vote, and by one of our Marine Officers.

       

      4.  Open questions and discussion from the floor.

       

       

      By resolution of the executive and advisory boards,

       

       

       President’s Letter

       

      Here it is the middle of June and the time seems to be flying.

       I want to thank Carol Erbe for arranging a boating safety class at the CCCC earlier this month. There were forty people in attendance. For dates and times of future classes consult our website.

       

      Saturday, July 8th marine officers will be doing boat inspections at the piers on the Crofoot property on the NE corner of the lake. Watercrafts in compliance can display a decal.

       

      Our annual meeting will be Saturday, July 15th at 10:00 AM at the Cass County Conservation Club. Refreshments will be available for one half hour before the meeting. The Fire Chief will present information about the Southeast Public Safety Authority and the future of emergency service for our community. An officer from the Marine Patrol will be there with information about boating and riparian issues. It will be the final opportunity to sign up to be included in our directory and an excellent time to pay dues and contribute to the mosquito-spraying fund. There has been one spraying this season and we are in need of donations so we can keep up with the demand.

       

      At 3:00PM that same day you are invited to our annual picnic on the waterfront of the Parks residence on Hartshorn (the old hotel). Burgers, brats, buns, soft drinks, table service, and condiments will be provided and guests will need to bring a dish to share and any special beverages needed.  I am looking forward seeing many of you at these events.

       

      The sewer work is winding down and I want to thank you for you patience during this trying time, and the lake already seems to be benefiting if you look at our recent secchi readings.

       

      The next newsletter will be out in October, but don’t forget to vote in the Primary and millage election on August 8th.

       

      Have a great summer and plan to attend our annual meeting and picnic as well as our monthly meetings on the third Monday of the month except in July and December at the CCCC.  Mark your calendar for our Christmas Dinner/Dance the first Saturday in December. 

       

      JULY GARDEN WALK

      The Mason-Union Garden Club is sponsoring a garden walk to celebrate our 65th

      anniversary!  The walk will be from 1-4 on Saturday, July 8, 2006.  You will have an opportunity to see 10 different gardens and tour the Union House on US12.  Maps are available at Charlotte Fletcher’s garden at  71306 M205 (just after the curve that meets Cassopolis Street).

      The garden walk is free to everyone.  A garden club member will be at each site to help supervise visitors and answer questions.  There will also be programs, free refreshments, and unique garden related items for sale.

         Everyone in the community is invited to attend, enjoy the gardens, and visit with

         your neighbors.  Spread the word! 

      Need more info?  Call Charlotte Fletcher

       

       

      Fireworks:

       

      Birch and Indiana Lake                           July 1st

      Long Lake                                              July 3rd                                   

       

       

       

      SALE OF GREAT LAKES WATER?

       

      Clean, fresh water is becoming more scarce throughout the world, even though some countries are making an effort to clean up their waterways.  The scarcity leads folks to cast an eye toward the Great Lakes to replenish their diminishing sources.  For example, in 1998 Ontario approved export of Lake Superior water to Asia.  In addition, there were rumbles about pumping Great Lakes waters to the badly depleted Ogallala Aquifer in southwestern United States.  Fortunately, neither plan materialized.

       

      Even so, the population of the dry southwest is increasing rapidly and gaining seats in the U. S. legislature, while the Great Lakes states find their congressional seats diminishing..  Governors of Canadian provinces and also states bordering the Great Lakes, in 2001, began working to prevent future large-scale withdrawal of water from the Great Lakes watershed.  Final drafts of the agreements were completed by the end of 2005. 

       

      Within the United States water battles have already been in the courts.  Michigan ground water in Mecosta County is being pumped by Nestle Waters of North America and sold under the Ice Mountain label.  Activists have challenged the company, and the courts have limited pumping from 360,000 gallons per day down to 288,000 gallons.

       

      Ground water in Waukesha, Wisconsin is contaminated with radioactive radium.  Officials want to withdraw water from Lake Michigan, but the town is outside the Great Lakes watershed and cannot access water without approval of the eight governors of the states contiguous to the Great Lakes.  Waukesha officials threatened to sue, but to date no action has been taken.

       

      MLSA RECOGNIZED BY THE STATE

       

      Michigan Lake and Stream Associations have been involved in the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program (CLMP) for many years, working jointly with the Department of Environmental Quality.  Recently, at a meeting of the Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps), Don Winne accepted on behalf of the CLMP Volunteers, a certificate recognizing the CLMP volunteers  “As a 2005 Governor’s Service Awards nominee and in appreciation for outstanding service given to Michigan citizens.  The data collected by this program is being used to help track the quality and ecological integrity of Michigan’s lakes and streams,  and the work of its staff and volunteers is greatly appreciated.”

       

      MLSA enrolled 212 lakes in the CLMP program last year.  Volunteers obtained information on water transparency, phosphorous content, chlorophyll,, and dissolved oxygen and temperature measurements.

       

      The above articles are excerpts from the Michigan Lakes and Streams Newsletter

       

       

      Don Henke / Community Affairs

       

      Have you asked your self, “does Baldwin Lake look clearer or is it just my imagination?” You can answer your self that it is not your imagination, the lake definitely is clearer. Our first Secchi Disk and subsequent readings have shown an increase in water clarity by 50% over the same time frame from past years (2004 & 2005).  For those who are wondering what a Secchi Disc is, it is a 9” plastic disc painted black and white in quarters, that we lower into the lake on a cloth tape and record the depth when we can no longer see the disc. We have been taking these readings for at least ten years. We don’t know if this trend will continue during the July and August readings, which historically records diminished clarity due to the increase in boat and people activities on the Lake. A complete record of current and past readings, by location, can be found on our web page.

                  A second question many have posed to members of the association is, “is the lake level down”? That question we can’t answer with a simple yes or no. Baldwin Lake Association has acquired a court document that establishes legal lake levels for the four lakes in our community (Baldwin, Indiana, Long and Coverdale). These documents are not new but indicate that the people in our community were concerned about establishing and maintaining a legal lake level for the future. The procedure was processed and completed through the then, Michigan Bureau of Water Management and the Circuit Court of Cass County Michigan, on October 20, 1972. The court recorded lake level for Baldwin Lake is 755.0 ft above sea level in the summer (April 1 thru October 1) and 753.0 ft above sea level in the winter. These levels were placed on markers at 2 spots in the lake but over the years they eroded away. We now have a new marker to record lake levels and in May after the lengthy rainy period, Baldwin Lake was 1.5 inches (755.2) above its legal lake level. At the writing of this article, our lake level is .1 of a foot (754.9) below our legal normal pool. I guess the answer to the original question is Baldwin Lake is down. I doubt any body can see that 1/10th of a foot. We have been in a dry spell recently, which explains the lower level. We will be providing lake levels on out web page and they will be taken at the same time as we take our Secchi Disc readings.

       

       

        

      JUDY’S JOTTINGS                                                                                       

      submitted by Judy Kankel

       

      July means heat, beautiful flowers, patriotism, picnics, and lots of boats and other watercraft on the lake.  Please observe all safety rules while enjoying our water.  It also is the time for our Association Annual Meeting and Picnic on the 15th, and we hope to see all of you there.  It is a good time to meet your neighbors and share in lots of GOOD FOOD!!  You may even want to consider getting involved in our Association.

       

      IN THE GARDEN  Plain old Epsom salts are an inexpensive and very effective way to give your flowers a boost…they contain magnesium sulfate, a trace mineral, and your flowers will all smile back at you after you sprinkle a little around them and water it in.  Remember also to “deadhead” or remove spent blossoms from your flowers to encourage them to bloom more.  Mason-Union Garden Club will be having their 2nd Garden Tour on July 8…Please enjoy their efforts and perhaps get some ideas for your own gardens.

       

      BIRDS, BIRDS, BIRDS  I finally saw a grosbeak at the feeder.  The orange with grape jelly hasn’t attracted any orioles yet, however I have seen a few flying around.  The hummers have been enjoying the feeders and, of course, we have all noticed the baby ducklings on the lake.  We can’t keep the feeders filled fast enough with sunflower seed. The perching birds really love it.  Nothing is better than sitting on your deck, cold drink in hand, watching all the activity in the trees and at the feeders.  Second might be trying to identify all the people in the pontoon boats that float by.

       Rose-breasted Grosbeak

       

       

      IN THE KITCHEN Even if you don’t normally like bran muffins, bet you will like these:

       

      APPLESAUCE BRAN MUFFINS

       

      Preheat oven to 400 degrees…this will make 12 large muffins

       

       Mixture #1                                                                                                    

       

      1 ½  Cups Nabisco 100% Bran                         

      1 ½  Cups applesauce                                     

      1 egg                                                               

      ¼  Cup melted margarine                                 

      ½  Cup packed brown sugar

       

      Mixture #2

       

      1 ½ Cups flour

      1 Tbls baking powder                      

      1 tsp. Cinnamon

      ½  Cup raisins   

       

      Glaze

       

      ½ Cup powdered sugar

      1 Tbls applesauce

                            

      Mix together items in Mixture #1.  Set aside.  Mix together items in Mixture #2.  Mix #1 into #2 until well blended.  Spoon into 12 paper-lined muffin cups.  Bake about 15 minutes, until they test dry with toothpick.  Cool slightly.  Drizzle with glaze.   Enjoy!!

       

      DID YOU KNOW?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

       

      There are 36,350 miles of streams or rivers in Michigan.

      Holland, Michigan is the home of Life Savers candy, Beech-Nut gum and Squirt soft drink.

      In 1905, 50 cents was the annual license fee for Michigan auto owners to operate motorized vehicles.

      In 1688 Father Jacques Marquette founded the first permanent settlement that later became Michigan.

      The Michigan State Capitol is constructed of Ohio limestone.

      Onions are Michigan’s largest fresh-market, vegetable crop.