Greetings Members,
There will be a ‘special meeting’ on October 8th at the Pleasant Valley Free Methodist Church immediately following the chili supper. The ‘special meeting’ will last no longer than ten minutes. We will be voting on the bylaws AS PRESENTED to the membership (and posted on this website). There will not be a discussion just a vote. Vote yes or vote no. For your information, the old bylaws were updated and revised by board members Brent Patterson and Paula Stephanic, who did an excellent job. The revised version was presented to the membership at the September general membership meeting by Brent and there were several comments and suggestions from the attendees, however, the final draft presented is the final draft that we will vote on (minus the suggestions from some members). Again, the final bylaws draft is posted on the website for your review and the vote will take place immediately after the chili supper. If the revised version does not pass then we will go back to the drawing board next year.
FYI, the chili supper starts at 5pm and there will be no silent auction this year. Instead we are going to vote on the best chili and the best dessert and those winners will win a one year membership to the SMLA. It should be a lot of fun. If you are interested in competing please contact Raia Black at 231-536-2919. We also have a drawing for the centerpieces and pumpkins/gourds/decorations at the end of the evening. We hope to see you there!
I have had a couple of phone calls about the shooting going on on the lake and it IS hunting season. Goose season opened on September 1 and will go on at various times thru February 11, duck season starts October 1, turkey-September 15-November 14, rabbit, crow, squirrel, woodcock, pheasant, quail, grouse, etc. all at various times and the early antlerless deer season begins September 17 and some variations will go on through January 1. For all the times and seasons look on the DNR website. The waterfowl hunting on Six Mile Lake is legal and hunters may not shoot within 450′ or 150 yards of a residence per Charlevoix County Conservation Officer Baldwin. Also, I spoke with him about the various explosions going on at the north end of Six Mile Lake and the product being used is called tannerite. The blast is similar to dynamite. You can go on you tube and watch how it is used. It is not legal on state land but on private property there are no restrictions. Some people use it to blow up old cars or refrigerators but it’s primary use is in explosive targets. So mystery solved!
I would also like to introduce the new board members, whose terms will begin in January. Clifford Sorrell (retired Fortune 500 company) is the new Vice-president, Tom Kupovits (retired police officer) is the new secretary, and Joy Hettig (retired E.Jordan schools) will be filling a one year board term. I am staying on as President (not retired-owner North Country Cars & Credit). I would like to thank long time secretary Carol Kupovits for her twelve years of service. We have always been able to count on Carol’s accurate note-taking and her prompt and courteous correspondence to both members and guests alike, and, let’s just say, that we will miss her tremendously. Brent Patterson is our out-going board member and is responsible in part for the newly drafted bylaws, but more than that, Brent has been a true gentleman and we will miss him as well. I will say that our board members do a lot of work for the good of the lake and all of us who own property here. It is a selfless position, there’s no pay, sometimes a lot of grief, but the rewards are many.
I also want to thank Cliff & Mary Sorrell and Ken & Nancy Shaner for chairing the picnic this year. It is a big responsibility picking up the food, cooking the food, setting up, manning the grills, tearing down, etc. Raia Black chairs the chili supper and is our events coordinator and she has planned some great excursions for the members this year including tours to Beaver Island, Charlevoix, Central Lake, Tiger stadium…you just never know what she’s got planned next. Derrick Hakim is our web-master and Derrick and Sally keep our website up to date. Watch for some new sections coming soon and Sally has a passion to make our website more ‘neighborhood’ friendly. Thanks to Paula Stephanic for her work on the bylaws, various computer generated forms, and handling the coffee pot responsibilities this year! Michele Nerone takes care of the kiosk at Echo Township Park and schedules the work details for the Natural Area. Kathy Batka is the liason between PLM and SMLA and attends many of the meetings at Tip of the Mitt and elsewhere. Craig Schmidt sits on Heidi Schaffer’s invasives committee. Jeff Rogers is our legal-eagle giving advice and counsel when we need it. Kelly Hogan and I are loon rangers and are responsible for the platforms and bouys. Bill Bates heads up the highway clean-up team. There are many others who have filled in, gone to meetings, picked us up when we have fallen down, served on the board in both good and bad times, stepped up and done things when no one else could or would. To each and every one of you, all of us on Six Mile Lake say thank-you! I truly believe that Six Mile Lake is the best place to live anywhere and our members, friends, and neighbors make it that way!
Until next time!!
Cherie Hogan