A Live Nativity Christmas Eve At 5:00 p.m

The Beaver Island Community was invited to:

A Live Nativity on Christmas Eve at 5:00 p.m.

Matt & Wendy Fogg's Cottage on the harbor.

Hot chocolate, food and refreshments.

Sponsored by Lighthouse Fellowship

Additional parking available at McDonough's Market (Thank you McDonough Family)

The scene of the program

Waiting for the crowd to arrive

They have arrived....

Welcome by Matt and Wendy Fogg

A Reading by Terry Saxton

Away in a Manger lead by Bob Hoogendoorn

Scripture Reading by Peg Hoogendoorn

The First Noel

Scripture Reading by Matt Fogg

This little girl, Nora, stole the show.

Go Tell It on the Island

Scripture Reading by Terry Carey

O Holy Night

We Three Kings

Thy Nativity by the Richard Family

Scripture Reading by Alan Brouard

O Holy Night by Bill Detwhiler

Silent Night

Closing Prayer by Bob Hoogendoorn

Video of the Live Nativity Service

The above link takes you to the video of the entire service. A shortened video without the readings and without the local singing is available as well. You can view this shortened version set to music of the editor's choice below:

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National Recognition For Beaver Island Fishing

The current issue of CarpPro magazine features three stories that mention Beaver Island as an outstanding destination for flats style fly fishing for giant Golden Bones.

You can read the issue here: http://www.carppro.net/CarpPro/Current_issue.html

The stories are on pages 20, 58, & 102 by John Paul Lipton, Kirk Deeter and Beaver Island 's Kevin Morlock. Morlock (Indigo Guides) reports that his current booking for the 2013 season are “way up, the best ever.” The Chamber of Commerce reports that three Indigo Guides will be working on Beaver Island starting in May.

Freighter Seeking Protection

These pictures were taken of a freighter outside the harbor seen on the morning of Saturday, December 22, 2012. Getting close enough to get a good picture was difficult because the freighter was along the east side of the island, but not in the location normally easy to access.

Beautiful Snow Sculptures

Results of the Storm and Blizzard

Some Islanders have been without power since Thursday. Some near Fox Lake have had power out for almost a whole day. The Great Lakes crew has been working very hard trying to get power back on to anyone without it, but this storm has caused lots of damage and brought big trees, if not big branches down. The trees limbs that are not broken off are hanging down quite low from the weight of the freezing rain/slush and then snow on top of both. It has created some beautiful pictures, but also has caused some serious consequences for those trying to get up and down the length of the island.

Here are a couple of video clips made by Dan Burton as he attempted to get back up to town from his property down the West Side. His driveway is close to a mile long and his driveway is a long way down the West Side Road. This will give you an excellent idea of what is going on here on Beaver Island as a result of the winter storm and blizzard.

Coming out of the Burton's Driveway

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Finally made the West Side Road which isn't much better

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Former BICS Student Active in Veteran's Rights

Signe Thomas is active in an organization at Florida State University (FSU). This short text article was written by Signe:

In this photo are some amazing Veterans that I've had the privilege to get to know. Such as: Colonel Francis, Quyet Dang, Ryan Taylor, Austin Capers, and even our very own Governor, Gov. Rick Scott (a Navy Vet). Here he is signing HB 45 and HB 347 into law.

It was an honor to witness Governor Scott signing HB 45 and HB 347 into law. HB 45 allows Veterans to receive priority course registration at universities that offer priority registration for other groups. For example, if a university offers priority course registration for athletes, honors students, or seniors, then student Veterans will now also receive access to priority registration as well.

HB 347 allows Veterans to earn college credit for college-level training and education attained in the military. The contents of both these bills were already in effect at FSU as of this past Spring, and now as of the bill signing this summer they are now implemented in universities statewide.

I believe doing our part to make our state's university system become more “Vet friendly,” and is the least we can do since our service men and women in the Armed Forces represent the best-of-the-best that our nation has to offer, and it is an honor that I've been able to actively assist such efforts through Thank A Soldier Organization of FSU .

Several Subscriptions Expire in January

Several family and business subscriptions expire in January 2013. This is a reminder to those that wish to renew online. If you do renew online using a credit or debit card, and the Paypal SUBSCRIBE button, BINN will automatically make a donation of $10 in your name to the Beaver Island Food Pantry. If you are not sure when your subscription expires, please email the editor at medic5740@gmail.com, and your subscription expiration will be included in a return email.

SUBSCRIBE or Renew

Meet Bill Haggard, New St. James Township Supervisor

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From Beaver Island Community School

Beaver Island superintendent/principal search narrowed to 4 candidates

The Beaver Island Community School Board of Education members narrowed the field of candidates for superintendent/principal to four at a special board meeting last week.

The four candidates selected for interviews are all from Michigan . The candidates and their interview schedule are:

•  Jennifer Verleger, Principal at Mt. Pleasant High School, Mt. Pleasant, 10 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 8

•  Riley Justis, Curriculum and Technology Administrator at Hope Academy Schools, Detroit , 1 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 8

•  Melanie Allen, Multi-Tier Systems of Support Transition Coordinator at Holt Schools, Holt, 10 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 9

•  Greg Paxton, Superintendent at Beaverton Schools, Beaverton , 1 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 9

All interviews are open to the public and will be held in classroom 115. School Board President Jessica Anderson said the board encourages the community to attend the public interview process. If time permits, public questions may be entertained.

"We were very pleased with the caliber of candidates who applied," Anderson said, adding it was a difficult process to narrow down the number of candidates selected for interviews. "I want to thank each candidate for giving us the opportunity to review their applications," she added.

A total of 20 candidates applied for the administrative position, which is being vacated at the end of the school year by Kathleen (Kitty) McNamara who had been superintendent for more than 24 years.

With assistance from Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District , which is coordinating the search, a brochure for the position was mailed to all 523 school districts in the state, and advertisements were on state and national websites.

Forums were held with school staff and the community to gather input on qualities the community is seeking in their superintendent. Comments ranged from good communication skills to someone who will interface easily with students, parents, and the community.

Tentatively, the school board has set second interviews for the week of January 14 with the hopes to have the new superintendent begin in mid-June 2013.

Architect Selected for Terminal Project

Architects were interviewed by the Beaver Island Airport Commission and Kendra C. Thompson Architects (KTA); P.C. was selected for the terminal project.

The firm has been in existence for over 22 years and is located in Manistee, with collaborating professional firms in northern Michigan. KTA provided the architectural and engineering services for the development of a new terminal building at the Manistee County Blacker Airport. They worked with Mead & Hunt (Beaver Island 's Airport planners) during that project.

KTA is also focused on the need to design within the budget, the relatively short time span to completion, to capture the essence of the Island community in the design, and the need to consider energy efficient systems and material for maximum impact on the operational costs of the terminal.

Public input on design ideas for the new terminal will be sought during special meetings on that topic. Please watch for postings.

Support Non-Game Wildlife Too

Honor a loved one this holiday season by supporting Michigan's wildlife

This holiday season, Michigan residents can honor friends or loved ones by making a donation to the Michigan Nongame Fish and Wildlife Fund in their name. The recipient will be notified of the donor's generosity with a beautiful certificate and a Living Resources patch featuring one of Michigan's unique nongame species.

According to the Department of Natural Resources, a donation of $20 or more makes a world of difference for the fish and wildlife species in Michigan. These tax-deductible gifts benefit species that are endangered, threatened or considered rare in the state, helping to restore rare species populations and also to keep common species common.

Since the Michigan Nongame Fish and Wildlife Fund was established in 1983, the program has had three main goals:

Peregrine falcons, trumpeter swans, piping plovers, gray wolves, Kirtland's warblers, Mitchell's satyr butterflies, lake sturgeon and common terns are just a few of the hundreds of wildlife species that have benefited from projects supported through the Michigan Nongame Fish and Wildlife Fund. For more information on projects that have been supported by the fund, visit www.michigan.gov/ nongamewildlife .

The Michigan Nongame Fish and Wildlife Fund supports a network of more than 100 watchable wildlife sites throughout the state. These sites provide a variety of opportunities to view some of Michigan's most popular wildlife species. The watchable wildlife program also promotes efforts that teach people how to responsibly photograph and view all forms of wildlife and plants.

Since its inception, the Michigan Nongame Fish and Wildlife Fund has raised more than $9.5 million in support of critical projects for nongame species, but the fund will not continue without donations. To make a donation in someone's honor – perhaps as a holiday gift – resident can make out a check or money order to: State of Michigan, Nongame Wildlife Fund and send it, along with the person of honor's name and address, to: Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division, P.O. Box 30451, Lansing, MI 48909.

To get news and information about Michigan's unique and wonderful wildlife species, sign up for the DNR's Wildlife Viewing email list – visit www.michigan.gov/wildlife and click on the red envelope.

St. James Supervisor Bill Haggard Announces Office Hours

Bill Haggard will continue to maintain the same office hours as the previous supervisor.

Seniors' Meal Options

Besides the home delivered meals prepared by Dahlwhinnie, there are options currently at two restaurants, Dahlwhinnie's and the Shamrock. The menus are down below, but there are times where a picture is worth a hundred words. These pictures are not meant to depict the entire menu at either place, but just to give you an opportunity to see what some of the options look like. The editor can attest to the excellent meals that have been consumed over the last few months. The seniors, who have not participated, should seriously consider these wonderful meals. The seniors that have been participating should invite another senior to go with them.

Breakfast at Dahlwhinnie's is an excellent opportunity to sit down and socialize. The #1 breakfast at Dahlwhinnies was sampled by the editor and it received a two thumbs up, once the thumbs were done proving help to the hands in consuming this excellent meal. Here is a picture of the meal:

Eggs, hashbrowns, toast, orange juice, milk or coffee, and pears

Dahlwhinnie's is also participating in lunch. Breakfast runs from 7-10, and lunch from 11-2. The honey mustard chicken salad is another wonderful meal as is the tuna melt.

Downtown at the Shamrock Bar, there is no breakfast, but an excellent lunch is awating all seniors for a reasonable cost. These same senior menu items are available to the general public for $7.00. Here are a few pictures of the lunch items available at the Shamrock: Again, the senior lunch and dinner menu is posted below.

Soup and Salad is a wonderful combination of homemade soups and fresh salad with dressing, bread, and butter, Add coffee, tea, or iced tea as a beverage and a fruit cup and you have one excellent lunch.

This wonderful chicken salad is also available as one of the lunch or dinner items for seniors.

A hot beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy, cole slaw, and fruit cup along with your choice of three beverages can't be beat.

Barbeque pulled pork sandwich with mashed potatoes

Chicken wings with French fries and cole slaw

Pasta and Meatballs, very nice

Taco salad, yum, yum

So, there are plenty of Dining Out menu options and, at this time, at least two places to go for lunch. What are you seniors waiting for? Meet you for lunch?

The Shamrock is also offering these same menu choices for dinner for all seniors. The Dining Out program is part of the services offered by the Charlevoix County Commission on Aging.

Dahlwhinnie's Dining Out Menu

The CC Commission on Aging's representatives have approved the menu submitted by Dahlwhinnie's to offer seniors an additional option when deciding to dine out. The addition of a a breakfast menu to a lunch menu provides another option for Dining Out seniors. The menu was available as of Monday, October 8, 2012, and is presented below exactly as presented to BINN with only one thing added. The thing added was the word 'and' in front of the word 'milk.' The following menu items are available from 7-10 a.m.:

#1 1 egg, hashbrowns, orange juice, fruit cup, toast with butter, and milk

#2 1 egg, hashbrowns, orange juice, fruit cup, oatmeal, and milk

#4 Egg sandwich with cheese, orange juice, fruit cup, hashbrowns

#5 1 egg vegetable cheese omelet, hash browns, orange juice

The Dining Out Lunch Menus available from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. is:

#1 Fresh spinach salad with grilled chicken, red onion, honey mustard dressing, fruit, bread with butter, and milk

#2 Chili--(beef, chicken, or turkey) with tomatoes, beans, peppers, and onions, fruit cup, crackers, and milk

#3 Meat loaf, potatoes, vegetable, fruit, roll with butter, milk

#4 Open face pulled pork sandwich, vegetable, sweet potato, fruit, and milk

#5 Hot turkey or beef sandwich and potatoes with gravy, vegetable, fruit, and milk

#6 Tuna melt on wheat with cheddar, fruit, mixed vegetable

Shamrock " Senior" Menu Available to ALL!

After a discussion today, September 26, 2012, with Dana Hodgson, it is possible to replace mashed potatoes with French fries, so this makes the possibilities on the Shamrock menu a total of thirty possible combinations for food and three possibilities for drinks.

Lots of options and choices...

Dana and Eric Hodgson announced this morning, October 16, 2012, that the senior menu posted above will be available to all ages. If paid in cash, the cost of these menu items, all thirty possible combinations, will be $6.60 plus tax. This means that the menu, listed as the senior menu, is available for anyone for $7. This is a wonderful possibility for all! Thank you, Dana and Eric!

The BINN editor arrived at the Shamrock for lunch today, and suddenly realized that the senior vouchers were not in his pocket, but at home. With this new option, the same lunch was received without any issues and the $7 price was paid instead. This will allow several of the old gang who used to meet at the Community Center an opportunity to congregate again for lunch. Thank you again, Dana and Eric!

Mark Your Calendar for the 2013 Winter Free Fishing Weekend

Are you looking for an opportunity to take someone out fishing this winter, perhaps someone who has never been before? Consider scheduling your outing for February 16 or 17 as part of the 2013 Winter Free Fishing Weekend!

As part of that weekend, all fishing license fees will be waived for those two days. Residents and out-of-state visitors can enjoy fishing on both inland and Great Lakes' waters for many different species of fish. Please note all fishing regulations will still apply during that time.

For many, the annual Winter Free Fishing Weekend is a tradition – will it become one for you as well?

Numerous activities in communities throughout Michigan will be going on as part of the 2013 Winter Free Fishing Weekend. Maybe you would want to plan one of your own in your community? For more information, or resources to help you participate, please visit www.michigan.gov/freefishing .

Gillette Sand Dune Visitor Center hosts
'Wildlife of Michigan in Winter' photo contest

The Gillette Sand Dune Visitor Center at P.J. Hoffmaster State Park in Muskegon today announced a “Wildlife of Michigan in Winter” photo contest. Entrants are asked to submit favorite photos from last year or take a trek through the woods, fields or wetlands this winter and capture the beauty of wildlife in a wintry scene.

Photos must be of Michigan wildlife photographed in nature during winter. Entries are limited to two photos per person. Photos must be securely matted without a frame or glass, with a minimum size of 8 x 10 and maximum size of 11 x 16. Laminated photos or those without a matte will not be accepted. An entry fee of $4 per photo must accompany each submission. Please include photographer's name, address, email, phone number and name of wildlife and location photographed on the back. This contest is intended for amateurs only; the works of published photographers will not be considered.

The deadline for submission is 3 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 25. An impartial team of volunteers with knowledge of photography will judge the photos. Winners will be announced Feb. 2. Three winners will be chosen. First-, second- and third-place winners will receive a gift card and/or prize with a value equivalent to $50, $35 or $25.

Photos may be submitted by mail or delivered to:

Gillette Nature Association
6585 Lake Harbor Road
Muskegon, MI 49441

Winning photos will be on display at the Gillette Sand Dune Visitor Center through Feb. 28. Entries may be picked up on or after Feb. 28; those not picked up within two months will become property of the Gillette Nature Association.

Questions may be directed to Elizabeth Brockwell-Tillman, park interpreter, at 231-798-3573 . The Gillette Sand Dune Visitor Center is one of 10 visitor centers managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Visit www.michigan.gov/ dnrvisitorcenters for more information.

Where Is the Tax Relief for St. James Township Taxpayers

Now that the election is over, it is time to bring this issue back up to the taxpayers on Beaver Island whether they pay taxes in St. James or in Peaine Townships. The following editorial was written by the editor of Beaver Island News on the 'Net, and he is responsible for all statements made. This position is his position only, not the position of News on the 'Net, nor of any family members. In short, the editorial is a response to two specific points: "Why do St. James individual taxpayers pay more for the joint services than does each individual Peaine taxpayer?" and "Are these tax amounts fair?" You can read the whole editorial by clicking on the small picture below.

Donate to the Live Streaming Project

Forestview Apartments for Rent

There are three apartments for rent at Forestview Apartments. This senior housing project is right next door to the Beaver Island Rural Health Center and right across the street from Stoney Acre Grill and Donegal Danny's Pub. The video below shows the apartment that is designed from someone who is physically handicapped or otherwise handicapped, but the other apartments have the same basic layout.

 

The Tax Inequity Between Individual Taxpayers in Peaine And St. James Townships

(An editorial by Joe Moore, St. James Taxpayer)

(September 26, 2012) This editorial will not focus on the correctness of property evaluations. This editorial will not focus on the length of time a taxpayer is in residence on Beaver Island. This editorial will not focus on the taxpayers ability to pay taxes. This editorial will not focus on "Why should I vote to raise taxes on my property?" This editorial will not focus on whether Peaine should or should not change its method of setting millage, even though tonight's Peaine Special Board Meeting will set millages for Peaine Township. This editorial will use simple mathematics to state and show the differences between the tax millages of St. James and Peaine Township and ask for the reason that they are not equitable on an individual taxpayer basis.

Here is the basis of the bold statement above. As a St. James taxpayer, I pay more tax for all the joint operations on Beaver Island than does the Peaine taxpayer six hundred yards south of me. I want to know why. The fire department, the EMS, the transfer station, and the airport are operations that have to be available to all Beaver Island residents. We have to be able to put out fires. We have to have someone come take care of us when we are sick or injured. We have to have a way to get rid of our trash. We have to have an airport owned publicly with public control. Hopefully none of these statements are controversial.

Right or wrong, the SEV in Peaine Township has gone up at an exponential rate even though the Peaine Board hired a state approved assessor. Right or wrong, the St. James SEV has gone up in a much more linear fashion. I am not interested in whether they should have or should have not gone up in this way. These are simply facts. Here is a graph of the SEVs, showing the SEV of both St. James and Peaine for the last several years.

Most high school students Algebra II would be able to recognize that the blue dots, representing the SEV of Peaine, most likely represents an exponential function. Most of the same students would be able to recognize that the brownish red dots most likely represent a slight increase above a linear function. They might also state the obvious, which is that the SEV in Peaine Township has been going up at a much higher rate. Again, make sure that you understand that this editorial is NOT about whether it should have or should not have. It is instead a statement of mathematical fact.

With the increase in SEV in Peaine Township, and considering two taxpayers, one in St. James and one in Peaine, the value of the property in Peaine has increased at a higher rate than the value of the property in St. James, even if they started out at the exact same value, say back in the late seventies or early eighties. The individual taxpayer in Peaine has also been paying a lower millage than the individual property owner in St. James for the last eighteen years even with the equal dollar match that is historically been in effect. Here is a graph of the lower millage rates that Peaine taxpayers have been paying over the last several years for joint operations.

The millage rates shown above are the millage rates that would have been in place if all the joint operations were millages in Peaine Township instead of some of them being taken out of general funds. These millage differences are based upon the SEV and not on taxable value because many things can happen to change taxable value. This millage rate graph shows that in the last several years, the only years where the millage rates were even close were the years in the late nineties. Each individual St. James taxpayer has been paying more millage for the same services for the last several years. Why is that not seen by everyone to be inequitable?

There are totals available related to the joint operations over the last eighteen years and based upon the millages shown in the graph above. Again, the SEV is used to calculate these numbers. Perhaps the numbers are only half as big if the taxable value was 50% of the SEV. That does not really matter if you are just trying to point out the inequity between the townships. The percentages of SEV still shown this same inequity.

This last graphic has .00018, which is more correctly written as .18 mills. What this means is that the average St. James taxpayer has been paying .18 mills more than the average Peaine taxpayer for the same jointly funded services as an average over the last eighteen years. Whetherthe total dollar amount is $150,000 or $75,000 shouldn't be the issue. The issue is that this represents a lot of money that the St. James taxpayers have been paying, and that the Peaine Township taxpayers have not been paying on an individual basis.

I want to know why Peaine taxpayers and board members consider this an equitable situation. If the fire department is called down the East Side of Beaver Island to a tree on a wire that is on fire or a grass fire or a house on fire, don't the residents of Peaine get the same fire response as a St. James taxpayer? If someone in Peaine has chest pain or is injured, doesn't this person get the same EMS response? If you have trash in Peaine, don't you have the same facility for disposal? Then why do I pay more taxes for the same access than you on an individual basis?

Some will say that St. James sets the millage in Peaine township. That is not a true statement. The Peaine Township Board sets the millage in Peaine Township. How did you determine that your fair share was based upon total dollars being equal? Inequity is inequity. What would happen if St. James Township decided to lower its millage rate? You can bet that the Peaine taxpayers and the Peaine Board would lower theirs as well. Is that equity. I can honestly say that there is not one chance in the world of having Peaine Township increase the millage rates that they pay for joint operations. Why would they do that to increase their own taxes, especially in an election year?

I have several more questions to ask. Why would a St. James taxpayer want to volunteer to provide services to a Peaine taxpayer, knowing full well that they are not paying their fair share? Why would a Peaine Board member expect that volunteer to provide the same level of service in this situation? Why are St. James taxpayers paying for the payments for a fire hall in Peaine Township?

The answers to these questions are that we are one island providing services to all islanders at the same level of service no matter where that service is provided. If you, as an individual, expect the same level of service, on an individual basis, you should pay your fair share of taxes to keep these services operational. Peaine taxpayers are not doing that because Peaine board members don't want to increase their personal property taxes. That is the only explanation that makes any sense to this St. James taxpayer.

Some will suggest that contributing the exact dollar amount to the joint operations is paying the township's fair share. These services are available to taxpayers on an individual basis. The amount paid, dollar for dollar, does not match the services being provided on an individual basis no matter what system of mathematics you use.

(The facts and figures for this editorial come directly from the Charlevoix County Equalization Department in a $60 FOIA request.)