B.I. News on the 'Net, January 24-30, 2011

BICS Basketball

The Islanders, both girls and boys, will be playing the teams from the mainland tonight, Ojibwe and Bear RV. The games tonight, Friday, January 28, 2011, start at 6 p.m. The games in the morning start at 8:30 a.m. Make sure you are out to support our Islanders!

Sweeney's Swamp Snowshoeing

Map of the travels of the snowshoers

On January 27, 2011, Vince Pickardt and Joe Moore began a slightly shorter snowshoeing adventure. This trip was back to Sweeney's Swamp, the Hidden Valley Trail, Father Wren's Trail, to the backside of Font Lake, and out from the Nackerman farm. This trip was uneventful except for encountering snowmobiles first going one way and then coming back at us from the direction they headed in the first place. The conversation that they probably had back at their cabin probably went something like this. "You won't believe what we saw out snowmobiling. There were two old geezers snowshoeing. We don't know where they came from, but when we saw them the first time they were near Hidden Valley. Then we went out behind Font Lake, turned around, and saw them again as we were headed back toward Donegal Bay. They were just moseying along, taking there sweet time, looking at the hills and the trees and the snow. Crazy people can still be found on Beaver Island."

Video Clip of the Snowshoe Trip to Sweeney's Swamp and Back

 

A snow-cycle.......and snow snakes.......

Sweeney's Swamp.....................................................................We left our marks.

Interesting tree shapes..

Snowmobilers passing by...

Interesting grass at one end of Sweeney's Swamp

Hidden Valley remains of fence.......remains of the cabin......

Photos from Frank Solle of the cabin above and the area in the mid-to-late-1970's

Somewhat natural tree hunting stand...

On the backside of Font Lake....

Leftovers of a bird nest..

The Nackerman farm...

32 Miles of Water

(Copyright 2004, Phillip Michael Moore)

Beaver Island has two flight services, and neither of them are currently certified or licensed to transport emergency patients from Beaver Island to the mainland. We thank the crews of the USCG helicopters for coming to do medical evacuations. We thank the flight services that have helped us get patients to the mainland for the last seven years and before. We thank Northflight for providing this service as well.

While a lot of things have changed over the last 7 years including a new school, a new executive director of EMS, new township supervisors,and new rural health center board members, there is one thing that has not changed.

Beaver Island does not have an FAA Certified Air Ambulance that is licensed by the State of Michigan.

When Phillip Michael Moore made this video as a Master's degree project, no one would have guessed that seven years later Beaver Island would still not have achieved this goal.

Please take the time to view the video. Please take some time to think about this, and then start asking some questions about how this can be resolved.

Beaver Island News on the 'Net Presents "32 Miles of Water" in its final form (28.5 minutes). The previously video, viewed here, was a slightly shortened version. The video is in high quality, but is still streaming video.

 

Chinese Food at Stoney Acres

Winter Computer Class at BICS

Click HERE to see the flier

A Microsoft Excel Workshop is being offered at BICS for all levels, click above

Mentor Month Celebrated at BICS

Mentors of the students from grades 7 through 12 were given a formal thank-you from their students as well as an opportunity to talk one on one with their mentored student during a nicely organized Ice Cream Social today. This gathering on Wednesday, January 26, 2011, took place at 12:30 p.m. and lasted until 1:00 p.m. The mentors each received a thank-you card, and Brontae Lemmink and Levi Connor, as seniors, stood up and thanked all the mentors for being present, for their work on behalf of the students, and their help during the entire trip from 7th through 12th grades.

Very short video clip of mentors and students

 

2010 Citizen of the Year

Nomination Form

Two possible awards: Individual and Organization

 

The award(s) will honor an individual, couple or community organization

that has made a significant contribution to making Beaver Island

a better place to live, work or visit.

 

 

My name is _________________________________ Phone ___________________

 

Address ______________________________________________________________

 

I would like to nominate _________________________________________________

 

•  Please write 3 or 4 paragraphs, typed preferred, see criteria above

•  Mail to: Beaver Island Chamber of Commerce

P.O. Box 5 , Beaver Island , MI 49782 – Chamber @BeaverIsland.org

Deadline is Friday, April 8, 2011

Questions: Call Steve West, Mon – Fri., 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 231.448.2505

The Award Banquet will be Saturday, April 30, 2011.

Please call Stoney Acre Grill & Pub (231) 448-2560 for reservations.

Citizen of the Year 2011 Banquet Menu

Sirloin Tips Gaelic

Braised, Choice Sirloin Tips with shallots, garlic and seasonings, deglazed with Irish Mist and finished with cream. Served over penne pasta and garnished with grated Pecorino Romano.

Roast Half-Chicken with Mushrooms

(Poulet au Champignon)

Roast spring Chicken topped with sautéed fresh mushrooms and resting in a sauce of chicken stock, horseradish, garlic, seasonings and cream. New Potatoes and Vegetable accompany.

Yellow Lake Perch

Eight hand-dusted Lake Erie Perch, lightly fried and served with House Slaw, Vegetable, Saffron Rice and House Tartar.

*All dinners are served with an amuse, a small garden salad, herbed bread, and dessert.

Cost per dinner is $20. Does not include gratuity. Alcohol and beverages extra.

BICS Intersession Activities

January 24, 2011: The concept of winter intersession does not always fit into some critics idea of education, but this concept has seemed to work well at Beaver Island Community School. What is intersession? It is a period of a couple days after the end of a semester when students and staff get an opportunity to learn and play together as one group. These few pictures and videos demonstrate just that. The first video is an attempt to capture the fun in the traditional winter activity of sledding down Mt. Pisgah. Don't tell the students, but this is physical education disguised as a fun activity! If you don't believe that, go out and walk up Mt. Pisgah a few times to see it for yourself.

Sledding at Mt. Pisgah

 

From the crashes on the hill to the trips that took the kids across the road, the sledding trip to Mt. Pisgah was a fun adventure.

Another Martha Irvine Story on Beaver Island

Martha Irvine has previously done a wonderful story on the Island that made made newspapers and more news service websites. Her latest Associated Press story is on the Beaver Island Lighthouse School. It is also a wonderful article. You can read it HERE.

Bud Cruickshank Address

Bud Cruikchank is recovering from his surgery and a minor stroke. In case you might want to communicate with Bud or Barb Cruickshank, the following address was posted on facebook:

William "Bud" Cruickshank
Beaumont Hospital - Royal Oak
3601 West Thirteen Mile Road
Room 7703
Royal Oak, MI 48073

1st Annual "Gail's Walk"

The first annual "Gail's Walk" will take place on Sunday, May 29, 2011, at 3:00 p.m. In honor of Gail Weede, each year we will have a Memorial Weekend Walk to raise money that will help Island families who experience unexpected or long term medical treatment.  This fund would help with bills or expenses related to the condition. A minimum donation of $10 per person is asked for this 5k untimed event.  Children 5 and under are no charge.  There will be commemorative long sleeve t-shirts available for $10 each (please pre-order your shirts).  Be sure to include quantity and sizes.

To pre-register for the walk and/or t-shirt, please make your check out to BIRHC (Beaver Island Rural Health Center) memo: Gail's Walk, and mail to Beth Croswhite, P.O.Box 143 Beaver Island, MI 49782.
If you are unable to join us, but would still like to donate to this worthy cause, any donation would be welcomed and appreciated. This walk would begin and end at the Public Beach Parking lot.
Any questions call Dawn Marsh  at 231-448-2910.

Frank Solle's Photos

On a cold early morning, Frank Solle was out attempting to get a special picture of a snowdog. This didn't happen, but these are some early morning pictures by Frank. Thank you, Frank for sharing your excellent photos.

Frosty silence at Gull Harbor under the waning moon

The sun ready to peak out from a layer of clouds (or maybe lake steam)

Whiskey Point Light standing stoically in the cold

The King Strang Hotel soaking up what little heat the morning sun had to offer

A quiet downtown scene

The early rays shining through Holy Cross Church

News from Stoney Acres and Donegal Dannys

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!! Upcoming YUM & FUN Events!!!
CHINESE NEW YEAR!
Friday Feb. 4th. 5-9pm... ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET! Sumptuous!
*Szechwan Chicken *Mongolian Beef *Seafood & Peapod *Garlic Chicken *Chicken Vegetable Deluxe *Pork & Green Bean *Egg Rolls *Fried Rice *Steamed Rice *Soups...ALL Home made and Very Much YUM! Adults $13.95 Children $7.95 (4-12) (3 and under-FREE) *Buffet only-no menu.
*Reservations helpful...Walk-ins welcome!
** LIVE MUSIC to follow...Kevin White, Miranda, Patty, & others to be named soon!
SUPERBOWL Sunday Feb. 6th. Drink Specials, Happy Hour All Day, Complimentary Munchie Buffet...including Jim's PIZZA and much more!
VALENTINES Dinner, Saturday Feb. 12th...a treat not to be missed...will update soon!
JOHNNY CASH'S BIRTHDAY Saturday, Feb. 26th
'Get Rhythm'... and Get rid of yer Blues out at Stoney. More info to follow!
***Just a Friendly Reminder of our Daily Specials :
SUNDAY'S enjoy a commplimentary Hot Dog Buffet , Our Happy Hour All Day, AND Jim & Pam's PIZZA!
Every MONDAY Sizzles , with our choice SIZZLER Dinner $7.50 and $1 off Drafts all night! FREE POPCORN!
TUESDAY'S is $2 TWOsday ...ALL Domestic Beer, Any Schnapp Shots, and our e-well Shot & Pop's
WEDNESDAY is LADIES Night, Happy Hour All Night & $4 Well Bombs!
THURSDAY is 'THIRST Day' , Double Happy Hour 4-6 & 6-8!
Friday's it's YELLOW LAKE PERCH , 8pc.Dinner $15.95 or 5pc. Basket $9.95.
SATURDAY is GOOBER Day! PEANUTS & HAPPY HOUR!
**HAPPY HOUR DAILY & COMPLIMENTARY PUB SNACKS!
WHEW!!! ....
Please join us for Great times with Good friends!
Our Best to You!
Liam & Marilyn

Two Days Can't Be Much Different

On January 22, 2011, the wind was blowing and the sky was dropping snow, and the planes weren't flying. For those that may have wondered why, here are a three pictures than may explain it better than words.

These two pictures were taken at the post office looking out toward Whiskey Point on the 22nd.

This picture was taken inland away from the blowing snow on the 22nd.

On January 23, 2011, it was much colder, with overnight temperatures below zero, how much below zero depending upon where you were with a range of -13 to -24. The sky was perfectly clear with a little wind as the temperatures began to rise to 0 and a little above, but windchills still down much below zero. These three pictures show the difference in the two days better than words.

These were taken from the post office looking out toward Whiskey Point on the 23rd.

The comparable picture taken inland on the 23rd.

Of course the planes have good visibility today, the 23rd, and can fly without worry. The days that some appreciate more than others are days like the 22nd, but there are reasons to appreciate days like the 23rd as well.

It's just cold. Plain and simple cold. Eye drop, tear freezing cold. It hurts to breathe cold. The car won't start cold. And in case I didn't mention it---It's COLD.The pictures above were taken to compare and contrast a snowy, blowy day with a completely cold, clear day.

There really isn't much to do on such a day as this, except hope that the temperature stays above zero. I'm sure there are people stuck at their homes and/or in their driveways with cars that won't start, and there are frustrating issues from the cold, most of us will take a cold anyday over the blizzard, no mail, blowing snow of yesterday.

Now with all that being said, let's all hope that the electricity, (knock wood) doesn't go out, because then we'll be rushing around trying to figure out how to stay warm inside. Can you even imagine how the early man in history stayed warm in this kind of cold? Those caves must have been heated by geothermal heat.

Beaver Island Airport Commission Meeting on January 22, 2011

The Airport Commission met at the St. James Township Hall at 10 a.m. with only four members able to attend. Mike Scripps, Rachel Teague, Ray Cole, and Jim Wojan were absent. Discussion took place regarding how to handle the Recording Secretary position. Compensation rates were determined for time and materials and postage. Rental of space at the Governmental Center was also discussed. The Airport Commission agreed to pay St. James Township a $1080 yearly fee to take care of the cleaning, heating, etc. for the building. The fee is paid once per year. A procedure for budget was discussed. Don Vyse was given authority to sign documents for the Tree Clearning Project. The next airport commission meeting will tentatively be on March 5, 2011, at 10 a.m.

For Video of the meeting, click HERE

BICS HOSA Students Successful at Regional Competition

Michael...................Marissa...............Jamie

Sarah McCafferty's Health Occupations Students at the Beaver Island Community School have scored very well at the Regional competition. January 22, 2011 was the Region 6 Leadership Conference which took place at Baker College. Marissa Crandall won first place and a gold medal in Extemporaneous Writing on "Childhood Obesity.". Michael McCafferty and Jamie Campbell scored in the top ten for CPR and First Aid as well. All three will be attending the state competition. The Michigan HOSA website has the State Leadership Conference scheduled for April 14 and 15, 2011, at the Grand Traverse Resort in Acme, Michigan. Congratulations to Sarah, Marissa, Michael, and Jamie on a job well done! Good luck at the state competition!

Snowshoe Adventure #2

This snowshoeing adventure began and ended at pretty much the same location. It started with Vince Pickhardt helping get a vehicle out of the ditch and ended up the same way, and, believe it or not, at exactly the same location. As we were heading down the McCaulley Road from Kings Highway to the East Side Drive, we met Pam Grassmick walking. Her truck had ended up going off the road as she turned onto McCaulley from East Side. Well, the exact thing happened to the editor of BINN on the way north after dark on the same day at the same location. So, Pam, you are not the only one who ended up with this problem. It happened again about six plus hours later.

The Good Deed

 

Snowshoe Adventure pictures and video HERE

One last bit of wisdom....Don't let anyone tell you that digital cameras and digital video cameras don't have a minimum operating temperature. At six below zero windchill, almost nothing operates properly.

The Beauty of a Light Snowfall

A light snowfall with very cold temperatures on the evening of January 19, 2011, produced some interesting designs.

Going onward and upward to see the snowflakes close up.

There is no way to match Mother Nature's beautiful patterns.

On the Beach of Beaver Island

You will need Quicktime or another music player to enjoy this link.

The music played in the Holy Cross Hall in the late 70's and early 80's, recorded for posterity and shared here.

Not a Bad Cell Phone Picture

Deb Bousquet was willing to share a photo that she took on her cell phone. It's a pretty interesting picture of the sunrise with the colors quite vivid.

Nice Petoskey News Review Article on Richie Gillespie

Read article HERE

An Amazing Christmas for All

This story is one hundred percent fictional with no possibility of violation of patient privacy. Those subscribers who enjoyed reading the previous tales in "Rural EMS is Different" will find some more here in the future. Every single story will be fictional with no basis in the history of Beaver Island or Beaver Island Emergency Medical Services. There can be no violation of HIPPA or any violation of privacy for any patients if all patient information is fictional. If you are interested in reading the story, it can be found HERE.

News from Beaver Island Community School 

BICS Board of Education has New Board Member

At its January 10, 2011 board meeting, school board members unanimously approved the appointment of Brian Cole to fill the seat vacated by the untimely death of member Gail Weede. Cole submitted a letter of interest for the position, which runs until the annual organizational meeting in July 2011. The seat will be up for election at the May 3, 2011 annual school election. Brian has served on the board in the past and is planning to be on the May 3rd ballot. 

Notice of Filing Deadline for BICS Board of Education

Candidates for the Board of Education have until 4 p.m. February 8, 2011 to register with the St. James township clerk's office. Two four-year terms will be up for election at the annual school election on May 3, 2011. Incumbent board member, Jessica Anderson and recently appointed board member Brian Cole are planning to run in the May election. Other interested candidates must be registered voters of the school district and file a nominating petition with signatures of at least 20 voters or a $100 filing fee. Petition packets can be picked up from the St. James Township clerk or from the school office.

21st Century Learning Scholarship benefits from Donations in Honor of Gail Weede

Nearly $6,000.00 has been received from over 80 donors to the Beaver Island Community School 21 st Century Learning Scholarship in honor of Gail Weede. These donations signify a real tribute to Gail and her commitment to youth which she showered on Beaver Island from the day she arrived. Gail's contributions to the youth of Beaver Island started before she became a school board member; she organized and ran the annual BI Boodle which raised thousands of dollars for the athletic program, she refereed games when needed and she acted as a mentor for students and parents alike. The generous donations to the scholarship fund helped push the endowment portion of that fund over the $10,000.00 mark so that it will now begin to pay out on its own annually. In addition, the spendable, or grant making, portion of the fund was also enhanced and will allow up to two $500.00 scholarships to be granted in 2011 and again in 2012.

The 21st Century Learning Scholarship was created in 2003 by the Beaver Island Board of Education to assist graduating seniors of Beaver Island Community School in receiving an education beyond high school. Students must meet the school's Graduate Profile to be eligible for the scholarship; graduates must prove they: 1) have strong personal qualities and values; 2) use their minds well; 3) have positive work habits, 4) make a positive contributions to society; and 5) use technology fluently. The 21st Century Learning Scholarship fund is an endowment through the Charlevoix County Community Foundation.

The school is grateful to all those who contributed to this fund in Gail Weede's honor. The school is grateful to have had the opportunity to be served by an amazing woman whose years on the board of education were valued and appreciated.

Beaver Island Health Occupations Students Help Senior Citizens

BICS high school HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) students recently presented a check for over $600.00 to Connie Wojan, President of the Beaver Island Rural Health Center Board.   This money will be put in the account for the Senior Help Mate Program that the Health Center provides for the Seniors on Beaver Island.  BICS students were very happy to contribute to the community in a meaningful way.     The money was collected during a Rockathon fundraiser the students organized under the direction of their Allied Health teacher, Sara McCafferty. 

Left to right in HOSA photo the students are: juniors Jamie Campbell, Michael McCafferty and Olivia Schwartzfisher.  

Island National Honor Society has FUN with Youngsters

Members of the BICS National Honor Society recently gave back to their community by hosting a FUN night for younger students.  National Honor Society members Jenna Battle, Kaylyn Jones and Olivia Schwartzfisher hosted the “Annual NHS Fun Night for Grades Pre-School – 6th."  There were 23 in the younger group and 12 in the older, grades 4-6 group.  (94% of all the elementary students attended!)  Youngsters watched a movie, had popcorn, and played lots of games in the gym.  The NHS students provided all the snacks for the event, using money they earned at last year's fundraiser.  Other high school students who helped out were Jamie Campbell and Brogan Maudrie.  Teacher Connie Boyle is the advisor for the school's NHS.

Islander Winter Sports Underway

Beaver Island boys and girls basketball teams are getting back on the court after a long break in the action. The teams played a set of games against Hannahville in early December, followed by a non-league contest at Northport before Christmas. Bad weather led to the cancellation of games at Grand Marais and the rescheduling of the Ojibwe game in early January left the Islanders hungry for competition. The teams travelled to Paradise on January 14th where the girls' team won both games and the boys dropped two. The teams have a full schedule between now and the NLL Tournaments in late February. Teams will travel to Hannahville, Mackinac Island and Maplewood Baptist. Two home game weekends are coming up: January 28/29 will bring a girls' team from Ojibwe and a boys' team from Petoskey. The final home game of the season is the February 11/12 matchup between the Islanders and Grand Marais.

Girls Basketball Coach Diane McDonough begins her second year with the Islanders. Members of the girls' basketball team are: Juniors Jenna Battle, Brighid Gillespie Cushman, Brogan Maudrie and Olivia Schwartzfisher; freshman Olivia Cary; eighth graders Emily Boyle, Hannah Robert and Meg Works and seventh grader Emily Burton.

Boys Basketball Coach Matt Richie begins his first year coaching basketball. The boys' team is made up of the following members: senior Doug Campbell; juniors, Gus Connaghan, Matthew Cull and Billy Lemmink; sophomore McCauley Connaghan; freshmen Jewell Gillespie Cushman and Ron Marsh; seventh graders Ryan Boyle, Liam Hodgson and Nick Williams. Coach Richie is assisted by Jeff Connor.

Island Students Win Two Rounds in Petoskey Quiz bowl

National Honor Society advisor and teacher Connie Boyle took a team of students to compete in a High School Quiz Bowl on Friday, January 14, 2011. The team competed with several area schools in a fast-paced trivia type competition. The Beaver Island team consisted of senior Jake Drost, juniors Michael McCafferty and Kaylyn Jones and freshman Erin Boyle.

BIEMS EMT Class in Full Swing

With just over two month left in the program, the BIEMS EMT class is well underway. Topics covered since the beginning of the New Year include: Altered Mental Status, Stroke, Headache, Seizure and Syncope, Diabetic Emergencies, Anaphylactic Reactions, Toxicological Emergencies, Abdominal Emergencies, Gynecological Emergencies, Genitourinary Emergencies, Renal Emergencies, Environmental Emergencies, Submersion Emergencies, and Behavioral Emergencies. With Sarah McCafferty as lead instructor and Joe Moore as the practical skills instructor, the individuals in this program are getting a thorough introduction to all EMS topics. The students participating in this program are all adult learning students. They are: Kevin White, Danielle Dedloff, Rory Connaghan, Dan Burton, Tammy LaFreniere, and Vince Pickhardt.

At one point on the last practical session of the first week of classes in the New Year, uproarious laughter could be heard rolling down the hallway of the Governmental Center. When this reporter's head peaked in the doorway to see all six of the students engaged in a scenario, but the acting and the specific actions of the person playing the patient was so funny that all in the building were joining in with the laughter. There has never been a funnier class with a a glucometer in one EMT student's hand and the other EMT student trying to hold the patient's fingers still enough to get a drop of blood for analyzing, but you had to be there to see it to appreciate the looks and sounds.

Believe it or not the learning to be an EMT can be a lot of fun. Some of us can't wait until the classes in February. The topics in February include Obstetrical Care and OB Emergencies. Which one of the male students will be the first to deliver?

Senior Housing Building Progress

Getting ready to get some old fashioned heat into the building. It's hard to work with cold hands and gloves on.

From runners down the center to duct work to electric contracting, the senior center project is coming along nicely.

Lots of action since last week's update...Sky Electric truck has been there as well....

From the outside, you can't guess what's going on, on the inside

Video of the Update on the Senior Housing Project

 

Beaver Island Rural Health Center 2011 Board of Director Meetings

 January 29, 2011—Annual Meeting 

Meeting will be held at

9 AM

in the Beaver Island Rural Health Center Community Room

Peaine Township Meeting January 12, 2011

This was another interesting meeting at the Peaine Township Hall. There seems to be one or two different topics that seem to cause an emotional upset most months. The first topic of the meeting involved whether or not to pay the Northern Islander $500 for the publication of the Intergovernmental Agreement. The rest of the meeting was mostly just as contentious. Another topic toward the end of the meeting was a Freedom of Information Act request from Gavin West and from Elaine West. And in between them was the Peaine Township letter to the DNRE about the Whiskey Island trade for the DNR building and property in St. James Township. All in all an interesting meeting!

Video of the Peaine Township Meeting HERE

By the way, the topics are on this linked page. So, if you can't view the video, you can still get the idea of what was discussed and who discussed it by going to this page.

Library News – January 2011

With the holidays now just a memory, things are slowing down at the library which allows us to catch up on projects. Our biggest one is organizing the young children’s section. Now the non-fiction is sorted by Dewey while all the fiction is now shelved by authors name, for example: all authors whose surname begins with C are together. Bright yellow stickers with the correct alphabet letter is on the spine of each fiction book in the elementary section making it possible for the child to put his/her book back in the right area. We’ll be working on this project and it should make things much easier to find between the card catalog and the new way things are filed on the shelves. We hope you’ll bring the kids in and see just how easy it is to use.

Since it’s a new year, it might be fun to wish for the stars. In that vein, here’s a list of a few things that would be very nice to have at the Beaver Island District Library:

TWO Early Literacy Station™

These are groundbreaking educational computers for children. The English edition includes 50 educational software programs spanning seven curricular areas that are top rated by Children's Technology Review. These would not be connected to the internet and would be just for the young children.

An easy way to convert the hundreds of VHS tapes to DVD that won’t cost us an arm and a leg. VHS are on the way out and we own hundreds of them that are taking up a huge amount of space. More and more folks want DVD format and not the old VHS format.

Have you received an over-due notice in the mail? There have been a couple folks who were upset about receiving them so we’ll try to explain how it all works. Every Monday morning our computer goes through the files and finds all those items that are more than one week overdue. It then processes them and writes a letter accordingly. If only one notice is being sent, it’s a gentle reminder. If this is your second notice, it’s a bit stronger and gives you the amount of money needed to replace the item. If this is the third notice, you have been denied any library privilege which means no books, no videos, no computer usage. Return the book, or pay for it – there are no fines – and you’re good to go again. Now, to avoid all that, just give us a telephone call when the due date comes and we can renew your items over the phone. It’s simple, easy, and best of all free. Can we email the notices rather than mail them? No, not at the present time we can’t. One comment was on the cost of the stamp but a 44 cent stamp is much cheaper than replacing a book or video which usually run on an average of $15 to $25/30 dollars.

Does the library have tax forms since tax season is upon us? Sorry, the government no longer sends us all the forms, however, they are all available online and we can print out which ever ones you want or need. We won’t fill them out for you but just let us know which ones you need and we’ll get them for you.

Your local library is a one stop service center when you come to town. Swing by the library for your email/Facebook/Farmville/internet fix, get a book/video/puzzle/recorded book/music and you’ll be all set for the next snow storm.

Island Summer Residents in Video

The B.I. District Library has a copy of Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy. This book was donated by Kay Charter, Saving Birds Through Habitat, who visited and presented on the Island. The video referred to in the title is an interview with Doug Tallamy by Barbara Lucas, but also includes excerpts from another video, Pollinator Decline by Barbara Lucas. Both Barbara Lucas and Diane Tracy, who is in the video and known on the Island as the Bee Lady, have homes on the island. This video is about 30 minutes in length and part of a series of videos titled Green Room, but it includes lots of excellent information for anyone who is interested in the environment. The video is located HERE.

St. James Township Meeting, January 5, 2011

Prior to the video processing, it is important to report on the meeting last night. The meeting was well attended by the regular attendees. The business conducted was pretty routine from the approval of the minutes to approval of bills to be paid. Supervisor Rick Speck reported on correspondence, and Jean Wierenga stated that the 2009-2010 audit would be available for viewing at the Beaver Island District Library beginning Thursday, January 6, 2011. Under old business, the township snow plowing was not posted. Instead, the township employee will continue to do the plowing until unable to keep up with the workload. A motion to adopt a policy and procedure for inspections of public records related to the re-appraisal was passed unanimously. There was only one public comment at this meeting. It was about how the townships might be able to convince the Charlevoix County Road Commission to move more quickly in improving roads on Beaver Island. Supervisor Speck suggested that this should be passed on to Charlevoix County Commissioner Richie Gillespie. The meeting adjourned before 8 p.m.

The one item that could not be discussed was the airport property acquisition. According to Supervisor Speck, the action on this property could not be completed until there was a joint township meeting that included MDOT to determine jointly whether this last mediated settlement would be acceptable to all concerned.

Minutes were approved (No video for this)

Bills added to payments

 

Correspondence Regarding St. James Lighthouse Association

 

2009-2010 Audit

 

Snowplowing No Bids

 

Airport Property Acquisition Tabled

 

Board of Review

 

Policy Regarding Review of Assessments for Reappaisals

 

Dan Connaghan Question on Roads, Rick Speck's response

 

Bill Cashman Questions on Airport, Rick Speck's response

 

Father Pat's Dream Trip

The Parish of Holy Cross Church is sponsoring a trip for Father Pat Cawley to take the vacation of his dreams, Normandy, France. We are presently working out the details of his 2011 trip. If you wish to help with this endeavor, we have set up a special savings account at Charlevoix State Bank. If you wish to help, you can send a donation of any amount. Address your check to Nancy Tritsch or Skip McDonough, PO Box 14, Beaver Island, Michigan 49782 or Charlevoix State Bank, 111 State Street, Charlevoix, MI 49720. Please add 'Father Pat's trip' on the memo line. or you can give your donation directly to the bank. Personnel of Charlevoix State Bank at both the Island and the Charlevoix branches are aware of this special account. The savings account number is 910100732. Call Nancy Tritsch's phone at 448-2178 for any questions.

Lake Geneserath Winter Fun Scheduled

 

The Second Annual Fresh Air Winter Festival will take place on Lake G on February 19, 2011. The above was created by Mike Hurkmans from video of the event of 2009.

Beaver Island Community Development Corporation

 

Applications are now being taken to rent an apartment at the long-awaited Senior Housing, named Forest View, which is now under construction on Carlisle Road , across the street from Stoney Acres. The construction is anticipated to be complete and the apartments ready for occupancy June 1, 2011, a date which is subject to change based on weather conditions.

Applications are also available for the part-time position of on-site manager who will be employed by KMG Prestige, an off-island management company who will manage the apartments. The position is anticipated to begin in March, 2011.

Applications for both leasing and employment may be obtained at the Community Center, Library, and Rural Health Center. They should be mailed directly to KMG Prestige, attention Jane Crawford, 3390 Pine Tree Rd, Lansing, Michigan 48911 .

Further information may be obtained by contacting Jane Crawford at 1-517-679-7298.

KMG is an experienced property management company well-versed in federal regulations. In managing the leasing for the Beaver Island Community Development Corporation, KMG will screen applicants to determine their qualifications under the federal regulations for low and moderate senior housing. Using a professional management company to handle the leasing will insure applicants that they will be correctly evaluated and that their financial data will be kept confidential.

The rental apartments will have rental rates which are set through the grant process which provided funding. The anticipated rent is $567 for a one-bedroom unit and $629 for a two-bedroom unit. Utilities are included in the rent, and the building will be heated through a geo-thermal system. The building will include six individual apartments, four one-bedroom and 2 two-bedroom, each with their own kitchen and bath. In addition, the building will have a laundry room, community room, and a community kitchen area.

Beaver Island Airport Commission Inter-Governmental Agreement

This is the complete agreement approved by both Peaine and St. James Townships

B I Airport Commission Rules of Procedure

These rules of procedure have been approved by the Airport Commission and Peaine Township. They have yet to be approved by St. James Township.

Re-Appraisal, Assessor, and Property Taxes Explained

In a December meeting at the Peaine Township Hall, the Peaine Assessor, hired by the Peaine Township Board sat down with a small number of attendee at a scheduled meeting, albeit on a very busy night. She explained the process of the appraisal, her job as assessor, the role of the townships and the role of the State of Michigan. Ed Wojan, John Fogg, Don Tritsch, and the Hurkmanns attended with Jim Birdsall doing the introduction and participating as well. If you are interest in seeing what was discussed at this meeting, video of the entire session can be viewed in video clips HERE.

Peaine Township Tax Assessment Roles Online

Search Peaine Township Assessment Role Online

Several people wanted to know how to get to this location. Feel free to access it from here and then save it as a Favorite.

BICS Calendar for 2010-11 Approved

Beaver Island Transfer Station Information

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Meeting Minutes

The minutes of all public meetings will be posted

as soon as they are received.

News on the 'Net welcomes minutes to all public meetings. All organizations are welcome to submit meeting minutes for publication on this website. Please email them to medic5740@gmail.com.

Airport Committee Minutes

Beaver Island Cultural Arts Association Minutes

Peaine Township Board Minutes

BIRHC Board Meeting Minutes

St. James Township Meeting Minutes

Beaver Island Community School Board Meeting Minutes

Beaver Island Ecotourism Goals Draft, rev. 3, 19 Jan 2010 NEW!

Beaver Island Natural Resources and Eco-Tourism Commission Minutes NEW!

Joint Human Resources Commission Minutes (includes agenda when available) New Feature for 2010!

Waste Management Committee Minutes (New for 2010!)