September 2009 Newsletter

BOARD MEMBERS
President Tom Manikowski 691-7116 Vice President Jennifer Medema 691-7057 Secretary Lisa Zigmont 691-7995 Treasurer Paul Mulheisen 691-8501 Newsletter Pat Talbott 691-8501
P.O. BOX 115 BELDING, MI 48809

BPILA

Note from the President

Over this past summer I have had the opportunity to speak with lake residents about their opinion of the Big Pine Island Lake Association. What I have gathered is that there is a misconception about what the Association represents and the role of our Board of Directors. The Big Pine Island Lake Association is an organization that represents our interest with respect to lake water quality, community living, and local government representation. We have a lake resident that participates on the BPILA board as a Trustee and represents us on the Lake Improvement Board with the township. We attend every Grattan Township board meeting to ensure that our voice is represented, and we also have one tremendous reworks display. These are just of few of the things that we do to keep you informed and represented in our community. However, I am often approached by people in our community about topics that are not within our jurisdiction. I am occasionally contacted about barking dogs, or boats going too fast on the lake. Possibly a neighbor playing the music too loud, or the way the cars are parked on a certain street. These issues may be important to you on a personal level and should be taken up with the Kent County Sheriff. It is not the intention of the Big Pine Island Lake Association to police the lake or the community. Our goal is to provide an organization that supports the diversity of our community. So when you think about the BPILA and the many volunteers that participate in this organization, I would ask you to reach out and shake their hand and say thank you. We are holding our annual meeting on October 13, 2009 and during this meeting we will be electing a new board of directors. Updates can be found on our web site at

NOTICE!!! Annual BPILA Meeting Date has Changed to Wednesday October 14, 2009 Grattan Twp. Hall 7:00 PM

New website
Thanks to one of our Lake Association volunteers, Scott DeMeyer , the Big Pine Island Association has a new, free website. The site offers a directory of board members, weather and more. There are hyperlinks to other helpful sites such as the BPILA meeting schedule, a lake historian link, and a safety network link to allow residents to view a map and listing of break-ins or thefts around the lake. Lake residents may also forward Scott photos or announcements of upcoming events to post on the website. To access the BPILA website go to: http://home.comc ast.net/~bpila/ site/?home/

MONDAY: BUY ONE SIZZLER DINNER GET ONE FREE / TUESDAY: TWO BURRITOS FOR $10.99 & FREE WING NIGHT!

FRIDAY: BUY A BEVERAGE GET ONE FOR $1.00 9-11 / SUNDAY: PIZZA $5.00 ALL BASKETS $1.00 OFF WEDNESDAY: ALL YOU CAN EAT FISH FRY $7.99 / THURSDAY: YOU CALL IT $2.00 & KAROKE 9-12 PM

Your Family Restaurant

GRATTAN IRISH PUB

Converse Cross
Before I begin telling you about the featured person in this article I will rst give a quick overview for the ones that may not be familiar with BPILs sections. BPIL is located in section 3 and 10 in Grattan Township. Section 10 is the South end of the lake and section 3 is the North half of the lake. Section 11 is not part of the lake but somewhat relative to this article and is located East of Lincoln Lake road. this article and is located Note: Family names were erased for the ease of the reader to better see the location where Converse Cross lived. Plot lines remain intact. Converse Cross is the earliest settler I found in my research that had any notable connection to BPIL. In 1844, at the age of 21, Cross traveled from the famous Hudson in Old New York to Michigan. He eventually purchased land in section 10 and 11 in Grattan. His future wife, Mary Potter, moved from Oakland County with her sister and her sisters husband, Luther B. Cook. They built the rst house North of Seeley Creek in Section 12. Cross was introduced to Potter and shortly there-after the rst marriage in Grattan was held. On July 28, 1844 Justice Rufus Cook of Otisco, brother of Luther B. Cook, stood on the Ionia County side and married Cross and Potter who stood in Grattan on the Kent County side. There was not a justice available in Grattan; therefore, this arrangement was necessary for a marriage to be valid. GTHS issue # 110 10/03. After the marriage celebration, They, like sensible folk, went to their own cabin. The next day he was cutting down trees and she was cooking his dinner, mending his pants and feeding pigs. GTN Letter Issue #1, 6/25/1988 The rst township meeting was held at the homestead of Converse Close on Pine Island Lake. The meeting was held the rst Monday of April, 1846. Twenty-three men were present and placed their votes in the memorable ballot-box and the rst township board and justices were elected; Grattan became an independent town. Converse Cross served as Grattans Supervisor in 1854, 56, 58 and 59. He also served as the township clerk in 1848, 50, 55, and 62. In the early years of our township, ofcials held a one year term. In 1846 when the township was formed there was no school in Grattan. The rst school was taught by Mary Watkins, the daughter of Grattans rst Supervisor, at the age of 16 in a private home on section two. She married and moved from the area. The winter of 1846-47 Close took over her duty and taught in the chambers of his home. In the summer of 1847 the rst district school house in town was erected near the site of Closes dwelling with Close as the teacher. GTHS #34 1991: #32 1990. Twenty-three years later the Union building was erected. The original school house burnt down and a new two-story framed building was built at the same location. The Union building was erected in Grattan Center at the same site Grattan Academy is located today. (Do you have stories or old photos about the history of Big Pine Island Lake? Please forward them to me at Loucathyk@aol.com)

BPILA Member List

If you wish to join the BPILA association please send a $20.00 check to: BPILA, PO Box 115, Belding, MI 48809
ANDERSEN RICHARD L BAILEY DANIEL BATTAGLIA GERALD J BEATTY, ANNETTE BENSON DAVID BETTEN JOHAN BIENICK JULIUS E BOGGIANO CHRISTOPHER R BOMMERSBACK, MARGARET BOUCK CLAIR & SHARON BRUMMEL CHAD BURNS GLORIA M & KELLY J BURTT FRANK CARLSON BILLRO-CAR PROP COWEN TIMOTHY M DEMEYER SCOTT & SYREK ANDREA L DITTENBER SCOTT & BUSH MELISSA A. DRENTH GORDAN K & VANDERMOORE VIRGINIA DUTHLER LAWRENCE FALLON KEVIN FLANIGAN DAVE GEZON ROBERT J TRUST GOODYKE RON GRIT WILLIAM J GUNDRUM EDWARD A HALL JOSEPH W & HALLMARK JERRY & PAT HECTOR JIM & DONNA HEETHUIS BRIAN B HOULIHAN JACK M TRUST HOWE RYAN HUNTING ERIC P JACOBS MICHAEL JENSEN LARRY M & VANDERLAAN JANE JOHNSON PHILLIP K JOPPE, JUDY KALNARAUPS KURT & ELMARS KEATING EDWARD & DEBRA KIRKBRIDE LOUIS L KNOCHEL NATHAN & KATHY KOETJE LARRY D KORNOELJE ORIE J KUHN RICHARD LAMBERT SCOT B LARSEN DARBY LENNERTH NILES E LEPPINK JOHN R LEWIS GENE W LITTLE, JOHN WILLOW LAWN RESORT MANIKOWSKI THOMAS J MARKS JOSEPH & LORI MARLOW ROBERT MCCOY CHRISTOPHER MCCUAN BOBBY MCNALLY KELLY MCQUEEN DONALD W JR MEDEMA DOUGLAS J MEMEYER SCOTT ANDREA MULHEISEN PAUL A NIVISION RICHARD OHANESIAN JAMES O OTTE MARINOS K PONIATOWSKI JULIE POPMA PAUL R POSTMA LYNN G PROOS JOHN A PUDVAN GARY L RAY GAIL L REMLEY JEFFREY A RYFIAK THEODORE J SADOWSKI ROBERT J. SHARP DEIDRE L & BUTKIN SANDRA D. SILER KEVIN SIMS VIVIAN L TRUST SMITH SAMM SMITH SAMM C B STEBBINS RICHARD STEWART CHRIS & KENDRA STORY ROBERT G STOVALL DORIS A TIDEY ANDREW C TIPPITT WILLIAM S & ADRIANNE J. TRUST UMLOR RONALD E VANDENBERG KENNETH WILLIS BOB KAREN YOUNG BILL YOUNG WILLIAM B

Lake Management Report

Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is a beautiful, extremely hardy but aggressive perennial wetland invader which can quickly take over a wetland area by choking out native species of plants and wildlife and effectively destroying the native wetland habitat. It is a tall (ve to seven feet), broad, dark green clump of stems with reddish-purple owers from July through August. It grows along rivers, lakes, streams, in wetlands and drainage ditches and along roadsides. Big Pine Island Lake is no exception and has Purple Loosestrife, by the bushel. That is the bad news. The good news is, thanks in part to BPI Lake Association, Jim Biener and the Izaac Walton League (ILW), the spread of this nuisance plant is being limited with a biological solution know as Gallerucella calmariensis, a beetle that feeds only on Purple Loosestrife. The Izaac Walton Leagues (IWL) mission is To conserve, maintain, protect, and restore the soil, forest, water, and other natural resources of the United States and other lands. I had the opportunity to survey BPIL wetlands this summer along side of Jim Biener. We surveyed areas infested with Purple Loosestrife and at every location, we found these beetles and evidence of PLS reduction. Jim explained that while they have not introduced the beetle to BPIL, they have introduced it to neighboring lakes. Also, some lake residents recall working with Seagrant (an ecological protection organization) introducing the beetle to BPIL about 7 years ago. Regardless of its genesis, you should be happy to know the beetles are thriving and controlling the spread of PLS on our lake. Thats all for now. Enjoy the rest of the summer on beautiful Big pine Island Lake.

Eas

Dan Bailey, Lake Improvement Representative

Cooperative Lake Management Volunteer

OPEN YEAR ROUND 9:00 am to 5:30 pm Mon. - Sat.

Producers, packagers and processors of fresh fruit

W FARMS

APPLES, RED TART CHERRIES & BLUEBERRIES 13375 Belding Rd Belding, MI 48809 (616 ) 691-8802 BUY LOCAL!! Raw honey, maple syrup, frozen and dried fruits, cider, jams and jellies

Help Protect Our Grattan Sewers

Do not put any grease down any of your drains. Grease has a harmful effect on every component in the pump station; report all power outages and limit use of generators during power outages; Report all warning lights or other irregularities that you may notice; keep the sewer emergency number handy for your use: 691-7784

MAKE MORE MONEY & SELL FASTER

WHY PAY 7%, PAY OR LESS

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Greenes Lakeside Grocery

7238 Wimpole Dr. ON THE LAKE Thur, Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon

SusieM@grar.com SusieM@grar.com 616-446-4695 616-446-4695

Fall Hours: 12 noon to 8 pm

Gas Bait Groceries Beer & Wine Hot Soup (on weekends)
Located at the southeast end of Big Pine Island Lake 616-691-1072

RESIDENT OF BIG PINE ISLAND LAKE!

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