Volume 1, Issue 1

Introducing a New Publication

Welcome to the first issue of the Three Pines Gander, a biweekly roundup of news from northern Manistee county, with emphasis on the Bear Lake area.

For many years, Bear Lake had its own paper. Its ownership, name and quality often shifted and changed, but when that paper ceased, our town lost its primary source of local news, information and discussion. We believe that the void created then still exists. Bear Lake is a vibrant and changing community, and our citizens still need a regular, readable and comprehensive local news source. While we recognize and applaud several small issue-oriented publications that have appeared, we feel that none precisely meets this need. So we offer you the Three Pines Gander.

We believe that steady, updated news and commentary is a far better approach than exhaustive coverage of an issue only when crisis appears. Often, issues fester and inflame precisely because too few people are paying attention: rules are skirted, changes quietly slip in, and quick solutions to problems are adopted without due consideration and input from the public.

While this may be an infrequent occurrence in Bear Lake, the region has not always been spared from such situations. The sheer number of hours consumed by work, sleep and family interaction is so great, many people can’t attend a single meeting on a yearly basis, let alone monthly. This newspaper will try to help. While not a replacement for personal attendance, the Three Pines Gander will endeavor to tell you exactly when and why your attention, interest and participation are necessary. We plan to address local politics, business, special events and issues of concern. We’ll mix in some commentary, humor and other material to stimulate you.

Finally, while it may be fashionable to adopt entertainment as the primary mission of an information source (with news hidden, like boiled vegetables under a steak)—we believe that news, reported well, can be engaging on its own. We hope you’ll join us.

THE EDITORS

Master Plan to be Unveiled

BEAR LAKE -- The future of Bear Lake will be rolled out for public viewing on Monday, August 20 at 6:30pm in Bear Lake School’s Media Center.

After eight months of meetings, hearings and survey-gathering, the Bear Lake Area Joint Planning Commission (JPC) is finishing its work on a draft Master Plan that depicts the long-term layout of Bear Lake. Through maps and text, the plan will show where light industry and retail businesses should be developed, where homes should be situated, and which areas should receive careful attention and protection.

At its July 25 meeting, commissioners were urged to make any changes and corrections soon, before the draft Master Plan goes public. "Your comments now are very much needed. We need to know that you feel confident about what you’ll present [at the public hearing]," said Joe VanderMuelen of the Land Information Access Association (LIAA). The LIAA is writing the Master Plan, based on the Commission’s discussions and directions.

One item of discussion continued at the July 25 meeting was whether the statement "large parcels in the two townships" should be mentioned as a goal in the Master Plan. In public hearings, many have expressed the desire to see open tracts of land remain. Commissioner Dave McNeilly argued that the intent of the goal is unclear, and said it should either state "encouragement" of large parcels of land or be removed entirely. Specific parcel sizes were not defined. The Commission eventually decided to strike the goal from the Master Plan.

Commissioners also made refinements to a map showing future locations for residential and business development. Initial discussion focused on the land south of Bear Lake Village that borders US-31. At first, the map being worked on appeared to show "strip zoning," which allows for uninterrupted strips of commercial development, often along a highway. The LIAA consultants cautioned against strip zoning. "One way to destroy the view as you enter town is to build this kind of corridor," said VanderMuelen. "We suggest you [allow for commercial development] in a cluster form, rather than a strip corridor."

Discussion continued on this point, with commissioners pondering where a theoretical used car dealership would best fit, and whether visibility from US-31 is still essential, or even desirable for a business. "We’re talking about things dependent on an automobile and cheap fuel—but what are we facing?" asked JPC chair Bernard Ware. "What we’d like to see is something that [visitors] would know about in advance. We’ll catch some people flying down the highway, but those people are few and far between."

"At first no one stopped at J.J. Witty’s," added commissioner Jim Reed, who also renovated the building that houses the business. "We had to start bringing [items for sale] outside. But we didn’t want a store that only lasted three months. If it’s not a destination, people will blow by."

After some initial reluctance, commissioners made changes to the map by drawing new borders and lines for development zones. The LIAA consultants reminded commissioners that little work had been done to plan for increased commercial areas within the Village, which were frequently requested in public surveys.

After a brief discussion about methods for protecting wetlands and water quality, commissioners decided to continue its planning work at a special meeting at 6:30pm on Wednesday, August 8, at Pleasanton Township Hall. The public presentation and hearing follows on Monday, August 20, and the JPC will convene for its regular August meeting on Wednesday, August 22.

Looking Back at Bear Lake Days

BEAR LAKE -- Bear Lake Days proved to be another success this year, with families flocking to see vendors, entertainment, and a variety of food choices.

Despite its start on Friday the 13th this year, Lady Luck smiled on Bear Lake Days for the entire weekend by keeping rain away.

Visitors stopped by the 4H petting zoo, sampled a SCUBA experience, courtesy of Kaleva’s Dive Michigan, and heard a variety of music including old ballads and standard songs, as performed by the Gordon Armstrong Band under the Big Tent on Saturday.

A boisterous parade greeted onlookers later that evening,

with horse hooves, sirens and small cannons. Even more noisy were the many children who shouted for candy to be thrown from the floats. As the last entry trundled past the Big Tent, Ideal Balance immediately struck up its first song. For a few moments, these teen rockers were plagued by electrical problems, but with assistance from their road manager ("Thanks, Mom!") the show continued with great appreciation from the audience. We hope to see more from these young musicians.

A marvelous display of fireworks on Saturday night and Sunday’s events drew Bear Lake Days to a close, and we look forward to next year’s festival.

Bonus Pictures: Bear Lake Days

Why a Gander?

Ganders are the watchers for the flock. When geese are feeding, you’ll always see at least one gander, head up and alert for trouble. One alarm call from him brings all the flock to attention, ready to react to whatever danger threatens. Not a bad role for a community newspaper in a hardworking small town, we thought. Of course, we hope you’ll take a Gander and decide for yourself.

Seasonal Reflections: Notes on the Rural Life
collected from the writings of William Hone

From 1825 to 1832, British antiquarian and former satirist William Hone published weekly, single-paged broadsheets that revisited old customs and stories. Almost every issue looked back on rural and natural observations, in part because by 1825, London and other cities were rapidly expanding into the countryside, replacing farms with factories. Furthermore, much land once held in common became tightly managed due to new ownership laws. Hone sought to capture some of the character of rural life by offering stories from the past, usually timing their publication for the proper season. The Three Pines Gander is proud to reprint some of these observations.

For the week of Sunday, August 5:

Long before seafood was available year-round, August 5th was known as "Oyster Day," the start of oyster season.

Greengrocers rise at the dawn of sun--
August the fifth--come haste away!
To Billingsgate the thousands run,--
‘Tis Oyster Day!--’tis Oyster Day!

Now at the corner of the street
With oysters fine the tub is filled;
The cockney stops to have a treat
Prepared by one in opening skilled.

The pepper-box, the cruet,--wait
To give a relish to the taste;
The mouth is watering for the bait
Within the pearly cloisters chased.

Take off the beard--as quick as thought
The pointed knife divides the flesh;--
What plates are laden--loads are bought
And eaten raw, and cold, and fresh!

Lest the poet seem too cruel, he goes on to pity the "poor creatures of the ocean’s wave," and recommends a productive end for the shells: either arranged into a border for a garden, crushed for use in place of dirt and sand.

For August 8, Hone notes the season:

The time of the year is usually remarkably fine. The rich glow of summer is seldom in perfection till August. We now enjoy settled hot weather, a glowing sky, with varied and beautiful, but not many clouds, and delightfully fragrant and cool evenings. The golden yellow of the ripe corn, the idea of plenty inspired by the commencing harvest of wheat, the full and mature appearance of the foliage, in short the tout ensemble of nature at this time is more pleasing than perhaps that of any of the other summer months.

Next week: the poet Andrew Marvell and the trouble with earwigs!