Volume 2, Issue 5

New Dump Site in the Works for Pleasanton Township

Work is set to begin on a new site for Pleasanton’s trash pickup, after the Pleasanton Board voted at its June meeting to select Brian Zielinski for site preparation. Zielinski, of Manistee, submitted the lowest bid of $4800, and is expected to clear minor brush from the site, lay down about 300 yards of gravel and widen the two-track entrance. The new site will be just off the dirt road section of Norconk Road, across the street from the Iverson residence. The site is west of the split with the paved road (Iverson/Lumley/Ware/Frederick/Gilbert Rds).

Supervisor Tony Merrill said that moving the trash pickup away from Pleasanton Township Hall will be the only change for the moment. "For now, I’d just like to move the trucks down there, just the way we’re doing it—but not on the front doorstep [of the township hall]," he said. The vehicle line will form west of the site, and head east into the site. In the future, Merrill said he expects to put a trash compactor at the site. He said that Maple Grove Township purchased its compactor for about $20,000, and that they leased it to others. "It could pay for itself in 5 years," said Merrill.

The dump site will be locked, to prevent unauthorized dumping, but Merrill expected that recycling bins would be kept accessible. The Pleasanton Township Board agreed that in the meantime, enforcement of dump rules would continue, residents should be sure to bag all trash before transporting it, and a schedule of dump days would be posted at the current site. The traffic, said Clerk Connie Ledford, "will come down Norconk. I don’t want it flying out of vehicles." Merrill said that trash pickup will switch to the new site in the next month or two, and that residents would be advised.

In other business, a correction was made to the meeting’s agenda, in order to read "June 8" rather than "May 11." Bills were paid for the month, and the board voted to reimburse the Copemish VFW $100 for its Memorial Day expenses. "It’s nice that they come over here," said Bob Babcock. "They do it every year and they buy the little flags that they give to the kids." A policy for making emergency expenditures was briefly discussed. Ertel said that damage to the township hall’s foundation had been noticed. A cap of $1,000 for Supervisor-approved expenditures was discussed, but the matter was tabled pending review of neighboring governments’ policies.

Trustee Dave Ertel recommended that the township make a wind energy ordinance a priority. "Pleasanton Township was named specifically as the most likely place to put wind turbines," he said. The board voted in favor of his recommendation.
Trustee Bob Babcock also urged the board to look at the work of the Bear Lake Joint Planning Commission. "We need to get moving on the comprehensive plan," he said. Merrill said that the JPC work should be used in an updated version of the township’s own plan. "We can utilize all the hard work that [the JPC] has done," he said. Ertel emphasized to members of the public that Pleasanton Township has not withdrawn from the JPC and that Bear Lake Township has not completely pulled out of the JPC.

Ertel announced that an updated township website would be coming soon, and that the township hall now serves as a WiFi Hotspot, meaning that laptop computers with wireless receivers can access the internet for free, while inside or around the hall. Several township officials now have laptops for township business, as well.

In commission reports, Babcock reported that the Parks Commission would like to replace missing public access signs, and is currently investigating prices.

Ertel reported that the Planning Commission has been examining minimum sizes for residential lots. He also said that the DEQ recently turned down an application to fill a wetland—echoing the finding of Pleasanton Township, whose zoning ordinance prohibits such an action. "It’s nice having this letter from the DEQ, because now this backs us up," said Ertel.

Brian Harris, Pleasanton’s new representative to the Lake Improvement Board, reported that new LIB officials were elected, that a partial payment was made to its consultants at Lakeshore Environmental, and that a June 9 meeting was scheduled to look at lake treatment results. He also said there was a lot of public comment at the most recent LIB meeting.

Upcoming Meetings

Pleasanton Twp. Board
2nd Monday at 7pm
(July 13)

Bear Lake Twp. Board
3rd Tuesday at 7:30pm
(July 21)

Village of Bear Lake Council
3rd Wednesday at 7:30pm
(July 22)

Dump Dates
(July 11 & 25)

Bear Lake Watershed
4th Tuesday at 7pm
(July 28)

Watershed Group Forms in Bear Lake

The ebb and flow of beneficial and harmful substances within the environment often rely on water, and that connection will be the focus of Bear Lake’s new watershed group.

Formed at the start of the new year, the volunteer group will survey the western portion of the Little Bear Creek watershed. The eastern portion of this area, commonly known as the Bear Creek watershed, has been monitored by a sportsman’s club for decades. "They were concerned with the quality of fishing," says Bear Lake Watershed Chair Rich Russell. Yet their watershed area went no further west than Highway 31, and the Bear Lake portion of the watershed, as an ecologiccal unit, has not been examined as a whole in recent times. "I don’t know why Bear Lake doesn’t already have a watershed group," said Russell.

The Little Bear Creek Watershed (Hwy. 31, marked in bold)

Defined as a land area in which all surface water drains to a common point, a watershed is a useful way of thinking about the environmental health of an area. Several features of the land, such as degree of slope, shape, and soil type, can dictate which areas are most affected by pollution. Those same geologic features can also determine which areas receive the most beneficial nutrients. The Bear Lake Watershed group’s main task, says Russell, is to understand and document how these elements work locally."Our main job is to dig into the facts, educate the community and our elected officials as to what we find," he said. "We can make recommendations, but we don’t have any enforcing authority." While the group will rely on advice from the DEQ--which originally set up watershed boundaries throughout the state many years ago--it will be up to local governments to decide how to respond to the group’s recommendations.

Another reason for establishing a watershed group is to qualify for project grants, said Russell. "One of the first questions on the grant applications is whether your group is an organized
and approved watershed." This summer, the group’s first priority is encouraging participation. "We’re not a threat, and we’re not a disguise for another sewer program or for a millage on property taxes." The public is invited to attend meetings, scheduled for the 4th Tuesday of each month at Bear Lake Township Hall.

North Shore
by Jeanne Crampton

It always seems so great to get back to Bear Lake. That first moment, when I open the car door and that piney smell rushes in, is incomparable. But I sure wish one could equalize the temperature between Baja’s 90s and Bear Lake’s 55 degrees!

The trip home was uneventful. Felines Cookie and Gracie were very good – slept most of the way, and Cookie only refused to come out from under the motel bed one morning!

The good fairies didn’t clean my house while I was gone, so have been applying myself to trying to get rid of the clutter – mostly paper. I know there are no $100 bills in those boxes, so have decided to not sort, just heave. Of course, I can count on Murphy’s Law operating: two weeks later I will realize I need something I’ve trashed.

More next month – I’m off on the Badger to Wisconsin and Minnesota for my annual checkup at Mayo Clinic and a visit with the daughter in La Crosse. (Did you know that the Badger gives a fare discount to Mayo clients?) I do hope it’s warm enough to swim in Bear Lake when I get back.

(Editor’s note: Since this column was written, Jeanne came back from Mayo with a clean bill of health, but managed to break a few ribs shortly thereafter. She is grumpy, but
healing. All details expected in the next column.)

DIGITAL TV SWITCH
Editorial

June 12 arrived, as promised by the calendar, legislators, stern commentators and brisk television commercials, and converter box reception seemed the same. Channel 9 & 10, Fox 33, and two PBS channels come in, with varying levels of reliability. On some days, the signal is steady--on others, heavy distortion is almost constant and the signal drops out entirely.

After several months of observation, the Gander is forced to conclude that digital television offers no more than it describes: moving pictures that are either on or off. Unlike analog TV, there’s no middle ground. A fuzzy, analog picture can often be improved, and the viewer can decide if less-than-perfect reception will do. With a digital signal, however, it’s usually all or nothing.

The Gander can’t detect any superiority in the quality of the signal even when it comes in clearly. Yes, the picture is in color, and yes, the images appear essentially sharp--just as they did in the dark ages of analog. Perhaps if we’d dumped our photographs and souvenirs in the trash, we’d have room on the wall for a larger television set, thus magnifying the flaws in the analog signal. If the fidelity in the picture quality is the key difference, then you’ll get no argument here.

Instead, just a question: what benefits come from the even-more-realistic life-like TV crime scene? Blood spatter that looks like the real thing? A better look at questionable costume choices for women detectives? Or does it boil down to a simple auction of valuable frequencies to cell phone and computer companies to put more video and wireless TV services on the airwaves (which will, of course, have to be purchased by the consumer).

In the meantime, we now have untold millions of television sets turned into immediate junk, or at least hobbled when yanked from their converter box-crutches. Millions of hours have been collectively spent fumbling with wires and antennas.

The old TV system worked well, but the highest bidders took it apart, once Congress opened the gates. A more abstract question is worth considering. If our government can be convinced to sell off public airwaves for private profit, what other public resources are next? A movie called "Sleep Dealer" (2008) might suggest an answer.