BIG FISH STORY!!
Lake residents, Noelle and Brooke Stebbins along with William and Nicholas Marks caught a 26” walleye on July 5th. While the foursome were kayaking the fish startled the kids when it decided to jump into one of their double kayaks.
The Marks family cooked up the fish for the neighbors to try. This was the best tasting fish we ever “caught” from Crockery Lake!
2018 BOAT PARADE WINNERS…
Four fearless pontoons braved the heat in our middle-of-the week July 3 boat parade. Thank you so much to the participants, judges, and Dennis Arms for taking pictures:
FIRST PLACE BOAT PARADE WINNER: The Peltiers!
SECOND PLACE BOAT WINNER: The Lanes!
THIRD PLACE BOAT PARADE WINNER: The Mlnariks!
OTHER BOAT PARADE PARTICIPANT—HOLTVLUWERS:
FANTASTIC FIREWORKS SHOW WOW’S THE CROCKERY LAKE CROWD!
The weather was perfect and the fireworks went off without a hitch and right on time! Lots of extra big shots—over 900-- and a wonderful variety—some new and unusual ones--carefully selected by Carl and Tom.. So beautiful! A big thanks to Tom Ludwick and Carl Elliott who were the pyrotechnicians! And thanks to all of you who generously donated and also made this event possible.
Would you like in on the fireworks action? Tom and Carl would like to have more help with the actual fireworks. It’s a long two days for two 60-year olds. This would involve some training. Please contact either of them if you are interested. Tom: 723-5704; Carl: 887-4203.
We are still accepting donations for next year's show. You can donate here: https://rally.org/crockerylakefw
BIG THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO MAKE THE FIREWORKS POSSIBLE….
Here’s what goes on behind the scenes to give us a wonderful fireworks show. There is so much time and effort involved!
Frank and Carol Gunkel allow their land be used and abused every year for our enjoyment. They make sure the field is mowed and the cows are out of the way. The Gunkels also gather additional donations and made a sizable personal contribution-- so the fireworks can go on again the next year.
Chester Township Firefighters are there in case anything goes wrong, wetting down the field and watching for grass fires in those dry days. (purely voluntary—no pay).
Tom Ludwick and Carl Elliott (the ones who shot off the fireworks), were there from 9:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m. (that’s 15 hours straight!) They had to inventory, clean the tubes, assemble, fill the tubes, and set up the electronics for the grand finale. They were ready for the show at 7:00 p.m then babysat them until 10:30. (forfeiting their own fireworks family time).
All the fireworks in the main show are shot off by hand by Tom and Carl. The electronics control the grand finale. Carl and Tom had to become certified which involved many hours of training. They did this to decrease the cost of using Wolverine’s personnel.
The day after the show, The Humphreys showed up to help in the field cleaning up—lots of trash and disassembling the "guns", etc. They loaded about 30 “guns” them onto a trailer (very big and very heavy steel). Now they will have to come up with some place to store them until next year.
If you see them please time to let them know they are appreciated…
CHANGE TO CLA NEWSLETTER
You have received a flyer notification that CLA is not able to continue printing newsletters due to cost constraints.
A huge thank you goes out to Buzz Holtvluwer for all the years of printing and collating the newsletter for us. Due to his retirement, he will no longer be able to do this. His generosity made it possible for us to share the news of Crockery Lake five months of the year in a very affordable way. Thanks so much, Buzz, and happy retirement!
You are still able to get the newsletter via email by just signing up on the CLA website. In the alternative, you can just access the CLA website and view the newsletter there. The CLA website contains all board minutes too. A paper copy will be available to read at the Chester Township Offices in Conklin. An alert will be placed on the Crockery Lake Facebook page too—which includes a link to the newsletter. FYI—most lake associations are using emails to distribute their newsletters.
WATCH FOR THE ORANGE BEACH BALL IN THE LAKE!
If you spot it, grab it, sign it, put your picture on the official CLA Facebook page, and return the ball to the lake. Let’s see how many signatures we can get. Join the fun!
A BIG THANK YOU
To Joe Bush, Ottawa County Drain Commissioner for coming out to our lake in very short notice the day of the “big flood” June 27. He was able to view first hand the torrents of water rushing into our lake from various drains.
OPINION SURVEY & COMMENTS
Mailed on July 21 to all residents who have lakefront property. Please complete the survey and return it in the stamped, self-addressed envelope.
Deadline to submit: August 10, 2018.
Your comments will be reviewed by the CLA Board and also Chester Township. We think this is the best way to get an unbiased opinion from the majority concerned. The Township will schedule a special meeting to discuss our tabulated results.
LAKE QUALITY ACTIONS 2018 CHEMICAL TREATMENT DATES
Possible July Algae Treatment—no date set yet
8-20-18 Fall Survey, Possible Diquat Treatment; possible algae treatment; muck pellet treatment
When sechhi disc readings showed clarity of only 2 feet, an additional algae treatment took place the third week of June. There was a noticeable difference after the treatment. The rescheduled June weed treatment will be the second week of July.
On July 11, a second algae treatment was made because sechhi disc readings were still at 2 feet. Last year at this time we had 4 feet of clarity. Thank you Pat Wolters for coordinating with PLM for chemical treatment changes. Residents we could use your help on this—if you see large amounts of algae or anything unusual in the lake, call your board rep asap….timing is everything!!
COONTAIL IS COMING IN SOON
After the Milfoil has been chemically treated, another weed, COONTAIL, will take its place. Coontail looks similar to Milfoil, but does not spread the same way. Feel free to pull out as much Coontail as you can stand!!
EELGRASS COMING TOO! Eelgrass by chemical control is generally not recommended (1) because of oxygen depletion in the water, (2) the disruption of fish habitat, and (3) the chemical treatment will only be effective for 2 weeks—then the eelgrass quickly grows back. Luckily, eelgrass has shallow roots and it is easy to pull out. The earlier you pull it out, the less work it will be for you. Be a good lake neighbor--like milfoil, be sure to remove all fragments as they may reroot in another spot.
MINUTES FROM MAY AND JUNE 2018 CLA BOARD MEETINGS
You can find the May and June 20 /June 27 (2 meetings) CLA Board minutes on the "News" page at www.crockerylake.org.
WATER TESTING KITS AVAILABLE
Check your water to see if it is safe to drink! Pick one up from Pat Wolter’s porch.
MAY TREASURER’S REPORT
Inflows: Balance forward-Assn 2017: $671.53; Current Year Assn Dues: $625.00; Fireworks 2018: $4,607.67; Fireworks 2019: $440.00; . Outflows: Communications $160.05; Fireworks Expense 2018: $1,150.00; ML&SA Magazine $110.00; ML&SA Membership: $110.00; ML&SA Water Testing: $252.00; Supplies: $1.40. Total Outflows: $1,783.45.
JUNE TREASURER’S REPORT
FASTER, EASIER WAY TO DONATE TO CROCKERY LAKE FIREWORKS
The 2019 Fireworks donation drive is underway. So far, we have collected $2739.00 towards our goal of $5,000 via the website. The CLA Board is busy collecting your dues and fireworks donations for 2019. Next month’s newsletter will better reflect how much we have collected.. Watch the thermometer on the Crockery Lake web page to see our progress.
How to pay with Credit or Debit
Click contribute, and follow their directions on how to input your information.
How to pay with cash or check
Mail to: Bob Blauwkamp, 2380 Crockery Shores Road, Casnovia MI 49318
Give cash or check to your board rep when they visit you in June
The money goes directly into the 2019 CLA Fireworks Fund account. All funds received will be used for the fireworks. There is a 5% charge for each credit card transaction. The donee can decide to pay the fee in addition to their donation or have it deducted from their donation.
In our prayers and thoughts:
Elaine Dodde. Lake resident since 1969, passed earlier this month.
Get Well Soon—Anita Holtvluwer
JOHN’S TACKLE BOX
Right now pan fishing is really good on most lakes, shallow areas are the best place to find them. Try black gnats with a wax worm, small jigs and worms are working well. For Bass, fish around docks and the shoreline; Walleyes around bridges and creeks.
Smallmouth and pike are being caught on live and artificial baits in the Grand River. Catfish were also being caught on live bait. If you like to fish crappies, fish them in and around weeds. As water temps rise, they’ll go for deep structure like rocks and wood. Best time to fish is during low-light times of the day.
Aggressive fish will hit small crankbaits, live bait jigs and spinning rigs with plastic or minnows. When the bite slows, you should also slow down and work small jigs. I like to tip jigs with the small gulp baits. Have fun and take a kid fishing—and don’t forget the girls!
ADVERTISEMENTS
WE WANT TO WORK! Scott & Zack Strayer are ready to do your odd jobs. They are both 15 years old and strong as oxen!! —PET SITTING, PET EXERCISE, YARD WORK, LAKE WEED WORK, MOWING—you name it they will do it—and at an affordable rate! They have excellent references too!! Call them at 887-1001.
Advertising in this newsletter is FREE to Crockery Lake Association Members. Advertising for business is $25/year. Inclusion of any advertisement in the CLA Newsletter does not equate to an endorsement by the Crockery Lake Association.
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