Programs

Projects and Programs we support on behalf of our membership:

Organize and sponsor the annual Boy Scout Clean-up of the most heavily traveled stretches of the Pere Marquette River.
Promote and support the Lake County Sheriff’s Marine Patrol in their efforts to control trespassing, rowdyism, and other river user abuses.
Established and funded a $500 reward through the Silent Observer Program and Lake County Sheriff’s Department for the arrest and conviction of person or persons vandalizing or breaking into the property of an Association member.
To enhance the quality of life for all Lake County residents, your association makes annual contributions to such events as Troutarama and the Sounds of the Forest Music Festival.
Work closely with other Lake County organizations to preserve and protect the fragile environmental qualities of our streams and rivers.
Members receive periodic mailings outlining current areas of association involvement as well as any negative or positive “news” that might affect the rights of our members.
Need a plumber, electrician, or builder? Members receive an “Approved Provider List” of local service and supply organizations recommended by satisfied customers.
Annual meeting held for all members to elect volunteer Board of Directors, with speakers of interest, and free lunch.

Annual Boy Scout Pere Marquette River Clean Up

2007 will mark the 43rd year for this event. The event has been held every year with the exception of 2005 when the water level in the Pere Marquette River was extremely high and deemed unsafe. Over the years as many as 80 scouts have participated in the event.

This event is a collaborate effort on the part of several groups all of whom provide an important element to ensure the success of the event. The Gerald R. Ford Council of Boy Scouts provides the scouts and leaders who canoe identified stretches of the river and collect the trash. The scouts work in teams to clean roughly a 25 mile stretch of the Pere Marquette between M-37 and Upper Branch Bridge.

In addition to the scouts the event receives support from key local groups. The Baldwin Canoe Livery and Ivan’s Canoe Rentals provide the canoes and all the equipment. The Dunrovin Conference Center welcomes the arriving scouts with a continental breakfast prior to the launch. During the breakfast the United States Forest Service provides an orientation to the river covering personal safety and what to expect while canoeing the PM. The Forest Service also provides an overnight campground site at Bowman’s Bridge for those scouts and leaders who choose to spend the night. This site also hosts the lunch for the scouts at the end of the litter collection work. The Forest Service also disposes of all of the litter which has been collected by the scouts.

The LCRPOA coordinates the event and hosts a lunch for the scouts at Bowman’s Bridge. Houseman Foods provides a donation towards the cost of the lunch. During the lunch each scout is presented with embroidered patches created by Karen McIntyre of Riventree and donated to the event. For scouts who have helped in previous years they receive a patch with the year on it.

This year the event is again scheduled for in August. Volunteers from the LCRPOA are welcomed to help with car spotting or lunch.

Silent Observer

The Association has supported Silent Observer for years; selected members of the LCRPOA Board of Directors act as the Board of the Silent Observer in Lake County. The program provides rewards for tips leading to the apprehension, arrest and/or conviction of persons committing crimes in Lake County.

The individual providing information remains anonymous, as the tip is communicated by phone to a special number in the Sheriff’s Department. The caller is then provided an I.D. number.

Our Association offers a $500 reward where any of our members’ property is involved. The program is especially important to LCRPOA as most of our members are absent during long periods of time and vulnerable to break-ins and larcenies.

Many people with information that could help solve crimes fail to come forward, either because of fear of reprisals or getting involved in a criminal justice system that can be hard to understand. Silent Observer offers these people an opportunity to help, earn a reward while keeping their identity secret.

This program has been extremely successful in Grand Rapids. It is strongly supported by the Sheriff’s Department; Under sheriff Dermyer is on the Board of Directors.

The LCRPOA Board feels that this program is a valuable benefit to our members.

Lake County Provider List

Many of us have had difficulty in locating plumbers, contractors, painters and others. Moreover, in some cases, services provided have been less than satisfactory. As a service to our members, the LCRPOA, in cooperation with the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, has compiled a Service Provider List. This list includes the names and phone numbers, arranged by categories to help identify those services available to LCPROA members.
Each year the list is updated and we encourage members to submit names of providers that they would recommend to others. Additionally we solicit comments regarding providers on the list.

The list covers the following services:

Activities & Tourist Attractions

Appliance Repairs

Automobile Repair

Building & Construction Trades

Carpet/Linoleum, Installation & Cleaning

Catering

Chimney, Fireplace and other Masonry

Concrete and Asphalt Construction

Electricians

Excavating

Food & Beverage

Glass (Picture Window)

Guide Services

Handyman

Insurance

Internet Services

Landscaping, Lawn Care

Painting

Pest Control

Plumbing, Heating & A/C

Propane/Oil

Real Estate

Security

Septic System

Snowplowing

Tree Service

Well Drillers