Spring Newsletter 2006

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Note: Since our Web page and the Chief Noonday Yahoo! Group messages have assumed much of the communication role of the Chief Noonday Newsletter, future issues of the Newsletter will be sent quarterly rather than monthly.  Look for mailings in February, May, August and November.  For upcoming events, recent events and other pertinent information please continue to check the Web page and watch your e-mailbox for Yahoo! Group messages.  Your input about this change will be greatly appreciated.

CHAPTER MEETINGS
    Meetings are at 7:00 PM at the Barry Township Hall on Orchard Street in Delton the second Wednesday of each month, and are open to the public.
    Next meeting: June 14.  Jim Baldwin, NCTA director, who also manages the national office in Lowell as a volunteer, will be speaking.
    Looking ahead: Meetings for the next few months are: July 12, August 9, and September 13.
 

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
    Labor Day 2006:  The Chief Noonday Chapter has been invited to participate in a Fitness Festival in Battle Creek.  We will be hosting a Family Hike.  Tom Garnett (269-382-2561) and John Rudnicki are coordinating this project.  Check Events Calendar for date and time.
    Hastings Summerfest August 25-26.  Contact Larry Hawkins (269 945-5398) to volunteer to help with the information booth.
    Steve Hicks could use help with mowing.  This is not always a scheduled workday.  If you can give Steve a hand, contact Larry Hawkins or Larry Pio (327-3589).

SAVE THE DATES:
    June 24, July 22, and August 19 (Saturdays):  Scheduled workdays.  On June 24 we will be repairing and staining kiosks that need it, primarily in Barry County.  Meet at the Big Boy in Hastings for breakfast at 8 am.  Contact Larry Hawkins for information on the later dates.
    July 29 (Saturday):  Summer Hike with Jerry Pattok leading at Warner Preserve and Otis Sanctuary.  Call (269) 945-5443 for more info.
    August 10-13:  Next NCTA Annual Conference is in Clarion, PA. 
    August 25-26:  Hastings Summerfest, NCT information booth.
    Labor Day Weekend 2006:  Fitness Festival in Battle Creek.  We'll sponsor a family hike.
 

Our March Workday:  Beavers, Beavers and More Beavers

    On a beautiful but chilly Saturday morning, the crew assembled at the Michigan Avenue McDonald’s for sustenance and then moved on to Kimball Pines for the work project.  We were led, once again, by Steve Hicks the Bridge Builder (or as Mick dubbed him in more classical fashion, “Pontifex Stevius”).
    Things had changed since John Rudnicki first scoped out the site, and our sixteen-foot crossing was now about nineteen feet across.  We relocated to another spot as we had purchased sixteen-foot timbers. Steve, Mick Hawkins and Tom Momenee retired to the picnic area, to which we luckily had access, to construct the bridge.  Larry Pio, Larry Hawkins and John worked on retrieving ties and old boardwalks and generally repairing the crossings to the little streams that have sprung up.  When Steve got the bridge built, we all gathered and carried it back to the site and dropped it in place.
    The good news is that the beavers seem to be gone from Kimball Pines.  There are several breeches in the various dams, which have obviously not been repaired, and there is no sign that the beaver have been feeding.  A lot of water has drained out of the pond and it is now almost back to the original two ponds.  There is a good possibility that if the little critters stay away, we may be able to reclaim our original pathway.  If that is the case, we will move the bridge site to a different site nearby to cross upstream from where we now have it located.  As we were packing up to leave, Ron Sootsman arrived, with mpeccable timing, to give us a few “Attaboys!”.
    Ron, Mick, Steve and Larry Hawkins then went over to check out the reported beaver activity in the Ott Preserve.  The beavers definitely have been and are still active there.  There is a large dam built above the bridge and a smaller dam built downstream; so the little creek that was flowing under the bridge is now a very large creek.  The good news is that neither the bridge nor the boardwalk seems to be threatened by high water.  We saw no beaver hutches, but there were trees that had been freshly stripped and gnawed upon; so it would appear that they are, indeed, still there and active.
    Larry H. and Mick later went down to check out Bridge Park and the impediments that the railroad has established to discourage hikers from crossing the tracks. 
    It was a beautiful day.  Thanks to all who showed up and donated their time and efforts for the cause.

TRAIL ADOPTERS:
    Ron Sootsman has taken over as Adopter for the Cheff property of the NCT.   He succeeds Jerry Phillips, who had done a great job with this area but was no longer able to continue.  Thank you, Jerry, for your time and effort.  Dave Cornell reports that at the moment the roster of Adopters is "full up".  However, if you are interested in becoming an adopter, please contact Dave, who will be glad to put you on his waiting list.
 

    Problem with Chief Noonday Yahoo! Group messages:
    The most recent message to go out to our Yahoo! Group was on May 18th regarding the Spring Wildflower Hike.  If you are enrolled in the Yahoo! Group but did not receive this message, please let the Webmaster know.
    In March we discovered a problem with the Chief Noonday Yahoo! Group messages being blocked by at least one Internet Service Provider (Cablespeed).  We haven’t heard whether any other ISP’s were doing it too.
    As of the first week of April, apparently the blocking had stopped, because Cablespeed was letting the Yahoo Group messages through again.
    The actual culprit was Spamcop, which had "blacklisted" the Chief Noonday Group's messages (possibly as a result of one or more people reporting our messages as "spam").  Spamcop is a third-party "spam" filtering service utilized by some ISPs including Cablespeed.  ISPs have no way of fixing the problem directly.  Yahoo! had tried and done about all it could.  Ordinarily the blacklisting of an item or domain should expire after a while unless people continue to report it as spam.
    If you have an e-mail address with Cablespeed or some other ISP that blocks Chief Noonday Group's messages, let us know, and we can add you to a special alternative mailing list through Comcast to ensure that you do not miss any messages.
    (Mick is the Chief Noonday Webmaster and moderator of the Chief Noonday Yahoo! Group.)

SHARING
    I am the author of THE WAVING TREE, a book about backpacking and exploring in the Italian Alps. The following is a little about the book:
    Have you ever spent time exploring a landscape that is just as beautiful as it is dangerous?  The Waving Tree is a true story that takes place during the summer of 2004, when the author and his cousin, Peter Piazza, hiked for thirteen days through the enchanting mountain range called the Italian Alps.  While they trekked through all kinds of hazardous weather conditions, including a blizzard while crossing a high pass, and even found themselves lost a few times, they also met many interesting people, including Jakob, who hiked with them the final eight days.
    The Waving Tree is not only a story about hiking and exploring but talks about life, hope, and the fact there is still plenty of good in this world even during turbulent and stressful times.  Join Peter and Peter on an adventure of a lifetime as they walk down the mysterious trail through the verdant alpine meadows and quaint villages of northern Italy. You can purchase it at www.barnesandnoble.com .  Type in THE WAVING TREE.
    Peter Viteritti
 

Events of Interest
    MSU’s Kellogg Biological Station, Experimental Forest and W. K. Kellogg Manor House are offering numerous opportunities for fun and adventure.  For information about upcoming events contact (269) 671-2400 or e-mail conference@kbs.msu.edu or bbaker@kbs.msu.edu

Newsletter available on-line!  
    You can view the .pdf file for the Newsletter in the Adobe Acrobat Reader by clicking on the link above under the title of this page, and you can even save it on your hard drive.  Or you can receive the .pdf file by e-mail if you e-mail Larry Pio at nalcoman1@aol.com.