By Sue Moore
Water Rescue on Sunset Lake
The bridge over the two ponds on Sunset Lake is very tempting to kids who like to dive off either side. On Friday, June 21, the inevitable happened when one young boy got caught in the current. His companion feared he was drowning and called out for help. It came in the form of Ben Gauthier, aka Benjammin, who lives on the pond next to the mill. He reacted quickly and dove in after the boy to pull him out to safety as the ambulance was arriving.
My dad, who grew up near the lake, used to say with pride that he learned to swim when his buddies would push him off the railroad bridge. It was pretty much do or die in 1914 when he was a young kid. This is not the way I envisioned my boys learning how to swim as I don’t condone the practice. They attended Tony Marfia’s swimming school for many years on Gourdneck Lake. To pass his test for intermediate swimmers, he required them to swim across the lake and back, with him alongside in a rowboat in case of emergency.
Miracle Field Leader
David Olson, founder of the Miracle Field building effort at the Dome in Schoolcraft, has been beset with illness recently. He suffered a TIA, a transient ischemic attack, in March that didn’t set him back for very long. Then had a full-blown heart attack and perhaps another stroke in May and early June. He is out of the hospital and taking it easy but still plans to be the inspiration behind the building of this baseball field for children with disabilities.
Sewer Situation in Schoolcraft
Recent meetings in a public forum have shed some light on the possibility of sewers being built in Schoolcraft according to Kathy Mastenbrook, a village and school board trustee. “We are getting more of our questions answered now than before when the sewer was proposed in 2015. We meet all of the state’s criteria for getting a loan and possibly some grants. The council expects to have one more public forum and then draw the discussion to a conclusion in September. It appears that the majority of the village council is now in favor of moving ahead as we have nothing to lose if we back out later, if the costs come in way higher than the current estimates,” she said.
Flooding at Indian Lake
The high-water mark was witnessed at Indian Lake again this year for homes and cottages in the low area on the east and south sides. It was only three years ago when water spilled over the banks to engulf the same areas and the sewer pumps malfunctioned. Again, Richards Septic Service was called in to pump out the lift station at the corner of 24th Street and S. Indian Lake Drive for 24 hours straight.
According to Randy Smith who lives on East Indian Lake Dr., this is the fourth worst flood on record. The lake crested at 5.7 feet on Tuesday, June 25 and is now receding ever so slightly. In years past it has taken a couple of months for lawns to dry out after a flood such as this.
Thank You to Our Readers of the South County News
We can receive mail most anytime but particularly in June when a donation envelope is included in the newspaper. Here’s the breakdown of the 103 written responses and 249 total donations that we received: 28 replies from Vicksburg; 22 replies from Schoolcraft; 25 replies from the Scotts area; 8 replies from the Portage area; two replies from Fulton; two from Three Rivers; one reply from Mendon; three with no address; 16 replies from out of town.
The staff, who work from their home offices to save overhead costs, are so grateful for your words of encouragement in beginning our seventh year of operations.