The New Lake Bel-Air Website Is Here

January 2016 Newsletter LAKE BEL-AIR P.O. Box 310 Hillsdale, MI 49242

www.lakebelair.org

Greetings from your Lake Board

Hope everyone had an awesome Holiday Season!

The Board is busy making plans for next year. Some of the items we are working on:

 Procuring field stone and placing it on our private lot for use on the island  Initiating a Boat Sticker Program  Purchasing a sign requiring boat stickers at our launch  Purchasing floats for shallow areas on the east side of the lake and island  Reviewing all committees and assignments  Determining the budget for 2016  Planning our lake fish stocking program for spring and fall  Review all financials and appropriate liens

We welcome your comments regarding all matters.

Please inform the lake board of any new neighbors on the lake. We are not always aware when people move in and would like to welcome them. Thank you for your cooperation.

On behalf of the Lake Board,

Michael Gustitus President

A BIG WELCOME to our new Lake Bel-Air neighbors:

John and Carol Mancini Marian Lance and Paula Schoenrock Beverly Sharp Russ and Krista Sprinkle The Heinze Family

Please take a moment to remember our residents and friends who have passed away.

Ed Dieterle Jim Thielen Ron Roberts Mrs. RV Losey Martha Graff

Isn’t it crazy how we can look back a year ago and realize how much everything has changed? The amount of people that have left your life, entered, and stayed. The memories you won’t forget and the moments you wish you did. Everything. It’s crazy how all that happened in just one year.

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Lake Bel Air - Hillsdale Michigan

More Important News

The new Lake Bel-Air Website is here – www.lakebelair.com! A BIG THANKS to Mark Rodemeyer and Sue Rausch for their expertise with the redesign of the Lake Bel-Air Website. The new website is in progress and you will find that it will be informative and easier to navigate. If you have any ideas on information that you would like to find on the website, please complete the Contact Us form on the website. www.lakebelair.com

Interested in participating in a book/coffee club? There are several residents that have expressed an interest and we would like to get together. Please use the Contact Us form on the website.

2015 brought several fun activities on Lake Bel-Air. The residents and their families enjoyed a Fishing Derby and the annual 4th of July Boat Parade. The weather was cold and dreary for the fishing derby but that did not stop the many residents and their families from catching the biggest fish! The weather was awesome for the boat parade and we had many participants. Make sure you plan on participating in 2016! Watch for new Lake activities coming in 2016! Dates will be posted on the new website and in upcoming newsletters.

Have items you would like to buy or sell? Know a contractor that you have used and are pleased with their work? Participate in a club that you would like other lake residents to know about? Know of activities in Hillsdale and the surrounding area that others would be interested in? Have ideas you would like to share about fun activities on our lake? Have ideas for our new website and newsletter? Know of restaurants in the Hillsdale and surrounding area? Have a great recipe to share? Helpful tips to share?

We would love to hear from you. Please use the Contact Us form on the Lake Bel-Air website to submit information. Thanks! To All Residents of Lake Bel-Air,

As you may know, last year we were flooded with violators on our lake. They were given the gate code by marinas and some of our residents. These people (mostly fishermen) were filling coolers with fish and removing them from our lake. They were also putting in boats off the roads in three different areas. As this is mostly a catch-and-release lake, residents were alarmed and asked the Board to do something about it. This was discussed at our annual meeting.

In response to the problem we put up (21 NO PARKING) and (6 PRIVATE LAKE – NO TRESPASSING) signs around the lake. We started a program to change the gate code more often. Next, we may add a small fence on Kim Drive where boats are being launched off the road. Stickers were also purchased for our boats so that we can identify intruders and are currently developing a Boat Sticker program. We need your help in implementing this program which will help identify unauthorized boats on our lake that can then be reported to the police.

In the following months a draft of the anticipated rules for the Boat Sticker program will be published. We would like the final draft finished by spring and put into effect. Boat stickers are imprinted with the resident’s lot number. The Board would keep records of all stickers and have Day Passes for residents’ visiting family members bringing in boats. Thank you for your cooperation and input in advance.

On behalf of the Lake Board,

Michael Gustitus President

ALL RESPONSES CAN BE E-MAILED TO [email protected]