President’s Message

I’m writing this on April 12, 2000.  Today as I drove out of my driveway I glanced over at my five blooming daffodils at the corner of my lot.

Their petals were weighting heavy with the white flakes, patiently waiting out this momentary lapse of spring.   I hope that for them and all of us on the lake that they don’t have to wait much longer for the return of the season we’ve been waiting for.   (Hopefully spring is here again by the time you read this)

I hope everyone’s had a good year.  I know we have a lot of new people on the lake this year, and I‘d like to welcome all of you to our association.  If you haven’t received a lake association information packet, call me at (248) 634-2549 and I will get you one.

Like the lake residents, the lake association board has been going through a lot of changes too.  I’d like to thank you for your patience with some of our transitions.   I know we have not communicated with the residents as often as we’d like lately, but the newsletter is back.  Tim and Susan Green have recently volunteered to coordinate and publish our newsletter.  I’d like to thank them very much for taking on this valuable tool in our communication to everyone.   We have been learning over the last few years how much work George Fetzer had been putting into this organization by being president, writing the newsletter, and filling in for offices from time to time.  It has not been easy to fill those shoes. 

George published a very appreciated newsletter for many years and I’d like to thank him again on behalf of the association for all his hard work.

As far as news for this year: We are still planning on the Annual Picnic in August, which I always look forward to.  Anybody who would want to volunteer their lot for the Picnic, just let us know.  It would be nice to move the location around to different parts of the lake from year to year if people are interested.  Chuck Pilar is continuing his appreciated job of monitoring our lake quality.  We will be participating in the DNR’s Goose Removal program again this year if we have the quantity of geese.  Signatures from last year are good for the next five years.  I will be representing our lake at the Michigan Lakes and Streams Meeting at the end of April and will bring back what I learn to the board.  Our next board meeting will be May 22, 2000 at Joni Grob’s house (18469 Pellett) Anyone’s welcome.

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The annual meeting for the Taylor Lake Homeowners Association is Sunday afternoon, May 7, 2000, at 1:00 P.M. at the Rose Township Hall.

Chester Koop, Rose Township supervisor, is the featured speaker. He will speak about what has been happening in Rose Township since his election almost two years ago. Among the issues he plans to cover are: 1) Changes to the master plan and zoning ordinances; 2) August ballot proposal for funding renewal for fire and emergency services; and 3) New township hall ideas.

A question and answer period will follow the talk.

Refreshments will be served. After the speaker, there will be a general business meeting and board of director elections.

A footnote to the above: Area homeowners interested in maintaining a good quality of life in our rural township may wish to attend the zoning board meetings. The next one is scheduled for Thursday evening, April 27, 2000, at the township hall.

Aerial spraying for gypsy moths is slated for sometime in May. The timing is dependent on the development of the caterpillars and the weather. Oakland County makes the decision. Area homeowners that are affected have already been contacted by the township treasurer and have paid a nominal fee for the service. Since the inventory of egg masses was taken last fall, everyone with accessible masses on their trees, decks, buildings, etc. are encouraged to scrap the off and burn them before they hatch. There is plenty of information on this problem available through board members, the county extension service, and the local library.

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It seems like a recently discovered non-endemic species is reported in Michigan or the Great Lakes area almost every month.  The three guys we have the most concern for in or around Taylor Lake are:

Zebra Mussels - So far we have no reports that any have been found in our lake.  But many other inland lakes in southeast Michigan, especially those with significant transient boat traffic, have already become permanent hosts.  We urge everyone to take special care to protect our lake from this pest.  Boats, which are also used in other lakes, need to have spaces that may hold lake water drained and treated with bleach.  The hull should be left out of water long enough to dry.  Live bait and fish wells also need to be emptied, treated, and dried when moving from lake to lake.

The Zebra mussels complete with native mollusks for food and space.  By reducing the amount of plankton in the water, fish growth is reduced.  The clearer water increases the area that rooted waterweeds can grow. Zebra mussels can cover the bottom, making barefoot wading painful or impossible.  They will clog water intakes used for irrigation.

Prevention is primarily by proper boat hygiene.  There is no control available.  And there is no prospect of eradication

Purple Loosestrife - It is hard to convince someone that a plant with such a pretty purple flower spike is actually a significant and environmentally degrading nuisance species.  The problem it causes is in its competition with native plants found in wetlands and marginal land.  The native plants provide food and the environment required for many other native species.  The loosestrife crowds out the native vegetation, creating a near monoculture, which reduces the quantities and varieties of native plants and animals.  During mid to late summer it is seen filling roadside drainage ditches, natural wetlands and marches, and at the marginal areas near lakes.

The wetlands to the east of Taylor Lake have had this species for several years.  We also found several clumps of this plant along the lake shoreline this past summer.

The plant produces a large quantity of seeds, which are thought to readily travel attached to the feathers of waterfowl.  For this reason prevention is not possible.  Control is performed by destroying the plants.  The most effective method is by hand spraying individual plants with the herbicide Roundup.  With sufficient diligence over several years eradication from an area is possible.  The main obstacle is the difficult access to plants in areas too wet to walk and too dry for a boat.

Gypsy Moths - As mentioned in the Gypsy Moth Control report, a portion of the land around Taylor Lake will be sprayed this year.

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The moths have been in the vicinity of Taylor Lake for four or five years, with increasing numbers each year.  Last year there was some natural relief when wet cool weather at the proper time in the lifecycle of the gypsy moth caterpillars caused a fungus to attack and kill many of the crawlers before they pupated and reproduced.  But, there were still enough egg masses counted in the survey areas to warrant this years aerial spraying.

The county’s management strategy is to use selective aerial spraying at the places where, and years when, the moth populations approach their peak.  The population size naturally cycles up and down.  The idea is to reduce the damage and nuisance caused by the peak populations.  Eradication is considered impossible.  Continuous (yearly) artificial control is excessively expensive and likely to be detrimental to the environment.  By letting the population naturally cycle it is expected that predators or disease, like last year’s fungus, will develop and perform most of the control of this pest.

Homeowners can of course improve on these controls by finding and destroying as many of the egg masses as possible.  Check between the rough bark rows on Oaks and under the loose Hickory bark.  Any area protected from the weather should be checked: under house eaves, window trim, lawn furniture, piles of firewood, sheds, decks, trailers, seldom used vehicles, inside unused bird and bat houses.

The next meeting of the Lake Association’s Board is May 22 at 7:30 PM.  Joni Grob will host, 18469 Pellett Drive.  As with all Board meetings, it is open to the public.  To have an item added to the meeting agenda please contact any of the board members, or just drop in, we are not all that formal.

Joni Grob   634-2549

Chuck Pilar   634-1403

Gary Laroy   634-4861

David Lutey   634-8021

Tim Green   634-5338

Marie Sutton   634-9855

Mary Kay Schmelzer   634-7618