By Fred Lewis, Supervisor – Plainfield Township
Happy New Year and welcome to 2024. I hope the year brings good times and happy memories for all of us. As we enter this new year, please remember where we have been and what we have accomplished. Sometimes we only see and hear the bad things that happen and that clouds our view of what is in front of us. If we can do anything to lighten our load this year, let’s try and see one good thing each day and pass it off to an acquaintance as a way of making a small difference each day.
Along that line, we were awarded a $25,000 grant from the Iosco County Parks and Recreation Commission from the millage revenue. We intend to construct a pavilion at the playground between the old hall and the fire hall in front of the playground. We are getting the paperwork prepared and intend to send out an IFB in early February. If we are lucky, hope to be starting this Spring. This will allow gatherings at the playground/park for community members and relatives with a place under roof in the event of bad weather, or just to get out of the sun.
We are also continuing to replace the boardwalk at Loon Lake Park and will be working as time and weather permit. This is a long-term project that started last spring and will continue through most of this year. We have applied for a boat cleaning equipment grant from EGLE for four different lake launches around the township. We won’t know until late February if we are successful and will keep you informed as to our progress.
We have also applied for a scrap tire grant which reimburses us for the tires we collect at the waste site. We should get word on that grant by March.
One change we will have this year is at our Farmers Market. We are looking for a new Market Manager for our Saturday morning market at the resource center. If you or someone you know is interested in being the Market Manager, please contact me.
Technology is always changing. It allows us to do things that we only dreamed about as children. I remember Dick Tracey watches, in comic strips, that allowed the wearer to talk like a walkie talkie (now I am dating myself) and now we have watches that not only are a phone but a computer as well. This is a case where reality outpaced fantasy. When this fast advancement occurs, many times our society’s rules do not keep pace and we find ourselves without any guidelines on the use of the new technology.
One area in which this has become an issue in our community is the use of security cameras both inside and outside the homes. Much of our community has access to digital broadband which allows us to stream video to where ever we are. Even though we are a safe and secure community, many people feel safer being able to keep watch on their property. For the most part that is fine, the cameras show their property and allow the owners peace of mind. But when the camera placement extends beyond their property into the neighbors that creates issues. When does this become intrusive and what is the purpose of seeing what goes on at the neighbors? As this issue becomes more prevalent, it is only a matter of time before legislation is created to restrict this use. We can control this by just working within our own property and paying attention to how we locate our cameras. Every unit is adjustable and can be posed to show just what we intend to see. Be kind and consider your neighbors privacy as well as your own.
Starting in January, the waste site hours were changed. We now open at 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. We maintained our current Sunday hours of 9 a.m.– 2 p.m. We are open on Memorial Day, July 4, and Labor Day.
As always if you ever have any questions, comments or concerns regarding our community please contact me. I am in the office Monday – Friday 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at 989-728-2811 (office), 989-984-7073 (cell), or by email supervisor@plainfieldtwpmi.com.
