From the Board

Paul L. Szymkowicz President

pls.clpoc@gmail.com

The Fourth of July weekend is behind us, and we all look forward to the rest of the summer and finally Labor Day weekend. It has been an extremely dry start of summer for Canadian Lakes. The lake levels dropped to the point of having to turn on the two Lake of the Clouds pumps and fountains. We were just starting to see an increase in the main lake levels and then Mother Nature decided to give us a hand. The week before the holiday Canadian Lakes received nearly six inches of much needed rain. The main lake water level was right at the top of the Pierce Road dam for the holiday weekend. To make things even better, the weed harvesters were out in force before the holiday. Nearly 50 acres of weeds were cut.

In anticipation of the Canadian Lakes fireworks display on Saturday, July 8th, there were several private fireworks displays around the lake over the weekend. I had the opportunity to go out on the lake on July 1st and the number of watercrafts on the lakes was amazing. No matter which direction you looked, you could see fireworks.

The Canadian Lakes Association (CLA) held their Annual Summer Picnic, and a good time was enjoyed by all. There were so many things to enjoy, from live music, tattoos, hotdogs, ice cream to balloon art. People of all ages came out to celebrate. The CLA picnic is always one of the events that you do not want to miss, and this year was no exception. I would like to thank the CLA and all the volunteers that helped make the picnic such a success. Please check your current Lite Lines for more information. If you have not yet joined the CLA, there is no better time to do so.

The outdoor music pavilion is booked for the summer. I hope you were able to enjoy some live concerts but if you haven’t yet, there are a couple more opportunities to see one before the summer concert series ends for the year.

I would like to thank our General Manager, our Department Heads, our Staff and Employees, our Great volunteers, and my fellow Directors that all contribute to making this process work. Please continue to support the effort that is being made to constantly improve the Canadian Lakes experience for us all.

For as positive as all of the above is, I can’t just ignore some of the appalling and abusive behavior of some of our members towards our staff and employees. Better than ninety-five percent of members are just great. They understand the rules and deed restrictions even if they don’t 100 percent agree with them. The rules are for the CLPOC common property, and the 54 different deed restrictions are for private property in the various sub-divisions. Most of the deed restrictions have been around since the sixties with a few in the seventies and eighties. These restrictions have been in place when all members purchased their lots. If you did not take the time to investigate what you were purchasing then, Shame on You. If you don’t like them, maybe you should not have purchased property here. Our staff and employees are only doing their jobs and what is expected of them. The idea that some of our members feel that they are above the rules or deed restrictions is a sad indication of what our society is degrading to. If you have guests, it is the members responsibility to make sure that their guests have the proper credentials to be parked on common property. The same holds true for membership credentials, it is your responsibility to make sure that you have the necessary vehicle stickers and watercraft stickers. The rules and deed restrictions need to be adhered to by us all or they will mean nothing. Personally, I am very positive about Canadian Lakes and what we are trying to achieve here. We are just doing what the membership has asked for.

To the members that continually express your support to the CLPOC Board of Directors and our staff and employees, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

To those that think that the rules don’t apply to them or just think that they are better than everyone else, Get on Board. Become part of the solution not part of the problem.

Thank you,

Paul L. Szymkowicz CLPOC President

CLPOC BOARD OF DIRECTORS board@clpoc.org

OFFICERS

President

Paul Szymkowicz pls.clpoc@gmail.com

Vice President

John Colley jacclpoc@gmail.com

Treasurer James French jbf.clpoc@gmail.com

Secretar y Steve Wilcox doctorw.clpoc@gmail.com

DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE

Dan Altier altierdt@gmail.com

Linda Ricketts linda.clpoc@gmail.com

Shannon Hannon shannon.clpoc@gmail.com

Jerr y Juncker juncker.jerald@yahoo.com

Steve Brandt abrandtcl@gmail.com

CLPOC BOARD MEETINGS

Regular Monthly Board Meeting

Fourth Saturday 9 a.m., Highland Haus

Workshop Board Meeting

Second Wednesday 5:30 p.m., CLPOC Office Conference Room

Core Values

• Our heritage: We value our history and its ideals of friendliness, mutual support, affordability, and shared responsibility for our natural environment.

• Participating in the activities we love: We value participating in activities we love with our friends and neighbors and supporting the diverse and changing interests of our members.

• Protecting property values: We value taking proactive steps to protect and enhance the investment members have made in their homes and in community amenities.

• Financial soundness and sustainability: We value a financial structure that enables us now and in the future to meet community standards for the quality of our properties, membership programs and services and safety.

tion of members in the governance activities of the

Canadian Lakes Property Owners Vision Statement

Canadian Lakes is a premier recreational and residential community set in West Michigan’s scenic heartland. As a unified community of private property owners offering an unequaled quality of life, Canadian Lakes fulfills the diverse needs of all members in a natural setting for present and future generations to enjoy. This Core Vision is characterized by:

• The natural beauty of the area and its desirability as a place to live

• Outstanding recreational and social activities

• Financial soundness and sustainability