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MAY 2019

2 WWW.SANDYPINES.COM SANDY PINES FOOTPRINTS I MAY 2019

Member Service ..................... 616.896.8315Monday-Friday: 8:00 am-4 pm. Open Saturdays

beginning May 18th: 8am-4pm. Closed on Sunday

Fax Number .................................... 616.896.7409Member Service ....................................... Ext. 100Member Service ....................................... Ext. 101

[email protected]

AdministrationGene/Kathy.............................................. Ext. 105

[email protected]@sandypines.com

Kimberly ................................................... Ext. [email protected]

Beth ......................................................... Ext. [email protected]

Josh ......................................................... Ext. [email protected]

Park Inspector Ralph ...................... [email protected]

Pumpouts-Emergency .............................. Ext. 111

Park & GardenJack Schmidt, Manager .................. 616.896.9334

[email protected]

Sales Office ................................. 616.896.8315Monday-Friday: 8:00am - 4 pm. Open Saturdays

beginning May 18, 9:00am - 2:00pm, or by appointmentSundays by appointment.

Sales Office or CampingKelli ...........................................................Ext. 103

[email protected] Molner............................................. Ext. 113

[email protected] Brott ................................................. Ext. 114

[email protected]

Maintenance ............................... 616.896.8317Ben Fifelski, Supervisor

Monday-Friday: 7:30 am-4 pm. Open Saturdaysbeginning May 18, 8am - 4 pm. Closed Sunday.

[email protected]

Emergency/Public Safety ........ 616.896.9006Steve Deyarmond, Emergency Services Director

Keith Garvelink, Public Safety DirectorOpen 24/7 - 365 Days a year

Fax Number .................................... [email protected]

Recreation Department............616.896.8318Nikki Hoogewind, Director/Adult Rec.

[email protected]

Lake Monterey Golf ...................616.896.8118Gary Peters, Manager

[email protected]

Laundromat Hours – 7 am - 11 pm

Retail Center Laundromat – Open 24 Hours

PHONE NUMBERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS~ MISSION STATEMENT ~

The Sandy Pines Board of Directors will providepositive leadership and management directionso as to ensure the long term viability and successof Sandy Pines Wilderness Trails, Inc.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MANAGEMENT TEAM

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

CLUBS

RETAIL SERVICES

ADMINISTRATIVE TEAMDon VanDoeselaar Chairman .......................... (19)Rick Day Vice-Chairman.................................. (20)Jim Huck Secretary .......................................... (20)Ginny Hager Treasurer .................................... (20)Ellen Carpenter ................................................ (21)Brian Elling ....................................................... (21)Kelly Johnson .................................................. (21)Dennis King ..................................................... (19)Chad Ostrom ................................................... (19)

Outback Cafe ....................................616.292.7249Dairy Dip .......................................... 616.896.8868Just Your Style ................................. 616.896.1744Park & Garden ................................. 616.896.9334P & G Rental Office .......................... 616.896.9888

Garden Club ................................... Nelson BoumaSenior Adult Activities ............................ Sue Stank

Finance ............................................... Ginny HagerGolf Course ........................................ Bill ReynoldsGrounds/Maintenance ................... Kel KronemeyerLong Range Planning.......................... Kevin HagerPolicy............................................... Joel VanKolkerRules............................................ Meghan DeHaanSafety & Security ................................. Dennis KingTechnology........................................... Bob Powers

Kelli Blackman .................. Guest Service ManagerKathy Brott .............................. Executive AssistantSue Flowers .................. Member Service ManagerNikki Hoogewind................. Recreation SupervisorJosh Janowiak ........... Director of CommunicationsKathy Molner .................................. Sales ManagerJack Schmidt .................................. Park & GardenRalph Smith ......................................Park Inspector

Gene Van Koevering ....................... Park PresidentKimberly Williams ............................................CFOSteve Deyarmond ..... Director of Emergency ServicesKeith Garvelink ........................ Director of SecurityBen Fifelski ...................... Maintenance SupervisorGary Peters .......................... Golf Course Manager

WWW.SANDYPINES.COM 3SANDY PINES FOOTPRINTS I MAY 2019

The beginning of Maymarks an increase inthe number of Mem-bers and Guests com-ing into the park. Weare pleased to see youall coming back and

it’s our hope that 2019 will be the best year yet,for you and your family. Please make it a pointto stay up to date with what is going on by vis-iting our website, watching our posts on socialmedia, checking the bulletin boards, readingthe e-News and picking up a Weekend Flyer.We are blessed to have so many ways to com-municate the park and golf course activities,and we are proud to offer them to you to helpyou manage your time and make the most outof being at Sandy Pines.

AT&T began construction of their equipmentplacement on the cell tower in April, with theexpectation of completion in May. If you are anAT&T customer, watch your cell reception indi-cator on your phone for a good strong signal!

The construction committee has been faithfullymeeting, as plans for the new building arebeing fine-tuned, with a final draft approved inApril. The Architect has begun final workingdrawings with the plan to have them completedin July. We will have a draft of the plan presentfor viewing at the Face to Phase meetings, as

well as at the Board Meetings. If you’d like totake a look, please come by during one ofthose opportunities. I would again like to thankthe Staff, Board of Directors and Salem Town-ship for all the time and energy they have ded-icated to this important and major project.

Please take time to read the news from eachdepartment, but I would like to point out the Se-curity Department in particular. As of last Octo-ber, Keith Garvelink was promoted from InterimSecurity Director to the permanent position ofSecurity Director. I congratulate Keith and ourpark for having the opportunity to have a qualityleader in this department. Keith is a fine addi-tion to the management we are blessed tohave in each department here at Sandy Pinesand Monterey Golf Course.

To note; Keith has been working at filling posi-tions in his staff with highly qualified individuals,and the results have been encouraging. Hisstaff currently includes four individuals with ex-tensive law enforcement experience and welook forward to having their expertise here atSandy Pines. Keith has implemented a numberof new patrol directives and protocols, includingmandatory foot patrols for each PSO, on everyshift. If you see a PSO in your neighborhood,please approach them and get acquainted.Please feel free to share any comments, sug-gestions or questions.

As the year begins, Member Service will againbecome a central place for many Members toconduct business. I want to remind each Mem-ber that Sandy Pines Administration will notconduct any Member or membership businesswith an Associate Member. The policies setforth by the Board make it abundantly clear thatAssociate Members are not permitted to con-duct any type of business on behalf of theMember, so to avoid the unpleasantness ofleaving Member Service dissatisfied, please donot attempt to send in an Associate to theMember Service counter on behalf of yourmembership.

This year Memorial Day falls on May 27.Please know you are invited to attend the Me-morial Day Observance Ceremony at the Vet-erans Memorial on that day. Please watch fordetails on the aforementioned communicationopportunities.

You are invited to attend one of the PA 330 in-formational meetings that will be held at thePhase 1 Pavilion on Friday, May 10 at 7 pm oragain on Saturday morning, May 11 at 9 am.This meeting will include a presentation fromone of the Security Consultants we have con-tracted to research Sandy Pines security datain an effort to submit a recommendation for theBoard and Administration to consider. The re-sults were to seek application for a PA 330classification, which would provide SandyPines with direct access to law enforcementrecords information, as well as provide ourPSO’s with law enforcement authority. Thismeeting will also include our Board of Directorsas well as a number of staff from Administrationand Security. Please plan on attending one ofthese meetings to gain knowledge of this im-portant issue.

Welcome back Volunteers! I would be remissif I did not thank the many of you who Volunteerhere at Sandy Pines, whether on a committee,on the Board, serving by helping in mainte-nance or simply picking up trash as you walk

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENTBY GENE VANKOEVERING

See PRESIDENT, page 9…

Youth, water and supervision: Toddlers -they are inquisitive, curious, and active. Theycan easily get out of the eye sight of a parentor guardian in seconds. A family with multipleyoung children can easily lose track of a childfor a few minutes. When near water, toddlersdo not understand the potential dangers. Cu-riosity of docks, lakeshore and water sourcesplaces in precarious situations in which just afew moments can have devastating results.

About 70% of drownings of youth 1-4 years ofage occur during non-swim times, are unex-pected to have unsupervised access to water.27% of these drownings occurred at a friends,relatives or neighbors residence.

Drowning is the leading cause of unintentionaltraumatic death in children ages 1-4. Infantsand toddlers drown more frequently than peo-ple at any other age.

Common causes are inadequate supervisiona lack of or lapse in, an inability to swim, per-mitting children to be at or around pools andlakes unsupervised, parents underestimatingthe child’s risk of drowning, flotation devicenot worn or an inappropriate size, supervisionby adolescent siblings also involved in wateractivities, and circumstances in which the vic-tim had not intended to enter the water.

One quarter of drowning victims were swim-mers. Four out of every ten drownings happenwithin two meters of shore or the pool side,and one-quarter happen in shallow water onemeter deep or less. One-third of water-relateddeaths occur after dark, including fatal boatingcollisions

A study from 2008 to 2012, indicated that 75%of drowning injuries occurred in the shallowend of the pool. 75% of the children wereunder the age of eight years old. It is more fre-quent for a male child to have a drowningevent than a female.

There is no replacement for adult supervisionwhile children are near the water edge. Useof flotation devices that properly fit can assist

in drowning prevention. Electronic devicescan cause distractions and lapses in supervi-sion. It only takes a few seconds for a child todrown. Drowning is a silent, quiet event unlikewhat is displayed on TV or in movies. Your at-tention and supervision should be focusedupon the child’s activity when near the water,at the edge of the pool or along the lakeshore. If the youth cannot swim, you shouldbe within arm’s reach.

Prevention is supervision. Prevention is gettingyouth involved in swim lessons even at earlyages. Prevention is ensuring that childrenhave proper sized flotation devices. Supervi-sion is the responsibility of parents/adults. Re-liance of siblings also involved in wateractivities fails to provide real time supervision.Safeguarding the life of a child is the respon-sibility of the parent or guardian while involvedin water related activities. Sole reliance uponstaff or lifeguards places children at risk.

The importance of Bike Helmet use: Themost serious injury that occurs in bicycle ac-cidents are head injuries. Wearing a properlyfitted bicycle helmet can reduce head injuriesby 50%. Helmets are not just for children.Eighty-seven percent of bicycle deaths are ofpersons 20 years and older and more malesare killed or injured than females. Aging bringson physical changes such as being less agileand flexible, diminished eye sight, slower re-action times, weaker muscles and bones.Baby boomers have a higher incidence of bi-cycle injury and death than children. Use ofbicycle helmets by all age groups has a posi-tive impact in reducing injuries.

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safetysuggests the typical bicyclist killed on roads isa sober male, over 16 years old not wearing


See EMERGENCY SERVICES, page 6…

EMERGENCY SERVICES UPDATEBY STEVE DEYARMOND

Spring has sprung. This is said somewhatwith “tongue in cheek” because as this mes-sage is being typed it is mid-April with aboutthree inches of snow on the ground and stillsnowing. Yet we all know that the changing ofthe seasons in Michigan are going to happen,but not always according to our liking. Never-

theless, Sandy Pines is ready for the seasonto begin. The staff worked hard during the offseason to get the park ready for our return.Next it’s our turn to clean up our sites. During the month of March, the Board of Di-rectors held a meeting under the changes ap-proved by the membership in 2018, allowingDirectors to remotely participate in the meet-ing. Five members were present at the admin-istration building and four connected remotely.The Board adopted several resolutions whichare as follows;

a. Approved the financial statements for November and December 2018 and January,2019.

b. Approved Resolution #031819 which offi-cially recognized the statement of supportfor the Administration that was written andsigned by all Board members and printedin the March 2019 Footprints.

c. Approved a resolution to accept the Administration’s recommendations, which werereviewed by Sandy Pines’ legal counsel, tochange the operational policy of the PublicSafety Office, which are necessary to be inalignment with Sandy Pines’ pursuit of P.A. 330.

d. Approved the recommendation of theBoard Sub-Committee on Rules not tomake changes to the rule which states thatAssociate members cannot sign in guests.

e. Approved the recommendation to changethe language of Article VI Conduct Rules Sec-tion G, item 11 regarding suspension or termi-nation of membership due to violations.

The official minutes of this meeting will beready for your viewing after the regular Boardmeeting of May 17, 2019.

Two meetings will be held to explain in moredetail the reasons the Board of Directors in-structed the Park President to pursue the im-plementation of P.A. 330. The first meeting willtake place on Friday evening, May 10, and thesecond one on May 11. Both meetings will beheld at the Pavilion. We encourage your at-tendance.

We are expecting another great season atSandy Pines. Welcome back!

• • • •


LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDBY DON VAN DOESELAAR

Please Mark the date!

Senior Adult Activities has

changed the date of their

Auction, Dessert & Coffee Bar and

Dancing from June 28 to July 26.

More information to follow.

MEMORIAL DAYSERVICE

We will once again be commemorating thosewho gave all in service to our country on May27, 2019, at 9:30 am, at the Veteran’s Me-morial.

Memorial Weekend is always an excitingtime of welcome and homecoming for parkmembers. Every year on Memorial Day,we offer a beautiful Memorial Service,dedicated to all who have served this greatnation.

If you would be interested in helping toraise the flag, please stop by the office ore-mail [email protected], with yourname and contact information. Kathy willthen pass that information on to Lisa Wilk-erson, who will be organizing the program.Veterans are asked to be at the Memoriala few minutes early to assemble and walkdown the Memorial Walkway together.

We will once again be reading names tohonor our Sandy Pines Veterans. If youwould like a name read that wasn’t readlast year, please email Kathy with thename, rank, branch of service, yearsserved, any accolades, etc. If you have abrick on the walkway that does not meanthat your name will automatically be read.The names read are those that have beenspecifically given to Kathy.

Special thanks to each and every one of ourVeterans and their families. God BlessAmerica!

• • • •


a helmet, riding on a major road between in-tersections in an urban area on a summerevening when hit by a car. The American Journal of Surgery 2016 indi-cated that helmeted bicycle riders reduced theodds of severe traumatic brain injuries by 51%and reduced odds of mortality by 44%. Helmetuse by bicyclists reduces severe injuries andmortality.

• • • •

EMERGENCY SERVICES, continued

The Recreation Department is staffed andready for an exciting 2019 season. We arelooking forward to kicking things off MemorialWeekend and seeking member participationin a wide offering of tournament action. Pleasecheck the online calendar or Weekend Flyerfor specific tournament dates, times, and lo-cations. Please note - this is the first shift formany rec. staff employees, and I encourageyou to introduce yourself to staff and supportthem with any questions they may encounter.

The Recreation Schedules for 2019 are com-pleted and available. We offer tennis and golflessons for kids and adults. We offer swim les-sons for kids and parent/tot classes. Parentsare required to STAY for all swim lessonclasses-you may not drop off and leave. Adultclasses include aquasize, zumba, and linedancing. Family activities include: dodgeball,Mileage Mondays, Tye-Dye Tuesdays,potlucks, drive-in movies and indoor movies.

The Family Pool/Water Park will have a man-ager on site. The manager will be located justinside the gate. She will be able to greet allpatrons as they enter the water park. She willbe monitoring that only water is taken insidethe gate. No food, drinks, coolers or anythingelse is allowed inside the gate. Please leavecoolers on your cart until you choose to exitand eat at the picnic table provided. Childrenunder 12 need to be with an adult to enter thewater park. All children under 48 inches must

wear a life jacket when entering any pool, un-less they have passed the swim test and arewearing the appropriate wristband. Adultsshould be attentive and watching their chil-dren who are in the pool. Monitoring the bath-room needs of your children is very important.Swim diapers (not regular) must be worn forany child not fully potty trained. Pool managerwill have swim diapers for sale at all times ($1each). Please check your child’s diaper oftento make sure it is clean. We are hoping that2019 will be a fun, enjoyable time for the en-tire family. We are planning to provide music,kid’s activities/games, and rentals at the waterpark!

Boating Safety Class will be held on Saturday,June 8, from 8 am-2 pm at the RecreationStation. Please bring a pencil and a sacklunch. Registration can be completed byemailing [email protected]. Pleaseinclude each participant’s first and last name,age, and phone number.

The Happy Shack and Water Park will openMemorial Weekend. We look forward to serv-ing you. See Weekend Flyer for exact times.

• • • •

RECREATION NEWSBY NIKKI HOOGEWIND


PARK & GARDEN NEWSBY JACK SCHMIDT

Murphy’s Law always works. Plans to startsoftener installation was stalled by snow andice. Thanks to our water softener customersfor understanding the delay in their installa-tions. By the time you get this Footprints, mostof the softeners will have been delivered. Weare also very busy setting up the new store lo-cation. We are excited about the new locationand the look of the new store.

Even though the store does not open for retailsales until May 17, we are in the park and youcan stop buy if you need propane, RV prod-ucts, and softeners. We will have someone inthe store from noon to 4 each day beginningApril 24, who will be stocking shelves, but canalso assist you.

The park is coming alive again, and in a fewshort weeks we will be open with our regularhours. Just to remind you, we are currently in-stalling water softeners and making deliveries,by appointment only. Two ways to get in touchwith the store is to call 616-896-9334 andleave a voicemail and we will call you back, oremail us at [email protected]. Besure to include your phone number and sitenumber and we will contact you as soon aswe are able.

If you are interested in getting a reservationfor a golf cart, you can email the following in-formation and we will send you a confirmationfor the dates you request. Be sure to includethe date to pick up and to return; time for pick-

up (during store hours); type of cart (4 or 6passenger); Site number; phone number andemail address. You can also call 616-896-9888 and leave a voicemail. Holiday week-ends and garage sale days are very busy sobe sure to order your carts early. We have a24 hour cancellation period, so if you need tocancel a cart order, you can do so 24 hoursbefore the rental time with no charges in-curred. If you don’t cancel until the day of therental, there is a charge of one day rental. Re-gardless of the pick up time, the cart is alwaysdue back to the store by 10 am the followingmorning. You can also reserve golf carts on-line by going to the Sandy Pines Website andclicking on the button for reservations.

If you are in need of a power washer to cleanyour site, we have two available to rent fromthe store. We also have small tools availablefor rent this year and are adding more itemsas the need arises. The Rental Center hoursare Monday-Thursday and Saturday from 9am to 4 pm; Friday from 9 am to 7 pm; andSunday from 10 am to 4 pm.

For those who wish to pick up a water sof-tener for self-install, we will be at the store onTuesday, Thursday and Friday from Noon to1 pm, and again from 5 - 6 pm. Saturday willbe by appointment only. Deliveries of bulkproducts can be made Wednesday, Thursday,Friday and Saturday.

Store hours this year will be full time begin-ning on May 17. We will be open from 9 am to4 pm Monday through Saturday. Sundayhours will begin on June 2 and will be fromNoon to 4 pm.

We are currently stocking the shelves for the sea-son. We have several new products this year. Stopby the new store location and see what we haveavailable for you. If you don’t find it on our shelves,let us know what you need, and we will attempt tostock it for you.

Park and Garden can fill or exchange your propanetanks. The main tank was moved last year and

many of you didn’t see it and thought we hadstopped filling tanks. WE DO FILL PROPANE.

We have secured a new supplier for our 5-gal-lon and 3-gallon bulk water this year and havebeen able to lower our price to $5 for the 5-gallon and $4 for the 3-gallon bottles. We alsohave water coolers available for purchase.

Even though we might be a little more expen-sive than the large stores outside the park,your Park and Garden profit goes to helpSandy Pines. We are here to serve you.

• • • •


MEMBER SERVICEBY SUE FLOWERS, MEMBER SERVICE MANAGER

Welcome Back!We sure hope you packed the sunshine andhauled it back with you! We welcomeMaryanne VanderKamp, our new MemberService Assistant Manager, for the season.Re-joining us part time is Dawn Kisner.Thank you for your kind words of encourage-ment as we train and re-train to serve you.

Your courtesy and thoughtfulness are muchappreciated.

If you haven’t yet updated your boat registra-tion, they are due to Member Service by June1, 2019. The next June date to remember isJune 10, the deadline for Site Cleanup.Cleanup checklists are available at Member

Service. Please use the Sandy Pines websiteand the Information Center at Member Serv-ice to glean relevant information and sched-ules for the season. You can find theRegistered Contractors List, Resort ServiceCharges, Golf Course Information, Park andGarden Rental information, Chapel Sched-ules, TV/Internet troubleshooting instructionsand channel listings at the Information Cen-ter.

By the time you read this, we are hoping theSandy Pines Spectrum channel issues will beresolved. We are advocating for our Membersin getting our local and proprietary channelsreinstated. The materials for installation of theAT&T equipment were sitting at the base ofthe cell tower at the time this article was writ-ten; we hope service will be available by May1st.

Just to reiterate, our Spectrum cable and in-ternet services are a bulk system, like a hotel.If you have Spectrum at your winter home,you can use internet to log in to your serviceand use that at Sandy Pines. If not, the bulksystem is your option. While it is not ideal forsome, there are 156 HD channels from whichto choose. One Sandy Pines Member pre-

See MEMBER SERVICE, page 13…

SUMMER SEASON HOURSMonday – Saturday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Member Service will be closed on holidays:Mail Room Hours 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm Memorial Day Monday 5/27Sunday - Closed Independence Day Thursday 7/4Holidays - Closed Labor Day Monday 9/2

MPORTANT DATES5/4 First Flea Market & Saturday Emergency Pump Outs Begin6/1 Boat Registration Deadline7/1 Quarterly electric & state tax billed (Due 7/25) Deadline to return renewal stickers

for credit8/17 Annual Election9/3 Winterizations Begin9/14 Saturday Emergency Pump Outs End10/1 Annual Dues, quarterly final adjusted electric & state tax billed (Due 10/25)10/15 Water is turned off for the season (weather permitting)10/23 Last week of normal season Pump Outs10/30 Last Pump Out of the season (Billed as a $26 Emergency Pump Out)

in this beautiful park and golf course. We aregrateful to each of you for your help and dedi-cation to Sandy Pines and Lake Monterey GolfCourse. Without you…we would not be theplace we are! If you have not volunteered in thepast, please contact us to get plugged in some-where, doing something you would enjoy. Con-tact Kathy Brott in the Admin office and she willdirect you to the person who can get you in-volved!

May 27, 2019, Memorial Day a day set asideto remember those who serve.

“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but

the silence of our friends.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

• • • •


I’m now one month in to the job, and I am get-ting settled and organized. There are a fewthings I want to talk about this month to get usall ready for the start of a new season at ourgreat summer get away.

Let’s start with any type of work you want todo at your site. Remember…if the job requiresa permit, you will need to have the permit cardin hand before starting your project. This alsoapplies to any contractor you hire. They musthave a permit in hand before starting anywork. Please be aware your permit is onlygood for 30 days, so all jobs must be com-pleted in this timeframe. Upon completion ofthe work the permit must be returned to myoffice for final inspection.

I would like everyone to take a look aroundyour site to make sure you have a 4 foot clearspace around the side of your unit out to makeaccess easy, should emergency personnelneed to access your site for any reason.Please be sure that area is clear from the roadto the side of your trailer so the pump out guyscan get to the side of your trailer safely. The last thing, and one of the things you willhear me talk more about, is site clean-up. AsI travel around the park I see lots of folks get-ting their places in tip top shape. Thanks forgetting it done. By the time you read this arti-cle, I hope that most of the park will be allcleaned up. Please remember the June 10thdeadline for Site Clean-up. The June 10 dead-line is not only for cleanup, but also for makingsure your trailer is clean and there is no moldand mildew on it. I have great faith that we canall have this done by the deadline. If you don’t

have time to get your place all cleaned, upplease look at the contractors list for folks whocan help you out. The Contractors List can befound on our website atwww.sandypines.com.

Feel free to give me a call at 616.896.7286 orstop by the office for anything that I may beable to assist you with.

Let the summer begin!

• • • •

PARK INSPECTOR NEWSBY RALPH SMITH

PRESIDENT, continued

March 2019 statistical information: In Marchof 2019, Security Services responded to andinvestigated a total of 39 incidents. The inci-dent types and numbers appear below.General Assistance Calls: 8; Suspicious Inci-dents: 10; Traffic Violations: 3; UnsecurePremise: 5; Illegal Entry: 1; MiscellaneousRule Violation: 3; Unauthorized Burn: 1; Prop-erty Damage: 6; Larceny: 1; Trespass: 1.Security Services staff also completed 65proactive property checks during the month ofMarch.

As the season approaches, Security Servicesstaff will begin targeted foot patrols in the var-ious phases of the Park. The foot patrols giveSecurity Services staff an opportunity to meetand interact with Members, and identify anyissues occurring in the areas

Fugitive Arrest: In early April, 2019, SecurityServices staff were furnished information thata wanted felon had possibly entered the Park,and may be in the area yet. Security Servicesstaff were able to identify this person, andtrack the person on a surveillance system.The information was given to Allegan Sheriff’sDepartment. Units from Allegan Sheriff didsubsequently take this person into custody onmultiple felony warrants.

On a related note, staff from Security Servicesand Park management have now had multiplemeetings with officials from Allegan CountySheriff Department, including Sheriff Baker

and Undersheriff Larsen. The purpose ofthese meetings is to identify risk areas in thePark and develop plans for specific type inci-dents. I wish to thank the Allegan CountySheriff’s Department for their willingness tomeet with us and work cooperatively to im-prove the services we provide.

Security Services new hire: I am pleased toreport that Bradley Nieboer is joining our teamas a full time Public Safety Officer. Brad is agraduate of Muskegon Community College.Brad has over 30 years of law enforcementexperience, and also has extensive training ininvestigations, including arson, death andfraud investigations. Brad is also trained inCPR, AED, Standardized Field Sobriety test-ing and numerous other areas. Please take amoment to introduce yourself to Brad if the op-portunity presents. Welcome to the SPWTteam Brad!

Seasonal Position Openings: Security Serv-ices has several openings for seasonal em-ployment with the Safety Team. Interestedpersons should submit a resume and coverletter at the Public Safety Office. These posi-tions run from April 16th through October13th, and present an opportunity to those in-terested or currently studying the public safetyvocation. Interested persons should be willingto work all shifts, and the majority of week-ends and holidays.

• • • •


SENIOR ADULT ACTIVITIES EVENT DATE CHANGE!

Please be sure to mark your calendars for this event change. The Auction, Dessert Bar, Coffee

Bar and Dancing has been moved from June 28th to July 26th. More information will become available

as we get closer to the event.

Gene will again be conducting ‘Face to Phase’meetings on Saturday mornings, giving every-one an opportunity to come out, enjoy a cupof coffee, a cold drink and a cookie with him,and get acquainted.

Please look at the schedule below and notethat these meeting are going to be held in thePavilion – so the weather won’t interfere! Putit on your calendar and come on out!! You arewelcome to attend all of these meetings,should you so choose.

Forums will be held from 9 am until 11 am, onthe days indicated below.

Thank you for coming out to chat - bring yournew ideas and ask whatever questions youmay have!

MAY 18JUNE 22JULY 20

AUGUST 10

“FACE TO PHASE’FORUMS (F2P)

2019

SECURITY SERVICES UPDATEBY KEITH GARVELINK

pared a comparative listing, available at Mem-ber Service that matches the Sandy Pinesdigital channel to a local Spectrum channel.This might help you find a programming guidewith program times, if you are interested.

There are still Flea Market spaces available,so reserve yours soon! Members, don’t forget,if you have friends or relatives who would liketo participate, you must reserve the space forthem, allowing it to be billed to your site. Youwill need to sign them in as guests (unlessthey are your Associates) and you are respon-

sible for them while they’re selling wares atthe Flea Market.

Bullpen spaces are also available. They canbe reserved monthly, quarterly, or a combina-tion thereof to accommodate your stay. Com-pletion of a Bullpen Storage ReservationForm is required. Visit us at Member Serviceto reserve your spot.

Please remember, stickers were sent out withstatements on April 3, 2019. Stickers are yourresponsibility and if they are lost, we chargefull price for replacement of your stickers. Ifthey are lost in mail forwarding, we must

charge you for replacement, then when theycatch up, you can return them for credit ifdone by July 1, 2019. It is also the Member’sresponsibility to inform Sandy Pines of youraddress changes each season, or if youmove, change phone numbers, etc. ManyMembers assume the computer system auto-matically switches the address at the end ofthe season, but it does not. You must let usknow when to switch from summer to winterand winter to summer. Thank you!

Finally, please keep in mind, each site is al-lowed only two golf carts and no more thanthree watercraft. A Member may have onlyone motorized and two non-motorized water-craft, OR, three non-motorized watercraft.

READY. SET. RELAX!

• • • •


MEMBER SERVICE, continued

MAINTENANCE NEWSBY BEN FIFELSKI

We are busy finishing up some of our winterprojects. We have been working hard to getthe entire Park cleaned up for your return. Aswe do every season, we will be patching theroadways. Please be sure to stay clear of theworkers as they get us taken care of.

Here is something you should remember to doas you return to your home at Sandy Pines.Check and replace the rubber washer on yourwaterline connection. Use a little bit of Teflonpaste on the threads, as this will help with theseal and also help when you unthread in the fall.

Spring is a very busy time of year for every-one. There are leaves to rake, branches to

pick up, trailers to clean and weeds to pull.Please remember as you engage in your busi-ness around your site, to place your leavesand yard waste in the correct piles at thedump.

We ask that you remember to help your neigh-bors, if they need it. We appreciate everyonewho does their part and helps with the thingsthat need to be done in the Park.

Wishing you all a great 2019 season at SandyPines.

• • • •

In the last couple years, we've added greatnew technologies to keep you informed on im-portant park information. In addition to our sta-ples which include the monthly FootprintsNewsletter and the Weekend Flyer we've up-dated our website and added many newmediums to keep you informed. We have anew weekly electronic newsletter and RaveEmergency Text Alert System which also al-lows us to send important park news updates.Please read on for all the ways you can keepup with important park news and updates. Awell informed Sandy Piner is a happy SandyPiner!

WebsiteOur new website is command central in theworld of communications. Everything we putout to members and the public is born andlives on our website before it's sent out to theworld. Due to this fact we have a lot of infor-mation on our website which may be difficultto find. When in doubt, hit the search buttonand type in what you seek. The MembersPage is one stop shopping for most every-thing you'll ever be seeking in terms of parknews and information.

Quick Link ButtonsLive at the top of the Members Page these ro-tate regularly with the most pertinent seasonalinformation and services.

Department ContactsInclude a list of all the park departments,

hours, contact information, associated parkservices and news.

Park News FeedThe Park News Feed is a blog feed similar toa Facebook or Social Media Feed. It's achronological list of park news and updatesthat never disappear, so you can read back asfar as you'd like. News posts are also codedby department so anything Maintenance re-lated will show up in the news feed on theMaintenance Page, Member Service, PublicSafety, etc.

Wall CalendarsNew Sandy Pines Wall Calendars are avail-able to purchase for $10 at Member Service,the Public Safety Office, The Park & GardenStore, and The Happy Shack once they openfor the season. The calendars feature beauti-ful park photos and all of our featured parkevents so you don’t have to worry aboutscheduling them on your social calendar.

Weekend Flyer The Weekend Flyer button always points tothe most recent Weekend Flyer Newsletter.This is updated weekly between Memorialand Labor Day Weekend. It is not publishedin the off season.

Member E-News ArchiveLinks to every electronic newsletter areposted in chronological order.

Footprints ArchiveLinks to all electronic copies of the FootprintsMagazines are posted in chronological order.

Rave Alert SystemThe newest technology is our Rave Alert Sys-tem. Rave is an emergency alert system thatwill automatically text and email you in theevent of regional and local severe weatherevents. We also have the ability to text andemail you important park news and updatesthrough this platform so it is important to notenot every alert will be an emergency alert.How can you make sure you're on the list for

14 WWW.SANDYPINES.COM

COMMUNICATION NEWS

SANDY PINES FOOTPRINTS I MAY 2019

See COMMUNICATION, page 15…


SENIOR ADULTACTIVITIES

BY SUE STANK

Welcome Back to Sandy Pines for anothergreat season! We are very excited for the funthings we are planning for you this summer!

We have Potlucks, Bingo, a Dessert Compe-tition, ‘Away’ Day Road Trips, Brown Bag Auc-tion, Dessert Bar, Coffee Bar, Dancing andlots of games.

There will be sign-ups available for theseevents and we also have a Facebook page!Looking forward to some sunshine and fun atSandy Pines. Stay tuned for more information.

• • • •

these alerts? Member Web Access automati-cally syncs with the alert system. The bestway to make sure you're up to date is to con-firm that we have your updated cell phonenumbers and email addresses. You cannotopt out of emergency and park news alertsbut in the future we'll have options for optinginto different park news distribution lists. Staytuned for details!

Electronic NewsletterOur electronic newsletter (e-news) is sentweekly during the regular season and everycouple weeks in the off season usingMailChimp email marketing software. Wesync our member database monthly to updatenew email addresses. Sign up today!

FootprintsThe Footprints Newsletter is composedmonthly during the regular season and onceor twice during the winter months. Electroniccopies are always available at the first of themonth on the website and are posted onFacebook and sent out with the Weekly E-News. Print copies are usually available forpick up within the first week of the month. Printcopies are mailed via bulk USPS mail serviceand are usually received around the 15th ofeach month. Please contact Member Serviceif you'd like to be added to the bulk mailing list.

Weekend FlyerThe Weekend Flyer is composed weekly dur-ing the season between Memorial & LaborDay Weekend. It is posted on the website,Facebook, sent out with the weekly e-newsand printed for distribution in the park onThursdays.

FacebookAll of our big park news and updates areposted on Facebook after they are posted onour website. Most of these Facebook postslink back to our website for more information.

InstagramLike, follow, and share lots of park photos withus at SandyPinesOfficial. Your photo may befeatured on next year’s wall calendar!

Sandy Pines Cable ChannelsThe Sandy Pines Cable Channels rotate parknews updates and information that trickledown through our website and social media.The channels are currently down due to therecent regional reprogramming, but we’reworking on getting them back up and runningas soon as possible.

• • • •

COMMUNICATION, continued

LAKE MONTEREY GOLF COURSE NEWSBY GARY PETERS

Over the winter, we completed a lot of tree re-moval on the course and also thinning of thetrees, to allow more sun to get to the tee boxesto help grow grass. We will be putting somespilt rail fencing along 7 green, 6 green and 5green, to keep carts out. We will begin an over-seeding of all tees with a bent grass that is Dol-lar Spot disease resistance.

We are working with a Taylor Made represen-tative to hold a custom putter fitting day on ourpractice green. I’m also meeting with our Adi-das rep, to have their mobile shop visit us,which has their clothing lines and shoes thatcan be purchased.

We do have golf leagues in the morning, andin the evening, so come down and check foropenings on the league board.

By the time you read this, the golf season willhave started. The Clubhouse will be sellingmore self-service food at our food counter. Wewill have Breakfast burritos, breakfast sand-wiches, and new sandwiches for lunch. Pleasecome by and check us out.

Just a reminder for all members and associatemembers - you do need your Sandy Pines pic-ture member card at the time of check in at thecourse.

Please Note: The course is closed one halfhour after sunset. I have seen people playingwith their lights on their carts. This is not al-lowed and you will be asked to leave, either byour staff or the Public Safety Office. This is toomuch of a risk for the park and the individualsplaying golf.

Welcome back to another great season at LakeMonterey Golf Course!

• • • •


SANDY PINESLAKESIDECHAPEL UPDATE

BY DAVE VAN NOORD

MAY CHAPEL SCHEDULE...

In the Phase I Pavilion at 10 AMMay 5….Dave Van Noord

(Join us after the worship for a fellowship time with goodies)

May 12...Rev. Dan GritterAt the Lakeside Chapel at 10 AM

May 19...Rev. Paul Bailey

May 26...Rev Blaine NewhouseAt the Lakeside Chapel at 6 PM

May 26...Jim and Melissa BradyAt the Flea Market

May 25...Pancake Breakfast - all you can eat - serving from 8-11 AM

Give Thanks to the Lord for He is good!This is the theme of our chapel this sum-mer. We are so blessed! God is so good!We have a beautiful resort...a wonderfulcommunity...and a beautiful chapel on thepoint where God’s word is preached. Weinvite all of you to come and be part of ourchapel ministry, making the Sandy PinesChapel your church home for the season.Invite your friends, family, and neighbors.


FINANCE & ACCOUNTING UPDATESBY KIMBERLY WILLIAMS

Welcome back to the 2019 season!

Last month you received your seasonal re-newal invoices. I would like to thank all mem-bers who are diligent in keeping your accountpayments up to date. Your commitment toSandy Pines is greatly appreciated.

Payment Options:As we begin the new season of 2019, I wouldlike to reiterate there are 4 ways to pay onyour account; in person, by mail, through on-line bill pay (through your personal bank), on-line through Member Web Access or byphone. You will receive a 1.5% service chargeon any unpaid balances past the due date.

The online portal through Member Web Ac-cess and payment by phone both incur a 3%service charge on the balance amount youare paying. You will be prompted at time ofpayment either through the phone or onlinethat the 3% will be charged. The online Mem-ber Web Access payment requires that youconfirm and accept the 3% service charge,prior to authorization to complete the transac-tion.

Financial Statement Review: The Board of Directors will meet on FridayMay 17th to review for approval the most cur-rent February and March 2019 financial state-ments. The Board will also be reviewing for

approval the 2019-2020 season budgets. The current financial position of the park isstrong while the park focuses on the buildingof cash reserves operationally to fund addi-tional upcoming projects, specifically theNorth Shore FEMA building to be constructedover the next couple of years. Operationally, Sandy Pines is looking to main-tain costs and provide the best resourcesavailable.

We look forward to seeing each of you soon!

• • • •

FEATURED EVENTS FOR 2019

May 24-25....... Memorial Weekend Holiday Tournaments May 27 ............................. Memorial Service & Gun SaluteJune 1 ........... Adult Catered Meal & Adult Beach BonfireJune 15 ........................................................ Drive-In MovieJune 22 .................................................. Vintage Car ShowJune 28-29.......... Fourth of July Weekend Holiday TournJune 29................................................................ FireworksJuly 4 ...............................................Fourth of July ParadeJuly 6 ...........................................................Drive-In Movie*July 13 ......................................................Family Fun DayJuly 20 ...... Grand City Show Skiers Water Performance*July 20................ Halloween-Magic class, Wagon Rides,

Trunk or Treat, Magic Show*July 27.......................................... Cardboard Boat RacesAugust 3 ...................Sandy Pines Rainbow of Color RunAugust 9 .............................Christmas Light Boat ParadeAugust 10 ..........................................Christmas in August

*Volunteers needed for event to be offered

BULLPEN AVAILABILITY

If you need to reserve a space in the Bullpen before

Memorial Weekend, please be sure to do so by May 15.

Reservations can be made by stopping by Member Service

and completing an application.

There are no guarantees that you will get the same space as last year, unless you made an

annual reservation.

Thanks!


Sympathy is extended to:

Dick & Pam McNitt, Site 370, on the passingof their brother, Lynn, on April 1st.

Maro Lynn Whitmyer, Site N-364, on thepassing of her husband, Max, on April 3rd.

Rudy Fotjik, Site N-5, on the passing of hiswife, Marie, on April 20th.

With Sincere Sympathy

THE OUTBACK GENERAL STORE& RESTAURANT

Our season started off with a surprisinglylarge turnout on April 13 for an impromptubreakfast for those who made it out to SandyPines the weekend before the water wasturned on. We were simply in awe at theamazing turnout! Thank-you! It felt like no timehad passed since last season. We are excitedabout some new items at the store and evena few new menu options.

Each month this summer we want to take thetime to celebrate a variety of important (andsometimes not-so-serious or fun) days and in-vite you to come on over to The Outback Gen-eral Store and Restaurant where you can joinus for activities or events.

May 11th is Eat What You Want Day. So incombination with the 6th of May which is NoDiet Day we will honor those who strugglewith eating disorders like anorexia. Let’s usethis day to appreciate the bodies we have andremember that bodies come in all shapes andsizes! Stop in for information on Giveaway.

“All that I am or hope to be, I owe to mymother.” (Abraham Lincoln)

May 12th is Mother’s Day and here at TheOutback we would like to take the time to cel-ebrate all the moms out there! Come on in onSunday, May 12 and enter to win our Mother’sDay Giveaway.

May 18th is Armed Forces Day. This is simplya day to salute and honor all of the men andwomen in all branches of military who protectour country. Flag Giveaway. Stop in for de-tails.

May 27th is Memorial Day and is dedicatedto service men and women who gave theirlives for freedom and country. It is also a timeto remember loved ones who have passedaway. Stop in for Giveaway info.

As we are writing this in April and planning forthe 2019 season, please take the time tocheck out our Facebook page periodically fornews, upcoming events, and menu as well asstore and restaurant hours. The Outback Gen-eral Store and Restaurant @theoutbackgen-eralstoreandrestaurant

• • • •

THE MEANING OFMEMORIAL DAY

Since the earliest ceremonies in small Ameri-can towns following the Civil War, we havegathered on Memorial Day to honor and re-member those who made the ultimate sacri-fice in service to our nation. As in those earlydays of laying wreaths and placing flags, ournational day of remembrance is often felt mostdeeply among the families and communitieswho have personally lost friends and lovedones.

This national holiday may also be the unoffi-cial start of the summer season, but all Amer-icans must take a moment to remember thesacrifice of our valiant military service mem-bers, first responders and their families. Me-morial Day is a day of both celebration andgrief, accounting for the honor of our heroesand reflecting on their tragic loss.

“Here at the Capitol, just weeks before theend of the Civil War, a weary President Lin-coln pleaded with his fellow citizens, to ’bindup the nation’s wounds, to care for him who

See MEMORIAL DAY, page 19…

For Sale from Site 240: 2007 Wildwood 37' Travel Trailer37BHSS. Travel Trailer only - 37ft Bunkhouse Superslide.Has a very nice layout and larger/open and bright walk-through bathroom. Larger kitchen setup than most withan extended counter/bar stool area. The Bunkhouse has2 bunks and a table that folds down into a bed with lotsof cupboards/storage. Queen bed, sleeper sofa and din-ing table converts to bed. Sleeps 8-9. Excellent Condition.This is currently set up at Sandy Pines Lot #240 Phase1. We are hoping to upgrade to a Park Model and this isthe only reason for selling. Contact me if interested andto schedule a tour. Come check out his Beautiful trailer.Asking: $16,900.Call or Text Candy 616-635-5096 oremail [email protected].

For Sale - Site 349 - Phase 1: Beautiful Lake Front onthe main lake with boat stake,Custom built, fully furnishedtrailer with triple pane sliding doors leading to fully fur-nished 4-season sun room, laminate floors, custom win-dow shades. Air conditioned, Storage garage with electricopener, work bench and ceiling storage area. Fully land-scaped with paver patio wrap around walk way. Under-ground sprinkler, 3 beautiful maple trees providing ampleshade, paved parking area, 2019 dues paid. Asking:$159,900. Contact seller for appointment and brochureat 616-915-1657.

For Sale from Site 578: 2017 brand new 38’ KeystonesHideout camper, 3 sliders with bunkhouse and queenbedroom. Full size refrigerator in the kitchen. Sleeps 9.Power awning, power jacks and tongue. Lots of extrasare on this camper still under warranty. We are selling be-cause we bought a place in Sandy Pines. If you wouldlike to see it we have it in storage down the road fromSandy Pines. Asking: $31,500, call 616-297-9762.

For Sale - Site 744: 2005 Breckenridge Park Model -12x40. Shed in back, new back deck, built in 2017. Firepit, nice landscaping. New stove and golf cart garage,both in 2018. Sunroom. Two golf carts, one gas and oneelectric. Asking $70,000. Call: 616.340.2600.

For Sale - Site N-464 - Phase 4: Water view, 2004 Tro-phy Double Loft with sunporch and deck. Sleeps 10. Fullsize 200 sq ft garage and plenty of parking. Gas E-Z-Gogolf cart. Very clean, furnished, and has extra pantry andstorage areas. Asking: $98,500. Call or text Norm at 616-291-1824.

For Sale - Site N-438 - Phase 4: (must see) Waterfront,fully furnished 1991 Quailridge trailer with sun porch anddeck. Very clean and renovated with new roof and waterresistant luxury vinyl floors throughout. Boat stake, storageshed, golf cart and golf cart shelter. Asking: $128,000 OBO.Call or text Tim at (616) 304-6085 for more information.

Condo For Sale: 2848 Westwoods Ct., This 1505 sq ft2 br 1 1/2 bath ranch condo offers an open floor plan withcathedral ceilings. Kitchen and Dinette both have baywindows, Great Room offers a natural gas fireplace whichopens into a 14x12 - 4 season sunroom with a deck. Mas-ter Br offers a walk-in closet and private bath, Main Floorlaundry. Daylight lower level has 674 sq ft finishedthrough drywall giving it 1 br, bath and family room. Extradeep 2 stall garage to store your golf carts! Still time tomake selections. All this for $222,715. Please call LindaHall for viewing or questions at 616-292-4848.


We have more ‘Site for Sale’ listings online at www.sandypines.comPlease call Kathy (ext. 113) or Nick (ext. 114) at 616-896-8316, for additional information or to schedule an appointment

CLASSIFIEDS

shall have borne the battle, and for his widow,and his orphan.’” - Gen. Colin Powell, USA(Ret.)

Civil War soldiers had been mustered fromtowns and villages across the land. Like today,the loss of each soldier was a profoundtragedy for both family and community.

Today, we honor service members from all ofAmerica’s past wars. But there is immediacyin our sorrow; the wounds of war are newagain. As we struggle for ways to heal, Abra-

ham Lincoln’s message of almost 150 yearsago can still inspire us.This, then, is the mission of Memorial Day: toreach out in support of all the soldiers andtheir families who have sacrificed somuch for us.

Throughout America’s history, hundreds ofthousands of our fellow citizens have diedbravely serving our country. The numberof battle deaths speak to the sacrificesour soldiers and their families havemade.

Thank you to all of our Military Men andWomen…whether you have served previ-ously, or are currently serving this great Coun-

try. We honor you, andespecially today, we re-

member those who havegiven all.

God Bless America!

MEMORIAL DAY, continued


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