Our BoardThe Harsen's Island St. Clair Flats Association is led by four officers* and a group of 15 directors (shown below). A monthly meeting is held to hear various update reports from officers and committees, review open issues, and discuss any new business. All HISCFA members and non-members are invited to monthly meetings. HISCFA Board of DirectorsCraig Baloga | Susan Bryson | Lucy Burby | Frank Cardinali | Gordon Couture | Chuck Kukawka | Steve Lawrence | David Martin | Kathy O’Connor | Linda Schoonover | Jim Stieber Dennis Szymanski | Leonard Verlinden | Jennifer Weaver Lois Whipple | Stacy Williams A Message From our PresidentCraig Baloga HISCFA President Greetings Island residents and guests! First and foremost, allow me to wish you and your friends and family the utmost in health and safety as we navigate these challenging times together. As your newly elected President of the Harsen’s Island St. Clair Flats Association, it is my duty to serve the residents of the Island with firm leadership, clear and effective communication, and unwavering fairness, inclusiveness, and teamwork. There are many good things to talk about and reflect on moving forward, with just a few of them being the water receding off record highs, vaccines rolling out and being administered, and the spirit of open and effective dialogue with our Clay Township board. The HISCFA team navigated through a challenging 2020, and with a renewed spirit, drove into 2021 to help execute a return to a more normal way of life while taking responsible measures amid COVID-19. Our annual Car Show, Field Day, and Pig Roast & Bonfire are among many of the fun events and activities scheduled on the 2021 calendar for our enjoyment on the Island. On the business side of things, much progress was made toward kicking off our two main projects for Islanders: permanent restrooms and a walking path for Browne’s Field. While we are moving closer to our financial goals to realize these two projects with your generous donations, we have also applied for grant money to help facilitate the construction of these important initiatives even sooner than planned. The playground and driveway entrance areas will also be receiving additional restoration and maintenance. Moving forward in the years to come, we are looking to further improve the Pavilion at Browne’s Field, with the addition of retractable windscreens which will allow gatherings and event parties to be sheltered from high winds. Along with the above-mentioned walking path, we are looking to add more landscaping and shade trees, with added areas of interest such as a community vegetable garden area, and community flower garden beds. These initiatives will further beautify and add even more enjoyment for Island residents that visit Browne’s Field and Park. Planned restoration of the historic Cecil Browne barn will include wood replacement and restoration, along with new hardware and a fresh coat of paint. It is truly an honor to be your President of the Harsen’s Island St. Clair Flats Association. I will strive to serve you the best by listening closely to all feedback and input, then planning and executing initiatives for the benefit of Island residents. Yours Truly, A Message From our Past PresidentGeorge Covalle HISCFA Past President Water, water everywhere. Our Government Affairs chairman, Patrick Feighan, has been very active on your behalf working with representatives of the Lake Carriers' Association, the Sheriff's office, and the township to get their support coping with the high water. All have responded positively to do what they can to help. What we all must do under these high-water conditions is to do what we can, as individuals to help ourselves and our neighbors. If you are a boater, please be attentive to the wake your boat creates. Do more than just the minimum to avoid damaging waves. BE RIDICULOUSLY COURTEOUS. This year we conducted an online membership survey to help HISCFA's directors plan our activities to better respond to our members' desires and concerns. We have formed a committee to review the results of the survey and have begun our review. Please see the follow-up articles that is included elsewhere in the The Delta News. If you would like to make a contribution to HISCFA through your purchases on Amazon Prime, you can do so by using Smile.Amazon.com. Amazon will match a portion of your purchase with a donation to an organization of your choice. If costs you nothing. A more detailed explanation will be under Association Business in this issue. We are currently developing a plan for a walking path at Brown's Field. We have an estimate and a layout that will provide for a loop of about 3,000 feet around the perimeter of the field. HISCFA currently has about two thirds of the necessary funds in the hand to accomplish the project. The survey indicated that the waling path is a very high priority. In order to build the path as soon as possible, we are considering a funding drive to solicit funds from Islanders. If you are supportive of this effort please let us know. We were again successful in obtaining a grant from the Algonac Clay Community Fund in the amount of $1,000 to continue improvements to the swing area and volleyball court. We are always looking for more volunteers. Your help is always greatly appreciated at our events. You may sign up for as much time as you can fit into your schedule. Please commit to what you can do; it's fun and you will be working with some great people. It is an honor to serve as your President. We invite you to attend our meetings which are held at 9:00 a.m. in the summer on the second Saturday of the month at the Lion's Hall. Respectfully submitted, | Not a Join HISCFA now and support your Harsen's Island community for less than $5 a month!JOIN NOW |