A Word from the Editor: Welcome to the seventh edition of the Lake St. Clair
Network Newsletter. Our new addition for December is a boat games page located under the Lake St. Clair section of the home page. There are a few games there great for passing time on those long winter days. Also added is a page dedicated to the South Channel Lights, located on the History and Facts page. Photos and content were contributed by Chuck Brockmann. Christmas time is almost upon us and for those last minute gift ideas, visit the "Save our South Channel Lights Christmas Store". Thanks for visiting, and remember to spread the word.

From the staff at the Lake St. Clair Network, have a safe and happy holiday!

Visit our new parent home page at Advanced Media Solutions.

Help wanted! We are always looking for content. Content provided can result in free advertising for your company or organization. Please E-mail me with suggestions or proposals.

                                                                            Wishing you Calm waters and fair skies....
                                                                              Captain Rob     

Winner for November - Joseph Arment
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Attention Business Owners: Take advantage of our free services!!  Use the Bulletin Board as a forum to discuss upcoming sales or specials you may be running.  Post an event on our calendar letting our visitors know when something special is going on with your business.  Dealers are welcome to create up to ten free classified ads with sound and pictures, so we encourage you to take advantage of this great free advertising opportunity.

1998 - 30' Cruisers Yacht

Power - T 5.7L EFI
Price - $90,000
Tel (248)545-4718 ROYAL OAK  

Options: GPS, radar, ext swim plat, windless, heat/ air, excellent condition

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Source -- Mitch Hotts, Macomb Daily Staff Writer

Harrison Township residents want more done to clean lake.

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HARRISON TOWNSHIP -- Opponents of a proposed public boat-launching ramp are at the end of the plank in their five-year fight to stop construction of the facility near the old Admiral Marina. The final permits for the Clinton River Cut Off boat ramp were granted Friday by the Michigan Department of Consumer Industry Services, said Paul Yauk, an official with the state Department of Natural Resources. Construction on the ramp and 76-car parking lot on Jefferson just north of the Clinton River Spillway in Harrison Township will begin next year, said John Truscott, spokesman for Gov. John Engler. Truscott said the Department of Natural Resources met every demand by Harrison officials who have opposed the ramp being built in the township. Those demands have included installation of traffic lights and re-aligning the entrance to the proposed boat ramp.     "They are coming to the end of the road very quickly," Truscott said. "We have done everything to accommodate the township. It's clear their goal is to extend this as long as possible. But there comes a time when they have to move forward. "And we have the intention of moving forward to benefit the majority of people in the Metro Detroit area." The Department of Natural Resources even received two letters from Harrison Township in October approving the plan, Yauk said.     "It was contingent on the state receiving a driveway permit from the Macomb County Road Commission, and we got that," he said. "We've done everything to accommodate them. We have made over $700,000 in plan changes for Harrison Township.     "Some of the changes they wanted were actually good, like they wanted the entrance further south at Ballard and Jefferson, along with a traffic light, and that turned out to be a good realignment. It was expensive, but it was good for the public."     Ramp shortage     Township officials still aren't ready to surrender, however. They claim traffic to and from the ramp would create serious problems along Jefferson, which is a two-lane highway north of the Spillway. Another objection by Harrison officials is that a new public ramp would be the fourth in the township.     "We are making the point that this should be in one of the other communities along Lake St. Clair. But the state doesn't care," Township Supervisor James Senstock said. "We've done our part. It's time for other communities to share the burden."     Chesterfield Township, one of two adjoining lakeside communities, has a public boat launching ramp at Brandenburg Park, south of 23 Mile. That facility can accommodate 250 cars and trailers.     St. Clair Shores, which borders Harrison Township on the south, has three boat ramps. But two are for St. Clair Shores residents only, while the third ramp only can be used by residents of St. Clair Shores and Eastpointe.     "There's definitely a lack of access to Lake St. Clair and to lakes in southeast Michigan. We've had difficulty for years and years trying to meet the needs," said Bill Boik, a director in the Department of Natural Resources' parks and recreation division.     But acquiring the land for such ramps is the major stumbling block.     The state was able to obtain the seven-acre site in Harrison Township from Detroit Edison as part of a settlement for fish kills linked to power plants in the western part of Michigan. But most property of comparable size along Lake St. Clair is priced in the $1 million range and generally sold before the state can bid on it, Yauk said.     Engler support?     Despite the state's insistence that the new boat ramp is on a fast track for completion, Macomb County Commissioner Michael Sessa, R-Harrison Township, still has hope that Engler will stop the project.     Sessa said the reason he thinks the governor will help is that the land is the last piece of available property on Lake St. Clair.     "And the township master plan calls for township offices to be built along the lake," Sessa said. "We're asking the governor to donate the land to Harrison Township. I will continue to hammer on the governor. I think eventually he will come along to our way of thinking."     Truscott said that will never happen.     "The governor is supporting the DNR 100 percent," Truscott said. "We have a huge investment in Macomb County."     Not only has the state spent huge sums on the Harrison Township boat ramp, it also has spent millions on such items as amphibious weed harvesters to remove heavy growths of seaweed and funds for water testing, Truscott said.     Harrison Township trustee Dick Sheehy questions how the facility along Jefferson can be built without a harbor or refuge break wall to protect boaters from rough wave action after they enter or leave the lake.     That won't be a problem, said Yauk, who adds that two private marinas on each side of the new facility extend 1,000 feet out into the lake. "And we have protection from those private marinas going out that far in the lake," he said.     The new ramp also will benefit anglers who don't have boats as the old Admiral Marina will be coverted into an on-shore fishing pier, Yauk said.     "Just off shore is some of the best fishing," Yauk said. "This will be perfect for shore fishermen."     You can reach Gene Schabath at (810) 468-3614 or gschabath@detnews.com.

COOKING
   
Cooking Instructions:
In saucepan, warm oil over medium heat. Stir in garlic and oregano for 1 minute, until garlic becomes soft. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add wine, bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in mussels, cover and cook, shaking pan occasionally, for 3 minutes, or until mussels open. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley, season with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 first-course servings.

Source: Newsday, June 2000

Batteries: Replace batteries that were removed in the fall and reconnect cables after cleaning posts and cable ends and coating with anti-corrosion grease. Top off cells with distilled water and test with a hydrometer for a specific gravity of 1.275".

Battery Switch: Inspect for signs of corrosion or loose connections. Spray with moisture-displacing lubricant.

Belts: Check all drive belts on pumps, engines and generators for signs of cracking and fraying. Replace if necessary. Test tension on each to see if adjustments are needed (see alternators). Keep spare belts aboard.

Bilge Blower: Make sure intake opening or end of intake hose is at lowest point in bilge. Turn on each blower to make sure it works properly. Spray electrical connections (with current off) with a moisture- displacing lubricant.

Bilge Pumps: Reconnect all hoses and make certain each has double, stainless steel clamps at each end. Replace clamps that are corroded and then test each pump and float switch.

Bilges: If these areas were not cleaned in the fall, do so now. Use a good bilge cleaner at double the normal strength and let it soak overnight before pumping it out. Make certain that limber holes are clear of debris. After scrubbing thoroughly, leave hatches open for a day to air out bliges.

Q. Over your radio, what distress requires the highest priority when transmitting.

Q. What is the distress, safety, and calling frequency which the Coast Guard monitors continuously?

Q: What is the maximum depth for Lake St. Clair?
A: 21 feet

Q: What is the area of Lake St. Clair in square miles?
A: 6,100 square miles

Answers will appear in next month's Newsletter.