January 2020 Newsletter

Dear Members and Prospective Members,

Happy New Year to all of you. You are the heart of our Association. It’s hard to believe we are into the new year and another summer season is just around the corner. I hope that you are all well and enjoying 2020. We are looking forward to sharing our love of this ‘Lakeshore and our wonderful Community’ and times with you this summer season.

But first, it is time to ask those of you who are already members to reconfirm your membership by making your annual dues payment. We encourage you to renew your membership as soon as possible and to also encourage our other non-member, area residents to join our Association. We will be publishing a new DLSA Membership Directory for 2020. The deadline for Dues to be received is April 30, 2020, in order to make the Directory. However, we would greatly appreciate it if you could pay the dues well in advance so that we won’t have to send reminders!! Our annual dues remain just $40 for the year which includes entry into our ‘membership directory’, newsletters providing a wealth of information to help you ‘stay in the know’, maximize your investment and the time you spend here making lasting memories and enjoying our amazing Lakeshore Area and Family!

Please mail your check for $40 to: DLSA, PO Box 618, Douglas, MI 49406. We want to make sure to have your accurate info so that you will receive all our correspondence and so other members can reach you as well. Please review your current contact information by accessing the 2019 Directory on the DLSA website which is at.

We are ready to move into the new year and season, supporting our Lakeshore Family and providing information and strategies for our area ‘issues and concerns. We have an amazing board, all of whom are extremely knowledgeable and are committed to investing their time to help develop plans to resolve ’concerns’ while keeping us all informed to best benefit our Lakeshore community.

Right now, our key concern, as most of you are aware, is the devastation of our shoreline. The last couple of years and this fall-winter's high water and lack of freezing temps have been extremely hard on our shores. Bluffs being eroded, decks and stair systems being destroyed, washed away. And, new areas of Lakeshore Drive are under assault with the danger of further erosion and a new sinkhole formed on the south side of the washout.

Our board is working with the City of Douglas, Saugatuck Township, and other groups and coalitions on multiple fronts to voice our concerns and help find solutions to this critical issue. You can keep updated via our Newsletters and by visiting our websiteto learn more. There is a wealth of information on this topic. Please review the site, there are bullet points on writing letters to our area, state, and federal representatives telling them about how the high water level and resulting drastic erosion issues are affecting you, your property, its value and our community as a whole. We encourage you to write/send letters. The more we work together on this, the more impact we’ll have.

We have a new Mayor, Pat Lion. She is going to be a great addition! Pat has indicated to me that this issue is of paramount importance and a top priority for Douglas. We are all working hard to find answers to questions and solutions to help preserve our shoreline. There is also a possibility that our area may be considered for federal funds to help in rebuilding and restoration. Your letters can help promote this possibility. If you have questions, concerns, ideas, or knowledge and expertise to share, please feel free to respond to this email. Your response will be forwarded to our Board or another appropriate resource. You can also submit the form found on the “contact” page of the DLSA website.

We have an amazingly diverse and wonderful group of people who make up our Lakeshore... One of the nicest benefits to being a ‘member’ is that in addition to the many other benefits, every year we offer our Annual Summer Social and monthly TGIFs, a great way to spend time with those you already know and love and the perfect way to meet and make new friends! A schedule for the 2020 ‘Socials’ is attached to this email. So, mark your calendars... our ‘DLSA Socials’ are one of our favorite things. They’re so much fun and are a truly wonderful way to share our love of the ‘Lakeshore Area’, its history, and people.

We hope to have you join us! 

All The Best,

Kathy ‘Woods’ Sarkisian 

President, DLSA

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