Please join us for the June program: (the last program until September)

Newcomers Club will provide: 

Brats, hot dogs, buns, as well as the condiments and table service.

Please RSVP to Pam Evans at: bpevans2@charter.net  or 933-0252.

Directions: At the base of Old Mission Peninsula, turn north at the Garfield/Front St. intersection. Take Peninsula Drive for 10 miles until you pass the Boathouse Restaurant on your left. Shortly after the restaurant, turn right on Bower's Harbor Rd. The park is on the right.

Questions? Call Bud Dockter, 932-2394, or Karen Spencer, 946-3365

2009 PADDLING SCHEDULE  (Click here for printable schedule)

The Lower Platte between M-22 and Lake Michigan is the easiest river in our area, and consequently gets lots of usage during the summer months. That also means that it gets far too much trash dropped into it. We will paddle downstream, picking up stuff as we go. There will be a stop for a lunch break halfway down, and we will continue on to the mouth of the river. 

For more info, see the events calendar on www.traverseareapaddleclub.org and click on the outing on June 27. You can sign up online (it's really easy, even for the technologically challenged). Trip hosts are John Heiam and Lois Goldstein.

Our golf season began May 11, 2009 at the Leelanau Club at Bahle Farms. You may elect to play 9 or 18 holes. Our first tee time is 10 AM. We don't keep scores nor use handicaps. You form your own group from those who come to play. You play as often as you like. If you miss one outing, come join us for the next outing. All playing levels are welcome.

We play every other Monday, at a different course each time. We will not golf on Memorial Day, the weekend of Cherry Festival or Labor Day. 

By popular demand, we have added more golf dates!

There are discount coupons available in the A-Golf Michigan Playbook. Make sure to check each course for senior rates. 

See the revised 2009 season's schedule here. 

The Fishing Group is sponsoring three charter fishing trips on East Bay in late May and early June. All will be early morning trips and the species to be pursued is lake trout. We will schedule more trips is we are oversubscribed.

Contact Pete Albers, phalbers99@gmail.com, 922-7289 for more information.

The Garden Group is in its second year. In the past we’ve visited a few members’ gardens and have gone on local garden tours. We’ve also shared tips and Q&As through email.

We are very flexible, continue to evolve, and invite your ideas and expertise.

To start off the 2009 season, we’ll have a garden party at Bernadette Albers on Friday, June 5, at 2:00 PM – please mark your calendars. Click here for more details. 

From Traverse City follow US 31 west for 30 miles to Benzonia. At the stop light in Benzonia turn right onto M115 for 7 miles to Frankfort. At the bottom of the hill (A&W on the left) turn left. Go 1 block turn right. Go 2 blocks, parking lot on the left.

Take Peninsula Dr/M37. Follow M37 (Center Rd) north for 5 miles. Roadside park on the left. We will ride along the west side of East Bay.

From Traverse City follow US 31 north for 50 miles to Charlevoix. Go thru Charlevoix to Mercer Blvd. ( the end of the golf will be on your right) Turn left on Mercer. go to Walker and turn right. Go 1/2 mile to Old Orchard Rd. Turn left and the parking lot is at the Township Building. We will ride north along the Lake Michigan shore line.

Anyone interested in joining in on any of these rides should contact Don Eastway at cadillac2154@yahoo.com or call 231-884-1106.

Still working on the trip to Mackinac Island for September.

The Grand Traverse Audubon Club and Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy are offering several birding hikes in May and June at the Reffitt Nature Preserve. The Preserve has a 1.7 mile trail near the State Park and Tart Trail in Traverse City. Audubon birders will help identify some of the 70 birds catalogued by Abby Gartland at Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy. The walk is flat with boardwalks through the marsh area. Bring binoculars, bug spray, and bird books.

Park at 3 Mile Rd. and Parsons Rd. by the railroad track. No dogs or cell phones please. This will be a SLOW amble.

If you are interested in joining one of these outings, please call or email Carole Groves at 231-492-4567 or clgroves@yahoo.com with phone number and email address. Use Reffitt in the subject line.

Dates:

The Book Club announcement  in the June/July/August  2009 edition of the Newcomers News states that the September selection will be the Traverse City Reads book which had not yet been named when the newsletter went to press.  

The TC Reads book just announced, "The Living Great Lakes," by Jerry Dennis, was read two years ago by the Club so another selection will be substituted later.   For the September meeting members will discuss "The Double Bind" by Chris Bohjalian and the October selection will be "The Patron Saint of Liars" by Ann Patchett.  

It’s June and all is fresh and renewed for the short and frantic summer season here in northern Michigan. Some of our activities will hibernate for the summer (think snowshoeing) while others are just getting started (think golf and the garden group). We encourage you to stay involved during this time and bring those visiting guests along to Club events.

This will be Lori’s last contribution to the President’s letter as she will retire from the Co-President position and move to Past President on the Board. It has been a great experience working with very talented and committed individuals. Newcomers are a great group of people and those who volunteer for the Board are the best of the best. Bob will continue as our mighty Co-President for another year. He already has a full agenda of events planned for next year.

Bud Dockter will also be retiring. He has served above and beyond the call of duty in his position as co-vice president. Our many fine speakers over the last three years are the result of his hard work and research. Let us not forget that he (and wife Nancy) have had that hot coffee and tea ready at our programs on cold winter nights as well as the cool spring and fall monthly gatherings. From the Club, thank you Bud.

Others who are stepping down include Patti Custance as our Helping Hands member. Patti has also served in other Board positions over the years including VP and President. Web Master, Judy Albert (formerly in charge of Membership) is saying good-bye to editing our web site. She has built the site into an amazing advertisement for the Club as well as a tremendous resource for our membership.

Ron Wallace as the Directory Director, Carole Groves in Public Relations, Briant Sikorski, Co-VP and Pam Evans, the Executive Assistant, are all hard-working people who will be finishing their terms this year. We thank them for their service with a smile.

Faithful Board members remaining for another exciting term are Marlowe Bonner our Treasurer, Miki Connell as Newsletter Editor and Secretary JoAnne Gerben. Current Board members who have agreed to fill other positions are Judy Owen, Helping Hands, and Karen Spencer, Executive Assistant. To each we say thank you for your dedication and commitment.

Last and certainly not least we bid adieu to our past presidents Brad Spencer and Tom Custance. They remain active in the Club but no longer have to attend the monthly meetings. Their sage advice will be missed.

We say hello and welcome to new Board members Marshall Persky and Jim Neibauer as Co-Vice Presidents, Robin Stott Public Relations, Jane Pearsall Web Site, Pauline Watt Activity Director, Terrill Persky Membership, Mary Jankowski Calling Committee, Robin Timmerman Directory Editor, and a special re-welcome to Susanne Bonner, who is stepping up to Co-President. Bob is looking forward to working with these very capable club members on the Board next term.

A giant sized thank-you to Lori Brickman for having the strength to support me on a long learning curve as her Co-President.

Ya’ll have a great summer!

Lori and Bob

For Sale or Wanted

Welcome to the beautiful Grand Traverse area and the Newcomers Club of Grand Traverse website!  

Brand new to the area? Click on the Welcome Service link at the top to find out how to get a personal visit from the Newcomers Welcome Service, which includes many valuable coupons from local merchants. 

Feel free to check out our most recent issue of "Newcomers News" for a feel of what we've been up to lately. If that leaves you wanting more, browse through our Newsletter Archives, which contains five years worth of our history. Likewise under our Programs, you can quickly find the next scheduled monthly program and speaker or look through the Program Archives for the last couple of years. Be sure to take a peek at some of our numerous Activities, which really are the cornerstone of our club. 

When you are ready to join, follow the Join Us! link on the left, which will take you to a summary of the benefits of membership and you can print a Membership Form to complete and mail back.

Let us know what you think of our website. Our goal is to provide current members with timely information and to attract potential new members. We are always open for suggestions, so contact our webmaster at newcomers-webmaster@charter.net with your thoughts and suggestions.

NMC Library privileges: Residents of Michigan are free to use Northwestern Michigan College's Osterlin Library, a fact not knows to many local residents, and Newcomers are encouraged to become library visitors, according to Mary Beeker of NMC. For information call 995-1015. Also, a link is provided here to directly access the library's web page. http://www.nmc.edu/library/