Spring is turning into summer quickly!

Spaghetti Dinner will be June 29
The spaghetti dinner this year will be on June 29. Please come and join your fellow Birch Lake neighbors at the Yacht Club from 5:30 until 8 pm, for an “Authentic” Italian spaghetti dinner.

We will be serving regular and gluten-free spaghetti with the world-famous Niezgodski red marinara sauce and the super-rich Plaia Alfredo sauce, along with Italian meatballs and a freshly made tossed salad accompanied by Italian bread and butter and delicious homemade desserts.  Water, ice tea and lemonade will be provided.   Feel free to bring a bottle of vino to round out your dining experience.  Carry-out will be available.

Tickets for this magnificent meal will be sold at the Spring dinner, May 18.  Adult tickets (11 & up) are $10, children (5-10) $6, little ones (4 & under) free.  Tickets can also be purchased from Vickie Rogers (Cove) 269-476-2383, Leslie King (North shore) 574-276-9996, Cam Butler(West shore) 574-596-1066, Sue Williams (South shore) 574-298-2839 or Blair Garceau (East shore) - 574-261-9817.  Please make sure to purchase your tickets before June 24; tickets WILL NOT be sold at the door.

Proceeds from the sale of the tickets will go to the Birch Lake Yacht Club building improvement fund.  There will be a 50/50 raffle with proceeds going to Water Quality.
Looking forward to sharing a meal with all of our lake neighbors and their guests.

The Spaghetti Dinner Committee would like to thank the following individuals for their generosity and time. Without their help the Annual Spaghetti Dinner would not be a success.

Ron, Kathy and Bobby Niezgodski - Consultants and door ticket takers
Tom Kuhn and Jan Temple - Donating the regular and gluten free spaghetti
Greg Bolin and Dennis Geik - Spaghetti cooks
Dan Waxman - Donating the Italian bread, butter and dish washer/clean-up
Jim Calderwood- Bread server
Amber Gundy, Camp Tannadoonah - Use of kitchen
Lynn & Marc Caenepeel and Deb & Bud Hall - Donating salad fixings and salad table servers
Debbie & Carmen Soldato - Donating drinks
Steve Plaia & Karen Brovold - Donating Alfredo sauce and clean-up
Peggy Geik - Serving dinner and dessert maker
Julie & Mike Sheffieck - Cookie maker and dessert table sever, dinner server and set-up
Cindy & Kevin Bernaciak - 50/50 raffle
Jennifer & John Ball - Dinner servers
Bruce Wagner - Parmesan cheese server
Claudia Phipps - Dessert chairperson
Bill Butler - set-up and clean-up
Vickie Rogers, Leslie King, Cam Butler, Blair Garceau & Sue Williams - ticket sales
Stacia Andriano - Donating supplies

We are still looking for additional donations and help for the dinner, if you would like to volunteer, please contact Stacia Andriano @ 260-710-5883, Karen Brovold @ 269-362-3150 or Cam Butler @ 574-596-1066.
GRAZIE MILLE,
~The Spaghetti Dinner Committee

BLYC, Facebook and social media
The Birch Lake Yacht Club DOES NOT have a Facebook page, nor is it participating in any form of social media. If you see Birch Lake Yacht Club information on any social media, the information has not been provided, checked or approved by the BLYC, and may be incorrect or misleading. If you have questions or concerns, please check http://www.philvitale.com/Barker/BirchBarker.htm, or contact any BLYC director or officer (see “officer and director” information in any edition of the printed or online Barker).

Birch Barker Kids of the Month

Since no one sent me a kid of the moth pic, I pulled out a photo I shot of my neighbor, Bill Luecht (east side) enjoying the sun on the sailboat we sailed around the BVI in March. Bill seemed to enjoy himself and he didn't throw up once!

Summer Barker delivery route help is still needed
The Birch Barker is in need of a person to delivery about 35 printed Barkers per week for 15 weeks next summer (Memorial Day through Labor Day) on the far south side of Birch Lake (from approximately the Yacht Club to the turn around). If you can help, please contact Ron Niezgodski at 574-532-6710 or email birchbass1@gmail.com

New Barker editor sought
We're still looking for someone to take of the job of being the editor of the Birch Barker when Phil Vitale retires or dies (he's not going to live forever, you know). You can start easy by taking on the responsibilities for the Online Barker; all you need is a basic knowledge of how websites work, html code and/or software. East into the summer Barker as you go along; training will be provided if required (and if Phil is still alive). Flexible hours, no pay but the lakers are gonna love you ...

Fleet Captain's Corner
This year will be a very special sailing year on Birch Lake because the BLYC will be hosting the Earl Troeger Memorial MC Interlake Regatta on Saturday, August 17. This will be the first interlake regatta held on Birch Lake in several decades. It is named in memory of Earl Troeger, who was Scott's uncle, and was Snipe World Champion in 1965. Barb Cassidy has been chairing the regatta committee over the winter, and much planning has been accomplished. Bob King, Scott Troeger, Pat Welch and I have been serving on the committee.

Based upon recent Interlake Regattas at Diamond Lake and Corey Lake in which some of us BLYC Sailors participated, we expect 10 to 15 off-lake boats to attend. Most, if not all, of these boats will arrive at the public launch on race day, between 7:30 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. This could get very crowded if everyone tries to launch using their vehicles. But the standard practice at interlake regattas is to use a tractor or golf cart with a hitch ball, that can launch the sailboats much more nimbly and faster than cars or trucks.

We are very grateful to Ben Wozniak, who has generously volunteered to use his tractor, equipped with a hitch ball, to launch the off-lake MC's once the masts are raised; and to pull them out after the regatta. Last summer, several of us saw this method used very quickly and efficiently at the Corey Lake Regatta. But it's an unfamiliar process here at Birch Lake, and since practice makes perfect, we need some practice before the regatta.

So Ben has also generously volunteered to bring his tractor to the public launch on Saturday, May 18 at 1:00 p.m., for regatta launch practice. And the practice session will "kill two birds with one stone" by raising the masts and launching a few of our BLYC MC's for the season. Don't worry, we are going to be VERY careful about the overhead electric lines above the entrance to the public launch!

On the afternoon of Saturday, May 18, before the Spring Dinner, you'll be able to see Ben on his tractor moving some sailboats around at the public launch while a group of sailors help out with raising the masts, and you'll know why! Commodore Sue Davis promises to come down and supervise, so things are likely to go very smoothly!

~ F.C. Steve

BLYC Dues, Contribution & Donation Form

$____ - BLYC SPRING DINNER RESERVATIONS ($40 / PERSON)

$____ - BLYC Member Dues ($30 / year)
$____ - BLYC Associate Member Dues ($10 / year)
$____ - Homeowners’ Assoc. ($10 / year)
$____ - Sailing Fees ($15 / year)
$____ - WATER QUALITY and INVASIVE SPECIES TREATMENT
$____ - Building Improvement Fund
$____ - Fireworks Fund
$____ - Safety Committee
$____ - Other non-party related expenses
$____ - BLYC Roof Fund
$____ - BLYC AED Fund
$____ - Misc.

Total contribution:
$__________________

Include your name and address and make checks payable BLYC and mail to:
BLYC, c/o Deb Spratt at 18100 Farmington Hills Drive, South Bend, IN 46637, or go online to HTTP://BIRCHLAKEYACHTCLUB.COM to pay dues and/or make donations