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We're all in this Together - What to Expect this Spring/Summer
The governor has loosened some areas of her stay-at-home order which allows Sugar Springs to bring back certain areas of the Association and provides some clarity as to what is coming in the future. I will go through each area so that you will know what to expect this summer. She will be loosening a number of things to restart Michigan’s economy but one thing that I continue to hear from the federal, state, local level is social distancing will remain critical in fighting this pandemic. That will mean many changes/cancellations this year from what we are used to.
Click on an item below to Learn More...
Click on an item below to Learn More...
Golf Course
We will be opening the golf course effective Tuesday, May 11th.
Golf carts are authorized for use beginning May 11., I can see private carts being able to have two people on a private cart provided they are from the same household and have purchased a second rider on their 2020 golf dues. People using a Sugar Springs cart would be one person per cart. Times between tee times will be in the 15-minute time period to help prevent as much interaction as we can. The bathrooms on the golf course will be closed the entire month of May.
There will be a bathroom on the lower level of the Pro Shop. Safety concerns means that there will be no free water stations, or free water by the cup in the Hearth this year. Instead both Mark and the restaurant will have $1.00 bottles of water available for purchase.
For the 2020 golfing season there will be no leagues, no special club tournaments or special events. There is no way to control the social distancing necessary. It is going to be different but I’m sure Mark will do some things to try and give members who like leagues something else to do. Hopefully this won’t be necessary in 2021.
Golf carts are authorized for use beginning May 11., I can see private carts being able to have two people on a private cart provided they are from the same household and have purchased a second rider on their 2020 golf dues. People using a Sugar Springs cart would be one person per cart. Times between tee times will be in the 15-minute time period to help prevent as much interaction as we can. The bathrooms on the golf course will be closed the entire month of May.
There will be a bathroom on the lower level of the Pro Shop. Safety concerns means that there will be no free water stations, or free water by the cup in the Hearth this year. Instead both Mark and the restaurant will have $1.00 bottles of water available for purchase.
For the 2020 golfing season there will be no leagues, no special club tournaments or special events. There is no way to control the social distancing necessary. It is going to be different but I’m sure Mark will do some things to try and give members who like leagues something else to do. Hopefully this won’t be necessary in 2021.
Hearth Restaurant
The Hearth will be opening on Friday, May 1st. We will be cooking from a reduced menu for pickup orders on Friday’s and Saturday’s from 4:00 – 7:00 P.M. only, or until they run out of food. There will be no inside seating. I will be posting in a separate email the menu that we will be offering. Adding additional days and hours for pickup orders will be determined by Tina and the demand she gets from those of you placing orders. We expect pizza orders will be high in demand.
The procedure for placing and picking up orders couldn’t be simpler. You will call the restaurant, place your order, and pay for it by credit card. Restaurant staff will give you an approximate time that your order will be ready. They will need a description of your vehicle and your cell phone number. You will wait in the parking lot until the restaurant completes your order. When done, they will call your cell phone, ask you to drive up to the front door and someone will bring the order directly out to your car. The phone number for the Hearth will be on the menu from which you choose your meal.
Because builders have not been able to work for 5 weeks now the work being done on the restaurant has ground to a halt. That time lag will likely push completion to late June or July before the bar area and deck will be usable.
When we do finally reopen the restaurant, we have been working hard on a seating plan that will provide you, our customer, with as much confidence as we can that you are in an environment that is safe for you to frequent. No diner or individual will be closer than 6 feet from another guest table. Tables will be for four or fewer diners; servers and cooks will be observing social distancing in their respective work areas. Staff will be wearing masks.
There will be no cloth table covers or napkins; everything will be paper. One other area that we are striving to complete is having all restaurant staff take and pass Michigan’s Serve Safe Program. The state requires that at least one person is certified in the facility, but we want to try and get everyone certified so that they are up to date and very familiar, in these uncertain times, with food safety. Staff will be health-checked and temperature taken every day they report to work to try and catch personal health issues before they come and interact with other employees and customers.
The procedure for placing and picking up orders couldn’t be simpler. You will call the restaurant, place your order, and pay for it by credit card. Restaurant staff will give you an approximate time that your order will be ready. They will need a description of your vehicle and your cell phone number. You will wait in the parking lot until the restaurant completes your order. When done, they will call your cell phone, ask you to drive up to the front door and someone will bring the order directly out to your car. The phone number for the Hearth will be on the menu from which you choose your meal.
Because builders have not been able to work for 5 weeks now the work being done on the restaurant has ground to a halt. That time lag will likely push completion to late June or July before the bar area and deck will be usable.
When we do finally reopen the restaurant, we have been working hard on a seating plan that will provide you, our customer, with as much confidence as we can that you are in an environment that is safe for you to frequent. No diner or individual will be closer than 6 feet from another guest table. Tables will be for four or fewer diners; servers and cooks will be observing social distancing in their respective work areas. Staff will be wearing masks.
There will be no cloth table covers or napkins; everything will be paper. One other area that we are striving to complete is having all restaurant staff take and pass Michigan’s Serve Safe Program. The state requires that at least one person is certified in the facility, but we want to try and get everyone certified so that they are up to date and very familiar, in these uncertain times, with food safety. Staff will be health-checked and temperature taken every day they report to work to try and catch personal health issues before they come and interact with other employees and customers.
Rental Boat Docks
Now that the governor is allowing motors on boats again, we will begin placing POA rental docks beginning Monday, April 27th. Depending on the weather and wet ground it takes our B&G staff around three days to put all docks in. For those of you on the waiting list for a dock for the 2020 season we had less than 30 docks available this year so turnover was very low. As of Saturday, we only have about five docks not yet assigned. If you don’t hear anything from us in the next couple of days it means that all docks are rented. You will still be on the waiting list for next year automatically unless you ask for a refund of your deposit.
We are restricted on when we put docks in by the weather and this year the stay-at-home non-essential business put on us by the governor’s orders. If it’s dry, we put them in and typically, but not always, we can get them all in by mid-May. If the rain holds off long enough this week maybe we will actually get them in earlier than normal.
I have seen a few emails concerning lake levels. Usually this time of year we have a little more rain so you don’t notice the level as much. We are restricted by court order when we can raise and lower the gates on Lake Lancelot and raise the spillway gate on Lake Lancer. It is not our choice as to when it can be done. The courts tell all impounded lakes when this can happen. All I can tell you is that it will be occurring very shortly and you will be surprised how quickly both lakes will return to there summer levels, which is one-foot above winter levels.
We are restricted on when we put docks in by the weather and this year the stay-at-home non-essential business put on us by the governor’s orders. If it’s dry, we put them in and typically, but not always, we can get them all in by mid-May. If the rain holds off long enough this week maybe we will actually get them in earlier than normal.
I have seen a few emails concerning lake levels. Usually this time of year we have a little more rain so you don’t notice the level as much. We are restricted by court order when we can raise and lower the gates on Lake Lancelot and raise the spillway gate on Lake Lancer. It is not our choice as to when it can be done. The courts tell all impounded lakes when this can happen. All I can tell you is that it will be occurring very shortly and you will be surprised how quickly both lakes will return to there summer levels, which is one-foot above winter levels.
Activity Center
We have been in contact on a regular basis with the Central Michigan Health Department to find out what stipulations they may put in place for using the fitness center, the pool, and the locker rooms. They say they are also waiting for some guidance from the state. Because of this lack of available information, the Activity Center will continue to be closed for at least the entire month of May.
This is a fluid situation, so as information becomes available, I will make adjustments that are recommended and safe. This closure also means that there will be no activities or meetings of any kind in the Activity Center. We will also keep the Activity Building closed to all activity with the exception of the Tuesday A&E meeting. Masks will be required for anyone attending the A&E meeting.
This is a fluid situation, so as information becomes available, I will make adjustments that are recommended and safe. This closure also means that there will be no activities or meetings of any kind in the Activity Center. We will also keep the Activity Building closed to all activity with the exception of the Tuesday A&E meeting. Masks will be required for anyone attending the A&E meeting.
Beach Clubs /chalet/Campground
Because of the uncertainty of information from the health department the beach clubs, chalet and campground will continue to be closed during the month of May. Your gate key will still get you into the rental boat docks, but all bathrooms and showers will be closed. Safety of the shower area is one major area of concern. It may be that we only open one beach club that has bathrooms on each lake. I will continue to look at this situation as it evolves. The playscapes that we have in various locations are still open. We have no way to restrict access to them. If you have your children using them, understand that we are not disinfecting them so use at your own risk.
The gate into the Chalet and campground will continue to be closed during the month of May or until we receive information from the health department. The trails are still open for walking. You can just park your car on the grass by the gate and walk in. The Chalet bathroom is not available, so please refrain from going into that building.
I am still waiting for guidance from the health department on the beaches and have not gotten anything yet, so all beach swim-area buoys will not be placed until at least June 15th this year, which is after Memorial Day. If the situation changes, we will adjust that time period.
The gate into the Chalet and campground will continue to be closed during the month of May or until we receive information from the health department. The trails are still open for walking. You can just park your car on the grass by the gate and walk in. The Chalet bathroom is not available, so please refrain from going into that building.
I am still waiting for guidance from the health department on the beaches and have not gotten anything yet, so all beach swim-area buoys will not be placed until at least June 15th this year, which is after Memorial Day. If the situation changes, we will adjust that time period.
POA Office
The POA office will reopen on Monday, May 4th. Hours of operation will be from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Staff will be available to take credit card payments, issue camping permits, sell golf memberships. If you come into the office practice social distancing. If there is someone in the office please remain outdoors until they are done with their business.
All persons coming in must have on a face mask or you will be asked to leave until you have one. Safety of our employees, as well as our members and guests is part of the equation for all decisions being made for this summer season.
All persons coming in must have on a face mask or you will be asked to leave until you have one. Safety of our employees, as well as our members and guests is part of the equation for all decisions being made for this summer season.
Fireworks
Thus far there has been no state rules announced that would make us cancel the 4th of July fireworks. The adjustments that we will have to put in place will be no tying boats together on the lake and the beach clubs will be closed for viewing the fireworks because of social distance concerns. Begin your search for a new viewing spot now. Boats are the best way to see the fireworks.
Elections/Board Meetings/Annual Mtg.
There is, as part of the Non-Profit Corporation Act, a statute that allows us to postpone our meetings if something occurs that makes that necessary. A separate email will be sent in the near future to explain in more detail. Essentially, what is going to happen is the director election will be moved to a July vote. The Annual Meeting and following Board of Directors meeting which elects Board officers will occur in August. There will then be Board of Directors meetings in September, October, and December. That will fulfill our four meetings a year requirement and, hopefully, allow members to be able to attend. A virtual or online meeting was considered but it just doesn’t work for the SSPOA at this time. The President of the Board of Directors has asked the three directors whose term is expiring if they would be willing to serve until August, and they have all agreed to do so because of these unusual times.
Closures
These functions will be closed or cancelled 2020:
● No golf leagues, no club or other tournament or events for 2020 golf season
● No committee meetings until at least July, 2020
● The Ice Cream Social which occurs on Memorial Day weekend has been cancelled. Depending on where
we are situation wise this event may be rescheduled sometime this fall
● The July 4th Arts and Crafts Show and Bake Sale have been cancelled
● Tennis courts will be closed at this time until June 2020. If opened, the hours will be during the week during
POA office times only. Only singles play will be allowed, doubles cannot be played. Social distancing is
difficult to assure when playing doubles. Masks may or may not be required.
● Bocce Ball is cancelled for 2020
● Corn Hole indoors is cancelled for 2020. Contamination is a major concern because of all the times things
are touched in this game as well as the number of people in a closed in area.
● All exercise and pool exercise activities in the Activity Center are cancelled. Hopefully these groups can find
an acceptable area to conduct their classes outdoors and even in the lake.
● Pickleball is also cancelled until June. If members wish to play it when it is approved to continue by the POA,
play will be as singles, no double Pickleball is allowed. To help with social distancing no shade tents will be
installed and please bring your own chairs that you take home when done. Masks again as with tennis may
or may not be needed.
● The 2020 Fly In is cancelled. Social distancing and food sales create a concern this year. CDC and
everyone else are concerned about a fall resurgence which means making a difficult choice about a fall
activity.
● No one is allowed to park their boats on or near the islands on the big lake, Lake Lancer, this summer. In the
past on weekends it is not unusual to see up to 30 boats at one island and 8-10 at the other. This is purely a
social distancing concern. Unfortunately, fun sometimes removes the observation of personal safety. People
standing around partying, playing games etc. just bring people too close. That and the fact that the virus
droplet can travel much farther than originally thought according to a recently released Italian study.
● No golf leagues, no club or other tournament or events for 2020 golf season
● No committee meetings until at least July, 2020
● The Ice Cream Social which occurs on Memorial Day weekend has been cancelled. Depending on where
we are situation wise this event may be rescheduled sometime this fall
● The July 4th Arts and Crafts Show and Bake Sale have been cancelled
● Tennis courts will be closed at this time until June 2020. If opened, the hours will be during the week during
POA office times only. Only singles play will be allowed, doubles cannot be played. Social distancing is
difficult to assure when playing doubles. Masks may or may not be required.
● Bocce Ball is cancelled for 2020
● Corn Hole indoors is cancelled for 2020. Contamination is a major concern because of all the times things
are touched in this game as well as the number of people in a closed in area.
● All exercise and pool exercise activities in the Activity Center are cancelled. Hopefully these groups can find
an acceptable area to conduct their classes outdoors and even in the lake.
● Pickleball is also cancelled until June. If members wish to play it when it is approved to continue by the POA,
play will be as singles, no double Pickleball is allowed. To help with social distancing no shade tents will be
installed and please bring your own chairs that you take home when done. Masks again as with tennis may
or may not be needed.
● The 2020 Fly In is cancelled. Social distancing and food sales create a concern this year. CDC and
everyone else are concerned about a fall resurgence which means making a difficult choice about a fall
activity.
● No one is allowed to park their boats on or near the islands on the big lake, Lake Lancer, this summer. In the
past on weekends it is not unusual to see up to 30 boats at one island and 8-10 at the other. This is purely a
social distancing concern. Unfortunately, fun sometimes removes the observation of personal safety. People
standing around partying, playing games etc. just bring people too close. That and the fact that the virus
droplet can travel much farther than originally thought according to a recently released Italian study.
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Welcome to Sugar Springs, Mid Michigan's Finest Recreational Community in Gladwin, Mi. While you're here take a few minutes to watch our video. Then just click on the Button below to learn more about this jewel in the heart of Pure Michigan. 
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