During our normal communication with the USFS this Spring, we became aware of a concern regarding the summer operation of the Lumberman’s Monument Visitor Center. Budget constraints over the last few years had not allowed for the rehiring of adequate staffing levels for a normal season operation. We attended discussions with other entities, including non-profits, investigating a path through this issue to maintain visitor center hours. Just recently a resolution was found and the USFS issued a news release “ Lumberman’s Monument Visitor Center opens for the season Friday May 9, 2025; …….. with familiar programming, new display and new hours. Lumberman’s Monument Visitor’s Center will be open five days per week Friday through Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Wednesdays and Thursdays. This year’s line-up includes interactive programming, logging shows and a new hydroelectric dam display of the original generator governor from the Cooke Hydroelectric Dam. All programs are free of charge thanks to the Eastern National Forest Interpretive Association. Lumberman’s will continue its traditional Tuesday’s Kid’s Day starting in July. All programs start at 1 p.m. and do not require any pre-registration. Programs begin July 1 with Life of a Wildland Firefighter and end August 12 with Smokey’s Birthday Party. A detailed list is available on our website and in our offices. A special thanks to the National Forest Foundation for their grant support to allow these programs to continue.
A little closer to home, last month our Historical Comm. asked about using the resource center hall as a museum. They are looking for a larger room and more exposure for their programs and exhibits to allow for better advertising events and activities as well as museum hours. This was not feasible because that hall is rented as much as the hall at the plaza and many times both are being used at the same time. In addition we have been struggling for years with the current library entrance and the drifting that we encountered this winter pretty much decided for us. We are intending on closing this entrance and moving the library into the meeting room, using the front entrance for the library. This entrance is covered and can be enclosed for the winter and is ADA compliant which the current entrance is not. During this discussion amongst our personnel, a suggestion was made to flip the historical and the library and move the library back into the old library/meeting room (when it was the high school) at the plaza, and have historical move into the current library space at the resource center. This would allow for extended hours for the library since the plaza is open until 8 pm M-F and 12-5 on Sat. and the personnel would not be alone in the facility as they are now at the current location after 4pm. Most of our library funding comes from the district board which uses a formula to determine how much each library branch receives yearly. A large portion of that formula depends on total hours of operation and extended hours after 5PM. We currently have limited hours after 5PM and only in the summer months, which has cut our funding recently by thousands of dollars. The plaza has broadband throughout the facility as well as wireless connectivity. All of the original network cables are still available as are the switch racks for the computer stations. After all this room was the high school library for over 50 years. We have additional handicap parking right outside the west entrance doors and curbside parking for quick returns and checkouts. During school, every afternoon a bus drops off students for sports programs and activities at the plaza. Students get picked up after the events/practices and are waiting in the plaza for their rides as are other plaza patrons. Without a library at the school, this would provide a good alternative for their afterschool use. We will be taking suggestions and feedback about this potential move for the next month. Please contact myself or any board member with your comments.
With Spring comes spring flowers and who better to tend them than our Garden Club. They are getting back to the downtown planters in time for Spring rains and are looking for help. Anyone with or without a green thumb is welcome to volunteer. Any and all time is appreciated. Time or money will all help keep the flowers they plant and tend throughout the year looking beautiful. If you are interested contact Hale Garden Club , PO Box 174, Hale, MI 48739 or call Bev Mason at 989-305-8823. Also, it’s that time of year to think about getting into shape for the summer, whatever shape that may take. Consider a membership at the Community Center and Eagle Point Plaza. You can come and enjoy pickleball at any time, yoga, cardio drumming, fitness training, walking or some more intense TOWANDA. So stop in and see Roma about a membership. We have family rates and business/group rates also. We would love to see you. When you’re here stop in on Tuesdays to the Plainfield Township Historical Museum. They also have genealogical workshops, so stop and ask about the next event.
As always if you ever have any questions, comments or concerns regarding our community please contact me. I am in the office Monday – Friday 7:30 – 4:00 at 989-728-2811 or my cell at 989-984-7073 or by email supervisor@plainfieldtwpmi.com.
Fred Lewis – Supervisor Plainfield Township