Things N Stuff - Lake Merwin Campers Hideaway

Things N Stuff
Lake Merwin Campers Hideaway
May 23, 2015
For Weather
conditions.
Please call the
Hideaway Hotline
360-263-6050
Memorial Day is a day for remembering the people who died while
serving our Armed Forces. We owe them all a debt of gratitude.
Please honor them with much deserved respect.
POOL Closed
See schedule inside for
detailed information
KK5 -Trilliums
Regular summer hours
Mon-Thur 9am-6pm
Fri
9am-8pm
Sat
8am-8pm
Sun
8am-5pm
See inside for Holiday hours
Coming up
Manager’s Report
:
5/23
Member coffee 7:00am
5/23
Nature crafting
5/23
Bingo
5/23
Waterfront Clean up Day
5/23
Papa Bear
5/24
Street Dance 8:00pm
2-4pm
7:00pm
dusk
CONTACT US:
Office: 360-247-5589
Toll free: 866-207- 9262
Sales: 360-247- 5940
Office is open
8:00am - 4:30 Daily
After Hours pager:
360-418-5810
Security/Emergency use only:
360-609-3099
Website: www.lmch.com
CB Channel 15
Email: office@lmch.com
Please read all the reports in this article of the T&S. My article is going to be short
this week.
The pool will not be ready for use this weekend. Maintenance has been working as
fast as they can to try to put the building back together but there have been a few
obstacles that will prevent the opening. My plan was to have it operational but plans
change. I will be available from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday at the
pool for members who wish to check out the facility and to address any questions or
comments you may have.
I was in contact with the laundry equipment company last week and we are still on
schedule for the equipment to arrive on the Tuesday the 26th.
Please take time to thank all the staff and volunteers you encounter this weekend.
It’s their hard work and dedication that makes this the Best Place In America.
Have a great weekend.
Darren J Tveidt.
Lake Merwin Campers Hideaway
Camp Manager Recruitment Update
We are continuing to recruit for the Camp Manager position but have begun telephone interviews. We are continuing to accept resumes so please encourage qualified candidates you may
know to apply. When the telephone interviews are completed, we will select candidates to meet
with a Board member committee for initial in-person interviews and determine which candidates
will be invited to a more detailed interview process. The final candidates will meet first with the
full Board. They will then meet with a member committee consisting of the following Chairs:
Buildings and Grounds, Security, Waterfront, Finance and Natural Resources. After both those
interviews the finalists will meet with the Interim Camp Manager and the Office Manager who will
conduct a tour of the camp. After collecting all feedback from the committees and staff, and after
conducting reference and background checks, the Board will make the final decision about who
to hire. We had hoped to conclude the process by the end of May, but it more likely will be the
end of June. If you know anyone who might be qualified for and interested in this position, please
direct them to the LMCH website. The position is also posted with Indeed.com, Craigslist, and
the Washington Employment Service. If you have questions or suggestions, please don’t hesitate
to contact me at bwersch@comcast.net or by cellphone 503 522-6208.
Mary Ann Wersch
President’s Report
Greetings,
Welcome to the Hideaway for the Memorial Day weekend. Many of you have already had many opportunities to stay at the
Hideaway this year. For others this will be your first outing of the season. The office, maintenance staff and Board of Directors
have been busy leading up to this holiday weekend. I will cover some of the news and improvements in this edition of the weekly newsletter.
There are some activities planned for your enjoyment and give you an opportunity to socialize with neighbors. Please consider offering your
assistance if time permits even for an hour.
There will be a Membership Coffee at KK5 on Saturday from 7:00-9:00am. This will be an informal gathering to socialize, engage in
discussion and share ideas with Board members and one another.
The Activities Committee has planned Nature Crafting on Saturday from 2:00-4:00pm on the Deck adjacent to KK5. Papa Bear Theater will
be showing the first movie of the year on Saturday starting at 8:00pm. The Street Dance will be Sunday, 8:00pm – 11:00pm near the Papa
Bear Theater.
The Putt Putt Golf Tournament has been postponed due to renovation work still in progress. The golf surfaces are receiving a refresh with
new wood, carpet replacement and paint. I think you will be impressed when the maintenance staff completes the work.
The BINGO Committee does a great job organizing BINGO at KK5. They will be starting at 7:00pm.
Mary Ann Wersch, Director has the lead on recruiting a new Camp Manager. The applications have been screened and phone interviews
completed. The next step will be to set up interviews with a small group that will have further refine the list of candidates. There will be an
opportunity for some of the Volunteer Committee Chairs to participate in the process and provide feedback on each of the candidates. The
Board will then wrap up the final interviewing and a candidate will be selected.
During March 2015, a misstatement of $150,000 was discovered and had not been properly recorded as available funds in the Capital Improvement account. This had been funded by the membership in April 2014. This was an oversight by the previous Finance Manager.
All funds removed from the Capital Improvement account require membership approval. The funding requests on the March ballot were put
together before the accounting oversight was recognized. During the March membership meeting the approval for continued Forest Management, Bathhouse Sidewalk repair and Log Boom replacement was tabled by a vote of the membership. Once the year end audit is complete,
the Board will evaluate our Capital needs and present a new request to the membership.
As we go about our daily routines this weekend enjoying time with friends and family, take a few minutes and remember that Memorial Day
is a holiday to honor our men and women who died while serving in the United States military. We all owe them a great deal of gratitude
and respect for their service to our country. Their bravery and dedication comes at a cost.
I hope you enjoy your stay at the Hideaway and look forward to seeing many of you during the weekend. Please contact me if you have any
questions.
Regards,
Steve Owen
Board President
steveowenlmch@gmail.com
503 997-6139
PUMP OUTS
When you request that your holding tank be pumped,
please make sure that there is access to your tank at the
time that you request it. It is possible they may be done
on various days during the week, depending on the
Maintenance work load and limitations on how much
waste can be disposed of daily .
Deadline to request is 8:00am on Friday
Pump-outs are not done on the weekends.
We have loaded all events and
calendars into one place and
that place is Meetup, you can
access it online at meetup.com
or you can use the meetup
app for your phone. Once
you sign up, you will receive
updates on new events, reschedules, cancelations
and more.
To learn more or to get help setting it up, swing by
the Membership Coffee from 7-9 am on Saturday or
any of the activities committee events and ask to
speak to Tammi.
Be in the know as soon as it is known, join LMCH’s
meetup group today!
Message from the Board Secretary:
Volunteers - There is so much going on around camp, it is an exciting time to be a part of LMCH! From wifi, pool resurfacing, waterfront
improvements, updated laundry areas and of course putt-putt renovation you will find the handy work of many staff and volunteers alike. The committees are
finding more members are expressing interest in volunteering, which is exciting to see, when you see a volunteer or a hard working staff member helping
to make our camp better, please take a moment to thank them.
Most of our committees are in their early stages of reforming and could use some fresh ideas, as well as energy. If you would be willing to serve, or at
least let us know your interested, please stop by the office or ask for a volunteer interest form at any of the following events: Membership Coffee,
Nature Crafting, Papa Bear Theater or the Memorial Day Dance.
With a fresh spring and fresh ideas, we could really use your help to continue to create the best possible LMCH experience for everyone we can. Please
volunteer today.
Committee Chairs - We have all chair positions filled, except the Elections which we have received an application for. Thank you to all our standing
committee chairs and those who have recently accepted the role. We need the leadership of our committee chairs, thank you for your time and efforts
to keep LMCH a phenomenal place to camp!
What’s coming? - If you have not made it to a board meeting recently, I would like to invite you to attend our upcoming Board Meeting on June 20th.
The energy is high, the ideas are flowing and the desire to build a strong sustainable LMCH is ever present. Over the last few months, the room has been
fairly full, so come early and grab a donut while you enjoy the positive spirit of LMCH growth.
If you have ideas you would like the board to consider swing by the Membership Coffee this Saturday at kk5 from 7-9 am or leave a note in the membership suggestion box at the office, if you include your name and site number it will be read that the next board meeting.
Have a safe and amazing Memorial Day Weekend! ~ Tammi Leclerc, Board Secretary
Day
Sat.
Sun.
Time
Event
Place
Cost
KK5
Free
KK5 deck
(inside if raining)
Free
7-9 am
Membership Coffee—Bring your coffee mug
and socialize
2-4 pm
Nature Crafting—all ages are
8-movie
ends
Papa Bear Theater—Come and watch a movie
in your lawn chair with us.
Papa Bear Theater
Free
8-11 pm
Memorial Day Dance—Dance with us. New
music and fun will kick off this season with a new
DJ
Papa Bear Theater
area
Free
welcome!
All events are free this weekend but we rely on the generosity of your donations, participation in the annual raffle as well as purchasing goodies at the events. Please donate at any of these events to help build
events for the season. There will be donation boxes at all Activity Committee events and there will be a
concession stand available at Papa Bear theater and the Memorial Day Dance. Thank you for your support!
At this time:
Number of single days are
CONSECUTIVE ONLY
and we can only bill to
member’s accounts for now
Be among the first to sign up for an annual wireless network subscription and receive priority access to available bandwidth!
Free access to the new wifi network at Lake Merwin Campers is ending on April 30th, 2015. All members and guests wanting wireless internet
access beginning May 1st, 2015 will be required to register with the new wireless network system and purchase a subscription before gaining
access to the internet. A Kiosk will be installed in the office on April 30th to facilitate registration and subscription enrollment.
Members will have a variety of subscription options based on the number of devices (1 or 2) and the length of service. Length of service options
will include, daily – monthly or annual subscriptions. Annual subscriptions will automatically come with a larger bandwidth allocation and a higher
priority for access to the available bandwidth.
Guests will be able to sign up for 1-10 days of service for 1 device through the kiosk at the office.
If you are at LMCH and haven’t connected to the wireless network yet and want to, here are some helpful suggestions:
1) Check device settings to insure wireless networking is turned on.
2) Open settings and find your wifi networks.
3) Scan for all available Wifi Networks. When the scan is complete, the list should include one to many access points located within LMCH
campgrounds. Access is free until May 1st, so if you select one and hit the connect button - it should after a short period of time say "connected".
4) Open a browser window. It will redirect you to the RadiusDesk log-in page.
Trouble shooting notes:
1) If the scan does not find any available wireless networks, check your device settings. Some devices actually have a physical switch that turns wifi
network connectivity off. Laptops in particular. Look along the front or right edge for something that looks like a switch with a network icon.
2) If the device is a tv or something of that nature that can't sign itself into the RadiusDesk Server, the mac address may need to be registered
internally. We currently need to do this for members. By May 1st, this option should be available through the Kiosk in the office.
3) If the Scan finds wifi networks available but you cannot get connected to any, then your signal is too weak.
4) If you can connect to the wifi network but it is very slow your signal is too weak.
Notes about weak signals inside cabins:
The backbone and current hot spots at LMCH were installed to provide optimal coverage and connectivity as broadly as possible within the park.
As is typical with a line-of-sight network, distance and obstructions like hills, trees and cabin walls degrade that signal. Most members will probably need a personal access point to improve the signal inside their cabin sufficient for video streaming or on-line gaming. These personal access
points are not required, but they will improve the signal inside the cabin significantly. Most off-the-shelf wifi boosters will not work within the
LMCH wifi network and will degrade the signal for everyone in the area where one is installed. Therefore, iTech Innovators is providing radios
that do work and will boost the signal inside your cabin at our cost to LMCH members and only charging for the additional time required to install and configure them. The total nonrefundable cost for radio and installation is $350.00. Members can schedule a radio install in their cabin via
a request to info@itechinnovators.com. Payment is required prior to installation.
WiFi Questions????
Please direct your questions
and all communications to:
info@iTechInnovators.com
Meditation Point
RATES:
Daily:
$1.00 per day
Monthly: $25.00 for each device
Annually: $175.00 for one device
$225.00 for two devices
Services Sundays at 10:00am through the summer.
May 24th
Riny Horst, Country Gospel singer will be in concert at LMCH Chapel this Memorial Day weekend Sunday at
10:00 am. Riny is well known in the northwest for participation in the annual Clark County Fair. Following the concert the Leadership Committee will host a refreshment & fellowship time. All Camper's Hideaway members and their guests are invited to attend
the concert and fellowship gathering
May 31st Jericho Road in Concert
KK5 Hours
Memorial Weekend
360-702-7754
Friday 9am-8pm
Saturday 8am - 8pm
Sunday 8am - 8pm
Monday 8am - 6pm
Why waste your time driving down the hill, we have stocked the store with
your camping needs. some of the items we carry include: FRESH ICE,
SNACKS, SMALL PROPANE, FIRE STARTER, TOILETRIES,
PLAYING CARDS,
DICE , CANDY, COLORING BOOKS,
CRAYONS & MUCH MORE…
We are now able to accept Visa/Debit cards at the Restaurant. We have been working
diligently to bring this service to you. Our system is secure and all information is encrypted.
Memorial Weekend Specials:
Come in this weekend and try our new Gourmet Burgers.
Hawaiian Burger... Made with Teriyaki beef patty or grilled Chicken, Grilled Pineapple slice, Red peppers, chipotle mayo, Swiss
cheese, lettuce and tomato. comes with your choice of sides. 10.95
Jalapeno Burger... Made with 1/3lb beef patty, Jalapenos, Bacon, pepper Jack cheese, Chipotle Garlic aioli sauce. also includes
lettuce, tomato,and onion. 10.95
This weekends Fresh soup is Zuppa Toscana. Italian sausage, fresh kale, Red potatoes in a creamy broth.
Sunday Night Dinner Special...
Kristi's Homemade Delicious sausage corn bread casserole, topped with lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream. 9.95
Sunday and Monday Breakfast buffet....
includes Fresh fruit, muffins, Home style potatoes, pancakes,biscuits and country gravy, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, Ham and
toast. includes coffee. Adults 10.95 kids 6.95
Finance Committee
The finance committee met this week to review the March 31, 2015 draft financial reports.
The committee is working with staff to make all the necessary year-end adjustments so that the records are
prepared for the fiscal audit.
Currently, based on a preliminary draft reports prior to year –end adjustments, the LMCH balances are as follows:
2014 – 2015 Operations excess revenue over expenses is $44,800
2014 – 2015 Excess Electrical income over expenses is $23,400
March 31, 2015 Leased moorage fund is $ 52,300
March 31, 2015 Capital Reserve Fund is $216,375
The pool renovation done in May will reduce the March 31 Capital fund balance by $182K.
These amounts will change with the year-end reconciliations.
The committee also discussed financial reporting changes in an effort to make the reports
easier to read for the Board and the Members.
Additionally in the next few months the committee will be going through the Financial Handbook to make recommendations to the Board updating the camp’s policies, procedures and controls over financial processes.
If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Lisa Joerin
Finance/Budget Chair
58/7
Rhonda McDowall
Treasurer
32/4
Waterfront
Committee
Saturday, May 23rd at 10 AM we will have a walk-about tour
of the waterfront area for anyone who is not familiar with the
area, and/or those interested in hearing about the new and
existing features. We will start at the waterfront boat ramp.
This had been scheduled as a clean-up day, but the area is in
already in pretty good shape. There will also be an opportunity
to sign up to be a member of the waterfront committee for
anyone who is interested. Everyone is welcome!
This event will be weather dependent. No rain...then we'll be
there.
Tim Gonzalez 73/9
Waterfront Committee Chair
waterfront@lmch.com
The waterfront is for everyone. Please feel free to contact us
with suggestions or ideas for the waterfront area.
From Your Activities Chair
We went from no one on the Activities Committee to almost a
dozen over night and the energy is off the charts! We would
like to grow our volunteer group and need some volunteers with
younger kids to join the fun. The goal of the activities committee is to bring new ideas while also keeping some of our more
traditional events.
Our first meeting was held this past Saturday, two board
members (Steve Owen, Board President and Tammi Leclerc,
Board Secretary) and 10 volunteers showed up to get moving
on planning events for this weekend. With little to go with the
committee brainstormed and have already started talking about
events, not just for this year but also next.
We will be having a Memorial Day Event Staff meeting on Friday night starting at 7pm at 11/4. If you are willing to rollup
your sleeves and help out this weekend - please join the event
staff meeting!
The next Activities Committee meeting will be May 30th from 9
-10 at KK5, all are welcome!
I cannot thank enough the individuals who have stepped up
this past week to help ensure there are activities for Memorial
Day and who will be joining the Activities Committee for the
season. Your love and dedication to LMCH was present at our
meeting, I am honored to be able to serve as your chair. Thank
you!
Robert Leclerc,
Activities Committee Chair
WOW! Memorial weekend is here already.
Bingo is ready come and join us for our special
Memorial game. We are playing a red card
game for a really nice outdoor fire-pit. FREE!
( One per each packet purchased )
Come early and have a bite to eat before games.
Looking forward to seeing you for Bingo at KK5.
Pam House 40/17
Bingo Chairman
BINGO Schedule
SATURDAYS AT KK5
Sales start at 7:00pm
Games start at 7:25pm
May 23
June 6, June 20
July 4, July 18
Aug 1, Aug 15, Aug 22
September 5
Packets are only $7.00 and include the Powerball!
Trees for sale!
The tree committee now offers trees for sale to the
Membership.
Potted trees at $7.50 each
Bare root trees at $5.00 each
Western Red Cedar, Grand Fir, Noble Fir,
Sitka Spruce
Sorry, POOL is Closed
The pool resurfacing and maintenance is complete.
Unfortunately, There are still a few finishing touches to be
completed and water to be brought up to temperature.
The pool will be closed
this weekend
Darren will be at the pool from
1:00-2:00pm each day Saturday & Sunday
if anyone would like to see the
facility or have questions.
STREET DANCE
The Memorial Day Street Dance will be held Sunday, May 24th,
8 pm to 11 pm. So put on your boogie shoes and join us!
Dogs and Leash Law
Your dogs required to be on a leash at all times.
This rule applies to everyone, regardless of the
size or breed of your dog.
Dogs are not allowed on the swim beach and must
stay on the pathway while going to the boat dock.
We are very dog friendly here at the hideaway,
but, to ensure the safety of everyone and their
pets, this law MUST be obeyed and enforced.
There is a fine of $70 for dogs
unleashed and/or not under
your control.
The Putt Putt Tournament for this weekend has been cancelled
due to the course renovations.
There will be nature-crafting on the KK5 deck Saturday 2-4pm
The dance and Movie activities
are weather permitting
FROM THE RESALES DEPARTMENT
The Resales Staff, Sandy Lehman & Dave Allmaras, along with our newest Staff
Member, Margot Jodoin, who will fill in when they are both out, have been
very busy since the beginning of the year. As of today, they have sold 24 sites.
June of last year, we had sold 23 sites, so we are hoping that this is a sign for a
very busy season for us. We do have LMCH owned sites available. They are
as follows:
Site 61-Block 12 at $ 7, 000.00
Site 65-Block 6 at $25, 000.00
We do offer financing with a reasonable down Payment.
Contact the Resales Office if you are interested in looking at theses sites.
Manicures $15
Pedicures $20
Facials $45
MASSAGE
Give the gift of health to a loved one by
getting a gift certificate.
Massages are available by appointment.
Contact CJ
360-609-7716
Just a friendly
Reminder
Gift Certificates
Available
Appointments available Thursday-Monday,
through Labor day. Call Katina:
360-608-6724
lakespakatina@gmail.com
Memorial
Rowena Linderman,
wife of Jim “the Chaplain” Linderman,
passed away on Friday, May 15th.
There will be a Memorial held on
Saturday, May 23 1:30 pm
You MUST include both
your Name & Site on your propane tank
in order for it to be filled.
Tanks filled daily at 12:30pm
Across from the maintenance shop
35 Years Ago Today!
By Gary Rose 8/2
Of course, I remember it clearly. We were living in Kennewick; going to church in Richland. As we drove
to church, with toddler Aaron (age 18 months) we saw what we thought was a storm rolling in from the
west; during the worship service, the street lights came on, the kids (some crying) were released from the
nursery to join their parents in the church service.
We drove home afterwards. I’m sure I started talking to Kris (7 months pregnant with Renee) immediately
about driving over to watch it (I had told my boss weeks before that when the mountain blew, I’d be
gone). We watched the news: pretty incredible pictures; lots of “ash” and people were being asked to stay
home. The “ash” seemed the worst in Yakima, Ephrata and Spokane; we were hearing nothing about Hwy
84. I really wanted to go and had to promise Kris that, if we went and encountered ash, we’d turn around
immediately and head back home to Kennewick. By late afternoon we were on our way. I remember that
we could see the large plume from Vancouver, but it was too dark to see by the time we got to the Hideaway that night.
Mom and Dad were at the Hideaway that weekend. Dad had had one cup of coffee on the deck, looking at
the lake and the
mountain; Mom was still in bed; he went into the trailer to pour another cup; when
he came out, the plume was 5 miles high and the mountain was over 1,000 feet shorter! The sound was
heard in Portland, but had gone up and over the hideaway; no one in camp had heard it. Dad called Mom
and they watched the mountain erupting; with later eruptions the ash would cover the hideaway, Vancouver and Portland, but with that first and largest eruption everything blew to the north and east, so they
were in no danger.
Alan, my brother, worked that summer running supply rafts for a white water river company (on the
Deschutes River in Oregon mainly), but that Spring they had been practicing on the Toutle River. The
owner of the company had had a dream of a wall of water rushing down behind them that week, and he
switched them over to the Deschutes River for that weekend's trip.
Otherwise, it would have
been the ride of his life!
In ‘80, Mom and Dad had one of the few, large decks on the view ridge. People in camp started coming to
our site to watch the mountain. Mom became the good hostess, and served coffee to everyone. Later
she’d laugh that it was afternoon before she
realized that she was in her pajamas and changed into
other clothes!
I remember sitting on the deck the next day, watching and taking pictures of the mountain and seeing helicopters flying from
Portland to Mt. St. Helens.
At least 57 people died because of the eruption. Later I learned that that number would have been much
higher, but then-governor Dixy Lee Ray, a scientist, recognized the danger, and had limited the entry zone
weeks before. Some of the loggers were unhappy with that decision; and some say that’s what cost her
the re-election. She called it right, I think.
PAPA Bear Theater
50-50 Raffle
To Benefit Activities/Security
Get your tickets NOW!
Only $1.00 ea
See a Committee Member
or at the Office
3 prizes drawn
= 25% of total ticket sales, 15% and 10%
The more we sell, the bigger the prizes!!
Drawing to be held at
the Labor Day Dance, Aug 31st
You don’t need top be present to win!
Saturday, May 23rd
8PM
Weather permitting
Gate Guards
24hr security guards are here again.
Be sure you have decals on your vehicles and boats to
save you time at the gate.
You must still sign in your guests and let them in and
out of the gate. The guards will not just let your
guests out for you.
The guards are here to help keep our camp secure
during the busy season. Thank you in advance for
your cooperation and patience.
The Laundy Room is closed to
prepare for New &
Improved
equipment.
Thanks for
your patience!
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