By: Duane Ballard

Greetings Brothers and Sisters,

With spring right around the corner, hopefully, it is time to get busy with those spring projects. Local 659’s project is building a pavilion at Bluegill Boat Launch. We are looking for some volunteers to come help us out on May 10th at the landing to help erect the pavilion for events at that site.

This pavilion will be used at least once a year by Local 659 for its annual Get Youth Outdoors event every year. All helping hands would be greatly appreciated.

The tools and lunch will be provided and the goal is to have it done in one day, just like the Amish. If you would like to help, please contact me at the Union Hall (810-232-4130, ext. 216).

This year’s Get Youth Outdoors Day will be June 7th. We are doing it a little different this year with no preregistration being required. The first 200 kids will be given a free fishing pole to fish with that day. Along with all the other events that day – fishing, kayaking, birdhouse building, Skuta Outdoors obstacle course, bird dogs, BB gun trailer – we are adding a bow shooting range. Kids will be able to shoot with bows that we have purchased through funds from our dinner we have.

I will be looking for volunteers that day also to help with the fishing and bow range. Contact me if interested.

It is that time again when I remind everyone to check their pay stubs every week. We are finding that some of our members are becoming delinquent on their dues because they were never started or they were out for whatever reason (sick leave, education leave, etc.) and their dues were never started again. Check those stubs and make sure the right deductions are getting taken out.

If you have moved and have not changed your address here at the Hall, please do so. Most of our GM people are good if they changed it on their Socrates, but if you didn’t or are from an IPS plant, then please do so at the Hall.

These addresses are very important to send info if needed and with the 2026 General Election coming up International will need to know where to mail the ballots to.

I always get excited this time of the year when I drive around. The tom turkeys are strutting and try to entice those hens into liking them. Turkey hunting is a perfect way to get a kid into the outdoors. The weather is warmer and it is the time of year when the outdoors wakes up. After this long winter, it is great for everyone to get out.

Even if you don’t hunt, you can still go out and call them, just to see how close you can get them to you. If will excite you and the kid you take out with you. Make your heart beat and a kid’s too, and see if you can get that turkey five feet from you. Take the time to share the outdoors with a kid.