Cedarville's Corner Street Work Completed
By Amy Polk

Les Cheneaux Advisory Committee members (counter clockwise, from left) Barb Smith, Jane Kologe, Donna House, Margie Denoyer (front), and Sharon Smith are in the center of the renovated garden at the northeast corner of M-134 and M-129 in Cedarville, following its completion May 30.

The corners of highways M- 129 and M-134 in Cedarville have a cleaner and brighter look owing to the hard work of the Les Cheneaux Advisory Committee.

Committee volunteers removed the broken split rail fence and rotting railroad ties bordering flower beds at the northeast corner in front of Cedarville Foods, and moved a flagpole and pole lighting back from the highway into the garden area.

A border made of native stone now surrounds the flower beds that were lined with landscape fabric and filled with new soil. New perennial plants were planted in the beds, and the existing plants originally placed by former Advisory Committee members were divided and replanted. Dividing perennials helps keep the plants healthy, creates new plants, and encourages flowering plants to produce more blooms. New cedar mulch was also spread on the beds. Work was finished the first week of June.

Caught in action, Les Cheneaux Advisory Committee members (from left) Chuck Denoyer, Donna House, Ollie House, and Margie Denoyer place landscaping fabric, a native stone border, cedar mulch, and tidy up around the flower beds at the corner of M-134 and M-129 in Cedarville.

On the northwest corner of the intersection next to Pammi's Restaurant, volunteers removed a broken fence.

Committee members Sherry and Rick Burd have taken charge of planting flowers around the gazebo in Cedarville's downtown waterfront park.

Other summer projects include revamping the northeast corner of M-134 and Three-Mile Road in Hessel, where the Advisory Committee pruned existing shrubs and planted annual flowering plants. They are planning to replace a fence at the corner as well.

Future projects include purchasing and installing patriotic banners on electric poles in Cedarville and Hessel to add a splash of color to the two villages. The organization received Clark Township Board of Trustees approval and support this spring to apply for permission to hang the banners on Edison Sault Electric poles in downtown areas.

Advisory Committee members hope to have the banners up by July 4 for Independence Day festivities. Advisory committee members would like to purchase another 12 banners printed with artwork representative of the Les Cheneaux Islands area. A design featuring a wooden boat on water has been created and approved by Cedarville artist, Norine Rudd.

The committee will raise money for the new banners during Cedarville's Independence Day parade and festivities. The group will also sell navy blue hooded and crew style sweatshirts with white-lettered "Les Cheneaux Islands" and an embroidered wooden boat design on the front.

During the Christmas season, the committee will place 24 red holiday banners that were purchased by Clark Township several years ago, and were recently found in storage.

The Les Cheneaux Advisory Committee was founded more than 20 years ago by former Clark Township Supervisor Gene Collins to advise the township board on community improvement projects. Over the years the organization established a pavilion, electricity, and split rail fence at Cedar Cemetery, sponsored a holiday decoration contest, established and maintained the Mackinac Bay Overlook in Hessel, commissioned wooden street signs, and placed decorative corn stalks and Christmas bows in the fall and winter.

The organization cooperated with Les Cheneaux Lions Club to install gazebos in the public parks on the Cedarville and Hessel waterfronts, and welcome signs at the entrances to Cedarville and Hessel.

The organization's activities are paid for through voluntary donations and fundraising efforts. Beautification efforts have been helped by free flowers from the Chippewa Correctional Facility in Kinross, which has an extensive gardening program and grows flowers that are donated to Eastern Upper Peninsula municipalities. Clark Township has received flats of flowers for several years to plant at its marina, public docks and park areas, and at the sites maintained by the Advisory Committee.

Les Cheneaux Community Foundation gave the group a $3,000 grant to replace welcome signs and support flower bed renovation efforts this spring.

The committee reorganized over the past year, and welcomes volunteers, donations, and beautification ideas. Members include Donna and Ollie House, Sherry and Rick Burd, Jane and Lon Kologe, Barb and Bob Smith, Sharon and Robert W. Smith, Pat Duncan, Mary Baker, and Margie and Chuck Denoyer. Both Mrs. House and Mrs. Baker are certified Master Gardeners, and lend their experience and education to the organization's botanical projects.