A message from Carol and Dick:

Dear Friends,

The year 2002 was an exciting one for the Village. The new construction in Wren and Oriole was very well received with open houses held in Oriole by enthusiastic guests. The Barn and Cattail were finished and opened for guests. Thus, along with the completion of the volleyball court, the basketball court, tether ball, horseshoes and shuffleboard in the recreation area, it is becoming a busy extension across the road. We were blessed with good weather, good fishing and a warm fall that extended well into October.

Our weekly potluck continues to be well attended and a source of good things to eat and a way to meet and interact with everyone at the Village. We are still fortunate to obtain fresh Wisconsin sweet corn from Mr. Lind in Boulder Jct. and when it is cooked in a large cauldron over an open fire, it can’t be beat. In May and September we must move inside where we all sit at the large table in the lodge and still enjoy the good food and fellowship. For additional fellowship, a successful coffee hour was instituted on Friday morning with homemade baked goods, a specialty of Bill Grunwald.

Many special events were held. Along with a return of The Barbershop Chorus and storyteller, we were treated to a cooking session by the chef at Camp Manitowish, an hour of ghost and gangster stories from Tom Hollatz and a wine tasting party. A fourth of July coloring contest was held for the younger set with the winners being Emily Kaczaarski, Audie Wiedholz, Mike Matzuka, and Rebecca Bograd in their respective ages. A nice job!

As a result of the story telling events, a suggestion was made to compile White Birch Village stories. We would welcome any stories of interest that you might have, Village related or of any subject matter. Joe McHugh has offered to help us with this project, recording them either on a CD or as a printed pamphlet. They may be e-mailed to us, snail mailed to us or given to us when you are at the Village. Also, we always welcome any pictures you might like to share with the Village, both old or new.

A new addition to the Village last summer was a new bulletin board located across from the store entrance. We hope to keep you informed of daily activities, weather and other pertinent information. Plan to make it a habit to check it out on a day to day basis.

To be completed by opening in May will be the remodeling of Hillcrest. The kitchen, eating area and downstairs bath are redone and enlarged along with a shower added to the upstairs. The bedrooms in BlueBill will be repaneled and new windows installed in BlueBill, Red Oaks, WoodDuck and BalsamFir. Work will continue this summer on the Rec area with the addition of a frisbee golf course, landscaping and completion of the exercise room.

Bill and Sue Grunwald, while enjoying time at the Village, have decided to spend the summers at their cottage. We are very pleased to have added to our staff, Phil and Lois Lemponen as managers. Many of you may know them as the former owners of Stillwaters. They are living in the apartment and have been working very hard this winter to make everything ready for your arrival. We are also pleased to have Dorothy, Andrew and Paul, our three Polish students, returning for the summer.

As always, we look forward to your arrival.

Carol and Dick