Hiking Safe This Hunting Season

Fall has arrived, the bugs are gone, and the hiking trails are quieter.  This is a beautiful time to be outdoors for hikers AND hunters.   Michigan deer hunting has already started, and regular firearm season is November 15-30.

Here are a few simple steps to help keep you safe outdoors during the hunting season.

Be Informed:  Know when hunting seasons start and end and about particular regulations that affect hunting.  Read up on regulations.  Check Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Be Visible: Wear a blaze-orange hat and vest.  These will increase your visibility in the woods.  Many hunters are out at dusk and dawn, be sure your vest has reflective panels.

Be Heard:  If you hear voices or shots, let your presence be known.  A loud “Hikers on the Trail!” will let everyone be aware of your presence.

Stay on the Trail:  Hunters know to expect people on designated trails, but if you venture far off the beaten track, hunters may assume that those noises in the brush are deer. Stay on the trail and save off trail exploration for another time.

Leash Your Pets and Make Them Visible:  Put a blaze-orange vest on your pet and keep them leashed. If a hunter isn’t following the basic hunter safety of knowing your target and what’s beyond it, a dog running through the brush can be mistaken for game. Hiking with your dog on a leash will keep your dog from wandering off trail.

Fire Department Receives Gift of Emergency Jump Kits from Tribe

The members of the Watersmeet Volunteer Fire Department would like to take this opportunity to thank the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians for their donation to purchase emergency medical jump kits for the Watersmeet EMS volunteers.

The jump kits will be carried in the personal vehicles of four EMS volunteers, and one will be carried by Watersmeet police.  These kits include emergency first aid supplies, an AED and oxygen.  This equipment can increase response time by allowing EMS personnel to travel directly to an emergency and begin immediate treatment without first having to drive into town to retrieve the medical rescue vehicle.

Precious time, and possibly lives, will be saved because of this generous donation to our community.

Thank you LVD!

Local Phone Call Dialing Change to 10 Digits

The FCC recently adopted rules to establish the 3-digit telephone number “988” to serve as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Beginning July 16, 2022, callers in mental health crisis will be routed to trained counselors when dialing 988.

Eighty-two area codes in 36 states use 988 as a central office code (i.e. Watersmeet’s 358 prefix), Michigan’s 906 area code is included on this list. To ensure that all calls to 988 reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, providers in these affected areas are required to mandate 10-digit dialing across the network. This means callers will be required to input both the area code and telephone number to connect, even when making local calls.

Beginning October 24, 2021, consumers must dial 10-digits (area code + telephone number) for all local calls. On and after this date, local calls dialed with only 7 digits may not be completed, and a recording will inform you that your call cannot be completed as dialed. Consumers must hang up and dial again using the area code and the 7-digit number.

Beginning July 16, 2022, dialing “988” will route calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

For more information visit the FCC Suicide Prevention Hotline page.

Will This Fire Engine Fit Down Your Driveway When You Need It Most?

Precious time is lost when emergency vehicles cannot reach your home.  Will emergency personnel need to haul life-saving medical equipment from the road to your house?  Will firefighters have to run hoses up the drive to put out a fire?

Check your property for emergency vehicle access:

  • Suitable height/width clearance
  • Proper Snow Removal
  • Packed surface to support the weight
  • Free of obstructions
  • Sufficient turn-around room

Click here for more information.

Watersmeet Volunteer Fire Department Accepting Applications

The Watersmeet Volunteer Fire Department actively recruiting for EMS and Fire volunteers.
Volunteer firefighters are paid per call. Experience is preferred but not required.

A dedication to help people in the community and dedication to long term volunteer service is a must.

If you are interested in becoming part of the Watersmeet Volunteer Fire Department, please complete an application and submit it to the township office.

For questions, please call 906.358.4501 and leave a message for Jim Pittsley, Fire Chief.

Have You Ordered Your New Fire Number Sign?

With so many houses tucked away in the woods and around the many lakes, first responders rely heavily on your fire number to find your home in an emergency. Without a legible or visible sign, precious minutes could be lost.

If you have not already done so, please order a new fire number sign. It should be at the end of your driveway, where it can be seen from either travel direction on the road, in a position where is does not get covered by snow in the winter.

If you have any questions, please call 906.358.4501

Rural High-Speed Internet Service Arriving Next Year (Updated 8/20/21)

The FCC initiated the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) to help bring broadband internet service to rural and under-served areas of the United States.  For additional information on this initiative visit FCC.gov, search RDOF.

The RDOF auction pays internet service providers to go into rural, underserved areas and build out internet infrastructure. The Atlantic Engineering Group (AEG) won our area in an FCC auction late last year. AEG is performing the engineering work for our area this year and hopes to complete the actual buildout sometime next year.  Highline, which is the service arm of AEG, will bring the internet service into the home and service the accounts. This is exciting news as they will be delivering fiber optic broadband, which is the gold-standard in internet, to most of Watersmeet Township*!

Here are some of the specifics:

  • Buildout to be started in Spring 2022 (depending on weather conditions)
  • Speeds to be up to 1 gigabyte per second download and up to 500 megabytes per second upload
  • No data caps
  • Set-up fee of approximately $99
  • Service pricing to be around $99/month which includes a modem/router
  • $29/month additional for a digital phone line may also be available

The introduction of real, legitimate broadband opens a seemingly endless array of possibilities. Here are just a few options that come to mind:

  • Ability to finally work and live up north
  • Never walk into a cold cabin again with a wi-fi thermostat
  • Ditch satellite tv and that ugly dish and stream for half the cost
  • Surveillance and security for unattended cabins
  • Unlimited kitten and puppy videos

Representative Jack Bergman (he lives on the Cisco Chain) has been instrumental in getting our area prioritized in AEG/Highline’s buildout schedule. Many thanks also go to the Watersmeet Broadband Task Force which includes Dan Hance, John Oliver, Bob McGuffin, Greg Clark, and Yvonne Clark, Watersmeet Trustee.

Here’s how YOU can help make faster reliable internet happen quicker – Highline and the Watersmeet Task Force is asking every Michigan property owner to go to the HighlineFast web page and enter your property address. If your address does not appear in the drop-down list, it may help to leave off the leading letter in your address. For example: 3928 instead of N3928.  (If it still does not appear, select an address closest to you and you can correct the information when Highline contacts you.) By entering your address you are letting Highline know you are interested in their service. It is not a commitment to subscribe to their service.  You do not need to enter any credit card information.  The more properties that express interest, the higher we will move up on their build out schedule.  Right now, their website indicates that we are scheduled to be fully operable in 2023, but Highline representatives have indicated that they expect Watersmeet to be completed in 2022!

After signing up, you may be contacted by Highline to confirm your address and/or to request a $25 deposit (which will be deducted from the $99 set-up fee) to confirm your commitment in installing internet service. This deposit assures service and may also prioritize installation.  Installation fees this low are likely predicated on scheduling the installation crew and fiber optic runs to the homes for these advanced service commitments for the initial service offering.  It is expensive to deploy/bury fiber optic cable, installation costs would likely increase once crews leave our area.  Highline has an aggressive deployment schedule across the UP.

Improving internet service to all of Watersmeet has been an important issue for many years.  It is vital to our economic growth.  Please take a few minutes to log onto the website and help our community.

*It is possible that not ALL residences/businesses in the Watersmeet Township are included in the RDOF auction results area.  That is why it is SO IMPORTANT for all residents to sign up on the Highline web site.  Highline has indicated that if enough residents in these areas sign-up for interest they may be able to include service to these “edge areas” during the initial installation phase.  The only way they will know that you are interested is for you to SIGN UP!

Visit Highline’s website for addition information (https://highlinefast.com/internet) and local area updates (https://highlinefast.com/area-updates). Highline Internet is also available on Facebook or call them at 888.212.0054.

EMPLOYEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Highline will also be advertising for employment of surveyors, construction, technicians, and customer service representatives at competitive wages.  They are looking to build a local Highline Team.  Call or apply on-line at https://highlinefast.com/job-opportunities.

 

If you have any questions, please email Yvonne Clark, Watersmeet Trustee at trustee1@watersmeet.us .

Law Enforcement Bulletin: DEA Phone Scam

ALERT:  Residents are receiving phone calls claiming to be from the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) or other government agency that attempt to get your personal information by saying there is a problem with your Social Security number or that it was stolen.  Caller ID may look legitimate but it is not.  If you receive such a call, do not give out your name, birthdate, social security or any other personal information.  Hang up and call local law enforcement at (906) 358-2048 so that the call can be tracked and reported.

Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Launched

The Emergency Broadband Benefit is an FCC program to help families and households struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. This new benefit will connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, virtual classrooms, and so much more.

About the Emergency Broadband Benefit

The Emergency Broadband Benefit will provide a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.

Who Is Eligible for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program?

A household is eligible if a member of the household meets one of the criteria below:

  • Has an income that is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, or Lifeline;
  • Approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision in the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year;
  • Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
  • Experienced a substantial loss of income due to job loss or furlough since February 29, 2020 and the household had a total income in 2020 at or below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers; or
  • Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s existing low-income or COVID-19 program.

How to Apply

There are three ways for eligible households to apply:

  1. Contact your preferred participating broadband provider directly to learn about their application process.
  2. Go to GetEmergencyBroadband.org to apply online and to find participating providers near you.
  3. Call 833-511-0311 for a mail-in application, and return it along with copies of documents showing proof of eligibility to:

Emergency Broadband Support Center
P.O. Box 7081
London, KY 40742

After receiving an eligibility determination, households can contact their preferred service provider to select an Emergency Broadband Benefit eligible service plan.