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Big Canoe Fourth of July attire? Yes, please

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Show your American spirit — Big Canoe style — by wearing these T-shirts offered only by the Big Canoe Marina that are perfect for the upcoming Fourth of July.

To make sure the shirts are delivered and ready to celebrate our country’s 245th birthday, all T-shirts must be pre-ordered no later than June 12. You can pay with your lot charge through the Marina.

The shirts come in white, blue and gray.

Sizes are S, M, L, XL
$20 plus tax
2XL plus $2.50
3XL plus $3.50
4XL plus $4.50

To order, contact Karen Waters at kwaterbear@aol.com. All orders must be received no later than June 12.

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Busy signal when dialing the POA? Call AT&T

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Phone issues – such as a busy signal when dialing a Big Canoe POA number – are persisting for anyone who has AT&T as their service provider. Since May 25, callers have reported this problem when using the cellular network vs. a Wi-Fi network. Both AT&T and Windstream have been notified of the issue re: dialing POA phone numbers.

“I would just emphasize that anyone with this issue directly contact AT&T support and explain that they had previously been able to successfully call these numbers,” said Justin Bowers, Big Canoe IT Director. “They should provide a list of POA numbers that are now not reachable. Also, it’s best to contact AT&T support via landline, if available, as the support team will likely have them try calling from their cell phone to one of our POA numbers.”

As this is not a POA issue, please directly contact the service provider. AT&T customer support: (800) 331-0500.

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The Package Porch officially open for business – and lounging

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Package Porch staffer Amy Dixon displays the claim slip that Property Owners use to pick up a parcel.

Let the unboxing begin!

The Package Porch had its official unveiling at 1 p.m. today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony kicking off the new POA facility, which aims to solve the parcel spillover issue in the Postal Facility.

Property Owner Mark Decker was the first person officially serviced at the new Package Porch

Opened in the lower level of the building that houses the Village Station meeting rooms, the Package Porch allows for the collection, sorting and storage of all oversized and excess parcels for Property Owners to pick up. The porch itself, with four tables inviting visitors to have a seat, was also designed as a cozy hangout.

In attendance at the ceremony were Jason Brownell, director of operations, who conceived of the project; Anu Saxena, director of capital projects, who shepherded it through the numerous steps to the finish line; Package Porch staffers Priscilla Jordan and Amy Dixon; POA board members Candace Robertson and Amy Tropfenbaum; General Manager Scott Auer; and Debbie Pickett, director of administrative services.

Property Owner Mark Decker was the first official patron to nab a package.

Deline Faris, who also attended the ribbon-cutting, and Kim Miller individually submitted the winning entries in the contest to name of the facility. Both received a $50 POA gift certificate.

The Package Porch, across from the Fire Station in Wolfscratch Village, is open 1-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday.

Learn more about the Package Porch and how you can collect your packages here.

From left: Priscilla Jordan, who manages the Package Post; POA Board President Candace Robertson; Deline Faris, co-winner of the contest to name the facility; GM Scott Auer; Package Porch staffer Amy Dixon.

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Memorial Day ceremony with the North Georgia Veterans Chorus

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by Paul Goldstein

“Patriotism”

Philip Spackman 1st Cavalry, 11th Light Infantry Brigade, Americal Division

 

Philip L. Spackman enlisted in the U.S. Army at 18 years of age on 2 February, 1967. He completed Basic Training at Ft. Benning, GA; Advanced Training in Cavalry and Reconnaissance at Ft. Knox, KY; and Armor Officer Candidate School at Ft. Knox, where at age 19 he was commissioned Second Lieutenant on 15 December, 1967. Second Lt. Spackman’s stateside duty station was at Ft. Rucker, Alabama, followed by his completion of Airborne School at Ft. Benning, GA.

He was deployed to Vietnam in October 1968. Upon arrival in Southeast Asia, he was assigned as an Armored Cavalry Assault Platoon Leader in E Troop, 1st Cavalry, 11th Light Infantry Brigade, Americal Division. Lt. Spackman served in this position for 11 1/2 months, during which time he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, 3 Silver Stars, 4 Bronze Stars for Valor, two Purple Hearts, the Army Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge (CIB).

First Lieutenant Spackman is a lifetime member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. In 2016, he was inducted into the Georgia Military Veteran’s Hall of Fame; and in 2018, was inducted into the U.S. Army OCS Hall of Fame. He is a member of the North Georgia Veterans Association at Big Canoe.

As a veteran and member of the North GA Veterans and Big Canoe resident, we are honored to have Philip Spackman serve as our Memorial Day Guest Speaker, and urge you, your family, and friends to attend the Memorial Day Commemoration Program.

For North Georgia Veterans attending, the dress for the event is casual, unless you are part of the program, in which case you should wear your NGV uniform. All NGV members are encouraged to wear name badges and any NGV monogrammed apparel, like a shirt or hat.

Please plan to arrive at 9:45 a.m., so the program may begin on time at 10 a.m.

The program will include the North Georgia Veterans Chorus, flag ceremony assisted by the Boy Scouts, and will conclude with the playing of “Taps”.

Please mark your calendar now for this event. The Clubhouse has volunteered to serve lunch beginning at 11:30 a.m. for those interested in eating after the service.

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Sounds to soothe, sounds to rock

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Acoustic Showcase is back, right in its old stomping grounds. Music from talented Big Canoers will rock the timbers at the Beach Club (aka Swim Club) 7 p.m. Thursday, June 3.

Sweet and sassy sounds will be brought to you by ten talented folks including:

Shiraz Alikhan
Frank Brewer
Tommy Holbrook
Paul Jones
Tom Kilpatrick
Bob Knysz
Brad Morgan
Deb Osgood
Jim Pulliam
Art Shand

You know these guys are good!

Bring your favorite beverage, arrive early, secure your seats and mingle with other guests and musicians until showtime.

What a fine way to spend an early June evening.

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Some days ya just gotta put on your boots and dance

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Information submitted by Karen Waters

And 5, 6, 7, 8…No, that’s not the lead-in for the old Lawrence Welk Show. It’s how line dancers count their steps.

All ladies in Big Canoe are invited to join 80 other happy feet on the first and third Mondays of each month at The Chimneys at 5 pm. The next line dance session is June 7.

Dancing and instruction are absolutely free. All you have to do is wear your dancing shoes and comfortable clothing while tucking your favorite beverage under your arm. That’s all needed for a fun time with the girls.

If you think the Stroll and the Electric Slide are the only line dances worth knowing, well, move over Mabel, there’s a lot more to learn.

Karen Waters and Susan Rolader have been hoofing in their boots for years and are eager to share their talents with you.

Before long, you’ll be swinging and swaying to Boot Scootin’ Boogie, John Travolta, Cupid Shuffle, Uptown Funk and Blurred Lines. Each dance has its own unique moves.

Join the line for a late afternoon filled with good times with friends and neighbors. You don’t need a heap of experience to join this dance troupe. It’s all about laughing, shuffling together and learning new moves.

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Edgar Allan Poe joins the Lit Lunch table on June 4

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By Vivian Sheperis

Lit Lunch will meet at noon Friday, June 4 to discuss Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story, “The Masque of the Red Death.”

There is much for Lit Lunchers to observe and contemplate, having been isolated during the past year from the “contagion” of our own version of “The Red Death.”

From this vantage point, we can see how life imitates art and vice versa. In Poe’s version, the elite retreat to Prince Prospero’s secluded and luxurious abbey in safety, quarantined from the plague, enjoying every pleasure of life while those less fortunate die hideous deaths on the outside.

Until . . . an unexpected and mysterious guest appears, pitting hubris and wealth against the Red Death, life for life.

Poe never disappoints by his stunning imagination and style with dreamlike images. The tale is ambiguous, inviting both a supernatural and psychological interpretation. Rife with symbols, its depth is compelling, and his art elevates the experiences of life.

We will meet for lunch at the Clubhouse downstairs in the Club Room at noon and order from the select Lit Lunch menu.

All in Big Canoe are invited to join this lunchtime literary discussion.

Please reserve your place at the table by the end of Thursday, June 3 by emailing vsheperis@gmail.com. Vivian can send you a copy of the short story.

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Tribute banners on Lake Petit Dam: Honoring vets while commemorating Memorial Day

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While some Memorial Day celebrants might use the holiday to test the limits of their hamburger-inhaling abilities, the significance of the day is not lost on Big Canoe Property Owners and their families.

Memorial Day, the national holiday honoring American military personnel who died in service to their country, is recognized annually by the North Georgia Veterans through a variety of activities – the most visible being the placement of military tribute banners along Lake Petit Dam.

The banners are set to be raised at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 29 and taken down on the afternoon of June 6.

Though many service members featured on the banners are veterans not killed in action, the others stand as somber, fluttering reminders of those who served but didn’t come out of the experience alive.

Also installing the banners around the Fourth of July and Veterans Day, NGV, with the assistance of Boy Scout Troop 20, is scheduled to put up 106 banners – up from 84 placed on Veterans Day in 2020.

Info: https://www.ngvets.org/

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Prehistoric creatures call Lake Petit home

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By Alice Eachus

One thing for sure, Marcia Captan is a patient woman. It took her weeks of paddling around Lake Petit to capture photos of the squad of snapping turtles that find a good life in Big Canoe.
Yep, they have faces only a mother could love and they are huge! This herd of turtles comes with a warning word – snapping. They have powerful jaws you don’t want to meet in or on the water.
Snapping turtles range in size from 8 to 14 inches and weigh around 10 to 35 pounds. Not to scare anybody, but one snapper weighed in at 75 pounds. That’s one big guy!
Snapping turtles do swim in Lake Petit but there haven’t been many, if any, encounters of the worst kind. Just be aware and stay in the designated swimming area of the lake. Unfortunately,
snappers don’t care much about boundaries so take nothing for granted.
These large turtles come close to resembling what once roamed the earth and its seas during the Age of the Dinosaurs. Appreciate how little they evolved and marvel at their ability to survive
and thrive.

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Fast facts about food and fun in Big Canoe this Memorial Day weekend

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While it’s technically not summer, the warm-weather season kicks off this weekend with the opening of the Beach Club and Wildcat pools, a special Memorial Day menu at the Clubhouse, and the installation of tribute banners along Lake Petit dam to recognize the sacrifice of those killed in service to our country.

Here’s what to know about Big Canoe’s weekend openings and activities, food options and more:

• Swimming is back. The Beach Club and Wildcat pools officially open at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 29. Regular hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. Info: (706) 268-3441.

Daily passes for either pool are $4 for Property Owners, $6 for visitors; weekly passes for visitors are $25. A seasonal plan for both pools is available only for Property Owners at $180 for a full membership, $70 for an individual. For more info: tsawyer@bigcanoepoa.org.

• The Beach Club will have snacks, such as chips and candy, and soft drinks available for purchase 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Those visiting are allowed to bring their own food and beverage. Alcohol is allowed, but glass containers are not. Eating is limited to the seating area around the pool and the upper deck where seating is also provided.

The beach and the rockslide on Disharoon Lake are closed.

• The Wildcat Pool will have ice cream, candy, chips, sodas and beer for purchase. Outside food and beverages are allowed, including alcoholic beverages. No glassware is permitted.

Though the food trailer is stationed at Wildcat pools, it won’t be in use this weekend. The POA is continuing to work on resolving staffing issues to have the trailer back in action as soon as possible.

• The Marina on Lake Petit is fully operational but pontoon boat rentals are extremely limited at press time with a waitlist though most of the weekend. Other watercraft such as canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards are available for rent. For more details: (706) 268-3303.

• Clubhouse, normally closed for dining at the beginning of the week, is open 11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on Monday, May 31. In the spirit of summer gatherings, the Clubhouse is putting away the normal menu for the day and hosting a cookout with burgers, dogs, bratwurst grilled outdoors in the veranda patio area. Classic sides such as baked beans and potato salad are on the menu. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available.

The Clubhouse that day will have open seating, so no reservations are necessary on Monday. Patrons can dine inside or out on the adjacent patio and the golf patio.

In honor of those who served in our armed forces, the Clubhouse will leave a table open as a symbolic recognition to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

The Clubhouse will be closed on Tuesday, June 1.

• Duffers is open 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. all weekend with its normal food and drink menu featuring burgers, shrimp po’ boy and chicken tenders and other grab-and-go dining options along with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Info: (706) 268-3273.

• Tribute Banners: The North Georgia Veterans and Boy Scout Troop 20 will install tribute banners at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 29 to honor those killed in military service. The banners will line Lake Petit dam until Sunday, June 6. Informational video: https://filedn.com/l5LsAQJfAiaQnkipHr0omnh/Videos/Military_Tribute_Banner_Program.mp4

 

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