<html><head></head><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:HelveticaNeue-Light, Helvetica Neue Light, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8109"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126">Hi Everyone and Merry Christmas.</span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8175"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126"><br></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8194"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126">We had a fantastic 2016 paddle season. <br></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8879"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126"><br></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8585"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126">In 2016, we completed 24 river projects, got three grants, cleaned up two illegal dumpsite and removed one 110 foot skateboard ramp without lifting a hammer or a saw. Not bad for a bunch of old people with bad knees.<br></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8239"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126"><br></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8240"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126">We got a toilet placed at Shumsky Landing and proved to the City that toilets and totes at landings do help keep the river cleaner. So we will have more money for toilets and totes at other landings on the Boardman and other rivers in 2017 with the goal of getting permanent ones placed in the future.<br></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8348"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126"><br></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8349"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126">We got permission from Weldon Township to place a trash tote at the landing in Thompsonville on the Betsie River for 2017 as an experiment with the goal of having them take over the expense in the future.</span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8350"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126"><br></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8477"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126">We finally had some success in keeping the Downtown section of the Boardman cleaner with the help of the Paddle For Pints crews. You may think that's sleeping with the enemy but I can assure you that it is not. Those people are a responsible group of qualified leaders who love the river, care about safety and are far better at what they do than the other liveries in town.<br></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8352"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126"><br></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8353"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126">And we had a lot more successes.<br></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8225"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126"><br></span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8226"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126">2017 will be even better<br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8127"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8197"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126">The 2017 raffle tickets are printed and the website page to order them is set up. <br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8830"><br></div><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8797"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8798">Go to : <a href="http://www.brcleansweep.org/Raffle_Poster_17.html" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8799">http://www.brcleansweep.org/Raffle_Poster_17.html</a> to see the raffle prizes and get a order form.<br id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8800"></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8726"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8727"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126">Help the BRCS fund its work with a purchase of a some 2017 raffle tickets.<br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8728"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126"><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8729"><span id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1482612740701_8126">As Lois has always said, "Win or lose, it's a donation." And in this case. it's a donation to the rivers we all love. <br></span></div><br><div>I can't wait to get out on the rivers again next year.<br><div><br></div><div>Have a wonderful Winter Season.</div><div><br></div><div>Happy New Year.</div><div><br></div></div><div class="signature">Norm Fred<br><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.brcleansweep.org/">BRCS</a></div></div></body></html>