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Living Life After 50
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Vol. 37, No. 11
April 2024
www.seniorlifenewspapers.com
St. JoSeph edition Reaching South Bend and SuRRounding countieS
St. Joseph County Izaak Walton League to celebrate 100TH ANNIVERSARY — The St. Joseph County Izaak Walton League will be celebrating its 100th anniversary with a free celebration banquet for its benefactors and members on Sunday, April 21. Mike Hay has served as president for 25 years.
Text and Photos By MARISSA SWEATLAND Staff Writer The St. Joseph County Izaak Walton League will be celebrating its 100th anniversary this month. The National Izaak Walton League was formed in 1922 to promote natural resource protection and outdoor recreation. The St. Joseph County league was chartered just a couple years later in 1924. For 100 years, the league has advocated for the preservation of wetlands, protection of the wild life and the promotion of soil and water conservation. The Izaak Walton League pledges “to strive for the purity of water, the clarity of air and the wise stewardship of the land and its resources; to know the beauty and understanding of nature, and the value of wildlife, woodlands and open space; to the preservation of this heritage and to man’s sharing in it.” “Izaak Walton wrote a book called ‘The Compleat Angler’. It is in its fiftieth printing, its an evolving book,” Mike Hay, president, explained. “In England, the top three most popular books are The Bible, The Complete
Works of William Shakespeare and The Compleat Angler.” Hay has served as president for 25 years. The St. Joseph County Izaak Walton League sits on over 120 acres of diverse and natural habitat that includes Juday Creek, three ponds, St. Joe River, wetlands, marshes and woodlands. Two of the three ponds on the property are stocked for members to fish. “The Juday Creek is the only naturally producing brown trout creek in northern Indiana,” Hay explained. “We spend over $3,000 a year stocking two of our ponds for fishing.” To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the league is hosting a free celebration banquet for its benefactors and members on Sunday, April 21. Invitations were included in the March 2024 mailer. Due to limited space, seats are reserved on a first come first served basis. Matt Meersman, president of the Friends of the St. Joe River Association; director of the St. Joe River Basin Commission; and president of the Indiana Water Monitoring Council, will serve as the event’s keynote speaker. The league will also be giving out
trees. There will be serviceberry, arborvitae, eastern redbud, eastern white pine, pagoda dogwood, shagbark hickory, hazelnut and tulip poplar to choose from. “If you look at sheer numbers, we have given away over 100,000 trees. We have been giving trees away for 75 years,” Hay mentioned. The anniversary event will be held at the St. Joseph County Izaak Walton League lodge, 20400 Darden Road, South Bend. Doors open at 12:30 p.m. and the program will begin at 1 p.m. An Italian dinner will be served. The tree giveaway for members will begin at 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. for the public. A full schedule of events can be found on the back of the March 2024 newsletter. The Izaak Walton League membership is $102 per year and includes the member’s spouse or partner and children up to the age of 24. Member-
Over 70% of All Americans Over Age 65 Will Need Long-Term Care or End Up in A Nursing Home... At A Cost of Up To $10,000 Per Month. That Means Many Families Could Lose Much of Their Life Savings or Even Their Own Homes.
CHILDREN’S LAKE PLAQUE — Mike Hay, president, points to the name of his grandfather, D. Cole Hay, Sr., who was instrumental in the creation of Children’s Lake, one of the fishable lakes on the St. Joseph County Izaak Walton League’s property. ships are valid for the calendar year, expiring Dec. 31. For more information on becoming a member of the St. Joseph County Izaak Walton League, visit ikesb.com/membership. To learn more about the Izaak Walton League, visit ikesb.com.
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