It was a day of remembrance for Lois Goldstein and John Heiam, who lost their lives in a tragic automobile accident after a Pine Clean Up nearly one year ago on August 23, 2023. After a viewing of the memorial plaque that has been dedicated to them at the Dobson Bridge launch site, each member was asked to describe Lois & John in one word. It’s no surprise that many were synonyms of words like “ kind”, “ generous”, “dedicated” and “teacher”. Lois and John’s legacy of river stewardship continues, but their physical presence among us is deeply missed. After our trip host, Wayne Andersen, went over the safety rules and logistics for the day, we launched into the clear cool waters of the Pine. A special thank you to Mark Miltner and Pine River Paddle Sports for providing loaner kayaks and canoes for several participants.
As a testament to past clean up efforts, it took considerable effort to find any trash. Perseverance paid off though, and a few special “treasures” were found along with the usual water bottles, beer cans, and miscellaneous trash. If anyone ever asks, yes, it can take four kayakers to retrieve one beer can from the Pine! As the sun climbed higher in the sky the temperature rose considerably, but the shade of the trees and the coolness of the water kept us refreshed. After a long day on the river, the group celebrated it’s “haul” for the day, then headed over to Coyote Crossings Resort for dinner and lively conversation.
Today participants were Host Wayne Andersen and Mark Miltner, Leslie Cuppett, Paul Wilkins, Paul and Irene Marcussen, Ron Coyne, Loretta Pickford, Kathleen Imre, Tom Lipps and Donna Steinebach. Photos provided by Irene Marcussen.