Two times a year — spring and fall — Joe and Melinda Rogers warily watch the ice on Lake Orion. The Victoria Island residents for four years dread ‘weak ice,? the time when ice is too thin to walk on.
That’s when getting to the main land becomes complicated. The Rogers must use a boat with someone in front with a shovel breaking ice as the boat crosses the lake. ‘My wife can’t do it,? Joe said.
According to Joe, in the past they’ve only had to deal with weak ice three or four days during the change of season, but this year is been closer to 30 days.
‘We’re put in danger without (emergency) access to our home,? he added.
Joe came up with the idea to install a cable tram from the island to Bridge Street. He asked Lake Orion Village Council members on Feb. 9 for permission to place an anchor post for the cable at the end of Bridge Street which is public property.
Although intrigued with the concept, council members declined to let Joe have his anchor because of the liability risk to which it exposes the village.
‘It’s an ingenious idea,? council member Charlotte Patton said. ‘But I’m concerned about the safety. I can see kids being drawn to it.?
Joe said he has made the tram as safe as it could possibly be. The cable has 15,000 pounds of breaking strength. The tram has flotation devices for emergencies. The height of the cable can be adjusted so it’s very high off the water when it’s not being used.
A remote control device would send the seat back to the island so it wouldn’t be on the mainland. The cable tram has a light on it.
‘Pulling on a rope with a boat is not safe. This is by far a much safer operation. A hover craft doesn’t go up hills and it freezes up if you leave it in the water,? Joe said.
And he pointed out that the cable would be taken down as soon as the ice was thick enough.
Joe looked into using a bubbler to keep the water open. ‘It costs about $10 a day. I would need an electrical station from Highland. That’s about 400 feet (of cable). That (the bubbler) gets into the DEQ.?
Councilman Bob Hollenbeck said the council would be setting a precedence if it OK’d Joe’s request.
‘We have other islands. The boat club may want to run one across,? he added.
According to councilman Douglas Dendel, village officials back in the 1980s proposed building a single span (five feet) bridge from Highland to the island. ‘We brought this up to residents and they didn’t want it. They wanted to be isolated.
‘Other people have lived through the situation. Families have even left the island during that weak ice time,? he added.
‘You probably can design something. You’re a clever guy. You’re the guy that has the car that floats,? Dendel told Joe.
‘We’ll keep working on it,? Joe said,