The Oceana Echo - Volume 1, Issue 46, April 12, 2024

West Shore Community College to facilitate new community center in vacant grocery store in Hart

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity recently announced $64 million in Community Center Grant funds for 100 Michigan municipalities and organizations to expand programming or work on capital projects to serve 1.6 million Michiganders. West Shore Community College (WSCC), a public institution of higher education in Scottville, received $1 million to facilitate the renovation of a vacant 26,000-square-foot grocery store in Hart into a community center.

The center (located inside the former Gales IGA and recent Hart Village Market building) will provide college access, a technical center, a childcare facility, access to workforce development tools, income stability, healthcare resources, literacy support and public meeting spaces.

WSCC’s organizational history is marked by a

commitment to serving the educational needs of the local community. An important aspect of note is the most recent addition to the college, the Downtown Manistee Education Center. This community center is the prototype model for the community center in this request. The positive impacts WSCC has had through this center in Manistee can be replicated and even enhanced through a center in Oceana County.   WSCC remains a vital educational and cultural center for the residents of Mason and Manistee County and the surrounding areas. The college continues to evolve, meeting the ever-changing needs of its diverse student body and community through innovative programs and services. WSCC’s commitment to providing affordable, accessible and high-quality education remains at the core of its mission. WSCC has demonstrated a steadfast dedication

to serving the educational and cultural needs of its community, fostering growth, opportunity and community enrichment.

Oceana County is one of the few counties in the State of Michigan without in-county access to post-secondary education and training. Residents are forced to travel to multiple locations to receive services from various non-profit and support agencies.  In addition to offering higher education and childcare, this project aims to address the needs of the community by bringing together nonprofit organizations with similar missions to serve the county’s working poor as a one-stop resource hub.

This project is and has been an ongoing collaboration by agencies who support the need for access to higher education, workforce development, childcare, housing, food, etc. in Oceana County for years.

Hart Middle School 8th grader places in the Top 10 in 55th Annual America &

By Sharon Hallack

The Oceana Echo

Community

Contributor

Hart Middle School eighth grade student Grace Tucker was recently named a Top 10 winner in the Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan’s 55th annual America & Me essay contest for 2023-24. Sponsored locally by the Klotz Agency - Farm Bureau Insurance, Tucker’s essay entitled “Follow Your Dreams” competed with over 3,000 other eighth grade student essays from nearly 200 schools across Michigan.

Each student’s essay must be no longer than 300 words and focus on the topic “My Personal

Michigan Hero”. Tucker’s essay tells the story of her father, Don Tucker, who grew up in an unsafe neighborhood in Detroit, being raised by parents who weren’t the best role models. In her essay, Tucker talks about her father’s first jobs, his education, and his entrepreneurial spirit. “He wanted to start a campground…Multiple people told him that his business would never be successful…My dad didn’t listen and pressed on,” reads Tucker’s essay. “My dad is my hero because no matter how many challenges he has faced, he has always found a way to persevere and work hard.”

She doesn’t mention it in her essay, but interestingly, Tucker’s parents are third-generation campground owners in the Silver Lake area.

Grace, the daughter of Don and Sarah (Klepper) Tucker, current owners of the Silver Lake Resort & Campground, is the granddaughter of Brian and Nancy Klepper, former owners of the Parkside Store, who also helped start the Silver Lake Resort with Grace’s parents. Her great-grandparents, Richard and Marilyn Klepper, started the first modern campground in Silver Lake, which was located where Golden Township Park is now.

When deciding who

to write about, Tucker said that even though she admires both of her parents’ stories, she confesses, “I knew my dad’s story would be more of a pull. Over the years, our family has talked a lot about my dad’s past, so I already knew most of the details. He’s a good motivator. He’s taught me (that) you have to work for what you want. It’s not about who you or who your parents are. He’s never been super pushy, just the right amount,” Tucker said with a smile.

Her mother actually taught English in the Midland area before moving to the west side of the state. “I ran my essay by her. She helped with the grammar. My dad didn’t read it until I got into the top three (in the semi-final round),” Tucker said.

Tara Eisenlohr is Tucker’s English Language Arts teacher at HMS, and she has been submitting her top ten selections into the contest for the past 12 years. Every fall, Eisenlohr turns writing an essay for the contest into a class assignment.

“Some students don’t know who to write about and say they don’t know any heroes. But we talk a lot about who inspires them and what makes a true hero. I enjoy doing this assignment at the beginning of the year; I

Me Essay Contest

find out so much about my students and some of the obstacles they’ve had to overcome,” Eisenlohr said. “I’m allowed to send in 10 essays. Sometimes it’s hard for me to choose. I get attached to each essay as I hear my students’ personal stories. Some of them are so inspiring, so beautiful and so emotional.”

Over the years, she has relied on a team of fellow teachers, along with her mother, a former school administrator, to read dozens of students’ essays and help narrow the field down.

This year, the top 10 essays submitted by Eisenlohr were written by Lucia Avila, Joselyn Flores, Ellie Gross, Isabela Hernandez, Rhezlynn Shafer, Emma Thomas, Grace Tucker, Lili VanAgtmael, Vivi VanAgtmael and Bella Villanueva. In February, schools found out the top three winners of the ten submitted by their schools. Along with Tucker, Gross placed second and Shafer placed third. All three advanced to the finals.

Eisenlohr said over the years she’s had several students place first in the semi-final round. Their names are engraved on a special plaque in the school’s display case, but never before has anyone from Hart Middle School placed in the top ten for the entire state.

As a top ten state winner, Tucker has been invited, along with other top ten winners, to attend a special day in their honor Wednesday, May 29. As guests of Farm Bureau Insurance, they, along with their parents and teacher, will enjoy a cruise aboard the Michigan Princess Riverboat, visit with top Michigan government officials in downtown Lansing, attend a Lansing Lugnuts game as featured guests, and be recognized in a special ceremony where they will receive a plaque, a medallion, a check in the amount of $1,055 for themselves and another check for the same amount payable to their school. In addition, because Tucker was sponsored by local agent Klotz, Hart Middle School will receive an additional check for $555.

Eisenlohr said she

and Tucker will be working together to come up with ideas for how to spend the school’s prize money. “It will be something special and beneficial for our eighth graders,” Eisenlohr said.

When asked about future aspirations, Tucker currently says she doesn’t have any concrete plans. She was quick to point out that her parents don’t want her to follow in their footsteps as a teacher or campground owner, but she says she is intrigued by the medical field. Time is on her side. For now, her name has been added not only to the school’s “My Personal Michigan Hero” award plaque but to one at the state level as well! There is no doubt she is honing her writing skills. With the support of her family, and especially her “hero dad,”  she is well on her way to becoming someone else’s hero someday.

Klotz said he and his agency has been a proud sponsor of the contest locally for the past eight years and were pleased to offer this year’s top three local winners, Tucker, Gross and Shafer with $40, $30, and $20 gift cards, respectively.

All ten essays are available to read by visiting https://new.michfb. com/about/community-involvement/america-me-essay-contest

G race T ucker

City of Hart provides numerous updates

By Sharon Hallack

The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

HART - As winter becomes a distant memory and spring weather continues, local municipalities are busy returning to work held off, or planned for, during the winter. Hart City Manager Rob Splane wants to let everyone know he sympathizes with Hart City residents who are being inconvenienced in many different ways this spring.

Between numerous street projects (Dryden, Hart, Wood and Church), DTE natural gas infrastructure upgrades, HydroCorps cross-connection water inspections, and the water main break on East Main in February, along with an emergency repair to State Street earlier this month, the city has been full of activity. And as if that’s not enough, upcoming projects include Plummers Environmental water line verifications starting in April and Frontier Communications city-wide fiber internet upgrades beginning in the second quarter. “It’s all good, but I do feel for our residents with all the projects going on at the same time,” said Splane.

Regarding the East Main water main break in February, Splane shared that initially the DPW was able to apply a clamp to the failed section of the water main and backfill the site. However, after several days, the site was still very wet, indicating a new leak may have occurred while filling the hole. He said the overall condition of the main in that

area was poor and would be prone to future failures. Knowing how quickly the situation could go from bad to worse, the city council authorized waiving the formal bid-letting process at their March 12 meeting and sought competitive quotes for the work. In the past six weeks, motorists have been driving around strategically placed warning barricades and unpreventable potholes. Fortunately, a local contractor was able to begin the repair last week, and as soon as the asphalt plants are open next month, the street will be reconstructed.

Thankfully, it’s not all doom and gloom for the city. The State of Michigan EGLE (Environment, Great Lakes & Energy) department finally signed off on the Veterans Park project plans. “After 18 months of back and forth, we finally have an approved plan,” Splane said. According to Splane, the main sticking point was the location and position of the fishing and boating dock. The city is now seeking the required DNR (Department of Natural Resources) approval, which Splane has been told should only take a couple of weeks. “If that holds true, we’ll be able to bid the project out next month. Ideally, we’d have a summer start and a spring finish,” said Splane.

The council themselves gave approval for the appointment of Andrew Mullen of 181 W. Main St. to the Hart Economic & Redevelopment Team (HEART). In his application, Mullen said he has been on both sides of the grant process (request-

ing and reviewing) and has served in community and corporate organizations and foundations (Shutterfly Foundation and Shutterfly Green Team, Winlock Improvement Network). He is a proud Eagle Scout and a small business owner. “I’ve started and run multiple businesses, including a restaurant, a graphic design firm, a post-production/media firm, and currently an IT (information technology) company.” Mullen joins the current team of Scott Beal, Catalina Burillo, Noble Graham-Lattin, Dean Hodges, and Hannah Juhl.

Mayoral board and commission appointments for the coming year were recently announced as well: Justin Adams - Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation and HEART; Catalina Burillo - HEART and Cemetery; Dean Hodges - BioPure, HEART, Lake Board, Power Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and Board of Review; Amanda Klotz - Library, Cemetery and Finance/Personnel; Kris Trygstad - Finance/Personnel; and Vicki Platt - all boards and committees.

Lastly, the council was finally able to give its approval to the language being submitted for approval by the governor and attorney general regarding a proposed amendment to the city’s charter. The city charter committee has been working for nearly a year, in committee and in

communication with the city’s attorney, to change the time set for city council meetings. If and when the governor and attorney general approve of the proposed amendments, a certified copy would need to be submitted to the Oceana County Clerk’s office no later than Aug. 13, 2024, in order for the matter to be considered by voters in the General Election scheduled for November 5, 2024.

Currently, the Hart City Charter states, “Regular meetings of the council shall be held at least twice in each calendar month, commencing at 7:30 p.m. at the City Hall. If any time set by resolution of the council for holding of a regular meeting of the council shall be a holiday, then such regular meeting shall be held on the next following secular day, which is not a holiday, or on such other day as may be set by the Council.”

The proposed charter language reads as follows, “Regular meetings of the Council shall be held in each calendar month at the City Hall or such other location designated by the Council. Prior to the first meeting in a calendar year, the Council shall, by resolution, establish the dates and times of the Council’s regular meetings for the next calendar year and may, when necessary or appropriate, change the date, time and place of any regular meeting.”

Board of commissioners impressed with treasurer’s office, votes to expand work week

By Steve Gunn The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

In a presentation to the Oceana County Board of Commissioners Tuesday, Treasurer Mary Lou Phillips gave an eye-opening summary of how she and her small staff have been making money for the county and its taxpayers at a pretty impressive rate.

Phillips offered this information as part of an effort to convince the board to allow her staff to work and be paid for 40 hours per week, rather than the 35 hours they were previously paid for.

The commissioners unanimously approved the request and will review the situation again next year at budget time.

Phillips, who is in the final year of her second term in office, told the commissioners that she has invested money from various county funds aggressively since taking office in 2017, and, with recently high interest rates, has been pulling in the bucks for the county.

In calendar year 2023, Phillips said she invested about $31 million in county funds that otherwise would have been sitting around, waiting to be spent, without earning any interest.

That resulted in about $1.6 million in interest earnings for the coun-

ty, including $283,000 for the general fund.

By contrast, the treasurer’s office, with only four total employees (including Phillips), operates on an annual budget of slightly more than $300,000, which includes all staff salaries and benefits. Phillips makes approximately $58,000 per year in salary, the same as the rest of Oceana County’s elected officials.

Phillips told commissioners that when she came to office in 2017, she found that the county was making minimal investments (only about $4.5 million) with money from its various accounts, with minimal returns. She also said the county was battling to keep up with bank service fees of $13,000-$14,000 per year for its accounts.

She said she quickly shopped around for better banking opportunities for the county, eliminated the service fees and started investing county funds.

“In my first month in office, we got an annual bill from the bank in terms of service charges for $13,000 or $14,000, and I wondered, what is this, when the bulk of the county’s money was sitting in that bank’s checking account was not earning any interest and was (just) offsetting service charges.

“When money comes in, we don’t let it sit in the checking account. We can bring it in and move it out, and

get it invested the same day.”

While Phillips is proud of the interest income that her office has generated for the county, she was quick to note that higher interest rates in 2023 – around 5.1 percent – contributed to the high return on the investments.

Regardless of that factor, commissioners reacted happily to the financial news.

“I surely appreciate your work ethic,” Commissioner Paul Erickson said. “I think the county really owes you a thank you.”

“I just came on (the county board) in 2021, but $283,000 in interest in the past year—that’s fantastic; that’s a whole department,” Commissioner Phil Morse said.

Commissioner Robert Walker, the chairman of the county board, told The Echo that “The reaction from the board of commissioners, when Mary Lou said how much total interest she earned for the county in 2023, was priceless.”

Phillips was gratified by the commissioners’ response and their willingness to continue the 40-hour work week for her staff because she said she and her three employees put in a ton of work every week.

Among many other duties, the treasurer’s office is responsible for cash management for all county departments, assisting cities and townships with property tax collection,

managing delinquent tax collection, deed and tax certification and the sale of dog licenses.

In addition, Phillips serves as the chair of the Oceana County Land Bank Authority and serves on the boards of the Brownfield Authority and the Elections Commission.

Prior to last year, the treasurer’s staff was paid for a maximum of 35 hours per week and received comp time during slower periods to make up for the extra hours they worked.

Several other county departments still operate on a 35-hour work week, a tradition that probably dates back to the 1960s or 70s, according to Chairman Walker.

“I have never understood it,” Walker said.

The treasurer’s office changed to a 40-hour schedule earlier this year at Phillips’ request. That will now continue for the rest of the year and will be reviewed again at county budget time, Phillips said.

Phillips told commissioners that she usually works about 50-55 hours per week, but with staff members working a full 40 hours, she is hoping her workload becomes more manageable.

“The point I would like to make is that this office has a lot going on,” Phillips told commissioners. “It’s crazy the amount of time it takes to get the job done.”

Early exploration of Oceana

By Caleb Jackson

The Oceana Echo Community Columnist

It is a well-known fact that Claybanks was the first area to be settled in Oceana. Dr. Thomas Phillips brought his family to the area in 1849. He also built the first sawmill out on Stony Creek for a man named Rev. W. Ferry. Prior to this, the area had been scouted by John D. Hanson, another early settler who worked as a sailor running lumber for Charles Mears. But does that mean these were the first non-natives to step foot in Oceana? Almost certainly not. Very little is written about the early exploration of the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, but we know that it must have happened. Today, we will once again crack open volume one of the Oceana County Historical & Genealogical Society’s history book to see what they have to say concerning the early exploration of the area.

First, it is mentioned that the area must have been known to French explorers. “It is nevertheless obvious that considerable exploration of this part of the New World was accomplished during the years that France was the dominant power here,” it says in the book. Indeed, there are a few old French maps that show the east shores of Lake Michigan, even if they are wildly inaccurate. Another good indicator is the French language preserved in the names of surrounding areas: “Grand Traverse Bay, Point Betsie (aux Becs Scies), Big Point Sable, Little Point Sable and St. Joseph are among the most notable.” For those who do not know, the name “Little Point

Sable’’ comes from an older name, “Petite Pointe au Sablé,” which is French for something along the lines of “sandy little point.” Other historical sources seem to agree that French explorers must have visited the area early on. In Hartwick and Tuller’s book, “Oceana County Pioneers and Business Men of To-Day,” they state that “There is little doubt but that as early as 1615, Lake Michigan had been visited by French explorers.”

But it also seems that there was some British exploration. “On October 31, 1779, H.M.S. ‘Felicity’, Cap. Samuel Roberts, southbound along the coast, made entry in their log-book that they had passed the mouth of the White River at 3:00 P.M. and were abreast of the Muskegon River at 5:00 P.M., this probably being the first written record to mention White River.”

Following this, there is, of course, the very infamous land survey in 1812. This was the result of an Act passed by Congress requiring 2,000,000 acres of Michigan be set apart for soldiers of the war with Great Britain. The report from the Surveyor General spoke so poorly of Michigan that a part of the previous act was repealed, opting instead to take the land from Illinois and Missouri instead of Michigan. Then, in 1821, the American explorer Henry Schoolcraft passed through the area, heading north along the coast, as he and his team explored the Northwest Territory. Echoing the words of the survey team before him, he found it to be “a lonely, dreary place,” but he did notice that “a few white settlers had penetrated as far north as White River.” According to the his-

tory book put out by the OCH&GS, Schoolcraft was likely referring to a man named Job Sargent, “a War of 1812 veteran who is known to have homesteaded on the north side of White Lake about that time, along with other settlers.” They go on to say, “Job soon brought his numerous family out from New Hampshire, lived to a great old age and is buried in Montague Cemetery, undoubtedly the only veteran of 1812 to be buried there.”

The 1830s are when things really began to pick up for Michigan, with the Erie Barge Canal opening in 1825, bringing in the first few waves of new settlers. In 1820, the population was only 9,000. “The 1830 Census counted nearly 32,000, and by 1840, Michigan’s population had jumped to over 210,000,” the OCH&GS wrote, adding that many of these new residents hailed from New England and Canada. By 1835, most of the southern half of the state had been surveyed and mapped; however, there was an extremely large tract of land between the Grand River and the Straits of Mackinaw that was still unexplored. In 1836, the Chippewa and Ottawa tribes signed over their rights to the area north of the Grand River, plus some land north of the Straits. By 1837, a contract to survey and establish township lines between the Grand River and the northern boundary of Mason County was awarded to one John Mullett. Mullett and his team would complete the boundaries of all of our townships by 1838. This was only the beginning of a much larger and rather harrowing process. After establishing the township lines, the townships needed to be divided into sections.

It is these sections that “ever since, have been used to determine the location and boundaries of individual parcels of real estate.” These land surveys also resulted in the first accurate maps of Oceana, which were used in the U.S. Land Office to help sell off parcels to interested customers, like John D. Hanson, the first man to buy land in Oceana.

We owe a great debt to these land surveyors. Referring to the early explorers that came before them, the OCH&GS says, “It is not likely that any of the early explorers saw any necessity to penetrate the interior of Oceana County…” But, when referring to John Mullet and his crew, and the subsequent crews of land surveyors, they wrote, “Theirs was a difficult, poorly-paid undertaking but one that was most necessary for the orderly settlement and land ownership throughout the newly opened wilderness areas.” I’m sure their stories would be worth covering here, but we will save them for another time.

April Echo THE

Ongoing

Hart VFW Post 1329 Burger/Chicken/Brat/Ribs Night, first and third Wednesdays, 5-7 p.m., dine-in or carry out.

The Ladder Community Center:

M-F: The Ladder is open for adults (18+) 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

M-F: The Huddle for 6th-12th grade youth, 3-5 p.m.

Tuesdays: Pit Stops for Men 12 & up, 6:30 p.m.

Saturdays: Celebrate worship gathering, 6:30 p.m.

Complete schedule at: theladdercommunitycenter.com

Knights of Columbus Bingo, 6 p.m.

St. Gregory Parish Center, 214 S. Peach Ave. in Hart Second & fourth Fridays, doors open at 4 p.m.

Pentwater Jr. Women’s Club - Feeding America West Michigan mobile food pantry, third Tuesday of the month, Pentwater Fire Department, 11 a.m.

March 13- May 29 - Oceana Conservation District

Knee-High Naturalist Forest School Program

PLA board meeting planned for April 15

The Pentwater Lake Association board of directors will meet Monday, April 15, at 6:30 p.m. at the Centenary Methodist Church at 82 N. Hancock St., Pentwater. The public is invited to attend; enter at the Hancock Street Hall entrance. Membership in the PLA is open to all individuals interested in the lake, its natural resources, and its water quality. Members do not have to own lake property in order to join the non-profit organization. More details and past meeting minutes are available at www.pentwaterlakeassociation.com.

April 12 - Story Time, Hesperia Comm. Library, 10-11 a.m.

April 12 - Hart Performing Arts Series, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, Hart Public Schools Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.

April 13 - Walkerville Daddy Daughter Dance, 6-7 p.m.

April 14 - Sr. Guadalupe retirement party, St. Gregory’s in Hart, 1-4 p.m.

April 15 - After School Movie, Hesp. Comm. Library, 3:30-5:30 p.m.

April 15 - Hart Public Schools Board of Ed. meeting, 6 p.m.

April 15 - PLA meeting, 6:30 p.m., Centenary UMC, Pentwater.

April 15 - Fighting Diamond Base Camp, Heritage Wedding Barn, 7 p.m.

April 16 - Tech Hour, Hesperia Comm. Library, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

April 18 - Matinee Movie, Hesperia Comm. Library, 1-3:30 p.m.

April 18 - Family Fun Night, Hesperia Comm. Library, 6-7 p.m.

April 18 - Author Barbara Bull, Shelby Area Dist. Library, 6:30 p.m.

April 19 - Smart Money MI - Story Time, Hesp. Comm. Lib., 10-11 a.m.

April 20 - Earth Day Celebration, “Planet vs Plastics,” Shelby Middle School, 525 N. State St., Shelby, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

April 20 - Oceana County Book Walk, Shelby Pocket Park and Rail Trail, 1-3 p.m.

April 20 - OCD Spring Seedling Sale Order Pick-up, fairgrounds.

Area Preschool and Kindergarten Roundups have begun

By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

It’s April, and that means one thing in schools across the county - Preschool and Kindergarten Roundups! Schools in all four corners will be hosting open houses in the coming days to “round up” students for next fall. Having parents register their children now gives school districts important enrollment information as they make plans for staffing and programming for the upcoming 2024-25 school year. If parents are unable to attend their district’s official roundup open house, they may still enroll their children this spring. Please contact your local school district for more information.

To be eligible for Head Start, children need to be 3 years old by Dec. 1. To be eligible for the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) children need to be 4 years old by Dec. 1. Parents wishing to enroll their child for the 2024-25 school year need to provide the following information at the time of enrollment: their child’s birth certificate, a health physical and hearing/vision screening (within 30 days of the first day of school), and up-to-date immunization records. Parents will also need to provide proof of income for themselves, such as a pay stub or W-2.

HESPERIA - Hesperia Community Schools is

now enrolling area preschoolers and kindergartners for the 2024-25 school year. Call Kristin Tanner at Patricia St. Clair Elementary at 231-854-6615 to set up an appointment.

PENTWATER - Pentwater’s official roundup open house took place this past week. Anyone wishing to enroll their child in preschool or kindergarten for the 2024-25 school year may contact Director Amy Roberson at 231-869-4100, Ext. 219. Please visit https://www.pentwaterschools.net/ for further district information.

NEW ERA - New Era Christian School, located at 1901 Oak Ave. in New Era, will be hosting an Early Childhood Roundup, New Families and Registration Night, Monday, April 15 from 6-8 p.m. A presentation and Q&A session will start at 7 p.m. New families will be able to meet staff and board members and learn more about PACE (Parents Active in Christian Education). Registration paperwork will be available (current families paperwork is due by April 15). Light refreshments will be served. Call 231-861-5450 or visit www.newerachristian.org for more information.

WALKERVILLE - Walkerville Public Schools will have their preschool and kindergarten roundups Wednesday, April 17 from 4-6:30 p.m. in the lower elementary building. Packets are available ahead of

Share high school yearbooks at The Ladder

The Ladder Community Center in Shelby invites all to join them on Tuesday, April 16 at 6:30 p.m. for Share Our Stories (SOS). Please note the change in time from daytime to evening. April’s SOS theme will be “High School Yearbooks.” The Oceana County Historical & Genealogical Society will bring its collection of old high school yearbooks from Hart, Pentwater, Shelby and Walkerville (the earliest one from 1916). We will share interesting tidbits from the yearbooks and look for photos of relatives and friends!

SOS is a monthly event at The Ladder where people gather and share memories, photos and other memorabilia from Oceana County. There is no cost for this evening event, though donations to The Ladder are welcome. Events are subject to change. To inquire about an event or if you have ideas for future topics of interest for SOS, call The Ladder at 231-259-0211. Visit theladdercommunitycenter. com to view all our upcoming events.

time in the main office and on the day of roundup. Please visit https://walkervillewildcats.com/ourschool/prek-3rd-grades/ or call 231-861-4850 for more information.

SHELBY - Shelby Early Childhood Center Preschool Roundup will be Thursday, April 18 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Please visit https://www.shelbyearlychildhood.net/o/earlychildhood or call 231-8616629 for further information.

HART - Hart Public Schools Diman Wolf Early Childhood Center (DWECC) will be holding their GSRP and Head Start Roundups on Thursday, April 18 from 4:30-6 p.m. and Friday, April 19 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. English and Spanish packets are both available outside DWECC for parents to pick up at any time. They will also be available in the office and at roundups. All children with completed paperwork by April 18 or 19 will be entered into a drawing for a huge Lego STEAM Park Set! Call 231-873-6330 or visit tinyurl.com/wsesdGSRP for more information.

OCEANA COUNTY - Oceana Christian School is now enrolling Pre-K through 6th grade students for the 2024-25 school year. Please visit www.oceanachristianschool.com or call 231-873-2514 for more information.

Retirement party this Sunday for local nun

After 40 years in ministry, Our Lady of Fatima-St. Gregory’s Catholic Church is honoring Sr. Guadalupe Moreno-Castilleja with a retirement party Sunday, April 14.

She will be recognized during the 11:30 a.m. Mass with a reception to follow from 1-4 p.m. at St. Gregory’s, 214 Peach St. in Hart. All are welcome.

Fiesta de jubilación este domingo para monja local

Después de 40 años en el ministerio, Nuestra Señora de Fátima-St. La Iglesia Católica de Gregory honra a la Hna. Guadalupe Moreno-Castilleja con una fiesta de jubilación el domingo 14 de abril.

Será reconocida durante la misa de las 11:30 a.m. seguida de una recepción de 1 a 4 p.m. en St. Gregory’s, 214 Peach St. en Hart. Todos son bienvenidos.

FROM KING FEATURES WEEKLY SERVICE,

628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803

FROM KING FEATURES WEEKLY SERVICE, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803

CUSTOMER SERVICE: (800) 708-7311 EXT.

257

CUSTOMER SERVICE: (800) 708-7311 EXT.

257

• On April 22, 2000, 6-year-old Elián Gonzalez, who was the sole survivor of an abortive attempt by 13 other Cuban citizens to enter America as illegal immigrants, was taken by a S.W.A.T. team from his Miami relatives. Following a number of court battles, the child was returned to his father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez.

STRANGE BUT TRUE #12345_20240408

FOR RELEASE APRIL 8, 2024

NOW HERE’S A TIP #12345_20240408

FOR RELEASE APRIL 8, 2024

By JoAnn Derson

By Lucie Winborne

• On April 23, 1898, Spain declared war on the U.S. after rejecting its ultimatum to withdraw from Cuba. Following the declaration, the American Asiatic Squadron, under Commodore George Dewey, engaged the Spanish Pacific squadron under Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasarón in the Philippines’ Manila Bay, and decimated the Spanish squadron.

• On April 24, 1942, singer/actress/ film producer Barbra Joan Streisand was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. Considered “the girl on the block with the good voice” in her youth, and determined to be a star, her breakthrough came with the lead role in the 1964 Broadway musical “Funny Girl.” In 1968, the movie version of the role earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress. To date, Streisand has sold more than 140 million albums and won 10 Grammys.

• On April 25, 2006, Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that his country was happy to share its nuclear technology with other nations, during a meeting with the visiting Sudanese president. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice condemned the comments, and Iran’s top nuclear negotiator threatened to suspend its cooperation with the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog if the country was threatened with sanctions.

• On April 26, 1928, Filipino immigrant Pedro Flores opened the Yo-yo Manufacturing Company in Santa Barbara, CA. By November 1929, he was operating two additional factories in Los Angeles and Hollywood, which together produced 300,000 yo-yos daily.

• On April 27, 1971, eight members of the Welsh Language Society were accused of conspiring to damage, remove or destroy English-language road signs in Wales.

• On April 28, 1789, Fletcher Christian led a mutiny against William Bligh aboard the HMS Bounty and set him and 18 loyal crew members adrift in a 23-foot open boat, but the men survived a 47-day voyage to the Dutch East Indies and returned to England to report the mutiny. Christian and the rest of the crew eventually settled on Pitcairn Island and Tahiti.

© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

• A topcoat a day keeps the manicurist away! Revive your polish by giving the ends a quick coat of clear topcoat daily to extend the life of your manicure.

• “I like to cut out and save comic strips. I used to put them in photo albums with the plastic sleeves, but the pages were a little small. Now I use scrapbook pages, which are much wider. I just glue them to a coordinating color paper. They look much nicer, too.” — A reader in Virginia

• The hardware on my favorite purse started to look very banged up and flaking. I found a silver leaf pen at the craft store, and it was very easy to spruce my bag up again.

• To keep spring boots looking tall and smelling pretty good, loosely roll a thin stack of newspaper, stick it down the leg portion of your boot, then fill it with a stack of balled-up newspapers. It will support the leg, which will not flop over, causing cracks. And the newspaper absorbs any smells.

• If you have trapped hairs, try this trick: Wet an old, clean toothbrush and dip it in baking soda or body scrub. Gently exfoliate the area once a day for several days, and it should work itself right out.

• Bar soap is much more concentrated and eco-friendly than liquid body washes. These days, they are just as moisturizing as any liquid soap. Look for ingredients like shea butter or the words “ultra-moisturizing” and “added emollients.”

Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.

© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

By Lucie Winborne

• While death by guillotine might seem like an ancient ritual, the practice was still in use in France up until 1977 — when the original “Star Wars” was in theaters.

• Sleeping through summer is called estivation.

• The Museum of Bad Art in Somerville, Massachusetts, is pretty much exactly what it sounds like — a collection of really bad art! But then again, who’s to judge?

• The American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-5 handbook classifies caffeine withdrawal as a mental disorder.

• Humans invented booze before the wheel.

• When swallowed by toads, bombardier beetles project hot, noxious chemicals from their anuses, which sometimes forces the predators to puke the beetle back up.

• The town of Baarle straddles the Dutch-Belgian border. In some places, the official borderline cuts through houses and cafes.

• There are approximately 200 feral cats roaming the grounds of Disneyland, where they help control the park’s rodent population. All of them are spayed or neutered, and park staff provide them with both extra food and medical care.

• The second-half kickoff in Super Bowl I had to be done twice, as NBC didn’t cut back from a commercial break in time to catch the first one on camera.

• In Japan, instead of a “Man in the Moon,” people see a “Rabbit in the Moon.”

• The Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships are held in Finland. One winner said he prepared for the event by “mainly drinking.”

• Sometimes it snows on Mars, but the flakes are made out of carbon dioxide, not water.

• After the band OutKast sang “Shake it like a Polaroid picture,” Polaroid released a statement warning that “shaking or waving can actually damage the image.”

***

Thought for the Day: “The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.” — Thomas Szasz

© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

Phil is the father of andrew white of new era

Jenny Marie Mangold

September 1, 1944 ~ April 7, 2024

Jenny Marie Mangold, 79, of Hart, passed away un expectedly Sunday, April 7, 2024. She was born Sept. 1, 1944, in Hart, the youngest daughter of Henry and Edith (Gerard) Verschueren.

Jenny was happily married to Larry Duane Mangold Sr. for 32 years. Jenny and Larry were very proud of their home and yard, and Jenny continued to take care of it right up to her passing.

Jenny is survived by: her children, Angela (Craig) Lipski, Mike (Jannet) Mangold and Larry (JoAnn) Mangold Jr.; grandchildren, Spencer Lipski, Kala Lipski (Justin Paulsen), McKenzi Mangold and Lucas Mangold; great-grandchildren, Cameron and Sophia Lipski; sister-inlaw and dear friend, Beverly Verschueren; as well as many nieces and nephews.

Jenny was preceded in death by: her beloved husband Larry; parents, Henry and Edith; son, Tim; many brothers and sisters.

A celebration of Jenny’s life will take place at 1 p.m., Saturday, April 13, 2024, at Jenny’s home for family and close friends. Harris Funeral Home, in Shelby, is in charge of arrangements. www.harrisfhome.com

Mark Russell Thrailkill

July 17, 1966 ~ April 11, 2024

Mark Russell Thrailkill, 57, of Hart, passed away in the early hours of Thursday, April 11, 2024, surrounded by loved ones. He was born July 17, 1966, in Hart, the son of Russell “Red” Thrailkill and Alma (Brimmer) Thrailkill.

Mark was employed most of his life as a custodian, 13 1/2 years for Hart Public Schools and 17 years for Manistee Public Schools. He was also very proud to have worked with Bob Parmer at his fruit stand for over 10 years and also for Tri-City Carpet Cleaning.

Most important in Mark’s life was his family; he loved spending time with his many family members and close friends, and they truly meant the world to him. Also holding a special place in Mark’s heart were the Silver Lake Sand Dunes, where he spent countless hours every summer; he also enjoyed golfing, fishing and bingo.

Mark is survived by: his daughter, Oziraya Thrailkill; siblings, Ken (Roxanne) Thrailkill, Gary (Susan) Thrailkill, Dan (Lynette Smith) Thrailkill, Carol (Jerry) Hitchcock, Pat Thrailkill, Chris Thrailkill, and Jeff Thrailkill; brother-in-law, David Jones; loving girlfriend, Tammy Wendt; and many nieces and nephews.

Mark was preceded in death by: his parents; and his sister, Rose Jones.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m., Friday, April 19, 2024, at Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, 2370 N. 72nd Ave., Hart, MI 49420, with Pastor Bob Abbott officiating. Visitation will be held Friday from 10 a.m. until the time of services at the funeral home. Interment will be in Elbridge Township Cemetery, with a luncheon immediately following at Elbridge Community Church.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to his girlfriend, Tammy, and to Hospice of Michigan, for the wonderful care and love they showed to Mark.

Memorial contributions in Mark’s name may be made to Crystal Valley Care Fund, P.O. Box 451, Hart, MI 49420.

Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, King-Hart Chapel, is in charge of arrangements. www.beaconfh.com

Gramps is a very special senior cat. We estimate he is likely 13 years of age or older. When he was found this past fall, he was very skinny and starving, living outside. Gramps was taken to the vet and was found to be FIV positive, which means he is immune compromised. He also had ulcers in his mouth—a huge one on his tongue and others on his gums. He only has his canines left, too. Gramps’ tongue has healed, and his gums are almost healed. He drools all the time and needs his face and chin wiped off a few times a day. Gramps loves having the extra pampering. He really could use a weekly bath and regular brushing, as he struggles with grooming himself. He needs a home that is willing to give him a very nurturing last few years of his life. Gramps would be a great snuggle buddy, and he still has a bit of spunk left in him. If he is getting pets and love, and the person stops, he will give a firm “love bite” or a swat at the hand or arm to say he wants more. Gramps is an extra-affectionate guy who loves attention, and he needs way more than shelter staff can give him. He would be SO appreciative of a real home!

Gramps is neutered, up-to-date on vaccines, flea-treated and dewormed. Adoption fee is $75, which helps pay for the cost of treatments. If you would like to adopt Gramps, please fill out an application through the OCAF Facebook page: Oceana County Animal Friends or online at: oceanacountyanimalfriends.wordpress.com

Sassy is a sweet and gentle one-year-old mix searching for a patient and understanding forever home. While she may be timid at first, Sassy has a heart full of love waiting to bloom. Sassy is initially shy, may take some time to warm up to new people, and may exhibit cautious behavior when encountering unfamiliar situations. Sassy will thrive in a calm environment with minimal noise and commotion. A peaceful home will help her feel secure and relaxed. Sassy needs patient and understanding owners who are willing to give her the time and space she needs to adjust at her own pace.

Sassy is available for adoption from the Oceana County Animal Shelter. If interested, please call the shelter at 231-861-5395. The adoption fee for cats is $35, and you receive certificates for $25 towards spay/neuter and $10 towards rabies if not already done. The adoption fee for dogs is $95 and you will receive a $50 certificate good for spay/neuter, if needed. Every dog should have an ID tag. L.A.S.S.I. provides free dog ID tags to all Oceana County residents. To request tags, send a text to 231-7303906. Free tags are also available at the Oceana County Animal Shelter.

Tails of Hope Meet Sassy

Pentwater shows growth in first action of track season

By: Brendan Samuels The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

HART – Though they weren’t at full strength, Pentwater’s track and field teams made strides while competing against a pool of 13 schools at the Hart & Sole Music Invite on Saturday, April 6.

The Falcons were missing nine athletes from the team when they visited the home of the Pirates last week. A school trip to Italy left them a bit shorthanded with just 16 athletes available to compete. Seven of those 16 athletes were competing in their first varsity track meet with several new to the sport overall.

“I am so proud of how they were all able to support one another,” Pentwater head coach Erika Fatura said. “I was able to see their confidence build throughout the meet. This team has impressed me so much already in their hard work, dedication and positive attitudes.”

Pentwater’s boys team placed 10th overall, posting 18.33 points. The girls team did not qualify for a team finish, but did have some nice performances from individual standpoints.

The usual suspects headlined Pentwater’s top performers as senior Abe VanDuinen continued to show why he holds several school records. VanDuinen was the lone Falcon to medal on Saturday, taking third place in both the 800-meter and the 1600.

Juniors Trey Johnson and Kaleb Brown impressed in the field events as both took fourth place in their respective events. Johnson found himself in a tie for fourth place at the high jump event after posting a personal record (PR) jump of 5-6. Brown participated in the long jump, leaping to an 1811 ½ mark.

Johnson was one of 10 Pentwater athletes to

Hart track and field athletes dominate pair of early season home meets

By: Brendan Samuels The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

HART – It seems that opposing teams that have been waiting for a falloff from Hart’s track and field team will be waiting even longer. The Pirates hosted two home meets in the last week, posting dominant performances in both, despite losing key pieces from last season.

The girls’ team was particularly impressive on Saturday, April 6 when they claimed a first place finish at the annual Hart & Sole Music Invite. An 11-team pool wasn’t enough to dethrone the Pirates, thanks in large part to great showings from upperclassmen.

Junior Addi Hovey and sophomore Addison Hain led the way in the short distance events. Hovey claimed first place finishes in both the 100-meter and 200 races while Hain followed up with fifth and sixth place finishes in those same events. Hain and Hovey also joined forces with senior Laura Bitely and junior Lilly Hopkins for a first place finish in the 400 relay.

Hovey continued to be a force in field events as well as she continued the pace she set in the high jump in 2023. A jump of 5-4 was enough to give Hovey first place in that event as teammate Imogene Brumbaugh was the only competitor who came close with a jump of 5-0 in second place.

Long distance runs were headlined by junior Jessie Jazwinski who continues to show why she’s a top runner not only in the state of Mich-

igan, but in the country as well.

Jazwinski posted a personal record (PR) while claiming first in the 400, with a time of 1:01.15. Though she didn’t run the 1600 or 3200, those events are where Jazwinski typically scores points for Hart. Jazwinski did take part in the 1600 and 3200 relays alongside teams composed of Jazwinski, Hain, Lexie Beth Nienhuis and Bitely (1600) and Jazwinski, Kenai Kokx, Brooklyn Carter and Elea Bachmann (3200). That 1600 relay team finished in first while the 3200 relay team placed fourth.

Hart’s girls also flashed greatness in hurdling events. Senior Jasmyne Villanueva claimed first in the 100 hurdles with a PR time of 16.60 while Jazwinski snagged a first place finish in the 300 hurdles.

Sophomore Shelbie Choponis was Hart’s top athlete in throwing events for the girls. Choponis posted an 11th place finish in shot put with a 25-1 ½ foot throw before tossing 88-10 in the discus for a third

place nod. Hopkins and Nienhuis were two of three Hart girls to participate in pole vault. Hopkins finished with a vault of 8-6 for a second place finish while Nienhuis came in third with an 8-0 vault. The boys team wasn’t quite as fruitful on Saturday as they finished in fifth place as a team.

Eman Hertzler, Hunter Chaffee and Caleb Westerbeek were heavily involved in that effort.

Hertzler placed fifth in the 100 and was a member of the 400 and 800 relays which both took second respectively. Joining Hertzler on those relay teams were Chaffee, Chase Lorenz and Payden Stone (400) and Chaffee, Joseluis Andaverde and Connor Edwards (800). Chaffee was also in the 100, finishing in 10th place.

Lorenz also provided a spark individually, placing fifth in the 200 before posting a PR time of 54.60 in his sixth place finish in the 400. Lorenz joined forces with Edwards, Andaverde and Westerbeek in the 1600 relay for a second place finish as well.

Westerbeek was the

Hart’s Eman Hertzler receives the baton from teammate Joseluis Andaverde during the 800-meter relay at the annual Hart & Sole Music Invite on Saturday, April 6. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Pentwater’s Kaleb Brown extends his legs in preparation of landing during the long jump event at the Hart & Sole Music Invite. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Hart’s Jasmyne Villanueva takes off on her leg of the 800-meter relay. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Hart Track Falcons

Pirates’ top athlete in the hurdles, placing second in the 110 hurdles with a PR time of 15.89 before taking third in the 300 hurdles.

One area where Hart’s boys struggled mightily compared to last year was in the throwing events. That’ll tend to happen when you lose someone like Kellen Kimes who is now competing collegiately at Liberty University.

Sophomores Jose Torres and Caleb Ackley were the top throwers for Hart. Torres led the way in shot put with a throw of 38-6 while Ackley recorded a throw of 37-5. Those scored ninth and 12th place finishes respectively. Ackley also took 20th in discus with a throw of 87-9.

Rounding out the boys top performers were a trio of top 10 finishers in the long jump. Stone finished in third with a jump of 19-0 while Andaverde and Edwards finished behind him in eighth and ninth place.

A bunch of Pirates also scored PRs on the day with 21 different athletes scoring the best marks of their career in their respective events.

Hart continued its impressive run into Tuesday, April 9 when they hosted North Muskegon and Shelby for a WMC Rivers showdown. Both the boys and girls team notched first place finishes, defeating the Tigers and Norsemen.

The girls had a particularly easy outing as they dominated Shelby, scoring 119.5 points to the Tigers 15.5, and took care of business against the Norse with 95 points to North Muskegon’s 38.

Hart had an easy time in most events as they scored first place finishes in the 100, 400, 3200, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, 400 relay, 800 relay, 1600 relay,

continued from page 8

3200 relay, shot put, discus, high jump, pole vault and long jump.

Leading the way individually was Villanueva, Hovey and Jazwinski with three first place finishes. Choponis cleared the throwing events, taking first place in both the shot put and discus.

The boys also had an easy time taking down rival Shelby by a score of 10116. The Pirates narrowly escaped with a win over North Muskegon, defeating them by just a single point at 68-67.

Top performers for the Pirate boys in that meet were Bobby Jazwinski III who finished first in the 3200 and second as a part of the 3200 relay team and Westerbeek who finished first in the 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles and as a member of the 1600 relay team.

Shelby track unable to keep pace with conference heavyweights

By: Brendan Samuels The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

HART – Taking on two powerhouse track and field programs isn’t ideal to begin a conference schedule, but that’s exactly what Shelby faced when they traveled to Hart to take on the Pirates and North Muskegon on Tuesday, April 9.

The Tigers didn’t have much success on either end in terms of team scores. The boys lost to North Muskegon by a score of 104-28 and fell to Hart, 101-16. The girls fell to the Norse 82-28 and struggled to challenge the defending state champion Pirates, falling 119.5-15.5.

Shelby’s boys team was highlighted by a pair of top five finishes for sophomore Isaac Garcia. Garcia placed fourth in the 100-meter with a time of 11.99

before taking first in the 200 with a 24.39 time.

Levi Cooley and Chase Mero earned sixth and 13th place finishes in the 100 respectively as well. Venancio Cadena had a 10th place finish in the 200.

Micah Frye and Jonathon Carballido also had nice individual performances. Carballido is one of Shelby’s top distance runners and

post PRs as he added two more to his tally in the long jump (16-11 ½) and the 200 (26.52). Joining him with PRs for the boys were Ben Merten and Michael Smith.

he displayed that with a fourth place finish in the 1600 (5:20.79) and a fifth place finish in the 3200 (11:38.27), posting personal records (PR) in both.

Carballido also joined Frye, Ben Cederquist and Chace Oakes for a third place finish in the 3200 relay. Frye placed fourth individually in the 400 as well while Carlos Hernandez placed sixth in the same event. Ethan Fessenden rounded out boys top performers in running events with a sixth place finish in the 800.

The girls were highlighted by a trio of great performances in running events.. Freshman Nova Gottschalk posted two PRs in her events, placing ninth in the 100 and fifth in the 200.

Fellow freshman Grace Hasenbank placed fifth in the 800 before taking fourth in the 1600.

Tigers Track

continued on page 15

continued from page 8

There were no medalists for the girls but the rather young group still gained valuable experience. Sophomore Aubrie Adams posted PR times in the 100 and 200 while JoJo Mannor had three PRs in the long jump, 100 and 200 events.

Ireland Breitner, Laura Bortuluzzi Vieira, Alexis Smith, Bailey Case and Karina Olivarez all posted PRs as well. Olivarez was the lone athlete to do so as an eighth grader at Pentwater.

Shelby girls soccer falls to Whitehall in conference opener

By: Andy Roberts The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

WHITEHALL — Shelby made a late push against Whitehall in Wednesday’s West Michigan Conference opener, but the Tigers were kept out of the goal and took a 1-0 defeat.

The Tigers (1-1, 0-1 WMC) fired a shot towards the goal with 11:45 to play that got under the arms of Whitehall keeper Abby Berman but hit the corner post and stayed there, less than a foot from giving Shelby the equalizer it so desperately sought.

“I always hate to lose,” Shelby coach Pete Peterson said. “We were in this game. We could have tied it up easily at the end here. We had our opportunities. We’ve just got to do better. Hats off to them. They played a good game. They got the goal they needed.”

The Tigers appeared somewhat indecisive early in the game, while Whitehall came out attacking. Peterson said that was a function of being concerned at the Vikings’ physical style of play and wanting to avoid injury. As the

game went on, the team began to play more aggressively and got results.

“It’s like everything, especially in soccer,” Peterson said. “If you’re not going to go in equally hard, you’re going to be the one that gets hurt...In the

Shelby Soccer

continued on page 10

Hart’s Jessie Jazwinski completes the Pirates’ 1600-meter relay with no opponents in sight. • Brendan Samuels/ ECHO

(Above, top) Pentwater’s Trey Johnson leaps over the bar during the high jump. Aubrie Adams (above, left) sprints to the finish in the 100-meter while Abe VanDuinen (above, right) keeps pace in the 1600-meter. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Shelby’s Hannah Frees gets physical with a Whitehall midfielder as the two battle for possession. • Andy Roberts/ECHO

Shelby’s Isaac Garcia blasts off the starting blocks in the 100-meter dash.

• Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Offensive struggles plague Hart girls soccer in conference loss to North Muskegon

By: Brendan Samuels The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

HART – After riding high following their first season opening win since 2017, Hart’s girls soccer team was unable to keep the pace against conference opponent North Muskegon on Wednesday, April 10, falling 3-0.

The Pirates did a great job containing North Muskegon for the first 20 minutes of play, keeping a determined group of Norse strikers at bay. Lost battles in the midfield were the biggest catalyst in Hart’s loss as their opponent consistently lived on the offensive side of the field.

Working in the favor of Hart was the strength of their back line. Junior Kailey Edenburn was particularly dominant, often clearing balls and redirecting balls to keep her team close. When Edenburn and her fellow defenders Marissa Goodrich, April Chaffee and Faith VanderVlucht did get beat by North Muskegon’s forwards, they had an ace in the net behind them helping out.

Sophomore keeper Emma Jeffries had an outstanding game considering the circumstances. Jeffries recorded 10 saves while making several heads up plays to cut off through balls before they had a chance to be dangerous.

Unfortunately, the defense for Hart wasn’t able to make up for their lack of offense. Eventually, North Muskeg-

on found consistent ways to get good looks on the net. That resulted in the Norse finding the game’s first goal with 15 minutes remaining in the first half.

After chasing down a North Muskegon striker, Chaffee stopped a ball just shy of the boundary on her own end. The Norse striker was able to recover just in time to fire a shot past Chaffee and into the opposite corner of the net to take a 1-0 lead.

That opened up floodgates for North Muskegon as they scored another goal two minutes later on a corner kick opportunity that rebounded in front of the net before being tapped in. The Norsemen found their third goal of the first half with four minutes remaining before halftime, carrying them to a 3-0 lead at the break.

The second half featured good battles on both ends, but ultimately ended in a stalemate. Hart (1-1, 0-1 WMC) starts their conference season off on the wrong side of the win-loss column, but has hopes for improvement with a very young roster. Multiple freshmen played in both the JV and varsity games and figure to be key pieces this year.

Hart will hope to rebound with a busy weekend of soccer upcoming. The Pirates will travel to Reed City today (Friday, April 12) for a matchup with the Coyotes before taking part in the Comet Cup tournament at McBain Christian on Saturday, April 13.

Shelby Soccer

second half, once we moved some people around and got something, we had 15-20 minutes when we were down at their end making some things happen in a non-traditional way.”

Shelby ran a slightly different lineup against Whitehall, playing Alyse Erickson in the midfield to adjust for the Vikings’ speed at that position. Erickson normally plays on the outside.

A midgame adjustment to put Kylie Brown in a striker spot alongside Kendall Zaverl gave the Tigers a different dimension that helped get things going for them.

“She’s only a 10th-grader and when she gets flying, she makes things happen,” Peterson said of Brown. “She’s a lot like Kendall, but she’s a little different, because she’s got such long strides

and covers the ground in a different way. They don’t have as much time to recover on her, which is funny, because Kendall’s faster. She just takes these strides and she’s two steps by them and she’s 10 yards down the field.”

The Tigers started losing reinforcements late in the game through a combination of cramps and injury. Peterson said they’ll have to adjust the lineup for this weekend’s Oakridge tournament to account for the banged-up players.

Despite the defeat, Shelby is in good spirits and should be able to bounce back.

“The chess pieces moved and they moved them right with us, and they stifled us enough that we didn’t get the goal to tie it up,” Peterson said.

teeing off

Pentwater’s golf team earned a conference win over Bear Lake and Mesick on Tuesday, April 9 at Golden Sands Golf Course. The team score totalled 162 points, good enough for a 32-stroke victory. Nathan Macher led the way for the Falcons, shooting 38 through nine holes with four pars to boot. Bode Powell was close behind, finishing with a score of 40 that included 2 pars and seven straight bogies. Alivia Kolenda shot 42 and was the top female finisher. • Contributed

(Above, top) Hart’s April Chaffee turns the ball upfield as a North Muskegon striker attacks from the side. (Above, left) Brooklyn Storms pushes the ball toward the sideline near midfield. (Above, right) Emma Jeffries scoops up a ball from her keeper position. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

(Above, top) Shelby’s Micaela Diaz attempts to stop a Whitehall striker while Biloxi Lee waits in net. (Above, bottom) Shelby’s Audrey Horton sweeps the ball out from underneath a Whitehall defender with a well-timed slide tackle. • Andy Roberts/ECHO

Tigers Track

April Luna also took second place in the 3200.

Field events also had some top placements for Shelby. Mero earned a fourth place finish in shot put with a throw of 35-2 while Dominic Mulder placed sixth and AJ Melchor placed seventh. Mulder also took third in the discus, tossing for a 95-8 mark.

Shelby’s girls also showed up well on throwing events. Senior Madison Pies was dominant in both events, taking second place in discus and shot put with PRs of 73-8 and 26-6. Claire Kelley took fourth in discus with a PR of 65-0.

Hernandez placed second in long jump with a PR of 18-8 while Hailey Jones also placed second on the girls side with a PR of 13-1. Sydney Reed finished in fifth with a jump of 11-7.

In total, Shelby posted nearly 40 PR

continued from page 9

performances, despite not finishing on top.

Sibling duo throws for one combined hit as Shelby sweeps Bear Lake

By: Brendan Samuels The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

SHELBY – One prolific game on the mound is something that’s become much more common in high school baseball. Following that game up with an almost equally impressive performance is a rarity, but something that Shelby’s baseball squad accomplished in a doubleheader sweep over Bear Lake on Friday, April 5.

Senior ace Lalo Garcia has been Shelby’s top arm on the mound for a few seasons now, but Friday’s home opener was one his sharpest performances. Garcia had Bear Lake batters in a state of confusion for a majority of the first game of the doubleheader.

entire lineup and more. The inning ended with Shelby holding a 15-0 lead, spelling the end of the game via mercy rule.

Lalo’s brother DayDay followed up an impressive no-hitter on the mound with a nice performance of his own.

DayDay allowed just one hit in an 18-3 win for the Tigers in game two while also striking out eight batters to match Lalo’s total from game one. Game two also ended by mercy rule after just

three innings of play.

“Very proud with how both pitchers threw the ball in tough windy conditions,” Shelby head coach Brian Wright said following the game.

DayDay, Smith and Chase Simon led the Tigers on the day with three hits each while Waller totalled five RBIs.

Shelby (2-0) earned a sweep in their first action of the new season and will face non-conference opponent Manistee today (Friday, April 12).

• Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Garcia started the game off with two strikeouts in the top of the first inning, allowing just one batter to reach base on the only walk he’d surrender over the course of the game. Garcia followed his impressive first inning with two even better half innings, sitting down six consecutive Lakers in order. He would finish his day on the mound with no hits allowed to pair with eight strikeouts. The only thing more impressive than Garcia’s arm were the bats of the Tigers. Shelby didn’t need a single hit to earn an early lead as they scored two runs early after earning four walks in the first inning. Two more walks and a run batted in (RBI) from Eli Kelley in the second inning had Shelby on top 3-0.

After adding an additional two runs in the bottom of the third, Shelby’s offense exploded in the fourth inning. Cam Smith, Garrin Waller, DayDay Garcia and Kelley all earned hits in an inning that saw the Tigers get through their

Shelby’s Dominic Mulder prepares to toss the shot put. • Brendan Samuels/ ECHO

(Above, top) Shelby’s Lalo Garcia prepares to launch a pitch over home plate. Garcia finished game one of a doubleheader with Bear Lake with a no-hitter. (Above, bottom) Shelby’s DayDay Garcia leads off second base. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Hart’s softball team (pictured above) celebrated a homerun from Gabby Schmieding in a 4-3 loss to Whitehall on Tuesday, April 9. The Pirates rallied from the early loss to dominate the Vikings in game two. Hart forced an early end to the game, scoring 22 runs for a 22-7 victory in just three innings. Hart’s baseball team also played right next door where they fell in both games, losing the first by a 12-2 score and the second, 4-2. • Andy Roberts/ECHO

Shelby’s softball team dominated Bear Lake in a pair of games on Tuesday, April 9. The Tigers defeated the Lakers 20-5 in the first game on the back of a big first inning before completing the sweep with an 18-10 victory in game two.

White Lake Mirror White Lake Mirror

Eclipse mania hits area

Monday brought a historic event to the White Lake area, as a partial solar eclipse briefly blocked most of the sun from view. At the eclipse’s peak at about 3:10 p.m., about 92 percent of the sun was not visible as the orbit of the moon around the Earth passed over the contintental United States.

The path of totality passed through the Midwest, especially Indiana and Ohio, and many around the country traveled long distances to see the total eclipse. Here in the White Lake area, the White Lake Community Library hosted a viewing party with free protective glasses, free popcorn and a livestream of news coverage of the event.

No solar eclipse will pass over the contiguous U.S. again until 2044, and none passes over Michigan again until 2099.

Challenges don’t slow down Roger LeMieux

LeMieux, 84, overcame birth defect that prevented walking, forced over 30 surgeries

By Jerry Mattson

Roger LeMieux was born in 1939 with a major birth defect - arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC), which involves joint stiffness and muscle weaknesses found throughout the body at birth. His parents were told by Muskegon-area doctors the best thing to do was to take him home and keep him comfortable until he died.

Mom and Dad did not take that advice, instead taking their son to the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. While he’s never been able to walk and has endured over 30 operations, Roger will celebrate his 85th birthday this year.

He has more than once spent nine months at the U of M hospital, and in all has been there more times than he can remember, but he still considers himself lucky.

“I was rebuilt from the waist down, but many people with AMC have their entire body affected,” LeMieux said.

When Roger got his first pair of crutches as a tot, the doctors in Ann Arbor told his parents, “He will fall down, but don’t pick him up. He’ll learn how to get up on his own and will grow up not being dependent on others.” They also said he would be called names by others, but to just ignore them. Those were important lessons in life and have served him well.

“Nothing has stopped me to this day,” he said.

Roger’s mom taught third grade at Nims School in Lakeside. She home-taught him through the third grade. Then he attended the Handicapped Class at the Nelson School. Here all children with special needs, kindergarten through grade eight, were taught in the same room. They were kept separate from other students.

Next, he entered Muskegon High School as a sophomore, skipping ninth grade. But, he said, “They were not ready for me. There were lots of stairs and

Operation Solo works to keep dogs home

want them to be protected.”

Operation Solo executive director Kendra Boos isn’t in favor of keeping pet dogs outside, especially on chains, and animal advocacy groups, such as the Humane Society, agree with her. They note doing so can be physically and mentally harmful to dogs, who need consistent social interaction with humans and other animals. Chaining can harm pups’ mental health and lead to fear-based aggressive behavior.

However, Boos knows whatever the reasons not to confine dogs outside, it does sometimes happen. For the fourlegged friends for whom that’s part of their life, Boos and Operation Solo try to help.

“Some people have just grown up that way, where dogs are chained outside for protection,” Boos said. “I think people chain their dogs for behavioral reasons when people don’t want them inside. It doesn’t make sense to any of us, but we just know it happens and we

The organization is named for a dog Boos, who works at Glenpark Animal Shelter in Muskegon, met through work. Solo was a chained dog in the area who lived outside throughout his life, in conditions Boos found tragic, before being housed at Glenpark. Ultimately, the dog had to be euthanized, and Boos launched the nonprofit in his honor last fall.

Operation Solo has since devoted itself to help dogs who live outside, providing shelter for the winter - igloo-shaped doghouses are popular - as well as straw to help dogs regulate their body temperatures when outside, and food and water when needed. The group has even provided flea and tick medications to dogs who need them to ward off the pests while outside. The nonprofit also offers educational outreach, encouraging alternatives to chaining dogs, and regularly gives away items like dog food to help pet owners with financial need.

The mission is to keep pets home;

with local animal shelters overpopulated, Operation Solo wants to make sure pets don’t end up surrendered to shelters for lack of ability to take care of them.

away about 100 pounds of dog food per month, relying on local donors; it held

Boos estimated the nonprofit gives

Roger LeMieux relaxes at his home. Despite being born with a condition that kept him from walking, LeMieux will turn 85 this year and has lived a vibrant life.

• Jerry Mattson/Mirror

Members of the Operation Solo volunteer team, including executive director Kendra Boos (second from right, in headband) assemble for a dog food pantry Saturday. The nonprofit organization helps dog owners in need throughout the county.

• Courtesy Photo

Area residents attend the viewing party of Monday’s solar eclipse at White Lake Community Library. • Madison Lajewski/Mirror

Roger LeMieux

not much time between classes. They would not let me out of class five minutes early so I could beat the rush.”

After two days, he had a change of schools. He passed all the entry tests and went from eighth grade to starting college. He attended Muskegon Business College in downtown Muskegon for two years. The school was owned by the Jewel family and he considered them “real jewels.”

“They were very accommodating there. At times, someone would carry me up and down the stairs.”

He then began working for Mona Shores School System in accounting and food service. At night, he took classes in Silk and Fresh Flower Arranging nearby. Then, he opened his own business: Artistry in Silk Flower Design by Roger, working out of his home “on the side.” After a year, he was so busy he had to give that up. He worked 12 years at the school but had to retire in the early 1960s, because of his health.

“Then I got bored and had to find something to keep me busy,” he said.

He solved that problem by volunteering to work the front desk at the Muskegon YMCA.

This was his job for 30 years. For 27 of those years, he also volunteered at the Hackley Hospital working in the gift shop.

When Muskegon Community College bought the Y, a director from Chicago showed up and decided to get rid of all the volunteers. That did not go over well with Roger.

“I was the last volunteer to be gotten rid of and I asked the director if she knew about the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990).

She said, “No.”

She closed the door to her office and questioned Roger. She asked if he was planning to sue them, and he said he would. Within a few minutes, he was reinstated in his job.

“A person shouldn’t have to do things like this. This country was built on volunteerism,” he added. “I don’t need more money. I get paid with gratitude. I’m a people person. I stayed there as a volunteer.”

In 1982, Roger was unemployed and decided he’d like to be a radio announcer. On a Friday, with WKJR-AM on his car radio, he drove around listening to the signal get stronger until he found the recently relocated station. He told the receptionist he would like to apply for an on-air position. The station manager gave him some teletyped copy to read out loud. He passed the test.

On Monday, he reread the copy again and was hired. For the next five and a half years, his voice was heard early Sunday evenings, from Norton Shores, on the AM station and later at night on WABM-FM.

He met Pastor Bill Uetricht of the First Lutheran Church of North Muskegon while working at the Y, telling him he’d come to the church if they had a vehicle he could ride in.

“When do you want to be picked up?” the pastor asked.

The church had recently purchased a bus with an assist lift.

Roger has attended the church regularly for the past 10 years. He trains each new bus driver how to properly use the wheelchair tiedowns, how the rear seats must be folded up to make room for him and how the lift operates.

He has lived in the Village at Park Terrace in Muskegon for the past 13 years. When first there, he lived on the

second floor. Thinking about what his situation might be in a power outage, he arranged to get an apartment on the ground floor.

The bus now stops for him and five or six other people from the building. Uetricht kids him about becoming an evangelist.

While keeping busy, Roger also did a lot of traveling. He loves flying to places but doesn’t care for using the railroad. During a Y convention in Helsinki, Finland, he visited an area where his mother’s parents came from. He also visited Quebec, Canada to see where his dad’s parents grew up. He and his parents visited his aunt and uncle, a retired Naval officer, 17 times in San Diego. He went to Hawaii in 1998 and was surprised to find how far behind they were in implementing ADA regulations.

He owned four cars during his driving days. The first car was a 1960 Mercury. Matson Oldsmobile employees installed the hand controls produced by Gresham Driving Aids of Detroit. There was no one to teach him how to operate them, so he learned on his own. There was a control lever for his left hand which he pulled back to accelerate and pushed it forward to stop, while steering with his right hand. One day, while driving with his dad, the lever broke.

“What are you going to do now?” his dad asked.

“I reached back and got one of my crutches to push the accelerator and brake pedal well enough to get home.”

He drove his last car, a 1999 Buick LeSabre, over 140,000 miles. It was the first car he had with power steering and brakes. He did have some exciting moments for himself and a salesperson. It took a little while to get used to the minimum effort required with the power assists.

Due to blood circulation issues, he had to have his right leg amputated in 2021. This was operation number 32. His driving is now done in an electric-powered wheelchair, which he got with help from his doctors and the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Center. The chair is very expensive and weighs 400 pounds empty.

Once a year, the batteries need to be replaced and a “house call” for the service costs $140. The chair has an odometer, so he can keep track of mileage. He has established a one-mile circular route around the neighborhood, where he enjoys seeing the wild game and other people while silently riding along the sidewalks. The curb cutaways required by the ADA makes this much easier.

“You can do anything you want, if you are determined,” he says. “I enjoy life.”

Operation Solo

its eighth food pantry last Saturday. (The Gnarly Heifer in Whitehall partners with Operation Solo as a drop-off location for donations.)

The group also partners with other local shelters, like Noah Project and Big Lake in Muskegon, and the Heaven Can Wait resale store, a cat-focused nonprofit that swaps dog-focused donations with Operation Solo, with Solo responding in kind when it receives donations meant for cats. Local businesses like Cadena Bros. Pizzeria in Muskegon partner with the nonprofit to help raise money as well; the pizza place launched the barbecue chicken pizza as its pizza of the month for April and will donate $2 to Operation Solo for each one sold.

Boos said the organization’s growth has been beyond her wildest expectations; she and a team of volunteers visit outside dogs around the Muskegon area each Sunday and provide them food and attention.

“It’s actually been crazy,” Boos said. “We weren’t expecting it to blow up the way it has. We started with a small group of people, and it’s caught on. They really like it. We’ve grown a ton in the seven or eight months we’ve been here. We have lots of volunteers.”

Such activities, of course, require money, and that’s how Operation Solo came to be at Biggby Coffee in March along with other small businesses selling goods for the coffee shop’s Sip n’ Shop event. Boos said she learned

of the event because she loves Biggby and follows it on Facebook, and quickly signed Operation Solo up. The nonprofit spent its time there selling dogthemed car decals, t-shirts, keychains, home decorations and more. It even offered stuffed toy dogs for ‘adoption’ for little kids who might want to take them home.

Shelby Robinson, manager of the Whitehall location, said the idea came from ownership, which hosted several similar events at other Biggby stores in the area as well. She was pleased with the results.

“We thought it was a great way to promote small businesses in the community and get some customers in,” Robinson said. “We had a lot of customers come in, and the small businesses got a lot of customers buying things too.”

Other businesses represented included The Resin Lady, which creates resin art, and Emmie D’s Creations, The Creative Mitten and B&B’s Handcrafted Visions, which each offer customized items.

Robinson said more businesses reached out about being included, but the coffee shop ran out of available space. The response was such that Biggby hopes to host another such event in the future.

“We got so many messages from so many small businesses that wanted to come in,” Robinson said.

Montague board approves new security camera purchase

By Madison Lajewski White Lake Mirror Writer

MONTAGUE — At Monday’s meeting, the Montague school board agreed to purchase 23 to 25 new security cameras. The total amount being spent is $99,859.75. The district plans to use the 31aa safety grant from the state to cover the costs. The purchase would cover both the actual cameras themselves and installation.

“The 31aa safety grant funds permit that we do have to focus and make sure that we are providing a nice, safe, secure environment for our students to learn here,” Montague superintendent Jeff Johnson said. “We have been putting off some of our purchases over time. We’re trying to be fiscally responsible by purchasing one camera at a

time in different spots. Obviously that’s a large dollar size.”

Johnson and technical director Steve Denniston walked each school building to take inventory and assess each buildings needs, resulting in the request to purchase new security cameras. The cameras will be placed in “high traffic” areas, such as hallways and the new gymnasium currently being built.

“This will provide a lot more coverage for the buildings,” said Johnson. “In high traffic areas where cameras are needed for certain situations and additional cameras in some spots, including replacement of ones that we utilize. We’d be covering gaps in the hallways and things like that.”

Roger LeMieux utilizes an assist lift on the First Lutheran Church of North Muskegon’s bus in order to attend services regularly.

• Jerry Mattson/Mirror

Echoes of History: Citizens - Dexter Perry Glazier

By Barbara Bedau Brow Volunteer Contributor

Dexter Perry Glazier was a descendant of three Glazier brothers who came from Scotland in the early days of the settlement of this country. His father, Sewell Glazier, was one of them, and he was related to former President Franklin Pierce. D. P. was also related to Commodore Matthew Perry’s line on his mother’s side.

Dexter Perry Glazier was born in Brimfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, Dec. 2, 1823. When his father died in 1851, he traveled to western New York, near Buffalo, where he spent several years as an apprentice in the shoemakers’ trade, becoming very efficient. After that he spent some time in Michigan before he returned to Massachusetts. Then he went to Plymouth, New York where he married Sarah E. Swain Aug. 22, 1854. During their marriage, they had two sons and two daughters: Frank Dexter (1856-1932), Irvin Oliver (1861-1934), Cora Olivia (1868-1958) and Carlotta Maria “Lottie” (1869-1959).

In the fall of 1855, they moved to Grand Rapids and remained there until July 1, 1856, when Dexter moved to Newaygo and engaged in selling general merchandise. He was very successful in business and held many offices of trust in the village while living there.

On July 1, 1863 he registered for the Civil War draft while living in Newaygo.

In June 1866, they came to

Whitehall where Dexter engaged in the same business as when he was in Newaygo.

By 1870, D. P. Glazier had built the first brick block in Whitehall, now sometimes referred to as the Linderman Block, located on the southeast corner of Colby and Mears. In October 1875, A. T. Linderman, formerly of Grand Rapids, purchased the brick block, extensive business interests and the elegant private residence of D. P. Glazier.

In April 1876, D. P. Glazier then rented and moved into the house that belonged to O. R. Goodno of Montague. By September 1876, he was setting up his new store with a fine selection of goods, but the location of the store is unknown.

In January 1877, Glazier announced he would be combining his Montague and Shelby stores in the spring. By February 1877, he had disposed of his property in Montague and was now devoting his time to his store at Shelby.

In December 1878, D. P. Glazier and his son Frank formed D. P. Glazier and Son. Together they opened a new grocery store in the Foster Block at the corner of Thompson and Colby streets which was located just east of the railroad tunnel, about where the Century Building is now.

On July 4, 1879, Frank Dexter Glazier married Artemesia (nee Parks) Stults in Whitehall. She was born in Walworth County, Wisconsin Dec. 1, 1854 and moved with her fam-

Children and their stuffed animals are invited to join us for a special storytime Monday, April 22 at 4:30 p.m. After a fun session of stories, games, and crafts with their stuffed animals, children will be invited to kiss the animals goodnight and leave them with us for an awesome stuffed animal sleepover! Photos of all the antics the animals get into will be posted on our social media so be sure to check Facebook and Instagram to see what fun they are having. Children can reunite with their stuffed animals at the circulation desk anytime during open hours Tuesday, April 23.

Celebrate Earth Day with the Annual Trash Bash

The White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce “Trash Bash 2024” is

ily to Blue Lake in 1866 when it was nearly a primitive forest. They had a son, Hugh (18861955). She died in Whitehall Dec. 15, 1926.

Dexter P. Glazier also had an extensive farm south of the village, as was reported in the local paper Aug. 22, 1879. Of the 100 acres, 15 acres were set with as an apple orchard, five with peaches, 3.5 with grapes, one acre in strawberries, 10 in potatoes, five in corn and 25 in wheat.

In October 1879, it was announced D. P. Glazier & Son had bought the New York Grocery somewhere on Colby Street.

In November 1879, D. P. bought a hardware store in Pentwater and moved his family there. Later, he traded his hardware store in Pentwater for one in Ludington. He also

acquired a jewelry store there which his son Irvin operated for a number of years before he moved to Colorado by 1900.

Dexter Perry Glazier died while visiting his oldest daughter Cora in Wakefield, Michigan, Aug. 5, 1891. He is buried in Oakhurst Cemetery.

Sometime after Dexter died, his wife Sarah moved to Philadelphia and was living with her married daughter Carlotta and her family in 1900. In 1910 and 1920, she was living with her married daughter Cora and her family in Calumet, where she died. Sarah is buried alongside her husband and their son Frank in Oakhurst Cemetery.

Son Frank D. Glazier had been operating a grocery store in his father’s old stand on Colby Street, 2 doors east of the Linderman Block. In June

1888, he bought the Thompson Hardware building next door, had it refit and moved his stock of groceries into it. In 1919, J. P. Jacobson purchased the F. D. Glazer grocery stock. The building was purchased by Leonard & Edna Blomdahl in 1935, torn down and rebuilt in 1953, became A&P in 1956, and is now the eastern portion of the Hokey Pokey.

With his wife’s passing Dec. 15, 1926, Frank Glazier moved to Youngstown, Ohio, where his daughter lived and where he died Feb. 22, 1932.

Correction

In part 2 of the Whitehall seventh-graders’ 1890s recounting of Whitehall history, Merle Gee was mistakenly referred to as the teacher of the seventh-grade class. Gee was a student. The Mirror apologizes for the mistake.

ed. Keep an eye out for some of your favorite library staff members among the crowd of “trash bashers” – we’ll be there helping to keep our community looking good!

scheduled for Sunday, April 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. Everyone is invited to help with a spring cleanup along the bike trail, shoreline areas, and waterways. Dress for the weather, bring your waders or kayak if you like, and don’t forget the sunscreen! Meet up at the Chamber depot at 1 p.m. to get your instructions. Trash bags, gloves, and refreshments will be provid-

FUN FACT: The first Earth Day was celebrated April 22, 1970. This annual event is now celebrated by nearly a billion people all over the globe. Everyone can participate in some way, perhaps by walking or riding a bike instead of driving, picking up trash, recycling plastic bags, or planting a tree. How will YOU celebrate?

Donate Your Gently-Used Eclipse Glasses Speaking of recycling, the library

is collecting gently used solar eclipse glasses now through the end of April. We will ship them to Eclipse Glasses USA, who is sending them on to Latin America for their upcoming annular eclipse in October. If you have some undamaged glasses to donate, just bring them to the front desk by April 30.

Next Used Book Sale May 11

Are you doing some spring cleaning? The library will be hosting its next quarterly used book sale Saturday, May 11, and we still have room for a few more books for this one. If you are cleaning your bookshelves and closets, we will gladly accept your donations of gently used books, movies, puzzles, etc., up to two boxes per person. Just bring them to the desk anytime during open hours, and let us know if you need a donation receipt for tax purposes. Thanks in advance!

Glazier’s Brick Block, AKA Linderman’s Block, is pictured circa 1878.

• Courtesy Photo

Mirror

Mirror

Vikings open diamond seasons vs. Hart

Whitehall earns sweep of Pirates in baseball twinbill

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror

WHITEHALL — Whitehall opened its season Tuesday with a doubleheader sweep of Hart in West Michigan Conference cross-division play. The Vikings rolled to a 12-2 mercy-rule win in game one and edged the Pirates 4-2 to get the sweep.

Whitehall raced out to a huge lead in the opener, scoring 11 times in the first two innings, and Isaac VanAmberg and Brock Morningstar teamed up for a five-inning no-hitter on the mound. Doubles by Ryne Christensen and Morningstar sparked the offense in the opening inning, and Christensen’s RBI single began the eight-run second inning outburst. Christensen added a third RBI hit later in the game, ending the contest with four hits. Morningstar added two. VanAmberg struck out six

in three innings.

The nightcap was much closer, as Hart inched back into the game late after Whitehall snagged an early 4-0 lead. A two-run single by Ryan Goodrich in the second inning opened the scoring, and Christensen tripled in teammate

Kyle Stratton in the third before scoring on a VanAmberg groundout.

Hart battled back, denied a run in the fourth after Blake Weirich was caught stealing home, but later getting RBI hits from Ty Schlukebir and Mitchell Slade. The Pirates actually outhit

Softball wins tight opener en route to doubleheader split

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

WHITEHALL — Whitehall edged Hart Tuesday in its season opener, 4-3, before the Pirates exploded for a 15run third inning to earn a 22-7 win and a doubleheader split.

The first game was a strong one for Whitehall’s pitching and defense, particularly considering it was the opener. Megan LeaTrea was effective in the circle, limiting Hart to only three hits, and

Whitehall 5-3 in the game, but Whitehall took advantage of three Hart fielding errors. Christensen fired five strong innings of relief, allowing just an unearned run and striking out 10, to pick up the win. Stratton allowed one hit in two innings.

the Viking defense made just one error. Whitehall trailed twice in the first game, but both times rallied in the bottom half of the same inning. Annabel Kevwitch opened the Vikings’ scoring in the second by reaching on a called third strike, then stealing second and third before coming home on a Hart error. In the third, Kierra Hyrns answered a Pirates’ run by ripping a triple to center fielder, scoring Bella Fogus, who singled the previous at-bat. Hyrns scored on a passed ball later in the in-

Vikings hold off Shelby, improve to 2-0

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

WHITEHALL — Whitehall was able to make a first-half goal by Kate Beda stand up in Wednesday’s West Michigan Conference opener, earning a 1-0 win over Shelby.

The Vikings (2-0, 1-0 WMC) mostly controlled the early proceedings, playing with decisiveness and aggression. They were finally rewarded with 21:12 to play, when Beda fired a line drive shot past the Tigers’ keeper and into the net. Neither Beda nor Kendall Osborne, who play offensive positions for Whitehall, have a lot of experience doing so - Beda was a midfielder last year and plays for a travel team where her role is to pass the ball, and Osborne hasn’t played in years - but the shot was just the latest piece of evidence for coach Adam Prince and his staff to present to them in the quest to get them to shoot more.

“We tell her all the time, just shoot the ball, her and Kendall both,” Prince said. “Just shoot the ball and the ball will go in. Right now, they’re too un-

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

selfish, and they want to make sure they’re passing to these people and we want them to just start shooting.

“That’s one of the things with the girls game; there are keepers and there’s (just) people that are in goal. We want to make sure that we’re testing everybody that’s in goal.”

As the game went along, Shelby started to make some headway against Whitehall, especially when center de-

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

fender Allie Van Antwerp had to leave the game due to leg cramps. The Tigers nearly scored late in the game when a shot got under the arms of Viking keeper Abbie Berman, but the ball hit the corner post and stayed there, enabling Berman to maintain a clean sheet.

“At one time, we had five fresh-

men and two sophomores out there towards the end,” Prince said. “When Allie went down towards the end with the cramps, she’s not just the center defense, she’s the vocal leader, making

Vikes win close

At left, Whitehall’s Kyle Stratton (right) accepts congratulations from Isaac VanAmberg after scoring a run during Tuesday’s doubleheader against Hart. At right, Ryne Christensen slides safely into third base as Blake Weirich fields the ball for Hart. The Vikings earned a doubleheader sweep. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Whitehall’s Bella Fogus connects with a pitch during Tuesday’s doubleheader against Hart. The two teams split the games. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Whitehall’s Clare Westerlund tries to beat Shelby’s Hailey Jones to the ball during Wednesday’s WMC game at Whitehall. The Vikings won, 1-0.

Whitehall’s Natalie Kotecki eyes the ball during Wednesday’s WMC matchup against Shelby.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Vikes win close

sure that everybody’s set back there. I think they gave away a couple of breakaways, but you saw the speed the freshmen have. In a couple years, they are going to be really good, but they’re pretty talented as they are right now.”

The Vikings’ success on defense to date - they’ve only surrendered one goal in two games - is all the more impressive considering all the new faces on the team. Even the older players, like Osborne and Lucy Zamojcin, are not experienced soccer players, having not been on the team in past years. Beda, a sophomore, and senior Ava Garcia are, Prince noted, among the only players with experience fitting into the Vikings’ lineup.

“We’re still trying to figure out where everybody’s supposed to be and how we’re supposed to interact between each other,” Prince said. “I think going forward, it’s going to actually help us a little bit more because our defense is already set, and it’s just getting the offense to fine-tune some things.”

Whitehall has a few more challenges between now and the April 24 game against powerhouse North Muskegon. Prince said he hopes the team is

ning, giving the Vikings the lead for the first time at 3-2.

Janie Fagan added to the lead in the fourth, doubling down the left field line, reaching third on the throw, and stealing home. That insurance run proved valuable when Hart’s Gabby Schmieding smashed a solo home run to left center in the sixth. The Pirates put two runners on base later in the inning, but LeaTrea induced a groundout to escape trouble and set Hart down in order in the seventh to secure the win.

It appeared the Vikes were in terrific shape for a sweep when they ripped off four first-inning runs to open the second game. Evelyn Darke laced a two-run double and Brianna Eskew drove her in with a single in the inning. However, Hart’s bats, held in check in the opener, burst through the floodgates in game

two, going for five runs in response. Kevwitch put Whitehall back on top with a bases-loaded three-run double in the second, but it was the last time the Vikings would lead as Hart tied it in the bottom half of the inning, then exploded for 15 runs in the third to end the game by mercy rule. Kelsey Copenhaver and Abby Hicks led Hart’s offensive assault with three hits apiece.

Baseball

Montague 11-12 Orchard View 2-4

The

continued from page 4

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

able to make that game a high-octane matchup by entering it with as few defeats as possible.

“Once we start to shoot the ball, I think we’re going to start to score a bunch of goals, (especially) with how well our defense is playing early on,” Prince said.

Academic all-state teams!

Congratulations to local winter sports squads who have been announced to date as academic all-state teams.

In boys basketball, Reeths-Puffer and Montague achieved academic all-state recognition wtih respective team grade point averages (GPA) of 3.498 and 3.44. Whitehall was given honorable mention with a team GPA of 3.29.

In girls basketball, Whitehall and Montague posted high GPAs of 3.84 and 3.62 respectively, earning academic all-state.

The Montague cheer team received honorable mention academic all-state, with a team GPA of 3.29. Wildcat athlete Allyson Balder achieved individual academic all-state recognition.

• Joe Lane/Courtesy Photo

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Mona Shores 3-3 Reeths-Puffer 1-7

R-P scored 5 third-inning runs in game two to salvage a split. Trent Reichert’s 3-run home run was the game’s big hit. Brayden Mitchelson picked up the win. R-P was held to 2 hits in the opener.

Reeths-Puffer 2

Mona Shores 0

Jaxson Whitaker did much of the work himself as the Rockets earned a pivotal series win. Whitaker fired a five-hit shutout, with 9 strikeouts and only 1 walk, and also got a hit and scored a run. Quinn Alderink drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk.

North Muskegon 15-10 Montague 0-2

The Norsemen were rude guests in a lopsided

Montague 28-17 Orchard View 18-2

Montague’s offense sizzled in a doubleheader sweep. Abby Thommen and Kennedy Johnson each had 3 hits in game two, with Thommen driving in 5 runs. Thommen also got the win. Game stats were unavailable due to technical difficulties.

Reeths-Puffer 12-13 Mona Shores 0-7

R-P avenged last spring’s district defeat with a dominant sweep. Lainey McDaniel and Mady Snyder earned pitching wins. Snyder collected 3 hits in each game of the sweep. Natalie Kunnen added 3 hits in 2 games.

The

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Coopersville 11-18 Whitehall 0-1

Reeths-Puffer 1 Mona Shores 1

Alyssa Herbert scored with 1:07 to play to salvage a tie in the Rockets’ O-K Green opener. Sara Carlson and Brenna Ackerman combined for 12 saves in goal to lead a strong defensive effort.

Montague 6 Ludington 6

The Wildcats stormed back from an early 4-0 deficit to earn a dramatic tie against the Orioles. Statistics weren’t available at press time.

Reeths-Puffer girls split at Mona Shores

The Rockets defeated Muskegon 76-50, but lost a tough one to Shores, 71-65. R-P winners were Savannah Lockwood (400 mters), Jersi Bilek (800), Adrienne Fluette (1,600) and Gabrielle Chevez (3,200). Fluette, Bilek, Darcy Keefe and Sophia McCollum also won the 3,200 relay. The R-P boys dropped the double dual. Dylan Sturr set a PR of 11:40.3 in the 3,200 meters to earn the Rockets’ only win.

Golf

Reeths-Puffer 21st at Forest Hills Invite

The Rockets were “humbled,” said coach Matt Pallett, on a tough course against tough foes in their season opener. Kristian Brown led the team with an 89, and Aiden Waggoner’s 98 ranked 2nd for R-P.

Whitehall T-3rd, Montague 5th at Oakridge Jamboree

The Vikings tied with Fremont, scoring a 186, in the WMC opener. Brady Tate shot a 42 to finish 4th individually, and Braedon Bond was 10th with a 46. Montague shot a 194, with Owen Raeth’s 47 leading the team.

Reeths-Puffer 4th at The

Jamboree The Rockets were disappointed with their finish in the

opener. “I like the fact that our team was not happy,” said Rockets’ coach Matt Pallett. “We believe we can be good enough to compete in this league this year.” Kristian Brown finished 8th and led the team with a 44.

Tennis

Whitehall 6 Muskegon Catholic 2

Whitehall opened the season with a solid win. Grace McDowell, Alivia DeWildt, Izzy Gould and Ella Nicholson all romped in straight-set singles wins. Brianna Bentz/Akeelah Martin and Emily VanDam/Sophia McCreedy picked up doubles wins in straight sets.

Reeths-Puffer 4 Mona Shores 4

R-P tied the rival Sailors in an O-K Green opener. Brooke Titus and Olivia Harris earned singles wins, and Emma Fraser/Lauren Matz and Gabrielle Borgeson/Ava Dietz won doubles matches.

sweep. A 2-run double by Cole Herremans saved Montague from consecutive shutouts. The ‘Cats got 3 hits on the day, getting no-hit in a shortened opener.

Viking bats struggled in a non-league doubleheader. Kendall Ursul threw a perfect game for the Broncos in game one. In the 2nd game, Kierra Hyrns drove in Whitehall’s only run with a 3rd-inning double.

Montague boys basketball was named academic allstate for 2023-24, posting a team GPA of 3.44.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Montague girls basketball was named academic all-state for 2023-24, posting a team GPA of 3.62.

Whitehall girls basketball was named academic all-state for 2023-24, posting a team GPA of 3.84.

Reeths-Puffer boys basketball was named academic all-state for 202324, posting a team GPA of 3.498.

Balder

Whitehall’s Lucy Zamojcin looks upfield while controlling the ball during Wednesday’s WMC game against Shelby. The Vikings won the game, 1-0.

Whitehall’s Megan LeaTrea (10) gets fired up to pitch a new inning with teammate Bella Fogus during Tuesday’s doubleheader against Hart.

WLFA makes millage request for May 7 election

Due to a previous millage’s expiration, overall tax burden will decrease even with approval

By Steve Gunn White Lake Mirror Contributor

The White Lake Fire Authority is busier than ever with service calls, and the cost of serving the community has increased a great deal over the past three decades.

That’s why the WLFA is asking voters to approve an increase in the property tax millage rate for department operations.

But the new millage rate would actually be a tax cut for property owners in the City of Whitehall, Whitehall Township and Fruitland Township, the three partner communities in the Fire Authority district.

That’s because a special 1.65 property tax levy, approved by voters four years ago to construct the new fire station on Duck Lake Road, is about to expire. That leaves only the current 1.5 mill operations levy, which is also about to expire.

Fire Authority officials will be asking voters to approve 2.25 mills for department operations in the May 7 election. That would be a significant hike in the tax rate for operations, but an overall decrease from the combined 3.15 mills that were being levied over the past four years for operations and the new station.

“We’re asking for less than what it’s been for the last four years,” said WLFA chief Pete McCarthy. “Overall, it will be a decrease from what taxpayers are paying now.”

2024 is a big year for the WLFA in a number of ways.

In the past, the city of Whitehall had its own fire department while Whitehall and Fruitland townships contracted with Whitehall or Montague for fire services. That changed in 1994 when the three communities joined together to form the independent White Lake Fire Authority, which is governed by a board comprised of representatives from the city and the two townships.

The original articles of incorporation, which created the WLFA back in 1994, had a lifespan of 30 years and had to be renewed this year.

The Whitehall city council, as well as the Fruitland and Whitehall Township boards, have all voted to maintain their membership in the Fire Authority, which means it will continue to exist for at least another 30 years.

“We all came together so we could do this a little more efficiently by combining our resources,” McCarthy said about the successful history of the WLFA.

The original 1.5 millage rate to support WLFA operations also had a lifespan of 30 years.

The new millage request will only be for 15 years, because needs and costs can change quickly, and 30 years

is a long time to wait to increase revenue, according to McCarthy.

“We realized over the course of 30 years that so many things changed and we fell behind the eight ball,” the chief said. “That’s one reason we had to go out for a special millage to build the new fire station. The operating millage was just not enough.

“Moving forward, if we need to increase the rate for operations, there will be a shorter window of time to wait.”

The new operating millage rate that’s being requested – 2.25 mills –would produce about $1.3 million in the first year, which would be enough to keep pace with rapidly increasing costs, according to McCarthy.

The higher costs are related to both inflation and a growing number of service calls in the WLFA’s district.

“We would like to renew at 2.25 mills based on the community’s growth and inflation in costs and services over the past 30 years,” McCarthy wrote in a letter to Whitehall Township board members. “We have more than doubled the amount of calls for service over that time, and a fire engine is now seven or eight times more expensive than when the Authority was formed in 1994.

“In 2023 we answered 1,251 alarms over the 54 square miles that we protect,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy added a number of factors have contributed to the increase in emergency service calls over the past three decades.

“In the ‘90s we probably had around 300 calls (per year); now it’s more than 1,200,” the chief said. “There has been growth in the area, and there are more people. It’s a pretty elderly population now, and they struggle with mobility and have more medical concerns. We have quite a few car accidents, and on Saturdays (during the summer) Michigan’s Adventure doubles our population. Howmet has more than 3,000 employees, many of whom commute into our area.

“It’s probably pieces of all those things. We’ve been busier the last couple of years than we ever have been.”

The increased revenue from the new millage proposal would provide better service to residents, McCarthy said. It would allow the WLFA to add two new full-time employees, which would result in having both fire stations staffed around the clock by two firefighters.

Currently only Station 1 in the city of Whitehall is staffed 24 hours per day. Station 2, on Duck Lake Road, is not currently staffed around the clock.

“We would have two people on duty full time at each station,” McCarthy said.

Warner St. construction project price hike approved

By Madison Lajewski White Lake Mirror Writer

WHITEHALL — At Tuesday’s meeting, Whitehall city council members approved the payment for the Warner Street engineering project. With this project being tied to the Michigan Department of Transportation, council member Scott Brown questioned why there was a high increase in the cost. The project auditing from MDOT originally stated the project would cost $79,700. The cost is now $158,200.

City treasurer Alyssa Seaver was present at the meeting and explained it was the project design that was $79,700. The construction engineering could have been estimated, but not confirmed, prior to the meeting because the project had been pushed out so long and construction costs had increased.

“The addition was afterwards. They had a better idea of what construction costs were going to be for completing the street project and for the actual construction engineering,” Seaver said. “That is the $158,200.”

Water main installation is set to take place April 2 to mid-July; residents living in the area who are estimated to be affected will be notified 24 hours in advance before disruptions to the drinking water. Mid-July to August will include repaving and restriping. Warner Street will be reopened to traffic before August 17. The city recommends travelers use Lewis Street, Mears Avenue and Spring Street to get around construction. The biggest interruption is estimated to be the closing of the Benston and Warner intersection, which poses an inconvenience in the traffic to Howmet. The city says the closing of the intersection is unavoidable due to the mass amount of water main infrastructure taking place in the area. A detour will be directed to White Lake Drive.

Seaver said she is looking into further details about why the cost increased so drastically and will report back to the city council with an answer.

Construction on Warner St. already started March 18, so the council felt their hands were tied and they must move forward with this purchase due to the tree trimming, tree removal and pavement removal that had already taken place.

Whitehall leaf pickup set to take place April 14-28

As springtime sweeps into Whitehall, the city is gearing up for its semi-annual Leaf Removal Program, scheduled to take place April 14-28. This initiative aims to facilitate the community in clearing away fallen leaves efficiently and ensuring the city maintains its natural beauty and charm.

Residents are reminded of the following guidelines to streamline the leaf removal process:

1. Unbagged Leaves: Leaves should not be bagged for collection. Residents are urged to rake them to the edge of the pavement, where they will be promptly collected.

2. Curb and Gutter: For residents with curb and gutter, leaves must be raked over the curb and into the street. This ensures smoother collection and efficient removal.

3. Avoid Mixing Sticks: It is essential to refrain from mixing sticks with the leaves. Sticks can clog and damage the vacuum machine used for collection, potentially causing delays. To ensure

the smooth operation of the program, sticks should be separated from the leaf piles.

4. Collection Frequency: Every effort will be made to collect leaves once per week. However, this may vary depending on factors such as weather conditions, the volume of leaves, and public holidays. The city appreciates residents’ patience and understanding in this regard.

The Spring Leaf Removal Program is an integral part of Whitehall’s ongoing commitment to maintaining cleanliness and enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the city. By adhering to the guidelines and cooperating with the designated schedule, residents play a vital role in ensuring the success of this community-wide effort.

For further inquiries or assistance regarding the Spring Leaf Removal Program, residents are encouraged to contact Lakeshore Leafvac directly at 231-730-3477.

West Shore Apartments receives tax credit award for over $550K

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority announced Low-Income Housing Tax Credit awards for 22 housing projects across the state last month, including an award for West Shore Apartments in Whitehall.

The apartment complex is receiving a $559,409 tax credit award, part of the $25 million invested statewide. Two other Muskegon County residential complexes - Lofts of Muskegon and Allen Crossing, both in Muskegon - received awards as well; Lofts received $1.65 million and Allen Crossing received $1.47 million.

The credits are administered through the MHSDA, allowing developer recipients to claim the credits against

their tax liability for up to 10 years, making the total value of this round of credits about $250 million. In all, said the MHSDA, the 22 projects will create a total investment of over $300 million, with over 1,000 affordable new rental properties scheduled to be created.

“This year, we are working together to make the largest investment to build housing in Michigan history, driven by our simple philosophy of ‘build, baby, build’,” Governor Gretchen Whitmer said in a press release announcing the tax credit awards. “Building more affordable housing also creates thousands of good-paying jobs in the trades for pipefitters, carpenters, bricklayers, and roofers.”

The White Lake Fire Authority will have a millage request on the ballot for the May 7 election. A new operating millage would, WLFA says, help keep pace with rising costs.

• Courtesy Photo

Parties in the Park back in Muskegon this summer

Muskegon’s 40th anniversary season of Parties in the Park will begin Friday, May 31, with eight summer Friday events scheduled, the organization announced April 4. Each Party in the Park will take place at Hackley Park and benefit a Muskegon-area nonprofit organization.

“As we hit this 40-year milestone, we’re paying tribute to everyone who has been a part of this journey - our attendees, dedicated volunteers and local sponsors,” Parties in the Park president Brennen Gorman said in a press release. “This is a year to celebrate the enduring connection between Parties in the Park and our supportive community.”

Each Party will feature a rotating selection of local food vendors and a “Kids Zone” for family-friendly enter-

tainment. Live music from several area fixtures, including West Side Soul Surfers, Magic Bus, Rhythm Project and That Beatles Thing, will be part of this summer’s schedule.

The Parties in the Park schedule is as follows, listed with the area nonprofit that will benefit: May 31 - Muskegon Rotary Club; June 14 - Muskegon Motorcycle Club; June 21 - United Way of the Lakeshore; July 12 - Lakeshore Junior Lumberjacks; July 26 - Greater Muskegon Jaycees; Aug. 2 - West Michigan Lake Hawks; Aug. 16 - Women’s Division Chamber of Commerce; Aug. 23 - AgeWell Services.

More information on Parties in the Park is available at www.partiesinthepark.com and the organization’s social media pages.

ACWL-Nuveen unveils summer concert series slate

Summer is on its way and with it, the 38th annual Free Summer Concert Series. Every Tuesday at 7 p.m. from June 11 to Aug. 13, exciting live music will be heard at the Whitehall-Montague Rotary Bandshell along the picturesque shores of White Lake. This year’s lineup includes a healthy dose of original musicians with the added fun of popular cover bands. Join us for folk, rock, blues, 60’s, a brass quintet, bluegrass, and more.

To discover more about the musicians lined up to participate, visit artswhitelake.org/concerts.

The schedule of performers is as follows:

June 11: Eric & Karen Smith, sponsored by City of Montague

June 18: Hatchwing Rider - sponsor needed

June 25: Magic Bus, sponsored by HarborLight Credit Union, and Stan & Jan Gorecki. Transportation support from Lakeshore Chrysler Jeep Dodge

July 2: Beth Bombara, sponsored by Elite Air Heating & Cooling

July 9: Asamu Johnson & the Associates of Blues - sponsor needed

July 16: Bourbon & Brass Company, sponsored by David Dusenberry Sr., Coldwell Banker

July 23: Schrock Brothers Band, sponsored by Viola Bray Charitable Trust

July 30: Blue Water Ramblers, sponsored by the City of Whitehall

August 6: Westside Soul Surfers, sponsored by the Montague-Whitehall Rotary Club

August 13: Brena, sponsored by Scott Geiger, Edward Jones

Police activity this week

Behind the Badge

April 3

A Whitehall man was arrested in the 1000 block of Colby St. on two outstanding warrants, both for failing to appear in court. An officer on patrol at 7:43 p.m. observed the suspect, who was known to him from several previous contacts. Upon checking the

50-year-old in the computer, the warrants were discovered. The man was taken into custody without Internet and lives in the Muskegon county jail.

A traffic stop for a mutilated license plate led to a passenger being cited for possession of drug equipment. During the 11:43 p.m. stop, the officer asked the driver for permission to search the vehicle. As the passengers were exiting the vehicle, the officers asked them individually if they had anything illegal. The rear seat passenger admitted to possessing a drug pipe. After receiving the pipe from the 28-year-old, the officer issued him a citation. The Whitehall man, along with the rest of the passengers, were released from the scene of the stop in the 800 block of Colby St.

April 6

An officer, responding to a call on a disturbance, saw more than he expected as he arrived on scene in the 100 block of N. Livingston St. As the officer

approached the area on Hanson Street, he observed a man standing on the back porch completely naked. After seeing the officer approach, the man returned inside the house and would not come outside to speak to the officer. After speaking with the 66-year-old through an open window, the officer continued the investigation by reviewing a neighbor’s video, which recorded the man screaming. The case is being sent to the Muskegon County Prosecutor for charges.

After failing to use a turn signal, and failing to stop at a stop sign, a Texas man was arrested for OWI. After seeing these violations, the officer made a traffic stop at 1:32 a.m. as a vehicle entered a driveway on Iowa Street. While speaking with the driver, the officer noted signs of intoxication, and had the 49-year-old perform sobriety tests. After the tests, the man was arrested without incident, and taken to

the Muskegon county jail for a breath test. When the breath test showed to be over the legal limit, the suspect was lodged at the jail for the night.

April 9

A 14-year-old student was cited for being in possession of a vape device after school staff confronted the student and recovered the device. The SRO was called to the middle school at 1:23 p.m. and contacted the student. The student reported he had taken the device from his mother.

A disturbance in the 1200 block of Colby St. was reported to police at 10:42 p.m. Officers responding to the address did make contact with a couple at an apartment. The two admitted to having a loud argument over their relationship but there was no assault. The man was packing things to leave and the officers were told there would be no further problems. No further action was taken.