The Oceana Echo - Volume 2, Issue 8, July 19, 2024

Shelby Township Park welcomes all

By Amanda Dodge

The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

Through numerous grants and community partnerships, the 36-acre Shelby Township Park is now open to all.

Located on Buchanan Road, just west of 72nd Avenue, the impressive park has something for everyone. “Everything is open now,” Shelby Township Supervisor Richard Raffaelli said. “We are just doing the finishing touches, including putting in Wi-Fi and cameras.”

The agriculture-themed park includes a monochromatic color scheme “to be very palatable,” Raffaelli said, with a mixture of various shades of red, blue and green. Wayfinding signs in English and Spanish and maps help one navigate the park’s numerous elements.

Those elements begin at the entrance, which has an old, dark green farm truck and rockscape, with an orange Case tractor behind it. On the other side of the entrance, to match the newer Shelby Township logo, is a 6-foot-

tall apple and a cherry. A bunch of asparagus will be added and is being commissioned “as we speak.

Oceana County is the largest asparagus producer in Michigan, the second largest tart cherry producer in the U.S. and the second largest apple producer in Michigan.” Raffaelli said. “We also have a donor pavilion, which is a large grain bin that was converted to a gazebo.”

Then one really gets the lay of the land with basketball courts, smaller and varsity soccer fields, T-ball and softball/baseball fields, pickleball courts and so much more.

This past Tuesday, a group of adults were utilizing the pickleball courts, which opened a month ago, according to Raffaelli, and some children were playing on the playground nearby, which opened at the beginning of June.

Starting at the larger of the two playgrounds and heading west towards the soccer fields is the 24-station Book Walk, featuring “Star in a Jar” by Sam Hay and Sarah Massini this month. Raffaelli said that the story will be changed each month.

The various fields include bleachers and concession stands complete with the Shelby Tiger’s signature purple and logo, and large digital scoreboards. There is also a pavilion with 10 tables and

four barbecue grills. Raffaelli said that people are already utilizing the pavilion for birthday parties, and tables are available on a first-come, first-served basis; however, if one would like to reserve tables, they are to contact the Shelby Township offices and pay a small fee.

The pavilion is located near the bike repair station, which is on the path directly connected to the William Field Hart-Montague Memorial Rail Trail. The station includes “every bike tool known to man” to repair a bicycle, Raffaelli said.

Raffaelli was particularly proud of the trike riding track, where youngsters can learn to ride in a safe environment. The track has a fruit stand, road signs, a gas pump and a miniature ATM. “It is a safe spot for children to learn, and we are providing the trikes on an honor system,” he explained. “The idea is that they graduate from that and then can go to ride with their parents.”

Nearby is an old red fire truck. More whimsical art continues in front of the larger playground with an enormous yellow duck sporting sunglasses, a small red pig, a mushroom and a turtle. The smaller playground is for ages 2-5 and the larger is for ages 5-12. Both include music-making stations, binoculars and more.

“The entire park is accessible for all abilities,” Raffaelli said.

There is also a fitness center, and the equipment provides visual information on how to perform a number of exercises.

Behind the fitness center is an amphitheater with stone seating.

There are also three walking/riding loops of various lengths around the park.

“The park was built for Oceana County children and residents,” Raffaelli said. “It’s time for local government to build legacy items that can last the next 20 to 30 to 40 years - new schools and new roads for the next generation. Area residents deserve a worldclass facility, and they have one.

“I’m extremely passionate about Shelby growing and Oceana too, and that requires infrastructure, parks and projects.”

Raffaelli would also like to thank project cochair Tammy Carey, all the residents and businesses that supported the park financially and Senator Jon Bumstead for his assistance with funding from the state.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially mark the opening of the park is scheduled for Saturday, August 17, during the Shelby Fruit Festival, which will take place there.

NCEDP assists Slate Building with Hesperia renovation

On Friday, June 21, the Newaygo County Economic Development Partnership (NCEDP), powered by The Right Place, Inc., in collaboration with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), announced that the Slate Building in Hesperia will be adding three housing units to the second floor. The MEDC plans to support the project with a Build MI Community (BMC) Initiative grant.

The renovation of the Slate Building in Hesperia marks a significant milestone for the village, being the first major community development in over 40 years. This project, initiated by Slate Property Co, aims to revitalize the historic building by adding three housing units to the second floor. This development is set to provide much-needed housing and invigorate the local economy, reflecting the company’s commitment to fostering progress and enhancing community life in Hesperia.

The Slate Building has a rich history dating back to the mid-to-late 1800s, when it was originally constructed at Aetna Corners. The building was moved to downtown Hesperia, and has since served various purposes, including a village mercantile, pool hall, and mortuary. In 1956, Robert and Elaine Slate transformed it into Bob’s Drugs pharmacy, unofficially naming it the Slate Building. The second floor was their family home. It has seen minimal upgrades over the years. For more information on the history of the Slate Building and the upcoming project, visit the Slate Property Co website.

“The Slate Building project began as an idea to preserve our family legacy and quickly turned into a community project to help create momentum for future growth in Hesperia,” said Aaron Slate of Slate Property Co. “From our project’s beginning, I was overwhelmed with the amount of support and encouragement we received from our community.”

“This project will truly change the look and feel of our small downtown,” Hesperia Village President Mike Farber said. “As the project begins, we are hopeful it will encourage other businesses to apply for help through the programs that are available.”

The NCEDP worked closely with the MEDC and Slate Property Co. to coordinate state and local resources, including helping obtain an award under the Build MI Community Initiative (BMC) in the form of a grant, in the amount of up to $227,705, or approximately 32 percent of eligible investment for the project. Additionally, Slate Property Co was awarded $90,000 to support the new housing units from the Newaygo County Housing Partnership Fund, a collaboration between the Fremont Area Community Foundation and the County of Newaygo. Slate Property Co also received a $125,000 Program Related Investment loan from the Fremont Area Community Foundation.

“This project will energize a tired building to a renewed use, add desperately needed housing to Hesperia’s downtown and is providing an opportunity for the Slate family to invest in the place they’ve done business for generations,” said Julie Burrell, Senior Economic Development Director of NCEDP and project lead. “This project is creating something for the entire community to get excited about for the first time in a long time.”

This page is brought to you by:

114 Dryden St. in Hart, Mich. 49420 (231) 873-2600

Mears Museum Complex hours are Saturday and Sunday from 1-4 p.m.

Visit us! The Oceana County Historical & Genealogical Society is open Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Private tours are available by appointment. oceanahistory.org

OCH&GS annual meeting this Sunday

By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

The Oceana County Historical & Genealogical Society will have its annual meeting

Sunday, July 21 starting at 4 p.m. in the conference room of the Mears Transportation Museum, located at 5809 Fox Rd., Mears. All current members are encouraged to attend where they will hear reports of the Society’s accomplishments this past year and

elect officers.

The museum complex will be open from 1-4 p.m. Saturday for those who wish to tour any of the buildings, including the new Agricultural Building prior to the meeting.

The growth of agriculture in Oceana

By Caleb Jackson

The Oceana Echo Community Columnist

The primary spark for the settlement of our county was, of course, the lumber boom. Today, though, Oceana is known mostly for its agricultural pursuits. It would seem that the area’s potential as an agricultural region didn’t go unnoticed by the early settlers. “As this county has been settled by people who are intelligent and enterprising,” Page has written in his History of Oceana County, “they were not slow to discover that if there was any real merit in the claims commonly put forth in favor of what is known as the Great Fruit Belt of Western Michigan, Oceana County must be the ‘Hub’—for a glance at the map will show that, from the location, she certainly is better protected by the lake than any other portion of the counties bordering on the lakeshore.” Prior to this transition, though, the earliest settlers had to forage. Page claims that “in the first ten or twelve years after Oceana County began,” berries were so abundant that “hun-

dreds of bushels rotted annually.” He paints an idyllic picture of several families together, “rigged in almost anything except their Sunday clothes,” going out berrying with baskets and a team of oxen. As idyllic as this is, it is not ideal for long-term growth and sustenance. Berries went by the wayside as the county began to develop their orchards and farms. “But since the first fruit trees began to bear, many facts have been developed, indicating that this county is second to none in its adaptability for growing a great variety of fruit.”

We have written before about William Haughey, who claimed to have planted the first peaches on a farm in Oceana. Page also gives some interesting statistics. He tells us how many fruit trees were sold in the county in 1881 and 1882. A. E. Souter of Shelby sold 2,850 apple trees, 17,000 peach trees, 425 plum trees, 640 pears, and 325 cherries. Meanwhile, George D. Lawrence of Pentwater sold 765 apples, 10,625 peaches, 180 plums, 80 pears and 125 cherries. Some of the largest orchards during this time were

W. Swingle and H. H. Pratt in Shelby, as well as Mr. Gebhart, Mr. Wanmer, and Dr. Williams, all in Hart.

The success of the fruit trees in Oceana County taught us something about the region. Lake Michigan is so large and so deep that it does not freeze over in the winter, and thereby it maintains a relatively steady temperature. “As this county is located so as to receive the north and west and south winds from off the lake,” wrote Page, “it has quite the perceptible influence during the whole year.” This is what Page was referring to when he said that this county is better protected by the lake than other counties on the lakeshore. We get more warm winds off the lake during the winter than other counties do. Beyond that, Page also claims that the heavy ice and snow along the lake in the spring keep the area cooler, which means “fruit buds are not developed until well on in the season.”

Page’s History of Oceana, the earliest history of our county that I know of, was published in 1882. By this point in time, the

county’s fate as an agricultural region was beginning to cement itself into reality. In fact, the only reason it may not quite have happened yet was due to insufficient transportation. “At present,” Page wrote, “the greatest drawback to the fruit business is that the shippers are left almost entirely to the mercy of transportation companies, and the result is that the fruit grower has frequently but little profit.” This, of course has been remedied in the modern era, and now fruit and vegetable production abounds in Oceana.

Office hours (Old Town Hall in Mears): Mondays: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Wednesdays: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Office phone: 231-301-8149, or for breaking news, please call 231-923-0751. Consider

Donations in any amount can be made via Paypal at paypal.me/echopublishinginc, by scanning the QR code at right or by sending a check made out to Echo Publishing Inc. to P.O. Box 192, Mears, MI 49436.

Ongoing

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

Mondays & Fridays - “Chalk Talk” at Shelby Area District Library (June, July and August), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

M-F: Feeding America’s Gather 2 Grow summer meal program, Hart Area District Library, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Ladder Community Center:

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

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

Complete schedule at: theladdercommunitycenter.com

Retirement Open House - July 12 from 4-6 p.m.

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.

Preschool Story Hour, HAPL, Fridays at 11 a.m.

TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly), Hart Wesleyan Church, Tuesdays at 5 p.m.

Mondays and Thursdays through Sept. 2, Pentwater Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Second and Fourth Tuesdays, June 11 through Sept. 25, New Era Farmers Market, 4-7 p.m.

Community Open House at the Shelby Area District Library

The Shelby Area District Library Board of Trustees will host a Community Open House on Monday, July 22 from 10 a.m. to noon. The public is encouraged to attend to learn about library services as well as local resources available to the community. Representatives from District Health Department #10, Oceana Conservation District, Trinity Community Food Pantry, Oceana Hispanic Center, Alzheimer’s Association Michigan Chapter, United Way of the Lakeshore, Oceana County Council on Aging, Communities Overcoming Violent Encounters (COVE), TrueNorth Community Services, Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore, Trinity Lutheran Church Baby Pantry, Early Head Start-Oceana, Read Early Read Often, Shelby Adolescent Health Center, Shelby Early Childhood Center and Northwest Michigan Health Services will be at the event to provide information about their services and answer questions. Participants will have an opportunity to join the Friends of the Shelby Area District Library, take a tour of the library’s Local History Room and enjoy light refreshments. The Shelby Area District Library is located at 189 Maple Street in Shelby. Questions can be directed to (231) 861-4565 or tifhaight@shelbylibrary.org.

Date set for 2024 Sand Sculpture Contest

The Pentwater Service Club will again sponsor the 2024 Sand Sculpture Contest, set for Friday, Aug. 9 from 8 a.m. to noon at Charles Mears State Park. The competition is open to anyone, regardless of their age or place of residence.

DAR July Meeting Announcement

Michigan Dunes Chapter, NSDAR announced date, time and location for the July meeting. The monthly meeting will take place Saturday, July 20 at noon inside the Oceana County Services Building at 844 Griswold in Hart. The program will be hosted by Shannon Larson and discuss DAR protocol. Snacks and water will be provided.

Taco Dinner at St Gregory Catholic Church

St. Gregory-Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church will put on a Taco Dinner Sunday, July 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m at 214 S. Peach Avenue in Hart. A free will offering of $10 is suggested with all proceeds going to benefit the building fund. Take out meals are available.

Hymn Sing in Shelby’s Memorial Park

Everyone is invited to Memorial Park in Shelby (east of the Congregational Church) Saturday, July 27 at 6:30 p.m. to sing hymns and patriotic songs. Bring a lawn chair and sing along with the group as Jared Griffis leads on the keyboard, Jim Young on trumpet and Dan Gray on bass guitar. Hymn books are provided.

July Echo

July 19 - Story Time, Hesperia Community Library, 10-11 a.m.

July 19 - “Smokey the Bear’s 80th Birthday Party Storytime,” SADL, 10 a.m. Registration required

July 19 - All you can eat Fish Fry, Walkerville Wesleyan Church, 5-7 p.m.

July 19 - “Indiana Joel’s Magic Show,” Pentwater Township Library, 6-7 p.m.

July 19 - Heroes on the Dunes, Val-Du Lakes, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

July 19 - “The Formers” concert, Hart Historic District, 7 p.m.

July 20 - Walkerville Pioneer House Museum opens, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

July 20 - Mears Arts & Crafts Fair, Johnson Square, 5645-5671 W. Fox Rd., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

July 21 - The Great Jungle Journey VBS, New Era Bible Church, 6:30-8 p.m. Pre-register online

July 21 - OCHGS Annual Meeting, Mears Museum Complex, 4 p.m.

July 22 - Movies for Grownups - Unsung Hero, Hart Area District Library, 6 p.m.

July 22-26 - Camp Firelight VBS, Hesperia UMC, 9 a.m. to noon

July 23 - Red Cross Blood Drive, Hart VFW, 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

July 23 - Tech Time, Hesperia Community Library, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

July 23 - Book Club, Hesperia Community Library, 2-3 p.m.

July 23 - Family Night, Hesperia Community Library, 6-7 p.m.

July 25 - Craft Night, Hesperia Community Library, 6-7 p.m.

July 25 - Paint your own Cookie family event, Hart Area District Library, 6:30 p.m. Registration required

July 25 - Thursdays on Main, Downtown Hart, 6 p.m.

July 26 - Read to a Shelter Cat, Hesperia Community Library, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

July 26 - Sensory Play, Hesperia Community Library, 10-11 a.m.

July 26 - Teen Night, Hesperia Community Library, 3:30-5:30 p.m.

July 26 - Shelby-Benona FD Information Meeting, Shelby Fire Station, 7 p.m.

Walkerville Midsummer Madness set for July 28

Walkerville’s 1st Annual Midsummer Madness event will be Sunday, July 28. The festivities are set to begin at noon at the Walkerville Community Park. Cornhole teams are now being sought and registration is open to all ages with a fee of $10 per two-person team. Contact Missy Fiester at (231) 425-6529 to register.

Prizes for winning teams will be $100 for first place, $60 for second place, $40 for third place and $20 for fourth place. Boards will be supplied and all registered participants will receive a free cooling neck towel.

The community picnic will take place before the tournament and will include a free hot dog for everyone. Attendees are asked to bring a dish to pass and their own non-alcoholic begerages, table service and chairs.

New Era Farmers Market on July 23

The New Era Farmers Market celebrates Christmas in July Tuesday, July 23. There will be several activities including a donation drive of toys and cash for a charitable organization called “Roy’s Kids” started in 1994. The New Era Police Department purchases gifts for local children that might not have a Christmas without the Roy’s Kids program. The officers then deliver those toys in the patrol car, dressed as Santa, on Christmas Eve. Along with gifts for each child, a food basket is prepared for each family.

From 4-5 p.m., KPOP Club will have story time with Jacque Weesies and a nativity costume parade, sugar cookie decorating and a drawing for four passes to Lewis Adventure Farm and Zoo.

From 5-6 p.m., MSU Extension will be preparing a layered salad with lettuce, cucumber and onion. Samples will be given and a take home bag will be given to participants that preregister or while they last. Call Kim to register at (231) 8614880. Class limit is 20 people.

Live entertainment courtesy of M&M and the Byrds will be from 5-7 p.m., playing popular hits from the 90s and 2000s with some Christmas flare in the mix. Grab dinner and shop the New Era Farmer’s Market. Agewell services will be here to sign up qualifying seniors for Senior Market Fresh coupons.

In Loving Memory of our Family, Friends and Neighbors

obituaries

Robert ‘Bob’ Evensen

September 23, 1931 ~ July 7, 2024

Robert “Bob” Evensen, 92, of Hesperia, passed away Sunday, July 7, 2024. He was born September 23, 1931, in Chicago, the son of Paul and Cecile (Goldberg) Evensen.

Bob served in the US Navy on the battleship Missouri during the Korean War. He was involved in all the major campaigns during the war, including Inchon, for which he received battle credit. After his discharge, Bob worked as a TV repairman and a machinist. Bob then worked at Alphatype, working his way up to plant manager, before starting his own company, Alphatronics, specializing in the sales and service of prepress equipment. At the end of his working career, Bob was a successful realtor with Century 21 in Illinois.

Bob was a soft-spoken, gentle man who truly enjoyed fishing and hunting. He was a good man and a wonderful husband and father.

Bob is survived by: his wife, Barbara Evensen; children, Lawrence, Kenneth (Louise), Gregory and Lori (Robert) Carrara; grandchildren, Bobby Carrara, Andy Carrara, Zachary Evensen and Sarah Evensen.

Bob was preceded in death by: his parents, Paul and Cecile; son, Randy. Memorial Services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 27, 2024, at Harris Funeral Home, 267 N. Michigan Ave., Shelby, Mich. 49455, with military honors. The family will receive friends from noon until the time of services on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at Harris Funeral Home.

Please consider memorial donations to: The American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA 22116-7023.

Harris Funeral Home, in Shelby, is in charge of arrangements. harrisfhome.com

Memorial Service ~ Stanley Brian Schroeder

Stanley Brian Schroeder, 83, of Ludington, passed away Wednesday, April 24, 2024. A memorial service will take place on Monday, July 22, 2024, at 1 p.m. at Oak Grove Funeral Home of Ludington. Visitation begins at noon at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to Michigan Trout Unlimited, Samaritan’s Purse or Salvation Army. Arrangements were entrusted to Oak Grove Funeral Home of Ludington, www.OakGroveLudington.com.

Christine A. Smith Gladwin

March 16, 1948 ~ February 26, 2024

Christine A. Smith Gladwin was born March 16, 1948 in Shelby, Mich. to Edw. (Ted) and Eleanor (Keeler) Smith. She graduated in 1966 from Shelby High School.

A self-employed caregiver for many years, Chris was beloved by her clients.

She grew up riding horses on the family farm. Horses were a lifetime love. Along with cats, dogs, pigs and goats, crafts and reading were her passions.

Married to Harold Gladwin, a Florida native, they lived there for many years before relocating to Knoxville, Tenn. He preceded her in death on Oct. 30, 2018.

Chris is survived by beloved son, Mason (Tiffiny) of Knoxville; sister, Gail (Axel) Johnson of Ludington; brother, Tim (Cheryl) Smith of Soldotna, Alaska; nieces, Tory (Leonard) Smith of Grand Rapids, Elise (Steve) Manning of Seattle, Wash., Barbara (Alex) Jacobs of Sacramento, Calif.; and special niece, Bonnie (Orlando) Marshall of St. Petersburg, Fla.

A memorial and luncheon will be held on July 20, 2024.

Arthur Lee Huston

November

23, 1950 ~ April 27, 2024

Arthur “Art” Huston, 73, was born November 23, 1950 and passed away April 27, 2024. Art was preceded in death by his parents, John and Anna Huston, along with a brother, John. Survivors include his daughter, Colleen (Derek Latimer) Yeomans; three grandchildren, Desirae, Brittany and Jordan; sister, Ruth; sister-in-law, Margaret; a niece and nephews. Art will be buried with his parents in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Shelby. Family and friends are invited to gather Friday, July 26 from 6-7:30 p.m. Dinner will be at 6 p.m., followed by a time of sharing. It will take place at The Cottages Clubhouse, 30 Kenneth St. in Pentwater.

Obituary Information:

St. Peter’s-By-The-Lake Episcopal Church 8435 Old Channel Trail, Montague 616-894-0172

SUNDAY EUCHARIST – 10:00 am stpetersmontague@gmail.com stpetersbythelake.weebly.com Reclaim the Promise!

S. Wythe St. in Pentwater (231) 869-7351

Us For Worship

at 10 a.m. joinus@stjamesepiscopalpentwater.org

St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church (LC-MS) 7410 W. Johnson Rd. Shelby, MI 49455 231-861-2952 Sunday Service: 9:30 a.m. Summer Outdoor Service Everyone Welcome

Lutheran

8786 N. Business US-31 Pentwater, MI • 49449 231-869-2527 Pastor John C. Hansen Sunday Worship - 11 a.m.

Shelby-Benona Fire Department completes annual HOT training

By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

We wave to them in parades, our children see them in uniform during Fire Prevention Week at school, we say a quick prayer when we see or hear them racing toward an emergency and we are thankful when they are able to save a life or property whenever there is a fire. But what does it take to be a firefighter?

Bravery, courage, a willingness to serve the community, giving up personal time and losing work hours at a moment’s notice might be a few things that come to mind. One thing is for sure - in order to be successful, every firefighter must be a highly trained individual.

Oceana County has eight paid-oncall fire departments: Pentwater, Hart Area (Hart, Weare and Golden Townships and City of Hart), Crystal Valley Fire Department, Walkerville Fire & Rescue (Colfax, Elbridge and Leavitt Townships and Village of Walkerville), Shelby-Benona (Shelby and Benona Townships, Villages of Shelby and New Era), Ferry Township (Ferry and Northern Otto Townships), Grant Township (Claybanks, Western Otto Township, Villages of Rothbury and New Era) and Hesperia Area (Newfield, Eastern Otto and Greenwood Townships and Village of Hesperia). Each paid-on-call member spends numerous hours each month staying up-to-date on changing state regulations/licensing and training to be prepared in various types of emergencies.

The Oceana Echo met up with four firefighters from the Shelby-Benona Fire Department (SBFD) this week to hear about a Great Lakes HOT (Hands On Training) conference in Oakland County some of their members attended in June. Many fire departments send volunteers to the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) held annually in Indianapolis, Ind., said Lieutenant Brian Hintz. Last year, the SBFD sent two from their department to the Great Lakes HOT. After coming away with what they felt was extremely valuable training and information, they decided to send seven members this year. The first two days of the conference were eight-hour days filled with lectures and classroom instruction. The second two days were spent following four hands-

on specialty “tracks.” Participants spent 12 hours a day learning new skills and rehearsing drills over and over and over, all while wearing full turnout gear.

Lt. Hintz attended the “Mayday Mindset” track (helping a downed firefighter); Firefighters and Medical First Responders (MFRs) Kristynn Hintz and Elijah Towne attended the “Search Academy” track (clearing a home of habitants); Firefighter/MFR Ben White-Elder and Lt. Jose Anzaldua attended “Down and Dirty” track (opening different types of doors and maneuvering tight quarters) and Firefighter/MFR Scott Domin and Lt. Trevor Lasater attended “Mid Rise Mayhem” track (fighting fires in multi-story buildings).

“It helped us gain more training and puts us in a better position,” Kristynn said. She added that there is much to learn in our constantly changing society. From the way homes and buildings are built to how people’s lifestyles have changed.

“The firefighters who led the training have actually been through the various scenarios in their careers. The instructors in Oakland have seen more than we could ever have around here,” Lt. Hintz said. “It can be a little intimidating. We don’t have the same experience as many who attend. But no matter where you’re at skillswise, they are very non-judgmental. They recognize everyone is coming from a different place. And if you’re willing to work, you will learn a lot.”

“It’s a good environment to grow in,” Kristynn, one of only a few women to attend the event, added.

When asked what they felt was the biggest takeaway of the conference, White-Elder said the networking afterward was worth the time alone. He was able to personally sit down after hours with the Deputy Assistant Chief of the

New York City Fire Department, something he never would have been able to do otherwise.

When not keeping up on their training, members of the SBFD also find time to be involved in a variety of community service events every year including installing over 200 smoke/carbon monoxide detectors in homes across the county. SBFD is one of only two departments in the county currently providing this service. In the first six months of 2023 they were seventh in the state for smoke detector installs and one of only three that did not have full-time members.

They are regular participants at area career fairs, school education programs and festivals. They participated in Trunk or Treat in downtown Shelby last fall, held a March is Reading Month book collection this spring and are currently collecting school supplies for Maxine’s Closet backpack giveaway. They are looking forward to using their new “Inflatable House” which they purchased jointly with Grant Township through a Community Foundation grant.

In the coming school year, the department will be training all of Shelby High School’s Seniors in the American Heart Association’s CPR (Cario-Pulmonary Resuscitation) procedures and AED (Automatic Defibrillator Device) use. They recently became certified and will also take students through the nationally recognized “Stop the Bleed” course, teaching students how to treat severe trauma injuries.

Most of Oceana County’s fire departments have between 15-20 paid-on-call firefighters. Because the National Fire

Protection Association recommends a minimum of 15 firefighters be called out on low-hazard alarms, multiple departments are usually called out when a fire is reported. Lt. Anzaldua commented that he never knows who will report to any given call, saying paid-on-call departments have to know a little bit about everything and get assigned tasks when they arrive at a fire or emergency.

Funding for all these activities is provided through local property taxes and numerous grants. From required training, testing, physicals and protective gear to the variety of trucks and firefighting equipment, hoses, radios, pagers that are constantly aging, all come at a significant cost. SBFD Fire Chief Jack White and the fire board have done their best to seek out grant opportunities, locate good used equipment and squirrel away any money they can for necessary replacements and upgrades.

The SBFD responded to 377 calls last year. White is proud of his department, saying their extensive fire prevention program ranks near the top in the county and they are the only department in the county that performs commercial fire inspections. “Prevention is always less expensive and less painful than suppression,” he said.

Anyone interested in finding out more information about becoming a part of their local fire department, should visit each respective department’s social media platform or website. No prior experience is necessary, just a willingness and a heart to serve your community.

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• On July 29, 1958, in response to the Soviet Union’s launch of its first satellite, Sputnik I, the U.S. Congress passed legislation establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the civilian agency responsible for coordinating America’s activities in space.

STRANGE BUT TRUE #12345_20240715

NOW HERE’S A TIP #12345_20240715 FOR RELEASE JULY 15, 2024

By JoAnn Derson

FOR RELEASE JULY 15, 2024

By Lucie Winborne

• On July 30, 1966, a three-chord tune penned by Chip Taylor (aka James Voight, brother of actor Jon Voight) called “Wild Thing” became a No. 1 hit for The Troggs. Interestingly, royalties earned from the song neither its writer or singer took seriously enabled said lead singer to research and become an expert on the phenomenon of crop circles.

• On July 31, 1999, Linda Tripp, the only person involved in the impeachment proceedings against President Bill Clinton to face criminal charges, was indicted for illegal phone tapping after a 13-month investigation.

• On Aug. 1, 1929, inventor Thomas Edison held a competition in New Jersey to select his next 49 proteges. Among the challenging and extensive questions posed to hopeful contestants on the subjects of science, geography, history, chemistry and personal ethics was the especially pertinent “What new discovery or invention do you believe would be the greatest benefit to mankind?”

• On Aug. 2, 2007, Fisher-Price recalled more than 1.5 million Chinesemanufactured toys due to concern that the paint used on them could pose a health risk to young children if ingested. The affected toys included Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Elmo, which were targeted at kids more likely to put the figures in their mouths.

• On Aug. 3, 1916, Sir Roger David Casement, an Irish-born diplomat who in 1911 was knighted by King George V, was hanged for his role in Ireland’s Easter Rising.

• Glassware will sparkle if you add a capful of bleach to the rinse water when hand-washing dishes.

• “Berries are in season, and I use berry baskets for lots of little storage uses. The best one is to use one to hold my sponges at the sink area. It keeps small brushes corralled as well.” — I.R. in Florida

• “We had an impromptu princess/ magical fairy tea party at our house yesterday, and we came up with the best on-the-spot magic wands. We cut big stars out of paperboard (like a cereal box) and decorated them with stickers, construction paper and glitter, then we threaded them on long kebab sticks. I snipped the pointy end and covered it with colorful tape. Presto, party wand!” — E.D. in Maine

• To keep salt from coming out of a saltshaker too quickly, add some plain, uncooked white rice to the salt. The large grains of rice will block some of the holes, causing less salt to come out with each shake.

• “When I take my dog to ‘Grandma’ for dog sitting, I measure out each meal into a plastic zipper-top bag. This way, Mom doesn’t have to remember how much to feed at each mealtime, and it makes it easy to serve.” — V.Y. in Texas

• “At my child’s day care, there is a ‘Where’s Mommy and Daddy?’ board. Parents bring in a picture of themselves at their job, and the children can see the picture and know that it shows what Mommy or Daddy is doing while the child is playing.” — S.E. in Missouri

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

© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

By Lucie Winborne

• Guglielmo Marconi, whose invention of wireless telegraphy was credited for saving the lives of over 700 Titanic passengers after it sank in 1912, had turned down a free passage on the ship, choosing instead to go to America via the Lusitania three days earlier. He narrowly missed death at sea a second time in 1915, when he was again a passenger on the Lusitania, about a month before it was sunk by a German U-boat.

• The story of Cinderella first appears in a Chinese book written in the 850s.

• Margaret Dixon, a Scottish criminal, was hanged at Musselburgh in 1728. However, just a few hours later, she climbed out of her coffin, and was reprieved and pardoned. Still, as her husband was considered a widower because she was “officially” deceased, Scottish law dictated that they had to remarry.

• The country of Liechtenstein has twice as many registered corporations as citizens.

• On April Fools’ Day 1957, the BBC television documentary “Panorama” broadcast a documentary about the so-called spaghetti orchards of Switzerland, with discussions of spaghetti plantations in Switzerland and Italy, the spaghetti weevil, and the reason for the pasta’s being of such uniform lengths held against a background of Swiss “spaghetti trees.” Many viewers, forgetting or failing to notice the date, believed the orchards were real!

• Groups of geese on the ground are called a gaggle, but in the air they’re referred to as a skein.

• Honey has been used as a center for golf balls and in antifreeze mixtures.

• In 1974, the U.S. Army Materiel Command ran a contest to name its new headquarters building and received around 500 entries. The winner? “The AMC Building.”

***

Thought for the Day: “I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse.” — Florence Nightingale © 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

Memories: Blood, sweat and sour cherries

by Pat Mills Wangerin The Oceana Echo Volunteer Columnist

Hard work is a character trait I learned growing up on a farm in West Michigan with eight brothers and sisters. We did not receive an allowance; therefore, if we wanted to buy something, it was necessary for us to work and earn the money.

The earliest job I remember was picking sour (tart) cherries. Cherries ripened around the middle of July. In the spring, my mother arranged the services of her children with a local fruit farmer. We all knew what lay ahead of us and dreaded the phone call, “We will start picking on Monday.”

The first day on the job wasn’t too bad, and we met the challenge with cautious enthusiasm. We were already anticipating how much money we’d make and what we could buy. My mother would drive us to the orchard around 8 a.m. We’d carry a thermos of ice water and a transistor radio. Our two favorite stations were WOKY from Milwaukee and WLS out of Chicago. Each of us chose a wooden ladder suitable to our height, which we would unofficially claim as our own for the entire picking season. These ladders were designed to open wide to negotiate branches and tree trunks, but were also prone to collapse if not set up properly.

My youngest sisters would be assigned to pick “bottoms,” meaning they only picked cherries they could reach standing on the ground. We older kids would use the ladders to pick “tops,” moving systematically around the tree. The worst part was climbing the middle of the tree to pick every last cherry. Sometimes the tree trunks were surrounded by wild berry bushes with thorns. The safest way to reach these cherries was from the ladder, to a branch and back to the ladder.

The farmer provided us with special aluminum buckets that had a small “O” ring on each side. The bucket was crescent-shaped and would lie comfortably across our bellies. It was held in place with a woven adjustable straps that crossed in an “X” across our backs. This way, the cherries rolled easily off the branches into our waiting buckets.

On a good day in my teenage prime, I could fill a lug an hour. A lug was a rectangular wooden box, sometimes with a piece of wood dividing it in half. We were paid 50 cents a lug, so for eight hours of work, I would earn four dollars.

The worst possible thing that could happen to a cherry picker would be to accidentally tip the bucket, spilling the cherries. It was disheartening to have to

pick them up off the ground after I’d already picked them off the tree. The cherries would be covered with sand, so I put them in the bottom of the lug and covered them with clean cherries. It just looked better that way.

Our lugs would be tagged with reusable cardboard tickets cut from cereal boxes. You could tell what kind of cereal the farmer’s family ate by looking on the back side. They were cut into strips of 1” x 6” with our last name, Mills, written in black marker.

We’d slide a tag along the inside corner and stack the filled lugs at the end of a row of trees. We always used the north side in an attempt to keep them shaded from the sun.

The farmer would collect the tags when the lugs were picked up and taken to the cannery. He would count them, credit our family with that amount, and return them to us the next day. Each night, we’d tell Mom how many lugs each of us picked and she’d keep a running tab. When the farmer paid us at the end of the season, Mom would see to it that we each received the correct amount of money.

By noon, we were hot, tired and dirty. We’d sit under a big shade tree and wait for Mom to bring lunch, which was usually sandwiches, cookies, chips, and a thermos of Kool-Aid. That’s what we really needed - a glucose fix! The younger girls would go home with Mom, having fulfilled their obligation, usually one lug. The rest of us always wished we could go home with them.

In the afternoon, with the sun high in the sky, we were hot. The heat would radiate off the sand, burning our feet. The water from the morning no longer had ice cubes in it, but it was wet and tasted good.

If we managed to keep ourselves hydrated, the inevitable would happen - we’d have to go to the bathroom. Every orchard had an outhouse used only during the picking season. It was usually a two-seater, but I never let anyone in with me. There were always dozens of flies inside, and I imagined spiders and snakes in the pit. I always held my breath and would pee as fast as I could.  Sometimes, if no one was watching, I would duck into the woods and pee behind a tree. Ideally, a corn field gave the best

coverage and provided an ample supply of country toilet paper.

The season lasted until all the cherries were picked, usually two weeks. Towards the end, we’d all despise cherries, vowing never to eat them in our lifetimes. The combination of heat, boredom and the hopelessness of our situation sometimes overcame us. It would bring forth the stress-releasing activity of a cherry fight. It often started out harmlessly, with one stray cherry hitting an unsuspecting picker, only to be returned to the original source with a few additional cherries. Eventually, everyone was involved, and there were cherries flying in all directions. It was a dilemma deciding whether to throw away these things you’d just picked, but a few could always be spared. It was of utmost importance not to let the fruit farmer catch you in this form of entertainment. He didn’t look at the situation in the same way we did.

By 4 p.m., we’d finish filling our lugs, helping each other, as we were not allowed to leave any partially filled. We’d head back to the shade tree and wait for Mom to pick us up. I never could positively determine how we could get so dirty in eight hours. Our hands, arms, and faces were sticky. I guess the combination of cherry juice and sand caused the black rings to form on our forearms. Small twigs and leaves were stuck in our hair. We would climb into the back of the pickup truck, and Mom would drive us home. We’d change into our swimming suits and she would then drive us to Stony Lake, the local swimming hole. We’d run into the refreshing water to cool off and wash the sticky, dry cherry juice and sand off our bodies. Once home, we were all hungry and looked forward to supper. Anyone who had a misadventure with a branch or encountered any other unfortunate accident, licked their wounds. After a good night’s sleep, the routine was repeated the following day.

Today, cherries are shaken off the trees by machines, and people are no longer needed to manually pick them. I do know that by spending those weeks each summer, I can appreciate hard work and low pay. It was a motivating factor to attend college and pursue a career.

Oh, you are wondering what I bought with my money? I saved most of it for college, but I did buy a Schwinn bicycle and a new Zenith transistor radio from Burcon’s in New Era. That radio was used in subsequent years, sitting in a cherry tree to help pass time as those red cherries rolled into my aluminum bucket.

(This story was written for an English class in 1988 at Purdue University while earning a degree in Nursing.)

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Back from the Mac: A tale of two yacht clubs

By AnnaMae Bush

The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

The upbeat music carries across the water to the homes on the south side of Pentwater Lake. The laughter and babble of many voices fill in the gaps between the band’s songs. Long lines of rafted sailboats stretch into the lake, near the channel in front of the Pentwater Yacht Club (PYC). It is impossible to look at the maze of tall masts in the sky and determine which mast belongs to which ship in the huddled mass of large, beautiful vessels. Crowds of people swarm the decks and parking lot at the PYC, and they dance where they can find space in front of the band. The excitement in the air is contagious. The revelry goes on unabated into the wee hours of the morning. It happens every summer on a particular Friday night in July. What is “it”? The sailors call it “the party after the party,” since typically the “Race to Mackinac” sailors enjoy some hard partying on Mackinac Island before they head back to Chicago.

Pentwater’s annual “Back from the Mac” party is a tale of the connection made between two yacht clubs, the Chicago Yacht Club and the PYC. Considering the differences between the city of Chicago and the Village of Pentwater, one could easily wonder about how that connection was made. It is a fact that many folks in Pentwater have had, or still have, homes in both locations. It is also true that many of those folks love to sail. Two such people were the catalyst many years ago for the local Back from the Mac party tradition: Jack Patterson and Janet Webber. Here is some context for our tale.

Since 1898, the Chicago Yacht Club has held an annual “Race to Mackinac.” According to their website, it is the oldest freshwater distance race in the world, a course of 333 miles starting from the Chicago Lighthouse off Navy Pier and ending at the Round Island Lighthouse off Mackinac Island. Since its inception, it has been canceled only twice: in 1920 due to effects from WWI and in 2020 due to Covid restrictions. Weather has never caused a cancellation, but it surely has frequently hampered the race and impacted the results. While the original competition included only five boats, recent years have seen more than 300 boats compete and 3,000 sailors participate. The 115th “Race to Mackinac” was scheduled this year for July 12 (cruising division) and July 13 (all other divisions). Ships race through the night as well as through bad weather and normally take 40-60 hours to complete the course. But favorable conditions have enabled a monohull to win in less than 24 hours and a multihull to win in less than 19 hours. Competing boats are classified by size and type, and speeds are mathematically rated to establish an equitable basis for determining the winners. Competitors come from locations around the globe, and over the years, there have been several Pentwater residents who have sailed in the race. In fact, Bill Bluhm (on “Northern Light” and “Condor”), Jim Burch (on “Thunderbolt”) and David Nobles all raced the required 25 times to earn membership in the ”Island Goat Sailing Society.” Burch also won twice, with “Thunderbolt” taking first in her section in both 2002 and 2006.

Now, back to the origins: Patterson owned a marine repair service in Chicago before he moved to Pentwater and operated Patterson Marine Storage here. He knew a significant number of the sailors in Chicago, including many who sailed in the “Race to Mackinac.” Patterson was well-liked in Chicago, and his sailor friends enjoyed visiting him in Pentwater, often on their way back from Mackinac. Webber’s office was down the street from the Columbia Yacht Club in Chicago, and she loved to sail. She had many friends in the sailing community who also stopped to

see her in Pentwater on their way back from the race. A collegial relationship developed between the two biggest Chicago yacht clubs, the Chicago Yacht Club and Columbia Yacht Club, and the Pentwater Yacht Club. Since Pentwater is located near the halfway point of the Chicago to Mackinac race, it had long been one harbor where sailors made an informal stop on the return to Chicago.

According to “The History of Pentwater Yacht Club, 1935-2020,” that informality morphed in 1999. As some of Webber’s friends were among the returning sailors who sat on the dock casually playing their guitars, she suggested turning this small gathering into an official yacht club party and calling it the “Back from the Mac Party.” Three members of the Columbia Yacht Club in Chicago offered to help promote the event in Chicago and to bring a band, “The Montgomery Street Band,” the following year. In 2000, Webber got PYC board permission to advertise the dock party. She recounts, “I plastered flyers announcing our party at every Chicago yacht club (and even Milwaukee Yacht Club), and we’d take flyers to Mackinac Island. I designed T-shirts to pay for the band. Jack Patterson offered to co-chair the event with me.” Surprised by the strong response from sailors that first year, the club ran out of food and beverages as 17 boats rafted out front of the yacht club and sailors partied late into the night. In 2001, PYC fronted the expenses and the party expanded to more than 30 boats. Webber said, “Visiting sailors nicknamed our club ‘The Blue Chair Lounge’ because they’d spot our blue chairs when approaching from the channel. PYC was always a welcome sight. At our peak year, we had over 38 race boats rafted off the PYC dock, and more boats would tie up at the public marina.” Webber and Patterson continued to chair the event until 2009.

In 2009, the LaHaye family, Mike and Marsha and their daughter Laura Ellam, took over chairing the event and directed it for the next 10 years. They continued the tradition of creating an original shirt design every year. The party had become PYC’s largest and most popular event of the year. The spirit of the visiting sailors was irrepressible. “A few times, there was a surprise cloudburst during the party… The members would run into the club, but the sailors would all scramble to put on their foul weather gear and continue to dance on the dock.” Marsha chuckled as she shared, “Yacht club members would race to sign the volunteer sheets as soon as they appeared. We would easily garner 80 eager volunteers for setting up, selling tickets, cooking and serving the food and cleaning up afterwards.” She continued, “The grill masters were busy for hours. I think the most popular menu item was the grilled corn on the cob dipped in butter.” The public was invited to join the fun by purchasing tickets from the PYC, and residents responded enthusiastically as well. The lo-

cal party was canceled only once, when the Chicago Yacht Club canceled the race to Mackinac in 2020. When the party resumed in 2021, the PYC had a new facility with a well-appointed kitchen and full-time staff who provided support to the volunteers who cooked and served the food.

Since 2021, the event has been held largely outdoors with a “plan B” in place should the weather be uncooperative. The menu is wider but always includes the fresh corn on the cob. Restroom facilities in the Yacht Club and at the Village Marina are open to visiting sailors, and crews who do not wish to party “all night” find an alternate place to moor their boat for quiet sleep. The PYC offers a Saturday morning menu, including breakfast burritos for the visitors before they head out for Chicago. Webber claims, “By Saturday afternoon, everything is cleaned up and you’d never know there had been a party there. I must admit that when we started the Back from the Mac party in 1999, I never dreamed it would still be going 25 years later!”

This year’s Back from the Mac party will take place on Friday, July 19, with music by the band RISQUE out of Grand Rapids. Dancing and fun are inevitable. Food will be available from 5-10 p.m., and the public may purchase tickets from the PYC for $20 each. All ages are welcome, and PYC General Manager Jordan Aebig anticipates a crowd of 200-250 attendees.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP

Synopsis of Meeting July 1, 2024

Regular meeting called to order at 7:00 pm

Present: Cindy Rapes, Scott Meyers, Cathy Anderson, Richard Raffaelli and 1 member of the public. Absent: Becky Griffin.

Items approved:

• Minutes from 5-13-2024 Special Meeting

• Minutes from 6-03-2024 Regular Meeting

• Minutes from 6-26-2024 Election Commission

• Ordinance# 07012024-1

• Building of Indoor Sports Complex at Shelby Township Community Park

• Bills presented by Clerk approved for payment

Meeting adjourned at 8:24 pm

Copies of meeting minutes are available from the Township and approved minutes are on our website www.shelbytownshipoceana.com

One Shot Wonders

A recap of the best hole-in-one action on courses in Oceana County Benona Shores

• July 13 - Marc Needham on No. 9 from 170 yards out with a three wood.

Legends Ranch triumphs at Wolverine 5k Adventure Race

BITELY — Demonstrating skill and perseverance, a team of employees from Legends Ranch triumphed in the Recreational Division at the Wolverine 5K Tactical Adventure Race in Lake City, Michigan. The team, comprising Jake Badger, Kyle Windquist, Cody Swain, and led by Kevin Groothuis, prepared for this multifaceted full day competition, which demands both tactical shooting expertise and physical fitness. There were 175 people competing in the competition with 45 teams total, 25 of those in the Recre-

ational division. Prepared for Competition:

The Wolverine 5K stands out as a grueling test of both body and mind. In anticipation of this challenge, the Legends Ranch team engaged in extensive training sessions focused on refining their shooting techniques and enhancing their running endurance.

Navigating the Wild:

The race’s first segment took the competitors deep into the forest, where they had to rely solely on their

Legends continued on page 12

Serving up lessons in Pentwater

Pentwater Tennis and Pickleball Club welcomes Larry Brown for annual youth clinic

1 offer

Hart senior Addi Hovey has recieved a number of offers to continue her athletic and academic career at the college level. On Wednesday, July 17, Hovey announced via X that Liberty University had extended an offer, making them the first Division I school to do so. Hovey also noted that she visited the school in June. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Larry Brown, head coach of the girls tennis program at Ludington High School, made his way down to Pentwater last week for a multi-day youth tennis clinic. More than 40 kids showed up to learn more about the sport and hone their skills, taking part in drills and skill exercises at Pentwater Tennis and Pickleball Club’s home courts. • Contributed Photos

PLA: What is a Launch Blitz?

The blitz is a program of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to disseminate information on invasive weeds and the new state laws about keeping boats CLEAN, DRAINED, and DRY. The most common occurrence of new invasive weed introduction into a lake is through boat launches. This is how Pentwater Lake received its two most troublesome weeds, Starry Stonewort, and European Frogbit. The Pentwater Lake Improvement Board spends $60,000 a year to control these weeds and the state is spending additional money.

In concert with many other lake organizations, the Pentwater Lake Association (PLA) has conducted a launch blitz for the past six years at the three public boat launches on Pentwater Lake and the Pentwater River. PLA volunteers are present to talk with boaters as they put their power boats, personal watercrafts, canoes and kayaks in the water and take them out. The volunteers

explain the state law about keeping boats clean in order to keep our water clean, distribute literature, examine the water vehicles for invasive plants that may be clinging to the exterior, and help to clean boats when possible.

Key messages shared by the Pentwater Lake Association this year:

• Pentwater has five aquatic invasive species, shone on illustrated sheet.

• Pentwater is one of the few locations in West Michigan that has both European Frogbit and Starry Stonewort.

• It costs $60,000 per year in taxes to control the invasives in the lake.

• Most invasives in the lake have been introduced by boaters. (Specifically Starry and Frogbit.)

• At last year’s launch blitz, 40 percent of the boats that were removed from the lake had invasives on them.

• All boats are critical - boats, kayaks, canoes, paddle boats, paddle boards, jet skis (must run to empty of all water), sailboats,

waders, life jackets, tubes, etc.

• Some invasives can remain alive for five weeks on your equipment.

• 140-degree soapy power wash is the best way to clean your equipment. Stopping at a do-ityourself car wash is a good way to do that.

• It is the law to clean and drain your boat.

navigational prowess. Equipped with a compass, map, GPS, and bearing the additional weight of a 25-pound ruck pack each, the team had to find their way through dense woods. At each checkpoint, solving tap code and Morse code puzzles was crucial for extracting the next set of coordinates. Team Wildlife Center excelled in this leg of the competition, securing the fastest time of the day and outpacing the second-place team by an impressive 30 minutes.

Shooting Stages:

Transitioning from navigation to marksmanship, the second portion of the race was comprised of over ten shooting stages. Each stage presented a unique challenge, from long-distance rifle shooting to highpaced pistol sprints and accurate shooting from a moving vehicle at hanging plates. The team’s precision and coordination in these tasks were pivotal to

their overall success.

A Team Effort Supported by Legends Ranch

The Legends Ranch team’s success is a testament to their hard work and support from their employer. The financial backing from Legends Ranch enabled the team to train effectively and compete at a high level.

“We are very pleased that Legends Ranch supported our mission to complete this event,” the team collectively expressed. Their triumph not only brought pride to themselves but also to their employers and colleagues.

Looking to the Future

With their division victory secured, the team is already setting their sights on the 2025 competition. Eager to further hone their skills and build upon the knowledge gained from this year’s race, they are committed to continuous improvement and growth in the art of marksmanship.

Tom Walter performs a weed demo on a pontoon boat. • Contributed

Spitler Elementary recently broke ground on their much anticipated new

Reflections of our community

White Lake Mirror White Lake Mirror

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Whitehall mayor faces calls for resignation

Three council members criticize Salter after May 30 physical altercation with neighbor

By Madison Lajewski

White Lake Mirror Writer

WHITEHALL — At the July 9 Whitehall city council meeting, numerous community and council members called for the removal of Steve Salter, 72, as mayor due to a recent altercation between him and an elderly neighbor.

On May 30, Whitehall police were called to Salter’s residence when he allegedly punched Amy Josephson, 64, in the face after she struck him from behind. Charges were filed against Josephson for assault and battery. Since then, her case has closed.

The official report said it was “evident she was highly intoxicated.” Salter’s interview, included in the report, said Josephson started cursing at him

while he was mowing his lawn and he tried ignoring her. When he turned his back, she punched him from behind, resulting in him turning around and punching her in the face. There was a little blood under her nose and she fell to the ground. When police arrived at the scene, she was inside her residence.

cerned citizens about Salter’s behavior. One of the letters’ authors said they, as a psychologist, had “never experienced any leader at the lowest level ever using physical violence to deal with unresolved conflict.” The letter closed with a call to remove Salter as mayor and a city official, saying, “He has shown himself to not be stable enough for his job, nor as the image we wish to portray to the rest of the world.”

Councilwoman Debra Hillebrand did not receive a letter; however, she agreed with Brown and called for Salter’s resignation.

mayor to take responsibility for his action and what I believe to be in the best interest of the community, I request that he resign from his position as mayor and on city council.”

Another letter described the aftermath of the altercation as “a cover-up by City Hall.” There are concerns with the story’s spread that the city’s reputation will be tarnished and as a result, there will be a “lack of trust in city officials.”

At the July 9 meeting, councilmen Scott Brown and Tom Ziemer both shared letters they received from con-

‘Catching’

“Many of us have been witness to the mayor’s aggressive manner and easily provoked temper during council meetings,” said Hillebrand. “To me this display of a complete lack of control and violence is simply unacceptable from a public official. It not only reflects poorly on him as an individual, but it’s damaging to our city, our council and our community. I want the

“I definitely don’t think that an elected official, who should be held to a higher standard, is fit to serve any community in an official capacity when he cannot control his temper and resorts to violence,” Brown said.

A couple of Whitehall citizens during public comment said Salter’s actions were in self-defense, as the neighbor struck him in the back prior

the sunset in White Lake

On a visit to White River Township from North Carolina last week, brother and

above) enjoyed the chance to ‘catch’ the sunset on the beach. Hot and sunny

going conditions for those visiting the White Lake area.

• Morgan Frederick/Courtesy Photos

Sculpture garden revamp on Montague docket

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MONTAGUE — Montague’s work on its downtown bike and walking path is continuing over the next couple of weeks. A permanent pathway linking the path to the Montague Artisan Market is being put down now, soon to be followed by a new walking pathway through the Marilyn Voss Garden of Sculptures located just south of Montague Foods and stretching across the walking bridge into Whitehall.

Montague city manager Jeff Auch said the Downtown Development Authority has been working to improve the public parks in the city, which led to the new projects.

“This connector one will probably be done in the next week and a half,” Auch said of the new path to the Artisan Market. “The one through the little park, then, would be maybe two to three

weeks after that.”

The path in the sculpture garden will include “borders,” said Arts Council of White Lake-Nuveen Center director Erin Peyer, and will not look like a typical sidewalk. That’s just the beginning of the work to be done in the sculpture garden, though.

Peyer added that the city will also move some soil around to create some slightly different elevations within the garden, bringing a dune-like feel to it. That is a more long-term plan, Auch said, and will be completed sometime in 2025.

“It’ll probably be another year to get all the landscaping and re-contouring and all the sculptures redone,” Auch said. “Our fiscal year started July 1, so it’ll take this fiscal year and then the full

sister Oliver and Eleanor Seal (Oliver at left, Eleanor

weather throughout the last week brought ideal water-

The “Swimming Upstream” sculpture in Montague is set to be refurbished as part of work scheduled for the Marilyn Voss Garden of Sculptures in the White Lake area.

Andy Roberts/Mirror

Salter

New Whitehall school buses to replace those lost to storm Board also approves tennis court resurfacing, millage renewal request

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

WHITEHALL — The Whitehall school board unanimously approved an expenditure of up to $120,000 to replace four substitute school buses totaled by damage in the June 25 storm at its monthly meeting Monday.

The district’s permanent buses were all in protected parking areas and were not damaged, but the four usually used as “overload buses,” in case another bus is unavailable, were not protected and suffered enough damage that they are no longer usable. Superintendent Jerry McDowell said the buses’ cumulative value after having taken the damage was $59,630, according to an insurance adjuster. That money will defray the cost of purchasing three new buses - two regular education buses and one lift bus.

“It will be an upgrade, even though we didn’t really want to make it,” Mc-

Dowell said of purchasing the new buses.

Although the district’s outlay will be well south of $120,000 - with the insurance money coming in, the actual cost to the district is likely to fall somewhere between $44,000 and $45,000 - the board had to approve the expenditure at purchase price.

Hoekstra Transportation, McDowell said, will place a hold on the buses Whitehall is buying to ensure they are available when the district makes the purchase.

The board also unanimously approved two other purchases. The district will pay Racquet Sports, a tennis court construction company in Comstock Park, $51,530 to resurface the Whitehall courts. The district said the courts have not been resurfaced since first being built in 2010, and cracks in them have become a safety concern. Unfortunately, plans to resurface the

courts prior to the season fell through due to scheduling issues, but the Racquet Sports timeline for resurfacing is only about a week, from Aug. 27-Sept. 3, which the board believes will provide minimal disruption to the tennis season. A scheduled home meet has already been moved to account for the resurfacing and coaches have made arrangements to practice at Reeths-Puffer while it is in progress.

Treasurer Jimmy TenBrink joked that he would vote yes only if the courts were colored red and green instead of the original blue and green, which would better line up with Whitehall’s school colors, but McDowell noted red and green is a potential alternative and the school could request it.

Another approval came down for a $21,152 expenditure to contract with CrowdStrike, a company that counters cyberattacks. The district elected to enact such a service before facing an

issue rather than waiting until after. It was noted that the district will be able to pay 20% under list price for the services because it is partnering with the nine other school districts in the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District who are using the service as well.

The board also unanimously approved the wording of a resolution for this November’s ballot for its operating millage renewal. The 10-year millage expires after 2025 and needs to be renewed. As before, the millage will levy 18 mills ($18 per $1,000 of taxable value) on non-homestead properties, which yields an expected 2026 tax revenue of just under $4.18 million to the district. The operations millage generally passes by a wide margin, McDowell said, but the district plans to enact communications emphasizing that this millage does not apply to primary residences and that it is vital to funding the school district.

Dalton Twp. sells land for future home construction

By Steve Gunn White Lake Mirror Contributor

DALTON TWP. - The Dalton Township board has approved a large land sale that could eventually lead to the construction of hundreds of new single-family homes near the village of Lakewood Club.

The board voted unanimously July 8 to sell 177 acres to Ron Leatherman, owner of Norton Shores-based Leatherman Builders LLC. Leatherman recently approached the township about the property, which prompted the board to put the land up for bid.

Leatherman was the only bidder. The township agreed to sell the property for $222,000.

Leatherman has stated his goal is to eventually build and sell more than 200 single-family homes on the property, according to Dalton Township Supervisor Jeff Martin.

The undeveloped property is located south of Lakewood Road and west of Russell Road.

If fully developed, the new project could dramatically increase the population in the lightly-developed surrounding area. The village of Lakewood Club, which is part of Dalton

Township, only has a population of about 1,300.

The new residential development is one of three projects that got the thumbs up from the township board at the meeting.

The board also approved a commercial development of 27 buildings for light industrial use in a business park on Whitehall Road, along with a 58-duplex residential development near the same business park.

When all of the new development is complete, the township will significantly expand its tax base.

“If all three projects that were approved at the July board meeting are able to reach their full potential, it will be over $100 million worth of development in Dalton Township over the next couple of decades, including both residential and commercial growth,” Martin said.

The sale of the 177 acres does not mean new houses will be popping up on the site quickly.

Before anything can be built, the title check process for the many parcels in the purchase area must be completed, and Leatherman will have to work with the township planning commis-

Altercation

to his reaction. According to another local community member, who used to work down the street from Salter’s residence, Josephson has a history of public outbursts and has consistently caused disturbances for her surrounding neighbors and other community members.

Whitehall Police Chief Roger Squiers said since 2022, they have received 32 calls involving Josephson, 11 of them leading to charges against her. He also said she has fought with his officers in the past, resisting arrest, and once “splashed a raspberry slushie” on him.

“It’s more than an altercation between myself and my neighbor,” said Salter. “For 25 years, my family and I have been verbally harassed by this individual. On that date, the verbal ha-

continued from page 1

rassment turned into physical harassment.

“The fact is, I was mowing my lawn on my property. This individual was continuously cursing at me. I ignored her, as I’ve had to do for over 25 years. I turned my back and she struck me from behind with a fist, and my immediate reaction was to turn around and strike her back to protect myself. I immediately called 911 and the police came. She was intoxicated and they arrested her. She was out the next day and subsequently pleaded a downward charge of disorderly person. This has happened over and over, and the fact that these council members are so outraged by this, they’ve never been concerned over the 25 years that I’ve been harassed.”

sion on the details of the project.

A few parcels within the development site have other owners, and Leatherman will have to either try to purchase that land or work around it as he plans his project, Martin said. Leatherman has indicated that he will pursue the project incrementally by building and selling a certain number of homes at a time, based on market conditions.

“It will be market-driven,” Martin said. “There is no way to tell exactly when it will be done. They are hoping to get all the paperwork done in the next year.”

The township gained possession of most of the land bit by bit over the years, with much of it obtained from the state of Michigan or Muskegon County.

There was some initial hesitation on the part of some board members over the sale price of the property, Martin said. The total value could be worth more than $2 million, but the sale price had to be weighed against the many costs the developer will face, even before construction.

Another consideration was the fear the property would be sold, no devel-

opment would occur and the purchaser would simply resell it for more than he paid the township.

Township board members considered the possibility of including a provision in the sale agreement stating Leatherman would have to build a certain number of homes by a stipulated date, or the township would have the option to purchase the undeveloped portions back from him.

That idea was shelved because board members understand such a large development will take time, and because they trust Leatherman.

“That could have forced us into a situation where the township might have bought (some of the land) back,” Martin said. “But we would not be selling it to him if we didn’t expect him to build residential homes there.

“He will have to make a lot of investments, for roads, gas lines, power lines, and building the homes themselves. He presented himself as a conservative builder and said he does not do a ton of building on spec. If things are going well, there may be about 30 (houses constructed) per year.

“He has a track record of doing what he says he’s going to do.”

White River Rock Club cracks open geodes

The White River Rock Club welcomed area youth to the White Lake Community Library last Thursday for a geode event. With a large bucket full of geodes collected on its travels, the club invited children to select a geode, then used a cracker tool to break open the geodes and examine the insides.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Echoes of History: Citizens - I. M. Weston

By Barbara Bedau Brow Volunteer Contributor

Isaac Mellen Weston was born in North Anson, Maine, April 20, 1845, the oldest of three sons of Col. William Weston and his wife Marianne Smith Hopkins. Col. Weston was a prominent lumber and wool manufacturer.

In 1859, William moved with his parents to Milwaukee, WI. In 1862 he was in Minnesota during the Sioux Indian war and served as a Lieutenant of a regiment in the war. In 1863 he entered the literary department at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor as a member of the class of 1867. However, he left the university in 1865 and accepted the position of Military Storekeeper at Fort Laramie, Dakota, where he remained during the Sioux Indian War. In January 1866, he was transferred to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he held the same position at Camp Douglas.

In 1867, Weston came to Whitehall where his father had extensive lumber interests and became the resident managing partner of the firm of Wm. Weston & Son. He became an extensive mill man and lumber man on White Lake. An examination of the White River Log and Boom Company shows that in 1881 I. M. Weston & Co. handled more logs than any other Whitehall firm.

In 1877 Weston added banking to his lumbering business by taking thejob as cashier of the Lumberman’s

State Bank at Whitehall, which he soon after reorganized as the First National Bank and of which he was president and principal owner.

On Jan. 1, 1881, I. M. Weston became an owner and cashier of the Farmers and Mechanics’ Bank at Grand Rapids and divided his time between Whitehall and Grand Rapids.

It appears that Weston died Dec. 10, 1898 while in New York on business. He is buried in his home state of Maine.

Col. William Weston was born in Madison, Somerset County, Maine March 18, 1810, the son of Deacon Benjamin Weston, one of the first settlers of the town. He received an education at Farmington (Maine) Academy. Upon completion he engaged in the mercantile business in North Anson, Maine. He also began lumbering and soon after built an extensive woolen factory, sawmill and flouring mill there as well. He was captain of a local artillery company, and later major and then colonel of his regiment. On Sept. 11, 1839 he was commissioned Colonel of the Artillery Regiment, 1st brigade, 8th division, Maine military.

William married Susan Cony Church (1813-1842) of Farmington, Maine in 1838. She died in 1842. He then married Marianne Smith Hopkins in 1844. They had three sons: Isaac Mellen (1845-1898); Benjamin Frank (1849-1916); and Charles E (1857-1926).

Sculpture garden

next one to get all that kind of put back together.”

As part of that project, the ACWL-Nuveen Center will temporarily store the sculptures later this year and will place them back once the project is complete. They are also planning to do some revitalization work to at least one sculpture, the light blue Swimming Up Stream sculpture, which will be “sandblasted”, Peyer said, to remove visible rust from it. The center will be touching up other sculptures too; they were first placed in the Marilyn Voss garden nearly 20 years ago. On top of that, a new plaque is slated to be added to the garden to replace the “dated” one. A recent grant from the White Lake Community Fund will allow the ACWL-Nuveen Center to do all that work.

William moved to Milwaukee, and in 1859 he began buying large tracts of pine lands on the White, Muskegon, and Manistee rivers. He commenced lumbering on White River in 1862. In the fall of that year, he purchased the Thompson and Covell mill, then the only steam sawmill that was in Whitehall. He continued lumbering in Whitehall until 1879. He was also president and principal owner of the Lumberman’s State Bank of Whitehall. In 1879 he sold his banking interests to his oldest son I. M. Weston, who succeeded him as president of the bank. William then devoted himself mainly to the management of his real estate interests.

William Weston died Nov. 5, 1882

in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His wife Marianne died March 11, 1912 in Los Angeles, California. They are both buried in Madison Bridge Cemetery in Madison, Somerset, Maine.

Benjamin Frank (B.F.) Weston was the second son of Col. William Weston and was born in Somerset County, Maine Dec. 3, 1849. He was educated at Lawrence University and Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He had an extensive lumber business, being largely interested in the purchase and sale of pine lands and logs of which he owned great amounts. He had an office in the Bank in Whitehall during the early 1880s and lived in Montague for a short time before moving to California.

Benjamin married Abbie Bunker in Milwaukee in 1883 and they had three children. He died Sept. 1, 1916 and his wife died Jan. 11, 1932. They are buried in Oakland, Alameda, California.

Charles E. was the youngest of William’s children. He was born April 25, 1857. He married Viola Alice Johnson in Books, Maine Sept. 25, 1887. They had no children. It does not appear that Charles had any dealing in the White Lake area. Charles died March 11, 1926 in Wisconsin. He is buried in the Weston family plot in Madison Bridge Cemetery in Maine. His wife died Jan. 18, 1949 in Maine and is buried in the Johnson family plot in Riverside Cemetery, Farmington, Maine.

“Just this Monday, we hired a landscaper, and he went out to four of the sculptures and redid the landscaping,” Peyer said. “The goal of ours over the next couple years is to make improvements....We’ve got a big to-do list to improve the sculptures.”

The path to the Artisan Market, meanwhile, will replace an old gravel path that previously existed. Auch said the new path will resemble a “connecting sidewalk.” There will also be a small connecting path to link the Weathervane Inn, just across the street from the market, to the bike path.

The Artisan Market, which is open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, announced the new path in a July 10 Facebook post and expressed its excitement over the development.

“Thank you to our community who keep supporting us and helping make our boardwalk of goodness successful,” the Artisan Market said in the post. continued from page 1

Celebrate summer reading with a picnic

By Virginia DeMumbrum Volunteer Contributor

The Summer Reading Program is coming to an end and we want to celebrate with you! Join us Thursday, July 25 at 5:30 for a fun evening out on the library lawn. This all-ages picnic event will feature lawn games, snacks, and live music by The Smiths. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy great company as we come together with friends and neighbors.

Not quite to your summer reading goal yet? No worries! You can keep logging your reading on the Beanstack app or your paper reading log through July 31. Paper logs are due by Saturday, August 3, and prize drawings will be held on Monday, August 5.

Adult Craft Event - Map Coasters

Need a little adventure in your home décor? Drop in to the library Monday, July 22, between 5:30 and 7 p.m. for an adult craft event making

map coasters. This is a quick and easy craft, though it does require some drying time. All program supplies will be provided, but if you’ve got your own map you’d like to use, bring it! Please register at wlclib. org/calendar to help us plan supplies.

or not!) who are interested in lively conversations about their roles and relationships in our society as they live out the second half of their lives.

FUN FACT: According to census data, 23% of the residents in the library’s service area are women over the age of 50. That’s about 3,000 women, all of whom are invited to join the Grandmothers Group at the library. The next meeting is at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 30. The group is open to any interested women, grandmothers or not, (and residents of our service area

Blueberry Farm Storytime! Storytime is on the move again! The library has been hosting storytimes at different locations around the community this summer, and the last one is scheduled for for 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 30, at Cole Family Blueberries. In addition to our usual storytime activities, children will learn about the blueberry farm and will also have the opportunity to taste-test several varieties of blueberries! Cole Family Blueberries is located at 6082 Zellar Road in Whitehall. This event is free, and registration is not required. Other events for children and teens will continue for a few more weeks, with Family Storytime Mondays at 9:30 through July 29. Both Friday events, Outdoor Play & Learn at 10 a.m. and

Afternoon Hang for teens at 2 p.m., will continue through Aug. 9.

Next Book Sale Set for Aug. 10

Come to the library Saturday, Aug. 10 to browse thousands of gently-used books, all priced at $2 or less. Better yet, fill a bag for just $5! Sale hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You’ll find a wide variety of books, music, movies, puzzles, and more to suit most any age or interest.

DeMumbrum

Weston

A sidewalk connecting the Montague Artisan Market to the bike trail is slated to be completed this month.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Lake Mirror Lake Mirror

NONPROFIT NEWS SOURCE community Montague basketball hosting 3-on-3 tourney

New event will raise money for No More Sidelines; has signed up 20 teams so far

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

The Montague boys basketball program will host a 3-on-3 tournament Saturday, Aug. 3 in a bid to grow the game and give players a summer opportunity to hit the court for organized competition.

Also a big draw: Many of the funds raised from the event will go to benefit No More Sidelines, a Muskegon-area organization that provides sports opportunities to children and young adults with special needs. It’s a cause close to Montague boys coach Nick Thaler, who’s also a special education teacher at the school.

“Working at Grand Haven (before Montague), we did a lot of things with No More Sidelines and working with kids with special needs,” Thaler said. “Watching the excitement they bring, especially when those guys are playing at halftime at Reeths-Puffer (during the Hall of Fame games), it’s a joy to watch. I think that’s a big picture part, doing something bigger than you.”

The tournament has signed up about 20 teams so far, with a stated goal of getting to 50. Boys and girls divisions are planned, with the tournament open to players entering fourth through 12th grades. Registrants will receive a t-shirt, and trophies will be given to the top two finishing teams in each division. The cost to register is

$100 per team, with each team guaranteed to play at least three games. The sign-ups cut off this coming Monday, July 22.

Thaler said he felt a 3-on-3 tournament was a good idea in part because of the growth of that format. The sport made its Olympic Games debut in Tokyo in 2021, and the popular Gus Macker tournament celebrates its 50th anniversary this year; Ludington hosts an annual Gus Macker event. Having a similar event nearby offers an opportunity for local players.

There’s been plenty of work behind the scenes to get the tournament organized, especially it being the first time it’s been done.

“I started a couple months ago, talked to some other area coaches about how best to handle this, just to get it out to as many people as possible,” Thaler said. “How much gym space are we going to need as far as courts? Will we need to accommodate courts for the younger groups? I think that’s the biggest thing that’s missed when these events are run.

Gus Macker has a dream court where the younger kids can play, but it’s not really modified. My plan is, we can’t really lower the rims because we don’t have the capability right now, but we’ll make the court a little smaller and make the three-point line a little closer so we don’t have to shoot from 19 feet away for two points. We can shoot

SPORTS SPORTS

Montague coach Nick Thaler (right) shares a chuckle with Newaygo coach Jason Long prior to a game last season. Thaler and the Wildcats’ program are hosting a 3-on-3 tournament Aug. 3 in support of No More Sidelines.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

from 15 feet away. It makes the game a little more fun for everybody.”

At least a few Wildcat players, of course, will likely be part of the event - at least those who can fit the tournament in among summer baseball and football activities, not to mention general life. The idea of fostering a connection between the varsity team and lower levels is also important to Thaler. He noted the girls basketball team’s group outing to a middle school game last season left a big impression on the younger players.

“I think that means a lot to those kids,” Thaler said. “I think if a varsity athlete goes to watch those events, it makes them feel appreciated...The more people see it, the more excited they’ll be about participating in not

just basketball but other sports in general.”

A chance to get the competitive juices flowing will also be welcome, since so much of the summer involves intra-team activities.

“I remember when I was a kid playing in these Gus Mackers, winning those events was pretty cool,” Thaler said. “You’re not just playing kids from your area, you’re playing kids from all over. That’s where we’re going with this. We have some teams from bigger schools like Mona Shores. We have some Whitehall students and some Reeths-Puffer kids. It’s great to see kids from different communities have an option.”

7-on-7 win boosts Montague football offseason

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

A busy offseason for Montague’s football team got a boost when the Wildcats closed out a team camp at West Ottawa last week by winning a 7-on-7 tournament.

Coming away with a win was meaningful to coach Justin Dennett for two reasons. One was the strong level of competition, as the Wildcats were opposite strong programs from bigger schools like Grand Rapids Christian, Lowell and Reeths-Puffer, not to mention area rival Whitehall and the host Panthers, the latter of whom are led by former Montague coach Pat Collins. The second, from Dennett’s perspective, was that the style of 7-on-7 play the teams used was “more realistic” than the style seen at most specialized events of the type.

“Sometimes when you go to those 7-on-7 tournaments, they’re so focused on winning the 7-on-7, they don’t necessarily do things they’d normally do in an 11-on-11 game,” Dennett said. “Some of the defenses you see (sometimes) aren’t realistic to actual football, but at the West Ottawa camp, it was more of a camp that we just ended with a tournament. It was more structured to run your actual defense. You’re able

to improve and coach up a little more.”

Another big reason Dennett was pleased with his team’s success at the 7-on-7 camp was that it is breaking in a new starting quarterback. Last year’s signal-caller, Mason Darke, transferred to Reeths-Puffer for the spring semester, and rising junior Eli Petersen, who competed with Darke and Kellan Francis for the position last offseason, is now entrenched as the quarterback.

Petersen showed his teammates and coaches what he can do at the West Ottawa 7-on-7.

“I think it gives everyone more confidence knowing he’s the guy right now,” Dennett said of Petersen. “They’re able to trust him and get a lot of reps with him. We’ve got to develop some backups and find other guys to push him, but it’s nice to have him set in place to get him ready to go.”

Petersen is also working on chemistry with a largely new group of skill players. Key contributors Adam Baird, Paul Olson and Isaiah Atchison graduated this spring, so there will be a lot of new faces. Among those is Riley Mulder, who missed most of last season injured but has made waves this offseason by showing off his athleticism - he’s 6-5 and 215 pounds - at various camps. Mulder has earned a

of

• Courtesy Photo

few collegiate offers, including from Division II Saginaw Valley State, and is poised to be a big part of what the Wildcats do this coming year.

“He’s really improved physically in the last couple seasons,” Dennett said of Mulder. “He’s one of our strongest guys and he still has good speed for his size. He got a lot of attention in the spring and summer. We’re looking forward to him being healthy and being able to utilize him this year.”

Montague does project to return four starters up front, which should ease the process for those new skill

players. (So too will having Ryver Jarka back after leading the team in tackles; Dennett believes he’ll have a bigger role on offense this season.) The linemen, of course, were less able to show off their talents at the 7-on-7, but since they should be a strength of the team, that makes what Montague did even more impressive.

Like so many football programs, Montague has been at it throughout the off-season. Apart from MHSAA-mandated dead week around the July 4

Members

the Montague football team celebrate winning the 7-on-7 tournament that capped off the Big Lake team camp at West Ottawa last week.

RunIt 5K adding color to event this year

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

Saturday, July 27, will mark the third time the RunIt 5K has been run in memory of Ava VanderStelt, a Whitehall student who passed away in 2022, but this year race host White Lake Nutrition is adding a color run to the event.

Jenna Sorensen, co-owner of White Lake Nutrition and race director, said the addition of a color run was made to encourage more participation in the race and also underscore the positive atmosphere that the race has pursued since Vanderstelt’s passing.

“With mental health being the theme, a color run, we thought, would give that kind of hopeful feel to the race,” Sorensen said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to talk to people about the whole cause and everything behind it.”

There will be five stations along

the 5K course where runners can be splashed with color, creating a vibrant scene as runners make their way to the finish. As in the past, the race will begin and end in front of the White Lake Chamber & Visitor’s Bureau offices, on the Whitehall side of the causeway. Race time is 9 a.m., with registration beginning at 7:30. Awards will follow, presented to top finishers in the age groups of 8 and under, 9-12, 13-16, 17-22, 23-30, 31-40, 41-50, 5160, 61-70 and 71-plus for both males and females.

So far, Sorensen said, about 230 have registered to participate this year, and registration usually picks up late, so she is optimistic the race may top last year’s 354 registrants. The cost to race is $35 and includes a t-shirt, water and light snacks for runners. (To register, visit runsignup.com, select ‘Find a Race,’ and search for the RunIt 5K.)

Prior to the race, VanderStelt’s family will gather the participants for

Montague football

continued from page 4

a few words and a community prayer. Proceeds from the race will continue to fund the Rose Award in VanderStelt’s name, a $500 scholarship given annually to a Whitehall and a Montague student who exemplifies the qualities VanderStelt stood far. Further proceeds will benefit the Hope Squads at both high schools, student-led organizations that provide support in the name of suicide prevention.

Hope Squad members from both schools have helped in gathering sponsorships for this race and will help out on race day as well, Sorensen said, an increased involvement from years past.

“I think it completely changes it,” Sorensen said. “I think it gets, especially, adults and businesses in the

community more aware of what’s going on with today’s youth. I think any time you see youth being involved in a race, people’s minds get turned to it. I don’t think it’s bigger this year just because it’s year three, I think it’s because the kids are more involved.”

Tickets still available for two History Cruises

Tickets remain available for two White Lake History Cruises set to take place Sunday, July 28.

holiday, where no organized activity is permitted, it’s been three weightlifting sessions a week and the occasional team camp. The summer is closing in on its end, with another week of limited activity scheduled for the last week prior to practices opening Aug. 12. The Wildcats are scheduled for a team camp at Muskegon next week before hosting a small camp of their own the week after. Then it’ll be getting ready for a challenging opener against Division 4 Forest Hills Eastern.

“It’s a busy three weeks,” Dennett said.

The cruise, which will take off from Goodrich Park, will show off various historical stops around White Lake. Local historians have prepared a unique experience for cruise goers. The cruises are open to anyone age 12 and up.

Three cruises are scheduled. The 7 p.m. twilight cruise is sold out, but

at press time tickets remained for the 1 and 4 p.m. cruises. Tickets to the cruises are $38 and include one drink ticket. Tickets can be purchased through Aquastar Cruises’ website, aquastarcruises.com.

Light refreshments will be available on board and beverages will be for sale. Bring an ID and a credit card if you want to enjoy an adult beverage, as the bar is cashless.

Rothbury council discusses mobile home park

ROTHBURY — With Electric Forest now in the rear-view mirror for 2024, the Rothbury Village Council’s monthly meeting Tuesday night returned to more regular business matters.

The council discussed the Greenlawn Mobile Home Park, which has received some recent attention from village residents regarding the condition of the land. Trustee Mike Harris said he sent a letter to the owner of the park, who was not named, on the council’s behalf in hopes of addressing the issue. He also made a call to the owner, but neither communication was returned. It was noted that the owner lives in Pierson in Mont-

calm County and is not regularly in Rothbury. The council said it will send a certified letter to the owner so it knows the letter is received and will consult its legal counsel to determine how it can address the issue without violating private ownership rights. Multiple public commenters asked what to do with the brush in their yards that came down as a result of the June 25 storm. Village president Vern Talmadge said it was possible residents could take the brush to the grass pile adjacent to the bike trail; although there is a sign there forbidding brush, Talmadge said it was originally put up because a village contractor was dumping brush there during a job

that is now completed. The council discussed, but did not vote on, enacting some sort of brush pickup day similar to the ones done in Montague and Whitehall.

Treasurer Deborah Murphy brought up two issues regarding the community center. She said she discovered “an ant invasion” there over the weekend, and the area has since been treated. While investigating that, she said she noticed two separate times that the refrigerator there was left on without anyone being signed up to use the center. She suspects someone duplicated a key to use the center, and the village is now taking steps to have the locks changed to de-

Community Calendar

ter such use.

After some debate regarding the village’s contribution to Oceana County’s hazardous waste disposal day, this year scheduled for Aug. 17, the council unanimously voted to contribute $184.80 to the event. This was done despite, according to the council, no one from the village participating last year. Early discussion of the issue seemed to lean towards the village not contributing, but ultimately it was decided to continue supporting the event. The disposal day will again take place at the Hart Department of Public Works on State Street from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saturday, July 20

Montague Farmer’s Market open every Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Grand opening of Pollinator Paradise Garden @ White Lake Community Library, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Walk the Beat area music festival, 1-5 p.m. Nineteen venues and 38 musical acts. Free door prizes at each venue, with raffle tickets available for purchase.

Sunday, July 21

Steve Thielman performs @ Book Nook & Java Shop for brunch, 10 a.m. to noon.

Monday, July 22

Community Yoga @ Fruitland Twp. Hall, 10-11 a.m. Free to participate ($5 suggested donation), open to all ages and skill levels.

Camp MADL @ MADL Montague branch, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Camp fun - inluding songs, crafts and morewithout the bugs.

Tuesday, July 23

Steve Thielman performs @ Book Nook & Java Shop, 10 a.m. to noon.

Playtime Power Hour @ Montague Library, 11 a.m. to noon. Informal literacy-based program for children to explore play stations at the library.

ACWL-Nuveen Free Summer Concert Series continues with the Schrock Bros. Band @ Montague Band Shell, 7-9 p.m. Free crafts for kids at each concert.

Wednesday, July 24

Snacktivity @ Montague Library, 3-5 p.m. Games, crafts, Lego and more. Snacks provided.

Thursday, July 25

Fetch Cycling Group meets every Thursday at 6 p.m. All levels welcome.

Free general admission every Thursday @ the Muskegon Museum of Art, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Library Olympics @ MADL Montague branch, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Collaborative and solo challenges.

Free yoga @ White River Light Station, 6:30 p.m.

North Grove Brewers summer concert Thursdays features Kyle Brown & the Human Condition, 7-9 p.m. Outdoor concert in the biergarten.

Friday, July 26

Community Yoga @ Fruitland Twp. Hall, 10-11 a.m. Free to participate ($5 suggested donation), open

to all ages and skill levels.

Cruz In event in downtown Montague, starting at 4 p.m. when food vendors open. Cars from the model year 1985 or before are welcome to assemble downtown for public viewing; Ferry St. will close at 5 p.m., and Dowling St. will close at 7 p.m. Dave Burel provides live entertainment starting at 7 p.m.

Free concert by Dave Martin @ White River Light Station, 7-8 p.m. North Grove Brewers summer concert featuring Jesse Ray & the Carolina Catfish, 8-10 p.m. Outdoor concert in the biergarten.

Borrowed Time plays @ Pub One Eleven, 8-11 p.m.

The July 27 RunIt 5K will start and finish in front of these statues, located next to the White Lake Chamber & Visitor’s Bureau. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Chamber Music Festival tickets still available

The strength, character, and history of the White Lake Chamber Music Festival continues to impact the White Lake area as it enters the 15th season of presenting an array of exceptional performances. Excellent programming, world-class artists, and inspiring classical music performances will take place from Aug. 2–10, 2024 in the White Lake area. What once was mostly found only in metropolitan cities, is now a yearly experience in the White Lake area.

During this nine-day classical music festival, there will be 17 varied concerts and recitals presented. Daily 4 p.m. Salon Concerts will take place at the Book Nook & Java Shop (8744 Ferry St., Montague). Each evening will feature unique classical music concerts, plus a Student Recital, a White Lake Community Library Children’s Event, open rehearsals, two Family Concerts, a Cabaret Night and more.

New to the 2024 Festival will be two fun-filled Family Concerts. The first Family Concert features “The Carnival of the Animals,” a humorous musical suite of 14 movements with narration showcasing animals represented by different instruments, by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. An Instrument Petting Zoo will start the evening out at 6 p.m., followed by the 7 p.m. Family Concert.The second Family Concert, “Enchanting Musical Stories,” will feature Peter and the Wolf - a symphonic folk tale written by the Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev - and the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Children’s imaginations will come alive as they are captivated by the dramatic story telling and enticing music.

The Grand opening night of the 2024 Festival entitled “Ah! Schubert!”, is packed with wellknown music: Schubert’s Piano Sonata D.664, Schubert’s Shepherd on the Rock for clarinet, soprano, and piano, Erlkönig D328 and Die Forelle Op. 32, D 550, and the finale – Schubert’s Trout Quintet.

Every evening concert is rich in offerings: Mozart Clarinet Quintet, Dover Beach Op. 3 for Voice and String Quartet by Samuel Barber, Shostakovich Piano Quintet, Mozart Kegelstatt Trio, Dvorak Piano Quintet No. 2, and so much more. Ending the Festival will be “The Heart & Soul of Russia” featuring music of Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky with a grand finale of Souvenir de Florence Op.70 Sextet by Tchaikovsky.

lenc, Debussy, and more; and retired Chicago Symphony violist Bob Swan and Blue Lake Radio Host Foley Schuler will share on “Melodies That Touch You Forever”, music of Mozart, Rachmaninoff, and Tchaikovsky!

The salon concerts offer a variety of performers: Dulcimer Diversions featuring Collins Trier performing original compositions, traditional folk and bluegrass, and musical storytelling; a Student Recital showcasing area piano, voice, and instrumental students; Jasmine Lin and Emily Nebel will perform a Violin Duo Recital; returning singers Angela De Venuto, soprano and Leo Radosavljevic, bass will present “Music and Letters by Clara and Robert Schumann”; Russian clarinetist Sergey Gutorov will perform works by Carl Maria Von Weber, Pou-

A well-received addition to last year’s Festival is making a comeback with a different twist. “Cabaret Night: Broadway Comes to White Lake” at the Book Nook & Java Shop will wrap up the 2024 Festival Aug. 10 with a grand celebration featuring singers Angela De Venuto and Leo Radosavljevic.

Evening concerts are just $20 and children/students are free for every event. Tickets are now available at the Book Nook & Java Shop (8744 Ferry St. Montague) or online on Eventbrite.

Montague council adjusts mayoral term, addresses complaints

By Madison Lajewski White Lake Mirror Writer

MONTAGUE — The Montague city council voted Monday to change the mayoral term from four years to six. The official resolution will be distributed to Montague residents prior to the September election.

A Montague citizen spoke during public comment, sharing a personal story about her family moving here in 2020 and her neighbor’s dog killing their family dog. She said that recently her family adopted a new puppy and the same dog attacked the puppy. She said police are aware and have been involved, and there have been 12 citations involving dangerous dog behavior with these neighbors. She said the neighbor has been asked multiple times to keep their dog in their yard and they have failed to do so.

She stated the city currently does not have any official ordinances on dangerous dogs and she hopes by sharing her story, the council will change this. She also said she and other neighbors are very concerned about the small children who hang around their road, and them being injured by this dog.

City Manager Jeff Auch said he has talked with the city attorney and they are actively trying to find a resolution that fits within state law.

Councilwoman Laura LaGuire said she has received complaints from Montague citizens about the boat ramp being closed at 5 p.m. on a holiday due to the fireworks the evening on July 4. Currently the fireworks are launched from the Montague boat launch ramp and are enjoyed by both White Lake municipalities, along with four other surrounding communities. Auch suggested the White Lake Fireworks Committee agree to continue this until July

Maureen Dunphy to discuss new book

Why do we love trees so much?

Author Maureen Dunphy answers that question and more when she comes to Montague Wednesday, July 24 to talk about her newest book “Divining: A Memoir in Trees.” The event will be held at The Book Nook and Java Shop. It begins with a meetand-greet at 6:30 p.m. Dunphy will present at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to everyone. White Lake readers will remember Dunphy, who charmed them when she visited Montague a few years ago to talk about her award-winning book “Great Lakes Island Escapes: Ferries and Bridges to Adventure.”

In “Divining,” she explores our complex and meaningful rela-

tionship with trees from needing them for food, shelter and oxygen to serving as a source of emotional refuge and a boost to our physical, mental and spiritual health. The author’s book has received wide praise. It is a 2024 selection by the Sierra Club and a finalist for the Midwest Book Awards. Dunphy was born and raised in Michigan and lives in the Detroit Metro area. When she isn’t writing or leading writing workshops, she is drawn to the woods, beaches and islands of the Great Lakes. This event is part of the Summer Book Talk Series presented in partnership by The Book Nook and Java Shop, and the Friends of the Montague Library. For more information about

the book talks, call the Montague Branch Library at 231-893-2675 or The Book Nook at 231-8945333.

4, 2026, ensuring fireworks for the 250th anniversary of the United States, but look at different launch sites after that. This gives the committee two years to discuss and come up with an alternative location to launch the fireworks.

Montague Branch Library announced they now have a laptop kiosk, consisting of six laptops. Any library member can check out a laptop for three days. They are loaded with cellular data, allowing users to take them anywhere they want without needing to be connected to the internet. Training is available for anyone who requests it.

Clarinetist Sergey Gutorov, and artists from the Savannah Voice Festival, soprano Angela De Venuto and bass baritone Leo Radosavljevic, are among this year’s White Lake Chamber Music Festival performers.

Courtesy Photos