The Oceana Echo - Volume 2, Issue 3, June 14, 2024

Electric Forest Music Festival invests

$27,000

into Community, Arts, Music, and Preservation Projects in Oceana County

The Electric Forest Music Festival has been an Oceana County summer staple since 2008, bringing people across the country together to celebrate art, music, and nature. While the Festival’s grandeur is known cross-country, few know about its philanthropic footprint in West Michigan. This summer, the Festival’s Electric Forest Charitable Fund celebrates the sixth anniversary of its Music in Schools Programs with a $10,000 grant. Its generosity continues with additional grants totaling $17,000 to the Oceana Conservation District, the Hart Project “putting the art in Hart”, and the Oceana Community Foundation.

Electric Forest began collaborating with the Oceana Community Foundation in 2019, creating the Electric Forest Char-

itable Fund to support music programs in public schools. The Festival expanded the Music in Schools Program to better support ALL that The Forest values - Community, Arts, Music, and Preservation or EF Michigan CAMP Project.

The Electric Forest Charitable Fund’s $10,000 grant to Music in Schools marks its continued investment in making music accessible for area students. The Festival’s program inspired matching grants from nine other Oceana Community Foundation funders to triple the collective support to $29,500 for local musicians. This program will provide instruments, equipment and supplies for under-resourced music and choir programs in Hart, Hesperia, Montague, Shelby, Pentwater and Walkerville schools. New this year is the addition of Walkerville Public Schools as they begin to re-launch their tabled music program across K-12 grades, including the band program.

The Festival’s $7,000 support to the Oceana Conservation District (OCD) will help facilitate a master plan for developing and preserving the Stony Creek Nature

Preserve. The Morse family donated the Nature Preserve in 2022 to OCD, providing Oceana County with a beautiful slice of the Stony Creek shoreline. Through the generous support of donors like the Electric Forest Charitable Fund, the 40acre Nature Preserve will open soon with newly created trails and infrastructure for local nature enthusiasts and out-of-town visitors. A crucial part of the Stony Lake Nature Preserve will be its ADA-accessible parking and trails for visitors with different abilities, which is a special interest area for Electric Forest. OCD anticipates the Nature Preserve becoming a popular destination for fishing enthusiasts, school field trips, hikers, and outdoorsmen throughout the seasons.

The Hart Project strives to transform Hart into an artistic enclave in West Michigan, establishing its 25 by 2025 mission to build 25 art installations across the city in the next two years. The Festival is a continued supporter of this initiative and recently granted $5,000 to the City of Hart to purchase a new sculpture. The installation will be a large bridge troll made from nat-

ural materials like mud and tree branches, nestled near the fishing bridge by Hart Lake. In 2023, the Electric Forest Charitable Fund contributed to the Hart Project’s installation of the 24-foot Tin Man in the downtown area through a $5,000 grant.

Electric Forest Charitable Fund’s final summer grant of $5,000 supports the Oceana Community Foundation’s operational growth.

“As a smaller, but growing rapidly, community foundation, we are proud to build an organization that continues to build community capital and create lasting resources for generations to come,” Foundation CEO Tammy Carey shared. “Electric Forest’s investment in our growth is essential to expanding our impact. Operations are often overlooked despite being an essential part of our work. It funds our staff, office, and administration so that we can continue to help Oceana families, businesses, and organizations achieve their charitable goals.” By supporting CFOC’s administration, the Electric Forest Charitable Fund is supporting the community’s philanthropic goals.

Pentwater History Cruise returns for 2024 season

Pentwater’s “water taxi” is in the water and area residents and visitors can again board the 1960’s-era U.S. Navy whale boat (not ADA accessible) for a casual, one-hour lap around historic Pentwater Lake and down the Channel. History Cruises depart on Thursdays through Saturdays at 3 p.m. from the Fourth Street Dock. The cost is $15 per passenger age 13 and older. Children 12 and under are free, but must reserve a seat at no charge.

The captain and passengers will be joined by a Pentwater Historical Society volunteer docent who will tell stories about people and places from Pentwater’s past, going back some 400 years. While cruising past various locations, the docent will talk about early Pentwater landmarks that once stood there. These include the railroad depot, Eldred Shingle Mill, Hotel Valeria, “White Elephant,” Sears and Nichols Can-

ning Company, Pentwater Furniture Company, Pentwater Bedstead Company, local newspaper office, U.S. Lifesaving and Coast Guard stations, ferry, swing bridge, Pentwater Brick, powder magazine site, “The Dock,” and the original community hall. Passengers also will learn why nearby Dumaw Creek, northeast of the Village, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

As passengers leave the boat, they can show their appreciation for the docent’s knowledge and time by making a small donation to help support the admission-free Pentwater Historical Museum at First and Rutledge streets.

“Our History Cruise will

whet one’s appetite to visit our Museum,” said Pentwater Historical Society trustee Beth Russell. “We’ve numbered over 50 photographs and artifacts on display. Visitors can dial a local phone number on their

cellphones and listen to a short, recorded narrative about any of them. It’s like having a docent whispering in your ear.”

For more information about the History and other cruises available on the historic “water taxi,” and to make paid reservations, visit www.ptwtaxi.com. For more information about the Pentwater Historical Society and museum hours, visit www.pentwater historical society.org.

Petoskey boy recovering after hole in Silver Lake Sand Dunes collapes

A 12-year-old Petoskey boy was hospitalized Sunday, June 9 when a hole he had dug in the sand dunes at Silver Lake collapsed on him, completely submerging him under the dune.

Around 8 p.m. on Sunday evening, the 12-yearold and his younger brother were racing RC cars on the dunes. The two boys began playing in the sand, digging holes to bury each other in. The 12-year-old entered one of the holes that was five feet deep when the hole suddenly collapsed according to the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office.

The younger brother alerted his parents and attempts were made to dig the 12-year-old out from under

the sand. The parents were still trying to uncover the boy when First Responders arrived at the scene, but the boy remained entirely covered.

With the help of First Responders and bystanders, the 12-year-old was pulled from the sand after 14 minutes. The boy was not breathing and was unresponsive with a faint heartbeat present.

“Our Golden Township deputy was on duty and responded to the scene, arriving within two minutes from the time of the call,” Undersheriff Ryan Schiller said. “The responding deputy said when he arrived, the family was actively trying to get the young man out.”

The 12-year-old was taken to a Grand Rapids hospital via AeroMed, where he remained as of Monday.

“We hope that this young man recovers fully and will be out playing with his brother again soon,” read a press release from the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office. “We are very thankful for our partnerships with all of the agencies who responded. This was a difficult scene and everyone did a fantastic job.”

The accident did not invlove a sinkole or any other natural phenomenon according to the release, it remains safe to walk on the dunes.

Living Legacies: Don and Margaret Knapp, Melody Mates & Memories

By Sharon Hallack

The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

Don and Margaret Knapp, longtime residents and community contributors of Shelby, will celebrate their 68th wedding anniversary in September. They celebrated another milestone anniversary this past Saturday when they were honored for their 60-plus years of membership with the Melody Mates Square Dance Club.

According to Margaret Knapp, the “Melody Mates’’, formed in 1962, got its start when five Oceana couples, Dolphie and Mabel Eisenlohr, Albert and Bessie Haynor, Clayton and LaVerle Nixon, Erwin and Marie Gale, and Loyd and Maxine VanSickle asked Johnny Quinn, who was already teaching and calling in Ludington, if he would come to Oceana and give them square dance lessons. Quinn agreed and since that time, the Knapps, along with dozens of other couples, have learned to square dance and become a part of the Melody Mates club. Quinn got started square dancing in 1961. “It wasn’t long after that he ‘got the bug to call’ (square dances), said Knapp. “He had a beautiful voice and he was very patient.” According to the club’s history compiled by Knapp and Edie Matney, classes were held in Mears in the beginning. Since then classes and dances have been held at nearly every school building and several fraternal organization locations across the county. The group moved to the Shelby Congregational Church Fellowship Hall decades ago where they still dance every week.

For those unfamiliar with square dancing, each “square” is made up of four couples. Square dancing isn’t done “off the cuff”. The caller spends several hours preparing his calling sequences for each event. Like any sport or art,

square dancing has a language all its own. At the beginning of each “tip” the caller will call “hash” before he starts his “singing call”. And of course participants have special matching or themed attire that adds to the dancing and festivities. In between square dancing sets, couples take a break, have a snack and a time of round dancing ensues. Instead of in “squares”, round dancing is done by couples moving around the room in a circle following the calls from a caller as well.

“We took our first square dancing lesson in January 1963 and graduated (from the class) in June of 1963.”

Marie (Mrs. Erwin) Gale can be credited with the naming of the group. People were asked to put their suggestions in a hat and her entry of “Melody Mates” was the name drawn. “There were 35 couples in our first class. We were in the third class of Johnny’s,” remembers Knapp.

“It was something we could do together,” Margaret shared when asked how they decided to start dancing. “Don was working third shift when we started. We were blessed to have my dad living with us at the time. He was here after the kids went to bed, so we could go dance.” After learning to square dance the couple attended round dance lessons in Hesperia and later Grand Haven. “Our round dance teacher once asked us, ‘Where else can you go where you can hold your partner’s hand all night?’” she smiled.

Besides dancing and practicing weekly in Shelby, the Knapps, along with other Melody Mates club members, have had the opportunity to attend national square dances in Milwaukee, Baltimore, Indianapolis and Detroit.

“We personally took three bus trips to Branson with square dance callers Daryl and Vera Figg of Traverse City, and took a square dance bus trip once from Holton to Nashville with two other

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couples,” Knapp said.

And because square dancing on a stable surface was not enough, the group took their dancing to a whole new level when for years they entertained parade-goers dancing aboard a float in numerous parades.

They took to the water when they danced on the Port City Princess Cruise Line out of Muskegon, on the Lake Michigan car ferry from Ludington to Wisconsin and even on a Carnival cruise to the Caribbean in 1987 with 2400 other square dancers and national callers from across the United States.

Quinn, who worked for the C & O Railroad, made arrangements on several occasions for the club to go to Milwaukee on the C & O ships. “We would dance on the way over, spend the night in a motel and were entertained by a club from Wisconsin,” remembers Knapp.

According to Knapp, Johnny’s wife Lorraine, often sat on the sidelines knitting beautiful sweaters while he would be calling at the danc-

es. The Knapps were honored to receive the couple’s special square dance sweaters Lorraine had knit. “She was quite an artist,” Margaret recalled. “In 1986 for our 25th anniversary, she designed special fabric that the ladies used in their skirts and the men used for their shirts.”

While dancing has been the main activity of the group, they’ve also given of their time and talent to several community service endeavors as well. From highway cleanup and dancing for numerous community events, to teaching dance steps to school children and cleaning the fellowship hall of the Shelby Congregational Church.

The club hosted an annual “Asparagus Square Dance” every year for the National Asparagus Festival at local school gymnasiums where hundreds of couples from across the state would show up to dance. “Mrs. Asparagus 1981, Brenda Parker was even one of our members,” said Knapp. As a side note, the Knapps were also very instrumental in

1274 W. Baseline Road, Shelby, MI 49455 Please text 231-638-8139 for more information on how to sign-up. Miss Natalie’s Haven of Dance Summer classes are starting soon!

Craft Show

finding the long-lost “Asparagus Square Dance” banner in 1992 after it had been lost for five years.

Through the years, the Knapps have served in many leadership roles for the Melody Mates club and the Western Michigan Square and Round Dance Association.

A lot has changed since the Knapps started dancing 60 years ago. “Dues used to be $1.50 per couple, per night. Now they are $3.50 per person. The money collected helps pay the caller and any building use fees. We used to use records, now our music is on CDs. We’ve made so many friends, but we’ve lost so many too,” said Knapp. “Johnny called for the Melody Mates until his stroke in 2006. We were blessed to have Gordy Baldus, Dave Rose, Dick Passage, Carol Kelly fill in, hoping Johnny would be able to return. Since 2016, we’ve had Jim and Toni Unger as our callers. They drive up from Grand Rapids every week and pick up others along the way. Jim has been teaching some of the current members round dancing as well. They’ve helped bring in new people.”

The camaraderie and memories of the past 60 years are almost too vast to tell. The number of pins, newspaper clippings, dance attire and photographs the Knapps

have accumulated are but a small representation of the many memories and good times. They added more to their collection this past Saturday, June 8 when the club surprised the Knapps with a special celebration in their honor. “We don’t dance anymore, but we have always brought the asparagus door prize to our annual Asparagus Dance so we told them we’d be there. We didn’t know anything about it!” Margaret said. The club bestowed them with crowns, badges, robes, an engraved wooden plaque and a beautiful blanket covered with pictures of past memories and the saying, “Melody Mates Steps Have Turned to Memories”.

Margaret summed up the past 60 years by saying, “We sure have enjoyed all the people,. Everybody was kind of special to us. Even the new ones became special too. Square dancers are great people.”

A new class session will start again in September. The first class is always free. Classes are held weekly every Wednesday evening at the Shelby Congregational United Church of Christ Church, 51 East Third Street, Shelby, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. If interested in learning how to square dance, look for more information toward the end of August.

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We feature homemade jam, pie filling, honey, maple syrup and craft items Available: asparagus and rhubarb as available Self-serve open 24/7 for fresh produce

Located 1/2 mile E. of Crystal Valley on Madison Rd. Please call to confirm product or to place orders (231) 873-4844 • Jill Whitaker

June 22nd from 10-2

Looking for Crafters to Participate Call for Table Pricing: 231-578-9920 Leisure Haven Campground 3056 E. M20 in Hesperia

Don and Margaret Knapp pose in their square dancing attire. The pair have been married for 68 years. • Sharon Hallack/ECHO

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

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

Page’s History of Oceana County

By Caleb Jackson

The Oceana Echo Community Columnist

Readers of this column will doubtless be familiar with the names of Hartwick and Tuller. These, of course, are the authors of “Oceana County Pioneers and Business Men of To-Day,” the 1890 book published in Pentwater by the Pentwater News Steam Print. Both men, Louis M. Hartwick and William H. Tuller, resided in Oceana (in Pentwater) and served various roles within the community. Mr. Hartwick even purchased and published the Pentwater News for a time. The book that they produced has become the go-to text for anyone interested in learning about the history of our county, and while it may be hard to find an original copy, especially one in good shape, scans and reprints are readily available online. But this is not the only historical text written about Oceana. In fact, there is an even earlier book, one that Hartwick and Tuller may be greatly indebted to. H. R. Page and Co. printed their book “History of Oceana County, Michigan” in 1882, and it follows much of the same vein as Hartwick and Tuller’s book. In fact, the full title is “History of Oceana County, Michigan, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers.” A bit of a mouthful, that’s for sure. Still, you can see the resemblance it bears to the title of the

book we have come to know and love. I first became aware of Page’s history while reading Hartwick and Tuller’s book, in which it is commonly addressed as “Page’s History of Oceana County.” In fact, they often reproduce whole passages from this earlier text. Both books have a similar structure. They both discuss the Native American presence in Oceana County; they both have sections discussing municipalities; they both have sections on the “early history”; they both give histories of the various townships; they both discuss the “nomenclature” of Oceana. In fact, Hartwick and Tuller directly site Page’s for six out of the sixteen townships that make up Oceana. There are some key differences though. Page spends much more time discussing the history of the Native Americans going as far back as the 1600s. He also has a section discussing the geology of the county, something Hartwick and Tuller must have found unnecessary for their own pursuits. Hartwick and Tuller, meanwhile found it necessary to dedicate a large part of their book to the memberships and lodges of secret societies such as the Freemasons and Odd Fellows, something which is largely absent in Page’s History. When discussing this county’s pioneers, Hartwick and Tuller choose to list them in accordance with their arrival in Oceana. Page on the other hand addresses the pioneers following the histories of the counties in which they settled. Both methods have their pros and cons.

New Red Barn is ripe in the Land of Mears

Plans to build a barn on the Mears society property have been in the works for several years. The location had been tossed about, but finally the lot across from the Swift Lathers House was decided on. On a pleasant afternoon in August of 2023, the Lathers family held the groundbreaking ceremony and much cheering was heard around town. Plans were drawn up and approved, soil was moved, and the cement was laid.

Then, in the spring of 2024, Blackmer Construction started to build. The walls went up, then the roof, then the siding, and finally the windows and doors. Now, in the early stages of summer, the barn is complete. All farm-related items were moved over Saturday, May 11 by a crew of about 20 folks.

Now, the official opening is scheduled to be held Saturday, June 15. Come visit the grounds on any Saturday or Sunday from 1-4 p.m. throughout the summer.

One key difference between the two books however, is that Hartwick and Tuller actually lived in Oceana. H. R. Page, it would seem, did not. At least, not as far as I can tell. I have tried to find any biographical information that I could about this author and have come up empty. I can tell you that his book was not published in Pentwater, but Chicago. In fact, this is not the only historical text produced by H. R. Page and Co. They also produced histories of Manistee and Mason Counties, and a history of the Lake Huron Shore, not to mention a whole slew of atlases. As far as I can tell, H. R. Page and Co. was a company focused on producing historical texts and maps around the Great Lakes Region. As a result, Hartwick and Tuller were a bit more connected to the area. Even if they took inspiration from the earlier text, their book is chock full of humorous anecdotes and tragedies. Overall, it gives a much better impression of the county and the personalities that lived there in that time.

And that brings me to the last big difference between these two texts; accessibility. Like I said, Hartwick and Tuller’s book is readily available online or as a reprint. Page’s book however, is much harder to find. The only copies I have seen for sale are early reprints combining three books (the histories of Manistee, Mason and Oceana) into one. On top of that, if one does manage

to find a copy for sale, it is often expensive, sometimes closing in on the $100 mark. Still, if you are interested in the history of our county, I recommend you buy a copy if you see it. It is definitely worth the read.

Donations in any amount can be made via Paypal at paypal.me/echopublishinginc, by scanning the QR code at right or by

to Echo Publishing Inc. to P.O. Box

Mears, MI

Ongoing

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

The Ladder Community Center:

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

M-F: The Huddle for 6th-12th grade youth, 3-5 p.m. thru June 14. Saturdays: Celebrate worship gathering, 6:30 p.m.

Complete schedule at: theladdercommunitycenter.com

Knights of Columbus Bingo, 6 p.m.

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

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

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.

Hart Historic District hosts 4th Annual Car Show

By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

Whether you consider yourself a car enthusiast or not, the 4th Annual Hart Heritage Car Show at the Hart Historic District is “the car show that has something for everyone.”

The event is set for Saturday, June 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hart Historic District, located at 570 E. Lincoln St., Hart. Cars may register from 8-10 a.m. next Saturday for $20 each. Those registered for the car show will have a chance to win a variety of prizes from Hart area businesses. Drawings will take place every hour.

The Grand Prize drawing for a 12-drawer mechanics tool chest from Larson’s Ace Hardware, valued at $1,000, will take place at 2 p.m. Registrants must be present to win.

Refreshments will be available for purchase. The Hart Area Public Library Friends of the Library will have coffee and desserts, while the Historic District will have hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, chips and drinks for sale.

Visitors to the car show can also take self-guided tours of the wonderful museums on site or sit back and enjoy the live music. Kids of all ages are invited to participate in a Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest, which will take place under the Heritage Hall canopy. All sidewalk artists will receive a prize.

Those with questions can reach out to event coordinators Russ Robbins at 231-747-5916 or Leigh Furgason at 231-869-2042.

New Ag Barn Grand Opening planned for June 15

The Oceana County Historical & Genealogical Society will officially open the Mears Museum Complex on Saturday, June 15. This day will also feature the dedication and grand opening of their new Ag Barn built by Blackmer Construction. This much anticipated celebration will take place from 1-3 p.m. and refreshments will be served. There will also be entertainment and guest speakers, so be sure to put it on your calendar to attend!

The complex and new barn are open on weekends throughout the summer months, from 1-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Annual Plant Sale in Pentwater set for June 15

The Garden Club of Pentwater will have their annual Plant Sale Saturday, June 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Water Tower Park in downtown Pentwater. They will have perennials and other assorted plants and small floral arrangements for sale.

Sharing Old & Interesting items at The Ladder

The next Share Our Stories (SOS) event at The Ladder Community Center in Shelby will feature the theme “Old & Interesting.” Adults are welcome to join us on Tuesday, June 18, at 6:30 p.m. Please bring an interesting item from the past to share, perhaps an antique or a homemade item that your family values.

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

June

June 3-14 - Sign-ups open for The Ladder Community Center’s Summer Break Out program, 67 N. State St., Shelby, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

June 14 - Story Time, Hesperia Comm. Library, 10-11 a.m.

June 15 - Michigan Dunes Chapter NSDAR, Oceana County Services Building, 12 p.m.

June 15 - Garden Club of Pentwater’s annual Plant Sale, Water Tower Park in downtown Pentwater, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

June 15 - Hart Historic District opens for the season, Antique Car Show, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

June 15 - Oceana County Historical & Genealogical Society New Agricultural Barn dedication, Mears Museum Complex, 5809 W. Fox Rd., Mears, 1-3 p.m.

June 15 & 16 - Pentwater Spring Fest Arts, Crafts & Antiques Fair, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

June 15-16 Oceana County Historical & Genealogical Society Mears Museum Complex opens for the season, 1-4 p.m.

June 20 - Matinee Movie at Hesperia Community Library, 1-3:30 p.m.

June 21 - Story Time at Hesperia Community Library, 10-11 a.m.

June 22 - Walkerville Pioneer House Museum Open, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

June 23 - Penn View Bible Institute concert, Shelby Wesleyan Church, 6 p.m.

June 24 - Summer Reading Registration begins, Hesperia Community Library, all day

June 25 - Summer Reading, Adventure Begins, Hesperia Community Library, all day

June 25 - Tech Hour, Hesperia Community Library, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

June 25 - Book Club, Hesperia Community Library, 2-3 p.m.

June 26 - Summer Reading, Adventure Begins (Day 2), Hesperia Community Library, all day

June 27 - Summer Reading, Adventure Begins (Day 3), Hesperia Community Library, all day

June 27 - Craft Night, Hesperia Community Library, 6-7 p.m.

June 28 - Summer Reading, Adventure Begins (Day 4), Hesperia Community Library, all day

June 28 - Pentwater Chamber Golf Outing, Lakeside Links, 12 p.m. registration, 1 p.m. shotgun start

60th Anniversary Open House

An Open House to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Lewis and Janice Bancroft is set for Saturday, June 29 at the Baptist Church of Pentwater from 12 -3 p.m. The family asks that those that plan to attend keep the event a secret in an effort to surprise the Bancrofts.

Summer Youth Program at The Ladder

Starting Monday, June 17, The Ladder Community Center in Shelby will be offering “Summer Break Out,” a weekday youth program for sixth to twelfth graders.  Break Out shows our community God’s love in very practical ways, offering many great serving activities for youth. Break Out also takes youth on fun day trips once a week, called Escape Trips. Some upcoming Escape Trips include a ropes course, escape room, fishing, Michigan’s Adventure and tubing.

In addition to off-site activities, The Ladder offers on-site activities such as pool, air hockey, foosball and basketball. Youth are even developing the habit of reading, listening to and applying the Word of God. Food will be provided Monday through Friday by Shelby Public Schools through the Meet Up and Eat Up program.

Parents may register their teens for Break Out by visiting The Ladder at 67 N. State Street in Shelby from June 3-14 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (On June 4, hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.). The Ladder’s youth program is made possible by generous donors and volunteers, at no cost to youth, apart from Escape Trips. If you are interested in volunteering or donating toward the cost of the youth program, please visit The Ladder or call (231) 259-0211.

O bituaries

Carol Sue Smith

February 20, 1939 ~ June 7, 2024

Carol Sue Smith, 85, of Shelby, passed away Friday, June 7, 2024. She was born Feb. 20, 1939, in Muskegon, the daughter of Maurice and Erma (Minzy) Partridge. Carol lived in Muskegon until the age of 11, when she moved to Shelby. She married Lawrence Smith on June 22, 1957. Larry and Carol lived in Texas while Larry was in the Army from 1961 to 1963, then moved back to Shelby, where they raised their four children and lived for the remainder of their days. Carol worked in the kitchen at Lakeshore Community Hospital in Shelby on and off from the age of 15 until her retirement in January 2000, after which she filled in as a relief cook for many years. She also helped keep the books and run Larry’s store, County Custom Meats, from 1980 until 1995. Carol was a lifelong member of the Shelby Seventh-Day Adventist Church, where she enjoyed volunteering at various church functions and community outreach activities. After her retirement, Carol truly enjoyed spending time volunteering at Love INC and The Ladder Community Center in Shelby.

Carol is survived by: her children, John (Kim) Smith, Jean (Perry) Johnsen, Lynette (Scott) Anderson and Matt Smith; 11 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; sister, Mildred (Merlyn) Bays; brother, Russell (Patti) Partridge; sister-in-law, Linda Tanner; brother-in-law, Dave (Patti) Smith; and several nieces and nephews.

Carol was preceded in death by: her husband, Larry Smith; her parents, Maurice and Erma Partridge; and several brothers and sisters-in-law.

Funeral services were conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday, June 13, 2024, at Harris Funeral Home, 267 N. Michigan Ave., Shelby, Michigan 49455, with Pastor Elijah Ringstaff officiating. Visitation was from 5-7 p.m., Wednesday, June 12, 2024 at Harris Funeral Home and from 1 p.m. until the time of services at 2 p.m., Thursday, June 13, 2024, at Harris Funeral Home. Interment followed in Benona Township Cemetery.

Please consider memorial contributions to: Oceana County Medical Care Facility, 701 E. Main St., Hart, MI 49420.

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

LeRoy Allen Erickson

June 16, 1943 ~ June 8, 2024

In Loving Memory of LeRoy Allen Erickson.

LeRoy, Age 80, passed away peacefully on June 8th, 2024. He lived a life marked by his love of the outdoors, hunting and fishing. LeRoy is survived by his three children Ronald R. Erickson (Carrie), Lora Erickson-Houseman (Bill) and Meredith Erickson-Cobb (Tyson). LeRoy also had four grandchildren, Connor, Madison, Aaron and Rheagan. He was also survived by siblings, Larry, Doug, Connie and Pamela.

LeRoy was preceded in death by his father Harold, mother Irene, brothers Norm and Dennis and sister Lois.

A Celebration of life will be held at a later date.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to The Harbor Hospice Poppen House for their passionate care and support during his final days. In Lieu of Flowers, please consider a donation to the Harbor Hospice Poppen House.

LeRoy will be deeply missed but forever remembered by all who knew and loved him.

We, at The Oceana Echo, offer our deepest condolences for your loss and are here to help you tell others about your loved one’s life and the plans you have made to honor, celebrate and remember them. If you would like to place an obituary with us, please tell your arrangement specialist or email us at theoceanaecho@gmail.com.

Ray Ave. 231-861-5554

Services: 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Rev. John Medendorp www.neweracrc.org Growing in Relationship with God, with Each Other, and with Our Community.

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!

82 S. Wythe St. in Pentwater (231) 869-7351 Join Us For Worship Sundays at 10 a.m. joinus@stjamesepiscopalpentwater.org We Believe That God Loves You - No Exceptions

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

Carol Sue Smith

Dolores “Dee” Ruth Whalen

April 18, 1938 ~ June 5, 2024

Dolores “Dee” Ruth Whalen, 86, Hart, passed away Wednesday, June 5, 2024 peacefully surrounded by family. She was born April 18, 1938, in East Leroy, Mich., the daughter of John and Vivian (Crane) Wygant.

Dee grew up on a farm with her many brothers and sisters. She graduated from high school in Marshall, Mich. She then attended Nursing School at W.A. Foote Hospital in Jackson, Mich. which would lead to a life of caring for others. Dee met her future husband, Dan, a state trooper, while she was working as an RN in the emergency department at a hospital in Battle Creek. After dating for six months, they were married on May 12, 1962. Through several moves, Dee continued to work in various hospitals in Battle Creek, Bad Axe, Mt. Pleasant, Sandusky and Hart. Dee and Dan loved Hart, Mich., and decided to settle down and raise a family there. The remainder of her career was spent working at the Oceana Hospital until it closed and then working for Dr. Barker.

After her retirement in 2000, Dee continued to help others by babysitting and working as a substitute at the Hart preschool. Dee spent hours volunteering for the Hart Area Public Library with her daughter-in-law, Amy, while helping children with arts and crafts. She enjoyed crafting and creating scrapbooks for her children and grandchildren.

Dee loved to go camping with Dan and their family. She spent hours sitting around the firepit at their home, enjoying “Dan’s Country Wine” and talking about “The Medium Days.” She played several hands of Rummy daily with Dan, and Dan will admit she was the better player. She was an excellent cook, and no one ever left her home hungry. Her family was her life, and she will be deeply missed.

Dee is survived by: her husband of 62 years, Daniel Whalen; children, Kathleen (Mark) Timmer, John Whalen, Patrick (Cori) Whalen; grandchildren, Kayla (Chance) Vineyard-Crouch, Lindsey (Weston) Conrado, Cody (Stacey Keith) Whalen, Carli Whalen, Chase Whalen; great-grandchild, Mason Conrado; brother, John (Janet) Wygant; sister, Donna (John) Robinson and brother, Merwin (Sharla) Wygant.

Dee was preceded in death by: parents, John and Vivian Wygant; sisters, Phyllis (Herman) Aldrich; Beverly (Raymond) Hughes; Sharon (Raymond) McClure and Charlotte Wygant; brother David (Dolores) Wygant and daughter-in-law Amy Whalen.

A memorial service will be conducted at noon, Friday, June 14, 2024, at Harris Funeral Home, 267 N. Michigan Ave., Shelby, Mich. 49455, with visitation taking place from 11 a.m. until noon prior to the service. A luncheon will immediately follow the service at Harris Funeral Home. Interment will be at Hart Cemetery, 3917 W. Main St., Hart, Mich. 49420, at 3:30 p.m. following the luncheon.

Please consider memorial contributions to: Hart Public Library, 415 S. State St., Hart, MI 49420.

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

Latricia “Trish” Varney July 7, 1956 ~ June 12, 2024

Latricia “Trish” Varney left her earthly body and went to spend eternity with her Lord and Savior on June 12th, 2024.

Trish was born on July 7th, 1956, to Robert and Marilyn Bender. She graduated from Shelby High School in 1974 and went on to become a dental assistant. With farming in her blood, Trish decided to go back to fruit farming. Eventually she sold the family business and worked with farms in various capacities. As an extrovert through and through, she could be found talking to friends and strangers alike. From farming to dental assisting, you would always find her at a job where she could love and interact with people. She always tried to live her life in a way that honored Jesus Christ.

Trish will be remembered for her love and devotion to her family, for the easy way you could talk to her about anything, for her artistic abilities, her knowledge and love for plants and flowers, and for her signature long red locks.

Trish was predeceased by her mother and father, Marilyn and Robert Bender.

She is survived by her husband, Joseph “Joe” Varney; her daughter, Adrienne (Randy) Bunce; her two granddaughters she adored, Genevieve and Rosalynne Bunce; and her stepson, Abel Varney; her sisters, Denise (Leslie) Stone and Nancy Falkner; and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held Friday June 21, 2024, from 5-7 P.M. A celebration of Trish’s life will be held on Saturday, June 22, 2024, at 11A.M. at the Shelby Road Baptist Church with a luncheon to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Crystal Valley Care Fund, which support persons with critical illnesses. You may make a donation by visiting www.crystalvalleycarefund.org

To view Trish’s obituary online or to leave a condolence for the family please visit www.burkhead-green-kilgo.com

The family is being served by the Burkhead-Green-Kilgo Funeral Home Charlotte, Michigan.

Shelby Township Seeks Community Participation in Survey for Five-Year Master Plan

Shelby Township, Oceana County is excited to announce the launch of a community survey to gather valuable input for the development of the Township’s Five-Year Master Plan. This initiative marks a significant step in shaping the future of our community, and we are calling on all residents, business owners, and stakeholders to participate and share their insights. The five year plan shapes the 20 to 30 year plan.

The Five-Year Master Plan is a comprehensive document that will guide the Township’s growth and development over the next five years. It addresses key areas such as housing, rural and farmland preservation, parks and recreation, and more. The goal is to

create a sustainable, vibrant, and thriving Shelby Township that meets the needs of all its residents.

“We believe that community input is essential in creating a Master Plan that truly reflects the needs and aspirations of our residents,” said Shelby Twp. Planning Commission Chair, Matt Koppel “This is an opportunity for everyone in Shelby Township and surrounding Townships, Cities and Villages to have a say in the future of their community. Your feedback will play a critical role in shaping the policies and projects that will define our township for the next five years and beyond.”

The survey is available online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/Shel -

byTwpOceanaMasterPlan and will be open until early July. It is designed to be user-friendly and should take approximately a few minutes to complete.

Once the survey and community engagement activities are completed, the feedback will be analyzed and incorporated into the draft Master Plan. The draft will then be presented to the public for further comment before being finalized and adopted by the Shelby Township Board.

For more information about the survey or the Five-Year Master Plan process, please contact Shelby Township at (231) 8615853 or info@shelbytownshipoceana.com.

Shelby Township Announces Public Meeting for New Community & Sports Center

Shelby Township, Oceana County is holding a public meeting to discuss the future of our community’s recreational and sports facilities. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at 6 p.m. at the New Shelby Elementary School, located at 1285 S Oceana Dr, Shelby, MI 49455.

The agenda for the meeting will focus on two proposed options for the new Shelby Township Community & Sports Center. Both options aim to repurpose the previous elementary building, ensuring that our community has a versatile and welcoming space to grow, enjoy, and stay active.

Option 1: Renovate the old New Era Elementary School to serve as a public community center. This

renovation will include facilities such as a daycare, a senior meeting area, and indoor pickleball courts. Additionally, the renovation will feature a 20K sq ft indoor sports complex that will accommodate volleyball, basketball, batting cages, a walking track and much more.

Option 2: Construct a new complex facility at the Shelby Township Community Park. This option aims to provide a stateof-the-art sports complex with amenities designed to serve all members of our community.

This meeting is an excellent opportunity for residents to participate in the discussion, ask questions, and provide valuable input on this important community project. We encourage everyone

to attend and contribute to shaping the future of Shelby Township’s recreational facilities. “We look forward to engaging with the community on these exciting proposals for our new Community & Sports Center,” said Richard Raffaelli, Shelby Township Supervisor. “This project is all about creating a space where residents of all ages can come together, stay active, and build stronger connections. Your input is crucial to making this vision a reality.”

For more information about the Shelby Township Community & Sports Center, please contact Shelby Township at (231) 861-5853 or info@shelbytownshipoceana.com.

Dolores “Dee” Ruth Whalen

Latricia “Trish” Varney

FROM KING FEATURES WEEKLY SERVICE, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803 CUSTOMER SERVICE: (800) 708-7311 EXT. 257

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

• On June 24, 2005, actor Tom Cruise rattled and debated with interviewer Matt Lauer, host of NBC’s morning talk show “Today,” with his criticism of antidepressant medications and psychiatric therapy, calling psychiatry a “pseudoscience.”

CUSTOMER SERVICE: (800) 708-7311 EXT.

257

NOW HERE’S A TIP #12345_20240610 FOR RELEASE JUNE 10, 2024

By JoAnn Derson

• On June 25, 1988, teenaged Debbie Gibson’s song “Foolish Beat” reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100, making her the youngest person ever to write, produce and perform her own No. 1 pop single.

STRANGE BUT TRUE #12345_20240610 FOR RELEASE JUNE 10, 2024

By Lucie Winborne

• On June 26, 1993, President Bill Clinton ordered U.S. warships to fire Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iraqi intelligence headquarters in downtown Baghdad, in retaliation for an Iraqi plot to assassinate former President George H.W. Bush during his April visit to Kuwait.

• On June 27, 1939, one of cinema’s most famous scenes was recorded when Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara parted for the last time in “Gone With the Wind.” Director Victor Fleming also shot the scene using an alternate line — “Frankly, my dear, I just don’t care” — in case film censors objected to the word “damn.” They did, fining producer David O. Selznick $5,000 for including the curse even though they approved the movie.

• On June 28, 1919, Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles with the Allies, officially ending World War I. English economist John Maynard Keynes, who attended the peace conference but left in protest of the treaty, predicted that strict terms imposed on Germany would lead to its financial collapse.

• On June 29, 1776, Edward Rutledge, one of South Carolina’s representatives to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, wrote a letter to New York Rep. John Jay expressing his anxiety over whether moderates like the two of them could “effectually oppose” a resolution for independence. Jay had business elsewhere and was unable to attend the Congress.

• On June 30, 1934, in Germany, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler ordered a bloody purge of his own political party, assassinating hundreds of Nazis whom he believed had the potential to become future political enemies. The leadership of the Nazi Storm Troopers (SA), whose 4 million members had helped bring Hitler to power in the early 1930s, was especially targeted.

© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

• Family reunions are a fun and worthwhile investment. Being together with many generations is a wonderful experience. Often, these gatherings are highly scheduled, but remember to set aside time — and a designated place — to simply sit and talk. Here are some other great family reunion tips from our readers. — JoAnn

• T-shirts are fun for reunion memorabilia, but we also did water bottle coozies this year, and they were a big hit. You can write your name in permanent marker on one side, and then you can keep track of your bottle. —

B.F. in Georgia

• We find that when planning our reunion, the young adults really like theme parties, so we always have a mixer theme night to start. We had a scavenger hunt for the children where we collected clues about some of our more senior family members. To figure out who it was, the kids would listen to them tell stories and ask questions. What a great time for all! — T.E.

• Make sure that you schedule sitters for the little ones so the adults can relax and participate. Last year, each adult with kids (and some who just wanted to help out) took shifts to be official kid wranglers and entertainers. They did an outstanding job, and the unscheduled parents had time to reconnect with adults without divided attention, and felt good that someone was designated “in charge.” — P.G. in California

• Our family has several members with allergy restrictions and alternative food requirements. I made sure to make a list, which I made copies of and passed along to all our planned food venues. This way, there was advance notice for those who needed gluten-free and vegetarian options. — M.S. in Florida

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

By Lucie Winborne

• The Wright brothers’ first flight was shorter than the wingspan of a B-52 bomber.

• Bai Fangli, a tricycle driver for 20 years, donated 350,000 yuan to support the education of 300 poor Chinese students. He announced his last payment at the age of 90, saying that he was no longer fit for work.

• There are tea bags made to look like a goldfish swimming in your mug.

• Are you annoyed by the sounds of wheezing, whistling, chewing, drinking, crunching, slurping, finger tapping and the like? It’s not just a quirk, but a psychiatric disorder called misophonia.

• A man spent five months in prison due to being unaware that his bail was just $2.

• Kenya Railways requires that all trains stop for several minutes before crossing the Mwatate Dam in the southern part of the country. The practice was adopted on the advice of local residents after several mysterious derailments on the dam were blamed on evil spirits inhabiting the reservoir, which townsfolk claimed were angered by the trains not appeasing them by pausing in tribute.

• The world’s shortest street, located in Scotland, is a mere 6 centimeters long.

• Jackie Robinson wasn’t the first Black player to play Major League Baseball. That honor actually belonged to Moses Fleetwood Walker, a catcher for the Toledo Blue Stockings in 1884.

• The first volume of recipes was published in 62 A.D. by the Roman Apicius. Titled “De Re Coquinaria,” it described the feasts enjoyed by the Emperor Claudius.

• India has a bill of rights for cows.

• Relics of saints were so valued in the Middle Ages that when Elizabeth of Hungary died in 1231, her body was quickly dismembered for holy mementos by a crowd.

***

Thought for the Day: “Forever is composed of nows.” — Emily Dickinson

© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

Tails of Hope

Felix is a charismatic and intelligent Australian Cattle Dog mix looking for his forever home. With his striking appearance and boundless energy, Felix is sure to capture the hearts of active individuals or families who are ready for an adventure companion.

Felix has an abundance of energy and loves to stay active. He thrives on regular exercise and engaging activities that stimulate his mind and body.

As an Australian Cattle Dog mix, Felix is highly intelligent and thrives on mental challenges. He enjoys learning new tricks and tasks, making him an ideal candidate for training activities.

Felix has a playful nature and loves interactive games and toys. He enjoys fetch, agility courses, and any activity that allows him to use his natural athleticism.

Meet Felix

Local churches to host summer youth programs

For school kids everywhere it’s officially summer! The 2023-24 school year is complete and area students are looking forward to the lazy days of summer ahead. While area schools have said goodbye to their students until September, area churches are gearing up to welcome them in for Vacation Bible Schools (VBS) and other summer programming. All programs are free!

God! This year’s medieval theme centers around what it looks like to live as a Jesus-follower in today’s world. Specially-themed activities include singing and skits, Bible lessons, hands-on activities, high-energy games and snacks! Parents may pre-register their children at https://gofbchart.org

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

To request tags, send a text to 231-730-3906. Free tags are also available at the Oceana County Animal Shelter.

Monday, June 17 - Friday, June 21: Rothbury Community Church, 2500 West Winston Road, Rothbury invites children who have completed Kindergarten through Fifth grade to its “Food Truck Party - How God Provides” VBS, from 9:30 - 11:50 am. each day. Through the use of skits, music, crafts, recreation and snacks, attendees will not only learn about the many ways God provides, but have a blast while doing it. A special family program will be held Thursday evening, June 20 starting at 6 p.m. Parents may pre-register their child at www.rothburycommunitychurch.com .

Monday, June 17 - Thursday, June 20: First Baptist Church of Hart located at 3258 North 72nd Avenue, Hart will host “Clash of the Kingdoms” their VBX (Vacation Bible eXperience) from 9:30 a.m. - 12 noon each day (Registration begins at 9 a.m. each morning). Kids four years old through those entering the 8th grade are invited to kick off summer break with four days of fun in the Word of

Saturday, July 13, 2024: The Newman Community Church, located at 4075 South 132nd Avenue, Hesperia, invites the entire community to its all free “NC3 Community Carnival”, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Food will be served from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. and a special children’s message will be shared during lunch time. Carnival-themed activities include a bouncy house, dunk tank, yard games, and office chair basketball! Child Evangelism Fellowship will be doing face painting and making balloon animals. All attendees will receive a special goody bag filled with local church information and other freebies. “We wanted an event the whole family could attend to let people know we are here,” Children’s Ministry lead, Debby Roisen said. More information about the event and the church can be found at https://newmanc3.org

July 2 - August 27, 2024: The Mears United Methodist Church, 1990 North 56th Ave Mears, invites young and old alike to their “Summer Stories by Dr. Seuss” Kids Story Hour and lunch every Tuesday starting July 2 at 12 p.m. Parents Welcome!

Sunday, July 21 - Thursday, July 25: New Era Bible Church, 5308 South Oceana Drive, New Era, invites kids Kindergarten through Fifth grade for an adventure-filled week at “The Great Jungle Journey: An Epic Cruise from Genesis to Revelation.” Kids will “cruise” through jungle rivers, making stops at 7 ports of call along the way and review the seven key biblical events of history. Daily skits, prizes, Bible stories, crafts and more! Register at www.newerabiblechurch.org and click the VBS logo or call 231-8615374.

Sunday, July 28 - Thursday, August 1: Faith Christian Fellowship invites neighborhood children to attend their annual VBS from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. each evening. Child Evangelism Fellowship will be the program directors for the “One Way” themed VBX. The event content is designed for children aged five to 12 years of age, however younger children (if potty-trained) and older youth are welcome to attend as well. Registration is available at the door.

Wednesday, August 14: Trinity Lutheran Church, 5631 West Stony Lake Road, New Era, invites the community to their annual “Backpack Blowout” event from 6-7 p.m. Enjoy games, balloons, crafts and a free dinner for all! Each student present will receive a backpack filled with school supplies. Must be present to receive a backpack. Please call the church office at 231861-4059 with any questions.

Spring at Shelby Acres!

As you drive on Oceana Drive, you might notice the progress of the much-anticipated homes in Shelby Acres. Shelby Acres hopes to help fill the void of our area’s housing shortage by providing quality, new construction homes at a reasonable market price. Shelby Acres has just listed their three model homes on the MLS and by early June, the three model houses will be available for viewing through a private showing or by attending one of our open houses. The new listings outline additional details about each model, such as the floor plan, the sale selection and approval procedures and the Association Bylaws.

THE TAMARACK: $214,000 - Enjoy the cozy yet open layout with spacious, fully-equipped kitchen with granite countertops, dining room, living room, and two main-level bedrooms, full bath, and plenty of storage. Downstairs, explore the additional well-lit space: recreation or living room, additional bedroom and bath, and laundry. The Tamarack has an attached, fully finished garage and could be your new home in Shelby Acres!

THE ELM: $224,000 - Here, functionality meets comfort in a home that is both light and open yet fully utilizes every square foot of space. The main level exudes natural light and functional living with two bedrooms, spacious kitchen, dining and living areas, and bathroom. The new appliances, granite countertops, abundant cabinetry, and ample storage radiates comfort and quality. The finished basement offers an expansive additional living area, another bedroom, bathroom, and laundry. Additionally, the attached fully finished garage, inviting neighborhood, and close proximity to Shelby Public Schools and downtown Shelby make this home the perfect place to set down some roots.

THE ASPEN: $249,000 - This home exhibits classic country charm from the moment you step onto the front porch. Enter into a bright living space with cathedral ceilings, equipped kitchen, separate dining area, two main-floor bedrooms and full bathroom. Designed for comfortable living: new appliances, quartz countertops, walk-in kitchen pantry, and bountiful natural light. As you head downstairs, it is well-lit and well-designed, offering additional finished living space for an entertainment or recreational room, as well as two complete bedrooms, a full bathroom, laundry and mechanicals. The Aspen also boasts a detached garage and is located in a neighborhood close to Shelby Public Schools and the welcoming downtown.

As a reminder, if you are interested in becoming a candidate for the lottery, the prospective buyer must attend one of our workshops. To be added to an upcoming workshop roster, please email one of the instructors: gabypetersonhomes@gmail.com, dfox@shelbybank.com or Mreyna@shelbybank.com

Saturday 5/18 9:00 am Thursday 5/23 6:00 pm Thursday 5/30 6:00 pm Thursday 6/6 6:00 pm

Thursday 6/13 6:00 pm Saturday 6/22 9:00 am

LOCAL LIBRARIES HAVE PLENTY TO OFFER THIS SUMMER

School may be out for the summer but local libraries are swinging their doors wide open and reminding the community that reading and library fun happens all year. Keep “reading” to find out the many wonderful programs your local libraries have planned!

The Pentwater Township Library, 402 East Park Street, Pentwater, invites the entire community a variety of events this summer:

“Community Summer Open House” Monday, June 17, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the library lawn. Walking tacos as well as other snacks and drinks along with games and prizes for children will be available. Attendees will have the chance to visit over 30 club and community organization booths to learn more about the services they offer and upcoming events they have planned.

The library’s annual Summer Reading Program will be held from June 17 - July 29. Weekly themed events will be held every Monday from 11 a.m. -12 p.m.

“Summer Art Programs” will be held for two age groups every Thursday June 20 - August 1 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Due to limited space, reservations should be made one week in advance by calling 231-869-8581. Projects and dates are listed on the library’s website.

“4-H Petting Zoo”, Friday, June 28 from 6-7 p.m. Meet local 4-H members and pet a variety of farm animals.

“Starlab Planetarium”, Monday, July 8 from 10-11 a.m. Explore the night skies from the comfort of the library in an inflatable dome that brings a star-filled planetarium experience! Come learn how reading can take you to the stars!

“Indiana Joel’s Magic Show”, Friday, July 19 from 6-7 p.m. Join Indiana Joel for magic, and reading fun, with lots of audience participation.

“Unleashed 4-H Dog Presentation, Thursday, August 1, 6-7 p.m. Be amazed as the Unleashed 4-H Club shows off their dog-handling skills, and their dogs perform amazing stunts and tricks!

“Allendale Jazz Orchestra Outdoor Concert”, Friday, August 2, 7-8 p.m. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy an evening of jazz and big band favorites.

For questions, please visit pentwaterlibrary.org or call the library at 231-869-8581.

The Shelby Area District Library, 189 Maple Street, Shelby, welcomes the community to visit the library for one or more of their summer events:

“Tipping the Scales Exotic Animal Experience”, will be June 17 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.on the library lawn (in case of rain the event will be at the Rail Trail Pavilion). Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket. Prior to the animal experience the library will hold a special “garden rock snake” installation ceremony.

“Adventure Begins at Your Library” a weekly-themed summer reading program for all ages will begin June 24. A gift basket drawing will be held Wednesday, July 31!

“Chalk Talk” will be held every Monday starting June 24 from 9 a.m .- 5 p.m. Come and have fun decorating the sidewalks in front of the library.

“Crafternoon” will be held every Tuesday, June 25 through July 30 from 1-4 p.m. in the meeting room. Attendees will be making a fun craft each week!

“Wednesday Workshop Series”, Wednesday, June 26 to July 24 from 5:30-7 p.m. Teens and adults will be making a different craft each week. Registration is required. “Youth Free Book Fridays”, Friday, June 28 and July 26 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Arrive early for the best selection!

“Squishmallow Party” for ages 6-11, Monday, July 8, 3 p.m. (Registration required)

“Identify Animal Tracks” will be Thursday, July 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All ages welcome!

“Camper Scavenger Hunt” will be Thursday, July 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All ages welcome!

“Smokey the Bear’s 80th Birthday Party Storytime”, Friday, July 19, at 10 a.m. ages 4-11. Registration required.

“Story Walk”, Thursday, July 25 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the new Shelby Township Park.

More information can be found at the library’s website shelbylibrary.org. Registration for events opens Monday, June 17. Please call the library at 231-861-4565 or email tifhaight@shelbylibrary.org.

The Hesperia Community Library, 80 South Division Street, Hesperia is pleased to offer several activities this summer:

“Adventure Begins at Your Library” Summer Reading Program kick-off will be Tuesday, June 25

from 6-7 p.m. Sign-ups are going on now!

A “Summer Reading Program Celebration” will be held Tuesday, July 30 from 6-7 p.m.

“Tech Time” is held every Tuesday from 1:302:30 p.m. Patrons are invited to bring in their device and questions and receive assistance from library staff.

“Adult Book & Movie Club” will be held on Tuesdays June 25, July 30 and August 27 from 2-3 p.m.

“Craft Nights” will be held Thursdays from 6-7 p.m. June 27, July 25 and August 29.

“Sensory Play” is scheduled for Fridays beginning at 10 a.m. June 28, July 26 and August 30.

“Matinee Movies” will be shown the third Thursday of each month Thursday, June 20, Thursday, July 18 and Thursday, August 15 from 1-3 p.m. in the Community Room. Popcorn will be provided!

“Family Fun Nights” will be held Thursdays, July 18 and August 15 from 6-7 p.m.

“Teen Night” Thursday, July 11 and August 8 from 3:30 - 6:30 p.m.

“Story Hour” continues every Friday from 10-11 a.m.

More library events and information can be found at hesperialibrary.org

The Hart Area District Library, 415 South State Street, Hart has several family friendly activities planned this summer.

Story Hour is held every Friday starting at 11 a.m. and summer book clubs will continue all summer long. Other programs available include:

All ages can register for the library’s annual summer reading program “Adventure Begins at Your Library” beginning Monday, June 17, 2024. Reading logs are due Saturday, July 27, 2024. A Hot Dog Picnic celebration will be held Thursday, August 1 at 5:30 p.m. on the library lawn.

Feeding America’s Gather 2 Grow program now provides free shelf stable summer meals for children

18 and under and disabled adults up to age 26 Mondays-Fridays 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. until Friday, August 9 at the library! Gluten free and vegetarian options will be available. Caregivers may pick up a day’s supply of lunches without children being present.

“Under the Boardwalk” kids movie will be shown Monday, June 24, at 2 p.m.

“Library Mini Golf”, Thursday, June 27 from 6-8 p.m. Patron ideas are being sought for the different holes. Please stop by the library for more information.

“Stuffed Animal Campout” will be Monday, July 8 starting at 6 p.m.

“Library at the Lighthouse” Tuesday, July 16 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Register at the library to receive a ticket to climb the lighthouse. For ages 5 and up, children have to be able to climb stairs, they cannot be carried. (Register at the library)

“Little Sable Point Painting Class” with Bradley Youngstrom, will be held Thursday July 18 from 6-8 p.m. (Reservation required).

“Paint Your Own Cookie” family event will be Thursday, July 25 at 6:30 p.m. (Reservation required).

“Unsung Hero” Movies for Grownups will be shown Monday, July 22 at 6 p.m.

“Kung Fu Panda” family matinee will be shown Monday, July 29 at 11 a.m.

“Hot Dog Picnic and Lawn Games” summer reading program celebration, Thursday, August 1, 5:30 p.m.

The Walkerville Public Library, 145 Lathrop Street, Walkerville welcomes one and all to visit their library this summer!

Tuesdays from June 11 - August 27 the library will be open from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. with Story Hour at 10 a.m.

Thursday from July 11 - August 29 the library will be open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Oceana Community Foundation hosts 4th Annual Migrant Child Task Force Donation Drive

As summer begins, the Oceana Community Foundation is pleased to launch our 4th annual donation drive for the Oceana’s Michigan Migrant Child Task Force. The Foundation is collecting donations of new hygiene items, children’s books and toys, and more to share with West Michigan’s migrant farmworkers and their families. New this year are some culturally sensitive basic food items. Each item donated is directly going to a family via the Migrant Child Task Force’s Camp Outreach events!

Oceana’s farmworker outreach effort is organized by our local Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and supports migrant families facing resource insecurity. The task force estimates that around 42,700 children (ages 0 to 19) visit Michigan with their families as seasonal farmworkers. While working to support Oceana’s agricultural

economy by harvesting local produce, some young children and their families lack access to everyday necessities. The Foundation is assisting DHHS by collecting in-demand items like toothbrushes, kid’s toys, shampoo, diapers and wipes, and soap.

“Agriculture is an essential part of Oceana County’s economy. With the support of our Migrant farmworkers who make West Michigan their temporary home, our farms can thrive,” Foundation CEO Tammy Carey shares. “The Foundation is thrilled to collaborate with our local Migrant Child Task Force for the fourth time. Our community continues to welcome and support our Migrant farmworkers with each wish list, sharing their gratitude for all their hard work.”

Oceana’s Migrant Child Task Force Donation Drive is taking place

both online and in-person. Via Facebook and the Foundation’s website, participants can donate items through the Task Force’s Amazon Wishlist (at tinyurl.com/24CampOutreach). By purchasing one of the items on the wish list, donations are shipped directly to the Foundation’s office. Items are delivered to families throughout the county by DHHS during their camp visits or out of their Hart office directly to clients. You can also place items in the donation box at the Foundation’s office in the Pentwater Shelby State Bank building at 388 S. Hancock Street. Any donation would be appreciated and accepted until Sunday, June 30.   For any questions regarding the Oceana’s Migrant Child Task Force, contact Audra Fuentes of the Farmworker Outreach Services Division. She is available at fuentesa@michigan.gov.

Spring Fest Arts, Crafts & Antique Show coming to Pentwater

The Pentwater Chamber of Commerce announced the 22nd Annual Spring Fest Art, Craft & Antique Show, returning to the Village Green in downtown Pentwater on the third weekend in June.

The event will be held on June 15 and 16, at the Village Green, 231 S. Hancock St., Pentwater, Michigan. Hours for the event are Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Enjoy two days of exploring unique and handcrafted creations from over 100 talented artists, craftspeople, and antique dealers. The Village Green provides a picturesque outdoor venue perfect for this event. You’ll find a wide variety of items, including furniture, pottery, handcraft-

ed woven accessories, jewelry, glass art, sculptures, photography, paintings, and more.

“We’re excited to welcome both new and returning vendors and visitors for what promises to be a memorable weekend,” says Event Coordinator Amber Sadler. “Beyond the arts and crafts, we have amazing food, unique downtown shops, and a wonderful community spirit that visitors will love.”

Don’t miss the delicious food provided by the Pentwater Fire Department and the Pentwater Service Club at the show. Whether you’re in the mood for a hearty meal or a quick snack, there’s something for everyone. Be sure to visit the downtown shops and restaurants. Try some lo-

cal food offerings or treat yourself to an ice cream as you stroll through the picturesque streets of Pentwater for some more shopping.

Whether you’re a local resident or a visitor, Spring Fest is the perfect opportunity to discover new treasures, enjoy great food, and experience the vibrant community spirit of Pentwater. Mark your calendars and bring your family and friends for a weekend filled with fun and creativity.

This event is proudly sponsored by Turning Leaf Landscaping. For more information, please visit www.pentwater.org or contact us at events@pentwater.org or 231869-4150.

Scenes from the 51st National Asparagus Festival Joan Glover Royale Parade

Above are photos taken at the Joan Glover Royale Parade during the 51st Annual National Asparagus Festival in downtown Hart, Saturday, June 8. • Sharon Hallack/ECHO

USS SEQUOIA RETURNS TO PENTWATER JUNE 23 WITH SPECIAL CEREMONY

By AnnaMae Bush

The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

In 1984, the decommissioned presidential yacht the USS Sequoia sailed on a tour of the Great Lakes for the purpose of raising funds to cover its maintenance costs. The Gilberts, Pentwater summer residents, were friends with the owner of the Sequoia Trust and convinced their friend to schedule a tour stop in Pentwater. Three local residents (Jeff Hodges, Bill Bainton and Lee Price) were recruited to work on the ship for a few days. It was a memorable experience rekindled five years ago when Dan Kofflin, a participant on a historical cruise with Lee Price, asked Price if he knew anything about the Sequoia. Kofflin had also asked Chick Kolinger at the Brass Anchor what the merchant knew about the yacht nicknamed “the Floating White House.” Kofflin inquired out of curiosity because his cousin lived next door to Fred Wolff, a model creator in Florida who was working on a replica of the Sequoia.

Pentwater Historical Society (PHS) Trustee Elizabeth Russell enthusiastically shared the fascinating story of complex communications and hard work that ultimately brought the model of USS Sequoia to Pentwater for a permanent home at the Pentwater Historical Museum. At nine feet long, the model is no shelf item. “It was a challenge to create from the very beginning,” Russell related, “because the shipyard in Maine where the original Sequoia was built in the 1920s burned to the ground. There were no plans, no blueprints available on which to base a scale. Fred Wolff worked on the model in Florida for about 12 years.”

Russell continued, “Then his health deteriorated, his wife died, and

he lost his motivation to complete the project. It sat in its unfinished state for several years until Wolff died, and his home with all its furnishings was put on the market. At that point Kofflin’s cousin gained custody of Wolff’s model.”

The museum was interested in obtaining the model but faced the challenges of moving it from Florida to Michigan, finding an experienced model builder to complete the construction, and securing the funds to accomplish the task. Russell chuckled as she conjured up the spectacle of the ship extending from the car window as Kofflin’s cousin brought the ship from Florida to Michigan in a very crowded vehicle. She recounted with gratitude how generous donations and grants were received to partially cover the cost of completing the construction of the model and how an expert model creator was found in Grand Rapids to finish what Wolff started. Gary Yakubowski was impressed with Wolff’s work on the hull. He spent 20 months completing the Sequoia replica, which is a true representation of the yacht’s exterior, the main floor parlor and dining room, the upper deck, the bridge and the wheelhouse. “In some cases, the furniture could be recreated with doll house items,” Russell reported. “But the nine ‘Titanic deck chairs’ were among many parts that had to be fabricated from scratch.”

The finished product is amazing and will be available for all to see when it is unveiled at a special PHS ceremony on Sunday, June 23, 2-4 p.m. The event will take place in a tent at 165 Channel Lane and be accompanied by light refreshments and a tour of the Gray Nook and the Breezewood, two historic cottages at the westernmost end of the

channel. Parking is limited, but attendees can park at Channel Lane Park or Mears State Park and walk to the event site. Tickets are required and are available for $20 on the museum website, pentwaterhistoricalsociety.org or at local stores. The model will become a permanently installed exhibit at the museum this summer and should draw the interest of many history buffs.

Russell conducted significant research on the USS Sequoia and learned a plethora of fascinating details about the ten presidents who used it, from Hoover to Carter, about the significant historical and the casual events that took place on it, about the meals that were served to guests, and other trivia that will be shared in future story

installments by the PHS. Some basic facts include its total wood construction from long leaf yellow pine, teak and mahogany in 1925 in Belfast, Maine; its purchase by the government in 1931; its sale by the Carter administration in 1977 for $286,000; its designation in 1988 as a National Historic Landmark; and its most recent purchase in 2016 by Equator Capitol Group for $7.8 million. According to a news story by Diane M. Byrne in October 2023, the ship now sits shrink-wrapped at the Richardson Maritime Center in Cambridge, Maryland, waiting for restoration. Previous efforts to restore it were stalled by Covid and current cost estimates for restoring the 109-foot-long yacht are $15 million and five years’ time.

Hart Area Peforming Arts Association Announces ‘Sound

of Music’ Auditions

The Hart Area Performing Arts Association announces auditions for their summer community production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music”, Monday, June 24 and Tuesday, June 25 from 5-8 p.m. at the Hart Public Schools auditorium.

Auditions will be open to all ages, giving a unique opportunity for younger and older artists to learn from each other. Performances will be held the weekend of August 16-18, 2024 at the Hart Public Schools auditorium.

Audition packets including audition preparation and instructions, participant expectations and contract along with a sample script are available at www.hartseries.org.

“While the professional performing art world is often driven by competition for jobs, community theater brings people together for a common cause, making it a wonderful place for creativity to thrive!” said David Moul, Director.

Questions may be directed to David Moul at dmoul@ hartseries.org

• Contributed Photo

Hart’s Bond competes in d3 golf finals

By: Brendan Samuels

The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

Only one Oceana County golf athlete remained standing after Regional play. That athlete, Hart junior Kaden Bond, competed at Katke Golf Course in Big Rapids over the weekend, placing 76th individually in the MHSAA Division 3 State Finals.

Bond started his weekend Friday, June 7, playing his first round of 18 holes at Katke. Bond had a tough outing on his initial crack at the course,

shooting 25 over par on the day.

The front nine started off with a string of bogies.

Bond started off his day with four bogies and four double bogies, leaving him at 43 strokes through eight holes. A rally on the ninth hole showed promise for Bond, shooting his first par as he made the turn onto the back nine.

The back yielded much better results at the start.

Bond shot just three strokes over par on his first three holes, snagging his second par of the day

Quijas throws no-hitter, Hart gets revenge on Pine River

By: Brendan Samuels

The

Oceana Echo Sports Editor

KINGSLEY – There were no assurances for Hart softball when they took the field against Pine River Saturday, June 8 for a Regional Semifinal battle. The Pirates had lost a pair of games to the Bucks just a week prior.

Those losses only added fuel to the fire for Hart, as they pushed past Pine River rather easily, claiming a shutout 11-0 win.

“The perseverance that this team showed in the past week and a half after losing two to Pine River last Wednesday and coming back this weekend (was impressive),” Hart Head Coach Dean DeVries said. “They took control from the get-go and had the energy. Once that energy built into momentum, they just kept it going the whole time.”

The secret to Hart’s big win was the arm of

senior pitcher Gabby Quijas and the confidence she had in the defense behind her. Quijas shined through six innings of work, walking one and striking out one, all while completing a no-hitter.

“Gabby Quijas, a senior, threw 39 pitches in that game to get a no-hitter,” DeVries said. “That is unbelievable in a Regional Semifinal.”

It was no surprise that

Quijas performed well.

In the first game of the doubleheader with Pine River on Wednesday, May 29, Quijas got the start. Of the nine runs scored while she was in the pitcher’s circle on that day, only two of them were earned.

A sound effort for the defense behind Quijas –despite a lot of rain that undoubtedly made the ball slippery – served Hart well. DeVries not-

ed that Quijas isn’t the type to rattle off strikeouts. She’s more of a contact pitcher. As long as the girls playing the field behind her were on their game, outs would stack up.

The outs didn’t only stack up, they came with little to no break. Apart from that lone walk given up by Quijas and an error at third base from

Pirates continued on page 15

DeRuiter, Griffin win 51st Joe Foster Open, First Tee West Michigan receives generous donation

By: Brendan Samuels

The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

SHELBY – Keeping youth golf programs alive in West Michigan is something that the late Joe Foster was passionate about. That passion lives on through the Joe Foster Foundation, an organization that has deep roots in Oceana County.

According to Tim Foster, Joe’s son, the Joe Foster Foundation finds any way it can to give back. That includes allocating funds to the Shelby and Hart High School varsity golf teams and hosting events like the 51st Annual Joe Foster Open, a two-day event held at Oceana Golf Club last weekend.

Playing 36 holes of golf each between Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, June 9, over 200 golfers competed in the ‘best ball’ outing.

Five flights of golfers competed, but it was ultimately the duo of Mike DeRuiter and Chris Griffin who took home the title of champions. DeRuiter and Griffin shot a total of 135, with a day one score of 65 and a day two score of 70. First place pulled in $580 worth of club credit at Oceana Golf Club.

DeRuiter and Griffin became four time champions of the Joe Foster Open, having won previously in 2018, 2020 and 2021.

Joe Foster Open continued on page 14

Hart senior Gabby Quijas winds up a pitch during an 11-0 Regional Semifinal win over Pine River Saturday, June 8 in Kingsley. Quijas recorded a no-hitter, throwing just 39 pitches to do so. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Hart junior Kaden Bond prepares for play at the MHSAA D3 State Finals for golf, held at Katke Golf Course in Big Rapids Friday, June 7 and Saturday, June 8. • Contributed

Tim Foster and his siblings, Tom and Sue, presented Erik Sanford and McKenna Inglis of First Tee West Michigan with a check for $1,000 on behalf of the Joe Foster Foundation at the 51st Joe Foster Open Sunday, June 9. The Joe Foster Foundation focuses on supporting youth golf programs. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Joe Foster Open

Each flight featured nine winners, with various amounts of club credit awarded. Below is a list of the winners, their two day total and the amount of club credit received:

Champ Flight:

First place - DeRuiter and Griffin135 strokes - $580

Second place - Mike Buckner and Ryan Mouw - 138 strokes - $470

Third place - Bryan Koratich and Dave Buck - 139 strokes - $370

Fourth place - Jacob Polanyi and Eric Ruthkoski - 140 strokes - $270

Fifth place - Grant Norris and Connor McAvoy - 140 strokes - $220

Sixth place - Nic Morano and Joe Sherburn - 143 strokes - $170

First Flight:

First place - Matt Dawson and Scott Sikkenga - 143 strokes - $470

Second place - Keaton Inglis and Andrew McConnell - 144 strokes - $370

Third place - AJ Lisman and Zach Lisman - 144 strokes - $320

Fourth place - Robert Oosting and Ryan Oosting - 145 strokes - $270

Fifth place - AJ Balulis and Joe Balulis - 146 strokes - $220

Sixth place - John Szegda and Tom Dreger - 146 strokes - $150

Seventh place - Erik Sanford and Jay Prasad - 147 strokes - $120

Eighth place - Brett Grevel and Will Crane - 148 strokes - $105

Ninth place - Matt McClain and Linc Mikkleson - 149 strokes - $90

Second Flight:

First place - Raul Morales and Dave Vernier - 150 strokes - $470

Second place - Ken Taylor and Andrew Taylor - 151 strokes - $370

Third place - Chris Sherburn and Glen Kastelic - 153 strokes - $320

Fourth place - Phil Nehra and Jim McCamant - 154 strokes - $270

Fifth place - Ric Lisman and Scott Lisman - 155 strokes - $220

Sixth place - Aleksy Urick and Mike Schramm - 156 strokes - $150

Seventh place - Andy Hanichen and Frank Ludell - 157 strokes - $120

Eighth place - Gary Babinec and Bob Sorensen - 157 strokes - $105

Ninth place - Bernie Stiller and Corey Deiters - 157 strokes - $90

Third Flight:

First place - Corey Solomon and Josh Farrell - 160 strokes - $470

Second place - Paul Buterakos and Ken Hendrian - 163 strokes - $370

Third place - Kyle Osterhart and Mi-

continued from page 13

cah Golba - 163 strokes - $320

Fourth place - Fred Stewart and Bill Bowen - 163 strokes - $270

Fifth place - Joe Frazine and George Ruthkoski - 164 strokes - $220

Sixth place - David Castillo and Gage Balkema - 164 strokes - $150

Seventh place - Zach Meldrum and Nick Burnham - 164 strokes - $120

Eighth place - Galvin Dean and Garan Dean - 164 strokes - $105

Ninth place - Jake Flood and Brandon Romero - 165 strokes - $90

Fourth Flight:

First place - Zac McCamant and Cody Liverance - 166 strokes - $470

Second place - Joshua Guiles and Tyler Markin - 167 strokes - $370

Third place - Sam Leck and Bill Compton - 167 strokes - $320

Fourth place - Ted Lisman and Keith Dowling - 168 strokes - $270

Fifth place - Mark Fessenden and Todd McCallum - 170 strokes - $220

Sixth place - Pete Fricano and Randy Biggs - 170 strokes - $150

Seventh place - Wyatt Lisman and Nick Launiger - 170 strokes - $120

Eighth place - Jason Niezurawski and Fletcher Chase - 171 strokes - $105

Ninth place - Kevin Grimm and Brian Zimmerman - 173 strokes - $90

The golf was half the fun, the other half happened on the tee box of hole 10 on Saturday.

Finding yet another way to give back, Tim Foster and his siblings, Sue and Tom, presented Erik Sanford and McKenna Inglis of First Tee West Michigan with a check to help keep youth golf alive in the area.

Sunday, June 9.

Baseball All-Stars

State ranked Evart too much for Hart, Pirates fall 9-3 in Regional Finals

By: Brendan Samuels The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

KINGSLEY – Nearly three hours ticked off the clock in Kingsley before Hart faced No. 4 ranked Evart, with a Regional Championship on the line. Once play started, Evart took control with dominating pitching, claiming a 9-3 win over the Pirates.

Facing a top five team in Division 3 is no small feat, but it was one that Hart handled exceptionally well in the game’s first inning. Flying high off an 11-0 shutout win over Pine River that advanced them to the Regional Finals, Hart took a small advantage early.

With senior Gabby Quijas only throwing 39 pitches in that semifinal bout, her arm was more than ready for another go – this time against the Wildcats. Quijas started the game much like her no-hitter from earlier, sitting down batters quickly. The first four batters for Evart all made contact, but three were sat down by Hart’s defense while a lone batter reached base on an error by third baseman Kelsey Copenhaver.

With no damage done on the scoreboard, Hart had the chance to get their bats going against a talented pitcher with a lot of velocity for Evart, sophomore Kyrah Gray.

Gray got going quickly, sitting down Hart’s lead-off hitter Makenna Carrier on strikes. Caydence Bateson followed that up with a walk, leaving a runner on base for Pirates’ slugger Abby Hicks.

Hicks stepped up and watched seven pitches go by, working her way into a 2-2 count with three balls flying foul in that span. Bateson stole second in the midst of the long at bat as well. On the eighth pitch, Hicks connected and watched a deep ball sail toward the fence in center field. It would have been no surprise to see the ball secure Hicks a homerun after she’d recorded seven to that point, but this ball landed just short.

As Hicks slowed up on second base with a double, Bateson sprinted home, securing a 1-0 lead for the Pirates. That’s all that Hart would be able to do on offense until the

sixth inning rolled around.

“(Our girls) saw that Evart played Ravenna – and Ravenna is a great ball club – and beat them twice, while Ravenna kind of dismantled us,” Hart Head Coach Dean DeVries said. “It’s hard as a coach to have them see that and say ‘hey, it’s OK, we play the game for a reason.’ Our whole thought process was to shorten up our swing and put balls in play. Defensively, we knew we were going to be OK, because we have great athletes everywhere.

“After that first inning, I’m sitting there thinking ‘we put a run up.’ My whole mindset is to try to get one run every inning. Caydence creates chaos on the bases. She’s fast and Abby barreled up that ball and I thought for sure it was out of here – this fence is pretty deep here at Kingsley too.”

Evart, fresh off a 3-1 victory over Traverse City St. Francis in their own Regional Semifinal, didn’t stay quiet for very long. To start the second inning, the Wildcats saw two runners reach base on ground ball singles. Each of those runners ended up in scoring position when the third Evart batter got up to the plate.

That wildcat batter smoked what seemed to be a sacrifice fly to Hart freshman Reese Smith in left field. Smith had other ideas however, catching the ball and gunning the ball straight to the mitt of Carrier at home plate, keeping the Wildcats from scoring. Unfortunately, both runners scored in the next two atbats, putting one new runner on the base paths and putting Evart on top 2-1.

Gray struck gold at her second attempt at the plate to end the inning, sending a deep shot over the left field fence for a two-run homer. The Wildcats exited the top of the second with a 4-1 lead.

The bats for Hart were unusually quiet after that. Gray sat down 11 Pirates via strikeout over the next four innings, leaving the door open for her own offense to build on its lead.

The top of the third seemed promising for Hart’s offense as they started off with consecutive flyouts to Smith and Bateson in the outfield. Another shot to the outfield off the bat of the next Evart batter seemed destined for the

Regional Finals continued on page 15

Hart senior Abby Hicks celebrates on second base after nearly hitting a home run in a 9-3 loss to Evart Saturday, June 8. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Hart sophomore Caydence Bateson eyes a ball as it flies to her in center field. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Mike DeRuiter and Chris Griffin pose at Oceana Golf Club. The pair won their fourth Joe Foster Open title

• Contributed

Hart senior Blake Weirich (left) and Shelby senior Lalo Garcia (right) were participants in the annual Marsh Field All-Star Classic in Muskegon Monday, June 10. Garcia and Weirich were both on the red team, which lost to the blue team by a score of 8-6. • Andy Roberts/ECHO

glove of right fielder Nora Chickering. Chickering got in position just feet from the fence, watched the ball land in her glove and then took an unfortunate bounce out and over the fence, resulting in another Wildcat home run.

Two singles and a Hart defensive error later, Evart had a commanding 6-1 lead after just three innings. The Wildcats added to that lead in the fifth inning, scoring two more to push it to 8-1.

Smith entered in relief of Quijas to start the sixth inning, only allowing one run to cross and giving her team the chance to battle back late.

After recording two outs on a ground ball by Carrier and strikeout for Bateson, Hart got some work done in the bottom of the sixth. Hicks started things off with a single before Copenhaver drove her to third on a line drive double. Hicks later scored on a wild pitch, leaving the score at 9-2 heading into the final inning of play.

Again, Smith kept Evart’s bats at bay to start the seventh, not allowing a single run through four batters faced. With just three outs remaining, Hart had to find answers quickly.

“We battled all the way to the end,” DeVries said. “We put runs up at the end of that game and there’s no quit in this team. That’s how they’ve been all season. They do believe and for good reason. They have to have that belief instilled in them and that’s my job. As a coach, I can’t be anything but proud.”

The Wildcats sat down Hart’s first two batters in order once more, but the Pirates battled back with two outs on the board. Back-to-back singles for Julia Bishop and Maryn Klotz put runners on base with the

Kaden Bond Regional Finals

continued from page 14

top of the order due up next. Carrier drove in Leah Walker – who entered as a pinch runner for Bishop – to bring things a bit closer at 9-3, but Evart ended the game on a ground out by Bateson.

“Kyrah Gray has been in this situation before and she’s a beast on the mound,” DeVries said. “Even with the rain coming down, she kept coming back with strikes and she threw hard. We just weren’t able to put enough barrels on balls.”

Hart ended a highly successful season with a 27-14 record and broke a string of three consecutive trips to the Regional tournament without a finals appearance. The team will graduate talented seniors in Hicks, Schmieding, Quijas and Bishop, but still have plenty of youth to carry them into next season.

“The best thing about this is, all those girls who fought with two outs are coming back next year,” DeVries said. “The biggest thing for me was off the field. The seniors did the right things off the field. We are great in the classroom, we do a really nice job at practice – being there when we need to be and competing. When the younger girls see that, it becomes your standard, it becomes your culture. Three out of the four of (those seniors) started as sophomores against this (same) Evart team in the Regional Semifinals (two years prior). One of them started all four Regional games that we’ve played. There’s a lot graduating, don’t get me wrong, but all those young girls saw a bunch of humble, gritty, grab my lunch pail and go to work type of mentality. We lose a lot from this senior class, but we’ve still got a lot coming back too.”

Pirates

Kelsey Copenhaver, each inning resulted in three consecutive outs.

“Our defense was much improved from that doubleheader (with Pine River) last Wednesday,” DeVries said. “I knew our team had that in us and the stars just kind of aligned in the rain here in Kingsley. The thing I was most impressed with was, we didn’t let Pine River come back into the game. Our defense stayed locked in the whole time even though we were up big.”

Copenhaver’s error was the only low point for the Hart junior, as she was consistently called upon to field ground balls. Also getting in on the fun was senior shortstop Gabby Schmieding, while Caydence Bateson made several nice grabs in center field, including a diving effort that sealed the game for the Pirates.

“It’s so funny, we’ve been talking to Caydence all year about laying out (for a catch), and every time (she says) ‘I just can’t get myself to do it,’” DeVries said. “This is the first time I’ve seen her dive for a ball and she makes that play in that situation – doesn’t even realize she’s preserving a no-hitter. It gives me chills just thinking about it.”

Offensively, Hart got things going immediately. As the visiting team, Hart saw the plate first, allowing them to claim an early lead and never look back.

In the first inning, Makenna Carrier started things off with a base on balls, while Abby Hicks reached base on an error from Pine River’s shortstop. That error scored Carrier, opening the floodgates in the process. Singles from Quijas and Copenhaver as well as a walk by Schmieding opened up a 4-0 advantage for the Pirates.

Less runs were scored in the second inning, but Hart’s bats were just as active. Nora Chickering led off with a walk before Carrier drove her in on a single. Bateson and Copenhaver also singled, adding another run on the board to bring the score to 6-0.

Hart wasn’t able to get anything going at the plate in the third, but did bring one run across in the fourth. Carrier scored that run, advancing home on a wild pitch. The fifth inning was just as quiet as the third with no runs added to Hart’s total, but the Pirates lit it up in the top of the sixth to

close things out.

continued from page 13

Another Pine River error allowed Chickering to reach first before Bateson laid down a bunt to put two on the base paths. A walk from Hicks loaded the bases and allowed Schmieding to pick up a trio of runs batted in (RBI) on a single. Reese Smith followed up with a walk before Quijas delivered another single to score Schmieding and bring the final run total to 11 for Hart.

A quartet of Pirates led the way with multi-hit performances. Carrier went 2-for-3 with an RBI, Bateson was 2-for4, Copenhaver went 2-for-3 and Quijas was 2-for-4 with a team-leading three RBIs. Hicks was 0-for-2 but followed right behind Quijas, driving home two RBIs.

The win earned Hart a short celebration, but an even bigger game sat in front of them. The Pirates advanced to the Regional Finals where No. 4 ranked Evart waited patiently.

Join 1,000 Runners and Walkers at the 10th Anniversary Stony Lake Sparkler 5K and 1 Mile Family Fun Run/Walk Sunday, July 7, 2024

on hole 13. The final five holes of the day were much different. A bogey on hole 14 wasn’t too bad, but Bond followed that up with two triple bogies, a bogey and a double bogey to end his day at 97 strokes in total.

With another day of golf ahead of him and an 88th ranking individually, a major rebound would be needed Saturday, June 8 to vault Bond’s standing.

Starting on the front, Bond’s totals were much improved from the day prior. A bogey and a double bogey on holes one and two landed him with the same start as Friday, but an early par on hole three spelled good things for Bond. Two bogies, split by a triple bogey on holes four through six hurt Bond’s total, but the junior rebounded for three consecutive pars to round out the first nine holes. Heading to the back nine,

continued from page 13

Bond sat just nine strokes over par after posting a +13 ranking on day one at the same spot.

Again, Bond greatly improved his scores on the back nine compared to the first day. Bond posted identical scores on holes 10-13, mixing three bogies in with a lone par. The improvement happened over the final five holes where Bond recorded two bogies, two double bogies and his second par on the back. That landed him at a final stroke count of 89, knocking eight off his mark from day one.

Adding the two days together, Bond shot a grand total of 186 through 36 holes. With one more year of golf ahead of him, seeing a larger course like Katke should bode well for Bond and the Pirates moving into next season.

Start Times: Fun Run 8:00am, 5k 8:30am Register by Midnight June 22 for a Guaranteed Sparkler T-shirt

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Janie Denman dreamed of a great community event and created The Stony Lake Sparkler, now celebrating 10 years of fun for families, and donations of net proceeds in excess of $135,000 to Crystal Valley Care Fund Since 2015.

Hart’s infield huddles at the mound before play began in a 9-3 Regional Finals loss to Evart, Saturday, June 8. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

(Above, top) Hart’s Makenna Carrier makes a catch near second base. (Above, bottom) Hart junior Kelsey Copenhaver fields a ball at third base and prepares to gun down a Pine River runner headed toward first base. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Reflections of our community

White Lake Mirror White Lake Mirror

YOUR LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NONPROFIT NEWS SOURCE

Kayak Adventure Series visits area

By Andy Roberts

Lake Mirror Editor

WHITEHALL — The Kayak Adventure Series staged its second-ever event in Whitehall over the weekend, giving the White Lake area a chance to show off its fishery to a national stage. Over 80 anglers registered for the event, with five states - plus Ontario, Canada - represented.

“We felt really honored to be part of the big picture,” White Lake Chamber & Visitor’s Bureau executive director Amy VanLoon said. “They were in Georgia for their first one, and to be here for the second one, we hope we set the bar high for communities they’re going to experience.”

The weekend’s big winner was Ryan Parker of Ohio, who registered a total height for his tallest five catches of 93.25 inches. His big catch of the weekend was a 22-inch smallmouth bass, which all on hand agreed was an extraordinarily large size - and therefore an impressive catch - for such a fish.

Of course, the KAS is about far more than winning, as fun and fellowship was the main focus of the event as envisioned by Bassmaster kayak champion Drew Gregory. Gregory has been to the White Lake area once before for a kayak expo - in addition to his skills as an angler, Gregory works in the kayak design world - and felt it was a natural spot for his event.

“The local community was so welcoming, unbelievably welcoming,” Gregory said. “So many people were thanking us for putting it on there. I feel like with Lake St. Clair, on the other

Kayak Adventure Series founder Drew Gregory (left) presents the team championship trophies to the “Dumb Basses,” who outdid several other twoperson groups at the Whitehall event.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

side of the state, getting so much attention for tournaments, this side of the state doesn’t get as much...Everyone was so appreciative that we were able to come out and highlight incredible fisheries across the state.”

Because of the amount of lakes and rivers within an hour’s drive of the White Lake area, Gregory said in April, there was a bigger variety of water available for anglers to fish for the Whitehall event than for any of the six stops on the KAS’ inaugural circuit.

The goal of fun and fellowship was one that appealed to Alex Rudd, a Tennessee angler and popular YouTube personality who has over 62,000 followers on the video-sharing site. He also hosts a fishing podcast.

Standings-wise, it wasn’t Rudd’s weekend, as he finished 23rd. However, at last Thursday’s kickoff event in

Montague, Rudd said the previous KAS event in Georgia was “the funnest tournament I’ve ever experienced.”

“A lot of that comes back to the culture that Drew’s been building,” Rudd added. “Drew let me in on this idea way before it ever came to fruition, and he told me, ‘I want to build a fun, family-friendly culture.’ I was like, ‘Let’s do it.’ I’ve been trying to help him build it, get the word out.”

So impressed was Rudd with the atmosphere of the Georgia event that he brought his wife and his mom to Whitehall. He said he plans to compete at two more of the KAS events this year, in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

“I love northern fisheries,” Rudd said. “Being from Tennessee, I get really used to Tennessee fishing, which can be really tough. When I come up north,

they’re dumb and easy to catch, and that’s the way I like my fish.”

Rudd, who speaks with an endearing Southern drawl, added that he and his wife honeymooned in Traverse City and he always enjoys visits to Michigan.

“It’s got a small-town feel almost everywhere you go,” Rudd said of Michigan. “Coming here was, this was the vibe. I love the small-town vibe, the little shops, the little restaurants. It’s just laid-back and chill, and that’s what I like.”

Rudd also co-hosted Saturday’s awards show with Gregory at The Playhouse at White Lake, where some video highlights of the weekend were

Kayak series continued on page 2

MasterTag plans facility expansion

Montague Twp. approves tax abatement for new facility

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MONTAGUE — The Montague Township board approved a 12-year 50% property tax abatement for a MasterTag expansion at a public hearing Tuesday night by a 4-0 margin. Treasurer Tracy Korthase recused herself from the discussion and vote because her family’s company, Korthase & Sons, will be among the companies working with MasterTag on the expansion. The abatement is considered a standard practice locally to incentivize business expansion. The board said even with the abatement, the new facility should create in excess of $7,500 of tax revenue per year for the township over the life of the abatement.

MasterTag facilities manager Chris Beck spoke at the hearing and said the company’s total investment for the expansion should come out to around $26 million. The company, which was

acquired by Avery Products in 2022 but continues to operate in Montague, sought the expanded facility, slated to be constructed over the next two years adjacent to the current building on Old US-31, because its current production space on nearby Walsh Road is insufficient for its future plans.

“If you’ve ever had an opportunity to walk through our production facility now, we are just bulging at what we have now and what we want to do,” Beck said. “We’re looking at maybe doing digital equipment. It will allow us to print things faster than what we have now. More converting machines. Just more technology. We don’t have the space to even hold all of our raw material. We’re expecting our business to grow, and where we’re at right now, we can’t.”

Beck noted that the expansion had to happen adjacent to the Old 31 building because the Walsh Road facility does not have room on either side to expand. The Montague VFW and the White Lake Animal Clinic surround the existing production facility.

During board discussion, town-

A rendering of the proposed MasterTag expansion as displayed during Tuesday’s public hearing to approve a property tax abatement. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

ship clerk Drew Roesler asked Beck what the planned future will be for the Walsh Road facility once the company has transitioned production to the new building. Beck replied MasterTag may maintain it for research and development and that he expects the building to remain company property for 2-5 years, but he expects after that it would eventually be sold.

The expansion is planned, said WinBerg Construction’s Brad VanBergen, to retain the current 149 jobs at

White

Ryan Parker (third from left) is interviewed by angler Alex Rudd (second from left) and Drew Gregory at the Playhouse at White Lake after winning the Whitehall Kayak Adventure Series event. At left is runner-up Jesse Brinkert. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Kayak Adventure Series trophies are shown at last Thursday’s kickoff event at the

In addition to the trophies, the “Big

on the table, was given to the angler who caught the tallest fish.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Kayak series

shared - a nod to KAS’ chief sponsor, GoPro. Awards were also handed out, but unlike more competitively focused events, some KAS awards had some offbeat quirks befitting the atmosphere it’s pursuing. Among them were awards for the most “aggressively average angler,” given to the entrant who finished in the exact middle of the standings, a “dark horse” award for the angler who improved their performance the most from the first day of fishing to the second, and a “micro bag” award given to the person who caught the smallest fish - complete with the smallest trophy of the weekend.

There was also a raffle prize pack of fishing gear, with large donations from Johnson’s Great Outdoors and WaterDog Outfitters that amounted to over $1,000 worth of prizes. A prize wheel was intended to add more giveaways to the proceedings, but the lucky spinner landed on the only two spots on the wheel that said ‘skunked,’ drawing laughter and sympathy from those on hand.

the

continued from page 1

WaterDog Outfitters owner Steve Crooks (left) presents the lucky winner of a raffle prize pack Saturday night at the Kayak Adventure Series awards ceremony. WaterDog, which co-sponsored the KAS visit with the White Lake Chamber & Visitor’s Bureau, and Johnson’s Great Outdoors each contributed to the prize pack.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Another quirk of the KAS awards came in the presentation of the top individual performers’ medals. Rather than a straight countdown of the top 10, the series randomized the top 10 finishers’ slides on the awards slideshow and brought up the first person to sit in a “hot seat” as, one by one, other top10 finishers came up to the stage to discuss their fishing weekend with Rudd and see if their final mark had beaten whoever was in the seat. It ended with Parker, the last to come up to the stage, unseating

MasterTag

continued from page 1

MasterTag and create 10 more. To allow current production to continue during the transition to the new facility, the transition will happen slowly.

The board noted it had received over a dozen letters regarding the abatement and none spoke negatively about MasterTag. The lone public comment on the issue came from retired Montague firefighter Bob Suits, who said the expansion “will be tremendous” for the township and approved of the abatement.

Beck said the relationship between MasterTag and the township has been positive for each and credited MasterTag president Rick Hughes, his wife Holly, and past leadership at MasterTag for cultivating it over the years.

“The Hughes’ have just been great for this area,” Beck said. “I don’t think you could walk anywhere in this township or this city and have anybody say anything negative about them.”

By Madison Lajewski White Lake Mirror Writer

WHITEHALL — The Whitehall city council addressed some of the abandoned buildings and planned commercial rehabilitation during Tuesday’s work session. The main point of concern has been abandoned buildings on Colby Street.

There were discussions of either demolishing the abandoned buildings or rehabilitating them for commercial use. Some council members hope for the buildings to draw new businesses in, bringing more job opportunities with them. But a concern of keeping the buildings open for commercial use is that they won’t receive the interest

from potential businesses that the City of Whitehall hopes for.

“I have been here my whole life and there have always been abandoned buildings here, and it’s not good,” said council member Jeff Holmstrom. “You go to some other places, a building opens up and there are four people interested. We just don’t have that.”

With the possibility of demolishing the buildings, some council members were concerned money would come from the city’s general fund. City manager Scott Huebler said the demolition would be paid for by the city’s credit.

Council will continue this discussion and reach an agreement at a future meeting.

R-P awards Ride with Pride winner

runner-up Jesse Brinkert, who’s based in Muskegon.

The Chamber and WaterDog co-sponsored the event, and VanLoon, along with events director Stephanie Ware, came away as impressed with the visitors as they were with the area; Gregory called the Chamber “top-notch” among similar groups he’s worked with during his career.

“It’s just a great group of individuals that have a great appreciation and respect for natural resources and our waters,” VanLoon said of the visiting kayakers.

Both hope the visit will have a long-lasting impact on the area.

“They had about 100 anglers, and a handful of them are social media influencers in their world,” Ware said. “Some of them have (up to) 30,000 followers and they’re tagging Whitehall and talking about how much fun they are having.”

WLAA ambulance totaled while responding to US-31 crash

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MONTAGUE — The White Lake Ambulance Authority will need to replace one of its response vehicles after a Friday night accident on US-31.

The WLAA and local police were responding to a crash when, according to an interview WLAA director Jonathan Degen gave WZZM-TV, another car pulled into the left lane in front of the ambulance too quickly for it to avoid a crash. The police car responding to the scene, in turn, rear-ended the ambulance.

Degen said there were no serious injuries, but the ambulance was totaled in the crash. Luckily, White River Township trustee and WLAA board member Laura Anderson said during Tuesday’s board meeting, the ‘box’ part of the vehicle will not need replacement, only the chassis.

The WLAA also approved a new budget at its most recent meeting, Anderson said, which will include a new carport at its Whitehall location.

“Please be careful when emergency vehicles are responding to emergency calls,” the WLAA said in a Friday night Facebook post. “Slow down and pull to the right as soon as possible.”

Beck added that with the abatement approved, he anticipates a groundbreaking for the new facility will take place in July.

A WLAA response vehicle was totaled Friday night while responding to a crash on US-31. • Courtesy Photo

The

Montague Band Shell.

Bass Bling,”

gold necklace

Reeths-Puffer student Noah Sapone (right) was the big winner at R-P’s Ride with Pride award ceremony in May. Sapone won a used Jeep donated by Rynberg’s Car Company out of Muskegon. • Courtesy Photo

Echoes of History: The Ohrenberger Block (pt. 2)

By Barbara Bedau Brow Volunteer Contributor

The Montague fire department was led by its chief, Charles A. Ohrenberger, owner of the burning stores, and they fought a hard battle to stop the spread of the fire to other nearby buildings which were endangered. The Whitehall fire department also came over to assist the Montague department. The fire was hard to handle, and a heavy wind was shooting flames high and wide, while mid-winter temperatures prevailed.

Mr. Ohrenberger planned to use temporary quarters in the Ripley block until he could rebuild in the spring. In early December 1930, however, it was announced that after being in business in the village for many years, Charles Ohrenberger and his son William decided to retire from the grocery business. With the burning of the Ohrenberger block, the hardware business had been discontinued.

By July 1930 the walls were already up on the new building, referred to as the 1930 Ohrenberger Block. The oil and gas station on the corner was started shortly after. William and his son Charlie W. operated the service station. Around 1946 the gas station was enlarged. William died in 1951 and Charlie continued to operate the service station. In August 1956, the older portion of the station was torn down to make room for a new building. The part that had been added about 10 years previous was attached to the new

building. The new structure was slightly smaller to allow for more parking space for cars and gas pumps.

Huston Grocery & Market was the first business in the new building. Stanley H. Huston opened the store in December 1930 and remained there until March 1933, when the weekly store ads seemed to disappear from the local paper. Further review indicated he moved to Muskegon, where he took up construction work.

In May 1936 the Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co. (A&P) signed a lease and opened a branch of their Whitehall store in the Ohrenberger Block. They remained in the building until October 1941.

After the A&P left in 1941, Taft Nesbit, former A&P branch manager, reopened the store as a Quality Service Store. He celebrated his first anniversary there Nov. 20, 1942. At the time he went into business he only had one helper. Now he employed three clerks: Nina Roberts, John Meinert, and Virginia Hayes. Mrs. Nesbit frequently helped out in the store during rush hours.

In May 1945 the store, now called Quality Service Mart, was remodeled into a self-serve supermarket. In December 1948, the Taft Nesbit Quality Market moved across the street and into the former Sweet store building on the corner of Dowling and Ferry. It’s unknown what went into the 1930 building after Nesbit moved out.

In February 1961, the Montague

City Hall rented the Ohrenberger Block. By the first week of March, the city offices and the library had moved from the old City Hall/fire station located on the corner of Ferry & Spring to Dowling Street. As the Ohrenberger building had not been occupied for several years, it had become somewhat of a storage room. After being cleared out, the flooring in the front part of the space was sanded, and the walls were painted. There were plans to purchase some desks and tables and to partition off various offices. The City Hall offices and the library remained at this location until the new City Hall building was built in 1969.

In spring 1971, Charlie opened Ohrenberger’s Firestone store in the building directly behind the Ohrenberger Shell service station. The build-

Library now offers checkout of household tools

By Virginia DeMumbrum Volunteer Contributor

ing had been vacant since the City Hall moved out. It appears that the store was there at least through 1977. Sometime after that it seems there was a video store in the 1930 building for a short time.

In 1985 Tom Page bought the Ohrenberger building and the connecting gas station. Tom opened T-Car in the former gas station in 1986. Tom’s brother Clark operated Pages, LLC in the Ohrenberger 1930 building from April 2002 until 2017, when they moved to Water Street. Tom and Lori Page then sold the buildings to Martin Bennett, who did some renovating and updating of the 1930 building and then opened Sawyers Brewery Company in November 2020. The former gas station building, also part of Sawyers, is a work in progress.

Montague library announces showcase summer events

By Christina LeVey-Rowland Volunteer Contributor

The

Bookworm Bul letin

The library is excited to announce the newest addition to our Library of Things collection – household tools that can be borrowed for three weeks at a time! The collection includes a variety of useful tools you might need once in a while but would rather not purchase, including a cordless drill, laser level, sander, moisture meter, radon detector, electrical tester set, sockets and wrenches, and more. Anyone 18 or older with a valid White Lake or Muskegon Area District Library card is invited to borrow the tools, but they must be picked up from and returned to the White Lake Community Library. Check out the complete list on our website at wlclib.org/library-of-things. While you’re there, take a look at the learning backpacks, vitality kits, video games, and other great Library of Things items available with your library card.

FUN FACT: The very first tool lending program was in Michigan, at the Grosse Pointe Public Library! It was created in 1943 in response to the tool shortage caused by World War II. The library continues to lend tools today, offering a collection of more than 150 items. The Grosse Pointe Rotary Club has been involved since the beginning, donating tools and helping to maintain them for over 80 years now.

Fun Programs for Kids and Adults This Week

It’s going to be another fun week at the library, with everything from crafts and storytimes to survival skills and gardening. Highlights include a take-and-make hinged journal craft kit for adults, a kindness stone craft program for kids Monday at 2 p.m., a pop-up storytime at the gazebo at Goodrich Park Tuesday at 11 a.m., a Family Night program with the Sarqit Outdoor Living School

Thursday at 5:30, and a pollinator garden work day Saturday at 11 a.m. These programs are all free, and registration is not required. More info at wlclib.org/ calendar.

Other weekly summer programs for kids include Family Story Times every Monday at 9:30, Outdoor Play & Learn sessions every Friday at 10 a.m., rain or shine, and Afternoon Hangouts for teens Fridays at 2 p.m. Yoga classes will also continue on Thursdays through the summer, with gentle yoga at 9:30 and chair yoga at 11:30. Get all the details at wlclib. org/calendar

Check Us Out at the Arts & Crafts Festival This Weekend

The 45th Annual White Lake Area Arts and Crafts Festival is this weekend, June 15 and 16, and the library will be there! We’ll be handing out free books and craft kits for kids and registering people for the summer reading program. We’ll also be helping our partners from the Arts Council of White Lake and the Montague library with a community banner project. Stop by the Kids’ Activity Booth to add your own artistic contribution to the banner, which will be displayed locally this summer. The festival is at Goodrich Park in Whitehall, and will feature 90 vendor booths, live music, food trucks, and inflatables for the kids. Festival hours are 10-5 Saturday and 11-4 Sunday.

This summer, adventure begins at the Montague branch of the Muskegon Area District Library. Here are some of the showcase events MADL Montague will host for kids and adults alike this summer.

June 24 at 10:30 a.m.: Cameron Zvara Magic Show

Join us for mind-blowing magic, family friendly comedy, juggling, music, and tons of audience participation. This is a show you won’t want to miss

July 1 at 10:30 a.m.: Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary

For the first time EVER, alligators are coming to a MADL branch near you. Meet them and other reptiles while you learn about the animals kept at the Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary!

July 8 at 10:30 a.m.: BINGO

This is not your grandma’s Bingo. This is your chance to win a mini hanging tent lantern that has 3 different lighting modes - high, low, and flashing. Get five in a row and you could be a winner.

July 15 at 10:30 a.m.: “HOOKed” on Reading with Broadway Bootcamp

Broadway Bootcamp is back with another funfilled program featuring Peter Pan and Captain Hook. Don’t miss your chance to be a Lost Boy, Mermaid, or Pirate in this theatrical performance full of singing and dancing fun.

July 22 at 10:30 a.m.: Camp MADL

Love camp but not the bugs that are outside? Join us for at the library for an hour of exciting camp fun including songs, crafts and more. No mosquitos allowed.

July 29 at 10:30 a.m.: Backyard Safari with Outdoor Discovery Center

Join the Outdoor Discovery Center as we explore our wild backyards with the help of live Michigan animals.

For more information about these programs, or other events happening at the library, visit MADL. org.

From left to right in this photo circa 1914 are Ripley Block, Hartwig’s Market, Ohrenberger Block and White Lake Inn. • Courtesy Photo

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Fairchild wheels through barriers

Montague junior is school’s first adaptive track athlete, competed at state

By Madison Lajewski White Lake Mirror Writer

MONTAGUE — Montague High School junior Wyatt Fairchild approached the head track coach, Joe Brunson prior to the season, saying he wanted to join the track team. He is now the first adaptive track athlete to compete at Montague.

“It was kind of funny,” said Fairchild. “I told him I wanted to join track and nobody here has ever done that. We laughed about it and I said, ‘no, I seriously want to join track. I want to do this.’ He immediately said, ‘OK, let’s figure this out. Let’s do it.’ It was pretty easy for me to get started because he wanted to learn about it, so he could coach me. He was really open to the idea and it was really cool.”

Brunson has coached track and field for 10 seasons, with this being his second season as Montague coach. Despite his initial lack of knowledge in adaptive track, Brunson has a deep appreciation for Fairchild’s motivation and drive to better himself.

“As far as Wyatt being an adaptive track athlete, it’s all brand new,” Brunson said. “Once we got past the initial learning curve, it’s exciting to be doing something different and to have this opportunity to do it. Anytime I have somebody who just enjoys doing the event and wants to apply themselves

and be the best they can be, I think that’s a big win.”

In the past, Fairchild has been part of an adaptive basketball team. He got the idea to join track from one of his adaptive basketball teammates, who does track as well.

“It’s been really nice,” said Fairchild. “It’s a really good way for me to get in some physical activity and also have a competitive mindset. It shows improvement very quickly. I can measure myself and watch myself get better.”

Due to the overall nature of track and field, and many different events that happen in one meet, Fairchild has

had to do a lot of practicing and learning on his own. Brunson admires his ability to be responsible and independent at practices.

“He’s had to be very proactive and take the initiative himself because I’m kind of all over the place,” Brunson said. “That’s just the nature of track and field. There are a lot of events that overlap and there’s also a lot of events that are vastly different. Since Wyatt has joined us, we haven’t had somebody dedicated to what he’s doing. We don’t have a background in that either. It’s been a process, trying to figure out whatever we need to do for him, and take some of the principles from track runners and apply it to his wheelchair

training. I have a conversation with him every day, but he has to take the initiative and do it on his own to some extent. It’s good that he’s so motivated. As a coach, I need that in my athletes, not just for competitive purposes, but also for practices and organization purposes.”

Despite Fairchild being the only adaptive track athlete at Montague, he appreciates the support he gets from his teammates everyday.

“They’re very supportive,” said Fairchild. “Everybody’s been cheering me on. It’s been really supportive and a lot

Rockets cap record-breaking season at regionals

R-P picks up first-ever regional win, bows out in close game vs. unbeaten Hudsonville

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

HUDSONVILLE — Reeths-Puffer ended its greatest season to date with yet another program first, defeating Byron Center in Saturday’s regional semifinals, 3-0, for its first-ever regional victory. R-P then dropped a hard-fought battle to unbeaten and #2-ranked Hudsonville, 4-1, in the regional finals.

The Rockets, who dropped a doubleheader to Hudsonville earlier in the season, knew what they were up against. They delivered a performance that, while unsuccessful, showed they are worthy of being considered among the state’s elite.

R-P coach Sarah Bayle said, by her estimation, her team put 11 balls in play that could have been hits but for strong defense from the Eagles. In the fourth inning, Eagles’ third baseman Lauren Luchies made the most impressive of several great defensive plays, making a diving stab of a line shot by Megan Barmes that would’ve driven in a run had it gotten past her.

•

“We played a heck of a game,” R-P coach Sarah Bayle said. “It just didn’t go our way...They were catching balls that should not have been caught. I told the girls, maybe we need to say a little prayer that the wind shifts one way or the other and a couple of those could drop for us.”

Hudsonville jumped ahead early when leadoff hitter Megan Beemer walked, stole second and scored on a line-drive single by Tessa Heffelbower in the first inning. Beemer cracked a

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

two-out RBI double in the second to make it 2-0.

From there, R-P’s Lainey McDaniel largely matched Hudsonville’s Ava Snip pitch for pitch. Only a two-run laser home run by Wayne State commit Elly Koopman broke McDaniel’s run over the last five innings. That homer came just two batters after Luchies’

robbery of Barmes that could’ve made it 2-1, but to the Rockets’ credit, they didn’t let that gut-punch turn the game into a runaway, not allowing another run. “I don’t think we could have

Reeths-Puffer’s Abbie Critchett and coach Sarah Bayle celebrate after Critchett’s tworun triple broke a scoreless tie during Saturday’s regional semifinal game against Byron Center. The Rockets won the game, 3-0, the program’s first-ever regional win.

Montague’s Wyatt Fairchild races to the finish line in the 400-meter adaptive event at the Division 3 state track meet in Kent City June 1. Fairchild is Montague’s first-ever adaptive track athlete. • Brendan Samuels/Mirror

Montague’s Wyatt Fairchild shows off his medal after competing at the state meet.

• Brendan Samuels/Mirror

Wyatt Fairchild continued on page 5

Reeths-Puffer’s Lainey McDaniel (left) shovels the ball to teammate Abbie Critchett for an out during Saturday’s regional final game against Hudsonville.

Andy Roberts/Mirror

Lions youth camp returns to Montague

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MONTAGUE — The Detroit Lions youth football camp paid its annual visit to Montague this week, coaching up the next generation of Lions stars.

The Lions put on two months’ worth of camps all over the state each summer and have made Montague a regular stop over the past eight years, interrupted only by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and ‘21.

In addition to Lions mascot Roary, this year’s former Lion to fill the guest coaching role was longtime guard Tony Semple, who was a 1994 fifth-round pick out of Memphis and played each of his 10 seasons in Detroit. Semple founded the Foundation for Hope after his playing days, which provides outdoor adventure experiences to children with disabilities. He coached four seasons as an offensive line coach at East Grand Rapids and at Hope

College, and is also a regular at Lions camps, which he loves.

“I’m a Lion forever, and my heart just bleeds blue,” Semple said. “I know what it was like to be a young ‘un like this and to have dreams to play football. To watch it and just see this, it brings

R-P softball

continued from page 4

Reeths-Puffer’s Kyleigh Bilek (center) fields a bunt from Byron Center’s Ava VanKampen during Saturday’s regional semifinal game in Hudsonville. Teammates Emme Buzzell (10) and Lainey McDaniel look on. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

changed a whole lot,” Bayle said. “I think we played hard. I’m glad that we went down the way that we did, if we were going to go down. I’m glad that we went hard through that.”

R-P did push across a run in the seventh inning on a Brook Buchan RBI single, bringing the tying run to the plate, but Eagles pitcher Ava Snip buckled down and got a strikeout to end the game.

The Rockets, and McDaniel especially, dominated the semifinal game against Byron Center. McDaniel only allowed one hit - a bunt single - and a hit batter in the game while striking out 11. R-P scored all three of its runs in the fifth inning, with Abbie Critchett delivering the big hit, a two-out, two-run triple. Mady Snyder then singled her in, one of two hits for her in the game.

There was a scary moment during the semis when catcher Tessa Ross was rolled up on by a teammate while corralling a foul pop-up and had to leave the game. Luckily, though, the injury was not nearly as bad as feared, and she returned a couple of innings later after Aubrey Clark filled in for her.

“The collision was more impact on her shin,” Bayle said. “Nothing was tweaked or pulled or anything like that, it was just that initial impact and the emotions and all of that stuff.”

The Rockets won a school-record 34 games, and four of the five losses were to teams currently ranked #2 in their divisions. They broke a slew of team and individual records besides.

Reeths-Puffer’s Tessa Ross (left) and Emme Buzzell converge on a foul pop-up during Saturday’s regional semifinal against Byron Center. Ross was briefly injured on the play, but returned to the game later.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

With five of Saturday’s starters set to return next spring, hopes will be skyhigh for R-P softball. Bayle said though the graduated Barmes, Snyder, Kaylee Jones and Emme Buzzell won’t see what next year’s team and beyond will accomplish in person, they will always be part of it.

“Reeths-Puffer doesn’t have the same ring to it, I think, as it maybe (will) in the future,” Bayle said. “People are going to know our name and will continue to know our name. We’re not done here. We don’t have our four seniors coming back, but they were a big part of why we got to where we are and they will continue to be a part of that in the future, because they helped build this.”

back memories, but it also brings back the importance of going and showing up and being a part of these kids and their development.”

Semple naturally spent the bulk of his time Monday teaching offensive line technique to the campers, who worked in four stations during the first day of activities: Line play, ball carrying, catching and throwing. He said he derives a lot of joy from teaching football to young players because of the opportunities to work on fundamentals.

“Fundamentals win every time.” Semple said. “It’s the fundamentals of life. We’re going to teach them to listen, teach them to be a great teammate, teach them to bring their best. Those are the little tangibles that people can think are not that important, but actually are the mainstay of teaching a young athlete.”

Like many former Lions, Semple has loved watching the franchise enjoy a run of recent success under cur-

rent coach Dan Campbell, who led the team to the NFC championship game this past season. Semple credits former teammate Chris Spielman, who’s been part of the Lions’ front office since 2021, for instilling the same old-school mentality that led to Campbell’s hire in Detroit.

“There was no doubt he was going to bring in a guy who thinks like him and has that demeanor to work and to be the best,” Semple said of Spielman. “Younger players like myself came in as Chris was going out, but we were able to see, why is this guy so special? Chris was special because of the way he approached his job. It helped us who maybe didn’t have that (mentality) at first to say, ‘I’m going to adopt that, and I’m going to make that my mission.’ To bring in a coach like that, that says he’s going to battle the way this game’s supposed to be played and leave it all out there, I would expect nothing else.”

Wyatt Fairchild

continued from page 4

less scary than I thought it was going to be. I thought it would be kind of lonely because nobody else is doing adaptive track and I’m the first one to do it. I thought nobody would really understand it, but it’s not that way at all. My team pushes me, I push myself and everybody’s been there to support me.”

With Fairchild being one of the few adaptive track athletes in the area, he has been competing in heats with regular track runners at meets.

“We don’t know what the other competition is like,” Brunson said. “He has a good chance to compete at state and hopefully he’ll have some competition there. We’ve had him in the same heat with runners, but when he starts out, it’s way more difficult to get a wheelchair going than it is to start running. But once he gets his acceleration going, some of the runners finish not too much farther ahead of him. It’s been great to see the support from

the team and other fans, and hopefully that will continue and there will be some excitement for it.”

Fairchild did not end up having any competition at state, racing by himself in a 400-meter heat. He earned a time of 1:26.9. His personal best time this year was 1:22.3 at the all-star meet May 22.

Fairchild hopes this can be a learning experience for everyone and hopes to encourage other people with disabilities to try something new.

“I hope this can be an eye-opener for other people because people weren’t meant to be stationary,” said Fairchild. “We weren’t meant to sit around and it shouldn’t be that way for people with disabilities either. It’s been great for my mental health, it’s been great for my physical health and it’s just been a great experience so far.”

Former Detroit Lions guard Tony Semple (center) gets pumped up for the Lions’ youth camp in Montague Monday with mascot Roary. Semple played 10 seasons for the Lions, from 1994-2003, and was a guest coach at the camp.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

A young camper practices his form carrying the ball during Monday’s opening session of the Detroit Lions youth camp in Montague. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Youth campers practice their offensive line stances during Monday’s session of the Detroit Lions youth camp in Montague. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

All-star players cap careers at Marsh

Several graduated local baseball players were invited to participate in Monday’s Marsh Field All-Star game, and the Whitehall coaching staff helmed the Blue team to an 8-6 victory over the Red team.

The Blue team featured Vikings Ryne Christensen and Isaac VanAmberg, as well as Reeths-Puffer’s Trent Reichert and Cayden Theisen. Whitehall’s Kyle Stratton and R-P’s Jaxson

Whitaker played for the Red team.

Reichert got the win on the mound for the Blue team. He struck out three hitters, and at the plate collected two hits, one of them a triple, and drove in a run. Christensen also had an RBI single for the Blue team.

Whitaker struck out three for the Red team, and Stratton played well defensively at shortstop.

Community Calendar

Saturday, June 15

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

White Lake Arts & Crafts Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. @ Goodrich Park. The festival will continue Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Troy Graham performs on the lawn @ White Lake Community Library, 11 a.m. Indie, bluegrass, folk and gospel music.

White Lake Twisters summer bash, 5-9 p.m. Face painting, per-

manent jewelry, water games, giveaways, and more.

Sunday, June 16

Free admission for dads at Hackley and Hume Historic Site in Muskegon.

Tuesday, June 18

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

Wednesday, June 19

Lunchtime guitar with Eric Michaels and Chris Kennedy @ Book Nook & Java Shop, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Snacktivity @ Montague Library, 3-5 p.m. Games, crafts, Lego and more. Snacks provided.

Thursday, June 20

Electric Forest begins in Rothbury and continues through Sunday, June 23. Be aware of potential traffic changes to account for the festival. Free general admission every

Thursday @ the Muskegon Museum of Art, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fetch Cycling Group meets every Thursday at 6 p.m. All levels welcome. Free yoga @ White River Light Station, 6:30 p.m. North Grove Brewers summer concert Thursdays features Pat Lewis. Outdoor concert in the biergarten. Friday, June 21

Community Yoga @ Fruitland Twp. Hall, 10-11 a.m. Free to participate, open to all ages and skill levels.

White Lake Area Historical Society to showcase history of Big John’s Pizza at June 20 meeting

For nearly 150 years, the address at 104 N. Thompson St. has served the public in many capacities. Beginning in 1877 as a livery stable, it evolved to a blacksmith shop, then a service station, a loan corporation, and finally to a restaurant known for its thin-crust pizzas. Big John’s Pizza (formerly known as Teresa’s Pizza) was owned and op-

erated locally by Gloria and Jack Miller and their family for 34 years. Big John’s celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2020 under the ownership of Neal and Amy Martell, and is slated to close its current location at the end of August. The White Lake Area Historical Society will feature Big John’s history at the June 20 meeting, to take place at the restaurant.

Members and guests will have the option of purchasing food from the menu, which may be seen online at bigjohnsmi.com. Orders may be placed as early as 5 p.m. the day of the meeting at 231-894-4129 as a courtesy to the business. Some parking will be available at Goodrich Park, but please carpool if possible. (In case

of rain, meet at the covered shelter in the park.) Some seating for the meeting will be available on the deck at Big John’s, but members may wish to bring their own chairs. Anyone with questions is welcome to contact the society by phone at 231-893-5545.

White Lake History Cruise tickets now on sale

Do you know how White Lake got its name? It was because early explorers described the lake as white, from the “white clay” in the bottom, which was actually due to marl deposits that are no longer there. The name stuck and the rest is history, as they say. Presented by the White Lake Chamber & Visitors Bureau, the 2024 White Lake Area History Cruises are back Sunday, July 28. Climb aboard Muskegon’s 125-passenger Aquastar at Goodrich Park’s Municipal Marina dock in Whitehall (100 N. Lake St.) and set sail on White Lake.

Following in the footsteps of our past cruises in 2003, 2006, 2010, 2022, and 2023, the White Lake History Cruise will bring passengers from historical stop to historical stop around the entire lake, where our local expert historians have helped create a unique experience. We’ve scheduled three cruises Sunday, July 28 at 1 p.m. ($38,) 4 p.m. ($38,) and a 7 p.m. twilight cruise ($44). Cruises are for adults and children age 12 and older, and run 1-1.5 hours. Light refreshments will be available on board, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks will be available

for purchase (ticket purchase includes one drink ticket).

Previous cruises were sold out, so get your tickets as soon as possible. Only online ticket purchasing is available. If you need help purchasing online, please stop by the White Lake Area Chamber & Visitors Bureau (124 W. Hanson St. in Whitehall) Monday-Saturday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Go to aquastarcruises.com/our-cruises/ white-lake-history-cruises/ for tickets. Remember to: Bring a photo ID if you plan to enjoy a cocktail on board. The bar on the cruise is cashless - debit or

credit cards only. Please dress for the weather, as it can get chilly after sunset. Children under the age of 12 will not be permitted.

The Aquastar will depart from Goodrich Park Municipal Marina dock at 100 N. Lake Street, Whitehall, MI 49461 for these cruises. Parking will be available at Goodrich Park or the Chamber of Commerce (124 W. Hanson St. in Whitehall). Check in for the cruise will be at the Marina.

The Whitehall coaching staff (far left) meets up between innings of Monday’s Marsh Field All-Star game. Above, Ryne Christensen (right) celebrates scoring a run with Blue teammate Paxton Borgman of Fremont. Near left, Reeths-Puffer’s Trent Reichert winds up to make a pitch during the game. The Blue team won, 8-6.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror