The Oceana Echo - Volume 1, Issue 40, March 1, 2024

Family first and a philosophy of understanding mark Lambrix’s time on the bench

By Amanda Dodge The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

After almost two decades on the bench, Oceana County Probate Judge Brad Lambrix has decided to lay his gavel to rest.

He will finish out his term on Dec. 31 of this year and will not be seeking re-election.

“It was a really tough decision to make for two reasons,” Lambrix explained. “One, I still enjoy my job, and the other part to that is I have the most wonderful, greatest staff, and they make it enjoyable to come to work.

“This is my third term, and basically what I was telling my family is that after 18 years in the prosecutor’s office and 18 years on the bench, I decided it was time. I have a lot of other interests I would like to pursue and do.

“My wife, Mary Jo, and I make our own homemade maple syrup as a hobby. We don’t sell it; we give it away to family and friends.

She’s a retired nurse after 43 years at Holland Hospital. We also enjoy recreation outdoors.”

Lambrix is a graduate of Shelby High School and a lifelong resident of Oceana County. He said that he graduated from Hope College and obtained his law degree from Cooley Law School. He

added that he did not consider a career in law until he was at Hope. “In college, I was undecided, and I was working my way through at Haworth in Holland,” he recalled. “I took a night class while I was working, and it was a business law class, and I just really loved it and it made sense to me. I talked to one of my professors, and he said, ‘why don’t you go to law school,’ so I went.

“I finished my first week of law school before I finished at Hope College. My professors arranged for me to take my exams early and then I came back for graduation after the first week of law school.”

After passing the bar, Lambrix said he opened his own office, and then, after a few years in private practice, he became the assistant prosecutor in Oceana County. He added that the job was part-time at first, and then became full-time. “After a total of 18 years in the prosecutor’s office, an opening came up in the probate judge position, and I ran and won,” Lambrix said. “I’ve been in the courthouse here for 36 years.”

Lambrix looks back fondly on those 36 years and the many memories he has from them. One of his favorites is when he was authorized to swear in his only son, Jeremy, as an attorney after he passed the bar. “It was during Covid, and because of that, the county building was closed to the public, so I was in my courtroom swearing my son in via Zoom and he was in my living room at home.”

Work in government and law has truly been a family affair, as Lambrix said that he got to work at the courthouse with his father, George, when he started in the prosecutor’s office. “My

dad was the county treasurer for 26 years, from 1972 to 1998. We both worked in the courthouse for awhile at the same time. Combined (from his father’s start to his finish this year), we have a little over 50 years in the courthouse together. Not too many get to say or do that. It’s a hidden blessing,” Lambrix said.

His office also includes a red oak desk and a cherry hutch and computer stand that his brother, Paul, made for him when he first started.

Family really has become a mainstay in Lambrix’s career and day-to-day responsibilities from the bench. “The role of the probate judge in Oceana has been expanded from guardianships, conservatorships, wills and trusts. The State Court Administrative Office has expanded that role to include child custody matters, divorce matters, neglect and abuse and juvenile matters. I basically do the family court division work, and have done quite a few criminal cases over the years,” he explained. “Personally, I’ve done pretty much everything.

“The most enjoyable days I have are when I complete an adoption, that’s when I get to put together a family, and it is the most joyous occasion I have.

On the other side of the fence, is when you are dealing with custody, neglect and abuse and termination of parental rights. The termination is one of those things that come with the territory. It’s always a difficult decision to make.”

Outside of work, he also said that his family and friends have been very supportive of his choice to not run again. “As it got time to make that decision and people became aware of it, there

was no pressure from anyone. They just waited to hear what I decided,” Lambrix said. “I can’t really say there was a big surprise, but family and friends know that I was considering it and supported me positively in what I decided to do.

“I plan to still visit my colleagues, as I anticipate missing the people I worked and networked with for so many years. I’ll stop by once and awhile and see how everyone is doing, and I’m sure that would be enjoyable for all.”

Lambrix truly has spent his career dedicated to the people of Oceana County, and it is very important to him that they select his successor. “I will be 68 at the end of this year. If I did leave in the middle of my term, the position would be filled by governor’s appointment, and I wanted the people of Oceana to choose who they want their probate judge to be,” Lambrix said. “Let the voters decide.”

He also added that he will be able to work with whomever is elected as the next probate judge for Oceana County. “The election is in November, and between that and the end of December, I am open and available to the successor,” he said. “If that person is an active attorney, they will be working to wrap up cases, as I had to (before becoming probate judge). There is a little bit of a transition time, and I’m available to assist during that. I will also have cases I am trying to wrap up by the end of the year.”

He went on to explain that the State Court Administrative Office helps attorneys as they transition to a role on the bench. “They have what I would dub ‘new judges school.’ It’s a weeklong training

for those newly elected to the position. They attend a several-day seminar about being a judge and get some guidance and ideas and support on what’s appropriate and how to handle situations.”

Through his three terms as judge, Lambrix said that he has maintained the same philosophy and would advise any future judge to have the same. “I’ve always tried to treat people, in any given situation, from the bench in how I would want to be treated. I try to remember that while I’m familiar with the legal process, many people that come in front of me are not and don’t know what is going on,” he said. “Whether they agree with the decision or not, if someone asks them what happened in court, I would like them to be able to say this is what happened and why it happened. I like to explain, as best I can as to what is happening, so that they know what happened and why. That is my philosophy and how I’ve looked at my approach at being on the bench the last 18 years.

“I’ve been very blessed to have served this community for so many years, and I am just thankful to Oceana County and the Oceana County residents for their support over the years, both for me and my family.”

By Stacia Erickson The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

The Oceana County Feb. 27 Presidential Primary Election unofficial results were a direct reflection of the results reported for the State of Michigan. The 2024 presidential race will read President Joseph Biden as the Democratic party’s candidate and former President Donald Trump as the Republican Party’s candidate.

And, although presidential major party candidates are, of course, big news, the sought-after results in our neck of the woods were in Crystal Valley. Proposals were on the ballot in Precinct 1, Crystal Township. Unofficial results, not including 5 early voters in the tallies, included: a Fire

Operations millage up for renewal, which passed with 86 votes in favor and 23 votes against; a Fire Equipment millage renewal also passed with 85 votes for and 22 votes against; and, lastly, a Road Improvement millage renewal with a winning vote of 82 yes, versus 27 no.

Crystal Valley’s District #4 County Commissioner Paul Erickson said, “It was good to see Crystal Township’s citizens show their strong support for their firefighters and improving their roads. Crystal has the same square miles, with many fewer residents compared to the other townships.”

Elbridge Township was the first to arrive at the county courthouse at approximately 9 p.m. Tuesday evening, and Pentwater Township was the last to arrive sometime after 1 a.m. Wednesday morning. New per-

sonnel and procedures, along with the addition of Michigan’s new early voters creating a whole new Oceana precinct, resulted in a long day for election workers and the county clerk’s office.

Oceana County Clerk Amy Anderson said she and her staff are always prepared for long election days because those days are an early start and a late projected ending time, as well as understandably unpredictable. Anderson appears to try her best to anticipate and troubleshoot beforehand, but one can only second-guess so much.

When some would become ill-humored, after repeatedly answering the same questions, putting in countless hours with training and staffing, and trying to keep officials

B rad L am B rix

• Amanda Dodge/Echo

and citizens educated and happy, it’s obvious it’s a tough job. By the end of the very long day and evening, Anderson and her staff were looking tired, but all seemed to maintain their positive attitude and sense of humor, and that is an invaluable asset to our local government!

A new ingredient in this year’s election process is the “early vote” option. Passing Proposal 22-2 in 2022 added early voting to Michigan’s law going into effect for this and subsequent elections. Registered Oceana County voters who took advantage of this option numbered 199. Those voters had nine straight days from Feb. 17-25 to vote from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the courthouse according to “EV Coordinator” Stephanie VanSickle.

VanSickle, who was given that title by her fellow Oceana township clerks, was put in charge of overseeing the new voter option. She and her fellow workers were on hand from 7:30 a.m.

to 4:30 p.m. on those nine days to make sure voters choosing the new option had a smooth experience. The sheaf of papers that arrived at the courthouse with VanSickle Tuesday evening was nine-times thicker than that of other reporting precincts, since what is normally only done once per election

per precinct had to be done each of the nine days the early voter poll was open. Greenwood Township was the only one of Oceana’s 18 precincts that did not have anyone take advantage of the new voting option.

VanSickle noted a “fun fact” in the whole new process was that the 99th

Shelby Village approves interim

By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

Monday, the Village of Shelby approved Resolution 17-24, an Interim Manager Agreement between the village and Gregg Guidance LLC of Charlotte, Mich. Gregg Guetschow, owner of the company, has four decades of experience in public administration. He employs his brother, Jae Guetschow of Allegan, who will fulfill the duties of interim manager for Shelby beginning March 14, 2024. Current village administrator, Brady Selner, announced his resignation in early February upon accepting the job of village manager for Spring Lake. He and Jae Guetschow will work together for two days, March 11 and 12, before Selner’s departure on March 13.

According to Selner, Gregg Guetschow is a personal mentor, and Selner has reached out to him several times in the past three years for his advice on various village issues. Both Guetschows met with Selner, Village President Paul Inglis and Personnel Committee Chair John Sutton recently to discuss the agreement.

“He (Gregg) did say the market is very difficult right now for finding village managers, however, they are willing to stay on as long as it takes to find the right person,” Selner said.

“I was very impressed,” said Sutton. “They are very professional. They said when they find a problem, they come prepared with possible solutions. We’re not going to be left figuring problems or situations out on our own.”

The agreement states that Jae Guetschow will work 16-20 hours per week at $90 per hour plus round-trip mileage. Guetschow plans to be in the office every Monday and work remotely the other hours. Additional hours can be approved by written consent of the village president.

“He has worked with Fleis & VandenBrink and in Brooklyn, Mich.,” said Inglis. “He’s familiar with water and sewer, ordinances, finance and was a previous

zoning administrator. They are both good communicators. They want the transition to appear invisible. They told us they won’t ‘pass the buck’ or hesitate to handle nuisance issues. They will help us develop a position profile and stay on until we find a new village administrator.”

Because the Guetschow brothers work together, it will almost be like getting two for one. Jae Guetschow will not only bring his own skill set but also have access to his brother’s experience and expertise. “Jae and I spent a couple of hours prior to our meeting with Paul and John going over ‘my list.’ We are purposely only spending two days working together/transitioning, because sometimes there’s ‘too many cooks in the kitchen.’ I know there will be questions, but I’m just a phone call away.”

Selner also said they would be happy to do the search for a new administrator; however, it is not their expertise. Jae Guetschow will manage the day-to-day and Gregg is willing to work on the profile. However, they strongly recommend hiring a consultant that specializes in that type of work.

Prior to approval of the employment agreement, the council concurred as much as they hated to lose Selner, they were glad they would be working with someone who he has personally worked with and that they could contact Selner anytime.

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early voter who walked in just so happened to also be 99 years old! It may not all be fun facts, but VanSickle, who has been a township clerk for 28 years, said she will keep running for election and doing the job because “I enjoy it and I’ll keep going.”

Anderson noted the new early voter option is a rather costly endeavor, too. Postcards, which were mailed to area residents, cost approximately $15,000 in postage alone. In addition, there is the cost of the extra ballots, extra staffing and time spent by office staff in preparation, the canvas board, new equipment and more, all of which add up to extra expenditures. She and her staff, in addition to the township clerks, wrote a federal grant application and received a grant that will pay for all the new, necessary equipment. Fortunately, the federal government will now also be reimbursing the county for the other new expenses incurred.

contract

ner reminded council that village ordinances are living documents and can be changed at any time; however, the village is at the stage in the process where any further edits would incur a cost to the village.

Resolution 14-24 approved an Encroachment Agreement between the village and Marcos Suarez of 179 N. Michigan, to build an entrance ramp at the front entrance of his new business.

Resolution 15-24 authorized Fleis & VandenBrink Engineering to submit a Project Plan and updated Wellhead Protection Plan for the 2025 EGLE (Environment, Great Lakes and Energy) DWSRF (Drinking Water State Revolving Fund) funding round. The plan would expire in five years, when the village may reapply again. If the village’s projects are funded, construction would not begin until 2026.

Resolution 16-24 authorized a $550 donation to support the annual Hazardous Household Waste Collection, sponsored by the Oceana Conservation District held the third week of August.

In other business, after a quiet past few months, the village gave approval to seven other resolutions Monday.

Resolution 11-24 adopted the Village of Shelby’s 2024-2025 Annual Budget.

Resolution 12-24 authorized fourth quarter budget amendments.

Resolution 13-24 was two-fold. It adopted the village’s Utilities Ordinance and authorized Selner to submit the Legal and Editorial Analysis for the General Code Project. A project the committee has been working on for the better part of a year. Once submitted, the manuscript will undergo a final edit and a Draft of the Code will be created for final review by the village. Sel-

Copies of all approved documents are available upon request from the village offices.

Many were hard at work on election night, including, above from left, Arlene LaDoux of the clerk’s office, Oceana County Clerk Amy Anderson and Claybanks Township Clerk Alice Holsomback-Smith.

Stacia Erickson/Echo

By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

Back in the day, before the internet and social media were everywhere you turned, besides the local gossip, the local newspaper was how the community stayed informed. We believe that’s still a great way to get news, and we invite you to submit news and/or notes anytime. We get tips often regarding who and what to write an article about; however, we are interested in the little tidbits too. You may think that since you’ve already shared or seen it on social media, everyone knows. News flash: not everyone is on social media. Here at The Oceana Echo, we are striving to not only report the news but also preserve our shared history. A physical newspaper is one way to do that. Please send your news and notes to sharon@oceanaecho.com

Spring

• Some of the signs it’s spring in Oceana County - cows are calving, sandhill cranes, red-winged blackbirds and robins are returning, yard clean-up work is commencing, spring bulbs are sending up green shoots, Hansen Foods’ digital sign is counting down the days, weight restriction signs are posted,and road construction is beginning! What other signs of spring do you see in your “neck of the woods”? Share at the email above.

• It’s maple syrup season in Oceana County! According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Great Lakes Region, Michigan places fifth of seven other states nationwide for maple syrup production. Producers by vol-

News and Notes

ume include Vermont, New York, Maine, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. In 2023, Michigan’s reported production was 195,000 gallons, up 7,000 from the previous year. The average cost for a gallon of maple syrup in 2023 was $37.10, down $9.20 in 2021. Many Oceana Echo readers have been busy the past couple of weeks, and if the weather cooperates, it will be busy for at least a couple more, boiling sap and turning it into tasty syrup.

• What is Leap Year? The NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Space Place website offers the following information: “The short answer is it takes approximately 365.25 days for Earth to orbit the Sun - a solar year. We usually round the days in a calendar year to 365. To make up for the missing partial day, we add one day to our calendar approximately every four years. That is a leap year. Are leap years really that important? Leap years are important so that our calendar year matches the solar year - the amount of time it takes for Earth to make a trip around the Sun. Subtracting 5 hours, 46 minutes and 48 seconds off of a year maybe doesn’t seem like a big deal. But, if you keep subtracting almost 6 hours every year for many years, things can really get messed up. For example, say that July is a warm, summer month where you live. If we never had leap years, all those missing hours would add up into days, weeks and even months. Eventually, in a few hundred years, July would actually take place in the cold winter months! Do other planets have Leap Years? Yes! Visit https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/leap-year/ en/ to find out more.”

Community

• Truth and Training boys leader and former AWANA clubber Adam Fenton of Hart was the overall AWANA Grand Prix winner Wednesday, Feb. 21 at the First Baptist Church of Hart’s annual race. Over 30 third through fifth graders and their leaders designed and built race cars from approved kits prior to the race. As nearly 100 spectators watched, racers “raced” their cars in four heats, using a different colored track each time. Dan Riley was emcee, and leaders Cory Slotman and Jordan Van Liere were judges. Rick Jansen ran the video, which showed the finish line. The winners of each heat went on to race in their grade-level semi-finals and finals rounds. First place in the “Design” category went to Addison Van Liere, Cam Rose, Addison Riley and John Wiebe; second place in design went to Bailey Burden, Willow Saunders, Kiera Riley and Adam Fenton; third place in design went to Reid Slotman, Winston Mellish, Andrew Fitch and Aaron Lucius. First place in “Speed” went to Halle Stuckey, Torrie Davis, Melody Kasza and Adam Fenton; these four raced against each other in what is called the “Grand Poo-Bah”; second place in speed went to Reid Slotman, Reid Riley, Landon Boring and Aaron Lucius; third place in speed went to Addison Van Liere, Cam Rose, Addison Riley and Ethan Lucius.

• On Saturday, Feb. 24, the Hart Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Troop 1155 worked on several skills at their Boy Scout Cabin in John Gurney Park. “The new scouts all earned their Totin’ Chips and can safely use axes, hatchets and pocket knives,” said their leader, April Thompkins. Scouts also had some fun doing some stilt walking and cooking (though not at the same time!). The afternoon and evening included dinner and a game-night camp-in at the Hart VFW. Boys interested in joining the troop should contact Thompkins at (734) 6451616.

• Forty-five non-profits were represented last Thursday at the first Oceana Community Foundation’s Deep Dive workshop. Each non-profit was given 60 seconds to share the main focus of their organization, and attendees heard about several grant opportunities available. Networking round table discussions focused on challenges, strategies and success stories. All in attendance commented on how beneficial the threehour workshop was and hoped there would be others. Nearly every agency shared that publicity was a huge piece in delivering their message to the community. In response, The Oceana Echo and White Lake Mirror plan to implement regular columns that focus on different non-profit organizations each time. Stay tuned as we roll out this newest way to connect our communities!

9th Annual College & Career Fair gets Oceana juniors focused on the future

By Cecelia Hopkins Oceana College Access Network AmeriCorps Outreach Coordinator

Oceana juniors shared their excitement to “try different activities related to careers and showing us what people do” and “connect with colleges that I am planning to go to or even some that I haven’t heard of before.” This event, hosted by Shelby High School each year, is an opportunity to explore high-demand and fulfilling career pathways and see what Michigan colleges and training centers have to offer upon graduation. This year, there were 44 businesses and 36 colleges and career training centers packing the double gym! The careers section was broken into six different zones, including human services, arts and communication, business management and marketing, engineering and technology, health sciences and natural resources. At many booths, the learning was hands-on, giving students a chance to try out what people do within their work day with activities such as controlling robots, putting on handcuffs, performing CPR or drilling screws into wood. “The best part of the fair was seeing how many different jobs I could have now or even in the future with some more education,” said a Shelby junior.

Oceana College Access Network (Oceana CAN!) is a cross-sector collaborative with leaders from Oceana schools, local businesses, philanthropic and service organizations and higher education institutions focused on ensuring cohesive guidance and support for all people to pursue and complete education after high school. Oceana CAN! strives to provide an educated and trained workforce to meet local employer needs by lowering systemic barriers that prevent students from entering college and technical training programs. “We know that over 70 percent of jobs in Michigan will require some education beyond high school by the year 2030, and

our goal is to get students and families the information and support needed to make the best decisions for what comes next after high school graduation,” Oceana CAN! coordinator Alyssa Merten said. “Our collaborative, cross-sector action teams do this in several ways: by supporting counseling staff in helping high school seniors apply for college, military and training; holding FAFSA completion nights; providing opportunities to experience careers by job

shadowing; and visiting college campuses, among many other things.”

As students walked around the gym and talked with the different businesses and college reps, they received raffle tickets for engagement - for practicing things like how to shake someone’s hand, making eye contact and demonstrating good communication skills. These tickets were then put into raffle buckets to enter to win a gift card, and despite students being a little nervous talking to so many adults and overwhelmed by the many options, those raffle buckets were full by the end of the day! Students were having great conversations between wanting to know more about the career, how their skills and interest might be a good fit, what education was needed for certain positions and asking colleges and universities if they had that area of study. This was a fantastic opportunity for students to explore what they may be interested in after high school, and they took advantage of it.

This page is brought to you by:

114 Dryden

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

The

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

Oceana County Schools: Claybanks

By Caleb Jackson The Oceana Echo Community Columnist

The next stop on our whirlwind tour covering Oceana’s rural school houses is Claybanks, and the first school on the list just so happens to be Oceana’s very first school, Pine Grove. This school was, and still is, located where West Cleveland Road meets South 38th Avenue; only these days, it serves as the township hall rather than a schoolhouse. A clipping from the notes of local historian Mort Wiegand, who has compiled an extensive look at the schools of Oceana County, states, “For 109 years, Pine Grove served as the one-room learning institution for kindergarten through eighth-grade students. In 1965, Pine Grove School consolidated with the Montague School system. At the time, the property reverted back to the Hunt family estate. The Hunt’s requested the bell from the bell tower and, for a nominal fee, sold the buildings to Claybanks Township.”

In district number two, we have the Fordham School and the Flower Creek school. First came the Fordham School, so called because it was built on land donated by the Fordham family. The Flower Creek school was a brick building constructed on South 44th Avenue and West Webster Road in 1881. Unfortunately, neither school survives today. The Fordham school was taken down in 1946, and the Flower Creek school survived until 1967, when it was also demolished. The bell from this historic building was saved, however, and it was sent over to St. Peters-By-The-Lake Church in Montague.

Down in district three, we find the Green school, which has taken many different forms over the years. The first school was built on land from Nelson Green in the fall of 1860, hence the name Green school. We have no information on the second schoolhouse, but we do know what happened with the following building. The third schoolhouse was dedicated Dec. 27, 1877, and burned down nearly exactly 72 years later,

on Dec. 22, 1949. A 1949 newspaper article written by one Mirabel Dahl discusses the topic: “The 71-year-old Green school, a landmark in Claybanks townships, was destroyed Thursday afternoon by a fire while the children were home waiting for their annual Christmas party scheduled for last night.” Following this, a new brick school was built, which was added onto over the years until it was annexed to Montague and the property sold.

On the corner of West Wilke Road and South 56th Avenue is where the Girdle Road school once stood. We’ve seen some interesting school names as we’ve covered this series; however, this is probably the first one that could be mistaken for a street name. As Wiegand has written in her notes, “According to stories that circulated,

the school was named Girdle Road from the girdling of trees that were to be removed when the road M-99 was being constructed.” Among the teachers who worked here, we have Bert Hammel, Vaughnie Goodrich, Edna Brown, and Mary Van Allsburg. The Girdle Road schoolhouse is sadly one of the many that did not survive to the modern era.

And lastly, we close out with a school that has survived, the Bradyville school. From Wiegand’s notes, “Organized in Oceana County, and began in 1861 with a $75 log school house, which was in time replaced with a frame building costing $400. The brick building was erected in 1894 at a cost of $2,000. The original school was also used for church services.” The Bradyville school was eventually consolidated with the

yet the building lives on. Today, it serves as a private residence.

Shelby school system in 1963,

March Echo THE

Ongoing

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

The Ladder Community Center:

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

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

Thursdays: Recovery Support Group, 6:30 p.m.

Fridays: Open Jam Session, 10 a.m. to noon

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

Knights of Columbus Bingo, 6 p.m.

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

“Cooking for One” at OCCOA

Every Tuesday from Feb. 6 - March 12, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Fish dinners at St. Joseph’s in Weare Fridays in Lent, 5-7 p.m.

PLA board meeting set for March 11 in Pentwater

The first meeting in 2024 of the Pentwater Lake Association board of directors will be Tuesday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Centenary Methodist Church at 82 N. Hancock St. in Pentwater.

The public is invited to attend; please enter at the Hancock Street hall entrance.

Membership in the Pentwater Lake Association is open to all individuals interested in the lake, its natural resources and water quality. Members do not have to own lake property in order to join the non-profit organization.

More details and past meeting minutes are available on the Pentwater Lake Association website at www.pentwaterlakeassociation.com.

Merten’s Maple Syrup Open House is March 9

The Merten Farmhouse Market is bringing back their annual Maple Syrup Open House this year on Saturday, March 9, 2024 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at their market located at 230 East Polk Road, Hart. “We will be serving pancake samples with warm maple syrup and the farmstand will be packed full of maple products, cookies, pies and desserts,” said co-owner Lindsey Merten. The Mertens invite everyone to join them, see how maple syrup is made and get in the mood for spring by visiting their barn, which will be open and full of animal babies. “Come for a few minutes or stay for the day and have fun with us,” Merten said.

Conservation District is now accepting orders

The Oceana Conservation District is now accepting spring seedling orders at its web store which can be found at www.oceanaconservation.org/oceana-events. This annual sale is a great source for all native conifers, hardwoods, shrubs and dune grass for reforestation and restoration projects. They also have disease-resistant fruit trees, berries and grapes for backyard orchards and gardens as well as tree tubes to protect young seedlings from deer browse. Limited quantities are available and orders will be filled on a first-come, first serve basis through March 20.

Fish dinners continue at St. Joseph’s in Weare

St. Joseph’s and St. Vincent’s Catholic Churches Annual Lenten Fish Dinner will be every Friday during Lent, from Feb. 16 through March 29, at the St. Joseph’s Parish Hall, located at 2349 W. Jackson Rd. east of Oceana Drive. Dine-in or takeout from 5-7 p.m. every Friday. Dinners will include the choice of fried or baked fish, vegetable, parsleyed potatoes, coleslaw, dinner roll and your choice from their famous dessert selection! Cost for dine-in or takeout will be $14 each, for ages 9 and up. Donations will be accepted for children 8 years and younger. Contact the parish office at 231-873-5776 for more information.

Applicants requested for oratory contest

The Tri-County Right to Life Oratory Contest will take place Saturday, March 9 at 10 a.m. at Hart Wesleyan Church, 3757 W. Polk Rd. in Hart. The contest is for students in grades 9-12, and they must prepare and present a 5-7 minute speech on one of the many pro-life issues outlined in the rules. There will be prizes for the winners, and they will get the opportunity to compete at the state level. Please call Susan Stace at 231-903-9997 for a contest application form, oratory contest rules and information.

Lenten brunch this Tuesday at Centenary UMC

Pentwater’s Centenary United Women in Faith invites all community members to their annual Lenten brunch. The event will be held in the church’s Fellowship Hall on Tuesday, March 5 at 10 a.m. located at 82 S. Hancock St. Guest speaker Sandi Kersten will present “Lent in Music.”

RSVPs can be sent to pentwaterumc@gmail.com, 231-869-5900 or given to the church office.

March 1 - Story Time, Hesperia Comm. Library, 10-11 a.m.

March 5 - Lenten brunch, Centenary UMC, 10 a.m.

March 5 - Tech Hour, Hesperia Comm. Library, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

March 8 - Story Time, Hesperia Comm. Library, 10-11 a.m.

March 9 - Tri-County Right to Life Oratory Contest, grades 9-12, Hart Wesleyan Church, 10 a.m.

March 9 - Maple Syrup Open House, Merten Farmhouse Market, 230 E. Polk Rd., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

March 10 - Hart Community Performing Arts Series, Mr. B’s trio, 3 p.m., Hart Public Schools Auditorium

March 11 - Pentwater Lake Association board meeting, 6:30 p.m., Centenary UMC

March 12 - Tech Hour, Hesperia Comm. Library, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

March 13- May 29 - Oceana Conservation District Knee-High Naturalist Forest School Program.

March 13 - Deadline to register for the annual Agricultural and Natural Resources Banquet.

March 15-17 Oceana County #6128 Team M.O.T.O.R., FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, Orchard View High School, all day.

March 17 - St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Oceana Center Grange, 6 p.m.

Performing Arts Series to feature Mr. B’s trio

The Hart Community Performing Arts Series continues its 2023-2024 season on Sunday, March 10, when it presents Mr. B’s trio in concert. The concert will take place in the Hart Public Schools Auditorium, located at 308 W. Johnson St. in Hart and will begin at 3 p.m. Tickets for this performance are available at the door, or online at hartseries.org, for $15.

Blues and boogie-woogie pianist Mark Lincoln Braun, Mr. B, has become one of the premiere purveyors of a vanishing art. Having learned his craft first-hand from the early masters, he is a rare living link to the first generation of blues and boogie pianists. Steeped in the rich legacy of this tremendously exciting music, Mr. B learned directly from blues and boogie legends like Little Brother Montgomery, Boogie Woogie Red, and Blind John Davis. In demand for both educational programs and concert performances, he has performed coast-to-coast and throughout Europe, Canada, Mexico and South America. In 2002, he was a guest artist at the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival. He is also the organizer of the annual Mr. B’s Blues and Boogie Piano Celebration, which attracts major figures in the blues and jazz piano world to Ann Arbor for collaborative performances with Mr. B.

Mark Lincoln Braun was born and raised in Flint, Michigan. He gravitated to Ann Arbor in the 1970s, where the Blind Pig was an important venue for boogie and blues piano. While absorbing the tradition and developing his own approach, Mr. B was also listening to a variety of jazz pianists, especially those with strong blues roots, such as Ray Bryant and Horace Silver. This broad range of interests enables him to feel equally at home playing boogie woogie classics with authentic fervor, and expanding the tradition into lively new settings, including jazz orchestra. Today, he further promotes his art and breaks down stylistic barriers by frequently collaborating with such world renowned mainstream jazz pianists as Monty Alexander, Henry Butler, Benny Green, Ray Bryant, Sir Charles Thompson, and Junior Mance. He has appeared on numerous National Public Radio broadcasts, including “Mountain Stage,” “Good Evening,” “Our Front Porch,” “The Flea Market,” “At the Bride,” and “All Things Considered.”

Mr. B’s many critically acclaimed recordings also demonstrate his breadth and originality. His most recent, for which Mr. B assembled nine noted Ann Arbor-area pianists and benefits youth in the arts and athletics, is “9 Pianists – Our Town, Our Time.” “Live at the Kerrytown Concert House” shows the solo pianist playing original takes on blues and boogie standards, while “Joybox” features him stretching out on his own compositions supported by bass and drums. With legendary jazz greats J. C. Heard and Marcus Belgrave, he recorded “Partners in Time.” His recording of trios and duets (“My Sunday Best”) features the renowned be-bop drummer Roy Brooks. Mr. B’s collaboration with the 15-piece Bird of Paradise Orchestra (“Hallelujah Train”) has produced an original and explosive blend of boogie, blues, and big band jazz. Most recently, he has collaborated in the studio with some of today’s premiere blues artists, including John Hammond (“Found True Love”), Duke Robillard (“Dangerous Place”), and Big Bill Morganfield (“Ramblin’ Mind”) among many others.

Donald J. Richards

Janet Irene Benson

July 14, 1948 ~ February 23, 2024

Janet Irene Benson, 75, of Hart, passed away Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. She was born July 14, 1948, in Milwau kee, Wis., the daughter of Henry and Rita (Puhl) Benson.

Janet was a proud Christian patriot who loved God, country, family and dogs. She attended Willowbrook High School, where she was on one of their first tennis teams. Janet graduated in 1966 and went to work for Motorola as an engraver. Following her first retirement, she went to work for Cub Foods before retiring for a second time, and became a bus driver for Public School District #88. Janet thor oughly loved driving bus for the high school students and their sporting events.

Janet, at heart, was an animal lover, absolutely adored her dogs and cats, and loved to ride horses. She also enjoyed various activities, including water skiing, traveling and driving anything she could, which could be anything from cars to buses and motorcycles. Janet was always a fun person and always could have a good time with her family, especially her niece and nephews and great-nieces and nephews. She will be truly missed.

Janet is survived by: her sister, Annette (Richard II) Janes; sister, Rosemary (Robert) Baines of Seattle, Washington; niece, Elizabeth (Chris) Davis; nephews, Richard (Tanya) Janes III, Adam (Katie) Baines, and Christopher Baines; great-nieces, Cierra Davis, Alayna Davis, and Lyla Janes; and great-nephews, Haden Janes, Hunter Baines, and Ryan Baines.

Janet was preceded in death by: her parents; and her brothers, Charles Benson, John Benson, and William Benson.

Private interment will take place in Assumption Cemetery in Wheaton, Ill.

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

www.beaconfh.com.

Kent Lee Coleson

January 2, 1950 ~ December 26, 2023

Kent Lee Coleson, 73, passed away Dec. 26, 2023. He was born Jan. 2, 1950. Kent graduated from Shelby High School, class of 1969.

Kent retired from Heinz in Holland, Mich. to his family home in Shelby, Mich.

Kent is survived by his sister, Kristy Payne; his nephews: Shawn (Shelly) Woodworth and their daughter, Reagan, and Ray (Bud) Woodworth and his children, Savanna and Shawn Woodworth; his nieces: Marva (Kevin) Bower and their children, Dylan Bower and Heather (Curtis) Reichardt, and Nicole Payne and her daughters Delanee, Makayla and Scarlet.

Kent was preceded in death by his parents, Grant and Virginia Coleson, and his brother, Kraig Coleson.

Kent loved to take pictures, work with stained glass, play games on the computer and take long rides, especially to the lake. He was a loving father to his fur babies, Sasha, Ruby, Callie, Mushu and Squirt.

The family would like to thank Patrick, Bonnie, Octavia, John, Lisa, Ruth and the Meals on Wheels staff for all their help and visits. And especially his nephew, Bud, for moving in and helping Uncle Kent.

A memorial service for Kent will be April 27, 2024 at 11 a.m. with visitation at 10 a.m. at Mears UMC at the corner of 56th and Fox Road in Mears, Mich..

We,

Donald J. Richards, age 79, of New Era, passed away Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, unexpectedly from a fall while battling Alzheimer’s disease.

Don was born in White Cloud, Mich., Dec.11, 1944 to Bert and Eloise (Sweeney) Richards. He graduated in 1963 from White Cloud High School and went on to attend Ferris State University, where he graduated with a degree in Environmental Health Sciences. Don married Sally (Hansen) on Aug. 23, 1969, in White Cloud at Saint Joseph Catholic Church. This year, they would have celebrated 55 years of marriage.

Don was very passionate about the environment. He worked for District Health Department #10 for 35 years. He started as a registered sanitarian and later became the Environmental Health Director, which covered 10 counties, until he retired in September 2003. Don also served on the New Era Village Council for 48 years. For 37 of those years, Don served as the Village President, until he resigned in December 2022. More than anything, Don loved his family and took great pride in his one and only granddaughter. Don enjoyed the outdoors. He coached little league baseball, raised cattle, grew amazing gardens and loved to stack wood, hunt or just sit in the woods. Don loved spending time at his log cabin on the property that’s been in his family for five generations.

Don is survived by his wife, Sally Richards; sons, Eric (Renee) Richards of Montague and Ryan (Kristie) Richards of Ludington; daughter, Kara Richards of Lansing; granddaughter, Kayla Richards of Ludington; his loyal cat, Mo; brothers, Ron (Barb) Richards and Terry (Judi) Richards; sisters, Carole Manchip, Patsy (Bill) Rottman and Marcy (Larry) Hays; brothers-in-law, Steve (Marce) Hansen and Larry Hansen; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Bert and Eloise Richards; brother, William (Rosemary) Richards; sister, Jeanne (Roger) Albanese; brothersin-law, Mike Hansen and Tom Manchip; and sister-in-law, Carolyn Hansen.

Don said daily, “I love the life I live, and I live the life I love,” and he would encourage anyone reading this to do the same. According to Don’s wishes, there will be no funeral services.

Arrangements by the Lee Chapel of Sytsema Funeral and Cremation Services, 6291 S. Harvey St., Norton Shores, MI, 49444. Please sign the family’s online guestbook and share memories with the family at sytsemafh.com.

Marjorie (Marge) Marie Cope

Marjorie (Marge) Marie Cope (formerly Riegler) passed away peacefully Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. Marge was born on Aug. 10, 1940, in Muskegon, the youngest of two daughters of Clarence and Marjorie (Miller) Picard.

Marge lived a life of adventure and stories, to be retold by the generations of those who knew and loved her.

Marge is survived by: her loving children, Donald (Amy) Riegler, Beth (Victor) Ross, and Bruce Riegler; grandchildren, Jessica (Andrew) Hicks, Nick (Marie) Martin, Dr. Kimberly (Aaron) Barrett, Amanda (Francis) McMann, Nicole Scott, Lisa Monroe, Emily (Nic) Wisniewski, John Riegler, Delanie Riegler and Mikayla Riegler; 14 adoring great-grandchildren; and her two darling dogs.

Marge was preceded in death by: ex-husband, Donald Riegler Sr., with whom she raised four children; husband, Paul Cope: beloved sister, Pauline Wallace, and eldest daughter, Mary Bogen.

The family will hold a memorial service at 11 a.m., Saturday, March 23, at Shelby Road Baptist Church, 4066 W. Shelby Rd., Shelby, Michigan, 49455, to be followed by a luncheon.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that remembrances be made in the form of contributions to: The Ladder Community Center, 67 N. State St., Shelby, Michigan, 49455.

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

www.harrisfhome.com

Catherine Michelene Neefs-Robbins

August 2, 1936 ~ February 27, 2024

Catherine Michelene Neefs-Robbins, 87, passed away peacefully Feb. 27, 2024, surrounded by family. She was born Aug. 2, 1936, in Brussels, Belgium, to Emile and Christine (VanStellan) Vangysegem

As a teenager, in 1949, Catherine left Belgium and came to the United States with family. She then attended Hart Public Schools, navigating the learning curve of the English language. Graduating from high school in 1954, Catherine went back to Belgium, where she married Nicholas Neefs, opened a beauty salon, and was blessed with her daughter. In 1963, the fami ly traveled to the United States, where Catherine opened “Cathy’s Beauty Salon,” which stayed open for 45 years. Catherine worked into her 70s, providing beauty care for those at Cherry Blossom and the Oceana County Medical Care Facility. After losing her husband, Nicholas Neefs, in 1977, she was remarried to Russ Robbins in 1979, gaining three more daughters.

Catherine loved animals, big or small. Russ remarked that if he could be reincarnated one day, he would like to come back as one of Catherine’s pets, as they were so well cared for. Catherine was a giving, loving, and accepting woman. She gave many monetary donations throughout her years, as well as her time within her own community. She was a phenomenal mother, an excellent wife and a wonderful aunt. She shared a very special relationship with her two nieces, Cathy and Christine, and their families. All who met Catherine created a fondness and love for her.

Catherine spent the last two and a half years of her life nurturing the many relationships made at the Oceana County Medical Care Facility. The family would like to thank not just the staff but the residents as well for their kindness, love and care.

Catherine is survived by: her husband of 44 years, Russ Robbins; daughters, Lisbeth (Dave) Smith, Lisha (Joe) Zelewicz, Sandy (Tom) Sorensen, and Regina (George) Young; six grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; many close nieces, nephews, and cousins; and great-nieces and nephews.

Catherine was preceded in death by: her parents, Emile and Christine (VanStellan) Vangysegem; her sister, Elise Fenton; her first husband, Nicholas Neefs; and one granddaughter, Danielle Zelewicz.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m., Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at the Mears United Methodist Church, 1990 N. 56th Ave., Mears, MI 49436, with a luncheon immediately following. Visitation will take place Tuesday from 10 a.m. until the time of services at the church.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Oceana County Medical Care Facility’s activities department, 701 E. Main St., Hart, MI 49420.

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

www.beaconfh.com

Oceana Asparagus Day to provide latest updates on asparagus industry and crop management

Michigan State University (MSU) Extension and the Michigan Asparagus Industry Research Farm Advisory Committee have scheduled this year’s Oceana Asparagus Day for March 7, 2024 in New Era, Mich. This workshop brings together MSU researchers and industry representatives from inside and outside Michigan to update growers on the latest challenges and opportunities in asparagus production.

This year, they will welcome Brian Pasternak of the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington D.C., as a guest. They will also welcome a Peruvian asparagus grower to learn more about South American production. As always, they will have a chance to hear presentations from MACMA-asparagus, and the latest MSU and industry research on disease and crop management. Exhibitors will include chemical companies, agricultural suppliers and commodity organizations.

“Our industry views their partner-

ship with researchers at MSU as an investment that will keep west Michigan asparagus production viable for the long-run,” said Ben Werling, Michigan State University Extension educator. “Oceana Asparagus Day, which is organized by both these groups, is a testimony to this commitment.”

Two Michigan Pesticide Re-certification credits in the categories private core and 1B and Certified Crop Advisors’ Continuing Education Units have been awarded.

The 2024 Oceana Asparagus Day will take place at the New Era Reformed Church, 4775 1st St., New Era, MI 49446, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The annual MACMA meeting will follow Asparagus Day at the same location.

Early registration is $25 by March 1. To register, visit bit.ly/2024oad, call the Oceana County MSU Extension office at 231-873-2129 or stop by the office at 844 South Griswold St., Hart, Michigan 49420.

Tails of Hope

If you are looking for a resilient and spirited dog, Grayson is the dog for you. Grayson is a 7-year-old pup who’s been through a lot, but still has so much love to give.

Life has thrown Grayson a few curveballs, but he’s shown remarkable resilience. Despite his past, he is full of love and trust for humans.

Walking with Grayson is a breeze, as he is an expert on a leash.

Walking with Grayson is smooth and enjoyable.

Grayson is a friendly soul, always eager to make new friends. He believes in the goodness of people and looks forward to forming a deep bond with his forever family.

Grayson is available for adoption from the Oceana County Animal Shelter. If interested, please call the shelter at 231-861-5395.

The adoption fee for cats is $35, and you receive certificates for $25 towards spay/neuter and $10 towards rabies if not already done.

The adoption fee for dogs is $95 and you will receive a $50 certificate good for spay/neuter, if needed. Every dog should have an ID tag. L.A.S.S.I. provides free dog ID tags to all Oceana County residents. To request tags, send a text to 231-7303906. Free tags are also available at the Oceana County Animal Shelter.

Meet Grayson

Silver Lake State Park management plan online survey available through March 3

To help create a roadmap for future planning at Silver Lake State Park in Oceana County, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is asking the public for feedback on a new general management plan for the park via an online survey.

The DNR uses such plans to define long-range planning and management strategies that protect the resources of state parks, while addressing recreation and education needs and opportunities. The updated Silver Lake plan will replace the park’s Phase 1 general management plan completed in 2012 and incorporate goals for the next 10 years.

“Public input is a critical component of park planning, and the draft general management plan will be developed in response to the valuable information learned during that process,” said Debbie Jensen, park management plan administrator for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “The DNR will also host a public meeting in the fall of 2024, providing opportunities for people to review and provide comment on the park’s updated draft plan.”

Silver Lake State Park is home to nearly 3 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, 2,000 acres of sand dunes, a mod-

ern campground, a day-use area, a boating access site and the popular 450-acre Silver Lake ORV Area – the only motorized sand dune riding opportunity east of the Mississippi River – and more. Mac Wood’s Dune Rides operates an interpretive, 40-minute dune tour in the summer months, and special fat-tire bicycling and horseback riding seasons take place in the winter months. Little Sable Point Lighthouse provides opportunities to climb the 100-foot tower, an experience facilitated by the Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association.

Online survey link, project webpage: Visitors, community members, stakeholders and others interested in sharing their opinions, ideas and experiences are encouraged to participate in an online survey, available through March 3. Links to both the survey and the project website are available at Michigan.gov/SilverLake.

Additional information on the DNR’s general management planning process is available at Michigan.gov/ ParkManagementPlans.

For more about the public survey or proposed plan, contact Debbie Jensen at JensenD1@Michigan.gov or 517230-6837.

By Lucie Winborne

WEEKLY SERVICE,

Orlando, FL 32803

(800) 708-7311 EXT.

FROM KING FEATURES WEEKLY SERVICE,

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

628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803

CUSTOMER SERVICE: (800) 708-7311 EXT.

CUSTOMER SERVICE: (800) 708-7311 EXT.

257

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2024

• On March 11, 2021, England’s Prince William made a public statement declaring that the British royal family was not a racist one. The announcement came on the heels of allegations from his sister-in-law, Prince Harry’s wife Meghan Markle, that she had experienced racism from some of the Windsors.

STRANGE BUT TRUE #12345_20240226

NOW HERE’S A TIP #12345_20240226

FOR RELEASE FEB. 26, 2024

By JoAnn Derson

FOR RELEASE FEB. 26, 2024

By Lucie Winborne

• On March 12, 1999, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland formally joined NATO, endowing the nations with a level of political and military security that had been lacking for much of the 20th century. The move was said to signify the beginning of a united Europe.

• On March 13, 1942, the U.S. Army promoted Julia Otteson Flikke, who served as a nurse during both world wars, to the rank of its first female colonel. Her second-in-command, Captain Florence A. Blanchfield, was appointed lieutenant colonel by Dwight D. Eisenhower and became the first woman in American history to hold permanent military rank.

• On March 14, 2022, singersongwriter, actress Dolly Parton initially refused a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination. The Hall nevertheless kept the nomination in place, and she was ultimately voted in. Parton finally accepted her induction because it was something her fans were eager for.

• On March 15, 1959, Robert Foster created a new world record by holding his breath underwater in a California swimming pool for an astounding 13 minutes and 42.5 seconds. He would hold this record for the next 48 years.

• On March 16, 1876, 20-something variety show dancers Nelly Saunders and Rose Harland fought in America’s first public women’s boxing match at Harry Hill’s gambling resort in New York, for a prize of $200 and a silver plate. After Saunders won by a single point, the pair “left the stage arm in arm.”

• On March 17, 1905, Albert Einstein submitted his first paper on the quantum theory of light to the journal Annalen der Physik. It was the only one of his papers that year that he himself described as “very revolutionary,” and the theory would become a cornerstone of modern physics.

© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

• Soak your metal tools in CocaCola when they get gummed up. It does a great job of loosening the gunk, and after a few hours in a Coke bath, you can almost just brush stuff right off. Makes you wonder about drinking it, but whatever works!

• If you get the Sunday newspaper, you likely get coupons. Perhaps there are others who would enjoy any coupons you don’t use rather than your recycling them. Ask your neighbors and friends.

• To make a cottage cheese dip, blend it in your food processor until smooth and add your dip flavoring packet or season with flavors as you would sour cream.

• “You can use a thermos to keep soup warm as a lunch option. Just get a clean funnel for use in the kitchen. You can use it to add soup to the thermos. It makes a good alternative to mix up your lunch options, especially in cold weather. Before you fill the thermos with your hot food, fill it with boiling water and let it sit for a good five minutes. Then empty out the water just before filling. The food will stay hot longer.” — E.D. in Wisconsin

• If you have a smartphone (or just a cellphone that takes pictures), here’s a novel way of keeping track of printed information: Snap a quick pic. This works for store hours (get the store name in the picture with the hours), receipts, sales advertisements for reference when shopping and much much more. You can delete the photo when you are done.

• If you have a tablecloth that is stained, you might be able to salvage it into napkins or a table runner. You can edge it with a pretty and complementary fabric to spice things up a little. Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.

© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

• A double rainbow occurs when sunlight is reflected twice inside a raindrop. Look closely, and you’ll see that the colors of the secondary rainbow appear in reverse order.

• In an 897 A.D. event known as the Cadaver Synod, Pope Stephen VI had the corpse of a previous pontiff, Formosus, exhumed, perched on a throne and questioned about his “crimes,” which were mostly about being on the wrong side of a political struggle.

• Blood makes up about 8% of your total body weight.

• Floccinaucinihilipilification — one of the longest words in the English language — is the act of estimating that something is worthless.

• According to a Japanese study, looking at cute animal pictures can boost your focus.

• We hate to break it to you, but Wendy’s chocolate Frosty is actually half chocolate and half vanilla, because owner Dave Thomas thought an all-chocolate treat would be too overpowering when paired with the chain’s burgers and fries.

• At the Gettysburg reunion in 1913, two men purchased a hatchet, walked to the site where their regiments had fought, and buried it.

• An Oscar trophy has a raw value of about $600.

• In a move that many may appreciate, if not take the trouble to emulate, a British man changed his name to Tim Pppppppppprice to make it harder for telemarketers to pronounce.

• A 1907 ad campaign for Kellogg’s Corn Flakes offered a free sample of cereal to any customer who would wink at their grocer.

• The cubicle derives its name not from its shape, but from the Latin “cubiculum,” meaning bedchamber.

• It once took 27 hours to create a single Peeps Marshmallow Chick. Today, it takes six minutes.

***

Thought for the Day: “Very often, a change of self is needed more than a change of scene.” — A.C. Benson © 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

Phil is the father of Andrew White of New Era.

Three-peat

Hart girls claim another conference title with win over Holton

By: Brendan Samuels

The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

HART – Since a conference realignment three seasons ago, the WMC Rivers title for girls basketball has been housed in the gym of the Hart Pirates. On Friday, Feb. 23, the Pirates solidified a three-peat as conference champions with a convincing 74-25 victory over Holton.

It was clear early on that there was a disparity

in talent and athleticism between the Pirates and Red Devils. Holton had a clear plan to feed the ball to senior Ryann Robins, their tall playmaker in the middle that just eclipsed 1,000 points in her career this season. Hart’s defense consistently denied Robins the ball in the first quarter, leading to just a single point for her and Holton’s offense overall.

“We’re used to playing some girls with size. Ryann Robins is a tremendous player who reached 1,000 points in her career already. We just have some girls with a lot of heart,” Hart head coach Travis

Three-peat

continued on page 10

Pirates

place

5th at regionals

A matter of seconds

Second chance points doom Pentwater, lock Falcons into second place conference finish

By: Brendan Samuels The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

PENTWATER – For the first two months of the season, Pentwater’s boys basketball team sat in the pole position to earn a conference title. That changed when they met Baldwin in early February, losing a close game to the Panthers and dropping them a game behind in the standings.

On Thursday, Feb. 22 the Falcons had an opportunity to pull even with the Panthers, but even a home court advantage wasn’t enough as they fell 57-45 in the regular season finale.

Undoubtedly, Pentwater’s loss could be summed up by their first quarter performance on defense. While the Falcons did a nice job closing out on Baldwin’s shooters, it was second chance opportunities that ultimately kept them behind in the game’s final score and in the West Michigan D League (WMD).

Too many times, Baldwin senior DJ Baldridge found himself alone in the paint following a teammate’s

missed shot. Baldridge took advantage, boxing out the Falcons and turning missed shots into points on the offensive glass. Baldridge had six points in the first quarter, helping build the Panthers to a double figure lead at 17-4.

“(Baldwin’s offensive rebounding) was the difference in the game. DJ (Baldridge)’s pure boxing out, positioning and going up strong and finishing – we weren’t really able to stop it all night,” Pentwater head

coach Ashley Lubera said. “That first quarter buried us again. We played them the first time the same way. It’s just about playing team defense and understanding what they do. We knew it, we just weren’t able to stop it.”

The Falcons found a bit of their footing in the second quarter offensively, leaning on Kaleb Brown and Will Werkema-Grondsma for all of their scoring. Despite 13 points combined from that duo, Pentwater remained in a double digit hole, carrying a 28-17 deficit into halftime.

A second half surge nearly saw Pentwater gain the lead, something they hadn’t held since a 4-3 advantage in the game’s opening minutes. Baldwin extended its lead to as many as 17 in the third quarter, but midway through that period something changed for the Falcons.

On the back of Brown, Werkema-Grondsma and Jonny Arnouts, Pentwater scored nine unanswered points to end the third quarter. For the first time, the Falcons trailed by single digits to end a frame.

Then, Arnouts hit the opening bucket of the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to just five points. Unfortunately, that was the end of Pentwater’s surge as Baldwin woke up in

Second place

continued on page 10

Controversy headlines Hart wrestling’s loss in state tournament

By: Andy Roberts The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

KALAMAZOO — Hart keeps getting closer to the state final four, and Friday night, the Pirates came the closest they’ve come yet, falling to #4 seed Constantine in the quarterfinals at Wings Event Center, 3230. It was the fifth straight year Hart has wrestled in the final eight.

The way the Pirates saw it, they should’ve made it farther. In the 190-pound bout between Adrian Tice and Gregg Reed, Tice knocked Reed onto his back in the late going in an attempt to go for a pin.

Officials stopped the bout to make sure Reed hadn’t suffered a head injury, but did not award Tice a two-point takedown it appeared he had earned.

Reed ultimately won the bout in overtime. The sixpoint swing in team points loomed large.

“I’m going to blatantly say it, it was a terrible call,” Hart coach Rocky Smith said. “We took the kid to his back. They stopped the match because they thought the kid was knocked out. If the kid is knocked out, the match is over. We didn’t get (points for) the takedown. They didn’t stop the match.”

The Pirates showed

remarkable tenacity to even get close enough for such a thing to matter. Constantine won the first four bouts after the match started at 126 pounds, al-

though Smith said Hart actually liked starting at that weight class. The Pi-

HART

Hart’s Adrian Tice battles with Constanine’s Gregg Reed. Tice was involved in a controversial match with Reed that ultimately spelled defeat for the Pirates in the state quarterfinals on Friday, Feb. 23. • Andy Roberts/ECHO

Pentwater’s Mikey Carlson goes up for a contested shot with a Baldwin defender in front. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Hart’s competitive cheer team competed in the regional tournament on Saturday, Feb. 24 at Jenison High School. Hart placed fifth on the day with a score of 729.94. The Pirates fell just short of qualifying for the state finals as only the top four teams advanced. • Contributed

Hart’s girls basketball team poses after winning third straight conference title. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Three-peat

Rosema said. “Kelsey (Copenhaver) has been guarding Wren (Nelson, Mason County Central), she’s been guarding Ryann and we played Lake City who has a girl who’s 6-foot-5, she guarded her the other day. (Addi Hovey) does a good job on the post when she needs to. The other thing is our guards. We take away the post by pressuring the ball. If the guards can’t get open to throw (Robins) the ball, that’s the other way we like to play the post.”

Hart’s offense was clicking immediately as good ball movement created opportunities for nearly everybody to score. By the end of the first quarter, the Pirates led 25-1 and had gotten points from five different players. Leading the way was freshman Reese Smith who tallied up nine points in the opening frame.

Scoring for the Pirates slowed down in the second quarter, but their defense did nothing but pester Holton. By the time the buzzer sounded at the end of the first half, Hart had a 36-12 lead and boasted three athletes on the precipice of eclipsing double digits in scoring.

“When you have tremendous players that people have to be worried about, that opens things up for everybody,” Rosema said. “We have players like Abby (Hicks) and Addi that can obviously score – and score a ton – but when you face teams and they key in on one or both of those girls, it’s nice to have players like Reese, Rilynn (Porter), Kelsey and Breslyn (Porter). When you have depth and can share the ball, eventually they can’t key in on one or two girls and it allows for better spacing and more scoring.”

Holton opened up the second half with a three-point bucket, giving the illusion that they may be ready to creep back into the game. Rilynn Porter silenced that notion, nailing back-to-back-to-back three pointers and sending the Red Devils reeling.

Continued pressure on both sides of

the ball pushed Hart out to an insurmountable lead by the end of the third quarter. At 60-22 heading into the final frame, the Pirates nearly doubled their point production from the first half in a single quarter.

The fourth and final frame served as a formality of sorts, but it did allow for some girls on Hart’s bench to get an opportunity to play. Senior Molly Dessauer got a bucket at the end of the game, but no basket was more special for Hart’s head coach than a three pointer that found the bottom of the net off the hands of his daughter, Natalie Rosema.

“It’s exciting to see her in there and be successful. It’s hard to be a coach and a parent. We have a lot of coaches that put in a lot of time that are also parents. It’s good to see all the girls have success and it’s good to see Natalie be accepted by her teammates. Her teammates trust her when she’s in the game,” Travis Rosema said.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Hart had yet another win in its back pocket and an outright WMC Rivers title for the third straight year. The players on the team sported posters commemorating the moment, but their coach was clear: this isn’t the end goal.

“It feels great. It’s a lot of hard work and a lot of time spent in the gym by all the girls. I’m excited for the seniors to go out with three in a row. Conference (titles) are just one thing along the road. We have bigger goals, but we’re gonna celebrate being conference champs and hopefully have more success as we move on.”

For seniors like Hicks and Rayah Helenhouse, winning a third straight is an impressive milestone that reflects the work they’ve put in. With players in and out the door due to graduation, success can be hard to maintain.

“Being here all four years and watching people graduate and still being able to

Second place

time to kick start its offensive attack and stay on top.

“I think our energy kicked in. I’ve said it before, we’re a motor and when we get that motor running we’re pretty darn good,” Lubera said. “We just ran out of steam. In the third quarter I think we did a great job. Our press really put a damper on (Baldwin). They just have dynamic players just like we do and being able to guard four guys that can hit shots from anywhere on the court – there’s no shutting one guy down.

We were flat a little bit in the fourth. A couple guys of mine that usually score –Mikey (Carlson), Trey (Johnson) – were a little flat tonight. Trey was coming off an injury and we tried to get him back today. He wasn’t quite there in practice the last few days, so I think it was just a chemistry thing.”

Brown had a standout performance in the loss, scoring a team-high 16 points and capping off a double-double performance with 10 rebounds to go along with two steals and two assists. Werkema-Grondsma also had a double-double, chipping in 10 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals.

Arnouts and Carlson each added eight points to the final tally while Nathan Macher had six rebounds. Johnson added three points and two rebounds to the cause.

“(Werkema-Grondsma, Arnouts and Brown) were really the trifecta tonight,” Lubera said. “The whole duration of the

continued from page 9

game, all three played very well. It was just finding that balance between who was that fourth and fifth guy tonight. I would tell you that Nathan Macher was one of those guys too, he stepped up.”

The Falcons finished their regular season at 16-6 overall with a 15-3 mark in the WMD.

succeed at what we do is awesome,” Hicks said. “We just moved the ball so much tonight. It was really a team effort.”

“Filling the roles that we had to fill from the seniors that graduated – it’s definitely just a good opportunity to do that and continue to succeed in order to get where we want to,” Helenhouse said. “The last couple of weeks we were struggling with some ball movement and some things on the team. Tonight we really just came out on top. We’re unified again and ready to get back to where we were.”

Rilynn Porter finished the night with a game-high 23 points to go along with four assists. Smith piled on 14 points and three assists while Hovey chipped in 13 points, 15 rebounds, five steals and five assists. Copenhaver added 10 points, five rebounds, six steals and three assists.

continued from page 9

Controversy

rates felt they had a big advantage at the three lowest weight classes and liked the idea of having those bouts be the final three.

It played out exactly as Hart had hoped, with Aiden Schaner and Jose Chavira earning consecutive first-period pins at 106 and 113. Unfortunately, Jace Vavul of Constantine was able to avoid getting pinned by freshman regional champ Kole Thomas, so even though Thomas won in overtime, the Falcons hung on for the dual win.

“We’re really tough at those weights,” Smith said. “We thought if we could keep it close with those three kids on the back end, we could really close the deal on them. We got two pins right away and Kole worked hard there. Unfortunately, (Vavul) was just a little bit too strong.”

The teams swapped what coaches call “swing matches,” bouts that could go either way. Hart felt it had the advantage at 144, but Constantine won that one by a point. However,

the Pirates got it back at 157, where Josue “Chico” Salgado Velazquez pulled off a win by ultimate tiebreaker over Brody Jones, who’s ranked higher than Velazquez.

Salgado’s win continued a turn of momentum in Hart’s favor that Haegan Hansen started with his one-point win at 150; Hansen hadn’t wrestled at 150 all year, and competed at 165 in the state tournament. The Pirates had to forfeit at 165 because a wrestler was out sick, but after that, Alex Hicks

continued from page 9

scored a pin, Tice delivered his great performance in defeat, and Ivan Lara added a decision win.

All the Hart winners Friday will return next season except Velazquez and Lara, which sparks hope the Pirates can continue to take their shot at winning on this stage.

“Our young kids wrestled great,” Smith said. “It’s good for the future of the program. The biggest thing is we’ve just got to get more kids in the mat room...so we can keep pushing each other.”

Hart’s Haegan Hansen grapples with Constantine’s Cody Laughman during the state quarterfinals on Friday, Feb. 23. • Andy Roberts/ECHO

(Above, top) Hart’s Rilynn Porter leaps off the ground on a pass attempt. Porter led Hart in points with 23 in a 74-29 win over Holton on Friday, Feb. 23. (Above, bottom) Hart’s Reese Smith reaches out to poke the ball free from a Holton opponent. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Pentwater’s Kaleb Brown elevates on a transition layup attempt. Brown led the Falcons with 16 points in a 57-45 loss to Baldwin on Thursday, Feb. 22 that cemented Pentwater in second place in the WMD conference. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

HESPERIA – Shelby’s boys basketball team got their third crack at a pair of West Michigan Conference Rivers Division opponents last week. This time, there was a bit extra at stake as both matchups came in the district tournament with the season on the line.

On Monday, Feb. 26, the Tigers took on Holton in the Hesperia High School gym for a district quarterfinals bout. That contest went exactly as planned with Shelby coming out with a 55-31 victory over the Red Devils.

It had been just four days since Shelby and Holton last squared off. Shelby completely dominated the competition in that game, holding the Red Devils to just 19 points offensively. That defensive effort carried into Monday as the Tigers allowed just two points in the first quarter of play.

Shelby sophomore Eli Kelley was feeling it, knocking down two triples in the first quarter to put the Tigers on top 14-2 early. Phillip Hayes got in on the scoring action in the second quarter, tacking on nine points and helping his team take a 35-11 lead into the locker room.

“(Eli) has come a long way. His confidence level is much higher offensively,” Shelby head coach Rick Zoulek said after the win over Holton. “He made a nice play where he pass faked and attacked to the lane and pulled up with a little jump shot. Those are the things I like to see and he wasn’t doing those early in the year. Same thing with distributing the ball. He was moving the ball and getting it out of his hands a little quicker instead of taking an extra dribble and allowing defenses to get out on you.”

Little to no scoring occurred in the third quarter as Shelby’s defense clamped down on Holton once again. The Red Devils scored just four points in that frame, allowing the Tigers to go on a 10-3 run to start the second half.

Holton did pick things up in the fourth quarter, though it was too little too late. The Red Devils put up

their best span of offense over the final eight minutes, scoring 15 points to draw close. Unfortunately for them, Shelby did just enough to increase their advantage and walk out with the win.

“We could see this coming for a few weeks. It hasn’t been there for a full game, but we could see it for a quarter here or three quarters there. At this time of the year you have to put four quarters together especially with the teams we have coming up,” Zoulek said. “I thought Holton did a nice job of fighting in the first half and trying to keep their composure and keep the game close. I was pleased with how we executed offensively.”

Phillip Hayes led Shelby with 15 points, six assists and six rebounds in that matchup while Wyatt Dickman added 10 points and seven rebounds. Lalo Garcia also had 12 rebounds.

The win advanced Shelby to Wednesday, Feb. 28’s district semifinals where unbeaten North Muskegon waited.

That game didn’t go quite as well for Shelby as they fell by a final score of 65-29 and were eliminated from contention. It wasn’t all bad news for the Tigers, especially in the game’s first quarter.

A hard fought opening eight minutes appeared to give Shelby an edge on the Norsemen. Great rebounding and the composure to answer North Muskegon’s potent offense keyed the Tigers to 14 points in that frame. North Muskegon ended the first quarter with five points to take a 15-14

lead over Shelby, but it appeared the Norse would have to fight to keep their season alive.

“The kids came out with good energy and were really focused on what we needed to do,” Zoulek said. “We did what we wanted and caught (North Muskegon) off guard a little bit. We made good choices and made some shots.”

The second quarter quickly changed that notion. Dickman landed awkwardly on an attempt for an offensive rebound and was taken out of the game for the entirety of that period. North Muskegon quickly turned their attention to driving through the middle of Shelby’s defense and attacking down low. That propelled the Norsemen to a 34-21 lead at halftime after the Tigers’ offense went stale.

“(Dickman) really helps defensively as much as he does offensively and he keeps guys in the right places. Without him, it’s a different type of team,” Zoulek said.

Shelby couldn’t resurrect their offense in the third quarter either. North Muskegon went on a 9-0 run after neither team found points through the first four minutes of play. Shelby answered with a lone three point shot from Phillip Hayes, but that wasn’t enough to keep them out of a 48-24 hole entering the final quarter.

North Muskegon continued to lay it on thick in the fourth quarter as Shelby couldn’t find an answer. Hayes and Treyjin Waller each scored in that frame,

Hart girls complete sweep of Shelby

By: Brendan Samuels The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

HART – Another heated rivalry game between Hart and Shelby took place on Tuesday, Feb. 27 as the Pirates’ girls basketball team took care of the Tigers, 42-35.

Things were about as even as they could get early on as each team took turns exchanging the lead. Shelby’s Molli Schultz had the hot hand for the Tigers early in the first quarter as she scored five quick points. Hart was quick to respond to each of Schultz’ baskets, finding identical points from Abby Hicks and Kelsey Copenhaver.

It appeared Hart was ready to take control midway through the first quarter as Rilynn Porter hit a three-pointer and was followed by a Reese Smith layup to put the Pirates in front by five. Shelby wasn’t done scoring yet however, getting points from Lydia Soelberg and Brylee Friedman – split by a Copenhaver shot – to cut the Pirates’ lead to 12-9 entering the second frame.

“I’m happy with how we’re playing right

now,” Shelby head coach Sarah Wolting said. “To play a very good team that tough – I’m pretty proud of my girls. We’re playing good basketball at the right time.”

The Tigers took over in the second quarter after Addi Hovey scored the opening points to push Hart’s lead to five. Shelby scored 11 unanswered points after that point to flip the advantage in their favor. The Pirates went on a 7-2 run to end the quarter, leaving Shelby in front 22-21 at halftime.

Hart’s defense took over in the third quarter, holding Shelby to just six points offensively. Porter connected on two shots from beyond the arc, one of which put the Pirates back in front on the scoreboard. That momentum carried the Pirates to a 34-28 lead by the end of the third quarter and set up some dramatics for the final period of play.

“Rilynn hit one in the third to give us the lead and then we got some points after that. Getting the lead and playing with the

District matchups set for girls basketball

The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

We are officially at the end of the girls basketball regular season and the district tournament matchups have been announced.

Three of five schools will play in the quarterfinal round which is set for Monday, March 4.

Shelby will host White Cloud at 6 p.m. in division three action. The winner of that game will move on to face North Muskegon in the semifinals on Wednesday, March 6. Hesperia is in the same district as Shelby, but received a first round

bye. The Panthers will face Holton in the semifinals on Wednesday, March 6 at 7 p.m.

Division four features both Pentwater and Walkerville playing in Custer at Mason County Eastern. The Falcons will take on Baldwin on Monday at 5:30 p.m. for the quarterfinals and will have Manistee Catholic Central or Brethren in the semifinals should they advance. Walkerville will take on the host Cardinals directly after the Pentwater-Baldwin game.

In division two, Hart also received a first round bye. The Pirates will face the winner of the quarterfinals matchup between Ludington and Chippewa Hills. That semifinals matchup will take place in Big Rapids on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

Rivalry continued on page 16 Shelby continued on page 16

by Big Rapids

Above are brackets for the district tournament featuring all five girls basketball programs in Oceana County. District play will begin on Monday, March 4.

Shelby’s Lalo Garcia uses his size advantage to hammer a Holton defender down low. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

• Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Rivalry Shelby

but Hayes was forced to sit nearly half of the game’s final frame after fouling out.

“We just stopped scoring. You’re not going to keep (North Muskegon) from scoring many points,” Zoulek said. “You can rein them in a bit and hope you hold them, but you have to be able to score enough to hang with them and hope you can be there in the end.”

Hayes once again led Shelby’s offense, scoring 13 points and adding six rebounds. Dickman had six points and five rebounds while Garcia added seven rebounds.

The Tigers finished their season at a 5-19 overall record.

continued from page 15

Shelby’s Logan Selig lets go of a shot attempt over a North Muskegon post defender. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

lead was important,” Hart head coach Travis Rosema said. “Rilynn has matured as the season has gone on. If we can keep having her play at a high level, hopefully we can make a run.”

Hovey took over to start the fourth quarter, scoring seven straight points for Hart and giving them a healthy lead. That’s when things got interesting.

With an eight point lead, Hart’s offense – led by Rilynn and Breslyn Porter – dribbled the ball up the court and stopped just after crossing midcourt. The Pirates proceeded to hold onto the ball, letting nearly three minutes tick off the clock without attempting a shot.

That kind of stall offense is legal in Michigan’s high school sports as the state is one of 23 states to not implement a shot clock at the high school level. The typical response from the defense having that offense run against them would be to press

up and try to force a turnover. What Shelby did next was odd.

The Tigers sagged off of the Porter sisters, allowing them to hold the ball with no pressure. Then, as time ticked off, the Tigers on the court began smiling and clapping.

“That was just my girls knowing that (Hart) wanted to stall just so that we didn’t have a chance to score,” Wolting said. “That’s a great compliment to my team when somebody pulls it out like that and doesn’t want us to try and score. That’s what my girls were feeling at that moment –that they were competing with the best team in the conference who hadn’t lost at all.”

“Michigan hasn’t instituted a shot clock. I didn’t tell them to do that. I told them we have the lead, play like we have the lead. Rilynn, a freshman point guard, brought it out to the logo and held onto the ball and passed it to her sister,” Rosema said.

continued from page 16

“The crowd was fighting with each other because they’re upset we’re stalling, but we’re cheering because we’re stalling. I thought that was a pretty smart play by our team.”

Hart finished the game off with strong defense, not allowing Shelby any room to crawl back in. The Pirates were led by Hovey with 11 points, 13 rebounds and three assists while Rilynn Porter had 10 points and four assists. Copenhaver had eight points and five rebounds.

Shelby was led by Schultz with 14 points and three assists. Brylee Friedman added eight points and Biloxi Lee had eight rebounds. The Tigers fell to 5-16 overall, but are feeling good about the way they played one of the league’s toughest teams.

The Pirates capped off their regular season schedule with the win, cementing them at 12-0 in the West Michigan Conference Rivers Division. Hart is now 16-5 overall.

Hesperia boys fall short to Ravenna in first round of district tournament

By: Brendan Samuels The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

HESPERIA – It wasn’t surprising to Hesperia’s boys basketball head coach Scott Warsaw that most people in the gym weren’t betting on his team to challenge Ravenna in the district quarterfinals on Monday, Feb. 26. What was surprising however, was the tenacity the Panthers showed despite falling 63-53.

Who could blame those who had doubts?

After all, just four days prior the same two teams had met for the regular season finale and to say it wasn’t close would be an understatement.

The Bulldogs absolutely floored Hesperia, rolling to a 65-32 win.

Without senior Bryce Billings and junior Ian Fox out for both matchups, it seemed a repeat outcome was almost a sure thing. That assuredness turned to uncertainty almost immediately after the two teams took the court.

“We have a lot of pride.

I know we lost to (Ravenna) big time a week ago, but that’s not who we are,” Warsaw said. “We’ve played hard all year and we said whatever happens, we’re gonna leave it all out there. Tonight I felt like we gave it everything we could.”

Ravenna got the game’s opening points on a single made free throw attempt by Dylan May, but

an early foul on Carter Schullo set the Bulldogs out of rhythm entirely. Hesperia capitalized on that, scoring nine unanswered points and taking a surprising lead early. Seniors Nicholas Guarnieri and Blake Hernandez each scored a bucket in that span, but it was junior Ethan O’Neil’s four points in the paint that made the difference.

May got Ravenna going again right after that Hesperia run, nailing a three-point shot to spark seven straight points for the Bulldogs. Still, the Panthers held an 11-10 lead at the end of the first quarter and had three of the game’s four highest scorers in the first eight minutes.

Jarred by what had happened in the first quarter, Ravenna quickly regrouped in the second to regain the lead. Without Billings to take attention away from Guarnieri, Hesperia’s offense had to hope that other guys could make plays for them.

The likely candidates for that job would have been Jared Tanner, Hernandez or O’Neil. Yet another surprise on the night however, was the performance of Hesperia’s young bench players. JV players like freshman Nate Ruhstorfer and sophomore Jayden Sibley were elevated for the postseason and both made big shots to keep Hesperia within reach.

Ruhstorfer knocked down his first shot after the Bulldogs gained

a four point lead to start the second quarter. Then, after Ravenna had matched his points and regained that same advantage, Sibley nailed a three-pointer to bring the deficit back to just a single point.

That opened the door for Guarnieri to get involved again as the senior scored five points over the remainder of the quarter. Both shots that resulted in Guarnieri’s points shifted the lead back into Hesperia’s favor. Unfortunately, Ravenna’s offense proved too much to handle as they escaped halftime with a 29-23 lead.

The third quarter started off with Hesperia scoring eight points to Ravenna’s two. Points from O’Neil, Guarnieri and junior Andrew Sherburn brought the Panthers to within two points of knotting up the score again.

Unfortunately, Ravenna senior Wyatt Young went on an absolute tear. Young scored seven straight points for the Bulldogs and kept them in control. Guarnieri and Sibley each recorded a made basket from deep while Ruhstorfer notched his second bucket of the night, but the Panthers still trailed 46-37 entering the final period.

“We’re trying to get some colleges to look at (Guarnieri) because he’s the best kept secret in the area,” Warsaw said. “He’s a great player, I don’t know why people

won’t look at him.

“To be honest, nobody is Bryce (Billings) but we tried. They have a lot of talent and they’re young. We brought them up from JV but we had confidence (in them). We’re hungry and already looking forward to next year.”

The fourth quarter was essentially a wash as each time one team would score, the other would answer right back. That was good news for Ravenna as they already held a lead and just needed to make enough plays to stay in front.

Despite the loss, Guarnieri ended the night as the game’s top scorer with 19 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists. O’Neil added nine points while Tanner, Sibley and Hernandez had six each.

Ravenna had balanced scoring from all over the court as four players including May, Young, Drew Mabrito and Blake Homoly, went over double figures in points.

Hesperia’s season comes to a close with a final record of 8-15. Despite falling out of the post season early, 2023 was one of the program’s best in recent memory. With Hernandez, Billings, Guarnieri and Luke Greiner headed to graduation, Hesperia will have to turn to new faces next year.

“When coach Warsaw first approached me about being an assistant coach, he talked about getting these guys to play

hard and aggressive,” Hesperia assistant coach Samuel Rose said. “We wanted to bring some respect back to Hesperia

basketball. That’s exactly what we did this year. It’s the best season we’ve had in 10 years.”

(Above, top) Hesperia’s Jayden Sibley makes a move around the Ravenna defense. (Above, bottom) Hesperia’s Nicholas Guarnieri eyes the rim after cutting past three Ravenna defenders. Guarnieri led Hesperia with 19 points in their loss to the Bulldogs in the district quarterfinals. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

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Making time to help in Belize

Montague English teacher Michelle Smith takes mission trip to Central American country

By Madison Lajewski White Lake Mirror Writer

MONTAGUE — Montague High School English teacher Michelle Smith had an eye-opening experience during a February mission trip to San Pedro High School in Belize. With her passion for helping others and curiosity about education in Belize, she was able to learn what educational culture there looks like compared to American education.

“It was my educational experience,” said Smith. “When I talked to my principal, Christy Thommen, at the beginning of the school year, she asked if it was a mission trip. I thought about it for a second and said, ‘Yes, it’s going to be my mission trip.’ This is what I want to do. I want to help someone.”

One of the many differences she learned about were the expenses. Regardless if Belize students go to Catholic or public school, all students are required to pay tuition. Due to the high poverty level, some students have to work during the day to help pay bills at

home and therefore, have to go to school at night. San Pedro has 700 students that go to day school, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and night school starts at 6 p.m.

“I asked their principal, Paul Kelly, if we could make a monetary donation,” Smith said. “He gave me a two and a half page list of outstanding tuition balances they had. There was a girl, Shadany, who hasn’t been able to pay. She works during the day to help her family pay bills and goes to night school. Principal Kelly said she would be the best person to help. She has six brothers who are all in a gang, and she doesn’t want any part of that lifestyle. She’s been working really hard. She has a 3.0 GPA as a junior in high school. We raised enough money for half of her tuition. She had $3,000 in Belize currency, which is $1,500 in American dollars. We raised $750 in American dollars.”

Mission trip continued on page 3

Locals brush up on solar eclipses at Tuesday event

April 8 eclipse will travel through continental U.S.

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

WHITEHALL — NASA ambassador Joe Dermody describes himself as being “addicted to solar eclipses,” and he’s not exaggerating. He loves them so much, he said he’ll travel to Mazatlan, Mexico on April 8 to witness landfall for the path of totality in that day’s total solar eclipse.

Dermody, who regularly does local presentations about astronomy and outer space, passed along information about solar eclipses to an audience of

dozens of area residents Tuesday at the White Lake Community Library. This eclipse is a special one for aficionados because it’s the last time the path of totality - that is, the area in which the sun will be completely obscured by the moon - will touch the 48 contiguous United States for 20 years. The path will make landfall in Mazatlan and travel through over a dozen states, including a tiny portion of southeast Michigan, before moving on to Canada. The eclipse will last from about 1:45 to 4:15 Eastern time, with the sun just under 92 percent obscured for White Lake area viewers at its peak.

Solar eclipses take place whenever the moon and Earth’s rotations align in such a way that the moon obscures

Earthlings’ view of the sun. They happen two to five times a year, but not all of them are total eclipses, and fewer still touch North America. Michigan, Dermody said, has not been part of the path

of totality since 1954.

Dermody said that in terms of

Solar eclipse continued on page 2

Former R-P wrestler, cancer survivor addresses Vikes

Dusty Mysen was an R-P teammate with Whitehall assistant Craig Christensen

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

WHITEHALL — As far as Craig Christensen remembers, Whitehall wrestling had never brought in an outside guest speaker in the years he’s been involved with the program until last Thursday. That his old high school wrestling teammate Dusty Mysen was the first showed the respect between the two men, as well as the gravity of what Mysen went through to get there.

Mysen was a year behind Christensen at Reeths-Puffer, and while the two are close friends and former wrestling teammates, real life kept them largely separated after school, as it often does. Though he could have wrestled at Muskegon Community College, Mysen went off to Michigan State to study engi-

neering and then to the Detroit suburbs working for Continental Automotive, while Christensen became a teacher and wrestling coach on this side of the state.

In September 2020, Mysen’s life took a turn when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a disease he said rarely affects people as young as he was at the time (47). His prognosis appeared bleak enough that the doctor who broke the news said it would be a good idea to get his affairs in order.

“The wrestler in me kicked in,” Mysen said. “’OK, I’m going to fight this.’ I went through years of chemo, radiation, multiple surgeries. As I went through it, I relied on my sports background. I’d come home from chemo and I’d hit the gym and work out. That’s all stuff you learn here.”

In September 2022, Mysen underwent a successful 13.5-hour surgery to remove the tumor from his pancreas. He has been cancer-free since, and in

that short time, he’s developed a desire to give back all the support he received during two years of treatment. He’s working on a book and has addressed the wrestling team in his home school district of Oxford, as well as the youth teams he coaches. His Whitehall trip marked his first speaking engagement away from home.

“I’m in the auto industry in sales, so

I’m used to talking and stuff like that,” Mysen said. “Craig says it should be a career but I don’t think I’m there yet... The message I want to share with them is really, what they are doing here is hard. Compared to other sports - my kids play basketball, football and la-

Dusty Mysen

continued on page 3

Montague English teacher Michelle Smith (left) presents a donation check to San Pedro (Belize) High School principal Paul Kelly on a February mission trip. The check covered tuition for student Shadany Mattu.

• Courtesy Photo

The Whitehall wrestling team joins with guest speaker Dusty Mysen (back row, in white) after Mysen spoke to the team during practice last Thursday. Mysen, a Reeths-Puffer wrestling alum, is a pancreatic cancer survivor. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

NASA ambassador Joe Dermody (right) displays a slide during his Tuesday presentation on solar eclipses at the White Lake Community Library. Dermody is a self-described eclipse addict. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Police activity this week

Behind the Badge

Whitehall Police Report

Feb. 21

A resident of the 1200 block of Colby St. called police to report she was being harassed by the boyfriend of another resident of the complex. The officer responding to the 4:51 p.m. call was told the caller was walking back from taking out trash when the couple passed by and the man called her a name and then made a threat. There was no assault and no further action was taken.

Whitehall Police were called at 6:28 p.m. after a vehicle drove too close to a cyclist. The cyclist reported that he was riding in the 400 block of S. Mears Ave. on the edge of the travel lane when the vehicle came within a few inches of him. The responding officer did get a license plate and description from the caller and later contacted the driver. The driver, a 61-year-old Whitehall man, said he was close to the bike but told the officer that the cyclist should have been in the “bike lane”. After being told by the officer it was a parking area and not a bike lane and being told the law pertaining to passing bicycles, the man apologized and promised to do better in the future.

Feb. 22

An officer observing traffic in the 900 block of Colby St. spotted a vehicle and driver that was recognized as being involved in multiple DWLS offenses and later added to that list. The vehicle was observed at 3:55 a.m. and the officer pulled in behind as the vehicle stopped in a lot a short distance away. When the 50-year-old driver was contacted, he told the officer he was returning from fixing the brakes on the vehicle and apologized for driving. The Whitehall man was issued a citation for DWLS 2nd offense and was released as he had arrived at the place he was staying.

Whitehall Police were called to the 900 block of Lewis St. by EMS personnel who had been there and believed a caregiver there was intoxicated. Officers responding to the 5:05 a.m. call spoke with the staff member, who agreed to take a PBT which indicated the 46-yearold was intoxicated. Supervisory staff for the facility was contacted and informed of the situation. Officers gave the Twin Lake resident a ride home because he would have been unable to drive. No

further action was taken.

A routine license plate check resulted in charges against the driver for DWLS 2nd offense. The officer on patrol noted the computer showed the vehicle had no insurance and initiated a traffic stop in the 3000 block of Alice St. at 6:33 p.m. The driver was contacted but could not produce a license, and said he was taking the car for a test drive after fixing it. A computer check on the Shelby man showed his license was revoked and had prior convictions. The 37-year-old was cited and released with the passenger now driving. At 7:35 p.m. Whitehall officers were dispatched to the 1200 block of Colby St. on a report of a dispute between neighbors. When the officer arrived, the caller reported the problem has been ongoing for a time between the one-time friends. The first woman told the officer they were at a church together earlier in the day and the former friend struck her with an elbow. The caller wanted the officer to instruct the other to leave her alone. When speaking with the second woman, the officer was told that it was the caller who had “chest-bumped” the accused and that the accused did not at all assault the first. They were both instructed to stay away from each other.

Feb. 23

A driver that avoided a collision with an officer didn’t avoid the citations that followed during a traffic stop. At about 1:26 p.m. an officer on patrol had to brake to avoid hitting a vehicle that pulled out onto Colby Street in front of him. This led to a stop in the 3000 block of Colby St., where the officer checked the license of the 22-year-old driver to find their license was suspended for failing to pay a citation. It was also discovered the vehicle had expired plates and no insurance. The Muskegon Township woman was released after being cited and the vehicle being impounded.

Feb. 24

Whitehall Police responded to a family dispute in the 300 block of Lewis St. at 11:04 a.m. The caller reported they had been allowed to come to the house to do laundry at a relative’s house. When they arrived, though, the washing machine was in the room of another occupant of the house who did not want the caller there and refused to let them use the washer. The officer attempted to mediate but the man still refused to open the door and no further action was taken.

At 8:23 p.m. officers were called regarding a suspicious item found in the bathroom of a business. The business in the 700 block of Colby St. was concerned the items might be drugs. The investigating officer retrieved the items and a later, more through examination revealed they were not drugs. No further action was taken.

Solar eclipse

Americans being able to view a total eclipse, this one will be the most accessible since 1806. The next comparable eclipse will take place in 2045, with the path of totality again crossing through much of the U.S. Dermody said though he’ll be over 90 years old for that one, he already has a goal to view it, “even if I have to be in a hospital bed.”

The presentation included dozens of slides, some of which displayed animated sequences that explain how solar eclipses take place. Some had pho-

continued from page 1

tos taken of eclipses from space. In fact, Dermody noted that astronaut Don Pettit, whose photos were two of the presented slides, has twice witnessed solar eclipses from space but has never seen one on the ground.

Attendees received Space Dunk versions of Oreo cookies and special solar eclipse glasses that allow users to look at the sun during the eclipse. Dermody emphasized that looking directly at the sun without proper glasses will damage viewers’ eyes.

Feb. 25

A resident of the 1200 block of Colby St. called police after the smell from a neighboring apartment made them sick. When the officer arrived on the 9:24 a.m. call, they were told an upstairs resident was smoking marijuana. The officer’s report noted the odor was apparent in the hallway and he spoke with the second resident and warned them that despite Michigan law, he was prohibited from smoking marijuana in the building. The person agreed to stop and no further action was taken.

A caller reported other residents in the apartment complex in the 1200 block of Colby St. were harassing her. The call to police came at 3:53 p.m. and the officer was told by the woman that while she and her boyfriend were outside, residents of upstairs rooms nearby were hollering and calling her boyfriend names. The offenders claimed that the boyfriend “looked up at them” which led to the verbal exchange. The residents were directed to speak with the building management.

At 7:42 p.m. a family dispute was reported in the 900 block of Benston Rd. The caller reported his 17-year-old son was upset and breaking things in the house. The two had gone to a movie together earlier in the evening, but the teen became upset, believing the father was being disrespectful to his mother. It was later agreed the teen would be transported to his mother’s residence by a friend.

Feb. 26

A resident on Warner Street called to report he was finding items in his yard he believed amounted to harassment. The officer spoke with the caller at 6:18 p.m. and was told he was finding items that were likely from his place of employment tossed in his yard and believed a co-worker and now ex-friend was putting the items there. The officer was able to contact the former friend, who denied the deeds but also agreed to avoid driving by the caller’s home.

Whitehall Police were asked to assist in the recovery of a cell phone from a residence in the 100 block of S Division St. At 7:24 p.m. the caller reported her boyfriend had helped her mother by driving the mother to an appointment earlier in the day. As they were arriving back at the house, an argument ensued and the man left the area to avoid further argument. He later realized he had left his cell phone in the car, but the older woman was refusing to unlock the car to allow its recovery. It was eventually mediated that a grandchild would go inside and get the car keys and the phone was recovered.

The victim of an online scam called police when their online friend threatened to reveal embarrassing photos to family unless a cash ransom was paid. Officer responded to the 300 block of Hall St. at 8:22 p.m. and learned that the resident, who is living in a supervised residence, had exchanged photos and even sent a “girl” the photos while exchanging chats. The officer also discovered the victim had already sent some money. They discussed Internet fraud and safety and the “friend” was blocked from contact.

Feb. 27

At 2:47 a.m. officers were dispatched to a report of loud music in the 1200 block of Colby St. When the officer arrived at the complex, the music could be heard and was reported as being loud. The responsible resident was contacted and agreed to turn down the stereo. No further action was taken.

Officer were called to the 300 block of Hall St. for a person who reported they wanted to hurt someone. The officer investigating the call learned the caller lived in the 800 block of Sophia St., but made the call from Hall St. The man was upset with caregivers that were supposed to be at his home and were not returning his call. HealthWest Crisis team members were contacted for the caller, who lives under supervision. After the CIT workers arrived, social workers who care for the man also arrived. After a lengthy discussion with the man, he said he was no longer mad and was left at his home.

Shouting and cursing from an apartment in the 1100 block of Colby St led to a call to Whitehall Police at 6:28 p.m. The neighbor was also concerned that groceries were outside the door of the apartment and had been for most of the day. The responding officers were able to contact the resident, who reported they were having a mental health crisis but after speaking with the officer for a time, believed they would be able to function on their own for the rest of the evening.

Police were called to the 800 block of Sophia St. when a social worker reported the resident was pounding on the worker’s car and got inside and might leave. Officers arrived at 8:40 p.m. and spoke with the man, who was upset because he had locked himself out of his apartment and when the social worker arrived, they opened the door instead of letting the man use the key to let himself in. The man was reminded the worker was there to help and should not be blamed for the situation. There was no damage to the vehicle or assault on the worker.

Friends of Montague Library hosting one-day used book sale March 9

Book lovers, clear off your nightstand, grab your list of favorite authors and get ready to shop.

Members of the Friends of the Montague Library have gathered hundreds of gently used books for adults and children that will go on sale for only one day, Saturday, March 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Montague City Council Chambers. Come early to get the best selection.

Hardcover books for adults and children are $2, and paperbacks are $1. At 2 p.m., shoppers can fill a paper bag full of books and make a donation. It’s the perfect opportunity to stock up. The huge collection of books for this sale include

fiction and non-fiction for adults and children, cookbooks, travel and coffee table books, volumes on self-help and religion, gardening and sports, biographies, poetry and the arts, bestsellers and plenty of oddities. Funds raised by the book sale are used by Friends of the Montague Library to support library programs, and to bring in authors and other speakers throughout the year. Montague’s City Council Chambers are located at 8778 Ferry St., downstairs from the Montague Library in downtown Montague. For more information about the sale, call the library at 231893-2675.

Great Michigan Read: The Firekeeper’s Daughter

By Virginia DeMumbrum Volunteer Contributor

Teens and adults are invited to read and discuss Angeline Boulley’s debut novel The Firekeeper’s Daughter, Michigan Humanities’ choice for the 2023-24 Great Michigan Read. Be one of the first 15 people to sign up for the discussion at White Lake Community Library scheduled for Wednesday, March 20 at 6 p.m. and receive a free copy of the book courtesy of Michigan Humanities. The free copies are available at the library’s front desk while supplies last. Additional copies are also available for borrowing. To register for the discussion, visit bit.ly/firekeepersdaughterwlcl.

Readers of The Firekeeper’s Daughter will follow the journey of 18-year-old Daunis Fontaine, a biracial tribal member, as she navigates the challenges of her dual identity, the trauma of losing loved ones, and the pressure of being a bridge between two cultures.

The

Bookworm Bul letin

Author Angeline Boulley is scheduled to visit Muskegon County at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 17, at Orchard View High School. For more info or to register for that event, visit madl.org/ miread.

The 2023–24 Great Michigan Read is presented by Michigan Humanities and supported by national, statewide, and local partners, including the National Endowment for the Humanities, The Meijer Foundation, Library of Michigan, Image Creative Group, BiblioBoard, and Michigan Radio

Dusty Mysen

crosse - what these guys do in this room is tougher than most sports. That’s preparing them for anything they’re going to run into.”

Christensen said he generally bristles at the idea that everything in life is easy after you wrestle, “because it’s not.” However, he said there’s certainly truth to the message his old friend delivered.

“In some ways it prepares you for hard stuff,” Christensen said. “I just felt like going into the postseason, it’s a good message for the kids to hear.”

Mysen said the growth of the Vikings’ program has been remarkable, noting that they were not much of a factor when he and Christensen were wrestling. Over the past 20 years, Whitehall has become one of the preeminent programs on the west side of the state, and it earned a third Division 3 second-place finish in four seasons over the weekend.

Mission trip

Kelly originally sent a list of supplies the school needs, such as projectors and laptops or tablets, but Belize’s tax laws make it nearly impossible to order anything and have it shipped to the island. Smith simply did not have the luggage space this year to transport those items, which is why she fundraised money to donate instead.

“They tax a ridiculous amount of money per package,” said Smith. “One of the locals we talked to said they received a university flag in the mail. A flag that probably costs $10, the government taxed the receiver $50 for it.”

Smith hopes to return to San Pedro in Belize again next year and do more, in addition to paying tuition for students.

“I really want to be able to have the opportunity again next year, to not just help another student, but to teach while I’m there,” said Smith. “Principal Kelly really wants students to learn life lessons. I’m not sure what my life lesson will be about yet, but I’ve been thinking

Reads.

Kids - Build Your Own Leprechaun Trap!

St. Patrick’s Day is coming soon, with all its legends and tales and leprechaun shenanigans. Join in the fun by designing and building your very own leprechaun trap. Come to the library at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 14, and use any of the recycled materials and other odds and ends provided to craft your own clever way to lure and capture a leprechaun. All ages are welcome at this event, but children younger than 6 may require adult assistance. This program is free and registration is not required.

FUN FACT: Did you know that leprechauns are a protected species in Ireland? According to multiple sources, The Carlingford Leprechaun Protection Group successfully petitioned

the EU to preserve Carlingford Mountain in Ireland and protect remaining leprechauns that live there.

PaleoJoe @ Your Library

The library is partnering with the White River Rock Club to bring PaleoJoe to Whitehall for a family-friendly paleontology event. Gather the whole gang and come to the library at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 23, for an engaging program featuring Joe’s fossil collection and to hear some great stories about his adventures in finding the fossils. All ages are welcome and registration is not required. There is no charge to attend.

The White River Rock, Gem and Mineral Club is a non-profit organization whose members share an interest in rocks, gems, minerals and fossils. The club holds monthly meetings, takes many field trips, and offers regular programs for children. New members are always welcome. For more information about the club, visit their website at whiteriverrockclub.com.

continued from page 1

“That’s a culture thing and that’s a coaching thing,” Mysen said. “It’s kind of cool to come over and see it and get to meet some of these kids I’ve been following (from afar).”

Christensen, who has previously said he enjoys coaching kids far more than he enjoys coaching sports, noted that Mysen’s message reinforces the feeling of perspective in high school sports. For athletes of that age, it can be easy to believe no bigger thing than the next game could possibly exist; adults have the advantage of knowing better.

“It means a lot to have him come in,” Christensen said. “I think there’s some symbolism of standing in a wrestling room together. We truly haven’t been in a wrestling space together since 1991. So it’s special having him have the opportunity to come in and share his experience with a lot of the boys.”

It’s likely Mysen will address many more sports teams as time goes on -

continued from page 1

about it a lot. I was grateful that I got the time off to do this. I have this passion and the belief of helping people. Next year, when I go, I will also bring a suitcase of items they need in their school.”

In addition to the differences between Belize and American education, Smith also noticed a lot of physical and cultural differences in their schools compared to Americans.

“(The school building in) San Pedro is a three-story building. It almost looks like the outside of a hotel,” Smith said. “But their classrooms are very old. The weather is very warm. It was 90 degrees when we were there. They do have the Caribbean breeze, but their classrooms are hot and they only have a couple windows, which are more like shutters. Their floors are literal dirt. All students wear uniforms, regardless of Catholic or public school. The band walks the paths that were next to the condo we were staying at. We could hear them at night walking to the field to practice. They don’t have a lot of equipment because

while he joked that he’s not trying to become the next great motivational speaker, he said he wants to give back when there’s an opportunity - and his message will be similar when he does.

“When everybody picks you up, it really helps you fight through when you’re going through chemo and stuff like that,” Mysen said. “It’s little things, a call or a text or things like that. I think people forget that a little too much. I’m trying to remind people. It has an impact on people and it helps, and it had a huge impact on me.”

Whitehall council sets public hearings

By Madison Lajewski White Lake Mirror Writer

WHITEHALL — The Whitehall city council approved the date for the 2024 goal setting session during Tuesday’s meeting. The session is set for Tuesday, March 19 at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

This is a public brainstorm of a financial plan for the next two years. City council, board members, City of Whitehall staff and anyone from the general public are invited.

Additionally, the city council set a public hearing for March 26 to discuss grant funding for Funnell Field and Gee Park. Council members and city manager Scott Huebler agreed the public restrooms, which have been inoperable for approximately five years, should take priority. The public is invited to attend the hearing, where the council will discuss and vote on the grant application.

of how expensive shipping and taxes are, so their big sports are boys and girls softball.”

Smith has enjoyed sharing her mission trip experience with her students, who have taken a strong curiosity about the culture and school life in Belize.

“My students in my 10th and 11thgrade classes have had a lot of questions about the culture there,” said

Smith. “They keep asking if they can see more pictures of my experience and I’m happy to show them. They are very intrigued. They want to know more about a different culture. I actually reached out to Principal Kelly, and we’re going to start e-mail pals with their students and mine. I thought that would be a cool way to connect with them.”

DeMumbrum

A view of a basketball court at San Pedro High School in Belize, where Montague teacher Michelle Smith took a February mission trip. The open-air shaded area helps with the often high temperatures in Belize. • Courtesy Photo

Former Reeths-Puffer wrestler Dusty Mysen addresses Whitehall’s team last Thursday. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Mirror Lake Mirror

NONPROFIT NEWS SOURCE

SPORTS SPORTS

WHITEHALL • MONTAGUE • REETHS - PUFFER

Whitehall makes it to the finals again

Vikings wrestle in state title match for 3rd time in 4 seasons; Wyatt Jenkins makes incredible return to mat

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

KALAMAZOO — Whitehall hasn’t beaten Dundee yet, but the Vikings’ decisive 44-24 win over Clinton in Saturday’s state semifinals was the clearest sign yet that no Division 3 program is closer to the seven-time state champs than Whitehall.

The Vikes, who also handily dispatched Gladstone 52-18 in Friday’s quarterfinals, fell to Dundee 49-20 in the championship match to finish as state runner-up for the third time in four seasons, a run interrupted only by being in Division 2 in 2022.

Whitehall beat Clinton by just a point in their previous meeting in December, but among other improvements the Vikings made in the interim two months was getting Wyatt Jenkins back.

The junior, who broke his neck last July at a football camp, incredibly took the mat for the first time this season and didn’t appear rusty at all, defeating all three of his opponents by pin. Jenkins was cleared just five days before Friday. While Jenkins has been with the team all season, he hadn’t expected to be cleared for contact sports until May, so it was a wild development to suddenly be thrust into state finals preparation.

“When I heard that, I was like, ‘Holy crap. It’s time to go,’” Jenkins laughed. “I was so excited. When I watched my team, sometimes if we lost a dual or lost a match, it’s hard not to think, ‘Man, I could’ve contributed there.’ But now I’m actually able to do it, it feels so

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

much better.”

It took him just a minute to pin his Gladstone opponent in his first match of the season, and he took out Clinton and Dundee opponents as well. However, he felt the rust, even if he didn’t show it.

“I was actually pretty bad,” Jenkins said. “If I’d had the whole year to get better, it would have been a lot smoother and probably a lot faster, but it was the best I could do right now.”

While Jenkins shook off the rust, his teammates delivered one of their best collective performances of the year against Clinton. A turning point came at 106 pounds. Holding a 16-12 lead, Whitehall sent Cody Manzo out

Vikings make finals

continued on page 5

•

Spring Lake stuns unbeaten Vikings in districts

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MUSKEGON — The Whitehall Vikings’ sky-high hopes for the postseason crashed down around them for the second straight season Wednesday night at Orchard View, as perennial nemesis Spring Lake made key play after key play to pull off a 73-61 overtime upset of the #2-ranked Vikings in the district semifinals.

Spring Lake’s success at the free throw line was a huge factor in the game, as were a few key turnovers in transition by the Vikings in the extra period. The Lakers drained 27-of-31 free throws, including 18-of-20 in the overtime alone, as Whitehall desperately tried to extend the game by fouling.

“They made the plays down the stretch that they needed to make, and we didn’t make them,” Whitehall coach Christian Subdon said. “Credit to them. They came out and they played tough. They made some timely steals. (We had) to foul late to put them up four and then we were playing catch-

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

up from there. (They) stepped up and made (their) free throws, so credit to them on that. It’s not easy to do.”

The Lakers did not make any secret of their defensive game plan from the tip-off, often sending two or even three defenders at Whitehall star Camden Thompson to force other Vikings to

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

beat them. To Thompson’s credit, he rarely tried to force his way through the defense, instead passing to open teammates. Kal Koehler was the main beneficiary, delivering some big shots early in both halves. The junior posted a team-best 22 points and displayed

great confidence in taking his shots when given the chance.

“Kal is a big-time player and he takes big-time shots and he makes

Whitehall’s Trenton TenBrock wraps up Clinton’s Landon Lakatos during Saturday’s semifinal match in Kalamazoo. TenBrock’s win helped the Vikings storm past Clinton, 44-24, to reach the finals for the third time in four seasons.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Spring Lake’s defense swarms Camden Thompson during Wednesday’s district semifinal game at Orchard View. The Lakers stunned previously unbeaten Whitehall, 73-61.

Dundee’s Kole Katschor keeps hold of Whitehall’s Blake English’s leg during Saturday’s finals match.

Whitehall’s Gavin Craner (top) looks for instructions while grappling with Dundee’s Rocco Redmon during Saturday’s finals match. Craner won all three of his matches by pin during the weekend’s state tournament.

Andy Roberts/Mirror

Whitehall’s Ca’Mar Ready maneuvers his way to the basket during Wednesday’s district semifinal against Spring Lake. The Vikings lost, 73-61.

Vikings make finals

against regional champion Nate Arntz, who pinned Manzo in December. This time, it was an all-out battle between the two that went into overtime, and Manzo not only won it, but scored a pin in the extra period, firing up the sizable Viking crowd.

“I didn’t wrestle well the first time (against Arntz), so going out there being able to wrestle free knowing that I’ve got my team behind me, it’s great,” Manzo said.

From there, Kolten Weiler also scored a big win at 113, edging Zach Taylor 2-1 to avenge a pin loss in December, and Max Krukowski picked up a major decision at 120. Clinton made a late push to get the score to 29-24 in Whitehall’s favor, but the Vikings polished off the dual with a decision win by Ryne Christensen and pins by both Darnell Mack and Ryan Goodrich.

Coach Justin Zeerip said early wins by Trenton TenBrock, by major decision, and the usual pin by top-ranked Gavin Craner also set a tone in the win.

“Every single guy contributed, so that was awesome,” Zeerip said, adding of unexpected wins like Manzo’s, “It just provides a huge boost of energy and some momentum. The kids start to believe in themselves even more.”

Dundee was a different animal, of course; the superpower program boasted regional champions at nine

continued from page 4

weight classes, and the starting weight of 126 pounds put Whitehall right in the middle of a run of stars. Dundee ripped off six wins in a row to score 23 straight points to open the match.

The Vikes did their best to battle back later in the dual - Dundee’s weak spots at the higher weight classes resulted in wins for Craner, Jenkins and Jason Smith to go with an injury default win by Goodrich - but Dundee was too much, as it has been for everyone in D-3.

“They’re a special program,” Zeerip said of Dundee. “We knew they were going to be a really tough opponent. We just told the guys to go out and wrestle and fight with their best effort, and I thought they did that. I know it was 4920, but the kids fought, and Dundee, they’re a top-30 or top-40 program in the country. They’re really good.”

Jenkins and Manzo both noted Whitehall was a young team again this year and should be one again next season. The two teams may well continue being a regular sight in the finals match. The Vikings were significantly closer this time than the 60-18 defeat a year ago, so progress is being made.

“The eighth-grade class through 11th-grade class just has to put some time in the off-season and keep working at things,” Zeerip said. “We’re going to keep focusing on ourselves.”

Whitehall’s Cody Manzo battles with Clinton’s Nate Arntz during Saturday’s semifinal match in Kalamazoo. Manzo’s pin victory over Arntz was pivotal in his team’s 44-24 win over Clinton.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Whitehall’s Wyatt Jenkins works toward a pin of Clinton’s Wyatt Hicks during Saturday’s semifinal match in Kalamazoo. Jenkins incredibly returned to action 7 months after breaking his neck, and earned pins in all three of his matches.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Reeths-Puffer’s team celebrates with its student section after defeating Sparta 6-2 Wednesday night in the regional championship game at Trinity Health Arena. The Rockets last won the regional title in 2020.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Rockets are regional champs

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MUSKEGON — Reeths-Puffer took it in stride when it received the news that Sparta would be awarded the O-K Fischer Conference title, despite the Rockets and Spartans tying atop the standings, due to a goal differential tiebreaker.

“We said, ‘They took the conference, so we’re just going to take the mitten,’ smiled senior Jaxon Stone, referring to the regional trophy the Rockets earned by dominating Sparta 6-2 Wednesday night in the finals.

R-P decisively took that mitten, scoring the team’s 12th straight win to earn a spot in Saturday’s quarterfinal game at Ferris State against the Forest Hills Northern/Eastern co-op team.

The Rockets’ offense has been at a new level in that span, scoring five or more goals in seven of those 12 victories.

Stone is the leader, currently owning a team-high 25 goals,

as well as 29 assists, which ranks second. He put in a key score late in the game to ensure the Rockets’ win. He was far from alone; five different Rockets scored, with Tyler Tindall doing so twice.

Coach Dustin Langlois said the team’s skill in puck possession has been a major factor in its success. Over the course of the season, R-P’s shot totals relative to its opponents have steadily in-

creased.

“The main thing for us is just to generate shots,” Langlois said. “Obviously the more time you’re in their zone, the less time they’re in yours. It’s just getting pucks in deep and going to work, and these boys have been working. We’ve been focusing more on block-

Regional champs continued on page 6

Sports in Brief

Boys Basketball

Montague 75 Grant 67

Montague came out of the gates quick, with 43 first-half points. Isaiah Atchison led 4 double-digit scorers with 16 points. Paul Olson and Owen Reath each had 14, and Cole Herremans had 11.

Whitehall 75 Oakridge 57

The Vikings, ranked #2 in the state, completed an unbeaten regular season and kept adding to what’s already a school record for wins. Camden Thompson had 18 points and 16 rebounds for the Vikes, and Ca’Mar Ready added 13 points. Kyle Stratton chipped in 10.

Mona Shores 52 Reeths-Puffer 49

R-P suffered a stunning upset in the district semifinals to end its season at 19-4. Travis Ambrose and Jaxson Whitaker each had 16 points in their final games, and Antrel Jones delivered 10 points, 14 boards and 5 steals.

Girls Basketball

Oakridge 40 Montague 38

The Wildcats dropped a hard-fought WMC Lakes game. Braylyn Bultema and Addison Pranger each had 9 points. Anna Lundquist countered with 20 points and 18 rebounds for the Eagles.

Whitehall 45 Orchard View 23

The Vikings led big early and celebrated senior night in style. Lexi Daggett had 23 points, and Lucy Zamojcin had 11, with 14 rebounds.

Reeths-Puffer 42 Zeeland West 40

R-P’s win helped it tie for 4th in the O-K Green.Brooklynn Tornes had 18 points, and Irelyn Niklasch had 10 points and 14 rebounds.

Montague 51 Orchard View 23

The Wildcats ripped off a 18-2 scoring run in the first half and cruised to the win. Adilynn Peterson posted 19 points and Braylyn Bultema added 11. “It was an all-around team effort,” said coach Jess DeBruin.

Cheer

Reeths-Puffer qualifies for state

The Rockets narrowly made it to state, taking 4th place at regionals. R-P scored 729.18 points, edging Zeeland West by 7 points for the final spot. R-P’s score of 291.5 in round 3 secured its spot at state.

Bowling

Whitehall, Montague teams cap seasons at regional Montague’s Chris Williams and Whitehall’s Phoenix Hoffmeyer rounded out the individual top 10 with 6-game scores of 1,084 and 1,070 respectively. Ava Garcia led the Viking girls, finishing 12th with a 6-game score of 866. Aurelia Ambriz led Montague in 40th place. Montague took 8th as a boys team with Whitehall 9th, with Whitehall’s girls placing 6th while Montague was 13th.

Reeths-Puffer ends season at regional

Both R-P teams were led by 13th-place individual finishers. Liam Copenhaver had a 6-game score of 1,146 for R-P’s boys, and Bianca Kammers’ score of 936 led the girls. The girls finished 4th, the boys 9th.

Hockey

Reeths-Puffer 4 Rockford 3 (2

Reeths-Puffer’s Ayden Hartzell tries to get a shot off in front of the Sparta net during Wednesday’s regional final. The Rockets won, 6-2.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Second-quarter run sends Spring Lake past ‘Cats

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MUSKEGON — A 17-point Spring Lake eruption over just four minutes in the second quarter proved too much for Montague to overcome Monday in pre-district action, as the Lakers cruised to a 57-32 win.

The Wildcats’ defensive game plan revolved around the interior, as Montague believed the Lakers were less likely to do damage from distance than they were closer to the hoop. Spring Lake made that plan backfire, drilling seven three-pointers in the first half, four of them in that pivotal span alone. By halftime, what had been a 13-12 Spring Lake lead ballooned to 30-17.

“What we saw was that they weren’t necessarily knockdown shooters from out there,” Montague coach Nick Thaler said. “Credit to them, they made shots. They made a lot of shots.”

Eli Morrison led the Laker attack with 11 first-half points on his way to a game-high 16. Montague’s offense, meanwhile, sputtered as the Wildcats (13-10) found it difficult to find open looks against a Spring Lake group that seemed to be everywhere Montague

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

tried to go.

Thaler said he hoped his team would be more aggressive getting to the basket.

“Obviously we have some size on the inside,” Thaler said. “We just couldn’t get in the paint and finish. They were more physical than us defensively. They were bumping our cutters out. We couldn’t get aggressive cuts. We were just kind of like deers in

Upset loss

them,” Subdon said. “He was in the gym working this morning and after school he was in there working. He probably got up 300 shots. There’s no question why he’s successful. He’s only going to get better.”

Whitehall got the ball with a minute left in regulation and ran the clock all the way down, as Spring Lake did not attempt to force Thompson to pass. After a timeout, Thompson took the ball into the lane and fired it to DJ Jamison, whose three-pointer rimmed out.

“We told Cam to make the right play,” Subdon said. “We didn’t tell him what to do...I’ll tell you right now, it takes a real man to take that shot. He’s beating himself up in there, but there’s 400 people in that gym that wouldn’t even be man enough to take the shot, and DJ Jamison was.”

Thompson scored to open the overtime, but the Lakers took over from there, grabbing the lead and never let-

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ting it go. Thompson tried to keep his team in it and ended up with 18 points total after being held to five in the first three quarters, but the Lakers’ efficiency at the free throw line made the difference.

It was a bitter end to a record-setting season that saw Whitehall win 22 games for the first time ever. Kyle Stratton, Ca’Mar Ready, Trannon Aylor, Jamison and LaVarion Dean each ended their Viking careers.

“There’s nothing you can say to them,” Subdon said. “You wish you’d have done better, as far as the coach goes.

“They’re not going to remember it right now, but when they look back, I hope they remember it fondly. They played in big games, big moments, hit big shots, made big steals. They’ve just got to keep grinding. They’re going to be winners in whatever they do in their life. This game doesn’t define them.”

headlights, just standing around the three-point line and trying to make shots, as opposed to creating those shots.

“Bill (Core, Spring Lake coach) has them organized. They play good defense year-round.”

Neither team scored for almost half the third quarter prior to Morrison breaking the drought with a driving layup. Montague quickly got those

two points back, but couldn’t sustain a rally to get back into the game.

It was a tough draw for Montague to get the Lakers in the first round; Oakridge was seeded #2 in the district, but Spring Lake is a strong team in its own right, and impressively so considering, Thaler pointed out, the Lakers were missing a major contributor this season in the injured Zane Stahl.

Montague will have a lot of work to do next season as it loses four-year varsity players Owen Raeth and Isaiah Atchison to graduation. Thaler said there are promising players ready for the challenge.

“I’m pretty excited about some of the sophomores that were playing JV ball (this) year, getting them acclimated to varsity basketball, what our culture is and what our expectations are,” Thaler said. “We have a pretty decent eighth-grade class that’s coming in, and our freshman class is good.

“It’s just a matter of how much these guys want to get in the gym and want to get better. At the end of the day, you’ve got to get in the gym. You’ve got to put in the time. There will be opportunities for that. My job is going to (be to) get them in there and get them better.”

Regional champs

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ing shots too, trying not to (allow) as much to the net. Especially in playoff hockey, you have to block shots, and that’s going to be the edge that gets you over the top.”

However, defense is important too, and Langlois credited Huck VanDyke with another stellar performance in net. Sparta’s two goals marked only the fifth time this season it’s been held under three, and it entered Wednes-

day on an 11-game winning streak.

“That’s a good team over there,” Langlois said. “They’re a bunch of workers. Those kids never give up, and we knew that they were never going to give up that whole time.

“We watched a lot of their game film from when we played previously and just nitpicked it. We have such a smart group of guys that they pick up anything that we show them.”

Whitaker, Tornes achieve milestones for R-P

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

Reeths-Puffer’s Jaxson Whitaker became the program’s all-time leading scorer Friday night and led the Rockets to a 54-50 win over Zeeland West that gave R-P its first conference championship in nearly 40 years.

R-P earned a share of the O-K Green title with the win, tying with Muskegon. The last Rockets’ conference title was in 1985, in the old Seaway Conference.

The Rockets (19-3, 13-1 O-K Green), ranked #9 in the state in Division 1, won a close battle with the Dux on the road earlier in the season.

“It was another great game between Zeeland West and Reeths-Puffer,” Rockets’ coach Nate Aardema said. “It was close throughout the game, with neither team able to take a big lead. Marvin Moore made three huge

three-pointers in the second half that helped us gain momentum.”

Whitaker, who bumped his career scoring total to 1,374 to pass program legend Mark Hughes, led the way with 22 points and seven assists. Moore added 16 points.

Tornes goes over 1,000 points

Reeths-Puffer senior Brooklynn Tornes went over 1,000 career points Tuesday night in the Rockets’ 57-49 loss to Hudsonville.

Tornes had 18 points in the game and is the program’s fourth 1,000-point scorer, the third to hit the mark in the last two years. Former teammates Sophia Hekkema and Ariel Walker both eclipsed the milestone last season.

R-P was tied 27-27 at halftime, but the host Eagles came up big down the stretch to come away with the win.

Irelyn Niklasch had 14 rebounds in the defeat.

Montague’s Owen Raeth drives between Spring Lake defenders to get to the basket during Monday’s pre-district game at Orchard View. The Wildcats lost to the Lakers, 57-32.

Whitehall’s DJ Jamison tries to get a shot up in traffic during Wednesday’s district semifinal against Spring Lake. The Lakers upset Whitehall, 73-61.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror