The Oceana Echo - Volume 1, Issue 51, May 17, 2024

YOUR LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NONPROFIT NEWS SOURCE

Where there’s smoke…

By AnnaMae Bush

The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

…There’s fire. And there were 120 acres of just that this past Wednesday in Pentwater. But no worries. It was a controlled burn by the Department of Natural Resources, managed by the Plainwell Management Unit and under the direction of Ray Cole, the “Burn Boss.” A team of 15 people from several counties took to Pentwater Pathways for the scheduled burn. They arrived by 10 a.m. and completed the burn about 10 hours later. Cole returned early Thursday morning to be sure the area remained completely safe.

The burn event was put into motion last October when Rachel Kanaziz, a wildlife technician with the DNR in their Paris office (that’s north of Big Rapids, not in France), sent in a request for the burn. The state DNR systematically schedules burns on a rotation basis for designated areas every four to five years. The area burned on Wednesday was last burned in April 2020 just before Easter. Kanaziz requested the burn for four specific objectives:

• To maintain wildlife opening

• To set back woody encroachment

• To thin out white pine

• To stimulate native grasses

She mapped out the specific area to be burned and used bike paths to determine the outside boundaries. The burn’s

name was “Billy Goat.”

When Cole was asked why, he smiled and showed the map outline, saying, “What does that look like to you?”

“The head of a goat,” was the reply. ‘Nuff said.

Burn crew members had assigned tasks. The first job was accomplished by a crew member on a Polaris four-wheeler electric vehicle who trenched the burn area boundaries to contain the fire. Being the one and only vehicle of its kind in the state, the Polaris was being tested at the Pentwater event, and the manufacturer was eager for feedback on how well it functioned. After a thorough walk-through of the area to be burned, the ignition crew members began the task of starting the ground fires at the furthest boundary from the parking area. The ignition crew used drip torches with fluid that was three parts diesel fuel and two parts gasoline, working inward from the boundaries to the center of the burn area. The holding crew followed with water spray units to prevent the fire from igniting trees not meant to be burned or to keep the fire contained in the trenches.

Burns move at varied rates in different locations.

Cole explained, “When we work in an area that is home to any endangered species, we have to move at a much slower pace in order to give the animals time to move out ahead of the fire.” That was logical. What seemed surprising was Cole’s observation that the morning after a burn, the animals quickly returned. When asked,

“Why? Isn’t all the food burned up and the vegetation gone?” Cole said, “Actually, some eatable vegetation is uncovered by a burn. Also, the burn brings minerals and salt to the surface. It’s like a big salt lick for the deer. They come in licking everything and loving it.”

Another fact that may have seemed counterintuitive was the important need for wind. The burn team needs to work against a wind to help control the direction and speed of the burn. Without wind, the fire burns unpredictably wherever it chooses. Weather reports, particularly the wind speed and direction, are big factors in determining if a burn is carried out as scheduled or postponed for a more favorable day.

When asked about the safety factors for a burn team, Cole replied, “We always have medics as part of the team. We very rarely have injuries at a controlled burn. The flames are ground level and we are in constant contact with each other.” What is required for personal safety?

“We wear non-flammable pants and shirts. We wear 8 to 10 inch eyelet-laced boots with protective soles. We have helmets and eye protection.” What about masks to avoid smoke inhalation? “That discussion is a rabbit hole,” Cole remarked. “Burn smoke is considered non-toxic and, as such, does not require gas masks. Therefore, we do not have any. We will wear bandanas on our faces if the smoke gets to be too much.”

There are approximately a dozen DNR forest fire management units in the state, which cover varying numbers of counties. Cole said that north of Mason County, the management units have no more than two counties because the far northern and Upper Peninsula counties have more fires per year. Cole works out of the Oceana Field Office in Shelby but covers several counties with the Plainwell Management Unit. He has worked with the DNR for 18 years, 10 of them as a forest fire officer.

So, who pays for the burns? Does the DNR budget cover them? Another surprising answer from Cole, “They are usually paid for by grants from wildlife organizations –fish and game funds or private funds from the National Wild Turkey Federation. Part of the fees paid for fishing and hunting licenses are directed toward the cost of burns.”

As many wondered about the smoke on social media, and some questioned if it was a replay of the Canadian wildfires, this controlled burn turned out to be an interesting learning experience out on the dusty bike trails at Pentwater Pathways off Railroad Avenue.

New Veteran’s Memorial Garden dedicated in Newfield Township

By Scott Kroepel The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

A new Veteran’s Memorial Garden was dedicated Saturday, May 11, at Hightower Lake in Newfield Township.

The garden was the brainchild of Hightower Lake residents Brian and Melody Sukup’s daughter, Heather, back in 2019. Heather is a retired Army medic and thought the public access at the lake would be an ideal location to honor military veterans of the township, both past and present.

Over the past five years, Brian and Melody have added plants, landscaping, a flag pole and signage. As time went on, their seeds of labor blossomed into growing community involvement.

Handmade name plaques were donated by Jackie Slocum, honoring military veterans currently serving, all the way back to a resident who served in the Civil War. A handcrafted metal sign for the name plaque board was donated by Mike Overla II, and Melanie Franklin donated handcrafted items for the garden. Other local residents who contributed to or volunteered with the garden were Joan and Dennis David, Doug Hren and JoAnn Replogle.

The dedication ceremony included speeches from Assistant Coordina-

tor Brian Sukup; Newfield Township Clerk Nancy Conley, Newfield Township Supervisor Joan David, Oceana County Commissioner Paul Erickson, and featured a military salute from the local American Legion Honor Guard detail, led by Commander James Dow.

According to David, the project was a “labor of love” from local residents that slowly brought in more volunteers with no cost to the township. She continued, “This brings joy to me seeing so many of our residents continually working together to make our township a beautiful place to live.”  Melody Sukup stated, “We wanted to honor all the soldiers who are veterans, still serving, have served, or are fallen.” She added, “Anyone who has served should be honored, not just those who are no longer with us.”

The Veteran’s Memorial Garden is located at the public access site in the northwest corner of Hightower Lake, approximately one mile north of M-20, between Ferry and Hesperia.

Take ‘A Trip Down Memory Lane’ Saturday in Hart

By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

A first-ever historical tour and panel discussion entitled “A Trip Down Memory Lane” is set to take place tomorrow, Saturday, May 18, beginning at 1 p.m. in downtown Hart. The idea of having a historical tour was the brainchild of Hart BioPure superintendent Paul Cutter. A year ago, a casual conversation with Don and the late Bev Hansen led to how things have changed in Hart since he was a kid.

“Last summer, while sitting around a campfire, Don and Bev Hansen and I started talking about where places used to be in Hart and what they are today. Our conversation lasted well over an hour, and what started with three people grew to seven or eight bystanders listening to Don and Bev,” Cutter explained. “At the end of our visit, I told Don

I’d like to bring my golf cart into town and ride around with him and continue the conversation. Don quickly added, ‘Better hurry up, I’m 96!’ So this winter, Nichole (Kleiner, Community & Economic Development Director for Hart) started putting this event together. She’s done an amazing job with all of the details.”

Cutter explained that attendees will board one of the fairground’s people movers and be given a narrated tour of the downtown from Hart Commons to City Hall by Hansen. The tour is expected to last one hour.

Afterwards, the group will convene at Dale & Gail’s Art Gallery, where Hansen will join six other Hart business owners and stakeholders to share more about Hart’s history from their perspective. Panelists will include Bobby Blackmer (Buildings Plus), Garth Larson (Larson’s), Fabian Vasquez (Hawley’s Nursery), Paul Hodges (Hodges Pontiac-Buick), Paul Erickson (Oceana County Historical &

Genealogical Society’s Chadwick Munger House), Russ Robbins (Gas Station and Russ’ Auto Body) and Hansen (Hansen Foods). “There’s 555 years of life and experience represented on the panel,” Cutter said.

There is no charge to attend the event, and people can join in at any time, walking or riding, on the tour, or for the panel discussion. Those interested in coming are encouraged to register online at takemetohart.org/events so organizers have some idea of how many people to expect.

While planning for this event, Cutter says other tours of Hart locations have been suggested, such as the Oceana County Fairgrounds or the Hart Historic District. “We’re talking about doing another tour, possibly in the fall,” Cutter added. “In the meantime, I hope people will take the time to sit down with a friend or loved one and listen like I did with Don and Bev.”

• Scott Kroepel/Echo

• AnnaMae Bush/Echo

Rhubarb recipes are ripe and ready this time of year

By Sharon Hallack

The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

For home gardeners, rhubarb is often the first produce they are able to harvest. Technically a vegetable, with a little added sweetener, it makes the most amazing baked goods, jams, sauces and even beverages. My husband loves it just cooked up in sauce, and because I have several bags of frozen rhubarb in my freezer from last year, I’ve started adding frozen chunks to our smoothies.

According to Webmd.com, it is high in Vitamin K, an essential vitamin for bone health and blood clotting, and Vitamin A, which helps fight free radicals and prevents premature aging and skin damage. WebMD also claims it is a great source of fiber, aids digestion and contains compounds that help fight inflammation. With all it’s got going for it, it’s a good excuse to eat more of it. Go easy on the sugar and try some today!

Since it grows in my garden, I’ve tried many different recipes over the years. With all the rain this spring, I’ve got a bumper crop! Here are a couple of favorites I can wholeheartedly recommend.

Rhubarb Relish

From my files, unknown source. Nice change on a sandwich, hot dog, brat or burger. I made a batch last year and have kept it in a jar in my refrigerator.

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb

2 cups chopped onion

1 cup brown sugar

¾ cup white vinegar

½ teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon cloves

½ teaspoon salt

1/16 teaspoon pepper

Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook, uncovered, for about 60 minutes until the rhubarb is tender and the liquid has thickened. Makes 1 ⅔ cups.

Rhubarb Bread From Almanac.com

This is a great coffee break accompaniment!

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

Farmers Markets

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2-1/2 cups flour

1-1/2 cups chopped fresh uncooked rhubarb

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Topping: (This could be halved)

1/2 cup sugar

1-1/2 tablespoons grated orange peel

1 tablespoon butter, softened

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans. Combine brown sugar and oil in a large bowl and mix well. Add buttermilk, egg, vanilla, baking soda, salt and blend thoroughly. Gently fold in the flour, rhubarb and nuts. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared loaf pans.

To make the topping, combine sugar, orange peel and butter in a small bowl and mix well. Sprinkle on each loaf of bread. Bake about one hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto baking racks.

By Sharon Hallack

The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

Municipal

The Interim Shelby Village Administrator, Jae Guetschow, has had plenty to keep him busy since stepping in for outgoing VA Brady Selner, who left in March to take the job of City Manager of Spring Lake. Between the last two council meetings, Guetschow has provided several updates on the following village projects: a meeting and suggested revisions to the Intergovernmental Agreement between the village and Shelby Public Schools for the use of Getty Field; a site plan review and special land request from Blue Photon for their proposed expansion; continued road work and water main updates; the annual audit; and the drafting and review of a community profile and village administrator job posting with the Personnel Committee. On Monday, the council set a public hearing for Monday, June 10 at 6:15 p.m. to hear comment on adopting the village’s allowable tax millage for the 2024 tax year.

Community

• The Hart Hills Gravel Road Race which took place Saturday, May 4, boasted near-perfect weather for its nearly 300 riders. Participants had the option to select from four different length rides, including a kids/beginner’s route of five miles. Hart Hills is part of the Michigan Gravel Road Series and is widely known for its rugged yet beautiful routes. The event starts and finishes in downtown Hart and involves numerous volunteers helping at various intersections throughout the courses.

• Long-time Shelby Public Schools Crossing Guard Carol Waller announced she will be retiring after 45 years of crossing Shelby Public School students (and others) on June 7, 2024. Waller was certified as one of the first crossing guards by Deputy Fred Korb, years before he became sheriff, her letter read. “I make a point every day to say, ‘have a good day’ and ‘have a nice rest of your day’ or ‘have a nice weekend’.” In a follow-up interview, Waller said she can’t remember all the superintendents and principals she’s worked for during her four-plus decades of employment. She concluded with a laugh saying, “I can only imagine how many shoes I’ve tied, coats I’ve zipped and noses I’ve wiped!” The Village of Shelby and Shelby Public Schools commends Waller for her faithful years of service and wishes her all the best in her retire-

News and Notes

this time of year. Every year, children from preschool to 8th grade are eligible to participate in the area’s Spring Soccer Programs. Recreation programs are a great introduction to many sports for kids. Not only do these programs offer good exercise, but many players discover they enjoy the sport and join high school teams later. According to Hart Area Rec Soccer Director Janessa Kelly, this year’s program involved approximately 350 children from the Hart area. Shelby Rec Program Director Gaby Peterson reported nearly 320 children from the Shelby area played on teams. Katie Anderson, Recreation Director for Pentwater, shared that they had 39 children participate from Pentwater this year and a number of Walkerville students also participated in their rec program.

County, were dazzled by an amazing array of the northern lights. On Wednesday, May 8 the sun released extraordinarily strong coronal mass ejections, which collided with the earth’s atmosphere Friday, triggering the aurora borealis or ‘northern lights.’ Just like tornadoes have an EF scale, space weather is also classified on a G scale of 1–5, with 5 being severe. Friday’s solar storm reached G5, which was the most powerful since the Halloween storms of 2003. Friday evening was the most dazzling before the clouds came in, as were the lights that appeared late Saturday night. Unfortunately, the Sunday auroras were mostly obscured by clouds. Often, the auroras are viewed looking north on the horizon. Friday’s storm was so intense, the lights could be seen overhead, west, and even to the south.”

• The Oceana County Historical & Genealogical Society’s Chadwick Munger House at 114 Dryden St. in Hart received a much needed facelift last month. With matching donations from the James Smith Family Foundation and the William R. Lathers Trust Fund, the Society was able to have the outside trim repainted a historic green, the front entrance painted white and all of the windows washed inside and out. Both entrance doors were painted a burnt sienna and give a wonderful visual pop. The Chadwick Munger home, with its vast genealogical archives, is open to the public every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for research and visiting.

• The Rebuilding Walkerville Community Committee has been busy the past couple of weeks sprucing up the village in preparation for graduation and Memorial Day. Students at Walkerville Public School also did their part by picking up trash on both sides of the roadway, one-quarter mile in each direction, from the four-way stop in town. Over 15 bags of trash were collected.

Church

• First Baptist Church (FBC) of Hart, home of Oceana Christian School (OCS),

the south side of the church/school. Over 100 invited guests enjoyed dinner, music, a student skit and testimonials at their official “Launch Banquet.” The church and school’s “Growing Family Initiative” is focused on not only growing their space for greater ministry and education opportunities but also growing their church and school family to be able to have an even greater impact within the school, community and world. OCS is a major ministry of FBC and has been investing in area students’ character, faith and education for over 35 years. The new construction, estimated to cost $2.9M, will include a secure school entrance, increased classroom space, remodeled nursery and children’s check-in area for Sundays, additional restrooms, new offices and conference room, upgraded plumbing and infrastructure and enhanced storage. Pastor Ryan VanderZwaag told the group Thursday that the church plans to do the project debt-free and will only start once 60 percent of the funds are raised. “Our dream timeline would be to break ground by the summer of 2025, but we are trusting God’s timeline. It may be different than ours, but it will be perfect.” VanderZwaag also shared several ways people could be involved. Simply telling others about the project or what OCS has meant to them would be helpful, he said, adding that once construction begins, others may want to give of their time and talents, and if people feel led, giving financially toward the project at any time would be a blessing. Currently, between church family donations and what has been received since the banquet, nearly $525,000 has been “faith-promised” or given toward the project. More information is available at www.gofbchart.org .

Nature

• According to skywatcher and photographer Calvin Roskam of central Oceana, “Over Mother’s Day weekend, anyone awake after dark in Oceana

State • Kevin Hallack, professional mariner and lead mechanic on the Undaunted-Pere Marquette 41, a 403 x 58-foot barge with a 143 x 38-foot tug, was recently featured on the Interlake Logistics Solutions (ILS) Facebook page for his unique public relations antics. Hallack’s sister Samantha lives in Sault Ste. Marie and will often go down to the observation deck to say, hi and chat with him as he moves through the locks. Given his boat is not a 1,000-footer or classic laker, it doesn’t draw as much attention, the post said. But anyone who knows Kevin knows he’s got a great sense of humor and often goes above and beyond the call of duty. One day, when Samantha came down to the dock for a quick visit, he surprised her by plugging in a 10-foot “green man” inflatable. The crowd loved it, and it’s been a tradition ever since. “It gives them something to remember us by,” Hallack said. “Last summer, we had a very large crowd. There was a footer in the Poe Lock, and when I plugged in ‘Green Man’ and he jumped to life, there was a huge cheer. I don’t think they expected that!” The ILS post concluded by saying Hallack always asks the captain’s permission before inflating him by saying, “Captain, may I deploy Green Man?”

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

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

Early Pioneers: William J. Haughey

By Caleb Jackson

The Oceana Echo Community Columnist

The aptly titled “Oceana County Pioneers and Business Men of To-Day” by Hartwick and Tuller is of course chock-full of biographies about many of the early settlers of our county. Last week, we looked at the Hustons. This week I would like to review a biography that is rather unique, that of William J. Haughey. Haughey’s biography stands out among the others in that he apparently elected to write it himself, and so we have the words of an actual pioneer recounting his very own life.

Haughey was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1832. He moved to London at age 4, and then to New York at age 15. He tells us that his father died in Milwaukee just over a year later. It was 1852 when he arrived in Oceana County, and he tells the story thus:  Early in 1852, I kept a retail boot and shoe store in Wilmington, Delaware. When peaches were ripe, hucksters would come to the store and sell them, half a peck for 5 cts. I then determined to try peaches in Oceana Co. When I came to the county, I had a quantity of pits which I planted. Thus the first peach planting in the county by a white man was my work.

That is Mr. Haughey’s version of events. We get a little more insight into the decision to move to Oceana from the biography written about his wife, Catherine Anna Haughey. According to her biography, she met Mr. Haughey in St. Louis, Missouri. They eventually married there in 1855, and came to Oceana County to visit Mr. Haughey’s mother on their wedding trip. “She induced the young couple to settle near her,” Hartwick and Tuller wrote, “and Mr. Haughey bought land, settled down and commenced to clear.” Evidentially, it would seem that Mr. Haughey first came to Oceana with his mother, and relocated her permanently sometime after his wedding.

Aside from planting the first peach pits, Mr. Haughey also claims to have planted the first flower seeds in 1853, and the first apple trees. In his own words, “My mother has sold peaches… at 25 cts. each that measured 9 ½ inches around, and with one or two exceptions they have borne every year.”

Together with his wife, they had seven children, Maria Elizabeth, William James, Thomas Jefferson, Anna Jane, Lucy Clark, Lottie Margaret, and Wilhelmina, who unfortunately died of scarlet fever in 1875. Throughout the year, he served as Constable, Justice, Treasurer, Highway Commissioner, School Inspector, School Director and Postmaster. He offers us an interesting

Pentwater Historical Society Spring Dinner May 22

The Pentwater Historical Society’s Spring Dinner will take place Wednesday, May 22 at the AgBio Research Center in Hart, 5185 N. Oceana Drive, just outside of Pentwater. The evening includes catered appetizers, dinner and dessert beginning at 5:30 p.m. with the program at 7 p.m. The event is also BYOB.

The topic for the night’s program is the Great Circle Tour with guest speaker and Pentwater resident Dan Girvan. Dan and his wife, Jenny Lynn, circumnavigated the tour three times. They visited major cities and small marinas, and they were instrumental in at least one rescue operation during their travels.

look into what pioneer life was like in the early days of Oceana County. When I came to Claybanks, the settlers were all shingle and bolt makers or fishermen. Usually, each man engaged in all three occupations. Everyone, however, was willing to share with a neighbor his last potato or piece of pork, or, for want of the above, go fishing and divide the haul. We sent to Milwaukee and Chicago then for our supplies, including whiskey; but little was raised here then. I have started and cleared three farms, and slept in the snow to make roads from LeRoy to Pentwater…. Built two saw and shingle mills. Kept store since 1861. Of late years kept meat market and grocery store. My mill was burned in 1871; rebuilt and sold to E.D. Richmond & Co. in 1873. Moved to Pentwater and kept the Sherman House; was burned out in M. E. Church fire and lost all but my grit. Was burned out again by a gambler in 1889, but am still hammering away. Haughey mentions that he “signed

the crusade pledge” in 1873. This is in reference to the prohibition movement that was sweeping Oceana County at that time. He closes out his biography by saying, “I live in hopes of seeing Oceana County prosperous, fruitful and a prohibition county.” Well, two out of three isn’t too bad, right?

Tickets are available online on the Events page at pentwaterhistoricalsociety.org, at Jilly’s Gallery and Decors by Sandra or by calling Karen (231) 425-7252 or Dan (616) 734-2103. If someone intends to purchase tickets at the door, they should inform the organizers by calling one of the previously provided numbers.

Ongoing

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

The Ladder Community Center:

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

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

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

Complete schedule at: theladdercommunitycenter.com

Knights of Columbus Bingo, 6 p.m.

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

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

Through May 29 - OCD Knee-High Naturalist Forest School Program

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

Shelby and Hart bands combine for ‘A Night of Jazz’

By Sharon Hallack

The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

Shelby and Hart Jazz Bands warmly invite the entire community to “A Night of Jazz” fundraiser concert Friday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m. in the Shelby High School Auditorium. The concert will include performances by both jazz bands as well as a special performance by the General Assembly Big Band. Tickets will be available at the door for $5 per person and $20 per family. Students will be admitted for free. Proceeds from the performance will go toward both the Shelby and Hart jazz programs. Tickets are available from any Hart and Shelby jazz band student and will also be available at the door.

“The idea of a combined jazz concert was actually suggested by the General Assembly last year as a yearly performance that features our very own students,” Shelby Bands Director Erin Ray said. “This will be our second year, and we have invited Hart to perform with us. We would love to expand this event

in the future to include other schools in Oceana County.”

“The goal for the performance is to get kids excited about the genre of jazz, expose them to other musicians, and have a great time,” Ray said. “Performing music is about bringing people together and appreciating the craft. Most of our musicians are eighth through tenth graders and have so much musical potential. I’m so proud of all of them.”

Each ensemble has approximately 14 student members and features a rhythm section and wind section. The Hart Jazz Band is directed by John Britenbach.

The General Assembly Big Band, a group of musicians from throughout the West Michigan area, performs a summer concert series every year and will be performing at the following venues: June 21 at the Pentwater Village Green, July 1 on the waterfront in Ludington, Aug. 1 at the Pomona Pavilion in Fruitport and Aug. 21 at  the Wenger Pavilion in Baldwin. Concerts are free, however, free will donations are gladly accepted.

Friends of SADL to host sale and giveaway June 1

The Garden Sale and Free Plant Giveaway sponsored by the Friends of Shelby Area District Library will take place Saturday, June 1, from 9 a.m. until noon on the library grounds at 189 Maple St. in Shelby.

The event will offer donated plants, garden tools, pots, yard art—anything goes with this sale! The community is encouraged to share plants from their own yards, shovels, rakes, extra pots, bird feeders or other garden items they may no longer need. Donations of garden items and plants can be dropped off at the library Tuesday, May 28 through the morning of June 1. Many freshly dug plants from the Shelby Library Garden will be available that morning! Garden-themed baskets on display now at the library will also be silent auctioned with bids being taken through June 1.

Cash donations are encouraged to support the maintenance of the Friends of SADL Garden. Those interested in helping to take donations, set up tables, and answer garden questions can show up early Saturday, June 1 to assist. Contact Chairperson Diana Clark at 231-861-2204 or sign up at the circulation desk. The best plants/items go first, so be sure to arrive early. Even if you aren’t bringing plants, stop by Saturday to chat with other gardeners, make a monetary donation, and help yourself to the free plants.

Medical Care Animal Show next Saturday in Hart

Bring your well-behaved furry or feathered friend to the Oceana County Medical Care Facility Saturday, May 18 at 10 a.m. to participate in an animal show. Our residents will be judging the animals in eight categories; Most Charming, Stellar, Clumsy, Handsome, Tiny, Trickster, Best Dressed and Resident Choice. Meet in the visitor entrance lobby. Residents and staff are excited to see everyone and their furry or feathered friends! Sign up to participate by calling (231) 873-6618 or email heatherw@oceanamcf.org.

May

May 17 - Spitler Elementary School, Annual Walk with a Hero Walkathon, Hart High School Track, 5-7 p.m.

May 18 - Animal Show, Oceana Co. Medical Care Facility, 10 a.m.

May 18 - A Trip Down Memory Lane tour, Hart, 1-4 p.m.

May 19 - Walkerville High School Graduation, 2 p.m.

May 19 - Wine & Art fundraiser, Park Place, Pentwater, 2-5 p.m.

May 20 - Red Cross Blood Drive, Shelby Congregational Church, 51 East 3rd Street, Shelby, noon to 6 p.m.

May 20 - After School Movie, Hesp. Comm. Library, 3:30 p.m.

May 21 - Hart Seniors Honors Night, 7 p.m.

May 21- through September 15 - Little Point Sable Lighthouse open for tours 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

May 9- Tech Club from 1:30-2:30 p.m. and Book Club (“Life of Pi”) from 2-3 p.m., Hesperia Community Library.

May 23 - Hart High School Graduation, 7 p.m.

May 23 - Shelby Middle School Spring Band Concert, Shelby Schools Auditorium, 641 North State Street, Shelby, 7 p.m.

May 17 - Story Time, Hesperia Comm. Library, 10-11 a.m.

May 24 - Plant Sale, Oceana Conservation Dist., 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

May 24 - Oceana Community Foundation Feeding America Food Truck, GHSP parking lot, 1500 Industrial Park Dr., Hart, 5 p.m.

May 24 - A Night of Jazz, SPS Auditorium, ticketed event, 7 p.m.

Sharing about All Pro Dads at The Ladder May 21

All are invited to The Ladder Community Center in Shelby on Tuesday, May 21 at 6:30 p.m. for Share Our Stories (SOS). May’s SOS theme will be “All Pro Dad.” The mission of All Pro Dad is to “provide guidance and practical tips” to fathers in raising their children. Dennis Foley will share his experiences with the local All Pro Dad groups that meet regularly in our area schools.

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

Pentwater Lake Association meeting May 20

The Pentwater Lake Association board of directors will meet Monday, May 20 at 6:30 p.m. If Monroe Road at Longbridge is open, the meeting will take place at the Centenary Methodist Church at 82 N. Hancock St. in Pentwater, and if Monroe Road at Longbridge is closed, the meeting will be at Shared Space Studio at 4391 W. Monroe Rd. in Pentwater. The public is invited to attend.

Membership in the PLA 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.

Wine & Art this Sunday in Pentwater

The17th annual Wine & Art event will take place Sunday, May 19, from 2-5 p.m. at Park Place, 310 N. Rush St. in Pentwater. Wine & Art is a silent auction hosted by the Pentwater Women’s Club to raise funds for scholarships for graduating Pentwater students. The event also offers wine tastings and a delicious variety of hors d’oeuvres. A beautiful quilt will also be raffled off at the event.

GARDENER WANTED

Looking for a delightful seasonal gig this summer, basking in the sunshine? If you enjoy soaking up rays and getting your hands dirty planting flowers, you could be the perfect fit. The Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Mich. is seeking a someone with a green thumb to plant, water, weed, and maintain flowers around the property. Whether you’re a college student on break or enjoying retirement, this could be an ideal opportunity.

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O bituaries

In Loving Memory of our Family, Friends and Neighbors

Martin LeeRoy Gorenflo

June 10, 1964 ~ May 9, 2024

Martin LeeRoy Gorenflo, 59, of Walkerville, was wel comed home by his Savior on Thursday, May 9, 2024, with his children by his side. He was born June 10, 1964, in Oceana Hospital to Richard and Betty Gorenflo.

Marty spent his entire life in Walkerville, graduating from Walkerville Public Schools in 1983. In his growing years, Marty spent a lot of his time trying new adventures and creating memories with his siblings.

Marty was a loving father to his four children and an extraordinary grandpa to ten grandchildren, a faithful husband to his wife, Aleida, and a devoted son and broth er to his parents and three siblings. Marty loved to travel and has traveled to several parts of Mexico, the Philippines, Europe, and many states in the country.

But most of the time, you would find him back home splitting wood, giving the grandkids tractor rides, grilling enough food to feed a village, and creating the biggest bonfire to have everyone over to enjoy.

Marty is survived by: his parents, Richard and Betty Gorenflo; wife Aleida Gorenflo; stepchildren, Mychal (Kelsey) Cantu and Lorena Cantu; children Christina (Alejandro) Garcia, Martin (Kylie) Gorenflo Jr, Sondra (Aaron) Moody, and Jesse (Monica) Gorenflo; grandchildren, Lorena Garcia, Liliana Garcia, Daniel Garcia, Brody Moody, Natalee Moody, Emma Gorenflo, Hani Gorenflo, Clarissa Gorenflo, Ellie Moody, and Sofia Gorenflo; siblings, Dan Gorenflo, Jeff (Angeline) Gorenflo, and Lori Gorenflo; many nephews and nieces.

He was preceded in death by: his maternal grandparents, Traverse (Lyla) Williams; paternal grandparents Jesse (Mary) Gorenflo; Aunt Phyllis Peters; nephew, Ricky Gorenflo.

The memorial service for Marty will take place at 2 p.m., Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at the Walkerville Wesleyan Church, 144 South Hamon Street, Walkerville, Michigan 49459, with Pastor Bob Abbott officiating.

Harris Funeral Home, in Shelby, is assisting with arrangements. harrisfhome.com

Ruth Ann Jacobs

September 11, 1940 ~ May 10, 2024

Ruth Ann Jacobs, 83, of Montague, passed away, Friday, May 10, 2024. She was born Sept. 11, 1940, in Muskegon, the daughter of Herbert and Ruth “Elaine” (Kroll) Jacobs.

Ruth Ann lived in Montague her entire life. She spent many summers camping in Mesick, making friends wherever she went. Her greatest loves were country music and the kittens she adopted; Xena, Smoky and the two she left behind with Joyce; Pixie and Gilligan. She will be greatly missed by all.

Ruth is survived by: her children, Julie (Bob) Williamson, Joyce Ramthun (special friend Tony), Jeffery Ramthun and Rodney Ramthun; 13 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law Ruth and Mary Jacobs; many nieces and nephews.

Ruth was preceded in death by: her parents, Herbert and Elaine; twin sons, Dennis and Douglas Ramthun; siblings, Glenn, Lloyd (Carol), and Roger Jacobs. Visitation took place from 6-8 p.m., Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at Harris Funeral Home, 267 N. Michigan Avenue, Shelby, Michigan, 49455.

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

7410 W. Johnson Rd. Shelby, MI 49455 231-861-2952 Sunday Service: 9:30 a.m. Summer Outdoor Service Everyone

Barry Douglas Pfeifer

January 6, 1950 ~ May 8, 2024

Barry Douglas Pfeifer, 74, peacefully passed away Wednesday, May 8, 2024, after bravely battling pancreatic cancer for four years, leaving behind a legacy filled with love and laughter. He was born Jan. 6, 1950, the son of Roy and Faye (Mills) Pfeifer.

Barry’s journey began in New Lenox, Ill., where he spent 65 years before relocating to Mears - Silver Lake, Mich., in 2015, and enjoying countless winters in the beautiful Naples, Florida. A proud graduate of the original Lincoln-Way H.S. class of 1968, Barry had a passion for all things mechanical, filling his life with an array of vehicles. His greatest joy came from classic cars.

He retired as a superintendent in commercial construc tion and volunteered on his homeowner’s association board. But beyond his hobbies, Barry was known for his infectious personality; to know him was to love him and share in a good laugh.

Barry is survived by his devoted wife of 54 years, Linda (Tatro) Pfeifer, who stood by his side through thick and thin. Barry’s memory lives on through his three children: Christopher (Amy) Pfeifer, Jayna (Nick) Perez, and Jennifer (Pedro) Romero. He was a cherished grandfather to Cole, Macy, Jacob, and Rex Pfeifer, Colin and Owen Perez, and Joshua Graham.

Barry was preceded in death by his parents and his beloved grandson, Riley J Romero.

In addition to his immediate family, Barry is also remembered fondly by his brother, Dennis (Bonnie) Pfeifer, sister, Coleen Pfeifer, and brother-in-law, Edward (Karen) A. Tatro. His impact extended far and wide, touching the hearts of many beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins. There are countless memories and shared laughs with friends in the New Lenox, Ill. area, Silver Lake, Mich., and Naples, Fla.

A celebration of life will happen at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to the Crystal Valley Care Fund, P.O. Box 451 Hart, MI 49420 or to Hospice of Michigan.

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

Gerald

‘Jerry’ Robert Morley

November 3, 1934 ~ May 8, 2024

Gerald “Jerry” Robert Morley peacefully passed away at his home on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. He was born on Nov. 3, 1934, in Hart, to Walter and Lucy (Campbell) Morley.

Jerry attended Hart Public Schools before serving in the United States Army in 1957. Upon his return, he met and married Marcia Schaner, with whom he shared 63 years of marriage and raised four children. He dedicated thirty years of his life to Continental Motors as a Machinist before retiring.

An avid lover of the outdoors, Jerry enjoyed activities such as hunting, fishing, and gardening, taking great pride in his home and yard. He was known for his strong work ethic and cherished his time spent with family, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In his later years, Jerry found solace and formed lasting friendships at Rothbury Community Church, where he and his family received immense support. He will be remembered as a truly wonderful man.

Jerry is survived by his wife, Marcia Morley; sons, David Morley and James Morley; daughter, Carla Korson (Phil); grandchildren, Lydia (Josh) Swartz, Mariah Korson, and Ethan Korson; and great-grandchildren, Zane, Cameron, Macsen, and Penelope Swartz. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Pamela Snider.

Memorial services will be held at noon p.m., Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the Oceana Council on Aging, 4250 W. Tyler Rd., Hart, MI 49420, with a luncheon to follow. The family will receive friends Saturday, May 18, 2024, from 11 a.m. until time of services at the Oceana County Council on Aging.  Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, King-Hart Chapel, is in charge of arrangements. www.beaconfh.com

St. Peter’s-By-The-Lake Episcopal Church 8435 Old Channel Trail, Montague 616-894-0172 SUNDAY EUCHARIST – 10:00 am stpetersmontague@gmail.com stpetersbythelake.weebly.com Reclaim the

Dorothy Jane Far

December 22, 1927 ~ May 2, 2024

Dorothy Jane Far, 96, of Whitehall, passed away, Thurs day, May 2, 2024. She was born Dec. 22, 1927, in Bris tol, Ind., the fifth daughter of Olen and Edna (Menges) Ringler.

Dorothy was raised in Quincy, Mich., where she met the love of her life, Donald Far. She briefly attended the University of Michigan, intending to become a pharmacist, but instead married Don in December of 1947. They spent the first three years of their marriage in Los Angeles, where she worked in a dermatology office while Don finished his degree at the Art Center Col lege of Design. They returned to the Detroit area, where Don established a life-long career with GM as the head of their Styling Staff, later moving to Oak Park, where they had three children. In 1966, they built their dream home in Rochester, Mich., where Dorothy was a “stay-at-home mom,” but kept busy with hospital volunteer work, church committees, bowling and Bridge club. Once the children were older, she returned to work for a local thoracic surgeon. In 1982, they retired to Shelby, where they built a home in Cobmoosa Shores with a wonderful view of Lake Michigan. In 2006, Don’s health dictated a move to Grand Rapids, but they enjoyed eight years at Porter Hills Village together before his passing in 2014. In 2022, she moved to White Lake Assisted Living in Whitehall to be closer to family.

Dorothy excelled at many things; she loved all sports, and at just 5’4”, was the captain of her high school basketball team. She loved bowling, baseball and especially enjoyed her golf league at Benona Shores and her Bridge club, winning trophies, and tournaments in both. She had flower and vegetable gardens and loved all genres of music. Dorothy and Don attended Broadway shows, theater and symphonies often, and they loved to travel, taking planes, boats, trains and bikes all over the USA and Europe.

Most of all, Dorothy loved her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was an excellent role model, a fantastic cook and was known as a pie-baker extraordinaire! She was an avid reader and instilled that love in all of her children. She was sharp and witty and always had the correct response in Jeopardy! before most of us had read the clue. She was fun and entertaining with a great sense of humor and was known to play some pretty hilarious practical jokes with her buddies. She will be greatly missed by all.

Dorothy is survived by: her children, Mary (John) Umberger of Lebanon, Pa., Susan (Jack) Spoors of Shelby and Don (Renee) Far of Lenox Dale, Mass.; nine grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Don, of 67 years; her parents; and her four sisters, Ann, Phyllis, Kathryn and Priscilla.

In accordance with Dorothy’s wishes, cremation has taken place, and a memorial service will take place later this summer at the Shelby Congregational Church, where she was a member.

The family also would like to thank Hospice of Michigan and White Lake Assisted Living for their loving care of our mom, especially over these past few difficult days and months.

Memorial contributions may be made to one of Dorothy’s favorite places, the Shelby Area District Library, 189 N. Maple St., Shelby, MI 49455 or the Oceana County Animal Shelter, 2185 W. Baseline Rd., Shelby, MI 49455  The Harris Funeral Home, in Shelby, is handling arrangements. www.harrisfhome.com

Paul Alan Struven

August 29, 1955 ~ May 5, 2024

Paul Alan Struven, 68, of Montague, passed away Sun day, May 5, 2024. He was born Aug. 29, 1955, in San Fran cisco, California, the son of Roy and Gloria (Blazy) Struven. Paul proudly served our country for 23 years, retiring as a Major, in the United States Army.

Paul started his career in the United States Army by attending West Point Military Academy after high school. He was an accomplished gymnast, specializing in the rings and parallel bars. During his time in the Army, he was stationed in Germany, where he met his wife, Gabriele Frank. They were happily married for 34 years.

After leaving active duty, Paul attended Ferris State University and began his own business in 1998 as a Professional Land Surveyor, while serving in the Army National Guard. Paul then returned to active duty to deploy to Iraq in 2008. He continued in the Army National Guard until his retirement.

Paul enjoyed his time in the outdoors, gardening, hunting, fishing and woodworking. He spent many hours with his nephews and nieces teaching them the art of mushroom hunting, orienteering and survival skills. He will be greatly missed.

Paul is survived by: his wife, Gabriele; brother, Terry (Mary Ann) Struven; sister, Gail (Dennis) Sikkenga; mother, Gloria Struven; and 11 nieces, nephews, and their spouses.

A Celebration of Life will take place at 1 p.m., Saturday, May 25, 2024, at the White Lake VFW Post 3256, 9370 Walsh Road, Montague, MI 49437, with Military Honors at 2 p.m., and a luncheon to follow.

Memorial contributions, instead of flowers, can be made to: Harbor Hospice of Muskegon or the VFW Post 3256.

Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, White Lake Chapel, is in charge of arrangements.

www.beaconfh.com

Marcella ‘Sally’ Anna Felt

July 28, 1930 ~ May 9, 2024

Marcella “Sally” Anna Felt, 93, of Shelby, passed away with her loving family by her side, Thursday, May 9, 2024. She was born July 28, 1930, in Montague, the daughter of Augustus Rueben and Hilda (Lederle) Gale.

Sally was raised on a farm, where she learned industriousness and how to care for family. She quit school to help her mom with her baby siblings. Hard work was a hallmark of her life. She was ambitious and sold popcorn and flowers as a young girl, making a tidy profit! She excelled in school and was outstanding at softball, always athletic throughout her life. Sally was an avid bowler and won a national championship in New Jersey in the 1970s.

Sally loved dancing with her husband, Lynn. They danced for all their 74 years together and could swing dance and polka like nobody’s business…..even winning a dance competition in Mexico! She loved music, especially Big Bands.

Sally loved to feed everyone, and Sunday dinners were a longstanding tradition for family gatherings. A dozen loaves of banana and pumpkin bread would be at every holiday gathering. Family and celebrating life events were the pinnacle of her life. She was socially involved within their community, active in 4- H and supported all sorts of events for the schools and church. She loved watching as many sports events as she could, supporting her children and grandchildren. Christmas was always a huge event, with decorations throughout the house, food, treats and presents filling the living room. They hosted several exchange students and were avid travelers in their retirement years.

Sally worked at Misco/Howmet for 25 years and was a strong leader in all her employment roles. Sally was a quick learner. She was a go getter and could do anything she set her mind to. She will be sorely missed by all her family and friends.

Sally is survived by: her children, Sandra Felt, Daniel Felt, Lillie (Mark) Cain, Clarence (Karen) Felt, Georgia (Jerry) Hallack, Timothy (Dr. Julie) Felt, Alex (Kim) Felt; 23 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; siblings Carol (Jim) Johnston, Carl (Dottie) Gale, Lois (Don Koshmider) Kinstner. Sally was preceded in death by: her parents; husband Lynn; siblings, Marvin Gale (her twin), Stanley Gale, Gerald Gale, Lincoln Gale, Virginia Lynn, Truman Gale, Robert Gale, Everett (Butch) Gale.

Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m., Saturday, May 18, 2024, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 5631 W. Stony Lake Rd., New Era, Mich., with Pastor Stephen Samuelson officiating. Visitation will be May 17, 2024, from 6-8 p.m. at Harris Funeral Home, Shelby, Mich., and from noon until services on Saturday, at Trinity Lutheran Church. Interment will be in Trinity Lutheran Church Cemetery.

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

Charles Henry Reed

May 26, 1938 ~ May 4, 2024

Charles Henry Reed, 85, of Pentwater, Mich., went home to be with the Lord on May 4, 2024.

Charles, fondly known as Chuck, was born in Pentwater on May 26, 1938, to Clifford and Luella Reed. He grew up in Muskegon, Mich. where he met the love of his life, MaryLou Brown. Chuck and MaryLou were married in 1958 and moved to Pentwater in 1961, where they raised their five children: Alan (Deanna) Reed, Lajean (Steve) Standfuss, Christine (Joe) Malburg, Kareen (Richard) Baird and Duane (Mary) Reed.

Chuck was a valued employee in Ludington, Mich., in the grocery business for 45 years, where he developed many friendships with coworkers and customers. He loved the outdoors – he enjoyed playing golf and gardening (he had an awesome vegetable garden and a beautiful flower garden). He was an avid deer hunter, spending many hours in the woods. After he retired, he enjoyed hanging out with his brother Sonny and his nephew Frank (Kathy) Tumele. He loved and adored his family. He told the best jokes and had the greatest laugh. He gave the best hugs. He enjoyed listening to music and just sitting on his deck in the warm summer sun.

He is survived by his wife and five children, his sisters Marge, Carolyn (Toad), Lois (Dave), and Pat, his brother Bill, his 15 grandchildren (Erica, Jeremiah, Jason, Katrina, Jacilyn, Karlee, Kacey, Charlie, Lisa, Kristel, Bekah, Keisha, Stephanie, Zachery, and Kenzie), and many great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Flo (Frank) and Sally, his brother Sonny, and his granddaughter Jessica.

A Celebration of Life will take place on July 6th at Park Place Event Center, 310 N. Rush St., Pentwater, Mich., from 2-5 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Fremont Compassion Home or St. Jude..

DeHommel

February 25, 1950 ~ October 10, 2023

William “Bill” DeHommel of Pentwater and Grand Rapids passed away Oct. 10, 2023. He was born Feb. 25, 1950 in Noos, Netherlands. A celebration of life is planned for Sunday, June 9 from 1-3 p.m. at the Pentwater Yacht Club, 205 S. Dover St. in Pentwater.

William ‘Bill’

Tails of Hope

Flores is not your average feline; he’s a bona fide heavyweight champion in the cuddle department. With a physique that would make even the most seasoned bodybuilder jealous and a fluffy coat that’s perfect for impromptu snuggle sessions, he’s a force to be reckoned with. Don’t let Flores’s size fool you—this big boy has a soft spot for belly rubs and chin scratches that could melt even the iciest of hearts.

Although Flores may not be a fan of being scooped up and carried around like a sack of potatoes, he’s always up for a snuggle session on his own terms. His friendly nature and laid-back demeanor make him the perfect companion for lazy Sunday afternoons and Netflix marathons.

If you’re ready to welcome a larger-than-life character into your home, look no further than Flores! Adopt this charming big boy today and get ready for a lifetime of belly rubs, chin scratches, and unforgettable moments.

Meet

Flores

Flores is available for adoption from the Oceana County Animal Shelter. If interested, please call the shelter at 231-8615395. The adoption fee for cats is $35, and you receive certificates for $25 towards spay/neuter and $10 towards rabies if not already done. The adoption fee for dogs is $95 and you will receive a $50 certificate good for spay/neuter, if needed. Every dog should have an ID tag. L.A.S.S.I. provides free dog ID tags to all Oceana County residents. To request tags, send a text to 231-730-3906. Free tags are also available at the Oceana County Animal Shelter.

Spring at Shelby Acres!

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

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

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

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

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

6/22 9:00 am

Pentwater track wins big in WMD championship

By: Brendan Samuels

The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

Pentwater’s boys and girls track team had a successful outing at the West Michigan D League conference championship Wednesday, May 8. The boys team placed fourth with 72 points while the girls finished in fifth with 41 points.

Top finishers for the

boys were Abe VanDuinen who took first in the 800-meter at 2:11.89 and the 1600 (4:25.92) and a second place finish in the 3200 (10:28.17). Mitchel Daniels also finished second in the 800 (2:15.20) and fourth in the 1600 (5:12.50).

On the girls side, the 800 relay team of Aubrie Adams, Karina Ol -

Hart girls run away with title, boys take second at WMC Rivers conference championship

By: Brendan Samuels

The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

HOLTON – There wasn’t much in the way of adversity for Hart’s girls track team Saturday, May 11 as the Pirates claimed yet another conference championship.

With a team score of 211.5, Hart’s girls team had more than double the amount of points of second-place North Muskegon (97.5). Still dealing with the absence of standout junior Jessie Jazwinski, who is recovering from mono, the Pirates competed with their usual poise.

Junior Addi Hovey was particularly impressive as she medalled in all four events that she participated in, taking first place in all four. Hovey’s day started with the high jump where she nailed her best mark of the 2024 season, clearing the bar at 5 feet and 9 inches. Hovey attempted to clear Hart’s school record of 5-11 – a record she set in 2023 – but wasn’t able to get it done.

Following up a season record in the high jump, Hovey competed in two individual races and a relay. In the 100-meter dash, Hovey competed and qualified

for the finals with a 13.41 time in the prelims, coming in second to sophomore teammate Addison Hain (13.25). Hovey bested Hain in the 100 finals, sprinting past the finish line at 13.18 while Hain finished in second with a time of 13.58.

Hain and Hovey dominated the 200 as well, knotting up first and second place. Similar to the 100, Hovey came across first at 27.47 with Hain right behind at 28.19. That time for Hain set a personal record (PR).

Hovey’s final two wins came in

the 400

Field events were highlighted by Pirates at the top for the girls. Hovey’s performance stood out, but so did a pair of PRs by Hopkins and Shelbie Choponis. Hopkins had a fruitful day in pole vault, clearing a mark of 9-7 while Choponis tossed a whopping 117-

Personal records highlight Shelby’s performance at conference championships

By: Brendan Samuels The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

HOLTON – While it wasn’t a massive success for Shelby’s track teams at the West Michigan Conference (WMC) Rivers conference championship in Holton on Saturday, there were some individuals who had great performances.

As a team, Shelby’s boys posted a score of just 17 points, which landed them in sixth out of the seven teams in the conference. The girls fared a bit better, placing fifth with a score of 35 points.

Shelby senior Carlos Hernandez had a particularly impressive day over at the field events. Hernandez posted a 19 foot, three inch jump which put him

in third. Junior Trey Gauthier also did well, placing seventh in long jump with a personal record (PR) of 18-5.

Staying in the field events for the boys, sophomore Casey Lamblin threw a PR of 113-6 and ½ in discus with teammate Dominc Mulder coming in sixth in the same event at 103-10 and ½.

In the running events, Shelby’s boys didn’t find as much success. A thirdplace finish in the 1600-meter race for Micah Frye was the top mark for the Tigers as Frye recorded a PR time of 5:00.77. Isaac Garcia placed fifth in the 200 with a time of 24.52, while also joining Gauthier, Danyel White and Levi Cooley for a third place finish in the 800 relay.

On the girls side, a third place finish from freshman Nova Gottschalk in

the long jump was Shelby’s top finish. Gottschalk jumped 13-8 and ½ and was also involved in the running events where she posted a time of 31.38 in the 200-meter prelims. While that didn’t qualify her for the finals, it did give her a PR time in the event.

Fellow freshman Grace Hasenbank also had a nice day, placing sixth in the 1600 with a PR time of 6:37.63 before posting another PR in the 3200 at 14:43.23.

April Luna rounded out Shelby’s top performers as the sophomore took fifth in the 3200 (14:59.28) and seventh in the 1600 (6:43.30).

The Tigers will be back in action on Saturday, May 18 when they head to Remus to compete in the division three regionals at Chippewa Hills.

Hart’s Addi Hovey contorts her body over the bar as she competes in the high jump event. Hovey cleared a mark of 5 feet 9 inches in the WMC Rivers converence championship in Holton, her best mark of the 2024 season. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

relay alongside Lilly Hopkins, Laura Bitely and Hain. Hain finished her day with a win in the 1600 relay with Bitely, Hopkins and Lexie Beth Nienhuis.

Shelby’ Carlos Hernandez takes a leap in the long jump. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Members of Pentwater’s track team pose with medals earned during the West Michigan D League conferenc championship. • Contributed

Track Champs Falcons

8 and ¼.

On the track, Hart claimed wins in four additional events, three coming courtesy of Alyson Enns in long distance events. Enns was the winner in the 800 (2:28.52), 1600 (5:22.82) and 3200 (12:28.96). The Pirates final win of the day came in the 800 relay from a team of Hopkins, Bitely, Nienhuis and Rosemary Hernandez.

While the boys team wasn’t able to beat North Muskegon for the top spot in the conference, they did place second with a solid score of 121. The Pirates took some hits in the short distance runs and field events that ultimately cost them points.

In the 100, the Pirates weren’t able to qualify either of their two competitors, clearing the way

for the Norse who had five of the seven spots in the finals. The 200 was a bit better as sophomore Chase Lorenz claimed second with a time of 23.63. Lorenz also took second in the 400 (52.77) and helped the Pirates’ 800 relay team to a first place finish in tandem with Hunter Chaffee, Lyric Fielder and Joseluis Andaverde. Freshman Bobby Jazwinski took first place individually in the 800 (2:05.07) and 3200 (10:37.81) before finishing with a first-place finish in the 3200 relay with teammates Jack Slotman, Mason Opalewski and Tyler VanderZanden.

Caleb Westerbeek led the way in the hurdles, finishing in third in both the 110 hurdles (16.21) and the 300 hur-

dles (43.88). Westerbeek was also part of the second-place 1600 relay team made up of himself, Andaverde, Lorenz and Connor Edwards for Hart.

There wasn’t much to speak of for Hart in the field events as no athletes were able to crack the top three. Sophomore Jose Torres did throw a PR of 38-8 in the shot put, awarding him fourth place, while senior Jason Collins-Crothers also had a

PR in discus with a toss of 107-9 and ½. Both Pirates teams have now officially concluded their 2024 regular season and are primed to push their way back to the Division 3 finals in Kent City Saturday, June 1. That starts tomorrow (Saturday, May 18) when Hart travels east to Remus, where they’ll compete in regionals at Chippewa Hills High School.

ivarez, Lexi Smith and Mackenna Hasil placed first with a personal record (PR) time of 2:05.61. The 3200 relay team placed third and was made up of Ireland Breitner, Lily Smith, Abby Hughes and Bailey Case.

The Falcons will look to place high as a team when they head north to Brethren on Saturday, May 18 for the Division 4 regionals.

Falcons Golf

Pentwater golf placed 12th at the Tullymore Invite in Stanwood on Monday, May 13. Junior Nathan Macher led the way for the Falcons, scoring an 84. • Contributed

Shorthanded Hart soccer scores win over Orchard View in conference finale

By: Brendan Samuels

The Oceana

Echo Sports Editor

HART – Numbers haven’t been a problem, for Hart girls soccer as the Pirates have benefited from a talented freshman class that have put in work for both the JV and varsity teams. Hart didn’t have all of those young players on Monday, May 13, but still scored a 2-1 win over Orchard View.

The JV team had a matchup with Manistee scheduled for Monday, leaving head coach Joe Gilbert with two teams in different parts of West Michigan. That complicated Gilbert’s ability to move pieces around the field, with several underclassmen boarding the bus, including standouts Natalie Rosema, April Chaffee and Zoily Sarabia. Four freshmen were

moved up to varsity as Olivia Bradley, Lilli Mena and Rilynn Porter all stayed on their home field to help battle Orchard View. That decision paid off for the Pirates, as it was Bradley who netted the Pirates their first goal of the evening.

Twenty minutes into the first half, Hart broke through a scoreless game on a corner kick opportunity. Instead of gunning the ball toward the area in front of the net, senior Sydney Goodrich opted to tap a short pass to Bradley right on the outside of the penalty area. Bradley loaded up and sent a bullet into the near corner, putting the Pirates on top 1-0.

The remainder of the first half was quiet, keeping Hart in front heading into the final 40 minutes of play.

It took less than 10 minutes into the second half for Hart to

increase their advantage. Eight minutes into that period, Hart broke down OV’s defense on a give and go between junior Brianna Arjona and Mena on the left side of the field. Mena sent Arjona through with a nice pass which Arjona handled and swept to her right.

That pass met Brooklyn Storms’ feet as she rushed the net, allowing her to laser a shot toward the goal.

An anxious moment saw the ball ricochet off the crossbar, but an opportune bounce sent the ball downard and over the line, putting Hart up 2-0.

Hart was unable to do any more damage, but with a lead their only job was to make sure the Cardinals didn’t find a way to even things up. The Pirates did a good job of that, only allowing OV to find one good opportunity in the

second half.

The Cardinals capitalized on that opportunity with just seven minutes left in the game. A penalty kick from OV landed in front of Hart’s net, just out of the reach of keeper Kadence Morris. One of OV’s strikers moved forward and tapped the ball forward to make the score 2-1.

Morris made two

saves in the win, filling in for usual starter Emma Jeffries, who remained on the sideline in street clothes.

The win marked conference win number four for Hart as they finished off the West Michigan Conference schedule at 4-6. The Pirates made history in 2024, as they had only won a single conference game since the 2021 season

entering this year.

Hart will wrap up their regular season on Monday, May 20 when they host Muskegon Catholic Central. Following that game, the Pirates will prepare for a matchup with Manistee on the Mariners’ home field for the first round of districts. That game is set for Wednesday, May 22.

Hart’s Brooklyn Storms sends a shot toward the goal in a 2-1 win over Orchard View. Storms scored one of the Pirates’ two goals on the day. • Brendan Samuels/ ECHO

Hart’s Bobby Jazwinski leads the pack as he competes in the 3200-meter run. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Hart’s Imogene Brumbaugh smiles as she clears a hurdle • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

After a yearlong conversation about emerging sports at MHSAA member schools, the MHSAA Reprsentative Council approved a Volleyball Committee recommendation to begin sponsorship of boys volleyball with the 2025-26 school year. The Council also voted to begin sponsorship of girls field hockey beginning with 2025-26. Girls field hockey will be played during the fall season, and boys volleyball during the Spring season, with the 2024-25 school year to serve as a development period as the MHSAA works with the current governing organizations for those sports. These will be the first sports added to the MHSAA’s tournament offerings since girls and boys lacrosse joined the lineup during the 2004-05 school year.

Changes to the MHSAA winter calendar will take effect in 2025-26 and include several adjustments to Finals schedules and practice starts that overall will lead to the winter sports season ending one week earlier – reflecting a fall survey that showed nearly 80 percent of MHSAA member schools felt the winter should be shortened. The reshaped winter sports calendar also completes competition before schools begin their spring breaks – which are being scheduled earlier

than in the past – and places championships on dates that avoid potential facility conflicts.

Beginning with 2025-26, the last weekend in February will include the Team Wrestling, Bowling and Competitive Cheer Finals (with Skiing Finals remaining on the Monday of that week). The first weekend in March will include the Individual Wrestling, Boys Ice Hockey and Girls Gymnastics Finals. The Boys Basketball Finals will move to the second weekend of March with the Lower Peninsula Boys Swimming & Diving Finals, and the Girls Basketball Finals will permanently conclude the winter season during the third weekend of March. The Upper Peninsula Girls & Boys Swimming & Diving Finals will remain in mid-February. With basketball seasons ending earlier, basketball practices will be able to begin five days earlier (on a Wednesday) to keep tryouts/first practice dates from falling during Thanksgiving week.

More changes to MHSAA tournament competition will begin in 202425. The council voted to add a team championship for girls wrestling to be awarded to the school with the most success in the girls bracket of the Individual Finals. A girls individual bracket was added for the 2021-22 season, and the team championship will be awarded based on individual finishes similarly to how boys team championships were awarded before the dual

format finals were created with the 1987-88 season. Also for 2024-25, the council approved Basketball and Soccer Committee recommendations to seed the entire district tournaments in those sports using Michigan Power Ratings (MPR) data, which previously was used to seed only the top two teams in each bracket for girls and boys basketball and girls and boys soccer.

The council also approved a classification change in football intended to protect the state’s smallest schools sponsoring the 11-player format. Continuing a conversation from its Winter Meeting in March, the council approved a football committee recommendation to cap the enrollment of Division 8 schools at 250 students, and then divide the rest of the 11-player schools evenly to determine the enrollment lines for the other seven divisions. As more small schools have switched to 8-player, larger schools have shifted into Division 8 for 11-player – and this change guarantees Division 8 schools will play only similarly-small schools during the postseason, taking effect with the 2025-26 school year.

To continue supporting schools providing teams at multiple levels despite low participation, the council voted to allow athletes in two more sports to compete on teams at two levels on the same day. The council approved a bowling committee recommenda -

tion allowing bowlers to participate in subvarsity and varsity competition on the same day, provided the events are separate – bowlers may still be listed on only one match roster and bowl for one team during each event – and also approved a girls lacrosse committee recommendation to allow athletes to play in no more than five quarters in one day, with overtime an extension of the fourth quarter. At multi-team girls lacrosse tournaments where both school teams are playing, an athlete would be allowed to play in as many halves or quarters as what the school’s highest team level that day is playing.

The council bolstered the penalty for inappropriate behavior toward game officials, approving an Officials Review Committee recommendation modifying the penalty for any coach or athlete who is ejected for spitting at, hitting, slapping, kicking, pushing or intentionally and/or aggressively physically contacting a game official at any time during that competition or after being ejected. The offending coach or athlete shall be suspended from competition for the next 14 calendar days and must complete an online sportsmanship course. The offending coach also will not be eligible to coach in the MHSAA Tournament for that sport during that season, nor be allowed to be present at the site or within sight, sound or communication of a tournament event for that team.

Reflections of our community

White Lake Mirror White Lake Mirror

YOUR LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NONPROFIT NEWS SOURCE

Lawsuit against White River Twp. dismissed

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MONTAGUE — The lawsuit against White River Township regarding a proposed solar energy facility was dismissed earlier this month by presiding judge Robert Jonker, the township board announced at its Tuesday meeting.

Lakeside Solar, LLC, a subsidiary of National Grid Renewables, filed suit against the township in February 2023 in response to a series of township moves that Lakeside Solar felt were ille-

gal efforts to block it from constructing a solar energy facility in the township. An attempt to reach NGR for comment was unsuccessful at press time.

The case was scheduled to be heard in July, and the parties were going through court-ordered mediation over

the previous couple of months prior to Jonker’s dismissal of the suit. The dismissal, which came at the township’s request, was without prejudice, so the

Northern lights make rare visit to area

Area residents received an unusual visual treat over the weekend as the aurora borealis, or northern lights, made a three-night stopover in Michigan. Local readers submitted photos of the event this week.

The atmospheric phenomenon, often visible further north in Canada and Alaska, is not usually visible here, but unusual solar activity extended the reach of the northern lights. Some reports had people able to see the lights as far south as Florida.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the sun underwent a major geomagnetic storm, rated the highest possible level, a G5, which led to the unusual activity. It was the first time such a storm had taken place since 2003.

Jen Dennis feels at home teaching at Whitehall

By Madison Lajewski White Lake Mirror Writer

WHITEHALL — Jen Dennis is known to be loved by her students in Whitehall High School. A 2001 graduate of Whitehall, she credits her own teachers growing up with their influence on the career she pursued and has now.

“The education that I had as a kid, I always knew I wanted to be a teacher when I was little,” Dennis said. “But when I got to high school here at Whitehall, I had phenomenal social studies teachers and they were instrumental in me falling in love with the content, and falling in love with learning about the story of history and retelling it to your students. My history and psychology teachers were influential in making me fall in love with the subjects. I wanted

to do that for other students.”

After receiving her education degree from Grand Valley State University, Dennis hoped to return and teach in the community she is proud to call home.

“I hoped that someday I would return to Whitehall to teach,” said Dennis. “I live in Whitehall. My family is here. I worked at Muskegon for 13 years and assistant coached tennis. Six years ago, a job opened up at Whitehall, so I applied and was hired. I love being here. When I came back to Whitehall, it felt like I was coming home. I feel at home now with my career. I can give back to my district.”

Dennis shared other than her own fascination with her teaching subjects, her favorite part of teaching is watching students truly learn the content.

“The relationship with the kids and getting to know my students,” Dennis said. “watching their faces light up when they learn the content and when they make connections with the curriculum. Seeing the light bulbs come on in their heads and the connections being made.”

Dennis chose to teach ninth grade world history and AP psychology because of the influence her own teachers had on her at Whitehall.

“I’m not a fan of math and science,” said Dennis. “I didn’t really want to do English. History is a story and putting the pieces together in this continuing story that we live. There are

Whitehall High School alum and teacher Jen Dennis was inspired by her own teachers to enter the profession.

• Courtesy Photo

The northern lights lit up the sky in the White Lake area over the weekend.

• Photo courtesy of Ace Covey/Mitten Drone Media

White Lake beaches were the site of this view of the northern lights this weekend.

• Photo courtesy of Susan Tate

The Lorson family - Brad, Julia, Gemma, Riley and Alison - take in the northern lights over the weekend.

• Photo courtesy of Julia Lorson

The northern lights provide a remarkable contrast to the trees in this photo taken over the weekend.

• Photo courtesy of Kaye Risa

Montague students win big at Ride with Pride assembly

By Madison Lajewski White Lake Mirror Writer

MONTAGUE — Montague students

Mallorie Taiplaus and Abby Thommen were the big winners Friday, each driving home cars from the school’s Ride with Pride award ceremony.

Prizes this year ranged from Stanley cups with local and chain gift cards, to a $1,000 check from Lakeshore Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram - but all eyes were on the two used cars, one of which was donated by Twin Cities Auto Sales and the other by Scheid Plumbing, Heating and Cooling.

Five students’ names were drawn for each of the cars and each was given a wrapped package. Inside the package was either candy or the keys to that car.

Jen Dennis

so many human connections with it. I like learning about it and teaching it to my students. If we don’t know history, we’re doomed to repeat it. I think it’s so important that we need to make sure kids know about it. It was always so fascinating to me. I love psychology because it’s all around us.

“When I teach my students psychology, they start noticing things. It’s so applicable to our lives. I love watching the kids make those connections.”

Other than making special connections with her students, Dennis is known by staff and administration to be very organized.

“I’m very organized, maybe a little excessively,” Dennis said. “I think it’s so important, so many students and people today are not organized. Things can be so much easier, especially for ninth graders coming into high school. It’s a huge transition year. They’re not used to the rigor of high school yet and it’s a big change from middle school. I try to teach my freshmen to be organized.

Ride with Pride was adopted by Montague Schools after it was introduced and showed successful results elsewhere in the Muskegon area. It is described as a “partnership between law enforcement, schools and generous community sponsors coming together to encourage safe behaviors and acknowledge the kids who are making positive choices.” It was first implemented by Mona Shores in 2012 and quickly made its way to Montague.

The program is mainly aimed at teens, high school grades 9-12. At the beginning of the school year, students sign a pledge, vowing not to participate in the use of drugs and alcohol. If students fulfill their pledge throughout the school year, their name is entered into the prize drawing.

We have planners and agendas. We fill them out every week. We plan our week out and I tell them in advance, ‘This is what we’re going to do and we have a quiz in two weeks.’ Some of them have jobs or play sports, and I want to teach them how to budget their time.”

Dennis is proud to be a Viking alum and to be a part of Whitehall’s teaching staff.

“I love what I do and I’m thankful for having the opportunity to come back and work in the district that I’m continuing to impact,” said Dennis. “Whitehall is such a special community and I love that I’m a part of it. I was a student, I’m a product of the community and I love that I’m able to be a part of influencing more students in the Whitehall community. It’s full circle. My own children live and go to school here, I live here. It’s really special to be able to have this community.” continued from page 1

suit could be filed again.

However, the township doesn’t expect that course of action, at least right now. A state law that would override local ordinances less permissive to renewable energy facility construction than the state’s own ordinances is scheduled to go into effect Nov. 29. If the law does go into effect then - and if NGR’s lease agreements with the landowners it contracted with are still in effect at that point - the company would likely be able to pursue anew its planned facility.

Township supervisor Ron Bailey said he believes that knowledge played a factor in the suit’s dismissal.

A statewide group, Citizens for Local Choice, is attempting to stop the law’s implementation by placing it on the ballot for referendum in November. The group must collect 500,000 signatures from registered voters in the state by May 28 in order to force the referendum.

Apart from monthly bills being paid, the only action taken via a board vote was to approve the request of a group to conduct a nighttime paranormal inves-

tigation at Mouth Cemetery. The group, a YouTube account named Lakeshore Paranormal that has over 13,000 subscribers, posted a video of a previous investigation at the cemetery earlier this year. The board said it had no problem with the group’s request although it was skeptical the investigation would reveal any paranormal activity at the cemetery.

Bailey said during the meeting that the Hancock Road paving project, the funds for which were approved in March, should be going forward this week. In other business, the board received a request to enact an off-road vehicle ordinance, which it currently does not have. The Montague Township ordinance on the matter was used as a reference, and the board will consult attorney Cliff Bloom on the next steps in putting one together.

Bailey added that the Montague Fire Authority will host a public meeting Thursday, May 23, regarding the current millage rate, and the meeting will also address the 2024-25 budget.

WLCF distributes nearly $72K in grant money

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

WHITEHALL — The spring round of grants distributed by the White Lake Community Fund Monday at the library infused just shy of $72,000 into 10 different community organizations - nearly double the amount awarded in the winter.

Three organizations received five-figure grants from the fund, including a $15,000 gift to the White Lake Association, the largest grant presented Monday. The WLA’s communications officer, Sara Kane-Smart, said the grant money would be used to fund follow-up testing on White Lake to ensure the lake remains clean and usable. White Lake was delisted as an area of concern in 2014 after a decades-long effort by state and federal authorities to preserve the lake from pollution caused by chemical manufacturing, tannery operations and other sources, and since that time, Kane-Smart said the lake has not been rigorously tested, which the WLA would like to

change. The grant money will also help fund the WLA’s life jacket program, which provides jackets to those who wish to borrow them, and the association would also like to fund a continuous monitoring buoy, which would allow consistent looks at White Lake’s water quality.

The Playhouse at White Lake received a $12,500 grant. Managing director Beth Beaman said the money would help continue to fund the library’s program that offers 10 free tickets to each Playhouse-produced show, which she said has been successful, with almost all the tickets being used. The money will also help to pay summer theatre workers and continue to provide transportation to shows for seniors in assisted living facilities and others who want to attend productions but may not be able to travel.

The Muskegon County Environmental Coordinating Council was the third five-figure grant recipient, getting $10,000. The grant will con-

tinue to bring together local environmental groups in support of their projects. Marty Holtgren of the Chemours Environmental Impact Committee said the grant will help CEIC continue its work toward restoring Sadony Bayou, including conducting a thorough biological assessment of the area. A long-term goal is to develop a restoration plan for the bayou, which Holtgren said has a lack of biodiversity CEIC believes can be reversed. Other grant recipients included White Lake Cares; Walk the Beat; the White Lake Chamber Music Society; AgeWell; Read Muskegon; First Tee West Michigan; and the West Michigan Symphony. The latter four organizations are regional groups, but are hoping to step up their involvement in the White Lake area with the help of the grant monies received. First Tee and the West Michigan Symphony are both focusing their grant funds on partnerships to get local students more involved, and Read Muskegon is focused

Grant recipients from the White Lake Community Fund’s recent round of gifts gather to celebrate the occasion Monday at the White Lake Community Library. In the front row, from left, are Claire Schlaff, Pam Whinery,

Ten organizations received grants totaling just under $72,000. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

on increasing child literacy programs, especially targeting reading skills for children up to age five. The Chamber Music Society’s grant will help to increase its outreach to local children and families in hopes of getting them more interested in music. AgeWell’s grant helps to transport area residents to non-emergency

medical appointments, and Walk the Beat’s grant will help to put on this year’s festival, set for July 20.

Scott Speck, director of the West Michigan Symphony, was the last speaker of the day, and he said he found himself inspired by the WLCF’s dedication to the community.

Sara Kane-Smart, Jenna Lakos and Vicky Luthy. In the second row, from left, are Marty Holtgren, Jamie Benedict, Beth Beaman, Steve Welter, Sondra Cross, Andy Buelow, Scott Speck, Kathy Daly and Doug Wood.

Montague High School student Abby Thommen unlocks her new car during the Ride with Pride assembly on Friday. Thommen and Mallorie Taiplaus were the big winners of the two cars awarded during the assembly. • Madison Lajewski/Mirror

Saturday, May 18

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

Community Calendar

White River Gem and Mineral Club hosts its annual Rocks on the Green, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Buy, sell and trade rocks from your collections. Free to participate; organizers ask an item to be donated for future club fundraisers.

Tuesday, May 21

White River Light Station opens for the season. Climb the light for $8 for adults or $5 for children (must be at least 40 inches tall). Open Tuesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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

Wednesday, May 22

Lunchtime guitar with Eric Michaels and Chris Kennedy @ Book Nook & Java Shop, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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

Thursday, May 23

Free general admission every

Thursday @ the Muskegon Museum of Art, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Fetch Cycling Group meets every Thursday at 6 p.m. All levels welcome. Friday, May 24

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

Four from Muskegon Area Nurse Honor Guard to participate in 1st national conference

Four members of the Muskegon Area Nurse Honor Guard will participate in the first ever National Nurses Honor Guard conference this weekend, May 17-18, at the St. Elizabeth Training and Education Center (SETEC) in Erlanger, Kentucky.

Kimberlee Mason, Chris Patterson, Kristina Forman and Sheila Hamilton will represent the Muskegon-area guard at the conference.

The conference wll bring together 450 nurses from around the U.S. and promises “a rich two days of education,

teaching groups the fundamentals” of the Honor Guard: “How to perform the ceremony, writing bylaws, fundraising, living tributes and much more.”

The national honor guard was founded in 2011 in California, and Mason, Patterson and Forman were

inspired to work together to launch a Muskegon chapter of the guard in 2021. The guard performs tributes at memorials to those who were nurses and has also performed living tributes in the past to honor former nurses who are approaching the end of their lives.

Echoes of History: A. E. Dinet summer home in Whitehall

By Barbara Bedau Brow Volunteer Contributor

Augustus E. Dinet was born in Delle, France in April 1851 and came to this country when he was about 19 years old. He spent some time in Iowa before moving to Illinois, where he settled in Joliet as a grocery store clerk. He married Emma Katherine McAllister in 1885. They had a son, Eugene (18871970).

For a time, they lived in Odell, Illinois, before returning to Joliet around 1890. There he founded A. E. Dinet & Co., a fashionable department store. His reputation grew there to become the finest clothing house in the city. He carried only the finest quality goods and even went so far as to guarantee their quality. In 1896 it was noted that he would “keep in repair, free of charge, any suit we sell for a year.” Around 1903 he joined with Joseph F. Nachbour to form Dinet, Nachbour & Co. They were in business together until around 1927-28 when the store burned down in the winter. By November 1928, however, the business was rebuilt as Dinet & Co.

A. E. Dinet and his family started coming to the White Lake area around 1900, where he became active in the community. He was a member of the White Lake Yacht and Golf Club. He turned his hobby of gardening into a business, operating as Bon Temp Gardens in the 1920-30s, selling flowers and trees that he raised at his summer home on South

Shore Drive.

A. E. Dinet died in Illinois in April 1936. His wife Katherine died in October 1937.

Son Eugene had joined the family business around 1910 as secretary when it was Dinet, Nach-

coming to the area as late as 1959.

Story trail dedication set for May 29

By Virginia DeMumbrum Volunteer Contributor

You’re invited to a ribbon cutting for the permanent story trail installation on the bike path! Please join us at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 29 to officially open the story trail in memory of Maria Poma Herbert. Her daughters, Frances and Kathi, have fond memories of bringing their mother to the library as an outing from the nursing home. The three of them liked to walk the bike path and read the stories posted there on repurposed yard signs, so they later reached out to us about a memorial donation. Both daughters will be on hand as we unveil the new memorial sign, which was generously donated by Whitehall Products and installed by the City of Whitehall’s Department of Public Works.

Thank you to the White Lake Area Chamber and Visitors Bureau, who will be loaning us their ceremonial scissors for the ribbon cutting. Light

refreshments will be served in the meeting room following the event.

Additional support for the story trail was provided by a grant from the Great Start Collaborative of Muskegon County through MiLEAP and a donation from the Friends of White Lake Community Library.

FUN FACT: There are now library-sponsored story trails at three locations throughout Muskegon County. Check out the ones at Smith-Ryerson Park and Bethlehem

Park next time you are in Muskegon! We have joined forces with both Hackley and Muskegon Area District Library to share storybooks, dividing the costs and multiplying the fun for our communities.

Seed Library gets a boost

We have some interesting new seeds for you to take home and plant, thanks to a generous donation from a local gardener who specializes in heirloom seeds and seed saving!

When we started the seed library three years ago, the goal was to provide a way for patrons to engage with the library and connect with other community members while promoting gardening. We hope that eventually enough seeds will be saved from the harvest and returned to the li-

brary to make our collection self-sustaining.

The number of returned seeds has grown each year, but this year we got an extra boost from one local gardener who donated many seeds from his own collection that are organic, heirloom, and not patented. He has been practicing “regenerative” gardening since the 1970s and decided to make them available to the community through our seed library. Check out his website at kennysgarden.com and come into the library to get some seeds for your garden!

The WLCL Seed Library is a member of the MI Seed Library Network and benefits in part from the One Seed, One State Initiative. All are welcome to take up to five packets of seeds home to their own gardens and, after harvest, return seeds to share the following year. For more information, visit our website at wlclib. org.

bour & Co. He was treasurer by 1916. By 1940 he was listed as president of Dinet & Co. Indications are that Eugene was still

The summer home of Augustus E. Dinet in Whitehall. • Courtesy Photo

DeMumbrum

Lake Mirror Lake Mirror

NONPROFIT NEWS SOURCE community

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

WHITEHALL — Every local player to participate in Wednesday’s Whitehall jamboree finished within a seven-stroke scoring range, shooting between a 41 and a 48. Whitehall edged Montague for fourth place in the jamboree with a 167, while the Wildcats were three strokes behind.

Neither school placed an individual into the top 10 finishers, but three local players were among a five-way tie for 11th place.

Whitehall’s Brady Tate and Trenton TenBrock and Montague’s Owen Raeth led the way for local players, with each scoring a 41. Tate and TenBrock each made one birdie during their rounds.

Three more local players were just one stroke behind that group. Montague’s Brayden Bultema and Bucky

Aney and Whitehall’s Braedon Bond each shot a 42. Bultema made a birdie in his round.

Jones McDowell shot a 43 for Whitehall, and William Burger rounded out team scoring with a 44. For Montague, Trevin Silvers was the fourth scorer with a 45.

SPORTS SPORTS

Local golfers play at Whitehall jamboree Wildcats fight Fruitport to scoreless tie

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MONTAGUE — Montague measured up well against a tough Fruitport squad Friday, battling the Trojans to a 0-0 tie despite being without three starters.

Montague (10-5-2) entered the game shorthanded on offense because of an injury to forward Ella King and the move of fellow offensive force Lilly Rice to the defensive end to cover for Elle Moran being out sick. While those absences kept the Wildcats from getting a major offensive push, defensive focus helped keep the Trojans out of the net.

“I felt like we played too much defense, but our defense did do a very good job today,” Montague coach Chris Aebig said with a chuckle. “They rose to the occasion. Abby Dyer and Anna Woller, those guys were so strong for

us. Grace (Reavey) was on the outside, she was playing well for us.

“Lilly said, ‘I’ve never played defense before,’ but I told her in the postgame, ‘You wouldn’t know you’d never played defense, because you played such a great job back there.’ All of those guys protected each other. They communicated well.”

While Fruitport is not a high-scoring team, it entered the game 3-0 against West Michigan Conference foes, including second-place Ludington, so for the Wildcats to play the Trojans to a draw was a solid result.

Fruitport came close to scoring two times in the first half, sending shots wide left on each occasion, but keeper Claire Aebig maintained a clean sheet. In the second half, with previous start-

Wildcats tie continued on page 5

Rockets welcome home one of their own

ate star players Jaxson Whitaker - who broke Wallace’s all-time career scoring record at R-P just a few months agoand Travis Ambrose.

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MUSKEGON — Reeths-Puffer welcomed home a program legend Wednesday as new boys basketball coach J.R. Wallace came to the Dan Beckeman Arena for a meet-and-greet with current and future players and their families.

Wallace, who graduated from R-P in 1999, replaces Nate Aardema, who stepped down after three seasons at R-P and 15 seasons as a head coach in the White Lake area. Aardema said in a Facebook post in April that the decision came “after a lot of consideration and time.”

Luckily for the Rockets, that opened the door for Wallace just at the time he was thinking about leaving the grind of

college coaching - he spent the past 10 seasons as an assistant at NCAA Division II Grand Valley State Universityso he could be more present for his wife Angel and two sons (plus a third child due in November).

“It was great timing for my family,” Wallace said. “To have three kids under 8, and then be out on the road recruiting, is a big challenge. I wanted to be able to come home and kind of slow things down a little bit, and what better place to do it than here at Reeths-Puffer?”

It won’t be all taking it easy, of course, as Wallace takes up the posts of assistant athletic director and dean of students in addition to being boys basketball coach. He’ll step into an expected rebuild, as the Rockets will gradu-

However, it’s a challenge that excites Wallace, and the way he looks at it, the high-profile nature of his return to R-P means the pressure will shift away from his charges and onto him next season.

“We’ll be able to let these guys just focus on growing and being the best player they can be, and that’s growing on and off the court,” Wallace said. “Ever since I’ve been in this building I’ve always had a target on my back. There’s always been something for me to do. That’s no different than coming from where I’m coming from, from Grand Valley. We were always at the top of the nation, so that’s nothing new for

Montague’s Bucky Aney lines up a putt during Wednesday’s Whitehall jamboree. Aney scored a 42 as the Wildcats finished in fifth place. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

J.R. Wallace takes over R-P boys basketball program after 10 seasons as GVSU assistant

Montague’s Ava Pelton prepares to make contact with the ball as Kenzie Pate defends for Fruitport during Friday’s game at Montague. The teams played to a 0-0 tie.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

New Reeths-Puffer boys basketball coach J.R. Wallace addresses players and parents at a meet-and-greet Wednesday night. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Whitehall’s Brady Tate tees off during Wednesday’s Whitehall jamboree. Tate’s 41 tied for the Vikings’ team lead on the day.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

J.R. Wallace

me. I just want to make sure that our players understand the work it takes to be at that level.”

Wallace has deep R-P roots even beyond his own; at one point before Wallace held the Rockets’ scoring record, it was his uncle, former star Mark Hughes, who had it. Wallace went on to Central Michigan after twice earning all-state recognition at R-P, and was a leading guard for the 200203 Chippewas team that upset Creighton in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Wallace had 12 points in that game, and 14 in

the team’s second-round defeat to Duke.

From there, Wallace played professional basketball in four Spanish-speaking countries - Argentina, Chile, Venezuela and Spain - before entering coaching. He was girls head coach at Wyoming Rogers (since merged into Wyoming) in 2012, then made the move to GVSU before returning home.

Athletic Director Cliff Sandee isn’t hiding how excited he is to have brought Wallace back to R-P.

“This community was so thirsty

Wildcats tie

ing keeper Addison Pranger nursing a tender ankle, Aebig moved Pranger between the posts, and she maintained the shutout with some help from strong defense.

“This is a big game for us - every game’s a big game - but at the end of the day, districts are what’s most important, so we need to put people where they need to be to get them healthy for that district run,” Aebig said. “Claire did a great job for us in the first half and Addison did a great job for us in the second half...I’d love to see a little more offensive attack, but at the end of the day, we didn’t let anything in between our pipes, and we had some scoring opportunities as well, so you can’t ask for more than that.”

The Wildcats earned the #2 seed in the upcoming district tournament opposite top seed Fremont. Montague was set to face Fremont Wednesday in a potential preview of the championship matchup.

“I want to see what we have,” Aebig said, looking forward to his team’s first crack at Fremont. “I feel like we can beat anybody. These girls, when they play their game, they keep their shape and they do what they know how to do and play their aggression, they’re going to run with anybody. We also know that Fremont is somebody we could see later.”

and so excited for Coach to come back home,” Sandee told the crowd. “I’m excited to get (Wallace’s sons) LJ and Jrue, and Angel in some Reeths-Puffer gear...I can promise this, as we have some returning varsity players and some upcoming freshmen and some JV players in the arena, you’re going to be challenged. There are going to be struggles. I promise you he’s going to hold you accountable, I promise you that you’re going to be developed as athletes, but I promise you, it’s all going to be worth it.”

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Montague rallies for game 1 win in split with N. Muskegon

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MONTAGUE — Montague came back to edge North Muskegon in a hard-fought 11-9 victory in the first game of a Monday doubleheader.

The ‘Cats trailed 6-1 and 8-5 in the early innings before rallying for six straight runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth. Montague pushed across the decisive runs in the sixth inning. Jocelyn Rodriguez-Perez reached on a dropped third strike with two outs, scoring Hayden Boutell, and after a wild pitch brought in a second run, Chloe Boutell followed with an RBI single. Fourth-inning RBI singles by Sophia Beishuizen and Kayden Johnson launched the comeback. Johnson and Abby Thommen each had three hits in the win, and Greta Auch, Kennedy Johnson and Chloe Boutell added two apiece. Thommen earned the win in the circle, catching a line drive back at her off the bat of Mila Van Tol to end the game. In game two, the Norse caught fire early with a 12-run second inning en route to an 18-1 win in four

Sports in Brief

Baseball

Reeths-Puffer 13-10

Wyoming 0-0

The Rockets were terrific on offense and defense in 2 shutouts. Trent Reichert had 3 hits and 3 RBI in game one, and Ethan Frang had 2 hits. Jaxson Whitaker struck out 6 and allowed 2 hits in 4 innings. Whitaker then had 2 hits and 3 RBI in game two; the Rockets drew 8 walks as a team. Reichert struck out 5 and allowed 2 hits in 4 innings.

Wyoming 6 Reeths-Puffer 3

The Wolves denied the Rockets an O-K Green sweep, taking the final game of the series. R-P made 6 errors, leading to 4 unearned runs. Trent Reichert got 3 hits and Holden Earnest added 2. Montague 1-1 at Grant Tournament

Montague beat Orchard View 9-2 and lost to the host Tigers 7-5 in the tournament. The ‘Cats scored 8 runs in the 3rd inning against OV and took advantage of 8 walks. Cole Herremans struck out 5 in 6 shutout innings, allowing only 2 hits. Against Grant, an early 4-0 lead didn’t stand up. Ryver Jarka got a hit and pitched 2 shutout innings.

Whitehall 1-1 at home tournament

Whitehall played well against 2 top-5 Division 3 teams. The Vikings beat top-ranked Algonac 4-2, led by 4 straight singles in a 3-run 4th inning. Noah Meinert’s 2-run hit was decisive in the game, and Isaac VanAmberg pitched 6 strong innings to get the win, striking out 8. The Vikes fell 6-0 to North Muskegon, as the Norsemen scored 5 times with 2 out in the 2nd inning. Brock Morningstar got 3 hits, and Evan Thomas allowed only 2 hits in 4 1/3 shutout innings.

Montague 15-3 Ravenna 5-5

Montague split with Ravenna in a cross-division twinbill. A 6-run outburst in the 6th inning earned a game one mercy-rule win. Rvyer Jarka had a huge game, with 4 hits and 6 RBI. Kellan Francis, Carter Bradley and Eli Petersen each had 3 hits and Bryton Belinger had 2. Braylen VanSickle got the win. In game two, Belinger and Robby Smith each had 2 hits and Jarka fired 3 shutout innings in relief.

Reeths-Puffer 1 Zeeland East 0

R-P won a 9-inning thriller in game one of a planned doubleheader, dealing the Chix

Whitehall 10-11 Fremont 0-1

Whitehall stayed in the race for the WMC Lakes title with a convincing sweep, moving to 8-2 in the league. Brock Morningstar allowed 2 hits in 5 innings in game one, striking out 7. Kyle Stratton went 4-for-4 with 3 runs scored, and Myles Welch and Ryne Christensen had 2 hits each. Christensen dominated game two, allowing just 1 hit in 6 innings with 8 strikeouts. Stratton and Christensen had 2 hits apiece.

Muskegon Catholic 8 Montague 4 A 7-run first inning sparked the Crusaders to victory. Connor McKeown led the Montague offense with 2 hits and 2 RBI. Bryton Belinger pitched well in relief, allowing 1 run on 4 hits in 5 innings.

Softball

Reeths-Puffer 5-22 Wyoming 0-4

R-P stormed to another O-K Green sweep. Lainey McDaniel was outstanding in game one, striking out 13 and allowing only 5 hits. She also tripled and had 2 RBI. The Rocket bats took over in game two, with 7 players recording multiple hits. Abbie Critchett and Megan Barmes each had 3 hits and 3 RBI, and Aubrey Clark had 2 hits and 3 RBI.

Holton 10-11 Whitehall 3-3

Division 4 #5-ranked Holton got the best of the Vikes in a sweep. Janie Fagan had 2 hits, including a 2-run home run, in game one and doubled twice in game two, driving in 2 runs. However, Red Devil pitching largely stymied the rest of the Viking attack.

Montague 1-1, Whitehall 0-1-1 at Mona Shores Montague topped Mona Shores in a 15-14 thriller, with Kayden Johnson’s 2-run single in the 7th inning earning the win. Johnson, as well as Kennedy Johnson, each had 3 hits, with Kayden driving in 3 runs and Kennedy scoring 4. The ‘Cats lost 13-2 to Fruitport in their second game. Sophia Beishuizen and Jocelyn Rodriguez-Perez each had 2 hits. Montague was held to 5 hits in game two. Whitehall lost 19-3 to Fruitport in its first game. Evelyn Darke had 2 hits, but Fruitport bats connected for 3 home runs. Whitehall then fought Mona Shores to a 15-15 tie in 9 innings. Darke had a huge game, with 5 hits and 8 RBI, including a grand slam. Kierra Hyrns had 3 hits, and Janie Fagan, Natalie Manzo and Allison Schaeffer had 2 each.

Reeths-Puffer 9 Rockford 2

With the 9 runs scored, the Rockets set a new program record for singleseason scoring. R-P’s 322 runs through Monday surpassed the record set 15 years ago. Nine different Rockets got a hit, led by 3 knocks by Kyleigh Bilek. Two of those hits were doubles. Kaylee Jones also had 2 hits. Lainey McDaniel struck out 7 and allowed no earned runs in 4 innings.

Whitehall 7-10 Fremont 2-8

The Vikings picked up a sweep with good offensive play. In game one, Kierra Hyrns had 3 hits, and Bella Fogus and Janie Fagan each had 2. Megan LeaTrea allowed 2 runs in 4 2/3 innings Whitehall ripped off 7 runs in the 2nd inning of game two. Evelyn Darke had 3 doubles in the win, and Taylor Ottinger and LeaTrea also had 3 hits each.

Grant 17-13 Montague 3-5

Grant’s bats battered the Wildcats in a sweep. Montague had 4 hits in game one, but fared better in game two. Abby Thommen, Hayden Boutell and Kayden Johnson had 2 hits each in the nightcap.

Girls Soccer

Reeths-Puffer 7 Holland 0

Jaslynn Kops led a Reeths-Puffer offensive explosion in the O-K Green tournament opener with 2 goals, and 5 other Rockets scored once apiece. Irelyn Niklasch had one of those goals and also added 3 assists. Kops also had an assist.

Whitehall 4 Chippewa Hills 0

innings. The ‘Cats had two hits and scored their only run when Hayden Boutell’s single led to a run-scoring error.

The Vikings closed their home schedule with a shutout. Four different players scored. Kendall Osborne had a goal and an assist, and Reese Hesse had 2 assists. Clare Westerlund earned her first shutout.

Montague’s Addison Pranger (right) keeps tabs on Fruitport’s Violet Olinghouse during Friday’s game at Montague. Pranger moved to goalie in the second half due to an ankle injury, helping the ‘Cats earn a shutout in a 0-0 tie.

Montague’s Abby Thommen arrives safely at second base as North Muskegon’s Bella Sima tries for a tag during Monday’s doubleheader. The Wildcats split the two games.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Montague’s Adilynn Peterson (left) tries to beat a Fruitport player to a loose ball during Friday’s game at Montague. The teams played to a 0-0 tie.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Viking boys extend league championship streak to 20

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

Whitehall’s boys team earned another West Michigan Conference Lakes title Friday at the league finals meet in Fremont. The win gave the Vikings their 20th straight WMC title.

Corde Anderson, Kyler Frees and Ca’Mar Ready joined Earvin in the 400 relay, where the team’s time of 45.38 seconds nosed out Fremont by 0.05 of a second, and in the 800 relay, Frees, Ready and Trannon Aylor were with Earvin to finish in a time of 1:32.7.

200 (23.08). The Vikings also took third in the 3,200 relay.

Manistee 4 Whitehall 3

The Vikings couldn’t hold onto an early 2-0 lead. Aaliyah Jamison, Kate Beda and Abbie Berman each scored a goal in the game.

Fremont 9 Montague 4

A high-scoring game went Fremont’s way. The ‘Cats trailed just 5-3 at halftime before the Packers pulled away. Ava Pelton, Addison Pranger, Lilly Rice and Braylyn Bultema each scored a goal in the game.

Zeeland West 5 Reeths-Puffer 1

The Dux scored 4 unanswered goals in the second half to knock R-P into the O-K Green tournament’s third-place game. Abby Hill scored R-P’s only goal, which gave the Rockets an early 1-0 lead.

Montague 8 Shelby 2

The Wildcat offense was on fire in a big WMC win. Ava Pelton had 2 goals and an assist, and 6 other Wildcats got on the board once apiece, including Ella King, who made her return from injury.

Track

The boys scored 160.5 points, outpacing runner-up Fremont by 37.25. Montague finished fourth in the meet. On the girls’ side, Whitehall placed third, with Montague in fifth, though Ludington romped in the meet with 200 total points.

The Vikings won eight of the 17 events, led by another great day for senior Malcolm Earvin. Earvin won both individual sprint events, recording times of 11.27 seconds in the 100 meters and 22.46 in the 200, and also anchored the Vikings’ victorious sprint relay teams.

Aylor also earned a win in the 400 in 49.24 seconds, his best time since winning the state title in that event last year, and anchored the 1,600 relay team, joining Frees, Tyler Van Antwerp and Andon Palmer for a time of 3:33.2. Stewart Waters added a win in the 3,200, with a time of 10:03.0, and set a PR of 4:31.97 in the 1,600 to finish second. Ayden Mendoza rounded out individual wins by taking the top spot in high jump, with a leap of 6-2.

Other top-3 finishes for Whitehall included a pair of them for Ready, who was second in pole vault (12-0) and set a PR of 20-2.25 to take 3rd in long jump, behind second-place teammate Kal Koehler (20-6); Caden Bowyer, who set a PR in discus to take second (143-4); Corde Anderson, second in the 110 hurdles (16.29); and Aylor, who finished third in the

Isaiah Atchison led Montague with an impressive three runner-up finishes. He took second behind Earvin in both sprints, with times of 11.72 in the 100 and 22.67 in the 200, and also took second in high jump (6-0). Clay Johnson placed second for Montague in the 800, setting a new PR of 2:05.3.

The Vikings earned two event wins in the girls meet, with Cami Kraai taking the 800 (2:24.2) and Arianna Black winning the high jump (5-2). Kraai also inished second in the 1,600 (5:21.6). Aaliyah Jamison picked up a third-place in shot put (30-10.5). The Vikings were second in the 3,200 relay and third in the 1,600 relay.

Trisha Beckman led the way for Montague’s girls, setting a PR in discus to take second place (103-9). Annelyse Schneider took second in long jump (14-10.25). Addison Smith finished third in pole vault (7-6), Amanda Cederquist was third in the 100 hurdles (18.18), and the ‘Cats took third in the 800 relay.

Pendell makes Montague history, signs with Siena Heights

By Andy Roberts

White Lake Mirror Editor

MONTAGUE — Montague wrestler Emma Pendell has made a lot of history in her time as a Wildcat, and she added one more piece of trailblazing to cap things off Tuesday, May 7, becoming the school’s first girls wrestler to sign with a college program.

Pendell, who won a state title in 2022, the first Wildcat girl to do it, will attend NAIA Siena Heights University and wrestle for the Saints next year. It’s the culmination of a journey she said began in middle school. She joined the Wildcats program in large part because of the increasing collegiate opportunities in women’s wrestling.

“The goal has been college,” Pendell said. “There’s been more and more opportunities as the years have gone by, so that’s been really cool. Grand Valley State, a Division II school, opening up a program for women is really incredible, and it’s really exciting. Just having those opportunities just as I was growing up just made the reality of it (feel like), yeah, I am going to college and I am going to wrestle.”

College wrestling will present at least two big changes to Pendell; first, she’ll be going into freestyle wrestling, one of two international standards (Greco-Roman is the other), as opposed to the folkstyle wrestling at the high school level. Among other differences between the two, freestyle wrestling has two three-minute periods instead of three two-minute ones, and freestyle does not begin periods from the up or down position, as in folkstyle.

In a second difference, Pendell will be joining an all-girls team after years wrestling on the coed Wildcats.

The latter is something Pendell is

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

actually looking forward to. She considered wrestling on a coed collegiate team, but found that without the guys she’s grown up with, it wouldn’t have felt right.

“As much as I love wrestling the guys and having that relationship with them, it’s not going to be the same going into college,” Pendell said. “My guys are going to a different college.”

Pendell also, according to coach Kris Maddox, received strong financial aid due to her impressive grade point average. Maddox said Pendell’s accomplishments send a strong message to prospective future Wildcats.

“She was born here and went through our youth program,” Maddox said. “It’s not just our varsity program. It’s what our youth coaches have done, the people that invested time and effort into her growth. People can see they can do it too. You don’t have to be this wrestler that’s traveling all over the country. You can do great things just by working hard and doing the right thing and being a good student.”

Golf

Whitehall 4th, Montague 6th at Ludington Jamboree

William Burger and Jones McDowell of Whitehall, and Jack Bailey and Owen Raeth of Montague, each shot a 44 as part of a 5-way tie for 9th place individually. Braedon Bond added a 45 for Whitehall. The Vikings’ team score of 182 was 18 strokes off the lead. Montague shot a 190.

R-P leads local squads, takes 7th at home invite

The Rockets led 16 teams to compete, including second teams fielded by Lowell, R-P and Mona Shores. R-P’s 330 tied for 7th place with Mona Shores, paced by Ayden Hartzell’s 76, which ranked 6th overall. Brady Tate of Whitehall also shot a 76. Jack Bailey paced Montague with an 81. Grant Ofield of team champ Forest Hills Northern highlighted the day with a spectacular 10-under 62. He had 8 birdies, an eagle and no bogeys.

Montague 2nd at N. Muskegon Invitational

Montague shot a season-best

The sports home stretch is here!

Check in next week for coverage of regional track meets, pivotal conference games and the start of district soccer!

Lacrosse

Reeths-Puffer 15 Coopersville 3

Kyler Brainard led the R-P attack with 5 goals as the Rockets continued their hot streak down the stretch of the regular season.

Reeths-Puffer 19 Northview 6

The Rockets ended the regular season with an 11th win in their final 12 games. Kyler Brainard had 4 goals for R-P,and Luke Callender and Connor Stawski each added 3. R-P settled for 2nd place in the O-K Tier 3 Conference, losing a goals-allowed tiebreaker to Jenison.

Wynn follows sister’s path to MCC to play volleyball

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MONTAGUE — Alissa Wynn, who excelled as the Montague libero during her Wildcat career, will further hone that skill set the next two seasons as part of the Muskegon Community College volleyball team. She celebrated the decision to attend MCC with a ceremony last Thursday at the high school.

Wynn is following in the footsteps of older sister Chloe, who also played at MCC. Part of what drew Alissa to the Jayhawks was the glowing reports she received from Chloe about Samantha Fehler, who is now the team’s head coach after being an assistant during Chloe’s time there.

“My sister loves her,” Wynn said. “I’m excited to have her as my head coach.”

Fehler said Wynn brings maturity and a measured approach to the court, a perfect trait for a libero, who has to captain the back row defense.

“She’s very calm, cool and collected,” Fehler said. “She’s not hotheaded. She carries herself very well. I think that she encourages her teammates as well. Her being an incoming freshman, it’ll be really important for her to have that positive mindset that I’ve seen her play with.”

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Wynn is looking forward to joining former club teammates from the Michigan Volleyball Academy on the team next year; former Wildcat teammate Ana Trevino also played for the Jayhawks last season and may end up sharing the court with Wynn this fall. Wynn is pursuing an education in exercise science in hopes of becoming an athletic trainer. If things go well on the court at MCC, she’d love to play at a four-year school too, but her love of the game is such that she said she’d likely play at a club level if not on a varsity team.

“I just don’t think I’m ready to be done yet,” Wynn said. “I love playing volleyball. It’s so much fun.”

Earvin

R-P 10th, Whitehall 19th at Mona Shores Invitational

R-P put forth a solid effort in the 19-team event, posting a team score of 351. Whitehall’s score was 392. R-P’s Kristian Brown and Whitehall’s Brady Tate each shot an 84 to tie for the lead among locals. Jake Lee added a career-best 86 for the Rockets, and Dylan Panozzo shot an 89.

Montague wrestler Emma Pendell (center) celebrates signing to Siena Heights University Tuesday, May 7. With Pendell in the front row are parents Joel and Andrea Pendell, and in the back row are Wildcat coaches Andrew Nold and Kris Maddox.

Montague volleyball player Alissa Wynn (center) celebrates signing to Muskegon Community College last Thursday at the high school. With Wynn are parents Katie and Jason Wynn.

Registration open for local July 4 parade

Registration is open for the White Lake Area’s Fourth of July parade, set for Thursday, July 4 at 10 a.m. Entry is free to all White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce members, nonprofit groups, and (non-business) individuals, and only $25 to non-Chamber businesses and politicians. For more information or to reg-

ister for the parade, contact the White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce at (231) 893-4585 or find an application under “event applications” at www.whitelake. org.

Police activity this week

that the accused sister hadn’t been at the house in two years. No further action was taken.

At 4:42 pm Whitehall Police returned to 300 Lewis St. when the man called again. The man told dispatchers there was an argument and complained his 86-year-old mother had dumped out his beer. The woman denied the accusation and allowed the officer to enter and speak with the caller. When the officer knocked on his room door, he just wanted to be left alone to go to sleep. The officer left him alone.

the bill was a counterfeit. The bill was confiscated as evidence.

May 13

May 9

Whitehall Police were called to the 800 block of Slocum St. when a man was observed picking up rocks in a yellow bucket at a nearby residence. The caller reported the incident at 11:17 a.m. and also sent photographs of the man. The responding officer was unable to locate the suspect, but also believed the man was doing maintenance work at the residence. No further action was taken.

A private property crash that occurred in the 400 block of Mears Ave. was reported at 12:18 p.m. A 16-yearold Whitehall resident reported he was backing from a space in the lot but did not see the car behind him. The caller struck the second car, which was driven by a 44-year-old Ohio man. There was only minor damage and no citations were issued.

May 10

At 2:02 a.m. Whitehall Police were called about a man who was unable to move. When the officer arrived at the residence in the 600 block of River St. the officer was told the 60-year-old had been drinking most of the day and now was just lying on the basement floor and “could not get up”. The man was too intoxicated to stand or respond to questions. Later the man was transported to the hospital by Trinity EMS and White Lake Fire also assisted on the call.

Whitehall Police are investigating a report of a fraud by an 81-year-old resident. The victim told the investigator that some time ago there was over $4,000 charged to her account that she claimed were not her charges. At first the bank had reversed the charges, but later added them back into the account. The investigation is ongoing.

A resident of the 300 block of Lewis St. called police at 4:13 p.m. saying he was being attacked by his sister. When the officer arrived, the 60-year-old reported his sister had stolen his CD certificates for his savings. The mother of the caller told the officer the man had been out drinking before the call and

A resident of the 200 block of E Sophia St. reported an unknown person attempted to scam him out of cash. The victim reported they had been online looking for employment and was contacted by a “company” who later sent him a check for $5,000 and asked him to make purchases from certain vendors. The caller became suspicious and after checking with their bank, learned the check was a forgery. The victim did not lose money and there are no suspects in the open investigation.

May 11

An open sliding door led to a call to police at 11:04 p.m. The caller noted open door after hearing noises and was concerned that someone might be in the house. The officer responding to the 500 block of Lewis St. checked the interior of the house but was unable to locate anything out of place.

May 12

A “rolling stop” led to a Twin Lake woman being cited for driving while her license was suspended. The on-duty officer was patrolling in the 1000 block of Mears Ave. when the vehicle was spotted. The officer checked the driver in the computer during the 8:25 a.m. stop and discovered the 42-yearold had a revoked license. The suspect was released from the stop when a friend arrived to take her home.

A resident of the 300 block of Iowa St. told police his neighbor tried to run him over as he rode a scooter down the street. The 21-year-old caller asked that the officer speak to the man about his driving. When the officer spoke with the 83-year-old man about the incident, he stated the caller was weaving back and forth across both lanes and that was why there was a near miss. The elder agreed to avoid the man when he is on his scooter.

A business in the 200 block of E Colby St. reported receiving a counterfeit $100 bill about 15 minutes before a 4:55 p.m. call to police. The clerk described the suspect and said he had bought a simple snack and paid with the bill. After the suspect left, the clerk became suspicious and then verified

Whitehall Police were called to the 1200 block of Colby St. to assist with an unwanted subject. The caller had once dated the 35-year-old man, but was now dating another man. According to the caller, the suspect refused to leave on the discovery of the new relationship. When the officer arrived at the 7:48 a.m. call, the suspect then initially left but returned a short time later, claiming he lived there and had possessions in the residence to prove it and again refused to leave. Eventually the caller left to seek a court order to have the man removed.

A business in the 100 block of Colby St. called police when they discovered they too had a counterfeit $100 bill. An investigator responded to the scene at 10:28 a.m. and collected the bill that had been passed the day before. The clerk noted they had spoken with the first victim and both bills had the same serial number, confirming it was a counterfeit.

The victim’s attempt to resolve the issue from earlier in the day led to a fight and charges against the victim’s new boyfriend. At 5:53 p.m. an officer was dispatched to the 1200 block as the woman now had a PPO for the 35-year-old ex-boyfriend. When her new boyfriend attempted to serve the PPO, the two men started to argue. The officer was able to temporarily separate them until the ex went out in the hall and confronted the new boyfriend again; that’s when the fight started. The officer was able to break up the fight and handcuffed the new boyfriend and moved him outside. The ex requested an ambulance for his injuries but after an evaluation, EMS personnel did not think he needed any further treatment. The ex requested transport to the hospital for treatment and was taken by Trinity EMS. The new boyfriend was cited for disorderly conduct and released.

While on patrol, the on-duty officer noted a vehicle he had seen at the home of a person who was known to have a suspended license. After seeing the driver was that person, a traffic stop was made in the 800 block of Colby St. During the 7:34 p.m. stop a computer check confirmed the 34-year-old did have a suspended license. The Whitehall man was cited for DWLS 2nd offense and the vehicle was impounded at the scene.

May 14

At 4:04 a.m. a Whitehall officer responded to assist on a medical call in the 1000 block of Colby St. When the

officer arrived on scene, he recognized the 53-year-old man from a call the previous week. During that first call, the officer had discovered the man was required to be registered as a sex offender and gave him instructions to register at the Whitehall Police office. The officer discovered the suspect had still not changed his address as required. A report of the incident was sent to the Muskegon County Prosecutor for charges of violating the SOR law.

A Whitehall man was arrested after he broke the windshields of two vehicles in the 600 block of River St. Officers were dispatched to the area at 2:22 p.m. and located the suspect, who has had several contacts with Whitehall Police. Residents of the home told the officers the suspect was upset about not being moved from the house he currently lives in to a place closer to his family. The 43-year-old then picked up a rock at the base of a nearby mailbox to smash the first windshield and got a second rock for the second windshield. The suspect was lodged at the Muskegon County jail on a felony charge of MDOP.

An argument over what family members would attend a graduation ceremony led to a call to police. Whitehall officers responded to the 900 block of Benston Rd. The caller said his exwife and the mother of their children was picking them up for visitation when the argument started. According to him, she was yelling and would not leave. When he started calling 911 at 3:08 p.m., she left the house. The woman called police and said there was an argument, but he had started it and was the one yelling. There was no assault alleged and no further action was taken.

Whitehall police responded to a call of a man calling for help in the area of Livingston Street and Hanson Street. As the officer arrived on scene of the 5:20 p.m. call, he was able to locate the subject of the call and soon learned the man was looking for his dog that had run out of the house and that was why he was calling for help. No further action was taken.

Acting on information from Montague Police, Whitehall Police took two men into custody at about 8:30 p.m. related to a recent rash of counterfeit bills being passed throughout the Muskegon County area. A third suspect fled in a vehicle. A fourth person was identified and released. An officer executed a search warrant on a room where the suspects had been staying. The investigation is still active.

hours: Mondays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Office phone: 231-301-8149, or for breaking news, please call 231-923-0751.

Behind the Badge

Whitehall Police Report