The Oceana Echo - Volume 2, Issue 17, Sept. 20, 2024

Thank you to this week’s Lead This Legacy donors Gerald &

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Shelby Optimist Club and members receive state recognition

By Linda Kotzian

The Oceana Echo Volunteer Correspondent

Optimist International clubs and their members have a long and remarkable history as champions of youth causes and organizations in their communities. A ceremony held on August 17 by the organization’s Michigan district honored that history, and some members of Shelby Optimist Club were front and center for the accolades.

Shelby Optimist Club, formed Nov. 9, 1948, is 75 years old, making it only one of 33 Michigan clubs over 50 years old. Michigan is home to 84 Optimist International chapters in total. The oldest club has served its community for 102 years.

Just as remarkable, the club boasts two members who were members since its inception: Roy Fox, who upon his death in 2020 had served 72 years; and Bob Pochyla, who was honored at the Ann Arbor ceremony for belonging to the Shelby Optimist Club for 75 years. Additional certificates issued at the Aug. 17 ceremony also recognized other Shelby Optimist Club members with over 50 years of service to the club: Jack Cheever (54 years), Bruce Fox (54 years) and Paul Inglis (52 years).

Pochyla, who is 95 years old, lives with his wife, Veronica, in their home at the west end of the Village of Shelby. Another long-time member of Shelby Optimist Club, Jim Wyns, along with his

Shelby Optimist Club member Bob Pochyla received recognition at an Optimist International Michigan Chapter ceremony in Ann Arbor recently for his 75 years as an Optimist International Club member. Pictured, (left to right, standing) are Kathleen Wyns, Optimist International Michigan District Governor Linda Thompson, Shelby Optimist Club member Jim Wyns, (seated) Veronica and Bob Pochyla. • Contributed Photo

wife Kathleen, volunteered to transport the Pochylas to Ann Arbor to accept the award at the Aug. 17 ceremony in person.

Pochyla also served as Shelby Township’s clerk for 61 years and has held several officer roles with Shelby Optimist Club. In addition to being a charter member of the Shelby club, Pochyla was recognized at age 21 as the youngest Optimist member worldwide.

Shelby Optimist Club headed into its next year with a Sept. 11 meeting at Stony

• Amanda Dodge/Echo and Contributed

Lake Inn at 7 p.m. Members anticipate continuing their 75-year history of being “friends of youth” for youth causes and organizations throughout Oceana County. Become part of it by joining the Shelby Optimist Club or by attending one of their events. The first fundraiser, a golf scramble at Oceana Golf Club, kicks off this Sunday, Sept. 22. For details about events or joining Shelby Optimist Club, visit their website at shelbyoptimist. com or follow them on Facebook.

Downtown Hart was literally glowing during the Hispanic Heritage Festival this past Saturday, Sept. 14.

Irma Hinijosa of the Oceana Hispanic Center, who sponsor ths event, said, “The event was a success. We had 117 entries in the door prize drawings in two hours. That means that 117 people ages 15 or older visited all of the agencies at the agency fair and qualified to be in the drawings.”

The event also included food, music and dancing and featured a Norteño band called La Prueba. “They are from Grant, Mich. and the band leader has local ties to Shelby,” Hinijosa said. “We ordered

125 glow sticks and gave them all away at the end. I estimate having over 150 people there throughout the night.

“I am extremely grateful to the committee members who helped with making the event possible and for the generosity of all the sponsors. Without the collaboration of everyone involved in this event, it would not have been as successful as it was. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much to everyone who helped! We look forward to bringing more cultural and community involvement next year, and I am thankful that the event was well received by our community.”

Toyota films commercial in Pentwater

By AnnaMae Bush The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent

On Tuesday, Sept. 10, Pentwater residents were surprised to find a section of Hancock Street blocked off to traffic. A professional video production crew was filming a television commercial for the Toyota Corporation. Last spring, the crew was exploring location possibilities along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Michele Anscombe, owner of Painted Frog Art Studio at 320 S. Hancock, said, “They contacted me in early July and asked if they could use my studio for background and for props in their film. I think it was the colorful and unique exterior of the studio that initially attracted them. But they came inside and vetted several areas they wanted to film.” Anscombe said she was happy to oblige with her permission.

Anscombe’s studio was not the only location they used. “I think they started at the sand dunes in Silver Lake and then looked for additional options in nearby communities and came to Pentwater,” she reported. “I know they spent some time on Longbridge Road and at Charlie’s Marina after filming here this morning.”

Some art was removed from the studio and placed outside the building for the filming. The crew of 10-15 people spent four hours at Painted Frog Art Studio before having lunch at Gull’s Landing and then filming some informal shots of Hancock Street. No residents were used in the film, as Toyota had their own actors. The actors “shopped” in the studio and put large art purchases in the car to illustrate how easily the seats go down. All the film footage will be reduced to perhaps a one-minute-long television commercial. While it is a brief “claim to fame” for Pentwater, it will be used nationwide. So, keep your eyes open for the new Toyota commercial.

Anscombe was impressed with their professionalism and polite demeanor. “They were great people to work with, and I am looking forward to seeing what they do with the footage.”

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: Charles A. Hawley

By Caleb Jackson

The Oceana Echo Community Columnist

Charles A. Hawley was an early pioneer of Shelby. He was born in Bridgeport, Vt. in 1831. He was the first of six children and, unfortunately, the only one to survive. His mother passed away in 1843, and then “the five children younger than himself died, one after another, commencing with the youngest,” as Page puts it in his History of Oceana County. Like many early pioneers, Hawley was thrust into responsibilities at a very young age. He emigrated to St. Lawrence County, New York, with his father in 1843 and began working for a farmer at the age of eleven (“with his father’s consent,” Page tells us), so that he could afford his board, clothing and schooling, and it seems the young man’s life would follow this pattern for several years. At first, he worked for different farmers. Then, at the age of 17, he “engaged himself to a farmer for four years, to receive his board, clothing and three months’ schooling each Winter, and $100.” However, Page then mentions that he “got his schooling and $96 worth of clothing, but not the $100.” Nevertheless, Hawley then rented the man’s farm for one year, after which he took off for Skaneateles, New York,

with $12.52 in his pocket.

While in Skaneateles, he worked farms in the summer and taught schools in the winter. He also got married in 1855 to a woman named Electa E. Weaver, “a young lady very highly esteemed.” Nearly two weeks later, he moved to Chicago, his wife following some months later, and began working in a hardwood lumberyard for two years. He soon bought a 200-acre farm just 16 miles from Chicago. He made a down payment of $1,000 and signed a contract to pay the remaining $7,000 in installments. This was to be “the first and only contract he ever made that he did not fill.” He worked the farm for two years, and then the hard times of 1857 “finished him.” He gave up on the farm, sent his wife and child to her parents, and began work piling lumber for a dollar a day, as well as serving as the collector, janitor and usher at the Plymouth Congregational Church. After about four months of this, he rented a house in Chicago and sent for his wife. He began working as a laborer, clerk, lumber inspector and lumber commissioner in a hardwood lumberyard, but it would seem that Mr. Hawley could not get a break. The Chicago fire of 1871 struck and “burned all he had in Chicago—lumber, books, accounts, and papers of all kinds; everything he had except his

humble home at Park Ridge, Cook Co., Ill.”

For those familiar with Oceana’s history, you may be able to see how, through all of this misfortune, the elements of Hawley’s life were aligning in a way to bring him to Oceana County. Prior to the fire, Hawley was engaged in lumbering, and following the fire he had nothing. Well, if you follow the logs that were shipped across the lake to rebuild Chicago, you arrive in Oceana, where the lumber trade was booming. “Suffice it to say,” wrote Page, that during the good times (for lumbermen) following the fire of 1871, until the Fall of 1873, when Jay, Cook & Co. failed, followed by the failure of very many others, he became manager and part owner of the Shelby sawmill, August 27, 1873.” Hawley managed to buy the mill during the subsequent winter. The mill seemed to be plagued with unforeseen legal expenses for a few years, and in 1878, Hawley spent $750 on some new boilers. Then, in 1879, “the mill blew into thousands of atoms, by the explosion of the new boilers, killing the engineer, James Ryder, and injuring for life E.C. Hurd; slightly injuring many others.” According to Page, “every casting, shaft and wheel made of iron was destroyed, except the saw frame and carriage.” But we could say nothing of Hawley if not that

he was enduring. He rebuilt the mill and had it up and running a mere 21 days after demolishing what was left of the old one.

Mill owners were highly influential in old Oceana, and Hawley was no different. According to Page, “he trusted every man to lumber that wanted to build,” and he “always made a practice of giving employment to every man that applied, if he lived in Shelby.” He was an active member of the Congregational Church, and Page describes him by saying he was “a very genial, kind, affectionate man, he has one failing—lacking courage to dun the men he trusted.”

The Hart High School Class of 1958 met Saturday, Sept. 14 at Open Hearth Grille in Mears for their 66th class reunion. Pictured at left, front row, from left: Carol Dodds, Marilyn Walsworth, Judy Haight, Marcia Morley, and Loraine Wagner. Back row, from left: Bob Dodds, Barry Griffin, Cal Ackley, Arleen Frost, and Frank Schramm.

Bob Tazelaur, Ted Studer and Ray Haynes of the Oceana Wigton Benona Lodge #200 recently built and donated a ramp, along with a check for $300 to Hart Girl Scout Troop 8749 for their pumpkin rally races event. Above left, from left, scouts Natalie Bromley, Abigail VanDerZanden, Valarie Ray, Willow Hoffman and Troop Leader Debra Gardner receive the check from Haynes. Above right, Gardner and Haynes stand by the new ramp.

Contributed

Ongoing

MONDAYS: Free yoga, Lakeside Rehab Family Fitness, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

TUESDAYS: TOPS, Hart Wesleyan Church, 5 p.m.

3rd TUESDAYS: Pentwater Jr. Women’s Club - Feeding America W. Mich. mobile food pantry, Pentwater Fire Dept., 11 a.m.

WEDNESDAYS: Love INC satellite open, Walkerville Wesleyan Church, 144 S. Hamon St., noon to 4 p.m.

1 st & 3 rd

WEDNESDAYS: Free community dinner, all are welcome, 5-6 p.m., Hart Wesleyan Church.

1st & 3rd

WEDNESDAYS: Hart VFW Post 1329 Burger/ Chicken/Brat/Ribs Night, 5-7 p.m., dine-in or carry out. Every other WEDNESDAY: Shelby Optimist Club meetings, Stony Lake Inn, 7-8 p.m., (September to May)

2nd & 4th WEDNESDAYS - True North Housing Assistance satellite open, Walkerville Wesleyan Church, 12:30-3:30 p.m.

THURS-SAT: Pentwater Historical Museum open, 1-4 p.m.

FRIDAYS: Preschool Story Hour, HAPL, 11 a.m.

2nd & 4th FRIDAYS: Knights of Columbus Bingo, 6 p.m., St. Gregory Parish Center, 214 S. Peach Ave. in Hart, doors open at 4 p.m.

The Ladder Community Center:

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

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

Complete schedule at: theladdercommunitycenter.com

Fall Apple Fun at the New Era Farmers Market

The New Era Farmers Market wraps up the season, Tuesday, Sept. 24, with Fall Apple Fun. The market kicks off at 4 p.m. with the kids Power of Produce Club. Barbara Saunders-Sims of Storybook Village in Pentwater will be reading the story under the tree. Followed by a presentation on apples by Phil Carter of Carter Farmers. KPOP will also have an apple pie eating contest with any remaining pies to be sold. Kids can also enter a drawing for a $25 gift card to NorthStar Cinemas in Whitehall.

The band Westwinds with Greg Bouse, Mike Snell and Guy Clements will perform from 5-7 p.m. They are a crowd favorite in New Era.

Vendors are promising apples, tomatoes, squash and other seasonal homegrown veggies. Weesies Bros. will be there with delicious corn, perennials and succulents. The market has some of the finest artisans and crafters, so come on out and enjoy it.

Organizers hope to see you there. The market is located at 1820 Ray Ave. in New Era. Look for their market mascot, Raye the Scarecrow, on the corner hanging out with the sign. If you have been saving your market tokens, come on out and spend them while you can. Organizers issue and accept the following tokens, cards and coupons: SNAP/EBT, Double Up Food Bucks, WIC Produce Connection, Senior Market Fresh, SPOP and KPOP.

Two opportunities coming up to give blood in Hart

Versiti Blood Center of Michigan will be hosting their next two bi-monthly blood drives, Monday, Sept. 23 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Thursday, Oct. 3, from 2-6:20 p.m. at the West Michigan Research Station located at 5185 N. Oceana Dr. in Hart.

Anyone attempting to donate at the Sept. 23 drive will be entered into a chance to win two tickets and a VIP experience with one of five NFL football teams. One name will be drawn from eligible Versiti Blood Centers in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. There will be five total winners. Official rules and entry for those not able to donate can be found at www.versiti.org/rushin.

Anyone attempting to donate at the Oct. 3 drive will be entered for a chance to win two floor tickets to see the Taylor Swift Era Tour Concert at Lucas Oil Stadium, Nov. 1, along with a $500 gift card. Only one winner will be selected. Names will be drawn from Versiti Blood Centers in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. Official rules and entry for those not donating can be found at www.versiti. org/AmericasSuperstar.

While winning prizes and receiving incentive gifts are a bonus, the real bonus comes when blood donations provide life-saving blood transfusions during lifesaving procedures (organ transplants, major surgeries, and treatments) or in emergencies for trauma victims (car accidents, acts of violence). Every pint of blood donated at next Monday’s or Thursday’s drive goes directly to Michigan hospitals to give patients the gift of life. The blood donated next week could help save a family member or friend, please consider joining in this important effort.

Organizer Kathy Roskam can’t thank her regular donors enough and welcomes any new donors who can help fill all available appointments. She can be reached at 231-861-6353 or krcmmom@hotmail.com.

New Era Fall Street Festival set for tomorrow

The entire community is invited to New Era’s Annual Fall Street Festival, Saturday, Sept. 21 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event features: a fundraiser Pancake Breakfast at 8 a.m. at the New Era Christian Reformed church, a Craft Fair, free kids activities and two musical acts. There will also be the annual Art Show at The Avenue Event Center with cash prizes, and a Roy’s Kids Bike Giveaway will be awarding six bikes this year. For more information, please visit neweramichigan.com.

September

Sept. 15 through Oct. 6 - Walkerville Hunting Contest

Sept. 20 - Vida Weaver Pavilion Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, 198 N. State St., Hesperia, 1 p.m.

Sept. 21 - New Era Street Festival, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sept. 21 - Michigan Dunes Chapter, NSDAR meeting, Hart, noon.

Sept. 21 - Oceana County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, West Mich. Research Station, Hart, 4 p.m. tours, 5 p.m. dinner.

Sept. 21 - Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child New W. Michigan Area Team Project Leader Workshop, First Reformed Fremont, 348 E. Main St., Fremont, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Sept. 21-22 - Ragnar Road Race, coming through Mears & Hart

Sept. 22 - Shelby Optimist Club’s 4-Person Scramble Golf Outing, Oceana Golf Club, 10 a.m. shotgun start.

Sept. 23 - REACH Traffic and Pedestrian Data Collection, Sixth Street in Shelby, 7 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Pre-registration required.

Sept. 23 - Veristi Blood Drive, West Michigan Research Station, 5185 N. Oceana Dr., Hart, 8 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.

Sept. 24 - Tech Time, Hesperia Comm. Library, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Adult Craft Night, Newfield Room, 6-7 p.m.

Sept. 25 - Adult Book Club, Hesperia Comm. Library, 2-3 p.m.

Sept. 25 - “What’s in the Cupboard?” Free crafting event, registration required due to limited space, SADL, 5 p.m.

Sept. 26 - Pentwater Harvest Day, Last Farmers Market of season, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sept. 26 - Hart Preservation Group board meeting, Heritage Hall, Hart Historic District, 570 E. Lincoln St., 7 p.m.

Sept. 27 - Sensory Play, Hesperia Comm. Library, 10-11 a.m.

Sept. 27 - “Apple” Story Hour with Miss Tiffany, SADL, 10-11 a.m.

Sept. 27 - Feeding America Food Truck, sponsored by Hart Rotary, Spitler Elementary School, 302 Johnson St., Hart, 5 p.m.

Sept. 28 - Pentwater Arts, Crafts & Antiques Fair, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Shelby Optimist Golf Outing Fundraiser Sept. 22

The annual Shelby Optimist Golf Outing Fundraiser will take place Sunday, Sept. 22 at the Oceana Golf Club, located at 3333 W. Weaver Rd. in Shelby, with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. All proceeds will benefit the Optimists and the many youth projects they support.

“We’re good guys (and gals) using bad golf to help Oceana County kids; how could you ask for more?” quipped Todd Fox, event organizer.

The four-person scramble registration, including golf and cart, will cost $60 per non-member, $60 per walking member and $40 per full-paying member. Prizes, on-course games and lunch will also be provided. Skins will be available for $20 and a 50/50 raffle will be available at the event.

Organizers request golfers register in advance by calling 231-861-4211 or emailing oceanagolfclub@gmail.com.

Pentwater Arts, Crafts & Antiques Fair Sept. 28-29

The Pentwater Chamber of Commerce will host its highly anticipated annual Arts, Crafts and Antiques Fair on Sept. 28 and 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. It will showcase a variety of creativity, featuring beautiful, handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces, from woodworking to pottery, photography to jewelry and much more.

One of the highlights of this year’s event is the Pentwater Artisan Learning Center’s annual raffle. Attendees will have the chance to win exclusive, one-of-akind pieces of art, with all proceeds supporting the center’s ongoing mission to foster creativity and artistic expression in the community.

In addition to the arts and crafts, the Pentwater Service Club will be on hand, serving up delicious hot dogs, brats, and more, while the Pentwater Fire Department will add to the show with their highly anticipated BBQ.

Visitors are also encouraged to explore the many shops and restaurants throughout downtown Pentwater, which will be offering special fall promotions and discounts in celebration of the fair.

Mark your calendars and join in for a weekend of creativity, community and celebration at the Pentwater Arts, Crafts, and Antiques Fair! Please email events@ pentwater.org for more information.

Michigan Dunes Chapter, NSDAR to meet in Hart

The next Michigan Dunes Chapter, NSDAR meeting is set for Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024 at noon at the Oceana County Services Building, located at 844 Griswold St. in Hart. The meeting will be hosted by Susan Thomas and there will be a program, “Museum Moment” by Pam Mettler, DAR State Chair for the DAR Museum, and light refreshments and water provided

In Loving Memory of our Family, Friends and Neighbors

obituaries

Patricia ‘Pat’ Ann Wyns

October 31, 1924 ~ July 9, 2024

Patricia “Pat” Ann Wyns, 99, passed away peacefully, Tuesday, July 9, 2024. She was born on Halloween, Oct. 31, 1924, in Shelby, the daughter of John and Vera (Delaney) Harrison.

In high school, Pat enjoyed theater, basketball, tennis, dance and was the marching band’s drum majorette. After graduation, she continued her education at Grand Rapids Junior College. On a visit home from college, Pat and her parents attended a dance in Shelby with her parents’ best friends, Frank and Gladys Wyns. Arriving later was their son, Gordon, a naval aviator, who was home on leave. Whether it was the uniform or parental matchmaking, something clicked between the two. Pat and Gordon were married a few months later, in December 1943. Pat and Gordon were able to share 75 beautiful years together.

Pat and Gordon returned to Shelby after Gordon’s military service. In 1946, she accepted a job as the high school secretary. Her interactions with students and staff and her beloved “office block girls” were very special to her. She stated that she trained many principals through the years. The Class of 1968 dedicated their yearbook in her honor: “Mrs. Wyns is every student’s friend and is only too glad to help you or to solve your problems. Because of her ability to combine efficiency with informality, she has created a positive atmosphere that spreads throughout the entire school.”

She was very active in the community: a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and several local service groups. Pat loved spending time with her friends, playing in her weekly golf leagues at Benona and Oceana and her three bridge clubs. Big band music, dancing, Tiger baseball and time spent with her grands and great-grands were treasured. For years, she walked two to three miles daily through Shelby and was affectionately known as the “hat lady” for her colorful hats displayed during her walks.

Pat is survived by: her sons, John (Barbara) and Jeff (Karen); grandchildren, Brian (Karen), Molly Wyns (Dan Mather), and Betsy Wyns (Dylan Huebner); great-grandchildren, Harrison, Hope and Leoma; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Gordon.

Pat lived a long life. She had an outgoing personality full of cheer, love, and constant activity. After 99 years, she will finally get some rest.

Pat was a member of the Shelby Congregational Church for many years, before transferring her membership to Trinity Lutheran Church of New Era.

A remembrance service will be held at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 2, the first Saturday following what would have been her 100th birthday on Halloween, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 5631 W. Stony Lake Rd., New Era, Mich. 49446, with Susan Harrison officiating. Visitation will also be on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the church from 10–11:30 a.m. A luncheon will follow in the church fellowship hall.

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

Nancy Joyce Plummer

November 1, 1932 ~ September 5, 2024

Nancy Joyce Plummer, 91, of Shelby, passed away Thurs day, Sept. 5, 2024. She was born Nov. 1, 1932, in Davenport, Iowa, the daughter of Charles and Ruth (Farmer) Weiss.

Shortly after Nancy was born, the family moved to Mears, Mich., and then to Hart. On June 10, 1950, Nancy married John Plummer and moved to Shelby. Nancy had many jobs during her working career, from phone operator to canning factory worker to hairdresser and homemaker.

Nancy is survived by: her children, Vicki (Fred) Wenk, Brad (Vicki) Plummer, and Karen (Greg) Schultz; grandchildren (10); great-grandchildren (24); great-great-grand children (three), and half-brothers, Jim and Bill.

Nancy was preceded in death by: her parents, Charles and Ruth; husband, John; half-brothers, Chuck and Don.

Per Nancy’s wishes, cremation has taken place; no services are scheduled at this time.

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

Richard ‘Rich’ Lee Granger

September 18, 1940 ~ September 16, 2024

Richard “Rich” Lee Granger, 83, passed away unexpected ly, Sept. 16, 2024. He was born Sept. 18, 1940, in Ludington, the son of Fredrick and Virginia (McIntosh) Granger.

Rich enjoyed a long and fulfilling life until his passing. His love for music shone brightly throughout his career as a musician and teacher, leaving a lasting impression on all of his students and colleagues. Over his 83 years, Rich’s trumpet was a constant companion, a testament to his unwavering devotion to his craft. Beyond his musical pursuits, Rich was deeply passionate about his family, carpentry, golf and his cherished Goldwing.

Rich is survived by: his wife of 64 years, Christine Grang er; children, Sandra (Carl) Drayton, Janet (Barry Freed) Granger, Timothy Granger and ML Granger; grandchildren, Gregory (Ashley) Anthon and Kelsey (Paul) Diamond; great granddaughters, Harper Anthon and Amelia Anthon.  Rich was preceded in death by: his parents, Fredrick and Virginia (McIntosh) Granger; and brothers, Greg Granger and Fred Granger.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Shelby Public Schools, for the Band Boosters, 525 N. State St., Shelby, MI, 49455; Pentwater Civic Band, 6690 N. Ridge Rd., Pentwater, MI 49449; or to The General Assembly Big Band, 20524 Crestview Dr., Reed City, MI 49677.

A receiving of friends will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, at Harris Funeral Home, 267 N. Michigan Ave., Shelby, MI 49455.

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

~ Celebration of Life ~ Don Taylor, Gary Lyman and Don Drum

A Celebration of Life for Don Taylor, Gary Lyman and Don Drum will take place Saturday, Sept. 21 at 2 p.m. at the ponds directly across from 1546 W. 84th Ave. in Hart, Mich.

a.m.

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

2752 N 34th Ave,

Formerly the West Golden Wesleyan

St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church (LCMS) 7410 W. Johnson Rd., Shelby • 231-861-2952

Sunday Service: 9:30 a.m.

Summer Outdoor Service

Rev. Kurt Overway StStephensShelby@gmail.com

REACH seeks volunteers to conduct data collection

By Sharon Hallack

The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

The REACH (Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health) team, co-sponsored by Trinity Health Shelby and DHD#10, plans to host its first data collection event on Friday, Sept. 27 in Shelby.

According to local program implementers Catalina Burillo, Community Health Improvement Coordinator for Trinity Health and Kylie David, Community Improvement Coordinator with DHD#10, REACH, is a federally-funded program, aiming to improve health, prevent chronic diseases, and reduce health disparities among racial and ethnic populations with the highest risk, or burden, of chronic disease. DHD#10 is one of 50 organizations in 32 states, funded by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), facilitating the initiative.

“One of the strategy areas of REACH is to improve community-built environments that promote physical activity. The goal is to improve the ability of community members to safely walk, bike or travel to everyday destinations such as homes, work, schools, parks, health care, and food outlets,” Burillo said.

“With this initiative, we are really trying to stress community engagement, because things like this aren’t successful unless there is community buy-in,” Burillo said. Burillo told The Oceana Echo she and David conducted walking audits in Hart, Shelby and Walkerville, and the day they were in Shelby it was just as school was letting out. “We really saw the need,” she said. “This particular survey is fo-

cused on walking, biking and traveling around the school, but we want the entire community to benefit and be safe, so we will be looking at other areas throughout the village in the days and weeks to come.”

According to Burillo, Oceana’s REACH team is able to provide the village with direct access to providers in the physical activity field, technical assistance to seek out larger-scale funding opportunities, possible funding for immediate or smaller-scale projects, as well as samples of common tools and strategies that could be used to help with safe and accessible physical activity.

Approximately 20 volunteers are needed to collect pedestrian and traffic data along Sixth Street, from Industrial Drive to Oceana Drive as students are going to/coming from school next Friday. Interested volunteers are asked to sign up by Monday, Sept. 23 at noon using this link: https:// www.signupgenius. com/go/5080B48A5AF2DA2FB6-51271125-volunteer. A specific meetup location will be determined, once volunteers are secured. In case of inclement weather, another date would be determined and people would be contacted via information provided at

sign-up.

“The first data collection shift will begin at 7 a.m. and end at 8:30 a.m. Volunteers should plan to arrive by 6:30 a.m. for a quick training session, receive data collection materials and safety vest. The second shift would begin at 2:30 p.m. and end at approximately 4 p.m. or earlier. Ideally, volunteers would be the same for both shifts so that they can all receive the same training at 6:30 a.m. on Sept. 27, however, any available volunteers are welcome.

“If we have an overabundance of volunteers, we may also collect data along State Street (Oceana Drive) near Shelby

Elementary School and Shelby Acres, the new housing development across the street. That data collection will take place at approximately 3:15 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to look at traffic speed, number of vehicles, types of vehicles, rush hour traffic times, etc.

The REACH program grant is a collaborative effort between Oceana, Lake and Newaygo counties. A new website (www. livewellforhealth.org) is currently being developed, which will provide more information in the near future. Until then, questions about REACH or next week’s survey can be directed to reach@ dhd10.org.

Tails of Hope

Check out this beautiful boy! His name is Bigz. Bigz is 2 years old and weighs in at about 80 pounds. He walks great on a leash and loves to play fetch. But what Bigz really wants to do is be a lap dog! If interested, call the shelter at 231-861-5395.

Bigz is available for adoption from the Oceana County Animal Shelter. If interested, please call the shelter at 231-861-5395. The adoption fee for cats is $35, and you receive certificates for $25 towards spay/neuter and $10 towards rabies if not already done. The adoption fee for dogs is $95 and you will receive a $50 certificate good for spay/ neuter, if needed. Every dog should have an ID tag. L.A.S.S.I. provides free dog ID tags to all Oceana County residents. To request tags, send a text to 231-730-3906. Free tags are also available at the Oceana County Animal Shelter.

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CUSTOMER SERVICE: (800) 708-7311

By JoAnn Derson

• On Sept. 23, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt defended his beloved dog Fala’s honor while dining with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union. The canine had recently been the butt of a Republican political attack, and the president remarked that while he and his family had been the object of “malicious falsehoods” in the past, he asserted the right to “object to libelous statements about my dog.”

© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc. FROM

STRANGE BUT TRUE #12345_20240909 FOR RELEASE SEPT. 9, 2024

By Lucie Winborne

On Sept. 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture opened on the National Mall. President Barack Obama led the ceremony and rang the Freedom Bell, a bell from an African American Baptist church founded in 1776.

On Sept. 25, 1970, the hit series “The Partridge Family,” about a musical clan that was inspired by the reallife singing Cowsills, made its debut on ABC. Though most of the fictional family was portrayed by nonmusical actors, the show did propel lead singer David Cassidy onto the path of teen idol stardom.

On Sept. 26, 1820, frontiersman Daniel Boone — who, incidentally, never wore a coonskin cap, preferring one of beaver instead — died in his sleep at his son’s home near presentday Defiance, Missouri, at the age of 86.

On Sept. 27, 1989, Hollywood actress and socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor, while standing trial for slapping a police officer, stormed out of the courtroom in the middle of the district attorney’s closing remarks. Later that day, she was convicted and given a sentence of 72 hours in jail, 120 hours of community service, and $13,000 in fines and restitution.

On Sept. 28, 1918, a Liberty Loan parade in Philadelphia launched a severe outbreak of Spanish flu in the city that turned into a pandemic. By the time it ended, an estimated 20-50 million people around the world had died.

On Sept. 29, 1988, Stacy Allison of Portland, Oregon, became the first American woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, which at 29,035 feet above sea level is Earth’s highest point. She was later part of a team that marked the first successful all-women ascent of Ama Dablam, a mountain of 22,495 feet, in Nepal. © 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

• When preparing outdoor furniture for winter storage, it’s important to give it a nice cleaning. If you have a truck, why not load it up and bring it to the local self-serve car wash? The specialized brushes make it easy to clean right there in the back of the vehicle, and a pressure rinse gets soap and dirt from all the nooks and crannies.

• “While at a backyard barbecue now that the weather has turned nice out (down in the South, anyway), I learned this trick from a neighbor. Put hot dogs in the slow cooker. Don’t add water or anything. They taste really good without taking up space on the grill.” — J.V. in Alabama

• To keep algae from growing in your backyard birdbath, add a few copper pennies. Or you can get a small piece of copper pipe from the homeimprovement store. It keeps the algae from getting out of control.

• When you need an extra garbage bag, like during a party or while doing lawn chores, try this cool trick: Use a large pop-up laundry bin, and line it with a lawn and leaf garbage bag. Use chip clips to secure it at the top if you need to.

• “We keep a regular size galvanized steel trash can with lid out on our deck for the kids’ toys. It’s big enough to hold everything, convenient enough to drag around the yard to clean up, and the lid protects the toys from the weather and bugs!” — W.K. in Illinois

• “I had a plastic storage bin that cracked and I was about to throw it out when my son stopped me. He cut holes in either side and used it to cover the outdoor pipes that stick up out of the ground. Now they will be protected from cold temperatures, and from the weed eater through the rest of fall.

My boy!” — T.R. in South Carolina Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.

By Lucie Winborne

• Baby porcupines are known as porcupettes.

• In the early 20th century, California’s Glass Beach was used as a trash dump. Decades of ocean tides have cleared the beach and polished discarded bottles and automobile tail lights into collectible pebbles of sea glass.

• In 1939, Hitler’s nephew wrote an article titled “Why I Hate My Uncle.” He came to America, served in the Navy and settled on Long Island.

• Continental plates drift as fast as fingernails grow.

• Nineteenth-century British surgeon George Merryweather believed leeches could predict the weather. Sadly, his “tempest prognosticator,” displayed at the Great Exhibition in 1851, failed to catch on.

• Viking burials included board games.

• Child star Shirley Temple reportedly didn’t love her famous curls, preferring instead the cropped ’do of her hero, Amelia Earhart.

• Remember this when you’re attempting to settle a dispute with currency: When you flip a coin, there is a slightly greater chance that it will end up on the side it started.

• The NASA Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida is so huge it has its own weather.

• Women in traditional Rwandan societies avoid eating goat meat, as it’s believed this will cause them to grow a beard.

• The record for the longest tire skid was set in 1964 at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

• Walt Disney World is a surprisingly popular place for people to scatter the ashes of their deceased loved ones. Unsurprisingly, the “Happiest Place on Earth” takes a dim view of the practice, saying that anyone bringing human remains onto the property will be asked to leave.

• The modern popped collar originated as a way to keep tennis players’ necks from getting sunburned.

Thought for the Day: “What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to a human soul.” — Joseph Addison © 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

PALC preps for fundraiser during Pentwater Fall Fest

By Ron Beeber

The Oceana Echo Volunteer Contributor

While Santa’s elves work busily on items that Santa will soon leave under Christmas trees, the “elves”– err, members of the Pentwater Artisan Learning Center (PALC)—are also finalizing their works. They’ll be donating them to the PALC’s Annual Fundraising Raffle during the Fall Arts and Crafts Festival Sept. 28-29 on the Village Green in downtown Pentwater.

“They make great Christmas gifts,” said PALC board member Sue Hopp. “People buy as many raffle tickets as they wish, with all proceeds going to support our nonprofit Artisan Center. Then, they put tickets into jars next to the works they’d like to win. The more tickets one puts in a jar, the better their chances are of one being drawn on Sept. 29. We began raffling off our members’ works some years ago after several members had taken home so many things they had made, and one came into the Artisan Center one day and said, ‘My wife says I can’t bring any more home because there’s no room!’ I suggested to Gene (Davidson) that we display and raffle off works by PALC members and Pentwater School students at the Art Fair. This helps raise funds to operate the center and keep the annual cost to join ($150/year) as affordable as possible.”

A recent walk around the 11,000-square-foot Artisan Center found various members working in several different areas.

“I love doing driftwood mediums,” said Stephanie Emms, who joined the PALC two years ago. “Jennifer Lydey taught me how to work in stained glass. This idea came from something I saw on Pinterest. Barry Freed and I worked together. He cut grooves into a piece of driftwood that I had found on the beach. I then cut out pieces of stained glass to create this abstract. The orange sun and cloud bring nature into this simple piece.”

Gene and Sharon DeJong joined the PALC about six years ago, and Stephanie calls them the “dynamic duo.” Says Gene, “I was a licensed builder for the past 15 years, but I never swung a hammer; my crew did. I had basic woodworking knowledge when I joined the Center, but I’ve really learned a lot from fellow Artisan Center members like Jim Crum, who’s brilliant and generous with his time. It’s typical to see people making things out of materials that have been discarded by others.”

For the Fall Fest, the DeJong’s have teamed up to create unique yard art. Gene cuts butterfly and dragonfly outlines from sheets of stainless-steel that were destined to be scrapped by Storage Control Systems of Sparta, Mich. The DeJong’s were tipped off by their son, an employee. Before Sharon decorates the cutout pieces, Gene files down the sharp edges of the cutouts.

PALC President Darryl Massa was nearby, wiping down a pair of Adirondack chairs he’ll be donating. “I only had rough carpentry skills when I joined about 15 years ago, and Gene (Davidson, PALC cofounder who died two years ago) taught me a lot. The best thing about the Artisan Center is the wonderful people who’ve joined, from Pentwater and other area communities. I’m on site about 15-20 hours a week, but we have a safety protocol and a great network of trained volunteers. One of us is always here when we’re open.”

Shelley Blocher walked by, holding a gazing ball lawn ornament that she had just finished. She ex plained the process: “First, you stretch out patches of

INVITATION TO BID:

clay on a table, then roll each patch onto something textured — like a doily or a piece of corrugated cardboard — to make an imprint. Then you cover the entire surface of a balloon with the clay patches, cementing the edges together.  After letting the clay dry, you pop the balloon and remove it, fire the ball, glaze it and fire it again. I got the idea from Chris VanAntwerp, a mentor in the Artisan Center clay room. He’s a fabulous thrower.” Shelley’s husband, Vern, sat nearby putting finishing touches on several rugs that he’s woven and will donate to the raffle.

In the PALC painting studio, Allie Landrum was finishing up her piece. “I had taken some lessons before joining, but members Frank Galante, Karen Antrim, Carrie Roberts and Paula DiGregorio have really helped me improve. I paint here every day I can because it’s fun. On this one, I’m collaborating with woodworker Chuck Holbrook. It’s my idea to paint the scene on wood slats that he joined together. He’s become one of my best friends.”

Julie Massa was finishing up spray painting a wood table made by fellow member Jim Crum. Besides painting, Julie works with stained glass, a skill

Golden Township is seeking bids on: mowing/lawn care maintenance for 2025, and snowplowing 2024/2025 season. For more information on requirements, please contact the township. All bids must be submitted by October 4, 2024 by 2:00pm. Golden Township reserves the right to reject any and all bids and shall award bids that best serve the interest of the Township.

she learned at the Artisan Center. “I would love to learn loom and basket weaving,” she said.

Raffle tickets can be purchased (cash/check/ charge) either during Fall Fest on the Village Green or until Sept. 27 at the Artisan Center, 780 E. Park St. (open Tuesday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.). At either location, one can buy tickets and put them into jars next to the pieces they’d like to win. More information can be found at either pentwaterartisan.org, or on its Facebook page.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING:

The Newfield Township Planning Commission will hold a public hearing as part of its regular meeting on Tuesday, October 8, 2024 beginning at 7 PM at the Newfield Township Hall, located at 3890 S. 198th Ave., Hesperia, MI 49421. The purpose of this hearing is to obtain public comment on the final draft of the Newfield Township Master Plan. Questions may be posed in writing by sending to the Newfield Township hall attention Planning Commission Chairman. The mailing address for the Township is PO Box 564, Hesperia, MI 49421. All comments must be received no later than Friday, October 4 at 5:00pm.

Gene and Sharon DeJong

Boxes by Jim Crum

Shelley Blocher

Allie Landrum Shakers by Jim Mize Vern Blocher

Stephanie Emms

Julie Massa

Darryl Massa

Hart Community Performing Arts Series announces 2024-25 concert lineup

The Hart Community Performing Arts Association is pleased to announce that it will celebrate the 25th season of the Hart Community Performing Arts Series from October 2024 through May 2025. The Series began in the fall of 1999 and has presented over 150 concerts in the 25 years since that date, featuring a wide range of regional, national and international artists. In addition to offering public concerts, the Series arranges for all its visiting artists to make educational presentations to the students from the Hart Public Schools and surrounding school districts. The Series is completely funded by its many local patrons and sponsors, including individuals, local service organizations and local businesses. The HCPAA operates the series through an agreement with the Hart Public Schools and is guided by an eight-person, volunteer Board of Directors.

The 2024-2025 Series will begin on Oct. 4 when the Seraph Brass Quintet takes the Hart stage. Celebrating its 10th anniversary season, Seraph Brass was founded by trumpet soloist Mary Elizabeth Bowden with a mission to showcase the excellence of female brass players and highlight musicians from marginalized groups, both in personnel and in programming. Winners of the American Prize in Chamber Music, the group has been praised for their “beautiful sounds” (American Record Guide), “fine playing” (Gramophone), and “staggeringly high caliber of performance” (Textura). Seraph primarily performs as a quintet, with a dynamic roster drawing from America’s top brass musicians. Seraph Brass performs a diverse body of repertoire, ranging from original transcriptions to newly commissioned works and core classics.

On Nov. 1, pianist Xavier Davis will bring his ensemble to the Series. Xavier Davis’s professional career as a jazz pianist took off when the legendary vocalist Betty Carter spotted his outstanding talent at the 1994 International Association of Jazz Educators convention in Boston while he was performing with his college ensemble. It was she who brought Xavier to New York, hiring him exclusively as the pianist of her working trio. Today, Xavier is one of the most accomplished jazz pianists worldwide. Having led master classes and clinics all over the world and coming from a family of music educators, passing on knowledge and skills to young musicians is very important to Xavier. As such, he is proud to be Associate Professor of Jazz Piano at Michigan State University. Xavier was also a member of the teaching staff in the Jazz Department of the Juilliard School of Music in New York for six years.

On Dec. 6, the Series will shift gears when it offers a concert by Creole du Nord. Dedicated to the traditional sounds of Southwest Louisiana, Creole du Nord de-

livers a lively Cajun and Zydeco groove featuring fiddle and accordion and a rockin’ rhythm section “pour les bonne temps.” Bandleader Mark Palms traced his family roots to Breaux Bridge and now brings the uplifting spirit of Louisiana to the northern Great Lakes with Michigan’s finest; Billy King (guitar), Walter Prettyman (fiddle), Carol Palms (bass) and Pete Siers (drums) or Will Osler. After learning from some of Louisiana’s best...such as Joe Hall, Steve Riley, Blake Miller, Jesse Lege, Ray Abshire, Walter Mouton and more, Mark and the band Creole du Nord have been playing festivals, dances and clubs across Michigan and the Midwest.

The Series will begin the new year with a Sunday afternoon concert on Jan. 19 when it presents the New York City-based and nationally recognized Horszowski Trio. Giving performances that are “lithe, persuasive” (The New York Times), “eloquent and enthralling” (The Boston Globe), and described as “the most compelling American group to come on the scene” (The New Yorker), the Horszowski Trio has quickly become a vital force in the international chamber music world. Since their debut performance in New York City in 2011, they have toured extensively throughout North America, Europe, the Far East, and India, traversing the extensive oeuvre of traditional piano trio repertoire and introducing audiences to new music that they have commissioned and premiered. The Trio takes its inspiration from the musicianship, integrity, and humanity of the preeminent pianist Mieczysław Horszowski (1892–1993);

A second Sunday afternoon concert will take place on Feb. 16, featuring the Annie & Rod Capps Quartet. Annie & Rod Capps’ sound meets at the intersection of Americana and Folk. Citing rock, jazz and bluegrass influences, they create a fresh and unique amalgamation with “songs about broken things and poignant little ponderings delivered with a rootsy vibe, a

touch of twang and soulful groove.”

As with many singer/songwriters whose instrumentation is primarily acoustic, the word “folk” covers a broad sonic range of genres and influences – what comes out is a hybrid sound all their own. Genuine and playful; effortless and endearing; this duo has been delighting audiences in quality music venues, house concerts, coffeehouses, and festivals throughout their home state of Michigan and beyond. The Capps have three albums topping the Folk-DJ charts and they are 2-time Kerrville New Folk Finalists.

Spring will bring some of New York City’s finest musicians to the Series on April 11 with the appearance of the Ehud Asherie Swing Quartet, featuring Asherie on piano along with nationally recognized Harry Allen on saxophone and Jon-Erik Kellso on trumpet. Largely self-taught, or rather, “old-schooled,” Asherie learned the ropes at Smalls, spending much of his early teens becoming a fixture of the late-night jam sessions held at this now legendary Greenwich Village club in New York City. He has become, in the words of The New Yorker, “A master of swing and stride.”

Harry Allen has recorded over 70 CDs as a leader and many more as a sideman. He has performed at jazz festivals and clubs worldwide, frequently touring the United States, Europe and Asia and has performed with a multitude of famous artists such as Rosemary Clooney, Jay Geils, Ray Brown, Hank Jones and many others.

Since moving from Detroit to New York City in 1989, trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso’s varied career as a performer, recording artist and educator has been distinguished by his deep knowledge of his instrument’s voice throughout American popular music. His sound is recognizable in television and movie soundtracks as well as in over 100 recordings.

The Series finale will take place on May 16 with a concert by Midtown, the 2023 International Quartet Champions of the Barbershop

Harmony Society. Midtown formed in the spring of 2018 and quickly gained attention from the barbershop and a capella world. In their first year together, they won the Mid-Atlantic District Quartet contest, a fifth place Bronze Medal at the Barbershop Harmony Society’s International Quartet Contest, and the Dealers Choice Award for the highest scoring first-time quartet. After a three year COVID-hiatus, they returned to the international competition and brought home a second place Silver Medal. In July of 2023, they were crowned the 2023 Barbershop Harmony Society’s International Quartet Champion. They’ve put most of their time and energy into making music videos and other forms of media to get their music and brand out to the world. Specializing in several different genres including barbershop, contemporary a capella, jazz, and musical theater. Based out of New York City, Midtown is eager to share their music with audiences all over the world and to bring a new flavor of four-part harmony to the masses.

Friday night concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday afternoon concerts begin at 3 p.m. All concerts take place in the Hart Public Schools Auditorium at 308 W. Johnson St. in Hart. Season tickets for the 2024-2025 Series are now on sale at the Series website, hartseries.org. You may also contact Series Artistic Director Tom Kirk at tomkirk@hartseries.org.

Seraph Brass Quintet Creole du Nord

Xavier Davis

Horszowski Trio

Annie & Rod Capps Quartet

Ehud Asherie Swing Quartet

Midtown

Pentwater Beachfront Restoration Project receives community feedback

By AnnaMae Bush

The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent

A Community Engagement Event took place at Channel Lane Park in Pentwater Monday, Sept. 16, from 4-6 p.m. There was no formal presentation; instead, interested residents could come and go at their convenience during the two hours. The event was a continuation of the discussion started two years ago by persons concerned about the impact of wind-blown sand on state park infrastructure, including roads, parking areas and hiking paths. Concern extended to the channel where sand was deposited in large enough quantities to put boat traffic at risk and to require expensive dredging work regularly.

The informal discussion grew to include Pentwater Township, Stantec (an environmental engineering firm), the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and the Village of Pentwater. Over time, a project goal and project area were defined. The project area includes Charles Mears State Park, Channel Lake Park, the village-owned turnaround at the end of Lowell Street, and South Beach, which borders a private beach association. The project goal is to formulate a natural, non-invasive method to minimize sand movement and stabi-

lize the dunes in the project area.

Sand dunes are naturally moved and shaped by the water depth and force and the wind direction and strength. Those are forces over which humans have no control. But it is possible to observe what naturally stabilizes dunes and utilize that information toward the project goal. The lengthy root system of dune grass has held sand in place for years. Where walls and fences are not successful, vegetation is a natural, non-invasive method to minimize sand movement.

The plans shared Monday night at Channel Lane Park illustrated strategically placed dense areas of vegetation, some with defined edges of low walls. Several architectural-sized drawings of the suggested ideas were available for examination by attendees, and

Attendees engaged with core members in conversation at the recent Community Engagement Event regarding the Pentwater Beachfront Restoration Project.

• AnnaMae Bush/Echo

core committee members were nearby to answer questions and receive feedback. Residents were invited to write their comments on cards distributed for that purpose as attendees arrived, but were also invited to write their concerns and suggestions on sticky note pad paper and attach the notes on the large drawings at the very site of their concerns.

Township Supervisor Lynne Cavazos has been a key person throughout the entire process. She reported that “Fifty-five interested residents registered their attendance at the event and engaged in animated conversations. There were also seven core committee members present who debriefed over dinner following the event. While community feedback is very important and valuable to the project process, we have to remember that the final decisions will be made by the State of Michigan because they own the land we are talking about.”

Mini Walk to End Alzheimer’s

The Oceana County Council on Aging wishes to thank the community for the support they received during their Mini Walk to End Alzheimer’s. The event took place Saturday, Sept. 7 at Our Friends House, their Adult Day Center. Golden Sands Golf & Bucket Bar, NorthShore Property Solutions LLC and Debbie Norman donated prizes for participants. The Alzheimer’s Association of Michigan Chapter helped in facilitating the event. Hart City Manager Rob Splane was the emcee. The event also featured a speaker and many volunteers who donated their time, baked goods and energy. Those interested can still donate to the OCCOA OFH Team, who will walk during the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Mason County on October 5. To join the team or donate, please call the OCCOA at 231-8734461 or visit their Facebook page.

• Paul Erickson/Echo

The Ladder honors area retirees

•

The Ladder in Shelby is all about community and seeks to honor God and the people of our community. The Retirement Open House began three years ago as an opportunity to honor those people who have given years of their lives serving the people of Shelby and Oceana County. They are grateful that it is a collaborative event sponsored by The Ladder, Shelby Rotary Club, Shelby Public Schools and the Shelby Chamber of Commerce.

Approximately 150 people attended the 2024 Retirement Open House at The Ladder on Friday, July 12. One of the community members present stated, “This event is so important to our community. I love it and hope you continue to provide this celebration. It shows great honor to those people who have embraced our community. Way to go!”

The following people were honored at this year’s event. The Ladder’s staff and volunteers appreciate their service to our community and wish them well in their future endeavors.

• Pete Roskam, 43 years, Gales Agency

• Sandy Griffin, 38 years, Oceana County Road Commission

• Bob Beckman, 60 years, Beckman Brothers

• Marilyn Glover, 40 years, Shelby Township

• Rhonda Zaverl Golden, 42 1/2 years, Oceana County Medical Care Facility

• Carol Waller, 45 years, Shelby Public Schools

• Scott Poort, 28 years, Shelby Public Schools

• Sharon Sponhauer, 16 years, Shelby Public Schools

• Lisa Pranger, 13 years, Helena Agri-Enterprises

• Dan Roberts, 26 years, Shelby Public Schools

A special thank you also goes out to Cathy Schouten for greeting the guests and to the Boardwell family for providing and serving refreshments and appetizers. The retirees that attended were very appreciative of being honored, and they thank the community for this event.

Help shape long-term plan for Silver Lake State Park

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is offering three ways to learn about and share feedback on a new draft general management plan for Silver Lake State Park.

There are three opportunities to get involved and provide feedback:

In-person meeting: Tuesday, Sept. 24, 6-7:30 p.m. at Golden Township Hall, 5527 W. Fox Road in Mears.

Virtual meeting: Monday, Sept. 30, 6-7:30 p.m. Advance registration is required.

Online public input survey: For those unable to attend either meeting, an interactive online public input survey is available through Oct. 13. Additionally, the Sept. 30 meeting will be recorded and posted on the project website.

At each meeting, DNR staff will present an overview of the draft plan, proposed park improvements and the planning process, followed by an opportunity for people to ask questions and provide comment.

The DNR uses general management plans to define long-range planning and management strategies that protect the resources of state parks while addressing recreation and education needs and opportunities.

“The DNR has been working on a general management plan for Silver Lake State Park since the fall of 2023,” said Debbie Jensen, park management plan administrator with the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “More than 5,000 people took the time to share their initial thoughts this past spring, and the feedback has been instrumental in shaping the first draft of this comprehensive plan for the future.”

Silver Lake State Park is home to nearly 3 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, 2,000 acres of sand dunes, a modern campground, a day-use area, a boating access site and the popular 450-acre Silver Lake ORV Area – the only motorized sand dune riding opportunity east of the Mississippi River – and more. Mac Wood’s Dune Rides operates an interpretive, 40-minute dune tour in the summer months, and special fat-tire bicycling and horseback riding seasons take place in the winter months. Little Sable Point Lighthouse provides opportunities to climb the 100-foot tower, an experience facilitated by the Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association.

Showers of Blessings at First Baptist Church in Pentwater

“Showers of Blessings” was the theme for a 6:30 p.m. party at First Baptist Church in Pentwater Monday, Sept. 16. The theme was carried out with a shower curtain backdrop for a photo of 45 women attendees wearing shower caps, and by the umbrellas scattered in the room’s center. The invitation was extended to all interested women in the church community and whomever they wished to bring with them. Each attendee brought a wrapped gift with a value of $10-$25 for a gift exchange.

Pam Griffis offered a few introductory remarks and asked each of the 45 women present to say a few things about herself and how she felt blessed. The 10 seconds allotted per woman expanded to a minute for many guests, but the lengthy time required to get around the whole circle of women was punctuated by much laughter and applause. Then the group left their chairs to gather around the refreshment tables, where all manner of healthy

treats and decadent desserts were served. Choco late fountains for dipping a variety of items delight ed the eyes and the tastebuds of guests.

After refreshments, Linda Fortich formed the women into four teams for a competitive game of trivia in which she asked 25 questions related to the community. Following the trivia game the women took turns choosing packages and unwrap ping gifts. Guests could keep what they opened or choose to “steal” someone else’s gift. There were a few gifts that made it to several chairs around the circle, but most gifts stayed with the person who first unwrapped them. The fun lasted until 9 p.m., by which time many of the guests were ready to head home and retire for the night. What was very clear was that the women present were grateful for many blessings in their lives, not the least of which was their friendship with each other.

The honorees included, front row, from left, Sharon Sponhauer, Carol Waller, Marilyn Glover and Lisa Pranger. Back row, from left, Pete Roskam, Sandy Griffin, Rhonda Zaverl Golden, Dan Roberts and Bob Beckman. Scott Poort is missing from the photo.

Contributed Photo

Pentwater dominates Baldwin and Walkerville, sweeps both in three sets

By: Brendan Samuels

The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

PENTWATER – Home court advantage appeared to be in full effect for Pentwater as they claimed consecutive victories over West Michigan D League opponents. The Falcons defeated Baldwin, Thursday, Sept. 12 and Walkerville, Tuesday, Sept. 17, each by a set score of 3-0.

In action with Baldwin, it was Charlie Swanger that owned the night. The Falcons won in three sets by scores of 25-9, 25-20 and 25-14, thanks in large part to 33 points from Swanger at the service line. Swanger

also chipped in 14 aces, four kills and three digs along with a perfect 100 percent serving clip.

Pentwater junior Aubrie Adams also had a good night against the Panthers, claiming five points to go along with three aces, eight kills, three digs and another 100 percent serving clip. A strong serving night like that is impressive, but even more so when it carries over. When Pentwater hosted Walkerville on Tuesday, once again it was the Falcons’ serving that got them up and running.

In the first set, freshman Karina Olivarez rattled off a string of aces.

Pentwater VB

continued on page 14

Hart bruises Shelby in fourth quarter, snags fifth-straight rivalry win

By: Brendan Samuels The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

HART – 24 points separated Hart and Shelby football, Friday, Sept. 13 and though the Pirates walked away with a 30-6 victory, things were much closer than the scoreboard showed.

Through three quarters of play, neither team was able to gain an advantage, battling to a 6-6 stalemate with just one period of play remaining.

The home-standing Pirates

got on the board relatively quickly, converting on a splash play through the air to get the game’s first points. Senior quarterback Halen Boos released a beauty of a pass, arching the ball just over the outstretched arm of Shelby’s Trevor Weiss in coverage. Hart senior Eman Hertzler tracked the ball, hauled it in and jaunted into the endzone for a 50-yard touchdown connection.

As they so often do, Hart lined up for a two-point conversion, but were unable to find a hole in Shelby’s defense, leaving the score at 6-0.

In an early hole, there was no panic from the Tigers. Led by junior quarterback Isaiah Garcia and some nice runs from sophomore Brody Fessenden, Shelby marched right down the field. Chunk plays were the bulk of that drive, but a one handed catch by senior Griffin Olmstead proved to be the catalyst for Shelby’s response to the initial touchdown by Hart.

“Griffin made an unbelievable catch when it really matted on that first drive,” Shelby

Head Coach Phil Fortier said.

“He’s such a long athletic kid. We brought a tight end into our offense because of him. He had a great night and he has a great feel for finding open space and catching the football.”

Garcia ended a long offensive series for Shelby with an eight yard touchdown scramble, giving the Tigers an opportunity to take the lead. Senior Eli Kelley –one of Shelby’s best athletes on the soccer field – lined up for an extra point, but watched the ball leave his foot and immediately ricochet backward as Hart’s Alex Hicks stepped in front for a block to secure the 6-6 tie.

The second quarter was highlighted by failed drives and missed opportunities for both teams.

Hart once again found themselves deep in Shelby territory, with the ball inside the five yard line. A stout defensive stand from the Tigers found Hart with a fourth down situation. With-

Hart boys, girls cross country claim first at home

Soelberg, Ruhstorfer star for Shelby and Hesperia

By: Brendan Samuels

The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

HART – While they may be young, both of Hart’s cross country squads continue to dominate the competition inside the West Michigan Conference Rivers Division. The Pirates flashed that, Tuesday, Sept. 17, taking first in team placement for both the boys and girls races.

The boys run first in 2024 and though they weren’t able to secure an individual first place finish on their home course, Hart claimed four of the top five spots.

Freshman Silas Ackley came in

nearly 30 seconds after North Muskegon sophomore Barrett Nance claimed the top spot. Ackley finished at 18:28.23, an impressive mark for the young athlete. Behind him were a trio of teammates that included senior Max Stitt (18:58.87), junior Jack Slotman (18:59.76) and freshman Grant Ackley (19:05.85).

Hart wasn’t done there however. After two opposing runners crossed the finish line in the sixth and seventh spot, five more Pirates came cruising in. Sophomores Mason Opalewski (19:15.10) and Carson Ackley (19:17.32) led while freshman Timothy Wolff (19.18.90) and sophomores Aiden Schaner (19:24.16) and Caden

VanGelderen (19.37.16) came in behind.

In total, the Pirates accounted for 13 of the top 25 finishers. Junior Bryce Vander Kodde (20:08.77) finished in 16th, senior Ethan Schaner (20:13.30) in 19th, freshman Trevor Vander Kodde (20:22.21) in 21st and sophomore Owen VanderVlucht (20:28.28) in 22nd.

11 other Pirates ran on the boys side as well, rounding out a massive team for Hart.

Though they finished exactly 60 points behind Hart, Hesperia’s team clinched a second place finish as a

HART

SHELBY

Hart’s football team poses with the Blood, Sweat and Tears Jug after defeating rival Shelby, 30-6, Friday, Sept. 13. The Pirates have now beaten Shelby in five consecutive meetings for the first time in history. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Hart sophomore Natalie Rosema leads a pack of runners including Shelby sophomore Lydia Soelberg and Hart senior Lexie Beth Nienhuis. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Pentwater junior Charlie Swanger attempts to bump a ball over the net with her back aimed at the defense.

Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Hart senior Eman Hertzler throws a stiff arm into Shelby’s Isaac Garcia on a run. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Hart vs. Shelby

out a dedicated kicker, the Pirates were forced to go for six, but were turned away by Shelby, forcing a turnover on downs.

“That was a fantastic effort after (Hart) pounded us down the field,” Fortier said. “(Those were) tremendous individual efforts by all 11 of those guys. I was really proud of our offense on the first play (after the turnover on downs), busting it for 40 to get it out of there. There were moments in that game that were amazing.”

Shelby responded late in that same quarter with a deep drive of their own, bringing the ball down inside Hart’s 10-yard line. Garcia did his best to create points, nearly turning a highlight scramble into a touchdown connection with Olmstead. That throw came up just short and with just seconds left on the clock, the Tigers opted to trot Kelley back out for another attempt.

Kelley got a clean hold from Jaylin Henderson, but was unable to fit the ball between the goal posts, sailing the ball wide left to end the half still knotted up at 6-6.

“When it came down to it, our guys rose to the occasion,” Hart Head Coach Joe Tanis said. “We talk about winning the middle eight, which is the last four minutes of the second quarter and the first four of the third. We had them down here inside the 10 and we held them to a field goal attempt and they missed it. They were getting the ball coming out of the half, so that was huge. If we had let them score there, then it was going to be an uphill battle.”

It seemed Shelby may have found a golden opportunity in

the third quarter when Olmstead came out of a pile with a fumble recovery, handing his team the ball near midfield. Hart recovered a fumble of their own just three seconds after that play, giving the Pirates another chance.

Hart drove the ball down to Shelby’s 11yard line, but watched disaster strike yet again. With zeroes on the clock, Hart fumbled for the second time in a 12-minute span. Garcia ripped the ball out of the hands of Hertzler, creating another opportunity for the Tigers.

Clearly tired of the way things had played out to that point, Hart’s offense turned it on in the fourth and final quarter.

After receiving a Shelby punt at the 44yard line, it took the Pirates just 90 seconds to find paydirt. Sophomore Keaghan Monroe broke off a 35-yard touchdown run and Hicks added a twopoint conversion to pull Hart in front, 14-6. That started a scoring frenzy for the Pirates. With under four minutes remaining, Hart added an additional two touchdowns for insurance. The first came on a one-yard punch from junior Kyle Grein-

er and the second on a 34-yard scamper from Hertzler. Greiner added two-point conversions on both of those touchdowns to bring the final score to 30-6.

Hart hoisted the Blood, Sweat and Tears jug at midfield following the game, etching a bit of history as well. For the first time in the storied history of their rivalry with Shelby, the Pirates have now claimed five consecutive victories.

Hart’s offense was highlighted by a three-headed attack on the ground. Hertzler led the way with 127 yards on nine carries, Greiner followed up with 84 yards on 13 carries and Monroe had 70 yards on 11 carries. All three had a touchdown on the ground as well, with Hertzler adding one touchdown as a receiver.

“There was a new offensive line this week. Abdel Lopez, Haegan Hansen, Jose Torres, Hollis Rockwell, Blake Helenhouse – who’s 130 pounds – and Eric Hannan at our tight end spot. Those guys really led the way,” Tanis said. “Those backs ran hard and gave us everything we could have asked for.”

On defense, Boos led

Pentwater VB

Walkerville tried their best to handle Olivarez, but the Pentwater freshman continually exposed the Wildcats’ back line, finding holes in the defense with ease.

Walkerville did find their footing, squeezing out some nice digs from the likes of Kaydynce Meitner, Isabel Babbin and Kelsey Garrett. It wasn’t enough to hold off Pentwater however, allowing the Falcons to stroll to a 25-13 victory in the first set.

The evening’s second set started off with a much more back-andforth pace than the first. Pentwater continually found themselves

with nine total tackles, including one for a loss. Senior Kaden Bond added six tackles and an interception for Hart as well.

Shelby’s offense struggled to score, but they did have some standout performances. Garcia went 9-for-19 through the air for 107 yards, adding 14 on the ground and a touchdown. Senior running back AJ Melchor chipped in 80 yards rushing on 14 carries. Olmstead had 37 yards on four catches while Kaden Hallack added three catches for 52 yards.

Ethan Viterna led Shelby in tackles with 11, while Fessenden added 10 of his own. Henderson had eight tackles, adding a teamhigh two tackles for loss.

Hart pushed to 2-1, recovering from a conference loss to Ravenna the week prior. The Pirates will start a threegame road trip, Friday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m., as they travel to Kent City.

Shelby (1-2, 0-2 WMC Rivers), is in the midst of a three-game road stretch as well. The Tigers will play game two of that trip, Friday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. against the Ravenna Bulldogs.

team. The Panthers were led by a sixth place finish for sophomore Nate Ruhstorfer (19:07.91).

Hesperia senior Andrew Sherburn (19:58.10) and junior Zack Temple (20:00.61) finished back-to-back at 14th and 15th. Rounding out the Panthers’ top seven runners were consecutive finishes for juniors Kolt Milner (24:17.19), Jacob Priese (24:20.35) and Dain Kraus (24:31.83) along with freshman Keegan Roberson (25:02.41) in spots 47-50. Shelby’s boys came in fourth as a team, with a final score of 97 points. Three Tigers cracked the top 25 with junior Iziquiel Picon (19:46.12) leading the way in 13th place. Freshman Parker Weirich (20:13.81) followed in 20th with senior Ethan Fessenden (20:39.11) coming in 25th.

Alex Crowder (20:45.29) narrowly missed the top 25, coming in 26th place while freshman trio Max Cubillos (26:21.18), Edmund Hayes (27:27.40) and Declan Waller (27:48.73) finished out the top seven runners for Shelby’s boys.

The girls race featured an interesting individual battle at the top of the leaderboards. Hart sophomore Natalie Rosema led that race for a significant portion of the trail, but Shelby sophomore Lydia Soelberg was on her hip the whole way.

continued from page 13

making unforced errors that allowed Walkerville to climb back into the game.

Midway through the second set, Pentwater found a rhythm and, once again, rolled past Walkerville to a 25-12 win.

Needing only one more set victory to end the night, Pentwater held off a mighty attack from Walkerville. The Wildcats scored the most points in a set that they had all night, but the inexperience of the team as a whole showed, allowing the Falcons to come out with a 25-14 win and a 3-0 victory overall.

In the last stretch, Soelberg pulled in front of Rosema, claiming first place at 21:09.26 to lead the way for Shelby to place second as a team. Behind Soelberg were fellow sophomores Noel Parker (23:13.77) and Grace Hasenbank (24:26.53) in ninth and 13th places.

Freshman Kathryn Beyer (25:33.40) finished in 19th, sophomore Sydney Reed (27:47.59) in 28th, junior April Luna (28:55.90) in 34th and sophomore Emma Smith (30:38.55) in 36th,

rounded out the top seven for Shelby’s girls.

Hart still came out on top as a team, defeating second place Shelby by more than 30 points. That was thanks to six of Hart’s top seven finishing in the top 10.

Rosema led the way in second place with a 21:16.50 finish while senior Lexie Beth Nienhuis (22:32.09) came in third and freshman Alaina Schaner (22:42.72) in fourth. Freshman Joselyn Flores finished in sixth at 22:54.22, senior Harriet Kidder (23:06.75) in eighth and freshman Luisa Vander Zwaag (23:18.72) in 10th. Freshman Bryn Riley was the final of Hart’s top seven to cross the finish line, coming in at 23:22.14 for an 11th place finish. Five additional Hart girls ran as well. Freshman Emery Velat (24:36.60) led that group in 14th place while juniors Kenai Kokx (25:22.29) and Abigail Studer (25:28.32) pulled in 17th and 18th place respectively. Freshman Ellie Gross (27:32.23) claimed 25th place and freshman Baleigh Klotz (30:54.36) finished in 37th.

Hesperia’s limited runners on the girls end featured just two competitors. Sophomore Rokhaya Ruhstorfer (26:47.06) finished in 22nd while junior Elyssa Wright (33:55.19) came in 42nd.

Shelby junior Isaac Garcia (above, left) watches a pass sail toward a receiver on the sideline. Shelby sophomore Jaylin Henderson attempts to break out of a tackle from a Hart defender on a run. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Walkerville’s Kelsey Garrett soars up to meet a ball just over the net in a 3-0 loss to Pentwater. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Hesperia’s Zack Temple and Andrew Sherburn make a push in a crowded group. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Shelby sophomore Lydia Soelberg cruises into the finish line, claiming first place individually for the Tigers during the WMC Rivers Jamboree. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Hesperia’s Doug Baird inducted into the Michigan High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame

PORTLAND, MI – The Michigan High School Coaches’ Association (MHSCA) has selected Douglas Baird from Hesperia High School for induction into the Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place in the Terrace Room of the Bovee University Center on the campus of Central Michigan University (CMU), Sunday, Sept. 15 at 1 p.m.

Baird has coached three different sports for a total of 99 seasons over 35 years and continues to coach currently. He has coached middle school boys and girls track in Mount Pleasant (199094) and Hesperia (199599), and was the girls high school head track and field coach in Hesperia (1996-98). He was the boys and girls head cross country coach at Hesperia High School from 1995-2015 and from 2017-2022. His girls cross country teams have won 10 conference championships, three MHSAA Regional Championships, two MHSAA State Titles, 36 Invitational wins and have a winloss record of 69-22. His boys cross country teams have won 15 conference championships, four MHSAA Regional Championships, one MHSAA Runner-Up finish, two MHSAA State Titles, 65 Invitational wins, and have a win-loss record of 89-19. Baird also had three girls cross country Academic All-State teams and six boys cross country Academic AllState teams. In 2023, he returned as the assistant coach of the Hesperia High School boys and girls cross country teams.

Baird began his career as a wrestling coach in Mount Pleasant as the middle school wrestling coach (1989-90). He served as the assistant wrestling coach at Coleman High School (1990-91) and at Mount Pleasant High School (1991-94) and Hesperia High School (1995-2003 and 2023-24). He was the head wrestling coach at Hesperia High School from 2004-2013 and again from 2016-2021. His teams accumulated 11 conference titles, 15 MHSAA District Titles, 10 MHSAA Regional Titles, four MHSAA Runner-Up finishes, one MHSAA State Title, 53 Invitational wins and have a win-loss record of 503-99. Baird

has had nine Academic All-State wrestling teams and in 2006 his team won the MHSAA-Good Sports are Winners award. 10 of Baird’s wrestlers were Academic All-Americans, 43 wrestlers have won 100+ matches and nine wrestlers won 200+ matches. In all sports coached combined, Baird’s athletes earned 112 MHSAA All-State Individual medals, 22 MHSAA Individual State Champions and 12 MHSAA Individual Runner-Ups. Baird has coached two Mr. Wrestler athletes, which is an accomplishment that no other Division 4 team has yet to match. Many of his athletes went on to compete at the collegiate level.

Throughout his coaching career, Baird has been honored for his service to his teams and sports on numerous occasions. Baird was named the Michigan Wrestling Association (MWA) Regional Coach of the Year nine times, the MWA State Coach of the Year in 2008, the National Wrestling Coaches Association Michigan Coach of the Year nominee two times and the MWA Regional Assistant Coach of the Year in 2001. He was also selected to coach in the MWA East/West AllStar Wrestling Match in 2008, and coached Team Michigan at Fargo National Championships for Freestyle/Greco in 2019. Baird was named the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association (MITCA) Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year two times and the MITCA Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year two times. In 2019, Baird was inducted into the MITCA Hall of Fame.

Coach Baird has been an active member of the MWA serving as the treasurer from 20002022, served on coaches committees to seed both individual and team state MHSAA finals, was a MWA Coaches Clinic Presenter in 2009 and founded the White River Wrestling Camp (1995-present). Baird’s wrestling teams have also collected Toys for Tots for 15 years and have raised $50,000 with their annual “Pink Out” meet to raise money for those battling cancer.

The MHSCA is a 67year old association with nearly 12,000 members

representing 18 sport related associations was founded on the campus of CMU in 1954. The Hall of Fame is located in the Student Activities Center.

Hesperia Communi-

ty Schools will host an Open House Reception for Baird, Monday, Sept. 23 from 5-7 p.m. in the Hesperia High School cafeteria.

Shelby volleyball defeated Hesperia in three sets, Tuesday, Sept. 17. The Tigers hit a season high clip of .481 as well as a team high in aces with 22. Senior Navea Gauthier led the Tigers with 18 kills, nine digs, five aces and one block. Freshman Jayna Burmeister added five kills while junior Brylee Friedman had eight digs and a team-high two blocks. Senior setter Audrey Horton led the team in aces with 12, to go along with a team-high 22 assists as well. Shelby moved to 10-4 overall with the win and now has a 3-0 record in the West Michigan Rivers Division. Hesperia did not provide stats. • File

Photo - Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Speed, ball placement and a little luck lift Hart soccer over Oakridge

By: Brendan Samuels

The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

HART – After a brutal string of opponents to open league play, Hart boys soccer pulled out their first West Michigan Conference (WMC) victory, Monday, Sept. 16, defeating Oakridge, 3-1.

After going 1-3 in its initial run through the WMC, Hart was happy to have the likes of Ludington, Montague and Whitehall in the rearview. The Pirates were outscored 20-2 by those opponents alone, claiming a 1-0 win over Manistee to offset losses to the others.

“We played three of the most dominant teams in the conference,” Hart Head Coach Joe Gilbert said. “Whitehall has slipped the last couple, but they’ve had tough games too. I’d say we didn’t match up well against Whitehall with their speed. Ludington is a good possession team and Montague is 5-0 or 6-0. We had a tough first run in the conference. Picking up the win over Manistee was a confidence boost.”

The Pirates carried their narrow win over the Mariners into a home meeting with Oakridge.

Senior leader Tyler Larios-Mendez got the Pirates going

Tyler Larios-Mendez battles for possession of the ball with an Oakridge defender. Larios-Mendez was one of three goal scorers for the Pirates in a 3-1 win over the Eagles, Monday, Sept. 16. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

early, turning a well placed ball from sophomore midfielder Logan Dean into a one-on-one with the Eagles’ keeper. Larios-Mendez loaded up for a power shot, but instead tapped the ball softly out of the keeper’s reach to pull Hart in front 1-0 with just four minutes having ticked off the clock.

Hart owned possession of the ball for a majority of the first half, finding multiple shots on goal. The Pirates weren’t able to increase their lead until 15 minutes after the initial score.

“(Possession) was huge in establishing our goals,” Gilbert said. “I thought it could have been better honestly. We know we don’t have a ton of speed, so we knew if we could dictate the tempo and control (Oakridge’s) moments, we would have good success. We need to be much cleaner, especially when we’re on the attack.”

Junior forward Chase Lorenz was the recipient of that goal, pushing the ball down the right side of the pitch with Oakridge defenders trailing behind. Lorenz, a star for Hart’s track team, used his speed to gain separation before lifting a ball toward the net on what appeared to be a pass aimed at the back post.

That “pass” ended up being accurate enough to bounce past the keeper and take a soft roll over the

goal line, inches away from a ricochet off the back post. That goal put Hart on top 2-0 and had the Pirates celebrating into halftime.

“Chase will say he was shooting that, but it looked like more of a cross (pass),” Gilbert laughed.

“He’ll take the goal.”

After a slower start to the second half, it was senior midfielder Emmanuel Ortega that got things going with 20 minutes remaining in play. A penalty outside of Oakridge’s box set junior Rivaldo Gonzalez up for a free kick a few feet inside the corner on the Eagle’s baseline.

Gonzalez – a set piece specialist – sent a perfect ball into a crowd of bodies in front of the net. The resulting scrum between black and white jerseys resulted in Ortega poking the ball out in front of the net and sending it past the Oakridge keeper for a 3-0 lead.

Oakridge was able to answer with 10 minutes remaining in the game, but it was too little too late for a comeback. Hart’s defense closed out the game, surviving eight shots from the Eagles in the second half. Junior Miguel Escamilla made six saves in the net for Hart. The Pirates moved to 5-5 on the year, boosting their WMC standing to 2-3 which had them sitting in seventh out of 11 teams.

Shelby sweeps Hesperia

Hart’s

Hart’s Miguel Escamilla makes a save in net for the Pirates. Escamilla recorded six saves in the 3-1 win over Oakridge. • Brendan Samuels/ ECHO

Reflections

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Electric Forest festival to move up 1 week in 2025

Electric Forest festival to move up 1 week in 2025

Rothbury council approves police radio purchase, annexation of community center

Rothbury council approves police radio purchase, annexation of community center

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

ROTHBURY — The Electric Forest festival will take place one week earlier than normal in 2025, the Rothbury city council announced at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday.

ROTHBURY — The Electric Forest festival will take place one week earlier than normal in 2025, the Rothbury city council announced at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday.

The council stated it had received communication from AEG Presents’ Chad Cheek, who works to put the festival on each year, that due to artist and vendor availability, expected festival traffic would be in town June 17-22 instead of June 24-29. The mass gathering permit that allows Electric Forest to operate each year allows for such changes if at least eight months of advance notice are given.

The council stated it had received communication from AEG Presents’ Chad Cheek, who works to put the festival on each year, that due to artist and vendor availability, expected festival traffic would be in town June 17-22 instead of June 24-29. The mass gathering permit that allows Electric Forest to operate each year allows for such changes if at least eight months of advance notice are given.

Also Tuesday, the council accepted the resignation of Doug Roesler as the village’s event administrator. Roesler, who has been in the position for seven years, was not present at Tuesday’s

Also Tuesday, the council accepted the resignation of Doug Roesler as the village’s event administrator. Roesler, who has been in the position for seven years, was not present at Tuesday’s

meeting, but the council read a letter from him aloud. Village president Vern Talmadge said in communication with Roesler, he was told that the new Electric Forest management had not been in contact with Roesler during this year’s festival, and Roesler felt having him in the position was not necessary under those circumstances.

meeting, but the council read a letter from him aloud. Village president Vern Talmadge said in communication with Roesler, he was told that the new Electric Forest management had not been in contact with Roesler during this year’s festival, and Roesler felt having him in the position was not necessary under those circumstances.

The council also approved its share of a purchase of seven police radios by a vote of 6-0 (Jim Fekken was absent from the meeting). The total cost of the radios is $45,000, though that cost will be shared with other police departments in the county and the state police will reimburse a small portion of it (about $8,400) to pay for the process of encrypting the radios.

The council also approved its share of a purchase of seven police radios by a vote of 6-0 (Jim Fekken was absent from the meeting). The total cost of the radios is $45,000, though that cost will be shared with other police departments in the county and the state police will reimburse a small portion of it (about $8,400) to pay for the process of encrypting the radios.

During discussion, police chief Ethan Walker told the council there were cheaper options out there, but those options would be past their expected lifespan and it would be difficult to find replacement parts if needed. He added that when the current radio system needs replacement parts, the department has to scour eBay to find them. Talmadge said if the

During discussion, police chief Ethan Walker told the council there were cheaper options out there, but those options would be past their expected lifespan and it would be difficult to find replacement parts if needed. He added that when the current radio system needs replacement parts, the department has to scour eBay to find them. Talmadge said if the

village has to upgrade the equipment anyway, it might as well pay for a system they know will be supported for some time. New Era will have to join Rothbury in approving the purchase.

village has to upgrade the equipment anyway, it might as well pay for a system they know will be supported for some time. New Era will have to join Rothbury in approving the purchase.

The council also voted 6-0 to approve a resolution that will annex the Rothbury Community Center into the village - it is technically located in Grant Township - and also voted 6-0 to authorize clerk Brandy Williams to vote for directors representing Rothbury for the Michigan Municipal League.

The council also voted 6-0 to approve a resolution that will annex the Rothbury Community Center into the village - it is technically located in Grant Township - and also voted 6-0 to authorize clerk Brandy Williams to vote for directors representing Rothbury for the Michigan Municipal League.

Recycling through Kuerth’s Disposal was also a topic of discussion. Previously Kuerth’s contracted to provide garbage service for all village residents and stated it would be willing to offer recycling service as well if at least 40% of residents utilized recycling bins that were placed next to the village hall. While the village has not been able to verify that amount of people are using the bins, trustee Dylan Zuniga noted the bins fill up again very quickly whenever they are emptied. Williams suggested the council simply move forward with a

Recycling through Kuerth’s Disposal was also a topic of discussion. Previously Kuerth’s contracted to provide garbage service for all village residents and stated it would be willing to offer recycling service as well if at least 40% of residents utilized recycling bins that were placed next to the village hall. While the village has not been able to verify that amount of people are using the bins, trustee Dylan Zuniga noted the bins fill up again very quickly whenever they are emptied. Williams suggested the council simply move forward with a

contract with Kuerth’s to provide recycling regardless of confirmed participation, believing residents would use the service if offered. No action was taken on the matter.

contract with Kuerth’s to provide recycling regardless of confirmed participation, believing residents would use the service if offered. No action was taken on the matter.

During public comment, Vaughn White of Valley City Metal spoke for an update on an effort to pursue grant money for a community center to be placed in part of the old Kurdziel foundry building on Winston Road. The grant he’s pursuing is through the Inflation Reduction Act, which provided for $2 billion in nationwide funding for community-focused projects. The county must submit the grant by Nov. 21, but Valley City will work with the county to submit by the end of the month, which White said will increase the chance it receives funding. White said the facility would be similar to the Viking Athletic Center in Whitehall, including a walking track and multiuse courts. He added that even if Valley City is unable to secure grant money, enough background work has been done that it could be a “shovel-ready” project if another source of funding became available.

During public comment, Vaughn White of Valley City Metal spoke for an update on an effort to pursue grant money for a community center to be placed in part of the old Kurdziel foundry building on Winston Road. The grant he’s pursuing is through the Inflation Reduction Act, which provided for $2 billion in nationwide funding for community-focused projects. The county must submit the grant by Nov. 21, but Valley City will work with the county to submit by the end of the month, which White said will increase the chance it receives funding. White said the facility would be similar to the Viking Athletic Center in Whitehall, including a walking track and multiuse courts. He added that even if Valley City is unable to secure grant money, enough background work has been done that it could be a “shovel-ready” project if another source of funding became available.

Exploring the history of women’s suffrage

Exploring the history of women’s suffrage

By Madison Lajewski White Lake Mirror Writer

By Madison Lajewski White Lake Mirror Writer

MONTAGUE — The Montague branch of the Muskegon Area District Library welcomed the Muskegon Museum of History and Science for a presentation on the history of women’s suffrage in Muskegon County and surrounding areas Wednesday. Jennifer Reeths and Wendy VanWoerkom shared photos and articles from past suffragettes and local women’s suffrage groups stretching from Hart to Grand Rapids.

MONTAGUE — The Montague branch of the Muskegon Area District Library welcomed the Muskegon Museum of History and Science for a presentation on the history of women’s suffrage in Muskegon County and surrounding areas Wednesday. Jennifer Reeths and Wendy VanWoerkom shared photos and articles from past suffragettes and local women’s suffrage groups stretching from Hart to Grand Rapids.

A series of women were credited

A series of women were credited

for their ongoing fight for women’s freedom, including Montague’s own Nellie B. Chisholm, for whom the middle school is named. She was just one of many credited for being part of the Muskegon organization for women’s suffrage.

for their ongoing fight for women’s freedom, including Montague’s own Nellie B. Chisholm, for whom the middle school is named. She was just one of many credited for being part of the Muskegon organization for women’s suffrage.

Attendees encouraged the idea of placing their “I voted” stickers on the headstones of local suffragettes, in honor of their fight. This is a common practice throughout the country.

Attendees encouraged the idea of placing their “I voted” stickers on the headstones of local suffragettes, in honor of their fight. This is a common practice throughout the country.

“The push and pull of the progress

“The push and pull of the progress

Women’s suffrage

Women’s suffrage

continued on page 2

continued on page 2

Amy VanLoon set to retire from Chamber

Amy VanLoon set to retire from Chamber

By Andy Roberts

Lake Mirror Editor

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

WHITEHALL — When Amy VanLoon was first approached about the possibility of interviewing for the White Lake Chamber of Commerce executive director position in 2004, she really wasn’t that interested. While she was doing some part-time work for White Lake Area Community Education at the time and had had a career prior to becoming a mom, she was focused on being a stay-at-home parent while husband John served as Whitehall High School principal.

WHITEHALL — When Amy VanLoon was first approached about the possibility of interviewing for the White Lake Chamber of Commerce executive director position in 2004, she really wasn’t that interested. While she was doing some part-time work for White Lake Area Community Education at the time and had had a career prior to becoming a mom, she was focused on being a stay-at-home parent while husband John served as Whitehall High School principal.

“Someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘You should apply for this position,’” VanLoon said after the White Lake Community Walk on Labor Day. “I said, ‘I’m really not interested, nor am I looking for a job.’ (But I) interviewed, (became) mildly interested, and as I learned more about the role

“Someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘You should apply for this position,’” VanLoon said after the White Lake Community Walk on Labor Day. “I said, ‘I’m really not interested, nor am I looking for a job.’ (But I) interviewed, (became) mildly interested, and as I learned more about the role

and the organization and what it did, I said, ‘OK, I’ll give this a try.’ Here we are 20 years later.”

and the organization and what it did, I said, ‘OK, I’ll give this a try.’ Here we are 20 years later.”

VanLoon has poured countless hours into the Chamber in those 20 years, and she still has plenty more to go, but she has decided to retire in December.

VanLoon has poured countless hours into the Chamber in those 20 years, and she still has plenty more to go, but she has decided to retire in December.

In that time, she said, her role has evolved considerably as the area has grown and the business community has grown right along with it. So successful has the Chamber been that in November 2021, it brought on its second full-time employee, current director of events Stephanie Ware, to help handle the growing schedule that now includes so many staples, such as the Holiday Walk, Feet on the Street, Pumpkinfest and more.

In that time, she said, her role has evolved considerably as the area has grown and the business community has grown right along with it. So successful has the Chamber been that in November 2021, it brought on its second full-time employee, current director of events Stephanie Ware, to help handle the growing schedule that now includes so many staples, such as the Holiday Walk, Feet on the Street, Pumpkinfest and more.

“It became more and more, and we built it from the grassroots up, not only fiscally but also our role in the community,” VanLoon said. “That grew as well

“It became more and more, and we built it from the grassroots up, not only fiscally but also our role in the community,” VanLoon said. “That grew as well

as we built those relationships with the city of

amount from

even in her relatively short time as part of

even in her relatively short time as part of

Whitehall and Montague.”

Ware said she has learned a tremendous

VanLoon

the Chamber. She said part of what has made VanLoon such a consider-

White

White Lake Chamber & Visitor’s Bureau executive director Amy VanLoon (left) speaks with local residents following the Labor Day White Lake Community Walk. VanLoon is slated to retire from the Chamber in December after 20 years of service.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Amy VanLoon

The Muskegon Museum of History and Science’s Jennifer Reeths and Wendy VanWoerkom displayed anti-suffrage editorial cartoons during Wednesday’s presentation about the history of the women’s suffrage movement. • Madison Lajewski/Mirror

as we built those relationships with the city of Whitehall and Montague.” Ware said she has learned a tremendous amount from VanLoon

the Chamber. She said part of what has made VanLoon such a consider-

White Lake Chamber & Visitor’s Bureau executive director Amy VanLoon (left) speaks with local residents following the Labor Day White Lake Community Walk. VanLoon is slated to retire from the Chamber in December after 20 years of service.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Amy VanLoon

The Muskegon Museum of History and Science’s Jennifer Reeths and Wendy VanWoerkom displayed anti-suffrage editorial cartoons during Wednesday’s presentation about the history of the women’s suffrage movement. • Madison Lajewski/Mirror

Whitehall school board approves Van Wieren’s contract

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

WHITEHALL — The Whitehall school board unanimously approved interim superintendent CJ Van Wieren’s contract as part of its consent action agenda at Monday’s regular meeting and discussed a schedule to conduct Van Wieren’s evaluation.

The evaluation, which the contract states must be completed by Jan. 30, would precede a formal decision on whether Van Wieren would be fully elevated to the position of superinten-

dent by the end of March. If elevated, the contract states, Van Wieren would receive a three-year extension to the contract through the 2027-28 school year. The opening compensation rate will be $155,000 annually, subject to future increases based on longevity.

The board discussed the possibility of pushing the evaluation back to June, but after some discussion, no action was taken on the matter. Trustee Tim Cross offered, and treasurer Jimmy TenBrink concurred, that the board could decide in a month or two that if it felt it would be beneficial to

Women’s suffrage

the suffragettes would think they’re making, then having to fall back again,” VanWoerkom said. “I can’t imagine how frustrating that was to persevere through. But the women did. There were some issues they had with each other with strategies and things like that, but they ultimately pushed through and kept going for 72 years.”

Other things included in the presentation were copies of anti-suffrage cartoons that were printed in newspapers nationwide and locally throughout the movement.

“I really like looking into anti-suffrage cartoons,” said Reeths. “I find those fascinating in the arguments they would make and the crazy, off-the-wall things they would say. But also the mud-slinging back then has connections to the same things we have today.

continued from page 1

For example, they’d say ‘look at these catty women’ and they’d have pictures of cats. We have politicians today that are calling people ‘childless cat ladies.’ It was very interesting for me to see that clear overlap.”

Other historical pinpoints in women’s history included this year marking only the 50th anniversary of women being able to get credit cards without being married and/or needing a man’s signature.

“It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come, how much work was done by women who came before us,” Montague Library team leader Christina Le Vey-Rowland said. “There’s still work to be done, but it’s also amazing to know that some of the women who started the movement never got to actually see the vote.”

Mobile food pantry is back

The Feeding America-West Michigan Mobile Food Pantry will return to Whitehall Saturday, Sept. 21 from 1011:30 a.m. The White Lake Congregational United Church of Christ will be the site for the food pantry.

The food pantry program provides

MHS

push back the evaluation that it could do so. Board president Rachel Fekken noted that any board member would have to have completed the evaluation training prior to a vote taking place, with the same applying to any potential new board member in the intervening months.

The board unanimously approved a tweak to the wording of its discrimination and harassment policy, noting the Miller Johnson law firm helped come up with the language. There are other policy updates the board will consider in the coming months, but due to changes in the Title IX law, the board had to act on this policy for its September meeting. As part of the move, which does not functionally change the school’s policy on the matter, the district appointed Shoreline Elementary principal Beth Whaley as its Title IX coordinator. She will supervise the policy’s implementation.

The board also unanimously approved the Master Agreement between the Whitehall Education Asso-

ciation (the teacher’s union) and the district. Additionally, the board considered moving next month’s meeting from Oct. 21 to Oct. 14 due to the annual marching band glow show also being scheduled for Oct. 21. After discussion the board did not take any action and the meeting will remain on the 21st.

Van Wieren gave his first superintendent report and said the feedback he’s consistently received is that it’s been a “smooth and exciting” start to the school year, adding that it appears the overall student count will be higher than preliminary projections, which anticipated a drop of about 40 students in the district. Van Wieren also noted that the district’s Community Night prior to last Friday’s football game was a hit and that students enjoyed dunking their principals in the dunk tank. The district is working on disseminating information about the upcoming operations millage renewal vote, which will be on the November ballot.

Amy VanLoon

able asset to the area is her attention to detail, even down to making sure she’s choosing good times of day to get in contact with her business connections.

“Whenever she makes a call to somebody, she’ll go, ‘OK. What’s the nature of their business? Is it their busy season or their busy time of day? Should this be an email? Should I wait until the end of the day?’” Ware said. “She just puts a lot of thoughtfulness into everything.

Because of the work VanLoon, her colleagues and local businesses have done, she is confident no matter who takes over her position in the futurethe board of directors will “do their due diligence” in selecting a candidate, VanLoon said - the Chamber will continue to thrive.

a variety of groceries to people in need. There is no cost to receive food and no ID is required. More information may be obtained by visiting Facebook. com/uccthebikepath or contacting the church office, Monday-Wednesday mornings at (231) 893-3265.

“It’s taught me a lot. I’ve thought, ‘If I send this email right now, is this going to get buried? Because this is their really busy season. Maybe I should stop in. Maybe I should wait a month’. I think about it because she’s taught me to do that by example.”

“I feel wonderful about where the organization is today and that makes me feel even more confident as I step away that it can be taken to the next level,” VanLoon said.

Ware agreed. She said she will miss “everything” about working with VanLoon when the time comes for her to step away, but that the organization is well-positioned for the future.

to host safety meeting

Montague High School will host an “All Things Safety” meeting Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 6 p.m., covering several different topics relating to keeping students and school personnel safe. Topics scheduled to be addressed include social media, bus and driver safety, student safety, and safe walking routes to and from school. The school will offer resources to support students’ mental health.

The meeting will take place in the lobby outside the high school auditorium. Attendees will receive free admission to the Montague vs. Whitehall varsity volleyball match, scheduled to begin at approximately 7 p.m.

VanLoon said she looked at the 20year mark as a good one to retire in part for family reasons. She is looking forward to spending more time with her parents as well as her growing family - her two children are both married and she has three grandchildren, with a fourth scheduled to arrive in January.

“I look at the past two decades, and I’ve dedicated my life to this position,” VanLoon said. “Now it’s time for me to take the next two decades, to dedicate it toward my family.”

“Amy truly is leaving behind a really good organization,” Ware said. “The organization’s been around for 53 years, and it’s got a lot of credibility, but for 20 of those years it’s been her. She has done so much to help build and maintain trust with our business community, and trust with our members and our community members and tourism partners and everything. She’s done so much to set this organization up for success and continues to do so. She’s definitely going to be missed, but I think that she’s left it in a good spot.”

Saturday, Sept. 21

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

White Lake Area Sportfishing Association hosts highway cleanup, 9 a.m. Volunteers will meet at Exit 131 of US-31. Lunch will be provided.

Chad V. Broughman speaks at Book Talk event at Book Nook & Java Shop, 3 p.m. Broughman will discuss his debut novel, The Fall of Bellwether.

Smitten performs @ Red Rooster

Community Calendar

Tavern, 8 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 22

Fall Makers Market @ Stibitz Farms, 12-4 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 23

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

FAN Club live music @ Fetch Brewing, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 25

Youth Open Studio @ ACWL-Nu-

veen Center, 3-5 p.m. Open to middle and high school students. Students are welcome to bring in school art projects or anything they are working on and get help from ACWL-Nuveen staff.

Thursday, Sept. 26

Fetch Cycling Group meets every Thursday at 6 p.m. All levels welcome. Free general admission every Thursday @ the Muskegon Museum of Art, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Adult Open Studio @ ACWL-Nu-

veen Center, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bring projects from home or explore supplies available in the classroom.

Good Neighbor Day dinner @ The Playhouse at White Lake. Catered by Bone Ends. Free to attend, though free will donations are encouraged to fund next year’s meal.

Friday, Sept. 27

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

Echoes of History: Citizens - Mark B. Covell

By Barbara Bedau Brow Volunteer Contributor

When Mark Bertram Covell died April 21, 1933, he closed the chapters of life for the pioneer Covell family, who for many years were among the leaders in lumbering activities in the White Lake area. Mark was the last to arrive and the last to survive, passing away 48 years after the death of Covell pioneer A. J., who died April 21, 1885. For more than 63 years he had been prominent in the business life of this entire White Lake area. He was first a mill employee, then the operator of a general store, shingle mill, lumber mill, lumber barges and later became a dealer in real estate and a banker.

Mark B. Covell was born to Calvin T. and Elizabeth (nee Coleman) Covell in Ridgebury Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania June 26, 1849. He was one of 12 children, eight of whom came to Whitehall and had much to do with the building up of this area. He came here Oct. 21, 1870. The first month of his arrival was devoted to work around the old Staples & Covell mill, and then he went up into the woods to help at the logging camp during the winter. In the spring he found his way back to White Lake, acting as foreman in the mill for the

summer and when winter came, he again returned to the woods to scale and buy logs for the firm.

In 1873 he purchased an interest in the general supply store owned by T. Bennett & Co. The business continued under this name for a short time and then Bennett sold out to Covell’s brother-in-law, Joseph Hinchman, and the firm name changed to Hinchman & Covell. The store was located near the tunnel and was burned in the fire July 30, 1880. Not to be discouraged, he built a brick block on the corner where the former State Bank, now Fetch Brewing Co., would later be built. That building was destroyed in the devastating fire of Sept. 18, 1890.

On Feb. 11, 1875 Mark married Mary Myhra of Norway. She died suddenly July 9, 1891 and is buried in Oakhurst Cemetery.

Mark became interested in the shingle and lumbering business. He was with the Covell Bros. organization, then a member of the Ocobock and Covell company, followed by a partnership with his brother, Charles E., in the operation of a lumber mill and later in the dealing in real estate. This firm, known as C. E. & M. B. Covell, continued until the death of C. E. in 1924. This last partnership held vast amounts of acreage around the White

River, most of which was disposed of after the timber had been cut.

In the early 1880s, with his brothers A. J. and C. E. Covell, and Captain P. D. Campbell, he purchased the propeller R. C. Brittain which they ran as a lumber barge until 1887 when the company, White Lake Transportation Co. built the propeller Hayward. In 1888 they built the propeller M. B. Covell. These vessels handled much of the product of the mills on the lake.

The C. E. and M. B. Covell mill was the last to make a cut on White Lake, and the last to remain standing on White Lake, being destroyed by fire in 1917.

When Mark’s eldest brother Andrew died in 1885, the mill business was continued under the name of the estate until 1891 when Mark bought the interest of the heirs in the sawmill property and the firm of C. E. & M. B. Covell was organized.

Mr. Covell married Miss Mary Wilson of Montague Jan. 3, 1893. They had three children: Emiline “Emma” (1893-1985); Mary Elizabeth (18951975); and Mark B. Jr. (1901-1986).

Following the collapse of Whitehall’s bank early in the century, Mr. Covell was the leading figure in the organization of a new bank in 1901. He was named its president and ever

since that time held a position of trust. Under his direction the State Bank of Whitehall became known as one of the safest and best conducted in Michigan.

Mr. Covell’s reputation as a thorough businessman was so wellknown, he was often asked to take on the administration of certain estates. Following the death of John C. Lewis in 1894, Covell spent most of his time for the next two years handling the affairs of that estate. With the affairs of Mr. Lewis closed by 1900 he was then able to take charge of Mrs. Lewis’s interest. Incidentally, Mrs. Lewis was the former Augusta Covell, sister of Mark B. Covell.

Disability Network plans block party for 25th anniversary

Disability Network West Michigan will host a free community block party in Muskegon Friday, Sept. 27 to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

The organization has worked to

fight discrimination for those with disabilities in Muskegon and Oceana counties, as well as Newaygo, Mason and Lake counties, the past 25 years.

The event will take place at the or-

ganization’s headquarters at 27 E. Clay Ave. in Muskegon from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be music, food, ice cream and activities, including the opportunity to meet members of the team and

get information about DNWM’s partner organizations in the region.

The first 10 visitors will receive a food voucher that can be used at the food station.

Electronics recycling event set for Sept. 28

By Virginia DeMumbrum Volunteer Contributor

The City of Montague and the White Lake Area Climate Action Council are once again teaming up to provide a curbside drop-off electronics recycling event. Bring your old TVs, phones, computers, or that box of old batteries to the Montague Farmers Market between 2 and 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28. Volunteers will be on hand to help you unload your items and sort them for recycling through Goodwill Industries. This event is open to all White Lake area residents and businesses. The suggested donation to cover recycling costs is $2 for the first 10 items or $5 for a load of more than

10 items. For a complete list of what you can bring to this event, please visit bit.ly/goodwillewaste. Cathode ray tube TVs, large appliances, and air conditioners will not be accepted.

Hoopla Bonus Borrows

The library limits everyone to five Hoopla borrows each month, but Hoopla knows you sometimes run out of borrows before you run out of month. That’s why they now offer Bonus Borrows for the last week of every month. Bonus Borrows are a specially curated collection of titles you can borrow that don’t count against your five-item limit for the month. To view the collection, just open the app and select the Bonus Borrows image at the top of the home page starting Sept. 25. Choose any title or titles you like and borrow them. It’s as easy as that. The collection includes ebooks, audiobooks, movies, television, and comics for library users of all ages. For more information and help getting started, visit wlclib.org/hoopla or call 231-894-9531.

FUN FACT: In the first four full years of offering Hoopla, the library averaged 138 new users each year. This year, we already have 120 new users and we still have three and a half months to go! We are on track to hit 160 new users this year, which would be a record for us. We currently have a total of 741 registered Hoopla users. Are You #VoteReady?

National Voter Registration Day –the nation’s largest nonpartisan civic holiday - was Sept. 17 this year. Every eligible American voter should have the option to exercise their right to be heard at the ballot box. There are many important state and local elections coming up, and if you have recently moved, turned 18, or changed your name, your registration might not be current. Visit Michigan.gov/vote to check your status or to register. If you would like assistance or need internet access, stop by the library. A librarian can help you during open hours, and there is free Wi-Fi available in the park-

ing lot 24/7. Founded in 2012, National Voter Registration Day is designed to create a moment when the entire nation focuses on registering Americans to exercise their basic right to vote. Thousands of national, state and local organizations serve as partners, and more than five million Americans have registered to vote on this holiday since its inception 12 years ago.

DeMumbrum

• Courtesy Photo

Lake Mirror Lake Mirror

NONPROFIT NEWS SOURCE community

Vikes fall to D-3’s #3 team, but show resilience

Whitehall gets off mat after 38-0 deficit, loses by 17

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

WHITEHALL — The record will show a loss for Whitehall after Friday’s 60-43 shootout against Division 3 #3 Zeeland West, but the Vikings will be able to take a lot of positives from a game against one of the power programs of the area - most importantly their resilience.

Whitehall looked as though it may get run out of the stadium after Zeeland West stormed to a 38-0 lead, knifing through the Viking defense and stonewalling their offense. Instead, the Vikings, leaning on several different players, battled their way back and, if nothing else, made a game of it Friday.

“I’m very proud of the way that our kids fought,” Whitehall coach Tony Sigmon said. “We had to keep pushing because we want our kids to be bought in, and so we tried to do that until the 11th hour. I’m proud of our kids. When you play an elite football team and you make a lot of mistakes - which we definitely shot ourselves in the foot early and even sometimes late in the game here - that’s what usually happens, we lose the game.

“I’ll tell you this, our kids poured their hearts out, and they did a wonderful job. I’m very proud of them for that.”

It was a nightmare start for Whitehall (1-2), which surrendered two third-and-long conversions on Zeeland West’s first possession, then

jumped offsides on a fourth-and-5 on the Dux’ second - both drives ended in touchdowns. Then came an interception, another touchdown run, a three-and-out, a blocked punt for a touchdown, another interception and a 98-yard scoring drive that included a third-and-long defensive holding penalty to give the Dux a first down.

A lesser team might have let frustration get the best of it, but the Vikings focused on performing to their standard the rest of the game. While they never seriously threatened to steal the game from the Dux - the 17-point margin was as close as they got - they at least forced their opponent to go all 48 minutes to make sure it didn’t happen.

Whitehall seemed to find something in the second half by rotating Camden Thompson and Ryan Go-

odrich at quarterback. Thompson was a star at wide receiver the last two years prior to becoming the signal-caller, and Goodrich is a very capable running back who also showed off a rather impressive throwing arm at times Friday. The Vikes want them both on the field, in whatever capacity that means. It’s hard to argue the results - Thompson had 282 yards of offense, 71 of which came on a remarkable play on which Thompson danced out of a sack and found Blake English for a catch-andrun score. Goodrich was less statistically productive but provided a change of pace and enabled Thompson to use his athleticism at wideout.

“It’s one of those things where we do have a luxury,” Sigmon said. “We know that (Cam) is a very good wide receiver. We know that Ryan Goodrich

is a very capable football player, and so we want to make sure that we utilize our entire roster to its fullest. That’s really all we’re trying to do. We feel like both kids give us a great shot of winning in a lot of different positions.”

English had 118 yards receiving and 21 rushing, scoring twice. His name was not one dotting most preseason previews, but he showed Friday how important he can be to the Viking attack.

“He’s been working on this for a long time,” Sigmon said of English. “It doesn’t start this week. It doesn’t start during the summer. He’s invested a ton of time into this. We’re happy for him, and really it just goes to show what

High-scoring loss

continued on page 5

Vikings win first-ever WMC girls golf title

By Andy Roberts

Lake Mirror Editor

Whitehall capped off an impressive West Michigan Conference championship season with another jamboree win last Thursday, taking the Montague jamboree. The WMC title was Whitehall’s first ever.

The host Wildcats finished second, only three strokes behind, continuing a season of rapid improvement by their young roster.

Whitehall’s score of 375 was fueled by a trio of top-4 finishes by the three players who ended WMC play in the top three spots individually: Grace McDowell, Morgan Garcia and Riley Shafer.

This time it was Shafer in the top spot with an 89, including a birdie. The freshman came into the season with high expectations, but by taking third place for the season, behind only two teammates, she exceeded them.

“It goes back to the summer play, really,” Whitehall coach Bill Borgman said of Shafer. “She worked on her game a lot at the range and played by herself and got out there. It’s determination is what it comes down to. She

applied herself a lot, and it’s showing. She had a couple personal records during this season. I think her low is somewhere around 82 or 83. That’s great to see from a freshman.”

McDowell was tied for second with a 91, which also included a birdie. She ended conference play as the medalist, which is due to her consistent play all season long. Borgman said her work is emblematic of a strong, steady senior.

“She was playing in competitive tournaments all summer, which helps her get mentally prepared for the high school season,” Borgman said of McDowell. “She’s a super steady player, (shooting) anywhere from 82 to a 91 (Thursday). That’s hard to find, someone that can be consistent.”

Garcia shot a 92 to finish fourth individually - and also made a birdie - and Felicity Dingman posted a 103 to round out Viking scoring.

Borgman said the consistent play of the whole team is responsible for the WMC title, and the Vikings’ season is far from over. In fact, Whitehall will host both the GMAA and regional tournaments at White Lake Golf Club, which creates an opportunity.

“That’s to our advantage, I would

Whitehall’s team celebrates clinching its first-ever WMC title last Thusday after winning the Montague jamboree at Old Channel Trail Golf Course. • Courtesy Photo

say, with the home course advantage,” Borgman said. “For regionals we haven’t seen many of the other teams such as Forest Hills Eastern. We’ve seen Big Rapids, but there’s an element of unknown with the other schools. We feel pretty good shooting in that 370 range. We should be able to...have a pretty good chance at the city meet.”

Montague had a lot to be pleased about too with its team score of 378. Braylyn Bultema tied with McDowell for second place, shooting a 91, including a birdie. Cadence Fox and Brynlee Kessler shot a 92 and 94 respectively, both placing in the top 10 (Fox made a

WHITEHALL • MONTAGUE • REETHS - PUFFER

Whitehall quarterback Camden Thompson (12) tries to escape a sack by Zeeland West defenders Ethan Malec (60) and Annel Hujdurovic during Friday’s game. The Vikings lost the game, 60-43. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Whitehall quarterback Camden Thompson tries to leap over Zeeland West defender Andrew Stewart during Friday’s game at Whitehall. The Vikings trailed 38-0 early, but competed to the end in a 60-43 defeat.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

White

Montague rolls past OV to 2nd straight win

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

Montague earned its second straight West Michigan Conference Lakes win Friday night by dispatching Orchard View, 55-14.

The Wildcats dominated the second half with their ground game, outscoring the Cardinals 27-0 in that span. Ryver Jarka, Fletcher Thommen and Devlin Dean all got involved. Jarka and Dean led the way; Dean carried for 152 yards and three touchdowns, all three in the second half, and Jarka rang up 143 yards and a score.

“We ran the ball well in the first half and had some productive drives,” Montague coach Justin Dennett said. “Our offensive line was so good all night that we just kept grinding on them, and we were able to hit some big plays in the run game. We wore them down a little bit and busted it open.”

The Wildcats continued the timeshare at quarterback that started by necessity in week two, with both Jarka and Eli Petersen taking the snaps. This time Petersen was fully healthy after an illness limited him last week, but the ‘Cats like the extra dimension having both players taking snaps adds to the offense. Petersen connected with Riley Mulder for a 46-yard pass on his only attempt of the game.

“Ryver was able to run the ball effectively for us against Oakridge, and we think that’s a good thing,” Dennett said. “We threw a little with him too, but he’s such a dynamic runner that it makes our offense less one-dimensional...and we want to keep Eli involved too, because he’s still a good quarterback.”

The opportunity to get Dean extensive work with a big lead can only help with Montague’s depth; he backs up Thommen due to Thommen’s experience, but Dennett said he can be an impressive back in his own right.

Thommen led the defense with nine solo tackles, and Dylan Bailey added eight. The Wildcat defense forced four turnovers; Cooper Bradley had an interception and a fumble recovery.

Winning a pair of league games in a row is a great way to get set up for a rivalry contest with Whitehall this week, though Dennett knows his team will likely need to play its best game yet to score a third straight win there.

“We still made quite a few mistakes tonight that we can’t make against better teams, but we’re happy where we’re at and where we’re progressing,” Dennett said. “We’re competing hard in practice and doing the little things we need to do to get better.”

continued from page 4

Rockets top Spring Lake

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

Reeths-Puffer still feels it has plenty of work to do to become the team it wants to be, but the Rockets were able to get on the board in the win column Friday, defeating local rival Spring Lake 26-14.

R-P (1-2) led 19-0 after three quarters before the Lakers battled back with a pair of touchdowns. However, Bryce Muskovin finished off a terrific 198-yard game on the ground with a 46yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to salt the game away for the Rockets.

“The boys executed really well and Bryce was able to stay behind his offensive line and execute the things he needed to execute,” R-P coach Cody Kater said. “He’s been really good the last two weeks too, but we haven’t been able to use him as much because of the score. He did a great job again.”

that someone marched on us and punched one in. So hat’s off to those guys for finding a weakness in our defense and pounding the rock on us.”

In addition to Muskovin’s work, Mason Darke was efficient, completing 6-of-9 passes for 101 yards, including a 62-yard score to Lukas Johnson. Darke also had 21 rushing yards and a score. Cal Millis led R-P’s defense with five tackles.

Taking a win over

a local rival - although the Rockets and Lakers hadn’t met on the gridiron since 1994 - should give R-P a boost heading into an O-K Green opener against Union, a team it defeated the past two seasons.

“We’re excited to start conference play,” Kater said. “We know what we need to work on, but we need to find a way through practice, reps and habits off the field to improve.”

Brief

Soccer

Fruitport

Montague 3 Manistee 1

The Wildcats led almost the whole game and remained unbeaten in the WMC at 6-0 (11-2 overall). Giovanni Franco, Noah Raeth and Trevor Trevino each scored a goal in the win.

pair of birdies). Marguerite O’Connell had a 101 to take Montague’s fourth scoring spot.

“I’m very satisfied with how we finished the conference season,” Montague coach Phil Kerr said. “The amount of growth that the girls have shown in a short amount of time has really been fun to witness. Whitehall has a great mix of senior leadership and young talent that was clearly the top of the conference from start to finish. Our goal from week 1 was to close the gap and also hold off a young and talented North Muskegon team that also has a promising future.”

High-scoring loss

happens when you don’t give up on plays. Good things happen, and that’s exactly what Blake is doing.”

The game became a track meet in the final 13:25, a span in which seven touchdowns were scored. Three of them came on consecutive plays from scrimmage during the fourth quarter. Parker Mott did have a big day on defense, with six solo tackles, one of them a sack, but the highlights Friday came on offense for both sides. Zeeland West’s impressive T-formation attack kept the Vikings off balance, and once Whitehall played more freely in the second half, it had a ton of success as well.

While the Vikes could look back at early miscues and lament that they took away a shot at what would’ve been a signature victory, Sigmon credited the visitors for impressive play. The Dux’ offensive work was even more notable considering quarterback Trey Sloothaak left the game in the first half after sustaining a head injury while making a tackle on defense and did not return. The visitors’ offense continued to hum with backup Drew Albrecht.

“That’s an elite football team,” Sigmon said. “There were things

continued from page 4

The Rockets again struggled with penalties and surrendering big plays on defense, two areas that have been a constant thus far. After nine penalties last week, R-P committed 11 Friday.

“We’re still lacking with penalties and drive-killing penalties,” Kater said. “Defensively, I think we’re doing a great job stopping the run, but we give up big plays behind us. It was the first time, tonight,

Whitehall’s

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

that we hadn’t struggled with in the past and we did struggle with them tonight. I don’t want to take anything away from Zeeland West. They came in here and performed at a high level. They performed to standard. We did some things where I wish we would have played a little bit cleaner at times, but good teams make you do that sometimes.”

The Vikes’ imposing schedule doesn’t ease up much next week, either, as rival Montague comes to town fresh off two impressive

victories of its own. Sigmon welcomes the challenge.

“Last year, our schedule maybe didn’t age as well as we would have liked it to,” Sigmon said. “I’ve got a feeling this one’s going to age really well, and I think that’s going to help us. We’re going to be battle-tested. We’re going to have a lot of grit going into any game that we play, and our kids are going to play with a lot of confidence... We’ve got to really hunker down and make sure that all eyes and all efforts are on Montague.”

Whitehall 4 Orchard View 2 OV had a pair of own-goals to help the Vikings to victory. Ian Hinze and Andon Palmer each scored a goal, and Garrett Taylor made 3 saves.

Ottawa 1 Reeths-Puffer 0

teams remained scoreless for most of the game before the Panthers scored with 2 minutes to go. It was R-P’s 3rd straight shutout loss. Montague 1 Muskegon Catholic 0

went on the road for the second time this week and secured another victory, its 9th straight. Trevor Trevino had the game’s only goal. Whitehall 3 Manistee 2

Vikes won a tough road game despite illnesses among the team. Carter Burrous, Ryan Bowen and Royce Freed each had a goal in the win.

Volleyball

Montague 3 Orchard View 0

The Wildcats won, 25-14, 25-11, 25-16. Jordan Netcott had 6

Golf

and

Tennis

Jenison 5 Reeths-Puffer 3

The Rockets’ top two singles players, Ethan Frang and Quinn Alderink, each won their matches. #1 doubles pair Cade Paugh/Holden Earnest won as well, but the Wildcats earned a couple of close wins.

Whitehall 4 North Muskegon 4 Evan Schuitema, at #3 singles, rallied from a first-set loss to win by third-set tiebreaker and salvage a tie for Whitehall. Viking doubles pairs Patrick Cole/Ian Sampson, Remington Whelpley/Cameron Cook and Evan Thomas/Elijah Roberge wer also flight winners.

Whitehall 5 W.M. Christian 3

All five Viking wins came in straight sets. The top 3 singles playersWilliam Burger, Brady Tate and Evan Schuitema - all won, and doubles pairs Patrick Cole/Ian Sampson and Evan Thomas/Elijah Roberge also picked up victories.

Cross Country

Reeths-Puffer teams 16th at Ottawa Hills Invite

Jersi Bilek was R-P’s top runner, earning 20th place in the girls’ race. Jack Yonkman led the R-P boys with a 78th-place finish.

Whitehall girls 12th, boys 14th at MSU Invite Cami Kraai and Stewart Waters again led their respective teams. Kraai placed 12th in the girls’ race, and Waters was 13th in the boys’ race, which both had over 300 runners. Adalyn Britton was 24th for the girls.

Whitehall’s Waters wins Fremont Jamboree Stewart Waters won the boys’ race for Whitehall with a time of 17:57.7. Hunter Parrsons and Drew Boeringa finished 4th and 5th respectively. Cami Kraai led the Viking girls, placing 3rd. Whitehall’s boys team finished 2nd and the girls were 3rd. Both Montague teams took 5th, with Alix Draves leading the boys in 12th and April Torsch in 13th for the girls.

Reeths-Puffer 2nd at Northview Invite

Five R-P flights earned runner-up spots at the four-team invitational, including all 4 Rocket singles players - Ethan Frang, Quinn Alderink, Cory Judd and Adam Miller. #2 doubles pair Trent VanDam/Holden Earnest also finished in second place.

Hunter Osborne is gang-tackled by Zeeland West defenders during Friday’s game at Whitehall. The visiting Dux won, 60-43.

Rockets earn season-best score at

By Andy Roberts

White Lake Mirror Editor

MUSKEGON — Reeths-Puffer put together a solid effort Wednesday at its home O-K Green Conference jamboree, shooting a season-best ninehole score of 180 and finishing in third place.

The Rockets outdueled Mona Shores by two strokes and finished only 12 shots behind first-place Byron Center.

“Looking back at the scores, it was not a great start for the team,” R-P coach Matt Pallett said. “I am glad to see many of the girls battle through the tough start and finish strong. We will need that mental toughness with the city tournament and regionals coming soon.”

Rowan Bluhm paced the Rockets and was second overall, shooting a 38 to mark her lowest score ever in a jamboree. She birdied three holes in a four-hole span and only once shot worse than a bogey on a hole.

“I am very happy for Rowan Bluhm,” Pallett said. “She has worked hard to put herself in a position to

Reeths-Puffer’s Olivia Ambler chips out of the rough during Wednesday’s O-K Green jamboree at Lincoln Golf Course. Ambler finished strong as R-P took 3rd place in the meet. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

have a great senior year. She put a great round together tonight.”

Sophia McCollum added a 44, rebounding from a tough start to her day. She scored a triple bogey and a double bogey on her first two holes but was able to play well the rest of the way, scoring par on four of the remaining seven holes. She finished eighth overall.

Like McCollum, Olivia Ambler

was able to pull things together after a tough start and shot a 47. Ambler double-bogeyed each of her first three holes, but rebounded to score no worse than a bogey on the remaining six holes.

Ella Voorhies and Emma Dvorak each shot a 51 to tie for the Rockets’ fourth scoring spot, both marking personal nine-hole bests. Pallett brought junior Ava Gibbs up to the varsity for

the first time this season to play in the jamboree. Gibbs got her round off to a good start, scoring a par, before shooting a 62 for the day.

“It was great to see all my girls have personal bests and/or battle through some not so great starts to finish strong,” Pallett said. “I am looking forward to seeing what we can still accomplish as a team.”

Reeths-Puffer edges Whitehall in area battle

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

WHITEHALL — Whitehall had a chance to earn a big local victory over Reeths-Puffer last Thursday afternoon, but the Rockets came out with a closely contested 5-3 victory.

“The guys played well, but ended up losing three of the five tiebreaking third sets,” Whitehall coach Greg McManus said. “That was the difference between winning and losing the match.”

The Rockets had one major advantage as William Burger was unavailable to face off with Ethan Frang at the No. 1 singles flight. Burger was at the Whitehall courts to watch the match, but Frang defeated Ryne Nicholas 6-0, 6-0 in that flight. The two players good-naturedly bantered throughout their match.

R-P, in fact, won all four of the singles matches, though two of them required a third-set tiebreaker. Quinn

Alderink edged Brady Tate 7-6(3), 2-6, 10-5 in the No. 2 singles flight, and Cory Judd rallied from a first-set defeat to beat Evan Schuitema 4-6, 6-3, 10-4 in the No. 3 singles flight. Adam Miller completed the singles sweep for the Rockets by beating Cameron Cook 6-0, 6-2.

Whitehall’s season-long success in the doubles flights continued with wins in three of the four flights. The Vikes’ top two pairs, Patrick Cole/Ian

‘Caboosentennial’ celebration coming to area

The White Lake Area Chamber and Visitors Bureau is excited to announce the Caboosentennial celebration, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 90702 caboose. This event will take place throughout the month of October, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Chamber’s office (124 W Hanson St, Whitehall).

Visitors are invited to step back in time and explore the caboose museum, including the history of how we found and purchased the caboose, and images from 1987, when it arrived and was placed where it sits today, near the Chamber building.

Attendees will have the opportunity to capture photos with the iconic caboose, including a fun photo op. Free Caboosentennial stickers will be available for all visitors, while commemorative coasters ($8) and koozies ($10) can be purchased on-site. Local

Chamber member Stolan Acres LLC also has a Caboosentennial online store where t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and tumblers can be purchased. Visit www.whitelake.org/caboose100 for more information.

During the month of October, take your photo in front of the caboose with any of your purchased Caboosentennial items (coaster, koozie, shirt, hat, tumbler) and submit it to us for a chance to win $100 in White Lake Area Gift Certificates, which can be used at over 90 local businesses. We are also collecting 100 photos for 100 years. The caboose has been an iconic backdrop for many special moments over the years. If you have photos to submit and you’d like the Chamber to use for social media and during the event, please email the photos to info@whitelake.org, subject line: Caboose turns 100!

Sampson and Jon Hall/Myles Welch, both came out on top. Cole/Sampson earned an impressive 6-0, 6-1 win over Trent VanDam/Holden Earnest, and Hall/Welch beat Erik Trulsen/Henrik Ketner in a three-set battle, 6-3, 1-6, 10-7.

Jackson Baldus/Leo Kretschmar

lost the first set to Adam Sikkenga/ Remington Whelpley but rallied for a win in the third-set tiebreaker, 6-7(3), 6-2, 10-7. The Vikings’ Evan Thomas/ Elijah Roberge finished strong in their own tiebreaker, defeating Preston Singleton/Kaden Marshal at No. 4 doubles, 6-7(6), 7-6(2), 10-1.

Reeths-Puffer’s Ethan Frang lines up a return shot during his No. 1 singles match against Whitehall’s Ryne Nicholas during last Thursday’s match at Whitehall. Frang earned a 6-0, 6-0 win as his Rockets beat the Vikings, 5-3. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Reeths-Puffer’s Cory Judd races towards the net to hit a return shot during his match against Whitehall’s Evan Schuitema last Thursday. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Reeths-Puffer’s Rowan Bluhm follows the flight of her second shot on hole #2 at Lincoln Golf Course during Wednesday’s O-K Green jamboree. The Rockets shot a season-best 180 to finish in third place. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Police activity this week

Behind the Badge

Whitehall Police Report

Sept. 11

A missing person from the 800 block of Mears Ave. was reported at 3:37 a.m. The caller told the officer that his roommate had not returned home from a party and was not answering their phone. The investigator also attempted to contact the missing person but was unsuccessful. The next morning the original caller reported to WHPD that the roommate had decided not to drive home after the party and was fine.

The SRO cited three students in separate incidents for possessing vape devices - a 15-year-old girl at the high school and a 12 and a 13-year-old boy at the middle school. The 13-year-old, who had previously been cited for the same offense, was serving an in-school suspension when staff noted a cloud of vape in the detention room where he was the only student. When asked, the student said he didn’t know where the cloud came from. All cases are civil infractions.

At 3:35 p.m. Whitehall Police responded to the 1200 block of Colby St. for a disturbance. During the investigation the officer was told that the offender, who was the caller’s nephew, had put his hands on her neck but did not choke her. The nephew claimed his aunt had threatened him. The victim

did not wish to pursue charges and the man was released.

Police were called when two men walking on Mears Avenue took a package from a porch in the 500 block. A witness confronted the men and the suspect immediately dropped the package and continued walking south. Police had photos of the suspects and are following up to identify the suspects from the 6:20 p.m. theft attempt.

An officer attempting to locate the suspects in the package theft located a juvenile walking on Alice Street. The officer followed the boy home to verify his identity with his mother. During a routine check on the mother, the officer found she had an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court. The 42-year-old woman was taken into custody at 7:21 p.m. and lodged at the Muskegon County jail.

Sept. 13

An officer observing traffic on Warner Street observed a vehicle that was speeding, had no license plate and only one of the brake lights were working. A traffic stop was made on Warner near Alice Street. When the officer spoke with the Muskegon man, he said he didn’t have a valid license. After making computer checks, the officer cited the 38-year-old for DWLS 2nd offense and the expired plate. The driver was released at the scene.

Sept. 14

A dispute between a boyfriend and girlfriend was reported at midnight. The woman who called police to the 100 block of E Muskegon Ave. told the officer she was having a seizure and that her boyfriend poured beer on her head at that time. The officer noted that the woman’s hair was dry and there was no liquid on the floor. A preliminary breath test showed her to be over twice the legal limit. The man denied pouring beer on the woman’s head and wanted

Second Sadony Bayou visioning session to take place Tuesday

Two months after the previous ‘visioning session’ inviting residents to share their memories and hopes for Sadony Bayou, a second such session is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the White Lake Community Library.Fifty-three White Lake Area residents gathered at the White Lake Community Library July 10 for the previous session, along with experts in waterway restoration, to review the history of Sadony Bayou and begin creating a vision for its future.

This was the first of three scheduled sessions, organized and presented by Encompass Socio-ecological Consulting (ESC), the Chemours Environmental Impact Committee (CEIC), and the Muskegon County Environmental Coordinating Council (MCECC). This project is made possible by a grant from the Lois M. Ekstrand Fund, advised by the White Lake Community Fund of the Community Founda-

tion for Muskegon County.

The second session will be facilitated by aquatic biologist Marty Holtgren of ESC and graphic designer Spencer High of Querkus Creative, aided by restoration specialists Melanie Manion, Stephanie Ogren, and Melanie Knapp.

Participants will be provided with a summary of community members’ comments from Session #1; information about the current conditions of the bayou’s fish, insects, plants and water quality; a review of a roadmap of what a restoration process will look like; and an opportunity for the community to talk about their concerns and hopes for the bayou.

As in session #1, light snacks will be provided, so participants are asked to register by emailing makeitrightchemours@gmail.com. People having questions may call Claire Schlaff at 231-670-2724.

her to leave the house. As the woman was leaving the house, she became unable to stand and was later transported by ambulance to the hospital.

Whitehall Police are investigating a reported threat that occurred Friday night at the football game. The officer was told that an incident at the school the day before led to one student being suspended and the other still angry. According to an involved party, a friend of the angry student was also angry and made threatening comments about the suspended student. That friend attends a different school system and the investigation is ongoing.

Sept. 15

An Egelston Township woman was arrested for OWI during a 12:09 a.m. traffic stop. An officer on patrol observed a vehicle on Colby Street that did not dim its headlights. A traffic stop was made in the 700 block and the officer noted the odor of intoxicants while

speaking with the driver. The 49-yearold, who said she was the designated driver, was asked to perform sobriety tests and after the testing was arrested for OWI. The suspect was transported the Muskegon County jail and a breath test was done there showing the driver to be over the limit. The woman was lodged for the night.

Sept. 17

A resident of the 300 block of Elizabeth St. called at 12 p.m. to report he had received a message on an app that was in Russian. Using a translator, the message demanded the equivalent of $128 or his info would be sold to the Dark Web and a “swatting call” for his house would be made. The caller was most concerned about the swatting call and potential police response. Officers and Central Dispatch were notified of the potential situation and no further action was taken.

Montague council considers making Ferry St. one-way

By Madison Lajewski

MONTAGUE — At Monday’s regular city council meeting, the council presented its idea of turning Ferry Street into a one-way street.

The council’s pitch for the move was that it would help eliminate blindspot issues with regard to parking and aid in pedestrian crossing, therefore minimizing safety concerns. Some residents supported this, especially with Harbour Pointe senior residents choosing to exit through Church and Water streets to avoid the blind spot near Dowling Street. Other residents disagreed, one citing concerns about speeding down the Dowling hill being a more important issue. No official decisions were made and conversation on this topic will continue in the future.

The council also approved social district applications from Jimmy’z Pub and Stoney Ridge Winery. Jimmy’z was recently bought and rebranded by local businessman Dan Zuniga. Stoney Ridge is a new winery located diagonally from North Grove Brewers. City manager Jeff Auch said the winery plans to open this fall.

During public comment, a Montague resident voiced concerns about trees that were damaged by the thunderstorm in June. He said although most of the fallen trees have been cleaned up, he still has concerns about trees that are standing, but were still damaged by the storm. The resident wants the city to review these trees to ensure no large branches or entire trees fall and cause any accidents. Auch responded that the city has plans to review tree damage on Anderson Street, Cook Street and Old Channel Trail.

Already preparing for the midyear budget review, Auch told council

members they will be looking at the purchase of a new police patrol vehicle within the next fiscal year. He also informed everyone that a potential change of the mayoral term from two to four years, which the council discussed this summer, will be on November’s election ballot.

During the work session, Auch presented his ongoing efforts of rewording the vegetation ordinance and the dangerous/vicious animal ordinance. The vegetation ordinance cites details about prohibited invasive species, tree removal permits, grass cutting notices and more. Councilman Bob Hires discussed his concern about residents being fined for something that is not their fault or was out of their control, such as fallen trees. Auch will continue working with the city attorney to better the language in the ordinance.

Auch also shared updates on the dangerous/vicious animal ordinance. Multiple council members voiced their concerns about defining public and private property. Councilman Paul Schultz said he was worried about the wording taking away responsibility from the owners and does not want people to feel they cannot have guard dogs. He, along with other council members, also voiced their concerns about differences in officer discretion and personal beliefs of vicious animals. He suggested clearer guidelines, as well as a checks and balances system of some sort to require of the officers who will be enforcing this ordinance.

This ordinance is a result of a Montague resident who recently shared a personal story about her family’s conflicts with a neighboring dog versus their own. Auch will continue working with the city attorney before bringing the ordinance back to the council in October.

White Lake Mirror Writer