The Oceana Echo - Volume 2, Issue 37, Feb. 7, 2025 by theoceanaecho

Pentwater Township Library to celebrate 170 years

By AnnaMae Bush The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent

The Pentwater Township Library is having a special celebration in honor of its 170th anniversary! This milestone event will take place at the library Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, from 1:30-4:30 p.m., 402 E. Park St. in Pentwater.

The following is an interview with Mary Barker, director of the Pentwater Township Library (PTL):

Q: What is the event that the library is celebrating this month?

A: Our library will celebrate a milestone 170th birthday in February! Founded with an initial $50 donation, a substantial sum at the time—our library has been serving the community since 1855. To put this into perspective, 170 years ago, groundbreaking events like the opening of the Panama Railroad and the invention of the Bunsen burner took place, as well as the debut of Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” and the founding of Michigan State University. Our library’s roots are truly historic, and we’re thrilled to honor this long-standing service to our community.

Q: Can you tell us about the original founding event?

A: We don’t know exactly who gave that initial $50 to start our library, but in today’s dollars, that’s equivalent to about $1,812. It’s humbling to realize how this early contribution has evolved into a vibrant library that’s been at the heart of our community for nearly two centuries.

Q: How has the library changed since its beginning, and what are some highlights along the way?

A: Over 170 years, libraries like ours have transformed. Early libraries often restricted access—many didn’t lend books, and children were usually not permitted. By the early 1900s, librar-

ies began easing restrictions, though many maintained age limits. PTL was among Michigan’s first libraries founded under township law, with the township clerk initially acting as the honorary librarian. Major changes came in the 1980s with automation and the replacement of card catalogs by computers. By 2008, e-materials became available, expanding access to books, music, and films, and today we offer a range of digital and streaming services.

Q: What awards has the library achieved?

A: Our library has a proud history of recognition. In 1996, we received an LSCA (Library Services Construction Act) grant to build our current facility on Park Street, creating the welcoming space our patrons enjoy today. We also received the prestigious Star Library status from Library Journal in both 2016 and 2022, a designation given to only 12 libraries in Michigan that demonstrate high resource usage and community engagement. Our “Reading Community” truly shines here.

Q: What activities are you particularly proud of?

A: We host engaging programs year-round, but our holiday events are especially popular. For example, our 2024 Haunted Library drew 642 vis-

itors in just two hours! Christmas programs also bring joy, with Santa visits and family crafts each weekend. Recently, we gathered members from six local book clubs, including our own, to share ideas with an Afternoon Library Tea and to explore library resources like NoveList and MeLCat. It’s all about connecting our patrons to resources and to each other.

Q: What vision does the Board or Director have for the library in the next 10 years?

A: We are continually seeking ways to strengthen our community impact. Two years ago we began exploring a transition to a district library, especially as changes within the village may affect our current structure. With a committee representing the Township, the School District, and Weare Township, we’re in consultation with the Library of Michigan to determine the best path forward. Our focus is on long-term stability and ensuring continued, expanded services for all our patrons.

Q: How will the anniversary be celebrated in February (or is that to be a secret?)

A: We’re planning a community gathering that includes local leaders, library friends and patrons. We’ll share photos, stories and fun historical tidbits. 170 years is a cause for celebration!

The theme for the Feb. 14 event, “For the Love of Libraries, Celebrating 170 Years,” reflects the deep connection this library has fostered within the community for generations.

The celebration will include:

◆ Engaging displays showcasing the library’s rich history and its role in the community.

◆ Thoughtful discussions on libraries and emerging trends, featuring special guest speakers.

◆ Opportunities to connect with fellow community members and share one’s thoughts on the value of libraries.

Light refreshments will be provided.

The 2025 Pentwater Homecoming King Rolando Salgado and Queen Mandi Sayles, above center, were crowned prior to this past Friday’s varsity boys basketball game. Prince Logan Fatura and Princess Charlie Swanger were also crowned before the game against Marion. • Brendan Samuels/Echo

Shelby’s Ivan Moncada-Pineda performs in State Honors Choir

By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent

The Shelby High School Choir will be presenting their Pre-Festival Concert this Monday, Feb. 10, 2025 beginning at 7 p.m. in the Shelby High School Auditorium, located at 641 N. State St. in Shelby. This free concert will be a preview of their Choral Festival performance scheduled for next Wednesday, Feb. 12, in Big Rapids.

Choral Director Gustavo Morales is excited to share that in addition to the many musical talents represented in the school’s choir, one of his students has advanced through both the District and Regional choral competitions this year and has a chance at an All-State Honors Choir performance in his sights.

SHS junior and tenor Ivan Moncada-Pineda has been part of the Shelby choir program since middle school and from the “sounds” of it, has no plans of stop-

Adopt a Senior program part of Mary Ann Bush’s ‘scenic route’

By AnnaMae Bush The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent

Affirming her care for the local community, Mary Ann Bush of Flowers by Mary Ann in Pentwater is offering her third annual “Adopt a Senior” program that cooperates with five area senior care facilities. For this Valentine’s Day, she hopes to reach a goal of delivering floral bouquets to 275 individuals at Oceana County Medical Care Facility, Cherry Blossom Manor, White Oak, Lakeshore Senior Living and Our Friends House, along with shut-ins and those at attending the Valentine’s Day Lunch at the Oceana County Council on Aging.

scenic route. At the age of 14, Mary Ann’s first job was at the Dari Crème store in Pentwater, and many varied positions in food service followed until she opened her flower shop. She chuckled and said, “I held as many as four different jobs at the same time. In 1995 I had begun working in the migrant program in Hart and was a para pro in the program throughout my college years.”

She invites all local residents to “Adopt a Senior” and contribute $10 to cover the cost of a bouquet. But she doesn’t limit the number of flower arrangements to the number of people who are “adopted.” Mary Ann will cover, using her own funds, any arrangements not covered by program participants. This year she has teamed up with Birch & Blossom in Hart and On the Farm in Mears to achieve this goal.

Those who would like to help arrange the flowers can meet at the Oceana County Council on Aging, 4250 W. Tyler Rd. in Hart, Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 1 p.m. You can make donations to the program at any of the previously listed locations or online through the Flowers by Mary Ann Facebook page.

The Adopt a Senior program is one of the many ways that Mary Ann has taken the scenic route in her journey to opening her floral shop.

Taking the scenic route can be a euphemism for getting lost, can allude to forced detours or can mean simply choosing to take a route to one’s destination that provides pleasant views along the way – even it takes a longer time to arrive at the destination. It can be descriptive of a vacation road trip, or it can be descriptive of the way one reaches a fulfilling goal.

There were several detours and stops along the way for Mary Ann. Her education provided one scenic route. She arrived in Pentwater at the age of 13 and graduated from Pentwater High School. From there she went to West Shore Community College and earned her AS degree in Science and Arts in 1997. Next she spent 2 ½ years at Michigan Tech in Houghton, Mich., studying biology. Her final stop was at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids where she received her BS in biology and chemistry in 2003. Her employment provided another

After earning her BS in biology and chemistry, she taught full-time at Walkerville Public Schools and then as a substitute teacher in Mason and Oceana County schools for several years. She spent 13 years at Lakeside Rehab in Hart as the pool manager, a tai chi instructor and in marketing. Additionally, she waitressed at the Nickerson Inn and other restaurants when needed. “I also taught water aerobics at West Shore College and enjoyed bartending for ten years at the Golden Sands Golf Course.”

But along with her paid employment, she had a hobby she truly enjoyed, and that hobby was floral arranging. (Where did she find time for a hobby?) She created arrangements for her family and friends to celebrate their special events, taking over garage space as needed for her flowers. Her floral work grew until her husband and one of her friends urged her to expand her hobby into a full-time job. In 2019 she opened her shop in her garage and left her employment at Lakeside Rehab in 2020.

In May 2023 she found space in downtown Pentwater and opened her storefront shop, “Flowers by Mary Ann,” and she has not looked back. She admits, “My floral showroom is not always tidy because it doubles as a workspace where customers can come as individuals or groups to arrange their own bouquets using vases brought from home or purchased in the store.” Her shop includes seasonal home décor, fresh flowers, dried flowers, plants and flower vases. She asserts, “I could not have opened my shop without all the community support I have received. I love this downtown community.”

The village is small, and many residents spend winter months in warmer climates. But Mary Ann has found ways to be open and support the community year-round. Weddings, anniversaries, milestone birthdays, funerals and special events occur in every season. She provided flowers for 39 weddings last year. Her shop is part of the Teleflora Network, which enables her to fill orders from distant locations for residents in our area.

Flowers by Mary Ann is located at 215 S. Hancock Suite 1-A in downtown Pentwater.

ping now. For the past three years, Moncado-Pineda has not only had the privilege of participating in Shelby High School concerts and events, but he has also been able to compete in several MSVMA (Michigan School Vocal Music Association) District and Regional competitions.

“There are three levels of choral competition within the MSVMA,” Morales said. “Following the District Choral Festival in October, students are able to compete at the second level, Regional Honors Choir. I open the opportunity up to the entire choir. It’s a very competitive program, so if you get selected after performing in that choir, it’s a big deal! Three years ago, three of my freshman guys made it, and it’s very hard for freshmen to get into Regionals. Ivan has participated since, as a sophomore, and this year as a junior. Once a student makes it to Regional Honors Choir, they are eligible to re-audition and go to State Honors Choir. It’s a whole day event where they are scored on memory, singing ability, and their sight-reading skills. Each level is actually an ‘audition’ for the next level. Students are required to perform selected pieces, in several languages, a cappella and from memory.”

Following his performance at this year’s District Choral Festival in October, Moncada-Pineda advanced to the Regional competition at Hope College in December. As a result of his scoring there, Moncado-Pineda was selected to perform with 200 other high school students from other schools across the state in the State Honors Choir at the Michigan Music Conference. This statewide conference for music teachers and professionals is held in Grand Rapids every January. The Honors Choir performed at a ticketed event held in the DeVos Performance Hall on the evening of Jan. 25.

“Ivan is the first student in Shelby history to be selected for the Regional Honors Choir every year since he was a freshman and the first from Shelby High School to make it all the way to the State Honors Choir. He has set the bar very high,” Morales exclaimed. “He is a dedicated musician that continues to impress me with the level of his skills. He has shown a clear dedication to perfection unlike anyone, to make sure music is memorized in any language and at any level of difficulty. His parents are very proud of him for his accomplishments, as music runs in the family,” Morales continued.

But Moncado-Pineda hasn’t reached the pinnacle of his high school career just yet. The third and highest level of high school performance would be to be selected to perform in the All-State Honors Choir on the Michigan State University campus in May. To be selected, judges will take each vocalist’s individual scores from their Regional Honors Choir competition and make a recommendation from there. If selected for the All-State Honors Choir, Moncado-Pineda would attend a three-day on-campus experience at MSU, rehearsing with 80 other “best-of-the-best,” juniors and seniors selected from across the state.

The decisions for who will be selected to perform in the All-State Honors Choir are still being made. Morales believes Ivan has a chance. “Their music (for Regionals) was very hard this year; they are singing collegiate-level music, which is way above what we do here in Shelby. He knew his music very well. Not once did he ask for my help, which worried me at first, but he got everything down on his own,” Morales said. He is anxious to find out in mid-to-late February if Ivan has been chosen for this prestigious vocal honor.

In the meantime, Moncado-Pineda is continuing to enjoy working on his vocal performance, sight reading and memorization. Monday presents an opportunity to hear this talented and award-winning local musician as he and the Shelby High School choir perform for the community.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Pentwater Township Library Annual Budget Public Hearing

The Board of Trustees will hold a Public Hearing on the proposed budget for the Fiscal Year 2025/2026 on:

Date: Tuesday, February 18, 2025 Time: 5:30 P.M.

Location: Pentwater Township Library, 402 E. Park Street, Pentwater, MI

The purpose of this hearing is to present the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year and to provide the public with an opportunity to review and comment. All community members are invited and encouraged to attend.

A copy of the proposed budget will be available for public inspection at the Pentwater Township Library during regular business hours.

Notice to Taxpayers: The property tax millage rate proposed to be levied to support the budget will be a subject of this hearing.

Ivan Moncada-Pineda

• Contributed Photos

Mary Ann Bush

This page is brought to you by:

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

By Caleb Jackson

The Oceana Echo Community Columnist

The settlement and founding of Benona goes back to some of the earliest days of our county. Hartwick and Tuller’s book “Oceana County Pioneers and Business Men of To-Day” famously says, “Intimately associated with the history of this township is the honored name of Ferry.” The Ferry in question here is the Reverend William Montague Ferry, the same man who is the namesake for Ferry Township as well as Montague Township and is also considered the founder of Grand Haven. On top of all of that, Ferry is often credited as being the first to construct a sawmill in Oceana County back in 1849. To give a brief rundown on how this began, I will borrow the words of James Gibbs, an early settler of Oceana in his own right, as they are preserved in Page’s History of Oceana:

In the year 1849, the Rev. W. M. Ferry, of Grand Haven, and his son, the Hon. T. W. Ferry, conceived the idea of building a water sawmill at the mouth of Stony Creek, at what is now Benona village, and the site being a good one, they secured it and located land, on which was an abundance of excellent pine. In the following year they commenced operations, the job of building the dam being let to Dr. Phillips and that of the mill to James Fordham

and A. S. Anderson. Thus, the first sawmill and the first manufacturing of lumber in Oceana County was, in 1850, at Stony Creek. There seems to be some confusion over who actually built the mill mentioned above. Several sources state it was built by Ferry and his son. By this, it is probably meant they paid for the construction of the mill. It is mentioned in Hartwick and Tuller’s book that the mill was constructed for the Ferrys by Dr. Phillips with the help of A. S. Anderson. However, Page’s history states Phillips constructed the dam while the mill itself was actually built by James Fordham and A. S. Anderson. Either way, though, the first lumbering enterprise, for which the entire county of Oceana owes a great debt, was certainly undertaken by W. M. Ferry. And quite a lucrative enterprise it was. The Ferrys ended up selling their mill to the firm of Campbell and Wheeler on Jan. 16, 1853. At one point it was estimated that there were 5,000,000 feet of available pine. However, by 1882 Campbell and Wheeler had already taken off 12,000,000 feet and were supposing there was still another 5,000,000 feet left.

The first meeting of county supervisors for Oceana County was held in 1855 at Stony Creek in order to organize the county. It was decided at this meeting to change the county seat to Whisky Creek, where A. S. Anderson had recently built a “commodious

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

scanning the

house.” It would seem there was a battle to keep the seat in Benona, as Page’s History tells us “Warren Wilder, the first supervisor of Benona, was outvoted by Anderson, of Claybanks, who had the assistance of Cobb, of Pentwater, to whom it mattered little whether he had to go a mile or two further or not.”

Anyone who reads up on the history of Benona or Shelby may encounter some confusion about the names Benona, Shelby, and for some reason, a town called Leroy. Allow me to try and explain what has happened here. It was mentioned last week that there were three townships in the beginning of Oceana: Pentwater, Stony Creek and Claybanks. The township known as Stony Creek encompassed what was the middle band of Oceana. That is present-day Benona, Shelby, Ferry, Newfield, Golden, Hart, Elbridge and Leavitt, as well as sections one through six of Claybanks. Gradually, this township was parted off until all that was left was present-day Benona and Shelby, both being called Benona. Eventually, the settlements at either end of the township wanted to elect their own officers and so they agreed to split. The settlers in present-day Benona “applied first, and obtained their request, but were surprised to learn they had lost their name, and Benona became the name of what is now Shelby, while the Benonaites proper had to chose another name—Leroy.” This created a lot of confusion in the mail system but

remained an unfortunate reality until March 1, 1867, when Benona changed its name to Shelby, and Leroy changed its name to Benona, giving us the townships we know and love today.

The name Benona was given to us by Amos R. Wheeler, who selected it for the name of the post office in Stony Creek. Hartwick and Tuller go on to say, “It is a very pretty name and was probably the name of some locality or another state familiar to Mr. Wheeler.” This is them attempting to push back on the idea that the name comes from a Native American myth and means something like “child of grief.” But that is a story for another time.

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 and True North Housing Assistance satellite open by appointment throughout the winter months. Please call 231-861-4880 to make an appointment. Walkerville Wesleyan Church, 144 S. Hamon St.

WEDNESDAYS: Good News Club, Faith Christian Fellowship, Hart, 4-5:30 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)

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

1st FRIDAYS: Free Soup Supper, Ferry Community Center, 5-7 p.m.

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

Last FRIDAYS: Free Soup Suppers, Newman Christian Community Church, 4075 S. 132nd Ave., Hesperia, 5:30-7 p.m.

1st Saturdays: Baby Pantry, Trinity Lutheran Church, 8:30-10 a.m.

The Ladder Community Center:

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

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

Tuesdays: Knitting Group, 10 a.m. to noon

Tuesdays: Pit Stops for Men, age 12+, 6:30-7:30 p.m. (2/18-4/8)

Saturdays: Celebrate Worship Service, 6:30 p.m.

2nd Saturday: Party Club for Kids ages 5-12, 1-2:30 p.m.

Complete schedule at: theladdercommunitycenter.com

‘Band of Brothers’ Men’s Event at The Ladder

It has been said that a nation that fails to honor its heroes will soon have no heroes to honor. Let’s not allow that to be the testimony of the United States of America. Oceana County is blessed with many men and women who have served our great nation in the armed forces.

Men, don’t let Feb. 15 be just an average Saturday. Get out of bed and do something different and significant. Bring your sons and friends to The Ladder for a special morning of honor, titled “Band of Brothers.”

In addition to enjoying some coffee and donuts, you will hear powerful stories from local servicemen that will inspire and challenge you as a man. Your presence will honor them, and you will be tremendously encouraged as well. This no-cost event for men ages 12 and older is brought to you by HERO: Manhood God’s Way. No sign-up necessary.

February

Feb. 7 - Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry, New Hope Community Church, 244 S. 79th St., Shelby, 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 8 - Pentwater Winterfest, Bonfire and Sledding at the Village Green, Ice Skating at North End Park, all day

Feb. 8 - Ryan Williams Perch Fishing Tournament, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Feb. 8 - Snowman Scram 5K & 1 Mile Fun Run, PPS, 11a.m. to 1 p.m.

Feb. 8 - PAC’s Cocoa, Corks, and Canvas, 2-5 p.m.

Feb. 8 - Frozen Tin Man Golf Outing, Hart irrigation fields, Polk Rd.

Feb. 9 - Oceana Cross Country Ski Association’s Ski Free Sunday, Crystal Valley Ski Trail, 1-4 p.m.

Feb. 10 - Shelby Choirs Pre-Festival Concert Performance, Shelby High School Auditorium, 641 N. State St., Shelby, 7 p.m.

Feb. 10 - Hart High School Band Pre-Festival Concert, Hart Public Schools Auditorium, 302 W. Main St., Hart, 7 p.m.

Feb. 11 - Tech Time, Hesperia Comm. Library, 1:20-2:30 p.m., Adult Book Club Movie Showing, 2-4:30 p.m.

Feb. 12 - Adult Daytime Craft, Hesp. Comm. Library, 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Feb. 13 - Teen Night, Hesperia Comm. Library, 3:30-5:30 p.m.

Feb. 14 - Story Time, Hesperia Community Library, 10-11 a.m.

Feb. 14 - Pentwater Township Library’s 170th Anniversary Celebration, 402 Park St., Pentwater, 1:30-4:30 p.m.

14th Annual Ryan Williams Perch Tournament is Feb. 8

The 14th Annual Ryan Williams Perch Tournament will take place from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, Feb. 8 as part of Pentwater’s Winterfest.

Event day registration is from 7-10 a.m. at Pentwater Convenience Center or Port View. The fee is $10 per adult or $5 per kid (15 or younger). The five largest perch will win the competition, with prizes for first, second and third places. There will be door prizes and trophies for youths.

The tournament begins at 8 a.m. for fish caught only on Pentwater Lake. An adult or youth will win a separate prize of $100 for catching the largest perch. All participants need to be in line at 4 p.m. for the final weigh-in or they will be disqualified. The final weigh-in will be in the Harborview parking lot. Hot dogs and water will be available for participants during the weigh-in.

For more information, please contact Pentwater Convenience Center 231-8694203 or Ryan Williams 616-617-7984.

Snowman Scram 5K and Fun Run are this Saturday

The 2025 Snowman Scram 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run is set for Saturday, Feb. 8 to help raise funds for the Pentwater Cross Country and Track Teams. The 1 Mile Fun Run starts at 11 a.m. with the 5K run/walk to follow. These event, as part of Pentwater’s Winterfest, will start and finish by the bus barn/track at Pentwater Public School. The entry fee is $20 for the 1 Mile Fun Run or $35 for 5K run/walk (virtual participation is also available).

To register or for questions, please contact Erika Fatura at efatura@pentwater. k12.mi.us or (231) 869-4100, Ext. 243

Kid’s Valentine Party at The Ladder is Feb. 15

All children ages 5 to 12 are invited to The Ladder Community Center once a month for Party Club! Saturday, Feb. 15, join in for a “Valentine Party” from 1-2:30 p.m. They will have songs, Bible lessons, games and snacks. Party Club is sponsored by Child Evangelism Fellowship, a Bible-centered ministry serving in every region of the world. All teachers and helpers have been trained and screened to ensure each child’s protection. Parents are welcome to attend. The Ladder is located at 67 N. State Street in Shelby.

OCCOA offers many February events for area seniors

The following are OCCOA events for February. All activities take place at the Oceana County Council on Aging, located at 4250 W. Tyler Rd. in Hart, unless stated otherwise. Please call 873-4461 to sign up or make meal reservations.

Breakfast is available Thursday mornings, 8:30–9 a.m. Cost: $3, reservations required.

Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program - During Open Enrollment, call 873-4461 to schedule an appointment.

SAIL: Mondays and Wednesdays, Feb. 10, 12, 19, 24 and 26; 10 a.m.

Drum Fitness: Tuesdays, Feb. 11, 18 and 25; 10 a.m.

Zumba: Fridays, Feb. 17, 14, 21, and 28; 9 a.m.

Chair Volleyball: Fridays, Feb. 7, 14, 21 and 28; 10 a.m.

Bingo: Thursdays, Feb. 13, 20 and 27; 10:30 a.m.

Beltone: Wednesday, Feb. 26; by appointment

Caregiver Support Group: Wednesday, Feb. 19; 10 a.m.

Board Meeting: Tuesday, Feb. 25; 1:30 p.m., location: Oceana County Council on Aging.

Movie and Snack: Fridays, Feb. 7 and 21; 1:30 p.m.

Art with Brad: Mondays, Feb. 10 and 24; 10 a.m.

Wii Games: Fridays, Feb. 14 and 28; 10 a.m.

Dinner Around The World: Saturday, Feb. 22; 6 p.m., Moroccan Dinner, call 231-873-4461 to make reservations.

Steel Magnolias at WSCC: Thursday, Feb. 27; 5 p.m.

OCCOA Center Closed:Presidents Day, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025

Parmenter O’Toole Office Hours: Monday, Feb. 13; 2-4 p.m. Please call 873-4461 for an appointment.

Lauren Eisenbarth, an elder law paralegal for Attorney Anna Urick Duggins of Parmenter Law, will offer a half-hour, no-charge introductory meeting from 2-4 p.m. at Oceana County Council on Aging. Topics to discuss include elder law services such as estate planning, long-term care planning, Medicaid planning and VA aid and attendance.

Other Activities:

Farkle: Mondays at 10 a.m.

Mexican Train: Mondays from 9-11 a.m.

Walk With Friends: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 1:30 p.m.

Mahjong: Tuesdays from 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m.

Fitness at Hesperia American Legion: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9–10 a.m.

Euchre: Wednesdays from 10–11:30 a.m. and 1-3 p.m.

Quilting: Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon.

Beltone Hearing Clinic: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 231-843-3039 for an appointment.

Bingo: Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.

Blood Pressure Checks: Thursdays, 11 a.m. to noon.

Bridge: Thursdays from 1-3 p.m.

Cribbage: Fridays at 9:30 a.m.

Kaffeeklatsch: daily at 10 a.m.

Cards & Games: daily following lunch.

Places of Oceana County – Country Dairy: Looking Back… Part IX

‘Deeply Hath Sunk the Lesson…*’

By Janet (Van Gunst) Hasselbring The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent

“…not my will, but Thine be done.” (Luke 22:42) The power of prayer is the greatest lesson I learned from my mother.

My mother’s last encounter, this side of Heaven, was very likely a prayer “in the garden,” with her Lord, one of countless conversations that defined her life and legacy. I imagine it went something like this:

“’Ellen.’ The voice is familiar, soft, and tender. ‘Yes, my Lord, I am here.’ ‘Ellen, my dear, it is time.’ ‘Time, my Lord?’ She seems puzzled. ‘Oh, my Lord, is it time to get up? I fear I have overslept. I have work to do – beans to snip, roses to tend, socks to darn,’ she rushes on. ‘No, my dear Ellen,’ He interrupts. Your chores are done. You have fought the good fight. You have run the race. It is time to go.’ Silence for a time. Then, as His words sink in, Ellen whispers, ‘My, Lord, is it true? I have waited so long for this moment.’ ‘Ellen, your name has been called by the One who formed you in the beginning of time. Today, you will enter into the joy of your Lord. Come, Ellen, the angels are waiting to bring you home. Can you hear them singing?’ ‘Yes, I

hear them. I see them in the distance. They are coming closer. And, someone is with them.’ Joy rushes forth like a geyser from the ground ‘Can it be, my Lord, yes, it’s my Henry!’”

I was at her bedside, but I wouldn’t have heard their conversation. My mother was on another wavelength now; the silver cord, tying her to this life, had thinned out over the past years, and was severing; she was about to get a new address.

In the Garden was one of my mother’s favorite hymns: “And, He walks with me and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own, And the joys we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known.” (In the Garden, Miles)

The words of the hymn describe Easter morning “in the garden” where Jesus was buried, when Mary, mistaking Him for the gardener, walked and talked with her risen Lord. The hymn describes how Mary’s experience is available to anyone who realizes Jesus’s presence in the daily “gardens” of their lives.

Prayer was the solid rock upon which my parents built their faith. They prayed before and after meals and in church on Sundays; but it was “walking and talking” with their Lord throughout the day - picking beans, washing clothes, plowing fields, planting seeds, and tending roses,which transformed their faith into a deeply personal experience.

During every defining moment of her life (In the Garden, Echo 1/24), when her faith was on the line, my mother turned to her Lord in prayer, asking, pleading, “If possible, Lord,

heal my daughter, bring my son home, give Henry a healthy cherry crop, heal him of rheumatic fever, give me the strength to walk.” At times of tragedy, she must have cried, “My Lord, why have You forsaken me?”

God didn’t always give Ellen the answers she wanted, but He gave her the strength to carry on in the face of tragedy, despair, and loss. Her faith was not conditional on understanding the ways of God; her faith allowed her to submit to His will.

“All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

She never forsook her Jesus; her obedience resulted in an intimate friendship with her Lord.

“When you obey God, He can reveal Himself to you in a more personal way, prepare you to know Him, and experience deep intimacy with Him.”

(Life Principles, Daily Bible, Stanley) I boldly attempted to capture their friendship by sprinkling their conversations – prayers, throughout the narrative.

vides an interesting documentary and tribute to my mother; with them, Ellen’s story comes alive, breathing a powerful truth: prayer is the only human act that can change lives.

“Thou’rt gone, the abyss of heaven Hath swallowed up thy form; yet, on my heart

Deeply hath sunk the lesson thou hast given, And shall not soon depart.” *(To a Waterfowl, Bryant)

Note – The content for this article comes from the memoir. Janet will be at the Country Dairy farm store on Saturday, Feb. 15, from 1–3 p.m. to chat about her series, Places of Oceana County: Country Dairy, and/or to sign books for those who would like to purchase the memoir, “In the Garden,” or “Country Dairy: A Week with Hinie and Ellen.”

Without them, the memoir pro-

In Loving Memory of our Family, Friends and Neighbors

George August Grymonprez

September 28, 1950 ~ January 28, 2025

George August Grymonprez, 74, of Pentwater, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, at his home. He was born Sept. 28, 1950, in Yale, Mich., the son of George and Blanche Evelyn (Taylor) Grymonprez.

George was a graduate of Yale High School and worked various jobs throughout his life, but most notable was his employment as a bus driver for the handicapped, which he loved. George was also a lighthearted man who knew how to use his sarcasm. Additionally, he enjoyed hunting in his younger years.

George is survived by: his children, Shannon Kellams, Kimberly Crabtree, Genna Grymonprez and Jere my Spencer; six grandchildren; sister, Barbara Braford; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

George was preceded in death by: his parents, George and Blanche Evelyn Grymonprez; his wife, Kelly Grymonprez; and siblings, Christine Foster and Ed Gerlach.

Memorial services will be conducted at 11 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, King-Hart Chapel, 2370 N. 72nd Ave. The family will receive friends one hour prior to services at the funeral home.

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

Obituary Information:

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

Performing Art Series presents the Annie & Rod Capps Quartet February 16 in Hart

The Hart Community Performing Arts Series will present the Annie & Rod Capps Quartet in concert on Sunday, Feb. 16, at 3 p.m. in the Hart Public Schools Auditorium.

Over the years, Annie and Rod have done it all - from hard rock to musical theater. The 80s and 90s found them dividing their time between original projects and cover bands. “Foolish Mortals” (their longest-running and hardest-working cover band with a set list that included everything from The Pretenders and Sheryl Crow to Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith) performed nearly every weekend in bars and pubs around the Detroit area. In the late 90s, Annie picked up the guitar again and started writing.

The transition to “folk” was gradual, but eventually they shifted to acoustic instruments, away from the bars and into the coffee shops. It was through the open mic scene that they found a new community and discovered a world of listening rooms. At this point they were already seasoned performers, and before long they de-

veloped a new fan base of people who wanted to hear their original songs. Their first album (no, you can’t buy it) was recorded in a small bedroom at their home in Ann Arbor on a second-hand version of ProTools™. Just the two of them playing a mix of electric and acoustic instruments but no drums save for the sampled drums on two tracks. For their second attempt at making an album, they went into a professional recording studio with a full band and a slew of guest backup singers and players. It’s fair to say they went overboard on the overdubs. Another album no longer in print. By 2003, they found a home at Big Sky Recording in Ann Arbor, where they would record six of their next seven albums.

Skipski provides Hart City Council with

positive update, other projects discussed

By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent

HART - Last Tuesday, Hart Public Schools Resource Officer, Detective Kevin Skipski, presented his annual report to the Hart City Council.

Skipski has been in the role of School Resource Officer at the school since Sept. 9, 2023. He reported his daily responsibilities include daily school property perimeter checks and building security, greeting students and staff at district buildings, teaching health and safety classes at all grade levels and attending home sporting events.

As part of the position, Skipski has also provided a variety of specialized programming to all grade levels, including CPR to both staff and students, safety and preparedness education through TEAM (Teaching, Educating And Mentoring), Skid Car Training to CTE (Career Tech Education) students at West Shore Community College, Crime Scene Investigation to the district’s after-school program and drug paraphernalia education to high school seniors.

Skipski said he has really enjoyed being involved with other campus programs, where and when he is available. The high school’s “Ride with Pride” program, an annual “TEAM” golf outing, Spitler Elementary’s “Walk with a Hero” fundraiser, Hart Pirate water bottle distribution, magic shows for the preschoolers, reading to the elementary students and chaperoning both high school and middle school dances are just a few of the many activities he helps support.

“I was always around the schools and wasn’t sure about taking the position when it was first offered to me, but now I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Skipski said.

“The Park Fund realized a deficit during the reorganization of the city campground management structure, and new, one-time costs were incurred during the transition. Basically, the state needs to see we have a plan to rectify the issues,” CM Splane said. “We have our ducks more in a row this year. The deficit is anticipated to be eliminated in FY 27.”

Council member Catalina Burillo questioned a few of the line items in the plan’s breakdown, namely utilities, camp store and park site rentals. With regards to the reduced utilities forecasted, Splane said a number of “efficiencies” have been implemented, including new light fixtures and prohibiting the constant running of outside refrigerators and freezers by seasonal campers. As far as the camp store, 2024 was a learning curve, and the city expects to have a much better grip on inventory and offerings in the coming years. All campers were notified last fall of the park’s new seasonal site procedures and rental costs going forward.

(2009’s My Blue Garden was recorded and co-produced by Glenn Brown in East Lansing.)

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.

Tickets for this concert will be available at the door or online at hartseries.org. For further information, contact Series Artistic Director Tom Kirk at tomkirk@ hartseries.org.

City Police Chief Juan Salazar added that Skipski’s position is funded 50 percent by the school and 50 percent by a state grant, which is set to run out in July of 2026. He said the police department and school will need to discuss future funding options in order for the position to be funded after the grant expires.

In other city business, two resolutions were approved. The first granted approval for seeking a MEDC (Michigan Economic Development Corporation) RAP (Revitalization and Placemaking) grant for the Veterans Park renovation project. If awarded, it could bring in an additional $250,000 to help offset expenses for the long-awaited project. What was originally budgeted as a $600,000 project was priced at $800,000 in 2022 and estimated to run $880,000 in 2024, when the project was finally approved by Michigan’s DNR and EGLE and the city requested bids.

“We’ve been doing some ‘value engineering,’ looking for more economic alternatives for some items. The next logical step (to cover the overage) is to seek a grant,” said City Manager Rob Splane.

A second resolution approved the filing of a Deficit Elimination Plan for the city’s Park Fund. The annual audit reported a deficit of $57,747 in said fund and requires a plan be formulated and filed with the Michigan Department of Treasury.

On a parks-related note, Splane reported that the Hart Historic District survey saw over 250 participants from all ages, with 94 of the respondents being year-round residents. Seventy-five percent of those taking the survey said they would support a millage to fund upkeep and more programming at this historic site. Splane asked for the council’s permission to further investigate how much of a millage might be needed.

Council member Andrew Mullen said he was open to the idea and would like to see some projections on different millage percentages against the cost of projects the community is asking for.

Splane also reported the city’s notification system, TextMyGov, only has 242 Hart residents who have opted in to receiving important updates. “I’m unimpressed with those numbers,” he said. He hasn’t seen the engagement from the community that he’d like, and there have been more issues with it than he’d like to see with such a system.

Splane went on to say he has found “Daupler,” a utility app that allows greater capabilities than TextMyGov. It is more utility-focused but can be used for other notifications as well. It is quite a bit more expensive, however, it offers more benefits, including the ability to interface directly with a customer. He plans to bring further details about the app and costs to the first council meeting in February.

Detective & SRO Kevin Skipski

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• On Feb. 10, 1957, Laura Ingalls Wilder — author of the best-selling “Little House” series of books based on her childhood on the American frontier, which later inspired a popular TV series starring Melissa Gilbert as the young Laura and Michael Landon as her father, Charles — died at age 90 in Mansfield, Missouri.

• To ripen a green tomato, wrap it in a sheet of newspaper or place it in a paper bag. It can then be left on the counter for several days to ripen.

By JoAnn Derson

By Lucie Winborne

• On Feb. 11, 1878, the first organization for recreational cyclists, called the Boston Bicycle Club, was formed. The club organized rides ranging from tricycle races to 100-mile trips, and less than 20 years after its founding, more than 100 similar clubs had formed in Massachusetts as middle-class participation in cycling increased in popularity.

• On Feb. 12, 1947, French fashion designer Christian Dior launched his first collection, which he dubbed the “New Look.” While some appreciated its exaggerated femininity as a departure from the more drab and boxy stylings of wartime austerity, others still living with rationing decried it as wasteful, and fellow French designer Coco Chanel declared that “Dior doesn’t dress women. He upholsters them!”

• On Feb. 13, 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt, who had just won re-election, gave a speech to the New York City Republican Club about the state of American race relations and his plan for improving them. However, it was not until President Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964 that government efforts to correct racial bias were actually set into law.

• On Feb. 14, ca. 270 A.D., Valentine, a priest in Rome, was beheaded for the crime of continuing to marry young lovers in defiance of Emperor Claudius, who had banned all engagements and weddings in the city due to his belief that Roman men were unwilling to enlist in the military because of their strong attachment to their wives and families.

• On Feb. 15, 1968, Henry Lewis was chosen over more than 150 other candidates as the first Black conductor of a major U.S. orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony.

• On Feb. 16, 2016, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was placed under investigation over his campaign funds, related to spending in his unsuccessful 2012 bid for re-election when his campaign costs were more than twice the legal limit.

• “To keep those ice crystals from forming on the top of your quart of ice cream, just cut a square of plastic wrap and push it down onto the surface of the ice cream each time you scoop a bowlful out. It peels off easily when you’re ready for another helping, but there’s no ice! Works for me!” — T.D. in Nebraska

• White vinegar will clean off fruit or food coloring stains on your hands — or most other places too!

• F.J. of Texas writes: “Keep a fresh roll of unscented toilet tissue in the kitchen to clean up on the stove and countertop. It cleans up good because of its absorbency, and it saves money on expensive paper towels.”

• “If you add a teaspoon of sugar to your biscuit mix or to the dough for rolls, it will help them brown well and they will come out of the oven with golden tops.” – Jan R. of Michigan

• You can get five or six more uses out of a pump-top lotion bottle if you cut off the top to access the lotion inside that doesn’t come out of the pump once the level is too low. You’d be surprised how much is still in there!

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

By Lucie Winborne

• There is a Guinness World Record for “most matchsticks extinguished with the tongue.”

• Jimi Hendrix served as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army’s elite 101st Airborne division, though an ankle injury allowed him to leave the service with a welcomed honorable discharge after one year of the three he’d signed up for.

• Medical students in 18th-century Scotland could pay their tuition fees in corpses.

• A statement in the end credits of the movie “Frozen” claims that Disney does not support the consumption of boogers.

• After Playboy founder Hugh Hefner funded some research in the 1980s that identified a subspecies of rabbit living in the Florida Keys, it was named for him: sylvilagus palustris hefneri.

• An IKEA in the Netherlands had to cancel its one-euro breakfast special because it attracted too many customers and caused highway traffic jams.

• Thomas Edison invented the tattoo pen.

• Rolex replaced, without charge, all the watches that had been seized by the Germans from shot-down Allied pilots during World War II.

• In its lifetime, the International Space Station will be hit by 100,000 meteoroids.

• During the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, two 20-pound propane bombs that were planted in the cafeteria failed to detonate. If they had, it is estimated that up to 488 students would have been seriously injured or killed.

• Every year, Iceland gets wider by 2 centimeters.

• The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal, has guidelines on what to do if you should stumble across a yeti (and no, we are not talking about the cup!).

Thought for the Day: “In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” — Albert Schweitzer © 2025

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Omness selected for All-State Jazz Ensemble

By Sharon Hallack

The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent

It’s concert band season, and school bands across the county are busy with MSOBA (Michigan School Orchestra and Band Association) solo/ensemble performances, local concerts and special events.

One of those special performances, which took place in January, featured Shelby High School sophomore Cael Omness, who had the distinct honor of playing in the exclusive All-State Jazz Ensemble held at the DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids as part of the annual Michigan Music Conference.

Omness’ journey began when, in October, he went to Big Rapids to do a blind recording that would be submitted along with 2,000 other blind recordings from band students across the state.

players who were selected. Most students come from large programs; I think it’s so cool that a student from a smaller school was selected. I’ve had Cael since he was in sixth grade. While I’m proud to be his teacher, and many people are congratulating me, I want it to be about him. He put in the work,” Ray said. “He’s going places!”

“My audition piece was a pre-selected jazz etude,” Omness said. Omness said he was a little nervous at the audition, but had auditioned before in eighth and ninth grade, so he was familiar with the process. “I practiced a lot.”

According to Shelby High School Band Director, Erin Ray, “Students from across the state of Michigan prepare scales, improvisation, and an etude for the blind audition. The last instrumental All-State acceptance from Shelby was in 2014. Cael's success is all him. His passion for music and jazz specifically propels him forward, and he deserves every opportunity that comes his way. I'm hoping in my career to have more students accepted for All-State Ensembles or other similar groups, as it truly exposes them to some different repertoire, musicians, and instructors."

A panel of MSOBA members listened to all 2,000 of the “blind recordings” and then selected just 17 musicians to play in this year’s all-state jazz ensemble, Ray said. “Last year Cael received an ‘Honorable Mention.” This year he was one of only two alto sax

“I think about it (jazz) a lot for sure,” Omness humbly admitted. “I like listening to jazz and wouldn’t play it if I didn’t enjoy it.”

For the performance in Grand Rapids, the band rehearsed seven charts. The guest director had personally arranged a couple of them. “They were fairly difficult numbers that are (usually) played by professionals like Benny Carter or the Glen Miller band,” said Omness. He enjoyed being able to perform two solos that night as well.

When asked about future goals for his music, Omness said in the short term he has been getting ready for his solo and ensemble competition performance on Feb. 8. Looking to next year, Cael plans to audition for the All-State Jazz Ensemble again and hopes to be named first chair. When asked about college, Omness said, “At this point, yes, I’m considering majoring in music.”

Ray added, “One of my goals is to have Cael audition again and maybe try some university ensemble opportunities. He could meet some of the professors. All-State is a good foot in the door; university professors recognize that. It’s a good resume builder.”

Both Omness and Ray also enjoy playing on their own time with their respective jazz ensembles at the West Shore Community College every Thursday night. Other Shelby students involved with the student WSCC jazz ensemble are Joelyn Calixto, Adelide Fleming, Juan Ramirez and Michael Neino.

It is well worth mentioning that Ray, a Shelby native herself, played her trumpet in the annual All-State Ensemble when she was a student at Shelby under the direction of Curt Isaakson. However, Ray was quick to deflect any attention put on her. She wants this to be Cael’s moment and says she couldn’t be prouder.

Oceana County

Animal Shelter

Are you looking for a furry friend who’s got the charm of a politician but with none of the speeches? Look no further! Julius, our 3-year-old Cur Mix, is here to win your heart and maybe even negotiate extra treats with just one wag of his tail.

If there was a Nobel Prize for friendliness, this guy would have a shelf full of them! Whether you’re a human, another dog, or even the mailman, Julius believes everyone deserves a warm welcome (and maybe a lick on the face).

Julius has a smile that could melt the hardest of hearts and a personality that says, “Life is a party, and I’m the host!” Julius is an expert at turning any ordinary day into an extraordinary adventure. Want to binge-watch a series? Julius is in. Need a buddy for a walk? He’s already grabbed the leash. This guy is ready to be your best friend, sidekick, and happiness guru, all rolled into one.

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

Meet Julius

Animal Friends

Meet Romeo & Puck

Hello, we’re Romeo and Puck. We’re young, a bit shy, but oh so sweet. We love quiet moments, soft whispers, and gentle strokes. We’re best friends, inseparable really - we comfort each other in this big, bustling world. Our ideal home would be a tranquil haven where we can bask in the calm and be the center of your world. We promise to reward your love with our soothing purrs and warm companionship. Adopting us would mean you’re not just getting a pet, but a family. Because two hearts, they say, are better than one. If you would like to adopt Romeo and Puck, please fill out an application through the OCAF Facebook page: Oceana County Animal Friends or online at: oceanacountyanimalfriends. wordpress.com

New Hope Community Church in Shelby announces the arrival of its new full-time pastor, Reverend Chelsea Reynhout, as of Jan. 6, 2025. She and her family officially joined the ministry of this congregation after several years of developing relationships as a guest preacher, guest music and worship leader and frequent attender.

An alumnus of Central Michigan University, Kuyper College and Western Theological Seminary, Reynhout holds a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Bible and Theology and Music and Worship as well as a Master of Divinity Degree. Her ordination as a Minister of Word and Sacrament comes from the Reformed Church in America.

While the congregation has enjoyed hearing from its new pastor numerous times over the past several years, they are excited to see her as a regular fixture in their church. Reynhout has acknowledged this free-flowing welcome as one of the aspects that drew her to pursue a position with the church, “I just feel loved here,” she exclaimed.

An official “installation” service took place Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025 at 3 p.m. at the church, with refreshments following. Regular Sunday services start just after 11 a.m. and are an informal service of song, prayer and Biblical teaching. The church is located at 244 S. 79th Ave. in Shelby, across from the Oceana Golf Club.

BENONA TOWNSHIP Synopsis of Meeting January 27, 2025

The regular meeting of January 27, 2025, was called to order at 7:00 PM with all Board members, and two visitors present. The agenda was approved as submitted. The minutes of the regular meeting of December 23, 2024, were approved. Action was taken on the following:

• The Building & Grounds budget was amended.

• The Budget Hearing will be held on February 24, 2025, at 6:30 PM and the Annual Meeting will be held on March 24, 2025 at 6:00 PM.

• Salary Resolutions for Supervisor, Clerk, Treasurer and Trustees adopted.

• Bills approved for payment, with additions.

• The Board met in closed session to discuss the lawsuit.

Meeting adjourned at 8:33 PM.

A copy of the complete minutes is available from the Clerk at Benona Township Hall or on the township website (www.benonatownship.org).

- Margie Shaw, Clerk

Cael Omness

Luke Reynhout, Rev. Chelsea Reynhout, Maggie Reynhout and Eric Reynhout

Level heads and nerves of steel prove vital in Pentwater boys’ win over Marion

By: Brendan Samuels

The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

PENTWATER – A daunting trek through the West Michigan D League’s (WMD) finest continued for Pentwaters’ boys basketball team Friday, Jan. 31. After downing Baldwin just days prior, the Falcons found themselves in another battle to maintain first place in the conference, downing Marion in a close 53-50 matchup on Homecoming.

When the Falcons took on Baldwin Saturday, Jan. 25, they were defending their lead in the conference. Celebrating that win didn’t last long however, as Marion was due for a visit – once again forcing Pentwater to defend themselves from a team hot on their heels in the conference. The difference in the latter matchup was a distinct advantage for the Eagles. Marion had already beaten the Falcons once, earlier in the year.

“We thrive on good competition,” Pentwater Head Coach Ashley Lubera said. “Whether I have my best team or a mediocre team, we thrive on preparing and then showing up and trying to give our best. Both teams did that tonight.”

Marion quickly took control of the game in the

Hart girls maintain hold on WMC Rivers, use late scoring run to down rival Shelby

By: Brendan Samuels The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

HART – The history between Hart and Shelby is well documented, but a girls basketball matchup between the two Tuesday, Jan. 4 provided a unique story line. A win for either would go a long way in pushing toward a conference title – high stakes for a rivalry whose outcome hadn’t mattered much in years past. It was the Pirates who prevailed

on Tuesday, clawing their way out of a defensive battle to claim a 4132 victory.

Much like the first meeting between Hart and Shelby in early December, both teams got out to a slow start. Turnovers were frequent, easy layups were missed and the score remained low throughout.

in. Shelby led a low scoring first quarter with an 8-5 advantage.

first quarter, taking a 9-2 lead on the strength of their ability to drive the lane. Pentwater seniors Jonny Arnouts and Mikey Carlson, along with Brody Austin, sparked the Falcons near the end of that period. Still, the Eagles owned a narrow 9-7 lead on the road.

Trey Johnson took it upon himself to get Pentwater going in the second quarter. Johnson nailed a three pointer to start the frame, adding a layup on the next possession – quickly putting the Falcons on top. Marion answered back with five points of their own, jumping back in front by two.

Arnouts, Carlson and Johnson combined for 10 points to close that quarter out, leaving Pentwater with a 22-18 lead. That’s where emotions started running high. Johnson got into a scuffle with a Marion player on his way to the locker room, leaving both players with a technical foul before the break.

“There was a little situation obviously, but we talked about it at halftime,” Lubera said. “We had to be bigger than the moment, and I think we did that. We kept our composure and when (Marion) got those five fouls right away (to start

Shelby had an opportunity to alter the course of the game in the first quarter, forcing Hart into early foul trouble. Hart senior Kelsey Copenhaver and sophomore Reese Smith both found a pair of fouls in the first quarter, aiding Shelby into the bonus with three minutes left to play.

“I’m very fortunate that my young girls have played a lot and they’re intense, sometimes they’re more feisty than other teams,” Shelby Head Coach Sarah Wolting said. “It doesn’t take a lot from me (to draw that out), they have it within themselves. That makes it a little bit easier for me. They know every game against Hart is going to be physical. (Hart) has experience and they have seven or eight tough girls.”

Tiger freshman Michelle Peterson pushed Shelby’s lead to four with a three point shot in the final minutes of the opening frame, but Hart senior Addi Hovey converted one of her own to close

The scoring didn’t take much of a jump in the second quarter, as each team traded blows. Shelby freshman Jayna Burmeister and junior Kylie Brown pushed their squad out to a six point lead, but Hart crept back in, scoring six unanswered to tie the game at 13-13 at halftime.

“I wish I had the answer (to our

Hart holds on continued on page 11

Hart grapplers dominate Reed City and Shelby, claim district title

By: Brendan Samuels

The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

SCOTTVILLE – Hart wrestling will compete for yet another regional title, earning that right with a convincing performance in the district tournament Wednesday, Feb. 5 in Scottville.

The Pirates snagged a district championship on Wednesday, taking down both Reed City and Shelby in a pair of hotly contested – but ultimately lopsided – bouts.

Hart started the night with a 150-pound fight between Logan Jorissen and Reed City’s Gabe Wolverton. Jorissen took care of that one rather easily, though Wolverton did escape a loss by pin, awarding Hart five points to a technical fall.

The Coyotes took

their only lead of the night after that, claiming back-to-back matches with Blake Helenhouse (157 lbs.) falling by pin and Kai Miller (165 lbs.) dropping to technical fall. Down 11-5, Hart went on a three-match winning streak of their own that proved pivotal in claiming victory in the end.

During that stretch, Haegan Hansen (175

lbs.) and Eman Hertzler (190 lbs.) claimed two more wins by technical fall for the Pirates. Alex Hicks (215 lbs.) rounded it out, claiming a pin and pushing Hart in front, 2111.

Reed City’s Wyatt Spalo (285 lbs.) defeated Adrian Lara by a 14-6 major decision, but those four points didn’t do much for the Coyotes.

Jordan Thies (106 lbs.)

and Kole Thomas (113 lbs.) each took matches by forfeit after that, giving the Pirates a comfortable 33-15 lead with just five weight classes left to wrestle.

Hart ended up winning four out of those five remaining weight classes. Caden VanGelderen (120 lbs.) won by major decision before Julian Vasquez (126 lbs.) fell to Damon Langworth by technical fall. Halen Boos (132 lbs.), Ty Thomas (138 lbs.) and Emmanuel Ortega (144 lbs.) closed out the night with consecutive wins. Boos and Ty Thomas each won by pin, while Ortega won in a narrow 17-15 decision.

With a 52-20 win under their belt, Hart advanced to the finals where rival

SHELBY

Pentwater senior Jonny Arnouts releases a floater near the hoop with two Marion defenders close by. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Hart sophomore Rilynn Porter fights through tight defense from Shelby freshman Ava Lamberg. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Shelby freshman Jayna Burmeister splits through Hart’s sister duo of Breslyn (left) and Rilynn (right) Porter. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Hart senior Alex Hicks (center) hoists Julian Vasquez into the air with the Pirates’ newest district title trophy in hand. Hart defeated Reed City and Shelby to move on to the regional tournament. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Hart holds on District champs

slow start), that’s kind of been the way all year,” Hart Head Coach Travis Rosema said. “We’ve put ourselves in bad spots and had to battle back. We were fortunate enough to make some plays and tie things up before half.”

Hart’s offense got into a flow to start the third quarter. Copenhaver, Hovey and Breslyn Porter knocked down shots to give the Pirates their first lead of the night at six points.

In need of an answer, Burmeister put Shelby’s offense on her back. Burmeister knocked down two three point shots and drove past Hart’s defense for another bucket to knot things up late in the third. Hovey found the final points of that quarter, allowing the Pirates to hold onto a narrow 23-21 lead.

“(Burmeister) is such a threat because teams have to stay off of her because she’ll dribble by them, but she can also hit the three,” Wolting said.

Momentum became fickle in the fourth quarter as each team tried to grab a lead large enough to feel comfortable. Hart sophomore Rilynn Porter started the action by extending the lead to four points, but Burmeister came right back for Shelby, earning a pair of free throws and knocking down her third triple of the night.

Trailing by a single point in the fourth quarter, Hart’s offense found its footing once more. Rilynn, Breslyn, Copenhaver and Hovey all found their way to the line, putting them into the bonus just halfway through the final frame. The Pirates converted those attempts – as well as a few shots sprinkled in – into a 13 point scoring run that handed them a double-digit advantage.

“Reese (Smith) obviously was in foul trouble and didn’t play as much,” Rosema said. “Leah (Walker) had to come in and get some rebounds. We were trying to faceguard (Jayna) Burmeister (with Hovey), but we got into foul trouble. I looked at Macy Riley and she told me “I got it.” She went in there and did a tremendous job. I think Jayna had maybe two points when Macy was guarding her.

“It was big getting those points and getting that lead, but we made mistakes and (Shelby) erased it quickly. A lot of (holding on late) is attributed to the way Rilynn (Porter) stepped forward and put herself out there playing

defense. That was the best defensive performance I’ve seen from her.”

Shelby did their best to fight back, scoring five unanswered points of their own, but the clock was not on their side. Relying on intentional fouls as a last ditch effort, Shelby hoped Hart would miss and set them up with a chance.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, the Pirates got the ball to Hovey before a foul could be forced. Hovey turned two trips to the line into a 75 percent clip, pushing Hart’s lead back out to 10.

“We made freshman mistakes. Towards the end, you could tell we were freshmen. We were tired, with older girls that doesn’t happen. We’re gonna fight through that,” Wolting said. “I have all next year with the same team, we’re going to get stronger physically and mentally.”

The win for Hart will likely have them set up for a fourth straight conference title. With less than a month until districts and seven games remaining in the regular season, Hart sits at 13-1 overall with an unblemished 8-0 mark in the WMC Rivers.

While the win feels nice, Rosema understands that there’s still work to be done. First on the list is finding a way to correct mistakes that have landed the Pirates in tough spots for the majority of the year.

“There’s an old saying: ‘been there, done that,’” Rosema said. “The first game against these guys, we got down early. In other games, we struggled and let teams play with us. We’ve got to get that corrected and hopefully play with intensity the whole game.”

For Shelby, the loss marks just their third all year. The Tigers own a 12-3 overall record and are now 7-2 in the WMC Rivers, with both losses coming to the Pirates. While the loss may sting, the Tigers understand that they may have yet another shot to best their rival. After all, both teams are slated in the same district. Wolting was clear on her desire for another meeting, knowing her girls share the same sentiment.

“I hope it does. We’re going to be better next time. We’ll be stronger, we’ll finish around the rim, set better screens and do the little things a little bit better,” Wolting said. “To have healthy girls is going to make a big difference too.”

Shelby awaited them.

The Tigers escaped host team Mason County Central (MCC) with a semifinals win by a final score of 42-31.

Shelby had a pretty dominant run to start their evening. Brody Fessenden (150 lbs.), Jaylin Henderson (157 lbs.), Ussiah Russell (165 lbs.) and Max Hagstrom (175 lbs.) added six points each in consecutive weight classes. Fessenden, Henderson and Hagstrom all pinned their opponent, while Russell won via forfeit. That had Shelby on top 24-0 in the blink of an eye.

MCC was able to stop the bleeding momentarily, claiming the next two classes with Santos Hinojsa (190 lbs.) and Axel Moritz (215 lbs.) falling. Hinojsa lost by a 5-1 decision, giving up just three team points while Moritz was pinned.

Adding to a now 24-9 lead, Shelby won four straight matchups to round out the victory. Colin Fenton (285 lbs.) pinned his opponent and was followed up by a win via forfeit from Antonio Cano (106 lbs.). Cesar Cadena (113 lbs.) and Juan Brito (120 lbs.) then took a pair of victories by decision.

MCC closed in after trailing 42-9, winning the final four matches of the night – two by pin, one by major decision and one by forfeit – but it wasn’t enough to make things interesting.

The championship round started favorably for Shelby. Henderson pinned Helenhouse, starting the Tigers off with a 6-0 lead. That dissipated quickly however, as Hart scored three straight wins, with Miller, Hansen and Hicks each pinning their opponent to jump in front 18-6.

Fenton broke up that streak, taking a win by pin in the 215 lb. weight class. The Tigers voided the heavyweight bout, leaving Lara with another six points for Hart.

the second half), we knew we could attack a little bit more off the dribble and try to draw more fouls.”

As Lubera alluded to, fouls became a real problem for Marion in the final two periods of the game. The third quarter pushed several Eagle starters into foul trouble, but that didn’t stop them from gaining a 34-33 lead, thanks to four consecutive makes from beyond the arc.

In the fourth quarter, it became clear that – though they held the lead – Marion’s tempers were beginning to get the better of them. Pentwater shot 24 free throws in that final period, sending multiple Eagles to the bench after fouling out.

The biggest shift in momentum toward the Falcons came midway through that final quarter. After putting Pentwater into the bonus, Marion fouled Kaleb Brown. That would have assured two free throws at minimum, but another technical foul was assessed to Marion after the play, giving Brown and Ar-

In desperate need of a run in the lower weights, Shelby hoped to steal a few wins trailing 24-12. Hart proved to be too much however, claiming seven consecutive victories to gain an insurmountable lead. Sawyer Boos, Kole Thomas, Halen Boos and Ty Thomas all scored pins in that stretch, while Aiden Schaner scored a sudden victory in overtime over Brito of Shelby. Michael Chavira added a win by 11-10 decision over Devon Exton while Ortega won by forfeit.

The final match of the night between Shelby’s Fessenden and Hart’s Jorissen was a formality, but that didn’t stop the two from duking it out. Jorissen had been an unstoppable force for the Pirates, but Fessenden welcomed the challenge.

After exchanging blows, Fessenden ultimately came away with a pin. That left the final score in favor of the Pirates at 60-18.

Hart will now advance to the team regionals, which will take place Wednesday, Feb. 12. While the location of that tournament has yet to be decided, early indications point to a long trip east for the Pirates.

nouts two shots at the line in succession. The Falcons went 3-for-4 on those attempts.

Then, moments later, Johnson was fouled and yet another technical foul was called on Marion. Johnson stepped up to the line and calmly knocked down fourstraight free throws to help put the game on ice.

Pentwater went to the line four more times in the closing minutes, going 1-for-8 on those shots. While Lubera wasn’t exactly pleased with that performance, the win was all that mattered to her.

“17 out of 33 is what we made (on free throws). We were just living in the moment,” Lubera said. “I’m happy with the ones we made down the stretch and I can’t be disappointed with the ones we didn’t make, because we won the game. I’d love for 51 percent to be 80, but we’ll keep working on it.

“The technical fouls helped us out a little bit… that over aggression, but ultimately it was just our effort. We were attacking

the right things at the right time and then when (Marion’s point guard) fouled out, that opened up a lane.”

Johnson led the way for Pentwater, scoring a team-high 19 points to go along with five rebounds and two steals. Arnouts and Carlson each notched 13 points, while Arnouts had six rebounds and four steals and Carlson added nine rebounds.

The Falcons improved to 13-2 overall with the win, pushing their record in the WMD to 8-1.

“First place has not been easy. We are fighting every night for that spot and we’re just gonna keep on working towards the final ending.”

Pentwater (14-2, 9-1 WMD) also survived another battle Tuesday, Feb. 4, completing a season sweep of second place Bear Lake with a 63-60 win on the road.

With just three conference games remaining – all against teams below .500 – the Falcons appear primed for their first conference title in five years.

Shelby

Hart’s Halen Boos picks up Shelby’s Trace Bouwkamp. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Reflections of our community

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Whitehall celebrates female athletes

Vikings commemorate Girls and Women in Sports Day with morning of events

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

— The joy and excitement was evident on little faces Wednesday morning as Whitehall female athletes marched through the district's two elementary schools and the middle school high-fiving students in observance of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, an annual celebration the first week of each February.

WHITEHALL — The joy and excitement was evident on little faces Wednesday morning as Whitehall female athletes marched through the district's two elementary schools and the middle school high-fiving students in observance of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, an annual celebration the first week of each February.

Emily MacArthur, assistant girls basketball coach and a counselor at Whitehall, got the idea for the school visits when a Shoreline Elementary student asked her last fall, "Where are all the girls?" while the Vikings' football team took part in a similar visit. It wasn't long before she was teaming with the Whitehall athletic department, as well as school staffers Carrie Goodrich and Bobbi Oldenburg, to organize a similar event for the Vikings' girls athletes.

MacArthur is, of course, a former athlete herself, a 1,000-point scorer for the Viking girls from 2012-15 who went on to play at Hope College. It was that Hope connection that stood out when MacArthur was asked if she could arrange for a guest speaker as part of the school's girls sports celebration, as the first name that popped to mind was a former coach of hers, Courtney Kust, still an assistant coach as well as associate athletic director for the Flying Dutch.

"When I was at Hope, every time that she spoke and gave a message, it

Hope, every she spoke a

"When I was at Hope, every time that she spoke and gave a message, it

was always so connective," MacArthur said. "It just made sense. Everything that she said, it was something that you wanted to listen to and it made an impact on you. I knew that if she came here to talk to our high school student-athletes, they would have the same response."

Kust came with questions ("What motivates you? What holds you back?") and with clips of current stars, such as A'ja Wilson of the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces and star tennis player Coco Gauff. But she also shared a photo of the fired-up Hope bench during a game, pointing out that part of being a great player - part of competing, period - is lifting others up.

"The more we can keep women in sports, the more that we can inspire them to chase after dreams together, to learn teamwork, to learn what hard work means," Kust said. "All those character traits that are developed through sports, it's going to help later in life. I've seen that firsthand at Hope. I've seen that firsthand through witnessing high school athletes."

"The more we can keep women in sports, the more that we can inspire them to chase after dreams together, to learn what hard said. "All those character traits that are developed through sports, going to help later in life. I've seen that firsthand at Hope. I've seen firsthand through witnessing high athletes."

cited a much-shared stathat a whopping 94 percent of women in top-level business roles

Kust also cited a much-shared statistic that a whopping 94 percent of women in top-level business roles

played sports growing up.

They were all messages that resonated with the girls in the crowd, among them senior Viking leaders Sidney Shepherd and Grace McDowell.

played sports growing up. They were all messages that resonated with the girls in the crowd, among them senior Viking leaders Sidney Shepherd and Grace McDowell. "She really elaborated on the importance of showing up every day, working hard every day and showing what you want to be known for," Mc-

"She really elaborated on the importance of showing up every day, working hard every day and showing what you want to be known for," Mc-

Dowell said of Kust. "It's really how you carry yourself on and off the court and how you want to have a positive impact on your teammates."

said of Kust. "It's really how you carry yourself on and off the court and how you want to have a positive impact on your teammates."

The experience of going through the hallways of their former schools

Female athletes continued on page 2

Montague Commoners gather for sugarbush season

By Madison Lajewski

White Lake Mirror Writer

By Madison Lajewski White Lake Mirror Writer

MONTAGUE — The Montague Commoners and volunteers gathered Saturday to celebrate the start of the 2025 sugarbush season. With the remaining colder months of winter and early spring approaching, the organization is excited to begin tapping trees for maple syrup again. This started a couple years ago when local environmental activist,Wiley Fry learned about the sugarbush and how to tap. Fry wanted to share this education and how to best utilize the Earth’s natural resources with other White Lake residents, which is why they started Montague Commoners.

MONTAGUE — The Montague Saturday to celebrate the start of the 2025 sugarbush season. With the remaining winter and early spring approaching, the organization is excited to begin tapping trees again. This a couple years ago when local environmental activist,Wiley Fry learned about the sugarbush and how to tap. Fry wanted to share this education and how to best utilize the Earth’s natural resources with other White Lake residents, which is why they started Montague Commoners.

“I learned how to tap from my friend, who makes our biochar syrup boiler,” Fry said. “He started a couple years before I did and he taught me. From there, it was a lot of trial and error. The first year I tried it was 2022 and I tapped two trees in my backyard. The first couple years, it was basically

a few people coming to my house and we did a boil there. Last year, I noticed there were a ton of maple trees at the campground, so I asked the city and they granted us permission to use the pavilion and tap the trees. We’ve been slowly growing since.”

few people coming to my house and we did a boil there. Last year, I noticed there a maple trees at the campground, so I asked the city and they granted us permission to use the pavilion and tap the trees. We’ve been slowly growing since.”

Montague Commoners now commemorates the sugarbush season with an opening ceremony, where residents taught encouraged to tap into their own personal maple trees. Later in the season, all residents are welcome attend a community boil at the Trailway Campground in Montague. Any participant who brings products from their maple trees or volunteers preparing for the boil are given a portion of the syrup to take home.

Montague Commoners now commemorates the sugarbush season with an opening ceremony, where residents are taught and encouraged to tap into their own personal maple trees. Later in the season, all residents are welcome to attend a community boil at the Trailway Campground in Montague. Any participant who brings products from their maple trees or volunteers preparing for the boil are given a portion of the syrup to take home.

“We’ll probably start tapping in the next couple of weeks,” said Fry. “I’m watching the weather. The trick is that you want to wait until it’s consistently above freezing during the day and below freezing at night. That means that the sap is going up and down the tree twice a day, and we get some while it

travels. In the meantime, we’re working on splitting wood to make the biochar. Over the course of the sugarbush season, we’ll probably go through enough wood to fill all of these racks in the pavilion.

“Everybody who comes and helps

gets a share of the syrup. We’re expecting to tap 32 trees this year and hopefully get at least five gallons of syrup total. We’ve got some new equipment

Montague Commoners

Hope College assistant women's basketball coach Courtney Kust (back row, far left) spoke to Whitehall High School student-athletes Wednesday morning as part of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Whitehall assistant girls basketball coach Emily MacArthur high-fives Ealy Elementary students during Wednesday's walk through the Whitehall elementary and middle schools. The event was organized to commemorate National Girls and Women in Sports Day. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Montague Commoners and volunteers gathered on Saturday, Feb 2nd to chop wood, create biochar and discuss the upcoming sugarbush season at the Trailway Campground pavilion. • Courtesy Photo

WHITEHALL

Dowell

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Montague Commoners and volunteers gathered on Saturday, Feb 2nd to chop wood, create biochar and discuss the upcoming sugarbush season at the Trailway Campground pavilion. • Courtesy Photo

WHITEHALL

White Mirror

Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Montague Commoners and volunteers gathered on Saturday, Feb 2nd to chop wood, create biochar and discuss the upcoming sugarbush season at the Trailway Campground pavilion. • Courtesy Photo

New renewable energy district approved in Montague Twp.

follows White River Twp.'s lead in approving new district

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor Planning commission

MONTAGUE — The Montague Township planning commission, after discussion amongst themselves and citizens who attended Monday's special public meeting at the township hall, unanimously approved a compatible renewable energy ordinance (CREO) creating a new renewable energy district. The matter now moves to the county for a 30-day approval period. Once that has passed, the township board will be able to approve it at its March 11 meeting.

The new district will encompass land currently owned by the Occidental Chemical Company, previously the Hooker chemical plant. Among other reasons for the land's selection, the

commission noted that it is adjacent to a substation located in White River Township that could be useful to prospective renewable energy developers who might wish to construct a facility that could overlap the two townships. The commission added that the land is not usable for farming and is not zoned residential, making it the least disruptive choice for current citizens.

The commission emphasized that there is no current renewable energy facility planned for construction in the township and that Monday's move was proactive.

Previous planning commission minutes - the commission has been working on the district's creation since October in consultation with Foster Swift, the same law firm working with dozens of townships statewide, including Montague and White River, on an appeal of the new state law (Public Act 233) governing renewable energy siting decisions - stated the total acreage

Montague Commoners

this year, like a filter that cuts the boiling time in half. We keep scaling up year after year.”

Within the past year, Fry has enjoyed not only watching Montague Commoners grow, but also noticing the varying groups of people it attracts.

“I think we had maybe four of us the first year,” Fry said. “We had almost 20 people on Saturday, so people seem to be very interested once they hear about it. It attracts different kinds of people too, whether it’s elders who

continued from page 1

remember doing tapping with their families when they were kids or people who want to do more outdoorsy stuff, but aren’t quite sure where to start. It’s a nice entry point for people.”

Fry also enjoys teaching people about natural edible foods that may seem obscure and encouraging people to try new things.

“We’re surrounded by free food, we just don’t know that it’s food,” said Fry. “Seeing things like the acorns and

Female athletes

and high-fiving excited students - at Shoreline Elementary, the Whitehall fight song played on a loop and the young students all seemed to know the "rah-rah-rah, Whitehall" cheer that ends the song - was meaningful to the Viking seniors, who remembered what it was like to be the younger set.

"It was really special, our school giving us the opportunity to even do that and walk through the hallways and see all those little girls and boys looking up to us, and how awesome it is that they're going to eventually be in our spot," Shepherd said.

It also meant a lot to MacArthur - who was once one of those kids too - and reminded her of why she returned to Whitehall as a counselor in the first place.

"I came back to Whitehall because of the Viking spirit," MacArthur said. "It's something that's so cool, and seeing that is just awesome."

MacArthur may have an assistant coach title, but events like Wednesday's show the level of ownership she has in the Viking girls' program - as does the state coaches'

association coach of the week award she won last season, an award that usually goes to head coaches. MacArthur credited varsity coach Brian Milliron with empowering her, and Kust's tutelage has clearly been a big part of her growth in coaching as well.

"Whitehall basketball is something I grew up in," MacArthur said. "It gave me so many of the skills that I have today, to be a good co-worker, to still be a learner, and

all those things. To be able to have such a role in Whitehall girls basketball, it means so much to me. It's one of my favorite things in the whole world."

Women's sports continues its growth, boosted by current stars such as Wilson, Gauff, Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and so many others. Whitehall did its part Wednesday to help fuel that fire.

"It's really cool what Whitehall is doing here, to have a whole morning

available to developers would be about 500 of the 830 acres owned by Occidental.

Planning commission chair Bob Muzio stated during the meeting that the wording of the new CREO is identical to that of the one White River Township passed last fall. This was important for Montague Township because, as one meeting attendee pointed out, if a renewable energy developer wanted to build a new facility that overlapped two townships, state law provides that they would be able to utilize the less restrictive ordinance of the two.

The commission also emphasized that by passing this CREO, the township maintains "a seat at the table" if a developer chooses to pursue a renewable energy facility there. Per PA233, developers choosing to build in an area with a CREO in force must consult with the municipality as well as the landowners on a conditional use permit. The commission believes it would be able to

black walnuts in the fall, people don’t know what to do with them or don’t want to. Maple syrup is a good one to get people started with because they understand where it comes from. It’s a lot harder to encourage other foods, but you show them the cool food combinations like acorn pancakes with natural maple syrup and they start to come around.” Montague Commoners is about not only sugarbush tapping, but also educating people on how to best utilize the nature that surrounds them and how it can better the environment. “I wanted to show that it was possible,” Fry said. “I wanted to teach that we don’t need some big institution

prevent excessively large or disruptive facilities being built in the township through that process.

One attendee asked why the commission couldn't simply designate the already existing solar energy facility on Sikkenga Road as the township's renewable energy district. Planning commissioner Randy Wackernagel replied that that facility produces 45 megawatts of power, while the new CREO governs facilities that produce at least 50. He also said, in response to one attendee wondering why the township would unilaterally agree to a 300-foot setback he deemed insufficient, that per government regulations, the township cannot be any more restrictive in its CREO than the county, which in turn can't be less restrictive than the state.

"We're going to do our best to take care of our neighbors," planning commissioner Brooke Cudney said. "The people in Lansing don't know how great this place is, but we do."

or fund to get stuff done around town. We can just work together and make things like this happen. I do a lot of preparedness work and I worry about supply chains breaking down, agriculture systems breaking down, and I want to do as much as I can to get skills into the community so people would be able to take care of themselves and their communities if things get hard. I wanted to live in a town where this kind of thing happens and the best way to achieve that was to make it happen myself.” Updates about the sugarbush boil and other activities with Montague Commoners can be found on their Facebook page.

continued from page 1

dedicated to this day," Kust said. "Any opportunity that we have as coaches and as former female athletes, to empower and inspire either the younger generation...I think it's really cool that the high school athletes went through the elementary and middle school and they were able to start building those relationships and seeing those athletes in a different light."

Saturday, Feb. 8

White Lake Wanderland. Activities include: Cardboard Sled Race @ Hanson St. Hill, 12-1 p.m. (registration 11 a.m.) and Snowshoe Shuffle @ Buttermilk Creek Park, 5-7 p.m. (with free s'mores from Sawyers Brewing). Throughout Saturday and Sunday, participate in Frosty Scavenger Hunt by finding the locations where Frosty

the tin snowman visited (photos posted on White Lake Snow Farmers Facebook page Feb. 7) and post selfies of yourself and your team with hashtag #WLwanderland2025.

Brews & Peruse Puppy Love Market @ North Grove Brewers, 12-5 p.m. Find special Valentine gifts for your loved ones. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Pound Buddies.

Echoes of History: A history of Double JJ (Part 2) Community Calendar

By Barbara Bedau Brow Volunteer Contributor

In 1955 Wally Wojack purchased the 2,300-acre horse ranch, which he had been closely involved with since arriving as a guest in 1950. Wojack and a group of Rothbury-area locals planted a barren hayfield with six-inch white pine seedlings furnished by the state of Michigan, creating a small forest of now over 70-foot tall pines called Sherwood Forest. This is where the Electric Forest is now held every year. Wally was considered the local historian, storyteller, and mentor for many of the ranch hands and employees, and his passion for nature and people helped build lasting memories for all the guests. He lived and actively worked at the ranch he loved until his passing. Walter C. Wojack was born in Cleveland Nov. 2, 1927. He died in Aultman Hospital in Canton April 8, 2017, at the age of 89. He had two sons, Randall and Christopher, with his wife Sandra, who died Nov. 2, 2012.

In honor and memory of Walter “Wally” Wojack, the Double JJ Resort holds the annual Wally Wojack Memorial Rodeo the Saturday of Labor Day weekend each year. Rodeo athletes from across the region compete in the 3,000-seat rodeo arena in bull riding, barrel racing, team roping and all the classic rodeo stunts for a weekend the whole family can enjoy.

In May 1958, it was reported that George Storm sold Jack & Jill Ranch to Seth L. Winslow of Chicago. He and his wife Jean still maintained it in 1968.

In 1975, Alan VanDuinen was cre-

ating some unique objects that were used as trophies at the Double JJ for their guests who excelled in horsemanship, archery and riflery. The trophies were made from horseshoe nails and other common household gadgets and were mounted on pine wood blocks or driftwood.

From 1987 until 2010, Joan and Bob Lipsitz of Detroit operated the ranch in partnership with Wally Wojack. In 1992, at the cost of $1 million, they built the beautiful Thoroughbred Golf Club. In 1993, condos and a hotel were added to the Thoroughbred complex and in 1997 the first yearround facility opened – the Sundance Saloon and Steakhouse overlooking the golf course.

With the facility primarily used by men and women, they were being asked for activities for kids to make it a place where the whole family could come. The Lipsitzes responded by building the Back Forty, which opened in July 1998. At the center of the Back Forty is an Old West Main Street with shops and restaurants. There is a kids’ boarding camp, log cabins for family rental, a recreational vehicle park tucked in the woods, an outdoor water park with a 145-foot slide and lots of outdoor, ranch-inspired activities.

Receiving the state’s first tourism grant for $600,000 for road and infrastructure, the development ventured into the construction of 23 private log vacation homes, with an additional 35 to come.

In 2002, hospitality business veteran Chris Hart joined the Double JJ as general manager. Hart oversaw the

Sunday, Feb. 9

White Lake Wanderland concludes, including Snow Sculpture Contest @ Montague Artisan Market, 1-3 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 11

Steve Thielman performs @ Book Nook & Java Shop, 10 a.m. Family Storytime @ MADL Montague branch, 11:15 a.m. For kids

ages 0-5 and their caregivers. Wednesday, Feb. 12

Eric Michaels and Chris Kennedy perform @ Book Nook & Java Shop, 10:30 a.m.

Thursday, Feb. 13

Karaoke with DJ Kozmo @ Jimmy'z Pub, 8 p.m.

day-to-day operations of the ranch. Joan Lipsitz headed up ranch administration and marketing, and also did all of the interior design and decorating of the public facilities. Bob was then able to concentrate on development and future expansion,

In 2005 the New Frontier complex was created, which was to include a 19,000 square foot conference center (which was never built due to financial difficulties) and a 60,000 square foot mineshaft-themed indoor water park with two slide towers, wave pool, a 45-foot rock waterfall with climbs to elevated pools, and adult and children’s arcades.

In 2008 the Rothbury Festival (now known as the Electric Forest Festival) was held on Double JJ’s property for the first time. Performers during the first festival included the Dave Matthews Band, Jakob Dylan & the Gold Mountain Rebels, Snoop Dogg, 311, and John Mayer among more than 60

other acts.

In July 2008 the Double JJ Ranch filed for bankruptcy. The resort was slated to be sold at an auction; however Progressive Resorts LLC stepped forward at the last minute to purchase the entire resort and re-opened it as such in August. The Rothbury Festival was held again in 2009 and was on hiatus in 2010.

In January 2010 there were new owners of the Double JJ Resort. Co-owner John Britton of Erie, PA, was part of the Progressive Resorts LLC which purchased the 2,000-acre resort in July 2009 for about $12 million from the US Bankruptcy Court in Grand Rapids from previous owners Bob & Joan Lipsitz. The new ownership group hired American Resort Management LLC of Erie, PA to manage the resort when it was first purchased. Since then, Britton indicated the owners had taken a more active management role and hired Tom Makowski as general manager. They were also working with Walter “Wally” Wojack, a former co-owner with the Lipsitzes who was also a creditor in the Double JJ bankruptcy. Understanding the value of Wally to the property and the culture of Double JJ, the group welcomed him with open arms and hoped for his continued heritage with the resort.

By September 2014 a news article reported that new owners, Antler Bar Amusements, were making a number of renovations and upgrades to the Double JJ Resort property. At the lead was Matthew Halbower, a Chicago businessman and Whitehall native.

Library to show Becoming Frederick Douglass

By Virginia DeMumbrum Volunteer Contributor

with other community members! Registration appreciated at wlclib.org/ calendar.

Cookbook Club Meets Monday

You’re invited to observe Black History Month at the library Wednesday, Feb. 19. We will gather at 5:30 p.m. to watch "Becoming Frederick Douglass" and share dessert and discussion. This captivating PBS documentary, directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Stanley Nelson and Nicole London, delves into the life and legacy of Frederick Douglass, one of history's most influential abolitionists and orators. This event is perfect for both adults and teens looking to deepen their understanding of American history and the fight for freedom and equality. Don't miss this opportunity to learn and reflect

The library’s cookbook club meets again Feb. 10, and is always open to new members. Join the group at 5:30 on the second Monday of each month and bring a dish to share that fits the theme. The February theme is red, or a decadent dish, for Valentine’s Day. For more details about how this club works, please visit wlclib.org/cookbook-club. All are welcome, and there is no fee to attend.

FUN FACT: You can borrow all kinds of cookbooks and recipe magazines through the Libby app! Just open the app and type “soup recipes” or “chicken recipes” or whatever you are looking for in the search bar, and you’ll find all sorts of cookbooks and magazines you can borrow with just one click. (Note: searching for “decadent recipes” only brought up two results - a gluten-free cookbook and

one called “Deep Dark Chocolate: Decadent Recipes for the Serious Chocolate Lover”. Doesn’t that sound delightful?)

Library Closed Monday, Feb. 17

The library will be closed for staff training Monday, Feb. 17. We appreciate your patience as we work to better serve the community. Please come visit us any other day that week - we have many fun things planned for kids and families during the school break! From story times and open play days to video game tournaments and a family movie night, there’s something for everyone. Find all the details at wlclib.org/calendar. Can’t make it to any of the scheduled events? Stop by anytime to take advantage of the children’s play corner and reading loft, the birdwatching scavenger hunt, and more.

Book Sale Set for Feb. 15

Come pick up some great used book deals at the library Saturday,

Feb. 15! Sale hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., but you’ll want to come early for the best selection. With prices at just $1 for paperbacks, $2 for hardcovers, and $5 for a whole bagful, the books disappear quickly! You’ll find something to suit most any interest, from history and mystery to gardening and science fiction. There will be jigsaw puzzles and other items to complete your winter hygge collection. Proceeds will benefit the library’s summer reading program.

DeMumbrum

The Storm family, original owners of the Double JJ Ranch. • Courtesy Photo

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SPORTS SPORTS

Thompson makes more history in Viking win

Surpasses Dawn Baker as Whitehall's top boys or girls career scorer; number to be retired

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

Whitehall senior Camden Thompson continued making history Friday night, surpassing 1997 alum Dawn

Baker as the program's all-time leading scorer for boys or girls in an 83-56 rout of Ludington.

Thompson took an inbound pass and scored a short jump shot late in the third quarter to achieve the milestone. Baker's previous record was 1,673 career points. He ended the game with 24 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists and four steals.

Kal Koehler also had a big night for

the Vikings (13-2, 8-0 West Michigan Conference Lakes), scoring 19 points, and Corde Anderson chipped in 13. The Vikings shot an impressive 56 percent from the field in the win.

The school announced Monday that Thompson, who holds Whitehall career records in points, rebounds, assists. steals and blocked shots, will have his jersey number, 23, retired by the school prior to the Feb. 11 game

against Manistee. The ceremony will take place at about 6:45 p.m. following the JV game, with a postgame meet-andgreet planned.

Montague celebrates 5 athletes on signing day

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MONTAGUE — It was a special National Signing Day at Montague High School Wednesday, as five Wildcats made their college decisions official with a ceremony in the school cafeteria.

Riley Mulder, Jocelyn Rodriguez-Perez, Jaelyn Sundberg, Ava Pumford and Braylyn Bultema each signed collegiate paperwork.

Mulder signed with Division II Saginaw Valley State University for football. Mulder has been committed to SVSU for some time now and was able to get on the Cardinals' radar despite missing much of his sophomore and junior football seasons due to his performance at a camp in Jenison.

"I went to their camp and performed really well, ran a really good 40-(yard dash) and performed well on my other tests, and that's what got me on their radar," Mulder said.

The new Cardinal, who will play tight end and study business administration, said he got along great with the coaches and liked the program's focus on player development. He added that SVSU is excited about its class, including a highly-rated quarterback, Lawrence Wells, who was previously

committed to Central Michigan.

"They play Grand Valley (State) and Ferris (State) every year, Davenport, the best teams in D-II. It's great competition," Mulder said.

Rodriguez-Perez signed with NAIA Aquinas College for softball. Likely ticketed for first base or left field in college, Rodriguez-Perez said she couldn't imagine attending college without the opportunity to play on a team.

"The coaches were a really big (factor)," Rodriguez-Perez said. "They were really nice. They felt like home in a way, because when I'm here playing softball with my teammates and with (coach Randall) Mikkelsen, it felt simi-

lar to that. I really liked that."

The Montague senior said she will pursue studies in sociology and criminal justice so she can become a criminologist.

Sundberg and Pumford will both continue their volleyball careers after successful four-year runs at Montague. Sundberg, who was unavailable for comment Wednesday, is attending Glen Oaks Community College, while Pumford is staying local and going to Muskegon Community College.

Pumford will likely play middle hitter at MCC and is hoping to become a physical therapist someday, so it's pos-

sible she ends up playing at a four-year school if the volleyball bug still has a hold of her after two years at MCC. For now, she's thrilled to be a Jayhawk. "I play volleyball year-round," Pumford said. "It's so much fun. I love being competitive. It's a sport where it's all mental and I love that. I get to be myself but also play such a fun sport, and the better I get, the more fun it becomes and the more addictive it becomes."

Bultema signed with NAIA Law-

WMC Lakes power Fremont too much for 'Cats

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MONTAGUE — Montague's early strategy against West Michigan Conference Lakes leader Fremont Friday night was to more or less play keepaway. The Wildcats displayed that strategy right after tip-off, holding the ball for nearly a minute to start the game before turning it over.

However, after a few minutes, the Fremont avalanche that has come for all league foes eventually buried Montague as well, in a 66-27 defeat. The Packers have beaten every WMC Lakes opponent by 16 points or more this season.

Montague (8-4, 5-3 WMC Lakes) led 2-0 after three minutes, but Fremont quickly scored eight straight points, including a sequence in which the Packers scored an and-one basket, missed the free throw and rebounded it, then scored again.

In fact, that kicked off a stretch in

which Fremont scored five and-one baskets out of six, sparking a 16-0 scoring run. The Packers overpowered Montague on the glass, getting a lot of points on second or even third chances.

"We stopped them (at first)," Montague coach Jess DeBruin said. "They had more second-chance shots than us and they were making them. I think there was one time I counted and they shot three three-pointers (on one possession), missed them all, and then they got two other shots. They were good pressure-wise, but it was (the) second-chance shots.

"I don't know if we had popcorn before the game or something, but we just didn't want it on the boards tonight. That's all that is."

It kept getting worse for Montague, which didn't score in the second quarter until Braylyn Bultema got on the board in the final minute. Naturally, the Packers quickly responded with a three-pointer by Taylor DeKuiper,

making the score 37-8 at halftime. Montague didn't cut into the Packers' lead in the second half, but it did play much better than in the first, led by a hard-nosed half from Maizie Collins. The senior forward scored nine

points in the game and showed aggression and grit that could pay off for the Wildcats in the postseason.

Montague's Maizie Collins tries to get between Fremont defenders Ella Shriver (3) and Taylor DeKuiper during Friday's WMC Lakes game at Montague. The Wildcats lost, 6627. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Five Montague athletes celebrate their collegiate decisions on National Signing Day Wednesday. From left are Jaelyn Sundberg, Ava Pumford, Riley Mulder, Jocelyn RodriguezPerez and Braylyn Bultema. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Thompson

Riley Mulder (center) celebrates his decision to sign with Saginaw Valley State Wednesday at the high school. With Mulder in front are mom Jennifer and dad Jay, and in back is sister Molly. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Montague searches for answers after loss

By Andy Roberts

White Lake Mirror Editor

MONTAGUE — Montague was left searching for answers again Friday night after taking a second lopsided defeat to Fremont, 7030, to drop to 3-13 and 1-8 in West Michigan Conference Lakes play.

Fremont came out on fire from deep, drilling five three-pointers in the first quarter to build a 22-9 lead. The Wildcats turned the ball over before reaching half-court on their first possession, in what turned out to be an ominous sign for what was to come.

"They made a lot of shots and credit to them for doing that," Montague coach Nick Thaler said. "They have guys that can make shots if they're left open. At this level, you've got to guard guys, and we just did not come out with a sense of urgency or energy to do those things."

Montague was left frustrated, especially considering half of Fremont's four wins have come against the Wildcats. On paper, the two teams would seem to be evenly matched, yet both their games have turned into Packer runaways.

That frustration likely played a part in why Montague played exclusively reserves in the fourth quarter of the game. Only two Wildcats that were on the court in the final frame saw action in the first half.

"I told them at the beginning of the second half that if you were not going into the game to give your effort and to play hard, there was potential that you were going to come out," Thaler said.

The Wildcats had a couple of brief positive stretches where it

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

appeared they might be able to get back into the game. However, Fremont always seemed to have an answer to get rolling once again.

Jack Degen was responsible for some of what went well for Montague in the first half, in which he scored eight points. However, the Wildcats couldn't sustain many positives.

An attention to detail, Thaler said, was missing for Montague that enabled Fremont to continue to pull away throughout the night. He estimated that the Packers won the rebounding battle by at least 15, which is always a bad sign for any team hoping to come away with a win.

"We're just not doing the little things that are going to win you a lot of basketball games," Thaler said. "We're not boxing guys out. We're not getting rebounds. We're not able to catch the ball. We're not able to make the right passes or catch the ball when getting passes to (us). If you don't do those things, it just puts you in a bind.

"That's super frustrating because it's stuff we work on every

Signing Day

rence Tech to play soccer. She also had - and still has - offers to play golf after an impressive time as a Wildcat, but it's long been her dream to play collegiate soccer and she was determined to pursue it.

day. We just don't produce in games. We're obviously trying to figure that out still, and there's not a lot of time left in the season to figure it out. We're up against the wall."

Adding to the frustration was the obvious joy with which Fremont played throughout the game, despite its struggles this season. As the Packers continued to make good things happen, their bench got into it and each timeout was met with high-fives and smiles on their sideline.

"They're getting on the floor for those 50-50 balls and going for rebounds and defending and playing with energy and effort and having fun," Thaler said. "You look at our guys, and we're the exact opposite. We're trying to figure that out. We've got the tournament coming up, and for some of these guys it's the end of the road. We've had those discussions, and it's going to be up to them how they want to respond."

Mossen Green led Fremont with 13 points in the game, and the Packers hit 10 three-pointers in all.

Sports in Brief

Boys Basketball

Reeths-Puffer 49 Caledonia 45

Brayden Mitchelson led the Rockets in the comeback win, scoring 22 points. Kristian Brown had 12 points and Marvin Moore added 10.

Niles 52 Reeths-Puffer 46

The Rockets lost a tough one at the Kalamazoo Loy Norrix Love and Basketball event. Marvin Moore scored 22 points for R-P.

Rockford 69 Whitehall 37

The Division 1 No. 2-ranked Rams were too much for Whitehall. Camden Thompson led the team with 20 points and 9 rebounds.

continued from page 4

with the athletes and they really care about athletes and their program is really good.

The Wildcats outscored Shelby 32-17 in the second half to come back for the win. Kellan Francis scored 15 points for Montague and Cortland Schneider added 11. Riley Mulder grabbed 12 rebounds. Grant 80 Montague 35 Montague couldn't sustain a good start after leading 13-12 at the end of the 1st quarter. Jack Degen scored 8 points, all in the first quarter.

Whitehall 68 Big Rapids 35

Vikings were strong defensively, holding the Cardinals to only 25% shooting. Camden Thompson had 21 points, 18 rebounds and 7 assists, and Pierce Westerlund had a career-best 12 points.

West Ottawa 64 Reeths-Puffer 51 Brayden Mitchelson (21 points) and Marvin Moore (17) provided the bulk of the offense, but West Ottawa was too much.

Girls Basketball

Ludington 57 Whitehall 39

Whitehall was only down 6 points entering the final quarter, but the Oriole defense allowed only 4 points in those 8 minutes. Sidney Shepherd led the Vikings with 15 points.

Caledonia 51 Reeths-Puffer 27

Raquel Walker scored 8 points, but the Rocket offense didn't manage to get much going against the Fighting Scots.

Grant 41 Montague 37 Montague attempted a big comeback late, outscoring Grant 17-8 in the fourth quarter, but fell short. Braylyn Bultema had 19 points.

West Ottawa 46 Reeths-Puffer 32

Walker led the Rocket attack with 12 points, but Jada Honeycutt contered with 26 for West Ottawa.

W.M. Christian 35 Whitehall 27

Whitehall's offense stalled after taking an 11-10 lead after a quarter. Peyton Schultz led the Vikings with 9 points.

Montague 51 Orchard View 29

Montague raced to an 18-point halftime lead and cruised to the win. Braylyn Bultema scored 20 points, and Adilynn Peterson and Maizie Collins each had 8.

Cheer

Whitehall 3rd at Fruitport Invite

The Vikings scored 644.52 points and were not assessed any penalty points. Whitehall finished behind only Mona Shores and Fruitport.

Bowling

Reeths-Puffer splits with Mona Shores

The Rocket girls won by a 23.5-6.5 margin. Brook Buchan led R-P with a high game of 179. The boys lost 27-3, and Quinn Alderink bowled a 171.

Reeths-Puffer beats Byron Center

The Rocket girls won 22-8 and the boys won 21-9. Ella Mattson had games of 186 and 181 for the girls' team, and Tanner Bahr's 197 was the Rockets' top score in the boys' match. Montague 56 Shelby 46

Montague teams dispatch Fremont

boys

Bultema is likely to play left forward for the Blue Devils and will be pursuing a career in nursing with an emphasis on patients with cancer. Her long-term plan is to secure a job in the Detroit area once she is licensed.

"I love the campus," Bultema said. "It's not necessarily a bigger college. It's big but not super big. They have really good connections

"This is a really big opportunity for me, and it makes me emotional because it's something I never thought I would get to do."

Montague drops matches to Ludington Montague's girls lost a tight 16-14 match, and the boys lost 23-7. Arreonna Stevens led the girls with a 153, and Logan Hunter roleld a 193 for the boys' team.

Hockey

Byron Center 9 Reeths-Puffer 1

R-P suffered its first loss by more than 2 goals this season in the first round of its conference tournament. Ayden Hartzell scored the Rockets' only goal, but they were outshot 29-13.

Montague's

Montague's Riley Mulder tries to find an open teammate during Friday's WMC Lakes game against Fremont. The Wildcats lost, 70-30.

Montague's Cole Herremans has his shot blocked by Fremont's Cuyler Cook-Hansen during Friday's game at Montague. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Reeths-Puffer teams place high at Shores Invite R-P's boys team finished 4th and the girls team was 5th out of 20 teams. Ryleigh Beebe led the Rocket boys with games of 218 and 211. Brook Buchan rolled two 169s to lead the girls. Whitehall girls take down Kent City

The Viking girls won 18-12, while the boys lost 22-8. Felicity Dingman led Whitehall with a 146, and the girls scored all 10 Baker game points. Mason Slaughter rolled a 209 to lead the boys' team. Ravenna too much for Whitehall

The Viking boys lost 23-7 and the girls fell 26-4. Mason Slaughter scored Whitehall's best boys game with a 167, and Felicity Dingman had the girls' high score with a 128.

Montague's Jocelyn Rodriguez-Perez (center) celebrates her decision to sign with Aquinas College Wednesday at the high school. With Rodriguez-Perez are dad Jose, sister Jacquelin and mom Angelica.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Montague's Braylyn Bultema (center) celebrates signing with Lawrence Tech Wednesday at the high school. With Bultema are dad Nick and mom Katie. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Montague's Ava Pumford (front, right) celebrates signing with Muskegon Community College Wednesday at the high school. With Pumford in front is MCC coach Samantha Fehler, and in back are brother Rex, dad Brian and mom Amy. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Montague's Jaelyn Sundberg (front, center) celebrates signing with Glen Oaks Community College during Wednesday's ceremony at Montague. With Sundberg in front are dad Eric and brother Logan, and in back are Glen Oaks assistant coach Ray Sterling and head coach Tracy Sterling. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Montague finishes strong at home jamboree

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MONTAGUE — Montague has been focused on achieving more of what coach Penny Grinage-Guy calls "pretty points" in recent weeks - those hidden points that judges mark down for little things like shuffling of feet instead of coming to a full stop, or teetering when performing lifts.

The 'Cats aren't fully where they want to be yet, but Wednesday night they came as close as they have all season to taking Hart's top spot in the West Michigan Conference, earning another second-place finish with 691.98 points - less than 10 away from the Pirates.

They did it with what the coaches felt were the team's best rounds two and three of the season. The coaches couldn't hide their excitement even during the round three routine as their athletes hit the marks they were hoping for.

"I told them going into round three that they weren't that far from Hart, and that gave us some motivation," Grinage-Guy said. "They performed, in my opinion, probably the best round three that I've seen them do. We've still got work, but it was a strong round three."

Montague scored 292.8 points in

cheer team opens its round one routine during Wednesday's Montague Jamboree. The Vikings used an unorthodox formation to open the routine, with athletes standing very close together. Whitehall finished in 4th place.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

that third round and 190.18 in round two. If the Wildcats had avoided the 10 penalty points they were charged in round two, they'd have won the meet, but Grinage-Guy credited Markaya Ashley, who comes in and works with the girls on gymnastic skills, for boosting the team in the second round.

While the near-miss may sting a bit in the short term, it's hardly a major concern now for the Montague coaches, whose team achieved the goal set to start the year by finishing second in the WMC. Next up is the coming postseason, where Montague thinks it's among the seven or so teams with a legitimate

Whitehall takes 2nd in WMC tournament; six Vikings win titles

By Andy Roberts

White Lake Mirror Editor

Whitehall settled for second place Saturday at the West Michigan Conference tournament in Fremont, though a slew of individual wrestlers had dynamic performances.

The Vikings scored 277 points, 17.5 fewer than first-place Hart. Montague had a solid overall performance of its own, placing third with 158 points.

Six Whitehall wrestlers scored individual WMC titles: Kolten Weiler (132 pounds), Blake English (157), Liam Leeke (165), Gavin Craner (190), Wyatt Jenkins (215) and Cody Manzo (120). Each posted multiple bonus-point wins in their bracket.

Craner pinned all three of his opponents, and Jenkins scored two pins before defeating Hart's Abdel Lopez by technical fall in the finals, 15-0. Leeke had a pin and two technical-fall wins, including a 19-3 win over Haegan Hansen of Hart in the finals. English scored two technical falls, then beat Kai Miller of Hart, 10-2, in his finals match.

Manzo earned technical falls in both his matches, and he too beat a Pirate in the finals - Michael Chavira, by a 15-0 score. Weiler posted a pair of pins, then edged Halen Boos of Hart in a close final, 17-12.

Also for Whitehall, Max Krukowski (126), Wyatt McFarren (144), Isaac O'Boyle (106) and Tommy Leeke (113) were runners-up. Each had at least one

bonus-point win on the day. Colton Kyser took third place at 150 and he too had a bonus-point win, by technical fall. Kassie Sapp dominated the 115/120 girls weight class, scoring pins in all three of her matches.

The Wildcats had three wrestlers finish in second place: Fletcher Thommen (150), Isaac French (175) and Maverick Osborne (285). Thommen scored a pair of technical falls, and French and Osborne each had a win by pin.

"I’m really proud of our team this year," Montague coach Kris Maddox said. "To finish third out of 14 teams behind state-ranked (teams) Whitehall and Hart is an accomplishment this team should be proud of. We lost a few matches today I think we could have won, but that’s how this sport works."

Rockets 2nd in league tourney

Reeths-Puffer placed second at Friday's O-K Green Conference tournament on its home mat, though the Rockets still earned the overall league championship.

The Rockets scored 158.5 points to place behind only Byron Center, which they beat in the regular season.

Four R-P wrestlers earned individual titles: Sage Secrest (215 pounds), Max Knowlton (106), Travis Henderson (113) and Ian Cook (144).

Secrest pinned both of his opponents, and Cook and Knowlton each had a pin and a technical fall in the tournament. Henderson won both his matches by major decision.

Devin Welch (285), Cory Judd (126) and Hunter Eek (157) were runners-up in the conference.

chance at those pivotal top four positions in the district and accompanying regional berths.

The Wildcats are still aiming high, even trying to convince the coaches to put in a more difficult skill in the third round.

"They'd like to put (that skill) in, but they have to convince us that it's not going to hurt us, because you put a higher level skill and you take the chance of falling," Grinage-Guy said.

As for Whitehall, the Vikings finished fourth, a step up from the fifthplace spot they seemed stuck in a year ago. Whitehall had its highest round three score of the season - 269.3 points - and scored 642.84 points in all.

The Vikes came out for round one in an unorthodox lineup, with every girl pressed together as if trying to form a large triangle, which coach Karlie Sika said she borrowed from a college

dance team she saw do something similar.

"How can I make this cheer, but still super fun and bring the girls' passion out?" Sika said she asked herself. "That's what I tried to do, but still making it tight so their execution could be good, and they love it."

The team, Sika said, has improved every week and is coming off a confidence-building outing at Fruitport over the weekend. They too want to pursue a regional bid, but more than that, wants to deliver one day where they hit on everything they try.

"The best thing that I can ask for as a coach is for them to finish every single round at one competition the best that they've ever done it so they can be proud of themselves," Sika said. "If we make it out of regionals, I think that would be amazing, but no matter what, I want us to finish at our best."

Manzo

Whitehall's

Montague performs its round three routine during Wednesday's home jamboree. The Wildcats used their best round three of the season to come in a close second place behind Hart. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

In Loving Memory of our Family, Friends and Neighbors

obituaries

David Lee Roodvoets

April 18, 1938 ~ February 2, 2025

David Lee Roodvoets, 86, of Montague, Mich., passed away on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025.

He was born in 1938 in Grand Rapids, MI, the son of John and Sarah (VanDyke) Roodvoets. Dave graduated from Grand Rapids Christian High School in 1956. He attended Calvin College and Michigan State University, where he earned a BSc in Packaging Engineering in 1961. He went on to earn an MBA from Central Michigan University in 1976.

He was an associate scientist at Dow Chemical for over 30 years, where he developed applications for foam and plastic materials. We can thank him for Ziploc bags and blame him for bag-in-box wine. His involvement in the development of an innovative industrial roofing panel enabled him to launch a second career as a consultant in the roofing industry. He led hurricane damage investigations, conducted wind tunnel and environmental exposure tests used to develop construction standards, and was a regular speaker at association conferences. He contributed to the improved survival of newer homes and buildings in extreme storms. He was still actively working until the end.

Dave married his high school sweetheart, Lois (Doornbos) in 1958. His life was occasionally marked by tragedy with the untimely death of his daughter Laurel in 1968 and his wife in 2006, but he remained a model of steadfast faith in God and loving support for his family. He felt himself extremely blessed to have hosted extended summer visits with family at his home on White Lake. He was proud of his Dutch heritage and hosted traditional oliebollen (fat ball) parties for neighbors and family every spring and fall.

Dave was active in the Reformed Church throughout his life, serving as a Sunday school teacher, elder, Bible study leader, grief counselor, deliverer of Thanksgiving baskets, occasional Nativity shepherd and sloppy joe chef. He contributed to his community as a reading tutor in local schools, a Stephen Minister supporting adults in crisis, and a champion of environmental remediation with the Chemours Environmental Impact Committee.

He loved travel and visited every continent except Antarctica. Classical music from Blue Lake radio played from breakfast through dinner at his home, and he was a season subscriber to the West Michigan Symphony. He read extensively and was particularly fond of WWII history.

He was a man of warmth and intelligence, with boundless energy to help others and get involved wherever he could be of use. He loved his family and friends deeply and demonstrated it through so many caring actions.

Dave is survived by: his son Scott (Liz Witzler) Roodvoets; daughters Diane Hughes, Brenda (Pete) Trefon and Lisa (Glenn) Huckins; grandchildren Mitchell (Chelsea), Audrey, Bailey, Fiona, Aidan, Haley (Conner), Summer, Kimberly, Kelly, Jake and Allison; great-grandchildren Carter, Emmett, Eli and Greyson; sister, Sarah (Ken) Meyer; and dear friends Lori Sheehan and Joyce Brownell.

He was preceded in death by his brothers Roger and William; and sister, Ruth Stewart.

Memorial services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22 at Ferry Memorial Reformed Church in Montague, Mich., with visitation taking place one hour prior to the service, and a luncheon to follow. Interment service for family members will follow at Pine Hill Cemetery in Kentwood, Mich.

Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21 at Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service in Whitehall, Mich.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Pound Buddies of Muskegon, the Chemours Environmental Impact Committee, Ferry Memorial Reformed Church or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, White Lake Chapel, is handling arrangements and donations may be forwarded through them. www.beaconfh.com

Fremont beats 'Cats

"She attacked the boards," DeBruin said. "She was more poised and patient with the basketball. She can take that, move forward and continue to get better and be a very key player for us down the road."

DeBruin was pleased at the improved second-half effort and the Wildcats, though they won't be able to make a run at a conference championship as they'd hoped, can still stay in the running for second place. Mon-

tague lost a close game to Ludington earlier this season and reversing that result when the teams play again Feb. 18 could put the Wildcats in position to tie the Orioles.

"The last time we played them, it was a good, strong battle and we easily had that chance," DeBruin said. "It's a matter of how much we want it when we get that chance."

Mia Clemence scored 20 points for Fremont, with DeKuiper adding 18.

Whitehall Twp. tables

Hickory Knoll discussion

By Madison Lajewski White Lake Mirror Writer

WHITEHALL — Whitehall Township’s planning commission met Wednesday evening to continue discussions about the proposed Hickory Knoll Estates planned unit development (PUD). This topic has been in conversation with both the planning commission and township board for a while, but has received some backlash from township residents who are concerned about various issues they believe could be raised by the estates, the main issues being traffic flow and water access.

The developer has been in contact with the Muskegon County Road Commission to get opinions on how to handle changing traffic in the potential new housing spot. The planning commission and developer have shared desires of conducting a traffic study on Durham Road. With there being an estimated 72 units in the project, surrounding residents have expressed concerns about how an extreme increase in traffic would affect the flow and safety of Durham Road. There have been discussions about lowering the speed limit, and/or adding a left or right turn lane. The developer and

township hope to conduct the traffic study within the next two months.

The developer has also been in contact with the City of Whitehall Department of Public Works regarding water for Hickory Knoll. The developer anticipates having to tap into the city’s water supply, which has sparked concerns with other Durham Road residents about costs and how a water switch would also affect them. These concerns stem from a few years ago, when township residents were unexpectedly required to switch to the city’s sewer, which was costly. After discussing costs, the representative at the meeting said the developer would cover all costs for tapping into the city’s water. Before making any decisions, the township is requiring any Hickory Knoll statements like this to be submitted in writing by the developer.

To allow the developer and township to do more research, and hopefully get more answers, the planning commission has decided to table any conversations about Hickory Knoll for two months, until their regularly scheduled meeting April 2.

The next Whitehall Township planning commission meeting will take place at 6 p.m. March 5.

Montague's Adilynn Peterson fires the ball toward teammate Amanda Cederquist during Friday's game against Fremont. Taylor Johnson defends for the Packers. The Wildcats lost, 66-27. • Andy Roberts/Mirror