The Oceana Echo - Volume 2, Issue 43, March 21, 2025 by theoceanaecho

Thank you to this week’s donors towards our Lead this Legacy Fundraising Campaign

Tyrrell

READER:

Lovedia Miller Dean Gentel

Depending on the circumstances, the term “dismissed” can be dreaded or welcomed. For the board and staff at Echo Publishing Inc., this dismissal brought great joy and relief.

Only a portion of our readers have been aware of the burden we have labored under for almost a year. At that time, MLive Senior Reporter Matt Miller informed us, before we were even served, that a lawsuit for $1.8 million had been filed against us by Shoreline Media’s parent company, Whitewater Valley Publishing Company, in U.S. District Court. Shoreline Media consists of the Oceana’s Herald-Journal, the White Lake Beacon and the Ludington Daily News.

The lawsuit sought damages for unfair competition, but mainly copyright infringement regarding the use of

some photos that the Echo published, of which Shoreline Media claimed ownership. Months before the lawsuit was filed, we received a letter regarding these matters. We apologized for any supposed wrongdoing and hoped we could move on. But that was not to be - because the case was not really about the photos.

The case was really about the survival of a new nonprofit newspaper that was finding a loyal readership in the same counties that Shoreline Media was losing readers. The lawsuit over the photos was the first of several efforts to thwart the Echo’s progress and challenge our success. Our legality was questioned. Our right to print public notices was challenged. Our membership in the Michigan Press Association was denied. The financial cost was

staggering. But the stress and emotional cost were worse.

After contacting us, Matt wrote an article about our plight that was published across many of MLive’s newspapers last year. Circulating in major Michigan markets, and even outside the state too, the article brought us new friends. Past President of the Michigan Press Association Ed Wendover read that article and our phone rang. Matt’s article mentioned Swift Lathers. Ed was a personal friend of Swift’s, who as many of you remember was editor of The Mears Newz. Ed has written features on Swift and the Lost Village. He came to us with knowledge, advice and words of encouragement. We became friends with a common cause: Freedom of the Press.

This all leads to the final analysis:

Case Dismissed. There were no winners. We settled this $1.8 million lawsuit with a total cost to us of almost $100,000, most of it our legal fees.

But we have Angels on our shoulders. Faithful readers who send us notes of encouragement and gratitude for covering local stories. Faithful readers who send us checks to support our work. We are a non-profit, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Without your support, we could not exist. Please consider including us on your list of favorite charities. Your gifts will allow us to continue to print this paper each week and put it in your mailbox for free. Thank you so much!

- Paul Erickson President of the Board

Area robotics teams have good showing at FIRST event in Muskegon

By Sharon Hallack

The Oceana

Echo Community Correspondent

Two Oceana County high schools were part of winning “alliances” at Saturday’s FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics events in Muskegon. First place went to Alliance 1, made up of Team 3572 - “Wavelength” of Mona Shores

Senior High, Team 3538RoboJackets of Avondale High School and Rookie Team 10654 - Tiger Bytes of Shelby High School!

Second place went to Alliance 3 and included Team 10606 - The Foley Flare of Bishop Foley Catholic High School, Team 2834 - The Bionic Blackhawks of Bloomfield Hills High School and Team 6128 - Team M.O.T.O.R. (More Than Our Robot) of Hart High School.

“I am (so proud) of the students that make up our Shelby robotics team, the Tiger

Bytes. They were the main reason why the top alliance team picked our rookie team to be their third member. I also can’t say enough thanks to our sponsors, Advance Architectural and Gentex, for their support. Lastly, to the parents, thank you for your support and for allowing your children to be part of our team,” said Shelby Coach Jan Michael Biyo.

“We struggled a bit early in the qualification matches, but the team worked on their robot between matches and were able to improve

their robot by the time we got to our last three qualification matches on Saturday morning. Our improvement led us to be chosen as part of the third-seeded alliance for the playoff round,” Hart Coach Matt Werner reported. “They saw that we had been improving, and our overall rank of 37 of 39 was underrated. We won our first playoff match, lost the second, and then won the rest of our semi-final matches to get to the final. So being runner-up at the Muskegon event was a pretty good showing.”

FIRST Robotics, a worldwide organization with teams located across the state, nation and world, competes for five weekends from late February to mid-April every year. Michigan is its largest district, with almost 500 teams participating. Other upcoming robotics competitions for Oceana County teams this year include this weekend’s event (March 21 and 22) at Grand Valley State University, with 40 teams scheduled to compete, including Team 9752 - Walkerville Wildcats

(coached by Susan Schwarz) and Team 6128 - Team M.O.T.O.R.

On March 28 and 29, Team 9756 - the Robo Panthers of Hesperia (coached by Dan Postema) and the Walkerville Wildcats will compete at Ferris State University; while Team 10654 - Tiger Bytes will compete in Kentwood. Spectators are welcomed and encouraged to attend competitions. Admission is free. For more information about FIRST Robotics, please visit https://frc-events. firstinspires.org/

Shelby Team 10654 - Tiger Bytes earned first place at the FIRST Robotics Competition last Saturday in Muskegon. Pictured, above from left, are Sydney Reed, Adelide Fleming, Coach Laura Castonia, Ayden Whitehill, Coach Jan Michael Biyo, Kasey Oberlin, Coach Angie Setlak, Cael Omness and Chrystian Hoyt. • Contributed Photo

Echo Publishing Inc.

Hart Team 6128 - Team M.O.T.O.R. took home second place at the recent FIRST Robotics Competition in Muskegon. Seen above, front from left, are Brandon Mohl, Nicolas Ramirez, Theo Palmer, and Silas Jones. Middle row, from left, are Coach Andy Riley, Faith Vander Vlucht, Owen Vander Vlucht, “Louis” (software mentor), Austin Hosking, Clayton Riley, Gaige Gallop and Coach Matt Werner. Back row, from left, are Mason Guikema, Peter Tuinstra and Cole Slotman. Not pictured are Maddox Mullen and Aiden Oomen • Contributed Photo

By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent Community

News and Notes

Schools

The energy in the room was palpable last Wednesday, March 12, when the Oceana Community Foundation sponsored another of their “Free Dive” workshops and reported the largest gathering to date. The quarterly “dives” are provided as a way to bring area nonprofits and community service providers together to address a particular need while providing an opportunity for more education and networking. Last Wednesday’s event, “Connecting, Understanding, & Serving Oceana Farmworkers & Hispanic Residents” featured Jo Estrada-Guerra (Department Analyst - MDHHS Farmworker Outreach Services), Delores Peters (MDHHS Farmworker Outreach –Oceana) and Irma Hinojosa (Oceana Hispanic Center/West Shore Community College) as speakers. Approximately a dozen community service agencies provided additional information and support at individual booths as well. Upcoming Free Dives include June 26: Fundraising and Donor Development and October 22: Mental Health. All Free Dives are held at the West Michigan Research Station and are scheduled from 9-11 a.m.

The annual Oceana Center Grange St. Patrick’s Day parade, see photos at top of page, was another success! Though the ground was covered with three inches of freshly fallen powder, and the day dawned frosty, by 6 p.m., warm sunshine had melted most of the area’s snow. Parade participants and watchers only had to contend with a late winter breeze during the 10-minute parade.

PUBLIC NOTICE

WEARE TOWNSHIP BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING

The Weare Township Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed township budget for Fiscal Year (2025-2026) at the Weare Township Hall on Monday, March 31 2025 at 6:00 PM.

The property tax millage rate proposed to be levied to support the proposed budget will be a subject of this hearing. A copy of the budget is available for public inspection at 6506 N Oceana Drive Hart, MI 49420 Weare Township Hall. In addition the board will also consider adopting a Moratorium to establish an ordinance for large scale or industrial scale solar developments.

Melanie Sayles Weare Township Clerk

Four county high schools (Hart, Hesperia, Shelby and Walkerville) are in the midst of their annual robotics teams season this month. See related article on page 1 for their success this past weekend and where you can catch the action this weekend and next!

Business

New! “Moo’s Birthday Club” at Country Dairy. Kids age 12 and under are welcome to sign-up anytime by visiting the Country Dairy Farm Store or visiting their website.

Weather

Spring is officially here, however, Sunday’s weather was a reminder to us all just how much Mother Nature is in control of our seasons! Amateur astronomer and meteorologist, Calvin Roskam of Shelby, enjoys keeping stats on his home weather station, OceanaCenter WX. “Meteorological Winter” officially runs from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28. During that time Roskam’s weather station recorded the following statistics: an average temperature of 25.2 degrees; a high temperature of 49.3 degrees on Dec. 28; and a low temperature of -1.8 degrees on Jan. 21 at 7 a.m. The highest wind gust from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28 was 41.2 mph on Feb. 28 with an average snowfall for “Oceana Center” totaling 65.4 inches. According to the National Weather Service, Hart received a total of 81 inches during Oceana’s meteorological winter.

Municipal

Paper surveys are available at the village offices, and a Spanish version will be made available soon! The survey will be open and available for residents to respond to until mid-April.

A sewer pipe clog on Pine Street in the Village of Shelby on February 14, 2025, resulted in 75 gallons of sewage being spilled. Village DPW staff reported the clog consisted of a small root system and a large amount of “flushable” wipes. The village wishes to stress that even though packaging may indicate body wipes are flushable, they respectfully ask that residents NOT flush wipes of any sort. Since coming on the market, flushable wipes have been one of the top reasons for problems with the village’s sewer system. Anyone with further questions should contact the village offices.

The Village of Shelby is reviewing its current Master Plan and seeking input from those who live and work in the village. McKenna, a municipal planning firm used by the village, will compile all survey data and make it available to the village for future goal-setting and planning. The survey asks residents opinions on all areas of the village, not just the downtown. The survey can be found online by using the QR code above or this link https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/shelbyvillage.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Newfield Township Planning Commission will be holding a Public Hearing Tuesday, April 8, 2025 beginning at 7:00 PM at the Newfield Township Hall, 3890 S. 198th Ave Hesperia, MI. to take public comments on a modification of a Special Use Permit Application requested by HiCloud LLC for property at 7655 E M-20 Hesperia, MI.

The Special Use Permit is to allow the placement of plants onto the 2nd parcel that was previously approved for storage facilities. No additional plants, other than those previously approved, will be added by this action. It is merely to increase the distance between plants. The property was previously under a Special Use Permit held by JRB CUZ Enterprises LLC.

This will be the only opportunity for public input on this application. Written responses will be read, however they must be received at the Newfield Township Hall, 3890 S 198th Ave Hesperia, MI. by Monday, April 7, 2025, to be considered.

The Hart City Council met Saturday, March 1, for a retreat at the West Michigan Research Station. On the agenda for all seven council members along with the Hart TIFA board and department heads was reviewing the city’s Master and Recreation plans, a joint committee meeting with TIFA, a department heads question-and-answer session, an annual budget process presentation and future visioning. All in attendance agreed the retreat facilitated good discussion and communication and was time well spent.

JOB OPENING

Golden Township will be hiring a Zoning Official for the Township. The person will be in charge of all aspects of the Golden Township Zoning Ordinance, issuing permits, preparing for and attending Planning Commission meetings, Zoning Board of Appeals, etc.

Office hours will be Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8:30-2:30. For a more detailed job description, contact Golden Township at info@goldentownship.org or 231-873-4413.

• Contributed Photos

• Sharon Hallack/Echo

• Contributed Photo

The Johnson family

Mike Wambaugh

Clinton Hallack Stan Hallack

This page is brought to you by:

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

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

Prominent Native Americans in Oceana’s early days

By Caleb Jackson The Oceana Echo Community Columnist

Longtime residents of Oceana and readers of my column will know that Elbridge and Crystal Townships once served as reservation grounds for Native Americans relocated from the Grand Haven area. Indeed, one of the earliest major events mentioned in many of the history books covering our county is the arrival of over 1,000 Native Americans in Pentwater in 1857. This site was the landing point for the steamers the Ottawa and the Charles Mears as they made their way to their new homes in Elbridge and Crystal. Today though, rather than talking about the history of reservations and the events that brought them about, I would instead like to focus on some of the prominent tribesmen among the Native Americans, whose names have been forever preserved in our histories. Hartwick and Tuller introduce us to many of these figures in their book, “Oceana County Pioneers and Businessmen of To-Day,” although they don’t discuss any one of them at great length. Here’s what they have to say: The principal chiefs were Peshosiky, whose other name was Henry Clay, or the great orator; Cob-moo-sa, i.e., Great Walker; Shaw-be-co-ung, or

Chief Pay-baw-me

‘wings,’ meaning that he could soar as an orator; Pay-baw-me, who was a Catholic and a lay reader…. Louis Genereau was an interpreter and was half French. He was a Methodist Episcopalian, but changed in his old age to Catholic, and married Pay-baw-me’s widow. Joseph Elliott, who with Genereau lived in Elbridge, was a full-blooded Indian and interpreter. He was a Methodist, and it is said that he preached with considerable fluency. He gave the first sermon ever preached in Pentwater in C. Mears’ boarding-house… They then go on to say that the 100 occupants present for the first ever ser-

By Janet (Van Gunst) Hasselbring (as told by Mary Humphrey)

The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent

Mary Humphrey has helped rescue hundreds of dogs in Michigan, but five years ago, when she was asked to help find Angus, who had run away from a home in Hamilton, Mich., she was all in. This was a big one. This dog tugged at her heartstrings. From his photo, she saw that Angus was a “Newfie.” It was love at first sight, and she just happened to have three Newfies of her own.

Angus’s owner lived in Howard City, where Angus spent his days tied to a picnic table, watching traffic on M-46. Wanting a better life for Angus, the owner “rehomed” him to a couple in Hamilton. Soon after his arrival, Angus was let out to go pee. He was hit by a car on M-40 and ran off.

The original owner in Howard City was devastated. She contacted Mary and asked her to help. Thus began a 10-week rescue mission in which Angus was spotted, badly limping, in Lansing, Middleville and the Grand Rapids area, traveling over 200 miles. “If I find this one,

mon paid pork and potatoes for their tithe.

Page’s “History of Oceana,” though, gives us a bit of a closer look at some of these individuals, in particular Paybaw-me (or Pa-ba-ma, as Page’s History writes it, there is not much consistency for rending Native languages English at this point), Louis Genereau, and Cobmoo-sa.

We are told that Pay-baw-ma was once the wildest in his tribe, but he settled down a bit once he converted to Christianity around middle age. He is described as “a man of medium height, keen of eye, spare and dark,” and as “a man of ability.” We are also told that he was quite intelligent and observant. He even served several years as the treasurer for Elbridge Township, although he kept the records written in his own Native language with its own particular writing system. He died in 1870, “about 60 years of age.”

Louis Genereau was not a chief “but was a noted Indian.” Genereau’s story is a wild one. As Page’s history records it, he is well known for a crime he committed in his younger days when, “under the influence of fire-water and passion,” he threw a relative onto an open fire and allowed him to burn to death. There are different theories as to what led Genereau to commit this crime. The one presented in Page’s book is that his

I’m going to keep him,” Mary promised herself. Finally, a woman in Jenison reported seeing Angus. Mary set a trap and a camera in the area. A short time later, bingo! The camera showed Angus in the trap. Mary and Angus’s owner went to pick him up. They wept with joy and relief; however, Angus was in bad shape. They brought him to Mary’s vet, who diagnosed him with a torn ACL and a shattered meniscus. Angus had never been to a vet, so he had a total checkup and got his shots. The vet guessed Angus was 4 years old. A GoFundMe page was set up to pay for Angus’s surgery. Angus recovered at Mary’s home. He stayed there during the week, and his owner from Howard City

PART ONE

pony beat his cousin’s pony in a race, prompting the cousin to pull a knife and kill Genereau’s pony. Either way, he was sent to state prison and was eventually released early when he resisted a mass breakout attempt orchestrated by other inmates. Genereau’s name also pops up in Hartwick and Tuller’s book when they write about “Patriotism among the Indians.” He acted as the interpreter when Lieutenant Andress came seeking enlistments. Genereau’s interpretations must have paid off, 25 young Native American men decided to enlist on that day.

picked him up on weekends. She intended to keep him once he was fully recovered.

It was not to be. Angus had fallen in love at Mary’s. He loved romping with his “newfound” siblings on six acres of fenced-in property in the country. When he returned to Howard City for the weekend, he refused to eat, he moped about and was only interested in the chew toy Mary had sent along. His owner couldn’t help but notice the change in his personality when she returned him to Mary’s. Out of love for Angus, she “rehomed” him a second time. Though Mary would never have forced the situation, she was elated to have Angus as part of her family of Newfies.

Oh, but wait - there’s a comic twist to this heartbreaker. Mary had invested so much in Angus that she decided to have a DNA test done to confirm he was a Newfie. Come to find out, Angus didn’t have an ounce of Newfie in him! Instead, he’s part Alaskan Malamute, part Labrador, part Siberian Husky, and mostly super Mutt! No matter. Angus has found his home. He’s not going anywhere.

To access coverage of Angus’s amazing odyssey on Fox Channel 17 news, visit: https://rb.gy/1qdyrr.

Ongoing

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 TrueNorth Housing Assistance satellite - please call 231-861-4880 to make an appointment.

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.

FRIDAYS: Holy Hour, St. Joseph Catholic Church, 2349 W. Jackson Rd., Hart, 4-5 p.m., Fish Dinner, 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.

SUNDAYS: Awakening Faith classes, St. Joseph, Hart, 10-11:30 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. Complete schedule at: theladdercommunitycenter.com

Shelby Middle School hosts Family Night March 24

Family and friends of Shelby Middle School (SMS) students are invited to a Family Night and Student Showcase this Monday, March 24 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the middle school located at 525 N. State St. in Shelby.

Dinner will be served from 5:30-6 p.m. and will feature a program including just some of the middle school’s many talented performers. Dinner will be followed by activities and games from 6-7:30 p.m.

As well, student work will be showcased throughout the building, with every student having something on display.

A “resource fair” will feature booths sponsored by local agencies and groups who will have lots of great information for students and families.

If possible, organizers are asking people to fill out this short Google form for food planning: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSfKj3Lu6tsfPb.../viewform?

Everyone is welcome! The entire school is looking forward to a great evening of gathering with and celebrating all of the amazing students, staff and families of Shelby Middle School next Monday night!

H.E.A.R.T. announces winners of 2025 Main Street Market Pitch Competition

The Hart Economic & Redevelopment Team (H.E.A.R.T.) is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Main Street Market Pitch Competition, held on Thursday, March 6. Morgan Howe, owner of Hound and Heeler Treat Co., and Natalie Schultz, owner of Royalty by Natalie, each secured free rent (valued at $900) for the 2025 season at the Main Street Market after delivering winning business pitches.

The competition, judged by Catalina Burillo, Sue Payne, Hannah Juhl, Scott Beal and Dean Hodges, provided local entrepreneurs with the opportunity to showcase their business ideas and compete for a spot in Hart’s Main Street Market, a downtown shopping destination featuring charming retail chalets designed to support small business growth.

“We are thrilled to welcome Morgan and Natalie to the 2025 season of the Main Street Market,” Economic and Community Development Director Nichole Kleiner said. “This competition brought forth four emerging entrepreneurs in our community, and we’re excited to help these businesses thrive.”

Morgan Howe Natalie Schultz

The Main Street Market provides an affordable, visible space for small businesses to reach new customers and expand their operations. It is a launching pad for local entrepreneurs, offering a unique retail experience for residents and visitors.

For those interested in renting a chalet for the 2025 season or seeking support for a business startup, H.E.A.R.T. encourages you to visit www.takemetohart.org.

March

March 21 - Carnival, Pentwater Public School, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

March 21 & 22 - FIRST Robotics for Hart and Walkerville, GVSU

March 21 & 22 - Shelby Drama presents “12 Angry Jurors,” 6 p.m.

March 21 & 22 - Hart Drama presents “Mary Poppins,” 7 p.m.

March 23 - Maple Open House, Merten’s Farmhouse Market, 230 E. Polk Rd., Hart, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

March 23 - Hart Drama presents “Mary Poppins,” 2 p.m.

March 23 - Shelby Drama presents “12 Angry Jurors,” 3 p.m.

March 24 - Versiti Blood Drive, West Michigan Research Station, 5185 N. Oceana Dr., Hart, 8 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.

Mar. 24 - SMS Family Night & School Showcase, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

March 25 – Tech Time, Hesperia Comm. Library, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Adult Book Club, 4:30-6 p.m. and Adult Craft Night, 6-7 p.m.

March 25 - Tweens Pizza & Pages Book Club & Discussion, HAPL, 415 S. State St., Hart, 3:30 p.m. (Registration required)

March 25 - “I Spy” Student Showcase, OCS, Hart, 7 p.m.

March 26 - All Pro Dads, Shelby Elementary School, 7:15-7:45 a.m.

March 27 - All Pro Dads, Pentwater Public School, 7:15-7:45 a.m.

March 27 - Feeding America Food Truck, SRBC, 4066 W. Shelby Rd., Shelby, 5-6 p.m. (Registration begins at 4:30 p.m.)

March 28 - All Pro Dads, Walkerville Public School, 8-8:30 a.m.

March 28 – Friends of the Library Book Sale Ends, Hesperia Community Library, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sensory Play, 10-11 a.m.

Shelby Drama Club presents ‘12 Angry Jurors’

The Shelby Drama Club will present the drama “12 Angry Jurors” tonight, Friday, March 21 and tomorrow, Saturday, March 22, at 6 p.m. and Sunday, March 23 at 3 p.m. in the Shelby High School Auditorium, located at 641 N. State St. in Shelby. Tickets are $7 at the door.

“‘12 Angry Jurors’ is a stage adaptation of the 1957 movie ‘Twelve Angry Men.’ On a hot summer day, 12 jurors prepare to vote on the guilt or innocence of a young man on trial for murder. Most of the jurors think this will be a quick vote; the trial seemed like it proved undoubtedly that the boy was guilty. However, one juror seems to think there may be a reasonable doubt. They all settle in for a long night, and as emotions get heated, guilt seems less and less sure,” said Drama Director Jamie Mashue.

“It’s an ensemble cast of 12 characters who don’t have names and don’t address each other by any. They’re referred to by their jury numbers,” Mashue said. “We also have three students on the stage crew.”

Mashue is proud of her young thespians and looks forward to them sharing their talents with the community this weekend.

This production of “12 Angry Jurors” is written and adapted by Reginald Rose and Sherman L. Sergel, and is produced by special arrangement with The Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Ill.

Spitler Elementary celebrates Reading Month

Spitler Elementary is celebrating “March is Reading Month” with their “Reading is Out of This World” theme from now until Spring Break! Students enjoyed a surprise-filled opening assembly on Friday, Feb. 28, that included a visit by a “super-special astronaut” and watching a video of real astronauts reading them a book from outer space!

Through their annual reading month activities, students can earn reading tickets by reading at home and/or at school and be eligible for weekly raffle book drawings. “2,227 books will be dispersed during the month of March,” Spitler Title I teacher and Literary Coach Michelle Hansen said.

“At the end of the month there will be a grand prize drawing for a trip with our principal,

Mr. Bruce. One student from each class will get to go to Storybook Village and Up North Farm Market, where students will receive a free book, lunch and time to visit some furry friends,” Hansen added.

Other festivities students will not want to miss include two book walks, local storytellers visiting each classroom, a book token day (sponsored by Gray & Co.), Dome Planetarium, Star Lab, Black Light Book Giveaway Day, Bingo for

Books, STEM/Art Cosmic Collaboration, Read to an Astronaut Day, grade level book days and the WSESD Magic School Bus with Ms. Frizzle (Betsy Cory from Hart Area Public Library) and a Moon Pie treat!

Spitler Elementary wishes to thank these generous sponsors for their support in making this annual event happen: Gray & Company, Barber Signs & Designs, Silver Lake Resort & Campground, Near Roofing, LLC, SyLo Heating & Cooling, LLC, VanDerZanden Beef & Grain, Up North Garden Center, Silver Lake Resort & Campground, Coldwell Banker Anchor Real Estate, Storybook Village, Up North Farm Market, Chartwells Schools Dining Services, West Shore Bank, the VanTassal Family and the Spitler Parent Teacher Organization.

A Faithful Focus: Josilyn Moore, Strong and Courageous

By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent

At 6 years old, growing up for most girls involves school, family, friends and a host of other fun activities. For Josilyn Moore, surviving a neighbor’s dog bite and dozens of surgeries has also been a part of her growing up. As a result, her story is now encouraging others. A short article written by Josilyn, telling of how God has strengthened her, even in the midst of adversity, was recently published in the February 2025 issue of Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse magazine.

Now 9 years old and a student at New Era Christian School, Josilyn is like any typical fourth grader, and thankfully, much of the trauma of that fateful day is behind her.

The accident itself began quite innocently. It was November 2021 back in Colorado, and they were visiting a neighbor to set up a playdate. Upon leaving, Josilyn went around in back of a camper, heading toward the quad they were riding. The dog, who she’d played with before, attacked her out of the blue, severely biting the left side of her face.

“The entire left side of her face was removed. It was hanging by a thread,” Josilyn’s dad, Marshall said. It was a stressful next several minutes and next several hours: a 911 call, an ambulance ride and Flight for Life helicopter ride that would take Josilyn to the nearest hospital in Colorado Springs, 30 minutes away. She says she doesn’t remember much of the next several hours, other than how loud the helicopter ride was and being placed on a table to be x-rayed.

She was rushed into her first surgery, where doctors spent seven hours using 200 stitches both above and below her skin. This would be the beginning of lots of questions, decisions, numerous surgeries and recovery periods.

Unfortunately her own facial skin did not survive, and battling numerous infections has hindered the healing process the past three years, but thanks to many wonderful medical staff and her entire family’s faith-filled outlook, Josilyn is not only surviving, but thriving. Her smile lights up the room.

After the accident, the country was still in the middle of the Covid pandemic, and Josilyn’s parents, Marshall and Rachel, were looking to move from Colorado when a cross-country camping adventure brought them to Michigan. Rachel had put out a post on Facebook asking people for suggestions of where to visit. “I was looking for someplace with four seasons, water, trees and fireflies,” laughs Rachel. “Someone suggested checking out West Michigan, and once they visited

Josilyn Moore of New Era was recently featured in Focus on the Family magazine

Oceana County, they were hooked. We told our realtor we’d be interested in anything from Holland to Ludington and soon found ourselves settling in New Era.”

Josilyn’s plastic surgeon in Colorado was Dr. Domeshek, and when the Moore family told her they were moving to Michigan, Domeshek told them she knew several good surgeons in Grand Rapids and would be glad to provide recommendations for further care when the time came. Some might call it coincidence, but the family believes it was something only God could orchestrate.

When they actually moved to Michigan in 2022 and made the call, Dr. Domeshek informed them that she was actually moving to Michigan herself, and Josilyn could continue as her patient. “Even though she moved for her own personal and professional reasons, we like to say she moved because of us,” Rachel smiled.

Another of Josilyn’s life-changing surgeries took place when doctors inserted a special water balloon near her jawline and neck. The balloon was slowly inflated over time to stretch grafted skin that had been transplanted to Josilyn’s face from her thigh. After several months, the newly stretched skin was ready to be surgically moved to the front of her face. When asked what the worst thing about the whole dog bite incident was, Josilyn confessed, “Getting the balloon.”

“It was very visible and socially awkward for Josilyn,” Marshall said. “But we were able to go in and talk to the school and her classmates to let them know what to expect.”

“All my friends at school were amazing,” Josilyn said.

Her next surgery will be to repair her tear duct, however, no date for that has been set yet. Not wanting Josilyn to miss out on life, Marshall added, “Scheduling around camp, swimming lessons and other family activities is something we’ve taken into consideration.” He also added there are more cosmetic surgeries that could be performed, and may be best done while Josilyn is young, however, they also are sensitive to the fact that she’s already been through a lot and don’t want to push her.

To see Josilyn today, one can hardly see what she has been through. She is a typical 9 year old. Her favorite classes are math and music, and she enjoys bicycling and theater in her free time. She is hoping to play soccer this spring and is looking forward to the Daddy Daughter dance coming up at school. Mom says she and her sister Ali, age 11, are typical sisters. Even though they don’t always get along, she wishes she could have done something more to protect, or help, her sister that fateful day.

To help process some of her feelings and offer hope to other kids, Josilyn has put her theatre hobby to work and has created a series of YouTube videos where she talks about her accident and many surgeries. Josilyn is clearly not letting her experience go to waste.

Even after going through everything with Josilyn, both Rachel and Marshall are very grateful. “We are so thankful her left eye and eyebrow, mouth and nose weren’t affected. It could have been so much worse,” said Rachel. “Thankfully she’s healed quickly. Her doctors are amazed, saying she has super-stretchy skin,” Marshall said with a smile.

Someday Josilyn says she’d like to be a choreographer or, believe it or not, a veterinarian or pet trainer. She’s always loved dogs, and the dog bite accident hasn’t changed that. If anything, it’s shown her family and others how strong and courageous she is. “She’s always been brave,” her dad said proudly.

When asked what she would tell kids going through hard things, Josilyn replied softly, “Remember God loves you.” She would also share her two favorite Bible verses: Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future’” and Philippians 4:13, “For I can do everything, through Christ, who gives me strength.”

Those interested in hearing more about Josilyn’s experiences and seeing the progress she’s made, along with some cute bloopers along the way, can visit youtube.com/@josilynsjourney. Copies of the magazine where Josilyn’s article is featured are available at www.focusonthefamily.com

In Loving Memory of our Family, Friends and Neighbors

obituaries

Pamela Jean Griffis

November 22, 1955 ~ March 12, 2025

Pamela Jean Griffis, 69, of Pentwater, passed into the presence of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, on Wednes day, March 12, 2025, at her home. She was born November 22, 1955, in Hart, the daughter of Edward and Zora Inga (Paulsen) Kompik.

In her youth, Pamela spent a year in Bogota, Colombia, working with Wycliffe Bible Translators. She spent several years volunteering and working for Pentwater Public Schools and then spent the remainder of her career as the office manager for West Michigan Carpet, the family business. Pamela taught Sunday school and was lead deaconess at First Baptist Church of Pentwater. She would claim that her membership at FBC Pentwater started in early 1955 while still in the womb. Pamela enjoyed arts and crafts of any kind with her children, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren. Pamela was an adventurer at heart and loved getting her hands in the dirt. Pamela and Jared enjoyed traveling and camping and never declined an offer to travel to their sons’ homes to work on a project or just for a visit.

Pamela is survived by: her husband and constant companion of 49 years, Jared Griffis; sons, Barak Griffis (Laura Turgeon) and Caleb Griffis (Kristina Craymer); brother, Edward Kompik (Barb Ackley); sister, Debra Young (James); brother, Dale Kompik (Barb Sothman); and 10 grandchildren.

Pamela was preceded in death by: her parents, Edward and Zora Kompik; sister, Diana King (Frank).

Memorial services will be conducted at 11 a.m., Saturday, March 22, 2025, at First Baptist Church of Pentwater, 101 S. Rush St., Pentwater, MI 49449. The family will receive friends on Saturday, from 9 a.m., until the time of services at the church.

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

Douglas Clayton LaPage

August 18, 1946 ~ March 12, 2025

Douglas Clayton LaPage, 78, beloved widower, father, passed away peacefully on March 12, 2025. He was born on August 18, 1946, in Saginaw, the son of Joseph and Berdella (Moore) LaPage.

Douglas graduated from Arthur Hill High School in Saginaw and Central Michigan University with his Bachelor’s in Education. He taught for four years in Saginaw, then moved to Pentwater and began teaching at Pentwater Public Schools in 1972. Douglas married Susan (Pettet) LaPage on December 21st, 1973. While at Pentwater, he worked to develop the mathe matics curriculum, the woodshop program, and draft ing courses. Douglas also coached many of the sports teams for Pentwater, including basketball and track and field. His joy and passion for teaching over the years helped so many students realize they could do amazing things. He had a great appreciation for quality craftsmanship and always attempted to reuse and repair everything, perhaps at times beyond the lifespan of the particular tool/item.

Douglas found a lot of happiness in traveling all over the U.S.; he had a great enthusiasm for showing his two children, Michael and Christy, all the wonder this country has to offer. Douglas also always had a wonderful time taking many dogs over the years on adventures with the children. Many winter trips to escape from the cold of Michigan were taken with the family to Walt Disney World or a warm beach in Florida or North Carolina. Douglas delighted in watching his children and wife relax and play in the ocean, or ask for just one more ride on the Pirates of the Caribbean at Disney. Douglas also loved golfing, sailing, and skiing with his family throughout his life.

In Douglas’s retirement, he enjoyed life at home with his lovely wife, Susan, in beautiful Pentwater. A large portion of time was spent working around the house upgrading and maintaining. When nights came around, Pepsi and The Big Bang Theory were a common way to unwind and laugh with family. Although not a paid spokesperson for Pepsi, Douglas may have helped ensure their stock prices were on a continual rise with the amount of the pop that was consumed regularly. Douglas and his wife traveled south for the winter in retirement to spend at least a month on the beach. They soaked up the sun, relaxed, and strolled down the beach hand in hand, picking up unique seashells. Though there was always a short diversion to Disney World with every trip (just to see if anything had changed).

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m., Monday, March 24, 2025, at St. Vincent Catholic Church, 637 6th St., Pentwater, MI 49449. Visitation will be held Monday, from 10 a.m. until time of Mass, at the church. Interment will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Weare.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Vincent Catholic Church, 637 6th St., Pentwater, MI 49449.

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

Ralph ‘Mitch’ Johnson

July 8, 1938 ~ March 13, 2025

Mitch Johnson went to his heavenly home on March 13, 2025. He was unexpectedly hospitalized on March 12, and although he and his family received excellent care, the good Lord knew how Mitch felt about being hospitalized and raised him up to heaven. He was born in Ludington on July 8, 1938, to Ralph and May (Dowland) Johnson.

Mitch was a descendant of Fredrick Dowland, who was one of the founding fathers of Ludington. He grew up in Ludington and, being very athletic, played all sports. He was also a contributor to the original straw collection at the House of Flavors. Mitch graduated from Ludington High School in 1956. He continued his education at the Spencerian Business School in Milwaukee, Wisc. where he obtained a degree in Stenography. While in Milwaukee he met Valerie Frohmader, and the two were married on May 23, 1959 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Watertown, Wisc. They moved to Hart, Mich. where he was employed as the Court Reporter for the 27th Judicial Circuit Court for Oceana and Newaygo Counties. Mitch held this position for 42 years before retiring in 2002 as Court Administrator.

Mitch wore many hats in the City of Hart—and not all of them were great at keeping his head warm. A true pillar of the community, Mitch was always ready to lend a hand (or a helmet). Encouraged by friends, he joined the Hart Area Fire Department, where he served for an impressive 26 years—several of those as an officer on the Hart Area Fire Command Board. He also helped establish the Oceana County Ambulance Service, proving that when it came to emergency response, he was always ahead of the sirens. Not one to sit still, Mitch also worked as a Deputy for Sheriff Warren Stanton at the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office. His dedication to public service extended into city government, where he served on various boards and commissions, was a City of Hart council member and was elected Mayor for two terms (which, fortunately, required fewer helmets). He also managed to make time to volunteer countless hours to Hart’s school booster club, including chaperoning many band competition events. In his well-earned retirement, Mitch embraced the great outdoors, enjoying hunting, camping and traveling. He never turned down a good game of cornhole, whether with his camping club or family—though whether he played for fun or bragging rights is up for debate. In 2012, he and his wife moved to Montague to be closer to family and became members of Lebanon Lutheran Church.

Mitch was known for his quick wit and his genuine kindness and caring. He deeply loved his family and truly “showed up” to support them. He could be seen and heard at the sporting events his children and grandchildren participated in. Besides his love of family, Mitch was an avid Michigan State fan. He was also known to enjoy a Manhattan, his beloved deer shack in the U.P. and Dutch Chocolate ice cream.

Mitch is survived by: his wife of 66 years, Valerie; daughters Susan (Frank) Fredriksen, Lisa (Michael) Clark; son Tom (Rachelle) Johnson; grandchildren Brianna, Mitchell, Courtney, Cassady, Miranda, Amanda and Clay; five great-grandchildren; and his brother Toby.

The family will receive friends from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., Friday, March 21, 2025, at Harris Funeral Home, 267 N. Michigan Ave., Shelby, Michigan 49455. Please join the family in honoring Mitch’s love for Dutch Chocolate ice cream at an Ice Cream Social, at 2:30 p.m., Saturday, hosted at the Lebanon Lutheran Church prior to services. Memorial services will be conducted at 4 p.m., Saturday, March 22, 2025, at Lebanon Lutheran Church, 1101 S. Mears Ave., Whitehall, Michigan, 49461, with Pastor Douglas M. Ogden officiating.

Donations to honor Mitch can be made to the Kirk Gibson Foundation https://www.kirkgibsonfoundation.org/ or donor’s choice.

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

Oceana County

Animal Shelter

Looking for a four-legged adventure buddy who’s equal parts handsome, hilarious and happy to be here? Meet Luke, a 6-month-old Husky/Shepherd mix who’s got the friendliness of a golden retriever, the charm of a movie star, and the walking skills of a seasoned pro.

Luke is great on a leash. No sled-dog antics here. Luke isn’t about dragging you through the neighborhood like you’re in the Iditarod. He’s all about that “casual stroll” life, where you both get to enjoy the scenery without fear of spontaneous flight.

Luke has never met a stranger, only future fans. People, dogs, possibly even the mailman—he loves them all. If he had a LinkedIn, his top skill would be “making instant besties.”

At just six months old, Luke is already an overachiever in being awesome. He’s got the smarts of a Shepherd, the playfulness of a Husky and the heart of a dog who just wants to love and be loved.

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

By Lucie Winborne

CUSTOMER SERVICE: (800) 708-7311 EXT.

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

• On March 24, 1965, the first “teach-in” was conducted at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, in which 200 faculty members led special anti-war seminars while regular classes were canceled and rallies and speeches held sway for 12 hours.

CUSTOMER SERVICE: (800) 708-7311 EXT.

STRANGE BUT TRUE #12345_20250310 FOR RELEASE MARCH 10, 2025

257

By Lucie Winborne

STRANGE BUT TRUE #12345_20250310

HERE’S A TIP #12345_20250310 FOR RELEASE MARCH 10, 2025

By JoAnn Derson

FOR RELEASE MARCH 10, 2025

By Lucie Winborne

• On March 25, 2001, Icelandic actress and pop singer Bjork made an unforgettable appearance at the 73rd annual Academy Awards in a nude body stocking draped with a large, fake white swan. As if that weren’t enough, the artist then proceeded to “lay” six giant ostrich eggs. Whatever popular opinion said about the look, the dress went on to be honored by the Museum of Modern Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

• On March 26, 1804, President Thomas Jefferson attended a public party at the Senate and led a diverse crowd in eating an enormous loaf of bread dubbed the “mammoth loaf.” The bread had been baked to go with the remnants of a giant block of cheese.

• On March 27, 1929, President Herbert Hoover had a phone installed at his desk in the Oval Office of the White House. It took a while to get the line working correctly and Hoover complained to aides when his son was unable to reach him from an outside line. Previously, Hoover had used a phone located in the foyer just outside the Oval Office.

• On March 28, 1814, the funeral of Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, inventor of the execution device that bore his name, took place outside of Paris, France. Guillotin had given the contraption to the French as a “philanthropic gesture” and was upset at how his reputation had suffered afterward when it became closely identified with political executions and abuses during the French Terror after the Revolution.

• On March 29, 1982, 19-year-old North Carolina freshman Michael Jordan scored a 16-foot jump shot with only 15 seconds left to give the Tar Heels a 63-62 win over Georgetown for the NCAA tournament championship. “To tell the truth,” he said to New Orleans reporters, “I didn’t see it go in. I didn’t want to look.”

• On March 30, 1949, actor Robert Mitchum was freed from a Los Angeles County prison farm after spending the final week of a two-month sentence for marijuana possession there.

• Have your carpets cleaned. High-traffic areas may require it as much as every three or four months, but bedrooms can go as long as 18 months. Use runners and area rugs to safeguard spots that may be vulnerable, like under a vanity or by your sofas.

• “I had some residue on my bathroom ceiling from hard water condensation. I happened to have a set of crutches lying around. I used a hair elastic to secure a hand towel to the arm rest of one crutch. Then I sprayed it with water and used it to scrub the ceiling. It worked really well. I was done in no time.” — A.A. in Florida

• A baking soda and water mix is great for tile floors if you want a quick mop up. If a lot of your floors are tile, do yourself a favor and invest in a steam mop. They clean and sanitize, leaving your floors brilliant.

• “One of the things I do each spring (and fall) is to go through my makeup and toss the old items. I also freshen up my first aid kit, and get new bottles of sunscreen and bug spray to keep in my car kit, so I will always have it around.”

— E.A. in California

• Be sure you use a trivet or other protectant when placing flowerpots on wood floors. Also, purchase felt pads for the bottoms of furniture. This will eliminate divots or other kinds of depressions or scratches in the floor.

• “Tiny tears in your window screen can be secured with clear nail polish. I dab the spot, then use tweezers to line up the tiny wires, then dab again. Just make sure the window is open, or the screen might stick to the windowpane.”

— T.T. in Indiana

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

• When Katherine Johnson was little, she loved to count things. By the age of 10, she was in high school. In 1961, she calculated the trajectory of NASA’s first trip into space. She was so consistently accurate that when NASA began to use computers, they had her check the calculations to make sure they were correct.

By Lucie Winborne

• In Norse, the name Siri means “a beautiful woman that leads you to victory.”

• And speaking of Siri ... she will flip a coin for you if you can’t make a decision.

• In Norse, the name Siri means “a beautiful woman that leads you to victory.”

• Looney Tunes was created to promote the Warner Brothers music catalog in the 1930s, hence the name “Looney Tunes” instead of “Toons.”

• And speaking of Siri ... she will flip a coin for you if you can’t make a decision.

• James Vernor put the basic components of a new beverage into a barrel in 1861 before heading off to serve in the 4th Michigan Cavalry during the Civil War. When he returned four years later, he tasted the barrel’s contents and, voila!, Vernor’s Ginger Ale was born.

• Looney Tunes was created to promote the Warner Brothers music catalog in the 1930s, hence the name “Looney Tunes” instead of “Toons.”

• Norway’s Bouvet Island was discovered in 1739, then “lost” again for the next 69 years due to the original spotter’s mislabeling its coordinates.

• Canada has a strategic maple syrup reserve to ensure global supply in case of emergency.

• Norway’s Bouvet Island was discovered in 1739, then “lost” again for the next 69 years due to the original spotter’s mislabeling its coordinates.

• Canada has a strategic maple syrup reserve to ensure global supply in case of emergency.

• When President Donald Trump asked the Guggenheim Museum to loan the White House an original Van Gogh painting, they responded with the counteroffer of a solid-gold toilet.

• Elvis Presley wore a cross, a Star of David and the Hebrew letter chai because he didn’t want to “miss out on heaven due to a technicality.”

• A single person’s DNA contains as much information as 50 novels.

• Soccer player Mohammed Anas accidentally thanked both his wife and girlfriend in a post-match speech.

• Elvis Presley wore a cross, a Star of David and the Hebrew letter chai because he didn’t want to “miss out on heaven due to a technicality.”

• A single person’s DNA contains as much information as 50 novels.

• Soccer player Mohammed Anas accidentally thanked both his wife and girlfriend in a post-match speech.

Thought for the Day: “The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking spaces.” — Will Rogers ©

2025 King Features Synd., Inc.

49 local athletes named to WMC All-Conference teams

By: Brendan Samuels The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

Another season of West Michigan sports is in the books, bringing another round of individual accolades with it. The West Michigan Conference announced their winter All-Conference selections, featuring 49 athletes from Hart, Hesperia and Shelby.

Hart was the big winner this time around, accounting for more than half of the selections. The Pirates roped in 29 honors, including 21 1st Team nods and eight honorable mentions.

Leading the way for Hart’s winter sports teams was the wrestling team. 10 grapplers were named 1st Team selections with seniors Alex Hicks and Ty Thomas earning repeat titles. Join-

ing Hicks and Ty Thomas were Abdel Lopez, Adrian Lara, Halen Boos, Jordan Thies, Kai Miller, Kole Thomas, Michael Chavira and Haegan Hansen. Lopez, Lara, Boos, Thies, Miller, Kole Thomas and Hansen all are first time recipients, while Chavira showed improvement, moving from an honorable mention selection last year, to a first team selection this year. Earning honorable mentions this year for Hart wrestling were Eman Hertzler, Emmanuel Ortega, Logan Jorissen and Caden VanGelderen.

Coming in behind wrestling for Hart, was the competitive cheer team with six selections – matching last year’s mark. LexieBeth Neinhuis, Kadie Koehl and Nora Chickering repeated as first team selections and were joined by first time additions Grace Hallack, Lola Davila and Celeste Miller.

Hart hoopers who enjoyed success included four from the boys basketball team and five from the girls team. Addi Hovey gained her fourth consecutive first team selection, while Rilynn Porter earned her second in her sophomore year. Reese Smith earned her first all-conference nod while Kelsey Copenhaver and Breslyn Porter were named honorable mentions.

For the boys, Caleb Ackley is a first team selection for the second-straight season. Freshman Kolton Rockwell also joined Ackley on the first team. Miguel Escamilla and Brendan Hiddema were given honorable mention nods.

Hesperia – who had 10 overall selections – was also led by their wrestling team, earning eight selections for their grapplers. Skyler Stalbaum was the only first team selection, marking

his second straight year of earning that honor. Noah Walker, Carter Fuentes, Ryan Fuentes, Dominick Smith, Aiden Smith, Brant Hudson and Dain Kraus were given honorable mention selections.

The Panthers had two selections on the basketball court. On the boys team, senior Ethan O’Neil was a first team selection. Sarissa Conkle showed improvement in her sophomore year, earning another honorable mention nod for the girls team.

Shelby also had 10 overall selections, led by the wrestling team who had five. The Tigers had one first team selection, courtesy of sophomore Brody Fessenden. Earning honorable mention selections for the Shelby

All-Conference continued on page 10

HART • HESPERIA

PENTWATER

SHELBY

WMC All-Conference

grapplers were Jaylin Henderson, Colin Fenton, Juan Brito, Santos Hinojosa. The Tigers had three overall selections on the basketball court. The girls team led with youth, as freshmen Jayna Burmeister and Michelle Peterson were each given first team nods. Eli Kelley was the lone selection from the boys team, taking home an honorable mention selection.

Girls Soccer

Monday, March 24:

continued from page 9

Wrapping up the West Michigan Conference, Shelby’s competitive cheer team had two selections with seniors Brianna Cook and Claire Kelly each being named first team.

We will continue featuring All-Conference athletes next week, when the West Michigan D League announces their selections, featuring Pentwater and Walkerville.

Softball

Monday, March 24:

Baseball

Tuesday, March 25:

Shelby vs. Fennville, 5:45 p.m.

Wednesday, March 26:

Hart @ GR W. Catholic, 6:45 p.m.

Monday, April 7:

Shelby vs. Lakeview, 5:45 p.m.

Tuesday, April 8:

Hart vs. Reed City, 5 p.m.

Wednesday, April 9:

Shelby vs. Grant, 6 p.m.

Thursday, April 10:

Hart @ Chippewa Hils, 6 p.m.

**Pentwater @ MCE, 4:15 p.m.

Wednesday, March 26:

**Pentwater vs. Brethren, 4:15 p.m.

**Hart vs. Whitehall, 4 p.m.

Wednesday, April 2:

**Hesperia vs. Kent City, 4 p.m.

Tuesday, April 8:

**Shelby vs. Hesperia, 4 p.m.

**Hart vs. MCC, 4 p.m.

Shelby vs. Onekama, 6 p.m.

Wednesday, March 26:

**Hart vs. Whitehall, 4 p.m.

Tuesday, April 8:

**Shelby vs. Hesperia, 4 p.m.

**Hart vs. MCC, 4 p.m.

Thursday, April 10:

**Hart vs. White Cloud, 4 p.m.

**Hesperia @ Pine River, 4:15 p.m.

The WMC announced their 2024-25 AllConference athletes for the winter season. 49 athletes from Hart, Hesperia and Shelby were selected. Above graphics feature all sports other than basketball. • Brendan Samuels/ECHO

Reflections of our community

White Lake Mirror White Lake Mirror

YOUR LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NONPROFIT NEWS SOURCE

Montague FFA earns national chapter award

Grace Torsch, Annie Jensen also win awards for public speaking

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

Amanda Cederquist and Addison Pranger had already had a pretty great Wednesday night March 5, having just helped their Montague Wildcats defeat Whitehall in the girls basketball district semifinals. It got even better when Cederquist received a text message from Kate Feuerstein, Montague FFA advisor, saying the group had just won the national chapter award at the state convention in East Lansing.

"I turned to (Addison) and said, 'We won!'" Cederquist said. "She goes, 'I know; we beat Whitehall.' I said, 'No, we won national chapter!' It was a double win for us that night."

nie Jensen won state awards in public speaking, capping another successful year for the student organization.

"I turned to (Addison) and said, 'We won!'" Cederquist said. "She goes, 'I know; we beat Whitehall.' I said, 'No, we won national chapter!' It was a double win for us that night."

The two had to leave the convention a night early to prepare for the basketball game, but they and Greta Auch delivered the presentation that won Montague the award - the rough equivalent of a state championship. In addition, FFA members Grace Torsch and An-

Montague vied with fellow top-3 finishers Hopkins and Lapeer for the national chapter award; Cederquist said the three have been the top state FFA performers of late.

"Us three the last couple years have been the top three, and it gets very competitive up there," Cederquist said. "We're such big chapters and we're so involved and we have staple events we do every year."

Cederquist is president of the Montague chapter, Auch is secretary, and Pranger is a senior and FFA veteran, which is how they came to deliver the

presentation at state. Cederquist has family FFA ties and joined the M-CREW, a student group that helps clean up around the school, in middle school on her way to the high school chapter. Auch was sucked into the FFA program when she and friends won a Greenhand award - the first such award a new FFA member can earn - in eighth grade.

The presentation revolved around

the Montague chapter's success meeting its goals of the previous year - and also its plans on how to meet the goals it didn't attain. Cederquist and Auch said they both felt very prepared for the presentation, which helped limit any nervousness.

Walk the Beat awards scholarships, instruments

A total of $6,000 in scholarship money and 33 instruments were awarded. • Madison Lajewski/Mirror

By Madison Lajewski White Lake Mirror Writer

WHITEHALL — The Walk the Beat organization awarded 33 local students with $6,000 in scholarship money and instruments Monday afternoon at The Playhouse at White Lake. Local choir and band students have the opportunity to apply for the award. Winners receive an instrument of their choice, such as an electric guitar or saxophone. They can also request funds for music lessons, money to aid in band fees and scholarship money for band camps.

Walk the Beat was introduced to White Lake three years ago, after community members experienced the music festival, which originated in Grand Haven. The organization's main responsibility is putting together the annual festival showcasing various music acts, which will take place Saturday, July 19

this year. In addition to the festival, the nonprofit aims to aid local musical students and encourage their pursuit of the arts.

In the past, the nonprofit was directed by Kevin Goff. This year, he passed the reins onto fellow board member Sara Kane-Smart.

“I have been involved for two years in the community giving program and in raffles,” Kane-Smart said.

“I have been involved for two years in the community giving program and in raffles,” Kane-Smart said. “When Kevin decided he was going to step back and take a different role, I said I would be Walk the Beat’s executive director. I wanted to make it smaller. We had 19 venues in four hours. It’s really hard to get to that many bands in that amount of time. This year, we are aiming for 10 venues or bands. I would like to expand it a bit more, but just not have as many.”

“When Kevin decided he was going to step back and take a different role, I said I would be Walk the Beat’s executive director. I wanted to make it smaller. We had 19 venues in four hours. It’s really hard to get to that many bands in that amount of time. This year, we are aiming for 10 venues or bands. I would like to expand it a bit more, but just not have as many.”

Walk the Beat will announce more information about the music festival as the event approaches this summer.

Montague approves Cullen Field grant application

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MONTAGUE — The Montague city council approved by a 6-0 vote a Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund grant application for a planned first phase of a Cullen Fields improvement project at its regular meeting Monday night.

MONTAGUE — The Montague city council approved by a 6-0 vote a Michigan Department of Natural Fund grant for a planned first phase of a Cullen Fields improvement project at its regular meeting Monday night.

Council member Paul Schultz was not at the meeting, and the council unanimously credited him with an excused absence.

The application will make $100,000 available from the city budget as a cash match for the $400,000 grant, which is a common requirement for DNR grants. The first phase of the project, if the application is successful, would include paving the gravel parking lot next to the fields, adding Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant parking spac-

es, a storm drain that would prevent water overflow from leaving the park, a set of pickleball courts near the fields, and some parking next to those courts.

Council member Laura LaGuire thanked city manager Jeff Auch and his staff for the work on the proposal and said she appreciates that the city has planned out phases for the improvements to the Cullen Fields area so the entire project does not need to be fully funded from the start for residents to begin seeing results. Auch outlined more plans the city has for improving the park in future phases, including walking trails, a playground structure, canopies adjacent to the fields to create some shade, and a dog park. He said the project could be split into as many as five phases for cost reasons.

Montague FFA members, from left, Amanda Cederquist, Greta Auch and Addison Pranger were the presentation team that helped Montague earn the FFA's national chapter award for top chapter in Michigan earlier this month. • Courtesy Photo

Torsch Jensen

Montague city manager Jeff Auch displays a diagram of planned future improvements to the Cullen Fields park during Monday's city council meeting. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

Local students celebrate scholarship and instrument awards Monday at the Walk the Beat kickoff event at The Playhouse at White Lake. A total of $6,000 in scholarship money and 33 instruments were awarded.

• Madison Lajewski/Mirror

Torsch Jensen

Montague city manager Jeff Auch displays a diagram of planned future improvements to the Cullen Fields park during Monday's city council meeting.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

City council continued on page 2

Local students celebrate scholarship and instrument awards Monday at the Walk the Beat kickoff event at The Playhouse at White Lake.

Torsch Jensen

White Lake Mirror Editor

Montague city manager Jeff Auch displays a diagram of planned future improvements to the Cullen Fields park during Monday's city council meeting.

Andy Roberts/Mirror

Local students celebrate scholarship and instrument awards Monday at the White Lake. A total of $6,000 in scholarship money and 33 instruments were awarded.

Whitehall schools receive Filters First grant

Montague, R-P also received grant money

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

WHITEHALL — Whitehall District Schools was one of many districts around the state to receive a Filters First state grant to install new bottle-filling stations that will dispense filtered water, superintendent CJ Van Wieren said during Monday's regular board meeting.

The district received just shy of $120,000, which will pay for 28 water

FFA winners

bottle filling stations at its schools. To receive the grant money, the district now must ensure all the water fountains in the district are up to standards. Van Wieren said it's not certain the grant money will fully fund all fountain replacements if the district is found to need to replace many fountains, though it should cover the bulk of the costs.

Reeths-Puffer and Montague also received grants through the program; R-P got $121,077 to replace 46 district water fountains, and Montague received $45,696 for 16 water fountains.

The Filters First grants are one-

"When we're about to present I feel nervous, but all the effort we put in and the advisors spending time with us takes some of the pressure off," Auch said.

Cederquist referred to two tentpole events the Montague chapter hosts each year - Giving for Goats, which is an event that helps recycle Christmas trees so local farm goats can enjoy the leftovers, and Mother's Day planting, where FFA members use the planting of flowers as Mother's Day gifts to teach elementary school students about agriculture.

"Our biggest goal in the FFA chapter is to have greater outreach in our school and our community," Auch said. "(We try to) have events that impact the community and the kids in our school."

The state convention also featured the awards won by Torsch and Jensen. Torsch took home the top prize in extemporaneous public speaking, while Jensen won in public speaking - both, Jensen said, in their first time competing in that category. The wins enabled them both to participate in the national FFA convention in Indianapolis, set for late October.

As the extra word implies, Torsch's was the more spontaneous of the two speeches; competitors are given their choice of two agricultural topics and receive 30 minutes to put together a 3-5 minute speech

City council

The council also approved by a 4-2 vote to allocate $2,500 of its planned $5,000 towards the Fourth of July fireworks, as requested by the fireworks committee. Lisa Kiel and Susan Newhof, who have been on record against the expenditure, dissented. The committee also approved by the same vote to name the boat launch as the site of the fireworks show, allowing it to be closed to public traffic in the middle of the afternoon until 11 p.m. LaGuire said in looking at other potential sites for the show, the only suitable alternative found was the causeway bridge, and for obvious reasons closing it for so much of the day, when it is already closed for the morning parade, was deemed impractical.

The council voted 6-0 to approve mayor Tom Lohman's nomination of Traci Murphy, owner of C's Extreme Ice Cream and Mini-Golf, as a new member of the Downtown Development Authority. Murphy

will serve the remainder of the scheduled term through 2026 to replace an unnamed previous business owner who stepped down as they no longer owned a business downtown. Auch noted that the city sought someone who owned a business in the Water Street corridor due to planned construction projects in the area.

time grants, administered by the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, to aid districts after a 2023 state law was passed to protect children in schools and child care centers from lead in their drinking water. Under the law, all schools and child care centers must have approved filters on all sources of drinking water by the end of the 2025-26 school year, and schools will be required to conduct annual sampling of the fountains.

The meeting was otherwise uneventful. A quirk in district employees' retirement contributions was dis-

about it using the knowledge they have. Torsch delivered a speech about the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and regulatory concerns surrounding it. It was a topic Torsch was very interested in, she said, so it was an easy choice to write about it.

"Agriscience and technology is really interesting to me because (in) the innovation, there are concerns - not so much downsides, but things to be aware of," Torsch said.

Torsch said she felt confident in the pacing of her speech, though she admitted to some nervousness in walking around the stage delivering it. However, she felt the post-speech questions portion went very well and was confident she'd done a good job.

Torsch, who has family history in agriculture - her grandparents owned a dairy farm and now raise sheep and chickens - also won a state star in agribusiness award thanks to her Grace's Garden Maintenance business. She completed two FFA interviews to earn the award. She said she has seven clients and her job is essentially to "take care of everything outside their house."

"It started out as a community service project," Torsch said. "I was helping with spring cleanup and they asked for someone to do it over the summer. I re-

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The council also voted 6-0 to adopt an amendment to the board of review's poverty exemption which will not allow it to consider "substantial and compelling reasons" to grant a poverty exemption to a homeowner that is not below the federal poverty line. Auch said after looking into the matter that the board was not

cussed; state regulations required the district to return the 3% contributions being made by employees who were hired in 2013 and before. The state returned that money to the district in a lump sum, and it was distributed accordingly. Next year, the state policy will change over to allow those contributions to no longer be made, but for the rest of the fiscal year, those employees will continue to contribute 3% of their paychecks to retirement accounts and simultaneously have that money reimbursed.

ally like the flexibility and the communications I get to have with different people."

Jensen won her award giving a speech she had the entire FFA season to complete. It's required to be 6.5-8 minutes in length, plus a five-minute Q&A period afterwards. She chose a topic she has some experience with - hearing loss and agriculture.

Jensen herself is slightly hard of hearing, she said, and she has long been interested in how that affects farmers, having been involved in American Sign Language as well. She was especially interested in looking at preventative measures they can take to limit hearing loss. She moved from Chicago to a farm at age seven.

"Not a lot of people know about it," Jensen said. "How many people are damaging their hearing without knowing it? That could be a big medical bill compared to (investing in) hearing protection. It's letting people know about what is happening when they don't realize it is."

In her research, Jensen found that a pig's squeal can be up to 150 decibels, a number that can cause hearing damage after 15-20 minutes. Tractors, of course, can get even louder, and as she noted, farmers can be on those machines for far longer than 15 minutes.

"It can be devastating to your ears," Jensen said. "We don't notice how much sound we're being exposed to every day."

permitted to do that. A public commenter stated that the state does, though, allow incremental exemptions for those slightly above the poverty line, which the city does not presently do. Auch said he would be working with the county assessor on possibly enacting something similar for city taxpayers.

Saturday, March 22

White Lake Community Expo, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Come learn all the services offered by White Lake area businesses, with prizes up for grabs throughout.

Music Bingo @ White Lake Eagles, 6 p.m.

Greg Miller Jazz Trio performs @ North Grove Brewers, 7 p.m.

Sunday, March 23

White Lake Ukulele Club meets @ Book Nook & Java Shop, 1 p.m. All are welcome. Penny Rushing teaches on stage.

Monday, March 24

Silent Reading Club meets @ White Lake Community Library, 5:30

p.m. Enjoy an hour of quiet reading with the book of your choice, followed by an optional 15-minute period of discussion.

Monday Night Euchre @ Danny'Z Rothbury Tavern, 6:30 p.m.

Dumber by the Beer trivia @ North Grove Brewers, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, March 25

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

Family Storytime @ MADL Montague branch, 11:15 a.m. For kids ages 0-5 and their caregivers.

Pretty Fun trivia @ Book Nook & Java Shop, 6:15 p.m.

Wednesday, March 26

White Lake Lenten Luncheon Se-

ries continues @ St. James Catholic Church, 12 p.m. Guest speaker Beth Wohlford, pastor of spiritual formation at Ferry Church. All are welcome; free will donations accepted.

Youth Open Studio @ ACWL-Nuveen Center, 3-5 p.m. Bring in projects you’re working on or start something new with help from staff.

Dirt Dauber Club garden seed exchange @ MADL Montague, 5:30 p.m. Bring seeds of your own if available and discuss all things gardening. Register @ madl.librarycalendar.com.

Oat Bran Boys perform @ North Grove Brewers, 6:30 p.m.

DJ Trivia @ Jimmy'z Pub, 7 p.m.

Thursday, March 27

Adult Open Studio @ ACWL-Nuveen Center, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bring studio materials from home or explore available supplies in the classroom.

1-2-3 Play With Me @ White Lake Community Library, 5:30 p.m. Designed for children ages 0-5 and their caregivers, with an early childhood specialist available to answer questions. Free event, but registration required at wlclib.org.

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

Live trivia @ Pub One Eleven, 8 p.m.

Echoes of History: Mysterious deaths on the lake (Pt. 2) Community Calendar

By Barbara Bedau Brow Volunteer Contributor

No one will ever know, however, what took place out there on the lake that cold, bleak night, nor what these heroic men suffered while battling with the elements. They died in the performance of their duty as officials, and their brave act in trying to run down those who were guilty of violating the fish law, was one that few would undertake on such a night. But they went where duty called them regardless of consequences.

Deputy Sheriff Hazeltine was one of the best-known men in the north end of the county. He was a former village president of Whitehall and was prominent in fraternal circles. He was a member and past master of Whitehall lodge No. 310, F. & A.M, a member of the White Lake lodge of Odd

Fellows and of the Rebekah lodge. Born in Salem, Massachusetts Sept. 22, 1858, he made his way to the White Lake area sometime after 1875, where he married Francis “Fanny” Betts in Whitehall Sept. 13, 1881. They had a daughter, Nellie (1882-1911).

The funeral service for Hazeltine took place Wednesday, Nov. 18, 1908. It was the largest ever held in Whitehall at that point. The Tannery and other businesses closed in the afternoon. After the service at the M. E. Church, a long procession of Masons, Odd Fellows and Tannery employees, numbering about 200, followed the remains to Oakhurst Cemetery for burial.

Julius Andreas Salomonson was born Jan. 23, 1877 in Whitehall. He married Nina C. Ericksen Oct. 10, 1902 in Muskegon. His occupation

at the time was surfman at the local life saving station. They had a daughter, Jeannette (1903-1972). Julius had recently been recommended for appointment as one of the two deputy game wardens of this county. He had previously headed the office for a year as a part-time deputy. Julius had also

served two seasons at the life saving station.

Julius’s brother, Martin Bernard Salomonson was born June 23, 1882 in Whitehall. He married Karine Olsen April 3, 1906, in Muskegon. They had a daughter, Marvel, (1907-1958) and a son, Herman L (1909-1977) was born in April 1909 after his father's death.

A joint funeral for the Salomonson brothers was held from the Norwegian church in Whitehall Thursday, Nov. 19. The attendance was so great only a small portion of the mourners could get into the church. At Oakhurst Cemetery, the Odd Fellows performed their ritual burial services before the two caskets were lowered into one grave.

All three victims of the tragedy were employees of the Eagle Tanning company.

Chamber Music Society's lecture series concludes Tuesday

The White Lake Chamber Music Society will host the third and last of its winter lecture series Tuesday, March 25. Retired violist of the Chicago

three B's of classical music - Bach, Beethoven and Brahms.

The lecture will take place at 7 p.m. at the Book Nook & Java Shop. Swan wil explore what makes the

three B's so timeless and why they are universally considered among the great composers. He will share recorded examples of their work.

Celebrate Women's History Month with Kanopy

By Virginia DeMumbrum Volunteer Contributor

Looking for something new and interesting to watch during Women’s History Month? Check out the many options available on Kanopy, the library’s video streaming app! Whether you’re in the mood for a biopic or a documentary about famous or not-sofamous women, or even a film directed by a woman, Kanopy has you covered.

eat alone in a restaurant, or own a credit card. If you’re in the mood for a foreign film, try the Academy Award-nominated Anatomy of a Fall, directed by Justine Triet, about a suspicious death in a remote town in the French Alps.

You could try Joan Baez: I am a Noise, in which legendary musician and activist Joan Baez reflects on her life both on and off stage, from her lifelong emotional struggles to her civil rights work with MLK and a heartbreaking romance with a young Bob Dylan. Or there’s Fly With Me, which tells the story of the pioneering women who became flight attendants at a time when single women were unable to order a drink,

Browse the full curated list at bit. ly/wlclkanopywomen. If you don’t have an account yet, you’ll need to create one with your library card and an email address to see the titles.

Kanopy has thousands of other titles on hundreds of topics you can watch on your internet-connected device, including a huge collection of children’s videos. If you have a smart TV you can even add the app to your TV just like you would any subscription-based streaming service, but without the fees and without any ads. To get started, just visit kanopy.com.

Free Online Lectures for History Lovers

If you are a history buff, or just someone who loves to learn about the great state of Michigan, check out the History Hounds virtual events! The Historical Society of Michigan (HSM) offers weekly in-depth programs you can watch online from the comfort of

home at no cost to you, thanks to the library’s membership with HSM.

To register, simply visit bit.ly/wlclhistoryhounds. You’ll need to indicate that you are a “member of an organizational member” and list the White Lake Community Library as the member organization. Complete the rest of the form and select the programs you want to attend. You will receive an email with a link to each live event, plus an email to set a password for your account. Save the passwordyou’ll need it the next time you want to log in and register for more great programs!

Upcoming programs include The Ballad of Casey Jones: Railroad Engineer and Folk Hero April 9 and Connecting Lines: The Michigan Railway Company April 15.

FUN FACT: John Luther “Casey” Jones had a reputation for running his train on time and a custom-made whistle with a unique sound that was so recognizable, people living near the tracks would set their watches by his train's arrival.

Lakeshore Museum Center

Hosts Coffee with Classmates Whitehall school alumni are in-

vited to a special event at the library Wednesday, April 2. Join the Lakeshore Museum Center to reminisce with materials from their collections and archives from Whitehall schools. Drop in anytime between 10-11 a.m. for coffee, snacks, and memories with classmates. You are also welcome to bring your own yearbooks and photos to share. There is no charge to attend, and the event is open to all. Registration is not required, just join if you can. For more information or to learn about coffee hours for alumni from other area schools, visit lakeshoremuseum.org.

DeMumbrum

Josiah C. Hazeltine (left) and Julius A. Salomonson. • Courtesy Photos

Symphony Bob Swan will share reflections on the

Lake Mirror Lake Mirror

NONPROFIT NEWS SOURCE community Montague alum's contributions boost golf teams

Will Kari Golf Room has been named in honor of donations

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

Willard (Will) Kari has had a lot of success in his life since graduating from Montague High School in 1960, and over the past few years it's enabled him to give back to the Wildcats, particularly the golf teams, with sizable donations. He recently helped make possible a well-equipped room in the school's new athletics arena that will provide Montague players an indoor practice space - a room that's now known as The Will Kari Golf Room.

The new room features a pair of golf simulators, enabling players to work on their technique during the winter and other times the weather precludes outdoor practices.

"He's the most fitting person to be associated with golf in Montague," said Chuck Townsend, one of Kari's high school golf teammates. "Willard had more to do with showing Montague what a golf team supported by the high school could be. Until he did that, golf was something to do, but no one was really that serious.

"He was Mr. Golf, no doubt about it, and the finest golfer I ever golfed with. People talk about woods and irons making up their set of clubs, but Willard could've played a heck of a round of golf using a putter."

Kari was part of the creation of the Wildcats' golf program as a student, when he and fellow classmates who

Courtesy Photo

•

were interested in playing pitched the idea to then-superintendent Mark Townsend, Chuck's father. Chuck, who joined the team late (he was already playing baseball in the spring), ended up being paired with Kari when Jack Bendelow, the Old Channel Trail club pro who coached that first team and is now the namesake of the annual Bendie Cup fundraiser for the program, noted that Townsend for whatever reason seemed to play better with Kari.

Kari was a star player for the team; he said the best round he could recall shooting in high school was a 68, at White Lake Golf Club. He continued playing regularly and was a nearly everyday player in the summers until a few years ago, when arthritis in his shoulder made it more difficult. He said he regularly shot in the mid-60s at Old Channel Trail during his prime playing years and has won the Bendie

Cup multiple times in the past.

Kari is now retired and lives in Texas with his wife Sharon. An excavating contractor during his career, Kari sold a landfill permit in the 1980s for a sum that enabled him to retire. He said the permit is now operated by a company called Waste Connections - his royalties from the sale steadily increase each year, which helps fund Kari's philanthropy - and anticipates the permit will still be in use dozens of years from now. The couple also has a home in Tannery Bay in Whitehall and spends summers in the White Lake area.

Post-pandemic, Kari was contacted by a family member who works for Montague Area Public Schools to gauge his interest in donating money to help the district purchase new scoreboards. When Kari told Sharon about the correspondence, she suggested Will contribute to the golf team.

"'You played golf and it did something for you when you were a young man. Why don't you give back?'" Kari said his wife told him. "I thought that

Golf room

continued on page 5

Montague, Whitehall soccer teams ready to go

Wildcats hope third time is the charm after two district final heartbreakers

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MONTAGUE — Montague finished last season with a strong effort, going 5-2-1 in its last eight regular-season games and nearly upsetting Fremont in the district championship. That, plus a full offseason under coach Chris Aebigwho took over midseason last year - and a large collection of top players back, has Montague excited for what could be this spring.

"I literally got goosebumps on Sunday when we sat down at the coaches' meeting and we started putting our

depth chart together, and I saw that starting lineup, and I'm going, 'Oh my goodness, this is going to be great,'" Aebig said.

There's much to look forward to, led by a decorated senior group that includes keeper Addison Pranger, scoring ace Ava Pelton and midfielder Adilynn Peterson - all West Michigan Conference first-teamers last year - as well as midfielders Braylyn Bultema, Abby Dyer and more. Adding to the positive vibes is a huge freshman class that's enabled

New coach to lead experienced Whitehall roster, led by returning all-stater

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

Armed with a new coach, Whitehall soccer enters the season with high hopes of being competitive in the West Michigan Conference.

Laicey Chamberlain is the new Vikings' coach. She has a wealth of coaching experience at various youth levels, including travel ball, though this is her first high school head coaching assignment.

"I've been playing since as far back as I can remember," Chamberlain said. "I guess when you grow up playing and doing it, you want to keep playing and doing it."

Whitehall graduated a few key contributors from last season's team that finished in the middle of the West Michigan Conference standings, including all-conference performer Kendall Osborne. However, many important players are back, led by all-state honorable mention pick Kate Beda and fellow all-WMC selection Aaliyah Jamison, who should both be leading scorers on the team.

• Brendan Samuels/Mirror File

"Obviously Kate Beda is up there (at forward) and she's fantastic," Chamberlain said. "Aaliyah Jamison is super fast and has a really strong foot. When she gets locked in, I wouldn't want to stand between her and the goal."

Other key returners include Bayleigh Bays, Audrey Conners, Elizabeth Fox, Reese Hesse and Morgan

Montague alum Will Kari (center) joins golf coaches Phil Kerr (left) and Brad Tate in the new arena's golf room during its construction last November. Kari's sizable donations to the Wildcats program the past few years helped make the room possible, and it has been named in his honor. • Andy Roberts/Mirror and Courtesy Photo

The golf simulators that highlight the new Will Kari Golf Room are shown in action recently. The room is housed in the new Montague High School arena.

Whitehall’s Aaliyah Jamison (left) races Fremont’s Tori Ward to a loose ball during a game last season. Jamison provides explosive offense to the Vikings.

Montague’s Adilynn Peterson (left) tries to beat a Fruitport player to a loose ball during a game last season. Peterson is one of three returning all-conference players for Montague.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror File

Montague preview

Montague to field a JV team this year, a program first. Pranger shouted out Callie Peterson, Emily Earnest and Marguerite O'Connell in particular as freshmen that have shown signs of being major contributors.

"They show a lot of talent, especially on the defensive end," Pranger said. "At (our scrimmage), they played really, really well."

There are also relative newcomers in the older set. Senior Allyson Balder wasn't on the team last year, but starred in the team's Saturday scrimmage tournament at Big Rapids, scoring the first goal. Senior Jordan Netcott hasn't played organized soccer in years, but she too is on the team and should be a factor on the defensive side.

Hopes are high, but the Wildcats have been around the block long enough to know daydreams about future glories won't get them far if they don't focus on

Golf room

was a good idea, and I'd contact someone to see who I need to send money to."

It wasn't long before current Old Channel Trail club pro Chris Cullen introduced Kari to girls golf coach Phil Kerr, and ever since Kari has contributed to both the boys and girls programs. The Wildcats were already making waves by then, having won the 2020 girls state championship and on the way to repeating in 2021, but Kerr said the support has been instrumental in further growing the program and developing its players.

"His contributions have enabled us to go above and beyond what we could do with our fundraising," Kerr said. "It's enabled us to focus on traveling and going to big events, which requires money. It's been huge for us to not have to really worry about finances when we think about how to challenge these girls. It's been awesome."

Kari and Kerr have corresponded regularly since, and when Kari became aware Montague was interested in adding

a golf room to its new arena, he wanted to help. Last summer while Kari was back in the White Lake area, the duo was making their way around the course in a golf cart when the topic came up again and Kari asked how much the room would cost.

"(Kerr) said, 'We'll be in the vicinity of $2030,000,'" Kari said. "I said, 'I'll just take care of it up to $30,000.'"

"I've just been blown away," Kerr said of the support. "You never expect anything like that. We obviously get great support from the community, but talking numbers with him and him being completely on board to (help with) a state of the art facility for us, it's been a humbling experience. You don't feel like, regardless of anything we've done, you deserve the kind of support he's giving."

The new room will be a huge asset to the Montague program, Kerr said. The Wildcats have occasionally borrowed the Viking Athletic Center's indoor golf space for off-season work in the past, but obviously the Whitehall team gets pri-

their work day to day.

"We're trying really hard to keep our focus there," Aebig said. "We're going to play every game like it's a district championship game. That's going to get us hardened and ready by the end of the season."

Montague won't have time to get comfortable, as its first West Michigan Conference game will be against a consistently excellent Ludington team April 14, the first day back from spring break - and on top of that, the Orioles have spring break a week earlier than the 'Cats, so they will likely be sharper coming in.

Defending league champ North Muskegon and, naturally, Fremont will also be schedule headliners, as will the rivalry game with Whitehall.

"No matter how good or bad either one of our teams are, that's always going to be a 'could go either way' type of match," Aebig said of the Whitehall game.

However those games turn out, though, Montague is focused on getting better each day. A strong team chemistry built by girls who have been playing together since their White Lake Breakers youth team days should help that mission.

"If one of us does really well on the field, the whole rest of the team is so good at congratulating, and supporting, and being excited for them," Lilly Rice, a junior forward and third-year varsity player, said. "Once something really good happens, the momentum keeps going, because we're so excited for each other."

While that team mindset and a focus on improvement will be necessary for Montague to get where it hopes to go, that doesn't mean the Wildcats are blind to their full-season goals. Aebig recently showed the team the school banners in the new gym that show off sports successes at the conference, district and regional level. Only a few banners are blank, and girls soccer - despite coming achingly close to district titles each of the past two years - is one of them.

ority use of the facility. Having their own room to use whenever it's needed creates scheduling certainty the Wildcats will be grateful to have.

The simulators, of course, are the crown jewel of the room. In addition to giving players more chances to work on their technique, Kerr said in his experience it's much easier to hone swing changes away from the higher-stress atmosphere of the course.

"Golf is a skill development sport," Kerr said. "It's basically a race to the imaginary 10,000 hours you need to master something...and now you have the chance to put in some of those hours in the winter. We'll accelerate the growth of the kids in our program. It's easier to work on skill development inside, when they're not so focused on the direct results and the scores they're shooting."

In addition to the obvious tangible benefits of Kari's giving, Kerr said his story sets a great example for up-and-comers in Montague to see what is possible from the White Lake area.

"I think it's really cool to see someone who

came from humble beginnings in Montague and has gone on to great success," Kerr said. "I'm sure many people can say that, but to have someone look for ways to give back to the school and the community, it's a tremendous thing. We'll make sure to keep him recognized for all he's doing, and hopefully we'll make him proud with some more achievements."

"We did talk about making that change this year, making sure that we no longer have a blank board," Aebig said. "We all have that in the back of our mind. We would love to go out and make some noise in our conference. We'd love to go out and make some noise in districts. Make no mistake about that. We're going to just let the chips fall where they fall. We're going to work really hard."

Sports in Brief

Girls Soccer

Montague 5 Newaygo 0

Montague dominated ball possession throughout the season opener and became more efficient with its chances later, with 3 second-half goals. Ava Pelton scored 2 goals, and Braylyn Bultema,

Lacrosse Kenowa Hills 17 Reeths-Puffer 5 The young Rockets couldn't keep up with Kenowa Hills in the season opener. Cohen Beck and Owen Greiner each scored 2 goals for R-P.

A name as strong as traditions

By Margaret Heaton Volunteer Contributor

“Come on, Kenneth! Hold him! Hold him!”

Yes, that’s me as I yell at my grandson’s wrestling match. It’s hard to believe I am now watching our grandson wrestle. It seems like the other day when I sat in the bleachers crying out the same phrase to my son…“Come on, Kenneth! Hold him! Hold him!” as he wrestled at the same school, Montague's NBC MIddle School.

To be honest, I don’t go to the wrestling match just to watch my grandson. I also enjoy watching our son Ken, as he serves on the sideline as a coach. It’s special to watch my adult sons and all their friends, raising families, working jobs and volunteering in sports, the community or church. I wrestle with nostalgia when I see these grown-ups that were kids playing sports themselves not that long ago.

As we attend our grandson’s wrestling meet, you’ll see three generations of Kens. My husband is the first Ken. He’s a man who can fix anything with his hands, whether it is an old car or a problem with a leaking roof. Then came Ken 2.0, our son, who spent his childhood watching his dad

work on cars, trucks or tractors while learning his way around a soccer field or wrestling mat. And now, our grandson, Ken the third. He is walking a path of his own; he carries the same name, the same fire, the same determined spirit.

It must be the winding down of winter that has me wrestling with nostalgia. Or maybe it’s the fact my husband has been helping his friend rebuild a John Deere tractor. He comes home after a day of working on the tractor and tells me about a bolt that didn’t go in right, or he explains the tight tolerances where the plates come together, and he’ll smell like diesel fuel until I wash his clothes. I remember the smell of diesel fuel well. My dad was a diesel mechanic, so anytime I smell clothes with the fumes of diesel, my memories rush to my dad and take me back to childhood memories.

It was one of these memo-

ries I was relating to my husband when I asked my husband a simple question: "What was the first engine you ever rebuilt?"

Ladies, I want you to know, a man never forgets the first engine he rebuilt. We had company over for supper and I asked the three men this same question and these men got animated while describing the cars. Denny's first rebuild was a ‘70 Cougar, Ken's was a ‘62 Rambler Classic, and Bruce's was a ‘78 Chevy.

I need to get away from my nostalgic thoughts now, so it’s back to one of my favorite things: sharing a recipe. This is one of our favorites and so easy to make. It’s a 'fix it and forget it' recipe. I make it even easier by making my rice ahead of time and freezing it in quartsize bags for us. I make this cashew chicken about once a week - it’s that good.

CASHEW CHICKEN in the

Crock-Pot

4 chicken breasts, cut into one-inch cubes

5 Tbsp cornstarch

3 Tbsp olive oil

½ cup chicken broth

5 Tbsp hoisin sauce

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp ground ginger

2 cups cooked broccoli (optional)

1 cup cashews

4 green onions, chopped sesame seeds

cooked rice

Place all the chicken, cornstarch, olive oil, chicken broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic and ginger into a Crock-Pot. Stir.

Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or 4-6 hours on low. Chicken should be 165 degrees when done. Add Broccoli and ½ cup of cashews. Cover and allow broccoli to heat through. Serve on a bed of rice, topping with extra cashews, green onions and sesame seeds.

Fruitland Twp. hosts town hall meeting

By Claire Marshall White Lake Mirror Writer

No agenda was provided for Fruitland Township's town hall meeting Tuesday, March 11, and that was by design. This township meeting was the first in a series aimed at opening up and improving communication within the township.

The first order of business with this particular meeting was to understand which topics were at the forefront of Fruitland citizens' minds. As trustee Christopher VanOosterhout explained, though there were opportunities for citizens to make public comments at previous board meetings, “it almost seems like it's falling on deaf ears because there’s not a discussion or dialogue going on. And that’s one of the things we hope… there’ll be more opportunity for a little bit of a dialogue that doesn’t happen in that setting.”

Alongside VanOosterhout, the meeting was facilitated by supervisor Jeff Marcinkowski and board members Alexa Steffes, Brent Brower, and Sondra Cross. A total of 36 residents were in attendance.

A survey was provided for attendees, listing some possible topics of discussion, but there was no shortage of ideas in the audience. Some citizens expressed desires for the township board to improve its methods of distributing information. Many avenues were discussed to ensure communication and transparency to as many Fruitland citizens as possible.

Township clerk Alexa Steffes discussed being in the process of starting an official Facebook page for pertinent announcements and her desire

to launch a twice-yearly newsletter, available in print and online. These would join the already existing email list and Fruitland Township website. Some residents also brought forward issues they’d had with Zoom meeting links, and board members assured these technical issues would be addressed so future township meetings could be accessible online.

Other residents discussed the importance of community organizations, with resident Kimon Kotos proposing a community resource center and a skill and talent bank where residents could register their skills, trades, and services and make them known to the community at large to promote local entrepreneurship and collaboration within the community. The possibility of hosting presentations for experts to teach classes on a variety of topics was similarly introduced.

Other residents said they wanted to share the history of the township - both European settlers and Native American history. Also discussed were events catering to creative pursuits such as music, art, and poetry, a focus on Fruitland’s parks and recreation, an emphasis on children, families, and seniors in the community, travel accessibility and the maintenance of roads, enforcement of township ordinances, and agricultural opportunities.

In terms of parks and recreation, residents discussed improvements which could be made to Marcus Park, introducing bike trails to the area, and the possibility of a future trade of property to expand the acreage of the park. Improving Nestrom Road Park by redoing tennis courts, adding pickleball courts, improving restroom facilities

and repaving was also discussed.

Dave Rice, of the Friends of Fruitland Township Trails, set up a display celebrating the recent achievements the community made in building up the Duck Lake Natural Area trails and introducing what further trail expansions are underway.

A major concern for residents was speed limits in various areas throughout the township. Many residents worry about areas where visibility is limited and speed limits are too high, leading to accidents, and others complained about reckless speeding on sportbikes along Scenic Drive. Where enforcing existing speed limits are concerned, efforts are already underway to increase speeding enforcement on Fruitland’s primary roads, and residents advised the township to look into utilizing automated speed cameras which can capture images of offending vehicles and mail tickets to their addresses.

In regards to lowering speeds, Marcinkowski discussed some of the issues he’s run into with the Muskegon County Road Commission. Lowering a posted speed limit would require implementing a speed study; if the commission concludes there have been few enough accidents over a 10-year period, it may even consider raising the speed limit rather than lowering it. Marcinkowski proposed addressing the speed limit through a letter-writing campaign to garner attention with the road commission and county commissioners.

Residents interested in community-building will be interested to hear about plans for a new community center. The township will facilitate a “needs study” to gain a better understanding

of what Fruitland residents want out of such a project and form a citizen advisory committee. Once the needs of the community are assessed, the township board could vote on a budget and look into avenues for funding.

The Whitehall school operations millage renewal last fall was discussed. It didn't pass - some residents reported being unaware of it prior to Election Day - and is on the ballot again in May. The availability of information on the millage, some felt, could be improved.

Concerns were raised over the lack of playground equipment suitable for children five and under at Nestrom Road Park; the township said the parks and recreation department is working on acquiring age-appropriate equipment.

For residents concerned about the sometimes confusing and vague nature of city ordinances, VanOosterhout reiterated the importance of feedback from the community regarding their interests and encouraged them to make their voices heard with the planning commission for the development of a new township “master plan” upcoming in 2026. The commission meets the first Thursday of every month.

Moving forward, no date has been set for the second township meeting in this series, but the board hopes to host them quarterly throughout the year. The township website is updated regularly, and further questions can be directed to Steffes at clerk@fruitlandmi. gov.

Board members reported they were pleased to be met with such enthusiastic community engagement.

Margaret's cashew chicken Crock-Pot recipe is so good, she said, she makes it on a weekly basis. • Courtesy Photo

Police activity this week

Behind the Badge

Whitehall Police Report

March 12

A three-car, chain reaction crash occurred in the 100 block of S Mears Ave. at 2:58 p.m. The report from the Whitehall officer investigating the crash noted all vehicles were traveling north when the first vehicle stopped with the second stopping behind, but the third failed to see the stopped vehicles and caused the crash. The first vehicle was driven by a 45-year-old Rothbury woman, the second by an 18-year-old Montague man and the third by a 23-year-old man with a listed address in Freeport, Illinois. The driver of the third car was cited for careless driving, no insurance and an expired registration. No one was injured in the crash.

A resident of the 400 block of Muskegon Ave. reported she was being harassed by an ex-boyfriend. The caller reported they had two children in common and that a few days prior, she had been unable to take them to him for a visit. The man, who lives in Norton Shores, began to send multiple texts accusing the caller of abusing the children. The caller was concerned due to a likely upcoming custody dispute. No further action was taken.

March 13

At 2:05 p.m. Whitehall Police were dispatched to the 1200 block of Colby

St. on an unwanted person. The caller said his father had come over earlier in the day and had come back to deliver some groceries, but now the caller didn’t want his father there. The officer relayed the message and also relayed the groceries back to the caller. No further action was taken.

March 15

A resident of the 900 block of Division St. called over their concern about a phone call they received. The resident said a person called saying they were from the sheriff’s office and there was a warrant for their arrest for missing jury duty. The resident became suspicious when the person calling had difficulty pronouncing Muskegon and hung up. The officer confirmed her suspicion that there was no warrant for her arrest.

An officer on patrol at 5:10 p.m. completed a routine computer check of a license plate and noted the registered owner had a suspended license. A traffic stop was made in the 3000 block of Colby St. and after the driver’s information was confirmed, the 59-year-old Dalton Township man was cited for DWLS and released when a family member came to drive the car away.

March 16

At 7:53 a.m. Whitehall Police were called to a vehicle crash in the 900 block of Lake St. That investigation resulted in the 20-year-old driver being arrested for OWI. The caller told the officer he went out to his car, which was legally parked on the side of the road and found a pickup truck had struck his car. The caller was unable to rouse the driver and called police. When the officer arrived, he found a Whitehall man behind the wheel who said he got tired and pulled off the road to sleep but didn’t know that he had hit another vehicle. There was only minor damage to the vehicles’ bumpers.The driver ad-

mitted to drinking and told the officer that he believed he had stopped to rest at 4 a.m. After sobriety tests, he was arrested. The suspect was taken to the Muskegon County jail, where a breath test showed the driver to still be well over the legal limit for adults. The man was lodged at the Muskegon County jail. Montague Police assisted on the call.

Whitehall Police were called at 10:18 p.m. for a suspicious situation in the 300 block of Division St. The caller noted a person in a dark van was outside the residence. When the officer arrived on the scene, the van was gone but the officer went searching for the vehicle an located it in the 200 block of Colby St. When speaking with that person, the officer was told he had been in the area looking to meet a woman in person that he had previously met online. No further action was taken.

March 17

A Muskegon man was arrested for domestic assault after an investigation into a call in the 1100 block of Colby St. The officer responding to the 10:17 a.m. call was told by the caller she had arrived home to find her boyfriend sleeping on the couch. She confronted the 33-year-old and told him to leave because he went out drinking the night before and that led to an argument. During the argument, the suspect pushed the victim against the wall and struck her. Though the suspect had left the apartment before the officer arrived, he had not left the building. He was located in a downstairs apartment and was arrested and later lodged at the Muskegon County jail.

Whitehall Police responded to a family dispute in the 100 block of Lincoln St. The couple were arguing about an online dispute and how each had responded to it. There was no assault during the 12:30 p.m. incident and the officer suggested they separate for

a time until they had cooled off and could talk peacefully. No further action was taken.

At 2:40 a.m. Whitehall officers responded to a complaint of doggy doo in the 1200 block of Colby St. A resident reported a neighbor was not picking up her dog’s waste from the yard behind the apartment building. The officer attempted to contact the offender but there was no answer at the door and the officer suggested the caller also contact the building management.

March 18

An officer on patrol noted a piece of furniture in a yard in the 300 block of Baldwin St. The officer contacted the resident at 6:32 p.m. The resident said it had been put out for the trash man to take but they did not. After the officer warned the resident to clear the item from the yard, they left. A short time later the officer checked back to find it had already been cleaned up. No further action was taken.

A 16-year-old student was cited for MIP Vape after an investigation involving the SRO. The SRO was called to the high school at 11:30 a.m. where the principal was speaking with the boy whom they suspected of having a vape. A hand-held metal detector was triggering on the student’s thigh even though the student claimed to have empty pockets. The SRO patted the pocket and the student then surrendered the device to the SRO.

A staff member reported to the principal that a student at the middle school was seen with something suspicious in his hand. The student was called to the office where the 13-yearold was questioned and turned over the vape device to the principal. The SRO was called and issued the student a citation for MIP vape and the parents were also notified.

Playhouse hosting special space-themed Pub Night

The Playhouse at White Lake will host a special Pub Night Thursday, March 27, inspired by Whitehall mayor Steven Salter. The event, from 7-10 p.m., will feature space-themed dance and jazz music from local musicians Justin Avdek, Tom Wall, and Zach Gregory.

The Playhouse hopes to, befitting the theme, deliver "entertainment that’s out of this world."

Tickets to the event are $10 and all proceeds will directly support the Playhouse.

Rothbury council approves budget for new fiscal year

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

ROTHBURY — The Rothbury village council unanimously approved its budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year at its regular meeting Tuesday night.

During the monthly police report, chief Ethan Walker noted that the flashing stoplight at the Michigan Av-

The council also set the annual Easter Bunny visit for Saturday, April 19, with the egg hunt set for 11:30 a.m. It unanimously approved the return of golden eggs for the hunt. The council said the eggs, which carried a prize of a bicycle, were a huge hit at last year's celebration.

enue/Winston Road intersection has not been working if the temperature drops below 20 degrees. With spring approaching, it's unlikely that will be an issue for several months, but he said the council could look into an alternative stoplight. The council also approved his request, effective April 1, to purchase new rifles from Phoenix

Distributors, a law enforcement Colt distributor and the same company that sold the village the police department's current rifles. Walker added that they are 180 days out on filling orders, so the new purchases likely wouldn't arrive until fall.

White River Twp. board goes over short-term rentals

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MONTAGUE — The White River Township board had a lengthy discussion regarding an ordinance governing short-term rentals during its regular Tuesday meeting March 11, continuing dialogue that has been in progress for months.

While no final decisions were made - any changes to what was already on paper need to go through the township's legal representation before the board can issue final approval - the board proposed a $600 fee for a three-

year license, as well as requiring prospective renters to submit proof of a septic inspection within the last year. The amount of rental licenses was also capped at 55.

Public commenters questioned whether prospective renters would see it as worthwhile to get the license and whether current renters would view the new requirements as too onerous. A final board decision could come next month.

The township board noted the April 17 date for the Lakeside Solar open house at NBC Middle School to dis-

tribute information on the solar energy facility it hopes to build in the township. Supervisor Ron Bailey said as he understood it, this open house will be similar to the one the company hosted in December 2022 when it first proposed the facility, though this one will not include an open forum as the first one did. Nevertheless, Bailey recommended all interested parties attend and reiterated the township's position that alternative energy projects should be overseen by local authorities and not ones from elsewhere.

The board unanimously approved a

$10,995 expenditure to pay for services from BS&A. The services will be used by both the township clerk and treasurer, and the expenditure will come from the township's budget for legal fees.

Trustee Deb Harris, who was treasurer until late last year, said the township was due for an update in its financial practices; current treasurer Mary Kriesel said all but one area municipality the township contacted uses BS&A. The township currently cannot accept online payments, something it would like to change.

Playhouse committee closing in on recommendations

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

WHITEHALL — Whitehall's Playhouse sustainability committee met again last Thursday evening to begin zeroing in on specific recommendations for how to aid the Playhouse of White Lake in overcoming its current deficit of between $65,000 and $70,000.

The committee set a date of Monday, March 31 at 5 p.m. for its next meeting, at which point, said Frank Bednarek of the Friends of the Playhouse, it intends to produce recommendations that will later be presented to the city council for approval. Bednarek said the focus has been on ideas that could deliver new revenues to the Playhouse this fiscal year.

Among the specific ideas discussed were a slight bump in the ticket prices for performances at the Playhouse, a slight bump in the price of alcoholic beverages being sold, temporary winter closures of the Playhouse to save money on utility bills during January and February, and seeking a sponsorship from the Local Development Finance Authority, which has contributed to the Playhouse in the past. Whether the final recommendations will include all, some or none of those ideas was not set, but all options were discussed at length.

One thing the committee appears

to be ruling out is additions to staff. Although a study cited by mayor Steven Salter at a previous meeting concluded that facilities the size and scope of the Playhouse should be staffed by five employees - currently manager Beth Beaman and part-time employee Cindy Beth Davis-Dykema are the only staffers - the committee seeks to, Bendarek said, "do the best we can with what we've got."

The January and February closure idea appeared to gain some traction with the committee, with Beaman herself saying that would open up time for her and Davis-Dykema to do more development and fundraising work during that time. She estimated the move would save the Playhouse a few thousand dollars each of those two months on utility bills, and added that keeping the thermostat low would be unlikely to have adverse effects on the plumbing, though she'd check on things to make sure if that idea was enacted.

The committee seemed most optimistic about the possibility of an LDFA sponsorship. The authority sponsored the Playhouse in the past; city manager Scott Huebler said it contributed a total of $120,000 between 2010 and 2022 for operations and also made a $700,000 contribution to the Playhouse's capital campaign, part of $3.2 million that resulted in the 2019 reno-

Whitehall preview

Garcia, who all had big moments a year ago. Adding some intrigue is the addition of a pair of promising freshmenIzzy Causie and Kaylyn Blasky.

"Izzy Causie's touch is fantastic," Chamberlain said. "Kaylyn Blasky is going to be our keeper and has really impressed me over the last couple of years. (It's exciting to have) these freshmen, knowing we'll have them four years, watching them grow and develop."

Chamberlain said she's pleased with how her team has responded as she has pushed them hard the first week-plus of practice.

"They're responding positively to that push," Chamberlain said. That's a good sign as far as I'm concerned. It's a great atmosphere to be around right now."

The new coach espouses a defense-first philosophy, joking that "defense wins games and forwards get all the glory." She's confident the Viking defensive unit will play well this year.

Spotlight games for the team will obviously include the rivalry game with Montague - the Wildcats won a

vation of the building. The LDFA has not contributed since 2022, but Huebler believes it would do so again if asked.

The Friends of the Playhouse, Bednarek said, are also hoping to drum up interest in more sponsorship money, with a goal of a 15% increase year over year for the next three years.

The committee also again discussed the possibility of giving the Playhouse a larger share of the city's share of Muskegon County marijuana tax money. A proposal to distribute $59,000 more of that money to the Playhouse instead of to sidewalk repair was voted down by the city council last year; city manager Scott Huebler noted such a move would wipe out most of the deficit currently facing the Playhouse and that the city has other

funds that could be used to make up the difference. Lowering the Playhouse deficit to four figures, Huebler said, wouldn't cause city stakeholders to "hit the panic button."

However, city council member Tom Ziemer - besides Salter, the only council member on the committeesaid he didn't believe local taxpayers would favor that proposal, adding that he himself voted against it last year.

The meeting included a brief look at the last five years of the Playhouse financials. In the 2021 and '22 fiscal years, pandemic grants played a role in keeping the Playhouse in the black, delivering about $165,000 over the two years. The Playhouse is expecting $25,000 of grants over the next few months, which should help this year's balance sheet.

scanning

Echo

one-goal thriller last season - and nearby rival North Muskegon. Whitehall will test itself with non-league games against Coopersville, Reeths-Puffer, Fruitport and more. The aggressive scheduling underscores the Vikings' confidence in their team.

"You can only get so much from watching tape, but I think we'll be competitive within the conference," Chamberlain said. "Watching these players and how they're performing, I think we'll do as well or better than we did last year." continued from page 4

Whitehall’s Reese Hesse fields the ball while facing off with Montague's Anna Woller during a game last season. Hesse is a returning sophomore for the Vikings. • Andy Roberts/Mirror File

VACANCY NOTICE

The Oceana County Department of Veterans Affairs Committee is a seven-person board appointed by the OCBOC upon the review of applications submitted with recommendations from a current committee member, accredited VSO within the county, or a post within the county. There is one vacancy expiring 12/31/2026. Interested applicants must submit an application through the county VSO, a current committee member or a post within the county.