The Oceana Echo - Volume 3, Issue 34, January 16, 2026

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Volume 3, Issue 34 January 16, 2026

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JANUARY 16

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Pentwater Village recognizes Cluchey’s service, welcomes new employee By AnnaMae Bush The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent

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At its January 12 meeting, the Pentwater Village Council honored Terry Cluchey with a proclamation recognizing his faithful service in the Pentwater Fire Department for more than four decades. Council President Mary Marshall cited his many contributions “that will continue to have a positive impact on our community for years to come.” Cluchey served as fire chief for 15 years and instituted several improvements that brought the department in line with best practices in firefighting. Amid applause and many expressions of praise and thanks, Marshall wished Cluchey a wonderful and well-deserved retirement. The meeting was well attended, with council members Don Palmer, Karl Schrumpf, Dave Bluhm, Marshall, Jared Griffis and Kathy O’Connor present and 16 residents in the audience. Council member Dan Nugent was absent. Pentwater Township Supervisor Lynne Cavazos’ comments early in the meeting were the catalyst for a lengthy dialogue that followed later under unfinished business re-

garding a village-township sewer agreement. Cavazos was concerned that commitments made by a prior village manager had not been fulfilled. She recounted township expenditures of $215,000 for sewer system repairs since September 2025. For several months the two entities have been unable to agree on how to measure and charge for the waste discharge made by the township users into the village sewer system. Marshall commented it would not be as controversial an issue if the village sewer system were not so close to the maximum permissible limit during the summer season’s heavy usage. The current obstacles to agreement are meter ownership and the frequency and accuracy of meter readings to determine the discharge amount. Council instructed Village Manager Toby Van Ess and Village Attorney Brian Monton to meet again with Keith Edwards, the township attorney, and other township officials to try and reach a final agreement. There were four additional items under new business. The strategic plan calls for attention to senior services, and Marshall asked for suggestions of people to appoint to a committee responsible for informing residents of services available to them in Oceana County. Regarding this, O’Connor suggested Stephanie Moore at the Oceana

• AnnaMae Bush/Echo

Pentwater Village staff now include, from left, Toby Van Ess, Jody TerHaar, Michele Bieri and Niki Theeuwes. County Council on Aging. In another item, Marshall asked for approval of Josh Andrews for a threeyear appointment on the Planning Commission beginning in May. Andrews would replace Dan Girvan, and council gave unanimous approval. The next item was a presentation by Captain Lee Price who reached an agreement with the village to purchase the former water taxi. He plans to include it in the fleet of boats in the West Michigan S.A.I.L. program, but also hopes to continue using the boat for history tours and sunset sails. He has been working with two professionals to make his fleet accessible, and they are willing to help make a dock accessible. His boats are on moorings overnight, but he needs the availability of a dock for uploading and unloading passengers. He shared that the Artisan Learning Center was involved with the implementation of ac-

cessibility features for the boats and the dock. His request to council was for help to make a dock available for his use twice a day, five days a week, preferably at the municipal marina or at the end of Fourth Street, where he used to pick up and discharge passengers. While council members lauded his program and his intentions, Bluhm felt what Price really needed was “a dock dedicated to your program, available at all times to the veterans in your program and for the other uses of the former water taxi. This would require putting your request ahead of others on the long waiting list.” The DNR determines the number of docks to be used for transient use and seasonal use in municipal harbors. Van Ess agreed to look into those numbers for Pentwater and see if there is any flexibility. The final item of new business was a request presented by Ryan Williams on behalf of the

The Walkerville Wildcats celebrated their Homecoming Friday, Jan. 9. At halftime of the varsity boys basketball game against Big Rapids Crossroads, pictured above, from left, Queen Litzy Gonzalez Jimenez and King Dillan Peets were crowned, along with Princess Isabel Babbin and Prince Hunter Nielsen. • Amanda Dodge/Echo

Downtown Development Authority (DDA) to construct an ice skating rink on the Village Green behind and to the south of the gazebo. The DDA would cover the cost of a large tarp and 2x4 lumber for the sides of the rink, estimated to be a total of $450, and would store the material in the off-season. Council asked if grading would be necessary, where the melted ice would drain, and if the lawn would be damaged by the installation. Satisfied with the responses, council gave unanimous approval with instruction to meet any insurance stipulations. The hope is for the rink to be available for Winterfest. Toward the close of the meeting, three public comments were made related to Price’s presentation. Williams confirmed the value of an accessible dock, having witnessed efforts to put a wheelchair passenger on fishing charters and other boats in the municipal marina that put the passenger at great risk. Dean Gustafson mentioned the possible challenge of using the end of Fourth Street for an accessible dock due to plans for adding riprap and other landscaping for naturalizing the dock area. AnnaMae Bush suggested the village try to work with the owner of the damaged docks on the end of Chester Street for a usable and accessible dock in the area that already provides parking

The special honor of being a Wildcat crown bearer for the Homecoming royalty went to, pictured above, front, from left, Luis Vasquez and Mayeli Vasquez, and back, from left, Roman Hill and Emma Moritz. • Amanda Dodge/Echo

and toileting facilities. Other public comment included Amy LaBarge and Griffis expressing immense appreciation for Cluchey’s valuable communal work and his personal assistance in their times of need. Furthermore, Palmer reported he had received contradictory information on the dates for the closing of the Pentwater Post Office for needed repairs. No firm dates have been given. Further discussion on other matters continued, with Bluhm asking what was happening with the Capital Improvement Plan, and Van Ess announced the draft was on his desk in preparation for budget plans that will begin next week. Chief Laude Hartrum was congratulated for the accreditation verbally given to the Pentwater Police Department, which will be formally awarded on Feb. 3 in Grand Rapids. Hartrum also reported the therapy dog anticipated by the school and the police department was born, and “he will be brought home by Deputy Darwin Mitchell on Jan. 13. But the dog will need to be fully vaccinated and trained prior to being on duty at the school.” The newest employee hired for the village staff was also introduced. Village resident Jody TerHaar began working in the office on Jan. 5 following the holiday break. TerHaar is the new deputy clerk/treasurer in place of Michele Bieri, who officiated at her first council meeting Monday night as the new clerk/treasurer. TerHaar reported, “I like my new job very much and am happy to be serving the residents of Pentwater.” TerHaar and her husband, Dan, recently built a new permanent home on Chester Street after many years of seasonal residency in the village. Following TerHaar’s introduction, the meeting was adjourned at 7:15 p.m. The village council's next meeting is set for Monday, Feb. 9, at 6 p.m. at the Pentwater Village Community Hall.

2 JANUARY 16, 2026 THE OCEANA ECHO Hart Rotary celebrates 85th with Casino Night Fundraiser

Hart City Council awards streetscape contract, reviews audit report By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent

By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent The Hart Rotary Club 2799 is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year on Saturday, Jan. 31 with a Casino Night Fundraiser from 6-10 p.m. at the Oceana County Council on Aging located at 4250 W. Tyler Rd., in Hart. Prepurchased tickets are $50 each or $55 at the door. Each ticket includes food, one drink ticket and casino chips, and may be purchased at zeffy.com (search Rotary Club of Hart Michigan), Shelby State Bank in Shelby, Springstead Law Office, Hart Visitor’s Center or any through Rotarian. One can also use the following link or the QR code below to purchase tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/casino-night-32. Food will include a heavy appetizer spread; a cash bar will also be available. Extra casino chips can be purchased that evening, and the top three chip values will win a prize. One need not be present to win. Attendees can try their luck at the Blackjack, Poker and Roulette tables, along with cash games of Bingo and a 50/50 Raffle. Attendees must be 18 years of age to gamble and 21 to drink alcohol. The Hart Rotary meets for one hour every Wednesday at 12 p.m. at the Hart United Methodist Church, 308 S. State Str. in Hart. More information and updates are available at their website www.hartrotary.org . An article highlighting the history of Hart Rotary will be forthcoming.

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HART - After years of planning, Hart’s long-awaited downtown streetscape reconstruction project is set to begin this spring. Council members Catalina Burillo, Jim Cunningham, Andrew Mullen, Karen Thomson, Betty Root and Mayor Amanda Klotz awarded the construction contract to Wadel Stabilization, Inc. of Hart at their regular council meeting Tuesday, Jan. 13. Councilor Dean Hodges was absent. Wadel’s bid was the lowest of two received, coming in at $2,092,242.00. The first phase of the streetscape project, being billed as the “Downtown Plaza” project, will include reconstruction of a small portion of East Main, the Hart Commons corner, a short portion of State Street and around the corner to West Main. City Manager Nichole Kleiner told council Wadel plans to begin construction April 1 or before, weather permitting, and it could be completed as early as the National Asparagus Festival starting June 12, 2026. Other action items approved included a Winterfest Special Event permit request; a Right-of-Way authorization for Frontier Communications to install a fiber service drop to serve the property at 3 E. Main St.; and approval for a Temporary Grading Easement for cemetery property located at 513 Water St. in support of the Safe Routes to Schools Pathway Project (SRTS). Kleiner reported construction on the SRTS pathway will begin after school is out in June. Jordan Smith, of Maner Costerisan, the city’s auditors, presented the city’s FY 2024-25 Audit Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. In 2025, as in 2023, the city was able to add to their governmental fund balances. In 2025, Revenue was just over $2.5 million and Expenses were just over $2.3 million. Smith reported, “The city’s fund balance is at 10 percent of expenditures and other financing uses. The state recommends a 17 percent minimum fund balance, while the state’s average is 40 percent.” In the city’s Proprietary Funds, Smith reported Hart Hydro revenues are up, putting that fund in a

BENONA TOWNSHIP

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The Benona Township Board will hold a public hearing to discuss the proposed amendments to the Short Term Rental Ordinance. A copy of the ordinance with the proposed changes is available at Benona Township Hall, and also on the township website (benonatownship.org). The hearing will be held on Monday, January 26, 2026 at 6:45 PM at Benona Township Hall. Public input is encouraged. - Margie Shaw Benona Township Clerk

Shelby Township, Oceana County

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: that a Public Hearing will be held in the Township Hall, Shelby Township, 204 N. Michigan Ave., Shelby, Michigan on Monday, February 02, 2026 at 6:00 PM at a regular meeting of the Township Board, to consider a proposed first amendment to an existing Act 425 Conditional Land Transfer Agreement for the conditional transfer of property between Grant Township and Shelby Township, pursuant to Act 425 of the Public Acts of Michigan of 1984, as amended. The proposed First Amendment pertains to the conditional transfer of a portion of parcel # 017-006-200-10. For any questions or comments please contact Shelby Township Office at ph# 231-861-5853 or submit your questions/comments in writing to PO Box 215 Shelby, MI, 49455. Cathy Anderson, Clerk

very healthy position. The city’s Sewer Fund was positive in 2021, 2022 and 2024, however, was not as healthy in 2025, ending at -$151,000 last June 30. The city has invested heavily in sewer infrastructure more recently, however, the state recommendation is that Hart should have a $2.4 million fund balance in their sewer fund. “There are only two ways to resolve - raise rates or cut costs,” said Smith. “There’s only so far you can go and still be able to offer services.” This deficiency will need to be addressed, Kleiner stated following the presentation. Hart’s Water Fund remains in a good position with an almost $400,000 unrestricted net position, which is just above the state’s minimum of unrestricted net position. Smith concluded his presentation, stating three deficiencies for the city: material journal entries proposed by auditors, budgeting for a fund balance deficit and fund balances. In her city manager’s report, Kleiner addressed the following: • Several meetings she’d attended recently or plans to attend in the coming days. • Work continues on straightening out the city’s water tower property ownership, with an expected resolution coming soon. • The Community and Economic Development Director job posting will run through the month of January. • There is now a water testing page on the website. • With the help from a grant, the Oceana Conservation District plans to continue treating for Japanese Knotweed this spring, an invasive species that generally takes several years of treatment to eradicate. • Many more projects and initiatives are in the works. To hear more, bimonthly city council meetings are held the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month starting at 7:30 p.m.

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PUBLIC NOTICE Golden Township

In accordance with Section 14.4 of the Golden Township Zoning Ordinance, the Planning Commission will hold a Public Hearing, 6:30 P.M., January 27, 2026, at the Golden Township Hall, 5527 W. Fox Road, Mears, MI, to hear a request for a property extension to a Special Use Permit for the Oceana County Historical & Genealogical Society. Property # 64-006-733-005-00 in the town of Mears. The existing Special Use is in Block 23 surrounded by Fox Rd., Mears Rd., 5th St., & Charles St. and requesting to add to the Special Use, Lots 5 & 6 Blk 23. Renovate the home into a Historical Park Welcome Center. Included in the Special Use site plan would be to add handicap accessible restrooms, parking lot and fencing. Written comments may be sent to Golden Township Planning Commission, P.O. Box 26, Mears, MI. 49436, Fax 231-873-1413, or email zoning@goldentownshipmi.gov and must be received no later than the Sunday before the above-mentioned date. Application and related materials may be seen at the Golden Township Offices 5527 W. Fox Rd. during regular business hours.

THE OCEANA ECHO JANUARY 16, 2026 3

Shelby formally commits funds to Downtown Revitalization Project By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent SHELBY - Monday, the Shelby Village Council made official a previously discussed financial commitment to the Downtown Revitalization Project when they approved two resolutions related to it. Council members Steve Crothers, Crystal Heykoop, Mike Termer, Curt Trott and Village President John Sutton all voted in favor of the resolutions; council member Dan Zaverl voted against both resolutions; and council member Samantha Gottschalk was absent. The first resolution gave approval for two transfers, for $150,000 each, from the village’s Major Streets fund to the village’s Local Streets fund. One transfer would occur in FY25-26 (ending February 28, 2026), and the second in FY26-27. The two transfers would total $300,000 altogether. The second resolution gave approval to formally commit $200,000 from the General Fund and the $300,000 from the village’s Major Streets fund for the express purpose of downtown renovations. Prior to the vote, Village Administrator Phil Morse presented informational slides showing the village’s fund balances as of December 2025, as well as FY 26/27 “proposed” fund balances. Also included were village revenue and expenditures, as well as required minimum and maximum fund balances for the General Fund, Major Streets and Local Streets. Morse said he feels the village’s Fundraising Team can raise $100,000 in private donations, making the village’s total contribution to the project $600,000. A match of the same amount from a private donor would bring available project funding to $1.2 million. The projected cost for the downtown revitalization is between $1.7 million and $2 million, Morse said. The difference would be covered through a bond purchase to be covered with Brownfield Housing TIF (Tax-Incremental Financing) funds “cap-

tured” through private downtown construction. “I feel very confident in these numbers,” Morse said. Adding, the anticipated downtown development would go hand in hand with the public project. Prior to the vote, Termer said, “With Getty Park, donations did not come in as we’d hoped, and we ended up with a bigger bill.” He followed up by saying the one thing holding him up was a bond purchase. “I don’t like going into debt, and I don’t like putting the village in debt.” Morse explained that funds from a TIF capture would be used to pay off the bond. The money would come into the village and go right back out. “If the TIF money is not there, we wouldn’t take out a bond,” Morse said. Following the passage of both resolutions, Sutton said, “This shows developers and donors we (the council) are serious.” Morse added, “This is the first time in my lifetime I’ve seen anything like this. It’s a really good opportunity for us.” A third and final resolution approved the repair of the village’s Kubota snowblower, which sustained a mechanical failure in early December. The low bid from Wolf Kubota of Free Soil came in at $3,843.46. Considering the base price for a new tractor starts at $36,000, and this piece of equipment has given 20 years of faithful service, it is hoped the $3,800 repair will provide many more. With regard to the housing unit fire at 55 E. Fourth St. in Shelby on Jan. 8, Chief of Police Dean Roesler reported the housing unit contained five apartments that had been remodeled and added on to numerous times. The cause of the fire was determined to be an improperly installed wall-unit gas heater. The day of the fire, DPW employee Brad Simons noticed smoke, immediately contacted 911 and Chief Roesler, and then started knocking on doors, Morse said. It was reported firefighters used one million gallons of water to fight the fire, necessitating the use of two village wells to maintain water levels in the water tower.

In a regular 24-36 hour time period, the village uses approximately 200,000 gallons of water, Morse said. Eight individuals were displaced as a result of the catastrophic loss. The whole incident renewed the importance of the need for some type of rental ordinance enforcement in the village. “While preliminary information suggests the fire was not caused by property maintenance neglect, it reinforces concerns that some rental units in the village may not be in full compliance with code requirements,” Morse’s weekly administrative report to council read. Coincidentally, the day before the fire, leaders from the City of Hart, the Village of Shelby, Trinity Health Lakeshore Housing Initiative and Shelby Township met to pick up where the group left off several years ago, when the hiring of a shared code enforcement officer had first been discussed. Morse said the concept will be revisited and evaluated in the coming weeks. Finally, the Water & Sanitation Committee held a meeting with a representative from the Michigan Rural Water Association prior to Monday night’s meeting. Chairman Trott said a lot of data and information was shared, and it might be a good idea to have them present to the entire council. The next village council meeting is set for Monday, Jan. 27 at 6 p.m at the village hall in downtown Shelby.

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4 JANUARY 16, 2026 THE OCEANA ECHO Visit us!

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Remains and artifacts of Dumaw Creek

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By Claire Marshall The Oceana Echo Community Columnist In the initial reports of the site, 19 complete burials were discovered at the Dumaw Creek Site, with newspaper articles describing how “all bodies faced the east, and had been buried in a sitting position, with knees drawn to the chest.” Initially, the newspaper article drew comparisons between the positioning of the Dumaw Creek bodies and burial remains found in Central and South American indigenous groups, such as the Aztecs or Incas, and posited those cultures may have once resided here. However, the author of the 1966 report from the Field Museum, George Quimby, asserts that the bodies were likely positioned lying on their backs or sides, as is commonly seen in other burials from the Late Woodland cultures. Far be it from me to tell anyone the most efficient position in which to bury a body - I just explore graveyards, not add to them. During the discovery of Dumaw in 1915, 19 bodies (primarily partial skeletons) were discovered, and 14 of them made their way to the Field Museum. However, it's estimated that as many as 55 individuals were buried and subsequently removed from the site, whether by Schrumpf or other local individuals who dug at the site independently. From the 14 partial skeletons the Field Museum could access, researchers were able to determine the gravesite contained individuals of a variety of ages, from toddlers to adults, with both sexes present. The most fascinating (and macabre) detail about the bod-

Pottery vessel, at left, and pottery rim sherds above, with cordmarked surface and exterior lip impressed rim. From the Late Woodland period, approximately A.D. 1600–1650. As chronicled by George Irving Quimby in "The Dumaw Creek Site: A Seventeenth Century Prehistoric Indian Village and Cemetery in Oceana County, Michigan"

ies was that several of the male skills still had hair attached to the scalp. The hair was colored a reddish hue from ochre, though it is unclear whether that was intentional or a byproduct of ochre being present amongst the grave goods. Likewise, the hair was heavily ornamented with beads and piping made from copper and shells. Many of the bodies were wrapped in furs. While Quimby had access to the inventory of the site made by Schrumpf and the University of Michigan, the context and placement of the grave goods in relation to the persons were not recorded. Unfortunately, this means that quite a lot of information regarding the objects, their significance and purposes is lost. The grave goods included in the Dumaw Creek Site burials, as well as what objects were found within the boundaries of the village site, can still tell us a wealth of information about what materials the native peoples had access to and what could be made from them. While the Field Museum’s Department of Zoology, who’d originally purchased the Nel-

son collection, was not willing to deal with the nightmare that is the accidental discovery of human remains in museum storage - they were helpful in identifying the animal furs, skins, bones and teeth buried at Dumaw. These animals include black bear, beaver, buffalo, deer, elk, raccoon, weasel and freshwater mussels, as well as a beak of what may be a species of hawk. While most of these animals were once plentiful in West-Central Michigan during the habitation of the site, buffalo were found only as close as the prairies of Southwest Michigan, some 200 miles away. This, plus the sheer wealth of copper artifacts (which were found to originate from Northern Michigan), indicates a robust and healthy trading network throughout the Great Lakes Region. As far as vegetative products present at the site, there are examples of ferns and white pine, as well as arrow shafts made from a variety of reedtype plants. Some few examples of consumable vegetation were wild grapes and pumpkin seeds.

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These flora and fauna examples were also made into fabrics, such as woven plant fibers, braided grass and yarn wound from buffalo fur. The aforementioned copper was used as ornamentation. Dozens of hair pipes (thin copper sheets rolled into long, narrow cylinders, through which hair could be threaded) were found at the site, ranging in length from 3.5-7.5 cm. There were also beads for hair and pendants made from copper and shell. Many of the copper pendants were formed into and engraved with zoomorphic designs, like birds and snakes, with one intriguing example being designated a “weeping eye.” This design essentially resembles a face with crying eyes, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t want a necklace resembling it. Alongside the more frivolous jewelry were practical stone and bone tools, including over 1,000 arrowheads. The vast majority of these flint arrowheads were shaped into a typical triangle, no longer than 2 cm, with some minor variations in form and a wide variety of

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colors. Considering the large amount of arrowheads, the discovery of chert (the byproduct of “knapping” and shaping flint tools) was no surprise. There were also a handful of tobacco pipe fragments made of either stone or clay, many engraved with geometric designs, and a couple formed into long-beaked birds resembling kingfishers or woodpeckers. My favorite artifacts, however, were the pottery. Two examples of whole clay pots were uncovered from the gravesites, with plenty more sherds scattered around the village. The whole vessels are round and squat, 18 and 20 cm high, with wide-mouth, flared openings. The pottery was textured with thick fabrics, which would have been wrapped around the pot while still wet. The two whole vessels are red-brown in color, while the sherds come in wider color varieties. My favorite aspect of the pottery are the opening edges, which were pinched into a scalloped design, which Quimby accurately noted resembled pie crusts. The obvious hand-modelling of the pots adds such a stunning, human element to the artifacts, in such a way they cannot be divorced from the bodies found beside them. As per usual, I’ve gotten far too excited about bits of metal and earthenware, so readers can look forward to the conclusion of the Dumaw Creek Site next week, when I will finally discuss the indigenous cultures of the Late Woodland period, as well as the status of the site, artifacts and remains today.

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theoceanaecho@gmail.com • January 16, 2026 • Volume 3 • Issue 34 Office hours (Old Town Hall in Mears): M & W: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Office: 231-301-8149 • ads@oceanaecho.com We need your support! Please donate today! Donations in any amount can be made via Paypal at paypal.me/echopublishinginc, by scanning the QR code at right or by sending a check made out to Echo Publishing Inc. to P.O. Box 192, Mears, MI 49436.

THE OCEANA ECHO JANUARY 16, 2026 5

Ongoing 3 MON: OCDVA Coffee & Donuts for Veterans, Spouses and Veteran Widows, 9-11 a.m., Heritage Wedding Barn, Shelby. rd

TUES: Tech Time, Hesperia Community Library, 1:30-2:30 p.m. TUES: Free Soup Supper, Hart Christian Fellowship, 5-7 p.m. TUES: TOPS, Hart Wesleyan Church, 5 p.m. 1 & 3 TUES: Tech help, Pentwater Twp. Library, 1-2 p.m. st

rd

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

WED: Love INC and TrueNorth Housing Assistance satellite please call 231-861-4880 to make an appointment. 1st & 3rd WED: Free community dinner, 5-6 p.m., Hart Wesleyan. 1st & 3rd WED: Hart VFW Post 1329 Burger/Chicken/Brat/Ribs Night, 5-7 p.m., dine-in or carry out. * Donate returnable cans and bottles to the Hart VFW. Drop off at the hall or call Steve at 231-873-1727 for pick-up.* 2nd & 4th WED: Pentwater Community Food Pantry, First Baptist Church, Pentwater, 9-10:15 a.m. WED: Line Dancing, Park Place, Pentwater, 6:30-8 p.m. THURS - "Harts 'n Homes" Women's Fellowship, Faith Christian Fellowship, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 1st FRI: Free Soup Supper, Ferry Comm. Center, 5-7 p.m. FRI: Story Time, HCL, 10 a.m. FRI: Preschool Story Hour, HAPL, 11 a.m. 1 SAT: Baby Pantry, Trinity Lutheran Church, 8:30-10 a.m. st

5th SAT: Free Community Breakfast, Shelby UCC, 8-10 a.m. The Ladder Community Center: Jan. 23 : Live Music by the Jammers, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Huddle: 6th-12th grade after-school program, M-F 3-5 p.m. Adult Hours: M-F 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 22: Blanket Finger-Knitting Class, 6 p.m. (sign up req.) Jan. 27: Knitting Group, 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 30: Strum It Club,11 a.m. to noon MON: Adult Bible Study, “Truth Rising”, 1/12 - 2/2, 1-2 p.m., TUES: Men’s Bible Study, 10:30 a.m. to noon SAT: “Celebrate” Worship Service, 6:30 p.m. Complete schedule at: theladdercommunitycenter.com

Kaitlyn Sutton, Processing and Procurement Manager for Muskegon PLANTS project at the FARM Food Hub in Muskegon, inspects green bean with Joe Prado. Over 40,000 lbs. of local produce was used by local school food service programs over the past year. • contributed photo

Local producer training scheduled for January 21 On Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, a workshop for local farmers and food processors to learn strategies for selling products to school districts at the Bringing the Farm to School: Local Producer Training will take place at the West Central Michigan Horticulture & Research Extension Center Station in Hart. The workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with lunch provided. Please follow this link https://events.anr.msu.edu/Bringingthefarmtoschool2026/ to register. Registration opened Monday, Jan. 12. Attendees will learn best practices and challenges from the first year of the Partnership for Local Agriculture and Nutrition Transformation in Schools (PLANTS) and about the experiences of working with local schools and over 20 West Michigan farmers through the Food Hub at FARM in Muskegon and an extension of the fall harvest summit of 2024. Producers that attend this training will: • Learn about accessing school markets and growing products for schools. • Hear from producers that have successfully navigated school markets. • Gain new knowledge and resources for integrating school markets into your business plan. • Meet local peers and experts, and have questions answered.

January Jan. 18 - Hart Performing Arts Series, John Riesen performance, Hart Schools Auditorium, 3:00 p.m. Jan.19 - After School Movie, Hesperia Community Library, 3:30-5 p.m. Jan. 19 - Movie for GrownUps, Hart Community Center, 4 p.m. Jan. 20 - Board Meeting, Hesperia Community Library, 4:30-6 p.m. Jan. 21 - All Pro Dads, Oceana Christian School, 7:35 a.m. Jan. 22 - All Pro Dads, New Era Christian School, 8 a.m. Jan. 23 - All Pro Dads, Spitler Elementary, 7:15 a.m. Jan. 26 - Versiti Blood Drive, West Michigan Research Station, Hart, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

City of Hart announces 2026 Winterfest lineup The City of Hart is excited to announce details for Winterfest 2026, a celebration packed with outdoor fun, friendly competition and community favorites for all ages. The full schedule of events and registration links can be found at www. takemetohart.org/winterfest Winterfest festivities kick off Saturday, January 31, 2026, with the 4th Annual Frozen Tinman Golf Outing, a Hart favorite that brings golf to the snow. The event will take place at the City of Hart irrigation property on Polk Road. Teams of 2–4 players are welcome to bundle up, grab their clubs and enjoy 9 holes of winter golf using tennis balls instead of golf balls. Participants may walk the course or ride using a golf cart or ORV. Check in begins at 1:30 p.m. and the outing starts at 2 p.m.. The cost is $35 per player, which includes event entry, three tennis balls, food and participation in a raffle. Registration is available at City Hall, at the event or online at: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/4th-annual-frozen-tinman-golf-outing. Sponsors are also being sought for this event. Winterfest continues Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, with a full day of events throughout Hart: • Friends of the Library Book & Bake Sale: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., City of Hart Community Center. Browse a wide selection of books and enjoy homemade baked goods while supporting the Friends of the Library. • Vintage Snowmobile Show & Swap Meet: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Oceana County Fairgrounds. • State Street Mile Fun Run/Walk: 11 a.m. start at the corner of State Street and Polk Road, finishing at Hart Commons. This event is back by popular demand, and the first 75 people registered get a limited edition Hart Winterfest mug. Cost is $10 per participant, and those 12 and under are free. This is a fun, go-at-your-own-pace event with raffle prizes awarded at the finish. Sign up online at www.takemetohart.org/winterfest or sign up in person at either City Hall, 407 S. State St. or Jazz Running powering Lakeside Fitness at 39 S. State St. in Hart. • Soup Walk: noon to 2 p.m. at 10 downtown locations. Ticket sales will be capped at 300 tickets, with 250 pre-sale tickets at $7 and 50 day-of tickets at $10. Pre-sale tickets go on sale Monday, Jan. 19 at the following link: https://www. zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/soup-walk--2026. Day of ticket sales and pickup will take place at 5 Star – Towne Square Group, 109 E. Main St., Hart, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 7. • Kids Scavenger Hunt: noon to 2 p.m., held alongside the Soup Walk. Scavenger hunt cards can be picked up at 5 Star – Towne Square Group. Kids will receive a special mark at each completed location, and once they are finished, they can return their card to the check-in table located in the parking lot next to La Probadita for a goodie bag filled with fun prizes. • 2nd Annual Winterfest Cornhole Tournament: 2:30 p.m. start, parking lot next to La Probadita. Team-based, single-elimination tournament with cash prizes for first–third place. The first team to 21 or more points advances. Pre-registration is required, with no same-day signups. The cost is $25 per team and registration can be done online at www.takemetohart.org/winterfest New this year, organizers are selling limited edition Hart Winterfest 2026 sweatshirts. This is a pre-sale only, and sweatshirts will not be available to buy the day of the event. They are offering both hooded and crewneck options, and the order must be in by first thing Monday morning, Jan. 18 to ensure they are ready for the event. Visit www.takemetohart.org/winterfest for ordering details. Throughout the day, fire pits will be lit around downtown Hart, and a DJ will keep the party going with music all day long, creating a festive atmosphere for residents and visitors alike. With activities for kids, families and adults, Winterfest 2026 has something for everyone. The City of Hart invites the community to come out, enjoy the winter weather, and celebrate together on Saturday, Feb. 7. For more information, please contact Events Coordinator Lindsay Brown at 231-923-3837 or lbrown@cityofhart.org, or follow the City of Hart on Facebook for Winterfest updates or visit www.takemetohart.org.

The Ladder’s 8th annual Puzzle Competition set for March 21

The Ladder Community Center in Shelby is hosting its eighth annual Jigsaw Puzzle Competition Saturday, March 21 from 12:30-4:30 p.m. for people ages 12 and older. The competition will consist of four-person teams, each team working on the same 1,000-piece puzzle. The entry fee of $50 per team includes refreshments and snacks. All entry fees are due at the time of sign-up. Doors open for contestants at 12:15 p.m. the day of the competition. Prizes will be awarded to the members of the three fastest puzzle-assembling teams. No spectators are allowed during the competition. Visit The Ladder CommuThe development of this training was funded at least in part with federal funds from the nity Center at 67 N. State St. in Shelby or go to https://tlcc.breezechms.com/ U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service through an agreement with the National Center for Appropriate Technology and partners with the National Farm to form/0e8781 to register by March 14. Please call 231-259-0211 for more information.. School Network.

6 JANUARY 16, 2026 THE OCEANA ECHO

Lakeshore Keepers launches $450K restoration campaign

Church Directory

Lakeshore Keepers is proud to announce a major $450,000 restoration project to preserve the brick exterior of the keeper’s dwelling at the iconic Big Sable Point Lighthouse. The initiative will remove the decades-old layers of exterior paint using a chemical process to avoid further degradation, address the organic growth that has formed between the paint and brick, restore the dwelling’s historic masonry, and finish by repainting the structure with masonry paint. This initiative will prevent the structure from holding moisture and marks the organization’s largest preservation effort to date. Thanks to a generous matching grant from the Jeffris Family Foundation, Lakeshore Keepers has secured $150,000 toward the project. To unlock the full grant, the nonprofit must raise an additional $300,000 by June 30, 2028, from local donors and community partners. “This is a pivotal moment for Big Sable Point Lighthouse,” Executive Director of Lakeshore Keepers Jack Greve said. “We’ve worked hard to identify the right partners, and the Jeffris Family Founda-

tion’s commitment to historic preservation makes them an ideal supporter. Now, we’re calling on our community to help us bring this vision to life.” “Standing 112 feet tall and built in 1867, Big Sable Point Lighthouse is a remarkable symbol of Michigan’s—and America’s—maritime heritage,” said a spokesperson for the Jeffris Family Foundation. “We’re proud to support Lakeshore Keepers in their effort to restore and protect this landmark for future generations. Their dedication to community engagement and historic preservation aligns perfectly with our mission.” The Jeffris Family Foundation supports historic preservation projects across the Midwest, with a focus on small towns and cities in eight states, including Michigan. Donations are welcome. To support the project or learn more, please contact Lakeshore Keepers via their website at Lakeshorekeepers.org, or by calling their office at (231) 845-7417, emailing office@lakeshorekeepers.org or mailing directly to P.O. Box 673, Ludington, MI 49431.

St. James Catholic Church Lighthouse A WELCOMING FAITH COMMUNITY Lutheran 5149 Dowling Street Montague, MI 49437 Church LCMS Mass Times: Saturday: 4 p.m. Sunday: 11 a.m. Tuesday-Friday: 8:30 a.m.

Phone: (231) 893-3085 Office Hours: M–Th 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pastor: Rev. Ron Hutchinson stjamescatholicparish.org

8786 N. Business US-31 Pentwater, MI • 49449 231-869-2527 Pastor John C. Hansen Sunday Worship - 11 a.m.

For more information, call 231-233-7703

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church

3000 Winston Road Walkerville Wesleyan Church Rothbury, MI 49452 Love our community toward Christ Mass Times: Sunday - 8:30 a.m. Sunday 10:30AM Please call 231-893-3085 Streamed on for more information Contact Information stjamescatholicparish.org 231.873.5040 144 S Hamon St, Walkerville

Office@walkervillewesleyanchurch.org

Ferry Memorial Reformed Church

To join our church directory, please email us at ads@oceanaecho.com. Any church news to share? Please send that to us at theoceanaecho@gmail.com.

White Lake UMC

Worship God, Follow Jesus, Love & Serve all

Sunday Worship

First Methodist St. Joseph & St. Vincent Catholic Churches oF shelby (Formerly Shelby UMC)

9am Traditional Service We are an independent, local church serving our communities and reaching beyond. 11am Praise Band Service 11am Kids Church/Youth Class/Nursery SUNDAY WORSHIP: 11 AM Weekly Faith Groups for All Ages Shelby Congregational UCC building Choir and Handbells FMCShelby@gmail.com Mission Opportunities Find us on Facebook: Home of the White Lake Free Store First-Methodist Church Of-Shelby and The Gathering free meals MAiling Address Worship Address 8555 Cook Street Montague, MI 49437 8463 W. Shelby Rd., 51 E. 3rd St., (231) 894-5789 www.whitelakeumc.org Shelby Shelby

St. Peter’S-By-the-Lake ePiScoPaL church 8435 Old Channel

followers gathered. disciples scattered

4775 First St • 231-861-2501

Office: 231-873-5776

www.stjosephweare.org Check out our Facebook page

St. Joseph, Weare 2380 W. Jackson Rd., Hart Saturday Mass: 7 p.m. Sunday Mass: 9 a.m. St. Vincent, Pentwater 637 E. Sixth St. Saturday Mass: 4 p.m. Sunday Mass: 10:30 a.m.

- Easter through October 82 S. Wythe St. in Pentwater Trail, Montague SUNDAY SERVICE: 9:30 a.m. Barrier Free • Nursery Provided (231) 869-7351 Confessions: 1/2 hour before 616-894-0172 Children’s SS: 9:45 a.m. Youth Group: Sundays 5-7 pm Join Us For Worship all Masses, except 10:30 Mass Nursery Provided SUNDAY EUCHARIST – 10 am 231.894.9415 Sundays at 10 a.m. Rev. Phil Sliwinski, Pastor

Sunday Worship: 10:00 am

8637 Old Channel Trail Montague, Michigan

www.ferrychurch.org

joinus@stjamesepiscopalpentwater.org

We Believe That God Loves You - No Exceptions

Pastor Benjamin Oliveira stpetersmontague@gmail.com stpetersbythelake.weebly.com Coffee fellowship after service

Blessings Abound!

newerareformedchurch.org

Hart United Methodist Church Our independent, non-denominational church is committed to reaching and serving those in our communities.

Sunday Service: 10 am

Wed. Family Night: 6-8 pm Last FRI: Free Soup Supper, 5:30-7 pm

4075 S. 132nd Ave., Hesperia 231-861-5007

NEWMANC3.ORG

2500 W. Winston Rd. • 231-893-4965

231-873-3516 9:30 a.m. Morning Service 11:15 a.m. Sunday Bible Classes hartunitedmethodist.org 6 p.m. Evening Service (1st and 3rd Sundays) www.facebook.com/HUMCmichigan

Nursery provided Senior Pastor - James Enns Associate Pastor - Bryan Wolff Associate Pastor - Luke Craymer Adult small groups and family ministries every week Second Monday Food Pantry 9:15-11:30 a.m. www.rothburycommunity.com Becoming Committed Followers of Jesus Christ

Mears United Methodist Church

3757 W. Polk Rd. Hart, MI 49420 Do No Harm, Do Good, Stay In Love With God

Sunday Services

English: 10 a.m. Spanish/Español: 12:30 p.m. Clothing Closet: Every Wed. 4-6 p.m. Family Dinner: 1st & 3rd Wed. 5-6 p.m.

(231) 873-0832

Full class schedule on our website:

hartwesleyanchurch.org

308 S. State St., Hart, MI 49420

1990 N. 56th Ave. Mears, MI 49436 10 am Service 231-873-0875 www.mearsumc.org Pastor Bev Williams

All Are Welcome

10:30 AM Sunday Service Pastor Cydney Idsinga

If you would like an appointment with Pastor Cyd, please call 231-873-3516

St. Stephens

1820 Ray Ave. 231-861-5554 Sunday Services: 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Rev. John Medendorp www.neweracrc.org

Growing in Relationship with God, with Each Other, and with Our Community.

Shelby

Congregational

Lutheran Church United Church of Christ (LCMS)

51 E. Third St.

231-861-4404 • shelbycucc@gmail.com 7400 W. Johnson Rd., on Facebook • website under development Shelby • 231-861-2952 Sunday Service - 9:15 a.m. Sunday Service: 9:30 a.m. Coffee time follows School (Ages 4-12) • Nursery available • Chancel Summer Outdoor Service Sunday Choir & Bell Choir meet Wednesdays • Adult Bible Studies - Thursdays, Fall - May • 5th Saturday - Free Breakfast 8-10 a.m. • Hearing Loop • Barrier Free Rev. Kurt Overway

www.ststephensshelby.org

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

5631 W. Stony Lake Rd. New Era, MI 49446 • 231-861-4059

office@tlcnewera.org • tlcnewera.org Rev. Sarah J. Samuelson Sunday Worship Service: 10 a.m. Barrier Free Access

Nursery Provided

claybankS united MethodiSt church

Sunday WorShip 10:30 a.m.

A warm welcome is extended to all who worship here

9197 56th avenue Montague, Mi

231-923-0573

claybankSuMc@gMail.coM

THE OCEANA ECHO JANUARY 16, 2026 7 In Loving Memory of our Family, Friends and Neighbors

obituaries Thelma Jean Smith

April 25, 1938 ~ December 26, 2025 Honoring the Greatest Mother ever. Who could have known just how wonderful a person Thelma Jean Dutton (Smith) was to become, or how many lives she would prove to enhance, when she was born on April 25, 1938. Although she was stunning in physical beauty, her inner beauty outshined it all. She was born in McAndrews, Kentucky, to Oakley and Dessie Ivadean Dutton (Farley) as the eldest daughter of seven children. Thelma grew up in Kentucky, where she worked hard to assist her mother in raising her siblings, learning very well the much-needed skills she would require later. She eventually moved to Michigan with her family and continued her schooling through the 11th grade. She wanted to go on to become a doctor, but her love for her new husband, whom she married on April 8, 1955, helped her make a choice that we all benefited from. To raise a family with Estell Emmett Smith. And what a job they did. Thelma proved to be a loving, dedicated, diligent and thorough mother to all seven of her children, namely Veronica Kay Russell (Ben), Patricia Lynn Pimentel (William), Beatrice Karen Smith, Keith Edward Smith (Ruth), Pamela Louise Culler (Scott), Kenneth Dale Smith and Jeffrey Brian Smith (Heather), and to those she accepted as her extended children. Mom worked a few jobs while raising us, but all along, she never failed to apply all the things that she learned growing up toward her children, with purpose and gratitude. She took raising her family seriously. She really loved all of us. The morals and strengths she instilled in her children will be carried forever by them. Not only to her children and their spouses, but also to her 16 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews as well. She was well known for her skills in loving people, cooking, sewing and teaching. Her computer skills developed as necessary because she was never afraid to learn what she needed to provide for those who were her own. As valiant as anyone could be, she fought many physical battles simultaneously as she aged, believing she would win each of them. But sadly, we had to entrust her to our Heavenly Father on December 26, 2025. Thelma was preceded in death by her wonderful husband, Emmett. Her parents, Oakley and Dessie Dutton; her brother, Oakley Jr.; and her sisters, Meldia, Nancy and Martha. She is survived by all her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and her two sisters, Brenda Gail Martin and Judith Elaine Yates. Truly, we would indeed be hard-pressed to ever find another person who we could hold a candle next to. Mom knew we would miss her. And she knew we loved her, and she will be forever in our hearts. She was cremated, so a celebration of her life will be held in mid-July. Obituary composed by the family of Thelma Jean Smith. www.beaconfh.com

Mario Revilla

July 18, 1956 ~ January 8, 2026 Mario Revilla, 69, of Shelby, went to be with the Lord Thursday, January 8, 2026, surrounded by his family. He was born July 18, 1956, in Alice, Texas, the son of Antonio and Olga (Munoz) Revilla. Mario worked most of his adult life at Howmet in Whitehall, Mich. before his retirement. Along with a period of driving truck for Harbor Steel. He was a graduate of Shelby High School. He married Jacquelynn “Jackie” Baird Revilla in 2012, but they were together many years before marriage. He loved being around his grandkids, going to their sporting events and taking his dog Cowboy for a walk. He enjoyed the Thursday evening music events in Hart at The Commons as well as long motorcycle rides. He was a very giving person and wouldn’t think twice to help in any way he could. Mario is survived by: his daughter, Stacy Revilla (Miguel Rios); sisters, Delia (Juan) Salazar, Belinda (Moises) Trejo, Rosalinda (Rigo) Martinez, Yolanda (Manuel) Avila; grandchildren, Isaiah Vega, Alexa Cosme, Miguel Rios Jr., Adam Baird Jr. and Devin Gabany; as well as many nieces, nephews and lifetime friends. Mario was preceded in death by: his wife, Jacquelynn Baird Revilla; parents, Olga and Antonio Revilla; brothers, Manuel Revilla, Rolando Revilla Sr., Gilbert Revilla, Antonio Revilla Jr. and Albert Revilla; and sister, Odelia Ramirez. Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 17, 2026, at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, 1372 S. Oceana Dr., Shelby, Michigan 49455, with Father Phillip Sliwinski officiating. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m., Friday, January 16, 2026, at Harris Funeral Home, 267 N. Michigan Ave., Shelby, Michigan 49455, with a praying of the Rosary at 6:30 p.m. An additional visitation will be held Saturday, from 10 a.m. until the time of services at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church. Harris Funeral Home, in Shelby, is in charge of arrangements. www.harrisfhome.com

Landon James Fekken

December 12, 2009 ~ January 10, 2026 Landon James Fekken, 16, of Whitehall, Mich., joined his Lord and Savior on Saturday, January 10, 2026 in the presence and embrace of his loving family. Landon was born December 12, 2009 in Grand Rapids, Mich., the fourth child of Rachel Fekken and adored youngest brother to Morgan, Nora and Corina “Coco.” Landon went to Whitehall High School, where he was part of FFA, played trumpet in the band, ran cross-country, took part in shop projects, SAGA and more. He attended White Lake United Methodist Church in Montague, Mich., where he ran the soundboard and took part in the youth group, mission trips, and various volunteering opportunities. Landon especially loved hunting, gaming, tinkering, and snuggling up to his loved ones. He had a silly black cat, Heidi, whom he adored and spoiled. He was always dreaming: future building and restoration projects, careers, pets he could adopt and places he could live. No dream was too big. Landon’s presence was a comfort to many. He loved all people and creatures, young and old, and he loved BIG. He was goofy with those he liked and tender with those he loved. His laugh and smile were a source of light to all who surrounded him. Remaining to cherish Landon’s memory are mother, Rachel; sisters, Morgan (Benjamin Hare), Nora (Justin Inman), and Coco Monet; grandparents, Tamara “Tammy” and James “Jim” Fekken Sr.; great-grandmother, Rosemary Mansko; and countless other friends, family and other loved ones. Landon was an organ donor and spent six days surrounded by tears and laughter with his closest loved ones as his body was healed and prepared for donation. On Tuesday, January 13, he was given his final goodbye before being released to Gift of Life, through which he will save hundreds of lives. Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m., Friday, January 16, 2026, at Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, White Lake Chapel, in Whitehall, Mich. Memorial services will be held at 9 a.m., Saturday, January 17, 2026, at White Lake United Methodist Church, 8555 Cook St., Montague, Mich., with Rev. Tim Dibble officiating. Memorial donations in Landon’s memory may be directed to the GoFundMe at https://gofund.me/536cb1eb1. Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, White Lake Chapel, is in charge of arrangements. www.beaconfh.com

Jack Alan Light

April 24, 1946 ~ January 4, 2026 Jack Alan Light, 79, of Montague, Michigan, passed away Sunday, January 4, 2026, at home. He was born April 24, 1946, in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Opie and Charlotte (Chancellor) Light. Jack took great pride in serving his country for over 20 years, first in the Marine Corps and then in the Army until his retirement in 1992. A man of uncompromising integrity, Jack always wanted to bring people together. Family was very important to him, and he loved being a father, grandfather, great-grandfather, as well as a great role model and friend. His hobbies and interests made Jack truly unique, including martial arts, jogging, biking and many different types of music. On cold winter days, Kung Fu and Bruce Lee movies were his favorite. Jack is survived by: his daughters, Tommasia Light, Darla Backensto and Rachel (Jon) Sportell; his grandchildren, Kyle Light, Zackary Dohnal, Blake Wentworth, Lauren Light, Trevor Fahrlander, Josiah Sportell, Elijah Sportell and Jeremiah Sportell; his great-grandchildren, Grayson Light, Michael Sportell, Margot Light and Stella Light; his siblings, Richard (Joyce) Light, Sandra (Joe) Hayes, Sharon Thout, Judy (Dave) Merritt and Mike Light; and numerous nieces and nephews. Jack was preceded in death by: his parents; and eight siblings, Barbara Johnson, Robert Light, Frances Kenley, Benny Light, Donna Benedict, Donald Light, Gary Light and David Light. We take comfort in knowing his memory lives through us, the lives he touched and the love he shared will be cherished forever. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at Oak Crest Church of God, 1540 Leonard Ave., Muskegon, MI, 49442. The family will receive friends from 10 a.m. until the time of services. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation at https://parkinson.org, The Wounded Warrior Project at https:// support.woundedwarriorproject.org or Disabled American Veterans (DAV) at https://help.dav.org Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, White Lake Chapel, is in charge of arrangements. www.beaconfh.com

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

8 JANUARY 16, 2026 THE OCEANA ECHO

By Lucie Winborne

• On Jan. 19, 1977, First Lady and FROM KING FEATURES WEEKLY ERA supporter BettySERVICE, Ford, on a whim and on her final day as a resident of the h FLOOR, NEW 300 W. 57th STREET, 15th FLOOR, White House, jumpedNEW on the Cabinet Room table and struck a pose. At that FROM KING FEATURES WEEKLY SERVICE, YORK, NY 10019 time, just three women had ever sat at that table as presidential cabinet memW. 57thEXT. STREET, 15th FLOOR, NEW bers. 800)300 708-7311 CUSTOMER SERVICE: (800) 708-7311 EXT. • On Jan. 20, 2001, Donald RumsYORK, NY 10019 feld, who in 1975 was America’s 257 youngest Secretary of Defense at age 43 when he served under Gerald CUSTOMER SERVICE: (800) 708-7311 EXT. 45_20260105 STRANGE BUT TRUE Ford,#12345_20260105 became the oldest Secretary of Defense when he was appointed to that job 5, 26 2026 years later by George W. Bush. 2026257 FOR RELEASE JAN. • On Jan. 21, 2009, after more than NOW HERE’S A TIP #12345_20260105 By Lucie Winborne70 years as the world’s largest automaker, General Motors finally lost the title when it announced worldwide FOR RELEASE JAN. 5, 2026 sales of 8.36 million cars and trucks in 2008, compared with Toyota’s 8.97 million vehicle sales that same year. By JoAnn Derson • On Jan. 22, 1779, famed Tory outlaw Claudius Smith met his maker at the end of a rope in Goshen, New York, giving patriot civilians of the American Revolution hope for relief from guerrilla warfare in upstate New York. • On Jan. 23, 1960, the first two humans to reach the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench descended 36,000 feet in a submersible to the deepest part of the ocean — more than a mile deeper than the height of Mt. Everest — fortified with 15 chocolate bars for the trip. • On Jan. 24, 1922, Christian K. Nelson was inspired by a boy who came into his confectionery shop and couldn’t decide between chocolate and ice cream. He combined the sweet treats and received a patent for the Eskimo bar, originally marketed as the “I-Scream” bar. • On Jan. 25, 1968, the Israeli submarine Dakar, carrying 69 sailors, disappeared. Built at the peak of World War II in Great Britain and commissioned by the British navy in 1943, it would remain missing until its wreckage was finally located in 1999 between the islands of Cyprus and Crete at a depth of some 9,800 feet. While there was speculation that the submarine was deliberately sunk, the exact cause remains unclear.

WEEKLY SERVICE,

© 2026 King Features Synd., Inc.

Oceana County ANIMAL SHELTER Say “Hello” to Chatty, a 4-year-old laid-back gentleman with a heart as warm as his purr. True to his name, he enjoys keeping his people company and is happiest when he’s curled up close, soaking in all the snuggles he can get. Easygoing and affectionate, Chatty has a calm presence that makes him a perfect companion for quiet evenings or lazy afternoons. He is scheduled to be neutered on January 12 and is ready to settle into a loving forever home where his sweet, cuddly nature can truly shine. Chatty is available for adoption from the Oceana County Animal Control. 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 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 231730-3906. Free tags are also at the OCEANA Meet Chatty available County Animal Shelter.

• “Here’s a great chore for little kids. Our family seems to leave shoes all over the house. I will have my 4-yearold collect the shoes and deliver them to the room of the person to whom the shoes belong. It’s a very easy chore and even like a game sometimes.” — A.J. in Texas • “When cooking from a recipe that I’m not super familiar with, I tape it to the front of my kitchen cabinet. It’s in a central location, easy to see and won’t get dirty. If it turns out to be something I like, I put it in a plastic sleeve protector in my cookbook. I can still pull it out and tape it to the cabinet when necessary.” — R.G. in Georgia • I love baked goods. These are some good tips that I use all the time. Use a wine glass to cut biscuits. Set a loaf of baked bread on a tea towel top down, then use a serrated knife to cut from the bottom. Your slices will look perfect, as you won’t crush the top. • If your family likes stuffing, try baking it in muffin tins for single servings. It works very well. • “I use a garment rack to dry outerwear overnight. Hang from skirt hangers (the ones with clips) and make sure there is plenty of room for air to circulate around the damp pieces. I use a small fan pointed at the rack, and make sure it’s in a warm location, as this doesn’t work so well in our cold utility room.” — D.L. in Michigan Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. © 2026 King Features Synd., Inc.

• Belize wins the prize for having the national flag with the most colors — 12. • A California man discovered that he’d been paying his neighbor’s power bill for an astonishing 15 years because his meter was mapped to the wrong apartment. • Labatt Park in London, Ontario, dating back to 1877, is the oldest continually operating baseball grounds in the world. • A Japanese man who didn’t speak to his wife for 20 years while they still lived together and raised three children admitted his silence was due to jealousy of the attention she paid to their kids. Fortunately, the couple finally reconciled after said kids sought help from a TV show. • Marie Curie was the first person ever to win two Nobel Prizes, one for physics and the other for chemistry, in honor of her work on radioactivity. • Hawaiian pizza was invented by a Greek immigrant inspired by the sweet and savory flavors of Chinese cuisine. • Atoms are nearly 100% empty space. • Cotard’s Syndrome, aka Walking Corpse Syndrome, causes sufferers to believe they are dead or missing body parts. • Ancient Egyptians pronounced the word “cat” as “mew” or “meow.” • A 2001 study conducted at the University of Leicester showed that when cows listen to slow, soothing songs, they produce 3% more milk. • Those CAPTCHA tests that verify you’re human and not a robot have a dual purpose: Each time you identify a bus or traffic light or what have you, you’re also helping to improve AI algorithms for companies like Google. • There are more than 1.4 billion insects for each human on Earth. *** Thought for the Day: “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt © 2026 King Features Synd., Inc.

THE OCEANA ECHO JANUARY 16, 2026 9

Commissioners approve EOP, Oceana County police officers assist Manistee County Sheriff's Department discuss Crystal Valley dam By Claire Marshall The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent For the first Oceana County Board of Commissioners meeting of 2026, held Thursday, Jan. 8, a new vice chair was elected for the fiscal year. Commissioner Joel McCormick nominated Paul Erickson, who held the position in 2025, and Craig Hardy nominated Tim Beggs. Both nominated commissioners voted for themselves, leaving Board Chair Robert Walker to break the tie with a majority vote for Beggs. The board also heard presentations regarding the county’s Emergency Operating Plan (EOP) and the future of the Crystal Valley Dam. Oceana County Emergency Manager Troy Maloney presented the EOP, which recently underwent its mandatory five year renewal. For 2026, the State of Michigan has mandated all 83 counties in Michigan adopt a standardized format for all EOPs. According to Maloney, this change “isn’t just an update. It was a true revision that hasn’t been done in about a decade.” The board voted unanimously to approve the EOP, with the understanding that any further instructions can be added to the plan’s appendix easily and without need for another approval. At the end of 2025, commissioners were informed that the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) had raised the standards for spillway capacity, which the Crystal Valley Dam no longer meets. This leaves the dam at risk of removal by EGLE mandate. Commissioners met with Jim Tiffany of hydro-engineering firm J.E. Tiffany and Associates over Zoom to discuss EGLE’s new standards and recommended a total replacement of the dam’s spillway. EGLE’s reevaluation of spillway capacity is based on the 100-Year Rainfall Event and new data showing that “severe precipitation events have become more frequent and more severe in the past decade,” explained Tiffany. The desire to repair and not remove the dam is based on the environmental concern that removing barriers may introduce invasive species farther upstream, as these structures have proved effective in slowing the spread of sea lampreys throughout Michigan’s watersheds. Tiffany estimates the cost for replacing Crystal Valley Dam anywhere between $1.25 million and $1.5 million. This estimate covers all costs associated with removal and construction, but not any possible dredging of sediment in Crystal Pond. There are possible funding avenues for the project. Tiffany discussed the possibility of a grant through the Great Lakes Fishery Commission - who would be interested in replacing the dam to prevent lamprey spread - but it is not likely to

cover the cost of the project. Regardless, Tiffany advises commissioners to form a delegation to meet with the organization to explore their options, as well as search out multiple other sources of funding to use in combination. Funding is the greatest concern for the commissioners and the future of Crystal Valley Dam. Beggs said of the cost estimate that there is not “There’s not $1.5-3 million in the general fund, or any other fund to take care of a project of this scope… I don’t want to be the downer. I’m willing to continue the discussion, but it’s been an ongoing discussion, and we’ve come to the same conclusion twice now that this is a costly project that, so far, we haven’t found any partners to help cover the cost.” At this time, Crystal Valley Dam is considered a "low hazard" by EGLE, and should there be a catastrophic failure of the structure, it would not endanger anyone. While “EGLE is not breathing down our necks,” as Tiffany said, the commissioners agreed it’s time to get the ball rolling on a solution for the dam. Erickson acknowledged that previous commissioner boards have been aware of the faults of the dam for decades and have elected to “play hot potato with this thing… had the money been spent 10 years ago to fix that dam, we wouldn’t be talking about $1.5 million today.” Walker agreed, saying, “It’s time we get the data… and look at it and see what we can do… let’s look and see if we can afford to keep this going and save the dam.” Moving forward, the board decided to take no action for the Crystal Valley Dam at this time and requested that County Administrator Tracy Byard look into how much money has been invested in the Crystal Valley Dam so far, as well as the cost to repair or remove the dam and the aforementioned avenues of funding. Progressing through the agenda, the board awarded Blackmer Construction the bid for modifications needed for the county sheriff’s department pole barn structure. This project focuses on improving the garage doors and driveway of the pole barn. Blackmer’s bid, which was quoted at $11,138, was one of two bids submitted to the county. Also approved was the reimbursement of $10,000 to Oceana County Animal Control for funding the spay and neuter of adoptable animals through a grant provided by 270 Incorporated, and certifying the Oceana County Council on Aging's contract clauses for funding from MDOT through FY 2027. Following this, the board went into closed session to proceed with the collective bargaining agreement with the Police Officers Association of Michigan. The board's next regular meeting is set for Thursday, Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. at the Oceana County Courthouse in downtown Hart.

Oceana County police played a major role in assisting the Manistee County Sheriff's Department during an incident that took place on New Year's Eve. According to a statement from the Manistee County Sheriff's Department, "On Dec. 31 at approximately 10:39 a.m., deputies from the Manistee County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a traffic crash on US-31 near Fox Farm Road in Filer Township. "Preliminary investigation indicates a Chevrolet Cruze, driven by a 25-year-old Bear Lake man, was traveling southbound in the northbound lane of US31 when it collided with a Dodge Durango driven by a 28-year-old Manistee woman and a Tesla passenger vehicle driven by a 45-year-old Ludington woman. The driver of the Chevrolet Cruze was transported to Munson Manistee Hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the Tesla was transported to Corewell Health Ludington Hospital, also with minor injuries. "While deputies were

responding to the scene, they were advised that a passenger from the Chevrolet Cruze had stolen a vehicle belonging to a good Samaritan who had stopped to render assistance. Prior to law enforcement arrival, the passenger, identified as a 39-year-old South Boardman man, entered a Nissan Versa parked at the scene and fled southbound on US-31. The Nissan Versa was owned by O’Reilly Auto Parts and was equipped with a GPS tracking device. "At approximately 11:24 a.m., a Michigan State Police sergeant located the stolen vehicle traveling westbound on US-10 near Dennis Road. The sergeant attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver fled. The suspect continued westbound on US-10 before traveling southbound on US-31. The vehicle was then located by a Pentwater police officer traveling southbound on US-31 in Oceana County, where a pursuit was initiated. The vehicle subsequently ran out of fuel on US-31 just north of the Shelby Road exit. The suspect was taken into

custody without further incident. "The suspect was turned over to Manistee County deputies and will be lodged at the Manistee County Jail following medical clearance. "This incident highlights the effective cooperation and coordination between multiple law enforcement agencies. The Manistee County Sheriff’s Office is grateful for the assistance provided by our law enforcement and emergency response partners. "Assisting agencies included the Manistee City Police Department, Manistee City Fire Department, MMR EMS, Filer Township Fire/ EMS, Grant Township Fire Department, Michigan State Police – Hart Post, Mason County Sheriff’s Office, Oceana County Sheriff’s Office, Pentwater Police Department, Hart Police Department, Shelby Police Department, Manistee County Central Dispatch and Mason/ Oceana County Central Dispatch. "The incident remains under investigation."

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE A PUBLIC HEARING ON A PETITION TO ANNEX CERTAIN TOWNSHIP PROPERTY INTO THE VILLAGE OF ROTHBURY

A public hearing will be held before the Oceana County Board of Commissioners in the boardroom of the Oceana County Building, located at 100 S. State Street, Hart, MI 49420 on February 12 at 11:30 a.m., in accordance with Section 6, Chapter 14, Act 3 of 1895 of the Public Acts of the State of Michigan, as amended (MCL 74.6). The public hearing will be held to consider whether the Oceana County Board of Commissioners shall, pursuant to MCL 74.6, grant the Petition of the Village of Rothbury to annex certain land and premises into the Village corporate limits. The lands and premises in the Petition are generally identified below: Parcel Identification Numbers: 017-017-200-09; 017-017-200-10; 017-017-400-02; 017-016-100-35; and 017-016-100-34

“Advanced Eyecare For Your Entire Family”

Michael E. Jonassen, O.D. Craig J. Rybarz, O.D. 231-873-2575 www.oceanaeyecare.com • 44 State St. • Downtown Hart Accepting New Patients

The Petition and further information related to the Petition is available for public inspection at the office of the County Clerk in the Oceana County Building. Any aspect of the Petition may be discussed at the public hearing and all interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard. If you would prefer to send written comments for consideration, please forward them prior to the public hearing to the County Clerk, Attention: Melanie A. Coon, Oceana County Building, 100 S. State Street, Suite M-1, Hart, MI 49420. Melanie A. Coon County Clerk

10 JANUARY 16, 2026 THE OCEANA ECHO

SPORTS

HART • HESPERIA • PENTWATER • SHELBY • WALKERVILLE

Aggressive defense carries Hart to big win Porter drills four three-pointers in first quarter, scores 21 points By Andy Roberts The Oceana Echo Community Contributor HART — Hart exploded out of the gates Monday night, taking control of its West Michigan Conference cross-division game against Montague right away and cruising to a 7923 win. Montague struggled to so much as get into its offense as Hart’s press repeatedly harassed the Wildcats into turnovers. That in turn led to fireworks on the offensive end, especially from Rilynn Porter, who hit four three-pointers in the first quarter alone as the Pirates (5-2) raced to a 26-3 lead. Porter kept firing up open shots in the second quarter, going for six treys and 19 points in all in the first half on her way to a game-high 21. She also sparked the offense with her passing, delivering seven assists in the win. Porter said getting off to a quick start Monday was a point of emphasis after her team’s frustrating overtime defeat to Ravenna the previous Friday. “We took that really personally,” Porter said. “We shouldn’t have lost that game. We had way too many

Hart’s Aurora Virtanen powers through Montague’s Addi Smith during Monday’s game at Hart. Virtanen had 14 points in Hart’s 79-23 win.

• Andy Roberts/Echo

turnovers and got outrebounded. We really wanted to get in the flow of the game, and I think this game was a really good start to the flow for the rest of our games. It’s going to give us a lot of confidence.” The senior guard swished one of her treys from well beyond the arc, demonstrating her confidence. She said it’s her teammates and coaches that make her feel empowered to fire from deep. “Last year, I got a lot of confidence (from) my teammates,” Porter said. “They trusted me. This year, I feel like my teammates trust me too. Just knowing that they trust me to make that shot gives me a lot of confidence knowing that my teammates are there

Hart’s Rilynn Porter drives to the basket while Montague’s Gentry Knop defends during Monday’s game at Hart. Porter scored 21 points in the Pirates’ 79-23 win.

• Andy Roberts/Echo

to rebound it, or just give me an open pass.” While Porter dominated on the outside, Reese Smith got a lot of work done on the inside, scoring 14 firsthalf points and 16 in all. She was a force against the smaller Wildcat frontcourt. Coach Ron Williamson said he and his staff have been working with Porter and other Pirate veterans who have had to take on leadership roles on this year’s team after previously being able to get their work done in the wake of graduated players like Addi Hovey.

“She’s played for a couple years with Addi and the other seniors,” Williamson said. “As a coach, we’re looking for those younger kids that were part of that to accept the role of how they’ve got to lead it, and hopefully we’re on (the way to) that happening.” The Pirates got all 11 of their players into the game as their lead increased throughout the second half, and nine of them scored. Aurora Virtanen scored 10 points in the second

Hart’s big win

continued on page 11

Shelby still seeking on-mat improvements Led by Fessenden and Henderson, Tigers go 1-1 at Whitehall Quad By Andy Roberts The Oceana Echo Community Contributor WHITEHALL — Shelby didn’t have a bad night Wednesday at the Whitehall Quad, defeating Fremont 54-27 in its second match of the evening. The Tigers did take a 64-12 loss to the Vikings, but that’s life with a young roster and against one of the

top teams in the state in Division 3. The frustrations for coach Dustin Dean came with his wrestlers not taking enough matches the distance. The Tigers were pinned seven times against Whitehall and even against Fremont, they were pinned four times. Dean is trying to impress upon

Shelby at quad

continued on page 11

Shelby’s Brody Fessenden (right) seizes control of Whitehall foe Wyatt McFarren during Wednesday’s Whitehall Quad. Fessenden went 2-0, though the Tigers had to settle for a 1-1 record as a team.

• Andy Roberts/Echo

Falcons give Lubera milestone win vs. Walkerville By Andy Roberts The Oceana Echo Community Contributor Monday night marked a special one for Pentwater coach Ashley Lubera. With her Falcons’ 82-14 victory over county rival Walkerville, Lubera secured her 200th career victory. Lubera said her only request of her team beyond winning the game was to ensure every Falcon was able to get in the scorebook, and indeed, all seven Falcons to take the court Monday got on the board for at least

four points. “This was a true team win and a night that reflects what the program stands for,” Lubera said. “Your coach is forever proud.” Pentwater took command of the game from the start, shutting out Walkerville 21-0 in the first quarter and leading 49-10 at halftime. Four Falcons reached double figures, and two - Abram Kieda and Brody Austin - picked up double-doubles. Kieda went for 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Austin had 18 points and 10 boards. Ben Roberson fell just

short of achieving one as well, with 17 points and eight rebounds. Roberson’s five three-pointers sparked his effort and, as a sophomore, boosted optimism for the program’s long-term future. Kieda and Austin were both impressive, Lubera said. “Brody Austin delivered a complete effort...controlling the game on both ends of the floor,” Lubera said. “Abram Kieda matched that intensity inside...while setting the tone with his physical presence and effort in the paint.”

Jacobo Martin had 12 points and seven boards to go with six steals, and Kyle Oomen also grabbed seven rebounds. Lubera said despite being overmatched, Walkerville competed “with heart” and the Falcons respectfully acknowledged the Wildcats’ effort. Hugh Tanner led Walkerville with six points and Anthony Shafer added five. “It was a night that reflected what conference basketball should be about - teamwork and sportsmanship,” Lubera said.

THE OCEANA ECHO JANUARY 16, 2026 11

Wildcats play closest game yet on homecoming Walkerville falls to Crossroads, but shows some fight By Andy Roberts The Oceana Echo Community Contributor Echo community correspondent Amanda Dodge contributed to this story.

Walkerville’s homecoming celebrations unfortunately didn’t include a victory Friday night, as the Wildcats fell to Big Rapids Crossroads 53-33. If there was a bright side for the Wildcats, it was that the 20-point margin of defeat marked easily their closest game of the season, which previously was a 71-13 defeat to West Michigan Lutheran in December. The Wildcats trailed 18-0 at the end of the first quarter and were much more competitive after that. Coach Jeremy Dixon blamed himself for the early deficit, saying he did not put his team in the correct defense to start the game. “That was on me. It wasn’t on the players,” Dixon said. “Once we readjusted our defense, that’s when we made our run. It was a bit late when I did it. It wasn’t on (the guys). My players played hard.” Walkerville was able to attack the basket more often later in the game, with Hugh Tanner one of the main reasons why. By going to the hoop,

Walkerville’s Hugh Tanner drives to the basket for a layup during Friday’s homecoming game against Big Rapids Crossroads. The Wildcats lost, 53-33.

• Amanda Dodge/Echo

Dixon said Tanner was able to draw some fouls against the visiting Cougars. Dixon also credited Ernest LeFevre for his work getting rebounds to keep the Wildcats from falling further behind after the first quarter. “The second half (was) when we really buckled down,” Dixon said. “But we dug ourselves too deep a hole and we just ran out of gas and ran out of time at the end. We should’ve been running (our second-half ) defense the whole time...My team showed

Shelby at quad

his wrestlers the virtues of losing matches by points rather than by pin, in order to help the team’s score. In one stretch of the Whitehall match, the Vikings had eight out of nine matches won by pin or technical fall, helping them bury Shelby in a 53-0 deficit. “A lot of it is just us being young and having a lot of young guys in the lineup, not understanding that this is an individual sport, but with a team concept,” Dean said. “Their match counts for the team...That’s what they struggle with. They don’t necessarily realize that it’s six minutes. They’re starting to realize that you can win by points, and you don’t just have to pin or get pinned.” Two wrestlers Dean has rarely had to be concerned with are Brody Fessenden and Jaylin Henderson, his returning state qualifiers, who enjoyed great days again Wednesday. Fessenden pinned both his opponents, and Henderson scored a pin against Whitehall before picking up a forfeit victory against Fremont. Their consecutive wins accounted for all the team’s points against Whitehall. Dean said the two veteran stars are better wrestlers now than they were when they competed at Ford Field last season. “They’re starting to think their way through matches more,” Dean said. “They’re more calculated. They are more stingy with their points. They understand that the big matches are important, and they go after them a little bit differently. All around, just more mature, understanding scenarios better, understanding the score, the time, the position, is where they’re improving.” Most of Shelby’s victory margin against Fremont was due to four forfeits, but the Tigers also had some bright spots on the mat. In addition to Fessenden, Alden Beyer, Nash Hagstrom, Javier Cervantes and Julian Prado all also scored pin victories against Fremont. Cesar Cadena lost his match to Whitehall and won by forfeit against Fremont. Dean said the 120-pounder is a wrestler to watch as the season hits its home stretch. “He’s just running into some hammers

Walkerville’s Anthony Shafer hits the deck to try to get the ball as Big Rapids Crossroads’ Matthew Hillis and Wyatt Barringer also attempt to retrieve it during Friday’s homecoming game at Walkerville. The visiting Cougars won, 53-33.

• Amanda Dodge/Echo

a lot of toughness and grit coming back, and I was proud of them for that.” The Wildcats might be able to be even more competitive in future games, Dixon said, if they can get some more shots to fall. He said the team had open looks and weren’t

able to knock them down. “I need to make better adjustments quicker,” Dixon said. “My team played really hard tonight...I couldn’t ask for more from them. They put in a really good effort.” Wildcat statistics had not been reported at press time.

continued from page 10

Hart’s Leah Walker (right) looks to pass the ball after going to the floor to get it during Monday’s game against Montague. The Wildcats’ Marguerite O’Connell is also in on the play. Hart won the game, 79-23.

• Andy Roberts/Echo

Hart’s big win

continued from page 10

Shelby’s Jayden Casiano goes for a lift against Fremont foe Logan Thorne during Wednesday’s Whitehall Quad. Casiano’s Tigers defeated Fremont en route to a 1-1 record.

• Andy Roberts/Echo

and has been in some hammer tournaments, but that’s all going to pay off, we think, at the end,” Dean said. The coach also pointed to Colin Fenton and Alonzo Garcia as two who could make postseason runs, as well as his promising group of freshmen; you never know who might make an early leap into contention, or when, among athletes that young. As a team, Dean said he hopes his wrestlers are continuing to learn about wrestling with intensity from their veteran leaders. The sooner that lesson is learned and applied, the more competitive the Tigers can be. “I’m looking for us to compete and not worry about the name of their wrestler, but worry about the name on the back of their own singlet,” Dean said. “It doesn’t matter who we step across (from), we have to be able to wrestle our match, regardless of how good Whitehall is, or how good one of their kids is.”

half and 14 overall. Williamson said his team played very fundamentally strong defense throughout the game. “We talk all the time about where we want to have screens and to trap, and we’ve been doing that part, but we haven’t been rotating on the back end,” Williamson said. “Today we did a better job of rotating to cover up the open people. “It was a good bounceback game for us. The kids played well. Some of the things we’ve been struggling with, we were able to do.” The Pirates’ early stumbles - at least relative to their recent past - have been frustrating to deal with, but Porter is optimistic they will make the team better in the long run. “That early loss against Shelby really is giving us a lot of fuel and fire for the next

Hart’s Reese Smith has the ball knocked loose by Montague’s Marguerite O’Connell during Monday’s game. Smith scored 16 points in Hart’s 79-23 win.

• Andy Roberts/Echo

game (against them), which is (next week) at home,” Porter said. “Playing teams that are tough in the beginning is eventually going to help us, because we don’t want to have our best games at the beginning of the season. We want to have our best games at the end of the season.”

Volume3,3,Issue Issue10 10 JANUARY JANUARY16, 16,2026 2026 2026 Volume

THE OCEANA ECHO JANUARY 16, 2026 12

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Whitehallgirls girlshoops hoopscelebrates celebrates veterans veterans Whitehall By By Andy Andy Roberts Roberts By Andy Roberts White White Lake Lake Mirror Mirror Editor Editor

White Lake Mirror Editor WHITEHALL WHITEHALL — — Whitehall's Whitehall's girls girls WHITEHALL — Whitehall's girls basketball program hosted basketball program hosted its its annual annual basketball hosted itsFriday annual Veterans Appreciation Night beVeterans program Appreciation Night Friday beVeterans Appreciation Night Friday between the girls and boys game against tween the girls and boys game against tween the girls andthis boys game Manistee -- and time, the Vikings Manistee and this time, theagainst Vikings Manistee and this time, the Vikings brought the boys team in on the brought the boys team in on the celecelebrought the boys team in on the celebration. bration. bration. Members Members of of both both programs programsescorted escorted veterans in their lives, them Members of both programs escorted veterans in their lives, many many of of them relrelatives, onto the court in games, veterans their of them relatives, in onto thelives, courtmany in between between games, and by time itit was done, line atives, the court in between games, and onto by the the time was done, the the line of of Whitehall players Allie (left) and Janie Whitehall players Allie (left) and Janie players and veterans stretched so and by the time it was done, the line of Fagan smile with Allie their fatherand Leo during players and veterans stretched so long long Whitehall players Fagan smile with their (left) father Leo Janie during that court was wide players and veterans stretched so longfor Friday's Veterans Appreciation Night that the the court was not not wide enough enough forFagan smile with their father Leo duringin Friday's Veterans Appreciation Night in them to in straight line. that the all court was not enough for Friday's Whitehall. The Fagan sisters, along Veterans Appreciation Night with in them all to stand stand in aawide straight line. Then, Then, Whitehall. The Fagan sisters, along with Members of the Whitehall boys and girls basketball teams applaud local veterans during a Whitehall pep band member played them all to stand in aband straight line. Then, Members of the Whitehall boys and girls basketball teams applaud local veterans during now-graduated Lianne, have along been part The Fagan sisters, withof a Whitehall pep member playedWhitehall. now-graduated Lianne, have been part of Members Friday's of Veterans Appreciation Night ceremonies Whitehall. the Whitehall boys and girls basketballat teams applaud local veterans during the national anthem on his trumpet. Friday's Veterans Appreciation Night ceremonies at Whitehall. each of the annual events in the few years a Whitehall pep band member played now-graduated Lianne, have been part of the national anthem on his trumpet. each of the annual events in the few years Friday's • Andy Roberts/Mirror Veterans Appreciation Night ceremonies at Whitehall. • Andy Roberts/Mirror the girls basketball program has been Whitehall players Janie and Allie Fagan, theWhitehall nationalplayers anthem on and his Allie trumpet. the annual events in the few theofgirls basketball program hasyears been • Andy Roberts/Mirror Janie Fagan,each hosting them. first year. The Fagans' dad, Leo, is a Mapretty who headed up this year's edition of the the girls basketball program has been Whitehall players Janie and Allie Fagan, hosting them. pretty meaningless meaningless stuff stuff that that we wedo doout out first year. The Fagans' dad, Leo, is a Mawho headed up this year's edition of the • Andy Roberts/Mirror rineyear. Corps veteran, served 23 here, but we get to do it because of what hosting them. event, also presented checks for $430.30 first The Fagans'having dad, Leo, is afor Mapretty meaningless stuff that we do out who headed this year's edition the • Andy Roberts/Mirror Corps veteran, having served for 23 here, but we get to do it because of what rine event, alsoup presented checks for of $430.30 years. • Andy Roberts/Mirror they did. That's the extremely importto both the White Lake VFW and the rine Corps veteran, having served for 23 here, but we get to do it because of what event, also presented checks for $430.30 ple, it's not like pie," Milliron smiled. years. they did. That's the extremely importto both the White Lake VFW and the ple, it's not like pie," Milliron smiled. "My dad means a ton to me, and to ant part, and not lost kids." Legion; aa raffle provided the they did. to American both the White VFW and the "It's only certain it'snot not like like there's pie," Milliron part,That's andit's it'sthe notextremely loston onour ourimportkids." years."My dad means a ton to me, and to American Legion;Lake raffle provided theple, "It's not like there's only aasmiled. certain antMilliron do this for only but for all took note that two of the funds donated. "My means ton to me, to ant part, and it's not lost on our kids." amount of there's not American Legion; a raffle provided the "It's not like there's only certainto fornot not onlyahim, him, but forand allthe the Milliron took note that two of the do thisdad funds donated. amount of itit and and there's notaenough enough to veterans veterans and the VFW and the Amerihonored were Whitehall staffFor Whitehall coach Brian Milliron, do this for not only him, but for all the Milliron took note that two of the go around. We there's can celebrate all these funds For donated. of it and not enough to veterans and the VFW and the Ameriveterans honored were Whitehall staffWhitehall coach Brian Milliron,amount go around. We can celebrate all these ers - Kirk Mikkelson and Josh Anderson. can Legion, it makes my heart happy," whose father-in-law was gopeople. and the VFW my andheart the Amerihonored were Whitehall staff- veterans SoWe many of celebrate these kids have con- veterans For Whitehall coachLarry BrianBacon Milliron, around. can these can Legion, it makes happy," - Kirk Mikkelson and Josh Anderson. whose father-in-law Larry Bacon was people. So many of these kidsall have con- ersThe Janie said. "I'm grateful that I'mhappy," able to Fagan sisters now-graduated among the veterans honored (he was can Legion, it makes my heart ers Kirk Mikkelson and Josh Anderson. nections to people in kids the community whose father-in-law Larry Bacon(he was So many of these have conJanie said. "I'm grateful that I'm able to The Fagan sisters now-graduated among the veterans honored waspeople. nections to people in the community Lianne, senior Janie and sophomore do this for them. It means the world to escorted by Brian's daughter Mayson, Janie said. "I'm grateful that I'm able to The Fagan sisters now-graduated that did amazing things. among the by veterans was nections do this for them. It means the world to to people in the community Lianne, senior Janie and sophomore escorted Brian'shonored daughter(he Mayson, that did amazing things. Allie have been at the center of the a manager for the team), getting more do this for them. It means the world to Lianne, senior Janie and sophomore "We don't use the hyperbole of goescorted by Brian's Mayson, amazing things. Allie have been at the center of the a manager for thedaughter team), getting morethat did "We don't use the hyperbole of go- annual celebration, with Viking alum participation wasteam), an easy decision. - have been at the center of alum the ing to war when comes to sports. Real Allie a manager for the more "We use itthe hyperbole of goannual celebration, with Viking participation was an easygetting decision. ing to don't war when it comes to sports. Real Taylor Ottinger also part of the event its "When it comes to celebrating peocontinued on page 7 war is a whole lot different than the annual celebration, with Viking alum participation was an easy decision. peo-ingwar to war it comes to sports. Real "When it comes to celebrating continued on page 7 is awhen whole lot different than the Taylor Ottinger also part of the event its Taylor Ottinger also part of the event its "When it comes to celebrating peo- war is a whole lot different than the continued on page 7

Veterans Veteransnight night Veterans night

Whitehallto tohost hosttax taxexemption exemptionhearing hearing Jan. Jan. 27 27 Whitehall Council Council will will consider consider

emption would tax the property at the a designation necessary for the city to current council members, though othemption would tax the property at the a designation necessary for the city to current council members, though oth$495,000 pricetax at which new at owners state necessary Department Transporer citizens who members, had submitted letters of emption would property the a receive designation forof the city to current council though oth$495,000 price atthe which new owners receive state Department of Transporer citizens who had submitted letters of Jeremy and Melanie Garcia purchased tation funds. Approval was also given interest were also appointed to seats. $495,000 priceMelanie at which newpurchased owners receive Department of Transporcitizenswere whoalso hadappointed submittedto letters Jeremy and Garcia tation state funds. Approval was also given erinterest seats.of it regardless of its assessed value over tation to annual reaffirming citi- interest Thewere same appointments led to a Jeremy and Melanie Garcia purchased funds.resolutions Approval was also given also appointed to seats. it regardless of its assessed value over to annual resolutions reaffirming citiThe same appointments led to a the course of the 10 years. zens' right to protest their property tax contentious discussion among it the regardless of the its 10 assessed annual resolutions citiThe same appointments led tothe a course of years. value over tozens' right to protest reaffirming their property tax contentious discussion among the According resolution and to zens' assessment; scheduling board oftax re- contentious council in 2025, when council members the course of theto 10the years. right to protest theirthe property discussion among the By Andy Roberts According to the resolution and to assessment; scheduling the board of recouncil in 2025, when council members By Andy Roberts city managertoDan during the assessment; view sessions to address protests and members the public questioned According theTavernier resolution and to scheduling thesuch board of re- council in 2025,of when members White LakeRoberts Mirror Editor city manager Dan Tavernier during the view sessions to address such protests and members of thecouncil public questioned By Andy White Lake Mirror Editor meeting, the exemption is offered to enfor March 11 at 1 and 4 p.m. and March previous mayor Steven Salter's recomcity manager Dan Tavernier during the view sessions to address such protests and members of the public questioned meeting, the exemption is offered to en- for March 11 at 1 and 4 p.m. and March previous mayor Steven Salter's recomWhite Lake Mirror WHITEHALL — TheEditor Whitehall city courage small business ownership and 12 at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.; and enacting the mended nominations and some seats WHITEHALL — The Whitehall citymeeting, exemption is offered to en11 and at 1 and 4 p.m. March Steven Salter's recomcouragethe small business ownership and for12March at 9 a.m. 1 p.m.; and and enacting the previous mendedmayor nominations and some seats council unanimously approved the incentivize the rehabilitation of comannual poverty exemption. were left vacant. WHITEHALL — The Whitehall council unanimously approvedcitythecourage small business ownership and 12 at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.; and enacting the mended nominations and some seats incentivize the rehabilitation of comannual poverty exemption. were left vacant. scheduling of a publicapproved hearing to con- mercial property. Tavernier expressed The council also unanimously ap- wereBy requests from the council unanimously scheduling of a public hearing tothe con-incentivize the rehabilitation com- annual poverty exemption. leftapproving vacant. two mercial property. Tavernier of expressed The council also unanimously apBy approving two requests from the sider a 10-year commercial rehabilitathat he was in favor of the exemption. proved mayor Tom Ziemer's appointWhite Lake Area Chamber Visitor's scheduling of a public hearingrehabilitato con- mercial sider a 10-year commercial Tavernier The council apBy approving two requests&&from the that heproperty. was in favor of the expressed exemption. proved mayor also Tomunanimously Ziemer's appointWhite Lake Area Chamber Visitor's tion tax exemption for the Lake Land State law requires a public hearing take ments to various boards and commisBureau, the council also finalized the sider 10-year commercial tiona tax exemption for therehabilitaLake Landthat he was in favor of the exemption. proved mayor Tom Ziemer's appointWhite Lake Area Chamber & Visitor's State law requires a public hearing take ments to various boards and commis- Bureau, the council also finalized the Getaway property on Colby Street at its place before the council acts on the resions after the final nominations were dates of two 2026 festivals. The annual tion tax exemption the Lake Land Getaway property for on Colby Street at itsState lawbefore requires public acts hearing takere- ments various boards and commisalso finalized the place theacouncil on the sionsto after the final nominations were Bureau, dates ofthe twocouncil 2026 festivals. The annual regular meeting Tuesday. quest. determined during the work session Feet on the Street festival will take place Getaway Colby Street at its place regularproperty meeting on Tuesday. before the council acts on the resions after the final nominations were dates of two 2026 festivals. The annual determined during the work session Feet on the Street festival will take place The hearing will take place Tuesday, quest. The council also approved sever- earlier that day. There was no additional regular meeting Tuesday. The hearing will take place Tuesday, during thewas work session Feet on the Street festival will take place The council also approved sever- determined earlier that day. There no additional Jan. 27 during the next scheduled city quest. procedural moves. Tavernier was discussion during the council meeting, The27 hearing place Tuesday, Jan. duringwill thetake next scheduled city al The council also approved severearlier that day. There was no additional al procedural moves. Tavernier was discussion during the council meeting, council meeting. If approved, the ex- named as the city's street administrator, and many of the appointments were Jan. 27 during the next scheduledthe cityex-al named council meeting. If approved, continued on page 7 procedural moves. Tavernier was discussion during theappointments council meeting, as the city's street administrator, and many of the were continued on page 7 council meeting. If approved, the ex- named as the city's street administrator, and many of the appointments were continued on page 7

rehabilitation tax Council will consider rehabilitation tax exemption for new rehabilitation tax exemption for new Lake Lake Land Getaway owners exemption for new Lake Land Getaway owners Land Getaway owners

City Citycouncil council City council

13 JANUARY 16, 2026 THE OCEANA ECHO

THE WHITE LAKE MIRROR JANUARY 16, 2026 2

White River Twp. supports CEIC grant pursuit By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor MONTAGUE — The White River Township board unanimously agreed to provide a letter of support to the Chemours Environmental Impact Committee to aid CEIC in its pursuit of a grant during its regular meeting Tuesday. The grant CEIC is pursuing, said organization member Claire Schlaff, is through the Michigan Coastal Management Program and would, if received, enable the organization to hire engineering and design experts who would study possibilities for the restoration of Sadony Bayou and present potential solutions to local people. The grant, which is for $85,000 and requires a dollar-for-dollar match by the recipient, would fund, among other things, two public meetings - one to introduce the community to the experts and another at the end of their research, presenting potential options. There was some discussion about the wording of the letter, and the board agreed that if Marty Holtgren, CEIC's project manager, deemed some tweaks to the letter to be necessary, he would be welcome to request them and revisions would be made. Schlaff also reported that CEIC recently met with Sathya Yalvigi of Chemours to ensure that logging taking place at the Chemours site was following proper procedures; she said after the meeting

that the organization was satisfied it was being done properly. The board unanimously agreed to move forward with a public hearing to approve its revised parks and recreation plan for the next five years. The hearing will take place as part of the planning commission's regular meeting Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m. The revised plan is available to view on the township website, whiterivertwp.com, under the 'parks' tab. The board noted that planning firm Williams & Works aided in review of the plan. The board unanimously approved its annual senior millage allocation of $12,018, a slight increase from last year. The allocation will be similar to last year, with funds being used to pay for senior memberships at the Viking Athletic Center, at the White Lake Senior Center, and to contribute to AgeWell's Safe Seniors program, which helps combat elder abuse. Township seniors were reported to have checked in to the VAC to use their facilities over 1,500 times over the past year, which is up 450 from the year before. Clerk Julie Goericke reported that 82% of the $595 in senior vouchers that were distributed for township residents' use at the Montague Farmer's Market were utilized, which was second only to City of Montague residents' 92% among participating municipalities. She said the township may be able to increase their

use even more if there is a one-time distribution of the vouchers instead of the two the township had last year, though no action was taken on that idea at this time. The township plans to welcome the Muskegon Area District Library to the township hall three times this year to host programming. Supervisor Ron Bailey said he'd been approached by MADL district manager Patricia Crosby about bringing library programming to residents. The programs would be free, and in turn the township would not charge MADL for using the hall. The programs, which are scheduled on three Saturdays - March 7, April 4 and May 2, all from 10:15 a.m. to noon - will revolve around astronomy. The board did not take any action but expressed approval of the idea. Bailey shared that the state Department of Transportation is seeking public comment on a proposed road improvement at the weathervane park in downtown Montague. Comments can be submitted via the MDOT website. During public comment, a resident suggested that those choosing to submit comments should also address the crosswalk near that intersection, which connects the park to the Weathervane Inn across the street. The commenter said it could also be improved for safety reasons, stating drivers are often not as careful as they should be in yielding to pedestrians or bicyclists.

Montague school board officers shuffle at the cost of $22,646, of which all but the new high school gym. Neither Raor March board meetings. Board president Brent February In preparation for Raeth's depar- $4,529 will be funded by E-Rate. John- eth nor the district has prior experiencRaeth moving out of ture, the school board reshuffled its son noted that Turnkey's was not the es with Turnkey. district, will resign his officers for 2026. Joel Smith, previously low bid, but included the cost of boring The board also unanimously apthe vice president, was appointed pres- into concrete as part of the job rather proved a revision to Policy 5517.01, board seat

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor MONTAGUE — Former Montague school board president Brent Raeth will be resigning his school board seat in the next couple of months, superintendent Jeffrey Johnson confirmed at Monday's regular meeting. Similarly to former trustee Scott Beishuizen, who resigned his seat last year, Raeth's departure is due to his impending move out of the district's boundaries. State law requires school boards be exclusively composed of people living within the district. Raeth has been part of the board since 2020. Johnson said once Raeth's move is official, the board will have a vote to appoint his replacement, either at the

ident, and Amanda Dahl, previously the treasurer, was appointed vice president. Cindy Francis retained her position as board secretary, and trustee Emily Fullmer was appointed as treasurer. The appointments were made unanimously and all at once. The board unanimously approved three expenditures to fund technological upgrades in the district that will be installed this summer. The total cost of the three upgrades is about $181,000, but the bulk of the costs - 80%, Johnson said - are being funded by E-Rate, a federal program that offers discounts on Internet and network-related costs to school districts. Turnkey Network Solutions, based in Caledonia, will install network and stadium infrastructure improvements

Solar facility proval at press time. Prior to the approval, the commissioners shared thoughts on the application, much of which represented some of the most pointed criticism of Geronimo and the State of Michigan's methods in pushing for renewable energy projects to date from local public officials. Commissioner Deb Harris, for instance, criticized the greed at all levels, including the state, that she felt has led to the situation between Geronimo and the township, stating that she believes PA233 is legislative overreach, though the township has cooperated with it by creating the renewable energy overlay. She concluded, "The only thing green about the application is the money that will line the pockets of the participants." Denise Eilers added criticism of the MPSC, outlining some of the hoops townships have to jump through to conduct their business in Michigan and sharing her belief that it was ironic the state demanded so much of townships given what she viewed as its lax oversight of renewable energy projects in Michigan. She rhetorically asked how the commission, which consists of three appointed members, could be expected to make informed decisions about projects throughout the entire state.

than requiring the district to have it done for them. The other two upgrades will be done through Vector Tech Group, a statewide business with a location in Holland. A $50,955 expenditure will upgrade the fiber Internet infrastructure at both Montague High School and NBC Middle School - Johnson said the last upgrades to those buildings' fiber were in 2005 - and an additional $107,555 expenditure (just over $21,500 cost to the district) will fund an increase in wireless access points. The board and technology director. Steve Dennison shared that the district has had positive experiences with Vector in the past; Raeth remarked that his company, CatchMark Technologies, worked with Vector on installations at

continued from page 4

Another commissioner, Stephen Niezgoda, after emphatically stating his support of solar power in concept, cited past industrial sites in the township, including the Chemours land that is only now beginning to receive some rehabilitative measures from the environmental damage caused by the duPont plant. He said as a result of those past missteps, "We must insist on taking an active role" in the push for renewable energy, and added that the Geronimo application is "woefully inadequate." Comments like those were echoed in the public comment portions of the meeting, which included several township residents asking for a 'no' vote on the original application. Some from outside the township, like Montague Township resident Connie Kranzer, who was one of the experts brought in by White River to go over the vegetation portion of the application, and Whitehall city council member Scott Brown, also weighed in with their support of a 'no' vote. One commenter, Scott Roodvoets, whose late father David was a vocal member of the Chemours Environmental Impact Committee, shared his belief that Geronimo expected their application to be denied and that they'd go to the MPSC, which would explain the perceived shortcomings in its application.

which covers bullying and harassing behavior towards students, to align with state school board policy. Johnson said elements of the previous policy had been deemed too broad and difficult to enforce, specifically with regard to activities outside of school, hence the adjustments. The board appointed its members to various committees as well, accounting for the change in membership since last year. Raeth noted that no committee had over three people on them and asked if the board was permitted to have larger committees. Johnson replied that, while not impossible, as any committee of four or more people would constitute a quorum of the school board, it is easier to limit committee memberships to three.

The commission, which stated at previous meetings it had not received replies to the questions presented to Geronimo Nov. 21, said it did receive replies Dec. 29 and most of them stated the answers were already in the application or were unnecessary under Public Act 233, which created the MPSC. The commission added that Geronimo does not intend to build a data center in Muskegon County, as company representative Kendra Harrington stated in December.

White Lake Eagles

Sportsman Dinner Open to the public, age 21 and up

Friday, February 6

Cost: $30

Dinner tickets and raffle tickets may be purchased at the bar.

Raffle tickets are $5 or 5 for $20 You must be present to win raffle prizes

Raffling 10 guns and other items Try our Friday & Saturday Dinners Two serving times: 5:30 & 7 PM 1204 S Lake St, Whitehall, MI 49461 (231) 894-6263

3 JANUARY 16, 2026 THE WHITE LAKE MIRROR

THE OCEANA ECHO JANUARY 16, 2026 14

Community Calendar Saturday, Jan. 17 Feeding America mobile food panry visits White Lake UCC. Registration at 8:30 a.m. (no ID required), pickup from 10-11 a.m. Adrielle Goodrich performs @ North Grove Brewers, 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19 White Lake Community Library

presents January Series speakers each weekday, beginning Monday, at 12:30 p.m. Come watch at the library or watch on your own device by registering at calvin.edu/january-series/ watch-online. Tuesday, Jan. 20 Toddler Story Time @ MADL Montague, 9:30 a.m. Stories, songs and

play time. Intended for toddlers ages 2-3 and their caregivers. Wednesday, Jan. 21 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. The Oat Bran Boys perform @ North Grove Brewers, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 22 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.

Echoes of History: History The life of Annie Dowling (Pt. 5) By Tom Eitniear Volunteer Contributor Parts 1-4 of this story ran in the Dec. 19 and 26 and Jan. 2 and 9 issues of the White Lake Mirror. Once her husband's estate had been settled, Annie started liquidating some of the real estate, and part of the proceeds was used to complete improvements upon her house. In April 1901, she had the veranda modernized by extending the width and otherwise improving it, and in May 1901 the house received a new coat of paint. The proceeds also helped with her frequent visits to Lansing, Michigan to spend time wither sister and family, as well as hosting visits at her home to the same family members. Some members of the community took note of Annie’s ability to handle the estate settlement process, and because of these abilities and her wealth she had the opportunity to invest in the White Lake Mining and Milling Company, which owned several mining properties in Elizabethtown, New Mexico. She took the opportunity and became the only woman on the 9-member board of directors for the company when it incorporated in November 1902. The grim reaper had been quiet for several years but decided to visit once again Jan. 23, 1903 by claiming the life of 33-year-old Hart Row, who suffered a fatal heart attack. Hart was Annie’s nephew who had initially assisted with

the administration of George’s estate, and his death was probably very difficult for her since the only family members left from the “Wilson” side now were her sister Elizabeth, her husband Samuel Hart Row, and their two remaining sons: Frank and Charles. On Oct. 6, 1903 Annie travelled to Elizabethtown, New Mexico with E. S. Douglas and his wife Mary, and Charles Covell to look over the mining interests of the White Lake Mining and Milling Company. The party included Las Vegas in their trip itinerary before returning Oct. 24, 1903. In August 1904, Annie and her sister-in-law, Ellen Wilson, travelled to Scotland. While there Annie received word that her sister Elizabeth was suffering from a serious illness. They cut short their visit to Scotland and on Aug. 13, 1904 Annie made her third crossing of the Atlantic, arriving in New York Aug. 20, 1904. This return voyage was made much more quickly than the voyage she made 55 years earlier, but she was probably quite fearful that she was going to lose her remaining original Wilson family members. Elizabeth recovered from her illness and lived for another 25 years. Annie continued to travel back and forth to Lansing and Grand Rapids in 1905 visiting family, as well as travelling to Texas in March 1905. She continued to improve the home she lived in by having A. F. Casselman and Son newly decorate the interior in June

1905, and having hardwood floors laid throughout in September 1905. Annie must have felt that her house and estate were properly prepared, so she started hosting events at her home. One of the most notable occasions was held Aug. 2, 1906 when Annie hosted the reunion of Company F, Fifth Michigan Cavalry. Ten veterans of Company F and their wives attended, as well as an honorary member and a few friends of the Company. The veterans included James Gibbs of Peach Ridge; Henry Becker of Hesperia; John and David Dill of Claybanks; Fred E. Deymann of Claybanks; Aleck Bell of Lake City; Thomas H. Smith of Fremont; Wm. Compton of Shelby; Philetus Parish of Ferry; and E. Z. Green of Montague. Great food was enjoyed in more than ample amounts, with cake and ice cream for dessert. The veterans honored Annie by making her an honorary member of Company F, Fifth Michigan Cavalry. The reason for hosting this event is not known but it may have been a way for Annie to honor her brother Robert, a Civil War veteran who passed away 28 years earlier. The grim reaper continued to sniff around but seemed focused in other directions as the Dowling brothers quartet that caused so much angst for Annie several years prior suffered their first loss when Henry P. died May 25, 1908. Annie involved herself with groups such as the Ladies Aid Society of the

Annie Dowling circa 1875. • Montague Museum/Courtesy Photo

Methodist Church, the White Lake Unity Club, The Episcopal Guild in which she served as president, The Montague Cemetery Improvement Association in which she also served as president, and the Muskegon Children’s Home. She hosted events at her home for some of these groups, and also made presentations for The White Lake Unity Club titled “Travel Talk” which were presentations regarding her trips to various places such as Alaska, Old London, Texas, Scotland, etc. The grim reaper appeared March 10, 1909, taking Annie’s brother-in-law Samuel Hart Row, who succumbed from a brain lesion and nervous breakdown. He was 69 years old.

A new 1-2-3 Play With Me series begins Feb. 5 By Virginia DeMumbrum Volunteer Contributor The next series of 1-2-3 Play With Me workshops is set to begin Thursday, Feb. 5, and will continue each Thursday from 5:306:30 p.m. through March 5. This fun program includes an hour of play time for families with children ages 0-5. Each week also features a community resource professional who will DeMumbrum be on hand to talk with families and answer any questions parents or caregivers may have. These professionals include a nutritionist, a speech therapist, a child development specialist and more. Registration is encouraged and space is limited. Please visit wlclib. org/calendar or call 231-894-9531 to reserve your spot. Read, Play, Discover - Weekly Storytimes Return Feb. 2 We can’t wait to get back to our regular lineup of programs and events for young children! Beginning the week of

Feb. 2, look for Family Storytime, Baby Time, and Play & Learn programs for our youngest visitors and their grownups. Family Storytimes are held every Monday at 9:30, followed by Baby Times on Tuesdays at 9:30. Play & Learn sessions finish out the week every Friday at 9:30. No registration is required for any of these programs; just come whenever you're able! For more information, call the library at 231894-9531 or visit our website at wlclib. org. FUN FACT: In 2024, the library offered 115 programs for children aged 5 and under, and 2,078 people attended those events! That doesn’t even include all the Family Nights and other events that are for both preschoolers and school-aged children. Watch for 2025 data in the library’s annual report which is due out in March. Dying to Talk to You - Humorous and Heartfelt Stories from a Hospice Volunteer Join us Feb. 11 at 5:30 p.m. for a thoughtful evening with hospice volunteer and author Dave Kampfschulte, who brings more than 38 years of experience walking alongside individuals and families at the end of life. With empathy, humor and deep humanity, Dave shares stories that range from the

surprising to the deeply moving, offering insights into a subject many of us avoid but all of us eventually face. Through real conversations gathered over decades, Dave helps us see how others have navigated difficult choices, found moments of connection, and faced the unknown. You may leave with new understanding, and maybe even a bit of comfort. Kampfschulte is director of Amazing Circles Workshops, a nationally known speaker, and author of "I’m Dying to Talk with You: Twenty-Five Years of Conversations on End-of-Life Decisions." With over 45 years as an educator, he leads interactive, engaging programs for both professionals and the general public. Dave holds a Master’s in Education, teaches with Aquinas College’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), and is a longtime hospice volunteer as well as a past recipient of the East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award. Registration is requested. Reserve your spot by contacting the library or signing up through our online events calendar. Blood Drive Feb. 4 The library is hosting another blood drive! If you’re an eligible donor and

The

Bookworm

Bulletin

would like to help save lives in our community, please consider donating blood at the library Wednesday, Feb. 4, from 1:30-6 p.m. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome as the schedule allows. To schedule a donation, just call 866-642-5663 or visit bit.ly/bloodfeb2026. Versiti Blood Center of Michigan is a non-profit organization headquartered in Grand Rapids specializing in blood products and services and providing expert medical and technical support. Founded in 1955, it is the primary provider of blood products and services throughout Michigan and is an established leader in quality and service. For more information, visit versiti.org/Michigan.

community 15 JANUARY 16, 2026 THE OCEANA ECHO THE WHITE LAKE MIRROR JANUARY 16, 2026 4

e Mirror

SPORTS WHITEHALL • MONTAGUE • REETHS - PUFFER

NONPROFIT NEWS building SOURCE for another state run Whitehall Vikings dominate at home quad; senior Weiler earns 100th win By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor WHITEHALL — It's almost an annual tradition for Whitehall to methodically build to an end-of-season peak, and the Vikings looked Wednesday night like a team ready to fulfill that mission again. Whitehall swept its home quad meet against Shelby and North Muskegon, dispatching the Tigers 64-12 and routing the Norsemen 72-6. Already fresh off a huge performance at the Rockford Duals a few days prior, where they won a team title, the Vikings are hoping they're on their way to another trip to Kalamazoo and the state finals. "I feel like we do that most years," senior Kolten Weiler said. "We just start getting the snowball rolling and it starts getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Then we start peaking at the right time." "It's good to prepare for the postseason by getting bonus points," Whitehall coach Justin Zeerip said. "It's always good to work on this stuff in matches, so when it comes to crunch time, we're able to go get majors and (technical falls)." The Vikings certainly did that Wednesday, earning bonus points in

Whitehall''s Kolten Weiler celebrates with coach Justin Zeerip after winning his 100th career match Wednesday against Shelby. Weiler went 2-0 at the meet.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

all but three of the bouts against Shelby - the Tigers' two wins, and a decision win by Easton Wisniewski that opened the match. Besides that, there were nine pins, two technical falls and a major decision. One of those pins earned Weiler admission into the prestigious 100-win club for his career. For the senior to be able to accomplish the feat at home was doubly sweet. "He's done an amazing job," Zeerip said of Weiler. "He's been all-state already, and he has 100 wins, which is an incredible feat. The thing I admire most about Kolten is, he works really

Whitehall's Blake Wallace keeps a strong hold over Shelby's Alden Beyer during Wednesday's Whitehall Quad. Wallace was one of many Vikings to earn bonus points for the team against Shelby, and the Vikes went 2-0. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

hard. He's a 'yes, sir' type of kid and he has really high character. He's dedicated to the sport, and it's always good to see guys like that get their hands raised." Weiler was one of several Vikings to score 2-0 records on the night, taking a forfeit win against North Muskegon. Billy Darke and Blake Wallace each scored two pins, and Liam Leeke had a pin and a technical fall. Dom Zygmuntowski scored a pin and a major decision, Tanner Woodworth had a

pin and a decision, Isaac O'Boyle had a pin and a forfeit, Cody Manzo scored a technical fall and a decision, and Max Krukowski picked up a technical fall and a forfeit. "I thought they wrestled really hard," Zeerip said. "I was proud of them for being offensive and getting to their leg attacks and continuing to do the things we work on in practice."

Whitehall Quad continued on page 5

Vikes can't find enough offense to beat Manistee By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor WHITEHALL — Whitehall was "Jekyll and Hyde" when combating the Manistee press Friday night, said coach Brian Milliron, and the struggles were just enough to keep the team from scoring a victory, as the Vikings lost 41-36. A lengthy scoring drought in the first half was the biggest culprit in the defeat, as Manistee went on a 13-0 scoring run that overlapped the first and second quarters, putting the Mariners ahead 15-8. Whitehall stayed close the rest of the way but never led again. The Mariners attacked Whitehall (2-6, 2-2 West Michigan Conference Lakes)with a press defense almost the whole game, much as Fremont did four days prior. Manistee's athletes aren't as overpowering as the WMC Lakes favorite Packers, but they were effective enough that Whitehall ballhandlers were flustered into too many mistakes. "That's me not doing a good enough job getting them prepared so they can be consistent," Milliron said. "That's something I need to keep working on. They believe sometimes, but then they have these crises of confidence at times as well. I've got to do a better job of pumping them up and

Whitehall's Janie Fagan shoots a jumper over the outstretched arms of Manistee's Gabby Senters during Friday's game at Whitehall. The Vikings lost, 41-36.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Whitehall's Clare Westerlund tries to get the ball between Manistee defenders Alayna Edmondson (4) and Lindsey Gardner during Friday's game at Whitehall. The Vikings lost, 41-36. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

getting them to understand that, 'You guys are good basketball players.' "After a couple of times down, we'd beat the press, and it was like, 'Hey, this is great. You guys are doing great.' Then the next time down, we'd look like we'd never seen a press a day in our lives, and I don't know why. It's super confusing. That's just reps. We've got to do a better job of getting them prepared for it." Milliron added that the Vikings weren't aggressive enough offensively in the first half, pointing to the one foul called against Manistee in that span as a consequence of that.

"You're not going to get rewarded with free throws if you're not going to be the aggressor," Milliron said. "We keep saying that, and they keep nodding their heads, and at some point we've got to do it." Peyton Schultz was Whitehall's top offensive force, making two early three-pointers (she had four overall) to stake the Vikings to a 6-0 lead. Her long-distance shooting has been one of the team's better assets on that side of the ball all season. She had 14 points and six rebounds, leading the team in both categories. After Manistee's run, Whitehall

came back with five quick points - all by Ellie Conklin with Clare Westerlund assisting - to get within two, but that was as close as the Vikings got until the final minutes. Two treys by Manistee kept the Vikings at bay in the third quarter, despite Schultz knocking down another one. Whitehall also struggled to finish at the rim in the frame, which has unfortunately been a common theme for the Vikings. Whitehall made some defensive

Tough loss

continued on page 5

5 JANUARY LAKE MIRROR 16 JANUARY16, 16,2026 2026 THE THEWHITE OCEANA ECHO

Montague sputters early in loss to Hart By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor HART — Montague has played some good competition early in the season, but the Wildcats haven't seen many teams like Hart, and that showed as the host Pirates raced to a huge early lead in a 79-23 Montague loss. The Wildcats struggled to get into their offense against Hart's athletic and fast press defense early in the game and quickly fell behind 10-0. By the end of the first quarter, Montague trailed 26-3 and the Pirates' Rilynn Porter had hit four three-pointers. "That's Hart," Montague coach Jess DeBruin said of the Pirates' aggressive defense. "It was just a matter of how we were going to handle the pressure, and tonight we didn't. "They knew how to pressure us. We worked on it. We just didn't bring it to the floor tonight. Ludington pressured us and we handled it fine. We beat ourselves tonight." Montague (1-7) did start showing more signs of life offensively in the second quarter, as Addi Smith converted a three-point play and Gentry Knop knocked down a three-pointer. However, Hart continued to have a lot of success offensively itself and the Wildcats couldn't cut into the deficit. DeBruin said she felt her team got

At right, Montague's Gentry Knop tries to get out of trouble as Hart's Rilynn Porter (left) and Joselyn Flores pressure her during Monday's game at Hart. Below, Montague's Marguerite O'Connell tries to power past Porter. The Hart press flustered Montague early in a 79-23 defeat.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

some good looks that did not go down during the game, adding, "That's just basketball. You're going to have times where you do have good looks, and they're going to miss." The Wildcats have worked to build confidence during the season, a tough thing to do with such a young roster and a difficult schedule. However, DeBruin said they're making progress, even if the scoreboard doesn't always show it. "We're starting to realize that we can shoot and we can get to the basket," DeBruin said. "It's just a matter of trusting each other and trusting ourselves...It's just a matter of finding it and realizing that we can hang with these teams and battle from the getgo." Building depth is also a factor, though that's also difficult to do with a team that entered the season with only Knop boasting significant varsity experience. Montague did, though, get seven players into the scorebook Monday. Knop and Smith led those seven,

Whitehall Quad

A hallmark of the Vikings' success under Zeerip has been their tenacity, and in particular the ability of less heralded wrestlers to come up big with wins when called upon. He felt Whitehall exhibited those qualities at the Rockford meet, which will be necessary to make another run at state. At the same time, he hopes not to put too much pressure on the team. "We wrestled really well there (against) five formidable opponents," Zeerip said. "Greenville and Bedford were obviously really tough. I'm just really proud of our kids and their resilience. We might have had a kid drop a match, and it was nice to see other kids pick up that slack. "This postseason, we're trying to not put any expectation on ourselves - just go out and compete to the best of our ability, and the rest will take care of itself."

Boys Basketball Ludington 75 Montague 33 Montague coach Nick Thaler said he was pleased with how his team competed in the game. Cole Herremans had 6 points for the 'Cats.

Benton Harbor 80 Reeths-Puffer 68 Damonee McBride had 30 points and 20 rebounds for the unbeaten and state-ranked Tigers. R-P stats were not reported.

Oakridge 53 Montague 50

scoring five points each. Marguerite O'Connell added four points. For Hart, Porter scored 21 points and Reese Smith had 16.

Montague allowed the game-winning layup with 6 seconds left, spoiling a strong 1st half effort. The 'Cats led by 9 at halftime but were outscored 20-5 in the 3rd quarter. Cole Herremans had 19 points.

Muskegon 84 Reeths-Puffer 36 R-P couldn't keep up with the unbeaten Big Reds after the 1st quarter. Hank Mitchelson and Marvin Moore each had 10 points for R-P, and the Big Reds' James Martin countered with 38 points.

Whitehall 62 Orchard View 46 Corde Anderson had 22 points and 8 rebounds, and Elijah Smith added 19 points and 7 boards, to help the Vikings to a needed victory.

Girls Basketball continued from page 4

Ludington 60 Montague 34 Montague was only down 3 points after the 1st quarter, but could not sustain that level of play. Gentry Knop had 15 points for the Wildcats.

West Ottawa 52 Reeths-Puffer 39 Raquel Walker provided the bulk of the scoring for the Rockets with 26 points and also grabbed 8 rebounds and passed out 4 assists.

Ravenna 33 Whitehall 25 Whitehall played a tough game against the Bulldogs, who were fresh off beating Hart. Clare Westerlund scored 16 points, and Whitehall got as close as 4 points down the stretch before falling short.

Muskegon 69 Reeths-Puffer 42 The Rockets were down by only 4 at halftime, but Muskegon was able to pull away. Ashlyn David had 17 points, and Raquel Walker had 13 points and 6 rebounds in the defeat.

Wrestling Montague 46 Grant 35 The Wildcats rallied for the win in the Tigers' Assembly Dual, taking advantage of having a full lineup. Gavyn Maddox won a match by pin, and Isaac French won by major decision.

Reeths-Puffer T-2nd at Sparta Invite Landon Learn continued his unbeaten season with a dominant 1st-place finish at 113 pounds, going 3-0. Andrew Corradin took 2nd place at 175.

Whitehall's Manzo, Sapp win at Lakeview Invite Milry Manzo went 3-0 at 115 pounds to win the championship at her weight class, and Kassie Sapp also went 3-0, defeating two top-10 ranked opponents to win at 130. Sidney Shackelford took 2nd place for ReethsPuffer at 155 pounds.

Montague 1-1 at Hart Quad Whitehall's Cody Manzo looks at the clock while keeping a hold of North Muskegon's Tayden Fotis during Wednesday's Whitehall Quad. Manzo went 2-0 on the night as the Vikings defeated North Muskegon and Shelby.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Tough loss

plays late in the game, rallying from a double-digit deficit to get within two, 38-36, with 1:21 left, thanks to, among other things, another trey by Schultz; forcing a pair of Manistee turnovers; and Westerlund cashing them in for buckets on the other end (she had 10 points). Whitehall then fouled the Mariners twice in a row as Manistee played a ball-control offense, but even after Manistee went 0-for-2 on both trips to the line, it was still able to grab offensive rebounds. The Viking defense then lost Avamae Fett under the basket amid their attempts to pressure the opposing ballhandlers, and Fett scored an

Sports in Brief

The Wildcats fell to state-ranked Hart 52-24 but defeated Holton 4634. Gavyn Maddox, Fletcher Thommen, Michael Jones and Maverick Osborne each posted 2-0 records for the Wildcats.

Reeths-Puffer 1-1 at West Ottawa Quad The Rockets lost a tough battle to West Ottawa 39-33 and defeated Wesst Ottawa 46-30. Landon Learn, Travis Henderson, Andrew Corradin and Devin Welch each went 2-0 for the Rockets.

continued from page 4

and-one basket to help her team hang on for the win. Fett had 13 points to lead the Mariners, and Lindsey Gardner chipped in 12. Whitehall plays its next four games on the road, and Milliron said a change of scenery might actually benefit the Vikes as they attempt to find the consistency that can make them the team they believe they can be. "If we can just figure out who we are identity-wise, (we'll) understand that we're a good basketball team that just has to be Manistee's Avamae Fett pressures more consistent," Milliron said.

Whitehall's Clare Westerlund during Friday's game at Whitehall. The Vikings lost, 41-36.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Cheer Reeths-Puffer 3rd at Cedar Springs Rumble The Rockets totaled 703.44 points, 30 behind first-place Thornapple Kellogg. R-P was in 2nd place after each of the first 2 rounds, but stumbled in the final round with 8 penalty points charged.

Whitehall 4th at Brighton's Best Invite The Vikings were 4th among 5 Division 3-4 schools, but 22 teams competed in all. Whitehall's score was 621.14 points, with its best round being its last, where it had 250.3 points, 10 behind 3rd-place Charlotte.

Whitehall 5th, Montague 9th at Montague jamboree The Vikings scored 621.8 points to finish 5th, just 19 behind 3rd-place North Muskegon. A 22-point penalty in round two cost Whitehall a higher placement, but the Vikes placed 3rd in rounds one and three. Montague didn't compete in round three and was in 7th after round two.

Hockey

Reeths-Puffer 8 FNV 5 The Rockets scored 4 goals in the game's first 6 minutes and 3 in the final 10 to pick up the win. Hayden Taylor had 2 goals and an assist, and Dom Switzer had a goal and 2 assists for the R-P offense.

Canton 3 Reeths-Puffer 2 (OT-Shootout) Tyler Cuti scored both Rocket goals to give his team a 2-0 lead, but R-P was unable to hang onto it in the 2nd of its 2 games at the Lakeshore Sports Centre tournament.

Reeths-Puffer 4 Hudsonville 3 The Rockets fought off the Eagles for a close win. Dom Switzer, Jordan Benkert, Hayden Taylor and Tyler Cuti each scored a goal.

THE OCEANA ECHO JANUARY THE WHITE LAKE MIRROR JANUARY16, 16,2026 2026 17 6

Late Whitehall rally falls short against Manistee By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor WHITEHALL — Coach Christian Subdon is still trying to determine how to deliver the effort level he has sought from his Whitehall team this season, and he didn't find the answers Friday night in a 51-44 Vikings' defeat, the Vikings' fourth in five games. Whitehall fought back into the game late with a couple of clutch three-pointers by Alex Winczewski and got as close as three points in the final minutes when Corde Anderson scored a putback basket, but the Mariners were able to hold on after a defensively dominant first half in which they only allowed eight Whitehall points and led 19-8 at the break. "They are better in every facet," Subdon said of the Mariners. "Coaching, toughness - every 50/50 ball, they got. They played harder than us. Until we can fix that, we're not going to win very many games." Manistee's aggression and attacking the basket on offense was rewarded in the foul count. The Mariners were whistled for only 12 fouls to Whitehall's 27, and consequently got 30 attempts at the free throw line to the Vikings' seven. Three of their players reached double figures in scoring, led by 13 each from Landin Sowa and Braylen Zimmerman. "When the ball's on the ground, he's on it," Subdon said of Sowa, one of the West Michigan Conference Lakes' best. "When there's a rebound to be had, he goes and gets it. That's a tough mentality. That's why they've

Whitehall's Rex Pumford puts up a jump shot during Friday's game against Manistee. The Vikings lost, 51-44.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

beaten us the last two times here." The Vikings kept up with Manistee early, with Pierce Westerlund and Elijah Smith hitting three-pointers on consecutive possessions in the first half to make it 10-8 in Manistee's favor in the second quarter. Manistee, though, ended the half on a 9-0 scoring run. Sowa knocked down a three-pointer in response to a three-point play by Anderson in the third quarter, keeping Manistee's lead comfortable, but Smith did get his team closer with a three-point play of his own in the final seconds of the third. At that point it was 34-27. The Vikings got into foul trouble quickly in the final quarter, putting Manistee in the bonus with over six minutes still to play. However, by creating some turnovers and getting some key baskets, they were able to bat-

Whitehall's Corde Anderson comes up with the ball out of a scrum while Manistee's Landin Sowa reaches for it during Friday's game at Whitehall. Elijah Smith provides support for Anderson. The Vikings lost, 51-44. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

tle back and create a chance to steal the win. Winczewski's treys were key in that rally. However, Zimmerman was not swayed when sent to the free throw line late, hitting his final seven attempts. Subdon said his team played with great effort late to come back but bemoaned that it wasn't there for all 32 minutes, saying the Vikes were too "tentative" early on. They only managed two points in the first quarter. "We started playing with a little bit of toughness (late)," Subdon said. "For a stretch of a few minutes, we played tough. Again, that's not going to get it done, not in this league." The game marked Westerlund's

first since he announced himself as an offensive threat by knocking down a school record eight treys against Morley-Stanwood earlier in the week. Westerlund was not quite as explosive Friday, hitting three triples to score nine points, but continued to shoot with confidence. "He did a good job," Subdon said. "He had some that went in and out. He keeps shooting, and shooting open shots, which is great. You can't win games unless you shoot open shots." Anderson led the Vikings on the boards with 14 rebounds and scored seven points. Smith and Winczewski had 13 points apiece.

French earns 100th win for Montague at Pine River By Andy Roberts

White Lake Mirror Editor Montague went 3-2 at the Pine River Fallen Bucks memorial tournament Saturday, highlighted by senior Isaac French securing his 100th career victory. French was one of four Wildcats to go 5-0 on the day, scoring three pins and a technical fall as well as one decision. "Despite being terribly sick, Isaac had an exceptional day and improved to 21-2 on the year," Montague coach Kris Maddox said. Montague defeated Montabella (72-11), Charlevoix (57-26) and Mason County Central (48-32) in the tournament, losing matches to Central Montcalm (44-36) and Division 4 No. 6 Pine River (41-35). Also going 5-0 individually were Fletcher Thommen, Kaiden Jeffery and Gavyn Maddox. Thommen pinned all five of his opponents in the first period of his matches. Jeffery scored four pins and a major decision and Maddox earned four pins and a technical fall. Chayse Maddox added a 4-1 record

Whitehall's wrestling team celebrates winning the championship at Saturday's Rockford Duals. The Vikings went 5-0, beating Division 1 top-10 ranked Temperance Bedford in the finals. • Courtesy Photo

Montague coaches Kris Maddox (left) and Andrew Nold celebrate with Isaac French after French scored his 100th career victory during Saturday's Pine River Invitational. French went 5-0 at the meet.

• Courtesy Photo for the Wildcats, with two pins and a major decision, and Mason Bassett posted a 3-1 mark. "Despite several wrestlers being sick or injured, we competed with grit at times, but also failed to be consistent across the board," Maddox said. "Saturday displayed the ability of the team."

Tuesday meeting to inform community about data centers The community is invited to attend a Tuesday, Jan. 20 meeting to learn about data center development and ordinances for these projects. The meeting will take place at the Whitehall Viking Athletic Center from 3:30-5 p.m. Data center proposals are growing in Michigan due to brownfield tax incentives, and White River Township's Chemours property is a designated brownfield.

Vikes win team title at Rockford Duals By Andy Roberts

White Lake Mirror Editor Whitehall picked up a couple of dramatic victories Saturday to win the championship at the Rockford Duals, which featured top competition. In the finals, the Vikings defeated Division 1 No. 8 Temperance Bedford 43-31. Three pins - by Tanner Woodworth, Billy Darke and Robert Belinger - and a forfeit in four consecutive bouts proved to be the decisive stretch of the match. Liam Leeke and Cody Manzo also earned pin victories against Bedford. Max Krukowski won a bout by major decision and Kolten Weiler won a decision. Whitehall also won an exciting match over Greenville during the meet, 39-31. There were several lead changes in the match, but Darke's pin at 285 pounds put the Vikings ahead for good. Belinger took the final bout, at 106, facing Carter Giles, a top-5 ranked

opponent, and merely needed to last all six minutes to secure the team win; instead, he picked up an impressive 5-3 victory, finishing the Vikings' triumph with a flourish. Whitehall also defeated Jackson Northwest (47-28), Zeeland East (6412) and Stevensville Lakeshore (52-19). Darke, Leeke and Manzo were the Vikings' top performers in the meet, each racking up 5-0 records. Darke pinned all five of his opponents, and Leeke scored three pins and two technical falls. Manzo won twice by pin and picked up a technical fall and two major decisions. Also for Whitehall, Max Krukowski, Blake Wallace and Dom Zygmuntowski each went 4-1. "They all showed up in prime condition today, showed who they are and what they're capable of," the Whitehall program posted to Facebook. "Such an exciting day. Some of our guys brought down heavy hitters ranked higher and in a higher division."

7 JANUARY 16, 2026 THE WHITE LAKE MIRROR THE OCEANA ECHO JANUARY 16, 2026 18

Recent Whitehall police activity Behind the

Badge Whitehall Police Report Jan. 8 At 7:30 p.m., officers were called to

the 2000 block of Peach St. in reference to a possible narcotics violation. Officers made contact with staff members at an area business, who indicated one of its employees had located a suspicious substance left behind in their vehicle by another employee. The item appeared to be powdered cocaine. The officers took the item to conduct a field test, which confirmed it was cocaine. The subject in the case is a 42-year-old male from Muskegon. The case is still open at this time. Jan. 10 At approximately 1:23 a.m., officers initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle af-

ter it was clocked at 51 miles per hour in a 25-mph zone on Division Street. Contact was made with the driver, a 30-year-old Whitehall male, and immediately noted the odor of intoxicants coming from his person. When questioned, the subject admitted he had drank three Pabst Blue Ribbons at a local establishment. The suspect failed sobriety tests and a preliminary Breathalyzer test yielded a result of 0.11 blood alcohol content. The subject was arrested, and at the Muskegon County jail, further tests yielded a 0.15 BAC. The subject was lodged at the jail for OWI, first offense.

Veterans night

Montague Fire fights Linamar blaze me." Montague Fire District responded to an industrial fire at Linamar (formerly Aludyne) involving molten aluminum inside the facility Monday night. Based on initial dispatch information, additional surrounding department resources were requested while crews responded. Upon arrival, crews assessed conditions and ordered a full evacuation of all employees. Firefighters faced significant challenges due to the involvement of liquid metal and the need to avoid using water or foam because of explosion risk. The fire was confined to a small area and brought under control in a short time. Linamar personnel trained for these types of scenarios took quick initial action to help mitigate the incident prior to the arrival of fire units. Once on scene, our crews implemented further actions needed to bring the situation under control. Several employees were evaluated for smoke inhalation and released at the scene. Crews remained on scene to check for extension, and no serious injuries were reported. The assisting departments included White Lake Fire Authority, the Grant Township Fire Department, White Lake Ambulance Authority, Life EMS, Trinity Health EMS, the Montague Police Department, and Muskegon Central Dispatch 911.

Milliron, whose history students also participate in the VFW's Patriot's Pen essay contest each year, said he loves being around Whitehall students, and the veterans in their lives are part of the reason so many of them develop into good people. "We have to get them out here and do some arm-twisting for it, because they don't want to be the center of attention," Milliron said of the

continued from page 1

honored veterans. "Our kids do such a good job, and they have great people in their lives, like these veterans, that make them these great people. We want to celebrate that." Boys coach Christian Subdon said he was grateful for his team to be invited to participate, crediting the Fagan sisters for their work on the celebration. "They did all of it," Subdon said.

City council Sunday, June 7 on the North Mears Promenade as it has the past few years, and the revived Maritime Festival is slated to return to Whitehall Aug. 6-8 after the annual celebration had been dormant since 2012. Per a Chamber letter to the council, the festival will begin Thursday, Aug. 6 with a kickoff party, with the main festival events taking place Aug. 7-8 at Goodrich Park in Whitehall, including live music, a beer tent, and various family-friendly activities.

Jan. 13 At 5:39 p.m. officers were called to the 2000 block of Peach St. Contact was made with parties present, and officers were advised an offender had left the scene after striking his own vehicle in anger over being terminated. The subject also made a threat to the business, but did not return. A manager said they were planning to call the employee to confirm their termination and would contact police if there were further issues.

continued from page 1

Council members and longtime residents Jeff Holmstrom and Tanya Cabala both expressed their excitement that the Maritime Festival is returning. During a city manager's report, Tavernier stated that the Tax Increment Finance Authority and Local Development Finance Authority each approved the use of bonds to fund road improvements this summer. The council previously gave Tavernier authority to pursue bonds to

"That's nothing to do with me or (us). They did an incredible job putting it together. It's a cool thing to see." Leo Fagan said his daughters being such a big part of the annual celebration is especially meaningful to him. The program is hopeful that when, someday, the Fagans have all graduated, that the tradition will continue. "It means a lot to me. It means a lot to all the other veterans," Leo said. "I'm hoping to see this keep going with our daughters for the next couple years and hopefully other students keep it going for many more."

funding the improvements. The city will use Local Community Stabilization Act funds to pay off the bonds, the funds for which Tavernier said he expects to arrive around April 1. He added that bids will soon be coming in for those projects. Ziemer said he was excited to see that the road improvements will be done this year and asked Tavernier if it is possible to extend the sidewalk on Lake Street out to the Mill Pond Park or if there are private property-related reasons that cannot happen. Tavernier said he did not know and would check.

Join the White Lake Chorale for America 250 concert Want to help celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of our nation? Come join the White Lake Chorale as it prepares a patriotic program for its spring concert. Singers who have served in the military are especially encouraged to join. The Chorale will be among choirs across the United States “uniting in harmony to renew democracy’s promise” under the umbrella organization Sing Democracy 250. According to its website, the music program for Sing Democracy 250 was developed by co-founders Gary Aamodt and Celia

Ellingson and commissioned by Together in Hope Project. The full program includes two new major compositions by American composers: “Redeem the Dream” and “US,” as well as “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” “Redeem the Dream” is based on Langston Hughes’ 1935 poem “Let America Be America Again.” The poem reflects on the gap between the ideals of American democracy as articulated in the Declaration of Independence and the reality experienced by many people over our history. Yet the poem

ends with hope that America can live up to its promises of freedom, equality, and opportunity for all. “US” is based on Richard Haass’s book, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens. The text for this composition was developed and integrated by Ellingson and Aamodt, in coordination with Haass. White Lake Chorale will augment the Sing Democracy 250 program with its own favorite patriotic songs for the spring concert. Anyone of high school age or older is invited to join the Chorale for this

session, reminiscent of Salute to the Military several years ago. Rehearsals begin Monday, January 19, at Lebanon Lutheran Church, 1101 S. Mears, Whitehall. Singers are asked to arrive at 6:30 p.m. to pick up music and pay the $40 registration fee. Rehearsal will be 7-9 p.m. Scholarships are available. If you can’t make it on the 19th, come to Montague High School at 7 p.m. the next Monday, January 26. For further information contact the Chorale manager at whitelakechoraleinfo@gmail.com.

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