The Oceana Echo - Volume 3, Issue 9, July 25, 2025 by theoceanaecho

AND

Lost and found: Trixie and Olga share an international reunion

By Claire Marshall

The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent

When Oceana County Animal Friends (OCAF) received a female black cat, it was obvious that she had been well-loved and cared for, even before she came into the possession of the Montague couple who surrendered her. It was a hard decision to give up the cat, a stray who they’d routinely been feeding before letting inside the house in January, but she hadn’t been getting along with the other cats, even after six months.

In any routine surrender, OCAF takes adult cats down to CSNIP in Grand Rapids to receive a rabies vaccination and check for previous sterilizing procedures or any microchips. In this case, she had been spayed before coming into the care of the Montague couple, and not only did she have a microchip, but the microchip was registered to an international number.

Amy VanderWilk, director for OCAF, inquired further with the microchip company, HomeAgain, and found that there was a note on the microchip stating that Trixie, as was her actual name, had been missing since 2020 and, if found, there was an email through which to inform the owner. Amy took no time in reaching out to the

owner, Olga Heibig, in Germany, asking what she’d like OCAF to do. In the past, OCAF had tracked down the owners of five separate cats, some of whom had asked the shelter to rehome the pets.

Olga was adamant. Amy recalled, “No. This is my cat for life; I will come get her.”

Thus started an international saga of reunification filled with plane rides, health certificates and a tearful reunion at the shelter in Mears.

The story from Olga’s perspective is just as riveting, filled with serendipitous moments bordering on fate. Originally from Germany, Olga came here for her late husband’s work at a German company that had North American headquarters in Bluffton, Ohio. There she and he lived several years, making close friendships with her neighbors and taking in several cats.

“I always wanted to do something like this [owning a shelter], because I always felt pity.” It’s how she ended up with Trixie in the first place, taking in two pregnant neighbor cats in Bluffton and caring for them and their kittens. Trixie was born at Olga’s house in Bluffton. She tried to find suitable homes for all of the cats, but by the time Olga and her husband moved up to Montague in October of 2020, they had ten in total.

Olga imagines it was the stress of moving all the cats from Ohio to Michigan that caused Trixie, her brother Flausche, and two other cats to run away from their new home in Montague. It was right before winter, and Olga feared they might not make it through the harsh season. In December 2020, her husband’s company decided not to extend his contract and, per American work visas, they had six weeks to pack up and leave.

Despite the chaos and frustration of needing to pack up and move all over again, this time internationally, Olga still searched for her missing cats up until the day they left. “I looked, I don’t know for how many weeks. Every night I went out at 1 o’clock, 2 o’clock in the night and was calling for them. And, unfortunately, none of the cats

showed up.”

Olga had practically lost all hope until two years ago, when she received notice that Trixie’s brother Flausche had been found. A woman in Montague had been caring for him before finally deciding to take him to a shelter. “[But] she brought him to a kill shelter. Thank God he had a microchip,” Olga recalls.

Paula Pride, Olga’s closest friend from Bluffton, was the one to retrieve Flausche and care for him until Olga could pick him up and take him home. Olga was elated that Flausche was found "because I never, ever felt they made it through that hard winter… I don’t know, after Flausche got found I was like, okay, maybe the other cats are still alive, too.”

Now, two years later, Trixie was found.

Paula agrees with Olga’s surprise, “the first time it was amazing… this time [Trixie] just blew my mind… anything is possible.”

Even before receiving news about Trixie, Olga felt hope she’d be found. “The funny thing is, before I got the phone call or the email… I was just thinking about her.” She says how every year after moving, she’d come back to visit friends in America and even drove up to Montague and the Silver Lake Sand Dunes with her boyfriend to show him the area. “People say she must have smelled me,” Olga joked. But, for health reasons, Olga struggled to organize a trip to America this year, “and then, no, Trixie wanted me, and that I come again.”

“The first time I got the email [that Trixie was found], I just called because I thought, [Amy] doesn’t know me, I’m sitting in Germany. So probably she thinks I’m just saying stuff and that I probably

never show up.” Olga worried that OCAF might not care for Trixie long enough for her to arrange travel to America, but Amy dissuaded her fears. They kept in constant contact, with OCAF sending pictures and videos, and worked together to arrange the health certificate needed so Trixie could go to Germany.

Amy spoke briefly of the stress surrounding the health certificate, how it was good that they got the rabies vaccine as soon as possible at CSNIP, otherwise Trixie wouldn’t be able to travel internationally for 21 days. They also had to make sure her real age and name were correct on the certificate after learning the information from Olga. After all that, the health certificate arrived the morning of the Monday Olga arrived in Mears, just in the nick of time for the two to travel home from Detroit the following day.

The day Olga and she reunited, Trixie could tell all the attention was for her. She sat regally in the middle of her room in the OCAF shelter, watching as volunteers and journalists filed in to watch. She was friendly with everyone, padding over to every newcomer for pets, but it was different for Olga. When Olga opened the door, cooing in a language Trixie likely hadn’t heard in al-

most five years, she trotted over to greet her old owner.

“Hallo, Trixie-Trix. Meine Trixie, meine Schatzi,” Olga murmured softly. Roughly translated: “Hello, Trixie-Trix. My Trixie, my darling.”

Olga couldn’t help scooping Trixie into an embrace, which Trixie did not care for - “She never liked that,” Olga assured - but she stayed at her owner’s side throughout the interview, rubbing against her legs and laying contentedly nearby. She seemed at peace in Olga’s presence. They may have only been together for two years before Trixie was lost, but Olga had been there the moment Trixie was born.

According to an update from OCAF, Olga and Trixie had a smooth trip back to Germany, where Trixie will now reunite with her brother and the other cats she grew up with. Olga believes Trixie will enjoy her town, a small little touristy village an hour outside of Munich, where the speed limit is low and she can sun outside in the yard.

When asked if she has hopes that her remaining two cats will be found and she can reunite with them, Olga said that now she “has even bigger hope… It really feels like a sign.” The two other cats, also all-black and microchipped, were called Chip and Chap, and very well might still be liv-

ing around Montague. While Olga and OCAF are thrilled to have found Trixie, they can’t help but wonder if this reunification might have happened sooner had anyone thought to check for a microchip.

According to the American Humane Society, more than 10 million pets are lost or stolen every year in the US, but microchips can more than double the odds of future reunification if the pet finds its way to a shelter. Microchips are not GPS trackers and the only way to access the owner’s contact information is for a shelter or veterinary clinic to contact the microchip service provider directly. As of recent years, between 5% and 8% of pets are microchipped in the US, and even fewer of that number are registered after implantation. The typical cost for a microchip implantation is between $30 and $50, with some providers offering free registration.

For Olga’s part, she paid extra for a microchip that would work internationally. “If you really love your animal, I would definitely microchip them,” she advised. “If she (weren’t) microchipped, she would probably have ended up at another family, and then maybe again at another family…”

Olga is excited to get to know the cat that Trixie has grown into these last five years. “If she could talk I would be so curious to hear her story… She was actually a shy cat. She never walked up to people.” When asked if Trixie is going to stay with Olga for the rest of her life, there was no doubt in her mind. “Of course, yes, and if I have to move, then she is going to come back with me.”

“They are my kids… For me, if I take in a cat or a pet, then it’s my family, and that’s it.”

Dana Bushouse

Amy LaBarge

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

By Claire Marshall The Oceana Echo Community Columnist

Last week we zoomed in on the cryptic lore of Bigfoot in Oceana County, and if I’m being honest, I struggled to keep the campfire tales brief. While I believe I summarized the reports adequately, there was plenty of context I wish I’d been able to provide, as well as sightings from outside Oceana County.

As it turns out, Michigan is quite the hotbed for Bigfoot sightings, coming in at number 8 out of the 49 U.S. states that have reported to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO). The lone outlying state with no Bigfoots is Hawaii, which, while understandable, is quite unfortunate for the ape in question. Also noteworthy, Rhode Island boasts 5 encounters and - if we presume the sightings are all of different specimens - each Bigfoot would have about 243 of Rhode Island’s 1,214 square miles to claim as territory.

It’s no surprise that the organization’s greatest number of sightings (727) come from Washington, the Mecca of Bigfoot mania. It’s followed up by California (464), where the 1967 Patterson-Gimlin film (the famous footage of Bigfoot’s lumbering stroll) was captured. Michigan, so far, has 226 reports. However, both Illinois and Ohio have us beat with 305 and 328, respectively. So, please, get out hiking and raise our numbers. We cannot let Ohio win.

Focusing back in on Michigan, out of 83 counties, 67 have reported Bigfoot “evidence” to the BFRO site, averaging at about 3.4 reports per participating county. Delta and Oscoda Counties have seen the most encounters, and Livingston County boasts the oldest story from 1910. In terms of our neighboring counties, Newaygo County has

no reports to the BFRO, Mason has three, though all relatively to the north, and Muskegon has two. Muskegon’s in particular I would like to highlight, in part because I know our White Lake Mirror readers do skim the Oceana side of the paper, and because the two reports are particularly striking.

The first, while filed in Muskegon because the primary report came from the witness’s home in North Muskegon, also features another camping encounter, similar to last week’s. Both campsite encounters take place in New Era, and within six years of each other. This witness, Mr. H, recounts camping near the Hart-Montague Rail Trail, somewhere between Rothbury and New Era, along Carlton Creek. The original reporting simply mentioned how Mr. H’s wife was disturbed by the sound of objects being thrown at the tent during the night, to which the witness claimed he found nothing amiss when investigating.

When the BFRO representative followed up, Mr. H’s report got a little more colorful, with now a large hand pressing up against the tent and a massive, bipedal figure retreating into the woods. This discrepancy aside, the dialogue between Mr. H and the BFRO’s Jim Sherman inspired the former to continue to search for Bigfoot in the continuing years, particularly around the area between New Era and Rothbury.

The other sighting from Muskegon County is quite unique. In fact, it spooked me. A Montague resident recalled a variety of strange occurrences on a property about a mile east of Meinert Park where she grew up, such as deer kills stored upwards of 20 feet in trees and “bone piles” stacked over 2 feet high. In one incident, the witness recalled how she happened upon a “den” and was chased back to the road by something in the trees.

What really struck my interest was the witness’s claim that, at the time, locals knew of these creatures in the woods. In her letter to Sherman, she describes how she “grew up with years of these creatures. They were not always in the area, but when they were, what everyone referred to as the shadow people, large dark figures that blocked everything behind them, but stayed deathly still. These figures would be caught after dark near the barn and root cellar area, another common game trail. Dogs wouldn't hunt. The caches would appear, and fishing would get slimmer. You would also see fewer predators, smaller predators. Apple trees in the woods and roadsides would get bare up to the higher branches… You can feel them when they are close; they watch and study you… They are expert trackers. They are expert observers and highly adaptable.”

The idea of living through periods of time where food would disappear, gruesome animal kills would be found and looming dark figures stalk the woods is genuinely giving me goosebumps, regardless of how much stock I put into the tale.

She also claims she believes that there are two varieties of Bigfoot: the stereotypical hairy ape, aggressive and territorial, and a smaller version that appears more like the “missing link”

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

in human evolution, standoffish and rarely seen. She also seems to believe the latter are “mistaken” by local Native Americans as a human spirit.

When looking into whether any of the various cultures of the Anishinaabe people - which includes the Ojibwe, Ottawa and Potawatami tribes indigenous to Michigan - have any folklore that could relate to the stereotypical Sasquatch, one figure comes up. The Saabe or Sabé is a giant humanoid covered in hair, and is sometimes referred to as Bigfoot or Sasquatch, cementing that association. The figure features in a collection of stories known as the “Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers,” wherein a young man is introduced to a variety of animals that represent morals. The Saabe represents the teaching of Gwayakwaadiziwin, roughly translating to “living straightly, correctly, or rightly,” and is, essentially, the concept of living a life of integrity and self-truth. An expression in Ojibwe, Kitchi-Sabe, means to “walk tall.”

Knowing this story, I think I can sleep peacefully at night knowing that, in the woods of Montague, there may be “shadow people” in the woods, but Anishinaabe teachings tell us that they just want to impart the importance of self-respect on us humans.

The Hart High School Class of 1960 held its 65th reunion at Open Hearth Grille in Mears on Saturday, July 12. Pictured above, are, back row from left, Larry Pider, Mary Pider Burdick, Mickey Weirich, Russ Robbins (hidden) Bev Buffum Riggs, Bill Walsworth and Larry Stevens; third row, from left, Helen Coleson Fitzpatrick, Ann Merten Heydenberk, Regina Aerts Tate and Carol Greiner Velthoven (partially hidden); second row, from left, Rosa Frick Bice, Carol Welch Brown, Pat Nixon Schaner, Maureen Miller Huizing, Jean Walsworth Harmon, Barb Dailey Vanderberg and Carol Bengtson Thorne; and first row sitting, from left, Harry Caldwell (teacher/class advisor), Elizabeth Jensen Hammerle, Ron Kokx and, standing, Ron Mast.

Ongoing

M&TH: Pentwater Farmers Market, Village Green, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

MON: Movies in the Park, John Gurney Park, Hart, starts at dusk.

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

TUES: Crafts for Kids, Shelby Area Dist. Library 9 a.m. to noon.

TUES: Tech Time, Hesperia Community Library, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

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

1st & 3rd TUES: Tech help,Pentwater Twp. Library, 1-2 p.m.

2nd & 4th TUES: New Era Farmer’s Market, NECRC, 4-7 p.m.

3rd TUES: Pentwater Jr. Women’s Club - Feeding America

W. Mich. mobile food pantry, Pentwater Fire Dept., 11 a.m.

WED: Love INC and TrueNorth Housing Assistance satelliteplease call 231-861-4880 to make an appointment.

WED: Music in the Garden, Main Street Spa, Hart, 7-9 p.m.

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.

THURS - "Harts 'n Homes" Women's Fellowship, Faith Christian Fellowship, 400 S. State St.,10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

THURS: Maker’s Market, Hart Commons, 6-9 p.m.

THURS: Pentwater Civic Band concerts, Village Green, 7:30 p.m.

FRI: Free Book Fridays for Youth, SADL (June 27-July 25)

FRI: Story Time, HCL, 10-11 a.m., and Tween Night, 3-5 p.m.

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

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

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

The Ladder Community Center:

Adult Hours: M-TH 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and FRI 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

M-TH: “Summer Breakout” for 6th-12th grade youth (June-Aug.)

MON: Bring Clothes in for Mending, 10:30 a.m. to noon (July)

MON: Women’s Bible Study, 1-2 p.m. / TUES: Men’s Bible Study, 10:30 a.m. to noon / SAT: “Celebrate” Worship Service, 6:30 p.m.

Aug. 8: Top Rung Golf Scramble, 9 a.m., Oceana Golf Club

Complete schedule at: theladdercommunitycenter.com

Allendale Jazz Orchestra Concert to perform Aug. 1

The Allendale Jazz Orchestra will be returning to the Pentwater Township Library Friday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m.! They will be performing your favorite jazz and big band tunes. This performance is sponsored by the Friends of the Pentwater Library 2.0 and will take place outside, so please remember to bring your own chairs or blankets for the lawn.

Grillin’ for God every Friday in August at The Ladder

Please join in every Friday during the month of August for “Grillin’ for God” at The Ladder Community Center. There is no cost to attend this event. Organizers want to bless this community by serving hot dogs and chips from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Bring your family and friends! The Ladder Community Center is located at 67 N. State St. in Shelby. Please call (231) 259-0211 for more information. Visit theladdercommunitycenter.com to check out all of their upcoming events.

Midsummer Madness is back in Walkerville Aug. 9

Walkerville Thrive’s 2nd Annual Midsummer Madness Community Picnic and Cornhole Tournament will be held Saturday, August 9, 2025 at Walkerville Village Park. The picnic will begin at noon, followed by the cornhole tournament, free children’s activities, a 50/50 drawing and a baked goods and produce sale. All proceeds from the event will go to fund future Walkerville Thrives events. Free hot dogs and lemonade will be provided. Attendees are asked to bring a dish to pass, their own table service, seating and any other non-alchoholic beverages they may prefer.

“This year prior to our community picnic, we would like to invite the community to a formal 'ribbon cutting' ceremony at the Pioneer House Museum at 11 a.m. where we will celebrate the museum’s updated facade and recognize the donors who made the project possible. With grants from the Community Foundation of Oceana County and the Great Lakes Energy People Fund, the village was able to have this historic home, turned museum, repainted this summer,” said Walkerville Thrives Rebuilding Community Committee member Sharon Hallack.

For those interested in participating in the cornhole tournament, registration is $10 per two-person team, all ages and will take place that day. Cornhole boards and other outdoor games will also be available to play for those not wanting to be a part of the tournament.

This event is being sponsored in part by Arbre Farms, Sanders Meats, Ed’s Orchard Market and Hansen Foods. For more information, please email walkervillercc@gmail.com

July-August

July 25 - Unleashed 4-H Dog Club presentation, PTL, 7 p.m.

July 25 - The Formers, Hart Historic District Concert, 7 p.m.

July 25 - General Assembly Concert, Village Green, 7-8:30 p.m.

July 26 - "Color Our World" Run, Hesp. Comm. Lib., 10-11 a.m.

July 26 - 23rd Annual Ladies Classic Fishing Tournament, Pentwater Sportsfishing Association, weigh-in 1 p.m.

July 26 - Mears Arts & Crafts Fair, Johnson Park, Mears

July 27 - Music at the Marina, Rick Magrath, Pentwater, 3-5 p.m.

July 28 - Versiti Blood Drive, WMRS, Hart, 8 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.

July 29 - Evenings with the Echo, Mears UMC, 6-7 p.m.

July 29 - Adult Craft Night, Hesp. Comm. Library, 6-7 p.m.

July 30 - Summer Reading Teen Night, HCL, 3:30-5:30 p.m.

July 31 - Summer Reading Family Night, HCL, 6-7 p.m.

July 31 - Evenings with the Echo, The Ladder, Shelby, 6-7 p.m.

July 31 - Family Movie Night, Getty Park, Shelby, 8:30-11:30 p.m.

Aug. 1 - Gina and Jordan, Hart Historic District Concert, 7 p.m.

Aug 1-3 “Anne of Green Gables”, Youth Theatre Production, Hart Schools Auditorium, 7 p.m. (Fri & Sat), 3 p.m. (Sun).

Aug. 1 - Allendale Jazz Orchestra Outdoor Concert, PTL, 7 p.m.

Aug. 2 - COVE 5K Walk/Run & 10K Run, Pentwater, 8:30 a.m.

Aug. 2 - CKJordan 21st Annual Pottery Show, 10 a.m. to 4 pm., 4270 Scenic Dr., Shelby.

Aug. 2 - Walkerville All-School Reunion, 2-4 p.m. (Pioneer House open); 3-5 p.m. (Social Hour) and 5 p.m. (Dinner).

Aug. 3 - Music at the Marina, Andy Patterson, Pentwater, 3-5 p.m.

Walkerville Biannual All-School Reunion set for Aug. 2

Walkerville School’s Biannual All-School Reunion will be Saturday, August 2, 2025 at the Walkerville School gym. All wildcat alumni are welcome to attend.

The Pioneer House Museum will be open from 2-4 p.m. and give visitors a chance to view old yearbooks and other long-forgotten school memorabilia. Admission is free, however, donations to the museum are always welcome.

A social hour will be held from 3-5 p.m. in the school gym with a catered dinner at 5 p.m. Tickets are $17 each. Walk-ins welcome. Please contact Rich or Marie Kolbe at rmkolbe@hotmail.com or 231-873-3524 for any other questions.

The next All School Reunion will be held in August 2027.

Your Oceana County Fair memories are needed

The Oceana County Fair will soon be here, and with it comes the Oceana Echo’s third annual Fair special section. In it, one will find the full fair schedule along with feature articles and local advertising. The Echo would once again like to share the community’s memories of the county fair.

Whether it is a favorite food, a favorite ride or a favorite event, or perhaps you made special memories with a special someone. Or maybe you are old enough to remember “back in the old days.” All memories are welcomed and appreciated.

“For the past two years, we’ve reached out to our readership and asked for their memories of past Oceana County Fairs and have been thrilled with the response. Being able to share people’s memories of this historic part of Oceana is one of my most favorite articles of the whole year,” said Community Contributor Sharon Hallack. “I can’t wait to see what memories surface for this year’s publication!”

Please email sharon@oceanaecho.com by Monday, August 4, 2025 to be included in this year’s special section.

PJWC announces 2025 project funding timeline

Pentwater Jr. Women’s Club (PJWC) is announcing the project funding timeline for 2025 and accepting requests from local organizations that meet the funding guidelines. The funding guidelines and funding request form are located on the PJWC website: www.pentwaterjrwomensclub.com under funding request. The request must be submitted on the Funding Request Form no later than August 31, 2025. Funding requests may be e-mailed to pentwaterjrwomensclub@gmail.com or mailed to PJWC, P.O. Box 357, Pentwater, MI 49449. Funded projects will be announced in November 2025.

Funding requests from local organizations must benefit the greater Pentwater area. Requests are divided into two categories: mini grants and larger requests. Funded projects are based upon the availability of funds and the annual budget of PJWC.

Examples of past projects funded include: a donation towards the Pentwater Arts Council’s Sculpture Project, the Pentwater South Entrance Garden and Welcome sign, contributions towards the renovation of the Friendship Center (now Park Place), a handicapped walkway at Mears State Park Beach and a drinking fountain on the Village Green, to name a few recent allocations. PJWC also funds the mobile food pantry located at the fire barn on the third Tuesday of the month. After reviewing the funding guidelines, individuals seeking more information related to the funding cycle should e-mail pentwaterjrwomensclub@gmail.com

PJWC is a volunteer service club of women dedicated to promoting and improving the local community of Pentwater.

Hoeing ‘In the Garden’ Part 4: ‘Ready for Heaven ’

By Janet Van Gunst Hasselbring The Oceana Echo Community Columnist

“We should dwell with Thee in daily experience on earth so that we get accustomed to the glory of Heaven when we will dwell with Thee.” (Tozer)

My parents staked their lives on faith. But does faith work? To test the purity of gold, a drop of nitric acid is applied to a scratch on the touchstone of its surface. If the scratch remains, the gold is likely pure or very close to it. Likewise, there is a simple, practical test to determine the validity of faith. Does it stand the test of time? Does faith get us into Heaven?

I was privileged to be at my mother’s bedside during her final days on Earth. I sat transfixed as she journeyed back and forth to Heaven. I listened as she, lucidly, chatted with loved ones who’d gone on before and with her beloved Henry, who died 16 years earlier but now was at the foot of her bed!* As she “returned” to

earth, she seemed a bit embarrassed having conversations with invisible beings. She was stretching the “silver cord” to its limits; her eagerness to join them was palpable.

My parents lived their lives on two levels – on one level, they raised their family and eked out a living on their small farm in western Michigan (present-day Country Dairy); however, deep inside, they were in constant communication with their Heavenly Father – in prayer, gratitude, adoration, song, worship and always “a gentle receptiveness to divine whisperings.” (Kelly)

“You are not of the world…I send you into the world.” (John 17) It seems God wants us to do more than just endure the world He created. While He wants us to enjoy it, He commands us to focus on the next world, “setting our minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:2)

My mother was homesick for Heaven, her true abode. Though Jesus spoke of mansions in Heaven, my mother said she would be

Thanks to those who organized my retirement party, I was overwhelmed with all the goodwill and kind words. It has been an honor and privilege working with area law enforcement agencies, and serving the people of Oceana County. I have thoroughly enjoyed my 61 years in this line of work, and the last 17 as Chief of the Village of New Era. - Sincerely, Roy Strait

happy with a cottage. So like her. Being with her as she lay dying inspired me to write her memoir. I wanted to learn the secret of her peaceful, victorious death.

As I began the daunting task of documenting her life, I recalled the book, "The Great Divorce," by C.S. Lewis, in which he describes a busload of pilgrims on their way to Heaven, with an invitation to stay if they wish. Inside the Pearly Gates, they disembark and begin their tour when, suddenly, all but one turn back and clamber onto the bus. Shuddering and groaning, they return to their homes in Shadowlands, a grey, compromising, conciliatory community where they are comfortable. Their eyes could not tolerate the brightness of Heaven. They had

not become accustomed to communing with their Lord on Earth.

I imagined the pilgrim who remained was my mother. Because she had walked and talked with her Lord “in the gardens” of her life on Earth, she was accustomed to the Light and felt at home in the presence of her Heavenly Father.

Lewis’s allegory changed my view of salvation and Heaven: God doesn’t shut anyone out; however, we decide, by the choices we make at crucial moments in our lives, whether we’ll opt for faith or doubt, acceptance or resignation, love or its opposite, fear, and whether we’ll submit our lives in obedience to God’s will or exist in compromise and tolerance in Shadowlands.

I took my hoe and “dug” deeply into the soil of my mother’s life, identifying five defining moments when she came to a crossroads in her journey - a fork in the road - when she came to the end of herself.

Ellen experienced loss, suffering and pain in dealing with

A HUGE THAnk YoU

A HUGE Thank You to everyone who helped out during and after the Max Saunders fire the end of April: All fire departments, police officers, the electric company, friends and neighbors, the Crystal Valley Care Fund and everyone that contributes to the fund. Thank you as well to Blackmer Construction as they continue to work with me to rebuild.

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the challenges of farm life; losing a daughter; becoming estranged from her youngest son, who, at 18, went to Vietnam, survived the jungles, but was affected by the horrors of war and unable to return home; Henry’s death; and her failing health, yet she never forsook her Jesus, choosing faith, acceptance, love and God’s will over her own.

Walking and talking with her Lord and seeking His will “in these gardens” of her life resulted in an intimacy unknown between friends on earth. Entering Heaven was merely a continuation of their conversations, now face-to-face.

*According to Billy Graham, God sends an angel to accompany us over the River Jordan when we die, to ensure that no evil besets us. I’ve no doubt God sent Henry to accompany his beloved Ellen on her journey home. Many years earlier, after exchanging vows on their wedding day, they recessed happily down the aisle; now, arm in arm, they enter the Pearly Gates, a joyous homecoming and a vindication of their faith in God. Does faith work? And, I'm the living proof!"

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In Loving Memory of our Family, Friends and Neighbors

obituaries

Janet M. Eisenlohr

August 6, 1939 ~ July 20, 2025

Janet M. Eisenlohr, 85, of Montague, went to be with Jesus, her Savior and Lord, on July 20, 2025, after cou rageous battles with dementia and cancer. Jan was born in Fenwick, Michigan, the daughter of Maurice “Mike” and Ruby (Lynn) Eisenlohr, on August 6, 1939. She graduated from Hart High School in 1958, and worked at Howmet and MasterTag, and retired from the United States Post Office after 20 years of service in Montague. Jan lived at Cherry Blossom Manor in Hart for almost the last four years of her life.

Jan loved to hunt, fish, golf, swim, go to the beach, play pool and travel. In her retirement years, she enjoyed wintering in Brooksville, Florida. Jan was the life of the party. When she was present, there was plenty of laughter and fun. Most importantly, to know Jan was to know you were loved and appreciated.

Jan will be greatly missed by: her daughter, Pamela Poynter of Hart; sister, Diane (Frank) Silvis of Hart; nieces, Yvonne Greenwood and Christine Spoehr of Grand Rapids; nephews, Craig (Suzy) Eisenlohr of Scottville, Anthony Eisenlohr of Hart and Michael (Heather) Eisenlohr of Shelby; and sister-in-law, Carole Eisenlohr of Hart.

Janet was preceded in death by: her parents, Mike and Ruby Eisenlohr; her grandchildren, Danielle Poynter and Michael Poynter; and her brothers, Gerald Eisenlohr and Charles Eisenlohr.

Funeral services will be conducted at 10:30 a.m., Friday, July 25, 2025, at Elbridge Community Church, 2370 N. 136th Ave., Hart, MI 49420, with visitation one hour prior to the service. Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m., Thursday, July 24, 2025, at Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, White Lake Chapel, 413 S. Mears Ave., Whitehall, MI 49461. Interment will follow the service in Elbridge Township Cemetery, in Hart, Michigan. Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, White Lake Chapel, is in charge of arrangements.

www.beaconfh.com

Joyce Elaine Weesies

July 17, 1941 ~ July 12, 2025

Joyce Elaine Weesies, 83, of Montague, passed away Sat urday, July 12, 2025. She was born July 17, 1941, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the daughter of John and Johanna (Schaafsma) Vanden Berg.

Joyce grew up in Grand Rapids with a younger sister and two younger brothers. She battled illnesses her entire life, including epilepsy, lupus, and later in life, dementia. While working at a furniture store, she met Larry Weesies' parents, who were shopping for a dinette set. Larry’s mom set them up by getting Joyce to write to Larry, who was in the military in Texas at the time. They were married on March 31, 1967. After a few years of marriage, Joyce and Larry had two sons, Jeff and Brad. When the boys were grown and out of the house, Joyce loved keeping the tradition her parents had of having all the family over for the holidays. There was always plenty of food, even when two tables and an addition on the house were needed to fit everyone.

Joyce moved up to Montague and assisted Larry, who was the secretary of Weesies Brothers Farms, Inc. She was very active in the New Era Christian Reformed Church. Joyce taught Sunday school, participated in coffee break, choir and the church library.

Joyce is survived by: her loving husband of 58 years, Larry; sons, Jeffrey (Pam) Weesies and Bradley (Colleen) Weesies; grandchildren, Jason (Samantha), Stephanie, Claire, Ian (Taylor), Joseph, Jacob and Abigail Weesies; great-grandchildren, Oliver and Magnolia Weesies; sister Linda (Raymond) Dennis; and brother Jack (Mary) Vanden Berg.

Joyce was preceded in death by: her parents, John and Johanna; and brother Ronald Vanden Berg.

A funeral service was conducted at noon, Saturday, July 19, 2025, at New Era Christian Reformed Church, 1820 Ray St., New Era, Michigan, 49446. Visitation was from 11 a.m. until the start of services on Saturday at the Church. Interment is in New Era Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: New Era Christian School, 1901 Oak Ave., New Era, MI 49446 or Jeff and Kristi Schmidt with Wycliffe Translators, https://www.wycliffe.org/donate.

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

Celebration of Life – David Robert Erickson

David Robert Erickson of Pentwater, passed away Monday, March 3, 2025. He was born September 20, 1958. A Celebration of Life will be held July 27 in Pentwater at the Channel Lane Pavilion, from 1-5 p.m. Light refreshments will be served, and casual dress is preferred. B.Y.O.B. Bring a story to tell.

Edward James Van Der Zanden

August 27, 1961 ~ July 20, 2025

Edward James Van Der Zanden, also affectionately known to friends and family as Edgar, Eddie Spaghetti and, most importantly, Edward the Great, passed away Sunday, July 20, 2025, at the age of 63. He was born August 27, 1961, in Hart, the son of Charles and Ida (Hale) Van Der Zanden.

Edward was a great outdoorsman with a love for hunting; he was a great marksman. He also enjoyed cross-country skiing in his younger years, as well as woodworking, spending time with his family and friends and had a tremendous love for his pets. One of Edward's joys later in life was spending time with friends and family that would stop by to visit and chat, often spending late nights out in the garage.

Edward is survived by: his stepchildren, Paul Phillips, Michael (Lorin) Robbins and Shelby (David) Eberstein; grandchildren, Dawson Eberstein, Gracelyn Eberstein, Harrison Robbins and Tucker Robbins; and siblings, Rose (Frank) Nixon, John (Donna) Van Der Zanden, Victor Van Der Zanden (Brenda), Robert Van Der Zanden, Mary Van Der Zanden, Sue (Don) Farmer, Thomas (Bonnie) Van Der Zanden, Kathy Jacobs (Ron), Karen (Bob) Fillips, Janet (Frank) Montoya and Vicki (Norm) Hill.

Edward was preceded in death by: his parents, Charles and Ida Van Der Zanden; sister-in-law, Kathy Van Der Zanden; and brother-in-law, Teter Jacobs. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m., Friday, July 25, 2025, at St. Joseph Weare Catholic Church, 2380 W. Jackson Rd., Hart, MI 49420, with Fr. Phillip Sliwinski presiding. Visitation will be held Friday, from 10 a.m. until the time of Mass at the church. Interment will be in Hart Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Love INC of Oceana County, 191 W. Michigan Ave., Shelby, MI 49455, https://build.loveincoceana.com/donate/ Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, King-Hart Chapel, is in charge of arrangements. www.beaconfh.com

Lester Williams

August 27, 1961 ~ July 22, 2025

Our dad, Lester Williams, age 94, went home to be with his one true love, our mother, Roberta Gregwer Williams, on July 22, 2025. He was born December 2, 1930, in Live Oak, Florida, to the late Bernie and Netti (McClellan) Williams.

He was preceded in death by: his sisters, Marie Yates, Carolyn Rodgers and Ann Samford; son-in-law, Edward Flood; and two grandchildren, Sarah Stinebaugh and Andrew Flood. He is survived by: his five children, Barbara Williams Grondsma (John), Leslie Williams Stinebaugh (Jack), Terri Williams Settler (Dave), Richard Williams, and Jennifer Williams (Chad). Dad has left a long legacy with 19 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren, along with many nieces and nephews.

Dad began his work ethic when he was only 8 years old, hand-sawing logs. For his paycheck he would trade for groceries for his family and buy himself a Pepsi Cola, as he would tell us. When he was 17, dad’s mom signed him into the Marine Corps. Dad started his military career. He was in the Marine Corps for 11 years. During that time, he fought in the Korean War. He was part of the Marine Corps Rifle and Pistol Team. Dad placed second with an M1 rifle. His team won all the National Trophy Matches. This was the first of all the services of the National Matches.

Then he joined the Air Force and made a career for 12 years. During his service with the Air Force, dad participated with the division rifle team. He became the Rifle Marksmanship Instructor. Dad’s military job was Top Secret Cryptography, and he was stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. Mom never knew what his job was, but she knew it was very important. Dad served in Vietnam and received the Bronze Star with communications maintenance for the 1972nd Communications Squadron at DaNang Air Force Base. Dad retired as Senior Master Sergeant.

When dad retired from the Air Force, he worked for Western Geophysical, traveling all over the world. One adventure was traveling on the Amazon River and telling us kids, you don’t dare put your hands in the river. Piranhas!

Our dad worked different jobs, so his family moved to different places. Exxon oil rigs - dad had to take a boat to get out on the rigs, off the island of Grand Isle. Engineering was his job title. Then dad said we are moving to Pentwater, Michigan (our mom’s stomping grounds). That was the end of traveling. Our dad was content to stay in the small town of Pentwater. He worked at S.D. Warren in Muskegon in electrical engineering. Dad was always learning and put what he learned into action. He learned about computers and taught at West Shore Community College.

Dad and our mom worked together for the food pantry in Hart. They worked for Oceana Right to Life.

He was a man of faith, believing in the one true God. When we would visit, dad would complain about the weather or something else. He would say, “You take what the good Lord gives you.” Dad lived a full life, and we are proud to be his family.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m., Saturday, July 26, 2025, at St. Vincent Catholic Church, 637 6th St., Pentwater, MI 49449, with Fr. Phillip Sliwinski presiding. Visitation will be held Saturday, from 10 a.m. until time of Mass at the church. Interment will follow at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Weare. Memorial contributions may be made to: Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas, 66675-8516, www.woundedwarriorproject.org Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, King-Hart Chapel, is in charge of arrangements. www.beaconfh.com

• On July 28, 1996, two men happened upon a skull in a Washington state park, which was part of a skeleton eventually discovered to be more than 9,000 years old. The remains, christened Kennewick Man, were reinterred 21 years later in a Native American ceremony.

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• On July 29, 1862, Confederate spy Maria Isabella “Belle” Boyd was arrested by Union troops and held at the Old Capitol Prison in Washington, D.C. It was the first of three arrests for the intrepid teenager, who was 17 when she shot and killed a Union solider for insulting her mother and threatening to search their house. Four years later, she turned her experiences into a book and acting career.

STRANGE BUT TRUE #12345_20250714 FOR RELEASE JULY 14, 2025

By Lucie Winborne

By JoAnn Derson

By Lucie Winborne

• The word “cereal” comes from “Ceres,” the Roman goddess of harvest and agriculture.

• On July 30, 2004, the cult-classic “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle,” starring John Cho and Kal Penn as two burger-craving stoners, debuted. Reportedly, the White Castle chain noted a 30% rise in sales the following week.

• Potato salad will have more flavor if you whisk together all the dressing ingredients and add it to the potatoes when they are warm. The potatoes absorb the ingredients better and the flavor will develop even more during refrigeration.

• Dill planted near tomatoes will draw caterpillars away from the fruits. And it’s delicious.

• A UC Berkeley study found that people who drove luxury cars, in particular BMWs and Mercedes, were much more likely to cut off other drivers at intersections than folks driving non-luxury cars.

• Popes can’t be organ donors, since their bodies belong to the Vatican when they die.

• Ranch dressing, America’s bestselling salad dressing since 1992, was created by an Alaskan plumber in the 1950s.

• On July 31, 1556, Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order of Roman Catholic missionaries and educators formally known as The Society of Jesus, died in Rome. He was canonized as a Catholic saint in 1622.

• “I love to grill, and when it’s nice out, we grill every weekend. I always put on extra and use the leftovers through the week. Chicken in salad, a nice flank steak for fajitas, etc. And it means less cooking for me!” — Y.L. in Maryland

• Here’s a great recipe for an icy treat. Freeze orange juice or apple juice in ice trays. Throw a handful in the blender for a fruit slush that can’t be beat on a hot day.

• It would take 19 minutes to fall to the center of the earth.

• On Aug. 1, 1944, Anne Frank, the young Jewish girl hiding in a secret annex in Nazi-occupied Holland whose diary would come to serve as a powerful symbol of the Holocaust, penned her final entry three days before she, her family and four others were arrested and transported to concentration camps.

• On Aug. 2, 1939, Albert Einstein wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt with the suggestion that uranium could be used in the creation of “extremely powerful bombs of a new type.” Years later, however, he would describe the missive as the “one great mistake” of his life.

• “Our patio doors were wide open and a lot of smoke was coming off our grill. Short story: It swamped the living room with smoke smell. It was a little overwhelming. After we closed the door, my neighbor doused a kitchen towel with white vinegar, wrung it out and waved it around the room. It cleared out the smoke smell right away, and the vinegar smell went away just as quickly. What a miracle.” — F.F. in South Carolina

• Rubbing alcohol can be used to remove ball point pen from most upholstery.

• Kim Kardashian has a “glam clause” in her will stipulating that if she’s ever in a position where she can’t get herself ready, is unable to communicate or is unconscious, someone will ensure that her hair, makeup and nails are still perfect.

• Venus is the only planet to spin clockwise.

• Bamboo is the fastest-growing woody plant in the world, with an ability to sprout up to 35 inches in a single day.

• The world’s largest bowling alley is in Japan, with a whopping 116 lanes.

• A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.

• On Aug. 3, 1936, track-and-field star Jesse Owens earned the first of four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics, the most of any American at the Games. Sadly, back in the States, only white Olympians were invited to the White House.

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

• Need a natural remedy for a blocked nose? Try an onion. Its sulfur content is thought to draw mucus from the body.

• A dog that is a cross between a Chihuahua and a miniature dachshund is known as a chiweenie.

• The word “mortgage” comes from a French word meaning “death contract.”

• According to the Guinness World Records, the world’s hottest chili pepper is the Pepper X, rating at an average of 2,693,000 Scoville Heat Units.

• Panda bears have been known to eat for 12 hours straight.

***

Thought for the Day: “One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present.”

Oceana County

ANIMAL SHELTER

Don't let the name fool you—this Leo may be pintsized, but he’s got the heart (and energy) of a lion… if lions were known for stealing socks and giving nose kisses.

At just 13 lbs, Leo is small enough to carry around like a fuzzy football, but big enough in personality to keep you laughing from sunup to sundown. He’s a puppy through and through—friendly, playful, curious, and occasionally confused about what is and is not a chew toy.

Leo is working on his manners and doing great with positive reinforcement. He’s smart, eager to learn, and 100% ready to be someone’s best little buddy for life. If you’re looking for a sidekick who will follow you everywhere, make you laugh when you’re down, and warm your heart and your lap—Leo is your guy. Leo 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 231-7303906. Free tags are also available at the OCEANA County Animal Shelter. Meet Leo

— Golda Meir

Living Legacies: Retired New Era Police Chief Roy Strait

Many people retire once or twice, maybe three times, but four? However, for recently retired New Era Police Chief Roy Strait, he said this is his last retirement. Strait, who has worked in law enforcement from Grand Traverse to Battle Creek and most recently in Oceana County, accumulating over 60 years in law enforcement, celebrated his retirement and 88th birthday at a party held in his honor on July 3 in New Era.

“This is my fourth retirement,” Strait said with his signature smile and laugh. It is obvious after interviewing Strait that he was made for law enforcement. It is difficult to condense six decades of community service into just one article. From the U.S. military to Oceana County, Strait has worked in a variety of law enforcement roles and been instrumental in numerous community service opportunities.

Whether it was working the roads, starting a fire station based out of his home in East Bay Township, establishing CPR classes for Traverse City students, getting a Jaws for Life unit set up and accessible to four counties in northern Michigan or being a mentor to dozens of kids over the years, it is obvious he’s a go-getter, working to better whatever community he was a part of. Despite the long hours and obvious stress, he has proudly served and leaves behind quite a legacy. Once you’ve met the man, he’s your friend for life and you’ll never forget him.

Strait, who started his law enforcement career as a military police officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, worked for six years building fire hydrants in Grand Traverse County following his military service. In 1966, then Grand Traverse County Sheriff Richard Weiler contacted him and asked if he’d be interested in coming to work for the sheriff's de-

partment, Strait said.

“There weren’t police academies then,” Strait recalls. “You just got in the police car and rode with a veteran officer til they thought you were ready. In the old days, you always rode two in a car. Then Weiler got an academy set up. I ended up taking that six-week course after I’d been on the force just over a year.”

As with all things, it is amazing how times have changed. When Strait started with Grand Traverse, officers were assigned their role when they reported to work. Strait said they might be a dispatcher, a corrections officer in the jail or a fireman, “Depending on what they needed.”

In 1975, Strait was proud to become the first canine officer in Grand Traverse County. “I’ve always loved dogs. I got my first dog, a tracking dog, whose name was Luger, after the state police up there had gotten a tracking dog. Later I got Gunney, who was a bomb dog. I really wanted a bomb dog and ended up trading a heifer for him,” Strait chuckled. “My third dog, Astro, was an arson/drug dog. I had three dogs living with us all at one time for a while. Depending on what was needed on a call, determined what dog I took with me.”

Strait’s services were even utilized for three presidential visits during his tenure in Grand Traverse County. “I worked for three different presidential administrations, both Bushes and Rosalynn Carter, during my time in Traverse City. My bomb dog and I were hired to secure the buildings before they could go into them. Then for Gerald Ford, I was an EMT in the required ambulance that accompanied him on his visit to Interlochen.”

An interesting local connection Strait shared was that while working in Traverse City, he became friends with Fred Korb, who eventually would

move to Oceana County and hold the office of sheriff from 1985 to 2001.

In 1987, Strait retired for the first time from Grand Traverse County and moved to Battle Creek, where he worked in public safety from 1988 to 1994. “After I retired (a second time) from Battle Creek, I thought I’d do P.I. (Police Investigator) work. I found out I didn’t care for it. So I called Fred and asked if he had any part-time positions open. He ended up giving me a full-time position.”

Strait ended up serving in the Oceana County Sheriff's Department (OCSD) from 1994 to 2017, doing everything from road patrolman to school resource officer. Shortly after starting at the OCSD, he, along with friends Bob Farber and John Heykoop, formed “Roy’s Kids,” an annual toy and food drive for local kids and families. According to Strait, the idea started when he and DHS employee Pedro Alvarez would go out on police calls. “Pedro went along to interpret. We thought it would be nice to play 'Santa Claus' for some of the needier families. We started with three families that first year. Last Christmas, Roy’s Kids played Santa to 40 families, including 200 kids,” Strait shared.

He was quick to point out that many others have helped make this idea a reality and grown it into the organization it is today.

An event that many in the community may re-

call is when Strait suffered a heart event while out on a truancy call. “One minute I was attempting to get a kid ready to go to school, (and) the next thing I knew, I was waking up in the hospital. The two guys who saved me I’d taught CPR to, Louie Herremans and Mike Fillips. They’d heard the call and decided they’d come help.” Little did they know the kind of help they would be. “They did it right, broke six ribs, but they saved my life.”

While working for the OCSD, New Era was looking for a part-time police chief, and Strait, who said he was used to working two jobs most of his life, applied for the job. He retired for the third time from the OSCD in 2017 and continued on as New Era’s police chief until July 3 of this year, when he retired for the fourth and final time.

With all of the law enforcement work he’s completed over the past 61 years, he said he's never been shot at, however, there were several other occupational hazards he survived. From breaking up fights and having a gun pointed at him, to getting his finger nearly bitten off on one particular traffic stop and getting hit by a car passing during another traffic stop. And as any police officer can attest to, “I missed a lot of Christmases.”

Overall, Strait said of his career, “It was actually a lot of fun. But society has changed; it’s not (been) as much fun anymore.”

Strait, the father of sons Scott and Butch and daughters Connie and Jamie, grandfather to eight and great-grandfather to 10, plans to stay involved in the community. He’s staying on as the New Era zoning administrator, will remain a member of the

county’s Victim’s Services Unit, and as a CPR and First Aid instructor where needed. He’ll continue with Roy’s Kids, of course, and be involved in other philanthropic endeavors, no doubt. Somehow he’ll find time to cut firewood for his outdoor wood burner, work with his draft horses and spend time with his family.

Strait is so grateful to the many people who’ve been a part of his long career. From every municipality and community organization or school he’s ever worked with to Weiler, Korb and Dave VanSurman, a retired DNR lieutenant who has taken care of all his state paperwork, training requirements and department IT during his tenure in New Era, and of course both of his wives, Dixie (who passed in 2000) and his second wife, Nancy, who have been instrumental in so many of his pursuits and passions over the years.

Strait celebrated his last day on the job by taking one last official ride around the village with his son Scott, a retired 32year veteran police officer with Mackinaw County, 16 of those years as sheriff. Both Straits rode together for the first time as police officers on Scott’s first day as a reserve officer in Grand Traverse County, so it seemed fitting that they should ride

together on Roy’s last day.

As the torch passes to New Era’s next police chief, Tim Priese, Strait said, “It’s not my town, but I love New Era. Tim is going to be a great asset. He’s got 25-30 years experience.”

New Era Village President Roger Fessenden summed up what many feel when they think of Strait’s service, “Roy worked tirelessly all these years and will be sorely missed. The council wishes him well and thanks him for all he has done, both on and off duty.” Strait may be officially retired, but as Fessenden continued, “He has assured us that this is still his village, and we will still see plenty of him.”

POTTERY SHOW

21st Annual, AUGUST 2, 10-4.

4270 Scenic Dr., Shelby (1 mi. north of Stony Lake/M-20).

One day only, rain or shine. Beautifully hand-thrown functional pottery by award-winning Stony Lake artist Cheryl K. Jordan. Casseroles, bowls, pitchers, mugs, berry bowls, vases, etc. Also original paintings by Margaret Billups. 810-288-4184

Missed Connection

To the Barnes & Noble “Most Beautiful Smile” and the Chainsaw Carving Festival “Jesus is My Savior, Trump is My President” cap lady: Please meet me Thursday nights ‘til the end of Summer, at the Pentwater Civic Band Concerts, near the steps, 7:00 to 7:40 p.m. - K

Oceana 4-H Horse Camp and Kaitlynn Scott Memorial Horse Show bring youth together in learning, fun and remembrance

By Jennifer Payne Oceana 4-H Program Coordinator

The Oceana County Fairgrounds were once again filled with the sounds of laughter, neighs, learning and fun during this year’s 2025 Oceana 4-H Horse Camp and Kaitlynn Scott Memorial Open Youth Horse Show, held July 10-12. The grounds served as the perfect backdrop for what became a heartfelt weekend of growth, connection and honoring the legacy of a young 4-H member whose spirit still inspires.

There were 26 Oceana County 4-H horse members and 10 volunteers who participated in this year’s horse camp, which was wrapped up on Saturday, July 12, with the annual open and youth horse show. "Thanks to the continued generosity of the Oceana County Fairgrounds, our 4-H program was able to host these events in a space that feels like home to so many of our families," Oceana 4-H Program Coordinator Jennifer Payne said. "It’s partnerships like this that allow us to continue offering meaningful opportunities to youth in our community.

"Camp got started on Thursday the way any good horse camp should, with everyone rolling up their sleeves and pitching in. Before anyone could ride or learn a new skill, there was work to be done. Zack Hintz brought his team of Haflingers to help work up the arena while the 4-H members went to work pulling weeds and picking rocks. Starting camp this way set the tone, that this is a place where everyone helps and where hard work always comes before the blue ribbons."

The afternoon brought fun and lighthearted competition on horseback through classic games like Simon Says, egg and spoon and Ride a Buck. These activities help young riders build confidence and bond with their horses in low-pressure moments. Farrier Patrick McCarry joined the group for an educational demonstration on hoof care, walking youth through safe handling, trimming and identifying common issues. A hands-on skill station gave participants a chance to test their farrier tool knowledge, with a couple winners walking away with brand-new lead ropes.

Friday, July 11, began with focused learning led by Michigan 4-H’s State Horse Educator David Lindsay, who is a respected horse show judge. Through a combination of a showmanship clinic and a Horse Judging 101 session, Lindsay helped participants understand what judges look for in both pattern work and conformation. Youth judged stock horses, ponies, drafts and pleasure horses, sharpening their eyes and building skills they can take into any future competitions like the State Horse Show Judging Contest or Hippology Contest.

The afternoon brought saddles back into the arena for equitation practice, with riders working through patterns and learning common faults and fixes. But it wasn’t all serious work. Friday evening was all about fun, with teams tackling a scavenger hunt around the fairgrounds and competing in off-horse games like hobby horsing over jumps, sack races, musical chairs and three-legged races. Lillian Bennett and her family led a leathercraft project where participants created their own keychains and bracelets, learning to stain, paint, and stamp designs into the leather.

Friday night’s dinner carried special meaning. In memory of Kaitlynn Scott, a beloved 4-H member lost too soon,

PUBLIC

HEARING NOTICE

Benona Township Zoning Board of Appeals

The Benona Township Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. to review a request from Charles Brown for approval of a front yard variance request to place 720 square foot garage zero (0) feet from the front property line. The Benona Township Zoning Ordinance requires a 10-foot front yard setback (Zoning Ordinance Article VIII – Residential District 8.3 (e)). The property address is 4701 S. Georgia, Shelby, MI 49455 (Parcel #64-011-460-085-00 & 084-00 (combined). The meeting will be held at the Benona Township Hall (7169 West Baker Road, Shelby, MI 49455). The application is available for review at the Township Hall during business hours. Questions or statements regarding this review may be directed to the Zoning Board of Appeals via Sara Bizon, Zoning Administrator at the above address or e-mail benonazoning@gmail.com.

Sara Bizon, Zoning Administrator Email: benonazoning@gmail.com

her family sponsored pizza for all the camp participants. "Kaitlynn’s presence is still deeply felt in our program," Payne said. "Her kindness, her passion for horses and her willingness to help others are qualities we see reflected in so many of our county youth today."

McCarry Clydesdales provided a mare named Hallie who powered Hintz Farm’s old-fashioned ice cream churn to the delight of everyone in attendance. Everyone lined up for a scoop of homemade ice cream, with some opting for classic root beer floats.

Saturday’s Kaitlynn Scott Memorial Open Youth Horse Show featured jumping and speed events, with something new this year: cart and driver classes were added to four speed events, bringing a new energy and highlighting the versatility of the program's equine partners. Youth, families and volunteers celebrated every rider’s effort, whether they placed first or simply tried something new.

High point winners for the show were as follows:

• Walk/Trot/Canter ages 8-19: Lillian Wasson

• Cart and Driver: Zack Hintz

• Walk/Trot 19 and under: Lillian Bennett

• Walk/Trot/Canter 20 and up: Shannon Knapp

What stood out most throughout the weekend wasn’t the ribbons or the points, but the support participants showed for one another. It was the younger riders looking up to the older ones, the volunteers giving their time to make it all possible and the shared laughter over melted ice cream and goofy games.

SEEKING BIDS

ELBRIDGE TOWNSHIP

Elbridge Township Board would like to entertain bids on the following:

• Replacing missing Soffit on Town Hall and gym.

• Replace broken and missing gutter on Town Hall and gym.

Bids opened on August 12, 2025 at 7:50 pm. Send Bids to:

Elbridge Township Supervisor 2266 E. Polk Rd Hart, MI 49420

PUBLIC

HEARING NOTICE

Shelby Township Zoning Board of Appeals

The Shelby Township Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. to review a request from Sharon DeVries for approval of a front yard variance request to place a 313 square foot deck, 72 feet from the front property line. The Shelby Township Zoning Ordinance requires a 100-foot front yard setback (Shelby Township Zoning Ordinance Section 5.03 (a)). The property address is 3460 S. 80th Avenue, New Era, MI 49446 (Parcel #64012-028-100-02). The meeting will be held at the Shelby Township Hall (204 N. Michigan Avenue, Shelby, MI 49455). The application is available for review at the Township Hall during business hours. Questions or statements regarding this review may be directed to the Zoning Board of Appeals via Sara Bizon, Zoning Administrator at the above address or e-mail sara.bizon@ shelbytownshipoceana.com.

Sara Bizon, Zoning Administrator Email: sara.bizon@shelbytownshipoceana.com

Reflections from those who participated tell the story best. Molly Bennett shared, “Busy last couple days at 4-H camp. Ended today with fun games and a jumping competition. Lillian did great! So proud! Great memories made.”

Whitney Hintz added, “We want to give a huge thank you to everyone that made this weekend possible… Jennifer Payne, Kim Adkins and Medley Hill Farm definitely gave a boy the time of his life this weekend. Thank you so much for loving our boys.”

McCarry expressed what so many felt: “It’s great to see the youth enjoy their horses. I had a great time and look forward to next year.”

"If you’re wondering what 4-H truly is, look no further than weekends like this. It’s the coming together of people who believe in hard work, in giving kids opportunities to grow, and in the simple joy of sharing time with friends. It’s learning, laughing, competing and lifting each other up," Payne explained. "It’s honoring the past, embracing the present and building a future rooted in kindness, responsibility and community. That’s the heart of 4-H. And we are always ready to welcome anyone who wants to be part of it."

If anyone is interested in joining 4-H or becoming a 4-H volunteer, please contact Payne at wassonj3@msu.edu or call the Oceana MSU Extension office at 231-873-2129.

WEARE TOWNSHIP NOTICE DATE CHANGE PLANNING COMMISSION

Planning Commission will not be meeting on the regular day of July 29th, 2025. Instead, the meeting will be held on July 30th at the same time of 7:00 pm at the Weare Township Hall. Hope to see you there.

JOB POSTING

CRYSTAL TOWNSHIP CLERK

The Township of Crystal in Oceana County is searching for a person to fill the vacant position of Township Clerk. Basic responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Payroll

• Accounts Payable

• Quick Books accounting/Budget forecasting/ management

• Elections Management (includes training)

• Maintain official township records and documents

• Maintain and manage the township cemetery records

• Attend and record all township board meetings minutes

• Prepares and files monthly, quarterly, and annual tax reports

• Prepares and files W-2s, 1099s, and other required forms

• Ensures records are audit-ready and assists during audits

• Runs QuickBooks reports for township board members

Work hours vary from month to month and can increase significantly during election seasons— especially in presidential election years. Township elections may be held frequently, and flexibility is essential.

Those interested should send their letter of interest/resume to:

Lee Hyslop, Supervisor Crystal Township 1499 E. Hammett Hart, MI 49420

SPORTS

Family ties at the forefront of Jonah Kelley’s inaugural season with Hart boys soccer

By: Brendan Samuels

The Oceana Echo Sports Editor

HART – For the first time since 2020, Joe Gilbert will no longer be the face of Hart boys soccer. For 2025-26 and beyond, Jonah Kelley will make his first appearance at the helm of a varsity program.

Kelley may be new to the varsity coaching ranks, but it’s far from his first experience on the soccer pitch. Playing four years of soccer at Shelby from 2014-2017 before joining the Tigers and taking over the JV program a few years later.

“As far as tactics, strategies and culture go, none of that changes,” Kelley said. “We’ll carry that over and see how it progresses.

“Being a varsity coach is definitely a lot more work on the administrative side. As it turns out, it takes a lot more to run a varsity program than I thought. I’m very grateful for my wife, she’s been very supportive of me putting the extra time in.”

Kelley decided to leave his post as Shelby’s JV coach, taking some time away from soccer to focus on work and family. He quickly realized that soccer was something he wanted to be around once more, feeling the urge to return to coaching when soccer season returned last year.

As luck would have it, Kelley heard that Gilbert was considering stepping back to focus on the girls’ program. That left a hole that needed to be filled, and an eager Kelley stepped in to take it over.

“I missed it a lot,” Kelley said. “I didn’t think I would miss being around as much as I did, but when soccer season rolled around, I just wanted to be involved. I want to be a positive influence for these kids, that’s something I love to do –teaching kids the keys to success.”

Soccer is also a family affair for the Kelley clan. Jonah is a former player and coach, but his brother Andrew serves as a manager for the team – often mimicking his brother’s

actions on the sideline.

Andrew was with Jonah when he coached at Shelby, even earning a spotlight on WZZM 13 in Grand Rapids. Jonah made it clear that, while Andrew loves being on the sideline and is pumped to be there once again, he wasn’t keen on the idea when Jonah took the job.

“I’m just as nervous about coaching as I am excited, but Andrew is pumped,” Jonah said. “That wasn’t always the case though. Andrew was quite angry that I had betrayed Shelby and gone to Hart, even though he’s going to school in Hart as part of their adult education program.”

There are plenty of connections in play between players and coaches on the Hart and Shelby boys soccer programs. Shelby’s sideline features the inverse of Kelley’s situation. Tigers’ Head Coach Damian Gonzalez previously played varsity soccer at Hart, then was an assistant coach for the Pirates after graduation.

One final layer to the rivalry is the fact that a third Kelley brother is involved. Eli, the youngest of Jonah’s brothers, is heading into his senior season with the Tigers. Jonah noted that plenty of trash talk has been had between the two already, but he hopes he doesn’t have to meet his brother in districts and risk being the one to end his high school career.

“Life’s crazy, I mean what are the odds?” Kelley said. “I’m looking forward (to playing Shelby), especially with Eli still on that team. I’ve been trying to keep it professional with him, but he’s already taken it past that. He talks a lot about what they’re going to do to us on the field. I just hope we don’t play each other in districts. One of us won’t be very happy afterward, but I’m going to do what I need to.”

The Pirates have a long way to go before they start the season. Last year’s graduating class was full of impact players. Among them were a host of midfielders in Em-

manuel Ortega, Tyler Larios-Mendez and Hart’s all-time leader in assists, Adan Cruz. Add in one of the Pirates’ top athletes in defender Carter Ramseyer and role players like JJ Bizon, and Kelley has big shoes to fill.

Defense is something that Kelley noted as a work in progress for Hart. While he’s not necessarily worried about where the team will be once the season starts, there is plenty of work to be done still.

“Losing Carter is huge for the defensive,” Kelley said. “ We’re going to have a lot of new guys coming in, but we’ll have to depend on Miguel Escamilla to anchor the defense at keeper.

“We’re also losing a lot of great midfielders, but I think we’ll make up for that with our offensive attack. We’ve got a lot of goal scorers up top with Chase Lorenz and Adrian Belmares leading the way along with Desi Rodriguez and Rivaldo Gonzalez. We’ve got a lot of new faces as well, it’ll just be a matter of figuring out how they work together.

Joining that group will be additional returners in Adrielle Belmares and Logan Dean. New faces are a bit harder to judge however. The Pirates have several from the freshman and sophomore classes that have shown interest in joining the program, but Kelley noted that he hasn’t necessarily seen all of them on the field for workouts and open field during the summer months.

If everything goes to plan, Kelley hopes to have nine incoming freshmen along with 8-10 sophomores. That should be enough for a JV program, something the Pirates didn’t have last year, but an important piece of development for the future.

“It’s been a struggle (to figure out how many kids we have),” Kelley said. “We have kids who were on the field, but weren’t initially interested and kids who say they’re interested, but haven’t shown up yet. It’s just a lot of coordinating with parents.

“We should have enough for a JV team,

which is huge. I played two years of JV in high school and I learned a lot. If I had been on varsity, the level of competition would have been higher which is good and bad. JV helps kids learn how to compete and how to win while building a culture of success. On top of that, having a JV coach helps bring a different perspective and frees up my time so that I can focus more on the varsity kids.”

Under Gilbert in 202425, Hart posted a 12-9 overall record, slotting them in seventh out of 11 teams in the West Michigan Conference. That included a district tournament win over Shelby in the quarterfinals, before falling to Elk Rapids in the semifinals.

Kelley doesn’t expect

the quality of play to drop off for the Pirates this year. In fact, that’s the one thing he listed as his primary goal in his first year.

“I don’t want to regress at all,” Kelley said. “Gilbert left things in a great spot for me and I don’t see any reason why we can’t build off what happened last year. This program has steadily been growing since he took it over and we just want to continue getting better everyday.

That starts with an improvement in conditioning. We’re going to do two weeks of that this year.”

The roster still has a lot of questions to sort out, but Kelley figures to have his squad pieced together after tryouts commence on August 11. After that, attention will turn to the Pirates’ first action of the year when they host their annual tournament Saturday, Aug. 16.

WEARE TOWNSHIP TRUTH IN TAXATION MEETING NOTICE

Weare Township will hold a Truth in Taxation meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Weare Township Hall, 6506 N. Oceana Dr. Hart, MI 49420, before its regular meeting on Monday, August 11, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Notice of Public Hearing on Increasing Property Taxes

The Elbridge Township Board of the Elbridge Township will hold a public hearing on a proposed increase of 0.2481 mills in the operating tax millage rate to be levied on property in 2025.

The hearing will be held on Tuesday, August 12, 2025 at 7:45 P.M. at Elbridge Township Hall, 2266 E. Polk Rd., Hart, MI 49420.

The date and location of the meeting to take action on the proposed additional millage will be announced at this public meeting.

If adopted, the proposed additional millage will increase operating revenues from ad valorem property taxes 4.37% over such revenues generated by levies permitted without holding a hearing. If the proposed additional millage rate is not approved the operating revenue will increase by .65% over the preceding year’s operating revenue.

The taxing unit publishing this notice, and identified below, has complete authority to establish the number of mills to be levied from within its authorized millage rate.

This notice is published by: ELBRIDGE TOWNSHIP 2266 E. Polk Rd. Hart, MI 49420 (231) 750-3477

HART • HESPERIA • PENTWATER • SHELBY • WALKERVILLE

Reflections of our community

White Lake Mirror White Lake Mirror

YOUR LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NONPROFIT NEWS SOURCE

NONPROFIT NEWS SOURCE

SOURCE

Alyssa Seaver pursuing litigation against Whitehall

Attorney

for

former treasurer alleges violations of Whistleblower Protection Act

Attorney for former treasurer alleges violations of Whistleblower Protection Act

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

Former Whitehall treasurer Alyssa Seaver is pursuing potential legal action against the city regarding civil rights violations she claims city manager Scott Huebler committed during her employment, her attorney Crystal Bultje confirmed to the Mirror July 10.

The move comes after Seaver's June resignation as assistant treasurer. She'd previously been demoted from the treasurer role by Huebler. Seaver has since been working with Bultje, a West Michigan-based civil rights attorney who wrote a letter to the city earlier this month claiming Seaver's civil rights have been violated and she has grounds for litigation.

bler's "improperly and illegally reversing nearly $40,000" in water bills "against the advice of the city's auditors" to the Whitehall council and mayor Steven Salter last November.

Calls to Huebler and Seaver regarding the issue were not returned at press time. Due to the nature of the situation, city attorney Will Meier declined to comment. Bultje also declined to comment, instead providing the Mirror with a copy of the letter.

Bultje's letter accuses Huebler of violating the Whistleblower's Protection Act with his behavior towards her after Seaver attempted to report Hue-

It was a few weeks later, on Dec. 12, that Huebler gave Seaver a written reprimand, which Bultje claimed was filled with "fabricat(ed) performance issues" in response to Seaver's efforts. The reprimand made clear that further conduct "as noted in this letter will result in termination."

Among the performance issues Huebler cited in the reprimand, which the Mirror obtained this week via a Freedom of Information Act request, were accusations he said Seaver made of other employees (names were redacted). Among those accusations were of other employees falsifying their time sheets, being under the influence of marijuana in the office, and manipulating schedules. The reprimand also enumerated several complaints Seaver allegedly made about a lack of support she was receiving in the office, others' dress attire, and towards Huebler himself, citing complaints Seaver filed with both Meier and the Michigan

Municipal League "regarding (Huebler's) management style." The reprimand also accused Seaver of making two different requests that other employees be terminated "for incompetence."

The reprimand further said there were things Seaver had done that, while within her purview, were not handled "in an appropriate managerial manner," such as questioning others on their budget management and questioning continuing benefits for a redacted employee "despite being told this was based on Will's legal opinion."

On May 27 of this year, further issues arose when Huebler demoted Seaver to assistant treasurer. In the demotion, also obtained via FOIA request, Huebler informed Seaver this move was being made "in the best interest of the City" and that her pay would be frozen "until such time as your wage falls within the assistant finance officer/treasurer range."

Bultje claims this move was also retaliatory; in her letter to the city, she wrote that Seaver discovered "Huebler had falsified the numbers" in a budget amendment she was submitting to the city council and attempted to report

the discrepancy to the council, but was blocked by Huebler's tabling of the amendment. The demotion, Bultje said, occurred the same day. The council did pass a budget amendment that evening.

"We believe he did this to reduce her credibility with (the city) council in attempts to silence her from reporting his wrongdoings," Bultje wrote.

After Seaver's resignation, Huebler told the Mirror he and assistant finance manager Brook Schiller would team up to handle the treasurer duties, but Schiller said this month that "there has been zero activity on Scott's part to do the finance manager job...all the work has been on me."

"There's stuff I don't know," Schiller said. "I'm willing to learn and to train, but when I approached Scott about a temporary increase in pay (to account for the extra duties), he basically blew me off."

Schiller, who has worked for the city for eight years, was close professionally and personally with Seaver, she said, and since Seaver's departure has felt ostracized in the city offices. She also claimed she's not been approached about applying for the treasurer position despite currently performing its duties, and that other Muskegon County treasurers have told her they

Litigation continued on page 2

Lakeside Solar shares info about energy facility

Group of White River Twp. residents share objections to proposal

By Andy Roberts

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

White Lake Mirror Editor

MONTAGUE — Many turned out last Thursday as Lakeside Solar hosted a public engagement session at NBC Middle School regarding its proposed solar energy facility in White River Township.

The session is a required step under Michigan's Public Act 233, which allows developers to petition a governor-appointed commission for siting approval of renewable energy projects if the involved municipality has more restrictive requirements than the state.

The proposed project, which Lakeside Solar is overseeing as a subsidiary of Geronimo Power, would produce 150 megawatts and would span over 1,500 acres, the company said at the session. This is about nine times the size of the project currently operating in Montague Township on Sikkenga Road; Pine Gate Renewables manages that project.

Geronimo representatives were spread throughout the middle school gym to answer questions about different aspects of the project, including wildlife, noise levels, decommissioning and more. Some said they'd been instructed not to provide quotes to the media when approached by the Mirror,

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

and the company's senior marketing manager Emily Morissette did not respond to a request for comment.

Geronimo was known as National Grid Renewables when the project was first proposed in 2022, but NGR sold its onshore renewable energy arm to a private equity firm, Brookfield Asset Management, this May. That company then rebranded as Geronimo, its original name before NGR bought it in 2019.

According to figures provided by Geronimo, the project would create three full-time jobs and 200 jobs in construction and related services. It would produce over $2 million in property tax revenue each year for the next 20 years if completed, with $1.28 million of that annual revenue going to the Montague school district. Additional funding would go to Muskegon County, townships, local fire and EMS services, local libraries and Muskegon Community

College. The company would also set up a charitable fund that would disburse about $37,500 annually over the next 20 years.

The 1,500-acre number for the proposed project isn't news to those who have been kept abreast of objections to the facility being brought forth by a group of White River Township residents. The group, known on Facebook as Stop Industrial Solar in White River Township, arrived at the meeting hoping to press the company about why it had not chosen to use the renewable energy district the township created last fall and sited on the Chemours property. Much of that property includes brownfields, and under PA233 developers are required to submit explanations of why brownfields were not chosen for the project.

In this case, Lakeside Solar does not believe much of the brownfield land is suitable for the project, said Geronimo intern Cody Wangen when a resident asked him about it during the meeting. He added that if the renewable district land was used, the project would be limited to 20 megawatts, less than one-seventh of what Lakeside Solar's proposal will generate.

"Some of the people are very happy to be here and are really excited about the project, particularly the landowners that are signed with us," Wangen said. "I've had some conversations with people who are not happy that we're building this. They don't want it to impact their property and they don't want to

"Some of the people are very happy to be here and are really excited about the project, particularly the landowners that are signed with us," Wangen "I've had some conversations with people who are not happy that we're building this. They don't want it to impact their property and they don't want to

Huebler Seaver

Many local residents sought more information about a proposed solar energy facility in White River Township at an open house last Thursday at NBC Middle School.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Opponents of a proposed solar energy facility in White River Township shared their objections outside the open house at NBC Middle School last Thursday.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Huebler Seaver

Many local residents sought more information about a proposed solar energy facility in White River Township at an open house last Thursday at NBC Middle School.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Opponents of a proposed solar energy facility in White River Township shared their objections outside the open house at NBC Middle School last Thursday.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Huebler

Seaver

Group of White River Twp. residents share objections to proposal

Many local residents sought more information about a proposed solar energy facility in White River Township at an open house last Thursday at NBC Middle School.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Opponents of a proposed solar energy facility in White River Township shared their objections outside the open house at NBC Middle School last Thursday.

Rain doesn't stop Walk the Beat in 3rd installment

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

A couple days before Saturday's Walk the Beat White Lake festival, Sara Kane-Smart's first as executive director, it became clear the weather may not cooperate. She and her team gathered, called around, and by the day before, they had in-case-of-rain sites scheduled for each of the 10 spots.

It was a move that paid off, as the latter half of the festival was hit with significant precipitation, forcing many acts into places not designed for musical performance. However, KaneSmart was largely pleased with the results.

"Most everybody understood we can't control the weather," Kane-Smart said. "The Eric Engblade Trio, at WaterDog (Outfitters), played under the waves, and they had people standing around listening while kids splashed in what ended up becoming a pond. Our bands were really gracious about tucking in someplace."

Despite the rain, Kane-Smart said by her team's rough count, attendance was actually higher late in the afternoon than early. In the end, fan favor-

ite Asamu Johnson and the Associates of the Blues, which placed highly in last year's voting, earned the top prize this time around. Kane-Smart said interest in the band was already high coming in due in part to their performance on the Walk the Beat float during the Fourth of July parade.

Kane-Smart said she was grateful to the indoor venues for being flexible with the festival. ReNew You Fitness, Stoney Edge Winery and the Book Nook & Java Shop merited special mention.

Lakeside Solar

continued from page 1

see it. It's been a mixed bag."

Opponents of the project gathered outside the middle school to collect signatures for a letter they plan to send to township officials and state lawmakers in hopes of regaining local control of renewable energy siting decisions. The Michigan House of Representatives has already passed a bill that would do just that, though the bill would also have to make it through the state senate and be approved by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, each of which is far less likely given that Whitmer has made renewable energy a focal point of her second term.

In the interim, Lakeside Solar continues to push forward. According to information it shared at the meeting, if the project stays on schedule, construction would begin in 2027 and the facility would be operational by 2029.

The original outline for the project, when it was shared in 2022, called for the facility to be operational by 2025. Geronimo representative Amber Miller said

Litigation

are upset at what has occurred.

"Scott asked me to post the job, but he hasn't even asked me if I'm interested in applying," Schiller said. "It's frustrating...Now, no one speaks to me in the office unless they need something."

Bultje wrote in her letter that her firm believes Seaver "is legally entitled" to damages due to "financial and emotional distress she has endured because of Mr. Huebler's actions" and would like to negotiate a settlement to prevent "the time, expense and public nature of litigation." However, if a settlement cannot be negotiated, she wrote that she will continue to investigate the situation.

Huebler is set to transition to an advisory role next week before

his planned August retirement; the Whitehall city council and new city manager Daniel Tavernier agreed to a Tuesday, July 29 start date during

The festival cut down from 18 musical venues in 2024, which Kane-Smart said went well because it made it easier for attendees to see all the performers if they chose. The festival board will meet in coming weeks, and it's possible one or two more sites may be part of the 2026 festival so more nonprofits can take advantage of Walk the Beat's raffle ticket sales, of which half the revenue goes to participating nonprofits. "We'd like to give different bands a chance and get more nonprofits involved," Kane-Smart said.

the extra year lead time is in part due to equipment orders now taking 18-24 months to complete as opposed to the 6-12 months they once did.

Project opponents have questioned what will happen to the farmland once the solar equipment is no longer usable, believing the land will no longer be arable. Lakeside Solar maintains the land will still be arable once the design life of the project is complete. Construction manager Chip LaCasse said while he didn't know for sure how long Lakeside Solar anticipates this project lasting, most similar projects are planned for 30-35 years before the equipment's anticipated lifespan expires.

Opponents of the project maintain they are not against the use of renewable energy in general but are against the size and scope of the project Lakeside Solar is proposing, believing it would damage tourism and would negatively affect property values in the township, which at just under 16 square miles is less than half the size of most townships.

Real estate valuation consultant Joe Ricenec, who works for CohnReznick LLP, said at the meeting that in his experience, real estate values are not strongly affected either way by the presence of nearby solar

continued from page 1

this week's council meeting.

Schiller said Seaver's aim in pursuing litigation is to get her job back, "or at least get Huebler out of there sooner."

The rest of the revenue goes towards Walk the Beat's philanthropic efforts, as the group helps support music education among local students. In March, 33 students were awarded $6,500 worth of scholarships and instruments at the Walk the Beat kickoff event.

"This festival is all about building community through music," KaneSmart said. "The big winners, when we're able to sell more tickets or get more donations, are local music students."

energy facilities, but allowed that no two projects are the same.

"It's unfortunate that there's such a wedge driven between us, and people who are going, 'OK, you guys are denying climate change,'" said Melissa Lorenz, a township resident and opponent of the proposed project. "We supported renewables, but done right. I think there's too much of a good thing. It still is industrial, even though the state has classified solar as a crop. When someone moves into agricultural land, that's not what they're expecting. I think there's a middle ground that can be found, but these solar companies will not compromise."

"For him, it's about control," Schiller said. "It seems like he's trying to make (Tavernier) a duplicate (of himself)."

Asamu Johnson and the Associates of the Blues perform during Saturday's Walk the Beat White Lake. The band won the fan vote for favorite act at this year's event.

• Claire Marshall/Mirror

The band Just Friends packs up after performing in wet conditions during Saturday's Walk the Beat White Lake.

• Claire Marshall/Mirror

Saturday, July 26

Red Cedar String Quartet performs the final Salon Concert of the White Lake Chamber Music Festival @ Book Nook & Java Shop, 11 a.m. Concert is in partnership with the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.

Mike Struwin performs @ Red Rooster Tavern, 8 p.m.

Sunday, July 27

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

Monday, July 28

Michigan's Feathered Friends and More @ Montague Bandshell, 10:30 a.m. The Outdoor Discovery Center offers a chance to see Michigan birds

Community Calendar

of prey and other native animals.

Free ASL classes continue for week 8 @ Book Nook & Java Shop, 6 p.m. Deaf mentor Leah Broomfield teaches 8 weeks of courses Mondays and Thursdays.

Live trivia @ Red Rooster Tavern, 7 p.m.

FAN Club Mondays @ Fetch Brewing, 7 p.m. Live music on the North Mears Promenade.

Tuesday, July 29

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

Eugene Morningstar performs @ Book Nook & Java Shop, 2-4 p.m.

Pretty Fun trivia @ Book Nook &

Java Shop, 6:15 p.m.

ACWL-Nuveen Free Summer Concert Series continues its 2025 season with Magic Bus, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, July 30

Eric Michaels & Chris Kennedy perform @ Book Nook & Java Shop, 11:30 a.m.

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

Thursday, July 31

Summer Reading Foam Party @ White Lake Community Library, 5:30 p.m. Bring your swimsuit and a towel to celebrate the end of the summer reading season.

Live trivia @ Pub One Eleven, 7

p.m.

Kyle Brown and Nina Soulfia perform @ North Grove Brewers, 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1

Soul & Story Creative LLC hosts a ribbon cutting at its new Colby St. location, 1 p.m.

Fam Bam Summer Community Picnic @ Lakewood Club Park, 5 p.m. Hosted by New Beginnings Church. Hot dogs and hamburgers while they last, face painting and a 'bring your own shirt' tie-dye station.

Two Dudes in Flip Flops perform @ North Grove Brewers, 7 p.m.

Echoes of History: Armistice Day storm claims ships (Pt. 1)

By Barbara Bedau Brow Volunteer Contributor

One of the worst storms in many years swept across Lake Michigan and the Midwest Monday, Nov. 11, 1940, leaving a path of destruction in its wake and much tragedy in the history of Great Lakes shipping. Four ships went down with all hands; five others were aground. It was estimated that approximately 120 seamen lost their lives on Lake Michigan as a result of the storm. The following three vessels were among the ships that were lost in the area:

SS William B. Davock was a 420foot steel bulk freight steamer built in 1907 by the Great Lakes Engineering Works at St. Clair, MI, for the Vulcan Steamship Company. She was operated by Vulcan Steamship from 1907-15 in the Great Lakes coal, iron ore, grain and stone trades. In 1915, the ship ran under the Interlake Steamship Company. While laid up during the winter of 1922-23, she was reconstructed and updated. She then returned to the trade pattern of coal carried to ports from Lake Erie and iron ore carried from Lake Superior ports to the steel mills of Lake Erie and Lake Michigan.

This route was forever changed Nov. 11, 1940, when a ferocious storm swept

the lakes late that Monday afternoon. Considered to be the worst storm to that point on Lake Michigan, it saw 75 mile per hour winds and rain that turned to snow and twenty-foot waves. Several vessels on Lake Michigan were caught with little warning.

The Davock was making her way down the lake with coal for Chicago, and became overwhelmed at the height of the storm, succumbed to the intense wind and waves and slipped to her final resting place about 200 feet below the surface five miles out from Little Sable Point between Ludington and Pentwater. None of the 32 hands survived.

A survey of the wreck years later revealed the cause of the ship’s loss was a broken rudder, which jammed against the propeller breaking off one or more

blades, rendering the vessel without steering or propulsion. This allowed the boat to fall into the trough of the waves, where it was swamped and perhaps capsized before sinking.

SS Anna C. Minch, a 380-foot bulk carrier, was built by the American Ship Building Company of Cleveland, OH in 1903 and operated by the Kinsman Transit Company of Cleveland from 1903-26. It was then acquired by the Western Navigation Company, Fort William, Ontario, Canada. She was carrying a load of hardwood lumber, when she sank in Lake Michigan during the Nov. 11 storm near Ludington.

At the time, it was the only Great Lakes bulk carrier bearing a female moniker. The ship was outdated in

some ways and did not have a radio; however, it was still considered seaworthy 38 years after it was built.

The vessel broke in two pieces and her wreckage was spread over a large area. She is located about one and a half miles south of Pentwater, not far from the wreckage of the William B. Davock, which went down in the same storm. Captain Donald Kennedy and his 21-member Canadian crew all perished. Two bodies were never recovered.

There is a monument erected to the crews of the Davock and the Minch and three other seamen that can be found in the Lakeview Cemetery in Ludington.

Library will host another blood drive Aug. 6

By Virginia DeMumbrum Volunteer Contributor

to thank you for helping “smash the need” for blood here in West Michigan.

For more information, visit wlclib.org/ calendar.

The library’s first blood drive was such a success, we’re hosting another! If you’re an eligible donor and would like to help save lives in our community, please consider signing up to donate blood right here in the library meeting room. The drive is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 6, from 2:30-6:30 p.m. Appointments are preferred, but walkins are welcome as the schedule allows. To schedule a donation, just call 866-6425663 or visit bit.ly/wlclblood. With Versiti, blood donations stay local, benefiting others in our area. As a donor, you can expect the usual cookies and other post-donation treats. This time, you can also receive a free pickleball set (while supplies last)

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.

Get Those Summer Reading Logs Turned In!

The annual summer reading programs for kids and adults will end July 31. So finish up your reading logs and turn them in, or make sure everything is recorded in Beanstack, by Aug. 2 to be included in the prize drawings. And don’t miss the Foam Party family night July 31, a refreshing and fun way to mark the end of the program. Wear a swimsuit, bring a towel, and have fun in the foam from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on the library lawn. All ages welcome!

FUN FACT: 165 kids and adults have used the Beanstack app to record their summer reading this year. The final numbers aren’t in yet, but so far the kids have read 1,132 hours and the adults have read 386 books. There’s still time to sign up and log reading to earn prizes!

Countywide Community Connections Survey

What do you love about Muskegon County? What could be improved? Your opinion will help the Livability Lab 6.0 team understand what matters most for our community’s future. Share your voice by taking a short, anonymous survey! You can pick up a paper copy of the survey at the library, or go to bit.ly/livability6 to fill it out online.

Livability Lab is a Muskegon County initiative based on the 100Day Challenge model. It is designed to improve the quality of life for area residents by focusing on smaller projects that lead to big wins. The results

of this survey will be used to plan the Livability Lab 6.0 kickoff event in February, where people from all over the county will look at the survey results, brainstorm, and share ideas for projects that can be completed in 100 days. For more information about the project and how you can be involved, visit livabilitylab.com.

Let’s make sure the views of White Lake area residents are well represented in the survey results, not just the city dwellers to our south! The survey takes just a few minutes to completefill it out today!

DeMumbrum

The S.S. William B. Davock was one ship that the famed Armistice Day storm of Nov. 11, 1940 doomed to sinking. • Courtesy Photo

The S.S. Anna C. Minch went down during the Armistice Day storms of Nov. 11, 1940.

• Courtesy Photo

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Zweigle steps down at Whitehall after 31 years

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

Warren Zweigle made no shortage of great memories in 31 years as Whitehall baseball coach, though for him, it was hard to top coaching both of his sons, Zach and Ian - and not just coaching them, but winning a lot of games with them. Both were part of a string of five district championships in a row from 2011-15.

"I think Ian was part of all four, and Zach was part of three of them," Zweigle said. "As a coach, it's a dream to be able to coach both your kids.

"The interesting thing about Zach is, and Ian too, but since Zach went into coaching with me, he is going to be 31 in August. I remember the day he was born, and he was going to games at age 1 in the stroller. He went from that to being a batboy, to playing, to coaching with me. He was really involved for all 31 years of his life, and that's kind of cool."

He'll take memories like that with him into retirement now, having informed the school of his decision to step down this summer. He also retired from teaching this year.

Zweigle coached some great players in his time. Certainly no such list can start without former Major League All-Star Nate McLouth, a charter member of the Whitehall Sports Hall of Fame. McLouth was the leadoff hitter and shortstop on the Vikings' 1998 team that played in the Division 2 state championship game, falling 8-6 to Orchard Lake St. Mary's. Zweigle also stuck around long enough to see McLouth's state record for stolen bases be broken by another of his players - Kyle Stratton.

Plenty of all-conference and all-region type stars came in between, as well as a lot of wins - Zweigle surpassed the 600-victory mark for his career during the 2025 season - on two different fields; the Vikings opened their current baseball and softball facilities

in 2013.

Of course, there was also a lot of quality time spent with players. The Vikings took a slew of team-building trips during Zweigle's tenure, from in-state gatherings to spring break trips to Florida.

Those are the kinds of things that really stick with a coach, and Zweigle said he's fortunate to remain close with many of his former players.

"One of the biggest measures of success for me is seeing how many kids I'm still connected with and still friends with, who still sit down and visit when they come to town," Zweigle said. "I can't count the number of kids that do that. That really solidifies to me the impact our program had on kids."

It wasn't just Zweigle in the dugout over that time, of course, as he was able to enjoy time with close friends who coached along with him. Kurt Huizenga spent nearly two decades coaching with Zweigle, and he counts Huizenga as one of his closest friends. Son Zach has spent the past couple of seasons as an assistant coach as well, as has fellow former Viking Daniel DuBois.

"I learned a ton about baseball from (Huizenga), and not just the game, but about how to take care of the fields," Zweigle said.

Athletic director Christian Subdon said it speaks to Zweigle's success that he is already a member of the state coaches association hall of fame; he was inducted in 2013. Another of Zweigle's career highlights was serving as a head coach for the East-West All-Star Game at Comerica Park, which he did in 2019.

What's next for Zweigle? He recently built a home in Grand Haven, and it's likely he'll travel more; his

love for travel is well-known at the school. It will certainly be an adjustment to have spring days free - he's been occupied with coaching baseball at some level, he said, every spring since graduating college - but it's a change the longtime coach seems ready to greet. "It'll be a new experience not having some place to be every day," Zweigle said. "I was in the perfect profession being able to travel every summer, but I'll be able to travel a little more in the spring and fall and not be as busy, enjoy those things and not be as rushed."

Claire McGrew takes over Vikings volleyball

Whitehall JV coach ascends to big chair after retirement of Ted Edsall

By Andy Roberts

White Lake Mirror Editor

New Whitehall volleyball coach Claire McGrew has no interest in denying the obvious; she's taking over a big job.

"I have big shoes to fill, that's for sure," McGrew said of following Ted Edsall, who led the Vikings program for 27 successful seasons before retiring last November. "Ted left off a really great program and was ready to hand it off to someone, and I'm grateful it was me."

McGrew, however, isn't coming in blind, either. The former Claire McWilliams - she married Vikings' softball coach Kyle McGrew in June 2024starred at Fruitport for four seasons, including the 2011 state championship squad, before playing at Wayne State University. There, she said she was on the first Wayne State team to advance to the conference tournament semifinals.

After being an assistant coach at Perry for one season, she's been an assistant in the Whitehall program the past few years, including as JV coach.

Whitehall athletic director Christian Subdon said from what he's seen

so far, McGrew already has strong buy-in from her players, and her experience in the program is valuable.

"It was helpful that she knows the things that have been going really well and has seen the things we need to improve upon," Subdon said. "Ted gave a good blessing for her that she'd be the right person, and she did a good job in her interview. She's been executing those things all summer."

"I'm excited," McGrew said. "I know it'll be a new experience. I'm really grateful for my experiences at the JV level to make it feel like I'm prepared for this new position. I'm excited to coach at a varsity level because it's a step in the right direction."

McGrew is also a middle school teacher in the district, and next year's graduating seniors were in eighth grade when she started at Whitehall, so she's looking forward to some full circle moments this coming season with players she either had in class, as JV players, or both.

The time put into building relationships gives McGrew a good base to start with as she enters the varsity

coaching world.

"It's cool because I can see different viewpoints in different situations now," McGrew said. "Through coaching, I've realized that even though my experiences are my own, and I can prepare these girls as much as I can, they have to experience it themselves."

McGrew has implemented team-building exercises this summer, with one more planned before fall practices begin, and plans to seek out the players' input on what they want out of the 2025 season. She said the team has been working under a mindset of being caring and intentional about each step of the process.

"The girls have a mindset of being caring," McGrew said. "Caring about teammates, caring about the next point, caring about putting in 100 percent effort. When you put caring into something, I think results do come out of it. I really hope for our team to be able to take a stepping stone from last season."

Success will ultimately depend on the players, of course, and McGrew wants it that way, reasoning that this is their program.

"I think they always want to have a more positive experience than the year before," McGrew said. "They'll be a huge part of wheat we want out of the season. It's their season; I'm just here to guide them through it. I'll be curious

what they have to say, but I'd bet it'll be something like, 'Last year was last year, and let's make this one better.'"

The long-term goal for Whitehall is to climb back to being a county powerhouse. The short-term plan to build there is to increase turnout for the team, which McGrew is hopeful of doing.

Subdon said McGrew's playing experience and her time working for Edsall has given her great perspective on how to build a successful program.

"She comes from a program that's been dominant," Subdon said. "She was a state champion at Fruitport. She knows what it takes to be a state champ. When you're a JV coach, you're always implementing things, but you're working along with the varsity team. I'm sure she'll bring some of her own ideas."

McGrew agreed, saying she liked Edsall's practice of having the JV and varsity teams practice together, not least because it gave her the chance to share ideas with him.

"We're not two separate teams," McGrew said. "We're together, just playing at two different levels. I still talk to him. He's always willing to be there for me if I need anything. I even ran into him at a (graduation) open house recently. I'm grateful for the relationship we have. With Ted, if I reach out, I know he'd be there to help me."

Zweigle

Whitehall baseball coach Warren Zweigle earned the chance to manage from the Comerica Park dugout at the 2019 East-West All-Star Game during his career. Zweigle retired as coach following the 2025 season.

• Whitehall District Schools/Courtesy Photo

McGrew

White Lake Community Garden off to fast start

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

The White Lake Community Gardens were merely a twinkle in local resident Amber Marks' eye just four months ago, when she first pitched the idea to the Whitehall city council. Now the garden, located on the old tennis courts adjacent to the city hall, is up and running.

"It was definitely cool to see that we were able to get a garden planted this first year," Marks said. "It was obviously a goal, but we didn't know if it would be reasonable. It was exciting the city went for it, but also that the community is engaging with it right off the bat."

"I don't know if I was surprised (at how quickly it happened), but I'm happy with how many people are showing interest in and getting excited about it," said local artist Ann Kraus, who co-founded the garden with Marks.

The garden has been fully operational since three build days at the beginning of July brought community volunteers together. Donations from many local entities made it possible to get things going, including totes from Walmart, wood and screws from White Lake Garage Condos owner Elie Ghazal, and more.

"The last build day, we had

5-6 people there who were really committed and pulled it all together in just a matter of a few hours," Marks said. "It was cool to see how much we could accomplish in such a short time."

Marks grew up in southwest Michigan, and as the garden came together, she and Kraus took some inspiration from a community garden in that region in Three Oaks, a small town about half the population of Whitehall that nevertheless has a thriving garden. They also gained supportive feedback from the community garden at Scholl Farms in Montague, and plan to go on a "field trip" to another such garden in Muskegon.

Marks reports that community feedback and participation have been strong, and both founders have been especially pleased to see that younger and older residents alike have shown interest in the garden.

"I think it's cool, the array of ages that we have," Kraus said. "We have young kids who are very interested in volunteering their time to come over and help, and we have older people as well who are giving their advice and gardening wisdom. It's very welcome."

Several herb plants are already ripe and ready to be picked, and tomato and pepper plants will soon be ripe as well.

The wood for this entry sign to the White Lake Community Garden was donated by local business owner Elie Ghazal, one of several local people to contribute to the garden.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Volunteers sign up on Facebook to take turns swinging by and watering the garden to keep the plants growing.

The location of the garden, just a few blocks from downtown, was no accident; the founders wanted to have it in a place readily accessible to foot and bike traffic as well as by car. They envision a future in which community members can swing by and grab a tomato to be part of their evening meal.

There are few limits, at least in the minds of the founders, to what the garden can be. Marks and Kraus have also have received public support from the city, who previously approved the use of the tennis court space for the garden; council member Jeff Holmstrom complimented the garden at a

The garden began operations this month and is already seeing results.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

recent meeting and said he'd love to see it take up the entire space formerly occupied by the courts.

In Kraus' mind, there's no reason the garden's growth would need to stop there.

"I personally see us taking up as much space as the city will let us," Kraus said. "I can see it growing into having more perennials too, berry vines and bushes growing up the fencing, and people coming in to graze. It would be a great space for people to come in...We'd also love to have space that can be enjoyed as eating areas, and native plants and pollinator gardens. it can be as big as we want it to be."

"Really, it's just seeing what an asset it can grow into for the community," Marks added. "Adding a whole food forest could do so much, not just to create a beautiful space to be in, but to help people who need it."

Community feedback is welcomed; during build days, volunteers were consulted about what they'd like to see planted in the garden. The garden also hosts biweekly meetings on Monday evenings, with the most recent one taking place this last Monday, July 21. Information about future meetings can be found on the garden's Facebook page. The founders intend to continue meeting during the winter, so there can be a strong plan in place to enact before the start of the 2026 growing season.

"Now it's really about maintaining the garden this year and putting together the vision for next year," Marks said. "That's what will allow us to expand in the future, is getting community support and involvement. We welcome any feedback on what people would like to see this become."

Montague council narrowly approves hazard plan

Council acknowledges errors in plan, but votes to maintain FEMA fund eligibility

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MONTAGUE — Despite strong objections from city council member Paul Schultz, the Montague council adopted the Muskegon County Hazard Mitigation Plan by a 4-2 vote during its regular meeting Monday. Laura LaGuire was the other dissenting vote, and Ken Mahoney was absent, with the other council members excusing him.

Schultz called the mitigation plan "more fiction than fact" and said there are at least 30 errors in the document regarding Montague. He did not enumerate each error, but as an example, said the plan included a reference to the city having five emergency storm warn-

ing sirens when it does not have any. He added that there are errors regarding other local municipalities as well and expressed frustration that those bodies "rubber-stamped" the plan anyway, saying he was chuckled at when he asked one unnamed representative from another municipality if they'd read it.

The council noted the errors in the June meeting and expressed their concerns to the county, temporarily tabling approval until it received an answer. The county verified receipt of those concerns, but did not change the plan document. The changes could be made when work begins on the 2030 update of the mitigation plan, which will begin sometime in 2027.

The main reason the council gave for approving the document despite its errors was that not doing so would keep the city from being eligible for Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) funding should a natural

disaster befall the city. Schultz downplayed this concern, saying Whitehall did not get FEMA relief after the June 2024 wind storm that blew through the area despite having an approved plan.

"There's a big funnel of $9 billion, and a trickle when something bad happens," Schultz said, referencing a $20 billion infusion the U.S. Congress gave FEMA last fall, of which $9 billion was reportedly spent in just over a week, most of it responding to earlier disasters.

Schultz added that his reading indicated nothing has happened in Montague in 100 years that would have made the city eligible for FEMA relief anyway. Council member Bob Hires shared Schultz' concerns regarding the errors in the plan, but did not feel comfortable taking the risk of something unprecedented occurring.

Council member Susan Newhof asked during discussion if the council

could make note of the errors Schultz said were made in their motion to approve, and was told it could.

In other council business Monday, the council approved mayor Tom Lohman's appointment of Sarah Riehl of Greenridge Realty to the Downtown Development Authority by a 6-0 vote. Riehl will take over Mark Peets' term, which expires in 2026; Peets previously owned Pappy's Pad downtown.

The council shared feedback from the July 4 fireworks show, most of it positive; Newhof, who has shared objections to the show in the past, said she got negative feedback, citing animals being frightened and military veterans who could be affected by post-traumatic stress disorder. There was discussion of fireworks that were shot outside the show, with reports of residents doing so past midnight in violation of city ordinances.

Whitehall school board approves millage request

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

WHITEHALL — The Whitehall school board approved an operating millage to be placed on the ballot for the November election during its regular Monday meeting, a millage the board says addresses the most urgent needs facing the district.

The vote was 6-0 to approve the operating millage. Trustee Tim Cross was absent, but provided a letter in support of the request.

The board said approval would still leave Whitehall as the Muskegon County district with the lowest millage levy. Superintendent CJ Van Wieren said the millage would provide $30 million in

revenue that would enable the district to address the aging HVAC systems in all four buildings, creating a secure office space at the high school, and updating the middle school cafeteria.

The HVAC systems are of particular interest to the board, which shared maintenance and facility supervisor Rick Blankstrom's report that the middle school's boiler has significant issues that must be addressed before this school year begins. The board has said in prior meetings that that system has passed the end of its expected lifespan.

Previous millage requests that intended to address those issues were voted down in May and November of 2023 as voters felt the district was add-

ing requests for things it did not need, like an athletic turf field. Since then, Van Wieren said, the district has looked into how to address the most important issues, and the board feels this proposal does that. Cross' letter and comments by trustee Shannon McGoran, who credited recent community engagement efforts undertaken by Van Wieren and the district, underscored the united front being presented.

Related to the millage request, a presentation by Gwen Pettit, an energy solutions partner at HVAC company Trane, gave the district a look at the company's guaranteed energy savings program, which several districts in the state have utilized. Pettit said if the dis-

trict signs on with Trane, the company's program would bring the district enough energy savings that it would effectively pay for the equipment upgrades. She said a preliminary estimate the company has done anticipates annual energy savings to the district of up to $100,000 and claimed closer inspection usually results in more savings than originally predicted.

In response to a question from trustee Melissa Moore about whether any prior district had fallen short of the energy savings guaranteed, Pettit said they have not, but there are provisions in contracts Trane signs with districts to provide financial relief if it does not occur.

A few of the many crops being grown at the White Lake Community Garden are displayed.

Historical Society examines Svensson Park history

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

WHITEHALL — The White Lake Area Historical Society examined the history of Svensson Park during its meeting last Thursday - a history with deep local roots.

The park is located on a small piece of land on Lake Street in Whitehall, which was donated to the city by Nora Svensson in 1951. Nora and husband Charles were given a small villa in the area as a gift for their 1915 wedding, and owned and operated it as a resort property for about 50 years, said Jan Grady, a Svensson granddaughter. The original plan, per a Whitehall Forum article of the time, was for the land to be developed as a city park. It would have included playground equipment, parking, a bathroom and a picnic area, along with public beach access. (Public beach access was later found to be impossible to arrange due to an ever-changing shoreline preventing it.)

Funding problems led to those plans not being realized for many years. In 1969, the Svenssons unsuc-

cessfully attempted to get the city to return the land - Charles' oldest son, also named Charles, instead developed nearby land into Windy Cove campground, and it is now the site of Windy Cove condominiums. In 1976, the family had a reunion of sorts on the land, dedicating a new sign erected by Svensson and Jerry Grady, Jan's husband. Nora wrote a letter to the White Lake Observer shortly thereafter asking, "Will it take another 25 years?"

The city finally obtained a grant in the early 1990s that enabled some development to be done on the site, but the onset of invasive species some years later harmed the grounds. It took time to address the issue, even after the Muskegon Conservation District selected the area for rehabilitation. With things not going the way the Svenssons hoped, in 2015, Grady said, the family approached the city.

"We didn't go to the city hall with pitchforks and torches," Grady said, but the family hoped to obtain some help combating the invasive species issue. The push was successful, and the city allocated funds, assigning the

Department of Public Works to rehabilitate the land. Today, the park has playground equipment, a small picnic area, and a pergola that provides shade, along with a pleasant view of the lake - hitting most of the items the Svenssons originally aimed to provide by donating the land. The park is no longer overrun with invasive plant species.

In the future, Grady said, the family would like to see more oversight of the park by the Muskegon Conservation District, which has hosted occasional stewardship days at the park. There are some wildflowers in the park, though Grady would love to see more.

"This park is intended to be enjoyed by visitors, and we hope it will always be so," Grady said.

Tavernier agrees to July 29 start as city manager

By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

WHITEHALL — The Whitehall city council and incoming city manager Daniel Tavernier agreed to the contract for his new position during Tuesday's regular council meeting, including a July 29 start date.

According to the contract provided in the city packet, Tavernier will receive a base salary of $115,000 annually, subject to increases recommended by the council at periodic performance reviews. Current city manager Scott Huebler will move to an assistant role to ease the transition prior to his August retirement.

The council also approved a $34,642 expenditure to outfit two Ford F-350s purchased for the Department of Public Works with the necessary equipment to use them as dump trucks.

The purchase came in under budget, but council member Tom Ziemer shared his frustration that the council was approached to approve another purchase for the trucks after he felt it was not made clear last month that the second expenditure would be needed. Council member Jeff Holmstrom noted the purchase came from a different company that sold the city the cars, which accounted for the second expense.

Council member Tom Ziemer recommended the Local Development Finance Authority, Tax Increment

Finance Authority and Brownfield Authority meet in the evenings rather than their current schedule of weekday afternoon meetings once a quarter. He noted the three groups' planned meetings July 10 could not take place because none of them had a quorum available to conduct business, and recalled that those bodies had vacancies that had not been filled after the council and mayor Steven Salter clashed over appointments in January. In addition to evening meetings presumably being easier for members of those boards to get to, he also believes more public access to those meetings would be preferable.

"These boards control an awful lot of the city's tax money," Ziemer said, adding that the planned meetings' agendas included a 24-acre property purchase and the approval of a nearly $100,000 engineering contract.

The council ap-

proved, 6-1, a street closure request on North Mears Avenue made by Montague assistant soccer coach Scott Liskey to host a fundraiser there. Council member Scott Brown dissented; he is on record as being against the closure of any public street for any event.

The council declined to take action on a proposed three-year contract renewal with CatchMark Technologies, which streams council meetings and work sessions to its YouTube page. The company did not request an increase from the $300 per month it currently charges the city, but Ziemer, Brown and Debi Hillebrand preferred to discuss the matter at an Aug. 12 work session and potentially seek more bids for the service.

Healthy Roots owner Meredith Kuiper, who also wrote a letter to the city on the matter, spoke during public comment requesting First Street

adjacent to her store no longer be closed off. She said the street was first closed to enable Pub One Eleven to host outdoor dining during the COVID-19 pandemic,

but with lockdowns now a thing of the past, she wants to make it easier for shoppers to reach the parking lot behind her business so they can shop there. She said

from what she has seen, the outdoor dining area at the pub is rarely used and a removable setup would be a better use of the space than permanently closing the street.

Jan Grady, granddaughter of Nora and Charles Svensson, gave a presentation to the White Lake Area Historical Society last Thursday about Svensson Park. Her grandparents donated the land for the park to the city in 1951.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

July 11

At approximately 1:58 p.m., on-duty staff was contacted by phone by a subject wanting a well-being check done on his daughter, a 20-year-old from Virginia, who was possibly staying with a 21-year-old male subject in the 300 block of S. Livingston St. Officers responded to the involved location and attempted to contact the owner of the residence. No answer was received at the door. Further, the responding officer spoke with a party walking across the street who frequented the area involved, and she advised she was only aware of the 51-year-old homeowner staying at the location and had not observed any female subjects there.

While on regular patrol at 5:29 p.m., on-duty staff was contacted and re-

quested to respond to the 900 block of Lakeview St. on a report of a stolen vehicle. Upon arrival to the scene, officers learned the vehicle was not actually stolen and was a jointly registered vehicle between two parties and the other party involved had picked up the vehicle. No additional follow-up as the matter is considered a civil dispute.

July 12

Police department staff responded at 8:19 a.m. to the 300 block of E. Colby St. to assist the White Lake Fire Authority with a possible structure fire. Upon police department staff arrival, it was learned the incident was a small grease fire and the fire had been extinguished.

July 13

Officers were called to the 600 block of E. River St. at 9:39 p.m. to assist White Lake Fire Authority staff with a 58-yearold male subject who needed assistance getting into his home and into bed. Fire staff and PD staff assisted the subject as needed and then cleared.

July 14

At approximately 12:28 p.m., officers were called to the 900 block of E. Lewis St. for a report of a subject trespassing on the property. Officers located several items of personal property that looked as if a subject had set up a small homeless camp in the woods. While examining the camp area, the involved

trespasser, a 46-year-old male subject from Montague Township, walked up to officers. He denied living in the wooded area and stated he was just temporarily leaving his property there while he ran to the dollar store. The subject was advised to pick up his property, leave the area and not trespass at the location again.

While officers were on regular patrol at 6:38 p.m., they received a tip of a subject with an outstanding warrant who was currently in the 100 block of W. Colby St. The involved officer and an assisting officer from Montague Police Department went to the involved location and located the offender, a 21-yearold male subject from Laketon Township, and took him into custody on the outstanding misdemeanor warrant for driving under the influence of alcohol. On-duty staff then transported the offender to the Muskegon County Jail and lodged him on the outstanding warrant.

July 15

Office staff received a call from a reporting party at 2:10 p.m. that they had observed a suspicious grocery cart hanging out in the 700 block of Livingston St. The assigned officer located the offending grocery cart and took note that the grocery cart, Dollar General model, had been made into a makeshift grill stand with an old grill attached.

Officers were able to separate the grill stand from its grocery cart base and return the still-functional grocery cart back to Dollar General.

At 1:46 p.m., on-duty staff received information from an APS (Adult Protective Services) referral that a 61-year-old male subject residing with an 87-yearold female subject in the 300 block of E. Lewis St. was throwing the medication belonging to the 87-year-old female subject in the trash. Arrangements were made with other family members to have a third party keep the medication in a secure location and only hand it out to the 87-year-old female as needed, so the 61-year-old subject would not throw it away.

July 16

While on regular patrol at 7:09 p.m., on-duty officers were called to the 100 block of S. Lake St. to assist the Muskegon County Marine patrol with maritime knot tying, as they were towing a boat into the White Lake Municipal Marina. The on-duty officer used extensive knowledge of the rope bending to apply the appropriate knots to the dock and boat. Once the sailboat was secured, the Muskegon County Marine patrol marveled at the beauty of the knots applied and then went on their way to watch the sunset over the White Lake Channel.

Cast of 42 to put on "Joseph" show at Playhouse

By Ross Field

White Lake Mirror Contributor

The story told in ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ is as old as humankind, a story of a family being torn apart by jealousy and greed, and then finally, after trials and tribulations, being brought together again.

Over the course of the next two weekends, the White Lake Dramatic Club will present ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ on the stage of the historic Playhouse of White Lake.

‘Joseph’ was the first musical collaboration between Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, who soon would go on to write the worldwide blockbuster, ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’, and then many, many more famous musicals.

This is the first time Erin Sharpe, Administrator of Education & Community Engagement at the Muskegon Civic Theatre, has directed the musical.

“While it’s my first time working on the project, ‘Joseph’ has been big in my life since I was around five years old and I saw Donny Osmond as Joseph at the Chicago Theater,” said Sharpe. “It has been a huge part of my life and theater background, so it is exciting to direct it.”

Though the themes explored in ‘Joseph’ are heavy ones, they are told in soaring, uplifting songs in a myriad of musical styles ranging from the driving rock-and-roll of ‘Jacob & Sons/Joseph’s Coat’ to the steel drum-driven ‘Benjamin Calypso’ to the ‘50s-style boogie-woogie of ‘Song of the King (Seven Fat Cows)’.

Asked what her favorite song in the production is, Sharpe replied, “That’s a tough question, but I think everyone will be familiar with ‘Go, Go, Go Joseph’ and ‘Joseph’s Coat’, and I think they will really enjoy our versions. And, I think when they hear ‘Close Every Door’ people are going to start weeping because it is just so beautiful.”

This production of ‘Joseph’ features a huge cast of 42 members ranging in age from seven years old to seasoned theater veterans with many years of experience.

“Our cast definitely uses every inch of the stage, and even a little of the house because there’s so many people,” said Sharpe.

A unique aspect of this production is the role of younger singers and actors.

“We are trying to tell the story through the eyes of the children,” said Sharpe. “So throughout the musical the

kids move the story along, and they get to play a couple of characters that aren’t traditionally played by children.”

“What is exciting about this particular production is we have so many family units in the cast,” said Sharpe. “We have a mother and her daughter, a mother and her son, a mom and dad and their child, and we have brothers and sisters. It’s really fun to be able to participate with your family.”

One of those family units is cast member Kristi Stariha’s.

“What makes this show extra special for me is that all four of my children are in the cast with me,” said Stariha. “Two are in the children's chorus, one is in the women's ensemble, and one plays Joseph's youngest brother, Benjamin. This is their first community theater production, and it has been fun to experience it with them particularly because this is such an extremely talented cast.”

Sharpe’s question to the cast and production team during rehearsals has been this: “Why do you think ‘Joseph’ is a story that needed to be told? What is its purpose, why is it an important story?”

“Somebody once described the show to me as a fever dream," said Stariha. "I think that's on point. It's full of en-

ergy and chaotic turns, but the central message throughout is to keep stepping forward and attempting to be a decent human, and even in the midst of horrible things that happen around you, and to you, you will prevail. In the end, despite the ugliness that can be humanity, mercy and love right all wrongs.”

“I think ‘Joseph’ is a story of overcoming challenges,” said Sharpe. “And taking the hardships that you have experienced in life, and seeing how it has prepared you for the next phase. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, who had tried to kill him, but he ended up being second in command in Egypt, and at the end of the play he forgives his brothers, and I think that is an important message right now, just showing love to people even though they haven’t shown love to you.”

The White Lake Dramatic Club will present ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ at the Playhouse of White Lake on the evenings of Friday, July 25, Saturday, July 26, Friday, Aug. 1, and Saturday, Aug. 2, at 7:30 p.m. Matinee showings will occur Saturday, July 26, Sunday, July 27, Saturday, Aug. 2, and Sunday, Aug. 3, at 3 p.m.