The Oceana Echo - Volume 4, Issue 17, September 18, 2026

INSIDE

: Montague salutes first responders, military Volume 4, Issue 17 September 18, 2026

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READER: Richard & Marie Kolbe John & Jean McCarty Robert & Debbie Collins Anonymous Joyce Alvesteffer Joan Holz Larry Osborne Steve Becker Dick & Chris Lound Dorene Jacobson Pam Omer Chris & Jill Vanantwerp Joyce Reames David & Tina Twiggs Mike & Kendra Flynn Joseph & Jean Witt Ralph Malburg Craig & Deborah Harris Sherry Schilleman Anonymous Thomas Coley Amy Thomas Pamela Wilcoxson Lynette Hodges Robert & Carol Horness Maren Kurzer Martha Hansen Carol Royalty

Pentwater Community Dinners return for 18th season By AnnaMae Bush The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent September 9 marked the beginning of another season of Pentwater Community Dinners at the Centenary United Methodist Church, 82 S. Hancock St. For 17 years on Wednesday evenings, from Labor Day to mid-May, volunteers have prepared and served meals for an average of 190 persons from the Pentwater and surrounding community members. There is no charge for the meal, as the program operates on donations from diners and other supporters. Some people come for the opportunity to socialize with local residents, some come for a night off from cooking and some come because they need the food made available to them. “What’s really wonderful is that the donations made by people who come for the social aspect covers the cost of the meals for folks who need the food,” remarked Elaine Konyha. “It balances out.” Konyha shared, “It requires the efforts of 35 volunteers per meal to carry out the program. Tasks include ordering and picking up the meal ingredients (usually from Sam’s Club and Gordon Foods in Muskegon, but also from Meijer in Ludington), preparing the food, setting the tables, packaging takeout meals, serving the food and cleaning up afterwards.” There are cooks, 10 of them, and dishwashers, table waiters, plus soup servers and dessert servers. Some meal preparation, such as peeling 100 pounds of potatoes, occurs on Tuesdays. The meal includes hot and cold beverages, salad,

• AnnaMae Bush/echo

Attendees at the Sept. 9 Community Dinner enjoyed the return of this popular weekly event. soup, main course and dessert. Volunteers received a survey asking for menu favorites. come from several different churches, and An astounding 75% response enabled us to desserts are made and donated by many choose 10 menus for a rotation to please evmembers of the community. Pat Lajko su- eryone.” pervises the dessert table and reports, “We A couple of crowd favorites max out the can always use more dessert donations, es- seating capacity of the dining room before pecially cookies for the take-out meals.” the starting time of 5 p.m. Take-out meals On Tuesday a team member calls the are picked up 4:30-5 p.m. and the dining COVE residence in Ludington to find out service operates from 5-6 p.m. how many family units are at the faciliOccasionally there is a chorus of “Happy ty. On Wednesday the team assembles Birthday” for someone in the crowd. Winter a fresh meal and a frozen meal for each holidays may include some live music. The adult and child at COVE, normally about 60 volunteers amuse attendees with costumes meals. A volunteer transports those meals a couple of times during the year, most to COVE each week. Menus are posted on certainly for Halloween week. Those with the church’s website, and folks who cannot questions, who want to order take-out, or get out or who prefer to eat at home can call who would like to volunteer a few hours or for take-out meals. Pastor Vaughn Thur- donate a dessert are encouraged to call the ston-Cox and Matt and Susan Hacker form church office at 231-869-5900. Take-out orthe take-out dinner team, greeting those ders must be called in early on Wednesday; who come to the drive-in reserved spot and leave a name and number of meals needed delivering the pre-ordered meals identified in voicemail if no one answers. The dining with their names. hall entrance and take-out door are located Konyha said, “A few years ago attendees on First Street.

Jake Nienhuis memorial to be installed at Grace Adventures By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent When someone passes away, for those closest to them, they are never really gone. Their spirit lives on in the people, places and things the person was connected to and passionate about. After a three-plus-year battle with a rare form of kidney cancer, Mears resident Jacob “Jake” Nienhuis passed away Nov. 1, 2025 at the age of 21. While his death left a huge hole in his family’s and friends' hearts, they carry his spirit with them every day. In 2010, at 6 years old, Jake’s family moved from the Cedar Campus of Intervarsity’s Christian Fellowship Training Center in Cedarville, Michigan, to Grace Adventures in Mears. His father Eric took a job in the maintenance department and worked at the camp until 2020. “Jake spent half of his life there,” said Eric. “Like any camp kid, he had the run of the place. His first job was in the kitchen. His boss Pam used to say, ‘When Jake gets the mop, get out of the way! He’s a force to be reckoned with!” Since Jake’s death, his mom

• Contributed

Memorial firepit design Ann, dad Eric, brother Cody and sister Taylor have mourned, but they have also celebrated and gained strength remembering the many good memories they made together. Now they are looking to the future and how they can share who Jake was with others and remember him in a more tangible way. When thinking about what and where might be the most fitting memorial to honor his memory, their minds went to Grace Adventures and the idea of a firepit down by the lake. “Jake loved Grace, loved fishing, loved his family and loved his friends. A fire ring is so ‘Jake,’” Eric reflected. “He loved sitting around and hanging out.” Not only did the Nienhuises like the idea of a memorial at the camp where they have spent so much time as a family, but they also feel it is there Jake was able to connect with so many.

Jake Nienhuis The thoughtfully designed firepit area is scheduled to be installed near the waterfront on Upper Silver Lake later this month. From overhead it looks like a fishhook, which represents Jake’s love of fishing and one of the ways he brought people together. The top part of the fishhook will be the location of the actual firepit surrounded by wooden chairs. The “hook” part of the design will include additional bench seating. The entire patio will be constructed of brick and surrounded by native plantings. As an added personal touch, the chairs, to be situated around the firepit, will be a family building project, the Nienhuises said. “Though short, Jake’s life impacted everyone who knew him,”

said Ben Vander Kodde, president of Grace Adventures Ministries and longtime friend of the Nienhuis family. “Eric and Ann, Jake's parents, approached us about building a permanent memorial firepit on the shore of Upper Silver Lake, where Jake grew up and made so many memories. Jake loved to have real, deep conversations like the ones that often happen while sitting at a campfire.” Vander Kodde expects the site to carry that legacy forward. “Our tagline for the Grace Adventures campus is 'Experiences that Live On,' and this firepit will do exactly that. In the years ahead, I expect thousands of students, adults and families will gather here to connect, growing closer to one another and drawing nearer to our Savior, Jesus Christ.” Funding for this project has come primarily through a friends and family fundraiser on Facebook. Installation of the memorial fire pit is set to begin at the end of September. Anyone wishing to give a tax-deductible gift toward the completion of this project and in memory of Jake can visit https://gaministries.org/donate/, noting “Firepit” in the Gift Notes section.

2 SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 THE OCEANA ECHO

City of Hart gives final approval to join the WMFA By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent HART - Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, the Hart City Council gave their final approval for participation in and the Articles of Incorporation for the new West Mich Fire Authority. Councilors Catalina Burillo, James Cunningham, Betty Root, Karen Thomson and Mayor Amanda Klotz all voted in favor. Councilors Dean Hodges and Andrew Mullen were absent. Hart Fire Chief Dwight Fuehring and Oceana County Emergency Manager Troy Maloney were present and took questions prior to the vote. Fuehring, Maloney and Pentwater Fire Chief Jonathan Hughart have been working on the new fire authority initiative for the past year. The group’s official name will be the WMFA, however, for logos and promotion, they will go by West Michigan Fire & Rescue, Fuehring told The Oceana Echo following the meeting. The authority will have a governing board with representatives that have already been

selected from each entity participating in the authority: City of Hart - Amanda Klotz; Golden Township - Bill Kolenda; Hart Township - Gabe Kurzer; Pentwater Township and Pentwater Village will share one position - Greg Hopkins and Weare Township - Larry Doran. In addition to representatives from each municipality, two at-large positions will be appointed to the board. The July 27, 2026, Revised Draft of the Articles of Incorporation with regard to Budget and Audit states in part, “Each incorporating municipality’s share of funding for the authority’s budget shall be based on a formula comprised of the following three factors: (1) the respective Incorporating Municipality’s (IM) taxable value as a proportion of the combined taxable value of all IMs; (2) the respective IM’s population as a proportion of the combined populations of all IMs; and (3) the number of fire and emergency service runs during the prior fiscal year in an IM as a proportion of the combined fire and emergency service runs in all IMs. Each of the foregoing factors shall be weighted one-third of the to-

tal amount due, and the aggregate shall constitute the IMs respective share of the Authority budget for that fiscal year.” Fuehring said that at this point the authority is “unofficially official” until all entities bring it to their boards for a final vote. To date, the City of Hart, Pentwater Township, Pentwater Village and Weare Township have all voted to join the WMFA; Golden Township and Hart Township will be giving final consideration to, and holding votes on, whether or not to join the WMFA soon. Fuehring said he will be named as the new authority’s Chief Administrative Employee, or Fire Chief. “By November, we are hoping to be fully operating as one department.” Anyone with questions or wishing to see a copy of the WMFA draft agreement should contact their village, township or city office for more information. In other business, the city council discussed suggested updates to the lease agreement between the City of Hart and The Starting Block (TSB) kitchen incubator located at 1535 Industrial Dr. in Hart. TSB was scheduled to meet Sept.

10 to discuss the revised lease. City Manager Nichole Kleiner recommended giving their board time to consider the revised lease agreement before any further council action was taken. The city is currently seeking bids for a Hart Energy roof replacement estimated at $40,000. Requests for proposals are now open for the new five-year Parks & Recreation Plan (due Sept. 25, 2026) and the Plum Street Realignment Project (due Oct. 1, 2026). A shared service Utility Technician position has been posted internally and will be open to the public Sept. 23, 2026. In conclusion, Kleiner reminded everyone of the Community Open House and Update to be held at the Hart Historic District, Monday, Sept. 28, from 5-6:30 p.m. Tours will be available starting at 5 p.m., followed by a community meeting at 5:30 p.m. where the city will share what’s been happening and who is involved so far. The city is hoping that many new faces will make the effort to come out, hear more, share ideas and help be a part of the next chapter in this location’s history.

Oceana Center Grange Agricultural Report for September 2026 By Phil Carter The Oceana Echo Agricultural Consultant The calendar and the weather tell us summer is still with us, but other indicators point to fall’s rapid approach. School has started, Labor Day has passed, and daylight hours are shorter and darkness hours are longer. Many things are “Ripe in the Land of Oceana” as well. The harvest of peaches, pears and apples and other good eats are ripe. Peach varieties are showing up at stores and fruit stands. Currently, McIntosh, Paula Red and early Golden varieties are being harvested. Pear picking is nearing completion. A few cooler night temperatures have added color to apples. MACMA (Michigan Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Association) estimates the Michigan apple crop at 25 million bushels, slightly less than 2025. A slight increase in prices for processing apples was negotiated with several handlers for 19 cents per pound for soft varieties and 21 cents for hard varieties. Demand for apples seems good this fall.

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PUBLIC NOTICE WEARE TOWNSHIP 6506 N. Oceana Dr. Hart, MI 49420

The Planning Commission will hear the Proposed Zoning Change and vote on change at the Regular PLC Meeting September 29, 2026 at 7:00pm From Highway Service to Low Density Residential

Parcel # 002-030-200-15

A Land Division of said parcel, South 233’ of parcel #002-030-200-15

The summer dry weather is visible with certain fields of corn and soybeans showing drought symptoms. Hay crops were impacted with lower than normal yields. This is small in comparison to the years-long drought in the western states. Corn chopping has started and will continue until silos, ag bags and bunkers are filled. The 155th Oceana County Fair is a wrap, and the Large Market Project prices were very “ripe.” Gross sales totaled $513,585.90 with hogs averaging $10.92 per pound. They ranged from $5.50 to $22. Goats averaged $24 a pound, ranging from $18 to $30. The lambs' spread was $5.50 to $11, averaging $7.95. Beef topped out at $14.50 per pound and bottomed at $4, for an average of $6.50 per pound. It is amazing how our local community and businesses stepped to the plate to support our youth.

On a very sad note, the Grand Champion hog passed away Saturday evening, Aug. 29. To set the record straight, a necropsy performed on organs harvested determined that no swine influenza was involved. As swine barn superintendent, your loyal scribe was at the forefront of this unfortunate situation. Several calls from two different state veterinarians confirmed that our team instituted all the necessary protocols to ensure safety for all individual persons and animals involved. All remaining swine reached their destinations safely. A recent accidental farm death shows that no matter the task, safety is always job one, whether at the workplace, at home or on the highways. Be part of the solution by exercising caution in your daily activities no matter the location.

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CLAYBANKS TOWNSHIP

TRUTH IN TAXATION

SPECIAL MEETING NOTICE Claybanks Township will hold a Truth in Taxation Special Meeting at 7:00 pm at the Claybanks Township Hall, 7577 W. Cleveland Rd., New Era, Monday September 28, 2026.

today to schedule your appointment!

GOLDEN TOWNSHIP Synopsis of Meeting September 8, 2026

Regular Meeting called to order at 6:30 pm. Present: Robert Draper, Connie Cargill, Rachel Iteen, Bill Kolenda, Doug Dykstra and about 11 guests.

Items approved: • Minutes of Last month’s Township Board Meeting and Special meeting. • Bills Approved for Payment • Data Center 1 Year Moratorium • Great Lakes Franchise Ordinance • J & L Cement LLC Bid on Sidewalk Repair • Mears Cemetery Topsoil and Grass Seeding Meeting adjourned at 8:22 p.m. Copies of meeting minutes are available from the township and approved minutes on our website, www.goldentownship.org. - Rachel Iteen, Clerk

THE OCEANA ECHO SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 3

Trinity Health joins efforts to improve response times at SLSD Trauma leaders at Trinity Health Shelby and Trinity Health Muskegon have joined a multi-agency effort to improve response times for injured patients at Silver Lake Sand Dunes. The effort has already been proven to dramatically reduce emergency response and patient transport times for dune-related injuries. The Dune Extrication Plan was developed in 2025, with Trinity Health Shelby and Muskegon joining the Hart Area Fire Department (HAFD), the Oceana County Medical Control Authority, Life EMS and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The dunes, a popular off-road vehicle and recreation destination, have historically provided significant challenges to EMS response and transport times. Previously, if someone was seriously injured at the dunes, DNR officers would have to wait for the ambulance (which often had to travel long distances) to arrive at the base of the dunes and then take the EMS crew to the incident location in a modified vehicle capable of navigating the difficult terrain. After EMS would assess and treat, DNR would then transfer both the patient and EMS crew back to the ambulance at the base of the dunes. This process between

Ogema's Legacy commitment of our commu- Charity Golf Outing nity partners has had a sigdonates over $7K nificant impact on response capabilities and patient access to St. Gregory-Our times, demonstrating how Lady of Fatima proactive local collaboration

dispatching an ambulance and the ambulance leaving the scene with the patient could range from 1-2 hours. The goal of the Dune Extrication Plan is to shorten this time, getting the injured person assessed and transported more quickly to an emergency facility for care. Recognizing this need, community partners came together to develop this plan, with Trauma Program Coordinators from both Trinity Health Shelby and Trinity Health Muskegon lending their expertise to set attainable emergency response goals that would give patients their best chance at a successful outcome. They provided data analysis, evaluation of state and national trauma expectations and clinical expertise to develop meaningful solutions. Since Memorial Day Week-

end 2026, HAFD has provided dedicated medical response coverage on the Silver Lake Sand Dunes every weekend, cutting emergency response times in half, from 1-2 hours down to 31-38 minutes. Currently, HAFD staffs two Medical First Responders on the dunes from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. each weekend. Their mission is to rapidly assess, stabilize and transport sick or injured people from the incident location to the base of the dunes, where they are taken via ambulance to the most appropriate emergency facility. “This project is a great example of how collaboration, data-driven decision-making, and a shared commitment to patient care can lead to positive change within a community,” said Angela Schiller, Trauma Program Coordinator, Trinity Health Shelby. “The

can improve care for injured patients.” While the Dune Extrication Plan has achieved outstanding results, coverage is currently limited to weekends during the summer season. The Dune Extrication Planning Committee recognizes that many busy days remain without dedicated HAFD dune staffing. At present, the costs associated with staffing two Medical First Responders on the dunes each weekend are supported through Oceana County and HAFD funding. To sustain and potentially expand this level of service, several options are being explored, including: • Additional state funding • Local government support • Community and business donations • Development of additional on-dune resources to assist during periods when HAFD is not staffed The committee remains committed to improving emergency response capabilities at the Silver Lake Sand Dunes and ensuring that residents and visitors continue to receive the highest level of care possible.

On Sept. 11, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians held a charity event to raise money for the Elbridge Indian Cemetery in Hart, Michigan. The event, Ogema's Legacy Charity Golf Outing was estimated to raise $3,000, however, it raised over $7,000 to go towards a new riding lawn mower and other equipment. The donation will be given to St. Gregory-Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Hart to be designated to the cemetery. The inaugural event was held at the Wolf River Golf Club in Bear Lake, Michigan and had over 20 teams participating. The well-known cemetery holds burial sites for many of the Native American families of West Michigan. For many years, the cemetery has been maintained by volunteers from the area, including Emily Smith, Alice Battice, Ponce Zamborowski, Tony and Linda Andre and Kevin and Tasha Hardy. Other volunteers have included David and Mindy Baker, Clarence and Connie Battice, Rob and Melissa Weaver , Adam Rodriquez, Rusty Smith and Jason, Michelle and Jenna Bialek.

4 SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 THE OCEANA ECHO Visit us!

This page is brought to you by:

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

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

Oceana County Normal School - where teachers learned to teach By Claire Marshall The Oceana Echo Community Columnist A place I’ve often come across in researching the everyday people of this area is the “County Normal School.” More often than not, it's noted as the alma mater of many a young woman from the early 20th century who ended up teaching - whether briefly or as a lifelong career - at one of the many local rural schools. For the most part, context clues make the purpose of County Normal School clear: it was where teachers learned to teach. As Walt Urick at the Oceana County Historical & Genealogical Society (OCH&GS) put it, "They took some of the brightest kids from the county and funneled them into County Normal. Then when they graduated, they’d teach in the schoolhouses.” Further, accounts of local teachers on file at the OCH&GS verify this assembly line: rural student to brighteyed graduate, then back to the one-room schoolhouses to teach the next generation. County Normal was a oneyear, intensive program that provided a provisional teaching certificate to graduates, typically for a year of work in a rural school teaching kindergarten through eighth grade.

Oceana County Normal's graduating class of 1906. Handwritten notes name these students: Nina Fuller Skinner (back row, far right), Maud May Dillingham (front row, far left) and Josie Brady (back row, second from right).

This program was overseen by Michigan’s Department of Education, and they even issued the diploma at matriculation. County Normal operated out of the old Hart High School (a multi-story, brick building), reserving two dedicated classrooms on the top floor. Classes consisted of instruction on current grade-school curriculum, classroom management and teaching techniques - not unlike nowadays. In that same vein, County Normal also provided student teaching, which was observed by a “critic teacher” for correction and providing backup. This symbiotic relationship allowed the County Normal students to work with local children and provided grade-schoolers with bonafide school instruction. Normal schools were a not uncommon concept throughout the Americas and Europe, dating back to 17th-century France as model classrooms where prospective instructors

could practice. It's unclear when Oceana’s County Normal began, as the OCH&GS’s oldest documented photo of a Normal graduating class dates to 1905. There is a photograph of an instructory school class from the 1890s, but it was not definitely labeled as a “Normal” school. It’s possible this earlier school was later subsumed into or became the County Normal School at the turn of the century. Often, the Hartian yearbook had a page or two dedicated to County Normal, and many Normal students took it upon themselves to handmake their own dedicated yearbooks filled with snapshots of students, thanks to their instructors, their class songs and flowers, not to mention lists of inside jokes that came about after their year of comradery. It also becomes clear the place County Normal had in the community - not only had the students grown up

in Oceana and taught county grade-schoolers, but they were frequent chaperones at school dances and volunteers at carnivals and potlucks. If there was a county event, especially in the 1900s and 1910s, best believe a County Normal teacher-in-training would be there helping serve punch. Most students who attended Normal did so out of financial necessity. They wanted to become teachers, but did not have the funds to move out of the area and attend a proper college. Oceana County residents could attend County Normal free of charge, and, as noted in the Oceana County History book (Vol. I), “it was assumed the new teachers would seek employment in the county rural school.” Such is the case as found in teachers’ accounts, some even finding employment in the one-room schoolhouses they themselves attended. Teaching in rural schools was no walk in the park, however. Not only did these County Normal graduates face impoverished students and inconsistent attendance, but they themselves had to coordinate housing and their commutes to work, often lodging with local families. This is part of the reason why I’ve found so many postcards from young local teachers sent to their local families. Sure, Mom and Dad

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may live 30 miles down the road, but that might as well be 100 miles for a busy 20-yearold without an automobile. Some teachers worked for a handful of years before marrying or finding alternative work, but just as many dedicated their lives to their careers, renewing their certificates at either Normal or through classes at any accredited college or university. County Normal closed in 1943, with a final graduating class of 15 new rural teachers. The Oceana County History book also notes that it wasn’t a decision made due to a lack of need, “The loss of Oceana County Normal produced a hardship on the county schools. No longer did they have a source of new teachers to fill the vacancies left by retirement, marriages or deaths.” For decades, Oceana County farmed its distinguished youth to teach their own, with bright rural students giving back to the community that raised them. As Oceana County History concludes, County Normal, “served the county well in its many years of existence.”

Shelby High School Class of 1956 makes donation to The Ladder Community Center The Shelby High School Class of 1956 recently decided to discontinue their annual class picnic after 70 years. They chose to donate the funds remaining in their class treasury to The Ladder Community Center in Shelby, since its youth program benefits underprivileged children in the community. The surplus funds from the class of 1956 were generated over the first 50 years after graduation by the thrifty planning of the five-year dinner events that the class members and their spouses enjoyed. The class lost its first classmate 35 years after graduation. At the time, class representatives decided to use the surplus funds to build a memorial program honoring their deceased classmates. Each time a classmate died, a $25 gift was given to the charity of their fam-

ily’s choice. In addition to the surplus funds generated from the dinner meetings, some classmates made separate cash donations to this memorial program. Mark Frost, class president; Vera Huls, current class treasurer; and Margaret Knapp, a 70-year member of the class reunion committee, presented the monetary gift of $450 on August 19 to The Ladder’s Director, Brian Beckman, and Youth and Men’s Coach, Troy Love. “A lot of classes would use that leftover money to have a blowout party for themselves,” said Love. “It is inspiring to see Shelby classmates from 1956 love each other, honor their deceased classmates and desire to invest in future generations. They Pictured above, from left, The Ladder’s Director Brian Beckman stands with Class of are leaving a legacy that will impact 1956 reunion committee member Margaret Knapp, Class President Mark Frost, Youth future classes at Shelby High School.” and Men’s Coach Troy Love and Class Treasurer Vera Huls. • Contributed

The Oceana Echo © is a 501(c)(3) published weekly at P.O. Box 192, Mears, MI 49436 • All rights reserved. theoceanaecho@gmail.com • September 18, 2026 • Volume 4 • Issue 17 Office (Old Town Hall in Mears): M & W: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. • 231-301-8149 • ads@oceanaecho.com

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THE OCEANA ECHO SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 5

Ongoing

September

The Ladder Community Center: Sept. 18 - Hart Middle School Chicken Dinner Fundraiser, HHS aux. gym Sept. 22: Knitting Group, 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 18 - Feeding America Food Truck, Spitler Elementary School, 5 p.m. Sept. 26 - Live Hymns, 6:30-8pm Sept. 18 - Hesperia Homecoming Football Game, 7 p.m. 6th-12th Grade youth program “The Huddle”: Mon-Fri 3-5pm Sept. 18 - “Glow in the Park”, Charles Mears State Park, 8-10:30 p.m. Adult Hours: Mon-Fri 8-3 Strum It Club: Fridays, 11am-12pm Sept. 19 - Beach Cleanup, Oceana Conservation District, 8-9:30 a.m. Women’s Bible Study: Mondays 1-2pm Sept. 19 - Church Safety Conference, Grace Adventures, 8 a.m. to noon. Men’s Bible Study: Tuesdays 10:30am-12pm Sept. 19 - New Era Fall Festival, downtown New Era Visit www.theladdercommunitycenter.com for complete event schedule. Sept. 20 - Church Picnic & Homecoming, St. Stephens Lutheran, Shelby, Donate returnable cans and bottles to the Hart VFW. Service 9:30 a.m., Drop off at the hall or call Steve at 231-873-1727 for pick-up.

Lakeshore Keepers announces closing dates for 2026 As summer gives way to fall, Lakeshore Keepers is inviting visitors to experience Michigan’s historic lighthouses during this beautiful time of the year. Beginning Sept. 10, Lakeshore Keepers’ five historic lighthouses will transition to fall hours, open Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to plan their trips before each lighthouse closes for the 2026 season. The 2026 closing dates are: • Manistee North Pierhead Light: Sept. 20 • Little Sable Point Lighthouse: Sept. 27 • Ludington North Breakwater Light: Sept. 27 • Big Sable Point Lighthouse: Oct. 25 • White River Light Station: Oct. 25 Fall offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience the lighthouses with cooler temperatures, colorful scenery, and stunning views along Lake Michigan. From climbing a historic tower to exploring lighthouse history and enjoying a walk along the shoreline, each site offers a memorable way to experience Michigan’s lakeshore. “Fall is a wonderful time to visit the lighthouses,” Marketing Manager at Lakeshore Keepers Julie Slagter said. “The changing seasons bring a different kind of beauty to the lakeshore, and we encourage visitors to make plans to visit before the sites close for the year.” Visitors can explore all five Lakeshore Keepers sites along Michigan’s western shoreline, each with its own history, architecture and connection to Great Lakes maritime heritage. For more information about hours, closing dates, events and visitor information, visit the Lakeshore Keepers website.

Hispanic Heritage Festival rescheduled for Sept. 25

Sept. 20 - See You at the Pole pre-rally, New Era Bible Church, 6 p.m. Sept. 21 - HAPL Movies for Grown-Ups, Community Center, 4 p.m. Sept. 21 - Pentwater Public Schools Community Open House, 4-5:30 p.m. Sept. 22 - Small Business Buzz Coffee Circle, The Starting Block, 9:30 a.m. Sept. 22 - All Pro Dads Kickoff Event, Craig’s Cruisers, Silver Lake, 4-7 p.m. Sept. 22 - New Era Farmer’s Market, 4-7 p.m. Music by The Barton Duo 5-7 p.m. Sept. 22 - A Night of Great Lakes Exploration, Mich. Research Station, 6 p.m. Sept. 22 - Hope for Neighbors, Trinity Lutheran Church, 7 p.m. Sept. 24 - Harvest Day, Village Green Pentwater Sept. 25 - Hart Homecoming Football Game, 7 p.m. Sept. 25 - Stewardship Day: On the Roadside, Oceana Conservation District, MDOT carpool lot on Polk Road, 9-11:30 a.m. Sept. 25 - Hispanic Heritage Festival, downtown Hart, 5:30-9:30 p.m. Sept. 26 - Downtown Day, downtown Hart Sept. 26 & 27 - Fall Fest, Pentwater, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sept. 26 & 27 - Fall Cemetery Tours, Pentwater Sept. 28 - Versiti Blood Drive, Mich Research Station, Hart, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sept. 28 - Community Night - Tours & Discussion, Hart Historic District, 5 p.m. Sept. 28 - Love INC Fall Gathering, Rothbury Community Church, 6 p.m.

HMS Chicken Dinner Fundraiser set for Sept. 18

Hart Middle School will hold their second annual Chicken Shack chicken dinDue to the stormy weather predicted for this Saturday, Oceana County’s Anner, silent auction and raffle fundraiser Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, starting at 6:30 p.m. nual Hispanic Heritage Festival has been postponed to Friday, Sept. 25 from 5:30in the Hart High School auxiliary gym. The cost is $15 per meal or four meals for 9:30 p.m. in downtown Hart. $55 if paid in cash, or $16 per meal or four meals for $58 if using a credit card via GOFAN. Advanced tickets purchased will be guaranteed. A limited number of dinFROM THE STAFF AT ners will be available for purchase on Friday night. The dinner will include half a roasted chicken, baked potato, cole slaw, dinner roll and bottle of water. Pop will be available for purchase. An array of silent auction items will also be available to bid on at Friday night’s dinner, and winning bidders will be named at 6:30 p.m. in the auxiliary gym. Raffle tickets can also be purchased Friday night at the fundraiser dinner and throughout As summer winds down, the Pentwater District Library is looking ahead halftime of the Hart Pirates home varsity football game. to a busy and enjoyable fall season. While the pace may feel different from Proceeds will be used mainly to fund extra student activities and field trip the excitement of summer reading, staff members are hard at work planning transportation. programs that offer learning, creativity, wellness and fun for people of all ages. See You At The Pole events planned One of the library’s newest activities has been Mahjong. Staff have been See You At The Pole (SYATP), an annual student-led effort, gathers students, faculty, learning the game and sharing it with members of the public who are interstaff and the public around school flagpoles every September for the purpose of praying ested in playing. Mahjong is a social tile-based game that combines stratefor their schools, students and the year ahead. This year’s SYATP will be held around gy, concentration and a little bit of luck. It is also a wonderful way to meet school flagpoles at several local schools Wednesday, Sept. 23. people, enjoy conversation and try something new. Whether one has played A pre-event rally is planned for this Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026 at 6 p.m. at the New Era before or is entirely new to the game, we invite the community to watch for Bible Church, 5308 S. Oceana Dr., New Era, and is open to all Oceana County students future opportunities to learn and participate. for a time of fun, music, teaching and prayer. Planning is also underway for our fall afterschool programming. The li“Students, don’t wait until ‘See You at the Pole’ to gather and pray, come together brary will offer a variety of STEM activities for area children. STEM — scibeforehand. Join us for an exciting evening of worship, prayer, games and prizes as we ence, technology, engineering, and mathematics — programs encourage prepare our hearts to seek God together, ” CARS Youth Center Director Scott Granlee young people to experiment, solve problems, ask questions and use their shared. “This year’s theme is ‘Come to Me’ from Matthew 11:28. Bring your friends and imaginations. We are looking forward to providing hands-on activities that youth group for worship, prayer for our schools and communities, and to draw closer are both educational and fun after the school day ends. to Jesus!” Adults looking for a midweek wellness opportunity are invited to join us For more information about the pre-event rally, please contact Granlee at carsyouthfor yoga on Wednesday mornings. A weekly instructor-led yoga class begins center25@gmail.com or Pastor Mike Deblois of New Era Bible Church at pastormikedWednesday, Sept. 30. Yoga can be adapted for many levels of experience and nebc@gmail.com. offers a peaceful opportunity to stretch, move, relax and focus on personal well-being. Participants are encouraged to watch the library’s Facebook Love INC fall gathering set for September 28 page and other announcements for additional details. Love INC invites the community to its annual fall gathering, “Sharing God’s PromPuzzle fans will not want to miss our upcoming Puzzle Contest on Monise of Abundant Life,” Monday, Sept. 28, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Rothbury Commuday, Sept. 28, at 1 p.m. Gather friends, bring those puzzle-solving skills, and nity Church, 2500 Winston Rd., Rothbury. enjoy a friendly afternoon challenge at the library. Puzzles are a great way to This event will be a chance to hear the stories of those churches and individuals imexercise the mind, work together and have fun in a relaxed setting. We are pacted by the ministry and make a donation, making future stories possible. A hearty limited to three teams of four, so please register at 231 869-8581. hors d’oeuvre and dessert bar will be served, and music will be provided by All Shores Of course, fall would not be complete without preparations for the Music, a ministry of All Shores Wesleyan Church in Haunted Library. Staff are already making big plans for Halloween, and we Spring Lake. look forward to welcoming the community for a festive and family-friendly Tickets are not required, however, a response library experience. More information about the Haunted Library and its acwould be appreciated so organizers can plan. Please tivities will be shared as the date gets closer. email director Steve Lienbach at info@loveincoceaIn addition to these programs, staff are preparing the collection for an na.org with the number expected to attend. upcoming library inventory by shelf reading and making sure materials are For those unable to make it and wishing to help in their proper locations. This behind-the-scenes work helps keep the colLove INC continue to transform lives and commulection organized and makes it easier for patrons to find the books, movies, nities, please scan the QR code above, visit loveincaudiobooks and other materials they enjoy. oceana.org or mail Love INC Oceana, 191 N. MichiWe are excited about the season ahead and hope all will join us at the gan Ave., Shelby, MI 49455, to make a tax-deductible Pentwater District Library this fall. donation.

NOVEL

IDEAS

6 SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 THE OCEANA ECHO

The Journey to the Promised Land: Part 3 - Give Like Dolly Day By Janet Van Gunst Hasselbring The Oceana Echo Community Columnist Dolly Parton was the consummate giver. She could have made money with her money, but instead she gave it away. Instead of counting her money, she counted her blessings. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young said it best, “Dolly Parton’s legacy is not celebrity, but humanity.” She was a singer, songwriter, actress and entertainer; however, she wanted to be remembered for getting books into the homes and hands of children: "If I'm remembered 100 years from now, I hope it will be not for looks but for books," she once quipped. Today, her Imagination Library gifts books, free, to over 3 million children every month, and over 330 million books have been given worldwide since it started. Oceana County, an affiliate of the Imagination Library, can join communities across the nation in remembering Dolly for her books by celebrating “Give Like Dolly Day” on September 25. Inspired by Dolly's generous heart and her deep belief in giving back to children and communities, the Dollywood Foundation has introduced a new annual tradition: Give Like Dolly Day, taking place each year on Sept. 25. The idea is simple: the Dollywood Foundation is going to honor Dolly by asking the world to give to

their local Imagination Library programs. On Sept. 25, people everywhere are invited to support this organization doing meaningful work for children where they live — beginning with their local Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) program. And that means those wishing to give like she did are at the heart of this day. Dolly believed a child’s dreams could be realized within the pages of a book. She saw how illiteracy affected her family members in Sevier County: “My daddy was the smartest man I have ever known, but I knew his inability to read probably kept him from seeing all of his dreams come true." One of the ideas for a “9 to 5 Dolly Day" came from Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, who are donating all sales from their Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk in Nashville on Sept. 25 to the Imagination Library. "This is 100 percent about Dolly and her love for children’s literacy,” said Yearwood. Their idea is catching on with Imagination Library affiliates, as well as communities seeking to become affiliates. Restaurants, inns and brew pubs willing to donate can get details for participation at www.earlybirdbooks.org/DollyDay. Some are adding a unique feature, e.g., one venue is offering a “Dolly donut,” and an ice cream shop is creating a “Dolly sundae.” Dolly called the local Imagination Library partners/affiliates the “true heroes” of her program. "Dream more," "learn more," "care more" and "do

more" were her mantras. If you live in Oceana County, be a hero for “Give Like Dolly Day:” • If you are a business owner, donate a portion of your sales on Sept. 25 to your local Imagination Library; if not, encourage a business owner to participate. For more information, visit www.earlybirdbooks.org/DollyDay, contact Oceana County DPIL Director Barbara Saunders Sims at Barbara@unitedwaylakeshore.org or this author at janethasselbring23@gmail.com. • Donate to your local Imagination Library at www.unitedwaylakeshore.org/dpil. Designate your gift for Oceana County. • Enroll your child at www.imaginationlibrary. com. Click on Oceana County. • Let’s give like Dolly. Let’s give for Dolly. And, like Dolly, let’s learn to count our blessings instead of our money.

SPECIAL MEETING NOTICE

Crystal Lake West Orchard Drive Association, A Domestic Nonprofit Corp. with Identification #800830938 will hold a special meeting at 4226 West Orchard Drive, Hart, MI 49420 on October 3, 2026 at 12:00pm to allow the residents of association to elect board members.

White Lake UMC

Worship God, Follow Jesus, Love & Serve all

Sunday Worship

9am Traditional Service 1820 Ray Ave. 11am Praise Band Service 231-861-5554 11am Kids Church/Youth Class/Nursery Sunday Services: Weekly Faith Groups for All Ages Nursery provided Choir and Handbells Senior Pastor - James Enns 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Associate Pastor - Bryan Wolff Mission Opportunities Rev. John Medendorp Associate Pastor - Luke Craymer Home of the White Lake Free Store Adult small groups and family ministries every week www.neweracrc.org and The Gathering free meals Second Monday Food Pantry 9:15-11:30 a.m. Growing in Relationship with God, with 8555 Cook Street Montague, MI 49437 Becoming Committed Followers of Jesus Christ Each Other, and with Our Community. (231) 894-5789 www.whitelakeumc.org www.rothburycommunity.com

2500 W. Winston Rd. • 231-893-4965 9:30 a.m. Morning Service 11:15 a.m. Sunday Bible Classes

Church Directory St. Gregory-Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Parish

Lutheran Church

Misas en inglés y español Sunday Mass Times:

Saturday: 4 p.m. (English) OLF Sunday: 9:30 a.m. (English) STG Domingo: 11:30 a.m. (Español) STG Domingo: 6 p.m. (Español) OLF

Daily Mass & Adoration Times:

Tuesday: 6 p.m. (English) STG Wednesday: 9 a.m.(English) STG Jueves: 6 p.m. Misa y Adoración después de Misa (Español) STG Viernes: 6 p.m. (Español) STG Friday: 8 a.m. Adoration & 9 a.m. Mass (English) OLF

Reconciliation:

9:30 a.m. Wednesday @ STG 9:30 a.m. Friday @ OLF 3:30 p.m. Saturday @ OLF 5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday @ STG

St. Peter’S-By-the-Lake ePiScoPaL church

St. Stephens

8435 Old Channel

(LCMS)

82 S. Wythe St. in Pentwater Trail, Montague 7400 W. Johnson Rd., (231) 869-7351 5631 W. Stony Lake Rd. 616-894-0172 Shelby • 231-861-2952 Join Us For Worship 4944 4 3 59 New Era, MI 6 • 2 1 -86 1 0 Sunday Service: 9:30 a.m. SUNDAY EUCHARIST – 9 a.m. Sundays at 10 a.m. office@tlcnewera.org • tlcnewera.org stpetersmontague@gmail.com Summer Outdoor Service joinus@stjamesepiscopalpentwater.org Rev. Sarah J. Samuelson stpetersbythelake.weebly.com Rev. Kurt Overway We Believe That God Loves Sunday Worship Service: 8 & 10 a.m. You - No Exceptions

www.ststephensshelby.org Barrier Free Access

Ferry Memorial Shelby Congregational Reformed Church United Church of Christ

Sunday Worship: 10:00 am

51 E. Third St.

Nursery Provided

Blessings Abound!

Hart United Methodist Church Walkerville Wesleyan Church

308 S. State St., Hart, MI 49420

231-873-3516

231-861-4404 • shelbycucc@gmail.com Barrier Free • Nursery Provided on Facebook • website under development Love our community toward Christ hartunitedmethodist.org Sunday 10:30 am Streamed on Youth Group: Sundays 5-7 pm www.facebook.com/HUMCmichigan Sunday Service - 9:15 a.m. Safe Haven: Every Wed. 3-5 pm Coffee time follows 10:30 AM Sunday Service 231.894.9415 St. Gregory: 214 S. Peach Ave., Hart Sunday School (Ages 4-12) • Nursery available • Chancel Open gym and showers available Pastor Cydney Idsinga Choir & Bell Choir meet Wednesdays • Adult Bible 8637 Old Channel Trail Our Lady of Fatima: Studies - Thursdays, Fall - May • 5th Saturday - Free 231.873.5040 If you would like an appointment 1372 S. Oceana Dr., Shelby Breakfast 8-10 a.m. • Hearing Loop • Barrier Free Montague, Michigan 144 S Hamon St, Walkerville www.stgregoryathart.org with Pastor Cyd, please call EVERYONE IS WELCOME! Office@walkervillewesleyanchurch.org www.ferrychurch.org Fr. Juan Palomar • (231) 873-2660 231-873-3516

St. Joseph & St. Vincent Catholic Churches

First Methodist oF shelby

www.stjosephweare.org

We are an independent, local church serving our communities and reaching beyond.

June 28 through September 6

Shelby Congregational UCC building

Sundays at 9:30 AM Pentwater Village Green

Office: 231-873-5776

Check out our Facebook page

(Formerly Shelby UMC)

SUNDAY WORSHIP: 11 AM

CENTENARY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Be the Breath of God in Community.

3757 W. Polk Rd. Hart, MI 49420

Sunday Services

English: 10 a.m. Spanish/Español: 12:30 p.m.

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

Sunday Service: 10 am

Wed. Family Night: 6-8 pm

Clothing Closet: Every Wed. 4-6 p.m. St. Joseph, Weare FMCShelby@gmail.com Fall, Winter & Spring Worship Family Dinner: 1st & 3rd Wed. 5-6 p.m. Last FRI: Free Soup Supper, 5:30-7 pm Find us on Facebook: 2380 W. Jackson Rd., Hart 10:30 AM - Yellow Brick Church 4075 S. 132nd Ave., Hesperia First-Methodist Church Of-Shelby (231) 873-0832 Saturday Mass: 7 p.m. at 82 S. Hancock St. in Pentwater 231-861-5007 MAiling Address Worship Address Full class schedule on our website: Rev. Dr. Vaughn W. Thurston-Cox, Pastor Sunday Mass: 9 a.m. 8463 W. Shelby Rd., 51 E. 3rd St., NEWMANC3.ONLINE hartwesleyanchurch.org www.pentwaterumc.org Shelby Shelby St. Vincent, Pentwater gathered. Hesperia Mears United claybankS united followers 637 E. Sixth St. disciples scattered Presbyterian Church MethodiSt church Saturday Mass: 4 p.m. Methodist Church Sunday Mass: 10:30 a.m. Everyone is welcome to join us Sunday WorShip 4775 First St • 231-861-2501 Do No Harm, Do Good, Stay In Love With God

- Easter through October

Confessions: 1/2 hour before all Masses, except 10:30 Mass

Rev. Phil Sliwinski, Pastor

in worship Sunday mornings

at 10 a.m. 82 Church St. P.O. Box 336 Hesperia, MI 49421 (231) 854-3075 hpc11@frontier.com

10:30 a.m.

A warm welcome is extended to all who worship here

9197 56th avenue Montague, Mi

231-923-0573

claybankSuMc@gMail.coM

SUNDAY SERVICE: 9:30 a.m. Children’s SS: 9:45 a.m. Nursery Provided Pastor Benjamin Oliveira Coffee fellowship after service

newerareformedchurch.org

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

All Are Welcome

THE OCEANA ECHO SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 7 In Loving Memory of our Family, Friends and Neighbors

obituaries Richard Collins Gregwer January 16, 1950 ~ September 8, 2026

Richard Collins Gregwer, of Pentwater, Michigan, passed away peacefully on September 8, 2026, at age 76. He was born on January 16, 1950, to Collins and Grace (Gebhardt) Gregwer in Hart. After graduating from Pentwater High School, Richard was drafted into the U.S. Army and proudly served his country in Vietnam. During his service, he was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. Richard was always proud of his military service and remained a strong supporter of veterans throughout his life. Following his military service, Richard dedicated 32 years to the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office in corrections. Service was deeply woven into the Gregwer family. His father served as an undersheriff, and Richard was proud to see both of his children continue that legacy: his son, David, as a sheriff’s deputy, and his daughter, Stacy, who served her country in the United States Army. Richard married Verna (Hood) in 1998, and together they shared 28 wonderful years. Through the years, they built a life filled with love, laughter, and memories. Richard found joy in the simple things in life. He loved motorcycles, fishing, camping, card games, westerns, and spending time with his friends and family. He had a special fondness for John Wayne and the Upper Peninsula, where he enjoyed the beauty of the outdoors and the time spent there. He was known for being a loving and kind man, and the people who knew him will remember his friendship and the many memories they shared with him, including his lifelong friend Bruce Maynard. Richard’s faith was an important part of his life. Having accepted Jesus into his heart, he held firmly to his faith for many decades. His family finds comfort knowing he walked his narrow road with faith and has now found his way home. Richard is survived by his beloved wife, Verna; his children, David Gregwer and Stacy Gregwer; his sister, Rosemary Gregwer; and his nieces, Chevon Heaton, Colleen Janos, and Christy Gregwer. Richard was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Charles Gregwer; his sister, Ruth Ann Gregwer; and his niece, Joanna, who was very dear to him. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and all those whose lives he touched. His love of country, dedication to service, devotion to his family, and deep faith will continue to live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him. A Celebration of Life will be held at Allied Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 1209 Krafft Rd., Port Huron, MI, on Monday, September 21, 2026, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Richard's name to the American Cancer Society.

Death Notice – Steven A. Hitchcock Steven A. Hitchcock passed away peacefully on September 14, 2026, surrounded by family. A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, October 18, 2026, from 2-6 p.m., at the Hesperia Lions Den. Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, Hesperia Chapel, is in charge of arrangements. www.beaconfh.com

PENTWATER TOWNSHIP Synopsis of Meeting September 9, 2026

Supervisor Cavazos called the September 9th Regular Township Board meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. with four of five Board members present. The meeting was conducted in person and via Zoom. Two staff members and four community members were present in person. Two people were present via Zoom. The Consent Agenda and Meeting Agenda were both approved with revision. Action/ acceptance was taken on the following items: • Budget amendments to General Fund & Sewer Fund • Bid approvals for roadwork and Indian Burial Ground area improvements • Approval of West Michigan Fire & Rescue Authority Articles of Incorporation • Approval to terminate Pentwater Township-Pentwater Village Fire Department Intergovernmental Agreement • Approval of temporary moratorium on zoning and building review for data center and digital asset mining uses • Adoption of Employee Policy & Procedure Handbook The meeting was adjourned at 7:55 p.m. A copy of the complete Minutes are available from the Clerk at the Pentwater Township offices, 500 N Hancock St. during regular business hours, via email , or online at www.pentwatertownshipmi.gov. Maureen Murphy, Clerk

Everett W. McKee

May 12, 1933 ~ September 1, 2026 Everett W. McKee, age 93, passed away at home in Hart, Michigan, on September 1, 2026, surrounded by family. He was born May 12, 1933, in Santa Fe, Tennessee, to the late Edgar and Sarah (Cotton) McKee. Everett’s family moved to Michigan, where he was raised on North Manitou Island from ages 4-9 and later lived in the Muskegon area, where he graduated from Muskegon Heights High School. He then completed a bachelor’s degree at Western Michigan University. After he enlisted and served his country in the United States Army, he attained his private pilot’s license under the Korean War GI Bill. He worked as a test lab technician at Brunswick in Muskegon and Kalamazoo. After moving to Kalamazoo, Everett married Margaret Kencke on June 10, 1967. Everett again attended WMU, where he earned his teaching certificate and master’s degree and taught at Woodland Elementary School in Portage until his retirement. In 1999, he and Margaret moved to Hart. Everett enjoyed sailing and cruising in the North Channel of Lake Huron and various sports, including fast pitch softball and alpine skiing, in North America and Europe. He was passionate about traveling the world, often embarking on impulsive and spontaneous adventures. Everett is survived by his wife of 59 years, Margaret (Kencke) McKee; brother David (Connie) McKee; brothers- and sisters-in-law Doug (Alice) Fuller, Don (Judy) Kencke, and Sarah (Lou) Cramer; nieces and nephews Adam McKee, Steve Fuller, Todd Fuller, David Kencke, Peter Kencke, Marianne (Kencke) Chernesky, and Becky (Cramer) DeWaal; as well as many other great nieces, nephews, cousins, their spouses, and close friends that will miss him and his wicked sense of humor. In addition to his parents, Edgar (Mary Nelson) McKee, Sarah (Cotton) McKee, he was preceded in death by his sister, Alice (McKee) Fuller, as well as aunts, uncles, and one nephew. Per Everett’s wishes, he has been cremated, and there will be no visitation or services. Memorial contributions may be gifted to: L.A.S.S.I. (a nonprofit organization providing support for the Oceana County Animal Shelter), P.O. Box 160, Pentwater, MI 49449; the Crystal Valley Care Fund, P.O. Box 457, Hart, MI 49420; or the Alzheimer’s Association, Michigan Chapter, 25200 Telegraph Rd., Ste 100, Southfield, MI 48033-7443. Harris Funeral Home, in Shelby, is assisting with arrangements. www.harrisfhome.com

parking lot at Canada’s West Edmonton Mall earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest parking lot in the world, a distinction it’s held for years, though some have disagreed, saying that because the lot is half indoors and half outdoors, it’s not one structure but two. • On Sept. 19, 1955, after a decadelong rule, Argentine president Juan Domingo Perón was deposed in a military coup. • On Sept. 20, 2012, 16 members of a dissident Amish group in Ohio were • On July Sept. 21,1981, 1942, the U.S. Adam B-29 • On 27, 6-year-old WEEKLY WEEKLY SERVICE, SERVICE, convicted federal hate crimes and Superfortress, the largest bomber used Walsh wasofabducted from a shopping mall Hollywood, Florida, and later conspiracy forany forcibly cutting the in theinwar by nation, performed FLOOR, NEW NEW FROM KING FEATURES WEEKLY SERVICE, hh FLOOR, found murdered. 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Seoul, Korea, his victory God”temporary, into the Pledge of Allegiance, was as he1988, tested positive • On Sept. 24, Canadian President Dwight Eisenhower signed for steroids days completed later sprinter Benthree Johnson the a law officially declaring “In and Godwas We stripped medal. 100-meter dash in 9.79 seconds to Trust” toofbethe America’s official motto. win gold at the Summer Olympics in •• On Sept. 25, 2015,the a California On July 31, 1964, unmanned Seoul, South Korea, butOlympic victory judge approved former athU.S. lunar probe Ranger 7his took 4,308 was temporary, asofhe lete Caitlyn Jenner’s request topositive legally close-up images thetested moon before impacting surface for steroids threeits days laternorthwest and was change her with name and gender designaof the Sea ofmedal. Clouds. The pictures stripped of the tion. were 1,000 times as clear as anything 25, aU.S. California • On Sept. Sept. 26, 2015, 1996, astropreviously viewed through telescopes judge approved former OlympicLucid athnaut and biochemist Shannon on Earth. lete Caitlyn Jenner’s request to legally returned to Earth in the U.S. Space • On Aug. 1, 1782, Caroline Herchange her namefollowing and gender designaShuttle Atlantis six months schel discovered a comet after viewtion. in aboard athe Russian— space staingorbit it through telescope the first tion Mir. She was the first American such discovery credited toU.S. a woman. • On Sept. 26, 1996, astrowoman live in a space station and Her brother, astronomer William Hernaut andtobiochemist Shannon Lucid schel, hadtospace discovered Uranus the year set a new endurance record for returned Earth in the U.S. Space before. The as first professional female an American well as a world endurShuttle Atlantis following six months astronomer, shea woman. would go on to disance record for in orbit aboard thecomets Russian stacover seven more in space 11 years. tion Mir. She27,was the British first American • On Sept. 1960, suffrag• On Aug. 2, 1992, Jackie woman live in a space station and ette and tointernational Joyner-Kersee becamesocialist the firstSylvia womset a new space endurance record for Pankhurst, who in her 50s shifted her an ever to win two consecutive Olyman as well as aopposing world endurfocus from suffrage toheptathlon. racpicAmerican gold medals in the ance record woman. ism and the for riseaof fascism in Europe, © 2026 King Features Synd., Inc. died Addis27, Ababa, at age • OninSept. 1960,Ethiopia, British suffrag78. given a state funeralSylvia by the etteShe andwas international socialist Ethiopian in recognition Pankhurst, government who in her 50s shifted her of her service to the country. focus from suffrage to opposing racism and the rise fascism Europe, © 2026 King of Features Synd.,inInc. died in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at age 78. She was given a state funeral by the Ethiopian government in recognition of her service to the country.

8 SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 THE OCEANA ECHO

By Lucie Winborne By Lucie Winborne

• Line Soaking baby junkwindow drawersdecals in the with kitchen or wipes will with softeninexpensive the adhesive, allowbathroom sheets of ing to remove decalslide fromaround glass corkyou board. Things adon’t easier. as much, and you can even use pushpins or finishing lightly inserted • “Potty trainingnails can be stressful for into the make both thecork childtoand thecustom parent. compartWe tried • “I things, stained coffee My ments inhave the drawers so things like have pens many but in the end, cups. you handsroll have arthritis, and it’s hard to don’t around. to wait for the child to want to train. wash them by hand. Ascrews young woman • “If your to One thing thateyeglass helpedI purchase keep our tend daughat church suggested a small come loose, just unscrew, brush clear ter motivated was a sticker chart. Be bottle of dishwasher soap. The kind nail polish over the and rescrew bought all of threads stickers, andthough when-I you putAs in kinds a dishwasher, even tightly. the polish dries (in seconds), ever she used the potty,a she get have one. I squirt littlewould in the cup itdon’t will form a tighter bond.” — I.D. in to choose a sticker to put on the chart. and add hot water. It sits while I wash Oregon We would remark onand howthen manyswishes stickup the other dishes • Shaving cream can be used as amade spot ers sheout.” had— and thein variety, which right T.T. Missouri cleaner for most carpets. Simply dab a her feel successful!” — D.R. in Iowa • “Check your area to see if vocabit of the cream into the stained area, tional schools low-cost free • “Last week,offer we found myorson’s scrape off any excess and wipe away auto repairs. Sometimes youwith can sour have favorite sippy cup half-filled dirt with a clean, damp work done for couch. the costIwashcloth. of parts it sovery that milk under the washed • Ways to remove gum from students trained on your well withcan hotbe soapy water, but issue.” it your still child’s hair: pretreatment — R.E. inbad. North Carolinathe smelled I laundry stuffed cup with rubbed in with the fingers; cubes to newspaper and Iscrewed the top • “For thepieces summer fill ice a gym-size harden the gum so that it can be picked duffel bag with “spontaneity supplies” back on. The newspaper absorbed the out chunks; andinkeep it about inand theagood, trunk ofbutmy smell. I took week,old-fashioned it’scar. backIt peanut butter and a comb. includes swimsuits for in use.” — T.L. in Texasall family mem• This is an and oldie,cups, but aplates preschool bers, a one blanket and • “My from pupfor loves to in theifcar, and goodie, L.R. in ride Washington: silverware a picnic. Now, we“Use find my seats loveunexpected hisaround hair, too. Seems wide rubber bands afree drinking we car have some time, like it’s impossible to get out! A we can to the beach or provide pool, orvacuglass forgochildren. It will ahave litum didn’tbywork, so myespecially neighbor a picnic just picking up some sandtle non-slip protection, ifsugthe gested dish gloves. Justdrink. putgrocery a latex wich supplies from the closest glass isI use filled with a cold The rubber your hand store!” glove — viaison e-mail rubber band reusable, andand youwipe can over seats. A very lightly damp sponge write the child’s name on the band with • You can use a clean paper milk carcan work aspen well.” — Washingaton ball in order toinidentify his topoint pour batter forP.I. pancakes. The ton or her cup!” spout makes it easy to pour and reduces splatter. • Lotion Purchase How doscent you too keepstrong? cats away from ayour pump ofthe unscented lotion, and inof garden? Onefor read• “I plants gotbottle tired always looking the er suggests oftotin foil. bottle Another remove about asothird small or dustpan, andstrips I put aa magnet on the mothballs can bebag. toxic, soyour use even zipper-top Add backaofplastic it. (which It sticks right on the side of carefully and follow all safety instrucscented lotion, and mix by shaking the fridge, right next towell the broom.” — tions). L.M. in Kentucky the bottle or stirring with a long stick. The scent will be diluted, andHere’s you sure cana Send your to by Now • Avoid eyetips strain making always add Pembrook more scented lotion or300, top Tip, Dr., Suite your 1800 computer monitor is in the correct off with theItFL excess unscented Orlando, 32810. position. should be placedlotion. directly inSend front©your of you, atFeatures least an arm’s 2026 King Synd., Inc. length tips to Now Here’s a away. If you have trouble seeing the Tip, 1800 Pembrook Dr., Suite 300, screen, you adjust the resolution to Orlando, FLcan 32810. make the screen items bigger. © 2026 King Features Synd., Inc. Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 1800 Pembrook Dr., Suite 300, Orlando, FL 32810.

• Some Los Angeles businessAccording recognition es• famous for to theirfacial amusing names software, Vinci’s “Mona include theLeonardo SpearmintdaRhino strip club, Lisa” is 83% happy, 9% disgusted, 6% the Oops! Sushi restaurant, the Trashy fearful and 2% and angry. Lingerie store, an emporium called Wacko/Soap • The low airPlant. pressure of a twister can literally pullaccurate a person’s out• The most wayeardrum to determine award. bear’s age is to count the rings in a cross sectionmotor of itsboating tooth root • In 1900, wasunder includ-a microscope. ed in the Olympic Games. Only a few races were 98 held, however, andcauses they • Uranus’ degree axial tilt were eventually discontinued to it to spin completely on its sidedue while inconsistent weather and mechanical orbiting the sun. failures. • Google did an experiment with • One atacre peanuts can When make M&Ms theirof headquarters. they putpeanut the candy in sandwiches. containers instead 30,000 butter of• out the Europeans open, people 3 million Theinfirst to ate discover the fewer month’s time. Great pieces Lakes within namedone them the “Sweet• PriorSeas” to theand invention of baking soda, water believed that China cooks used fresh snow to make their bordered their shores. pancakes fluffy, as it contains • The skin of a jellyfish is so thinsmall that amounts of ammonia that react the animal can breathe through it. with batter to rise. • Cellist Daniel Crawford composed Approximately 50 million people a •musical piece for the cello in which worldwide suffer from stuttering. each note represents a year on NASA’s • In 1907, whenaverage Australian swimmer record of global temperature, Annette Kellerman wore a one-piece from 1880-2012. suit in Boston that revealed her arms • Between 1930arrested and 1935, nearly and legs, she was for indecent 750,000 American farms were lost exposure. through bankruptcy or sheriff sales. • One of the most deadly airplane • A man actually once suedhappened Anheuser-Busch accidents on the with theinclaim thetwo company’s ads ground 1977,that when fully loaded misrepresented his potential attractiveplanes collided head-on in the middle ness the opposite sex, if heIsland, wouldkilljust of thetorunway on Tenerife drink their beer. ing more than 500 people. “Explanation of •• The Four Persian out of epic 10 workplace dating Chatrang andresult the Invention of Nard” relationships in marriage. tells the story of chess being introduced • The largest bacterium in the world is to the royal court by an envoy from about the size of an eyelash and can be India. picked up with a pair of tweezers. 18th and centuries, •• During Richardthe Nixon won19th thousands of many British and American newspadollars in poker while stationed in pers featured elegies for dead pets. Green Island during World War II, Amonghethem, sixrun for which later one usedscholar to fundfound his first monkeys, for canaries, 17 for cats for political12office. and 53 for dogs. *** • Egyptians used vast amounts of linThought for the Day: for en to mummify a body — “Sports in fact, the me is when a guy walksfrom off the fabric on one mummy thecourt, 11th and you really can’t9,095 tell whether he won dynasty measured feet, enough to or lost, when he courts. carries himself with cover three tennis pride either way.” — Jim Courier *** © 2026 King Features Synd., Inc. Thought for the Day: “You’ve got to get to the stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing.” — Arthur Ashe

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Have you ever wished your life came with its own fourlegged comedian? Meet Dusty! This 80-pound Husky/Akita mix believes every walk is an expedition, every puddle is a luxury spa, and every day is the perfect day to be wonderfully ridiculous. If there's water nearby, expect a splash. If there's room to run, expect zoomies. If you're having a bad day, expect Dusty to fix it. Dusty has never met an adventure he didn't like, and he's pretty sure you were put on this earth to join him. Hiking? Yes. Long walks? Absolutely. Playing until everyone is laughing? That's his specialty. He's a super friendly guy who has a talent for making people smile without even trying. Life is simply more entertaining when Dusty is around. Dusty seems to enjoy the company of other dogs, but a meet and greet is required. Dusty 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 231-730-3906. Free tags are also available at the OCEANA County Animal Shelter.

LEGAL NOTICE STATE OF MICHIGAN PROBATE COURT OCEANA COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS Decedent’s Estate CASE NO. 26-131-DE JUDGE Hon. Eric R. Fox Estate of Taria Leia Croff Date of Birth: October 29, 1981 TO ALL CREDITORS: NOTICE TO CREDITORS: The decedent, Taria Leia Croff, died May 23, 2026. Creditors of the decedent are notified that all claims against the estate will be forever barred unless presented to Christopher Croff, personal representative, or to both the probate court at 100 State Street, Hart, MI 49420 and the personal representative within 4 months after the date of publication of this notice. Dated: September 18, 2026 Attorney: Brian J. Monton 127 State Street Hart, MI 49420 (231) 873-3892 Personal Representative: Christopher Croff 217 W. 6th Street Shelby, MI 49455 (231) 450-3226

THE OCEANA ECHO SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 9

Pentwater Village Council changes leaf collection method By AnnaMae Bush The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent The Pentwater Village Council met Monday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. at Park Place. Jared Griffis chaired the meeting in the absence of President Mary Marshall. Other council members present were David Bluhm, Dan Nugent, Kathy O’Connor, Don Palmer and Karl Schrumpf. Also present were Police Chief Laude Hartrum, Village Manager Toby Van Ess and 14 visitors in the audience. Voice approval was given to the Consent Agenda and to the Chamber of Commerce's requests to use the Village Green for Brews & Beats and Oktoberfest in 2027. In her treasurer’s report Michelle Bieri called attention to property tax revenues received and to the cost of the office BS&A (Business Systems and Applications) software moving to the cloud this year. Setting all past data in the cloud will facilitate DPW work in the field and remote office work. O’Connor said she felt the cost at $14,000 per year was fair, and Van Ess explained 98% of municipalities use the format, which makes interagency communication possible. Bieri said overdue utility bills were not added to the tax bills this year. Chief Hartrum reported 113 traffic stops were made in August, with 111 of them resulting in a warning. Hartrum will host a VPAC meeting on Sept. 17, 7 p.m., at Park Place and on Zoom for his twice-annual report to the public on police activity and policy, staff updates, new projects, the noise ordinance and speed enforcement. Officer Dune (a Goldendoodle therapy dog) will begin duty at the school in November. DPW concerns were taken up under new business and in the manager’s report. The Pentwater Fire Department report included mention of a $1,000 fine from OSHA for lack of fall protection for packing the hose on fire apparatuses. Under marina calls, it stated gas spills of less than 10 gallons did not require a call for fire department action. Several committee reports were in the agenda packets. The Planning Committee scheduled a public hearing for discussion of solar energy and new sign ordinances. Final proposals will be formulated after feedback is received from the public, the DDA and the Chamber of Commerce. The Zoning Committee granted 2 permits and is working on updating village maps and vacated streets. The Services Committee recommended a change in leaf pickup, a policy regarding seasonal water shut-off/ turn-on fees and discussed extending Morris Street north of Sands.

The DDA August meeting report included changes in the Hancock Street landscaping and postponement of planting new trees until a better watering system is in place. The group discussed the need for a storage shed and the replacement of Brian Prescott as coordinator for “Movies on the Green” in 2027. There were 10 items under new business that required council approval. 1. An agreement to terminate the intergovernmental agreement with Pentwater Township for the operation, funding and maintenance of the Pentwater Fire Department passed unanimously. Dissolving this agreement was necessary for joining the Fire Authority. 2. The approval of a surveyed lot split to designate the firehouse and Morris Street access as belonging to the Fire Authority and the balance of the lot (excluding library property) with Park Street access as belonging to the village also passed unanimously. Maintenance of the access roads is the responsibility of the designated owners. 3. An approval by voice vote was given for the village's participation in the Oceana County Hazard Mitigation Plan. This is something that has been done for many years and is needed for FEMA support should the village ever suffer a disaster. 4. A proposal to pay the necessary fees for the changes in the office BS&A software was unanimously approved. Changes will benefit remote work and field access for the DPW team. 5. A proposal to withdraw the village manager from the MERS pension plan since he will not be here the 10 years required to be fully vested passed unanimously. The village will pay his health insurance plan instead. This will actually save money for both the village and the manager. 6. The approval of a policy for donation and recognition regarding individuals willing to donate $1,000 for a bench or a brick to honor a loved one was unanimously approved. The document spells out what the donor can and cannot expect from the village in return for their donation. 7. A proposal to change the village method for picking up leaves also passed unanimously. This proposal initiated the most discussion. Van Ess said last year was a nightmare with multiple misunderstandings about the zones involved and several schedule interferences by rain and snow. A one-year trial using a bag system in place of street gutter pickups was proposed. Evaluation at the end of the year will determine what follows. Each village resident will be issued 10 30-gallon bags free of charge and pay 75 cents per bag for additional bags. Two

DPW staff will drive through the entire village every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the fall to collect the bags placed at the curb. This will eliminate leaves blowing back on one’s lawn or their neighbor’s lawn. 8. Water shut-offs: the village has an ordinance on the books that overdue bills lead to water shut-offs. But for many years the ordinance has not been followed, and instead overdue bills were simply added to the property tax bills. This practice has led to some overdue bills of $1,000 or more. The proposal was made to put the ordinance into practice. After several warnings, residents will be given seven days to pay the bill before the water is shut off. Help will be suggested if financial hardship is involved. This was approved by a voice vote. 9. The fee for seasonal water shut-offs: residents can request to have their water shut off and turned on when they leave for winter months. The fee for it has been $75. Last year the DPW staff spent hours digging in the snow to find the shut-off valves when the requests came late in the winter. The proposal was to increase the fee to $150 if the request comes between Nov. 15 and March 15 and was unanimously approved. 10. The last proposal that was unanimously approved was a Great Lakes Fishery Grant of $101,000 that requires the village to provide a $25,000 match for the purpose of replacing the wood decking of the fishing platform and boardwalk at the end of Chester Street into the channel. It has not been done since 1998. O’Connor expressed some concern that the unbudgeted expenditure might eliminate a budgeted capital expense. Van Ess said he felt there was enough flex in the budget to handle it without canceling planned expenses. Van Ess also reported he was looking into township zoning for a free-standing storage unit for use by the DDA, the DPW and the police department. He shared the struggle to meet EGLE standards for landscape around the DPW ponds, where a machine with a 14-foot reach is needed to cut weeds, and the village's machine has only a 6-foot reach. EGLE is also requiring multiple water tests of wells #1 and #3, which the village is not using, costing valuable staff time and money. Van Ess is looking into the process for removing well #1 completely. Well #4 has been used for six weeks, but test results are still unreported. He reported the village marina will be closed Oct. 15. Public comments ranged from leaf pickup concerns to library millage receipts, water quality concerns to motorcycles and the noise ordinance, and fire truck access on Morris Street possibly impacting teacher parking. The meeting adjourned at 7:15 p.m.

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10 SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 THE OCEANA ECHO

Board of Commissioners hear multiple 2027 budget requests By Claire Marshall reason being that “be- barriers for residents of all frequent

cause the Hart Fire folks ages to learn about and The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent are medically trained, appreciate Oceana Counthey’re able to get the per- ty’s natural resources. As the Oceana County son off the dunes and out Some of the most imBoard of Commission- to the parking lot to save pactful programs led by ers begins the process us a lot of time.” the OCD are the houseof drafting its 2027 budWith a new average of hold waste and scrap tire get, county departments 14 minutes from on-site collection events. These and other recipients of to hospital, Life EMS staff collections are the result funds have presented are describing the col- of state grants and local yearly and quarterly re- laboration with the Hart donations from the comports, highlighting the Fire Department as “a ga- munity, which has now work they have done with mechanger.” expanded throughout their share, and some are Oceana Conservation both the west and east making requests for in- District (OCD) Manager sides of the county. Howcreases to their budget. Laura Ackerman intro- ever, in 2026 the OCD saw Presenters at the Sept. 10 duced her presentation this program’s budget fall commissioners meeting by expressing OCD’s grat- into a deficit, as the cost of included Life EMS and itude for the county funds disposal rises every year, the Oceana Conserva- they received in 2026 now at $1.20 per pound. tion District. The county’s and a desire to showcase For instance, the 10,000 Emergency Management where those funds were pounds of oil collected and the Oceana Coun- utilized. Ackerman seg- in the program this year ty Council on Aging also mented the programs requires over $10,000 to made requests for ap- into the five priorities - dispose of. Not wanting proval of state and federal or as she put them, “our to turn people away due funds. guiding principles” - as to budgetary constraints Life EMS Supervisor selected by the commu- and risking that the waste Jim Herrema provided the nity in the OCD’s Conser- be disposed of improperorganization’s quarterly vation Needs Assessment ly, the OCD requested an report as positive, with a survey every five years. additional $2,000 from full roster of employees Those priorities include commissioners for the counting 728 transports enhancing water quality, program. and assessments for the managing invasive speThe importance of several months, a slight cies, protecting and im- the program was highincrease from this time proving wildlife habitats, lighted by Commissioner last year. One of the most improving forest health Joel McCormick, though significant events for Life and management, and he questioned whether EMS during the summer protecting greenspace the residents utilizing the months is the Electric and farmland. program were chipping Forest music festival in Of the programs de- in at all to help mediate Rothbury, for which they signed to benefit conser- the budgetary stress. As covered about 300 hours vation priorities, Acker- explained by Ackerman, with the help of Montcalm man highlighted several the program does ask for County EMS. Throughout that received county fund- a suggested donation of the weekend, Life EMS ing, including the treat- $20, but the inconsistenhad 39 transports, which ment and replanting of cy with which residents was 10 less than last year, infected hemlock, inva- donate makes it difficult and Herrema credits this sive landscaping plant to predict a budget. Said to favorable weather con- trade-in programs, and McCormick, “We need ditions of neither too hot grant applications for ad- to have it. It's part of our nor too dry. ditional funds to specifi- area. We support it, but if The average response cally target the manage- users can pay for it, that's time was 12 minutes and ment of certain invasive better.” 4 seconds, which has re- species. Also highlighted During department mained consistent for the were the numerous ed- head reports, Garry McKlast two years. Herrema ucation and outreach een, chairman of the did note that the compli- programs, which are the Parks and Recreation ance scores - which mea- primary focus of county Commission, praised sure the organization’s funding, ensuring limited the work of OCD and its following of operational, dispatch and clinical proHART TOWNSHIP tocols - were “a little low.” In looking back through the organization’s recent trends, Herrema saw no changes in the last two years, which would account for the decrease, and chalked the score NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that, up to an anomaly, but pursuant to MCL 125.3841, the draft Hart assured commissioners Township Master Plan will be available for the agency is still close- viewing by the public, and that a public ly monitoring incoming hearing will be held on the plan October compliance scores. 7, 2026, at 7:00 pm. The public hearing will Perhaps the great- take place at the Hart Township Hall (3437 est improvement for Life W Polk Rd, Hart, MI 49420). EMS is at the Silver Lake Sand Dunes and the work The plan is available for review at the the Hart Fire Department Township Hall (3437 W Polk Rd, Hart, MI has done staffing a ded49420) and at harttownship.org. icated unit to the dunes throughout summer Written comments on the proposed weekends and holidays. Master Plan can be submitted by e-mailing As Herrema explained, “It doesn’t change our harttownshipzoning@gmail.com or by response times, but it re- mail to Township Hall, 3437 W Polk Rd, duced our on-scene times Hart, MI 49420. by a lot. We saw a drastic Sara Bizon, Zoning Administrator improvement there,” the

MASTER PLAN PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

collaboration with the county parks and, likewise, made a request for an increase in funds. The request was for $3,000 to $4,000 extra, though McKeen admitted other department board members had asked for upwards of $400,000 dedicated to county parks. Following years of receiving less than initially requested, McKeen has learned to manage expectations, saying, “I’ve come to the conclusion that we’re able to pretty much handle the amount of money that we get from the board or from the county to make our parks safe and secure and make them go forward in a positive way.” The requested raise in funding was initiated by increased costs on items such as portable toilets and an increased fee to the Stony Lake Improvement Board. Also during department head reports, Sheriff Craig Mast provided an update on the new Hart Public Schools school resources officer Owen McGuigan, who hit the ground running as the school year started, attending to several different school-related investigations and a student going AWOL on the first day. Said Mast, “He’s learning a lot; he’s settling in. [He] had a busy week, but it's working well.” For resolutions approved by the board, commissioners were presented the annual local emergency management program agreement for

Oceana County’s Emergency Management, of which the funds provide a portion of Manager Troy Maloney’s salary. Commissioners approved the item unanimously. Maloney also provided an update on FEMA damage filings following the heavy rainfall and flooding this spring, which closed with about 17 Hesperia residents filing claims and receiving approximately $150,000 in reimbursements for household repairs and improvements related to flood damage. The Oceana County Council on Aging (OCCOA), likewise, presented approvals necessary to receive funding from MDOT for the organization's specialized services. The first approval was for minor changes to the agreement with MDOT, aligning with new regulations passed in Lansing. The second approval was to receive recently redistributed funds from MDOT, which awarded OCCOA with additional funding of $61,832, more than double the funds received initially for 2026. Commissioners approved the item, though they made note of the tight time

frame MDOT had given to approve the receipt. Considering the frequency of similar occurrences, the board granted the county administrator signing privileges for similar approvals, so long as the items are conferred with either the finance department or board chairman, and the item is post-approved at the following next board meeting. Commissioner Paul Erickson requested an update on the construction of a new, grant-funded bus garage, as commissioners were made aware of issues regarding approval for land to build. OCCOA cannot build the garage on their current property, as no National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) approval was given to the property prior to the grant’s awarding. Erickson was assured that appeals had been made at the state and federal levels to grant an exception, but to no avail. A potential property adjacent to the council has been earmarked for the construction, with OCCOA waiting on NEPA approval before taking the next steps to acquire the property and begin construction.

PUBLIC NOTICE WEARE TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION

Weare Planning Commission is holding a public hearing on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at 6:30pm on an ordinance for ssSES, BESS or ssBESS. Our regular planning commission will be after at 7pm. - Thank you, Melanie Sayles, Weare Clerk

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING VILLAGE OF SHELBY 218 N MICHIGAN AVE SHELBY, MI 49455

THE SHELBY PLANNING COMMISSION HEREBY GIVES NOTICE THAT A SPECIAL MEETING AND PUBLIC HEARING CONCERNING A SPECIAL LAND USE PERMIT AT NICHOL’S PARK, SHELBY, MI WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2026, AT 4:00 P.M. FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSE: The Village of Shelby is requesting approval of a Special Land Use Permit for the construction of a public service building to be located on Lincoln Street at the site of Nichol’s Park. The proposed building will be utilized for municipal purposes, including the storage of Police Department equipment and Department of Public Works (DPW) vehicles, equipment, and materials. The property is located on plat #046-503-009-00. Interested persons are encouraged to attend and will be given an opportunity to comment on the proposed Special Land Use Permit request. The public may submit comments concerning this item in writing to the Village of Shelby, 218 N. Michigan Avenue, Shelby, MI 49455, by emailing administrator@shelbyvillage.com, or by attending the meeting located at 218 N. Michigan Avenue Shelby, MI 49455. Written comments shall be read at the meeting and will become part of the minutes of the meeting. Additional information regarding the application is available for review at the Village Office during regular business hours.

THE OCEANA ECHO SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 11

Shelby State Bank announces personnel updates Shelby State Bank (SSB) is pleased to announce several personnel updates that reflect SSB’s ongoing commitment to strong local leadership, customer service and continued support for the communities it serves. Clarissa Moon has transitioned from Branch Officer in Montague to Branch Officer in Shelby. In her new role, Moon will continue supporting customers and branch Clarissa Moon operations while bringing her experience, steady leadership and relationship-focused approach to the Shelby office. Known for her dedication to both customers and community service, Moon is actively involved in local volunteer efforts and community organizations. Through both her professional work and volunteer efforts, Moon demonstrates a genuine dedication to strengthening the communities she serves. Jessica Younts has been named Montague Branch Manager. Younts joins SSB with more than 10 years of banking experience, including a strong focus on employJessica Younts ee development, team coaching and mentoring and exceptional customer service. In her new role, she will bring valuable leadership, branch management experience and a consistent focus on supporting both customers and staff. Her ability to build relationships, develop employees and foster a positive customer experience will be an asset to the Montague office and the community it serves. Amy Noonan has been promoted to Consumer Loan Officer. Noonan began with SSB as a Loan Operations Specialist, and her extensive background Amy Noonan in lending makes this a natural transition and well-deserved elevation. Her attention to detail, understanding of loan operations and strong focus on customer service will be a true asset to this area of SSB as she helps customers navigate their borrowing needs. “We are excited to celebrate Clarissa and Amy as they step into new roles and to welcome Jessica to the Shelby State Bank family,” SSB President and CEO Mishelle Comstock said. “Their dedication to exceptional service, meaningful relationships and community engagement reflects the values that define our organization. We are grateful to have them on our team and look forward to their continued contributions.”

TOWNSHIP OF GOLDEN OCEANA COUNTY, MICHIGAN

ORDINANCE NO. 26 A FRANCHISE, granting to GREAT LAKES ENERGY COOPERATIVE, its successors and assigns, the right, power and authority to lay, maintain and operate electric and fiber lines, poles and services on, along, across and under the highways, streets, alleys, bridges and other public places, and to conduct a local electric, broadband, and communication business in Golden Township, Oceana County, Michigan for a period of thirty years. The Township of Golden ORDAINS: Section 1. Grant of Franchise. The Township of Golden, located in Oceana County, Michigan (the “Township”) hereby grants to Great Lakes Energy Cooperative, its subsidiaries, successors, and assigns (the “Company”) consent, permission, right and authority is hereby given to construct, lay, operate, maintain, use, and replace electric, fiber, and other communication lines, poles, cables, conduits, appliances, buildings and other necessary works, in the highways, streets, alleys and other public places in the Township and a non-exclusive franchise is hereby granted to the Company, its subsidiaries, successors, and assigns, to transact local business in the Township for the purposes of producing, storing, transmitting, selling, and distributing electricity and broadband communication services into and through the Township and all other matters incidental thereto (all of which is collectively referred to hereinafter as the “Franchise”.) Section 2. Consideration. In consideration of the rights, power and authority hereby granted, the Company shall faithfully perform all things required by the terms hereof. Section 3. Use of Streets and Other Public Places. The Company, its successors and assigns, shall not unnecessarily obstruct the passage of any of the highways, streets, alleys, or other public places within the Township and shall within a reasonable time after making an opening or excavations, repair the same and leave it in as good condition as before the opening or excavation was made. The Company, its successors and assigns shall use due care in exercising the privileges herein contained and shall be liable to the Township and to every owner of property abutting the Company’s lines or other facilities, for all damages and costs arising from the negligence of the Company or its officers, agents, and servants. Section 4. Force Majeure. The Company shall not be liable for failure to furnish service as herein provided, or for any breach of the Company’s obligations hereunder, if such failure or breach is caused by acts of God, labor troubles, riot, or any other causes or contingencies not reasonably within the control of the Company. Section 5. Hold Harmless. The Company shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless, and, at all times, defend and keep and save the Township free and harmless from all loss, costs and expense, including attorney fees, expert fees, and legal expenses of any kind, to which it may be subject by reason of the Township’s grant of this Franchise. If any action is commenced against the Township resulting from the grant of this Franchise, the Company shall, upon notice, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Township from all attorney fees and legal costs including expert fees, and save it free and harmless from all loss, cost and damage arising out of the granting of this Franchise. Section 6. Effective Date; Term of Franchise; Acceptance by the Company. This Franchise shall take effect the day following the date of publication thereof, which publication shall be made within thirty (30) days after the date of its adoption, and shall continue in effect for a period of thirty (30) years thereafter; provided, however, that when this Franchise shall become effective the Township Clerk shall deliver to the Company a certified copy of the Franchise accompanied by written evidence of publication thereof as required by law, and the Company shall, within sixty (60) days after receipt of the above documents, file with the Township Clerk its written acceptance of the conditions and provisions hereof. Section 7. Franchise Not Exclusive. The rights, power and authority granted by this Franchise are not exclusive, and nothing contained herein shall prevent the Township from granting other non-exclusive electric or broadband franchises. Section 8. Franchise Revocable. The franchise granted by this ordinance is subject to revocation upon sixty (60) days written notice by the party desiring such revocation. Section 9. Effect and Interpretation of Franchise. All other franchises, ordinances and resolutions, and parts thereof, which conflict with any of the terms of this Franchise are hereby rescinded, to the extent of such conflict. The catch line headings which precede each section of this Franchise are for convenience in reference only and shall not be taken into consideration in the construction or interpretation of any of the provisions of this Franchise. Section 10. Successors and Assigns. The words “Great Lakes Energy Cooperative” and the “Company,” wherever used herein, are intended and shall be held and construed to mean and include both Great Lakes Energy Cooperative and its subsidiaries, successors, and assigns, whether so expressed or not. Ayes: 5 Nays: 0 Date Passed: 09/08/2026

Attested, by Order of the Township of Golden, Oceana County, Michigan Rachel Iteen Township Clerk Robert Draper II Township Supervisor

CERTIFICATION The undersigned, being the duly qualified and acting Clerk of Golden Township, Oceana County, Michigan, hereby certifies that (1) the foregoing is a true and complete copy of a resolution duly adopted by the Township Board at a regular meeting held on, September 8, 2026, at which meeting a quorum was present and remained throughout, (2) the original thereof is on file in the records in my office, (3) the meeting was conducted, and public notice thereof was given, pursuant to and in full compliance with the Open Meetings Act (Act No. 267, Public Acts of Michigan, 1976, as amended) and, (4) minutes of such meeting were kept and will be or have been made available as required thereby. Dated: September 8, 2026

Rachel Iteen, Golden Township Clerk

9 SEPTEMBER LAKE MIRROR 12 SEPTEMBER18, 18,2026 2026 THE THEWHITE OCEANA ECHO

Echo SPORTS THE

Hart • Hesperia • Pentwater • Shelby • Walkerville

Football Standings Hart: 2-1 (1-1 WMC Lakes) Shelby: 1-2 (0-2 WMC Rivers) Hesperia: 1-2 (0-1 WMC Rivers)

ECHO SPORTS

Pirates play at high level, dispatch rival Shelby By Andy Roberts

The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

SHELBY — While Hart and Shelby are not, for the moment, conference rivals after the West Michigan Conference moved Hart into the Lakes division in its recent realignment, that took nothing away from the atmosphere the two fan bases brought to last Thursday's match. Both student sections brought the excitement - so much so that Shelby coach McKenna Peters said her team struggled to overcome it in the Pirates' dominating 25-15, 25-15, 25-12 win. The Pirates, meanwhile, matched the moment, delivering one of their more impressive performances in what's been a very successful start to the season. The team hit close to .200 for the night, a benchmark for a strong offensive showing. Reese Smith, who racked up 14 kills and an outstanding .386 hitting percentage, ended the night with a laser beam kill that bounded off a Tiger defender to the floor. "I told them, that's the way you end a match, because that leaves a lasting memory," Hart coach Shawn Bectel said. "And they're not a bad team, but when we click, we're tough. That's where it gets tough. I think they are a solid team, but I think that we play the competition we play because we want to play at this level and we know that's what's going to make us have a shot at going far this year." Hart has faced several high-level opponents this year, starting from

Hart's Reese Smith (10) and Peyton Erickson try to stop an attack by Shelby's Haylie Smith during Thursday's rivalry match at Shelby. The Pirates won, 3-0.

• Andy Roberts/Echo

the first serve, when they grabbed the championship trophy at the Coopersville Invitational. The Tigers haven't been able to play as much early in the season, and Peters said she noticed the difference. "We have not played a bunch this season, and they've had a really hard schedule, Hart has, and so that showed coming in," Peters said. "They were just a little bit more prepared than us. The crowd didn't bother them as much as it bothered us." Hart raced to big early leads in each of the first two games. Smith collected a couple of early kills in game one, extending a 5-3 lead to 11-4, and a great play by the Pirates to corral a ball that appeared headed out of play and turn it into a point helped send a message of how they intended to play. Hart built a lead of 19-4 and cruised to the game one win.

Hart's Peyton Erickson (right) launches an attack at Shelby's front line during Thursday's match at Shelby. The Pirates rolled, 3-0. • Andy Roberts/Echo

Game two wasn't much different, as the Pirates again went ahead 11-4 early. Smith fired a couple of aces during one serving run that made it 20-7 and paved the way for another easy win. Hart's serving was terrific all night, as the team collected 15 aces against only three errors. Jenna Babbin had five of those aces and Grace Tucker had four. "We definitely wanted to focus on serves because we played Shelby back in the beginning of the summer, right after tryouts, and we were a little messy with serving," Smith said. "That was a key point for us, to make sure to get those in tonight." While Hart certainly appeared on paper to be a strong favorite after its early-season performance, the veteran-

led group has adopted a mindset of performing to its standard all the time, and that - along, no doubt, with the raucous crowd of Pirate supporters that made the short trip south - helped propel the Pirates forward. "Every day, you can get better," Bectel said. "At the end of the day, we're working hard. We've got goals this year, and we're going to keep pushing as best we can. These guys know we're never going to be satisfied with anything we do. Even if we win a game 25-0, we're not satisfied." That said, the Pirates could take a brief moment to enjoy some satisfaction at their level of play Thursday. Smith was the offensive

Hart tops Shelby continued on page 13

Tigers fall just short of upsetting North Muskegon By Andy Roberts The Oceana Echo Community Contributor The Oceana Echo's Amanda Dodge contributed to this story. North Muskegon has never lost a West Michigan Conference Rivers game since the division was formed in 2022, but the Shelby Tigers came extremely close to pulling off the upset Friday night, falling just one point short, 21-20. The outcome ended up coming down to the Tigers' two-point conversion attempt after Jaylin Henderson threw a dramatic 64-yard touchdown to Jake Fekken with 6:19 to play in the game. Shelby (1-2, 0-2 WMC Rivers) then went for two - it does not have a kicker - and came up short. The Norsemen were then able to run out the clock with an impressive 11-play drive. While it was a tough end to the game, Tigers' coach Jacob Tumele was pleased at how his team responded to adversity throughout the night, even before the game. A pregame injury on the offensive line forced the team to recalibrate its starting lineup, moving three different players around. "We just responded at the end of the day," Tumele said. "It was literally our response. We didn't let that make an

excuse. We just went out there and laid it all out there. That's really the biggest thing I can ask out of our kids at the end of the day. We're very close, and I'm excited about our kids and what we have." Henderson narrowly avoided a sack on the fourth-down play that resulted in his touchdown to Fekken, tossing the ball up so his receiver would have a chance to go get it. Tumele said while Henderson showed impressive awareness to avoid the sack, a lot of the play was also the result of his natural ability. "That's just Jaylin being Jaylin," Tumele said. "I hate to say it, but if a coach is going to say they coached that, they're definitely lying to you. He has the ability. He has the it factor to make plays like that, running around and making something out of nothing." The Tigers got on the board first, taking advantage of a short field to go on a 45-yard touchdown drive that ended with Henderson's 16-yard scoring pass to Ashton Moore. North Muskegon shut out Shelby the rest of the half and took a 14-6 lead to the locker room. Shelby responded, though, putting together a great drive to start the second half, including a fourth-and-1 conversion, and punched it into the

Shelby quarterback Jaylin Henderson (16) follows blocks from teammates during Friday's game against North Muskegon. Henderson threw for 2 touchdowns and ran for another but the Tigers lost, 21-20. • Amanda Dodge/Echo

end zone on a one-yard Henderson burst. The two-point conversion tied the game at 14. North Muskegon came back with its own scoring drive, though, with a 12yard touchdown pass on third-and-7 a pivotal play. The Norsemen made all three extra points, which ended up the difference in the game. Tumele said the Tigers would welcome the opportunity to roster a

kicker, but for the time being, they rely on two-point attempts and his team knows going into games that they have to come up with the conversions. "We are going for two, and it is what it is," Tumele said. "Our kids know that's who we are at the end of the day. We just fell short, and that's on me as the coach to be able to get our kids to execute.

Tigers drop close one continued on page 13

10 SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 THE WHITE LAKE MIRROR THE OCEANA ECHO SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 13

Pentwater knocks off Walkerville in county battle By Andy Roberts The Oceana Echo Community Contributor PENTWATER — Pentwater didn't look like a team that had to quickly replace its setter Wednesday night, dominating a rivalry match with Walkerville in a 25-11, 25-14, 25-10 sweep. That's a tribute to the work done by Falcon freshman Riley Swanger, who was plugged into that spot on the fly after setter Stella Bouye recently broke her hand. Swanger, making her first appearance at setter, kept the Falcon offense humming throughout the evening as Pentwater looked cohesive and confident with the ball on their side of the net. Swanger had a team-best 18 service points, eight aces and six assists. Falcons' coach Kelly Pascavis has been pleased with how quickly her team has improved after beginning the season with only three varsity returners. "I think they're maturing as a team," Pascavis said. "I think they're realizing that they need each other, and volleyball is definitely not just an individual sport. They're developing together well as a team." They're also showing off the

Pentwater's Riley Swanger is unable to get to the ball as Walkerville's Sahriyah Griff defends during Wednesday's match. Swanger was strong in her debut at setter as the Falcons won 3-0.

• Andy Roberts/Echo

endurance built over their time as multi-sport athletes, which just about every Falcon is. That was clear early on. The teams had a very long rally early in game one, ultimately ending in a kill by the Wildcats' Grace Riggs. Pascavis called timeout to give her team a breather - which she quickly learned they didn't think they needed. "They don't wear out as easy," Pascavis said. "That one rally, they hung in there, and I called a timeout just because I wanted to give them a

Pentwater's Amelia Barter and Walkerville's Kelly Masta leap to play a ball at the net during Wednesday's WMD match in Pentwater. The Falcons won, 3-0.

• Andy Roberts/Echo

breather, and I asked them how they were, and they were, like, 'We're good, Coach. Let's go.' I think them being in multiple sports helps." After Walkerville won that long rally, Pentwater (2-3, 1-1 West Michigan D League) took command of the match. Emma Werkema-Grondsma, who led the team with five kills, unleashed a lengthy serving run that sent the game from 6-6 to 15-7, and the Falcons weren't to be denied from there. Walkerville briefly led game two, 4-3, but the Falcons stormed back to roll to the win there too. The Wildcats did enjoy their individual highlight of the match during game two when Isabel Babbin stuck her foot out to save a ball and it bounced over the net for an unorthodox kill. On the whole, though, it was a tough night for Walkerville (0-5, 0-2 WMD), one coach Sara Jongekryg readily conceded wasn't her team's best. She chalked some of her team's struggles up to the nerves of a county rivalry. "They want it really bad," Jongekryg said. "Sometimes they hesitate too much. I think they'll make a mistake, and then you waste a second, and that's the second you need." Despite the Wildcats' 0-5 mark so Hart's Grace Tucker hits an approach shot during Friday's Montague Invitational. Tucker led the Pirates in scoring at far, Jongekryg said the team is showing the meet. • Andy Roberts/Echo

Pirates struggle on tough course at Montague Invite By Andy Roberts

The Oceana Echo Community Contributor

MONTAGUE — Hart had a tough day on the course Friday at the Montague Invitational, hosted at Old Channel Trail Golf Course. The Pirates placed 16th of the 16 scoring teams, posting a team score of 547. Grace Tucker paced Hart with a 121 and opened her round with a posted the highlight of Lindsey VanDerZanden par. Baleigh Klotz shot a the day for the Pirates, rounded out team 131. capping her round with scoring with a 149. Tenley Amstutz a birdie. She shot a 146.

improvement. Walkerville has hit the 20-point mark in two different games this season - once against Mason County Eastern and another time against Hesperia. If the team can shore up its serve receive - the Falcons racked up several aces on plays where the ball fell between Walkerville players - the 'Cats could become more competitive. "They won't quit," Jongekryg said. "They'll come ready to go tomorrow, and we'll work on the things that we struggled with and we'll be ready for the next game." Pentwater, which took game one against Mesick in its WMD opener before falling in four games, views itself as a team that, with some improvements, could measure up with some of the top teams in the conference. With so many new players in new spots, it's possible that improvement could happen quickly. "I have a lot of juniors, but they're very young juniors," Pascavis said. "They'd never played at the varsity level. I only had three return from varsity last year. That's been a struggle. It's a very fast pace compared to what they're used to. "I just think they're growing as a team, and they can only get better."

Hart tops Shelby

continued from page 12

star, of course, but she's had plenty of help this season with the emergence of players like Braelynn Talmadge and freshman Peyton Erickson, as well as fellow freshman Mya Hovey, who notched a pair of blocks. And Alayna Schiller's defensive skills are such that Bectel chuckled that having her in the back row "is like cheating." She had 22 digs Thursday. "I got to get everybody in there," Bectel said. "Even my subs came in and had a great contribution. The key players, when we needed them to be hot, were hot. I think that's one thing that makes us the team we are. We have a lot of options, and we've got a few more that are just going to get stronger as we go." Shelby, on the other hand, is hoping the experience improves its roster for the challenges ahead. Bectel said he felt like the Tigers will be a strong contender in the WMC Rivers, and perhaps getting on a more regular playing schedule will help in that.

Peters said that with only 10 players on the varsity roster, the team can't really scrimmage in practice, so games are the easiest way to sharpen the Tigers' skills. League play getting going and some upcoming weekend tournaments will keep Shelby on a routine of getting on the court more often. "That's what we talked about a bunch coming in, just knowing that they were a good team and understanding that the most important outcome is us getting better as a group and just to go in and play as hard as we can." Peters said. "I think they're a really, really good team, and they're playing a tough schedule, and they're winning a lot of games, so I give a lot of the credit to them." Tucker had 16 assists for Hart and Calyn Eisenlohr added 13. For the Tigers, Briar Peters had a team-high 12 digs and Annabelle Stark added nine. Peters and Stark each had four kills, as did Hali Hayes. Peyton Rapes posted 12 assists.

Shelby's Elijah Dashiell (14) and Ashton Moore block North Muskegon opponents during Friday's WMC Rivers game at Shelby. The Tigers dropped a nail-biter, 21-20.

• Amanda Dodge/Echo

Tigers drop close one

continued from page 12

That's squarely on my shoulders at the end of the day." Henderson compiled 212 yards of offense -128 through the air and 84 on the ground - and was responsible for all three touchdowns. Brody Fessenden had some clutch third and fourth-down runs in the game and totaled 93 yards rushing. The duo were also the Tigers' top tacklers, with Henderson recording eight stops and Fessenden six. A loss is, ultimately, a loss, but the way the Tigers measured up against the

WMC Rivers' top program is stoking optimism heading into this week's matchup against another league foe, Manistee. "I've felt like, every week, we're getting better," Tumele said. "Week two was a great test and now week three with North Muskegon, I feel like we're getting close every week, and I'm just excited to give our best opportunity and our best foot forward against a good Manistee football team."

14 SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 THE OCEANA ECHO

NOTICE OF ADOPTION VILLAGE OF SHELBY

PART 1 OF 2

TO: ALL PERSONS INTERESTED Please take notice that on September 14, 2026, the Village Council of the Village of Shelby adopted Title II, Chapter 355, Sections 1 - 6 of the Village of Shelby Code of Ordinances, summarized as follows: Chapter 355: Solid Waste. 355.1. Definitions. The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning: Bulk items means, but shall not be limited to, any household furniture, bed springs, storm doors and windows, metal furniture, water closets, toilets, bathtubs, sinks, carpets and pads, railroad ties, fences or fence posts not exceeding three feet by four feet in dimension, and other discarded material incidental to the usual routine of housekeeping. Commercial waste means any and all accumulation of mixed refuse generated by business establishments, churches, schools, apartment buildings with greater than six units, office buildings, and other establishments, whether or not engaged in commerce. Commercial refuse shall not include residential unit mixed refuse, construction waste or industrial refuse. Construction waste means waste materials from the demolition, construction, remodeling and repair operations on residences and other buildings. Extracted stumps means stumps that have been extracted, dug, or removed from the ground. The term “extracted stumps” includes the attached roots of the tree stumps. Garbage means all waste animal, fish, fowl, fruit or vegetable matter incident to the use, preparation and storage of food for human consumption. The term “garbage” does not include food processing wastes from canneries, slaughter houses, packing houses or similar industries, which shall be classified as industrial refuse or hazardous waste. Hazardous waste means waste, or a combination of waste and other discarded material, including solid, liquid, semisolid or contained gaseous material, which, because of its quality, concentration or physical, chemical or infectious characteristics, may cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible illness or serious incapacitating, but reversible illness, or pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment, if improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed of or otherwise managed. The term “hazardous waste” does not include material which is sold for recycling or treatment and stored for one year or less, solid or dissolved material in domestic sewage discharge, solid or dissolved material in an irrigation return flow discharge, authorized industrial discharge to a municipal treatment system or industrial discharge which is a point source subject to permits under section 402 of the clean water act of 1977, 33 USC 1342, or is a source, special nuclear or byproduct material, as defined by the atomic act of 1985, 42 USC 2011 to 2281. (See MCL 324111.1 et seq.). The term “hazardous waste” shall include waste defined in section 1102(2)(a) of the natural resources and environmental protection act (MCL 324.11102(2)(a) and (b)). Household appliances means, but shall not be limited to, washers, dryers, air conditioners, microwave ovens, humidifiers, stoves, refrigerators and hot water heaters, not including sinks, lavatories, toilets and other plumbing devices. Industrial waste means all waste materials resulting from industrial or manufacturing operations or processes of every nature whatsoever, including organic and nonorganic wastes. The term “industrial waste” includes refuse material resulting from cleaning up on connection with such industrial or manufacturing operations, and refuse material resulting from offices, stores, lunch rooms, warehouses or other operations established in conjunction with such industrial or manufacturing operations as well as garbage and rubbish. The term “industrial waste” excludes hazardous waste. Junk means parts of machinery or motor vehicles, used stoves or other appliances, remnants of any personal property, any wood, metal, concrete, building materials or any other material or other cast-off material of any kind, whether or not the same could be put to any reasonable use. Medical waste (also referred to as medical and contagious waste) means such waste as identified in Part 138 of the Public Health Code (MCL 333.13801 et seq.). Mixed refuse means garbage, rubbish and brush which constitutes household refuse, but does not contain unacceptable items. Mixed refuse collection cart means an approved cart supplied by the village or its contractor to each residential unit. Multiple-family residence means a building with a total of more than six household living units. Refuse means all waste, rubbish, garbage, trash, junk, bulk items, discarded materials of every kind, unacceptable materials, medical and contagious waste, industrial waste, commercial waste, domestic waste and any discard or discarded materials otherwise defined in this chapter. The term “refuse” includes all the definitional terms in this chapter describing, identifying or defining any material, substance, or personal property. Residential premises means a separate parcel of land containing a residential structure containing no more than six household living units, plus any residential condominium unit designated as a residential premises by the village administrator. Residential unit means a household living unit contained in a residential premises. Rubbish means miscellaneous solid waste material resulting from housekeeping, and shall include, but not be limited to, packing boxes, cartons, magazines, ashes, tin cans, bottles, glassware, dishes, rubber, rags, wood, leather, automobile tires, floor sweepings, cans, bottles, paper, cartons, rags, discarded clothing, discarded utensils, containers, sweepings, glass, crockery, nails, model wire, light bulbs, signs, advertising matter, newspaper, and similar materials. Solid waste means garbage and rubbish. The term “solid waste” does not include human body waste, liquid waste, materials that have been separated either at the source or a processing site for the purpose of reuse, recycling or composting, or any material that has been identified by state or federal regulation to be unsuitable for disposal in a type II sanitary landfill. The term “solid waste” also has the meaning assigned to it by section 11506 of the natural resources and environmental protection act (MCL 324.11506). Trash means discarded household appliances, dismantled boats, airplanes, dismantled vehicle parts, dismantled machinery or tools, machinery parts, scrap metal, paper, broken furniture and similar property. Unacceptable items or materials means building materials in large amounts, including, but not limited to, concrete, wood, earth, motor vehicle or machinery parts, junk vehicles of any type, used oil, tires, tree branches, logs or wood exceeding four feet in length or four inches in diameter, extracted stumps, industrial waste, any item not contained in a container or bag authorized by this chapter, and any bulk item or appliance without a tag attached.

THE OCEANA ECHO SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 15

NOTICE OF ADOPTION

VILLAGE OF SHELBY

PART 2 OF 2

Yard waste means the miscellaneous waste material resulting from landscaping a home, including, but not limited to, grass, weeds, house plants, leaves, brush, garden waste material and dirt incidental to minor plantings. 355.2. Penalty; complicity. (a) General penalty. Whenever, in this chapter or in any technical or other code adopted by reference in this chapter, or in any rule, regulation or order promulgated or made under authority of any provision of this chapter, or under authority of state law, an act is prohibited, or whenever the doing of any act is required or the failure to do any act is declared to be unlawful, where no specific penalty is otherwise provided, whoever violates or fails to comply with any such provision shall be responsible for a municipal civil infraction, pursuant to section 1.2. A separate offense shall be deemed committed each day during or on which a violation or noncompliance occurs or continues. (b) Expenses; equitable remedies. The imposition of any penalty provided for in this section shall be in addition to any expense levied for a violation of or noncompliance with a provision of this chapter, or a provision of a technical or other code adopted by reference in this chapter, or a rule, regulation or order promulgated or made under authority of either, or of a state law, and shall be in addition to any equitable remedy provided by a provision of this chapter, or provided by state law, including the enforced removal of prohibited conditions. (c) Complicity. Every person who commits or procures, counsels, aids or abets the commission of any act declared in this chapter with another person, or as principal, agent or accessory, shall be responsible for a municipal civil infraction. Every person who falsely, fraudulently, forcibly or willfully induces, causes, coerces, requires, permits or directs another to violate any provision of this chapter shall likewise be responsible for a municipal civil infraction. 355.3. Responsibility of owners and occupants. (a) Every owner, occupant or person in possession of any premises in the village is required to have refuse removed and disposed of in accordance with this chapter and in accordance with all rules and regulations promulgated under this chapter. Every owner, occupant or person in

possession of multiple residential or nonresidential, commercial or industrial premises shall be responsible for the storage, collection and disposal of refuse on and from the premises, as authorized, required and as prohibited by this chapter, or federal, state or local laws, rules, and regulations. (b) No owner, occupant, tenant or lessee of any building, structure, property or premises in the village shall store, collect, transport, or dispose of any refuse, garbage, rubbish or other rejected, unwanted or discharged waste materials, except in compliance with this chapter and applicable state, federal and local laws, rules and regulations. (c) No refuse of any description may be accumulated on any premises in the village for a period longer than seven days, or the period between scheduled collection dates, whichever is longer. All refuse shall be collected from each premises and disposed of in accordance with this chapter, federal, state or local laws, rules and regulations immediately. Notwithstanding the above periods, refuse not eligible for village contractor or licensee collection shall be immediately disposed of in a legal manner. (d) It shall be unlawful for any person to burn refuse at any place in the village, whether owned or occupied by such person or not, or upon any alley, street, or other public place within the village unless in an enclosed incineration device approved or licensed by a public authority having exclusive jurisdiction thereof. No open burning of any materials shall be allowed in the village. 355.4. Unauthorized Dumping; littering. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person, without the written consent or license of the village, to enter into the village for the purpose of disposing, depositing or leaving any refuse of any kind, unacceptable items, unacceptable bulk items, discarded bulk refuse of any kind, or construction waste. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person to throw, deposit or leave, or cause or permit the throwing, depositing or leaving, of refuse of any kind, directly or indirectly, on public or private property or waters, other than property lawfully designated and set aside for such purposes by a public authority having jurisdiction. (c) In any proceeding for violation of this chapter involving littering from a motor vehicle, proof that the particular motor vehicle described in the citation, complaint or warrant was used in the violation, or proof that the defendant named in the citation, complaint or warrant at the time of the violation, shall give rise to a presumption and be prima facie evidence that the registered owner or person in charge of the vehicle at the time of the violation was responsible therefor. (d) The owner or person in charge of a motor vehicle in which there are other occupants shall be presumed to be responsible for littering on public or private property until the contrary is established by competent evidence. 355.5. Nuisances. (a) Removal or abatement. Any unauthorized accumulated refuse, any scattered or uncontained refuse, broken or open additional mixed refuse bag, or overturned mixed refuse cart, additional mixed refuse bag in excess of 30 pounds, additional mixed refuse bag containing unacceptable materials, mixed refuse collection cart containing unacceptable materials or any bag placed in front of a residence contrary to any collection procedure referred to in this chapter, any unacceptable items, or any unacceptable bulk item or bulk item or appliance placed in front of a residence contrary to this chapter is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and is subject to removal or abatement. The village may enter any premises for the purpose of removing or abating the nuisance. The village council shall provide, by rule or regulation, for notice to the owner and occupant of abatement procedures. (b) Expenses. (1) Any expense, including the administration costs to the village, incurred in the removal or abatement of the nuisance shall be the responsibility of the owner and occupant of the property on which or in front of which the condition existed and shall be paid by the owner and occupant in whose name the property appears on the village’s real property tax assessment records. (2) The expense incurred shall be a lien against the real property and shall be reported to the village assessor who shall assess the expense against the property on which or in front of which the nuisance was located. (3) The owner or party in interest in whose name the property appears upon the last local tax assessment records shall be notified on the amount of such cost by first class mail at the address shown on the tax records. If the owner or party in interest fails to pay the amount within 30 days after mailing by the village assessor of a notice of the amount thereof, the village assessor shall add the amount to the next tax roll of the village and such amount shall be collected in the same manner in all respects as provided by law for the collection taxes by the village. 355.6. Removal of uncontained refuse and unacceptable materials. (a) The owner and occupant of a residential unit shall remove any scattered or uncontained refuse, including unacceptable materials, within 24 hours after such refuse has been scattered or deposited, and dispose of such refuse in accordance with this chapter or in accordance with federal and state laws, rules and regulations. (b) Unacceptable items, including, but not limited to, commercial, medical and contagious, industrial refuse, unacceptable appliance or bulk items, shall be removed from all premises and disposed of by the owner and occupant thereof in accordance with this chapter or federal and state laws, rules and regulations. It shall be unlawful to store any unacceptable items on any premises. Copies of the ordinance may be viewed and purchased at a reasonable cost at the Office of the Village Clerk in the Village Hall, 218 N Michigan Avenue Shelby, Michigan 49455, during regular business hours. This ordinance amendment is effective ten (10) days from the date of this publication. Published: September 18, 2026 Miraya Gissell Diaz Village Clerk

Volume Issue 45 SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 THE WHITE LAKE MIRROR THE OCEANA ECHO SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 16 3,3, 45 SEPTEMBER 18, Volume 3,Issue Issue 45 SEPTEMBER 18,2026 2026 111Volume SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 THE LAKE SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 THEWHITE WHITE LAKEMIRROR MIRROR Total Raised: $139,966 Lead this Legacy REFLECTIONSReflections OF OUR COMMUNITY Reflections of our community Reflections ofour ourcommunity community of

White Lake Mirror YOUR LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NONPROFIT NEWS SOURCE YOUR LOCALLYOWNED OWNEDAND ANDOPERATED OPERATEDNONPROFIT NONPROFIT NEWS SOURCE YOUR LOCALLY OWNED NEWS SOURCE YOUR LOCALLY AND OPERATED NONPROFIT NEWS SOURCE

Montague salutes firstresponders, responders,military military Montaguesalutes salutesfirst Montague

Montague hosted annual Wildcat Salute event prior Friday's football game against Oakridge, and the Wildcats also honored first responders Monday prior their soccer Montague hosted its annual Wildcat Salute event prior Friday's football game against Oakridge, and the Wildcatsalso alsohonored honoredfirst firstresponders respondersMonday Mondayprior priortoto totheir theirsoccer soccer Montague hosted itsits annual Wildcat Salute event prior tototo Friday's football game against Oakridge, and the Wildcats game against Whitehall, both commemorating the 25th anniversary the Sept. attacks. Left right, above, Montague teacher Matt LeaTrea (right) received community game against Whitehall, both commemorating the 25th anniversary the Sept. 11 attacks. Left to right, above,Montague Montagueteacher teacherMatt MattLeaTrea LeaTrea(right) (right)received receivedaaacommunity community game against Whitehall, both commemorating the 25th anniversary ofofof the Sept. 1111 attacks. Left toto right, above, service award honoring his service the Army National Guard; Nancy Frye, the first female commander the Whitehall American Legion post, received Home Town Hero award; service award honoring his service the Army National Guard; Nancy Frye, the first female commander of the Whitehall American Legion post, receivedaaaHome HomeTown TownHero Heroaward; award; service award honoring his service ininin the Army National Guard; Nancy Frye, the first female commander ofof the Whitehall American Legion post, received Montague's Wyatt Grawey acknowledged first responders prior to Monday's soccer game; and a parachuter delivered the game ball to the football game Friday. Left to right, below, Montague's Wyatt Grawey acknowledged first responders prior to Monday's soccer game; and a parachuter delivered the game ball to the football game Friday. Left to right, below, Montague's Wyatt Grawey acknowledged first responders prior to Monday's soccer game; and a parachuter delivered the game ball to the football game Friday. Left to right, below, John Casazza (center) received a commemoration for his service he now works in the Muskegon County Department of Veterans Affairs and in recognition of his nephew John's John Casazza (center) received a commemoration for his service he now works in the Muskegon County Department of Veterans Affairs and in recognition of his nephew John's John Casazza (center) received a commemoration for his service - he now works in the Muskegon County Department of Veterans Affairs - and in recognition of his nephew John's death World Trade Center Sept. 11; Marie Jager (right) accepted Town Hero award on behalf her late husband Larry; and first responders, from left, Jon Degen, death atthe the World Trade Center on Sept. 11; Marie Jager (right) accepted aHome Home Town Hero award on behalf of her late husband Larry; andfirst firstresponders, responders,from fromleft, left,Jon JonDegen, Degen, death atatthe World Trade Center onon Sept. 11; Marie Jager (right) accepted a aHome Town Hero award on behalf ofof her late husband Larry; and Dan Dice and Dan Yost delivered game balls for Monday's soccer game. Roberts/Mirror Photos Dan Dice and Dan Yost delivered game balls for Monday's soccer game.• •Andy •Andy Andy Roberts/Mirror Photos Dan Dice and Dan Yost delivered game balls for Monday's soccer game. Roberts/Mirror Photos

Rothburycouncil councilreceives receiveshigh Rothbury council receives highbids bidsfor forpark parkwork work Rothbury Lowbid bidisisisover over50 50 Low bid over 50 Low percentmore morethan than percent more than percent engineerestimate estimate engineer estimate engineer

playgroundand and -the theitem item generating generating However, However, council council members members did did not not the the village village saw saw aa decline decline in revenues revenues playground playground and - -the item generating However, council members did not the village saw a decline ininrevenues themost mostcost costand anddiscussion discussion -- aa new new seem seem warm warm to to the the idea, idea, with with council council in in 2025-26, 2025-26, from from $565,043 $565,043 the the year year the the most cost and discussion - a new seem warm to the idea, with council in 2025-26, from $565,043 the year bathroom facility, facility, had had an an engineer engineer member member Dylan Dylan Zuniga Zuniga saying saying he'd he'd before beforeto to$507,205, $507,205,which which he he attributed attributed bathroom bathroom facility, had an engineer member Dylan Zuniga saying he'd before to $507,205, which he attributed estimate of of $373,500, $373,500, but but Director Director of of rather rather have have a portable portable facility facility there there largely largely to a smaller smaller attendance attendance at estimate estimate of $373,500, but Director of rather have aa portable facility there largely toto aa smaller attendance atat Operations Scott Beishuizen reported than a vaulted bathroom because it the 2025 Electric Forest festival. As As Operations Scott Beishuizen reported than a vaulted bathroom because it the 2025 Electric Forest festival. By Andy Roberts ByAndy AndyRoberts Roberts Operations Scott Beishuizen reported than a vaulted bathroom because it the 2025 Electric Forest festival. As By Tuesday that the low bid was over would be cleaned more regularly. attendance was higher this past Tuesday that the low bid was over would be cleaned more regularly. attendance was higher this past White Lake Mirror Editor WhiteLake LakeMirror MirrorEditor Editor Tuesday that the low bid was over would be cleaned more regularly. attendance was higher this past White $564,000. After discussion, discussion, Beishuizen Beishuizen said said summer, summer, he he expects expects village village revenue revenue $564,000. After $564,000. After discussion, Beishuizen said summer, he expects village revenue ROTHBURY — The Rothbury village ROTHBURY——The TheRothbury Rothburyvillage village Beishuizen noted noted that that the the bid bid he he would would ask ask Prein Prein and and Newhof, Newhof, the the will will rebound rebound accordingly accordingly on on the the 20262026ROTHBURY Beishuizen council continued continued discussion discussion ofof the the Beishuizen noted that the bid he would ask Prein and Newhof, the will rebound accordingly on the 2026council did not not contain contain line line items, items, so so the the firm firmthe thevillage village isis working working with with on on the the 27 27fiscal fiscalyear yearaudit. audit.There There was was aa decline decline council continued discussion of the did impending improvements improvements to Czarny Czarnydid not contain line items, so the firm the village is working with on the 27 fiscal year audit. There was a decline impending villagedoes doesnot notknow knowfor forcertain certainwhat what project, project, to obtain obtain aa new new bid bid with with line line in in the the balance balance of the the local local streets streets fund, fund, impending improvements totoCzarny village does not know for certain what project, totoobtain a new bid with line in the balance ofofthe local streets fund, Park at its regular meeting Tuesday Parkatatitsitsregular regularmeeting meetingTuesday Tuesday village changes could could be be made made to to lower lower the the items items and and potential potential changes changes to to the the largely largely because because of of projects projects the the village village Park changes afterthe thelow lowbid bidfor forthe theproject projectcame came inchanges could be made to lower the items and potential changes to the largely because of projects the village after cost to the the village. village. The The most most obvious obvious bathroom. bathroom. undertook this this year year like like the the crush crush and and after the low bid for the project came inin cost undertook well higher than the figure the villagecost totothe village. The most obvious bathroom. undertook this year like the crush and wellhigher higherthan thanthe thefigure figurethe thevillage village changewould wouldbe beto tothe thepre-fabricated pre-fabricated The village village received received its its annual annual seal sealon onWilke Wilke Road. Road. well change The hadbudgeted budgetedfor forit.it. change would be to the pre-fabricated The village received its annual seal on Wilke Road. had bathroomfacility facilityplanned plannedfor forthe thepark; park; audit audit report report from from Brickley Brickley DeLong, DeLong, had budgeted for it. bathroom The work, which includes field bathroom facility planned for the park; audit report from Brickley DeLong, The work, which includes field a change to a vaulted bathroom, the which showed a clean audit. Brickley The work, which includes field a change to a vaulted bathroom, the which showed a clean audit. Brickley improvements,the theinstallation installationofofaanew newa change to a vaulted bathroom, the which showed a clean audit. Brickley improvements, council said, could save about $60,000. DeLong's Eric Van Dop noted that improvements, the installation of a new council said, could save about $60,000. DeLong's Eric Van Dop noted that continued on on page page 22 continued council said, could save about $60,000. DeLong's Eric Van Dop noted that

Rothburycouncil council Rothbury continued on page 2

Montagueschool schoolboard boarddiscusses discussesschedule schedulechanges changes Montague school board Montague ByAndy AndyRoberts Roberts By By Andy White LakeRoberts Mirror Editor

outside the the main main classroom. classroom. In In the the Koops. Koops. Due Due to to the the in-depth in-depth class class student student be be an an upperclassman. upperclassman. outside outside the main classroom. In of the Due to the in-depth classin student be an upperclassman. past,students students rotated fromone one the Koops. lasting90 90minutes minutes and taking place place Each school's principal shared shared past, rotated from of the lasting and taking in Each school's principal WhiteLake LakeMirror MirrorEditor Editor past, students rotated from one of the lasting 90 minutes and taking place in Eachexcitement school's over principal shared White 'specials' to the next on a daily basis the morning, the board unanimously their the beginning 'specials'totothe thenext nexton ona adaily dailybasis basis the themorning, morning, theboard boardunanimously unanimously their their excitement excitement over over the the beginning beginning MONTAGUE — — The The Montague Montague'specials' MONTAGUE duringthe theweek, week, butfor forthis thisyear, year,the the approved approved aa 77the a.m. to to 22 p.m. p.m. teaching teaching of of the the school school year; year; Oehrli Oehrli Elementary Elementary MONTAGUE — The Montague during but a.m. SchoolBoard Boarddiscussed discussedthe theearly earlypart partduring the week, but for this year, the approved a 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. teaching of the school year; Oehrli Elementary School schoolhas haschanged changedto tohaving havingstudents students schedule schedulefor forKoops Koopsto toallow allowthat thatclass classto to principal principal Sandie Sandie Lundquist Lundquist said said itit has has School Board discussed the early part school of the school year during its regular school has changed toanhaving students schedule for Koops to allow that class to principal Sandie Lundquist saidyear it has of the school year during its regular go to each one for entire week at a begin earlier than the rest of the school been the smoothest start to the she of meeting the school year during its regular eachone one foran anentire entire weekatataa begin beginearlier earlierthan than therest restofofthe theschool school beenthe thesmoothest smootheststart start tothe theyear yearshe she Monday, including a couple couplegogototoeach meetingMonday, Monday, including acouple time.The Thegoal goalfor isto toimprove improveweek continuity day. day. Principal Principal the Christy Thommen been can recall recall in her her career careerto as aa principal, principal, meeting including a can in as time. is continuity Christy Thommen ofminor minorschedule scheduletweaks. tweaks. time. The goal isfor to those improve continuity day. Principal Christy are Thommen in herMiddle careerSchool as a principal, ininstruction instruction subjects. reported that22 22students students currently can andrecall new NBC NBC principal ofofminor schedule tweaks. in forthose thosesubjects. subjects. reported that arecurrently currently and new MiddleSchool Schoolprincipal principal One change, at Oehrli Elementary in instruction for reported that 22 students are and new NBC Middle One change, at Oehrli Elementary Another change was to the school's in the class, most of them athletes. Steve Gray said the school has added One change, at Oehrli Elementary Anotherchange changewas wastotothe theschool's school's ininthe theclass, class,most most ofof them them athletes. athletes. Steve SteveGray Graysaid saidthe theschool schoolhas hasadded added School, involves therotation rotation of what what Another School, involves the of agreement with the school teachers' "Eight or nine" of the students are five new students since the beginning School, involves the'specials' rotation of what agreement with the school teachers' "Eight or nine" of the students are five new students since the beginning the school school calls - courses courses agreement with thea school orThe nine" the students are five newschool students the calls 'specials'- -courses union, allowing allowing slightlyteachers' modified "Eight female. classof open toany anystudent student ofthe the year.since the beginning the school calls 'specials' female. Theclass class isis open to of schoolyear. year. union, a slightly slightly modified like music, physical education, art, union, allowing a modified female. The is open to any student of the school like music, music, physical education, education, art, work schedule for the strength training who completes two prior health like schedulefor forthe thestrength strengthtraining training who completes completes two prior prior health health technology,physical etc. that take art, place workschedule technology, etc. that take place place work and leadership class helmed by Phil who classes, which in two practice requires the technology, etc. that take and leadership class helmed by Phil classes, which in practice requires the and leadership class helmed by Phil classes, which in practice requires the

17 SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 THE OCEANA ECHO THE WHITE LAKE MIRROR SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 2

Montague Twp. approves lawnmower parts purchase By Claire Marshall White Lake Mirror Writer MONTAGUE — Montague Township Supervisor Jeff King reported to the board during its regular meeting Tuesday, Sept. 8, that the township's maintenance supervisor John Ramthun said that the blower assembly on the township's lawn mower is in need of repair or replacement. While an attempt to repair the equipment will be made, it was Ramthun’s opinion that the township should have an alternative working blower for emergencies such as this. This has been the case in the past before the prior alternate blower was misplaced. The replacement blower is priced at $1,900 from Weingartz, the lawn equipment provider. While the board expressed support for the purchase of the replacement, Township Clerk Drew Roesler questioned whether the blower was repurposed from an older mower or was newly purchased within the last few years, voicing concerns about whether the blower in question has degraded in a short period of time and if the item was reparable. While King did not know the answer, he shared his agreement with Ramthun that a new blower was

ovation. The renovations were initially the responsibility of the township, but not taken care of in a timely manner, resulting in the club’s intervention. The township board resolved to donate over $500 extra alongside the reimbursement, donating an even $1,000 for the club. While Treasurer Tracy Korthase acknowledges that the White Lake Shuffleboard Club does “a very, very nice job keeping the place clean… [and] encourage people to come and join,” the club is protective of their court and equipment, especially considering past vandalism of the property. As such, Korthase proposed ideas to keep the court accessible as a township resource for casual users, such as a handful of lanes outside of the gated section. Kara Roesler, in attendance to take meeting minutes, also pointed out a greater concern voiced in the parks and recreation master plan survey that many Montague Township citizens are unaware of the amenities available to them, especially at the parks, shuffleboard included. King discussed concerns planning commission members have shared about one member who has not been in attendance to meetings since spring, nor has made contact providing an ex-

cuse for the absence. Upon learning of this issue, King has been researching the township’s rules for removing a commission member, only to realize that such an occasion has never occurred and the current rules regard removal due to more severe infractions. Roesler suggested King send a certified letter to the absentee member asking to either provide reasoning for absence or a resignation. King also proposed adding more members to the board to make up for the deficit, noting that he already had two interested potential members, and asked planning commission chair Bob Muzio - also in attendance - to consider whether he would prefer to have a board of five or seven members. During Korthase’s treasurer report, she reported funds of $501,707.42 overall accrued from the township’s revenue sharing and, once again, posed the question to the board of where in the township to spend the funds. Some proposed ideas in the past have been road work and playground equipment, but Korthase stressed the topic, saying, “I don’t like sitting on that much money and not giving it back to the residents.”

The council unanimously approved the annual hazard mitigation plan, which is required for municipalities to continued from page 1 pass in order to receive federal disaster been decommissioned and posted relief funding in the event a natural for auction online. A buyer will be disaster arises. Village Clerk Brandy Williams determined after bids close next passed along that preparations month.

continue for the new Trunk or Treat event that will take place at the Double JJ Rodeo Grounds on Water Street. A registration page is available for those who plan to attend or participate at doublejj.com.

needed. After the discussion, the board unanimously approved the replacement. Throughout the summer, the township has been discussing which project to dedicate senior millage funds, resulting in King approaching the White Lake Senior Center to ask what shortfalls in funding the township could alleviate. In past years, the township has donated between $2,000 and $2,600 annually, but as of yet, no funds have been allocated for 2026. Senior Center director Christi Marsh proposed that the township fund programming, such as field trips to Frederik Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids. The board approved $5,000 to fund programming at the senior center, with Roesler requesting that Montague Township seniors be reminded through the township’s newsletter of the senior center's activities and resources. Said Roesler, “if we’re paying for services, then we should encourage our people to take part.” The shuffleboard court at the Montague Township Park has been recently repainted by the White Lake Shuffleboard Club, the primary users of the court, who are requesting the township to reimburse the club $449 for the ren-

Rothbury council Police chief Ethan Walker reported that the new Chevrolet Tahoe the village purchased for the department is now in use and that the old one has

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COME CELEBRATE WITH YOUR COMMUNITY!

3 SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 THE WHITE LAKE MIRROR THE OCEANA ECHO SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 18

Community Calendar Saturday, Sept. 19 Montague Farmer's Market is open, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. White Lake Knitting Club meets @ Book Nook & Java Shop, 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20 Steve Thielman performs @ Book Nook & Java Shop, 10 a.m. White Lake Ukulele Club meets @ Book Nook & Java Shop, 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21 Drop-In Assistance @ White Lake Community Library, 12:30-2:30 p.m. A community health worker can assist you by serving as an advocate, educator, and coach to help you reach your goals. Get connected with medical providers, food assistance programs, and more. White Lake Community Library welcomes knitters and crocheters for a weekly gathering, 3 p.m. Knitters and crocheters are invited to bring whatever they're working on to this casual meetup, a great way to connect with others, share ideas, and enjoy good company.

Fetch Brewing Running Group meets at 6 p.m. All are welcome to participate at their own pace and distance. Strollers also welcome. Tuesday, Sept. 22 Baby Time @ White Lake Commnuity Library, 9:30 a.m. Bring your kids 2 and under for early literacy skills, listening and joyful interaction through play. Older siblings also welcome. Steve Thielman performs @ Book Nook & Java Shop, 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23 Family Storytime @ White Lake Community Library, 9:30 a.m. Children of all ages and their caregivers invited to join for stories, songs, music, and movement that support early literacy and language development. Artists on the Sidewalk @ Dune Grass Gallery in Montague, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bring your own art project, supplies, chair, and umbrella and get tips and tricks from other artists. Eric Michaels & Chris Kennedy perform @ Book Nook & Java Shop,

11:30 a.m. Mahjong at the Library @ White Lake Community Library, 2 p.m. Beginners and experienced players welcome - bring your own sets if you like. Youth Open Studio @ ACWL-Nuveen Center, 3-5 p.m. Bring in projects you’re working on or start something new with help from staff. Maker's Market @ Healthy Roots, 3-7 p.m. Farm produce, home baked goods and more. Thursday, Sept. 24 Toddler Storytime @ MADL Montague, 11 a.m. Toddlers ages 2-3 invited for books, fingerplays, music, movement, and other activities. Fetch Cycling Group meets at 6 p.m. All skill levels welcome. White Lake Good Neighbor Day dinner on Slocum Street adjacent to The Playhouse, 6 p.m. Free, family-style feast to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. Registration required @ wlclib.org. Free will donations accepted to support future dinners.

Friday, Sept. 25 Play and Learn @ White Lake Commuity Library, 9:30 a.m. Children ages 5 and under and their caregivers invited to join for stories, songs, rhymes, movement, and play that build early literacy skills. Mahjong at the Library @ White Lake Community Library, 10 a.m. Beginners and experienced players welcome - bring your own sets if you like. Afternoon Hang @ White Lake Community Library, 2 p.m. Tweens 10 and up are invited to play video games, do crafts, eat snacks or just hang out! Spooky Science @ MADL Montague, 3:30 p.m. Mix bubbling potions, create creepy sound effects like a creaking door, make a Halloween-themed craft, and explore the science behind Halloween’s coolest tricks. Registration required @ madl. org.

Echoes of History: History Mystery of Dead Man's Lake (Pt. 3) By Tom Eitniear Volunteer Contributor Parts 1 and 2 of this story ran in the Sept. 4 and 11 issues of the Mirror. The Aug. 21, 1878 issue of The Fremont Times printed the following: "We were misinformed in regard to the man that was drowned near Swain's camp a week ago last Sunday. His name was O’Connell, and his home was near Montague." The Fremont Indicator, a rival newspaper,

printed the following in their Aug. 14, 1878 edition: "While bathing in a little lake near Swain’s camp Sunday afternoon, Victor O’Connell, living north of Montague was seized with cramps and drowned before assistance could be obtained." It is probable that the camp members started referring to the lake as Dead Man’s Lake after Victor’s unfortunate drowning. This lake was probably noted as such until Blodget settled his

40-acre parcel and the locals started referring to it as Blodget’s Lake. The old name coined by the loggers has held on for well over a century but will eventually fade into history. The photo included in the article shows the Ransom Swain logging camp. The actual photo date is unknown but it could have been taken in 1878, possibly in May based upon the leaf growth on the trees in the background and the sheer amount of light that

is present at this camp in the forest. The workers in this photo all appear to be aged 20-40 except for the individual that is third from the left. Could this be Victor O’Connell a mere three months prior to his demise? Two different stories from two different newspapers caused confusion regarding what truly happened to Victor. Did the members of the camp decide to concoct a story regarding the one-man canoe? Logging men were known to tell

Circa 1875 – Ransom Swain’s Lumber Camp.

• Courtesy Photo

whoppers of a story and they may have decided that getting cramps while bathing (swimming) was too bland of an explanation. Regardless of what

story is believed, the end result is the same. Victor O’Connell is buried in the family plot located in Oak Grove Cemetery in Montague, Michigan.

You be the judge at Manhattan Short Film Festival By Virginia DeMumbrum Volunteer Contributor Looking for a different kind of movie night? Spend the evening discovering short films from around the world at a screening of the Manhattan Short Film Festival at the Library Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 5:30–8:30 p.m. After you’ve seen them, vote for your favorite and help decide which film is OsDeMumbrum car-worthy! With films spanning genres from comedy and drama to animation, there’s plenty of variety to keep you entertained. No registration required - just stop by, settle in, and take part in this global celebration of short films and storytelling. Light refreshments will be provided, or you’re welcome to bring your own picnic-style dinner if you’d like. Read Local, Write Local with 3 New Apps Discover the stories in your community or bring your own story to

life! White Lake Community Library’s newest digital services make it easier to read local and write local, connecting authors and readers through the power of books. Pressbooks Public, Indie Author Project, and BiblioBoard are now available to library users free of charge through the website at wlclib.org. Pressbooks Public helps you transform your writing into professional-quality eBooks and printready files. Indie Author Project gives self-published authors opportunities to share their work with library readers, reach wider audiences, and potentially earn royalties. With BiblioBoard Library, you can explore local authors, indie eBooks, and unique collections right from your Apple, Android, or Kindle device. Whether you’re writing your first book or searching for your next great read, your library is here to help bring more local stories to life. Learn more and get started today at wlclib.org/ biblioboard. FUN FACT: The library’s BiblioBoard page has a section that highlights our own local authors, and there’s already a book by a White Lake Area author in it! There’s also a section reserved for Michigan au-

thors, and there are 19 more books there for you to explore. Four of these books have received the Indie Author Select Award, an honor reserved for the best of the best among the independent titles. Are You #VoteReady? Midterm elections are just six weeks away, and today is a great day to check your voter registration status and see what’s on your ballot! You can do both of those things and more at michigan.gov/vote. Need help? The library has computers, free internet, and friendly staff who can help you check your voter status. We can also help you contact your local clerk if you need further assistance. Our only goal is to help make sure all voices are heard on election day by working to get every eligible American registered to vote. National Voter Registration Day is an annual nonpartisan event held each September. As the nation’s largest nonpartisan civic holiday, it has facilitated over 6 million voter registrations since 2012. National Voter Registration Day is endorsed by the National Association of Secretaries of State, the National Association of State Election Directors, the US Election Assistance Commission, and the

The

Bookworm

Bulletin

National Association of Election Officials. Electronics Recycling Event Sept. 26 at Farmers Market Not sure what to do with your old TV or that box of old phones, batteries, and cords? Bring it to the Montague Farmers Market between 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26! The suggested donation to cover recycling costs is $2 for the first 10 items or $5 for a load of more than 10 items. For a complete list of what you can bring to this event, please visit bit. ly/goodwillerecycling. This event is open to all White Lake Area residents and businesses, and is sponsored by the City of Montague, the White Lake Area Climate Action Council, and Goodwill Industries.

THE WHITE LAKE MIRROR SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 4 19 SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 THE OCEANA ECHO

MIRROR SPORTS • montague • Reeths-PUffer • Whitehall •

Football Standings Whitehall: 0-3 (0-2 WMC Lakes) Montague: 1-2 (1-1 WMC Lakes) Reeths-Puffer: 2-1 (0-0 O-K Green)

Late heroics give Montague signature victory Dyer, Auger connect for winning 76-yard TD in final minute; Moss scores 3 TDs By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor MONTAGUE — Not many teams would have tried to score in a tie game with 89 yards to the end zone and just over a minute left. The conservative call is to try not to screw up and take your chances in overtime. But then, most teams aren't Montague, and they don't have Cole Moss and Max Dyer. On Montague's final drive in Friday's West Michigan Conference Lakes battle against Oakridge, Moss ripped off a 13-yard gain - he was tripped up by the last Oakridge Eagle who could've stopped him from scoring - and Dyer then launched a perfect deep pass that Levi Auger caught in stride and took the rest of the way for a thrilling touchdown that delivered the Wildcats a badly needed 34-28 win. Through two weeks, a

Montague's Cole Moss, left, attempts to evade Oakridge defenders during Friday's WMC Lakes game at Montague. Moss scored three touchdowns in the Wildcats' 34-28 win. At right, Montague's Dane Roesler (8), Moss and Evan Francis celebrate after Roesler's interception return for a touchdown. Levi Auger's 74-yard touchdown reception in the final minute gave the Wildcats the win. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

lot had gone wrong for the 'Cats in losses to Napoleon and Hart, most notably the defense being unable to get off the field. Coach Phil Koops said the two opponents ran 131 plays against Montague to the Wildcats' 47. The defense, though, struck a key blow early when Dane Roesler seized a tipped pass and raced about 30 yards for a touchdown just a few plays into the game. "There's nothing like that to start off a game," Roesler said. "The second or third

play, whatever it was, to start off with the pick-six, that's the biggest uplift to a team ever. We never let up on defense all night." That's not to say Montague (1-2, 1-1 WMC Lakes) suddenly became a shutdown defense. The Eagles had their share of success with running back Taiden Patton and quarterback Jacob Randall. But the Wildcats got that picksix; they got a stop to start the second half; and they recovered a fumble in the

fourth quarter with the game tied. And when the Wildcats fumbled it right back, the defense stepped up and forced a punt - a good one that bounced to the Montague 11yard line. As it turned out, that just made the Wildcats' win even more dramatic. It might never have happened, though, if not for several huge plays by Moss. He scored Montague's second touchdown, getting wide open and collecting Dyer's pass off a play-action fake for a 32-

yard score. He also ripped off a 51-yard touchdown catch to start the third quarter, dodging and powering through Eagle tacklers. He had another score called back by penalty. His biggest play came in the fourth quarter, after the Eagles seemingly had broken the Wildcats' back by picking off a pass and using the short field to power in their second touchdown in just over a

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Wildcats hang on for thrilling W vs. Whitehall Montague scores early first-half goal, fends off late barrage By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor MONTAGUE — Monday night's rivalry battle between Montague and Whitehall was the consummate rivalry game - a packed house, a boisterous crowd supporting each side, and an intense, physical game on the field. The Wildcats scored an early goal and made it stand up for over 66 minutes, fending off several Viking attacks down the stretch, to win a dramatic 1-0 game that left both teams feeling optimistic about their futures. While the game was everything a fan could want, Wildcats' coach Brandon Mahoney jokingly said the same might not apply to coaches on the sidelines. "It's a nail-biter throughout," Mahoney said. "It was a great match, and there's great boys on both of these squads. I've reffed with some of them. I've gotten to coach a lot of them, and it's a great group of young men on both of these squads. "It's crazy to think where this could lead in the district. You start dreaming big and you start thinking, 'Wow, what if it was a district final?' Because they are in our district this year. The way

Montague's Zach Taylor (15) and Whitehall's Samuel Chona collide while pursuing a loose ball during Monday's game at Montague.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

we're playing right now, it could come down to us, so I'm excited." Mason Anderson scored the only goal of the game with 26:21 left in the first half, taking advantage of a pass by Isaiah King as Montague (4-3, 2-2 West Michigan Conference) cashed in a transition opportunity, coming right after the Vikings had nearly scored themselves. Whitehall (3-4, 2-2 WMC) nearly scoring proved to be a running story in the game. Samuel Chona, who was the centerpiece of the Viking attack all night, narrowly missed a goal later in the half, and Montague keeper Ethan Balon made a great save on another

Montague's Jonah Henderson defends against Whitehall's Carter Burrous during Monday's game at Montague. The Wildcats won, 1-0. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

shot. In the second half, Balon made a couple more great saves; backup Chayse Maddox came in to turn back a free kick after Balon was yellow-carded on a collision while going for the ball and had to briefly leave the game; and Chona missed another post by less than a foot. "I do feel like we generated a lot of offensive looks and didn't capitalize," Whitehall coach Dillon McCarthy said. "We just couldn't capitalize on our offensive looks, and that's so frustrating. Those guys felt it....It takes time to get that confidence. My hopes are that those boys that had a chance to shoot and potentially win or tie the

game, get those next opportunities, and get that confidence and can translate it in the final third." Chona didn't start the year as an offensive cornerstone, but he has emerged in that position. McCarthy said the Vikings are still working on getting everyone comfortable with each other on that end, but it's clear Chona is a force to be reckoned with - even though he was banged up and playing, McCarthy said, a step slower than he normally would be able to. "We're excited. He brings good

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520SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 WHITE LAKE MIRROR SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 THE THE OCEANA ECHO

Whitehall sputters, falls to OV By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor Whitehall is searching for answers after falling to Orchard View Friday night, 22-8, in a turnoverplagued game to drop to 0-3 (0-2 in the West Michigan Conference Lakes). The Vikings turned the ball over four times in the game to the Cardinals' none, including on three straight possessions spanning the second and third quarters. A fumble in the fourth quarter, while down 16-8, proved to be the fatal blow to the Vikings' hopes of victory. "We had a lot of frustrated kids and a lot of frustrated people," Whitehall coach Tony Sigmon said. "It's just the reality here. We turned the ball over too much. We had chances and couldn't capitalize. We had a series of situations where we'd have a big play and then have something bad happen that would kill a drive, whether a penalty or a turnover." It's the second time in two weeks Whitehall has dropped a game to a rapidly improving West Michigan Conference Lakes opponent. The WMC Lakes was thought to be wide open entering the season, and it is; Fremont, 1-8 a year ago, is the only league team to win two conference games so far (though defending champion Ludington is also 1-0 in the conference). "They've got some really dynamic players and

they've got a quarterback who's been thru trial by fire," Sigmon said, referring to Ca'Mari Reese, who started last year's game against Whitehall at quarterback due to injury. "They've done a good job buying into what Coach (Aaron) James is doing, and Coach James is doing a really good job." Later in the game, seeking a spark, Whitehall put Brayden Brown in at quarterback, though the Vikings were unable to get any points out of the move. Their only score came in the second quarter, when they took advantage of a short field to get one in the end zone on a 10-yard scoring pass from Isaiah Lewis to KeAndre Maybanks. Sigmon said the Vikings have no choice but to regroup and to see if they can put things back together for a challenging matchup with Saginaw Swan Valley next week. Swan Valley knocked the Vikes out of last year's playoffs. "I know a lot of people are looking for answers and to see what the next thing for us is," Sigmon said. "Quite frankly, what the next thing is for us is to have a coaches' meeting and to practice. We have kids who have been practicing and playing their tails off... We want to remind our kids that we think the world of them and we'll be ready to go next Friday." Maybanks led Whitehall with 61 yards receiving and the one touchdown. On defense, Wyatt McFarren posted five solo tackles, including three for a loss, and eight assists. Liam Leeke added four solo tackles.

R-P overcomes miscues, edges Northview to go to 2-1 By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor Reeths-Puffer came up with the big plays down the stretch Friday night and came away with a 28-21 win over Northview in nonconference action. The Rockets' Dre Sanders punched in the winning touchdown, capping off a 164-yard day, with 1:43 to go in the game. R-P's Ty Ross then intercepted a pass on Northview's final drive to seal the win. Coach Cody Kater said the team is still working on playing a full four-quarter game, but Friday's win marked a step in the right direction. "It was a game of momentum," Kater said. "We have to turn the corner and play with high football intelligence. We have to do a better job coaching it and our kids have to take ownership of learning it." R-P (2-1) never trailed in

the game, but, with a 14-7 lead, missed an opportunity to make it a two-score game early in the third quarter when it turned the ball over in the red zone. Northview then tied the score up with a long touchdown pass. The Rockets again missed a chance to go up two scores when, Kater said, they "made a couple bonehead decisions and gave them the ball back" on a fourthand-1 miss. Northview tied the score again after that miscue, but luckily, Sanders was there to bring the Rockets home. Quarterback Braylon Swain threw for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Garrison Niklasch set up a Rockets' score by picking off a first-half pass and returning it to the eight-yard line. Kater said the team is working on being more explosive offensively. Last season, he said, the Rockets were largely unable to methodically move down the

Rivalry game energy," McCarthy said. "He will probably be really upset about that last (scoring chance) that he didn't capitalize on, because he scores a lot of other goals from a lot harder angles, so when he had that, he was beating himself up a bit, but you've got to be happy with how they left it all out there." On Montague's side, the Wildcat defense was the star attraction, especially Balon, who flew all over the place making saves, even briefly being shaken up after one collision with a Viking. But he said he enjoys the more physical kind of game that was seen Monday. "I like that kind of playing," Balon said. "I like physical playing. I like bodies getting thrown everywhere."

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Mahoney praised his defense for enacting the strategy Montague always puts in place when they have a small lead late in the game - namely, keep the clock moving however you can. "That's when you start trying to chew that clock up legally - going to the corners, getting the ball in their half, possessing it on their half of the field," Mahoney said. "Don't worry about taking shots anymore. Drop the extra striker. Make him a midfielder. Eat that clock up and suck up that space where they want to be to shoot." Getting close-game reps in intense environments should help both teams moving forward, and Whitehall has quickly shown improvement over the course of the season. Already the Vikings

field, succeeding offensively mostly through explosion plays. This year it has been the reverse. "We're really conservative and when we're not shooting ourselves in the foot or fumbling, we move the ball well and score points," Kater said. The young team is eager to play well, Kater added, comparing it to his time coaching Montague girls basketball when the team had a similarly young and talented roster. "We'd have people walk out of the locker room moody that they (thought they) didn't play well enough, and it shows me we have high expectations for ourselves," Kater said. "There are moments we have to learn and grow from. It's the coach talk that we could have executed better and maybe not found ourselves in a dogfight. We say to stay in the fight and our kids fought their butts off in the fourth quarter." have taken WMC powerhouse Ludington to the wire. McCarthy is optimistic the exposure to clutch situations will sharpen his team down the line, noting that it played a bit too fast-paced late in the game. "We try to play our best style of soccer, which tonight we lost sight of a bit and went a little too direct," McCarthy said. "We're not going to be beating people in footraces. We're not the fastest team and we don't try to be. We're trying to use our space, and technical abilities. I think when we started playing a frantic, 'Oh no, let's try to score' (style), yeah, we had some chances, but also those chances resulted in really tired legs that didn't finish well." Montague's Tyson Schattenberg (left) and Levi Beckman defend Whitehall's Carter Burrous during Monday's game at Montague.

• Andy Roberts/Mirror

Sports in Brief Boys Soccer Caledonia 3 Reeths-Puffer 1 R-P took its first conference loss of the season, ending the first rotation of O-K Green games at 3-1-1. London Carpenter scored R-P's lone goal.

Reeths-Puffer 3 Northview 1 Evan McHugh, London Carpenter and Kam David each scored a goal for the Rockets in their non-conference win.

Reeths-Puffer 1 Cedar Springs 1 Matthew Hansen scored the Rockets' lone goal in a rematch of last year's district final - and potential preview of this year's.

Whitehall 2 Orchard View 0 The Vikings' Ethan Sylvester picked up the shutout in goal. Carter Burrous and Isaaac O'Boyle each scored once in the win.

Montague 7 Manistee 1 Montague avenged last fall's district finals defeat by scoring 6 straight goals in the 2nd half. Isaiah King had a monster game with 4 goals.

Volleyball Oakridge 3 Montague 1 Layla Denhof piloted the Wildcat offense with 29 assists. Annelyse Schneider had 8 kills and 3 blocks, and Ava Dean totaled 24 digs.

Whitehall 3 Orchard View 0 Whitehall cruised to the win. The Vikings recorded 23 total aces, 8 by Peyton Schultz. Clare Westerlund led the offense with 5 kills.

Caledonia 3 Reeths-Puffer 1 The Rockets won game two of the match but were unable to keep the momentum going. Kate Tindall ha 36 assists, and Leah Zuniga had 16 digs. Addison Whitaker racked up 11 kills.

Montague 0-3-1, Whitehall 0-4 at Fruitport Invite The Wildcats tied with Mona Shores and lost to Fruitport, Oakridge and North Muskegon. Annelyse Schneider hit .333 and totaled 23 kills on the day, and Ava Dean racked up 52 digs. Layla Denhof had 43 assists. Whiehall lost to North Muskegon, Coopersville, Gull Lake and Oakridge. Aaliyah Jamison hit for impressive .545 and .429 marks against Gull Lake and Coopersville respectively.

Reeths-Puffer 3-1-1 at Elk Rapids Invite The Rockets defeated Charlevoix, Leland and Bear Lake, tying and losing matches to Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart. Peyton Radel had 34 kills on the day, and Lexie Danz had 9 aces. Kate Tindall passed out 92 assists.

Reeths-Puffer 0-2 at Grandville Quad Rockets' setter Kate Tindall recorded her 1,000th career assist as R-P lost to Grandville and West Ottawa. She had 32 assists in the quad. Leah Zuniga had 29 digs.

Ludington 3 Whitehall 1 Statistics were not reported from the Vikings' WMC Lakes defeat.

North Muskegon 3 Montague 1 Annelyse Schneider hit an impressive .474 on the night, recording 11 kills and 4 blocks. Ava Dean had 22 digs and Layla Denhof had 22 assists.

Cross Country Whitehall boys place 19th at MSU Invite The Vikings competed with over 30 total scoring schools. Rex Pumford led the team with an impressive 12th-place finish out of 297 runners, with a tim of 16:55.2. Ian Dennis placed 77th. Gabrielle Chevez finished 27th and Reese Hesse 101st as the only two Viking girls to run.

Montague boys 2nd, girls 3rd at Sparta Invite Wesley Mair set a new PR time of 16:31.5 to lead the Montague boys, taking second place overall. Nolan Kessler finished 3rd. For the Wildcat girls, freshmen Brightyn Minchak and Amelia Liskey led the way, finishing 17th and 18th respectively.

R-P girls 5th, boys 6th at West Ottawa Invite

Rocket freshmen Hope Gordon and Harper Roberts again led the girls' team, placing 19th and 23rd respectively. Kyron Novak led the boys in 32nd place, and Gabriel Luna was 34th.

Jazwinski wins again for Whitehall at Fremont Bobby Jazwinski dominated the boys' race, finishing nearly 2 minutes ahead of all other runners. Rex Pumford finished 3rd as the Viking boys took 2nd overall at the 14-school WMC meet. Whitehall's girls were 3rd, with Gabrielle Chevez placing 4th overall and Madison Heuschele in 7th. For Montague, Wesley Mair (5th) and Nolan Kessler (7th) placed in the top 10 to lead the 'Cats to 5th place. Erica Hansen (34th) and Brightyn Minchak (38th) helped Montague's girls finish 7th.

Girls Golf Reeths-Puffer 3rd at midseason O-K Green meet The Rockets shot a 358, their 2nd-best 18-hole score of the season. Sophia McCollum took 2nd overall, scoring a 76 and capping her round with an eagle. Olivia Ambler added a 92.

Reeths-Puffer, Whitehall play at East-West Showdown The Ryder Cup-style tournament matched western teams against eastern teams for points. The east side won for the 2nd straight year. Sophia McCollum led the Rockets, finishing 3rd on the individual leaderboard with an 83, making 3 consecutive birdies at one point. Olivia Ambler shot a 97. For Whitehall, Riley Shafer posted a 90 and Kelsie McClure a 101.

Boys Tennis

Whitehall 0-3 at home quad The Vikings did not have entrants in the No. 1 or 2 singles flights and struggled in 8-0 defeats to Grand Rapids West Catholic, Calvin Christian and Glen Lake. No. 4 doubles pair Barrett Chapman/Alden Johnsen were the only Whitehall flight to win a set at the meet.

Mona Shores 8 Reeths-Puffer 0 Cameron Mock/Bradley Gaunt was the Rockets' top performing flight, winning 3 set points at No. 2 doubles.

W.M. Christian 5 Whitehall 3 Scout Freiheit won the Vikings' only singles match. Jonathan Roberge/ Jack Koegel and Liam Nicholas/Tanner Osmun won doubles matches.

Dramatic win minute, going from down 20-14 into a 28-20 lead. Montague needed a response, and Moss delivered, immediately racing downfield for a 64-yard touchdown. He also ran in the twopointer to tie it. Moss fumbled the ball away on Montague's next possession, which only stoked his motivation to redeem himself when the Wildcats were able to get the ball back. He told his team he'd go win the game - and he nearly did on his 13-yard run. The threat of him getting the ball again was enough for Oakridge to bite when Montague showed the same formation. That freed up Auger to beat his man downfield and reel in a perfect in-stride pass from Dyer. "When we ran toss, sometimes their corners came crashing down, and their corner was nose to nose with me,"

Moss said of the key play. "Levi Auger is just as fast, if not faster, than me. He's just as dangerous. Our quarterback, he's young, but he throws a great ball." It was sweet redemption for Dyer after the interception - and a sign of what's to come for the sophomore. "He's definitely the best young quarterback out there," Roesler said. "You see other sophomore quarterbacks, they're not doing anything like that. This dude can run the ball. He opened up the season with, I think, one or two touchdowns against Napoleon. He came back against Hart with more touchdowns. There's nobody in West Michigan that's a sophomore putting up those numbers.... He runs that offense so perfectly. All my faith in that guy." One trait Montague displayed in its repeated

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responses to trouble Friday was resilience, and it's one coach Phil Koops admires. "We don't have a perfect group. Nobody does," Koops said. "We're running around with six seniors, and we've got a bunch of young kids out there playing, but they just kept playing hard. We did some dumb stuff. I was screaming at some kids about hitting people behind the ball, getting a personal foul...but they just kept playing. "The catch-22 of coaching is, how do you give kids the confidence to have success before they've actually had the success? That's what we're all trying to figure out. In the first two weeks, it didn't quite happen. We kept working. The kids kept working and we got one tonight. I'm very excited for our kids, our community, our coaching staff."

Montague takes the win at home invite

Whitehall 2nd behind medalist Shafer By Andy Roberts White Lake Mirror Editor

MONTAGUE — It was another great day for local squads Friday at the Montague Invitational. Montague brought home the big prize, shooting a 363 to top Whitehall by 16 strokes for first place, and the Vikings' Riley Shafer earned medalist honors with a score of 80, a new personal best for her. Shafer knocked in three birdies during her impressive round, but the day belonged to Montague, in no small part due to an outstanding round for Marguerite O'Connell, who not only broke 90 for the first time - she smashed it, shooting an 82 to finish second overall. She made two birdies on the day. "I’ve said for years that she’s one of the most talented girls in our program, and today she showed why," Montague coach Phil Kerr said of O'Connell. "I’m excited to see what this round can do for her confidence moving forward." The Wildcats' Molly Mulder also placed in the top 10, coming in 10th with a 91. Addi Smith shot a 94 and Brynlee Kessler had a 96. "They found a way to post quality

Montague's Marguerite O'Connell connects on a tee shot during Friday's Montague Invitational. O'Connell's personal best score of 82 propelled the Wildcats to the win. • Andy Roberts/Mirror

scores and win even without their best stuff," Kerr said of the Wildcats' other three team scorers. "Our depth continues to carry us, and it seems like someone different steps up every event." Following Shafer, Kelsie McClure posted a 93 for the Vikings. Avarie Bentz had a 101 and Kadee TenBrock a 105 to close team scoring. "We know we can do better, by just cleaning up a few course management items," Whitehall coach Bill Borgman said. "We look forward to a busy next week and a good finish to this month."

September's quiet turning into fall By Margaret Heaton Volunteer Contributor September brings our small towns to a quiet turning point. Our oh-so-brief, but beautiful, Michigan summer, filled with picnics, Lake Michigan beaches, road trips, root beer floats and hot fudge sundaes, begins to give way to something deeper, richer and just a little slower. The change arrives quietly at first. We wake to a sudden crispness in the morning air. A few leaves begin to turn and tumble across the yard. Then comes the undeniable realization that dusk is settling in a little earlier each evening. Still, those early September nights are not entirely quiet. Even as the sky darkens, the bright field lights call us out. After all, that is our grandson, Kenneth, playing beneath those Friday night lights! There is something special about the warm glow of the field, the smell of popcorn, the cool autumn air, and the unmistakable sound of shoulder pads meeting shoulder pads. One side of the field erupts in cheers and applause while the other grows noticeably quieter, then, a few plays later, the cheering changes sides. And who among us can resist singing along with the home school's fight song? Go Wildcats! Away from the excitement of Friday night football, however, the pace of daily life begins to slow. The frantic rush of summer travel and outdoor

projects gradually becomes something more deliberate and cozy. We spend quieter evenings at home, pull light sweaters from the back of the closet, and let the cooler nights persuade us that it is time for a warm meal and a loaf of homemade bread. That change of pace naturally finds its way into my kitchen. Before long, soups, stews, and chili are returning to the table. Late September also brings an abundance of pumpkins to our local farm stands and markets. I love visiting a pumpkin patch and searching for just the right golden orb to bring home. What I do not especially love is what comes afterward, all the cutting, scooping, cooking, and cleaning! Believe me, there was a time when I would bring home half a dozen pumpkins and preserve them for later. But that was then, and this is now. These days, I wait for canned pumpkin to go on sale at the grocery store and stock up. It is so much easier, and I am perfectly content to let someone else do all that cutting and scooping! Canned pumpkin also

makes it wonderfully simple to prepare one of my favorite autumn recipes: pumpkin chili. That is the recipe I am sharing with you this month, and I believe you are going to love it. You may prepare your own pumpkin if you enjoy doing so, or you can open a can from the store. Either way, it makes a hearty and delicious meal for a cool September evening. While I am thinking about pumpkin chili, I am also beginning to look ahead toward the holidays. They may seem far away, but now is a good time to begin watching for sales on ingredients that often become more expensive and harder to find, as the holiday season approaches. If you are a holiday baker, begin watching for butter to go on sale. Butter freezes beautifully for six months or longer. There is no special preparation involved; simply place the unopened packages in the freezer until you need them. This is also a good time to purchase the different nuts you will use in your holiday recipes. Sealed packages of nuts freeze very well, and you can usually use them straight from the freezer.

While you are checking your baking supplies, take a quick look through your spices. You do not want to reach for that little red bottle of cloves on baking day only to discover that it is empty, or that the few cloves remaining have been sitting there since who knows when! Other items worth watching include store-brand canned beans, corn, carrots, and, yes, canned pumpkin. Stores may also mark down last year’s colored sanding sugars before putting out this year’s newest colors. A few small purchases made during September can save both money and frustration when the busy holiday season arrives. And so, to welcome one of my favorite months of the year, I am sharing my recipe for pumpkin chili. You already know that I am a great encourager of freezer meals. If you are going to make one batch of chili, you may as well bring out the big pot and make two. This recipe freezes very well. Once it has cooled, spoon the extra chili into freezer-safe zippered bags, seal them securely, and freeze them flat. Then, on one of those evenings when the sun disappears too early, the day has been too busy, and you need something warm for supper, you will have a homemade meal waiting for you. Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili 1 lb ground beef, cooked

As fall pushes forward and our appetites for warm meals increase, Margaret's pumpkin chili is an intriguing option for an evening meal.

• Courtesy Photo

½ lb Italian sausage 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin 2 cans (15 oz) kidney beans, drained 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce 1 cup beef broth 2 Tbsp chili powder 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp smoked paprika ½ tsp cinnamon salt and pepper, to taste 2 tsp sugar Brown ground beef, sausage and onion in a skillet. Drain excess grease and transfer to a slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours. One hour before serving, stir in sugar. Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.

7 SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 THE WHITE LAKE MIRROR THE OCEANA ECHO SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 22

Recent local police activity Behind the

Badge Whitehall Police Report Sept. 13 At 3:15 a.m., officers received a call from dispatch regarding subjects knocking on doors, or possibly kicking doors, near the 200 block of E Elliott St. Prior to officers' arrival, dispatch received an additional call reporting juveniles running around in the area near Division and Sophia streets. An

officer went to a residence in the 400 block of Division, with which the officer was familiar due to past juvenile issues. The officer located three juveniles hiding near the side of the garage and informed them that it was well past curfew and they needed to be inside. The group initially denied being the reported group running around the neighborhood. Officers did make contact with the original reporting party, who said nothing had been stolen or damaged, and a witness near Livingston and Sophia streets advised they had also observed juveniles running around but were unable to identify them. No curfew violations were sought for the individuals, as they were on private property at the time of their interaction with officers. Sept. 14 At 3:30 p.m., officers received a report of a possible Personal Protection Order violation in the 300 block of

Lewis St. Officers made contact with an elderly female resident, who verified that her son, the subject of the order, was visiting while another relative caring for him went to the store. It was explained to the mother that due to the order, he cannot be there, even with her permission. Officers requested the subject of the order leave the property until his other relative picked him up, which soon occurred. No arrest was made in the incident. At 9 p.m., officers were called to the 1100 block of Colby St. on a well-being check. The reporting party said they were concerned that their sister may be making suicidal comments. Officers were also advised that the sister, who is on probation, may be using illegal substances. Upon contact, the subject was reluctant to self-identify, but officers were able to identify her from prior interactions. Officers verified that she had not made suicidal comments and

completed a referral for HealthWest services. Sept. 15 At approximately 8:21 a.m., officers were contacted regarding a cyberbullying complaint involving a current and former employee of a local business. The reporting party advised that a prior employee had been making harassing and false statements on a current employee's Facebook page. The offender was claiming that the current employee was a sexual predator and had put medical substances into her spouse's drink. Officers spoke with both involved parties, and the current employee's spouse made no indication of assault by his wife, the subject of the statements. Officers advised the offender about naming individuals and providing false information, though the subject maintained the information is true.

White Lake Chorale to WLACAC hosting Re-Energize workshops this fall open fall season Monday White Lake Chorale opens its fall season Monday, Sept. 21, in the choir room at Montague High School. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. with rehearsal following at 7. Singers of high school age and older are welcome to join this group, which has been presenting concerts in the White Lake area for many decades. Even if you’re new to reading music, come give us a try. Veteran members will help you along. If you can carry a tune, we’ll be happy to carry you into the group.

Anyone who has previously sung with Chorale may even recognize some pieces that will be presented as we delve into our extensive library for favorite holiday tunes. The fee remains $40 per singer. Scholarships are available. Sign-ups are not required the first night, so come and talk with us to get your questions answered. Join us for the first rehearsal to get to know us before making any commitments. For more background information, visit our Facebook page.

Ross Medical Education Center now part of Muskegon Promise

Ross Medical Education Center announced Tuesday that it has been named an Eligible Institution under the Muskegon Area Promise, a community-funded scholarship program administered by the Muskegon Area Promise Zone Authority (MAPZA). Under the partnership, graduates of eligible Muskegon-area high schools — as well as qualifying home school graduates — can direct their Promise Scholarship toward Ross's career training programs. As a last-dollar scholarship, the Muskegon Area Promise applies after a student has completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and accepted all federal, state,

and institutional grants for which they qualify. For eligible Ross students, the Promise covers the student's remaining tuition balance after that aid is applied. "Medical Assisting and Dental Assisting are in high demand, yet for many students in our area, the cost of training has been the barrier standing between them and a health care career. This partnership with the Muskegon Area Promise removes that barrier and opens the door for more individuals to pursue a career pathway without the debt that often comes with it," said Denise Ackley, Senior Vice President of Financial Aid and Compliance at Ross Education, in a press release.

Re-Energize is a free educational program now being offered by the White Lake Area Climate Action Council to help families reduce their monthly electric bill. Learn how to read your monthly electric bills and calculate usage. Create your own energy plan to track use and improve efficiency. Begin saving by switching to LED lights. Use the "Kill-a-Watt" tool to choose more efficient appliances. Workshops are open to the public and take place Oct. 14 and Nov. 17 from 5-7 p.m. at the White Lake Community Library. Re-energize is a free program sponsored by the White Lake Area Climate Action Council. Sign up on their Facebook event page or email - wlacac@gmail.com.

Bats in Muskegon County may pose rabies risk

Muskegon County Public Health announced last Thursday that a bat found in the county has tested positive for rabies. This is the first bat to test positive for rabies in Muskegon County in 2026. To reduce the risk of exposure to rabies, residents should: Avoid contact with bats. Never touch a bat with bare hands. Keep pets’ rabies vaccinations up to date. Take steps to bat-proof homes and prevent bats from entering. Most people will not come into contact with a bat that has rabies. However, any direct contact with a bat should be considered a potential rabies exposure. Bat bites may be very small and are not always visible. Potential exposure can occur when: A person is bitten by a bat or comes into contact with its saliva or brain tissue. A person wakes up and finds a bat in the room.

A bat is in a room with a child who may not be able to recognize or report contact with the bat. A bat is in a room with someone who may not be able to recognize or report that they may have been exposed because of cognitive or developmental disability, intoxication, or another circumstance. If you or someone in your household may have been exposed to a bat, do not release the bat if it can be safely captured. The bat should be safely collected and the health department consulted to determine whether it should be tested for rabies. Testing the bat can help determine whether rabies post-exposure treatment may be necessary. In Muskegon County, call Public Health at 231724-1228 or email publichealth.cd@ co.muskegon.mi.us for a consultation. Instructions for safely capturing a bat are available from the CDC, the Humane Society, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The White Lake Mirror ©

is published weekly at P.O. Box 192, Mears, MI 49436 • All rights reserved.

whitelakemirror@gmail.com • September 18, 2026 • Volume 3 • Issue 45 Office hours (Old Town Hall in Mears): M & W: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. • Office: 231-301-8149 • ads@oceanaecho.com

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THE OCEANA ECHO SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 23

24 SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 THE OCEANA ECHO

FILER

CREDIT UNION

75

YEARS Member Focused. Community Based. Financial Wellness. 1951 — 2026

Our Story, Your Community In 1951, a group of employees at the American Box Board Company (now Packaging Corporation of America) in Filer City, Michigan came together with a simple idea: a community based financial institution based on people helping people - a credit union. What started as a small cooperative has grown into a trusted financial partner for over 14,000 members across the state of Michigan.

1951

2020s

2026

Founded by employees of the American Box Board Company

Opened membership across the entire state of Michigan with an inspired focus of modern technologies

Celebrating 75 years with four branches and 14,000+ members

Why Grow with Filer? Member Focused

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Rooted in Northwest Michigan and now serving the entire state.

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Your loan applications are reviewed right here — by people who know you.

Programs and guidance to help you grow at every stage of life.

“At Filer Credit Union it is our mission to developing financial wellness through community relationships and education. As we strive to accomplish our mission we hope that you will grow with us." — from all of us at Filer Credit Union

Grow with Filer Open Your Account Online Today at filercu.com Manistee - Main

1117 28th St. Manistee, MI 49660

Bear Lake

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Ludington

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3880 US-10 Ludington, Michigan 49431

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