Calendar: lots to do in Pentwater
Weekdays
There are lots of things to do at Park Place: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays:
Pentwater Fitness Pump, 9 a.m.
Tuesdays: Mahjong, 10 a.m.
Wednesdays: Knitting, 1 p.m. & Line Dancing, 6 p.m.
Second & Fourth Wednesdays: Bunco, 10 a.m.
Thursdays: Zumba Gold Toning, 9:30 a.m. Civic Band Concerts on the Village Green, 7:30 p.m. (starting June 27) Full calendar can be found at: pentwatervillage.org/park-place-event-center.php
The 2024-2025 Sculpture Walk formally began June 1, 2024 and will go through May 31, 2025.
Mondays & Thursdays - June-Sept.
• Pentwater Farmers Market, Village Green, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday, June 8-9
• 51st National Asparagus Festival in Hart
• Free Fishing Weekend, all fishing license fees will be waived for two days. A Recreation Passport will not be required for entry into state parks and boating access sites during this weekend.
Saturday, June 8
• Pentwater Community Garage Sale, virtual map available online, sales 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• 3rd Annual Chocolate Walk Fundraiser, throughout downtown Pentwater, 1-4 p.m.
Monday, June 10
• Village Council Meeting, Park Place Community Center, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, June 11
• Pentwater Arts Council Board Meeting, Park Place Community Center, 4 p.m.
Saturday, June 15
• Garden Club Plant Sale, Water Tower Park, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday, June 15-16
• Spring Fest Arts and Crafts Fair on the Village Green.
Tuesday, June 18
• Monthly Mobile Food Pantry by the Pentwater Jr. Women’s Club, Pentwater Fire Department, 500 Park St., 11 a.m. Volunteers and donations are always welcome.
Thursday, June 20
• Pentwater Book of the Month Club, Park Place Community Center, 6:30-9 p.m.
Friday, June 21
• Pentwater Lake Association Annual Meeting, Park Place Community Center, 6 p.m.
• General Assembly Big Band, Village Green, 7 p.m.
Sunday, June 23
• Pentwater Historical Society, Anniversary Event, return of the Presidential Yacht, 2-4 p.m.
Tuesday, June 25
• Planning Commission Meeting, Park Place Community Center, 6 p.m.
Friday, June 28
• Chamber Golf Outing, Lakeside Links, noon.
• Gallery Stroll through Pentwater art galleries, 4-7 p.m.
Saturday, June 29
• Tacos & Trek for Trail, Village Green, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wednesday, July 3
• Holiday Fireworks at Dusk, Mears State Park
Thursday, July 4
• Independence Day Bike Parade, State Park, line up begins at 9:30 a.m.
Sunday, July 7
• VFW Pancake Breakfast, 8 a.m. to noon.
Monday, July 8
• Village Council Meeting, Park Place Community Center, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, July 9
• Pentwater Arts Council Board Meeting, Park Place Community Center, 4 p.m.
Saturday, July 13
• 59th Annual Fine Arts Fair on the Village Green, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Traditions is published by The Oceana Echo © P.O. Box 192, Mears, MI 49436 June 7, 2024 • All rights reserved. Writers: AnnaMae Bush & Caleb Jackson Advertising: Jan Thomas Traditions Editor & Designer: Amanda Dodge theoceanaecho@gmail.com Enjoy our free Pentwater magazine!
Uss seqUoia retUrns
By AnnaMae Bush • Traditions Writer with Elizabeth Russell, Pentwater Historical Society Trustee
In 1984, the decommissioned presidential yacht the USS Sequoia sailed on a tour of the Great Lakes for the purpose of raising funds to cover its maintenance costs. The Gilberts, Pentwater summer residents, were friends with the owner of the Sequoia Trust and convinced their friend to schedule a tour stop in Pentwater. Three local residents (Jeff Hodges, Bill Bainton and Lee Price) were recruited to work on the ship for a few days. It was a memorable experience rekindled five years ago when Dan Kofflin, a participant on a historical cruise with Lee Price, asked Price if he knew anything about the Sequoia. Kofflin had also asked Chick Kolinger at the Brass Anchor what the merchant knew about the yacht nicknamed “the Floating White House.” Kofflin inquired out of curiosity because his cousin lived next door to Fred Wolff, a model creator in Florida who was working on a replica of the Sequoia.
Pentwater Historical Society (PHS) Trustee Elizabeth Russell enthusiastically shared the fascinating story of complex communications and hard work that ultimately brought the model of USS Sequoia to Pentwater for a permanent home at the Pentwater Historical Museum. At nine feet long, the model is no shelf item. “It was a challenge to create from the very beginning,” Russell related, “because the shipyard in Maine where the original Sequoia
to Pentwater JUne 23 with sPeC ial Ceremony
was built in the 1920s burned to the ground. There were no plans, no blueprints available on which to base a scale. Fred Wolff worked on the model in Florida for about 12 years.”
Russell continued, “Then his health deteriorated, his wife died, and he lost his motivation to complete the project. It sat in its unfinished state for several years until Wolff died, and his home with all its furnishings was put on the market. At that point Kofflin’s cousin gained custody of Wolff’s model.”
The museum was interested in obtaining the model but faced the challenges of moving it from Florida to Michigan, finding an experienced model builder to complete the construction, and securing the funds to accomplish the task. Russell chuckled as she conjured up the spectacle of the ship extending from the car window as Kofflin’s cousin brought the ship from Florida to Michigan in a very crowded vehicle. She recounted with gratitude how generous donations and grants were received to partially cover the cost of completing the construction of the model and how an expert model creator was found in Grand Rapids to finish what Wolff started. Gary Yakubowski was impressed with Wolff’s work on the hull. He spent 20 months completing the Sequoia replica, which is a true representation of the yacht’s exterior, the main floor parlor and dining room, the upper deck, the bridge and the wheelhouse. “In some cases, the furniture could be recreated with doll house items,” Russell reported. “But the nine ‘Titanic deck chairs’ were among many parts that had to be fabricated from scratch.”
The finished product is amazing and will be available for all to see when it is unveiled at a special PHS ceremony on Sunday, June 23, 2-4 p.m.
The event will take place in a tent at 165 Channel Lane and be accompanied by light refreshments and a tour of the Gray Nook and the Breezewood, two historic cottages at the westernmost end of the channel. Parking is limited, but attendees can park at Channel Lane Park or Mears State Park and walk to the event site. Tickets are required and are available for $20 on the museum website, pentwaterhistoricalsociety.org or at local stores. The model will become a permanently installed exhibit at the museum this summer and should draw the interest of many history buffs.
Russell conducted significant research on the USS Sequoia and learned a plethora of fascinating details about the ten presidents who used it, from Hoover to Carter, about the significant historical and the casual events that took place on it, about the meals that were served to guests, and other trivia that will be shared in future story installments by the PHS. Some basic facts include its total wood construction from long leaf yellow pine, teak and mahogany in 1925 in Belfast, Maine; its purchase by the government in 1931; its sale by the Carter administration in 1977 for $286,000; its designation in 1988 as a National Historic Landmark; and its most recent purchase in 2016 by Equator Capitol Group for $7.8 million. According to a news story by Diane M. Byrne in October 2023, the ship now sits shrink-wrapped at the Richardson Maritime Center in Cambridge, Maryland, waiting for restoration. Previous efforts to restore it were stalled by Covid and current cost estimates for restoring the 109-foot-long yacht are $15 million and five years’ time.
Congratulations 2024 Graduates
loCal artist inC lUded in ameriCan Glass GUild exhibit in Grand raPids
By AnnaMae Bush Traditions Writer
PA small part of the piece Jilly Barnes will show in the American Glass Guild exhibit.
entwater artist Jilly Barnes is honored and excited to be included in a special exhibit of the American Glass Guild (AGG) this summer. The AGG exhibition will take place in a dedicated gallery space accessible to the general public for six weeks at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, June 7 through July 28. The welcome reception for the AGG artists will be at the museum on Thursday, July 11.
Barnes had to apply for inclusion, and said she was delighted to be accepted. She shares, “My piece will be approximately 3.5 by 5.5 feet. It’s a new piece I’ve been working on for this show. The title has yet to be determined.”
Barnes is well known to Pentwater residents and to visitors who browse her gallery on Hancock Street, across from the Village Green. She also shares her skills with folks who attend classes she offers at her studio. The AGG exhibit will give her work broader visibility.
For those who don’t know her well, here is her brief bio statement: “Jilly Barnes, a lifelong artist with a passion for diverse mediums, is a Kendall College of Art and Design alumna, majoring in illustration. Traveling in Michigan and Florida’s juried art scenes since 1990, Jilly achieved acclaim with her 5x18-foot glass mural at ArtPrize 2014, capturing the essence of Lake Michigan’s seasons and securing the 2nd Place Public Vote in 3D art. Today, Jilly sells her work and shares her talent through fused glass classes at Jilly’s Gallery in Pentwater, Mich., inspiring the next generation of artists.”
AGG President Amy Valuck said, “We have approximately 225 members, who include artists, studio owners, students, art historians, conservators, and glass suppliers. We strive to provide a welcoming and inclusive community for both professionals and amateurs sharing knowledge and fellowship around our love of glass art.
“Twenty artists have been selected to show in this year’s exhibit at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.”
The AGG’s annual conference in 2024 will be July 11-14 in Grand Rapids, Mich., with pre-conference workshops on July 9 and 10.
t he d iffi CU lties of o U r ‘P ent ’ w aters
By Caleb Jackson Traditions Writer
There are several theories about the origins of the name of Pentwater, but most likely is that it is a reference to the lake itself. Maybe it’s hard for us to imagine with the broad and beautiful channel we have today, but the meeting point between Pentwater Lake and Lake Michigan was once nothing more than a small stream. Meaning the waters of Pentwater were quite literally “pent up” waters. And believe it or not, this unique feature of our beloved lake was a bit of a stumbling block in the early days of our county.
One of the driving forces behind the development of Pentwater was the lumber trade, and one of the driving forces behind the lumber trade was Charles Mears. However, you can’t ship lumber down a tiny little stream, so in 1855, Mears set out to make a more navigable passage from Pentwater Lake into Lake Michigan and the broader market beyond. According to the history book put out by the Oceana County Historical Society in 1990, “Men worked with teams of horses and crude scoops to dig the channel through the dunes….” The old stream was closed off, and the new channel was dug about half a mile to the south. But it would seem that Mears’s new and expanded channel was not quite as successful as he would have liked. Boats were not able to come into the channel to load and unload supplies, and so long wooden docks were constructed in Lake Michigan in order to facilitate them.
Maintenance of the harbor first fell on the citizens of Pentwater. Property owners paid a special tax going towards the upkeep of the harbor until 1867, when the federal government took over the responsibility. This was a relief to the citizens in two ways. Not only were they liberated from having to pay the tax for the upkeep of the harbor, but in 1868, the government also got to work improving the channel. It was widened to a width of 150 feet and dredged to a depth of 16 feet.
Between 1880 and 1900, the yearly tonnage of the harbor was 87,000 tons. This was, of course, mostly lumber. By 1919, the annual tonnage had decreased to just 2,993 tons. In 1917, the government abandoned maintenance of the harbor, and the channel began to gradually fill with sand. In 1931, the government sent a dredge, which removed 23,000 cubic feet of sand from the channel, but “instead of carrying it out into the lake to dump, they piled it high on each side of the piers. Then, in succeeding years, the sand gradually seeped back in.” Pentwater had a commercial fishing business at this time, not to mention other commercial interests
such as resorts and leisure sailors. In order to protect these interests, the Pentwater Chamber of Commerce and the Oceana County Board of Supervisors appealed to Washington for aid, just two years after the government sent the dredge out. Their cries were heard, and maintenance of the harbor “was again restored to the good graces of the United States War Department.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oversaw the dredging of the harbor just last year, in 2023. We may take it for granted, but it is a lot of work to maintain a navigable passage in a channel such as Pentwater’s. However, these are the necessary consequences in a chain of events set in motion when Charles Mears picked the site for his lumber mill back in the mid-1800s. Besides, un-penning the waters of Pentwater Lake has colored our town in ways we may not even think about today. After all, if it wasn’t for the construction of the channel, we would have had no need for the Pentwater Pierhead Lights. And though they may no longer be around, the channel ferry and the swing bridge still exist fondly in our memories today.
a s P e C ial “ h ome C omin G ” in P
By AnnaMae Bush Traditions Writer
Aspecial homecoming event occurred in the Village of Pentwater in May 2024, when two Pentwater High School graduates, Greg VanBoxel and Larry Doran, returned to Pentwater with a business in tow. VanBoxel, owner, and Doran, manager, brought the Fiesta Grande tortilla chip company to a new home production location in the former Wireworks building in the center of the village.
The factory facility was repurposed with an internal remodel, an exterior facelift, a utility update and expanded parking. When all the envisioned renovation plans are complete, the building will house not only chip production lines, but also retail space, and a limited number of residential units. The village is partnering with the company on the Carroll Street parking development to enable renovation completion.
Significant research and experimentation were invested to find filtering equipment that would minimize any odor and air pollution by-products of the manufacturing process. This is only one affirmation of VanBoxel’s and Doran’s intention to be good neighbors and community builders. The fact that production has been completely operational for three weeks under the radar is evidence that they have succeeded in being quite good neighbors. Aware of seasonal parking issues,
they have also designed diagonal street parking spaces to accommodate employees on production days and summer visitors on nonproduction days.
VanBoxel emphasized that Fiesta Grande is a family business that was developed with a team effort from his wife Lori and his children Luke and Leah. Luke and Leah joined their father’s corporate businesses shortly after graduating college and are intimately involved with the operation of the company in Pentwater. Traveling from his home in Grand Rapids, Luke spends two days a week in the
P entwater for
local plant, overseeing every aspect of the company’s operation. VanBoxel said, “Luke is really the spokesperson for the company. You should contact him for information about Fiesta Grande.” I did, and found Luke to be friendly, approachable and informative.
Fiesta Grande’s local history began in Hart at the La Fiesta Mexican restaurant, which served chips handmade on site. VanBoxel liked the chips so much that he bought the recipe with a plan to mass produce and market them. He invited his young adult children to suggest marketing language that would speak to the younger generation, and their input is reflected on every bag of chips. There, the contents are described as “outrageously good” and “freakin’ delish,” and consumers are reminded, “We’re also very cool on the internet” with the icons for Facebook and Instagram. An exciting recent development is the addition of Fiesta Grande’s own line of salsa to enjoy with the chips!
The chips were first made and bagged in 2013 in a modest kitchen facility in Ludington. As production increased with distribution to 1,000 stores, which currently includes more than 200 Meijer outlet stores, VanBoxel’s company outgrew their space in Ludington. In 2018, they moved to a larger location in Montague. Now looking to launch a national distribution of the chips and a new salsa line to accompany the chips, VanBoxel found it necessary to move to a larger facility again. While keeping the Montague plant open for research and development, he and Doran decided to tackle the repurposing of the Wireworks building for production, keeping their company local and in a community dear to their hearts. If you have any doubt regarding VanBoxel’s affection for Pentwater, you should know that he owns The Pentwood. It is a collection of several charming cabins on Monroe Road, just south of the curve and gazebo at the south entrance into the village. Many residents were privileged to tour The Pentwood during the COVE home tour and were able to see the sweet spot VanBoxel created for his family to gather.
VanBoxel has been successful in other are-
nas as well. In addition to Fiesta Grande chips, VanBoxel owns and is Chief Executive Officer at AeroVision International in Muskegon. Not wanting to spread himself too thinly and wanting to see the chip company grow, he convinced Larry Doran, a friend and former classmate, to come out of retirement to be manager for Fiesta Grande chips. The production move in May included most of their 40 employees from Montague. Luke said, “We hope to need more employees as we grow and will look for local people to fill that need.”
Village residents know that the family’s success with the chip company will also provide dividends for Pentwater, and we support them with our best wishes. We suspect that national distribution will heighten the visibility of the home plant in Pentwater and bring visitors to see the facility and visit the retail store. Thank you, Greg VanBoxel and Larry Doran.
Three cheers for Fiesta Grande!!!
a s i G n of s U mmertime f U n in P entwater
Most any day, there’s at least one Pentwater Artisan Learning Center member who’s working on some sort of community-purpose volunteer project. It’s what makes the PALC a community gem.
Shown here is Jim Pikaart, as he overhauls a pair of Pentwater Farmers Market signs for the sponsoring Pentwater Chamber of Commerce.
“I built these signs over 10 years ago,” said the community-minded Pikaart, “and they were beginning to get pretty scruffy from standing outside the past five summers.”
The much-anticipated Farmers Market kicked off on Monday, June 3. The beloved community event on Pentwater’s Village Green is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Monday and Thursday through the 2024 season.
THE
Pentwater Historical society & MuseuM
PRESIDENTIAL YACHT IS RETURNING
LANE
The Sequoia, that legendary boat from times of war and lore. Yes, we possess her, we own her, our own 104” model of white, mahogany, brass, pomp and circumstance. That grand yacht which captured the hearts and imaginations of our villagers, who viewed her majestically entering our tiny harbor that summer day of 1984.
In Celebration of her completion, we need you to come witness her christening, enjoy a Channel Lane Party and tour the historic Breezewood and Greynook Cottages. The tours will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view these vintage properties in their unaltered state.
The party...it’s a 10-year Celebration of our museum relocation. So come to our party. See us spill champaign, break glass and proudly help us expand our museum. It’s history in the making.
Voted the “Best Thing” to do on a Rainy Day... We’re open June through October, Tuesday-Saturday from 1-4 p.m., with extended hours Saturday 11 AM-4 PM beginning July 2 thru August 10 85 S. Rutledge • pentwaterhistoricalsociety.org • phstours@pentwaterhistoricalsociety.org
At the close of this event, the Sequoia Model will be on permanent display in our museum.
Photo by Ron Beeber
Pentwater lake
assoC iation ConneCts with Pentwater sChools
The Pentwater Lake Association (PLA) has purposefully reached out to connect with Pentwater Public Schools for mutual educational benefits.
The Pentwater Green Schools Club contributes a column to the PLA quarterly newsletter to keep the PLA membership informed of the students’ efforts to protect the environment. Their activities include a wide variety of recycling programs, and they annually clean the beach at Mears State Park.
In the past, the PLA has invited students to participate in poster contests and in speech contests and has involved students to help with removal of invasive species from Pentwater Lake. In the most recent school year, the PLA offered a scholarship to a graduating senior student and worked with the Coast Guard to present a water safety class to 14 sixth graders at the school.
Betty Pleva, the PLA education liaison to local schools, secured the services of three Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers to teach the course May 6-7, a couple of hours each day. Mr. Michael Scott enlisted Jeremy Boussard and John Watson to assist him in teaching the class. The students enjoyed the hands-on activities and produced posters afterward to illustrate some of the safety measures they learned. They each received a small waterproof canister and a whistle to attach to their life jackets.
The PLA is considering making this program an annual event and hopes it will encourage the students to take the boater safety course in the future, which will earn them a certificate to operate a boat. See accompanying photos of the class and examples of the 6th grade posters.
By Jilly Barnes Fused
Mural 5.5 feet tall by 4 feet
Immerse yourself in the beauty of Jilly's fused gla ss mural at the American Glass Guild Exhibition!
Grand Rapids Art Museum June 7th - Sept. 8th, 2024
Reflection
Glass
Christopher Jeruzel, above left, throws a safety rope while sixth grade teacher Tiffany Case looks on. Instructor Jeremy Boussard, above right, with students Khloe Vangunst and Riley Swanger.
may Controlled bUrn in Pentwater
By AnnaMae Bush Traditions Writer
…There’s fire. And there were 120 acres on fire on May 15 in Pentwater. But no worries. It was a controlled burn by the Department of Natural Resources, managed by the Plainwell Management Unit, and under the direction of Ray Cole, the “Burn Boss.” A team of 15 people from several counties took to Pentwater Pathways for the scheduled burn. They arrived by 10 a.m. and completed the burn about 10 hours later. Ray Cole returned early Thursday morning to be sure the area remained completely safe.
The burn event was put into motion last October when Rachel Kanaziz, a wildlife technician with the DNR in their Paris office (that’s north of Big Rapids, not in France), sent in a request for the burn. The state DNR systematically schedules burns on a rotation basis for designated areas every four to five years. The area burned on Wednesday was last burned in April of 2020 just before Easter. Kanaziz requested the burn for four specific objectives:
• To maintain wildlife opening
• To set back woody encroachment
• To thin out white pine
• To stimulate native grasses
She mapped out the specific area to be burned and used bike paths to determine the outside boundaries. The Burn Name was Billy Goat. When I asked Cole why, he smiled and showed me the map outline and said, “What does that look like to you?” “The head of a goat,” I chuckled. ‘Nuff said.
Burn crew members had assigned tasks. The first job was accomplished by a crew member on a Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic [four-wheeler electric vehicle] who trenched the burn area boundaries to contain the fire. Being the one and only vehicle of its kind in the state, the Polaris was being tested at the Pentwater event, and the manufacturer was eager for feedback on how well it functioned. After a thorough walk-through of the area to be burned, the ignition crew members began the task of starting the ground fires at the furthest boundary from the parking area. The ignition crew used drip torches with fluid that was 3 parts diesel fuel
and 2 parts gasoline, working inward from the boundaries to the center of the burn area. The holding crew followed with water spray units to prevent the fire from igniting trees not meant to be burned or to keep the fire contained in the trenches.
Spring is the preferred season for burns because the trees have not fully leafed out. The thicker the canopy overhead, the harder it is for the smoke to rise, which intensifies the heat of the fire. Burns move at varied rates in different locations. Cole explained, “When we work in an area that is home to any endangered species, we have to move at a much slower pace in order to give the animals time to move out ahead of the fire.” That was logical. What seemed surprising was Cole’s observation that the morning after a burn, the animals quickly returned. I asked, “Why? Isn’t all the food burned up and vegetation gone?” Cole said, “Actually, some eatable vegetation is uncovered by a burn. Also, the burn brings minerals and salt to the surface. It’s like a big salt lick for the deer. They come in licking everything and loving it.”
Another fact that was counterintuitive to me
P roves w here t here ’ s s moke …
was the important need for wind. The burn team needs to work against a wind to help control the direction and speed of the burn. Without wind, the fire burns unpredictably wherever it chooses. Weather reports, particularly the wind speed and direction, are big factors in determining if a burn is carried out as scheduled or postponed for a more favorable day.
I asked about the safety factors for a burn team. Cole replied, “We always have medics as part of the team. We very rarely have injuries at a controlled burn. The flames are ground level, and we are in constant contact with each other.”
What is required for personal safety? “We wear non-flammable pants and shirts. We wear 8-10” eyelet-laced boots with protective soles. We have helmets and eye protection.”
What about masks to avoid smoke inhalation? “That discussion is a rabbit hole,” Cole remarked. “Burn smoke is considered non-toxic and, as such, does not require gas masks. Therefore, we do not have any. We will wear bandanas on our faces if the smoke gets to be too much.”
On Saturday, May 18, Cole gave this summary: “The burn went well, although we had to shut it down [early] due to a wind shift that was not forecasted and that sent smoke into Hart. Mopup Friday went great. The fire is out, but we will
be there today checking it out again. All went well; we even had turkeys and deer in the burn unit yesterday.”
There are approximately a dozen DNR forest fire management units in the state, which cover varying numbers of counties. Cole said that north of Mason County, the management units have no more than two counties because the far northern and UP counties have more fires per year. Cole works out of the Oceana Field Office in Shelby but covers several counties with the Plainwell Management Unit. He has worked with the DNR for 18 years, 10 of them as a Forest Fire Officer.
To the question, “Who pays for the burns? Does the DNR budget cover them?” Cole had another surprising answer… “They are usually paid for by grants from wildlife organizations –fish and game fund or private funds from National Wild Turkey Federation. Part of the fees paid for fishing and hunting licenses are directed toward the cost of burns.” Turned out to be an interesting learning experience for me out on the dusty bike trails at Pentwater Pathways off Railroad Avenue.
s.o.s. – q. when is it not a distress Call?
By AnnaMae Bush Traditions Writer
When it announces the Start of Summer party for Pentwater residents. Claudia Ressel-Hodan reports that the first Start of Summer party took place in 1993 to celebrate the complete redo of Hancock Street, the village’s main street downtown. The street and sidewalks had been repaved, curbs were cut to remove steps and provide accessible sidewalks and new sewers were installed. Attractive streetlights, trees, and other landscaping features were added for a fresh new look.
It became a tradition that marks its 31st anniversary this year on Sunday, June 2. Normally scheduled on the first Sunday in June, it signals the return of many seasonal residents and the soon-to-arrive influx of summer tourists who create a thriving customer business for Village merchants. An open invitation is always extended to all interested people to participate. Bottled water and hot dogs are provided; attendees bring a salad, side dish or dessert to share. While tables are available, participants are encouraged to bring their own chairs. During some
Street for the celebration. Other years the event has been at the Village Marina. This year, it was on the Village Green. The festive air is also enhanced by live or recorded music and impromptu dancing.
In 2018, the Pentwater Village Council passed responsibility for the event to the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) which provided new landscaping for Hancock Street once again in 2019. After sharing responsibility in recent years, the DDA passed full responsibility for the event to the Pentwater Service Club this year. The club uses their Duncan Wagon for the preparation and serving of hot dogs. Tents and tables are set up for serving the contributions provided by attendees. Residents en-
by AnnaMae
Photo
Bush
Pentwater women’s ClUb annoUnC e
Pentwater hiGh sC hool sC holarshi P awardees
Pentwater High School had its Honors Night for graduating senior students, Wednesday, May 15. The Pentwater Women’s Club was proud to recognize and award nine Pentwater High School seniors with a Pentwater Women’s Club Scholarship.
Since 1967, the club has awarded 211 scholarships to qualifying seniors for post-high school educational pursuits and earmarked $16,000 for the 2024year awards. In addition to Pentwater High School seniors, the club donates scholarship money to West Shore Community College for a returning female student.
The sources of the scholarship money are the annual Wine & Art Event and Quilt Raffle. This year’s Wine & Art Event was Sunday, May 19. Pentwater Women’s Club quilters spend the winter months constructing a quilt for raffle, tickets are sold throughout the summer months, with the winning ticket drawn on the second Friday of August during Pentwater Homecoming weekend.
Congratulations to the Scholarship Awardees, the Pentwater Women’s Club is proud to support our school community.
PWC Quilt Raffle tickets are available for sale, $5 each or 3 for $10, at Jilly’s, Sew Let’s Be Quilty and at Thursday Night Band Concerts at the top of the Village Green. The quilt, “Catch A Wave”, celebrates the many colors reflected in Lake Michigan at sunset.
Scholarship awardees, above, from left, Samantha Schaefer, Ireland Breitner, Mitchel Daniels, Abigail Hughes, Alivia Kolenda, Jackson Pruitt, Eliana Manadarano, Emily Schwarz and Abe VanDuinen.
Anchors Aweigh!
Begin your journey on finding your place in
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Get your Summer Season Started in Style, this Turn-Key home has everything you could ask for! Watch the Sunset over Upper Silver Lake from your wrap-around deck and enjoy warm summer evenings by the fire pit in the back. Parking for your Boat is right across the Street. You’ll love entertaining in this home with its cathedral ceiling and open floor plan with an abundance of natural light. The home has a lower-level Rec Room. The home also has a 26x40 Garage, a 16x24 Furnished Guest House and a firepit area. Upper Silver Lake is a Private All Sport Lake. Price reduced! Now $449,000 MLS# 24011539
5306 W. Longbridge Rd., Pentwater MI
1958 N. White Birch Drive, Mears, MI