Z EELAND R ECORD THE
Vol. 129-No.33
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Zeeland, Michigan
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Serving Western Michigan for more than 128 Years
• June 8, 2023
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Cost$1.00/copy $30/year
ZBPW Warns About Possible Load Shift The early heat wave that hit the Midwest last week had many residents and businesses cranking up the air conditioning to make it comfortable to work and sleep. With the increase in electrical demand the Zeeland Board of Public Works (BPW) states that it is prepared to implement emergency response plans if directed to do so by the Mid-Continent Independent System Operator (MISO), the organization that oversees the power grid for 15 states, including Michigan. “Concerns remain again this year that electric system supply may be insufficient to fulfill peak demand during extreme weather conditions” said Andrew Boatright, General Manager of Zeeland BPW. The Midwest region is at an elevated risk of “insufficient operating reserves in above-normal conditions” according to a report released by the North American Reliability Corporation (NERC). This projected deficiency is due to contributing factors such as predicted above-average temperatures and aging or recently retired thermal resources. “Quality service and reliability are vitally important to us. Therefore, we have made significant investments in our generation, transmission, and distribution systems and will continue to do so,” said Boatright. “Although the capacity shortfalls are part of a larger regional supply issue, we are prepared to follow MISO’s directives and implement our emergency response plans.” Those response plans involve suspending discretionary maintenance, operating on-site power generating units at maximum capacity, and appealing to the public for voluntary load reduction. “We hope to prevent or minimize potential disruptions to our customers to the extent that is within our control,” said Boatright. In times of extreme electric demand
with all other options exhausted, MISO may direct the Zeeland BPW and neighboring utilities to implement load-shedding, the deliberate shutdown of electric power in parts of a power-distribution system to prevent failure of the entire system. Zeeland BPW has prioritized critical services such as public safety and health care providers to remain uninterrupted during temporary or sustained power outages. “Critical care customers who depend on electricity for oxygen or other life-sustaining medical equipment should contact our Customer Relationship Specialists if they have not done so previously,” said Boatright. In addition to response plans, Zeeland BPW is asking its industrial and residential customers to identify ways they can proactively conserve energy. “As a Public Power utility owned and operated by the community it serves, anything that affects our neighbors impacts us all,” said Bob Mulder, Zeeland BPW’s Electric Power Supply & Market Operations Manager. “If appeals for conservation are implemented, you can help by turning off unneeded lights and electronics and limiting the use of air conditioning by increasing the thermostat a few degrees,” Mulder continued. “These simple steps may seem insignificant for one customer, but these efforts can be impactful when done by many.” “The electric utility industry is experiencing numerous transformative changes, including decarbonization and electrification,” explained Mulder. “These changes, paired with increased demand, above-average temperatures, and supply chain limitations, create challenges that require us to work together as new resources and technologies are employed.” Zeeland BPW will share loadshedding emergency updates to its website, zeelandbpw.com.
Council Approves Liquor License for New Restaurant A new family-oriented pub is hoping to open this fall in downtown Zeeland following the approval of a request for a liquor license. On Monday evening Scott Ingersoll appeared before the City Council with plans and a request for a liquor license to develop a restaurant, The Gritzmaker Social House, 120 E. Main which formerly was the Elbo Room Bistro. “We are community driven family focused business. Our goal is to provide first class service & top-quality food while also giving back to the community focusing on our mission statement of “community unity”,” said Ingersoll. The new restaurant will contain approximately 74 seats with 60 seats at tables and an additional 14 seats at the bar. At Monday’s meeting Gritzmaker sought a Class “C” DDA/Redevelopment liquor license and inclusion into the downtown social district to serve alcohol that could be consumed outside the restaurant in the downtown area. “We originally looked at purchasing the restaurant a year ago, but were not able to reach an agreement,” said Ingersoll. The former Elbo Room liquor license was subsequently purchased and transferred to Frank’s East.
Ingersoll brings years of restaurant experience to his new venture. He partnered with Kalamazoo’s Gilmore Group to open The Win Tavern 33 in Jenison. “We worked together for a while, but I wanted to focus on giving more to the employees and the community than my partners, so we parted ways,” he explained. He then opened Milk Creek Tavern in Comstock Park with a mission of – Amazing Food. Unrivaled Service. Relentless effort to give back and support community unity. “We do a lot of fund raisers for local organizations, are involved in the Chamber of Commerce and are really focused on giving back to the community,” he said. His decision to open a restaurant in Zeeland was partly based on where he wanted to raise his family. “While my business is in Comstock Park, it is not where I want to raise my family. We are attracted to the community and everything that it has going on,” he said. Ingersoll is planning a menu similar to what is served at Milk Creek which features sandwiches, wrap, and hamburgers along with entrees such as burritos, roasted pot roast and perch dinners. If all goes according to plans Ingersoll plans to be open sometime in the fall of this year.
In the spring of 2020 Barry Elzinga purchased Zeeland’s Community Restaurant from longtime owner Lyle Van Klompenberg. Two years later a fire would destroy the structure. Last week on Wednesday, May 31, family members, friends and former employees gathered for a ground breaking to construct a new restaurant.
Community Restaurant Breaks Ground for New Facility While several restaurants, Public and Gritzmaker Social House have announced plans to open in downtown Zeeland, a long-time local favorite took another step to reopening. Community Restaurant, 421 E. Main Ave., held a ground breaking ceremony on Wednesday, May 31, for family members and friends after a fire destroyed the facility over a year ago, April 12, 2022. “It has been a long time coming. The city has been great to work with. Part of the delay was working to buy out my former partner which took a little longer than anticipated,” said owner Barry Elzinga. The new facility will have the same footprint as the original building including the front room, but inside there will be a few changes with the location of the bathrooms, serving area, and the kitchen. “We were originally going to use the original footings, but decided a month or
two ago to place new footings as several were damaged and others had to be moved. It didn’t make a lot of sense to put a new building on old footings,” he said. When the restaurant reopens Elzinga is planning to return with the original menu and add a few new items. “It is a rather large menu, but for each item I know a customer that it is their favorite thing to order. I also plan to bring a few new items to the menu,” he said. Construction is anticipated to be completed in late November or early December. Elzinga expects that the restaurant will be open sometime in January or early February. “There is one thing that I have learned through this process, nothing runs on schedule. So, I plan to be flexible, it will take some time after the construction is completed to bring in all the food, cooking utensils, and staffing to get up and running,” he said.
Dekker Huis Museum Now Home To Zeeland Welcome Center The Zeeland Welcome Center will be launched on June 15 in the Dekker Huis Museum. This project is being undertaken by the Zeeland Historical Society and includes a renovation of the entryway and gallery space of the Dekker Huis Museum. “As a historical society, our mission is to be a place of connection for our community. By adding the Zeeland Welcome Center to the Dekker Huis Museum, we can better serve our community and fill an important need. This wouldn’t be possible without broader community support,” said Katelyn VerMerris, Director of the Zeeland Historical Society. The Zeeland Welcome Center will contain information such as local restaurants,
churches, parks and more. Visitors can also pick up walking tours or driving tours to engage deeper on their visit to the community. “As the City of Zeeland and local businesses invest in the infrastructure of Main St. and works to improve the walkability and vitality of downtown, the Welcome Center provides a timely partner to continue to make Zeeland a vibrant place to visit, to work, and to live,” VerMerris said. As part of the project, a website was also developed at www.zeelandmi.org. The website serves as an introduction to the Zeeland Community including a blog that will be updated with local news. (Continued on page 10)
