Peters Introduces Bill to Help Protect Communities from Threats Posed

by Unmanned Aircraft Systems

U.S. Senator Gary Peters (DMI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced bipartisan legislation to significantly enhance our nation’s ability to counter the security threats posed by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly known as drones. The bill will renew and expand existing authorities – which are set to expire in September – that provide the

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ZEELAND BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS OTTAWA COUNTY, MICHIGAN

Encrypted Bids will be accepted on the Bid Express site or separate sealed Proposals will be received by a customer service representative at the Administrative Office of the Zeeland Board of Public Works, 350 East Washington Avenue, Zeeland, Michigan 49464, until 11 a.m., local time, on Monday, June 26, 2023, and then publicly opened and read aloud.

Bids will be on the basis of unit prices as listed on the Bid Form, and may be submitted using the e bidding system or by buying the Bidding Documents as stated below and submitting the Bid Form.

The approximate quantities of major items of work are as follows:

20 Tons MDOT 5EML Top Course HMA

28 Tons MDOT 4EML Base HMA

160 Syd MDOT 21AA Agg Base

60 Cyd MDOT Class II Sand Base

60 Lft 36 inch Concrete Gutter Pan

68 Lft 24 inch Curb and Gutter

525 Sft 8 inch Reinforced Concrete Pavement Removals, Restoration, and all appurtenant work.

All forms, information, and specifications are available for download free of charge at M+B Bid Express (https://www.bidexpress.com/ businesses/34301/home?agency=true). The Contract Documents may also be examined at the following locations:

Zeeland Board of Public Works

350 East Washington Avenue Zeeland, Michigan 49464

Moore & Bruggink, Inc.

2020 Monroe Avenue NW Grand Rapids, Michigan 49505

Builders Exchange

678 Front Avenue NW, Suite 330 Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504

Project information may be viewed at Dodge Data & Analytics: http://dodgeprojects.construction.com/

Only Bidders who have been prequalified by the Zeeland Board of Public Works within the required days in advance of the bid opening in accordance with the Information for Bidders section will have their bids opened and read.

Plans and Specifications will be available after 1 p.m. on June 12, 2023, at either M+B Bid Express (https://www.bidexpress.com/ businesses/34301/home?agency=true) or the office of Moore & Bruggink, Inc., upon payment of a non-refundable fee of $40.00. An additional non-refundable fee of $25.00 will be charged if the Contractor requests these Documents be mailed.

This project will be entirely funded by the Zeeland Board of Public Works; no federal or state grants are involved.

All Proposals shall be made in accordance with the Bidding Documents.

A Proposal Guarantee payable to the Zeeland Board of Public Works, in the sum of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid, must accompany the Proposal in accordance with the Information for Bidders.

The right is reserved by the Zeeland Board of Public Works to accept any Proposal, reject any or all Proposals, and to waive informalities in bidding when it is deemed to be in the interest of the Zeeland Board of Public Works.

BY: PAMELA HOLMES, CITY CLERK

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) with necessary tools to effectively counter dangerous UAS that pose a security threat. Federal law enforcement officials previously told the committee that current authorities are not sufficient to meet the current threat level and Peters’ bill will ensure the federal government is better prepared to defend against maliciously or recklessly operated drones.

“Attacks or accidents caused by unmanned aircraft systems could have catastrophic effects on our national and economic security. Federal agencies must have the tools they need to address this evolving security threat,” said Senator Peters. “This bipartisan bill will help our federal government protect high profile events and critical infrastructure from recklessly or nefariously operated drones and ensure that we are respecting the rights and liberties of responsible drone users.”

The commercial market for UAS is rapidly expanding due to the increased accessibility of these new technologies. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) estimates that by 2024 about 2.3 million UAS will be registered to fly in U.S. airspace. The increasing numbers of registered UAS create a higher risk of both unintentional disasters and malicious activity from foreign adversaries or criminal organizations that seek to weaponize drones or engage in illegal activities, such as the trafficking of illicit drugs across U.S. borders. Recent incidents have demonstrated disruptions that UAS can cause. Last year, the White House was partially evacuated after a drone entered restricted air space over Washington, D.C. In 2022, federal officials stopped all arrivals and departures at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after a drone that was reported in the area raised safety concerns. Drones have also disrupted and threatened the safety of large-scale public events. For example, there were nearly 2,500 drone incursions over stadiums during National Football League games in 2022 – including one that caused a stop in play at a game in Seattle.

The Safeguarding the Homeland from the Threats Posed by Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act reauthorizes DHS and DOJ’s current authorities to counter UAS threats provided by the Preventing Emerging Threats Act of 2018. The bill also authorizes the Transportation Security Administration to proactively protect transportation infrastructure from drone threats. The legislation authorizes DHS and DOJ to use existing authorities to protect critical infrastructure. The legislation allows state and local law enforcement and critical infrastructure owners and operators to use drone detection technology that has been approved by DHS. The bill creates a pilot program that will require coordination between state, local and federal law enforcement to mitigate UAS threats. Finally, the legislation requires DHS to develop a database of security related UAS incidents that occur inside the United States.

Snowmelt

(Continued from page 1) assessment was $0.92 per square foot for operations and $1.19 per square foot for capital funding for a total of $2.11 per square foot. The proposed changes by staff would only assess downtown property owners with operational costs of $0.92 per square foot.

Staff also recommended the elimination of the non-Main Avenue frontage from corner lots, i.e., Elm and Church streets.

Teacher

(Continued from page 1)

Jacob Pung.

Most of the parents present at the meeting raised concerns about the loss of instructional time. At the middle and high school level classes are reduced to less than a half hour duration during halfdays.

Rachel Gallegos presented a petition to the board with over 1,100 signatures opposing the additional half-day for professional development.

“Why are we the only school district in Ottawa County reducing classroom time,” she said.

Another issue for the parents was the need to arrange childcare for their children on half-days. While the parents expressed that they didn’t look at the district as childcare for their children, the need to change schedules created a burden, especially for single parents.

“My husband and I may need to consider other districts in the area if ZPS has so many half-days. (The proposed contract has) only 12 full weeks of school. My kids want to go to school. If we wanted daycare, we would have the kids stay at home. We want our kids to foster relationships with their teachers,” said Mandy Johnson.

Moose Survey

(Continued from page 4)

“Looking at demographic data, with respect to previous surveys, we observed a comparable – but low – cow-to-calf ratio and percentage of calf numbers,” Petroelje said. “A potentially concerning observation is the lesser percentage of twins seen during this survey (9%) compared to the 10-year average of 15%.”

Petroelje said fewer twins, in combination with a lesser bull-to-cow ratio could point to a recruitment issue, which is the number of individuals added to a population over a given time by either births or immigration.

DNR wildlife biologists will continue to monitor recruitment in the population in future surveys to determine whether a trend is developing or if 2023 was a poor calf year.

“Another factor that has affected the moose in the western U.P. is that 2022 was a high year for moose-vehicle crashes,” said John Pepin, DNR deputy public information officer in Marquette. “Collisions involved at least 20 moose last year in the western U.P. We remind motorists to watch for moose, especially when traveling at night.”

“As was pointed out by property owners, there is no direct benefit to their property for accessing along the side streets. Their entrances are on Main Street where they are already being charged for the benefit,” he said.

Council members took no action on the staff recommendations but will consider them at a future meeting.

“Any working parent would have to take the equivalent of 6 weeks of time off for childcare or have an equivalent support system with the proposed half-days,” said Vince Boileau.

The proposed contract included step and a 4% increase for all staff, added teacher leadership positions, middle school sports that are now operated by Zeeland Recreation, adjusted pay rate for various performing arts directors and club sponsors, and looked at student to staff ratio for ancillary staff (counselors, social workers, school psychologists, etc.).

With the board turning down the proposed contract with the ZEA, both sides will be returning to the bargaining board in the next few weeks to hammer out an agreement.

“We have a very collaborative approach working with the Zeeland Education Association and will work to address the calendar issues. We will look at various options, and opportunities to address the concerns raised this evening and find some solution that is mutually beneficial to both sides,” said Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services Jon Voss.

With the Moose Hunting Advisory Council’s recommendation to only allow moose hunting if a growth rate of greater than 3% is maintained, the DNR is not recommending implementing a hunting season. The same was true over the past several survey result years.

For more information on moose in Michigan, visit Michigan. gov/Moose.

*For those interested in the statistical variance behind the 2023 moose survey, the estimate was calculated with a 95% confidence interval, between 334 and 518 individuals.

Weekly Kids Activities Return to the Holland Farmers Market

Families are invited to the Holland Farmers Market every Wednesday morning for our free weekly Kids Activities! The Kids Activities are held every Wednesday from 9:30 am – 11:30 am through August 16. The Activities are free to attend and begin with Market Story Time hosted by the Herrick District Library, followed by a fun, educational, and hands-on activity led by a local community partner. The Kids Activities are proudly sponsored by Corewell Health’s Spectrum Health Zeeland Community Hospital.

“Corewell Health is excited to partner with the City of Holland and sponsor its weekly Kids Activities held at the Holland Farmers Market this summer,” said Amber TerHaar, Manager, Regional Community Health. “It is great to have so many nonprofit organizations and local businesses involved, providing children of our community the opportunity to engage in active play and learn about healthy fruits and vegetables. We appreciate the planning behind these events and look forward to engaging with the community in this positive and interactive manner.”

The weekly Kids Activities begin with an interactive Market Story Time hosted by the Herrick District Library starting at 9:30 am, followed by a drop-in activity led by a local non-profit organization or business from 10:00 am until 11:30 am. The full schedule of activities can be found below and on the Market Kids Activities Facebook event page. Activities are free to attend, but a parent or guardian must remain onsite the entire time to supervise their children. Activities take place in the northwest parking lot outside of the Holland Civic Center Place (150 West 8th Street).

June 21

• Your Body Belongs to You!

• Ed & Nancy Hanenburg Children’s Advocacy Center

• Enjoy a variety of fun activities to help teach children body safety with coloring sheets, bracelet making, music, and temporary tattoos! The skilled staff from the Children’s Advocacy Center will also have educational materials available for parents and caregivers to take home.

June 28

• Get Outside!

• Outdoor Discovery Center Preschool

• The ODC Preschool team will have coloring pages, a live animal or two, and other hands-on activities to encourage your children to explore the great outdoors all summer long! They will also be handing out their popular Park Passports so your family can spend the entire summer exploring all our local parks!

July 5

• Yard Game Fun

• City of Holland Parks and Recreation Department

• Join the staff from the Holland Parks and Recreation Department as they encourage strategic thinking and getting active outdoors with a variety of family- friendly yard games that are fun for children of all ages! Learn more about their upcoming Recreation programs too!

July 12

• Fiesta Fun at the Farmers Market

• LAUP

• Did you hear the big news?

It’s Fiesta Week in Downtown Holland! Our friends from Latin Americans United for Progress (LAUP) are joining us for the first time ever to host a bi-lingual Kids Activity at the Mercado! Join the excitement as we celebrate Latino culture together with a frutas y vegetales activity!

July 19

• Land and Water Appreciation

• Outdoor Discovery Center Network

• The ODC Network’s Land and Water Division will lead handson activities to help kids (and their parents!) learn more about all the ways they can be good stewards of our land and water. Activities focus on energy and water conservation, preventing pollution, and taking care of the nature around us with hands on activities and information to take home.

July 26

• Grow Your Own Farm

• Ottawa County Farm Bureau

• Grow your own farm in a glove... yes, a glove! With the help of Ottawa County Agriculture in the Classroom, kids will plant five different seeds in the fingers of a food handler’s glove. Given a few days, and some water, the glove will be alive with growing sprouts! Children will also have the opportunity to participate in a Market Scavenger Hunt!

August 2

• Planting Three Sisters

• Holland Museum

• Kids will get a chance to plant the Three Sisters (squash, corn, and climbing beans) to bring home with help from the Holland Museum! The Three Sisters are the three main agricultural crops of Indigenous people here in Michigan. Learn why they are planted together in mounds as the three plants help each other to grow.

August 9

• Build a Fruit Kabob!

• Community Action House

• Community Action House will read the Very Hungry Caterpillar book, then help children make their own caterpillar fruit kabobs while talking about the benefits of eating healthy fruits and vegetables. They will also have information about their Food Club and other programs and resources available for parents.

August 16

• The Buzz about Bees

• Kids’ Food Basket

• With the help of Kids’ Food Basket, children will learn about pollination and the importance of bees in our food system. They will have an opportunity to use bee robots to practice visiting flowers to demonstrate pollination and the chance to taste local, raw honey from their KFB Beehives.