Z EELAND R ECORD THE
Vol. 129-No.36
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Zeeland, Michigan
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Serving Western Michigan for more than 128 Years
• June 29, 2023
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Cost$1.00/copy $30/year
Cars, Chicken, and Scholarships By Kate Chrisman
The Zeeland Rotary Club is happy to announce the return of the Chicken BBQ Dinner! Offered in conjunction with Zeeland Festival’s Show & Shine Car Cruise, proceeds from the Chicken BBQ Dinner help fund the Zeeland Rotary Donald Morgan Memorial Scholarship Fund. Come and enjoy great food and comradery with the Zeeland Rotary Club on Friday, July 7 at 4 PM at the corner of E. Cherry and Church Streets in downtown Zeeland. Food will be served on a first-come, first-served basis until supplies run out or until 8 PM, whichever comes first. Zeeland Rotary Club President, Andrew Boatright says, “Hoyt Barbeque Specialties will be barbequing chickens on their open-pit grills and the mouthwatering barbeque aroma that permeates the neighborhood is built-in advertising. At the 2021 Chicken BBQ, we ran out of food by 6 PM. So, get there early!” Dinner includes one ½ Chicken – your choice of white or dark – potato salad, coleslaw, and your choice of water or lemonade for $15.00. ¼ Chicken dinners will also be available for $13.00. Cash, Checks made out to Zeeland Rotary Club, and Venmo will be accepted forms of payment. Since 2001, the Community Foundation of Holland/Zeeland has been honored to administer the Zeeland Rotary Donald Morgan Memorial Scholarship Fund. The goal of this scholarship fund is to recognize
and financially assist graduating seniors who reside within the Zeeland School District and intend to pursue post-secondary education. Stacey Timmerman, Director of Scholarships at Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area, explains “Donald Morgan lived and worked in Zeeland and was an accomplished businessman and inventor, with many patents to his credit. And he was a Zeeland Rotarian. Providing scholarships for college-aspiring Zeeland graduates was a particular passion of his. Year upon year he solicited contributions from area businesses and individuals that the Zeeland Rotary administered and awarded as scholarships. At his death, the Zeeland Rotary Club established the Donald Morgan Memorial Scholarship Fund as a legacy to honor this extraordinary community benefactor.” Recent recipients of the Zeeland Rotary Donald Morgan Memorial Scholarship Fund include 2012: Megan McCluskey; 2013: Hope VanBronkhorst; 2014: Rylee Brower; 2015: Leah Hassevort; 2016: Caitlyn Bunce; 2016: Haley Turner; 2017: Gretchen Zwyghuizen; 2018: Jacob Vander Schaaf; 2019: Breanna Brink; 2020: Madeline Gustafson; 2021: Ethan Meyers; 2022: Fiona Boerman; and 2023 James Oosterhouse. Zeeland Rotary Club looks forward to seeing you on July 7th to help support Zeeland area students.
Distracted Driving Law Effective July 1 Beginning on Saturday, July 1, vehicle drivers in Michigan will be prohibited from using their hand-held electronic devices while driving with certain exemptions in place. “Under the amended MVC, (motor vehicle code) a “mobile electronic device” is defined as an electronic device that is not permanently installed in a motor vehicle and includes devices capable of text messaging, voice communication, entertainment, navigation, accessing the internet, or producing email. However, it does not include radios designed for citizens band (CB) service, amateur radio service of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), or commercial 2-way radio communications devices or equipment permanently installed in a motor vehicle. Medical devices designed to be worn, such as insulin pumps, are also exempted,” explained Ottawa County Sheriff Steve Kempker. The prohibition of using a mobile electronic device while operating a motor vehicle applies to individuals who are not operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) or a school bus, they were previously prohibited from using electronic devices. Holding or using a mobile electronic device in such cases is a civil infraction punishable by fines of $100 or 16 hours of community service for the first offense, and $250 or 24 hours of community service for the second offense. If a driver is involved in an accident while using an electronic device the fine is increased to $200 and 32 hours of community service for the first infraction and $500 or 48 hours of community service for the second infraction. Drivers with three or more civil infractions in a 3-year period will be ordered by the court to complete a basic driver improvement course. “In an attempt to reduce traffic crashes and increase safety on the roadways, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office will be
working with the public to limit their use of hand-held cellular devices while driving through both educational and enforcement initiatives,” said Sheriff Steve Kempker with the OCSO. While the new law prohibits the use of hand-held electronics, many of the newer vehicles allow for a hand-free option which uses voice commands or controls on the steering wheel that are still permitted. “Basically, you can use your electronic devices if they are configured in a way that both hands remain on the steering wheel. I expect that in the future, automotive manufacturers will include more features that allow for the control of electronic devices remotely,” he said. Unlike seatbelt violations which are classified as secondary offenses – meaning that drivers cannot be pulled over for violating, the new Distracted Driving Law is considered to be a primary violation and if an officer observes a driving using a handheld device they can be pulled over. However, there are exemptions to these prohibitions. Law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, operators of authorized emergency vehicles, public safety-first responders, public utility employees or contractors, and individuals using a mobile electronic device for emergency purposes are exempted from these regulations. Additionally, the use of a mobile electronic device in voice-operated or hands-free mode, the use of global positioning or navigation features without manually entering information, and the use of a mobile electronic device solely for continuous video recording or broadcasting are also exempted. “Even though it is permitted for our officers to use their cellphones in patrol vehicles, we are looking at policies and procedures when cell phones can be used,” said Kempker.
While some changes can be seen on the Sligh Building, corner of Maple and Main, along Main Street, the back side is beginning to take some shape as windows and new architectural components are in place.
Commissioner Bonnema Censored by Local GOP A local county commissioner was censured by the Ottawa County Republican Party last week Tuesday, June 20th, for behavior unbecoming of a public servant and violating Republican values. Fourth District Commissioner Jacob Bonnema of Zeeland, who represents the City of Zeeland, Zeeland Township and a portion of Holland Township, was censored at the GOP meeting on a 30-1-1 vote. Commissioner Rebecca Curran of Georgetown cast the lone dissenting vote and Bonnema abstained from voting. Ironically, two years earlier Bonnema led the GOP in censoring the county board at that time for having abortion related material on the county’s website while he was a member of the conservative Ottawa Impact group. In January the Ottawa Impact group seized control of the OCRP. The OCRP cited 3 violations of Republican Party Principles including a press release from Bonnema that he supports medical mandates, and further advocated for a ‘pandemic panel’ in the future to review any possible mandates. “Bonnema’s position and further advocacy for a “pandemic panel” exposes a lack of transparency regarding campaign promises to protect individual freedoms and parental rights,” state the OCRP Resolution. Bonnema’s second offense was that he voted three times in concert with District 2 Commissioner Doug Zylstra the only Democrat party member on the board. “This is but one example of consistent camaraderie between Bonnema and Zylstra, in active opposition to the majority of the Republican Board.” Said the Resolution. The OCRP also took issue with Bonnema being interviewed by ‘progressive newspaper’ Washington Post. In the article Bonnema is quoted as referring to a fellow Republican
commission, “He is not afraid to hurt people”. The OCRP resolution state “Bonnema’s frequent negative comments about fellow Republicans to local and national media, including radio, erodes the public trust in Republican members of the Board and the Republican Party.” Bonnema responded to the OCRP Censure Resolution with a press release on Wednesday, June 21. “As a commissioner, I have worked hard to listen to the people’s voice and vote honestly and consistently with the values of this thriving county. I will continue to fight for common sense conservative values and principles to be the standard by which we do the business of the County. I work for no political party or special interest group; I work for the people of Ottawa County. The OCRP Resolution also claimed that Bonnema filed a frivolous harassment complaint against County Administrator John Gibbs. The alleged incident occurred at board meeting where Bonnema confronted Gibbs and was told by Gibbs ‘Get our of my face.” In an email to Marcie Ver Beek, Director of Human Relations for the Ottawa County, Bonnema requested an investigation into Gibbs for claims of harassment, threats, intimidation, insubordination and indecent conduct. The OCRP claimed the email and investigation was leaked to the press and that the Holland Sentinel picked it up and made a precise FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request to obtain the information. The OCRP claimed that the Sentinel ‘published a hit piece on Gibbs’. The OCRP went to claim that on June 7, Ver Beek’s investigation into Bonnema’s (Continued on page 11)