The air was electric at last night’s Saugatuck City Council meeting. History itself seemed to echo from the gavel as Mayor Pro Tem Bill Hess called the session to order at precisely 7 p.m.
He had 23 minutes 59 seconds to complete the business of the night and claim the laurels for leading the shortest city council meeting in recent memory.
The previous record holder — Barry Johnson, once mayor when he set the 24-minute record, now councilman — chatted before the meeting. “I have a lot of things to talk about,” he smiled.
The meeting itself was routine and the agenda thin, a normal occurrence for most municipalities this time of year:
• Approve the minutes of the previous meeting;
• Pay the bills (total $295,242.24, including $1,655 for a state-required sign at the Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area);
• Mayor’s comments (“Thank you very much. Happy holidays,” was it from Hess);
• City manager’s comments (none);
• Guest speakers (none);
• Public comment (none from just two people in the audience — one newspaper reporter and the planning commission chairman);
• Unfinished business (none);
• New business (none);
• Consent agenda (none);
• Public comment (none, same two people in the audience, still nothing to say);
• Communications (accept copy of Saugatuck Township fire board minutes — four pages);
• Boards, commissions and committee reports (Councilman Mark Bekken’s update on the Kalamazoo Lake Sewer and Water Authority meeting; Hess’s update on the proposal before the planning commission for a new restaurant); and finally
• Council comments. ...
The chance for the record-holder to stretch out the meeting and save his title?
Johnson updated he council on the closing of the dune deal last week that transfers the property from the Land Conservancy of West Michigan to the city (“Amazing amount of coverage we’ve gotten on that,” said Councilman Jeff Spangler about the reports in newspapers, online, TV and radio). A brief discussion about the possibility of having the Allegan County Community Foundation oversee the natural area’s endowment.
Then the council chambers grew quiet. The only sound came from the “Village Office” sign creaking in the strong winds outside.
Johnson gallantly admitted defeat.
“A new record?” he said as Hess tapped the gavel.
Yep. 12 minutes.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
A Party for R.J. Peterson
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| Guests at Tower Marina in Douglas talk before lunch is served Friday, Dec. 23, to celebrate the 85th birthday of R.J. Peterson, front right. Peterson’s birthday is Dec. 31. |
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| R.J. Peterson, right, at Tower Marina. |
Downstairs, friends and marina employees were busy arranging snacks, sandwich fixings and, of course, the large sheet cake to celebrate the marina owner’s 85th birthday.
Sealed envelope in hand, Peterson came down the stairs to cheers from more than a dozen people.
As he mingled with the crowd, Peterson talked about dredging and the move to consolidate Saugatuck and Douglas cities with Saugatuck Township.
Marina worker Kim Rewa briefly protested, telling Peterson that this was a birthday celebration, not a time for working.
Peterson just smiled and kept on chatting until he was called to cut the cake that said: “Merry Christmas and happy Birthday R.J.”
His birthday is actually Dec. 31.
Keewatin site
The Great Lakes steamship Keewatin is now floating in Kalamazoo Lake for the first time in decades. The ship had been resting in mud until dredging removed the sediment earlier this week.
The ship will be towed out of the harbor in June to its new home in Canada.
To see a video of the dredging site, visit:
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/videos/x1282423391/Keewatin-Dredging-Site
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Saying farewell with a poem
Resignation letters are common in local governments, but one with a poem? That’s a rarity.
When Helen DeGeatano submitted her letter of resignation from the Douglas Downtown Development Authority, she included the 1875 poem “Invictus” by William Henry Henley.
“It kind of represented what I experienced over 12 years being on committees,” DeGeatano said.
She has served on the historical preservation committee and the parks committee as well as the downtown development authority.
“I felt it was time for me to step back and do more with the Dutchers,” she said.
DeGeatano leads the Douglas Dutchers Vintage Base Ball Club, a team that plays 1860s-style base ball. Last year, she helped bring the Basket Factory Vintage Base Ball Festival to Beery Field.
Here’s the poem:
When Helen DeGeatano submitted her letter of resignation from the Douglas Downtown Development Authority, she included the 1875 poem “Invictus” by William Henry Henley.
“It kind of represented what I experienced over 12 years being on committees,” DeGeatano said.
She has served on the historical preservation committee and the parks committee as well as the downtown development authority.
“I felt it was time for me to step back and do more with the Dutchers,” she said.
DeGeatano leads the Douglas Dutchers Vintage Base Ball Club, a team that plays 1860s-style base ball. Last year, she helped bring the Basket Factory Vintage Base Ball Festival to Beery Field.
Here’s the poem:
Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Most hated men in Saugatuck?
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| R.J. Peterson, left, and Eric Conroy at The Annex Coffee Shop Saturday. |
Is Eric Conroy the most hated man in Saugatuck?
And R.J. Peterson the town’s own Benedict Arnold?
Radio host Mike Johnson christened the two with the infamous titles Saturday morning during “The Morning Grind” radio show on 92.7 FM.
Johnson was exaggerating, of course — listeners to his weekly radio show know he can push boundaries — and used his radio time to interview the two Keewatin conspirators about the future of the 104-year-old Great Lakes cruise ship that has been in Kalamazoo Lake for 44 years.
Peterson brought the ship to Douglas in 1967. He sold the vessel to Gil Blutrich of Canada this year, finalizing the deal Nov. 30.
Blutrich is chairman and president of Skyline International Development Inc., a private Canadian investment and management company. He plans to have the vessel towed out of Kalamazoo Lake to its historical home of Port McNicholl, Ontario, where the ship part of a renovated waterfront and tourist attraction that will include a reconstruction of a Canadian Pacific Railway station.
“We have the availability of funds that will restore the ship and preserve it for another 100 years,” said Conroy, a former crew member and now consultant overseeing the project. “This ship was very much a part of pulling our country together.”
Conroy explained that Canada was formed differently than the United States. America was cemented through a series of wars, while Canada was united through negotiations. The Keewatin helped exchange goods and people from the west to the east.
“Here, it’s a local attraction. There, it’s a big deal,” Peterson said in September about the ship.
The Keewatin has links to two other famous ships: It took sea trials in Scotland along side the Lusitania, the ship sunk by a German submarine that brought the United States into World War I. The Keewatin has the same style of engine as the Titanic. The staircase and the dining saloon are the same as well. The Marconi Room is the same as the radio room on the Titanic.
Conroy said Saugatuck-Douglas area residents will get a special “thank you” gift when they come to visit the ship in its new home. Residents will be able to get into the new attraction for free.
The ship is set to be removed in June.
“I want to thank you,” Johnson said to Conroy after the radio interview. “Now take the boat and leave.”
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Parade with a peppermint twist
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| A member of the Precision Snow Shovel Brigade Drill Team holds his ground during a string strike Saturday. |
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| The Peppermint Stick Brigade falls into form after the Silly String assault. |
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| The shovel brigade gives chase. Note the Peppermint Sticks ahead of them. |
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| Shovel brigade members break off the chase for a photo on Butler Street. |
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| Crowd-pleasers at the end. |
Charak posted a photo Saturday of the Yuletide-attired Peppermint platoon from last year’s parade. The comment alluded to the drizzle dampening West Michigan all afternoon: “The Poor Poor patties, will their makeup run ... call the wambulance girls!”
He added a caption to the photo: “I hope it stops raining, the living room drapes I’m wearing must be awfully heavy when wet and my make-up will certainly be ruined. I will look just like a stray cat caught in the rain, this day is just ... WHAAAAAAAAAA”
Engel responded: “You’re going down jug head.”
Archie, Betty and Veronica — all Riverdale, in fact — trembled in their boots.
The two groups have nurtured a good-natured competitiveness since the Peppermint Stick Brigade arrived on the scene in 2009 to challenge the pre-eminence of the Precision Snow Shovel Brigade Drill Team in local parades.
The groups are much alike — disciplined, musical in the military style, each carrying an object capable of a colossal smack. Though the drill team’s snow shovels seem a more brutal stick for punishment, the candy cane scepters of the Peppermints can no doubt be wielded with sufficient force to stun a Clydesdale pulling a carriage through town.
The similarity was bound to bring them into conflict. The morning’s Facebook taunts seemed to be the spark and when the Peppermint Sticks struck, they smacked with a storm of Silly String, smothering the shovel-swingers in front of scores of spectators.
To their credit, the veteran Precision Snow Shovel Brigade Drill Team did not break ranks, bravely weathering the sticky string and completing their crowd-pleasing choreography with a defiant smack of their own — shovels on the pavement.
The Peppermints gleefully hustled back to the start of the parade, waving their sticks in the air as they weaved through the sidewalk crowds. The shovellers gave half-hearted chase, picking the plastic party string off their pajama bottoms and coconut bras. They finally stopped to get their photos taken with fans and decide at which bar they would bend elbows.
The Peppermints could claim sweet victory.
The shovellers were going to taste dignity in defeat.
Next year’s parade ought to be epic.
Some links
More photos: http://www.hollandsentinel.com/photo/x560072332/Saugatuck-parade-Silly-String-ambush
Peppermint Stick video: http://www.hollandsentinel.com/videos/x1112597806/Peppermint-Stick-Brigade?page=0
Snow Shovel Brigade video: http://www.hollandsentinel.com/videos/x1560336985/Saugatuck-Snow-Shovel-Drill-Team?page=0
Friday, December 2, 2011
Consolidation discussion hits Facebook
The man who recently started a Facebook page about the drive to consolidate the cities of Saugatuck and Douglas with Saugatuck Township jumped the gun a bit on launching the site.
“I started to get a Facebook page ready, but didn’t intend on launching it right away,” said Matt Balmer. “I was waiting to gather more factual information so I would have more to write about. However, then I figured that I really do have enough and maybe more importantly, it would allow me to receive questions from people that are seeking more information. Information that I could research for them, if I didn’t already have the answer. I still haven’t truly promoted the page, but will begin to do so soon.”
The Tri-Community Consolidation Information page has about two dozen “likes” as of Friday.
Questions range from the cost of the consolidation process, extra-voted millages and what would happen to current employees of each municipality if the areas merged into one.
The Consolidated Government Committee turned in petitions to the State Boundary Commission in November to begin the process of merging the three municipalities.
The state must verify the petitions and hold hearings before the Boundary Commission makes a recommendation on uniting the communities.
The consolidation group’s website, congov.com, answers questions about the merger process and funding. Since Oct. 31, the site has had 1,461 visits and 6,661 hits, the committee said.
The site has a forum page but it has not yet been used by anyone.
“We are all for an open exchange of ideas. Dick Waskin’s post says it best, ‘Let’s keep it fact based and be sincere about what would be best for the Tri-Community area,’” said committee member Steve Hutchins.
The group is not on Facebook but is open to using social media to get the facts before the voters, he said.
The group also holds open hours from 10 a.m. to noon every Saturday at the Saugatuck Douglas Chamber of Commerce office in the Douglas Professional Building, suite 104, corner of Wiley Street and Blue Star Highway. The only Saturdays the sessions will not be offered are Dec. 24 and Dec. 31.
Balmer, a former mayor of Douglas and owner of Everyday People Cafe, has been hearing from people about consolidation
“I’ve found that most people either don’t believe that it’s ever going to seriously happen, or they know so little about it that they don’t really know what to think,” he said.
The former mayor has spoken out against consolidation, but says he is open to new ideas.
“I have learned enough to know that I am definitely not in favor of consolidation, but if someone could show me enough concrete evidence that it could indeed be beneficial, I would not be opposed to changing my mind. I don’t think I’ll ever see such evidence given everything I’ve learned thus far, but I’m open to the possibility,” he said.
Balmer said he wants to get the facts out to people.
“Really I just want to concentrate on gathering the facts and helping people understand what consolidation would entail,” he said.
Another former Douglas mayor has also spoken out against consolidation.
Renee Waddell used her last evening in office to speak out against the merger.
In a letter last week, she wondered about the fate of the two post offices if the towns consolidate.
“Douglas, as unique as each citizen for whom it is intended and if any place can lay claim to the title of unique, it’s the Douglas post office. Daily, Joe and Kathy can be seen treating a friendly dog to a bone, receiving second home owners back into town and offering a smile as they pass a package to you over the counter,” she wrote.
Douglas or Saugatuck: “What will their destiny be? Which one will have to go?” she asked.
“I started to get a Facebook page ready, but didn’t intend on launching it right away,” said Matt Balmer. “I was waiting to gather more factual information so I would have more to write about. However, then I figured that I really do have enough and maybe more importantly, it would allow me to receive questions from people that are seeking more information. Information that I could research for them, if I didn’t already have the answer. I still haven’t truly promoted the page, but will begin to do so soon.”
The Tri-Community Consolidation Information page has about two dozen “likes” as of Friday.
Questions range from the cost of the consolidation process, extra-voted millages and what would happen to current employees of each municipality if the areas merged into one.
The Consolidated Government Committee turned in petitions to the State Boundary Commission in November to begin the process of merging the three municipalities.
The state must verify the petitions and hold hearings before the Boundary Commission makes a recommendation on uniting the communities.
On the web
The consolidation group’s website, congov.com, answers questions about the merger process and funding. Since Oct. 31, the site has had 1,461 visits and 6,661 hits, the committee said.
The site has a forum page but it has not yet been used by anyone.
“We are all for an open exchange of ideas. Dick Waskin’s post says it best, ‘Let’s keep it fact based and be sincere about what would be best for the Tri-Community area,’” said committee member Steve Hutchins.
The group is not on Facebook but is open to using social media to get the facts before the voters, he said.
The group also holds open hours from 10 a.m. to noon every Saturday at the Saugatuck Douglas Chamber of Commerce office in the Douglas Professional Building, suite 104, corner of Wiley Street and Blue Star Highway. The only Saturdays the sessions will not be offered are Dec. 24 and Dec. 31.
Balmer, a former mayor of Douglas and owner of Everyday People Cafe, has been hearing from people about consolidation
“I’ve found that most people either don’t believe that it’s ever going to seriously happen, or they know so little about it that they don’t really know what to think,” he said.
The former mayor has spoken out against consolidation, but says he is open to new ideas.
“I have learned enough to know that I am definitely not in favor of consolidation, but if someone could show me enough concrete evidence that it could indeed be beneficial, I would not be opposed to changing my mind. I don’t think I’ll ever see such evidence given everything I’ve learned thus far, but I’m open to the possibility,” he said.
Balmer said he wants to get the facts out to people.
“Really I just want to concentrate on gathering the facts and helping people understand what consolidation would entail,” he said.
Post offices
Another former Douglas mayor has also spoken out against consolidation.
Renee Waddell used her last evening in office to speak out against the merger.
In a letter last week, she wondered about the fate of the two post offices if the towns consolidate.
“Douglas, as unique as each citizen for whom it is intended and if any place can lay claim to the title of unique, it’s the Douglas post office. Daily, Joe and Kathy can be seen treating a friendly dog to a bone, receiving second home owners back into town and offering a smile as they pass a package to you over the counter,” she wrote.
Douglas or Saugatuck: “What will their destiny be? Which one will have to go?” she asked.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Smile! It's the holidays in Glenn
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| Kathy Stanton takes a Christmas card photo of Tonya Hintze, Gail McCormick, Arnie McCormick and Jan Hintze outside the Glenn School Friday, Nov. 25, as part of the community’s Circle of Lights celebration. |
Lou Rizzolo pointed over the registration table to the bin of elf hats.
“Do we have to?” asked Tonya Hintze, appealing to her holiday companions.
Yes. They had to.
The quartet from the Saugatuck area pulled on the red and green caps, sat in the vintage sleigh on the steps of the Glenn School and smiled for the camera.
Kathy Stanton snapped the image that will be emailed to the group for a memorable Christmas card.
“We wanted to get out of the house and have some fun,” said Arnie McCormick.
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| Frank Conklin cracks open a chestnut Friday night. |
And, of course, Santa Claus.
Dozens of children giggled, screamed and jumped to see Kris Kringle and his wife arrive in a horse-dawn carriage to light the community tree in Glenn Square.
After flicking the switch, Santa was led by the children down a pathway lined with lighted candy canes to Glenn United Methodist Church where the jolly old elf held court for a line of anxious children.
Rachel Ridley made sure her son started the holiday tradition early, placing Grant, 4 months old, on Santa’s lap. Grant didn’t say much, though, keeping his pacifier tight in his mouth.
The Circle of Lights holiday celebration was originated by William Erby Smith to illuminate Glenn in twinkling lights. Through the continued support of his brother, Mark Smith, as well as many community volunteers, the tradition continues each year.
To see more photos, visit http://www.hollandsentinel.com/photo/x143553779/Glenn-Circle-of-Lights
To see a short video, visit http://www.hollandsentinel.com/videos
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
An anti-consolidation group?
Douglas City Councilman Greg Harvath dropped a bombshell at last night’s meeting — an anti-consolidation group is forming and should be invited to address the city council.
After the meeting, reporters asked Harvath more about his announcement:
• Who’s forming the group?
• Who’s in it?
• When do they meet?
Harvath refused to answer, saying only that as journalists, the reporters should find out that information. That’s a reporter’s job, he said.
He did drop a hint, saying the reporters should read their own stories from the last city council meeting to find out who’s in the group.
The previous council meeting (on Nov. 14) was a closed session to get “opinion from legal counsel” about consolidation.
Councilwoman Lisa Greenwood said Monday (Nov. 21) the council knew at the Nov. 14 meeting about the anti-consolidation group.
Former Douglas Mayor Matt Balmer spoke at that Nov. 14 meeting. He said in an email today that he doesn’t know of any anti-consolidation group, though he is aware of people gathering information on the pros and cons of consolidation.
Former Mayor Renee Waddell was also at that Nov. 14 meeting. She said that night that she opposes consolidation.
Earlier today, she said she is working with an informal group of people who are not anti-consolidation but are asking more in depth questions relating to the two consolidation studies.
Other than the pro-consolidation people — Jim Storey, Frank Lamb and Steve Hutchins — at that Nov. 14 meeting, there was one other man who waited outside as the council met in closed session. He did not speak to reporters and did not address the council when it came back to open session.
Councilman Eric Smith said Monday (Nov. 21) he would welcome the new anti-consolidation group to talk to the council, but added that the new group’s information might not be accurate.
“I want our city manager to supply us with accurate information,” Smith said.
The council on Nov. 14 instructed City Manager Bill LeFevere to get more details on consolidation.
He is working in a preliminary analysis that will have information — “enough to form an initial conclusion” about consolidation’s impact on Douglas, he said last night.
He will have that information in two to three weeks.
After the meeting, reporters asked Harvath more about his announcement:
• Who’s forming the group?
• Who’s in it?
• When do they meet?
Harvath refused to answer, saying only that as journalists, the reporters should find out that information. That’s a reporter’s job, he said.
He did drop a hint, saying the reporters should read their own stories from the last city council meeting to find out who’s in the group.
The previous council meeting (on Nov. 14) was a closed session to get “opinion from legal counsel” about consolidation.
Councilwoman Lisa Greenwood said Monday (Nov. 21) the council knew at the Nov. 14 meeting about the anti-consolidation group.
Former Douglas Mayor Matt Balmer spoke at that Nov. 14 meeting. He said in an email today that he doesn’t know of any anti-consolidation group, though he is aware of people gathering information on the pros and cons of consolidation.
Former Mayor Renee Waddell was also at that Nov. 14 meeting. She said that night that she opposes consolidation.
Earlier today, she said she is working with an informal group of people who are not anti-consolidation but are asking more in depth questions relating to the two consolidation studies.
Other than the pro-consolidation people — Jim Storey, Frank Lamb and Steve Hutchins — at that Nov. 14 meeting, there was one other man who waited outside as the council met in closed session. He did not speak to reporters and did not address the council when it came back to open session.
Councilman Eric Smith said Monday (Nov. 21) he would welcome the new anti-consolidation group to talk to the council, but added that the new group’s information might not be accurate.
“I want our city manager to supply us with accurate information,” Smith said.
The council on Nov. 14 instructed City Manager Bill LeFevere to get more details on consolidation.
He is working in a preliminary analysis that will have information — “enough to form an initial conclusion” about consolidation’s impact on Douglas, he said last night.
He will have that information in two to three weeks.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Glenn Post Office celebration
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| Greg Chanski cuts the ribbon a second time to dedicate the new Glenn Village Post Office inside Gerstner Hardware. Vicki and Robert Amberg are standing in the door to the new facility. |
You can joke about the U.S. Postal Service being late, but that wasn’t the case yesterday when postal officials helped dedicate the new Glenn Village Post Office.
The red ribbon was strung across the door to the small postal room in Gerstner Hardware, 6988 114th Ave., and Greg Chanski, manager of post office operations in Grand Rapids, gave a brief talk about the new facility then quickly swung around the hardware hedge clippers and snipped the fabric.
The stunned crowd didn’t even have time to take pictures!
Check out the video at: http://www.hollandsentinel.com/videos/x918438872/Glenn-Village-Post-Office-dedicated
Hardware store owners Vicki and Robert Amberg quickly made the repair, tying the ribbon in a knot and letting spectators — more than two dozen filled the hardware store — get a clear shot at photographs.
The ribbon, cake and coffee were all to celebrate that the small town of Glenn is the first place in Michigan — and the third in the nation — to get a village post office.
There are village post office sites in Washington state and Pennsylvania. Two other sites in Michigan are under consideration for the designation, said postal service spokeswoman Sabrina Todd.
In July, Glenn residents received a letter from the post office that the office on Blue Star Highway north of 114th Avenue would close due to a loss of lease on the property. People in the unincorporated town in Ganges Township rallied to save the office, saying the town would lose its identity and tourists if the post office and ZIP code were erased.
The Ambergs stepped in, offering their store as a postal site.
In fact, the post office was in the hardware store from 1948 to 1955, Amberg said. When she bought the store seven years ago, workers found a faded sign in a barn behind the building. The sign, which reads “Hardware Variety U.S. Post Office,” was affixed above the store’s entry long before the idea of a Village Post Office surfaced this year.
“I guess we’re coming back home,” said Chanski of the postal service.
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| The old post office sign is above the door. |
The Glenn Village Post Office has boxes for mail delivery and pickup, stamps, flat rate priority shipping boxes and other supplies for sale. The site does not weigh packages.
Mail comes through the Fennville Post Office. New post office boxes and renewals are handled in Fennville as well. Hardware staff members cannot open boxes for people who forget their key.
The limited service sites are one way the post office is saving money, officials said.
The Ambergs put the post office boxes in a side room and have a display of postal products. The post office is open the same hours as the hardware store: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
A handicapped-accessible ramp will be built, Vicki Amberg said.
Here are some links to preview Sentinel stories:
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/feature/x1837737534/Glenn-residents-afraid-post-office-closure-will-hurt-town
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/feature/x2086385914/Glenn-residents-rally-to-save-their-post-office-service-returns-to-its-roots
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Some consolidation links
A resident called me to task last night about not reporting on the consolidation movement in Saugatuck, Douglas and Saugatuck Township.
I was surprised since I've written extensively on the topic for more than 2 years. Here's a sample of back articles for anyone who'd like more information:
I was surprised since I've written extensively on the topic for more than 2 years. Here's a sample of back articles for anyone who'd like more information:
Cold consolidation facts
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| From left: Former Mayor Matt Balmer, Commercial Record reporter Scott Sullivan, Consolidated Government Committee spokesman Jim Storey, member Frank Lamb and former Mayor Renee Waddell talk about consolidation outside city hall on Monday night. |
People passing Douglas city hall last night witnessed a rare occurrence when the two former mayors of the city stood outside the municipal building with three members of the Consolidated Government Committee and four reporters to talk about what was going on behind closed doors just behind them.
City council members were inside city hall discussing in closed session how they should react to the recent filing of petitions that start the consolidation process. See story http://www.hollandsentinel.com/newsnow/x495075506/Saugatuck-Douglas-investigating-consolidation-facts
Left outside in the cold for about an hour were the media and audience members.
Former Mayor Renee Waddell, used to being on the other, warmer side of the closed session, spoke about her opposition to consolidation to some reporters while Jim Storey, spokesman for the Consolidated Government Committee, Steve Hutchins and Frank Lamb, both committee members, spoke with other reporters, including a TV crew (See story http://www.wzzm13.com/news/article/185853/14/Local-consolidation-discussed-in-Douglas)
Then, from the dark of the street, the city's first mayor Matt Balmer walked up and joined the discussion. He was on his way to speak at the meeting.
Both former mayors who both oppose consolidation and the consolidation supporters talked for the rest of the time before the doors of city hall opened again.
Inside, back on the record and warm again, the discussion continued:
Balmer praised the council for getting involved in the consolidation process and seeking independent information.
Lamb also said there needs to be more information out in the public, especially about the consolidation process. Check out the state act itself at http://www.legislature.mi.gov/%28S%284melpcmakzurix55j5xp5xul%29%29/mileg.aspx?page=getobject&objectname=mcl-act-191-of-1968&queryid=328513&highlight=
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Halloween parade praise
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| The start of the Douglas Halloween Parade for Adults on Oct. 29. |
Organizers of the Douglas Halloween Parade for Adults confirmed what the thousands of participants already knew — the Saturday, Oct. 29, parade was a success.
"I spoke with many of the merchants over the weekend and their perspective was that the steps the city took to control the Halloween parade were a huge success," Bill Schumacher of the downtown development authority wrote to the Douglas City Council Oct. 31. "I didn't hear of any problems."
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| One of the volunteers at the parade. |
City Manager Bill LeFevere, who was new in town last year, summed up the 2010 parade: "It scared the crap out of me," he said Monday night. This year, he said, was much better organized.
Organizers added more than a city block to the parade route and started marchers at Beery Field park instead of on the street itself to better manage the swelling sea of spectators. Barriers borrowed from the Holland Department of Public Safety lined the edges of the route, keeping the more than 4,000 spectators from clogging the way.
This year, five uniformed police officers monitored the crowd and 16 orange-vested volunteers made sure the marchers flowed smoothly and nothing got out of control.
"I do think our volunteers were instrumental in the success of this year's parade," Schumacher wrote.
Organizer Ginger Wilkinson thanked the city of helping with the event.
"I think this was the best parade of all and you all played a big part in its success," she wrote to the city manager and staff.
Here's a link to The Sentinel photo gallery of the parade: http://www.hollandsentinel.com/photo/x1321421367/Douglas-Halloween-Parade-for-Adults?page=0
Monday, November 7, 2011
The Morning Grind mix
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| From left: Mike Johnson, Tiffany Coffins, Tom Rody and David Swan on The Morning Grind Saturday. |
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| Audience members talk during The Morning Grind. |
“Dave could come back,” said Johnson, who hasn’t’ settled on another on-air partner yet. Tom Rody, morning DJ on WYVN, has been sitting in. So has the Rev. Rob Brink, a.k.a The Padre, and Hope College intern Tiffany Coffins.
The show started Sept. 19, 2009, and mixes comedy, a free-flowing format that can jump from community events and sports to local politics. And there are the guests who are ushered in with the ring of the door bell and take a seat around the piano bar with the Kalamazoo River in the background.
Last week, guests were Alexander Fink of Simpatico Coffee Company; Jeff Wilcox, a local Vietnam veteran who spoke about Veterans Day; and David Swan, president of the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance who talked about the recent court decision on 320 acres of duneland in Saugatuck Township.
In the background, a cast of regulars share stories and talk about what’s going on in the community while the barista mixes lattes, mochas and a constant flow of coffee for Johnson.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Activity around the Keewatin
 |
| The Keewatin lifeboats. |
Douglas Elementary School students got to walk the decks of the Great Lakes steamship one more time.
Besides the work on the ship itself, a dredging spoils area just south of the parking lot is coming along. Plans are to put the dredging material from around the ship into that spot before the ship is rotated 180 degrees in preparation to be pulled out of the harbor.
R.J. Peterson, who sold the vessel to Skyline International Development Inc., said the owners are looking at a dry dock to help raise the ship out of the water so they won’t have to dredge as much material to get the ship to Lake Michigan.
Skyline will donate it to the R.J. and Diane Peterson Great Lakes and S.S. Keewatin Foundation, which will operate and maintain the vessel as a museum.
The Keewatin, built in 1907, will be moored in a park in Port McNicoll, its home port when it carried cargo and passengers for the Canadian Pacific Railway. The park will feature a replica of the town’s original train station and gardens.
The ship's lifeboats are stacked in the parking lot outside the Keewatin and you can really see what desperate shape they are in. Peterson earlier said the lifeboats are heading out to be restored.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The other Douglas council actions
Several people in the audience waiting for the Douglas City Council meeting to start Monday all asked the same question: How many Douglas council members does it take to fix a video camera?
One. As long as the clerk has the remote.
Before the council got going, Clerk Jean Neve noticed the image for the video recording of the meeting wasn't quite right. The camera was trained in on the torso of Mayor Renee Waddell. So council members moved the tables backwards and forwards, trying to get the entire city body in the TV picture. The scene was reminiscent of a Vaudeville act or a great silent movie comedy bit.
Councilman Greg Harvath began to climb up on a chair to fix the camera mounted on the wall, but stopped after warnings from the mayor to remember OSHA laws and insurance costs. So a ladder was brought and Harvath began working on the camera as people below shouted for him to move to the left, to the right and back again. Another great Vaudeville shtick.
Luckily, the clerk found the remote and adjusted the camera so the entire council, not just the mayor's midsection, was recorded for people to watch at home.
Comedic start notwithstanding, the council did tackle many serious issues, including:
• Possible land purchase for a sledding hill: http://www.hollandsentinel.com/newsnow/x1199433368/Douglas-group-afraid-sledding-hill-slipping-away-wants-to-buy-site
• Changes to roads around the Blue Star Highway bridge: http://www.hollandsentinel.com/newsnow/x268457632/More-detours-around-Blue-Star-Highway-bridge
Other actions included:
• Honoring with proclamations of appreciation four community members for their contributions: Gerry Bekken, Bill Schumacher, Alexa Urquhart and Tarue Pullen. Gerry Bekken, who has been a fightfighter since 1948 and was post master from 1983-1990, started the tradition of hugging the mayor after receiving the award. He then deadpanned, "Do I get a break on my taxes?"
• Setting trick-or-treat hours from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31. A ghoulish outcry arose when one of the council members suggested changing the candy-seeking hours to Saturday. Some Douglas traditions are not to be tampered with.
• Changing its first meeting in January from Monday, Jan. 2, to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3. City hall is closed Jan. 2 for the holiday.
One. As long as the clerk has the remote.
 |
| Greg Harvath checks out the camera Monday. |
Before the council got going, Clerk Jean Neve noticed the image for the video recording of the meeting wasn't quite right. The camera was trained in on the torso of Mayor Renee Waddell. So council members moved the tables backwards and forwards, trying to get the entire city body in the TV picture. The scene was reminiscent of a Vaudeville act or a great silent movie comedy bit.
Councilman Greg Harvath began to climb up on a chair to fix the camera mounted on the wall, but stopped after warnings from the mayor to remember OSHA laws and insurance costs. So a ladder was brought and Harvath began working on the camera as people below shouted for him to move to the left, to the right and back again. Another great Vaudeville shtick.
Luckily, the clerk found the remote and adjusted the camera so the entire council, not just the mayor's midsection, was recorded for people to watch at home.
Comedic start notwithstanding, the council did tackle many serious issues, including:
• Possible land purchase for a sledding hill: http://www.hollandsentinel.com/newsnow/x1199433368/Douglas-group-afraid-sledding-hill-slipping-away-wants-to-buy-site
• Changes to roads around the Blue Star Highway bridge: http://www.hollandsentinel.com/newsnow/x268457632/More-detours-around-Blue-Star-Highway-bridge
Other actions included:
• Honoring with proclamations of appreciation four community members for their contributions: Gerry Bekken, Bill Schumacher, Alexa Urquhart and Tarue Pullen. Gerry Bekken, who has been a fightfighter since 1948 and was post master from 1983-1990, started the tradition of hugging the mayor after receiving the award. He then deadpanned, "Do I get a break on my taxes?"
• Setting trick-or-treat hours from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31. A ghoulish outcry arose when one of the council members suggested changing the candy-seeking hours to Saturday. Some Douglas traditions are not to be tampered with.
• Changing its first meeting in January from Monday, Jan. 2, to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3. City hall is closed Jan. 2 for the holiday.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
An odd meeting place
Do you remember in school, when a beautiful spring day would make you long to have class outside? Fillmore Township put an adult spin on that adolescent dream Tuesday when the board held its regular business meeting under the gazebo in its newly dedicated Cottonwood Park.
The township board hosted the dedication earlier in the evening. Treasurer Janella Hop, with the help of Graafschap firefighter Wayne Mokma, cooked up the hot dogs as children ran around the playground and the adults toured the 20-acre wooded lot. After the ribbon-cutting, the board gathered or the business end of the evening.
The sun was setting behind the trees when Supervisor Kieth Potter called the meeting to session at 7 p.m. The board members didn't have all the paperwork with them, but they managed to get through it OK. In fact, the meeting lasted 8 minutes.
Here's how the dedication ceremony went:
Karyl Mulder looked around the newly dedicated Cottonwood Park on Tuesday: The leaves were turning their fall colors, children played on the swings, people grilled hot dogs over hot coals.
“It’s been quite a journey,” she said, reflecting on her son Ron who inspired the name of Fillmore Township’s only park. “The rest of the story can be tonight.”
More than 50 people participated in the ceremony that included free food and snacks, tours of the 20 acres and a ribbon-cutting.
The park is on 143rd Avenue near 54th Street and took about five years to complete. It cost about $286,000. Fillmore received a $201,000 grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund for the project.
The name was requested by the family of Ron Mulder.
Mulder was a member of the Fillmore Township Board of Appeals and worked on renovations at the park. He died Sept. 30, 2010, of an apparent heart attack.
Mulder’s sister Any Kole suggested the park be named Cottonwood Trails, Cottonwood Park or Whispering Woods Trails because of comments Mulder made on Facebook about a cottonwood tree. Kole had said she disliked them because of their messiness.
“Ron responded, ‘I like cottonwoods. The wind blowing through their leaves sounds different than it does through any other tree. Does anyone notice that or are they too busy?’” Kole said.
Kole and other family members wore shirts with Mulder’s image on them and the words, “Ron Mulder Forever Loved,” as they mingled with the crowd at the dedication.
“I love it, I think it’s awesome,” Karyl said about the park. “I only wish Ron could see it.”
He’d like the park, township Supervisor Keith Potter said.
“He’d be happy with it.”
Check out more pictures from the event:
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/photo/x1742683813/Fillmore-Township-park-dedication?page=0
 |
| Keith Potter, Ken DeWeerdt and Janella Hop meet Tuesday. |
The sun was setting behind the trees when Supervisor Kieth Potter called the meeting to session at 7 p.m. The board members didn't have all the paperwork with them, but they managed to get through it OK. In fact, the meeting lasted 8 minutes.
About the park
 |
| Trustees Robert Yonker and Chuck Schaap at the meeting. |
Here's how the dedication ceremony went:
Karyl Mulder looked around the newly dedicated Cottonwood Park on Tuesday: The leaves were turning their fall colors, children played on the swings, people grilled hot dogs over hot coals.
“It’s been quite a journey,” she said, reflecting on her son Ron who inspired the name of Fillmore Township’s only park. “The rest of the story can be tonight.”
More than 50 people participated in the ceremony that included free food and snacks, tours of the 20 acres and a ribbon-cutting.
The park is on 143rd Avenue near 54th Street and took about five years to complete. It cost about $286,000. Fillmore received a $201,000 grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund for the project.
The name was requested by the family of Ron Mulder.
Mulder was a member of the Fillmore Township Board of Appeals and worked on renovations at the park. He died Sept. 30, 2010, of an apparent heart attack.
Mulder’s sister Any Kole suggested the park be named Cottonwood Trails, Cottonwood Park or Whispering Woods Trails because of comments Mulder made on Facebook about a cottonwood tree. Kole had said she disliked them because of their messiness.
“Ron responded, ‘I like cottonwoods. The wind blowing through their leaves sounds different than it does through any other tree. Does anyone notice that or are they too busy?’” Kole said.
Kole and other family members wore shirts with Mulder’s image on them and the words, “Ron Mulder Forever Loved,” as they mingled with the crowd at the dedication.
“I love it, I think it’s awesome,” Karyl said about the park. “I only wish Ron could see it.”
He’d like the park, township Supervisor Keith Potter said.
“He’d be happy with it.”
 |
| Serving dinner at the park dedication. |
Link
Check out more pictures from the event:
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/photo/x1742683813/Fillmore-Township-park-dedication?page=0
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Medical marijuana questions
Legal concerns were one of the issues in the minds of Saugatuck Township board members when they were considering what to do about a proposed medical marijuana ordinance, a series of questions to the township attorney show.
The questions from trustees Jim Hanson and Chris Roerig, sent by Supervisor Bill Wester to township attorney Ron Bultje, were talked about at the Oct. 5 board meeting but were not released to the public. Wester cited attorney-client privilege in withholding the documents.
The questions were released after a Sentinel Freedom of Information Act request. The written answers were still withheld. Clerk Jane Wright also cited attorney-client privilege.
At its Oct. 5 meeting, the board decided not to enact a proposed medical marijuana ordinance.
A moratorium on new dispensaries has expired and the two facilities already in the township on Blue Star Highway can continue to operate unless they are shut down by the Allegan County prosecutor.
The board can bring back an ordinance if the state further clarifies what is allowed under the medical marijuana laws.
The planning commission recommended an ordinance that allows the sale of the drug from homes, not from commercial districts or traditional storefronts.
Wester sent questions about medical marijuana to the attorney before the board made its decision.
“We need direction here, however bear in mind it is my belief the state needs to clear this up rather than at the local level. The other dilemma being I am very much in favor of an issue the voters overwhelmingly voted in,” Wester wrote to attorney Bultje.
“Bear in mind we want to avoid any litigation as well as do what is right for our voters,” Wester said.
Hanson asked more than two dozen questions ranging from why the ordinance treats medical marijuana as a home occupation to whether the existing dispensaries are legal or illegal.
His last question: “What course of action will most protect the township against possible legal action?”
Roerig focused his five questions on the existing dispensaries.
“Are we in jeopardy of a legal challenge by the existing dispensaries if we change the zoning now, or are they grandfathered?” he asked.
“How long can we have a moratorium on this issue without legal challenge? Can a longer moratorium be justified based on the court findings?” was his last question.
Clerk Jane Wright and Treasurer Pat Knikelbine did not have questions attributed to them in the document.
The concern about lawsuits is not new to the township. It has spent thousands of dollars on legal bills linked to developer Aubrey McClendon. A federal judge is now considering a proposed consent agreement between the township and McClendon.
Here are the questions, as provided by the township:
Ron,
Below are multiple questions to the MMA issues we tabled, as well as extending the moratorium 30 more days.
We need direction here, however bear in mind it is my belief the state needs to clear this up rather than at the local level. The other dilemma being I am very much in favor of an issue the voters overwhelmingly voted in.
Possibly we could have a dual meeting next month. 1 meeting an hour earlier to have an open meeting in regard to Charter Township, then the normal 6 pm meeting to address MMA again.
Bear in mind we want to avoid any litigation as well as do what is right for our voters
JIM HANSON THOUGHTS
some of the following would probably be good questions:
What choices does the Board have now?
Are they limited to adopting this ordinance draft or doing nothing?
If we don’t adopt this ordinance draft, should we extend the moratorium?
What does the moratorium prevent, anyway?
If we do extend the moratorium, how long can we continue to extend it?
I have heard some jurisdictions have refused to adopt zoning rules on medical marijuana because the state law that makes it legal conflicts with federal law, is that a reasonable approach to take?
Is it likely that the entire medical marihuana state constitutional amendment and law will be declared illegal?
Did the recent McQueen decision make dispensaries illegal?
If it didn’t, then what did it do?
What are the issues currently before the courts regarding the MMMA?
What kind of court decisions on these issues would require the township to take additional regulatory action in its zoning ordinances?
Did the recent McQueen decision make any township regulation of medical marihuana unnecessary?
What was the status of the existing dispensaries with regard to township ordinances before the moratorium was passed — were they legal or were they illegal?
What was the status of the existing dispensaries with regard to township ordinances after the moratorium was passed — were they legal or were they illegal?
What would be the status of the dispensaries with regard to township ordinances if the ordinance draft were adopted — will they be legal or will they be illegal?
What should the township do about enforcement with regard to the dispensaries if the ordinance draft is adopted?
Are the existing dispensaries legal or illegal under state law?
If the existing dispensaries are not legal under state law, why isn’t the law being enforced at this time?
Why does the ordinance draft treat medical marihuana caregivers as a home occupation?
What are the differences between home occupation caregivers and dispensaries?
What does the MMMA say about home occupation caregivers and dispensaries, and what distinctions does it make between the two?
If marijuana is a legal drug, shouldn’t it be sold through the same methods that other legal drugs are sold?
What do we say to township residents who do not want medical marihuana caregivers in their neighborhood?
Why don’t we treat medical marihuana caregivers as a special approval use and decide, when they wish to open a facility, whether the location is appropriate for that use or not?
As our township attorney, what course of action would you recommend at this time?
What course of action will most protect the township against possible legal action?
CHRIS R
Do we still need a zoning regulation if the courts have determined that the dispensaries are illegal?
Are we in jeopardy of a legal challenge by the existing dispensaries if we change the zoning now, or are they grandfathered?
If the existing dispensaries are grandfathered, does it make sense to zone future dispensaries to home occupational use or keep them in only where they exist now?
Should we be doing anything right now or waiting for the courts and state to determine if dispensaries can exist?
How long can we have a moratorium on this issue without legal challenge? Can a longer moratorium be justified based on the court findings?
William W. Wester Sr.
Saugatuck Township
The questions from trustees Jim Hanson and Chris Roerig, sent by Supervisor Bill Wester to township attorney Ron Bultje, were talked about at the Oct. 5 board meeting but were not released to the public. Wester cited attorney-client privilege in withholding the documents.
The questions were released after a Sentinel Freedom of Information Act request. The written answers were still withheld. Clerk Jane Wright also cited attorney-client privilege.
At its Oct. 5 meeting, the board decided not to enact a proposed medical marijuana ordinance.
A moratorium on new dispensaries has expired and the two facilities already in the township on Blue Star Highway can continue to operate unless they are shut down by the Allegan County prosecutor.
The board can bring back an ordinance if the state further clarifies what is allowed under the medical marijuana laws.
The planning commission recommended an ordinance that allows the sale of the drug from homes, not from commercial districts or traditional storefronts.
Many questions
Wester sent questions about medical marijuana to the attorney before the board made its decision.
“We need direction here, however bear in mind it is my belief the state needs to clear this up rather than at the local level. The other dilemma being I am very much in favor of an issue the voters overwhelmingly voted in,” Wester wrote to attorney Bultje.
“Bear in mind we want to avoid any litigation as well as do what is right for our voters,” Wester said.
Hanson asked more than two dozen questions ranging from why the ordinance treats medical marijuana as a home occupation to whether the existing dispensaries are legal or illegal.
His last question: “What course of action will most protect the township against possible legal action?”
Roerig focused his five questions on the existing dispensaries.
“Are we in jeopardy of a legal challenge by the existing dispensaries if we change the zoning now, or are they grandfathered?” he asked.
“How long can we have a moratorium on this issue without legal challenge? Can a longer moratorium be justified based on the court findings?” was his last question.
Clerk Jane Wright and Treasurer Pat Knikelbine did not have questions attributed to them in the document.
The concern about lawsuits is not new to the township. It has spent thousands of dollars on legal bills linked to developer Aubrey McClendon. A federal judge is now considering a proposed consent agreement between the township and McClendon.
What was asked
Here are the questions, as provided by the township:
Ron,
Below are multiple questions to the MMA issues we tabled, as well as extending the moratorium 30 more days.
We need direction here, however bear in mind it is my belief the state needs to clear this up rather than at the local level. The other dilemma being I am very much in favor of an issue the voters overwhelmingly voted in.
Possibly we could have a dual meeting next month. 1 meeting an hour earlier to have an open meeting in regard to Charter Township, then the normal 6 pm meeting to address MMA again.
Bear in mind we want to avoid any litigation as well as do what is right for our voters
JIM HANSON THOUGHTS
some of the following would probably be good questions:
What choices does the Board have now?
Are they limited to adopting this ordinance draft or doing nothing?
If we don’t adopt this ordinance draft, should we extend the moratorium?
What does the moratorium prevent, anyway?
If we do extend the moratorium, how long can we continue to extend it?
I have heard some jurisdictions have refused to adopt zoning rules on medical marijuana because the state law that makes it legal conflicts with federal law, is that a reasonable approach to take?
Is it likely that the entire medical marihuana state constitutional amendment and law will be declared illegal?
Did the recent McQueen decision make dispensaries illegal?
If it didn’t, then what did it do?
What are the issues currently before the courts regarding the MMMA?
What kind of court decisions on these issues would require the township to take additional regulatory action in its zoning ordinances?
Did the recent McQueen decision make any township regulation of medical marihuana unnecessary?
What was the status of the existing dispensaries with regard to township ordinances before the moratorium was passed — were they legal or were they illegal?
What was the status of the existing dispensaries with regard to township ordinances after the moratorium was passed — were they legal or were they illegal?
What would be the status of the dispensaries with regard to township ordinances if the ordinance draft were adopted — will they be legal or will they be illegal?
What should the township do about enforcement with regard to the dispensaries if the ordinance draft is adopted?
Are the existing dispensaries legal or illegal under state law?
If the existing dispensaries are not legal under state law, why isn’t the law being enforced at this time?
Why does the ordinance draft treat medical marihuana caregivers as a home occupation?
What are the differences between home occupation caregivers and dispensaries?
What does the MMMA say about home occupation caregivers and dispensaries, and what distinctions does it make between the two?
If marijuana is a legal drug, shouldn’t it be sold through the same methods that other legal drugs are sold?
What do we say to township residents who do not want medical marihuana caregivers in their neighborhood?
Why don’t we treat medical marihuana caregivers as a special approval use and decide, when they wish to open a facility, whether the location is appropriate for that use or not?
As our township attorney, what course of action would you recommend at this time?
What course of action will most protect the township against possible legal action?
CHRIS R
Do we still need a zoning regulation if the courts have determined that the dispensaries are illegal?
Are we in jeopardy of a legal challenge by the existing dispensaries if we change the zoning now, or are they grandfathered?
If the existing dispensaries are grandfathered, does it make sense to zone future dispensaries to home occupational use or keep them in only where they exist now?
Should we be doing anything right now or waiting for the courts and state to determine if dispensaries can exist?
How long can we have a moratorium on this issue without legal challenge? Can a longer moratorium be justified based on the court findings?
William W. Wester Sr.
Saugatuck Township
Friday, October 7, 2011
Window for awareness
 |
| The display at With Our Hands, corner of Butler and Hoffman streets. |
Through Friday, Oct. 14, the display is turning heads to help raise awareness and money for breast cancer research. The display is decked out in pink with two bra-clad mannequins posing around signs saying, "October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month" and "Big or Small Examine Them All."
Inside the hand-crafted and artful goods shop, Wise is selling a special earrings, bracelets and necklaces she designed to raise money for research.
"For every purchase of breast cancer jewelry, half of that purchase price goes to breast cancer research," she said.
The jewelry is made from pink rose quartz, the stone of gentle love, Wise said.
Wise's dedication to fighting cancer isn't new.
She has a four-part collection of jewelry based on healing stones entitled “Gratitude,” “Believe,” “Courage” and “Ponder Grace.” Part of the proceeds from the “Courage” collection are donated to cancer research.
The shop, which opened this summer, is at the corner of Butler and Hoffman streets and is connected to the Saugatuck Woman’s Club and was the town’s public library from 1935 to 1969.
And the next window display? Halloween.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Lines in the sand
 |
| A new sign at Oval Beach explains what the fencing does. |
Saugatuck city has posted a new sign at the beach explaining why the wooden-slatted barriers crisscross the shore. The erosion fence helps keep the sand from blowing away.
One resident recently questioned the city council about the sudden appearance of the erosion fence. The city did place the barrier a week or so earlier than usual, said City Manager Kirk Harrier. It was a matter of when the department of public works had the time to do it.
The new sign directs beach-goers to unobstructed entrances.
Without the fencing, the strong winds off Lake Michigan push the sand across the parking lot.
The fence keeps the sand on the beach. "If it's gone, it's gone," Harrier said about the beach sand.
A lot of that sand has, over the years, built up the dune that now divides the two parking areas.
"That's our beach sand," Harrier said.
The fence will come down before Memorial Day and the beach patrol, along with volunteers, will pick up litter.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Bridge work
 |
| On Blue Star Highway in Douglas looking north. |
The cars started backing up yesterday afternoon on the Blue Star Highway bridge between Saugatuck and Douglas as work began to repair the span over the Kalamazoo River.
Michigan Department of Transportation crews placed concrete barriers on the bridge, reducing it to one lane controlled by traffic lights at both ends of the construction area. Work will continue through winter.
This was no surprise to local drivers. The plan has been in the news for almost 2 years. Last week, lighted warning signs appeared on both sides of the bridge telling drivers what was ahead.
“It’s inconvenient and likely to stay inconvenient for quite a while,” said Douglas City Manager Bill LeFevere.
What is a surprise was how difficult it is to get from Main Street in Douglas across the bridge. The traffic lights are positioned so Main Street traffic can't see them. LeFevere will be talking with MDOT officials about making that intersection safer — and that might mean closing Main Street.
Alternates
 |
| In Saugatuck looking south. |
It's obvious now why Saugatuck pushed MDOT so hard to delay the work on I-196. MDOT wanted to close the northbound Exit 41 ramp and funnel all the traffic to Blue Star Highway and over the bridge while it was still just one lane. A strong letter and support from the Douglas council helped persuade the state to delay that exit closure until the local bridge work is done.
Saugatuck City Manager Kirk Harrier, who got caught in the delays yesterday as well, said local drivers will quickly learn to avoid the river crossing.
"People are pretty smart," he said.
Deer 2
A quick deer update:
I drove out to Oval Beach yesterday afternoon and, while driving along Park Street, had to dodge a few deer! Three of the animals were stopped along the side of the road. They didn't move as I swerved around them, but when I pulled over to get out my camera for a shot, they took off.
Camera shy, I guess.
The Allegan County Sheriff's Office handled seven car-deer related incidents between 7 and 8:30 a.m. yesterday, including vehicle-deer crashes, deer kill permits and a wounded deer that had to be put down.
I drove out to Oval Beach yesterday afternoon and, while driving along Park Street, had to dodge a few deer! Three of the animals were stopped along the side of the road. They didn't move as I swerved around them, but when I pulled over to get out my camera for a shot, they took off.
Camera shy, I guess.
The Allegan County Sheriff's Office handled seven car-deer related incidents between 7 and 8:30 a.m. yesterday, including vehicle-deer crashes, deer kill permits and a wounded deer that had to be put down.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Oh, deer!
 |
| The curves and hills along Park Street can hide deer. |
The auto insurer State Farm reports Michigan dropped to fifth place in the car-deer crash rankings, behind No. 1 West Virginia, then Iowa, South Dakota and Pennsylvania.
Michigan had 55,867 reported car-deer crashes with 1,277 injuries and 11 deaths, according to State Farm.
In the state, Allegan and Ottawa counties don't event make the top. The most crashes are in Oakland County, followed by Jackson, Calhoun, Lapeer, Montcalm, Genesee, Clinton, Sanilac and Eaton.
But don't be complacent. Just this morning, I passed a vehicle on M-89 east of Fennville that struck a deer. No one in the vehicle was hurt. I see deer all along 62nd Street from the Kalamazoo River to Fennville.
And in the city Saugatuck.
The stretch by the former West Shore Golf Course, down Ferry Street in Douglas to Park Street in Saugatuck is like deer alley.
"At dusk, they're all over there," Saugatuck City Councilman Henry VanSingel said at a Sept. 8 city workshop. Mix in people speeding down the winding road and you get what Councilman Bill Hess called a "worst case scenario."
There were two car-deer crashes the week or so after that workshop, police records show. No one in the vehicles were hurt. For towns the size of Saugatuck and Douglas, those two reported crashes stand out.
City Manager Kirk Harrier said he has received several complaints about the growing deer population and is checking with the state Department of Natural Resources about ways to cope with it.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
What do you think about the Keewatin's future?
Driving down Blue Star Highway this morning, I passed the Keewatin just like I do almost every morning. I've come to take it for granted and really don't think twice when I pass it by.
My kids reminded me, though, when they asked me if I'd heard what was happening with the ship (My kids obviously don't read my stories!).
I told them I knew that the owner, R.J. Peterson, is donating the ship to a group of people in Canada who plan to tow it up to Port McNicholl, Ontario —its real home. The ship docked there when it sailed for the Canadian Pacific Railway from 1907 to 1965. How did that make my kids feel?
Disappointed. Unhappy.
It's understandable. They both toured the ship when they were in elementary school. We've stood next to it during the Fourth of July fireworks, gazed at it from atop Mount Baldhead and admired it covered in snow and ice. In sixth grade, my oldest daughter joined a group of friends and made a model of the ship, complete with port holes and smoke coming out of the stack, for a school project. That 3-foot long model still sits in the living room, a little worse for wear, a few more tatters in the paper and dust on the deck. Kind of like the real thing.
I'll have to spend a few days thinking about how that space will look with the Keewatin gone. It's been in that spot since I moved down here more than 20 years ago. I'll imagine the new docks and modern ships that might be docking there.
What do you think? Will you miss the Kee? Will the community be better off without it? Will the ship be better off in its new home?
Let me know. Shoot me an e-mail at jim.hayden@hollandsentinel.com.
Don't forget that the Keewatin is the subject of a free talk at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, 400 Culver St. Eric Conroy, author of "A Steak in the Drawer," a book of his experiences on the vessel, will talk about his time on the ship.
Conroy is also the executive director of the foundation that's going to oversee the move and preservation of the ship.
For more information, visit www.sc4a.org.
My kids reminded me, though, when they asked me if I'd heard what was happening with the ship (My kids obviously don't read my stories!).
I told them I knew that the owner, R.J. Peterson, is donating the ship to a group of people in Canada who plan to tow it up to Port McNicholl, Ontario —its real home. The ship docked there when it sailed for the Canadian Pacific Railway from 1907 to 1965. How did that make my kids feel?Disappointed. Unhappy.
It's understandable. They both toured the ship when they were in elementary school. We've stood next to it during the Fourth of July fireworks, gazed at it from atop Mount Baldhead and admired it covered in snow and ice. In sixth grade, my oldest daughter joined a group of friends and made a model of the ship, complete with port holes and smoke coming out of the stack, for a school project. That 3-foot long model still sits in the living room, a little worse for wear, a few more tatters in the paper and dust on the deck. Kind of like the real thing.
I'll have to spend a few days thinking about how that space will look with the Keewatin gone. It's been in that spot since I moved down here more than 20 years ago. I'll imagine the new docks and modern ships that might be docking there.
What do you think? Will you miss the Kee? Will the community be better off without it? Will the ship be better off in its new home?
Let me know. Shoot me an e-mail at jim.hayden@hollandsentinel.com.
More information
 |
| Eric Conroy aboard the Keewatin. |
Conroy is also the executive director of the foundation that's going to oversee the move and preservation of the ship.
For more information, visit www.sc4a.org.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Sailng into the sunset
The 350-foot long Great Lakes steamship dominates the harbor in Saugatuck-Douglas. Once you enter Kalamazoo Lake, you can't help but see the vessel that's longer than a football field. Even from atop Mount Baldhead, the green-and-white-hull of Keewatin with the yellow smokestack stands out against the blue water.
I bet it's one of the most photographed attractions in town.
Look a little closer, though, and the 104-year-old ship with wooden decks and a grand dining room is showing its age. The carpet is a little thin. The 10 metal lifeboats — already removed for restoration in Canada — were rusted through with gaping holes.
Owner R.J. Peterson and his son, Matt, sat in the aft section of the vessel Monday morning for a press conference announcing the next stage of the ship's life. The room was once open and it was used for dancing — an out-of-tune piano sits in the corner — but it's now enclosed and showing its age. A heavy rain had just fallen and several buckets dotted the room, keeping water from pooling on the wooden floor. The upper deck has leaks.
A telling scene about the realities of maintaining a piece of history that once carried almost 300 passengers and 86 officers and crew.
The elder Peterson purchased the ship from the Canadian Pacific Railway after the vessel, built in 1907 in Scotland, was retired in 1965. They had the ship brought to the area in 1967.
Peterson and his wife, Diane, have a passion for preserving maritime history.
“It’s always been my idea to preserve things, but I ain’t getting any younger," said Peterson, 85, who owns Tower Marine, the area's largest marina.
Matt openly admits he doesn't have the same spark his parents do.
"I don't have that passion," he said.
The ship gets about 10,000 visitors a year. A lot, but not enough to cover renovation costs.
So finding a new home for the Keewatin seemed the right thing to do, they said.
"It's been in the works and always was an option for R.J." said Eric Conroy, executive director of the new R.J. and Diane Peterson Great Lakes and S.S. Keewatin Foundation.
Peterson is donating the ship to the foundation that will then take the Keewatin to Port McNicoll in Ontario. The ship made port there when it was in operation. The Keewatin never came to Saugatuck-Douglas when it was part of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
The investors plan to dredge Kalamazoo Lake to get the ship out. Total cost of the move, including the dredging, is about $1 million.
The dredging will be no easy task. The ship can be lightened to draw about 12 feet (how much of the hull is below the waterline), but the lake is only 2 feet deep in spots. The lake is part of an EPA Superfund site, contaminated by chemicals from upstream paper companies, so the spoils (material pulled off the bottom) can't just be put anywhere.
The Petersons are proposing pumping the spoils through a 16-inch pipe to a Saugatuck Township park. The township board has not yet discussed this at a public meeting and the Petersons expect there to be some resistance to this idea from some residents.
All this will require permits. Peterson estimates organizers will need to deal with eight to 10 agencies, including the department of natural resources, Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard to dredge the harbor.
Peterson said the ship can be moved out in the spring.
A representative of one of the agencies that would be involved with the dredging isn't so sanguine. He estimated it could be at least 2 years.
 |
| The Keewatin |
Look a little closer, though, and the 104-year-old ship with wooden decks and a grand dining room is showing its age. The carpet is a little thin. The 10 metal lifeboats — already removed for restoration in Canada — were rusted through with gaping holes.
On the move
Owner R.J. Peterson and his son, Matt, sat in the aft section of the vessel Monday morning for a press conference announcing the next stage of the ship's life. The room was once open and it was used for dancing — an out-of-tune piano sits in the corner — but it's now enclosed and showing its age. A heavy rain had just fallen and several buckets dotted the room, keeping water from pooling on the wooden floor. The upper deck has leaks.
A telling scene about the realities of maintaining a piece of history that once carried almost 300 passengers and 86 officers and crew.
The elder Peterson purchased the ship from the Canadian Pacific Railway after the vessel, built in 1907 in Scotland, was retired in 1965. They had the ship brought to the area in 1967.
Peterson and his wife, Diane, have a passion for preserving maritime history.
“It’s always been my idea to preserve things, but I ain’t getting any younger," said Peterson, 85, who owns Tower Marine, the area's largest marina.
Matt openly admits he doesn't have the same spark his parents do.
"I don't have that passion," he said.
The ship gets about 10,000 visitors a year. A lot, but not enough to cover renovation costs.
So finding a new home for the Keewatin seemed the right thing to do, they said.
"It's been in the works and always was an option for R.J." said Eric Conroy, executive director of the new R.J. and Diane Peterson Great Lakes and S.S. Keewatin Foundation.
Peterson is donating the ship to the foundation that will then take the Keewatin to Port McNicoll in Ontario. The ship made port there when it was in operation. The Keewatin never came to Saugatuck-Douglas when it was part of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Dredge
The investors plan to dredge Kalamazoo Lake to get the ship out. Total cost of the move, including the dredging, is about $1 million.
The dredging will be no easy task. The ship can be lightened to draw about 12 feet (how much of the hull is below the waterline), but the lake is only 2 feet deep in spots. The lake is part of an EPA Superfund site, contaminated by chemicals from upstream paper companies, so the spoils (material pulled off the bottom) can't just be put anywhere.
The Petersons are proposing pumping the spoils through a 16-inch pipe to a Saugatuck Township park. The township board has not yet discussed this at a public meeting and the Petersons expect there to be some resistance to this idea from some residents.
All this will require permits. Peterson estimates organizers will need to deal with eight to 10 agencies, including the department of natural resources, Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard to dredge the harbor.
Peterson said the ship can be moved out in the spring.
A representative of one of the agencies that would be involved with the dredging isn't so sanguine. He estimated it could be at least 2 years.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Make Fennville part of your weekend plans
This is going to be a great weekend to get out — and not just to ArtPrize.
Stop in Fennville tomorrow for a couple of cool events:
• Fennville is celebrating the area's agricultural history from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The farmers market at Maple and Main streets starts it all off. At 10 a.m., more than 2 dozen tractors will chug down Main Street for a parade before the new streetscape is dedicated.
If you haven't been to Fennville in a while, stop down. You might not recognize the downtown with the new sidewalks, lighting, benches, bike racks and the redone parking area.
• After picking up those vegetables at the farmers market, head north a few miles to New Richmond Bridge Park off Old Allegan Road. Several groups will be releasing sturgeon into the Kalamazoo River at noon, though festivities kick off at 10 a.m.
The hatchery is in a trailer at the park. The eggs were gathered from the Allegan Dam area of the river. Kalamazoo River water is pumped through a tube into the tanks so the fish will retain their unique genetic traits and return to the river to spawn.
I've had the privilege to watch this project grow, from a trip down to the Allegan Dam to get a lesson in gathering sturgeon eggs to watching the fish grow in the hatchery. I can't wait to see more than 80 prehistoric fish let into the wild.
Then, at 1 p.m., one of the coolest things about this park will happen: The 1879 swing bridge at the park will be turned. You've got to get on the center span and swing it out over the river!
I remember when it was OK to drive over that one-lane bridge. I had to line up the tires on the wooden slats and slowly rattle up the span and hope that nothing was coming the other way on that one-lane bridge. Several times I had to back down to let another car get over.
A storm did some nasty damage to the bridge, forcing it to close. Allegan County rehabilitated it into a pedestrian crossing and expanded the park around it with boardwalks, paths, fishing stations and interpretive signs.
If all goes well, a train will chug across the rail bridge near the pedestrian crossing!
Stop in Fennville tomorrow for a couple of cool events:
• Fennville is celebrating the area's agricultural history from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The farmers market at Maple and Main streets starts it all off. At 10 a.m., more than 2 dozen tractors will chug down Main Street for a parade before the new streetscape is dedicated.
 |
| A sturgeon at the hatchery. |
• After picking up those vegetables at the farmers market, head north a few miles to New Richmond Bridge Park off Old Allegan Road. Several groups will be releasing sturgeon into the Kalamazoo River at noon, though festivities kick off at 10 a.m.
The hatchery is in a trailer at the park. The eggs were gathered from the Allegan Dam area of the river. Kalamazoo River water is pumped through a tube into the tanks so the fish will retain their unique genetic traits and return to the river to spawn.
I've had the privilege to watch this project grow, from a trip down to the Allegan Dam to get a lesson in gathering sturgeon eggs to watching the fish grow in the hatchery. I can't wait to see more than 80 prehistoric fish let into the wild.
 |
| From the celebration last year. |
Bridge fun
Then, at 1 p.m., one of the coolest things about this park will happen: The 1879 swing bridge at the park will be turned. You've got to get on the center span and swing it out over the river!
I remember when it was OK to drive over that one-lane bridge. I had to line up the tires on the wooden slats and slowly rattle up the span and hope that nothing was coming the other way on that one-lane bridge. Several times I had to back down to let another car get over.
A storm did some nasty damage to the bridge, forcing it to close. Allegan County rehabilitated it into a pedestrian crossing and expanded the park around it with boardwalks, paths, fishing stations and interpretive signs.
If all goes well, a train will chug across the rail bridge near the pedestrian crossing!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Good as gold
The end of summer means the city of Saugatuck stops charging people to park at Oval Beach. That means I can spend more time at that fantastic beach -- I do go in the summer, especially with the kids for an afternoon of swimming and sunshine. But after Labor Day, I visit the beach several times a week to just watch the waves or walk the dunes to escape the stress of work.
The passing of Labor Day also means that the people who were re-selling Oval Beach stickers are out of work.
Back in July, City Manager Kirk Harrier said that people leaving the beach were selling their day passes to incoming tourists. The passes are stuck on the windshield when a motorist enters the park. That pass is good all day, so if you leave the park to get lunch in Douglas or Saugatuck, you can get back in to the beach at no extra charge.
The stickers are marked "non transferable" and "non refundable," but that didn't stop many folks from selling them to unsuspecting visitors. The ticket booth operator has no way of knowing if the sticker is unique to a vehicle.
"It's happening more frequently," Harrier told the council in July.
"It's probably been going on for a long time," added Councilman Bill Hess.
And you know how the city found out about the switching?
Someone tried to sell one back to an off-duty beach patrol member!
The passing of Labor Day also means that the people who were re-selling Oval Beach stickers are out of work.
 |
| An Oval Beach pass on my car on July 13. |
The stickers are marked "non transferable" and "non refundable," but that didn't stop many folks from selling them to unsuspecting visitors. The ticket booth operator has no way of knowing if the sticker is unique to a vehicle.
"It's happening more frequently," Harrier told the council in July.
"It's probably been going on for a long time," added Councilman Bill Hess.
And you know how the city found out about the switching?
Someone tried to sell one back to an off-duty beach patrol member!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Keeping secrets
Man, what a secret! I could have told all my family and friends about this, but I told Dave I wouldn't. And just as important as that promise to a source is the basic journalistic rule of not using a situation to benefit yourself (or family and friends).
I was not going to use special knowledge to save myself cash. I did not fuel up. I sat quietly away from the pumps so I wouldn't tip off any passers-by. When the cashiers flipped that roadside sign to $2.99, I hopped out of the Kia and started snapping photos of those lucky enough to catch the deal.Here are some pictures of the crowd: http://www.hollandsentinel.com/photo/x1804872661/Low-gas-prices-a-home-run-with-drivers
All the drivers were polite and nice to each other, even when they came bumper-to-bumper. After 30 minutes, the cashiers flipped the signs back to $3.69 to let folks know the sale was over. All the drivers lined up at the pumps still got the discounted gas.
Anyway, I'm not sharing this to pat myself on the back. I'm just letting you know we journalists are really honest people and work hard daily to adhere to some pretty tight ethical rules. There's a fine line that sometimes is shrouded in haze and every day can offer a new challenge to honesty and objectivity. In fact, someone who offered to buy me a drink at an assignment the other day looked a bit offended when I didn't accept. I couldn't accept. I can't take favors from sources.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Don't be chicken: Go to the fair
The fair wraps up its 159th year on Saturday.
Events include:
• 8:30 a.m.: Youth Western Horse Show (at the Flats arena)
• Noon: Midway rides open • 4 p.m.: All Around Showmanship Contest (at the Weldon Rumery Arena)
• 6 p.m.: Allegan County Fair Idol Winners on the grandstand main stage
• 6:30 p.m.: State Championship Demolition Derby
Admission is $5 for adults; $2 for children first through 12th grade. Parking is $5.
No exit
On Tuesday, I spent the morning at the fair talking with 4-H students and photographing their animals, then headed down to the Flats to watch some Cart Class events. The morning wrapped with some pictures at the petting zoo. A great day, but I was tired after more than 3 hours of hoofing it around the fairgrounds.
I pulled out of the parking lot and took the well-worn dirt road along the Kalamazoo River, passed the kids having sandwiches outside a their camper and headed to the gates on the hill. But the gates were locked!
I turned the Kia around and asked for the best way out: Down the hill, the same way I just came, and ask the attendants there, I was told. So I rattled back down the trail, along the Kalamazoo River and passed the kids having sandwiches outside their camper. They waved at me and I waved back. I ended up back where I started.
How do I get out? The attendant pointed back up the hill. No, I insisted: just came that way and the gates were locked.
She paused a moment then told me to go back across the field and take the dirt road to the left. That will take me to an attendant who will let me out.
I turned the Kia around, bounced across the field and turned left through a pile of soft sand that briefly stranded the car. A little gas, a spinning wheel, a tailwind and I was off to the attendant.
That attendant shot up out of her chair and frantically waved her red baton. You can't get out this way!!
But, but, but, I was told this was the way. I'm tired and hungry ... and I can see the booth and the giant chicken right there! Please, please, please let me out.
The attendant didn't budge and the baton twirled, pointing back to where I started.
That first attendant saw me coming again and waved me down the line -- she had had enough of me and sent me to another attendant. This time I stopped the car and got out. This attendant told me to go up the hill to the main gates. No, I said, the gates were locked.
Then take the dirt road to the left -- Been there, done that. No way.
We talked for a little while as we thought about our next moves. I showed him pictures of my wife and children, telling him I'd like to see them again.
A few minutes passed and nothing new came to mind, so I said thanks and that my oldest daughter was going to graduate in three years and I wanted to be there.
Off I went, up the dirt road along the Kalamazoo River, passing the kids having sandwiches outside a their camper. This time they pointed and laughed. I kept a firm grip on the wheel.
I stopped at a crossroads to let some horses and riders pass and decided to follow the road less traveled, weaving through the crowd to a row of barns. I shot through an alley and saw the light -- another attendant with an orange vest.
Sweet freedom!
I eased up to him and calmly whispered, "Help me!"
He smiled and waved me through the exit.
As I pulled away, I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw the giant chicken looking back at me. I swear he was grinning.
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