Monthly Archives: November 2017

First Annual Halloween at the Hall

by Heidi Tice

This year Fruitport Township, with the help of Fruitport Lions Leo Club held a Halloween at the Hall party. Finding safe places to Trick – or – Treat is a challenge in today’s society, so The township employees with the elected official came together to give back to the kids in our community with Trick – or – Treating and crafts at the township hall.

Fruitport Leos wanted to help out so they provided face painting, tattoos, and crafts for the children that came. The weather outside was gloomy, cold and damp; however inside the smiles were ear to ear and laughter was heard throughout the hall. Thanks to the Fruitport Leo Club and all the kids that came in there awesome costume. Halloween at the hall was a great success.

The Grand Ravines Suspension Bridge is Now Open

The Grand Ravines Suspension Bridge

The Grand Ravines Suspension Bridge spans 275′ across a 70′ ravine in Jenison, MI

Ottawa County Parks is pleased to announce the Grand Ravines Suspension Bridge is open to the public as of this morning.

Until recently, a suspension bridge in the Ottawa County Parks system seemed like a pipe dream. “When the master plan was created for Grand Ravines, those beautiful, deep ravines made it challenging to design a viable hiking trail system. We were fortunate to get a permanent trail easement donated by neighboring landowners, which helped in navigating the steep terrain. For a full loop, crossing a major ravine with a trail was unavoidable and a suspension bridge was added into the plan, knowing it was an amenity that may never be financially feasible,” said David VanGinhoven, President of the Parks Commission.

Thanks to a generous individual, with great interest in the Parks’ “pie in the sky” idea, that dream has become reality. “Beatrice Aldrink Idema, known by most as Bea, has very generously donated the funds needed to construct a suspension bridge, allowing a trail connection between the north and south sides of the park,” said VanGinhoven at an event this spring.

Bea was in attendance at a small unveiling event on September 14 and was the first person to cross the officially completed bridge. She will be honored at the Grand Ravines Dedication Event on October 5, 2017 (see below for details).

The Grand Ravines Suspension Bridge is 275′ feet long and 70′ in the air; it’s believed to be the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in Michigan, and, the greater midwest region. It is fully ADA accessible, with paved, accessible paths leading to the bridge on both sides (both segments of pathway that connect to the bridge were covered by yet another donor).

The bridge was constructed by Anlaan Corporation, based out of Grand Haven. “We were incredibly impressed with their work and their timeline. They completed the bridge in three months, right on schedule. It will be a great spot to see fall color,” said Parks Director, John Scholtz. “Grand Ravines is already such a beautiful place and this bridge makes it a true Michigan destination. We are confident that this bridge, and the Grand River Explorers Trail that will run through the park, will bring visitors from near and far, eager to enjoy everything this area of the county has to offer.”

The Parks Commission has received many donations, both large and small, from the community throughout the years. Many parties are to thank for making Grand Ravines the special park it is today. The ravine overlook was built with a gift from the Aldrink family. The dog park has received support from park users, Chow Hound Pet Supplies, the Hudsonville-Jenison Community Foundation, local veterinarians and businesses, most recently WorkSmart Database Masters, LLC and many others.

Masko Family enjoying overlook

Pictured: Masko Family enjoying overlook

 

Muskegon County Calendar of Events 11/27/17 – 12/04/17

Presented by the Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau
www.visitmuskegon.org


Festival of Trees
November 22 – December 3

The Muskegon Museum of Art’s 13th annual Festival of Trees community holiday celebration runs November 22 through December 3.  The Festival will be open daily 10:00am to 5:00pm, noon to 5:00pm on Sundays, and closed on Thanksgiving.  International Holiday traditions inspire this year’s festival theme.  Professionally designed themed trees and décor will set a festive holiday mood and will be available for purchase through silent auction over the 11 days of the Festival. Raffles, music and holiday gift shopping will add to the fun.  Special events include the popular Teddy Bear Breakfast, Senior Day, Family Day, Deck Your Halls holiday design workshop and performances of A Christmas Carol!  Call 231-720-2580 to purchase tickets or for more information.


Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
November 17 @ 7:00 pm – December 3 @ 7:00 pm

November 17 – December 3, come to the Beardsley Theater for “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” presented by Muskegon Civic Theatre!

Winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play, “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” is the story of  Middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia who share a home in Bucks County, PA, where they bicker and complain about the circumstances of their lives.  Suddenly, their movie-star sister, Masha, swoops in with her new boy toy, Spike.  Old resentments flare up, eventually leading to threats to sell the house. Also on the scene are sassy maid Cassandra, who can predict the future, and a lovely young aspiring actress named Nina, whose prettiness somewhat worries the imperious Masha. For tickets or more information, call 231-727-8001.


Evening by Candlelight
November 27 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Monday, November 27 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm, you’re invited to the beautiful Muskegon Woman’s Club to start the Christmas season off by enjoying beautiful tablescapes, good food, fun, and great entertainment at “Evening by Candlelight!”  Tickets are $15 per person.  Tables of 8 are available.  R.S.V.P by calling Nancy at 231-730-0887 or e-mail Nancy@HousesByNancy.com.


Charles Hackley Look-a-like Contest
November 28 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Think you look like Charles Hackley? Come to Hackley Public Library on November 28 from 6:00pm – 7:00pm and see how you stack up!  Noshemberers (No-Shave November participants) will be judged by how closely they resemble Charles Hackley. They’ll have awards in a variety of categories.  Come out to see the fun and vote for the People’s Choice!  www.hackleylibrary.org


Planetarium Christmas Show: Mystery of the Christmas Star
Tuesdays and Thursdays 7:00 pm – 7:35 pm

November 2 – December 14, come to Carr-Fless Planetarium at Muskegon Community College for the Christmas show, “Mystery of the Christmas Star!”  This modern look at the Christmas story is an annual favorite.  As we look at significant astronomical events visible in the sky in the time of Jesus’ birth, we’ll see which of the “sky signs” was remarkable enough to have caused the Wise Men to travel over 600 miles through the desert from Babylon to Bethlehem, and investigate possible dates for the sighting of the “star” which lead them to Jesus.  This is a 35-minute presentation. (No show on Thanksgiving Day, November 23).  For more information, call (231) 777-0289.


Holiday Painting Class
November 29 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Wednesday, November 29 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm, come to First Presbyterian Church to paint a Christmas tree on canvas with teacher Robin Civis.  $20 covers materials and instruction.  For more information, call 231-759-1275.


“Boiling Point! Water, Politics and Power”
November 29 @ 7:30 pm – December 2 @ 7:30 pm

A living newspaper production, “Boiling Point! Water, Politics, and Power,” will be presented nightly at 7:30pm on the Overbrook Theater stage from November 29 through December 2.  Tickets go on sale Monday, November 27 at the Overbrook Theater Box Office on the Muskegon Community College campus.  Tickets are $10 for the public and $5 for MCC students, staff and faculty.  To reserve tickets, call 231-777-0324.


America’s Tallest Singing Christmas Tree
November 30 @ 7:00 pm – December 2 @ 7:00 pm

2017 marks the 33rd anniversary of the Mona Shores Singing Christmas Tree which has been featured on both the Travel Channel and the Learning Channel!  With its 25,000 colored lights that coordinate to the beautiful singing, 15 tiers that reach 67 feet up into the majestic Frauenthal Center, over 280 singers, and accompaniment by the 50 piece Mona Shores High School Orchestra, the Singing Christmas Tree must be seen to be believed. For more information, visit www.monashoressingingchristmastree.com.


Open House Reception at The Red Lotus Gallery
December 1 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

You are invited to the Artists’ Open House Reception at the Muskegon Center for the Arts every first Friday night of the month from 6:00pm – 8:00pm, at the Red Lotus Fine Art Gallery located in downtown Muskegon in the Century Building’s basement.  Every month there is a different display and art themed event. Come meet and talk with the artists and view their creations.  Refreshments will be provided.  For more information, find them on Facebook.


Muskegon Lumberjacks Home Game
December 1 @ 7:00 pm

The Muskegon Lumberjacks are proud and dedicated members of the United States Hockey League (USHL), the nation’s only Tier I junior hockey league and leading producer of NCAA players and National Hockey League draft picks in the United States, for five years running!

Catch a home game, Friday, December 1 at 7:15pm as the Jacks take on the Waterloo Black Hawks at the L.C. Walker Arena. Purchase tickets by calling 231-724-5225.


Holidays in the City
December 2

Come to Downtown Muskegon this winter to celebrate the holidays with us.  “Holidays in the City” kicks off with Small Business Saturday on November 25 and continues on weekends through the Saturday before Christmas!  Shop local to support our community’s businesses.  The Muskegon Farmer’s Market, Western Market Chalets, Century Club Retail Center and multiple local retail outlets on Western Ave., in Midtown and along Pine St. will offer plenty of holiday shopping opportunities.  A community Christmas tree lighting the evening of November 25 in Hackley Park and many other holiday activities are planned.  For more information, find “Holidays in the City” on Facebook.


Santa at the Library
December 2 – December 14

Santa will be taking time out of his busy schedule to visit all nine branches of Muskegon Area District Library to meet boys and girls of all ages!  Bring the whole family and start your holiday season with stories, crafts and, of course, Santa!  Don’t forget your camera.  You won’t want to miss this free photo opportunity.

Saturday, December 2
10:30am North Muskegon Branch: 231-744-6080
10:30am Holton Branch: 231-821-0268
1:00pm   Egelston Branch: 231-788-6477

Tuesday, December 5
4:30pm   Muskegon Heights Branch: 231-739-6075

Saturday, December 9
10:30am Ravenna Branch: 231-853-6975
2:00pm   Norton Shores Branch: 231-780-8844

Monday, December 11
10:30am Muskegon Township Branch: 231-760-4329
6:00pm   Montague Branch: 231-893-2675

Thursday, December 14
4:00pm   Dalton Branch: 231-828-4188

The Muskegon Area District Library is a public library system with ten branch locations.  It serves 105,000 residents of 20 municipalities, comprising most of Muskegon County.  Serving the community six days a week, the Muskegon Area District Library offers programs, library services and life-long learning for county residents.  For more information about events at any branch library please contact the branch library directly.  For more information contact pr.info@madl.org, or 231 737-6248.


Holidays in Lakeside
December 2 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Get in the spirit of the season with “Holidays in Lakeside”, a family-friendly event featuring carolers, a community bake sale, a basket raffle, ice sculpting demos, visits with Santa, horse-drawn carriage rides, merchant specials and a free screening of the holiday movie “Elf,” starring Will Ferrell at the Harbor Cinema.  It’s happening Saturday, December 2 from 10:00am – 5:00pm in the Lakeside District.  For more information, visit www.lakesidedistrict.com.


Holiday Cookie Baking with Chef Char
December 2 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

The holidays are a time for baking and gift giving.  Saturday, December 2 from 1:00pm – 3:00pm, come to Kitchen 242 inside the Muskegon Farmers’ Market to learn some of Chef Char’s favorite holiday cookie recipes.  Make, bake and decorate your cookies in class to take home to enjoy eating or to give as gifts.  Kids and adults are welcome.  The cost is $30 per person.


White Lake Christmas Parade
December 2 @ 2:00 pm

On Saturday, December 2, over 80 participants will line up and follow the parade route from Whitehall to Montague along Business 31/Colby Street for the White Lake Christmas Parade!  The American Legion and VFW will lead the event along with the proud Christmas Parade Title Sponsor, Miller & Shepherd Law, dressed in their finest holiday apparel. The parade begins at 2:00pm in the afternoon.

The 65th annual parade promises to be even more exciting with floats from area churches, civic organizations, businesses and area neighbors. Cartoon characters, clowns, parading fire trucks and animals of all shapes and sizes are just a few of the local favorites who will be handing out candy and goodies.  Both Montague and Whitehall High School’s marching bands will be stepping out joined by area Brownie and Girl Scout Troops along with various Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts.  As the Grand Finale, Santa will make his entrance with a horse drawn carriage.  He will be eager to see children of all ages following the parade at his house outside Montague City Hall located on Ferry Street.  Children can visit Santa at his Montague house for regular hours on Fridays and Saturdays in December. For more information, visit www.whitelake.org.


Ugly Christmas Sweater Murder Mystery
December 2 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

October through May, Bygone Basics Cooking School and Amanda’s Bequest B & B offer a Murder Mystery Dinner on occasional Saturdays.  Participants act out the roles with scripts and as much hilarity as they wish!  “Murder at the Ugly Christmas Sweater Party” is the murder mystery Saturday, December 2.  The mystery activities and dinner last from 5:00pm until around 8:00pm.  Registered attendees will be assigned their roles in advance so they can arrive in character.  You do not have to be a lodging guest at Amanda’s Bequest to participate, but why not!  It will enhance the fun and remove night time driving.

Hurry, seating is limited!  To register, click the “Book Now” link on the website, e-mail relax@amandasbequest.com or call 231-740-4065.

B&B Guest – $38
Non-Lodging – $48
Adult themed.  No one under 18 years old please.

Murder at the Ugly Christmas Sweater Party
The Snowflake Lodge is hosting the annual Ugly Christmas Sweater party again this year.  The townspeople of Snow Falls are excited about the holiday celebration, as the lodge is where the who’s who of society will flock to show off their not-so fashionable holiday attire.  Unfortunately, sparks have flown between some of the guests lately with rumors of blackmail, greed, and revenge!


West Michigan Lake Hawks Home Game
December 2 @ 5:00 pm

The West Michigan Lake Hawks strive to provide a professional level of sports entertainment and to enrich the lives of student athletes.  Home games are played at Reeths-Puffer High School.  Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door, and season passes are $90 which saves you 25%.  Ages 4 and under are free.  Call 231-769-9617 for group ticket sales.

Catch their next home game Saturday, December 2 at 5:00pm as they take on the Libertyville Vipers!


The BIGGEST Little Holiday Party
December 2 @ 6:00 pm – 11:30 pm

Have a small staff or manager group?  Are you tired of planning holiday parties?  SE4SONS has the answer!  They will do all the work for you!  Simply reserve a table or a certain amount of seats and they’ll decorate, cook and schedule the DJ!  Join them Saturday, December 2 from 6:00pm – 11:30pm with your staff or maybe just a group of friends!  The cost is $30 per person and includes appetizers, buffet dinner, DJ and a cash bar.  It’s going to be the most popular party in town!  Reserve your space early as it is limited by calling 231-755-3737.


Muskegon Lumberjacks Home Game
December 2 @ 7:00 pm

The Muskegon Lumberjacks are proud and dedicated members of the United States Hockey League (USHL), the nation’s only Tier I junior hockey league and leading producer of NCAA players and National Hockey League draft picks in the United States, for five years running!

Catch a home game, Saturday, December 2 at 7:15pm as the Jacks take on the Bloomington Thunder at the L.C. Walker Arena. Purchase tickets by calling 231-724-5225.


Circle of Trees
December 3

The Circle of Trees is held on the first Sunday in December.  Trees are decorated in Walker Park, the annual “Dog Parade” is held on Ruddiman Ave. and the tree lighting ceremony, refreshments and visits with Santa follow immediately after.  If you wish to participate or for more information, contact City Clerk Marcia Jeske at 231-744-1621, e-mail mjeske@cityofnorthmuskegon.com or visit www.cityofnorthmuskegon.com.


Handel’s Messiah
December 3 @ 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Join Robert Swan on December 3, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at the Whitehall United Methodist Church as he offers to you his insights and thoughts on “Handel’s Messiah,” one of the most beloved pieces of music ever!  Come and hear (and sing along, if you like) the great music from the inspiring “Hallelujah Chorus” to the wonderfully intimate “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth”.  Learn more about Handel, the background of the music, and gleanings borne of years of Bob’s personal experience and reflection.

Mr. Swan is retired from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra after 36 years of devoted inspiration and practice in the viola section.  He has performed the Messiah close to 100 times in his career, playing it with some of the greatest conductors, singers, choruses, and instrumentalists in the world.  He held the post of Professor of Viola at Northwestern University from 1972-1980.

There is no cost to attend and refreshments will be provided by Cichetti.  For more information, please call Sondra Cross, director, at 232-329-3056.


West Michigan Lake Hawks Home Game
December 3 @ 5:00 pm

The West Michigan Lake Hawks strive to provide a professional level of sports entertainment and to enrich the lives of student athletes.  Home games are played at Reeths-Puffer High School.  Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door, and season passes are $90 which saves you 25%.  Ages 4 and under are free.  Call 231-769-9617 for group ticket sales.

Catch their next home game Sunday, December 3 at 5:00pm as they take on the LaCrosse Showtime!

Earlier Flights and More Connections

The Muskegon County Airport is now offering earlier morning flight schedules. The weekday morning flight schedule has been modified from an 11:35 AM departure to a 10:05 AM departure which will allow the business community better opportunities to make connecting flights earlier in the day.

“The Airport and United Express are constantly working to provide a flight schedule conducive to business passengers with connecting flights through Chicago O’Hare,” says Airport Manager, Jeffrey Tripp.

In addition, the new schedule will provide improved opportunities for same day business trips to East and West Coast destinations and to the Muskegon Lakeshore. “United Express is going to add a Saturday PM flight adding over 400 seats per month starting in February giving Muskegon 4 trips a day to and from Chicago”, says Tripp.

The Muskegon County Airport continues to work with United Airlines to provide flights at competitive rates, with quality terminal facilities and customer service, and schedule modifications to maximize flight connection opportunities. Determine if Muskegon provides your best option for flight connectivity and price by visiting www.united.com.

2017 Ramp Build

by Heidi Tice, Fruitport Leo liaison

Fruitport Leo Club and members of the Fruitport Congregational UCC, joined together to build a ramp for a Fruitport Village resident October 7, 2017.

Iva Snow, an elderly member of Fruitport Congregational church was in need of a way to get in and out of her home without stairs impeding her. Her daughter Cheryl Snow put in a “Handy Andy” request at their church and the project jumped into action.

buildingSteve Wilson, retired football coach for Fruitport High School, was approached by Trustee member Ron Stroup. Steve helped build ramps with the Fruitport football team while he coached. Since his retirement he has helped the Fruitport Leo Club launch a ramp project for community service. Steve enjoys working with kids and the Leos enjoy the knowledge and respect Coach Wilson displays towards them throughout the build.

With old backs and young backs lined up, the team of 8 adults and 6 kids measured, cut, dug, screwed down decking and built a beautiful ramp for Iva. The church group, the day before the ramp build, removed a window and put in a new back door so Iva’s exit from her home could happen without the use of any stairs.

This is the second ramp project the Fruitport Leos have done with Coach Wilson and his son-in-law Bruce Gaultney Jr., and they were just as excited on this build as they were on their first.

happy ladyThank you to all those that worked on the ramp: Ron Stroup, Steve Wilson, Gil Hegedus, Bruce Gaultney Jr., Ron Donahue, Rick Tice, Cheryls son Jason, brother-in-law, and Fruitport Leos; Rachel Weiland, Amber Split, Audrey Split, Ellie Herrick, Mackenzie Wahr, Becca Hunt. A special thank you to Seth Middlecamp with Sethco Lumber who gives a discount of supplies for the ramp build projects, after all it takes a village.

Muskegon Student Graduates from Fort Hays State University

HAYS, Kan. – William Jermain Springstead, Muskegon (49442), graduated from Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kan., in the summer 2017 term with a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice.

FHSU does not release the lists of undergraduate and graduate degrees until transcripts have been verified as having met all requirements for graduation.

Fort Hays State is one of six public universities in the Kansas Board of Regents system.

GVSU Spring/Summer Graduates

Students who graduated at the conclusion of the Spring/Summer 2017 semester in August include:

Fruitport: Matthew Escalante, BS

Muskegon (49441): Jessica Adams, MED; Erica Adcox, BBA; Devon Bamfield, BS; Anna Carmean, BS; Lisabeth Smith, MED; Jordan Tejchma, BSN; Danielle Wilcox, BS

Muskegon (49444): Julie Pratt, BBA; Thomas Valachovics, BS

Spring Lake: Holly Barnett, MED; Nicole Cron, DPT; Hannah Eldred, BBA; Elizabeth Galloway, BS; Curtiss Haaksma, BSN; Faye McLemore, BS; Hayley Schram, BS; Alec Strahl, BBA; Marshall Warners, BSE

The Human Cost of Roe and Doe

We often talk about just how bad Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton are as judicial decisions. Even many people who support abortion won’t pretend that Roe and Doe made any coherent judicial sense.

What sometimes gets lost in discussions about these U.S. Supreme Court cases is the actual human cost of them. Abortion is not just an abstract debate; abortion results in the death of real individuals at an unimaginable rate.

Our best guess is more than 56 million people have died since 1973 because of Roe and Doe overturning the abortion laws of all 50 states. How can we make sense of such an extreme loss of life?

56 million lives lost is the equivalent of erasing the people living in 25 states. Another way to imagine it is our entire Midwest disappearing overnight instead of disappearing daily in non-descript clinics down the street in our towns.

If we observed a 15-second moment of silence for each child killed by abortion since Roe and Doe, our silence would last 26 years. That doesn’t include the nearly one million abortions a year that continue to happen.

Though the annual abortion numbers have been declining for many years now, the loss of nearly one million lives a year is beyond tragic. Abortion takes more lives every year than cancer or heart disease, making it the number one cause of death—if it counted.

There are more American lives taken by abortion in a single year than American lives we’ve lost in combat in all of our wars combined from 1775 to 2017.

There are no words strong enough to describe the utter devastation abortion has wrought in Black community. Since 1973 abortion has ended more Black lives than every single other cause of death combined. Did you know that?

For those unmoved by the human cost of abortion, what about the practical costs? Those 56 million children lost to abortion would be alive today and contributing an additional $3 trillion in annual productivity to our economy. They would be generally young and healthy, shoring up our looming aging crisis when it comes to health insurance costs, Medicare and Social Security.

Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton aren’t just legal injustices. They are more than the grave personal injustices to the unborn children whose lives have been taken so brutally. They are an ongoing national disaster of incomparable proportions.

Ask Dr. Universe – Ocean Water Movement

Dear Dr. Universe:
HOW DOES WATER IN THE OCEAN MOVE? I THINK IT’S BECAUSE OF THE WIND.
–Case, 5, Yakima

Dear Case,
You know, most cats like to stay a comfortable distance from water.

But when I got your science question about our big ocean, I was ready to jump right in.

Ocean water moves in all kinds of ways. Waves curl and crash on the shore. Big conveyer belts of water, currents, flow for thousands of miles around our planet. The tides go out and come back in.

And yes, the wind plays a big part in all of it. That’s what I found out when I went to visit my friend Jeff Vervoort, a geologist and professor of oceanography at Washington State University.

If you stand on the shore, you can often hear and feel the ocean breeze. On windy days, waves start stirring. The smallest waves, called capillaries, start growing as the wind blows across their surfaces.

The stronger the wind blows, the bigger the waves can get. They can reach great heights—some as tall as six-story buildings. When the wave reaches shallower waters, it will start to curl, then break.

If you’re anything like me, you might be wondering where the wind comes from, too. Vervoort explained that our planet is rotating around on its tilted axis. The sun heats the Earth unevenly as it turns. These conditions actually affect the air and wind patterns on the planet surface. All of this moving air pushes the water in the ocean around.

Vervoort pulled down an Earth-shaped beach ball from the shelf in his office. He explained that winds blow in different directions. If Earth wasn’t rotating on a tilted axis, winds would blow very differently.

But, because of the Earth’s spin, wind belts in the northern hemisphere bend to the right. It also makes the winds in the southern hemisphere go to the left. Ocean currents bend in the same way, caused by the Coriolis effect.

The moving water can sometimes also act like a food delivery system. Some currents deliver important sources of nutrients and oxygen down to animals that live in the deep ocean.

Other currents bring up nutrients for animals that live near the surface. These nutrients allow tiny organisms—plankton—to live and grow to great numbers. These very tiny plankton get eaten by bigger animals like krill. Krill are an important food source for even bigger animals such as whales.

Meanwhile, back up on the surface tides go in and out. While wind impacts the tides a little bit, they mostly happen because gravity from the moon, and a little less from the sun’s gravity, pull water on Earth.

For the most part when it comes to water moving in the ocean, your hypothesis is correct, Case. It’s wind that mostly keeps our ocean surface in motion.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe

Find this article printed in Washington State Magazine!

Wanted – Fruitport Memorabilia

Photos, Post Cards, Year Books, etc… Anything Fruitport related.

The Fruitport Historical Society is collecting all things Fruitport history.
If you can help, please bring your donation to the Fruitport Library. Scans or copies
can be made, or original documents and photographs can be donated
and preserved for future generations.

If possible, please label photos; see example below:

Fruitport Memorabilia example

Click for larger image.

We Art Excited!

mikekrausartAbout Mike Kraus
Mike Kraus was born on the industrial shoreline of Muskegon, Michigan. After earning his Fine Arts Degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he attended Grand Valley State University for his graduate degree. From there, he gained varied experiences from the Chicago Architecture Foundation, Art Institute of Chicago, Hauenstein Center For Presidential Studies, Lollypop Farm Humane Society, and the Children’s Memorial Foundation. And every place he worked, he had his sketchbook with him and found ways to be actively creative. In 2014, Kraus became a full-time artist by establishing Mike Kraus Art. Since then, he has sold hundreds of paintings that are displayed in nearly every state and dozens of countries. Currently, Kraus lives in Rochester, New York with his beautiful wife and goofy dog.mrskraus
giftsSee my work online at:
MikeKrausArt.etsy.com

Shop with a Hero

by Heidi Tice

For several years now Detective Sergeant Bryan Rypstra has organized a program to give kids with financial needs a time to shop for Christmas gift for their whole family. The principal of each elementary school provides Det. Rypstra with names of children that families are struggling for Christmas. Meijer and Walmart organize sponsors that donate $100.00 gift cards for this event. The Fruitport Police and Fruitport Fire Department employees donate their time to take these kids through the stores and purchase gifts for their family members and of course 1 gift for them. After shopping they help the kids wrap the gifts so everything is ready to go under their tree.

Last year the amount collected for the program was $3,500.00 and their where 15 kids that participated. With any leftover gift cards, Det. Rypstra and his wife purchase hams, turkeys and can good to deliver to the homes for a help toward Christmas dinner.

The entire event is enjoyed by all. The kids get to give to their family this they are proud of and the Police & Fire guys get to soak up all the smiles and admiration. When a child looks up, smiles and says “thank you”; you know they really mean it.

“Hometown Boy” Thankful For Business Ownership Opportunity

by Alex Rogalla

new ownerNever in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that one day, after 31 years in the retail grocery business, I would become the owner of not one but two grocery stores. And not just any grocery stores but the very ones which I have spent my entire working career learning about the crazy yet exciting retail business. Talk about a true blessing.

It was a little more than three decades ago, when I was a junior at FHS, that I turned in an application at what was then Fruitport Foods in pursuit of my first real job; yep you guessed it a customer service bag boy/carryout. I wasn’t really sure why I wanted to work at the local grocery store but I had a ton of memories of shopping there with my mom and it seemed like a pretty cool job. So after calling and bugging the management staff for weeks on end, I finally must have drove Al Wilson crazy enough to have him ask me to come in for an interview. I did, must have went well, (or he didn’t want me calling anymore), and he hired me…..May 6, 1986.

My gut was right, I loved working there. Every day offered so much variety and so much to learn and the staff I worked with was a great bunch of people who taught me a lot about the grocery business. But my favorite part of the job was and still is my favorite part of my job; getting to know and serve the amazing customers from the surrounding communities and forming lasting, meaningful relationships with them. The saying goes “it takes all types” and believe me I think I have met all types over the years but that’s what makes each day so enjoyable. It’s the people.

Over the years, my knowledge of the grocery business grew as I gained experience working in just about every department within the store. You see, in the grocery world, if you show a solid work ethic and the desire to take on new challenges, it is almost certain that you will advance your way around the store until you have gained wisdom in most all of the departments, many times taking on more than one at a time. But what’s next? Well, when the time is right, like it was for me back in 1992, it was time to graduate to the next level of learning; what it meant to be part of the store management team. And for that, I can thank my longtime manager and mentor Wayne Ferrier. Wayne told me that the company was planning on building a brand new store right next to the current one, and that they wanted me to train to become an assistant store manager, ready to go when the doors opened on the new facility.

So, when the new store opened up in the summer of 1993, I was officially a part of the store management team, along with Wayne, Jack Stevens, and then owner Brian Punches. It was at this time that the real learning started at a whole new level, overseeing the entire store was a much different responsibility altogether. Once again, I gained valuable experience and knowledge from this group of guys who took me in under their wings, taught me what it takes to be a store manager, some through conversations, some by hands on, and some by trial and error. I can honestly say most of what I learned from Brian Punches wasn’t by what he did say but what he didn’t say; his calmness, his approach to situations, his view on taking care of the customer, and how he treated his management team and staff. Character and integrity, he had it and I was drawn to it.

Summer, 1996, the Punches family along with several other individual local investors built a new grocery store in Spring Lake, very similar to the Fruitport location layout and slightly larger. With both stores now under the same banner of Orchard Markets, these changes were about to bring about more opportunity.

August 30, 2004, a couple of years after being bought out by Roundy’s, a corporation out of Milwaukee, WI, Gary Gerlach, then of Hudsonville, MI stepped forward and purchased the two stores from the corporation, once again bringing them back to the community as “family owned and operated stores”. In 2006, we made some changes within the company structure that changed my role going from the store manager at Fruitport to the general manager of both store locations. This was an incredible challenge and blessing at the same time. Like I said earlier, it’s all about people; and getting to really know the staff at Spring Lake and the amazing customers who shop and live around there has been awesome to say the least.

Over the next 11 years, I split my time between Fruitport and Spring Lake, overseeing the operations, daily conditions, staffing needs, and human resources. Gary and I had a great working relationship; he allowed me the freedom to do my job while always providing guidance and support through his many, many years of experience in the grocery business but we also had a special friendship as well. In a lot of ways, we shared many similarities in the career path we chose and the direction the path took along the way. We shared high standards, high expectations, and a commitment to customer service and our communities.

In the early spring of 2015, Gary approached me about my interest in owning the stores one day, after he had decided that he was nearing the end of his career path and felt that he was ready to pass the baton on, not to just anyone, but he specifically said that he wanted to sell the stores to me. Talk about being humbled and blown away at the same time. Over the past 13 years of working for Gary, as his store manager first then as the general manager of both locations, I can honestly say not only did he teach me a wealth of knowledge but that he treated me as if I was part of his family, which I will forever be grateful for.

So, on July 11, 2017, I officially became the new owner of Orchard Markets Fruitport and Spring Lake. My wife Julie and I along with our children Erin and Evan feel so incredibly blessed as we take on this new endeavor. We look so forward to continuing our service to the wonderful people and families that make up the communities of Fruitport, Spring Lake, and the surrounding area. When we look back at this journey that started some 31 years ago and reflect on the life path that weaved, twisted, and turned along the way, we can only say thank you, thank you, thank you for your ongoing continued support throughout the years.

No, I could not have imagined this in my wildest dreams but His ways are higher than mine and for that I am forever thankful.

Calvary Christian Schools – “Crunch Day”

cruchdayOn Wednesday, October 25th over 200 Calvary Christian School students and staff joined 400,000 other Michiganders crunching apples together. The Apple Crunch movement is now in the 5th year of connecting communities and families eating their favorite crisp Michigan apple varieties. CCS was excited to be a part of the “crunch heard round the Great Lakes.”

Ottawa County Awarded $600,000 for Water Quality Improvements

The Ottawa County Water Resource Commissioner’s Office has been awarded $600,000 from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Grants Program. The funding will reduce Nonpoint source pollution within the upper Sand Creek watershed, located in Wright and Chester Townships in northeast Ottawa County. Sand Creek flows into the lower Grand River and ultimately Lake Michigan.

Nonpoint source pollution is caused when rain, snowmelt or wind carry pollutants off the land and into lakes, streams, wetlands, and other water bodies. Officials will reduce this polluted sediment reaching the Sand Creek by stabilizing the unnaturally eroding stream banks, restoring the filtering wetlands and promoting the farm bill pollution prevention practices. The improvements along the creek will reduce sediment by an estimated 1,250 tons per year, improving water quality throughout the watershed.

The Sand Creek has been identified among the top ten priority Grand River sub‐watersheds for restoration.  The creek is a coldwater and designated trout stream.  Unfortunately, the coldwater fishery is no longer supported due to excessive sedimentation, siltation, nutrients, temperature and flow regime alterations. 

Ottawa County Water Resources Commissioner, Joe Bush, oversaw the Upper Sand Creek Restoration Assessment Study conducted in 2014-2015 by GEI Consultants. The assessment was funded by a $260,919 grant from the MDEQ. The study laid the groundwork for the work that will be completed with the assessment, planning, and design of best practices to improve the health of Sand Creek.

The grant is funded under the federal Clean Water Act – Section 319 and the Clean Michigan Initiative – Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Grants Program.

The Giving Continues: More Than 60 Percent Of Michigan Adults Are Now Registered Organ Donors

Since 2011, 2.6 million more people have signed up to give the gift of life

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson today announced that the number of Michigan adults registered as organ, tissue and eye donors has topped 60 percent.

Johnson recently joined Gift of Life Michigan’s CEO Dorrie Dils to film a message for SOS staff, thanking them for their hard work reaching this goal on the Michigan Organ Donor Registry. The video message coincides with National DMV/SOS Appreciation Week, Sept. 25-29, when donation advocates across the country will thank SOS and DMV staff for their help in saving and improving lives.

“About 85 percent of people who sign up do so through our Secretary of State offices,” Johnson said. “Our partnerships with Gift of Life Michigan and Eversight have produced hope for nearly 3,400 people awaiting a life-changing transplant, yet we continue to advocate for signing up on the Michigan Organ Donor Registry because the need will continue to grow.”

When she took office in 2011, Johnson learned that only 27 percent of eligible Michigan residents had signed up. She made expanding the organ donor rolls a priority but insisted that it be done at little to no cost to taxpayers. She directed her staff to start asking customers if they wanted to sign up, created a task force of leading experts and began promoting organ donor registration throughout her branch offices.

“Achieving this milestone reflects the generosity of Michigan residents and the dedication of Secretary of State Johnson and all of the SOS staff,” said Dorrie Dils, CEO of Gift of Life Michigan. “Together, we are giving hope to the thousands of people who could benefit from an organ, tissue or cornea transplant.”

“Eversight is thrilled 60 percent of Michigan residents have made their wishes known in support of the gifts of sight, life and mobility,” said Alison Claerhout Wright, Eversight Director of Philanthropy in Michigan. “We applaud Secretary Johnson and her staff on their admirable work to make this exciting milestone a reality.”

More than 4,660,000 people are on the Michigan Organ Donor Registry. Every donor has the ability to save up to eight lives through organ donation and improve up to 75 more through cornea and tissue donation.

Anyone can join the Michigan Organ Donor Registry, regardless of age or medical history. Go to www.ExpressSOS.com, call 866-500-5801 or visit any Secretary of State office.

For more information on organ, eye and tissue donation, visit www.giftoflifemichigan.org or www.eversightvision.org. To sign up to the Michigan Organ Donor Registry and to access some of the Secretary of State’s most popular services, visit www.ExpressSOS.com.

Muskegon County Calendar of Events 11/20/17 – 11/27/17

Presented by the Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau
www.visitmuskegon.org


Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
November 17 @ 7:00 pm – December 3 @ 7:00 pm

November 17 – December 3, come to the Beardsley Theater for “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” presented by Muskegon Civic Theatre!

Winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play, “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” is the story of  Middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia who share a home in Bucks County, PA, where they bicker and complain about the circumstances of their lives.  Suddenly, their movie-star sister, Masha, swoops in with her new boy toy, Spike.  Old resentments flare up, eventually leading to threats to sell the house. Also on the scene are sassy maid Cassandra, who can predict the future, and a lovely young aspiring actress named Nina, whose prettiness somewhat worries the imperious Masha.

For tickets or more information, call 231-727-8001.


Planetarium Christmas Show: Mystery of the Christmas Star
Tuesdays and Thursdays 7:00 pm – 7:35 pm

November 2 – December 14, come to Carr-Fless Planetarium at Muskegon Community College for the Christmas show, “Mystery of the Christmas Star!”  This modern look at the Christmas story is an annual favorite.  As we look at significant astronomical events visible in the sky in the time of Jesus’ birth, we’ll see which of the “sky signs” was remarkable enough to have caused the Wise Men to travel over 600 miles through the desert from Babylon to Bethlehem, and investigate possible dates for the sighting of the “star” which lead them to Jesus.  This is a 35-minute presentation. (No show on Thanksgiving Day, November 23).  For more information, call (231) 777-0289.


Festival of Trees
November 22 – December 3

The Muskegon Museum of Art’s 13th annual Festival of Trees community holiday celebration runs November 22 through December 3.  The Festival will be open daily 10:00am to 5:00pm, noon to 5:00pm on Sundays, and closed on Thanksgiving.  International Holiday traditions inspire this year’s festival theme.  Professionally designed themed trees and décor will set a festive holiday mood and will be available for purchase through silent auction over the 11 days of the Festival. Raffles, music and holiday gift shopping will add to the fun.  Special events include the popular Teddy Bear Breakfast, Senior Day, Family Day, Deck Your Halls holiday design workshop and performances of A Christmas Carol!  Call 231-720-2580 to purchase tickets or for more information.


Holidays in the City
November 25

Come to Downtown Muskegon this winter to celebrate the holidays with us.  “Holidays in the City” kicks off with Small Business Saturday on November 25 and continues on weekends through the Saturday before Christmas!  Shop local to support our community’s businesses.  The Muskegon Farmer’s Market, Western Market Chalets, Century Club Retail Center and multiple local retail outlets on Western Ave., in Midtown and along Pine St. will offer plenty of holiday shopping opportunities.  A community Christmas tree lighting the evening of November 25 in Hackley Park and many other holiday activities are planned.  For more information, find “Holidays in the City” on Facebook.


Hackley & Hume Historic Site Holiday Tours
November 25 – November 26

Enjoy holiday tours of the Hackley & Hume Historic Site!  These amazing late 1890’s homes from Muskegon’s lumbering days have been decorated for the holidays with period appropriate artifacts, ornaments and more.  Special Holiday Tours will be offered on the following dates:

Saturday, November 25 from 4:00pm – 8:00pm
Sunday, November 26 from 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Tuesday, December 26 from 4:00pm – 8:00pm
Wednesday, December 27 from 1:00pm – 4:00pm

The cost is $5 – $7.  For more information, visit www.lakeshoremuseum.org.


Holiday Artisan Market
November 25 @ 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Saturday, November 25 from 10:00am – 3:00pm, you’re invited to do some holiday shopping at the Greater Muskegon Woman’s Club during their Holiday Artisan Market!  They’ll be offering an eclectic variety of items created by local artists and artisans.  For more information, call (231) 725-9220.


Pizza & Polka Festival
November 25 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Saturday, November 25 from 6:00pm – 10:00pm, come to the Fricano Event Center for the Pizza & Polka Festival featuring the Duane Malinowski Polka Band!  Enjoy four hours of polka music and all the pizza you can eat for only $15 per person!  Ice cream dessert will also be available for purchase.  For tickets, call 231-780-5406.  Table reservations will be accepted with a minimum purchase of 10 tickets.  Presented by the Muskegon Polish Festival.


Muskegon Lumberjacks Home Game
November 25 @ 7:00 pm

The Muskegon Lumberjacks are proud and dedicated members of the United States Hockey League (USHL), the nation’s only Tier I junior hockey league and leading producer of NCAA players and National Hockey League draft picks in the United States, for five years running!

Catch a home game, Saturday, November 25 at 7:15pm as the Jacks take on the Lincoln Stars at the L.C. Walker Arena. Purchase tickets by calling 231-724-5225.


Evening by Candlelight
November 27 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Monday, November 27 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm, you’re invited to the beautiful Muskegon Woman’s Club to start the Christmas season off by enjoying beautiful tablescapes, good food, fun, and great entertainment at “Evening by Candlelight!”  Tickets are $15 per person.  Tables of 8 are available.  R.S.V.P by calling Nancy at 231-730-0887 or e-mail Nancy@HousesByNancy.com.

 

News From Fruitport Charter Township

by Rose Dillon

Keep the Flag Flying
Fruitport Township is responsible for keeping the flag flying at I96 and US 31 intersection and it is an expensive task. Since its inception we have relyed on your donations to purchase the flags. We would like to thank those that donated toward the flag fund. Fruitport Conservation Club was the largest donor with $1,500, Port City Diesel at $750 and many others came along side with support to help keep the flag flying. You may not be aware that Fruitport’s own Tim McFarland donates hours of his time to switch out the flags and repair them so the life of a flag can last longer. Thank you Tim!


Fruitport Lions Club
Thank you to the Fruitport Lions Club for the donation to the fire department for the purchase of much needed emergency equipment.


Winter 2017 Tax Bills
We would not want to disappoint those of you excited to receive your winter tax bill. Be watching your mail box around December 1st.

United Airlines New Earlier Morning Flight

The Muskegon County Airport has received great news from United Airlines. Starting October 2, the weekday morning flight schedule (Monday through Friday) changed to provide an earlier departure time of 10:05 AM rather than 11:35 AM. This allows customers better opportunities to make connecting flights earlier in the day.

“We are extremely pleased to announce this weekday schedule change. The Airport has worked with United Airlines for years to offer an earlier flight.” said Jeffrey Tripp, Airport Manager. “Travelers to and from the West Michigan Shoreline region rely on Muskegon County Airport for dependable transportation; flight connectivity and price are a crucial part of these efforts. The more customers fly Muskegon, the better able we are to leverage our passenger numbers for additional flight options and service with the airline.”

The new schedule provides improved opportunities for same day business trips to East and West Coast destinations and to the lakeshore. The Airport continues to work with United Airlines to provide flights at competitive rates, with quality terminal facilities, outstanding customer service, and schedule modifications to maximize flight connection opportunities.

We encourage all West Michigan Shoreline region travelers to always “Check MKG First” at www.united.com to determine if Muskegon provides your best option for flight connectivity and price. Please consider the total cost of travel (rate, schedule, parking, drive time, etc.) when booking. The Airport provides an on-line total flight cost calculator at www.flymkg.com.

Village of Fruitport – Council Meeting Minutes – 10/24/17

VILLAGE OF FRUITPORT
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
OCTOBER 24, 2017

1. Call to Order
President Roger Vanderstelt called the meeting to order at 7:02pm

2. Pledge

3. Prayer

4. Roll Call
Present: Roger Vanderstelt, Donna Pope, Amy Haack and Carl Russell
Absent: Carl Rothenberger, Will Overkamp and Bill Stone
Also Present: Dave Bossenbroek, Village attorney and Jeremy Statler DPW Supervisor

5. Approval of previous meeting minutes
Roger requested that a change be made to Item #13 in the September 26, 2017 meeting minutes. He requested that S. Brooks be changed to Brooks. Motion made by Amy Haack, supported by Donna to approve the meeting minutes with the removal of the S in S. Brooks, with a unanimous vote the motion carried.

6. Approve the agenda for the October 24th Council Meeting
Motion made by Amy Haack, supported by Donna Pope to approve the agenda. With a unanimous vote, the motion carried.

7. Public Comments
None

8. Correspondence
None

9. Reports from Officers
Donna gave an update on the library.
Amy advised that the next Friends of the Park meeting will be on November 7th at 7pm.
A request has been submitted to the Community Foundation Wish List for 4 flag poles for 3rd Avenue.
Muskegon County Recreational Authority has determined that they want to be an advisory type committee not an authority.
Carl nothing to report.
Roger reminded everyone about the Pumpkin Contest. He advised that the bathrooms at the park will be closed for the season this Friday. Jeremy showed everyone the new DPW jacket and bibs. Roger advised that the old snow blower will be auctioned on November 14th. The Village welcome sign on Bridge has been raised to eliminate the vision concern. Roger also advised we will be issuing payments to the businesses that sold our annual boat permits.

10. Follow up on Brooks’ Road resurfacing
The Brooks’ road resurfacing will be done next spring.

11. 2020 3rd Avenue P&N Proposal
Jeremy talked about possible funding options with a more detailed report to come in November.

12. Discussion on Future Projects
Roger advised that not all future projects will need to be discussed by the Friends of the Park group. They can be discussed at council meetings as well.

13. Discussion on property line at 270 Pine St.
Roger referred to a diagram for 270 Pine St. The house encroaches on the road right of way. Dave gave an overview of the process that could take place if the new owner decides to pursue the issue.

14. Request from Sue Halter for 2018 “Dancing in the Park” Agreement
Roger discussed Sue’s request. Donna Pope made a motion to approve the “Dancing in the Park” agreement, supported by Carl Russell. With a unanimous vote, the motion carried.

15. Walk behind or ride on blower
Roger explained that the current blower is running poorly. Three new units were discussed. Two were on display for the council. Motion made by Carl Russell to purchase the Hurricane Blower and not to exceed $9000.00 and that $1000.00 be from the Equipment Rental Fund and the remaining balance from the General Fund, supported by Amy Haack. Roll Call AYES: Vanderstelt, Pope, Haack and Russell. NAYES: None

16. Proposal for Drain Review from P&N
Roger discussed the P&N proposal for the drain. Amy would like to hire P&N to do the proposal and then the Village would work with the Township and developer. Carl Russell made a motion to hire P&N to do the proposal and not to exceed $2500.00, supported by Amy Haack. Roll call AYES: Vanderstelt, Pope, Haack and Russell. NAYES: None

17. Master Plan Review Group
Roger advised that the Master Plan was developed in 2011. It needs to be revised every 5 years. A committee needs to be formed to review the plan and present to the council. Dave advised that the Planning Commission can review the Master Plan.

18. Ordinance Review Group
Roger would like a group to review the ordinances. He would like Jeff Jacobs and 2 other people to review them.

19. Public Comment
Jay Bolt, 294 8th shared items from the Township meeting with the council.

20. Closed session to consider the possible purchase of real property
Motion made by Donna Pope to move to a closed session, supported by Carl Russell. Roll call to proceed with closed session at 8:05pm AYES: Vanderstelt, Pope, Haack and Carl Russell.
Motion made by Carl Russell to end closed session at 8:30pm supported by Donna Pope. With a unanimous vote, the motion carried.

Motion made by Amy Haack to allow Roger, Jeremy and Dave to enter back into negotiations regarding the purchase of property pending council approval, supported by Carl Russell. With a unanimous vote, the motion carried.

21. Warrants
Motion made by Carl Russell to approve the warrants, supported by Donna Pope. Roll call: AYES Vanderstelt, Pope, Haack and Carl Russell. NAYES: None

22. Adjourn
Motion made by Donna Pope to adjourn, supported by Carl Russell. With a unanimous vote, the motion carried.

Respectfully submitted by,

Ann LaCroix
Clerk

FCS – Personnel Committee Meeting Minutes – 11/14/17

Personnel Committee
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
7:30 a.m., Superintendent’s Office
Meeting Minutes

Attendance: Dave Hazekamp, Steve Kelly, Tim Burgess, Mark Mesbergen, and Bob Szymoniak

1. Budget
Bob presented information on the budget and Fruitport’s student enrollment.

2. Tentative Agreements
Mark presented information on the five Letters of Agreement that were part of the wage openers based on Fruitport’s Fall count. There will be action items at the next regular meeting.

3. Operations Director
Bob gave an update on the Operations Director position.

Meeting adjourned at 8: 15 a.m.

Respectfully submitted by Mark Mesbergen

FCS – Business and Finance Committee Meeting Minutes – 11/09/17

Business and Finance Committee
Thursday, November 9, 2017
11:30 a.m., Superintendent’s Office
Meeting Minutes

Attendance: Dave Hazekamp, Elroy Buckner, Kris Cole, Mark Mesbergen, and Bob Szymoniak

1. Budget
Bob presented information about the budget and Fruitport’s student enrollment.

2. Food Service Bad Debt
Bob presented data on food service bad debt and the potential processes and procedure moving forward.

3. Bond Update
Mark presented a bond financial update. Mark is working with PFM, our financial advisor, to determine when is the best time to proceed with the second series of the bond.

Meeting adjourned at 12:25 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by Mark Mesbergen

FCS – Business and Finance Committee Meeting Minutes – 10/09/17

Business and Finance Committee
Monday, October 9, 2017
11:30 a.m., Superintendent’s Office
Meeting Minutes

Attendance: Dave Hazekamp, Elroy Buckner, Kris Cole, Mark Mesbergen, Bob Szymoniak, and Paul Matz

1. Audit Report Paul Matz presented the outcome of the 2016-17 financial audit. The presented audit consisted of zero findings and 1 comment.

Meeting adjourned at 12:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by Mark Mesbergen

Fruitport Board of Education Meeting – Agenda – 11/20/17

Fruitport Community Schools
BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING
High School Media Center
Monday, November 20, 2017 – 7:00 p.m.

I. CALL to ORDER

II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

III. ROLL CALL

IV. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

V. PRESENTATIONS
1. Ride with Pride – Rob Rogers
2. Calling All Colors
3. NHS Chalkboard Project

VI. COMMUNICATIONS
Secretary-

VII. REMARKS FROM THE PUBLIC*

VIII. SUPERINTENDENT/ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS

IX. CONSENT AGENDA
1. Approval of Regular Meeting Minutes of October 16, 2017 (attachment IX-1)
2. Approval of Bills (attachment IX-2)
General Fund                         $123,943.64
Other Funds:
Early Childhood Center                  739.87
Food Service                                88,362.79
Coop Ed (ISD) Tech Millage            754.05
Total Bill List                         $213,800.35

3. Acceptance of Monthly Financial Report and ACH Transactions (attachment IX-3)
4. Acceptance of Student Activity Summary Report (attachment IX-4)
5. Acceptance of Credit Card and Utilities Report (attachment IX-5)
6. Approval of Personnel Report (includes confirmation of new hires, resignations, retirees, and transfers) (attachment IX-6)

X. GENERAL BOARD BUSINESS
1. Approval of the First Reading of New/Updated Board Policies (attachment X-1)

XI. BUSINESS & FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORTS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Elroy Buckner, Chairperson
1. Report of Committee Meeting held November 9, 2017 (attachment XI-1)

XII. PERSONNEL COMMITTEE REPORTS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Steve Kelly, Chairperson
1. Report of Committee Meeting held November 14, 2017 (attachment XII-1)
2. Fruitport Instructional Assistant Association’s Letter of Agreement (attachment XII-2)
3. Fruitport Maintenance Association’s Tentative Agreement (attachment XII-3)
4. Fruitport Clerical Association’s Letter of Agreement (attachment XII-4)
5. Fruitport Bus Drivers/Food Service Association’s Letter of Agreement (attachment XII-5)
6. Fruitport Administrator Association’s Tentative Agreement (attachment XII-6)

XIII. STUDENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE REPORTS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Jill Brott, Chairperson

XIV. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS AND DISCUSSIONS

XV. AGENDA ITEMS FOR FUTURE MEETINGS & SCHEDULING OF SPECIAL MEETINGS
1. Schedule Business & Finance Committee Meeting
2. Schedule Personnel Committee Meeting
3. Schedule Student Affairs Committee Meeting
4. Schedule Superintendent Evaluation Board Workshops (2)
5. Muskegon County School Boards Alliance Dinner at the Lake House Waterfront Grille, December 14th at 5:30 p.m.

XVI. REMARKS FROM THE PUBLIC*

XVII. ADJOURNMENT

 

*Time is provided for members of the audience to address the Board of Education regarding any topic including items on the agenda. The board is providing two opportunities for the public to comment during the meeting. The first is for people who wish to bring issues to the Board of Education for board consideration. At the end of the meeting the board will provide a brief opportunity for community members to comment on activities and/or discussion that took place during the board meeting. Time limits may be placed if a large number of individuals would like to address the board.

Franklin Graham Helps Bring Prayer, Hope and Healing to Texas

franklingrahamFranklin Graham, who was in Texas shortly after Hurricane Harvey with Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains and relief teams from Samaritan’s Purse, will return this month with Decision Texas: The Lone Star Tour. Graham will be asking Texans to join him in praying for recovery not only from the storm, but for the revival America desperately needs to solve the political, racial, and cultural divisions plaguing our country.

Facebook Shuts Down Michigan Pro-lifers Again

Grand Rapids, Mich. — Wexford/Missaukee Right to Life, an affiliate of Right to Life of Michigan, discovered on October 4 that their Facebook advertising account had been shut down without explanation.

This is the third time this year Michigan prolife organizations have had their Facebook advertising accounts summarily banned. Right to Life of Michigan’s advertising account has been banned twice without cause in 2017, but was restored thanks to media scrutiny.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, “Facebook’s self-described mission is to, ‘give people the power to build community…’ It’s hard to do that when community organizations have tools taken away from them without an explanation. Unfortunately many local organizations don’t have the resources we did to demand an explanation and receive a solution.”

Wexford/Missaukee Right to Life has not been given any specific details about what caused the ban. They were not directly informed their account had been banned; they only discovered the ban when attempting to purchase additional advertising.

Similar to the ban of Right to Life of Michigan’s advertising account, Facebook’s support team refused to answer specific questions and instead sent a vague form response. On October 4 Wexford/Missaukee Right to Life was told by Facebook, “There’s no further action you may take here. We don’t support ads for your business model.”

Wexford/Missaukee Right to Life has the exact same “business model” as Right to Life of Michigan and our other local affiliates who utilize Facebook advertising. Their “business model” was never in question for earlier advertising purchases.

Right to Life of Michigan in April was similarly told our ban was a final decision beyond appeal, but after a Detroit News reporter contacted Facebook for details in May, our advertising account was restored. Facebook told the Detroit News the ban was a mistake and that they had contacted Right to Life of Michigan to inform us of the resolution. Facebook has not contacted us to this day to explain how the mistake occurred.

Right to Life of Michigan’s advertising account was again shut down a few days after our account was restored in May, but a support request including a link to the Detroit News article led to the account being quickly reinstated.

Listing said, “We achieved no results working through Facebook’s customer service department and the Better Business Bureau. Facebook only appears to respond to media attention to fix what they claim is a simple mistake.”

In 2016 Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with conservative leaders who expressed fear that they would be victims of censorship following an accusation that Facebook staff members were blocking legitimate political pages based on personal biases. After the meeting Zuckerberg said, “I wanted to hear their concerns personally and have an open conversation about how we can build trust.”

Listing said, “Are these bans automated? Does a human being respond to questions from users? Does Facebook think they can get away with censoring smaller pages and users because they can’t draw attention? These are questions Facebook must respond to if they truly want to build community trust.”

Right to Life of Michigan is calling on Facebook to be more transparent. They must do a better job of communicating with users who make good-faith attempts to abide by their guidelines.

Background information:
Facebook response to Wexford/Missaukee RTL
May Detroit News article
Original ban of Right to Life of Michigan

Right to Life of Michigan | 616-532-2300 |  info@rtl.org | www.RTL.org
2340 Porter St SW | Grand Rapids, MI 49509

Fruitport Township Planning Commission Meeting – Agenda – 11/21/17

AGENDA
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
FRUITPORT CHARTER TOWNSHIP
5865 AIRLINE RD
FRUITPORT, MI 49415

November 21st, 2017
6:30 PM WORK SESSION
7:00 PM BOARD MEETING

WORK SESSION
Continuing review of new zoning ordinances.

BOARD MEETING
01. Roll Call
02. Approval of Planning Commission Minutes: October 17th, 2017
03. Approve / Amend Agenda
04. Correspondence / Reports
05. Public Comments pertaining to agenda topics

New Business
06. Public Hearing on Special Use / Site Plan – Hughes Builders / Journey Church
–Parcel: 61-15-122-400-0020-10
–Purpose: Build new House of Worship

07. Site Plan Revision – Walid Jamal (IHOP) – Christian Cini (General Contractor)
–Parcel: 61-15-122-100-0009-51
–Purpose: Tenant Space Drive Thru

Old Business
None

08. Public Comments
09. Adjournment

The township will provide necessary reasonable aids and services for this meeting to individuals with disabilities by writing or telephoning the Township Clerk: Andrea Anderson, Fruitport Charter Township, 5865 Airline Rd, Fruitport, MI 49415 (231) 865-3151.

The Little Library That Could

The Fruitport District Library is Growing up!!
By Bethany Nettleton, Director of the Fruitport District Library

The Fruitport District Library is growing up! For those of you who have not heard, we separated from the Muskegon Area District Libraries (MADL) on December 31, 2016. The Fruitport District library (FDL) opened its doors again on January 3, 2017.   The Little Library that Could began the uphill journey towards becoming a full fledged library with bare shelves.

In the first part of January, the library was accepted into the Lakeland Library Cooperative (LLC). We also joined the LLC shared ILS (catalog) on February 9, 2017. Next, we linked 6800 books 2015 or newer. After linking those 6800 new books, we went “live”, and were able to start issuing library cards on April 10, 2017. Lastly, we had our Grand Opening on May 20, 2017.

So what do we know now and where are we in the process?

• In the middle of June 2017, we hired Beth Werking as our Children’s Librarian for 10 hours a week, and Ken VerHulst as our Young Adult Librarian for 20 hours a week.
• 1175 library cards have been issued since April 10, 2017
• In July 2017, Lot’s of Carpet on Airline road offered the library brand new carpet for our lower level
• Also in July, the Cedar Springs Public Library gave us beautiful new shelving, printers, and a circulation desk for our lower level.
• We are excited to get approval from the board to start putting the new carpet and shelving in, decorating the space, and moving the children’s and young adult books to the lower level.
• The Howard Miller Public Library in Zeeland donated their old signage to the library
• Our Children’s Librarian, Ms. Beth, donated a cute barn that is the backdrop for our weekly Tuesday at 11:00am StoryTimes.
• Four computers have been donated by the MISD and they are donating more for our lower level
• A copier/fax/scanner/printer is available for patron use
• We have linked 8795, 2015 and newer books and 10,501 total books to the shared ILS
• We now have MELCAT as of September 4, 2017. MELCAT allows our patrons to order books from libraries all over Michigan
• Our summer reading program was small but a success
• We had many programs in the midst of all that linking too, below are a sampling:

• Painting in the Park
• Party in Pomona Park
• Dynamite Magic
• Jeff Veley a bullying expert
• James Pancy on Depression
• The Great Eclipse Party
• Child safety expert Julie Sanderson
• Author Jennifer VanderKlipp twice
• Kana Music
• Fun Halloween StoryTime with Ms. Beth

• Overdrive (online books) and Zinio (online magazines)
• We have an active Facebook page “Fruitport District Library”
• We are on Twitter, SnapChat, and Instagram
• A new roof has been installed
• The village DPW is now caring for our library grounds
• We have upcoming programs in November and weekly programs:

• StoryTime every Tuesday at 11:00 am
• College Career Autism Support – Mondays 1-4
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Parental Support Group Wednesdays at 3-4 and the First Monday of the month 6-7.
• Veterans Day Program honoring our local soldiers. November 10, 2017 at 1-2. Our speaker is Mike Verhoulst from the TriCities Historical Museum
• JFK: The Magic Bullet, the Umbrella Man, and the Grassy Knoll a community lecture by James Pancy

We have already purchased, 9500, 2015 and newer books. We are working on purchasing the last 4098 brand new 2015 or newer books that are needed to remain part of the Lakeland Library Cooperative. After these books are processed, we need to link those 4098 new books.by the end of February 2018. The total books linked will be 13,598. Please bear with us as this is a huge undertaking.   Presently, we have over 16,000 new and a few older books on our shelves.

Also, We would like to thank the community for your generosity. Amazingly, we have received well over 10,500 donated books, audiobooks, music, and movies. We are still looking for books 2015 or newer, also audio books and dvds.

The Little Library that Could is growing up, come check us out soon!

Executive Travel – Passport Renewal

Warning! Surge in passport renewal could cause massive delays in getting a new passport
contributed by Executive Travel (executivetravel.com)

Beginning in January, 2018 some experts are predicting a massive number of passport applications to start hitting the system. 10 years ago the United States started requiring passports for travel to Mexico and Canada which resulted in millions of new passports being issued. As you hopefully are aware passports have a 10-year life, thus all those millions of new passports now need to be renewed. The State Department, who is in charge of issuing passports, is encouraging people to try to renew their passports before the end of the year with hopes that it will prevent a major backlog of applications.

Muskegon Area Transit System Proposal for Fare and Service Adjustments to be Phased in Beginning January 1, 2018

The Muskegon Area Transit System is proposing a series of System Adjustments to be implemented beginning January 1, 2018. Below is a summary of the changes proposed, followed by additional information regarding this proposal. A 30-day public comment period will be held regarding this proposal from November 1, 2017, to November 30, 2017. During this period, interested persons may submit written comments to:

Muskegon Area Transit System
Attn: Transit Systems Manager
2624 Sixth Street
Muskegon Heights, MI 49444

A public hearing will be held to gain input on these proposals at the Muskegon County Hall of Justice, 990 Terrace Street, Fourth Floor Board Chambers, on Thursday, November 16, 2017, at 3:30 pm. Please arrive early as all persons entering the Hall of Justice must pass security screening.

The proposed changes will:

1) Reduce and Realign Saturday Services, Effective January 1, 2018.

2) Reduce Service on Selected Holidays, Effective January 1, 2018.

3) Change the Weekday Scheduled Route End Time for Route 40 – Peck Sanford to 5:10pm, Rather Than 5:33pm, Effective January 1, 2018.

4) Increase prices for MATS Monthly Bus Passes by $10.00 Each, Beginning with February 2018 Bus Pass Sales.

5) Remove the 7:15am Scheduled Northbound Departure from the MARC Route
115 – Montague Schedule, Effective January 1, 2018, Leaving Other Departures and Routing for Route 115 – Montague Unchanged at this Time.

6) Remove the MARC Route 120 – Holton and MARC Route 125 – Ravenna from
Service, Effective January 1, 2018.

If you would like more information, visit http://matsbus.com.

Ask Dr. Universe – Twins

Here’s a treat! We are raffling off some fun field guides to elementary/middle school explorers! E-mail Dr.Universe@wsu.edu w/ subject: “science rules” for a chance to win a class set! Ends Nov. 30. 

Dear Dr. Universe: How are twins made? –Brody, 8, Kauai, Hawaii 

Dear Brody,

By the time you finish reading this sentence, about twenty babies will have been born into our world. Sometimes they’re twins.

When I got your question, I figured what better place to go than the Washington State Twin Registry based in Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. Ally Avery, a researcher who studies twins, was happy to help with the answer.

You may remember that cells are the building blocks of life, Avery says. We are made up of billions of cells. Each one carries DNA, the miniaturized master plan that, among other things, influences how tall we are or what color our hair will be.

“People also have cells for making babies,” Avery says. “Males carry sperm cells. Females carry egg cells.”

When these two kinds of cells come together, the sperm cell fertilizes the egg, which begins growing and dividing.

“Nine months later, a baby is born,” says Avery.

As you’ve noted, sometimes two babies are born. Twins start their journey like most babies do. Then something pretty rare happens.

Sometimes a single egg cell will divide into two. When I asked Avery why it happens, she said the research hasn’t yet shown us exactly why. It’s still one of the mysteries of science.

We do know that when an egg cell divides into two, identical twins are born. They have very similar DNA and may look alike, but they aren’t exactly the same. They may have very different personalities. They even have different fingerprints.

Humans aren’t the only ones that can be identical. One animal that scientists study to learn about multiple births is the nine-banded armadillo. They are very curious about this critter because it very often gives birth to not just two, but four identical babies.

Of course, not all twins are identical. Some are fraternal. Fraternal twins happen when two totally different eggs are fertilized.

The number of fraternal twins born differs around the world, while the number of identical twins is the same. Again, we aren’t entirely sure why. Registries of twins can help us learn more about twins around the world, though. We know that Benin, a country in central Africa, is home to the most twins on the planet.

Meanwhile, in the Washington State Twin Registry, there are more than 18,000 twins who have agreed to be studied. That’s more than 9,000 pairs of adult twins.

One thing Avery and WSU researchers study is discordance. That means one twin has a health condition and the other does not. They can look at twins living in different environments, how they travel, and how it affects their health. One study has helped them find evidence supporting the idea that living in a place with access to outside activities is really good for health.

Together twins are helping researchers answer big questions that can help improve health for all of us—whether you came into the world solo or with a buddy.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe

United Airlines Additional Thanksgiving Flight Announced

United Airlines has notified the Muskegon County Airport that a 2nd flight will be made available on Saturday, November 25 to provide fifty (50) additional seats during the busy Thanksgiving Holiday weekend.

“We are extremely pleased to learn of this additional holiday flight.” said Jeffrey Tripp, Airport Manager. “It is nice to have additional capacity available for our customers during the busiest travel time of the year.”

We encourage all West Michigan Shoreline region travelers to always “Check MKG First” for flight opportunities through United Airlines at www.united.com.

Best Yard in Fruitport Contest Winner

bestyardThe winner of 2017’s the best yard in Fruitport goes to 326 8th ave, owned by Shirley Baker. Shirley inherited this home from her Parents and has transformed the garden area into a wonderful back yard display. The entries this year were all wonderful and the Township Board thanks everyone that sent in nominations. Shirley was given a yard sign to proudly display and pictures of her yard are on display at the township hall. Stop by the hall and take a look at the beautiful best yard wall of pictures.

The Township Board is looking forward to next years best yard contest; so spruce up your yards and make sure to enter.

Muskegon County Youth – National 4-H Week

Muskegon County youth celebrated National 4-H Week October 1-7

Muskegon, MI — For the 75th consecutive year, millions of youth, parents, volunteers and alumni across the country celebrated National 4-H Week during the first full week of October. Muskegon County 4-H leveraged National 4-H Week this year by showcasing the incredible experiences that 4-H offers young people, and highlighted the remarkable 4-H youth in our community who work each day to make a positive impact on those around them.

Muskegon County shared stories on our Facebook page highlighting the successes of our 4-H members and volunteers this year. Check us out at Muskegon County MSU Extension 4-H to read the stories!

How to Help a Caregiver During National Family Caregivers Month

Ann Arbor, MI – October 13, 2017 – November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month. The Alzheimer’s Association is marking these events by recognizing and honoring the more than 15 million family members and friends across the U.S. who are currently caring for a person living with Alzheimer’s.

According to a recent Alzheimer’s Association survey, people overwhelmingly agree (91 percent) that caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia should be a group effort among family or close friends, yet one out of three caregivers are not engaging others in caregiving tasks. More than four in five caregivers would have liked more support in providing care for someone with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, especially from their family. With 15 million Alzheimer’s caregivers across the country, that leaves a lot of people in need of support.walking

This November during National Family Caregivers Month, the Alzheimer’s Association is encouraging people to lend a hand to caregivers. Here are some ways that you can help.

Learn: Educate yourself about Alzheimer’s disease – its symptoms, its progression and the common challenges facing caregivers. The more you know, the easier it will be to find ways to help. The Alzheimer’s Association has a vast amount of resources and information available at www.alz.org.

Build a Team: The Alzheimer’s Association Care Team Calendar is a free, personalized online tool to organize family and friends who want to help with caregiving. This service makes it easy to share activities and information within the person’s care team. Helpers can sign up for specific tasks, such as preparing meals, providing rides or running errands. Users can post items for which assistance is needed. Visit the Care Team Calendar here: www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-dementia-care-calendar.asp.

Give a Break: Make a standing appointment to give the caregiver a break. Spend time with the person with dementia and allow the caregiver a chance to run errands, go to their own doctor’s appointment, participate in a support group or engage in an activity that helps them recharge. Even one hour could make a big difference in providing the caregiver some relief.

Check In: Almost two out of every three caregivers said that feeling isolated or alone was a significant challenge in providing care for someone with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. What’s more, half of all caregivers felt like they couldn’t talk to anyone in social settings or work about what they were going through. So start the conversation – a phone call to check in, sending a note, or stopping by for a visit can make a big difference in a caregiver’s day and help them feel supported.

Tackle the To-Do List: Ask for a list of errands that need to be run – pick up groceries, dry cleaning or even offer to shuttle kids to and from activities. It can be hard for a caregiver to find time to complete these simple tasks outside of the home that we often take for granted.

Be Specific and Be Flexible: Open-ended offers of support (“call me if you need anything” or “let me know if I can help”) may be well-intended, but are often dismissed. Try making your offer of help or support more specific (“I’m going to the store, what do you need?” or “I have free time this weekend, let me stop over for a couple of hours so you can do what you need to do.”) Don’t get frustrated if your offer of support is not immediately accepted. The family may need time to assess its needs. Continue to let the caregiver know that you are there and ready to help.

Help for the Holidays: Holiday celebrations are often joyous occasions, but they can be challenging and stressful for families living with Alzheimer’s. Help caregivers around the holidays by offering to help with cooking, cleaning or gift shopping. If a caregiver has traditionally hosted family celebrations, offer your home instead.

coupleJoin the Fight: Honor a person living with the disease and their caregiver by joining the fight against Alzheimer’s. You can volunteer at your local Alzheimer’s Association office, participate in fundraising events such as the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and The Longest Day, advocate for more research funding, or sign up to participate in a clinical study as a healthy volunteer through the Alzheimer’s Association’s Trial Match. Joining the cause can help families facing the disease know that they are not alone in their fight.


About the Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association is the world’s leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. For more information, call our 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900 or visit alz.org.

Dancing into the Sunset

Dancing into the Sunset Dance Party at Pomona Park in Fruitport, Wednesday’s throughout the summer

by Susan Halter

The 1st ANNUAL DANCING INTO THE SUNSET is in the books! With over 550 attending throughout the summer! It was successful enough that The Village of Fruitport and The Fruitport Lions Club has agreed to the 2nd Annual Dancing into the Sunset 2018 to take place again starting Wednesday May 9th. Here is just a recap of the fun we had this summer in Pomona Park at the Bandshell in Fruitport.

twirlIf you wanted to learn how to swing dance we had Steve Zaagman creator of Grand Rapids Original Swing Society teach us how. If you wanted to learn how to line dance Diane Sherman and fellow line dancers taught us how to line dance. If you wanted to learn how to Cha, Cha, waltz or the night club two step then Ed and Gayle Wiers of Grand Haven Dance Lessons stepped up to teach. If you wanted to join in Francine’s Zumba class then all were welcomed for the night. We even learned ballet the rock and roll way from Krista Carlson and how to square dance from Jim of Hi Nabors. If a live band is what you wanted to dance to then we had The Silverado Band not once but twice to entertain us. dancingImpact Entertainment Mobile DJ Service provided a variety of the music eleven of the fifteen Wednesday nights which truly was a family affair who knows how to read a crowd and what type of music needs to be played. Meghan even stepped out into the crowd to help teach a variety of dance styles from all her years of experience being a DJ. Thank you to all of you for giving your time and effort to be part of our first year.

Many thanks to Jeremy from the Village of Fruitport for making sure Pomona Park was in tip top shape each Wednesday night and reminding the community each Wednesday the party was on! Thank you to Ye Old and The Storage Group for providing the brochures and signs, thank you to Fruitport Orchard Market for the delicious 100th Birthday cake for the Lions Club Celebration on June 7th and thank you to Baker Jo’s Cupcakes for the July 5th Cupcakes. Thank you to WayPoint Dock and Deli for advertising on your rolling sign and allowing boats to moor at your docks and walk over to Dancing into The Sunset and thank you to Fruitport Township for advertising on your rolling sign as well. Even Andy O’Riley of Positively Muskegon and the Muskegon Channel on Facebook spent an afternoon with me at Pomona Park showcasing Spring Lake and the Bandshell in the background. He has a soft spot for local community events and supports what he can through his media shows. Thank you to you too, Andy. Mostly thank you to the Fruitport Lions Club for stepping up to the plate and adding this event as a Lions Club sponsored event that we all will continue for many years to come.

lineYes I mentioned a lot of thank you’s just now but it is important to know even though I was the one that started Dancing Into The Sunset it is equally important to recognize those that stepped up as well to make it happen. As you can see this was truly a community supported weekly event that I so enjoyed bringing back to the same location where many memories were made back in the 1940’s and 50’s when dancing and music took place at the “Pavilion” . I heard stories of how husbands and wives met for the first time, and still after 60 years can look into each others eyes with that sparkle and remember as if it was just yesterday. As requested pictures were brought down and given to me to display of the Pavilion as it once stood before flames took it to the ground. The structure may be gone but those memories will stay in the hearts of all those that attended. What an amazing first year! Let’s keep it going!

couplesWatch for announcements after the first of the year for the 2018 Dancing into the Sunset line up of entertainment. If anyone has any suggestions, positive comments or would like to help with the success of Dancing into the Sunset any way you can please do contact Susan at her email of: dancingintosunset @aol.com. or Facebook page of Dancing into the Sunset – Fruitport. Looking for sponsors to keep this a “free” event. So if you or your business would like to sponsor one of our Wednesday nights contact me at the places just mentioned.

Hope you enjoy the photos which were taken by Wendy Press VanKoevering of Picture It Now and Forever. Thank you Wendy! See you in 2018!

Be sure to purchase your tickets for The 10th Year of Dancing With the Local Stars featuring past Alumni Stars and Pro dancers held at the Muskegon Holiday Inn sponsored by Women’s Division Chamber of Commerce (www.womensdivision.org) which raises funds for the local food pantries. Last year alone $126,000.00 were raised which brings the grand total to date (started in 2009) to over $700,000.00 – This year they have added additional performances. There will be six performances over two weekends. Two shows first weekend – Friday February 16th, 2018, at 7:00 pm, and Saturday evening February 17, 2018 7:00 pm, then four shows the 2nd weekend, Thursday February 22, 7:00 pm – Friday February 23nd, 7:00pm – Saturday February 24th with a matinee at 1:00pm and evening performance at 7:00pm

Yours truly was asked back for the Alumni year representing Fruitport Township and the Fruitport Lions Club. I hope many from the area will be interested in purchasing sponsorships or purchase tickets to one of the shows. I will be dancing for $$$ I will receive $1.00 towards my name to put towards the food pantry donation for each vote from the audience. So you see you need to be present to help out this local Fruitport Township dancer. The Women’s Division puts on a terrific show, a full display of hors d’oeuvres as a part of your ticket price. Contact the Women’s Division at the website above or by calling Mary Kendall at (231)-798-4244 or kendallmarya@gmail.com. Thank you in advance for your support!

Muskegon County Calendar of Events 11/13/17 – 11/20/17

Presented by the Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau
www.visitmuskegon.org


Grand Opening of Blue Horizons Wellness
November 13 @ 4:00 pm – November 16 @ 4:00 pm

November 13 – 16, celebrate the launch of  Blue Horizons Wellness, Lakeside’s only wellness studio offering yoga, movement, meditation, breath, and inspiration classes with owner and instructor Vicki Schneider.  Each day, they are offering free classes when you bring in a donation for Every Woman’s Place.  For more information, call 231-755-7771.

Monday – 11/13
• Hatha class with a short “What is yoga?” talk – 4:00pm
• Ashtanga Class and short Yoga talk – 5:30pm
• Guided meditation and quick talk about meditation at 7:30pm

Tuesday – 11/14
• Henna Tatoos – 3:30pm – 7:30pm
• Vinyasa Class and short Yoga talk – 4:00pm
• Breathing class – 6:00pm
• Candlelight yoga – 7:30pm

Wednesday – 11/15
• Move & Meditate – 4:00pm
• Veterans Class – 5:30pm
• Yoga Class – 7:30pm

Thursday – 11/16
• Open House with refreshments and caricatures – 4:00pm – 7:00pm
• Ribbon Cutting at 4:30pm
• Meet the designer of Peace Tree Tees – 4:30pm – 5:30pm

 


Hawks and Owls String Band
November 13 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Monday, November 13 from 6:00pm – 7:00pm, come to Hackley Public Library for the Hawks and Owls String Band!  Bruce Ling, leader of Hawks and Owls and one of Michigan’s finest musical treasures, is a River-side mystic, eloquent storyteller and passionate caretaker of America’s collection of traditional music.  With stage performances that combine the expressive style of Garrison Keillor or Will Rogers, he paints musical portraits celebrating the colorful history of rural America with a broad repertoire of both original and time-savored traditional folk songs.  As a collector of tunes and songs, Bruce understands the importance of keeping the history of this timeless musical genre alive and well.  He shares his keen knowledge with caring and passion, and his inspiration has propelled a legion of young musicians to continue playing these songs, a true testament to Ling’s talents as a teacher and mentor.  www.hackleylibrary.org

Brought to you through the generosity of the Friends of Hackley Library.


Michigan Underground: A Writer’s Journey
November 13 @ 7:00 pm

On Monday, November 13 at 7:00pm, the Norton Shores Library hosts “Michigan Underground: A Writer’s Journey” with local author R.C. Robotham.  November is National Novel Writing Month!  Join local author R. C. Robotham as he shares how his interest and research into the abolitionist movement along the western shore of Lake Michigan introduced him to the likes of Jonathan Walker, Rev. William Ferry and Chief Cobmoosa and led to the writing of his novel, In Sight of Freedom.  This program is free and open to the public ages 18 and up.  For additional information contact Alison Purgiel, lead librarian, at 231-780-8844 or apurgiel@madl.org .


Planetarium Christmas Show: Mystery of the Christmas Star
Tuesdays and Thursdays @ 7:00 pm – 7:35 pm

November 2 – December 14, come to Carr-Fless Planetarium at Muskegon Community College for the Christmas show, “Mystery of the Christmas Star!”  This modern look at the Christmas story is an annual favorite.  As we look at significant astronomical events visible in the sky in the time of Jesus’ birth, we’ll see which of the “sky signs” was remarkable enough to have caused the Wise Men to travel over 600 miles through the desert from Babylon to Bethlehem, and investigate possible dates for the sighting of the “star” which lead them to Jesus.  This is a 35-minute presentation. (No show on Thanksgiving Day, November 23).  For more information, call (231) 777-0289.


26th Annual Holiday Dazzle
November 16 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Bring your friends and enjoy an evening of fun, food, and shopping, November 16 at the Holiday Inn – Muskegon Harbor Conference Center!  Doors open at 5:00pm and the event starts at 5:30pm.

$50 per person, includes dinner, dessert, one glass of complimentary drink (house wine, beer, or a carbonated beverage), style show, and shopping for your holiday gift giving needs provided by local businesses all gathered in one location for your convenience.

Also at this years Holiday Dazzle, the Silent Auction will return with great gift giving ideas.  The “Dazzle Me” Raffle will provide the opportunity to win a one-of-a-kind package of pampering.  Tickets for the “Dazzle Me” Raffle are $15 each or 3 for $40.

Go to www.childabusecouncil.org under the registration tab to register for this year’s event.


White Lake Area Holiday Walk
November 17 – November 18

‘Tis the season of Christmas that brings a community together and what better way to ring in the holiday than the 23rd Annual White Lake Holiday Walk!  This year’s Christmas Walk will take place during the weekend of November 17 & 18 along the streets of Montague and Whitehall with dozens of participating businesses.  Enjoy traditional Christmas Open Houses featuring unique gifts and yummy treats from participating White Lake Area merchants.  Share the spirit of Christmas with holiday music and a visit with Santa Claus strolling along the streets.

For more information on the 23rd Annual Holiday Walk, contact the White Lake Area Chamber at 231-893-4585 or 800-879-9702 or visit www.whitelake.org.


Guided Birding Tour of Muskegon County Wastewater System
November 17 @ 9:00 am – 2:00 pm

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources invites the public to join a guided caravan birding tour of Muskegon County Wastewater System Friday, November 17, from 9:00am – 2:00pm.

The Muskegon County Wastewater System – owned by Muskegon County and co-managed for waterfowl by the DNR – hosts regionally significant numbers of waterfowl, water birds and shorebirds each spring and fall, with over 10,000 ruddy ducks and 10,000 northern shovelers present annually.

Michigan bird conservation coordinator Caleb Putnam (Audubon Great Lakes and DNR) and DNR staff members will be on hand to answer questions about wildlife management, habitat projects under way at the Muskegon State Game Area and hunting opportunities.  The tour will focus on the wastewater system’s large lagoons, where thousands of ducks, geese and water birds typically are present. Additional species may be spotted, including several species of gulls, some winter songbirds and, with luck, a snowy owl or golden eagle.

The tour will begin at 9:00am at the Muskegon State Game Area headquarters, located at 7600 Messinger Rd. in Twin Lake (about 3 miles north of the wastewater system off Maple Island Road). Participants should dress for the possibility of very cold temperatures, snow/rain and high winds. Bringing binoculars and spotting scopes is recommended, if possible.  The trip leaders will have a small number of scopes available for those who don’t have them.

Muskegon County Wastewater System is one of Michigan’s Wetland Wonders, the seven premier managed waterfowl hunt areas in the state.  To learn more, visit www.michigan.gov/wetlandwonders.

A permit is required to enter the wastewater system property, and can be obtained at 698 N. Maple Island Road in Muskegon (located 1.25 miles east of Maple Island on White Road) during normal working hours (Monday through Friday 8:00am – 5:00pm).  Note: those participating in the tour do not need to pick up their permits in advance.


Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
November 17 @ 7:00 pm – December 3 @ 7:00 pm

November 17 – December 3, come to the Beardsley Theater for “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” presented by Muskegon Civic Theatre!

Winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play, “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” is the story of  Middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia who share a home in Bucks County, PA, where they bicker and complain about the circumstances of their lives.  Suddenly, their movie-star sister, Masha, swoops in with her new boy toy, Spike.  Old resentments flare up, eventually leading to threats to sell the house. Also on the scene are sassy maid Cassandra, who can predict the future, and a lovely young aspiring actress named Nina, whose prettiness somewhat worries the imperious Masha.

For tickets or more information, call 231-727-8001.


Build a Gingerbread House – Adults Only
November 17 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Friday, November 17 from 7:00pm – 9:00pm, you’re invited to the lovely Greater Muskegon Woman’s Club to build your own gingerbread house!  All supplies and instruction are included.  This is an adult only class ages 18+.  The cost is $16 in advance per house, $21 at the door or $25 in advance for the “take-home kit.”  There will be a 3 person maximum per house.  For more information, contact Nancy at 231-730-0887 or e-mail nancy@housesbynancy.com for reservations.


Build a Gingerbread House
November 18 – November 19

Saturday, November 18 from 10:00am -12:00pm and 1:30pm – 3:30pm, and Sunday, November 19 from 2:00pm – 4:00pm, you’re invited to the lovely Greater Muskegon Woman’s Club to build your own gingerbread house!  All supplies and instruction are included.  Children must be accompanied by at least one adult.  The cost is $16 in advance per house, $21 at the door or $25 in advance for the “take-home kit.”  There will be a 3 person maximum per house.  Santa will visit both the Saturday and Sunday sessions!  For more information, contact Nancy at 231-730-0887 or e-mail nancy@housesbynancy.com for reservations.


Lakeshore Camera Club Biannual Show and Competition
November 18 @ 1:30 pm – 6:00 pm

The Norton Shores Library hosts the Lakeshore Camera Club’s Biannual Show and Competition on Saturday, November 18 from 1:30pm to 6:00pm in the Library’s Community Room.  Discover local photographic talent, meet the photographers and vote for your favorite to win.  There will be refreshments to enjoy and prints to purchase.  This event is free and open to the public.  For additional information, contact Alison Purgiel, lead librarian, at 231-780-8844 or apurgiel@madl.org .


Muskegon Center for the Arts Workshop: Gemstone Beading III
November 18 @ 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm

Saturday, November 18 from 2:30pm – 4:00pm, you’re invited to the Red Lotus Gallery for the workshop “Gemstone Beading III!”  The cost is $15, or $13 for members, and includes materials.

Become a gemstone identification expert with this workshop and learn even more about gemstones used for beading.  More advanced techniques for pattern beading will be discussed and students will create a bracelet with their newly learned skills.  Students must pre-register for workshops by contacting Sabryna at registration@muskegonca.org.  Tools will be available for use for all workshops, however you may bring your own if you have them.  All workshops are ages 10+. Students 10-12 must be accompanied by an adult.  For more information, find them on Facebook.


West Michigan Lake Hawks Home Game
November 18 @ 5:00 pm

The West Michigan Lake Hawks strive to provide a professional level of sports entertainment and to enrich the lives of student athletes.  Home games are played at Reeths-Puffer High School.  Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door, and season passes are $90 which saves you 25%.  Ages 4 and under are free.  Call 231-769-9617 for group ticket sales.

Catch their next home game Saturday, November 18 at 5:00pm as they take on the Team Network!


The Power of Destiny
November 18 @ 7:00 pm

November 18 at 7:00pm, come to the Frauenthal Theater as the Shoreline Symphony Community Orchestra performs “The Power of Destiny!”

Fate is “knocking at the door” as the Shoreline Symphony plays its first concert in the Frauenthal Theater.  The central work on the program is Beethoven’s well-known Symphony No. 5.  Additional selections include the overture to Verdi’s opera, La Forza del Destino (The Power of Destiny), and music by Brahms.

Preceding the concert at 6:30pm, Shoreline Symphony Director Annette Jurcevic will host a brief discussion about the music, its historical and cultural context, and the composers who wrote it.

Tickets: $8 Adult, Students and Children under 18 are free.  For tickets or more information, call 231-727-8001.


Muskegon Center for the Arts/Red Lotus Gallery: Open Mic Night
November 18 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

The Muskegon Center for the Arts presents Open Mic Night at the Red Lotus Gallery every third Saturday of the month from 7:00pm – 9:00pm.  If you have a love for the stage and can perform an activity such as music, theater, poetry or readings, you may want to express it here or just show up to watch the show.  There is always something new and unique to enjoy.  For more information, find them on Facebook.


Muskegon Community College Honors Orchestra
November 19 @ 3:00 pm

Sunday, November 19 at 3:00pm, come to the Frauenthal Theater to enjoy the Muskegon Community College Honors Orchestra, featuring wind and string players from MCC and area schools.

Tickets are $6, and students are free.  For more information, call 231-727-8001.

Voters Should Be Registered In Just 1 State – Deceased Quickly Removed

Secretary Johnson: Voters Should Be Registered In Just 1 State;
Deceased Quickly Removed

Johnson endorses common-sense reforms in response to presidential election commission

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson today presented several common-sense election reforms to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, including the need to have the federal government and states work together to clean up voter rolls by removing deceased voters and voters registered in multiple states.

In response to a recent request from the commission to state election administrators about how the federal government can help improve election administration, Johnson proposed that state motor vehicle agencies be required to notify a voter’s prior state of residence when an individual moves to a new state and registers to vote there. Once the election administrator in the voter’s former state of residence receives confirmation that a voter has moved and registered to vote in another state, the voter registration in the previous state could be cancelled. Federal law already requires motor-vehicle agencies to ask driver’s license applicants if they want to register to vote.

“This common-sense reform would provide for the efficient removal of nonresidents from state voter rolls, while minimizing the opportunity for individuals to vote in multiple states at the same election,” Johnson wrote in her letter to the commission. “Once fully implemented, the legislation will enhance state efforts to ensure that votes are cast only by eligible voters and will result in cost savings for state and local election administrators.”

Improved voter information sharing among the states was strongly endorsed by President Obama’s bipartisan Presidential Commission on Election Administration as a way to better maintain voter records nationally.

Johnson also recommended that the federal government provide the Social Security Administration’s list of deceased Social Security card holders to states at a much lower cost than states are now charged so the deceased can be quickly removed to eliminate a vulnerability to voter fraud. Additionally, she said the federal government should do more to assist states in identifying noncitizen registered voters so those records can be removed from the voter file. She encouraged the federal government to provide noncitizen information to state election officials to ensure voter rolls do not include ineligible individuals. This data sharing also would help protect noncitizens who inadvertently become registered to vote and seriously jeopardize their legal path to U.S. citizenship.

In response to a question about finding ways to prevent voter intimidation or disenfranchisement, Johnson noted that having clean, accurate voter rolls will protect all voters by reducing the possibility that a voter visits the wrong polling location, and then is challenged or given a provisional ballot that may not be counted. Additionally, Johnson shared her opposition to allowing cameras and video recorders in polling places, as an ongoing lawsuit that her office is vigorously defending against seeks.

“I am particularly concerned that allowing photography in the polling place would be viewed by some voters as intimidating or coercive, as it compromises ballot secrecy,” she wrote. “A voter or an image of his or her ballot may be surreptitiously recorded and posted on social media without the voter’s knowledge or consent.”

President Trump created the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity this year to review voter registration and voting processes nationwide. Vice President Pence chairs the commission, which has solicited ideas for improvements from each state’s chief election officer.

As part of its request for information, the commission also sought voter registration data from all 50 states. Consistent with the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), any individual or group may request and obtain publicly available voter registration data. Basic voter information such as name, year of birth and dates of elections in which a person has voted, but not how a person voted, will be released to the commission if it submits the required FOIA request form and pays the standard fee for the voter records. The state’s voter file is routinely released to candidates, political parties, news outlets and academic researchers, among others, as required by state law.

The copy of the letter to the commission is available online.

Fruitport Township Upcoming Events

by Heidi Tice

Mark your calendars for the following upcoming Township Events.

November 6 -17 – Lions – Food drive for Thanksgiving at the following locations:
• All Fruitport School
• Fruitport Township Hall
• Orchard Market

November 18 – Lions – Pack Thanksgiving food boxes at Edgewood School and distribute
• 9am –noon
• Edgewood cafeteria – all help sorting and packing boxes is welcome

Every Friday in November – Date Night volunteer childcare
• Times are 5pm – 9pm
• Fruitport Congregational Church UCC
• Sponsored and operated by the Fruitport Leo Club
• Limited number of availability
• More details go to Fruitport Leo Club on Facebook or Fruitport Lions Club Official on Facebook
• DONATIONS ONLY (will go toward Fruitport Leo Ramp projects)

November 24 – December 22 – Lions – Trees for Tots sales
• NEW LOCATION – in front of Smiley water tower Airline Rd.
• Hours are week days 5-8 and weekends noon-8
• Fresh cut Trees ranging from 4 ft to 10 ft, Fraser Fir, Scotch Pine and Blue Spruce
• All proceeds are for Christmas gifts for local kids

December 1, 15, 22 – Date Night volunteer childcare
• Times are 5pm – 9pm
• Fruitport Congregational Church UCC
• Sponsored and operated by the Fruitport Leo Club
• Limited number of availability
• More details go to Fruitport Leo Club on Facebook or Fruitport Lions Club Official on Facebook
• DONATIONS ONLY (will go toward Fruitport Leo Ramp projects)

December 2 – Township – Santa visits Fruitport Fire Station #2
• 3368 Black Creek Rd
• Tour the fire station and visit Santa
• FREE EVENT

December 8 & 9 – Lions – Old Fashioned Christmas –
• Pomona Park
• Friday Dec 8, from 6:00-9:00
• Saturday Dec 9, from 4:00-7:00
• Santa, hayride, hotdogs, hot chocolate, art displays, music, sledding (if snow), sled contest
• FREE Event

January 6, 2018 – Township – Burning of the Greens
• Behind old township hall location
• Bring your tree and enjoy the bonfire
• Free Hot Chocolate, cookies and coffee (supplied by the Fruitport Leo Club)
• FREE EVENT

February 9, 2018 – Lions – Annual Pancake Supper
• Fruitport High School – Cafeteria
• 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Tickets on sale by the Fruitport Honor Society or at the door
• Adults $5.00 Children $3.00
• All you can eat pancakes, 2 sausage links, orange juice, milk and desert
• All proceeds go to Fruitport Honor Society for AP tests
• Fruitport will be playing Kenowa Hills – Basketball