5.20.19

PFAS contamination hits home in Van Buren County

By ROD SMITH

For The Tribune

PAW PAW — After hearing a report about PFAS contamination in Hartford, Van Buren County commissioners are beginning to wonder if there's PFAS contamination in Bangor.

Earlier this month, state and county officials held a public meeting in Hartford in which they reported PFAS had been found in groundwater near the site of the former Du-Wel plant at 520 Heywood St. Du-Wel also had plants in other towns in Van Buren County, including Bangor.

PFAS is short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl and is used for fire extinguishing foam, nonstick products, food packing, cleaning products, paints, and water repellents.

The discovery at the former Du-Wel site was made as a part of the State of Michigan’s efforts to track down PFAS contamination, said Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy officials. Because federal guidelines previously required the use of PFAS during the chrome plating process, plating facilities, such as ones owned by Du-Wel, have become a common source of PFAS contamination.

The Hartford contamination came to light two weeks ago when officials with DEGLE received test results from 12 monitoring wells. Testing showed groundwater contamination as high as 8,690 parts per trillion (ppt) on grounds at the former plant, and as high as 285 ppt near the plant. The results are well above the current level of acceptable exposure of 70 ppt, according federal guidelines.

A news release from the Van Buren/Cass District Health Department further outlined the scope of the investigation. “There are 50 residential drinking water wells northwest of the Du-Wel site north of 60th Avenue and following 65th Street north past Red Arrow Highway that are currently being monitored for volatile organic compounds,” the release stated.

PFAS has been linked to birth defects, reduced immune response in children, cancers and infertility. Federal guidelines set the acceptable level of exposure at 70 parts per trillion (ppt). The 12 monitoring wells near the Du-Wel site showed groundwater contamination as high as 8,690 ppt.

Test results from the 50 private wells that have been sampled in Hartford are expected to be released this week.

“Decisions about testing private wells beyond this initial area will be made based on results from the initial round of testing,” health department officials stated.

When the City of Hartford's municipal water system was checked in 2018 for PFAS, none were found. No PFAS were found in the school district's water supply either.

Chappell said state officials began checking for PFAS near Du-Wel a few weeks ago as part of an ongoing investigation into contamination caused by Du-Wel's operations. The area around the former Du-Wel plant has been monitored for other substances for quite awhile, because of an underground plume that has been discovered.

"It's following a dry underground river bed," Chappell said.

Because of the earlier testing, five-to-seven homes nearby are using bottled drinking water, Chappell said.

Besides its Hartford location, Du-Wel operated plants in Bangor, South Haven and Dowagiac. The Bangor plant dumped contaminants into the Black River Mill Pond, a fact that prompted commissioners to wonder if PFAS will be found there.

Bangor City Manager Regina Hoover, hopes no PFAS will be discovered if the state decides to conduct tests.

Bangor's municipal wells were recently tested for PFAS and found to be safe, according to Hoover.

“The water here has been tested by the DEQ (now called the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy) and we are fine as far as the wells go,” Hoover said. “If there is a concern in the future, we will follow DEQ recommendations.”

Whether the state will conduct further tests in Bangor remains to be seen. According to David Harn, with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, no testing has been done yet at the Bangor Du-Wel site because it's not near any residential wells.

When it was operating in Bangor, Du-Wel was following government standards when it came to discharging waste that made its way to the Mill Pond, according to County Commissioner Kurt Doroh.

"The discharge that they did," Doroh said, "was allowed by government standards. They just didn't know how much damage it would do."

The Bangor plant was a plating operation employing about 250 people. It closed in December 1993. Four years later, the plant's owner, Inverness Castings Group, of Cleveland, Ohio, agreed to pay $926,000 toward cleanup. The state paid the remainder. Total was around $4.3 million.

It took seven years from start to finish to clean up the contamination. The actual removal of sediments ran from Nov. 26, 2002, to Jan. 13, 2004. The project was delayed by low water levels, an early winter and the discovery of underwater stumps.

All in all, 27,000 tons of gunk were removed. Then-City Manager Larry Nielsen calculated that if the muck had been put in milk jugs and then the jugs lined up, they would stretch from Bangor to New York City, or 742 miles.

The polluted area mostly consisted of a butterfly-shaped area of four-to-five acres that was underwater. Tests showed up to 29,000 parts per million (ppm) of chromium, a heavy metal considered harmful, in amounts above 110 ppm, and up to 3.8 ppm of PCBs or polychlorinated biphenyls. Any detectable amount of PCBs is considered too much.

At one time Du-Wel was one of Van Buren County's largest employers.  It started in Bangor in 1946 as a die-casting plant for furniture, electronics and appliances and eventually moved into die-casting for automobile companies.

Charges dropped; Bangor murder case goes cold again

By ALEXANDRA NEWMAN

HP Staff Writer

PAW PAW — A month ago, law enforcement officials thought they had solved a cold case murder, but now it appears they're back to square one.

Van Buren County authorities say they are still investigating the 1986 strangulation death of Wilda Wilkinson in Bangor. 

Chief Assistant Prosecutor Keith Robinson said that the first-degree murder charge against Michael Leon Curry was dismissed at the end of April, “based on new information to allow for further investigation.”

“Part of that further information was DNA analysis,” he said.

Robinson said he wouldn’t go into further detail because it is still an open homicide investigation.

Curry, 51, had been held in the Van Buren County Jail on the charge for about a month and a half before the charges against him were dismissed without prejudice by the prosecution. 

He had been arrested in California in March and brought back to Van Buren County. 

Police suspected at the time of Wilkinson’s death 33 years ago that the then 18-year-old Curry, who lived close by in Bangor, may have been involved. There were several people of interest that police interviewed following Wilkinson’s death, but the case eventually went cold.

In 2010, however, Michigan State Police detectives re-opened the case and then stepped up efforts last year to investigate the unsolved murder, and Curry re-emerged last year as a suspect.

Curry made provocative statements last year on Facebook that caught the attention of Michigan State Police investigators, who had by that time renewed their interest in Curry.

It was Wilkinson’s daughter who found her strangled mother, according to a Herald-Palladium article published shortly after the murder.

A nurse’s aide at South Haven Community Hospital at the time, Wilkinson was divorced and lived alone. When she failed to report to work, hospital officials called her daughter to check on her mom. 



4.29.19

Medical marijuana card holders from throughout the region wait in line at the 420 Festival to take advantage of The Green Door dispensary’s 10 percent off sale. The festival donated $6,000 to the City of Bangor that will be used to purchase new bulletproof vests for the police force. (Photo by Nancy Albright)

Bangor's 420 Festival a big hit with marijuana users

By NANCY ALBRIGHT

For The Tribune

Bangor's first-ever 420 Festival turned out to be a bit hit, as hundreds of people flocked to downtown to light up and celebrate cannabis.

The Green Door medical marijuana dispensary, 126 W. Monroe St., hosted the festival, which occurred April 20, a day that has become known throughout the country by marijuana users as a day to celebrate cannabis.

Bangor is the first community in Southwest Michigan to host such an event since marijuana was legalized by state voters in November of 2018.

Live music played throughout the day and guest speakers spoke of the benefits of cannabis. Vendors offering food, wares and cannabis care information lined Main Street and a tent designated as the smoking area was available for those with medical marijuana cards.

“I was sitting here earlier with a stranger having a conversation and smoking pot legally in public,” said Jeanice Cooper of Bangor. “I’ve lived here since the '70s and this is a long time coming.”

Frank LaFond of St. Joseph said that he would rather see people smoking weed than drinking, and that in his experience marijuana helps with sleep.

Green Door owner Mark Smith said that the message of the day was to educate people about the benefits of marijuana consumption.

“This isn’t about High Times or a Hash Bash,” he said. “It’s about educating people to use cannabis responsibly and move the industry forward in a professional manner, the more education people get the better informed they will be.”

Smith also owns PM Growers, Bangor’s $1.5 million state-of-the-art medical marijuana grow facility. “The operation is just like a factory that produces goods for public consumption. We have shipping, receiving, purchasing, inventory control and the staff to make it all run,” Smith said. “I’m proud that we’re bringing good jobs to the area. We have 28 people working at the factory now. Pay starts at $15 an hour and some of the management positions may reach six figures going forward.”

The Green Door sells only to medical marijuana card holders and the line for the dispensary stretched down the block for most of the day.

Former law enforcement officer Valarie Kissinger of Buchanan, who suffers from chronic hip pain, waited in line for an hour-and-a-half to take advantage of the dispensary’s 10 percent off sale on Saturday.

“I was tired of being in constant pain and prescription drugs were making me feel sick,” she said. “Medical marijuana just goes straight to the area of pain and relieves it.”

Kissinger said she no longer takes prescribed painkillers. She also said that she puts a drop of CBD oil, which contains no THC – the substance in marijuana which provides the high – to her yellow lab, who suffers from hip dysplasia, and says she can tell that her dog feels better.

420 event coordinator Justin Dominique stressed that the festival was not only the work of The Green Door.

“The City of Bangor, the police department, local businesses and volunteers have all worked hard for the last three months to bring this together. People just came out of the woodwork to welcome us and offer their support.”

Bangor City Manager Regina Hoover said she was impressed with what a great job the group did.

“It was a resounding success and good for local businesses,” Hoover said. “The Bangor Tavern was packed with customers, Cognito ran out of several types of beer and the new Smoke Shop had many customers checking out their products. The food vendors also did very well. I spoke with the kettle corn couple and they stated they were having trouble keeping up and having their best day ever.”

The Green Door donated a portion of their proceeds from Saturday’s sales to the city and each vendor agreed to donate 5 percent of their profits. So far, the tally is $6,000 and climbing. The money is earmarked to purchase new tactical vests for the Bangor Police Department.

“It’s our way of giving back to the community for their support,” said Smith.

Bangor Chief of Police Tommy Simpson reported no complaints as of 9 p.m. “It was a peaceful event and people have been very respectful all day. The voters spoke in November and we respect that.”

Hoover also noted how peaceful the event was.

“When the crowds left, there was no trash in the streets or on the sidewalks,” Hoover said. “Overall, it was a very organized, well-attended event and I am certain that there will be a 2nd annual 420 Festival.”



Post office pays tribute to South Haven's

150th anniversary

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Postage stamps often pay tribute to famous people and events that helped shape our country. 

Next month, South Haven will gets it share of postal tribute when the U.S. Postal Service issues a pictorial cancellation to commemorate the town's 150th anniversary.

Anna Krajecki, a sales and service associate at the South Haven Post Office and a member of the 150th Anniversary committee, came up with the idea for the cancellation stamp. “It's an ideal way to commemorate the 150th anniversary,” Krajecki said.

Krajecki went to Postmaster Melissa Filip for  permission to proceed.  Filip liked the idea immediately.

“Anna is very community-minded,” Filip said. “She asked if we could do a special cancellation and I said  OK, make it happen, and she did.”

Post offices use cancellation postmarks as they're referred, to “cancel” a postage stamp so that the stamp cannot be used again once it is mailed and processed through the post office.

South Haven's pictorial postmark, designed by Jen Sistrunk, depicts the 150th anniversary logo which shows images of the South Haven lighthouse, blueberries, which the town is known for, the Friends Good Will tall ship and a sunset. The logo is similar to one that was created by South Haven resident and retired pharmacist Jerry Gruber for the town's 100th anniversary celebration in 1969.

“Any post office can apply for one,” Filip said. “We thought it would be nice to apply for one to commemorate South Haven's Sesquicentennial.” The approval process for issuance of a pictorial postmark isn't easy.  “The process was very entailed,” Krajecki said. “First it goes to our District for preliminary approval. Then it goes to Washington DC for final approval. It took a month.”

South Haven area residents will get a chance to have their letters and postcards postmarked at the Sesquicentennial community picnic celebration, 4-7 p.m., Friday, May 10 at Stanley Johnston Park. There, the post office plans to set up a tent where they will hand-stamp letters, postcards and parcels with the pictorial postmark.

As part of the celebration, the Visitors Bureau plans to distribute free postcards that can be postmarked. After the picnic, people can go to the post office for a month afterwards to have their mail postmarked with the pictorial cancellation stamp.

After 30 days the cancellation will be retired and quite possibly sought out by postage stamp collectors to add to their collection.

It's not extremely rare for a local post office to issue a pictorial postmark, according to Filip and Krajecki.

“But, it's special,” Krajecki said.



4.23.19

When the staff of the South Haven Area Chamber of Commerce heard about the town turning 150 years of old this year, they went out and purchased gowns reminiscent of ones that South Haven residents wore a century-and-a-half ago.  Modeling the dresses from left are Brandy Key, community liaison; Susan Diepen, assistant director; and Kathy Wagaman, executive director. The photo was taken at the home of Linda LaRocque, who resides in a historic South Haven home. (Photo by Tom Renner)

Proud of our heritage

South Haven kicks off Sesquicentennial events in May with a community picnic

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

South Haven may be a small town, but it's got big plans for this year's Sesquicentennial.

To give people an idea of how serious celebration organizers are in promoting the town's 150^th anniversary, take a drive along Interstate 94. There, at the Napier Avenue exit stands a colorful billboard raising awareness about South Haven's landmark anniversary. But it's not just any old billboard. It's a tall, double-decker billboard.

Then there's the website the South Haven Visitors Bureau put together to promote the year-long celebration. The site not only contains an online cursory schedule of events, but also a comprehensive timeline chronicling 150 years of South Haven history, unique photos capturing famous moment's in local history, and a blog site detailing the city's history.

And to promote the celebration even more, South Haven residents who may not know about the Sesquicentennial – much less how to pronounce the name - will soon be getting an invitation in the mail requesting their presence at the anniversary kick-off event in May.

“We want everyone in the city to take part in the 150^th anniversary celebration,” said Scott Reinert, executive director of the South Haven Visitors Bureau.

Nearly 50 people representing local businesses and organizations in town have quietly been working behind the scenes to put together the 150^th anniversary events.

Tom Renner, a longtime South Haven resident and retired Hope College administrator, is one of them. Renner, who has a background in journalism and public relations, played a key role in gathering information for the timeline.

Renner and his wife, Carol, came to town as newlyweds in the mid 1960s. Although South Haven has changed quite a bit from that time, it still continues to have a small-town feel to it, Renner thinks.

“South Haven is still very much small-town America. That's what we like about it...There may be a danger in calling too much attention to us,” he said laughing.

But, Rosalie Plechaty, another committee member who's planning the Sesquicentennial kick-off celebration, Friday, May 10th, says, “Bring it on. This is 150 years of South Haven history.”

The May 10^th outdoor kick-off celebration at Stanley Johnston Park is being billed as a “community picnic,” or as Plechaty says, “a great big block party.” Organizers are planning for 500 people, but expect more will end up coming.

Picnic organizers decided to kick off the Sesquicentennial celebration with a picnic, because outdoor picnics were at one time a favorite past-time for Americans. With its pavilions and tall trees that provide plenty of shade, and its view of the city's harbor, Stanley Johnston Park seemed the perfect spot for a community picnic, complete with entertainment, old-fashioned children's games, and food, of course.

Some of the food, entertainment, and even the park will serve as reminders to South Haven's past.

For instance, organizers plan to serve blueberry and peach flavored ice cream locally produced by Sherman's Dairy.

They're doing so not only as an acknowledgement to the Sherman family, but also to the family of the man for whom the park is named — Stanley Johnston, a South Haven horticulturist who played a key role in the development of different types of peaches and blueberries that could be successfully grown in Michigan.

Another reminder from the past will be the sight of the Bark Peelers, an old-fashioned baseball team from South Haven that is named for the actual Bark Peelers, a 19^th century baseball team that once existed in South Haven.

Plechaty suspects other people at the picnic will be decked out in old-fashioned clothing as well to celebrate the town's birth as a village on May 10^th, 1869.

To help make the picnic and other sesquicentennial events a reality, a fund-raising committee has been busy at work raising money. “We're two-thirds of the way to the $19,000 goal,” Renner said.

While plans for the picnic gel, other events are beginning to fall into place, too. Some of the events are unique to the 150^th anniversary itself while other activities will be incorporated into festivals and celebrations that occur annually in South Haven, such as the Fourth of July Parade.

Some of the events that are being planned follow:

• Walking tour of historic South Haven buildings, such as the Scott Club, Masonic Temple and the Williams Block, which is now home to Clementine's Saloon and Restaurant.

• South Haven Center for the Arts exhibit highlighting Sesquicentennial artwork created by South Haven art students to reflect the theme, “Honoring the Past, Focused on the Present, Imagining the Future.” The exhibit includes an online competition where people can choose their favorite entries. The finalists' works will then be unveiled at the Community Picnic and exhibited at the art center.

• Guided tour of Lakeview Cemetery's grave sites, where famous South Haven residents and military veterans are buries.

• Old-fashioned Ice Cream Social with music by the Casco Band. Organized in 1928, the group is one of the oldest continuously performing community bands in Michigan.

• Guided tour of historic resorts once located along the north side of South Haven.

• “Researching House Histories,” a program sponsored by the Historical Association of South Haven, to help owners of historic homes learn about the people who once resided in those dwellings.

For updates on 150^th anniversary events, visit www.southhaven.org/150-events

Covert Schools braces for reduced revenue

By KIM INGALLS

For the Tribune

COVERT — The recent decision by Van Buren County's Equalization Department to reduce Palisades Nuclear Power plant's taxable value by 25 percent for the next two years will have an effect on Covert Public Schools.

Superintendent Bobbi Morehead told the school board Monday night the district’s finances will be OK for this year, but school officials need to look at ways to start cutting about $1 million from future budgets.

“It’s doable,” she assured the board, “but we are going to keep it away from the classrooms because that is where the teaching takes place.”

Morehead went on to say that if that means staff are going to have to wear more than one hat, that is what will happen.

The substantial decrease in Palisades’ taxes is due to its upcoming closure. Property taxes are based on half of the assessed property value and while the plant is still operating at full capacity, it is slated to close in 2022. When that happens, the property could become less valuable to buyers.

The district had been anticipating the reduction in revenue after the plant closing was announced. 

In other matters:

• The board voted to allow the 2019 Bulldog Alumni reunion to occur at the school grounds from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday, June 22.

• The board approved a one-year contract with Lawn Boys of Bangor for spring/summer lawn care at a

• Were told that Perceptive Service and Operations will begin repairs on the district’s lift station. The repairs will include fixing a pump motor, replacing a pump motor and redoing station housing at a cost of $31,700.



4.15.19

Photo courtesy of Bugwood.org
A man is shown taking note of the location and extent of Knotweed in New York as part of that state's  Invasive Species Information program. Michigan now has a similar program.

Attack of the invasives

Conservation district joins forces with road commission, others to identify and control invasive species

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

While Marvel comic book characters confront evil invaders on the big screen, a group of Southwest Michigan agencies is battling its own group of nasty intruders.

But unlike the bad Marvel characters we've come to know — Viper, Lady Deathstrike and Ultron — the invasive species threatening to ruin Southwest Michigan's landscape have names most people have never heard of; Names like Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, Japanese Knotweed and one of the most invasive ones of all – Kudzu.

“Kudzu is referred to as the vine that ate the South,” said Van Buren Conservation District Director A.J. Brucks. “If you travel through Tennessee, you'll see the damage.”

While considered a beneficial herb in the Far East, Kudzu's fast-growing vines can quickly take over valuable farmland.

Japanese Knotweed can be as equally devastating.

“Knotweed is a nasty plant,” Brucks said. “If you cut it, any little piece can sprout roots and regrow. It can break through concrete and asphalt.”

The threat invasive species pose to Southwest Michigan troubles the Conservation District, which is now part of a group of Southwest Michigan agencies devoting time, money and other resources to control and hopefully eradicate invasive species who are threatening to destroy native trees, plants and insects – even roadbeds and building foundations.

The SW x SW Corner Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area program, or CISMA for short, formed in 2016 and covers Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties. A neighboring CISMA, called West Michigan Conservation Network, includes Allegan County. Other CISMA programs exist in the state, as well, and are funded in part through the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program, which is managed by the Department of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Quality and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Eleanor Serocki serves as the coordinator for the CISMA program is Southwest Michigan.

“The CISMA's original goal was to help the people of southwest Michigan, including homeowners, municipalities, and land managers, better understand the threat of invasive species and how to manage the issue,” Serocki said. “We try to be a resource for folks struggling to understand what the problem is, but also try to provide information on how to solve the problem. Dealing with invasives can be frustrating. They are hard to kill or fight back, they often sprout back up from root fragments or produce thousands of seeds, and they almost always take multiple year of treatment to completely control.”

But the groups who belong to the Southwest Michigan CISMA - Berrien Conservation District, Cass Conservation District, Chikaming Open Lands, Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, The Stewardship Network and Van Buren Conservation District - don't want people to give up and let invasives take over.

"As an individual, it can be at best disheartening and at worst impossible to get rid of invasives on your property. That's where the CISMA can come in to provide information and help start a long term plan to get rid of the problem,” Serocki said. “There's a lot of confusion and misinformation on what invasive species are, how to identify them, and which  issues they cause. Invasive species are those that are not native to our area and are causing a problem, be that to our environment, our economy, or to our health. The CISMA serves as a resource to answer those questions, be it a new pest at a farm, a weed taking over someone's yard, or something impacting our roads.”

More than 60 types of invasive species have so far been reported in Van Buren County alone. Of those, a dozen are listed on the Van Buren Conservation District's “most wanted” list of invasives to deal with.

The district deals with those invasives by working with governmental units, property owners and even the road commission.

“We've been partnering with the Van Buren Road Commission since 2017 to help map and treat invasive Phragmites and Japanese knotweed in the right of way — two species that can impact road safety and infrastructure,” Serocki said. “Neither of these species should be mowed, since this can spread them further, so the CISMA attends the Road Commission's all-staff safety meetings to train on how to identify, map, and avoid these species while doing shoulder work. These maps are then used to guide fall chemical treatments as part of their brush control program, which is the best way to take care of these two species in particular.”

Closer to South Haven, the Conservation District and CISMA is working with the city's parks department to host a free boat wash and demonstration at Black River Park, and has worked with the Department of Public Works to provide signs and mapping data for the management of Japanese Knotweed that has been found in town.

The Conservation District also conducts “home visits” for residents who are concerned about whether they are dealing with invasive species on their properties.

“We're happy to help residents in whatever way works best for them,” Serocki said. “We can schedule home visits to come out and look at their property, meetings with homeowner or lake associations for larger issues, or identify species from emailed photos. We can then provide them with the best known information on how to treat the species, how to prevent new introductions, and help to draw up a long-term plan that the homeowner can use to manage the species for the next 3-5 years.”

One of the invasive species the Conservation District is targeting this year is the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, a small insect that can kill Hemlock trees.

“It's a small insect that's caused big problems out East and is now established in four counties in Michigan, including Allegan,” Serocki said.

Brucks compared the insect to the Emerald ash borer infestation that destroyed Ash trees throughout the region several years ago. “Hemlocks are important to this region,” Brucks said. “People think it's just an insect, but, here, we see no Ash trees.”

The Conservation District is encouraging landowners who think they have an infestation of Wooly Adelgids or any other invasives, to contact them.

“Invasive species are much, much easier to take care of when they are just small patches. It takes much less time to get rid of one bush in your yard than 100 in the forest,” Serocki said. “Identifying and removing invasive species earlier is the next best thing to keeping them out in the first place. It's also important to remove invasive species, even from our urban properties, because they very rarely stay in one place. The barberry in your front yard may not look like it is spreading, but the seeds are a favorite with birds, and your one bush could serve as the seed source for big problems in forests like Warren Woods (State Park).”

4.8.19

Photo by Don Campbell of the Herald-Palladium

Bangor breaks the mold: Hosts 420 Festival

By KIM INGALLS

For the Tribune

BANGOR - The city may be best known for its Apple Festival, but there is a new celebration that its backers hope will turn out to be just as popular – the first-ever 420 Festival.

Not surprisingly, the event will be held on Saturday, April 20 - the day considered by many as an international counterculture holiday where people gather to celebrate and consume cannabis.

Hosted by The Green Door marijuana provisioning center, the 420 Festival will feature vendors, crafters, live music and informational discussions.

“We’re expecting about 3,000 people,” said Justin Dominique, store manager at The Green Door. “There are 28 vendors signed up, live glass-blowing demonstrations and music.”

In addition, there will be presentations by Big Green Tomato, Cannabis Cares and legal experts on subjects such as growing techniques and marijuana legality issues.

“We believe that this will be the first festival of its kind in Southwest Michigan,” said Samantha Smith, marketing and communications manager at the Green Door.

Activities will begin at 10:30 a.m. and continue until 10:30 p.m. A section of Michigan 43 Highway, which travels through the heart of the city's downtown, will be closed for the festival, from Division to Walnut streets. Vendors and the music will be situated along the section of roadway that will be closed, while the use of marijuana products will be allowed to take place at Green Door's property.

Bangor has developed an ordinance to allow medical marijuana establishments to exist. It has not yet put together one for recreational cannabis-related businesses.

“Of course, the state has legalized recreational marijuana, but that doesn't mean you can just use it anywhere you want to,” said Bangor City Manager Regina Hoover. “There will be no  use on public property at the festival. The festival is focused on medical marijuana and they plan on having educational speakers in attendance.”

Smith underscored that the use of cannabis can only take place on the establishment's property.

“The Green Door will be the only establishment that will be selling cannabis and a person must have a valid medical marijuana card to come into and purchase products from the provisioning center,” Smith said. “None of the outdoor vendors will be selling cannabis. However, there will be a small area blocked off outdoors where those who have a medical marijuana card can partake.”

Dominique said city staff has been supportive of the celebration by helping organizers plan where to put events and by providing security.

“The city has been 100 percent on board to making this event a success,” Dominique said.

Having local vendors and crafters has also been priority.

“We’re really trying to give back to our community by involving local food vendors and crafters,” he said.

There will be plenty of giveaways during the festival. Over $10,000 in growing equipment will be given to guests to help them get started growing their own marijuana, Dominique said.

420 comes from the urban lore about a group of California high school students that met after school at 4:20 p.m. to search for  an abandoned cannabis crop they had learned about. After many failed attempts to find the crop, the group eventually shortened their phase to 4:20 which evolved into a code word the teens used to mean smoking cannabis.

To attend the 420 festival, guests must be over the age of 21. Local police will be carding those who look underage, Dominique said. Consuming pot will only be allowed under the three tents that will be erected on the store’s private property where it is legal to consume. 

“Pending bad weather, this should be a great event,” Dominique said. “Even then we have tents. Truth be told, I’m excited. I’ve been to tons of these events and there’s a lot of great people. I’ve never seen a fight and I’ve never seen it trashed out afterwards.”

Rash of stolen vehicles, larcenies reported

PAW PAW — Warmer weather is apparently bringing about a rash of vehicle thefts and break-ins in Van Buren County.

For the past several weeks, an uptick of stolen vehicles, car larcenies and suspicious activity has been reported to Van Buren County sheriff's deputies, prompting Sheriff Daniel Abbott to warn residents to lock their vehicles and homes.

“Several stolen vehicles and car larcenies have been reported lately county wide,” Abbott said. “Make sure you are locking your homes and cars to help deter this criminal activity. Keep an exterior light on and report any suspicious people and vehicles in your neighborhood.”

The complaints about larcenies and stolen vehicles have been reported county-wide, according to the sheriff, and are occurring in the early morning hours.

One of the latest incidents occurred shortly before 2 a.m., Monday in the Paw Paw-Mattawan area where two men were video taped trying to gain entry to a vehicle.

“Lawrence, Paw Paw, and Mattawan areas have been hit the most,” Abbott said. “Subdivisions and cities/villages have been targeted the most which is not uncommon as the suspects can hit multiple places and vehicles without having to drive around. The incidents are mostly happening after dark as well.”

Along with the larcenies from vehicles, there have been several stolen.

“Two from Paw Paw and one from Lawrence were stolen,” Abbott said.

Deputies were able to recover two vehicles that were stolen from Kalamazoo and Berrien County.



4.1.19

South Haven Area Emergency Services firefighters Brian Montgomery (left) and Shawn Smith are shown with one of the large-diameter hoses that will be used to pump water from the Black River during an upcoming fire drill that will take place in downtown South Haven in April. Both Montgomery and Smith have been overseeing the planning for the drill. Although the fire department has conducted large-scale drills at old industrial sites and in rural areas in recent years, it hasn't had one downtown since the 1980s.

Fire department plans large-scale fire drill in downtown South Haven

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Even though it's been 40 years since South Haven firefighters have battled a large-scale blaze, downtown, they still want to be prepared in case one ever occurs again. So they're planning to do something they haven't done in years – a large-scale fire training drill.

The five-alarm drill will take place Sunday morning, April 14 between 7 a.m.-11 a.m. in a triangular area bordered by Center, Quaker and Williams streets, downtown. While it occurs, the streets will be closed to traffic so that firefighters can properly train.

“We have not done one of these large-scale drills in the downtown for many years,” said South Haven Area Emergency Services Director Ron Wise. “We want to verify how much water we could pump if ever needed.  We know how much water the fire hydrant system is supposed to supply, but putting it into reality helps our staff understand the potential and limitations for large fires.”

The drill will consist of firefighters testing how much water can be used from the fire hydrant system and pumped from the Black River to put out large-scale fires.

“We want to have a minimal impact on the city that morning,” Wise said. “We chose the Center Street area to keep Phoenix Street (downtown's main street) mostly open. When we lay our large fire hoses towards the river, we will disrupt traffic in the area for a few hours at the most.”

Even though drivers and pedestrians may be a little inconvenienced by not being able to use sections of Center, Williams and Quaker during the drill, the fire department thinks it's necessary to conduct a real-life drill from time to time.

“We have done large fire drills at tabletop exercises where we use aerial maps in class room training, now we can put them into practical use,” Wise said. “Practicing for large fires makes it much easier for our staff to really see how to properly place apparatus, how much hose it really takes to pump from the river to the downtown and the amount of personnel needed to handle a large fire in the downtown.”

When the drill occurs several thousand gallons of water will actually be pumped from the river and from the hydrants.

“We will be flowing large amount of water from the hydrant system and from the river, the water will flow into the street storm sewer and back into the river,” Wise said. “We want to verify how much water we could potentially pump into the downtown area in case we ever have a large-scale fire in the downtown.

“The current fire hydrant system can handle most fires in the downtown as long as the fire is contained to a certain business or section. If a fire for some reason spreads to multiple buildings, it would require massive amounts of water for extinguishment.

In South Haven's case, the likeliest source for extra water would come from the Black River.

“When you have a large fire spreading in a downtown area, the fire flow needed may require several thousand gallons per minute to control the fire,” Wise said. “When you see large fire ladder trucks spraying water on a fire, each truck can spray one-thousand gallons per minute. If we put up three ladder trucks on a large fire, and still want to flow water through fire hoses, we may need to flow up to four thousand gallons of water per minute.  That would require us to truck the water into the fire scene or pump it from the river.”

Firefighters from SHAES won't be the only first responders taking part in the large-scale drill.

Fire and law enforcement department in Van Buren and Allegan counties will be assisting as well as Van Buren County Emergency Preparedness Office.

“Any time a community has a large fire, they utilize mutual aid agreements to have other fire departments assist,” Wise explained. So far, departments from Bangor, Hartford, Columbia, Ganges, Watervliet, Lawrence, Saugatuck, Lee and Bloomingdale plan to be a part of the drill.

The last time South Haven firefighters dealt with a large-scale building fire downtown occurred in 1978 when a blaze broke out at N&R Store. Prior to that a large fire destroyed the Michigan Shore Lumber Company along the Black River in 1969. A year before the lumber company blaze, a fire destroyed Holly's restaurant on Center Street.



SH veterans invited for 'Laying of the Wreath' ceremony in Washington DC

By KIM INGALLS

For The Tribune

A bus load of Southwestern Michigan veterans and their families, including Medal of Honor recipient Jim McCloughan of South Haven, will travel to Washington DC to take part in the “Laying of the Wreath” ceremony  April 4 at Arlington National Cemetery.

McCloughan, along with South Haven American Legion post commander Stan Wakild, will have the honor of representing Post 49 during the ceremony that will take place at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Participation in the Laying of the Wreath ceremony is by invitation only.

“About 42 people will be going,” said Art Roderick who organized the trip. “We will also be going to various tourist attractions like the Smithsonian, and Lincoln, Vietnam and Korean memorials while we are there.”

The group will leave South Haven on April 3 and return April 7. Even though Roderick, who is a retired chartered bus driver, won’t be driving this trip, he is very familiar with the area.

“I was a tour bus driver for many years,” he explained. “I’ve made over 100 trips to Washington DC so the legion asked me to put this trip together.”

While not everyone on the trip is from South Haven, they do have one thing in common - Post 49.

“There are four going from South Haven, six from Buchanan and a family of three from Chicago,” explained Roderick. “They all signed up at the American Legion.”

Participation in the Laying of the Wreath ceremony is by invitation only.



3.25.19

The nine commercial storefronts that comprise the "Hale block" on Center Street are shown above. What isn't shown is the sanitary sewer line that runs underneath the buildings. When the city reconstructs Center Street, it plans to replace the line with a new one that will be located underneath the street. The buildings along the Hale block are for sale, and it is anticipated a new owner will renovate the buildings, but such a project won't be able to take place until the sewer line is relocated.

Huge undertaking

South Haven eyes $4.5 million reconstruction of Center Sreet

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Nearly a decade ago South Haven city officials oversaw reconstruction of Williams Street, downtown. Several years later, it was Phoenix Street's turn for a complete rebuild. Now city officials are turning their attention to upgrading another main link to the central business district – Center Street.

There's no time frame set up yet for the $4.5 million project - which would include a complete overhaul of Center from Williams Street to Michigan Avenue - but that's not stopping city officials from trying to line up funds to pay for it.

“This is one of those moments where some things are working well downtown,” City Manager Brian Dissette said, referring in part to the construction of a new $4 million three-story residential and retail establishment at Center and Huron streets, and a possible reconstruction of a conglomeration of retail establishments on the northern end of Center, known as the “Hale block.” The buildings along the block have been for sale for several years and it appears a buyer may purchase the block.

“There appears to be major progress toward the private sale of the Hale development, which is almost a block of Center Street (from Phoenix to Quaker streets), Dissette said.

If the block is to be redeveloped it would most likely consist of a mix of retail and residential establishments, which is why the city wants to replace the aging sewer and water mains, some of which, believe it or not, are situated underneath the Hale buildings.

“Some people ask, 'why rebuild Center Street?' It's simple,” Dissette said. “Our sanitary sewer main is not underneath the street, its underneath the Hale building. If we are to see the Hale development being redeveloped, we're going to have to deal with that sanitary sewer. With redevelopment of any of the properties along Center, we need to ensure the city has proper access to sanitary sewers.”

Just how the sewer main landed up underneath the Hale buildings remains a mystery.

“It's something I've scratched my head over for quite a few years,” Dissette said. “You're talking about (early) 1900s construction.”

The sanitary sewer isn't the only infrastructure that would be replaced along the five-block section of Center Street. So would the water and storm sewer mains.

“Storm sewer management is important downtown,” Dissette said. “Water runoff has impacted some of the properties along Center. Whatever (development) happens on Center Street, it will likely include multi-family development. Making sure they have good water pressure is important.”

Aside from infrastructure upgrades, the reconstruction project would include resurfacing of Center Street and sidewalk and landscaping improvements.

Luckily, the city has received a tentative commitment to receive up to $800,000 from the Michigan Economic Development Commission for infrastructure upgrades. The city also intends to apply for a $250,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation, and a $250,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture's rural infrastructure program. City staff also anticipates seeking loans from the Michigan Revolving Loan Fund and the Michigan Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund to help finance the Center Street reconstruction project.

The start-up date for the reconstruction of Center Street will depend on funding, Dissette said.

“There's a lot of balls in the air that have to be addressed, first,” he said.

Team Ramageddon off to a good start

After earning a third-place finish at the first District competition of the season, South Haven's Team 4855 robotics team will be gearing up for the second one, scheduled March 29-30 at East Kentwood High School, in Kentwood.

Team Ramageddon not only finished third out of 38 teams at the District contest, March 16, at Gull Lake, they also won the Autonomous Award for excellence in computer programming of their robot.

If South Haven does well at its second District competition, the team will head to the state contest in April.

So far, the prospect of a trip to the state contest looks promising for Team Ramageddon. Currently, they are ranked 46^th in the state out of 542 teams. The top 160 teams will advance to the state championship.

Last year, South Haven finished 80^th in the state and qualified for the world competition in Detroit.

3.18.19

Contributed photo
The South Haven Lighthouse Keepers Home, now owned by the Michigan Maritime Museum, is the subject of a new book, Michigan's Haunted Lighthouses, that recounts stories of lighthouses and lighthouse keepers dwellings that are rumored to be haunted. The 144-page book, part of The History Press “Haunted America” series, is now available for purchase online at MiHauntedLighthouses.com

Ghostly history

Book on Michigan's haunted lighthouses contains chapter

about South Haven's lighthouse keeper's home

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

The next time you walk by the South Haven Lightkeeper's House, you may want to cross the street or perhaps, if you're brave enough, peek inside one of its window — but only if you dare.

Turns out the tall, two-story house at 91 Michigan St. is haunted, at least that's what author Dianna Stampfler recounts in a new book that tells the stories of lighthouse dwellings, such as the one in South Haven, rumored to be haunted.

Released last week, Michigan's Haunted Lighthouses is a 144-page book that is part of The History Press's “Haunted America” series. Stampfler, who has been researching, writing and presenting programs about Michigan's lighthouses and their keepers for 20 years, was asked by the publishing house to write the book. Founded in 2004, The History Press publishes local and regional history and culture from throughout the United States.

Michigan, according to Stampfler has more lighthouses than any other state – 117, with the first beacon built in the 1820s and the latest constructed in 2006.

“I am honored that The History Press contacted me asking if I was interested in writing a book for them,” Stampfler said. “I know many of these stories intimately, but I’ve been digging in even more to find photos, historical records, newspaper clippings and other details that shed light on the history of these beacons. I have even uncovered some facts that contradict what I previously believed about some of the keepers, which is exciting to me and hopefully to my readers.”

Michigan is home to more lighthouses than any other state and some 30 of those are rumored to be haunted by the spirits of former keepers, mariners and others with ties to these historic beacons, according to Stampfler.

The South Haven Lightkeepers home is one of them.

The ghostly story about the South Haven Lightkeepers House involves Civil War Capt. James Donahue, who manned the lighthouse for 35 years before retiring in 1910.

“South Haven and Keeper James S Donahue are featured in the first chapter (of Haunted Lighthouses),” Stampfler said. Patti (Reinert) and her team at the Michigan Maritime Museum were most helpful in digging up information, news clips and photographs for that chapter.”

Capt. Donahue was arguably the most well-known lighthouse keeper South Haven had. He served as keeper from 1874-1909. Prior to becoming a lighthouse keeper, Donahue served in the U.S. Army during the Civil War where he rose to the rank of captain. During the Battle of the Wilderness he was wounded and his leg was amputated at the thigh, forcing him to wear crutches for the rest of his life.

Even though he only had use of one leg, Donahue saved 15 lives as South Haven's lighthouse keeper, according to Lighthouse Digest. His actions earned him a silver life-saving medal from the U.S. Government.

After he died, rumors developed that his ghost still lingered in the lightkeepers dwelling, which is now used as the Maritime Museum's Marialyce Canonie Research Library.

“Staff, researchers and volunteers have long shared accounts of mysterious goings-on inside the home, from the creaking of floor boards upstairs when no one was there to opening and closing of doors,” Stampfler said. “However, the ghost is more of a presence than a nuisance. Donahue, like many of the other spirits that linger at Michigan lights, simply feels more comfortable inside the protective walls of his one-time home.”

Stampfler has been professionally writing and broadcasting since high school. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English with emphasis in community journalism and communications with emphasis in radio broadcasting from Western Michigan University. She is a member of the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association, Great Lakes Maritime Museum, Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, Historical Society of Michigan, Michigan Maritime Museum, National Museum of the Great Lakes and West Michigan Tourist Association. Stampfler was born and raised in Plainwell but currently lives in Walloon Lake, near Traverse City.

SHAES contract extended for another 25 years

By TRIBUNE STAFF

Municipalities throughout the South Haven area apparently like the way a regional authority meets local residents' fire protection and emergency medical services needs.

Over the past several weeks, the governing boards of the City of South Haven and townships of Casco, Geneva and South Haven have each agreed to extend their contract with South Haven Area Emergency Services for another 25 years.

voted regional fire protection and emergency medical services authority pA regional approach for providing fire protection and emergency medical services to South Haven area residents and property owners has been extended for another 25 years, through 2044.

The pact received final approval from South Haven Area Emergency Services (SHAES) Authority at their March 7 meeting.

In 1994 the city was facing financial challenges in the operation of ambulance (EMS) service through its fire department. The city was providing fire and EMS services on a contractual basis to South Haven township and the western half of Geneva Township. Casco township operated its own fire department.

A task force consisting of residents and officials from each of the four government agencies was formed and came to the conclusion that an "emergency services authority" be established. In 1995 it became the first such authority to be created in Michigan with funding based on the taxable property value for fire protection and population for ambulance service.

"SHAES has been a huge success and has raised the bar as an example of regional cooperation," said South Haven Township Supervisor Ross Stein who is also Chair of the SHAES Authority Board.

Today the department has 16 fulltime and 30 paid-on-call staff operating from three stations. The department responded to more than 2,000 calls for service in 2018, according to Executive Director Ron Wise.

 "We continue to receive several requests each year from fire departments and communities across the state inquiring on the formula to share costs on a consistent basis taking life and property into account," Wise asid

The SHAES budget in 2018 was just under $2.7 million. The Authority derives its income from each of the governmental units, the Van Buren County ambulance millage and ambulance user fees.

The city of South Haven in 2018 funded 22 percent of the budget followed by Casco township 17 percent, South Haven township 11 percent and Geneva township 9 percent. The Van Buren County ambulance millage and user fees each provided 20 percent of the budget.



3.11.19

After raising $100,000, the Bangor Historical Society is now the proud owner of the former Ely Hardware building. The organization has operated a museum in the building for several years and began a fundraising campaign last June when the building was put up for sale.   Seated from left are Bob Emmert, a representative from the title company, Ken and Pat Ratzlaff and attorney Kelly Page (standing).

Signed,

sealed,

delivered

Bangor Historical Society

raises enough funds to

purchase museum building

By KIM INGALLS

For the Tribune

BANGOR - It’s official. 

After months of fundraising, the Bangor Historical Society now owns its own building.

Last summer, the structure on Monroe Street was put up for sale by owners Ken and Pat Ratzlaff. The non-profit was given first right of purchase but had the daunting task of raising the $100,000 asking price by the first of the year.

By February, the goal had been reached and the papers were signed.

“The Bangor Historical Society would like to thank our members, members of the community, those who have an interest in our local history, and everyone else who has supported our organization to help us achieve our goal to raise funds for the  purchase the old Ely Hardware building,” said Historical Society president Bob Emmert. 

Residents seemed thrilled with the news. 

“Thank you Ken and Pat Ratzlaff for this opportunity and this beautiful, beautiful building you have restored,” posted Betty Markel on the Historical Society's Facebook page.

“Lots of hard work put into this,” Nancy Grabovac wrote. “Good job Historical Society.”

Even those who don’t live nearby offered kudos.

“Congratulations from one in Cambridge, Mass. who has so appreciated the work you all continue to do there,” Christopher Chippendale posted.

The organization opened the museum several years ago in the former hardware store building after the Ratzlaffs offered it rent free. Filled with photos, trains, tools and Bangor memorabilia exhibits, the museum is a popular place for a walk down memory lane as well as a place to donate a piece of history.

“Its always been a dream of mine (to have a museum) when I first got started,” said  Emmert who wrote a book on Bangor history about 20 years ago. “I remember seeing different items people had and thinking if only we had a museum. Sometimes the things would end up in the garbage. It made me sick.”

Owning a building also means the organization needs money for expenses like utility bills and upkeep. 

“For the last six to eight years, Ken has been paying for things like electric,” Emmert said. “Now we are going to have to pay for those things.”

The building needs a little work, says Emmert, such as upgrading the electric, painting and replacing the awning out front - all of which take money. Several fundraising ideas are being discussed including a sidewalk sale and making the popular Cookie Walk an annual event.

“It’s going to be an interesting year,” Emmert said.

3.4.19

Members of the 2019 South Haven High School Team Ramageddon Robotics Team a re shown with their robot that they spent the past six weeks building. The team's social media team has created a video of the robot in action that can be seen on YouTube. 

Ready to roll

South Haven Robotics Team kicks off its competititon season with '2019 Robot Reveal'

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

If you're a “fanageddon” of Team Ramageddon, you'll want to mark Thursday, March 7 on your calendar.

That's the day South Haven High School's Robotics Team will reveal the robot its members have created for this year's FIRST Robotics competitions.

The 2019 Robot Reveal will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the high school, 600 Elkenburg St. The team will first make a presentation about the upcoming competitions and then show the public what the robot can do. Refreshments will follow.

“The kids, as always, have done an amazing job this year,” said Team Ramageddon co-advisor Kevin Dee. “They have continued to build on their previous years' experiences and have taken their skills to a new level across every aspect of the team.”

South Haven's robotics team has come a long way from when it started seven years ago. Then, the team consisted of 15 members. Now it has 32 and nearly half are female. Last year, the team made it to the state finals and then qualified to compete in the FIRST international competition in Detroit, where they competed against 68 other teams in their division and finished seventh.

Team Ramageddon hopes to do as well or even better this year.

Members have spent the past six week building not one but two robots; One for competitions and one for practices.

“Generous donations this year have allowed us to invest in new technologies,” Dee said. “The kids have built a very complex piece of machinery.”

The team will put its new robot to the test March 15-16 when members compete in the first of two district competitions this season. The first will be at Gull Lake High School, while the second is scheduled March 29-30 at East Kentwood High School. If the team does well, it will advance to the state competition in April.

Dee thinks the team has the potential to do so.

“The team has successfully completed all the tasks the robots need to do (for this year's competition),” Dee said.

This year's competition is called “Destination Deep Space.” Robots and their programmers will be tasked with placing hatch panels on a model cargo ship to ensure the cargo doesn't fall out. They have to do so before a “sand storm” begins. As the storm ends, robot team alliances will load tall model space crafts with cargo and hatch panels and then return to their starting positions for the end of the game. The team that earns the most points wins.

The game may sound simple, but the robots have to be designed and programmed to grab and precisely attach hatch panels on the model cargo ship and space craft. The 'bots also need to be able to successfully throw cargo (large balls) into the space craft's portholes, which vary in height.

Team Ramageddon has been busy not only building its two robots, but promoting robotics, in general.

The team not only has a group that builds the robot, it also has a leadership team, marketing team, computer assisted drafting (CAD) team, fundraising team, and this year added a safety team to ensure that all Team Ramageddon members know how to safely handle and operate tools and other equipment used in building and transporting the robot to competitions.

“It goes beyond building a robot,” said Team Ramageddon co-advisor Kim Wise. “People learn how to make presentations and business plans.”

But it's not all work and no play for the team.

Last month they took time out from building their robot to creating a sled for Ice Breaker's cardboard sled race where it won first place in the Business/Organization division.

Naturally, they nicknamed their cardboard and duct tape creation “Sledageddon.”

Bangor man killed in hit-and-run accident

By HP STAFF

BANGOR — A 55-year-old Bangor man was killed Wednesday evening in what police are describing as a hit-andrun accident in the 61000 block of County Road 378 in Bangor Township, according to a news release.
The name of the victim has not been released.
The Van Buren County Sheriff ’s Office reported that the pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, and that the driver had left the scene. The vehicle was described as a Dodge Journey, light in color, possibly silver or light blue, and that police expect there to be damage on the front end of the driver’s side.
Police received the call at 7:28 p.m.
“Deputies are asking the public to assist in locating and identifying the vehicle and driver or any other occupants in this incident,” the release stated.
Anyone with information about the accident is asked to call the sheriff ’s office at 269-657-3101, Crime Stoppers (1-800342-7867) or Silent Observer (269-343-2100).

Another horse killed in horse and buggy crash

BLOOMINGDALE — Another Amish buggy horse has been struck in killed in Bloomingdale Township.
The latest tragedy occurred at 7:30 a.m., Friday on County Road 388 near the intersection of 46th Street, according to a Michigan State Police report.
Troopers say the horse and buggy was westbound on CR 388 when a vehicle struck it, fatally injuring the horse. The driver of the buggy also suffered minor injuries.
The driver of the car was found to be at fault and could be facing some type of charges, according to Sgt. Carey Casperson of the MSP Paw Paw post.
The latest horse and buggy accident comes on the heels of  one that occurred in September 2018 near the same location of Friday's fatality - 46th Street, near County Road 388.
In that incident a vehicle was heading south on 46th Street when it crossed the center line and collided with the northbound buggy, head on. The horse died while the buggy driver suffered serious injuries and was taken to Bronson Methodist Hospital.
The driver of the vehicle, Robert Samuel Rawson, 60, of Grand Junction, was charged with Moving Violation Causing Serious Impairment. A plea hearing on the misdemeanor was held Feb. 5 in Seventh District Court in South Haven. His sentencing is now set for March 11, according to online district court records.

2.25.19

Renovation of a 12,000-square-foot building at 237 Broadway Ave., that housed several grocery stores over the years, including Save-a-Lot, is now underway. The developer, Locker & Locker Properties LLC, plans to renovate the building into five units for retail and office businesses.

Providing an incentive

SH city officials pleased with anticipated growth tax breaks will bring to downtown

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

A second commercial construction project in South Haven downtown-Broadway corridor will be getting a break – a tax break that is.

After holding a public hearing, Monday, South Haven City Council OK'd a commercial tax abatement to Locker & Locker Properties for redevelopment of the former Save-a-Lot store at 227 Broadway Ave. The decision to do so comes on the heels of the council's decision in October to grant a tax break for construction of a new three-story mixed-use development at 335 Center St. that also is located in the recently established Commercial Rehabilitation District.

The 10-year tax break for reconstruction of the former Save-a-Lot store will be for the redeveloped portion of the building and grounds and is estimated to save the developer a total of $171,181 in property taxes.

Under Michigan Public Act 210, a municipality can create a commercial rehabilitation district that would freeze the taxable value of a property at pre-project levels for up to 10 years. In other words, the developer would only pay taxes on the property itself, not the improvements that are made. However,the improvements would still be subject to school operating taxes.

Even though the city is now granting tax breaks in the commercial rehab district, officials think the loss in new property tax revenue for a period of 10 years will be offset by renovated and new buildings that attract businesses and create jobs.

“I think this is another example the city is open for business and we want to help the town grow,” council member Joe Reeser said in regard to the redevelopment of the Save-a-Lot property, which has sat vacant for the past four years.

Mayor Scott Smith agreed.

“We set up the district in an attempt to spur economic development. You're seeing dirt moving at 335 Center,” Smith said referring to site preparation that is now underway for the mixed-use development that will house retail and office businesses on the first level and market-rate apartments on the second and third stories. “The last time we had a new building built downtown was over 10 years ago.”

The renovation of the former Save-a-Lot store into five retail and office units is expected to create 35 jobs and 10 additional construction jobs while the project occurs, according to City Manager Brian Dissette.

“The Planning Commission recently approved a site plan and special use permit for the project,

which will require approximately $950,000 of investment,” Dissette stated in a report to the city council. “The plan includes upgrades to both the building and the existing parking lot, and it provides for additional green space and landscaping.”

Adam Locker, co-project developer for Locker & Locker Properties, said the company, which purchased the former grocery store four years ago, has wanted to redevelop it ever since.

“It sat empty for years and is an eyesore,” he said. “We tried to determine the best use of space.”

Locker went on to say the company requested the abatement to offset the expense of the construction project.

“The abatement would provide a tool for attracting quality businesses,” he said. “Otherwise it (the building renovation) may not be economically viable.”

Locker & Locker is in the process of gutting the building and hopes to have some businesses located in the building by fall.

The city can revoke the tax abatement and force payment of back taxes if the company fails to meet the following requirements or falls behind on property taxes:

• Invests at least 80 percent of the $950,000 cost of the project by the end of this year

• Completes construction by June 1, 2020

• Pays taxes owed on the property in a timely manner

• Submit an annual report detailing the total amount of investment in the property and total number of jobs created.



Hearing set for man charged with homicide

By ALEXANDRA NEWMAN

HP Staff Writer

A Benton Harbor man accused of killing two people in a crash on Red Arrow Highway in January is facing 10 more charges.

Jose Humberto Canedo was arraigned Feb. 15 in Van Buren County District Court in South Haven, where he was denied bond.

The new 10 charges include one count of second-degree homicide of Skylinn Salines; one count of second-degree homicide of Mary Fender; two counts of operating with a high blood alcohol content causing death with prior conviction; two counts of operating with a high blood alcohol content casing serious injury with prior conviction; two counts of operating license suspended, denied, revoked causing death; and two counts of operating license suspended, denied, revoked causing serious injury.

Canedo had originally been arrested on a warrant for failure to appear for a show cause hearing on an original charge of operating while intoxicated while police and prosecutors investigated the Jan. 12 crash.

Canedo was driving in the 60000 block of Red Arrow Highway in Hartford Township when he allegedly crossed the center line and hit a vehicle head-on that was traveling westbound.

Riding in the vehicle with Canedo were Skylinn, 6, and a 1-year-old boy. Fender, 73, was the driver of the Jeep. Her 56-year-old passenger survived. Fender died at the scene, while Skylinn died later at the hospital. The other passengers were taken to hospitals in critical condition.

Canedo is set to appear for a probable cause hearing at 1 p.m. on Feb. 27 and a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. on March 6 in South Haven District Court, according to online court records.



2.11.19

An architectural rendering shows what a strip mall, envisioned for the former Save-a-Lot building will look like when finished. Locker & Locker  Properties plans to renovate the 12,000-square-foot grocery store to house a mix of retail and office businesses. 

Strip mall planned for former Save-a-Lot

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

It looks like new life will be breathed into a former grocery store building that has sat vacant in town since 2015.

Locker & Locker Properties of South Haven proposes to renovate the former 12,000-square-foot Save-a-Lot building at 237 Broadway Ave. into a shopping center. A portion of the building is currently being rented to Crossfit Current, a fitness and wellness center, but by the time Locker & Locker renovates the entire building, it envisions a shopping center that will be home to five businesses.

“The vision is to have an updated building for retail and/or office space,” said Adam Locker, co-manager for the project. “We anticipate this project will provide not only more retail and office space but jobs for over 50 people.”

Locker hopes the renovation can begin sometime this spring. “We'd like to be ready (to open) by late summer or fall,” he said.

Before the project can proceed, the developer had to obtain a special land use permit from the South Haven Planning Commission. Planners met Thursday to discuss the proposal and ended up approving the site plan and granting the permit with several stipulations.

• Provide landscaping near the entrance to the 56-vehicle parking lot and to the rear of the building.

• Plant a hedge or shrub screen to separate the building from the neighboring First Hebrew Congregation synagogue.

• Install or use existing fencing to prevent pedestrians from trespassing on private properties to access the shopping center.

• Do not create additional doors or windows to the south wall of the building (which overlooks two residential homes) unless they are required to meet fire or other safety codes.

The latest development proposal by Locker & Locker is one of several projects the company has undertaken in the South Haven area over the years.

In 2002, Randy Locker, who formed the development company, built Locker Plaza on Phoenix Road near Wal-Mart. It houses six businesses. Several years later, the company tore down the former South Haven Police Station at the corner of Broadway and Quaker Street to create a strip mall that is occupied by five businesses. Two years ago, Locker & Locker turned its attention to purchasing the former MacDonald Drug Store, downtown. The building's interior has since been renovated and now is home to Gravity Wine Bar and Harbor Light Brewery.

2.4.19

South Haven Board of Public Utilities workers braved below-zero temperatures Wednesday to mount an extension cord on a light pole in preparation for the upcoming Ice Breaker festival, which took place this past weekend in downtown South Haven. (Photo by Becky Kark)

Bone-chilling temperatures paralyze Southwest Michigan

Winter storm halts normal activities; Even stops mail delivery for two days

By BECKY KARK

and KIM INGALLS

The old Christmas song, “Baby it's cold outside,” perfectly summarized last week's winter storm.

A combination of bitterly cold temperatures, gusting winds and snow, played havoc with people's normal routines, not only in Southwest Michigan but throughout Michigan, prompting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to declare a state of emergency.

Locally, most school districts closed Monday through Thursday, including South Haven, Bangor, Bloomingdale and Covert.

The worst two days were Wednesday and Thursday when temperatures plummeted to negative digits, prompting emergency officials to tell people to stay home.

According to the National Weather Service, Wednesday was the coldest day in Southwest Michigan since 1994. The temperature dipped to -15 degrees with wind chills between -20 and -40 Wednesday evening through Thursday morning. Thursday's daytime temperature hovered at -6.

The cold temps on Wednesday and Thursday prompted not only schools, but municipal governments and businesses to shutter their doors. Even the U.S. Postal Service cancelled delivery Wednesday and Thursday due to the extreme weather conditions. Emergency officials also urged motorists to stay off the roads, due to ice-covered roads and white-out conditions, but several dozen accidents and slide-offs occurred on Interstates 94 and 196, prompting Michigan State Police to temporarily close portions of the two heavily traveled roadways.

“This is brutal,” South Haven resident Barry Skuza said Wednesday, regarding the weather conditions.

Skuza, who has lived in South Haven his whole life, said last week's storm was one of the worst he could remember.

“We've had a lot of snow (with previous snow storms) but it was never this cold,” he said.

Skuza recounted that the worst storm he remembered occurred in 1967, when a blizzard hit Chicago and then Southwest Michigan, dropping two to three feet of snow within two days.

“The snow was so deep that when I was walking on the street I actually walked on top of a car without realizing it,” Skuza said. “School closed that week. That's the first time they did that. Normally, they just wouldn't run the buses because a lot of the kids then lived in town.”

Like Skuza, Grand Junction resident Kim Roe-Kester has endured her fair share of Michigan's winter weather, but last week's storm was one for the books.

“I feel like I live in a snow globe,” she said. “I lived through the big storms of '66, '67 and '78 and a few in Wisconsin, but never have I lived through a winter storm warning that has lasted for almost 5 days. Wow.”

The winter storm kept plow crews busy throughout the week. South Haven Department of Public Works put a crew of 13 employees to work clearing snow from streets and sidewalks.

“Each one has had an average of 25 hours of overtime this week,” said DPW Director Bill Hunter.

The toughest obstacle the road crew faced was the cold.

“There's nothing you can put on the road to treat for ice,” Hunter said. “We can clear snow all day long but if we can't treat the road and clear the ice that people can't see when they're driving it's difficult.”

The amount of snow that fell each day also proved tough for clearing sidewalks.

“The challenge with the sidewalks is the amount of snow we've had. It takes a lot of time to clear them,” Hunter said.

The wind was a challenge for Van Buren County Road Commission, whose officials urged motorists to stay off the roads.

“They (plow drivers) are battling white-out conditions,” road commission staff posted Wednesday on the commission's Facebook site. “Roads have drifted heavily overnight and snow continues to fall and wind continues to blow. Crews will work to g et to all of our roads again today, but we are again, fighting a losing battle with this wind...And please, everyone please be thinking about the men and women working out in these conditions.”

In appreciation of those men and women, Biggby Coffee of South Haven offered a free cup of warm brew to any plow crews “out taking care of others today.”

Several churches and other groups also opened their doors during the storm to help people deal with the extreme cold. The Bangor Train Depot, South Haven Community Church and The Linking Center in Pullman offered shelter, food, warm clothing and overnight stays.

Bob’s Processing got on social media Wednesday offering to deliver their products for free to shut-ins within a 10 mile radius of their store.

But as Michiganders know, weather can change quickly. By Sunday the temperatures warmed up to the high 40s, melting much of the snow, but causing another concern – flooding.

Auditor pleased with South Haven's budget

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

South Haven's audit for 2017-18 revealed that an employee, who has since been terminated, used city credit cards to make personal purchases, but it also revealed some good news — the municipality's budgets are in good order.

“You should qualify for a certificate of excellence for financial reporting,” said Doug Vredeveld, a certified public accountant for Vredeveld Haefner, when presenting the audit report to city council members earlier this month. “Congratulations are in order. Of all our clients, only half-a dozen get it. It's a pretty prestigious award.”

The award Vredeveld was referring to is the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. It is issued annually by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada to municipalities that publish an easily readable and efficiently organized comprehensive annual financial report that meets requirements for accepted accounting principles and legal requirements for audit reporting.

Some may wonder how a city can receive an unqualified or “clean” audit if it reveals that credit cards were misused by an employee. But as Vredeveld explained, audit ratings are based primarily on how accurately and transparently municipalities report their finances.

In South Haven's case, financial records were reported accurately, and show that the city is in good financial shape, overall.

The 2017-18 audit showed that the city's general fund balance shrank by nearly $300,000, but still has a healthy fund balance of $2.2 million, or 30 percent of the fund's budget.

“The city's policy is to maintain 25 percent,” Vredeveld said.

The fund balance percentage may sound high, however, at 25 percent, if the city were in an emergency situation and was not receiving any revenue for its general fund expenditures, the $2.2 million would only last 3 to 4 months.

The general fund pays for many of the city's day-to-day operations, including the salaries and office functions of general government, public safety and public works.

For 2017-18, the city had projected to take $417,594 from its general fund reserves to pay for expenditures. However, it used slightly under $300,000, according to Vredeveld.

The increase in expenditures was due to changes in personnel costs, legal fees and contractual services.

The city's other governmental funds for 2017-18 were reported to be in good shape. Those funds include the electric, water and sewer funds. All of the governmental funds reported combined ending fund balances of $4.8 million.

While the city received a “clean” audit, it still is dealing with the repercussions of the finding that an employee, who was terminated in November of 2018, used municipal credit cards to make private purchases.

The finding has been reported to the state Treasury office, according to Vredeveld. “The state has been notified of it,” he told council members when presenting the audit report. “We haven't heard anything further at this point.”

After discovering the misuse of credit cards, the city conducted a forensic audit and has shared it with the Michigan State Police to determine whether criminal charges will be filed against the former employee, according to City Manager Brian Dissette. In the meantime, the city plans to file a civil suit to seek financial reimbursement for the missing funds. The city at this point has not released how much money was allegedly embezzled.



1.28.19

Rich Priestly carves a sea horse ice sculpture in front of Glik's during South Haven's Ice Breaker Festival in 2018. This year's festival is scheduled Feb. 1-3. (File photo by Tom Renner)

Popular events return to Ice Breaker

Frozen fish fling and cardboard sled races among festival's scheduled activities

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Nearly 50 ice sculptures and piping hot chili from 29 restaurants will greet people when they attend South Haven's popular wintertime festival, Ice Breaker.

Now in its 26^th year, Ice Breaker will begin Friday, Feb. 1 and continue through Sunday, Feb. 3 in downtown South Haven.

Professional and amateur ice carvers will get up bright and early Saturday, Feb. 2 to begin making their creations, which are sponsored by local businesses.

Some of the sculptures planned so far include a basket of flowers, a mermaid, and a green T-rex.

“Another cool one is McFadden's Friendly Motors who will have one with a bunch of coins frozen in it and they will have a contest to guess the number of coins,” said Kathy Wagaman, executive director of the South Haven Area Chamber of Commerce, which organizes Ice Breaker.

As people view the finished sculptures downtown, they also can enjoy samples of chili, prepared by eateries throughout South Haven. While most chili recipes will be of the hot variety, one restaurant will serve there's up the way they do their ice cream. That's right. Captain Nemo's will be making their ice cream chili once again.

While the tried-and-true events – such as the ice sculpture competition and chili cook-off - attract a crowd of locals and visitors to downtown each year - newer activities are vying for crowd attention as well, which pleases Wagaman.

“We have worked so hard to add many activities for kids and families,” she said.

One of the newer events – the Snowsuit Fashion Contest – gets underway at 7 p.m., Friday evening at South Haven Brewpub.

The offbeat, humorous show where people dress up in snowsuits hoping to win tongue-in-cheek awards for “Don't Judge Me, It's Warm,” or “Sub-Zero Fashion,” will feature a new twist this year.

Contestants will be allowed to bring their dressed up dogs to walk down the runway for a “Strut Your Mutt” show. Don't have a dog? Don't worry. Shelter animals from Al-Van Humane Society will be on hand to walk down the runway if needed.

Another Ice Breaker event that has become a hit since its inception two years ago is the Cardboard Sled Race. When it debuted in 2017, 50 adults and youth worked hard to create sleds out of cardboard and duct tape to race down the Lighthouse Keepers House sledding hill. Last year, the number of entries nearly doubled.

“Many kids created wonderful sleds last year and had such fun competing,” Wagaman said.

This year's race will begin at 3 p.m., Saturday, at Michigan Avenue and St. Joseph Street, next to the Michigan Maritime Museum's Historic Light Keepers House.

For people who like off-beat, fun events, the festival has another one to offer – The Frozen Fish Fling contest. Last year was the first year for the event, and it proved to be a crowd-pleaser, attracting 200 participants and 400 spectators who watched to see which adults could cast their fish the farthest. Kids got into the act too, but flung fake fish, instead.

In all, the festival will feature 16 different outdoor and indoor activities for children and adults to enjoy. To make parking easier, the Chamber of Commerce is offering a free shuttle from noon-10 p.m., Saturday, when most of the festival's events take place. The shuttle will loop continuously throughout the day with stops at American Legion Post, 129 Michigan Ave., South Haven city hall back parking lot on Quaker Street; Veterans of Foreign Wars Post, 1070 S. Bailey Ave., and Moose Lodge Family Center, 1025 E. Wells St.

A schedule of events follows:

Friday, Feb. 1

5 p.m.-7 p.m. — Knights of Columbus Fish Fry, South Haven Moose Lodge, 1025 E. Wells St.

5 p.m.-9 p.m. — Glow Skate Party, South Haven Ice Rink, Huron Street pavilion. Regular admission/rental fees apply

6 p.m.-midnight — Warm Hearts for Cold Noses fundraiser, South Haven Brewpub, 515 Williams St. A fundraiser for Al-Van Humane Society featuring adoptable animals.

7 p.m. — Snowsuit Fashion contest, South Haven Brewpub, 515 Williams St.

7:30 p.m. — Dr. Evil and the Basket of Kittens performance, Listiak Auditorium, 600 Elkenburg St. The play will be performed by Our Town Players children's troupe.

Saturday, Feb. 2

7 a.m. — Ice Carving competition, downtown. Judging will begin at 1 p.m.

8 a.m.-noon — Relay for Life rummage sale fundraiser, South Haven City Hall council chambers, 539 Phoenix St.

9 a.m.-noon — Learn to Curl, South Haven ice rink, Huron Street pavilion.

10 a.m. — Break the Ice 5K Run/Walk. Race begins near corner of Kalamazoo and Eagle streets. Fundraiser for South Haven Schools track and cross-country teams.

10 a.m — Children's activities, South Haven Memorial Library, 314 Broadway Ave. Crafts, games and stories with a “chilly” theme. Suitable for Pre-K and older youth.

11 a.m. — Frosty Dash Kids Run, South Side Marina on Water Street. Fundraiser for South Haven Schools track and cross-country teams.

11 a.m.-noon — Family fun activities, First United Methodist Church, 421 Michigan Ave. Cookie decorating, games and crafts.

11 a.m.-4 p.m. — Free Photo Booth, LifeBridge Church's Living Room center, 520 Phoenix St.

11 a.m.-4 p.m. — Heat the Streets s'more roasting, Near Clementine's restaurant at Phoenix and Center streets. A fundraiser for Boy Scout Troop 198.

noon-3 p.m. — Chili Cook-off, downtown. Free chili samples. Ballots must be submitted by 3:10 p.m.

Noon-4 p.m. — Horse-drawn wagon rides. Board at Chemical Bank's drive-thru on Center Street.

1 p.m.-3 p.m. — Make a Craft activity, South Haven Center for the Arts, 600 Phoenix St.

1 p.m.-6 p.m. — Super Smash Brothers ultimate tournament, Hideaway Gaming, 250 Broadway St. $5 entry fee

2 p.m.-3 p.m. — Frozen Fish Fling, Riverfront Park by South Side Marina on Water Street. Fundraiser for National Blueberry Festival.

3:30 p.m. — Cardboard Sled Race, Lighthouse Keepers House sledding hill, 91 Michigan Ave.

5 p.m.-9 p.m. — Glow Skate Party, South Haven Ice Rink, Huron Street pavilion

6 p.m. — Ice Breaker awards reception, American Legion Post 49, 129 Michigan Ave.

7:30 p.m. — Dr. Evil and the Basket of Kittens play performance, Listiak Auditorium, 600 Elkenburg St.

Sunday

3 p.m. — Dr. Evil and the Basket of Kittens play performance, Listiak Auditorium, 600 Elkenburg St.

Volunteers take part in MLK Day of Service in South Haven

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

While many schools in Van Buren County closed Monday due to the extreme cold temperatures, students, like Kitty Brennen, Camborley Gleason and Chloe Menichilas, spent part of their day off from school packaging rice for food pantries.

The three Baseline Middle School eighth graders joined other students and adults in packaging the food as part of South Haven community's 9^th Annual Day of Service project, in honor of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday.

“I am amazed and surprised. You people must love cold weather,” Day of Service coordinator Harold Filbrandt said to the volunteers who braved sub-zero weather to take part in the event at South Haven High School.

It took 100 volunteers less than an hour to package two tons of rice for delivery to We Care in the Name of Christ food pantries in South Haven, Bangor, Covert and Pullman. After the rice was packaged into small baggies, Boys Scouts from South Haven put them into larger bags and boxes to deliver to the pantries.

The Day of Service also included a musical program by All in All, a men's vocal group from First United Methodist Church in South Haven, and a free lunch for volunteers, courtesy of South Haven Public Schools.

All in All offered to perform at the MLK Day of Service to spread its message of living in harmony.

“There's far too much conflict in our country, especially with our government leaders,” said Scott Wall, a member of All in All. “We need to be more united. South Haven has always been a better place when we are united and sharing love.”

New South Haven Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Schooley was impressed with the Day of Service. “I am glad all of you took on this type of event,” he told the volunteers. “This type of event is what drew me back to South Haven.” Schooley, who taught elementary students at South Haven Schools during the 1990s, went on to serve as Watervliet Public Schools school chief before returning to South Haven two weeks ago.

The Day of Service project was co-sponsored by South Haven Public Schools and the South Haven Area Diversity Coalition.





1.21.19

A boat is shown this past fall being washed off at All Seasons Marine in preparation for being dry docked for the winter season.

City eyes redevelopment of All Seasons Marine site

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

All Seasons Marine currently occupies three acres of prime waterfront real estate on the Black River. But that could change in the future depending on who buys the marina.

One of the entities that hopes to purchase the marina, which has been listed for sale for nearly two years, is the City of South Haven. Last year, city council members authorized staff to begin writing a grant application to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund. Council also contracted with St. Joseph-based Edgewater Resources to seek community input to determine the best uses for the property.

Edgewater Resources began the task of doing so in December by hosting the first of three community visioning sessions. The next one will be 6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 24 at South Haven city hall, while the third one is planned for 6 p.m., Feb. 5 at city hall.

“The first session went very well,” Assistant City Manager and Harbormaster Kate Hosier said. “We had 31 people attend.”

The session was led by Greg Weykamp, president of Edgewater Resources.

“We've been asked to identify community goals for the maritime district, identify best future use of the (All Seasons Marine) property and improve the connection to the water's edge,” Weykamp said during the visioning session in December.

South Haven is unique from a number of other lakeshore towns in that its downtown and maritime district overlook the city's harbor, according to Weykamp.

“Take it from one who lives in St. Joseph, we're very jealous of your waterfront,” he said.

All Seasons Marine occupies two parcels of property on Black River Street. One parcel is located on the northside of Dyckman Avenue drawbridge, while the other is on the southside of the bridge. The full-service marina, which has been owned by the Geisler family for nearly four decades, consists of two buildings, 50 boat slips, a 35-ton travel lift, indoor and outdoor boat storage, pump-out service, a store and fuel dock.

All Seasons is a unique marina on the Black River in that it is one of only two that has a fueling dock and is the only marina south of the drawbridge with a travel lift, according to Weykamp.

“If you don't have those facilities (for boaters using South Haven's harbor) it could be a real problem,” he said during the first visioning session.

But if the city were able to purchase the property it could possibly develop the parcels for a mix of uses. It could maintain marina operations, start a community sailing center, develop a waterfront park, build condominiums, create an event center, public parking area, or use the space for a mix of retail and restaurant establishments.

“We want to devise a plan, but we want to make sure it's economically feasible,” Weykamp said.

He also stressed that one of the prime goals of any development plan for the properties will be to ensure public access to the waterfront.

Whether the city will be able to acquire the All Seasons property and develop it will involve not only obtaining a grant to purchase the site, but funds to renovate or build new amenities. Funding sources could include public-private partnerships, federal and state grants, tax increment financing or revenue bonds.

One real-estate firm, Marcus & Millichap, based in Detroit, has listed All Seasons Marine at $6.5 million. However, if the city were to receive a grant, a fair market value for the marina and land will have to be established.

“The fair market value has to be acceptable to the city, the Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund and All Seasons,” Dissette said.

Filing deadline this week

Five seats available in upcoming Bangor election

By KIM INGALLS

For the Tribune

BANGOR - Five out of seven seats on the city council will be up for grabs during the May 7 election with two of them due to resignations.

Full term seats up for election include Mayor Nick Householder, Mayor Pro Tem Lynne Farmer and council member Geno Aleman. All of the full-term seats are for three years.

There will also be two partial terms available. They include council member Bob Daly's partial term and a partial term that was created earlier this month when Steve Lowder resigned to run for mayor in May. Lowder's term expires in 2021, while Daly's will end in a year. Daly was appointed to the council in November of 2018 to replace Harold Bator, who resigned for health reasons.

Deadline to file for election is 4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22. 

Candidates must have between 30-60 signatures on their petitions, according to city clerk Laura Roe 

“If someone files after this date, they have to run as a write-in candidate,” she said. “Voters can write in a candidate but it will only count if that candidate has actually filed to be a write-in.”

Deadline for write-in candidates has not been set yet, but Roe says it’s usually two Fridays before the election. Petitions are available at the city clerk’s office Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Blue lights will shine at National Blueberry Festival

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

While the National Blueberry Festival organization is in the midst of planning this year's four-day event, another group – much less formal in nature – has hatched an idea to enhance South Haven's most popular summertime celebration.

The idea is rather simple. The group wants to encourage South Haven area residents to decorate their homes, businesses, even boats, with blue lights.

Debbie Hazard-Cottone of South Haven came up with the idea during the Christmas holiday season.

“When I drove through town it looked so pretty and festive with all the lights. I thought how fun would it be to put up blue lights for the Blueberry Festival as a way to promote the togetherness of the community?”

Cottone posted her idea a couple of weeks ago on the South Haven Community Facebook site and found a receptive audience.

"Karyn Adler Fasel posted, “I love this idea and will be joining the fun this summer. I just posted on my page to remind others to get their blue lights now.”

Another person, who received 34 “likes” for her post about blue lights, said, “I think this is a wonderful idea. I have passed this along to the marina where we slip our boat. It would be lovely to turn the town and waterways blue.”

Cottone said she is pleased, so far, with people's interest in her idea.

“I just mentioned it on the chatline and it was a very positive response,” she said. “Some have chimed in and said we're going to get solar lights. Another, LED.”

There's no particular type or brand of blue lights that people need to buy, according to Cottone. People just need to find them, now that the holiday season is over.

Menard's still has decorative blue holiday lights that they plan to sell until the beginning of February. Other stores offer them online.

“I just purchased one small package,” Cottone said. “But now the pressure's on me to make sure my home is really decorated.”

The Blueberry Festival committee may not have come up with the idea for the blue lights, but Executive Director Megan Cairns labeled it an “amazing idea.”

“It is a true demonstration of the community's ownership and love of the National Blueberry Festival,” she said. “With over 30 organizations involved, 120 donors, and 280 volunteers, this festival reflects the local love for fun. I am heading to the store tomorrow to buy some lights of my own.”





1.14.19

Ted Guimond of South Haven is taking his love of cribbage to a new level by starting a Cribbage Club for enthusiasts of the 17th-century game. The club will get together for its first gathering at  6 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 15.

For the love of cribbage

South Haven man hopes to keep 17th-century game alive

By KIM INGALLS

For the Tribune

Like many things in this technology-crazed world, interest in spending the evening playing cards seems to be fading away.

However, a South Haven man is on a mission to change that by organizing a club to play one of his favorite games - cribbage. The first meeting will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15 in the community room of the South Haven Memorial Library.

“It’s open to anyone who wants to learn how to play, is kind of good at it or even wants to butt heads with someone else,” said Ted Guimond, who is heading up the club. “This is just a place to get together to play a game. It’s not a tournament.”

Guimond, a retired sixth grade teacher, has been playing cribbage for years. In fact, it was one of the first things he taught every new school year.

“During the first two weeks of school, I would teach the kids how to play,” he said. “It teaches math skills. It’s fun and it’s easy to do.  Parents would come during parent conferences and thank me saying that it gave them something to do as a family.”

Cribbage is a game believed to have been created by English poet Sir John Suckling in the 17th century as an adaptation of a game called "noddy."

At its basic level, two players are each dealt six cards and the player keeps those that form runs of three, pairs or triplets or combinations that add up to 15, which each earn two points.

Two cards are thrown by each player into a "crib" that is counted by players in alternating hands. There is also a segment called pegging, in which the same point system is used but via alternating dropping of cards. The first player to mark 121 points on a peg board wins the game.

The skill in the game is knowing how to make multiple combinations of 15, but more so in the "pegging" where a player must anticipate his competitor's next play in order to score points, but also prevent the other player from scoring.

The Cribbage Club will meet every other Tuesday. There is no cost but donations of cribbage boards and new decks of cards are appreciated. Check the library web site for more information.

Podiatrist calls off plans to build office on M-43 corridor

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

It looks like construction of a medical facility in a residential area of town won't happen after all.

Podiatrist Dr. Richard Seiler has withdrawn his proposal to build a 3,500-5,000-square-foot medical office on three residential lots along the M-43 corridor. His decision to do so came about after a neighbor, opposed to the development, filed a lawsuit in Van Buren Circuit Court.

The lawsuit, filed by Donald Bemis, challenged a South Haven Zoning Board of Appeals decision in August of 2018 to grant a use variance to allow Seiler to build the medical office in a section of the city that is zoned residential.

“Rick would like to develop the property to use as a medical specialist office as approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals, and was close to having his final site plan approved by the planning commission, however, he has now withdrawn due to a law suit filed against him and the city by a neighbor,” said Seiler's brother, Ron Seiler, a realtor and broker who who worked with his brother to find a suitable location for his practice. “The added legal costs along with the risk of the ZBA’s decision being overturned in court has forced him to walk away from his plans to improve this property.”

Whether Richard Seiler will find another location in South Haven to build a medical office remains to be seen.

“He has not found anything else in the medical corridor (M-43 corridor near Bronson South Haven Hospital). He may have to seek something outside of the city,” Ron Seiler said.

The controversy over the proposed medical office began in July of 2018 when Richard Seiler asked the South Haven Planning Commission to rezone three parcels of land on Phillips Street along the M-43 corridor from residential to business. Planners denied the request, but forwarded a recommendation to the Zoning Board of Appeals to consider granting a use variance to allow Seiler to build the office on the three lots.

The lots are owned by Jack Huminsky. Two of the lots are vacant, while another has an older home on it. Huminsky said that he has tried to sell the properties for 12 years with no success.

In August the ZBA voted 4-2 to grant the variance, but the decision did not set well with Bemis and several other neighbors who were opposed the medical office.

“Neighborhood residents are not in favor of business uses,” Bemis stated. “We want to live in a residential area.”

Afterwards, Bemis filed a lawsuit against the city and Seiler arguing that the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act states that use variances cannot be granted unless they are approved by two-thirds of the ZBA members.

Although the court had not officially made a final ruling on the lawsuit, Seiler withdrew his proposed development.

Because he has decided not to build a medical office on the three parcels, the city council will be asked, Monday, to cancel the use variance to close the circuit court case.

In the meantime, the city's planning commission plans to update its zoning board of appeals ordinance to reflect newer state laws regarding zoning issues that were enacted in 2006. According to city officials, the ZBA ordinance has not been updated since the late 1980s.



1.7.19

An estimated 1,200 people attended the beach ball during New Year's Eve in the Haven in South Haven, Dec. 31.The balls were dropped from long mesh pouches affixed to street poles at the intersection of Center and Phoenix streets. (Photo by Tom Renner)

New Year's Eve beach ball drop attracts a crowd in South Haven

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Rain failed to dampen the spirits of several thousand people who attended South Haven's first-ever New Year's Eve celebration.

New Year's Eve in the Haven proved to be a hit in spite of the cold rain that persisted throughout the day and evening.

“Given the nasty weather I thought it was a great first year,” said Scott Reinert, executive director of the South Haven/Van Buren County Convention and Visitors Bureau, which organized the celebration.

New Year's Eve in the Haven included a variety of outdoor and indoor events, including free ice skating, children's activities and live music.

The signature event, however, was the beach ball drop.

More than 1,000 people braved the elements to stand at the intersection of Center and Phoenix streets waiting for 500 beach balls to drop at the stroke of midnight to bring in the New Year.

Folks began gathering shortly before 11 p.m. While waiting for the balls to fall from long mesh pouches affixed to street poles, people enjoyed dancing to music provided by DJs.

“This is wonderful,” exclaimed Chris Baner, who attended the beach ball drop with her husband, Andrew and their grandson.

As the balls were dropped from their mesh containers, revelers began batting them around while others snapped photos of the fun time. After the drop, people were allowed to take the balls home as souvenirs.

According to Reinert, approximately 1,200 people attended the ball drop. “I was talking with the DJs and we were estimating in the 1,200 range,” he said. “With folks at the restaurants in the evening and other activities we estimate 2,500-3,000 total in town for the evening.”

City officials agreed to close portions of two of downtown's main streets – Phoenix and Center — for the evening, and that proved to be a good idea despite the rain, according to Reinert

“It was great to see so many people dancing in the streets,” he said.

Part of the celebration's purpose was to attract people to downtown shops and restaurants, and it appeared to work.

“We ate at Clementine's and it was packed,” said Rich Plese, who visited from Joliet, Ill., along with his wife, Maryann.

Other restaurants also did well at attracting diners.

“All of the eight restaurants reported huge numbers of guests at their establishments,” Reinert said.

Stores, who in the past closed their doors the evening of New Year's Eve, also attracted customers.

Some, like Decadent Dogs, provided hot chocolate for people to enjoy.

Plans are already underway for next year's celebration.

“We hope to make this an annual event - something that can become a tradition and enjoyed by residents and visitors alike,” Reinert said. “ As with the first year of any event, we learned a lot that will be incorporated into next year - and hopefully the weather will be a bit more accommodating.”

Al-Van Humane Society’s new Executive Director Mack Black is shown with rescued dog Opal in one of the shelter’s new Meet & Greet rooms. Opal is one of a number of dogs and cats Al-Van has available for adoption. (Photo by Nancy Albright)

New Al-Van director credits community for adoption center's success

By NANCY ALBRIGHT

For The Tribune

Mack Black, the Al-Van Humane Society’s new executive director, said she makes working with the community a priority to help provide care for homeless animals.

Black has deep roots in the non-profit world. “I was interested in being a spokesperson for organizational influence and change. I earned my degree in Communications with a concentration on Rhetorical Influence. Put simply, I have studied and practiced the skills I need to help others.”

She comes to South Haven via non-profit agencies in Berrien Springs, Lexington, Ky., Chicago, and Washington D.C., a hub for government non-profits and education where she worked for the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation.

“As a non-profit, Al-Van is completely supported by the community,” said Black. “It’s very different working in a small community. I’m amazed at how willing people are to help. We put out a call on Facebook for volunteers or supplies or the need for expertise, and we get such an overwhelming response.

“In addition to donating funds and items on our wish list like leashes, beds, blankets, toys, food, litter, cleaning supplies, crates, a dog bath and other necessities, people donate their valuable time. They help with everything from playing with the animals to doing dishes and laundry to fostering. This area provides an extremely supportive environment, which in my experience is rare.”

Funds recently donated on Giving Tuesday helped Al-Van raise the money needed to expand the outdoor play area behind its shelter.

“Some animals are timid and the new expanse of yard will allow them more room to socialize with humans and each other,” Black said.

Local Eagle Scouts are helping assemble pedestals and other play equipment that will be used for walk-through training and to improve agility through play. Local yoga instructor Kendra Kingsbury teaches yoga to residents in the shelter’s new community room, where cats are brought in to learn to better interact with humans as well as other felines, and TipTopTails owner Kelly Elvin donates her t ime to train dogs.

“These types of activities help improve an animal’s self-esteem, which goes a long way toward helping them get adopted,” Black said.

Al-Van also works with local and regional organizations and businesses. The South Haven Rotary Club awarded the shelter a $500 grant for the purchase of microchips for the animals, and the Bissell Company in Grand Rapids waives adoption fees for those who adopt during Empty Shelter events. Taste restaurant hosted Casino Night, and First Congregational Church hosts Al-Van’s annual Cookie Caper during their holiday bazaar.

Through the generosity of the community, Al-Van has been able to allocate donations to a special medical fund that is used for medications and emergencies. “We had a dog named Colt who was born with a painful knee condition that required surgery,” Black said. “A local vet donated his services that left Colt as good as new. He’s a handsome gray terrier mix who is very sweet and loving. He deserved the best and he got it thanks to those who care, and he has since been adopted. We couldn’t be happier for Colt and his new owner.”

“All of these partnerships – residents, volunteers, local organizations and businesses – are invaluable, and we’re grateful for the generosity extended to Al-Van by this community to help homeless animals find loving homes,” Black said. “Community is how the magic happens.”





12.31.18

Lori Krieger (left) and Amanda Owens, of the South Haven/Van Buren County Convention and Visitors Bureau, are shown with a few of the 500 beach balls that will be dropped from downtown light poles at midnight New Year's Eve to signal the start of 2019. 

New Year's Eve ball drop - South Haven style

Beachtown to drop what else but 500 beach balls to signal start of 2019

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

You don't have to sit around until midnight New Year's Eve waiting for the ball to drop at Times Square. You can come to downtown South Haven and see hundreds of them fall.

Five hundred to be exact. It's part of South Haven's first-ever New Year's Eve celebration.

New Year's Eve in the Haven will get underway, downtown, at 7 p.m. Monday and culminate with midnight's ball drop when 500 illuminated beach balls will be dropped at the stroke of midnight at the intersection of Phoenix and Center streets.

“A local business, U.S. Tarp, fabricated 4 custom tarps that will be hung from the light poles at Phoenix and Center streets,” said Scott Reinert, executive director of the South Haven/Van Buren County Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is sponsoring the celebration along with downtown businesses and organizations. “The tarps are large 'pouches' that will hold the lighted beach balls.” Landscape contractor deBest Inc. will then use their heavy equipment to hoist the tarps into place.

“We will also have a large countdown clock at the corner,” Reinert said.

To give ample space for the ball drop and to accommodate other New Year's Eve in the Haven events, two of downtown's main streets will be closed to vehicles from 7 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

“We’re closing off Phoenix and Center streets to take over downtown South Haven to ring in the New Year,” Reinert, said.

Phoenix will be closed from Broadway to Kalamazoo Street, while Center will be closed from Williams to Eagle streets.

The New Year's Eve celebration marks the first time the City of South Haven has closed downtown streets in recent years for something other than a parade.

Doing so will give people plenty of room to shop, dine and have fun.

“The city staff has been very supportive and is providing special assistance for this unique event at this time of year,” Reinert said.

Downtown shops and restaurants will also be doing something that doesn't normally occur during winter months — they're going to stay open late.

“We have 8 downtown restaurants that will be staying open until 11:30 p.m. offering food and drink specials,” Reinert said. “We've heard that many shops will also be staying open.”

When people aren't shopping or dining they can stroll around downtown and Dyckman Park while listening to live music accompanied by a laser light show.

'We'll have two DJs set up with a stage on Phoenix Street,” Reinert said. “We'll be handing out free party favors over the course of the evening, we'll have bon fires at the park and there will be ice skating starting at 7 p.m., free for the first 250 people.”

For families who prefer to be indoors, South Haven Center for the Arts, at the corner of Phoenix and Broadway, plans to host children's activities from 6 p.m.-8 p.m.

Of course the highlight of the celebration will most likely be the ball drop, according to the Visitor's Bureau. The idea to use beach balls for a New Year's Eve ball drop came about earlier this year.

“A group of us from the CVB were brainstorming through unique ideas and this concept was brought up,” Reinert said.

To get people in the mood for the ball drop, event organizers plan to roll several large 8- and -6-foot diameter beach balls along downtown streets earlier in the evening.

Event organizers could have chosen to celebrate the New Year by having a peach drop, as Atlanta, Ga., does; or drop watermelons, which is done in Vincennes, Ind.; or even drop a large chunk of cheese as they do in Plymouth, Wis.

But it seemed more appropriate, according to Reinert, to use beach balls, which symbolize one of South Haven's main attractions – its sandy Lake Michigan beaches.

Free books every month

Community raises money to provide books for elementary students

By KIM INGALLS

For the Tribune

An enthusiastic response to a social media plea has raised enough money for every South Haven Public School elementary student to receive a free book every month during the school year. 

Using Facebook, 18 South Haven teachers used the platform to move the literacy needle.

“Here’s the idea I’d like to try out this year,” they posted. “How amazing would it be for a student to receive one free book every month at no cost to his or her family? Scholastic has books every month that are only $1. I would love for each of my students to be able to bring home one new book each month during the school year from September to June and start building a little library at home. If I select the $1 book, that’s only $10 per child (for a full school year)! Would anyone be interested in sponsoring a child in my classroom?”

Turns out there were plenty of people who were interested. Maple Grove kindergarten teacher Heather Chalupa who was one of the teachers that posted the message, quickly had every student in her class sponsored. Pretty soon, five other classrooms in the building were covered.

“It spread like wildfire on my page and I had Trish King, a realtor in town, private message me and said, 'Let's make this happen to cover the rest of the district,'” Chalupa recalled. “I told her that would be around 20 classrooms and she diligently posted on her page several times to seek out sponsors for the over 450 students in the district.”

King shared the message on her Facebook page and soon the checks started rolling in not only from residents, but organizations like Beta Sigma Phi-Kappa Theta Chapter,  AAUW and South Haven Rotary, as well as businesses.

“Facebook friends and family are amazing,” King said. “It’s not surprising that we have so many that give from their hearts for great projects like this. We had many that stepped up, some with $10 and some with hundreds of dollars. We are excited we got all kids K-5 covered. Reading is so important to me personally as I love to read and I want kids today to learn young to enjoy the adventures found while reading books instead of just TV, video games, etc.”  

“The cool thing about it was checks came from all over Michigan supporting our students,” said Chalupa. “With many of the checks, there was a special note about how awesome this is for kids to be able to get books monthly. People sponsored anywhere from one student up to whole classrooms which is super amazing.”

As the momentum grew, Chalupa gave the program a name - Read to Succeed.  She chose that because she believes reading is one of the most important skills instructors teach students.

“I hope Read to Succeed will continue for years to come and hope to seek out grants or funds to support all of our K-5 students in the future,” Chalupa said.



12.24.18

Photo by Becky Kark
Phillip Leach of Casco Township smiles and waves while sitting atop the 8-1/2-foot-tall giraffe he created out of snow. He had to climb a ladder first to board the giraffe.

The snow maestro

Casco Twp. man takes snow sculpting to the extreme

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Much of the snow that blanketed the South Haven area earlier this month has melted, but for a brief period of time, Phillip Leach took advantage of what little there was to create a Christmas holiday spectacle.

Leach managed to create a yard full of snow figures — a snowman standing on its head; a dog nearby sticking its tongue out in anticipation of playing with a large snow ball; a dressed up snow couple sitting on a bench. Heck, there's even a large circus ring full of snow clowns gathered around an 8-1/2-foot-tall giraffe balancing what else but a snowball on its nose.

The winter wonderland is the brainchild of Leach, who over the years has devised an effective way to create snow creatures, big and small, with very little snow at all.

“I started with the traditional way of making snowmen,” Leach said. But as he rolled and packed the snow into larger and larger snow balls the task became too taxing for him.

“They were just getting too heavy to move around,” he said.

That's when his dad came up with the idea of using buckets full of snow to make snow figures.

The result was not only more creative looking snowmen but animals, too.

“My dad came up with the bucket system,” Leach said, explaining that he fills a large, five-gallon bucket full of snow and then pours water over it, creating a slush. After mixing the slush around, Leach packs down the mixture until it hardens into cylindrical forms that he begins to stack together either vertically or horizontally to make his snow people and snow animals. Once he has the basic shape for his snow figures, Leach then adds additional snow for such features as faces, tails, even the mane on his snow horse. Household goods, such as old wiring, bolts, sticks, gloves and hats, complete his creations.

“My dad runs a water well repair business,” Leach said. “I dig through his collection of stuff that he has in the garage to see what I can use.”

Leach, who has been creating snow creatures in his family's yard at 6454 111^th Avenue for the past three years, began this year's task right before Thanksgiving.

“We got some snow then. But that melted,” Leach said.

It then snowed again, and even though rain fell several days later, Leach managed to rake and gather enough snow from the side and front yard of his parent's yard, where he lives, to make more than a dozen snow figures.

He admits the figures do morph somewhat when the weather gets warmer.

The horse by the mailbox actually started out as a dog.

“They keep changing,” Leach said, laughing.

With most of winter ahead of us, will Leach continue to make more snow figures over the next couple of months?

“I think I'm going to take a break,” he said. “That giraffe took a whole day to make.”



12.19.18

Workers from deBest Inc. load sand from a skid steer into a dump truck at South Beach in South Haven to take south along the Lake Michigan shoreline to help prevent further erosion at lakefront homes along Monroe Boulevard. Large stones, shown in the photo, will also be moved to be used as rip rap to prevent further erosion. (Photo by Becky Kark)

Fighting erosion in South Haven

Rising water levels increase homeowners' worries

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

High water levels that erode Lake Michigan's beachfront properties no longer surprise longtime South Haven resident Elizabeth Akehurst.

“Same old, same old,” Elizabeth said.

She should know. Libby, as she's called by family and friends, grew up in a home on Monroe Boulevard. The attractive brick home that still remains in the family, sits atop a bluff overlooking the Big Lake.

Over the years, Libby and her family have seen the lake levels rise and fall and and the measures homeowners have taken over the years to try to protect their beaches and properties.

“My father said we had an acre of land (overlooking the lake),” she recalled. Then the lake levels began to raise. “My parents lost half an acre.” The family garage also ended up falling over the edge of the bluff to the shoreline below prior to the current home's construction in 1957.

“This is nothing new,” Libby said, referring to the high water levels in Lake Michigan over the past several years.

But the rising water level and the loss of property along the lakeshore is certainly new for people who have built homes on Monroe Boulevard over the past decade.

One of those homeowners is Terry Caveney who lives several doors from Libby Akehurst's family home.

Nine years ago when Caveney and her husband, Jack, who live in Illinois, decided to purchase a second home on Monroe Boulevard in South Haven, its lakefront view and the shoreline proved to be very appealing.

“This was all a huge beach,” she said in an interview with WOOD-TV a week ago. But that's all changed in the past several years with the rising lake level.

"You can see the more it creeps up we have a lot to lose here, and it's possible, it's possible it could take this … whole bluff out,” she said in her interview with WOOD-TV.

The Caveneys and five other homeowners that live on either side of Akehurst's family home, are trying to stop further erosion from occurring.

They're paying contractors to install large rock armor parallel to the shoreline and undertake additional measures to protect the land from further erosion.

Work began this week on the project, which had to first be approved by the South Haven Planning Commission, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The planning commission gave its stamp of approval a week ago after the city's Harbor Commission recommended the plans for erosion control be approved.

“They've (the homeowners) seen excessive erosion in some those spots,” said Kate Hosier, assistant city manager for South Haven and the city's harbormaster. “Patios and decks are in danger...We knew this was an emergency. They're losing quite a bit of their property so we knew we needed to move quickly.”

This isn't the first time that homeowners along Monroe Boulevard have been granted permission to undertake erosion control efforts to protect their lakefront properties.

A year ago, city officials OK'd erosion control measures for three other properties along Monroe Boulevard. Similar erosion control measures for lakeshore homes in South Haven Township Board were also approved.

Unlike their neighbors, Libby Akehurst and her husband, Earl, don't intend to make any erosion control measures at this point, mainly because they've never tried to dig into their bluff. Recently built homes to the north and south of Elizabeth's family dwelling have backyards — once part of the bluff — that have been dug out and now slope gently down to the shoreline. In-ground pools, large patios, grass and other backyard amenities have been installed.

Whether the high water table and wave action will creep further into those properties or whether the erosion control measures being undertaken will work, remains to be seen.

Libby Akehurst's father did install a steel revetment wall after the family garage plunged into the lake years ago. No other measures have been taken since, except to retain the bluff and not worry if there's a wide beach below or not.

Earl Akehurst thinks retention of the bluff is important.

Over the years, he's planted trees and other small brush to stop the bluff from eroding further.

He remembers the last time Lake Michigan waters were high – 1986.

“I understand we're now six inches below that,” said Akehurst, who recalled when a home along Monroe Boulevard, south of Libby's family home, toppled into Lake Michigan in 1986.

“We did see the house that fell in,” Earl said. “Another house next to it was moved 50 feet (away from the lake bluff).”

And once again, three decades later the lake water one again is nearing record high levels.

“Erosion is happening and people are concerned,” Libby said.

12.10.18

Photo by Nick Hannum

Baseline Middle School sixth grader Lauren Bartlett took home the Grand Prize for Clementine’s art competition, ArtRise, a project designed to draw the community together in the off-season. Lauren’s picture was chosen from 75 entries submitted to the contest by kids age 12 and younger and voted best by Clementine’s customers.

The Art of Food

Restaurant's ArtRise contest captures budding artists' imagination

By NANCY ALBRIGHT

For the Tribune

The internationally recognized ArtPrize display in Grand Rapids may be a competition only for adults, but a South Haven restaurant decided to create its own version geared toward kids.

ArtRise debuted at the start of the school year at Clementine's and attracted artwork created by 75 youngsters from South Haven and beyond.

“ArtRise was inspired by ArtPrize,” said Clementine’s Marketing and Advertising Manager Jen Sistrunk. “We thought it was a cool idea to do a kids’ version as a fun way to draw the community together after the summer season dies down. We got to meet a lot of local families this fall who don’t come often during the summer, and who doesn’t like kid’s pictures?”

The theme for the competition was food and ArtRise participants drew everything from onion rings to radishes.

“We provided them with art supplies and a lot of them worked on their pictures here. You can see where some of them were inspired by the restaurant,” said Sistrunk.

Other youngsters went home to draw. “One little boy was so excited he took his piece of paper and ran home specifically to start his project,” Sistrunk said.

Clementine’s chose 50 of the 75 pictures submitted and displayed them for three weeks, asking the public to cast their vote. Baseline Middle School sixth grader Lauren Bartlett won the Grand Prize - free kid’s meals once a month for a year, Clementine’s memorabilia and a private tour of the restaurant's historic building in downtown South Haven.

“I started enjoying art when I was about 7,” Lauren said. “We have different special classes at school and art is one of them. Mrs. (Sarah) Rydecki is my art teacher and I’m in art club. I also take classes at the South Haven Center for the Arts.”

“My Language Arts teacher Mr. Cole, who also works at Clementine’s, told us about the contest. My mom drove me by so I could take a picture of the building. I like to draw and used colored pencils, Sharpies and regular markers to fill in the details of my sketch.”

Clementine’s was built as the Pierce Building in 1896 and once housed a bank, a dentist’s office, two newspaper offices, including the South Haven Tribune, a newspaper print shop, and a jewelry store. “The building is much larger than it looks from the street and there is a lot of fun stuff to see around here,” explained Sistrunk.

The second and third floors house offices for restaurant management staff and other rooms. In the basement stands a bank vault that is been converted into a freezer. The basement also holds a vault that once protected jewelry.

“Lauren brought her phone and took so many pictures during the tour,” Sistrunk said. “She took pictures of doorknobs and even a picture of a zucchini recipe that’s hanging in the kitchen.”

Lauren said her favorite parts of the tour were seeing all the onions used to create the restaurant's signature onion rings.

“There is an entire room full of huge bags of onions,” she said. Lauren also enjoyed seeing Clementine's owner Al Ruppert's workshop, which is in the rear portion of the restaurant building.

“Mr. Ruppert is building a lot of really cool Christmas decorations to decorate the restaurant with this year,” Lauren said.

Other youngsters received kudos in the contest, as well.

Nine year-old Meadow Blair of South Haven won First Runner Up for her drawing of a four-tiered wedding cake decorated with flowers and swirls and topped with a bride and groom. Meadow’s mother was so excited she pulled her daughter out of school to claim the prize.

Gracie Ridley, 11, of South Haven, won Second Runner Up for her poster for South Haven, “Welcome to South Haven,” which displayed a feast of Clementine’s onion rings and an ice cream sundae with a view of the lighthouse from North Beach.

Staff Choice went to 9-year-old Luke Remington of Bloomingdale who drew a very small man standing next to a very large bottle of Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, complete with a trout on the label: a fish that indeed has two hearts.

“We got more buzz than we thought we would on Facebook,” Sistrunk said. Local establishments handed out ArtRise packets to kids and the Lincoln Elementary PTO helped get the word out.

“We even created an incentive plan for our servers to help advertise the contest and gave the person who told the most customers a gift certificate,” Sistrunk said. “We can’t wait to do it again. Now that people have a visual of what the kids did, we hope the contest will grow. It was a great event and the best part was watching the kids get so excited when we awarded the prizes. They were all smiles.”

Lauren's glad she entered. “I’m glad they held the competition,” she said. “It was great because most of the time people don’t get a chance to show off their artwork.”

Lauren plans to go to Clementine’s every month in 2019 and try everything on the kid’s menu. And she won’t skip her favorites: onion rings and French onion soup.

Registration fees for business STRs go up

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

South Haven homeowners who want to operate their dwelling, year-round, as a short-term rental, will be paying a higher fee to do so.

City council members, Monday, voted to double the annual registration fee for homes designated as short-term rental businesses. Business STRs are defined as homes and condos that can be rented continuously throughout the year.

Starting in 2019, the annual registration fee for business STRs will increase from $200 to $500.

The city needs to raise the fee because managing rental home inspections and enforcing the STR ordinance is costly, according to City Manager Brian Dissette.

“The goal is not using general funds to do this,” Dissette said.

This year the city has spent $176,728 – most of that from its general fund - to manage the STR program. But, that expense is expected to nearly double due to a new ordinance city council members approved in November that requires annual inspections for every home registered as a business STR.

City officials estimate that 500-600 homes will be registered as a business STR next year.

“That's going to mean 2.5 inspections per day,” Dissette said. “For that to happen we'll have to add staff. That costs money. To make that happen we need to adopt a fee structure to allow us to proceed with inspections.”

The inspections involve the city's building inspector, code enforcement staff and staff from South Haven Area Emergency Services. Inspectors insure that the home meets safety requirements for dwellings used as rentals on a regular basis – similar to inspections that hotels go through.

Although some people might balk over the doubling of the annual registration fees, city officials stressed they're not trying to “gouge” homeowners.

“These fees are designed to cover costs. That's it,” Mayor Scott Smith said. “We want to make sure we're not taking money from our general fund.”

To determine how much to charge for business STR permits, city officials worked with Robert W. Baird Co., an accounting and financial services firm, to figure out the estimated annual cost of operating the STR program with its stepped-up regulations. The program's expenses include not only annual inspections, but staff to process STR applications and enforce provisions of the STR ordinance.

The consulting firm suggested the city charge STR business homeowners $650 per year. But city officials were hesitant to do that.

City officials feel confident that between 500 and 600 homeowners will register their dwellings as business STRs in 2019, but they don't know for sure.

“Out of an abundance of caution we've suggested setting the fee at $500 for a business STR,” Dissette said. “The logic is once we have added staff and once we have a year underway, we'll revisit setting the rates.”

At Monday night's meeting, city council members also approved inspection fees for homeowners who want to obtain a “personal” STR permit. Those permits allow homeowners to rent their dwellings up to 28 days per year. Homeowners who want a personal STR permit will pay a bi-annual inspection fee of $100.





12.3.18

Photo courtesy of Van Buren County Sheriff's Department
This surveillance photo shows a photo of the other suspect believed to have been involved in the shooting death of Shaun Gill, March 1. The suspect is shown at the doorway of Gill's residence pointing a long gun.

Public's help sought in solving 9-month-old homicide case

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

GENEVA TWP. — Nine months ago two suspects walked up to Shaun Gill's home and shot him in the head.

But as of yet investigators have not been able to find and arrest the two men.

“We have been actively investigating and have received tips since it happened,” Van Buren County Sheriff Daniel Abbott said.

So again, police are releasing photos of the two men and appealing to the public for help in locating the suspects.

The photos show a man at a doorway to Gill's home. The other two show a man pointing a gun. Both men are wearing knit ski hats and light-colored coats. The one suspect pointing what the sheriff's department describes as a “long gun” has his hood over his ski hat.

Gill, 47 was gunned down at 9 p.m., March 1 at his home in Port of Call West mobile home park, at the corner of M-43 Highway and County Road 380 in Geneva Township.

Police said earlier they believe Gill knew the suspects, who came to his door and shot him in the head, but as of now, Abbott says they cannot confirm that.

A woman, who was inside the home ran into the bathroom and called 911.

When police arrived they were able to track the suspects' footprints to another trailer that was empty. From there it is believed they left in a vehicle.

Gill had lived in the mobile home park for 15 years, according to park managers Bob and Aggie Crawford.

Some neighbors who were interviewed following the homicide speculated that the shooting may have been drug-related, however the sheriff's department has not yet released a possible motive for the shooting.

“It's not confirmed,” Abbott said.

Anyone with information about the suspects in the photo images or other tips involving the homicide can contact the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division at (269) 657-7711.

PHOTO: Photo courtesy of Van Buren County Sheriff's Department
This surveillance photo shows a photo of one of the suspects believed to have been involved in the homicide of Shaun Gill, March 1. The suspect is shown standing at the doorway of Gill's residence in Port of Call West mobile home park in Geneva Township.

11.26.18

New Executive Director of the South Haven Center for the Arts Kerry Hagy brings new opportunities to discover, explore and appreciate the arts to South Haven and beyond. (Photo by Nancy Albright

Assistant takes charge at South Haven art center

By NANCY ALBRIGHT

For the Tribune

The South Haven Center for the Arts is moving in new directions thanks to recently established Executive Director Kerry Hagy.

Hagy, who formerly served as the art center's assistant director, is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and has deep roots in the non-profit world. A Chicago-area native, she employs her creative, educational and administrative backgrounds to encourage discovery, exploration and appreciation of the arts.

“We’re focusing on exhibitions, art education, strengthening community relations and working with South Haven schools to form lasting connections and opportunities that will benefit area residents of all ages,” said Hagy, who replaces Thea Grigsby, who retired several months ago.

Hagy and the SHCA Exhibitions Committee are focused on presenting meaningful displays of art that captivate and educate audiences and allow local and regional artists to showcase their work.

Artist David Baker commented, “As a board member I have found working with Kerry a delight. The enthusiastic response from a number of artists, for both the Tales of the Sea and the With (re)Purpose exhibitions, was a result of Kerry's marketing strategies.”

The SHCA tied a printmaking class to the Southwest Michigan Printmakers exhibit last summer and taught students in the gallery. Artist and board member Carol Myers said, “It’s a bridge between classes and shows and is a concept with incredible potential.”

“I taught the series of printmaking classes to a group of middle school and high school students last summer designed to engage them beyond just a quickie project,” said Myers. “Kerry and I worked together to develop a thought-provoking and in-depth curriculum to nurture sustained creative effort with great success.”

The art center works with South Haven schools on Artists of Tomorrow, an annual exhibition of artwork that allows students to see their work displayed in a gallery setting. And South Haven students can take free summer art classes taught by professional artists that teach kids to work in a variety of mediums.

In the past the SHCA has helped adults discover watercolors, collage, multi-media, jewelry making and life drawing. Hagy is working with artists, local organizations and the community to organize more adult workshops.

Thanks to Hagy’s collaborations with the South Haven Community Foundation, the South Haven Rotary Club, the Ward 1 Community Action Committee and other local organizations, the art center has been able to fund art classes, and internships for high school students who plan to pursue a career in the arts. Her efforts have also garnered operating funds from the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs.

Hagy and Foundry Hall Board President Lotte Resek are collaborating to bring more concerts to the SHCA. “We are enjoying working with the art center as an additional venue for music, and hope to provide performing arts programming for kids and design some projects involving both music and art,” said Resek “Kerry is a great addition to the non-profit community in South Haven. She brings new ideas and an open mind.”

The SHCA also partners with the South Haven Visitor’s Bureau to bring art to local festivals and other community events like Haven Harvest and Ice Breaker to help draw year-round visitors.

“The Visitors Bureau has really developed a strong partnership with the South Haven Center for the Arts. Kerry has been wonderful to work with in supporting all of our events and activities,” said CVB Executive Director Scott Reinert. “She's worked countless hours alongside our team to create wonderful experiences for our residents and visitors. The SHCA is a tremendous asset to our community and we're thrilled to be working with Kerry in her new role as Executive Director.”

The SHCA also produces the South Haven Art Fair which is ranked in the Top 100 Best Art Fairs in the country and brings tens of thousands to South Haven every summer.

“I’ve watched her transition from a part-time role to Executive Director,” said Baker. “She identified pertinent issues at last year’s art fair and upon becoming director has implemented changes to address these. In all my dealings with Kerry I have found her diligent and focused, always seeking input to arrive at the best solution to any problem.”

Hagy is working with the newly formed SHCA Fundraising Committee to bring Mistletoe Market to new heights. This year’s unique shopping venue where the community can find one-of-a-kind holiday gifts is drawing new artists to sell and show their work. The committee has planned weekly workshops like making your own hot chocolate and holiday spice mixes, and a chance to win prizes for the best gingerbread houses.

Board President Ginger Adamson said, “Kerry’s passion for the art center is evident as she works with the board and encourages their input and vision for moving the center to the next level.”

“I can connect my artistic, community-organizing and social service backgrounds to make a positive impact on this community,” said Hagy. “I love the arts and particularly enjoy working with artists. Using the arts to strengthen and serve this area is where my heart is.”

11.12.18

Jan Leksich helps decorate South Haven's downtown traffic island for the holiday season. (Photo by Becky Kark)

All hands on deck

60 volunteers decorate downtown South Haven for the holiday season

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

If downtown South Haven looks a little more festive for the Christmas holiday season than in previous years, there's a reason – more lights.

Sixty volunteers spent several days at the start of November stringing lights not only in the central business district, but elsewhere in the vicinity of downtown.

Lights and decorations can now be seen as far away as the historic Lighthouse Keepers House, four blocks from downtown on Michigan Avenue.

“We at least doubled, but probably tripled the amount of lights this year, plus 40 laser lights,” said Scott Reinert, executive director of the South Haven/Van Buren County Convention and Visitors Bureau, which coordinated the volunteer decorating efforts.

In addition to twinkling lights at the Lighthouse Keepers House, there are now lights and decorations in Dyckman Park, the Huron Street parking lot, Riverfront Park, Dyckman Avenue drawbridge, Michigan Maritime Museum, and along Dunkley Avenue and Black River Street.

The decorations were put up in time for Women's Only Weekend, which took place Nov. 8-11.

Most of the decorations were lit for that weekend, however, more lights and decorations will be unveiled Friday, Nov. 23, for the new Holiday in the Park celebration, downtown. The event will begin with the official Christmas tree-lighting ceremony at South Haven City Hall. Afterwards, the new Santa Paws pet parade will debut, downtown. Activities will also take place in Dyckman Park, including caroling, photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, free ice skating at the ice rink, and the lighting of luminaries from city hall to South Beach. The luminary lighting is a fundraiser for Hospice at Home in South Haven.Luminaries can be purchased for a $5 donation in honor of a friend or family member. Order forms are available at the Hospice office in South Haven and the Visitors Bureau.



11.5.18

Korean War veteran Bill Stegman looks at old photos that he took during his time serving in the war.

Preserving a piece of history

Veteran donates UN flag from Korean War Armistice signing to the Smithsonian museums

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

BREEDSVILLE — An old table-top United Nations flag from the Korean War sat in a trunk at Bill Stegman's house for years.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Later, a family member removed it and placed it on a table in an unused bedroom. There it sat for more years collecting dust.

But one day, Stegman decided to do something about the flag, because it was no ordinary one.

During the Korean War, the flag sat on the desk in front of United Nations Command officials who met in 1953 with officials from the Korean People's Army and Chinese People's Volunteer Army to sign a cease-fire agreement that established a demilitarized zone along the 38^th parallel, cutting Korea into two countries – North and South Korea.

After years of keeping the flag, Stegman made the decision to donate it to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

“If somebody found it after I'm gone, they'd probably say, 'What's this?' and throw it away,” said Stegman, who now is 86 and living in the tiny village of Breedsville, in Van Buren County.

He acquired the flag in a rather unusual way.

He was 23 and serving overseas in Japan with the U.S. Navy when he received orders in 1953 to go to Korea.

“I arrived in Korea about one month after the Armistice was signed and attended most meeting held with the Communists while there,” Stegman said. “The meetings were held at Panmunjom, Korea, which was in the Demilitarized zone.”

One day a U.S. Army colonel, overseeing the United Nations Command office for the Military Armistice Commission, handed Third Class Yeoman Stegman a new United Nations Flag to replace the old one that had been sitting on the meeting table where the cease-fire agreement had been signed.

The old UN flag had been there during negotiations and final Armistice agreement signing and was beginning to show signs of age.

“When I asked what to do with the old one I was told to trash-can it,” Stegman recalled. “I thought at the time it was a real keep-sake.”

So he put it in his sea bag and when leaving from the Demilitarized Zone in 1955 brought it back home with him.

Stegman would go on to retire from the Navy with the rank of petty officer, first class, and spend another 20 years working for the U.S. Postal Service as a post master in Pullman before giving the flag much thought.

But while his son was stationed in Norfolk, Va. as a chief warrant officer with the U.S. Navy, he told him about the flag.

Stegman recalled his son asking him if he had ever let anyone know he had the flag.

“I said, 'no,'” Stegman said, “and he said, 'well you should.'”

So Stegman followed his son's advice. He contacted the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington D.C. and asked if they would be interested in the flag.

They were. In a letter to Stegman, Kathleen Golden, associate curator of the museum's Armed Forces History Division, stated, “We would be interested in collecting this object.” She also asked Stegman if he had more memorabilia associated with his time spent serving at the Demilitarized Zone.

So Stegman donated a medal he received for serving in the war, several photographs of his time spent there and a letter of appreciation he received from his Navy superiors.

Golden thanked Stegman for his donations. “These items have been entered into our permanent records as a gift from you,” she wrote.

Stegman no longer has the flag, but he does have memories of serving in the Navy during the Korean War.

“It's hard to believe they had the Olympics over there,” he mused, referring to the Winter Olympics that were held earlier this year in PyeongChang, South Korea – a site of deadly battles during the Korean War. “When I was there is was flattened.”

When asked about the recent accord North and South Americans signed in April where the two country's leaders agreed to establish diplomatic relations, Stegman said he remains skeptical.

“It's hard to believe,” he said. “I don't trust them (the North Korean government).”

The highs and lows of Van Buren taxes

By ROD SMITH

For the Tribune

PAW PAW — If low taxes are your primary concern, move your house to Bangor Township.

In October, the Van Buren County Board of Commissioners adopted the millage rates in the annual apportionment report. Equalization Director Anthony Meyaard told commissioners the report would probably need to be amended as millages change.

The county itself gets a total of 7.272 mills, which includes general operations, public safety, roads, ambulance, public transit, conservation district and veterans.

The totals for local municipalities includes the county millage as well as that of the Van Buren Intermediate School District, library districts and college districts, plus their own. They do not include special assessment districts such as drains and weed control on lakes.

The cheapest millage levy is in that part of Bangor Township served by Covert schools at 43.3707 mills. The highest township millage levy is Bloomingdale Township in the Gobles school district at 54.3657 mills.

Next step up the millage levy ladder is villages. The most expensive village is Lawton within the Lawton school district. That total is 64.3992. Cheapest village is Mattawan, within the Mattawan school district, at 53.3821.

City life costs more. Cheapest city is South Haven within the South Haven school district at 59.4437. Highest city, and highest levy in the county, is the city of Gobles in the Gobles school district at 66.2953.

These totals are for the entire year. Municipalities divide that total into summer and winter taxes.

A mill is $1 of tax on $1,000 of taxable value. A property with a taxable value of $45,000 would pay taxes of $1,951.68 in Bangor Township/Covert schools and $2,983.29 in the city of Gobles.

In other matters, commissioners approved purchasing a drone for the Van Buren County Sheriff's Department. Cost is $25,773 from Alpha Consulting Group of Fenton.

"This drone will have the capability of infrared detection (to) search for lost people, kids, prisoners," Commissioner Richard Freestone said.

The total includes training for four officers.

In other matters, commissioners OKd purchasing a new transportation van to move inmates. It's from Tapper Ford of Paw Paw and the price includes partitions inside the van. Cost is $42,426.

"This van is specifically built for transportation of prisoners," Undersherriff Chad Hunt said.

Hunt said the new van will seal the driver off from the prisoners, which isn't the case with the current van. That van will be transferred to the Building and Grounds Department.

Hunt said deputies will often transport inmates to and from other counties in patrol cars, since they have partitions.

In other matters, commissioners learned that crunch time is coming to the county's property tax revenue.

Stephen Vicenzi, chief finance officer, gave commissioners two revenue projections. One a worst-case scenario and one a best-case. They're predicated on possible loss of revenue from the pending closure of the Palisades nuclear plant and the possible reduction in the assessment of the New Covert generating plant.

This year the revenues are $13,996,059. That's expected to rise to $14,157-569 next year and to $14,709,541. Things then go backward with a projection of $14,191,426 in 2022.

We're going to lose approximately two years of increases," Vicenzi said.

The best case $14,431,349 in 2019, $15,202,410 in 2021, but then down to $14,646,534 in 2022--about halfway between the 2019 and 2020 levels.



10.29.18

Abandoned church repurposed into community center

By KIM INGALLS

For the Tribune

BREEDSVILLE — An unused church has been repurposed into a community center whose mission is to help local residents in need.

About a year ago, the decision was made to close Breedsville United Methodist Church, due to a dwindling congregation.

The church's doors are now open once again thanks to some hardworking local residents who didn’t want to see the building left empty. But it has a new function as a resource center.

“This historic facility has been a vibrant part of the Breedsville community for 140 years and provides us with an excellent opportunity to continue to serve the area by keeping its doors open for all members of the community regardless of their background,” said Jim Robertson, the church’s former pastor.

Robertson was approached by Breedsville resident Rhonda Griffin who wanted to discuss turning the empty building, which is now called Townline at Breedsville Resource Center, into a place where people can pick up much-needed items - no questions asked.

The church officially merged with the Townline United Methodist Church near Bloomingdale in 2016 after the few remaining Breedsville members voted to close the church.  

“Upon merging, the remaining members either started attending Townline or the Bangor methodist church while the building itself sat vacant and without purpose for almost a year,” Robertson said. “We did a few functions here and there but we really didn't start getting serious about it until the following year as we worked our way through the possibilities.”  

One of the possibilities being talked about, Griffin said, is using the building for community functions, as well.

“The basement can be rented out for parties,” she said.”And we’d like to get Internet here for people to use. Having EMTs come in and do things like blood pressure checks are in the planning stages.”

In the meantime, the center offers a food and clothing pantry, with each section expanding thanks to the support of the community. Clothing is available for men, women and children and there is a limited amount of household items. The free lending library currently consists of more than 500 books.

There’s even two pallets of orange and white donated pumpkins sitting outside just in time for Halloween.

“This is working out exactly like I dreamed,” Griffin said. “People are bringing stuff in and people are taking stuff out.”

The resource center is open from noon-3 p.m. on Tuesdays during the school year. Hours are extended during the summer months. Volunteers ask that donations of gently used clothing be recently laundered and that food be non-perishable and non-expired. Monetary donations, which are used for utilities and building maintenance, are also accepted. The center is in need of shelving units and racks too.



10.8.18

Director Shaz Bennett (crouching) directs Matt Dallas (left) and Martin L. Washington Jr. in a boxing scene during the filming of “Alaska is a Drag.” The scene was shot inside the former Bohn factory warehouse in South Haven.

Area residents get chance to view new movie shot in South Haven

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

If you watch the new award-winning indie film, “Alaska is a Drag,” and see familiar people and sites from South Haven, you shouldn't be surprised.

Producer and director Shaz Bennett shot the feature-length film in South Haven during the fall of 2015.

Area residents will get the opportunity to watch the finished product during a free screening at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 13 at South Haven High School's Listiak Auditorium 600 Elkenburg St. A reception for people involved with the film will follow at South Haven Center for the Arts, where they will get the opportunity to talk with Bennett, a Los Angeles-based television writer and director, who currently writes episodes for the Amazon network show BOSCH, and has written episodes of A&E's The Glades.

“Everything was shot locally,” said former South Haven Mayor Bob Burr, who had a bit role in the film.

“You can see Mayor Burr slicing fish with his own hands,” quipped South Haven City Manager Brian Dissette.

Bennett, who is married to husband and filmmaker Jean-Pierre Caner, filmed “Alaska is a Drag” at various locations in town including the Michigan Maritime Museum, the former Bohn factory warehouse, Van Buren Trail and Curve Inn.

Because the film revolves around life in a small fishing town in Alaska, South Haven seemed like the perfect location for shooting it.

“When we scouted several locations in Michigan I fell in love with South Haven,” Bennett said. “It looked like the small town in Alaska where I lived for a summer — minus the mountains.”

The 80-minute movie may not be for everyone. It tells the story of Leo (Martin L. Washington Jr.), an aspiring performer stuck working in a fish cannery in Alaska, along with his sister, Tristen (Maya Washington). Leo and Tristen are often forced to take care of themselves. Their biological mom (Nia Peeples) left years ago, their dad (Kevin Daniels) preaches on the side of the road and their surly surrogate mom, Jan, (comedian and actress Margaret Cho) bar tends. It's tough for Leo, living in a small town where he daydreams about being on stage in L.A. as a drag queen. When he's not thinking about his dreams, Leo ends up defending his identity, literally. His fist-fighting talent catches the eye of his cannery boss who offers to train him as a fighter. Tristen, however, has other ideas. She enters her brother in a drag competition which happens to fall on the same day as his qualifying round for boxing, forcing Leo to face the real reason he's afraid to leave Alaska.

Bennett said she drew from some of her own experiences in writing and directing the film.

“I worked in a fish cannery one summer (in Alaska) to raise money to move to New York City to become a superstar,” Bennett said. “That was a tough summer, but I met lifetime friends and I’ve been thinking about setting a story in that world ever since. 

“There was one gay bar we would go, and the bartender was like Margaret Cho,” Bennett went on to say. “Thank God she agreed to be in the film because I can’t imagine anyone else in that role. It (living in Alaska) really felt like living on the edge of the world.”

Bennett chose Alaska as the setting for her movie for several reasons.

“Alaska is surreal and intense with the ethereal Northern Lights painting the sky, in stark contrast to the monotony of cannery life and the violence of isolation, where standing out in a crowd isn’t a good thing,” Bennett said. “I dove into the moments of where and how those worlds collide, intertwine and break away – the gay and the straight, the masculine and feminine, violence and non-violence, harsh reality and escapist fantasy.”

Bennett dealt with some of those issues while growing up in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she was more of a tomboy than a beauty queen.

“Femininity is not a bad thing,” she said. “A lot of the movie was coming from that. I wanted to explore the time in someone’s life where they don’t even know what their sexuality is, but people are defining them for how they present themselves on the outside.  I grew up with four brothers, played basketball, and was more of a tomboy. I remember being told I was in the wrong bathroom when I was a kid.”

Setting her debut film in Alaska appealed to Bennett in another way.

“I think Utah and Alaska are similar in that they’re two of the most gorgeous states,” she said. “Outwardly, they are stunning and truly awesome in the most literal version of that word. But they can also be a little isolating and unforgiving at times. I wanted to make a movie about this world. My experience in small towns is, people just don’t talk about stuff like that. I wanted to play around with what’s spoken and unspoken.”

“Alaska is a Drag,” which was released in 2017, has been shown at film festivals and theaters throughout the world and has garnered several awards and nominations. Bennett said she is bringing the film to South Haven for a free screening as a way of thanking the community.

“We had such great support from South Haven and the incredible people and local actors that I just wanted to make sure the people who worked so hard had a chance to see it on the big screen,” she said.

The film has not been rated, according to Bennett. There is adult content in the film, with some violence and depictions of bullying. Parents should use discretion in determining whether their children should view the movie.

10.1.18

Bangor High School Marching Band is shown performing  at a halftime show. The band traveled to Grand Haven, Sept. 22, to compete in an invitational and brought home a first-place trophy in Class D. The band also won awards for Best Marching and Best Music Performance.

Bangor Band earns first-place trophy at invitational

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

BANGOR — Bangor High School Marching Band chose the name “Confined” for this year's show, but the band was anything but when they competed at the Grand Haven Invitational, Sept. 22.

Bangor not only won first place in its division, the band also won awards for Best Marching and Best Music Performance.

“The students have been working hard on this show and it is showing,” Bangor Band Director Tianna Doe said. Our score was the highest ever at 80.3.”

This year marked the first time Bangor has competed at the Grand Haven Invitational where they competed against four other bands in Class D.

“It is a little early in the marching band season so this competition was a great motivator for the band to work hard early on,” Doe said.

“Confined” features music from “Psycho,” “Chicago,” “Hello” and Born to Be Wild.” The Viking Marching Band has been rehearsing the show since July.

“There are 64 students marching in the high school band,” Doe said. “We also have a middle school equipment crew of about 10 students and some fantastic parents that help make this show happen.”

The band will now turn its attention to its next competition in Hastings, Oct. 6.

“We have gone for the last six years to the Hastings Invitational,” Doe said. “There will be six Class D Bands there.”

The band will then take part in the Michigan Schools Band and Orchestra Association's Marching Band Festival, Oct. 10, in Paw Paw.

Ground broken for

large event building in South Haven

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Wedding planners and corporate retreat organizers who want to hold their events in South Haven often look elsewhere if they expect a crowd of more than 200.

But that is expected to change by the end of this year with the completion of a special events venue that can hold up to 400 people.

South Haven community leaders joined developers James Slott and his sister Nicole Slott in a ceremonial ground-breaking for Black River Barn, a large, rustic lodge-style event building that will be located on 13.5 acres of land on 73^rd Street near 8^th Avenue, in South Haven Township.

“South Haven is a beautiful town with a rich history and idyllic landscape,” Nicole Slott said. “We're thrilled to be part of the community. We're hoping to be open in November. Right now we're on track.”

When finished, the 11,000-square-foot building will include a 5,400-square-foot main hall for dining and dancing, indoor and outdoor space for various ceremonies, a caterer's kitchen, audio/visual system, and private bride and groom suites. Outside, the Barn's covered and open-air patios will include fire pits.

The Slotts, who are from Grand Rapids, had considered developing a special event venue there, but soon changed their minds, according to Nicole Slott.

“They already have quite a few so we began looking toward the lakeshore,” she said.

The Slotts were familiar with South Haven and began searching for suitable sites.

“In our research and planning, we identified a lack of locations in this area that can accommodate larger groups,” James Slott said.

The Slotts finally found the spot they were looking for in South Haven Township, purchased the property a year ago, and began clearing it this year after the township planning commission rezoned the site for a Planned Unit Development.

The Slotts are investing more than $3.8 million to develop the venue, according to South Haven Township Supervisor Ross Stein.

“I think this will be wonderful for the community,” Stein said. “We're not looking at borders (between the township and the city) anymore but the community as a whole.”

Other community leaders agreed the new venue will be a plus.

“We've had a need for a long, long time for a large venue to hold large gatherings,” said Kathy Wagaman, executive director of the South Haven Area Chamber of Commerce. “We get calls for reunions, weddings and corporate seminars and retreats and people end up having to go elsewhere.”

Wagaman also noted the trickle-down effect a venue, such as Black River Barn, can have for the South Haven area economy.

“Anytime there's an event there it will likely bring people overnight to our hotels and our downtown,” she said.

Because Black River Barn will be open year-round, it can help boost the town's local economy during the shoulder seasons and winter months, according to Deb Davidson, South Haven Downtown Development Authority director.

“Something like this (a venue for large-scale events) is absolutely critical to this area,” she said. “It will bring people here during the off-season which is what we strive for.”

Charges dropped; Bangor murder case goes cold again

By ALEXANDRA NEWMAN

HP Staff Writer

PAW PAW — A month ago, law enforcement officials thought they had solved a cold case murder, but now it appears they're back to square one.

Van Buren County authorities say they are still investigating the 1986 strangulation death of Wilda Wilkinson in Bangor. 

Chief Assistant Prosecutor Keith Robinson said that the first-degree murder charge against Michael Leon Curry was dismissed at the end of April, “based on new information to allow for further investigation.”

“Part of that further information was DNA analysis,” he said.

Robinson said he wouldn’t go into further detail because it is still an open homicide investigation.

Curry, 51, had been held in the Van Buren County Jail on the charge for about a month and a half before the charges against him were dismissed without prejudice by the prosecution. 

He had been arrested in California in March and brought back to Van Buren County. 

Police suspected at the time of Wilkinson’s death 33 years ago that the then 18-year-old Curry, who lived close by in Bangor, may have been involved. There were several people of interest that police interviewed following Wilkinson’s death, but the case eventually went cold.

In 2010, however, Michigan State Police detectives re-opened the case and then stepped up efforts last year to investigate the unsolved murder, and Curry re-emerged last year as a suspect.

Curry made provocative statements last year on Facebook that caught the attention of Michigan State Police investigators, who had by that time renewed their interest in Curry.

It was Wilkinson’s daughter who found her strangled mother, according to a Herald-Palladium article published shortly after the murder.

A nurse’s aide at South Haven Community Hospital at the time, Wilkinson was divorced and lived alone. When she failed to report to work, hospital officials called her daughter to check on her mom. 



More upgrades on the way for M-43 Highway

BANGOR — More roadwork is slated to take place this spring and summer on Michigan 43 Highway in Van Buren County.

The latest project will entail the resurfacing of 13.5 miles of M-43 from Bangor to the Waverly Township line, according to a news release from the Michigan Department of Transportation. The $2.3 million project includes curb and gutters, sidewalk ramps and pavement markings.

Construction is expected to begin Monday, May 20 and be completed by Friday, June 28. While construction is going on one lane of the highway will remain open in each direction.

The newest road project comes on the heels of one currently underway on M-43 near South Haven.

Workers are now improving a .3-mile portion of the highway between County Road 384 at the roundabout and 69^th Street. In addition to repaving the roadway, MDOT also plans to make the 16^th Avenue intersection safer by adding a paved shoulder to allow traffic to pass vehicles turning left onto 16^th Avenue from M-43.



4.29.19

Eying a 2nd term

South Haven mayor seeks re-election

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

South Haven Mayor Scott Smith will be seeking his second term of office, this time without competition.

Smith will be running unopposed in the upcoming November election, according to South Haven city clerk Travis Sullivan. Smith was first elected by voters in 2017 after defeating challenger Paul VandenBosch.

South Haven city residents had until Tuesday to submit candidate petitions for the offices of mayor and city council.

In addition to Smith, five other city residents filed petitions for three city council seats now occupied by Letitia Wilkins, Clark Gruber and Steve Schlack.

South Haven is divided into three wards. Two council members serve each of the three wards, and serve in staggered four-year terms.

In Ward 1, incumbent Letitia Wilkins, 811 Indiana Ave., will be seeking re-election and is running unopposed.

In Ward 2, Gruber is not seeking re-election due to term limits. Two other candidates will be competing for his seat: former city council member Jeff Arnold, 558 Bailey Ave., and newcomer Nadine Newman, 270 Itzen Ct.

In Ward 3, Schlack, 884 E. Wells St., will face newcomer Liji Hanny, 840 Wilson St., in November.

The candidates could have squared off sooner in the August primary, but not enough candidates turned in petitions, according to Sullivan.

“There will be no primary in August, as we do not have more than two candidates for any seat,” he said. “All candidates will be included on the November general election ballot.”

LMC's enrollment remains strong despite trend

By RALPH HEIBUTZKI

For The Tribune

BENTON TOWNSHIP — Student enrollments dropped at many community colleges last fall, but new figures show Lake Michigan College bucking the trend.

Figures for the fall 2018 semester showed LMC with 3,428 students, or up 2 percent from fall 2017 – when it had 3,368 students, said Doug Schaffer, vice president of enrollment and community partnerships.

“We were pleased obviously, with how it turned out,” he said.

President Trevor Kubatzke voiced similar satisfaction with them. “I would just attribute it (the result) to hard work. The college community, as a whole, has been looking across the board – not only, how we gather students, but how do we retain our students?” Kubatzke said.

LMC ranked second, behind Mott Community College, in Flint, which reported a 2.6 percent gain to the Michigan Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers, for its weekly enrollment report, Schaffer said.

Next came Glen Oaks Community College, which was the only other institution to show a positive figure, at 0.67 percent, Schaffer said.

All other institutions reported enrollment decreases – ranging from negative 0.37 percent, for Kalamazoo Valley Community College; to 6.6 percent, for Lansing Community College; 8.8 percent, for Southwestern Michigan College; and 10.63 percent, for Oakland Community College, figures showed.

LMC’s performance proved all the more impressive, given the 3 percent decrease that it recorded in spring 2018, Schaffer told the board this week.

“We made a rally. A lot of that had to do with early college enrollment that doesn’t come in until the February or March time frame, based on some partner schools having trimesters,” Scahffer said. “That early college push helped us get back.”

Schaffer cited several factors for LMC’s enrollment success, such as its careful monitoring of trends such as College Decision nights, which many high schools host in the spring, he said.

“That helps us get an idea of where students are thinking,” Schaffer said. “We’ll have a little better understanding of whether we’re in the running or whether we’re at the top. That’ll guide us as we get to the finish line of fall 2019.”

Strong enrollment of recent high school graduations also played a role, as did LMC’s health sciences, manufacturing technology and apprenticeship programs, which are big draws for students, he added.

Schaffer also pointed to LMC’s Early’/Middle College program, where students earn college credits while they’re still in high school.

“We’re actively recruiting the graduates getting ready to graduate in a month or so, and our other programs are planning for and trying to maintain momentum,” he said.

LMC’s stepped up efforts to retain students, once they do attend, also played a part, Kubatzke said.

“The Title III grant we were awarded by the federal government is all focused around success, which keeps students here longer in their programs. Everyone has stepped up and seen their part, in how we retain – and attract – students to the institution,” he said.



4.23.19

King Company , a marine contractor from Holland, arrives, Tuesday, in South Haven to begin dredging the city's harbor and channel leading to Lake Michigan.

Corps plans to remove 44,500 cubic yards of material from South Haven's harbor and channel

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Boating season hasn't yet begun, but in anticipation of when it will, the United States Army Corps of Engineers has started dredging South Haven's harbor as part of a plan to keep the harbor navigable for boats and to shore up South Beach.

Holland-based King Company has been hired to dredge 44,500 cubic yards of material from the Black River west of the Dyckman drawbridge and downriver past the channel and North Pier.

Once the material is dredged it will then be released south of the South Pier, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. The $365,000 dredging operation is expected to last approximately two weeks, depending on the weather.

“A pipeline will be constructed so that as material is dredged up, it is moved through the pipe and released,” South Haven Harbormaster and Assistant City Manager Kate Hosier said. “The materials will be released at the same time as the dredging occurs.

Don't expect a huge pile of sand to be deposited directly onto the beach, however.

“At this point, the dredge materials will be released in the water and not directly on the beach,” Hosier said. “The materials would be carried on shore by wave action.”

Sometime this week, boaters should expect to see 10 sections of 1,000-foot dredge pipe that will be staged at the South Side Municipal Marina. Once connected, the dredge pipe will extend from the dredge operation out to Lake Michigan where the material will be deposited 1,900 feet west of the South Pier.

During the dredging operation, the dredge pipe will be located on the south part of the river. City officials say there will be adequate space for boat traffic to navigate in the river, however, they are urging boaters to use caution when passing near the floating pipe and to stay to the north of it.

Although the water level in the harbor and channel is higher than several years ago, the harbor and channel needs to be maintained on a regular basis to insure safe navigation, according to Hosier.

“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers incorporated funding in the fiscal year 2018 work plan for dredging the South Haven harbor,” she said. “Because recreational harbors usually do not receive federal funding for dredging...we appreciate the assistance of our state and federal leadership  in helping to secure the funding in the budget.”

The last time the harbor was dredged occurred in 2013, according to information from the Corps of Engineers. At that time, the Corps removed 27,625 cubic yards of material for use as beach nourishment.

South Haven school board hires curriculum director

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

South Haven school district officials will soon be looking for a new North Shore Elementary principal after appointing Carey Frost to the role of curriculum director.

Board of Education members, Wednesday, voted to hire Frost to replace Danielle Hendry, who left the district in October of 2018 to become principal of MySchool@Kent, a high school for non-traditional students residing in the Kent Intermediate School District.

Superintendent Kevin Schooley said he is pleased the board hired Frost, whose salary is now being negotiated.

“This position is needed and encompasses more than managing the curriculum,” he said. “The state and federal program grants, which are huge, are attached to this role as is local assessment, state testing, school improvement and coordination of district-level professional development.”

Frost will continue her job as North Shore's principal and will remain in that role until the end of the school year in June.

“She is pulling a little double duty as we are spending time discussing curricular decisions impacting us now, and planning for the 2019-20 school year,” Schooley said.

In the meantime, school officials will be seeking candidates for the North Shore principal position.

“We will be reviewing resumes and selecting candidates to be interviewed,” School said. “I have tentatively scheduled interviews for May 7 and May 9.”

Frost has worn a number of administrative hats over the years for South Haven Public Schools.

She first served as principal at Lincoln Elementary School for seven years before being appointed as the school district's director of instruction in 2014. She then became principal at North Shore in 2016 after then-principal LaTonya Gill was named Baseline Middle School principal.

In July of 2018, Frost briefly served as the district's interim superintendents for two months after former Superintendent Robert Herrera resigned to become superintendent and CEO of Benton Harbor Public Schools. She returned to her principal's job at the start of the 2018-19 school year.



4.15.19

An honor

Four military veterans from the South Haven American Legion Post were given the honor of taking part in a Laying of the Wreath ceremony, April 4, at Arlington National Cemetery. The veterans were part of a group from Southwest Michigan that traveled to Washington DC to visit national monuments and memorials. From left are Tom Breen, Larry Girard, Stan Wakild and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Jim McCloughan.

South Haven police officers honored for life-saving efforts

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

South Haven Police Chief Natalie Thompson refers to officers Mike Knizewski and Ryan Rumler these days as her “dynamic duo.” And for good reason.

In the past two months both officers played key roles in saving the lives of two people who had overdosed on heroin.

For their heroic efforts, Thompson earlier this week awarded both Knizewski and Rumler, along with Officer Kevin VanBrussel with the department's life-saving medals.

She also gave credit to Naloxone kits and opioid training the department recently completed. The kits contain Naloxone, a type of nasal spray that can save the life of someone who has overdosed on opioids, such as heroin. Naloxone does so by reversing the effects of opioids.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, drug overdose mortality has more than tripled in the past 20 years, primarily from opioids.

“This (opioid-overdose rescue training) is new for our department,” Thompson explained to South Haven City Council members, Monday, when the officers were recognized. In addition to the life-saving medical kits, officers also have received training from Southwest Michigan Behavioral Health, in Kalamazoo, that has enabled them to better deal with people suffering from opioid addiction.

“We don't just assist in saving lives but also provide them with information and resources on how to get additional help,” Thompson said. “So far, it (the training and kits) have been very successful in just the past two months.”

It was two months ago that Knizewski and Rumler were dispatched to South Haven Township to deal with a man who had overdosed on heroin.

When the two officers at the scene they saw a woman squatting next to the man who was laying by the side of the road.

“The subject appeared to be deceased. He wasn't breathing. He was turning blue,” Thompson said. The two officers, who had arrived first on the scene prior to paramedics, immediately began administering CPR. “By the end of the third cycle of CPR, his pulse had been restored,” Thompson said. “Officer Knizewski continued rescue breaths until South Haven Area Emergency Services arrived. They administered drug-interaction medication to bring the victim out of the heroin overdose.”

When Thompson heard about the drug-interaction medication used by SHAES, she immediately decided that officers needed the rescue kits and training as well.

“That's really key, because the officers are there (a potential crime scene) 9 out of 10 times before SHAES,” Thompson said.

The rescue kits and training acquired by South Haven Police soon paid off.

“Less than two weeks after the first overdose three officers responded to another one,” Thompson said. “This time it was a female subject. Luckily she was still breathing.”

Responding quickly to a person who has overdosed is crucial in determining whether they will live or not.

“What happens is eventually breathing stops because it (the overdose) affects the respiratory system,” Thompson said.

Knizewski, who had just finished his rescue training, realized the signs of an opioid overdose and quickly administered the Naloxone.

“The victim came to immediately,” Thompson said. “These guys are saving lives.”

“It's amazing,” Mayor Scott Smith noted.

Some non-profits balk at city's new $150 special events fee

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

When South Haven city officials made a decision this year to start charging groups a non-refundable $150 fee to hold special events on city property, they thought it was a good idea.

After all, a number of the events, such as the ones at Riverfront Park, take place over several days and involve the help of city employees who end up working overtime to provide custodial, maintenance or public safety-related services.

But, after several non-profit groups cried foul over the recently enacted fee, city officials decided to rethink their decision.

As a result, city council members have amended the special event policy to allow groups to apply for a waiver if they can prove their event involves very little if any use of city employees' time and resources.

The council made the decision to do so at Monday's meeting.

“Over the last year, the parks commission and city council worked on updates to the special events policy,” City Manager Brian Dissette said. “One of the intents was to recognize that some special events can get quite large. The fee was intended to offset some of the cost of bringing in staff to haul trash or set up barricades or have a larger police presence.”

But when non-profits, earlier this year, began applying for approval of their special events, some balked at the fee.

“We realized some events are quite small,” Dissette said. “A good example is a Memorial Day event where two veterans come to city hall to read off names of military men and women who have died in combat. That event has no cost to the city.”

Other events, however, do incur costs for the city, but they also bring a public benefit to the city in terms of extra revenue derived from visitors who spend money when attending the special events, be it for lodging, gasoline, food or other merchandise. Other events, which are large, raise a considerable amount of money that benefit a variety of non-profit groups in town.

“The intention of the charge was not to cover the entirety of the city's costs associated with special events, but rather to detour frivolous individual event applications,” Dissette said.

To sort out which events should be charged a fee and which ones shouldn't, the city is now allowing non-profits an opportunity to apply for a waiver.

In determining whether to grant the request, city officials will consider whether the event raises funds to supplement the city's budgeted services; whether it raises funds for programs normally funded by the city; whether it raises funds for elderly citizens, youth groups and non-profit groups that contribute to the community; and if the special event involves a national or state-affiliated group that provides programs for local youth.

“We're trying to have some flexibility,” Dissette said. “Some we will legitimately say no to. If staff has to come in at 3 a.m. to do cleanup, we shouldn't have to waive the fee.”





Van Buren man dies as car sinks in lake

MARCELLUS — A 59-year-old Lawton man died Tuesday after his vehicle sunk in an inland lake in Marcellus.

John Salvatore Catalino was pronounced dead after Lawton Fire Department personnel and a wrecker driver pulled him from a vehicle that was fully submerged in Cedar Lake, according to a news release from the Van Buren County Sheriff's Department.

Deputies were dispatched to the Cedar Lake public access at 4:40 p.m. An eyewitness who saw the vehicle sink, said it went into the lake backwards. The witness is the one who called 911.

When deputies arrived they found the Hyundai Elantra sunk about 20 yards from the shore with Catalino still inside.

Lawton firefighters and a driver from True's Towing commandeered a boat nearby and were able to remove the victim from the car prior to the county dive team's arrival.

The dive team assisted in hooking up the vehicle to remove it from the lake.

Van Buren County hires its first public defender

By ROD SMITH

For the Tribune

PAW PAW — The Van Buren County Board of Commissioners appointed its first public defender. He's Chad Catalino.

"I'm really humbled you've given me an opportunity to do something that I really believe in," Catalino told commissioners, at their March 27 meeting. Among the list of beliefs was the Constitution.

Catalino. who will be shared with Allegan County in the state's first joint public defender's office, will be the counterpart to the prosecutor. He or someone in his office will defend indigent persons charged with crimes.

Prosecutor Michael Bedford said he checked with Muskegon County, where Catalino is currently employed as the supervisor of the misdemeanor division of the public defender's office, and came away with a favorable impression.

"You're a fighter," Bedford told Catalino. "You're a litigator. You're also a problem-solver."

In response to people that wonder how someone can defend someone they know is guilty, Catalino said that he doesn't really know if someone is guilty or not but "what we're doing is protecting the integrity of the system."

Michigan, he said, had ranked 44th out of 50 states in the quality of indigent defense.

Van Buren County has traditionally hired local attorneys to defend indigent clients, which commissioners have said has worked well. But a suit challenging the state claimed that elsewhere there have been problems and so the state is now requiring public defenders, and is putting up most of the money.

Van Buren County and Allegan County agreed to form a joint public defender's office.

Plans are to open the office by late summer. Besides Catalino, there will be two assistant defenders, two administrative assistants and a part-time investigator.

The two counties will still be hiring local attorneys to defend people. "It's very possible their work will increase," County Administrator John Faul said.

Commissioner Randall Peat commented:  "And it does put oomph around the phrase 'Liberty and justice for all.' That's what it's all about."

There have been some bumps in the road in creating the office. The project was put on hold back in October over a dispute about the state funding agreement. At that time County Administrator Faul said the state law says the state will provide funding up front but the proffered agreement started out at 20 percent with reimbursements later.

Midland County filed a lawsuit over it.

Last month commissioners accepted $2,217,515 to fund the public defender's office covering both Van Buren and Allegan counties. Local share is $529,260, an amount that will be split between the two counties, for a total of $2.7 million.

Catalino graduated from the Michigan State University law school in 2003. After that he did public defender work under contract with Muskegon County. The past five years he's been working directly for that county.



4.1.19

South Haven High School senior John Ellis (left) is shown with freshman Damon Jackson. Ellis, who got to know Jackson, when both were playing football for the Rams in the fall, is organizing a basketball game fundraiser to help Jackson and his family, who lost their father a month ago to cancer.

An act of kindness

South Haven senior plans basketball fundraiser to benefit freshman's family

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

South Haven High School senior John Ellis enjoys theater. So when he had to come up with an idea for his senior project it seemed like a no-brainer – he'd raise money to take a group of middle school students to their first-ever professional theatrical production.

But when high school freshman Damon Jackson lost his father, 39-year-old Carnell Jackson, to cancer a month ago, Ellis changed his mind.

“When I heard about what happened to Damon's family, I dropped my project and decided to put all the funds toward his family,” said Ellis. He plans to raise the money by organizing a charity basketball game featuring members of the girls and boys varsity basketball teams competing against high school and middle school teachers staff. The game is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m., Thursday, April 18 in the high school gym. Tickets are $5 each.

“We've got some good players lined up for the student team,” Ellis said.

The high school team consists of boys and girls varsity basketball players Kial Ferguson, Jaylin Fox, Graham Ruppert, Nathan Laskowski, Brenden Williamson, Andre Cobbs, Maddy Sardina, Grace Lyons and Jordyn Holland. While the staff team includes high school English teacher Jake Crow, high school social studies teacher Cory Salyer, Athletic Director Adam Verseput, high school special education teacher Jennifer Otto, high school social studies teacher Mark Eddy, high school math teacher Kelly Ludwig, high school special education teacher Jason Montgomery, Assistant High School Principal Ryan Williamson and Baseline Middle School behavior interventionist Isley West.

When Damon Jackson found out what Ellis was planning he was surprised.

“I was so happy. I couldn't put it into words,” he said.

Erin O'Neil, English teacher and theater director, who oversees Ellis's senior project, was also pleased with his decision to help Jackson's family.

“As the theatrical director I, of course, was thrilled with John's original project,” she said. “However I was not surprised in the least that John immediately changed his project to benefit a fellow Ram in need - that is simply indicative of the young man he is.”

The senior projects that are required by senior English teachers O'Neil and Jake Crow are referred to as “20 Time” projects. They were inspired by Google which allows their employees to use 20 percent of their time to work on any project of their choosing, O'Neil explained.

“20 Time projects allow students to also pursue their passions,” O'Neil said. “For these projects, seniors are given the task to create a project that will benefit others or the community. They can create any project they like, the only caveat is that they have to benefit someone other than themselves.”

Ellis got to know Damon Jackson earlier this year when both were playing football for the Rams teams. Ellis was playing varsity, while Jackson suited up for the freshman team.

Even though they differed in age, Ellis got to know Damon Jackson by the end of the fall season.

“I tried to reach out to the younger players. That's what the older players did for me,” Ellis said. “It's one big football family.”

When Damon Jackson's father died in February, Ellis said he felt he had to do something to help him.

“He is a good kid and his family doesn't deserve to go through what they have,” Ellis said. “I found myself in a situation where I had the ability to help someone, so I felt as though I was obligated.”

Carnell Jackson was a graduate of South Haven High School and well liked. He fought a battle against cancer for five years before passing away Feb. 27. He had been employed as a line cook at Clementine's restaurant in South Haven for 10 years before becoming too ill to work.

He also stayed active coaching Little Rams basketball.

Damon Jackson recounted that his father coached his team.

“We went undefeated for three years under my dad,” he said.

Damon said what he liked most about his dad was his involvement in his children's lives.

“He would always be there for me and help me with school and sports,” Damon said.

Housing expert discusses the possibilities of affordable housing in lakeshore communities

The first speaker for the 2019 South Haven Speaker Series may be able to provide some insight for city officials who are making the creation of affordable housing a leading priority this year.

Ryan Kilpatrick, an affordable housing expert, is scheduled to open the series Thursday, April 11. His presentation, “Affordable Housing: Obstacles and Solutions in Lakeshore Communities,” will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Integrated Learning Center at South Haven High School, 600 Elkenburg St. A reception with the speaker will precede the program at 6:45 p.m. in the school cafeteria.

“Lakeshore communities and South Haven in particular have a huge stake in defining and developing affordable housing” said Mark Odland, Speakers Series chairman. “We believe Kilpatrick’s presentation will have a special appeal to impacted residents, employees, public officials, real estate folks, and others in the business community affected by housing and transportation issues.”

During his presentation, Kilpatrick plans to discuss ways in which 50 years of federal, state and local policy decisions have contributed to the shortage. He will then focus on a variety of local and regional solutions that could lead to a community's ability to create affordable housing opportunities.

Kilpatrick is executive director of Ottawa County Housing Next, a project in Ottawa County that

focuses on the development of housing, economic development, land use and transportation policy. Bridging the private and public sector, he is responsible for streamlining the development process to build more resilient communities in the county.

Prior to that he served as community assistance specialist with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and as director of community and economic development for the City of Douglas. Throughout his career he has had hands-on experience in a variety of planning issues and projects such as transportation planning, sustainable land use, development rights and finance, preservation and green infrastructure, tax abatement programs, brownfield redevelopment as well as community engagement and visioning processes.

Kilpatrick earned a master's degree in Design from Kendall College of Art and Design with an emphasis on social innovation and community development. Working with other professionals from a variety of fields he co-created a new program at Kendall that focuses on the design process for solving systemic problems with in-depth exploration of social enterprise, design-thinking and models of innovation.

His presentation will be the first at the Integrated Learning Center in South Haven High School. The center is located on the east side of the building. Those unfamiliar with the high school should use the main entrance with the statue of the Ram in front.

“The series grew to an average of 170 attendees in 2018 with two programs exceeding 200,” Odland said. “We simply outgrew the available space at Lake Michigan College. We are grateful to the staff there for hosting our events during the first four years of the Speaker Series programming.”

For its second event the Speaker Series will host Great Lakes advocate and author Peter Annin on May 9 at the Integrated Learning Center. His subject is “The Great Lake Compact: A Decade of Lessons Learned.” A revision of his book, The Great Lakes Water Wars, was released in the fall of 2018..



3.25.19

A group of youngsters and members of the new South Haven Kids Collaboration are shown receiving a commemorative check signifying an $11,225 donation from Women Who Care. Back row from left are Anna DeVries of Foundry Hall, Sondra Sutton and Anne Long from the Liberty Hyde Bailey Museum, and Pam Utke of Women Who Care. Front row from left are Raith Spies, Stella Sutton, Nevin Bultema and Landon McNulty. The Bailey Museum is spearheading efforts to create the South Haven Kids Collaboration.

Ahead of the curve

Women Who Care donations to local non-profits surpass the $100,000 mark

A women's group in South Haven has once again made a significant donation to help a non-profit.

Women Who Care of South Haven recently donated $11,225 to the Liberty Hyde Bailey Museum to lead efforts to start summer programs for youngsters.

According to Joan Hiddema of the museum's board of directors, the museum and other non-profit groups in South Haven are organizing South Haven Kids Collaboration to begin offering the programs.

The collaboration's intention is to offer the summer programs to children, regardless of their family's income level. Youngsters, who otherwise would not be able to afford to participate in the summer programs, will be provided financial assistance.

Some activities that are being planned involve music, art, theater, sports, sailing, science, environmental studies, writing, fishing, dancing and circus performance.

“The Bailey Museum is so pleased to be part of this unique program,” said Anne Long, chair of the Bailey museum's board. “It is so important that we care and educate our children.  One might say this program covers everything from A to Y (art to yachting) and everything in between, and it could not happen without the generous people of South Haven like Women Who Care and so many non-profits working together.”

South Haven Women Who Care celebrated its third anniversary in November of 2018. Since forming in 2015, the group has donated $116,425 to 10 organizations that benefit South Haven.

The concept of the group is quite simple. Each woman commits to pledging $100 per meeting, or four times per year.  At each meeting, an opportunity is provided for three members of the group to give a short presentation highlighting a local non-profit organization or agency in need. There is a chance to ask questions and then a vote is taken. The winner is announced and each member writes a check directly to the organization selected. No funds are retained by the organization.

For more information on Women Who Care – South Haven or to attend the next meeting, email womenwhocare.sh@gmail.com.  The group meets the first Wednesday evening of the month in February, May, September and November.

Bangor man charged for son's overdose death

By ALEXANDRA NEWMAN
HP Staff Writer

A Bangor man’s bond was set at $1 million Wednesday in connection with his son’s 2017 overdose death.
Gary Birkhead, 48, appeared in South Haven District Court on charges of homicide/involuntary manslaughter and second-degree child abuse, both felonies, related to the death of his son, Cole Birkhead.
Cole, 16, of Hartford died of a drug overdose Aug. 13, 2017, at Bronson Hospital Kalamazoo, according to a news release from the Michigan State Police.
State police Det. Sgt. Scott Ernstes said the investigation is still ongoing. The Van Buren County Prosecutor’s office issued the charges March 15 and Birkhead was arrested Tuesday, March 19.
basketball and baseball.
Birkhead is set to next appear in court for a probable cause hearing at 1 p.m. April 3 and for a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. April 10.
He remains in the Van Buren County Jail.
— Becky Kark of The South Haven Tribune contributed to this story.

Affordable housing tops city's goals for 2019-20

SH leaders hope to partner with townships, other groups to make it happen

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Every year, South Haven's city council develops a list of priorities members and staff hope to achieve. But this year's list, which the council adopted Monday, differs somewhat. Instead of focusing on ways to make improvements within the city's limits, council members are hoping to develop more extensive partnerships with surrounding townships and educational institutions for the betterment of the region as a whole.

One of the goals, for instance, involves improvement of the Interstate 196 Business Loop which includes the streets of Broadway and LaGrange avenues and a strip of M-140 Highway. Vacant older buildings dot portions of the corridor, sidewalks are lacking and, overall, the business loop doesn't look very appealing as the southern entryway leading to downtown.

“This could be a game changer,” City Manager Brian Dissette said. But the section of the business loop from Aylworth Avenue to Interstate 196 lays in South Haven Township.

“We need to pursue a partnership with South Haven Township,” Dissette said. “There is the potential where a corridor can be set up to provide incentives for redevelopment.”

Another partnership involves the promotion and expansion of workforce training for South Haven area residents.

“We would like to work with education systems to place a greater emphasis on workforce training,” Dissette said. Those educational partnerships would include South Haven Public Schools, Lake Michigan College and Van Buren Intermediate School District's technology center.

The city also hopes to forge better partnerships with South Haven and Casco townships to create more affordable housing for area residents. One possible option within the city limits is redevelopment of the Overton property. The site, located at the corner of Elkenburg Street and Indiana Avenue, once was home to the Overton factory. Several years ago, the city's Local Development Finance Authority purchased the site and demolished the building several years ago. Last year, the city hosted a visioning session with local residents and based on their input developed conceptual drawings of what could be developed at the former factory site in the future – including affordable housing.

“The LDFA has the luxury of making developments themselves, they can sell the property to private entities, or they can partner with the South Haven Housing Commission. There's a lot of ways to redevelop that site,” said Dissette, who anticipates the LDFA and city planning commission will host a joint session later this year to discuss the future of the Overton property.

A fourth partnership involves working with South Haven Public Schools to improve its outdoor sports fields and tennis court.

“This is something that will take a lot of effort,” Dissette said. “If you wish to stay competitive (in attracting families to South Haven) we've got to do better in working with schools to provide excellent recreation options.

The entire list of city priorities for the 2019-20 fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2019-June 30, 2020, follows:

Priority 1: Develop affordable housing options

• City Council will focus on the planning and execution of “missing middle” housing options

throughout the city. The effort will seek to provide market rate housing options which provides

single family, multi-family products, senior-housing products and downtown housing options.

• City leadership will work to plan and implement the redevelopment of the former “Overton” site.

• City leadership will work to organize joint planning sessions with the surrounding township

leadership to pursue new multi-family housing options.

• City leadership will work to implement the housing strategies described in the newly adopted

Master Plan.

Priority 2: Economic Development Efforts

• City Council will seek to participate in economic development efforts that provide benefit to the

South Haven area. As part of this effort, council will work to improve challenges facing the business community and create new marketing materials focused on promoting the existing business and industrial parks.

• City leadership will work to update the economic development strategic plan and to implement

that plan.

• City leadership will work with the leaders of South Haven Charter Township to pursue joint

economic development planning for the redevelopment of property along the M-140 corridor.

• City leadership will work with South Haven Public Schools, Lake Michigan College and the Van Buren Intermediate School District to provide workforce training.

Priority 3: Maritime District maintenance and improvements

• City Council will seek to improve the city’s Maritime District to ensure a economically viable harbor and marine industry.

• City leadership will continue the public review of the All Seasons Marina redevelopment and will

seek to implement the redevelopment plan.

Priority 4: Community recreation field improvements

• City Council will seek to partner with the leadership at South Haven Public Schools to plan and

implement improvements to the multi-sport fields owned by the school district.

Priority 5: Central Business District maintenance and improvements

• City Council will seek to plan and implement the reconstruction of Center Street within the Central

Business District.

• City leadership will partner with the local Downtown Development Authority to pursue

grant and loan funding for the project.

• City Council will seek to improve the city’s downtown Central Business District to ensure an economically viable downtown

• City leadership will seek to assist with the redevelopment of the former Hale properties along

Center Street.

• City leadership will seek to plan and implement a downtown shuttle bus to provide service to the

Central Business District during the summer months.

Priority 6: Management of Proposal One (legalized marijuana)

• City leadership will seek to provide management regarding whether to allow medical and/or recreational marijuana businesses to locate in town.

Priority 7: Public roads and infrastructure improvements and repairs

• City Council will focus on the planning and execution of pavement maintenance throughout the

city, while communicating the city’s short-term and long-term street construction plans.

Priority 8: Parks, public spaces and recreation

• City Council will plan to improve, maintain and seek funding for the city’s parks and

public spaces and seek funding for recreation opportunities for the community’s residents.

• City Council will seek to include the possible addition of Baer Park into the local park system.

• City Council will seek to bolster the community effort to be recognized by the State of Michigan

as a designated “Trail Town.”

Priority 9: Customer service and communication improvements

• City Council will seek to improve the city’s efforts towards customer service, community

engagement and communicating with residents, business leaders and visitors.

• City Council will seek to implement the management and enforcement of the adopted short-term

rental ordinance.

• City Council will seek to improve community outreach efforts. This shall include seeking

partnerships with South Haven Public Schools, South Haven Housing Commission and Senior Services of Van Buren County to host public meetings at their various sites.

Priority 10: Board training and professional development

• City Council will seek to continue efforts to offer training and development opportunities to the

city’s elected and appointed officials.



3.18.19

Miss Bangor Olivia Ellis is crowned Miss Blossomtime on Monday night at Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center. Ellis is a senior at South Haven High School, but her hometown is Bangor where she resides with her family. (Photo by Don Campbell of the Herald-Palladium)

Miss Bangor chosen as Miss Blossomtime

By RALPH HEIBUTZKI
For The Tribune

BENTON TOWN-SHIP — The chance to represent your area is enough of an incentive to go after a big title – just ask Olivia Ellis, Miss Blossomtime 2019.
Ellis took her first walk and made her first speech Monday night as Miss Blossomtime at Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center, as classmates and family members in the crowd yelled out their approval.
Asked how it felt hearing her name called, Ellis responded: “Crazy! I had no idea I’d be here today. I just wanted to represent my community well, and here I am, Miss Blossomtime.”
Ellis leads a court of Claudia Moore (first runner-up), Krystin Buist (second runner-up), and Maya Schuhknecht (Miss Congeniality).
Miss Blossomtime and her court join their male counterparts, Sincere Taylor (Mr. Blossomtime, Mr. Nice Guy), Jacob Smith (first runner-up) and Cody Wayne Adkins (second runner-up), who won their respective titles on Sunday night.
Asked what she most looks forward to seeing or doing for her yearlong reign, Ellis said: “Just growing in myself, and getting to meet so many new people.”
Ellis, 17, is a South Haven High School senior, and the daughter of Jim and Kelly Ellis, of Bangor. She’s on student council, is a member of the National Honor Society, and a sixth-grade camp counselor. She also plays softball and volleyball.
After graduation, Ellis plans to keep playing softball this fall at Manchester University, in Indiana, where she’ll study sports management. Her goal is work in major league baseball’s business side.
“I’m just excited for the year, and so thankful for this opportunity,” she said.
Moore’s position gives her the chance to wear the crown, in case Miss Blossomtime can’t fulfill her duties.
Moore, 17, is a senior at Berrien Springs High School. She is the daughter of James and Angela Moore, of Galien.
“It’s so thrilling – my goal is just to make it through the night, and I did it,” said Moore, laughing.
Moore plays piccolo in the school band and enjoys computer coding, which she’ll study this fall at Western Michigan University. Her goal is to be a computer technician.
Buist, 17, is a senior at Bridgman High School. She’s the daughter of Joel and Sarah Buist, of Bridgman. Her featured activities focus on sports, including cheer, softball, track and volleyball.
Asked what she looks forward to most doing this year, Buist responded, “Getting to know the girls on court, and just getting to ride in the (Blossom) parade, on the Blossomtime float.”
Buist will attend cosmetology school this fall and plans to become a stylist.
Schuhknecht won her title by a vote of her fellow contestants. She’s 18, a senior at Buchanan High School, and is the daughter of Michael and Jennifer Schuhknecht, of Buchanan.
“I’m super overwhelmed, just excited and grateful that they gave me the opportunity,” she said.
Schuhknecht also won the Miss Spirit pageant, which is open to all local first runners-up, in January.
She plays basketball and tennis, is a National Honor Society member, and enjoys drawing and painting to express herself.
After graduation she plans to study advertising and graphic design at Michigan State University. She wants to become a graphic designer.
Twenty-three young women competed for the Miss Blossomtime title.
Audience members got their first look at them during Sunday’s Mr. Blossomtime pageant, where the queen contestants joined their male peers for a series of lip syncing and dance routines set to hit songs from the 1950s through today.
Both groups also had to answer a final question, which the judges used to settle the top 10 finalists.
The male contestants’ question focused on this year’s theme, “America: The Places You’ll Go,” while the women had to tell co-host Phil McDonald what personal qualities they’d bring to the court, if chosen for it.
Monday’s contestants also got the chance to strut their stuff in a dance routine set to the Andrew Sisters’ World War II anthem, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” with 1940s-era costumes to match.
Other featured entertainment included Kelly Preston, Miss Outstanding Teen 2017, singing the national anthem. Lainie Lu Von Behren and McDonald returned to host the show, while James E. Campbell, Brandy Godush Cox and Bret McAtee served as the judges.
Anna Abdelnour, Jeff Alisch, Anita Harmer and Greg Pesko served as the production team for this year’s pageant.
Brittany Gallagher and Alyssa Lindenmulder choreographed Monday’s program, while Sydner Harner choreographed Sunday’s event.
Both courts will now spend their next year making the rounds of the community, culminating with their appearance in the Grand Floral Parade – which is set for 1 p.m. Saturday, May 4 in downtown St. Joseph.
Now in its 113th year, the parade is the largest, oldest multi-community event of its kind, and closes out Blossomtime Festival week.
For more information about the parade, or Blossomtime- related events, visit www.blossomtime festival.org.

South Haven Area Regional Airport named 'Airport of the Year'

By KIM INGALLS

For the Tribune

South Haven Area Regional Airport has been named Airport of the Year in the General Aviation Airport category by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Office of Aeronautics.

This is the first time the local airport has received the award according to its Manager David Johnson.

Presented during the 2019 Michigan Airport Conference at the Kellogg Conference Center in East Lansing, the airport was recognized for its responsiveness in implementing significant safety enhancement projects to the runway approaches and operational safety.

“We’ve made a lot of improvements over the years - it was not just for one year,” Johnson said. “It (the award) was given for all the improvements.”

Some of those improvements, he said, involved making sure runways and approaches are clear and the lighting system properly maintained.

The Airport of the Year awards are based on accomplishments in the areas of community relations, airport management, airport maintenance activities and innovative activities and programs.

There are 234 airports across Michigan with 18 commercial service airports identified in MDOT's air carrier data reporting with scheduled passenger boardings.

Located four miles south of South Haven, the regional airport is considered a general utility public facility with a paved runway, pilot-controlled lighting, precision approach path indicator, hangars and tie-down space.

The Airport is a regional airport and is run jointly by City of Bangor, Casco Township, Covert Township, Geneva Township, South Haven Township, and the City of South Haven, with representatives from each on the board.

Being 'nice' important to school board

South Haven board first in the state to take the 'Be Nice' pledge

By BECKY KARK
Editor and
general manager

Pledging to help classmates who may be depressed or bullied isn't easy for kids. Yet, most of the students that attend South Haven Public Schools have made a pledge to do just that.
It's part of the “Be Nice” anti-bullying initiative created by the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan. Two years ago, South Haven Public Schools set a goal of incorporating the Be Nice program into all of its schools. This past month, the school district reached a milestone when its school board members agreed to join students and teachers in taking the Be Nice pledge to reach out and help people who may be suffering mentally or emotionally.
By doing so, the board became the first one in the state of Michigan to take the Be Nice pledge, according to Board of Education President Laura Bos.
“It’s very important to us that the students of our district know that their board of education sees and is proud of the work they are doing and supports their commitment to this important cause,” said Board President, Laura Bos regarding taking the pledge. “The board has been supportive of the Be Nice program since it first came to South Haven. We're proud to have been the first school board in Michigan to take the pledge because it shows our full support of this important initiative.
People who take the Be Nice pledge agree to the following action plan:
• Notice -  Notice changes in behavior and signs of depression in others
• Invite – Talk to the person and listen to them in a non-judgmental way
• Challenge – Challenge the stigma surrounding mental health issues and encourage the person to seek help or treatment.
• Empower – Make positive changes in your own life and in others by setting a good example.. Seek positive role models. Establish good coping skills and become familiar with mental health programs in your community where you and others can get help if needed.
The Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan created the Be Nice program in 2010 to provide a curriculum for school districts to use to help prevent bullying and suicide.
South Haven school officials introduced the program last year at the middle and high school levels and then expanded it to the elementary grades. The district could have chose other anti-bullying programs but was intrigued with the Be Nice program because of its emphasis on the larger issue of creating an atmosphere that promotes student well-being at all grade levels.
“We like that this program serves students in both elementary and secondary schools by addressing age-appropriate topics and needs,” said former K-12 director of curriculum for South Haven Public Schools Danielle Hendry during an interview last year about Be Nice. “Unlike other programs that simply focus on bullying or suicide prevention, this program focuses on mental health and supporting healthy children.”
The Be Nice program appears to be catching on well at the high school, which has a student committee that organizes activities based on the Be Nice initiative.
“It seems more students want to be involved not only in this program, but other programs whether it's mentorship programs, or programs that help build and foster a better school culture and community,” South Haven High School Principal Jerry Sardina said. “It is starting to change the way students treat each other. We have had a couple instances where students have reported to someone things they have noticed about another student possibly struggling. I have also noticed an increase in students who are more supportive of some of our struggling students or even disabled students, whether that disability is physical or mental. Every once in while you'll see positive student interactions between students you probably would have never seen interact in the past. It's a work in progress, but we are moving in the right direction.”

3.11.19

First responders from South Haven Area Emergency Services remove a motorist from a vehicle, following an accident, Wednesday, on County Road 687 in Geneva Township. (Photo courtesy of South Haven Area Emergency Services)

2 die in weather-related accidents

By BECKY KARK
Editor and general manager

After an elderly driver lost his life Tuesday in a pileup on Interstate 94 near Mattawan, winter's icy blast continued to wreak havoc on motorists, Wednesday, in Van Buren County.
Four cattle died early Wednesday morning after the trailer they were being transported in flipped over on Interstate 94 near Lawrence. Several hours later, Corey Mashburn, 31, of South Haven, was killed after losing control of his  vehicle on a rural road, east of South Haven.
Police have not yet released the name of the 89-year-old Kalamazoo County resident who suffered fatal injuries in Tuesday's multi-vehicle pileup.
Tuesday's fatal accident involving the Kalamazoo County resident began at 9 a.m. when  Michigan State Police from the Paw Paw post responded to a report of a pileup in the westbound lane of I-94 near the 66-mile marker.
The pile-up involved several dozen passenger vehicles and semi-tractor trailers, with approximately 30 vehicles sustaining damage, according to a State Police news release.
“One driver, an 89-year-old from Kalamazoo County, had fatal injuries as a result of the incident,” the news release stated. As of Wednesday, police had not yet released the victim's name or any other details surrounding the pileup because of the ongoing investigation. However, blowing snow and cold temperatures, which created slippery driving conditions, could have played a role.
The weather definitely played a role, police say, in another accident, Wednesday, on I-94 that claimed the lives of four cattle.
The incident occurred shortly before 2 a.m., Wednesday, morning on I-94 near Lawrence, according to State Police Lt. Ryan Schoonveld.
“The weather was pretty awful again with whiteout conditions and slippery roads,” Schoonveld said.
Police say a semi-trailer full of cattle was heading eastbound on the highway when the driver lost control, causing the vehicle and trailer to tip over on its side.
“There were 33 cattle, four were killed,” Schoonveld said. It took several hours to safely transport the cattle on other trailers. “Dealing with cattle proved to be quite a trick,” Schoonveld said.
Police were able to keep one lane open for traffic while removing the cattle from the accident scene.
“They (first responders) did a good job. Luckily there wasn't much traffic overnight and they were able to clear it up before morning rush hour,” Schoonveld said.
The fatal accident near South Haven, occurred at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, on County Road 687, near 8th Avenue in Geneva Township.
South Haven Area Emergency Services had to use the Jaws of Life rescue tool to extricate the motorist from the vehicle. Mahburn was immediately taken to Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries, according to a news release from the Van Buren County Sheriff's Department.
According to SHAES, the car was headed southbound on CR 687 when it left the road, traveled several hundred feet and sideswiped a tree, which caused the driver's side panels of the vehicle to be ripped off. The incident was still under investigation last week.

Public hearing set on Kids Corner's future

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

South Haven residents will have the chance to weigh in on whether city officials should seek state funds to replace the aging Kids Corner playground with a new one.

City council, Monday, voted to schedule a public hearing at 7 p.m., Monday, March 18 to seek comment on submitting two matching grant applications to help pay for a proposed $550,000 playground structure at Kids Corner playground, corner of St. Joseph and Monroe streets.

“We're facing the end-of-life cycle for Kids Corner playground and equipment,” City Manager Brian Dissette said. “Over the past couple of years staff has been discussing what can be done with it. The state has made it clear in writing they will no long grant funds to improve the current structure.”

The city hopes to obtain a $275,000 grant and will be applying for funds from the Michigan Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, according to Deb Davidson, communications director for the city.

If the city were to receive a grant it would have to match it with an additional $275,000.

“That can be from the general fund, mini-grants or cash donations,” Davidson said.

Kids Corner, which resembles a wooden fortress, was built in 1988 by community volunteers. Area residents donated money and equipment to build the large timber play structure. Leathers & Associates of Ithaca designed the structure and supervised the community build. Later Kids Corner playground was gifted to the city.

But Kids Corner, similar to other ones once located in lakeshore towns such as Grand Haven, Traverse City and Ludington, is showing signs of age.

“It doesn't meet ADA (American Disabilities Act) and is past its life-expectancy,” Department of Public Works Director Bill Hunter said. “It's 10 years past.”

According to a city staff report that council received, representatives from Leathers, Abonmarche consulting firm, and staff from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, including their playground safety personnel, have inspected the structure and all have concluded the existing wooden play structure is functionally obsolete and nonconforming with national safety standards.

Even if the city receives a grant, replacing Kids Corner will take time, Dissette cautioned.

“Are you going to be bulldozing the site in six months? No,” Dissette said.

If the council members give the go-ahead for city officials to apply for the grants, the city won't know until November whether it has received funding. If it does, construction wouldn't begin until sometime in 2020.

“It won't be a fast process,” Dissette said.

If the grant is received, Dissette said he anticipates community involvement in developing the new playground.

“We used a community build for the playground equipment at Elkenburg Park and that worked extremely well. Kids Corner will be a larger project, but there's no reason why we can't have a community build or engage youth in the design. This will be a very positive thing.”

South Haven sues former finance director

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

A former finance director for the City of South Haven, who was fired in November 2018 for alleged embezzlement, is now being sued by the city.

A lawsuit, filed Feb. 19 in Van Buren Circuit Court by attorney Gregory Longworth, seeks a judgment in the amount of $416,880 against former finance director Wendy Hochstedler and Daniel J. Beck, who resides at the same home as Hochstedler, according to court records.

The 10-count lawsuit alleges that between August 2015 and November 2018, Hochstedler and Beck racked up $138,216 in personal purchases using city-issued credit cards. Hochstedler is also being accused of taking a city-owned conference table with two base legs from her office when she was terminated from the city in November 2018. The table and legs were valued at $749, according to the lawsuit.

Hochstedler and Beck have up to 30 days to respond to the complaint, but as of Thursday, the court had not received any paperwork from either of them. Efforts to contact Hochstedler and Beck for comment on Thursday regarding the lawsuit allegations were not successful.

The lawsuit claims that most of the credit cards that were used to purchase personal items had been issued to employees who were no longer employed by the city at the time of the purchases. Some of the common purchases were for gasoline, restaurants, Paypal, and supplies from Menards, in addition to a washer and dryer and an engagement ring that Beck has allegedly purchased from a local jewelry store, furniture from Art Van, a Surface Pro 4 computer and repair of a four-wheeler.

According to the lawsuit, Beck made most of the purchases, as indicated in receipts that were reviewed by the city's auditing firm, Vredeveld Haefner LLC of Grand Rapids.

The lawsuit went on to claim the city was not aware of the purchases until 2018 when during the city's annual audit it was discovered that in September of 2017 an unusual purchase of a computer had been made using Hochstedler's city-issued credit card. City officials considered the purchase unusual because the city had an in-store account with the retailer involved and the city did not use that particular computer brand.

The computer purchase prompted further review of city finances where it was discovered that “numerous transactions” had been made between August 2015-November 2018 unrelated to city business. The transactions were difficult to detect initially because the purchases had been allocated to multiple accounts “apparently in an effort to conceal or prevent detection of the purchases,” according to the lawsuit.

Although it is alleged that Hochstedler and Beck made $138,216 in personal purchases with city-issued credit cards, the city is seeking $416,880 because under a state law the city can recover three times the amount of actual damages if Hochstedler and Beck are found guilty of statutory conversion, one of the 10 counts filed in the lawsuit. Other counts alleged include embezzlement, larceny, fraudulent misrepresentation, silent fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and civil conspiracy. Most of the charges stem from allegations that Hochstedler provided Beck one or more city-issued credit cards and that Hochstedler, while employed as finance director, covered up and concealed the purchases.

“We are incredibly disappointed in this breach of trust by an employee who was in charge of safeguarding public funds and the public interest,” Dissette said in January when it was publicly announced why Hochstedler had been terminated from her job.

In January, the city forwarded results of s forensic audit to Michigan State Police, but as of last week, it has not yet been determined whether criminal charges will be sought against Hochstedler or Beck, according to Dissette.

In the meantime, the city is still seeking a full-time finance director.





3.4.19

In this photo taken in 2016 on the beach at Casco Township Nature Preserve, Bob Bultema, a U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteer, measures the site where monitoring of shoreline debris will take place. As part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project, the Auxiliary surveys the beach at 28-day intervals throughout the year, collecting how much and what types of debris are being discarded into Lake Michigan and along its shoreline.

Program raises awareness about marine debris

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

For the past two years, members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary have traveled to a beach just north of South Haven to quietly figure out how much trash is discarded in the big lake and along its shoreline.

What they've found washed up on the beach may come as a surprise to some – lawn chairs, a broken 50-gallon Rubbermaid trash containers, metal engine components, even a set of concrete porch steps.

But it isn't the big items that cause the most concern for the marine debris monitors, it's the little ones – the plastic straws, bottle caps, styrofoam, cigarette butts, food wrappers, plastic film and mylar balloons.

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary safety patrols in Lake Michigan frequently retrieve Mylar balloons and attached ribbons before they can become entangled in a boat propeller and before they wash ashore, according to Paul Pagano, marine safety staff officer for the Coast Guard's St. Joseph Division and Kalamazoo Flotilla.

“Birds, turtles and other aquatic animals commonly mistake balloons for food, which can harm or even kill them,” he said.

Mylar balloons aren't the only marine debris causing potential harm. Marine animals and fish have also been known to become trapped in discarded fishing line, netting, even plastic beverage holders.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary's Ninth Western District Division 33, comprised of five flotillas in Southwestern Michigan and Northern Indiana, decided to get involved with monitoring marine debris in Lake Michigan as part of a federal program, overseen by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

According to information provided by NOAA, the project hopes to answer such questions as “how big is the marine debris problem?,” “Is it changing over time?” and “Which debris types are most common?”

Through regular monitoring, the NOAA hopes to identify ways to reduce or eliminate types of marine debris in the future.

More than 250 shoreline marine debris monitoring sites exist throughout North America, Canada, Central America and American islands in the Pacific Ocean, but the monitoring site north of South Haven is unique in that it is the NOAA's first freshwater site.

The freshwater monitoring site is located at the Casco Township Nature Preserve on the west side of Blue Star Highway near 107th Avenue. The site consists of 20 acres of land and 700 feet of Lake Michigan frontage.

Township Supervisor Allan Overhiser said the township thinks the monitoring program fits in well with the township's efforts a decade ago to establish a township-owned park overlooking Lake Michigan for local residents to enjoy.

“These types of education programs are good to have,” he said, referring to the monitoring program. “Our park is actually a preserve.”

The auxiliary conducted its first shoreline survey at the Casco Preserve in July of 2016. Surveys have continued ever since at 28-day intervals, weather permitting. The debris that is documented is removed from the shoreline and disposed of. Survey results are then entered into the NOAA's national database.

Hard plastics comprise the primary debris found on the Casco beach, followed by Styrofoam, according to Pagano. Mylar balloons, bottle caps, cigarette filters, and drinking straws are also major contributors to freshwater marine pollution. Auxiliary members noted a significant increase in debris during summer surveys.

Pagano also reported that “shotgun wadding is consistently washing ashore.”

The most likely source of the plastic wadding is from waterfowl hunting along the Black River and its tributaries, he went on to say. The wadding is discharged from the firearm and makes its way through the Black River watershed into Lake Michigan. Other items found on the beach during the surveys included building materials, aluminum cans, and beverage bottles.

The Auxiliary plans to continue its surveys and plans to add the Casco Township Nature Preserve shoreline to the St. Joseph Division's “Adopt-a-Beach” initiative.

The marine debris monitoring program as well as the Adopt-a-Beach initiative are designed to raise community awareness about protecting the Great Lakes, which Pagano said, “is a critical component to marine pollution prevention.”

To incorporate the goal of raising community awareness about marine pollution prevention, Pagano earlier this month explained the marine debris monitoring program to the Van Buren Voyagers 4-H Club.

“This was the first we have ever heard about the program,” said Denise Noble, secretary of the 4H troop. “We're hoping to help them out with volunteers.”

Noble thought the presentation fit in with the Voyagers programs, which focus on outdoor activities and events that involve youth.

“Our motto is “no child left inside,'” she said.





2.25.19

Youngsters are shown playing on a We-Saw a piece of playground equipment created by Shaped by Play, a company that specializes in making playground structures throughout the United States. The City of South Haven plans to install a We-Saw and two other pieces of playground equipment at Kids Corner Park this summer with grant funding it received last year from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund.

City to use grant to place smaller playground equipment at Kids Corner park

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

While South Haven city officials wait to see if they can land a grant to replace the Kids Corner playground structure, staff will be working on the installation of new, smaller playground equipment at the park, thanks to a $45,000 grant the city received last year from the DNR. The city had hoped to use the grant money to make improvements to the Kids Corner wooden playground structure, but the DNR informed city officials that state funds could not be used to make upgrades.

Earlier this month, the city Parks Commission chose three pieces of handicap-accessible play structures that will be located near the pavilion at Kids Corner.

The three structures from Shaped by Play are designed to encourage interactive group play. The OmniSpin Spinner is shaped somewhat like a square with room for a handful of youngsters. While kids sit inside the gently sloped structure's interior, someone can be on the outside of the structure spinning the youngsters seated inside. A speed control device prevents the Omnispin from being spun too fast.

The second piece of equipment, the Cozy Dome, is a structure, with holes on it, that children can either crawl on top of or inside. The third structure is called We-Saw. The We-Saw is similar to a see-saw, but is constructed to prevent children from harsh landings and allows more children to safely play on it.

Before city staff can obtain the equipment, the DNR will have to OK a request to spend the grant money after March 1.

The grant expires in March and Abonmarche consulting firm, which assisted in writing the original grant application free of charge, will request the extension, according to a city staff report. When the DNR approves the extension, it is hoped the playground equipment can be installed sometime this summer.

“Hopefully we can get it done by the end of the fiscal year (June 30),” South Haven Department of Public Works Director Bill Hunter said.

Changes in store for Kids Corner park

City plans to seek public comment on whether to replace wooden playground structure



By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

For the past couple of decades, communities along the Lake Michigan shoreline have been tearing down their community-built large, wooden playground structures because they're considered too dangerous and do not meet handicap accessible standards.

It looks like South Haven will soon be joining them by replacing the Kids Corner playground structure with one that is constructed of materials that are safer for children to use and is handicap accessible.

In March, South Haven City Council members plan to hold a public hearing to consider a resolution to raise money locally and apply for grant funding from Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund's Land Water Conservation Fund to build a safer, handicap-accessible structure. The council is taking up the issue after the city's Parks Commission voted late last year to build a new structure, rather than raise money locally to make needed improvements. Commissioners chose to suggest a new structure after they found out state grants could not be used for upgrades.

Like many community-built playgrounds that were built in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Kids Corner play structure is constructed of wood and resembles a fortress. But its sharp edges and hard surfaces can cause serious injuries for children.

“Up and down the lakeshore from Traverse city to South Haven, communities that have these structures have been replacing them,” Department of Public Works Director Bill Hunter told South Haven city council members, Monday. “Grand Haven is the most recent one.”

In 2018 Grand Haven debuted its $600,000, 10,000-square-foot Imagination Station 2.0 playground that was designed by area children and constructed by area residents.

South Haven Parks Commission has examined several different types of large, playground structures that have been built throughout the United States and anticipates one similar in size to the one at Kids Corner will cost approximately $550,000.

If the DNR's Land Water Conservation Fund awards South Haven a grant for a new playground structure it would pay for 50 percent of the project's cost.

2.11.19

Vicki Amberg, stands in front of the historic Gerstner Hardware Store in Glenn. Amberg and her husband Robert, who have owned the store for the past 15 years, recently sold it and plan to donate the store's entire inventory to Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity, which builds affordable homes for low-income residents in Ottawa and Allegan counties.

Leaving a lasting legacy

Couple sells historic hardware store in Glenn; Donates its inventory to Habitat for Humanity

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

GLENN — When Robert and Vicki Amberg decided to close their hardware store and the historic building it is located in, they wondered what to do with all of the goods inside.

“I always say we have one of nearly everything,” Vicki said, while walking up and down the store's aisles, crammed with paint products, plumbing, electrical and cleaning supplies, fasteners, tools, chains, even vintage games like “Cutie” and “Bingo.”

Then the Ambergs hit on an idea – why not donate the entire inventory to an organization that makes people's lives better, an organization like Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity?

“It started as a small discussion with them,” Vicki said. “We were very impressed with their staff. The more we discussed it, it (the decision to donate the store's inventory) just evolved.”

Lakeshore Habitat, which is based in Holland, is a ministry that builds affordable homes for low-income residents who otherwise would not be able to afford to buy them.

The ministry serves Ottawa County and a portion of Allegan county and its volunteers have built more than 150 homes since the ministry began in 1990. Habitat also runs a retail shop, called ReStore, which sells affordable housewares to people.

“This large donation of quality tools will allow us to upgrade our current house building supplies and sell the rest to the community through the Holland ReStore,” said Lakeshore Habitat's Executive Director Don Wilkinson. “Profits from the ReStore help Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity build and repair homes for families in Ottawa and Allegan counties.”

The Ambergs have owned Gerstner's Hardware for the past 15 years. The rambling, tall, two-story structure, located at 6988 114^th Ave., has been a fixture in town since the late 1800s.

The Ambergs, who reside in Kalamazoo but had had a second home in Glenn for the past 24 years, were always intrigued by the building..

“We love this town,” Vicki said. “When the building came up for sale, we thought it was an opportunity to continue on here and help the Glenn community.”

The Ambergs helped the community in a very tangible way in 2011 when the U.S. Postal Service announced plans to close the Glenn Post Office as part of a national consolidation program.

“Closing it would mean Glenn was going to lose its zip code,” Vicki said. “We said, let's save this if we can.'”

The Ambergs did. They and other town leaders met with Post Office representatives and an agreement was forged to have the post office relocate to a separate room inside the store.

There, throughout the week, mail carrier Rachelle Lacy sorts letters and packages and places them in P.O. slots for local residents to pick up.

Although Glenn only has several hundred residents, they do manage to keep Lacy busy with her job.

“They get a lot of mail and packages here,” she said.

Luckily, the post office will remain open when the store's new owner, Patrice Greene, arrives to open a new business, The Vintage Bee Company, a shop that specializes in unique furniture pieces and home décor, as well as other products.

“I feel like we found the perfect buyer,” Vicki said, regarding Greene's willingness to let the post office remain.

Feb. 16 is the last day Gerstner's will remain open. However, the post office will continue to be open for customers.

“The hardware store may be closing but this building will be continuing on in Glenn, just in a different way,” said Vicki, whose family still intends to be active in the community after the store is sold.

Gerstner's Hardware has been a focal point in Glenn for years

Glenn may be a small, unincorporated four-corners town in Allegan County, but its local residents and business owners are very proud of their heritage.

You can see it in the preservation of 19^th century buildings that have been preserved and are still in use. Ones such as Gerstner's Hardware store.

The store was built in the late 1800s by George Clapp as a general store.

According to Glenn historian Jeanne Hallgren, Clapp not only spent his time as a store owner, he also was the town undertaker.

“The intricacies of his trade were conducted in the basement,” Hallgren wrote in her history book, “In and Around Glenn.” “Coffins were kept on the second floor and the horses and hearse were kept in the old barn out back,” she wrote.

Clapp sold the building in 1918 to Jim and Rose Roboyler who converted it to a hardware store that they ran until 1945.

It was then that Ed and Georgia Gerstner moved from Chicago to purchase the building and business.

Georgia wanted to continue to operate the business as a hardware store, but she wanted to change things up a bit.

“She wanted to have merchandise that would bring women and children into the store as well,” Hallgren wrote. “So she began to order a few household items and small things that would interest children.”

A favorite for children were the varieties of penny candy Georgia ordered.

“When her salesman told her that the price of candy was going up, she bought a huge supply so that she would have penny candy for a long time,” Hallgren wrote.

The store's current owners Robert and Vicki Amberg and their 8-year-old daughter are continuing Georgia's tradition.

“My daughter wanted to start a vintage candy display, so we now have one at the counter. My daughter appointed herself as the candy manager.”

Anti-pot group raises possibility of referendum

South Haven planners given 6 months to make recommendations

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

While South Haven city officials move full steam ahead on determining whether to allow medical and recreation marijuana-related businesses in town, a group is trying to get them outlawed.

City Council members voted Monday to ask the planning commission to study which, if any type of businesses will be allowed to set up shop. Council members also passed a second motion to introduce an ordinance to prohibit marijuana establishments to locate in town for the next six months while the planning commission completes its study. The proposed ordinance is expected to be formally adopted at the Feb. 18 council meeting.

“This (legalization of medical and recreational marijuana) is not an easy topic. It's very divisive,” said Mayor Scott Smith in reference to residents who have come to city council meetings over the past several months to voice opinions, both pro and con about cannabis-related businesses locating in town. A majority of South Haven residents – 52 percent – voted in favor of Proposal 1 in November, which legalized recreational marijuana in Michigan.

But the Concerned Citizens of South Haven, a group opposed to legalization of any form of marijuana, continues to ask city council to “opt out” of the new Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana

Act.

In fact, one of its members claims the citizens group plans to go one step further.

“We're going to petition for an ordinance to completely prohibit marijuana businesses in the city,” Jim Sankofski told council members. “In other words, bring it to a public vote.”

Sankofski was referring to a provision of the new Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act that that lets citizens determine whether they want to “opt out” from letting pot businesses locate in their towns. To get the ball rolling, an individual or group needs to gather at least 5 percent of local voters who cast ballots in the 2018 election, according to Healthy and Productive Michigan, a group that is urging communities throughout the state to “opt out” of the new pot law. Next petitioners would need to craft a ballot proposal for a regularly held election and get enough community support to pass the initiative.

Whether the Concerned Citizens of South Haven will do so remains to be seen, but in the meantime, the city council wants to proceed.

“We have voters who voted for it (recreational pot), that's the reality,” Smith said. “There's pros and cons that can be discussed all day long. We want to give the planning commission time to study this.”

Planners will base their study on several recommendations that the city council came up with at a special meeting in January.

Specifically, planners will be asked to:

• Determine which of five different types of medical and recreational marijuana-related businesses can locate in town, with the exception of micro-businesses (which would be similar to micro breweries). The five business types that will be studied are retail outlets, transportation companies, growing operations, testing facilities and processing plants.

• If certain business types are allowed, limit each type to no more than 1 or 2 facilities.

• Prohibit storefront marijuana businesses downtown.

• Provide regulations to mitigate odor to the fullest extent possible

• Provide regulations to address site security, building aesthetics, hours of operation, waste storage and disposal and other issues in a manner consistent with best practices in similar communities.

Planners will have until July 31 to submit their proposed ordinance addressing both medical and recreational marijuana businesses.

Snow days may extend school year for some districts

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

School officials throughout Southwest Michigan are beginning to keep their eye on the number of snow days that have been accumulating this winter.

School district leaders called off school for a day or two at the start of the winter season, but the snow days began to pile up with the winter storm that began Jan. 28 and continued through Jan. 31, bringing with it blowing snow and frigid temperatures.

Many school districts ended up canceling school for the entire week pushing their state-allotted snow days to the limit.

Bangor Public Schools is one of those districts.

“Bangor has missed 10 days, nine for snow- and weather-related, and one for a water main break near South Walnut Elementary, Bangor Public Schools Superintendent Lynn Johnson said.

Michigan Department of Education allows public schools to close up to six days for inclement weather or other emergency situations. Days missed after that have to be made up, either at some point during the school year or summer break.

Like Bangor, South Haven Public Schools has also exceeded the state's snow-day limit by one day.

“I'm not entirely sure yet whether or not we will have to make up days at the close of the school year,” South Haven Superintendent Kevin Schooley said. “This will depend on how many more days we lose due to weather.”

Schooley is taking a wait-and-see attitude because school districts can request a waiver from the state department of education that would allow for three additional days off for inclement weather or other emergency situations.

According to state law, public school district officials can request another three days to be forgiven when pupil instruction is not provided in a district due to unusual and extenuating occurrences resulting from conditions not within the control of school authorities.

Johnson said Bangor intends to apply for the three-day waiver, but will wait to do so until sometime in March as inclement winter weather begins to decline.

“From my understanding, you must first exhaust any other days that are currently open on the calendar,” Johnson said. For example, if you had a mid-winter break scheduled in February say for a Friday and Monday, you need to relinquish those days first before you can request additional days.”

Bangor unfortunately doesn't have any open dates for the remainder of the school year.

South Haven does have one open date that it can use to make up for one of the days students missed due to bad weather, according to Schooley.

“We do have a day built into the calendar that we may need to use,” said Schooley who also intends to apply for the three-day waiver. But like Johnson, he too, will wait until winter comes to a close.

and I will apply for the waiver, but later when we can feel a bit more comfortable about winter coming to a close.

Even though students could be making up snow days later this year, school district officials say they're more concerned about protecting students and staff from harmful weather conditions.

“We never get too worked up concerning snow days,” said Covert Public Schools Superintendent Bobbi Morehead. “Our teacher’s union is really good about doing what’s best for students. We will make adjustments as needed, collaboratively, with the best interests of our students in mind.”

Johnson and Schooley agreed.

“I don't take (mounting number of snow days) into account when deciding on whether or not it is safe for our kids and staff,” Schooley said.





2.4.19

Family, friends honor fallen soldier

Funeral for Cpl. Cole Wixom of Bloomingdale took place Saturday

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

BLOOMINGDALE — Funeral services took place Saturday for a U.S. Army soldier from Bloomingdale who died earlier this month during a training exercise.

Family and friends of fallen Army Cpl. Cole Wixom gathered at 11 a.m. at Bloomingdale High School to honor his life.

Wixom, who entered the Army nearly three years ago and completed a tour of duty in Afghanistan, received full military honors. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also orded U.S. And Michigan flags within the State Capitol complex and on all state buildings lowered to half-staff on Saturday to coincide with Wixom's military funeral.

“The decision to join our armed services is the greatest act of patriotism a citizen can make,” Whitmer said in a prepared statement. “Our state and our nation will forever be indebted to Cpl. Wixom as we owe our freedom to his courageous actions. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.”

A native of West Michigan, Wixom grew up in Bloomingdale, and graduated from Bloomingdale High School in 2013. He was stationed in western Texas at Fort Bliss.

On Jan. 22 Wixom was killed on U.S. Route 54 during a training exercise in Otero County, New Mexico. The crash involved two Interim Armored Vehicle (IAV) Strykers, an eight-wheeled, personnel carrier-infantry fighting vehicle used by the U.S. Army.Seven other soldiers were wounded.

The Army is still investigating the crash.

“Cole was most likely in the gunner position,” said his mother, Robyn Wixom, in an interview last week. Gunners, she explained, are typically positioned on top of the military vehicle, manning its guns.

Wixom had been serving in the U.S. Army since late summer 2016. After basic training, he served a 10-month tour of duty in Afghanistan. He then returned to the United States in September of 2017 and had been stationed at Fort Bliss.

“He just re-enlisted and was supposed to go to Tacoma, Wash.,” his mother said. Wixom leaves behind his wife, Abbi, his parents and three brothers.

In spite of Cole Wixom's untimely death in the Army, his mother said she and her family are very proud of their son's military service as well as all of his accomplishments while growing up in Bloomingdale.

“He showed animals at the Allegan County Fair from 4 years old and up,” Robyn Wixom said. “He was on our county's 4H dairy team. He also played baseball (for Bloomingdale High School). He was a really neat person, super positive with a great sense of humor. People liked to be around him.”

Bloomingdale High School Athletic Director Alan Farnquist echoed those sentiments in a written statement.

“Cole Wixom was an outstanding young man who brightened any room, and who truly loved his family and his friends. He challenged himself to work hard, always gave you his best effort, and did so with a great sense of humor. He was not necessarily someone that ever tried to be the center of attention, in fact he was quite the opposite, very humble.  But he had an incredible wit about him, that made him very popular with his fellow classmates.  He was a lot of fun and people were drawn to him.”

County plans to replace historic courthouse's roof

By ROD SMITH

For the Tribune

PAW PAW — Van Buren County will be spending more than half million dollars to replace the historic courthouse roof.

Commissioners Tuesday approved a contract with Kalamazoo-based Hoekstra Roofing Company for $503,595.

It's a job that's been talked about for several years and is part of the county's capital improvement plan, according to County Administrator John Faul.

The courthouse is 118 years old and the bell tower where the clocks are located, was done around the turn of this century. Faul said the remainder of the roof was worked on before that.

It's a big, complex job, Faul explained. The roof is located on top of a three-story building and is covered in terracotta, not asphalt shingles. Terracotta is a type of clay-based ceramic. It'll all be torn off to the baseboards and replaced.

"It's not fixing it," Faul said. "It's a total roof replacement."

Faul said the county hopes to start the project when the weather clears in the spring.

In other matters, commissioners approved a three-year contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) for three years. AFSCME represents employees of Van Buren Public Transit. Bus drivers and other staff represented by the union will receive two percent raises each year.

The contract is retroactive to Jan. 1 of this year.

Commissioners also adopted new bylaws stating that the chair's term is for one year and limited to four years in a row. The current chair is Richard Godfrey.

Other matters included in the bylaws are makeup of the board, committee structure, conduct, powers and duties, and meeting schedules.

8 file for Bangor City Council seats in upcoming election

By KIM INGALLS

For the Tribune

BANGOR - Eight candidates have filed petitions to be on the ballot for the May 7 city council election according to Bangor City Clerk Laura Roe.

Former council member Steve Lowder, 7 W. Arlington, along with Darren Williams, 207 E. Cass, will be vying for the mayor’s seat currently held by Nick Householder, who is not running for re-election.

The other council candidates include incumbent Lynne Farmer of 217 Prospect, Ethel Bartlett of 20 E. Monroe and Amber Burger of 702 W Arlington, who are seeking two three-year term seats.

Because of resignations of council members Harold Bator and Steve Lowder, there is one partial 2-year term and one partial 1-year term opening. Jovita Alcaraz of 112 W High St.,  has filed for the 2-year term and Jim France of  1407 Greenhouse Road and Rebecca Eisner of 28 Wheeling will compete for the partial 1-year term.

Candidates had until Jan. 22 to gather 30-60 signatures and submit their petition to city hall. City residents who file now have to run as a write-in candidate.







1.28.19

Soldier from Bloomingdale dies during training exercise

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

An Army soldier from Bloomingdale who was killed during a training exercise Tuesday, Jan. 22, is expected to receive full military burial honors this week.

Funeral services are tentatively being planned for the weekend of Feb. 1, according to family members of Cpl. Cole Wixom, who was stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, where the accident occurred.

Wixom, who graduated from Bloomingdale High School in 2013, was one of two soldiers killed when two eight-wheel, armored Army Stryker military vehicles crashed into each other at the intersection of U.S. 54 and McGregor Range Road about 30 miles from El Paso, according to a report from the Associated Press. Seven other soldiers were wounded.

The Army is still investigating the crash.

“Cole was most likely in the gunner position,” said his mother, Robyn Wixom, explaining that position was one that her son usually undertook. Gunners are typically positioned on top of the military vehicle, manning its guns.

Wixom had been serving in the U.S. Army since late summer 2016. After basic training, he served a 10-month tour of duty in Afghanistan. He then returned to the United States in September of 2017 and had been stationed at Fort Bliss.

“He just re-enlisted and was supposed to go to Tacoma, Wash.,” his mother said. Wixom leaves behind his wife, who will be coming to Bloomingdale for the funeral services.

“She's extremely sad over all of this,” Robyn Wixom said.

In spite of Cole Wixom's untimely death in the Army, his mother said she and her family are very proud of their son's military service as well as all of his accomplishments while growing up in Bloomingdale.

“He showed animals at the Allegan County Fair from 4 years old and up,” Robyn Wixom said. “He was on our county's 4H dairy team. He also played baseball (for Bloomingdale High School). He was a really neat person, super positive with a great sense of humor. People liked to be around him.”

Bloomingdale High School Athletic Director Alan Farnquist echoed those sentiments in a written statement.

“Cole Wixom was an outstanding young man who brightened any room, and who truly loved his family and his friends. He challenged himself to work hard, always gave you his best effort, and did so with a great sense of humor. He was not necessarily someone that ever tried to be the center of attention, in fact he was quite the opposite, very humble.  But he had an incredible wit about him, that made him very popular with his fellow classmates.  He was a lot of fun and people were drawn to him.”

SH city officials plan to take legal action against ex-employee

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

South Haven city officials plan to take legal action against a former employee who was fired in late November for allegedly embezzling money from the city.

City officials learned about the alleged misuse of city funds after receiving an audit of the 2017-18 fiscal year budget. The audit, prepared by Vredeveld Heafner CPAs and Consultants of Grand Rapids, indicated that the employee had used city-issued credit cards to make personal purchases. The Herald-Palladium is not publishing the suspect’s name because no charges have been filed.

“Although you had a clean audit, there was non-compliance noted related to misdirection of city funds used for non-city purposes,” auditor Doug Vredeveld told city council members Monday. “The city has a good policy for review of credit cards and journal entries, but...they were not being followed.”

Auditors became suspicious about the credit card activity when they began auditing the 2017-18 books in July. “City credit card (purchases) were not reconciled since August of 2017,” Vredeveld said. “We discovered that in July and went forward and found what we found.”

After discovering discrepancies in credit card purchases during the 2017-18 fiscal year, Vredeveld Heafner CPA firm was asked by city officials to conduct a forensic audit.

The forensic audit revealed at least three years of fraudulent charges made on credit cards, according to City Manager Brian Dissette.

City officials are not releasing how much money was taken, but plan to pursue civil charges against the former employee.

“We are incredibly disappointed in this breach of trust by an employee who was in charge of safeguarding public funds and the public interest,” Dissette said in a prepared statement. “Our just-completed forensic audit will provide a clear and detailed accounting of the fraudulent charges that occurred so we can seek reimbursement and a civil remedy through the courts.”

Dissette also said results of a recently completed forensic audit have been forwarded to Michigan State Police.

“We have shared the forensic audit with the Michigan State Police to ensure they have the detail needed to pursue criminal felony charges,” Dissette said. “We are working to put additional safeguards in place to protect the public’s money and look forward to sharing additional details with our residents as they become available.”



SH lands grant for new fish-cleaning station at Black River Park

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

If all goes as planned, anglers who come to South Haven this summer to fish will be able to clean their catch at a new fish-cleaning station.

The city is the recipient of a $150,000 grant from the Great Lakes Fishery Trust to help pay for construction of a $300,000 ADA accessible fish-cleaning station at Black River Park. The city will provide the $150,000 match from its marina and Black River Park funds, whose revenues come from fees paid by users of the city's marinas, boat launch and parking services. No general fund money will be spent on it.

The new station will replace the current one which is more than 20 years old. City officials have said the station's equipment is outdated and that the station, itself, is not large enough to deal with the number of anglers who would like to use it.

“The grinder on the existing fish cleaning station is a glorified food processor that is in regular need of maintenance,” said Carolyn Smeltzer, a business development assistant at Abonmarche, who wrote the grant application for a new fish-cleaning station. “The city received feedback from numerous anglers that the existing facility is inadequate in size to support demand, and they frequently have to wait for long periods to use the site, or give up and leave. The fishing population has desired a larger facility for several years.”

Now that the city has been awarded the grant, plans will soon proceed for construction of a fish-cleaning station with eight cleaning tables, including an ACA accessible table; a cooler washing station; commercial sprayers; draining racks, internal LED lighting for evening use; and cutting boards. In addition, vending machines with ice and bait will be available at the new station. Signage will also be placed near the station to inform the public about the best methods to clean fish and the common fish species found in surrounding waters. The city hopes the station will be ready for use by the end of July.

The new fish-cleaning station will be built next to the new universally accessible fishing pier at Black River Park and renovated restrooms.

The current fish-cleaning station is located in the section of the park where people have to pay to park in order to access the public boat launch. However, the new station can be accessed from a no-fee parking area. Use of the station will also be free of charge.

The new fish cleaning station is part of more than $500,000 worth of improvements that have occurred at Black River Park over the past several years. Those improvements include the universally accessible fishing pier, renovated restrooms and shower stalls; parking lot improvements, a new access drive and new skid piers.



1.21.19

South Hvaen officials study options for cannabis businesses

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Although no decision has been formally made, South Haven City Council members appear favorable to considering some marijuana-related businesses in town.

Council met Monday for a work session to give the planning commission input on whether or not to allow medical and recreational cannabis businesses locate within the city limits.

“It's a challenging issue,” Mayor Scott Smith said to a full house of citizens at city hall. “There are very different thoughts on this. We're here to discuss various business types; if we want them and what types.”

The new state law, passed by Michigan voters in November of 2018, creates six different types of recreational marijuana-related businesses: retail outlets; transportation companies; growing operations; testing facilities; processing plants; and micro-businesses that would be allowed to grow, process and sell cannabis.

The majority of council members said they would consider allowing all types, except for micro-businesses. Council members also appeared to be split 3-3 on whether to allow retail establishments. Council members that favored further study of marijuana businesses said if pot establishments are allowed, stipulations should be placed on them.

Council members said pot-related businesses should be limited in number, located in industrial sections of town, located 1,000 feet away from other businesses, not be allowed in residential areas, and take steps to control cannabis odor.

Right now, entrepreneurs could essentially develop recreational-related marijuana businesses in South Haven, but whether they can do so anytime soon remains to be seen.

“This new law is as clear as mud,” said Jennifer Rigterink, legislative associate for the Michigan Municipal League, who was in attendance at the meeting to answer council members' questions. “There's a lot of uncertainty,” she went on to say. “The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (which would be in charge of issuing licenses to marijuana establishments) has to promulgate rules. Until the rules are set in place there are questions we cannot answer.”

As a result of the uncertainty of the law, a number of communities throughout Michigan have chosen to opt out of the new law temporarily to spend more time determining the ramifications of allowing marijuana businesses to exist in their towns.

“This same conversation is happening in council chambers across the state,” Rigterink said.

South Haven city council appeared ready in December to opt out of the recreational marijuana law for up to a year to give the planning commission time to study the issue, but when the proposal came up for a vote it failed in a 3-3 tie.

However, city officials have taken up the issue once again to have a say in determining what if any medical and recreational marijuana businesses to allow.

Some people in the audience said the city is taking too much time to study whether to let marijuana businesses in town.

“It's prolonging the inevitable,” said Kendra Kingsbury. “Now that we have this thing that's legal, let's make it inconvenient for our residents? It's legal now. We'll all have to get used to it.”

Pat Clausen, who owns the Curve Inn, worries that if marijuana businesses are banned in town, pot will be sold illegally.

“Because you don't have a place for people to buy it, you're going to have a crowd of people selling out of their pockets...The risk of violence is substantial,” she said.

Clausen and another citizen, Pam Chappell, asked council members to reconsider whether to allow pot-related micro-businesses.

“In view of the popularity of microbreweries, what's the difference? It's (recreational marijuana) not illegal anymore,” Chappell said.

But other people in the audience think the city should steer clear of allowing any type of marijuana-related businesses.

“Those who need medical marijuana in our area have access to it,” said Cathy Sicard, a member of the Concerned Citizens of South Haven, a group opposed to marijuana businesses. “Those who choose recreational marijuana (in their homes) can still do it. We ask the city to opt out on any and all facilities in our community. Opt out for the greater good and safety of our community.”

Jim Sankofski, who owns Bunde's Bakery Cafe along with his wife, Rachel, said he's already dealing with the negative effects of legalized marijuana and doesn't like it.

“Since the law passed we've had two instances where our business is surrounded by marijuana (odor) coming from cottages to the north and south of our business,” he said. “Children and grandchildren could smell it. If it were me, I'd say, 'let's get the heck out of here.' Where is it going to take my business? There has to be other businesses that feel the same way.”

One business in town could profit from the new recreational marijuana law. Scott Wall, owner of New Age Laboratories, said his company would qualify to obtain a license as a marijuana safety compliance lab.

“Since the law passed we have not had a day go by without a person calling us wanting to do business,” he said. “This would equate to a quarter-million dollar business.” Jobs created would be geared to college graduates. The jobs would be “well-paying,” Wall said.

BBB: Fake websites leads top 10 scams

The Better Business Bureau serving Western Michigan has compiled the top scams of 2018. Scams using fake websites and online purchases were by-far the biggest of the year, according to Phil Catlett, president of Western Michigan BBB. The scams accounted for more than 25 percent of all scams reported to the BBB ScamTracker in 2018.

“The numbers show just how careful customers need to be when shopping online,” Catlett said. “Scammers are doing a much better job building convincing websites and offers, and these scams are costing customers a lot of money.”

Below is a look at the top 10 scams of 2018.

1. Online Purchase/Fake Websites - These scams take the top sport by a wide margin. Online purchase scams often feature a convincing website or online offer. However, customers who send in money are left without the product they ordered.

2. Debt Collections – Scammers hope to use fear to convince you to pay a debt they claim you owe. Often they say the police are on the way to your home, or a warrant will be issued for your arrest if you don’t pay right then and there. This is not true, and any money you give them will be lost.

3. Employment Scams - Offers to work from home for good money may seem tempting, but they are often scams. Victims of employment scams are often asked to buy supplies or other items necessary for the job. Other victims are asked to receive checks or items in the mail and forward them on to another address, turning the victim into a middle-man for the scammers.

4. Government Grant Offers - Calls or emails offer customers thousands of dollars’ worth of government grants. All the customer has to do is pay a service charge or similar fee. In most cases the government grant doesn’t exist.

5. Tax Collection - One of the most popular phone scams in America, the caller claims to be from the IRS and says you will be arrested if you don’t pay your back taxes. Customers should know the IRS will send several notices to taxpayers by mail first before any collection calls start. People who owe the IRS should already know they have a tax issue. If you are not sure the call is from the IRS, look up the number independently and call back.

6. Sweepstakes/Lottery Scam - Who doesn’t want to win millions of dollars? Unfortunately, if you didn’t enter the lottery, you didn’t win. Scammers claims victims need to send money to cover taxes or some other type of fee. However, no legitimate lottery will ask you to pay to get your winnings.

7. Tech Support Scam - Crooks claim there is a problem with your computer and they can fix it. This usually comes in a pop-up on your screen or an email. Once given access, they often put malware on your computer and either charge you for the “repair” or take control of your computer, holding it hostage unless you pay a ransom. If you think your computer needs a repair you should take it to person or business you trust to get the fix.

8. Fake Invoice - Sometimes all scammers have to do is ask for money. Businesses are the victim of this scam, in which a fake invoice is sent to the business for payment. Scammers hope that the business just pays the invoice with the rest of the bills and doesn’t notice.

9. Fake Checks - Victims are sent a check for more than is expected. This is often done as part of an employment scam or with purchases made online on websites like craigslist. The person is told to cash the check, keep some of the money and send the rest back or to another person. In reality the check is fake, and the bank later tells the victim they are responsible for repaying the entire withdrawal amount. Consumers should remember that just because the bank accepted the check does not mean it is real. It takes several days for the check to clear.

10. Advance Fee Loan - In these scams the victim is promised a loan, but only after the victim pays a fee. As soon as the victim pays the fee, the scammers disappear.



1.14.19

Bos begins second year as SH school board president

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Three familiar faces will be continuing on as officers for South Haven Public Schools Board of Education.

During its organizational meeting, Monday, Board members voted to retain Laura Bos as president, Doug Ransom as vice-president and Joe DeGrandchamp as treasurer, while newcomer Lynn Kerber was named secretary, replacing long-time member Corey Davis, who chose not to seek re-election in November 2018.

Bos said she's looking forward to her second year leading the school board.

“Now that we've reached January with a new superintendent and new board members we plan to hold a retreat to revisit our strategic plan and make updates where appropriate,” said Bos, who went on say that Superintendent Kevin Schooley is in the process of visiting staff at the district's schools and meeting with community leaders.

“Both of these things will help guide us in setting priorities to keep our school district moving forward,” she said.

Board members also approved meeting dates for 2019 during their reorganizational meeting.

The following meetings will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 23; Feb. 20; March 20; April 17; May 29; June 26; July 17; Aug. 21; Sept. 18; Oct. 16; Nov. 20 and Dec. 18 at South Haven City Hall. Holding the meetings at city hall allows the school district to video stream them for people who cannot attend. The other two meetings will take place at 6:30 p.m. May 15 and June 12 in the high school Integrated Learning Center.

Buggy crash leads to criminal charges

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

A Grand Junction man faces criminal charges after his van collided with a horse-drawn buggy, killing the horse and seriously injuring the driver.

Robert Samuel Rawson, 60, was arraigned Jan. 3 in Seventh District Court for the misdemeanor charge of Moving Violation Causing Serious Impairment. If convicted he could face up to 93 days in jail and/or a fine up to $500. His next court appearance is scheduled Feb. 5.

The collision occurred at 10:40 a.m., Sept. 11, 2018 on 46th Street just south of County Road 388 in Bloomingdale Township.

Van Buren County Sheriff's Department reported at the time that Rawson's vehicle was headed south on 46th Street when it crossed the center line and collided with the northbound buggy, head on. The horse died while the 67-year-old buggy driver suffered serious injuries and was taken to Bronson Methodist Hospital by Life EMS.

Sheriff's deputies investigated the accident for several months.

“It takes a bit of time to investigate and prepare an accident reconstruction report on a case like this,” Van Buren County Prosecutor Michael Bedford said. “The charge addresses whatever facts that we have known to us from the investigation. He (Rawson) was charged based on the facts and circumstances of the investigation to the fullest extent under the law.”



1.7.19

Firefighters from South Haven Area Emergency Services battle a fire that broke out during the evening on Jan. 1, at a two-story home in Geneva Township. It took 60,000 gallons of water to put out the fire. The family's dog ended up not making it out of the home in time and died. (Photo courtesy of South Haven Area Emergency Services)

Fires destroy two rural homes

Two family dogs perish

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

While area residents celebrated the New Year's holiday, firefighters spent their time battling two fires in Casco and Geneva townships, both which claimed the life of family dogs.

The first fire was reported at 6:02 p.m., New Year's eve at a one-story home at 1128 60^th Street in Casco.

Jessica Hernandez and her three daughters had left the dwelling three hours earlier, but when returning home they saw the back of the house, where a wood stove was located, in flames, according to South Haven Area Emergency Services Administrator and Fire Chief Ron Wise.

“The fire quickly spread throughout the home causing extensive damage to the home and its contents.”

While one family dog escaped the flames, another one perished.

The cause of the fire is being attributed to the area of the wood stove, according to Wise.

South Haven area firefighters were assisted by Ganges Lee and Clyde township fire departments.

Firefighters donned their gear again New Year's evening to battle another house fire in a rural area.

This time, they traveled east to 11059 60^th Street in Geneva Township at 10:18 p.m.

Calun Demaagd, owner of the home, had been working outside. When returning to his home he found it full of smoke.

When firefighters arrived they found the home in flames.

“The heavy fire moved quickly from the basement up through the first- and second stor- home walls and floor making extinguishment extremely difficult, especially when part of the structure began to collapse,” Wise said.

The task of putting out the blaze was hampered by the difficulty in bringing enough water to the scene to effectively extinguish the fire.

“Water was drafted from one of SHAES' dry hydrants located on 12th Avenue east of 60th Street,” Wise said. “SHAES set up a fire engine to draft water from a large pond through piping located near the road to fill fire tanker trucks that transported water back the to fire scene.”

South Haven's three tankers received assistance from additional tankers from Bangor and Columbia fire departments. Eventually, SHAES had to use its ladder truck to put water on the fire to extinguish it.

Wise estimated that over 60,000 gallons of water was used.

No one was injured during the five-hour task of putting out the blaze, however, the family dog, a Labrador Retriever, perished.

$20 million bond sale to fund LMC construction projects

By RALPH HEIBUTZKI

For the Tribune

BENTON TOWNSHIP — Lake Michigan College is moving quickly with a $20 million bond sale to kick-start its various construction projects.

Terms will be released after the bond sale closes.

“The money will come into the college’s checking account, we will be funded, and we will begin disbursing it, as we collect the capital millage proceeds to pay it back,” said Kelli Hahn, vice president of finance for LMC.

LMC plans to use the money for its various construction projects – including Napier Avenue main campus, which is getting $33 million in upgrades.

LMC is issuing the bonds for nine years, which it will repay from the proceeds of its 0.48mill capital improvement millage. Voters approved that measure in fall 2016.

Hahn said the bond sale essentially works as a financing mechanism to start construction right away, instead of waiting until the college collects all of the money.

“The amount of construction – not only at this campus (on Napier), but Niles, and South Haven – required a several-pronged approach that included fundraising from the community, a capital outlay grant from the state, the capital millage, and some institutional efforts to set aside funding, to meet the needs of the students and the community,” she said.

The board accepted an A++ rating from Standard & Poor’s, which means, “very strong, with a stable outlook,” according to a board memo.

The financial services company assigns 17 ratings, which can range from AAA (“Extremely strong”) to D (“in default”).

The rating reflects the stable local economy, as well as the college’s low overall debt burden, maintenance of strong reserves, and strong financial management practices, the memo stated.

The board in December accepted an audit of its 2018 financial statements and grant activity from Plante Moran of Benton Harbor.

“They (Plante Moran) like most public institutions, provide an opinion on the financial statements – which is just what you’d think, money coming in, checks going out, and federal funds that we receive, grants and awards,” Hahn said. “So most organizations have both those kinds of audits, as do we.”

Aside from a couple of technical suggestions – such as separating the LMC Foundation’s financial statements from those of the college – Plante Moran had no recommendations, auditor Vicki VanDenBerg said.

Overall, both documents showed LMC enjoying “a solid bottom line for the year, and good results, from a financial perspective,” she said.

Plante Moran handled LMC’s 2017-18 audit, which also came back with a clean opinion, meaning no major findings or recommendations.

The board set its 2019 meeting dates as follows: Jan. 7 and 22, March 7 ad 19, April 23, May 21, June 25, Aug. 27, Sept. 24, Oct. 22, and Dec. 10.

March 7 is a workshop only, while the May 21 and Oct. 22 meetings will be at LMC’s Niles and South Haven campuses, respectively. There are no meetings in February, July or November.

All meetings start at 6 p.m. and are in Todd Center Board Room at the Napier Avenue main campus unless stated otherwise.







12.31.18

Artist Tyler Voorhees is shown painting a portion of his mural that depicts a logger, or "river rat" as they were sometimes referred to, guiding cut logs down a river. The photo below shows the finished product. Voorhees began painting the mural at Baseline Middle School earlier this month and hopes to finish it within a year.

A tall order to fill

Artist takes on the task of creating 100-foot-long mural depicting South Haven's history

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Artist Tyler Voorhees gets a lot of compliments these days from what some may consider an unusual group – middle school students.

Voorhees, who resides in Glenn, began painting a 100-foot-long mural earlier this month along the main hallway of Baseline Middle School. And even though students aren't yet sure what the mural will look like when finished, they enjoy what they see so far.

“It's really good,” one student remarked while lingering a bit in the hallway before her next class. “Good job,” another student remarked, while a third said, “This thing is amazing. It's like the olden days.”

Olden day indeed, for Voorhees is undertaking the ambitious project of creating a mural that chronicles the history of South Haven by depicting people, particularly workers, who helped shape the town over the years.

“South Haven started out as a logging outpost,” Voorhees said. “I was told there really wasn't an Indian settlement here, so I started with the logging industry.”

As he progresses with the mural, viewers will see fruit harvesters, old-time factory workers, commercial fishermen, resort workers and more – all reflecting the people who helped make South Haven what it is today.

“One side of the mural will be jobs of the land and the other will be jobs of the lake,” said Voorhees, who is volunteering his time and talent to create the mural as a member of the South Haven Area Mural Project, a group of local artists who create public murals throughout the South Haven area.

Sarah Rydecki, Baseline Middle School art teacher, said she is very pleased SHAMP chose Baseline as a mural site.

“I feel like the connection between the community, art and the school is the best thing about this mural,” she said. “Our community has a history and he's bringing that to life in such a visually, powerful way.”

A week prior to Christmas break, spent several days painting a lumberjack, two sawyers and a log driver as part of the logging portion of the mural.

If people aren't familiar with those job titles, there's a reason – those jobs no longer exist in most places. And that suits Voorhees just fine because he enjoys creating people whose line of work no longer exists or is dying out.

It's part of his new “Jobs Project,” an artistic endeavor that celebrates and honors the world's workers through public murals.

The “project” inadvertently got its start when Voorhees began creating “The Jobs of Yesteryear,” a collection of mixed-media paintings showing long-limbed and whimsical characters doing jobs that are considered obsolete, due to mechanization and now computerization.

The series of nearly 100 paintings started seven years ago when Voorhees decided to paint a lamplighter. Researching lamplight duties and tools they used, he came upon a historical text recounting how one lamplighter in the 1800s used a very tall bicycle to light his lamps.

“That was an ah-hah moment for my character,” Voorhees said, referring to his painting that shows a long-legged thin man perched on a very tall bike lighting a lamp.

After he finished that painting Voorhees embarked on more that show workers doing jobs that you just don't encounter in most locales - a soda jerk, town crier, newspaper typesetter, gas jockey, harvester, pin setter even a wheat shocker.

“I love the terminologies describing the jobs,” Voorhees said. “These paintings in a way are preserving history and the names of those jobs and the workers who did them.”

But it isn't just the jobs depicted in Voorhees's paintings that grab viewer attention at art shows and exhibitions throughout the Midwest. It's also the shape of his workers.

The whimsical figures are quite long and very thin, as are the tools of their trade.

Voorhees hit upon the idea of creating the figures while attending Black Hills State University in South Dakota, where he obtained his bachelor of fine arts degree.

“It started with a self-portrait assignment in college,” he recalled. “I was not interested in sitting in front of a mirror painting myself.”

Instead a tall, lanky character emerged in the back of his mind.

“I loved the image,” said Voorhees, who went on to say that the elongated shapes for his Jobs of Yesteryear characters were influenced by a number of factors, including the late surrealist artists Salvador Dali and Alberto Giacometti, as well as contemporary artist Tim Burton. But other factors from his personal life probably came into play, as well.

“I like climbing and relish the vantage point that climbing allows,” he wrote on his blog site. “Perhaps the joy I get from creating tall figures is through imagining the view they must enjoy.” He also grew up in a very small town, Tulare, SD, which is located in a very flat section of the United States. “Because of the unending farmland that surrounds my hometown, tall objects rise dramatically from the land below and can be seen from miles around.”

Whatever the case, the characters have proved popular. So much so that Voorhees, his wife Ashley and their two sons will be traveling to Morocco in January where Voorhees will embark on a six-month artist in residency program in the village of Tetouan, where he will create a large, public mural depicting local craftsman, who may be the last of their generation to be employed in occupations that are becoming few and far between.

PHOTO: Tyler Voorhees's tall, whimsical-looking characters portrayed in his "Jobs of Yesteryear" collection will be part of the mural he is painting at Baseline Middle School. The mural portrays the workers who helped shape South Haven's history. The above photo shows a lumberjack that Voorhees painted as part of the mural.

Avoiding a jolting experience

Firefighters train to avoid electrocution when responding to EV accidents

By KIM INGALLS

For the Tribune

As electric vehicles (EV) become more popular on our roadways, emergency responders are having to take some extra precautions when the vehicles are involved in accidents.

While EVs may not have a big flammable gas tank, they do have something just as hazardous - high voltage electricity.

“We have to figure that these vehicles are always energized,”  South Haven Area Emergency Services (SHAES) firefighter Paul Quinn said. “There can be 360-plus volts running through the wires from the battery pack, motor control unit, cables and the motor itself.”

Quinn is among dozens of firefighters across the nation that have attended special training to deal with the growing number of alternative fuel vehicles on the nation’s roads. As the vehicles' popularity grows, first responders are finding the training essential.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which offers Electric Vehicle Safety Training courses to first responders, says the first thing crews need to learn is where the frame is strongest – the body structure of an electric vehicle will not necessarily be the same as that of a combustion vehicle.

“High-strength steel is used in certain locations of most electric vehicle models,” NFPA spokesperson Lorraine Carli said. “Identifying the location of this steel is important when it comes to knowing the right tools to use when responding to an incident.”

South Haven Area Emergency Services Fire Chief Ron Wise agrees.

“Most of the electric vehicles, we have a concern when we’re doing extrication, when we’re in trying to cut the car apart,” Wise told WSJM in a recent interview. “We just have to be very cautious of what we’re cutting and sometimes we have to remove the plastic, interior pieces and all of that to make sure we’re not cutting a bright red or bright orange electric cord that’s high-voltage.”

Wise said that the department has apps that let them know how to combat a fire or where to cut to get a trapped victim out for the different vehicles.

The fire department has also had to update equipment.

“Most recently some new hydraulic cutters were purchased,” Quinn said. “Due to structural changes involving ultra- high strength steel, changes have been made to the cutters on the jaws of life. The old cutters could not cut locations where this steel was placed without potentially breaking the tool. Changes to the design of the cutting jaws make it possible to cut through.”

There are also other concerns. Many EVs run silently, so there’s a risk that a firefighter won’t realize the vehicle is still on or the first responder who is unaware that it is a EV, might get shocked.

“Risks to firefighters of course are not zero but should be minimal,” Quinn said about EVs. “ As long as the EV vehicle can be recognized early into the incident some precautions can be taken. EV vehicles should have a disconnect to cut the power going from the battery to the motor. Larger concerns are all the stored gas cylinders with 4,000-10,000 psi. These cylinders are used to deploy all the different air bags.  Some of these cylinders are placed in the side posts for the side curtain air bags, right where we need to cut to remove a roof. Good techniques of stripping the interiors and cutting the 12-volt batteries early to drain the power can help alleviate  these dangers but the risk will always remain.”

So far, SHAES has not had to respond to a EV accident – yet.

“With the increase of these vehicles, it will happen,” Quinn predicted. 



12.24.18

Stalled for now

Proposed ordinance to ban marijuana sales goes up in smoke; Issue expected to be revisited

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Earlier this month, South Haven City Council appeared ready to pass a resolution prohibiting the sale of recreational marijuana in town, but that all changed, Monday, when the council couldn't get enough votes to do so.

Council had been asked by staff to consider an ordinance to allow the city to “opt out” of a new state law that allows for the establishment of seven types of recreational marijuana establishments, including retail outlets. The ordinance further would have required the city's planning commission to study for up to a year what, if any, recreational or medical marijuana establishments will allowed in the city.

But when it came time for the council to take a vote on the issue, it ended up with a 3-3 tie, which meant the resolution failed. Council members Chris Campbell, Steve Schlack and Letitia Wilkins cast the no votes, while Mayor Scott Smith and members Clark Gruber and George Sleeper voted yes. Council member Joe Reeser could have broken the tie, however, he was not at the meeting for personal reasons.

The vote came on the heels of a public hearing, Monday, where council gathered input from the public on whether to “opt out” of allowing recreational marijuana sales in the city.

A half-dozen people got up to speak, most in favor of allowing marijuana sales. Most who want recreational marijuana sales in South Haven pointed out that when the majority of Michigan voters voted yes in November to legalize recreational marijuana in the state, a slight majority of South Haven's voters who cast ballots – 52 percent - favored it too.

“The city did vote in favor of recreational marijuana,” South Haven resident David Veenstra said. “If we just look at the comparison between marijuana and alcohol, I don't see any reason to place restrictions on use of recreational marijuana. If people don't get it here they can travel just a few miles and we won't have that business here.”

Patrick McKearnan of Casco Township agreed. “People in this state voted overwhelmingly for it. I thought we are a Democracy. I also thought we are a Capitalist society...I don't see why the city should stand in the way of business. People will want to buy this (recreational marijuana). Not everyone can afford to grow it or has the knowledge to do so.”

Two city council members echoed the sentiments of members in the audience.

“I feel it passed through the state and the majority of people voted yes,” council member Chris Campbell said.

Steve Schlack agreed but also thought that prohibiting pot sales for up to a year to give city planners time to study provisions of the new law is too long and will squelch efforts to spur economic development in the city. He also said he hasn't heard enough public input on the issue. A group, the Concerned Citizens of South Haven, has spoken out at several meetings in opposition to any type of marijuana sales in town – medical or recreational. But Schlack thinks more input needs to be obtained.

“When people are preparing to open a business they don't decide in a week or so to do that,” Schlack said. “They need time to plan. I don't think it's good to send a signal now that we're opting out.”

But other council members favored opting out of marijuana sales for now.

“This (an opt out ordinance) gives us an opportunity to plan where we would like these businesses to go if we decide we want them,” Gruber said. “Anytime you build a house you want to build a good foundation.” He also pointed out the city will need to determine how the state's medical marijuana law gels with the recreational marijuana law.

Smith agreed.

“This is about time needed to study the laws properly,” he said. “We do need to tie together medical and recreational marijuana because they are closely connected. We understand what voters voted for. We're not taking their right to use it (marijuana).”

So while the tied vote may seem that entrepreneurs will be now able to start opening marijuana establishments in South Haven, that probably won't happen right away, according to City Manager Brian Dissette.

“Recreational sales won't be permitted by the State of Michigan for approximately one year,” he said. “As a result, the city's elected leadership has time to consider alternative options.”

Because the council appeared poised earlier this month to adopt a resolution prohibiting sales to give the planning commission time to study implications of the new law, Dissette said he plans to present an updated draft ordinance to the council in January for discussion.

“I think that amending the ordinance to require a quicker response from the planning commission may be the tweak the council wishes to see,” Dissette said.

South Haven resident and downtown business owner Jan Haglund is one resident who hopes the council will prohibit recreational marijuana sales permanently.

“The best gift you can give the community of South Haven is to approve this opt out ordinance,” she told council members.

Photo by Becky Kark
South Haven Police Officer Shawn Olney points out various games to three Lincoln Elementary School youngsters that she was shopping with Tuesday during the annual Shop with a Cop day at Walmart. Each year South Haven Police Department teams up with Walmart to take children on a shopping spree at the store.



Getting to know you

Cops team up with store to  treat kids to lunch and holiday shopping spree

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

It was high noon on Tuesday when South Haven Police cars rolled into Walmart's parking lot as if on cue.

People in the parking lot gaped wondering what on Earth would bring seven cruisers to the big box's front doors.

But it wasn't a drug bust, a robbery or even bomb threat. It was the annual Christmas holiday Shop with a Cop day.

For more than two decades, South Haven Police officers have teamed up with Walmart to treat youngsters to a free lunch at a local restaurant and then take them to the store for a Christmas shopping spree.

Officer Antwan Bell has taken part in Shop with a Copy day for 23 years and said he enjoys doing it.

“These kids don't have as much as other kids,” Bell said. “I like to make sure they're happy.”

Officer Ryan Rumler also enjoys being part of Shop With a Cop, not only for the shopping aspect but for the opportunity to go into the schools and interact with children and teachers. “It's getting to see them at school, seeing the excitement of kids in the classrooms,” he said. “When I heard a kid say out of the blue, 'this is the greatest week because I get to shop with a police officer,' it's the icing on the cake.”

This year, 20 children from Maple Grove, Lincoln and North Shore elementary schools in South Haven each got a $100 gift card and spent about an hour shopping with Walmart associates and police officers who helped the students pick out gifts while keeping track of how much they were spending. Afterwards Walmart associates helped the children wrap the gifts, while the in-store McDonalds restaurant provided free hot chocolate.

Some of the kids quickly made decisions about what they wanted for themselves and their siblings.

DeAngelo, a Maple Grove student, was one of them. But when it came to buying a gift for his dad, he wasn't quite sure what to get.

DeAngelo headed to the men's cologne aisle, but then stood there somewhat confused over the many brands.

That's when Bell came to the rescue.

“I know what I like,” Bell said. “Have you ever heard of Axe?”

DeAngelo hadn't. But he liked the color of a bright green box with two different types of cologne in it.

“Are you sure? I never heard of this,” Bell said, referring to the cologne's label. Finally, DeAngelo took Bell's advice and settled for the Axe.

Meanwhile, officer Rumler was busy shopping with several students, including Alexa Henry, a third-grader at Maple Grove Elementary School.

Like many of the children, Alexa thought first of others before buying Legos and a blanket for herself.

She bought a decorative candle for her mom, a blanket for her dad, a statue of a wolf for her sister, and even a small gift for one of her friends.

The generosity of Henry and other youngsters didn't come as a surprise to police officers.

“What's interesting is that they typically buy for their families first and then themselves,” Bell said.

The children may also be modeling the generosity shown to them by the police department and Walmart.

Police spring for the lunch each year. This year the children were taken to Lakeside Entertainment Center to enjoy pizza. Money for the gift cards came from the Walmart Foundation and from South Haven Walmart associates, themselves.

“This year we raised enough for 20 kids,” said David Green, manager on duty. “Next year we hope to get up to 30 and expand it to area communities like Bangor and Covert and include children from their schools.”





12.19.18

Project Pathway board members who helped make the creation of a rock garden and Ram mascot sculpture a reality are shown from left: Kaiden Cole, Juana Morrison, Justin Postema, Jackson Schooley, Ozvaldo Ruiz, Craig Thompson and Daisy Solis. Missing is Chris Kerber.

South Haven students team up to help create Ram statue and rock garden

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Ram pride.

That's what a group of students at South Haven High School hope to instill in their fellow classmates.

And to help make that come about they brainstormed for a way to promote school pride.

The result is a new, attractive landscaped rock sculpture that prominently displays a large bronze ram – the symbol of South Haven High School.

The installation is located at the entryway to the high school, which recently underwent an extensive renovation, thanks to voter approval of a $34 million bond issue.

But not a penny of the bond issue was spent to pay for the installation.

Students who belong to the school's Project Pathway program worked with landscape businesses and financial donors to pay for and create the $30,000 landscaped rock sculpture.

“In Project Pathway we have a philanthropy project that we do,” said Pathway President Chris Kerber.

“Our school went through a huge transformation. We thought this (the rock installation with a statue of the school's mascot) would be the cherry on the top.”

Juana Morrison, secretary of Project Pathway agreed.

“We wanted to make the school more spirited,” she said.

Pathway members first thought about installing a huge rock that students could paint or commissioning a large mural. But they finally settled on the landscaped rock sculpture featuring the school's mascot.

With the help of Lawn Boys landscaping company and landscape architectural designer Beth Grieves of Circlewood Design, the installation began to take shape. Project Pathway members also rolled up their sleeves to help with the planting of small shrubs and flowers.

“It was a collaborative effort,” said Project Pathway advisor Marla Bruemmer, who also lent her home designer services for the creation of the installation.

Assistant High School Principal Ryan Williamson was quite impressed with the landscape sculpture once it was completed.

“It's awesome,” he said. But Williamson seemed even more impressed with the Project Pathway program and its student members.

“A significant impact on this school is these students,” he said.

Project Pathway started four years ago when Bruemmer approached school officials about setting up a program to link students with business and community leaders as a way of preparing them for their future.

The result is a student-led program that brings business and community leaders to the school for career expos throughout the year.

“Our main goal is to connect students with careers and the community,” Kerber said. “We have had business, medical, community and even a creative expo.” The expos take place annually throughout the school year.

During the expos, students get the opportunity to meet one-on-one with adults involved in a variety of occupations. Project Pathway also sets up seminars throughout the school year where business leaders help students create effective resumes and learn interviewing skills.

All of the expos and other career-oriented seminars are planned and marketed by the students involved with Project Pathway.

Kerber, who transferred to South Haven last year, said his previous school had programs that prepared students for their future, but none like the ones offered by the student-led Project Pathway.

“It gives you experience with running a business and networking with businesses and other people throughout the community,” he said.

3-year pact OK'd for new South Haven school chief

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

When South Haven Public Schools' new superintendent begins his job in January he will be making more money than the previous one did.

South Haven school board members, Wednesday, unanimously approved a three-year contract for Kevin Schooley that sets his annual salary at $135,000. His pay is higher than the annal salary former Superintendent Robert Herrera received. The last time Herrera received a raise was in 2017 when school board members agreed to increase his base pay by $5,000, upping his annual salary to $115,000.

In July of this year, Herrera resigned to become CEO and Superintendent of Benton Harbor Public Schools.

South Haven school board President Laura Bos said several factors were considered in setting the salary for the new school chief, who lives in South Haven and worked five years as an elementary school teacher here before taking a job as principal of North Elementary School in Watervliet in 1998 and then taking over as Watervliet Public Schools Superintendent in 2010.

“When putting together the contract, we reviewed the current South Haven contract, Mr. Schooley's current contract, and various other contracts in the area and at comparable districts in the state,” she said. “We offered a salary that we believed was appropriate competitively and for Mr. Schooley's experience.”

During his time with Watervliet Schools, Schooley oversaw passage in 2014 of a $23 million capital improvement bond issue to improve school facilities. He also successfully settled three teacher collective bargaining agreements, three support staff agreements and three food service/transportation agreements. In addition the district has grown from 1,329 students when he started to 1,502 this year.

School board members in Watervliet have been impressed with Schooley's accomplishments. Earlier this year, they voted to increase his $118,040 annual salary by 3 percent, raising it to $121,600.

But, while Watervliet is a Class C school district, South Haven is Class B. In 2017, when the South Haven school board voted to increase Herrera's annual base pay by $5,000 they said they did so because they felt his pay wasn't competitive with salaries school chief's in districts of similar size were receiving.

When voting to raise Herrera's salary, school board member Bryan Lewis, who served as president at the time, said the salary increase was long overdue.

“Looking at our peer districts, our superintendent's salary is not competitive,” Lewis said. “We were dead last in our peer group for superintendent compensation. Dr. Herrera has had effective or highly effective ratings all five years he has been here. Bob did not ask for this increase. If we want to attract and retain our superintendents we need to make adjustments.”



12.10.18

HP file photo by Don Campbell

The uncompleted section of U.S. 31, south of I-94, is pictured in 2013. The Michigan Department of Transportation was awarded a $20 million grant Thursday to complete the U.S. 31 relocation project from Napier Road to I-94 in Berrien County.

A long road ahead

MDOT secures $20M grant to connect U.S. 31, I-94

By TONY WITTKOWSKI

HP Staff Writer

and JIM DALGLEISH

Assistant Local News Editor

BENTON TOWNSHIP — After 50 years and a handful of setbacks, two of the busiest freeways in Southwest Michigan are one step closer to being connected.

U.S. Rep. Fred Upton announced Thursday the Michigan Department of Transportation was awarded $20 million in discretionary grant funding to complete the U.S. 31 relocation project from Napier Avenue to I-94 in Berrien County.

“For years, we have been working diligently with local, state and national leaders to get this done,” Upton, R-St. Joseph, said in a news release. “The Department of Transportation has long said ‘hang on, help is on the way’ and that day has now come. Completing this project will ensure Southwest Michigan remains a hub for economic competitiveness, jobs and growth, now, and into the future.”

The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development, which is part of the transportation discretionary grants program.

The project is expected to create a free flow of freeway traffic movement through the completion of the last 2 miles of the limited access U.S. 31 freeway from Napier Avenue to I-94.

“The Administration’s continued investment in infrastructure promises to stimulate economic investment, improve quality of life and create safe, reliable transportation in our communities,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said in the release.

Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters also issued statements supporting the project.

MDOT spokesman Nick Schirripa said his agency will still need to chip in $10 million to complete the project. MDOT had already budgeted $60 million to rebuild the I-94 interchange. Most of the right-of-ways have been secured.

“We will find this money,” he said in a phone interview Thursday.

The total cost will likely not exceed $100 million, Schirripa said.

He said the $20 million federal grant does not change the project schedule. MDOT anticipates completing the project in 2022. It will be done by 2023 at the latest, he said.

According to a 2016 MDOT report, construction for the interchange project will begin in the department’s 2021 fiscal year.

Benton Township Treasurer Debbie Boothby said the finished product would not only benefit businesses, but drivers as well.

“This is an extremely pleasant surprise,” Boothby said Thursday. “Its going to be a big economic driver. Benton Township would be the point where 31, 96 and 94 come together. On top of that, it’s good for the people who are commuting back and forth throughout the county.”

Residents have waited decades for U.S. 31 to join I-94.

The project, running from the Indiana border through Berrien County, has been on the drawing board since the 1960s.

The first 3.3-mile section, from the state line to U.S. 12 near Niles, was completed in 1979 and cost $6.6 million. Other segments were built as money became available.

The latest section, extending 9.5 miles from Berrien Springs to Napier Avenue, opened in August 2003.

After that segment was completed, only a 2-3-mile section was left to be built. However, the yet-to-be-completed portion of the highway to I-94 has remained in its current state for 15 years.

A derailed project

Over the years, periodic funding shortages, local government and citizen disagreements, lawsuits and an endangered butterfly have delayed the project that the state once hoped to complete in the mid-1980s.

Planning began in the 1960s for a freeway to replace old U.S. 31, the main road between Niles, Berrien Springs and the Twin Cities.

With high traffic volumes and accident rates, it was deemed dangerous and obsolete.

In 1967, MDOT prepared a location study report that listed four possible corridors for the freeway from the state line southwest of Niles to a hookup with I-196 at I-94 in Benton Township.

But area residents disagreed over whether the freeway should go west or east of Berrien Springs. The disputes were reflected in local government decisions.

During a one-year period in 1969-70, the Berrien County Board of Commissioners changed its position three times on which route it favored.

MDOT in 1972 pushed back the starting date from 1975 to 1977, citing a funding shortage and lack of an environmental impact statement.

In 1974, an MDOT engineering report recommended a route alignment to the west of Berrien Springs. The action was immediately challenged in a lawsuit filed by a citizens group, but the matter was later resolved in favor of the state.

Construction of a 3.3-mile section from the state line to U.S. 12 in Bertrand Township began in 1977 and was completed in 1979. The lack of funding and other problems stalled work in the early 1980s, and the next section did not open until 1987.

Initial plans for U.S. 31 would have connected it at I-196. But engineers ran into environmental problems.

In 1991, the project came to a near stop when an endangered butterfly, Mitchell’s satyr, was found living in the path of the proposed freeway route along Blue Creek in Benton Township.

The butterfly did not delay work on the section of freeway that completed in 2003, but it did set back planning for the final leg of the connection.

After negotiations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Department of Natural Resources, MDOT won approval to build across the area. Permission came with some expensive requirements for long, untried bridges that did not use piers and for other measures to safeguard the wetland.

As a result, MDOT took another look at routes for the final section and conducted a supplemental environmental impact study. MDOT abandoned the original plan as an alternative route was drawn up to connect U.S. 31 with the I-94 business loop.

Boothby said the project fell off the township’s radar over the years after it became clear that several other road projects were lacking the necessary funding.

“We’re thrilled the money came through for this project,” Boothby said. “I’m hopeful that we can work with MDOT to secure the necessary funds in the near future.”

Trisha Nesbitt chosen as new Van Buren treasurer

By ROD SMITH

For the Tribune

PAW PAW — Van Buren County will have a new treasurer next month.

She's Trisha Nesbitt of Lawton. She is married to State Senator-elect Aric Nesbitt R-Lawton.

County Administrator John Faul said there were six applicants for the position, four of whom the Van Buren County Treasurer Appointment Committee interviewed.

That committee consisted of Probate Judge David J. DiStefano, County Clerk Suzie Roehm, and Prosecuting Attorney Michael Bedford.

The Committee selected Nesbitt due to her record in government administration, experience managing budgets, and ability to identify and implement creative solutions, according to a press release.

Nesbitt, a graduate of Michigan State University, has served as chief of staff for Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker, R – Lawton, and has knowledge of the legislative process and experience in constituent services. She is also a graduate of the Michigan Political Leadership Program, a year-long bipartisan program that identifies individuals from across the state committed to community service and brings them together to engage in public policy and leadership.

Nesbitt is succeeding Karen Makay, who is retiring Jan. 15, and will serve the remaining two years of Makay's term.

“I commend Karen Makay for her tremendous service as Van Buren County treasurer and I am honored and grateful to follow in her footsteps," Nesbitt said in a release.

Nesbitt said her priorities are effectively managing budgets, protecting tax dollars, and providing efficient customer service.

Makay has been treasurer since 1987 and is believed to be the county's longest-serving. "She'll be missed dearly but we welcome Ms. Nesbitt as well," Faul said.

Makay has served longer than all but one county commissioner - Donald Hanson of Decatur. Makay also worked with four county administrators, two of them the current administrator John Faul, who left for another job but then came back.





12.3.18

Board games are already being stacked high in anticipation of the annual Christmas Hope program in South Haven. Each year, We Care In the Name of Christ human service ministry teams up with First Assembly of God Church to give toys and gifts to children and teens whose parents can't afford holiday gifts. Last year, more than 1,000 children received gifts.

Sharing the holiday spirit in the SH area

We Care food basket and gift-giving drives underway

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Want to make the Christmas holiday season bright for families in need?

We Care in the Name of Christ has the answer with its holiday meal basket and toy donation drives.

Last year, We Care in the Name of Christ distributed 450 meal baskets and toys to more than 1,000 children during the Christmas holiday season.

This holiday season the human service ministry expects to do the same or even more for families in South Haven, Bangor and Covert.

“Each year, We Care rallies its member churches, area community groups, businesses, service clubs, and individuals to help local families in need,” We Care's Executive Director Susan Trabucchi said. “We want all of our neighbors, no matter their circumstances, to feel God’s love - and to experience the hope and joy of the season.”

Since October, We Care has been compiling a list of low-income families who need meal baskets. The deadline to request one is Dec. 7.

“Our goal is to have a meal basket for every family who needs one, and that can vary from year to year,” Trabucchi said. “The range is usually between 300 and 400. Last year, we made and distributed a record 450 meal baskets for families throughout our service area. We were able to do that, in part, thanks to an anonymous donor who stepped in at the last minute to help us purchase the supplies for nearly 90 baskets.”

We Care hopes to distribute the same amount this year.

“Of course, we would love to match what we did last year, Trabucchi said, “though we don't have that special donation in place. So we welcome all help.”

The meal baskets include a ham, 5-10 pounds of potatoes, vegetables and pies. “All of the makings for a family-sized holiday meal,” Trabucchi said.

Individuals and groups who want to donate meal baskets to We Care can call 637-4342 or email adminteam@wecare-inc.org. Or they can make a monetary donation by going online at www.wecare-inc.org/donate. The deadline to donate meal baskets or money is Dec. 14.

While We Care seeks meal basket donations, it also is collecting gifts for children and youth.

“We Care partners with two church-based projects in our service area that help ensure there are gifts under the Christmas tree for local children and youth,” Trabucchi said. “Both projects are similar in that they offer parents in need a dignified way of providing gifts for their children at Christmastime.”

The Christmas Hope program is geared toward children and teens in South Haven and Covert. Each year, a section of First Assembly of God church in South Haven becomes a showroom full of toys and gifts for children and teens, who on two days later this month will be able to “shop” for presents.

The presents are donated by area residents who drop off new, unwrapped gifts at collection boxes located in stores throughout the South Haven area.

A similar program takes place in Bangor where We Care teams with Sacred Heart Church for its annual St. Nicholas Workshop. The toy collection there is a joint effort with Toys for Tots. Bangor area residents can donate their new unwrapped gifts at collection boxes throughout town.

To make it easier for people who aren't sure what types of toys and gifts to donate, We Care is offering the Amazon Wish Lists program where people can select toys and other items from its website.

“(Christmas Hope and St. Nicholas Workshop) project organizers have put together a list of items they really need,” Trabucchi said. “You choose an item and purchase it with your debit or credit card, and Amazon will ship your package directly to We Care – and we make sure it ends up in the right place.”

People have until Dec. 14 to donate toys and other gifts. More details on We Care's holiday meal basket and toy drives are available online at https://wecare-inc.org/holiday-programs-2018



SH council OKs new master plan that keys in on housing needs

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

It took two years worth of workshops, neighborhood meetings, a public survey, open house, design charrette and three public hearings, but finally, the city of South Haven has a new master plan to guide its future.

City council members approved the 72-page document Nov. 19. It replaces the previous master plan that was adopted in 2011.

Council members complimented Assistant City Manager Kate Hosier, the city's planning commission and consultants MainStreet Planners of Grand Rapids for their work in putting together the document that summarizes the city's land development and preservation goals - chief of which is creating a way to develop more affordable homes to sustain a year-round economy.

“I think it's a very good effort,” council member George Sleeper said.

Mayor Scott Smith said he was pleased with the length of the document.

“It's a lot smaller than the last one,” he remarked. “That should be a goal of every plan - to get 50 percent smaller than the previous one.”

The master plan is not a legally binding document, but rather a tool the city can use to guide the best uses for land based on the needs of the community.

“It does not have regulatory power but it gives you a plan,” Hosier said.

City officials decided to update the 2011 master plan two years ago to address issues that had come up over the past several years, including lack of affordable housing, the need to diversify the economy and safer street crossings and more sidewalks for pedestrians.

“Every five years we're required by law to review the master plan, update it or put a new one together,” Hosier said.

Planners opted to put together the new plan.

“The master plan has a good balance of meeting the needs of long-term and short-term residents,” said Jan Johnson of MainStreet Planners.

Highlights of the 2018 master plan follow:

• Protection and preservation of natural resources needs to be kept in mind for new developments and procedures involving maintenance of city amenities

• Improve neighborhoods that have diminished over time

• Establish limits for expansion of the Central Business District and plan for residential uses within the Central Business District while prohibiting new short-term rentals there

• Provide a variety of housing options to attract younger adults and older adults

• When reviewing plans for new neighborhoods, incorporate design principles that address safe and efficient vehicle access as well as pedestrian and bicycle access; preservation of natural features where practical; street trees; and lighting of streets and sidewalks.

• Maintain an active central business district; preserve historic and traditional elements where desirable, while integrating contemporary trends in land use and design.

• Plan for areas of mixed use development that incorporate residential housing options with commercial and recreational uses (such as the area around Lake Michigan College)

• Create a Health Services District near Bronson Hospital to promote and expand the health services industry.

• Work with South Haven Charter Township to identify lands along mutual borders that are suitable for commercial development.

• Improve the safety of pedestrians crossing and traveling Broadway Street, Phillips Street and Bailey Avenue.

• Enhance the safety, traffic flow, and turning movements of traffic on Broadway Street, Phillips Street and S. Bailey Avenue.

• Improve the general appearance of the M-43/Interstate 196 Business Loop entrance to the city so it is more attractive.

• Work with South Haven Township to identify additional land parcels suitable for industrial or high-tech developments; consider a high-tech corridor, possibly along Aylworth Avenue.

• Partner with educational institutions to plan for and attract start-up businesses; work with established businesses to offer early-workforce development in combination with meeting educational goals of students.

• Identify a location for a central community gathering venue that could offer events and activities such as concerts, conferences, trade shows, weddings, and senior and youth activities.



11.26.18

SH approves latest round of regulations for short-term rentals

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

A six-month moratorium on short-term rental home permits will soon be coming to an end in South Haven with city council approval of a new set of amendments that further regulate the tourism-related housing market.

After conducting a public hearing, Monday, council members voted 4-2 to approve the amendments, with Steve Schlack and Chris Campbell casting the no votes.

“In my perfect world I would leave the rental ordinance as is and look at this at another date,” Schlack said.

Other council members though think that the city's planning commission, which spent six months studying what changes needed to be made to the ordinance, did a good job, overall, with its recommendations.

“I think we've worked very hard to come to some kind of resolution,” Letitia Wilkins said. “ I don't quite agree with (the amendments to) the ordinance but I'm going to support it. I think it's what's best for community.”

City council members instructed planners last spring to take a second look at the short-term rental ordinance after receiving complaints from full-time homeowners that the current ordinance, passed in 2016, did not do enough to regulate the growth of homes being used regularly for short-term rentals.

The amendments passed Monday will seek to identify how many homes in town are often or seldom rented by granting “personal” and “business” STR permits.

Personal STR homeowners will be allowed to rent their dwelling up to 28 days a year. They will not have to pay an annual permit fee, however, they will have to pay for bi-annual safety inspections.

Business STR homeowners will be able to rent their dwellings as many days as they want. But they will now have to pay an annual fee for inspections and other costs associated with the administration of the city's STR ordinance. The fee is currently $200 but is expected to increase. (See related story). In addition, the city will also place a “cap” on the number of new business STR permits granted. The cap will be administered in the following way by use of a 4-to-1 ratio of the city's housing stock. Currently, 612, or 18 percent of the city's 3,400 homes and condos are registered for STR use.

Some city council members were uncomfortable with the 4-to-1 ratio.

“I have a hard time with a ratio,” council member Joe Reeser said. “ I like to have a factual number that we can use.”

“I think what planners came up with is not perfect,” council member George Sleeper said, “but I do feel they have come up with something that is a good starting point that we can build on as we get more data in terms of how many short-term rentals are in one category and how many are in the other.”

Although a majority of council members OK'd the new STR regulations, some people at Monday's meeting were not happy with the amendments.

“I've been a homeowner here since 1982,” said Roxanne Leder. “In my 36 years of living here and having a second home I have never once had an issue with a short-term renter. They're usually grandparents with three children and 6 grandchildren. These are not people who cause problems. Let me speak to 'the squeaky wheels,' I think they're making this up.”

Another local resident thinks the city has devoted too much time and money debating the short-term rental issue.

“I'd put a cap on how much we're spending on this topic,” Scott Boyd said. “Do we get tired of tourism? Yes. But it's a balance. Sometimes we step on our own toes controlling things.”

Yet others agree with the amendments.

“The biggest issue is seasonality of the tourism industry and the population of full-time residents,
said Paul VandenBosch, who went on to claim that the growth or STR homes has contributed to the city's declining full-time population. “(Short-term rentals) impact the quality of life for full-time residents. It impacts the ability of organizations to provide community service.”

Another resident, Pat Gaston said, “I agree with this ordinance. We had an election (in 2017) and many people ran based on we were going to look at this short-term rental issue.”

South Haven studies whether to allow pot businesses in town

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

While some communities in Southwest Michigan have been quick to opt out of allowing recreational marijuana businesses to locate in their towns, South Haven city officials want to take more time to study the topic before making a decision.

City council members took the first step in educating themselves about the new law by listening, Monday, to a comprehensive presentation by City Attorney Nick Curcio about the implications of allowing facilities to locate in the city or refusing to allow them to do so.

“The goal is to get the council talking about this,” City Manager Brian Dissette said.

The city's planning commission considered earlier this year whether to adopt an ordinance to allow medical marijuana facilities in town, but now that Michigan voters have approved Proposal 1 that legalizes recreational marijuana, city officials are broadening their considerations on what to do about the pot issue.

“The planning commission has spent six months on the short-term rental issue,” Dissette said. “As a board they're ready to start talking about medical marijuana. I think it would make sense to broaden the topic to addressing Proposal 1 (the ballot issue that legalizes recreational marijuana in Michigan).”

With passage of Proposal 1, use of recreational marijuana will officially become legal Dec. 6 in Michigan. The law will allow any person 21 or older to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana in public; have up to 10 ounces of marijuana and up to 12 marijuana plants in their home, consume marijuana in non-public places and transfer up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana to another person as long as no compensation is received., according to Curcio.

Those provisions apply whether or not a municipality allows recreational marijuana businesses to exist in their community.

Marijuana-related businesses allowed in communities under the new state law would include growing and processing operations, transporters, safety compliance facilities and retail outlets. If a community doesn't pass an ordinance to “opt out” from allowing recreational marijuana facilities to exist then they have no choice but to let them open their businesses.

South Haven does have time to consider whether to opt out of the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act, according to Curcio, because it will take approximately a year for the state to begin issuing licenses to allow recreational marijuana-related businesses to open.

But some people in the community want the city to act quickly and opt out from allowing recreational marijuana establishments to exist in South Haven.

“More than 200 communities have opted out already,” said Nancy Krupp, a local resident who attended the city council meeting, Monday. “I'd like us to be proactive rather than reactive.”

Rachel Sankofski agreed. “This is a really big deal for some of us,” she said. “You really carry a heavy responsibility regarding marijuana, whether medical or recreational. I encourage you not to normalize this is our community.”



11.12.18

Schooley chosen as school chief finalist

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

“I can live with one.”

Those words by South Haven Board of Education President Laura Bos summed up the rest of the school board's sentiments in choosing Kevin Schooley as the sole finalist for the superintendent's position.

The South Haven school board voted 5-1 Tuesday evening to have Schooley come back Tuesday, Nov. 13 for a second interview.

Schooley, who lives in South Haven and previously served as a teacher in the school district from 1993-1998, is currently superintendent of Watervliet Public Schools, a position he has held since 2010.

He was chosen as the finalist for the South Haven school chief's job from a list that included three other candidates — Raymond Lechner, superintendent of Wilmette Elementary District 39 in Wilmette, Ill.; Nathan Robrahn, principal of Wyoming High School near Grand Rapids; and Jonathan Whan, superintendent of Grant Public Schools in Newaygo County.

Corey Davis was the only school board member to cast a no vote, but it wasn't because he didn't feel Schooley was the best candidate.

“I'm not voting against Kevin Schooley. I'm only voting against interviewing one finalist,” he said.

School board members spent a half-hour discussing whether to bring back one or two candidates for a second round of interviews.

They all agreed on asking Schooley to return for another interview, but couldn't settle on a second candidate.

Dave Killips, regional president of the Michigan Leadership Institute, which is overseeing the superintendent search process, summed up the board's dilemma. “Six of you jumped with bringing Mr. Schooley back. After that you're all over the place.”

Killips told board members it is fine to only interview one finalist, but cautioned, “It could give them extra power with negotiating a contract.”

But board member John Frost disagreed. “I'd be fine with just one candidate. Mr. Schooley is our No. 1 candidate. If offered he said he would accept it. He's been a member of our community a long time.”

Other school board members also said they didn't think Schooley would try to negotiate a higher salary if offered the job.

“It would go against my instincts to just have one finalist, but if we're leaning in that direction I'm fine with bringing one back for a second interview,” board member Bryan Lewis said.

Killips advised the board it is OK to settle on one finalist but instructed them to go through due diligence before making a job offer and negotiating a contract.

School board members agreed.

In addition to interviewing Schooley for a second time, school board President Laura Bos will visit Watervliet Public Schools Thursday to meet with staff and community as part of a site visit, and South Haven Public Schools will host an open house from 5-6 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 13, at South Haven High School to give the community a chance to visit with Schooley. After the open house, the school board will conduct their second interview with Schooley at 6 p.m. in the high school's Integrated Learning Center.

South Haven has been without a full-time school chief since July when then Superintendent Robert Herrera became CEO and school chief for Benton Harbor Public Schools. Since that time, Dave Peden of St. Joseph has been serving as interim school chief.

11.5.18

A show of solidarity

SH residents, church leave floral bouquets on local synagogue's steps following Pittsburgh synagogue shooting

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

Three small acts of kindness profoundly impacted members of First Hebrew Congregation in South Haven earlier this week.

Two days after the tragic Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh that left 11 people dead, three different individuals from the South Haven area placed bouquets of flowers on the steps of the local synagogue on Broadway Avenue.

“They're beautiful, said Barry Fidelman, a longtime member of First Hebrew Congregation. “It's nice to know how our community can have such empathy for the Jewish people.”

Remey Rubin, president of the synagogue's board of directors, concurred.

“Our South Haven community shares the disdain of the abhorrent acts of violence and hate,” he said.

Pat Householder is one those community residents Rubin is referring to.

A member of Epiphany Episcopal Church in South Haven, Householder attended mass on Sunday, a day after the mass shooting, to hear other congregants express horror and shock over the tragedy.

“All of us at breakfast on Sunday were just appalled and so sad,” she said. When she returned to the church Monday for a class, several church members were still reeling over the latest hate crime to occur in America.

So Householder decided to do something. She went outside and gathered a bouquet of flowers from the church's memorial garden and wrote a note to the local Jewish congregation, stating,

“The congregation at Epiphany Episcopal mourn you in this latest violent act in Pittsburgh. These flowers come from our church garden. Our prayers are with you. Shalom.”

“I just felt it was something I needed to do,” Householder said. “A group of us at church are aware that our freedoms in this country are being compromised by this continued violence.”

Householder wasn't alone in thinking about the hate crime and its implications for people of the Jewish faith throughout America, including those who worship at First Hebrew Congregation.

“When I arrived at the synagogue, a cluster of flowers was already laying by the door,” Householder said. “And then someone dropped off another one later.”

Householder had a second reason for thinking about the hate crime that occurred at Tree of Life Synagogue and its implications for people of the Jewish faith.

When she attended Duquesne University in Pittsburgh during the 1960s, one of her professors was the chief rabbi at Tree of Life synagogue at the time.

“He taught a course called a 'History of Jewish Thought and Religion,'” Householder recalled. “It was one of the most powerful learning experience I ever had. He took us to his study at the synagogue. He had some rare books he wanted to show us. I remember that day as being so profoundly moving that a man who had so many years of wisdom in him had the walls of his study lined with wisdom.”

Fr. Michael Ryan, the priest at Epiphany Episcopal Church, was glad Householder donated a floral bouquet to the local synagogue on behalf of the Episcopal church's congregation.

“It was a gesture of friendship and kinship in response to the killing of 11 and wounding of 7  members of the Tree of Life Congregation,” Ryan said. “A hate crime like the murder of those innocent people in Pittsburgh is not simply a localized event, but it is intended as an attack on all Jews.  To remain silent about the nature and intent of this evil is at best to normalize it and worse to condone it.”

Interfaith prayer vigil set

First Hebrew Congregation along with several other religious groups plans to co-sponsor an interfaith prayer vigil at 7 p.m., Monday, Nov. 5 at the Citadel, 91 Hinckley St., Benton Harbor to pray for those victimized by hate, particularly those victimized by the anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant attacks that have occurred over the past several weeks. The other sponsors of the service are Interfaith Committee of Andrews University, Interfaith Action and Temple B'Nai Shalom of Benton Harbor.

Bangor seeks millage to upgrade cemetery

By BECKY KARK

Editor and general manager

BANGOR — For the past several years, Bangor city council's cemetery committee has partnered with the Bangor Historical Society to raise money for improvements to the city's historic Arlington Hills Cemetery.

In that time period they managed to raise $20,000 to make some much-needed upgrades. But city officials say it's not enough to maintain the 23-acre cemetery on a regular basis. So they're now turning to voters who will determine Tuesday, whether to approve a .5-mill for maintenance and improvement projects.

“The cemetery needs road work, way-finding signage, a storage building, a retaining wall, additional water lines and spigots to mention a few items,” Bangor City Manager Regina Hoover said.

The city budgets approximately $36,000 each year for the cemetery, according to Hoover, however most of those funds go toward mowing and weed wacking.

“The cemetery contains over 10,000 grave sites so that's a lot of grass upkeep,” she said.

Once the city gets done paying for mowing there is approximately $3,500 left over for maintenance and upgrades.

“That doesn't go very far but we do the best we can to stretch the money,” Hoover said.

If the millage isn't approved, the city will go back to trying to raise funds through the sale of commemorative bricks that have been installed around the cemetery's historic Civil War cannon memorial.

The $20,000 that was raised enable the city to install new pillars for cemetery entrances, new pavement at one of the entrance, the cleaning and straightening of Civil War headstones and repair of the Civil War cannon memorial. The $20,000 that was raised also included a $6,000 donation from Getman Manufacturing that allowed the city to buy computer software to convert 100 years of paper records to digital data that will enable easier genealogy searches.

But Hoover said the brick fundraiser isn't going to raise the necessary funds over the long haul to properly maintain the cemetery.

“The brick sales are ongoing but after the initial flush of large orders it has proved difficult to sustain sales at the level necessary to generate consistent revenue in the amount needed to continue the upgrades,” she said.

If the millage is approved, it will generate $16,000 annually, and funds will only be used for cemetery upgrades.

“None of the millage money will be spent on mowing,” Hoover said. “The city will continue to pay for that out of the charter millage. The cemetery millage will be spent exclusively on improvements. The cemetery is well visited and the city takes pride in keeping it beautiful.”