 Newaygo County Museum and Heritage Center Speaker Series continues with Dale Twing
The Newaygo County Museum will continue our speaker series with Dale Twing, Newaygo County Drain Commissioner and avid local historian, who will be discussing early White Cloud History. Please join us at the Museum on Thursday, February 20th at 6:30 pm at NCMHC. The presentation highlights his extensive knowledge of local history and his connections to the area. Dale was born and raised in White Cloud along with his two brothers, Chuck and Jon. He graduated from White Cloud High School and then went on to Grand Rapids Junior College where he earned an associate degree. Once earning his associate degree, he obtained his bachelor’s degree at Grand Valley State University. He majored in Political Science and minored in Sociology. He was the owner of Sally’s Family Restaurant for 32 years as well as several rental properties, two other restaurants, a party store, and the first ice cream truck in the area. He has served or is currently serving on the following boards: Dragon Trail Executive Board, Fremont Area Community Foundation, Amazing X Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters, 4H Council, Newaygo County Road Commission, Newaygo County Parks, Newaygo County Board of Public Works, White Cloud DDA, White Cloud Parks and Recreation, White Cloud Sherman Sewer Authority, Chain of Lakes Sewer Authority, River County Chamber, Fremont Christian School Board, and the Newaygo County Autism Board. Dale is married to Susan Hines Twing and they have three daughters; Melissa Dykman, the Probate Judge for Newaygo County, Jenetia Hanna, who manages Starbucks, and Becky Bergakker, who is a professor at Grand Valley State University. They also have 8 wonderful grandchildren. Please join us at the Museum on Thursday, February 20th at 6:30 pm for this forty-minute presentation, an ongoing part of our year round Heritage Speaker series, which will be followed by a time of questions and answers. The Newaygo County Museum and Heritage Center is at 12 Quarterline in downtown Newaygo. Doors are scheduled to open at 6:00 p.m. Admission is free. Donations are matched at 50 percent by the Fremont Area Community Foundation, which provides core operational support for the organization.
0 Comments
 Looking for a cure for the wintertime blues? The Newaygo County Conservation Collaborative will be hosting the second annual Freezin’ Season Winter Carnival on February 22, 2020 from 12 p.m. - 4p.m. at John Graves Lodge, Newaygo County Welcome Center. Newaygo County residents are invited to join in on an afternoon filled with family friendly events. This free event includes sledding, horse-drawn hayride, ice fishing and learning about winter lake ecology. Participates can also assemble a bat house, Mason bee box or a seed bomb to take home. Afterwards, relax around a bonfire with a cup of hot chocolate while roasting a hot dog. Grab a friend and join in the celebration and appreciation for the outdoor splendor Michigan has to offer! 
A delightful doubleheader on tap Got a bit of the midwinter blues? Tired of getting your entertainment fix fromTV? Longing to latch onto some live music? Well lucky you because this week there are a pair of outstanding options within a short saunter to Fremont. First off the GR Symphony comes to town for their annual visit Thursday at 7:30. Compositions from Copeland, Bach, Tchaikovsky and Mozart are among the classical tunes emanating from the Main Stage. And here’s the thing for all of you out there who love a bargain. Next weekend a similar seat at DeVos for the GRS show would cost you $66. Then there’s gas to get down there, parking, likely a meal at one of the downtown eateries and a drive home late at night. At the D-wood? $17.50. And even better? Should you want the student in your life to drink in a little culture? A mere fin gets them in. Unprecedented bargain to be sure. Then on Saturday (also 7:30pm) another annual event comes to the club-like atmosphere of the Black Box when The Luthiers Concert returns.
This brainchild of Ms. Faune Benson Schuitema (one of our favorite people on the planet) has been introducing new Luthiers and musicians as well as bringing back familiar favorites to Dogwood audiences for over a decade. It is a combination exhibit/concert that has drawn huge crowds and rave reviews while giving folks the opportunity to meet these talented regional artists who create these magnificent instruments. And though the emcee (yours truly) has a tendency to stumble through the introductions, the music that follows is well worth the wait. So below you will find the skinny on both and if you’ve not been to the Dogwood since the renovation aimed at providing an amazingly easy access these offerings are a golden opportunity to do so. See you there. https://www.nearnorthnow.com/features-and-fun/grand-rapids-symphony-at-the-dogwood-center-on-february-6 https://www.nearnorthnow.com/features-and-fun/west-michigan-luthier-concert-at-the-dogwood-on-february-8 By Ken DeLaat  Fremont FFA Chapter President, Samantha Bennett, congratulates the first place team of Nancy Zeldenrust and Lucinda Thompson. Eighth Year of Success for the Fremont FFA Alumni & Friends Annual Euchre Fun Night
The Fremont FFA Alumni & Friends held their annual fundraiser, a Euchre Fun Night, on Saturday, January 25 at the Fremont High School. This marked the eighth year holding the event and it was a great success. This year’s event sold out for the first time ever with 56 teams registering. “We are so grateful to the community for supporting this event and the Fremont FFA program,” said Loretta Towne, Fremont FFA Alumni and Friends President. We are absolutely overwhelmed by the success of this event each year and the support we receive not only from the card players but local businesses and community members that sponsor the event.” This year’s event net proceeds will be just over $3,100. The funds raised will be used to directly benefit the Fremont FFA Chapter and members. Areas include leadership conferences, State and National Conventions, FFA jackets and classroom materials. The evening began with a delicious meal from award winning, Smokin' Good Time BBQ, featuring pit master Mark Westcott. As dinner wrapped up, participants moved on to playing Euchre. In addition to enjoying cards and fellowship, many participants received door prizes and tried their luck in a 50/50 drawing. At the end of the night, several teams were recognized and took home prizes. Finishing in fourth place was Rhonda Riddle and Bill Wallace. Taking the third-place spot was Mark and Jackie Hoogerhyde. In second place was Jim Schwartz, Jr. and his teammate Fred. Coming in first place was the team of Nancy Zeldenrust and Lucinda Thompson. “This event would not be what it is without the generosity of our sponsors. We greatly appreciate their support,” said Towne. Gratitude is extended to Gold Sponsors: Cushman Meat Processing, Delia’s Stump Removal and Newaygo Insurance Agency; Silver Sponsors: Farm Bureau Insurance-Landheer Agency, Fremont Animal Hospital, JMAX LLC, Nieboer Electric, Seth Pell & Gary Sholty and Rob & Marva Zeldenrust; Bronze Sponsors: The Adsmond Family, Fremont Moose #1555 Euchre Club, Gerber Farms, The Houston Family, Brent Tanis & Travis Bennett and The Smith Farm. For more information about this event or the Fremont FFA Alumni & Friends, please email fremontffaalumni@yahoo.com or call (616) 634-5200.  LUNAFEST, the fundraising film festival dedicated to championing women filmmakers and bringing women together in their communities, will be hosted by Camp Newaygo at Lang Lodge on February 7 at 7:00 p.m. The event is free to the public, with a suggested donation of $5 per person. Popcorn is also complimentary. This unique film festival highlights women as leaders in society, illustrated through seven short films by women filmmakers. The films range from animation to fictional drama, and cover topics such as women's health, body image, relationships, cultural diversity and breaking barriers. Proceeds from this event support both Camp Newaygo’s core mission support and Chicken & Egg Pictures, which celebrates and champions women storytellers. This organization provides mentorship and critical financial support to female nonfiction filmmakers. Not only have the films gained recognition, they’ve made an impact on social and economic issues. Together, LUNAFEST and Chicken & Egg Pictures are creating a strong community for women in the film industry. LUNAFEST, which is created and funded by LUNA®, The Whole Nutrition Bar, has raised more than $5 million for nonprofit organizations across the US and Canada. Films featured in LUNAFEST are not rated but it is suggest age 14+ for this season’s lineup. The 2020 Season features seven short films with a total program running time of 96 minutes. Come out and enjoy this interesting event. For more information click here or visit www.lunafest.org. Camp Newaygo is located at 5333 S. Centerline Road in Newaygo. Phone 231.652.1184 for more information.  Phillip Sterling By Marsha Reeves
Want to check out a famous poet without ever leaving Newaygo County? Flying Bear Books is hosting the world renowned poet and storyteller Phillip Sterling on Wednesday, February 5th, 7 PM at their February Poetry Night. Mr. Sterling will share some of his work as well as join the audience as some of our local poets read and share, including our local high school students. In honor of his visit, Flying Bear Books will be providing Sumac Tea, a delicious winter boost made from our local Staghorn sumac bushes. This is a traditional indigenous tea full of vitamin C and August sunshine. Phillip Sterling is the author of two books of fiction, In Which Brief Stories Are Told (Wayne State U Press) and Amateur Husbandry (Mayapple Press), two collections of poetry, And Then Snow (Main Street Rag) and Mutual Shores (New Issues) and four chapbook-length series of poems (Significant Others, Abeyance, Quatrains, And for All This: Poems from Isle Royale). A fifth series, Short on Days, will be released from Main Street Rag in 2020. He is also the editor of two anthologies: Imported Breads: Literature of Cultural Exchange (Mammoth Books 2003) and Isle Royale from the AIR: Poems, Stories, and Songs from 25 Years of Artists-in-Residence (Caffeinated Press 2017). The recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, two Fulbright Awards (Belgium and Poland), and a PEN Syndicated Fiction Award, Sterling has served as Artist-in-Residence for both Isle Royale National Park and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. He is currently Professor Emeritus at Ferris State University, where he founded and coordinated the Literature In Person Reading Series until his retirement in 2013. Poetry Night at Flying Bear Books (aka The Bear) happens the first Wednesday of every month at 7 PM. It’s a great opportunity to hang out with some of Newaygo County’s most creative people. And you don’t need $ to attend. Both Poetry Night and the Sumac Tea are free. You are welcome to bring your own poetry to share!  With Valentine’s Day approaching The Original Print Shop (TOPS) has an innovative idea that has begun to fill the store’s windows and is designed to give back to the community that has supported them since they opened their doors last year. And it is absolutely, positively, 100% free. TOPS owners Steve and Genji LeClair came up with an initiative that coincides nicely with the holiday that celebrates love. If you come into the store and express your amour with a little paper heart that will stick it on the window for all to see, your declaration of affection will send a dollar to TrueMentors a program that matches kids ages 5-14 with adults for support in dealing with the day to day challenges young people often face. We stopped into the downtown Fremont store and checked out the little love tags that have consumed the first of many windows TOPS hopes to fill and paused long enough to include our own addition to the wide variety of offerings. These little gems include “small town living’ ‘fremont wrestling’, ‘my four legged kids’ and ‘the smell of new cut grass’ as well as the names of individuals and, of course, ‘Chicken McNuggets’ Want to spread a little love while supporting a community program? Of course you do because it’s fun, it’s for a good cause and most of all it is FREE. You needn’t be a customer, it’s not going to cost you any money and you can slap on a declaration of your desire for all passersby to admire. It is going on from now until V-Day (Feb 14th) and the LeClairs hope to fill each of the windows facing Main Street with these emblems of endearment. So get yourself down to The Original Print Shop in downtown Fremont and hang your heart among the other expressions of love. And did we mention that it’s free? “We love the things we love for what they are.”- Robert Frost  On Saturday January 25th, the Snow Princess and a Yeti paid a visit to the library! About 130 lucky ones in attendance were able to meet the Snow Princess and have their picture taken with her and the Yeti. She read the children The Mitten, and kids made some wintery crafts to take home. Snow cones, cookies, and hot chocolate were served to those in attendance. Thank you to everyone who came to enjoy the Winter Carnival at the Fremont Area District Library! For more information on upcoming events at the library, visit www.fremontlibrary.net or like our Facebook page @ Fremont Area District Library.  Photo by Lil DeLaat An ominous figure stood stoically in the middle of the muck fields near 112th st off M-37 ice fishing through a spudded hole in the middle of the ample expanse of frozen water where onions once thrived.
Bass? Crappies? Maybe bluegills? Our hunch is he’s angling for Pylodictis olivaris. Also known as mud catfish.  One of Tim Scheerhorn's creations, a Weissenborn Style Guitar among the many instruments on display at the Luthier's Concert NCCA-Artsplace and Dogwood Center for the Performing Arts present the West Michigan Luthier Concert, an event that is the ultimate combination of music and visual arts. On Saturday, February 8, at 7:30 p.m., the concert will combine the beautiful artistry of local luthiers, stringed instrument makers, from throughout West Michigan with the talents of gifted musicians. This great evening will include Tim Scheerhorn performing with his Resonator guitars; Michael Wygmans performing with some of his fellow members of the Kalamazoo Mandolin Orchestra; Michele Venegas of the band An Dro playing luthier Elon Howe's fiddle; Jim Spalink performing on his harps; Keith Caldwell performing on his guitars with Jack Schipper and Michelle Emmorey; and Don Benson performing on his luthiered instruments. Luthier Bryan Galloup will also be showcasing his instruments during the evening. The live performance will also include a chance to meet the artists. A meet and greet reception will be from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. in the lobby of the Dogwood Center. This is an opportunity to learn about the instrument building process and view the instruments. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m., in the Dogwood Center Black Box with doors opening at 7:00 p.m. for seating. To complement the concert, an exhibit of photographs of handmade instruments made by West Michigan luthiers will be on display in the Dogwood Lobby Gallery from January 20 through February 23. The photographs include ukuleles, violins, violas, banjos and acoustic guitars. The photographs, taken by Faune Benson-Schuitema, showcase the beauty and design of a variety of instruments made by area craftsman. Each year new photos are added to the project which has been taking place since 2007. Come out and enjoy this popular concert by regional musicians performing on hand-made instruments from West Michigan luthiers. Tickets are $15.00 per person. Tickets are available for advanced purchase online at www.dogwoodcenter.com, at NCCA-Artsplace in downtown Fremont, or the Dogwood Center ticket office. The Dogwood Center is located at 4734 S. Campus Court in Fremont. Beer and wine will be available for purchase. Phone the Dogwood Center at 231.924.8885 for more information. |
Features and FunConcerts, Plays, Happenings, Local Recipes, Gardening, Entertainment, Charities, Fundraisers, upcoming events, Theater, Activities, Tech, and much more. Archives
February 2020
Categories“We don’t have a choice on whether we do social media, the question is how well we do it.”
- Eric Qualman |
RSS Feed