Recently Family Fitness and the Fremont Rec Center parted ways leaving some questions about the changes, so we contacted Interim Director Dawn Finch to get a little info.
N3-Family Fitness is no longer operating at the Fremont Rec Center. What does this mean for those who had memberships? We will be honoring the memberships people had with Family Fitness, but as those memberships expire, people will need to then get a Rec Center membership. If people choose to renew their membership with Family Fitness, then they will need to workout at the nearest Family Fitness location which I believe is in North Muskegon. N3-What services are available. Is it open 24/7? Having a Rec Center membership means that you can use the workout room, the pool and the gymnasium. The 24/7 access will stop at the end of January N3-What are the current fees for joining the Rec center? Any services not included? A Family Membership (for up to 5 people) is $40/month. Additional family members can be added for $5/person per month. An Individual Membership is $20/month and a Student Membership is $15/month. And again, your membership lets you use any of the facilities you wish. For example, you could go and lift weights and use the exercise equipment, then move on to the pool for lap swim, and then go into the gym and shoot some hoops. Exercise classes like Senior Water Exercise Club or Yoga are extra. N3-If I don't wish to join but want to play Pickleball or swim. What is the charge? A Day Pass will cost you $5. We also have punch cards available for $25 which gives you six (6) drop-ins for the price of five (5). N3-We hear a lot of confusion about who runs the Rec Center. We are aware there is a board but is it tied to the city in any way? The Rec Center was developed as part of the City of Fremont's 2012-2016 Recreation Master Plan and it is its own entity. We do have a nine member board made up of people living in the City of Fremont, Dayton Township, and Sheridan Township. There is currently a vacancy for Dayton Township and we welcome anyone from that township to submit an application to join the board. Got more questions? Contact the Rec Center at 924.3750, check out their facebook page or stop in for a chat (201 E Maple).
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 L-R:Linda Cudworth HTRJ Founder and Mom to new owner Tracy Murrell Story and photo by Ken DeLaat
The idea was there long before it became a reality. Linda Cudworth considered a number of options in the area and even gave a fleeting thought to a place she stumbled upon during a visit to Grand Marais. But in the end Hit The Road Joe landed next door to her house in Croton. That was 20 years ago when she was 50. Now 20 years later her daughter Tracy, known as Chef T, has taken the reins of the iconic restaurant that has been a gathering spot for a slew of regulars and a pleasant surprise for those who have discovered this haven of epicurean delights by accident, by design or by recommendation. And she is now nearly 50, producing a fitting symmetry to the transition process . The eatery began life with just a drive through window, opened a small dining room soon after and since has seen additions to the dining area and the kitchen as well as the creation of an outdoor deck. All the while maintaining the casual charm befitting this unique establishment overlooking an imaginative landscape in the heart of rural Newaygo County. “I said I’d do it for 5 years then open a bait shop,” said Linda. “And now here we are fifteen years past the five I planned on.” And now the torch has passed to her eldest daughter. “These are huge shoes to fill and I can’t say enough good things about my Mother,” said Ms. Murrell. “She has been a true pioneer in our community. Her tenacity and hard work has created a ‘one of a kind’ business and I am so grateful for this opportunity. “I look forward to growing and honoring her legacy.” Tracy is no stranger to HTRJ. She started fairly soon after it’s opening working once a week and in recent years has used her extensive traveling to bring home recipes from around the globe. The international dinners held on occasion draw capacity crowds eager to sample her latest creations and her summertime takeout rib dinners are legendary for residents and summer folks alike. Hit The Road Joe is in good hands and familiar hands at that. “It will be the same vibe, the same feel with homemade organic offerings. Real food in a friendly atmosphere” And Linda? She and husband Chris will do more traveling and there will be more time to pursue some of her other interests. “I could not have done this without the help of my sister Kendra, my three daughters, my husband and the incredible support from the community,” said Linda. “It’s been a great run.” And fortunately for folks who enjoy a great meal in a welcoming venue… The bait shop never happened.  Newaygo County Partners Taking Truancy Seriously
NC RESA, along with the Newaygo County Sheriff’s Office, have partnered to create a truancy intervention program in Newaygo County. The primary focus is to identify students who are chronically truant and return them to school. Under Michigan law, a student age 6 until their 18th birthday must attend school. Students become chronically truant at 10 unexcused absences during one school year. School Resource Officers identify these students and attempt to provide available resources and interventions to improve attendance. “There was a 26% decrease in truancies for the 2018-1019 school year,” reported Sheriff Bob Mendham. He also said that so far during the 2019-2020 school year, truancy is down over 50% from the previous year. Sheriff Mendham added that none of this would be possible without teamwork and collaboration between all Newaygo County schools, Child Protective Services, Department of Human Services, Community Mental Health, NC RESA, and many other partners that make this program successful. If you have any questions regarding truancy, please contact Deputy Bunnita Ouwinga or Deputy Justin Visser at 231-924-8846.  Newaygo County RESA Celebrates School Board Recognition Month
Newaygo County RESA is joining 529 local and 56 intermediate school districts across Michigan to celebrate January as School Board Recognition Month. “Our school board members spend countless hours of unpaid time working to provide the best possible education for our students,” said Superintendent Dr. Lori Tubbergen Clark. “They also serve as the corporate board of directors for some of our county’s largest employers. Celebrating School Board Recognition Month is one way to say ‘thanks’ for all they do.” School board members represent their fellow citizens’ views and priorities in the complex enterprise of maintaining and running the community’s public schools, Tubbergen Clark said. They also reinforce the principle of local control over public education, which is an important, highly valued aspect of education in Michigan. “Too often the efforts of school board members go unrecognized,” Tubbergen Clark said. She added that the school board’s main goal is to support student achievement. To achieve that goal, the board focuses on the following needs: • Creating a vision for what parents and citizens want their school district to become and how to make student achievement the top priority. • Setting standards for what students must learn and be able to do. • Assessing whether schools achieve their goals and whether students are learning. • Accounting for the outcomes of decisions and by tracking progress and reporting results. • Aligning the use of the district’s human and financial resources. • Creating a safe and orderly climate where students can learn and teachers can teach. • Collaborating to solve common problems and to support common successes. • Focusing on continuous improvement by questioning, examining, revising, refining and revisiting issues related to student achievement. “Even though we are making a special effort during January to show appreciation for our school board members, we recognize that their contributions reflect a year-round effort on their part,” Tubbergen Clark said. “They are dedicated individuals who are committed to improving student achievement and to fighting for the best for all of our students.” The men and women serving the public schools in Newaygo County are: Big Jackson Public School: Charlotte Lockerby, Laura Johnson, Brad Crawford, Sue Jones, Lynn Ulman Fremont Public Schools: Matt Hendrie, Jennifer Scott, Rick St. Peter, Peter Slovinski, Kim Rasch, Michael Campeau, Crystal Calkins Grant Public Schools: Kris Lesley, Shawn Moore, Neil Geers, Dianne Ring, Damon Arsenault, George Brown, Rachal Gort Hesperia Community Schools: Mary Sturtevant, Ryan Good, Michelle K. Allen, Mark Kraus, Julie Burrell, Scott Wenberg, Alan Daniels Newaygo Public Schools: Bret Brummel, Thomas Frisbie, Vince Grodus, Morgan Heinzman, Jami Schultz, Reid Sherwood, Melissa Swinehart White Cloud Public Schools: Holly Bowman, Megan Cruzan, Keith Derks, Elaine Engel, Jim Jones, Mindy Mench, Harry Stevens Newaygo County RESA: David Hewitt, Ed Haynor, Karen Kasankiewicz, Laura Johnson, Sarah Robinson  Photo courtesy of Consumers Energy From our friends at Consumers Energy:
CROTON, Mich., Jan. 9, 2020 – Consumers Energy will be testing one siren near Hardy Dam on the Muskegon River on Monday, January 13 at approximately 9:30 a.m. The siren to be tested that day is downstream of Hardy Dam near E. 44th Street. The energy provider said they will be performing maintenance on that siren and testing its operation. It’s possible the siren will sound multiple times Monday morning. No other sirens are scheduled to be tested. The tests will include a voice message, a 30-second siren and a second voice message. The public does not need to take any action during the tests. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requires hydroelectric facilities to be able to quickly notify residents and visitors of any developing emergency at the plants. Typically, Consumers Energy performs the test once in August and in December each year. In the event of an emergency, the siren/speaker units’ initial warning will be supplemented by information on radio and television stations along with Newaygo and Mecosta County emergency notification systems.  Weekend storm has the potential to bring significant impacts including flooding
From our friends at Newaygo County Emergency Services: As of January 8, 2020, area rivers, drains, streams, creeks, and lakes are still recovering from the heavy rain that fell in late December. The Muskegon River near Croton is currently 1.5 feet higher than the 24 year daily median height. In addition soils remain saturated and ground absorption is extremely limited. It is looking increasingly likely that Lower Michigan will see several rounds of heavy rain late this week and this weekend. Recent forecast trends suggest at least 2 inches of rain is likely across virtually all of the Grand and Kalamazoo River basins, as well as much of the Muskegon River basin. As much as 3 inches of rain is possible. Per the NWS Hydrologist, this has the potential to send many of our rivers higher than they have been at any point in the last 1-2 years. There are still a lot of unknowns as to where the warm side of the storm system vs the cold side of the storm system will set up. Some of the rain in our area could fall as snow/sleet/freezing rain, which makes a big difference on the effect this has on the river levels. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BRING SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS IN THE FORM OF POWER OUTAGES, DANGEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS, AND AREAL AND RIVER FLOODING TO PARTS OF WESTERN LOWER MICHIGAN. ALL PARTIES WITH WEEKEND PLANS ARE ENCOURAGED TO STAY UP TO DATE ON THE FORECAST AS CONFIDENCE INCREASES IN WHERE THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION WILL FALL. WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW People living in flood prone locations should monitor forecasts this week on this developing hazardous weather situation. Now is the time to think about preparedness and plan for impacts in the event the heavy rainfall and flooding materialize. Significantly rising rivers and flooding is possible through next week. Three USGS River Gauges are used to determine the river levels. As of 3:30 pm, the Muskegon River near
WHAT TO EXPECT
PREPARE NOW IF YOU LIVE WITHIN THE AREA IMPACTED! Watch for rapidly changing water levels. Don’t wait for an evacuation directive if you feel threatened. Residents within the areas anticipated to be impacted by flood waters may be directed to by public safety personnel to evacuate if a Flood Warning is issued. Follow these checklists (if time allows) to give you and your home the best chance of surviving a flood. Inside the House
Outside
Animals
FLOODING SAFETY
COMMUNITY INFORMATION
Continuing Information Will Be Released Via NIXLE Newaygo County Emergency Services is coordinating with Consumers Energy and the National Weather Service Grand Rapids Office to actively monitor the changing conditions and communicate information out to residences impacted by the rising floodwaters. As the situation changes, additional information will be released by the Newaygo County Emergency Operations Center utilizing Nixle. Please visit http://www.nixle.com/ to register for alerts and view emergency information for where you live.  USDA Forest Service to Host Open Houses for Zone Aspen Project
The Huron-Manistee National Forests (HMNF) will be holding a series of three open houses to discuss the proposed Zone Aspen Project. The Baldwin/White Cloud and Cadillac/Manistee Ranger Districts are initiating an environmental analysis that includes even-aged regeneration harvesting of aspen and aspen-dominated stands on National Forest System lands. It will ensure future timber availability and utilization and improve forest conditions for wildlife. This project will be taking place across the entire Manistee National Forest. The public is invited to participate in any and/or all open houses, and resource staff will available to answer any questions about the project. Meetings will be held at the following dates, locations, and times: Baldwin/White Cloud Ranger Station Conference Room 650 North Michigan Ave. Baldwin, MI 49304 Thursday, January 9, 2020 6:00 pm—7:30 pm Norman Township Hall 1273 Seaman Road Welston, MI 49689 Wednesday, January 15, 2020 6:00 pm—7:30 pm Newago County Government Building Newago County Board of Commissioners Room 1087 Newell Street White Cloud, MI 49349 Thursday, January 16, 2020 6:00 pm—7:30 pm The goal of this project is to manage the aspen forest resource of the Manistee National Forest to:
The public comment period will run from January 6, 2020—February 5, 2020. The comment period serves as both a scoping opportunity and as a designated period for public comment. Project information can be found on our website: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/0b7607e6430f4b58b3168547bd3a4d51 Submit comment forms electronically to: comments-eastern-huron-manistee-manistee@usda.gov E-mail attachments must be readable by Microsoft Office 2000 or Adobe. Please reference Zone Aspen Project in the subject line. Written comments can be sent to: Cadillac-Manistee Ranger District, 412 Red Apple Road, Manistee, MI 49660. Questions regarding the proposed project can be directed to Mark Herberger at (231) 723-2211 ext. 3109 or at mark.herberger@usda.gov.  Gerber Memorial welcomes first baby of 2020 Fremont – Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial’s New Year’s Day baby took a little longer to show up despite mom Cassie Moore’s best efforts. Moore began feeling contractions late in the afternoon on Jan. 1. Baby Gabriel, however, wasn’t quite ready to show up, and waited until 4:12 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 2, to make his long-awaited debut. Weighing in at 6 pounds and 4 ounces, Gabriel was born to Moore and Mark Golliver, both of Fremont. Gerber Memorial delivers about 500 babies each year on average.  Cassie Moore and Mark Golliver are proud parents of Gabriel, born on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020, and the official New Year’s Day baby at Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial. Among Gerber Memorial’s labor and delivery team that helped welcome Gabriel were Joy Turner, RN, (far left) and Krista Dunbar, RN, (far right).  Photo courtesy Newaygo County Road Commission As we look back on 2019 it seems as though a common theme would be “the weather”, and its extremes. Some notable sayings relative to the most recent weather pattern could be, “nice weather…. For a duck”. Or, “maybe we should build an ark?” There are some more “colorful” anecdotes, but you get the point. Let me start by saying, “Sorry” to those that live on or drive down our gravel/dirt roads, they have been a nightmare this season. We endured a record setting amount of rainfall and that has made it challenging to say the least, but we are still working on them when conditions allow. January started with the continued theme in the form of freezing rain that quickly transitioned into an all-out wet snow which was the beginning of a lengthy snowy chain of events. And that pattern continued through the months of February and the middle of March, and that is when the thoughts of gathering the animals 2 by 2 and texting Noah about constructing an ocean liner class vessel came to mind. The middle of March brought an event of epic proportion to the area, 7 inches of rain coupled with a large snow melt and frozen ground was a recipe for disaster. Culverts and ditches were just not able to keep up, we lost several culvert crossings, had several areas of flooded roadway and miles of ponding water on surfaces. We spent the next several weeks attempting to repair some of the destruction while still fighting snow and ice events. We were also handicapped by the inability of finding suitable aggregate, it was either frozen or soup. We are still seeing the after effects of those events in the form of failed culverts and blocked water waterways from debris, it also took a huge toll on the budget as well a major setback in our construction schedule. We were realistically 3 months behind all summer, and with a completely booked season in place there was a large task at hand. When we were finally able to begin the construction season we were faced with $4,200,000.00 in township projects on the books. That would be a massive undertaking in a normal 8 month construction season, but we were going to be lucky if we could get in 5 decent months at best. And I must point out, we have some incredible townships in our county, as they supplement the road system substantially, and while we all can agree we have a ways to go yet, I can assure you without their support the system would be much worse off. We also witnessed what seemed to be the never-ending saga of Colonial Bridge finally come to fruition in mid-late July. I could write a book on this project, it was almost 10 years in the making and was filled with more twists and turns than the new striping in Newaygo, but that’s another story for another day. As we progressed through the summer months (or more commonly known as “Orange Barrel Season”) the staff and crews were really making progress, and I’d like to give a huge shout out to the women and men of NCRC. They are an awesome group to work for, they care and they really want to provide a safe and efficient road system and I do believe if given a fair shot with workable weather conditions they will succeed in doing so. Even with the shortened and sometimes “not so friendly” working conditions, they managed to complete just over $3,000,000.00 in township projects. So we will begin next season where we left off and hope for a longer and friendlier weather pattern. Fall began just about like every other season in 2019, overly damp. With ground water near or above the surface everywhere, swamps, ditches, streams, rivers and lakes over capacity and does not take much rainfall to create havoc. Nothing is soaking in and not much evaporation is going on, so we are back to ducks on a boat. During this time we endured a few wind and rain events that were minor setbacks, but our real issue has been the condition of the unpaved system, it has been horrific at times. There really is not much to be made with mud, except for more mud and nobody wants that. We have at times made attempts to grade when we probably shouldn’t have knowing the probable outcome would be less than stellar, but we were desperate to get you some relief from what was either a mud run or something that resembled a minefield. Our apologies again, and we have not given up. We had an early December ice storm that transitioned into a snow event that not only dumped some wet heavy snow to scrape, it also really took a toll on trees and that clean up really slowed our progress. Every single road had some debris that needed attention, and some needed cleared of trees before we could begin to scrape the snow. Another notable mention, Thank You to the first responders and utility companies and their support services for the aid during that event. They really were a blessing with all the help on downed trees and powerlines. That is a very brief synopsis of our year, we are glad it is behind us as we were not able to provide as many improvements to the system as we’d hoped due to being in a constant state of repair. As we roll through the Holidays The Board, staff and myself hope you had a wonderful Christmas and wish you all a safe and Happy New Year.  The award-winning January Series of Calvin University is once again coming to Newaygo County! From January 8 through January 28, the Dogwood Center will be one of 60 remote webcast locations worldwide to broadcast the live lecture and cultural arts series.
The 2020 edition of Calvin University's January Series features a New York Times best-selling authors, Billboard-topping musicians, and a 41-year veteran of the White House press corps. From Wednesday, January 8 through Tuesday, January 28, attendees will learn from a wide range of experts leading some of the nations and world's most pivotal and timely conversations. The 15 speakers will provide insight on issues like poverty and hunger, the global water crisis, immigration, mass incarceration, religious freedom, and big data's inequality and threat to democracy. A few of the notable names in the 2020 lineup include: Ann Compton, who covered seven presidents; Mitch Albom, an author, columnist, radio host, and philanthropist whose books have sold over 39 million copies and been translated into more than 45 languages; and Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at NYU whose last two books were New York Times best sellers. This is a great opportunity to listen to nationally acclaimed speakers surrounding a variety of interesting topics. The Dogwood Center, a remote site for the Calvin University's January Series and supported in part by the Fremont Area Community Foundation, is pleased to bring the Calvin University's January Series to Newaygo County for the eleventh year in a row. For the last ten years, the Dogwood Center has been among the highest attended remote sites in the nation. The January Series lectures will be video streamed live at the Dogwood Center, 4734 S. Campus Court, Fremont, from 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, January 8 - 28. The lectures are free and open to the public. Both the Black Box and Main Stage areas will be available for seating. Attendees may bring their lunch or order a lunch for $5 by calling 231.924.8885 at least 24 hours prior to the date. View the speaker schedule at www.dogwoodcenter.com  The Dragon in Winter. Photo courtesy NC Parks. “If the sky could dream it would dream of dragons” -Llona Andrews, Fate's Edge The much anticipated Dragon Trail recently received some good news from the DNR Trust Fund. A Newaygo County grant for $180,000 and a Mecosta Township grant for $205,400 are reimbursement based and, along with other donated funds, will help build the next ten miles of the biking/hiking trail over the next two building seasons. The grants are part of $25.6 million recommended by the board including $11.5 million for 60 recreation development projects. Thee include two in the district represented by state Senator Jon Bumstead, The Dragon and a waterway access project in the village of Fruitport. “The funding will support a diverse range of projects that will allow more folks to enjoy Michigan’s unique natural resources,” said state Sen. Jon Bumstead. “I’ve always been an avid outdoorsman and will stand in support of both of these projects when they reach the Legislature. “I am happy to see these developments in our communities moving forward so we can continue passing down the love for Michigan’s outdoors.” Since the early October groundbreaking ceremony roughly 5 miles of trail have been built in three locations according to NC Parks Director Nick Smith. “By spring of 2020 these sections of trail will be finished, and the first three bridges will be installed. By the Summer of 2020, these trail sections near Brower Park, Newaygo State Park, Sandy Beach County Park, will be opened to the public.” The unique trail will include six trailheads, 13 designated trail overlooks and parking at existing recreation sites. The trail will have a natural surface and will be two feet wide when completed.  The path takes shape near the marina. Photo courtesy of NC Parks  More changes coming to all local recycling programs
Lola Harmon-Ramsey, Owner, Cart Right Recycling As with most things in life, change is inevitable. And so, more change is coming to all Newaygo County recycling programs. To align with other global recycling programs, the Kent County based Material Recovery Facility that recycling haulers utilize is changing what they accept at their institution. Cart Right Recycling and Republic Waste, the two recycling providers in Newaygo County, are implementing these changes immediately. Plastic shopping bags and shredded paper will no longer be accepted for curbside or drop-off recyclers in all West Michigan recycling programs. Instead, haulers are asking their customers to return their clean and dry plastic shopping bags to “big-box” grocery stores for proper recycling. These retail drop-off locations keep the bags clean and dry so they can then be recycled into high-quality manufactured goods. Shredded paper should be disposed of in the trash or disposed of in another responsible way. Plastic films, wrappings, and bags have long been an issue to be recycled properly. Items like bread bags, food storage bags, dry cleaner bags, water bottle packaging, paper towel packaging, produce bags, pellet bags, water softener bags, or air pillows from shipping boxes should not enter curbside recycling bins or county operated drop-off sites. Some of these plastics can also be recycled at store-drop offs like Meijer and Walmart in Fremont. Find more information about plastic bag or film recycling at www.how2recycle.infofor guidelines and locations.  Students engaged in learning at Ag Adventures. The Gerber Foundation announces grant awards
The Gerber Foundation is pleased to announce that over $170,000 was awarded to local organizations serving youth in their second grant round of 2019. Funding was provided for 38 programs or projects with 8 grants provided to new partners. New partnerships broaden the reach of the Foundation while engaging local youth in unique educational and health initiatives. New recipients included: Operation Warm to provide new winter coats for children in their “Warm Welcome to the Library” program, Trout Unlimited for a girl’s STEM program called STREAM Girls, Health West for their BOOM Youth Leadership Project, North Star Reach for camp scholarships for children with serious medical conditions, National Inventors Hall of Fame for the Camp Invention STEM Program in Muskegon County, National Kidney Foundation for an early childhood nutritional program called Regie’s Rainbow Adventure, Grant Christian School to improve STEM education, and Camp Quality Michigan to provide camp scholarships for children with cancer. Several grants were provided to the Newaygo County 4-H Council for their Marine Biology 4-H SPIN Club, 4-H Teen & Leader Trainings, Ag Adventures, and 4-H Exploration Days. Summer camp scholarship grants continue to make up a large portion of the fall grants with funds provided for summer camps, science camps, or leadership workshops. Recipients included Camp Casey, Camp Pinewood, Camp Henry, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Camp Pendalouan, Camp Newaygo, and Hospice of Michigan’s Camp Good Grief. Local FFA groups also continue to receive support to send students to the annual Washington Leadership Conference. Grants were also provided to the NC RESA FIRST Robotics team, United Way of the Lakeshore in support of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Muskegon and Oceana Counties, Junior Achievement of the Lakeshore to promote financial literacy for Kindergarten students in Newaygo County, Girls on the Run in Muskegon County, Hand2hand and Kids Food Basket to provide afterschool and weekend meals for children in need, TrueNorth Community services for a variety of youth programming, and the City of Fremont for the annual Shop with a Cop program. “These organizations each provide amazing opportunities for our young citizens as they develop and grow into adulthood and we are continually grateful for all of the work they do.” noted Catherine Obits, program officer at the Gerber Foundation, “We are pleased to be able to support them as they continue their work.” The deadline for the next round of West Michigan Grants is March 15, 2020. For more information or to apply, go to www.gerberfoundation.org.  Michigan Works! West Central moves office to Newaygo; Open house Dec. 19 NEWAYGO – Michigan Works! West Central is pleased to announce the opening of its new service center in the city of Newaygo. The service center officially opened its doors on Dec. 2, at 9075 S. Mason Drive in Newaygo, the former VFW hall. To celebrate the new location, an open house will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19, at the new service center. The River Country Area Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting at 4:30 p.m. at the event. Michigan Works! West Central’s Workforce Development Board voted in June to move the organization’s Newaygo County service center from Fremont to the Newaygo to better meet the needs of its clients. “The decision to move was, in part, based on the population of Newaygo County. Our research shows that the city of Newaygo’s population increased significantly in comparison to Fremont between 1990 and 2017,” said Shelly Keene, Michigan Works! West Central executive director. “During that timeframe, Newaygo saw a 28.4-percent increase, while Fremont saw a 10.6-percent increase. To best provide services to our clients, we need to be located in a highly visible and easily accessible area to reach as many clients as possible. “We feel the new location will help make our services and programs more accessible to those who need our assistance. The new service center is more than double the size of our previous location in Fremont, and will house several of our agency partners to make the new office a central location for those in need.” Partners located in the new service center include Michigan Rehabilitation Services and Michigan Veterans Affairs, among others. The new location is nearly 7,000 square feet, and includes a large conference room area, computers for job searching, cubicle office space and more. Michigan Works! West Central currently is seeking additional partners to locate to the new facility. Michigan Works! West Central, which covers Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Newaygo, Oceana and Osceola counties, offers services to both employers and job seekers. For employers, it offers assistance with recruitment, posting job opportunities, hosting job fairs, training dollars for new and existing employers and more. Michigan Works! West Central offers job seekers assistance with resume/cover letter writing assistance and help with creating a profile/resume on Pure Michigan Talent Connect, and other employment related services. Various classroom and on-the-job training opportunities may also be available for adults, dislocated workers, and youth through several available funding sources. For more information about the new Newaygo service center, contact Michigan Works! West Central Business Services Director Merri Bennett at (231) 583-2029. For more information about services provided to job seekers, please call (231) 924-3230.  The Newaygo County Treasurer as well as County Treasurers throughout the State are required by State Statute to publish a list of taxpayers in jeopardy of tax foreclosure on March 31, 2020. This is one of the many strategies County Treasurers use to prevent foreclosure and ensure that taxpayers retain their property. Treasurer Moon is anxious to meet with taxpayers and refer them to agencies and non-profits for tax and financial help. More than 15-20 measures are taken over the 25-month period of delinquency to help people avoid foreclosure. More than 138,000 Michigan properties were scheduled to be foreclosed in 2019. Over 128,000 of them were redeemed before April 1, 2019, largely due to the efforts and activities of county treasurers. That’s a 92% redemption rate! “These efforts are made because it is the responsible approach to take, and it keeps families and small business owners in their properties,” stated Treasurer Moon. “If you or someone you know is on the attached list, please contact the County Treasurer’s Office for assistance at 231.689.7233.”
 L-R Lenore Bacon and Donna Hieftje, two of the friendly Recycling Volunteers stand ready to help you with recycling at the Fremont site The public is invited to celebrate the Volunteers of the Fremont Recycling Site at the CEWAC Holiday Meeting on Thursday, December 12. It will be held from 6pm to 7:30pm at Brooks Township Hall, 490 Quarterline Street, Newaygo. A review of 3REE and CEWAC past year’s activities will be presented, and refreshments will be served. Citizens Environmental Watch and Action Coalition (CEWAC) is a taskforce of 3R Environmental Education, a community organization that provides programs about local and global environmental issues, solutions and advocacy. The Fremont Recycling site at 5510 56th St, Fremont, is one of Newaygo County’s six recycling sites but is the only one that is staffed by volunteers. “The volunteers are an amazing group and the Fremont Site would not be successful without them. They truly deserve to be recognized,” states April Pickard, the County’s Drain Office Secretary and the original volunteer staffing coordinator. The Fremont site is volunteer staffed to ensure that only clean, acceptable recyclables are added to the bins by community members. Unfortunately, unstaffed recycling sites and bins are often contaminated with items that are currently not allowed at the Kent County Material Recovery Facility, where all of Newaygo County’s recyclables are taken. This contamination can lead to much of the bin contents taken to landfills instead of being recycled. The Recycling Volunteers offer assistance to community members who need help placing their items in the bins. They also provide important education to residents such as which items are currently acceptable, making sure recyclable food containers are rinsed out, and which kind of Styrofoam packing materials are allowed. They also applaud our many resident recyclers. New volunteers are always welcomed to join this elite group of fun frontline environmental advocates by contacting Nick Looman at 231.924.5288 or nicholaslooman@gmail.com. The public is welcome to come to the monthly CEWAC meetings or join the enews list by contacting sallyw@3r-education.org. More information about local and regional recycling can be found at www.3r-education.org, and Kent County’s recycling website at www.reimaginetrash.org.  Still Time for Holiday Groceries, Gift Cards, and Giving The Third Annual Gene's Shopping Spree Raffle is your chance to win groceries or gift cards for the holidays, while giving to Grant students! The 2019 drawing will be held at 5pm on Monday, December 16. Prizes include a 60 second shopping spree, a $200 gift card, and a $100 gift card. Elliott and LaRissa Vanderlaan started this annual event in 2017 as a way to give back to the communities that have supported Gene's Family Markets in Grant and Croton. "We have been blessed with a great opportunity and platform to provide groceries and extra cash during this sometimes hectic, but wonderful time of the year," said Elliott. "During this season of giving, we wanted to create an event in between the holiday of giving thanks for what we have, and the holiday of giving gifts of things we don't have." In the first two years of the raffle, community members won over $2,700 worth of groceries and $600 in gift cards. Last year, over $1,300 in proceeds was also given to Grant Schools. For the 2019 raffle, proceeds will be given to the Grant High School Marching Band. Grant Bands use money raised throughout the year to help pay for marching season expenses. Please help Grant High School continue to offer these programs to band students by purchasing a raffle ticket today. The $10 raffle tickets are available for purchase at Gene's Family Market stores in Grant and Croton.   Consumers Energy to Conduct Siren Tests at Rogers, Croton and Hardy Dams December 12
CROTON– Consumers Energy announced the emergency public warning siren systems near its Rogers, Hardy and Croton hydroelectric generating plants on the Muskegon River will be tested on Thursday, December 12 at approximately 9:30 a.m. The tests will include a voice message, a 30-second siren and a second voice message. The public does not need to take any action during the tests. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requires hydroelectric facilities to be able to quickly notify residents and visitors of any developing emergency at the plants. Typically, Consumers Energy performs the test once in August and in December each year. In the event of an emergency, the siren/speaker units’ initial warning will be supplemented by information on radio and television stations along with Newaygo and Mecosta County emergency notification systems. Consumers Energy offers a safety caution to those who visit dams in the winter. “Ice on a reservoir near a hydroelectric facility is not reliable and should be avoided by snowmobilers, anglers and others,” said Bill Schoenlein, Consumers Energy’s executive director of renewable generation. “Also, ice-covered water down river from a hydroelectric facility should never be considered a safe place to walk.”  Newaygo Students Sage Beerman and Katelyn Shue looked at water quality  The project of Alisha Snider and Kennedy Semposki (not pictured) was all about perception Local Newaygo County Career-Tech Agriscience Students Win at Nationals
Students from the Newaygo County Career-Tech Center (NCCTC), having won research competitions at the local and state levels, traveled to the National FFA Agriscience competition in Indianapolis, IN. The National FFA Agriscience Fair recognizes student researchers studying the application of agricultural scientific principles and emerging technologies in agricultural enterprises. The participants must conduct a scientific research project pertaining to the agriculture and food science industries, and present their findings to a panel of judges. Alisha Snider placed 10th in the nation with research conducted by her and Kennedy Semposki (Tri-County). Their research was on teenager perceptions of organic and conventional food. Sage Beerman (Newaygo) and Katelyn Shue (Newaygo) presented their research on the drinking quality of well water on and off farms, placing 8th in the country. ‘’These results speak highly to the level of commitment and passion our Agriscience students put into their research,” said Bernard Brown, NCCTC Principal, “as well as our instructors who have developed intentional practice and learning sessions based on each prior year’s learning.”  And one more (maybe) from our friends at MDOT...
Lane closures for pavement marking are now scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday) between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on M-37 from south of Quarterline Street to north of M-82 (Curve Street/Croton Drive).  Christmas is right around the corner and if you're looking for a fun way to get active during the busy holiday season, the ChoiceOne Bank St. Nick Kick is just the race for you! Offering a 1 mile fun run/walk, 5k and 10k, there is a race distance for everyone. Prizes are awarded to the top 3 overall men and women and in the master's division. Age group prizes are awarded to the top 3 in each 5 year age group. The top runners for the 5k and 10k create competitive lead groups while the back of the pack provides a friendly, fun atmosphere for friends of all ages. At the conclusion of the race there is a plethora of hot chili provided by Wendy's, other delicious food and hot chocolate to warm up while awards are presented! For information about the race, go to https://www.rivercountrychamber.com/events/details/choiceone-bank-st-nick-kick-5k-10k-run-race-1-mile-walk-2019-33186   From our friends at MDOT....once again...
Lane closures for pavement marking are now scheduled for Monday, November 25 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on M-37 from south of Quarterline Street to north of M-82 (Curve Street/Croton Drive). |
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