 Photo by Alexander Butler, courtesy of NC Emergency Services  Newaygo County Approves Hazard Mitigation Grant; Your Help Needed in Updating the Plan
Newaygo County, – On Wednesday, October 23, 2019, the Newaygo County Board of Commissioners approved a FEMA Pre-Disaster Hazard Mitigation Grant in order to revise and reauthorize the existing Newaygo County Hazard Management Plan. The Newaygo County Hazard Management Plan is a multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan developed pursuant to the criteria contained in 44CFR Part 201, as authorized by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. This plan is required in order to maintain eligibility to seek federal funding under the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Program. The plan is required to be updated every five years and will expire in August 2020. Hazard mitigation is an important part of being a disaster resilient community. Hazard mitigation is any action taken before, during, or after a disaster to permanently eliminate or reduce the long-term risk to human life and property from natural, technological, and man-made hazards. Examples of hazard mitigation activities include voluntary acquisition or elevation of flood prone structures, creation of defensible spaces around wildland urban interface areas, protective measures for utility infrastructure, storm water management projects that reduce flood risk, etc. The purpose of mitigation planning is to identify policies and actions that can be implemented over the long term to reduce risk and future losses. Maintaining a FEMA approved Hazard Mitigation Plan has positive, local impacts within the County. In December 2016, Newaygo County was awarded $239,316.00 in grants to implement a new flood warning system for approximately 35 miles of the Muskegon River in Newaygo County utilizing the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Flood Inundation Mapper System. As a part of the project an additional two river gages, which were funded by the Fremont Area Community Foundation, were installed in Newaygo and Bridgeton. Newaygo County was eligible to apply for this Hazard Mitigation Grant because our community maintains a Hazard Mitigation Plan. Newaygo County is requesting assistance from the public with the updates to the Newaygo County Hazard Management Plan. Your participation will enable Newaygo County Emergency Services to collect and compile the most up-to-date community data and information. A draft Community Profile has been developed and posted to the County of Newaygo’s Website for review at http://www.countyofnewaygo.com/. In addition, a short survey has been created to gather additional information on different hazard events which have occurred in Newaygo County. Anyone with the following link can respond to the survey: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=FphJxb9yaEu0ITdZSCbc1t03a5ULdxJCkxRvak4PlzZUMjRCUVkzN0dJVzFKUFJRR1lVVVhBM1RKNi4u
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 UPDATE!!!!!!!
Lane closures for pavement marking will be in effect this Friday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on M-37 from south of Quarterline Street to north of M-82 According to our friends at MDOT the lane closures for pavement marking originally set to be in effect Tuesday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on M-37 from south of Quarterline Street to north of M-82…. Has been cancelled. We will update you as we receive more info.  On November 27, The Right Place in Newaygo County will partner with Hello West Michigan and regional event sponsors to attract talent back to Newaygo County through the hosting of the county’s second ReThink event. The event is part of ReThink West Michigan’s 8th annual evening of casual networking to attract former West Michiganders back to the region. ReThink Newaygo County is being hosted at Lakes 23 from 5:00 to 7:00pm. Those who pre-register online at rethinkwm.com/fremont will receive one drink ticket, free appetizers, free professional headshots and a chance to win a gift basket full of Michigan-made goods. On a day when many former Newaygo County college students and professionals are back in the area for the Thanksgiving holiday, area companies are coming together to convince them that it is time to “rethink” West Michigan. Employers who are participating in the Newaygo County event include Spectrum Health, Gerber Products, Family Healthcare, Nestle Nutrition Research & Development, Michigan Works! West Central and River Country Chamber of Commerce. While the event is aimed at visitors who are home for the holiday, anyone interested in career opportunities with participating employers are encouraged to register and attend. Not a traditional career fair, ReThink Newaygo County provides a casual, professional environment to network and discover many of the great career possibilities available in Newaygo County. “Event attendees will be able to learn about a number of openings available to them from regional employers like Spectrum Health, as well as from growing locally-based companies like Family Healthcare and Gerber Products,” shared Julie Burrell, Business Development Coordinator for Newaygo County, who is organizing the event. Several ReThink events are scheduled throughout West Michigan, including events in Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Hastings, Ludington, and Oceana County. For details, visit rethinkwm.com. Details on ReThink Newaygo County: Date: November 27, 2019 Location: Lakes 23 Restaurant and Pub, Watersedge Golf Course 1100 Ramshorn Drive, Fremont Time: 5:00 pm- 7:00 p.m. Registration: Register for FREE at www.rethinkwm.com/fremont  The drop-off recycling center located in White Cloud, Michigan has been moved to a new location. The new site is only a few blocks away behind city hall. The move was made at the direction of the County of Newaygo DPW and with the support of the city of White Cloud and Newaygo County Road Commission. The new location on Pine Hill Street allows for residential recycling to be available to White Cloud and County of Newaygo residents, but it is now fenced in and will no longer be open 24/7. The open hours for this site are Monday-Saturday, 10am – 4pm. It will be closed on Sundays, evenings, and major national holidays like Christmas. The recycling site will still accept the same items, flattened cardboard, glass, tin and aluminum cans, office paper, newspaper, magazines and rigid plastics. This move is intended to help alleviate contamination of the recyclables and dumping of trash on nights and weekends. The County’s Recycling program is currently funded by the County of Newaygo and a grant from the Fremont Area Community Foundation. You can find up-to-date recycling information and the guide for accepted items on the programs Facebook page under “Newaygo County Recycling.”  Got Questions? Hope Network to hold informational meeting this Friday
At the last White Cloud City Council meeting on Tuesday, November 12, a presentation by Hope Network on a proposed apartment project drew an avalanche of questions from the packed gallery. After close to 45 minutes the question period was ended to allow for a resumption of the meeting agenda. As for those who attended and were not able to get their queries responded to as well as the folks who may have not been at the meeting and have questions of their own? Well, there’s a meeting for that. A press release by the organization sent out on Monday (November 18th) includes an invitation to: “A Neighborhood Meeting to discuss the proposed Riverbank Place Apartments at: Leighton Hall 601 N. Evergreen Dr. White Cloud, MI 49349 Conveniently located one mile north of the traffic light in White Cloud on M-37 Friday, November 22, 2019, 3-6 pm.” Per the release: This will be conducted as an informal drop-in format with three information stations. Development team representatives will be available to provide general information, answer specific questions, and keep a record of questions posed or comments offered by attendees. The three information stations are: 1. Location/Design Considerations: Information regarding why the White Cloud community has been chosen for these apartments, the scope and size of the project, what the site requirements are, and the preliminary design elements. 2. Asset/Property Management, Maintenance, and Affordable Apartments Tenant Selection: Information regarding the long-term care of the apartments, the ongoing property management and maintenance, and how tenants of the affordable/workforce apartments will be selected. 3. Transportation Services, Supportive Housing Services, and Tenant Selection: Information regarding the type and level of services provided to all tenants, including work- related transportation, and those specific to tenants of supportive housing apartments. This will also cover the supportive housing tenant identification and referral process. Here is your opportunity to learn about the initiative as well as chime in on any thoughts you might have regarding this proposed project. And remember… “If you do not ask the right questions, you do not get the right answers. A question asked in the right way often points to its own answer.” – Edward Hodnett  Lauren Boerger enjoyed every minute of her camp experience last summer Gerber Foundation to support the 2020 OsteoCHAMPS summer camp at
Michigan State University The Gerber Foundation will be offering 2 scholarships for attendance at the 2020 OsteoCHAMPS summer camp to be held at the MSU campus in East Lansing July 5-12, 2020. The cost of the camp is $1,500. Scholarships are open to any Newaygo County Sophomore or Junior student with a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 interested in entering a health-related field. OsteoCHAMPS is an intense 9-day summer program of the Osteopathic Medical School at Michigan State University. The program provides a range of instruction in the health sciences for students interested in entering one of the many healthcare fields. Lauren Boerger of Fremont attended the camp in the summer of 2019. Lauren acquired a lot of practical knowledge regarding the medical field and requirements for becoming a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. From learning problem-solving skills in the classroom to living in a dorm with a roommate, she enjoyed every minute of her camp experience. “The OsteoCHAMPS program has helped me recognize the tools needed to advance my future career in medicine.” In addition to the summer camp, the program offers mentoring throughout the student’s college career. Dr. Aguwa, who began the program in 2000 says, “We want to be part of their academic and professional progression. That way, we can track them, mentor them, and let them know that they have a significant support system.” The curriculum in the OsteoCHAMPS program includes courses, hands-on activities and field trips where attendees learn about anatomy and physiology, mathematics, medical research, physical examination skills, interviewing, resume writing, and general study skills. Only 50 students may attend the program, selected from a pool of over 120 applicants from across the state of Michigan. The application process will open December 1 and students must apply through the MSU website at http://com.msu.edu/OsteoCHAMPS/Default.htm. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2020. Once selected by the program, The Gerber Foundation will be notified and will make a selection on those who will be funded by their scholarship. For questions, please contact the Osteochamps program at osteochamps@hc.msu.edu or The Gerber Foundation at 231.924.3175.  Dault draws for the win
By N3 News Team Thursday afternoon the two candidates for the third and final seat on the White Cloud City Council met in the office of Newaygo County Clerk Jason VanderStelt to determine which of the two would assume the seat come January. An Election Day dead heat left both aspirants with 73 votes so by law the winner would be decided by the luck of the draw. Two slips of paper, one with the word ‘elected’ and the other stating ‘not elected’ were placed in a box then each candidate drew a playing card to determine the order of selection. Candice Dault who received the higher number card chose the option of deferring the first draw to Jerry LeBlanc and when the slips were opened she emerged as the winner. Dault’s deciding draw meant the White Cloud City Council will be going through a significant change in personnel come January since it gives the 7 person council three new faces with Lori Shears (117 votes) and former council member Herm Becker (105 votes) joining Dault at City Hall. Long time council members Cassie Rickert and Charles Chandler, who also served as mayor, chose not to run creating the two open seats on the board that serves the citizens of the Trail Town designated city. 679 registered voters or approximately 82% of the electorate sat this one out, This revised group will likely hit the road running as proposed initiatives look to alter the landscape of the county seat. The recent Council meeting had a pair of hot button issues on the agenda including the move toward adding recreational marijuana to the list of cannabis businesses likely to set up shop in town and a proposal by Hope Network involving the construction of a 55 unit supportive housing facility aimed at providing a residence to people struggling with homelessness. Both issues drew comments and questions from a packed house at this past Monday’s meeting. Mayor Jamie Denslow who fought off a challenge from Mike Kymes to retain his position is returning along with the three council members who were not up for reelection this term, Jeff Murchison, Ashley Zatalokin and Kay Scott.  Fundraiser Supports Panther Athletics
For the 4th year, Scott Rumsey, Owner of Ed’s Orchard Market, partnered with the Hesperia Athletic Boosters for a major fundraiser. Throughout the months of September and October, over 300 tickets were sold for an opportunity to win one of three timed shopping sprees. Three winners are chosen each year, two with 1 minute to shop and the grand prize winner with 3 minutes to run around the store, gathering as many items as possible. “We love supporting our local athletes and our community, and this is just one way we are able to support Hesperia” says Rumsey. The event has raised more than $7,500 over the past 4 years for the Athletic Boosters, which helps to support Hesperia Athletics with items such as uniforms, equipment and scholarships. Tickets for next year’s fundraiser will be available at Ed’s Orchard Market in Hesperia beginning in August 2020 and are open to anyone to purchase.  Pictured left to right: Jason Baldus, I.T. Instructor; Gavin Orcutt (Fremont); Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; Allison Truskowski (Newaygo); Dylan Seidletz (Newaygo); Tricia Foster, DTMB Director. Newaygo County Career-Tech students shine in state-wide competition
Highlighting the skills needed to fill the growing demand for cybersecurity talent in Michigan and beyond, students from Newaygo County Career-Tech Center (CTC) took home third place at the 2019 Governor’s High School Cyber Challenge. In the fourth year of the competition, 218 teams consisting of 654 students from all corners of Michigan participated in the challenge. Members of the team from Newaygo County CTC were: Gavin Orcutt (Fremont), Dylan Seidletz (Newaygo), and Allison Truskowski (Newaygo). They were coached by Jason Baldus, their I.T. instructor. “There will be millions of unfilled jobs in the cybersecurity field in the next year alone,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “It is critical that we get students interested and engaged in this ever-growing field at an early age. Through the participation we’ve seen in the High School Cyber Challenge, it is clear that Michigan students are picking up the torch.” More information about Michigan’s cybersecurity efforts and helpful links on ways to protect yourself from cyber threats can be found at Michigan.gov/cybersecurity.  Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial officially celebrates era of robotic surgery in Newaygo County FREMONT – Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial held a ribbon cutting on Tuesday evening to officially celebrate the new era of cutting-edge robotic surgery technology at the 101-year-old hospital. The three Gerber Memorial physicians trained in da Vinci robotic surgery – Erich Schafer, DO, Jeremy Kuiper, MD, and Jehanna Erho, MD – welcomed more than 70 people to the ceremony. Held at the main hospital lobby, the event also allowed visitors and children to try their hand at operating the da Vinci robot, with an interactive challenge to move tiny objects using high-precision tools and commands, much like a video game. During the ribbon-cutting, Dr. Kuiper said: “It’s a wonderful tool for us in a small town in order to offer things that might not have been impossible a few years ago – to give patients better outcomes, less pain with surgery.” Some of the procedures the physicians trained in the technology can now perform include hernia repairs, gall bladder surgery and anti-reflux surgery. In a column to the community in September... https://www.nearnorthnow.com/the-pulse/guest-column-dr-erich-schafer-shgm ...Dr. Schafer highlighted the benefits of robotic surgery to the patient: “Robotic surgery means faster recovery times, which means patients can get back to work quicker, with fewer lost work days.” For more information, contact general surgery at the Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial Multispecialty Clinic: 231.924.4200.  Holding the ribbon during the ceremony are, from left: Karen Baird, executive director of the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce; Jeremy Kuiper, MD; Meleah Mariani, Gerber Memorial chief nursing officer; Jehanna Erho, MD; and Erich Schafer, DO.  By Ken DeLaat Photos by Gail Howarth “This was a great and humbling experience once again providing free dental care for our local veterans.I can’t wait to see the turnout for next year!”-NFDC Hygienist Trisha Tramper. Mike McClain moved to Newaygo County a dozen years ago. The Vietnam veteran hadn’t been to the dentist since that move so when he read about Newaygo Family Dental Care holding a free day of dental work for Vets he came into their office last Friday morning. “These people have been just terrific,” he said as he sat in the waiting room. “I had my teeth cleaned and x-rayed and now I’m waiting to have a wisdom tooth extracted.” “I’m going to make this my dental office.” McClain echoed the feeling among those sitting in the waiting room. “These folks have been so polite and courteous,” said Air Force veteran Lawrence Hein who traveled from Mears to take part. This past Friday for the second year the idea hatched by the Drs Nelson (Dennis, Ross) and supported by their exemplary staff brought free dental services to veterans on a first come first served basis. By 10:45 nearly 20 vets had already been in a chair at NFDC and the afternoon promised more to come. The office was decorated in their best red white and blue and the waiting room offered a table of refreshments (including some very good cookies) for their patrons. “This was a great group of veterans,” said Dr. Ross Nelson. “ Everyone was friendly, appreciative and patient.” While the numerous local state and national celebrations that took place on Monday were fitting tributes to the many men and women who have served our country, initiatives like this shift that gratitude from a noun to a verb. An old friend used to say “Some folks who come to visit thank you for your hospitality and that’s nice. “Others bring the groceries.” Last Friday the staff at Newaygo Family Dental Care brought the groceries. Nicely done folks. Nicely done indeed. A few of the Veterans who visited NFDC during the event- Photos by Gail Howarth
 From the Newaygo County Sheriff's Department:
On November 11, 2019 at approximately 8:09 am, Deputies of the Newaygo County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to S Mason Dr (M-37) north of E 112th St, in Ashland Township on a report of a two vehicle accident. Upon arrival on scene Deputies found that a passenger vehicle was southbound on S Mason Dr, lost control and crossed the centerline. A SUV was going northbound could not avoid the southbound vehicle and crashed into the passenger side of the southbound vehicle. The driver of the northbound vehicle, a 41 year old female from Grant, was uninjured. The driver of the southbound vehicle, a 28 year old female from Newaygo was fatally injured and pronounced dead on the scene. There were no passengers in either vehicle. The accident remains under investigation by the Newaygo County Sheriff’s Office, however, alcohol and drugs do not appear to be a factor in the accident. Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Michigan State Police, Grant Police Department, Ashland-Grant Fire Department, Life EMS, Newaygo County Central Dispatch, Newaygo County Road Commission, and Mid-Michigan Medical Examiner Group.  Sue Seaben, Gerber Memorial Gift Shop and Volunteer Coordinator, gets the Gift Shop ready for its Holiday Open House on Friday and Saturday. Proceeds from sales benefit Gerber Memorial programs and services. Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial Gift Shop to host open house Friday and Saturday; sales benefit patient programs FREMONT– Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial will host its annual Holiday Open House on Friday, Nov. 15, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Gift Shop is located on the first floor of the main hospital building, east of the main lobby and just past the Betty Ford Breast Care Services waiting room. This year’s annual open house features new and unique items, including jewelry, hats, scarves, handbags, purses, home décor items, stuffed animals, women’s apparel, and Carefree Threads tops and lounge pants. All proceeds from sales at the Gift Shop benefit Gerber Memorial programs and services though the Spectrum Health Foundation Gerber Memorial. “Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial’s Gift Shop is an important piece to our organization and a big contributor to our commitment to provide quality care and an exceptional patient experience to the families we serve,” said Sue Seaben, Gerber Memorial Gift Shop and Volunteer Coordinator. “We invite everyone to come to our Gift Shop Open House to buy special holidays gifts for friends and loved ones, and give back to our community at the same time. Thanks to our Gift Shop and our terrific customers, Gerber Memorial can upgrade patient amenities, purchase much-needed medical equipment and improve comfort and convenience for our patients.” Some upgrades that Gift Shop sales directly funded include the purchase of a portable X-ray machine and the MRI machine in Gerber Memorial’s Radiology Department, as well as partial funding for the construction of Gerber Memorial’s Emergency Department, among other projects. For more information, contact the Gift Shop at 231.924.1368.
 Yes the bridge over the River is open at long last. As we have mentioned before we remain impressed with the patience and fortitude most of the Newaygonians, Fremontians, Crotonaires, White Clouders, etc. have put on display during this prolonged project. The very fact that it began at the height of our tourist season, carried on through the beginning of the school year then was extended a month beyond the original ETA would frustrate less forbearing folks into a frenzy. But not the majority of peeps from this section of bipeninsular beauty we inhabit. They rise above and carry on. And we want to give a shout out to the MDOT folks who kept us informed via email of developments in the project and answered each query we presented. Note: We reference most and the majority because we realize there were some out there who got a bit, uh, testy at times. You know who you are and so do we. Lighten up a little and when there’s construction just plan to leave a little early. Both will do wonders for your peace of mind. * Speaking of bridges… One of the coolest online publications (this side of N3) is Bridge Magazine. If you want a good read about the political wranglings in our state, the hot button issues and what in the world might be going on in our capital city, this is the place for you. They have covered the Enbridge (bridge again) Line 5 controversy extensively including a recent story that involved the company’s assurance that they would be able to muster the resources should the unthinkable happen-a leak or malfunction that would likely devastate the straits and beyond. Enbridge has paid $1.2 billion for cleanup and restoration due to the line that broke in the Kalamazoo River in 2010 spilling over a million gallons of crude oil. They termed the possibility of a rupture in the dual pipelines crossing the tip of the Mitten as ‘unlikely’. Hmm. Your thoughts folks? * Toys For Tots has begun so when you see those boxes spring up around town pony up folks. Apparently the original TFT was started in 1947 by a marine corps reserve officer who was inspired by his wife when she tried to donate a homemade Raggedy Ann doll to a needy child but couldn't find any organization to do so. At her suggestion, he gathered a group of local Marine reservists who coordinated and collected some 5,000 toys for local children that year from collection bins placed outside movie theaters. So what were the hot toy items? Well, Slinkies had been around a few years by then and Tinker Toys came into being in 1941 but Mr. Potato Head hadn’t sprouted yet and you couldn’t yet access the ‘educational’ game Cootie. But that was the first year you could get your hands on a John Deere cast iron toy tractor. And that is likely still a prized possession as is the Raggedy Ann doll that got the whole thing going in the first place. Granted those aren’t perhaps at the level of Rizmo or a Demo Duke… But they still can bring a smile to little ones at Christmas time. * Body soap, conditioner, deodorant, shampoo, lotion, tampons and pads, toilet paper, toothpaste and brushes, towels and washcloths. No not a shopping list but a list of items that are badly needed by folks in our community who struggle to meet basic needs like food and housing and have little left for these ‘extras’. “While we might know women, men and families who can’t put food on their tables, we probably don’t realize they also can’t afford personal hygiene and basic care items,” said Melissa Geroux, a Self-Sufficiency Specialist with TrueNorth Community Services. “That puts them at great risk for their own health and well-being. That’s why we decided we needed to do even more to help.” Thus… From November 16th (that’s next Saturday) to November 24th the fine folks of TN are collecting personal hygiene and feminine care products to help women and their families. And our favorite local haunts (the libraries) are where you’ll find the collection boxes including Croton Township, Fremont, Grant, Hesperia, Newaygo and White Cloud libraries. Ok, maybe grabbing a six pack of Charmin doesn’t have the same Christmas feel as an Etch a Sketch or Slinky but hey… It provides a service no amount of Lego’s could possibly match.   All lanes are open on M-37 over the Muskegon River according to the press release from our friends at MDOT who added:
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is investing approximately $503,000 to improve the M-37 bridge over the Muskegon River. The project includes expansion joint replacement, substructure repair, new pavement markings between Quarterline Street and Croton Drive/M-82, and new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant sidewalk ramps at M-37 and M-82/Croton Drive.  November is National Scholarship Month and The Gerber Foundation scholarship application is open for high school seniors graduating in May 2020 from Newaygo County high schools or a Newaygo County Home School. The scholarship is available to graduating seniors from the 5 public high schools in the county as well as home school students who reside within Newaygo County. There are additional scholarships for students graduating from one of 14 programs at the Newaygo County Career Technical Center. Each year, 90+ scholarships are available with over $320,000 awarded. Scholarships may be used at any accredited college, university, technical or certificate program in the United States. Here are the results of last spring’s awards https://www.nearnorthnow.com/news/gerber-foundation-awards-over-361000-in-scholarships-to-local-students The online application process is currently open and the deadline for application is February 28th. The application system is located at https://gerberfoundation.smartsimple.com. Only applications submitted online will be considered. Information regarding the scholarship may be found on the Foundation website at www.gerberfoundation.org by clicking on the scholarship page. Contact information: Catherine A. Obits The Gerber Foundation 4747 W 48th St, Ste 153 Fremont MI 49412 231-924-3175  N3 drops the ball on Grant School Bond results
In 1948 the Chicago Daily Tribune operating on so called experts and many prognostications (along with a rather itense dislike for Harry Truman) jumped the gun a bit and proclaimed Republican candidate Thomas Dewey as the winner of the Presidential race. Except he wasn’t. The erroneous headline produced a classic photo of Truman holding the newspaper up with a victorius grin on his face. We imagine the Trib foks were chagrined. So were we when we posted the results of Tuesday’s election and included the Grant school bond issue as having passed. It didn’t. We made the mistake of only accessing the Newaygo County vote which had the Proposal passing by a 593 to 580 margin. With Muskegon and a handful of Kent County folks voting no by a 127-67 count included, the school vote went down 707 to 660. We apologize for not doing out homework on this and will strive to do better in the future. Thankfully this journalistic faux pas didn’t match the headline of The Vancouver Sun in 1912. “Titanic Sinking-No Lives Lost”  The council makeup in the Cloud remains unclear since while Lori Shears (117) and Herm Becker(105) were clear choices for 2 of the three open positions, the third ended in a dead heat between current council member Jerry LeBlanc and Candice Dault with each garnishing 73 votes. According to state law once the votes are certified, the candidates will be chosen by lot. Here’s the skinny on the law:
The Candidates will meet with Newaygo County Clerk Jason VanderStelt who will prepare two slips of paper, one with the word “elected” and one with “not elected” and place them in a box. Each candidate will draw from the box and whoever gets the elected slip is declared the winner. You can read the law at the bottom of our previous story: https://www.nearnorthnow.com/news/partial-unofficial-election-results-a-tie-in-white-cloud-so-far The irony? There was one write in vote tallied in White Cloud for the Council. Think your vote doesn’t mean much? That voter, or any of the 679 WC voters who sat this one out, could have decided the election. Yes, nearly 82% of the electorate in the county seat didn’t make it to the polls. Not unusual as over 80% of the voters sat idle in Fremont and Newaygo had almost 89% forego marking their ballots on Tuesday. Three of the four county mayors (Ed Fedell-Newaygo, Jim Rynberg-Fremont and Julie Hallman-Grant) ran unopposed collecting all but the usual handful of write in votes, however in White Cloud there was competition where incumbent mayor Jamie Denslow fought off a challenge from Michael Kymes by an 81-72 margin to retain his seat in City Hall. In Newaygo Erin Burns (126) joins incumbents Katie Walerczyk (134) and Lee Black(131) on the council, Fremont saw Bob Johnson(430) and incumbent Sandra Siegel (323) fend off three other challengers for the 2 council seats up for grabs, and Kate Block was the only registered candidate for the 3 seats at Grant City Hall. In Merrill Township Victoria Gibbs edged out Cathy Stroop 52-48 for the Treasurer's position and voters approved a return to annual meetings 73-27.  * Won seat
?Tied White Cloud City Council *Lori Shears 117 *Herm Becker 105 ?Jerry LeBlanc 73 ?Candice Dault 73 Write in 1 If the official count remains the same the tie will be decided by lot . See Election Law at bottom of page White Cloud Mayor *JamieDenslow 81 Michael Kymes 72 Fremont City Council *Bob Johnson 430 *Sandra Siegel 323 Mike Dennis 201 Michael VandenBerg 117 Tim Powell 89 Fremont Mayor *Jim Rynberg 513 Write in 18 Newaygo City Council *Kate Walerczyk 134 *Lee Black 131 *Erin Burns 126 Matthew Boynton 85 Newaygo Mayor *Ed Fedell 166 Write in 7 MICHIGAN ELECTION LAW (EXCERPT) Act 116 of 1954 168.851 Tie vote; determination of election by lot, procedure; drawing for state legislature. Sec. 851. If it shall appear on the canvass of the votes polled at any election canvassed by the board of county canvassers that 2 or more persons have received an equal number of votes for the same office, and that a failure to elect to any office is caused thereby, the election to the office shall be determined in the following manner: The board of canvassers for the county in which such election was held shall appoint a day for the appearance of all affected persons before the county clerk for the purpose of determining by lot among such persons the right to the office, and shall cause notice thereof to be given to all the persons interested. The county clerk shall prepare as many slips of paper as there are such persons, and write the word “elected” on as many slips of paper as there are offices to be filled, and the words “not elected” on the remaining slips, and fold the same so as to conceal the writing and so that they may appear as near alike as possible. The slips shall be placed in a box and, at the time and place appointed for the drawing of the lots, each of the persons aforesaid may draw 1 of the slips from the box, and any person drawing a slip on which is written the word "elected” shall be deemed legally elected to the office in question and the county clerk shall forthwith give him a certificate of election. The county clerk may appoint any person present to draw a slip for any affected person who fails to appear at the time specified in the notice. If the office of county clerk is in question, the drawing shall take place before the sheriff of the county. Such determination, however, shall not preclude the right of a defeated candidate to a recount of the votes cast as provided in chapter 36. History: 1954, Act 116, Eff. June 1, 1955;-Am. 1968, Act 65, Eff. July 1, 1968. Compiler's note: Section 3 of Act 65 of 1968 provides: "This act shall take effect on July 1, 1968, except in any county with a population of 400,000 or more it shall take effect on July 1, 1970." Popular name: Election Code Page 1 Rendered Thursday, September 19, 2019 © Legislative Council, State of Michigan Michigan Compiled Laws Complete Through PA 48 of 2019 Courtesy of www.legislature.mi.gov  By N3 news
Have you gotten a tad tired of the traffic delays associated with the bridge construction in Newaygo? Do you make an effort to avoid it during morning and late afternoon peak times? Have you become well acquainted with the back way up Whiskey Hill, down River Road with a turn on Felch? Listen, you folks have been great. Patient and polite for the most part despite a couple of glitches that pushed back completion time. I’m certain a few travelers through our area were caught unawares might have been a bit testy but the citizenry has adjusted well and kept their good manners mostly intact. So here’s the good news. N3 contacted MDOT for a bit of an update and was told: “Things are starting to wrap up. Cleanup and some finishing touch items are taking place. Some of the remaining work, like pavement markings, is temperature and moisture sensitive so the schedule is a bit fluid. We expect to be open to traffic and out of there by the end of the week.” Yup, this week. Of course that caveat about temperature and moisture could come into play since our temperatures have plummeted and moisture seems to be the new normal but the end is in sight! So again, give yourselves a bit of a pat on the back for taking this bit of inconvenience in stride. And revel in the fact that soon, very soon, we get all of our bridge back.  NFDC Staff during last year's event- Photo by Gail Howarth No, no catch. Here’s the skinny...
“Everyone here has been just phenomenal.” These were the words of Jerry Wallace one of the veterans who participated in the incredibly generous offer from Newaygo Family Dental Care a year ago. Last November in honor of Veterans Day (one of whom happens to be NFDC’s own Dr. Dennis Nelson, Radiographic Specialist. 1968- 1971. Fort Sam Houston Med evacuation center. and AFEES Cleveland. Fifth Army.) the clinic opened its chairs for a day to any veterans that came through their doors, providing x-rays, exams, cleanings, fillings, and extractions. Free. Yes, no mistake we said free. The day-long event was very well received so plans were made for a second annual event to be held later this week. N3 caught up with Dr. Ross Nelson (a busy guy) to pose a couple of questions. This is your second year providing this service for Veterans. What led to this initiative? It’s something that Dad and I felt strongly about, and we see veterans every day in our practice. Some get the dental treatment they need and some struggle accessing it. We knew we could do better. How was the response last year? Anything stand out from the first one? Our first year was great. It let our team get a process established so we could grow the number served. All the veterans were awesome. Solid, happy, and appreciative is how I would describe them. It really made the day a lot of fun and gratifying for all of us. What do people need to know about making arrangements to come? We open doors this Friday, Nov 8 at 8 AM. We are working straight until 3, serving as many as possible. First come, first served. Services are done one at a time, per veteran. If a veteran wants to re-enter and stay to get more done, they are more than welcome to. I spent a half morning this fall driving around the county soliciting other dentists in our community to have their own Veterans Day, and I know Dr. Leyder in Croton agreed and is opening his doors the same day this year.I was very encouraged by several of my colleagues about their willingness to join in our efforts. ,A lot of people talk about doing more for veterans. Others show us how its done. On Friday Newaygo Family Dental Care puts its compassion into action. And we think it makes them awesome.  We know, we know, this Tuesday’s election likely doesn’t spark the level of interest given the national contest held next year-though it feels like given the unending inundation of media coverage about it we should have had that one by now. Here are some stats from the last time around when the balloting was limited to cities and a few townships, 2017. Fremont and White Cloud had turnouts that were just under 20% or one out of 5 registered voters. One of 5. Think it sounds pretty small? Well, it is but that year they were the cities in our county that turned out the most voters. Newaygo went a little over 15 1/2%. And Grant? Under 7% or about 1 out of 14 registered. We can do better. I know we can. Here are Tuesdays contests. In Fremont Mayor Jim Rynberg is running unopposed but there are 5 candidates vying for 2 4 year terms on the council. Sandra Siegel is the lone incumbent in the race along with Mike Dennis, Bob Johnson, Tim Powell and Michael VandenBerg. Fremont will also decide on a proposed amendment to the city charter regarding the Board of Review By contrast in Grant (yup, 7%) where Mayor Julie Hallman is also running unopposed the 3 council seats have but two in the running, one a write in candidate. Kate Block is a registered candidate while you’ll need to ink in Mark Dietz’s name to give him your vote. Seems it’s as hard to get folks to run in our county's Gateway city as it is to get them to vote. Newaygo Mayor Ed Fedell is unopposed as well but there is competition on the council where four candidates vie for the three available seats. Katie Walercyzk and Lee Black currently hold seats and are joined in the race by Mathew Boynton and Erin Burns. Only in White Cloud do they have a mayoral race as Mike Kimes is challenging current mayor Jamie Denslow for the seat and like Newaygo, 4 candidates will compete for the 3 open spots on the council, Jerry LeBlanc is a current council member while Herm Becker seeks to return to city hall having held a seat there a few years back. Candice Dault and Lori Shears round out the candidate pool. Merrill Township has 2 candidates for the Treasurer spot as Cathy Stroop and Victoria Gibbs vie for the partial term ending next November. Merrill also has a vote on the reestablishment of their annual meeting. Bond proposals are on the ballot for Grant, Baldwin Kent City, Cedar Springs and Oakridge schools in various sections of our county. So get out there and vote folks. While neither national/state offices nor statewide proposals possess spots on this year’s ballots, the most important of all your voting decisions are there to be made this Tuesday... The local ones. “Every election is determined by the people who show up.”- Larry Sabato  But just for November’s Poetry Night. Creative Writing at Newaygo High School (NHS) is a class that is both loved and feared. The teacher, Luke Francis, would not have been brave enough to take this class as a student in high school, but he loves to teach the class as an adult. For a little over a decade, he has had the honor of witnessing brave and courageous souls face their fears as they struggle to find the words that are at the heart of their stories. Stories have been rapped and sung, crafted and polished, told through tears with pride and dignity...stories worthy of voice…and told. The class focuses on telling stories better. Every Friday during the school year students step onto their stage and perform borrowed and original spoken word poetry, powerful vignettes, thoughtful and often rollicking skits, inspirational speeches, songs, and so much more. Genre, style, and subject matter are student decisions (within accepted school policy). Presentation of the ideas is the focus; how you tell the story through voice, stage presence, body language, and eyes, the rhythm and pace of delivery, and, of course, the imagery and metaphor that drive the craft. On Wednesday night, November 6th, students from the NHS Creative Writing class will be showcasing their talents at Flying Bear Books in Newaygo from 7-9 PM. Come check out what these inspiring young people are doing!   Here we go. October is in the rear view mirror and November is upon us. We've endured the first tease of snow and the three big holidays lurk ahead.
As Emily Dickinson once said, "November always seemed to me the Norway of the year". Yeah I don't know what that means either but here you go for some weekend fun and don't forget to turn those clocks back Saturday night so that the sunset will start occurring around 2:30 in the afternoon. TUNES… John Gorka will be coming into town after playing at packed houses on his extensive tour including a Friday appearance at The Ark. Haven’t heard of him? Well, take a listen to him on youtube and if you’re a fan of folk you’ll be highly impressed , but come to think of it if you’re a fan of folk music and Americana sound you already know about Gorka. His show delivers great music and his witty stories are sure to provide some laughs. Saturday at 7:30pm in the club like setting of the Black Box at the Dogwood, so shake off this meteorological preview of things to come, check out the new (closer) entrance to the Dogwood, take in a great show while sipping a couple adult beverages and pretend for a while that Old Man Winter is still far off. Details: https://www.nearnorthnow.com/features-and-fun/john-gorka-at-the-dogwood-on-november-2 Upcoming events include Che Apalache on November 14th and a cool kids show coming in early December when the Velveteen Rabbit hops into town. FOR KIDS... NCCA Artspace downtown Fremont. Saturday at Drop-In Art kiddos will be making clay turkeys starting at 11am, Details: http://www.ncca-artsplace.org/event/saturday-drop-in-art-for-children-clay-turkey-2/ HERE IT COMES... Ok so we know Halloween is behind us, thinking about Thanksgiving is still off a ways, but make no mistake we are about to be plunged knee deep into the Christmas Season. Face it, Hallmark has already put the Christmas movie train in motion and it is chugging along full throttle now with new movies popping up with increasing frequency and if you were in Meijer and Walmart this week the Halloween stuff disappeared with the speed of a fb fireworks rumor and the Christmas stuff that began to make appearances has gone full throttle now. This weekend there are a few of the arts and crafts shows popping up around the area. If you want to take a little drive Morley Stanwood has a Holiday Bazaar Saturday from 10am-3pm, and the same day brings theKnights of Columbus Craft show in Sparta. This one has been going on for over 3 decades and the doors of Holy Family Church will be open from from 9am-2pm. Quite frankly these should be seen as warm-ups because next week comes the granddaddy of all local exhibitions of this type. Yes, the vaunted Jingle Mingle returns to the Fremont Middle School next Saturday and at N3 World Headquarters and Hallmark Holiday Movie Preview Center (N3WH&HHMPC) the day is circled on calendars throughout the HQ. If you’ve been there before we are truly preaching to the choir because there are people who have been coming so long that vendors can predict the times they arrive at their booth to the very minute. If you are a newbie to the fray you simply must go. Beyond the absolute plethora of vendors who boast a wide variety of items just begging to be taken home, there is an aura about the event that is hard to describe. It’s kind of a community feel. We’ll try to get a little more skinny on it before next weekend. EATS... The Fremont Moose apparently serves up breakfast the first Saturday of the month. I don’t know if this is new or not but, hey, we’re always looking to expand our circle of breakfast options and for 7 bucks it might be worth a venture into Moose Country. We have yet to enter the Lodge(is there a secret password?) and know little of fraternal organizations other than the Sig Taus of CMU in the early 70’s and that could be a bit dicey on occasion. READS You say you missed the book signing for Mango Rash the wonderful read by local literary treasure Nan Pokerwinski? They packed the Artsplace last week but tomorrow she will be at the Croton Library from 11am-12:30pm. Here’s our recent story: https://www.nearnorthnow.com/features-and-fun/local-author-relives-life-in-samoa TV The second season of The Komnisky Method was released on Netflix and it has not disappointed. Unlike the few newer sitcoms out there on the networks that have thus far been nothing but disappointing. The World Series this week had everything and if you were watching closely in game 6 we mean Everything. We heard a radio guy go with the ‘’what’s the big deal’ reaction explaining that during the 70’s streaking was a common form of artistic expression (or a drunken dare we assume) and this was much the same. Well, we at N3WH do recall the Academy Awards being ‘streaked’ on live TV back then when a man named Robert Oppel ran naked across the stage. At the time David Niven was at the podium and classically quipped "Well, ladies and gentlemen, that was almost bound to happen... But isn't it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?" See you soon. Got an activity or event you deem worthwhile for an N3 shout out? Send us a message and we’ll give it a glance. info@nearnorthnow.com |
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