 Photo by Rob Schuitema “Public input will be an important component in our long-term strategic planning regarding the future of our dams.” JACKSON, Mich., Aug. 9, 2022 – Consumers Energy is starting this month to gather opinions from the public about the 13 dams they own and operate on five Michigan rivers to help guide their decisions about the future of those electric generating facilities. “We need to perform due diligence now as the licenses to operate our dams begin to expire in 12 years. We do not want to assume we know how individuals and communities feel about our dams as we develop plans to either continue investing in or remove any of our river hydro facilities,” said Norm Kapala, vice president of generation operations at Consumers Energy. “We are keenly aware dams have great significance for local communities and impact recreation for Michigan residents and visitors statewide. Public input will be an important component in our long-term strategic planning regarding the future of our dams.” The energy provider hired Public Sector Consultants (PSC), a Lansing-based nonpartisan research and consulting firm that specializes in public engagement, to develop an adjacent property owner survey and conduct public meetings near each of Consumers Energy’s dams from August through October this year with the goal of collecting unbiased feedback regarding the facilities. Anyone is welcome to attend any of the public community meetings. Owners of property adjacent to the dams should expect to receive the survey in the mail the week of August 15. For community meeting details, to provide comments, and more information about the process access: ConsumersEnergy.com/HydroFuture. Consumers Energy makes decisions based on the Triple Bottom Line that ensures benefits for people, the planet and Michigan’s prosperity. Factors Consumers Energy considers in determining the future for its dams include regulatory compliance, safety, community impacts, operating costs and environmental impacts. These topics will be covered at the public meetings by PSC and Consumers Energy dam experts. Community feedback will be solicited, as well, during a facilitated discussion. The 30- to 40-year federal licenses to operate the dams Consumers Energy owns and operates on the Muskegon, Manistee, Grand, Kalamazoo and Au Sable rivers are set to expire beginning in 2034 through 2041. Schedule of public meetings: (All meetings begin with an open house at 5:30 p.m. and the public meeting will begin at 6:00.) Hardy Dam Wednesday, August 24 Newaygo High School Cafeteria 360 S. Mill Street, Newaygo, MI Croton Dam Thursday, September 8 Newaygo High School Cafeteria 360 S. Mill Street, Newaygo, MI Rogers Dam Tuesday, September 20 Mecosta Township Hall 19729 11 Mile Road, Big Rapids, MI 49307  Photo courtesy of Consumers Energy
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 From our friends at MDOT Newaygo to White Cloud- See maps Lane closures for road work are scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday) from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on M-37 from Evergreen Drive (Old M-37) in Newaygo to the White River bridge in White Cloud. On Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., M-37 will be CLOSED between 40th Street and the White River. Detour- East on 40th Street, north on Laurel Drive, stay left to continue north on Oak Avenue, then west on M-20 to M-37. On Thursday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., M-37 will be CLOSED and detoured between Evergreen Drive and 40th Street. Detour- Head SW on Evergreen Drive, north on Centerline Road, west on 48th Street, north on Gordon Avenue and east on 40th Street to M-37.  MDOT and county maintenance forces are working together to patch and seal this section before winter. A $30 million reconstruction investment is slated for 2028.
The work is weather dependent.  By N3 News
And another primary election is in the books. In Newaygo County the turnout was predictably low with 72% of registered voters sitting this one out. The result? Well, if you don’t mind your governmental leadership being decided by a small group of voters or perhaps you remain apathetic about who is sitting in those decision making seats there is no need to read on. However… Let’s say you belong to a condo co-op, or maybe a pickleball club. There are 100 voting members. Unfortunately only 28 are allowed to vote, thus a majority of 15 people get to make the decisions for the 100 members. Of course it feels frustrating because quite often the votes go drastically against what you want. Suddenly the condos begin to allow weekly fireworks and couches on porches while banning visits from grandkids Or maybe the pickleball group has decided to require 4.5s to partner with 3.0s or lower for all matches (It’s a p-ball thing) while also opting to restrict players over the age of 60 from all morning play. You’re not happy, right? We get it. But there’s nothing you can do because you agreed to allow 15 voters to dictate the rules. As was done in this recent election, you ceded the authority to them. By not voting. Home Township had the best turnout at 41% with 93 of their 225 voters finding their way to the polls. Big Prairie Township (18%) and the city of Newaygo (19.5%) were the lowest. Here are the unofficial results of contested races. Numbers are from the Republican side with the Democrats on the ballot running unopposed. You can find all the Newaygo County results at https://www.electionreporting.com/county/4f8490f1-1fd8-4a80-bf1d-2d18783f32fa County Commission District 1 Paul Mellema 816 Amber Wakefield 436 Burt Cooper 67 District 5 Ken DeLaat 503 Lavern Willett 460 Thomas Smith 181 District 6 Brenda Bird 788 John Clark 659 Unopposed D2 Brian Kolk D3 Chuck Trapp D4 Jim Maike D7 Mike Kruithof 101st District State Representative- Republican (Numbers on right side are Newaygo County votes) Joseph Fox 5011 3404 Kelly Smith 4840 2739 Diane Schindlbeck 4082 2365 Chad Pierce 1119 499 101st District State Representative-Democrat Amanda Siggins ran unopposed 33rd District State Senator Rick Outman (R) and Mark Bignell (D) ran unopposed Governor- Republican (Numbers on the right side are Newaygo County votes) Tudor Dixon 134,438 3083 Kevin Rinke 68,466 1436 Garrett Soldano 63,250 1563 Ryan Kelley 51,937 2654 Ralph Rebandt 13,641 352 Governor-Democrat Gretchen Whitmer ran unopposed US Representative-Republican (Numbers on the right are Newaygo County votes) John Moolenaar 77,391 5399 Thomas Norton 41,272 3397 US Representative- Democrat Jerry Hilliard ran unopposed  Organizer Mary Rangel (L) answering questions at FAD
Organizations, volunteers come together for FAD By Ken DeLaat, N3 News While Farm Workers Appreciation Day has been going on for some time, the past few years the event has become a drive thru due to COVID concerns. But in pre COVID days it was an extravaganza with music, games, food and giveaways that greeted the hard working families who are the backbone of the agricultural economy in our region. Mary Rangel works for District Health Department #10 in the Women’s Infants and Children (WIC) Division and also serves as chair of the Sparta Area Migrant Resource Council. Her office is in the Community Center in Grant. She also gathers the support and volunteers necessary to put together this annual doings where hundreds of farm worker families are able to access needed items for their children and themselves. We caught up with a busy Ms. Rangel during the Sunday event after an extensive search of the Grant Middle School campus where scores of cars lined up to take advantage of the gifts of appreciation. Volunteers we asked reported sightings of her here and there as she moved about the area ensuring the operation was going smoothly and answering a boatload of questions. Having corralled her for a moment or two she kindly agreed to answer a few more questions from N3. Tell us a little about FAD. “This is an event where we celebrate the migrant and farm working families who come into our community to work with our farmers. Some of these families come in every year, some from different states and some who go from one farmer to another and stay here all year round. They do the apples in the winter, then the strawberries, the blueberries, the cherries and so on. They’re people who we know and they know us,” How did this get started? “About 20 years ago a lady named Luvy Rodriguez worked for the state of Michigan and she started this event. She did it for a couple years then passed the baton on to me. Since then I have chaired it and gotten it organized with all the volunteers who come from the community to make it possible.” Support? “We get funding primarily from the Fremont Area Community Foundation, Choice One also gives a donation toward the shoes and we get smaller donations from other sources as well.” Why FAD? This helps our migrant families. They don’t qualify for food stamps or a lot of the stimulus packages aimed at small children because they don’t have social security numbers. They don’t qualify for unemployment. So let’s say a packing company closes down because of COVID or some other reason. They get nothing and are out of work until it reopens. This is a way of helping.They come here and help us so we’re trying to give back.” Why are you involved? “Coming from a migrant background my passion is for the migrant families that come through here. Being a child in a migrant family the simplest things in life meant so much. If you go through the line you’ll see we’re providing backpacks, clothing and shoes for the children. We also give out socks and underwear and a grocery bag of culturally friendly groceries and then add a small door prize. “To you and I the door prizes would mean nothing. Like a fan or an Igloo for carrying water. We might use the cooler to take to the beach but these people use it every day. Everything we provide here is a necessity and to me it means a lot that we can help our families in that way.” We recall sitting down with Mary 5 years ago, our first time at FAD. The atmosphere was bright and smile producing as traditional music and dance blended splendidly with the games for all ages, food items and the giveaways that are now dispensed by car. It was then that Mary told me of her upbringing in a migrant family. “When I was 9 years old my Mom and Dad had a baby and I stayed home taking care of the 6 week newborn baby, Thea, and my 8 year old sister Irma. When I was 11 years old I started working for the same farmer my dad worked for. We worked in the fields for many summers, my sister Irma and I. I remember going back to school in the fall and listening to all the other kids talk about their summer family vacations. “We never knew what a summer vacation was.” I do this because it’s my passion to help others, but especially the migrants and farm working people because I know what it’s like to have very little. I have a beautiful memory of my Mother taking my sister Irma and I to an agency in Fremont to get new coats for school.. The memory of feeling like a "Queen" with my new coat is one I will never forget. Well done Ms. Rangel. And well done to the FACF, others who contributed, the sea of volunteers and all who helped make this not so random act of kindness happen. .“A good half of the art of living is resilience.”-Alain de Botton  Lindsay Hager, one of the volunteers from the Fremont Area Community Foundation |
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