To the Editor:
Over the weekend, Camp Henry received some negative social media commentary that quickly went viral on Facebook. We wanted to let you know about this situation, so you have accurate information. On Jan. 4, a person who sold a horse to Camp Henry posted on social media that this horse, Tessa, as well as other horses here, are being neglected. This is absolutely not the case. Her post went viral, with significant negative and inaccurate commentary following her post. We take all comments, complaints and accusations very seriously. We also want to be sure the facts are presented fairly and accurately. Please be assured that Tessa and all of our horses are under the care of our veterinarians as well as our on-staff certified Horse Program Coordinator. Some background: A couple of months ago while pastured on our rural property near Newaygo, Tessa was attacked by a wild animal – possibly a bobcat. The animal harmed Tessa’s jaw and lip area – creating a facial wound and causing paralysis of the lower lip – which made it difficult for Tessa to eat and she lost weight. After the attack, we immediately contacted our veterinarians and have been working closely with medical professionals to ensure Tessa’s recovery. We've been keeping her in our corral to make sure she gets fed a good diet every day. We’re also providing additional care to other horses that require special treatment, including feeding them special rations. Again, these and all our horses, are under the care of our vet and our Horse Program Coordinator. When the person posted yesterday about Tessa, we wanted to affirm to everyone that Tessa is healing and that all of our horses are well-cared for. Although our veterinarian has been treating Tessa and the other horses all along, we immediately contacted the vet again, and he examined Tessa and the herd today. Our vet affirms that Tessa and all of the other horses are under good care. Both the vet and the farrier (a specialist in equine hoof care) are regularly at our camp to ensure the health of our horses. Our veterinarian’s report from today’s visit states: “The entire herd was presented to me to review. With the above-mentioned exceptions [Tessa’s injury and the needs of three other horses receiving special supplementation], the herd is in good condition. I do not find evidence of neglect or misuse of the horses at Camp Henry. On the contrary, it should be remembered that a number of these horses are in some sense ‘rescue’ animals. That means they have issues. Some have chronically bad teeth and a couple have swayback. Many are old. These situations are, by definition, not ‘curable.’ They can only be managed. As a result, they may not look like a stable full of equine athletes. They do however have a good life there, and they provide campers experiences they may never be exposed to elsewhere in their lives.” If you would like a copy of our veterinarian’s report from today’s visit, we would be happy to provide it. In response to the concerns expressed on social media yesterday, we also invited Newaygo County Animal Control to visit us as soon as possible to see for themselves the condition of our horses and living environment. At this time, we have not received a response from Animal Control, yet we will accommodate any requested site visit at their convenience. We welcome all questions, comments and concerns. We also welcome the opportunity to engage more horse lovers and community members in the care of our horses. If you have questions, comments, concerns or would like to learn how to help us and our horses here at Camp Henry, please contact us at 616-459-2267 or me personally at 616-717-5565. We are very appreciative of all of the folks that have reached out to offer support and assistance. We are happy that a Camp Henry experience for so many campers and guests includes our equestrian program with our 22 horses – giving many children and even adults their first experience with riding and handling horses. Our horses are a part of what brings campers and guests back year after year, and their care and health are very important to us. We’ve been a camp and retreat destination since 1937 and are very glad to provide this experience for thousands of campers and guests each year, as well as a loving place for animals to reside and connect with people. For more information about Camp Henry, visit us online at www.camphenry.org – or contact us as indicated above. We appreciate your support! Jeff Jacobs Executive Director Camp Henry N3 asked the Mayors of our local cities to provide us with a bit of a review of the past year as well as a little preview for what might be coming down the pike for 2020. Our first offering featured the city of Grant. https://www.nearnorthnow.com/the-pulse/the-cities-of-our-county-a-review-a-preview Now we move north to the county seat of White Cloud, a designated Trail Town where one will find “A Trail for Every Season” and a place “Where the North Begins and Pure Waters Flow”. The City of White Cloud is poised to be the "break-out" city of West Michigan in future years. Being the intersection of two major highways, the county seat, a trailhead for the North Country Trail, and a variety of outdoor activities, White Cloud is working hard to set up our vision for the future. This Spring we hit a bit of a setback with the White Cloud Mill Pond Dam having some damage after the thaw. However, the dam worked exactly the way it was supposed to work, and the damage and repair were minimal. Working with the State we were able to use primarily grant/emergency money for the work. Our Airport has a new runway lighting system, LED, to step up our level of service to those that use our airport. Usage is still small at this time, but we are still looking forward to our airport being used much more with future business opportunities, as well as, the opening of the Dragon Trail. Some of the biggest decisions this year have come by way of new laws in the state. This past Spring White Cloud ushered in the opening of our first Medical Marijuana Facility, and they have been a pleasure to work with. With the State of Michigan laws allowing for recreational marijuana as an option, the City Council has decided to work within this new business opportunity and opened up the option for recreational sales in White Cloud. With just the discussion of these new policies coming into play, we have received several calls on our status of the ordinances, and our vision of how the applications will be accepted. As of December, our ordinances are in place and many businesses are beginning to vet White Cloud as a potential home. One of the biggest concerns in White Cloud over the last twenty-plus years has been our Industrial Park. Sadly, it has spent years being unsold and undeveloped. This past year, with the help of our City Manager, Lora Kalkofen, we have sold (or with option) every parcel in the industrial park. Some sights have already begun clearing trees, and others are working with our planning commission on their sight review process. In a short time, our industrial complex should be seeing some incredible growth. Our downtown industrial park even saw some growth this year with our first 70,000 sq ft marijuana grow facility. One of the biggest needs in Newaygo County, and White Cloud specifically, is affordable housing. After a three-year commitment of searching for, touring, and selling our city to a variety of developers, it seems White Cloud may be getting close to seeing a new housing development. We have been working with the Hope Network over the last few months on finding them not only a location but a sense of 'fit' without community. We have hosted several informational times, and Hope Network even rented out space for questions. We are hoping early this year we will be able to shake hands and move forward with plans for new development. How can you talk about White Cloud and not discuss our roads? In 2018, we were able to commit a little over $150,000 to do some badly needed "band-aid" repairs to a number of our roads. One major project, James Street, was left off that list. James street was even mentioned in recent years as being one of the "10 worst roads in Michigan". I don't think anyone in White Cloud would deny that. This year the city worked with a grant writer and we were able to get matching funds from the State to work towards the repair of James Street. Timelines, strikes, water line work, and Michigan weather got in the way and sadly, we didn't get the repair job finished. We are excited for the Spring to get this paved and in a standard that we can be proud of. We just ask for a bit more time. Where is White Cloud going in 2020 and beyond? That is one of our goals for the year. With new and returning faces on our City Council, Downtown Development Board, and Planning Commission, we are working this year on a complete revamp of our City's Master Plan and will need input from our residents for that. Our downtown area is ready for growth with business, and our community is looking to help build our town back to its former glory. We welcome our most recent business additions and are looking forward to working with them as they grow and succeed with us. I want to thank the City residents for my first term as Mayor and hope to continue to serve positively. I am continually learning how our city works and am hopeful we can make it successful. Jamie Denslow Mayor, City of White Cloud N3 asked the Mayors of our local cities to provide us with a bit of a review of the past year as well as a little preview for what might be coming down the pike for 2020. We start with the town that serves as our gateway city, is home to one of the few wooden water towers in the state and has been traditionally known as the onion capital of the world….Grant The City of Grant has seen several changes in this past year: In May of 2019 voters approved the Expanded Community Policing Millage by 73%, the additional revenue helped the Police Department hire a full-time officer to expand coverage hours and help lower turn-over. New hire Sgt. Steve Paulsen is a great fit for Grant and a familiar face which brings knowledge of our community and stability. Sgt. Paulsen will also be undergoing Medical First Responder training in the new year. Additionally, Chief Bradley Wade has made several great hires and implemented a solid reserve program, the reserve unit now has nine (9) members working alongside certified officers on a volunteer basis. Chief Wade is also working on increasing lighting and surveillance coverage of the City Office parking lot which will provide for a secure area to complete sales started on social media sites as well as child custody exchanges. For several months beginning in January 2019, the City Commission contemplated allowing for one medical marijuana provisioning retail center after hearing from an impressive group interested in operating such a venture. After much discussion the Commission decided 7-0 to adopt an ordinance and rules for such facilities. The Commission agreed that it is best not to prohibit an alternative form of medicine desired by some in the community. The provisioning center will be located at 262 S Maple St, which is the location of the former Swinehart Furniture Store. This location will be divided into three (3) units, and will also house a new Heating and Cooling Contractor and a therapist that specializes in youth who have experienced traumatic situations. Furthermore, a local developer is constructing a new residential duplex in town, this will be the first new housing in town since 2015. The past year was the first full-year for new City Manager, Kasey Jernberg. This year Jernberg helped the City receive $15,000 in grant funding for a new public works vehicle. He also led an initiative to replace 25% of the high-pressure sodium streetlights with less costly LED lights, and worked with our auditors to eliminate a deficit in the sewer fund. Additionally, he worked with our sewer contractor to complete improvements to the waste-water treatment plant polishing pond which will help keep the effluent in compliance with our discharge permit. Jernberg was also appointed to a three-year term on the County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority board. After the November 2019 election, the City Commission welcomed new Commissioner Mark Dietz to the group. Dietz was a write-in candidate for one of three City Commission positions. Commissioner Kate Block was re-elected as well as Mayor Julie Hallman. Currently the Commission has one vacant seat. In 2019, the City Commission also allocated funds to pave the parking lot around the Farmer’s Market / Water Tower Park. Engineering work is underway with construction planned this summer. The City envisions this site to be a vibrant market providing local growers with a popular venue to sell their goods and a destination for area residents and travelers to spend time and money in Grant; that will help support the local economy. |
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April 2024
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