 Pitch North '22 held at Heritage Farms The Newaygo County Economic Development Partnership, powered by The Right Place, announces the return of Pitch North, an entrepreneurial pitch competition open to those living in Newaygo, Oceana or Lake Counties. Current or aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners are encouraged to submit their pitch for consideration now through June 28th at 11:59pm via an online form. A committee of local leaders will review and score all submissions. Five finalists will be chosen to pitch their ideas for a chance to win cash prizes at the live event. Pitch North will be hosted in Oceana County on August 7, from 4 to 6pm. The event is free to attend and open to the public. Learn more, register to attend, or submit your idea at rightplace.org/events/pitch-north-2023. Pitch North began in 2019 and has engaged over 120 entrepreneurs in the first five years, awarding over $51,000 in cash and prizes to 25 finalists. Sponsors supporting the 2024 event include the Newaygo County Economic Development Partnership, City of Fremont, City of Newaygo, Hart Silver Lake Chamber of Commerce and Gerber Federal Credit Union. To learn more about available sponsorships, view the impact report here. Pitch North is hosted by The Right Place, Inc. with our partners: Newaygo County Economic Development Partnership, Oceana County Economic Alliance, and Lake County Economic Development Alliance.
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 The Newaygo County Register of Deeds Office is making it easier for residents to help protect their most valuable asset, their home. Through their free County Property Fraud Alert Service residents can register under their name as it appears on the deed. Consider it an early warning system for property owners to stay up-to-date about their property and take appropriate actions if they determine fraudulent activity has taken place. “Having the ability to be notified immediately should a fraudulent or predatory document be recorded against your property is invaluable. The faster something like this is discovered, the faster it can be corrected. With the Property Fraud Alert service, residents can sign-up to be notified via email if a potentially fraudulent document is recorded in Newaygo County,” says Newaygo County Register of Deeds Stewart Sanders. The Property Fraud Alert is a free service provided by the Register of Deeds Office that requires no up-front or monthly fees. For those residents that also have vacation homes in Newaygo County now is a great time to sign up for this free service. The best way to stay informed about your property and to protect against property fraud is by being proactive. This service is a great tool for those with aging parents to ensure that their loved ones don’t fall victim to scams or fraud. Sign-up is easy and fast, but most importantly, offers a little extra peace of mind. To sign up, simply go to the home page of Newaygo County, www.newaygocountymi.gov and select the tab of Elected Officials. Then click on the Register of Deeds tab and go to the Fraud Alert tab. Follow the instructions on the template. It is just that easy and best of all it is free! The information provided by residents is kept safe and secure and won’t be used for any reason other than notifying you of recordings. If residents have questions, they can contact the Register of Deeds Office at (231) 689-7246  State Sen. Rick Outman Outman: Overspending derailed what could have been a good budget
Sen. Rick Outman issued the following statement after the Senate passed its budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year: “I tried to support this budget plan, and there are many good things included, but the spending is simply too much. I don’t think what was put before us for a vote provided Michigan taxpayers with a good value for the money that was being spent. A lot of people still need help — more than they need new commissions or more bureaucracy. I think we could have done more to address what the people of this state have clearly stated their priorities are. “Ultimately, I had to vote no because this budget fails to address many of the issues facing this state while continuing much of the wasteful spending we saw during last year’s budget. In order to balance the budget, the administration and majority opted to raid the teacher pension fund and forced an income tax hike on residents. “COVID money is drying up, and these budgets keep creating new programs and bureaucracies that we will have difficulty funding down the road. The money simply isn’t there to maintain this level of overspending, and I can’t support going back down this road that we’ve seen the end result of before. The bad just outweighed the good, and that’s not how to create a balanced budget.” We contacted the Senator to ask for more specifics and he responded thusly:
Funding for the Office of Global Michigan: Amendment to ensure none of this funding went to individuals who are here illegally was voted down. We have an obligation to spend taxpayer money wisely on efforts to make Michigan a better state. Our duty is to tax-paying residents, not people who are here illegally.
Not only is the issue how much was spent, but also where it was spent. The budget has grown more than my liking in recent years, and we have little to show for it aside from the completion of partisan projects. I think a number of high priorities were left out of recent budgets to make way for these partisan goals. Funding for veterans homes, roads, bridges, water infrastructure, and cancer screenings for veterans, among numerous other amendments, were voted down to make room for the Democrats’ overspending. What is most troublesome is this budget couldn’t exist without a $700 million income tax hike that the current majority fought tooth and nail for, and without the $670 million raid on the teacher pension fund. We built up our savings for years to be able to afford some lower-priority projects because we budgeted responsibly. Last year, the majority spent nearly every penny of our $9 billion surplus on things like pools, pickleball courts, EV projects, massively growing state government and state worker payroll, and corporate subsidies for electric vehicle projects, among other things, while leaving roads and other priorities underfunded. Because the $9 billion in savings was largely wiped out, to maintain this level of overspending, the governor and Democratic leadership fought to ensure an income tax increase took place and took money from the already-underfunded teacher pension system. I just couldn’t support such negligent spending or the lack of willingness to even consider some of these commonsense amendments. We have very little to show for last year’s overspending, and I presume this time next year will be the same.  The Chick Run Association that visited Hit the Road Joe a couple of years ago will likely see members heading for the BOTB  The Pride Festival will return to Brooks Park in June Blessing of the Bikes Weekend The annual Baldwin event brings thousands of bikes including Baggers, Beemers, Busas and even Bobbers to the airport for a blessing as well as a weekend of fairly serious partying in some circles. Vendors will line the highway heading in and out of Baldwin and nearly every bar, restaurant and bar/restaurant in a 100 mile radius of the city will be packed Friday. The Driftwood’s deck is going to be a key stop for many and downtown Newaygo will see impressive looking machines lining the street as bikers grab a little refreshment from the River Stop Saloon, Newaygo Brewery, and Sportsmans. Most of the traffic will be Friday and Sunday of course but early birds will be flocking up there on Thursday. It’s the 52nd year bike enthusiasts have gathered in the Lake County capital and M37 will see caravans of 2 and 3 wheelers heading north, so be aware while driving and with a number of bikers taking side trips along the way please don’t mow your grass into the street. You know who you are, so just stop it Got HazMat? Saturday is the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day held at the Road Commission building on One Mile just west of 37. They will open the doors at 8am and close up shop at 2pm. It’s a free service courtesy from the Board of Public Works although those who wish to contribute are more than welcome (and even encouraged) to toss a little cash toward reducing costs. Electronics are included so don’t take that old TV and dump it in the woods, haul it up to the RC instead. Check the bottom of this page for the skinny on what’s allowed and what is not. Pride II Kudos to the Newaygo City Council who approved the use of Brooks Park for the Second Annual Newaygo Pride Festival. While a number of citizens took to the podium in support of the event aimed at celebrating diversity, the Council’s decision was nonetheless a courageous one given some of the recent initiatives that erupted in our gateway city. Nibbler to Return Soon we will be bringing back The Nibbler, our section on local dining options and such, perhaps beginning with one of our favorites in Fremont. While it remains on our ever growing list of things to do, we haven’t yet visited the newly expanded Moon Dance Cafe since their ribbon cutting opener. Owner Cathy Martins has taken the best eatery in town and added to both the venue and the menu. The place was apparently jammed to the gills on Mothers Day, providing a challenge for what has consistently been a top notch crew of servers and kitchen staff, and despite a tad longer wait they once again performed brilliantly. Look for a review in the upcoming return of the Nibbler once the dust has settled and the N3 World Headquarters staff free up a little time.   Friday 11:15(ish) Newaygo County Welcome Center Photo by Lil DeLaat Story by Ken DeLaat Friday was a great night to be out chasing the Aurora and folks took to observation sites all over our county from lakesides to muck fields and beyond. LSC Lil and I began with a trip to High Rollaway which proved to be an exceedingly popular destination. There were more cars in the scenic roadside park than you might see on a sunny autumn afternoon during peak color tour season even with the reliable popcorn wagon tossed in as a bonus (love the caramel corn). But these were a different breed of colors altogether and Newaygo County was out in droves to catch a glimpse. From there we decided to see what the view might be from the Welcome Center where Lil was able to score a few fine shots. Later we went back to our home on Hess and took more shots of the streaming array of tints, tones and hues.That night and all the next day local social media exploded in color with a wide variety of delightful shots from a number of aficionados of the AB (AKA Northern Lights). The name Aurora is from the Roman goddess of the dawn. and Borealis is Latin for northern. Aurora was also the name of the heroine in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, the mother role played exquisitely by Shirley MacLaine in Terms of Endearment, and the daughter of Lucifer and Chloe in the TV series Lucifer. We don’t know anyone named Borealis but Kanye and Kim’s son was named North so I guess that’s as close as we can get. As you might guess, there are many myths associated with the AB. A good deal of these involve those who have passed on. Some felt they might be ancestors watching over their progeny and others believed they were fallen enemies and harbingers of perilous times to come. Inuits at one time thought they were dead folks playing ball with a walrus head, an image that’s admittedly hard to shake once you take it in. Some ancient peoples thought the lights came from stew pots simmering the enemies of unknown (and feared) Northern peoples and others thought they might be coming from tribes of dwarves boiling blubber. While some of these myths sound a bit over the top, you can likely say with certainty there are many among us today who see AB as an omen of some sort. Just as they do with eclipses, comets, meteor showers or a proliferation of abandoned shoes along the roads. After all in this, the Golden Age of Conspiracy Theories, the boundaries of actuality are exceptionally fluid. The less exciting scientific description (according to Michigan Tech the school located in the far reaches of the state where smart people are found matriculating) is that lights are caused by the interaction between the Earth's magnetic field and charged particles from the sun's atmosphere that enter the earth's atmosphere. Per MTU: “A solar flare (energetic particles from the sun) floats through space on the solar wind, eventually penetrating the Earth's magnetic field. Electrons in the magnetic field sideswipe oxygen atoms or nitrogen molecules in the Earth's atmosphere.The bursts of colorful light—the northern lights—are colliding particles (usually electrons) and atoms; at collision, electrons can return to their initial, lower energy state, and in the process, release photons or light particles we know as aurorae.” As I said, likely more accurate, but not as compelling as believing them to be reflections from the shields of Viking warrior women (Valkyries) transporting the dead to Odin’s Valhalla. A far more pleasing image than a ghoulish game of walrus head soccer. Out of nowhere, they appear, falling like silvery rain in the night sky, swirling and dancing across the northern horizon in complete silence—graceful, delicate, silent, and peaceful. They’re a beautiful surprise. When you experience them, you realize how lucky you are to get to witness such incredible beauty. They shine and glow for a while, and then they’re gone. The memory is all you have left, but it stays with you—amazing, special, and unique.”-Leo Solstrum, Northern Lights  "We need a change."
To the Editor I write this personal statement today as a parent and a community member. These are my views and they may not reflect the views of my colleagues on the Grant Public Schools Board of Education (BOE) or the NCRESA BOE. For those that don’t know me, my name is Rob Schuitema and I have been a trustee on the Grant BOE since January of 2021. I am also the Vice President on the Board of Education at Newaygo County Regional Educational Service Agency (NC RESA). I am a graduate of Grant High School, class of 1991 and come from a family that has strong ties to the Grant school district. My father, Jim Schuitema, taught in the middle school for 36 years, my mother, Linda Schuitema worked in the district for over 25 years and have two family members currently working in the school. Unfortunately one left the district recently. We have dedicated our lives to this district. My oldest child graduated in 2023 as a Valedictorian and was Homecoming Queen. My youngest daughter is in High school and active with drama, choir, cross country and is a representative from GPS on the Fremont Area Community Foundation Youth Advisory Committee. We love this school. We have given our lives to this district and wouldn’t have it any other way. That being said, it has been a challenging time for me and my family for the last 18 months, as it has for the entire community and the district that serves it. What has transpired over the last year and a half is nothing less than shameful. The actions of board members have led to record high legal fees, a culture of misinformation and distrust, an exodus of key staff members and a feeling of disorder and chaos. I have spent that time trying to reason with my fellow board members, especially President Ken Thorne, Vice President Rachal Gort, Treasurer Sabrina Veltkamp-Blok and trustee Richard Vance. I have been stonewalled at every attempt. Each day passes by and I wonder what will happen next. Will there be a surprise investigation? Will there be a surprise addition to an agenda item? What past action will they deem unfit and decide is invalid? Who will they throw under the bus this time, not in person, but through their personal facebook posts? Will they stall on voting for initiatives they don’t like and push through the ones that suit them without warning? Who will they allow to disparage staff, students, fellow community members? It has been never ending and has taken its toll on our community as a whole. Their actions have made our district and town a laughing stock across the state and beyond. I keep asking myself, when will they produce any actions that benefit the district? Especially the staff and students. When will they look to the future of this district instead of being stuck in the past. When will they put an emphasis on initiating our strategic plan? But each passing month, there is no action to improve our district. Only to tear it down. They ran out our superintendent with a disorganized and woefully incomplete investigation costing the district thousands of dollars. They went after administrators who were doing their jobs and left them out to dry when reports were made public. They have attacked staff and students, referring to them as farm animals, satanists, groomers, liars and “sick” while claiming to be “protecting the children” and promoting “parental rights”. The lack of professionalism and compassion shown over the last year and a half has been deplorable. I feel horrible for the students, guardians, and staff who feel like this district is not an inviting place because of these actions. This makes me think, what happened to decorum in public office? Maybe it’s more like what happened to decorum in general? I have asked myself that question a lot lately and I still don’t have an answer but I do have some opinions. Now, some of you reading this may be shaking your head, feeling that I have been guilty of a lack of decorum as well. I can’t deny that I have from time to time over the last 18 months gotten pretty heated with my viewpoints, but I always try my best to not let my emotions get the best of me. For the most part, I have been able to do that. On a few occasions, I have not and for that I apologize. It has been very challenging to remain professional in the face of such unprofessionalism and chaos. What I haven’t done is instigate the argument, I have only responded to their questionable actions. I have challenged and I have questioned their actions. What I have been trying to accomplish is a conversation but they have chosen conflict. I have seen some of the most heinous acts of discrimination, homophobia, and bullying by adults and it makes me sick! I’ve seen board member Rachal Gort attack a student over her artwork and demand the removal of “girl with cap wearing a Muslim head wrap” in the Child and Adolescent Health Center (CAHC) mural. Ms. Gort also indicated she felt the source of the entire problem was the CAHC and that they should be eliminated. She has attacked staff and students, and continuously pushes her agenda on social media. I also received emails from Richard Vance promoting racist and homophobic videos and literature while telling the board we needed to protect the children from these “evils permeating our hallways”. Mr. Vance also sent a condemning email to former superintendent Zuver demonizing him for referring to a statistic of white male superintendents in the country. This was his response: “Nearly 75 percent of the NBA is dark color with 16 percent being white. Meanwhile, only 13% of the U.S. population is black. The NBA is based on merit and ability. Should we lobby for more white men on NBA teams? Absurd!” This behavior has not only been demonstrated by trustee Vance, but by his wife Dorinda. Mrs. Vance expressed her displeasure by sending a letter accusing the school of “sodomizing” children by allowing any LGBTQ+ representation in the district.This lack of decorum has no place anywhere, let alone public education. In addition to these things stated above, Rachal Gort and Richard Vance worked with a former Grant Employee to create the Concerned Parents Coalition of Michigan”. This Political Action Committee (PAC) seems to have been created specifically to campaign for Rachal and Richard while demonizing the citizens that stood up to their surprise decision to terminate the contract with the CAHC. The recall group's goal was to hold these board members responsible for their actions on June 19, 2023. Instead this PAC claims to want to “Protect the Children” while including photos of two Grant High School students in their propaganda. One of these minors is in fact my daughter. I expected to be targeted by these extremists, but to bully my daughter is inexcusable. But I’m not surprised. The rise of extremist behavior and bigoted rhetoric has been going on for quite some time and has been amplified over the last few years. They are part of a larger national movement to suppress the rights of individuals while feeding the masses lies about curriculum and school initiatives. The lack of decorum surrounds these groups so much that they have been labeled as “extremist” organizations. I have heard the same false claims spewn by these extremist groups repeated over my entire term, by board members and many of the same people leading the smear campaign against the recall initiative and the candidates challenging them. It appears that the goal is not to uplift students and the district but instead to dismantle public education in an attempt to build it in their own likeness. They fail to realize that in a small district, tearing down the community to this degree will only destroy what past generations have built and drive people away. We need a change. Our district and community need to start healing and I am afraid that cannot happen with the current board. This is why I fully endorse candidates Mindy Conely and Lindsay Mahlich and will be voting for them on May 7th. Both candidates have repeatedly demonstrated their passion and commitment for Grant Public Schools and the betterment of students, staff and the community overall. They bring compassion, professionalism and an unbiased commitment to long term success in our district. They, unlike the recalled board members, continuously look for ways to improve the district, focusing on moving forward, not focusing on the past or stalling any progress the school can accomplish. Both have been in positions of leadership and have sat on boards before, including Lindsay leading the Grant Christian School as Board President and Mindy sitting on the regional AYSO Board. They pay attention to the bylaws. They recognize the importance of fiscal responsibility and have the skills to lead with transparency and accountability. I implore you to vote on May 7 for representation that provides a positive roadmap to success. Vote for decency and respect. Most importantly, vote for decorum, our district and our community depend on it. Vote Mindy Conley and Lindsay Mahlich for GPS Sincerely, Rob Schuitema Trustee, Grant Public Schools Board of Education Grant Resident and Concerned Parent |
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