By Ken De Laat, N3 Publisher Putting out an online news source is always interesting. With folks being as divided as we seem to be these days, posting our stories on social media can lead to the responses taking any number of directions. When we recently reported on the Grant School Board doings it drew the obligatory critiques from those who distrust coverage that might not align with their views. We get it. This is a controversial subject and an emotional issue for many and the response we received bore this out. And yet when it moved about on social media we noticed the comments generally stayed within the subject matter. Not so with the recent press release we ran from Consumers Energy regarding the dams. The dams are a hot bed issue and people who may be affected by the possible sale of them are more than likely to be scared and/or angry. And nothing stirs up the nest in fb like anger and fear. On our site alone, the comments included assertions that dam removal would take out the city of Newaygo (it wouldn’t) that the Feds (no specific department) and/or the state (assuming the Gov herself) are behind the move, that a sale to China is inevitable (wow), and more claims that seem to arise from random, meritless hypotheses. From there it devolves to further misinformation (more wow), the insipid 1:1 battles with a goal of ‘winning’ the argument or at least being seen as clever (utter fail), and inevitably the usual insults (weak and childish). Then of course at least one thread will make the whole thing about our two geriatric presidential candidates leading to the mutual demonization of the other side. Our favorite was the person who, supposedly in an effort to help out with the confusion, began their post by calling out everyone who had posted previously as ignorant. And this is just on our page so no telling what might be boiling over in one of the 200+ and counting shares the post received. And no, this is not another tired and redundant lecture about social media behavior. Railing against the inhumanity the platform can produce is merely another impotent response to the helplessness that coexists with any attempt to alter it. This is merely a bit of sadness and disappointment in who we seem to be these days. Who knew we would drift so far apart with the help of a vessel purportedly designed to do the opposite? "But somehow social media, which was touted as an engine of connectivity, has left us disconnected and often lonely, not to mention combative. We’re all in our corners. We understand one another less than ever and have less desire to try." Maureen Dowd
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The Great Decisions Speaker Series brings national experts to West Michigan for thought-provoking discussions on eight critical and important global issues. The series kicks off on February 6 and includes a list of experts on topics the whole world is talking about. The Great Decisions Global Discussion speaker series is put together by the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan and will be live-streamed at the Dogwood Center for Performing Arts on Tuesdays, February 6 through March 26, 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. in the Black Box. The goal of the series is to discuss eight critical issues that are facing the world today, and consists of eight weeks of world-oriented topics that are recommended by the Foreign Policy Association of America (FPA) in New York City as global issues every American community should be learning and talking about. This year, among the 2024 Great Decisions guests will be General (ret.) Curtis Scaparrotti, former Supreme Allied Commander in Europe for NATO; NPR’s Neela Banerjee on climate technology; Kaiser Kuo from the Sinica Podcast on Chinese technology; and Hiroko Muraki-Gottlieb from Pace University on high seas treaties. “Our organization’s perspective on this series is that to change the world — or to even begin to understand global issues — one first must know about the world, and that’s what we attempt to do with Great Decisions,” Michael Van Denend, executive director of the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan. The Great Decisions Speaker Series will be video streamed live at the Dogwood Center, 4734 S. Campus Court, Fremont, from 6:00 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. Tuesday's, from February 6 through March 26. The lectures are free and open to the public. View the speaker schedule at www.worldmichigan.org. The Newaygo County Democrats will hold their next monthly meeting on Monday, February 12th at the Heritage Museum of Newaygo. All are welcome to the 6pm Open Forum and social time, with the business meeting starting at 6:30pm. A virtual option is available by requesting the link from: NewaygoCountyDemocrats@gmail.com. The Heritage Museum is located at 12 Centerline St, Newaygo, 49337. Items of discussion will include election worker and precinct delegate recruitment, the February 27 Presidential Primary, and effective community outreach and input strategies. Newaygo County Democrats, visiting Dems, guests, members and the moderate to liberal-leaning curious are all welcome and urged to attend. For more information and to sign up for Enews, visit: https://newaygocodems.org. Follow on Facebook @Newaygo County Democratic Party, and @Newaygo County Democrats. A Green Burial Forest is good for our community. It is good for people as they take their final journey on, and into, our Earth. And it is good for our environment. It seems that the controversy about having a Green Burial Forest in Brooks Township has to do with the fear of something new and not understood. That it may have negative impacts: either with neighbors’ privacy, contamination of water tables, or added Township costs and responsibilities. So it’s understandable that Brooks Township created a new Cemetery Ban Ordinance to eliminate the possibility that they would have to tackle something that they don’t understand. Township folks are just you and me – residents with families and jobs. But they also have to make decisions that affect whole communities. That is a huge responsibility. But the information that has come out of a civil action suit has clearly dispelled those stated concerns. The complaint was submitted to Brooks Township by the Institute for Justice on behalf of local Forest property owners who petitioned to create a Green Burial Conservation Forest. Brooks Township will not be responsible for the property should the owners fail their responsibility, as it will be a natural Forest in perpetuity under the contract with a Michigan conservancy organization. The conservancy organization will be responsible for its upkeep after the property owners are no longer here or alive - and its upkeep will be as a natural Forest, forever. No headstones falling into disrepair or bodies heaving out of the ground like an abandoned conventional cemetery. Water tables will not be impacted according to the assessments already completed by DHD#10. Any wells in the area are not close enough to the Forest per regulations. There is more water impact from roads, parking lots, industry, and unsustainably managed farm runoff than could be from this intact Forest. Trees, soil and microbes in the Earth are the best nature created water purifiers we have. Michigan law already states that a person does not need to be embalmed, and stipulates conditions such as certain diseases or length of time before burial where embalming must take place. Interment in the Green Burial Forest will still require the oversight of a funeral director, and these laws will still need to be followed. So it is not an “anything goes” situation that would jeopardize the health or safety of the community. Concerns by neighbors are real, because they are their concerns. But a Green Burial Forest will be a place of quiet respect and peace. There is more concern over what neighbors can do, even legally, on their own private property than what a Green Burial Forest would do. Loud parties, noisy target practice, ATV tracks, or even illegal activities - things of that nature will not be an issue. The Green Burial Forest will be an open book as to its activities - which are peaceful burials and nature walks. I feel for Brooks Township officials in their role. Someone will always be unhappy with whatever decisions they make on any issue. However as they asked for specific assessments, documents and legal contracts from the property owners, and as that couple complied with each step, the Township created and passed the complete Cemetery Ban Ordinance with no fore warning to them. It is unclear if there was a call for public input by the Township regarding the specific request for a Green Burial Forest. Two residents expressed their concerns in township meeting notes of June 2023, and those concerns have shown to be unfounded. It is unfortunate that was the public input the Township responded to, and passed the Ordinance at that same meeting. This Green Burial Forest would actually be beneficial to the Township and area businesses. Our local economy relies heavily on the natural beauty of Newaygo County and the tourism it generates. Thousands of people visit every year because of the many tracts of publicly protected lands, hundreds of miles of hiking trails and waterways, thousands of acres of County, State, and Federal Forest land for camping, hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling. Hundreds of people move here because of the environment - I and most of my neighbors did just that! People not just from our local area have expressed the intention of being interred in a Green Burial Forest such as the one in Brooks Township would be. People from Grand Rapids, Muskegon, even across the State will come here with their families for a Green Forest Burial. They will work with our local funeral directors. They will eat in our restaurants, stay in our lodging accommodations, and shop in our stores. These people will come back frequently to visit the place of their loved ones’ finally rest. They may even come back to enjoy the beauty and recreational opportunities of our beautiful Newaygo County. Some may even move here. It is unfortunate that the only recourse the property owners felt they had since the Cemetery Ban Ordinance was adopted so suddenly by Brooks Township was the one offered to them by the Institute of Justice. It makes this issue and the relationships involved contentious instead of being the positive and collaborative process that it could and should be. And still can be. What stands out from the fully vetted complaint submitted by the Institute of Justice is that this intended Green Burial Forest is about positive outcomes for everyone. That the fears and concerns of the Township and two residents are dispelled by the facts presented. There are people now within their final years or even months of life who cannot wait for a long legal battle to take place. They do not want their lives to end in a cemetery that requires vaults, caskets, or liners; and where they contribute to the need for mowers, lawn fertilizers and pesticides for the upkeep of their burial ground. Their honorable wish is to be buried in the way that nearly the whole of humanity’s history has been, without monuments or mausoleums, and as many Holy books say: “Dust to Dust”. Their wish is to have their final repose “decompose” in a way that gives back to the Earth, back to a Forest. Repealing the Cemetery Ban Ordinance to allow for a Green Burial Forest is a positive thing that Brooks Township can do. It is positive not just for the Forest property owners, but also for our local communities, the economy, and for people facing their end of life. It also promotes a positive image of Brooks Township as a forward moving civic organization to allow this “newer” oldest and fast-growing way of interment to come within their jurisdiction - the first Green Burial Conservation Forest in the State. If Brooks Township Trustees heard from their community members who believe that a Green Burial Conservation Forest is a desired and positive service for our area, perhaps then we can all come together for fruitful dialogue and understanding. That we can work together to repeal the Cemetery Ban Ordinance and prevent a lengthy, costly (for Brooks Township taxpayers) and unnecessary legal battle. That it will be accomplished with respect for all involved. And that this beautiful, diverse and lush Forest will be placed in perpetuity as the intended vision of the property owners - and as the final Sacred resting place of family, friends and neighbors. Sally Wagoner Newaygo County Resident As January is National Human Trafficking Awareness month, I want to ask you, what comes to mind when you hear the words “human trafficking?” If you are like most Americans, your awareness is very vague and based on movies like "Taken." Most people who are trafficked in the United States are not kidnapped. In fact, most individuals who are trafficked know their perpetrators. So what exactly is human trafficking? It is modern day slavery. According to the U.S. State Department, there are 49.6 million people enslaved in the world today. Human Trafficking is a 150-billion-dollar global criminal enterprise and the 2nd fastest growing criminal industry second to drugs. Human traffickers can be anyone, and anyone can become a victim of human trafficking. Traffickers are often someone the victim is familiar with or someone the victim met on the internet who became “their friend.” Traffickers are relentless in their attempts to manipulate vulnerable victims into trusting them to sexually exploit or traffick them. According to the federal government, human trafficking falls into two categories: Labor and Sex Trafficking. The federal definition of human trafficking is when perpetrators use force, fraud, or coercion to obtain labor or commercial sex acts from their victims. The federal definition of child trafficking is any minor under the age of 18 who is induced to perform any type of commercial sex or labor act, or who is commercially sexually exploited for something of value: money, shelter, drugs, or transportation. A minor is a victim of human trafficking, regardless of whether force, fraud, or coercion can be proven. One of the common tools traffickers use to lure and manipulate vulnerable children, youth, and adults is grooming. Grooming can occur either in person or online. Here are six typical stages of the grooming process for sex trafficking: (Labor trafficking will look different).
Human trafficking is a horrific crime that is hidden in plain sight. It is tearing at the social fabric of our society. Human trafficking won’t end until we as a society stop the cycle by removing the demand for sexual content and activities that lead to sexual exploitation and trafficking. The Newaygo Human Trafficking Task Force is committed to helping combat this horrific crime that is happening to our vulnerable children, youth, and adults in our communities, backyards, and even in our homes. Please join our efforts to stop this evil crime. Too many people say, “It’s not happening here!” or “Too dark to talk about it.” The reality is when good men do nothing, evil persists and prevails. Please join our fight by becoming informed and involved. Here are some resources you can learn more about human trafficking and ways to help. Read our Facebook posts, learn about the pros and dangers of social media apps and gaming devices and parental safety controls on Protect Young Eyes ; research and watch free training videos on websites such as A21.org , the Blue Campaign | Homeland Security , and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children ; do not allow your child to sleep with their electronic devices and delay social media Wait Until 8th Grade Campaign . Share what you have learned about human trafficking with family and others. Also, we will be hosting a Human Trafficking 101 Community Seminar at the Grant Fine Arts Center this spring. Please be on the lookout for the time and date of this event. Report Human Trafficking! If you see something, say something! Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline # 888-378-7888 or text BE FREE 233733. You can also call local resources like the Newaygo County Sheriff's Department 231-689-7303, The Hope Project 231-747-8555, Silent Observer 231-652-1121, or call #911. Teresa Fetterley, LLP, LSC Newaygo County Human Trafficking Task Force, Chair NCHTTF2022@gmail.com Jamie Presler, Board Vice-Chair Mary Suplinskas, Board Secretary Gena Dietz, Board Member Lisa Piccard, Board Member Tabatha Lathrop, Board Member Ashley Luchies, Board Member Kevin Akin, Board Member By Ken De Laat Wow quite a weekend huh? A Debacle in Dallas. The Lions got jobbed. I’m not prone to conspiracy theories (other than an ongoing suspicion about why there are so many solitary shoes making appearances along the roadway) so I don’t believe there was any kind of fix on. Just because it was a big night for the Dallas crowd with their old Coach being inducted into the Ring of Honor, aka ego-inflated Jerry Jones’ personal HOF where he alone gets to decide who’s in, and those yahoos in the booth, Joe F Buck and ex Cowboy Troy Aikman falling all over themselves praising the proud Cowboy tradition. But, in my Lion loyal opinion, whether it was a referee choke or an overzealous call you don't toss such a bs flag with the game on the line. They got jobbed. But what’s done is done. What I want to see is a rematch. A rematch in the playoffs. Hopefully for the title. And because of seeding it would likely be back in Dallas and that’s ok too. Because the Lions are the better team. They outplayed a good Cowboys squad for most of the game and kept getting up off the canvas time and time again like they have all year. Take a poll out there. I would bet there aren’t many teams relishing the thought of playing the boys in Honolulu Blue. And to all the second guessers about Coach Dan’s decisions, it might give pause to remember who this team was before he got here. They didn’t take chances because there were often no chances to take. The Lions weren’t a factor. You can Monday morning quarterback all the right moves but criticizing the guy who knows his team better than any couch sitting wannabe coach out there seems a bit absurd given what he and the personnel folks have done to this chronically moribound team. Go Lions. UM in the title game. This was sweet. Not only do they exorcise some demons by beating ‘Bama for the first time since Tom Brady called the signals in the 2000 Orange Bowl, they knocked the SEC out of the title game. Can’t imagine too many FSU fans disappointed with this outcome. And the dessert for the day was seeing Texas get beat by the Huskies, because, well, because it’s Texas. Now we have what in the past would have been the traditional Rose Bowl matchup with the Big 10 and the Pac 12 champs facing off except this time it’s in Houston for the national title and next year they’re both in the Big Ten. The runner-ups will also be playing in the same conference next year as the ‘Horns join the SEC. And for those who wanted to see a UM/Texas tilt you will get your wish next season when the Longhorns visit the Big House on September 7th. They also have a rematch with the Huskies in early October out West. Hopefully it will be Washington seeking revenge in that one. Go Blue. The Pathos of the Pistons. One of the toughest things about a lengthy losing streak is that teams really get up for the game when they play you. No one wants to be the team who gets beat by the Pistons. The Raptors finally became that team when Detroit edged them by a bucket to end a 28 game, 2 month drought. The next game they began what looks to be another streak after a 23 point beatdown by the Rockets. I’ve tried to watch the team I have followed since White Sox pitcher Dave DeBusschere hung up his baseball spikes and became their Player/Coach at the age of 24, but they are truly just not a very good team. Heck they aren’t even close to being kind of a good team. They just don’t have the depth of players to effectively put a solid rotation on the floor against the best basketballers in the world. This despite practically having a chair with your name on it at the lottery drawing event since they have been in it 12 of the last 14 years. I had to check and see if Matt Millen had been secretly hired years ago to rebuild the team. Go front office. Please, just go. Baseball on the horizon As of this writing we are 53 days away from the first exhibition game against the Yankees and the beginning of what could be a promising year for fans hungry for a winner. Go Tig’s. The Newaygo County Democrats will hold their January meeting on Monday, January 8th at the White Cloud Library. All are welcome to the 6pm Open Forum and social time, with the business meeting starting at 6:30pm. A virtual option is available by emailing for the link: NewaygoCountyDemocrats@gmail.com. The White Cloud Library is located at 1038 E Wilcox Ave, 49349. According to the (Special) Political Organizing Committee, also known as (S)POC, this first meeting of 2024 will be key in planning community outreach and actions during this important election year. Items for discussion include: * Presidential Primary in Michigan is now in February: this year it is Tuesday, February 27. * Early Voting starts 9 days before every statewide and federal election. * Recruiting for Democratic Precinct Delegates for local office and board seats. Newaygo County Democrats, visiting Dems, guests, members and the moderate to liberal-leaning curious are all welcomed and urged to attend this first of the year meeting. For more information and to sign up for Enews, visit: https://newaygocodems.org. Follow on Facebook @Newaygo County Democratic Party, and @Newaygo County Democrats. To The Editor: I’m correcting the record about arguments in a recent letter on Generate Upcycle’s Fremont Regional Digester. I’m always willing to engage in critical conversations, where both parties want a positive outcome. But to communicate, everyone must have the facts. When considering joining the FRD’s community advisory council, I had to learn about the plant. I wasn’t familiar with the digester, so I did some research and spoke with local agricultural leaders. This helped me understand the importance of digestate as a fertilizer and the FRD as a resource for food waste recycling. I’m proud to be a founding member of FRD’s community council. The digester staff diligently keeps council members, residents, and other stakeholders informed — including through a Facebook page for neighbors, website, tours of the facility, and more. The team is a resource for members of our community, listening to and addressing concerns. Among residents’ concerns have been odor at the digester and lagoons, as well as run-off related to land application of their digestate fertilizer product on farm fields. Before Generate took control of the digester, this odor impacted their quality of life. Generate has invested in significant upgrades and reduced smells to nearly none at the digester facility and lagoons. Further, there have not been any issues with fertilizer runoff since Generate assumed operations. In regards to the permit and regulatory issues, I invite everyone to read Generate’s response to EGLE, which corrects misinformation amplified by the Department. The FRD’s work in our community doesn’t end there. With the help of the community council, the digester has become a valuable partner, including through an endowment scholarship fund that supports our neighbors. Before we make judgements, it’s important we ensure they’re informed. Regardless of our roles in the community, we should have an accurate understanding of the FRD and what it provides. Matt Kempf https://www.fremontdigester.com/news/generate-upcycle-response-letter-to-director-roos-egle White River Watershed Collaborative Celebrates Progress In 2023
2023 was another busy year for the White River Watershed Collaborative (WRWC). Initiated in 2019 by Trout Unlimited (TU) and the White River Watershed Partnership, with support from the Fremont Area Community Foundation, the WRWC is comprised of local communities and governments, state and federal agencies, non-profits, local business owners and White River enthusiasts. The WRWC is working to facilitate collaborative data-driven restoration and protection of the White River Watershed. In 2022, West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission (WMSRDC) collaborated with local partners to secure funding from the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, the Community Foundation for Oceana County and the Fremont Area Community Foundation to contract with Grand Valley State University to conduct an economic impact study of the White River. The need for this study was identified by the WRWC Economic Opportunity sub-committee, led by Newaygo County’s Economic Development Director Julie Burrell. Completed in 2023, study results demonstrated just how impactful the White River is as an economic driver. The study found that the White River has an overall economic impact of $20 million, drawing over 35,000 visitors from outside the region each year. It was estimated that the river increased home values by a cumulative $25 million. This study serves as a baseline to gauge progress and the information gathered will be leveraged to target opportunities to improve the quality of the White River and serve as justification for future investments in the watershed. In 2023 WMSRDC also collaborated with the Oceana County Road Commission, Grand Valley State University, GEI Consultants and private landowners to replace two culverts on Swinton Creek with more appropriately sized structures that support fish passage and increase flood resiliency. These projects were made possible by funding under the Lake Michigan Rivers and Coastal Wetlands Regional Partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This project will continue in 2024 with two additional culvert replacements on Swinton and Cushman Creek and restoration of over 1,000 feet of in-stream habitat. In recent years, the WRWC has invested a lot of effort into collecting the necessary data to make informed decisions on project priorities in the watershed, including temperature monitoring, fish passage assessments, habitat assessments and fisheries surveys. In 2023, we began to leverage those datasets to identify additional projects that will have the maximum benefit to the watershed and its fisheries. Ten culverts that block fish from accessing upstream habitats were identified and prioritized for future replacement. New fish-friendly structures will also be more resilient to flood damage and reduce maintenance costs for local communities. Additional habitat enhancement and erosion control projects were also identified, aiming to improve in-stream habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms. The WRWC is now fundraising for these well-justified projects. Already, TU has obtained funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to support culvert replacement and habitat enhancement work. These funds will be leveraged for additional support, such as funds available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Schrems West Michigan Chapter of Trout Unlimited (SWMTU) has invested in four Salmon in the Classroom (SIC) programs in the local area. Through SIC, students raise salmon from eggs, learning about their life cycle and habitat needs, and eventually release them into the White River. SWMTU also held their 3rd annual White River stream cleanup, where volunteers remove trash from the river and clean up river access locations. Through ongoing collaboration, data collection and fundraising, the rubber is starting to hit the road for implementation of restoration projects in the White River Watershed, ultimately benefiting not only the aquatic ecosystem but the communities that enjoy and depend on a healthy White River. |
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