The View From Here: Parks, Pickleball & Political Poppycock

By Ken DeLaat

Well it looks like we have a new Parks guy in place as Asa Vermeulen takes the reins at the burgeoning array of recreational options that is Newaygo County Parks.
Good timing. The ever popular campgrounds are about to be inundated with all those people who make it a point to travel to our county for a short stay in this wonderful slice of our bi-peninsular paradise. Always makes me think about the times spent  travelling to one of those  really cool places, the locales that make you ponder, “I wonder what it’s like to live here full time?”
And here we are. Smack dab in a destination spot for the droves of fun lovers seeking to enjoy what our natural resources offer.
Beyond campers there are the cyclists and hikers who are drawn to the magic of  The Dragon, the fishing fanatics who will soon see a new marina the county is resurrecting on the site of an old one, the kayakers and tubers who fill the river on weekends, and now a new birding trail to draw the rather amazing amount of birders (It is estimated there are over 2 million in the state) to our prime birding sites (nearly 40).
And so, welcome to our county Asa Vermeulen. I believe you’ll find the folks here in the Near North to be a friendly bunch, always eager to help.
 And nearly all the answers to questions you might have can be found at any one of those long tables filled with coffee drinking men that pop up around mid morning at several local restaurants.

Pickleballers can relax a bit now that the Fremont Rec Center has been gifted with 10 years of support after the recent millage was approved for continuation. Kudos to the city and the 2 townships that came through this time around. The Rec Center has established themselves as a vital entity in the community and will likely continue to thrive, particularly if pickleball continues its meteoric rise in popularity. 

It seems that the Medicaid cuts that have been banged around by politicians and the media who cover them are looking to be more and more inevitable. I truly hope not. The cuts being bantered about would have a devastating effect on our county in ways that would reach much deeper than simply reducing medical coverage. The ripple effect would touch everyone in one way or another. Stoking anecdotal references to how the money is misused is designed to tap into old attitudes about welfare. Like others who have  spent many years working in human service agencies there is an awareness of how vital the services provided are and how far reaching the effects can be.
It is time to show some compassion for the less fortunate. Cutting medical coverage to an already vulnerable population is unconscionable. If you agree, call Rep Moolenaar’s office  and let him know. 
If you don’t agree? Be prepared for the profound changes on the horizon that are likely to negatively impact the quality of life for far more of us than just those who lose their insurance coverage.

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