Abby VanDusen (center) in the 100 meter hurdles.

The Girls Varsity track team hosted their first OK Blue meets of the year. In a double dual meet at Red Hawk Stadium the Red Hawks defeated West Catholic by a score of 76 to 59 and Belding 81.5 to 54.5. The teams overall record is now 5-1 and are 2 – 0 in the Ok Blue. The team travels to Chippewa Hills on Saturday April 21 for the Warrior Invitational and on Tuesday April 25 Travel to Forest Hills Northern for an Ok Blue meet.

Placing for the Red Hawks was:

First Place: Jeanette Sukstas shot put and discus; Abby VanDusen long jump;  Aly Hamilton 100 and 200 meter dashes; Kenzie Weiler 1600 and 3200 meter runs; Katie Weiler 800 meter run; 400 Meter relay team of Marissa Oakes, Sayge Wight, Abby Vandusen, and Aly Hamilton; 1600 meter relay team of Riley Hondalus, Aly Hamilton, Katie Weiler, and Sommer VanDyke; 3200 meter relay team of Sommer VanDyke, Maddie Pekrul, Kenzie Weiler, and Katie Weiler.

Second Place: Rieley Hondalus 400 meter dash; Shaelyn Fasel discus; Abby VanDusen pole vault and 100 meter hurdles; Marissa Oakes long jump; Katie Weiler 1600 meter run; Maddie Pekrul 3200 meter run; Briana Pierson high jump; Sommer VanDyke 1600 and 800 meter run.

Third Place: Kayla Bohy discus; Rieley Hondalus high jump; Christina Dean 3200 meter run; Marissa Oakes 200 meter dash; Emily Shaft 400 meter dash.

Spartan Classic

The Girls Varsity Track traveled to Sparta for the Spartan Tri-Level Classic. In the 9th and 10th grade Division the team scored 75 points and placed 4th out of 8 teams. In the 11th and 12th grade division they scored 46.5 points and placed 6th out of 8 teams. Kenzie Weiler won the 3200 meter run and set a new school record with a time of 10:55.55. Also taking first places were Aly Hamilton in the 100 meter dash and the 3200 meter relay team of Emily Shaft, Shayne Mann, Maddie Pekrul and Kenzie Weiler.

Also placing for the Red Hawks was:

Second Place: Aly Hamilton 200 meter dash; Marissa Oakes 100 meter dash and long jump; Katie Weiler 1600 meter run; Abby VanDusen pole vault; 400 meter relay team of Rieley Hondalus, Marissa Oakes, Abby VanDusen, and Aly Hamilton.

Third Place: Maddie Pekrul 1600 meter run; 800 meter relay team of Kellie Spahr, Sayge Wight, Mara Ellison, and Emily Shaft; 3200 meter relay team of  Sommer VanDyke, Kayla Ovokaitys, Allie Veltkamp, and Katie Weiler.

The High School Special Olympics Basketball Team, with eight students from Mr. White’s class, took first place at the State Unified Basketball Tournament. The students played two games and won both, with a score of 24-18 in the first and 32-30 in overtime in the second game. The students received gold medals at the medal ceremony.

Congratulations to the team!

The students in grades K-8 of Creative Technologies Academy had a special guest the last day of school before their Spring Break!  Rick DeRidder, also known as “Rick the Reptile Guy,” put on two assemblies for CTA’s students to help bring their science classes to life by sharing some of his reptiles with the school through a show and tell-style presentation. This interactive assembly allowed the students to touch, smell, see, and in some cases SIT on the reptiles! Above all of the fun and jokes provided by Rick the Reptile Guy, he also was able to relay an abundance of fun facts about the reptiles he brought and reptiles in general.

Ms. Amy Burton, 4th grade teacher stated, “This is by far one of the best assemblies we have ever had at CTA! It was fun and full of excellent facts and our students were captivated for the entire time.” Rick DeRidder is employed by Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park, located in Alto, MI. Kyle Bohl, Director of Student Services, commented on Rick the Reptile Guy’s presentation when he said, “Rick’s passion is what struck me the most. If our students can be as passionate about their futures as Rick DeRidder is about his profession, our students will be able to accomplish their dreams and goals like he has!”

Rick the Reptile Guy asked that CTA come up with the name for his next reptile that will soon be staying at Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park: a 14-foot alligator! All suggestions can be given to Mr. Bohl to be entered into the contest! Once the suggestions have been tabulated the students of CTA will have a vote for the best name for the alligator!

Cheap sunglasses were the rage at this year’s Post Community Easter Egg Hunt, as almost 400 kids and parents turned out for some fun in the sun at Red Hawk Elementary Saturday. We had blue skies, bright sunshine (60-plus degrees) and lots of colorful eggs and coins that were all gone in a flash! We had 16 winners. But everyone got something, and if kids didn’t find a specially marked egg, they went home with a consolation candy cup.

A special thank you goes out to all the parents for bringing their kids out; Cedar Springs Schools for allowing use of the field; Family Fare for providing the candy for the consolation prizes and thanks to those volunteers who helped build them; Classic Kelly’s Restaurant for providing 120 dozen eggs; The Cedar Springs Rotary for cooking and coloring the eggs; Cedar Springs United Methodist Church for the use of their kitchens; the Keystone Kops and the Cedar Springs Fire Department for running the hunt; Dan Randall for his donation of coins, and use of tables; the Red Flannel Queen and Court for helping with the hunt; all the Post staff members and their spouses who helped at the hunt, and of course, The Easter Bunny! A special thank you also goes out to all those who helped sponsor the hunt with a monetary donation (click here to view).

These are some of the synthetic marijuana products recently tested by police.

Remember K2 and Spice, the products that looked like a potpourri that teens and young adults were smoking to get high? Even with state and federal laws banning it two years ago, similar products are now gaining in popularity. In recent months, deputies with the Kent County Sheriff’s Department and Grand Rapids Police Officers say they have seen an increase in sale and abuse of a synthetic, marijuana-like substance, under several new brand names. Manufacturers have found a loophole to continue to sell these items by making slight variations of the substance.

In 2010, the Michigan Legislature made it illegal to sell the chemicals found in many of these products, but slight molecular changes have put similar products back on store shelves, being marketed as potpourri. These herbal products are legally sold at a variety of retail outlets, in some smoke shops, and over the Internet. Labels mark that these products are “not for human consumption” and “not for sale to minors,” yet police say they are seeing abuse of these items, particularly by teens and young adults, who think smoking it will give them the same type of ‘high’ as marijuana.

Here in the Cedar Springs area there are several businesses that sell it. Cedar Springs Police Chief Roger Parent thinks that’s unfortunate. “It’s not my position as police chief to tell them they can’t sell it. It’s up to the individual business owners to decide. But, unfortunately, there’s a profit to be made. They can label it ‘not for human consumption,’ but they sell it as individual packets of potpourri, which you wouldn’t use that way, and sell it in flavors like bubble gum flavor. It doesn’t take much to figure out how it’s being marketed,” he explained.

Parent said they have encountered at least one underage user in possession of it, and an adult using it in his home, but they know more are using it. He said he’s also met with other chiefs in other communities, and they are seeing it, too, along with problems with bath salts.

Cathy Raevsky, Administrative Health Officer of the Kent County Health Department said she is hearing the same thing. “Kent County deputies say they are getting calls from schools and concerned parents, and police in Grand Rapids tell us they have seen 30 cases in the past month alone,” she noted. “We need parents to talk to their children about these products, and explain that these chemicals can lead to serious side effects, such as elevated heart rates, vomiting, disorientation and convulsions.”

Parent said that he also encourages his officers to talk with a parent or guardian if they find a minor in possession.

Often, tests on these products show they are just slightly modified from substances banned in 2010 by lawmakers, and police must close out the case without issuing any charges.

This shows how trash can mar the beauty of Cedar Creek. Post photo by J. Reed.

By Judy Reed

It’s that time of year again—time to get out and clean up Cedar Creek and the surrounding area!

The City of Cedar Springs will be holding their fifth annual Earth Day cleanup on Saturday, April 28. The day starts at 8 a.m. with E-waste collection behind Cedar Springs city hall. Bring all your electronic waste for disposal such as computers, monitors, keyboards, cell phones, radios, stereos, laptops, VCRs, modems, power cords, etc. This will be staffed by the Cedar Springs Rotary.

Then meet at 10 a.m. at the trail staging area on W. Maple Street (west off Main) to clean up Cedar Creek. Volunteers report to the staging area to receive their t-shirts and clean-up assignments. The first 100 registered get a free shirt. New this year is a limited number of trash picks and waders for volunteers to borrow.

There will be a city surplus auction at 1 p.m. Visit the city’s website at www.cityofcedarsprings.org for a list of items, and to download a registration form for the cleanup. Registration is not mandatory to participate, but it does help the city to pre-assign clean-up locations, and plan for the purchase of trash bags and t-shirts.

Cedar Creek is one of our greatest assets. Our town, the second village in Kent County, was established along that creek and named for both the springs that flowed from it and the Cedar trees that bordered it. It supports wildlife and flora, and is a key component of the future plans of this city. Our city will only be as beautiful as we make it.

This double tornado was one of 47 tornadoes that occurred on Palm Sunday, April 11, 1965 and affected several states in the Midwest, including Michigan. This particular tornado hit the Midway Trailer park in Indiana, killing 33 people.

April 15-21 is severe weather awareness week

Wednesday (yesterday) was the 47th anniversary of the April 11, 1965 Palm Sunday tornadoes—the second deadliest tornado outbreak in history. There were 47 tornadoes in five states, including 12 tornadoes in Michigan. The F4 that moved through Ottawa County and northern Kent County went for 21 miles, caused 142 injuries, and 5 deaths. Counting all five states, there were 271 fatalities and 1,500 were injured that day.

Following that particular tornado outbreak, the NOAA National Weather Service underwent changes to improve severe weather forecasts and warnings, including establishing the Watch and Warning Program that exists today and the weather spotter program, SKYWARN.

Next week, April 15-21, is severe weather awareness week, and the Michigan Committee for Severe Weather Awareness wants to make sure residents are prepared for possible severe weather, including tornadoes, lighting, flooding, or thunderstorm winds.

According to the National Weather Service, there were four deaths and 31 injuries in Michigan from severe weather in 2011. All of the deaths and injuries resulted from either lightning or thunderstorm winds. Flooding, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes were responsible for about $150 million in damages in 2011, down from the $360 million in damages in 2010.

In 2011, there were 15 tornadoes across the state, which is very close to the average of 16. Fortunately, only four of the 15 tornadoes in 2011 caused significant damage, and six of the 15 tornadoes didn’t cause any damage. It could be argued that prior to the proliferation of cameras over the past couple of decades that those six non-damaging tornadoes may have never been recorded.

Lightning was also an issue. A family was on a tubing outing on the Au Sable River on July 23 when a thunderstorm rapidly developed, and they attempted to exit the river and find shelter. They had just exited the river when three of the individuals were struck by lightning. Two women were pronounced dead at the scene. A man was transported to a hospital in Saginaw in critical condition. He would survive, but require a 10-day hospital stay and considerable physical therapy. The survivor had no recollection of the incident.

What should you do in case of severe weather?

When a thunderstorm warning is issued for your area, get indoors immediately and do not use the telephone or electrical appliances. Keep away from windows. Do not take shelter in sheds or under isolated trees. If you are out boating and swimming, get to land and find a sturdy shelter immediately.

A tornado warning means that a tornado has been spotted or is indicated on Doppler radar. Go immediately to the basement or a small interior room on the lowest level of a permanent structure. A good rule of thumb is to put as many walls between you and the tornado as possible. Keep away from chimneys and windows. Broken glass and wind-blown projectiles cause more injuries and deaths than collapsed buildings. Protect your head with a pillow, blanket, or mattress. Leave mobile homes and find shelter in a sturdy building.

To prepare for severe weather, the Michigan Committee for Severe Weather Awareness suggests that you:

* Plan ahead. Be sure everyone in your household knows where to go and what to do in case of severe weather. Make plans for those who may have trouble getting to shelter.

* Have emergency supplies on hand, including a battery-operated radio, a flashlight and a fresh supply of batteries.

* Know the shelter locations in public buildings, such as work, schools and shopping centers.

* Make a list of household furnishings and other items.  Take photographs of each room. Store the list and photos in safe place.

* Have an emergency communication plan.  Know how to reach family and friends if you are unable to meet at home.

* Create an emergency plan for your pets.

Click here to find out facts on tornadoes, lightning and flood safety, and tips to prepare a plan to evacuate your pet

Avoid unnecessary tree pruning, cutting 

Due to the unseasonably warmer temperatures this spring, the window for the transmission of oak wilt from diseased to healthy red oak trees has already started, the Department of Natural Resources announced today.

According to Dr. Robert Heyd, Forest Pest Management program manager for the DNR’s Forest Resources Division, oak wilt is a serious disease of oak trees – mainly red oaks, including northern red oak, black oak and pin oak – in Michigan and seven other neighboring Midwestern states. Red oaks will die within a few weeks after becoming infected, though white oaks are more resistant and the disease progresses more slowly. This year the disease risk for trees is especially high and ahead of schedule.

“The normal time-tested advice is to prevent oak wilt by not pruning or otherwise ‘injuring’ oaks from April 15 to July 15,” said Dr. Heyd. He said the spread of oak wilt occurs during this time of year as beetles move spores from fungal fruiting structures on last year’s oak wilt-killed trees to wounds on healthy oaks. Because of the warmer weather, the beetles that move oak wilt – and the oak wilt inoculum – are present in many areas.

 “Anyone who has lost trees to oak wilt knows not to cut trees from mid-April to mid-June,” Dr. Heyd explained. “But, with the warmer weather and the higher risk, the time frame has moved up much earlier. Prevention efforts – not cutting and pruning – really need to start now.”

Dr. Heyd said although oak wilt hasn’t been detected in every Michigan county, the need for vigilance is present statewide. “With the transport of firewood and other tree-related activities, you have to assume the risk is present, whether you live in metro Detroit or Menominee.”

Oak wilt has already been detected in the following counties: Alcona, Allegan, Alpena, Antrim, Barry, Benzie, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Cheboygan, Clinton, Crawford, Dickinson, Genesee, Gladwin, Grand Traverse, Iron, Kalamazoo, Kalkaska, Kent, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Manistee, Menominee, Midland, Missaukee, Monroe, Montcalm, Montmorency, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oakland, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Ottawa, Roscommon, Saginaw, Shiawassee, St. Joseph, Van Buren, Washtenaw, Wayne and Wexford.

Springtime is a popular time for people to move firewood to vacation properties and other locations. During this April-to-June period, Dr. Heyd said it’s vital not to move wood from oak wilt-killed trees. These trees are often cut into firewood and moved, sometimes many miles from their original locations. Any wounding of oaks in this new area can result in new oak wilt infections as beetles move spores from the diseased firewood to fresh wounds on otherwise healthy trees.

The DNR recommends that anyone who suspects they have oak wilt-tainted firewood should cover it with a plastic tarp all the way to the ground, leaving no openings. This keeps the beetles away and generates heat inside the tarp, helping to destroy the fungus. Once the bark loosens on the firewood, the disease can no longer be spread.

New oak wilt sites have been traced to spring and early summer wounding from tree-climbing spikes, rights-of-way pruning, nailing signs on trees, and accidental tree-barking. If an oak is wounded during this critical time, the DNR advises residents to cover the wound immediately with either a tree-wound paint or a latex paint to help keep the beetles away.

Once an oak is infected, the fungus moves to neighboring red oaks through root grafts. Oaks within approximately 100 feet of each other – depending on the size of the trees – have connected or grafted root systems. Left untreated, oak wilt will continue to move from tree to tree, progressively killing more red oak over an increasingly larger area. These untreated pockets also serve as a source of inoculum for the overland spread of the disease.

Get more information on the background, symptoms and prevention of oak wilt at  http://michigansaf.org/forestinfo/Health/E2764-OakWilt.pdf.

Aaron Brooks and Connor Mora in the 800 meter run. Photo by R. Klompstra.

The Red Hawk Varsity boys track and field team are off to an impressive start to the season, as they competed in and won two double dual meets before spring break. On March 26, they began the season at Greenville. They competed against the Yellow Jackets and Knights from Kenowa Hills. They defeated Greenville 85-52 and Kenowa Hills 76-61.

Leading the way for the Hawks was returning all-state distance runner Connor Mora. Connor led the 3200m relay team to victory with Ethan Menefee, Austin Sargent and Aaron Brooks. Mora also won the 1600m and 800m runs. Junior Aaron Dault also was impressive as he won the high jump (tie with senior Nate Jones), long jump, 110m high hurdles and 300m low hurdles. Senior and discus state qualifier Derek Ash won the shot put and discus events.

Next, the Hawks hosted their first home meet of the season versus Muskegon Mona Shores and Muskegon Oakridge. The Hawks handed Mona Shores a 99-38 defeat, while the Eagles from Oakridge were beaten 77-60.

Dault remained undefeated in both hurdle events. Mora won the 3200m relay along with the 1600m and 800m runs and the 400m dash. The 800m relay of Blake Willett, Brandon Sipka, Tyler Hindenach and Mathias Mair won a controversial race. Tyler Hindenach defeated all others in the pole vault. Derek Ash won the discus event, while senior Rylan Ash beat all others in the shot put. Finally, senior Aaron Brooks was victorious an impressive early season time in the 3200m run.

“As impressive as those four victories were, we cannot be satisfied. We will have our work cut out for us this season, our last, in the OK Blue. We have to effectively utilize our time at practice and in the weight-room if we have any hopes of retaining our two year run as conference champs. Forest Hills Northern, Sparta, West Catholic and Coopersville will each provide difficult match-ups this season,” stated Coach Myers.

The Hawks begin their conference title defense on Tuesday as they host West Catholic and Belding. They then travel to Coopersville on Saturday to compete at the annual Bronco Classic Invitational.

Beautifully colored Easter eggs—check.

Lovely grand prizes for winners—check.

Colorful candy cups for egg hunters—check.

Cuddly Easter bunny—check.

Keystone Kops—check.

Cedar Springs Fire Department—check.

Red Flannel Queen and court—check.

Cedar Springs Post staff trying to make sense out of chaos—check.

Warm, sunny weather (we hope)—check.

The only thing missing is you!

Please joins us at the Cedar Springs Post’s annual Easter egg hunt this Saturday, April 7, at 1:00 p.m. at Red Hawk Elementary, on the Cedar Springs Public Schools campus. It will feature hunts for four different ages, eggs, candy, coins and great prizes. The Cedar Springs Fire Department, Keystone Kops, Red Flannel Queen and Court, and of course, the Easter Bunny, will all be on hand to help with the festivities!

Watch next week’s Post for photos of the hunt, along with our thanks to all of our sponsors and volunteers!