It’s been a long time coming, but the Kent Theatre’s new state of the art digital projector has been installed and is ready to roll!

This weekend’s showing of “42” will be the theatre’s first movie using the new digital projector.

The projector is a top-of-the-line system and is one of the highest quality projectors running in West Michigan. Not only did they upgrade to digital projection, they also upgraded the Dolby sound system to the latest technology.

“We want to thank the community for their support in raising money for this project,” said Len Allington, President of the Cedar Springs Theatre Association.

The Kent began a fundraising drive last spring to raise $60,000 for the new digital projection system after finding out from film distributors that most movies were now going digital, and film prints would be harder to find, and possibly cease all together.

Be sure to come this weekend to see the result of everyone’s exceptional effort in the last year to save movies at the Kent!

Admission is $3. Turn to page 7 for a list of this summer’s movies.

Matthew Landry was the first to register his family for the CS Public Library’s Summer Reading Program, “Dig into Reading.”

It’s time again to register for the Cedar Springs Public Library’s Summer Reading program!

This year’s theme is “Dig into Reading.”

Opening day for the program is June 10. There will be free book bags, ice cream, and even a petting zoo to celebrate! Normal registration for this program is around 700 each year, and crowds number around 600 on opening day alone. Stop by the library at the corner of Cherry and Second St. to register. Themed T-shirts are also available to order for $10 or 2 for $15.

There are plenty of fun programs on tap this summer for all ages at the library. You won’t want to miss them! Turn to pages 6-7 for all the details.

From the Better Business Bureau

The Salvation Army released the following warning:

“We received word from one of our National Advisory Board members about a robo-call from an organization (no name given) mounting an emergency appeal for funds for tornado disaster relief in Oklahoma. The pitch included specific reference to American Red Cross and Salvation Army, with text along the lines of “The American Red Cross and The Salvation Army are on site working, and we need more funds to keep help coming.” There was an option to press 1 to donate. The call came from phone number 888-981-6499.

Please be advised that this is NOT authorized fundraising of either The Salvation Army or the American Red Cross.  We ask that you please warn your territories and/or Board Members about this scam.”

BBB Serving Western Michigan offers the following basic wise giving tips:

1. Get the Charity’s exact name. With so many charities in existence, mistaken identity is a common problem. Thousands of charities have “cancer” in their name, for example, but no connection with one another.

2. Resist pressure to give on the spot, whether from a telemarketer, door-to-door solicitor or telephone call.

3. Be wary of heart-wrenching appeals. What matters is what the charity is doing to help.

4. Press for specifics. If the charity says it’s helping the homeless, for example, ask how and where it’s working.

5. Check websites for basics. A charity’s mission, program and finances should be available on its site. If not, check for a report at www.give.org.

6. Check with state charity officials. In many states, charities are required to register, usually with the office of the attorney general, before soliciting. Check http://www.nasconet.org/documents/u-s-charity-offices/ for the relevant office in your state.

7. Don’t assume that every soliciting organization is tax exempt as a charity. You can readily check an organization’s tax status at www.irs.gov/app/eos.

info from Lake Superior State University

Justin Balczak (left) placed second in NCAA decathlon.

Lake Superior State sophomore Justin Balczak, of Cedar Springs, made another impressive showing on a national stage by placing second in the men’s decathlon at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships hosted by Colorado State University.

Balczak, who was also the heptathlon runner-up during the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships, improved upon last season’s third-place outdoor decathlon finish. Defending outdoor champion J Patrick Smith of Chico State won the 2013 decathlon title with 7,612 points, while Balczak placed second and earned All-America honors with a school-record 7,387 points. NCAA indoor champion Brent Vogel of Central Missouri State was third with 3,384 points. Saginaw Valley State’s Tyler Grob took fourth with 7,230 points.

Smith opened the competition with wins in the 100-meter dash and long jump, and finished no worse than third in five other events. Balczak’s lone victory came in his specialty, the 110-meter hurdles, where he clocked a :14.34.

During Thursday’s opening day of competition, Balczak placed 11th in the 100-meter dash (:11.21), second in the long jump (7.23 meters) and shot put (13.37 meters), third in the high jump (1.96 meters), and sixth in the 400-meter dash (:49.80). On Friday, after winning the hurdles, he was 12th in the discus throw (33.84 meters), fifth in the pole vault (4.40 meters) and javelin throw (54.61 meters), and seventh in the 1,500-meter run (4:59.41).

Also on Friday, Balczak finished 15th in the 110-meter hurdles individual race with a time of 0:14.27.

Balczak is a 2011 graduate of Cedar Springs High School. While in high school, he was a state champion in the 110m high hurdles and broke school records in the high hurdles, 300m low hurdles, and the 800m relay. He is the son of Mark and Ann Balczak of Cedar Springs.

The Michigan State Police in Lakeview are investigating the drowning of a Pierson man.

Troopers responded to Muskellunge Lake, in Maple Valley Township, about 11:41 p.m. Wednesday evening, May 22, for a missing fisherman. They located Michael Lee White, 52, of Pierson, in the water, near his boat, at the northeast end of the lake. They believe he died of an accidental drowning.

The Michigan State Police were assisted by the Montcalm County Sheriff’s Office, Montcalm EMS, and a local resident. The accident is still under investigation.

Memorial Day is a day to remember and honor those that gave their lives while defending our country. It’s also a day to remember all those that have served and are now deceased. Inside this issue are the names of veterans buried in area cemeteries, and we honor them with this issue of The Cedar Springs Post, click here to download. If you know of a veteran’s name that is missing from the list, please let us know and we’ll add them for next year.

There will be several memorial activities and ceremonies taking place this weekend that residents are encouraged to take part in:

The Cedar Springs Historical Society will hold its 13th annual Memorial Cemetery Walk on Sunday, May 26, at 2pm to honor veterans of all wars. This year’s veterans will be Cyrus Fleck, Civil War; Charles Davis, Spanish American War; Royal Kent, WWI; Charles Crites, WWII; Dwight Shier, Korea; LaVern “Bill” Avery, Vietnam. Biographical and historical information will be presented at each gravesite. We will leave the museum at 1:30pm and return there for refreshments. If it rains, the event will be held in the museum. In case of severe weather warnings, the event will be canceled.

The American Legion Glen Hill Post #287 in Cedar Springs will hold their annual Memorial Day program on May 27, with 5th District Senior Vice-Commander Rex Lambert as guest speaker. They will be at Elmwood Cemetery at 9 a.m., Solon Cemetery at 10 a.m., East Nelson Cemetery at 10:45 a.m., and Veterans Memorial Park, (corner of Main and Oak in Cedar Springs) at 11:30 a.m. In case of bad weather, services will be held only in the American Legion Hall at 9 a.m. The Cedar Springs High School Marching Band will also do several songs.

The Sand Lake/Cedar Springs Tri-Corner Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #7912 will have ceremonies on Monday, May 27. They will be at the VFW Post in Sand Lake at 10:30 a.m., and will then be at Pierson Cemetery at 11 a.m. The Tri County Marching Band will also be on hand.

Algoma Township will hold their service on Monday, May 27, at their Veteran’s Memorial Park at the Algoma Township Cemetery at 10515 Grange Ave., at 1:00 p.m. The service will include the VFW Post 3946, 3rd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Co. F reenactment group, Algoma Baptist Church Choir, and other participants. The service will honor the second and final list of Algoma Township’s Civil War Veterans, in keeping with the Civil War anniversary theme. The 3rd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Co. F—reenactment Civil War Soldiers will participate and a walking tour will be held in the cemetery of the Civil War Soldier’s gravesites following the ceremony. Refreshments will be served after the ceremony by the Algoma Township Historical Society.

Photo from WOODTV.com.

A Cedar Springs teen was sent to the hospital with critical injuries last Thursday afternoon, after he failed to stop at a stop sign and was broadsided by a road commission dump truck.

According to the Kent County Sheriffs Department, Lee Brandt Tompkins, 18, of Spencer Township, was traveling east on 14 Mile Road, about 2:39 p.m., in a 2001 Chevy Malibu, when he failed to stop at the stop sign at Pine Island Drive. A fully-loaded Kent County Road Commission dump truck was traveling northbound on Pine Island Drive at the time, and not required to stop.

The Road Commission truck hit the brakes, but struck the car broadside on the passenger side, then went off the road to the right, over a ditch, through a yard, and into a house. The car was pushed up the road and into a ditch on the west side of the road.

Tompkins was taken to Butterworth by Aero Med with critical injuries. The Road Commission driver, Steven Mark Blossom, 60, of Grant, suffered minor scrapes on both arms and top of head. He was not transported to the hospital.

Both drivers were wearing their seatbelts, and alcohol was not a factor in the accident.

A long line of motorcycles made their way into Cedar Springs Saturday to honor fallen heroes. Photo courtesy of Pam Bradfield.

The John Voshel Jr. Memorial Ride for fallen police officers, fire fighters and veterans made a stop in Cedar Springs Saturday, May 18.

The ride, organized by “We the People Giving Back,” started at the Grand Rapids Home for the Veterans, then made its way to Cedar Springs and stopped at the American Legion Hall for a presentation, before traveling on to Greenville.

“We honored three Gold star families, three Purple Heart vets, eight fallen officers, four patriots, and did a random act of kindness drive by in Lakeview for cystic fibrosis,” said Pam Bradfield, a member of the group. “We were also able to surprise a Purple Heart vet with a new riding mower.”

She said there were about 200-250 bikes that took part in the ride.

Michigan State Trooper Kevin Marshall was honored for his service. He was killed on Monday, July 7, 2003, in Fremont. Photo courtesy of Pam Bradfield

Two hundred-plus motorcycles took part in the memorial ride last Saturday. Photo courtesy of Pam Bradfield

The Cedar Springs Post got to go on its very first senior class trip last week! The 2013 Creative Technologies senior class took the Post with them when they went to Frankenmuth, Michigan, on May 16 and 17. Thanks for taking us with you!

If you are traveling, take along a Post and snap a photo of you with it, then email it to us with some info and your contact info to news@cedarspringspost.com.

A 59-year-old Ada man died earlier this week after his motorcycle collided with a car in Newaygo County.

According to the Newaygo County Sheriff Department, the crash occurred in Croton Township, on Elm Ave., south of M-82, just before 6 p.m. Herbert Rammond Burgnon, 59, was driving his motorcycle and collided with a vehicle that was turning into a driveway. That vehicle was driven by a 30-year-old female.

Burgnon was transported to Butterworth Hospital with critical injuries, where he later died. Croton Twp. Fire and Life E.M.S. assisted at the scene.

Police said Burgnon was not wearing a helmet. Police determined that alcohol was a factor in the crash.