The Villagers of Sand Lake are in a situation that could have been avoided had petitioners brought their concerns to the Village Council first. Because the petitioners failed to do this, we have to decide to remain incorporated or to disincorporate, without having a chance to find out what it will truly mean to us.

Many people who signed the petition were deceived and wanted to have their signatures taken off the petition. Some people who signed have grievances over their assessments, taxes, sewer, water, police, ordinances, or don’t want to be told what to do by anyone.

If we disincorporate, the Nelson Township Board will represent us, and they won’t advocate for us. I’ve heard they don’t want to take us on. We need to preserve our local government, our “voice”, and community. Information about what will happen is speculative, confusing, misleading, and has been “spun” to support petitioners’ personal agendas.

I want true and accurate information. Some things we don’t and won’t know unless we enter into disincorporation, including how long it will take – maybe two years? It will mean that many valued services to Villagers will be changed to reflect Nelson Township’s plan for us. Nelson Township will become our governing body, and the taxes we pay will be spent according to the priorities set by the township – not our Village.

If we’re disincorporated, there will no longer be a council or committees to plan specifically for Sand Lake Village’s future. Legal fees for the disincorporation will have to be paid  for directly to the township. The road debt of 3.95 mills will have to be paid through a special assessment or debt retirement millage, if the township decides to pay it off sooner. The same applies to our water well debt.

Operation of our sewer and water system will be more expensive. Response time to sewer/water emergencies and storm damage clean up will be slower. Availability and access to police, fire, and rescue services will change. Kent County Sheriff’s Deputies will provide all police coverage with no time to patrol regularly, watch speeding, or handle other problems and crimes that occur here. There’s no plan as to how fire and rescue coverage would work or whether our fire station will even be occupied and operating.

Our Village Cemetery, Salisbury Park, the White Pine Trail Park, summer mowing, brush and leaf pick up, plowing and snow removal, and any other services our current DPW provides will be discontinued, scaled back, contracted out, or we’ll have to pay for these services ourselves instead.

I think that our Incorporated Village of Sand Lake gives us all a greater “voice” in getting our local needs, wants, and concerns met. Petitioners never gave the Villagers the opportunity to find out what disincorporation will truly mean to us all in the future. Once we disincorporate, it will be virtually impossible to go back.

I don’t think the Ridgeways get it. It isn’t just about the money they claim the Village residents will save, but I can see why they would jump on that issue. Because it helps them the most! Look at the size of the brand new house and pool they built. It’s one of the nicest houses in the Village, but if they are suddenly shocked at how high their taxes are then that’s bad planning on their part. Why should the rest of the Village give up vital services that they depend on? Don’t be a minion of the Ridgeways and help them get lower taxes. And please don’t be selfish and vote yes just because you are against the police department, or the Village made you clean up your yard. Ask yourself if you would be gaining anything and how many things you would be losing if you voted yes. If you don’t get the small town mentality, move out of the village. You’d be getting exactly what you wanted, lower taxes and fewer services.

First, the petition itself was full of inaccurate statements (services would go to the Township; taxes would go away). Mrs. Ridgeway’s own statement that people were practically ripping the petition out of her hand is just as questionable. Going by the number of “Vote NO!” signs in the Village, I am not sure how much support she really had. Why would people go on record in the Post (December 24, 2009) saying they wished they hadn’t signed once they learned the truth?

Another idea to save money is to get rid of the DPW. By their logic, if the water system needed repairs, then they would hire someone. Why should we do away with the current DPW and hope everything runs smoothly? Who would take care of the pump system, the fire hydrants, and make sure the water tower was full during power outages so the village had water? Do you think Kent County would go door to door to let people know about a contamination in the water tower and then handing out free water?

Do you want to shovel the sidewalk in front of your house, have to plow your own street or hire someone who is going to charge more? Those who support eliminating the Village want you to. Kent County Road Commission has already said they won’t plow the side streets.

As former Nelson Township Supervisor, I can truthfully tell you that if you dissolve the Village, it is an impossibility that the township can fund the village maintenance services that you now possess. More funding is required for additional village services.

If you subtract the millage you approved for paving (3.9500), your total homestead millage is not that much more than the villages of Kent City or Casnovia, and not as much as Sparta Village or the City of Cedar Springs.

Cuts in State Revenue Sharing have placed a burden on all state municipalities and has caused considerable belt-tightening. Many cities, townships and villages are making drastic cuts and certainly cannot fund any new projects. Your general maintenance, sewer and water, park and cemetery, are all budget centers for which the township does not have funding. And you can’t expect the township to pass a millage to provide those services.

How many of you have attended village council meetings and are aware of how your money is spent?  Did you or did you not vote on the paving millage? Disincorporation is not the answer. Being aware of, and involved in, your government actions is the answer.

If you choose to disincorporate, one thing is certain—there will be major attorney fees for both the village and the township and, to tell the truth, not even the lawyers can be certain what will take place.

All about the amenities

Amenities, amenities, amenities! This is what you hear from the “Keep Sand Lake” committee. These amenities are great, for some. Not everyone in Sand Lake gets the amenities this group is all about. Not fair!

If you don’t have an alley, no extra plowing! If you don’t have leaves no leaf pick-up! No sidewalk or your sidewalk is not in the right area, no plowing. Do you get a tax break because you don’t get these services?

This committee keeps harping on these amenities! These amenities are expensive! 10+ mills too expensive!

As voters get ready to vote, please remember, at a time when we are all tightening our belts, when people are losing income, are these services worth the extra money? As Americans, we have learned to endure, give up extras we don’t need, move on to a better way. Sand Lake residents cannot afford a budget of $545,000 – $555,000! Do you realize this board spends about $1,800 per resident?

In addition, during these tough times our village council was able to purchase a truck for the DPW, paying cash! Did we really need a newer truck? Where did this money come from? Couldn’t this money have been used to pay down a debt? Lighten the tax load? Fix the leaking roof?

At the last election only 24 voters voted. Shouldn’t that tell you we don’t need this government? These 7 board members think they have Sand Lake residents’ good in mind. Do they?

Respectfully

Toni Bush, Sand Lake

Dear Editor,

What a great opportunity to wish you, and Lois, and all of your great staff at the POST a very happy 22nd birthday! As I sit and let memories of the last nine years run through my mind, so many of those memories are headlines from the POST. I see Lois standing out in the corn patch peeking out at the camera! I see a fall arial color tour and wonder at the beauty of Cedar Springs. I see thousands dressed in red on a certain Saturday in October. I see nine years of library campaigns from Summer Reading Programs, First Grade Library Card Roundups, and weekly Story Times. I see my daughter’s name on the Honor Roll, odds and ends for sale, births and passings of friends, joys, sorrows, tips and Roger’s funny quips. Our lives are defined by these hometown happenings. Thank you for documenting them for us! I wish you a very happy birthday and hope you will have many, many more!

One of your many fans,

Donna Clark of Cedar Springs

Dear Editor:

In recent years, Sand Lake has seen a book store, crystal shop, hair salon, veterinary, accounting, and tree services come into town, and some businesses that transferred ownership seem to be doing well. We’ve seen money spent on business and home improvements. We’ve also seen foreclosed homes sold, renovated, and resold or rented. Who would move to Sand Lake with our millage? The petitioners did. I can’t think of any Villagers who were born in, lived in, and have continued to live their entire adult lives in the same house for generations. Sand Lake residents have all moved into Sand Lake at one time or another. Some have purchased more than one home here.

Village fire and rescue operations are vital. Will Nelson Township assume all Village operational, insurance, and building utility costs for these operations? If someone else operates fire and rescue, Villagers will have to pay whatever they charge.

Sheriff’s Deputies police 8 Townships. They’re not here 40 hours a week. Sand Lake Police wrote 93 tickets for 133 different traffic offenses, have given 235 speeding warnings, and reported 108 incidents/complaints from January to mid-July. That’s 529 situations Deputies didn’t cover.

The $48,000 State revenue that would transfer to Nelson Township is an estimate, stated clearly on the State website, along with bold red type that says, “Acutual payments will differ from these estimates if the economy experiences a further slowdown.” The Township and Village received reduced revenue in past years. Nelson Township’s receiving that revenue doesn’t mean it will be spent on Sand Lake. The Township decides where that money’s spent. The same applies to cell phone antennae revenue. The cellular companies could possibly re-negotiate the discontinued contracts for lower rates, and there will still be legal fees to change those contracts.

The Road Commission has reduced services county-wide. We pay County taxes for reduced services. What happens when they run out of salt or run over budget? What about hte areas that they won’t plow? One local estimate we received from a local , licensed contractor for downtown snow removal is $790.00 for each plowing for the business district street fronts, municipal lot, and library. That doesn’t include business and residential alleyways. Who will pay this?

Nelson Township’s budget should be low for a township that splits all Village/Township building costs, has no police, fire, rescue, or public works departments, no township sewer or water, nor any associated costs for all these. Townships that have these amenities have higher budgets, higher millages, and user fees to go along with them. All five Kent County villages are smaller in size and population than Nelson Township (pop. 4,192 – 2000 census). Sparta is close – pop. 4,159 – 2000 census. Except for Casnovia, the rest have higher budgets than Nelson Township. All five, including Casnovia, have more services for their residents than Nelson Township.

Sincerely,

Dave Dewey

Welcome to the Village of Sand Lake:

It was founded in 1869 and became Incorporated in January 1879. The first annual meeting was held in March 1879. One of the first acts of the council was to equip a wagon with axes, buckets, and ladders in preparation for a call to fight fires. The Township can not guarantee us a Fire Department and if, that’s IF we get one they cannot guarantee our taxes won’t go up. It’s possible that Ensley Fire Dept. and Pierson could go out on their own, so there is no money from them. That was said at a Nelson Township Board meeting in June, questions were asked and they could not answer, because they are not sure.

Homes that are foreclosed are not just because of taxes. People have lost jobs and can’t afford payments or have had to move to find jobs and have just left houses. How many have even moved out of state to find jobs? It’s not just taxes! Take your taxes and divide it by 365. Just say you pay $1,00 a year in taxes which is high, and divide it by 365, you pay only $2.74 a day. You receive 24-7 on call service, besides all the other services you receive. If you are not sure of all your services – stop in the Village Office. If you really want the TRUTH about where our money is spent – stop in the Village Office.

What President, Governor, or any other government position promises us if we vote for them we’ll have less taxes? All, but we still pay same or more taxes. So, why do we think the Village of Sand Lake will pay less taxes? Everything will be a Special Assessment and we’ll be paying for it.

I don’t want to see tumble weeds going down Main Street.

Vote NO on August 3.

Marcia Helton

Village Taxpayer/Village Resident and proud of it

Putting the blame

What’s wrong with the government anyway, getting our seasons all mixed up? Why didn’t Mr. Obama give us global warming last January when we wanted it? If the President were doing his job right, we’d get 15 or 20 degrees higher in the winter and maybe 10 lower in the summer. Governor Granholm deserves her share of the blame. I don’t think these expectations are unreasonable.

Picnic

Don’t want to drive a long way for a picnic?  Right here in Rockford and Cedar Springs we have plenty of places close to home. Rockford has picnic facilities in Sowerby Park, Rotary Park, Trestle Park, and right downtown by the river. Cedar has Morley Park with picnic facilities. Gordon Park is just up the road to Sand Lake. There’s Riggle Park and North Park and the new Veteran’s Memorial Park on Main Street.

You could buy a take-out lunch and walk to some of these picnic spots.

Perfect!

A woman was reporting her car as stolen and mentioned that there was a car phone in it. The policeman taking the report called the phone number and told the guy who answered that he had read the ad in the newspaper and wanted to buy the car. They arranged to meet. The thief was arrested.

Don’t you love it?  (Thanks, Michelle)

Adult education

The minister was passing a group of young teens sitting on the church lawn and stopped to ask what they were doing.

“Nothing much, Pastor,” replied one boy. “We were just seeing who can tell the biggest lie about their love life.”

“Boys, boys, boys!” scolded the pastor. “I am shocked. When I was your age, I never even thought about sex.”

In unison they all replied, “You win!”

Pet Care

If you want your doggie to have a clean coat that’s conditioned and smells good, you may try “Buddy Wash.”  It’s a product to make your pet’s coat as nice as your own skin. And, best of all, “All Cloud Star products are never tested on animals.”

Gee, that’s great! Are they tested on humans? Wouldn’t this be a good time to just give it a try on a dog?  Thanks to Consumer Reports for bringing this to our attention.

Career path

There was once a young man who, in his youth, professed his desire to become a great writer.

When asked to define great, he said, “I want to write stuff that the whole world will read, stuff that people will react to on a truly emotional level, stuff that will make them scream, cry, and howl in pain and anger!”

He now works for Microsoft, writing error messages.

Vote yes on village disincorporation

Hear-Ye Hear-Ye: To Vote Yes or to vote No, that is the question to Sand Lake Voters!

When this country was just beginning there was many people that used scare tactic, rumors and out-and-out lies to stop the separation from British Rule. They didn’t believe we could survive without the King’s guidance or power. Everyone was used to the King’s Rule and didn’t question it. Things seemed good. Affluent, rich people were some of the most steadfast supporters to keep the Kings Rule. Some of the rich people were not concerned, nor did they care, about how much the less fortunate people were paying in taxes.

But things changed, all because the people started to listen to radicals that said there is a better way. The radicals said that government should be “Of the People and For the People.” The radicals showed how the King charged high taxes and high prices for the few services they provided.  These radicals went on to show the people they could retain their identity, make their community better, and doing all of this just by changing to a different government system. The radicals became known as patriots. These patriots forged forward to help the people find the right kind of government and the right amount of government so that the people and businesses could flourish and be economically strong.  With a healthy flourishing community and a strong economic base, only then, can the people get many services at a low price.

Sand Lake does not have a Healthy flourishing community. Many people here are struggling to make ends meet. They hang on as if they had just put one of the few remaining pieces of coal on the fire. The foreclosure rates here are among the highest, per capita, in the state. Businesses come and go because this is a weak economic town. The taxes are like a dagger lodged in the hearts and wallets of the businesses and the people.  This town will never recover with such high taxes.

So, what is the local government doing? They continue to spend, spend, spend. Then, just like the Kings, they sent their white-haired lawyers. And, from their fortress, they spent our money to prevent us from voting. They have caused the spending of over $35,000 dollars of your money to prevent a change in the King’s Court.   Luckily, we no longer have a King’s court and the judge proclaimed “Let the People VOTE.”.

The village Council is costing us a King’s ransom. We do not need this branch of government. That sounds pretty radical doesn’t it? Or, does it sound very patriotic?

The Township has proven to be more efficient. They do the job with two less council members. They have a budget less than the village. They take care of thousands instead of just a few hundred. The Township takes care of 36 square miles and the village only looks over less than one square mile. The Township has said they would take over responsibilities from the village.

What would the people that made this town good, say? People that have worked hard to better Sand Lake know that hard choices need to be made? Good and just people (patriots) look at both sides of an issue and, no matter how hard the choice, they vote for the good of all the people.

We all know that it doesn’t take a high-taxing government to do good things, it just takes good people.

If we make the hard choice, the courageous-patriotic choice of yes to get rid of the high taxes, we will be on our way to making Sand Lake a healthier and a more prosperous village.

We will still have the Township there supporting us and it won’t cost us an arm and a leg.

Ridge Ridgeway, Sand Lake

A letter to the lady that
almost hit me

Dear 40ish blonde-haired lady driving a white older model Chevy Blazer with a U of M license plate and a Red Hawk sticker on the lower left back window:
On Wednesday afternoon (June 30) at around 4:30-5:00, at the corner of Courtland Drive and 11 Mile Road, you almost hit me as you coasted through the stop sign. Do you realize you came about 2 inches from hitting me on my bike? Do you realize you ran a stop sign? Coasting through a stop sign does not constitute a stop. I know you were in a hurry, but was being in a hurry worth almost hitting me? If you had hit me, would you have kept on going to whatever it is that made you disregard the stop sign or would you have finally stopped? Today I got lucky when you missed me. Next time slow down, stop for stop signs and, most importantly, watch out for the bicycles. We legally do have the right to ride on the road.
One last thought. In Kent County, they now throw people in jail who kill others in motor vehicle accidents. I’m sure I would have lost the battle of bike against Chevy Blazer. Was your hurry worth jail time?

Sincerely,
Phyllis Norman-McIntyre
Courtland Township