Once again the community of Cedar Springs and the surrounding area has amazed me by the generosity shown at every turn. On Friday, February 7, Solon Township’s Velzy Park had their fifth annual spaghetti dinner and dessert auction. Upwards of 70 people showed up to support the park. The dinner and dessert auction combined netted the park over $2,100 towards playground equipment. 

Many people participated through planning, volunteering, donating and attending. I’ve seen the same support again and again in many areas of the community. This is an awesome place to live! Thank you.

Vicky Babcock, Solon Township

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Days are getting longer, love is in the air and Punxsutawney Phil will soon be announcing his predictions for Spring.  It’s that time of year again! Grab your sweeties (and family and friends) and shake off the winter blues at Solon Township’s Valentine/family themed event. The Fifth Annual Spaghetti Dinner/Dessert Auction will be held Friday, February 7, at Solon Township’s hall, 15185 Algoma Ave.  Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at six.  Monique Doolittle will be entertaining the crowd once again with her unique style and charm. The popular dessert auction, always competitive and lively, will follow with Joe Watson as auctioneer.

Proceeds will go to further fund Velzy Park’s construction. While construction is on hold for the winter, it will resume as soon as weather permits. Current projects include finishing the restroom and construction of the playground. 

Tickets for the dinner can be purchased at the Township Hall Monday through Wednesday or from any park committee member. Additional tickets will likely be available at the door. For more information or to volunteer for the event, check out Solon Township’s Velzy Park on Facebook or call 696-1718 or 696-4227.  Desserts can be dropped off at the hall the week of the event.  Be sure to bring your appetite! 

With Memorial Day behind us, summer can’t be too far behind.  The signs are all around us! The orioles, the humming birds and the swallows have all returned and are busy building their nests. The frogs are singing, many flowers are in full bloom and free summer concerts begin at Solon’s Velzy Park only a week from today. 

Rhythm Masters will be performing live at Velzy Park, 15185 Algoma Ave. on Thursday, June 13, from 7-9 p.m. Bring  lawn chairs, grab the kids and enjoy the energizing music of this acoustic band! The park will be hosting concerts during the months of June, July and August on the second Thursday of each month. For more information or to volunteer or make contributions, contact the township at 696-1718. All donations go towards the development of Velzy Park. We hope to see you there!

Looking for a way to beat the winter blues? Want to treat your honey to a home-cooked meal? Grab your sweetheart, bring your family and join us Saturday, February 9, as Velzy Park hosts its fourth annual spaghetti dinner and dessert auction. 

The popular event features live music from Monique’s Quality Entertainment, a 50-50 raffle, a quality in-house cooked meal and, as ever, the highly competitive dessert auction, featuring some of our local ladies’ most prized recipes, as well as donations from area restaurants. Joe Watson is again lending his talents to the auction with his lively style and wit.  

The fundraiser marks the continuing efforts of Solon Township’s Velzy Park Committee to raise money for construction of the park, an on-going project. A matching fund drive late last year made it possible for the township to begin plans to build a public restroom, which should be completed in the spring or summer of 2019. Construction of a playground will complete phase one of the project. The plan is to complete that this year as well. 

Velzy Park currently offers a community walking trail, gazebo and picnic area. Future plans include a soccer field, baseball diamond and pavilion. 

The event takes place in Solon Township’s community room at 15185 Algoma Avenue. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.with dinner at 6:00 p.m.  The dessert auction follows. Limited tickets can be purchased at the door or from committee members for $10 each or $18 a pair. For questions, please call 616-696-4227 or check out Solon Township’s Velzy Park on facebook.  

Velzy Park, in Solon Township, is slated to build a restroom in the spring or summer of 2019 thanks to the successful completion of a $50,000 matching grant. The Park Committee worked diligently to acquire the funds needed by the October 31^st deadline. The goal was obtained with only minutes to spare before the close of business that day.

The grant came from an anonymous donor. The park committee raised $25,000 and it was matched by the donor.

“The credit really goes to area citizens and businesses who generously stepped forward with donations and fundraisers to help bring this project to fruition,” stated Hal Babcock, park committee member and co-coordinator of the matching grant. “The completion of the restroom and playground (also slated for 2019) will complete Phase One of the park’s Master Plan and become an important element to the North Country Trail.”

The North Country Trail is a public walking and hiking trail stretching approximately 4,600 miles from Crown Point in eastern New York to Lake Sakakawea State Park in central North Dakota. Future plans include running the trail from Cedar Springs through Velzy Park and the State Game area.

Additional plans for the park, located at 15185 Algoma Ave. behind Solon Township Hall, include a soccer field, baseball diamond and pavilion. The park has primarily been funded through donations and fundraising efforts. The next fundraising event will be the annual Spaghetti Dinner and Dessert Auction taking place on February 9, 2019. Free concerts are scheduled for the summer as well. As the park progresses, there will be many opportunities for volunteers to contribute time and labor to maintain a clean and attractive environment.

For more information or to volunteer please contact Mary Lou at 616-696-1718 or Hal at 616-696-4227. Check out the facebook page, Solon Township’s Velzy Park for events.

Solon Township’s Velzy Park Committee received some exciting news recently. The committee, under the direction of Solon Township, has been attempting to raise funds to complete Phase One of Velzy Park, which includes a playground and restroom facility. The park is located behind the Township office at 15185 Algoma Ave.

Recognizing the need, a Solon Township family has pledged $25,000 as a matching grant in an effort to finance the restroom. The planned structure is slated to be a 3-season unisex unit, which will be open to the public during park hours. In order to fully utilize the grant, the committee will need to acquire an additional $25,000 in donations. They are planning various fundraisers and looking into creating a gofundme page in an effort to match the grant.

The committee is asking for your help. Timing is limited, as the window for the matching grant closes on October 31, 2018.  If you would like to make a contribution, or to volunteer at events, please call the Solon Township office at 696-1718. Watch our facebook page or the Post for upcoming events.

Bits of cardboard can be seen floating in the air as smoke and flames encompass the area. Photo by Craig Carter.

The fire burned a path behind area homes along Quarterhorse Drive. Photo by Kim Lemke.

By Judy Reed

A brush fire went out of control Monday afternoon and threatened neighboring homes in Solon Township.

According to Deputy Fire Chief Chris Paige, they got the call about 4:22 p.m. Monday afternoon, March 5, that there was an out of control brush fire at Algoma and Quarterhorse Drive. 

“It was started by a person burning cardboard and the wind picked it up and took into the field,” he explained. 

He said that on arrival, about a quarter acre was burning, but with the wind and dry conditions, it spread to a half acre in about 1-1/2 minutes. 

“The wind played a big factor. When it took off, we had a hard time getting ahead of it,” said Paige.

The blackened field along Quarterhorse Drive after the fire was out. Post photo by J. Reed.

It spread westward along Quarterhorse Drive, burning two empty lots, going behind two homes, and then 2-3 more lots. It also crossed the fence and began to burn a little of the Solon Township’s Velzy Park. Paige said it burned about 3-4 acres in total.

The only damage was to a vinyl fence, and some heat damage to some phone pedestals.

The person burning did not have a burn permit. Paige said that with the dry vegetation and high wind conditions, they shouldn’t have been burning. Anyone with an outside fire 4×4-feet or larger needs to call the fire station to get a burn permit. 

Algoma Fire also assisted at the scene.

Bits of cardboard can be seen floating in the air as smoke and flames encompass the area. Photo by Craig Carter.

Those attending the Velzy Park fundraiser dinner had a fun night out despite the weather. Photo from Solon Township Facebook page.

Winters’s stormy weather didn’t keep the community from coming together for Velzy Park’s third annual Spaghetti Dinner and Dessert Auction last Friday, February 9.  

Desserts and other items were part of a silent auction to raise funds for Velzy Park in Solon Township. Photo from Solon Township Facebook page.

The popular fundraiser attracted a crowd of Park supporters, pasta lovers and sweet seekers vying for the choicest desserts. Joe Watson called the auction, rousing the crowd to enthusiastic bidding for the sweets and raising $430.00 towards the park. The fundraiser netted over $1400.00 for continuing construction of the park.  

Guests were treated to live vocals from Monique’s Quality Entertainment as well. It had all the elements of a successful evening. For a few hours folks were able to ignore winter’s ravages and bask in the warmth and glow of camaraderie and friendship. It gave us the opportunity to thumb our noses at the weather with a nod to St. Valentine.

The dinner was made possible through the combined efforts of a host of volunteers, from the young servers from Creative Technologies Academy to the people and businesses who donated desserts, talent and time, to the Park Committee, to the community who graciously came to help celebrate a common dream. 

Phase One of the park continues with a restroom and playground slated for the near future.  Donations can be made to Solon Township Velzy Park and sent to Solon Township Office, 15185 Algoma Ave., Cedar Springs, 49319. Please check Solon Township’s Velzy Park facebook page for future events or to volunteer in their efforts or call the township at 696-1718.

Lightning Bugs: Middle School students Anna Grdjan, Jayda Schreiber, Ana VanHarten and Morgan Vogler.

On Feb. 10, four representatives from CTA’s Lightning Bugs (formally Girl Talk, currently in its fourth year), volunteered at Solon Township Hall for the Annual Spaghetti Dinner. The girls: Ana VanHarten (6 th Grade), Jayda Schreiber (6 th Grade), Morgan Vogler (6 th Grade), and Anna Grdjan (7 th Grade), along with teacher leader, Ms. Liscombe, helped set up for the event, serve food, pass out baked goods for the dessert auction, and clean up afterward. “The girls had a great time serving the community and cannot wait to help out again next year,” shared Liscombe. All money raised goes towards the development of Velzy Park.

Grab your sweetheart, bring your family and join us tomorrow, February 9, as Velzy Park hosts its third annual spaghetti dinner and dessert auction. The popular event features live music from Monique’s Quality Entertainment, a 50-50 raffle, a quality in-house cooked meal and, as ever, the highly competitive dessert auction, featuring some of our local ladies most prized recipes, as well as donations from area restaurants.  Joe Watson is again lending his talents to the auction with his lively style and wit.  

The fundraiser marks the continuing efforts of Solon Township’s Velzy Park Committee to raise money for construction of Phase One of the park, which includes a restroom and playground. Velzy Park currently offers a community walking trail, gazebo and picnic area. 

The event takes place in Solon’s community room at 15185 Algoma Avenue. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with dinner slated at 6:00 PM. The dessert auction follows. Tickets can be purchased at the door or from committee members for $10 each or $18 a pair. For questions, please call 616-696-4227.  

Hometown Happenings articles are a community service for non-profit agencies only. Due to popular demand for placement in this section, we can no longer run all articles. Deadline for articles is Monday at 5 p.m. This is not guaranteed space. Articles will run as space allows. Guaranteed placement is $10, certain restrictions may apply. You now can email your Hometown Happenings to happenings@cedarspringspost.com please include name and phone number for any questions we may have.

Explore MCC’s Kenneth J. Lehman Nature Trails

Montcalm Community College’s Kenneth J. Lehman Nature Trails are open to the public from dawn until dusk, 365 days a year. There is no charge to visit these beautiful trails winding through forests, grasslands and wetlands. More than four miles of trails are marked with numbered trail posts and maps are available at most major trail heads. For more information, please email naturetrails@montcalm.edu or call MCC Biology Instructor Heather Wesp 989-328-1270. #49

Velzy Park Fundraiser

Dec. 7: Finish your Christmas shopping with appetizing gifts in useful containers, and help raise funds for Velzy Park at the same time! You are invited to enjoy this opportunity with a demonstration of unique gift giving ideas on Thursday, December 7th at 7:00pm at the Solon Township Hall, 15185 Algoma Avenue, Cedar Springs. #48,49b

2^nd Chance Christmas Tree Fundraiser

Dec. 7-10: Support 2nd Chance School by purchasing a beautiful fresh Christmas Tree. Christmas trees will be available for sale, Thursday and Friday 4-8 pm, Saturday 1-8 pm, Sunday noon-5 pm, at 2nd Chance School, 810 17 Mile Road Cedar Springs (corner of 17 Mile Road and Olin Lakes Road, 4 miles west of 131).  We have scotch pine, blue spruce, black hills spruce, and balsam fir. Sizes are 3’ – 10’ tall. There are also a few 24” Frasier Fir decorated wreaths for sale. Support 2nd Chance by purchasing a Christmas tree. The school is in the building stage, which when completed, will teach troubled teens through God and the horse. If you have questions, call 293-2150. #48,49b

Christmas Concert and Dance Extravaganza

Dec. 9,10: Join an annual Christmas tradition of watching local talent perform at Kent Theatre, 8 N. Main St., Cedar Springs! Saturday, December 9^th  will be the Christmas Concert from 3 to 5 pm. Bring the whole family for a fun night out listening to holiday songs.  On December 10^th the Annual Dance Extravaganza will start at 3 pm. Enjoy an evening of watching an amazing dance concert featuring 3 local dance schools.  Admission is only $3 per person for either event. Check out the Cedar Springs Area Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook for more information and performance lineup. #48,49b

Adore…A Musical Celebration

Dec. 10: Join Solon Center Wesleyan Church for a special morning full of a variety of Christmas music including performances by the worship team, the children of the church, and a special Christmas ensemble. The service will be held @ 10 am on Sunday, December 10th. The church is located at 15671 Algoma Avenue, just north of 19 Mile Road. For questions please call 616-696-3229 or find us on the web @ www.scwchurch.org. #48,49b

Praise the Lord at Cowboy Church and Christmas Potluck

Dec. 10: 2nd Chance will be having Cowboy Church on Sunday, December 10^th. A Christmas Potluck will be at 5:00 pm and Cowboy Church following at 6:00 pm which will be a Christmas Hymn Sing with familiar Christmas songs everyone can join in and sing along with. It will take place at 2nd Chance School at 810 17 Mile Road, Cedar Springs, MI (corner of 17 Mile Road and Olin Lakes Road). Invite your family and friends. Cowboy Church will be every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month . There will NOT be Cowboy Church on Sunday, December 24^th, Christmas Eve. Each Service will have different people sharing God’s word and music. Cowboy Church will introduce you to 2nd Chance and its vision. The school is in the building stage, which when completed, will teach troubled teens through God and the horse. If you have questions, call 293-2150.  See you there! #49

Ready for Reindeer!

Dec. 14: Traveling all the way from the North Pole (via Rooftop Landing Reindeer Farms), live reindeer will be visiting the library. Dress warmly and don’t forget the camera! Thursday, December 14 at 6:30 pm, Spencer Township Branch, 14960 Meddler Ave., Gowen. #49

Cookie Walk

Dec. 16: North Kent Presbyterian Church will host its 20^th Annual Christmas Cookie Walk Saturday morning, December 16^th from 9:00 until gone. Still only $7.00/box or 3 boxes/$20.00…Public VERY welcome! Choose your own selection from more than 25 varieties of delicious homemade Christmas cookies. The church is located at 6175 Kuttshill Drive NE, Rockford (1 block west of Wolverine Blvd., north of Rogue River, just north of Blythefield Country Club.) Come early for a great selection! Cookies make great gifts for neighbors, teachers, mail carriers, and friends, too! Our church cook book will also be available for sale. For further information contact our church office at 616-866-2230 Tuesday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. #49,50p

It was a perfect autumn afternoon. The laughter of children rang on the air as they played games, collected snacks and built their very own scarecrows. Velzy Park, in Solon Township, was the scene of much activity Saturday, October 21, as the Park’s “Bootacular” got underway. The event was created as a Park fundraiser and public service to the community. Originally hosted by Solon Market, the event was adapted by the joint Park and Market committees to help promote the new park and raise needed money toward continued improvements.  

The “Build a Scarecrow” was a new addition and created much excitement among the youngsters as they watched their scarecrows come to life. It was a toss-up as to who had the most fun—the children, their parents or the volunteers. The scarecrow event and boo-tacular was the brainchild of Park chair, Shelly Aardema, who is also a member of the Market Committee.

The committee is seeking funds to build a restroom and playground as Phase One continues. The park currently features a walking trail, gazebo and picnic area, mostly funded though fundraisers and donations from area residents and businesses. If you wish to help, donations can be sent to Solon Township Office, 15185 Algoma Ave., Cedar Springs, MI  49319.  Be sure to designate it towards Velzy Park. Volunteers are also needed to assist with construction and maintenance as well as events and fundraising. Material donations are welcome as well. For more information, contact Mary Lou at 616-696-1718 or Shelly at 616-696-1848.