Click here to download the 2012 Memorial Day Tribute.

by Judy Reed

A stone monument dedicated to World War I and World War II veterans may soon get a new home.

Plans are to move the monument, currently located in Morley Park in front of the Cedar Springs Historical Museum, to Veterans Park, on Oak Street. Dan Brown, the man who worked so hard to create the park that now honors all veterans, is working to get the monument moved.

“It will have to be taken apart stone by stone and rebuilt,” he explained. “If it’s picked up, it will crumble.” Brown said it would be moved to an existing pad at the park.

The Post called several sources, but could not find anyone who knew when the monument was placed at Morley Park, or any details behind it. Women of the American Legion Auxiliary tend the flowers at the base of the monument.

According to Fred Gunnell, president of the Cedar Springs Historical Society, the monument was there long before the museum. He said that a man once came to him to ask about repairing it, and said his group had built it. He was from a VFW.

According to The Cedar Springs Story, there used to be a VFW post in Cedar Springs, called the The Cedar Springs Clipper Post #5359-Veterans of Foreign Wars. It was established in 1944, with Everett Wainwright as first commander, and chartered in September 1945, with 72 members. In February 1960, it consolidated with the Sand Lake Post and became the Sand Lake, Cedar Springs Tri Corner Post #7912, which still meets on W. Lake Street.

It was possibly the now-defunct Clipper Post that commissioned the monument.

If anyone has any info on the history of the monument, give us a call at 616-696-3655, or send us an email at news@cedarspringspost.com.

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, on pages 9-12. 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 12th annual Memorial Cemetery Walk on Sunday, May 27, at 2pm to honor veterans of all wars. This year’s veterans will be Martilles Porter, Civil War; Emil Aurin, Spanish American War; Stanley Langford, WWI; Tom Watson Jr., WWII; Thomas Pierson, Korea; Richard Goller Jr., Vietnam. 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 28, with 5th District Commander Peter Satterthwaite 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. There will be no program at the senior center this year. In case of bad weather, services will be held only in the American Legion Hall at 9 a.m.

The Sand Lake/Cedar Springs Tri-Corner Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #7912 will have ceremonies on Monday, May 28. They will be at the VFW Post in Sand Lake at 10:30 a.m., with a special memorial tribute for Carl Paepke. They will then be in Pierson Cemetery at 11 a.m.

Algoma Township will hold their service on Monday, May 28, 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 Rockford American Legion Post 102, VFW Post 3946, Boy Scouts and other participants. The service will honor 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. We encourage the public to attend to show their support of local veterans.

Patrick Boyce has a captive audience while he reads.

Did you know that horses are good listeners? Well, if you had been at Stone Meadow Stables in Sand Lake on Thursday May 10, you would have seen it for yourself. The students from the Schools of Hope Reading Club in Belmont read to some horses, who were wonderful listeners!

The Reading Club, funded by Heart of West Michigan United Way, is for first through third graders who need some help with reading. It meets Monday through Thursday at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church. One important part of the program is independent reading at their “just right” level. Everyday this occurs for at least 15 minutes. On May 10, the students had special partners, the kind that might say “neigh” or stomp a hoof to let you know they enjoyed the story.

This is the fourth year that Stone Meadow Stables has welcomed the students. It all started when the teacher, Mary Macomber, and the students brainstormed ideas for weekly themes. When the idea of a horse week came up, Mary contacted Carli Noffsinger, a friend and fellow church member, who had a horse. She thought it would be nice if her horse, Harley, could come to see the children. Carli said, “Let’s take the kids to see the horses,” and the tradition began.

At the stables, the owners, Tom, Nancy and Dan Armock, and others welcomed the students with open arms. Brandi Feasel gave them a lesson on horse safety, and she also introduced them to the different ways a horse’s feet move. The children got to meet the many different types of horses at the stable. After a little fill in the blank activity, they were off to read to their new friends! Each of them had picked out the books they wanted to read, and the horses loved it!

Owen Secora, Shelby Dreyer, and Todd Stewart (volunteer) keep this horse entertained with a good book.

The day finished off with a picnic of grilled hot dogs, chips, and cake provided by the Stone Meadow staff. Then it was time to say thank you, give the horses a quick carrot snack, and load onto the bus. Everyone who participated in this wonderful day had a smile on their face and stories to tell about the day the Reading Club kids read to the horses!

By Judy Reed

Cedar Springs City Manager Christine Burns is one of the top four candidates being considered for the job of Village Manager in Spring Lake.

The Village of Spring Lake made the announcement last week.

Burns, who has been in Cedar Springs for five years, told the Post she wasn’t initially looking for another job, and had not planned to apply for this one, until she was urged to by several of her peers. “My mentors said that an opportunity like this might not come along again. They know I’m a firm believer that things happen for a reason, that God has a plan,” she said.

Burns said her original intention was to stay until at least 2014, and that if she is not hired for the Spring Lake job, that is what she will do. “Either way I will continue to give 110 percent,” she said.

If she does get the position, she will still live here until 2014 and commute, so that her daughter can finish high school at Cedar Springs.

Spring Lake, a tourist community in Ottawa County, sits on the lakefront, and has a population of just over 2,500. It covers just over a square mile.

Burns said the other candidates for the position are all people that she considers friends. They include James R. Freed, who manages both the Village of Lakeview and the City of Stanton under a shared services agreement; Adam Umbrasas, village manager of Kingsley, and Chris Yonker, former manager of the City of Wayland. Michael Burns, assistant city manager of Fenton, was chosen as an alternate in case one of the others backed out.

There were 47 applicants for the job. Search consultant Bill Baldridge helped the village narrow the field down to seven, and then to four. He is the same consultant that helped Cedar Springs when they hired Burns.

The four finalists will be interviewed on June 2. Burns said her interview is at noon, and they should find out after that which candidate gets the job.

Answering the challenge of new careers in agriculture, several of the Cedar Springs FFA chapter’s members traveled to Lansing last month to compete in the annual Agricultural Skills contest. The contests were held April 20 on the Michigan State campus. As a state contest program, the members competed with teams from the UP all the way to the southern boarder of Michigan and demonstrated their skills in many areas of agriculture This year’s teams were Forestry Team: George Mauric, Charles Nelson, and John Spangenberg;  Ag. Mechanics Team 1: Austin Frandsin, Ken Hoogerhyde, Brent Willett, and Jerry Green; Ag. Mechanics Team 2: Blake Willett, Dano Dault, Justin Davis, and Tyler Savickas; Vet Science: Melanie Dubart, Kayli DeCanter, and Austin Hamilton; Floral: Sam Grody, Hanna Johnson, and Whitney Decker. The Ag mechanics Team 1 and Forestry walked away with Silver Awards.

In the area of chapter leadership, the newly elected officers of the Cedar Springs FFA Chapter attended the annual Region V Officer training conference at The Shack in White Cloud, MI. The conference was held by the Region V FFA Officers. It is open to all 19 FFA Chapters in our region. While attending the conference, the new officers participated in many games and activities pertaining to their office. The new officers include: President Jerry Green, Vice-President Charles Nelson, Secretary Cynthia Karaba, Treasurer Justin Davis, Reporter Whitney Decker, Sentinel Kevin DeCanter, and our Historian Olivia Maslin, who was unable to attend. Accompanying the Officers were Mrs. Ginger Nelson and Advisor Mr. Larry Reyburn.

The officers gained the skills and knowledge to excel as leaders. One officer commented, “You really grow as a person; you learn how to make better decisions.” During their spare time at the conference, the officers planned the upcoming activities and events for the 2012-2013 school year. They all look forward to serving their community for the year to come.

By Tom Noreen

Metron of Cedar Springs celebrated annual National Nursing Home Week from May 13-19, with a number of special events, according to Community Relations Coordinator, Chris Page. The staff competed in wheel chair races, as the residents cheered them on. Everyone enjoyed pie in the face contests, a cookout on Elvis day, and celebrated the warm weather with an ice cream social. According the American Health Care Association, “NNHW spotlights nursing home residents and staff and encourages all to celebrate those that make a positive difference in their lives every day.”

I had a chance to attend the Ice Cream Social on May 18 along with City Manager Chris Burns, Councilman Ken Benham, and Rotarians Gabrielle Warner and Carolyn Davis. Facility Administrator Robin Miller dished up big bowls of Blue Bunny ice cream while other staff members helped residents with their toppings. There was lots of laughter and talk as the residents, visitors, and staff enjoyed their sundaes.

After finishing our sundaes, Chris took us on a tour of the recently renovated facility. New carpet and an earth tone paint scheme made the hallways feel more like home. Visitors and residents can now enjoy a cup of coffee in the new café lounge. A fire suppression system was included in the renovations to meet government requirements set for 2014.

Chris noted that many residents were there temporarily, for physical, occupational or speech therapy after a qualifying stay in the hospital. They return home once they complete the therapy.

Metron Integrated Health Systems has facilities in Belding, Big Rapids, Cedar Springs, Forest Hills, Greenville, and Lamont.

by Cliff and Nancy hill

On Thursday evening, May 10, the highlight of the monthly Friends of the White Pine Trail meeting, at the Rockford Community Cabin, was to be a flat bicycle tire repair presentation, by Dave Heyboer, Chairman of the 500 member Trail advocacy group.

Unbeknownst to Heyboer, he was about to be upstaged and honored with the presentation of a Tribute from the State of Michigan that had been sponsored by 73rd District State Representative Peter MacGregor.

Humbled and almost speechless (a rarity for Heyboer), the honoree listened while MacGregor read, in part, from the tribute as follows:

With the exception of Fred Meijer, no one has been more responsible in making the White Pine Trail, Michigan’s longest linear State Park, what it is today. Mr. Heyboer is a true, “rails to trails” champion, capably handling the demanding and vital responsibilities of establishing a vision, gaining donors and executing plans. We are pleased to join our voice to those of the communities stretching from Grand Rapids, MI to Cadillac, MI, in thanking him for his dedication and honoring his selfless service to our State. This recognition is certainly well deserved.

Although the “rails” were established long ago, the paving, convenience and safety improvements, and continued maintenance of, are critical to the transformation of the “rails” to “trails.” The hard work, commitment, and innovation of Mr. Heyboer and the “Friends” are major factors in the overall success and continued improvements of the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail. The work that Mr. Heyboer has accomplished has made the reputation of the trail possible and provides a model for others to follow.

Under the official seal of the Great State of Michigan, Michigan’s Rep. Peter MacGregor, Senator Mark Jansen, and Gov. Rick Snyder signed the framed tribute with sincere thanks and wishes for continued success in all of Heyboer’s endeavors.

Congratulations, Dave, from the Cedar Springs Post and members of the Friends of the White Pine Trail, along with linear trail users from near and far. Happy trails to you!

From the Kent County Law Enforcement Association

The Police Officers Association of Michigan has chosen Judge Steven R. Servaas. 63rd District Court Judge, as their 2012 Jurist of the Year.

Judge Servaas is a graduate of Grand Rapids Union High School, a 1967 graduate of Trinity Univesity in San Antonio, Texas, and a 1969 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School.

He has always been athletic. While at Union High School, he was a three-time Class A singles tennis champion, and a two-time letter winner in football and wrestling. At Trinity he was a three-year letterman, and a member of the #1 nationally-ranked 1964 collegiate tennis team. In 1969, he was voted the most valuable intramural athlete for the graduate school and won third place in the first ever all-campus power lifting contest. He is still an athlete today, playing tennis, racquetball and golf on a regular basis.

After law school, Judge Servaas served as an adjunct professor at Grand Valley State University, teaching Criminal Law and Business Law in undergraduate school, and Administrative Law in the graduate school. He was also on faculty at the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) in Chicago.

Judge Servaas spent two years working as an assistant Kent County Prosecuting attorney. In 1972, at age 27, he was elected District Court Judge in the 63rd District, and at the time, he was the youngest ever elected District Court Judge in the state of Michigan. (He may still hold that record today.)

Judge Servaas has just completed his 40th year as a district court judge. During his 40 years on the bench, he has mentored many attorneys and police officers that have passed through his courtroom. His community gathers around him in support and he is the longest serving judge in Michigan history.

Two men were arrested for larceny Tuesday, after police found stolen metals in the back of their van during a traffic stop.

Montcalm County Sheriff’s Deputies stationed in Eureka Township conducted

a traffic stop on a minivan on M57 near Southwest County Line Road, about 1:20 a.m. Tuesday, May 22. When deputies approached the vehicle, they noticed  several air condition units, brake rotors, and other metals in the back of the minivan. Deputies questioned the men on where they obtained these items, and felt that the answers they received were deceptive. Other deputies were sent to local dealerships and found that recent thefts had just occurred.

The owners of Blake Hollenbeck Auto Sales and H & H Plumbing and Heating were then contacted and advised of the thefts. Deputies then arrested the two men, a 29-year-old Kentwood man and a 24-year-old Dorr man, for felony larceny. They were transported to the Montcalm County Jail and admitted to the thefts. This incident remains under investigation.

The girls track team traveled to historic Housemen Field on Friday May 18, to compete in the MHSAA Regional meet. The team scored 32 points and placed 8th out of 17 teams. They set 2 new school records and qualified 6 athletes for the Division 2 State finals.

Kenzie Weiler lowered her school record time in the 3200-meter run, with a time of 10:48.2 while placing second. The 400-meter relay team of Rieley Hondalus, Marissa Oakes, Abby VanDusen and Aly Hamilton placed third and qualified with a new school record time of 50.8. Junior Katie Weiler also qualified for the state meet in the 1600-meter run, with a time 5:11.4 for 4th place and in the 3200-meter run with a time of 11:29.3 for third place. Sophomore Aly Hamilton also qualified for the state meet in the 100 meter dash with a time of 12.7, which was good enough for third place.

Also placing in the regional meet was Rieley Hondalus in the long jump, with a jump of 15 feet 4 inches for eighth place. The team travels to Ferris State University on Friday May 25, for the Pioneer Classic, and on Tuesday, they go to Greenville for the Daily News Classic.

The Cedar Springs High School Varsity Softball Team wrapped up another very successful weekend. Last week, the Red Hawks won the Fruitport Invite, and this week, Cedar Springs took home first place in their own tournament. “I am really proud of the girls,” said coach Steve Reed. “We are really playing some great softball right now and that is what we need,” he added.

Cedar Springs started out the day very strong as they posted an 11-4 win over Grant then put up 24 runs in the 24-1 win against Northpointe Christian. Entering the championship game, both Cedar Springs and Allendale stood at 2-0 for the day. The Red Hawks were down early and in the 3rd inning, trailed 3-0. Cedar Springs fought their way back to a 5-3 lead during the mid-game stretch. In the 5th inning, freshmen Aubree Mouthaan put the Red Hawks ahead for good with her first career homerun in high school. This 2-run homerun gave Cedar Springs the 8-3 lead. Two runs came in for Allendale toward the conclusion. The Red Hawks won the championship 8-5. Senior pitcher Taylor Nielsen picked up the win for Cedar Springs.

This is the first time in at least 7 years that Cedar Springs has won their own tournament. “It was a great win for the girls and the program,” remarked Reed. Cedar Springs hopes to maintain their pride, purpose, and passion, as they begin the state tournament on June 2, in Big Rapids vs Chippewa Hills, at noon. Congrats to the Cedar Springs Red Hawks, 2012 Red Hawk Invite Champions.