Welcome faithful readers,

This issue celebrates our 25th year. The header on this week’s front page shows what the Post looked like when we started back in 1988. Of course we can’t put red flannels on our banner anymore, but we’re hoping we can get away with it for this one week.

This week we celebrate a quarter century of deadlines, late nights that turn into early mornings, from computer advances and like wise crashes, sometimes an occasional web virus, the coming of Y2K, the war in Iraq, the restoration of our theatre, the building of our new library, that day in infamy, on 911, the birth of many and the loss of others. We’ve been here week after week, year after year, and decade after decade. For this issue, we take pause, and a look back.

We invite you to take a trip down memory lane through our printed versions of the Post with us. Beginning in 1990, we started to bind our newspapers into a bound hard cover version of The Cedar Springs Post for each year. These hard cover volumes are to be donated to the Cedar Springs Historical Society.

Let me tell you, it was quite a trip!

Currently, these books hold our local news and history exclusively and found only in these printed books of The Post. See some of these stories, starting on page 3.

Enjoy!

Yours truly,

Lois Allen, Publisher

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Vol. 1 No. 1

Cedar Springs home of its own newspaper

As published in the very first edition July 28, 1988

After a lapse of more than four years the Red Flannel Town will once again host its own newspaper. Although Cedar Springs is covered by many area periodicals, it has been a long time since the town has had its own local newspaper.

The previous Cedar Springs paper was the Clipper, which covered the town’s growth and activity for more than 100 years.

Since the closing of that publication, the town has had to rely on out-of-town papers which printed only scraps of information about Cedar Springs.

With the introduction of The Cedar Springs Post, the community will once again receive the concentrated attention of its own local newspaper. The new newspaper will be dedicated entirely to Cedar Springs and to the Cedar Springs area, and should prove to be the extra stimulus that the district needs to reach its highest potential…

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Thursday, June 4, 1992

“I Made a Mistake”… Walsh 

City and Horse Owners Come To An Agreement

Yee-haa! Come of Trigger, we’re headin into town!

by Roger Allen

City Manager Frank Walsh may have saved himself from lynching by forbearance and an admission of misjudging the nature of Cedar Springs horse lovers. An overflow meeting at City Hall Monday night was billed as a “Public Forum” and at which Walsh exposed himself to the slings and arrows of public outcry. He listened for over an hour and a half while 60 or 70 outraged horse people raised questions ranging from the defense of freedom to the biodegradability of horse manure.

Many horse people spoke, often with strong feelings, while only two ordinance advocates had the courage to speak. All the horse people agreed that horses did not belong on public sidewalks but they shied at any other restriction. Many pointed out the commercial benefits of horses to local business, and threatened to take their business to other towns. Others spoke about the pleasure they took in owning and riding horses and said they liked Cedar Springs precisely because it was rural in character.

For much of the meeting the audience was frankly hostile, although well mannered. Walsh, however, “put his foot in it” (so to speak) by stating that the City could pass any ordinance it wants to. That prompted some comment on democracy and freedom, many applauding the speaker who said that this ordinance was just an opening wedge in the passage of much more restrictive laws.

Tom Hoskins questioned if the city could pass an ordinance restricting the use of a State road (Northland Drive).

Walsh, upon the suggestion that this was “a non-issue” said he wanted to hear from all sides. There were only two sides and very, very few wanted to speak in favor of the ordinance. Those opposed drew a lot of applause. Linda VanderJagt pointed out, “The people here are part of the City, too”, a point that should be kept in mind by the City Manager and Council.

Many commented that banning horses hurt the City’s image, and their pride in the City and its reputation was part of their concern.

At the end of the meeting, Walsh disarmed a great deal of antagonism by admitting his error and saying that he would recommend an ordinance banning horses from the sidewalk…only. He earned his own applause with that statement, and comments commending him for taking the heat.

It appears that horses will still be admitted to Cedar Springs, if they behave themselves. If they don’t, maybe the Sheriff’s Mounted Patrol will bring them in.

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Thursday, March 13, 1997

Our slightly older readers and residents of this community are familiar with John Coady, and his Memories of a Farm that published weekly in the Post during the 1980’s.  He was respected and even loved by many here in Cedar Springs. Thanks for the memories, John.

Community mourns loss of John Coady

by Terri Riggle

Cedar Springs lost one of its best Monday, March 10, and will mourn his passing. Retired teacher, High School principal, Rotarian, author, husband and father, Mr. John Coady was a bright spot in our town.

Mr. Coady, who I best remember as being my principal when I attended Cedar Springs High, was a person I respected. I figured anybody who handled a school full of kids and still managed to be cheerful and chipper had earned my regard. I will never forget his smile and easy-going demeanor.

After retiring from the school district, Mr. Coady kept going. Talk to anyone in the Cedar Springs Rotary Club, and they’ll tell you of his good work. Ask folks in the Cedar Springs Historical Society about his contribution from his very own book, “The Legends and Story of the Michigan Indian.” Ask his family and his friends… he was a very special man. Cedar Springs will miss him.

It is somehow fitting that, as the community celebrates the debut of a new museum, we can dedicate this new beginning to John P. Coady – his name and memory will remain forever in our history.

Memories of a Farm

by John Coady

Sunday Baseball

Saturday baseball was simply not sufficient to quench the thirst of the baseball enthusiasts. Neighborhoods started organizing some real sandlot ball clubs to play each other on Sunday.

Our farm was the scene for Sunday baseball for several years. Dad worked a field for a baseball diamond into his crop rotation as he would for corn, hay or potatoes.

Getting a field fit for baseball play was no simple and quick matter. It had to be closely clipped with the mower after all the stones were picked up. The bases were laid out precisely as directed in the Baseball’s Handbook, 120’6” from home to second base, 90 feet between bases, and 60’6” from home to the pitcher’s box. Often the crops failed to get cultivated in order to get a diamond ready for the season opener with the Gravel Ridge Murderers.

The equipment included just the bare necessities, such as a couple baseballs, a few bats (some turned by a lathe in a local shop) and the catcher’s paraphernalia. A new baseball was a treat for the pitcher. The pitcher’s plate was usually a heavy 16” x 4” board. Bases were made by filling a grain sack with sawdust.

As Sunday rolled around, so did the cars that filed into our front yard; there were Model “T” Fords, Whippets, Stars, Saxons, Durants, Jacksons, Overlands, and a few others. Women folk came along too, to root for the old man as he came up to bat. Often they would bring along a milk can filled with lemonade to serve their team, but team members were careful not to drink too heavily, lest it impair their performance in the game.

During one of these games, a batter drove a liner over the left fielder into some deep grass. The left fielder could not find the ball, and the batter made it good for a home run. The search for the ball continued as all 18 players stomped the ground trying to locate the baseball. A few cows were pasturing farther away, and someone spotted old bossy with a huge lump in her jaw.

“You don’t suppose?…”, someone said.

They walked over to the cow and found her chewing vigorously on the ball. The ball was wiped off, and put back into play again. Needless to say, the pitcher had a first class “spitter” to throw at the hitters.

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Thursday, April 23, 1998

First Production  – The restoration begins

Treasures that were found in the Kent Theatre.
The clock pictured above once operated while movies were being shown at the Kent Theatre.

by Terri Riggle

The Kent Theatre now belongs to the community, and after only eight months of planning and fund raising, the Cedar Springs Theatre Association took possession of the building on Wednesday, April 15.

A huge dumpster showed up on Monday, April 13, so the former owners could start moving and cleaning their belongings out of the building. A few curious visitors showed up Wednesday evening while a small cleaning crew from the CSTA continued to work on reducing a somewhat mountainous pile of equipment and miscellaneous items left behind.

First reactions ranged from excitement to shock when some of the new owners gathered at the Kent Theatre for the first time in 20 years.

The lobby still has the four small chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, but the concession area has been walled in. And the tiny glass cubicle where Charlotte Rogalewski sat and sold movie tickets every weekend now holds a small furnace.

The auditorium is filled with a jumble of counters, desks, papers and remnants of 20 years of storage. The glow-in-the-dark clock still hangs in its southeast nook, and cobwebs hang everywhere. The grime of two decades covers the interior walls. Piles of this-and-that are everywhere. A bathtub sat near the stage. A stage expansion, upon where the Community Players had sung and danced and acted for more than five years, had been removed and chunks of it remained on the auditorium floor. The wall sconces were gone. The window in the cry room was broken.

For as forlorn as the building appeared, the exact opposite in feelings was apparent as workers busily set about cleaning, hauling, sweeping and sorting. This was a prize they had worked hard to acquire for the community.

Mary Gartner, CSTA member, was amazed to see the curtains still hanging and in one piece. She immediately set about seeing if they could be salvaged. They could. After Tom Cooper of Cooper’s Dry Cleaners checked, he told Gardner that they were in satisfactory shape, but that they would have to be sent to New York to be dry cleaned, since there were no cleaners in Michigan who could handle the specialized process.

The CSTA’s next fund raising event is a hotcakes supper at the Cedar Springs McDonald’s on Tuesday, April 28. For $2 you’ll receive one sausage patty and all the hotcakes you can eat between 5 and 7 p.m. Tickets are available at The Cedar Springs Post, 36 E. Maple Street, or Framed Images, 10 S. Main Street.

The group will be contacting volunteers to help clean out the building.

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January 23, 1991

Thank you 

To Cedar Springs:

I would like to write to you to thank you for your contributions for sending me a copy of the Cedar Post every week.

You can’t imagine the joy I receive from this newspaper. When mail call comes around and I see a big manila envelope with my name on it, I know exactly what’s in it.

So thank you from the bottom of my heart and from the sands of Saudi Arabia.

Best wishes to all the people that live in Cedar Springs and all around the U.S.

Goodnight

SPC James Hilliker

Armor Crewman

U.S. Army

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Thursday, June 26, 2003

Once in a blue frog

Young Russel Hielman shows off his one-in-a-billion blue frog.

by Lois Allen

This frog is a fluke. At least that’s what the DNR says. Russell Hielman of Spencer Township called our office last week to say he had found a blue frog. Blue frog do you say? We had to take a look.

This amazing blue frog was spotted, and later captured in a small pond located on the Hielman property off of Wallander Road, in Spencer Township near 19 Mile Road. It was spotted Thursday by Russell’s 17-year-old daughter Rachel, and her cousin Derek (18) sitting on a rock basking in the afternoon sun. But catching a frog in a pond can be risky business. So they called in the experts – the 9-1/2 year old brother Russell and his friend 11-year-old Nick.

The two boys were definitely up to the “blue frog catching challenge.” (What red-blooded American boy wouldn’t be?) And, as you can plainly see, they were successful in their hunt. Not only did they come back with the coveted blue frog, they even caught a sample green frog for comparison. Good work boys!

Blue frog and green friend.

Excited with their unique blue amphibian specimen, Russell Sr. called the DNR where they asked him if he lived near a zoo. According to the experts at the Department of Natural Resources, there are no blue frogs native to Michigan. Kregg Smith, of the DNR, holding a Master’s Degree in fish biology under his belt, says the blue frog is actually a Green Frog, one of the most common frog varieties that inhabit the Cedar Springs area. Smith, who has had digital photos of the frog emailed to him, confesses that he’s never seen a blue frog before and it’s most likely just a freak of nature. “This is a first time for me.” He says the varieties you’ll see in southwest Michigan include bull frogs, leopard frogs, green tree frogs (which are sometimes brown) spring peepers and the plain old back yard variety we usually see everyday near lakes and other small bodies of water, the Green frog – unless it’s blue, of course.

According to the experts, odds of any one of us finding such a frog are stiffer than those in the Big Ticket Lotto. Only one in one billion frogs hatched might turn out blue. Maybe Russell should buy a ticket!

But what do you do with a one-in-a-million blue frog? The zoo said they didn’t want it and the circus wasn’t in town. Do you stuff it so you can show your friends and neighbors when you have parties? Well, if the frog had anything to say about it, it would probably say, “Croak!”

Well, Mom had a say and spoke up for the blue frog. “I told them I didn’t think it could live in that old aquarium,” said Theresa Hielman. “I would have felt bad if I came out and it was dead.”

So she told them to take the blue frog back to the pond where he had been born and raised. And so they did – and his little friend, too.

And, as in all happy endings, the blue frog wasn’t “blue” anymore!

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Thursday, March 12, 2009

Fire changes the face of Cedar Springs

By Judy Reed

Flames roared, water gushed, and smoke poured over the city Saturday night as nine fire departments fought valiantly to keep one of the oldest buildings in Cedar Springs from burning to the ground.

“We did what we could to preserve it, but in the end, if we hadn’t done what we did with the back hoe, we wouldn’t have gotten it out,” explained Cedar Springs Fire Chief Jerry Gross.

According to Gross, the call came through at 9:34 p.m. Saturday, March 7, for a structure fire at 59 S. Main, at Ash Street. The building, owned by Tom and Sonya Cronkright, housed NAPA Auto Parts store, Cedar Floral, American Martial Arts, and two upstairs apartments. Two residents had to be rescued from the roof, while two others fled down the stairs.

According to Cedar Springs Police Chief Roger Parent, the fire started in the apartment of Nancy Kiste. She shared the apartment with her adult daughter, and five-year-old grandson. Parent confirmed that the daughter had 15-20 candles lit after redecorating a room, and one of them somehow started the blaze.

Kiste, the daughter, and a male friend of the daughter were in the apartment at the time, and another woman, Wendy Sue Andrews, was home in the apartment next door. Andrews reportedly broke her ankle while fleeing with one of her dogs. She lost three other puppies and an African gray parrot in the fire. Her teenage son was not at home at the time.

Chief Gross reminds residents to always watch over candles, and to call 911 at the first sign of a fire. “There were some reports that they attempted to extinguish it themselves first,” he noted.

Residents came from all over town to watch as the 120 year-old building succumbed to the fire. Firefighters urged people to back up to a block away for fear that chemicals in the NAPA store might explode, sending shards of glass flying in all directions.

The blaze burned throughout the night, as fire departments from Spencer, Algoma, Sparta, Rockford, Sand Lake, Courtland, Oakfield and Solon Townships assisted Cedar Springs in trying to knock it down.

Tankers were brought in to help with water supply, and they even refilled at a hydrant at Cedar Springs Middle School.  “We were pushing so much water so fast it was hard to get enough flow,” explained Gross.

According to Al Kensil, of the Cedar Springs DPW, one of the problems was that one of the hydrants they needed to use was part of the old water system that had only a four-inch water main. “It’s been there over 80 years. You can’t even put in a 4-inch water main anymore. It won’t flow like a 10 or 12 inch will. It was handy for downtown back then—but the pumpers from then and now are a lot different,” he explained, noting that they have been slowly updating the system.

Firefighters finally cleared the scene at 6:30 a.m. Sunday morning.

The town is still reeling from what is being called the most devastating fire to occur here since Lippert’s Drug Store burned on the northwest corner of that same intersection in 1984. It was just a year and half ago that the Cronkrights took advantage of the city’s façade grant program and put a new face on the building that has been in his family for years. “It’s such a tremendous loss,” said Tom Cronkright. “We tried so hard to bring it up to date, because it was so old. It was frosting on the cake, so to speak. And then it all just goes up—poof.”

The earliest known history of the building starts in 1889. According to “The Cedar Springs Story,” by Sue Harrison and Donna DeJonge, it was in that year that John Beucus and his brother Tom opened a hardware store in that location. “They opened the store with the purchase of mortgaged stock that could have been packed in a two-horse wagon,” the book said. It went on to describe a fine store there at the corner of Main and Ash in 1900. The brothers carried hardware, cook stoves, and the “celebrated” Crescent bicycles, with sales totaling $25,000 per year.

John Beucus died in 1931, and upon his death, his son-in-law (who had been in the business for sometime) and a Mr. Rau established their own hardware store there, Van Schelven and Rau. It was there for many years. Kroger’s also occupied the building for a time. Walter and Dorothy Cronkright eventually moved their Gambles store into the building, and in 1976, Dennis Cronkright took over management of the building and hardware store. It was later home to several other storefronts, most recently Pioneer Pharmacy, before it was renovated and NAPA moved in. Renovations included restoration of the original hardwood flooring, installing new bigger windows, new doors, revamping the electric, and adding a new canopy. The building is now a complete loss.

The Cronkrights don’t yet know what they will do with the property. “It’s too early in the process to conclude anything,” noted Sonya Cronkright. “There’s still a lot of discovery work to be done, a lot of things to take into consideration.”

Pamela and Brett Goddard, owners of Cedar Floral, and Terry Gravelin, owner of American Martial Arts, were all devastated to hear about the fire. Both businesses said they plan to reopen. “We’ll reopen in Cedar Springs somewhere,” said Pamela, who also has a floral shop in Howard City. Calls to their Cedar Spring number will automatically forward to that location.

City manager Chris Burns promised the city would do what it can to help the businesses. “The City is committed to working with the business owners to help them relocate, as they are all vital to our downtown,” noted Burns. “It is tragic to look out my office window each day and realize the magnitude of what happened due to a candle. Thankfully, no human lives were lost, but it is still disturbing to lose pets. The Council extends their sympathy to the business owners and residents who lost everything.”

The Red Cross has provided for the families victimized in the fire, and a special fund has been set up for the family of Wendy Andrews at Independent Bank. You can also go to http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/wan/1068264316.html to find out what the Andrews might need. To find out what the Kiste family needs, you can contact the American Red Cross at (616) 456-8661 and they may be able to put you in touch with the family. A benefit will also be held for Terry and Kim Gravelin on April 4 at the Round Up.

Chief Gross thanks the many people and businesses that came to the aid of the fire department and victims: Spencer Canteen, Red Cross, McDonald’s, Family Fare, and the Cedar Springs DPW.

The Instant Cash Advance was robbed at gunpoint shortly after 9 a.m. Wednesday morning. Post photo by J. Reed.

A small business in Cedar Springs was the target of an armed robbery Wednesday morning.

According to Police Chief Roger Parent, the suspect entered the Instant Cash Advance store at 151 S. Main and demanded money while showing a gun. An undetermined amount of cash was handed to the suspect who then fled on foot.

The suspect was described as a tall black male wearing a dark colored, zipper style hoodie, dark baggie pants and black tennis shoes. He had his face covered with a white, plastic mask. His physical description was reported as being over 6 feet tall, 200 pounds with a trimmed beard.

Suspect in robbery caught on surveillance video.

A K-9 Unit from Wyoming Police Department assisted in the search of the suspect but lost the track after reaching the street directly behind this business.

A resident living on W. Church Street said she saw a red, mid-size vehicle slowly circle the block, and then park in the driving lane of the road. She said she noticed it because she was waiting for a friend to come over, who also drives a red car. She realized it wasn’t her friend when she saw someone in a black hoodie get out and walk toward the businesses in the strip mall. She thought it seemed suspicious that he had parked there, but when she went to open her garage door and get a peek at the license plate, the car was already gone.

Suspect caught on surveillance video.

Chief Parent said they feel this vehicle was most likely involved with the robbery.

There were two employees and one customer inside at the time of the robbery, but no one was hurt. The 58-year-old female clerk complained of chest pains after the robbery and was checked out by Cedar Springs Fire and Rescue and Rockford Ambulance, but did not wish to be transported to the hospital.

Parent said they are looking into the similarities of this robbery with other recent crimes in the Grand Rapids metropolitan area.

Cedar Springs Firefighters work to remove passengers pinned in their vehicle after a rollover accident. Post photo by J. Reed.

by Judy Reed

Two Kent County Road Commission workers were injured Monday when the pickup truck they were driving drifted off the road and rolled over in Nelson Township.

According to Kent County Sheriff Deputy Brad Mercer, the accident happened just after 4 p.m. Monday, July 22, on 17 Mile Road west of Ritchie. The two workers had left a job site and were traveling west on 17 Mile Road, on their way back to the Road Commission complex, when the vehicle drifted off the right side of the road, hit the ditch, then crossed to the left side of the road and went into the brush, where it rolled over on to the driver’s side.

The Cedar Springs Fire and Rescue had to use the Jaws of Life and other equipment to free both the driver, Austin Wamser, 19, of Cedar Springs, and Kory Myers, 19, of Gowen. Myers, the passenger, was removed first. Wamser’s legs were pinned under the dashboard and it took quite some time to get him out.

Myers was sent to Butterworth Hospital by Rockford Ambulance, and Wamser was taken to Butterworth by Aero Med. Both had leg injuries that were non-life threatening.

The Cedar Springs Police Sgt. Ed Good assisted at the scene, and other Cedar Springs Police officers helped direct traffic around the accident.

Road rage is suspected as the cause of this rollover accident on M57 Monday. Photo by B. Altena.

By Beth Altena

First responders at the scene of an accident in Oakfield Township said witnesses described road rage as the reason a pick-up truck driver lost control of his vehicle, snapping trees as he rolled the truck off M-57 (14 Mile Road) into a front yard Monday, July 22.

The accident happened just after 4:30 p.m. west of Wabasis Lake Road on a straight stretch of the main road between US 131 and Greenville. According to a neighbor across the street, the area has had many accidents. “It happens a lot,” said the resident, who did not want to be identified. He said from his driveway he has seen plenty of accidents, including a decapitation, semi rollover and three car crashes.

This incident involved a pickup and a large commercial dump truck that was weighed at the scene to check if it was within allowable weight. The pickup was totally destroyed after fishtailing, rolling off the road and hitting a series of trees, and ending up on its side. Witnesses described one or the other of the vehicles passing each other, angering one of the drivers into unsafe actions.

First responders used the Jaws of Life to free the male adult driver from the wrecked vehicle, and then transported him by Rockford ambulance to Courtland Township Hall where Aero Med was waiting to take him to the hospital.

Oakfield Township Fire Department responded to the scene, as did the Michigan State Police and Courtland Fire Department. It was unknown what injuries the driver sustained although he was conscious and talking to rescuers as they worked to free him.

Isabelle Brace and Elizabeth Smith with Isabelle’s grandson, Nick Bazzett at the Mall of America

The Post recently made an appearance at two different events with Isabelle Brace and Elizabeth Smith. It first traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota to the Mall of America, where they met Isabelle’s grandson, Nick Bazzett, formerly of Cedar Springs. Bazzett works at the Radisson Blu, which is connected to the Mall. Then later in the day they got to meet Isabelle’s week-old great-grandson, Reign Alexander Bazzett. Accompanying Isabelle and Elizabeth on the trip to Minnesota was Rhoda and Hans Nielsen.

Isabelle Brace and Elizabeth Smith at Camp Nathanael, in Emmalena, Kentucky

Isabelle and Elizabeth then took the Post, dropped off the Nielsens, picked up Timothy Brace, and headed to Camp Nathanael, in Emmalena, Kentucky, for the wedding of another grandson, Simeon, whose father is Nathan Brace, formerly of Cedar Springs.

It sounds like the Post put on some miles with that trip! Thanks so much for taking us with you!

Oakfield Baptist Academy re-opens as Oakfield Christian Learning Center 

By Sarah Read

The building formerly known as Oakfield Baptist Academy will soon be buzzing with new life.

Homeschool families in the area will begin using it this fall for shared learning, team building and cooperative education, as several groups partner together to bring classes and opportunities to Oakfield Christian Learning Center.

The school building, located at the southwest corner of 14 Mile Road and Wabasis Avenue, will be re-opening this fall as a new homeschool hub, known as Oakfield Christian Learning Center. Since its closing in 2004, the school has sat with minimal occupation for nearly 10 years. It has been used sporadically for programs such as Upwards Basketball, Awana, and short-term homeschool groups.

“We’re really excited about the all the possibilities, and what it means for area homeschool families,” shared Beth Crawford, of OCLC.

Greenville Michigan Inclusive Connection for Home-learners (G-MICH), an active homeschool support group and co-op, will be partnering with OCLC at this facility and running their activities and classes together. G-MICH offers a parent-led cooperative along with monthly field trips, mom times, curriculum days, unit studies, skating parties, and other social activities. This new joint venture with various middle and high school level courses and programs from OCLC, will optimize opportunities and resources for area families who home educate.

In addition to these weekly class and gym options, Oakfield Christian Learning Center will be a new campus for Classical Conversations. Classical Conversations combines the classical tools of learning and a biblical worldview. The Rockford CC Community helps area parents equip each other. A free informational meeting (kids-welcome) at OCLC for Classical Conversations will be held this Saturday, July 27 from 1-3 p.m. CC will be offered on Fridays this year. Learn more at www.classicalconversations.com.

An open house and organizing event for G-MICH with final registration will be held next Wednesday, July 31 at the learning center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Families are welcome to attend and get more information at that time. Weekly cooperative classes, through G-MICH and Oakfield, will be available at the school building on Mondays this fall. For further details, please visit www.oclcenter.org or www.greenvillemichiganhomeschoolers.webs.com. Contact via email at greenvillemichiganhomeschoolers@yahoo.com

Arrangements are also being made for virtual learning at this location and possible opportunities through the public school system for various elective classes, depending on interest. A new, informal homeschool soccer league through G-MICH is also being organized for Tuesday evenings.

“A lot of homeschool families in our area can’t make it out to the homeschool building south of Grand Rapids on a regular basis for the many music programs, tutors, and offerings they have there,” explained Stephanie Herzog, of G-MICH. “This new space availability will hopefully grow to accommodate many of those options in a more viable travel distance for northern region home educators.”

These two kayaks and the trailer they were on were stolen sometime around June 30.

Police are asking for the public’s assistance to find two kayaks and a trailer stolen from Indian Lake, in Winfield Township, Howard City. It is believed they were stolen during the night of or near June 30.

The kayaks and the trailer are shown in the photo. The kayaks should be easily noticeable. The top one has red and black markings, and the bottom one has camouflage on it. This trailer may have been spotted briefly abandoned on the side of the road with the kayaks on it on Deaner Rd. just East of Marble Rd. after the theft.

If you have any information, please contact Detective Doyle at the Michigan State Police Lakeview at (989) 352-8444 or the Howard City Police at (231) 937-4311.

Ronnie McBrayer

By Ronnie McBrayer

My friend has cancer. I have been accompanying her as she receives weekly chemotherapy. These treatments are administered in an “infusion laboratory.” The “lab” is a simple room with comfortable lounge chairs lining the walls. Each chair has an infusion pump that pushes what everyone prays is cancer-killing compounds through the body.

There are those tucked into those chairs who look well, and others who are obviously ill; those who have been making pilgrimage to the lab for years; and those who are newbies. Some are alone; some are with friends or family; some discretely hide their baldness, and others wear the rigors of treatment like a badge of honor.

And when it comes to coping, the differences are manifold as well. Some are in shock over their prognosis. Some are depressed. Some have a stoic, Zen-like acceptance. Some keep smiling no matter what, and some are as mad as hell – at life, God, physicians – at anyone who can be held responsible.

Then some patients have all these feelings simultaneously. Don’t be fooled: Coping with a major illness is not as orderly as textbooks led us to believe. It is a hot mess of total emotion when facing one’s personal mortality.  But for all the compare and contrast of these unique individuals, they are all held together by the solidarity of their battle. Through the blood, sweat, and tears they fight like gladiators in the arena, for they are desperately fighting for their lives. More so, they are fighting for what it means to be human.

Disease does more than “steal, kill, and destroy” the physique. It attempts to deprive a person of his or her dignity. It endeavors to smother the internal flame and erase the spirit of the one who suffers. So those fighting horrible illnesses are not just fighting for a few more years. They are fighting for what it means to be a human being. They are marshalling all their grit and resilience (and something that borders on elegance), not just to stay alive physically, but to guard their very souls.

Those in the arena understand that physical life may be taken from them, but by God’s grace, no disease will ever rob them of their humanity, identity, and their innate worth as creations of the Almighty. They understand that the fight may not change their prognosis, but the fight prevents the disease from changing them.

Ronnie McBrayer is a syndicated columnist, speaker, and author of multiple books. You can read more and receive regular e-columns in your inbox at www.ronniemcbrayer.me. 

Onalee M. Fisher 77 of Cedar Springs, died Saturday, July 20, 2013 in Greenville, Michigan. Onalee was born July 2, 1936, the daughter of Story and Marion (Cole) Cowles. Surviving are her husband, Duane Fisher; daughter, Kristin Fisher-Kraemer of Comstock Park; grandson, Brett Fisher; great grandchildren, Monica Brown and Brett Dines-Fisher Jr. and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded by 5 brothers and 1 sister. A gathering of friends and family was held Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. until time of service at 1:00 p.m. at the Bliss-Witters & Pike Funeral Home, Cedar Springs. Pastor Herb VanderBilt officiating. Interment Elmwood Cemetery. Memorial contributions to the Humane Society of Kent County.

Arrangements by Bliss-Witters & Pike Funeral Home, Cedar Springs

Pastor Harvey J. Baas, of Rockford, age 84, was welcomed into the loving arms of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on Saturday evening, July 20, 2013. He was a loving and committed husband, father, grandfather and pastor of several Christian Reformed churches. Pastor Baas was the youngest of 13 children born to Tys and Maggie Baas. He is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Marilyn (Bierema) Baas; sister, Mrs. Tena DeKorver; sisters-in-law, Mrs. Doris Baas and Mrs. Anne Baas; children: Kathee Watkins, Leslie and Michael Yoder, Ruthann and Richard Ford, Ellen and Jerry Romer, and David and Jennifer Baas; grandchildren: Christopher and Trevor Watkins, Audriana, Madilyn, and Tys Yoder, Elizabeth and Scott Norton, Zachary and Lacey Ford, Spencer Ford, Nicole Quinlan, Alyssa and Adam Romer, Maraika and Aaron Baas; great-grandchildren: Paige and Liam Norton; and many nieces and nephews. A memorial service in celebration of his life will be held on Friday, July 26, 2013 at 7:00 pm at Blythefield Christian Reformed Church, 6350 Kuttshill Dr., Rockford, Michigan with Pastor Jim Alblas officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to World Renew, the relief and development organization of the Christian Reformed Church, 2850 Kalamazoo Ave., SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49560. Relatives and friends are invited to meet with the family at the church, after the service, on Friday evening.

Arrangements by Pederson Funeral Home, Rockford, www.pedersonfuneralhome.com

Lauri (Rowland) Waller, Tom Rowland, Jessica Waller

Bonnie Rowland, Brady Elliott (baby)

Treva (Rowland) Freer, Tom Rowland, Scott Rowland

Bonnie Rowland, Lillian Freer

I would like to thank family, friends and all who donated to the Randy Leversay cause. Also, thanks to the businesses who donated items for the benefit. All thoughts, prayers, cards and phone calls were deeply appreciated. A very heartfelt thank you to everyone.

Terry Leversay