Severe thunderstorms and high winds that earlier this week hit the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan have resulted in temporary trail closures to allow time for evaluation and repair where needed, as well as to ensure the safety of trail users.

Trails throughout the northern Lower Peninsula were adversely affected by a storm that hit the area Tuesday and Wednesday. As a result, motorized and nonmotorized trail users likely will encounter downed trees and branches on the trails and should use caution on any open trail.

Department of Natural Resources crews and local trail sponsors are working to assess the damage, clear downed trees and determine whether more closures are needed.

Additional closures will be posted to the DNR’s website at michigan.gov/dnrclosures. Trail users are urged to use caution while enjoying trails during the cleanup process.

During the same storm, high winds caused up to 150 trees to fall along the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail in the area between Cadillac and the village of Leroy and in the area between Paris and Big Rapids. Visitors can expect temporary, intermittent closures between Cadillac and Big Rapids while the trees are cleared.

Two additional temporary closures along the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park in Osceola County just went into effect, too. One closure is located between Cleveland and Hibma roads, just north of Tustin, due to a failed culvert caused by significant trail erosion. The area is unsafe for travel and will be closed until a solution has been identified. The other closure will accommodate a surfacing project along 11.8 miles of trail between Reed City and Leroy and is slated for completion in early September.

“We are making every attempt to ensure public safety and to reopen these trails,” said Paul Yauk, the DNR’s state trails coordinator.

Questions about the trail closure may be directed to Scott Slavin, Cadillac Parks and Recreation Division District recreational trails specialist, at 231-878-9403 or slavins@michigan.gov.

Learn more about state trails opportunities at michigan.gov/dnrtrails.

When a family member is suffering a medical emergency, how fast rescue personnel arrive on the scene can mean the difference between life and death. “Every minute counts,” said Cedar Springs Fire Chief Marty Fraser.

But the exact house can be hard to find when the address is not posted on the outside of the home, or the numerals are too small to be read. So, at the request of police and fire personnel who require visible posted addresses for emergency response, the City of Cedar Springs has adopted a new address policy to formalize the size, contrast, and placement of addresses for every home and business in Cedar Springs.

Under the new policy, single-family residences must have their address legible and visible from the street, using Arabic numerals or letters, and no less than four inches in height and no less than .5 inch wide.

Multi-family homes must comply in the same way, but also have apartment or suite numbers on all entrance doors.

There are also specific requirements for businesses. You can see all requirements in the policy at https://cityofcedarsprings.org/2018/08/23/address-policy/.

All commercial, industrial and rental residential addresses must comply with the policy by October 9. Single family residential must comply with the policy by December 9.

Brook Nichols

Board seeks applicants to fill vacancy

By Judy Reed

If anyone knows what challenges the Cedar Springs Board of Education has faced over the last several years, it’s Brook Nichols. She served 14 years on the board—weathering both the good times and the bad—before resigning earlier this month to move closer to jobs and family. Her seat was up for vote again this November.

Nichols served two four year terms, and one six year term. “Being on the board was so much different than I thought it would be, but I learned a lot about myself, working with others and most importantly, I learned how much people in this community truly care about their students,” she told the Post. “Many things have changed over the 14 years I served on the school board and we have gone through some tough times and had to make difficult decisions, but I feel very optimistic about the future of CSPS and am excited to see what happens from here.” (See her entire letter to the community click here.)

The Board of Education is now looking for applicants to apply for her seat. The individual appointed will fill the vacant position through December 31, 2018 and will be replaced by the individual elected to the position (based upon the November 6, 2018 election results) on January 1, 2019.

Interested persons must submit a letter expressing interest in a board position and their qualifications for the position to the superintendent no later than Tuesday, September 4, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. Any person who has previously applied as a candidate must resubmit their qualifications to the superintendent by the deadline.

Following a review of the submitted materials, the board will identify a pool of candidates to interview. Not all interested persons for the board vacancy will be interviewed. The interviews will take place at a Special Meeting of the Board of Education open to the public. The date of this meeting is Tuesday, September 4, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. See public notice on page 17 of our e-edition.

A storm earlier this week destroyed part of the squash plant, and you can now see the tire where it originally started. Courtesy photo.

This squash plant traveled across the yard and up to this family’s front door. Courtesy photo.

When the Reeves family put an old tractor tire out in their front yard for flowers to grow in, they had no idea what was about to sprout.

“One day a small pumpkin or squash-like plant started to grow,” said CheriAnn Reeves, of the City of Cedar Springs. “We didn’t know what it was. We didn’t plant it; squash had never been planted in that spot before. We left it alone, and it just started getting bigger and bigger. Soon we discovered it was a crooked neck squash and it had started to take over the front yard. It crawled up the front walk and to the front door!” she said. 

Their harvest has been bountiful. “My daughter Rabeka started handing them out to the neighbors because we had so much,” remarked CheriAnn. “We have had a few dinners and it is still going.” 

CheriAnn reported to us earlier this week that storms had destroyed some of the plant, which now makes the tire visible again. We hope you still have some squash left!

If you have a nature photo you’d like to send us, please email it to news@cedarspringspost.com with some information about the photo, where it was taken, and your contact info. We will print as space allows.

The Post recently traveled to Colombia with Shana Poll. While there, Shana visited the cities Guatape, Medellin, and Nuqui.

In the photo, you can see her standing among some ruins. “Hello, from Guatape, Colombia. I’m on the pool house overlooking the burned out home of Pablo Escobar,” she said. And if you look closely at the photo, you can see she is pointing at a picture of herself from her last “Post travels to” earlier this summer when she went to China.

Thank you, Shana, for taking us with you!

Are you going on vacation? Take the Post with you and snap some photos. Then send them to us with some info to news@cedarspringspost.com or mail them to Post travels, PO Box 370, Cedar Springs, MI 49319. We will be looking for yours!

(L to R) Carolyn Davis of Rotary, Cedar Springs City Manager Mike Womack, Library Director Donna Clark, Senator Peter MacGregor, and Louise King and Tony Owens, both of the Cedar Springs Library Board. Post photo by J. Reed.

By Judy Reed

In early July, Senator Peter MacGregor donated a State of Michigan flag to the Cedar Springs Library. On Wednesday, August 29, he donated another flag to the library—this one with the Cedar Springs Public Library’s logo on it.

When he was here previously, he had asked what the third flag pole was for, and Library Director Donna Clark explained that they’d like to get a flag with their logo on it. MacGregor said he could do it. “We had to complete the set,” he said.

“I was glad to do it,” he added. “If you need anything, all you need to do is ask,” he told Clark.

The flag was personally donated by MacGregor and his team. No taxpayer dollars went into the purchase.

The Kent County Health Department (KCHD) has learned that a Kent County resident who was hospitalized with West Nile Virus has died due to complications of the illness.

As the Labor Day weekend holiday approaches, KCHD wants people to know that it is vital to continue to protect themselves from the bite of a mosquito. Through surveillance, KCHD has noted a 400 percent increase in the number of Culex Mosquitoes trapped by the agency so far this summer. The Culex mosquito is the species that transmits West Nile Virus to humans. KCHD believes these increased numbers may signal higher numbers of human West Nile Virus cases for the 2018 season.

There is no vaccine or cure for West Nile. The best treatment is prevention. KCHD recommends the following:

• Applying insect repellant that contains the active ingredient DEET and always following the manufacturer’s directions for use on the label.
• Draining standing water in the yard. Empty water from flower pots, pet bowls, clogged rain gutters, buckets, barrels, and cans. Anywhere water can collect, mosquitoes can breed.
• Avoid being outside at dusk and dawn when mosquito activity is high.
• Wear light colored long- sleeved shirts and long pants.

Only about 20% of the people infected will notice symptoms that may include headache, body aches, joint pains and fatigue. Most people with this type of West Nile virus completely recover. West Nile can develop into a severe illness that can affect the central nervous system. Some damage to the central nervous system can be permanent. In rare instances the disease can lead to death. 

More info can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/index.html.

By Chloe Boomgaard

Summer has gone especially fast for the Cedar Springs FFA this summer. It all began when the High school FFA officer team had the chance to attend the State Leadership Conference for Chapter Officers (SLCCO) in Lansing on July 9 and 10. The eight members of the officer team attending include Dylan McConnon, Olivia Martinek, Chloe Boomgaard, Carly Dunham, Angel Shears, Trevor Marsman, Jared Smith,and Mr.Reyburn. These students had the opportunity while at the conference to attend three different sessions that were themed with different points of leadership: how to set goals, how to work as a team to achieve goals, and communication skills that will help the officers step up to the plate and become the best leaders possible.

Just days after returning from SLCCO, a group of FFA members returned to the MSU campus. The group included Alyssa Marshall, Dylan McConnon, Alyssa Roelofs, Axel Anderson and Trevor Marsman, and coaches Brent Willett and Cade Hall. They had the chance to participate in a Livestock Judging competition on July 12. They spent many countless hours practicing and going to fairs to practice judging livestock being shown by other people. The team put all they had into the competition and placed 11 out of 27 different teams. Great job team! 

The land lab work began with Wayne and Trevor Marsman planting the corn in the field by the high school and Dylan McConnon spreading the fertilizer on the field. Dave Dunaven and Steve Smitz helped the FFA by tilling and planting the soybeans and making sure that everything was set in order to have a great crop this season. Jerad Smith and Dylan McConnon applied herbicides to both of the fields. Along with this great group of people we had Jake Gebhardt, who helped both groups of people to prepare the field for planting. 

Dylan McConnon and Tyler Schoen represented the FFA and Cedar Springs well in the state tractor driving contest. Dylan finished in first place,and Tyler followed behind in fifth place. Many of the chapters members participated in the showing of live stock at the Kent County Youth Fair while other officers worked a booth selling meat sticks, maple syrup, and work gloves along with running the Agricultural Adventure barn to help younger kids learn about the many areas of agriculture. The barn was not only run by the Cedar Springs chapter but the Lowell and Caledonia chapters as well. All student entering the High school and returning high schoolers keep a lookout for the FFA at orientation with some games for everyone to enjoy. 

By Judy Reed

Cedar Springs marching band students and their parents were surprised last week Monday, August 20, when it was announced that the band would be competing in the Scholastic Marching Band (SMB) competitions and not the Michigan Competitive Band Association events. The MCBA events can lead to the state finals.

Parents asked the administration to reverse the decision. As it turns out, the decision was made last May, but not communicated to band students. Principal Ron Behrenwald sent out a letter last Thursday, August 23, to students letting them know that because of the problem with communication, they would move forward with a competition schedule that would include both the SMB and MCBA events. 

“This provides you an opportunity to earn a chance to compete in the 2018 MCBA State Finals. One of our aims has and still remains to provide our marching band students with adjudicated performance opportunities that will enhance your experience and showcase your talent as a musician,” he wrote.

He said that at the end of the competitive season, “a review of the marching band experience and overall program success criteria will be conducted with input from a variety of stakeholders. Please be assured that we will pass along any changes for the 2019 competition season to you and your parents/guardians as soon as those decisions are made, but no later than May 2019.”

He then apologized for the frustration of the timing of the announcement.

The band has not always competed in MCBA events. For many years they competed only in SMB competitions. They have been competing in MCBA events since 2009.

#ThinkBeforeYouPost

The Detroit Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is announcing a campaign to educate the public on the consequences of posting hoax threats to schools and other public places, and reminds communities that these hoax threats are not a joke.

“We take every threat seriously. The FBI Detroit Field Office continues to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in assessing any and all threats to our area”, said Timothy R. Slater, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Division of the FBI. “As always, the FBI Field Office will work together, sharing and acting upon threat information as it comes to our attention. We continue to urge the public to please remain vigilant and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately.”

In the aftermath of tragic shootings such as the ones at Santa Fe High School and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the FBI and law enforcement around the country often see an increase in threats made to schools and other public forums.

Federal, state, and local law enforcement then employ a full range of tools to mitigate those threats that are deemed credible. These investigations drain resources and cost taxpayers a lot of money. When an investigation concludes there was a false or hoax threat made to a school, or another public place, a federal charge could be considered, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. If a federal charge is not warranted, state charges can be considered.

Public assistance is crucial to our efforts to curb these hoax threats. We ask that the public continue to contact law enforcement to report any potential threats or suspicious activity. If there is any reason to believe the safety of others is at risk, we ask that the public immediately reach out to their local police department by calling 911, or contact the FBI via tips.fbi.gov or over the phone (1-800-CALL-FBI). As always, members of the public can call the Detroit FBI field office to report a tip (1-313-965-2323).

The Calvarymen Quartet

The Calvarymen Quartet will be at Snow Bible Church, 1877 18 Mile Rd., Kent City, MI, Sunday, September 9, at 10:30 a.m. for a free concert. 

We invite you to experience the innovative sound of The Calvarymen as they sing classic southern gospel as well as cutting edge progressive gospel in their defining style.

Since their birth in 1956, the Calvarymen Quartet has been a driving force in southern gospel music. For 27 years, the Calvarymen represented Michigan on the main stage at the National Quartet Convention, which is home to the nation’s top names in southern gospel music. 

Present day members include; Barry Maust – lead, Chuck Robbins – baritone, Phil Parkin – tenor, and Jim Glasco – bass. These men continue to minister through music. 

Together these men bring a love for the Lord that spills out in their performances. If you love tight harmonies, accapella singing, and traditional southern gospel quartet music, then a Calvarymen concert is just for you. You will see that worshiping the Lord can be a fun experience, and that God is still in the business of working in hearts and changing lives. 

Everyone is welcome to come. Bring a dish to pass and stay for the meal following the concert. Any questions please contact John at 616-901-5275.

Pastor Robert P. Smith

First Baptist Church, 

233 Main St, Cedar Springs

This was the question asked by Pontius Pilate. Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea who presided at the trial of Jesus, God’s one and only Son. Now it’s a good thing when a politician asks about truth. It’s a good thing when they want to know the truth. It’s a really good thing when they rule by truth.  However, it’s even better when Truth rules them.

Last week a political commentator told a politician’s lawyer, “Truth is truth.” The lawyer responded, “Truth isn’t truth.” This led to an extremely entertaining exchange of truth versus truth. The lawyer reasoned resolutely there could be different versions of truth. You see it all depends on the one who is telling us what is true by what they believe to be true. In other words, each person has their own version of truth, and each believes their version is equally true. The consequence of this kind of thinking leads to an incoherent contradiction—truth isn’t truth. 

If truth is fluid, then truth isn’t fixed. Truth is settled. It doesn’t shift. It doesn’t turn and twist like a willow in the wind. Truth isn’t relative. Truth is reality. 

Pilate’s question was a rhetorical one. He was a cynic. He questioned Jesus about truth because of what he had said: “I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice” (John 18:37 ESV). Unfortunately, because of the chaos outside the courtroom, Pilate capitulates to the crowd and condemns Jesus to be crucified on a Roman cross. Why? Although Pilate knew Jesus to be an innocent man, he acted against what was true.

Truth can be known. Pilate was so close to truth. You could say, “Truth was standing right in front of him,” for Jesus had said, “I am the truth” (John 14:6 ESV). Why didn’t Pilate accept the truth? The answer is found in what Jesus had already told Pilate: “Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate heard Jesus, but he didn’t listen to Jesus. Pilate listened to another’s voice. He was persuaded by another’s perception to become his reality.

Truth is the reality known by God because God’s knowledge is perfect. Today, many in our community ask, “What is truth?” Truth isn’t relative. Truth is reality. Jesus is Truth and he is revealed in God’s Word, the Bible.