We would like to thank everyone for all of the cards, love and supports we received at the time of loss of our son, brother and husband. God has blessed us with amazing family and friends. We also want to thank Bliss Witters & Pike for the compassion and comfort we received. 

“Kurt is loved with a love beyond all feeling and missed with a grief beyond all tears.”

With God’s Blessings,

Art, Carolyn, Alan & Family, and Helen Probst

Pastor David G Ward

Pilgrim Bible Church

361 Pine Street, Cedar Springs, MI 49319

My grandson scooped up his latest discovery with a huge grin on his face.  I had left my cellphone in a place within his reach!  He walked around the room, carrying on an imaginary conversation.  “Papaw, Papaw, Papaw,” he said.   Hearing my name, I poked my head around the corner to see what was going on.  Rather than scolding him, I decided to have a little fun.  “Hello, this is Papaw.  Is this Mr. Trenten?” His little face lit up with joy!  Suddenly, this phone was no longer a toy.  Someone had answered back.  He was connected!

In this day of ever-expanding technology, we have all kind of ways to connect with people.  Our phones come with unlimited minutes.  Facebook allows us to rediscover friends and acquaintances from years gone by and from every corner of the world.  Video calling allows us to see others face to face.  Apps connect our gaming and other everyday experiences.  Why then, despite the tools within our hands, do so many people feel so disconnected and alone?  

Today, as much as ever, we need to take the time to really connect with people, to step out of the virtual world and into the real world.  We need the warmth of personal encounters where we walk in the moment together.  We need to rediscover the power of personal connection.  We don’t so much need more ‘virtual’ friends as we do real ones.

Take the time to reconnect with others.  Make room in your schedule for a face to face conversation.  Turn off the electronic devices and communicate without distractions.  For most of us, this would be harder than we might think, but the rewards are worth it.  We were wired to thrive on personal connection.

While you’re at it, don’t neglect your personal relationship with God.  He’s been waiting to hear from you too!  One of the reasons Christ came to earth as a human was to rebuild the connection that sin had destroyed.  Though no longer available to us in human form, we can still experience the warmth of His presence and the comfort of His embrace.  He truly is a friend that “sticks closer than a brother.”

The Red Hawks opened the final week of the regular season against a powerhouse from the north in Central Montcalm.  In the double header the boys were only able to manage a total of 8 hits.  

In game one,  on May 20, Nathan Draper did a great job throwing strikes.  In 5.3 innings of work he struck out 3 and walked 2.  Bryce Marvel threw the last 5 outs of the game, striking out 2 batters.  Trevor Reed, Jeremy Campione and Nathan Male had the only hits in this contest in which Cedar lost 5-1.

In the second game, Peyton Newman took the mound.  He got through 6 innings, striking out 3 and walking 3.  His off speed pitches kept Central Montcalm off balance throughout the game.  Nathan Male came in to close out the last inning.  Cedar Springs entered the 7th inning with a 3-2 lead, but a costly error allowed the Green Hornets to score a pair of runs that led them to a 4-3 victory when the Red Hawks weren’t able to push a run across in the bottom of the inning.  Getting hits in this game were Dylan Williams, Bryce Marvel, Logan Kobayashi, Trenton Snoeyink and Jarrett Hoogerhyde.

On Tuesday, May 21, the Red Hawks took on the conference leaders, the Huskies from Forest Hills Northern.  In the first game, Husky pitcher St Antoine was tough.  This season he has been the top pitcher in the league with an ERA under one.  The Red Hawks were only able to scratch out two hits in the 10-1 loss.  Seth Biggs drove a single to left in the 5th inning, and Dylan Williams crushed a solo homerun to left late in the game as well.  Connor Ellison did well on the mound, throwing 4 complete innings.  Nathan Male closed out the game, pitching the final three innings.  The story of the game was again, a few costly errors.

This was the final home game for the varsity, which meant senior parents were honored in a brief ceremony between games.

The second game went only four innings due to the umpire losing control of the game and calling a forfeit.  The final score was 6-0 with Trevor Reed getting the only Red Hawk hit.

The third game of the series, and the final regular season game was played at Forest Hills Northern on Wednesday.  Bryce Marvel took the mound for Cedar Springs.  In 6 innings of work he struck out 7 and walked only one.  Yet again, a few errors cost the Redhawks the game, with a final score of 3-2.  Jeremy Campione led the Hawks at the plate with a pair of hits, while Nathan Male, Connor Ellison and Peyton Newman each added a hit as well.  

The varsity baseball team finished the regular season with a record of 13-16.  They were able to defeat some very good baseball teams, but also struggled hitting at times.  Coach Glyshaw is very proud of their accomplishments and is looking forward to a successful post-season district tournament.  They play the host school, Big Rapids, on Tuesday, May 28.  The winner will move on and play Chippewa Hills on Saturday, June 1.

 The Cedar Springs JV Baseball team ended their season with a OK White Conference tournament loss to Northview at home on Friday May 24, 12-10.  The tough loss ended a very successful and fun season for the Red hHwks.  

 “I am so proud of the fight and determination these young men showed today,” commented Coach Greenland. “After going down early in the contest 6-0 it could have been really easy to quit.  But these young men did not and fought hard to the end and we come up a little short on this one.” 

The JV Baseball team ended their season with an overall record of 19-9-1 and a OK White Conference record of 11-7, finishing 3rd in conference.  Many highlights in the season include a 10 game winning streak and a 6-5 win against a top Division 1 OK Red conference program in Caledonia.

Good luck in the future and go Red Hawks!

Looking for a great reason to get outdoors? How about three. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has brought back the popular “Three Free weekend”  this year it’s Saturday and Sunday, June 8 and 9, two full days when residents and out-of-state visitors can grab a fishing pole, ride the off-road trails and visit state parks, all free of charge.

“Michigan is home to some of the best outdoor recreation opportunities and most beautiful natural spaces you’ll find anywhere,” said DNR Director Dan Eichinger. “Whether you’re already an avid outdoors-person or someone just beginning to explore the outdoors, our “Three Free” weekend makes it easy to explore a new hobby, visit a new park or introduce friends to an outdoor experience you love.”

These two days include:

Free fishing. Twice a year (once in the summer, once in the winter), residents and nonresidents can enjoy Free Fishing Weekends and fish without a license, though all other fishing regulations do apply. To get more details or find a local event, visit Michigan.gov/FreeFishing.

Free state park entry. To encourage people to pursue free fishing and other outdoor fun within state parks, the DNR waives the regular Recreation Passport entry fee that grants vehicle access to Michigan’s 103 state parks. Add state park stops to your itinerary and enjoy special programming and events during this state parks centennial year. Learn more about the passport at Michigan.gov/RecreationPassport.

Riding ORV trails for free. During two Free ORV Weekends each year (the second one this year is set for Aug. 17-18), Michigan residents and nonresidents legally can ride DNR-designated routes and trails without purchasing an ORV license or trail permit. Visit Michigan.gov/ORVinfo for the latest ORV trail, safety and closure information.

Protect yourself and the outdoors

For the best outdoor experiences, the DNR urges everyone to put safety first when they’re enjoying Michigan’s woods, water and trails. Helpful safety tips for ORV, boating, beach, fire and other topics are available at Michigan.gov/DNREducation in the Safety Information section.

Additionally, many invasive plant and insect species continue to pose serious threats to Michigan’s natural landscape. When your day outdoors is done, take care to avoid giving invasive species a ride—clean mud, seeds and debris from vehicles, gear and clothing. Find out what other actions you can take to help prevent the spread of invasive species and protect the places you love at Michigan.gov/Invasives.

Ranger Steve’s Nature Niche

By Ranger Steve Mueller

I entered into the evening sunset among the last whistles of birds before the calm of dusk darkened the day. A final glow of orange receded from the horizon under a blue gray cloud. Blue tint remained high in the sky lighted by jetting sun rays from below the curve of Earth that also lighted drifting cloud underbellies with a white glow.

Fresh green growth of spring leaves emerged muffling the superfluous noise from peoples’ distant activities as night settled and daily outside activities were completed. 

A day with friends took us through large patches of large flowered trilliums in the upland forest. Larger masses of nodding trilliums filled the lowland wet soil with many plants straying to higher ground where we saw their small white flowers hiding under three parted leaves. Unlike the large flowered trilliums that nearly tackled us with beauty, the nodding trilliums remain secretive hiding blooms under leaves from obvious view. 

Wood anemones showed their buttercup family flowers with stamens clustered around central pistils. Just below the floodplain ridge, three parted leaves subtended the white anemone flowers. A different buttercup splashed color on the lowland stream border with shiny wax laden yellow petal-like sepals of marsh marigolds. 

Inconspicuous jack-in-the-pulpits stood high and dry with their feet in wet mud. Its spathe wraps around a flower spike and a hood covers internal flowers. A slit down the front of the spathe allows it to be carefully opened and one can examine the inner flowers. The plant chooses from year to year whether to be a male or female but never both in one year. The choice of sex is determined by the amount of energy stored underground during the previous year.

As mid-season spring flowers begin dominating, early carpets of flowers that brightened the forest floor begin to wane. The spring beauties have white petals with pink lines that open in sun and close under clouds or shade. The emergence of leaves on trees and shrubs is a signal for spring beauties to end their growing season. Developing shade from surrounding plants announces it is time for spring beauties and trout lilies to senesce.

Spring beauties might look like pink flowers until one bends near to touch them with close vision. White petals have pink lines of varying widths that make them appear to have variable pink intensity from a distance. Trout lilies scattered in dense clumps have green leaves mottled with brown to reddish speckles that generate the name “trout” lily. Its yellow flowers are like small lanterns glowing on the forest floor.

During a few short weeks, both spring beauties and trout lilies photosynthesize on the bright forest floor where trees and shrubs have not produced shade with new leaf growth. By the time woody plants release leaves from winter’s tightly packed buds, the lilies and beauties begin completion of the year’s appearance. Spreading flower petals of spring beauties provide landing platforms and are pollinated by early flying spring azure butterflies. Small insects that enter trout lilies might fertilize them but most reproduction for the species is by the spread of stolons that sprout new plants. 

When shade darkens the forest floor, the leaves of beauties and trout lilies will have completed their year’s work of producing and storing energy and will soon decay. The plants disappear from view in June and will not reappear until April of next year. They sit quietly biding their time in the darkened underground like the birds whistling goodnight at sunset that will sleep quietly through the blackness of night. 

Birds, however, will not disappear into the dark until next spring. They resume song in the morning and embark on nest building among the new leaves to fill their nature niche requirements. Our ears continue to hear their joy, work, and energetic spirit throughout spring until most quiet by midsummer. Preserving wild experiences is essential for the human spirit to thrive and depends on us conserving life in wild places.

Natural history questions or topic suggestions can be directed to Ranger Steve (Mueller) at odybrook@chartermi.net – Ody Brook Nature Sanctuary, 13010 Northland Dr. Cedar Springs, MI 49319 or call 616-696-1753.

A man walked into a flower shop and quickly scanned the various flowers on display. “Do you have potted geraniums?” he asked. 

“I’m sorry,” said the clerk in flower shop, “we don’t have potted geraniums.  Could you use African violets instead?”

The man shook his head. “No, I’m afraid not,” he said sadly. “It was geraniums my wife told me to water while she was gone.”

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.

theTable at The Springs Church

May 23,21: Meals are served every Thursday fom 5:30 to 6:30 pm at The Springs Church on the corner of Oak and Grant. All are welcome to theTable to enjoy this meal that is being shared with us! #tfn

Celebrate Recovery

May 23,21: City Impact, 288 N. Main St. will be holding meetings every Thursday to Celebrate Recovery, a Christ centered, 12 step recovery program for anyone struggling with hurt, habbits or hangups of any kind. 6-6:30 pm – Meet & Greet, 6:30-8pm Celebrate Recovery. For more information call 616-843-2438. #tfn

Red Flannel Pageant Meeting

June 2: Attention all young ladies attending Cedar Springs High School, Creative Technologies Academy, or live in the Cedar Springs school district, (including homeschoolers) who will be in the 11^th grade in the 2019-2020 school year. There will be a mandatory parent meeting for any young lady who would like to participate in the 2019 Red Flannel Pageant and her parent(s). The meeting will be Sunday, June 2nd at 2 pm at the Springs Church (135 N. Grant St). For more information or if there is a concern that you can’t make the meeting please contact pageant director Kaleigh Goehler directly at redflannelpageant@gmail.com. #20-22b

Lose weight sensibly with TOPS

June 4: Take off pounds sensibly (TOPS), a non-profit weight loss support group for men and women, meets every Tuesday at the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Sand Lake. Your first visit is free so come check out what TOPS can do to help you reach your weight loss goals! Weigh-ins 8:15-9am, meeting starts at 9:15am. In case of inclement weather, meetings are cancelled if Tri-County or Cedar Springs schools are closed. Call Martha at 696-1039 for more information. #22

Quilt & Crafts at the Library

June 5,12,19,26: Quilt & Crafts at the Cedar Springs Library: Bring your fiber-based projects and work along with your friends. Lots of fun! Everyone welcome! Every Wednesday from 10am-6pm. #22

Foam Relief Printing @ KDL

June 5: Foam relief printing is a forgiving printmaking technique perfect for the beginner. Participants can expect to learn a new craft skill and take home their own work of art. Registration is required and participation is limited. Wednesday, June 5, 6:30 PM – Nelson Twp./Sand Lake, 88 Eighth St. #22

Happy Henna @ KDL

June 10,25: Professional henna artists from Happy Henna will bring homemade, organic, lavender infused henna paste that is safe for the skin for you to experience the intricate art of henna tattooing. Registration is required and participation is limited.
Monday, June 10, 6:30 PM – Nelson Twp./Sand Lake, 88 Eighth St., and
Tuesday, June 25, 6:30 PM – Spencer Twp., 14960 Meddler Ave., Gowen. #22

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 many of the veterans buried in area cemeteries (though not all), and we honor them with this issue of The Cedar Springs Post, click here to download. 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 19th annual Memorial Cemetery Walk on Sunday, May 26, at 2 p.m. to honor veterans of all wars. This year’s veterans will be Leander Jewell, Civil War; Harold Bicknell Glidden, World War I; Leland Dewey, World War II; William Wilson, Korean War; Michael E. Magoon, Vietnam War.

Biographical and historical information will be presented at each gravesite. The Glen Hill Post of the American Legion honor guard will assist at the presentation. We will leave from the museum in Morley Park at 1:30 pm and return there for refreshments. In case of severe weather warnings we will cancel the event. In case of rain we will do the presentations in the museum.

The American Legion Glen Hill Post #287 in Cedar Springs will hold their annual Memorial Day program on Monday, May 27. They will be at Elmwood Cemetery at 9 a.m., Solon Cemetery at 10 a.m., East Nelson Cemetery at about 11 a.m., and Veterans Memorial Park, (corner of Main and Oak in Cedar Springs) at about noon. Our speaker is 5th District American Legion Commander Keith Wakefield.  In case of rain, the ceremony will be held at the American Legion Post #287 at 11 a.m.

Poppy days are on May 24, 25 and 26. The Legion Auxiliary will be distributing them in Cedar Springs. If you see one of our donation centers, remember the donations go to assist our Veterans’ Program and a little goes a long way.

The Algoma Township Historical Society will hold Memorial Day services on Monday, May 27, at 1:00 p.m. at Algoma Township Memorial Park, located on the south end of the Algoma township cemetery on Grange Ave., south of 13 Mile Rd.) The service this year will honor Algoma Township’s Vietnam War veterans. There will be music, readings, 21-gun salute and taps. Following the ceremony, refreshments will be served by the Algoma Township Historical Society.

We were not sent any information for Sand Lake activities, but The Sand Lake/Cedar Springs Tri-Corner Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #7912 usually holds ceremonies on Memorial Day at the VFW Post in Sand Lake at 10:30 a.m. and at Pierson Cemetery at 11 a.m. Rain or shine. 

The Sparta Township Historical Commission and Sparta American Legion Post 107 will co-sponsor their Memorial Day Service at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, May 27, at Lamoreaux Memorial Park, located at 150 Park St., Sparta, MI.. Participants are invited to bring their lawn chairs and enjoy this Memorial Day service, which will  feature patriotic music from the Sparta High School band and keynote speaker Doug Heugel, Sparta High School 1968 alumnus. 

Unique to this year’s service is recognizing the 50th anniversary of the loss of three local young men, all members of the class of 1968. 

by Lois Allen

Tuesday evening, May 21 around 9:30 p.m., Solon resident Bernie Hale was doing what many other residents in Cedar Springs were doing. He was mowing his lawn. He happened to look up at the house he rents at 545 Solon Road and saw sparks coming out from the eves of the roof as well as on the power pole located next to the house.

He called 911. Firefighters from Solon, Kent City, Casnovia, and Sand Lake Fire converged on the scene about 10-15 minutes later to find the upper portion of the home in flames.

The fire was contained and damages included structural to the attic area and one room as well as contents. The cause of the fire is believed to be electrical. Although Hale was not the homeowner, he did have renters insurance.

No one was injured and both the dog and cat survived the blaze.