Patrick Brecken died in a crash on Northland Drive on Thursday, Nov. 9.
Photo from tribute at
pedersonfuneralhome.com.

Police believe that alcohol and poor road conditions contributed to a fatal crash last week on Northland Drive, north of 18 Mile Rd, in Nelson Township.

According to the Kent County Sheriff Department, Patrick Todd Brecken, 21, of Sand Lake, was headed south on Northland Drive, about 10 p.m. on Thursday, November 9, when his 1999 Ford Mustang left the roadway and rolled several times before landing in the ditch on the northbound side of the road. Brecken was ejected from the car and suffered fatal injuries.

The two teenage passengers in the vehicle, Jonathan Michael Brecken, 15, of Grand Haven, and Trey Brian Street, 17, of Cedar Springs, suffered minor injuries and were transported to Butterworth Hospital by Rockford Ambulance.

The Cedar Springs Fire Department assisted at the scene.

The family is planning to have a benefit to raise money to help with Patrick’s funeral costs on Saturday, November 18, 2017 from 1-5 p.m. at the Gun Tavern, located at 18 North Main Street, Cedar Springs. All proceeds will go to help with funeral expenses. The funeral for Patrick was scheduled for Thursday, November 16, at 11 a.m. at Pilgrim Bible Church.

Alice Powell would like to thank all the friends and family that came to her 90^th Birthday Party at the Gun Tavern on Friday the 13^th. Thank you!

Last week we ran a postcard photo of the old Central Hotel, and after it ran we had a couple of calls letting us know that it did not stand where the Gun Tavern is located. Instead, we found that it used to stand a little further south—in the area where the Round Up is now located. The source we used had picked up the wrong name by mistake and we apologize for the error.

The Central Hotel was one of many hotels in the town of Cedar Springs during the early days of the village. It’s not known exactly when it was built, but it was a town landmark, and advertised as early as 1902 in a track and field day program. It was bought in 1905 by the J.M. Hart family, and they ran it for many years.

According to the Cedar Springs Story by Sue Harrison and Donna DeJonge, people recalled the hey-day of the hotel, “when buggies lined up for blocks, and guests from nearby towns waited to get inside for one of Mother Hart’s famous dinners.”

The hotel was destroyed in a fire on July 23, 1943. One of the people that called us this week, Shelby Reyburn, of Algoma Township, told us that his brother-in-law, Floyd White, discovered the fire. Only a lad of 16, Floyd was in town with a friend early in the morning, when he saw the smoke. Shelby said Floyd ran in and saved at least one man’s life—a Gordon Thompson—by waking him up. “He said it started in the pressing and ironing part of the laundry,” said Reyburn.

The fire burned three businesses and half a block on Main Street. The Central Hotel, Cedar Springs Cleaners and Mulford Lunchroom all perished in the blaze, at an estimated loss of $35,000. The hotel, operated at the time by George Oppenneer, suffered the heaviest loss at $25,000.