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Colen Clem Cole age 73 of Cedar Springs, died Tuesday, October 30, 2018 after a long illness with Dementia/Alzheimers disease. Colen was born April 14, 1945 in Greenville, MI the son of Clem and Rose (Nelson) Cole. He graduated from Cedar Springs High School in 1963 and married his high school sweetheart on August 20, 1965. Together they shared 53 years of marriage. He served proudly in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War Era from 1966-68. He enjoyed the outdoors sporting life: hunting, fishing, boating, snowmobiling and riding his quad around his farm with his dog, Little Joe. He loved best being in the big woods and observing nature. Colen owned and operated United Riggers and Erectors Company, Inc., a construction company in Grand Rapids since 1974. Surviving are his wife, Nancy (Tisdel) Cole; son, Calvin (Carolynn) Cole; granddaughters, Laurynn and Allison; sisters, Marion (Richard) Morris, Marieta (William) Peterson; nephews, Dirk, Bill, Brent; niece, Tresa. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers-in-law, Victor Tisdel and Leon Dennis. Visitation will be held Saturday from 11:00 am until time of service at 12:00 pm at the Bliss-Witters & Pike Funeral Home, Cedar Springs. Pastor Chuck Smith officiating. Interment with military honors will take place at East Nelson Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to East Nelson United Methodist Church.

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

A group of 10 friends from the Sand Lake area took the trip of a lifetime the week of September 9—one that had been in the making for five years. And they took the Post with them! Denny and Deb Dingman, Scott and Terri Nelson, Ed and Angie Fisher, Jeff and Shannon Proctor, and Craig Dickerson and Rebecca Scott all spent the week on an 80-foot houseboat, on the beautiful Lake Cumberland in Kentucky. These five couples truly loved their dream vacation! And thanks for taking us with you!

Readers: If you are going on a trip, take a Post with you and get a photo, then send it to us with some brief info. You can send it to: news@cedarspringspost.com. Photos will be printed as space allows.

Ann Nelson, of Howard City, talked about her life-long passion for mushing, the care of her 16 Siberian Huskies, the hand-crafted dog sleds that she and her husband, Ted, design and sell, and why the absence of typical Michigan winter is a huge disappointment this year.

Children from the Greenville Michigan Inclusive Connection for Home Learners visit with the dogs at Thunderfeet Kennel and Dog Sleds in Howard City.

Racers hindered by weather share dog sled passion with students 

By Sarah Read

Winter has been wacky this year. Unusual season temperatures and on-again, off-again snow has left most Michiganders puzzled. For those who dread The Mitten State in the cold months, it’s a relief from the bitter months of deep snow. For winter sport enthusiasts, however, it’s a crushing disappointment.

Such is the case for mushing devotees Ann and Ted Nelson, of Howard City. The Nelsons own Thunderfeet Kennel and Dogsleds, where they care for their 16 Siberian huskies and custom create dog sleds. For the Nelsons, dog sled racing is not just their passion, but their life. “Normally we have a race each weekend in January and February into March, but winter isn’t cooperating this year,” Ann explained to a group of homeschool families who enjoyed a field trip to Thunderfeet this month.

Ann has been a musher in Michigan for over 25 years. Caring for and feeding the dogs is an around-the-clock job. Nelson explained they get dog food shipped to their home by the ton, and also go through approximately ten pounds of raw meat a day divided between 16 dogs. Along with custom designing and hand crafting dog sleds, which they sell, the Nelsons also mentor others who are interested in taking up the sport. While the hobby is a big commitment, the community of mushers is welcoming and helpful, according to Ann. “[Mushing] is big in Michigan,” she said. “It’s hard work but it’s so rewarding, and there is a wonderful community [of mushers] who can help you get started.”

The field trip attendees from Greenville Michigan Inclusive Connection for Home Learners were excited and appreciative to visit and learn from Ann about what is a sport for some in Michigan and a main mode of transportation for others in the world. “I’m still glad we have cars,” one student mentioned, “but if that was our only way to get around it would be really fun!”

To learn more about Thunderfeet Kennel and Dogsleds, visit www.thunderfeetdogsleds.com. For more information on the Greenville home education group, which offers monthly field trips and other educational opportunities, visit www.greenvillemichiganhomeschoolers.webs.com 

Eagle Scout Charley Nelson, 16, is presented with a “You make the difference award” by Cedar Springs Mayor Charlie Watson. Post photo by J. Reed.

City honors Eagle Scout

The City of Cedar Springs honored Charley Nelson, 16, son of Charles and Ginger Nelson, of Courtland Township, with their “You make the difference” award at their monthly meeting last Thursday evening. He was given the award for recently earning the rank of Eagle Scout. Charley, with the help of his family and friends, took on the building of the gazebo at the White Pine Trail staging area at Maple and Second Street in Cedar Springs as part of his progress toward earning the Eagle Scout rank.

Police officer commended

Cedar Springs Police Chief Roger Parent recently commended Cedar Springs Police Officer Mike Stahl for turning a potential life and death situation for a young man into a routine call. According to Chief Parent, Officer Stahl noticed a young man standing in the roadway at 3:45 a.m. January 1, swearing and yelling at others, while holding a 2×4 board with protruding nails. When Officer Stahl approached in his police car, the man ran off. The officer then got ahead of the man, got out of the police car and yelled at the man to get on the ground, but he did not comply. Officer Stahl drew his handgun and pointed it at the man, who had stopped just feet away, and gave the man a second chance to get down and drop the board, which he did.
“Citizens never truly understand that this situation was just a split second away for any police officer needing to make the ultimate decision to use deadly force to protect himself or others,” said Parent, in the commendation. He noted that Officer Stahl did not know that the man was allegedly using the board for his personal protection, or that he was intoxicated. He also noted that police are trained to use a force above the threat they are facing, so a TASER would not  have been used because it would have been considered a lesser threat than the board with protruding nails. “This young man will never know how fortunate he was to have you as the responding officer that night,” wrote Parent. “You were able to de-escalate the situation without a tragic ending.” He credited Stalh’s years of service and training as a Range officer as contributing to his decision-making that night.