Wesco and the Sand Lake Police Department is asking for help to identify this vehicle. They said this vehicle has driven off without paying for gas at Wesco in Sand Lake for the last month. As you see in the picture, vehicle has a ball hitch and a yellow sticker in the rear side window, and there also appears to be some stickers on the rear of the vehicle.

If you have any information please contact Sand Lake Police Department at 616-799-1900.

Members of The Springs and Solon Center Wesleyan worked together on many projects Sunday, including planting flowers and weeding around signs.

By Judy Reed

Three church congregations proved last Sunday that worship doesn’t have to take place between four walls—and that serving and worshipping go hand in hand.

The Springs Church, 35 N. Grant Street, and Solon Center Wesleyan, located near the corner of Algoma and 19 Mile, met for a time of joint worship at Skinner Field Sunday, before heading out to serve the community. They sang with a praise team made up of members from both congregations, and then Springs Pastor Barry Briggs and Solon Center Pastor Tom Holloway gave the crowd of 300-plus a pep talk to help them get excited about the service projects they were about to undertake. The crowd then broke into groups to perform various tasks in the community. Members of Hillcrest Community Church also joined some of the teams.

Kids of all ages worked side by side with adults Sunday. Here, Wyatt Fisk washes a window. Photos courtesy of Solon Center Wesleyan.

The teams visited patients at Metron; did roadside cleanup; planted flowers; washed windows for customers at the Wesco gas stations in Cedar Springs and Sand Lake; worked at Alpha Family Center; visited Hope Network homes; built a sandbox for a family; handed out freezer pops to people; delivered cookies to businesses; prayed for the city government, schools, businesses, families; and more.

Kerr said that the kids in the family who received the sand box were really excited. “The team who built it said the kids were all smiles.”

While both churches have done similar days like this in the past with their own church, it was the first time they organized it as a joint effort

“I thought it went really well,” said Local missions Pastor Cherri’ Kerr, who has organized this event for The Springs for the last six years. “People were excited to go out and serve, and I got good reports back. Coming together with Solon was really neat.”

Holloway agreed. “The businesses were really thankful, and the churches working together worked out well. It was good to see the camaraderie, to see us united for a common vision,” he remarked. He also noted that it was the largest turnout they’ve had from their congregation in the five years they’ve done it.

Kerr said that the goal next year is to get more churches involved in the project.

Members of a Beyond the Walls team worked on trimming shrubbery at the Post last year. Post photo by J. Reed.

By Judy Reed

Three area churches will join together to take their service beyond the walls this Sunday and reach out into the community.

Both The Springs Church, 135 N. Grant, and Solon Center Wesleyan, located at 19 Mile and Algoma, have done separate events in the past, and decided this year to join forces. Hillcrest Community, located on 18 Mile in Nelson Township, is also joining the event. Not only will all three churches do projects on the same day but they will be on the same teams.

“We just thought it would be good for the churches to do one day together—meet   others, work together and make an impact on the community,” explained Cherri’ Kerr, local missions pastor at The Springs Church.

Projects the teams plan to work on include visiting patients at Metron; roadside cleanup; city sign maintenance; planting flowers; greeting customers at the Wesco gas stations in Cedar Springs and Sand Lake; working at Alpha Family Center; visiting three Hope Network homes; building a sandbox for a family; handing out freezer pops to people; and more.

Leaders will meet at The Springs Church at 9 a.m. Sunday to get to know each other and what is expected, and then will head to Morley Park at 10:30 a.m., where all three congregations will do a short worship time together and divide up into their teams. They will then go out into the community to complete their projects, and return afterward to the park for a free lunch.

Kerr said that anyone from the community who would like to help should come to Morley Park at 10:30 a.m. and they can join a team. “Everyone is welcome,” she said. Anyone coming may want to bring lawn chairs, or a blanket, and sunscreen.

“I’m so excited we’ve been able to pull this together,” remarked Kerr. “I’m looking forward to it.”

The event will be held rain or shine. If it is dangerous—if there is severe weather—it will be canceled. In the event of rain, the lunch will be held at The Springs Church. For more info email Kerr at office@thespringschurch.info.

Roemer’s Muffler and Brake Shop under new ownership

Roemer’s Muffler and Brake Shop, 208 S. Third Street (Northland Drive) in Sand Lake, is under new ownership. The shop, which was established in 1992, is now owned by Aaron James Simons. One of the changes that Simons made is that they now offer more services—they do most general repairs, including mufflers, exhaust, custom pipe bending, brakes, etc.
“We are the best exhaust shop from Grand Rapids to Big Rapids,” said Simons.
He feels his edge over the competition is the ability to pass on savings through low overhead. “When times get lean, the fat gets cut,” he said.
Simons said future plans include paving the parking lot and adding another bay to the garage.
If you haven’t yet had a chance to check him out, shop hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Wesco one of “West Michigan’s 101 best and brightest companies to work for”

Wesco, a locally owned chain of convenience stores headquartered in Muskegon, was recently selected for the third year in a row by the Michigan Business & Professional Association as one of “West Michigan’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For.”
The “101 Best” list represents ­industries as diverse as the automotive, insurance, hospitality, communications and nonprofit sectors.
Being named to this prestigious list is a designation that hundreds of companies pursue. Nominated companies are assessed by an independent research firm for their Communication, Community Initiatives, Compensation and Benefits, Diversity and Multiculturalism, Employee Education and Development, Employee Engagement and Commitment, Recognition and Retention, Recruitment and Selection, Small Business and Work-Life Balance.
Established in 1952 in Muskegon ,Michigan, Wesco is a family-owned and operated convenience store chain, with more than 900 employees. and 51 convenience locations throughout West and Mid-Michigan.