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• January 26, 2017 • Oceana’s Herald-Journal
Their voices were heard being walked on. This presidential campaign was the most malicious and evil thing I have ever seen. Donald Trump is a malignant narcissist. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself. To him, the presidency is all about self-aggrandizement. He’s the bully on the playground. People thought he was going to be their savior. Instead, he’s the savior of the wealthy, the privileged, all those like himself. “He wants to be worshipped. To me, God is the only one who gets that privilege. I’m a very strong Lutheran and I believe in the saying, ‘Give unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and give unto God what is God’s.’ “We need to get together now and plan a strategy to keep America safe from those out to destroy our democracy.” Her outspokenness has not endeared her to the Trump advocates in her midst. She has, she says, been severely attacked on her Facebook page by many who castigate her for her beliefs. How does she react? “I tell them, I am fighting for you. For your right to be protected for your beliefs, just as I should be protected for mine. Because that right is in danger.” It was Fanberg’s passion for those beliefs that motivated her to make the long, bumpy journey to the nation’s capitol.
“We chartered a small bus because it was cheaper,” she explains. “It was also more cramped! We rode all night in what were not the most comfortable conditions. But it was worth it.” What she’ll always remember is the incredibly benevolent atmosphere that surrounded the historic event. “Everyone was so loving, so kind. People were so thoughtful. Everyone helped each other. There was no violence, not one arrest. The police were so grateful, and helpful. Many wore pink hats and kept thanking us. In contrast to Trump and his messages of hate, the prevailing mood was just one of love. I can’t describe how exhilarating it was.” Another Oceana resident, Rev. Shirley Heeg, was also called to Washington, D.C. Jan. 21. A retired minister from the Reformed Church of America, and former high school teacher in Shelby Public Schools, Heeg says she didn’t participate in the march to take a stand against Trump. “But I do have real concerns on moral issues that were highlighted in his campaign statements because they conflict with values that matter to me. Those were troubling enough to tip the balance for me when I was deciding whether or not to go.” As a minister, Heeg is acutely aware of how important it is to live the Christian principles she preaches. “My faith continually calls me to
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love my neighbors, which I understand to mean wanting and working for their good as well as my own,” she reflects. “Our neighborhood is much larger in these days of Internet and instantaneous world news reports. That’s why it didn’t seem like a stretch to go to Washington, D.C. If we can bring our children on vacation to visit the Smithsonian, the Capitol, and other monuments and museums there, if we can search a wall to find names of those from Oceana County who died serving the military, then it certainly shouldn’t be out of the question to go that distance to take a stand for our beliefs. “For me, our neighborly message includes these kernels: Do not be afraid. You are not alone. Self- awareness is essential. Trust and truth are the beginning of healing. Judgment is out of bounds. “I wonder if sometimes we think we are smarter than others when the fact is we have been blessed with more resources. Even encouragement and safety are resources that many do not have. I’m especially concerned about the treatment of women and children in today’s political climate, but when I get down to the nitty-gritty, I went for my little granddaughters and grandsons, for my grown children who are working so hard to be doing what is healthy and good, for my mom who raised me to be
strong and streetwise, for my grandmas who were born in the 1800s and whose hands and faces I can still see when I close my eyes. “ Although Heeg didn’t have a sign sporting a slogan, as so many marchers did, she felt that her presence was her message. “I didn’t carry a sign, except to tell people where I was from. I love being from this area, yet, I don’t live with the illusion that we are insulated from the problems that others face elsewhere. Many signs were clever and made their point, but personally I can’t repeat what they said! Still, we are in this together. That was the mood I felt in that very diverse crowd in which we stood for over four hours of speeches before shuffling in a press of bodies toward the National Mall. Picture something like rush hour traffic in a major city without the cars! And also, remarkably, without road rage. Far from it. People were helpful and conversations were great!” What was her overall impression of the day? “My take-away is that this was more than an event. It was an inspiration. Where it will lead remains to be seen.”
Andrew Skinner • Oceana’s Herald-Journal
Rescuers attempt cat on ice rescue
Pat Ruggles of the Pentwater Township Fire Department attempts to get hold of a cat that had been trapped on an ice float about 100 feet offshore on Pentwater Lake Sunday afternoon, Jan. 22. Ruggles had attached a rope to the ice float the cat was on and had fellow rescue personnel onshore try to pull the large chuck of ice, with cat aboard, to shore; however the cat became spooked and made a leap towards the section of the lake that was still frozen. Once on the ice the cat made its way to a section of beach on the southwest side of the lake where rescuers were again unable to catch the fearful feline. After nearly a half hour of searching for the cat in the woods rescuers decided to let the cat make its way home on its own as they felt it was no longer in any danger.
Kolendas witness history After winning the tickets, Kolenda said that she remained in contact with Huizenga’s office, asking questions about what to bring and what not to bring and she said “they always wrote back with enthusiasm.” However, the Kolenda’s struggled with the decision to ultimately go, as hotel rooms were over $1,000 a night and they needed something more affordable. Recounting their story, Kolenda, often remarked how happy and helpful so many of the people along their journey were. In terms of lodging, this was no different. She said that a teacher from Pentwater offered his parent’s home to them, as they would be out of town for the weekend and wanted to offer it themselves. Kolenda said that when they arrived at the house they found out the teacher’s father and homeowner was a veteran and left a book out with his life in the military for them to see. “They are so openhearted to let us stay in their home for free. We have seen generosity from day one all the way through the weekend,” Kolenda said. “We were at a truck stop and told a truck driver we were on our way to the Inauguration and he said ‘I want to buy all of your kids a snack.’ The Kolenda’s left for D.C. Wednesday, Jan. 18 and met with Congressman Huizenga and his family at the Rayburn House Office Building Thursday, Jan. 19 to pick up their Inauguration tickets. Kolenda said that the building was very beautiful, and she said that their two families hit it off, no pun intended, right away with their shared love of golf. “His wife was really nice, and his whole staff was super helpful. When we walked in, they said ‘You must be the Kolenda family.’” She went on to say that she told Huizenga’s wife, Natalie, about the positive support the Kolendas have received from those on both sides of the political spectrum, Natalie told her that she would have to take note, stating that whenever she writes something online, all she receives is hate. “I try to keep it as positive as I can. I try not to be political,” Kolenda said of attending the Inauguration. “The whole thing is really neat to see, with millions of people all caring about politics. What else do we all have the same thought about on the same day, though we may have a difference of opinion, we can all get off our chair and do something about it. Regardless of what box they are checking, they believe in something.” While at Huizenga’s office, Kolenda said they were treated to a grand tour and Michigan-made snacks, including boxed water from Holland and Kellogg’s cereal. “We left a Rice Krispies trail throughout the Capitol,” she said. Kolenda also noted that Huizenga showed them things he was proud of, his trophy case and his children’s accomplishments, and they discussed issues with students being able to get summer jobs due to schooling dates. Friday morning, Jan 20, was finally here, and Kolenda said they checked into the Silver Section, which was on the very first white block, when seen from overhead photos. “That was the last section of ticketed sections. We were in the cheap seats of the ticketed section, but it was very nice with lots of woods. We had to check in between 6 and 9 a.m., so we got there before the sun rose, and had many hours to wait. We had to go past the armored tanks, SWAT teams and metal detectors.” Kolenda went on to say that the media was being very dramatic when they said Trump did not have as many people at his Inauguration as Obama did. “It was raining and everyone was in the trees. Most of our pictures were in the woods, and hardly anyone was on the flooring until the actual ceremony had started.” While waiting, Kolenda said that her family decided to not sit around and get cold, but to play a game she and her husband developed, where you play golf with some bark and make golf balls out of rocks or pinecones and hit them towards a stick with a hat on it. “We are a golfing family and we were having a great time,” she said, adding that many bystanders took photos, and were encouraged by the Kolendas to join in. Kolenda said that her top two favorite moments were first, celebrating at the Lincoln Memorial with hundreds of thousands of
others singing “God Bless the USA” along with singer Lee Greenwood. Second, she said that it was talking to so many people from around the world. This included a reporter from Uruguay, whose job it was to explain to her country how the American Inauguration process went. “200 years is not that many years and 45 presidents is not that many presidents. We’re still pretty fresh, and it is pretty neat to see how America does it,” Kolenda remarked. She and her husband also made it a point to thank every military service member, police officer, emergency personnel and Secret Service agent they saw for their efforts. “The Secret Service were super happy and helpful, and there were so many servicemen and women, border patrol units, SWAT teams, snipers, police officers from all over, helicopter units and more. It was pretty amazing to see how many servicemen and women were there to keep us safe and protected, and we felt very safe while we were there.” Before the Inauguration ceremony began, Kolenda said they had large monitors and speakers providing the vast crowd with educational information and videos about past Inaugurations that happened on rainy days. “They had music and of all the two days we were down there, there was a lot of patriotic music and all those songs, to listen to them being played live, and to think that this is not a recording, the actual Navy band is playing this, was amazing. There was lots of music and lots of happiness,” she said. Kolenda said that she kept in contact with her mother, who was watching the event from her home. “We saw four past presidents come in. For me, as we watched the helicopters land on the capitol, I got the play by play from home from my mom. On the flipside, however, she was more nervous for us, because she saw rioting on the news, but all I saw were happy people everywhere.” “It was an amazing moment and we were proud to be an Oceana County family there. We met the mayor of Hudsonville, Mich. and talked him into coming to Silver Lake. I market Silver Lake to everyone I talk to. There was lots of generosity and good human beings.” The day after the Inauguration, the Kolendas decided to take in the sights, and their daughter Ali desperately wanted to see Amelia Earhart’s plane and get an Albert Einstein bobble head. Their leisurely day turned on its head when they found themselves deep within the Women’s March. “At first, I was excited to be going. I’m a proud woman, and my daughter had a pink hat on. We walked onto the bus station on the Metro, and walked past a group of nicely dressed men. When the train came up and a few people got off the women would not let the men on the train. Shouting to each other, ‘ladies hold your ground.’ When the doors closed, the women were cheering like they had won, because the men didn’t get on,” Kolenda recalled. She noticed emblems on the men’s jackets and asked them who they were. The men told her that they were Marines and Army, praised as heroes the night before as they marched in the Inauguration parade, and now were being yelled at by women in pink hats. Kolenda snapped a very poignant photo of one of the servicemen, who hung his head as the women on the train jeered. “We then realized that this was not a positive march.” After this, the Kolendas decided to split up, and Alicia said she and their sons ended up with happy bubbly people on her train, but her husband and their daughters did not. She said that he got on a train with a group that would not give him any room and were yelling at him. “My husband tried to keep his mouth shut and kept saying, ‘Look, I just want to get my kid a bobble head.’” Their train let them off at the Smithsonian Center, Kolenda said and they tried three different entrances before finally being able to enter the Air and Space Museum. She said that her husband led the way through the crowd to get there, and a police car tried to follow them to let an ambulance through, but was unsuccessful. “I thought it was going to be peaceful, with women holding hands, but 80 percent was very vulgar and aggressive. They were not respectful of the government property they were on at all. They trampled the flowers, left garbage and signs everywhere, put stickers on the monuments. They were saying one thing and
Fundraising effort for Nick Burrell underway from Page 3a wide enough. There are a lot of things like that that you don’t think about,” Byl said. She also stated that her son is a world traveler, having worked for the state department in Afghanistan and having taught in Alaska for three years. “He came back here in hopes of maybe continuing his education in some sort of medical field as a chemo radiologist, but that is on hold for now,” Byl said, adding that Burrell is currently a student at Grand Valley State University, with one year left in his schooling. “There is so much that we take for granted. It is amazing how life turned upside down in one night. Our faith has been helping us one day at a time with the support of our family and churches and their prayers and calls and meals. It makes you feel so blessed.” Byl noted that family and friends are thinking of doing a benefit to raise funds, but have not set an official date as of yet. For information on donating, please visit https://www. gofundme.com/NickBurrell. Almost $5,000 of the $15,000 goal has been raised by 64 people in the past five days, and the page has been shared almost 600 times. Over the past weekend, Burrell wrote this on the fundraising page in response to those who have lent their support and sent their prayers and well wishes, “I can’t believe that there is so much love and support for me out there, including you anonymous people out there. Thank you for taking this journey with me. Thank you for praying for me. And thank you for supporting me.”
from Page 1a doing another,” Kolenda said. “None of it was helpful. It was just a large group of women. If women banded together for a good, positive message, think what they could do.” When asked about the contrast in safety, from just one day before, Kolenda said that “I felt safe, as a women, but not safe for my children, especially my boy children. We wouldn’t let them wear anything Trump, but my son had a hat that said USA. I figured we are all Americans. If they were going to attack anyone, it would be my husband or my older son. There was a group of men behind us dressed nicely and wearing ties, and they were stopped and got in a yelling match.” “If you changed this and it were a men’s march and women were there, it would have made national news for the hypocrisy. Some of these men were saying that they were going to see the monuments and this is their one day to be in Washington, D.C. and they were getting yelled at.” Kolenda said that her family was personally attacked by marchers because she and her husband have four children. “They were saying, ‘how many kids do you people have’ and I said as many as God would give me. We had a couple of conflicts, but nothing that I couldn’t handle. On a more positive note, inside the Air and Space Museum, Ali got to see Earhart’s plane and got her Einstein bobble head. After leaving the museum, Kolenda said that most of the marchers had cleared out, and due to their earlier transportation issues, they chose to walk from the Smithsonian to Arlington National Cemetery. “That is when we saw the garbage. It looked like the day after Electric Forest.” Upon the Kolenda’s return home, she said that “We are the most inclusive and we saw both sides. We came out enlightened, and I wouldn’t change my steps, because we came out safe.” Saturday’s events did not put a damper on the excitement and positivity the Kolenda’s experienced the two days before. “Our experience, our hope and what we saw Thursday and Friday have made us really excited about what is next to come. I will especially remember those nice young gentlemen, servicemen, waiting to board the train, and would love to hear how the rest of their day went.” The Kolenda’s now have an experience they can treasure and share for a lifetime and are planning to be as active as possible back at home. “Whatever box you checked, take that energy and focus more locally. Our schools need more volunteers and more people signing up to be on their local government, and don’t get mad at the person that chose to run, but on the items that are on the docket. Don’t be mad at the person, change the item. By building these fundamentals locally, it will just grow from there, it will just inspire more people to help. It is too easy to sit on our couch and make judgements. Go out and volunteer for anything,”
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