Hart forum will discuss Cargill resigns as 4-H possible conference change program coordinator Page 12a
Page 12a
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Toys for Tots and Roy’s Kids registration dates announced Page 3a
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Vote totals change in some jurisdictions
Quarterfinal triumph slips away
Tigers take 2-0 lead, but Brown City roars back to steal match Page B1
Ferry MFR team nearly operational
Tunnel of trees
Will be county’s fourth medical first responder unit
Winners remain the same
Some of the numbers changed, but the outcomes didn’t following the final tally of last week’s general election. Vote totals for Hesperia Village, Hesperia School, Pentwater Schools and Walkerville Schools presented in last
TOTALS CHANGE, WINNERS REMAIN continued on 7a
Administrator to explore annex realignment
Some office realignment might take place at the Oceana County annex building in downtown Hart. The building at 314 S. State St. houses the county economic development corporation, emergency management, building inspection and veteran affairs offices among other agencies. County Administrator Dr. Bob Sobie told the county board of commissioners Nov. 10 that through discussion there might be some value in realigning some of the offices. He said there currently is one employee who provides administrative assistance to a number of offices within the annex building and often has to move to the different offices depending on need. Sobie said he’d like to see some consolidation within the operations that would also make additional space for the veterans affairs office and asked the board for direction. Sobie expected there to be some cost involved with interior design, but didn’t think it would be significant. He also said there was some opposition to any changes, which he understood as people are comfortable in their current environments. Commissioner Bob Walker said he was comfortable with allowing Sobie to make the de-
Andrew Skinner • Oceana’s Herald-Journal
A colorful ride
Cyclists pedal south along the William Field Memorial Hart to Montague Rail Trail, between Polk Road and 72nd Avenue in Hart. The pair took in the colorful foliage above as they rode the leaf covered trail.
ANNEX BUILDING REALIGNMENT continued on 7a
The Ferry Township Fire Department might be just a few weeks away from having its own medical first responder unit. In an update to the Oceana County Board of Commissioners Nov. 10, county ambulance Director Lance Corey told the board that the Ferry department has been working for some time on developing a medical first responder unit. Corey said the unit is close to being active, and said the fire department wants it up and running by the first of the year. He estimated the department would handle 35-50 calls per year. “They’re a lot closer than they’ve been in the past,” Corey said. In an Oct. 12 letter to the board, Ferry Fire Department Lt. Christopher Ernst wrote that the department is looking to serve Ferry, Otto, Newfield and Greenwood townships. The idea is to serve all of Ferry Township, the northeast corner of Otto Township, the northwest corner of Greenwood Township and the west half of Newfield Township. Ernst also wrote that the Ferry department is seeking approval from the Hesperia Area Fire board to provide medical first responder service in the Hesperia Area Fire District Area. “We hoped this would shorten the time patients have from time of 9-1-1 call to arrival of trained personnel; also being that the majority of this area is rural forested land, the additional manpower for difficult terrain and areas that may not be accessible by ambulance is beneficial,” Ernst wrote. “We plan to respond to all priority 1 and 2 calls for service, and upon request of EMS personnel, to priority 3 calls.” The letter indicates department members have completed months of planning and training and the department is seeking certification through the state. Currently, Grant, Pentwater and Walkerville fire departments have medical first responder teams.
Monument committee investigating next steps after engraved bricks begin to deteriorate
• Contributed photo
Pentwater’s Smart Streets Plan Work Group members, clockwide, Colleen Moser, Jared Griffis, Jeff Hodges, Terry Valenzano, Norm Shotwell, Juanita Pierman, Ted Cuchna, Don Palmer, Mark Benner and Dan Hoekstra take part in a Thursday, Nov. 10 meeting to discuss the groups next steps following voter’s 2-1 approval of a bond proposal to help fund the village’s street repair.
Pentwater street group moves forward following approval of bond
Buoyed by Pentwater Village voters’ 2-1 approval of the Street Improvement Plan bond proposal, the Smart Streets Plan Work Group was back at work Thursday, Nov. 10 to begin mapping out the next steps. “We are deeply humbled by the wide margin of support,
and thank everyone who voted yes,” said Norm Shotwell. “It’s heartening to see so many of our neighbors accepting the case we made after engineers we hired concluded that 70
STREET IMPROVEMENT
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continued on 7a
Issues have developed with the engraved brick walkway at Veterans Memorial Park in Hart. The Oceana Veterans Monument Committee recently reported that paint on the letters of many of the bricks has faded prematurely. The committee also reported that it has been in contact with the engraving company to resolve the issue only to learn that the company has discontinued sand blast engraving in favor of laser engraving. The committee also reported that for all the bricks to be uniform, the company would have to redo all the bricks. “We were encouraged by this and believed we could have the problem solved. However, it took several months to get the laser into operation, and they needed training to learn how to operate it,” committee member John Urick said during the Veterans Day ceremony at Hart’s Veteran’s Memorial Park. “Eventually we received some sample bricks with the laser generated lettering. We are reviewing the results and also have other options to consider.” “We want to get this right,” Urick continued. “As it stands right now our goal
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Andrew Skinner • Oceana’s Herald-Journal
The inscription of a number of the bricks in honor of area military veterans at Hart’s Veterans Memorial Park have begun to deteriorate and the Oceana Veterans Monument Committee is looking into a way to remedy the issue. The walkway was installed in 2013 as part of a fundraiser for upgrades at the park.
is the have the situation corrected before Memorial Day 2017 if at all possible. We appreciate the patience of those that have bricks on order . We sincerely apologize to those affected by this problem, and we thank you for bearing with us. You can rest
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assured that we are committed to getting this resolved.” The engraved brick walkway at Veteran’s Memorial Park is a fundraiser that financed the engraving of the Roll of Honor on the granite veteran’s monument.
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