Ptw #2 2015

Pentwater This Week JUNE 2 - JUNE 16

Tr ansplant br other s Gordon Veldman and Fred Nelis share a remarkable story of a second chance at life

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PTW Photo by Andrew Skinner

It’s hidden far away…

Contents 2 Transplant brothers Gordon Veldman and Fred Nelis share a remarkable story of a second chance at life

4 Pentwater bike trail

to be topic of community discussion

5 Events Check the calendar PTW Photo by Andrew Skinner

6 Pentwater library

again eyes village parcel

8 Pentwater Start of Summer Party planned for June 7

10 Farmers market season underway in Pentwater

12 Museum to host traveling exhibits

14 Revamped sign

to ‘welcome’ visitors

ptw Pentwater This Week • June 2, 2015

Published by Oceana’s Herald-Journal 123 State St., Hart MI 49420 Published May 1, June 2 & June 16 and weekly July 7 thru Aug. 25, 2015 Distributed free at Pentwater locations.

Jim Young • Publisher, advertising manager Andrew Skinner • Editor © 2015 Community Media Group

News items may be contributed by e-mailing ptw@oceanaheraldjournal. com; mailing to 123 State St., Hart MI 49420. Deadline is Tuesday noon for the following Tuesday edition.

Follow PTW: Pentwater This Week on Facebook to comment on stories and for a link to the PTW e-Edition.

JUNE 2 - JUNE 16

Jackilyn Baisden

Welcome to Pentwater

Pentwater is the place that I’ve called home for the past 18 years, and I still struggle with how to verbalize all of the characteristics that make it special.

As a child I grew up in my family’s home in the woods of Pentwater Township. I spent almost every waking moment in the forest. Some of my favorite activities included catching the brightly colored butterflies that loved to settle on the flowers my mother planted every spring and making homes for the many frogs that hopped around the hill behind the house. The way the sunlight shone through the leaves of the many trees that surrounded me on my solitary walks made me feel like I really was in a fairy tale – my very own Narnia!

It’s no wonder that I loved books before I could even properly read them.

Every day outside became an adventure with my vivid imagination. As I became older and wanted to “hang out” more with friends, downtown became the place to be. With all of the shops and restaurants we could spend all day just walking up and down Hancock Street, wandering along the channel and lying out on the beach.

Even going to school here was a great experience. When you have a class comprised of only 22 students you get to

know every one of them well and you learn quickly that you need to get along – because you’ll see all of the same faces in almost all of your classes.

I graduated from Pentwater High School, I worked in the same shop downtown (Decors by Sandra) for nine consecutive summers, and I came back after college because this small village along the shore of Lake Michigan is my home.

Many Pentwater residents seek work outside of Pentwater because when it comes to employment opportunities the pickings are slim. However, I was fortunate enough to find employment in my favorite place — the library. I’ve been at the Pentwater Township Library for almost two years. I’m currently the acting library director and count myself lucky to interact with amazing Pentwater visitors and residents. The talented library staff is always happy to answer questions, assist with library needs, or just enjoy a friendly chat, so be sure to stop by.

Unfortunately I cannot list all of Pentwater’s best traits in one short article, but I can say that there is something for everyone in this gem of a town. Welcome to our magical home!

– Jackilyn Baisden

PENTWATER THIS WEEK 1

Tr ansplant br other s

“I was

probably two months from the end when I got the call from the doctor at Spectrum. He said, ‘You’ve got to come in now. Have I got a pair for you!’”

— Gordon Veldman

2 PENTWATER THIS WEEK

Gordon Veldman and Fred Nelis share a remarkable story of a second chance at life

BY MARY BETH CRAIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Imagine having such limited lung capacity that walking 10 feet is tantamount to climbing Mt. Everest.

Imagine spending your nights propped up on pillows, gasping for breath.

For friends Gordon Veldman and Fred Nelis, this was a daily reality. Until they underwent the organ transplant operations that gave them new life.

But that’s not the most remarkable part of the story.

Veldman, a 67-year-old Pentwater resident, suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the result of a genetic disorder known as Alpha-1 that was slowly destroying his lungs. Sixty-year-old Nelis, of Holland, was diagnosed at age 39 with idiopathic cardiomyopathy, a rare progressive heart disease.

Their conditions were rapidly deteriorating when, on the same day, June 18, 2014, each received the call he’d been waiting for from Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids. Two lungs and a heart had become available.

Both men underwent immediate transplant surgery.

But here’s the kicker. Although Gordon and Fred had known each other for 10 years, neither was aware that the other was in the hospital.

And neither had any idea that their new organs came from the same donor.

“We met through the brother of Fred’s wife, Jean,” recalls Veldman.

“I’d go to weekend parties at his lake home in Holland, which was how I got to know Fred. We were longtime acquaintances, but not close friends.”

JUNE 2 - JUNE 16

“Before the transplant, I was resigned to dying. And now, the future is full of all the things I want to do. To even have a future is amazing,”

— Gordon Veldman

In the waiting room of the Meijer Heart Clinic, the families of the two men soon realized the uncanny coincidence and relayed the news to Gordon and Fred after their operations.

“I had no idea Gordon was also in dire straits,” Nelis says.

“I didn’t know about Fred’s condition,” Veldman smiles at his friend. “But the most incredible thing was when we were told that our organs came from the same donor.”

In essence, the two friends literally had become part of each other.

Since then, their story has gone viral.

“I’ve been having a lot of fun with this,” laughs Veldman.“We’ve gotten calls, e-mails, interview requests from all over the world. Which is wonderful, because what we really want to do is to spread the word about organ donation and how important it is to others whose lives depend on it. I wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for someone who said yes.”

The odds of one donor’s organs going to two friends just by chance are pretty astronomical.

And it was a definite first for Spectrum’s heart and lung transplant program. In an article in the Grand Rapids Press, Dr. Michael Dickinson, the program’s medical director, admitted that “It’s pretty wild. We thought it was quite a remarkable story when it happened.”

Relaxing in the living room of Veldman’s home situated high above Pentwater Lake, the “transplant brothers” could, in some ways, be real brothers. Both share the same sturdy Dutch heritage. Both are avid fitness advocates.

And both are a towering 6’3.”

“Two big Dutch boys,” laughs Nelis.

Out the windows, the magnificent panoramic view of the water that seems to stretch out to infinity, seems pointedly symbolic of Veldman’s new life.

“Before the transplant, I was resigned to dying,” he reflects.“And now, the future is full of all the things I want to do. To even have a future is amazing.”

For both men, that future can be credited to three things. The transplants were certainly number one. But they might not have been as successful as they were—or, in Gordon’s case, even viable—had not exercise and attitude played a key role.

Nelis was a competitive swimmer. Veldman had always been active. Hiking, running, bik-

ing and sailing were central to his life. That, it turned out, was a good thing when it came to qualifying for transplant surgery.

“Spectrum wanted certification for someone they knew would make it through,” Gordon remembers. “Two years ago, at the point where my pulmonologist said that a double lung transplant was possible, things were really bad.

I couldn’t walk 10 feet. My Segway was the only way I could get around town. I couldn’t eat a meal because digestion requires oxygen in the blood and I didn’t have the digestive energy.

So I had to eat small amounts throughout the day.”

Nonetheless, because Veldman had always

been so fit, he was able to qualify for surgery.

“They put me through three months of testing in three weeks. And I got the lungs a month later.”

Veldman was a service rep for Xerox in Holland when he was transferred to the Ludington/Manistee area in 1981. He bought a home in Pentwater, the town of his dreams.

“From the time I was a little boy, I had a fascination with anything to do with water,” he recalls. “When I was growing up in Grand Rapids, we didn’t have much to do with boats. But as a child I drew pictures of lighthouses and

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

Photos: On the cover, Gordon Veldman, left, gives his friend Fred Nelis a big hug during a recent visit at Veldman’s Pentwater home. Friends for 10 years, Veldman and Nelis are recent organ transplant recipients, remarkably from the same

donor. During visits, the two enjoy getting the donor organs, Veldman’s lungs and Nelis’ heart, as close to each other as they can. Opposite page, Veldman and Nelis will mark the one year anniversary of their transplants later this month. This page above, Veldman stands next to the Segway he used to get around prior to his lung transplant.

PTW Cover Photo by Andrew Skinner

JUNE 2 - JUNE 16

PENTWATER THIS WEEK 3

G OVERNMENT Pentwater bike trail to be topic of community discussion Pentwater This Week

A Pentwater bike trail, more easily and safely connecting area residents to the 22.5-mile William Field Memorial Hart-Montague Rail Trail, has been a frequent topic around town.

According to the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, Michigan is the nation’s “#1 Trails State” with 2,712 miles of rail trails. This

Village master plan update to be considered The Village of Pentwater Planning Commission will host a public hearing Wednesday, June 17 at 7 p.m. in the Pentwater Community Board Room to consider an update to the Pentwater Village Master Plan.

The draft plan may be seen at the village hall during normal business hours and at www. pentwatervillage.org.

Written comments will be taken by the planning commission until noon, June 17 at 327 S. Hancock, P.O. Box 622, Pentwater, MI 49449, at zoning@pentwatervillage.org or at the meeting.

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includes the William Field Memorial Hart-Montague Rail Trail, which has created a very successful recreation and economic development corridor. When the trail was constructed on the former Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad property in the 1980s, the idea of continuing the trail to Pentwater was explored.

A committee to determine what bike enthusiasts need, explore the viability of possible routes and ultimately make recommendations for next step in connecting Pentwater to the rail trail will take place Thursday, June 11 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at the Pentwater Village Hall.

Moderated by Claudia Ressel-Hodan, the

meeting will gauge interest in forming a study committee. Topics are to include relevant biking developments, the biking market’s current and potential economic impact on village businesses, and the earlier discussions about extending the rail trail to Pentwater.

The Pentwater’s Downtown Development Authority plans to offer visitors free use of a number of bicycles that were abandoned in the village and have now been reconditioned and repurposed. The innovative project is led

by DDA member Ressel-Hodan.

For more information, contact Ressel-Hodan at 231-233-9717.

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Calendar of Events

Sunday • June 7

This Week and Beyond

Thursday • June 11

Every week

… Bingo, every Friday, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Pentwater VFW Hall. … Sunday, folk music jam sessions, 1:30-4 p.m., Goodstuffs, downtown Pentwater. … Pentwater Township Library Preschool Story Hour, Tuesdays and Fridays, 11 a.m. … Monday Night Family Team Trivia, 7 p.m., Village Pub & Cafe, through Labor Day. … Tuesday Night Comedy, 9 p.m., Village Pub & Cafe, through Labor Day. … Thursday Teen Night, 9 p.m., Village Pub & Cafe, through Labor Day. … Friday and Saturday Live Music, 7 p.m., Village Pub & Cafe, through Labor Day. … Pickin’ in Pentwater, 7 p.m., village green, Tuesdays through Aug. 25. … Pentwater Civic Band Concert, Thursdays, June 25 through Aug. 27, 8 p.m., Pentwater Village Green. … Pentwater Farmers’ Market, Mondays and Thursdays, through Sept. 7, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., village green. … Pentwater Historical Society, Museum open 1-4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday June through August and Thursday through Saturday September and October. … Chilling and Grilling, Pentwater Friendship Center, Wednesdays through Aug. 19.

Tuesday-Wednesday • June 2-July 15

… West Michigan Pike exhibit, Pentwater Historical Society Museum.

Wednesday • June 3

… HeartSong Drumming Circle, 7 p.m., Pentwater Township Library.

Bring your drum or percussion instrument and come share the rhythm.

Friday • June 5

… Shelby State Bank open house celebrating 10 years in Pentwater, noon to 2 p.m. Live music, food and fun.

JUNE 2 - JUNE 16

… Start of Summer Party, 5-8 p.m., Pentwater. Hot dogs, beverages and tableware provided, bring a dish to pass. Open to the public. … Pentwater bike trail community discussion, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Pentwater Village Hall.

Friday-Sunday • June 12-14

… National Asparagus Festival, Hart.

Grand Royale Parade, family activities, art & crafts fair, 5K Run, Asparagus Food Show and more.

Saturday • June 13

… Pentwater Community Garage Sale, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday-Sunday • June 13-14

… Michigan’s Free Fishing Weekend.

Sunday • June 14

… Garden Club of Pentwater Blue Star Memorial Marker ceremony, 2 p.m., Oceana County Courthouse lawn.

Saturday-Sunday • June 20-21

… Spring Fest Arts & Craft Fair, Pentwater Village Green. Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Over 125 art and craft shopping booths, music and food.

Sunday • June 21

… Father’s Day all-u-can eat pancake breakfast, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Pentwater Historical Society Museum.

Friday • June 26

… Fusion Fashion Show, 8 p.m., Pentwater Village Green. … Pentwater Arts Council Gallery Stroll, 5-8 p.m., downtown Pentwater.

Friday • July 3

… The Miller Scholarship Pie Contest & Auction, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pentwater Village Green. … Pentwater fireworks & Twilight Summer Concert, dusk.

Don’t Miss These Annual Events!

Easter on the Green Saturday before Easter.

Memorial Day Parade at 10 a.m., services at marina, village green, cemetery.

Garden Club of Pentwater plant sale Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.

Start of Summer party first Sunday in June.

Spring Fest arts and crafts fair third weekend in June.

Community-wide garage sale second Saturday in June.

Pentwater Civic Band Concerts Each Thursday, 8 p.m., village green, last Thursday in June, through Labor Day. Fusion Fashion Show last Friday in June, on the village green, 8 p.m.

Fireworks over Lake Michigan July 3 each year.

Pie Auction July 3 each year.

Pentwater Jr. Women’s Club Juried Pentwater Art & Craft Fair second Saturday in July.

Garden Stroll and “Blooming Arts” third Saturday in July.

Pentwater Homecoming second full weekend in August (Weekends start Thursdays).

MSU Tailgate Party The Saturday of Homecoming, behind the Village Pub. Wine and Art at the Harbor Second Saturday in September.

Beer tent downtown Third Saturday in September.

Pentwater Fall Festival Fourth weekend in September.

Oktoberfest Second Saturday in October.

Halloween on the Green Saturday before Halloween.

Spooktaclular Halloween Parade Saturday before Halloween.

Christmas Craft Fair First Saturday in December at the school.

PENTWATER THIS WEEK 5

Pentwater library again eyes village parcel PENTWATER — Once again, the Pentwater Township Library is showing interest in a village-owned lot on the southeast corner of Hancock and Wythe streets as a potential site for a new library.

The Pentwater Village Council May 11 authorized village Manager Rob Allard to begin discussing with library representatives the legalities involved for the library to obtain the parcel.

The library has shown interest in the parcel for several years. The village already has a reverter clause for the property at the existing library location at Park and Rush streets that would see the village take ownership if the library is vacated. The reverter clause was included in the deed when the village deeded the current property to the library.

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Pentwater’s Community Bank Proudly Serving Our Customers and Our Communities Since 1931

Lobby Hours:

Monday - Thursday 9am to 4pm Friday 9am to 5pm Saturday 9am to 12pm

Convenience Service Community

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30 Georgia Lane Pentwater, MI 49449 Cell: 231.206.2184 PTW Photo by Andrew Skinner

Garden club to dedicate memorial marker in Hart

The Garden Club of Pentwater will honor the Armed Forces of the United States by dedicating a Blue Star Memorial Marker on the lawn of the Oceana County Courthouse Sunday, June 14.

The Blue Star on the memorial marker was taken from the World War II service flag which was displayed in homes as a tribute to the men and women serving in the Armed Forces during World War II. Expanded in 1951, the Blue Star now represents all men and women who served, are currently serving or will serve in the Armed Services.

The garden club’s dedication ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. The ceremony will include guest speakers, music and refreshments. The public is invited to attend.

Summer Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-7pm; Sunday: 12-6pm Check out the new face of an old friend, a new shop in an old favorite.

189 Hancock St • Pentwater, MI 49449 www.pentwaterantiques.com 231-869-5026 JUNE 2 - JUNE 16

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Hair Culture Salon & Spa

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Beauty & Relaxation

240 S Hancock St., Pentwater • hairculturesalonandspa.com • 231.869.3223 ~ Located across from the Village Green ~

Petri Gallery

– Newly Expanded – • Paintings & Prints by Cheri & Bert Petri • Original Art including: Pottery, Jewelry, Glass & Wood by other artists.

• Weekly Art Classes

Check our website for upcoming classes! www.PetriGallery.com 44 - 2nd St., #2, Pentwater | 231.907.1680 PENTWATER THIS WEEK 7

PTW file Photo

Pentwater Start of Summer Party planned for June 7 Say hello to summer while enjoying a free meal in the streets of Pentwater with your neighbors and friends during the 19th annual Pentwater Start of Summer Party Sunday, June 7 from 5-8 p.m.

Hancock Street will be closed between Third and Fourth streets as picnic tables and a grill will be set up for an evening of friends and fun.

The event is free and open to the public. Hot dogs, chips and soft drinks will be provided.

People planning to attend are asked to bring a dish to share and are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs.

The Pentwater Public School Jazz Band will perform around 5 p.m. Following the jazz band, GoodMusicDJ.com will provide music.

Volunteers from the Lighthouse Lutheran Church will cook hot dogs. Pentwater business owners donate food and money for the successful event. Volunteers help set up tables in the street. There is no charge for the event others than bringing an appetizer, salad, casserole or dessert to share. For information contact the village office at 869-8301.

8 PENTWATER THIS WEEK

JUNE 2 - JUNE 16

Pentwater Community Garage Sale June 13 The Village of Pentwater and surrounding area will be packed with bargain hunters Saturday, June 13 as the chamber of commerce hosts the annual Pentwater Community Garage Sales from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

PTW file Photo

Lighthouse Lutheran seeks garage sale donations

This annual event creates summer deals and fun for all as home owners sell their items that may just turn into your treasures.

Maps to garage sales will be available at the Pentwater Chamber of Commerce beginning June 11.

To register a garage sale with the chamber call 869-4150 by June 5. There is a $10 fee to be included on the map.

The congregation of the Lighthouse Lutheran Church in Pentwater is seeking donations for their garage sale during annual Pentwater Garage Sales, Saturday, June 13.

The garage sale is the church’s only fundraiser and proceeds are used to heat the church in the winter.

Donations may be dropped off at the church pavilion, 8786 N. Business 31, or contact 8696591 to schedule a pick-up.

CFOC_PTW_wk1.pdf 5/9/11 9:53:14 AM

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2015 Pentwater Farmers Market vendors

PTW file Photo

Farmers market season underway in Pentwater The Pentwater Farmers Market is again in full swing. The twice a week market officially got underway Monday, June 2 and will continue Mondays and Thursdays though Labor Day on the Pentwater Village Green from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

New this year, wine tasting and sales will be allowed at the farmers market. The Pentwater Village Council approved May 11 to waive its ordinance prohibition against alcohol consumption on the village green so wine tasting could be a part of the market. The move was recommended by the building and grounds committee after it received a request through the chamber of commerce.

The approval allows for up to three wineries to participate. Cham-

ber Director Eva Gregwer said the law will allow one permit for every 1,500 people based on the township or counties population, prompting council to use the county’s population as part of its approval.

Council emphasized it wanted signs posted by participating wineries that only sampling, and not wine consumption, will be allowed.

This year’s market will feature 26 vendors offering local wines, goat cheese, flour and sugar. You can find the finest in everything local - from organic produce to baked goods, pasta, beef, pork, lamb, chicken, eggs, honey, soaps, trees and wool.

For more information, contact the Pentwater Chamber of Commerce at 231-869-4150.

The SecreT Garden Come see our beautiful garden on-site located outside behind the store!

• Home & Garden Décor • Cards & Gifts • Fresh Plants for Sale • Floral Design • Vintage Finds

231-869-7300 218 S. Hancock St. Pentwater

10 PENTWATER THIS WEEK

Backwoods Homemade Wine of Irons, Mich. — Wine and wine tasting.

Bella Gardens of Shelby, Mich. — Fruit, vegetables, baked goods, cut flowers and tortillas.

Cherry Point Farm Market of Shelby, Mich. — Fruit, vegetables and baked goods.

Country Winds Creamery of Zeeland, Mich. — Goat cheese (chevre, crottin, feta, gouda and tomme).

Farmstand Market & Dairy of Montague, Mich. — Vegetables, berries, eggs, maple syrup and baked goods.

Fungi for the People of Pentwater, Mich. — Mushrooms.

Gina’s Baskets of Rothbury, Mich.

— Homemade market baskets.

Great Lakes Soapworks of Manistee, Mich. — Soap, lotion, lip balm and sprays.

Grinwis Farms of Montague, Mich.

— Vegetables and fruit.

Kandy Land Dairy of Scottville, Mich. — Goat cheese, milk, yogurt and eggs.

Lake Effect Apiaries of Shelby, Mich. — Honey, comb honey, beeswax, bee pollen and candles.

Liberty Family Farm & Bakery of Hart, Mich. — Vegetables, lamb, pork, chicken, wool, baked goods and eggs.

Little Red Organics of Freesoil, Mich. — Vegetables, cut flowers and chicken.

The Local Epicurean of Grand Rapids, Mich. — Homemade pasta and pesto.

Many Blessings Market of Hart, Mich. — Vegetables, fruit, garlic and maple syrup.

Maple Moon Farm of Shelby, Mich. — Vegetables, herbs, herbal tea, lip balm, herbal creams and salves.

In Michigan Oven of Hart, Mich.

— Dried fruit, muffin mix, flour and sugar.

Noteware Candy Company of Manistee, Mich. — Caramels, fudge, chocolates, trail mixes and fresh brewed coffee.

Nunez Nursery and Produce of Manistee, Mich. — Vegetables, fruit, trees and shrubs.

Oink Acres of Scottville, Mich.

— Vegetables, raspberries and sunflowers.

Rugglesvilles Big Springs Goat Milk Soaps of Hart, Mich. — Tallow goat milk soaps.

Semelbauer Farms of Montague, Mich. — Beef, pork, picked veggies, salsa, lemonade and pesto.

September’s Herbs & Produce of Montague, Mich. — Fresh cut flowers and produce.

Vartian Farms of Hart, Mich. — Vegetables, herbs, eggs, baked goods, maple syrup, wool and wooden objects.

Wheeler Farms of Hart, Mich — Flowers, jams & jelly, baked goods, vegetables and fruit.

Yellow Dog Maple Syrup of Pentwater, Mich. — Maple syrup.

Richard Williams, DDS

General Dentistry

540 N. Hancock St. Located in Pentwater, MI

231-869-5788

We accept Medicare JUNE 2 - JUNE 16

Lakewood Senior

Manufactured Home Community

One of the nicest & most affordable Home Sites in Pentwater!

Largest Variety of Draft/Craft Beer in the Area.

• Full Menu • Full Bar •Local Buffalo & Elk Burgers • Beef Burgers • Daily Specials - Lunch - Dinner • Weekday Happy Hour

• Bicycle & Walking Distance to Beach & Downtown • 3 blocks to Senior Center & Library • Site Rentals & New Home Sales

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h ave be en Whe re th e Lo ca ls Ye ars Mee ti ng for 81 Families are Welcome!

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2nd Level Full Bar Overlooking the Village Green (seasonal) Open 7 Days a Week Take-Out or Dine-In • Credit Cards Accepted Proud Supporter of the Pent water Community

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of Pentwater Open Daily 11-11

(Memorial Day-Labor Day) Limited hours til mid-June Just 2 mi. north of Pentwater

8942 N. Bus. 31 • 231 869-5641

• Mini-Golf • Go-Karts • redeMption arcade • picnic pavilion • ice creaM

Adjacent to Hill & Hollow Campground

Galley Cafe

Located Next Door...Open to the Public!

Serving Breakfast & Lunch

Discover. Excellence.

Committed to building beautiful new homes and renovating current homes in the Pentwater area, along the lakeshore, and throughout Northern Michigan for over 35 years.

Downtown Pentwater, 144 Hancock St. | Office hours – Mon., Wed., Fri. from 8am – 5pm, or by appointment

JUNE 2 - JUNE 16

231.241.1000 www.scottchristopherhomes.com

PENTWATER THIS WEEK 11

Museum to host traveling exhibits Moved last year from the basement of the Pentwater Village Hall to the renovated, former First Baptist Church, the Pentwater Historical Society’s Museum is now open to visitors through October. Hours are 1-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday from June through August, and 1-4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday during September and October.

A traveling collection of photographs taken

by Vincent Musi called “Yesterday on the West Michigan Pike” are currently on display at the museum through July 15. The “Pike” was conceived by West Michigan leaders in 1911 so motorists could travel from Chicago up the lakeshore to the Straits of Mackinac on smooth roads instead of deep ruts, mud and sand.

Pentwater was included along that route.

“We are excited to now be able to host traveling exhibits like this one,”Ed Bigelow, Pentwater Historical Society Museum director said.

A second special exhibit “Lost and Found Shipwrecks of West Michigan” will be exhibited at the museum from July 21 through Sept. 15.

“Our museum is better than ever,” said Bigelow, “thanks to the volunteer efforts of many. Since last fall, they (volunteers) performed tasks such as clearing the grounds of fall and winter debris, machining 32 new bell tower louvers that will soon be installed, renovating lower level rooms to make them comfortable and functional, continued repairing of stained glass windows and adding main floor electrical outlets. This allowed us to relocate display cabinets and make room for traveling and special displays.”

The museum’s displays are constantly evolving.“We continue to add to our permanent collection as people with a connection to Pentwater visit or hear about the museum and donate artifacts,” Bigelow said.

One such item acquired last fall and installed over the winter is a section of slate blackboard from the old Pentwater School building. “It’s probably been touched by every student educated in that wonderful building. It was fun to have Lucy Macher’s Pentwater Elementary School third grade class visit the museum.

Each student wrote their name on that blackboard. Perhaps some have early family members who did the same years ago.”

During 2014, nearly 2,000 visitors experi-

enced Pentwater history as displayed in the museum. Almost 700 artifacts were received from 80 individual donors.

Admission to the museum is free, but contributions are welcomed and several levels of memberships are offered.

The historical society will host a pair of fundraisers, a Father’s Day “All You Can Eat” Pancake Breakfast from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, June 21; and a Summer Tea Party at 3 p.m. July 18 later this summer.

28th Season

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Friendship center upcoming June events The Pentwater Friendship Center, 310 N. Rush St., will host a handful of events this June.

The friendship center will host “Chilling and Grilling” every Wednesday through Aug. 19. Call 869-7901 to RSVP. New this month, the center will host yoga with Laurie Leversey every Tuesday and Friday morning, beginning, June 2 at 8:30 a.m.

June birthdays will be celebrated Thursday, June 4 at noon. Those celebrating a birthday in June are free.

The Pentwater Senior Inc. meeting will take place June 10 at 12:45 p.m.

Monday Night Dinner, featuring a picnic style BBQ pulled pork, baked beans, potato salad, appetizers and desserts, will be June 15.

Call 869-7901 by June 12 to RSVP. A Father’s Day lunch is planned for June 18.

The Pentwater Walking Club will meet at 10 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for a walk around town or down to the beach.

Local winery

wine tasting & sales

7365 S. Pere Marquette Hwy. 4 miles north of Pentwater 231•869•4236 vineyards winery jomagrha.com

Jomagrha

Open Daily • Noon - 6 p.m.

Cafe & Pub Cafe Now Open Daily serving all your favorites!

Enjoy Steaks, Salads & Seafood • Dine In or On The Deck Overlooking Beautiful Pentwater Lake Lunch & Dinner • 231-869-4626 Kitchen open everyday until 9pm - Fri. & Sat. until 10pm

Live Music Friday & Saturday Nights at the

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Stand Up Paddle Boards & Kayaks for Sale & Rent!

Crocs • Oakley • Woolrich • Columbia Maui Jim • Teva

All your beach needs!

Pentwater T’s & Sweats 231-869-4634

www.provisionssportshop.com

231.869.8328 119 s. hancock st. • pentwater JUNE 2 - JUNE 16

Comedy every Tuesday thru Sept.

Teen Night every Thursday All Summer Dancing Friday & Saturday Serving Burgers, Pizza & Appetizers!

Open 4pm daily & Noon on Saturday

231-869-4626 www.thevillagecafeandpub.com

Open Daily for Lunch & Dinner Breakfast & Bloody Mary Bar available on Saturdays & Sundays, 8:30-11:30am

Casual Dining & Cocktails on our Deck overlooking Pentwater Lake Check out our website for upcoming Live Music

Pentwater unique clothing, jewelry & accessories for women of all ages

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The Landing Store:

• Packaged Craft Beer & Wine • MI Beer & Wine • T-Shirts • Souvenirs

www.gulllanding.com • 231-869-4215 Downtown Pentwater under the water tower PENTWATER THIS WEEK 13

Revamped sign to ‘welcome’ visitors to Pentwater

PTW Photo by Andrew Skinner

Visitors making their way into town from the south this summer will be welcomed to Pentwater by revamped welcome sign installed over the Memorial Day weekend.

The redesigned sign is still situated amongst the garden maintained to by the Garden Club of Pentwater on the triangle property, now owned by the village, where Monroe Road and Sixth Street merge.

The new sign painted by artist and Pentwater Deputy ClerkTreasurer Barb Siok includes the message “Welcome to Pentwater” in black lettering over a blue and green background which includes the Village of Pentwater’s logo, a portion of the village gazebo, a sailboat, the Pentwater Channel and south pier marker.

The new look replaces the saying “Pentwater Welcomes You!” over a white 108background.

THREADS PTW2015.pdf 1 According to Garden Club of

Pentwater President Carole Hooper the sign came about last fall as club members noted the welcome sign was in need of new paint. “Because the sign belongs to the village, we brought our concern to our councilman Dan Hoekstra, who had just been designated Chairman of the Building & Grounds Committee,” Hopper said.

Hoekstra agreed the sign needAM ed4/21/15 painting11:14 and asked the service

club if it would take on the project, which members generously agreed to facilitate.

“It was my idea to do the background with the official village logo,” Pentwater Service Club President Bill Maxwell said. “It is more for the people that take pictures in front of the sign. I often see people taking pictures of it. The back ground was strictly for picture taking, if you look close as you pass

it you can see the different colors, but you can’t make it out,” Maxwell added.

According to Maxwell, the project was approved by Pentwater Village President Juanita Pierman, and Pentwater Village Manager Rob Allard.

The triangle property was donated to the village in May 2010 by sisters Bethany and Melissa Sherfinski who inherited the property from their mother, Constance (Loree) Voss, who passed away in 2008.

The village has used the property for the welcome sign for as long as many people can remember.

Register of deeds records indicate that Frances Loree (Constance’s father) purchased the property for $159.83 in November of 1988 on a tax sale from the Estate of Carrie E. Mears (daughter of lumber and business baron Charles Mears).

Sharing our students’ success with the community who help make it happen!

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Pentwater Pride!

With our school year extended due to winter weather, we have more days to pack in a variety of enrichment activities for our students. Our students have The Pentwater Public School Band traveled to been busy Washington DC between May 7-10, playing in

front of the Washington Memorial on the 70th ● Job shadowing with local employers anniversary of VE Day. Students had an opportunity to visit dozens of the memorials and ex● Exploring nature at local state parks hibits. They walked away from the experience ● Watching K­12 Chinese Acrobats sponsored by our PTCO with a deeper understanding of the significance of our nation's capital and its significance over ● Visiting West Shore Community College for Mind Trekkers (a science the years. and engineering day) ● Competing in the Grace Youth Math Competition In addition to the lifetime memory of performing in Washington DC, students also performed ● Celebrating Grandparents Day throughout the community, from parades, to ● Investigating the Sand Castles Museum in Ludington (Grades K,1) jazz band performances at multiple events, to ● Volunteering on Community Pride Day entertaining senior citizens throughout the year.

Members of our band learn more than music ● Performing on Mackinac Island (Junior High Band) from their first hour class, they learn how music is a language that transcends all boundaries to unite all of us.

“Where everybody is somebody”

www.pentwater.k12.mi.us Pentwater Public School - Where everybody is somebody!

231.869.4100

JUNE 2 - JUNE 16 Mary Marshall, Superintendent/Principal mmarshall@pentwater.k12.mi.us

Home of the Notorious “Bear Burger”

Full Menu • Full Bar lunch & Dinner SpecialS 2nD level Seating & Balcony overlooking downtown and the village green

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(231) 869-5444

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401(k) and 403(b) & IRA Rollovers Life Insurance and Legacy Planning Roth IRA Conversion Strategies Trust and Cottage Trust Funding Mutual Funds, Stocks, Bonds and ETF’s Investment Advisory Services Long Term Care Insurance Call today for a free consultation!

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347 S. Hancock, Ste. 204 PO Box 71 Pentwater, MI 49449 www.pentwater.com

JUNE 2 - JUNE 16

Securities and advisory services offered through SII Investments, Inc. (SII), member FINRA/ SIPC and a Registered Investment Advisor. Platinum Wealth Management Group, Inc. and SII are separate and unrelated companies. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, in the U.S. SII Investments, Inc. and Platinum Wealth Management Group, Inc DO NOT provide legal or tax advice.jsg

PENTWATER THIS WEEK 15

Fish for free, June 13-14

Families and friends can enjoy one of Michigan’s premiere outdoor activities for free June 13-14.

All fishing license fees will be waived for two days. Residents and out-of-state visitors may enjoy fishing on both inland and Great Lakes’ waters for all species of fish. All fishing regulations will still apply.

For many, the annual Free Fishing Weekend has become a tradition — a time to get together and have some fishing fun.

Experienced anglers who offer a child or young adult the chance to take their first fishing trip can provide a rewarding experience for all. People who fish tend to understand the natural aquatic network of plants and animals that help to sustain fish as well as the regulations that govern fishing in Michigan.

Michigan offers some of the finest freshwater fishing in the world with more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, more than 11,000 inland lakes and tens of thousands of miles of rivers and streams.

Ken AdAms & sons Excavating total Excavating SErvicES

• Dredging, Hauling & Disposal • Excavating • Helicoil Installation • Gravel & Sand • Dozer & Loader • Land Clearing • Basement Excavating

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• Liquor • Gas • Beer • Wine d Goods • Locally Made Bake Cream • Ice Box Brand Ice

Outdoor Fresh Produce Market Coming Soon!

Open at 7am • 231-869-3220 9580 N. Bus-31, just North of Downtown Pentwater

Pentwater Dari Creme Mini Golf & “The Store”

...a short walk from the beach

NEW “THe STore”

Camping Supplies, Health & Beauty, Baked Goods.

Ice Cream Treats Galore!

And Much, Much More!

Plus Get It If You Forgot It...We’ve Probably Got It! & Go Food!

Pentwater’s Own

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Ice Cream Parlor Family Diner Over 41 Years Experience Free estimates!

Visit: michiganDiggers.com 231-869-5928 Fax 869-4620 PO Box 413 • 8770 N. Oceana Drive, Pentwater 16 PENTWATER THIS WEEK

House of Flavors 231.869.4009 210 Hancock - Across from the Village Green JUNE 2 - JUNE 16

Women’ club awards scholarships

• Contributed photo

The Pentwater Women’s Club awarded $8,000 in scholarships to five graduating Pentwater seniors Tuesday, May 13 during the school’s Honors Assembly. Students receiving scholarships are, seated from left to right, Nicholas Anscombe, Savannah Slikkers, Jordan Lucas, Sam Wagner and Tyler Quinn; they are joined by Pentwater Women’s Club members, back row from left to right, Norma Oly, 2nd Vice President; Kathy Davis, Scholarship Chair; Deborah Atchetee; Stanley Roose, Presenter; Sally Ouweneel, President; Betty Graham; Elaine Bell; Nancy Mertes; Donna Renshaw, 2nd Vice President; Janet Nelson, Treasurer; and Judy Jankowski. Anscombe and Quinn were also awarded $1,000 scholarships each in memory of Club member Elaine M. Roose.

3 blocks from Lake Michigan and 1 block from downtown!

Perfect Pentwater location Private baths ~ WiFi

• Toys • Kites • Board Games • Water Toys • Games & Puzzles

28 Years Est. 1988

167 S. Hancock St. Downtown Pentwater 231-869-7004 • www.pwtoybox.com

Pentwater’s

Only Full Service

Coffee & Tea House

Manicures Pedicures Haircuts Color

serving breakfast sandwiches all day! full food menu to begin in June.

• hot, ice or blended espresso drinks • freshly ground & brewed gourmet coffee • fruit smoothies • over 50 organic loose leaf teas • fresh squeezed lemonade

The Village grounds

Waxing

231-869-2111

42 W. Second St. • PO Box 33 Pentwater, MI 49449 JUNE 2 - JUNE 16

Baked Goods made from scratch!

Coffeehouse + Bakery + Bistro 240 s. hanCoCk • Pentwater 231-869-5994 • established in 2004 PENTWATER THIS WEEK 17

PTW Photo by Andrew Skinner

Pentwater celebrates Memorial Day

Pentwater

girl

Township Library 402 East Park • 869-8581 Mon. & Thurs. 9-8:30; Tues., Wed. & Fri. 9-5; Sat. 9-2

Drumming Circle at 7:00 pm Wednesday, June 3 at the library.

Author, Mardi Jo Link will be at the Methodist church at 7pm on June 10.

Want to look your best wherever life takes you?

We can help you acheive a healthy, radiant glow that goes with everything this season.

57 E. First St., Pentwater 18 PENTWATER THIS WEEK

JUNE 2 - JUNE 16

TRANSPLANT BROTHERS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 sailboats. Something in me wanted the winddriven boat experience.”

He found it in Pentwater, where he joined the Pentwater Yacht Club and became, over the years, the owner of nine boats and a sailor whose passion knew no bounds.

“What I love about sailing is you have the ability to move distances with nothing but the wind to propel you. And when the motor shuts off, the quiet takes over. You, the lake and the boat are one and all is well and you’re sailing to yet another adventure.”

In 1997, however, it looked like his adventure days might be over when he contracted double pneumonia following a botched surgery for a knee fracture.

“I almost died,” he shakes his head in recollection. “Things went downhill from there.”

A longtime runner, he began to notice that his lung capacity seemed to be diminishing.

“I’d do the Lakestride and saw that my times were getting longer and longer. I’d always been healthy and never smoked. So I didn’t know what was going on.”

It wasn’t until 2007 that doctors were able to pinpoint the cause: Alpha-1.

“They discovered Alpha-1 in the early 1980s,” Veldman explains. “It’s a genetic condition found in people from northern Europe.”

This came as a shock, as longevity seemed to be Veldman’s most likely genetic condition. His father died at 95, and his mother at 99.

“One of them was probably a carrier,” he surmises. “They never contracted the disease, but they passed it on.”

Still, Veldman refused to give the disease the upper hand, especially when it came to his beloved sailing. In 2009, he accomplished a major goal on his bucket list: to sail on the Bark Europa, an old-fashioned 1911 tall ship, as a crew member on an unforgettable three-month voyage.

“I expected the end was near, and I wanted to do this,” he reminisces. “I was paid crew, meaning I paid to be there. We sailed 7,000 JUNE 2 - JUNE 16

miles, setting out from Argentina. We went around Cape Horn to Antarctica. I felt I still had enough strength to do it, although I didn’t do much rig climbing or hiking. But I always wanted to know what it would be like to be a sailor on those old time rig ships, and it was a wonderful experience.”

By 2014, Veldman was operating at just 15 percent lung capacity.

“I was in a wheelchair. My face and fingers were blue. It was all I could do to talk.”

Veldman made his peace with death, he reflects, as its shadow came closer and closer.

“I could see my mortality in my friends’ eyes.

So, not only does he have a future to look forward to—he’s actually gotten back a little of his youth, a blessing he never expected.

“Idiopathic cardiomyopathy is essentially heart failure,” he notes. “It’s what old folks die of. But I was diagnosed when I was 39. It was a shock, because I was very fit—swimming was my life. I swam on Monday and was diagnosed on Friday. The doctor came in and said, you have a 15 percent chance of recovery, or you’ll need a heart transplant. That was quite a lot to digest, especially since it happened to be the day of my daughter’s 10th birthday.”

“He was very lucky he didn’t have a heart at-

Pentwater’s Gordon Veldman, right, discusses how his life has changed following a double lung transplant, in June 2014, with his friend and fellow transplant recipient Fred Nelis.

PTW Photo by Andrew Skinner

I looked so bad. So I started giving everything away. And I began going through all my photos of travel and adventures and realized I’d packed a whole lot into my lifetime, especially so many treasured friendships. I wasn’t afraid to die; I accepted that this was my fate.”

But fate, it turned out, had other ideas.

“I was probably two months from the end when I got the call from the doctor at Spectrum. He said, ‘You’ve got to come in now. Have I got a pair for you!”

The identity and other information about donors is never revealed. All Veldman knew was that his donor was a fit 32-year old man with the large lungs a man of his size required.

“Thirty-two-year-old athletic lungs are hard to come by,” he acknowledges.

And a 32-year-old healthy heart is just as prized, as Fred Nelis will tell you.

“Although my chronological age is 60, with a 32-year-old heart, I figure I’m 46,” he grins.

tack, because his heart was so compromised,” says Jean, Nelis’s wife of 33 years.“He was sleeping propped up on three pillows because he couldn’t breathe.”

“Every time I was prone, I’d gurgle,” nods Nelis.

His response to the diagnosis was to keep on exercising.

“I tried to outswim the Grim Reaper,” he smiles wryly. “But around three years ago my tolerance for exercise was falling off and I had the suspicion that my rope was getting shorter.”

That rope shortened even further in May of 2013, when Nelis was diagnosed with a-fib, a dangerous heart condition that never showed up during normal testing.

Although Nelis maintains that “I didn’t really

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20 PENTWATER THIS WEEK 19

TRANSPLANT BROTHERS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 ever think I was going to die,” his chances were perilously slim until he received his transplant.

And he’ll never forget how he felt when he woke up from surgery.

“You start calculating your life in milestones,” he says.“And the first milestone was waking up.

Then, six months is another milestone. Then, we just celebrated nine months. Finally, a year is really the bellwether for your longer leash.”

Veldman, too, recalls with piercing clarity the moment he first opened his eyes post-surgery.

“The first thing I remember is the transplant coordinator saying, ‘Take a deep breath!’ And I did.”

And what, exactly, has recovery been like?

“Life is brand new,” Veldman enthuses. “It shines. I’m a normal person. A month ago I was at the rim of the Grand Canyon and I could walk, I could breathe. It was a miracle.”

And another miracle is his new partner, Nancy Zielinski, from Ludington.

“Some friends had wanted to introduce us for two years,” he says. “But they were hesitant

Both Veldman and Nelis received their new organs from the same donor June, 18 2014.

PTW Photo by Andrew Skinner until I got the transplant. After the surgery, I met Nancy and it’s been wonderful. We’re planning to travel together—New Zealand, South America, Europe. We’re so happy. Things have all come together in one beautiful package.”

A package gift wrapped in Pentwater.

“I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” he fondly observes. “The people are the best part of Pentwater. The marvelous people, who have

been so supportive and such great friends over the years. And then there’s summer, with all the outdoor activities, and when all the tourists go home, there’s the wonderful quiet of the winter.”

As for Nelis, his big goal is to keep on turning the clock back.

“My delusions of grandeur are to go back to where I was when I was 40,” he chuckles.

“I’ve still got a long ways to go. But I’m getting there.”

Admittedly, it’s not all a bed of roses. Both men take between 35 and 40 medications daily because of the ever-present risk of rejection, which Veldman encountered three months into recovery and Nelis is currently on a higher Prednisone dosage to counteract. Nonetheless, they’re determined to enjoy every new minute they’ve been given.

“It’s 100 percent attitude,” maintains Veldman.

In other words, they can dream again.

Nelis smiles. “Oh, you never stop dreaming.”

If you would like more information on organ donation, check out Gift of Life organization or the DMV.

MI West shore realty Quintus & Donna Richard “Dick” Lound Renshaw Assoc. Broker Assoc. Broker

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LAKE HoME bEtWEEn PEntWAtER & Ludington

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112 S. Hancock St. • Pentwater • 231-869-5706 • Open for Business All Year Long!

20 PENTWATER THIS WEEK

JUNE 2 - JUNE 16

Celebrating Our 10th Season!!

Now serving Food in Silver Lake...

Donuts • Pulled Pork BBQ walking Tacos • Hot Dogs & More All Homemade!

• Famous Popcorn • Retro Candy • Ice Cream • Salt water Taffy

New Cold Treat experience

168 Hancock St, Pentwater 7944 N. Hazel Rd, Silver Lake 231-869-4852 231-873-3900 www.pentwaterpopcorn.com

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