Audit shows Laktown in solid shape
By Jim Hayden Correspondent Laketown Township is in solid financial shape, per its recently-completed audit. Siegfried Crandall principal accountant Joshua Gabrielse presented the 2023-24 fiscal year audit to the township board Wednesday, July 10. Highlights: • Laketown’s total net position…
‘Million Dollar Quartet heat up at SCA
The Million Dollar Quartet — rock’n’roll legends Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins — met in Memphis Dec. 4, 1956 for an epochal 1-day gig you can see re-created starting Aug. 10 at the Saugatuck Center…
City taps Thompson as new planning/zoning head
BY SCOTT SULLIVANEDITOR Saugatuck has appointed South Haven planning and zoning assistant Luke Thompson as its new cityhead of both. As planning and zoning director, Thompson fills a post city manager Ryan Cummins has doubled in since replacing former manager…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorThe Big Wave“One in five Michiganders,” says the Vertical Cherry website, “turn to alcohol for making big financial decisions.” Well, that explains things.“Do I dare to eat a peach?” I’d say in the day, overlooking the produce aisle.…
Venetian Fest brings back boom!
To arms, legs and hearts: The Venetian Fest is coming!The community’s annual celebration of life on our waterways arrives this weekend starting with a dance party Friday, July 26 in Saugatuck’s Coghlin Park; continues Saturday with an afternoon dinghy poker…
Life as Performance Art
On Saturday the thirteen of this month, Pat and I were out along the lakeshore for beautiful evening at Ox-Bow School of the Arts. There is not cell phone service there, so we missed hearing the news of the…
Mike’s Musings: One would never imagine an assassination attempt, a president resigning in one week
What a week for the history books. First a former president, now the leading candidate for president, survived an assassination attempt, then his opponent, the current president announced he would no longer be running for a second term.I’m still confused…
Deer, deer, they’re everywhere!
By Scott Sullivan Editor Douglas deer complaints keep rolling in. May Street resident Debbi Larsen wrote city council July 8: “Hello, I live in Douglas and have for the last 25 years. The deer population in the last 5 years…
Locals guide to Venetian Fest fun
The Saugatuck Venetian Festival, a perennial summertime celebration of life on our waterways, returns to town next weekend July 26-28. Fun will begin Friday with a dance party in Coghlin Park featuring ‘80s cover band Star Farm. The festival continues…
SPS Superintendent Travis to retire
Tim Travis is retiring as Superintendent of Saugatuck Public School effective Dec. 31. The school board accepted his retirement at Monday’s meeting. Travis has been an educator for 40 years, the last 20 here, including as middle/high school principal before…
Obituary: Victoria Anne “Vicki” Mayer (nee Thompson)
Victoria Anne “Vicki” Mayer (nee Thompson) passed away on July 6, surrounded by her loving family, after a five-year battle with fronto-temporal dementia, and primary progressive aphasia.Vicki was born June 9, 1962, in Chicago, the daughter of Jerry Thompson and…
Blue Star
NuclearLast week’s “STR cap may go nuclea’ anyway” story already has. Then came the shooting in Pennsylvania.I applaud Saugatuck City Council for trying to protect peace, quiet and safety in Community Residential neighborhoods. That’s what R-1 zoning is meant to…
You can get there from here!
By Scott SullivanEditorThe new roundabout at Blue Star Highway and Allegan Road opened formally Monday, but more than one motorist jumped the gun.“Look at them,” said Woodland Nursery owner Joe Migas, who for 39 years has kept alive John Mann’s…
Mike’s Musings: Tone down political Rhetric demand answers from ss
Like many of you I was in shock when I heard there was an assassination attempt on former president Trump’s life while he was speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania. It had been 43 years since the barbaric act of…
Life as Performance Art
Another “Old” in the grocery checkout lane ahead of me asked the clerk, “Is this the airport?”“What do you mean?” she asked, baffled.“I’d expect to pay this much for a bottle of water there, but not here,” he said.She rolled…
Douglas wins $1.3M to get lead out
By Scott Sullivan Editor Douglas has won a $1.3-million Michigan grant to replace lead service lines, city manager Lisa Nocerini announced last week. Starting Jan. 1, 2021, the state — now knowing lead in water lines posed health threats to…
Laketown 35-year manager Meshkin to bid adieu
By Jim Hayden Correspondence The Laketown Township Board is looking to replace 35-year Manager Al Meshkin, who announced his upcoming retirement July 3. “As a Laketown resident,” said Supervisor Linda Howell, “I thank Al for his contributions and hard work,…
STR cap may go ‘nuclear’ anyway
By Scott Sullivan Editor Saugatuck’s long road to short-term rental caps advanced Monday by a mixed vote, placing 20-percent limits in the R-1 Community Residential zone. The move — argued for a year-plus of task force, planning commission and city…
Obituary: Arthur Frederick
Arthur Frederick passed away peacefully in Holland, MI on July 1, 2024, at age 85.Born in Defiance, Ohio, on Feb. 5, 1939 to his late parents Arthur and Hannah Frederick, Arthur’s life was defined by hard work, selfless generosity and…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorChinatown“Let’s go to the Asian shop,” said Flannery.“Which Asian shop?” I asked.“The one I went to when I was 16.” That was eight years ago. “They had seaweed,” my daughter said.“I didn’t know you liked seaweed.”“I don’t,” she…
