Saugatuck/Douglas Commercial Record

Car-tree crash injures one

Car-tree crash injures one

Editorial Staff Sep 24, 2025 1 min read

By Scott Sullivan Editor The driver of a Honda CR-V suffered minor head lacerations after colliding with a hillside tree Sept. 15 near the corner of 60th Street and 128th Avenue in Saugatuck Township. The Saugatuck Township Fire District, Allegan…

Saugatuck volleyball team drops pair of tough matches

Editorial Staff Sep 24, 2025 2 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports EditorThe volleyball match between Saugatuck and Lawton on Thursday, Sept. 18, started well enough for the host Trailblazers.Saugatuck took the opening set 25-20.Unfortunately for the Trailblazers, they weren’t able to sustain that momentum and dropped the next…

Blue Star

Blue Star

Editorial Staff Sep 24, 2025 3 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorBuggyI’m moving to Japan, where they keep bugs as pets. Not just fleas as a corollaries to dogs and cats — real insects.“Japanese people,” reports Yuri Kageyama for the Associated Press, “appreciate the glitter of fireflies let loose…

Saugatuck slates full plate of fall fun

Saugatuck slates full plate of fall fun

Editorial Staff Sep 24, 2025 3 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorSaugatuck will host a fall cornucopia of fun events ranging from a flower world activation to dark sky night at Oval Beach to Halloween parade in coming weeks, per a slate of special events approved by city council…

Douglas schedules open house Oct. 20 for new hall

Editorial Staff Sep 24, 2025 1 min read

Douglas will host an open house at its soon to be new municipal building at 415 Wiley Road Monday, Oct. 20 from 4 to 5:30 p.m.The city plans to move city hall, police and public works offices into the renovated…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial Staff Sep 24, 2025 6 min read

    The name “Ned Ludd” was quietly whispered from person to person throughout the central part of England beginning in the early 1800s.  People would say, “We’re going to meet up with Ned Ludd tonight at the Dew Droppe Inn.”  …

Mike’s Musings: Erika Kirk’s Greatest Act of Courage-Forgiving the Unforgivable

Mike’s Musings: Erika Kirk’s Greatest Act of Courage-Forgiving the Unforgivable

Editorial Staff Sep 24, 2025 4 min read

When tragedy strikes, our instincts often turn toward anger, resentment, and the pursuit of vengeance. That is human nature. Yet, every so often, someone rises above those instincts and shows us a higher way — a path of grace that…

Saugatuck cross country teams place second at Holly

Editorial Staff Sep 17, 2025 2 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports EditorHOLLY—Under the leadership of the husband/wife team of Rick and Angelina Bauer, the Saugatuck cross country team has never shied away from tough competition.Case in point: the Trailblazers moved up a Division at the Holly Duane Raffin…

Blue Star

Blue Star

Editorial Staff Sep 17, 2025 3 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorWild ThingA girl raised by apes has been found in northern India. The press there likens her to Mowgli, the wild boy in Rudyard Kipling’s novel “The Jungle Book,” which has been spun off into films, comic books…

Lakeshore Harvest Riders outlast rain

Lakeshore Harvest Riders outlast rain

Editorial Staff Sep 17, 2025 4 min read

More than 400 riders were undeterred by early morning showers Saturday, venturing out to enjoy the 14th annual Lakeshore Harvest Ride fundraiser for the Friends of the Blue Star Trail.Once the rain abated mid-morning, cyclists were able to more fully…

Township OKs 30-home Singapore Retreat

Township OKs 30-home Singapore Retreat

Editorial Staff Sep 17, 2025 3 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorNeighbors did not back down from opposing the proposed Singapore Retreat development.But the Saugatuck Township Board Sept. 10 approved granting applicants Koetje Builders LLC and Exxel Engineering PUD (planned unit development) approval to build 30 homes on 8.97…

Life as Performance

Life as Performance

Editorial Staff Sep 17, 2025 7 min read

   On several occasions, Pat told me that one thing she loved about her father was the first thing he would say in the morning.  “Great Day!  Wonderful Day! Great Day!  That could not have been easy for him because…

Mike’s Musings: A Father’s Painful Choice Shows True Honor

Mike’s Musings: A Father’s Painful Choice Shows True Honor

Editorial Staff Sep 17, 2025 4 min read

Many of us are grieving the assassination of TPUSA founder, 31-year-old Charlie Kirk. Its unimaginable to me that in this day and age, a person debating students at an outdoor rally in Utah would be murdered.The assassin has been named…

Township to hand off harbor reins

Editorial Staff Sep 10, 2025 1 min read

After two years hosting and coordinating Kalamazoo Lake Harbor Authority meetings, Saugatuck Township is ready to hand off duties to either KLHA partners Douglas or Saugatuck cities. “With that service period complete,” wrote township manager Daniel DeFranco for the Tuesday,…

Laketown offers Fox revised contract

Editorial Staff Sep 10, 2025 2 min read

By Jim Hayden Correspondent The Laketown Township Board agreed at a Sept. 2 special meeting offer a revised contract to Stephanie Fox to become the township’s next manager.  It comes with an amendment that the board evaluates her performance after…

Drain assessment takes city by surprise

Editorial Staff Sep 10, 2025 3 min read

By Scott Sullivan Editor It’s better late than never for Saugatuck city property owners whose parcels will be assessed for Warnock Drain work under Ferry Street in Douglas. The Allegan County Drain Commission, acknowledging it failed to give Saugatuck city…

Saugatuck volleyball falls short in battle with Fennville

Editorial Staff Sep 10, 2025 3 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports EditorFENNVILLE—The volleyball match between archrivals Fennville and Saugatuck didn’t start exactly the way Blackhawks coach Rebecca Hughes had hoped.Saugatuck took an early lead in the opening game and never looked back in securing the 25-17 win.“The rivalry…

Blue Star

Blue Star

Editorial Staff Sep 10, 2025 4 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorCall of the WildGreat news from Lansing, where the same state government that gave us the Flint water crisis has banned using chocolate as bait for bears.We can poison poor people but pack M&M’s in a picnic basket…

Car blaze makes Crossfire toast

Car blaze makes Crossfire toast

Editorial Staff Sep 10, 2025 1 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorA Kia Crossfire was toast after catching fire on the corner of Blue Star Highway and 64th Street Thursday, Aug. 31 just afternoon.Saugatuck Township Fire answered a 12:01 call to find the Crossfire engulfed in front of the…

25th Mt. Baldhead Challenge is a hit

25th Mt. Baldhead Challenge is a hit

Editorial Staff Sep 10, 2025 3 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorFrom wind-whipped lakeshore to sand dune’s summit to post-race party in Coghlin Park, the 25th annual Mt. Baldhead Challenge Saturday engaged 759 registered runners and countless more volunteers in a dual quest:

By Mike Wilcox
Owner/Publisher

Every year, as the Christmas season draws near, I’m reminded just how generous our communities can be. For nearly two decades, Wilcox Newspapers has hosted what’s become one of my favorite traditions: our Annual Christmas Wish Program.

It started simply enough. We asked readers who were struggling to write in and tell us what would make their Christmas a little brighter. The idea was to connect local families in need with local people who wanted to help. Over the years, it’s grown into something truly special—and this year, we’re doing it again.