Saugatuck/Douglas Commercial Record

Labor Day Bridge Walk returns Sept. 1

Editorial StaffAug 27, 20251 min read

BY SCOTT SULLIVAN EDITOR The Labor Day Blue Star Bridge Walk will be back Monday, Sept. 1 — with a longer route this year. What would have been last year’s 26th annual crossing was canceled “due to challenges in gathering…

Laketown to quiz manager hopeful again

Editorial StaffAug 27, 20252 min read

The Laketown Township Board will interview manager candidate Stephanie Fox for a third time Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. in the township hall, 4338 Beeline Road. Members voted 4-1 July 21to begin contract negotiations with Fox pending a review…

Seven seniors lead the way for Saugatuck volleyball

Editorial StaffAug 27, 20252 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports EditorAs she enters her first year as head coach at the varsity level for Saugatuck, Christina Lewis likes the mix of players on her team.“This season is shaping up to be an exciting one,” said Lewis, who…

Blue Star

Blue Star

Editorial StaffAug 27, 20254 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorPsychoGreat news on the crazy front. A new website aims to share knowledge and lead discussions about psychopathy, a disorder characterized by fearlessness, difficulty inhibiting behaviors plus severe lack of empathy and remorse.We all know psychopaths. Charles Manson,…

Picking peaches

Picking peaches

Editorial StaffAug 27, 20251 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorIt’s prime time for pictures of people picking peaches. Bella Vista Farm west of Fennville is bursting with Allstar, Sweetstar, Loring and Blushing Star brands plus plums, raspberries, nectarines and early Sweet Maya apples.Mary and John Renaldi bought…

Township dedicates ‘Canary’ sculpture

Township dedicates ‘Canary’ sculpture

Editorial StaffAug 27, 20253 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorYou can’t miss Saugatuck Township’s first public art piece “Canary in a Coal Mine.”The 11-foot-tall yellow steel sculpture went up this May as centerpiece in the year-old Blue Star Highway/Old Allegan Road roundabout.At a dedication ceremony Wednesday, Aug.…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial StaffAug 27, 20258 min read

    Over the past few years, we have heard the phrases “sanctuary city” and “sanctuary state”many times.  In the US, it has become politically divisive because sanctuary cities and states have traditionally been labeled liberal or “blue states” where the…

Mike’s Musings: Is Cracker Barrel’s new strategy, doomed?

Mike’s Musings: Is Cracker Barrel’s new strategy, doomed?

Editorial StaffAug 27, 20253 min read

With Congress on vacation for the entire month of August (how dare they) and very little else happening, the Cracker Barrel rebranding hit center stage in last week’s news cycle. The CEO and Marketing Manager rolled out a new contemporary…

Douglas explores housing on ex- Miro site

Douglas explores housing on ex- Miro site

Editorial StaffAug 20, 20252 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorDouglas City Council Monday approved a nonbinding 6-month memorandum of understanding with Mosaic Development to create attainable housing on 17 acres at 6825 Wiley Road once home of the Miro Golf Course.The parcel is zoned R-5 Multi-Family Residential…

Saugatuck football hopes for another strong season

Editorial StaffAug 20, 20253 min read

By Jason WesseldykSports EditorThe 2024 season saw Saugatuck qualify for the playoffs—and win a playoff game—for the second straight season.If the Trailblazers are to make it three postseason berths in a row, then they’ll need to get some solid production…

Blue Star

Blue Star

Editorial StaffAug 20, 20253 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorFinding JesusLast time we checked on Florida Man, he was had moved on from building Alligator Alcatraz and trying to cross the Atlantic in a hamster wheel.Recent headlines:

Council sets sale restrictions on city hall

Editorial StaffAug 20, 20252 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorThe historic Douglas City Hall at 86 W. Center St. is back on the market with new restrictive covenant stipulations after an investment group backed down from its sales agreement July 21.City council, concerned about the 1875-built former…

Life as Performance Art

Life as Performance Art

Editorial StaffAug 20, 20256 min read

Life as Performance Art: Joan AndersonG C Stoppel     Joan Anderson died on the 14th of July this year at the age of 101.  I suspect her name is hardly familiar anymore, but she was perhaps the greatest social influencer in…

Mike’s Musings: Why So Many Michiganders Under 30 Can’t Afford a House

Mike’s Musings: Why So Many Michiganders Under 30 Can’t Afford a House

Editorial StaffAug 20, 20253 min read

The dream of homeownership, once a clear stepping stone into adulthood, now feels like a mirage for many Michiganders under 30. Despite living in a state often touted for its affordability, structural barriers have erased much of the margin that…

Township hall site improvements planned

Editorial StaffAug 13, 20254 min read

By Scott Sullivan Editor The Saugatuck Township Board was scheduled Wednesday, Aug. 13, to review and perhaps approve a $1.575-million township hall redesign. If so, contractor Progressive AE will prepare construction documents for public bidding in September and work could…

Township bus ridership stays strong

Editorial StaffAug 13, 20253 min read

By Jim Hayden Correspondent Bus ridership in Laketown Township continues to be strong with the Interurban Transit Authority picking up or dropping off 832 people township-wide in June. It was the second month of the trial service in Laketown. In…

Laketown wants third interview with Fox

Editorial StaffAug 13, 20253 min read

By Jim Hayden Correspondent The Laketown Township Board Aug. 6 agreed to ask manager finalist Stephanie Fox to return for a third interview after citing new questions about her time as an Ionia County Administrator. No date or time has…

Football practice begins

Editorial StaffAug 13, 20251 min read

High school football players and coaches from Saugatuck joined their counterparts across the state in preparing for the upcoming season on Monday, Aug. 11.That was the first day official practice was allowed by the Michigan High School Athletic Association, with…

Blue Star

Blue Star

Editorial StaffAug 13, 20254 min read

By Scott SullivanEditorWays & MemesRubber dildoes are raining down on WNBA games and the women’s basketball league’s not happy.The first neon green one, flung from the stands at the Golden State Valkyries-Atlanta Dream game, struck some players as a joke.…

On the beach

On the beach

Editorial StaffAug 13, 20251 min read

It’s a colorful family affair visiting Lake Michigan beaches with water temperatures running into the 70’s since July. This shot was captured last weekend at Saugatuck’s Oval Beach. (Photo by Scott Sullivan)

PUBLIC NOTICE
2026 ALLEGAN COUNTY PROPOSED FINAL BUDGET

The Board of Commissioners of the County of Allegan will hold a budget hearing on Thursday, October 9, 2025, for all interested citizens to comment and discuss the proposed budget.

The hearing will take place at 7:00 PM in the Board Room, County Services Building, 3283–122nd Avenue, Allegan, Michigan, to discuss the proposed budget. The property tax millage rate proposed to be levied to support the proposed budget will be a subject of this hearing. The public may also participate in the meeting/public hearing by calling 1-929-205-6099, Meeting ID: 891 6032 7098, and Meeting Password 471420. For other options connecting to the meeting, please visit the meeting calendar website at www.allegancounty.org or contact the County Administrator’s Office.

The proposed budget may be examined online at www.allegancounty.org under News Media Room or on weekdays at the Office of the Allegan County Administrator (address below), between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM. All interested citizens will have the opportunity to give written and/or oral comments.

County will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services to individuals with disabilities at the public hearing upon one (1) week notice. Individuals requiring auxiliary aids or services should contact the following in writing or by telephone:

Robert J. Sarro,
County Administrator,
3283 – 122nd Avenue,
Allegan, Michigan, 49010
269-673-0239