Saugatuck soccer wins two games
By Jason WesseldykSports EditorSCHOOLCRAFT—If you mention the name Cecelia Atkins to players and coaches from the Schoolcraft girls soccer team, there’s a good chance they might break into a cold sweat.And for good reason.Atkins, a Saugatuck sophomore, scored a career-best…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorFish StoryA leading suspect has emerged in the case of the spinning smalltooth sawfish: algae.For months ichthyologists have puzzled over what’s ailing and killing dozens of fish species off the Florida Keys. In what NBC News calls “a…
Faces of Armed Forces Day
Preceding Memorial Day each year is the Saugatuck-Douglas Armed Forces Day Luncheon, held Saturday at the Community Church of Douglas, recognizing U.S. veterans and their families. These are eyes, one comes away thinking, that have seen everything. Memorial Day observances…
Life as Performance Art
When I was growing up, some of The Olds still called it Decoration Day. They were participating in a tradition that dated back to the 1860s, just after the Civil War. Late each May they went to the local cemetery to clean…
Mike’s Musings: The school end is here, thoughts for our graduates
Our newspapers, for the most part, are filled with photos of high school graduates and some college graduates. It is indeed a milestone to graduate, and it will be a feat you, your parents and grandparents will remember for years…
Hospital debus new site here
Local family physician and resident Jason Myers handled ribbon-cutting duties during the May 13 opening of Holland Hospital’s new 16,940-square-foot medical center at 6490 Blue Star Hwy., Saugatuck Township. The facility expands access to primary care, lab, radiology, physical therapy…
New Mt. Baldhead restrooms, deck plans set
By Scott Sullivan Editor Saugatuck City Council took steps towards big-ticket Mt. Baldhead Park improvements Monday, hiring Fleis & Vandenbrink engineers for $26,800 towards building new restrooms at the foot of the dune and $24,600 towards replacing the deck on…
Saugatuck track teams take first at Gobles Invite
By Jason WesseldykSports EditorGOBLES—The Saugatuck quartet of Novella DeGraaf, Brook Simpson, Mazie Robison and Vivian Vallarsa is fast.How fast, you ask?Well, their time of 50.99 in the 4×100 relay at the Gobles Little Guys Invitational on Friday, May 10, not…
Obituary: Jane Feldott
Jane Feldott, 101 Jane K Feldott (née’ Keith), 101, widow of Joseph R. Feldott, passed away following a brief illness on May 5, 2024 in Douglas. She was born to Gilbert and Madeleine Keith on Nov. 17, 1922 in Hinsdale,…
Obituary: Estelle Friedl
Estelle Friedl, 94 Estelle Friedl (Estela Alicia López Barajas) of Saugatuck, age 94, passed away surrounded by love on May 7, 2024. She was born on Sept. 1, 1929 in San Francisco del Rincon, Guanajuato, Mexico to Felipe López Mireles…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorWorld Donkey DayJust when I needed a shot of self-esteem came World Donkey Day. Desert animal scientist Ark Raziq founded it to recognize how asses enhance human lives.“Without donkeys’ help,” says Raziq, “it is hard to imagine the…
Volunteers work so kids can play
A planned community playground build, delayed three weeks by legal skirmishes, finally took place May 6-8 with enthused volunteers such as these installing new children’s gear at Village Square Park in downtown Saugatuck. The $336,000 equipment replaces old apparatus, deemed…
City flies with Old Airport plan
By Scott SullivanEditorA mixed Saugatuck City Council Monday accepted a $130,000 donation to convert its Old Airport land into public recreation trails.The 169.1-acre parcel lies in Saugatuck Township east of I-196, near 63rd Street and 134th Avenue. The city bought…
Life as Performance Art
If you don’t mind me saying so, I think the world is getting a bit too spooky. This war in Israel has been going on for months and tempers are getting short about the number of civilian casualties – and rightfully…
Mike’s Musings: Homeless woman found in sign, RFK’s brain eaten by worm
I thought I’d take time out from writing about politics to offer a few weird, or absurd items that appeared in the news last week. It seems some news stories are getting weirder and weirder as weeks and months go…
Saugatuck track teams placethird at Shepherd Invitational
By Jason WesseldykSports EditorSHEPHERD—Talk about symmetry.Competing at the Bluejay Invitational in Shepherd on Friday, May 3, both the girls and boys track teams from Saugatuck finished with 78 points. And both placed third in the eight-team Small Division with that…
Obituary: Andrew (Drew) McLean Carter
Andrew (Drew) McLean Carter, 56, of Fennville passed away Thursday, April 25, 2024 while in Hospice care during his final stage of Huntington’s disease.Drew was born Feb. 21, 1968 in Port Huron, son of the late Charles and Shirley Carter.…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorDerby DayWhat’s worse than a man without a home? In Douglas, a land without a zone. The planning commission May 9 will weigh saving 16.77 acres — bought in 2013 and annexed from Saugatuck Township two years later…
Kilpatrick back to help Douglas plan
By Scott SullivanEditorRyan Kilpatrick, Douglas community and economic development director from 2009 to 2014, will consult with city again about meeting affordable housing goals.City council Monday hired Kilpatrick’s Flywheel Community Development Services for $3,500 to conduct a housing workshop and…
