Saugatuck Township receives $140k for safe streets and roads
Grant will allow the township to develop comprehensive safety action planSaugatuck Township has been awarded a $140,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program. This grant will enable the township to develop…
Life as Performance Art
There is nothing new about the retail sector’s Black Friday except that it seems to start earlier this year. The name comes from the hope that customers will do sufficient holiday shopping that they will convert eleven months or…
Mike’s Musings: Stop with excuses, buy local first
It’s small business Saturday this weekend, and that gives me an excuse as to why you should shop with your small retailers and stay away from the big chains and online buying.Our small towns are treasures. People love to visit…
Township will cover treasurer in suit
By Scott Sullivan Editor Saugatuck Township’s attorney will represent treasurer and planning commission member Jon Helmrich in a developer’s lawsuit filed against him and Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance president David Swan. The board Oct. 18 agreed 4-0 to do so,…
Lakeshore Drive washout-Township backs seeking new connection
By Scott Sullivan Editor “Only connect,” E.M. Forster’s advice in the novel, later made a movie “Howard’s End,” has nothing on Saugatuck Township’s Lakeshore Drive washout. The township board Nov. 13 voted to seek national designation to design and build…
Rock prepares to lead young Saugatuck boys team
By Jason WesseldykSports EditorDuring his three-year stint as head coach in Fennville from 2019-2022, Ty Rock amassed an overall record of 44-18.Rock hopes to replicate that level of success with Saugatuck.Rock takes over the head coaching duties in Saugatuck from…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorBird PlayI knew it would be a long night when my wife’s parrot hit a bus.It started when she and our daughter asked if I wanted to take them to get the birds’ beaks and nails trimmed.No.“Then you…
Saugatuck taps Anderson as new mayor
By Scott SullivanEditorSaugatuck City Council elected Holly Anderson mayor at its post-election organizational meeting Nov. 12.Her predecessor, Lauren Stanton, was chosen mayor pro-tem for the coming year.By city charter, the outgoing council picks rotating members for one one-year term, sometimes…
County clerk Genetski is Laketown pick
By Jim HaydenCorrespondentLaketown Township agreed Nov. 13 to offer its township manager position to Allegan County Clerk and Saugatuck resident Bob Genetski.The manager search committee instructed supervisor Linda Howell to enter contract negotiations with him.The new township board made up…
Mike’s Musings: Thanksgiving a time for family, not politics
As we approach Thanksgiving and the holiday season I would like to make a few observations.First, I don’t think we need to get upset over politics. I’ve read on social media, where if you voted for Trump you will not…
Life as Performance Art
Many of us are making plans for Thanksgiving Day Nov. 28 this year. We might be traveling or others traveling to see us. Maybe the great feast will be at home or somewhere else. Turkey and all the trimmings could…
City beach fee hikes pay off
By Scott Sullivan Editor Oval Beach parking fee hikes passed last spring helped net Saugatuck a $123,931.04 profit this season, figures shared with city council at its Nov. 6 workshop show. Treasurer Nicole Bredeweg told members increasing day-use motor vehicle…
Local elections largely keep status quo
By Scott Sullivan Editor Saugatuck voters returned three incumbents but replaced another in the Nov. 5 city council race for four open two-year seats. In Douglas, all four incumbents faced down two challengers for four available two-year seats. Saugatuck Township…
Iconic tree may be doomed; what’s next?
By Scott Sullivan Editor The wind in the willow didn’t mix well Nov. 1 as large south section of the iconic tree in Cook Park fell and blew in speculation about what’s next. “I love that willow,” said Saugatuck City…
Laketown takes manager search on road
By Jim Hayden Correspondent Laketown Township is getting its manager search team together and taking on the road after interviewing three finalists for the position. The committee Nov. 6 interviewed Bob Genetski, Brandon Mersman and Karen Sherwood during a five-hour…
Ganges church repentant sentenced
By Scott Sullivan Editor A man who turned himself in to police this spring at a Ganges church was sentenced last Thursday to decades in prison for murdering his girlfriend. Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 26, asked for mercy in Kent County Circuit…
Trailblazers’ season ends with district loss to Decatur
By Jason WesseldykSports EditorDECATUR—Chris Foley gave the Saugatuck faithful reason to cheer late in the first quarter of the Trailblazers’ Division 8 football district title game against Decatur on Friday, Nov. 8.With Saugatuck trailing 8-0, Foley broke free for a…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorGravity’s RainbowExtra! Extra: Could Gravitational-Wave “Memories” Prove Einstein Wrong?Scientific American gave us this grabber headline recently, claiming Albert Einstein’s 1916 general theory of relativity may soon be refuted. Or maybe not. If there’s one thing I love about…
Incumbents largely hold serve here
By Scott SullivanEditorFor all this year’s sound and fury, little changed in local elections this year.Saugatuck voters returned three incumbents but replaced another with a past council veteran in the Nov. 5 city council race for four open two-year seats.In…
Hike to like
Friends from the Radar Hill Hiking Club, RiverWood Council, Saugatuck city and township parks committees gathered before taking a Halloween hike on Saugatuck’s old airport property. The city, township and Outdoor Discovery Center are working to create public trails and…
