By John Raffel
Correspondent
ALLEGAN — At its annual organizational meeting last Thursday, the Board of Commissioners unanimously elected Commissioner Scott Beltman of Monterey Township to chair the body. Beltman succeeds Gale Dugan of
Otsego Township who chaired the body in 2025.
“It’s an honor to have the respect from my colleagues to have this opportunity,” Beltman said of his election. The five-members of the board elected Commissioner Craig VanBeek of Burnips vice chair, succeeding
Beltman in that post. Beltman was first elected to the board in 2020 and was re-elected in 2024. He works in agriculture and first came to prominence advocating for greater access to county roads by outdoor recreation vehicles.
Former commission chairman James Storey noted that during the Christmas-New Year’s holiday season, Allegan County lost two longtime public servants. Hamilton Fire Chief Dave Haverdink died Christmas Day from injuries sustained when struck by a vehicle near the intersection of M-40 and 136th Avenue a few days earlier. Haverdink was well known and respected among West Michigan firefighters during his five-decade career with the Hamilton unit. He worked closely with neighboring departments to provide timely responses to emergencies. He also served two terms as Allegan County sheriff. His funeral was attended by hundreds of emergency responder personnel.
Retired district court administrator Linda Lenahan passed away on January 4 from natural causes. Lenahan retired in 2023 from the district court position, returning to her home in Paris, Michigan. Prior to assuming the district court post, Lenahan worked with the state court administrator’s office. During her 20 years serving the Allegan court, she was respected for her ability to navigate the intricacies and personalities associated with the court system.
