BY SCOTT SULLIVAN EDITOR Where did Saugatuck City Manager Ryan Heise go? Council and staff have been mum on his whereabouts since naming planning and zoning head Ryan Cummins interim manager Feb. 6 at a special meeting. “Ryan Heise,” said Mayor Lauren Stanton, “remains out of the office and the city council, consistent with the Read More…
Saugatuck/Douglas Commercial Record
Douglas FY planning Fixing roads, water won’t come cheap
BY SCOTT SULLIVAN EDITOR Douglas City Council planned to explore engineering firm Prein & Newhof’s assessments of road and water infrastructure needs. City manager Lisa Nocerini said doing so would help budget planning for fiscal year 2024-25. Because Monday was Presidents Day, the meeting was postponed till Tuesday. On the Roads Prein reported 43 percent Read More…
Obituary: Pete Hepp
Pete Hepp, 64 Pete Hepp, 64 of Alabama passed away Feb. 3, 2024. He was a 1977 graduate of Saugatuck High School. Shortly after graduation he moved to Alabama. In 1986 Pete married the love of his life, Patti. He was employed as a mechanic at his brother’s automotive shop until he retired in 2017. Read More…
Obituary: Nancy J. (Lechler) Mendonca
Nancy J. (Lechler) Mendonca passed away unexpectedly on Sept. 16, 2023, at age 75. Nancy’s kindness, generosity, love and patience touched many people throughout her life and is irreplaceable to all. She had a special ability to be in the moment and engaged with everyone she knew. Always listening, open, caring and special to all who Read More…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorTransitionsThe Black Death is back, and about time too. Guess who caused an Oregon man last week to be diagnosed with bubonic plague?Illegal immigrantsThe cancel cultureBiden, Trump, Fauci or some other popular scapegoat currentlyHis catCat owners can’t be surprised the Deschutes County Health Department determined D was to blame.Back in the good old Read More…
City manager’s absence still unexplained
By Scott SullivanEditorWhere did Saugatuck City Manager Ryan Heise (left photo) go? Council and staff have been mum on his whereabouts since naming planning and zoning head Ryan Cummins (at right) interim manager Feb. 6 at a special meeting.“Ryan Heise,” said Mayor Lauren Stanton, “remains out of the office and the city council, consistent with Read More…
Ganges body ID’d as Chicago man
By Scott SullivanEditorPolice have identified a body that washed up on a private Ganges Township beach Feb. 14 as belonging to Elijah Ramone Cooper, 21, of Chicago.Cooper, identified by dental records, had last been seen Nov. 15, 2023.The Allegan County Sheriff’s Office reported a homeowner in the 2200 block of Lakeshore Drive saw what she Read More…
Saugatuck starts fast and cruises past Fennville
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor FENNVILLE—On Saturday, Feb. 17, Fennville hosted its 13th Annual Never Forgotten Games to honor the memory of Wes Leonard and raise money for the Wes Leonard Heart Team.As always, Saugatuck was the opponent.And for that, Saugatuck girls basketball coach Kevin Tringali could not be more thankful.“I knew Wes,” said Tringali, who Read More…
Mike’s Musings: Recognizing Washington and Lincoln- two of the best
Presidents’ Day has come and gone but I can’t help but reflect on two of my favorites, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.Washington was our first president. He led an army of rag tag colonists of victory over the well-trained, formidable British redcoats. He was able to marshal Indian warriors, and the French, to join in Read More…
EGLE sinks boat basin request
By Scott Sullivan Editor The Michigan Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) department has turned down Northshore of Saugatuck’s request to create a boat basin north of the Kalamazoo River channel to Lake Michigan. The developer’s first application to build a marina was approved by EGLE in 2018. Those permits expired in January 2023. The Read More…