By Maggie ConklinIrish CreamRecently we had our annual “really bad winter” where we hunkered down and did anything we could to prevent going outside.This is what us Michiganders prepare for, why we can meals, fill the freezer with food, make sure we have staples in house. Things like rice and dried beans, canned tomatoes, pasta, Read More…
By Scott SullivanEditorAll the FactsCats concern me. My wife and daughter surround me with three of them, plus two dogs, two bunnies, four birds and a fish the kitten tries to catch from outside its aquarium. What possible use could these creatures have?I have read here that local newspapers are the lifeblood of their communities Read More…
Laureen Ann Searing, 80, of Fennville, passed away on Jan. 17, 2024 at Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids.Laureen was born on Sept. 29, 1943 to the late Robert and Dorothy (Tallman) Millard of Mendon. She had an instinctive ease in connecting with people and an enthusiasm for learning that would set the stage Read More…
By Scott SullivanEditorInterurban director Phyllis Yff is retiring.The 10-year transit authority head announced her decisions last week thanking the community for its support and vowing to assist finding and helping establish her replacement.“This service,” Yff said in a letter to The Commercial Record (Page A4) “has been a wonderful asset in our community since 1980, Read More…
By Scott SullivanEditorThe Saugatuck Township Fire District is exploring acquiring an estimated $201,273.52 Traffic Management Apparatus to ensure staff and public safety, especially during freeway crashes. Individual donations toward that end total $9,500 so far.“Since 2019,” chief Greg Janik has apprised member municipal government boards and councils, “our firefighters responded to 207 incidents on highways, Read More…
By Scott SullivanEditorThe Saugatuck Township Fire District — which serves Douglas and Saugatuck cities in addition to the township — responded to 981 calls last year, down 4.1 percent from 2022’s record 1,023.Among them, emergent (Priority 1 or 2, involving lights and sirens) calls totaled 430. Average response time was six minutes, two seconds, similar Read More…
“America is an exceptional country,” Alexis de Tocqueville wrote after touring the still-young nation in the 1830s. Compared to his native France and other nations in Europe, he found an energy and vibrancy here that provided great opportunities for growth and innovation.De Tocqueville attributed this to parents of our founding fathers placing high emphasis on a classical Read More…
The Saugatuck-Douglas Area Convention and Visitors Bureau has hired long-time Saugatuck resident April Gundy as event coordinator. Her first day was Jan. 10. Gundy, a personal trainer and fitness instructor who owns Encompass Wellness Fitness Center in Douglas, will oversee an array of local events, including ones formerly conducted by the Saugatuck-Douglas Area Business Association. Read More…
By Scott Sullivan Editor The Saugatuck-Douglas Area Business Association is essentially no more. Formed May 18, 1987 as the domestic nonprofit corporation Saugatuck Retail Association, the business-member group for almost two generations worked to promote the climate here for retail merchants while sponsoring events drawing customers to downtown areas. Last summer’s Wednesday-night Saugatuck Music in Read More…
By Scott Sullivan Editor DES stands for Douglas Elementary School and design as well after last week’s announcement building renovations completed last year have won an Outstanding Design Award from American School and University. Project designer GMB and builder GDK Construction Co. was honored in AS&U’s 2023 Architectural Portfolio publication, for 41 years released in Read More…