The Saugatuck Public Schools Board of Education has appointed Karen Sherwood to fill an open seat left by Marcy Weston’s resignation. Sherwood, a Saugatuck Township resident, has more than 33 years of public education experience as a teacher, building principal, superintendent and most recently Holland Public Schools deputy superintendent of public resources. She holds a Read More…
Saugatuck/Douglas Commercial Record
Laketown FOIA ask goes unclaimed
By Jim Hayden Correspondent Freedom of Information Act documents that sparked a rare appeal to the Laketown Township board are still unclaimed after more than two months. Answering the request cost the township $175 plus attorney fees. James Smithers, 520 Butternut Drive, filed a FOIA request for “Emails between all board members and Albert Meshkin Read More…
Maggie’s Pantry
By Maggie ConklinAngels Among UsMy dear mother Molly passed away in March and this is my first Christmas without her.Her birthday went by me not unnoticed, but closer to numb. Same with Mother’s Day, other holidays, and then my birthday was somber and reflective, but not weepy.Amid the holidays, I find myself fluctuating between almost Read More…
Blue Star
By Scott SullivanEditorWhat the DoveDeliveredA sign outside Gun Lake Casino read words broken into illumined pixels: BONANZA BUCKS. I pumped gas in my tank at the Mobil station across the street and another picture formed. As a boy in my basement, we had a slot machine with nickels in a bowl to keep feeding it. Read More…
The least wecan do
By Scott SullivanEditorDouglas City Council discussed de minimus benefits Dec. 18 in its last meeting of the year.“Internal controls and policies,” treasurer Matt Smith told manager Lisa Nocerini and council Nov. 27, “are an important part of any government’s operation.“They are used to establish safeguards to minimize opportunities to commit fraud, improve accuracy of financial Read More…
Martin wins battle of unbeatens against Saugatuck
By Jason WesseldykSports Editor SAUGATUCK—It was a battle of unbeatens when the Saugatuck girls’ basketball team hosted Martin on Friday, Dec. 21.The Trailblazers entered the game at 5-0, while the Clippers were 4-0.And thanks to a big fourth quarter, it was Martin that kept its undefeated record intact.The Clippers outscored Saugatuck 13-3 in the final Read More…
Life as Performance Art
It is the time of year when we start drawing up our list of New Years Resolutions. Adults do it, even if they know they will shatter everyone of them by the first week in January. Many of us will trot out the old familiar ones: Lose weight, save more money, quit wasting time, be a nicer Read More…
Mike’s Musings: Ditch the resolution, for promises that can be accomplished
I never thought I would be writing about 2024. When I was a youngster, the year 2000 seemed so futuristic, let alone 2024. We are almost a quarter of the way through the 21st Century, yet my mind always reverts to the 20th Century, where I have spent most of my formative and adult years. Read More…
Obituary: Lawrence George Vihtelic
Lawrence George Vihtelic died peacefully at home in Fennville on Dec. 6, 2023, after a multi-year battle with Primary Progressive Aphasia. He was 81.The eldest of nine, Larry was born on May 26, 1942, to Lillian and Frank Vihtelic in Detroit and spent most of his childhood in Whitehall.A high school summer job trimming Christmas Read More…
Maggie’s Pantry
By Maggie ConklinHam Four WaysHam, Day 1: My dear husband purchased the smallest bone-in ham at Meijer (or “Thrifty Acres” to us old folks) and it was still so large I had to cut the end off to get it to fit into my larger slow cooker.I placed it on a bed of chopped onion Read More…