Volume 1, Issue 51 MAY 17, 2024 Inside: Congrats
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Where there’s smoke… By AnnaMae Bush The Oceana Echo Community Contributor
PERMIT NO 62
PRE-SORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE
RESIDENTIAL POSTAL CUSTOMER PAID ECRWSS BIG RAPIDS, MI 49307
…There’s fire. And there were 120 acres of just that this past Wednesday in Pentwater. But no worries. It was a controlled burn by the Department of Natural Resources, managed by the Plainwell Management Unit and under the direction of Ray Cole, the “Burn Boss.” A team of 15 people from several counties took to Pentwater Pathways for the scheduled burn. They arrived by 10 a.m. and completed the burn about 10 hours later. Cole returned early Thursday morning to be sure the area remained completely safe. The burn event was put into motion last October when Rachel Kanaziz, a wildlife technician with the DNR in their Paris office (that’s north of Big Rapids, not in France), sent in a request for the burn. The state DNR systematically schedules burns on a rotation basis for designated areas every four to five years. The area burned on Wednesday was last burned in April 2020 just before Easter. Kanaziz requested the burn for four specific objectives: • To maintain wildlife opening • To set back woody encroachment • To thin out white pine • To stimulate native grasses She mapped out the specific area to be burned and used bike paths to determine the outside boundaries. The burn’s
name was “Billy Goat.” When Cole was asked why, he smiled and showed the map outline, saying, “What does that look like to you?” “The head of a goat,” was the reply. ‘Nuff said. Burn crew members had assigned tasks. The first job was accomplished by a crew member on a Polaris four-wheeler electric vehicle who trenched the burn area boundaries to contain the fire. Being the one and only vehicle of its kind in the state, the Polaris was being tested at the Pentwater event, and the manufacturer was eager for feedback on how well it functioned. After a thorough walk-through of the area to be burned, the ignition crew members began the task of starting the ground fires at the furthest boundary from the parking area. The ignition crew used drip torches with fluid that was three parts diesel fuel and two parts gasoline, working inward from the boundaries to the center of the burn area. The holding crew followed with water spray units to prevent the fire from igniting trees not meant to be burned or to keep the fire contained in the trenches. Burns move at varied rates in different locations. Cole explained, “When we work in an area that is home to any endangered species, we have to move at a much slower pace in order to give the animals time to move out ahead of the fire.” That was logical. What seemed surprising was Cole’s observation that the morning after a burn, the animals quickly returned. When asked,
“Why? Isn’t all the food burned up and the vegetation gone?” Cole said, “Actually, some eatable vegetation is uncovered by a burn. Also, the burn brings minerals and salt to the surface. It’s like a big salt lick for the deer. They come in licking everything and loving it.” Another fact that may have seemed counterintuitive was the important need for wind. The burn team needs to work against a wind to help control the direction and speed of the burn. Without wind, the fire burns unpredictably wherever it chooses. Weather reports, particularly the wind speed and direction, are big factors in determining if a burn is carried out as scheduled or postponed for a more favorable day. When asked about the safety factors for a burn team, Cole replied, “We always have medics as part of the team. We very rarely have injuries at a controlled burn. The flames are ground level and we are in constant contact with each other.” What is required for personal safety? “We wear non-flammable pants and shirts. We wear 8 to 10 inch eyelet-laced boots with protective soles. We have helmets and eye protection.” What about masks to avoid smoke inhalation? “That discussion is a rabbit hole,” Cole remarked. “Burn smoke is considered non-toxic and, as such, does not require gas masks. Therefore, we do not have any. We will wear bandanas on our faces if the smoke gets to be too much.”
New Veteran’s Memorial Garden dedicated in Newfield Township By Scott Kroepel The Oceana Echo Community Contributor
• AnnaMae Bush/Echo
There are approximately a dozen DNR forest fire management units in the state, which cover varying numbers of counties. Cole said that north of Mason County, the management units have no more than two counties because the far northern and Upper Peninsula counties have more fires per year. Cole works out of the Oceana Field Office in Shelby but covers several counties with the Plainwell Management Unit. He has worked with the DNR for 18 years, 10 of them as a forest fire officer. So, who pays for the burns? Does the DNR budget cover them? Another surprising answer from Cole, “They are usually paid for by grants from wildlife organizations – fish and game funds or private funds from the National Wild Turkey Federation. Part of the fees paid for fishing and hunting licenses are directed toward the cost of burns.” As many wondered about the smoke on social media, and some questioned if it was a replay of the Canadian wildfires, this controlled burn turned out to be an interesting learning experience out on the dusty bike trails at Pentwater Pathways off Railroad Avenue.
A new Veteran’s Memorial Garden was dedicated Saturday, May 11, at Hightower Lake in Newfield Township. The garden was the brainchild of Hightower Lake residents Brian and Melody Sukup’s daughter, Heather, back in 2019. Heather is a retired Army medic and thought the public access at the lake would be an ideal location to honor military veterans of the township, both past and present. Over the past five years, Brian and Melody have added plants, landscaping, a flag pole and signage. As time went on, their seeds of labor blossomed into growing community involvement. Handmade name plaques were donated by Jackie Slocum, honoring military veterans currently serving, all the way back to a resident who served in the Civil War. A handcrafted metal sign for the name plaque board was donated by Mike Overla II, and Melanie Franklin donated handcrafted items for the garden. Other local residents who contributed to or volunteered with the garden were Joan and Dennis David, Doug Hren and JoAnn Replogle. The dedication ceremony included speeches from Assistant Coordina-
• Scott Kroepel/Echo
tor Brian Sukup; Newfield Township Clerk Nancy Conley, Newfield Township Supervisor Joan David, Oceana County Commissioner Paul Erickson, and featured a military salute from the local American Legion Honor Guard detail, led by Commander James Dow. According to David, the project was a “labor of love” from local residents that slowly brought in more volunteers with no cost to the township. She continued, “This brings joy to me seeing so many of our residents continually working together to make our township a beautiful place to live.” Melody Sukup stated, “We wanted to honor all the soldiers who are veterans, still serving, have served, or are fallen.” She added, “Anyone who has served should be honored, not just those who are no longer with us.” The Veteran’s Memorial Garden is located at the public access site in the northwest corner of Hightower Lake, approximately one mile north of M-20, between Ferry and Hesperia.
Take ‘A Trip Down Memory Lane’ Saturday in Hart By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Contributor A first-ever historical tour and panel discussion entitled “A Trip Down Memory Lane” is set to take place tomorrow, Saturday, May 18, beginning at 1 p.m. in downtown Hart. The idea of having a historical tour was the brainchild of Hart BioPure superintendent Paul Cutter. A year ago, a casual conversation with Don and the late Bev Hansen led to how things have changed in Hart since he was a kid. “Last summer, while sitting around a campfire, Don and Bev Hansen and I started talking about where places used to be in Hart and what they are today. Our conversation lasted well over an hour, and what started with three people grew to seven or eight bystanders listening to Don and Bev,” Cutter explained. “At the end of our visit, I told Don
I’d like to bring my golf cart into town and ride around with him and continue the conversation. Don quickly added, ‘Better hurry up, I’m 96!’ So this winter, Nichole (Kleiner, Community & Economic Development Director for Hart) started putting this event together. She’s done an amazing job with all of the details.” Cutter explained that attendees will board one of the fairground’s people movers and be given a narrated tour of the downtown from Hart Commons to City Hall by Hansen. The tour is expected to last one hour. Afterwards, the group will convene at Dale & Gail’s Art Gallery, where Hansen will join six other Hart business owners and stakeholders to share more about Hart’s history from their perspective. Panelists will include Bobby Blackmer (Buildings Plus), Garth Larson (Larson’s), Fabian Vasquez (Hawley’s Nursery), Paul Hodges (Hodges Pontiac-Buick), Paul Erickson (Oceana County Historical &
Genealogical Society’s Chadwick Munger House), Russ Robbins (Gas Station and Russ’ Auto Body) and Hansen (Hansen Foods). “There’s 555 years of life and experience represented on the panel,” Cutter said. There is no charge to attend the event, and people can join in at any time, walking or riding, on the tour, or for the panel discussion. Those interested in coming are encouraged to register online at takemetohart.org/events so organizers have some idea of how many people to expect. While planning for this event, Cutter says other tours of Hart locations have been suggested, such as the Oceana County Fairgrounds or the Hart Historic District. “We’re talking about doing another tour, possibly in the fall,” Cutter added. “In the meantime, I hope people will take the time to sit down with a friend or loved one and listen like I did with Don and Bev.”