Volume 2, Issue 19 OCTOBER 4, 2024
REFLECTIONS OF OUR COMMUNITY Total Raised: $4,344 Lead this Legacy
Oceana Echo THE
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Douglas Dykstra
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S WHITE LAKE MIRROR: North Grove back in business after fire
• Connie VanDerZanden/Echo
Pentwater Arts, Crafts & Antiques Fair Hesperia crowned Kennedy Mey and Blake Sayer as its 2024 Homecoming Queen and King during halftime at this past Friday’s varsity football game. The Panthers took on the Shelby Tigers in a very close match-up, falling 30-25. • Brendan Samuels/Echo
3rd Annual Artwalk in downtown Hart is a celebration of local artists
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The 3rd Annual Artwalk in Downtown Hart, where creativity meets community will be Oct. 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.! This vibrant event will showcase the works of eight talented artists displayed in local businesses, providing a unique opportunity for attendees to engage with the artists and learn about the stories behind their art. Featured Artists and Art Stops: • Alan Moul: Watercolors @ Birch and Blossom • Michael Nabicht: Watercolors @ Hegg’s Furniture • Keyci Luna: Paintings & Photography @ LaProbadita • Gail Zeiger: Paintings @ Dale & Gail’s Theatre & Art Gallery • Debbie Bergren: Oil on Canvas @ Lakeside Family Fitness • Brittny DeVries: Watercolor & Vase Art @ Bakery on the Corner
• Laurie Zwack: Painting with a Purpose @ Cup of Kindness • Hart Middle School: Student Art @ Morningside Pallet Merchandise • Empty Canvas: Live Duet & Interactive Painting Performance @ Hart Commons • Emily Miller: Sidewalk Chalk Artist @ Hart Commons • Luke Kostal: Hand Carved Wooden Birds @ Stella’s Coffee House • Variety of Vintage Art & Quilt Show @ Oceana Historical & Genealogical Society Artists and performers, Empty Canvas, will be performing live at Hart Commons. During the show, lead singer Mike McMath will complete an entire painting based on an image provided. The audience gets to be a part of the show as Mike brings members of the audience up on stage to add their
own strokes to the painting. Crowds are always amazed when they realize Mike’s not only painting during the show, but singing too. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy the show. Artists will set up in various locations to paint their favorite view of downtown for a chance to win one of two $750 cash prizes. To participate in this event visit takemetohart.org/hartprize. Enjoy burgers, pulled pork, pizzas, kettle corn, Greek food, and tacos! New this year, hosted by Oceana Bike & Boat located in downtown Hart, is The Ride H.O.M.E. which stands for “The Hart, Oceana, Montague, Experience.” This event is an out and back rail trail bike event along the William Field Memorial Hart-Montague Rail Trail. Participants choose the distance, but the full distance will be from Hart
to Montague and back. Riders receive a commemorative water bottle or shirt and there are aid stations along the way. Registration available at oceanabikeandboat.com/events. A rock painting station will be setup at Hart Commons where the public is invited to use the materials provided to get creative with rock painting. Last but not least, Birch and Blossom invites all to participate in a Pumpkin Pie Competition by dropping off a pie (in a disposable dish) at Birch & Blossom by Friday, Oct. 4 at 11 a.m. No cost to participate, two divisions (public and business). The public can enjoy complimentary pumpkin pie at Birch & Blossom during Artwalk. For any questions or further information, please contact Nichole Kleiner at nkleiner@cityofhart.org or (231) 923-0920.
City of Hart discusses fire hydrant concerns By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent
HART - At Tuesday’s Hart City Council meeting, City Manager Rob Splane provided an update to council members regarding recent concerns over the city’s non-working fire hydrants. For context, Splane shared a document dated Aug. 1, 2023, of a meeting held in February of that same year, where he, along with DPW Superintendent Brad Whitney, Hart Fire Chief Dwight Fuehring and Oceana’s Emergency Manager Troy Maloney, had met to discuss the city’s water system, fire hydrant maintenance and emergency planning. The report titled “Working Together for Public Safety” included several fire hydrant concerns to be addressed, including, the creation of an updated water system map, ordering
easier-to-see signage, creating a hydrant maintenance policy and hydrant exercise policy, having a record of information for each individual hydrant, and training/education, including basic hydraulics coursework, as presented by the State of Michigan, for all firefighters. The report also noted this collaboration marked the first time in decades the city and fire department had worked so closely together. Following that meeting, the fire department asked and was granted permission to flush all of the city’s hydrants themselves, a task usually conducted annually by the DPW. As a result, they came up with a list of concerns. Splane stated that despite numerous attempts to get the list, he had not received it until recently. “We’re not placing blame. Now that we know (which hydrants are of concern) we are acting on it,” he said.
Rumors have been circulating that the city has 30 hydrants that do not work. Splane clarified those rumors by saying technically there are only nine hydrants completely inoperable, with the other 21 considered “difficult to use.” In Splane’s explanation of the situation to the council, he feels that a hydraulic class would be a benefit to all county firefighters. “Our intention would be to invite all area firefighters to attend,” he said. The fire department reported they would like hydrants color-coded to indicate each hydrant’s water flow. However, to limit the city’s liability, Splane suggested it might be better to color-code hydrants with what type of water main a hydrant is connected to. The fire department would also like the city to use larger and brighter “out of service” rings on non-functioning hydrants.
In other business, the city approved two resolutions. Resolution 2024-25, accepted the engagement agreement with Maner Costerisan for single audit services for FY 2024 in the amount of $5,000 and FY 2025 in the amount of $5,200. A single audit is required anytime a municipality spends $800,000 or more in federal funds, which the city has done with all of its recent infrastructure projects. Resolution 2024-26 approved the MPPA’s (Michigan Public Power Agency) recommendation to take 25 percent of the city’s ownership share in the group and put it towards the MPPA’s Belle River contracts, which in part will convert the plant from coal to natural gas. As part of MPPA, the City of Hart actually owns part of the plant. “The energy purchase from Belle River is less costly than what we purchase on the open market,” said Splane.