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: Cardboard sled race highlights Wanderland Volume 2, Issue 38 FEBRUARY 14, 2025
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Ryan Williams Perch Derby yields record-breaking whopper By AnnaMae Bush The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent On Saturday, Feb. 8, more than two dozen trucks and cars were parked on the edge of Monroe Road along Calico Bay on Longbridge, near the bridge, and at the Longbridge boat launch. The drivers were camped out on Pentwater Lake for the 14th Annual Ryan Williams’ Perch Derby, part of Pentwater’s Winterfest celebration. The colorful tents and shacks created a festive view, and hardy participants braved the cold wind until it was time to record the day’s catch. “We had eight youths (15 and under) and 38 adults register today,” Ryan Williams reported. “That’s fewer than recent years but still a good number.” At 4 p.m. all the participants who had something to show for their
• AnnaMae Bush/Echo
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Participants await measuring results
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Aaron Cunningham efforts gathered for the official measurement of their fish. Individuals and small groups patiently waited their turn with their entries in small white pails. Joe Primozich was measuring the length of each catch from the snout to the edge of the tail fin and announcing it to Williams. Williams recorded the length with the name of the participant who caught it. Nearby, Williams’s mother, Judy Primozich, was cooking and distributing hot dogs to the crowd. “Today we saw the biggest perch that has been caught in the 20 years we have held the tournament,” Joe Primozich said with excitement in his voice. “It was 15 inches long! Usually, the largest are in the range of 10 to 12 inches. It looked huge in comparison to the other entries.” Aaron Cunningham from Mears had the lucky catch. “I’ve been coming every year since this tournament started,” he said. “I placed before, but this is the largest I have caught. I was out on the ice from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and caught eight perch and one bluegill. I had a 12-inch perch that accidentally escaped from my pail when I was adding water to it. I took a photo of the winning fish when I got home to send to the DNR for a Master Angler award.” Cunningham received a cash prize of $200 for the largest fish of the day. Williams’s Port View Wine store and the Pentwater Convenience Center each contributed $100 for the award. In the youth category, trophies are awarded
for first, second and third place. Registrants can enter up to five of their catches, and winners are chosen based on the total number of inches of the perch they submit. The youth first place winner this year was Breslyn Johnson. Her fish totaled 52 inches. Second place was Avery Pabliski with 50 inches and third place was Brynne Pabliski with 41 inches. It was a family affair for the Johnsons on Saturday. Gabe Johnson, Breslyn’s father, won first place overall in the adult category. His five fish totaled 60 inches. The Johnsons came up from Montague for the event. Cunningham took second place overall (54 inches) and third place went to Gary Faucher (52 inches). Total registration fees are paid out to the adult overall winners. First place receives 60 percent, second place receives 25 percent, and third place receives 15 percent of the fees. Williams was grateful for good ice this year. “We’ve had to cancel a couple years recently because we lacked safe ice or any ice. This year the fish were larger in general. I think recent cancellations enabled the fish to grow larger. But another factor is that the Pentwater Lake Association and Pentwater Lake Improvement Board have targeted weed beds without using chemicals. This creates a healthier environment for the fish that produces more fish and larger fish.”
Valentine’s Day volunteers Mary Ann Bush, fifth from left at front, of Flowers by Mary Ann in Pentwater had 24 volunteers turn out at the Oceana County Council on Aging Wednesday, Feb. 12 to assist with her third annual “Adopt a Senior” program. The group helped to assemble 275 flower vases in one hour. This program collects donations to ensure that area residents in senior care facilities will have a beautiful bouquet of flowers to help them celebrate Valentine’s Day. Bush said that she was amazed and thrilled by the turnout, as in past years she normally has only five or six volunteers. Noble Graham-Lattin, eighth from left at back, of Birch & Blossom in Hart partnered with Bush this year, along with On the Farm in Mears. • AnnaMae Bush/Echo & Contributed Photo
Oceana County enters partnership with Lakeshore Children’s Advocacy Center to expand services to children in crises
When agencies come together to coordinate services, the results can be outstanding. Such is the case for children in Oceana County, thanks to the recent efforts of local professionals determined to protect and serve vulnerable children. At the end of January, representatives from the Oceana County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Oceana County Child Protective Services (DHHS), Michigan State Police, the Oceana County Sheriff’s Department, Hart Police Department, New Era Police Department, Pentwater Police Department, Rothbury Police Department, Shelby Police Department, Walkerville Police Department, West Michigan Community Mental Health, C.O.V.E. and the Lakeshore Children’s Advocacy Center signed an agreement to provide coordinated care to children in Oceana County who are involved in investigations of abuse. “The partnership agreement with the Lakeshore Children’s Advocacy Center has full support from our local law enforcement agencies,” Pentwater Police Chief Laude Hartrum stated. “Having a coordinated response to child abuse investigations will result in positive outcomes for the children in our community.” Children’s Advocacy Centers (CAC) are child-focused programs where representatives from many disciplines work together to conduct interviews and make team decisions on cases of child abuse. The CAC model for child abuse intervention is proven and effective, bringing together trained professionals to investigate and provide medical and mental healthcare as well as support to child victims of abuse, while holding offenders accountable through the court system. Children’s advocacy centers are child-friendly and designed to create a sense of safety and security for child victims. The Lakeshore Children’s Advocacy Center is one of 40 children’s advocacy centers in Michigan, and one of 980 in the U.S. It was established in 2009, and its services include forensic interviews, family advocacy, trauma therapy, prevention education programs, referrals for forensic medical exams, and coordination of multi-disciplinary team case review. All services are provided at no cost to children and families. The CAC brings together all agencies for monthly case review and updates. The goal is full coordination among agencies and no child falling through the cracks. “While we have had a courtesy agreement in place to serve Oceana County for a few years, we appreciate the opportunity to formalize our partnership so that we can help provide important wraparound services to children and families, and so that we can serve as a centralized hub for information sharing and case review,” Executive Director of the Lakeshore Children’s Advocacy Center Megan McCarthy said. The 2025 Walkerville Homecoming Queen Jaymes Lakeshore CAC is an accredited member of the Conklin and King Gage Mannor were crowned during National Children’s Alliance. halftime of this past Friday’s varsity boys basketball game. This was a bright spot in a tough night for the “All agencies are engaged and enthusiastic about Wildcats who struggled against Bear Lake, with a this partnership,” McCarthy added. “I am confident final score of 80-17. • Brendan Samuels/Echo that this will benefit the children of Oceana County.”