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Prepping for summer at Mears State Park By AnnaMae Bush The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent On May 2, the sounds of large earth-moving equipment and repeated back-up beeping noises carried across the channel and Pentwater Lake from Mears State Park. The residents on the south side of the lake knew what that meant: Park Supervisor Manny Valdez and his staff were getting Mears State Park ready for the arrival of summer campers and daytime visitors. It was time to remove the snow fences and redistribute the sand moved around by winter winds. Valdez reported, “We decided to have a firm date this year for opening day instead of ‘the third Wednesday’ or ‘second Friday’ or some such designated day. We opened on April 22 and had 12 campsites reserved for the first weekend, with 45 reservations for the second
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Manny Valdez
• AnnaMae Bush/Echo
weekend. All 175 sites were quickly reserved for Memorial Day Weekend.” Summer preparation required “all hands on deck.” Valdez said his three fulltime staff and his five summer staff members were working together along with a crew from Ken Adams & Sons Excavating to reshape the beach. The snow fence sections were removed, wound up and put into storage. Other tasks included turning the water on in the bath hous-
es and bathrooms, replacing displaced fire rings on re-leveled locations, trimming trees, and repairing picnic tables that required it. Valdez shared, “An average of 20 tables every year need to be repaired. I’m hoping that changes now that we have been given permission to purchase tables made with treated lumber. Until now we have used untreated wood that we painted, and repainted, regularly.” The special pathway that makes the beach
and water’s edge accessible to visitors in wheelchairs also needed to be installed. Valdez misses the tradition of community volunteer days when residents came to help with tasks at both the opening and the closing of the camping season. “Now the Pentwater students come once a year to thoroughly clean the beach area, but the community resident volunteers don’t come anymore. We have weekly campground hosts who are available to help campers with their needs. But I would really like to involve Pentwater residents again.”
Boater Safety classes offered in Pentwater By AnnaMae Bush The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent Oceana County provides abundant access to water in rivers, ponds, inland lakes and Lake Michigan. This means it also has an abundance of summer residents, seasonal renters, campground renters and park visitors. The risk of water vehicle mishaps and accidental drownings necessitates a priority on water safety education. The Oceana County Sheriff’s Office has a Marine Department headed by Sergeant Mike Fillips, and they host an annual Water Safety Day for county residents and visitors. This year the event will be held on June 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Pentwater Village Marina. Fillips listed some of the activities to be offered and safety teams to be present. A Coast Guard team from Manistee will be coming, and a representative from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The Oceana County Dive Team will offer a presentation, as will Sergeant Fillips. Hot dogs, chips and bottled water will be provided free of charge while supplies last. Life jackets of various sizes will be given to children until supplies have been exhausted. Games for kids, including how far they can throw a life ring, will add to the festivities. Grandparents who are concerned about their grandchildren’s safety on summer visits are encouraged to come with the youngsters. People of all ages are welcome. Oceana County’s opportunities for boating emphasize the importance of
• AnnaMae Bush/Echo
Children tour the Sheriff’s boat.
Children who received life jackets and emergency whistles stand with Deputy Tim Simons at a recent Water Safety Day. boater safety as well. Boater safety certificates are required for persons driving a boat or using a personal watercraft. (Valid driver’s licenses are also required for adults driving a boat.) Laws regulating the use of jet skis and other personal watercraft are complicated. No one under 14 may operate a jet ski. Anyone 14 or 15 may operate a jet ski only if supervised (within 100 feet) by someone age 21 or older. The county sheriff’s marine department cooperates with the Pentwater Yacht Club to offer boater safety classes every summer. This year the class will be offered twice, July 8-9 and August 13-14, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Yacht Club. Attendance on both days is required. A manual is provided to each registrant, and a concluding test will determine whether the participant will receive the certificate. Although there is no age limit for participants, they must be able to read the manual, retain the information, and pass a final test without assistance from an adult. A grandfather who took the class alongside his young grandson said, “I learned several things I had not known even though I had driven a boat for several years. It was helpful for me to go, and it was a bonding experience with my grandson. I recommend it to others.” Interested persons can register online under Boater Safety Education on the State of Michigan website. The state’s handbook of water safety laws is also available online, with specific information on jet ski operation on page 26 of the handbook.
Spitler Elementary Principal Brandon Bruce addresses the crowd at the ribbon cutting for the new Pirate’s Paradise Playground. • Sharon Hallack/Echo
It’s a Pirate’s Paradise! By Sharon Hallack
The Oceana Echo Community Correspondent In one way or another we’re all on a search for our own “paradise.” For the students and staff at Spitler Elementary in Hart, this past year, their “paradise lost” has been turned into their “paradise found.” Even though students have been using it since the beginning of this school year, the redesigned and reconstructed Spitler Elementary School’s Pirate’s Paradise Playground held its “official grand opening” Monday, with Principal Brandon Bruce, 4th grade students and their teachers, PTO volunteers, service clubs and the community on hand. Originally built nearly 30 years ago by over 700 parents, students and community volunteers, the playground had seen its better days. After years of weather, daily use and an arsonist’s fire in 2004, the playground had outgrown its useful life. Two years ago Spitler’s Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) made it a priority project to reconstruct the playground and set about raising the nearly $80,000 needed. The main playground was mostly constructed at a “community build” last July. That day numerous logistics and dozens of volunteers, working under the supervision of a certified playground installer, came together to create something that has become a point of pride for the entire school district. Construction has continued this school year and seen the addition of an outdoor classroom, new bark, arch installation, and reseeding of the lawn. While the original Pirate’s Paradise playground had to be taken down, thankfully the school was able to save most of its original fence. Refinished slats, with the names of numerous individuals, families and community members, have been reinstalled and stand as a testament to the community who first supported the vision of a new playground back in 1996. A striking black archway welcomes visitors and lists the businesses, community members, volunteers and service organizations who had a hand in funding or working on the playground’s renovation. New sidewalks, ADA-compliant equipment and lots of great climbing, swinging, balancing, exploring and sitting opportunities await. A wonderful outdoor classroom pavilion has also been added and includes picnic tables, storage, and an instructional area. The entire project was funded through grants, school fundraisers and donations from numerous service clubs, families and community members. Hundreds of volunteer hours and sweat equity have also been donated. “There were a lot of late nights for Ellen and Amber,” Bruce said of Spitler PTO President Ellen Slotman and PTO Vice-President Amber Burden during his opening remarks. Pirates Paradise is located behind the Spitler Elementary School on Johnson Street and can be enjoyed by the communiSpitler Elementary 4th ty any time school is not graders stand in front of the in session. new outdoor classroom.