SGRAT

Smart Growth Assessment Tool is a planning device that was used extensively in development of the City's 2010 Master Plan.  It involves taking a hard look at techniques and approaches to "smart growth" principles, and making a well-reasoned assessment of your own success in applying those principles.Neighborhhod compatibility, smooth transitions among different forms of transportation, parking where parking should be, intelligent street design, etc.  There is a very wide body of knowledge that we frequently talk about, but how well do we apply it in practice?

An impressive array of representatives from all over Grand Haven came together on Wednesday, August 8, to discuss these tools and to do an assessment of our waterfront planning efforts to date.  The Chamber, DDA, Convention and Visitors Bureau, Planning Commission, City Council, Harbor Board, Museum, State of Michigan and even the federal government were represented at the meeting, and Grand Haven scored a 63%. 

Thoughtful planners at Mulligan's Lodge in August, 2012

We've done a good job, but we still have much work to do to properly plan for the future Grand Haven waterfront.

Parades Are Wonderful!

The 2012 Memorial Day Parade was a beautiful sight to see.  Throngs of old and young crowded the streets of Grand Haven (and thousands of other towns across America) to say thank you to our veterans and to say hello to friends and neighbors.  We need this reminder of how lucky we are and how many sacrificed so much to let us have our freedom.

God bless America, land that we love!

State Champs!

There is nothing that brings a community together like a wildly successful competitive school team - and the Grand Haven Lady Buc basketball team reminded us of this on Saturday, March 17. Congratulations Grand Haven, enjoy the glow!

Untreated Sewage Discharge

Yuck! Does this ever happen? Yes it does! More often than anyone would like, but not as much of a threat as one might think.

State law sets forth rigid standards to follow in the unfortunate event of a discharge of untreated or partially treated waste. If (and, unfortunately, when) it happens, the person responsible for the system shall immediately notify the DEQ by telephone, along with local health departments and newspapers in the town where the discharge happens and all towns downriver. We also test the waters downstream immediately after the discharge event to measure possible public health risks.

This happens very rarely in Grand Haven. We have been fixing up leaky and cross connected sewers for over forty years and are in fairly good shape. Other urban centers, such as Grand Rapids, have regular discharge when we get big rain storms. We get notices every month, and the routine is numbing; we have grown complacent about the events themselves.

Consider this - when Grand Rapids has a discharge, the e coli counts are around 200 colonies per 100 ml in the effluent. Downriver where they sample, the counts are in excess of 300 colonies per 100 ml. The water in the river is more contaminated than the combined sewer overflow being introduced during a rainstorm!

Also consider this - Ottawa County Health Department reported at a water quality summit held this fall that only 1% of the beach closures on Lake Michigan are linked to point source contamination (like the overflows from Grand Rapids).

Citizens of lake shore communities point fingers at Grand Rapids, but the source of our water quality problems are not coming from overflows from our friends in GR. Grand Rapids needs to continue fixing sewer overflow sources, but we need to broaden our perspective if we want to reduce pollutants to Lake Michigan.

No Wires - These Flashers Go Anywhere!

Solar power and a 24/7 three year guarantee - a few of these around town at the more heavily travelled areas will give motorists an extra measure of caution without major capital expense. City crews are evaluating cost and placement. No telling how much safer these will make our crosswalks, but proximity to live wires is no longer an obstacle.

Safer Routes to School

Instead of "Safe" Routes to School, I am posting this as "Safer" routes to school. There are no guarantees, and we are doing everything we can to make the trips to and from school safer for all citizens. It will be a combined effort of educators, citizens and others to make things safer now and in the future. We need to shovel off the sidewalks, pay very close attention as we drive, walk or bike and take steps to prevent terrible accidents from occurring.
In 2011, we focus on a three school neighborhood - Mary A. White Elementary, St. John's Lutheran and Lakeshore Middle Schools. In 2012, and beyond, we will shift our focus to alternate City neighborhoods, eventually creating a safer walking/biking environment.

Festivals Bring Town Together

Every town in the nation has a semblance of the annual "big" festival. Some towns have very specific themes, like Grand Haven's Coast Guard Festival. Many have more generic titles (Old Fashioned Days, Fourth of July, Heritage Days, etc.), but all bring members of a community together in a very special way.
These are reunions, publicity stunts and good times, all rolled into a seasonal expression of community pride. In Grand Haven, "Coast Guard" is a way of life for the entire community. It is as big as the Christmas Holidays for us locals, and we enjoy every minute of the elaborate pomp that comes along with a military-themed festival.