Cutting a Big Ribbon on Washington Ave!

A huge group of dignitaries, including almost all of the City Council, our State Representative Amanda Price and State Senator Arlan Meekhof, and dozens of others helped usher in a new era in downtown Grand Haven on Saturday afternoon.

The downtown project, complete with a wonderful streetscape and heated sidewalks, is now complete. 100% of downtown storefronts are closed and boy, are we ready for summer sales!

Here MSDDA Chair Dan Borchers is all smiles as he cuts through the ribbon with Mayor Roger Bergman.

Memorable Memorial Day

All five City elected officials participated in today's Memorial Day Parade, and there were thousands of appreciative spectators lining Washington Avenue. From left to right are Bob Monetza, Denny Scott, Ed Nieuwenhuis, Roger Bergman and Mike Fritz. It is hard to make them out from this photo, but it was them, and they honored our war heroes by attending ceremonies before and after the parade.

Lining Washington Avenue today were brand new American Flags, thanks to a grant from the Grand Haven Area Community Foundations's Greatest Needs Fund. Our National Ensign flies proudly from every new light pole put in downtown as part of the massive Washington Avenue reconstruction project of the past few years. Thanks to the Grand Haven Jaycees, these Flags will go up (and down) for every patriotic holiday from now until - forever!

Generous Poll Worker!

Yesterday was a little-noticed election in our City. Only 8.89% of us voted! 318 actual voters; 405 voted absentee. Our sleepiest precinct logged 2.8 voters per hour. We were renewing the school operating millage and electing two unopposed school board members. No comment on the economics of holding such elections.

One poll worker, who shall only be known as "Mary" in this blog, crafted this quilt for City employee Stephanie. Such acts of kindness ought to be noticed. This is a fine quilt by a fine election worker given to a fine employee.

All in all, the election went fine.

What the Who the?

A guy dressed as a tomato waving a sign on the side of the road. I can't help but smile. For some, this scene is doubly alarming.

1. He is advertising a "grow" store (hydrponics, indoor growing). Law enforcement immediately reports that we have a marijuana shop on our main street. He is selling materials that will aid in the growing of anything indoors. Who he sells to and what they grow is beyond our local government reach and understanding.

2. He is standing on the side of the road dressed as a tomato waving a sign! The first amendment guarantees our right to dress as fruits and sell stuff.

Nothing to do but make a note - this is an odd world we live in!

Great Lakes Harbor Dredging

Most citizens don't spend any time worrying about dredging our harbors along the Lake Michigan shore. Fortunately, Congressman Bill Huizenga and Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow do our worrying for us. Huizenga District Representative Heather Sandberg brought together a well-informed group at the Annis Water Resource Center in Muskegon yesterday to give an update on what is being funded and where the money is going in 2011 and 2012.

The Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund is being held hostage in Washington - your elected officials (named above) are working on a solution to get the money spent on our harbors along the Lake Michigan coastline (and throughout the Great Lakes).

Shown is our own Bill Huizenga addressing the room and helping us understand how the funding system works (or doesn't work).

Customers First, Even in Emergencies!

We are getting a severe snow storm today - it started around noon or so and has been coming down for hours. In the middle of the snow, the local Staples caught on fire. The response was immediate, our neighboring Charter Township department showed up for mutual aid and the fire was controlled in very short order.

Even with heavy snowfall on the roads, the crews had already moved it aside so the emergency vehicle had no problem reaching their destination (and County road crews had the township roads cleared enough so the paid on call firefighters in Grand Haven Charter Township were able to get to the station quickly).

The City electrical inspector was on scene before the hoses were put away. He ascertained the cause, discussed the situation with the store manager, and gave her the all clear so she could start planning on recovery activities immediately - why wait for Monday morning when you can get it all done on Sunday night?

Here is a demonstration of everything working right. City staff knows what to do and when to do it. Administration needs to make sure they have proper personnel and equipment, and the public will get the service levels they expect.

Complete Community Center

New, downtown-style lights were installed at the Community Center this week. If it is good enough for the front page of the Grand Haven Tribune (see June 30, 2010 edition), then it is good enough for the web site.

The new lights are now featured in the downtown parking lots, all around the Loutit District Library, the new Ottawa County Courthouse, Jackson Street, Community Center (front and back) and will soon grace the Washington and Beechtree streetscapes.

Special thanks to Julie Beaton, Al Vanderberg, Sandie Knes, Brian Vilmont and the whole Main Street Downtown Development Authority - these concrete lamp posts will last for 100 years!