Comstock Park Communicator Oct. 1, 2023 : simplebooklet.com

The second annual return of Mill Creek Days featured large crowds to enjoy more attractions and entertain-ment. This year the weather cooperated as community members and visitors gath-ered for a variety of activities. New for this year -- a 5k run, beer tent and more kid’s activities on Saturday, more live music and an expanded craft fair and parade.“We started planning Mill Creek Days in January with the goal of building on the success of the first return of Mill Creek Days last year,” said Rich Frey, chairperson of the Comstock Park Downtown Development Authority, the coordinator and main spon-sor of the event. “I believe we accomplished that goal, and we will be looking for ways to expand and improve the event again next year.”Response from coordina-tors of some of the events has been positive.Pleasant weather at Thurs-day’s Rotary BBQ kicked off Mill Creek Days. More than 900 dinners were served and sold out of everything – chicken, ribs and sausage. “It was a great event for us – best year yet,” said Christy Nowak, from the Rotary of Comstock Park. Missi McPherson, edu-cational support services coordinator, for the Comstock Park Public Schools, said the Community Celebration on Friday night was well attended with approximately 1,700 participants. The event included 28 resource booths, giveaways, ice cream and a photo booth. About 400 people stuck around for the Movie in the Park at dusk. The Community Celebration was sponsored by Wedgwood Christian Services, Comstock Park Public Schools and the Kent District Library – Com-stock Park.“The Renaissance Faire at Mill Creek Days was bigger and better than ever,” said Jerry Berg, owner of the Swordmanship Museum and Academy. “New musical and comedy acts were brought in as well as many new Renais-sance Faire vendors.”There was a nice variety of crafters at the expanded craft fair on Saturday of Mill Creek Days, according to Sue Morrow, coordinator. There was a total of 28 craft booths surpassing the goal of 20 ven-dors.“Overall they enjoyed decent sales,” said Morrow, who hopes to grow the craft fair to 40 vendors next year.The first Mill Creek Days 5k run also surpassed its first-year goal of 100 runners and brought in a total of 145 participants including kids. The run started and ended at Dwight Lydell Park.“It was a great turnout for the first year. We look forward to doing bigger and better in 2024,” said Steve Morrow, partner in River-bank Events and Media LLC, coordinators of the Mill Creek Days run.The 5k included 20 spon-sors and businesses who donated gift cards or mer-chandise and raised about $2,500 for local organizations and sports teams.Planning for the 2024 Mill Creek Days will begin in early 2024. Volunteers are always needed. Send your photos from the 2023 Mill Creek Days or suggestions for next year’s event to millcreekday-scp@gmail.comMore activities, entertainment part of Mill Creek Days 2023www.comstockparkdda.org • Fall - October 1, 2023ECRWSS POSTAL CUSTOMERThe rst Mill Creek Days 5k attracted 145 participants and raised $2,500 for local organizations. The winner of the race was Jake Shavalier pictured in front on the left.Ocer Jose Douglas grills chicken for the Rotary BBQ that took place on Aug. 10, the kicko event of Mill Creek Days. This year the Rotary of Comstock Park sold 900 dinners.A beer tent in the back parking lot of Mill Creek Tavern took place during Mill Creek Days.About 1,700 participants were part of the Comstock Park Community Celebration on Aug. 11 that included 28 resource booths, giveaways, ice cream, photo booth and Movie in the Park.

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Page 4 | Oct. 1, 2023 Comstock Park Communicator www.comstockparkdda.org Community policing – connecting law enforcement with citizens and businessesFor Alpine Township Supervisor Greg Madura, community policing is a way for law enforcement to con-nect in a personal way with the public and businesses in the community to attempt to prevent crime. Plainfield Township Manager Cameron Van Wyngarden sees community policing as a way to also build trust. “Our community policing officers can take the time to listen to residents’ concerns and talk through potential solutions,” he said.Community policing focuses on developing rela-tionships with community members by having officers patrol the same area for an extended time and develop a partnership with citizens to collaboratively identify and solve problems. For instance, Kent County Sherriff Deputies Jacob Connor and Nick Mills, who are Plainfield Township’s Community Policing Officers, host a weekly Coffee with a Cop. The event is an oppor-tunity for residents to learn about how to prevent and reduce crime in their neigh-borhoods, and for the depu-ties to answer questions about area incidents and listen to resident’s concerns.“I’ve found many of our residents really appreciate our community policing officers and find value in the service they provide,” Van Wyngarden said.Madura said that Kent County Sherriff Deputy Jose Douglas, who is Alpine Town-ship’s Community Policing Officer, has a wide range of duties that make “living in Alpine Township a safer, warmer community.” Douglas leads discus-sions to help local business-es reduce theft and make employees safer. He hosts meetings and visits homes to give advice on home security and makes schools visits to connect with students who might struggle academically or socially. Douglas started a student camp week that helps students interact in a positive way with the deputies and see some aspects of the Sher-riff’s Department such as the Mounted Division. In Plainfield Township Community Police Officers host community events to help build a better relation-ship with the police and give residents someone that they can know personally to reach out with questions. “We hold classes for businesses or the public to help teach them techniques to prevent them from being victims of crime,” Conner said.In both Alpine and Plain-field townships, the Com-munity Policing Officers also handle code enforcement.Conner, Douglas, and Mills enjoy the opportunity the job offers to build personal rela-tionships with residents and businesses.Besides his job as a Com-munity Policing Officer, Con-ner is a member of the Kent County Sheriff’s Department TAC (Tactical Apprehension and Confrontation) Team, Field Force Team, Honor Guard, and is a field training officer. Conner is originally from the Rockford area, grad-uating from Rockford High School. He attended Grand Rapids Community College for two years and then the Ferris State University Police Academy where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in crim-inal justice. He worked for the City of Kentwood Police Department for five years before joining the Kent Coun-ty Sheriff’s Office in 2021. He enjoys spending time with family, camping, boating, or anything outdoors.In addition to community policing, Douglas is assigned to the Sheriff Department’s Hostage Negotiation Team and Command Bus Operator Team. Douglas is originally from Sicily Island, Louisi-ana, where he attended high school. He received his law enforcement training at the Detroit Metropolitan Police Academy. He then worked for the Detroit Police Depart-ment for two years and then Buena Vista Police Depart-ment in Saginaw County for 10 years before joining the Kent County Sheriff’s Depart-ment. When he’s not working, he says, “I love fishing and spending time with my fam-ily.”Mills started his job as community policing officer in Plainfield Township in July 2023. Mills is from Parma, a small town in Jackson County. He served two tours in Iraq as an Army scout. He received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Mich-igan State University and attended the police academy in Lansing. Mills worked on the road patrol for four years in Jackson County and spent three years working with adult probationers in Ingham County before deciding to return to law enforcement. He served on the night shift with the road patrol with the Kent County Sheriff’s Depart-ment before being assigned to Plainfield Township. Mills, who lives in Clarksville, enjoys biking, golfing, and camping with his family. “I find solace and enjoy-ment in exploring the natural beauty of the area’s trails,” Mills said.Jacob Connor Mill Creek DaysThree of the runners in the Mill Creek Days 5k near the nish line. Graysen Johnston was the winner of the vintage bicycle and one of the youngsters who rode his decorated bike in the Mill Creek Days parade.Jose Douglas Nick Mills

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www.comstockparkdda.org Comstock Park Communicator Oct. 1, 2023 | Page 5Comstock Park Communicator is published quarterly by Hearst Michigan Media Group for the Comstock Park Downtown Development Authority. Comstock Park DDAwww.comstockparkdda.orgP.O. Box 333Comstock Park, MI 49321Comstock Park DDA Board of DirectorsRichard Frey, chairman – rich@korehicom.comTom Coleman, Plainfield Township supervisor – colemant@plainfieldmi.orgEd Hood – ehood0812@gmail.comJim Jarecki – jjarecki@whitecapsbaseball.comNick Purwin – slpurwin@yahoo.comJohn Stephan – rjohnstephan@lawyer.comJanis Vander Kooy, treasurer – jvanderkooy@sbcglobal.netDavid Washburn – dwashburn@cppschools.comEditorKaren Gentrykegentry@comcast.net(616) 647-2949Sales, Multi Media ConsultantJulie Lewis, Hearst Michigan Media GroupJulie.Lewis@hearst.com(231) 592-8373DesignJohn Eddy, Hearst Michigan Media GroupContributorsKathy BushGary HollandJohn GonzalesJoanne BoorsmaCJ DeVriesPaula WrightSecurity system installation and upgrades added to DDA’s Exterior Improvement ProgramInstallation and upgrades to security systems are now a part of the Comstock Park Downtown Develop-ment Authority’s Exterior Improvement Program, for-merly known as the Façade Improvement Program. The new security provision was added because of the ever-increasing threat of van-dalism and theft, according to Rich Frey, board chairperson of the Comstock Park Down-town Development Authority. “Board members are aware of heightened security concerns. We’ve had graffiti incidents recently, and theft in general is more rampant than ever before. The DDA wants to assist our district’s businesses in their efforts to enhance safety and security.” Frey said. The security systems must be affixed to the building and not easily removable. Grants for approved projects cover 20 percent of costs up to a maximum grant of $10,000. Projects need to cost a min-imum of $3,000 to qualify. Full details and grant appli-cations are available at www.comstockparkdda.org.Comstock Park Building Improvement ProgramThe appearance and struc-tural integrity of buildings is critical in any community, and an attractive business district encourages pedes-trian and vehicular traffic, which is good for the local economy. This Building Exte-rior Improvement Program encourages preservation, res-toration, and/or renovation of significant building exteriors for properties located within the DDA district. The DDA district is not an incorporated village or town, but rather an historic small business center located in the extreme southwest corner of Plainfield Township. Eligible Projects for DDA Funding SupportProjects to restore or ren-ovate building exteriors, including windows, roofs, and driveway/parking areas are eligible for this grant program. Construction costs include design/removal/replacement of exterior ele-ments and improvements to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Struc-tural assessments and asso-ciated feasibility studies for interior or exterior improve-ments will also be considered for grant funding. Examples of eligible exte-rior improvements include awnings, entrances, painting, exterior restoration, removal of existing façade, signs and electronic message boards, handicapped access ramps, parking lot improvements, landscaping, exterior lighting, and security systems. Pro-gram funds may not be used for refinancing existing debt, financing new debt, building demolition, property acqui-sition, site plans, property appraisal costs, legal or loan origination fees, labor costs paid to the owner or relatives, and new building construc-tion. For more information on eligibility criteria, program guidelines, procedures, and application visit www.com-stockparkdda.org under the General Information tab.The DDA district along West River Drive.

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Page 6 | Oct. 1, 2023 Comstock Park Communicator www.comstockparkdda.org Around Town…Jan Buchin (pictured) and her husband Dan Buchin, pastor of Holy Spirit Episcopal Church on 200 Post Drive NE in Belmont, serve more than 10 families per week at the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry inside the church, open from 6-7:30 p.m. every Thursday. The pantry has been serving area residents since 2006. Comstock Park residents can pre-register at Sanctuary Church, 3999 Alpenhorn Drive NW, Comstock Park or by calling Tanya Llorens at (616) 821-2778. Walk-ins are welcome and will be provided with a prepackaged bag of food. Two food pantry boxes outside of church can be used by those in need 24/7. The pantry also receives support from the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church as well as more than 20 community volunteers.Julie Cramer, hair stylist at Heitz beauty salon on 3948 West River Drive in Comstock Park, styles the hair of Krista Veine, a Comstock Park resident. Comstock Park is home to The Pack, an indoor dog park, dog daycare, restaurant and bar. The Pack, located at 5205 West River Drive, oers special package rates, multi-dog discounts and all-inclusive daycare with access to the outdoors. Drinks and hot food are available in the restaurant and bar. On Sept. 9 a group a dogs, dog owners and The Pack employees enjoy a pleasant Saturday in the outdoor area. For more information visit thepackdogpark.com.Comstock Park resident Rebecca Humes, owner of Rebecca Humes Photography in Comstock Park, photographed her niece Minka Dunahee modeling one of the dresses in Humes’ ArtPrize entry “A Tale of 10 Dresses.” Humes made the paper dresses out of children’s books such as “The Secret Garden,” “Harry Potter,” and Disney books. Minka is wearing the dress made from “Where the Wild Things Are.” Humes’ entry was at the JW Marriott. A tornado and storm ravaged the Comstock Park area on Aug. 24 causing downed trees and power outages. The EF1 tornado damaged the structure of upper-level third grade classrooms at Pine Island Elementary. Trees block the road on Stony Creek Drive in Comstock Park’s Westgate neighborhood.Llamas made a visit to the Kent District Library – Comstock Park on July 29.Mill Creek Middle School students Kenzie Terbeek, Mia Koda, Stefanie Merida and Allyson Crete joined hundreds of other middle school students for a two-mile Color Run on Sept. 14, hosted by Northview Public Schools

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www.comstockparkdda.org Comstock Park Communicator Oct. 1, 2023 | Page 74438 Westshire Dr NW,Comstock Park, MI 49321(616) 784-3620www.Cppizza.netMonday: 4-8:30PMTues-Fri: 11-2PM & 4-8:30PMSaturday: 2-9PM • Sunday: 2-8:30PMBUY TWO 16” PIZZAS& Get Stixs or Cinnamon Stixs for $30!Purchase two 16” pizzas with 2 topping(s),and enjoy a stix or cinnamon stix for $30!OFFER VALID ON PICK UP ORDERS ONLYOne coupon per person. Not valid with other oers. Expires 10/30/23.PizzaSlicesOnly $1(11AM-2PM)Tuesday-FridayPizza SlicesOnly $1 11AM-2PM)YourYourNeighborhoodNeighborhoodSpot forSpot forDelicious Pza!Delicious Pza!North Village PhotograPhy616.485.2042www.NorthVillagePhotograPhy.comFalMINI-SESSIONSFOR $55Call for Details!FamilycouPlesgraduatioNPetsmaterNityCP Pizza owner enjoys being part of the communityWhen a building that had housed a former pizza shop came up for sale in Comstock Park, a friend suggested to Amy Brondyke that she buy it and open a pizza business. Brondyke’s first thought was “No way.” But the more she thought about it, the more she thought, “Yeah, I could do it.”After all, she’d been work-ing for two years at the now closed Franco’s Pizza on Alpine Avenue. Besides learn-ing a lot at Franco’s about how to make a great pizza, Brondyke had business skills having earned a bachelor’s degree in business admin-istration and nonprofits at Grand Valley State Univer-sity. So, she took the plunge, bought the building at 4438 Westshire Drive, and opened CP Pizza in 2016. She owns the building and lot. Her pizza shop is small - approximately 550 square feet, and she leas-es the other part of the build-ing, 4440 Westshire Drive, to Furniture City Graphics.Brondyke said she likes the location. “I like that it’s not right on Alpine,” she said. “People can sit outside, and it’s not so busy.” She’s planted flowers in front and along the sides of the lot to make the outdoor area more attractive.Since it was previously a pizza shop, Brondyke didn’t have to change anything -- it came with equipment like a mixer and the vintage pizza oven. “I just came in and started baking,” she said. The shop is primarily a take-out operation, but there are some tables and chairs for people who want to eat inside or just sit while they’re waiting, and some tables and chairs outside. Inside the shop is a typical take-out pizza shop with a tall counter where customers order, pick up, and pay. And there’s that mouth-watering smell of pizza baking that permeates the place.Besides pizza, the meu includes Italian dinners such as chicken alfredo, chicken wings, salads, subs, calzones, desserts, and ice cream. Gluten free, cauliflower, and zucchini crusts are available when possible. Everything – sauces, crusts, dinners – is prepared from scratch in the kitchen, Brondyke said add-ing, “We make it all.” Bron-dyke offers pizza slices for $1 at lunchtime, and business is brisk. She has six part-time employees, mostly teenagers. Brondyke advertises in local publications. Word of mouth and Facebook have helped her build her business.For Brondyke the best part of her job as owner of a pizza shop is “talking to people, being part of the community.”“I like to cook for people and see the smiles on their faces,” she said. “I like to see them enjoying their meal.” To keep current on the pizza trade, Brondyke goes to the Gordon Foods Food Expo at DeVos Place each year, where she learns about new products. Gordon Foods is where she buys many of her supplies in bulk. She said she would like to go to the annual National Pizza Expo in Chi-cago sometime. She also sub-scribes to Pizza Today, a trade magazine that is full of ideas for products, ingredients, and recipes. She takes custom-er feedback seriously when offering something new and when deciding to discontinue an item.Brondyke grew up in Plain-well and graduated from Plainwell High School. After graduating from Grand Val-ley, she worked as a manager for Walgreens for 10 years until going to work at Fran-co’s Pizza after the birth of her son Alex nine years ago. She likes volunteering at the Michigan Veteran’s Home. Brondyke lives in Walker and enjoys going to Alex’s hockey practices and games. They also enjoy traveling and going to the beach.CP Pizza is located at 4440 Westshire Drive in Comstock Park.Amy Brondyke has owned CP Pizza since 2016. CP Pizza’s $1 per slice pizza at lunchtime is very popular.

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Page 8 | Oct. 1, 2023 Comstock Park Communicator www.comstockparkdda.org A popular Halloween dis-play in Comstock Park will be featured on the “Great Hal-loween Fright Fight,” a reality Halloween decorating compe-tition show to air in October on ABC. Jennifer and Thane Dunahee are one of eight fam-ilies around the United States to appear on the show that will air over two nights. Triple Threat Productions, that also produces the “Great Christ-mas Light Fight,” filmed at the Dunahees’ in August. The displays will be judged on things like design, Halloween spirit, and creativity. The winner of the competition is awarded $50,000.Jennifer Dunahee learned about the show at the Haunt-ed House Convention she attended in St. Louis this year. She submitted a video and was chosen to be on the show. This isn’t the first time Jennifer has appeared on national television. She was featured on ABC’s Good Morning America in 2021. The Dunahee’s display is also regularly featured on local television stations each year. Dunahee is a Home Haunt-er. She said Home Haunters is “a tiny, close-knit commu-nity” of talented people from around the country who love Halloween and love to put their skills to use to create extraordinary Halloween displays at their homes. Dunahee said she knows she’s up against some stiff compe-tition.The Dunahees’ display includes Hansel and Gretel and the Gingerbread House, Alice in Wonderland with the Mad Hatter’s tea party, a witches’ camp, Jack and the Beanstalk, and large dragons, one that “breathes fire” and perches on their garage roof. The Dunahees started putting the display in their yard at 4970 Biddeford Drive NW 15 years ago as a char-ity fundraiser. At first, they chose a different charity each year, but five years ago they partnered with the Humane Society. People who visit the display can put their dona-tions in the large, dog-shaped bank the Humane Society loans to the Dunahees. They also accept donations of pet supplies.Dunahee said 100 percent of the donations go to the Humane Society. Dunahee also organizes the local Com-stock Park Halloween Deco-rating Contest. Information about this year’s competition is on the Comstock Park Hal-loween Decorating Contest Facebook page. Comstock Park display to be featured on ABC’s Halloween competition showJeremy VerVeer moved his business to Westshire Drive next to CP Pizza.Jeremy VerVeer is a fighter. Survivor. And, by accident, a businessman.If it wasn’t for CP Pizza owner Amy Brondyke, who owns the 3,000-square-foot building located at 4438 Westshire Drive NW, just off Alpine Avenue, his Furniture City Graphics might not be thriving as it is today.It was during the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020, when the 1,000-square-foot space at the end of her build-ing was vacated by another business.She was tired of being a landlord, he said, and she offered him the space. He thinks it was a favor to his wife, who worked with her at Walgreens for several years. He was working at UPS by day and struggling to maintain his business in his basement in the Westgate neighborhood of Comstock Park.“Amy said, ‘You should move in with all of your stuff,’” VerVeer said.“I was completely honest with her and said, ‘I’m not in any position, financially, to afford rent. All of my cus-tomers have closed - schools, churches, businesses, all closed.”He remembers picking up a pizza one night, and on top of the box was a key to the building.“She told me to check it out,” VerVeer said.“I said, ‘Well, I’m home all day and I’ve got nothing to do but hang out with my kids. Maybe I should start working down there.”It was a blessing.Today, his Furniture City Graphics is thriving. Orders this fall have doubled since last year, and more and more people are discovering his one-man operation is built on customer service and an atti-tude of “I can do that!”Officially establishing his business in 2018 (the name comes from a record store he once owned), Furniture City Graphics offers custom apparel, large format print-ing, stickers, banners, signs, promotional items, personal-ized gifts and more.In an era of DIY and Etsy, VerVeer finds that some peo-ple just prefer to work with a local vendor on custom-ized items or small specialty orders.“This year I have been very busy,” the 43-year-old owner said.“One thing Covid did was make people more connect-ed with their local people. They watched all these huge businesses stay open, and everyone knows at least two or three people who had to close their doors or lost their jobs….I’ll work with anybody. You can come in here and talk to me.”Originally from Rockford, VerVeer moved to Comstock Park about 12 years ago. “Growing up I was mostly interested in music and art. Both my older brothers were artists and musicians so I kind of fell in line,” he said.In high school he took an interest in computers because his best friend was also into computers.“I started figuring out how to make flyers for the bands I was in and making CD layouts and whatnot,” said VerVeer, who has been playing with his friends in a punk/metal band called Chugger. (He still plays with them today.)“That’s when I met a gen-tleman (Kevin Sheppard) who did large-format printing and was really into music. He was much older than me and he got me into printing even more,” he said.That was about the “time all my health issues started,” he said.VerVeer developed heart issues in his 20s (he had heart attacks at ages 25 and 28), and his mentor was dealing with his own health issues. Together they tried to operate a print shop on South Divi-sion in Grand Rapids. But it failed.He would eventually go on to have two more heart attacks, all while trying to raise a family and do printing out of his basement.He knew financially he would have a hard time get-ting loans because of medical bills, and he knew opening a shop would never be in the cards.That’s why pizza shop owner Brondyke has been such a godsend.“Amy pushed me to try…. She has invested in my com-pany just by being so under-standing and willing to work with me for rent,” he said. “From my life of medi-cal issues I knew my credit was never going to be good enough for a bank or investor. I decided to jump in and try. It has been a couple of years and we are starting to see much more traffic and new customers.”Over the years, he has learned a lot about life, and what it’s like to be in a wel-coming community like Com-stock Park.His motto is simple:“Mistakes are just real-life education,” he said. “You’re either giving your money to a teacher or you’re giving your money to the mistake that is teaching you how not to do it.”Furniture City Graphics 4440 Westshire Drive NW, Comstock Park (616) 439-4466Furniturecitygraphics.comHours: Noon-6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. Wednesdays and Saturdays by appointment.Furniture City Graphics owner thriving in Comstock ParkFurniture City Graphics oers custom apparel, large format printing, stickers, banners, signs and many Comstock Park Panthers items.Jennifer Dunahee is pictured with her Mad Hatter’s tea party as part of her Halloween display.Jennifer Dunahee’s dragon Twiggy was a past ArtPrize entry.

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Page 10 | Oct. 1, 2023 Comstock Park Communicator www.comstockparkdda.org Golden Panthers offers four fall programs at Henze CenterAll Golden Panthers pro-grams take place at 1 p.m. at the Henze Center, 1101 Henze St. between Sam’s Club and Walmart.Edmund Fitzgerald: The Stories, The SongFriday, Oct. 6. Hear stories of the crew members, their families, and of a doomed ship in one of the worst storms in Great Lakes history. Learn how the hit song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitz-gerald” came to be, performed live by Mike Fornes. Program is in collaboration with KDL Comstock Park branch’s Live and Learn Lecture Series. Long Time Since We Rock and Rolled, Music of the 60’sFriday, Oct. 27. Join Dave Kampfschulte to revisit the unforgettable music of the 1960’s. the impact it had, and the stories behind the songs. Participants will get a chance to guess songs from snippets played, come up with lyrics, music trivia, and the times that shaped our lives. Don’t miss this trip down rock and roll memory lane.Protect Yourself from Fraud and ScamsFriday, Nov. 10. Get tips on how to prevent fraudsters and scammers from taking your hard-earned money. Michael Zelly, vice president financial investigations manager and Kyle Perrault, bank manager, both from Independent Bank, will talk about common tech-niques that fraudsters use, how to avoid them, and what banks do to help keep your money safe. Kent County Sheriff’s Deputy Jose Douglas will also talk about how police investigate phone scams. Cookie Decorating Friday, Dec. 1. Join Holly del Rosario and the Cookie Chicks’ crew for hands-on holiday cookie decorating fun. Cookies, frosting, decorating tools, and decorating tips pro-vided. Cost: $5 per person. Pre-registration is required by Nov. 27. For reservations call Kathy, 616) 784-2326. Plainfield Township home to many popular parksDwight Lydell Park, downtown Comstock Park and operated by Kent Coun-ty Parks, spans 39 acres of recreational space, including natural areas. The park offers a paved trail for walking or jogging, two open picnic shel-ters that can be reserved for group picnics and events. D. W. Richardson Park, 5255 Grand River Drive NE, includes three base-ball diamonds, playground equipment, shuffleboard and basketball courts as well as a pavilion available for rent. Grand Isle Park, 6206 West River Drive, offers near-ly 3,000 feet of frontage along the Grand River, an 18-hole disc golf course and features a variety of wildlife in the wet-land areas. Grand Rogue Park, 2868 Grand Isle Dr NE, Bel-mont, features ponds, hiking trails, picnic areas and access to the Grand and Rogue riv-ers. Premier Park, 3300 10 Mile Road NE, Rockford, offers mountain biking on the Merrell Trail, access to soc-cer fields, BMX track and an archery center. Versluis Park, 3650 Versluis Park NE, features playground areas, picnic facilities, horseshoes and vol-leyball courts, a fishing pier, a 1-mile paved walking trail and canoe, kayak and small rowboat access. The park’s swimming area closes Oct. 2, but the beach area will remain open. Charles Weldon Veter-ans Memorial Park , 5767 West River Drive in Belmont offers residents an opportu-nity to honor and remember Plainfield Township military members who have died in service to our country. Plainfield Township Trails, include the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park, Jupiter Trail and Rock-ford Trail. Two new asphalt trails are expected to be com-pleted later this year—the Jer-icho Trail and Airway Street Pathway. The Jericho Trail runs along Jericho Avenue from Rockford High School to Rockford city limits. The Airway Street Pathway runs along the south side of Airway Street between Plainfield and Hunsberger avenues, con-necting to the Jupiter Trail. (For more information on parks and recreation opportunities in Plainfield Township and a complete list of Plainfield Township parks, visit PlainfieldMI.org or scan the QR code.)Dwight Lydell Park in Comstock Park is one of the popular parks in Plaineld Township.

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Page 12 | Oct. 1, 2023 Comstock Park Communicator www.comstockparkdda.org Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony October 11 at Scott Lake Country ClubThe Comstock Park High School Athletic Hall of Fame will hold its 2023 induction ceremony at Scott Lake Golf Club, 911 Hayes Road NE, in Comstock Park on Oct.11. This is the 30th induction ceremony and the first time that it will not be held at Comstock Park High School. Scott Lake owner, Jeff Hoag (former golf coach at CPHS), is allowing the event to take place free of charge, making him a major sponsor of the event. Other sponsors of the event include Amore Trattoria Italian Restaurant, Vitale’s of Comstock Park, Dokl’s Meat Market, Tommy’s Boats, and Cookie Chicks. The CPHS Athletic Hall of Fame is very grateful for the generous sup-port of these sponsors.The ceremony includes a punch bowl at 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m., followed by the induction ceremony. For more information contact the Comstock Park High School Athletic Department at (616) 254-5200. Inductees this year are Ryan Schall, Nichole (Mila-nowski) Weatherhead, Steph-anie (Milanowski) McCarthy, the 1950-1951 varsity football team, and the 1973-74 wres-tling team. Ryan SchallRyan Schall, a 2013 grad-uate of CPHS, excelled at tennis, basketball, baseball and was an A student. He also volunteered as a youth league basketball coach and summer church camp counselor.Schall’s best sport was bas-ketball. As a freshman, Ryan played on the junior varsity basketball team, was elected team captain and ended up being the Team MVP. He made the varsity team as a sophomore and became a starter and was designated as the Most Improved Player on the team. He ended up getting Honorable Mention recogni-tion on the All-Conference, All-Area, and AP All-State teams. During his junior year, Ryan was elected captain of the team and led the team in scoring and assists. He was also the team MVP, All-Con-ference, All-Area, and AP All-State Honorable Mention. As a senior, Ryan was team cap-tain and MVP. He also made the All-Conference, All-Area, AP All-State, Banks Hoops All-State, and the Grand Rap-ids Dream Team. He scored 534 points that year (second in the area), was second in the state in assists and free throws and played in the Champions of Character All-Star game. During his basket-ball career Schall scored 1,051 points (school record) and set state records in free throws made and attempted. During his three years of varsity basketball, the team won 52 games and lost only 13. They also won three conference championships and two dis-trict titles. Schall played tennis in grades 10 – 12. By his senior year he received All-Confer-ence and All-Area Honorable Mention as his doubles team finished second in the state tournament. The team that year received a #2 seeding and won more matches than any other CPHS team in school history.Schall’s senior year of base-ball he was selected as first team All-Conference and first team All-Area and was picked to play in a Grand Rapids Area All-Star Game. That year, the CPHS team won the conference championship and the district title while setting the school record for games won in a season.Schall was also a top stu-dent and was involved in many volunteer activities. He was recognized as Academic All-State in each of the sports that he participated in. His earned a 3.91 GPA and was a member of the National Honor Society. He was a sum-mer youth camp counselor and coached youth basketball. He received the Student Vol-unteer Bronze Award.As a point guard for the Aquinas College basketball team, he had a great assist/turnover ratio, was team captain his senior year, and led the team to a national tournament appearance. His career stats at Aquinas include: 644 points, 261 assists, 231 rebounds, and 82 steals. His earned 3.84 GPA at Aquinas and won several scholar/athlete awards. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Schall founded and directs a local basketball training program for young basketball players. Nichole (Milanowski) WeatherheadNichole (Milanowski) Weatherhead, a 2007 gradu-ate of CPHS, excelled in bas-ketball and softball and was a top student and gifted leader while in high school and as a coach at CPHS. Weatherhead’s best sport was softball. She was the starting catcher all four years on the varsity. As a freshman, she made the All-Conference team, and the team went on to win the conference and dis-trict titles. During her soph-omore year, Weatherhead made the All-Conference, All-District, and All-Area teams and led the team to another conference champi-onship and received the Lead-ership Award. As a junior, she again made the All-Con-ference, All-District, and the All-Area teams. That year she also added All-Regional and All-State honors. In 2007 she was again All-Conference, All-District, All-Area, All-Re-gional, and All-State. As team captain, she helped lead the team to conference, district, and regional titles and fin-ished as the state runner-up. She played in the Division II East/West and Jon Bos All-Star games. Weatherhead wrapped up her senior year by winning the Coaches Award for the CPHS Varsity Softball Team of 2007.In basketball, Weatherhead was the starting point guard on the freshman, junior varsi-ty, and varsity team. In 2005, she led the team to a district championship and was select-ed as All-Area North Honor-able Mention in 2006. She also served as team captain each year.In addition to being an outstanding two sport ath-lete, Weatherhead made the Honor Roll each semester and was an O.K. Confer-ence Scholar Athlete Award winner. She also won the Yearbook Editor’s Award as a senior and did volunteer work at camps and softball clinics during the summer months.After high school Weather-head earned a degree in social work at Ferris State Univer-sity and a master’s degree in education for school counsel-ing at Grand Valley State Uni-versity. While working on her counseling degree, she com-pleted an internship in the Comstock Park High School guidance office and served as an assistant varsity softball coach at CPHS (a position she held for several years).Throughout her high school playing days and her coach-ing career, Weatherhead has shown a tremendous amount of love for her school, the sport of softball, and the Comstock Park community. Stephanie (Milanowski) McCarthyStephanie (Milanowski) McCarthy, a 2009 graduate of CPHS, was blessed with a great deal of natural athletic talent, outstanding leadership ability, and a tremendous work ethic. McCarthy’s best sport was softball. She was the starting shortstop on the varsity team all four years. She was team captain and won the Coach-es Award three of the four years played. McCarthy was selected to the All-Conference Team all four years. She was Honorable Mention All-Area as a freshman and first team All-Area the other three years. She was on the All-District team for three years and made the All-State Team as a junior and senior. In 2009, Stephanie helped her team win conference, district and regional championships. The team finished as the state runner-up that year.McCarthy developed an interest in golf and decided to try out for the golf team her senior year. With little previ-ous experience in the sport, she ended up being the most improved player on the team, made the All-Conference team, and helped her team win the conference champi-onship.In basketball, she started as the point guard on the freshman, junior varsity and varsity (two years) teams. She served as the team captain each year. She was selected twice as the Most Valuable Player on the team. As a junior, she was All-Confer-ence Honorable Mention, helped the team win the conference title, and was rec-ognized as Advance All-Area Honorable Mention. During her senior year, she made the All-Conference team as well as receiving Honorable Men-tion Advance All-Area. As a senior, McCarthy won several awards for her athletic and academic accomplish-ments. In addition to receiv-ing highest honors each year, she was recognized as O.K. Conference Scholar Athlete and a Michigan High School Athletic Association Scholar Athlete (2008 and 2009). She was also in the CPHS Honor Society for the maximum of two years. McCarthy was also honored as the O.K. Blue Conference Athlete of the Year, the Detroit Free Press Scholar Athlete, and she won the Adell Snyder Award as the top female athlete in the senior class.McCarthy earned a bach-elor’s degree from Central Michigan University where she made the Dean’s list each semester and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 3.91 Grade Point Average. She also coached freshman soft-ball at CPHS for a year. 1950-1951 Varsity Foot-ball TeamThe CPHS 1950-1951 Varsi-ty Football team won the Ken-Owa League Championship with a perfect 5 - 0 record. The team outscored their opponents 125 to 25. 1973-74 Wrestling TeamThe 1973-74 Wrestling Team was the only CPHS wrestling team in school his-tory to win the state champi-onship. Five CPHS wrestlers finished in the top 5 at the State Tournament that year including Mark Burdick, Karl Burdick, Terry Pahl, Dennis Kimberlin and Mark Kruzyn-ski.

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www.comstockparkdda.org Comstock Park Communicator Oct. 1, 2023 | Page 13MKD-8652D-A © 2022 EDWARD D. JONES & CO., L.P. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. AECSPADInvesting canreflect yourvaluesAt Edward Jones, westop to ask you: “Whatcauses and concerns areimportant to you?” Bybetter understandingyour values, we can helpguide your investing toareas that match yourpreferences and beliefs.Get in touch today todiscuss what’s reallyimportant: your values.> edwardjones.com | Member SIPCAndrew N Bok, AAMS™Financial Advisor4582 West River Dr Ne Suite AComstock Park, MI 49321-8941616-988-6428Fall 2023 American Legion Fish FriesThe Comstock Park American Legion’s fish fries will take place from 4:30 – 7 p.m. on Oct. 6 and 20, and Nov. 8 and 17 at 3811 West River Drive in Comstock Park. Prices: $13 Adults, $6 children 6-12. Children 5 and under eat for free. Menu options include all-you-can eat Alaskan pollock, French fries, coleslaw, bread, coffee or milk, and cookies. Dine-in, take-out, or drive-thru available. With an adult dinner punch card the 10th dinner is free. Hyser Rivers Museum Open HousesThe Plainfield Township Historical Society Open Houses at the Hyser Rivers Museum are from 1 – 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 1, Nov. 5, and Dec. 3, located at 6440 West River Drive in Belmont. Visitors can view artifacts and learn about the history of the Hyser House and the lost Village of Plainfield. Alpine Township Historical Commission ProgramsThe Alpine Township Historical Commission will present “Finding Your Ancestors” from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday Oct. 15 at the Alpine Township Community Building, 2415 Seven Mile Road in Alpine Township.The program will help people with their genealogy by making available files, photos, plat maps, and veteran information related to local families. The Historical Commission will present “Alpine Veterans and Local Cemeteries,” from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 18, at the Alpine Township Historical Museum, 2408 Seven Mile Road in Alpine Township. There will be photo displays, information about local veterans, and a guide to Alpine Township and other local cemeteries. Both programs are free.Upcoming eventsWhat’s happening in Plainfield Township?Use the QR code to sign up for the weekly e-newsletter, see township videos, follow social media, and more!

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Page 14 | Oct. 1, 2023 Comstock Park Communicator www.comstockparkdda.org White Pine Trail Comstock Park updateComstock Park is Mile 0 of the 92-mile White Pine State Park Trail that extends north to Cadillac. Pavement is nearing com-pletion on the final unpaved section of the White Pine Trail from Howard City to Big Rapids. Once completed the entire trail from Comstock Park to Cadillac will be paved.Comstock Park recently gained notoriety with a Face-book post that reached nearly 2 million people. Originally published on the Michigan Trails Magazine Facebook page, the post featured a photo of Mile 0 of the trail in Comstock Park. Many trail enthusiasts are excited about the opportunity to bike the entire trail once complete. A map of the entire trail can be viewed at https://mitrails.org/fred-meijer-white-pine-trail-state-park-entire-trail.php.The Comstock Park branch of KDL will host their pop-ular Storytime program in Spanish. Studies have shown that reading to children from birth to 3 years old is critical to their early development and success in school. Early reading promotes cognitive development, increases lan-guage and vocabulary, teach-es empathy, helps to build listening skills, and creates lifelong readers.The library’s Storytime programming in an all-Span-ish format bring benefits of early reading to the Span-ish-speaking community.Each storytime will feature a mix of stories and songs in Spanish, with crafts and open play (giving busy caregivers a chance to chat with each other why their kids have fun).Spanish Storytime, host-ed by Miss Mikki, takes place at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays. English-based storytimes take place at 10 a.m. on Mondays and Fridays.Hora de Cuentos única-mente en españolLa sucursal de Comstock Park de KDL se complace en compartir que este otoño presentaremos nuestro pop-ular programa, Cuentos en Español. Los estudios han demostrado que leerle a su hijo desde el nacimiento hasta los tres años de edad es fundamental para su desar-rollo temprano y éxito en la escuela. Los beneficios de lalectura temprana incluyen: promueve el desarrollo cogni-tivo, aumenta el lenguaje y el vocabulario, enseña empatía, ayuda a desarrollar habili-dades de escucha y crea lecto-res para toda la vida. Estamos muy emocio-nados de expandir nuestra programación de Hora de Cuentos a un formato total-mente en español y brindar los beneficios de la lectura temprana a los miembros hispanohablantes de nuestra comunidad. Cada hora de cuentos inclu-irá una mezcla de cuentos y canciones en español, con manualidades y juego abier-to (dando a los cuidadores ocupados la oportunidad de conversar entre ellos mientras sus hijos se divierten). Nuestra hora de cuentos en español será presentado por Srta. Mikki. Srta. Mikki es de Grand Rapids y estudié español en la universidad de Grand Valley. Después pasé un año en Madrid como un auxiliar de conversación en un colegio.La hora de cuentos en español será los miércoles a las 10:00 a.m. a partir del 6 de septiembre. Todavía ofreceremos nues-tra hora de cuentos en inglés los lunes y viernes a las 10:00 a.m. ¡Esperamos verte pronto en la Biblioteca!Comstock Park library now offers Storytime program in SpanishWE AREBIG RAPIDS•MakeaPayment•EnterVacationDates•UpdateyourNameorPhoneNumber•AndMore!Print SubscribersManage Your Subscription Online!WWW.BIGRAPIDSNEWS.COM/ACCOUNTDigital access is included with home deliveryQUESTIONS?Email Melissa at mpitts@edwpub.netBECOME A SUBSCRIBERbigrapidsnews.com/subscribeCourtesy of Ferris State University

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www.comstockparkdda.org Comstock Park Communicator Oct. 1, 2023 | Page 15Middle school leader now president of ninth grade class Brielle Gates has found the middle ground when it comes to being a student leader. The key is not being too bossy, she said, and reaching out to fellow students, par-ticularly those who are strug-gling.“I think I use my voice a lot. I make sure everyone is on the same page,” said Brielle, who enjoys helping others.Being active with Student Leadership has given her more perspective.Her style obviously reso-nates with her peers: at the end of eighth grade she was elected president of the ninth-grade Student Leadership group for Comstock Park High School.Lisa Thompson, Student Leadership adviser, said that Brielle is a highly effective student leader who is honest, encouraging, positive and responsible.“Whenever she has a goal in mind she is able to reach it by inspiring and persuading others to join her,” Thompson said. “She knows what her role is as a student leader and never needs reminders. She just does what needs to be done.”During her middle school years, Brielle served on the yearbook committee and as a peer-to-peer member of the middle school LINKS program. She served as a student ambassador, helping new middle school students during their first few days of school. She also played four sports: volleyball, basketball, track and softball. Last year Brielle and about 20 other student leaders met each morning for 20 minutes at Mill Creek Middle School to discuss plans, projects and goals. They organized a movie night and Halloween dance, raised money through a walk-a-thon that benefitted Kids’ Food Basket, and raked leaves for area residents who were unable.She also helped a student who struggled with math last year and was gratified to see their grade and sociability improve as a result.“Math has been a favorite,” she said. “I love learning new things in math.”Brielle worked on her vol-leyball skills over the sum-mer. At the end of the school year her mother surprised her with tickets to see Taylor Swift. (This article was originally published on www.school-newsnetwork.org)Brielle Gates was elected president of her ninth grade class at Comstock Park High School.Comstock Park School NewsWe are a local family-owned company since1963 oering full service collision repair forlarge and small jobs. We can also help withtowing and rental car arrangements.WeareaDirectRepairShopformanyinsurancecompanies and we are a OEM Factory Certiedrepair facility for Ford, Dodge, Jeep, RAM,Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, Kia and Hyundai.(616) 784-53954019 W River Dr NE, Comstock Park, MI 49321ComstockParkBodyShop.com

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Page 16 | Oct. 1, 2023 Comstock Park Communicator www.comstockparkdda.org With the word “interim” removed from their titles, Kendra Faustin started the year as the principal of Com-stock Park High School and Charlie Hess as the athletic-director.Faustin has been with the district for four years, previ-ously working as the athletic director. She was one of only four female high school ath-letic directors out of 40 in the O-K Conference. She came to Comstock Park after five years as women’s basketball coach at Ferris State Univer-sity, where she led the team to its first NCAA Division II National Tournament appear-ance and the school’s first Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champi-onship in eight years. “I am excited to see how the fall goes,” said Hess, who has been serving in his position as interim since January — the same time Faustin was named the interim high school prin-cipal. “Mostly, I am excited to see the kids play and go to things.”Hess has been with the dis-trict for four years, serving as the high school physical edu-cation and health instructor. He also served as assistant football coach and head coach for JV baseball.Former principal Dan Holden was named assistant superintendent of human resources in the fall of 2021. Rounding out the high school administrative team is assis-tant principal Tony Petkus, who has been with the district since 2011.(This article was originally published by www.School-NewsNetwork.com) Former athletic director now principal of Comstock Park High SchoolKendra Faustin is the principal of Comstock Park High School.Charlie Hess was named the new athletic director at Comstock Park High School.How do oil spills impact the environment? How are aster-oids formed and how do they travel? These were just some of the questions Comstock Park fifth - eighth-grade stu-dents explored at the Summer Science Camp hosted by the Comstock Park Educational Foundation.This year’s camp theme was “It’s a Disaster!” Students were given different events, such as oil spills, and then assigned the task to design and perform experiments about that subject. Students also participated in crafts, reading, and led writing and research assignments. The camp was held at Mill Creek Middle School during the first week of August. Summer science camp has students exploring disastersMiddle-school students conduct an experiment during the Summer Science Camp

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www.comstockparkdda.org Comstock Park Communicator Oct. 1, 2023 | Page 17Brian Human Ins Agcy IncBrain Human,Agent3938 W River Drive NEC omstock Park, MI 49321-8997Bus 616 784 5465 Fax 616 784 6505brian.hu man.gd0e@statefarm.comProviding Insurance and Financial ServicesLET ME WORK FOR YOU….Contact Julie Lewis:Julie.lewis@hearst.com231.592.8373TOGETHER WE WILL GET RESULTSSchedule your winterizationbefore winter!• Installation • Service • PartsComstock Park High School marching band members help kids decorate bicycles before the Mill Creek Days parade on Aug. 12School upgrades planned for 2024Funds from the $59.46 million bond proposal that was passed on May 2, 2023 will be used for many projects in the spring/summer of 2024. Dave Washburn, superintendent of Comstock Park Public Schools, said the district will issue three series of the bonds to be completed over a three-year cycle.“We are extremely fortunate that the Comstock Park community is supportive of our schools. We are looking forward to making building improvements and are very excited to see what the future holds for our district,” Washburn said. Planned Spring/Summer 2024 Projects Greenridge Preschool - door hardware, rekeying, and security upgradesStoney Creek Elementary- door hardware, rekeying and security upgrades, security window at building entry, food service addition, HVAC systems for all classrooms, roof and envelope upgrades, mechanical and plumbing upgrades, LED exterior lightingPine Island Elementary- door hardware, rekeying, and security upgradesMill Creek Middle School - door hardware, rekeying, and security upgradesComstock Park High School - door hardware, rekeying, and security upgradesTransportation - two new busesFor more news about area schools visit www.SchoolNewsNetwork.org

Comstock Park Communicator Oct. 1, 2023

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