Sparta TODAY 2023 June July : simplebooklet.com

• IN THIS ISSUE •Page 3Beer & Brat Street FestivalPage 4New OcerPage 6New Village ManagerPage 9Sparta’s Statues FestivalPage 14Sparta’s Master PlanPage 21Bell RingerPRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAIDGRAND RAPIDS, MI Permit #214ECRWSS Postal CustomerJuly 2023A point of pride in Sparta, since its founding, has been the value put on honoring those who have contributed to the defense of our country. An eort was recently put forth by a group of residents-the WWI Memorial Committee-to rekindle the memory of the seven area soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrice to maintain our freedom in that war. Shorty’s Mon-ument (so nicknamed for the constable who directed trac around it) was erected in the middle of the intersection of Union & Division Streets in the 1920s and was taken down a few years later as it became a trac hazard. At the time, a more modest granite marker was built to replace it, most recently located in the Sparta Sports Park.Nothing remains of the original ten-foot-tall white monolith except for the most important parts-the seven names of those fallen heroes etched in brass! Their existence has only recently become publicly known. The Committee, under the auspices of American Legion Post #107, rebuilt the monument, putting the name plates back in their rightful place and in our collective memory. The monument was unveiled at the Memorial Day Service in Lamoreaux Park this year.A New Monument in Sparta

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SpartaTODAY July 2023 3The Sparta Celtic Festival is proud to announce the release of a new commemora-tive poster for this year’s event, that will take place on August 11 and 12 in Rogers Park and Balyeat Field in Sparta Michigan. In the past, the Fest’s posters were more “informa-tional,” and less artistic. For 2023, the event planners decided they wanted to do separate printings of both an informational poster and a new “Celtic Themed” artistic one.“It’s dicult to get all the information we want out about the festival and onto store windows and oce bulletin boards, and still make it something someone might want to frame and hang in their home,” said Festival Artistic Director Bill Lynch. “This new artistic poster is one we think many people will want to buy and display as a remembrance of their visit to our free entry, family friendly festival that celebrates all things Celtic.” Lynch goes on to say that informational posters with entertainment listings including performance times, event address and other information will still be posted around the area. The new artistic posters will only be for sale during the Festival in August.For the task of creating a poster that shouts “Celtic Festival,” the Board of Directors of the Sparta event turned to renowned Lansing artist Dennis Preston. It was the artist’s suggestion that a dragon be incorporated, which was perfect for the work as Wales, one of the Seven Celtic Nations, has a Welch Dragon as their National Animal. The Celtic harp shown in the poster represents Ireland, as it is one of Ireland’s Na-tional Symbols. Upon closer inspection people will nd some beautiful knot work in the background, common in many works of Celtic Art.Mr. Preston has designed posters for many famous concerts and festivals as well as album covers for many well-known musical artists over the years. He has been “doodling” since rst grade and is now a sought after artist thanks to his many murals and other works of art on display across the country. The Sparta Celtic Festival is excited to have partnered with him for this rst ever Artistic Poster for their event. The festival hopes to continue these “commemorative” posters for every year going forward. Besides having copies of the 2023 poster for sale at the festival, there are plans to have the artist at the event to sign copies, and there will be coloring pages for the children to color in the “Kids’ Area” on Saturday from noon - 5 p.m. The festival is in the process of hopefully making the art available on t-shirts too!For more information about the artist, and to see more of his work, go to: https://bit.ly/PrestonPageFor more information about the Sparta Celtic Festival, go to: https://www.spartacelticfest.org/Chiropractic Carefor the whole family“Helping you reach your health care goals.”Visit and follow us on Facebookfor exclusive offers, health tips and more!• Deep Tissue & Relaxation Massage• Hot or Cold Stone Massage• Prenatal Massage• Spinal Adjustments• Extremity Adjustments• Cold Laser• Traction• Decompression• Medical Massagewww.serenitywellnesschiro.comDr. LynnMarie S. Leyderinfo@serenitywellnesschiro.com542 S. State St. • Sparta MI 49345phone:616-887-2178374 Seminole Rd. • Norton Shores, MI 49444.phone:231-375-5995we protect your home.because,well,somebodyshould.simple humansense®616.887.8881 • ottawakent.comJe Bradford Karla KurnatShelly CrisseyJoel Greene Shelli HallThe Beer & Brat Street Festival is an event not-to-be-missed! We’re shutting down the street in Downtown Sparta and lling it with all kinds of fun geared for adults!There will be 6 dierent avors of locally sourced brats to try! Sassy Honey BBQ, Fiesta, Pineapple Teriyaki, Beer Cheese, Local Beer Brat, and Asparagus Cheddar Garlic, which was voted the most anticipated avor of 2023! You can one of them, or you can try all of them by purchasing a Brat Flight!There will also be craft beer onsite! You can go to the Eagles Outdoor Beer area to get a drink from Pink Barrell Cellars (Dun-neback’s) or Saugatuck Brewing! Otherwise, you can grab a social district beverage from any of your favorite participating restau-rants: Angela’s Italian Restaurant, Brick Haus Brews, Downtown Trini’s and Margarita Joe’s, or the North Kent Eagles!At the event, there will be many dierent games and activities that you can participate in by buying an Event Ticket. These tickets can be used for bumper cars, axe throwing, or fowling, along with caricature drawing from 5-8 pm on Friday, macrame keychain craft from 4-8 pm on Friday and Saturday, plant-your-own-suc-culent from 4-8 on Friday and 11-4 pm on Saturday, and hydro dipping from 4-9 pm on Friday and 11-9 pm on Saturday.Make sure to participate in the dunk tank! All proceeds will be given to St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital! Each donation gives you 3 throws!We couldn’t have a festival without music! Throughout the weekend, there’s going to be 11 dierent bands playing! The festival will have 3 dierent stages, so no matter where you’re at or what time you’re there, you can enjoy live music!Make sure to stop by the Beer & Brat Street Festival on June 16 from 4-11 pm and June 17 from 11 am -11 pm! It’s going to be a blast!The Beer & Brat Street FestivalThe Sparta Celtic Festival Commissions an Artistic Poster for their 2023 Event

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4 July 2023 SpartaTODAY6977 E. Baseline Road, White Cloud, MI 49349EMAIL: KaufmansCustomStructures@ibyfax.comCALL OR EMAIL US FOR CUSTOM SIZES AND COLORSKaufman’sCustomStructuresKaufman’sCustomStructures(231) 689-8283CUSTOM SHEDS & BACKYARD BUILDINGSCUSTOM SHEDS & BACKYARD BUILDINGSDESIGNED TO MEET YOUR NEEDS & BUDGET!DESIGNED TO MEET YOUR NEEDS & BUDGET!WEWE DELIVERDELIVER && SETSET UPUP ALLALL OOVERVER MICHIGANMICHIGAN!!STRIKERHUNTINGBLINDSMultipliableSizesMETALGARAGE14’x24’PLAYMOR™SWINGSETSMULTIPLEOPTIONSAVAIALBE TOFIT ANY YARDSIZE!)SIDESHEDFINANCINGAND RENTTO OWNOPTIONSAVAILABLE*Sparta High School Class of 1973 50 Year ReunionPlease join us for a night to remember!Saturday, September 9, 20234pm - 5:30pm | $30.00/person (includes food and soft drinks.Cash bar available.)Kick o the weekend with us at a Friday Football Game!Friday, September 8, 2023 | Tailgate Tent 5pm - 7pmSparta High School 475 W. Spartan Dr. | Sparta, MI 49345 Class of ‘73 tent will be set up by the football eld. $15.00/person includes tent and ticket to the game.Food available at the concession stand. No alcoholic beverages. Note: Freedom Fest will take place during the game.On May 17, Sparta celebrated their High School Graduates by shutting down the street and having a senior parade! This tradition started in 2020 to support the seniors despite the shut-down, and it has happened every year since, to the delight of the seniors. They decorate vehicles, gather friends, and parade through the community! This year was no ex-ception. The students had various transportation methods. From trucks to fancy cars, SUVs to even a couple of jet skis, the class of 2023 was creative in how they paraded through downtown! Overall, it was a fun way to celebrate our recent graduates. Here’s one last congratulations to the Sparta High School Class of 2023!Sparta’s Senior ParadeWelcome to Sparta’s new full-time ocer, Caleb Soules! He started with the department on March 24, 2023. He is a local resident who graduated from Sparta High School in 2017. He attended Grand Rapids Community College and graduated in 2020 with an associates degree in Law En-forcement. At this time, Ocer Soules will be patrolling the community primarily on the day shift rotation. If you happen to see him around town, make sure to welcome him to the force!Welcome Ocer Soules!The Sparta Chamber and Bayes Water Treatment celebrated with a ribbon cutting as they marked their rst year under new ownership. Travis and Andrea Gray purchased the business in 2022, keeping the whole team intact. Established in 1965, Bayes Water Treatment is a National Quality Association Certied Water Treatment Specialist. They specialize in sales and services on water treatment systems. Their team services all areas from the Lakeshore to Grand Rapids and the surrounding counties. To learn more about their company and services available, visit their website: bayeswater.com.IS THERE A PHOTO FOR THIS SPOT?Bayes Ribbon Cutting

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SpartaTODAY July 2023 5Downtown Sparta is thriving! Sparta Town Square has been lled with excitement and there won’t be any slowing down in the coming months. Festivals like the Beer & Brat Fest and Sparta Town & Country Days ll the downtown area and provide numerous activities for all ages. There is still plenty to do between those dates, too! Visit downtown and support the various small businesses. From restaurants to boutiques, and even an escape room, downtown Sparta has a lot to oer. Enjoy a beverage in Sparta’s Social District and window shop the downtown storefronts! Thursdays on the Square and Concerts in the Park are a great way to spend a summer evening. There are many ways to show support to Sparta businesses. Aside from visiting them and purchasing their ser-vices, you can show your support on social media. By liking their social media pages and inter-acting with their posts, you can help strengthen a small business. Follow Sparta Today on Facebook and Instagram for more informa-tion on the happenings of Sparta. Stay up to date on all things town square by joining the Sparta Town Square Facebook Group!Shop Local, Shop SpartaOn June 5, The Sparta Chamber of Commerce held a State of Sparta Luncheon. Community members from many dier-ent organizations and businesses came to hear updates about Sparta from various speakers. The lineup of speakers included representatives from the Sparta DDA, Sparta Events, The West Michigan Arts Council, North Kent Connect, The Sparta Police Department, The Sparta Airport, The Sparta Village, The Sparta Township, The Sparta Fire Department, The Sparta Library, The Sparta Education Foundation, and Sparta Area Schools. While each speaker had something a little dierent to say about their organization, one theme was present throughout the event: Growth. Sparta is growing and expanding in many wonderful ways! It was amazing to see how much Sparta has developed over the past year, as well as to hear about how Sparta will continue to grow throughout the next. If you are interested in being present at this luncheon next summer, make sure to follow Sparta Today’s Facebook so you don’t miss the date for next year’s luncheon!The State of Sparta LuncheonLast year, the Sparta Chamber of Commerce invited Young Entre-preneurs from our com-munity to be a part of a Youth Market, and it was a success! This year, it is coming back again to Sparta Town Square! The Youth Entrepreneurial Market is a great way for kids to learn important business skills and to test out the life of an entrepreneur! It’s a great way for kids to learn cus-tomer service skills, how to give change, and how to create a product that stands out. We are so excited to be bringing this market back! There are two dates, July 20, and August 10, from 6-8 pm in Sparta Town Square. Come out and support our young entrepreneurs! If you have a kiddo interested in setting up a stand, you can ll out the application on spartachamber.com!Youth Entrepreneurial MarketShop Local Facebook QR CodeShop Local-TownSquare Facebook QR Code

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6 July 2023 SpartaTODAYSummer CampsHoward Christensen Nature Center10am – 2pm $15/dayAges 5-13. Bring your lunch and dress for the weather!Pre-registration requiredJune 19-23Habitat HuntWhat natural environments can we nd for the various plants and animals we have in our woods, elds, and waters? Help us hunt for homes at this adventurous camp.July 24-28Survival Camp IShelter building, rst aid, re safety, foraging for wild food, and more will be explored during this survival camp. No weapons allowed.August 14-18Survival Camp IIArchery, re cooking, shelter and foraging will be practiced during this second survival camp of the summer. No weapons allowed.Register online at: www.howardchristensen.orgContact us at: info@howardchristensen.orgJames “Jim” Lower was named the Village Manager in February 2023.As provided by ordinance, the Village Manager advises the Village President and Village Council on policy decisions and acts as Chief Administrative Ocer, supervising the activities of all department heads and directing the day-to-day operations of the Village. Managerial duties also include preparing the annual budget, overseeing the collective bargaining process, addressing residents and businesses concerns and developing possible solutions to the problems that arise in the course of day-to-day operations in the Village. The manager also works with state and federal agencies as needed.Prior to joining the Village of Sparta, Jim served as Director of Strate-gy & Operations for the Michigan State House Speaker and as State Rep-resentative for two terms. During his time in state oce, he chaired the House Local Government and Municipal Finance Committee. He was responsible for passing 13 bills into law while in Lansing ranging from tax, pension, and energy reforms, to bills pertaining to local government, natural resources management and criminal justice. Prior to his service in Lansing, Jim worked as the Village Manager for the Village of Edmore and served on the Ionia County Board of Commissioners.Jim holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Michigan State University and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Grand Valley State University. In addition to his village duties, he and his wife Kristen run a small consulting business. They live in Greenville with their three young children and Corgi. In his free time, Jim enjoys outdoor recreation, hunting, boating, and aviation. He often ies small private aircraft out of Sparta Airport and other areas in our region. As a lifelong West Michigan resident, Jim looks forward to serving the Sparta Community and helping the village grow while also maintaining its small-town charm.Meet the new Sparta Village Manager: On June 1st, during Thurs-days on the Square, Sparta Town Square welcomed four new shipping container shops with a ribbon-cutting ceremo-ny. Rockin’ Dogs, Old World Olive Co., Shakerbrud’s Art Shack, and Mama’s Muns n’ More opened their doors and are now serving the Sparta public. These businesses, located inside the renovated shipping containers, are able to develop their business ideas in a low-risk environment. This is a way for them to test their business concepts, and if suc-cessful, grow capital or move to a brick-and-mortar location. The shops are bustling with excitement and are the perfect place to spend a Saturday!Rockin’ Dogs serves freshly prepared hot dogs and chili dogs with classic and unique toppings. They recently added pulled pork options to their menu!Old World Olive Co. oers specialty extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar. Some avors include Dark Cherry Balsamic Vinegar and Meyer Lemon Olive Oil.Shakerbrud’s Art Shack includes original art pieces on a multitude of canvases, including cutting boards, mugs, and traditional prints. Artist Broderick uses pastel chalk on sandpaper to create his designs.Mama’s Muns n’ More is the newest addition to the shipping container shops. Here you can nd delicious treats including sweet breads, sweet rolls, cookies, and muns!Sparta Ribbon CuttingsRibbon Cutting - Group Ribbon Cutting - Mama’s MufnsRibbon Cutting - ShakerbrudRibbon Cutting - Rockin Dogs Ribbon Cutting - Old World Olive Co.

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8 July 2023 SpartaTODAYIn May, almost 50 employees from the Sparta and Tesa Tape Novi oces ventured to nearby downtown Grand Rapids for the Amway River Bank Run. They joined thousands of others in the over-40-year-old event that boasts the largest 25k in the country. The race also includes a 5k walk, 5k run, and 10k run. Employees from across dierent roles, including production, operators, HR, and engineers, teamed up to race together. And they did very well for tesa’s rst time participat-ing! The 5k and 25k teams both placed third, while the 10k team came out on top in rst place. Our new North Amer-ican President and Regional Manager, Tobias Banik, was a part of the winning 10k team. A visiting colleague from tesa Comet, Jonatan Vaini, who is in the U.S. for eight weeks also participated – and was a part of the 5k team. Following the races, the par-ticipants celebrated at Finish Fest with refreshments, games, and music. tesa employees team up well both in the oce and for the sake of physical tness!ONLINE AUCTIONSONLINE VEHICLE AUCTIONS EVERY WEEKCONSIGNMENTS WELCOME!M & W Inc. is one of Michigan’s largest full service repossession andPublic Auction centers. We have been in business for over 30 years.Weekly Auctions Feature:• Cars • Trucks • Commercial Trucks & Vans • Boats • RV’s• Motorcycles • Recreational vehicles • Seized assets• Business Liquidation • Consignments welcome979 West River Center Drive NEComstock Park MI 49321http://www.mnwinc.com/Sparta CommunityFoundationAccepts GrantProposalsThe Spar ta Community Foundation will begin accepting grantapplications for community based programs that will beneﬁt art & culture,community development, education, environment, health, or socialneeds in the greater Sparta area. Detailed information on applying forfunding and to complete an application will be available on the websitewww.grfoundation.org/sparta in early July. The deadline for submittingapplications is September 9, 2023. Decision on grants awarded will beannounced by October 31, 2023.The Sparta Community Foundation supports programs tha t are innovative,start-up, or capital in nature (e.g., construction, renovation, equipment),and gives priority to those that yield substantial community beneﬁts forthe resources invested and that serve a broad segment of the community.Cell: (231) 598-1813Email: johnmilan@sbcglobal.net215 N. Michigan Ave.Big Rapids, MI 49307Xerox®Multifunctional MachinesCopiers • Printers • Scanners • FaxesPREFERREDOfce MachinesJohnMilanVolunteers helped save butteries at Nash Creek in Balyeat Field. It was encouraging to see parents and younger children and youth cutting old stems and picking up trash on April 22.At least eight varieties of native wildowers are needed for butteries to survive. Many more than that have been planted along the banks all through town by students and volunteers since 2014. Please help weed them on Thursdays 9:30-noon or Tuesdays 5:30-7:30. No experience is necessary. sue.blackall@spartaschools.orgThank you to Ben, Anna, Zeke, Luca Brothers, Eva Barkel, Emma, Gage, and Teresa DeYoung, and Tanner and Jess Guiles for a great start in saving the butteries!Saved the Butteries!Sparta and Novi employees team up for walk and run event in Michigan

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SpartaTODAY July 2023 94438 Westshire Dr NW,Comstock Park, MI 49321(616) 784-3620www.Cppizza.netPizzaSlicesOnly $1(11AM-2PM)Tuesday-FridayPizza SlicesOnly $1 11AM-2PM)WE OFFERALL THECHOICESFOR EASYFOR EASYSumm Meals!Summ Meals!Monday: 3-9PMTues-Fri: 11AM-9PMSaturday: 1-10PMSunday: 1-9PMOpen for LunchTuesday thru FridayBUY TWO16” PIZZAS& Get a Stix orCinnamon Stix for $30!Purchase two 16” pizzas with 2 topping(s),and enjoy a stix or cinnamon stix for $30!Oer good through July 1, 2023.OFFER VALID ON PICK UP ORDERS ONLYOne coupon per person. Not valid with other oers.What’s YOUR Home Worth?Premier Appraisal can help youOwned & Operated for Over 30 Years888-452-4414ASK ME ABOUT YOUR FREE GIFTCARD!• Vacant Land, Single Family & Income Property• Market Analysis & Feasibility• Tax Abatement -Paying too much in taxes? We can help you!• Enjoy Working with Fellow Professionals• Certied Machinery & Equipment AppraiserPremierApparaisalServices, IncLicense #:1204003882888-452-4414Premier Apparaisal can help youIn September, Sparta will host its rst International Living Statue Festival! A remarkable gathering of still-life performers hosted by the Sparta Cultural Alliance, and spearheaded by local living statue artist, Robert Shangle, the event brings together talent from around the globe, including two world champion living statues. Experience the unique artistry of this fascinating form, as we ll the streets of Sparta with a silent but expressive spectacle. Don’t miss this chance to enjoy, interact with, and appreciate the rich diversity and creativity of living statue art.The International Living Statue Festival will take place the weekend of September 15 - 17, 2023, during Apple Fest in down-town Sparta.The Friday night opening will showcase one performer fol-lowed by a reception for artists and sponsors. On Saturday 2:00pm - 6:00pm the international artists will perform during Sparta Apple Fest.On Sunday 2:00pm - 6:00pm the artists will perform at Art-Prize in Grand Rapids.Please join us in welcoming this year’s performers from Portu-gal, Israel and Germany.Sparta Statues Festival

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16 July 2023 SpartaTODAYSparta will be honoring our Fallen Soldiers by hanging banners on the street poles along State Street. The Sparta area has 68 soldiers who will be honored in this project.These banners will include their rank/branch of service along with a photo (if one can be found) of every fallen hero who died in action of any con-ict who lived in the Sparta area.The anticipated installation date by end of 2023. They will then be on display 365 days of the year. Additional poles will have patriotic banners, but are not included in the cost estimates below. The project was awarded a generous grant from the Sparta Community Founda-tion, but we are still looking for donations to complete the project. Total project cost consists of the following:Individualized Banner ($76 ea) $5,168 Install $3,500Total Project cost Estimated:$8,668If your organization would be willing to contribute to the project, checks can be made payable to the DDA or payments can be made through the spartachamber.com online. Any excess funds received will support local veteran programs and ser-vices.The banners will be guar-anteed hung through 2026, at which time the longevity of the hanging banners will be evaluated to see if they can remain up or if they need to be retired. Sparta DDA is seeking interested parties to contrib-ute to this project honoring our fallen heroes. If you are interested to make a donation toward this project, checks can be sent to Sparta DDA 194 E. Division, Sparta, MI 49345 c/o Fallen Soldiers. Your consid-eration of a contribution is very much appreciated! Con-tributions will be recognized in social media posts and the Sparta TODAY Newspaper.LET ME WORK FOR YOU….Contact Julie Lewis:Julie.lewis@hearst.com231.592.8373TOGETHER WE WILL GET RESULTSWe are proudlyCelebrating our 76th yearof business.431 W. Division, Sparta616-887-8247Servicing Both Large and Small AnimalsOfce Calls, Surgeriesand Farm Visitsspartaanimalclinic.netM-F 8:00am-6:00pm Sat. 8:00am-1:00pm*NOW HIRING*PO Box 499 - 120 Hemlock St. ,Howard City, MI 49329(231) 937-4514acehomehealthcareservices.com/employmentOPEN:SUN, MON & THURS 12-8PMFRI & SAT 12-9PM19 State Rd, Newaygo, MI 49337231-452-6551Order Online!newaygobrewing.com/foodFRESH MENU • CRAFT BEERFRESH MENU • CRAFT BEERNEWAYGO WINES • HARD CIDERNEWAYGO WINES • HARD CIDERFREE PARKINGFREE PARKINGSparta Area Fallen Soldier Banner Program

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18 July 2023 SpartaTODAYVillage of Sparta We're pleased to present to you this year's Annual Quali-ty Water Report. This report is designed to inform you about the quality water and services we deliver to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment pro-cess and protect our water resources. We are commit-ted to ensuring the quality of your water. Our water source is from four (4) water wells owned by the Village. Our wells draw water from glacial material. The depth of the wells vary from ninety (90) feet to one hundred eleven (111) feet below the surface. We have a source water protection plan, commonly referred to as a wellhead protection plan, which includes a ten (10) year well delineation for the Villages wells. A copy is available from our office that provides more information such as potential sources of con-tamination and the methods of protecting ground water from contamination.In addition to the source water protection plan, a source water assessment study was performed by the State in 2003. This study was to identify any contam-ination threats to our four production wells. A rating of “moderate susceptibility” was the final determination by State Officials because of the following. 1. All well construction meets standards.2. There are no potential contamination sources within the standard isola-tion area. 3. Our community has an active wellhead protection plan that supports man-agement of existing or po-tential sources of contami-nation in the WHPA.4. Known sources of contam-ination within the WHPA are in process of re-media-tion to prevent movement of contamination to the municipal wells.This report shows our water quality and what it means. If you have any questions about this report or concern-ing your water utility, please contact Randy Carter at 383 S. State St., Sparta, MI 49345 or call 616-887-0854. We want our valued cus-tomers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled meetings. They are held on the second Mon-day of every month at the Sparta Civic Center, 75 N. Union St., starting at 7 p.m.The Village of Sparta water system routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. This table shows the results of our monitoring for the peri-od of January 1st to Decem-ber 31st, 2022. In this table you will find many terms and abbrevia-tions you might not be famil-iar with. To help you better understand these terms we've provided the following definitions:Level 1 Assessment: A study of the water sup-ply to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system.Non-Detects (ND) - labo-ratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present.Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) - one part per million corre-sponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter - one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.Action Level - the concentra-tion of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treat-ment or other requirements which a water system must follow.Treatment Technique (TT) - A treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contam-inant in drinking water.Maximum Contaminant Level - The “Maximum Al-lowed” (MCL) is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.Maximum Contaminant Level Goal - The “Goal” (MCLG) is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. MRDL - Highest Level of a disin-fectant allowed in drinking water.MRDLG - The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no know or expected risk to health.We’re proud that your drink-ing water meets or exceeds all Federal and State re-quirements. We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some constitu-ents have been detected. The EPA has determined that your water IS SAFE at these levels. All sources of drinking water are subject to potential contamination by substances that are naturally occurring or manmade. These sub-stances can be microbes, in-organic or organic chemicals and radioactive substances. All drinking water, including bottled water, may reason-ably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indi-cate that the water poses a health risk. More informa-tion about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protec-tion Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reser-voirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves natural-ly-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.Contaminants that may be present in source water include:* Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacte-ria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.* Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-oc-curring or result from urban storm water runoff, indus-trial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas pro-duction, mining, or farming.* Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as ag-riculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses.* Organic chemical contam-inants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemi-cals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and pe-troleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.* Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-oc-curring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of cer-tain contaminants in water provided by public water sys-tems. Food and Drug Admin-istration regulations estab-lish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.MCL’s are set at very strin-gent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated constituents, a person would have to drink 2 liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect.Lead: If Present, Elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in If present, drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. Sparta Water Dept. is responsible for pro-viding high quality drinking Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for 2022

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SpartaTODAY July 2023 19Sparta Hunting & Fishing ClubTRY Trap! Schedulewater, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you have a lead service line it is recommended that you run your water for at least 5 minutes to flush water from both your home plumbing and the lead service line. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drink-ing water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is avail-able from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/leadIn 2002, Sparta replaced all its 4 inch cast iron water main with ductile 8 inch. This accounted for around 80 percent of the entire dis-tribution system. All service lines involved in the water main replacement project were replaced from the main to the curb stop with 1 inch k copper. To date, our distribution system has 1498 total service lines with 1,476 of these known to be copper or other approved material on the homeowners side. There were 45 galvanized service lines with 23 already re-placed, leaving 22. 37 homeowner service lines have not yet been confirmed that are of “unknown mate-rial.” In our continuing efforts to maintain a safe and depend-able water supply it may be necessary to make improve-ments in your water system. The costs of these improve-ments may be reflected in the rate structure. Rate adjustments may be neces-sary in order to address these improvements.Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immu-no-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other im-mune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from in-fections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guide-lines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and oth-er microbiological contami-nants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).Please call our office if you have questions, at 887-0854.We at Sparta Water Depart-ment work around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap. We ask that all our customers help us pro-tect our water sources, which are the heart of our commu-nity, our way of life and our children’s future. Please be advised that indi-vidual copies of this report will not be mailed but may be picked up at the Sparta Village Office at 156 East Division in Sparta.Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for 2022 (continued)

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20 July 2023 SpartaTODAY88 East Division StreetPO Box 427Sparta, MI 49345p 616-887-1761f 616-887-2870www.northridgefuneral.comstaff@northridgefuneral.com SSPPAARRTTAA AARREEAA SSCCHHOOOOLLSS 2023-24 STUDENT/PARENT CALENDAR First Day of School ..................................................................................................................................................................... August 21 No School for All Students or Staff ........................................................................................................................................ September 1 Labor Day – No School for All Students or Staff…………………………….………… ...................................................... ………………...September 4 Homecoming ........................................................................................................................................................................ September 29 Student Fall Count ..................................................................................................................................................................... October 4 Half Day for All Students .......................................................................................................................................................... October 20 Half Day for K-5 Students only - Parent/Teacher Conferences ............................................................................................ November 10 No School for All Students .................................................................................................................................................. November 22 Thanksgiving Break ......................................................................................................................................................... November 23-24 Half Day for 6-12 Students only (Records Day) ..................................................................................................................... December 21 Teacher In-Service – Half Day for All Students...................................................................................................................... December 22 Holiday Break ....................................................................................................... …….……………...……………………….... December 25 – Jan 5 School Resumes ........................................................................................ ……………………………………………………………….……………. January 8 Student Spring Count Day ........................................................................................... ………………………………………………………. February 14 Half Day for K-5 students only - Parent/Teacher Conferences ............................................................................................... February 16 Mid-Winter Break .............................................................................................................................................................. February 19-20 No School for All Students or Staff .................................................................……………………………………………………………………March 28-29 Spring Break ................................................................................................................................................................................ April 1 - 5 Half Day for K-5 Students only (Records Day) ................................................................................................................................ May 10 8th Grade Recognition .................................................................................................................................................................... May 22 High School Graduation ................................................................................................................................................................. May 23 Memorial Day – No School for All Students or Staff ..................................................................................................................... May 27 Half Day for All Students. ............................................................................................................................................................... May 30 Last Day of School – Half Day for All Students and Staff ............................................................................................................... .May 31 The above calendar shall be limited by and subject to the provisions of state law governing the make-up days missed due to emergency closing. Days not required by law for make-up shall not be added to the calendar year. School days which must be made up for State Aid purposes will be scheduled as available or at the end of the school year.

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SpartaTODAY July 2023 21Sparta - The Right Place for YouIt has been an amazing year. Our students continue to progress and achieve. The sta continues to invest their heart and soul into our learners. We have had academic and athletic successes. Our visual and performing arts continue to shine and make us proud. We are celebrating another class of high school graduates, the Class of 2023. Our graduates have weathered quite a bit over the last four years. As is the Spartan way, they have worked hard and nished strong. The Class of 2023 earned hundreds of thousands of dollars of scholarship money. There were multiple state champions and state qualifying athletes. Our Senior band students have been highly decorated performers. As the role models for the underclassmen, they have led honorably and will leave a lasting impact. We are immensely proud of them, wish them all the best in their next adventure and thank them for being the Spartans that they are and will always be. With graduation and the closing of another school year, we turn our attention and focus toward another opportunity next school year to get even better. We expect to build on the success of this graduating class and work to reach even greater heights. This summer we have commitments from over fty sta to come in during June to enhance their strategies used to foster a healthy classroom environment lled with care, respect, love and acceptance. We have hundreds of days of work scheduled for instructional sta from Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade to come into school to work on curriculum, instruction and assessment. We have dozens of sta willing to work this summer to provide our students extended and remediated learning opportunities in summer school. Sta will continue taking graduate classes to enhance their content and pedagogy knowledge, always in pursuit of modeling lifelong learning. The next two months will permit our sta to focus their work on growing and strengthening as we focus on a future of excellence for our Spartan learners. Our sta will have said goodbye to our learners on June 8 for the summer. We will come back together as a sta on August 15 and welcome our learners back on August 21. Seventy three calendar days will have passed between saying goodbye and saying hello again. We continue to focus forward. Our learners deserve the continual pursuit of getting better. We are thankful to this community for trusting the education of their students with us. We do not take it for granted. Finishing strong in all we do to provide a better future for our learners is our preferred method of saying thank you. Enjoy the summer in our beautiful village! Everyday will be a great day to be a Spartan!Educationally,Joel Stoner Superintendent of SchoolsSparta Area SchoolsBELL RINGERHome of the Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School www.spartaschools.orgJuly 2023By Mrs. Sandy DavisThe kindergarteners at Ridgeview and the 5th graders at Appleview put a twist on art. Mrs. Mitchell, the art teacher at Ridgeview, had her kindergarten students design and color robots. The students learned about the freelance artist and illustra-tor Matt Dixon and his love of creating robots. They discussed the dierent parts of the robot and what materials robots could be made out of. Then, they drew and colored their pieces. When they were nished drawing and coloring them, Mrs. Mitchell sent them over to Mrs. Davis, the art teacher at Appleview. Mrs. Davis also introduced Matt Dixon and his robots to her fth grade stu-dents. They also looked at many images of robots and then listed the components of robots...gears, nuts, bolts, antenna, helmets, screens, etc...As a group, they took a look at a couple drawings from the kinder-garteners and brainstormed ways to take the robot to the next level making it look more sophisticat-ed. Each fth grader was given a kindergarten student's robot picture and transformed it. They had a pretty good idea of what to do and were excited to draw, color and then glue both pictures side by side to give back to the kinder-garten student. The fth graders took a picture of both pieces and uploaded it into their art portfolio folders in their google drives so they would have a memory of it. The kindergarten students were thrilled when they got them back.CollaborationMuseums, symphonies and beaches! After a couple weeks of working hard on the M-STEP, the fourth graders took a break from the class-room and went on back to back eld trips. First, they loaded up on charter buses and headed to the east side of the state to visit the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI. Students got to explore the museum and learn about civil rights, automobiles, the history of airplanes, and more! Some of the highlights were climbing aboard the bus Rosa Parks refused to give her seat up on, seeing the chair Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in and a lineup of presidents’ cars spanning from Theodore Roosevelt to Ronald Regan. Students also got to see a movie called Superpower Dogs in the Giant Screen Expe-rience at the museum. If your child is asking for a furry best friend this movie might be why!The following day the students got back aboard some buses to head to the Frauenthal Theater in Muskegon to hear the West Michigan Symphony perform. Students got to bring along their recorders and play some songs with the musicians. They learned about the dier-ent types of instruments that make up a symphony. There was also some dancing, disco lights and confetti involved. After the performance, the students headed to the Pere Marquette Park to have a quick lunch on the beach before heading back to school. The weather was perfect! After two long days traveling around I think the students were quite tired! At least the teachers were! Both days were great experiences and well deserved after all the students' hard work this year!M-STEP Field Trips

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22 July 2023 SpartaTODAYBELL RINGER“Is everyone else seeing a solid white head on that bird?” our wildlife specialist, Mrs. Blackall asked Mrs. Singleton’s third grade class. “Yes!” everyone exclaimed. They saw an eagle with their binoculars! “What a special day!”, Mrs. Blackall announced as two honking Canadian Geese ew above Mrs. Glynn’s class. Third grade students pointed up in the air and awed in excitement as they peered through their binoculars at the wild birds. Every third grade class from Appleview Elementa-ry was given the opportunity to classify dierent types of birds and observe their habitats with the guidance of Mrs. Blackall. Another special surprise was that each class was able to plant a Michigan native tree on a popular Sparta community trail near the Sports Complex. Students learned the importance of Mich-igan native plants and trees and how they help nurture dierent organisms, especially birds and aid in their survival. This was a wonderful opportunity to not only get outside, but understand how science works right in our own backyard.Junior Wildlife WanderersJune is a month of transitions and celebrations for families and communities. Sparta Education Foundation has much to cele-brate this year.First, SEF congratulates all the graduating seniors. We are proud of you and we look forward to seeing how you will make an impact on your community and the world! Specically, we are pleased to announce the recipients of SEF-managed schol-arships to six well-deserving seniors of the SHS Class of 2023.The L. Edmond Eary Jr. MD and Athena S. Eary Scholarship for valedictorian: Emma JanesakThe L. Edmond Eary Jr. MD and Athena S. Eary Scholarship for salutatorian: Emalyn BenhamThe Catherine Richmond Health Sciences Scholarship: Emanuel CruzThe Lynn McFall Reed Schaner Education Scholarship: Nora DeLongThe Debby Tramper Helping Profession Scholarship: Madyson Oudbier The Debby Tramper Trades Scholarship: Ethan MoberlyCongratulations to each of you for a job well done, and best wishes as you further your edu-cation and follow your dreams! While we are congratulating our graduating scholars, we want to be sure to thank all of our community donors who make the scholarships and classroom grants possible. Without the generous nancial support of our contributors, SEF would not be able to provide funds for in-novative learning opportunities. Your investment in the students of Sparta is an investment in the future of Sparta. One of our goals is to increase our nan-cial impact. We are currently exploring the prospect for a major donor matching funds opportunity which will allow both the business community and individual donors to partner with us and double the impact of their nancial gifts. Stay tuned! Exciting times ahead!There are two additional “graduates'' that SEF would like to recognize - our retiring board members. Ron Hoover has faithfully served as treasurer. His expertise has helped build the solid base that SEF enjoys today. Martha Markham has used her talents in many roles; most visibly as coordinating RetroBowl for many years, and providing annual skits for the sta. We will miss her wit and wisdom at our general meetings. We are thrilled that she plans to continue serving as an associate member of SEF. The commit-ment and dedication of these two have made an impact not only on the students of Sparta, but also the SEF itself, and we thank them.The last celebration I’d like to mention is the planned expan-sion of volunteer and fundraising opportunities. The SEF is very excited about connecting with the community in a number of ways. Beginning in July, there will be three levels of volunteer-ing: general volunteer, associate membership, and board of direc-tors. For information about how you can get involved, go to our website www.spartaschools.org/sef or stop by and see us at any Sparta Summer Events.We can’t wait to connect with you and celebrate partnering to-gether to make a positive impact on our students and community for years to come!LeAnn Kitson, Sparta Education Foundation PresidentSEF Celebrates with YouOn May 4th all 9 of our kindergarten classes took a eld trip to John Ball Zoo. We had a beautiful day that allowed us to explore the zoo. We were able to watch and learn about a variety of mammals, birds, amphibians, sh, and invertebrates. Some of the new animals John Ball Zoo had available for our kids to see were a sloth, a snow leopard, two eagles, and two coati. We spent the majority of the day at the zoo and got to have picnic lunches with our classmates. We even had the ability to provide tickets for our parent chaper-ones so they were able to create some lasting memories with their kids. All of the children loved the time they were able to spend at the zoo and still bring it up from time to time! Kindergarten Field Trip to John Ball Zoo

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SpartaTODAY July 2023 23BELL RINGERThe weather was beautifully cooperative as fth-grade boys and girls experienced Camp Roger's amenities of nature! They partici-pated in safe re starting, team building, and archery while at camp. Upon their return to Appleview, they were taught important lessons regarding online safety. Kent ISD Tech Educators presente informa-tion about internet safety, etiquette, and precautionary tales of internet presence. In our world, it is important for students to be educated both indoors and outdoors!Fifth Graders at Camp RogersFifth-grade students enjoyed a challenge encompassing a variety of stations as they transition to middle school. Spartan Up is a day of col-laboration and competition that was created by Mrs. Utter ve years ago. Students competed against the dreaded "Captain KentCedarhawk" to rescue Sparty from a physical escape room of 50+ locks and puzzles. Students had a lesson on reducing stress from Rachel Crothers. Deputy Costa ran a station in which he stressed personal safety. Parent volunteers manned the "7 Habits of Successful Spartans" where students played to complete minute to win it gamesthat were related to the 7 Habits. SHS junior athletes taught our fth-graders about the 4 "C's" of sportsmanship through some fun games. Students rose to the challenge to "Spartan Up!"Spartan Up DayA eld trip to Grand Valley State University introduced them toamazing new tech-nology, a beautiful college campus, and extensive athletic facil-ities. Students swam, learned, and toured the college campus on a beautiful May day. Many returned with aspirations of becoming a Laker!Fifth-grade students experienced their rst taste of university lifeResearch by Mrs. McKellar's STEM classes prove that only long roots of native plants can clean storm water runo, and the ditch between the MIddle School and Early Childhood Center empties into the Rogue River! So many classes are going to help plant over 5,000 rain garden plants next fall. Fourth and fth grade classes already removed old stems of non-native invasive weeds from the banks. The local high school robotics group, "That One Team," cut hard to reach stems and even pulled an old television out of the ditch. The Middle School Rain Garden Ditch will become a beautiful urban natural habitat to observe butteries and other native species. Thank you to these non-prot groups who are investing in the lives of our youth and watershed: Sparta Educa-tion Foundation, Groundswell of GVSU, Rogue River Partners, Kent Conservation District, Kent County Drain Commission and Wildowers of Michigan. A special thank you to our school groundskeeping crew for support-ing our work.Middle School Rain Garden Ditch

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24 July 2023 SpartaTODAYBELL RINGERSparta Administration Building 2023 Summer HoursJune 12th - August 17th M-Th: 7:30am - 4pmFridays: ClosedThank you for a great school year! Dear SMS Parent/Guardian, On behalf of the staff at Sparta Middle School, I want to thank you for what has proven to be a great school year; filled with many amazing moments, challenges and achievements. I know I speak for our entire staff when I say that Sparta is a very special community, from our students and their families, our staff, our beautiful facilities and the tremendous support we receive from our Board of Education and Sparta Education Foundation. At its core, education is about caring for people and supporting their growth. Thank you to all the members of our learning community for helping us care for our student(s) at SMS! I hope you and your student(s) have a great summer! We are looking forward to seeing our students again in August! Sincerely, Brad Wood, Principal Sparta Middle School Mark Your Calendar Now...Important Dates/Information for the 23-24 School Year: SMS 2023 Beginning of School Year Open House... ● Date: August 17th (Time TBD) ● All SMS Students & Families Welcome! Student Pictures: ○ Student Pictures will be taken at Open House ○ Picture Retakes will be September 25th Student Schedules: ● Student Schedules will be distributed at Open House and released on that same day. Chromebook Pick-Up: ● Chromebook pick-up will be at the SMS Open House. ● Students who did not pick-up their Chromebook will receive it on the first day of school. First Day of School ● Thursday, August 21st Summer Office Hours at SMS: ● June 9th-30th: 8am-3pm, Monday thru Friday ● August 1st-11th: 8am-3pm, Monday thru Thursday ● August 14th-18th: 8am-3pm, Monday thru Friday ● August 21st: First Day of School! Summer Communications for Middle School Families: All families who have a student entering the 6th, 7th or 8th grade will be receiving informational “NEWS YOU CAN USE” newsletters over summer. These newsletters will have important information that will help you prepare for a successful start to the 23-24 school year. 23-24 SMS Recommended School Supplies List 2023-2024 SMS Recommended Supply Lists link: Content Area Recommended Supplies English/Language Arts -A binder with pockets, used only for this class (or a folder with pockets and fasteners for paper) -A notebook for writing, used only for this class -Pencils and pens with blue or black ink -Headphones or earbuds to use with audio text. Mathematics A 1.5 inch binder Divider tabs (optional) Spiral notebook or loose-leaf lined paper Pencils Erasers (cap erasers preferred) Ruler and/or Protractor Scientific Calculator A highlighter Social Studies 3 Ring Binder 2 Spiral Bound Notebooks Pencils/Colored Pencils Highlighters Headphones/Earbuds for school only Science 1 Inch 3-Ring Binder Spiral Notebook or Loose Leaf Paper Pencils & Colored Pencils Headphones or Earbuds Art Pencils/Colored Pencils Markers Spanish 1 & 2 3 Ring Binder, Earbuds and a writing utensil Band & Choir Pencils 1 inch 3-ring binder with pockets and page protectors Instrument (band only) *Please note it is not a requirement that your son/daughter arrive with these materials on the rst day of school. However, if you are able to provide them with these items, it would be greatly appreciated.In May we continued working on our Social/Emotional health through classroom lessons from the Michigan Model for Health. Pre-K students learned about resolving conicts. They watched a read aloud entitled Talk and Work it Out and reported about how the friends solved their problems kindly. Kindergarteners watched a read aloud entitled Why Should I Help?, by Claire Lewwellyn. We talked about being helpers at home and in the classroom. Students created helper coupon books to bring home and give to parents. Grade 1 & 2 students continued focusing on making good decisions by gaining self-awareness. All watched another great Rocket Kids video, ‘Self-Aware-ness: 5 Reasons It’s Important. Each grade level considered slightly dierent aspects of self-awareness, and created self-awareness collages. The idea is for them to learn about themselves, and to track how their goals, interests, values, strengths and weaknesses evolve. Please ask your children about these and encourage their practice and growth in these areas.Consider working to strengthen your children’s SEL skills over the summer. SEL (Social Emotional Learning) is an integral part of human development. SEL is the process that helps people develop healthy identities, manage emotions, feel empathy for others, maintain supportive relationships with friends or family members as well as make responsible decisions.I found a great resource oering suggestions about how to foster these. Check out this link: Summer SEL Family ActivitiesStudents in all grades continue learning about the Zones of Reg-ulation; they identify and manage emotions if uncomfortable. We have talked about how ‘regulating’ emo-tions is like dialing in a new radio station if we don’t like the one that is playing. Students identify tools to ‘dial in new emotions’, including taking deep breaths, counting to 10, getting a drink of water, crunchy caterpillar, getting hugs, and more. Consider talking about more ways to manage emotions with your children.If you would like to learn more about the Zones of Regulation, see this link: Zones of RegulationLast, we have a Career and College Readiness bulletin board in the hallway near the cafeteria. This features a dierent Career Pathway each month for 6 months. In May our Career Board featured Natural Resources and Agriscienc-es. Studies show that if children make connections between what they are learning and the world, they value education more readily, graduate at higher rates, and are able to set post-secondary goals (Kent ISD Career Readiness) Here is our readiness yer including a link to the State’s website: Career and College Readiness Brochure.Counselor’s Corner