Inside this Issue:
Veterans Memorial Park

This patriotic memorial to our veterans has created a lot of interest within the City of Hudsonville. Daily people are visiting the park to view all of the names of those from this area that served in defending our country’s freedoms and the ability for us to live in a country such as the United States of America. How often do we take time to think of what this freedom really means?
The City of Hudsonville will continually take orders for bricks and for the names to go on the wall. This is a lifetime memorial that will be here for generations to come. If you would like to honor a family member or a friend, you can come in any time and buy a 4X8 brick for $50 and 8X8 brick for $100, or a name plaque of a veteran to be placed on the wall for $125. The next order for the bronze plaques for the wall will be sent in on August 20.
The Veterans Park is still in need of a sound system for the park at a cost of $5,000. If anyone is interested in donating a sound system for the park, a plaque thanking the donor could still be placed in the park. For the dedication service, we borrowed a sound system from Hudsonville School System. The park is open for those who wish to use it for some outside event like a band concert or church service. Therefore, we desire to equip the park with the necessary equipment and not to borrow every time some program is planned.
Thank you to everyone that made this Veterans Park a success. We hope that you will continually enjoy this remembrance to those who continually fight for our freedoms and our country.

Hazardous Waste Disposal

The Ottawa County Health Department is opening disposal centers called Resource Recovery Service Centers for the collection of household hazardous waste. These centers are open to Ottawa County residents at no cost. In addition to disposal of hazardous waste, the center will also serve as a household recycling center. There is a $18 fee to county residents for this service.
City of Hudsonville residents may use the Georgetown Service Center located at 6683 Roger Dr off of Port Sheldon Road. The center is open Tuesday & Thursday 9-1 & 2-6, and the 1st and 3rd Saturday 8-12 (noon). For more information call (616) 494-5569 or www.co.ottawa.mi.us.

Neighborhood Revaluation

Our 2004 neighborhood revaluation project in progress this summer is for the area bounded by 36th Avenue on the west, School Avenue on the east, Chicago Drive on the south, and Van Buren Street on the north. The goal of the revaluation is to adjust assessed values to more accurately reflect the property. Accurate and complete information regarding each property is necessary to maintain uniformity and equity of assessments throughout the neighborhoods and the city. During the summer of 2003 our department was able to update the records for approximately 150 properties in the area. Our objective is for a student intern and the City Assessor to visit each individual property. The property will be photographed, measured and information gathered from the property owner for updating the parcel record. Letters will be sent to property owners scheduled for each phase letting you know when we will be on your street.

Openings For Boards, Commissions & Committees

There are several vacancies on various citizen boards, commissions, and ad hoc committees. If you are interested in any of the following positions, please contact Mayor Van Doeselaar or City Manager Luben.

  • 1 member - Zoning Board of Appeals and Construction Board of Appeals
  • 1 member - Historical & Genealogy Committee
  • 1 member - Planning Commission
  • 1 member - Library Advisory Board & Endowment Fund
Be “One in a Million”

Did you know that nearly 2,500 Michigan residents are currently in need of an organ or tissue transplant to stay alive? Tragically, many of these individuals die each day waiting for a donor.

Fortunately, there is a way to save many of these lives – by increasing the number of names on Michigan’s Organ and Tissue Donor Registry.

With the help of a broad coalition of organizations, Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land is leading the charge to increase this registry to over one million names. Her “Operation: One Million” project will nearly double the size of the registry and grant new hope for those in need of a transplant.

But “Operation: One Million” can only be successful with your help.

It only takes a few minutes to designate your wishes to be an organ and tissue donor, and this simple act gives hope to all those waiting for an organ or tissue transplant. Sign up today by visiting www.Michigan.gov/sos. Donor enrollment cards may also be downloaded and printed. In addition, postage-paid, pre-addressed enrollment cards are available at any Secretary of State branch office as well as City Hall.

Be “one-in-a-million”. Your choice to donate life will bring hope to someone waiting for a transplant.

Growth in Hudsonville

Over the past several months, the City of Hudsonville has seen and will continue to witness major renovations in every corner of the City. Current projects like Kentucky Lane in the Northwest corner of the City continues to make progress. Ottawa County is currently underway with doubling the size of their Health & Human Services Building and 58th District Court located at 3100 Port Sheldon Road.
Also in the north end of town, Balsam Drive will see major transformation in the next few years. Pro Gas Propane will be closing their Oak Street office and relocating it on their property at 5900 Balsam Drive.
Watch for construction of Elmwood Park Community! Along Balsam Drive, condominiums are already in the construction process and more is planned. A retirement community that includes a 153 unit, 3 story independent living center and 63 condominium units with a 25-acre lake was approved at the beginning of 2004. This will be a project to keep an eye on.
An industrial plat has received approval along Chicago Drive. Chicago Drive Commerce Center will allow for 23 industrial lots and 3 commercial lots and will complete Highland Drive from Van Buren Street to Chicago Drive. This project is located directly east of Michigan Veal on the Hudsonville-Georgetown Township border. Also in this area of town, the Old Time Diner under new management is nearing completion. Go check them out!
Located south of the I-196 interchange on 32nd Avenue, Harvest Health Foods has moved into its new location here in Hudsonville. Soon, they will have Lake Michigan Credit Union and Auto Center as their southern neighbor. Just to the north of them an office building has been approved for construction at the corner of Corporate Grove Drive.
Also along 32nd Avenue north of I-196, a 10-lot plat was approved to allow for duplex construction. It will be located off Shooks Drive.
Watch as Hudsonville continues to grow!!

Summer Enforcement Reminders

Recreational vehicles (i.e. boats, travel trailers, etc.) are not to be stored in the front yard. They are allowed in the front yard for a maximum of 3 days and must be stored either in the side yard, rear yard or off site for the remainder of the time.
Please check with the Planning and Zoning Department or PCI at (616) 667-8803 before beginning any home construction projects. Your project may require a permit (fences, home additions, sheds, etc.) and beginning construction before receiving a permit could slow progress on your project.
If you display sale signs to advertise a garage sale, etc. please promptly remove all signs after the event.
Rubbish piles can become a nuisance and even cause hardship to you and your neighborhood, please refrain from allowing these piles to collect in your yard. Permanent rubbish piles are not permitted.

Sobering Facts About Drunk Driving in Michigan

Just the facts

On The Web:
 http://www.hudsonville.org/police/bac.html

What is a drink?

How many drinks can I have and still drive?

The old rules about X number of drinks per hour don't work for everyone. Factors to take into consideration are body weight, what and when you’ve last eaten, and what you are drinking and how fast you are drinking it.
So the best way to be safe is to avoid all alcohol, if you're going to drive. If you do drink, call a cab or enlist a sober, designated driver.

Here's why:

Driving ability is affected by a blood-alcohol concentration as low as .02 percent. Some people are more susceptible to the effects of alcohol than others.
Infrequent drinkers take longer to metabolize alcohol. In other words, they stay drunk longer.
Alcohol can react with common medications. For example, alcohol will increase the drowsiness caused by antihistamines in common cold or allergy medicines.

Sources: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Michigan State Police and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Hudsonville 5k Run/Walk

The Hudsonville Chamber of Commerce, City of Hudsonville, and TDS Metrocom are sponsoring a 5k Run/Walk. This run/walk will be a Hudsonville Community Fair Event. For more information contact the Hudsonville Chamber of Commerce at (616) 662-0900, or hcc@netpenny.net.

Date

Distances





Location


Time

 Saturday, August 21, 2004

5k Run/Walk
(Certified course-flat and fast)
1 Mile Fun Run
5k Wheelchair
(must wear helmet, no fee)

Hudsonville Fairgrounds
(40th Ave. & Grant St.)

8:00 a.m.

Registration (Non-refundable fees)
5k Run/Walk
1 Mile Fun Run


Seniors

 $15.00 each
$ 7.00 each
(max $25/family)

$7.00 (60+) each

Late Race Day Registration

5k Run/Walk
1 Mile Fun Run


Seniors

 $20.00 each
$10.00 each
(max $30/family)

$10.00 (60+) each
T-shirts only if available

Packet Pickup 6:45 a.m. – 7:30 a.m.
only at the fairgrounds – Bldg 3
REGISTRATION

Name_____________________________________

Address___________________________________

City____________________________ State______

Zip___________Phone_______________________

Sex_____________Age_______

Shirt Size S M L (circle one)

Event ___5k Run ___ 5k Walk

___1 Mile Fun Run/Walk

___5k Wheeler Race

Send registration and checks payable to:

Hudsonville Area Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 216
Hudsonville, MI 49426
Phone: 616-662-0900
Fax: 616-662-4557

Or drop off at Hudsonville City Offices from 8 AM – 5 PM Monday through Friday.

WAIVER

I know that running a road race is a potentially hazardous activity. I certify that I am medically able and properly trained and I assume all risks associated with this event. Having read this waiver and knowing the risks, I, for myself and anyone entitled to act upon my behalf, waive and release the Hudsonville Area Chamber of Commerce, the City of Hudsonville, the Hudsonville Fairgrounds, Classic Race Management, race director and all other sponsors, their representatives and successors from all claims or liabilities of any kind arising out of my participation in this event.

Signature______________________________________

Date__________________

Parent Signature (under 18)_______________________

Date__________________

Story Times for Children

Fall Story time (Fall into Reading - stories about apples, pumpkins, turkeys, etc.) begins Monday, September 27th and runs for six weeks. Sign-up begins Monday, September 13th. Story times for "independent" 3 1/2 - 6 year olds will be offered either Monday or Friday mornings from 11:15 to 12:00 or Tuesday afternoons from 1:00 to 1:45. Library cardholders who live within the city limits of Hudsonville may attend for free; all others pay a ten dollar fee per child. The children listen to stories, do fingerplays and sing songs. The last ten minutes we do a craft and parents are more than welcome to help with this activity.
Wee Wigglers for toddlers 18 months to 3, accompanied by one adult lap per child, is offered either Wednesday or Friday mornings from 10:15 to 11:00 a.m. (registration and fee schedule as above). The first fifteen to twenty minutes of each program includes stories, songs and fingerplays. Parents, be prepared to participate. Next the parents help their children make a small craft. Then it is snack time for the children and time for parents to get acquainted.

Adult Book Discussion Club

Come and join us for our eighth year of lively discussion and great refreshments. Our book club meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month, September through May from 7:30 pm to 9 pm. New members are always welcome. This year we will start off our discussion on Thursday, September 16 with the title Life of Pi by Yann Martel.
Call the library to reserve your copy.

“We The People” Grant

The library recently received 15 beautifully bound classics through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association. The aim is to increase the study and understanding of American history and heritage. These titles appeal to all ages and have in common the theme of “courage.”
In September we will have a display of the titles, along with bookmarks provided through the grant. We also will have a drawing for all patrons who can read all 15 titles by Thanksgiving. The prize will be a book lamp provided by Mark Peterson of Peterson Lamps. We also hope to have a poster contest for school age children illustrating their favorite book from these titles. We will end our activities with a visit from a “courageous” group, “Paws with a Cause.” The time and date will be announced.
Here is a list of the titles received. If you’d like to enter our reading contest, pick up a form at the library.

  1. The Cabin Faced West/Jean Fritz
  2. Anansi the Spider/Gerald McDermott
  3. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble/William Steig
  4. The Matchlock Gun/Walter Edmonds
  5. My Side of the Mountain/Jean Craighead George
  6. The Dreamkeeper and other Poems/Langston Hughes
  7. Little House on the Prairie/Laura Ingalls Wilder
  8. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass/Frederick Douglass
  9. Johnny Tremain/Esther Forbes
  10. The Hobbit/J.R.R. Tolkien
  11. The Red Badge of Courage/Stephen Crane
  12. Invisible Man/Ralph Ellison
  13. Profiles in Courage/John F. Kennedy
  14. To Kill a Mockingbird/Harper Lee
  15. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn/Mark Twain

Automatic Utility Bill Payment Program

The City of Hudsonville is offering residents the opportunity to pay their quarterly utility bill through our Automatic Bill Payment Program. By completing the enrollment form below, your quarterly bill will be automatically deducted from your specified checking or savings account on the bill due date.
The City is offering this program to you at no charge. However, you may want to contact your financial institution for any fees they may charge. You will still receive a quarterly bill to update your checking or savings account. If you would like to cancel the program after signing up, simply call (669-0200) or write to the Treasurer’s Department at City Hall.
If you have any questions on this program, please call us at 669-0200, ext #421, Monday -Friday, between 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

City of Hudsonville
Utility Automatic Payment Enrollment Form

Please print the following information:

Name: ________________________________________ W/S Acct No: _____-_____- _____-_____

Service Address: ___________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address (if different): __________________City: _____________State: _______ Zip: ________

Daytime Phone: (____) ______________ Name of Financial Institution: __________________________

ABA/Routing Number: ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______
                                                         (9 digits located on the lower left of your checks)

Select either your Checking or Savings Account and fill in the Account number (only one)

__________Checking Account No: ________________________________________________________

___________Savings Account No: _________________________________________________________

I hereby authorize the City of Hudsonville to deduct my utility payment from the checking or savings account listed above. I understand that I control my payments and if at any time I decide to discontinue this program I will notify the City of Hudsonville. I also understand that all information will remain confidential. This form cannot be processed without your signature.

Signature: ____________________________________________Date: _________________________

Please mail this completed form to:

City of Hudsonville, Treasurer's Department, 3275 Central Blvd, Hudsonville, MI 49426-1450 or drop in the Drop Box located at City Hall.
Downtown Hudsonville

Farmer’s Market

Wednesdays

May 12th - September 22

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