Frederick Construction’s Morgan Macomber showed drawings of the new village office to council members Karl Keller, Ryan Wagner and Denny Olsen (not pictured) Aug. 14.
By Jef Rietsma
Construction of Vicksburg’s new municipal building has passed its halfway point. Village council members had an opportunity last month to check out the progress.
Council members Karl Keller, Denny Olsen and Ryan Wagner met with Morgan Macomber, senior project manager with Frederick Construction. Located on a site just north of the village water tower on North Richardson Street, the $2.5 million complex is expected to be open by February.
All three council members indicated their satisfaction with what they saw during the half-hour tour.
Macomber provided a top-to-bottom overview of the project. He said crews picked up the pace in mid-May, just a few weeks after a ceremonial groundbreaking April 24. Since then, plenty has happened.
He said some major components still need to be addressed include electrical, mechanical, drywall, case work and finishes. Concrete foundation, plumbing and framing were completed by the time of the walk-through.
The building features two sets of male and female bathrooms, a janitor’s closet, break room, reception area, four offices on the municipal side, and a chief’s office and a squad room on the north end of the building. Police will have the benefit of an evidence room, locker room, meeting room and interrogation room.
A village council meeting room will be in the center of the building, dividing the two sides. Macomber said audio and video hardware is being installed and will be used to broadcast village council and other municipal meetings.
Meanwhile, Macomber said police personnel will have a dedicated entrance into the building, while municipal staff will access from a separate entrance via keycard entry.
Village officials have proudly stated the project is being paid with cash on hand.
During the April groundbreaking ceremony, village president Tim Frisbie said the new municipal hall will be ADA-compliant, feature enough space to accommodate all facets of the village’s police department, large enough for staff to conduct day-to-day operations and – most importantly, he said – provide proper room to host meetings.
Village Manager Jim Mallery said planning for the new facility started in 2016. By January 2018, council members began setting aside funds dedicated exclusively toward covering the cost of a new municipal building.
In January 2022, village officials debated whether to purchase new property and build, look for an existing building to renovate, or consider building new on village-owned property. Ultimately, council members a chose to construct on the west side of Richardson Street on the site just north of the municipal water tower.
A licensed demolition crew will eventually raze the existing village hall but not until after the new facility is constructed and open for business. A parking lot will be added where the current village office sits.
Landscaping will likely be completed next spring, Macomber said.
Mallery said village taxpayers will save between $1.5 million and $2 million over the course of a typical 30-year bond because the project is being paid with cash.
Friends of Vicksburg Youth, Inc. Board members from left to right, President Jim Butler, Troy Smith Secretary, Treasurer Angie LaVoy, Vice President Gary Miller, not pictured Chairman Matt VanderMeulen.
By Kathy DeMott
If you grew up in Vicksburg or Schoolcraft and were part of Boy Scouts of America, you have probably enjoyed an outdoor adventure at Camp Char Le Maude on Barton Lake. The camp is better known as the “Scout Camp or Cabin” to the hundreds of campers and scout leaders who have experienced the beautiful outdoors, the values and impact that nature provides.
The wooded property on the waterfront of Barton Lake was donated in 1948 by Charles and Maude Aulms to be enjoyed by the community. Volunteers from Vicksburg, the Rotary Club, and other community leaders built the cabin which includes a basement, main floor, and an open-hearth stone fireplace.
The cabin is still used as a camp and base for outdoor adventures, as well as a meeting space for area Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Cub Scout troops, and the Barton Lake Association. Initially the property was gifted in a trust which included individuals who were all involved with scouting. When the original members of the trust passed, a dedicated group of individuals, also involved with scouting, worked to save the property and preserve the legacy of the camp. Friends of Vicksburg Youth, a non-profit 501c3 organization, was formed and now owns the property. It is dedicated to providing outdoor experiences that enrich the lives of youth in the South County area, according to President Jim Butler.
The Board of Directors is committed to improving the camp so it can be utilized by more children and organizations. “Our goal is to make needed updates, repairs, and additions on the property so it can accommodate a wider variety of groups that can run camps, educational programs, and ensure all children have an opportunity to have the thrill of catching a fish, to paddle a canoe, hit the bullseye, enjoy a campfire and build friendships in the outdoors,” Butler said.
In 2017 the board began a master plan for long-term improvements. Initially, the leaking roof was replaced with the help of Sporting Clays Classic Fundraiser and private donors. This year, the septic system had to be replaced. “It’s hard to complain about replacing a septic system that lasted 75 years. With the improvements, and the updated indoor plumbing, we will have updated bathrooms and kitchen plumbing to better accommodate campers,” said Gary Miller, board vice president. The siding and windows need replacing, and a storage shed is needed. It all takes money.
When asked what motivates the board members to dedicate their time and resources for Friends of Vicksburg Youth, they offered moving stories which included the benefit of outdoor adventures for children. Treasurer Angie LaVoy said that this camp, the time fishing, learning archery, and being on the water with the Boy Scout leaders literally saved her son. “He had a rough time for a while, and this place changed him.” He earned his Eagle Scout and now volunteers by helping support the website.
Board Secretary Troy Smith was born and raised in Vicksburg by a single mom. He spent many weekends at the camp as a scout. “I owe a lot to this facility, to Boy Scouts and the volunteers who helped. I learned to cook, start a fire, and I learned responsibility. The lessons I learned here and as an Eagle Scout helped me in my many roles as an EMT, a captain and training officer with the Kalamazoo County Fire Academy, and now as a corporate engineer and program manager.”
Jim Butler said the things he learned in scouting helped save him in Vietnam.
Gary Miller became involved when his son chose Troop 251 because of the cabin and the opportunities it offered. His son also earned his Eagle Scout, and Gary is still involved with scouting.
“Camp Char Le Maude is a smaller camp, but there are only a handful of youth organizations or even Boy Scout units that have a property on a lake with woods, a cabin for meetings and a base for other activities. This property is a gem and we want to preserve it and make it more accessible for other organizations and children in the area,” Miller said.
Boy Scout Tyler Richardson, age 17, is currently working on his Eagle Scout project. His time at the cabin, having access to the lake, and sleeping outdoors have been amazing, he said. One of his favorite memories was sleeping outside at winter camp. He was cold but didn’t want to be the first one to go warm up by the indoor fireplace. So he held out. He finally went to warm up, only to find everyone else was already inside. Memories of campfires, foiled dinners, and fishing are some of his favorite things.
The vision of the Friends of Vicksburg Youth is to expand these types of adventures to other children and groups. For example, someone can volunteer to run a fishing clinic, or a local youth group could have an overnight camp with canoeing, campfires, and time outdoors.
Chairman Matt VanderMeulen said, “I feel there is a tremendous need for more outdoor opportunities to be offered to our young people. That is why I strongly support this organization and our mission to do our best to provide a safe and inclusive space featuring natural beauty, fresh air and an accessible facility that will help create meaningful experiences dedicated to enriching the youth of Vicksburg and the surrounding area. With community support, the awesome property on Barton Lake has the potential to make a difference in so many lives. Many local folks have fond memories of camping, fishing and swimming at ‘The Cabin’ for many decades. I hope this wonderful facility can be promoted and improved so future generations can enjoy it.”
Those who wish to learn more about Friends of Vicksburg Youth and Camp Char Le Maude, A Gateway to Adventure, can visit the website at friendsofvicksburgyouth.org. Those who wish to help preserve, support, volunteer, or contribute financially to the current fundraising campaign goal of $30,000 may visit friendsofvicksburgyouth.org or mail a donation to Friends of Vicksburg Youth, PO Box 312, Vicksburg, MI 49097. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
Due to changes in fundraising trends, United Way of South Central Michigan is no longer supporting community fundraising for United Way in Vicksburg, Gull Lake, Comstock or Galesburg-Augusta.
As a result, there are one-time funds available for distribution from last year’s Vicksburg United Way Campaign. The Vicksburg United Way Allocation Committee is accepting electronic applications for these funds from August 1 to 31.
No late applications will be accepted. The committee will meet September 12 to determine grant recipients. Awards distribution will be expedited to local community and service groups so they may be incorporated into their fall programs. For further information or to receive a grant application, please email dannadowning@gmail.com as soon as possible.
Dungeons and Dragons – August 2 and 16, September 6 and 20 from 5:30-8 p.m. Play D&D, 5th edition.
Book Club for Adults – August 3, September 7 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Discuss a book with the group. August’s book is “The Switch” by Beth O’Leary. Ask at the library about September’s book.
Crafts for Adults – August 8 from 1-3 p.m. Cut and paint cardboard tubes to become cherry blossom wall art.
Evening Writers’ Motivational Group – August 9 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Report progress, set goals, share resources and advice, and troubleshoot or brainstorm your projects with other writers.
Trivia for Adults and Seniors – August 11 from 2-4 p.m. A trivia event with questions tailored to middle and older adults. Answer questions! Win prizes!
Speculative Fiction Book Club – August 17 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. A book club for sci-fi, fantasy, and horror novels. Ask at the library for August’s book.
Comedy Movie Club – August 23 from 4-6 p.m. Watch “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” at the library with popcorn and drinks.
Movie Club – August 28 from 1-3 p.m. Watch “Me Before You” at the library with coffee, tea, and cookies.
Bridge Club Event – Join us for our weekly friendly game. Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m.-noon.
Tai Chi Class – Weekly class. The community is welcome. Tuesdays from 7-8 p.m. and Thursdays from 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Writer’s Roundtable – August 23 from 1-2:30 p.m. Get support, feedback, and inspiration from fellow writers.
Youth Events
For youth programs, children ages 0 – 11 must be accompanied by an adult/caregiver at all events unless noted otherwise.
Vicksburg Historic Village Movie and Giveaway – August 4 from 8-9:30 p.m. “Haunted Mansion” movie starts at dusk.
Mugs and Hugs – August 2 and 16 from 10-10:45 a.m. Stories, rhymes, peer interaction. Ages 4 and below.
Family Storytime – at Clark Park (rain? At the Library) August 14, 21, 28 from 10-10:30 a.m. Read, sing, and play. Ages 4 and below.
Teen Games – August 10 from noon-2 p.m. Need some relaxing play time? Come over and choose from our vast selection of board and cards games. Snacks provided.
Vicksburg Historic Village Movie and Giveaway – August 18 from 8-9:30 p.m. “Moana” movie starts at dusk.
All-Ages Talent Show – August 19 from 2-4 p.m. Show us your talent! Register to enter by August 5 or show up on August 19 to cheer on our talented community members. All ages.
STEAM – August 21 from 11 a.m.-noon. Ages 5–11+. Engage in hands-on activities inspiring creativity and problem-solving skills.
Lego Free Design Club – August 22 from 1-2 p.m. Ages 5–11+. Events have suggested themes, but individual creativity is the goal.
Elementary Games – August 24 from noon-2 p.m. Need some relaxing play time? Come over and choose from our vast selection of board and cards games. Snacks provided.
Vicksburg Farmers’ Market – August 25 from 2-6 p.m. Come and craft with our Youth Librarian. All ages.
Left: Jim Bird, Rotarian and recipient of the Hero Award. Right: Kristina Powers Aubry and David Aubry, Rotarians, present the Mercer Munn Award to Margaret Kerchief.
By Kathy Oswalt-Forsythe and Kristina Powers Aubry
Each year, the Rotary Club of Vicksburg nominates a club member for a Rotary Hero Award. Each club in district 6360 has this opportunity. Selection is based on many factors, including participation in club events and volunteerism and activity in the community. This year’s winner, Jim Bird, is an example of a Rotarian who has made a difference and continues to make a difference in the club and the area.
Jim started his teaching career in Muskegon where he taught for five years. Jim and his wife, Peg, came to Vicksburg in 1979 so that Peg could go to graduate school at Western Michigan University. Jim took a teaching job in Constantine. After five years of teaching in Constantine, he was hired in Portage where he taught special education and vocational education for the remainder of his 36-year teaching career. In 1987, the Birds moved to Vicksburg, and John Hill invited him to take part in Showboat. Jim increased his involvement through various boards at Vicksburg United Methodist Church and later at Pathfinder United Methodist Church. He also volunteered with South County Community Players and then the Vicksburg Historical Village Committee.
“I was always impressed with the civic mindedness of so many local people and wanted to do my part,” says Bird. After retirement in 2010, Warren Lawrence invited him to join the Rotary Club of Vicksburg, where his heart for community, volunteerism, and active involvement have been a great fit for thirteen years.
The local club has been an excellent opportunity for Bird to use his many talents. He helped build props and scenery for Showboat and continued to sing in the chorus. He served on the scholarship committee and was part of the Rotary summer painting crew at the Vicksburg Historic Village for many years. Bird served as club president in 2016-17. He continues to volunteer as a Strive mentor and is a part of the scrap metal crew.
Bird says, “I really enjoy being a part of the multigenerational spirit of service in our amazing community!”
Mercer Munn Award
Each year the Vicksburg Rotary Club identifies a resident from greater Vicksburg, a non-Rotarian who has made a major commitment to improving life in the Vicksburg area, to become a Rotary Mercer Munn Fellow.
In the 62 years that Mercer Munn spent in the Vicksburg club, he exemplified all that is best in Rotary. To him, “Service above Self” was not a slogan, it was the way he lived his life. The Mercer Munn Fellow award continues to honor his leadership and legacy.
This year’s recipient, Margaret Kerchief, came to Vicksburg in 2008 with her husband, Karl, who joined the Family Doctors of Vicksburg practice. Having moved 17 times, following her Navy father and her husband’s Army career, she has mastered the art of adapting to new places and faces.
Even as a teacher and busy mother of four, she always found time to participate in the communities in which she found herself. The couple’s settling in Vicksburg was meant to be their forever home, so Margaret dove right in. In her 14 years in Vicksburg, she has left an indelible mark on the area.
She began a long career in the St. Martin Catholic Church choir and supporting Karl in the Knights of Columbus activities. She assisted with the doctors during sports physical seasons. She joined the Generous Hands Board of Directors. Interested in history and learning about her new home, she joined the Vicksburg Historical Society and soon became its president. During her tenure she oversaw the building of the Community Pavilion. Her mastery of building techniques and ability to track nuts, bolts, board feet of lumber and schedules – skills honed during the building of their own home – were critical to the success of the project. Her loyalty and integrity led her to service in these roles even during personal health issues.
Margaret has left her mark in beautifying Vicksburg as an active member of the Victorian Garden Club working on gardens in the Historic Village and other village gardens, as well as gardens at their Brady Township home.
The results of her research and writing are evident on the permanently mounted bronze plaques on historic sites throughout the village from her six years serving on the Historic Footprints Project for the Historical Society. She has served as secretary of the Vicksburg District Library Board of Directors.
Unfortunately, Vicksburg is about to lose this valuable adopted daughter as she and Dr. Kerchief will be making move number 18 to live closer to their son in Virginia. But her stay here will be evidenced for many years to come by the friends who will miss her and the sites on which she has left her mark.
The club will invest $500 in her honor into its endowment fund held with the Kalamazoo Community Foundation.
Steve Wolthuis shows off some organ music on vinyl.
By Jef Rietsma
Collector? Steve Wolthuis.
Collection? Record albums.
What genre are most of your albums? “A pretty good number of the albums feature organ music. The others are southern gospel.”
How many albums do you have? “I’d say about 5,000 in all.”
When did your collection begin? “In the mid ‘80s, I won an auction at an estate sale out by Kimble Lake and there were a couple of boxes full of albums … albums that were mostly organ music. The lady whose estate it was played the organ, so it was a really nice collection of 100 to 150 albums. I paid what amounted to a couple bucks per record.”
Were you familiar with most of the artists in that collection? “Oh, I listened to every one of them. A lot were by performers I knew but others were recorded from some obscure restaurant somewhere that had an organ, for example.”
Where do you find albums of such niche genres? “I spend a lot of time at thrift shops and estate sales. There are a few record shops in Grand Rapids – one in particular on West 28th Street called Corner Record Shop – and of course there are options online. Usually, the music I’m looking for is bypassed by most people. I recently purchased about 100 albums from one of the vendors in Vicksburg who was cleaning out her husband’s dad’s house. He was an evangelist so there was a real nice selection of southern gospel.”
Have you always enjoyed theater organ music? “There was a cafeteria on the Kalamazoo Mall called Schensul’s and you could eat to some guy playing the organ. It was a place grandma took us when we were little kids and I really enjoyed watching the guy play. I started taking piano lessons in sixth grade. Later on, there was a place in Grand Rapids called Roaring ‘20s and it was a pipes-and-pizza place. Oh, man. I loved going there.”
Did you grow up in a house where music was always playing? “My mom had music on the stereo quite often and my dad was a very good singer. He’s still around and in his 90s and he still has a terrific voice.”
Are you transferring your album collection in any manner so you have back-up copies? “I have a room downstairs where I spend a lot of time putting albums onto CDs. I’m more than 80 percent through the process but, as you might imagine, it’s a time-consuming procedure.”
Have you ever picked up an album that the seller had no idea of its value? “There have been a few cases. The first person big into playing the pipe organ was a guy named Jesse Crawford. Another guy came a little later, his name is George Wright. Some of his work is hard to find but nobody is really looking for their stuff, so it’s always a big find when I can get my hands on any of their work.”
Is there an album you don’t have that you wish you did? “George Wright played the Hammond organ on a few of his really early albums. I’ve been watching for those and they just don’t show up.”
What’s the most you’ve paid for an item? “I once paid about $50 for a southern gospel album.”
Do you have a favorite song? “There is a song that’s a southern gospel tune … I’ve heard Jerry Lee Lewis do it, I’ve heard Mickey Gilley do it, several different artists have done it. It’s called “I’ll Fly Away.” It’s a very upbeat song. I happen to play the organ and I played at a funeral for a guy I knew very well. His wife asked that I play it, she told me Fred would have wanted this played at his funeral. So I did.”
Do you have special equipment on which you play your records? “Nope, just an old turntable I bought years ago. The receiver is from Highland Appliance and I’ve had the speakers a number of years, too. Meanwhile, my brother is a woodworker and he’s put together some custom-made shelving for me so I have a place to store and display my albums. I have them organized alphabetically by artist.”
Where will your collection eventually end up? “That’s a good question. None of our kids have any interest, so I really don’t know.”
Footnotes: Wolthuis, who turns 70 later this month, lives in Brady Township and is a graduate of Vicksburg High School. He retired following a 40-year career at Upjohn.
