Page 8/The Sun and News, Saturday, July 29, 2023ReLeaf Michigan announces Michigan Big Tree Hunt Contest
ReLeaf Michigan, a state-
wide tree planting and educa-
tion non-profit organization in
Michigan, is seeking entries
for the 16th biennial Michigan
Big Tree Hunt contest. The
2023-2024 contest, which
offers prizes for identifying
the biggest trees in Michigan,
is open to participants of all
ages.
ReLeaf Michigan started
the Michigan Big Tree Hunt in
1993 to celebrate our state’s
beauty and create a fun way to
gather information about
Michigan’s biggest trees. The
contest is an opportunity for
all age groups to help track
these vital historical living
landmarks, and it is a great
way to bring people, natureand trees together in an engag-
ing activity.
The largest trees in the state
can be found anywhere: a
backyard, a local park or a
hiking trail. The last contest
received over 650 entries from
79 of Michigan’s 83 counties,
with over 100 certificates and
prizes awarded. Winners are
recognized for the largest treesubmitted from each county,
the overall largest tree in dif-
ferent age groups and the larg-
est white pine (Michigan’s
state tree). The contest also
awards trees that may be the
biggest of its type. These are
known as champion trees and
are tracked at the state and
federal levels. The Michigan
Botanical Society currently
holds and manages the state
database, while the American
Forest Organization maintains
the national database.
As recently as 2012,
Michigan had 23 registeredchampion trees, but today,
there are only five registered
with at least one pending reg-
istration. Since hundreds of
tree species don’t yet have
registered champions, the Big
Tree Hunt is a great opportu-
nity to add to this list and get
Michigan trees noticed
nationwide. Even if the tree
you’ve found is not as large
as the currently listed state
champion of that species, we
encourage you to still submit
since the current champion
may have died or been
removed.More contest details and the
entry form are available online
at bigtreehunt.com. The con-
test will accept submissions
until Aug. 25, 2024. Those
with questions can email big-
[email protected]
or call 800-642-7353. ReLeaf
Michigan’s Facebook page
will post updates and to show
the “Big Tree of the Week,”
an entry from the contest post-
ed every Monday starting July- Paper entry forms will
soon be available at over 200
libraries and natural areas
across the state.
tive director of the Michigan
Association of Chiefs of
Police, said the public suffers
when there are significant
police shortages.
“When you’re short, you
start to cut things like commu-
nity service (and) DARE (drug
education) officers,”
Stevenson said. “You have
fewer detectives, fewer school
resource officers.”
The Kalamazoo Sheriff’s
office has fewer officers on
traffic patrol, which some
studies say leads to more traf-
fic fatalities, and 911 calls
where fewer officers respond
to an incident than Fuller
would like.
“There are calls happening
now where you’re sending one
person to, that should be two
or three (officers),” he said.
“There are calls that you send
two people that you might
need four, and it’s just not hap-
pening.
“I swore in (as an officer) a
young man yesterday and he is
going to be out there respond-
ing to calls with fewer backup
people than I ever had (when
Fuller was a patrol officer),
with more violent calls on a
regular basis, with more men-
tally unstable (people) and
more drug situations,” he said.
“I have more mandatory
overtime than I’ve ever had
before,” said Fuller, now in his
14th year as sheriff. “They
have to go from one high
stressful call to the next. And
then they go home but they
went home hours late becauseof overtime. And then they
have to be in tomorrow. And it
really cuts into the time a body
needs to recover.”Earning more hauling
trash
Stevenson, of the police
chief association, said “no
state has figured out” how to
erase law enforcement officer
shortages, but Michigan
departments and the state
Legislature are scrambling to
find solutions.
The chief’s association has
put together a promotional
video as a recruitment tool and
individual departments are
advertising on social media.
One department, which
Kalamazoo’s Fuller wouldn’t
name, is spending money on adigital billboard in Kalamazoo
to lure recruits to a nearby
community.
“I know for a fact that we
have higher wages and better
benefits than that department,”
Fuller said. He checked into
the possibility of a billboard of
his own, but decided the cost
wasn’t worth it.
The kind of signing bonus-
es the Kalamazoo Sheriff’s
office has used since the fall of
2022 are becoming more com-
mon. Some departments are
now trying to distinguish
themselves by offering more
flexible work schedules.
It’s a job candidate market
now, and police departments
have to adjust, said Chad
Trussler, labor representative
for the Michigan Associationof Police labor union. “I’ve
told administrators, ‘Hey, you
need them more than they
need you, because they can go
down the road.’”
Last year, Gov. Gretchen
Whitmer announced $30 mil-
lion in grants to help depart-
ments pay for police academy
recruits, and in April the
Legislature passed a bill that
allows departments to recoup
all or some training costs from
recruits if they leave for anoth-
er department within four
years.
In Eaton Rapids and many
other small departments, low
pay is part of the problem,
Chief Weeks said. The local
waste management service
advertises starting salaries of
$24 an hour, with pay rising tomore than $30 an hour. Eaton
Rapids starts its officers at
about $20 an hour.
“When you can be a gar-
bage person and make more
money and have peace of
mind (compared to the stress
of police work),” carrying a
badge for less money makes
recruitment a challenge.
When Weeks was young,
his father was almost shot in a
robbery. That’s when Weeks
decided he wanted to be a
police officer.
“You have to feel the call”
to serve, Weeks said. He sees
that less and less nowadays.
“It’s difficult for me to
understand why people don’t
want to serve,” Weeks said.
“It’s not a judgment, it’s just
not a mindset I understand.”2035058196 Broadmoor Ave. SE
Caledonia, MI 49316Phone: 616.891.
Fax: 616.891.CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF CALEDONIA,
COUNTY OF KENT, MICHIGANNOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
(Zoning Ordinance Text Amendments)PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on August 21, 2023 at 7 pm the
Planning Commission of the Charter Township of Caledonia will hold a public hearing
at the Caledonia Charter Township Hall, 8196 Broadmoor Avenue, to consider the fol-
lowing proposed amendments to the Township Zoning Ordinance:- Industrial Uses in the Overlay District. Section 27.9 of the Zoning Ordi-
nance would be amended by the addition of subsections (c) and (d) regulat-
ing uses in the Light Industrial District within the Broadmoor/Cherry Valley
Corridor Overlay District. - Rental Business in the Overlay District. Section 26.6 and Section 26.7 of
the Zoning Ordinance would be amended to permit rental equipment busi-
nesses and rental service businesses as special land uses in the Broadmoor/
Cherry Valley Corridor Overlay District - Rental Business in the C-2 District. Section 12.2 and 12.3 of the Zoning
Ordinance would be amended to permit rental equipment businesses and
rental services businesses as a special land use in the C-2 General Business
District. - Rental Business Special Land Use Standards and Definitions. Chapter 16 of
the Zoning Ordinance regulating special land uses would be amended to add
special land use standards for certain types of rental businesses and Chapter
2 would be amended with corresponding definitions. - Accessory Buildings. Section 16.21 of the Zoning Ordinance would be
amended to remove Section 16.21(h) to make the regulation of accessory
buildings associated with home based businesses consistent with other pro-
visions of the Zoning Ordinance. - Architectural Standards. Sections 3.59 of the Zoning Ordinance would be
amended to include the C-1 Neighborhood Business District and the C-
General Business District to the districts subject to the zoning ordinance
architectural standards. - PMR Escrow. Section 17.12 of the Zoning Ordinance would be amended to
clarify and simplify the requirements for PMR zoning escrows. - Mineral Removal, Slopes and Enclosures. Section 17.5(e) of the Zoning
Ordinance would be amended to allow the Township Engineer to approve of
minor alternative measures with respect to ongoing slopes and fencing of
excavated materials. - Animal Regulations. Section 3.5 of the Zoning Ordinance would be amend-
ed to include regulations on the number of dogs and cats and to regulate the
barking of dogs as was previously regulated in the Township’s Animal Con-
trol Ordinance.
All interested persons may attend the public hearing and comment on the pro-
posed amendments. The proposed amending ordinance will be on file at the Township
Hall at the address above. Written comments concerning this matter may be submitted
to the Township office at the above stated address up until the time of the public hearing.
Joni Henry, Township Clerk
Caledonia Charter Township203373
8196 Broadmoor Ave. SE
Caledonia, MI 49316Phone: 616.891.
Fax: 616.891.CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF CALEDONIA
KENT COUNTY, MICHIGANPUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Commission of the
Charter Township of Caledonia will hold a public hearing on Monday, August
21, 2023 at 7:00pm at the Caledonia Township Hall, 8196 Broadmoor Avenue,
SE, Caledonia Michigan, 49316.The request is for a rezoning of 5.8 acres from R-1 to R-4 at 5362 60th
Street SE, parcel number: 41-23-06-200-047.All interested persons may attend the public hearing and comment on
the proposed rezoning. Written comments concerning the requested rezoning
may be submitted to the Township office, at the above-stated address, up to
the time of the public hearing.Dated: July 20, 2023PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF CALEDONIAPOLICE DEPARTMENT, continued from page 1
CALEDONIA TOWNSHIP