Page 6/The Sun and News, Saturday, March 23, 2024
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TIONS, REMODELING, Roof-
ing, Siding, Pole Barns & Decks.
Licensed builder 25 years. Tom
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DOG CRATE, BRAND new,
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Grooming table, $75. 269-
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ITY local groomer at reason-
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CONDO FOR SALE with gar-
den. High Ridge Crossings in
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269-795-7815.Help Wanted
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stop in 8-5 M-F. 8637 Portland
Rd, Clarksville, MI 48815.Community Notice
NOTICE OF SELF-STOR-
AGE SALE:
Please notice Red Dot Storage
195- Caledonia located at 5590
68th Street SE., Caledonia, MI
49316 intends to hold an auc-
tion of the storage unit in de-
fault of payment. This sale will
occur online via http://www.storag-
eTreasures.com on 4/10/
at 9:30 AM. Unless stated
otherwise, the contents are
household goods, furnishings,
boxes, and general equipment.
Unit numbers are #438. All
property is being stored at
the above self-storage facility.
This sale may be withdrawn
at any time without notice.
Certain terms and conditions
apply. See manager for detailsGaines Township votes to
reduce supervisor’s hours
after November election
James Gemmell
Contributing Writer
The supervisor of Gaines
Charter Township is leaning
toward not seeking a third
term in office.
Rob DeWard said so at the
March 11 township board
meeting. He has served as
supervisor for eight years.
Before that, DeWard was on
the township planning com-
mission for 24 years. He was
the planning commission
chairman before running
unopposed in the Nov. 2016
election. Don Hilton had
served as the township super-
visor for 24 years before
stepping down in 2016.
DeWard’s current term as
supervisor will expire in
November, after the Nov. 5
general election. Whoever is
the next supervisor will begin
serving a four-year term on
Nov. 20. According to the
Michigan Townships
Association, a person must
be a U.S. citizen, at least 18
years of age, registered to
vote and a resident of the
township for at least 30 days
before the date they file to
run for township office.
In a memo to the township
board on March 6, DeWard
also recommended that the
supervisor’s hours be reduced
next year from the current 24
hours per week to 16.
The township board 7-
on a motion to reduce the
supervisor’s hours, effective
when the next term in office
begins Nov. 20.
“Rod Weersing has served
in the role of township man-
ager for a little over a year.
Based on his performance I
believe that the supervisor’s
hours could be reduced,”
DeWard wrote in the memo.He recommended that the
schedule be made flexible so
that the supervisor can partic-
ipate in the various boards
and committees for which he
is a member.
“Flexibility will also be
helpful in meeting with con-
stituents as needed. This
reduction in hours would
come with an equivalent
reduction in pay,” DeWard
wrote.
Last November, the town-
ship board voted 7-0 to raise
the part-time supervisor’s
annual salary by $1,000 to
$53,500 for a 24-hour work
week. The full-time township
manager’s salary was
increased to $125,000 annu-
ally, retroactive to Aug. 27,
per the terms of his contract.
DeWard told the board at
its March 11 meeting that
township staff should let the
public know soon what the
proposed hours for the super-
visor position will be next
year “for anybody who might
want to run for that position.”
DeWard said Weersing has
handled some of the respon-
sibilities that the supervisor
might otherwise have to.
“Rod has done a very good
job of taking care of citizens
that come in. Some of them
still request that they speak
with me. I’m more than
happy to talk to them, but I
think things are going very
well,” he said.
Trustee Bob Terpstra
asked DeWard why he was
recommending a 16-hour
work week for the supervisor
position beginning next year,
instead of 12 hours, for
example.
“We’ll have a little bit more
flexibility with the 16,”
DeWard replied. “I’ll have noproblem filling the 16. Even
now, even though I’m off
Thursdays and Fridays, I
spend a couple of hours each
day just going through emails
to try to keep up with them.
On any given day, I can get 60
to 70 emails. It’s one of those
things; it’s a moving target.”
DeWard added that he is
making the announcement
now so that whoever might
decide to run for supervisor
will know in advance what
the recommended hours and
pay are for the position.
“So, they won’t be sur-
prised. When we do the
(township) budget at the end
of the year, we’ll allocate it
that way. It will be 16 hours
per week for the supervisor,”
he said.
“I think November is a
good time to do (the hours
adjustment), with that new
term starting,” Treasurer
Laurie Lemke said. “Our
budget will be just about
ready by then.”
“I’m not planning to run
for the next term,” Deward
said. “It would take some-
thing drastic to get me to do
that. But I can’t say that it
would never happen.”
The Michigan primary
election is Aug. 6.Thornapple Area Enrichment
Foundation grant supplies
history tools for eighth graders
Thanks to a Thornapple
Area Enrichment Foundation
grant, eighth grade students
have new hands-on tools
helping them study and bet-
ter understand U.S. history.
Teacher Leah Smith said
the grant enabled teachers to
purchase U.S. history atlases
and corresponding materials
that bring a hands-on feature
to U.S. history.
“We are already seeing
positive effects in both stu-
dent engagement and testscores demonstrating the
effectiveness of using the
atlas of U.S. history as a
learning tool. It’s a testament
to the value of hands-on,
interactive approaches to edu-
cation, particularly in subjects
like history where visualiza-
tion and contextual under-
standing play crucial roles,”
said Smith in follow-up infor-
mation about her grant.
She said using an atlas of
American history offers
visual learning throughmaps, timelines and interac-
tive features. The combina-
tion of these pieces allows
for a wider and total under-
standing of U.S. history and
how events unfolded.
She said these materials
also encourage students to
analyze data and use critical
thinking and problem-solv-
ing skills. Students also gain
a deeper appreciation for the
diverse cultures and peoples
that have contributed to the
nation’s story.CHS honors its
February Students
of the Month
Caledonia High School honors the achievements of its
students each month. In February, the school turned its
attention to those who embody the core value of “leader-
ship” within the school. Recipients of the honor included
(back row, left to right) Jeremiah Pittman, Jenna Clapper,
Avery Watt, Aaliah Montiel, (front row, left to right) Claire
James, Bella Wierzbicki, Emilee Diemer, Paige Mulder.Gaines Charter
Township Supervisor
Rob DeWard. (Source:
gainestownship.org)Eighth graders hold up supplies that were pur-
chased through a grant from the Thornapple Area
Enrichment Foundation. (Photos provided)The grant enabled
teachers to purchase
U.S. history atlases and
corresponding materials
that bring a hands-on
feature to U.S. history.Business Services
CRYSTAL CLEAN & CLEAR
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Brian Ellens (269)953-5496,
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