Donald Trump wins, President-elect urges Americans to come together as united people

By Annette Christie

With the polls being described as closer than ever, and four states still too close to call, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton called Republican candidate Donald Trump and conceded the presidential election at approximately 2:42 a.m. on November 9, 2016.  This was shortly after her campaign manager addressed a crowd that was waiting to hear from her, telling them that it would not be decided tonight and that they should go home.

Donald Trump, a businessman who has never held political office, addressed a crowd of his supporters soon after.  Trump said that Clinton fought hard and that she was owed gratitude for her years of service to this country.  He urged Americans to come together as one united people.  “We will work together and unify our great country,” Trump told supporters.  Following a long list of thanks to his family and those in his inner circle that worked so hard, he stated, “The campaign is over but this movement is just beginning.”

The future vice president, Mike Pence, is the former congressman and governor of Indiana.

Upton Wins

 Fred Upton sealed another term as the congressman for the 6th District which includes Berrien, Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Cass and St. Joseph counties and a part of Calhoun and Allegan counties.  He defeated Democratic challenger Paul Clements, a professor of political science at Western Michigan University. Libertarian Lorence Wenke also opposed Upton.

Fred Upton has represented southwest Michigan for the last 30 years.  He is a Republican.

State Representative  79th District northern part of Berrien County

 Due to term limits, Representative Al Pscholka’s seat will be vacated.  The 79th District covers the northern part of Berrien County.

Republican Kim LaSata won the seat against Marletta Seats (Democrat) and Carl Oehling (U.S. Taxpayers Party).  LaSata received 23,567 votes; Seats received 15,462 votes; and Oehling received 1,129 votes.

State Representative 66th District Van Buren County 

 Due to term limits, Representative Aric Nesbitt’s seat will be vacated.  The 66th District covers all of Van Buren County and a portion of western Kalamazoo County.

Beth Griffin, 49, is currently the vice chairperson of the Van Buren County Board of Commissioners but will now be serving at the state level.  Griffin defeated Annie Brown with 17,418 to 14,899 votes.

Judicial Elections  Supreme Court

 While the numbers were not in state wide, it was Joan Larsen and David Viviano that won the people’s vote in Berrien and Van Buren counties.   Both are Supreme Court Justices that were appointed by Governor Rick Snyder.

McKay wins for Judge

 Mike McKay defeated Cirilo Martinez for the Van Buren County Seventh District Court seat being vacated by Judge Robert Hentchel.

Mike McKay, 44, is currently an assistant prosecutor in the Van Buren County Prosecutor’s Office.  He turned to a law degree after a career with the Michigan State Police.

McKay has a bachelor’s degree from Northern Michigan University.  In 1997, he became a Michigan State Police trooper.  Following two on-duty serious injuries, he went to law school.  He obtained his law degree from the Michigan State University College of Law.  He passed the bar in 2011.  He worked in the Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office before his career in the Van Buren County Prosecutor’s Office.

He received 13,542 votes to Martinez’s 11,866 votes.

Sheriff Bailey wins

 Berrien County Sheriff L. Paul Bailey was challenged by Rick Briand of the Natural Law Party. Bailey is a Republican.  Bailey defeated Briand with 48,586 votes to his 9,164 votes.

Bailey will be starting his fifth term as sheriff.  He has been a police officer in and around Berrien County for 33 years and was first elected for sheriff in 2001. Bailey is a graduate of Eau Claire High School and has attended Lake Michigan College, Wilmar Community College and Western Michigan University.

Bailey is married to his high school sweetheart, Peggy.  They have four children and four grandchildren.

His undersheriff is Chuck Heit.  Heit joined the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department in 1993, although in 1999 he left to become the chief of police in New Buffalo.  He returned to the sheriff’s department in 2002 and has served as undersheriff since January 1, 2003.

Heit is a graduate of New Buffalo High School, attended Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Central Michigan University, where he studied sociology and criminal justice. He graduated from the Kalamazoo Valley Regional Police Academy.   He and his wife Michelle have three children and reside in New Buffalo.

Bainbridge Township

Election totals for Bainbridge Township were as follows:  Supervisor Bill Hodge 1,182; Clerk Patty Hiler-Molter, 1,191; Treasurer Nancy Weber, 1,200; Trustees Donald Baiers, 1,131 and John Yetzke, 1,125.

Coloma Charter Township

 Election totals for Coloma Charter Township are as follows: Supervisor Ken Parrigin, 1,849; Clerk Sandy Kraemer, 1,870; Treasurer Jim Fulton (formally a trustee), 1,810; and trustees Matt Moser, 1,633,  Rob Harper, 1,612, Bryan Duffield, 1,751; and newly incoming trustee Jerry Willmeng, 1,600.

Hagar Township

 Hagar Township Supervisor Izzy DiMaggio held off Democrat Dennis Knuth to win another term as the Hagar Township leader.  DiMaggio received 1,097 votes to Knuth’s 560.

Clerk Ian Haight ran as an independent and was unopposed (1,029 votes); Treasurer Marlene Davis ran unopposed (1,324) as did trustees Beth Raiser (722) and Andrew Ulleg (1,206).

Voters favorably renewed the township’s general operating millage of .3638 mills ($.3638 cents per $1,000 of taxable value) in the years 2016 through 2019 inclusive, for general operating purposes.   The ballot proposal passed with 886 yes votes vs. 708 no votes.

Watervliet Charter Township

 Election results for Watervliet Charter Township were as follows:  Supervisor Dan Hutchins (1,027), Clerk Patt Bambrick (1,004), Treasurer Tom Scheid (999), and trustees Bob Wallace (896), Joe Stepich (856), Joe Matthews (887), and the new face on the township board Matt Clay (886).

Van Buren County Elected Officials

 Daniel Abbott defeated challenger Robert Overheul to win the Van Buren County Sheriff seat.

Abbott, 47, is a lifelong resident of Van Buren County.  He and his wife have three children and reside in Bangor.  Abbott was hired by the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office in 1993 following his graduation from Ferris State University.  He has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

His career started with the position of corrections officer.  In 1995, he began working as a road patrol deputy.  He was promoted to Road Patrol Sergeant in 2011.

Abbot received 21,498 votes to Overheul’s 9,969 votes.

Republican Suzie Roehm was facing Independent Aaron Mitchell for the Van Buren County Clerk seat.  Roehm (16,821) defeated Mitchell (9,548).

Roehm, 52, resides in Decatur.  She has been the chief deputy for 13 years and has worked in the clerk’s office for 21 years.  She is finishing her second term as a Decatur Township Trustee.  She was appointed as acting county clerk by the chief judge in 2004 due to the early retirement of Clerk Shirley Jackson.  She has worked on every primary and general election since 1996.

Keeler Township voters say no to Senior Services Millage

 Voters in Keeler Township voted down the Senior Services Millage that would have added .25 mills to their tax bills.  The ballot issue has been up before and failed.  In all, 408 voters said no to add the millage.   Members of the Keeler Township Board faced no opposition.

Hartford Township voters say yes to roads and fire equipment

Hartford Township voters renewed two millage renewals, one for fire apparatus and equipment and one for roads.  The Fire Apparatus and Equipment Renewal will remain at 0.7116 mill ($0.7116 for each $1,000) on taxable valuation of real property for the years 2017 through 2020 to provide funds for purchasing fire apparatus and equipment for use by the Hartford Fire Department as well as a road millage renewal of 1.4279 mills ($1.4279 for each $1,000) on taxable valuation of real property for the years 2017 through 2020 for the purpose of township road maintenance and construction.  None of the Hartford Township Board faced opposition in the November election.

To assure the renewal of the fire apparatus millage, the City of Hartford had to approve a similar millage renewal by its voters.  Voters approved 1.4941 mills ($1.4941 for each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for real property for the years 2017 through 2020 to provide funds for purchasing fire apparatus and equipment for use by the Hartford Fire Department.

Lake Michigan College Capital Millage Proposal

 The majority of residents in the Lake Michigan   College   district   have approved   their   capital   millage proposal; however the numbers against millage were large. After the tabulation of all precincts, 35,619 voted in favor of the millage with 34,935 voting against. The ballot proposal was for an increase of .48 mills ($0.48   per   $1,000   of   taxable valuation)   for   a   period   of   10   years (2017 – 2026), inclusive, for the purpose   of   safety   and   security improvements,   energy   efficiency upgrades, renovation   of   instructional spaces,   instructional   technology upgrades,   and   other   capital improvements.   Voters in the City of Coloma,   City   of   Watervliet, Bainbridge   Township,   Coloma Charter   Township,   Hagar   Township, and Watervliet   Charter   Township   all voted the ballot initiative down.

Coloma City puts Smith back on city commission

 Julie Smith will return to the Coloma City Commission following Tuesday night’s election.  Voters gave her, Kent Churchill, and Jason Hicks Sr., the highest number of votes for the city commission seats.  Churchill and Hicks are incumbents.  Mayor Jim Polashak, Clerk Martha Darling, and incoming Treasurer Kelly Clements faced no opposition in the general election.

Whitney and Strunk voted onto Watervliet City Commission

 Incumbents Duane Cobb and Dan Hummel faced opposition from Luke Strunk and William Whitney Jr. for the Watervliet City Commission.  There was one vacancy on the commission.

Voters elected Cobb (269), Whitney Jr. (259), and Strunk (234) to serve.

Strunk previously served on the city commission as an appointed commissioner.  He has run for elected office one other time.  Strunk has been a long standing member of the Watervliet City Planning Commission and is currently its chairman.

Billy Whitney Jr. is a member of the Watervliet Fire Department and is employed by Able Electric.

Mayor Dave Brinker faced no opposition in the general election.

Hartford School Board to get new member

 Five individuals were seeking three positions on the Hartford School Board, all seeking a six-year term.

Incumbents Jason Meachum, William Najacht, and Virginia Wesaw Rice were facing challengers Anna Layer and Rick Vawter.

Voters elected Meachum (1,119), Wesaw-Rice (838), and Vawter (788).  Najacht received 734 and Layer received 680 votes.

Vawter, the new member on the board, previously served on the board of education but stepped down to become employed in the district.  He retired in 2013 from the district after 10 years.

Vawter is a graduate of Watervliet High School.  He had worked at the Watervliet Paper Mill from 1972 until it closed in 1994.  He was a union president for eight years.  He has lived in Hartford since 1976.  He and his wife have two daughters.

Share your blessings, help the Tri-City Angel help others

 In the past, there was a Tri-City Angel network that coordinated ways the people of the Tri-City communities of Coloma, Hartford and Watervliet could help each other out. The idea was very simple… people helping other people in a variety of small ways. Wonderful things happened. Children who needed coats and gloves got them. People who needed to start over after a fire, received essential items to lessen their burden. Children were given Christmas items, that otherwise may have gone without. The list goes on and on. What a wonderful thing!

If you have ever done a random act of kindness, you know what a blessing that can be to you. In the world we live in today, we need to help each other out. We need to show there is still goodness and kindness out there. So, who is with us on this? Do you want to be a part of giving your fellow community member a hand up in their time of need? Do you want to be responsible for putting a smile on a child’s face, when they feel there is no hope? If so, then join us in restarting the Tri-City Angel network.

The first project we want to take on is a warm winter clothing drive. Items that are needed are new (or very gently used) coats, mittens, gloves, hats and boots in any sizes. If you would like to help keep our Tri-City youth warm this winter, please drop off your items at the Tri-City Record, 138 N. Main Street, Watervliet. Let us join together and show the children of our communities that we care. We will run this collection drive through the end of November.

Feel free to write in to the Tri-City Record Angel at P.O. Box 7, Watervliet, MI 49098 or e-mail at record@tricityrecord.com with any ideas, suggestions, talents you would like to share, etc. Make sure to put it to the attention of Tri-City Angels. We look forward to hearing from you.

Veterans Day services Friday in the Tri-Cities

 Veterans Day services Friday, November 11 will be hosted by local organizations.

Veterans Day, originated as “Armistice Day” to commemorate the end of World War 1 at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918. The commemoration on November 11 was later renamed Veterans Day to salute the sacrifices and service of all members to the U.S. Armed Forces.

The Coloma American Legion Post will conduct their service at 11 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial in Baker Park (opposite City Hall).

The Watervliet Post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars will conduct their service at 11 a.m. in Veterans Park on Main Street, downtown Watervliet.

The Hartford American Legion Post will conduct their service at the Pavilion in Ely Park, downtown Hartford. Following the service will be a flag Retirement Ceremony with the Boy Scouts. Following that will be a chili dinner.