Mrs. Stadt, one of our first grade teachers, delivered her second baby girl on Saturday. We have some beautiful photos to share of Mrs. Stadt and her family. Welcome Evelyn!
Evelyn Grace Stadt
2-11-12 @ 5:42
7 lbs. 7 oz.
19 inches
Barnes and Noble Booksellers is hosting a very special contest this month: The Teacher Appreciation Writing Contest.
Did you know that snowy owls are migrating to Michigan this winter? They are in search of food — small animals like mice, chipmunks, etc. More information about this winter migration can be found in this USA article. I plan to keep my eyes peeled for one of these grand birds. Let me know if you spot one, too.
Kenzey and Kaylah were at Charlie’s Dump this past weekend. They look so happy it makes me wish I was there, too!
If you have a photo of your kids at Charlie’s Dump, send it my way and I will share it on our blog.
Mrs. Reagan
Michelle Burns, Kaden’s mom, read our post about Charlie’s Dump and saw my wish for a photo of Mr. Montague, the owner of the property that has become a winter sport area for families in our area.
Michelle found a photo of Charlie Montague on the You Knew You Grew Up in Jenison If… Facebook page.
If you have photos of your children at Charlie’s Dump and would like to share these, send them my way!
Mrs. Reagan
Last year, I sent out a blog request for information about a very popular winter sport hill, Charlie’s Dump. The co-historian for the Jenison Historical Association, Ken Williams, was kind enough to respond. Mr. Williams shared the following:
The area now called, Charlie’s Dump, originally belonged to a man named Charlie Montague, a life-long resident of Georgetown Township. Charlie lived at the corner of then 20th Avenue and Rosewood Street. According to a Deed signed in 1924, the property became a Georgetown Township gravel pit which resulted in the deep hole in the ground. Once the gravel was exhausted, the property was reverted back to Charlie Montague.
As the years passed the “pit” became a playground for neighborhood kids and even had a small pond. After Charlie died at the age of 98, the land became overgrown with brush and some people started dumping trash. In 1977 Georgetown Township acquired the property for use as a storm water retention pond. Over the next few years, Charlie’s dump was landscaped as you see it today and has since been developed into a Township park along with a soccer field in the bowl.
I would love to share photos of your winter adventures at Charlie’s Dump. Simply send them to my email and I will get them up on the blog with a link to this post. (Email: treagan@hpseagles.net)
Thank you Mr. Ken Williams for sharing the history of this property. And..my next wish…a photo of Charlie Montague.
Updated: 1/18/2012Click this link to see the photo of Charlie…with thanks to Michelle Burns!
If you walked around our playground today, you saw children playing outside on a warm, sunny spring-like day. Jackets and coats (if worn outside) were lying on the ground, while groups of children played basketball, soccer and tag.
Next to the basketball court, Mr. Rob’s truck waited for the snow. His truck, in the ready position, was my reminder that it is January — so get out those winter boots and warm woolen mittens!
For those of you who wake before the sun rises, you have undoubtedly loved the sight of the January Wolf Moon. According to ancient Native American lore, the Full Wolf Moon appears amid the cold and deep snows of mid-winter, while the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Indian villages. January’s full moon was also known as the Old Moon or the Moon after Yule.
While driving west from Holland each morning, I have been stunned by the beauty of this moon setting in a cloudless sky, lit by the rising sun.
Below is a collage of photos I took this morning while the moon was over Georgetown. To find out more about the history of moon naming, visit Joe Rao’s MSNBC article.
Based on the weather forecast, tonight and early Wednesday morning will be your last chance to catch a glimpse at the Wolf Moon before the snow clouds start rolling in to our area.
Enjoy!
