Ottawa County Republicans' Newsletter
March 11, 2024 8:1
Editor's Preamble: Hello and welcome to the March edition of the Ottawa County Republicans' Newsletter. We have a lot of Party news for you this month, including coverage of our County Convention that took place in mid-February, as well as Voter Education that covers the problems we find in our Primary Elections and how to solve these problems. Please also check out our Volunteer Highlight and Ottawa Business Spotlight!
In our Events section down below, you will see an upcoming opportunity to meet and directly hear from Republican candidates. We ask that you please consider attending the Lincoln Day Dinner on April 18, 2024. *We are here to serve Ottawa County Republicans.
Please also consider a donation to help us run candidates for office with the highest constitutional ethics here in Ottawa County.
Thank you, enjoy and have a wonderful Easter!
--Newsletter Editorial Team
OCRP NEWS
The OCRP Passes Four Resolutions at County Convention on February 15, 2024...
--Endorsement Convention Resolution
--Republican Platform and Accountability Resolution
--Yes Vote on March 2nd Resolution
--Censure Resolution
The OCRP Publishes Voter Education
*Voter Education: What Is a Primary, How the Primary Needs to Change, Why Change is Necessary and Who This Change Helps...
We've compiled materials for you to read and understand, given that the citizens in your precincts may have questions about our upcoming Endorsement Convention on May 16th. We encourage you to share this Voter Education of moving to a Republican Delegate Primary. Although the opportunity did not become available during this past weekend at District Caucus to pass State wide, Ottawa will still lead on educating the Public on this important value for the future of our Republican Party.
The OCRP Holds Pizza and Politics Once Again at 327 Pizza & Pub in Coopersville...
The link in the headline takes you to our Facebook page. If you do not have Facebook you can view a portion of this post and see some pictures right here:
The OCRP Will Hold an Endorsement Convention this Upcoming May...
The OCRP Declares 2024 the Year of the Bible...
Area News
Commissioner Lucy Ebel from District 2 is up for a special election May 7 due to having recall filed against her. This national article⬇️ does a good job of explaining the facts of how and why if you need to know what's behind the recall. *If you already know the facts, please see below Lucy's picture, ways to help the Commissioner.
In Ottawa County, Vote Against DEI Puts Latina Commissioner In Jeopardy...
There are three things you can do to help Commissioner Ebel win the Special Election on May 7 in District 2:
1. Help Lucy campaign in order to hold her seat. The force is not only against Commissioner Ebel. *It is against our strong majority on the BOC in total. As the article above demonstrates, when challengers on the left looked at all the races, they determined Lucy's district was small enough whereby they could flip enough votes if they could force a special election through recall. We CANNOT let this happen. --If conservatives lose the majority on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners, it could mean a return to lockdowns, masking and other tyrannical policies and activities. If you are willing to help Lucy campaign and keep her rightful seat on the Board of Commissioners, please contact us at [email protected], or call 616-396-3791 and we will put you in touch with Lucy's campaign.
2. *Do you know anyone who lives in District 2? Please take a good look at this County map to see if you potentially know someone who resides in Lucy's district. It is the purple section in the lower left, southwest side of the County. If you think you do, we ask that you encourage them to vote for Commissioner Lucy Ebel on May 7, 2024.
3. Give to help her campaign. You can do so below⬇️
Donate to Commissioner Ebel's campaign here. Thank you!
Health Officer Keeps Job, Drops Lawsuit In Deal Reached With Ottawa County...
Board Takes Steps to Ensure Taxpayer Dollars are being spent Efficiently and with Transparency...
The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners (OCBOC) are taking significant steps to ensure county taxpayer money is being spent efficiently and with transparency. We appreciate Restore Ottawa's article in taking the time to explain how.
More Area News
Commissioner displays ‘war on children’ sign to protest pastor over LGBTQ+ support...
Thank you to Commissioner Roger Belknap for your courage at a recent BOC meeting in using your own laptop to share this important web address to the film, The War on Children. We encourage our readers to read past Rev. Cramer's published prayer to Commissioner Belknap's remarks, and also take the time to read the Commissioner's Blog piece we've included below in our Culture section. Disclaimer: we don't agree with the positioning of this article from Mlive and don't feel from a journalistic point of view that it is fair to the Commissioner, but then a war against kids never is. We are directing you to it anyway so you know how courageous District 9 Commissioner Roger Belknap is and that there are some elected officials fighting for the protection of children in our community.
Opinion
Former Mayor of Grand Haven Geri McCaleb, shares an interesting perspective on the Rule of Law vs the weaponized version of Lawfare that many people in powerful positions use to get around abiding by the law.
*When we went to publish, it appeared the GH Trip may have put this article back behind a paywall. We are privileged to have Former Mayor McCaleb share her piece with us directly, so we can publish it for you right here without you having to pay for a subscription. Thank you Geri!
The Rule of Law
-by Geri McCaleb
One of the earliest truths I learned in school was that America was special because the law applied the same to everyone regardless of stature or status. We were a land of laws and not of men, but when you see what is happening in the nation today you see that principle is being pushed to the wayside.
The President of the United States bragged recently that “The Supreme Court tried to block me, but they didn’t stop me” in regard to his action to cancel billions of dollars in student loan debt which is a great campaign issue among those carrying this debt. In 2023 the Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 against the loan bailout. Nevertheless, Biden forged ahead with his promise saying that this doesn’t cost anybody any money. Somehow, we are to believe that wiping billions of dollars off the books has no effect on anyone or anything. This might be part of the answer as to why this nation is in debt to its eyeballs. In the real world, cancelling the repayment of debt doesn’t make it disappear, it just switches the burden to those who didn’t borrow the money. This cost is transferred to everyone, people who never took out student loans, people who paid back their loans, and people who never attended college.
How often have we seen the Supreme Court as the final word on issues. They declared abortion legal, and immediately it was legal to kill the unborn, the Supreme Court said same sex marriage was the law of the land, and immediately same sex marriages were a fact, but when the Supreme Court says to the president that you can’t cancel these debts, the president says I don’t care what the Court says, try and stop me.
This is a little like the city of Grand Haven voting to shift $250,000 of the burden of their snow melt equipment. They couldn’t cancel it, it’s on the books, so they tried to spread it to all the rate payers of the BLP. Wisely, Ferrysburg city council said, not so fast, this is a city of Grand Haven amenity, not ours, so it is back on the city. We will see whether the city will assume its responsibility and pay the BLP back.
Changing long-standing rules can lead to problems. The difficulties of the COVID pandemic in 2020 were used to change election rules. We keep hearing that the 2020 election was the most secure in history, but Secretary of State Joslyn Benson made changes to the election rules without the public process of holding hearings and getting public comment. She sent absentee ballots to everyone on the voter rolls whether they asked for one or not. We don’t know if these people still lived in Michigan or if they were even alive, and then Benson signaled that signature verification wasn’t that important by saying, just assume the signatures are accurate. An expensive exercise and an invitation to voter fraud.
In another exercise of lawfare, Joslyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel recently worked together to bring charges against 16 Republicans for answering the call to step in as alternate delegates if needed in the 2020 Presidential election. A variety of charges have been filed against these citizens, several of them in their 70’s for the crime of responding to a request to be on standby in case of a challenge. These defendants are piling up legal fees to defend themselves. This is the embodiment of the process is the punishment.
When the city was trying to address its deer population, I became familiar with FOIA. People were suspicious we were secretly planning a deer cull. I didn’t enjoy searching through my emails to find what the FOIA asked for. I might have rolled my eyes in writing at someone about something they said, but as a public official this is what you must do. I never once thought to run to my lawyer to complain. This is the law and so you provide the information requested. That is the whole point of FOIA.
FOIA is a useful tool, and this is how we learned about the communication between BLP board member Andrea Hendricks, City Council members Lowe, Cummins and McLaughlin, and BLPCCC members using personal emails. The rules are that once one uses personal email for official business, those emails are now subject to FOIA.
When then BLP General Manager Dave Walters put in his FOIA request regarding communication of Trustee Andrea Hendrick months ago, she went to her personal attorney Sarah Riley Howard and claimed privacy. Ron Bultje and Howard examining the emails are supposed to decide what we can see but so far only a trickle has surfaced. We are waiting to see what’s in those emails that it takes two lawyers to decide what’s permissible.
As I look at these issues from the top down, my biggest concern is the very real danger of breaking the trust of the people in their system of government. Even as I search for information it’s difficult to find facts among the hyperbole.
We need to be assured that we are still operating under the assumption of government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Culture
We shared an area News piece above demonstrating Commissioner Belknap's courage at a recent BOC meeting where he displayed a web address on his laptop. Please see the link below to his inspired blog he wrote the same day.
The War On Children...
Opinion+Facts
Michigan Legislature Looks To Impede Parental Rights Over Homeschool...
Not-So-Old News
The month of March marks the one year anniversary since the Transgender Bud Light March Madness premiere can. Given that Bud Light has not yet climbed back from this single marketing decision that wrecked their long-trusted brand, we find this News not-so-old. *For a breakdown on how this company managed to make such an error, see this piece, linked through Real Clear Politics. It is fascinating that a company whose customer base was vast and once loyal could so misunderstand the pulse of what drives the sale of their product. It demonstrates that living inside an echo chamber can have lasting consequences.
Health
Transgender Medicine Is Neither Scientific Nor Medical...
See Journalist Michael Shellenberger's commentary on the WPATH FILES above on X⬆️
Read the formerly embargoed, recently leaked WPATH Files Here:
Upcoming Events
April 18, 2024
Four US Senate candidates have committed to join us for this Event. All four are running for Debbie Stabenow's Senate seat. We have extended the invitation to all of the Republican Senate candidates running for this seat and trust even more will attend.
*Many local candidates for Ottawa County races will be guests as well. This is an excellent way for voters to vet candidates running for office while enjoying a nice dinner at the same time! Please join us.
Take advantage of an opportunity to advertise your business or host a table of guests. See below for sponsorship opportunities!
You can RSVP or sponsor a table for this awesome event right HERE
Or, if you'd prefer to pay for your Lincoln Day Dinner Reservation with a check rather than a credit card online, you can mail a check to PO Box 514, Hudsonville, MI 49426. *Please add Lincoln Day Dinner to the memo field so we know what your check is for.
Please let us know if you plan to attend as soon as possible because we need to let our caterer know how many we can expect.
Volunteer Highlight
Laura Potgeter
Hospitality, Recognition, and Events Volunteer
Laura Potgeter is pictured here, along with her husband Joe
Laura Potgeter has done significant work for our Party in the area of Hospitality, Recognition and Events. She has helped organize, decorate and arrange many of our fundraisers over the past year and is a food-planning aficionado! She is also a professional stylist and an all-around amazing human being we find ourselves privileged to know and be associated with. It is our pleasure to highlight her in an interview Q and A.
What do you love the most about Ottawa County?
Ottawa County is my home, from birth to where I am today. It is home. It has always been home! Traveling through other counties makes me thankful for Ottawa County. Ottawa County is a beautiful landscape that shows God's beautiful artwork through His design.
Why specifically did you get involved in politics?
I got involved in politics because of a God-given passion that began stirring in me about a year and a half ago before becoming a delegate. I knew I needed to get involved and do something but just didn't know what, until one day "the call" came from a conservative-values activist who worked to engage people in civics. We talked for a long time that evening. She called me, we talked and that was it! I ran in the next election as an Ottawa County Delegate. *Thank you to her for obeying the nudge from the Holy Spirit to call me.
Tell us about your work with the Party in the area of Hospitality, Recognition and Events. Any special memories from the past year or any reason why this is an important area for people to get involved?
As a delegate, I serve on a committee, Hospitality, Recognition and Events. The rewards for serving on this committee have been such a blessing! I've been able to be around many people, including delegates and guests and it is wonderful to serve our county with these wonderful patriots! There is work involved when putting together an event but, when many delegates come together and everyone does a little, we achieve big results. The patriotism and the feeling of camaraderie is amazing when achieving a goal with your fellow delegates. Through this work alongside many delegates, it feels like an extension of my family.
My hope is that others would feel the same way. I do know that when like-minded people come together, it is obvious the passion we all share. When we are all together, we are all "in the know" because we are in the field, serving and not sitting back on the outside looking in. There is definitely a sense of belonging when you are involved and you know that you are making a difference! I encourage everyone to be involved, even if it is to do something small. Small makes a LARGE difference! I love my sister and brother delegates and volunteers!
Please share about your family and how or why they are such an important part of your life.
I am married to a wonderful man, Joe Potgeter and we have two married daughters and five grandchildren, ages, 16, 15, 9, 9, and 8. They are all patriots and serve in their communities in their own way. I am also a Hairstylist, and work out of my home part time. I love my family, yet I love God first. The Lord and my family are who drive me to do something to make our country better.
This drive and passion was instilled in me from God through my parents, Roger and Edith Rycenga. My mom instilled a great work ethic in me: "Do the work now, not later! Do it today, not tomorrow!" My father had a passion to serve people too and he had a great love for others. He was a barber for 20 years and then a Township Supervisor for 18 years after that. He then became an Ottawa County Commissioner for 20 years. I'm from a family of 6 children and we are all married and remain a very close family. My twin sister, Lorna Martin is now a precinct delegate too and together we will represent our community well!
If not already answered above, what changes do you hope to impact by being involved in Ottawa County Politics?
I just want to know truth, share truth and love people along the way!
Local Business Feature
Michigan Evergreen Nursery
It would be hard to live near West Olive or Allendale and not already know about this outstanding business. The Bakale family loves plants and freedom! They are primarily a Wholesale business, yet also have a wonderful Dawn-To-Dusk sale on the Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends each year for the general public. *We are so excited about this sale, we are going to tell you more about it in our May Newsletter.
Whether you're in need of wholesale product or want to shop their well-known sales for your home, it's great to know you are supporting a business owned by conservative Patriots who love freedom and the Constitution of the United States of America.
Michigan Evergreen Nursery is a family-owned and operated wholesale nursery that was started in 1988 by John and Tom Bake and their sister Ann Marsman.
The nursery consists of 200 acres of production that services a large segment of the United States and Canada. The Nursery's mission is to provide quality nursery stock at competitive prices with outstanding customer service.
They are committed to responding to their customers’ needs and offering the latest and best plants and programs to benefit their customers.
Michigan Evergreen Nursery is a Midwest source for branded plants as well as a wide variety of the staple plant varieties of the industry. The branded programs feature the newest varieties from breeders around the world. In addition, advertising and marketing support from the brands further enhance your business displays and the consumer demand, which in turn, help you sell more plants.
Michigan Evergreen Nursery
10845 Lake Michigan Drive
West Olive, MI. 49460
Toll Free : 877.846.4406
Telephone : 616.846.4406
Fax : 616.895.4120
Mon - Fri: 8am - 5pm
www.michiganevergreennursery.com
Kids Kolumn
Igniting an Appreciation for Abraham Lincoln in Children...
Although we usually have a fun kid's activity in this column, we found this piece so compelling about former President Abraham Lincoln, we wanted to share instead, something here for parents about an important piece of often-missed History they can teach their kids.
"As we celebrate the 215th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, I hope that we can reignite a sense of wonder about him in young Americans. They ought to know the story of the little boy who grew up in poverty and rural isolation – without education, who lost his mother at age nine, and who almost died several times – and yet who became the most admired and revered of Americans."
---Jonathon M. White, Christopher Newport University
Elephant Fare
Peggy Doornbos' Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken
Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken
Ingredients
6 oz al dente egg fettuccine noodles
1 Chicken Breast, diced ½” - ¾” chunks
¾ C. Italian Bread Crumbs (like Progresso)
1 Tbsp Traditional Grated Parmesan Cheese (like Kraft)
1 Tbsp Basil
3 C heavy whipping cream
1 C Traditional Grated Romano Cheese (like Kraft)
1 C Traditional Grated Parmesan Cheese
¼ C heavy whipping cream to moisten chicken
Directions
Cook pasta until al dente, set aside.
Mix breadcrumbs with 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese and basil in a bowl.
Add ¼ C whipping cream into the diced chicken to wet, toss chicken into the bread crumbs to coat. Place coated chicken onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees until cooked. (Extra breadcrumbs on the cookie sheet add flavor to the sauce)
Add heavy whipping cream to a sauce pan then add 1 C Parmesan and Romano cheeses and simmer until slightly thickened, set aside.
Mix the pasta with the sauce and cooked chicken (including some of the extra cooked breadcrumbs.
Serves 4
Peggy's Notes:
Traditional grated Parmesan and Romano Cheeses are suggested over fancy expensive cheese. If you can’t find the combination version as suggested above, substitute traditional grated Parmesan, and then shred a Romano Cheese to make the combination. *The Romano Cheese is the secret ingredient for a rich tasting sauce.
SHOP
Please help us support the Party. The truth: We need to raise a lot of money because of the upcoming big election season. The money pays for the expenses of running strong conservative candidates for all County, Region and State area races. Funds pay for rental spaces to distribute literature, mailers and events. Please consider purchasing a t-shirt or a sticker, or BOTH! Thank you!
Die Cut, Waterproof and UVA protected Sticker! Visit our Shop page to get yours now! Measures 4 x 3.48
These stickers look great on your stuff! Purchase one for $3.00, or two for $5.00, shipping included!
February Sunset over Polkton Township
If you've enjoyed any portion of this Newsletter, please consider a donation. We need help preserving liberty in Ottawa County, especially as we prepare for the 2024 election. If you are willing to contribute, a donation of any size can be made here. Thank you!
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