Discover Crystal Michigan in Montcalm County.  The Crystal area has an abundance of lakes and natural resources. Outdoor enthusiasts can participate in watersports, hunting, and snowmobiling.  Other activities include roller skating, movies, motocross, and stock car racing.  The area also provides unique shops, convenience stores, and dining.  SOURCE: https://www.crystalareachamber.org/  

Crystal lies on the eastern side of the county and is bounded on the north by Ferris township, on the east by Gratiot county, on the south by Bloomer township and on the west by Evergreen.  This township was originally covered by forests of beech and maple timber, and after these were cleared of their trees the fertility of the soil was discovered and that fertile belt which lies in the east part of Bushnell township, and comprises the greater part of Bloomer, extends also into Crystal, reaching to and bounded generally by Fish creek, although the timber to the northland east of this creek was of a mixed variety. This tract, which lies in the basin of Fish creek, as was mentioned above, is the most productive and best-tilled part of the township, and comprises the more wealthy portion of its inhabitants. The township, on the whole, has a great number of good farms and the farming is done on an extensive scale and compares very favorably with any other township in the county.

In the month of June, 1852, John Smith and his brother, Humphrey, came to Montcalm county in the employment of A. Rust & Company, who at the time were engaged in the lumber trade in Marine City, and for whom they were looking up pine lands. The brothers traveled through the eastern part of Montcalm county, and coming to the shore of Crystal lake, were delighted with the beautiful sheet of water, and camped and remained here from Saturday until the following Monday.

The village of Crystal is situated near the east shore of the lake. The first settlement in this vicinity was made by Enos P. Drake who in the year 1857 built a small dwelling house and saw-mill, the latter on the outlet of Mud lake. Drake built the first mill. The first framed building was the Eagle hotel. The village was laid out by Asa Ward on land owned by Mr. Burtch and Mr. Drake.  SOURCE: http://www.migenweb.org/montcalm/townships/crystal.html 

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Discover Vestaburg Michigan – episode 20 Duane takes a look at Vestaburg in Montcalm County, where he shares some of the local businesses that make up the area.

Some of these businesses include:
Federal Fluid Power http://www.federalfp.com/
Vestaburg Community Schools http://www.vcs-k12.net/
Home Grown Industries http://www.hgigreenhousefarms.com/
The Funky Chicken Hatchery https://thefunkychickenhatchery.com/
Advanced Farm Equipment LLC http://www.lenco-harvesters.com/
to name a few.

Vestaburg is an unincorporated community in Richland Township, Montcalm County. The community was founded by George W. O’Donnell in 1874, who named it after his wife, Vesta Burgess O’Donnell. He recorded a plat in 1875 and became the first postmaster on September 14, 1875. The office closed on November 30, 1877, but re-opened on January 2, 1878.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richland_Township,_Montcalm_County,_Michigan

Vestaburg Schools statement:  The Vision of Vestaburg Community School is to empower all to create and achieve their goals and dreams.

Vestaburg Community Days
This is an annual event that is planned for the third weekend in July. We ask that posts to this site pertain specifically to the annual event, as a way of communicating upcoming activities, sharing thoughts and ideas for possible improvements/additions, as well as any questions regarding the happenings.

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Why discover Montcalm County.  In this episode host and producer Duane Weed highlights some of the guests these past few months of 2022.

Why Discover Montcalm County Podcast and what it offers and provides?.  In episode one Phil Tower interviews Duane and he shares how the podcast started out as a documentary on the county, then how he chose to do a podcast instead.

In 2011 while Duane was teaching a seventh hour class at Greenville High School.  The Studio 2 class of Jacket Video Production was able to interview Bill Delp and Bill Garlick about the history of the glider and Greenville. The Fighting Falcon Military Museum is dedicated to educating the public about the people, machines and personal history of U.S. war and conflict. We strive to highlight the stories of local men and women of Greenville, MI and surrounding areas. Among the uniforms, weapons and equipment are stories from the men and women who have served.  Source: https://www.thefightingfalcon.com/   In episode two the Bill’s provide a great overview of the Fighting Falcon Military Museum in Greenville Michigan.

Jodi Litwiller, the owner of Busy Bee’s shares a highlight of what they provide and offer their customers.  Custom Vinyl Signs & Designs, along with Busy Bee’s Embroidery and Gifts is a small business just south of Stanton Michigan. We offer a wide range of “custom” items including, signs, banners, apparel, custom embroidery, plaques, coffee mugs, magnets, decals, promotional items, online fundraising, and much more!  Source: https://cvsdbusybees.com/about/

Episode four found us in Carson City Michigan at the Village Market in Carson City.  They provide daily selection meats, a well stocked dili, barkery, quality produce and good ole small town service. Adam Eller, store director shares how his dad started the business and why he loves to Discover montcalm. Source: http://www.yourvillagemarket.com/

Jon Studer joins us in the DW Video studio to share his business, Coffee.by.Jon.  In episode five Jon shares how he chooses the right coffee bean for his brews.  According to his website, “Coffee is more than your morning pick-me-up. It creates cozy moments, fuels creativity and brings people together. At Coffee by Jon, LLC, we believe a great cup of coffee is a beautiful thing. Our roastery in Trufant, MI produces small-batch coffee that goes great with any meaningful moment.”. Source: https://coffeebyjon.com/

One hundred years of change a book written by Margaret Krebs outlines growing up in Trufant and Howard City.  In episode six Duane learns first hand what it was like growing up almost 100 years again.  The hardships and changes in technology that we have learned to live with today.

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The city of Greenville was named in honor of the John Green family that settled here in June of 1844.  The Greens,  John, Deborah and their 4 children were natives of New York State.

Greenville was platted in 1853 and became an official village with its own government in March 1867 when the Michigan State Legislature approved its charter. The area designated as the village included all of Sections 9 and 10 and Rutan’s holdings south of Washington Street, all in Eureka Township.

Today Greenville, At 6.34 square miles (*2010), Greenville is Montcalm County’s largest municipality.

The Flat River Historical Society was organized in 1967 to preserve and promote knowledge of the history of Greenville and the Montcalm County area. It was chartered by the State of Michigan as a Non-profit Corporation in 1968. Serving as the historical archive and local storyteller for more than 50 years, our goal is to present history through exhibits and programs that will interest people of all ages through the discoveries they make from what they see and experience.

The Flat River Historical Museum was dedicated in 1972 and is celebrating 50 years in 2022! Watch for news of special events. Thank you for your support all these years!

Source: https://flatrivermuseum.org/about/

Address: 213 N Franklin St, Greenville, MI 48838

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Montcalm County Great Start Collaborative is a partnership of community leaders, business owners, charitable and faith-based organizations, health and human service agencies, educators, and parents that come together for the purpose of: Promoting awareness and advocating for early childhood issues.  Address factors that influence school readiness, and Planning and coordinating community services.

Montcalm County Great Start Coalition is seeking parents of ALL children 12 and under to voice their opinions, get involved and begin activities to further the health, welfare and social/emotional development of their children. 

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Greenville Area Corvette Club was founded in 2008, however the Corvette has a long history. Lets take a quick look at some of the history of the Corvette

1953. The first full-scale Corvette concept was displayed as a “dream car” at GM’s Motorama in New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel in January.
1953. On June 30, the first production Corvette rolled off of the assembly line in Flint, Michigan.
1953. Production of the 1954 Corvette began in St. Louis, MO in December of 1953.
1955. The small-block V8 displacing 265 cubic inches was introduced. Also, a three-speed manual transmission was available.
1956. The restyled Corvette features exposed headlamps, sculpted side coves and rolled up windows. Factory-installed removable hardtops are offered for the first time.
1968. The totally restyled Corvette features an industry first for production cars – “T-top” removable roof panels. Lines of the new Corvette closely resemble those of the Mako Shark II show car. Headlamps are now of the “pop-up” design, backlit.
1969. The 250,000th Corvette – a gold Convertible – comes off the St. Louis production line on November 19. “Stingray” script is added above the fender louvers.
1969. The ZR-1 optional factory-installed racing package is offered on Corvette for the first time.
1970. The new LT1 Small Block V8 engine option with solid lifters is introduced and rated at 370 HP.
2001. The Z06 is introduced with a 385 HP LS6 V8 and a top speed of over 170 MPH. New front fascia grilles improve airflow to the engine air inlet.
2002. Z06 performance reaches another plateau with the infusion of another 20 HP – for 405 – and 14 lb. ft. of more torque – for a total of 400.
2003. 50th Anniversary of the Corvette is marked by the availability of a 50th Anniversary package with special red paint, a unique two-tone shale interior, special emblems and Magnetic Selective Ride.
2019. This would be the final year of production for the seventh generation Corvette and it went out on a high note, with the highest performance Corvette produced to date. The new ZR1 optioned Corvette produced 755 horsepower and went 0-60 mph in under three seconds.
2020. The ‘next generation’ Corvette debuts in Tustin, California on July 18, 2019 and is the brand’s first-ever production mid-engine Corvette. The car features the fastest 0-60 time of any entry Corvette ever — under three seconds when equipped with Z51 Performance Package.  

SOURCE: For all the history check out this link: https://www.corvettemuseum.org/learn/about-corvette/

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Since taking office he has worked on day to day issues of running the city.  Jake oversaw a sewer issue to make residents’ lives better. And worked on a new park, with connection to the Heartland Trail, with plans to add a veterans memorial, splash park, ball fields and Disc Golf Course.  

According to an excerpt from Greenville Daily News article written by Brandon Schreur, January 12, 2021:  Jacob VanBoxel accepted the position of city manager in Stanton with the goal to make a difference in the community.  In December 2020, the Stanton City Commission unanimously accepted a city manager employment agreement with VanBoxel, who is originally from Newaygo. He follows former city manager Vester Davis Jr., who resigned in October for a position in Springfield. VanBoxel was previously manager in the village of Kingsley until his resignation in 2017.

“I’d say I probably learned the most about the public works infrastructure aspect of city management (which is what I believe to be the most important aspect),” VanBoxel said of his time in Kingsley. “I also spent a lot of time focusing on economic/community development.”

On September 22 2022 on the Stanton Rotary Club Facebook page: The Big Chuck Disc Golf Course was officially opened. Thank you to everyone for coming out for the ribbon cutting ceremony and helping us to celebrate Chuck Miel and his many contributions to this community!

Nestled between small lakes and public recreation areas in west-central lower Michigan, the city of Stanton offers a small town environment with agricultural roots, a low cost of living and a high quality of life. Conveniently located within an hour drive of more populated areas (Grand Rapids, Lansing, Mt. Pleasant, Big Rapids) and two major airports (Lansing and Grand Rapids), the city also serves as a gateway to northern lower Michigan via M-66.   As the county seat of Montcalm County, Stanton has several county facilities and office buildings within its boundaries, which adds to the vitality of the business community. Its classic downtown hosts parades and an annual festival each year.  Source https://stantononline.com/community/about/ 

Stanton was organized in 1860 when the people of Montcalm County voted to move the county seat here from Greenville, which had been the original county seat since 1840. At that time, the County Board purchased 40 acres (160,000 m2) from Fred Hall of Ionia and named the city “Fred” in his honor. The family of Levi Camburn was the first to settle here and he became its first postmaster on March 10, 1862. The city was renamed for Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton in 1863. Stanton was platted in 1865, incorporated as a village in 1869, and as a city in 1881.

To learn more about Stanton contact:

Jacob VanBoxel, City Manager
Phone: (989) 831-4440
Fax: (989) 831-5756
Email: [email protected]

City Manager’s Office
225 S. Camburn
P.O. Box 449
Stanton, MI 48888

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Going back to the early years my father talked a great deal about his grandfather who came in to Hubbardston Michigan not in Montcalm County but almost.  In 1870 with 4 boys and his wife, he would spend the winters working at what they called the Northwoods, Montcalm County.  Don does not know for certain where but at the time it was driven by the economy.   His Grandfather had a cabin as was beginning a farm and to be productive in the winter time he’d go North, (Montcalm County) and work in the woods.  

Now bringing it forward quite a few years, as a youngster on the farm we milked 30 cows.  We would grow corn, hay and crops that was really surrounding the dairy farm.  He had been living and in working with was education during the 1960’s where he taught and then spent time at the American school.   In 1970-71 Dr. Burns was contacted by a Dean of students at Montcalm Community College indicating that there might be a position for him at the college, so he came back to the farm and then the process of applying for that position began.

Don was very happy with the growth of MCC during his time there.  Shortly after becoming President he was part of starting a union that helped with the growth of the college.  In the 1990’s they had a growth spurt, in the buildings and staff and built the Dozer building and more updates to the facility.  Then built the M-tech building in Greenville.  In 2003 Electrolux moved out of Greenville with over 5000 locals jobs were lost.  MCC and the community stepped up to offer training for these out of work people.  MCC doubled enrollment and meet the needs of what these people needed.

Always looking at how can improve, know who is Montcalm County.  Rural, Ag County, a place bless with lakes and trees and green.  A place with small rural communities.  Have wonderful access to healthcare and education.  A place where people are able to work, live and compete in a global economy.

Montcalm Community College Mission
Transforming lives through quality education. Montcalm Community College offers learners of all ages opportunities to earn credits for degrees, certificates, job training programs or transfer to gain skills leading to jobs in high-demand, high-wage career fields.

Donald C. Burns Presidential Scholarship

The Montcalm Community College Foundation Presidential Scholarship was established during Donald Burns’ presidency at the college. When Dr. Burns retired in 2009 after serving in that capacity for 25 years, the MCCF renamed the scholarship in his honor. The MCCF Donald C. Burns Presidential Scholarship helps continue Dr. Burns’ longtime work to ensure MCC’s students’ success.  Awards a Student $1,000 per semester, totaling $2,000    Source: https://montcalm.academicworks.com/donors/donald-c-burns-presidential-scholarship

DOCTORATE IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE LEADERSHIP Advisory Board

Don is active with Ferris State Universities DCCL program.  The Ferris doctor of education (Ed.D.) program was created for leaders of mission-driven, 21st-century community colleges.  Courses are taught by experienced college leaders, including current and recent community college presidents, vice presidents, and deans.  This program is designed to prepare leaders for the changing environments in education.  This inquiry-based, problem-solving, action-oriented approach is designed to develop the essential skills that will lead to success, regardless of the level from which graduates will lead.   Source: https://www.ferris.edu/administration/academicaffairs/extendedinternational/ccleadership/talent/advisory/index.htm 

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