758 24 26018 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/cd92e9182c7155b9becd94a208a71fcc.m4v 9726b362f63255c75ebd66acd40bb9f5 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f9fde659d26ff19e55d27801fc5d2b18.pdf 4273dd959c29afae085d82b662a9707e PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Lloyd Powell World War II 31 minutes 14 seconds (00:00:12) Early Life Pt. 1 -Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on February 22, 1927 -Family lived in Grand Rapids -Eventually moved to Ada, Michigan then to the area south of Lowell, Michigan -Father died shortly before Lloyd joined the service (00:00:59) Enlisting in the Navy Pt. 1 -Father served in the Army during World War I -Advised Lloyd to enlist in the Navy instead of getting drafted -Had suffered as an infantryman in the trenches and didn't want that for his son -Lloyd enlisted in the Navy in the summer of 1944 -Called to active duty in fall 1944 (00:01:45) Early Life Pt. 2 -Father worked as a carpenter -Sick for a long time -Had worked in the Pennsylvania coal mines as a young boy and had lung problems -Family received welfare -Lloyd worked on a neighbor's farm to help the family -Started working when he was only 12 years old (00:02:23) Enlisting in the Navy Pt. 2 -Needed his mother's signature to join the Navy -She didn't want to approve, but she knew he would get drafted when he turned 18 -Would rather have him in the Navy than in the infantry -Made sure most of his money was sent home to help his family -Contributed to him getting out of the Navy early because he had dependents (00:03:33) Basic Training -Went to Great Lakes Naval Training, Illinois for basic training -Had to march everywhere you went -Did tow target training with 20mm antiaircraft guns -A plane towed a target and the men shot at the target -Spent the winter of 1944 at Great Lakes Naval Training -Had to shovel spaces where they could march -Received classroom training -Identifying ships and aircraft from the Allied and Axis powers -Tested on the material they learned in the classroom -Didn't have any trouble adjusting to the Navy -Didn't get homesick -Used to being away from home for a while -When he started working on the farm he only saw his family on Sundays -Never had any trouble following orders -Basic training lasted three months -Went into Chicago one night to unload trucks -Worked all night �-Got paid -Not allowed to go into the city to have fun (00:07:13) Assignment to USS LST-509 -Sent to Norfolk, Virginia to wait for his ship -Assigned to the USS LST-509 -Went to Norfolk via troop train -Had a mess car for food -Had bunks for sleeping -Had to stop in towns to let other trains go by -Stayed in Norfolk for about two or three months to wait for the ship to get back -Stayed busy with marching -Sent to Camp Little Creek, Virginia -Slept in tents -So cold that he slept with his clothes on and under the mattress -Received more classroom training -The LST-509 was a Landing Ship Tank -Large amphibious cargo ship capable of carrying troops, vehicles, and supplies -Had two large doors on the front that would open right onto a landing zone (00:11:08) Service on the USS LST-509 -He was assigned to work as a regular sailor on the ship -After about a month he was placed in charge of a group of six sailors and two marines -Had to keep the marines busy so they wouldn't try to avoid working -Hid in lifeboats so they didn't have to work -Placed in charge of the boatswain's locker -Put to sea pretty quickly -Sailed up and down the East Coast -Took a crew from New England to Florida -Pulled into Wainwright Shipyard near Panama City, Florida -Took a week to sail from New England to Florida -Sailed alone -Only threat was rough weather around Virginia -Remembers springing a leak when they were hauling a supply of experimental torpedoes -The ship's front doors sprung a leak and they used a mattress to stop up the leak -The experimental torpedoes would be dropped off then a passing ship would activate it -Had a crew of about 70 men -One of his duties was on the ship's wheel -Worked four hours on the wheel -Half hour on and half hour off -Had to keep his eyes on the ship's scope to keep it on a straight path -Always had a lookout on the bow to watch for obstructions (00:18:02) Downtime on the USS LST-509 -Could go off the ship in Wainwright Shipyard -All you had to do was hitchhike into town -In Key West the baker got drunk while on leave -Took a gun from a police officer and shot a few holes in the floor of a bar -Spent 30 days in the brig for that outburst (00:19:28) Food -Food on the ship was good most of the time -One time they pulled into Camp Little Creek to get a food supply �-The cable broke and the supply went into the water -Lost a month's worth of food supplies -Had to live off of spaghetti for a month (00:20:43) End of the War Pt. 1 -In Key West the ship got a camouflage pattern and a Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) -Note: LCVP were landing craft capable of carrying troops or armored vehicles -Preparing for the invasion of Japan -After the war ended they dumped 500 tons of ammunition overboard because they didn't need it (00:23:05) The Crew -Most of the crewmen were new sailors like himself -The skipper was a lieutenant -He did a good job and was a friendly man -Befriended an ensign from Ohio that liked to play cards with the enlisted men -He and Lloyd were the only fans of the Detroit Tigers on the ship -Exciting when the Tigers won the World Series (00:25:28) Places they Visited -Saw Key West and Miami in Florida -Never got to see places in New England or New York -Didn't have money to go ashore anyway because he was sending it home for his family (00:26:16) Contact with Home -Wrote home a lot -Didn't have a lot of friends to write to (00:27:12) End of the War Pt. 2 -In Camp Little Creek, Virginia when they received word that the war was over -Made confetti out of toilet paper and used the ship's fans to blow it around -Wound up covering an admiral's ship in the confetti -No one knew that it was his ship that did that (00:28:27) End of Service -He had more points because he was taking care of his family -Navy wanted him out because he was costing the Navy extra money -He was taking care of his siblings and mother, so they were his dependents -Because of that the Navy had to pay him extra money -Didn't resist getting out -Discharged in April 1946 -Discharged at Norfolk, Virginia (00:29:10) Life after the War -Went back to Lowell, Michigan and worked various odd jobs -Got a job at King Milling Company in Lowell -Worked as a semi-truck driver -Full time for 46 years and six years part time -52 years all toll (00:29:55) Reflections on Service -Didn't feel that the Navy changed him too much as a person -Only two years older -Probably learned something, he just can't remember what he learned (00:30:17) Spirit of Grand Rapids/Talons Out Honor Flight -Went on the Spirit of Grand Rapids/Talons Out Honor Flight in May 2015 -Chance to treat veterans to a trip to Washington DC and honor them for their service -Got a great send off to DC and a wonderful welcome home �-Able to bring his daughter with him � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_PowellL1925V Title A name given to the resource Powell, Lloyd G (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-02-23 Description An account of the resource Lloyd Powell was born on February 22, 1927 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He enlisted in the Navy in summer 1944 and was called to active duty in fall 1944. He received basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois then went to Camp Little Creek, Virginia and on to Norfolk, Virginia where he boarded the USS LST-509. He worked as a regular sailor, oversaw a work detail of sailors and marines, and pulled shifts on the ship's helm. They sailed up and down the East Coast moving personnel and supplies from New England to Key West, Miami, and Wainwright Shipyard in Florida. Near the end of the war the ship was outfitted for the invasion of Japan, and when Japan surrendered they were in Camp Little Creek, Virginia. Lloyd stayed with the ship until he was discharged in Norfolk in April 1946. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Powell, Lloyd G. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/49478378bef610c8a5bc979b697a3e08.pdf 21e1fdc2137c1dc28391a58a6ba8c0eb PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Merton Powell World War II 27 minutes 3 seconds (00:00:11) Early Life -Born in Topeka, Kansas in 1924 -Grew up there -Father owned a car dealership -Ultimately moved the business to New York City -Merton, his brother, and his mother stayed in Topeka -Graduated after Pearl Harbor was attacked (00:01:36) Start of the War -Remembers hearing about the attack on Pearl Harbor in the news -Shocking event (00:02:13) Life after the War Pt. 1 -Earned a bachelor’s degree after the war -Studied at the University of Missouri (00:02:30) Enlisting in the Navy -Brother was already in the military -Didn’t want the war to end before he could fight -Enlisted in the Navy in 1943 -Army was never available for enlistment, but the Navy was -Enlisted in Kansas City -Requested the Navy Air Corps -Wanted to be a pilot -Accepted into that program (00:03:44) Basic Training -Sent to Chadron, Nebraska for basic training -Did a lot of classroom work -Learned semaphore -Learned about the different kinds of ships in service and how to recognize them -All of the men got kicked out of Naval Aviation Training -He was able to reapply and get accepted back into the program (00:05:40) Advanced Training -Sent to California -Prior to going to California went to Iowa to do some College Training -On the train ride to California he had to stand the entire way -Traveled with civilians -Got to California in two days -Doesn’t remember eating or sleeping for the entire journey -Started flying the N2S Stearman in California -Biplane -Had two seats: one for the instructor and one for the cadet �-Got a lot of flight time in the Stearman -Happy when he got to fly solo for the first time -Received a lot of classroom training -Progressed through training as an individual, not as a part of a larger unit -Had to be able to identify aircraft and ships in an instant (00:11:20) End of the War & End of Naval Service -He was in California when the war ended -Served in the Navy with the Naval Reserve until 1947 -Discharged from active duty in September 1945 -Note: Japan informally surrendered on August 15, 1945; formally on September 2, 1945 -Discharged from the Naval Reserve in 1947 -Between September 1945 and 1947 he served in the Reserve -Still in the Reserve when he finished college -Met up once a week for drills while he was in the Reserve -Got his degree at the University of Missouri -Eventually, the Navy told him that they no longer needed him -He would have liked to stay in (00:14:09) Service in the Air Force -Enlisted in the Air Force in 1949 -Took general college courses which meant he could become an officer -The catch was he wouldn't be an officer unless he went to war -In the Air Force during the Korean War (00:17:20) Flight Training in the Navy -Enjoyed flying in the Stearman the most -Ended training before he got to fly in any other aircraft -During a solo flight he got lost -Had to land at a local airfield and ask for directions -Had civilian instructors (00:19:46) Reflections on Service -Learned that he was able to take care of himself -Got used to adjusting to changing situations -Whenever he moved to a new base he was on his own (00:20:40) Survival Training -A lot of his training was in the water -Preparing him for service aboard an aircraft carrier -Practiced having to ditch in the ocean -Had a mock-up cockpit and a pool -Sat in the cockpit and the cockpit was submerged in the pool then flipped over -Had to get out of the cockpit then swim to the edge of the pool (00:22:01) Life after the War Pt. 2 -Finished all of his college -Returned to Topeka, Kansas -Worked for Senator Barrett of Wyoming -Went to work in the White House during the Eisenhower Administration -Head of the Correspondents' Section with a half dozen other people -Left the White House after President Eisenhower completed his second term �-Worked as a business professor and taught a variety of schools -Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas -Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan -University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming -Salina Area Technical College in Salina, Kansas -Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College in Michigan -Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan (00:24:50) Spirit of Grand Rapids/Talons Out Honor Flight -Went on the Honor Flight on May 16, 2015 -Opportunity to thank veterans for their service -Chartered flight to Washington DC -Greeted, thanked, and honored by politicians and civilians for their service -Had a personal assistant for the entire trip -Remembers 2,000 people greeting them at East Kentwood High School when they came back -Enjoyed it very much -Treated to dinner � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_PowellM1922V Title A name given to the resource Powell, Merton E (Interview outline), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-02-16 Description An account of the resource Merton Powell was born in Topeka, Kansas in 1924. He grew up in Topeka and enlisted in the Navy in 1943. He received basic training in Chadron, Nebraska then went to Iowa for College Training before going to California for Flight Training. He was accepted into the Naval Aviation Program and was able receive flight training in the N2S Stearman. After the Second World War ended in September 1945 he was discharged from active duty. He remained in the Naval Reserve until 1947. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1949 and served briefly with them. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Powell, Merton E. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy United States. Air Force Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries, Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2adff0d62b75ecee8a38ddbc34dbd671.mp4 2448adcdd5efa24e771d8427d563d673 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5034200a4053c11c60723e618064249b.pdf a9b382a879e8e2d471971a4a779bd8b8 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview World War II Grace Powers Length of Interview: 10:02 (00:02) XX (name of interviewer unknown): I’m going to start with just really simple questions to ask you. When and where were you born? GP: What? XX: When and where were you born? GP: When and where? For me? I was born in Ionia. And I was born April 1, 1923. XX: All right. What were your parents’ names and what did they do? GP: DeKuiper. Helen [unclear] was her maiden name. XX: And what did they do? What did they do for a job? GP: Most generally my dad was a farmer and then he ended up in the paper mill. And my mother was a homemaker. XX: Okay. Did you have any siblings? GP: Does that mean brothers and sisters? Yes. I had five brothers and four sisters. XX: That’s a lot. Now we’re going to start to talk a little bit about Arden. When did you marry Arden? (01:01) GP: July 2nd, 1941. XX: And what was it like growing up with him? How did you enjoy it, stuff like that? GP: How what? XX: How was life growing up with him? GP: Well, it was just before, during the war years. (knock on door, slight interruption) And, during the war years. And it was very hard to work. He worked at the time, when I met him, building silos. And he was, I’d say, about twenty-two when he quit that and he came to Kalamazoo and I met him at playing ball. �XX: All right. At the time when he was drafted into the Army, how did he tell you? Or did you just know? (02:13) GP: Well, we got a letter over the mail. And I happened to be home alone and I opened it. So that’s how I found out. XX: Were you very emotional? Were you really sad? GP: Yes. ‘Cause I already had the two boys. XX: What branch of service was he put into? I think, Army, right? GP: Army. XX: Okay. And then what day did he leave? If you remember. GP: Come home? XX: What day did he leave? GP: Let me think now. Sometime in May of ’44. (03:03) XX: and how did you react when you had to say good-bye to him? How did you react? Like, how did you feel when he was leaving to go to the Army? GP: Very very sad. Because he had one boy in one arm and one boy in the other, and the tears were just streaming down his face. And that was a sad day. XX: (interviewer gives GP a hug) If you want me to stop, just let me know, okay? How did you cope with it, you know, kind of go on every day? GP: We sold, I sold a lot of our own furniture and I went to live with my folks again. With the two boys. XX: What were your sons’ names? GP: Laverne John and James Allen. XX: I know Verne. Did you know where he was going? At the time, did you know where he was going? GP: No. �(04:19) XX: When he was over there, how often did you write back to each other? GP: Well, actually, after he went overseas, I never heard of him until I got my telegram that he was wounded. Then, after that, maybe two or three weeks, I got twenty five letters. Cause we wrote to each other every day, but they all came in a bunch. XX: What were the things that you wrote about? GP: Mostly, there were some things that he wrote in there, that they cut out, because all his mail was censored. And he was trying to tell me how bad he was wounded and where he was and they cut that out. XX: How did you feel about that? GP: Terrible. XX: You wanted to know what was going on. So you wrote to him every day, both of you did. When he got hurt, what crossed your mind, when you figured that? (05:22) GP: Well, I thought probably he was gone. Until I didn’t hear until quite a long time afterwards just what his wound, his wounds were. XX: did you still have hope that he was going to come back? GP: Oh, yeah. XX: After he was done fighting and you heard that he was going to come back home, how did you feel? GP: Wonderful! XX: Wonderful! That’s good. GP: See, he was in England, in a hospital for three months before he went back into a line of duty. But then they took him out of the infantry, which he was in, and they put him in the utility of the big artillery drivers, for the trucks. And he was delivering stuff to the front line. (06:27) XX: When he came back home from the Army, how was it different? How did you have to adjust? GP: I don’t know, I don’t think I had a problem. Neither one of us did. We were just happy to see one another. �XX: Yeah. When he went in the Army, and he came back, how did it affect your lifestyle and your learnings of the war? Like, your opinion on life? GP: I think for him, he would have loved to stay in the Army. If I would have said yes. But I said no because I had the two boys. But we got along good. I mean, he was satisfied with that. So he went right back to his job at [Clerigde-Van Company], that he had worked for before he went into service. (07:24) XX: Did you know why he wanted to go back? GP: No, he said he loved the Army life. Very much so. XX: Do you know if he had any friends? Did he make any friends over there? GP: Well, I think he got quite a few friends. But he had one friend that was real tall and they called them two “Mike and Jeff”. (Mutt and Jeff?) XX: Did you meet any of them? GP: No. I met one. One fellow, at Otsego, here. We met him and his wife when he come home, because he was wounded too. And we went into Fort Custer to see him. And his wife was there. And him and I and his wife became pretty good friends. (08:14) XX: Yeah? That’s good. Did Arden have to go back, did he go back and meet any of his Army buddies? Any of those get-togethers? Like a reunion? GP: No, he didn’t have a chance to do that. XX: And then, one last question. Do you have anything to say to the younger generations on how, what you went through? GP: Pardon? XX: What would you say to the younger generation, like me, do you have anything to say about the war, or life and… GP: Well, I think for one thing, this generation does not realize how lucky they are to have all the things that they can even talk to one another now. And see one another. And I think for one thing, you’ve got to have faith. You’ve gotta have communication together and you also gotta forgive and love one another. And trust one another, which is very important. (09:25) XX: I got actually one more question. What, the Army today, the war going on, like Iraq and stuff, what do you think about that? �GP: You know, I have mixed feelings on that. I think, for myself, I feel that our president was misinformed and therefore I think he made a mistake going in when he did. XX: Okay. That’s about it. That is wrapping up my interview with Grace Powers, my greatgrandmother. (10:02) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PowersG Title A name given to the resource Powers, Grace (Interview transcript and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Powers, Grace Description An account of the resource Grace Harper was born in Iowa in 1923. She married Robert Powers in 1941. She and her husband had two children when he was drafted in 1944. Her husband was sent to Europe and was wounded in action and spent several months in the hospital before returning home. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Powers, Bethany (Interviewer) Caledonia High School (Caledonia, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Women Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2009-05-30 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/121a4a03867685068fe611803de7753a.pdf 407e33a2449000615ee0509fcbccad1a PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview World War II Katherine Powers Total Time – (08:00)              She was married to Thomas Powers He served in the Navy (00:11) He was in the Navy for three years during World War II o He was drafted into the Navy She was sad because he was deferred twice before he was drafted (00:40) o He worked in the Brooklyn, New York Navy yard She had known Thomas before he was drafted o They had been married for nearly a year before he was drafted Before the draft, he worked as a shipfitter (01:17) When in the Navy, he was stationed on a carrier – USS Merrimack (01:41) o They would pick up wounded soldiers and sailors and bring them back to a base (02:04) He served in France, Italy, Iceland, and maybe Germany (02:35) o It was freezing cold in Iceland He was able to send letters from Europe o A lot of words were cut out of the letters (03:29)  They were censored by the government (03:36)  They would speak in code so that they could know where he was o She did not receive as much mail when he was in Germany  He could write a letter in May and she would not get it until June (04:31) She worked two jobs while her husband was gone (05:00) Women worked in many jobs when the men were gone (05:31) Thomas had a brother in the Navy and one in the Army He was injured by a fragment of gunpowder that hit his left eye (06:25) o Had several minor surgeries while in the service to fix it � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PowersKT Title A name given to the resource Powers, Thomas (Interview outline), 2010 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Powers, Katherine Description An account of the resource Katherine Powers was wife to Thomas Powers, a Navy seaman during World War II. The couple had been married for one year before Thomas was drafted to serve in Europe. While serving, Thomas worked on the USS Merrimack picking up wounded and stranded soldiers and bringing them back to a base. Katherine remembers the job market opening up for women during this time as she worked two jobs. Thomas and Katherine were able to remain in contact through letters throughout the war. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fata, Devon (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Navy World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2010-05-31 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5b819d8f509cff17623212e15658f836.mp4 c18e4acec829f20c4c78516da39cbe9d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/57aaa78af015f8d3437f44ab6f5cceca.pdf 7399a952f461ba104fbb3b86894328de PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Robert Powers Disc One (01:11:21) (00:15) Background Information • Robert was born in Greenville, Michigan on January 25, 1924 • After graduating high school, Robert went to Albion College in 1941 • After Pearl Harbor was attacked, He could hardly wait to sign up for service • Robert enlisted in the Army Air Corps in January of 1942 and was able to defer his service until he had finished his first year of college • (2:35) Basic Training San Antonio, Texas • Robert started training in September 1942 and it lasted through December 1943 • He had indoctrination for 60 days and then pre-flight training • They got up early every day for calisthenics, marching, and classes • The pre-flight classes lasted for 12 weeks and then he had primary flight training (06:10) Primary Training in Arkansas for 12 Weeks • The first plane that Robert had ever seen was a PT-19 • He began flying right away with an instructor • They men had to be able to fly solo within 8 hours of flying with an instructor • Robert was able to fly solo within four hours • During training none of the men knew if they would be sent to the Pacific or Europe (10:05) Basic Flight Training in Kansas for 12 weeks • They were flying all day long and Robert really enjoyed the training • He had been learning about horsepower and the new air craft • Usually only about 20% of the trainees became fighter pilots • They then went to advanced training in Texas where they could fly newer and nicer planes • Robert flew P-40 planes, training with night flying • Those who washed out could start training to be a bombardier, navigator, radioman, etc… • Robert had gunnery training after advanced flight training • There was a graduation ceremony when everyone received their wings on December 5, 1943 (20:10) Overseas • Robert finally got his first assignment, and first began training with P-47 Thunderbolts in South Carolina • He was now a second lieutenant and knew he would soon be sent to Europe • In April he was told he would be sent over to work near the Mediterranean • They took a luxury liner to the Mediterranean and most of the pilots did not get �• • sick They landed first in North Africa at a base that did not have any P-47s, which Robert preferred He could only fly a P-51 or P-38 and chose the latter because it had two engines and was more safe (26:50) Italy • Robert was sent to the 37th Fighter Squadron in Italy after choosing his plane • It was a bomber base that supplied many fighter groups • He arrived when US planes had been targeting Germany oil supplies • He only had a few days to get used to the P-38 before his first mission • The crew chief helped him to get used to his new plane • The more experienced pilots taught him about the German flying tactics (37:50) First Missions • Robert worked with the 48th, 49th, and 37th Fighter Squadrons, all in the same base • He first mission was very exciting and he was not scared at all • They had a raid in Romania • The pilots were usually not aware of their missions or where they were flying until the last minute • Robert often flew with a fighter escort for British planes, flying about 4,000 feet above the bombers, attacking German planes (50:10) Further Missions • After each mission, they men were called in for debriefing • They continued flying in Romania, France, Poland, Germany, and Czechoslovakia • Altogether they all flew about 25-30 missions from June to July • Robert learned to never get too close to anyone because they might not be there the next day (54:30) Shot Down June 15, 1944 • Robert and others had been targeting German airfields and trains in France • They had flown past Rome and were very low on the water near anti-air craft guns on the coast • After hitting 3 airfields, the group split up to hit opportunity targets Disc Two (55:59) (00:20) Continuation • Robert saw a train for an opportunity target • His wingman told him to take out the German soldiers and that he would take out the trains • The locomotive was blown off the track and then Robert was hit in the left engine �• • • • • • • • • He was only about 150 feet above the ground when his plane jolted He was able to get back above 500 feet while the rest of the squadron was forming up He was heading south and the plane was on fire Robert knew he would not be able to make it back to the base, but also that there was nowhere to land There were rocks everywhere, German airfields, and the sea was ahead He landed in a swampy area near the sea The other planes were circling above him for protection because it was near a German barracks Robert broke his right ankle, got shrapnel in his leg, tore his shoulder, and split his head open He was able to run away from the plane and it exploded shortly after (0:45) Rescue • Robert had been wandering around in the swamp for hours and did not realize the extent of his injuries • He began to hear Germans and they had dogs; they were angry because the Americans had destroyed their trains and shot at their troops • He stayed hidden in the swamp near the water so that the dogs would lose his scent for about a day • Robert found a French farmhouse and they took him for a few days to feed him and tended his wounds • They contacted the French resistance for help and he took a rowboat across a river to meet them (11:50) Captured • While heading over to the French, Robert was captured by the Germans • He was scared they would attack him, but they had been ordered to save all fighter pilots for interrogation in Berlin • He was brought to a German base for questioning and then put on a train to Frankfurt • The city was completely devastated with no standing buildings; he was interrogated for another two weeks and attacked physically (19:25) Prison Camp • Robert never revealed anything about the Americans or French resistance while being interrogated and was sent to a prison camp for 11 months • There were about 10,000 prisoners in the camp with 24 people each to a crowded room • The camp had Americans, British, Polish, and Russians • Daily life was very boring; they played a lot of chess and bridge • Under the Geneva Conventions, officers were not allowed to be put to work • Working would have been nice because they would be able to work with civilians and time would have gone by faster �• • Robert had weighed 163 pounds when he entered the camp and his weight got down to 119 pounds in the end They heard news of the progress of the war listening to BBC on a secret radio (27:15) Escape • All of the men took turns digging with spoons and hiding the dirt they dug up • They knew they would never really escape, but had to try; it was their duty • The commanding officers were in charge of the escape plan • Military hierarchy was maintained while in the camp • The Germans would periodically search their rooms with dogs • While listening to BBC, they finally realized that the US was winning the war • In January 1945 the Russians broke the German front and they could hear bombs going off in the camp • On January 27th, the Germans marched the Americans out of the camp to hide them from the Russians • They were stuffed into box cars for days without food • Then they were brought to a Jewish prison camp and shown the gas ovens that the Jews were murdered in • They were told that they would also be put into the ovens if they tried to escape • The Jews all looked like skeletons and were horrific (35:30) Liberation • All the POWs were brought to another German camp deep in the forest • The POWs could hear the American tanks coming through the woods and the Germans had realized they lost the war • They could then see General Patton rolling up on a tank, which tore down the fences surrounding the camp • Robert was able to shake hands with General Patton before all the POWs were put in trucks and brought to Paris • They had two weeks leave in Paris, which was full of celebrating military personnel • (41:05) Back to the US • Robert took a troop ship back to the US and arrived in the New York harbor • The ship had been full of POWs • Robert had enough time in the military and just wanted to get back home • He went back to Michigan and finished college (46:20) French Family • The Germans had told Robert that the French family that had rescued him had been executed • The Mayor of Greenville had recently received a letter inquiring about Robert • A French research group was looking for him because the French family had been wondering about him • The family had survived and now they still continue to write to each other • They helped explain things to him that he had forgotten due to his injuries � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PowersR Title A name given to the resource Powers, Robert (Interview outline and video), 2004 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Powers, Robert Description An account of the resource Robert Powers was born in Greenville, Michigan on January 25, 1924. After graduating high school, he attended college at Albion University before enlisting in the Air Force. Robert trained for about 13 months before he was sent to a base in Italy. From there he flew about 25 missions throughout Romania, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, and Poland before his plane was shot down in France. Robert sustained many light injuries, was helped by the French Resistance, but was captured by the Germans. He remained in German prison camp for 11 months until the war ended. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Army. Air Corps World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Video recordings Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-12-02 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2c2231b8852a23af9d89a1b779522529.m4v 72eca7c1bfc9ff04db1dda8361be046e https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/00fc27c47954a5dc0aa9c1b8a7dd3706.pdf 32b6842bf97f34cdce1ad0a8d508f58d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Vernon Powers World War II 52 minutes 56 seconds (00:00:26) Early Life -Born in Dyersburg, Tennessee in (circa) 1925 -Moved to Missouri when he was six or seven years old -Lived there until he was 14 years old -He was one of ten children -Six boys and four girls in his family -Father chopped trees for a living until he was no longer physically able to -Moved to Hart, Michigan when he was 14 years old -Picked cherries in the summer -Family moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan when he was 16 years old -Worked in restaurants bussing tables and waiting tables -Spent a lot of his time growing up working because his father was no longer able to work (00:02:43) Getting Drafted -Got drafted when he was 18 years old -Expected it -Older brothers were already in the military -Four of his brothers served during the war -Went to Fort Sheridan, Illinois for processing -Went there by train -Family saw him off at the train station in Grand Rapids (00:04:32) Basic Training -Sent to Camp Roberts, California for basic training -Remembers going on a 25 mile hike while carrying a 60 pound backpack -Hiked up hills -Men from the city had a hard time with that -He adjusted well to the physical training -Had no problems with discipline in the Army -Began his basic training in either late 1943 or early 1944 -Received his draft notice on December 18, 1943 -Initially assigned to field artillery during basic training (00:06:50) Armored Infantry Training -Sent to Camp Bowie, Texas and was reassigned to the armored infantry -Learned how to drive tanks and 6x6 trucks -A lot of the men didn't know how to drive -Especially the men that came from cities -He started driving when he was 12 years old, so driving tanks and trucks came easy (00:08:38) Deployment to the European Theatre �-Went to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey to board a ship -Note: Most likely part of the 13th Armored Division -Set sail in December 1944 -Atlantic Ocean was rough during the winter -A lot of the men on board got seasick, but he didn't -Attributes part of that to having a bottom bunk -Landed at Le Havre, France [January 1945] (00:10:29) Advancing through Europe -As soon as the unit was assembled they began moving inland toward Germany -Passed through France and into the Ruhr Valley in Germany -Found the Germans he met to be friendlier than the French he met -First combat he experienced was around Metz, France [note: Metz itself was taken in late 1944, but there were still Germans nearby in Alsace] -Traveled on half-tracks or in tanks when they weren't in combat -He was a scout in his unit -Went up ahead of the main force to see if there were any Germans ahead of them -Usually walked about 300 yards ahead of the unit -Slept on the ground most nights, but slept on, or in, vehicles when he could -Suffered frostbite on his fingers and toes -There was a lot of combat in the Ruhr Valley -Eventually reached Berchtesgaden, Germany at the end of the war -Germans were in full retreat across Europe when his unit arrived -Still encountered pockets of resistance though -In Simbach am Inn, Germany they found a building filled with women from all over Europe -Had been selected to breed with SS soldiers to raise an Aryan army -Friend was wounded by artillery and Vernon pulled him to safety -Had to do house to house searches as they advanced through Germany -Never knew what to expect when they entered a building -Some men would go into the house while others stood guard -Routinely found dead civilians and dead soldiers -Killed from the concussions from artillery shells and bombs -Artillery would shell an area about ten minutes before the infantry entered the area -Captured quite a few German soldiers near the end of the war -Happy to surrender -Friendly toward their American captors -Worst fighting he saw was in the Ruhr Valley -Couldn't dig in, just had to keep advancing against the Germans -Used the tanks and other armored vehicles as moving protection (00:20:14) Food -Usually ate C Rations -Cans of pork & beans, or spam -Got K Rations later in the war -Better than C Rations, but not as good as a hot meal -Always looked forward to getting a hot meal -Remembers being promised a hot meal one night �-German plane bombed their mess truck ending hopes for that -Fortunately no one was killed -Ate when they could -Sometimes they didn't have enough rations, so they were just given a large chunk of cheese (00:22:12) Contact with Home -Received letters from his girlfriend who would become his wife -Received letters from his mother -Smoked cigars and got two big boxes of cigars from home -Shared all of his cigars, save for one, with the men in his unit (00:23:04) Living Conditions Pt. 1 -Could only smoke when they weren't near German positions -Fear that the Germans might see the ember from a cigarette -Not allowed to make fires at night -Girlfriend sent him a flameless lighter (00:23:53) Veterans' Activities Pt. 1 -Regularly drinks coffee with other WWII veterans at the Peppermill Grill in Standale, Michigan -Went on the Talons Out Honor Flight to Washington D.C. (00:25:27) Morale & Discipline Pt. 1 -Had a good relationship with most of the men in his unit -Everybody in his unit was ready to fight -He felt like the war was a job that had to be done -Believed that it was a worthy cause to stop Nazism -Never felt scared (00:26:55) Visiting Paris -Visited Paris with his squad after the war in Europe was over -Had won $400 playing poker on the voyage over to Europe -Shared his money with his squadmates -Only had $20 left at the end of that trip -Visited the local bars -First time they really got to drink since they had arrived in Europe -Only time they drank in the field was if they found a single bottle of wine (00:28:04) Discipline Pt. 2 -Allowed to take food and alcohol from abandoned houses -He never took any personal possessions from abandoned houses -Doesn't remember anyone else in his unit doing that either (00:29:02) Downtime & Living Conditions Pt. 2 -Didn't have much downtime as they advanced across Europe -Either walking, sleeping, or fighting -Traveled on foot most of the time and rode in vehicles when he had the chance -Slept in a barn in France for a little while before they entered Germany -After that he slept out in the open until the war was over -Moved too fast and didn't stop long enough for performers from the USO to catch up -Didn't really have downtime until the end of the war �(00:30:37) End of the War Pt. 1 -Reached Berchtesgaden, Germany at the end of the war -Town was in the mountains and you could see the countryside around the town -Army thought Hitler had retreated to his mountaintop fortress, the Eagle's Nest -Found a ballroom in Berchtesgaden with a huge tunnel in the basement -Looked like the tunnel went toward Switzerland -Town was abandoned and littered with German military supplies -Looked like the Germans had fled the town in a hurry -Rode a BMW motorcycle down the mountain -Bailed off it before it went tumbling down the mountainside -Forgot how to use the brakes (00:32:28) Getting Wounded & Taking Casualties -Took shrapnel in his head -Frostbitten fingers and toes -Took shrapnel in his neck and leg while carrying his friend to safety in Simbach am Inn -Never sought out treatment for his wounds -Remembers setting off the metal detector in Grand Rapids City Hall due to shrapnel in his head -Could have gone to a medic, but didn't feel his wounds were serious enough for treatment -Just held his hand on the wounds until they stopped bleeding -Lost four men from his squad (00:36:07) End of the War Pt. 2 -Returned to Simbach am Inn, Germany then to Braunau am Inn, Austria across the river -Braunau am Inn: Hitler's birthplace -Found women being held in a building in Simbach -Being held there to breed with SS soldiers to breed an Aryan army -In Berchtesgaden when they heard about Victory in Europe Day (May 8, 1945) -Moved to Simbach after VE Day -Conducted patrols for one month -Went deer hunting -German woman cooked the meat for them -Stayed in a home in Simbach -Shared it with the Germans that lived there -Soviets were advancing from the east -Didn't encounter any civilians fleeing the Soviets (00:38:57) Coming Home -Had to wait for a ship to come into Le Havre, France -Drove back up to Le Havre, France -Waited a couple weeks there for the ship to arrive -Stopped in Paris en route to Le Havre -Slept on cots in a tent in summer 1945 -Eventually boarded the ship and returned to the U.S. -Most likely in July 1945 -Better voyage because it was a larger, English ship -Landed back at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey �-Served a huge steak -Couldn't even finish it because he was so used to meager meals -Got a quart of fresh milk (00:43:05) End of War Pt. 3 & End of Service -Planned on being sent to California to be sent to invade Japan -Unit was going to land at Tokyo -Went home on leave for 45 days -Home on leave when the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan in August 1945 -Married August 26, 1945 -Went to California to complete his service -Note: If part of the 13th Armored Division then it would have been Camp Cook -Stayed in shape by playing baseball and going on hikes -Got to sleep in cots and have hot meals -Returned to Fort Sheridan, Illinois and got discharged on April 20, 1946 -Rode a train back to Grand Rapids, Michigan (00:46:03) Veterans' Activities Pt. 2 -Joined the American Legion -Used to attend meetings -Served as the sergeant of arms for one year at the post in Marne, Michigan -Donated his uniform to the American Legion Hall in Marne (00:47:16) Readjusting to Civilian Life -Had bad dreams when he came home -Didn't go to a doctor for it -Just waited for them to go away -Had one son after the war (00:49:00) Reflections on Service -Great experience -Helped him mature -Went in a rough teenager and came out a more reserved adult -Spent two and a half years of his life in the service -Learned how to be independent -Older brothers came home alive and well � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_PowersV1904V Title A name given to the resource Powers, Vernon Porter (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-11-22 Description An account of the resource Vernon Powers was born in Dyersburg, Tennessee in (circa) 1925, but his family eventually settled in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was drafted on December 18, 1943 and was processed at Fort Sheridan, Illinois before going to Camp Roberts, California for basic training. He went to Camp Bowie, Texas for armored infantry training before deploying for Europe out of Camp Kilmer, New Jersey in December 1944 (or January 1945) most likely part of the 13th Armored Division. His unit landed in Le Havre, France then moved through Europe, seeing action in Metz, France and fighting in the Ruhr Valley, Germany. His unit advanced through Germany seeing final action in Simbach am Inn, Germany and entering Berchtesgaden, Germany on Victory in Europe Day (May 8, 1945). They patrolled the area around Simbach am Inn before returning to Le Havre, France to take a ship back to the United States. He was on leave when the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan and the war came to an end. He was stationed in California until he returned to Fort Sheridan, Illinois to be discharged on April 20, 1946. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Powers, Vernon Porter Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Moore, Deb (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/edf6ea96ce3a3b8d27b8aa8486091ae9.m4v 516fe0549183d38c91a9a8edb4954cfb https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/278bfd3f3ddb49309938f0317af82d00.pdf 4a152365e58ab35fb6c00d81193c56f3 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University All American Girls Professional Baseball League Veterans’ History Project Interviewee’s Name: Mary Pratt Length of Interview: (00:55:55) ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW MARY PRATT, Pitcher Women in Baseball Born: Bridgeport Connecticut 1918 Resides: Interviewed by: Frank Boring, GVSU Veterans History Project, September 27, 2009, Milwaukee, WI at the All American Girls Professional Baseball League reunion. Transcribed by: Joan Raymer, June 11, 2010 Interviewer: “If we can begin with your name and where and when were you born?” My name is Mary Pratt and I was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1918. Interviewer: “Shat was your early childhood like?” My early childhood, I would say, would be up until the time that we left Connecticut and came up to Massachusetts because my dad had been working down in Groton, Connecticut on the submarines and all of a sudden the war was over, so he became a Certified Public Accountant and then came the depression, so I have been able to be a part, in my lifetime, of going through those eras. :56 In 1926, I believe, we all came back to where my dad was an only child up in Quincy, Massachusetts and there I went into junior high school. Interviewer: “Before high school, when did you first start getting involved in sports? Was it any kind of sports or was it baseball first?” Well, it was anything that the boys would let me join in and so I would go over, this was down in Connecticut, I would go over into the back yard of the boys across the way who had that familiar peach basket and they would let me shoot. It’s a thing that I will never regret and even though I’m looking for the girls to get more leadership roles, but if it wasn’t for the boys who gave me the opportunity and mother never said no as long as she knew where I was she let me go right along and it was the boys, see I grew up in an era where there were few opportunities for girls especially where I lived on the east coast of the U.S.A. 1:57 Interviewer: “What was the appeal of baseball early on, not later, but early on? What was the appeal of baseball?” 1 �Well, it was just the fact that—when I look back I often wonder, “Why did I just all of a sudden start pitching and playing with the boys?” I think I maybe just had a normal way of throwing and maybe it just came to me naturally and as a result they let me play and that continued right on until I’m getting out of college and still playing with the boys. 2:26 Interviewer: “Now you did graduate from high school?” I graduated from North Quincy High School, the class of 1936. Interviewer: “What happened after that? Where were you going after that?” After that—I always had in my mind that I wanted to go on to college and I want to become a physical educator. As I look back now, never realizing that I was going to be a teacher and I didn’t really realize what were the hardships that I was going to follow through because everything that I got in my undergraduate wasn’t going to be—it would help me a little bit, but it wasn’t going to be the thing that enabled me then to teach that whole vast area of physical education and in the end to be working in special needs. 3:14 Interviewer: “So, what university did you decide to go to?” I went to Boston University and Sargent College, which is a unit in the university and it was then over in Cambridge right next to the Harvard tennis courts. It wasn’t until the fifties that the university took Sargent and we went on to the campus on Commonwealth Avenue. I graduated from college in 1940 and was so fortunate that in 1941 I would get a position for eleven hundred dollars, twenty-seven fifty a week, but I thought I had the world with a fence around it. I had gotten a permanent job. 4:02 Interviewer: “While you were in college though, you started playing ball, is that right?” Well, I always remained active, but see I was still going through college where there was not any collegiate competition for girls, but we did have a wide and a broad program where I got introduced to lacrosse, to field hockey, to the things that I had never had in high school because in high school it was just all intramurals. 4:34 Interviewer: “Now, did you play softball in college?” Well, I played softball in college because in 1939 I got word that Walter Brown, who owned the Boston Garden, wanted to do something in the summer and there had never been much going on and all of a sudden I heard that he was going to sponsor a team and then I walked to the Boston Garden and walked out to short stop and of course I was a “lefty” and they said to me, “you know you can’t play short stop, you’re a lefty”, so I went home and there was a gentleman who had just come off the last boat from Ireland and there curling was quite similar to the way we pitched softball and I was always quite 2 �determined, so I went out in the back yard and practiced with my father and pitched in the Boston Garden in 1939, and in 1940 it was an honor to think that Walter Brown took us down to Madison Square Garden and we played in New York. 5:32 Interviewer: “What kind of a team was that? Was it a women’s team?” It was a women’s team and it really was not a league. Some places like New York we heard did have leagues between New York and Connecticut, but this was just something that Mr. Brown did. He actually made up a schedule—well, we played in a lot of different places, but we were not playing in a regular league. 5:58 Interviewer: “In college you knew you wanted to be in physical education, beyond that did you think in terms of being a teacher in a high school? What were your goals at that time?” It really wasn’t, it was just a thought that I wanted to teach physical education. I never really knew what teaching was all about and I had to learn the hard way, but I just found that through physical education I was indirectly teaching a child how to take care of themselves and I hope that I was an example for them and that I wasn’t just teaching them a lot of theory. 6:41 Interviewer: “Now, first of all you were a left hander and you were playing shortstop and then turned into a pitcher?” I was a lefty, a long arm they call it. Yes, because they told me that the extra step that I would have to take to get my body in position to throw over to first would be the step that I would lose the runner, so I took to pitching, but prior to that I had always played with the boys on the playgrounds and so I always threw overhand, so they understood what I was doing when I was pitching, but of course when I went to get into the All American it was softball style pitching. 7:28 Interviewer: “We’ll get to that. Now, The Boston Olympets?” The Olympets, the Limpets was the Boston Garden semi-pro hockey team and they had the Boston Olympets, which was us. I played for two seasons there, 1939 and 1940. They took the diamond and put it on a diagonal and they put a post down by first base and as a lefty you could quite readily hit into the stands, but that would only go for a single, but to hit it to left field was a long, long distance at the garden. 8:09 Interviewer: “You did finally graduate and got a degree, what were you thinking you were going to do next? What were your plans once you got your degree?” I got my bachelors degree. 1940, I just wanted to be sure I could get a position and at the beginning I didn’t my first year, but I had taken up officiating and that filled the void a little tiny bit and I went to one of the private schools, an academy there in Braintree and I did their after school program. In 1941 I signed on with Quincy and continued my officiating for fifty years because see, there were no opportunities for me to coach. 8:50 3 �Interviewer: “1941, December, do you remember where you were on Pearl Harbor day?” Oh that’s right, not only did thoughts come back to what is it thirty years later I go out to the Pacific and go to where I saw where the—the boat was still down there where it was sunk. Interviewer: “Do you remember Pearl Harbor Day and where you were?” I remember it and I remember people were celebrating and I say the same thing, I was so busy working and teaching school and being wrapped up in my officiating and then starting to get in with my alumni associations that it never appeared to me that I was losing out on everything, I was just constantly active, mostly in elementary and then eventually they added the junior high and eventually I left the public schools and went on to the colleges. 9:50 Interviewer: “We’re going to back up now, 1943, I think you got an invitation of some kind?” Oh, I got that nice call and Ralph Wheeler, he was the schoolboy editor for the Boston Herald and he apparently had been contacted to see if there was anyone in this area who had played a little organized ball. Dotty Green, who has now passed on, Dotty was from Natick and she had played with me in the garden and she had already got out to Chicago, so she must have mentioned my name and Ralph Wheeler asked me if I would want to go out to Chicago and here I had been making twenty-seven fifty teaching school and I was offered sixty dollars to play ball and to think that when I arrived in Chicago after getting off the nights sleeper they could have sent me to South Band, they could have sent me to Kenosha, they could have sent me to Racine and where did they send me, to Rockford and I became a Rockford Peach in July of 1943. 11:02 Interviewer: “Now the Rockford Peaches, that was one of the original teams.” One of the original teams and when they put me on the night sleeper and I got out to Chicago I met Mr. Salls at the Merchandise Mart and Mr. Salls had been Mr. Wrigley’s right hand man and he must have gotten me on another train and I landed at the 15th Avenue stadium and I had become a Rockford Peach and sixty years later Penny Marshall made a movie and it centered around the Rockford Peaches . 11:39 Interviewer: “I want you to go back to that day when you first walked on the field as a Rockford Peach. Do you remember that?” I was very humble because see, I had never really had much competition and who did I run into? All the California girls and Canadians who couldn’t understand why I had never had the opportunity to be in league competition, so when I got there in 1943 so many outstanding girls from California and then in 1944 along come the Californians who had also played a lot, so we on the east coast, I think, did well to be able to fit into 4 �that style of play and to think that I was able to play for Marty McManus who had managed the Boston Red Sox and Johnny Gottselig who was a Chicago Blackhawk hockey player. 12:37 It was the start of a wonderful experience that I just never will forget. Interviewer: “What were your first games like? Did you start pitching right away?” I was pitching—I’m short and I wasn’t that great a hitter, so I didn’t get off of outfield or first base, but as I look back on it, I don’t know how it was that I wasn’t kind of scared , but it’s just that I’ve always had enough interest in sports to know that you don’t do anything by yourself and maybe that attitude came across to some of the girls that I played with because some of the girls that I played against, pitchers, they were outstanding, they had brought so much experience into the league, but I’ve always listened and I knew some day I might coach, so I listened to those coaches and we had outstanding coaches and I learned so much from them. 13:30 Interviewer: “In 1943 they weren’t pitching overhand and you had been pitching overhand, is that correct?” Oh, when I was playing with the boys on the regular playground, that was overhand pitching, but when I played in the garden, that was softball style. Interviewer: “How was it in 1943? How were you pitching in 1943?” In 1943, when I got out to Rockford, I pitched—as I look back there were variations of “windmill” and “slingshot” and I think I was just doing the traditional “windmill” where as I noticed the Canadian girls, they used that same old “figure eight”, but I just watched because whether I knew that I was going to go into a profession that maybe had the sport. I had to wait a long time because they wouldn’t let the girls coach, but it eventually came and all that helped me as I went along and finally got some girls into ASA competition and into a world tournament. 14:44 Interviewer: “Now, I realize looking back on it you can make lots of recognition of what you accomplished, but while you were playing in 1943, did you have any idea that this was going to go on another year or two years?” No, because they signed us to contracts every year, so in 1943 as I said, I’d just got assigned to Rockford, but I was new and as I look back at it I didn’t have what you would call a good record, but I think the coaches always used to notice that I was really interested and if they wanted someone to coach down on first, I would go. In 1944 I had the opportunity to get out on time for spring training and in 1943 I didn’t. The season had been going for about three or four weeks. In 1944 I had a chance to go out to spring training where we all trained together and I found out that I was again going to be assigned to Rockford. 15:44 A few weeks into the season, Mr. Wrigley, although I never met him, but I heard of the various rules and regulations he made. We belonged to 5 �them, so if anything happened we were asked to go to another team and see, we were playing a hundred and twenty-five games, so we carried four pitchers and when I was at Rockford, all of a sudden I got word that I was being sent over to Kenosha because two of their pitchers were hurt, but little did I know that I was going to go Kenosha and play for Marty McManus, who had managed the Boston Red Sox and they played behind me and that’s why I say, “you don’t do it by yourself”, and I won twenty-one games in 1944, but I never had a good season after that. 16:31 Interviewer: “We’re jumping ahead here, so lets go back a little bit. Now, in the early days, in 1943, there was more than just playing baseball, did you go through the etiquette?” Oh, we went—when Helena Rubenstein came in and we learned how to walk properly and how to keep our hair nice. Many things weren’t popular then, but when I saw the uniform—see I had just started to teach school, and the uniform was so much like the uniform I wore when I was teaching. Four inches above the knee and just like in the movie, it was the peach color and to think that I had the opportunity when I was at Cooperstown to have Mr. Salls interview me, with some people down in New York, and to hear him say, “Mr. Wrigley gave me a hundred thousand dollars to go around the country to bring into his league girls that were ladies. I think that’s why we heard that we were going to look like ladies, dress like ladies and act like ladies. 17:42 It made a great hit with me because that’s the type of uniform that I was wearing. Now, they were four inches above the knee, but as the years went on I noticed that they got a little shorter, but it just reminded me how I had just started teaching and that I was going to be able to combine this activity, that I had never had a chance to do because see—I came through Sargent College when I then began to play lacrosse and I played against the British when they would come over here and to think that’s become such a popular sport today, but it’s just that I’ve been a part of being able to see the programs for the girls expand, but I’m still looking for our girls to get the leadership roles, which I think they so deserve. 18:33 Interviewer: “I want to go into some of the details of how you were actually recruited. Remember this is for the archives and we’re trying to get the exact details. How were you actually recruited and then was there a contract that you signed? How did you get your uniforms? Did they fit you? Walk us through that process before you actually went out to play?” As I said, we had played in the garden and Dottie Green, who was a catcher, a tall girl, Dottie apparently had already gone out there and she said something that’s when I got the call in school from Ralph Wheeler, but I had to wait until school finished because they had started in May and I don’t know when I signed the contract. I must have signed it before I left, but I’ve got it today with the sixty dollars right on it and I keep it along with the rest of my memorabilia. 19:32 As soon as school got out they assigned me to a sleeper and I went out on a night sleeper and I got out to the Merchandise Mart and Mr. Salls, who was Mr. Wrigley’s right hand man--I never met Mr. Wrigley, he was the one that met me and got me on another form of transportation and got me out to Rockford. 19:55 I know then that I must have signed the contract then because they made 6 �arrangements, they gave me my uniform. We had chaperones and she would take care of our uniforms and she would give us our paycheck each week and then when we were on the road we lived in nice hotels and they gave us two dollars and eighty-five cents, but we would go to McDonald’s, which was then Alexander’s and I could get my cheeseburger and my French fries and a coke for twenty-five cents. I could send my money home to save, so in 1947 I drove my first brand new car out in 1947 to Rockford. 20:39 They treated us just so well—the movie, some people were upset because they thought the movie was going to maybe portray things not exactly the way it was, but they spoke to Penny Marshall and she assured them. She said, “I’m not doing a documentary, I’m doing a story about something that happened sixty years ago, so I’ll take a few liberties”, which she did, but I could tell it never spoiled it because that movie continues to be shown over and over again. And to think that I was just a small part of it and because of the way they ran that league I say it and I really mean it, “there’s nothing today in 2009 that yet will equate to what Mr. Wrigley did when he got together with Branch Rickey and decided that maybe it was the time to do something”. 21:37 The boys were going off in the service and so when I went to Rockford of course, Camp Grant was right near there and they use to come over and tell us that we were making better money than they were making. As I look back, just a—I was just in the right place at the right time and to think as I go and talk to the kiddo’s about my experience and let them know it’s the friends that I made all over the country and that’s what sports is all about. 22:03 Baseball’s America, so they took to that game that we were playing. Interviewer: “Did you actually have to go through a charm school? Tell us about that, what was that like?” Yes, we went to charm school because we all trained together for the two or three weeks that we were there and every night we would have inter squad games and one night Helena Rubenstein’s ladies came in. Sometimes I smile because I think they kind of portrayed it almost the same way in the movie, but it was just a case to think that Mr. Wrigley had it in his mind that we were going to dress like ladies and look like ladies and of course that’s the thing that I—people always had the impression that if you loved sports you were masculine and that use to break my heart because I was always so fussy about making all my lady like things. The league was great and I’ve heard some California girls and some of the Canadians sometime complain that they always played in shorts, they never played in a skirt, but see, it fit into the philosophy that he had and the only thing that was difficult with the lefty’s, we had to pin our skirt over so as you went by you wouldn’t be hitting your skirt. 23:23 I will remember us walking with the books on our heads and them talking about the mascara and they played it up in the movie and I can tell people that it was true. They had the best intentions and yet the Midwest and the California girls and the Canadians, they had competed. Not us in the east, but I still think that the part that we see where one of the players thought that she wouldn’t play if she was going to have to wear that uniform and in the movie he says, “well, you’ll either play with that or you won’t play at all”. I thought it was so great that when I came home and I had girls ask me if I would coach, this was outside of school, and I asked them, “would you wear the same uniform, the type that we wore?” I said, “I don’t care if you don’t slide”, because we would get strawberries because we just had little tights, but they went 7 �along with me, and my mother and I went down and we made those uniforms. In a world tournament some of the girls from Japan happened to say to us when they saw us walking out on the field, “what, you going to a dance?” 24:31 I thought, and I still feel that way, girls must portray the image that we are young ladies and now as I see it advancing and we see how skilled the girls are, six-two, six-four, when I go over to Harvard and I see them playing BC, those girls can run like deer. Interviewer: “Now, you mentioned that in your second time around you actually did get a chance to go to spring training, but you missed out the first time. Once again we’re trying to get this for the record because none of us were there, so tell us about what happened during spring training? Give us a visual, what did you see?” It portrayed a little bit like they portrayed in the movie, but we didn’t train there, we trained in LaSalle and Peru in Indiana and what all would have been like the eight teams, we all trained there like they depicted in the movie. 25:34 You really went through spring training with the idea you didn’t know just exactly who you were going to get assigned to and during the day there were all the skill drills and at night they would have inter-squad games and after the inter-squad games, that’s when we would go in and they came in from Chicago and showed us how to cross our legs and not to pile our dishes up when we went out because—that’s one thing that I will remember, that we were looked upon so highly by the fraternal organizations and there were a few girls that were a little younger and they might have possibly with the Rotary Club and the Elks, want to get there and pile their dishes, but I just thought it was so great to think that they thought of all those extra things for us to do. 26:20 To be sure that we were in and night and gave us an hour or so after the games and the chaperones were there to see that we did the right things and I was never anyone who was too sociably inclined, so I wanted to carve my scrapbooks and wanted to collect my articles, so when the games were over I would go back up into my room, and we were on the road and I made those books that are all part of my memorabilia today. 26:48 Interviewer: “Tell us about your chaperone, when you were with the Peaches.” Oh yes, one of my chaperones was Marie Timm, a schoolteacher from Milwaukee, West Allis, and she dressed just like we did. She wore the same uniform, but the next year they went more like an airline hostess and they had the white coats with the red jackets and after I went over to Kenosha I left Marie Timm, but I went and I had a new chaperone who had met Marty McManus and that’s how she got the job with Marty. It was then, when we were at Kenosha, that that opportunity came for us to go to Wrigley Field to play for the service and four of the teams went into Wrigley Field and we were the first people who played under the lights because they put all the portable lights up and every time I recount all the experience I had, I think wasn’t it unique to have a thing run so top notch and the fellows that would be at Camp Grant and it would be at the naval station when we would be going down past the U.S. naval station going down to South Bend. 28:04 To think that they kept everything so kind of high class and I think that’s the reason why, coupled with the fact that Penny Marshal is so skilled, she had been able 8 �to make that movie and it is shown time and time again and I was just a small little part of it. 28:23 Interviewer: “After the spring training you went through and all the teams were in one place, did you already know what team you were playing on?” No, after the end of spring training they announced where we were going. A little bit like they depicted it in the movie, but there was no question as to what uniforms we were going to wear. I never heard anybody say anything and I’ve got the pictures where we all assigned and the big buses all came and off we went to our towns. We trained in LaSalle/Peru, twin cities in Illinois. 29:04 Interviewer: “What was the typical season like? How many games did you play? Were they daytime?” A hundred and twenty-five games and I shouldn’t do it, but sometimes I look today and see how the boys are treated well. They can’t pitch nine innings and to think that we had our strawberries and we were playing every night, so we must have got a few aches and pains, but I think everybody will tell you that we were having so much fun and it was such a unique thing even though the California girls and the Canadians all came in with experience. 29:38 Interviewer: “Now, in the very early days what were the fans like?” Great, Olive Little from Canada loved olives and they would bring her big bottles. They were very good to us and of course the fraternal organizations always had us in for the noon luncheons they were having. Even at the end when we had our first reunion in Chicago in 1982 I think it was 1982, we had some fans even coming then, who remembered what we had done and now as we’ve grown into an organization and we’re now in Milwaukee—the last time we were in Milwaukee they must have gotten Johnson’s Wax to put up some money. They took us on side trips to Racine and to Kenosha and to think that so many of the Racine people came in to see their players. 30:33 Racine had been fortunate enough to be able to maintain their players, so when the league got up to the time where some of the teams were dropping out, Racine still had about eight of their originals, but it was a little—kind of shady because, but they had that loyalty with the Racine fans and to think that years later the fans came back and remembered us. We started with reunions every two years, now they’re every year and to think when they start to make—they were trying to see if perhaps Cooperstown would look favorably upon us, not to be inducted, but to be—and to think that when Ted Spencer saw the names of all the girls that had played here was this gym teacher that he had had in grammar school and Ted has just recently retired, so every time I go up to Cooperstown I think how Ted would say and some of the others, “you’re the one that flunked him because he didn’t have his white sneakers”. 31:40 To think that we did get recognized in 1988, didn’t get inducted and I think some women took it—I think they thought we should have, but no it’s a mans organization and by doing things in a nice positive way, which we did, and to think we now have a statue on the side lawn and the 9 �little display we had has been expanded to include the “Silver Bullets” that came along after we had finished and Boston College and all those way back when, were playing a little competitive softball. 32:17 Interviewer: “You were talking about the season then with the Peaches, but then you moved on to Kenosha. Why or how did that happen?” The Kenosha Comets, and that’s because we carried four pitchers and Helen Nichol, Fox McKanda, one of the most outstanding, and Elise Harney, a girl from Illinois, they had come up with some sore arms or something and so, we carried four pitchers and that’s when I was told to go over there. In due time Harney and Nicky they were fine and we carried on with four pitchers and one of the girls who is with me today at our second reunion in Milwaukee, Rose Foldra. Rose, who had won a scholarship--they were offering scholarships and Rose had won a scholarship, but somehow as things happen, she met the right person, she got in his truck with him and out she went and to this day, out to Carnation, Washington. 33:16 She only played the one year, but when the movie came out she wrote me a letter and wondered if by any chance I remembered her because we roomed together in Kenosha. To think the years have gone on and Rose today has come to our reunion today in Milwaukee. Interviewer: “Now, you said you roomed together, as a group then you would travel by bus? How did you get from town to town?” We went on the buses after our second year. The first two years we had our bags and if you recall the four teams were all in a ninety mile radius of Chicago, so as I tell people that when we were going through the streets of Chicago to catch the rapid transit to go to South Bend we would all be singing, “Oh we hail from Illinois it’s just across the line, we’re not too young, we’re not too old, in fact we’re in our prime, Oh we hit the ball with might, in fielding we are fast, we are the Rockford ball club and we always dress in class, so we never kick the gong and we’re always on our toes, not only in the ball park , but when we’re with our bows. Oh. We’re in bed by ten o’clock that is a dirty lie, we are the Rockford ball club a model do or die”, and we’d be clapping and I always remember the words. 34:35 It reminded me so much of my training when I was going to B.U. because I had to go four months to camp to get a lot of the outside things and it’s a wonderful life and as I look back, it’s the memories that I have and I can still remain active enough to be able to follow through on so many places that invite me to come and speak. 35:00 I stood in front of children , but I never stood in front of adults and to think of the wonderful experience I’ve had and to be able to go to all these four hundred places and be a part of Fan Fest. Interviewer: “Let’s get again to the actual routines of a typical season let’s say, with Kenosha. Before you traveled by bus?” We were going by Inter-Urban and then we went by bus, so then we would drive on the bus all night and then go into the town because most towns we went into, you stayed there for three or four games. They didn’t like us going up to Lake Geneva and that to 10 �swim because they thought we should take care of ourselves. Many a time we had workouts in the morning, especially when we were home, but it was conducted in such an outstanding way and the fact that we were invited to the elks and Kiwanis, I just thought it was— Interviewer: “I want to get into the actual—so somebody that didn’t know anything about your experience—you’re traveling by bus all night, you arrive in the city, what happens?” 36:11 At five o’clock we would report—we would have been assigned to our hotel rooms, because they all knew the rooms we were going to be in, and then we would head out at five o’clock to have a batting practice and do infield and then we would play sometimes double headers, but we most often played single games, but on Sundays we would play a double header and especially in Racine. They would play in the afternoon because they had an overhead structure like the little bit that was portrayed in the movie, but otherwise we tried to play mostly the games at seven o’clock, so you wouldn’t be in the heat of the sun. they divided the season in half and the winner of the first half played the winner of the second and when I was in Kenosha we did happen to make the playoffs, but in the first round they played a round robin and we lost out, but that’s alright because I could call back to the school department to say that I’d be back on time because we were out. 37:13 We then started the reunions. A girl that had been a bat girl, and it had always been her desire because I read things that someday she would be able to play, and it ended up that she was the one to organize our first reunion in Chicago, which we began to have every two years, but as girls passes on we have them just one year, but to think that I would go to my first one in Chicago and there I would see Audrey Wagner, now a Gynecologist and an Obstetrician. She had taken the money—she was from Bensenville in Illinois and when we would go to South Bend you could just turn your head once and you’d be through the little town, but she went on to medical school and when I saw her at our first reunion she said, “yes, if I ever come to Boston Pratty, I’ll come and see you because I fly my own airplane”, and that season, if she and her nurse didn’t get caught in a wind pocket and got killed. Audrey Wagner, one of the most outstanding ball players. 38:19 Interviewer: “What would you say are some of the highlights of your time with the original team, with Rockford?” The highlights? I think the highlight would be what I did in 1944. I did win twenty-one games and I did pitch a no hitter, but I still have to emphasize that you don’t do it by yourself, your team played behind you. I’ve always felt that way and I think that’s why when I went to Kenosha they readily accepted me, so it’s something, I can’t say it was in my bringing up, but my love of sports let me realize, even when I went to teach, I can teach a person to think, I’m not going to go out there and make the plays for you and I think it’s that I was always just so wrapped up in how you do things and if you do things the right way and if you think ahead of time and that’s what I try to get across when I go to the schools. 39:18 It’s more than just winning games and having a good record. It’s just the friendships that you’ve gained and the people that you’ve taught and now that 11 �I’m in my nineties I find that people that I had in school remember me. It’s very rewarding although I wish I would have met the right fella and married, but I ended up an old maid school teacher for forty eight years, but I taught at every level and then the last twenty we were doing a lot as what is being done today to realize children, if their not doing well academically there’s something wrong and we can’t be that authoritative teacher that just says their going to---to find out that I worked physical education, motor development, start to get that body going and it’s funny how that—you don’t become Phi Beta Kappa, but you’re not flunking everything. 40:14 I think that’s what helped me so much and I thought that last twenty years was great and today running into children who are coming from disoriented families and to think, through the avenue of physical education and where I don’t like to say it, sometimes the men are still just throwing out the ball and I don’t think that’s what physical education is. Interviewer: “I found something very interesting while I was doing some research on your particular story and that is, all through this interview you talked about how much you loved school and loved teaching, you loved school, but in 1946 your school wouldn’t release you for spring training. What happened?” 40:59 I quit and I know my mother wouldn’t care, but I remember going to my principal and he said to me, “Mary you wouldn’t drop your job”, so I said, “no, don’t you look up to Bobby Doerr and Ted Williams?” I so admired the men—just the fact that they could compete and so, I did, I asked for the time off and I believe it was 1945 and it ended up that we didn’t get into the playoffs that year and I think the superintendent called my mother and offered her the opportunity to ask me if I would want to come back. I can remember my mother saying, “I know she would never come back unless you knew that she was doing the right work”, so it was, I did go back, but in 1946 and 1947 I never gave any thought of dropping my job then because I was twenty-two or twenty-three and I thought they had deprived themselves of a lot of things to send me to college because then it was four hundred and thirty-two dollars. 42:07 A hundred and forty four three times a year and to think today forty one or forty two thousand, so they had a hard time, but they stuck with me. My mother—they never went on to college, my father became a Certified Public Accountant and all that, but it just—everything just worked out well, so I’ve stayed very involved because of the all American. I just feel that’s part of what I should do and I served two years, I’ve served two years on the board and because I got Ken Burns, he decided he was going to do a documentary and these are the things that amaze me. I’m just a little person from the east coast and the Californians and the Canadians, they seemed to have more opportunities and it just show you that if you’re doing the right thing how it ended up that Ken Burns asked us if we would take part and the other day I turned on channel sixteen at home and all of a sudden I looked and I saw this black and white film and it was Jackie Robinson. 43:16 Ken had decided he was going to do his thing by innings and the era of Jackie Robinson and the All American he was putting in the sixth inning and all of a sudden I looked because I had taped it myself every Sunday and I bought the book, but I had never seen this and here is Dotty Green and myself didn’t come out in color. I couldn’t believe it, I mean I looked so nice and we were answering the questions and I thought, “I never would have thought all of this would come, and someone will see me and “Mary I saw you on channel two”. To think 12 �he has always been doing all these different historic ones, but to think that we got included in it and then to get on with Robin Roberts, it’s really been a wonderful life. 44:07 Interviewer: “I’m really curious and there’s something here we haven’t gotten to yet. We haven’t gotten to something that I’m very curious about and that is that with your love of school and you’re playing baseball, but there was a moment in 1946 when you had to make a decision. You had to make a choice and you even went, in a sense, against the better wishes of your parents. Why? Why did you play baseball instead of just saying, “well, I guess?” 44:35 Yeah, and well, I think my father saw in me what he didn’t see in my brother. We were only thirteen months apart and my mother was fourteen when she left Kingston, Jamaica to come to the states and to eventually meet my dad and then when they married to have two children thirteen months apart. Whether she knew that I was doing the right thing— you know, playing with the boys, she never said no, but as I look back, in her quiet way and having come from a little bit of wealth down there in Kingston, Jamaica, her brother was the Gores that did all the Gores cigars and all that, but she came on here after she go tout of high school, Convent of Mercy she went to, so I think she was really overly protective of me, she always mad my clothes and all that, but it’s amazing where, unless she ever play Cricket, she was not adapted to sports, but she loved the Red Sox and at the end she would go with me and go to all the games. 45:38 I always thought basketball was my best sport, but I just took part in everything, but we never realize what our parents have done until years later because see I taught at the end when I now just recently was told there’s a hundred and fifty homeless children in Quincy and I can’t believe it. My mother was there all the time for us. 46:00 Interviewer: “Once again I want to get back to this idea of the decision you made to play baseball and actually quit school.” Because I just thought it was so—I guess in my own way I thought that I might learn something the might help me in coaching, but it seemed as though it was an opportunity I would never have thought of and if I hadn’t played at the garden and Dottie Green, who had already gotten out there and Maddy English, who’s now gone, she was from Evert and she stayed at the all American longer than I did and she eventually came back and finished up at B.U., but I have wondered that, it’s a good question when you ask it because except to play catch with my father, you know, the boys would just ask— somehow I think whether it’s because my mother, I still, I hope, acted like a lady and not a roughian and that’s what keeps me going. When I talk to the kiddo’s to let them realize what sports is all about. That it’s learning to get along with people and someone has to win and someone has to lose. 47:16 I can get all these different stories and as long as they know I take my ball cards and give them some ball cards and I’ve been to over six hundred places and just recently a girl went to take an advanced degree at Syracuse and she told me—she came to visit and saw some of my pictures and to think there is enough interest that the other day she sent me her disc “Rosy at the Bat”, so I think we touch lives in so many ways that we never think of and yet sometimes I get the feeling that there are maybe some people my age where I am now living in a senior project, but not in 13 �assisted living. I gave my four-bedroom house to my nephew. 48:02 There are still some people who would say, “that’s not something that a girl does”, and that’s why I stay with it, to think that if we can get the girls coaching because the men tend to do a little roughhouse because we are young ladies and to think that—I never met him, but that’s what Mr. Wrigley was pushing for and that’s what was my background at Sargent. Interviewer: “Now, you went on to play with Rockford again, right? 1946 to 1947?” That’s why I think that they must have noticed—not to say that I had anything, but they were then overhand pitching and it’s like little league. Those girls, when we couldn’t get softball pitchers in 1943, 1944 and 1945 they started sidearm well, eventually it became overhand and just like the boys at about forty feet and they throw in fast, but somehow those girls that could throw hard and I don’t know why it was, it was only for the summer, Rockford asked me to come back. 49:08 I don’t know, but there must have been something in my attitude, or whatnot, that they thought that I was going to be an addition to the club and I wasn’t going to get upset because some other people pitching were maybe better than I, so I coached a lot, the coaches would coach on third, on first, but I really—when I look back I think it was either something that came out of me through my home that I was taught the right things and without them battering me, that I did it and I think it came through. 49:47 When I was going to do my undergraduate work, I never forgot that I was supposed to be a young lady and act like a lady. Interviewer: “You also went to the U of M, the University of Michigan, the U of M?” No, the University of Michigan is what two of the girls—University of Michigan was one of the girls when I went to Salem State. Interviewer: “But didn’t you go to the U of M?” 50:12 No, I went—no, the University of Michigan, I’ve been out--Interviewer: “Where did you get your degree after that though?” I stayed at B.U. and then I took the B.U. Harvard extension courses and I got fifty-two B on my masters, but I was taking courses at U. Mass Boston and then I go into B.U. because Sargent had now come on to the B.U. Campus. Interviewer: “That was Mass, I’m sorry, I got the wrong M.” I got my fifty-two year—I got my associate degree, but I didn’t go beyond to get my doctorate because you had to be an administrator and that’s one thing I have regretted, I never did get out of the trenches, but I have no regrets now. 51:02 I don’t think you do anything better than working with children. Interviewer: “1995 Boston Garden Hall of Fame. Tell us about that.” Oh yeah, they not only were going to change the garden, they were doing some different things, so they started to do a Hall of Fame and they had it—I don’t know where they had it around, but the next thing I knew, I had been inducted into it, so I went in with Derek 14 �Sanderson I think, and I went in with one of the gentlemen who did maybe some of the menial work around the garden and it was great because they had me come in and we went up to those sky view seats where the company’s now all pay for the whole place, and to think that I went down on the garden floor with Sanderson, and I forget who else got honored and they got—I have a nice plaque and then as a follow up they started on the very top floor opening up some of the exhibits of girls in basketball and whatnot and as a result, school children started to come in and I volunteered to go in and take them around on the—and see all the views of the upstairs of the—particularly hockey, but then they took a tape of the closing of the Boston Garden and to think that I was there when Woody Dumont and Bobby Bauer and Milt Schmidt were going off to fight for Canada and that I was up there when I saw them go and I was there when Cunningham went his two minute mile. 52:51 I just was so wrapped up in everything and I think a lot was my father, he took me to a lot of those things, so it’s been a wonderful life. Interviewer: “Do you want some water?” No, I’m fine. Interviewer: “Let’s wrap it up with—looking back you made several comments about how this has had an effect on you, but personally, you personally, not in terms of the whole league, how has playing in this league affected you personally?” 53:23 When you are talking this league you’re referring to the all American? Interviewer: “Yes” It has affected me to the point that I have—you know maybe I have accepted the way they doing everything, but when I look back and I think that every bit of their interest was to do the thing right by us. To have chaperones who would be there because see, in the movie you see Tom Hanks in the locker room and I have to tell people sometimes remember—Penny Marshall told us, she said, “I’m not doing a documentary, I’m doing a story about something that happened years ago, so I’ll take a few liberties”, so when I go I can tell people that Tom played a great part and I said we were told that he did it for that reason because he was playing Jimmy Fox and the drinking took both of them, but to think that I was part of that and combined with my background that I had at home and the background of the wonderful teachers that I had when I look back at it now. 54:31 To think of the background that I’ve got and to think that the highlight would be baseball and that baseball is America and now I get asked—I’m going back to Bosox on Friday when I go because two women’s groups that have been playing baseball are being honored and I’m to go and sit at the table with them. 54:55 I just feel like I have something to offer and they can see that I’ve taken care of myself and I I’ve made it to ninety and I’m on my way to ninety one and to think that I can still go and talk in such a way that people think I’m sincere. I answer the things that I get because I’m still getting—I do this Out and About Project and they send me the blank of where they have been and I send them back another blank, so I know that—besides some people who never send them, we are Out and About and that’s how we’re preserving the legacy of the all American. Interviewer: “Thank you so much.” 15 �Hope you got enough, so you can piece it together right because you ask nice questions. Interviewer: “Thank you.” 16 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Interviews Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was started by Philip Wrigley, owner of the Chicago Cubs, during World War II to fill the void left by the departure of most of the best male baseball players for military service. Players were recruited from across the country, and the league was successful enough to be able to continue on after the war. The league had teams based in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, and operated between 1943 and 1954. The 1954 season ended with only the Fort Wayne, South Bend, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Rockford teams remaining. The League gave over 600 women athletes the opportunity to play professional baseball. Many of the players went on to successful careers, and the league itself provided an important precedent for later efforts to promote women's sports. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/484">All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Collection, (RHC-58)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Sports for women World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American All-American Girls Professional Baseball League--Personal narratives Oral history Baseball players--Minnesota Baseball players--Indiana Baseball players--Wisconsin Baseball players--Michigan Baseball players--Illinois Baseball for women--United States Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale, MI, 49401 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-58 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-10-02 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-58_MPratt Title A name given to the resource Pratt, Mary (Interview transcript and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pratt, Mary Description An account of the resource Mary Pratt was born in 1918 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Throughout her early childhood and on through college she played baseball. Before joining the All American Girls Professional Baseball League, Pratt played hockey for two seasons with the Boston Olympets from 1939 to 1940. She got her start professionally in baseball with the Rockford Peaches in 1943. In 1944, she played for the Rockford Peaches and the Kenosha Comets and then in 1945 played just for the Kenosha Comets. From 1946 to 1947 she played for the Rockford Peaches. Throughout her professional career she played as a pitcher and saw how the rules in softball changed how the game was played. The highlights in her professional career were from her 1944 season when she won 21 games and pitched a no-hitter. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) Video recordings All-American Girls Professional Baseball League--Personal narratives Baseball for women--United States Baseball Sports for women World War, 1939-1945 Baseball players--Illinois Baseball players--Wisconsin Women Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2009-09-25 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/484">All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Collection, (RHC-55)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3e9f7adb52e545f2e56893c8f967fda8.pdf 619d893efdad97423af64845095dcd0c PDF Text Text �COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN CANNON TOWNSHIP KENT COUNTY, MICHIGAN DECEMBER 6, 1978 PREIN . & NEWHOF. . ENGINEERS - PLANNERS �TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION 1 OP INION SURVEY 7 BACKGROUND STUDIES The Environment Population Population Characteristics Existing Land Use Transportation Community Facilities Utilities Financial Resources ANALYSIS Cannon Township Planning Goals The Environment Population Land Use Transportation Community Facilities Multiple Family Housing Financial Resources 15 15 17 23 30 31 34 39 41 43 43 43 45 50 54 55 57 58 THE COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN 59 IMPLEMENTATION 61 Zoning Ordinance Revisions Township Review Restrictive Covenants Review And Uodate The Plan Financial Assistance 61 61 61 61 62 �LIST OF TABLES PAGE 1. Population Growth Trends For Selected Geographical Areas 22 Number of Families By Family Income, Cannon Township, Kent County, Michigan 1970 23 Employed Persons, 16 Years Old And Over By Industry And Sex, Cannon Township, 1970 24 Years Of School Completed, 1970, Cannon Township, Kent County, Michigan 26 Percent Persons By Age Group And Sex, 1970, Cannon Township, Kent County, Michigan 26 Occupied And Vacant Year-Round Housing Units By Year Structure Built, 1970 27 Occupied And Vacant Year-Round Housing Units By Source Of Water, Cannon Township, Kent County, Michigan, 1970 27 Occupied And Vacant Year-Round Housing Units By Type Of Sewage Disposal, Cannon Township, Kent County, Michigan, 1970 28 Occupied Units By Number Of Automobiles Available, 1970, Cannon Township, Kent County, Michigan 28 10. Existing Land Use, Cannon Township, 1977 31 11. Summary Of Roads In Cannon Township, 1977 33 12. Area Schools And Their Capacities 37 13. Housings Units In Cannon Township, 1970, By Value 42 14. Payment From 1976 Tax Collections, Cannon Township, (Dec. l, 1976 - March l, 1977) . 42 15. Population Projections For Cannon Township Using Selected Forecasting Methods 49 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. '· 9. �LIST OF FIGURES PAGE 1. Regional Location 2 2. Erosion Potential 16 3. Aquatic Systems 18 4. Generalized Soils 19 5. Prime Woodlands 20 6. Population Growth 1960-1970 For Cannon Township And Neighboring Townships 22 7. Persons By Age And Sex, 1970, Cannon Township, Kent County, Michigan 25 8. Existing Land Use 32 9. Road System 35 10. Community Facilities 36 11. School Districts 38 12. Existing And Proposed Sanitary Sewer System 40 13. Residential Suitability 46 14. Agricultural Suitability 47 15. Comprehensive Development Plan 60 �INTRODUCTION �INTRODUCTION Cannon Township, located in northeastern Kent County, is situated northeast of the City of Grand Rapids in west central Michigan. The rolling topography of the Township is characterized by the excellent loamy soils so well suited to grazing and farming. This quiet rural Township is jeweled with nine named lakes and numerous small streams, including Bear Creek, ribbon the rolling hills. The first entree of land in the Township was made in 1835, by James F. Potter, . for Sections 30 and 31. The settling of the Township started shortly there- . after with the first settlers arriving in the Township area in 1840. These first inhabitants located on Zebulon and Mariette Roads. ·~ Activities in the Township are recorded beginning on April 6, 1846. The legislature organized the town under the name of Cirktown in the spring of 1846. At the time of this reorganization, the population of the Township had grown to 290. Actually, Cannon Township was originally a part of Plainfield Township which lies immediately to the west. Cannonsburg was platted on December 1, 1848, for LeGrande Cannon of Troy, New York. B. B. Bostwick was commissioned to purchase land in the Township for Mr. Cannon, thereby establishing the Village of Cannonsburg. The rolling terrain, soils, and the Grand River combined to guide the Township's destiny in the early years. The rolling hills and fertile l �, . -c -. I c) D 9 COURTLAND SPARTA co 0 ~~ OAKFIELD cc0 J> __I ·· "\ . ✓ 0 C) 0 S3 ~ C::::::S GRATTAN o!J O ALPINE o VERGENNES FIGURE LOCATION CANNON TOWNSHIP COMPREHENSIVE KENT COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN MICHIGAN MAP MILES ~ 0 ll'lltt"'•"'WMOI' I 2 ] t ..... [ltS .,.A--« .. �soils combined to create a situation highly conducive to agriculture. The Grand River presented a barrier between the Township and the developing industrial area of Grand Rapids further shaping the community as agriculturally dependent. In the southwestern portion of the Township, the Grand River also provided rich flood plain soils for the agricultural community. Because of the strong agricultural development, Cannon Township has continued to rely on agriculture as its primary activity until recently. Affluence and the automobile have provided the impetus behind the modern trend of a rural residence and urban employment community referred to as 11 bedroom communities 11 • A 11 bedroom community 11 is one in which the residents are employed and do their major purchasing in a different geographic location. The 11 bedroom community 11 is typified by a move to a quiet rural area to live while still working and shopping in the City. Cannon Township is a prime target for this activity due to its close proximity to the cities of Grand Rapids and Rockford. Although still predominantly agricultural in land use, Cannon Township has grown 46.l percent from a population of 2,525 in 1960 to 3,690 in 1970. · Estimates for the 1977 population (~ased on the 1977 land use survey and building permits since 1970) show the population in excess of 4600. In addition to the general exodus to the rural areas of the county, affluence has allowed families to purchase second homes. Thus, we see the rapid development of Silver Lake and Bostwick Lake. tinued affluence combined with the improved transportation routes and 3 Con- �increasing attraction of rural lakeside living has caused many of the second home residents to remodel or rebuild and become permanent residents. Thus, we see the presently increasing development of Lake Bella Vista. Planning Process Every individual or group plans their future to some extent, some more extensively than others. Individuals plan their budgets, insurance programs, education goals, retirement, and daily activities. their vacations, or whether to add a room to the house. Families plan Businesses plan their inventories, sales promotions, and investments. Communities must plan their future also. Planning is necessary to deter- mine the wisest use of the community resources, both physical and human, in order to reach established goals and objectives. Comprehensive plan- ning is a process which considers a broad range of community characteristics in establishing a strategy for future development. One of the primary objectives of this plan is the attainment and maintenance of a quiet, rural, efficient, and safe living environment for the residents of Cannon Township. To be efficient and effective, the Township needs a guide for growth and development. The plan will provide the framework for many daily decisions on zoning, public services, residential development, and human needs. 4 �This comprehensive land use, or development plan is designed to promote the public health and safety of Cannon Township residents as well as promote the quiet rural character of the Township. The further purposes of the plan are:. • To encourge the use of lands in accordance with their natural characteristics and capabilities and to limit the improper usage of land to prevent the destruction or loss of the valuable character of the Township; • To provide adequate open space; • To provide adequate recreational opportunities for the Township residents; o To avoid increased traffic congestion or major alteration of traffic patterns; • To avoid hazards to health and property; • To facilitate future provisions for a system of transportation, sewage disposal, safe and adequate water supply, education, recreation, fire protection, and other public requirements; • To conserve the expenditure of funds for public improvements and services to conform with the most advantageous · uses of land, reso~rces and properties; • To conserve property values and natural resources; and, • To insure a desirable trend and character of the land, resources, and population development of the Township. Planning is a continuing dynamic process. The Cannon Township Comprehensive Development Plan is the result of a planning process involving five basic steps: (1) an opinion survey to develop the problems, trends, and potential 5 �of the Township and its residents; (2) a series of background studies to develop a firm foundation of background informational data to determine the existing situati.on; (.3} analysis of the opinion survey and background studies to formulate short and long term goals, and policies of the community; (4) a plan, which is a written and graphic presentation of the scope and direction of future development designed to achieve the goals and sustain the policies stated; and (5} implementation of the plan proposals and periodic updating and re-evaluation. The chart which follows, illustrates the process. PROFILE OF PLANNING PROCESS - __Qpi ni on Survey Background Studies Public Opinion Problems & Needs Goals The Plan Implementation Existing Environment Objectives Graphic Methods History of Community Policies Written Financing Potential Capabilities of the land Principles The ongoing nature of the planning process should be emphasized, as should the active participation of community residents. After completion of the initial plan, public hearings, acceptance and adoption; there is a need for constant review and, when necessary, modification of the plan to reflect changing community desires and needs. 6 �OPINION SURVEY �OPINION SURVEY A Community Opinion Survey was conducted during the months of November and December of 1976. A total of 662 questionnaires were returned. number, 639 were answered, most of them completely. Of that With approximately 1230 households in Cannon Township, there was a return from this survey of about 52 percent. The following is a summary of the survey results: Characteristics Of The Population o The survey showed a very young population in the Township. Approximately 56 percent of the population is 30 years old and under. Another 26 percent of the population is in the age group of 31-50. • Income levels in Cannon Township indicate a typical middle income community with 77 percent of the residents earning an income in excess of $10,000. Twenty-nine percent of the population has an income above $20,000, while 48 percent of the population has an income between $10,000 and $20,000. o The survey showed that 86 percent of those responding were married couples while other minor categories included divorced, single, or widowed. • In addition to the population being quite young, the survey found that 43 percent of the residents have been living in Cannon Township for less than five years, and 59 percent less than ten years. Forty-one percent of the residents have been living in the Township over ten years. In addition, it was found that only 13 percent of the residents were born and raised in Cannon Township. The survey found further that 67 percent of the residents had previously lived in western Michigan with 49 percent actually coming from the Grand Rapids area. This would indicate less mobility and more stability of the residents. • The survey found that 95 percent .of the residents are homeowners with 81 percent living in single family homes and 17 percent in farm residences. Reasons For Moving To Cannon Township The residents of the Township feel very strongly about maintaining the rural atmosphere. In fact, 45 percent of the people responding to the questionnaire indicated the rural atmosphere as the primary reason for locating in the 7 �Township. However, other significant reasons were the need for more land, and the pleasantness of the neighborhoods. The residents placed the appear- ance of the ne i ghborhood, rural surroundings, and nearness to schools as the three major factors in selecting a home in the area. Other significant factors, but less important, were the availability of recreational facilities, the closeness to work and shopping, closeness to friends and family, and close proximity to their place of worship. Seventy-six percent of the residents answering the questionnaire felt that it would be desirable to be within walking distance of nature areas. Shopping • Convenience Goods - It was found that about 48 percent of the residents use Rockford for the purchase of convenience goods, while 26 percent use the North Kent Mall area as well as the general Plainfield Avenue area. • Comparison Goods - There was a wider spread of areas shopped for comparison goods. Many of the residents said that they would shop most anywhere in the area for the best price. However, 30 percent of the residents indicated the North Kent Ma11, 20 percent Woodland Mall, 17 percent downtown Grand Rapids, and 16 percent, City of Rockford for the purchase of comparison goods. Transportation • Survey results show that 76 percent of the residents have two or more automobiles licensed at their place of residence. Approximately 22 percent have one car registered. • Eighty-seven percent of the residents had two or more licensed drivers per household. The survey shows further that the majority of residents do not travel more than 30 minutes by car to work (64 percent). In addition, it was found that 15 percent of the residents travel between 31 and 45 minutes and 12 percent travel less than ten minutes to work. Most residents (79 percent) drive by themselves to work with only 13 percent having one passenger. 8 �• A substantial number of miles are driven by households in Cannon Township. Approximately one third of the residents drive over 25,000 miles per year, while 49 percent drive between 12,000 and 25,000 miles per year. These figures are not surprising because of the rural atmosphere of Cannon Township and the distances required to shopping areas and places of work from the Township area. Opinions From The Residents • Residents expressed strong opposition to any public transportation in the area (78 percent), while 73 percent of the population would not consider using public transportation even if it was available. • The population expressed strong satisfaction with the appearance of Cannon Township, as well as the schools, police, and fire protection, recreational facilities, sewage system,' and refuse collection. In addition, over half of the residents responding to the questionnaire were satisfied with water, street conditions, and street lighting. Almost 70 percent of the residents felt that the local township government was responsive to th~ir needs. . • While 94 percent of the residents felt agricultural land should be preserved, almost 40 percent felt the township should encourage new development. • For those who responded to the type of residential development desired, 63 percent favored single family development. In addition, 70 percent of the residents would not encourage industrial development, and 62 percent were against any new commercial development. • The residents of Cannon Township do not feel the need for sewer and water facilities. In fact, 44 percent of the residents placed the availability of utilities as a very low priority in selecting a home site. • Forty-two percent of the residents felt that recreation was lacking in the northeast portion of the Township. '-- Boating and fishing were the most popular recreational activities with nature areas, swimming and hunting as the next most important. Skiing was not a strong element in the Township even with Cannonsburg and Pando located in the area. · • The residents expressed very decisive opinions on mobile homes. Seventy-six percent of the residents feel that mobile homes should be located in mobile home parks, while 90 percent feel there should be restrictions on mobile homes as to location. 9 �Cone l us i ans: The following is a list of general conclusions which can be used as a basis for planning in Cannon Township: • The residents feel that the Township should remain a rural Township. Most people move to Cannon Township because of the rural environment. • Many of the residents expressed a strong desire to have the Township cleaned up of litter-junk cars, trash, garbage, etc. • Many commented on high taxes. But at the same time, they do not want any new development and they desire a high level of services. This presents a potential conflict in priorities. • The residents want the roads paved and/or improved. Some mentiooQe--s-t.-~ghting as a need. The extensive use of autos in the Township points oat ttfe need for these ·mp-re¥ements. • Most of the people who commented, felt that some industry and commercial development was desirable if done on a controlled basis. These people realized the necessity for broadening the tax base in order to keep taxes at moderate levels. • Many residents .commented on the need for r bi eye) e tra i l..s..-and some suggested setting aside land for snowmobile trails. • Boating and fishing were listed as the most desirable type of recreation activity with nature areas and hunting also considered important. In addition, other recreational activities such as picnicing, camping, swimming, and bicycling were all considered as important activities to residents. Therefore, in planning for the community's recreational needs, consideration should be given for these recreational uses. 10 �FINAL COMPOSITE TALLY COMMUNITY OPINION SURVEY For Residents of Cannon Township Kent County, Michigan PLEASE CHECK APPROPRIATE ANSWER AND FILL IN BLANKS WHERE REQUIRED: 1. On what street do you live? 2. How long have you lived there? Less than two years 114 3 - 5 years 145 6 - 10 years 102 More than 10 years 249 . 3. ' .. . , •'' ------------------- ' What. are the ages of those in your family? Ages 0-18 19-30 3]-40 41-50 5]-64 Males 1120 193 . 152 136 138 Females418 187 16 3 109 110 65 & 61 over 68 4. Before you lived in Cannon Township, where did you live? Out of S t a t e ~ Western Michigan__lli_ Born & raised in Cannon Townshipfil_ Elsewhere in Grand Rapids--3l.2 Michigan-81._ 5. How long did you liv~ there? Less than two years-5.5..__ 3 - 5 years .ll.9_ 6 - 10 years J5Q_ Over 10 years L12 Do you Own your home Rent your home 6. 7. 8. NOTE: Do you live in A farm residence 1lQ_ A single family home 5.J.L A duplex _]_ An apartment __ 1_ A mobile home_]_ Choose the most appropriate reason why you moved to your pre~ent location. Lower taxes _i_ Changed jobs -5lL_ Better schoolslill_ Wanted more land -92._· Closer to work.2..6__ Liked the rural atmosphere3..6J_ Like the neighborhood 1Q2._ .Other 1~0~2- 662 Forms were returned 639 Forms were answered completely or ·in part Therefore, with 1230 households in the township, there was a return of about 52 percent. 11 �COMMUNITY OPINION SURVEY - continued 9. Are you satisfied with the following in your area-Overall appearance School system Police protection Fire protection Water supply (if applicable) Sewage system Condition of streets Street ligl}ting Recreation facilities Refuse disposal Responsive Township Government Yes 552 Yes~ Yes"T;f6 Yes7.i68 No 62 No 73 No 6 0 No 57 No No No No Opinion ·17 Opinion -- 29 Opinion 35 Opinion 28 Yes 224 Yes~ Yes43]°" YesTsz Yes~ Y·es 447 No 61 No 54 No145 No 766 No 54 No _.2L No No No No No No Opinion 46 Opinion38 Opinion_1_4_ Opinion4) Opinion2] Opinion 30 Yes~ No No Opinion ~ 88 ·10. Do you feel that agriculture will continue to play an important role in Cannon Township in the next twenty years? Yes.!J]j___ N o ~ 11. Do you feel that agricultural lands should be preserved? Y e s ~ No_]]__ 12. Should the Township encourage new development? 13. If your answer to the above question was yes, should the Township encourage the following: Apartments .!±.L_ Condominiums 22._ Yes...12l_ No___lfilL · Mobile homes 45 Single family homes 258 14. Should all mobile homes be located in mobile home parks? Yes 480 No 148 15·. Should there be restrictions on mobile home parks as t"o location? Yes 569 No 61 16. Would you consider your place of residence to be - Urban 112 Rural 459 17. Indicate in the spaces below the level of importance which you place on the following items in selecting a home: Nearness to good schools Availability of recreational facilities Closeness to work Closeness to shopping area Closeness to friends and family Rural surroundings Closeness to church Availability of Utilities (water & sewer) Appearance of neighborhood 12 Medium 186 Low 269 164 l.7_Q_ ill_ ~ 287 343 ~ 283 137 282 148 246 138 .lL -1L ill_ �COMMUNITY OPINION SURVEY - continued 19. Would you desire to be within walking distanct to (answer only~): School_JJ_ Shopping _2.L Church 20 Natural areas 440 Work ...12_ Playground _1_6_ 20. Where do you shop for convenience goods (groceries, drugs, etc.)? Woodland Mall _1L_ Eastbrook Mall 22 Rockford 406 Grattan 7 North Kent Mall 217 Downtown Grand Rapids 40 Other 123--- 21. Where do you shop for comparison goods (furniture, autorr_tobiles, clothing, etc.)? Woodland Mall 180 Eastbrook Mall 71 Rockford 140 6 North Kent Mall 270 Downtown Grand Rapids 154 Grattan Other 80-- 22. If you were to divide the Township into four areas, where do you feel there is the greatest need for recreational facilities? . Northeast 124 Northwest 86 Southeast 46 Southwest 42 23. What types of recreation does your family prefer? listed 1 - 5) See attached sheet. 24. Check the number of minutes you presently spend traveling to work each day. Less than 10 minutes 72 11 to 20 minutes 173 2l·to 30 minutes ___!_2§_ 31.to 45 minutes~ 46 to 60 minutes 30 more than 1 hour 18 25. Check the appropriate box indicating how you travel to work. Drive by yourself fil_ Drive ·w ith one passenger 75 Go to work as a passenger 10 I am in .a car pool2T Public transportation (Bus~c.) :.:__ Other 12 - 26. Should there· be public transportation in Cannon Township? Yes_~UL No__ltl.J_ 27. If adequate public transportation were available, would you use it? Yes -16..L No_lli 28. How many licensed cars and trucks are owned or leased by members of your family living at home? One _ill_ Two .3.5._5_ Three or more J...!!.L_ None 11 13 (rate those �COMMUNITY OPINION SURVEY - continued 29. How many members of your family living at home are licensed drivers? One 79 Two 419 Three or more 16 7 None 8 30. What is the approximate total number of mi1es driven by members of your family each year? Less than 12,000 miles 114 12,000 to 25,000 miles 316 Over 25,000 miles 214-- 31. What is the type of occupation for the primary wage earned in the family? Farming 15 Trucking & Transportation 39 Construction & Building 60 Operator or Assembler for Industry 103 Professional · 142 Business & Clerical _____!lZ Teacher-Educational 44 Retired 100 32. What is your approximate annual family income? Less than $5,000 43 $5,000 to $10,000 68 $10,000 to $15,000 122 $15,ooo"to $20,000 106 $20,000 to $25,000 63 Over $25,000 -1!!_ 33. Marital Status: Single _1_9_ Married .~ Widowed~ 34. Would you encourage the development of industry in Cannon Township? Y e s ~ No _lli_ 35. Should we encourage the development of commercial enterprises in Cannon Township? Yes --11§_ No 3-85 36. Do you believe a public sanitary sewage system is needed in your area? Yes .!1L_ No ~ 37. Do you believe a storm sewer system is needed in your area? Yes -2.L No __5.!i5__ 38. Do you believe public water service is needed in your area? Yes _El_ No _5-5.1... 39. Are there some ~dditional comments you wish to make concerning the Township and/or your neighborhood? (If more space is needed, please use the back of the sheet.) 14 . Separated or Divorced 26 �BACKGROUND STUDIES �BACKGROUND STUDIES The Environment Topography - The general rolling topography of Cannon Township is typical of the moraihic glacial deposits Qf northern Kent County. There are extensive areas of steep slopes naturally associated with these deposits and these steep slopes are highly susceptible to erosion. There are slight and moderate slope areas in Sections 30 and 31 in the southwestern corner of the Township on the Grand River flood plain and in Sections 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, and 36 adjacent to the lakes. The topography is one of the major controlling factors involved with the land use characteristics of the lands of Cannon Township, mandating construction and farming techniques as well as drainage. Figure 2 shows erosion potential, which will be discussed in a later section, based on slope. Aquatic Systems - Cannon Township is blessed with an abundance of water courses and lakes. The existing land use survey shows 766 acres in lakes within the Township. In addition to the main lakes (Bostwick, Silver, and Bella Vista), and minor lakes of Sunfish, Pickerel, and Ratigan, the most significant aquatic system within Cannon Township is Bear Creek. Bear Creek (and its tribu- taries) is a beautiful spring fed stream which runs through 23 .sections of Cannon Township. Much discussion and concern has been expressed for this unique stream regarding its preservation. 15 �N A D D TOWNSHIP TOWNSHIP A FIGURE t:2J LESS THAN 3 PERCENT SLOPE EJ:[J 3 mm 8 c=J - SLIGHT 8 MODERATE 13 SEVERE MORE THAN 13 PERCENT 2 VERY EROSION POTENTIAL SEVERE SOURCE: WEST MICHIGAN REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION CANNON TOWNSHIP KENT COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN MICHIGAN PAEIN 8 NEWt+OF ENGINEERS · PUNNffll �As a result of the availability of this unique natural resource, care should be given in the planning for the future growth and development of the area. Other areas within the Township which affect growth are the low lying wetlands. Most of these areas are located at the headwaters of Bear Creek and adjacent to other less significant water courses in the Township. Figure 3 shows the aquatic systems of Cannon Township. Soils Characteristics - The predominate soils in Cannon Township consist of sand and sandy loam (a mixture of sand and clay, but a high sand content). Loam soils (primarily moistened clay with varying amounts of sand) are found mainly in the southwest (Sections 23, 30, 31, 32), southeast (Sections 35 and 36) and the north central portions (Sections 9, 10, 16, and 17). Figure 4 shows a generalized soils map for Cannon Township. Prime Woodland Areas Prime woodland areas in Cannon Township are widely scattered throughout the area. However, major concentrations are found in the south central area, western and eastern portion of the Township, but mainly in Sections 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 23. are noted in Figure 5: Two categories Prime woodland that must be protected and good woodland which should be protected. Population Population trends and the characteristics of population are two important ingredients in any planning program. It is vital that we look at an area 17 �'N D N S H I P 4\ I .. '\ -P' ,/ - , L_ I . ~!!! - 21 7 J ' ,~: . I •' ,; I I ~ I j _J i A D A T O W N S H I P F : GURE ,.......,. I LAKES ~ STREAMS - CREE:t<s · c:::;;;:] WETLANDS CANNON AQUATIC TOWNSHIP KENT COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN MICHIGAN SYSTEMS q,,, 1111 ,..,._.,.,.,__ ti PflE IH a NEWHOfl' - I CNOINHNI • 1'1.ANNIM �FIGURE SANDY 4 LOAM [=:l LOAM (:-:-:-::::] SAND Im ORGANIC CANNON GENERALIZED SOILS TOWNSHIP KENT COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN 'fY•,__; - = MICHIGAN PREIN ft NEWKOF Jill I ENGINEERS · PLANNUtl �L_> l I D A 0 W N S GOOD WOODLAND AREA, MUST BE PROTECTED WOODLAND AREA, SHOULD BE \ > H FIGURE PRIME \ 5 PRIME PROTECTED WOODLAND AREAS CANNON TOWNSHIP KENT COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN MICHIGAN PREIN 8N£WHOfl' ENIINEUII · ,u.101u11 �in terms of its changing character. Failure to assess the impact of changing conditions will mean inadequate solutions to existing and future problems both in terms of supplying services and the provision for proper land development. Trends - The population in Cannon Township has grown substantially since 1940. The residents in the Township have increased 239 percent from 1940 to 1970. In addition, the period of 1970 to 1977, is once again a signi- ficant growth period for the area. Based on building permit information from 1970 through July of 1977, 310 building permits have been issued for new housing construction. This would suggest a continuation of the population growth trends in the area. In comparing the growth of other related geographical areas, Cannon Township continued to grow at a rate far in excess of the City of Rockford, City of Grand Rapids, Kent County, and the State of Michigan. the growth of these areas: Table 1 compares (See next page) From 1960 to 1970, Cannon Township was one of the fastest growing areas in Kent County. Ada, Alpine, Cascade, Oakfield, and Vergennes Townships were the only areas exceeding Cannon Township's rate of growth. the areas adjacent to Cannon Township, Figure 6 In comparing shows also the rapid growth experienceq by each of the Township areas between 1960-1970. 21 �TABLE 1 POPULATION GROWTH TRENDS FOR SELECTED GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS 1940 State of Michigan 1950 %Ch. 5,256,106 %Ch. 1960 %Ch. 246,338 288,292 17.0 363,187 City of Grand Rapids 164,292 176,515 177,313 7.4 City of Rockford 1,088 411,044 13 . .2 0.5 197,649 l l.5 . 1,600 2,428 17. 1 2,525 47 58 3,690 46 us Census of Populatio~ FIGURE 6 POPULATION GROWTH 1960-1970 FOR CANNON TOWNSHIP AND NEIGHBORING TOWNSHIPS ALGOMA +24.3% OAKFIELD COURTLAND +46.8% +41 .2% .. PLAINFIELD +45.0% GRAND RAPIDS -59.2% - ------·--. -- --- +40.6% +46.1% - - - -- ·- --·--··· VERGENNES ADA +55. 1% US Census of Population, 1970 22 --- -- GRATTAN CANNON -· Source: 26 2,074 Cannon Twp. %Ch. 6,371,766 21. 2 7,823,194 22.8 8,875,083 13.4 Kent County Source: 1970 +48.1% -· . �Population Characteristics In addition to the previous information from the opinion survey, the following tables are shown and provide important characteristics of the population in Cannon Township: Additional socio economic data is presented in the following Tables and Figures: TABLE 2 NUMBER OF FAMILIES BY FAMILY INCOME CANNON TOWNSHIP, KENT COUNTY, MICHIGAN, 1970 Earnings Number of Families Under $1,000 17 $1,000-$1,999 7 $2,000-$2,999 21 $3,000-$3,999 25 $4,000-$4,999 13 $5,000-$5,999 37 $6,000-$6,999 15 $7_,000-$7, 999 62 $8,000-$8,999 72 $9,000-$9,999 85 $10,000-$11,999 143 $12,000-$14,999 157 $15,000-$24,999 190 $25,000-$49,999 35 $50,000 and over Source 9 U.S. Census, 1970 23 �TABLE 3 EMPLOYED PERSONS 16 YEARS OLD &OVER BY INDUSTRY &SEX, CANNON TOWNSHIP, 1970 TOTAL Agriculture, Forestry, & Fisheries Mining Construction Furniture & Lumber &Wood Products Primary Metal Industries Fabricated Metal Industries Machinery, Except Electrical Electrical Machinery, Equip. & Supplies Motor Vehicles &Other Transportation Equip. Other Durable Goods Food & Kindred Products Textil e Mill & Other Fabricated Textile Prod. Printing, Publishing, &Allied Industries Chemical &Allied Products Other Nondurable Goods Railroads & Railway Express Service Trucking Service & Warehousing Other Transportation Communications Utilities &Sanitary Services Wholesale Trade Food, Bakery, & Dairy Stores Eating & Drinking Places General Merchandise Retailing Motor Vehicles Retailing &Service Stations Other Retail Trade Banking & Credit Agencies Insurance, Real Estate, & Other Finance Business Services Repair Services Private Households Other Personal Services Entertainment & Recreation Services Hospitals Medical & Other Health Service Except Hosp. Elementary &Secondary Schools & Colleges Government Private Other Education & Kindred Services Welfare, Religious, & Nonprofit Membership Organizations Legal, Engineering, &Misc. Professional Serv. Public Administration 0 TOTALS MALE FEMALE 41 31 10 5 5 71 31 71 14 50 46 37 63 25 17 27 14 4 31 19 41 27 5 10 51 25 12 24 17 14 10 28 17 11 17 80 29 8 9 50 30 29 28 28 19 13 8 18 66 61 34 25 17 47 5 64 6 8 18 57 27 19 9 34 15 18 17 22 7 13 26 13 18 15 9 25 5 38 3 9 9 9 18 9 50 10 40 18 96 43 53 20 11 9 3 3 14 9 6 4 54 50 10 4 1,310 885 425 27 18 3 ----------------------------- Source: US Census Of Population, 1970 24 �FIGURE 7 PERSONS BY AGE AND SEX, 1970, CANNON TOWNSHIP, KENT COUNTY, MICHIGAN MALE I I I I I I I I I I. I I I I I I 400 Source: I I FEMALE I UndE r 5 I I I II l .I I I I I ·I I I I I I 200 I I I I I ·1 5 - 13 I 14 18 19 29 I . l I I I I I I I I I 30 49 50 59 I I 6+ I I I 60 I I I 200 400 fiS I I I nvPr ~ 0 U.S. Census, 1970 25 I I I I �TABLE 4 YEARS OF SCHOOL COMPLETED, 1970, CANNON TOWNSHIP, KENT COUNTY, MICHIGAN Males Age 20-49 Less than High School Females Age 15-44 Total 80 79 159 High School 1-3 years 4 years 120 223 238 361 358 584 College (1 year or more) 196 95 291 TOTALS Source: 1,392 U.S. Census of Population, 1970 TABLE 5 PERCENT PERSONS BY AGE GROUP AND SEX, 1970 CANNON TOWNSHIP, KENT _COUNTY, MICHIGAN Age Groups Under 5 Male Female 8 8 5 - 13 24 23 14 - 18 13 14 19 - 29 10 11 30 - 49 26 25 50 - 59 10 11 60 - 64 4 2 65 and over 5 6 Source: U.S. Census, 1970 26 �TABLE 6 OCCUPIED AND VACANT YEAR-ROUND HOUSING UNITS BY YEAR STRUCTURE BUILT, 1970 Renter Owner Total Occupied & Total Occupied Occupied Occupied Vacant Year-Round 1969 - 1970 11 11 11 0 1965 - 1968 113 108 96 12 1960 - 1964 236 225 207 18 1950 - 1959 152 152 152 0 1940 - 1949 139 135 118 17 1939 or earlier 376 355 315 40 Source: US Census of Housing, 1970 TABLE 7 1. OCCUPIED AND VACANT YEAR-ROUND HOUSING UNITS BY SOURCE OF WATER, CANNON TO\•INSH IP, KENT COUNTY, MI CHI GAN, 1970 Total Occupied & Total Owner Renter Vacant Year-Round Occupied Occupied Occupied Public System Or Private Campany 136 129 120 9 Individual Well 878 851 773 78 6 6 6 0 l, 020 986 899 87 Other Sources (Spring, Creek, etc.) TOTALS Source: US Census of Housing, 1970 27 �TABLE 8 OCCUPIED AND VACANT YEAR-ROUND HOUSING UNITS BY TYPE OF SEWAGE DISPOSAL, CANNON TOWNSHIP, KENT COUNTY, MICHIGAN Owner Renter Total Occupied & Total Occupied Occupied Occupied Vacant Year-Round Public Sewer 131 124 115 9 Septic Tank Or Cesspool 875 848 770 78 14 14 14 0 OthP.r Means Source: us Census of Housing, 1970 TABLE 9 . OCCUPIED UNITS BY NUMBER OF AUTOMOBILES AVAILABLE, 1970, CANNON TOWNSHIP, KENT COUNTY, MICHIGAN Owner Occupied Total Occupied Renter Occupied 20 20 0 l Automobile 343 299 44 2 Automobiles 535 492 43 88 88 0 None 3 Automobiles or more Source: US Census of Housing, 1970 Tables 2 through 9 provide the following information about Cannon Township's population for planning purposes: Education--1970 11 percent of the males (20-40) and females (15-44) have less than a high school education. 26 percent have one to three years of high school. 42 percent have four years of high school. 21 pertent have one year or more of college. 28 �Incomes--1970 40 percent of wage earners earned less than $10,000/year. 55 percent earned between $10,000 and $24,999. 5 percent earned $25,000 and over. Employment--1970 20 percent of the work force in Cannon Township are professionals, managers, and admini~trators. 52 percent of work force are engaged primarily in clerical, operatives, and craftsmen. 1 percent are farmers and farm managers. 2 percent are farm laborers and foremen. Age Of Population 55 percent of the male population is under 30 years of age. 56 percent of the female population is under 30 years of age. 5 percent of the male population is over 65 years of age. 6 percent of the female population is over 65 years of age. Housing--1970 13 percent of occupied and vacant units had water service from a public a~d/or private source. 13 percent of all occupied and vacant units had public sewer service. 35 percent of all housing units have been constructed since 1960. 37 percent of all housing units were constructed since 1939 or earlier. 96 percent of all housing units were occupied. 91 percent of all occupied housing units were owned uni ts. 63 percent of all occupied housing units maintained one or more autos. 29 �Existing Land Use A land use survey was conducted in the summer of 1977. In addition to deter- mining a more accurate count of residents in Cannon Township, the survey has determined the general distribution of existing land use that is vital in planning for future growth. Existing land use categories are broken down as follows: • • • • • Residential - Single family residential, two family Multiple family residential Mobile home parks Commercial - Business (retail and wholesale), selected services Services - Includes muhicipal facilities (other. than parks), public utility lands, churches, and schools • • • Recreation - Public and private recreation facilities Roads - All paved and unpaved dedicated roads I Agriculture - Farming, orchards, nurserys, and pasture 0 Open Space - All land which is undeveloped, open and/or wooded • Water Areas - All lakes and pohds The land use survey has shown the following: • Total land area in Cannon Township is approximately 23,482 acres or 36.7 square miles. • Only 22 percent of the township land is developed. • Of the developed land, 57 percent is devoted to residential use, 26 percent for recreation, 14 percent for roads and minor amounts for commercial, public, and semi-public uses. • Of the total land area, 13 percent is residential, 6 percent recreation, 3 percent is roads, 31 percent is farming, 2 percent is productive orchards, 3 percent is water areas and 42 percent is unproductive land or open space. 30 �The survey points out quite clearly, the rur~l character of the . Township as well as the vast areas of undeveloped land -- 78 percent of all Township land or 18,233 areas (28.5 square miles). Figure 8 shows existing land use in Cannon Township. Table 10 summarizes existing land use characteristics: TABLE 10 EXISTING LAND USE, CANNON TOWNSHIP, 1977 Land Use Category Acres % Developed Land % Total Land Area. Residential 3,011 57 13 Commercial 47 1 Less than 1% Services {publicsemi-public) 97 2 Less than 1% l, 352 26 6 742 14 3 5,249 100~; 22% Recreation Roads TOTAL Developed Agriculture Farming Orchards Nurserys Land 31 · 2 Less than 1% 7,269 539 75 766 3 9,584 42 TOTAL Undeveloped Land 18,233 78% TOTAL LAND AREA 23,482 100% Water Areas Open Space SOURCE: Prein & Newhof, Land Use Survey, Summer, 1977 Transportation Cannon To\'mship's road system consists of the Kent County Primary Road System made up of Ten Mile Road, Belding Road (M-44), Cannonsburg Road in an east- 31 �/· ."' .,' . l . 0 • >-..: -.., _, .'-~r,:r~r:~~ 1----il..._.J I---'...... .. ·.•·~j ·t, .. ~··~:!:-t:·".\ - - -- J A O r A O WNSH / P FIGURE RESIDENTIAL MOBILE HOME 8 AGRICULTURE PARK OPEN PUBLIC COMMERCIAL EXISTING SPACE ANO SEMI LANO PUBLIC USE RECREATION CANNON TOWNSHIP KENT COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN MICHIGAN ,._.._.,- . . . 111 1 0 PREIN 8 NEWHOf' I l':00 ENGINEERS · PI..ANNEfll �west direction, and Pettis Avenue, Meyers Lake Avenue, Honey Creek Avenue, and Ramsdell Drive in a north-south direction. The remaining road system in Cannon Township, while maintained by the Kent County Road Commission, is primarily the financial responsibility of the Township. The physical differences which generate the road classification within the Township are primarily of pavement and/or grade types. fication is self-explanatory. The unpaved classi- The county primary roads, including State highway M-44, are primarily all weather roads consisting of an asphalt base with an all weather asphalt surface while the secondary roads can consist of a gravel base with an asphalt surface. The prime physical difference is in traffic volumes with the primary system carrying the main traffic load. stems from financial responsibility. The primary difference in classification Kent County is responsible for the maintenance and improvement of the primary roads while Cannon Township is financially responsible for the secondary and unpaved road system. Kent County does the maintenance and improvements on the secondary and unpaved roads and is reimbursed by the Township. Estimates show Cannon Township with 93.6 miles of road. This is broken down as follows: TABLE 11 SUMMARY OF ROADS IN CANNON TOWNSHIP, 1977 County Primary Roads (Paved) 30.9 Miles County Secondary Roads Paved · Unpaved 37.1 Miles 25.6 Miles TOTAL ROADS 96.6 Miles Source: Prein &Newhof 33 �Figure 9 entitled 11 Road System indicates primary and secondary roads as 11 well as unpaved roads throughout the Township. Because of the connection of the primary roads and their collectors with Northland Drive (old US-131), the major shopping area on Plainfield Avenue is less than 30 minutes from the residential areas of the Township. primary and collector systems The also enhance the close proximity of the metro Grand Rapids and Rockford industrial and commercial areas. Community Facilities Community facilities in Cannon Township consist of recreational facilities and service-type public facilities. The recreational facilities consist of public recreation, private recreation, and commercial recreation facilities. Service functions include churches, schools, and utilities. In Cannon Township, recreational facilities include the massive area of the Cannonsburg State Game Area, and Townsend Park. Private recreational ·facilities include the Sportsman Club and the Silver Lake Country Club. Commercial recreation facilities include the Cannonsburg and Pando Ski Areas, and religious, utility, and public facilities. (See Figure 12, Community Facilities). In addition to the recreation facilities already mentioned, Cannon Township benefits from Egypt Valley Trail, which is a winter hiking, and cross country skiing trail. This trail ties in Townsend Park, Cannonsburg State Game Area, and Seidman Park in Ada Township, providing for an unusual winter sports activity. Cannon Township is serviced by three school districts; Rockford Community Schools, Lowell Community Schools, and Forest Hills School System . . (See 34 �_,. N 0 ~ r owN S HIP 7 I ...:xa~' ...........,.--------------. _ ~ ----• 347 A O A TO WN S H IP FIGURE COUNTY PRIMARY COUNTY MAINTAINED UNPAVED ROADS* AVERAGE DAILY 111. FINANCIAL CANNON 9 ROADS SECONDARY TRAFFIC RESPONSIBILITY IS ROADS* ROAD SYSTEM VOLUME PR I MARILY TOWNSHIP COMPREHENSIVE TOWNSHIP KENT COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ,., ,...... ,..,..., ~Yw ,u i I MICHIGAN PREIN 8 NEWHOF ENGINEERS • PLANNERS �--- -- - ' - 7 r' ) ( I \ A D TOWNSHIP A FIGURE EGYPT VALLEY ~ PUBLIC ~ PRIVATE ~ COMMERCIAL (==:J SERVICES TRAIL (WINTER 10 HIKING ANO CROSS COUNTRY SKIING) RECREATION COMMUNITY RECREATION CANNON FACILITIES RECREATION TOWNSHIP COMPREHENSIVE KENT COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 1 MICHIGAN a - """ ,._•••-- itll PREIN a NEWMOfl' ,oe,o I ENGINEERS· PLANN[JIS �Figure 11 School Districts). Rockford Community Schools encompass the vast majority of the Township along with the major residential areas. Lowell and Forest Hills schools serves a small portion of the southern portion of the Township. The entire Rockford School System is at, near, or over capacity including the schools which serve Cannon Township. The Forest Hills and Lowell systems are under capacity and can accommodate approximately 100 new students each. (See Table 12 Area Schools And Their Capacities). TABLE 12 AREA SCHOOLS AND THEIR CAPACITIES, CANNON TOWNSHIP 1976-77 Present Enrollment Capacity Enrollment Lakes (K-5) Crestwood (K-5) Moffit Hills (K-2) Cannonsburg (3-5) 394 209 30 48 400 225 50 75 Rockford Secondary Rockford HS (9-12) 1479 1200 Lmvell Elementary Bushnell (K-6) 564 650 Lowell Secondary Lowell Middle &HS (7-12) Forest Hills Elem. Ada (K-5) Forest Hills Sec. Northern Hills (6-8) Northern HS (9-12) School System School Rockford Elementary Source: Under Capacity 540 640 Under Capacity Under Capacity Area School Systems Cannon Township is served by a volunteer fire department with the equipment house located next to the Township Hall on Cannonsburg Road. Police protection is provided by the Kent County Sheriff's Department located in northeastern Grand Rapids and the Michigan State Police Department located in Rockford. Because of the primary county roads, the Cannon Township roads are patrolled regularly by both enforcement agencies. 37 �f 5 H I P .~· I ,r• I ~ A 1 O A ro W NSHIP FIGURE (23 FOREST HILLS COMMUNI TY LOWELL COMMUN IT Y II SCHOOLS SCHOOL SCHOOL S DISTRICTS ROCKFORD COMMUNITY CANNON SCH OOLS TOWNSHIP KENT COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE OEVELOPMENT PLAN MICHIGAN 0 IOO 000 ~y~ PREIN Ill N[WHOf" hi$ - I - - ·l'UIIWM ' �Utilities Presently, Cannon Township is being served by sanitary sewer facilities on Belding Road (M-44) which connects with the North Kent Sewage System in Plainfield Township. This service extends to Lake Bella Vista, Silver Lake, and Bostwick Lake. In 1976, a Facility Plan (provided by Section 201 of the Federal Water Pollution Act) was prepared which analyzed the sanitary sewer and related facility needs for Cannon Township during the next twenty years. In that plan, the engineers recommended a trunk sewer line generally following Bear Creek from west to east. If and when development demands sanitary sewer facilities along Cannonsburg Road, this appears to be the most likely method for servicing the area. At public hearings, residents expressed a desire to discourage growth in the aren. Thus, a 11 no action 11 alternate was recommended in the plan. Figure 12 shows existing sewers and proposed sewer improvements when and if development is warranted. The geologic forces that created the many lakes and the rolling terrain of Cannon Township also created many varying groundwater supplies. The avail- ability of fresh natural water is one of the attractive features of the Township. The residents expressed this view in the preliminary opinion survey questionnaire. The residents feel that the natural water supply enhances the rural natural setting of the Township. 39 �./- - - -...... .,,,J . ', j C TOWNSHIP 0 \ ' ~j ...,, I~ , Q A PROPOSED SANITARY ••••••• • ·FORCE CANNON rQWNSHIP A EXISTING SANITARY SEWER ................ MAIN PUMPING O • STATION TOWNSHIP COMPREHENSIVE FORCE FIGURE SEWER EXISTING a PROPOSED SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM MAIN PUMPING •'. STATION KENT COUNTY DEVELOPMENT 12 PLAN MICHIGAN ,v••-- II PREIN Ii NEWHO, - """ 1111 lallll I ENGINEERS · PLANNvtl ' ; �The Township is served by private wells and there are no plans for a community water system in the future. The people of the Township take pride in their pure natural tasting water. Many of the private wells in the Township are relatively shallow (less than 40 feet deep). Any high density development in the future could lead to contamination of these shallow wells. High density development not only represents a hazard to the rural character of the Township, but to the health of the residents and the quality of their water supply. Financial Resources Due to the very small percentage of commercial and industrial land use and the large percentage of agricultural and vacant land, the Township relies almost entirely on residential land use for its tax base. This discontinuity in tax base distribution puts a burden on both the Township and the individual homeowner. distribution for the Township. Table 13 shows the 1970 housing value Many homes in the upper categories have been built since then and the existing home values have been increasing due to the high inflation factor in the housing market. The Township relies heavily on the County and area school systems for services. Therefore, a major portion of the revenue collected goes to Kent County, Rockford Public Schools, Lowell. area Schools, Forest Hills Public Schools, and Intermediate/Special Education. Of the small per- centage, the Township receives, the majority goes to highway use and fire protection; essential services provided by the Township. Table 14 is the expenditures from 1976 tax collections for a three month period. 41 �TABLE 13 HOUSING UNITS IN CANNON TOWNSHIP, BY VALUE, 1970 Less than $5,000 26 5,000 - 7,499 28 7,500 - 9,999 30 10,000 - 12,499 61 12,500 - 19,999 64 15,000 - 17,499 60 17,499 - 19,999 54 20,000 - 24,999 154 25,000 - 34,999 143 35,000 - 49,999 15 50,000 - or more 0 Source: US Census of Housing, 1970 TABLE 14 PAYMENT FROM 1976 TAX COLLECTIONS (Dec. 1, 1976 - Mar. 1, 1977) Schools Rockford Public Schools . Lowell Area Schools Forest Hills Public Schools Intermediate/Special Education $621,751.78 21,033.69 3,293.75 52,432.11 Kent County $ 99,672.26 856.00 5,507.40 County County (Dog Licenses) Drain Commission (Silver lake Drain) $ 43,821.35 Cannon Township Collection Fee Street Lights Debt Retirement Fund (Delinquent Installments) Maintenance & Operation (Delinquent Charges) Refunds $864,119.69 TOTAL PAYMENTS Source: 8,527.17 2,127.38 4,427.81 . 293.92 375.07 Township Treasurers Office 42 �ANALYSIS �ANALYSIS Cannon Township Planning Goals • Protection of prime agricultural lands to the greatest extent possible. • Protect and enhance the rural atmosphere of the Township. • Minimize commercial and industrial development except where concentrations exist. • Encourage residential development but of low density character. • Protect and enhance the natural and recreational areas of the Township through restricting development in these areas. The Environment Land use planning is more than merely locating various new developments in compatibility with each other. If the plan is to be truly rational, it should _first recognize the physical capability of the land to accept development. The constraints placed upon development by the environment are real and can become a key for decision making and land use location judgments. It is presumed that certain lands have higher environmental and economic costs if developed. To the extent that these can be mapped, the remaining lands available for development will become known. 1. Areas to avoid include: Lands with severe or very severe erosion potential, which may suffer erosion problems if developed. 2. Wetlands and marshes, which aid in the recharge and purification of groundwater, and which are often wildlife habitat areas. 43 �3. Woodlands, which if developed, should be carefully managed to protect their aesthetic, as well as drainage characteristics. 4. Lands with poorly drained soils, which are not conducive to development without public sewers; which may be costly to construct, yet without sewers could pollute surface or subsurface waters. 5. La.nds with high agricultural suitability, which should be protected from development and preserved for agricultural use. Erosion Potential - Due to the extensive areas of steep slope, the erosion potential for much of the Township is very high. (See Figure 2) ~Jhile much of the area shown as moderate requires special construction technique for development, those areas with severe or very severe erosion potential should not be developed. Generally, the economics of developing such steeply sloped -areas precludes their development. Wetlands - The many wetlands and marshes (See Figure 3) in the Township are essential to the inhabitants as there is no water supply system. The wetlands and marshes are essential to the recharge and purification of the various community water sources. Woodlands - The wooded area of the Township is fairly extensive. 5). These areas should be protected from development. (See Figure They usually fall within the severe or very severe erosion potential categories and therefore are doubly important. · 44 �Septic Suitability - The drainage of the soil, when combined with slope, produces the septic system suitability of the soil. Because of the con- tamination of surface and subsurface waters that could occur, the drainage property is the predominant controlling factor. Figure 13 shows the septic system suitability of the lands in Cannon Township. Agricultural Suitability - The agricultural land should be preserved to protect the resource as well as to continue the quiet rural setting of the Township. Figure 14 shows the agricultural suitability of the lands in the Township. Most of the areas considered suitable to agriculture are presently being used as such. Residential Suitability - The residential suitability (See Figure 13) of the land is based on the erosion potential, the septic system suitability, · and agricultural suitability of the land. In essence, the residential suitability pinpoints those areas where development would be environmentally sound. The residential suitability is combined with the socio-economic and land use factors to create the development plan. Population By using the past population trends, we can project the future population of the Township. There are a variety of methods for projecting population as follows: • Population as a percent of Kent County - Using reliable projections for Kent County, the population can be projected as a constant percent of the County population. 45 �0 W N S <--------.-J - - ~"":' ~-; I' ,, ' al ' . ,t I - 32 I -, I It' N S H FIGURE ~ INTENSIVE CJ HOUSING PERMITTED WITH SEWER ONLY, SEPTIC (:!::::::::j HOUSING PERMITTED WITH SEPTIC, E::::::::::{:'j HOUSING PERMITTED, SLIGHT PROBLEMS IZ::) WETLANDS, DEVELOPMENT 13 RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT NOT RECOMMENDED CANNON MODERATE NOT RECOMMENDED PROBLEMS RESIDENTIAL SUITABILITY NOT AECOM MENDED TOWNSHIP KENT COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN MICHIGAN ~ - """" fY••--- iifl PRtlN a NtWHOfl' """'I tNCNNE[ftS · ,LANN[ft:I �C 0 • 0 I ' .) 0 • If N S H FIGURE PRIME AGRICULTURAL LANO I 14 AGRICULTURAL SUITABILITY CANNON TOWNSHIP KENT COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN MICHIGAN ENQINEUII • ~AMNUtl �• Population projections - Using the 1940-1970 period as typical growth rate. • Geometric projections - Using the 1950-1970 average population change per year, projections are made into the future. • Building Permits or Land Use Survey Data - This data can update earlier census counts, thereby establishing more realistic trends and current years. Straightline projection or a projection based on percent increase per decade is used to project base population data. • Averaging high and low figures - Once various methods have been used, an average between the high and low figures can be established. • Utilization of projections - Prepared by other agencies such as the West Michigan Regional Planning Commission, and the Michigan Department of Commerce. Tablel5 shows the results of these projections: Perhaps the most realistic projection for the short term (5 to 10 years) would be the use of building permits. In addition, we have established growth trends 48 �TABLE 15 POPULATION PROJECTIONS FOR CANNON TOWNSHIP USING SELECTED FORECASTING METHODS 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 Percent of Kent County 3,990 4,145 4,303 4,457 4,607 1940-70 Growth Rate 4,887 5,742 6,597 7,452 8,307 . 1950-70 Geometric Projection 5,367 6,566 7,766' 9,589 12,344 Bldg. Permits (1970-77) 1950-70 trends 4,655 5,289 5,989 6,692 7,397 Average of High & Low Figures 4,679 5,355 6,035 7,023 8,476 Forecasting Methods SOURCE: Prein & Newhof of 47 percent from 1940 to 1950; 58 percent from 1950 to 1960; and 46 percent from 1960 to 1970. Assuming 3.73 persons per unit (the average occupancy per unit in Cannon Townshi-p in 1970), and using the vacancy rate of 15 percent (also 1970 figure), the population has grown by 965 persons from 1970 to the middle of 1977 for a total of 4,655. If this trend continues to 1980, the population will be slightly over 5,000 or an increase of approximately 36 percent. This is a decreasing rate of increase since 1950 and should be taken into consideration when projecting the population figures. · Important economic factors will influence the way in which people choose housing locations in the future. Certainly, the energy problems and the in- creasing cost of virtually everything as a result of inflation will influence housing locations of the future. The question of how long the era of affluence will last before taxes and the cost of living can catch up, is a difficult question to answer. 49 �The idea of self sufficiency on a large piece of land could also be an important factor to protect in Cannon Township. If we look at the trends in strict terms, the population will increase by 28 percent from 1980 to 1990 leaving a population of 6,413 by 1990. Land Use The primary future need of land in Cannon Township is for residential development. At the present ratio of 3.73 persons per housing unit, the 1,334 additional population of the Township by 1987 will need 357 additional housing units. A density of one unit per two acres should be used in planning low density residential development to protect the groundwater from pollution and allow for on site placement based on suitability. At two acres per unit, the 357 units would require 714 acres for new residential development. Al- though a two acre area may be generally unsuited due to slope, drainage, or woodland suitability, a suitable housing site may be found within the larger land area. Commercial - With the relatively close proximity of major comparison goods commercial centers in metropolitan Grand Rapids and Rockford, there is no potential for compari?on commercial development in Cannon Township at present or in the future. There is a need and future potential for convenience com- mercial development, however. The major residential development area is the lakes area. lacking in convenience goods commercial service. This area is New development will increase the need for these types of commercial facilities. The Lake Bella Vista development has designated a small commercial area. 50 Additional �commercial development will be of the convenience type; fast food resturants, grocery stores, .service stations, and commercial recreation facilities. These should be promoted in the area between Lake Bella Vista and Myers Lake Avenue north of M-44. The residential demand necessitates development of convenience commercial services in close proximity to the major residential concentrations. The proposed commercial development area, as well as being adjacent to the density populated lakes area, is centrally located in the Township with easy access via primary connector roads. As well as convenience development potential, there exists a pressing need for youth oriented commercial development. Other than the existing ski facilities, the nearest youth recreational areas are located on Plainfield Avenue in Grand Rapids and in Rockford. This lack of centrally located youth facilities creates a safety hazard as the young people of the community utilize the roadways to walk from one area to another within the Township. A disproportionate pedestrian accident rate has resulted. The promotion of youth oriented development in the designated area will alleviate some of the safety hazards. Industrial - Although some small light industry presently exists in Cannon Township, there is essentially no attraction for industrial interests to develop. If any future need for industrial development arises, the area immediately adjacent to the existing industrial establishments is most suitable. Residential - Utilizing the suitability maps, a number of areas are shown to be suitable for potential development: 51 �Cannonsburg Road Area - The area along Seven Mile Road and along Blakely between Seven Mile and Cannonsburg Road combines with the area along Cannonsburg Road from the western boundary of the Township east to Myers Lake Avenue to form one area suitable for potential development. There is a minimum of prime agricultural land in the area although substantial prime woodland area lies to the north of Cannonsburg Road. There are extensive areas of very severe erosion potential, however, these areas coincide with the prime woodland areas. however. Individual housing sites may exist in these areas, There is a small segment of soil unsuitable for septic systems in the south western corner of the area. Myers Lake Avenue Area - The area along Myers Lake Avenue from M-44 north to 10 Mile Road will increase in development potential when the Courtland Township sewer connector is completed. Many of the soils along Myers Lake Avenue are unsuited to septic systems and, therefore, were not developable. With the availability of sewer service, this area will become highly attractive to residential development. The easy access and close proximity to major transportation corridors (Myers Lake Road, 10 Mile Road, and M-44) will •induce a very high residential development potential. Honey Creek - Sunfish Lake Area - The area along Sunfish Lake Avenue between Sunfish Lake and Cannonsburg Road and along Honey Creek Avenue south from Cannonsburg Road to just south of Five Mile Road comprises another potential development area. There is a minimum of prime agricultural land in the area primarily west of Sunfish Lake Avenue, south of Sunfish Lake, and east of Honey Creek Avenue near Five Mile Road. There are some severe slope areas. 52 �The severe slope areas are already somewhat developed, however. some prime woodland areas. There are In addition, some of the area north of Cannonsburg Road is not recommended for septic systems. Bostwick Lake Area - The area surrounding Bostwick Lake is already highly residential with moderate to high density. There is some prime woodland south of M-44 south of Bostwick Lake and west of Ramsdell Road. agricul_tural land exists north of the lake. Some prime The slopes in the area range from slight to severe with the severe slopes in the prime woodland areas. Except for the wetland areas, the area around Bostwick Lake is suitable for septic systems. Silver Lake - Lake Bella Vista Area - Because the area around Silver Lake and Lake Bella Vista is not recommended for septic systems although already residentially developed, a sewage disposal system serves the area. There is an extensive area of prime agricultural land north and east of Lake Bella Vista. There is a minimum of prime woodlands, however. When combined with the Bostwick Lake area, the lake areas are the largest residential area of the Township. Lake Bella Vista is a planned residential community that is slowly developing . . With the future development of Lake Bella Vista and the present residential character of the area, any future commercial development in the Township is recommended in the area north of M-44 between Lake Bella Vista and Myers Lake Avenue. Access to the commercial area should be off Myers Lake Avenue to prevent' the increased traffic and safety problems associated with "strip development''. Because of the intense traffic associated with convenience commercial development, access through the Lake Bella Vista road system would create a hazardous situation for the residents, children in particular. 53 �Ramsdell Road And Ten Mile Road Area - The area around Ten Mile Road and Ramsdell Road is suitable for septic systems although many severe slope areas exist. While some prime agricultural land exists west of Ramsdell Road, over half of the are~ is prime woodland. There is some potential for residential development, however. Ten Mile Road, Bush Drive, And Young Avenue Area - The area along Ten Mile Road, between Bush Drive and Young Avenue, and the areas along Bush Drive and Young Avenue are somewhat developed at present. Although the southern half of the area is prime agricultural land and the northern half is prime woodland area, there · are some individual potential residential development sites. Care must be taken in development as there are many wetlands and areas not recommended for septic systems north of Nine Mile Road and east of Young Avenue. Courtland And Ten Mile Road Area - In the area around Ten Mile Road and Courtland Drive, there is only a small area of prime agricultural land and no prime woodland area. However, the slopes are steep and there is an area around Kies where septic systems are not recommended. Again, there are individual potential development sites that are suitable. Transportation Although there is the extensive county primary road system discussed earlier, the Township is responsible for the secondary paved and unpaved 54 �collectors to the primary system. In the 1976 fiscal year, the Township ~llocated 1.1 mils ($22,954.00) to highway maintenance and improvements. There are still many unsurfaced roads in the Township. At a projected cost of $60,000 - $80,000 per mile to surface the roads, the Township allocation goes primarily to maintenance of existing roads. Since the potential development areas are all on or very near the county primary roads, there should be no additional burden to the Township from the projected growth. The primary system is quite capable of servicing the increase in traffic associated with the projected growth. Some im- provements may become necessary with increased population such as pavement widening. However, these imprqvements would be the financial responsibility of the County. With the energy situation as it is, it is recommended that a car pool parking area be established near the commercial area at M-44 and Myers Lake Avenue. This type of area is easily incorporated with commercial development. Community Facilities Service - The increase in population and the distance between the development areas and the present fire equipment facility may necessitate a second site located in or near the lakes area. The 1976 l mil allocation to the fire department amounted to $20,867.30. Although new development will broaden the tax base, an additional millage allocation may be necessary to continue adequate fire protection in the future. 55 �No change in police protection is foreseen as this protection is provided by the County and State. The Township population will remain in roughly the same proportion to the County population as it is now. The increase of 357 households projected will mean an increase to the education systems serving the Township. Thirty-seven percent of the population are school age children, on the average. Using this figure, there will be 493 additional school age children in the Township by 1987. Of these 493 children, 313 will be in the 5-13 age group and 180 will be in the 14-18 age group. Although the Lowell and Forest Hills School Systems are under capacity, they do not serve the potential development areas. The Rockford Community Schools, which serve the potential develop- ment areas, will receive the major burden of the projected growth. Already over capacity-, the Rockford School System will have to expand to adequately accommodate the increased enrollment. Recreation - The previously mentioned recreational areas are an integral factor in the rural character of the Township. To continue this attractive feature of the Township, these areas must be protected and preserved. It has been found that recreational opportunities are a necessity to a healthy, human environment. The recreational facilities present significantly contribute to the environment of Cannon Township. As much as financially possible, care should be taken to preserve the .existing facilities and provide additional facilities for future generations of Cannon Township residents. 56 �Pickerel Lake and the surrounding property is one of the last natural undeveloped areas in the Township. As the property is entirely under single ownership, it presents an ideal opportunity for the Township to set aside and preserve a unique natural setting for present and future enjoyment of the Township residents. Pickerel Lake may well be the last opportunity for many Township residents to enjoy the pristine setting of an undeveloped lake. If possible, the Township should acquire the land and designate it as a Township wildlife sanctuary or natural area to be used for passive recreation. Although many recreational opportunities, both commercial and public, exist in the Township, there are no areas designated exclusively for passive recreation. In light of the recent user conflicts between passive and active recreation in the Cannonsburg State Game Area, it is in the best interests of the residents for the Township to establish the Pickerel Lake Natural Area . . (See Figure 14 for Community Facilities) Multiple Family Housing With todays economy, many present and future township residents cannot affort the purchase of single family housing. Multiple family units are a viable alternative to the traditional, but increasingly expensive, single family residence. There are potentially, some major disadvantages to multiple family housing. They are not generally compatible with single family housing when immediately adjacent to lower density residential unless buffered or of a more compatible density themselves; septic systems are generally not acceptable for waste disposal for multiple family housing, and generally, the occupants are transient. However, some areas should be allocated for this type of housing to provide a proper housing mix in the Township. In addition, Cannon Township can realize tax revenue in excess of the costs to service these areas. 57 �Lake Bella Vista has designated multiple family housing along the eastern portion of the development. Because of the isolation from single family development areas and sewage disposal availability, the area east of Lake Bella Vista and north of the commercial development area along M-44 has been designated as a multiple family development area. This by no means limits the use of this area to multiple family housing; however, it does control the multiple housing development in the Township by promoting development in those areas best suited for multiple family housing. Proper screening together with carefully planned densities will minimize any negative impact imposed by multiple family housing in these areas. Financial Resources The tax base generated by residential development does not keep up with the increased financial burden generated by these same developments. As the Township has very little potential for major industrial development, care should be taken to control the residential growth. Uncontrolled development would necessitate increased tax millage to sustain the Township services .. By utilizing planned land use and development, the Township can hold tax millage to a minimum. The major area of financial burden will be in education. Some small industrial development in the existing industrial area would broaden the tax base and ease some of the financial burden of the projected growth. A monitored and controlled encouragement of development in that area is recommended. In addition, commercial uses as previously discussed should· be encouraged to develop along planned development guidelines. 58 �THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN �THE COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN Figure 15, the Comprehensive Development Plan, is a graphical presentation generated from the analysis of the previously presented goals and resources of Cannon Township. The residential development areas are basically extentions of the existing residential areas based on the land capabilities. The potential development areas far exceed the 714 acres projected to accommodate the population growth. This will help to insure the low density residential character of the Township. Those areas of prime woodland, and recreational lands have been protected and discouraged from development. By restricting development to those areas suitable for development, the Development Plan protects and enhances the quiet rural character of the Township. The possibility of commercial and industrial development has been recognized and adequate areas have been provided as suitable for this development. Because any successful commercial de- velopment will be convenience oriented, the designated development area is centrally located in the extensive residential area of Bostwick Lqke, Silver Lake, and Lake Bella Vista. The designated industrial development area is situated on a major transportation corridor (M-44) while it is kept isolated from major residential areas. 59 �; c o uil_' L A N r 0 O II w N S II .•• •• I • ~ :• ! .: .• ... ~ • ,--! • I 1...! .... ...... " \ - COUNTY t::::::::::=::::I MUL T 11-Lt. f:- ::::::::::1 ~ ii ii , SINGLE PRIMARY RO A DS FAMILY RESIDENTIAL 0 , T O WN SHI P CO. MAINTAINED SECONDARY ROAD S 111111 UNPAVED ROADS PUBLIC 6 AGRICULTURE SEMI-PUBLIC 1.¥ ~•!.f,; l RECREAT ION tNDUSTRIAL MOBILE HOME PARk. ~ WILDLIFE OPEN SPACE COMMERCIAL ~ SCHOOL F.:.MIL) RESIDENTIAL CANNON TOWNSHIP REFUGE KENT COUNTY C·. MPREH EI\JSIVE DE:. VELOPMENT PLAN FIG . 15 COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN MICHIGAN PREIN 8 NEWHOf' ENGINEERS · PLANNERS �IMPLEMENTATION �IMPLEMENTATION After the initial steps of acceptance and adoption, there are various measures available to implement the Development Plan and maintain its functional nature: Zoning Ordinance Revision The ordinance should be revised to incorporate the development areas delineated in the Comprehensive Plan. Township Review A review of development by the Township should be included in the Zoning Ordinance. This individual site review as to compliance with the Development Plan can be financed by a review fee charged to the developer. Restrictive Covenants Along with the restrictions imposed by the land capabilities, a subdivision code and building code revision should be adopted pertinent to density, privacy considerations, site compatibility, and adjacent architectural compatibility. Review And Update The Plan The Development Plan is designed to be an ongoing dynamic working tool and, in that respect, needs ·continuous update and review to reflect changing needs and desires. By reviewing the land capabilities as well as the com- munity needs; individual development areas can be expanded or restricted without jeopardizing the overall integrity of the Development Plan. 61 �Financial Assistance Financial assistance is available from many areas. As well as the previously mentioned review fee, development and construction fees can be levied. Various areas of State and Federal governmental funding are available. There is Federal and State funding for park and recreational land development. pool parking area funding is available from the State. Car If the proposed land use bill is passed and adopted by the State of Michigan, there will be State funding available for review and update of the Plan. The Plan itself allows the Township to apply for some Federal funding where a development plan is required for application. There may be some financial assistance from the Department of Agriculture for agricultural land preservation. In addition, the Economic Development Administration, Farmers Home Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have ongoing programs which may provide sources for funding of important development projects. The Township must recognize its role in the region and Kent County and with the Cities of Rockford and Grand Rapids, and continue to cooperate with oth~r governments conducting programs affecting Township residents. To this end, these governments and agencies should be provided with copies of the Plan. Perhaps the greatest _potential short coming in Cannon Township will be its ability to deal ·with urban problems which will continue to plague the Township as it develops. The Township's statuary limitations concerning taxation immediately pose a critical problem as far as obtaining the necessary funds to deal with these problems. It is for this reason, that the development plan and resultant policies must be proposed with care and discression. The Township cannot afford to grow at an accelerated rate without first determining its ability to service this growth. 62 �Fortunately, major development will not occur unless basic utilities are provided. This will be a controlling factor to some extent. But Cannon Township is a beautiful area and will feel pressures for expansion. If the Township officials and its residents are sincere in achieving the objective of maintaining a rural atmosphere, development proposals must be dealt with in a restrained manner. 63 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wyckoff Planning and Zoning Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Planning & Zoning Center (Lansing, Mich.) (Organization) Wyckoff, Mark A. Description An account of the resource Municipal master plans and zoning ordinances from across the state of Michigan, spanning from the 1960s to the early 2020s. The bulk of the collection was compiled by urban planner Mark Wyckoff over the course of his career as the founder and principal planner of the Planning and Zoning Center in Lansing, Michigan. Some additions have been made to the collection by municipalities since it was transferred to Grand Valley State University. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Michigan Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960/2023 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/870">Planning and Zoning Center Collection (RHC-240)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/">No Copyright - United States</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Comprehensive plan publications Master plan reports Zoning--Michigan Zoning--Maps Maps Land use--planning Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-240 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Cannon-Twp_Comprehensive-Development-Plan_1978 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Prein & Newhof Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1978-12-06 Title A name given to the resource Cannon Township Comprehensive Development Plan Description An account of the resource The Cannon Township Comprehensive Development Plan was prepared by Prein & Newhof and completed on December 6, 1978. Subject The topic of the resource Comprehensive plan publications Cannon Township (Mich.) Kent County (Mich.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/870">Planning and Zoning Center Collection (RHC-240)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6ef58851bc4749d022b94cd56f1ce7a0.pdf 28f1dc9cf741e8220f9b5a681b0b93e1 PDF Text Text COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CITY OF FREMONT FEBRUARY 1981 PREIN & NEWHOF ENGINEERS • PLANNERS �COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CITY OF FREMONT, MICHIGAN r �f r r f r I I FORWARD This publication constitutes the Comprehensive Development Plan for the City of Fremont, Michigan. The Plan consists of a series of background studies with respect to environmental considerations and their development limitations, population, economic, comnunity facilities, transportation, utilities and land use. . planning series also involved forecasts of population growth to the year 2000 and what this means in terms of new housing units production and other land requirements. Additional studies in this planning process include the formulation of comprehensive goals and objectives, future land use, major throughfare and central business district '~ I I~ I plans. ,. I f r r r b Each study report was reviewed and discussed by the Planning Commission involving citizen input prior to moving on to the next step in the work program. proposed as policy and not a binding legal document. The Plan herein is However, it is intended to serve the City as a growth management tool and a sound basis for the City's zoning ordinance ,~ I Part of the background and map. �TABLE OF CONTENTS REGIONAL AND AREAWIDE RELATIONSHIPS 1 - 2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION 3 - 33 • Environmental Considerations Topography Soil Characteristics Aquatic Systems Prime Woodlands 3 - 6 3 3 - 4 4 - 5 5 • Population Analysis Total Size Age Dis tri butfon Education Income Employment 7 - 13 7 - 8 • • • • ■- ■- • 9 - 10 10 11 - T2 12 - 14 Economic Characteristics Manufacturing Retail Trade 14 - 16 15 15 - 16 Community Facilities Fremont Lake Park Darling Creek Branstrom Park Cherry Hill Playground Fremont City Park Aboretum Park Newaygo County Fairground Fremont Junior High School Cedar Street Elementary School Ptne Creek Athletic Field Fremont High School Daisy Brook Elementary School Fremont Christian Elementary School Fremont Christian Junior High School Privately Owned Facilities 22 - 29 • Transportation Elements Miscellaneous Transportation Facilities Roads 26 - 27 26 27 • Uti 1i ty Services Water Distribution System Sanitary Sewer System 27 - 29 27 27 • Existing Land Use Profile Residential Commercial, Offices and Industrial Public and Private Recreation 30 30 31 i 16 16 17 18 19 19 19 19 20 20 21 - 25 17 18 19 - 20 - 21 21 21 22 22 30 - 33 �TABLE OF CONTENTS cont. Schools Agricultural Open Space Other Land Uses ,. 31 31 31 31 - 33 PROJECTED GROWTH TRENDS 34 - 40 • Population Growth Trends Alternative No. 1 Alternative No. 2 34 - 35 34 34 - 35 • • Housing Growth Trends 35 - 39 Nonresidential Gorwth Trends Commerical Uses Industrial Uses 39 - 40 39 - 40 40 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 41 - 42 • Residential Areas 41 • Commercial Areas 41 - 42 • • Industrial Uses 42 Open Space and Recreation 42 LAND USE PLAN • • • • • • • • 43 - 49 Low Density Residential 44 Medium Density Residential 44 High Density Residential 44 - 45 Commercial Uses 45 - 46 Professional Offices 46 Industrial Uses 46 - 47 Public and Semi-Public 47 Recreational 47 - 48 • Agricultural 48 • Future Utility Service Areas 48 - 49 ii �TABLE OF CONTENTS cont. Page CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT STUDY 50 - 63 • Physical Resources Existing Land Use Physical Appearance 50 - 52 50 - 52 52 • Retail Trade 52 - 56 • Parking 56 - 59 • Vehicular Circulation 59 • Development Plan Land Use 60 - 63 60 - 62 MAJOR THOROUGHFARE PLAN 64 - 72 • Existing Thoroughfare System 64 - 65 • Future Traffic Volumes and Capacities 65 - 68 • Major Thoroughfare Plan Primary Roads Secondary Roads Collector System 69 69 70 71 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Population Growth Trends for the City of Fremont and Other Geographic Areas 8 Age Distribution of the Population, City of Fremont, 1960 and 1970 10 Table 3 Educational Attainment for the City of Fremont, 1960 and 1970 10 Table 4 Income Distirbution for the City of Fremont for 1960 and 1970 11 Table 2 Table 5 Table 6 Table 7 Employment by Major Industry Group, City of Fremont, Michigan, 1960, 1970 Employment by Occupation, City of Fremont, Michigan, 1960. and 1970 Table 9 14 Manufacturing Establishments in Fremont, Michigan 1967, 1972, 1979 Table 8 13 15 Retail Trade Summary, City of Fremont, Michigan, 1954, 1963, 1967, 1972 16 Existing Land Use, City of Fremont, Michigan 32 iii - 72 70 71 72 �l LIST OF TABLES cont. Table 10 Population Projections for the City of Fremont, Michigan 1980 - 2000 Table 11 Housing Characteristics of the City of Fremont, Michigan 1979 35 35 Table 12 Projected number of Housing Units for the City of Fremont, Michigan 1979-2000 36 Table 13 Projected Housing Mix and Units for the City of Fremont, Michigan; Year 2000 37 Table 14 Number and Type of Housing Units Projected for 1979-2000, City of Fremont, Michigan 38 Table 15 Number of New Housing Units, Density and Acreage Requirements for the Year 2000, City of Fremont, Michigan 38 Table 16 Projected Land Needs for Residential Purposes by Types, City of Fremont, Michigan 39 Table 17 Table 18 Population and Cormnercial Acreage Projections for Fremont, Michigan and Surrounding Townships, 1980-2000 40 Industrial Acreage for the City of Fremont, Michigan 1980-2000 40 Table 19 Existing Land Use and Land Needs by the Year 2000, City of Fremont Table 20 Table 21 Table 22 Table 23 43 Projected Total Retail Sale for the Fremont Trade Area, Newaygo County, Michigan 53 Population Projections for the Fremont Trade Zones, Newaygo County, Michigan 54 Projected Total Effective Buying Income for the Fremont Trade Zones, Newaygo County, Michigan 54 Projected Total Sales, Effective Buying Income and Sales not Captured for the Fremont Trade Areas, Newaygo County, Michigan 55 Table 24 Existing Retail Floor Area and Projected to the Year 2000 for the Fremont Trade Area, Newaygo County, Michigan. 56 Table 25 CBD Parking Supply and Demand, City of Fremont, Michigan, 1980 Table 26 Existing and Projected Traffic Volumes, Fremont Central Business District 1980-2000 68 Table 27 Projected Traffic Volumes and Road Capacities for Selected Streets, Fremont, Michigan 68 iv 59 �II] C • III • • • • • • LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1 Vicinity Map 2 Figure 2 Soil Suitability 6 Figure 3 Percent Changes in Population, Fremont Area 7 Figure 4 Recreational Facilities 24 Figure 5 Premont School District 25 Figure 6 Water Mains 28 Figure 7 Sanitary Sewers 29 Figure 8 Existing Land Use 33 Figure 9 Future Utility Service Areas 49.a Figure 10 CBD Existing Land Use 51 Figure 11 CBD Parking Inventory 57 Figure 12 CBD Parking Supply and Demand 58 Figure 13 CBD Future Land Use 62 Figure 14 Illustrative Site Plan - CBD 63 Figure 15 Road Classifications 66 Figure 16 Traffic Volumes 67 Figure 17 Comprehensive Plan 72 · ~ ~ V �• • REGIONAL AND AREAWIDE RELATIONSHIPS • �• • • • ., • • -•• • • • • •■ • • •-~ ' REGIONAL AND AREAWIDE RELATIONSHIPS Toe City of Fremont is located within the southwestern portion of Newaygo County, on the north side of Fremont Lake. This urban community of 4,115 persons is sit- uated in an agri'cultural and water resort area 50 miles north of Grand Rapids Metropolitan Area and 30 miles northeast of Muskegon. With the Manistee National Forest occupying approximately two-thirds of Newaygo County, Fremont naturally acts as the center of population for the county. Contributing to the population attractions are the hundreds of lakes in the County and the two .principle rivers, the Muskegon and the White . The aesthetic and recreational value of these lakes and streams is priceless, not only for leisure time activities of City natives but for the growth and development of the community. Commercial developments rely on the seasonably heavy tourist trade brought on by the attractions the City has to offer. This in turn helps boost the economic base . Fremont is served by one secondary State High\-1ay, M-82, which is located on South Stewart Avenue and on Main Street. This easily accessible community makes Fremont a favorable location for Gerber Products, the largest producer of baby food in the world, who's home office and research center are located within the City . . In addition, two chemical oriented industries, Carojon Chemical Company and Ori-Slide Incorporated are located here. With these industries, Fremont has a firm employment base. Coupled with a sound economic and employment base, Fremont's location is very favor- able. Figure 1 portrays Fremont's location in relationship to the region . -1- �11 11 • I I - ••• - L - - - - • ~ - - - - - '- - - -- • I NI ~ i~ I ~ - - I ILL!;._ 1,')-__ .,;_ __ •• -, ------,------ - - - - T - - - - ~ I I - -- - - I I • • FIGURE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CITY OF FREMONT NEWAYGO COUNTY, MICHIGAN VICINITY MAP ---- MILES 0 10 20 30 ~ �• • • BACKGROUND INFORMATION �• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •-~ BACKGROUND INFORMATION Environmental Considerations The natural and physical features of the Fremont Area must be accounted for and made an integral part of the Comprehensive Development Plan for the City of Fremont. By taking into account environmental considerations, decisions can be made as to what extent environmental values outweigh urban development values. This is necessary to enhance preservation concerns and justify a growth management strategy . The following environmental factors are analyzed to provide clues to more desirable spatial urban development patterns consistent with the most cost-effective development solutions . Topography - The City of Fremont is situated on the south edge of a glacial dumping ground. There is a definite, yet gradual, change in topography from north to south . In the northern areas, relief is sharp and broken. Moving southward, the hills be- come more rolling in nature, generally decreasing in size and flattening out to a more or less level area around Fremont Lake. Here can be found the lowest elevation (746 feet above sea levell within the City limits. The highest point in the City, about 900 feet, can be found in the northwest area. , In general, the City can be described as two separate mounds. northwest area and the other along East Main Street. wide valley northeast of the City. One is located in the The latter impounds water in a Within the valley are numerous isolated hills and a chain of four connected lakes . Soil Characteristics - Since Fremont lies on a glacial dumping ground, several types -3- �• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • of soils have been found. A total of 36 soil types have been classified. total, the Nester series is the predominant soil series. Of this These soils have a very low permeability and are generally not conducive to septic systems in regions of dense development. However, because of the low permeability the soil is generally very receptive to agricultural uses. Moisture is held in the soil, while at the same time, valuable soil nutrients are not easily leached out . Aquatic Systems - Fremont Lake, the largest of the City lakes, is located near the southwest corner of the City and is within the Corporate City limits. It has a surface area of 1.3 square miles and approximately 6 miles of shoreline. It serves as a receptor for drainage for the entire City including the four lakes in the northwest area. Much of the land in surrounding townships also comprises t his particular drainage district . Other City lakes include; First Lake, Second Lake, Third Lake, and Fourth Lake in the northwest area. These small lakes are interconnected and outlet to Darling Creek . Kempf Lake is a very small lake which feeds Second Lake . Darling Creek flows from First Lake southwest through the City and into Fremont Lake . Throughout most of its course, it has a natural appearance with the presence of vegetation and wildlife. It flows through Branstrom Park in the nort h and is channeled under M-82 through a culvert. Its water quality is good, and its aesthetic and potential recreational value is high . There are also three named drains within the City: Maat Drain, Miller Drain, and McDonald Drain. Maat Drain flows southward from All three outlet to Fremont Lake. sections of Dayton and Sheridan lownships cutting across an area in the southwest portion of the City. Miller Drain flows west to Fremont Lake through the southern -4- �portion of the City. McDonald Drain flows west to southwest across the southeast area and across the northeast corner of Sheridan Township. Other drains and drain- age ditches become active during periods of high rainfall and flooding. = • • •II II II • • • • • • • • • Prime Woodlands - Because the City is already extensively developed, prime natural woodlands are extremely rare. do exist. However, a few areas considered prime woodland areas By far, the most extensive prime woodland is the red pine stand in northern Branstrom Park . An additional prime woodland area is in and around Maple Grove Cemetery. Here, several mature maples and spruces add to the beauty of the southern region. Other areas considered prime woodlands have recently been logged off. This type of activity must be guarded against if Fremont is to maintain its beauty in a natural setting. In the development of new subdivisioris and homesites, care should be taken to retain as much forest cover as possible . to enhance the aesthetic value of an area. Trees offer a natural screen and do much This value is directly related to the dollar value of property . In summary, the last glacial period left its imprint upon the City of Fremont with changing relief, numerous soil types and many impounded waters. As a result, soils in the Fremont area are generally not conducive toward septic systems. Figure 2 indicates those areas with soil less receptive to subsurface disposal of sewage . Waste removal other than septic systems should be utilized . -5- �.l.l.!. 1. ).l. i•1.• I.I. ;. ). 1•••, t'e, ... ..... .. "ta JI- >; fl }U A ·-csf f i l l P ~ ~ - - ¾ _ l ? j ., COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CITY OF FREMONT fEWAYGO COUNTY, M l ~ LEGEND - AREA WIT-H SOIL CHARACTERISTICS NOT RECEPTIVE TO SUBSURFACE OlsPOSAL OF SEWAGE. FIGURE SOIL ~ U} 2 SUITABILITY o' ~ aoo· ,200· .,,,... --I - - FEET i,1111•. NWMC) I' UtGUltlUII - "lA.Ulte �II II II II II II II II II II • • • • • • Population Analysis In order to develop a basic understanding of the growth of Fremont and the needs of its population, it is important to study the population growth trends and the changing indicators such as age, education, income, and employment. Failure to assess the impact of changing conditions will mean inadequate solutions to existing and future problems and needs both in terms of supplying services and the provision for proper land development. Total Size - While the City of Fremont grew by only 2.4 percent from 1960 to 1970, the area grew by 564 people - mostly in the tovmships surrounding the City. Figure 3 shmvs the percent change of population in the surrounding toimships (Sheridan, Dc1yton, Sherman, and Garfield). In 1950, the popu1 ati on in Fremont was 3,056. 3,384 or an increase of 10.7 percent. the growth was only 2.4 percent. By 1960, grO\vth in the City reached During the 1960 to 1970 period, as noted earlier, It would appear that most of the grov,th in the City and the area is attributable to the growth of Gerber Products. As new employees join the Gerber organization, there are additional spin-offs in the form of service type jobs. impact. One hundred new jobs in any corrmunity has considerable positive economic Table 1 relates the growth of Fremont to other geographical areas: FIGURE 3 PERCENT CHANGE IN POPULATION FREMONT .!\REA: 1960-70, 1970-80 • 1960-70: + 11.8% • 1970-80: + 13.0% • 1960-70: + 30.0% • 1970-80: + 17.0% DAYTO~I TOlmSHI P SHERMAN TrnmsHIP SHERIDAN TO,JNSHI P GARFIELD TOWNSHIP 0 1950-70: + 9.8% • 1970-80: + 13.0% o 1960-70: - 15.5% • 1970-80: + 21.0% -7- �TABLE 1 II Area II Fremont II II II II II II II • • • • • • • • POPULATION GROWTH TRENDS FOR THE CI TY OF FREMONT AND OTHER GEOGRAPHIC AREAS 1950 1960 % 1970 3,056 3,384 11 3,456 855 1,085 27 1,411 30 1,650 17 Sheridan Twp. 1,759 2,256 28 2,477 10 2,800 13 1,523 1,709 12 1,910 12 2,150 13 Garfield Twp. 1,078 1,713 60 1,488 -16 1,800 21 24,160 12 27,992 16 34,200 Sherman Twp. Dayton Twp . Newaygo Co. 21,567 % 1980* 2. 4 4,115 Of n 19 22.2 *Estimates by Prein &Newhof and West Michigan Regional Planning Commission (.1975) In 1970, Fremont's population was 3,465 with a toal of 1,259 dwelling units and . 1,193 occupied units for a 5 percent vacancy ratio. 2.9 persons/unit. Average occupancy then was According to City officials, vacancies in the City are non- existent today. Through October of 1979, new units constructed or under construction totaled 187. However, 27 units were demolished for a net increase of 160 units. Calculations pro- ceed as fol lm-.,s: 1,259 1970 Units 160 New Units {_Net) 1,419 1,419 Units x 2.9/unit = 4,115 Persons Some of this population increase is a result of the anne xation of lands previously in Dayton and Sheridan Townships. In fact, 103 units were annexed in 1978 for a pop- ulation of about 299 persons . -8- �Population estimates for Fremont by the U.S. Census as presented in the 1979 Michigan Statistical Abstract indicate 4,776 persons in 1976 or a 37.6 percent change from 1970. Based on current information, this estimate would appear excessive. Federal census projections are often determined by tax returns with Fremont mailing addresses. Therefore, residents in adjacent townships would be considered res- idents within the corporate limits for estimate purposes. II II II II II II II •II II • • • • • The land use survey conducted in the fall of 1979 counted 1,416 dwelling units. There- fore, the 4,100 figure appears to be accurate. Age Distribution - Trends during the 1960 to 1970 period show quite clearly that the age of the population is changing in Fremont . older while less babies are being born. The age distribution is becoming For example, the age group 50 to 64 jumped from 13 to 16 percent of the population from 1960 to 1970, while the under 5 years of age dropped from 12 percent to 8 percent, a 31 percent decline in just a 10 year period. Further, the family unit size substantiates the trend changing from 3.3 persons in 1960 to 2.9 persons in 1970. Based on projections for the State of Michigan as a whole, the median age in the State will continue to change from 25.5 years to 35.2 years by the year 2000 . Table 2 shows age distribution for the City of Fremont for 1960 to 1970: -9- �TABLE 2 Ill Ill Ill Ill II II II II • • • • •II AGE DISTRIBUTION OF THE POPULATION CITY OF FREMONT, 1960 & 1970 Age Group 1960 % 1970 Under 5 years 409 12 283 8 5-19 Years 955 29 1083 31 20-34 Years 561 17 553 16 35-49 Years 634 18 588 17 50-64 Years 446 13 547 16 65 &Over 379 11 411 12 Source: % U.S. Census of Population, 1960, 1970. Education - Educational attainment by City residents increased during the 1960-1970 period. 1970. Median school years completed in 1960 were 12.1, increasing to 12.3 in Assuming the same trend, current figures for median school years completed is 12.5. Following is an educational summary for Fremont: TABLE 3 EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT FOR THE CITY OF FREMONT 1960 & 1970 Categories 1960 1970 3 5 Elementary, 1-4 Years 5-7 Years 8 Years 56 147 400 17 110 351 High School 1-3 Years 4 Years 288 498 284 626 1-3 Years 225 228 235 319 12.1 12.3 No Schoo1 Completed College 4 Years Median School Years Completed Source: U.S. Census of Population, 1960, 1970 -10- �• • • • II II -II • • • • •II Income - Significant changes in the income levels of the population in Fremont are evident in the following Table. In 1960, lower incomes are prevalent since the dolla r bought considerably more in 1960 than in 1970 . TABLE 4 INCOME DISTRIBUTION FOR THE CITY OF FREMONT FOR 1960 &1970 Income Levels 1960 % 1970 % Under 1,000 24 3 5 1 1,000 - 1,999 63 7 15 2 2,000 - 2,999 47 6 38 4 3,000 - 3,999 82 9 57 6 4,000 - 4,999 88 10 37 4 5,000 - 5,999 116 14 42 5 6,000 - 6,999 116 14 52 6 7,000 - 7,999 70 8 59 6 8,000 - 8,999 26 3 88 10 9,000 9,999 37 4 92 10 10,000 & Over 184 22 406 46 10,000 - 11,999 (127} 12,000 14,999 (130) 15,000 - 24,999 (109) 25,000 - 49,999 ( 36) 50,000 & Over ( Tota 1 Families Source: 853 100 4) 891 100 U.S. Census of Population () Indicates figures are included in the total number for the $10,000 and over categories . -11- �In 1960, only 22 percent of the population earned $10,000 or more in Fremont. 1970, this figure had drastically changed to 46 percent. caused by inflation. By Much of this change was However, greater educational attainment was evident which translates to higher incomes. Using the Consumer Price Index, income distribution could be estimated for the year 1980 assuming the same percent breakdown for the in- II II Ill Ill Ill Ill Ill Ill II • • •II •II come group. This is not a totally realistic analysis, however, since the character~ istics of the population most likely have changed since 1970. In 1970, per capita income was $3,141. This increased to $4,053 by 1975. Using the Consumer Price Index and assuming no change in distribution of income, estimated 1980 per capita income is $5,520. Assuming an average family size of about t hree persons, family income is approximately $16,560. Employment - Employment characteristics of Fremont residents have remained relatively stable in some areas with drastic changes in at least two areas. Manufacturing continues to be the major industry group comprising 36 percent of the population. The per- cent of the total employment persons (_City residents) rern ined unchanged from 1960 to 1970. However, in the wholesale and retail trade areas, a substantial decrease i s noted fro m 25 percent of the employed persons to 17 percent, or a decrease of 32 percent . In contrast, professional and related services increased 50 percent from 14 percent of employed persons in 1960 to 21 percent in 1970 . Thus, it appears that there are less wholesale and retail facilities but larger in size. Further, with the population growth in the area primarily outside of the City, there has been an increasing demand for professional and related services. The following Table shows employment by industry group for 1960 and 1970 . -12- �II •II II II •II II II II II II II • • • • •II TABLE 5 EMPLOYMENT BY MAJOR INDUSTRY GROUP CITY OF FREMONT , MI CHI GAN, 1960, 1970 Major Industry Group 1970 1960 % 22 2 30 2 26 2 60 382 5 31 81 406 6 30 79 6 72 5 Who1esale & Retai1 Trade 303 25 230 17 Finance, Insurance Business &Repair 116 10 94 7 Professional & Related Services 172 14 279 21 Public Administration 33 3 39 3 Other Industries 25 2 124 9 1222 100 1351 100 Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries % Mining Construction Manufacturing: Durab1e Nondurable Transportation, Communication, & Other Public Uti1ities Tota 1 Emp 1oyed Source: U.S. Census of Population, 1960, 1970. Fremont's employment was 1,351 in 1970 or about 14 percent of Newaygo County's employed persons. Assuming this same ratio for more current employment figures, we have estimated current average emp1oyment at about 1,680 in 1979 . In reviewing employment statistics by occupations, we find similar characteristics . From 1960 to 1970, professional, technical, and kindred workers; craftsman, foremen, and kindred workers; and service workers a11 increased as a percentage of all those employed in the City. Table 6 shows employment by major occupation groups for 1960 and 1970. -13- �• •II -Ill TABLE 6 EMPLOYMENT BY OCCUPATION, CITY OF FREMONT, MICHIGAN 1960, 1970 1960 Occupation Employed 1970 % Employed % Professional, Technical, & Kindred Workers 208 17 276 20 Managers &Administrators 177 14 103 8 94 8 92 7 Clerical & Kindred Workers 219 18 210 15 Craftsmen, Foremen & Kindred Workers 116 9 144 11 Operatives 199 16 231 17 Laborers, Except Farm 57 5 53 4 Farmers & Farm Managers 14 1 8 1 15 1 Service Workers 77 6 176 13 Private Household Workers 20 2 51 4 Ill Occupation Not Reported 33 3 II II Total 1222 100 II II Ill II II • • • •II II S~les Workers Farm Laborers & Farm Foremen Source: 1351 100 U.S. Census, 1960, 1970 Economic Characteristics By analyzing manufacturing and retail trade characteristics, the economic potential of the community can be assessed. Furthermore, the ability of the community to finance community facility improvements and to make determinations as to land area requirements for job activities can be estimated . -14- �J J J J •J J J •J J ••• • • • • • • Following is a brief analysis of some representative economic characteristics for the City of Fremont. Manufacturing - According to the 1967 and 1972 Census of Manufacturers, Fremont manufacturing establishments increased from 8 to 14 between 1967 and 1972. current estimates indicate 10 manufacturing establishments. TABLE 7 1972 No. Establishments 8 14 No. Establishments with 20 or More Employed 4 4 Retail Trade Following is a summary: MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS IN FREMONT, MICHIGAN, 1967, 1972, 1979 1967 Source: However, 1979 10* U.S. Census of Manufacturers . *Fremont Chamber of Commerce. Fremont has seen a healthy growth in retail trade in the City, in- creasing the number of retail establishments by 25 percent from 1967 to 1972. also increased substantially during that same period - over 48 percent. Sales Other re- tail indicators during this period experienced increases - sales per establishment and employees . Following is a summary of the retail trade activity in Fremont: -15- �• • • '• •II' TABLE 8 1954 1963 1967 1972 81 89 89 111 Sales C$1,000) $ 9,000 $ 12,000 $ 15,500 $ 23,000 Sales/Establishment $110,000 $142,800 $174,600 $207,400 402 412 388 401 Number Establishments Employees Employees/Establishment Source: 5.0 4.6 4.4 3.6 U.S. Census of Retail Trade, 1954, 1963, 1967, 1972. If the Consumer Price Index is used on sales/establishment, the 1979 figure amounts •• to $365,500. II Corrmunity Facilities ,• , • •II •II -II RETAIL TRADE SUMMARY CITY OF FREMONT, MICHIGAN 1954, 1963, 1967, 1972 Community facilities affect the character of a municipality and its attrativeness as a place to live and work. channeling development. In addition, they can influence urban growth patterns by Long range planning and programning is needed to ensure that lands best suited for recreation and community use remain in the public sector. Fremont Lake Park - Fremont Lake Park is located just south of the City proper . The water quality in Fremont Lake is deemed suitable for swimming. City owns approximately 27.4 acres on the waterfront. At present, the There are plans to acquire additional land whi~h will boost the size of the park to approximately 30 acres. The park attracts a good number of out-of-town campers. Forty-five of the 63 trailer sites are leased on a ~easonal basis (five to six months). The remaining 18 sites are leased for a limited number of days on an open "first come, first serve" basis. Revenue to the City from this operation alone has averaged $16,000 per year (gross). There are no accurate figures stating the additional revenue local merchants derive from the seasonal tourism. Understandably, there is controversy over this type of -16- �• • • • • • • • • • • • •I • • - activity. It is so intensively used by campers, Fremont area residents do not feel motivated to utilize the area . The boat ramp is located in the southeast portion of the park. The block and gravel • ramp is in need of repair or replacement. Hardwood trees form a high canopy most suitable for picnicking (its present usel. There are restroom facilities and a small general store in this section of the park. of two baseball fields. The western portion is the site The orientation and location of the diamonds have caused many balls to be lost . The lake bottom is a mixture of sand, marl, and some rock. water vary from two to five percent. A depth of six feet is attained within a range of 150 to 300 feet from the shoreline. these points. water. Slopes entering the The lake becomes much deeper beyond Depths reach 60 feet approximately 500 feet from the edge of the Maximum lake depths occur 2,000 feet form the shoreline (110 feet in ·depth) . A high water table predominates throughout the park. peat, and muck. Soils are composed of sand, Soil erosion is evident on the southwest shoreline. are exposed as much as 24 inches in certain areas. Roots of trees Since nothing has been done about . this condition, it is very probable that the erosion problems will continue. A sanitary sewer system currently serves the eastern portion of the par k (for the use of the trailer park facility). The sewer lines are located 24 inches below ground level (this is approximately one foot above the water table}. Other utilities include electricity and water . Darling Creek - Darling Creek flows southward from the lake areas north of Branstrom Park. Throughout most of its course, different species of wildlife were observed which depend on this smooth-flowing stream of water. -17- Vegetation is thriving and �• • • • • • • • • • water quality is good. Although at present there are no known easements parallel to this Creek, it should not be difficult to obtain access throughout its course to the Branstrom Park area. The creek has been channeled through a culvert for a short distance involving the M-82 crossing. Once out of that area, it regains its character by sweeping through property owned by Gerber Products and onto the southern portion of Branstrom Park. Branstrom Park - Branstrom Park is located on the highest land in the Fremont area. A low key road and nature trail wind from wooded to open areas up hills and down to lower areas. · There are two very still ponds fed by springs and by Darling Creek. The latter acts as a connector to larger lakes and ponds in the immediate vicinity. A small area has been developed for picnic activities including a shelter and a playground for children. A very well-planned facility for playing baseball can be found with two tiers of parking positioned in such a way so as to enable viewers to enjoy the game from their cars if this is there preference . The Fremont Public School System and the City of Fremont share in the ownership . of this park. The school system owns 53.13 acres and the City 36.75 acres. The City of Fremont has undertaken an acquisition program which, when completed, will add approximately 30 acres to the existing 89.88 acres. Outdoor winter recreation facilities have been developed including a toboggan slide, a tow, and warming lodge . The slopes on the eastern portion of the park exhibit great potential for enhancing winter recreation and sports . Several soil types can be found in this area. However, most range from poorly to very poorly drained containing muck, peat, and clay loam . The north and east portions of the site have been left as forests. Mixed hardwoods can be found throughout the southern half of the property with more dense forest islands -18- �on the east side. The northern half of the site is predominantly evergreen with mixed hardwood brush as an understory. Cherry Hill Playground - Cherry Hill Playground is located due north of the Gerber Products complex. Some playground equipment has been placed on the northwest por- tion of this 2.7 acre site. The park was observed to be nicely maintained, but there were no other facilities which might invite more intensive use. The soils are poorly drained with rather poor topsoil. Bearing capacities are fair to good, while the topography is flat. Fremont City Park - Fremont City Park is a 2.3 acre site located on the western edge of the downtown area . a chi1drens' playground. surrounding streets. used. The facilities include restrooms, a band shell, and An annual festival is conducted in this park and its However, the remainder of the year the site is virtually un- This site should be developed as a more inviting passive and/or active recreation area. Arboretum Park - The Arboretum is a seven acre natural area located in the southeast quadrant of the City. It contains labeled plantings and a limited system of trails. Miller Drain flows through the site enhancing the woodland setting. Newaygo County Fairground - Although Newaygo County Fairground is actually owned by the City of Fremont, it is presently being leased to Newaygo County. It is a 26.8 acre site with 4-H Club Assembly area, food serivce facilities, exhibition buildings, livestock barns, lighted show ring, and open space for riding, etc. The fairgrounds are used very seldom throughout the year. It is the site of horse sho1oJs, Scout-0-Ramas, lives tock shows, and snowmobi 1e races in addition to the annual fair. -19- �• I -I I -II I -I -I I I I I I I Several smaller play areas are scattered throughout the City. These are geared toward the smaller child. Clubview Playground, which is one acre in size, is an open play area in the northeast section of the City. Fremont Avenue Playground is a fenced childrens' play area approximately 1.6 acres in size in the northeast area of the City. The Fremont Public School facilities, in general, provide the more organized type of recreation activities. Following is a discussion of these facilities: Fremont Junio r High School - Fremont Junior High School is a 91.86 acre site providing approximately 40 acres of outside recreation space. This includes two lighted tennis courts, one unlighted football field, one lighted baseball field, one unlighted baseball field, and a gym approximately 70 to 96 feet. Two baskets (for playing basketball) have been installed in the parking lot for practice. for this game are nonexistent at this school. as a roller skating rink. Courts At present, the gym has also doubled However, school officials have concluded that this ac- tivity should not be allowed to use the gym because of the wear and tear on the floors. Approximately one-fourth of the site is undeveloped. The soil composition is mostly peat and muck with very scant vegetation. Cedar Street Elementary School - An analysis of Fremont Junior High School cannot be complete until Cedar Street Elementary School is discussed. -20- This particular �I I I -I I I • • • • - school has a gym facility 35 to 75 feet and a 10 acre playground. However, this acreage is included in the 40 acres of play area presently utilized by the Junior High School. Pine Creek Athletic Field - Pine Creek Athletic Field is also under the jurisdiction of the Fremont Public School System. This area is approximatey 14.2 acres in size containing a lighted football field, one unlighted baseball field, five unlighted tennis courts which have just recently been resurfaced, a quarter-mile all-weather track, and two football practice areas. Fremont High School - The Fremont High School complex is located at the eastern edge of the downtown core area. severe parking problem. It is very limited in its ability to expand and has a However, some of its facilities are not duplicated else- where in the Fremont area. As part of these facilities, it has an indoor swimming pool, a teen center composed of about 3,960 square feet with game and pool tables, table tennis, snack counter, lounge area, and one acre of playground. Also, one of the grassed overflow parking areas doubles as an outdoor ice skating rink in the winter time. This, in itself, is a problem due to the decreased parking space in the winter months. Land has already been acquired to the west of the school to build the proposed civic center. Hopefully, along with that construction, a mall area will be built together with additional parking facilities. Daisy Brook Elementary School - The Daisy Brook Elementary School has a playground area of approximately 10 acres and a gym facility 60 by 77 feet. Both the school and the playground facility encompass an area of 14.74 acres . All of the above-mentioned school facilities offer the public complete access except during certain school hours and game hours. have top priority. -21- During these periods, students �I -II • • • • Fremont Christian Elementary School - Fremont Christian Elementary School encompasses approximately 3.61 acres. Its recreational facilities include a playground area, an unlighted ball field, a gymnasium, and an outdoor basketball court area with three baskets. Fremont Christian Junior High School - Diagonally across from the elementary school is the Christian Junior High School facility. With a total area of 5.27 acres, this institution has facilities including a playgrouhd area, an unlighted ball field, and a surfaced court with three baskets for playing bas ketball. The Fremont Christian School policy is to make all of their facilities available to the community provided there are no conflicts with school activities. Privately Owned Facilities - There are several private enterprises involved in recreational facilities that deserve to be mentioned as well. One privately owned recreational facility in Fremont is the Fremont Fish and Game Club located in the downtown area. Facilities include an indoor archery range and pistol range. Other privately owned recreational facilities include the Fremont Theater which opens four nights a week throughout the entire year; Westwood Lanes with 10 bowling alleys open all year; the Newaygo County Community Services which has an auditorium with food handling facilities, an assembly hall with small kitchen, and four shuffleboard courts. This last facility is open throughout the year and a great number of senior citizens use it . There are two 18-hole golf courses; the Northwoods Golf Course and the Briarhill Golf Course.· In addition, two nine hole courses are located in the area; the Village Green Golf Course (public) and the Ramshorn Country Club (private). Other private facilities include restarts, riding stables, trailer parks, camps, and boat liveries . -22- �• • • • • • -II II II II This analysis clearly points out that Fremont has a wide variety of recreation facilities. It is lacking a few types of activities. lies in the number of organized court-type games. However, the greater problem Local officials have observed that people want to be participating rather than observing. Therefore, in analyzing this data, it is important to interpret correctly the recreation needs as well as goals and planning criteria to develop an organized and feasible master plan . Other community facilities include the following: • 18 Churches • Chamber of Commerce offices • Municipal Offices Figure 4 shows recreational facilities, while Figure 5 indicates the extent of the Fremont Schoo1 District. -23- �,---------------~-u~r r . 11 I 1 1s , COMPREHENSIVE PLAN =1 ,Nh_, CITY OF FREMONT EWAYGO COUNTY, MICHIGA .ll!!fli!?. la FREMONT LAKE PARK ADON, lb FREMOli!T LAKE PARK 2 BRANSTROM PARK 4 CHERRY HILL PLAYGROUND 5 FREMONT CITY PARK 6 ARBORETUM PARK 7 NEWAYGO CO. FAIRGROUNDS 8 FREMONT JR, . HIGH ~CHOOL 9 • ·- ITTI1I I II I I II II 'ifiljoffi)N q I 11 II • Ill~ DARLING CREEK" :$ CEDAR ST.ELEM.SCHOOL 10 PINE CR. ATHLETIC FIELD II FREMONT HIGH SCHOOL 12 DAISY BROOI< ELEM, SCHOOL 13 PINE ST. ELEM( SCHOOL 14 FREMONT CHRISTIAN 15 FREMONT CHRISTIAN ~ ELEM. SCHOOL JR. HIGH SCHOOL Fremon, 16 RAMSHORN COUNTRY CLUB 17 SENIOR CITIZEN RECREATION IB CLUBVIEW PLAYGROUND 19 FREMONT AVE. PLAYGROUND 20 NATURAL PARK 21 WESTWOOD LAN[S 22 NEWAGO CO, COMM. SERVICES U FREMONT THEATRE FIGURE 4 Lake RECREATION FACILITIES ' rf'••--w~ ~ - 1"11111.IN 10 a IH.WHOI' - IMQUHIIIS • !"LANNERS �- ct. D11lcA L. ( SCHOOL DISTRICTS ) FIGURE 5 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CITY OF FRE.M ONT LEGEND -••- FREMONT PUBLIC SCHOOLS DISTRICT NEWAYGO COUNTY, MICHIGAN ~-, MILES 0 I 2 3 �-J • • Transportation Elements Transportation systems circulate people and goods within urban areas. Ease of transportation in conjunction with a city's resources and geographical position, determine to a great extent the growth of the economy and the urban area. This in turn will affect the spatial form of a city. Because The City of Fremont is a small community, one would not expect sophisticated transportation systems to be serving the public. However, the transportation systems which do exist in the City are well maintained and provide excellent service to the citizenry. Miscellaneous Transportation Facilities - Presently, there is one privately owned public transportation service which makes up the extent of public access commuter service. The Citizens Anonymous Transportation Service (C.A.T.S.) maintains one vehicle for appointment chauffeur service. This service is used almost exclusively by senior citizens. Railroad facilities have been serving the City's industry for many years. However, the Chesapeake & Ohio has abandoned its railroad right-of-way east of Darling Avenue. Consideration is presently being given to the total elimination of railroad service to the Fremont area. The Fremont Airport is located approximately two miles southwest of the City just west of Fremont Lake. In recent years, this facility has been upgraded to a point where the major runway is now 5,500 feet in length with a 250 foot overrun. east-west runway continues at 3,500 feet in length. type. The Both runways are hard surface The Fremont Municipal Airport is an excellent facility for an airport ser- vicing a community the size of Fremont. petes for industrial development . -26- It should be a great asset as the City com- �-II • • - Roads - The center of the City of Fremont lies at and along the intersection of two state highways. State highway M-82 and state truckline M-20 join the City to other areas in the county and are connectors to other highways which lead to larger cities such as Grand Rapids and the City of Muskegon. Along M-82 through the heart of the City are found the Municipal Building, banks, and the downtown shopping district. This is the center of commercial activity in the City. The City contains a higher than average number of state-designated major streets. The majority of these streets are in residential areas close to the downtown district. Most of the City streets are paved with bituminous and have curb and gutter. The few gravel streets within the City are generally well maintained. These are slowly being paved according to importance and when funds become available. Utility Services Public utilities form an infrastructure which determines what type of development can realistically occur and where it can best be accommodated. Because they strongly influence both private and public land use patterns, utilities must receive special attention in the planning process. Water Distribution System - The City of Fremont has provided water service to virtually the entire City as shown in Figure 6. In addition, through special approval by the City, water was extended beyond the corporate li~its into Garfield and Sherman Townships to service a county vocational education facility as well as nursing homes east of Luce Avenue. Sanitary Sewer System - Sanitary sewers are also provided throughout the entire City with only some small exceptions as seen in Figure 7. In addition, those areas recently annexed to the City do not have sanitary se\ver facilities as of this date. -27- �- -- --------•- - II .- COMPREHENSIVE PLAN \ ~ ' · - - I, ~I L - ',~ . ,W :',I" I, I i - 11 - -=---- Ii 11" . ":1 i- r,iewAYGO COUNTY, MICHIGA ,, r-- ' I _ I! - I "-'.=':- ==j~--===--3'4 1'![ I CITY OF FREMONT ill i----- I' ,. /'=i1 11. ·'. ,,_, ·)f -ri ;; - JP .J ! ~ --- i _____.. __ 1•- I ~JL ~I! - _2.7 -·- WI 1111 1111 WI 1111 11111 id, •/I ' fil - j _,..i _- -- i! ~ - l, ••• <»''I ::-:~.i:ttrnF~7"""~""".J-..,L' -- ri 1; ! 51 --4~~-,_.; I; i r(); .{Tr ,. 1;i 111 _JJL --f~· t/ ,M••-.. - --.-,r-'-j·~---- _c- ~- :r--i . ~ -~ I! ' '"' . '";:·:·· ,I - !:;: 'I ' -, 1 I II I . -~-_.r·rJ ii . 11 ~:· ~ ., - i _: :ii !~~A /.' ·~ -tP'.J Ii I 8 t ' Ir:t=1J ,, ~-7-J ;- i1 'I '1 . 11 I -;:,~,p FIGURE !!!!! v--r F,,,,.on I lak, ____ _,, ,- --, J ; ' WATER ·MAINS ,, I / I . l ---,_, o' ~ \J.} ' " - . _._ • ; 11 : ~ ----, 10 -H 12 j - }' 6 _ ~ P'IIU• 6 11.wMOf' eoo' ,_. 1,--.J ...J •• ..a-fur r ... tNl:l"S • l'LAII-M MAY 1971 �-II - . -I ' ''I I I ~ > IX IX w~W ~-3 z UJ C, i.: h -•~·I. ! I • ~ • l I \ I ,---.; ' I - ·1 ' 1· \ I n I I 2 lfi j r- L~-~·'l'=.c. ·-·c<i' -,."'< , . • . . ii&! -l i .;. 9! l- ~ :, ! <( (I) I - , ~ e Ii I ~J ,.~ .. . (I) 1- -- ! U) .:; .. i .. I -- I L :,,..-:'_1, . ~, / , .! ~ -- . {/:I .,,:I I 1: _. ,,,,.-. �I I I I I 'I I I I I I I I I I I I I As is the case with the water distribution syst em, sanitary sewers wer~ extended east of the City limits (east of Luce Avenue ) to service the Newaygo County Vocational Education Facility as well as nursing care f acilities. Existing Land Use Profile Existing land use advises planning decision makers on the extent to which their community is now developed, the range and amoun ts of the various land uses and urban activities. This land use analysis uses classification techniques to bring land use groupings in line with popular zoning relationships. Residential uses are comprised of single family, two family, multiple family and mobile homes. Other categories include commercial, offices and industrial, public and private recreation, schools, agricultural and open space. Additional groupings take into account public and semi- public, public utilities and parking. Residential - Housing makes up the majority of the City's land use (23%). Residential distributi?n appears to be quite varied as si ngle family, two family, and multiple family dwellings are inter-mixed within several City blocks. These housing units tend to be found near the center of town with other concentrations around the lake and recreation areas. However, one large multiple f amily complex does exist apart from other residential units on the east side of t ow n. parks on the west side. There are also two mobile home Of these residential homes, single family dwellings make up the majority of housing units, comprising a lmost 72 percent of all residential types. Commercial, Offices and Industrial - The ce ntral business district lies along Main Street (M-82). Here is found the bulk of t he City's commercial establishments and office buildings. Most industry is located outside the central business district along the railroad tracks and near the highway. Gerber Products Company, the largest single employer in Fremont, is located nort h of M-82 near the west edge of the central business district. -30- �• • II Ill II II II 111· II II II II II Ill Public and Private Recreation - Fremont has a comparatively high percentage of lands allocated for recreational uses. percent of the City land area. Public and private recreation areas make up over 15 Most of these areas lie on the fringe between resid- ential subdivisions and open space. Schools - The City's schools are centrally located in various elementary school districts. Most school property is found outside the downtown area and offers children short walking distances and easy access to parks and playgrounds. Fremont High School, on the other hand, is located downtown and has little or no room for expansion. Agricultural - Although Fremont is a market for many agricultural products, there are only about 96 acres of fannland within the City limits. Nearly all of the former farmlands have been developed into other land uses through the years. However, the surrounding townships have been and still are comprised primarily of prime farmland. Open Space - Fremont contains over 293 acres of open space and vacant lands. These areas, mostly woodlands and field, consist of over 16.5 precent of the total City area. The large acreage of open space/vacant lands is a direct result of annexation on the fringes of the City which_ included new vacant 1ands to the west of the City, in the vicinity of Luce and East Main Street, plus other lands which, while vacant, are committed for a future use (such as the mobile home park north of Locust Street). Other Land Uses - Other land uses found in the City are: public utilities, and parking. public, semi-public, These uses, though important in their service capa- city, are less significant in terms of their total land area. Table 9 summarizes the existing land use in the City of Fremont as a result of the land use survey taken in the fall of 1979, while Figure 8 graphically depicts these findings. -31- �- ••• ,_ ....... . • • TABLE 9 Land Use Category Single Family Residential 2-Family Residential No. of Units EXISTING LAND USE FREMONT, MICHIGAN ~ . Acres % of Total % of Developed Land l, 052 407.7 22.9 27.4 97 18.2 1.0 1.2 Multiple Family Residential 150 15. 5 · 1.0 1.0 Mobile Home Park 168 25.0 1.4 1. 7 Commercial 61. 7 3.5 4.2 Industrial 124. 7 7.0 8.3 Agricultural 96.0 5.4 6.5 Pub 1i c 15.2 1.0 1.0 Semi-Public 67.1 3.8 4.5 Private Recreation 99.8 5.6 6.7 Public Recreation 179. 1 10.0 12. 1 Schools 107. 7 6.0 7.3 Office 9.0 0.5 0.6 Public Utility 9.3 0.5 0. 7. Parking 3.4 0 .1 0.2 230.0 12. 9 15.5 16.2 0.9 ,. 1 292.5 16.5 Street Right-of-Way Railroad Right-of-Way Open Space/Vacant TOTALS Source: 1,467 1,778.1 Acres 100.0 Land Use Survey Conducted During September, 1979 by Prein &Newhof . -32- 100% �l - - - - ' - - - t - - - - - h j .7 - - - - ~ - - - - - ' l - - - - - - - - - - - f - - - - - l f < ' " " ' - - - - · - - - - i - - - - - - l - - - - - - - 1 I COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ! i n CITY OF FREMONT ST. 38TH EWAYGO COUNTY, MICHIGA LEGEND: ··--,--- - 1:;:;1 SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ~ TWO-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ''' MULTIPLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ~ - - MOBILE HOME PARK - COMMERCIAL 1111 Ill PUBLIC D SEMI - PUBLIC ~ . . . . m .,·· ...·. --~<· t>i lllllliltlini: ~ ~ ~ - 9),: ...• ..... □~~~ 1·• . z.... .......... • • ~ □· ~' !<t. • • •• /r==~==:;:c:;. .. . .. . .. •• 1 •I •:• • I[i{1~:'Ii[i'tI • 1 ·••• •• AGRICULTURAL - a . INDUSTRIAL PRIVATE RECREATION PUBLIC RECREATION f:~•::.:~1 SCHOOLS tillilllli] OFFICE - PUBLIC UTILITIES - PARKING D OPEN SPACE • •••• . 'I ·.I FIGURE 8 Fremont EXISTING LAND USE f-·-···· i : • PREIN & NEWHOF 10 ENGINEERS• PLANNERS �PROJECTED GROWTH TRENDS �• • • • • PROJECTED GROWTH TRENDS Population Growth Trends Looking ahead and preparing in advance for future needs is the very essence of planning, and the needs that planning must attempt to foresee depend to a very great extent upon the size of population. are undertaken. For this reason, population projections The task of making population forecasts is very complex requiring information for many parameters. Even with the needed information, unpredicted developments may seriously invalidate the predictions. In light of this, however, the City of Fremont 1 s population projections have been made using two accurate alternatives which have resulted in logical and realistic estimates. Alternate No. 1 involves using building permits to indicate growth trends. In 1970, the Census of the Population reported 1,259 housing units in the City of Fremont. From 1970 to 1980, 187 new units were constructed. However, during this time period 27 units were demolished bringing the net increase to 160. number of housing units in 1980 is calculated at 1,419. As a result, the total Assuming a continued trend of 2.9 persons per unit which is realistic based on leading social indicators, the 1980 Fremont population is 4,115. Therefore, projecting the trend of 18.7 new dwelling units a year with 2.9 persons per unit, the estimated population for the years 2000 is 5,243. Alternative No. 2 is based upon population growth trends. This trend was derived by determining the percent change from 3,456 persons in 1970 to 4,115 persons in 1980; translating to a 19 percent increase . If we assume this change will continue over the next 20 years, the population projection for the year 2000 is 5,826. Based on these alternatives, it is accurate to project Fremont 1 s 2000 population between 5,200 0 5,800. 1,Jith Alternative No. 1, the building permits clearly reveal -34- �• • • ' the growth characteristics of the community. Further, Alternative No. 2 is a good indicator because of the wide mix of economic conditions which prevailed during the period. Therefore, for planning purposes, the population projection for the year 2000 is estimated at 5,500 persons. determined for preceding years. TABLE 10 As a result, estimates can be Table 10 presents these findings. POPULATION PROJECTIONS FOR THE CITY OF FREMONT, MICHIGAN 1980 - 2000 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 4,115 4,461 4,808 5,154 5,500 Source: Prein & Newhof Estimates Housing Growth Trends An analysis of the existing and long-range housing needs are necessary to estimate space requirements in an attempt to plan for future land use. In the City of Fremont, residential land makes up 31.4 percent of developed land. The residential land has been broken down into four types: single family, two family, multiple family and mobile homes. Within these categories the number of units, acres, densities and percent of the housing stock have been tabulated showing existing conditions. TABLE 11 Table 11 presents these findings. HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CITY OF FREMO NT , MICHIGAN 1979 • Housing Tyee Units Acres Dens i t1 Single Family 1052 408 2.6 71. 7 97 18 5.4 6.6 Multiple Family .150 16 9.4 10.2 Mobile Homes 168 25 6.8 11.5 1467 467 Two Family TOTALS Source: Prein & Newhof Land Use Survey -35- % of Stock 100 �• • • • Based on population projections and 2.9 persons per unit, the estimated number of housing units has been determined for the City of Fremont. Table 12 conveys these findings . TABLE 12 PROJECTED NUMBER OF HOUSING UNITS (BASED ON POPULATION PROJECTIONS AND 2.9 PERSONS PER UNIT) FOR THE CITY OF FREMONT, MICHIGAN 1979 - 2000 Year Population 1979 1985 1990 1995 2000 4115 4461 4808 5154 5500 Source: Units 1467 1538 1658 1777 1897 Prein & Newhof Estimates Having determined the number of needed dwelling units, a percentage breakdown can be estimated for each housing type. indicators and trends. The estimated housing mix is based on The rent paying ability of households is significantly changing during these times of spiraling inflation. With high interest rates, enormous construction and land cost, and high taxes, people are left with less disposable income. In addition, household characteristics are changing. This has resulted in a modification of housing needs as well as housing demands. The City of Fremont over the past 10 years has experiences an average growth of 16 units a year. 21.5 units a year. The projected growth over the next 20 years is estimated at This growth rate is reasonable since many of the new units will be multiple family dwellings. With the economic conditions and changing household characteristics, as previously mentioned, more households are being forced to seek high density, rental units, and especially the young and elderly. In addition, with several elderly apartment complexes in the planning stage, multiple family dwellings making up 18 percent of the housing mix is realistic. �• • • However, if economic conditions continue to worsen, these projections may be invalidated. Furthermore, if the City actively pursues greater industrial devel- opment in an attempt to diversify the industrial base, a significant impact on housing development could result. Keeping these variables in perspective, the estimated housing mix for the year 2000 was compiled. TABLE 13 Table 13 reveals these findings. PROJECTED HOUSING MIX AND UNITS FOR THE CITY OF FREMONT, MICHIGAN: YEAR 2000 Housing T1ee Housing Mix(%) 1979 2000 Single Family 71. 7 60 1138 6.6 8 152 Multiple Family 10. 2 18 341 Mobile Homes 11.5 14 266 TOTALS 100 100 1897 Two Family Source: Units 2000 Prein & Newhof Estimates Using the projected housing mix for the year 2000, the estimated number of units for each housing type can be determined. Table 13 also reveals these findings. By plotting the 1980 and the year 2000 data and interpolating for the five year increments, the number of dwelling units for preceding years can be calculated. These results are found in Table 14. -37- �.. TABLE 14 NUMBER AND TYPE OF HOUSING UNITS PROJECTED FOR 1979 - 2000, CITY OF FREMONT, MICHIGAN Housing Type 1979 1985 1990 1995 ·2000 Single Family 1052 1070 1090 1115 1138 97 110 120 135 152 Multiple Family 150 175 210 265 341 Mobile Homes 168 190 210 235 266 1467 1545 1630 1750 1897 Two Family TOTALS Source: Prein & Newhof Estimates Residential acreage can be determined using the projected housing mix figures together with density standards and their ranges established in Table 15. TABLE 15 NUMBER OF NEW HOUSING UNITS, DENSITY AND ACREAGE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE YEAR 2000, CITY OF FREMONT, MICHIGAN Units 2000 Density New units/acre Additi ona 1 Acreage Housing Type 1979 Single Family 1052 +86 High Average Low 97 +55 High 7 Average 5 . 4 Low 8 11* 14 150 +191 High Average Low 8 16 19* 24 High 7 Average . 6 Low 5 14 16* 20 Two Family Multiple Family Mobile Homes TOTALS Source: 168 +98 1467 +430 4 2.5 1 12 10 22 34* 86 80* Prein &Newhof Estimates * Average numbers are summarized in the totals column. -38- �• Based then, on the preceding tables, Table 16 summarizes for the City of Fremont, the anticipated average land usage of residential types within a 20 year period. TABLE 16 PROJECTED LAND NEEDS FOR RESIDENTIAL PURPOSES BY TYPES CITY OF FREMONT, MICHIGAN Housing Tyee 1979 Acreage 2000 Acreage Change Single Family 408 442 34 Two Family 18 29 11 Multiple Family 16 35 19 Mobile Homes 25 41 16 467 547 80 TOTALS Source: Prein &Newhof Estimates Nonresidential Growth Trends Commercial Uses - In commercial enterprises, the market reaches a point of saturation in which a certain number of residents can only support a specific amount of businesses. Assuming area needs are presently met, as the population grows, so will the demand for commercial land. Presently, commercial land in the City of Fremont accounts for 61.7 acres. Since Fremont is the area market center, commercial land in surrounding townships should be included. Adjacent commercial lands account for approximately 49.2 acres. brings the total commercial acreage in the Fremont area to 110.9 acres. This With an area population of 12,515, commercial land is calculated at 112.9 persons per acre. Based on these figures, 148 acres of commercial land are needed to serve the area by the year 2000 with a population of 16,714. Therefore, assuming land is available, Fremont could absorb 37 additional acres of commercial land. Table 17 conveys the projected commercial acreage for Fremont and surrounding townships for 1980 - 2000 . -39- �TABLE 17 POPULATION AND COMMERCIAL ACREAGE PROJECTIONS FJR FREMONT, MICHIGAN AND SURROUNDING - owNSHIPS, 1980 - 2000 Populatio:1 Commercial Acreage 1980 11,214 111 1985 12,589 120 1990 13,96~ 130 1995 15,339 139 2000 .16, 71~ 148 Source: Prein & Newnof ~stimates Industrial Uses - In the City of Fremont, 696 persons are employed in manufacturing. Current land used for industrial purposes totals 124.7 acres. employees per acre. This computes to 5.6 By establishing a ratio of manufacturing employees in Fremont to those in Newaygo County and applying this ratio to the number of Newaygo County manufacturing employees, the number of Frenor.: employees can be determined. As a result, projections can be made for Industritl Acreage for the City of Fremont, 1980 - 2000. Table 18 reveals these findings. TABLE 18 INDUSTRI~L ACREAGE FOR THE CI~Y QF FREMONT, MICHIGAN 1980 - 2CJO 198•) Newaygo County Population* 34,200 1985 1990 37,600 41,000 1995 2000 43,800 45,900 Newaygo Manufacturing Employees 1, 87 S 2,068 2,555 2,409 2,524 Fremont Manufacturing Employees 696 767 837 894 936 Employees/Acre 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 124.7 137.0 150.0 160 167 Industrial Acres Source: Prein & Newhof Estimates * Michigan Statistical Abstract 1979 -40- �GOALS AND OBJECTIVES �GOALS & OBJECTIVES An understanding of the goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan is essential to perceive specific proposals and concepts proposed by the Plan. An essential purpose of the Plan is to broadly define the kind of community envisioned so that development, regardless of its rate, will always be toward the fulfillment of recognized goals. RESIDENTIAL AREAS 1. 2. 3. Preserve and enhance the supply of decent, safe and structurally sound housing within the City of Fremont. • Periodically review the structural integrity of the housing supply. • Develop programs for conservation and rehabilitation of unsound and unsightly structures. • Consider the establishment of a housing code which requires, among other things, occupancy pennits. An alternative mig ht be the establishment of an occupancy permit section in the Zoning Ordinance. • Through local ordinances, require owners to maintai n their structures and grounds in order to promote the health, safety and general welfare of Fremont's residents . Preserve the residential character in the various neighborhoods. • Protect residential areas from non-residential encroachment. • Minimize the intrusion of through traffic in neighborhood areas. Provide for a variety of housing types within the City to allow people options in housing. • Through proper land use planning and zoning, establish areas for a variety of housing types within the City such as single family, duplexes, multiple family (condominiums and apartments), and mobile homes. COMMERCIAL AREAS 1. Encourage business in Fremont to develop appealing shopping facilities which provide a sufficient amount of goods and services to meet the needs of a growing population in the City and market area. • Promote physical clustering of commercial facilities rather than strip development thereby providing for joint use of parking facilities, more convenient shopping and pleasant pedestrian spaces. -41- �2. • Discourage over-~oncentration of similar businesses to prevent vacancies and market saturation. • Blend the commercial areas with surrounding uses to minimize land use/ traffic and environmental conflicts. • Provide adequate parking to create an inviting shopping environment convenient for all to use. • Provide for efficient accessibility to shopping complexes to minimize traffic conflict. Promote the Central Business District (CBD) as the major commercial center in a four township area. In addition, enhance the CBD as the place to do business rather than dependence on other areas such as Muskegon, Grand Rapids, etc. • Eliminate traffic congestion through the use of the one-way street system. • Convert Main Street back to the pedestrian through greater use of the right-of-way for pedestrians. • Introduce landscaping and a design motif in the CBD. • Minimize or eliminate through vehicle movement patterns. • Provide for adequate off-street parking to accommodate existing and future parking deficiencies. INDUSTRIAL USES 1. Promote a strong, stable industrial base in Fremont thus providing a greater number of local jobs. • Promote industrial diversification in the City. • Obtain land for industrial development. • Encourage industry to locate in an industrial park complex. • Work closely with existing industry to promote expansion and to maintain their present operations. OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION 1. Development of recreation facilities which will provide adequate facilities for all the residents in Fremont. • Select sites to adequately cover the City in terms of active and passive recreation. • Implement previously prepared Master Plans for Fremont Lake Park and Branstrom Park. • Develop plans for utilization of the Darling Creek River Bed as a viable recreation resource. -42- �LAND USE PLAN �LAND USE PLAN The formulation of the Land Use Plan has had considerable thought put into it after evaluating the inventory and background studies. The inventory and study phases included mapping and analysis of environmental features, population, economic, community elements, transportation and utility analysis and forecasts, and defining related goals. These studies were important to establish relationships for land use decisions which will affect the future spatial form of the City's urban development. The land use planning process is one of determining land area requirements for all of the urban and related activities which future populations will require in the City of Fremont. The plan is based upon the assumption that, at or around the target year 2000, the various urban and related requirements of some 5,$00 persons will be pro- vided based on the given capabilities of the land. As a result of this planning process, the Land Use Plan was conceived and is graphically presented in Figure 17. Current acreages for selected land uses are shown in Table 19. In addition, additional acreage required to accommodate 5500 people by the year 2000 is show.n. TABLE 19 Land Use Category Low Density Residential Medium Density Residential High Density Residential Commercial Industrial TOTALS Source: EXISTING LAND USE AND LAND NEEDS BY THE YEAR 2000, CITY OF FREMONT Existing Land Use 408 43 16 74 125 AC AC AC AC AC 666 AC Prein & Newhof -43- Proposed Acreage Total Acreage Year 2000 34 AC 27 19 442 AC 47 42 121 167 169 AC 70 35 835 AC �Low Density Residentia1 Low density residentia1 areas incij1ude densities of 1-4 units per acre of land. Within the Fremont City 1imits, these densities continue to be located in the northeastern and southeast portions of the City. In outlying sections of the urban areas, the Second, Third and Fourth Lakes area continues to be a prime low density residential area with its large lots, mctny of are water oriented. Other outlying areas designated as low density are areas east and west of M-82 between the corporate limits and 56th Street, areas to the west of the City north and south of Main Street and along 44th Street generally east of Stone Road. Medium Density Residentia1 Medium density residentia1 areas are designated general1y in the older single family residential districts of the City. These are generally found within close proximity to the downtown area, such as, west of Stewart just south of Main Street, and west of Hillcrest just north of Main Street. In addition, the area in the vicinity of Connie Avenue is designated for this use as well as south of Lake Drive. Medium density residential areas will develop within a range of from five to seven (5 to 7) dwelling units per acre. Generally, this residential category will be characterized by higher density single family, mobile homes duplexes, and possibly condominiums with lower density characteristics. High Density Residential The plan proposes high density residential districts in older areas of the community where many of the homes are considered in a transitional stage, as well as new, more rural locations on the fringe of the City. -44- High density districts in older �areas of the community are generally found adjacent to the Central Business District, such as, north of Elm Street just west of Division Avenue, east of Merchant Avenue between Main and Elm Streets, along Sheridan Street between Mechanic and Gerber Avenues, and near Stone Road and Main Street bounded by Gerber Products on the east. Other high density areas are proposed near the fringe of the City Limits to allow for newer type developments. These areas include: north of Main Street and adjacent to Value Land Center; west of the City; on Main Street near Luce Avenue; east of the City, and southeast of 44th Street along Stone Road. High density residential suggests development of housing at a density rate of eight to twelve (8 to 12) dwelling units per acre. Generally, high density residential housing will be characterized by apartments and condominiums. However, high density single fan~ 1ly units could be possible as more innovative approaches to development are reviewed and implemented by the City. Efforts should be made to encourage condominium-type development in the City. Greater use of high density housing encouragees young couples and singles to stay in the community if jobs are available. This type of housing is necessary in Fremont to to provide another option to families who otherwise might be unable to secure good housing because of inflation and high interest rates. Commercial Uses The plan proposes a more intensively developed commercial core in the downtown area with boundaries between Mechanic and Merchant Avenue and extending as far north as Elm Street and half a block south of Sheridan Street. Some strip commercial has been allowed along Main Street from Weaver west to Connie Avenue. However, in an attempt to minimize strip commercial any farther west of that point, an area of professional offices has been introduced between Connie Avenue and the Value Land -45- �Center. Other existing corrmercial areas have been designated for continual commercial uses. These include the areas along Main Street east of Hillcrest Avenue, and along Stewart Avenue on the southern border of the City Limits. The proposed commercial designations take into account regional considerations. In Sheridan Townships ' Land Use Plan, commercial development is proposed at the intersection of 56th Street and M-82. Therefore, the Plan attempts to discourage further expansion north of 56th Street on M-82 since such development would detract from Fremont's downtown business and the proposed M-82 commercial center. Professional Offices The plan allocates professional office space adjacent to the Commercial core to the west of town along Main Street between Connie Avenue and the Value Land Center, and to the east on Main Street immediately east of the existing apartment complex. Generally, professional offices can serve as an effective buffer between commercial and residential areas. In addition, professional offices provide economic vitality to adjacent commercial areas by the retail purchase generated by professional office personnel. Industrial Uses The plan proposes the concentration of industrial uses in two locations, north of State Street just east of Stone Road, and along Connie Avenue as far west as Green Avenue adjacent to the railroad right-of-way. The designated industrial land which includes Gerber Products, includes those lands presently utilized for industrial purposes as well as vacant land necessary for anticipated expansion. The industrial area to the west adjacent to Green Road includes some existing industrial lands. However, this area has the potential for industrial diversification, so sorely needed -46- �in the area. Both locations for industry are logical due to their available vacant lands as well as the close tie in with existing industry. compatible with adjacent uses. are feasible. handling easy. In addition, the areas are Utilities are also readily available and extentions Railroad service is adjacent to each area making shipping and However, there has been some concern that the railroad serv ·ce will be withdrawn in the foreseeable future. Public and Semi-Public The public and semi-public uses are widely dispersible throughout the City. concentrations consist of the school lands and church facilities. Major t he cemetery west of Stewart (M-82), The public category is composed of municpal facilities, schools, cemeteries, and public utility lands such as a utility substation, wastewater treatment and water treatment operations and Federal and State offices. Semi- public uses include primarily churches and other quasi-public uses such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars, etc. The Plan has shown these uses basically as they exist with selected areas for expansion such as the area between Main Street, Sheridan, Merchant and Darling Streets. Recreational As a result of the Park & Recreation Plan, lands following the course of Darling Creek are designated for recreational development. Lake Drive and those southwest of Branstrom Park. These areas include lands along This is an attempt to connect Branstrom Park to Fremont Lake Park, offering a recreational trail system through the City. The Plan also proposes stage development of these facilities to provide -47- �an easier process for implementation inter-~ of financial feasibility. A smaller recreational center east of Woods proposed. ~-j south of Main Street is also This site is recommended since i : is easily accessible for senior citizen use. Agricultural Agricultural land uses are confined to out1;i~~ areas of the City. These designations have been established to assure the availa bi~~~Y of space for increasing urbanization on the fringes. Future Utility Service Areas The present utility system as described en c::-: ;.sses the large majority of the City of Fremont. In addition, utilities extend c:r.3~de of the City to the east serving public and quasi-public uses in that area e~s : of Luce Avenue. Future growth and deve 1opment wi 11 occur mo r :: "'eadi ly in most communities generally in areas where utilities are provided, but--:, ~~ particularly in the Fremont area because of the heavy nester soils so preve lc r.: in the area. New utility service is now available around Fremont Lake to the no ~:- and west. The plan would envision new growth in the i-: ~; t rial area west of Locust, to Green Road in the vicinity of Value Land, in the c:.,== of Division and ~•Jalriut (which would require a lift station), along East Main St r 2::: north and south of this corridor, east of Hillcrest and north of East Main Str:::::. As shown in Table 19, additional land needs :r--: ~ected to the year 2000 are as follows: -48- �F , ' Low Density Residential 34 acres Medium Density Residential 27 acres High Density Residential 19 acres Commercial 47 acres Industrial 42 acres TOTAL 169 acres This. acreage amounts to only a quarter of a square mile or one-quarter of a Section. Therefore, this land could develop with no real noticable change in the physical configuration of the City. -49- �,_ Il=f , I ...J' COMPREHENSIVE PLAN I I I 1 __ . 11, 7 r· - I ·r cir CITY OF FREMONT l ~f --- . I II I I ,J~ EWAYGO COUNTY, MICHIGA "'✓1 SERVICE AR!A W SY THE YEAR 2000 ~ L ~j FIGURE 9 FUTURE UTILITY SERVICE AREA l'r,ncon I lo1;, l\ ffl ·~ ""IN 10 - - - · ·I I NIWMO, .........."······· �'. CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT STUDY �CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT STUDY The Central Business District (CBD) is the core of the Fremont Urban Area. It is generally identified as having the highest land values placed on the parcels within this area. It is the social, economic, financial, business and governmental center of most communities. The ref ore, speci a1 cons i de ration shou 1d be given to this area to maintain its rightful role in the many activities of the City of Fremont. There are many challenges placed before the CBD at the present time. Certainly continued pressure. from the growth of outlying co111T1erci a1 activities threatens the economic viability of the area. Traffic congestion, urban aesthetics and off-street parking are all important considerations in seeking ways to maintain, restore and enhance the core area so that it can compete effectively with outlying influences. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to analyze the CBD in detail, to assess the problems, the prospects and finally to chart a course of improvements which are essential for its continued economic strength. Physical Resources Existing Land Use - The area generally regarded as making up the Fremont Central Business District (CBD) contains 50 acres of land lying between Elm and Maple Street, and between Sullivan and Darling Avenue. City's land uses. This area contains a cross-section of the . These uses are shown in Figure 10. The configuation of the CBD is typical of those located in many smaller cities. The majority of merchants are located in a highly concentrated core along Main Street. Intermingled among the retail stores are various professional, public and -50- �-~ ~ COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CITY OF FREMONT EWAYGO COUNTY, MICHIGA LEGEND ~ - ·- r--r--- ~ ~ Fl I I I I H+l+i-1 1+1-1+1 Fl 11 111 ~ ······· a· 1·1·1 1rrE ~ 1- 1+a 1·1·1·1·1·1·1 llllllMfflllllll__J I~~ ,., , , , , , , , , ELM DAYTON ~ EG___HI 1-111111 1~1~1 1 -~ l+I fl·H L_ =11mw=,imi=~~ii=mm~~11m~ ·.,:,::=:it}'i :_::< . r.' &&ILi :}):~/'.:='._::;!=;.::;;=:~l:'.'.1: :. r,z,t Vi((C/a l!t•l·sl• ■ 'i"(,:.','.y'j/',((,Ulllllllll[[IIIH ~ ~-1·1·1·1·1 mmm Fii11-=H · fil II ail 111 11 e·i 11·1· C MAIN ..I W : = • f • • I• 1.1:1:1.1 ~~~ ~~ ~~ ~1·1·1·1:1·1·1 ~~IHl·l-!-l·l·l·ll!~·l·l·I l·lllh5EB3 S g ~11111111 ...111 H~Ed I Fl Fl I I ltlllli L_ r--- 4 11 11 I L.:.:J TWO-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL II RESIDENTIAL ■ COMMERCIAL ■ PROFESSIONAL OFFICES Ill filII MULTIPLE FAMILY INDUSTRIAL PUBLIC m [I RECREATION ~ PARKING FIGURE z ~ " ' ~•> • z l r::, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL SEMI-PUBLIC MAPLE • 10 rn L.:J f I 10 CBD EXISTING LAND USE ~ ~ 100 100 ~--- •OO ,m �semi-public offices. ing lots. These establishments are easily accessible to the City park- . Also within convenient distance is the Fremont City Park. offers visual relief from the more intensive business activities. This park Residential homes make up the perimeter of the CBD, some of which are in a transitional stage (i.e. higher density residential uses, or use changes). Physical Appearance - The general physical appearance of the CBD is critically important to its vitality. The location and appearance of buildings and the street landscape are elements which create an inviting shopping environment. · In addition, the strucutral condition of buildings is an important facet in assessing overall conditions. sound. In the City of Fremont, the physical condition of buildings is basically Only one area of substandard structures has been identified within the CBD, on the south side of Sheridan between Sullivan and Darling Avenue. The overall image of the existing business area could improve its aesthetic appeal. The architectural design of buildings lacks continuity since building form and design do not relate with the different use of materials, colors, and storefront signs. Landscape planting in areas is almost non-existent as are other important elements of streetscape such as seating, trash cans and street furniture. Consideration should be given to upgrading the CBD so that it might become more pedestrianoriented, offering curb cuts and ramps for wheel chairs and baby strollers. Design improvement through renovation could overcome these shortcomings and generate a more positive shopping environment in the CBD. for the CBD. A general design motif was selected However, coordination on a block by block basis has not been accomplished. Retail Trade The Central Business District market area is that area from which downtown retail establishments can expect to receive 80 to 90 percent of their business . . Because the Fremont Trade Area covers a large market, two basic levels of shopping districts have -52- �been established. The primary zone consists of the City of Fremont and households generally within the ori gi na 1 annexation area. The secondary zone comprises the surrounding Dayton and Sheridan Townships and portions of Sherman and Garfield Townships. Within this market, total retail sales for 1980 have been estimated at $38.8 million. Fremont's total retail sales have been calculated based on statistical information from Newaygo County for the year 1978. In projecting retail sales, yearly increases of 1.81 percent are expected based on United States standards and market compostion. Applying this factor and holding constant the effects of inflation, Table 20 shows projected retail sales for the Fremont Trade Area. TABLE 20 PROJECTED TOTAL RETAIL SALES FOR THE FREMONT TRADE AREA, NEWAYGO COUNTY, MICHIGAN 1980 $38.8 Source: 1985 1990 1995 (Dollars In Millions) 2000 S46.4 $55.5 $42.4 $50.8 Prein & Newhof Estimates The total effective buying income is calculated based on population projections and an established per capita effective buying income. population estimates. Table 21 presents the forcasted In projecting the total effective buying income, it is assumed the per capita EBI is $5606 for the primary zone and $5265 for the secondary zone, in 1980 dollars holding constant the effects of inflation. Effective buying income is determined from "Sales Management" statistical data for 1979 for Newaygo County. Table 22 conveys these tabulations. -53- �POPULATION PROJECTIONS FOR THE FREMONT TRADE ZONE, NEWAYGO COUNTY, MICHIGAN TABLE 21 Zone 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 Primary 5,348 5,798 6,249 6,698 7,148 Secondary 5,442 6,315 7,187 8,061 8,934 10,790 12,113 13,436 Total Source: 14,759 16,082 Prein &Newhof Estimates TABLE 22 PROJECTED TOTAL EFFECTIVE BUYI NG INCOME FOR THE FREMONT TRADE ZONES, NEWAYGO COUNTY, MICHIGAN . 1980 Dollars in Millions* 1985 1990 1995 2000 Primary Zone 30.0 32.5 35.0 37 .6 40.1 Secondary Zone 28.7 33.3 37.8 42.4 47.0 Total Trade Area 58.7 65.8 72.8 80.0 87.1 Source: Prein & Newhof Estimates Sales Management Magazine *Assuming an Effective Buying Income of $5,606 per person for the primary zone and $5,265 per person for the secondary zone-holding constant the effects of infl~tion in 1980 dollars. In summary, the 1980 total retail sales in the Fremont Market Area were calculated at $38.8 million. The total effective buying income, or actual potential sales in the market area were estimated at $58.7 million. This translates to $19.8 million dollars worth of sales that Fremont merchants did not capture. It should also be noted that approximately 10 to 20 percent of the sales were to tourists who were not included in the ability to buy. exists. Therefore, an even greater growth potential Table 23 presents the projected retail market conditions. -54- �· TABLE 23 PROJECTED TOTAL SALES, EFFECTIVE BUYING INCOME AND SALES NOT CAPTURED FOR THE FREMONT TRADE AREA, NEWAYGO COUNTY, MICHIGAN Total Retail Sal es Dollars In Millions Total Effective Bu,Zi ng Income Sales Not Ca~tured 1980 38.8 58.7 19.9 1985 42.4 65.8 23.4 1990 46 . 4 72.8 26.4 1995 50.8 80.0 29.2 2000 55.5 87 .1 31.6 Source: Prein & Newhof Estimates Sales Management Magazine With estimated projections of potential retail sales, in the CBD, the next step is capturing those sales. Therefore, projected expenditure levels are converted into retail floor area requirements to detennine additional space for development over the next 20 years. Currently, 213,900 square feet of retail floor space exist in the City of Fremont's Central Business District. With total retail sales estimated at $38,788,881 in 1980, the annual retail sales per square foot of floor area calculates to $181. The amount of retail floor space in the Central Business District proposed in future years can be determined based on projected retail sales and the average ~etail sales per square foot. Table 24 relates these findings. -55- �TABLE 24 EXISTING RETAIL FLOOR AND PROJECTED TO THE YEAR 2000 FOR THE FREMONT TRADE AREA, NEWAYGO COUNTY, MICHIGAN Proposed* Existing Additional Floor Space (sq.ft.) Floor Space (sq.ft.) Floor Space (sq.ft.) 1980 213,900 1985 234,414 20,514 1990 256,409 42,509 1995 280,470 66,570 2000 306,790 92,890 Source: 213,900 Prein & Newhof Estimates * Assuming retail sales of $181 per square foot of retail floor area, holding constant inflation in 1980 dollars. Parking Convenient parking is a major factor influencing a person's decision where to shop. This is of primary importance in capturing the potential retail market. A parking inventory was undertaken and Figure 11 reveals the findings. In the City of Fremont, parking is generated by a core area within the CBD. This shopping core is made up of a six (61 block area divided into six (6) sectors. Within this area, parking demand was determined to help assess the retail market and its vitality. Parking requirements are largely determined by assessing the needs of the various land uses in the CBD. Based on the amount of floor space allocated to each use within each sector, supply and demand figures were determined. By comparing the supply and demand, it becomes clear that a parking deficiency exists within the Fremont CBD core. To clarify whether the total park- ing supply offsets the core deficiency, parking in the total CBD was inventoried. Figure 12 graphically presents these findings, while Table 25 gives a summation. -56- �COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CITY OF FREMONT EWAYGO COUNTY, MICHIGA _LEGEND . . : . . METERED PARKING ~ ~ Fl I I I I ~ ~--~~--p--r I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Fl I I I I I L_ I "" ► ► " ,■r■-■r .. ~■--■1'-■,.....DIE . I I I I i I I ~ ~~ [ITilJ~~II 11 1i 11 L_ ~ UJ I IIITTTTR ~ I '"'I I I I I I l _llf'lrnlll l[I ll!)·[=■ i~ITIIIJ~ L....IOJTI 111 I ~ ...,1111 J.I 11111111[11 ., Ell□ i ill[[J 1111..l Ea[j' ,~) D]ll. 1111 Ii ~ ~ _ (~) -------',;,V / / ~--·· . ···~ ELM novTnw SIJffl/EY TAKEN: OEC,, 1979 ~~~JA~~EDP~~~:GOR CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT BOUNDARY I 11 I ;[IIBi[IIBi □ ~I l[ OFF • STREET PARKING (20). MAPl.£ l[ I ■■■ NON- METERED PARKING '------'--..................-l,,;r 1~ttHBtDB-am1~ - ~BIIE~LllJ::=jg - m I I_II I I I I I I I I I I I l~R 111111 l~CJEi~ r1 1111111 111 R~Ed I Fl Fl 11 ltillo~L_ l[ OAK FIGURE 11 PARKING INVENTORY ~ �COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CITY OF FREMONT EWAYGO COUNTY, ~~ ~ · I I I Fl Fl I I I I ~ I _II ~lL~~-1I _I_, I I I II II I II II I H II I I I L_ ~. Jttmtff(1_::}j_~~bt-~h Iiii 111111 C 1 ,ff' < ,z ~~ □!I l1rur'111p1r l#li~ C 11 ~1111 ~I III l£l!l__1~:!r~~--l_l~llrn+a . . 1 r' ffiE 1·-· -1• t!rrfi e-HHH~1M~00 11 ~ ® CHERRY MICHIGA SECTOR NUMBER ■■■ I C. 8. D. __ SECTOR BOUNDARY 20 BOUNDARY DEMAND SUPPLY SUB- SECTOR 76 __ I 1 I ~ - ' ~----J ~ITIBiITIB!Dil 111111111111111 l~R 111111 1!CIE3 ~ l:=illli~[I[B~ ;11111111 111 H~Ed I Fl Fl 11 lallJj__o L_ MAPLE ~~ OAK I 11 II 11 I FIGURE 12 PARKING SUPPLY & DEMAND ~ Pf\EJN a NEWHOF ENGINEERS · PlANNEftS �TABLE 25 CBD PARKING SUPPLY AND DEM.~N D £ITY OF FREMONT, MICHIGAN 1980 CBD Areas · Core Adjacent Areas Total CBD Source: Note: Demand SU'.]D lt Difference 1,138 707 - 431 339 381 + 1,477 1,088 42 - 389 Prein & Newhof Estimates The CBD core is defined as t he highly concentrated commercial center which ge nerates major business activity and is that area within the boundaries of Elm, Sullivan, Maple and St ewart. Vehicular Circulation Traffic patterns have been analyzed in terms of existing volumes and capacities. This data was then used to project volumes and to assess t he capabilities of the system to handle future traffic loads. The proposed vehicu l ar circulation plan as presented in the Thoroughfare Plan section evolved from t his analysis. Concentrating on the aspects of the Thoroughfare Plan which directly affect the CBD, the proposal is designed to facilitate greater carrying capacity and easier flow for vehicules by rerouting through traffic off of Main Street. be made possible by developing a one-way traffic loop. This will : he system will consist of a three lane, one direction circulation loop with approp r iate cut throughs, widenings and alignments.· This type of circulation network will discourage any through traffic other than shoppers. This approach will eliminate the existing conflict on Main Street between through vehicles and those who wish to par k and shop. It will allow for innovative development on Main Street to replace the co ngested character of the core. -59- �, Development Plan The Development Plan which is illustrated in this section reflects the fundamental decisions formulated as a result of the investigation and analysis. The plan as presented indicates very definite avenues of potential growth in terms of the direction and location of future expansion and also recommends certain types of physical development to assure a valid growth pattern. However, realiz i ng that all forecasts made for the next 20 years may not hold true as time and circumstances change, the plan allows for degrees of flexibility. Land Use area. The Land Use Plan proposes for more corrmercial intense land in the downtown The area between Mechanic and Merchant Avenues and extending as far north as Elm Street and half a block south. of Sheridan Street, has been designated solely for commercial use. The only strip commercial in the CBD has been isolated along Main Street from Weaver west to Kreps Avenue. The plan proposes professional offices adjacent to commercial establishments. Generally this will provide a buffer between commercial and residential areas and will also generate more economic vitality to the area. Professional office uses are proposed on Maple between Division and Merchant between Main Street and Sheridan, Sullivan and Mechanic and on the north side of Deyton between Weaver and Mechanic. The plan shows little change in public and semi-public land uses. These uses will continue where municipal facilities, schools, churches and public lands presently exist. The only land designated for industrial use in the CB0 is that area north of State Street and east of Darling Creek. This land is presently owned by Gerber Products and will be needed for expansion purposes. -60- �I• High and medium density residential lands make up the remainder of -the CBD. These areas are found in close proximity to the commercial core and generally in older areas of the community where many of the homes are in a transitional stage. Figure 13 graphically depicts the proposed land use for the City of Fremont's Central Business District. In addition to future land use concepts and traffic circulation improvements, the plan proposed some additional, more precise suggestions for downtown revitalization. These suggestions are as follows: • Establishment of a design motif or theme which will assure the coordination of all building improvements in the CBD such as architecture, color, texture, street furniture, landscaping, signs. • Initially, development of a pedestrian and parking mall on Main Street including diagonal parking, wider pedestrian walkways and effective landscaping. Ultimate development might include a pedestrian mall, void of all vehicular traffic. • Improvement of store backs, providing rear entrance to retail establishments directly from off-street parking areas. • Additional promotions to generate more business including special showings of new products such as cars, boats, fall clothes, etc. on Main Street. • Consideration of longer store hours and larger inventories to provide greater selection of merchandise to reach and service a wider segment of the potential market. Figure 14 pictorially represents the site plan for the City of Fremont's Central Business District. -61- �~ COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CITY OF FREMONT EWAYGO COUNTY, MICHIGA ~ □ MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL !5·7 UNITS / ACRE r7 [_JJ -· • [HE •• '--.L......L~'-- ~EDIE~DIBg II 11 ~l1111111111111 ~11111111 111 OAK 11 I 11 l~H a ~w ~ PROFESSIONAL OFFICES I Fl 8 SEMl·PUBLIC INDUSTRIAL CBD FUTURE LAND USE F l I 111111111 111 11 I PUBLIC FIGURE 13 MAPLE ~[IJ:Ei[IJE~o COMMERCIAL 1 1 1 1 1 11 11111111111111111111111111111111 ••,.,..... ..,.,.,.,,,.,. 8 · 12 UNITS / ACRE ■ lffl Iii 11111111111111111111111111111111111 1 1 .••• HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL l~CIE F l 11 l t l l l l i I ~ L_ If ~ --- D IOO , oo tll'O ... , �f ' �- MAJOR THOROUGHFARE PLAN �MAJOR THOROUGHFARE PLAN Streets and highways make up a very important part of the framework which links community activities to one another. Because of their importance to a community it is imperative that they be part of the Comprehensive Development Plan. This sec ti on of the Comprehensive Pl an examines vehicle networks in the City of Fremont in general and the proposed thoroughfare system in particular. While transportation is a separate section in this study, it is very much an integral part of the Land Use Plan and general overall pattern for development. Existing Thoroughfare System For purposes of analysis, streets have been classified according to their function. Primary arterial streets provide high volume movement of vehicles through the community connecting traffic generations. Secondary arterial streets are similar to primary streets except they carry a lower volume of traffic. Collector streets serve the internal traffic within an area; such as a neighborhood, and connect with the arterial sys tern. • Principle or Primary Arterial - The highest traffic volume corridors carrying the major portion of trips entering and leaving an urban area. • Minor or Secondary Arterial - Streets and highways interconnecting with and augmenting th.e urban principle arterial system providing service to trips of moderate length at a somewhat lower level of travel mobility. This system places more emphasis on land access. It includes all arterials not classified as principal or primary. • Urban Collector - Streets penetrating the neighborhoods, collecting traffic from the local streets in the neighborhood and channeling it into the arterial system. A minor amount of through traffic is carried on a collector street. It's primary function is to provide land access service and carries local traffic movements within residential neighborhoods as well as commercial a~d industrial uses. Urban Local Street Systems: - Streets which are not classified in a higher system, primarily providing direct access to adjacent land uses as well as access to the higher road systems. Volumes are low while through traffic is discouraged. -64- �The road classification map indicates the fare system has evolved. frame1>✓ 0rk from which the proposed thorough- The objective has been to define appropriate related purposes of highways and streets in providing traffic services that influence urban development, and to establish the most economic yet beneficial system to meet both present and future transportation needs. The followin g list defines the street classification system: Concerning the classification of these streets, the following is a breakdown of the primary, secondary, and collector road system within the City of Fremont: • Primar) Roads - M-82 (West Main Street and Stewart south of Main Street _, East Main Street. • Secondary Roads - Luce, 56th Street, Sheridan, Dayton, 44th, Osborne (Weaver), Stone, Green, Darling, Rarnshorn, Lake Drive, Lakevie~ Drive. • Collector Roads - Hillcrest, Division, Connie, Lake Drive (north of Lakeview Drive), Oak Street, Pine (east of Stewart), and Woods; Apache Drive, Iorquois Drive and State Street. The remainder of the City Streets are considered minor or local streets. Figure 15 graphically depicts these classifications. · Future Traffic Volumes and Capacities Estimated 1980 traffic volumes on designated streets are shown in Table 26 while Figure 16 graphically presents these findings. These figures are based on actual counts in 1977-78 and projected to 1980 based on the standard increase of 2.7%, as used by the Michigan Department of Transportation. -65- �• - --- . - 1.7 -. -•- .....,. - --- ~ COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ·--; CITY OF FREMONT I \ / I ~EWAYGO COUNTY, MICHIGA f ,1 I ·,I •· ' 1111 PRIMARY ARTERIAL I ,]l ! 't· -, ':Lt ..--:::--·~ )---1l '1,JJ.. ~ ;,_::' ·,,·,: l: ., . .?'-. . L.:-<~ :Ji ~-r:- .:;1_~ =:~~~\~ ., 'ii •... ~\ ,--· :....._i; &h 4 ~ ---~-----,/ VA I, ':51 j~ , •• SECONDARY ARTERIAL 3l I ••• COLLECTOR L I .. ;-;..... .. . . ' 11 ;- -, :.j i L__rJ t J 6 ••• FIGURE •✓- 15 ROAD CLASSIFICATIONS & ~ ':, Fr t-,,,o,,_, ~ ' Lafe ~v . t , I ·1 r.,1, ~ ~ &] _.,.,,,- I -~d·- - ~ ..UL /I···.~~-- LEGEND =c,--,_, I iJI I, 10 ~➔ te· i ii '-.;; ~,- ~ ~- ,, w ,,~ l ........."°, o'~ aoo· 1200· .. .J ...J ••w F'EET ......... ......... I �zl- < c:s:Zc, ..JQ:c fl) a.:E~ UJ >W. cna:~ zu.z ..J ::c LI. 0 wou w :::, (.) a: 0 CJ a. OI-,: o-w (J ct w ,: :E ::::> g :i ii: IL ::E>~ IX I- ~ , C I l:}--- - i r -- ~ - .L - r--.. . .,_-- / ~ "' ~l( I .,_ - ~ �TABLE 26 EXISTING AND PROJECTED TRAFFIC VOLUMES FREMONT CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT 1980-2000 1980 Main St. east of State Main St. west of State Main St. east of Stewart Main St. west of Stewart Darling north of Main Division north of Main Division south of Main State St. west of Main Stewart south of Main Weaver north of Main Dayton west of Mechanic Source: 15,065 13,527 9,402 12,555 1,503 2,964 5,901 1,801 6,822 1,985 1,133 1985 1990 1995 2000 17,212 15,454 10,742 13,970 1,717 3,386 6,742 2,058 7,794 2,268 1,294 19,664 17,656 12,272 15,961 1,962 3,869 7,702 2,351 8,905 2,591 1,479 22,467 20,171 14,021 18,235 2,185 4,420 8,800 2,686 10,173 2,960 1,690 25,667 23,046 16,018 20,833 2,497 5,050 10,054 3,068 11,630 3,381 1,930 Actual traffic counts (1977-78) projected by Prein & Newhof Existing traffic information points out that some streets, particularly Main Street, are heavily traveled. Traffic capacities for Ihe above streets have been computed. The following table shows projected traffic volumes as related to traffic volume capacities. TABLE 27 PROJECTED TRAFFIC VOLUMES AND ROAD CAPACITIES FOR SELECTED STREETS, F~EMONT, MICHIGAN 200.'J Road Volu me s Capacities* Main St. east of State Main St. west of State Main St. east of Stewart Main St. west of Stewart Darling north of Main St. Darling south of Main St. Division north of Main Division south of Main Stewart south of Main Weaver north of Main St . . . Dayton St. between Weaver & Stewart Sheridan between Sullivan & Darling 11,620 · 3,381 22,400 22,400 22,400 22,400 20,400 15,450 6,700 6,700 26,200 20,400 neg. 17,400 neg. 17,400 25,667 23,846 16,018 20,833 2, 497 5,05 0 10,05 4 * Average Daily Traffic Volumes Source: Prein & Newhof -68- ~eg. = Negligible Deficiency 3,267 646 3,354 �Projections show that volumes on Main Street will increase to about 25,000 vehicles/ day by the year 2000 with capacities at slightly over 22,000 east and west of the Central Business District core and just under 18,000 between Mechanic and Merchants Streets. There is no other place for traffic to go unless improvements are made in side and parallel streets with eventual cut t hrough access to tie these roads to the major circulation system of the City. Major Thoroughfare Plan Primary Roads - The plan continues to propose those roads already designated in the primary system with the addition of Sheridan and Dayton Streets. ·M-82 which is a segment of Stewart, provides access to the City. This road will continue to be a part of the primary system bJt rerouted into the downtown one-way loop. The proposed downtown one-way traffic systs.~ consists of a three-lane circulation loop with with appropriate cut throughs, .widenings and alignments carrying traffic around the Central Business District. This network al lo,,;s for greater carrying capacity and easier f1ow with a more desirable volume distribution resulting from increased lane movement. As pointed out through the anlaysis of traffic volumes and capacities of streets to the year 2000, there will be deficiencies in the traffic carrying capability for Main Street, with vo1umes reaching 25,000 vehicles per day. As a result, we have proposed the one-way traffic loop for Sheridan and Dayton Streets which wi 11 accommodate 17,400 vehicles in each direction. This plan allows traffic circulation on Main Street but discourages any through traffic -69- �other than shoppers. trians. This is an attempt to return the area back to shoppers/pedes- In addition, the Plan proposes the landscaping and general beautification of Main Street within the Central Business District with the introduction of walkways and street furniture. This is a sound approach since the best tactic to compete with outlying shopping centers is to provide equal or better amenities. Secondary Roads - The secondary road system is comprised basically of existing through roads i"n the community such as: Green Avenue Luce Avenue Stone Road 44th Street Weaver Avenue Lake Drive Darling Avenue (north of Dayton Street) Lakeview Drive Rams Horn Drive 56th Street Analysis indicates no anticipated capacity problems in the future. I I -I I I I I I In an attempt to redirect cross-town traffic through some of the older neighborhoods, the plan suggests a future secondary arterial to connect Stewart Street with Stone Road, generally adjacent to the school and cemetery properties, ,.and south of the central portion of the City. This proposed secondary road has several advantages. It provides access to school properties thus minimizing excess traffic through the neighborhood north of the school. It allows for additional travel options for residents north of the central business district who are traveling to the school areas and points south of the City. In addition, it provides a link between the eastern and western portions of the City without going through the Central Business District. Furthermore, by extending Locust Street in the industrial area, it will provide direct access to secondary streets, thereby rerouting industrial traffic in and out of the City without traveling through the Central Business District. -70- �There are some disadvantages associated with this secondary road. a rather expensive project. It would be The City must assess the costs versus the benefits to be derived prior to the implementation of such a project. In addition, with the development of the one-way system in the Central Business District, increased road capacity will not be necessary. Therefore, the new secondary road could needlessly cause the traffic to bypass the Central Business District. Certainly the growth and development of the industrial area to the west as well as Central Business District and general commercial growth will have a direct bearing on the need for such a facility. Collector System - The collector system is comprised primarily of existing streets such as: Division Avenue Hemlock Street Hillcrest Avenue State Street Woods Street Locust Street Iroquois Drive Apache Street The plan suggests addtional roads to facilitate the movement of vehicles onto secondary and primary arterials. Therefore, the plan proposes the extention of 44th Street east of Division Street, between Branstrom Park and Daisy Brook Elementary School to Darling Street. Also proposed is the extention of Locust Street in the industrial area west to Green Avenue and east from the Chessie Railroad tracks to Stone Road, extended connecting with the possible future secondary arterial running generally east and west. An alternate solution for the extension of Locust Street to the east is the use of the existing unimproved road bed parallel to the rai_lroad right-of-way between Connie and Sonte which intersects Stone Road at Oak. See Figure 17 for a summary of the Major Thoroughfare Plan. -71- � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wyckoff Planning and Zoning Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Planning & Zoning Center (Lansing, Mich.) (Organization) Wyckoff, Mark A. Description An account of the resource Municipal master plans and zoning ordinances from across the state of Michigan, spanning from the 1960s to the early 2020s. The bulk of the collection was compiled by urban planner Mark Wyckoff over the course of his career as the founder and principal planner of the Planning and Zoning Center in Lansing, Michigan. Some additions have been made to the collection by municipalities since it was transferred to Grand Valley State University. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Michigan Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960/2023 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/870">Planning and Zoning Center Collection (RHC-240)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/">No Copyright - United States</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Comprehensive plan publications Master plan reports Zoning--Michigan Zoning--Maps Maps Land use--planning Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-240 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Fremont_Comprehensive-Plan_1981 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Prein & Newhof Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1981-02 Title A name given to the resource Comprehensive Plan Description An account of the resource The Comprehensive Plan for the City of Fremont was prepared by Prein & Newhof in February 1981. Subject The topic of the resource Comprehensive plan publications Fremont (Mich.) Newaygo County (Mich.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/870">Planning and Zoning Center Collection (RHC-240)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b87e18557d22a541a3e52951b34f0733.m4v 31e6b8e68bc7292f8a60459fb15b59ca https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ec455675dcba65513dcd5626d7b572b8.pdf 8f801d5171ce1546e4584e64fc35a9a7 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Charles Press World War II 58 minutes 52 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 12, 1922 -Father was a minister and edited a church newspaper -Had relatives live with them for three years during the Great Depression -Father brought in enough money to support two families -Graduated from high school in January 1940 -Largest high school in St. Louis at the time -Strictly segregated -Attended Elmhurst College in Illinois -Primary college for the Evangelical & Reformed Church -One uncle was the head of the seminary and another negotiated the merger of the sects -Now known as the United Church of Christ (00:03:24) Start of the War & Getting Drafted -He was at Elmhurst College when Pearl Harbor was attacked -Got the news in the afternoon -Remembers it being quiet, and dim at dinnertime -Thought the war would only last two years -Most young men knew they’d either get drafted or enlist -At first, he was considered for “limited service” due to a lazy right eye -During his time at Elmhurst, he was the editor of a college newspaper -Wrote editorials about the war before the United States entered it -Followed the fighting in Europe and Asia -Some students enlisted after the attack on Pearl Harbor -Remembers one seminary student enlisting -Got a draft notice for the Army and reported to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri (00:07:19) Basic Training -Remembers doing a lot of marching during basic training, and his unit got pretty good at it -Mixture of recruits from all over the country -Helped collect personal information from recruits that were illiterate -There were a lot of men from the Ozarks -Stayed away from the drill sergeants and never had trouble with them -Reported for basic training in 1943 (00:10:07) Assignment to Army Air Force & Stationed in St. Louis -Transferred to the Army Air Force -He was assigned to a headquarters unit for a larger medical unit, based in St. Louis -This headquarters unit oversaw units scattered across the Midwest �-Stayed with them for three or four months -He mostly handled changing out old medical regulations for new regulations -Colonel in charge of the headquarters was a flight surgeon -Worked in an administrative capacity -Felt uneasy and guilty serving in his own hometown -Wanted to go out and do something -Sergeant advised him against it, but he persisted (00:13:05) Training at Chanute Field -Took a mathematics test -If you passed the test, you’d go into one field: cryptography or meteorology -He passed and was selected for training at Chanute Field -Received his meteorology training at Chanute -More relaxed than basic training -Due to the social environment and the trainees being college draftees -Learned how to estimate cloud height and distances in fog for bomber pilots -Received in depth instruction on dew point, temperature, and transmission of data -Used a special communication tool to share meteorological information with other bases -Trained at Chanute for two or three months (00:18:25) Stationed at Harding Army Air Field -Sent to Harding Army Air Field near Baton Rouge, Louisiana -Baton Rouge was crowded with servicemen -Meant the community wasn’t always hospitable -Sometimes played golf and went out to eat in the city -Always rained in the afternoon -Helped him decide he wouldn’t want to live in the South because of the climate (00:20:53) Deployment to the Pacific Theatre -Sent to Salt Lake City for a brief time then to Seattle -Boarded a ship in Seattle with no naval escorts or other defenses -Thought they were going to Alaska until heard Hawaiian music on the radio -Slept on the deck of the ship -Sailed over on a Victory Ship -Tightly packed -Used saltwater for showers, but had freshwater for drinking -Stopped at Hawaii and was stationed at Hickam Field for a week (00:22:57) Stationed on Saipan Pt. 1 -*Note: Based on information later in the interview, he most likely arrived in September 1944 -Flew to Saipan in a cargo plane -There were still Japanese troops hiding on the island when he arrived -They hid in the hills -During one instance, his tent mate accepted the surrender of a Japanese soldier -When he arrived, there were still debris and abandoned materials scattered all over the island (00:23:46) Enemy Contact Pt. 1 -Japanese aircraft from Iwo Jima raided nearby Pagan Island �-Destroyed a handful of B-29s (00:24:14) Stationed on Saipan Pt. 2 -Part of a small outfit of 14 men and they moved around the island -Worked with a land-based Navy unit, and an all-black unit -The black soldiers knew how to make Spam taste better with various spices -Saw ships bound for Iwo Jima during the invasion in February 1945 -Always thought they would accompany other invasions like Palau or Okinawa -Monitored the weather on Saipan and gathered more data from pilots -Compiled the information and turned it over to forecasters -Tyrone Power, a movie star, was on Saipan one time when Charles was stationed there -Managed to get some butter and popcorn one time -Got sick from it because his stomach wasn’t used to rich food like that (00:29:03) End of the War -After the war ended, he just collected his points and waited to be sent home -*Note: Points were assigned based on rank, length of service, dependents, and combat -Remembers ships going to San Francisco for Navy Day on October 27, 1945 -One man in his unit was a photographer and developed aerial pictures for pilots -A crewman asked for a picture to be developed of Nagasaki after the bombing -Charles got a copy and later donated the original to the Truman Library (00:32:04) Enemy Contact Pt. 2 -One night, a returning B-29 failed to signal and he thought it was a Japanese troop carrier -Feared Japanese paratroopers would be dropped on the island -Had a contingent of Marines to help defend against airborne attacks -Once American forces took Iwo Jima, Japanese air raids ceased -There were Black Widow aircraft defending the island from Japanese aircraft -Black Widows were night fighters and precursor to stealth fighters -Remembers watching antiaircraft crews trying to shoot down Japanese aircraft -Remembers jumping into a dugout when Japanese aircraft strafed the island -Always stayed aware of potential hiding places (00:34:30) Stationed on Saipan Pt. 3 -Drove around the island with almost total freedom -There was only one route through the island that was closed -Had free gasoline and access to jeeps -Saw a lot of aircraft crashes on the island during his time stationed there -Spent a lot of time doing nothing and waiting for the war to end -Traded beer for supplies -One sought after item was a funnel to collect water from tents -Had a powerful storm blow through and in that storm he lost his tent -He was driving his jeep and got stuck in a ditch during the storm -A passing truck towed him out of the ditch and sent him on his way -Always remembered that tremendous sense of camaraderie (00:38:07) End of Service & Coming Home -Left Saipan in early December 1945 �-There was a rumor they were to be discharged at Goldsboro, North Carolina -This was so that a certain general could retain his rank -There was a rush of men trying to get out of the military at the same time -Offered a chance to reenlist or join the Reserves, but he declined -Discharged at Goldsboro -Went there via troop train -No dining car -Troops jumped off the train at towns to get something to eat -Stopped in Chicago for eight hours -Remembers passing through Nebraska -Salesmen were selling candy bars for 25 cents each -At the time, one candy bar cost, on average, 5 cents -Felt the demobilization of the military was disorganized and rushed -Had gone from Saipan to San Francisco -Discharged on December 17, 1945 (00:43:00) Life after the War -Wanted to visit some famous jazz clubs in New York, but wanted to go home for Christmas -Returned to college at University of Missouri -Studied there for two years -Hitchhiked to Oregon and worked for a newspaper as a printer for a year -Moved to Chicago -Attended the University of Minnesota to study political science -Had met his wife in Chicago, so she was with him there and they started a family -Got a job at North Dakota State University and taught therefor two years -Met someone from Michigan State University -Offered a job to conduct a metropolitan area study -Spent a year teaching in Wisconsin then got called by Michigan State for a job -He had obtained his doctorate in Minnesota -Settled in at MSU -Taught courses on state government and federalism -Eventually became the department chair -Stayed at MSU until he retired -Started the London and Australia foreign study programs -Worked in conjunction with University of New South Wales -Did six trips to Australia -Wife had worked as a school social worker with mentally handicapped children -Bought a cottage on Lake Michigan paid for with profits he made from textbooks he wrote (00:52:45) Reflections on Service -Made him skeptical about the worship of the Army -Effective, but inefficient organization due to its size and duties -For example, he saw tremendous amount of waste in the Army -Admires the soldiers, but not the management of the soldiers -He disliked the inherent hierarchy of the Army �(00:55:04) Reflections on War -Experienced some antiwar marches at Michigan State -Remembers one graduate student came with the intent of being a protest organizer -Thought President Johnson would have been a realist with the Vietnam War -Disappointed that Johnson didn’t know when it was time to quit -Supported the war at its beginning, but in retrospect believes it was a wrong war -Supported the Korean War -He was skeptical about the Iraq War and is inclined to say he didn’t support it � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_PressC2087V Title A name given to the resource Press, Charles (Interview outline and video), 2017 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-01-04 Description An account of the resource Charles Press was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 12, 1922. He was drafted in 1943 and received his basic training at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. He was then transferred to the Army Air Force and was part of a medical unit's headquarters in St. Louis where he helped with administrative duties. After three (or four) months, he took a test and qualified for Meteorology Training at Chanute Field, Illinois. That training lasted two months and he was assigned to Harding Field, Louisiana, where he was stationed for four (or five) months gathering meteorological data and sharing it with other fields in the United States. In September 1944, he was deployed to Saipan, and stayed on the island gathering meteorological information to assist forecasters in planning missions for aircraft. He left Saipan in early December 1945, and was discharged in Goldsboro, North Carolina, on December 17, 1945. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Press, Charles Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air Corps Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/56f730abfd5b88c3b4db10130861abcc.pdf 8e7bf31bb6968a3e1b30ddc900da1583 PDF Text Text Young Lords In Lincoln Park Interviewee: John “Oppress” Preston Interviewers: José “Cha-Cha” Jiménez Location: Grand Valley State University Special Collections Date: 3/27/2012 Biography and Description John “Oppress” Preston was a leading member of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party (BPP). His role within the party was to set up and distribute the BPP newspaper throughout the state of Illinois. Though the BPP started in Oakland, California in 1966, it was not until April 25, 1967 that they published their first official newspaper. By 1969 the newspaper had a nationwide distribution of about 250,000 copies. In Illinois, distribution climbed up to about 80,000 copies.Mr. Preston describes what a major operation it was to set up and distribute the paper. Many times the newspaper was used as part of Political Education or “P.E.” classes. It was automatically given to new members to sell. The Black Panthers were about being out and active in the community as well as educating the People. The office was primarily used as a place to stop over to eat with others from the community or to report in; very quickly members were back on the streets selling papers and talking with the People.The BPP Newspaper was used as a tool for discussion on the many corners where it was sold. In this way it also provided visibility, as individuals would wave or drive by honking their horns. The newspaper also provided guidance to the Young Lords and to the many other organizations that were connected in one way or the other to the Black Panthers. The Young Lords began to put out their own bilingual newspaper which was then distributed in Latino areas along with several other organizations. Although it was improving, it still lacked in the sophistication of the work done by Mr. Preston. He delivered the �newspaper to the various branches and chapters in Illinois cities; they, in turn, would distribute it to their assigned geographical area. There was an accounting for each and every newspaper because the paper also provided income for the BPP chapters. The task appeared simple and mundane but �Transcript JOSE JIMENEZ: Okay, so, after the open housing movement, what happened after that with you? Basically, you were 11 years old-JOHN PRESTON: Basically, I was 11 or 12 years old, in grammar school, going to school, growing up in Chicago. In the Black community in Chicago. And... JJ: So what was that like? I mean, with the growing up in Chicago, that was -- JP: Well, growing up poor in Chicago was growing up poor in Chicago. But you didn’t realize you were poor, you know? You had jobs, there was ways to go out and go to school and earn money, and contribute, because -- JJ: What kind of jobs? I mean, what kind of... JP: We all had paper routes, and milk routes, and jobs of that sort. There were a myriad of jobs that you could do, deliver groceries, working in the neighborhood grocery stores, [00:01:00] to earn money, working after school to earn money. I went to Catholic school, I went to Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School on the west side. I worked in the lunchroom, they helped pay my tuition to attend. My mom paid my tuition, my mom was a single mother. She -- JJ: She was a single mother? How many siblings? JP: And I had five other siblings, and I was next to the youngest of six kids. So everybody had to do their fair share. You know. I grew up in public housing during this time. JJ: Where was this at? 1 �JP: This was Rockwell Gardens, located on the west side of Chicago, so. And my mom grew up, and we were able to live. So we were poor, we didn’t have a lot of things that we should’ve had, but we were happy. We were a happy family, so. So that’s how that went. [00:02:00] So -- JJ: So you were happy, then mentioned you played a lot, I mean, what kinda games did you play? JP: Well, I played organized football at school, and played games, and rec league games, and rode my bike around the neighborhood, and just did the normal things that kids at that time did, you know. Played games, hide and go seek, whatever. So yeah, so it was that. But it was also a very, very volatile time, socially. And breaking down the barriers of discrimination. And it was coming to the height of the Vietnam War. So there were a lot of things that socially, I was exposed to. And you could -- there was a lot of racial tension, as well. JJ: In the west side, or...? JP: Yeah. All over the city. Chicago [00:03:00] was -- and you could feel the tension, you could -- you knew the tension was there, in the city at that time. There were certain neighborhoods -- JJ: You’re talking about in the ’60s? JP: In the ’60s, that’s right. JJ: In the early ’60s. And you were growing up -- JP: In the ’60s, yeah, in the ’60s, all the way in... And in some instances, the ’70s. Okay, but definitely in the ’60s, there were certain -- JJ: And you said certain neighborhoods [where you?] -- 2 �JP: In certain areas, certain neighborhoods, Blacks could not go. JJ: Like, what area? JP: South, southwest, Gage Park, Marquette Park, Cicero, which is an adjoining suburb of Chicago. Blacks were not allowed there, I can remember, 1965 or ’66, a Black man was out in Cicero looking for a job and got beat to death with a baseball bat. By three teenagers. In Cicero. That’s all he was doing, was looking for work. JJ: Was this not a gang thing, or...? JP: It was not a gang thing, it was a [00:04:00] racial thing. It was a racial thing. JJ: What’s the difference? I mean, I don’t... JP: Of course. What the difference is, if there’s a gang, you know, you’re fighting for turf, people are representing, and then there’s a gang member representing. When it was a racial thing, it’s just because of the color of your skin, that someone attacked you of the opposite race. And this is the climate that existed. It was clearly a Black-white divide in the city of Chicago at that time. All right? You -- JJ: There was a gang (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JP: No, it was not a gang that did it. It was three white youths, that lived in Cicero, that saw this Black man looking for a job, and they beat him to death with a baseball bat. Simple. (laughs) JJ: Very simple, it was more of a (inaudible). But were white gangs doing the same thing, or [00:05:00] no? At that time? 3 �JP: White people were doing the same things. Now, they might’ve been white vigilante groups that perpetuated it at that time, yes. I mean, you had, you know, the Nazis in Gage Park, and you had other white groups, as well as Klan members, and you had white motorcycle clubs and things like that, and whose primary interest was that they were primarily white gangs representing white representation, or white people that formed other type of groups. But it was all done along the lines of race, you had certain areas Blacks could not go, certain clubs, certain organizations Blacks could not be members of, simply because you were Black. Okay? So, a lot of those barriers existed at that time. For Blacks and for other people of color. And it was the norm. [00:06:00] It was the norm. JJ: Why do you think it was the norm at that time? And what was the city like? Was it diverse, or...? JP: No, the city -- well, the city has always... You’ve always had your people that were liberal-minded enough to fight against the racism. And Chicago has always been a diverse city, but it’s also been a very segregated city. You know. Where you could go in one area in Chicago and it was all white, you could go in another area where it was all Latino, you could go in another area where it was a allBlack concentration, and people knew it. And that’s how people navigated the waters in the city of Chicago at that time. And it was, moreso now. That’s not to say that even in 2012, that discrimination doesn’t exist in Chicago, which it still does. But it was more prevalent, [00:07:00] it was much more pervasive, and it was tolerated and accepted. And you did have some liberal parts to the city, such as, like, Lincoln Park, Old Town, these areas where you had a diverse 4 �cross-section of people there. Or you had other melting pots during that time, like Uptown, where you had your poor whites, your poor Native Americans, your poor Latinos, and also Blacks. So you had certain areas of the city that were considered melting pots, and people immigrated from other countries into those areas of the city. But they were still polarized nonetheless. So the polarization still existed. Moreso in Chicago, where you could actually see that, in terms of police brutality that existed, [00:08:00] it was at a very, very high climate at that time. And it was accepted as the norm. JJ: Well, why was it more at a high climate at that time than today? JP: Well, that was just the climate of the country. I mean, the climate of the whole country was that we were a country that there was racial discrimination that existed throughout the whole country. And Chicago was just one aspect of -- JJ: The police in Chicago, was that racial? Or was that just... JP: It was moreso racial, of course it was. JJ: So that means that there were not enough African American police, and...? JP: There was very few African American police. JJ: And that, in the ’60s? JP: Yes. Very few African American police, yes, you did have some African American policemen, you’ve always had African American police. And they were always concentrated to patrol African American communities, and they were used there as enforcers, rather than protectors, of the community. [00:09:00] To enforce and serve the interests of the white businessman and the white establishment. Those were your Black policemen. At that time, they were 5 �considered Uncle Toms. So you had -- that was the Uncle Tom era of racism, of the people, where, if they were Black, they had a agenda to serve a certain purpose. At that time. JJ: Okay. So you’re saying Uncle Tom meant that they were not serving the interests of the... JP: Of their community. JJ: The Black community, their community. JP: Right. JJ: Or Latino community (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JP: (inaudible) Right. I mean, you know, Native Americans could all call them apples. (laughs) You know. We called them Oreo cookies, Uncle Toms, or whatever. So that is what the climate of the city was at that time, and it’s taken on a different dynamic today. But... JJ: [00:10:00] Now, there were some gangs on the west side, though, right? At that time, or... JP: There’ve always been gangs. JJ: Wasn’t there the Vice Lords, or something (inaudible) JP: They’re... JJ: How did that play in-- ’Cause, I mean, I know you f-- If it was a segregated area, I know you felt more comfortable if you’re in the west side, in your community. But then you have to deal with other situations, too. 6 �JP: Well, within the dynamic of the Black community, yes, you’ve always had gangs. Gangs have existed as far back as we can remember. There was an established order. Gangs were organized, at first, to protect communities. JJ: To the west side, what gangs were in the west side? JP: At that time, you had... You had the Vice Lords, Egyptian Cobras, Roman Saints... [00:11:00] In the Latino areas, you had the Harrison Gents. (laughs) So, those are the few that come to mind immediately. JJ: Okay. And, were they problematic in the community, or they were just part of life, or I mean, how (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JP: Well, they were problematic, you know, but gangs fought against gangs, and if you chose to be in a gang, it was by choice and not by force. You know. Gangs didn’t go out and openly recruit you, when you were a certain age, to become a part of this gang, that you had to be a part of this gang. There weren’t the barriers that existed, today, as we know it, that, if you are a part of this gang, you can’t go in this area of the Black community, or you can’t go in that area of the Black community. I never experienced that as a youth growing up. In Chicago. JJ: But it existed? But it existed. JP: It existed. [00:12:00] Yes, you did have gangs and you did have crime. But (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JJ: [But?], I mean, today, there’s a recruitment. At that time, they didn’t have that? JP: Well, sometimes they did. They had recruitment, sometimes it’s not as voluntary, so it’s up to the individual, if he really wants to be a part of the gang. 7 �JJ: Okay. So, why did you not become part of the gang, I mean, was it not that prevalent in the west side? JP: No, I didn’t see a need to be a part of a gang. JJ: Okay, but why? Why? JP: Why? Because I didn’t see a need to be a part of any type of gang that had a certain set of values that weren’t consistent with mine, because I didn’t see a need to do that. A lot of the gang members were, people that were so-called gang members, were my neighbors. I knew them. I grew up with them. [00:13:00] So, it wasn’t that I had to be a part of that. I had friends, and I had friends that chose to be in gangs, and that was their choice. I didn’t see it that way, so I didn’t s-- I was never -- JJ: So, what were your set of values? I mean, what were some of the things -- JP: Well, some of the things that I wanted to do, I saw how my mother was subjected to racism. And discrimination. JJ: What do you mean? JP: A Black woman on a job, she worked for the United States government at that time. JJ: What did she do? JP: She was a stenographer. And she worked at a government installation, and she was very, very much discriminated against. One, because she was a woman, and -- well, one, because she was Black, two, because she was a woman. [00:14:00] And even though she was qualified to do a better job, she was always overlooked for promotions by her white counterparts that had less skills and less 8 �abilities, but yet got the better-paying jobs. And this is something that I noticed early on, you know. I noticed that the word, as they call it now, the N-word, but, clearly spoken, the word, “nigga,” was thrown around. We still had the problems of people sitting at the back of the bus, and you didn’t have to sit at the back of the bus, but of course, there was still some racism involved in, when you did get on the bus. You know? So all of those things, all of those factors, you were able to see, you were able to feel. So those were the things that [00:15:00] I had a passion to change. You know. JJ: So when you -- you’re saying that when you got on the bus, there was still some racism -- JP: Well, you -- JJ: -- but it wasn’t like in the South, where they said, “You -- JP: Exactly. JJ: -- have to sit in the back,” you just -- JP: Right. JJ: -- kind of felt it, or...? JP: Yes. You get it, you could always feel a certain, you know, degree of racism. You could always feel -- basically, racism was prevalent, it was overtly prevalent in all of the institutions that existed in America at that time. JJ: But specifically the west side of Chicago... JP: Not just the west side of Chicago. West side of Chicago was a microcosm of what existed throughout the whole United States, you know. JJ: Okay, okay, so, your mother was being discriminated. 9 �JP: You felt the discrimination (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JJ: And you felt anger towards that, or? JP: I felt resentment towards that -- JJ: Resentment? JP: Yes I did, yes. And I felt a need to [00:16:00] change that. To want to change that, to fight against that. And so, you know, knowing about -- hearing about the Civil Rights Movement, knowing about the atrocities that were being inflicted against Black people, assassinations on our leaders, Medgar Evers... JJ: Were you hearing that in the news, or was that being taught in the schools, too? JP: It was on the news, but it was also discussed in the school that I attended. You know. JJ: What school was that? JP: Our Lady of Sorrows. JJ: Our Lady of Sorrows. JP: Yes, grammar school. So, all those things, we were able to discuss. So there were a lot of different factors [00:17:00] there, to how that was received, because we were taught that it was wrong, and that we had a responsibility to go out and do something about it. JJ: Was Father Clements from Our Lady of Sorrows? JP: No, he wasn’t. JJ: Oh, no he wasn’t, okay. JP: No, Father Clements was from Holy Angels. JJ: Holy Angels, okay, that’s correct. 10 �JP: On the south side. JJ: That’s correct, that’s correct. That’s right. JP: But there were priests, and nuns at the school at that time, that were actively involved in the movements as well. To fight against discrimination and racism. And so, because of that, I felt a need to support that as well. So... JJ: (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JP: So, in being a part of that school at that time, we were taught to stand up for what you [00:18:00] believed in. And that’s what we did. That’s what I did. JJ: Okay, so actually, so, Our Lady of Sorrows was like an activist school during that time? During -- JP: Well, it was not -- I wouldn’t call it an activist school, I would say it was a progressive school. But not an activist school, it was progressive. It taught us how to think and not what to think. And that we were able to reason and infer our own conclusions based on information that we received. And we had these discussions. JJ: Okay. So then, what grade was that, what grade were you in? JP: Seventh, eighth grade. JJ: Seventh and eighth grade? JP: Yeah. JJ: So now you’re going into high school, or...? JP: Yeah, I went to Providence St. Mel High School. JJ: Providence St. Mel, where is that located? JP: It’s located at Central Park and Monroe in the west side of Chicago. 11 �JJ: (inaudible) JP: So I attended Providence St. Mel High School. I went there from [00:19:00] 1968 to 1971. (inaudible) JJ: So the west side then was a stable neighborhood, it didn’t really move that much, right? Am I correct, or...? JP: How do you mean when you say stable? JJ: Well, I mean it didn’t move. Like, say, Lincoln Park was changing from Polish, Italian, and German, to Puerto Rican. JP: Well, I wouldn’t say that, because, coming up as a kid, when we first moved into our neighborhood, there were whites there. And Latinos, and Puerto Ricans. And that was in 1959 and 1960. By 1969, all those people were gone. JJ: Actually, Madison was -- that didn’t have a Puerto Rican area, around Madison? JP: Around California, around Madison... JJ: Oh yeah, there was a Puerto Rican (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JP: And then [00:20:00] around Harrison and Western, around Roosevelt, and you -- JJ: (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JP: And you had Italians. So you saw the -- yeah, so the neighborhoods were changing at that time. But I can remember -- JJ: Did that create any friction at all, or...? JP: Well, that was -- I mean, everybody coexist. JJ: (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JP: But, you know, you went to school with pe-- I know I went to school with whites, I went to school with Latinos, I went to school with Blacks, you know. But it 12 �became predominantly Black as time went on. Of course, when I came there in 1960, in first grade, there were more whites, but then, by 1967 or ’68 there were still whites there, but then, with the assassination of Dr. King, then you really saw the white exodus go, but at first it was gradual. And so, yeah, so the neighborhood was changing, and the whole dynamic of the neighborhood was changing. JJ: It was a natural change, not a [00:21:00] pushed change. (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) urban renewal or something (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JP: Well, yes, urban renewal was prevalent. They were pushing urban renewal. But, at that time, you had the white flight to the suburbs. JJ: What do you mean? Can you describe that? JP: Why the white flight exists, it is that they -- with the racial barriers breaking down, where now, Black people can come and rent here. You know. There was a time where, if you wanted to go rent downtown or in the north shore, Lincoln Park, something like that, there were certain buildings that you couldn’t rent, that they would give you some excuse on why you couldn’t rent the apartment if you were Black. You know? Those barriers were gradually broken down, through laws, and mandates, and changes, and city ordinances. From that, you had the white people that said, “Well, I’m not gonna live next to Black people, [00:22:00] I’m not gonna live next to these people.” So you had the white flight to the suburbs. And then therefore, houses were so (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JJ: And what year was this? 13 �JP: This was all during the ’60s. All this was done in the ’60s. All this was done in the ’60s. JJ: The white flight to the suburbs, and... JP: Yeah, so you had your white flight to the suburbs, and you had those things that existed at that time. And it was pretty interesting, I would say. JJ: So what do we have to do, then? I mean, now we have -- Lincoln Park is mostly white, right? Is it? JP: Yeah, there was always a changing urban dynamic. And so, as, one situation, where one area became developed, and it became open to a certain class of people that could afford to move [00:23:00] there, then of course other areas were abandoned. And then of course developers would come in, and redevelop that land, and make it appealing to people of another economic level. Well, today it’s still the same process. It’s just not called racism, but there are economic development. You call them poor, moderate-income housing, to where developers come in and they create these high-rises, with very, very high rents, that only certain income levels can afford to move in there. And therefore, the people that were living there, you know, your poor working-class people, can’t afford that area, and so they’re forced out. So they’re forced into areas. So you have the same dynamic today, to where most people, [00:24:00] even within the subsidized housing movement, high-rises have been completely -- communities have been completely displaced. Such as Robert Taylor Homes, Stateway Gardens, Cabrini-Green. All these became communities that existed for 30, 40, 50 years. 14 �JJ: So these communities existed 30, 40, 50 years, and they no longer exist? JP: They no longer exist. So these people were displaced. So where were they displaced to? They were displaced to the suburbs. So those people that -- those whites that moved out of suburbs are now moving back into the city, into these elegant high-rise apartments, now, into all these new developments. So it’s been made attractive for them to come back into the city, and now those Blacks that have been displaced have moved to the suburbs. And that’s what’s going on today. JJ: And why was this -- I mean, you had aldermen that were Black in the city [00:25:00] council, Black aldermen. JP: Yes. JJ: You had Latino aldermen, also. JP: Yes. JJ: And progressive aldermen. I mean, how is this able to happen, that...? JP: How was it able to happen, it was... JJ: Yeah, (inaudible) displace complete neighborhoods. JP: It was able to happen -- the first mayor Daley, Richard J. Daley, called it urban renewal. Okay? Richard M. Daley called it urban development. (laughs) Or regentrification. (laughs) So, when you deal with re-gentrification, versus urban renewal of the ’60s, it’s the same thing. And so, therefore, and now they mask it with mixed-income communities. So you have people that have condos here, and you have low-income [00:26:00] subsidized housing there, and then you also have affordable housing right there, so everybody can live together under the 15 �guise of equality. But it’s still the same thing. All right? Because those subsidized units, in a new development, eventually will be phased out. You know? So, within the process of what goes on. So those subsidized units, eventually, that unit where those subsidized families are, which they are, of course, a minority, for one reason or another will be phased out, and become a moderate or a high-income community. At some point. JJ: So what you’re saying is that even the subsidized units, today, that were existing, even they were replaced? JP: Yes. JJ: So the few subsidized units that they did put there, [00:27:00] for media or whatever (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JP: Eventually will be gone. JJ: Will be gone. JP: Yes. Eventually will be gone. So it’s basically a cosmetic, it’s a Band-Aid, a cosmetic fix, or a solution. So on the surface it looks good, that there is the equality, but eventually -- and even in communities on the west side, in Uptown, you have that problem, because there were a lot of community area-- high-rises in Uptown that were supposed to be for subsidized housing, and they have been phased out into so-called cooperatives. Or either new developments have come in, and all those units are market-value rent. So the process is on, to phase out and move these people out of those areas, [00:28:00] where you have lowincome, moderate-income housing, and they really want to move the working poor out of those areas in order for the developers to come in and bring in 16 �market-value rates, and to build new communities. To accommodate those people that are moving from the suburbs back into the city. So, there’s a theory, that, probably, in the next 15 years, if you’re not at an income level of 50 to 60,000 dollars, you won’t be able to live in the city of Chicago. You know. Not sustain yourself in the city of Chicago. I mean, you know, and then that’s just reality, that’s just life, and that was the ground rule that, I feel, that Richard M. Daley laid down when he left office. If you’re gonna live in Chicago, it’s gonna cost you money. JJ: [00:29:00] Okay, so this came not only with Richard M. Daley, but it came with Richard J. Daley -- JP: As well. JJ: -- his father. JP: Yes. JJ: So, do you think this was a long-ranged plan, or... (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JP: Well, no, I think... I believe that Richard M. Daley’s agenda was consistent with his father’s agenda. And he carried out the vision of his father, he just did it a different kind of way. And that he appeased and catered to big business. JJ: But he was -- wasn’t he able to get some of the progressive people to support him for a while? JP: Well, he... JJ: (inaudible) 17 �JP: I mean, he hasn’t -- it seems as if he had the progressive support, but what it in fact came to is that his power base grew enough, to where that they had to be [00:30:00] co-opted into his agenda in order for them to get whatever else that they needed to get passed. JJ: Can you explain what you mean (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JP: I’m saying that it became tit-for-tat, or, you know, if we want this over here, then you gotta vote for this over here. You know. And that’s the only way you’re gonna get that. And a lot of things, it was arm-twisting politics -- JJ: And can you give an example? JP: Well, let’s see... Let’s take Millennium Park, for instance. JJ: Downtown, right? JP: That downtown, millions of dollars spent on a park. Pritzker Pavilion, all of this. Basically caters to the rich. Okay? In order to get that passed, you needed city [00:31:00] council approval. In some cases, it was passed unanimously. And in order for that to be passed, and it was, but that passed, in order for this alderman in this Black ward to get funding for programs or other things, that he had to vote on this. You know. So, that’s what it was. So, basically the city council became a rubber stamp for Daley. And they didn’t -- even in the days when Harold Washington, a lot of the aldermen that were elected and were [inaudible] from Harold Washington wound up having to compromise, and co-op, in order to get other things done in terms of development, affordable housing, and that. And they had to really, really fight tooth and nail in order to get it [00:32:00] done. You know? Like, you would take -- in Uptown, they had the Wilson Yards 18 �development. The Wilson Yards took 10 years to get passed. And it dealt with a senior high-rise and a low and moderate-income housing. It was 150 units of low and moderate-income housing, 200 units of senior housing. But at the same time, in order for that to go over, they had to agree to put a Target there. And Target served for economic development. But also, a Target is a big box store that has no health insurance for its employees, pay them -- they don’t give ’em a 40-hour week, they don’t give ’em, and they pay them 50, 60 cent over minimum wage. So you have the contradiction that existed. So, [00:33:00] yes, in order for you to get this, you have to vote for that, in the guise of economic development. So then you still have the exploitation that exists, with Target. These people have no health benefits, they have no health insurance. They don’t even get a full 40-hour week, and yet they’re paid 50 cent, 60 cent above minimum wage. JJ: So these companies came in, and they were working with the city... JP: Exactly. JJ: But the city’s plan was what? They wanted to up the blighted areas, though, right? JP: Well, that’s -- JJ: That was, in other words, their plan, their agenda. JP: Well, the city had their plans, and they had the -- and they said that they’re doing this under the guise of cleaning up the blighted areas, and really what they’re doing is moving people out, in order to accommodate people of a certain income level. So, all right, so we’ll say, “Okay, this can stay. There’s 200 uni--” 19 �JJ: So what did the city [00:34:00] get out of that? I mean, what -- JP: Well, the city, what the city gets is a level of people that are coming into the city, that, basically, if you’re not making 50 or 60,000 dollars then you’re not gonna be able to live there, and that’s what they’re developing. Okay? So the city is forcing people out (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JJ: (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) these upper-income people. JP: And getting the upper-income people. JJ: (inaudible) And then, by the same token, they’re raising the tax base, or something. JP: Exactly, the tax base. JJ: You gotta answer the phone? JP: No, go ahead, I just -- it’s six o’clock, I gotta get (inaudible) JJ: Oh, is it 6:00? Okay. JP: Yeah, it’s 6:00. JJ: Okay, well let’s get to -- how did you get involved with the Black Panther Party? JP: I got involved with the Black Panther Party -- ironically, I lived in Rockwell Gardens, like I said, and that was in -- [00:35:00] my family moved in Rockwell Gardens in, like, 1964. 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis. That had a great effect on me, had a great effect on my life. And... JJ: You mean personally, you felt -- JP: Personally, personally. To me. JJ: How did you feel? I mean, can you describe? 20 �JP: Well, I felt a great loss, and I felt something had to be done about that. And I knew that Martin Luther King was murdered because he was fighting for what was right. Okay? He was fighting for the rights of people all over the country. And for him to be assassinated the way he was assassinated and murdered, something had to be done. So, I felt a great loss at that age. I had heard about the Black Panther Party, for self-defense out in Oakland, California, in 1967. [00:36:00] ’68. And, it appealed to me, because Stokely Carmichael appealed to me. Malcolm X appealed to me. But I -- JJ: These were pretty militant people (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JP: They were outspoken. I wouldn’t say that they were militant, because they practiced self-defense. They had a line of demarcation. So these were men that stood up for their rights. The difference between them and Dr. King was, was that Dr. King preached nonviolence, and that the road to social justice was through nonviolence. Malcolm and Stokely and other leaders felt that the road to self-determination and Black liberation was through [00:37:00] fighting for it, and fighting for your rights, the same way this country was built. The same (laughs) way. So we have to look at that, so there’s a whole ’nother dichotomy that exists within that. And, so I was pretty much shaken by that. And in November 1968, there were -- in 1968, you had the Democratic National Convention here in Chicago, and you saw people getting beat, and you saw a lot of things going on right on TV in front of your eyes. And so you saw police brutality, you saw the rac-- you saw the fascism that existed that Mayor Daley perpetuated. Mayor 21 �Daley also, when Dr. King was murdered, put out the shoot-to-kill order. To rioters. JJ: What was that about? What was that? JP: Pardon me? JJ: What was the shoot-to-kill order? JP: [00:38:00] The shoot-to-kill order was that, Daley said, “Shoot to kill anybody that was seen looting the stores,” because when Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated, riots broke out all over the country. And in Chicago as well. So you had -- JJ: On the west side? JP: On the west side, on the south side. JJ: On the south side. JP: On the west end, south sides of the city. JJ: (inaudible) in Humboldt Park also. JP: And Humboldt Park, right. So you saw this racism, you saw these things that occurred. And Daley put out a shoot-to-kill order for looters. Shoot to kill ’em. So he put property over life. You know? Because he knew who was out there doing the looting and why they were doing the looting. That’s when he called in the national guards. So you saw all of this. You saw all of this in the city before ya eyes. You know. So I’m a thirteen-year-old kid at that time, I’m seeing this. By the fall of [00:39:00] 1968 -- Martin Luther King was murdered in April 1968. By November, and then in the summer, the Democratic National Convention, Bobby Kennedy was murdered. You had the Democratic National Convention 22 �that was held here in Chicago. You saw what Daley did with that. And later on, the Black Panther Party opened up an office, less than a half a mile from my house. And I went into the office one time, and I heard some speakers, and got some political information, and I was compelled to become a member. And subsequently, I did become a member, in November 1968. I was a freshman in high school, and I joined the Black Panther Party at that time. JJ: And, what was your job? I mean (inaudible) JP: Well, initially, [00:40:00] at that time you had to go through training and political orientation. And that’s what I did, and then -- JJ: What kind of training, what do you mean? JP: Well, you had to go through political education classes, political orientation classes. You had to learn the party’s principles, you had to learn the party’s ideology, you had to learn the party’s doctrine. You had to learn the party’s philosophy. We had a 10-point program and a platforming program, which everybody had to learn. We had 26 rules, 3 main rules of discipline. 8 points of attention. All these things that you learn during your six weeks of political orientation, till you become an active member of the party. So, when I -- JJ: Was it six weeks, once a week, or six weeks every day, or...? JP: It was six weeks, three times a week. JJ: Three times a week. JP: Yeah. But during that time, you would go out and sell papers. You would go out in [00:41:00] your particular area where you lived at, and talk with people in your community, talk with your peers about the Black Panther Party, about the Black 23 �Liberation Movement, and why people should become active in that. We also started breakfast for children programs, we were required to be at the breakfast for children program to serve kids. And so these are the programs that, as becoming a member of the Black Panther Party, that we implemented, that were implemented. As a matter of fact, right here where we’re sitting now, was our first breakfast for children program. One of our first breakfast for children programs. JJ: What street are we on? JP: We on Pulaski Road, 15th and Pulaski Road. And this is called the Better Boys Foundation. And we had one of our first breakfast for children programs right here, at this location. In 1969. So, [00:42:00] my responsibility at that time, I also worked with the Ministry of Health in doing outreach at that time, going out, doing advocacy and health outreach in the community. And also, making people aware of the health issues, sickle cell anemia, things of that sort. So we opened up a medical clinic as well. Later on, I worked in the Ministry of Information and I was assigned to the circulation and distribution of the party’s [inaudible?], which was the Black Panther Black Community News Service, and I became the Illinois chapter circulation manager for that paper. And my job was to go out and find new venues for our paper, to circulate our paper throughout the country, and that’s what I wound up doing. As well as other literature and books that we -- JJ: So, how did you do that? [00:43:00] What was the process? JP: Well, the process of doing that was going out on a daily basis, of calling on stores and locations and businesses, Black businesses at that time, and asking them to 24 �take our paper, to sell our paper in their stores. And, most everybody did it. Sold the papers in the stores. So we had a circulation in Chicago of 150,000, 250,000 papers per week. That was our circulation. Also, later on I became responsible for the printing of our newspaper here, and distributing the paper throughout the country to the other chapters and branches. So I did that from 1970, after the murder of Fred Hampton, until 1975. JJ: [00:44:00] What happened after the murder of Fred Hampton, in terms of the party here in Illinois? JP: In terms of...? JJ: In terms of work, and... (inaudible)? JP: No, the work didn’t stop. The work, as a matter of fact, the work became much more intense. For us to go out and do the work. It gave us a lot of support, because people realized that Fred Hampton and Mark Clark were definitely murdered. We also had over 12 party members in the city of Chicago murdered. Not just Fred Hampton and Mark Clark. And we had over 50 party members throughout the country murdered. I thi-- (gap in audio) [sixty?] two, all total, by the end of the -- JJ: But here in Chicago, you had other -- JP: Yes. JJ: -- party members that were murdered? JP: Yes. Yes, we did. JJ: [00:45:00] And these are cold cases, they haven’t been solved? 25 �JP: Well, no, they were murdered by the police. What is there to solve? (laughs) They were murdered by the police. JJ: Okay. And people knew that. Okay. JP: Yes. And people knew that, yes. So we had confrontations with the police at that time, and then it was ongoing. After -- JJ: Were these in raids, in police raids, or? JP: They were in police raids, they were in police shootouts, in neighborhoods that our members worked in, and things of that sort. So a lot of times they were, I would say they were unprovoked attacks by the police, or certain party members were targeted for work they were doing in the community. And they were targeted by those police in those precincts, or in those districts. All right? We were definitely monitored very heavily by J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI, and they created gang intelligence units and [00:46:00] special units, in order to monitor us. JJ: So the gang intelligence unit was also monitoring (inaudible) JP: Yeah. JJ: I mean, they were monitoring the Young Lords. JP: Yes. The gang intelligence unit monitored us, as well as the city’s task force at that time, they called them the task force. JJ: Mm-hmm. The Red Squad. JP: Well, the Red Squad was something else. The Red Squad was specifically there. All right, but the gang intelligence unit -- but the Red Squad was there, 26 �basically targeted to watch what they call radical groups. And that’s what that (inaudible) JJ: So the task force was a different group, too. JP: Yes. The task for-- JJ: (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JP: Yes. The task force was a different group. The task force moreso served as the enforcers. When the Red Squad said, “Yeah, we need to do that,” then they went in and did what they had to do. So that’s what that was. JJ: Okay. Plus the regular police... JP: Plus the regular police, yeah. JJ: And what about the precinct workers? Did they spread any... In our community, were spreading rumor [00:47:00] campaigns, and... JP: Oh, yes. Oh, yeah, we had all of that. We had many, many incidents of things that would [encourage?] people. We had incidents where they put young kids up to say they were molested (laughs) by party members and things like that. ’Course, it never flew. But they, you know, they would do things like that. They would go in there and say that we might be holding a fugitive in the office, and they wanted to come in and search, and all these things. People would get just picked up and held by the police, not allowed to make a phone call, and being in police custody. And with no charges being filed against them. So we suffered a lot of harassment. And that harassment somewhat intensified -- well, it was always at a high climate, if you [00:48:00] remember the Black Panther Party. But it certainly was intensified, but we still pushed on, and we implemented more 27 �programs. We had our medical center, our food giveaways. We [still kept?] our breakfast programs a lot. So in terms of the changes, we became a stronger and wiser organization of people. JJ: Anything that you wanted to finish up the interview? That you want to -- that we forgot to talk about? JP: Well, they, you know, there’s a lot that you... JJ: Missed. JP: Can’t... JJ: (laughs) JP: It’s sort of hard to cover everything, but I would like to say that, one thing that we did in 1969, and I think is very, very prevalent to the interview and who’s conducting this interview, is that the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party [00:49:00] was the first organization to initiate and implement the Rainbow Coalition. Contrary to what other people think. Okay? And the Rainbow Coalition consisted of the Black Panther Party, the Young Lords Organization, and the Young Patriots Organization. We knew that this society had racism in society, we know that racism is a very, very negative element that exists within this society. As a matter of fact, it’s a birth defect of America. Racism. And so we fight with that birth defect on a daily basis. And we said that what we were going to do, the Black Panther Party being a political organization, the Young Lords Organization, the YLO being a political organization, as well as the Young Patriots. These were poor Blacks, [00:50:00] poor Latinos, and poor whites, who band together to say that we don’t fight racism with racism, that we fight racism 28 �with solidarity. That we realized, in the Black Panther Party, through our education, that racism is a birth defect and a byproduct of the social ills of the society in which we live. And then, the same problems that the Latinos had, Blacks had. The same problems that the Blacks and Latinos had, poor Appalachian whites had, and poor whites had. And that the way that we solved those problems is that we fight together and we unify together to expose the contradiction within society to eradicate the problem. And that’s what was the purpose of the Rainbow Coalition. And that’s what we did. (video cuts) JJ: Give me your name, and when you were born, and then, where you were born. JP: Okay. My name is John Preston. I was born [00:51:00] in May 1954. I was born in Roanoke, Virginia. My family migrated to Chicago when I was four years old. We migrated to the west side of Chicago. And that’s where I grew up at. And I attended parochial schools, here in the city, and parochial grammar schools and high schools. And at that time, in 1968, or, prior to 1968, ’65, ’66, I was involved in the open housing movement as a young kid with my parents and other young adults in the community. With the open housing movement. JJ: What was that? I mean, what -- and who was the group that was leading that? JP: That was the [end-slum?] movement that was led by Dr. Martin Luther King. Where he came to Chicago fighting for open [00:52:00] housing. And so I was involved in picketing slum landlords at that time, and we had the big march on city hall that was organized by SCLC, and... JJ: What year was this? JP: That was in 1966. 29 �JJ: ’66?? JP: Yeah, 1966. And that was the big open housing march on Chicago. Where we had the big rally in Soldiers Field, Martin Luther King spoke, Al Raby spoke, it was a conglomerate of a whole lot of other organizations that spoke. So that was my introduction to the movement, or the Civil Rights Movement. JJ: You mentioned your father was involved with this, or? JP: No, my father wasn’t involved. JJ: (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JP: No, my parents or other adults in my family were involved. No, my father wasn’t involved. (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JJ: Oh, he wasn’t involved. Okay. JP: No. [00:53:00] But other adults, and other people in the community that were concerned with the open housing movement at that time, and the [end-slums?] movement, that we picketed a lot of realtors that were renting cut-up apartments to people, where people lived in one-room apartments and had to share the kitchen and they were paying high prices in rent. Housing was horrendous. There were rat-infested, roach-infested places, cold water flats, people had to pay for their own heat through kerosene heaters and things of that sort. So they were fire traps, things like that. There was one particular real estate company that was called [Condor and Costellos?], who SCLC specifically targeted, and we were successful in them making concessions. And we closed down a [00:54:00] lot of those buildings. JJ: So, they were targeted. Why were they targeted? 30 �JP: They were targeted because they were basically slum landlords. They were charging high rents for substandard housing. So, that was one of the things that was very, very important. So we picketed this real estate company. We picketed them, and we were successful in them making concessions, making improvements. And also coming up with suitable rents. JJ: Do you recall where they were located (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JP: They were located at Jackson and Sacramento. JJ: Jackson and Sacramento? JP: Yeah. JJ: Okay. So, these cut-up apartments... JP: Which was common practice. JJ: It was common prac-- JP: Yeah. JJ: Yeah, because I recall in the downtown area, they were cutting up hotels. Hotel rooms, also. But this was -- but these cut-up apartments were more on the west side --? JP: Well, these cut-up apartments were all over. They were all over [00:55:00] everywhere, where a landlord, mostly white at that time, you had white, Jewish landlords that would rent tenements, you had three-room apartments. You had one family, a family of five to six living in a one-room apartment that was a cut-up apartment, that was an apartment that was, one time, a three-bedroom apartment. All right? And they would cut it up, and put three families in a threebedroom apartment. And people would have to share the bedroom as their 31 �house, and then go out and share the kitchen, and the bathroom, and the living room. There was a common area. JJ: How would they share the bathroom? Would they divide it, or...? JP: No, I mean, everybody that lived there had to share one bathroom. So it wasn’t divided, it was -- JJ: So it was, like, in the hallway or something? JP: Yeah, it was in the hallway. It was a bathroom that was for the common apartment. [00:56:00] You know. So you had this, this was common practice all over the Black community at that time. During the time that I grew up, in the early ’60s. I came to Chicago in 1959. So what I saw then was very common. Where you could go in, just about, in any apartment building, and see where these apartments were broken up from apartment. It could be a two-flat building and they might have taken it, and broken it in, and made it to where five people could stay there. JJ: Okay. And what was the... When you came in 1959, you lived -- went right to the west side, you said? JP: Yeah, we lived on the west side, we lived -- JJ: Were there other communities that this group -- the housing program was working at, or? JP: It was -- the open housing movement was sponsored by SCLC, Dr. Martin Luther King, [00:57:00] so it was basically city-wide. JJ: (overlapping dialogue; inaudible) JP: Yeah, it was -- Chicago was basically targeted for that, because -- 32 �JJ: Was this the same time that he marched in the suburbs, or no? JP: Exactly. During the same time he marched in Cicero. Exactly, where he was in and he marched in -- they marched in Marquette Park, in Gage Park, the same thing. To break down those racial barriers for open housing. Yeah. It was during that time. JJ: And how old were you then? I mean, at that time? JP: At that time I was 11, 12 years old. JJ: Okay. So, I mean, how, if you’re 11 or 12 years old, how -- hold on. (video cuts) Okay, testing. Okay. Just kind of testing the (inaudible) [go up to the next?] -- all right. (pause) [00:58:00] Okay, hold on one se-- I mean, it’s recording. JP: Yeah. JJ: So, okay. All right. So where were we, we were on the -- JP: You were asking me, how was that the time that I became introduced to picketing the [end-slums?] movement, and I was -- END OF VIDEO FILE 33 � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/85a606422b3e3b6d5addb43ad27cd514.mp4 df320bfca3254b3400c7de526b54b5ca Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Young Lords in Lincoln Park Collection Subject The topic of the resource Young Lords (Organization) Puerto Ricans--United States Civil Rights--United States--History Lincoln Park (Chicago, Ill.) Personal narratives Social justice Community activists--Illinois--Chicago Description An account of the resource Collection of oral history interviews and digitized materials documenting the history of the Young Lords Organization in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Interviews were conducted by Young Lords' founder, José “Cha-Cha” Jiménez, and documents were digitized from Mr. Jiménez' archives. The Young Lords in Lincoln Park collection grows out of the ongoing struggle for fair housing, self-determination, and human rights that was launched by Mr. José “Cha-Cha” Jiménez, founder of the Young Lords Movement. This project is dedicated to documenting the history of the displacement of Puerto Ricans, Mejicanos, other Latinos, and the poor from Lincoln Park, as well as the history of the Young Lords nationwide. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jiménez, José, 1948- Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/491">Young Lords in Lincoln Park collection (RHC-65)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-25 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng spa Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-65 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 2012-2017 Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Título Spanish language Title entry John “Oppress” Preston vídeo entrevista y biografía Sujetos Spanish language Subject terms Young Lords (Organización) Puertorriqueños--Estados Unidos Derechos civiles--Estados Unidos--Historia Lincoln Park (Chicago, Ill.) Narrativas personales Justicia social Activistas comunitarios--Illinois--Chicago Source <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/491">Young Lords in Lincoln Park (RHC-65)</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-65_Preston_John Title A name given to the resource John “Oppress” Preston video interview and transcript Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Preston, John Description An account of the resource John “Oppress” Preston was a leading member of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party (BPP). His role within the party was to set up and distribute the BPP newspaper throughout the state of Illinois. Though the BPP started in Oakland, California in 1966, it was not until April 25, 1967 that they published their first official newspaper. By 1969 the newspaper had a nationwide distribution of about 250,000 copies. In Illinois, distribution climbed up to about 80,000 copies.Mr. Preston describes what a major operation it was to set up and distribute the paper. Many times the newspaper was used as part of Political Education or “P.E.” classes. It was automatically given to new members to sell. The Black Panthers were about being out and active in the community as well as educating the People. The office was primarily used as a place to stop over to eat with others from the community or to report in; very quickly members were back on the streets selling papers and talking with the People.The BPP Newspaper was used as a tool for discussion on the many corners where it was sold. In this way it also provided visibility, as individuals would wave or drive by honking their horns. The newspaper also provided guidance to the Young Lords and to the many other organizations that were connected in one way or the other to the Black Panthers. The Young Lords began to put out their own bilingual newspaper which was then distributed in Latino areas along with several other organizations. Although it was improving, it still lacked in the sophistication of the work done by Mr. Preston. He delivered the newspaper to the various branches and chapters in Illinois cities; they, in turn, would distribute it to their assigned geographical area. There was an accounting for each and every newspaper because the paper also provided income for the BPP chapters. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jiménez, José, 1948- Subject The topic of the resource Young Lords (Organization) Puerto Ricans--United States Civil Rights--United States--History Lincoln Park (Chicago, Ill.) Personal narratives Social justice Community activists--Illinois--Chicago Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2012-03-27 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c91f1433111ee142666bebd638ca0410.mp4 63f22dbb0d2e65bb82beae58fc8c5bd8 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8afb8f2bbac229841f5d58b2cb761d6a.pdf b200665dc5c30817f5a103ebd076cda4 PDF Text Text ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW JULIE PRICE Born: September 6, 1952 in Stanwood, Michigan Resides: Grandville, Michigan Interviewed by: James Smither PhD, GVSU Veterans History Project Transcribed by: Claire Herhold, January 22, 2013 Interviewer: Can you start by telling us just a little bit about yourself? To begin with, where and when were you born? I was born on September 6, 1952 in Stanwood, Michigan. It’s a small town south of Big Rapids. I was the third daughter and I had two older sisters, and I had a quite a bit younger brother. Interviewer: Did you grow up in Stanwood or did you move somewhere else? No, when I was about three months old, Mom and Dad and my sisters and I moved to Rockford, to a small farm just by Myers Lake, in Rockford. And then we moved a few years after that, we moved down the road to another small farm and we stayed there until I was seven, and then we moved into town in Rockford. Interviewer: Was your father trying to make it as a farmer or was the farm kind of a side thing? 1:02 No, it was kind of a side thing. My dad worked for soil conservation for like eighteen years and when he got out of the military he went to school for that. I think it was a two or three year program. I’m not sure how long it was. But, we lived on the farm and he did that as a side thing, but when I was growing up he worked for soil conservation. Interviewer: Did you attend high school in Rockford then? Yes, I went kindergarten through twelfth grade in Rockford. Interviewer: Did you then enlist in the military shortly after graduating from high school? �Well, I had to wait until I was eighteen. In those days, girls, I believe the rule for the Air Force anyway was, girls needed to have their parents’ signature until they were 21, and boys could enlist at seventeen with their parents’ signature and after they turned eighteen I don’t believe they needed that signature. So again, we were treated differently than the males were. 2:01 I enlisted, I’d been talking about going into the service ever since I was about in first grade. I had two older sisters and my oldest sister wanted to be a teacher and my other sister wanted to get married and have a family. You’ve got to keep in mind, I was growing up in the ‘50s and ‘60s and there weren’t a lot of options for girls. Either you went to school to become a teacher or you got married and you had a family. And I looked at both those options and I’m thinking, I don’t want to do either one of those. I figured I’d had enough school for a while. It’s not that I didn’t want to go to college. I did, but not right out of high school. And I definitely didn’t want to get married out of high school. So I took all the tests and I talked to the recruiters when I was seventeen, the summer after I graduated. And I had all the tests taken, and when I turned eighteen, I signed the papers and I left for basic training toward the end of October, 1970. Interviewer: Did you have…you mentioned, your father had been in the military. 3:04 My father had been in the Army during World War II. He served in the African campaign and the Italian campaign. My oldest sister was born when Dad was still in the military, and he was back stateside, and he was working as an ambulance driver at the army post down in Battle Creek, Michigan. And my oldest sister was born at, I think it was Percy Hospital or something, down in Battle Creek. Interviewer: I think it was Percy-something [Jones] Hospital, or whatever. What did your family think about the prospect of you enlisting? �My dad was all for it, and so was my mother. Now, there were a lot of people in Rockford that would stop my mom or dad on the street and they would question how they could let their daughter, you know, go in the service because there’s only one type of girl that went in the military. My mom, on many occasions, gave them a good talking to. 4:03 And she said, “Julie is Julie. I don’t care if she goes to college, she has a job, or she goes in the military. It’s not going to change her.” That was a fallacy that so many people had. Either you were looking for a husband or you weren’t the nicest type of girl, you know. Or you were a lesbian. It was like, I didn’t fit any of those, you know, criteria. I had always been pulled toward the military since I was in first grade. Interviewer: Do you have any idea where that feeling came from or what was it about it that appealed to you? I think it was because, having two older sisters and one was set on one thing and the other was set on something else, I was always a combination of both of them. And I could kind of see the mistakes that they had made or things that they had done that I didn’t want to do. And I loved watching the old movies, you know, with Esther Williams, and I thought, this sounds fun. 5:01 Growing up in a small town, I said this is what I want to do. I want to serve my country and then go to college when I get out. Interviewer: What motivated you to choose the Air Force? Many things. The recruiter, number one, was much nicer to me than the Navy recruiter, because that was my other option. I didn’t want to do the Army and I didn’t want to do the Marines, and I thought, well, I’ll check with the Navy and I’ll check with the Air Force, but I was pulled toward the Air Force. I liked what they had to offer more so than the Navy did. �Interviewer: When you…once you actually enlist and you report, what kinds of processes do they put you through by way of testing and getting into training? Well, we went through a lot of testing beforehand and that kind of guided them into are you going into the medical, the administration, whatever. In basic training, the first thing I remember was, it was the first time I had flown. 6:02 I flew from Detroit to San Antonio, and I remember the airport being dark because we arrived at night. They herded us onto a big bus, and of course the segregated us immediately to the females went on one bus and the males went on another. They dropped us off at this dining hall. We had something to eat and then we were taken to the barracks. The next morning we were up at 5:00, lined up, in our civilian clothes, and we went to get measured for uniforms, and we had to get shoes, and the whole gamut. Then we had to get shots. We had to go through further testing. A lot of the girls got their hair cut. One of the…this sounds silly now thinking back on it, but another reason I had wanted to go in the Air Force was they wouldn’t make me cut my hair, and I had long reddish-brown hair. 7:00 It was down past the middle of my back, and I didn’t want to cut my hair. As long as I could wear it up while I was in uniform, I could go in the Air Force. So that was another deciding factor for me versus the Navy, because the Navy told me I had to cut my hair, and I said, “No, I’ve grown it since I was in ninth grade. I’m not cutting it.” But as long as I wore it up, I could have it long while I was in the Air Force. We went through shots. I remember standing in line, we had to stand at attention, and get shots and we would get a shot in each arm. Those were the days when they used the laser gun too, and I saw one young lady pass out in front of me because the person in front of her moved when she got her laser gun shot and it sliced her arm. So, yeah, that was interesting. �Interviewer: How many women were in this group with you that were all starting out together? I believe in each flight there were 125, and we had a sister flight that went through basic the same time we did so we would both graduate at the same time. 8:03 Basic training was six weeks. The first two weeks we were pretty much in civilian clothes until we received our uniforms. It was amazing, though, the difference between the time we arrived and two weeks later when we got our uniform, the camaraderie had started to cement already, because we were all going through the same thing at the same time. Interviewer: What sort of daily routine did you have at that point? We were up at 5:00. I was in basic during the fall, so we would do our marching, of course you marched everywhere in basic training, but you did your parade ground marching in the afternoon. If I would have enlisted during the summer we would have done that first thing in the morning because it got too hot in San Antonio and they were taking salt tablets. In fact, there were a few times that we had to take salt tablets. But we would get up, we would go to classes. 9:01 We’d have grooming classes. We’d have military justice, classes on U.C.M.J., classes on military protocol. Interviewer: Did they do much by way of marching and conditioning and the physical training stuff? That’s funny, because before I left for basic training I was running a mile a day and I was doing a hundred sit-ups a day thinking that this was going to be extremely physical. I wasn’t disappointed that it wasn’t, but I was surprised that it wasn’t. I thought that I’d be, you know, out of shape when I got there but I was in better shape than most of the girls that were there with me. There was some physical work, but…calisthenics, exercising. The funny thing was when �we were on the parade ground and they’d start yelling out the commands and the only ones that could make sense of those commands, that ended up in the right position were those of us who had been in the band in high school. 10:03 So out of 125 girls on the parade ground, one morning, it was one of the first times we did this, there were half a dozen of us that were where we were supposed to be and the rest of them had fallen to the wayside. So my band experience in high school, you know, junior high school and high school helped a lot too. Interviewer: What sort of people were they using as drill instructors? Were they men or women? We had females. One of the flights that started…in those days they started flights every two weeks. There was a flight that started when we were in about our fourth week of training that had a male instructor. Now, I don’t believe, he didn’t stay in the barracks. Our female instructors stayed in the barracks, I believe. But in those days, we were totally segregated. Totally segregated. In fact, when we went to the chow hall, we couldn’t even speak to the men serving us in line. We were not allowed to speak. We had to point, and that was it. 11:04 Interviewer: The women who were training, were these kind of…do you think they’d been in the army a long time? Were they older? Actually, no. I had two instructors to start with and then one of them left for two weeks to meet her husband on R & R in Thailand. So that left us with just one flight instructor, and she was only 25 maybe. And she’d been in the Air Force for I think maybe four to six years, I think. But she seemed so much older than us because she just seemed so much more mature, because, you know, most of us were coming right out of high school. There were a few that were early twenties, but for me, this was my first job. Interviewer: Now you kind of get through your first six weeks there. Then what happens? �Well, then we finished basic training and those that were schedule to go on to technical school went on to technical school. 12:06 Those of us that were going direct duty went in what they called the grad dorm. The reason for that was, I was slated to go into communications and they had to do a security background check on me, so I was in the grad dorm for about a week before my clearance went through. Thank goodness I lived in one town the entire time because my dad was approached by somebody who had been approached by an investigator, and this was just somebody walking down the street in Rockford. And they came to my dad and they said, “You know, I don’t know what your daughter is getting into in the military but they’re really being thorough.” They checked high school. They checked with the counselors in high school. They checked with my teachers. They checked with my band director. They checked with the church. They checked with the state police post in Rockford. 13:01 They stopped people on the street and asked if they knew the Emory family. They checked at the Ford dealership in Rockford, and that was the guy that came to my dad, and they said, “I don’t know what she’s getting into, but they are really checking her background.” I ended up, when I ended up in Minot, I was cleared, I had one of the top, one of the highest security clearance available stateside. Interviewer: They may not necessarily have done this kind of check on everybody, you just may have been, maybe they had slots open in Minot and they needed people, so they had to make sure you could do that? No. Well, it was because, because I was going into communication I needed to have a security check, because I was handling top-secret and above, classified information. I started off in the communications center working the switchboard for about nine months. Then after that, I was moved to the communication center where I handled classified and unclassified messages, most �of them classified, because Minot was a S.A.C. base, “Strategic Air Command.” 14:07 So, we played war games, we had recalls. Interviewer: Let’s back up a little bit. You get assigned to Minot. Did you particularly care where they sent you? Did you hope to go to one part of the country or another? No, I just…I didn’t really want to go, I didn’t want to go south. I wanted to stay in the North, but I didn’t know they were going to send me to Minot, North Dakota. I mean, everybody that’s been in the Air Force knows about Minot, and it’s not…you know, winter will start maybe in October with a heavy dumping of snow and then it gets really cold, and if it ever gets above zero, it’s a heat wave. And of course we were issued upon entering the base, we were issued our cold weather gear which included a parka that weighed about twenty-plus pounds. It’s the stuff that they issue up in Alaska. 15:00 Interviewer: What was your first impression of Minot when you got there? It was cold. Interviewer: What time of year did you get there? I got there the day after Christmas in 1970. I came home after basic training and I got my security clearance. I came home for two weeks, and then on the day after Christmas I was on a flight to Minot, North Dakota. I had been up since about 4:00 in the morning, and I got into Minot about 4:30 in the afternoon and they took us immediately after we signed in to the chow hall. And the chow hall in the Air Force is set up like a cafeteria. There are tables and stuff. And we had to walk around the perimeter of the chow hall, and there were three of us. One young lady from my sister flight and one from my flight, so there were three of us that… actually, we met up in Minneapolis then traveled the rest of the way to Minot together. And they take us to the chow hall, and as we go around the perimeter of the room, as we pass by each row �of tables it got quieter and quieter and quieter until you could hear a pin drop when we got to the serving line. 16:06 They had never had any WAF on base, we were the first ones on base. And so they were just, you know… it’s like, “Oh my goodness. They’re female in uniform.” They didn’t know what to do with us. They just didn’t know what to do with us. Interviewer: Did they let you talk to the people serving you food there? Yes, after basic training we could talk to the males, but until then we couldn’t. Interviewer: What kind of orientation did you get or did they just stick you in a switchboard or what happened then? We did some. They took us around. As I said, we were issued our cold weather gear. The barracks wasn’t ready for us, so they had a house set up in base housing for those of us that were there in Minot. The barracks as I remember wasn’t ready for us until probably early, early spring, like maybe March. But we went around, we found where we were going to be living. 17:04 They took us to where we were going to be working. We met our commanding officer, we met our first sergeant. In those days we had our duty commander and then we also had our WAF commander, which we didn’t have a WAF commander at that point. She hadn’t arrived yet and our first sergeant hadn’t arrived yet, either. So we had two commanders. Interviewer: How did they treat you or deal with you? Either your superiors or the people that you worked with on the base? Well, the people we worked with on the base, some of them had the impression that…in fact, there was one gentleman I worked with that thought that all the WAF went to technical school. And I said, “Where did you get that idea?” I said, “Of those of those who are assigned to the communications center, only one went to technical school and she’s not even working in the communications center.” 18:05 She was working doing something other than what she was �trained for. I said, “I came OJT just like you guys did.” Some of the men were informed in some of their meetings that they were going to start a WAF squadron for the men’s entertainment. And I said, “I’m here. I was assigned here. I’m not here to entertain the troops. I’m here to do a job.” As I went up in rank, I had a young boy reporting to me from Alabama. He didn’t think women should be in the service. He didn’t want to report to me. I said, “Let me tell you something. You don’t work for me, we work together.” I said, “I am not going to pull rank on you. You’re going to work with me.” And after that he was a little bit better, but he still had the archaic idea that we had no place in the military. 19:00 And that was…we had to fight the idea that, you know, the old stereotype of military women and we proved a lot of the young men wrong. In fact, we were no different than college women. You know, we didn’t refer to the barracks as barracks. They were dormitories. They were our dorms, they were our dorm rooms, our dorm mates. And of course, in those days we were segregated. The guys were across the other side of the base. Interviewer: Did the number of WAFs increase pretty quickly? Were you getting reinforcements? Yes. They had made the plan to start WAF squadrons in the northern tier bases, which they had never had before. So that meant Minot was starting a WAF squadron, Grand Forks, Malmstrom Air Force Base, a lot of the SAC bases were starting Air Force, starting the WAF squadrons. Places like Wright-Patterson already had the WAF squadron, so they were more equipped to deal with WAF than the northern tier bases were. 20:03 Interviewer: What were your basic duties then that first period there? Well, I started off in communications in the switchboard building, and I handled messages and I worked my way up to the command board where I would answer the switchboard. It was the old �plug-in type like you see in the old ‘30s movies. I know how to handle one of those. And when I worked my way up to the command board I would keep track of where the base commander and the other commanders on the base were at all times, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Interviewer: Who was supervising you? Did you have a male sergeant who was in charge? There was a male sergeant in charge. I worked…I was the only WAF that worked evening shifts. I worked, what was it? I think it was three days, three swings, and then three graveyard and then two and a half off. 21:02 And then it would start over again. Interviewer: So you couldn’t have a regular sleep pattern that way? No. Then it got to the point when we…I think it was still when I was in the switchboard, we were shorthanded so we ended up working twelve hour shifts so that meant twelve hour days. And then I was moved to the communication center where I handled the teletyping key punch messages, and we were still working twelve hour days. Interviewer: Did you have any idea of why you were shorthanded? Was there a lack of recruits and personnel at that point? Or they just hadn’t been organized enough to send someone out? I think it was a little bit of, they were still building the WAF squadron and they were also pulling personnel to southeast Asia, to Vietnam and Thailand. Interviewer: Because in the early ‘70s, in principle, they’re drawing down the ground forces, but the air forces stay pretty substantial through at least ’72 or whatever, but they’re still needing them. What was morale like, as far as you could tell, on the base during the time you were there? 22:07 �Well, I think it was pretty low because a lot of the male personnel, especially the air police that I hung out with a lot, because they were the only other ones who worked shifts like I did, because all my female, you know, enlistees were working days. They didn’t have to work nights, so they were working Monday through Friday. I was the only one that worked these weird shifts. I had, in the three years I was in, I think I had one holiday off. I can’t remember which one that…I think it was New Years Eve. I think it was New Years Eve in ’72, but morale was kind of low because a lot of the guys…Minot was a stopover base before they went to Vietnam. Now, some of them came back to Minot when they got out of their tour of duty in Minot and they weren’t the same people. 23:05 I mean, it was really sad to see these guys that were my age go to southeast Asia, come back, and they didn’t even seem like they were the same person. So morale was…it was low. Plus, Minot, Minot was cold. I mean, it was cold. And you couldn’t even play in the snow. You couldn’t make snowmen. You couldn’t go ice skating. It was too cold for that. So you were cooped up from October until usually March. Interviewer: What was it like once you got into the summer and things melted? Was it any better at that point? A little bit, a little bit. But again, I was working these weird shifts, so I didn’t really have a lot of summer activities. The base itself was about twelve miles north of the town of Minot. Minot had a state college. 24:00 They used to have a nursing program at one of the hospitals downtown. But that…I think that disappeared, you know, as it did in other cities too. There wasn’t a lot of social activities in Minot. It was an agricultural community, definitely. And one of the things we learned first off was, for the women, not to go downtown in their uniforms. Interviewer: Why was that? �We would be harassed, to the nth degree. And there were some young ladies at the business school in Minot that felt that we took away their boyfriends out at the base. And I told them, I said, “We are here to do a job. We are not here to entertain the troops.” It was interesting, so we learned real early on, wear civilian clothes when we went into town. Interviewer: Was harassment an issue on the base itself? Yes. 25:01 Interviewer: What kinds of things would go on? I was threatened at one point, because I wouldn’t talk to this one black guy that had some, he had had some problems on the base, and we all knew it and we tried to stay away from him. I picked up my mail and I was going to the chow hall in civilian clothes and he wouldn’t leave me alone, and I wouldn’t respond to him, and I got to the chow hall and he was heard threatening me. Well, the air police got on that real quick, and the office of special investigations got on it, and we found out that the young man that had threatened me had been in trouble at another base where he had raped a young girl in base housing and so they were really concerned for my safety. So I had an escort for a while, every place I went, until they found out exactly who it was, because he was in civilian clothes so I couldn’t see, you know, he didn’t have his fatigues on, so I could see hi name. 26:03 But we set up a sting in the chow hall with one of the air police that I knew, as soon as the guy came in I recognized him and they hauled him off. Interviewer: Well, that’s sort of an exceptional case. You’ve got somebody who really is socially deviant or whatever. Was there more, kind of, routine bad treatment or…? I think the bad treatment was more because they didn’t know what to do with us and they were going by what they had heard from their uncles and their dads and their moms about military women, which was not true. �Interviewer: And you were based there for something over three years? Three years. I spent my entire enlistment in Minot. Interviewer: How did the atmosphere there change, as you’ve got more women coming in and you’ve been there longer and that kind of thing? Was it different by the time you left than it had been when you started? I really don’t know because the shifts that I worked, I really didn’t interact a lot with the barracks. 27:06 And when I was …in August of ’72, I was married and my husband and I, he was in the Air Force also, we lived in an apartment downtown. So I was away from the base for the last…oh let’s see, August to February. I still had to pull CQ, which is Charge of Quarters, which would mean you’d have to stay up babysitting the dorm, basically, for a twenty four hour period of time. There were more WAF. By the time I left, there were probably, at least 150. We had two barracks of women. They were getting more used to us as the years went on. And then, I guess, after I left Minot, they integrated the dormitories too. But that was quite a few years after I left there. 28:04 Interviewer: In the kind of assignments you had, especially when you’re doing communications and not just the switchboard, did you have, sort of, were there real crises, or events, or scares or things that actually came up at any point? Yes. Interviewer: What kind of things would go on, or what do you remember about that? Well, some of it I don’t talk about, because of security. There were things going on in Vietnam, and see, being I received messages, I read them all. There were some scary things going on with plane crashes, that we would always get a safety message. I worked right next door to the command post and we communicated on a minute-by-minute basis sometimes. The only people �stateside that had a higher clearance than me were those that worked in the communication center in the command post, and the only reason I didn’t have it was because I didn’t need it because I didn’t work there. 29:10 Otherwise I would have had it. Interviewer: So you’re monitoring, maybe, what the Soviets are doing or might do? Was that part of it too? Part of it. Interviewer: But basically, if a plane crashes, if a plane crashes in Vietnam, or at least if it’s a B52 or something that a large bomber, that was stuff that got routed through… That went through all of the SAC bases, all the bases that had B52s, which, we had the next to the largest B52 wing. The largest B52 wing I believe was Grand Forks. Minot was the second largest. People get the wrong impression of Minot. They think of North Dakota as being like the Badlands. North Dakota, where I was stationed in North Dakota, it was so flat that you could stand on an ant hill and see for miles. There were no trees except for around the river and around farmsteads, because it was a farming community so around where the farm houses and the buildings for the farm were there were trees, but those were planted. 30:15 There were no trees otherwise. Another reason they picked Minot for a missile site. Interviewer: The communications you handled, were they mostly things that were related to bomber wings as opposed to the missiles, or did you get everything? Nope, everything. Everything. Interviewer: This is also a period when you’ve got détente going on, there were missile talks going on, there’s eventually Nixon’s “Declaration of Peace with Honor,” I guess, the beginning of ’73. Did you pay attention to that kind of news very much? Did that really affect what you were doing? �It didn’t affect what I was doing, plus I was working twelve hours shifts, or the three, three and three. I didn’t get to watch much TV. And in North Dakota TV went off the air at 10:00 after the news. 31:04 Interviewer: No cable, no satellites, so all the twelve year olds who watch this at some point, remember that. Somewhere in there you managed to get married. Did you know your husband before you went in the service? No, I met him in the summer of ’71, and I had known his roommate. His roommate was from back east and I knew his roommate. I had never met my husband until August of ’71, we went on what they called an “incentive flight,” from Minot, North Dakota to MacDill…no, not MacDill, McCoy Air Force Base in Orlando, Florida. They would do these incentive flights to try to get us to reenlist or re-up. My roommate and I got on this incentive flight to Florida and I met my first husband on that incentive flight and we got to McCoy Air Force Base and his parents…he was from Tampa, and his parents and his sister were there from Tampa, and they took Leonard and me to their house and, to the day I left Florida, long after my divorce from my first husband, I could not convince my former in-laws that I did not know him before that flight. 32:22 I didn’t know him, I didn’t know him. But he was convinced that he was going to take me to Tampa with him, and so we went to Tampa and then we continued to date when we went back up to Minot and then we got married the following year, and then…He was in the missile wing. He was in combat targeting. He worked one type of shift in the missile wing and I worked another type of shift, and when we got out in the middle, in the beginning of February ’73 we moved to Tampa. Interviewer: You’re in kind of an odd situation professionally as someone still very young and not in officer training or anything else like that, but you’re in a position where you’re �getting all of this high-level communication going back and forth, and in a potentially serious crisis or things that have to be managed. 33:14 What impression did you have of the system you were working with in terms of how well designed and run it was, or how effective the officers and people running it were? Did you think they kind of knew what they were doing? Some of them did, some of them didn’t. Some of the, what we called “lifers” would do whatever they could to look busy so they wouldn’t have to do any work and they would let the younger kids take over. We had one guy that was very good at that. I got along very well with the officers in the command post, very well, and they treated me with respect. I never had any chauvinistic comments from them as I did some of the enlisted men that either I worked with or were on base. 34:01 Interviewer: Were the officers mostly college educated or did they come out of the Air Force Academy? Most of them were college educated. I don’t know of any officer in Minot that had gone to the Air Force Academy. Interviewer: So they would have themselves already been through being there with women in their classes and everything else like that and that whole other experience informing it may have made some difference as opposed to the enlisted men right out of high school, I guess. Yes. Interviewer: How much pressure was there for you to reenlist? Because you did just one hitch, right? So one four years? �Yes. They tried. You know, they tried. But they couldn’t promise me anything other than Minot. It seemed like, it was very frustrating for those of us who were in Minot first, the females, because we would see other people come and they’d be there for less than a year and they’d be sent off someplace else and we were still there. Now that could be because we were in communications, I’m not sure why. 35:00 Now just before I got out, I found out that my name was on a list to be moved to another base, and that base was Iceland. Although, people told me that was a better assignment than Minot because it was warmer there and you could take the military hops to Europe. I don’t know what I did wrong to deserve that. That’s my second husband’s comment, was “You must have done something wrong to be stationed in Minot.” Interviewer: On the other hand, maybe you were actually good at it so they kept you. You got promotions. Were those, sort of, routine? Oh no, we had to work for those. Interviewer: So what’s involved in that? Just testing. We had to take, like, workbook tests and stuff and pass those. I made E4, I was a sergeant, under two years, which was very good, very good. If I would have stayed in, what I wanted to do was get into dental hygiene. You know, go to tech school for that. 36:01 Which, I found out just before I got out that, because I had not gone to technical school, I could have stayed in my job for one year and then they would have taken me and let me go into dental hygiene. But see, they didn’t know about that in Minot. They weren’t used to having women and so these were things they had to learn. So it was rather disappointing because that was one of the things I wanted to get into when I was in the service, but that’s ok. I still got to go to school on my GI Bill when I got out. �Interviewer: Was that part of your thinking when you went in? The expectation that you would go to college at the other end? I wanted to go to college when I got out. I was thinking either dental hygiene or teaching, so either way I was going to use my GI Bill when I got out. Interviewer: At the point then that you do go out, now you’ve gotten married, you’ve moved to Florida. Now, do you start going to college at that point or did that come later? 37:03 I went to college when I got out, after I was out of Minot. Let’s see, I went to Tampa in ’73, and I started going to college in ’74 and ’75. Interviewer: Where did you attend school at? I went to Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, and I went part time. I had my son in ’75, got divorced in ’76, was still going to school on the GI Bill. Then, when my son was four, we moved back to Michigan, because he was getting close to school age, so I wanted him educated in the North, not in the South. Interviewer: Why was there a difference as far as you were concerned? Seniors in high school down in Florida couldn’t even pick out their state on a map, and when I was going to college, it was interesting because a lot of my professors were from the North and they could tell those of us that were educated up here. 38:06 In fact, one of my professors, my math professor was from Holland, Michigan. Didn’t even realize it until he came to class one time and he had on a shirt with tulips on it, and I said, “You look like you just stepped out of Holland.” He said, “I am. I’m from Holland, Michigan.” I said, “Well, I’m from Grand Rapids.” As far as the education, I wanted my son educated in the North, so I moved back. Interviewer: Did you train to be a dental hygienist or something else? �No, I went to school, I was going to be majoring in history and English, and then I started out at the University of South Florida on my GI Bill, but it was too hard. I was working full time and trying to raise my son and go to school and it was too much for me. So I ended up, I was working. Interviewer: How do you think the time that you spent in the Air Force wound up affecting you in terms of how you view the world or deal with people or how you grew up, essentially? 39:07 Well, you definitely have to grow up, very quickly. I mean, you go through six weeks of basic training, you come out and the people that were your friends before you left home seem so immature when you get out of basic training. It made me more of a leader. I’m a natural leader, always have been even before the service, but even more so after the service. I can manage people, you know. My attitude has always been, you don’t work for me, you work with me. You get a lot more work done that way, and you get a lot more respect. It’s just made me a stronger person, definitely. Interviewer: Are there particular incidents or individuals or things that sort of tend to come back to you from that experience, things that you haven’t mentioned here yet? 40:06 No, but what I do remember most were the changes that I saw, even while I was in Minot, even while I was in the Air Force. Even in basic training, the rule for the length of our hair changed from not being able to fall…let’s see, what was it? Well, it started, basic training, you could have hair down to the top of your collar and that was it. While I was in basic training they changed that rule to, it could fall to the bottom of your collar, which is a good inch and half so that meant that you could have hair down to here. Now, there were several of us that kept our hair long, as I said, we just had to wear it up on top of our head while we were in uniform. Some �of the girls didn’t want to bother with it so they just got their hair cut. That was one of the first things I saw change. 41:00 When I was in Minot, the rule was when, if you became pregnant, you were out. In fact, there were several girls that ended up being pregnant, when they went into basic they didn’t realize it. They were discharged. While I was in Minot it changed to, if you were pregnant you can stay in until your seventh month of pregnancy and then you were discharged. And there were no maternity uniforms. You had to wear civilian clothes, so there were a few girls that did that. One of them became one of my friends when I moved to Tampa, but you’d stay in until your seventh month of pregnancy, wear civilian clothes, and then at seven months you were discharged. Now it’s treated like it is in the civilian world. They have maternity clothes. You’re off for six to eight weeks and you’re right back, you know, doing what you did before which is great. While I was in, the first female general became…it was General Jeanne Holms. 42:06 She came to Minot on a tour of the northern tier bases and I got to meet her. The first female pilot was allowed. Women were allowed to become air police which is our version of…that’s my husband…our version of the air police, the air police is like security, the call them security police. Interviewer: Like the MPs. MPs, yeah. But we called them law enforcement, or they were out on the flight line. I wasn’t allowed to go for my marksmanship ribbon because women weren’t allowed to shoot guns even though I was a better shot than some of the guys who were in the law enforcement or the MPs, so that was interesting. Now, there aren’t any restrictions like that. Interviewer: Were there women who would leave or wash out early? Who had problems adjusting once they got there? 43:05 �There were, there was one young lady in my flight in basic training from Oregon. She never should have been allowed to be in to begin with. She couldn’t even run the floor buffer without getting all tangled up and she’d end up going around in a circle, and she couldn’t pass any of the tests that we had. They washed her back…basic training was six weeks, and there were two week periods. They washed her back twice to start over again and she just couldn’t make it. So when I was in the grad dorm after I’d finished basic, she was there, she was being washed out. She was going home. And when I was in Minot there were a couple of women that were discharged for, they call them Section 8s, medical reasons. But other than that, no, once you make through basic training… 44:01 Interviewer: They sort of just have the right mindset or personality or whatever, and most of the people behave most of the time so you can live with that and work with it. Yes. Interviewer: Would you have any advice to offer to young women considering going into the military at this point? Or do you figure your experience was too far back to…? Oh, I’m all for it. In fact, there was a young lady that I worked with at one of my other companies and she was enlisting in the Air Force and I told her, “I couldn’t be more proud of you than if you were my own daughter.” I said, “I think the military is a great opportunity for women, especially now.” They don’t have the restrictions that we had. I said, “Just make the most of it.” I said, “Enjoy your time in. Get the experience, get the experience under your belt. You may want to make a career out of it.” But I’m all for it. I think, I think it gives you a time to grow up in between high school and college. I’m all for it. I wish more girls would go in. 45:05 �Interviewer: Did it help you, in a way, prepare you to go into the college classes where you treat the assignments as things you really had to do and take seriously? Oh yeah. It was no different than being assigned a task in the military, and that’s why I aced all my classes. I took it seriously. It wasn’t fun time. It wasn’t an extension of high school. I’m here to learn. I’m going to school on the GI Bill. It was an experience for me. Interviewer: It also makes for a good story, so thanks for taking the time to tell it to me today. Thank you. I’m glad I could share it with you. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PriceJ Title A name given to the resource Price, Julie (Interview transcript and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Price, Julie Description An account of the resource Julie Price was born on September 6, 1952 in Michigan. She had to get her parents' permission to join the Air Force after graduating from high school and then went through basic training in San Antonio Texas. After training Julie had to go through a background check because she was going to be working with classified material at a Communications Center in North Dakota. While in the Air Force Julie witnessed many positive changes in the way women were treated. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Kentwood Historic Preservation Commission (Kentwood, Mich.) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Air Force Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American Video recordings Women Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2008-12-12 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/be686bff21ca78acae52dae3f55eb382.m4v fd339fcb3394eb3006897fa254133483 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1e1952555274154c51b9c3c457480247.pdf 7274ae010bcbf1f83940edf438b91d91 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Vietnam Era Interviewee: Richard Price Length of Interview: 00:50:40 Background:             He was born August 14th, 1945 in Lansing, Michigan. He lived there for about 9 months and then his family moved out to Eagle, Michigan, which is about 12 miles west of Lansing, and he has lived in the area ever since. His dad was a carpenter and his mother was a hair stylist. He has one sibling, a sister. He went to grade school in Eagle and went to high school in Portland. He graduated from Portland in 1963. After school he worked at General Motors for 9 months. He decided he did not care for that kind of work and went on to construction. He worked in construction for about a year and a half and that is when he was drafted into the Army. He was drafted in November of 1965. He knew that Vietnam was going on and had heard quite a bit about it. He figured that would where he would be going. Before he was drafted, his doctor told him that since he had bad feet and bad knees that he would not have to worry about being drafted. When he did get drafted, he went to get his physical in Detroit and they sent him right on to Fort Knox. After he got his draft notice, he was given a date to go to St. Johns, where he would then be sent to Detroit. During the physical, they took your blood pressure and look for anything out of the ordinary. He did not think it was that great of a physical, but it was an army physical. He did not get any shots until he got to basic training at Fort Knox. The base at Fort Knox was composed of old buildings made of red clay. It seemed like no matter where you looked there would always be red clay. For November, it was hot. Training (3:55)     Basic training consisted of calisthenics, forced marches, infiltration courses; it was tough work. Lucky for him he was in construction before he went in, so he was in pretty good shape. In fact, he gained weight in basic training, whereas most guys lost weight. Army discipline was definitely something he was not used to. From what he heard, it was not that much different than the training the Marines go through. It was rough mentally, but physically it was not that bad. The drill sergeant treated the soldiers like dirt, but that was the way they were trained and that was how the soldiers were trained. �    It took him a few weeks to adjust and convince himself to just go along with things or else he would be in serious trouble. They washed out 10% and had to go back to basic training, mostly due to physical issues. Some of them had an attitude, which was just going to make it tough for them. In basic training, there were about 300 people that he trained with. He did not really get to know any of them as there was not much of a chance to really talk back and forth. His basic training lasted 11 weeks. Advanced Training (7:00)        After basic he came home for a week and then he was sent to Fort Aberdeen in Maryland for advanced training at mechanics school. He went through a wheel and track mechanics school and that was for 13 weeks. Mechanic school was a little different than basic because he had more freedom. He still had to attend school for 8 hours a day. After though he was allowed more freedom to travel where he wanted. He could go off base and even have his own vehicle. It was kind of like college. He was working on all military vehicles, from jeeps to tank retrievers. The instructors there were all military personnel. Most of them were sergeants, much older than him, at least he thought. But they were probably in their mid-30’s. Once advanced training was finished, he got orders for Vietnam. They were supposed ship out in two weeks, but a couple days later, 12 of them got their orders changed to Korea. They all shipped and he got to Korea around May. Active Duty (10:30)          He flew on a four engine prop plane. It was condemned for civilian use, he found out later. He flew from Baltimore to Washington State to Fort Lewis. He did not know if they were going to make it to Washington due to the poor condition of the plane. Three days after they arrived at Fort Lewis they boarded a 727. It had civilian pilots and stewardesses, but all the passengers were military. They were going to stop in Tokyo to fuel, but the planes altimeters malfunctioned. They first noticed something wrong when the crystals in their watches began flying everywhere. When they landed in Tokyo there were emergency vehicles, wreckers and many other things lined up along the runway. They could not see anything for about 20 min. 23 people had died on the flight and there were 15-20 more that they kept from going on to Korea. He has had bad hearing for a long time and he thinks that may have affected him, but there were no other major problems that he suffered from when he got there. They found out that repairs to the plane were going to take 14 hours, so the soldiers were let out into the terminal, where all of their food and drinks would be covered. They never let them out of the airport, but they all found a bar. They really had to help each other back onto the plane when it was time to head out to Korea. �Korea (16:55)                      He flew into Pusan and was there long enough for them to figure out where everybody was going in Korea. He and 11 other mechanics were sent to Camp Rice and from there they were distributed out even more. They found out then why their orders were changed and they were sent to Korea. The North Koreans had blown up the mechanics quarters and 8 of them were killed and the other 4 had been sent home. They were there to replace them. He joined the 2nd Infantry Division, the 702nd Maintenance Battalion, A Company. His duty there was to maintain all the equipment on the DMZ. Everything from jeeps to tanks. There was a lot of repair needed. While he was there, they were looking for someone with a chauffeur’s license. Someone had once told him never to volunteer, but since he had one he did it anyway. He then spent 13 months as a battalion courier. The majority of what he did was send messages around the battalion. As soon as he landed in Korea, he knew he was in a different world. It smelled bad. It turned out to be human waste. Down south there was more foliage and the countryside looked halfway decent. When he got up to the north, there was nothing; no trees, no bushes, just nothing. He would later find out that nothing grew because the ground was full of lead. There were a lot of rice paddies, but on the mountains there were little trees. It was barren up there. There were times when crews had to be sent to the front lines. If the vehicle could not be brought back to get fixed, they would have to go there. The majority of the problems that he saw in the vehicles came from wear and tear. It was rough terrain and no roads. All they had were tank trails. There was also a certain amount of neglect or they got shot up. Officially, there was a truce and there was not supposed to be any gunfire, but that was not the case. They had North Koreans coming in every day. The biggest problem was that they look like the South Koreans, so they would just waltz right in like they belonged there. They basically knew what the South Koreans wore and they duplicated it. They once had a South Korean cutting their hair. Six months later they found out he was actually North Korean. There was a lot of rumors and information that went around in a barber shop. They heard small arms fire day and night, though not steadily. The North Koreans were used heavy weaponry as well. Being a courier was a risky job. Any Koreans they see could have been friend or foe. (25:20) Night deliveries were the worst. He was supposedly carrying top secret information around to where it needed to go. They would have to use a night light to see where they were going, so they could only see like 5 feet in front of them. It was a stressful job. �                   The lady who predicted Kennedy’s death and other events [Jeane Dixon] predicted that the North Koreans would invade on April 11th, 1967. Somebody believed her. All the compounds in the north were packed up and wired to blow. Turns out there were only 35 North Koreans that came across that day. But the way they came across would have given the soldiers a life expectancy of 11 seconds, barely enough time for him to start the jeep. That’s about the time he started getting an ulcer. He spent 13 months in Korea all with the same unit. During that time he got a week of R and R. He and six of his buddies did not have money to go anywhere so they went to Seoul. It was a break from the DMZ. He thought Seoul was a dirty place. There was nothing over there that would compare to the United States. (29:00) He worked with the South Korean military. There were a few mechanics, but most worked with paperwork in headquarters. One day he was going from Camp Rice to Camp Casey, he saw four Koreans on the side of the road. They had been working in the rice paddies and had stepped on a land mine. He loaded them in the vehicle and brought them to the MASH unit. While he was there, 35 G.I.’s in the Maintenance Battalion were killed. Never as a group though, it was always sporadic. One of the guys had actually died from encephalitis. As a courier, he would deal mostly with the battalion XO (executive officer) and the company commanders. He did not feel that any of them (the Koreans) liked us. He had a few of them tell him that they did not like us, but they liked our money. Most of them did not hate the soldiers, but they did not appreciate them either. The monsoons were nasty. It rained for 43 days without quitting. 8 men had drowned while trying to help someone. Winter there was the coldest winter he ever had. The heaters in the jeep did not work and there not enough clothes to keep him warm. Once in a while they would have movies that they could watch. Most of the time they had beer, though it was not very good. The good beer was down in the village and you had to pay more for it. (38:00) There was a recreations center that was a half a mile from Camp Rice where you could play handball and tennis among other things. Morale there was not real good. People really wanted to go home. He said they all had calendars, counting down the days until they went home. Their attitudes were not much different until the last day and then you can see that they had real hope of making it home. As far as he knows, none of the men who were serving in Korea had been transferred to Vietnam during their tour. Post Duty (41:30)    When his 13 months came to an end, he went home. He was there for about 3 weeks before he was sent to Fort Leonard Wood to get discharged. While he was there, the people there just wanted to keep them out of trouble. All the soldiers there who had come back from Korea and Vietnam would talk about what they were going to do when they got discharged. �               He did end up running a maintenance unit when he was at Leonard Wood. The sergeant there was about to retire, so he taught 5 or 6 of them what they had to do to maintain things like the sidewalks, fences and others. The Army had attempted to get the boys to re-up with incentives like ranks, money and other bonuses. The reason most of them didn’t re-up was because they knew they would be sent to Vietnam. After he was discharged he went back home. He wanted to work construction, but signed up for a plumbing apprenticeship. He would work as a plumber for 45 years. His time in the service definitely had an effect on how he sees the world. He has not trusted a politician since he has gotten back. He finds he is on a defense more than before he joined the service. He feels that the Army brought a lot of positive things into his life. In fact, looking back, he would do it again, except he would sign up for four years instead of two and he would sign up for the Seabee, which is a construction battalion. (46:05) Positive things he learned were how to live with other people in all kinds of conditions; he learned how to be responsible. He definitely grew up some. Before he entered the service, he and his stepfather couldn’t talk unless they were arguing. He hasn’t argued with his stepfather since he’s been back. The guys he served with came from every kind of background you could think of. They came from all different parts of the country. There were also black and hispanic men serving in his unit. Knowing about the movements that were back home, they were happy to be there in Korea. At least here there was a common goal. One of the good things about leadership was they would not tolerate anything racial. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PriceR Title A name given to the resource Price, Richard (Interview outline and video), 2010 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Price, Richard Description An account of the resource Richard Price was drafted into the Army in 1965. He trained as a vehicle mechanic at Fort Knox, and expected to go directly to Vietnam. Instead, he and several other men from his training company were sent to Korea to replace men who had been killed or wounded in an enemy raid. The men were assigned to a maintenance company, and were kept busy repairing vehicles both at their camp and up near the DMZ. Price eventually was assigned to serve as battalion courier, and made regular trips between company and battalion headquarters and the front lines. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2010-08-09 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a0d19256debc5a73772ad93d6a69c460.m4v 1cf2b8800cf06fbc345676e1e195a785 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e399e793a3b78125a1e5c6f1211d3f85.pdf 1335843d4c933f3dbe67221eb3047d19 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Arden Pridgeon World War II 1 hour 18 minutes 15 seconds (00:00:20) Early Life -Born on April 5, 1924, in Isabella County, Michigan, at home on the family farm -Attended a one-room schoolhouse -Farm had no electricity, and no vehicles -Farmed with horses -Had 160 acres of farmland, but allowed other people to use the back 80 acres for their farming -Kept the farm through the Great Depression -Paid off the mortgage before the Stock Market Crash in 1929 -Grew cucumbers and potatoes as cash crops -Grew corn to feed the cattle and chickens -Had one older sister and two younger brothers -Older sister went to live with a relative when the Great Depression began in 1929 -Made it easier on the family -Started school when he seven years old -Had to walk two miles to school and his parents didn't want him to walk alone -Meant he had to wait until his younger brother was old enough for school -Parents made sure he knew how to read and write before he started schoolhouse -Graduated from high school in May 1943 (00:03:44) Start of the War -Didn't pay much attention to the fighting happening in Europe and Asia prior to American involvement -Family had a battery-powered radio and a subscription to The Grand Rapids Press -Heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor on the radio -Students talked about it in school the following Monday -Nobody knew where Pearl Harbor was or most of the details (00:05:28) Selection for Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) -He took a pre-induction test for the ASTP in April 1943 -The ASTP was a program that allowed recruits to go to college through the Army -Receive specialized, educated training that could be used in the Army -Army needed some soldiers educated in certain areas -Colleges needed students -Government agreed to pay public colleges to train soldiers (00:07:00) Basic Training Pt. 1 -Sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, for his basic training -Received an advanced version of basic training along with the other ASTP recruits -Received the equivalent of Officer Training, but graduated as a private (00:07:23) Army Specialized Training Program Pt. 1 -Selected for basic engineering training -Sent to the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin (00:07:36) Getting Drafted -In November 1942, Congress lowered the draft age from 21 years old to 18 years old -In December 1942 he was granted a deferment to finish high school -Reported to Fort Custer, Michigan, for induction shortly after graduating high school �-Stayed there for two or three weeks -Worked in the kitchen and did other menial tasks (00:09:07) Basic Training Pt. 2 -Sent to Fort Benning in August 1943 -Traveled there by train -Saw a segregated drinking fountain in the South -Came as a shock to him -Remembers it was a hot and sooty train ride -Took a couple days to get from Michigan to Georgia -Had never been in such a hot place before -At Fort Benning he learned how to be an infantryman -Marching, shooting and maintaining a rifle, bivouacking, compass reading, and gas training -Accepted the discipline -The officers and non-commissioned officers training the ASTP recruits resented them -Felt that it was unfair they got selected to go to college rather than go fight -Given demerits, extra kitchen patrol duty, or have passes revoked for infractions -Completed that training in December 1943 (00:13:23) Army Specialized Training Program Pt. 2 -Sent to the University of Wisconsin for his ASTP training -He and other recruits were quartered in a fraternity house -Ate at the Student Union building -Allowed to drink beer, because the drinking age in Wisconsin was 18 years old -Attended regular classes -Marched between classes and had to wear uniforms in class -Had specified study times and bed times -Took 24 credit hours per semester -Stayed at the University of Wisconsin until March 1944 when he completed the term (00:15:26) Joining the 96th Infantry Division -The Army shut down the ASTP because more infantrymen were needed to fight -Assigned to G Company, 381st Infantry Regiment, 96th Infantry Division -Assigned to G Company as a rifleman -Trained at Camp White, Oregon, for a month -Sent to Camp San Luis Obispo and Camp Callan, California, for amphibious training -Boarded a troopship and went to sea so the soldiers could get used to being at sea -Did an amphibious training exercise at a nearby island -Fully loaded with gear and weapons -Officers and non-commissioned officers in the 96th were inhospitable toward the ASTP men -Didn't trust their combat abilities -Received 30 days of refresher training -Mostly rifle training and going on the infiltration course -Infiltration course: crawling under barbed wire while a machine gun fires over you -Felt prepared for that after the advanced training he received at Fort Benning -After the amphibious exercise they did another amphibious exercise at Oceanside, California -Landed at the beach and set up camp -Marines detested their presence -Sent to Camp Beale, California, for more gas mask training and more map-reading training (00:20:50) Deployment to the Pacific Theater -From Camp Beale the division went to Camp Stoneman, California to prepare to go overseas -Took a barge down to San Francisco and boarded a troopship �-Left the United States on July 15, 1944, and sailed to Pearl Harbor -Helped load cargo onto ships for an invasion -The ship he was on could carry a couple thousand soldiers -Stayed in Hawaii until September 1944 then left with a few other ships (00:23:18) Preparation for Invasion of the Philippines -Initially had orders to invade the island of Yap -Orders changed to invade the Philippines -Stayed at sea for one month waiting for the invasion convoy to form -Allowed to stop at the Admiralty Islands for one day to go swimming and drink beer -Crossed the Equator, and he went from being a “Pollywog” to being a “Shellback” -Usually celebrated with a “King Neptune Ceremony,” but there were too many soldiers (00:25:13) Liberation of the Philippines – Invasion of Leyte -Invaded the island of Leyte, in the Philippines, on October 20, 1944 -First island in the Philippines to be liberated by American forces -Told to expect Japanese snipers and a jungle combat zone -Given Atabrine for malaria and water purification tablets -Also told which plants were edible -Navy bombarded the landing zone in the days before the troops went ashore -Had an uneventful landing -Surprised by the lack of Japanese resistance -Went ashore in a Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) -Had climbed down cargo nets from the troopship into the landing craft -Japanese forces were disorganized and incapable of regrouping to mount a resistance -Secured the beachhead and moved into the interior of the island (00:29:15) Liberation of the Philippines – Battle of Leyte -First major encounter happened at Mount Catman -Japanese were defending the hill, but American soldiers and artillery overwhelmed them -Japanese Navy attempted to destroy the American fleet and cut off the American ground forces -Note: Battle of Leyte Gulf (October 23-26, 1944); Allied victory; largest naval battle in history -On December 7, 1944, the Japanese landed paratroopers at the beachhead -Able to secure the beachhead -At night he heard Japanese soldiers moving around in the jungle, trying to scavenge food -Filipinos helped American troops in any way they could -On November 11, 1944, they were on a patrol when the Japanese ambushed his patrol -Opened fire with a machine gun -They were able to reorganize quickly and counterattack, losing only two men -Stayed low and assessed the situation -Taught them to be a little more careful -Set up ambushes against the Japanese -Found a Japanese soldier in a creek that had committed seppuku (ritual suicide by disembowelment) -Japanese hid and waited in an attempt to wage a guerrilla war on the American troops -Minimal organized resistance from the Japanese -On December 25, 1944, General MacArthur declared the island secured -Continued to look for Japanese stragglers -Stayed on guard and carried weapons at all times -Got one Japanese prisoner-of-war -Gave him food -Died two days later because he had been starving and the food killed him -Pathetic, and he felt sorry for him �-Able to celebrate Christmas 1944 -Had a special meal, had a Protestant and Catholic chaplain available for religious services -Sang songs and tried to make things as festive as possible (00:39:24) Preparation for Okinawa -On March 20, 1945, they received orders for the invasion of Okinawa -Knew almost nothing about Okinawa -Knew it would be a major battle -Refitted with gear and ammunition and received bayonet training -He was assigned a bazooka -Expected Japanese armored resistance -Had another man carrying a flamethrower (00:41:33) Invasion of Okinawa -On April 1, 1945, he saw hundreds of American planes, and over 1,000 American ships off Okinawa -Saw Japanese kamikaze planes attacking the American ships -Stood on the deck of his ship and watched the initial landing of troops -Placed on a Landing Ship Tank then went ashore on a Landing Vehicle Tracked (amphibious tractor) -No resistance on the beach -Japanese wanted to draw the Americans deeper into the island before attacking -Fatal strategic mistake for the Japanese -Could have stopped the invasion, but allowed too many soldiers to get ashore -For the first ten days there was little to no resistance from the Japanese -Marines moved north while the Army moved south -Landed thousands of troops (00:44:39) Battle of Okinawa -Received a Bronze Star for his actions on April 14, 1945 -The Japanese wanted to use their expendable troops first to try and repel the Americans -Arden and his unit were dug into a position when those Japanese troops charged -He just kept firing his sub-machine gun until they stopped coming -None of them broke through the line -Amazed him that the Japanese kept coming despite being mowed down -Only artillery support the Japanese had were “knee mortars” -Note: Knee mortar: Type 89 Grenade launcher; portable and small -This was the first major action he encountered -The next day, he and the other troops collected souvenirs from the dead Japanese -Mostly wristwatches, flags, and other items like that -Japanese could have inflicted more damage if they had used a better strategy -Americans were on the offensive (00:49:20) Getting Wounded -Shortly after the action on April 14 he was sent to the rear to collect rations and supplies -Support personnel didn't want to risk coming up to the front line -En route, a grenade exploded near him and peppered his jaw with shrapnel -Dog tag chain stopped the shrapnel from hitting his neck -Went to an aid station near the front line -Technically, since he had suffered a head wound he required evacuation -Sent to the airport and flown to the naval hospital on Guam -Felt uncomfortable being with more severely injured men (00:51:27) Returning to Okinawa -Sent to an Army Replacement Depot on Saipan and requested a redeployment to his unit on Okinawa -Had to do combat training and a psychological evaluation before returning to Okinawa �-Arrived on Okinawa on June 1, 1945 -Rejoined his old platoon -All replacements -He was immediately promoted from private first class to staff sergeant -Placed in charge of the platoon -Manned the radio mounted on a flamethrower tank during one advance -Tank had to be within 25 feet of its target before it fired -He smelled the flesh burning whenever the tank hit a target -Japanese soldiers strapped satchel charges to themselves and tried to attack the tank -American soldiers with the tank shot them before they got close enough -Pushed the Japanese into the caves or to the end of the island -Japanese soldiers at the edge of the island committed suicide rather than admit defeat -One night, the platoon got ahead of the rest of the company -Had to send a detail of soldiers back to help evacuate the wounded -Had to stop on the road at night on the way back to the rear -Made him realize he wouldn't want to be the company commander if the opportunity arose -Took some shrapnel in his left arm -Medic told him to keep it as a souvenir (not a serious enough injury to warrant surgery) -Had civilians surrender to them by the hundreds -Had dropped 50,000 surrender leaflets on Okinawa before the invasion -Only saw one Japanese civilian present that leaflet to the Americans (01:01:34) End of the Battle of Okinawa -By the end of the battle, most of the buildings on the island had been destroyed -Okinawans had dug large, underground burial sites -Japanese soldiers had hid in them which required the sites to be destroyed -Never saw an intact building on Okinawa -Saw acres of destroyed rice paddies -Meant that farming was impossible -Left the island in mid-July 1945 -Ordered to bury Japanese soldiers on their way back across the island -Received 25 points during his time on Okinawa -Note: Points awarded for combat, medals, dependents, rank, and length of service -Had received a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, combat, and a promotion on Okinawa (01:04:22) End of the War -At the end of July the unit moved to the island of Mindoro in the Philippines -Prepared there for the planned invasion of Japan -He was made squad leader for the invasion -Kept the replacements they had received in Okinawa -Mindoro was a higher, drier island than Leyte or Okinawa -Didn't see much of the local population -On Mindoro when the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan -Came as a shock for the war to be over so quickly and so dramatically -Ordered to turn in weapons and ammunition (01:06:53) Coming Home & End of Service -Offered the chance to reenlist or go home -He decided to go home -Sent to Leyte to board a troopship bound for the United States -Landed at San Francisco on January 4, 1946 -Given a meal before leaving to be discharged �-Sent to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, and was discharged there on January 11, 1946 (01:08:54) Life after the War Pt. 1 -Decided to use the GI Bill to go to college -Attended Michigan State University -Graduated in June 1949 -Army Specialized Training Program had helped give him direction for his education -Took a job offer in Benton Harbor, Michigan -Moved there on July 11, 1949 -Had a wife and his first child -Worked for the company in Benton Harbor for 16 years -Got his master's degree at night school -Taught at Western Michigan University for 25 years (01:14:14) Reflections on Service -His time in the Army helped direct him to college -Without the Army he probably wouldn't have gone to college -Wouldn't have had the direction or the funding to do that -Led to him getting his master's degree in business (01:16:52) Life after the War Pt. 2 -Got married in 1947 -Had his first child in 1948 -Ultimately had six children -Had 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren -All of his children graduated from college � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_PridgeonA1939V Title A name given to the resource Pridgeon, Arden (Interview outline and video), 2016 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-07-05 Description An account of the resource Arden Pridgeon was born on April 5, 1924, in Isabella County, Michigan. In April 1943 he was selected for the Army Specialized Training Program and in the summer he was drafted. He received an advanced form of basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia and in December 1943 he went to University of Wisconsin for the Army Specialized Training Program. In March 1944 he completed his term there and the ASTP was shut down. Arden then received orders to join the 96th Infantry Division and was assigned to G Company, 381st Infantry Regiment. He trained in Oregon and California before deploying to the Pacific Theater on July 15, 1944. He participated in the invasion of Leyte, Philippines, on October 20, 1944, and the subsequent Battle of Leyte which ended on December 25, 1944. In April 1945 he participated in the invasion and the Battle of Okinawa. Upon being wounded on April 15 he was evacuated to Guam for treatment and Saipan for retraining. He returned to Okinawa on June 1, 1945, and continued to fight. In mid-July 1945 he and the rest of the unit moved to Mindoro to train for the invasion of Japan. With the war over, he opted to return to the United States and landed at San Francisco on January 4, 1946, and was discharged on January 11, 1946. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pridgeon, Arden Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Language A language of the resource eng Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/000479559cacc346cba7d1bb769d9b4b.mp4 760558bdffe55ecc3b3a71d5018394d3 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7046aa3939d9d9322b11bae27f231158.pdf c4a372cd446b84bc6814c0c8a471fdc0 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Oral History Interview Transcript Russel Prince Born: 1922 near Cadillac, MI. WWII Veteran United States Army, October 15, 1940 to January 1945 (Red Arrow) Division Interviewed by: Jodi Moore and Joy Miedema, GVSU Transcribed by: Joan Raymer June 22, 2007 Interviewer: “What was your family like? Did you have any brothers or sisters?” Yes, I had 3 sisters and 1 brother. Interviewer: “What types of activities were you involved in growing up?” Baseball, football and swimming. Interviewer: “Were you drafted or enlisted?” I enlisted. Interviewer: “Why did you enlist?” I enlisted for the money and for the recreation – swimming and basketball. Interviewer: “How old were you?” I was 17. Interviewer: “How did your family feel about your enlistment?” They didn’t like it. 1:33 Interviewer: “What kinds of things were you required to do before you went to boot camp? You mentioned there was a swimming pool, but did you have anything that you had to do?” Yes, we had training once a week and during the summer we were at Camp Grayling for 2 weeks every summer. Interviewer: “What type of extra curricular activities did they have? You mentioned the swimming pool.” Up there, there were no extra activities it was all training. Interviewer: “What were your reactions to being sent to boot camp?” Well, we went in for a year and it didn’t bother us too much. We thought it would be something different and like I said before, the money was very important because there was no money around and we were under federal service for 1 year. 2:30 At the end of 1 �the year it was extended 6 months, but I was slated to go home on January the 1st of 1942, but Pearl Harbor happened in December before I left, so I stayed in. I had to stay in. Interviewer: “What did you think training in Louisiana was going to be like?” Well, we trained for European warfare; it was training in different areas of Louisiana compared to the territories we would be in, in Europe and the hardest part was the 6-week maneuver we had, that was the hardest part. 3:25 Interviewer: “What did you do during that 6 week maneuver?” Well, we ran an anti-tank company, we had our vehicles, we had 12 guns, which was separated 4 guns to each battalion. It was very hard to communicate and to keep track of your men and where they were. Interviewer: “What was the weather like compared to what you were used to?” Hot and humid. Interviewer: “Were there any insects and mosquito problems?” Mosquito, there was a great problem with ticks that we found down in the pine forest that we were training in. That was basically the thing, Mosquitoes and Ticks. Interviewer: “What was your favorite part of being in boot camp? Ok part?” I don’t think there was anything special. It was something that we had to go through. We were getting paid for it and the government wanted us to train for the European war. It was continual hard training. 4:46 Interviewer: “Did you feel you were well prepared when you finished training in Louisiana? Prepared to fight?” Yea, I was fully prepared. We left Louisiana after Pearl Harbor and we went to Massachusetts in January and we trained in winter warfare, combined the European theater. We were sent from there to Fort Dix, which is the debarkation point going to Europe. We stayed on the Pullman trains that we were on for 6 hours and they pulled Pullmans next to us and we transferred trains and instead of going to Fort Dix, we were headed west through the Pennsylvania mountains and we landed in California. 5:44 We didn’t know what was going to happen from there on. Interviewer: “Is that the first time you found out you weren’t going to Europe?” Yes, when we woke up the next morning on the Pullmans, we were headed west. We spent about 2 weeks in San Francisco and boarded ships to someplace; we didn’t know where we were going. Interviewer: “How would you describe the train ride across the country then?” It was very interesting because for most of us, we were young, we were going through states we had never seen and the terrain was altogether different and the people meeting the trains in the stations were different, it was different and friendly. 6:37 2 �Interviewer: “Where there any specific stops that you remember because of something people there had done?” No, we stopped and I got off the train, went to a drug store and paid for whatever I purchased and I got change in silver dollars. I had to run to catch the train with a pocket of silver dollars, that’s one memorable spot. Interviewer: “What was it like when you were waiting in California for your ship to go?” Well, we were right in San Francisco and we got passes every night to go out, it was different and interesting because we had never been that far west and it was just a different area altogether than what we had ever been in. 7:37 Interviewer: “How long did you wait in California?” We were there about 2 weeks. Interviewer: “What was the ship ride like over to Australia?” The ship ride was very, very interesting. We were on a luxury liner and they had carpenters along on the trip. They were putting plywood over all the fixtures in the ship, all the important area in the dining room etc. so we wouldn’t destroy them. It was a 21day ride going across, we were supposed to land in northern Australia, but the Coral Sea Battle was engaged and we had to detour to south Australia. Interviewer: “did anyone get sea sick?” 8:36 Not that I know of. Interviewer: “What were your first impressions of Australia when you got there?” First impressions? It was a strange country. The language was a little different, the people reacted different than we did to some things, they were more tense about the war because the Japanese were in New Guinea and they thought that would be the landing point for the Japanese to get to Australia. 9:18 They were more concerned about the war than we were at the time. Interviewer: “What type of training did you receive there?” Again we received training with our guns, with our vehicles for anti-tank work, which we were wondering about at the time, if it had ever been used, but we had to train in that because that’s what we were brought over as. Interviewer: “How was this training different than what you received in Louisiana?” It was not too much different than that, it was typical training that you would get in any part of the world I think, that you were in. Interviewer: “What kind of activities did you participate in when you weren’t in training?” In south Australia, again it was strictly training, there were no activities, nothing that we could do and we were on the base camp there. We did get off for a weekend or 3 �something to go to Adelaide, which was about 30 miles away, but other than that there were no activities to work with. 10:40 Interviewer: “Was you unit flown or shipped to New Guinea?” Shipped. We went from Adelaine down to Melbourne and to Brisbane. We were at Brisbane about 2 months at Camp Gable where we disembarked for New Guinea. Interviewer: “What were your first impressions of New Guinea?” We were wondering what they were fighting there for. It was a hot climate, it was wet, there was really nothing there. The place that we landed was Port Moresby, it was supposed to be a good size town for New Guinea, but it was all bombed out and there was no one living there. 11:37 We were sent to a cocoanut grove where we set up and waited our orders. We spent about a week in that area when we got orders to go on the Kokoda Trail over the mountains. They said it would be about a 30-day trip and we had denims, blue denims, one set that we started out with; we carried ammunition and food basically. We started out and we made 16 miles the first 10 days and from then on it got a little harder and we spent 57 days in the mountains, running into the enemy and going on. We went over the mountains and the map I had was dated 1916 and this was 1940 so it was a hard trail to find on the 1916 map. 12:44 Interviewer: “Did you run into any wild animals or anything on the trail?” No, we did not, that I could see. Interviewer: “Did you have a lot of trouble with mosquitoes here like you did in Louisiana or were they worse?” The mosquitoes were worse and that’s where we, the majority of the troops got malaria and we got it on that trip. I was bitten by a mosquito and I didn’t know why we were running fevers, but we found out later on that it was through the mosquitoes. Interviewer: “On the Kokoda Trail, did you track the days you were on the trail or did you figure that out later?” We figured it out later, from the time we left until the time we got up where, up at the front lines where they had more data on what we were doing because we lost track of time and practically sometimes where we were. 13:46 We were delayed different times by Japanese patrols that were larger than the group that we had, so we just waited them out at times. We got as far as Wairopi and we waited there about a week because we estimated a 1,000 or over Japanese troops. We had 300 men and we weren’t going to attack them. Finally the Australians came down from another trail with a larger unit. They wiped the Japanese out, we went to Wairopi and that’s where I said they had a bridge made out of cables and you walked on a single cable over a ravine. We went over Wairopi and met the Australians who were headed for the Sanananda track. We joined them and they branched off and we fought our way up to Sanananda and were put on the front lines there. 14:48 Interviewer: “How did you push through not knowing what day it was? How did you just keep going on with all the hard troubles?” 4 �Well, we didn’t pay too much attention. Our main, our greatest concern going over the trail was the Japanese and as I said, when we left we carried ammunition, small arms and all of our food ran out in about 3 days. The Air force kicked food out of the airplanes without parachutes to us on the ground. They were supposed to have dropping areas, but they never hit them. 15:32 We had to look for the food and ammunition. We kept going over the mountains like that, having food dropped, most of the food was “bully” beef, what the Australians call canned mutton. That was hard to eat after a few days. We did find some food and ammunition going across where the food was dropped to us. Interviewer: “Did you have any contact with the native people in New Guinea?” Yes, we had contact with the natives going over the mountains. We would send letters, if you wanted to call it that, notes to our parents and some guys their wives, with the natives back to Port Moresby. Well, you never knew if they go there or not. 16:27 The closer we got to the Japanese, the more we hesitated to use the natives in any way, because we didn’t know if they were working for the Japanese or if they were friendly to us, so we stayed clear of natives at that point. Interviewer: “How would you describe the native people, were they a lot different than what you would have expected?” Yes they were, like I said, we didn’t see too many of them, but what we seen, they were a little different than we expected. Some of them could speak a little English and some did not. Interviewer: “Did you have any special names that you called them or was it just the native people?” We would give them names. Any name that you would pick out, they would answer to it. Interviewer: “You mentioned that you had contact with the Australians. What was that like? The Australian forces so they come to relieve you?” No, not at Wairopi, we met up with the Australians; they were on the opposite side of the river, Kakuma River and they were battling the Japanese. They left the main force and went in a different direction. We fought out way up the Sanananda Track to where the American front lines were. 18:00 Interviewer: “What was your impression of the Australian forces?” Well, they had more fight in them than we did because they had more contact with the enemy and it was a great help to us, the way they fought, we learned a lot because we did not learn too much going across the mountains because we were not that close to the enemy at any one time. We knew they were ahead of us. Interviewer: “How would you describe any of the leaders you had, the people above you?” Well, the leaders at that time, I would complement them very good. The equipment we had, the information we had, we didn’t get information, the radios didn’t work, they tried to drop information as they kicked the supplies out of the airplanes, but some of it we never found. So, we were going more or less blind over the track and day-by-day by 5 �what we found and what we heard and how we operated on the information we could get ourselves. 19:17 Interviewer: “What was your impression of MacArthur?” I probably shouldn’t say this, but it wasn’t very good—very low. Interviewer: “What did you think you were fighting for the whole time in New Guinea?” Well, we were under the impression that if we stopped the Japanese, in New Guinea, from going to Australia, it was basically over, but that was untrue. We found that out later on. That’s what we were sent there for is-- the thought was that the Japanese were going to Port Moresby, that’s where we were, and that was a jump off point to get to Australia. That’s what we thought we were there for. 20:11 Interviewer: “What kind of weapons did you use?” Well, over the mountains we used small arms, pistols, and rifles, BAR rifles that’s a rifle that can fire quite a few rounds at once. It is a heavy gun and we had a few Tommy Guns. Interviewer: “What was the scariest part of the battles for you?” All of it, all of it. As I said, we reached the front lines and we were put on the front line, left front and there was a mixture of troops. Anti tank was the only full company and the rest were a mixture. We were there for 2 days and the morning of the 30th I think, of November, they laid down a barrage of mortar artillery and the whole front line was supposed to attack the Japanese. The right front, the center and the left, we were on the left and we broke through. The only company on the front at the Sanananda Track. 21:32 Interviewer: “Did you feel any emotion when your company was the only one to break through? Any sense of success?” No, we didn’t know, communications in the jungle at that time, there were no radios actually and communications was speaking to the man next to you and if you lost contact with him, you were lost yourself. So you had to keep men on both sides of you. We hit the Kunine grass and we started across, it’s a grass that runs anywhere from 2 feet to 5or 6 feet tall and it’s sharp, it hurts. We got about 1,000 yards into that when the Japanese stopped us. We fought and reached the swamp, we fought our way through the swamp and we got to the Sanananda track again to higher ground and it was a Japanese bivwak area and we took that over and we spent the night there, or tried to. 22:40 It was counter attack all night. Interviewer: “Did you ever get a good nights sleep while fighting?” No, there were attacks day and night. We cut off their supplies and they wanted that road back. Interviewer: “In a few hours could you make yourself fall asleep? Were you so tired?” 6 �Well, you did get some sleep—very little. We were in a perimeter, maybe 150 yards wide across the road and a couple hundred yards deep. We had that as a perimeter that we were protecting on the roadblock. We reached there and through counter attack after counter attack we got low on ammunition. Patrols tried to break through. They couldn’t and we lost contact with the main units behind us because our radio got wet and quit working. 23:50 We had 1 radio and a heavy radio at the time. A man had to carry it on his back and that got wet so we couldn’t use it. We were actually lost; they didn’t know where we were. They ran patrols until they finally found out where 1 section was and they ran a patrol that broke through with radio, food and more ammunition because we were down to nothing. With the radio, we got back in contact with headquarters anti artillery and we give the artillery points to shoot at and they finally pinpointed our position, so they knew where they could use their artillery against the enemy because they didn’t use it before, not knowing where we were. 24:42 Interviewer: “How did you feel and the group feel as a consensus, when you knew you were lost?” Well, we were wondering what we were doing up there absolutely lost. We had no idea what was going to happen, we were low on ammunition; the orders went through to use your ammunition any way you wanted to. If the patrol hadn’t come through when it did, we probably would have had to use that last ammunition. Interviewer: “While fighting, did you at any time lighten your packs? Just drop things that you thought you didn’t need?” Well, when we started over the trail, we carried a shelter half plus part of another uniform. Going over the trail, we got rid of the shelter half, we got rid of anything we didn’t need except the food and ammunition. 25:53 That was basically what we carried. Interviewer: “Did you regret leaving anything behind? No, the only thing I regret is we started out, we were supposed to get them when we had reached the other side of the mountain, we did not have helmets. When we reached the front lines, we still did not have helmets, when we got in the lost company or the roadblock, we still did not have helmets. You probably see the helmets on today’s news, ours were a lot different, but we went in without tin helmets, is what we called them. There were a lot of head wounds due to that. 26:39 The Japanese around us had advantage, they knew the territory, they would get up in the trees, camouflage themselves and the majority of our men who were wounded or killed, were head injuries because we didn’t have helmets. The Japanese could pick us off whenever they wanted to. They were more or less after leaders all the time. Captain Shirley happened to be the Captain in charge of the unit at the roadblock. He sent Captain Keith and Lieutenant Daniels on and out trying to find a way out and they both got killed with a patrol. Captain Shirley got killed, Lieutenant Huggins took over command and he later got a head injury. Lieutenant LaPonte broke through with a patrol and a radio and food and ammunition. He stayed, the oldest officer in grade, so he took charge of the unit. 27:58 Interviewer: “Did the officers then wear their insignia on their uniform?” 7 �No they did not, but the Japanese, as I said, knew everything we did. They know that patrol is going to go out at the south end of the roadblock and they attacked them. They knew the higher echelon in our command in the roadblock, from officers, Captains, Lieutenants, Sergeants and Corporals. They knew them all, but we didn’t have insignias to tell who was giving the orders. 28:38 Interviewer: “Were you afraid of the Japanese snipers?” Yes. We were afraid of the Japanese snipers, we were afraid of the Japanese artillery because we had more people wounded and killed with tree top explosions rather than direct, from the shrapnel that would hit the ground. Interviewer: “How did you deal with fighting while you had malaria?” Well, we knew we had to keep going. We couldn’t get out of the roadblock. There was absolutely no way to get out. We had to keep going or give up and we didn’t want to do that. So we fought with high temperatures. 29:28 Interviewer: “How did the men in your unit deal with everybody around them dying?” Well, it was very hard because your friends, your buddies, we had to bury them up there in very shallow graves because if you went down deep you were in water. It was a very hard thing to do. 29:50 Interviewer: “How would you describe the Japanese style of fighting? The Japanese in general, how would you describe them?” Well, they did some foolish things, they attacked at the wrong times, they were, from what we understood later on, probably worse off than we were for food and ammunition because we had cut their supplies. There was a large force that we, surrounding us, said at one time was close to 4,000. I can’t believe it, that 4,000 wouldn’t overrun 300, but that was the estimate. They had very little food. They were running low on supplies too, so they wanted that roadblock and they were trying to get it. 30:42 Interviewer: “Did you ever feel sympathy for the enemy?” No. Interviewer: “You mentioned before malaria, what other types of diseases did people get?” Dysentery, different bites that would cause problems, different insects that would get into your clothing and into your skin. Interviewer: “What type of medical aid was available?” None. Interviewer: “How did the men deal with not being able to receive aid? Did they have first aid kits?” 8 �We had these small first aid kits that we carried, but we ran out of them. We did what we could for them, but there was no way to get them out of there. There was nothing much we could do except comfort them if we could. 31:47 Interviewer: “What kinds of injuries would get men moved away from the front lines or sent home?” Well, in the roadblock there wasn’t relief. You stayed; there was no way to get back, absolutely no way to get back out. We were not in condition to fight our way back. We were just doing our best to hold our spot we had, hoping somebody could get to us, which after 22 days—at one time the Americans asked the Australian commander to take over the roadblock. He tried, but he couldn’t get there, but after 22 days in the roadblock, the Australians broke through and relieved us and the trail they used to get through, they guarded it while we were going out, so we could walk out, we had to carry a lot of people out, but those that could walk, walked and those that could walk good enough to help other ones, we managed to get out. We were up there 22 or 23 days. 32:53 Interviewer: “What kind of contact did you have with people back home? Did you receive letters while you were there?” No. No contact at all. Not like today where you can pick up a cell phone and call. If we wrote a letter it had to go back by ship and that took a month from the time we wrote it until it was delivered in Grand Rapids, it took about a month. Interviewer: “Do you know if family members ever got any of your letters or did all of them get lost?” No, they got some of them. Interviewer: “What kinds of things did men write home about usually?” Well, being single it was hard to write. You tried to write what you—you couldn’t say where you were, you couldn’t say what you were doing, just that you still had your health. 33:48 Interviewer: “Were there any signs that the war was coming to an end?” None whatsoever, no. As I said, we got out of the front lines, we had a days rest, couldn’t clean up, couldn’t put on clean uniforms, they were not available so your wearing the same uniform from September through practically New Years. We were on the front lines at Christmas, we celebrated Christmas on the front lines and at that time, I can’t tell you when because my memory is gone. If you had a temperature of 104° you stayed at the front. If you had a temperature of 105° you went back to the First Aid Station. 34:39 Somebody, I don’t know who it was, I can’t tell you, got me back to the First Aid Station and the next thing I knew, I was on a plane flying back over the mountains. It took us 57 days going across and it took 45 minutes flying back. I got to the hospital, I spent New Years there, I don’t remember it, and I spent about 3 weeks in the hospital. They couldn’t break my temperature. 35:10 Interviewer: “Where was the hospital located?” At Port Moresby. 9 �Interviewer: “What was it like there during your stay?” As I said, I don’t remember too much of it until they broke my temperature and they explained it. I had for some reason or other, the longest temperature, the longest time temperature wise that they had ever seen and I was treated pretty good in the hospital until I was fit to take a ship and go back to Australia. 35:43 So, consequently being in the hospital, in New Guinea, my troop was relieved and went back to Australia while I was in the hospital. They gave me more combat time than they had. It wasn’t combat, but it was in the zone. Interviewer: “What were you feeling about returning home?” Well, we didn’t even think about it at the time. I got back to Australia, I was sent to, I forget the name of the camp, but I was sent there for R&R, that’s the first time I ever heard of that and I had 2 weeks of it. I was transferred back to the anti tank at Brisbane at Camp Cable and again we had trucks and anti tank guns which we trained with again. It was foolish, but we did. 36:41 Interviewer: “What did you on R&R?” Not much, just relaxed, it was a small town and we went in there every night and had a meal, but you weren’t required to do anything except get up in the morning and report. Interviewer: “Once you were back in Australia, waiting to go back home, what types of things did you do?” Wait to go back home? I didn’t wait to go back home, we went back into training, we got replacements, we had to train them, which took about 3 months, then we went back to Milne Bay in New Guinea. We trained them in jungle warfare and we had anti tank guns and trucks and nobody knew why we had to train with them. We left there and we got aboard ship and we went out and didn’t know where we were going. We made a beach landing; we were one of the first beach landings at Saidor New Guinea and we were supposed to cut the Japanese off there. We went ashore, we had very little opposition and one of my details was to get ahead of the anti tank company and find positions for our guns, which I did and no tanks, no Japanese, but we found the Japanese about 3,000 yards out on the other side of a mountain range, the Owen Stanley Range. 38:29 So, our orders were to stay where we were and if the Japanese come on our side, we were to engage them, so we stayed at Saidor. We had a few encounters with the Japanese, but very few. Interviewer: “How did you feel when you were fighting with the replacements? Was it different than fighting with the men you had been with for so long?” Well, not much different, but you were a little leery about how they would act under fire and so on. There were very few times you really had to worry about it at Saidor. It was at Saidor where I was called in and said I was going to go home and I said, “why? Well, you’re number one in the regiment, the 126th regiment. I said, “how could I be number one?” Well, I had those extra days in the hospital in a combat zone, so I was sent home. 39:30 I was not sent home, I was sent to Goodenough Island and Goodenough Island was a mixture of troops, there was really nothing going on there except the R&R again. 10 �It was a long narrow island. It was 3 miles wide and 18 miles long. It was peaceful during the day. At night the Japanese Navy tried to sink that island, I thought, from the amount of bombs they dropped on it. I stayed at Goodenough Island for 3 weeks and got aboard a ship and went home. Interviewer: “How long did it take you to get home?” Going home it took us a little over 2 weeks. Going over it took us 21 days because we were in a large convoy going over and there was a lot of zigzagging, trying to stay away from the Japanese Navy and the submarines basically. On the way home we did some zigzagging when we left Goodenough Island, but further out we went fairly straight so it took less time going home that it did going over. 40:55 Interviewer: “What were you looking forward to doing at home?” I got home; I had no idea what was going to happen. In California I got transportation home, I got a 21 day leave, I had 7 copies of that leave, cigarettes were rationed, gasoline was rationed, everything was rationed, you had to have something. I went down to the board several times, I transferred the top copy that they stamp to the bottom, so I got gasoline 7 different times, I got my dad plenty of cigarettes, But it was not supposed to be done that way. 41:47 Interviewer: “When you got back to Grand Rapids, who was at the train station to meet you?” No one, they didn’t know when we was coming; we didn’t know when we were coming in. It was a surprise, we did send wires from California, but we had no idea when we would get there, not with transportation the way it was and the troop trains had to sidetrack for other trains, so we had no idea when we would get to Grand Rapids. It was more or less a surprise. Interviewer: “What was the first thing you did once you got home?” Well, I met my mother at the door, my father was working, she called him and got him home and I had a very good homecoming and some very good meals. 42:36 Interviewer: “How had Grand Rapids changed since you had left?” It hadn’t that I could see. The only thing different that I could see was there were a lot of soldiers in town and I couldn’t figure that out. There was Navy, there were soldiers and they were stationed at the Pantlind Hotel, which is now the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, and they were in the weather school there. They had a big weather school for all troops for all services in Grand Rapids at the old Kent County Airport. That was the big difference. 43:18 Interviewer: “Did you feel different at all coming home and seeing the people who were fighting at the home front as opposed to where you were?” No, not too much. I knew what it was sort of, from the Australians and the news and letters, I did get some and they explained it all. The rationing they were under, how they had to live, it wasn’t peaceful, it wasn’t luxury at that time, it was very hard. You had to have a ration point for everything you bought—meat, butter, most of the groceries were 11 �under ration points, gasoline was rationed, shoes were rationed, I don’t remember how I bought a pair of shoes, but I bought a pair of shoes, I had no ration stamp, but I bought a pair, I don’t remember how I got them. Interviewer: “So after you were done with the military, what did you do next?” Well, when I got home I didn’t get out. My orders were to go to Alabama; I forget the name of the camp. Camp McCoy, Alabama and I spent close to a year there as an instructor of the infantry, which I was not very knowledgeable about except for what I learned in the jungles, but I had to teach infantry tactics and all I knew, was anti tank. It was rather hard for me down there. 44:58 Training new inductees and training them right—we had problems because the officers in these training schools were all over age officers, they were too old to go overseas, so the only thing they could teach was by the book and they expected us to, so we got in trouble with the officers quite a bit because we didn’t agree with the training that they were getting down in Alabama. That was the hardest part. 45:35 Interviewer: “did you go right into having your own business or did you go to college after you got out?” I went to college I went to Ferris. Interviewer: “Did you use the G.I. Bill for that?” Yes. Interviewer: “When did you get married?” 1946, August of “46” Interviewer: “Did you know your future wife while you were in the military?” No, before I went to Ferris, I had to wait and I got a job, it was on Pearl Street, Adressagraph Multigraph, that was the forerunners of computers. I met my wife there; she worked there for a while after graduating from high school. Interviewer: “Did you join any men’s clubs for veterans?” No, I did join the American Legion after I got out of college, after I started working and I don’t know if it is my nature or what it was, but after the meetings all they wanted to do was talk about the war and I didn’t like that, so I sort of dropped out. 47:10 Every time you would meet them, that’s all they wanted to talk about. It was a hard thing to talk about. I don’t know what they got out of it, what they were trying to rehash I have no idea. I have never talked about it. Interviewer: “Have you gone back to Australia?” Yes. In my mind I had decided I was going to take my wife to Australia for our 50th wedding anniversary and I started looking at trips long before that and I found one a year before the anniversary and we took it, we went back to Australia. From there we went to New Zealand, which I had never seen and enjoyed. Australia to me, it had changed, it meant very little, I thought it would be more, but Australia is just like going to New York or anything along the east coast. Australia is all built on the east coast, you go around and you hit probably where Alabama is, is Adelaide, Australia, you take a train across the 12 �desert to Perth, it’s all outback as they say. To me Australia had changed, Sydney had changed because it had been built up more, the same as Grand Rapids. It was nice to see it, but I didn’t get what I thought I would out of it, but that’s why I enjoyed New Zeeland. 49:07 Interviewer: “Would you ever go back to New Guinea?” No, I have had friends--there’s a fellow in Holland that has been back twice, now what they get out of it—they went up on the Sanananda track and went through it again and I’m just not interested in that. He’s been back twice. Interviewer: “When you got out of the military, what was your final rank?” Staff Sergeant, I had a field appointment as a Lieutenant, but I was in a different—no, I was with anti tank at the time and I was offered a field commission, that’s without going to OCS school. 50:06 I found out that if I took that commission I would go to the 41st Division and I would be way down at the bottom of the totem pole for points to get back home so, I refused it. Lucky that I did because within 6 months I was on my way home. Interviewer: “When men received a higher rank, how was that usually done? Was it done on the spot or was there something they had to fill out, like paperwork?” Field appointments on the front lines were done on the spot. If you appointed for a field appointment it would take a week or 2. It went back to headquarters and I don’t know what they hashed out, but they did and they decided if you should have it or not. 51:00 Interviewer: “I think that’s about it and all the questions we have and “thank you”.” Thank you very much for having me. 13 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PrinceR Title A name given to the resource Prince, Russel (Interview transcript and video), 2007 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Prince, Russel Description An account of the resource Russel Prince enlisted in the Michigan National Guard in 1940 and served in the anti-tank company of the 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd (Red Arrow) Division until 1944, when he was sent back to the US to help train new recruits in Alabama, finally mustering out in January 1945. He provides a clear and detailed account of his unit's transfers first to the East Coast and then back across the country to ship out to Australia and New Guinea. His company was shipped to Port Moresby, New Guinea, in November, 1942, and spent nearly two months crossing the Owen Stanley Mountains to join in the attack on Buna. His company broke through Japanese lines early on, and then was isolated for three weeks before it was finally relieved. He discusses the difficulties of fighting in a jungle and of the action at Buna. This interview is featured in the documentary "Nightmare in New Guinea" produced by Grand Valley State University. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Moore, Jodi (Interviewer) Miedema, Joy (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Veterans Video recordings Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-21 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8ed71e5ddc35c6c904bd95186704f809.mp4 820354d13197e07f975e655511917224 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/031cbb7bdc04fd680e66f52371a19460.pdf d01ea31b30cca2fffe3c4b50f5e34456 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Bob Prins Vietnam War 1 hour 20 minutes 2 seconds (00:00:40) Early Life -Born in Holland, Michigan on April 10, 1948 -Attended Hamilton High School -Oldest of seven children -Father worked in the shoe factory in Holland until 1962 -After that he worked as a plumber -Mother worked for Heinz in Holland once all the children were in school -Graduated from high school in 1966 -Took some night classes and worked after high school (00:01:37) Getting Drafted -Got a notice for his draft physical -Had been paying attention to the Vietnam War and the draft -Tried to enlist in the National Guard, but got drafted before getting into the National Guard -Engaged with plans to get married in May 1968 -Reported for draft physical on March 13 or 14, 1968 -Took a bus to Detroit for his physical exam -All of the men talked about going to Canada -He didn't want to leave his family or his country -Eye exams, foot exams (flat feet disqualified service), hearing tests, and spine exams (00:03:38) Basic Training -Sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training -Basic training lasted eight weeks -Drill sergeants yelled at the recruits to make them tough -A lot of physical training -Running and push ups -Shot the M-14 rifle on the rifle range -Did well with that, but did not use that rifle in Vietnam -Tested well in electronics -Encouraged to add another year to his service so he could go into electronics -He declined -The men that added the year became radio operators in Vietnam -Radio operators were a prime target -He was in good shape when he went into basic training -If you didn't listen to the drill sergeants you were disciplined with extra exercise -Didn't know what to expect being in the Army -19 years old when he started basic training and had his 20th birthday during basic training -Since he was older (in his family), and he knew how to follow orders -Still a different and difficult experience being away from his family -Some of the recruits were recycled -Trained with men from Kentucky, Tennessee, and some men from Michigan (00:08:09) Advanced Infantry Training -Sent to Fort Polk, Louisiana for advanced infantry training �-Base was nicknamed “Little Vietnam” -Hot, humid, and rainy -Similar to basic training, but more intense -Trained with the M-16 rifle, M-60 machine gun, grenades, and Claymore mines -Did extended field exercises -Stayed overnight in the field -Went on runs carrying rifle and a weighted down backpack -Remembers alligators living in the area around Fort Polk -Career soldiers and Vietnam veterans trained them -Sergeants that were black and white -Advanced infantry training lasted eight weeks (00:11:28) Deployment to Vietnam -Received one month of leave before deploying to Vietnam -Had gotten married while he was in advanced infantry training -When he left for Vietnam he was still newly married and his wife was pregnant -Unsure if he would come back alive -A lot for a 20 year old to emotionally process -Flew from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Oakland Replacement Depot, California -Flew to Vietnam on a chartered commercial plane -Briefly stopped in Guam to refuel (00:14:07) Arrival in South Vietnam -Landed at Tan Son Nhut Air Base -Had to circle the base before landing because a sniper was shooting at the plane -So hot and humid that he could hardly breathe -Arrived in South Vietnam during the day -Checked in and received a week of of intense, in-country training -Crawled through the jungle at night scattered with simulated booby traps -Trained by men that had experienced fighting in Vietnam -Received assignment to the Phu Bai/Hue area in the 101st Airborne Division -The week of training taught him about booby traps, mines, maneuvering in the jungle, and survival -At night the base got attacked -Heard mortars and small arms fire -Got low to the floor of the living quarters and stayed close to the sandbags -Didn't sleep well (00:18:17) Joining Charlie Company -Assigned to 3rd Platoon of Charlie Company of 1st Battalion/327th Infantry Regiment/101st Airborne -Went to a base camp between Hue and Phu Bai -Basic living conditions at the base with sandbags around the base structures -Went to a processing center to receive more equipment -He was considered a “cherry,” nickname given to soldiers that had not experienced combat -Remembers one sergeant at the base telling him what to expect in Vietnam -Spent a few days at the base waiting for a helicopter to take him to the field -Flew out on a resupply helicopter to join Charlie Company in the field -At the time they were operating in the mountains -Landing zone was quiet when he landed -Slept in the field -Learned as he went -Told to stay 15 feet away from each soldier -Thought he saw North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers everywhere �-Everyone was afraid, but didn't show it -Went into the field in August or September 1968 (00:23:09) Enemy Contact Pt. 1 -The North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong had the element of surprise -U.S. forces had greater numbers and more firepower -Vietnamese forces did hit-and-run style attacks -Wounded or killed a few soldiers then ran away -If they took fire they would figure out where the fire came from then attacked fire with full force -Set up ambushes in villages at night -Remembers at one village the Viet Cong tried to raid the villages for supplies -Firefight ensued (00:24:46) Encounters with Civilians Pt. 1 -When they patrolled villages or bridges on Highway 1 they encountered Vietnamese civilians -No civilians on the fire bases -No civilians in the jungle (00:25:22) Downtime Pt. 1 -Returned to a base for a stand down -A couple days to rest and relax before going back into the field (00:25:33) Unit Strength -Operated as individual platoons in the field, but stayed close to other platoons in the company -Providing support and getting support if necessary -Platoon strength was about three or four squads which amounted to 24 to 30 men -Three platoons in Charlie Company -Strength varied if men were wounded, killed, or rotated out at the end of their tour -Sometimes had more men, sometimes had less (00:26:33) Duty in Charlie Company -Carried the M60 machine gun, or carried M-16 rifle -Never walked point (leading the unit) or volunteered for risky patrols in the day -Wanted to serve his country without being reckless -Volunteered to carry the M60 machine gun -Carried it for eight or nine month of his twelve month tour -Swapped back and forth with assistant machine gunner on carrying the gun (00:28:24) Supplies -Had a six day supply of C Rations which weighed 10 to 12 pounds -Carried eight quarts of water which weighed 16 pounds -Carried a large ammo can to keep his personal items dry, 10+ pounds -200-300 rounds of ammunition -M60 machine gun (25 pounds) and 100 rounds in the gun (7 pounds) -All toll he carried over 100 pounds of equipment -Sometimes someone had to pull him up when he sat down (00:29:37) Living in the Jungle Pt. 1 -Set up camp at night on a high point and established a perimeter around the camp -If it was during the monsoon they used ponchos to make tents and dug a trench to divert water -Slept in clothes and sat on a piece of plastic to stay dry -Got resupplied every six days -Receive mail and send out mail -Get more food and water, a change of clothes, and new socks (00:30:55) Relationship with Officers and Soldiers in Unit -Didn't see much of the captain �-Platoon leaders had the rank of 1st Lieutenant or 2nd Lieutenant -Men with rank and experience served as squad leaders -Saw each other as brothers and they still feel like that forty years after the war -Supported each other (00:31:57) Contact with Home -Took six weeks to receive word that he was a father -Red Cross couldn't find him -Got a huge stack of letters and photographs of his baby boy -Limited means of personal communication (00:32:46) Leadership -Arrogant sergeants didn't listen to the combat veterans -They were “book smart,” but had no practical experience -The men under those sergeants refused to listen to those sergeants -The good sergeants listened to the men under their command -Took a month or two for new sergeants to gain the confidence of the men -First lieutenant was killed in action -Leadership rotated due to men getting wounded, killed, or rotated out of the field -First lieutenant had been in the country for less than six months before getting killed -Second lieutenant was in command for the rest of Bob's tour in Vietnam (00:35:32) Casualties -Worst casualties the unit took were in the A Shau Valley -Fortunately, he didn't have to go there because he was in the rear with an abscessed tooth -One unit in the 101st Airborne Division was entirely wiped out in the A Shau Valley (00:36:52) Encounters with Civilians Pt. 2 -Relaxed duty guarding bridges -Walked the bridges for two hours then stayed in a bunker writing letters and cooling down -One way traffic going across the bridge -Civilians driving old cars or riding in buses -Military police searched the vehicles and the civilians -Spent three weeks to one month guarding the bridge -Vietnamese children stayed near bottom of the bridge -Soldiers dropped grenades in water to kill fish and the children collected the fish -In villages they interacted with civilians -During ambushes they learned that some of the civilians were part of the Viet Cong -Didn't know where the civilians' loyalties lied -After the war he did some plumbing work for a Vietnamese immigrant family sponsored by his church -Still associated them with the enemy -Has since gotten beyond that mindset -Had to be suspicious of all non-Americans (00:40:52) Prostitution, Drugs, & Race Relations -Prostitution and drugs were prevalent in populated areas -Never partook in prostitution because he was married -Remembers one soldier found out he was a father, and he bought a prostitute to celebrate -Smoked a little marijuana when he was on a firebase -Didn't make it a habit because it was too dangerous to be high in a combat zone -Didn't go to sleep if he knew one of the men on guard duty was high -Men got marijuana when helicopters resupplied the unit -Drug use was more of a problem among the black soldiers in the unit -Didn't confront them about it because it wouldn't have accomplished anything �-There were five or seven black soldiers in his platoon -There were a couple Hispanic soldiers in his platoon and they were good men -Trusted only one black, possibly gay, soldier in his platoon to do his job (00:44:39) Living in the Jungle Pt. 2 -Set up perimeters when they established camp at night -Some nights it was pitch black -Could swear he saw movement in the jungle beyond the perimeter -Remembers one soldier shot a villager's water buffalo mistaking it for an enemy soldier -Cost the American soldier $100 (00:46:02) Animals & Insects -Never saw any rats, monkeys, or tigers -There were a lot of leeches -Went up to a firebase in the mountains to help shut it down -Got stranded because clouds and rains rolled in -Base flooded and caused worms and centipedes to come to the surface -Some were two to three feet in length -Remembers there were cockroaches two to three inches long -Slept on top of bunkers to avoid sleeping in cockroach infested bunkers (00:47:58) Rear Duty -Did kitchen patrol duty when he was in the rear getting his teeth work done -Had hot meals for a month -Placed on waste detail burning human waste in 55 gallon drums -Most likely at Camp Eagle (00:49:12) R&R and Downtime Pt. 2 -Received an R&R in Hawaii -Got to see his wife for six days -Incredibly difficult to go back to Vietnam after the vacation with his wife -Wife came with another wife from Zeeland, Michigan (town near Holland) -Considered going AWOL -Nowhere to run on the island and it would have followed him -Received his R&R halfway through his tour -Received a three day leave -Could have gone to Singapore, but he decided to stay at the base -Went to Eagle Beach or China Beach with his platoon for the day -Had burgers and steaks and went swimming off the coast of Vietnam (00:51:49) Enemy Contact Pt. 2 -Sometimes weeks passed without enemy contact -In one village an RPG hit the man next to him -He had been a good friend, a husband, and a father -As the machine gunner, he and the radio operator were primary targets -When the man next to him got hit by the RPG, Bob fired the M60 so much it turned orange hot -The man's wife wrote to Bob to ask how her husband had died -He wrote her, and then never heard from her again (00:54:24) PTSD Pt. 1 -Tried to put his experiences behind him after the war when he went back to work -Coworkers didn't ask him about the war -He sensed that they feared he would snap someday on the job (00:54:46) Reflections on the War -Went only because his country asked him to go �-Disagreed with the war -Felt it was a war that wasn't being fought as a war -United States didn't accomplish what it wanted to accomplish -Had to ask permission to return fire because of so called “cease fires” -Americans had to fight by the Rules of Engagement which limited ability to fight -Vietnamese ignored the Rules of Engagement -Had ceasefires for different reasons, and the Americans had to honor the ceasefires -North Vietnamese and Viet Cong rarely, if ever, did (00:56:51) Friendly Fire -In the village of Phu Loc and they went out too late to set up an ambush point near the village -Marines came up to the village and didn't know the Army was already there -Marines opened fire on the soldiers and the man in front of Bob got wounded -He ultimately spent 18 months in the hospital -Didn't know until long after the war that the man had survived (00:58:36) End of Tour Pt. 1 -Near the end of his tour he didn't volunteer for anything -Wanted to go home alive and intact (00:58:59) Treatment of Vietnam Veterans Pt. 1 -Feels that the men who have names on the Vietnam Memorial are the real heroes -Has received letters from students telling him that they see him and other Vietnam veterans as heroes -A lot of the men were just trying to do their duty and serve their country -Knew one man who served with Strategic Air Command -Helped plan bombing missions against Vietnamese forces -Protestors egged his car and called him “baby killer” -Had PTSD due to the harassment and knowing he helped kill so many people -Bob helped the man get counseling and benefits from the VA (01:02:13) End of Tour Pt. 2 & Coming Home Pt. 1 -In the field until the end of his tour in Vietnam -Counted the remaining days -Considered “short” when he had less than a month left of his tour -Got a ride on a resupply helicopter back to the base camp -Did paperwork -Took a C-130 from the base camp to a larger airbase to get a chartered commercial plane home -In less than two days of travel he was in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Remembers the pilot saying that they had entered American airspace -The men cheered -Advised to ignore protestors -No preparation to transfer back to civilian life -Offered a steak dinner courtesy of the Army when he landed in California, but he declined -Remembers men kissing the ground when they got off the plane (01:04:30) Treatment of Vietnam Veterans Pt. 2 -Protestors yelled insults at the veterans as they got off the plane -When he was waiting in the airport to go home he felt invisible -People didn't insult him, but they just walked by -Government and society didn't care about the soldiers returning from Vietnam (01:05:37) End of Service Pt. 1 -Army wanted him to join the National Guard, but he refused -Asked where he wanted to spend his last five months in the Army -He requested somewhere close to Michigan �-He received orders for Fort Lewis, Washington -Spent his last five months at Fort Lewis in an armor unit -Painted tanks and drove them around -The men stashed wine everywhere -Feels that had he stayed in the Army he would have become an alcoholic (01:06:22) Coming Home Pt. 2 -Landed in Grand Rapids, Michigan after coming home from Vietnam -Greeted by his family, his wife, and his 11 month old son -Parents put up a sign over their driveway that read, “Welcome Home Bob!” (01:07:34) End of Service Pt. 2 -Wife and son went to Fort Lewis with him -They drove out together -He reported to Fort Lewis a day late, but it didn't matter -Drove back to Michigan at the end of his time at Fort Lewis -Lived off the base with his wife and child -Paid $300 a month -Rent was $110 a month -Had to report at 5 AM for roll call and breakfast -He got sick of it, so he paid another soldier to say, “Here,” when Bob's name was called -Bob got caught after a little while -Threatened with restriction to base and demotion to the rank of private -Bob defended himself and his decision and the officer relented (01:09:43) Life after Service -Went back to old job and a month later he got laid off -Got a plumbing job through his father -In November 1970 he and his father started a plumbing business -Still does plumbing work part time as of 2016 (01�:10:25) PTSD Pt. 2 -Had nightmares and flashbacks 25 or 30 years after he got home -Went to Battle Creek, Michigan, to talk to a VA psychologist -Psychologist advised him to talk about the war and recognize that he had survivor's guilt -PTSD has improved and he feels better talking about his experiences -Talks about his time in Vietnam at high schools (01�:12:58) Reunions -Has reunions with seven other men from his unit -Tenth reunion in 2016 -At first, he declined invitations to the reunions -Assistant machine gunner called the other men and got the reunion going -The daughter of one of the men killed in action attends some of the reunions -Meet at each other's houses all over the country -He was the last of the group to agree to go to reunions -Hadn't seen any of the men in 40 years -Didn't recognize one man -The wives of the men have gotten closer over the years (01:17:25) PTSD Pt. 3 -He had three sons and because of military service he always had high expectations for them -Sometimes unrealistically high expectations, or not offering them support (01:18:37) Reflections on Service -Taught him to have respect for his country �-Feels that everyone ought to do three to six months of military service -It would teach them discipline and respect (01:19:18) PTSD Pt. 4 -Wife is a tough woman, but there were times when she almost left him -Marriage has improved since he started talking about his experiences � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_PrinsR1910V Title A name given to the resource Prins, Robert (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-12-10 Description An account of the resource Bob Prins was born in Holland, Michigan on April 10, 1948. He reported for his draft physical in March 1968 and went to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training. He completed Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. He deployed to South Vietnam in late summer 1968 and arrived at Tan Son Nhut Air Base in August or September 1968. He was assigned to 3rd Platoon of Charlie Company of the 1st Battalion of the 327th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. During his time in Vietnam he carried an M60 machine gun and went on patrols in the jungle, searched villages, and guarded bridges on Highway 1 near Hue and Phu Bai. At the end of his 12 month tour in Vietnam he returned to the United States and spent his last five months in the Army at Fort Lewis, Washington. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Prins, Robert Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ca9c9e3aa43e5742ba5249b4fc27052f.pdf c204b03f852a3a3c8c386f19cff98f52 PDF Text Text � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Incunabula Description An account of the resource The term incunabula refers to books printed between 1450 and 1500, approximately the first fifty years following the invention, by Johann Gutenberg of Mainz, of printing from moveable type. Our collection includes over 200 volumes and numerous unbound leaves from books printed during this period. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1450/1500 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Incunabula Collection (DC-03) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United </a> Subject The topic of the resource Incunabula Printing 1450-1500 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource text Language A language of the resource eng it la nl de Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Opera [folium 202] Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-03_202Priscianus1492 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Priscian, active approximately 500-530 Description An account of the resource One leaf from Opera by Priscianus and edited by Benedictus Brognolus. Printed in Venice by Philippus Pincius on June 20, 1492. [GW M35396; ISTC ip00969000] Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Venice: Philippus Pincius Subject The topic of the resource Incunabula Printing 1450-1500 Language A language of the resource la Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1492 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Seidman Rare Books Collection Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brognolus, Benedictus (editor) Type The nature or genre of the resource Text https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0d30f97e1f44a54e1601a1ffe84b2ebc.mp4 7dd9ba4f4d9722e9e80bd1d8786fd6f4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/568f11e547158a7bf9133698f6b2da54.pdf 82fe6913ea7db9c34dfb94c5eac7650d PDF Text Text Living with PFAS Interviewee: Ocean Priselac Interviewer: Dani DeVasto Date: 15 July, 2021 DD: I’m Dani DeVasto and today, July 15th, 2021, I have the pleasure of chatting with Ocean Priselac. Hi Ocean! OP: Hey, what’s up? [chuckles] DD: Not too much. Could you tell me about where you’re from and where you currently live? OP: Well, I was born in Pikeville, Kentucky, uh my dad’s retired air force so I’ve lived in a lot of places, and right now I’m in Carolina Beach, North Carolina. I was living in Wilmington when we heard about the PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). DD: And how long have you been in Carolina Beach? OP: About a year. I moved onto my boat right before the pandemic hit. DD: Oh, wow! [chuckles] OP: Yeah, I bought a boat and then moved onto it after selling everything and I’m like. ”Oh my gosh, how am I gonna pay for all this?” [both chuckle] Cause my business shut downDD: Yeah. OP: Right away, yeah. DD: Wow, that’sOP: Yeah, yeah. [chuckles] DD: That’s something. OP: Kind of like, “Oh my god,” yeah [chuckles] soDD: Well, can you tell me a story about your experience with PFAS or with PFAS in your community? OP: Yeah, I remember, um, it’s probably been about three years, I think since the cover-up was uncovered, as we like to say. We’d seen something, I want to say I was watching TV, and one of the professors from UNCW (University of North Carolina-Wilmington) was on there, and he was talking about PFAS and how he was giving- he was stuck giving his cat the water from Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, and um, I was like, “Oh my god,” you know. He was talking about 1 �this cancer chemical that a company was allowed to dump in our water, in our drinking water source, which is the Cape Fear River, and so I immediately, like, stopped giving my pets water. I’d already had a bunch of dead pets by then, they all- it was all kidney disorders and liver failure, and we know that PFAS has got this, like, a cancer-causing chemical, and an endocrine disruptor, as well. So I was like, “Oh my gosh,” and I was operating a pet sitting company at the time, which I still do, and I started taking- I started educating, like, my clients about the dangers of the water and our pets, and those who- you know, a lot of them didn’t believe it, so I just started taking, like, bottled water to pets just free of charge cause I just- I couldn’t, like, give them that water anymore. And then we all started going to meetings around town about this whole thing and learning about it and, you know, and my thought was, like, well, this company should not be allowed to do this, and, you know, we need to shut- they need to stop. I thought it was gonna be right-hooked, it was gonna be that simple. And it was not. And so just- that all kind of went on, and I went to a lot of the meetings, and then I finally just kind of quit. But I was the- I had a couple of red-eared slider turtles at the time, and I was even changing out their tank with bottled water. I didn’t want them living in the cancer water. And then, you know, fast forward, I went to, um, oh man, I can’t remember the name, it was one of the first small, short, independent films about West Parker, West Virginia. It wasn’t- I don’t think it was the devil- no, I can’t remember which one, but I remember watching that film, and, you know, there’s all the deformities of people in that town, cause that’s where DuPont had started. During this, we found out about- and this man in the movie had sold all his cattle- or his land, you know, to DuPont, and he had cattle on the land. Well, they all died and they all had these lesions on their legs, like, these brown lesions, and I almost threw up in the theater because I’d seen- that lesion was on one of my cats, on a lot of the brown and white dogs I take care of, they all have the same lesion on their tails, just like the cows had on one of their legs, and I was like, “Holy cow this is- it’s just crazy,” um and I just- I was just like, “This is unreal.” I’ve got a lot of footage of that, I’ve taken a lot of film of pets I’ve taken care of, watching their decline and stuff, and then, like, on Twitter, you know, all this stuff started with Chemours cause, you know, they changed the chemical makeup of the GenX, that’s what we were being served in Wilmington. And so, you know, we did a lot of research on all that, and we tried to get out there to, like, try shut them down, kind of like a dream piece kind of thing, but, yeah. They were sending the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) to one of our guys’ houses, I mean it has just been insane. And there had been a car following me for a little bit. It was really- just all this crazy stuff that you’d see in a movie, maybe. But- and that’s kind of- it’s just been really bizarre, and it’s just- the white-collar crime, I- it just blows me away that they can get away with doing this worldwide, you know, poisoning people’s drinking water. Because we know it’s going on in a small town somewhere, um, in Am- not in Amsterdam, somewhere near- I can’t remember where, a little dutch town. And it’s kind of like, you know, Wilmington has let these guys just kind of be on their own and self-police, which doesn't make sense to me cause we still find- you know, they’re finding it and I’m part of the NC (North Carolina) State testing, and I’ve got a ton of that stuff. My friend Gaten and I have some of the highest concentrations in our blood from those tests. And we have high rates of thyroid cancer in the area, that’s just really crazy, um, but, you know, 2 �in the meantime I’ve lost 12 pets to endocrine disorders, and I’ve lot- watched a lot of my clients’ pets die from it, you know, it’s just- in humans, we have all different kinds of cancers and stuff. I mean, there’s - and we’ve got an attorney out of Colorado, but really not getting anywhere with that cause North Carolina keeps doing something to keep us from suing Chemours, so that’s kind of where we are, you know, and I don’t kn- that’s kind of a fast rundown of everything. That’s kind of compressed into one. DD: Yeah. What concerns do you have about PFAS contamination moving forward? OP: Um, just that- what I see happening, pretty much, is, like, these guys get to poison everyone and then they get to come up with, like, a way to fix it, like Dupont making filters now for water, and then Big Pharma is in the mix with their drugs. I kind of look at it as a big conspiracy in a way. It’s kind of like h- it’s greed. It’s just flat out greed and I, I fear that- I mean it’s just gone too far. The molecules just stick to everything. We can never get it out of the water. The water will never be clean. That’s probably my biggest concern. And it’s in the air, it’s in our fruits and vegetables, it’s everywhere. Um, it’s almost like something planned, you know, and I don’t know. Maybe it was, who knows? Or maybe they were just like, “Oh whatever we can just dump this crap in the water.” It’d gone on 30 years before we found out the truth, so- I mean it’s gross, it’s disgusting that this is allowed to go on, you know, soDD: So, what are you doing for water now? Are you still doing the bottled water for yourself and the animals? OP: I am, I mean, down here in Carolina Beach the water isn’t affected with all that, but I’m still in the habit of buying bottled water, and I’ve set up some of my, like, film clients with water service and stuff and- I, I am going around- there are more people, now, with the RO (Reverse Osmosis) filters under the sinks, which is great to see. More people are taking it seriously, but, yeah, we’re still, you know, doing bottled on the boat. I don’t know that I could really install an RO- Maybe I could, but I’m gonna be out and about so- [chuckles] you know. DD: Yeah OP: So- [chuckles] DD: Yeah, I don’t know if you could do that on a boat. [both chuckle] OP: I probably could but I don’t think I need to. [chuckles] DD: Well, uh, before we wrap up, is there anything else that you’d like to add that we haven’t touched on today or anything you’d like to go back to? You mentioned that you gave kind of the quick version, is there anything you want to unpack more? OP: Well, I kind of think that’s probably about it, besides the political group that I had mentioned with their agenda. It’s, like, I- they just- I dunno, it’s, you know, they kind of want to run the show and not let all of us do stuff, so I’m pretty much underground anymore with what I do. I’m not really involved with a lot of them anymore. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. You 3 �know, I don’t- I just- I guess I’m- I think that we should all be on the same page and we’re not. You know, they- it’s just - it’s power, you know, they want power. I don’t really care about power, I want to stop Chemours. I mean, I want this dumping to stop, and I’m the one the attorney has chosen to, like, take the stand and go against them, whenever- if we ever get to court with this, cause I’m probably the most pissed off out of the bunch, you know. And I will say one more thing: I think that the only real way to put a stop to any of this is, I mean we have to quit going to all the restaurants in town, I mean, yeah, it’s - because they’re all serving the water, and they-it’s all, you know, the food, everything, the only thing to do is to hit them in the pocketbook, but the town makes it so- like Wilmington, they’ve put it under the rug cause of tourism dollars. Again, it all comes down to greed. The town just doesn’t want to acknowledge the truth. Cause I’ve been blocked by the Chamber of Commerce for speaking out, you know. I think I’ve been blocked by damn near all of them for telling the truth, but we have to. But, you know, until people stop supporting it and stop- and, I mean, we can’t even stop the water company here in, you know, Wilmington. Um, they raised rates, and now they want the town- the people to pay for filtration, you know, and I’m like, “No, Chemours needs to pay for all that,” you know, or mu- I don’t know it just pisses me off. That’s about all I can say. DD: Why do you think you are the most angry? You said you think you might be. OP: Well, I mean the one who kind of speaks out, out of our little group, who is, um, involthere’s maybe 5 of us in the lawsuit, and I’m probably the one- I’m more of a realist, you know, it just makes me mad these guys can just get away with this and, you know, a lot of people are just kind of like, “Well, you know, what can we do,” you know, and it’s like, “We gotta fight it,” but until we can all be, like, on the same page and fight these guys, it’s- they’re just gonna keep doing what they’re doing, you know, I don’t know. [chuckles] I mean, that’s about it. DD: Well, thank you so much, Ocean, for taking the time to share your story today. OP: For sure, thanks for meeting up with me, I appreciate it. DD: I’m so glad we could. OP: Yeah. 4 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Living with PFAS Interviews Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Devasto, Danielle Description An account of the resource Beginning in 2021, the Living with PFAS interviews were recorded to gather the personal stories of individuals impacted by PFAS contamination. PFAS, or per- and polyflourinated substances, are a large group of human-made chemicals used widely since the 1940s to make coatings and products resistant to heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. They can be found in countless household items, including food packaging, non-stick cookware, stain-resistant furniture, and water-resistant clothing. These chemicals are often called “forever chemicals” because they do not break down easily, can move through soils and contaminate drinking water sources, and build up in animals, plants, and people. PFAS have been linked to increased incidences of various cancers, increased cholesterol, decreased fertility, birth defects, kidney and liver disease, and immune system suppression, and thyroid dysfunction. It is estimated that PFAS are in the drinking water of more than 200 million Americans (Andrews & Naidenko, 2020). In Michigan alone, over 280 sites have PFAS contamination exceeding maximum contamination levels for groundwater (MPART, 2024). Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2021 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Living with PFAS (project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In copyright Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Personal narrative PFAs (Perfluorinated chemicals) Groundwater--Pollution Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-11 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf audio/mp3 Type The nature or genre of the resource Motion Picture Text Sound Language A language of the resource eng Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PFAS0021 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Priselac, Ocean Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2021-07-15 Title A name given to the resource Ocean Priselac, 2021 (Interview video and transcript) Description An account of the resource Ocean Priselac grew up in a military family and has lived in many locations across the United States, including Wilmington and Carolina Beach, North Carolina. In this interview, Ocean discusses her experiences and exposures to PFAS contamination and its impact particularly on her pets. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource DeVasto, Danielle (interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Personal narrative PFAs (Perfluorinated chemicals) Groundwater--Pollution Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Living with PFAS (project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/445d9eee3ff43444fafbc62e115b3351.mp4 70f24478c72a6d6f368dba8a7676db4b https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/41fd411b327926d4c9e6fa22a08deb4a.pdf 26410adfc8510213a04e92ddb237a864 PDF Text Text William James College Interviews GV016-16 Interviewer: Barbara Roos Interviewee: Margaret Proctor Date: 1984 Part: 1 of 2 [Barbara] Is there any way we can talk about that briefly? When did we close the college? [Proctor] Now wait a minute, though. See I didn't have this information on the funeral and the commune now. Is that being brought in some other way? [Barbara] Yeah, yeah. I was… okay I want to ask a different question then. When we closed the college… [Proctor] Yeah [Barbara] When the college closed, some people have said that we – the faculty – should have fought the closing. Do you agree with that? [Proctor] I don't know, I think we fought it. I don't know, if… I went to the President, other people went individually, maybe we should have done something as a group. I don't think it would've made any difference. I think we did fight it. I mean, I don't know. We sent off… we tried as best we could to work, you might say, somewhat within the system to change it. I remember Robert, we had a whole about a tenpage memo to whatever committee it was on campus trying to explain why the new divisional structure wasn't good. I think we talked to people, there was lobbying going on. I don't know that they could've done much more. [Barbara] Let's stop and I just want to take the tape. If you were going to join another alternative college modeled on what William James was, is there anything based on the experiences that you've had here that's central – that you would like, that you think should be done differently – to give a better education experience? In other words, is there some way we were weak that we should've been remedied? Do you think? Is there anything? [Proctor] Sometimes – here’s my traditional background showing – there wasn't enough rigor in the courses. I don't know how you get at that, though, without making standard requirements. I'm not sure you can get at it. I think it's an atmosphere created in the faculty. And I think things were getting better over time. I think there was more of that at the beginning, and I think things were getting better. I think that faculty has to have a sense among themselves, not just individually, but as a group that we're going to require this, and this, and this. And I think by �the time the college closed we were as a group. There might have been a few that weren't, but we were. That was the main thing I saw that was a problem, and about solved itself by the time the college closed. I can't think of anything else major that is worth mentioning. [Barbara] Can you talk a little bit of the flip side of that? What was most valuable in the James experience? What- what worked best? [Proctor] What worked best? Designing your own study plan, I would say. Maybe because I saw all those study plans. And see, a lot of the students we had were rebellious. And a lot of students are rebellious now I bet still, only they're keeping it down more and so they just don't learn as much. They sit in the courses, and they go through routine, and they get C’s or B’s or something, but anyway that's another issue maybe. And I don't think they would have gone to college or they would have learned as much, certainly, if they had to take Sociology 101, okay? Now, at William James they didn't have to take Sociology 101, they had to… they knew that they had to have something to educate them broadly about people in the world, and people outside their own little narrow group. So that seemed more reasonable to them. It wasn't Sociology 101, and they worked with their adviser, and they came up with the course, and they got in the course, and they really enjoyed it. "Oh, this is interesting,” they would say to themselves. And they had chosen the course in consultation with the adviser, but they had really chosen it. So, then they'd say, "Oh this is interesting" and they get into the course, and they learn the stuff. They were really got excited about it and they'd read about it outside the course. I want to say one thing in here. I think there may be an impression that there's very few kind of "super William James students" who did beautifully and maybe the majority kind of just squeaked by and had a mediocre education. I don't think so. I think this experience of really making their own education and doing well is true for more than half the students. Of really going beyond what they had to do and learning more than they would. I’ve said that in other contexts, but it wasn't just a few super students that gave an image to the college of this thing – it was a lot of students. Again, I came across this in the study plan. Study plan after study plan, I would read like this and oh courses in the Arab world and they took a Shakespeare course here, and they were, I don't know, a computer major here, they had a Shake… oh my golly! And they chose these on their own and it was very impressive. Yeah, I think you asked me what worked well. I think I answered that already. Let me see if I can… [Barbara] I'm unhappy with… Probably the earlier part is alright, but that little clicking means it might not come across the head smoothly. Yeah, it fixed it. I fixed it! [Proctor] Yay! [Barbara] Okay, let’s do rigor. [Laughter] �[Proctor] You better ask me the question, or I won't be able to answer. [Laughter] [Barbara] If we could recreate William James tomorrow, what…was there anything that we should do differently this time around? [Proctor] Well, I think that we did pretty… I think by the time the college closed we were just about where we wanted to be. I wouldn't say perfect, but in the earlier… when I first came, I think that we didn't have enough rigor in some of the courses. There wasn’t enough… I think we were liable… right on everybody whether they liked… you know, everybody could say that the… let me start the whole thing over! I did better the first time. Goddamn it! Why is it when you say something first and then you try and say it again you can't get it? Anyway, I think some of the courses should have had more rigor. I think we were liable to that criticism and sometimes that was justified. There wasn't required of the students so they could get through without learning very much in some courses. No, the idea that students can take whatever they want, do whatever they want, and I don't think that necessarily produces a good education. And that was more a stereotype of us than it was the truth. I think that wasn’t as true by the time the college closed. I think what it takes is the… I don't think you can enforce it. I mean, you can say: "All the faculty members have to give two exams every term or three papers." And what's that going to produce? The faculty member doesn't have to grade the exams or look at the papers, and they can be hogwash. You can't enforce that in that way. I think it has to be a feeling among the faculty – in the community of faculty – that we're going to have hard requirements and courses. Certain requirements and courses, and a lot of rigor in the courses. And I think if you have that it'll work. And if you don't have it, even if you have all these other requirements or assume that everybody's going to give exams and all, then that's not going to work either. But I think by the time the college closed we had that, I think, with very few exceptions. I mean, there were a few courses here and there, but the fact that… and that changed in the years I was here. Faculty were getting a sense of we'd maybe allowed students, I would say, actually allowed students too much freedom to do only what they wanted in the classes and found that they aren't learning enough and now we're tightening up, and we're saying, "No, you've got to do more work in this class, or you don't get credit for the class." And I think by the time… yeah, anyway. [Barbara] What about the other question? I have managed to absolutely space out. Let’s see if I can remember where I was. What was it? [Proctor] My memory is going. [Barbara] Oh, damn? Where did it go? �[Proctor] What should we have done differently? No. Oh, Barbara, this is terrible. Don't tell me your memory is going. [Barbara] Oh! Fighting, fighting, fighting! [Proctor] Oh, thank you! Should we have fought more. I think the faculty did fight. I went to see the President about it, I made an appointment with the President. And a lot of people did that. I know, I found out later that many had done that. We had that long thing Robert Mayberry mostly drafted. Ten-page thing to the committee on why the reorganization was not good, and why we should have the individual colleges. And we did fight, you know, in an organized group way. We didn't go marching around. I don't think that would've been any more effective. I don't… I think it just would of alienated us from people. I think, frankly, Robert and a few others were in… if anybody was going to persuade other faculty administrators, it was going to be Robert and a few others in their way. And they did the best they could. And they fought the whole way, in their way, which was the way that was going to work – if anything was going to work – and it didn’t work. And I think we fought as much as we could. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource William James College Interviews Description An account of the resource Videotaped interviews of William James College faculty, students and administrators by Barbara Roos. William James College opened in 1971 as the third baccalaureate degree granting college for Grand Valley. It was originally designed to be an interdisciplinary, non-departmentalized college consisting of concentration programs, rather than majors. Curriculum was organized around three concentrations that were meant to be interdisciplinary career preparation offerings: Social Relations, Administration and Information Management, and Environmental Studies. The college was discontinued in 1983 during a reorganization of Grand Valley. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1984 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/69">William James College faculty and student interviews (GV016-16)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University Michigan Universities and colleges Oral histories Alternative education Interdisciplinary approach in education Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Roos, Barbara (Interviewer) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV016-16 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Language A language of the resource eng Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV016-16_GVSU_56_Proctor Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Proctor, Margaret Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1984 Title A name given to the resource Margaret Proctor interview (1 of 2, video and transcript) Description An account of the resource Interview with Margaret Proctor by Barbara Roos, documenting the history of Grand Valley State's William James College. William James College was the third baccalaureate degree granting college for Grand Valley. It was originally designed to be an interdisciplinary, non-departmentalized college consisting of concentration programs, rather than majors. The college opened in 1971 and was discontinued in 1983 during a reorganization of Grand Valley State. Dr. Margaret Proctor was a faculty member of William James College and a longtime communications professor at GVSU. In this interview, she discusses the faculty's reactions and efforts regarding the closing of William James College, in addition to her thoughts on the college's strengths and weaknesses. This interview is part 1 of 2 for Margaret Proctor. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Roos, Barbara (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University Michigan Universities and colleges Oral histories Alternative education Women in higher education Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/69">William James College faculty and student interviews (GV016-16)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/06bb48251d361d6f6b04cfd819be3557.mp4 8d813da1e92fef375f3809556aade9d2 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6c7906d6d0ef0dc1361dba6e848e1c73.pdf 78ff12cc35ee6de93d1d935ed3a90f2c PDF Text Text William James College Interviews GV016-16 Interviewer: Barbara Roos Interviewee: Margaret Proctor Date: 1984 Part: 2 of 2 [Barbara] Let’s get started. If you had to sum up the essence of William James College in a sentence or two, what would you pull out of it? [Proctor] Well, there are two things really. I guess a liberal education for a practical world and that doesn't really say it very well. I think the liberal education is extremely important and for graduates I've talked to it was and it made them much broader and better workers in the real world. And that combined with the – you might say – more practical, real life education they got here was really what it's about. And the two were not separate because the liberal fed into the practical. And the other thing would be the sense of community. Which I think helped, well, more than helped, it was part of the education and made them able to go out into the world and be entitled, as Barry Castro used that term. I was going to talk about that more in another question, though. But the sense of community. [Barbara] Have you had any feedback from people who have gone out in the world and have been so disturbed by the lack of community out in the world that they’ve, essentially, blown their education? Have you ever had that? [Proctor] No, I haven't. I keep hearing that that must happen. I haven't had that from anybody. [Barbara] Would you talk about the liberal education aspect of James and the liberal studies program now. Is that a direct outgrowth but what's the difference? [Proctor] It is a direct outgrowth. It really is. When we knew that James was going to close… I was talking with Barry Castro in the hall, and he said, "Why don't we get a bunch of people on campus – James people, but other people on campus – who’d be interested in liberal studies." We had a liberal studies major, you see, at the time he said, "Why can't we keep the liberal studies major going?" Well, actually, I'm not sure he even said the major. We got together… let me back here. Let me back up. [Barbara] Yeah. Start the question again. [Proctor] Okay. �[Barbara] Start it again. [Proctor] It is a direct outgrowth of James. Not of the liberal studies program, per se, but of James. Let me start over again. I need to figure out how I'm going to start this. It really is a direct outgrowth of the James idea of a liberal education. We had a Liberal Studies major here already, but that wasn't the main thing. What happened is by chance. Barry Castro and I started talking in the hall one day and he said, 'Why don't we get together a liberal studies committee and keep liberal studies – liberal education – going at Grand Valley. Not using just James people, but other people on campus who support a broad liberal education." So, he came up with some names out of what was going to be the divisions. And we said, "Hey, yeah, Bill Balm. Hey, yeah, this person and that person. Hey, yeah." And so, we just handpicked the committee. [Laughter] And I don't know how… that's right, I chaired the liberal studies program here, so I happened to chair it. And we called up the people and just said, "Do you want to meet?" And we met. I said, "We want to keep this program going." They wanted to keep it going and we started meeting. We had about fifteen people, twenty people. And it started to get kind of official because it became clear after talking to Glenn that we could keep the problem going. He did want to keep going. And so, the committee got cut down in size for a while, and now it's back up to what it was because we decided it was too small. But what happened, as it turns out, there's a lot of people at Grand Valley – not the majority, but a lot of people – who really do want this kind of education. And they were tucked in out there in the various departments and a very fine bunch of people. I think if we tried to do it with only James people it wouldn't have worked because it would've been seen as a James thing. And now this thing is firmly in place. There's a William James synoptic speaker every year, through the Liberal Studies program, there's Liberal Studies majors from all over the campus. The various people in their departments kind of find people who want to have a little broader education than just the narrow. And they take a certain number of courses maybe in that major. But, for instance, in business. Barry recruits them like crazy in business. A number of people who want to get the business courses but don't want a very strict business major and have some broader interests. He says, "Well, maybe a Liberal Studies major is the thing for you." And they get an individualized program, and a very broad program, and they get their business courses, too. And it's working. There's not tons of students in it, but it's working, and the faculty are working together. It's going very well. [Barbara] It sounds wonderful. [Proctor] Yeah, it is! [Barbara] I'm envious. �[Proctor] [Laughter] I made sure I stayed on the committee. I wouldn't let anybody kick me off after Steve Rowe became chairman. It's one of the more… actually, I consider it one of the most important things around here. I really am excited about it. [Barbara] Does this at all actually go into the discussion you wanted to have about study plans? [Proctor] Yes. One thing that struck me at William James… the thing I was worried about most with the breakup of William James was that the education of the students would become very compartmentalized. And they would take a course in sociology, and a course in history, and a course in mathematics, and they'd study for the exam, and ten weeks later, two weeks later, it would be gone, and they'd get out, and they wouldn't connect the things. And they would think that the major, especially with the tone in the United States now, they would think the major was the only important thing and the rest was just, kind of, you had to take it. And you see as Liberal Studies [?], I had read an awful lot of study plans. And after about a year of reading them I realized, too, you know, what a traditional education looks like having had one, and knowing what the distribution requirement was in CAS at the time. And I remember telling people at the time, after about a year of reading study plans, I remember getting very excited saying, "My golly, some people…" The idea is, maybe, that this college has too much individualized instruction, people take what they want only, and they're too narrow, and they take only subject courses in their major, very technical subjects and they end up with too technical an education at William James. That's just not true. And my estimate, you know, very rough, was that two thirds of the students get a broader education than they would – a more interesting education, in terms of the types of course they took – than they would let’s say in CAS, or a traditional distribution where… because I actually looked at the number of credits they were taking in Liberal Studies and at least two thirds of the cases they were more beyond the requirement. Which was already higher, I think, than CAS. But they didn't just take what they had to take, like, they knew they had, if they were a media major, they didn't think: "Oh I have to take a course in sociology, so I'll take media in society just to get by." They didn't do that. They would take, maybe, two or three courses in sociology or resembling that, or something about the Arab World, or a lot of totally unconnected things. And they would get… you could tell they would get interested in these things and would pursue them for a while. Several courses in other fields unrelated, supposedly, unrelated to their own. And I got very excited in reading these study plans. I would say a third of them were really good – that type I've been talking about. Another third were better than the CAS equivalent. Another third were kind of just… they were the ones who wanted to squeak by. So, you know, but I was impressed and I think that was a loss that we don't have that anymore. [Barbara] I know you made a reference, just now, to the fact that you had quite a traditional �education yourself. Let me just change the shot here, sorry. And I was wondering how you came to be teaching at such an untraditional kind of place. [Proctor] Well [laughter] it was by accident. I met Robert Mayberry on a Greyhound bus and there was only a window seat available, and Robert Mayberry doesn't like to sit by the window I found out later. He doesn't like airplanes either. Anyway, there was one window seat on the whole bus, and I asked if I could have it and the gentleman next to me said, "Fine." So, he was reading a book on wines and I was interested in that and I had pulled out an article on oral literature in Africa and he kind of looked over my shoulder and he was interested in that. So, we got talking and he said that he taught at Grand Valley and… actually he didn't say, he said he taught at William James College. And I said, "Oh" and we got talking about that and I was teaching in Chicago at the time. We got talking about black English, which I been studying, and he said, Why don't you come up and talk to us?" Because I had started to look for jobs in this area. And I said, "Fine." So, I came up and talked and that was an informal interview, and then there was a formal interview. And there I was. So, kind of by accident. I would've accepted a traditional job in this area if it had come about. My husband was teaching at Hope College at the time. I ended up here and I didn't have any problem coming here, the teaching is the main thing to me. And the working with the students, and some sense of community I wanted. I didn't want just isolation from everybody. But I had no problem coming here; I didn't feel any problems. And there was one thing that happened, I remember, in the interview. I remember saying to Adrian at the time, that I would accept a job except that I wanted her to realize that I wouldn't be here twenty-four hours a day, as some of the people seem to be. That was a time I think of transition in the college where it had been very intensive and people had been putting their whole lives into the college, there were divorces, there were all kinds of problems. And I could see that in some of the people that interviewed me, that they wanted that commitment and I told her straight up front, "If you want to hire me, I won't make that. I will be here the four or five days a week, but I have a family and I'm not going to mess that up, and I don't want to anyway. It's not me to be." So that aspect. But then after I came, people seemed to be, you might say, moving my right direction. I'm not saying because of me, but there was a move away from the totally intensive, twenty-four hour a day, seven day a week thing. That was the only thing that might have kept me from taking the job. Once here I was very comfortable. I had no… I think part of what made a difference, I think, in my own education – probably in high school and in college, certainly in elementary school – I had a sense of community with the people I was being educated with and with the teachers. Not as much in graduate school, but certainly in college. And that's what was important about William James. And I think wasn't as true in the larger Grand Valley and in a lot of more traditional big schools. I had gone to a small school and I wasn’t actually always part of the community of my small school, but I knew it existed and in the long run I am. I think… well the other thing is more an �answer to another question. I don't know if you want to get into that now, Barbara. [Barbara] Well, I don't know what you are about to say. [Laughter] [Proctor] Well, okay, I'll get into it now and then we can do it over if you want. Where are we here? I think the sense of community – well I mentioned it earlier – is one of the things... [Barbara] Okay, start that over. [Proctor] Start that over. Okay. I think the sense of community – which I realized only after a few years James – is extremely important to the education. Because Barry Castro came up with a term for it, he came up with the term, "entitlement," where students come in and instead of receiving an education from the professor… [phone rings] I think I'll leave the phone… instead of receiving an education from the professor, they… well, I'll answer it. It's bothering me, I can't go on. Margret Proctor? Yes. [Proctor] Go ahead. [Barbara] Okay, let me make sure my framing… oh, it's still beautiful. [Proctor] Okay. [Barbara] Just go ahead. [Proctor] Well, anyway, how I happen… why I seem to fit in here, I think – or had no problem, even came to like it much better than a traditional college – was the sense of community. And I realized after about a year here that I had had that in my education; a sense of community. And that, maybe, a lot of the students who normally come to a school like Grand Valley don't because they're of a different social class, different group, different… they're outsiders, they're not part of the of the academic world, or even the professional world. And they're coming here to receive an education from the professor and to go out and try and get a good job. But what I had had in elementary school, and in high school, and in college… I went to a small college, Wellesley College, it was a fairly small college. I wasn't totally part of that Wellesley community, but I did afterwards, years afterwards, I knew that it wasn't just the information and the courses I learned, but because the professors there saw me as someone who would become like them. Not a professor, necessarily, but was of their same group. Was an intellectual equal, or almost anyway, something on the… where there was a real conversation going on. And I had that in high school, pretty much in elementary school, I'd been part of the group you might say. And after a while here and after having taught in �Chicago, too, at a ghetto college, essentially, where that was not so true. Where the faculty, though many tried, there wasn't a concerted effort by the faculty. Although individuals tried, there wasn't a concerted effort by the faculty to make it a place of community. But this place gave students the opportunity to become part of the mainstream, you might say. The main… people who are going to go out… and Barry Castro used the term “entitlement” or “entitled.” They would become those who were expected. Yes, you are on an equal basis with us, intellectually, at least you know you don't know as much, but you're learning, and you will go out and do these things. You're becoming part almost of a different social class. I think of it in class terms, actually. You're changing social class. And I saw that in students and I’ve talked to them since graduation. And that did happen very drastically with them. And I just know it wouldn't have happened with a traditional education. They might have dropped out of it, they might've stayed with it and gotten low level jobs and been bored. And many, many students – the ones for whom this education was most successful – are the ones who became part of the William James community. And with faculty and other students, were changed – their lives were changed. They didn't just get courses that taught them information, their lives were changed. And I hadn't had such a drastic change in my own life because I was already part of that when I was born, you might say, or the way I was brought up. But for them it was very moving. It was a change. It was a change. [Barbara] I'm going to stop you for a minute because the tape will run out within the next minute and I don't want to be in the middle of a… � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource William James College Interviews Description An account of the resource Videotaped interviews of William James College faculty, students and administrators by Barbara Roos. William James College opened in 1971 as the third baccalaureate degree granting college for Grand Valley. It was originally designed to be an interdisciplinary, non-departmentalized college consisting of concentration programs, rather than majors. Curriculum was organized around three concentrations that were meant to be interdisciplinary career preparation offerings: Social Relations, Administration and Information Management, and Environmental Studies. The college was discontinued in 1983 during a reorganization of Grand Valley. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1984 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/69">William James College faculty and student interviews (GV016-16)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University Michigan Universities and colleges Oral histories Alternative education Interdisciplinary approach in education Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Roos, Barbara (Interviewer) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV016-16 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Language A language of the resource eng Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV016-16_GVSU_58_Proctor Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Proctor, Margaret Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1984 Title A name given to the resource Margaret Proctor interview (2 of 2, video and transcript) Description An account of the resource Interview with Margaret Proctor by Barbara Roos, documenting the history of Grand Valley State's William James College. William James College was the third baccalaureate degree granting college for Grand Valley. It was originally designed to be an interdisciplinary, non-departmentalized college consisting of concentration programs, rather than majors. The college opened in 1971 and was discontinued in 1983 during a reorganization of Grand Valley State. Dr. Margaret Proctor was a faculty member of William James College and a longtime communications professor at GVSU. In this interview, she discusses the essence of William James College, the continued importance of liberal education at Grand Valley, and the chance encounter that led to her faculty position within the college. This interview is part 2 of 2 for Margaret Proctor. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Roos, Barbara (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University Michigan Universities and colleges Oral histories Alternative education Women in higher education Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/69">William James College faculty and student interviews (GV016-16)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/cc4d4307cc736c1e8dc6a2f2dc910557.pdf cc7db221aa3b41a336fb50e08e92d261 PDF Text Text � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0c63b774c0913a08654fbd0f94fedcff.pdf 2022b131d67ec0bbbc5a2b24a2991375 PDF Text Text March 12, 1896 Mr. A.S. Clark, Dear Sir: I called in & inquired of you, on Monday last, if you remember, for the number of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated News, next issued after the 16th of April 1865, & Containing the picture of the deathbed scene of Abraham Lincoln; and you promised, if I mistake not, that you would send me word as to whether, or not, you could furnish me that number, by the next (Tuesday) morning. I have not as [text strikethrough]{yet}heard from you since. If you have found that number for me, please send me word & I will call in for it, promptly. Yours Truly, Thomas Proctor � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Civil War and Slavery Collection Subject The topic of the resource United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 Slavery--United States African Americans United States--Politics and government--19th century Description An account of the resource A selection of correspondence, diaries, official documents, photographs related to the American Civil War and to the institution of slavery, collected by Harvey E. Lemmen. The collection includes a selection of documents from ten states related to the ownership of slaves and abolition, correspondence and documents of soldiers who fought in the war and from family members and officials, diaries and letters of individuals, and a collection of mailing envelopes decorated with patriotic imagery. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Lemmen, Harvey E. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/472">Civil War and Slavery Collection (RHC-45)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/470">John Bennitt Diaries and Correspondence (RHC-43)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/471">Nathan Sargent Papers (RHC-44)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/478">Theodore Peticolas Diary (RHC-51)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/476">Civil War Patriotic Envelopes Collection (RHC-51)<br /></a><a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/479">Whitely Read Diary (RHC-52)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1804-1897 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg; application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Image; Text Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1804-1897 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-45_CW1-1709 Title A name given to the resource A.S. Clark from Thomas Proctor Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1896-03-12 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Proctor, Thomas Subject The topic of the resource Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 Frank Leslie's illustrated newspaper Correspondence United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) New York (State) Description An account of the resource Letter requesting copies of an illustration of Lincoln's deathbed scene published in Frank Leslie's Illustrated newspaper, from a man who was present, Mar. 12, 1896 Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Civil War and slavery collection (RHC-45): http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/472 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/36f2d98d35fd6ac633f4f1cc1d2c7e80.pdf 88ee9e0e5ace82803eed071055b909bc PDF Text Text CITY OF MUSKEGON MASTER LAND USE PLAN �-" FROM THE LIBRARY OF .Planning & Zoning Center, Inc. CITY of MUSKEGON MASTER LAND USE PLAN Prepared For: City of Muskegon Planning Commiss i on Prepared By: TOD J. KILROY, CONSULTANT P.C. 1721 CROOKS RD. SUITE 201 TROY, MICHIGAN 48084 PROGRESSIVE PLANNING ASSOCIATES, P.C. 838 West Long Lake Road Suit e 250 Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48013 ADOPTED BY PLANNING COMMISSION: _] OCTOBER 18, 1984 �T LIST OF CITY OFFICIALS PLANNING STAFF CITY COMMISSION Mayor Elmer J. Walcott Director Vice Mayor Thomas Higgins Assitant Director Liz O'Hara Commissioner Joan Stewart Commissioner John Williams Commissioner Mary Commissioner William Larson Commissioner William Bailey c. Jones PLANNING COMMISSION Chairman Harold J. Workman Vice Chairman Terry MacAllister Commissioner Thomas J. O'Toole, Jr. Commissioner Daniel Oglesby Commissioner Howard Sieplinga Commissioner Raymond Seppamaki Commissioner Robert F. Hagemann III Commissioner Joan Stewart Commissioner Elmer J. Walcott City Manager Robert F. Hagemann III ., Assistant City Manager Susan B. Essex , ' City Attorney Thomas J. O'Toole Rick Chapla Assistant Planner Donald E. Haas Assistant Planner Greg Sundin (no longer with the Department) ZONING & INSPECTIONS Director Julius A. Winkler �TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION & REGIONAL SETTING CHAPTER I- GOALS ,. & OBJECTIVES Purposes of the Master Land Use Plan Basis of Planning Policy Land Use Objectives Public Facilities Objectives Additional Objectives CHAPTER II- LAND USE INVENTORY Existing Land Use Visual Reconaissance Survey CHAPTER III- POPULATION Population Analysis Housing Analysis HOUSING ANALYSIS & & Projeciton CHAPTER IV- RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS PLAN Existing Patterns & Conditions Residential Neighborhoods Plan CHAPTER V- RECREATION PLAN & COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAN Recreation Plan Community Facilities Plan ,. PAGE 1 3 3 4 5 7 8 11 11 16 20 20 26 31 31 37 41 41 43 CHAPTER VI- ECONOMIC BASE ANALYSIS 46 Market Analysis Commercial Potential Industrial Base Analysis 46 CHAPTER VII- MAJOR STREETS PLAN Concepts and Standards The Current Situation Problem Areas Major Streets Plan CHAPTER VIII- MASTER LAND USE PLAN Description of the Plan APPENDIX Resolution of Adoption Affidavit of Mailing By City Clerk 48 53 57 57 59 59 61 62 62 �List of Tables ,, ,,. ,, , 1. City of Muskegon Land Use Acreage 14 2. Land Use Comparison 1973-1983 16 3. Population Trends 1970-1980 20 4. Population Composition Comparison 1970-1980 21 5. Persons Per Household 22 6. County of Muskegon Population Projection 23 7. City of Muskegon Proportional Share Method 23 8. Projected Permanent Populations, 1978-1998 24 9. Growth Rate Method 24 10. Arithmetic Projection Method 25 11. Cohort Survival Projections 25 12. Summary of Population Projections 26 13. Existing Land Use Acreages By Neighborhood 31 14. Existing Densities By Neighborhood 33 15. Existing Densities - Multiple Family 34 16. Selected Multiple Family Development 35 17. Capacity Calculations 36 18. Total Population By Neighborhood 38 18. Total Supportable Commercial Land 49 19. Existing 49 20. Population Expectations 51 21. Total Supportable Commercial Land - Secondary Area 51 & Supportable Commercial Land �List of Tables (continued) Page ,. 22. Present Commercial Zoning Districts and Land Use 52 23. Zoned Commercial Land and Projected Demand 52 24. 1980 Occupational Characteristics 53 25. Employment Expectations 54 26. 1980 Employment by Industry Group in Muskegon 54 27. Employment 55 28. Expected Industrial Land Area Allocation & Land Area Allocation 55 ,, ,,, ,. I" ,, r r Follows Page Number 1. Visual Reconnaissance 16 2. Existing Land Use 13 3. Density Factors 35 4. Residential Area Plan 39 5. Recreation & Community Facilities 44 6. Trade Areas 48 7. Business & Industrial Areas Plan 54 8. Major Streets Plan 60 9. Master Land Use Plan 65 �Ll Introduction & Regional Setting r ,, r r �INTRODUCTION AND REGIONAL LOCATION , , ,, ,, ,, ,, , The most recent Master Plan for the City of Muskegon was prepared in 1974. The purpose of this Master Land Use Plan is to provide updated future land use and housing documentation as part of the municipal plan under the provisions of the Municipal Planning Act, Act 285 of the Public Acts of 1931, as amended. The Master Land Use Plan for _Muskegon is to serve as a guide for the future development of the City, and to be utilized as a working tool for planning related recommendations and decisions by the Muskegon City Planning Commission. The City of Muskegon comprises approximately 12,000 acres or 17 square miles, 2,000 acres of which are in water areas such as Muskegon Lake and Ruddiman Lake (in McGraft Park). The 1980 population of the City was recorded at 40,800 while the Muskegon Norton Shores SMSA listed a total area population of 180,000. Population of nearby communities was recorded at 14,300 in Muskegon Heights, 4,000 in North Muskegon, 22,000 in Norton Shores, and 4,000 in Roosevelt Park. The balance of the SMSA population reside in the adjacent Townships and in the out-county areas (including Oceana County). An historic sketch provided by the Muskegon Area Chamber of Commerce indicates that Muskegon derives its name from th e Chippewa word "Muskego" (Ottawa-Maskigon) meaning "river with marshes". First recorded white visitor to Muskegon was Jean Nicollet, French explorer, who came here in 1634, thirteen years after the pilgrims landed at Plymouth. On April 16, 1675 (two days before he died) Pere Marquette spent the night at the mouth of Muskegon Lake. Pendalouan, greatest war chief of the Ottawa Nation prior to Pontiac, lived at Muskegon and led his tribe at the battle of Starved Rock, Illinois, where the Fox Indians were exterminated. The history of Muskegon covers three eras: the Fur Trade Period, 1810 to 1837: the Lumber Era from 1837 to 1900: and the Era of Diversified Manufacturing from 1900 to the present. The first trading post was established here in 1810 by the widow of Joseph LaFrarnboise, who began making annual trips to the Muskegon Area in her quest for furs. In 1812, Jean Baptiste Recollet established a fur trading post near the mouth of Bear Lake in North Muskegon. The first sawmill on Muskegon Lake was built in 1837. In 1887 Muskegon acquired the title of "Lumber Queen of the World". The 47 sawmills in the City were cutting in excess of 600 million board feet, more than had ever been cut at any single point. The Village of Muskegon was incorporated in 1860 and the area incorporated as the City of Muskegon in 1869 with a population of .....-1- �about 6,000. Muskegon Heights was incorporated as a Village in 1891 and became a City in 1903. The City of North Muskegon became a Village in 1881 and incorporated as a City in 1891. More recently, the City has taken a positive and aggressive approach to the redevelopment of the Downtown Area and new emphasis in the rehabilitation of its residential areas. Diversified housing types and a growing economy have contributed to the re-kindling of the spirit necessary to promote a viable urban community. The continuation of that same theme is essential to assure that the City will remain in the forefront in the West Michigan economy in the years ahead. This new Master Land Use Plan updates basic data and suggests some new courses of action to be taken by community leaders to achieve that goal. , [J :J ,, r -2- �Chapter I Goals & Objectives ,,, ,, �Chapter I- GOALS AND OBJECTIVES INTRODUCTION ,, r The development of objectives and policies by functional activities recognizes the need to focus on identifiable elements of the planning process, which is necessary to bring about the intent of the broad goals. The development of objectives is an attempt to establish more definitive statements inherent in the goal statement, while policies begin to identify day to day direction for decision makers. This first portion deals with the purposes of the overall Master Land Use Plan for the City. r PURPOSES OF THE MASTER LAND USE PLAN ,, The purposes of the Master Land Use Plan are: ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, r J J J J -To improve the physical environment of the City as a setting for human activities to promote the general health, safety, and welfare by making the City more functional, beautiful, decent, healthful, interesting and efficient. -To promote the public interest or the interest of the community at large, rather than the interests of individuals or special groups within the City. -To facilitate the democratic determination and implementation of community policies and physical development. The Master Land Use Plan is primarialy a policy instrument. The Master Land Use Plan constitutes a declaration of long-range goals and objectives and provides the basis for a program to accomplish such goals. By placing the responsibility for determining policies with the Planning Commission and providing an opportunity for citizen participation, the Master Land Use Plan facilitates the democratic process. -To affect political and technical coordination in community development. -To inject long-range considerations into the determination of short-range actions. -To bring professional and technical knowledge to bear on the making of political decisions concernin9 the ph¥sical development of the community. As an expression of desirable physical development, the Master Land Use Plan is an affirmation of goals and objectives. -3- �BASIS OF PLANNING POLICY This Master Land Use Plan attempts to reflect the community structure and quality of community life which the City desires. Recommendations indicated 1n this report and the resulting objectives will be translated into a Master Land Use Plan and will reflect the City's key decisions in selecting future development and potential redevelopment patterns. , The basic Master Land Use Plan is not just a series of maps. Rather the Plan is first a series of policy statements of objectives. These objectives cover the following topical areas: (1) ,, Land Use: (2) Residential and Housing Commercial Industrial (3) Public Facilities: Recreation Civic Center/Downtown Improvements Police and Fire Utilities Traffic and Transportation Additional Objectives GENERAL OBJECTIVES The general objectives are first description of each topical area: ,, , ,, :J :J :J :J :J listed and then followed by a Promote development that is attractive and aesthetically pleasing. Preserve historic buildings and natural resource features of the City wherever possible. Place the general welfare of the economic interest of development. community ahead of the purely Promote public access to waterfront areas to improve the quality of life. Provide for the growth of the City of Muskegon while maximizing and balancing the optimum and economical use of the community resources. Promote the concept that Muskegon is the central place with individual identity while recognizing the inter-dependent nature of the City with a wider Metropolitan community. Promote environmental practices in the City. and energy -4- conservation attitudes and �(1) LAND USE OBJECTIVES Residential Areas Promote quality housing, regardless of type or style. Attempt to provide realistic open space to dwelling unit either through sufficient yard common open space areas. serve each spaces, or Preserve and retain the open water areas, flood areas, and drainage courses of the City for view by resident ialusers. Building locations and heights should be designed so that views to Lake Michigan and Muskegon Lake will be maintained and protected. Plan medium and high density residential development in specific areas that will complement existing development patterns. Encourage a high percentage of home ownership and permanent housing types. Separate single family, cluster, and multiple family residential areas from nonresidential uses, through appropriate buffering techniques. Housing Implement the adopted Housing Policy with Federal, State and local assistance. J Provide programs which will assist in revitalizing the housing supply and preserve the present housing supply as much as possible. Provide a variety of housing types to make a greater choice of housing opportunities available to all residents. Attempt to locate any assisted housing undue concentrations of such housing. Program capital improvements development in a logical fashion all residents. so as to avoid any related to residential to best meet the needs of Provide public fac i 1 it ies and services of appropriate sea le to meet the needs of all housing areas of the City. Provide sites for housing for Senior Citizens that are central in location and would be close to religious, cultural, civic, medical, and shopping facilities. Encourage private investment in housing stock of the City. -5- �Continue the loan and providing assistance to family units. grant rehabilitation qualified owners of programs to one and two Provide appropriate standards in the Zoning Ordinance and other control ordinances to accomodate housing development at reasonable densities and well planned land use patterns. Coordinate housing development with the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and the City in accordance with various housing policies. r Provide for the review and approval of all housing plans and programs by the City Commission to insure compatibility with the housing goals and policies of the City. Commercial r Continue Area. rehabilitation and redevelopment of the Downtown Continue to familiarize the merchants with methods of financing development and redevelopment of the commercial frontage throughout the City. Continue and encourage attempts to provide screening buffers between commercial and residential uses. Encourage the provision of off-street parking facilities make commercial f ac i 1 it ies more easily accessible potential customers. and to to Strip or linear commercial development should be discouraged and clustered commercial development should be encouraged. ,, Provide commercial environments that utilize a comprehensive site plan approval process with emphasis on aesthetic as well as functional location standards. Encourage diversification in the type of commercial and business establishments in order to meet a greater range of citizens needs. Continue emphasis of new development in the downtown area that will complement present uses rather than conflict with established land use patterns. -6:,,,--- �Industrial Maximize the use of available transportation the location of industrial areas. f ac i 1 it i es in Concentrate industrial uses where there is current industrial use, and buffer such uses from residential uses. Protect other uses physical and visual. from the intrusion by industry, both Attempt to set aside land adequate to provide an employment base for at least the residents of the City and the immediate area. Continue to inform industrial developers as to the availability of land in the City for industrial and research use. ,, (2) PUBLIC FACILITIES OBJECTIVES Recreation , Recognize the need for a variety of recreation faciliti ,e s ecompassing the full range from home yard to city-wide facilities. Provide adequate park and recreation space as an integral part of each new or rehabilitated development be it a subdivision, multiple family complex, mobile home park, commercial center, office facility, or industrial park. ,, Encourage cooperation with the School District in providing recreation facilities and programs where appropriate. ,, Utilize natural features (with emphasis on the Lake Michigan Shoreline and the Muskegon Lake frontage). ,, Provide a variety of facilities and programs to accomodate the recreation needs of all segments of the population. J J Implement the priori ties that have City's Urban Parks Program. been recommended in the Continue to seek funding from the State of Michigan, Federal government, Community Development Block Grant Program, and other services to provide recreation facilities and opportunities. Civic Center/Downtown Improvements Assure availability of adequate parking facilities that would be under City ownership in the downtown area. -7- �Continue to modernize and improve the Civic Center a nd ada p t to changing population levels and needs where appropriat e . Police and Fire Provide adequate police and fire protection national and state standards for evaluation. service using Traffic and Transportation Provide a coordinated thoroughfare plan with all surrounding communities. Utilize the adopted City of Muskegon standards and specifications for roads and thoroughfares. Promote a balanced, diversified transportation system as a basic requirement for providing ease of movement through the Muskegon area that considers all land use types such as residential, commercial, off ice, industrial, public, and semi-public activities. Provide a transportation system which is other activities and with the environment. compatible with Continue to improve the existing transportation facilities to keep pace with increasing traffic volumes. Assure high aesthetic standards in the design, routing, an d landscaping of existing and future improvement and additions to the circulation system by encouraging planting on a ll roads. Provisions should be made for some interconnection of su b division streets in the City where appropriate. J J J J J Boulevards should be encouraged at entrances to subdivision s for aesthetic values and efficient traffic movement. A necessary component of the thoroughfare plan is a recognition of mass transit and pedestrian needs. Appropriate reference should be made to regiona l mas s transportation facilities. (3) ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVES: Mixed Land Use Development Consideration of an appropriate theme relating to the architecture and the land-use arrangement in the City will be accomplished. -8- �New uses will be encouraged to provide a combination of housing, cultural, recreation, and commercial uses designed to ensure a twelve month population, and to introduce a new set of investment opportunities for diversification throughout the City. Housing coordinated with the recreation and lake orientation will be encouraged. Assisted housing compatible with the market rate development should be examined and coordinated with city-wide housing policy. Building and Construction Requirements Materials encouraged for use will be of highest quality which is cost effective. Facade treatments will be compatible with area and with the established theme in each neighborhood of the City. Signage will be compatible with existing facades and accepted theme and be in compliance with the upgraded Sign Regulations in the Zoning Ordinance or other ordinance. Setbacks, as a function of density, will be organized so that visual and physical access to recreation and open space are enhanced. Surface treatments will be of excellent design with a variety of high quality durable materials. Energy Conservation Energy conservation techniques techniques may include: will be encouraged. These Orientation of buildings to capture passive or potential and to provide winter wind screening. solar Orientation of vegetation cooling and wind screening. solar and plantings for Provision for advanced energy conservation technology in architecture, including the potential of are a -wide heating, appropriate and uniform materials, and compatible building designs. -9- �Conflicting Uses Incompatible or conflicting uses will be moved or removed, and where that is not possible, be screened by vegetation and architectural features. Negative effect of vehicular traffic on living areas will be minimized through screening and landscaping. Parking, service and storage uses will be allocated to buffer zones away from residential districts and away from open space and water areas. Nonconforming uses will be monitored to effectuate potential elimination of such activities. r :J , - J , -10- �Chapter II Land Use Inventory ] �Chapter II- LAND USE INVENTORY EXISTING LAND USE In July and August of 1983, a complete field survey of all existing land use within the City of Muskegon was accomplished. The field notes were mapped by land use category. Color coded maps were prepared using the City base maps at a scale of l" = 300'. The coded maps were reviewed by City Planning staff members and appropriate corrections made. The coded maps were then measured to determine the extent of use for each classification. The following is a brief description of the findings. The total area of the City of Muskegon is 18.99 square miles or 12,153.37 acres. The developed portion of the City comprises 4,491.17 acres while water areas account for an additional 2,452.75 acres. Vacant land was recorded at 3,242.88 acres while streets and railroad rights-of-way accounted for 1,930.83 acres of land. The land use classification system used following descriptive categories: in 1983 consists of the RESIDENTIAL Single and Two Family Single family detached dwellings, including only the developed portions of large parcels (the approximate area devoted to buildings and lawn). In cases where more than one platted lot is under the same ownership, only those lots occupied by structures and lawn are included. Two family included generally flats, duplexes, and similar units. Multiple Family Residential dwelling units. Structures containing three or more Mobile Home Residential - Courts or parks where land has heen platted or parcelled to allow temporary or permanent storage of mobile homes. Also includes individual single-wide mobile home sites used for residential purposes. COMMERCIAL ] Convenience Commercial - Includes the land area occupied by retail and service facilities, and related off-street parking, which accommodates day-to-day convenience shopping and service needs. Included in this category are such uses as food and drug stores, personal services such as barber shops, beauty shops, and local repair services such as shoe repair, tailors, dry cleaners, and laundromats. -11- �Comparison Commercial - Includes the land area occupied by retail uses, and related off-street parking, offering commodities which are normally purchased at infrequent intervals and for which the consumer may "shop around". Individual uses included in this category are such activities as apparel stores, shoe stores, furniture and appliance stores, large discount stores, department stores, and similar activities. Office Commercial - Includes the land area occupied by all types of individual office facilities and related off-street parking. Included in this group are such uses as real estate, medical, professional and clerical. Office facilities which are ancillary to commercial or industrial uses are not included in this category. Automotive Commercial - Includes the land area occupied by retail and service facilities which are auto-oriented; i.e., gas service stations, tire stores, and automotive accessories. This category does not include bump and paint shops. INDUSTRIAL Light Industry - Includes the land area devoted to those types of industrial manufacturing and nonmanufacturing uses which do not exert primary influences on adjacent areas or parcels from the standpoint of scale of operation, type of operation, or type of traffic. Examples are warehousing, bump and paint shops, and technological industries. Heavy Industrial - Includes the land area devoted to those types of industrial manufacturing and nonmanufacturing uses which were considered to exert primary influence on adjacent areas or parcels due to the scale of operation, type of operation, or type of traffic. Examples are plants which manufacture finished or semifinished products from raw materials. PUBLIC Elementart Schools - Land developed or owned by the local school district or elementary schools. J ] Junior and Senior High School - The junior and senior high school sites as indicated on the Existing Land Use Map. Other Public - Includes land owned by Federal, State, County or City Government. Examples are Municipal Offices, the District Court, Post Office, and parks. Semi-Public Includes land devoted to use by utilities for electric gas, or pipeline -services, and also union hall, and fraternal organizations such as VFW and similar organizations. -12- �.J c::::J ONE a TWO FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ft€ctd MULTIPLE ....--- J FAMILY JA-:-:-:-:-:-:-J CONVENIENCE - COMPARISON ~ 0 F FI CE RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL E!IIIIII AUTO 111111111111111 GENERAL J J .J .J .J .J / .J COMMERCIAL ~ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ~ JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL ~ SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL ~ OTHER PUBLIC ~ SEMI - PUBLIC ~ CORRECTIONAL ~ GOLF FACILITY COURSE - LIGHT INDUSTRIAL mmJliil CHUR CH ~ HEAVY INDUSTRIAL llm!m!lllll HOSPITAL ~ WATER ORIENTED li!DlmlD PAROCHIAL ~ PARK SCHOOL 1imm CEMETERY c:::::::::::i VACANT < .J J ' .J l CITY OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN TOD J. KILROY , CONSULTANT P.C. CITY OF MUSKEGON PLANNING COMMISSION TROY I MICHIGAN 0 DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 0 100 SCAL.111,HT - PROGRESSIVE PLANNING ASSOCIATES, P.C. BLOOMFIELO HILU, MICHIGAN il �Table 1 : City of Muskegon LAND USE ACREAGE % of Total % of Developed Area Area 1,767.66 198.72 -01,966.38 14.54 1.64 -016.18 39.04 4.39 -043.43 91. 86 46.64 43.54 37.50 80.38 299.92 0.76 0.38 0.36 0.31 0.66 2.47 2.03 1.03 0.96 0.83 1.78 6.63 294.86 426.18 721.04 2.43 3.51 5.94 6.51 9.41 15.92 Elementary Sch. 61. 32 Jr. & Sr. High 43.98 Other Public 774.16 Semi-Public 76.26 Correctional Fae. 72.86 Golf Courses 171.53 Subtotal 1,200.11 0.50 0.36 6.37 0.63 0.60 1.41 9.87 1.35 0.97 17.10 1.68 1. 61 3.79 26.50 Acres Land Use Residential --.J _] .J _J Single and Two Family Multiple Mobile Home Subtotal Commercial Convenience Comparison Office Auto General Subtotal Industrial Light Heavy Subtotal Public _] Institutional _] _J Churches Hospitals Parochial Sch. Cemeteries Subtotal 81.72 38.04 72.54 111.42 303.72 0.67 0.31 0.60 0.92 2.50 _J Table is continued on next page. -14- 1.80 0.84 1.60 2.47 6.71 �.- Table 1, continued. Water Oriented Fae. 36.74 0.30 0.81 Total Developed 4,527.91 37.26 100.00 Streams 2,452.75 20.18 101.51 0.84 Streets 1,828.32 15.04 Vacant 3,242.88 26.68 TOTAL 12,153.37 100.00 Marinas Lakes & Railroads ,. Source: Field Survey conducted by TOD J. KILROY, CONSULTANT P.C. Staff in July and August of 1983. Overall, the developed portion of the City land area consists of 37.2 percent of the total area with more than 20 percent being in lakes, ponds, and streams. The railroad right-of-way figure at 101.5 acres is relatively high, however, the street right-of-way amount is cons is tent with other urban communities in Michigan. Once all the developed land, water, and rights-of-way are deducted from the total, the remainder is vacant land. The survey found 3,242 acres or five square miles of vacant land in Muskegon. ,, r The land use picture in Muskegon has been changing during the past ten years. A similar survey was accomplished in 1973 and the following Table compares the decade changes by category. The overall size of the City area grew due to annexation activity and more water area being included in the Muskegon Lake area. Better measuring techniques were applied to more closely define the City boundary. The only category with a slight change has been the increase in the amount of land used for commercial purposes. All other classifications were impacted dramatically during the decade. There are several reasons for the changes. The residential category decreased because of the removal of substandard housing. Industrial land use increased by 100 percent because of new industrial activity in the City primarily in the Port City Industrial Park. Public & Semi-Public increased because of additional land purchased along the Muskegon lakefront, the Ryerson Creek land purchased, and the land area purchased by the City in the Central Business District (CBD) area. Other public lands have also been added in the flood plains along the Muskegon River (various branches) north of Skyline Drive. -15- �Table 2: LAND USE COMPARISON 1973 TO 1983 City of Muskegon 1973 Acres Major Category (1) (2) ( 3) (4) (5) (6) Net Acreage Change 2,560.00 280.00 310.00 725.00 7,850.00 NA* 1,966.00 300.00 721. 00 1,541.00 1,929.00 5,696.00 -594.00 + 20.00 +411.00 +816.00 **-225.00 NA 11,725.00 12,153.00 +428.00 Residential Commercial Industrial Public, Semi-Public Streets & Railroads Water & Vacant TOTAL 1983 Acres *included in category (5) **acreage change amount is total of both category (5) & (6) NOTE: The geographic area of the City of Muskegon increased through annexation efforts as well as through refinement in the measurement techniques in the area of water within the municipal boundaries. Sources: Land Use Plan, City of Muskegon, Michigan, 1973-74 and Previous Table 1. VISUAL RECONNAISSANCE SURVEY The impression of the community: what does the visitor see, and how is Muskegon perceived? One aspect of this work is a visual reconnaissance dealing with the City and how an outside nonresident may think when visiting the City. What are the obvious factors and conditions that form that first impression? What is the character of the community? Once these conditions are identified, proposals can be formulated to maximize the advantage of the positive aspects, and corrective measures can be suggested for solving problems. J J First impressions include the perception of a total community with a central city surrounded by residential suburbs. The Muskegon metro-area is traversed by the Seaway Drive Expressway with growth being 1 imi ted by the proximity of Lake Michigan on the west, Muskegon Lake on the north, and the Muskegon River (and branches) to the northeast. The City of Muskegon and it's suburbs have historically been water oriented due to ease of transport of raw materials to the area, and the location of major industrial -16- -- �• "' ,, ,, .... -..---·1 i I ,, (-;.- -- ,~ I I ' -- ..:-,e.,-' ·---. - COMMERCIAL I Park I ,,,, / ' MAJOR ENTRANCE TO CITY Harbor Entron SECONDARY J - Industry ' * - - Denotes MAJOR TO CITY OF CITY OF MUSKEGON PLANNING COMMISSION DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT City Hall ENTRANCE CITY GON, MICHIGAN -- -- TOD J. KILROY, CONSULTANT P.C. T 'l0Y, MICHIGAN PROGRESSIVE PLANNING ASSOCIATES, P.C. BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MICHIGAN AREA �r J J J . "' :J :J :J :J :J facilities along the shore of Muskegon Lake. With orientation to heavy manufacturing, processing, fabrication, steel and paper processing, castings and similar uses, the community grew and developed along classic lines. Residential areas grew out from the CBD in a radial fashion south and east along major thoroughfares. Neighborhood shopping facilities developed to service adjacent residential areas on those same streets. Strip commercial use along Apple, Getty, Lakeshore, Laketon, and Henry Streets generally contain older and under-utilized retail and service uses. The concentration of heavy industrial use has been retained in certain portions of the Muskegon Lake shore area while new industrial users are locating in closer proximity to the expressway and in the Port City Industrial Park. A confusing street pattern coupled with numerous railroad corridors complicate the land use pat tern. Many ra i 1 1 i nes are now unused, yet the tracks still remain. In other areas the railroad tracks have been partially removed creating an open space and neighborhood amenity. The Central Business District (CBD), is alive and well. This area is a tribute to forward thinking business and community leaders using innovative measures to capture the essence of the suburban shopping center in the Muskegon Mall, and made it work. The obvious infusion of Federal grant dollars together with City, County, and local investment permitted a concept to become reality. Considerable renewal and redevelopment has taken place in Muskegon. Newer housing for senior citizens and low/moderate income families have contributed to the renewal effort in the City. The City's residential areas are improving due to self help and rehabi li tia t ion programs. People are moving back to older residential areas because of moderate cost housing. There seems to be a sense of place, a stability, and general feeling of neighborhood pride and concern when talking with people in Muskegon. Private re-investment has occurred through new housing and rehabilitated housing activities. Historically, the City has been involved in extensive urban renewal activities on a largescale basis. The clearance activites of years past have given way to preservation and rehabilitation efforts. New housing has been constructed in areas cleared by the City and numerous older homes have been rehabilitated. Cultural, public, community elements, parks, and similar uses are abundant in Muskegon. The park areas along Lake Michigan, the park and boat launch facilities on Muskegon Lake, the golf course at the Community College, McGraft Park, and the open space along Ryerson Creek all contribute to a sense of breathing space within an urban environment. The cresent shape of the City is a function of the actual land form and the lakes provide a natural amenity not found in other urban communities in the State. -17- �Muskegon is not without observer include: it's problems. Issues apparent to the Mixed land uses and poor relationship between land use close proximity of residential areas to industrial activities without appropriate buffering. Under-utilized Muskegon Lake frontage - old buildings and shipping areas no longer functioning - the need for renovation and re-use. Recreation amenities such as launch facilities are hard confusing street pattern. ] parks, beaches, and boat to find because of the Poor housing conditions still exist in areas, such the World War II housing area near McGraft Park. as Aging industrial and commercial base in need of renovation and expansion - new businesses are needed, not just replacement from another location. Traffic in residential areas no separation by function or through traffic from local traffic confusion and conflict. There are many positive aspects to be observed about Muskegon. The following is a listing of those elements. Unified (visually and functionally) geographic area. Water - good views, beautiful sunsets, natural beauty of the water areas, sand dunes, and good water quality. Variety of climate and recreational use potential. Nice place, parks. pleasant, clean, well kept streets and ] Making good progress on cleaning up residential areas rehabilitation of housing is occurring. J J J J J County airport - good air service to near and far. All infra-structure water. in place - Hospitals - excellent available now. schools, facilities, well parks, sewers, dispursed and Senior citizen housing currently existing City is beginning to open lake area with new boat launch and two new private marinas. -18- �Muskegon Lake frontage is being opened for use and view th~ough the removal of obsolete industrial buildings. Historical preservation in Heritage District is accomplished through the renovation of buildings. being Air of optimism throughout the community. Sense of community (metro area) yet some protectionism in area cities and townships. -19- political �Chapter Ill Population & Housing Analysis J ~ ) ) J J- �Chapter III- POPULATION AND HOUSING ANALYSIS POPULATION ANALYSIS AND PROJECTION Planning of the City is primarily concerned with achieving the development of an environment which is pleasant and efficient for all residents. Population numbers and content is a matter of concern. Past trends, current levels and future expectations are all importa:1t elements in helping determine the level to which community facility needs must be oriented. Water and sewer facilities, school plant needs, recreational land needs, retail and industrial space requirements, thoroughfare needs, are all directly related to the size and characteristics of the population. These characteristics will be utilized as the base for factors applied in the forthcoming Master Land Use Plan elements. PAST POPULATION TRENDS The 1980 U.S. Census of Population has released final figures that lists the current population of the City of Muskegon at 40,823. This figure represents a loss of 3,808 persons since 1970. Overall, Muskegon County grew very slightly during the past decade yet the more urban centers suffered a loss in population. The following Table illustrates population trends during the last ten years in relation to the County, State, Region, and communities within the Muskegon Metro-area. Table 3: POPULATION TRENDS: Area J 1970 1970-1980 1980 United States 203,211,926 Michigan 8,881,826 Muskegon County 157,426 Oceana County 17,984 Ottawa County 128,181 City of Muskegon 44,631 City of Muskegon Hgts. 17,304 City of Norton Shores 22,271 City of Roosevelt Park 4,176 City of North Muskegon 4,243 Muskegon Township 13,754 220,762,922 9,258,344 157,589 22,002 157,174 40,823 14,611 22,025 4,015 4,024 14,557 % Change +8.6% +4.2% +0.1% +22.0% +22.6% -8.4% -15.5% -1.1% -3.8% -5.1% +5.8% SOURCE: U.S. Census of Population for appropriate years as listed by TOD J. KILROY, CONSULTANT P.C., December, 1983. ) J -20- �I I I I I I I I I I I As might be expected, the urban core decreased in population while the suburban communities adjacent to the central city enjoyed population increases. Even though the County experienced growth in the out-county Townships, such activity was off-set by the population losses in the central city and the adjacent communities. The ability of the City of Muskegon to stop the out flow of population and encourage renewed interest in the residential neighborhoods of the City are tied directly to rehabilitation and redevelopment efforts. The infusion of Community Development Block Grant funds, special rehabilitation grants, Michigan Housing Development Authority Funds (rental unit rehabilitation), and similar efforts from the private sector, will all contribute to renewal efforts. POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS The characteristics of population are important in determining needs of the residents in planning for potential attraction and development of the City. One of the more important elements of these characteristics is age composition. The latest release from the Census Bureau indicates 5 3. 07% of the population is female while 46.93% is male. Median age is 28.0 years with females slightly older at 29. 7 years while the males are 26. 7 years of age. Comparison of the life phase classification over time gives an indication of the actual changes that are occuring in the City's population. The population content has implications in the areas of school facilities, parks and recreation programming, and other services such as housing for senior citizens. Table 4: POPULATION COMPOSITION COMPARISON - 1970 TO 1980 Age Group Under 5 5 - 14 15 - 19 20 - 44 45 - 64 65 & over Life Phase Pre-School Elem. School Second. Sch. Family Forming Mature Farnlies Retirement 'IDTAL s:xJRCE: Population in 1970 Number Percent Population in 1980 Number Percent 3,913 8,722 4,431 12,180 9,715 5,670 8. 77 19.54 9.93 27.29 21.77 12.70 3,524 5,880 3,708 14,410 7,368 5,933 8.63 14.40 9.08 35.30 18.06 14.53 44,631 100.00 40,823 100.00 Change in % Figure -0.14 -5.14 -0.85 +8.01 -3. 71 +l.83 Census of Population for 1970 and 1980 Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Camnerce, Washington, D.C., August, 1982. -21- �I I I The composition of the population is compared for the latest ten year reporting period by the Table above. The younger age groups have lost population while the family forming and retirement groups have increased in population. Perhaps the same age group in the 15-19 year groups decided to stay in the City and begin their adult life rather than move on. The lower numbers in the younger age groups are the result of adults choosing to 1 imi t family size, later marriage, or no marriage, as well as the impact of birth control. Even though the City lost population, the individual groups gained or lost numbers depending upon differing circumstances. POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLDS Another population parameter is the average population per household. The 1970 Census of Population indicated a total of 44,631 persons in households in Muskegon, and 15,925 dwelling uni ts. The result is an average household size of 2. 80 for the City. The 1980 data from the Census indicates that figure has dropped to 2.68 persons per household during the ten year period. Table 5: PERSONS PER HOUSEHOLD LOCAL, COUNTY, AND STATE: 1970 AND 1980 BASED UPON TOTAL HOUSING UNITS 1970: Persons Per Household Area State of Michigan County of Muskegon City of Muskegon City of Muskegon Heights City of North Muskegon City of Roosevelt Park City of Norton Shores SOURCE: 3.30 3.16 2.80 3.12 2.87 3.23 3.40 1980: , Persons Per Household 2.58 2.73 2.68 2.70 2.58 2.37 2.75 U.S. Census of Population for 1970 and 1980 and from Sourcebook for Water Quality Planning, West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission, March 1977. The above Table indicates a slight trend toward smaller numbers of persons per household, generally cons is tent with the State-wide and County trend. The 1980 data reveals a figure of 2.68 persons per unit for the City with the County figure being slightly higher at 2.73. The nearby communities vary in their numbers, but in every case, the ratio has decreased in the last ten years. -22- �POPULATION PROJECTIONS Several procedures have been used for estimating the future population of Muskegon. Experience has shown that the smaller the area under study, the greater the chance for error in the population estimation. This is due to the great number of variables involved at the local community level, and holds true regardless of the statistical technique used. The rate of population growth can best be determined by evaluating past trends and anticipated population for the City alone as well as using population projections for larger government units of which the City is a part. It is necessary to consider the factors as general economic trends, and trends in residential development when estimating population. The following approaches provide a range of population expectations for discussion. The population expectation can be estimated in several ways. One method utilizes a proportional ratio of the City to the metropolitan area ( or the County) using the larger geographic area's population projection. This means as the SMSA grows ( or the County) so too, the City will expand. The West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission issued revised population projections in August of 1979. Their prediction for Muskegon County was as follows: Table 6: COUNTY OF MUSKEGON POPULATION PROJECTION Year: Population: 1978 1983 157,460 157,680 1988 Applying the twenty-six percent results for the City are derived: 157,380 share 1993 1998 155,656 152,287 factor, the following Table 7: PROPORTIONAL SHARE METHOD CITY OF MUSKEGON POPULATION PROJECTION Year: Population: 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998 40,939 40,996 40,918 40,470 39,594 -23- �The Regional Agency also prepared population projections for City of Muskegon. the Table 8: PROJECTED PERMANENT POPULATIONS, 1978 TO 1998 FOR THE CITY OF MUSKEGON Year: Population: SOURCE: 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998 40,481 39,809 38,836 37,715 36,327 An Update of 208 Population Projections 1978 to 1998, by West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission, August, 1979. Another method of population projection is the Growth Rate Method. This method simply assumes that the 1980-1990 growth rate will be the same as the previous decade, and the 1980-2000 growth rate will be consistent with the previous two decades. The calculation results in the following data: Table 9: GROWTH RATE METHOD CITY OF MUSKEGON POPULATION PROJECTION For 1990 Estimate Muskegon 1980, Population 1970 to 1980 Percentage Change 40,823 X Projected Local Change Projected 1990 Muskegon Population (-8.4%) -3,429 persons = 37,394 For 2000 Estimate Muskegon 1980 Population 1960 to 1980 Percentage Change 40,823 x(-12.2%) Projected Local Change Projected 2000 Muskegon Population -4,973 persons = 35,850 Another demographic method of population projection is called the Arithmetic Method. This method assumes a numerical change by 1990 equal to the numerical change for the City between 1970 and 1980, and a numerical change by the year 2000 equal to the change for the City between 1960 and 1980. The results are as follows: -24- �Table 10: ARITHMETIC PROJECTION METHOD CITY OF MUSKEGON POPULATION PROJECTION For 1990 Figure Muskegon 1980 Population 1970 to 1980 Numerical Change 40,823 -3,808 Potential Muskegon Population in 1990 37,015 persons For 2000 Figure Muskegon 1980 Population 1960 to 1980 Numerical Change 40,823 -5,662 Potential Muskegon Population in 2000 35,161 persons Another method of population projection is the Cohort-Survival Technique. Th is calculation includes variables of birth rates, death (survival rates) and migration rates for a given geographic area. The formula takes the movement of persons into and out of an area into account. Without such movement, population growth is a function of natural increase ( or decrease) where births and deaths of any age group are taken into consideration. Obviously, the City's population increase or decrease is but a function of migration. Table 11: COHORT SURVIVAL PROJECTIONS CITY OF MUSKEGON PROJECTION No. 1 -NO MIGRATION- Year: Population: . 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 40,823 39,800 38,800 37,700 36,600 CITY OF MUSKEGON PROJECTION NO. 2 -SOME MIGRATION- Year: Population: 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 40,823 41,000 40,918 40,470 39,594 The following Table lists the various projections by method and/or source in a summary form: -25- �SUMMARY OF POPULATION PROJECTIONS Table 12 1985 1983 Method Propor. (26%) Regional Agency Growth Rate Arithmetic Cohort Surv. #1 Cohort Surv. #2 1988 1990 1993 1995 1998 40,996 40,918 40,470 39,594 39,809 38,836 37,715 36,327 2000 37,394 35,850 37,015 35,161 39,800 38,800 37,700 36,300 41,000 40,918 40,470 39,594 HOUSING ANALYSIS The City of Muskegon Department of Planning & Community Development has recently prepared a "Housing Policy" which sets forth a variety of data and information concerning the current housing program of the City and a series of generalized recommendations. The report was presented and discussed with the Members of the City Commission in August and September of 1982. Several of the goals and objectives were amended as a result of these meetings and have been included in this analysis. The "Housing Policy" is subdivided into four major areas of work: Part Part Part Part I II III IV Analysis of Current Conditions Goals & Objectives Policy Review and Recommendations Priorities in Policy Implementation PART I - ANALYSIS OF CURRENT CONDITIONS Demographic population: changes in Muskegon Metropolitan area The County population increased by only 1% between 1970 and 1980. The City's population decreased by 8.5% for the same ten year period. Population shifts within the Metropolitan and County area have occurred in that the more rura l communities are growing while the urban centers are declining. The City's racial composition shifted in that 14% were classified as black in 1970, while 21% were found in the same classification in 1980. The minority population in the City -26- �of Muskegon comprised 24% of the total population in 1980. Demographic information indicates that 96% of the minority population lives in the eastern half of the City. Employment opportunities within the County have decreased during the past ten years. Between 1969 and 1978 5,500 jobs in manufacturing employment were lost. Conversely, the service category created 3,000 new jobs. Of the 2,000 dwelling units constructed in the last 10 years 1,500 were multiple family residential. During the same time period approximately 1,700 were removed from the City's inventory. Assisted housing within the City applies to roughly half of the units constructed during the last 10 years. More specifically, the type of construction has been multiple family primarily oriented to low-moderate income households. A conclusion of the analysis indicates that subsidized and unsubsidized housing efforts within Muskegon have been provided to white and moderate income persons, while there has been a lack of attention paid to assistance to the majority of low income minority persons. This portion of the report provides an indepth analysis of each of the neighborhoods as identified by the City for planning purposes. The following is a brief sketch of the neighborhood descriptions: Marquette Neighborhood gained in population during the last 10 years, while the majority of the neighborhoods lost in population. Neighborhoods losing in population had . a high percentage of black residents in 1970. Froebel Neighborhood was 80% black in 1970 and lost more than 50% of its population during the decade. A similar condition occurred in the Angell Neighborhood which was 40% black in 1970. That neighborhood lost 24% of its population during the 1970-1980 decade. According to the report the greatest changes occurred in the Marquette and East Muskegon Neighborhoods. Population increases and urban renewal ac·tivi ties contributed to the changes which occurred. Only three neighborhoods increased in the number of housing units during the time period. The Marquette, Henry/Glenside, and Bluffton Neighborhoods increased in the number of dwelling units, primarily in multiple family. This portion of the "Housing Policy" report includes information regarding the investment climate within the City, the housing industry in Muskegon and reaches some conclusion regarding the housing activities within the community. -27- �Although population numbers decreased approximately 9% for the last ten years, the number of households increased by approximately 1.4%. As previously noted the number of persons per dwelling unit decreased during the same time period by approximately one-half a person. A continued emphasis on multiple family dwellings construction during the time period contributed to the overall increase in the number of dwelling units. The report describes various financial institutions and the availability to finance housing from local resources, or combinations of local resources and City funds. As noted, the housing market will continue to have difficulty in the next few years. Many activities direclly impact housing. The report dealt with three specific areas, taxation, regulation, and subsidies. In the discussion of taxation, the report indicates a tax burden at a relatively high level; slightly more than 60 mills. Properties of the City in the Muskegon Heights School District are taxed 67 .15 mills. Compared to other portions of the County where millages are less, the City is at a di sad vantage when housing is considered. Further discuss ion contained indicated applicability of Act 198 Tax Abatement activities and the relative impact of those tax abatement certificates or tax exemption certificates in relation to the local tax burden. The second area of City involvement deals with the regulation of the developmental aspects of the housing market. Specifically, the report addresses the areas of construction, zoning, housing code, and dangerous building ordinance, and other regulatory measures. There is description of the housing code and the ability of the Inspections Department to enforce the code provisions. Concern is expressed regarding the ability of the City to pre-inspect occupancy of substandard dwellings and rental properties. The City's rehabilitation program includes a provision for below market interest rate loans for participating landlords. The rental rehab project is funded through the City's Block Grant Program and may in future be combined with additional reallocated funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Devlopment. There is also an activity dealing with the environmental improvement. As an annual Community Development funded activity, the environmental inspector's position is used for the abatement of various environmental problems. -28- �As is the case in most urban communities throughout th e country, Muskegon has received Community Development Block Grant funds since 1975. A portion of that funding has been set aside for rehabilitation activities. Indications are that approximately 60% of Block Grant funds have been expended for rehabilitation activities during the past two years. PART II - GOALS & OBJECTIVES The goals & objectives portion of the report is subdivided into four areas of interest. Included are goals & objectives dealing with housing supply, housing quality, equality of opportunity, and land use and design. I I I I The goals dealing with housing supply include the provision of adequate, safe, and sanitary housing that is affordable for all Muskegon residents. The second goal states that housing programs should promote the vitality of neighborhoods of the variety of housing resources. The second general topic dealing with housing equality has four goals. Those are to upgrade the quality of the supply, to retain historic buildings, to provide adequat e essential services, and to encourage citizen involvement in housing programs. The equal opportunity provision deals with the concept of nondiscrimination in housing regardless of the type and the promotion of maximum choice of housing type in location. The land use goals include the promotion of land use planning and the improvement of regulatory measures and review procedures. PART III - POLICY REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS The next major portion of the report is a topic listing of each goal and objective followed by a proposed policy to achieve the stated objective. Descriptive information is given as justification for each of the policies that are suggested. PART IV - PRIORITIES AND POLICY IMPLEMENTATION The final section of the report deals with the establishment of a prioritized list of activities that should take place to implement the various objectives and policies that have been suggested. In many instances prioritized actions suggested will implement several objectives rather than just one. The "Housing Pol icy" of the City of Muskegon is a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the current housing situation within the community. Conclusions drawn from the review include a general lack of conventional housing construction in the past ten years, considerable influence and construction of subsidized and government assisted housing during the same time period, -29- �I considerable removal of substandard housing during that decade, and concern on the part of City staff regarding a l~ck of interdepartmental cooperation and coordination to achieve the various objectives listed. Also the "Housing Policy" sets forth general guidelines for implementation, however does not relate to specific projects, locations or proposals. The policy has the flexibility of allowing creativity and innovation on the part of land developers and realtors within the Muskegon market, yet provides specific policies to be carried out in order to improve the housing situation of low-moderate income families in the City. The overriding thread of consistency throughout the report seems to be an awareness of the public response to moderate income housing families and the emphasis on senior citizen housing. Similarly, the positive aspects of the City's public housing program in relation to the lower income of families within the community is referenced. The concern expressed deals with the lack of conventional housing for low income families and individuals. The overall policies and suggested priorities seem to focus to the provision of additional assisted housing, however, to encourage a high degree of home ownership. This can be accomplished through the implementation of the policies and priorities that are suggested. -30- �Chapter IV Residential Neighborhoods Plan �Chapter IV- RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS PLAN EXISTING PATTERNS AND CONDITIONS For purposes of local planning and data gathering at the neighborhood level, the City of Muskegon has been subdivided into eighteen (18) neighborhood units. The boundaries of the neighborhood units were determined by City Staff in cooperation with the U.S. Census Bureau based on 1980 Census information. Some of the Census Tracts were subdivided using block information. The total amount of vacant land enumerated during the Land Use Survey was 2,799 acres of which 1,323 acres was classified in the nonresidential vacant category.The residential classification of vacant land comprised 1,475 acres of which 168 acres is currently zoned Multiple Family Residential. The remaining 1,307 acres is classified as Vacant Single Family Residential. Table 13: EXISTING LAND USE ACREAGES BY NEIGHBORHOOD Census Tract 411 4b 4c 2 3 511 5b 7 6.02 6.01 811 8b 8c 21a 21b 21c 9 10a 10b N11me Tot11I Acres Resldentl11 I Slngle Multiple M11rquette 824. 78 E11st Muskegon-N 667.60 Eut Muskegon-S 1,085.00 Other 244.65 1,309.50 Froebe I* Angel I 498.00 North Mcl11ughlln 219. 75 South Mcl11ughlln 328.50 Downtown 208.85 North Ne I son 285.80 South Nelson 298.09 E11st Nims 165.49 West Nims 260.87 Other 209. 78 Henry 423.75 Ruddlman 163.39 Glenslde 239.18 Lakes I de 716.30 Beachwood 204.90 Bluffton 536, 70 151.57 442.07 62.09 88.40 6.50 5.00 8,890,88 2,682,34 201,41 3,207,97 1.50 7.59 7.75 2.00 -o- -0- 145.64 153.26 98,60 178. 15 7.31 2,67 1.90 6.30 -0- -o- 106.57 6.30 48.25 7.80 1.83 * 484.05 acres are essentl11lly undevelopable. vacant single famlly. 161.74 0,31 -o81. 74 254.61 132.87 257.33 -o- 237.85 334.19 114. 53 420. 72 194.47 65.23 56.37 177.05 113. 31 131, 37 34. 70 54.16 167. 78 204.83 89.34 52.33 245.60 131,95 220,45 -0- 140.65 331.49 64,35 81 ,35 Other Development -0- V11c11nt Resldentl11I Slngle Multlple 263.50 45.05 17.15 56.70 1.62 34.50 -o- -0-0- Vacant Other -0- -0- 41.27 11.20 31.97 48,99 6,60 222,58 22.46 14.60 -05,08 1, 13 26. 76 10.62 632.07 130.12 236.66 22.32 1.67 6. 78 28.80 7,00 5.95 21,50 6. 10 42.00 42, 32 -06.43 83,31 2,00 10,88 1,307,94 167.93 1,323.29 568.88 9.90 4.32 5.80 -06. 76 4. 17 6.09 13. 71 9.11 7.91 0.22 3.00 5.78 0.67 2. 70 2.45 -0- They are swamp land and f 111 area, but are considered -31- �r CONCEPTS The residential neighborhood unit has traditionally been defined as an area sufficient size to accommodate various types of residential, of public, recreation, and open space elements in a self contained unit. In many Michigan cities, the square mile outlined by major streets (the mile road system) has been identified as the local neighborhood unit. Similar areas have been delineated by the U.S. Bureau of the Census and by the City of Muskegon Department of Planning and Community Dev e lopment as specific neighborhood areas. Whether these areas are called residential units, local neighborhoods, or similar names the basic concept here is to consider these smaller defined areas as the Residential Planning Unit. These planning units are purposely designed to unify physical areas into functional and cohesive residential units. The boundaries of the residential neighborhood are most often considered as physical barriers to safe and sufficient flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Boundaries would include such elements as major thoroughfares, rai !roads, freeways, or major nonresidential land uses. In order to effectively plan for residential development within the community and/or redevelopment of residential neighborhoods, implementation of general plans is usually carried out through the adoption of new zoning regulations. Zoning is a legislative technique wherein the community has authorization through State Enabling Legislation to control the density and land use on all parcels of land throughout the City. In order to formulate an effective zoning plan for the community, it is necessary to have a good base of information dealing with existing densities in each of the residential neighborhoods. The following table indicates the existing densities by neighborhood for the City of Muskegon for single family and two-family dwellings and for multiple family dwellings. -32- �r r Table 14 : EXISTING DENSITIES BT NEIGHBORHOOD r Al I Slngle Census Tract 4a 4b 2 3 5a 5b 7 6.02 6.01 Sa Sb 21a 21b 21c 9 10a 10b Total Exlstlng Owe 111 ng Un Its Name 1,911 Marquette 1,969 East Muskegon-N 278 East Muskegon-S Froebe! 422 1,494 Angel I 1,210 North Mclaughlln 1,312 South Mclaughlln Downtown 32 1,411 North Nelson 831 South Nelson 580 East Nims West Nlms 984 Henry 671 Ruddlman 538 Glenslde 620 1,498 Lakeslde Beachwood 202 BI uffton 387 16,350 Gross Tota I Acres 824. 78 667.60 1,085.00 1,309.50 498.00 219.75 328.50 208.85 285.80 298.09 165.49 260.87 423.75 163.39 239.18 716.30 204.90 536. 70 8,436.45 & Two Faml ly Dwel I lngs 660 1,944 251 422 1,408 838 1,209 15 861 738 474 868 617 70 550 1,433 202 387 12,947 Single Dens tty Fam! ly Factor for Sing le Faml ly Acreage 151.57 4.35 442.07 4.40 62.09 4.04 81. 74 5.16 254.61 5.54 132.87 6. 31 4. 70 257.33 -0-o145.64 5.91 153.26 4.82 98.60 4.81 178.15 4.87 106.57 5. 79 -0-o140.65 3. 91 331.49 4.32 64.35 3.14 81. 35 4. 76 2,682.34 4.80 The previous Table indicates the average single family density throughout the City is 4.8 units per acre. The highest single family density was found in neighborhood Sa North McLaughlin, while the lowest single family density was 3 .14 uni ts per acre located within the Beachwood neighborhood. The following Table lists the present neighborhood densities for multiple family use in the City. The average density for multiple family development within the City is 27.22 units per acre. The highest density was located in the North Nelson neighborhood at 75 units per acre, while the lowest density was located in the East Muskegon North neighborhood at 3.85 units per acre. The Froebe!, Beachwood, and Bluffton neighborhoods have no recorded multiple family dwellings located therein. -33- �Table Census Tract 4a 4b 2 3 5a 5b 7 6,02 6.01 8a 8b 21a 21b 21c 9 10a !Ob 15: Name Marquette East Muskegon-N East Muskegon-S Froebe I Angel I North McLaughlin South Mclaughl In Downtown North Nelson South Nelson East Nims West Nims Henry Ruddlman Glenslde Lakeside Beachwood Bluffton EXISTING DENSITIES - MULTIPLE FAMILY Al I Mui tip le Fam! ly Three or More Units Mui tip le Fam! ly Acreage 1,251 25 27 -086 372 103 17 550 93 106 116 54 468 70 65 -0- -o- 88.40 6.50 5.00 1.50 7.59 7,75 2,00 -07.31 2.67 1.90 6.30 6.30 48,25 7.80 1.83 -00.31 3,403 201.41 Density factor Multlple 14.15 3.85 5.40 -o11.33 48.00 51.50 -o75.24 34.87 55.79 18.41 8.57 9,70 8.97 35.52 -o-027.22 Records obtained from the Inspection Department of the City of Muskegon indicate a total of 16 identified multiple family projects located throughout the City. The following table is a listing of those projects including the number of units, the amount of acres of each site, and the density in terms of units per arce. -34- �SELECTED MULTIPLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENT Table 16: Census Tract 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 1ll 12) 13) 14) 15 l 16) 3 4a 5a 6.02 21a 21b 21b 21b 21b 21b 21c Name I of Units Carriage House Glen Oaks Hickory VI I lage Muskegon Townhouses Oakwood V111 isge Bayview Towers The Hermltisge Hisrtford Terrace Jefferson Towers Hancock House Barclay VI I lage Barclay Senior VI I lage Hackley VIiiage Ruddlman Terrace Glenslde Estates Glenslde Gardens 124 669 180 214 175 200 80 161 183 18 93 70 54 256 16 74 2,567 Acres 10.0 30.0 12.0 18.0 17.5 5.0 5.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 9.0 3.0 5.5 35.0 .5.0 9.0 (Density Dwelllng Unlts/ac) 12.40 22. 30 15.00 11.89 10,00 40.00 16.00 80.50 91.50 18.00 10.33 23.33 9.80 7.31 3.20 8.22 167.70 Average Density for mid to high rise projects= 58.3 units/acres Average Density for three-story and lower projects - 12.04 units/acres Overisl I Averisge Density for all projocts - 15.31 units/acres Source: City of Muskegon Inspection Department records, January 1984. Overall average density for the projects listed in the above table is 15.31 acres units per acre. There are three (3) senior citizen high-rise devlopments within the community, those being Bay View Towers, Jefferson Towers, and Hartford Terrace. The average density for mid to high-rise projects is 58.3 units per acre. The balance of the multiple family development within the community in buildings of three (3) stories or lower is 12.04 units per acre. In order to have an understanding of the ultimate development capacity of the City, all vacant residential parcels were enumerated and all vacant lots were counted throughout the City. The table of Capacity Calculation for the City of Muskegon indicates a total of 823 acres of vacant single family land and 167. 9 acres of vacant multiple family land. -35- �7 NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARY NEIGHBORHOOD NUMBER 5.97 EXISTING 4.00 PROPOSED 9.70 EXISTING 8.00 PROPOSED DWELLING DWELLING DWELLING DWELLING 2 (CENSUS UNITS UNITS UNITS UNITS PER PER PER PER TRACT) ACRE - SINGLE ) FAMILY ACRE - SINGLE t FAMILY ACRE - MULTIPLE ACRE - MULTIPLE FAMILY FAMILY 1 ---- , < .,,. -,. "' -;. ~ J ') J ,. r -" -.,,. ~ ' G> -t- CITY OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN TOD J . KILROY , CONSULTANT P.C. CITY OF MUSKEGON PLANNING COMMISSION TROY, MICHIGAN o DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 0 U •oo SCAU: IN F£ET 1100 I PROGRESSIVE PLANNING ASSOCIATES, P.C. 8LOOMFIELO t!ILLS, MICHIGAN �Table CAPACITY CALCULATIONS 17 : Single Fam I ly Census Tract 411 4b 2 3 5t.1 5b 7 6.02 6.01 8t.1 Sb 2111 21b 21c 9 1011 10b Vacant Multlple Res. Proposed Density <Un I ts/ Acre> Potential Dwel I Ing Units Name Acres Marquette East Muskegon-N East Muskegon-S Froebe I Angel I North Mclaughlln South Mclaughlln Downtown North Nelson South Nelson East Nims West Nims Henry Ruddlman Glenslde Lakeside 263.50 45.05 17.15 84.83 9.90 4.32 5.80 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 4.00 1,504 180 69 339 50 26 23 -0- -o- -o- 6. 76 4. 17 6.09 13. 71 41.27 11.20 31.97 48.99 6.60 222.58 5.00 4.00 34 Beachwood Bluffton 823.89 4.00 4.00 3.00 4.00 17 24 55 206 49 128 196 20 890 4.47 3,810 4.00 4.00 5.00 4.00 Vacant Acres Faml ly Res. Proposed Density <Un I ts/ Acre) 56. 70 1.62 14.00 5.00 34.50 s.oo -o- 9.00 10.00 14.00 Potentlal I Ing Units Dwel 1. 13 50.00 9.00 20.00 15.00 15.00 10.00 9.00 10.00 9.00 25.00 9.00 794 8 173 -091 111 4 150 52 13 41 37 225 131 -046 -010 167.93 16.11 1,886 9.11 7.91 0.22 3.00 5.78 0.67 2.10 2.45 22.46 14.60 -o5.08 -0- 14.oo Based upon the obove data and some statlstlca I ana lysls, an ultimate holding capacity for the City can be derived. To determine this figure the potential dwell Ing units must be multlpled by persons per unit. This must be done for both single family and-multlple family resldentlal categories. In turn, these figures must be odded to the existing City population. Proposed dwell Ing units x persons per unit= addltlonal population. Sing le Fam I ly: 3,810 du x 2.35 persons/units 8,953 Multlple Family: 1,886 du x ,.at persons/unit a 3,413 Existing Population 40,823 Ultimate Holding Capacity 53,189 -36- �RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS PLAN The Density Factors Map lists existing and proposed densities throughout the City on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis. The previous table entitled Capacity Calculations was dependent on the proposed densities as _listed on the Density Factors Map. These densities were suggested as a result of indepth analysis of existing and proposed conditions and land uses within the City of Muskegon. Each of the neighborhoods varies in content and character and therefore proposed densities vary from one neighborhood to another. As envisioned during the preparation of the Density Factors Map, Neighborhood #7 - the Downtown Area will have no single family dwellings located therein. There are three ( 3) acres now vacant and now zoned multiple family. There are three (3) neighborhoods without any multiple family residential being proposed. Those areas include the Froebel Neighborhood (#2), the Glenside Neighborhood (#2lc), and the Beachwood Neighborhood (#l0a). Should any of these areas be proposed for multiple family, the suggested densities contained on the Density Factors Map would apply. Total population expectations are listed in the following table for each neighborhood within the City. The basis of this calculation is the 1980 Neighborhood Statistics information gathered by the Census and the projected potential dwelling units for single family and multiple family for each particular neighborhood. -37- �r Table Census Tract .- 4a 4b 2 3 5a 5b 7 6.02 6.01 Ba 8b 21a 21b Zic 9 10a 10b TOTAL 1 8: Name Marquette East Muskegon-N East Muskegon-S Froebe! Angel I North Mclaughlln South Mclaughlin Downtown North Nelson South Ne Ison East Nims West Nims Henry Ruddlman Glenslde Lakeside Beachwood Bluffton Tota Is 1980 Populatlon 4,408 5,344 900 1, 181 4,095 2,998 3,307 26 3,035 1,940 1,329 2,338 1,160 1,072 1,370 4,079 554 934 POPULATION BY NEIGHBORHOOD Potenfla I Dwel I Ing Units In Slngle Fam! ly 1,504 180 69 339 50 26 23 -034 17 24 55 206 49 128 196 20 890 40,823 3,810 Potentla I Potentla I Potenfla I Populatlon Dwel I Ing Populatlon Grand In Units In In Total Slngle Multlple Multlple Capacity Fam! ly ( 1 ) Faml ly Famlly (2) Popu Iat! on C3 > 3,534 1,437 794 9,379 423 8 5,781 14 162 173 313 1,375 -0796 I, 977 -o118 4,378 91 165 61 111 201 3,260 54 4 3,368 7 150 272 298 -o80 52 94 3,209 40 13 24 2,004 41 56 74 1,459 129 37 67 2,534 484 225 407 2,051 115 131 237 1,424 301 -0-01,608 461 46 83 4,623 47 -o-o601 2,092 10 18 3,044 8,953 1,886 3,413 53, 189 ( 1 ) Ca lcul at Ion of dwell Ing units multlplled by 2.35 persons per unit. r - (2) Calculatlon of dwelllng units multlplled by 1.81 persons per unit. (3) Addition of all populatlon columns. (4) Calculatlons may vary because of sampllng error and methods used by the U.S. Bureau of Census In gathering Neighborhood Statistics Data. The Residential Areas Plan delineates residential and nonresidential areas throughout the City of Muskegon. The One Family Residential areas illustrate the location of single family neighborhoods and where such uses are anticipated to continue or be located in the future. The multiple family areas are those with existing multiple family developments as well as the multiple family properties that are currently zoned and undeveloped at this time. Multiple family use is generally distributed through the northeast portion and southwest portion of the City (not including the Lakeside area). The more concentrated high-rise senior citizen developments are reflected on the plan southeast of the downtown area. -38- �There are three (3) "Mixed Use" Residential Areas Plan. designations that appear on the The first category is entitled Mixed Use Commercial. Activities to be encouraged in the Mixed Use Commercial designation include office, retail, warehousing, and various forms of housing. The intent is to encourage reuse and new use of existing land parcels. This designation applies in four specific locations as follows: ,- 1. The Muskegon Lakeshore area adjacent to Terrace Street north and west of the downtown area from E. Western Avenue over to and including the Lakey property and all of the Teledyne property. 2. The Lumbertown area, the Amazon Building area, and the mixed use commercial and office, marina and wateroriented development area located on w. Western Avenue north of Michigan Avenue and adjacent to the Lakeshore. The property designated encompasses the Muskegon Lakeshore area from Lakeshore Yacht Harbor to Hartshorn Marina. 3. The third area for Mixed Use Commercial designation applies to the lakefront property west of the Standard O ii Tank Farm north of Lakeshore Drive west to the boundary of the S.D. Warren Paper Company. 4. The final area for Mixed Use Commercial development is located between Henry Street and Seaway Drive south of Young Street and north of Hackley Avenue. This area presently contains a variety of single family, multiple family, office, commercial, industrial, and similar uses and the intent of the Mixed Use Commercial designation is to encourage a final land use plan of limited commercial and office oriented activities. The second Mixed Use category is entitled Mixed Use Heritage. The City of Muskegon has designated an area as a so-called "Heritage" zone. This area includes property from 7th Street northeasterly to 4th Street and from Muskegon Avenue northwesterly tow. Western Avenue. Most of this historic area is presently on the State and National Historic Register and contains a variety of single family, multiple family, office, and commercial uses all of which are located in unique historic buildings. The intent of the City is to preserve this area, retaining the original character of the buildings, however, allowing a variety of new uses. -39- �7 NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARY NEIGHBORHOOD NUMBER CID ONE 8 TWO FAMILY RESIDENTIAL c:::a::J MULTIPLE ~ FAMILY RESIDENTIAL MIXED USE (HERITAGE) i:::c::GJ MIXED USE (CENTRAL) ~ MIXED USE (COMMERCIAL) c:::::J NON - RESIDENTIAL / / / / 1 / AREA /'' /. / / / // / ... ,, < ' CITY OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN CITY OF MUSKEGON PLANNING COMMISSION TOO J . KILROY , CONSULTANT P.C. 0o DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT I.ii aoo ICAl.[ IH TROY , MICHIGAN ieoo n:n PROGRESSIVE PLANNING ASSOCIATES , P.C. BLOOMFIELD .. ILLS , MICHIGAN �The third Mixed Use category is identifiedas uses surrounding the downtown area of the City. The Mixed Use-Central area designation is located immediately surrounding the Muskegon Mall. The intent here is to encourage a variety of land uses generally intensive in nature complimenting the comparison shopping activities and related services available at the Muskegon Mall. The Residential Areas Plan suggests the retention of existing residential areas and continued inf ill and reuse of properties that are currently zoned for residential use. The plan changes from present land use forms and zoning designations include the Mixed Use Commercial designation east of Henry Street north of Hackley Avenue as well as, the use of all currently zoned multiple family areas for future apartment and condominium development. The plan is unique in that it recognizes the lakefront orientation of the Mixed Use areas and the potential of those areas along Muskegon Lake. With the ability to introduce medium and higher density residential use in those mixed use areas, the residential character and aspects of the lakefront can easily be maintained and enhanced in future land use decisions. -40- �J Chapter V Recreation Plan & Community Facilities Plan �Chapter V- RECREATION PLAN AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAN RECREATION PLAN The City of Muskegon Department of Planning, and Department of Recreation and Parks, prepared a Recreation and Park Rehabilitation Plan in February, 1983. The Plan was prepared in cooperation with the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Action Program, and the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. The Plan was developed in accordance with the guidelines established by the Recreation Services Division of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Assessment of Existing Conditions, Issues, and Needs The current Department of Recreation and Parks was established by the Muskegon City Commission on October 25, 1949. At the same time, a seven member Board of Recreation and Parks was formed to determine policy and procedures for the operation and maintenance of the park system. In addition to being directly responsible for the Recreation and Parks Department, a Director administers four divisions within the Recreation and Parks Department. City park and recreation facilities are depicted on the accompanying Recreation and Community Facilities Plan. At the present time, the City possesses over 860 acres of park and open space within the City Limits. Chase Hammond Municipal Golf Course encompasses 250 acres north of the City proper. The parks and recreation facilities indicated on the Recreation and Community Facilities Plan are summarized as follows: Tot Lots include Aamodt Park and and are City maintained. the Ninth Street Tot Lot, Play rounds, as defined in the Plan on file with the MDNR, are epicted in conjunction with local elementary schools. 3 Neighborhood Parks are three in number, Park, Seyferth Park, and Beachwood Park. and include Sheldon Playfields, as highlighted in the 1983 Recreation and Parks Rehabilitation Plan, are used intensively in relation to their size, and provide active recreational uses. These playfields are the backbone, in terms of active rect"eation, of the entire parks system, and include Beaukema Playfield, Smith-Ryerson, Reese, McCrea, Marsh, and Campbell. -41- �Major Parks include Fisherman's Landing, McGraft, and Pere Marquette. Fisherman's Landing is oriented towards spot fishing, McGraft Park is oriented towards active and passive family recreation, while Pere Marquette Park provides water and beach related activities. Special Use Activities include the Chase Hammond Golf Course, Hackley Park (ceremonies, etc.), the Indian Cemetery (Muskegon Lake View), L.C. Walker Sports Arena and Annex (Hockey and cultural events), Hartshorn Marina, and Cottage Grove Landing. Open Space Parkland consists of Verterans' Memorial Park, Richards Park, Green Acres Park, Ryerson Creek Open Space, Muskegon Lakeshore Open Space, Meuer Court, Peninsula Park, Lake Michigan Park, and Bronson Park. A February, 1981 Muskegon Lake Shoreline report extensively reviewed the Muskegon Lake shore frontage and offered many development strategies for continued improvement of the lake area. School related recreation facilities are provided by the Muskegon Public School District through elementary, junior and senior high schools. In addition to public schools, recreation facilities are available through the Greater Muskegon Catholic Schools, the West Michigan Christian Schools, the Muskegon Intermediate Schools System, and Muskegon Community College. Problems and deficiencies within the overall recreation planning for the City includes the lack of facilities for the handicapped and elderly, and the lack of use of vacant parcels available along the shoreline of Muskegon Lake. Another major problem facing recreation planners is the slow deterioration of inner-city parks and playgrounds because of the financial burden of maintaining these f ac i 1 i ties. Also, 1981 budget cu ts have resulted in fewer services to the youth, elderly, and handicapped. Recreation Plan Goals and Objectives In 1979, the City of Muskegon Recreational Facilities Plan prepared a series of general policies to guide the Department in the developments of goals and objectives for the city-wide park system as follows: 1. The City Recreation and Parks System should serve mainly the day use demands and needs of its residents. 2. The City should supplement and not compete with private or semi-private recreation activities. r -42- �3. The Recreation and Parks System should endeavor to have its special facilities and programs, self-supporting. 4. The City shall consider the special those who are at some disadvantage. requirements of Based upon a complete inventory and analysis, city-wide recreation goals are geared to first, localizing recreation opportunities for the citizens of the City of Muskegon, and secondly, increase regional tourism. COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAN The City of Muskegon City Hall is located at 933 Terrace Street at the intersection of Terrace and Muskegon Avenue. The facility was opened in 1970 and contains the majority of administrative offices and meeting facilities used by elected and appointed officials. The structure contains off ices of the City Manager, City Clerk, Tresurer, Water Office, Finance Department, Assessor, Inspection Department,Planning and Community Development Offices, Recreation and Parks Department, Engineering, and Police Department. The Muskegon County Department of Public Works and Central Dispatch offices are also located in the City Hall. The building serves numerous functions, is heavily utilized for conferences and meetings as well as the day to day functions of city government. The building appears to be adequate for various administrative and service functions while the site is 1 imi ted in terms of size in the event an expansion of the structure was necessary. Recognizing the stable population within the community, it appears expansion of the building would not be warranted. A small offstreet parking area is located immediately adjacent to the building which services as police department parking, as well as parking for several administrative offices. Across Muskegon Avenue one-half of the city block is occupied by an off-street parking facility that is utilized by visitors and city staff. Because of 1 imi ted parking f aci 1 it ies on-site, the re tent ion of this off-street parking area to the northwest of City Hall is recommended. The Police Department is located within the City Hall structurP, physically separated from other office functions by the internal design of the building. The Pol ice Chief indicates the Muskegon Police Department is comprised of six separate divisions or bureaus as follows: J ' l The Records Bureau The Juvenile Bureau The Identification Bureau The Patrol Division The Detective Bureau The Traffic Bureau The Department is comprised of 65 sworn officers and 9 clerical personnel providing 24-hour coverage and service to the residents of the City. r -43- �Standards utilized in general evaluation of police department personnel adequacy rely upon a guideline of 2 to 2.5 officer per 1,000 population in an urban setting. A suburban or rural police department agency is usually evaluated on the basis of 1 to 1. 5 officers per 1,000 population. In the Muskegon situation the urban atmosphere and the number of incidents recorded by the department indicates need for staff levels at the standard of 2 to 2.5 officers per 1,000. The Fire Department of the City of Muskegon is headquarterd at Central Station immediately adjacent to City Hall along Terrace Street. The Central Station is 52 years old and is in process of a 3-phase renovation program. The Central Station services all of the downtown area and its immediate environs, as well as the central east side of the City. Fire Station No. 4 is located on Hackley east of Barley and is planned to be closed in the immediate future and relocated at the intersection of Laketon an n Lakeshore Drive. The Madison-Laketon Station No. 2 was closed due to budgetary constraints and Central Station is used to service the east side of the City. The building is currently leased by the Michigan Department of Transportation as a field office. Station No. 5, called Marquette Station, is located in the northeasterly portion of the City in the Marquette neighborhood. This station is relatively new and functionally adequate to service the needs of the northeast portion of the City for the forseeable future. The Fire Department contains 47 full-time personnel and the Fire Chief indicates this personnel level is generally adequate to service the needs of the City utilizing existing facilities. Mutual aide agreements are in effect with all surrounding city and township areas to provide mutual assistance in the event of a substantial fire. The Chief indicates consideration has been given to establishing a cooperative fire department among the Ci ty and some of the surrounding suburbs. Due to shifts in population and the fire service needs of the community serious consideration should be given to further discussion regarding implementation of the fire authority approach. Economies of scale could be realized in terms of personnel, equipment and general over al 1 operation. ' Other municipal facilities include the Public Services Building located at 1350 E. Keating which provides sewer, water, and general public works functions for the community. The site contains a modern office structure and associated storage and service facilities. The site appears to be adequate in accomodating existing and planned public service activities in the near future. r -44- r �~ ~ PARK SPACE C1DC OPEN ~ OTHER e:mml GOLF ~ PUBLIC COURSE MARINA EDUCATIONAL FACILITY l*H I CORRECTIONAL FACILITY CARE FACILITY HEALTH c:::!!:J:J CEMETERY F'§'d'}J OTHER SEMI • PUBLIC / / / ,# /,· /. / / / /, / //. / ., ---- ---- 4F < ...-,.. <" CITY OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN TOD J . KILROY , CONSULTANT CITY OF MUSKEGON PLANNING ,COMMISSION 0 DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ooq IC4l.l If ,HT P.C. TROY , IIICHIQAN -0 - PROGRESSIVE PLANNING ASSOCIATES, P.C. 8LOOMFIELO HILLI , MICHIGAN �The City also operates several cemeteries as indicated in the Existing Land Use Inventory. There is space available within the cemetery areas to accomodate additional burials when necessary. The Farmer's Market is located at 700 Yuba in the north central port ion of the community. The site is adjacent to the northerl y extension of Seaway Drive and borders the Ryerson Creek greenbelt. The Market operates on a seasonal basis and has adequate space fo r the amount of activity. The City's water filtration plant is located along the Lake Michigan Shoreline adjacent to Pere Marquette Park. Line3 extend into Lake Michigan where water intake is accomplished and the facility filters and treats the water prior to distribution throughout the community. The City also operates the Chase Hammond Golf Course located on M-120 north and east of the U.S. 31 Expressway. The City is served by two libraries. The Hackley Public Library, operated by the Muskegon Public Schools, is located at 316 w. Webster Avenue. The second library facility is operated by Muskegon County and is located at 635 Ottawa Street. Both facilities provide more than adequate library services to th e population to the City of Muskegon. Other community facilities include the schools provided by the Muskegon Public School District, as well as the Muskegon Community College located in the northeast portion of the City and the Muskegon Business College which is located immediately adjacent to the downtown area. There are also a variety of parochial schools scattered throughout the City area providing elementary and secondary education. The Recreation and Community Facilities Plan Map graphically depicts existing and proposed facilities throughout the City of Muskegon. The Plan indicates retention of all existing facilities as well as a continued emphasis regarding the recreation aspects of the Muskegon Lakeshore . The Plan indicates a new City Park immediately adjacent to the Harbour Towne develoment near th e intersection of the Channel and Muskegon Lake. The Open Spac e area that is adjacent to the tank farm along Muskegon Lake is als o retained and the new Lakeshore Yacht Harbor developed at the Cole s Bakery property is designated on the Plan as a marina facility. The recently acquired Michigan Foundary Supply Company area is designated as a future marina site recognizing the County's emphasis on development on the site for cross-lake ferry and other theme park tourist attraction type activities. The Plan also illustrates continued recreation development of the Consumer's Power property adjacent to the existing City Park and campground areas. 1 1 T -45- �, Chapter VI Economic Base Analysis �Chapter VI- ECONOMIC BASE ANALYSIS MARKET ANALYSIS COMMERCIAL MARKET ANALYSIS Commercial land use needs will vary substantially between any two cornmuni ties, and it is the purpose of the following to analyze Muskegon's commercial land use characteristics and to recommend a long-range policy and land acreages for meeting those needs. The advent of the automobile brought many drastic changes to the physical makeup of communities. An outstanding example of this change would be today's modern shopping center. Although the concept of the shopping center is fairly recent, the methods of economic market analysis have not readily adapted to this change. As a result, there are too few planned shopping centers and shopping areas which contain the aesthetic and design qualities necessary to draw potential customers. The following concepts and principles have been developed to assist in measuring the community's present and future needs for commercial facilities. FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF COMMERCIAL CENTERS There are three basic types of commercial centers: neighborhood, community and regional. They differ in size as well as in the commercial establishments included in each. The types of following is a brief description of the three types of shopping centers. The Neighborhood Center, provides for the sale of convenience goods (foods, drugs and sundries) and personal services (laundry and dry cleaning, barbering, shoe repairing, etc.) for day-to-day living needs of the immediate neighborhood. The neighborhood center is built around a supermarket as the principal tenant. In size, the neighborhood center has an average gross lea sable floor area close to 50,000 square feet. It may range from 30,000 square feet up to as much as 100,000 square feet. The neighborhood center needs from four to ten acres of site area. It normally serves a trade area population of 5,000 to 40,000 people within six minutes driving time. l The Community Center, in addition to the convenience goods and personal services of the neighborhood center, provides a wider range of facilities for the sale of soft lines (wearing app a rel) and hard lines (hardware and appliances). It provides an increased depth of merchandise available. -46- J �A community center is built around a junior department store as the major tenant, in addition to a supermarket. 1t does not have a full-line department store, though it may have a strong speciality store. I I I I I I I I I In size, the community shopping center has an average gross leasable area of 200,000 square feet and range to 500,000 squnre feet. The site area ranges from 10 to 30 acres or more and a trade area population of 40,000 to 100,000 people is necessary to support a community center. The Regional Center, provides for general merchandise, apparel, furniture and home furnishings in full depth and variety. The center is built around one or more full-line department stores for its major drawing power. In size, the regional center has an average gross leasable area of 400,000 square feet. Regional centers range from 300,000 square feet up to 1,000,000 square feet or more. The regional center needs a population of at least 150,000 to 400,000 people. The site area needed for a regional center is 30 acres or more. EXISTING AND PROPOSED COMMERCIAL CENTERS The City of Muskegon has over 250 acres devoted to some sort of commercial establishment, and an additional 43 acres in office use. The City has all three types of centers mentioned above along with linear development along many thoroughfares. The following is a listing of all the commercial centers and major linear development within the City. Linear Commercial Lakeshore Drive between McCracken Street and Torrent Street Intermittent along Sherman Boulevard from Grove Street east to about Barclay Street The Downtown area along Western Avenue, Clay Avenue, Webster Avenue, Pine Street and Third Street Along Ottawa Street from Eastern Avenue to Bayou Street On Apple Avenue between Forest Street and William Street, and also from Roberts Street to Home Street Various locations along Laketon Avenue; between Barclay Street and Seaway Drive, between Sixth Street and Peck Street, and from Terrace Street to Roberts Street On Getty Street from Apple Avenue to Forest Avenue, and from Delano Street to Hovey Avenue The Getty Street - Apple Avenue interchange Along Henry Street from Laketon Avenue south to Sherman Blvd -47- �Neighborhood Centers Farmers' Market in the Murphy Street Walton Avenue area Laketon Avenue from Roberts Street to Creston Street Plumb's Supermarket Center at Apple Avenue and Getty Street Outlet Mall at Henry Street and Windsor Avenue Community Centers I I I I I I I West Village Shopping Center at Henry Street and Sherman Blvd Walgreens Shopping Center also at Henry Sreet and Sherman Blvd Regional Center Muskegon Mall in the downtown area Other commercial establishments exist within the City, but they are generally scattered and not concentrated in a center or a major grouping. The major commercial areas in Muskegon are; the downtown area and Muskegon Mall; the Henry Street-Sherman Blvd shopping center area; the U.S. 31-Apple Avenue interchange; Apple Avenue, Laketon Avenue, Getty Street, and Henry Street. Commercial centers in close proximity to the City include; Beltline Plaza, a neighborhood center at U.S. 31 and Apple Avenue K-Mart Shopping Center, a community center also at U.S. 31 and Apple Avenue Henry Street from Sherman Blvd to Seminole Road, linear development and three community centers, K-Mart, Meijer Thrifty Acres, and Park Row Mall. Plumb's Supermarket and Eberhard Food Store in the City of North Muskegon. At present there are no proposed centers for the City of Muskegon. In Norton Shores, there is a mall proposed for the intersection of Seminole Road and Seaway Drive. COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL The purpose of the market analysis is to evaluate commercial development with regard to the needs of the population served. Generally, the most useful approach is to compare existing commercial development within the City to the needs of projected population levels. The basic assumption of this method is that the households in the trade area choose to make their purchases within their own neighborhood or community. This is not entirely true, of course, but J r -48- �• ( . ,, ' • NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER • COMMUNITY Q PROPOSED • REGIONAL CENTER CB·D CENTRAL BUSINESS ~ LINEAR PRIMARY 1111111 CENTER COMMUNITY CENTER DISTRICT COMME~CIAL TRADE SECONDARY AREA TRADE AREA I ' 0 CITY OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN h 0 .5 SCALE IN MILES @ ~ ~. To South Counti Line �the assumption is reasonable, particularly for convenience items. Even for comparison and general trade, the analysis provides an estimate of commercial acreage that is needed by these households, although this acreage may be located outside the locally nefined trade area. In addition, a certain amount of cross-oN'er occurs between trade areas in both directions, cancelling out much of the effect, especially when facilities in adjacent neighborhoods or communities are similar. Table 18: TOTAL SUPPORTABLE COMMERCIAL LAND IN THE CITY OF MUSKEGON - 1985 TO 2000 1985 Comparison Convenience General Totals Source: 1990 2000 Sq. Ft. Acres 821,395 75.4 311,629 28.6 430,630 39.5 Sq. Ft. Acres 821,502 75.4 312,235 28.7 430,538 39.5 Sq.Ft. Acres 858,467 78.8 323,995 29.8 447,439 41.1 143.5 143.6 149.7 TOD J. KILROY, CONSULTANT P.C. estimates. The purpose of the above market analysis was to determine the commercial needs of the City. As indicated above commercial expectations are listed at 143.5 acres for 1985 (within one year). This figure represents the land needed for commercial purposes for the residents of the City based upon their income and their spending patterns. Presently within the City there are 256.4 acres in various commercial categories. This figure is higher than what is actually needed but it portrays the cross-over characteristics of the Muskegon area. It shows that many residents from outside the City 1 imi ts patronize City commerc ia 1 establishments quite heavily. closer comparison of the table above with existing conditions reveals some interesting facts about the City's commercial needs. A Table 19: EXISTING AND SUPPORTABLE COMMERCIAL LAND IN THE CITY OF MUSKEGON Existing Acres J I 46.6 Supportable Acres (1985) Comparison Convenience General 117.9 75.4 28.6 39.5 Total 256.4 143.5 91. 9 -49- �At present there is a surplus of convenience and general commercial acres. Again their meer existence attests to the drawing power of a metropolitan center. If Muskegon was isolated these two figures would be much lower. The comparison category lists a need for 75.4 acres, but only 46.6 acres exist within thP. City. The popularity of planned shopping centers has resulted in people spending more of their income on comparison items. Within the City, the Muskegon Mall meets some of this demand but the deficiency of almost 30 acres means the City should concentrate any future development in this comparison Cp.tegory. This is not to say that the convenience and general categories should not have any development but it should be limited. If the City is to serve as a regional center and draw consumers from the surrounding communities, the comparison category will need even more expansion. The actual drawing power of the City as a regional center depends upon its market penetration into surrounding communities. The cross-over nature of a metropolitan market such as Muskegon necessitates an in-depth review of the income, land use, population, and distribution of surrounding communities. This review follows. SECONDARY MARKET ANALYSIS Based upon driving time, accessibility and support population the following communities are considered to be within the secondary trade area: Muskegon Heights Norton Shores Laketon Township Muskegon Township Roosevelt Park Fruitport Township N. Muskegon The same process used to examine the Primary Trade Area's commercial needs will be utilized to determine the Secondary Trade Area's needs. Many of the tables included previously will be omitted here to avoid duplication. The most important elements to this study are income and population data. With this data, it is possible to project retail sales potential and commercial needs for the area. -50- �Table 20: POPULATION EXPECTATIONS FOR SELECTED MUSKEGON COUNTY COMMUNITIES 1980 1985 1990 2000 Fruitport Village 1,143 Fruitport Township 9,503 6,327 Laketon Townhip 14,611 Muskegon Heights Muskegon Township 14,557 4,024 North Muskegon 22,025 Norton Shores 4,015 Roosevelt Park 1,478 10,567 6,863 15,308 14,476 4,166 22,847 3,524 1,491 10,854 7,233 15,325 14,687 4,207 23,149 3,536 1,513 11,354 7,858 15,353 15,042 4,272 23,676 3,555 Source: 1980 Census, Estimates of Population and Housing, West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission, 1977, and TOD J. KILROY, CONSULTANT P.C. estimates. Table 21: TOTAL SUPPORTABLE COMMERCIAL LAND IN THE SECONDARY TRADE AREA - 1985 ~TO 2000 1985 Sg. Ft. Acres Comparison 2,227,584 836,984 Convenience 1,162,884 General Totals Source: 205 77 107 1990 Sg. Ft. Acres 2,329,658 883,573 1,214,092 389 214 81 111 2000 Sg. Ft. Acres 2,558,517 962,090 1,331,355 406 235 88 122 445 TOD J. KILROY, CONSULTANT P.C. estimates. As indicated above, commercial expectations for the Secondary Trade Area are listed at 389 acres for 1985 (within one year). This figure represents the land needed for commercial purposes for the residents of the area, based upon their income and their spending pat terns. The residents' income can support 3 89 acres. Zoning Districts and Projected Demand In order for a community to properly plan and zone for commercial expansion it is necessary to review existing zoning districts and existing and projected commercial demands. Muskegon has approximately 300 acres at present dedicated to some form of commercial enterprise, ranging in size from the corner gas station to Muskegon Mall. Following is a comparison of existing land use and existing commercial zoning districts. Some categories do not correspond exactly but this is the most accurate portrayal. -51- �Table 22: PRESENT COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICTS & LAND USE Present Zoning Acres Zoning District Neighborhood Business CB-1 ) Central Business CC-8) Central Ser v Ice (C-S) Automotive Business (B-1A) General Business (8-3) Tota Is Land Use 108.8 12.5 63.6 13. 9 280.3 Existing Acres Convenience Comparison Office Automotive Bus. General Bus. 4 7 9. 1 ac Difference 91 • 9 46.6 43.5 37.5 80.4 + 16.9 Ac - 34. 1 + 20. 1 - 23.6 +199,9 299.9 ac The "difference" column should always have a positive reading. The above abera t ions are due to the problem of direct correspondence of categories and the wide variety of uses allowable in B-3. This table shows that the City has zoned for approximately 180 acres more of commercial uses than are presently existing. This is only the current view. What is helpful in creating a sound Business Areas Plan is a review of projected demand and how zoning designations should change to fit future needs. Earlier, the commercial potential for the City was determined and projected to the year 2000. This represents what the population and their incomes will demand in the future. Following is a 1 is ting of this, compared to what is presently zoned for these purposes. Table 23: ZONED COMMERCIAL LAND & PROJECTED DEMAND {ACRES) Neighborhood Business Central Business & Service Automotive Business General Business Total Zoned Projected Demand 1985 1990 2000 108.8 76.1 13.9 280.3 28.6 75.4 30.8 8.7 479.1 143.S 28.7 75.4 30.8 8.7 14 3. 6 29.8 78.8 31. 9 9.2 149.7 There are some differences in defintions in the categories in the above table. Perhaps certain automotive enterprises can be conducted in the General Business category. Other variations may also occur. Recognizing these differences exist the above table can still be reviewed, but in a more general manner. The figures -52- �indicate Service category. land use will grow deficiencies in zoning for the Central Business and category (comparison) and the Automotive Business This same deficiency was noted when comparing existing and zoning districts. In the future these categories in size and the zoning districts should do so also. INDUSTRIAL BASE ANALYSIS The analysis of the industrial segment of the local economy includes a view of the employment characteristics of the existing population and a projection of the future employment levels. Further, this analysis examines the amount of existing industrial land use and compares it with the projected need for future years. EMPLOYMENT CHARACTERISTICS & POTENTIAL The 1980 occupational characteristics for the City of Muskegon are listed in the following table. Realizing that we are entering a post-industrial society, with its accompanying larger service and high techonology sectors, this table should be viewed with knowledge of its changing nature. Table 24: 1980 OCCUPATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS IN MUSKEGON Persons Occupational Group Clerical, Sales Workers Operatives & Kindred Workers Service & Household Workers Professional & Technical Craftsmen & Foremen Managers & Administrators Laborers & Farm Workers Totals Source: Percent 3,762 2,936 2,775 1,852 1,640 862 777 25.8 20.1 19.0 12.7 11.2 5.9 5.3 14,604 100.0 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census; Census of Population 1980. (U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.) The relationship of the total number of persons employed (14,604) to the City's total population in 1980 equates to approximately 36%. Al though this percentage wi 11 vary in the future depending upon changing population characteristics, it would be reasonable to assume that a like percentage of the future population will also require various types of employment. Applying this percentage figure to the population projections made earlier, employment expectations can be generated. -53- �Table 25: EMPLOYMENT EXPECTATIONS FOR MUSKEGON Year Expectations Population Level 40,823 38,532 36,726 1980 1990 2000 X Employment (36%) = 14,604 13,872 13,221 TOD J. KILROY, CONSULTANT P.C. estimates. Source: The distribution of present employment is listed next. This table includes data relative to the kinds of industry in which the occupational groups are classified. This table represents the various fields in which people are employed. For example, a person working for a Durable Goods Manufacturer would be classified under "Craftsmen and Foremen" in the Occupational Characteristics Table, while the firm he is employed with is manufacturing auto bodies. This data will give some indication as to what might be expected in the future. Of the industries listed there are certain types that relate directly to an acreage generation factor for each expected employee. Table 26: 1980 EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY GROUP IN MUSKEGON Employed Workers in Specific Industry Groups Persons Construction* Durable Goods Manufacturing* Nondurable Goods Manufacturing* Transportation & Communication* Wholesale & Retail Trade (indcluding Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate) Business & Repair Services Personal Services Professional Services Public Administration Other Industries* Totals * Source: Percent 473 3.2 4,107 28.1 823 5.7 758 5.2 3,533 456 586 3,112 655 101 24.2 3.1 4.0 21.3 4.5 0.7 14,604 100.0 Types of industries which relate to the acreage generation factor noted above. U.S. Bureau of the Census, U.S. Census of Population, 1980 (U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.) -54- �c::::J CONVENIENCE - COMPARISON COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL b w4:'¾J OFFICE 111111111111111 GENERAL COMMERCIAL ~ WATER ~ MIXED USE (COMMERCIAL) ~ MIXED USE (HERITAGE) amE MIXED ORIENTED USE COMMERCIAL l~"""i===:/ ··~ c..- I i (CENTRAL) I _...!::.:.....11::!,'~- ~ LIGHT cm::'.11 INDUSTRIAL ~ :;:,: . iel:l~~~~ INDUSTRIAL GENERAL PARK INDUSTRIAL .:::,':: . l:linElllm .. El c I ) ...:~ ... ·-· - - - - - - - - - - - -~· . . .- - - - - - -- .. . ---- :;· l::....::::k: __ cz=::E '' DB!iE:B · tffilElaB ---- ······ ~ ".1"1'11111 i:::;i,;=:--; ...:;t,]\11= = - .-. : ·~'"::~~~5:J L....'.h~ -.- ==~·== :•;,:, <",),!. ==::::i=:.·., V\.' . ~ ~ ,•: tllli,l =L....L.- , ~ ~:*"· 8!9[::363 .. 'f.~ \, I I I> ,,. I 1 ~ rnf1m111anHi . [] IT1h!~\11WW Iii !Ill!Ii m rnffi___:_YWlndlWill < rn[rnra1r11111w --- --- l] -~~ ~ ~rn 7rr, Ea~ 6!3imlil -v -,.. l2lil I@ ffittlJ:11::3 EaB E:iB~ l CITY OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN CITY 0_F MUSKEGON PLANNING COMMISSION TOD J . KILROY , CONSULTANT P.C. TROY , MICHIGAN 0 DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT f too - PROGRESSIVE PLANNING ASSOCIATES, P.C. BLOOMFIELD HllLS , MICHIGAN 11 �r r r Those industries that are noted as having a specific land acreage generation factor comprise approximately forty-three (43) percent of the total employment figure for the City. Applying this percentage to employment expectations in the City listed above, an employment figure requiring a land area designation (the acreage generation factor) is listed. Table 27: EMPLOYMENT AND LAND AREA ALLOCATION FOR THE CITY OF MUSKEGON Year 1980 1990 2000 Source: Probable Total Employment 14,604 X 43% Probable Employment Requireing Land Area = 6,262 5,965 5,685 13,872 13,221 TOD J. KILROY, CONSULTANT P.C. estimates. Employment levels are anticipated to remain constant or slightly decline over the next few years. Various industrial employment studies have indicated that an overall ratio of 20 industrial employees per acre of industrial land can be expected in metropolitan areas. Dividing this figure into the above 1 is ted probable employrnen t figures, the following results are yielded. Table 28: EXPECTED INDUSTRIAL LAND AREA ALLOCATION IN THE CITY OF MUSKEGON Year Probable Employment Requiring Land Area 1980 1990 2000 6,262 divided by 20 = 5,965 5,685 Source: Probable Industrial Acreage TOD J. KILROY, CONSULTANT P.C. estimates. -55- 313.1 298.3 284.3 �r r r The above figures are only illustrative, in that the assumption is made that the City will have the same, employment generation characteristics as the City residents' occupations indicate. At present Muskegon has 721 acres of land in the Industrial category according to the Land Use Survey. It is apparent from the previous discuss ion figures that the City's industries employ a large number of persons living outside of the City. Future i ndustr ia 1 exapans ion in the City wi 11 probably be of a 1 ight manufacturing type. The most appropriate location for this expansion is the Port City Industrial Park which is presently below its capacity. The present industrial complex in the Lakeside Area will remain in place during the planning period. It is necessary to realize that Muskegon is not an island, and that a large amount of commuting occurs. Not all of this is commuting into the City either. There are large industrial complexes north and south of the City which draw some employees from Muskegon. In a metropolitan area, this will always occur and it should be realized when formulating an Industrial Areas Plan that surrounding areas play a major role. -56- �r r r r r r r r Chapter VII Major Streets Plan �r r r r r r r Chapter VII- MAJOR STREETS PLAN The Major Streets Plan examines the road needs of today and projects these needs into the future based upon anticipated land uses. Recognition of and coordination with State, Regional, and County road proposals is implicit within the Major Streets Plan document. The purpose of the plan is to suggest the development of the best possible circulation system for the long-range needs of the community. The Major Streets Plan attempts to provide for the efficient movement of existing and anticipated traffic both at the local and regional scale. An important consideration in the development of a Master Plan for the City of Muskegon is the aspect of accessibility. The automobile has reoriented land use patterns, making the free movement of people and goods essential to the economic and social we 1 fare of the community. The Major Streets Plan considers the relationship between the type and intensity of land use and a resulting generation of traffic movements to ensure orderly development and a desirable environment. Often, the Major Streets Plan will shape the urban development pattern giving it guidance and form through the imposition of an expressway system or other major regional collector thoroughfare. Hopefully, road planning takes into account the environmental impact and economic impact that such road proposals will have upon future generations. CONCEPTS The basic concept system suggested herein divides the highway network into four functional activities. The framework of the road system will provide the format for the City's continued development and redevelopment in the years to come. The highway system is composed of freeways, major thoroughfares (major arterials), collector streets, and local streets. The graphic, Street Classification System Concept, indicates the type of streets by its function and also depicts whether the function is that of an internal street or an external street. Internal streets are classified as the local or collector streets, while external streets comprise that portion of the system covering major thoroughfares, collector or secondary thoroughfares, and freeways. STANDARDS Road planning agencies throughout Michigan use generalized road planning standards in proposals for major and local thoroughfare systems. The standards that are suggested herein represent a composite review of various agencies. Composite standards may be summarized as follows: -57- �r SUMMARY OF IDADWAY PLANNING STANDARDS Suggested Standards For r r r Expressway Major Thoroughfare Collector 300' to 500' 120' to 150' 66 1 -86 1 60 1 -66 I B) Pavement Width 12' each lane Urban - 60' Rural - 24 I 36'-44' 27'-32' C) Nl.IlTlber of Lanes 4 or rrore Urban - 4 Rural - 2 2-4 2 24' or rrore None Element A) Right-of-Way D) Median Width 26' or rrore Local None r The City of Muskegon contains the full range of thoroughfare classifications. Freeways include the U.S. 31 Expressway, the I-96 Business Route along Seaway Drive, and Skyline Drive which connects Seaway Drive with the U.S. 31 Expressway. Major thorough -fares within the City include Sherman Boulevard from east to west extending through the City of Muskegon and the City of Muskegon Heights. Laketon Avenue east and west, as well as Apple Avenue. A portion of Evanston Avenue from Getty Street to Creston Street is also classified as a major thoroughfare. West Western Avenue and Terrace Street ( in the downtown area) also meet the classification of a major thoroughfare. Recognizing that portions of the City are in excess of 100 years of age, many of the streets were platted in a subdivision context ranging in right-of-way from 40 to 60 feet. The majority of these local streets are 50 feet in width. More recent development activities have indicated the need to expand rights-of-way and the Terrace Street development expanded the right-of-way to 125 feet to accomodate the boulevard. Similarly, redevelopment activities in the northeastern portion of the City adjacent to Marquette Avenue indicate that many streets were replatted and redivide<l at a 60 foot mininum width right-of-way. TRAFFIC VOLUMES The west Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission (WMSRDC) has compiled traffic volume information for major thoroughfares and expressway components of the regional transportation system over the past several years. The mos t recent mapped and tabulated traffic volumes were recorded during 1982. The data plotted by WMSRDC comes from a variety of sources. -58- �r f I ' r ' According to information from the Regional Development Commission, traffic volumes in the Muskegon Metropolitan Area and specifically within the City of Muskegon have remained relatively consistent over the past several years. Static economy, population levels remaining generally consistent, and the lack of employment opportunities have all had some impact upon the existing traffic pat terns ( or the lack thereof). From a review of the existing traffic system, it appears that the majority of major and secondary thoroughfares throughout the City of Muskegon and the immediate surrounding communities are generally adequate to handle the majority of traffic. The peak times in summer and holiday periods cannot be planned for to any great degree, because of the significant investment in capital improvements that might be necessary. Any improvement that is proposed requires significant forward thinking and planning on a site specific basis prior to implementation. THE CURRENT SITUATION The City of Muskegon has faced numerous traffic planning obstacles since its inception over 100 years ago. Depending on the land developer, the street pattern may be parallel to Muskegon Lake perpendicular to Muskegon Lake, at an angle to Muskegon Lake, or running in a north, south, east, and west manner based upon the grid coordinate system of the State of Michigan. The development of the railroad system in, around, and through the City of Muskegon has had a significant impact on the road system. Several railroad c·orr id ors traverse residential, commercial, industrial, and similar land use areas causing skewed intersections of the street patterns, interupting continuity, and establishing a series of inappropriate land use relationships. City records at the turn of the century indicate the willingness on the part of the City Commission to grant easements and street right-of-way vacations for the purpose of the expansion and ex tens ion of the railroad system in and through the City of Muskegon. PROBLEMS The City of Muskegon is not without its thoroughfare problems, the historic conflicts with the railroad are but an indication of the complex traffic pattern that has emerged since the history of the City began. -The present stre~~ system from Laketon to Marquette, from Getty to Muskegon Lake, as well as, Lakeshore Drive area out to the Lakeside area has been in place since the mid 1880's. The traffic pattern has been adjusted by the imposition of the Seaway Drive Expressway, as well as, the construction of the U.S. 31 Expressway. However, the local conflicts and problems within the thoroughfare system still exist. -59- �r 'I I I Other problems that have been observed include the incomplete traffic pattern that exists within the downtown area. West Western Avenue ends prior to the intersection of Lakeshore Drive. Therefore traffic must u ti 1 i ze other local streets to exit from West Western Avenue and enter the traffic pattern along Lakeshore Drive. Terrace Street has been expanded in right-of-way from its intersection with Walton northwest of Apple Avenue, extending past the mall area and adjacent to the Terrace Plaza Office building. Presently Terrace Street ends at the extention of 4th Street, with no major thoroughfare continuity beyond that point. Until recently 6th Street was designated as a state route by the Department of Transportation. It functionally provides access into and through the Heritage District of the City. The attempt to preserve this area as a historic neighborhood will be aided by the removalof major thoroughfare traffic between West Western Avenue and Webster or Muskegon Avenue. Another problem noted during the land use field survey was the extensive street length that is applied in most residential streets throughout the City. There are diversions in the street pattern caused by the imposition of land uses such as schools and cemeteries as wel 1 as the ra i 1 road influence that has occurred. Many streets although residential in character extend for several miles in either north-south or east-west direct ion. More recent development patterns in the Marquette neighborhood and other areas of the City indicate a replatting and redivision of land as well as redesign of the residential street system. In those areas where street pat terns beyond the desirable length, it is recommended that street diversion be placed at intersections redirecting traffic and diverting such traffic onto major thoroughfares. The intersection areas along U.S. 31 Expressway provide traffic access from major thoroughfares such as Apple, Laketon, and Sherman Boulevard onto the expressway system. A problem that was noted indicated that Apple Avenue is constructed as a full interchange while Laketon Avenue and Sherman Boulevard do not hav e a full interchange constructed. As traffic volumes increase in these areas, it would be appropriate to give serious consideration to the construction of full expressway interchanges complet e ly separating each direction and flow of traffic. The final problem particular to the Lakeside area is the inordinant amount of truck traffic that traverses Lakeshore Drive with a destination to Laketon Avenue and eventually to the expressway system. Presently some access is provided along McCracken Street from Lakeshore Drive southeasterly to Sherman Boulevard. Consideration should be given to an improvement of McCracken Street and the 1 imi ting of truck access easterly from McCracken Street to the Lakeshore Drive area. Through the -60- �- EXPRESSWAY MAJOR THOROUGHFARE COLLECTOR LOCAL (300 ' - 500' R.O.W.) ( 120' - 150' R.O.W.) THOROUGHFARE STREET (60' - 66 1 (86' R.O.W.) R.O.W.) ,J / / / / /'" /' / / / /' /' 3 ~= 1·m· ·, · -,1rai ~! ?- ~_,:~--1 ~~~ : _-t: _f5.s.- ,:\J:iit i;r:;; ::::!J.. 'M' .I=. Ji' ·~,~_';.J·""' 3ffi ;;i;l:t :::: ' 'I' ·. ,nl e;:113:~'7'~ ".i J•\ · "!'.IJ:C~, . a:! ma:r" ! d:. Lt.0_; !l:!5=·· - - . ~:: . ! ,;;.~,l--;a.r-" :::::,...,_ . ' t ~ -•-·=-- ·-===i-- • -~~----i1TTTTTTPTTTT-r-<I CITY OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN CITY OF MUSKEGON PLANNING COMMISSION 0 TOD J . KILROY , CONSULTANT P.C. TROY I MICHIGAN 0 Iii DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ... ICAU bi ":IT 7 - 1 PROGRESSIVE PLANNING ASSOCIATES , P.C. SLOOMFIELD HILLS , MICHIGAN I L_ �construction of a boulevard type street along McCracken Street and the presently unused railroad right-of-way, a serious traffic problem could be avoided. Major traffic generators could then utilize this reconstruction of McCracken to access into the Lakeside area with minimal negative impact upon surrounding residential neighborhoods. MAJOR STREETS PLAN J I I I The Major Streets Plan designates the existing major thoroughfares of Sherman Boulevard, Laketon Avenue, Apple Avenue, Seaway Drive, Henry Street, West Western Avenue, and Terrace Street as the major arterial system for the City. The expressway designation applies to portions of Seaway Drive that are of free-way consequence and to the U.S. 31 Expressway along the eastern portion of the City. A similar designation applies to the Skyline Drive area along the northerly edge of the community. The collector road system designates Lakeshore Drive, McCracken Street, Peck Street, Wood Street, Marquette Avenue, Harvey Street, 3rd Street, and Clay Avenue as secondary arterials. I I I I I I r r r r r -61- �-I I I I I r r r r r Chapter VIII Master Land Use Plan �;r , J I I I I I f CHAPTER VIII - MASTER LAND USE PLAN INTRODUCTION The Master Land Use Plan sets forth a statement of community objectives and policies for meeting current and anticipated problems and guiding future development of the City. This section of the Master Land Use Plan deals with future land use for the City, keeping in mind the current situation and the probable future. It is important to remember the geographical location of Muskegon and its role as a regional center as well as land use and facilities now in place. overall, it is important to recognize the limitations of the Master Land Use Plan as well as its potentials. No one has clear vision of the future, and, therefore, it is not possible to precisely predict how a parcel or neighborhood of the City will develop. The Master Land Use Plan should be viewed as a guide to the future and it should be recognized as just that. The Plan should be used as a guide to an improved quality of 1 i fe with minimum adverse effects upon the land and the people who live and work on it. DESCRIPTION OF THE MASTER LAND USE PLAN r r The Master Land Use Plan for the City of Muskegon proposes development of the community over the next fifteen years to the year 2000. Relying on the data of the foregoing sections as a bas is for project ion, the Master Land Use Plan Map graphically portrays how the various parcels should be used as future development and the eventual redevelopment of specific areas, occurs in the City. Categories of use on the Master Land Use Plan include twenty-six specific delineations grouped into six general categories dealing with residential, commercial, industrial, mixed use, recreation/public/semi-public, and circulation. within each of the above listed categories certain types of land uses are expected to be predominant. Overall, Muskegon is almost completely developed. With a 1980 population of about 40,000 persons and an estimated capacity population of 54,000, the Ci ty is approximately 80% developed. The vast majority of land wi t hin the city is devoted to residential uses. The other major uses planned for the City are public, recreation, and i ndustr i a 1. A. description of each category and the specific uses anticipated within each classification follows. The residential land use category on the Master Land Use Plan is subdivided into single family residential, two family residential, and multiple family residential. The Plan envisions an eventua l occupation of all single family lots within existing neighborhoods. There are two large areas that are presently -62- �J I I I I I r r vacant which are proposed for single family development. The area north of Marquette and east of Creston is designated for single family use. Another area of potential single family development is the land north of Sherman Boulevard and east of Barclay Street. The vacant area of proposed residential development known as Harbour Towne is found close to the channel in the Pigeon Hill area of the City. The two family designation appears in the central portion of the City near the Senior Citizen developments. The majority of the blocks so designated presently contain twofamily dwellings. The multiple family designation has been applied at various locations throughout the City to accommodate different housing options and lifestyles. In the block southeast of Lakeshore Drive between McCracken and Estes, multiple family residential is proposed to buffer the other residential areas from the commercial development along Lakeshore Drive. Expansion of existing multiple developments is suggested. Among those so proposed are the areas in the vicinity of Muskegon Community College, the Barclay Street and Hackley Avenue area, and northwest ·of the Hume Home on Lakeshore Drive near Davis Street. Muskegon has a reasonably large commercial base and it is proposed here for moderate expansion in recognition of it's role as a regional center. The Economic Rase Analysis details the commercial potential of Muskegon based on the number of households and the incomes of the City and surrounding communities. The Master Land Use Plan uses that study as a guideline and proposes various commercial areas. Many of the linear commercial patterns established on major thoroughfares through the years are proposed for future commercial development. In some of these areas there are vacant commercial buildings and lots which should be utilized more productively. Residences exist in some of these areas also and appear out of place. Eventually these conflicting land uses will be eliminated through market pressures for commercial development. The major changes to the commercial atmosphere of the City are mostly in the downtown area where various mixed use designations have been applied. Around the City other areas are proposed as dominant commercial centers. The Henry Street - Sherman Avenue area is proposed as a major commercial center including both comparison and general shopping facilities. This area should be connected in character to the Outlet Mall, to enable this retail development to be consistent. The Ottawa Street Western Avenue corridor is also proposed for commercial uses. The northern section of Muskegon has a convenience commercial area proposed for the eastern side of Getty Street north of Wesley in the Marquette Avenue vicinity. An office district is planned for the Peck Street - Sanford Street corridor near Hackley Hospital. Other -63- �commerc ia 1 uses throughout the City are proposed to coordinated shopping districts and to discourage undesirable strip development. I I I J r establish spot or A second factor analyzed in the Economic Base Analysis is the Industrial Base. In accordance with that analysis, specific areas of the City have been designated as light industrial, general industrial, or industrial park. The most significant designation is the continued delineation of the Port City industrial park in the extreme southeastern portion of the City. This area will provide sufficient space for light industrial expansion in the years to come. Another industrial expansion area is the existing industrial area north of Brusse Avenue and west of Getty Street. The area encompassed in this designation extends to the expressway interchange. Limited additions to the industrial district near Seaway Drive and Laketon Avenue are also proposed. The Mixed Use category contains various uses that can be combined to create a unique living, shopping, or office environment. There are three Mixed Use designations that appear on the Master Land Use Plan. The Mixed Use Commercial designation includes a variety of land uses. Activities to be encouraged in the mixed use-commerc ia 1 designation include office, retail and limited research and warehousing, as well as, the potentia 1 of some form of housing activity. The intent is to encourage reuse and new use of existing land parcels and existing buildings. The Mixed Use Commercial locations as follows: designation applies to four specific 1. The Muskegon Lakeshore area adjacent to Terrace Street north and west of the downtown area from E. Western Avenue over to and including the Lakey property and all of the Teledyne property. 2. The Lumber town area, the Amazon Building area, and the mixed use-commercial and office, marina and wateroriented development area located on W. Western Avenue north of Michigan Avenue and adjacent to the Muskegon Lakeshore. The designated property encompasses the area from Cole's Marina to the City Marina facility. 3. The third applies to Farm along S.D. Warren area for Mixed User Commercial designation the property west of the Standard Oi 1 Tank Lakeshore Drive over to the boundary of the Paper Company. -64- �4. I I I The final area of Mixed Use Commercial development is located between Henry Street and the Seaway Drive south of Young Street and north of Hackley Avenue. This area presently contains a variety of single family, multiple family, office, commerical, industrial, and similar uses. The intent of the Mixed Use Commercial designation is to encourage a final land use plan of limited commercial and office oriented activities with less emphasis in residential uses of the land. The second Mixed Use category is entitled · Mixed Use Heritage. The City of Muskegon has designated a "Heritage" zone. This area includes the general area from 7th Street northeasterly to 4th Street and from Muskegon Avenue northwesterly to W. Western Avenue. Most of This historic area is presently on the State and National Historic Register and contains a variety of single family, multiple family, office, and commercial uses all of which are located in unique historic buildings. The intent of the City is to preserve this area, retaining the original character of the buildings, however, allowing a variety of new uses. The third District. allocation The intent intensive activities Mixed Use classification is cal led Central Rusi ness The area designated for the Mixed Use-Central is located immediately surrounding the Muskegon Mal 1. here is to encourage a variety of land use, generally in nature, complementing the comparison shopping and related services available at the Muskegon Mall. The emphasis of the Master Land Use Plan is to recognize the downtown area as the focal point for the Muskegon Region. By utilizing a combination of innovative zoning and planning techniques, such an emphasis can be maintained and enhanced in future years. The fifth Master Land Use Plan category includes Public, SemiPublic and Recreation uses. The major emphasis in this category is to provide the City's residents with a variety of activities, ranging from passive to active. This is accomplished by the large number of existing parks, playfields, nature areas and open space. Further expansion of parks is limited to acquiring vacant adjacent acreage. This is the case for McGraft Park & Ryerson Park ( some of the land will remain as open space). One additional recreation area is the one planned for the consumers power area west of East western Avenue for use as a park or possibly community open space. Another addition to the recreation inventory is the proposed park located at the northeast side of the Harbour Towne development now under construction. -65- �a CJC!J ONE TWO ~ MULTIPLE FAMILY ,❖:.:,:-b:,.,J CONVENIENCE - FAMILY COMPARISON RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL E111i1Bm OFFICE - PARK tB] OPEN - ~ SPACE EDUCATIONAL ~ WATER COMMERCIAL ORIENTED COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL ~ GENERAL COURSE / ~ / OTHER PUBLIC liDilm HEALTH PARK miiD MIXED USE (COMMERCIAL) tm&J MiXED USE OiERITAGE) m3D MIXED USE (CENTRAL) FACILITY mm! MARINA INDUSTRIAL Cll!:l INDUSTRIAL FACILITY CORRECTIONAL lmm GOLF GENERAL ~ LIGHT ~ RESIDENTIAL CARE / USE ,,i FACILITY //' CEMETERY ~ OTHER - RAIL - MAJOR SEMI - PUBLIC /. FACILITY THOROUGHFARE COLLECTOR / / / / // THOROUGHFARE ./ 3 ·.; ~11 ~ ~ .J u~ ..) · - - -- - - - - -- - - - - - - ------ - - - - ------ ----- / I < .,,. -,.. <" ' J -" ~ -.,,. ~ Cl ~ CITY OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN CITY OF MUSKEGON PLANNING COMMISSION I DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT -- ICAU .. P'UT OCTOBER 1, 1814 ADOPTED OCTOBER 11 , 1984 TOD J . KILROY, CONSULTANT P.C. T•OY , MICHIGAN PROGRESSIVE PLANNING ASSOCIATES, P.C. BLOOMFIELD HILLS , IIIICHIOAN �There is presently a publicly-owned marina on Muskegon Lnke at thP end of Div is ion Street. A new private marina, Lakeshol'." e Yacht Harbor, is in place just west of Hartshorn at the base of Western Avenue on the Cole Bakery property. Cemetel'."ies are depict ed on the map and no new sites are proposed. I I I I I The final category shown on the Master Land Use Plan deals with Circulation. All rail facilities are shown with the <iistinctive railroad symbol. The thol'."oughfares depicted here are the same as those on the Major Streets Plan Map and generally do not alter any existing patterns. McCracken street is proposed as a collector thoroughfare to be relocated in the railroad right-of-way. In conclusion, the Master Land Use Plan analyzes statistical data, land use patterns, proposed developments and other available data to arrive at a document and maps that portray the future development of the City of Muskegon. Retention of the residenti al character and regional vitality of Muskegon is implicit within the Plan. Similarly, a recognition of the numerous natural resources, the lakes, and parks have been taken into account during formulation of this document. Finally, the variou s development options the long lakefront poses were analyzed and combined to utilize this natural and unique resource most effectively. It is hoped that this document will serve as the long range guide to decision-making during the next fifteen to twenty years. -66- �Appendix �RESOLUTION MUSKEGON CITY PLANNING COMMISSION M)TION by: SUPPORTED by : Commissioner MacAllister Commissioner Seppamaki To adopt the following Resolution: WHEREAS, the :Muskegon City Planning Commission has been studying elements of the Master Land Use Plan as outlined in Act 285 of the Public Acts of 1931, as amended, the Mtmicipal Planning Act, and WHEREAS, notices were duly published and mailed to hold a Public Hearing on elements of the Master Land Use Plan, and WHEREAS, .a Public Hearing was held on October 18, 1984, at the Muskegon City Hall, 933 Terrace Street, Muskegon, Michigan 49443 on the Master Land Use Plan, including the text and maps for regional location, goals and objectives, existing land use, population, recreation, community facilities, economic base analysis, business area and industrial areas, housing analysis, and master land use plan, said plan being on display before the Public Hearing in accordance with Act 285 of the Public Acts of 1931, as amended, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Muskegon City Planning Commission on this 18th day of October, 1984, hereby adopts the Master Land Use Plan for the City of Muskegon, dated October, 1984. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the adopted Master Land Use Plan be attested and transmitted to the City Commission and Muskegon County Register of Deeds for filing and use, and to the Muskegon County Planning Commission for County Commission review and to the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission for review and approval. Ayes: Nays: Absent: Commissioners MacAllister, Sieplinga, Sepparnaki, Stewart, Oglesby, and Workman '.\lone Commissioners Walcott, O'Toole, and Hagemann MOTION CARRIED. I, Harold Workman, Chairman of the Muskegon City Planning Commission, do hereby certify that the above is a full and true copy of a Resolution adopted at a special meeting of the Muskegon City Planning ,h :ldzt?ber 18, 1984, Co~/on C ]v',1,14,{(J./4 /-1,'2~ttiai Muskeg6n City Planning Commission rman I,. I, Marva A. Vasquez, Clerk of the City of Muskegon certify that a copy of the Master Land Use Plan was on display in the Muskegon City Hall in accordance with Act 285 of the Public Acts of 1931, as amended. �I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I AFFIDAVIT OF MAILING BY CITY CLERK STATE OF MICHIGAN) COUNIY OF MUSKEGON) ss Marva A. Vasquez, being duly sworn, deposes and says that she is the City Clerk of the City of Muskegon; that on September 13, 1984, the ~1uskegon City Planning Conmission set the date of a Public Hearing to hear any corrments or suggestions on the updated Master Land Use Plan for the City of Muskegon; and that a Notice of said Hearing was duly published in the Muskegon Chronicle, a daily newspaper of general circulation in the City of Muskegon on the date specified in the Affidavit of Publication attached hereto. Deponent further says that a true copy of said Notice was served upon each public utility company and each railroad company owning or operating any public utility or railroad within the geographical area of the City of Muskegon, by Registered United States Mail, and to surrounding units of local government including county, cities, townships, public schools and regional planning agency, by first class mail, at least fifteen (15) days before the date of hearing, which said hearing was held on October 18, 1984. Said notices were mailed at the Muskegon office of the United States Postal Service on October 3, 1984. ?J~c:. v/ Marva A. Vasquez City Clerk Subscribed and sworn to before me this 31st day of October, 1984. Mary=:t7 mitli Notary Public, Muskegon Cotmty, Michigan. My Commission Expires February 20, 1985. T7 1/ �I I I I I I I I I I Pri 1 I I I I NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY OF MUSKEGON MASTER LAND USE PLAN Tht Muskegon City Planning Commission will hold a Public Hearing at 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, October 18, 1984, In the Com· mission Chambers at the Muskegon City Hall, 933 Terrace Street, Muskegon, Michigan 49443. The purpose of the Pub I le Hearing will be to hear any comments or suggeations on the up· dated Master Land Use Plan, which contains : Existing Land U1e; Population; Hou1ing Analysis; Recreation and Com· munlty Facilltle1; Economic Base Analysls; Bu1iness Areas & lndustrlal Area Plan; Goals, Objective and Policies; and the Master Land Use Plan. Coples of the Plan and Maps will be avallable for examination prior to the Public Hearing at the offices of the Planning Depart· ment and City Clerk in the Muskegon City Hall and at the Hackley Public Library, 316 W. Webster Avenue, Muskegon, dur· Ing regular business hours. If you are not able to attend the Publlc Hearing, written comments wlll be received until 5:00 P.M., Thur1day, October 18, 19M. HAROLD WORKMAN Chairman Muskegon City Planning Commission MARVA VASQUEZ Clerk City of Muskegon PUBLISH : October 3, 19M STATE OF MICHIGAN } County of Muskegon ss. .............................................P..~.r.J.~J.l ....M..,.....J..~.P..R~.~..~... ........ ................ being duly sworn deposes and says that he is the Printer of the MUSKEGON CHRONICLE, a newspaper printed and circulated within said County of Muskegon; that the annexed notice was duly printed and published in said MUSKEGON (Ll... _. _ . . . day(s); that is to say, on the CHRONICLE !or(".~?.L........ J., !{1 "& t1 {_ '-< t' , / ........... _........~.~ .............................._.. day (w+ of ·---·j~.::-...ef.:::J.L................... 19 ....:__7.., and the .................................................. -....... _.. day (s) of.::.-...........·-··-··.........._......_.-.. _........ ~ .............. , and that s~id publication was continued during said time without any intermission or omission, and that he--~-~o:ed. e of the faets above set forth. ,. , Cl J Subscribed and sworn to before me this................... ./(............................day of !...ii _/ vi. ·-. . -..... . . . . ... . . . . . N~b;;:-f:,t~. M~k;g~~ ·~~ttt·M,~li·. . .-.-. . . ...... 0.c.z...~.":::.(~.(_:L . . .....A. D. 19 ... .....................times, $ ..................-.. .. .. LORNA L. fORGESON .,Otar) Public. Muske1:on County. 1\11cn,~u 11,!v Comm1ss1on Exp ires Docember ~. ! 98'> � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wyckoff Planning and Zoning Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Planning & Zoning Center (Lansing, Mich.) (Organization) Wyckoff, Mark A. Description An account of the resource Municipal master plans and zoning ordinances from across the state of Michigan, spanning from the 1960s to the early 2020s. The bulk of the collection was compiled by urban planner Mark Wyckoff over the course of his career as the founder and principal planner of the Planning and Zoning Center in Lansing, Michigan. Some additions have been made to the collection by municipalities since it was transferred to Grand Valley State University. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Michigan Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960/2023 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/870">Planning and Zoning Center Collection (RHC-240)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/">No Copyright - United States</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Comprehensive plan publications Master plan reports Zoning--Michigan Zoning--Maps Maps Land use--planning Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-240 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Muskegon_Master-Land-Use-Plan_1984 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tod J. Kilroy, Consultant P.C. Progressive Planning Associates, P.C. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1984-10-18 Title A name given to the resource Master Land Use Plan Description An account of the resource The Master Land Use Plan for the City of Muskegon was prepared by Tod J. Kilroy, Consultant P.C., and Progressive Planning Associates, P.C. The Plan was adopted by the City of Muskegon Planning Commission on October 18, 1984. Subject The topic of the resource Master plan reports Land Use--planning Muskegon (Mich.) Muskegon County (Mich.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/870">Planning and Zoning Center Collection (RHC-240)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3f4567caa52a7e7ea3305ad753598756.mp4 316e706e33ca7590a325bd898dfd8e2e https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d5c63e4817f22a2f3b14c7224cdc9b74.pdf f498e6b44bda2b96f003aa744ffdf58b PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Richard Prosch (01:04:35) (00:15) Background Information • • • • • Richard was born on March 27, 1921 in Indiana His family later moved to Chicago where his father had just bought a pharmacy Richard graduated from high school in 1939 and began going to Denison University in Ohio Richard had been on Christmas vacation when Pearl Harbor was attacked He signed up for the Navy in 1941 and his service was deferred until he graduated in 1943 (04:25) Enlistment • After graduating Richard was sent to only a week later to Notre Dame to take naval classes for 4 months • Richard then went to Maryland for additional training while they were waiting for their ship to be ready to go overseas • He volunteered to go on a landing invasion of France because he had been anxious and had not wanted to wait for the other ship (09:50) Overseas • Richard had previously trained in Virginia and Indiana with artillery before leaving • They landed in England in December of 1943 • It was an uneventful trip on the Mauretania and they traveled with an escort • Once in Liverpool they continued training and practiced landing on beaches • Richard had been training in Slapton Sands when an LST was attacked and sunk right in front of them (19:15) Invasion—Omaha Beach • They left from Weymouth Harbor and crossed the English Chanel • Richard then boarded a landing ship, but it was hard for him to get motivated because there were bodies everywhere on the beach • The first men on the beach were mostly all hit with bullets, but helped clear the way for others • The obstacles on the beach had all been cleared out earlier by the Navy Seals • Remembering the invasion now is like watching a movie to him �(31:40) Working with the 2nd Division • Richard and others were covered by planes as they made their way up the beach hills • He was reassigned to the 2nd Division to help spot them as they covered the beach • Richard had previously been working with the 1st Division (42:10) Normandy • Richard and others made their way inland and there were cows everywhere, but it was a very beautiful area • Bombardment had left much battle damage • They eventually went back to England on a LST and all the wounded were sent back to the US • Richard then began working with an Assault Signal Group called Jasko • The group was ordered to be sent back to the US on the Queen Mary and prepare to be sent to the Pacific (48:15) Back in the US • Richard was sent back to his home base for 10 days and then took a train to San Francisco • They left on a Coast Guard ship called the USS Shaw • Richard had gotten engaged to his girlfriend before leaving for California (50:10) New Guinea and the Philippines • On the way through the Pacific they stopped in Hollandia, New Guinea and the Philippines • Richard was working with the 6th Division in Manila for quite a while before he broke his wrist • He then boarded a Dutch hospital ship that had a Chinese crew and British doctors • His wrist was put in a cast and he was sent to Hawaii (57:35) The End of the War • Richard had been in a hospital in California on VJ Day and was very happy that the war was finally over • He was sent to Great Lakes Naval hospital in Chicago where they operated on his wrist • He then continued working with the Navy, which was trying to sell old equipment to civilians • His father asked him to work with him because he had then purchased two other pharmacies • Richard went to school for another 4 years and worked as a pharmacist for 28 years � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context ProschR Title A name given to the resource Prosch, Richard (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Prosch, Richard Description An account of the resource Richard Prosch was born in 1921 in Indiana and graduated from high school in 1939. He attended college in Ohio and signed up for the Navy shortly after Pearl Harbor was attacked. His appointment was deferred until his graduation in 1943. Richard trained as a naval liaison to work with army units in invasions. While training in England, he witnessed the Slapton Sands disaster. He landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day with the 1st Division, and then worked with the 2nd Division as it landed the next day. He was subsequently transferred to the Pacific, and served in the Philippines. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans United States. Navy World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Video recordings Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2008-07-04 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7fdec505d64885fd137d1534b49b35e5.mp4 f36f91c07eb4d125e2edae5fdec2c1c4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/64cfdba8f1975acbf959d21a36be205c.pdf 480f3cd4bd7c64e2c065115e5a3d111d PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Douglas Puffer Vietnam War 39 minutes 39 seconds (00:00:25) Early Life -Born on October 12, 1948 in Iowa City, Iowa -Grew up on a farm near Mechanicsville, Iowa -Father was a second generation farmer -Owned 320 acres of farmland -Attended Lincoln Community High School in Stanwood, Iowa -Graduated from high school in 1966 (00:01:16) Awareness of Vietnam War -Aware of the Vietnam War when he was growing up -A student from his high school had dropped out and joined the Marines and was killed in action -Attending the funeral made the war seem that much more real -He had no desire to go to Vietnam (00:01:54) Attending Drafting (CAD/Design) School and Life Before the Army -After high school went to Oklahoma and enrolled in drafting program in the state -Studied in that field for a few years -Was able to graduate -Got married while in drafting school -Graduated in December 1968 -He and his wife moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa where he found a job (00:02:32) Getting Drafted by the Army -Early May 1969 received his draft notice in the mail -Ordered to report for basic training in late May 1969 (00:03:08) Basic Training -Attended basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana -Training was a nine week program -He didn’t want to be there and his performance reflected his attitude -Wanted to continue being a husband and a worker, not a soldier -Physical aspect of training was challenging for him -Some National Guardsmen and Reservists were training with them -Mostly draftees though -A large portion of the draftees were teachers -Majority of the men in training were from the Midwest -Several of the drill instructors had served in Vietnam -Rarely mentioned experience there or offered advice (00:05:39) Specialized Training for M16 -During bivouac (field) training received orders for specialized training -Told he had been selected to train with the M16 -Indicated that he was most likely going to Vietnam -Had spent basic training using the M14 �-Taught how to disassemble and clean the M16 -No qualification or other firearm training with it (00:06:47) Advanced Infantry Training (AIT) -Did AIT at Fort Polk, Louisiana -Granted two weeks emergency leave because wife needed surgery -This happened after basic, but before AIT -AIT program was nine weeks -Same training as basic, but intensified -Trained for assaults at a mock up village off base -Most of the trainers had never been to Vietnam -AIT didn’t truly prepare him for the reality of combat in Vietnam (00:09:00) Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) Training -He was one of twenty five recruits selected for APC training at Fort Knox, Kentucky -Thought that that meant he wouldn’t have to walk in Vietnam -Three weeks of training -Familiarized with the vehicle -Learned how to drive an APC -Training at Fort Knox was enjoyable and served as a morale boost -Trained at Fort Knox in October 1969 -Weather made training pleasurable (00:10:02) Deployment to Vietnam -Received orders for deployment to Vietnam at the end of APC training -Given two weeks of leave -Had to report to Oakland, California -From there went to Vietnam -He was going in as a replacement -Didn’t know what his unit was going to be, or his location in Vietnam (00:10:53) Arriving in Vietnam Pt. 1 -Arrived in Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon -First impression of Vietnam was that it was hot, humid, and stunk -Smelled different than the farm did, and worse -Saw soldiers waiting to board planes to go home -Their urgency to leave Vietnam was a definite blow to morale for him (00:11:50) Wife’s Perspective on Deployment -His wife had been emotionally prepared for his deployment -Her brothers had served in Vietnam -His deployment still had a profound effect on her (00:12:14) Arriving in Vietnam Pt. 2 -Stayed in Bien Hoa for a few days for processing and the first part of in country training -Received his assignment to the 101st Airborne Division after a few days -Had no idea where they were stationed (00:13:16) Camp Evans -Flown up to Camp Evans to join the 101st Airborne Division -Completed the second half of in country training at Camp Evans -Training consisted of basic facts about Vietnam and protocol -Assigned to Delta Company, the 2nd Battalion, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division �-Didn’t see an APC until the final week of his tour -Being assigned to the Airborne was confusing -Hadn’t taken jump training in basic training -Associated the Airborne divisions with paratrooper missions -Delta Company was in the field when he arrived, so he waited at Camp Evans -Went through processing while waiting for Delta to return -Assigned his squad and platoon when Delta returned -One soldier became his mentor and informally introduced him to Vietnam -By this time it was November 1969 (00:16:25) First Time in the Field -Stayed in Camp Evans for a few days more -Went into the field for the first time on December 10, 1969 -Didn’t know how to prepare, or what to expect -Placed on a helicopter and was flown out to a landing zone (LZ) -Expected to take fire upon landing; didn’t know LZ’s were cleared first -Walked down a hill and took a break to collect themselves -Patrol in the field had begun in a mountainous region -It was the start of monsoon season -Moved into the Lowlands afterwards -Returned to Camp Evans after being in the field for about a month -Stayed on Camp Evans for a few days before going back into the field (00:20:20) Firebase Shepard -Sent to Firebase Shepard -Abandoned artillery position -Job was to be the security detail, so that leftover ordinance could be destroyed -Firefight ensued while at Firebase Shepard -Got extracted while still taking fire -Ordinance was successfully destroyed though -Remembers feeling the heat of a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) passing over his head -Fighting at Firebase Shepard was his first experience with combat (00:22:36) Firebase Ripcord Pt. 1 -He and his unit participated in the beginning of the Battle of Firebase Ripcord -Remembers expanding a landing zone (LZ) with explosives -Got hit in the back and wounded by a falling tree -Colonel Lucas’s command helicopter picked him up -Got to observe smoke grenades being dropped from the helicopter to mark LZ’s (00:23:40) Rear Duty at Camp Evans Pt. 1 -Transferred back to Camp Evans to an aid station to be treated for wounds -Took two weeks to heal -Once he was healed enough he guarded the perimeter at Camp Evans -After two weeks he rejoined Delta Company in the field (00:24:45) Firebase Ripcord Pt. 2 -He was on and off Firebase Ripcord a few times -Field duty was getting boring, so he volunteered for perimeter guard duty at Camp Evans -First part of July 1970 which meant R&R was coming soon -He wanted an easy transition into a break �(00:26:03) R&R -Felt guilty in retrospect taking rear duty and R&R while Delta Company was at Ripcord -Met his wife in Hawaii for a week-long vacation -Flight to Hawaii was exuberant -Flight back was depressing -Had been in Vietnam for seven months (00:27:03) Returning to Vietnam -Returned to Camp Evans after R&R and pulled rear duties waiting for Delta Company to return -He was aware of Delta Company rescuing Alpha Company at Firebase Ripcord -He wanted to go back and help them, but wasn’t authorized to go -He could hear the battle and rescue operation in real time via the radio -When Delta Company returned to Camp Evans he rejoined them -Went back into the field with them and stayed in the field until September 1970 (00:28:31) Clerical & Aide Duties at Camp Evans -In September 1970 he was called back to Camp Evans to be a carpenter -Didn’t know anything about carpentry, but didn’t question it -Wound up becoming a clerk, jeep driver, and general aide -All rear area workers had been in combat for at least a few months -Officer wanted men who had seen combat to be in administration -Felt that they knew what the men in the field wanted -He made sure that Delta Company received the proper supplies and treats when possible -Wounded member of Delta Company was sent to Camp Evans to be his aid -They disassembled, moved, and reassembled two barracks together -He took a thirty day extension so that he could leave six months early -Camp Evans occasionally took rocket and mortar fire -Relatively sporadic and uneventful, but still jarring when it happened (00:31:56) Coming Home and Leaving the Army -Left Vietnam in November 1970 and arrived in Fort Lewis, Washington -Processing to get discharged took about twenty four hours -Remembers leaving on the plane out of Seattle and waking up in Chicago -Took a flight from Chicago to Cedar Rapids, Iowa -Wife picked him up at the airport (00:32:57) Life after the Army -Returned to his previous job in January 1971 -Worked there until January 1972 when he was laid off due to stagnant economy -Got another job six weeks later -He and his wife moved to Florida in 1980 -Became the supervisor of a CAD design group -Had to take night classes to adapt to design changes brought on by computers Interview ends at 00:35:06 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PufferD1538V Title A name given to the resource Puffer, Douglas (Interview outline and video), 2013 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Puffer, Douglas Description An account of the resource Douglas Puffer was born in 1948 in Iowa City, Iowa. He grew up on a farm in Iowa, and after high school he attended a drafting and design school in Oklahoma where he met his wife and graduated from that in December 1968, and received his draft notice a few months later. He trained at Fort Polk, Louisiana, with specialized training for armored personnel carriers. When he deployed to Vietnam in October, 1969, he found himself in an airborne unit, Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. He was sent to Camp Evans and he and his unit saw action on and around Firebase Shepard and Firebase Ripcord, and he spent the end of his enlistment in the rear before returning home and being discharged in November 1970. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource McGregor, Michael (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2013-10-12 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives