St. Vincent De Paul Parish Installs New Electronic Sign

A new sign has been installed for the St. Vincent De Paul Parish at the intersection of Wright Avenue and Chippewa Street. This intersection is the primary entrance into the Village of Shepherd due to its close proximity to US-127 and connecting route via Shepherd Road (Chippewa Street in the Village) to M-20 and M-46. The sign was mounted directly on face of the old sign's concrete and brick foundation. Not only did this save on project development cost but it also repurposed a solid and attractive feature that is ideally angled towards the intersection for message viewing by passing motorist and sidewalk users.

The sign will display the name of the Parish and identify parish events and faith services. In addition, the sign will also be used to identify community events taking place in the Greater Shepherd Area.

A representative list of programs/events that will appear on the electronic messaging sign include:  Shepherd Maple Syrup events, Farm to Table Dinner, public events sponsored by Shepherd’s other faith communities, Shepherd Chamber of Commerce programs, Shepherd Public Schools events, Kent Roth’s annual Halloween pumpkin display, Shepherd Depot Committee fundraising events, Village of Shepherd and Coe Township public announcements, and so much more.

Thanks to the Shepherd Community Fund Honoring Robert H Bates of the Mount Pleasant Area Community Foundation, the St. Vincent de Paul Parish can more easily alert their congregation and community members of important events and information.

Lighting Up Hannah’s Bark Park

Over the last several years, Friends of the Dog Park had a goal of installing new lighting at Hannah’s Bark Park to allow for year round use. The lack of lighting limited the usage of the park during winter and early spring. The project had been announced in honor of the five year anniversary of the park, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fundraising efforts were placed on hold.

Now, thanks to funding from the Fabiano Family Fund, the John Neyer Family Fund, and the Schafer Community Impact Fund, Friends of the Dog Park was able to install eight lights that will benefit community members and their canine companions. The lights are not only environmentally sustainable but now allow for year-round accessibility, especially in the early morning and late evening hours.

Friends of the Dog Park has been pleased to see this project come to fruition, having been a goal pursued for four years. Thanks to persistent fundraising, completion of two community needs surveys, and cooperation with City of Mt. Pleasant and Union Township—Hannah’s Bark Park is now illuminated!

Isabella Community Soup Kitchen Renovation

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Isabella Community Soup Kitchen (ICSK) has been serving over 200 meals per day, doubling the previous average of 100 meals per day pre-pandemic. The increase in meals resulted in the need for a kitchen remodel, including new equipment. New energy-efficient appliances and flooring helps ICSK to provide meals in a more efficient manner with the added bonus of increased safety for staff and patrons. This project was a much needed upgrade and will aid in the continued preparation and distribution of meals to anyone in need for the next 30 years.

The project was successfully executed thanks to the generous funding of $20,000 from the Community Impact Fund, Hersee Family Fund, Sally and John Goodrow Fund, John and Sue Bradac Family Emergency Fund, Isabella Bank Director Memorial Fund, John P. and Ann S. Jensen Community Impact Fund, Barbara L. and George W. Dunn Family Fund, Missy and Doug LaBelle Family Foundation Community Impact Fund, Fisher Companies Community Impact Fund, Ranck Family Fund, and the Steve and Sue Pung Family Fund.

Trees Now Isabella Plants 18 Trees for Beautification Project

Thanks to funding from the Healthy Youth Healthy Seniors Fund, Trees Now Isabella planted 18 new trees to Isabella County Commission on Aging’s landscape. Increasing biodiversity at the site, 14 different tree species were planted during the summer and fall of 2021. The shade provided by these new additions will be enjoyed for generations to come.

Volunteers from the surrounding community came out in droves to assist in the beautification project at the Commission on Aging. Trees Now Isabella gave a quick demonstration to these arboreal assistants, teaching best planting practices. Topics covered included proper watering and mulching, planting safety, and even how best to accommodate the new plantings through proper dug hole depth and size. Educating local volunteers resulted in new landscaping for the Commission on Aging, while also providing time outside to enjoy all Isabella County has to offer.

Humane Animal Treatment Society Back Building Renovation

The generous funding awarded through the Labelle Family Fund was used to help cover the cost of renovating one of the most crucial areas in an animal shelter: the canine quarantine area. Prior to renovation, the Isabella County Canine Quarantine outdoor kennels were outdated. In the past few months, the outdoor portion of the Canine Quarantine area has been updated, renovated and made safe again. Using the cement stalls that were in place, all fencing was torn out and the dividers between kennels were replaced with metal in order to fully separate quarantined (and sometimes dangerous) dogs. All kennel doors were replaced with brand new, high-quality, durable fence doors which include new latches.  The former dog houses in each kennel were removed. Gutters were installed along the roof edges to help with water drainage. The grass was removed from the surrounding area and gravel was added in order to allow for more thorough sanitizing and to aid in the proper cleaning of all kennels.

Since this area of the Isabella County animal shelter is used to house medically contagious and aggressive, bite-risk quarantine dogs, it is vital that the kennels can be sanitized thoroughly and that they are secure. Thanks to generous grant and donation funding, HATS staff members and the canines they house and care for are safer now. Daily tasks are more efficient in the quarantine area and there are fewer concerns that dogs will escape their enclosures. Overall, the completion of the Canine Quarantine outdoor kennel renovation has increased the safety, efficiency, effectiveness, and cleanliness of the shelter in an area where it is crucial that equipment is functioning properly.

Recently, HATS provided safety and shelter to a giant Newfoundland who came from a neglectful situation that was believed to be a puppy mill. She was named Eeyore during her stay at HATS. Eeyore was filthy and had an incredibly awful smell that came with her matted fur and unkempt coat. Eeyore’s size, condition and odor made her a candidate to live in the back building quarantine during her stay. She was also shy and scared in her new environment, so the quarantine area was her best environment while she awaited her chance at a forever home. Thanks to the renovation of the quarantine area, dogs like Eeyore can be safe and have a comfortable space to lounge and get fresh air until they can be up for adoption. The space is now sturdy, in excellent condition and secure so that dogs are safe and healthy and staff members are not at risk or stressed.

Increasing Visibility, Awareness, and Accessibility to Nature

The Chippewa Watershed Conservancy (CWC) has three preserves within minutes of Mt. Pleasant that were hard to identify and underutilized due to a lack of signage. The Hiawatha Hills Preserve, a 5-acre forested floodplain along the Chippewa River. The Neyer Preserve, a 2-acre 100% wooded area with over 440 feet of river frontage. Finally, the Winifred Sponseller Preserve, a 13-acre with a spring-fed natural trout stream and tributary of the Chippewa River. Considering the location of these preserves and the incredible resources they offer; proper signage was necessary to inform the community.

With funding provided in part by the Andy Wheeler Community Needs Fund, the Joanne Golden Family Community Impact Fund, and the W. Sidney Smith and Judith French Smith Family Fund of the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation and with help from a volunteer force of CMU students, the project to install signage was undertaken, with the intentions of increasing visibility, awareness, and accessibility to the preserves. Ultimately, providing more opportunity for recreation, exploration and utilization of green space to the Mt. Pleasant and surrounding communities.

Eleven CMU student volunteers of differing backgrounds and interest areas were involved in the project.  They joined CWC Executive Director Mike LeValley on a cool November day to install the signs. Volunteers dug post holes, installed 4x6 posts, and bolted the custom carved and painted wooden signs. The students were vital to the success of the project and gained hands-on work skills during the process, while learning about and visiting several CWC preserves.

The new signage lets visitors know the green space in their community is a public nature preserve owned by Chippewa Watershed Conservancy and is available for them to use. Thanks to the MPCAF, CWC can share these incredible local treasures with more folks throughout our region and help connect individuals with nature.