FEA – Egelston Township resident Jack Stevens adopted two cocker spaniels from the Noah Project. They adopted Marlee just two weeks ago. Jack gets a kiss from Marlee inside their home on May 27, 2011.

A flock of European starlings glide through the air above the Veterans Memorial Causeway Park in Muskegon on a Thursday afternoon in October. © Muskegon Chronicle

Dream Girls USA National Lifetime Queen Crystaline Decker, 15, of Muskegon weathers the rain while having her photo taken by her mother in front of the sculpture “Muskegon, Together Rising” as it was being bolted into place during its dedication June 13th. Decker’s mom said they almost didn’t come because of the weather but they want to support small town events. The welded stainless steel sculpture by artist Richard Hunt, of the Chicago area, was placed at the traffic circle at the corner of Third Street and Western Avenue in downtown Muskegon.

“It’s all about the red, white and blue,” said Chris Williams. Williams, 40, of Muskegon wears a homemade “do-rag” while walking around town to show his patriotism. “I love my country,” he said. “If you don’t love America than get the hell out.”

Megan Reinink, 10, right, makes a funny face as her friend Brynne Wilcox, 11, both of Muskegon, uses her shoulder to help stretch prior to auditioning for the Great Russian Nutcracker August 27 at Cassell Gymnastics and Dance.

Muskegon County Sheriff’s Office Marine Division Sgt. Gary Berdinski’s last day of work was Thursday, Feb. 11. Sgt. Berdinski, left, stopped by the North Muskegon McDonald’s to say goodbye to some friends like Dick Topp, 68, of North Muskegon, right. ‘The county is going to miss you because you’re one of the best,’Topp told Berdinski. On Saturday, a retirement party will be held in Berdinski’s honor after spending nearly 37 years on the job. ‘
Chronicle photo by Kendra Stanley-Mills
(photo available for sale)

Lirenzo (cq) Sain, 3, of Muskegon gets his face painted like Spider-Man by Tatiana Aristov during the 80th annual Saladin 2010 Shrine Circus held at the L.C. Walker Arena Friday, March 5.
Chronicle photo by Kendra Stanley-Mills
Date shot: 3/5/10

Sabastian England, 6, left, reacts after been “shot” with a water squirt gun from his neighbor friend, Sean Flanagan, 6, as they play on the porch of a vacant home in their Muskegon neighborhood July 28. The two were playing “Army men” with Sean’s older brother, Aaron Flanagan, 9.

Hizzie Walker walks to Pearl Burton’s house. His house is the white house behind the car. Burton can see Walker when he leaves his door from her chair on her porch where she spends most of her time. Burton said she couldn’t hear very well but she could see far away.

For 60 years, she’s been his true love. In sickness and in health, in good days and bad and all those in between, Oral Galbreath only has had eyes for one woman – – his wife, Beverly Galbreath. So two years ago, right around Valentine’s Day, when doctors told Oral that his wife had only two days to live, that there was no way she could possibly survive the ravages of a stroke, heart attack and pneumonia, he simply refused to believe it. “I never let go,” he said.

Tryston Antol, 11, gets stuck on some math homework after school Monday afternoon. For nearly four years, Debbie and Craig Sowa, of Norton Shores, have been caring for three of Debbie’s nephew’s children after they were put into foster care. Date shot: 5/5/08

For an hour once a month, they are teammates and rivals once again, sharing good-natured insults and inappropriate remarks better suited to a high school lockerroom. One June 4, 2010, Albert Eckerman, 93, left, Jerry Carlson, 78, center, and Burton Jones, 84, all of Norton Shores, were part of the large group that met at Whitlow’s Banquet Hall for breakfast. Many, now hard of hearing, lean in to each other as they tell stories to relive the Golden Era of Muskegon-area sports.

PIC – Thompson, a 2-year-old silver spur Labrador retriever, watches his neighbors play outside his window on Tuesday, August 23, 2011. Thompson is owned by Sharon LeMieux of Muskegon Township.

Physical therapist Colleen Ribesky works with Robert Dodge, 26, at his Sullivan Twp. home while his loyal dog PJ rests underneath his cot. © Muskegon Chronicle

Jessica Jackson, 10, paints herself onto a mural on a fence located at McLaughlin Neighborhood’s Pocket Park on the corner of Terrace and Isabella on a July afternoon. The mural project was part of McLaughlin: Healthy Neighborhood Project’s Fine Arts Camp 2008.

Shriner Steve Smith, of Fruitport, inflates himself before the start of the 80th annual Saladin 2010 Shrine Circus held at the L.C. Walker Arena. © Muskegon Chronicle

West Michigan SPCA volunteer Shirley Zavitz, 49, of Norton Shores, snuggles with a team of sled dogs that live at the shelter located at 6806 Evanston in Egelston Township. The shelter is at risk of being shut down after one of their bears escaped in April. Zavitz, who has volunteered at the shelter for almost three years, doesn’t want to see the SPCA close. “We can make a difference for these guys,” she said.

DaySpring residents, from left, Ken Harris, Virgil Liencke and Mary Alice Davis along with DayBreak attendees Wayne Winter, in gray, and Carol Elgersma watch the fourth annual duck parade. This is the fourth year that this mother duck has laid and hatched her ducklings in the DaySpring Assisted Living Residence’s courtyard. Once the ducklings have hatched they are shooed through the halls, through their backyard and then they are free to find the pond that is located nearby. The residents named the thirteen ducklings Daffy, Dilly, Rosey, Jimmy, Pete, Quacker, Dolly, Lily, Donna, Aflac, Abby, Cutey and Smiley. The mother duck was named Daisy DaySpring.

Sgt. Scott Koch, 34, of Millington, center, receives high-fives from Muskegon Catholic Central students during the end of a welcome home ceremony at their school Wednesday. Fourteen reservists from the U.S. Army Reserve 180th Transportation Co., which is based in Muskegon, were welcomed home at a public ceremony at noon at Muskegon Catholic Central High School, 1145 W. Laketon. A parade followed the ceremony.
Date shot: 10/27/10

Jeff Martin, 18, of Holton said he couldn’t get close enough to see so he decided to just lay in the grass and listen to the music during the first night of the Unity Christian Music Festival in August.

Norma DeYoung, 91, of Muskegon is a volunteer tour guide that shows people through The Scolnik House — An Historic House of the Depression Era, 504 W. Clay. DeYoung lived through the depression and tells stories to those visiting the home.

PIC – Daquon Bates, 3, left, and Ja’Ricus Burks, 4, play with fiber optic light toys while attending the 26th annual Muskegon Shrine Circus held at the L.C. Walker Arena on Friday, March 4, 2011.

Edward Wiard, 34, of Muskegon carries a package from the Muskegon Post Office, 800 First St., to his vehicle Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday’s weather conditions were more of the same – – cold and snowy. “It can go away anytime,” Wiard said. (This was shot through my vehicle’s driver’s side window which had frozen droplets on it.) Date shot: 2/12/08

Poppy Sias-Hernandez, health educator through Public Health Muskegon County, second from left, laughs with the group as well as Armani Butts, 13, of Bunker Middle School, right, during the “human knot” team building excercise. The group was participating in a 4-week summer program called Growing Goods held at Bunker Middle School. The program is a collaborative project with local social agencies, community action groups and Muskegon public schools.
Chronicle photo by Kendra Stanley-Mills
Date shot: 7/7/10

Five of Lois and Jerry Sheridan’s twelve grandchildren, from left, Bridget Kenny, 3, Matthew Kenny, 6, John Kenny, 8, Isabelle Davison, 9, and Teresa Davison, 7, make funny faces for a annual family portrait while vacationing at Lakeside Inn Resort located in Fruitland Township on the shores of White Lake. The Sheridans of Wheaton, Ill., with their four children’s families come every year for a family reunion. Lois and Jerry started bringing their children in 1975. “It’s a very friendly place,” Lois said.
Date shot: 7/23/09

Owen McDermott, 5, pretends to mow with his toy lawn mower while his dad, Paul McDermott, 39, uses a real mower nearby to cut their neighbor’s yard in Grand Haven Friday. Paul said his sons like to “help” outside when he’s doing yardwork but he spends a lot of the time making sure they’re not near the road or too close to his mower. “It takes dad a long time to mow,” he said referring to himself.
Date shot: 7/10/09

Ulieontae Walker, 3, right, laughs after being sprayed by a hose from his other friends Thursday afternoon. At first he ran from the hose and cried, but then he realized how much fun his friends were having so he wanted to be sprayed too. Rashauna Bell, 3, is one of his friends that was playing with Walker at his Muskegon Heights home. Six others were cooling off with the hose and kitty pool along with Bell and Walker.

Lizzie Martin, 72, of Muskegon, lifts her head to catch a breeze as she rests from working in her yard on an August afternoon. “Thank God for the breeze,” she said. “If it weren’t for the breeze I couldn’t be out here.” Twice her hat blew off and her son had to retrieve it from across the street.

Tess Beadle, 16, of Scottville, left, and her friend Alyssa VanderWall, 15, of Ludington laugh together after Jamey Johnson’s guitarist gave Beadle a guitar pick at the end of their act. “I was surprised,” Beadle said. “He was smiling and winking at us.”
Date shot: 6/29/09

“I’ve come a long ways,” said Jimmy Hunter, 56, as he goes through therapy at Hope Network Rehabilitation Services October 15. Hunter, of Muskegon, was in a motorcycle accident on May 23 when, police say, a vehicle pulled out in front of him. Hunter must undergo therapy four times a week for three to four hours a day. “You take so many things for granted,” he said.

Dale McClain worships during a chapel service at Western Michigan Teen Challenge August 28. McClain is the intake director for the men’s shelter. Strict discipline and Christian teaching help students overcome numerous adversities at Teen Challenge.
Date shot: 8/28/09

Connor McWilliams, 17 months, of Grand Haven plays in a tunnel at the East Grand River Park in Grand Haven March 16. His mother, Regina Stevenson, 22, said they were killing time before McWilliams’ haircut appointment.

Alison Blakeman, 4, wears a pair of sunglasses as she Hula Hoops outside her Fruitport Township home on an August afternoon. Although Blakeman said she can Hula Hoop for thirty minutes, bounce a ball for three hundred minutes, make funny faces and take “cute” pictures, she wants to be a ballerina when she grows up. © Muskegon Chronicle

After Katie Summerville, left, of Muskegon, goggled over her pregnant friend, Shameka Villarreal, she gave Villarreal’s son Javontae, 2, a little affection too. Javotae Villarreal will soon be a big brother to a baby girl who is due in one month. Date shot: 6/11/03

Friends Eric Howard, 15, left, and Ashley LaVigne, 18, walk back to their vehicle after taking pictures of the icebergs at Pere Marquette on a wintery March afternoon. Howard is a student at Mona Shores High School and LaVigne is a student at Baker College.

Krystal, left, and her best friend, Tiffany, huddle together to stay warm after returning their shopping carts to the cart corral outside Meijer. The two are students at the MAISD Third Street Transition Classroom and just finished shopping for senior citizens at Jefferson Towers. © Muskegon Chronicle

Roland Cushman IV, 5, left, frowns after his friend and neighbor, Edward McIlrath, 9, threw leaves on him. McIlrath pretended he was in war and he used the leaves as camoflauge. Cushman came into his “firing range” oblivious to the war game and was bombed with a rake full of leaves. The two raked the leaves in a huge pile to jump in Tuesday afternoon when McIlrath’s imagination got the best of him. The boys were playing outside their Muskegon home. © Muskegon Chronicle

Harlin Shagonabe, 82, of Hessel elicits many emotions as he tells fond stories of his brother Pfc. Frank L. Shagonabe who was killed in action in Luxembourg during World War II on Jan. 14, 1945.
Date shot: 11/30/09

Christian Bengtsson, 4, left, laughs after his older sister talked him into letting her paint his fingernails outside of their Muskegon home on a Tuesday afternoon in September. Another one of his sisters who wants to be a “nail polisher” when she grows up, Caitlyn Salmons, 6, right, paints her nails in the foreground. Bengtsson said he wants to be a super hero when he grows up and then added that “super heroes can’t have painted nails.” (Their sibling Gabriel Tinney, 16 mos. is in the background.) © Muskegon Chronicle

FEA – After a year of duty in Kuwait and Iraq, 119 soldiers from Michigan Army National Guard 1436th Engineer Co. based in Montague were welcomed home at the Montague High School football stadium on Monday, Aug. 29, 2011. Alex Greenless, 5, of Cheboygan, holds a small American flag as he looks for his uncle, Capt. Christopher Graham, also of Cheboygan.

Muskegon Heights resident Pearl Burton, 86, lost her husband in 1988, but she is not alone. Her neighbor, Hizie Ki Walker, 81, comes to see Burton everyday. He cooks for her, walks with her and just keeps her company. “You couldn’t find a man better than Hizie Ki Walker,” Burton said.

Riann Cooper, center, enjoyed the nice spring day by hanging outside her Muskegon Heights home as she babysat for her two nieces Janisha Brown, 3, left, and Arionah Brown, 8 mos. Cooper was singing to her nieces and playing patty-cake. © Muskegon Chronicle

“Our love shouldn’t be looked at as any less than anyone else’s,” Erica Rose said about her two-year same-sex relationship with her partner Amanda Foster. They started out as friends, both dating other woman, but hanging out in the same circle. Both were single and both secretly thought the other was attractive. It wasn’t until Erica followed Amanda into the ladies restroom at a local bar where they were hanging out with friends and gave her a passionate kiss, that they knew what direction they were headed. After that kiss, Amanda thought to herself “Wow, I’m really in love. I’ve found my soul mate.” Two years later, their relationship is just as strong but suffers from the same issues as any other couple. Erica leaves her socks on the floor and Amanda says jokingly that she has OCD. It’s a good mix they say. They rent an apartment, have two cats and just bought a home together that they will move into soon. They talk about the possibility of having children or adopting one day. They think about marriage even though it wouldn’t be legal in society’s eyes. “It would be legal in our hearts,” Erica said. And they are happy that the world is changing. “Society is becoming more open and educated,” Amanda said. More than that Erica said, they are just happy to have each other. “We think we have it better than anyone else – – gay, straight, black or white–because we care about each other and we respect each other.”

Alivia Wallace, 5, dances with her father Tony Wallace, 33, of Muskegon, as Ludacris performs at Summer Celebration June 28.
Chronicle photo by Kendra Stanley-Mills
Date shot: 6/28/10

FEA – Sixty fourth and fifth graders from Moon Elementary School took turns taking a trip out on Lake Michigan aboard the Friends Good Will replica 1810 tall ship on Friday, October 7, 2011. Jarell Means, 9, said he felt seasick on the replica ship that has become a floating educational and cultural classroom.

Bob and Kay Carter, of Muskegon, swing dance to the music of The General Assembly orchestra at the opening of the “Memories of World War II: Photographs from the Archives of The Associated Press” and “To Honor Those Who Serve: 60 Years of the United States Air Force” at the Muskegon Museum of Art.

Jakob Hecksel, 9, gets his first taste of snow for the season while enjoying a snow day with his two neighbor friends at Coast Guard Park in Ferrysburg December 4. Hecksel is a fourth-grader at Holmes Elementary. Spring Lake schools were closed due to the weather.

Ijanae Sanders, 10, left, and her neighbor friend Najeah Tornes, 9, right, dance around in the mist of a sprinkler in front of Sander’s home in Muskegon July 15. The two were playing with three others in the water trying to stay cool during the day’s hot and humid weather.

“It’s fun,” Mecca Clyburn said as she jumped rope outside her home on an April afternoon. “It’s just fun.” Clyburn, 9, and her two neighbor friends Alexis Blawat, 12, (at left twirling the rope) and Stephen Blawat, 10, jumped for about thirty minutes until they needed a break. The friends tied the one end of the rope to the front porch and made the rope a little longer by adding a long shoestring.

FEA – “I’m going to be here until the paint runs out,” said Kirk Ward. Ward, 54, of Muskegon, was painting his landlord’s building at 1147 Third St. that houses Valy Vietnamese Oriental Food, Gifts and and Market as well as Ward’s upstairs apartment on Monday, June 20, 2011. Earlier that day, Ward was volunteering to help feed the poor. “I don’t believe in just laying around,” he said.

GN – Douglas Spencer, 85, of Rodney, is reflected is the engine room telegraph of the main engine room of the USS LST 393. Spencer served 6 years working in the engine room of an LST. Spencer was touring the USS LST 393 before their last annual reunion of the Michigan LST Association on September 21, 2011. The organization – which once boasted 300 members, all of whom served aboard LSTs like the old warship, USS LST 393, docked in Muskegon – is preparing to disband. “It’s time to cancel all liberty,” said Spencer, one of the group’s charter members. “Time to let ‘er go.”