April 9, 2021
The last two weeks have been great for getting caught up on a lot of work with so many out for Spring Break. I had a new experience yesterday as I spent the afternoon volunteering at the Ottawa County Public Health Department COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Civic Center in Holland. I was amazed at how smoothly the process ran and the great spirit of most of the folks who came through the line, many happy to have just received their second vaccination.
Al Vanderberg | County Administrator
 154,012 doses have been administered to Ottawa County residents, as of April 8, 2021. 43.5% of all Ottawa County residents have had at least their first vaccine dose, and more than 65% of Ottawa County residents who are 65 years of age and over have completed the vaccination series.
View Kristina Wieghmink, Public Information Officer's April 7, 2020 update here.
 Francesca, the wayfinding robot who helps visitors find their way around the Fillmore Administrative Building, was put back into service this morning. Francesca was idle after COVID-19 hit because she featured a touch screen and we did not want to spread the disease by requiring visitors to touch her screen. She has been updated with a touchless interface that includes voice activation and facial recognition. The Clerk-Register of Deeds Office is also working on a Clerk Assistant Kiosk implementation that will link to Francesca and use the same technology to assist customers with accessing services in a touchless fashion. This will be increasingly necessary in the post-COVID-19 world.
-by Jessica VanGinhoven
The Ottawa County Parks & Recreation Commission purchased a 5.5-acre parcel on Black River Court directly adjacent to Holland Township’s Hawthorn Pond Park as well as to other Macatawa Greenway property that connects along the Macatawa River to 96th Avenue. The property includes nearly 500 feet of river frontage and about 2.5 acres of floodplain – including some wooded area.
“Though not a large property, this parcel is a critical and exciting addition for the long-term Macatawa Greenway project,” said Kelly Rice, Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission President. “It provides the final connection needed from Hawthorn Pond to 96th Avenue, making any future trail connection much more feasible.”
 A group of partners including Ottawa County Parks & Recreation, Holland Charter Township, ODC Network, and other local municipalities have been working for several decades to protect and connect land along the Macatawa River to create the Macatawa Greenway. In 2019, a signed pedestrian/bicycle route the Macatawa Greenway Trail 1.0 was established, which stretches from Zeeland Township to Lake Michigan (with routes on the north and south side of Lake Macatawa). The route features several Ottawa County Parks properties, including the Historic Ottawa Beach Parks, Paw Paw Park, and the scenic 2-mile route from the north to the south end of the Upper Macatawa Natural Area, and connection to Kent County via the Fred Meijer Kenowa Trail.
“We were able to identify connections for the initial route along existing multi-use pathways and sidewalks, but our long-term goal is to provide trail connectivity along as much of the Macatawa River as possible,” said Travis Williams, Chief Executive Officer of ODC Network. “This purchase locks up the land needed for the Greenway east of I-196 and provides important connectivity to our Middle Macatawa and Poppen Woods properties.”
Now that the core land acquisitions for this section of the Greenway are competed, the collaborative team is reviewing the best options for providing public access for this section, and some obstacles remain. “While we would like to construct a paved route from Upper Macatawa to Hawthorn Pond right away, that will take more time and resources,” said Ottawa County Parks & Recreation Director Jason Shamblin, “We are examining if there is a way to open access through this area in phases.”
The first phase could be a mostly natural surface pathway from Poppen Woods to Hawthorn Pond, though expensive infrastructure is still needed to make this a reality, including a bridge crossing over the Macatawa River. Once the acquisition of the Black River Court property is completed, additional planning will be initiated to determine the most suitable plan for the new property and the greenway as a whole.
The new purchase may also offer new opportunities for Hawthorn Pond. “This property provides expanded access along Black River Court from Hawthorn Pond and usable upland acreage. This may allow for locating park amenities that would otherwise be challenging to construct in the floodplain. We will be analyzing next steps, but this is an important acquisition for Holland Township and for the Macatawa Greenway,” added Holland Township Supervisor Terry Nienhuis.
Submitted by Jessica VanGinhoven
This spring, Ottawa County Parks staff welcomed six baby goats to the Prescribed Browsing Team. The Prescribed Browsing Project is an initiative utilizing goats to combat invasive plants. This innovative method reduces herbicide applications and allows access to locations where mowers or machinery could otherwise not reach.
Why goats? They aren’t picky eaters. They eat woody, shrub-like invasive plants (and everything else), as well as pesky poison ivy, without negative side effects. Goat grazing simulates mowing, which can initially stimulate growth. However, repeat “applications” of grazing goats has shown to eliminate 90% of invasive, woody plants over three years. The goats aren’t able to eradicate unwanted plants, but they push them back enough that an herbicide follow-up treatment is possible and effective.
In previous years the Eco-Goats, as they’re commonly called, have munched on invasive plants like bittersweet, honeysuckle, and buckthorn at Eastmanville Bayou, Bur Oak Landing, and Riverside Park. They also have helped with poison ivy control.
Ottawa County is one of the first park systems in the state, and the nation, to test this method of invasive species management and project partners have made this initiative possible. Much of the program costs have been funded through grants and private donations thanks to Friends of Ottawa County Parks. Every year we also have many amazing volunteers who donate their time.
 Right now, you can find them at Eastmanville Farm munching on leftover Christmas trees and waiting for their spring assignment. Residents are welcome to visit the team of 12 at work, but are advised not to touch the goats and should stay clear of the electric fence in which they are enclosed. Oils from plants like poison ivy do not harm the goats, but can be transferred to humans.
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