LOOK AT COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 4!
“What is your District?” Is probably the most often asked question I get as I campaign.
To answer, we’ll start with a map of the District:
Completely bordered by water — Ahhhh… 😌
No? A map isn’t doing that for you? You’re right, you have to get out there!
Use the map to drive the District yourself sometime-Look at it as if for the first time—it is Amazing. Dave Alexander and Roger Morgenstern took me on a narrated tour of District 4 in June. We travelled along its borders— (HOW does Dave Alexander know from memory the outlines of a County Commissioner District?! He is SUCH a political geek!), and then up and down the streets of happy, secret, neighborhoods that until then I didn’t even know existed. On a summer day, when the six o’clock sun is heading for the beach in a Muskegon Blue sky, every house, every street, park, and neighborhood we traveled looked AMAZING.
Let's travel the map of District 4 together!I’ll start with a list of the place-makers — District 4 is FILLED with them! — Places which have made our County a quality place to live, work, play and learn in.
Where should we go first? Let's start from the top...
TAKE A TOUR THROUGH DISTRICT 4
HERITAGE LANDING
Our first stop... Heritage Landing! Understatement alert: Muskegon County government did a very good thing when it transformed the Weiner Foundry property on Muskegon Lake to create the limitless potential of Heritage Landing, the premier waterfront festival grounds in Michigan. Talk about Placemaking!
LAKESHORE TRAIL
The Next Placemaker on the Tour of County Commission District 4, is another example of creative leadership and use of local government resources.
The Lakeshore Trail is a relatively new feature that is so well used and loved, we forget what a transformation it accomplished, and continues to achieve. Starting with what was an actual dump on the north end of the Causeway, City of Muskegon leaders reclaimed for our community 12 miles of Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan views and surrounding nature. The Lakeshore Trail made fitting and true Muskegon’s tagline “Shoreline City.”
LAKESIDE POCKET PARK
Heritage Landing and Lakeshore Trail are examples of two features of our community that were county and city government led. Lakeside Pocket Park is one of the MANY gems in District 4 created wholly with private resources, by somebody for everybody!
The leader of a community center in Pittsburg was asked by a group there to “study” the center, “you have fresh flowers at the entrance every day - how does that happen?” He said “I stop at the farmers market on my way here, buy flowers, and put them there”. Oh.
How does making our community more beautiful, interesting, fun, easier to live in happen? Somebody imagines something and decides to make it happen!