Andrea Crossman Group Holland Real Estate

Ask those who have been around Holland for a while and you may find a few who still remember why the stretch of lakeshore at the west end of Lakewood Boulevard is called Alpena Beach. It’s got nothing to do with the city in Alpena County or the old Getz Farm zoo there that used to draw thousands of visitors in the 1930s with its exotic animal display. No, Alpena Beach is named for a shipwreck; a lost vessel that Great Lakes wreck sleuths consider to be among the most sought-after discoveries the lake has yet to reveal.

Oct. 15, 1880, was a beautiful day when the Alpena left Muskegon, said Craig Rich, author of “For Those in Peril: The Shipwrecks of Ottawa County.”

The Goodrich Transportation Co.’s single-stack side-wheel steamer stopped in Grand Haven for passengers and freight before heading southwest across the lake, top-heavy with an estimated 80 people and 10 carloads of West Michigan apples loaded on its main deck.

Capt. Nelson W. Napier of St. Joseph steered the ship toward Chicago, away from the lakeshore that had become known as the city’s playground.

All was well by 1 a.m. according to captains who saw the Alpena in transit, Rich said. But the barometer pressure was dropping and the “worst gale in recorded history” soon swept across the lake, turning an idyllic weekend trip into a disaster in a matter of hours.

The Alpena was spotted by other captains at 6, 7 and 8 a.m., “laboring mightily” in the high seas about 35 miles off Kenosha, Wis. A large oil on canvas imagining of this hangs in the Holland Museum.

She was spotted again later, lying on her side with one large, distinctive paddlewheel facing the sky. Some say she swamped and sank. Some say she drifted the rest of Saturday and perhaps until Sunday morning.

“I don’t know if her wheel was still turning, but I like to think of it that way,” Rich said.

Over the next couple days, pieces of the upper decking and debris from the wooden-built steamer began to wash upon on the beaches between Holland and Saugatuck. Bodies also began to wash up.

Newspapers reported thousands of apples were found bobbing in the surf. The largest debris to beach in the area was the ship’s grand piano, the fat brown leg of which survives in the museum. “Weird melodies” emitted from the instrument strings, according to the museum exhibit.

Because the only manifest was onboard, there is no exact accounting for the lives lost. Reports estimate approximately 80. Newspaper records show crew estimates around 26, Rich said.

The editor of the Grand Haven Herald, W.S. Benham, and his wife, perished in the sinking. Other passengers hailed from Grand Rapids, Grand Haven, Chicago and as far away as New Mexico and Philadelphia. An inquest found Goodrich in contempt following the sinking.

As for the beach, it wasn’t the only thing to be named after the disaster. The storm itself became known as the “Alpena Storm.” And Lakewood Boulevard was once called “Alpena Beach Road.”

The beach may not have formally received its informal name until 29 years later, when the ship’s side-wheeled nameboard washed ashore north of Tunnel Park in 1909.

Rich, a member of the Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates, is optimistic the wreck will someday be found and identified by the engine type and paddle wheels.

The problem, he said, is that “we don’t know where to even start looking.” The ship is thought to be mid-lake somewhere between Holland and Racine, Wis. — a potentially huge search grid.

“ That’s why it’s such a mystery.” 

A beautiful yard is a head-turner, no doubt about it. The good news is that even if you can’t tell a tulip from a turnip at the garden center, you can still create eye-catching curb appeal by paying attention to the basics of good landscaping. Ignoring your yard, or doing something that’s out of character with the neighborhood can jeopardize the assessed value of your home.

“We have several categories for design and appeal,“ says Frank Lucco, a real estate agent and professional appraiser in Houston. “That’s where we make those adjustments. Poorly maintained landscaping can be as much as a 5 or 10% deduction.”

Appraisers are quick to praise the allure of a well-tended lawn and good-looking landscaping when it comes time to sell your home, but most do not assign any specific increase in monetary value for upkeep.

Nevertheless, most professionals agree that curb appeal and a well-maintained appearance prevent your property from losing value. Here are the top suggestions from real estate agents, appraisers, and landscape designers for boosting the curb appeal of your yard:

Green Up The Grass

If your house has a front yard, make sure it‘s neat and green. You don’t want bare spots, sprawling weeds, or an untrimmed appearance.

“It’s so simple to go to Home Depot, buy fertilizer, apply it every six weeks, and water it,” says Mitch Kalamian, a landscape designer in Huntinginton Beach, Calif. “It will green up.”

If the yard looks really scruffy, you may decide to invest in some sod. According to the National Gardening Association, the average cost of sod is 15 to 35 cents per sq. ft. If you hire a landscaper to sod your yard for you, labor will add 30% to 50% to the total cost of the project.

Another alternative is to plant low-maintenance turf grasses. Turf grasses are durable and drought-resistant. Expect to pay $18 to $30 for enough turf grass seed to plant 1,000 sq. ft. of lawn area.

Add colorful planting beds

Flower beds add color and help liven otherwise plain areas, such as along driveways and the edges of walkways. In general, annual flowers are a bit cheaper but must be replaced every year. Perennials cost a bit more but come back annually and usually get larger or spread with each growing season.

If you’re not sure what to plant, inquire at your local garden center. Often, they’ll have a display of bedding plants chosen for their adaptability to your area. Also, they‘ll be inexpensive because they’re in season. Try pansies in the summer, and asters and mums in the fall to add vibrant color.

Valerie Torelli, a California REALTOR® who dresses up her clients’ yards to sell their houses faster and for more money, says that in her market, she can put in a bed of colorful annuals and bark, as well as cutting down overgrown shrubs, for less than $500. “We can buy gorgeous plants for $3.99 to $15.99,” she says.

Add landscape lighting

For homeowners who have made a size-able investment in landscaping, it makes sense to think about adding another 10% to 15% to the bill for professional lighting. “You can’t see landscaping after dark,“ says Brandon Stephens, vice president of marketing for a landscape lighting firm in Lubbock, Texas, “and buyers are not always looking at houses on a Saturday afternoon.”

The cost of a system runs from $200 for a DIY installation to more than $4,000 for a professional job. If you‘re doing it on your own, the key is to light what you want people to see, such as mature trees and flowering shrubs.

Plant a tree

The value of mature trees is particularly difficult to determine. Lucco says that in his market, mature trees contribute as much as 10% of a $100,000 property’s overall value. In addition, a properly placed shade tree can shave as much as $32 a year on your energy bills. Expect to pay $50 to $100 for a young, 6- to 7-foot deciduous tree.

You can make your own initial assessment of the value of your property’s trees by visiting the National Tree Benefit Calculator. For example, a mature Southern red oak tree with a diameter of 36 inches in the front yard of a house in Augusta, Ga., would add $70 to the property value this year, according to the calculator.

http://youtu.be/hUdssGm5ReU

Since the severe storm last Monday, the city of Holland has been picking trees and power lines off streets. This gave us a great idea to write a blog about how to stay safe in severe storms. Since we live on the west coast of Michigan we have the beautiful Lake Michigan, it keeps us cool in the summer and warm in the fall. But, it can also intensify storms, this meaning that it can ramp up the power on storms making them more severe. Where we live in Michigan we are susceptible mostly to Flash Floods, Tornadoes, and Thunderstorms. For these 3 major weather events I will give you tips to stay as safe as possible.

Thunderstorms are the most common weather event in the United States. Thunderstorm affects a relatively small area when compared to a hurricane or a winter storm. The typical thunderstorm is 15 miles in diameter and lasts an average of 30 minutes. Despite their small size, ALL thunderstorms are dangerous! Of the estimated 100,000 thunderstorms that occur each year in the United States, about 10 percent are classified as severe. Lightning and wind are the two most dangerous points of a thunderstorm. straight-line winds are any winds not associated with the rotation of a tornado. Straight-line winds are responsible for most thunderstorm wind damage.

Lightning:

• Have a lightning safety plan. Know where you’ll go for safety and how much time it will take to get there. Make sure your plan allows enough time to reach safety.

   

• Postpone activities. Before going outdoors, check the forecast for thunderstorms. Consider postponing activities to avoid being caught in a dangerous situation.

   

• Monitor the weather. Look for signs of a developing thunderstorm such as darkening skies, flashes of lightning, or increasing wind.

• Get to a safe place. If you hear thunder, even a distant rumble, immediately move to a safe place. When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors! Fully enclosed buildings with wiring and plumbing provide the best protection. Sheds, picnic shelters, tents or covered porches do not protect you from lightning. If a sturdy building is not nearby,get into a hard-topped metal vehicle and close all the windows. Stay inside until 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder.

• If you hear thunder, don’t use a corded phone. Cordless phones, cell phones and other wireless hand held devices are safe to use.

   

• Keep away from electrical equipment, wiring and water pipes. Sensitive electronics should be unplugged well in advance of thunderstorms. Don’t take a bath, shower or use other plumbing

  during a thunderstorm
  
  

Straight Lined Winds:

• Straight-line winds can exceed 125 mph!

• It can cause damage equivalent to a strong tornado and can be extremely hazardous to aviation.

• These winds can level trees and small buildings

Although tornadoes occur in many parts of the world, they are found most frequently in the United States. In an average year, 1,200 tornadoes cause 60-65 fatalities and 1,500 injuries nationwide. A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm, to the ground. Tornadoes may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms within the funnel. The average tornado moves from southwest to northeast, but tornadoes can move in any direction and can suddenly change their direction of motion. The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 mph but may vary from nearly stationary to 70 mph. The strongest tornadoes have rotating winds of more than 200 mph. Tornadoes can occur at any time of day, any day of the year. Have a plan of action before severe weather threatens. You need to respond quickly when a warning is issued or a tornado is spotted.

Tornadoes:

• The safest place to be is an underground shelter, basement, or safe room.

   

• If no underground shelter or safe room is available, a small, windowless interior room or hallway on the lowest level of a sturdy building is the safest alternative.

   

• Mobile homes are not safe during tornadoes. Abandon mobile homes and go to the nearest sturdy building or shelter immediately.

   

• If you are caught outdoors, seek shelter in a basement, shelter or sturdy building. If you cannot quickly walk to a shelter:

   

• Immediately get into a vehicle, buckle your seat belt and try to drive to the closest sturdy shelter.

   

• If flying debris occurs while you are driving, pull over and park. Now you have the following options as a last resort:

   

• Stay in your vehicle with the seat belt on. Put your head down below the windows, covering with your hands and a blanket if possible.

 

• If you can safely get noticeably lower than the level of the roadway, exit your car, and lie in that area, covering your head with your hands

Flash Floods occurs within a few hours of heavy or excessive rainfall. These are dangerous because 6 inches of water can knock a person off their feet and 2 feet of water can sweep a large SUV away.

• Avoid driving, walking, or swimming in flood waters.

• Stay away from high water, storm drains, ditches, ravines, or culverts.

• Move to higher ground.

• Do not let children play near storm drains.

• If you come upon a flood turn around

For more weather safety advice visit Weater.gov