It’s a warm Saturday morning on main street, and Sharkey Badgerow has just been murdered… again. He jolts and spins and clutches his chest, blood oozing from his wounds. He finally drops to the pavement and gives one last kick.

Several gang members throw him on the flatbed. The driver lashes the mules and the wagon speeds away. Murder in downtown Sparta is common occurrence since the Dirty Dingus Gang arrived. And the crowds love it.

 The Quasquicentennial

In 1971 Sparta celebrates its 125^th anniversary. It’s a big happening with many activities. Some of the village men grow beards as the event approaches. Then one day, they put together a real gang to promote the festivities.

 The Dirty Dingus Gang

The Dirty Dingus Gang is born, with 12 original members. Gary Delang, Dale May, Jerry Teasdale, Dick Greeno, Art Frisk, Dick McKinney, Sharkey Badgerow, Stub Vandenhout, Don Reed, Dale Rosel, Ted Anderson and Al Keck.

 The gang arm themselves with muzzle loaders, shotguns and rifles from the local VFW. Their team of mules gallops through town during various events and the gang shoot it up with blank ammo. It’s a crowd pleaser.   

 The Badgerows  

One of the stars is Sharkey Badgerow. His grandfather, Charles, is of French descent and grows up in the Upper Peninsula. Charles and two brothers serve in the Civil War. The brother’s die in Libby prison in Confederate Virginia.

 Later, Charles arrives in Sparta and opens a billiard hall on main street. Not an establishment of the highest repute, according to Sharkey. Charles later opens a grocery store on the corner of Gardner and State.

 Sharkey

Two generations later, Sharkey is one of five grandsons born in the family house on the corner of Centennial and Union. In 1942 he is drafted into the U.S. Army where he participates in the liberation of North Africa. In 1945, he meets his wife, Lunita from Mississippi.

 Business, horology and gemology

Sharkey majors in business administration and horology, the science and repair of time keeping instruments, at Ferris. He also gets a degree in gemology. Back in Sparta, he and an uncle open a jewelry store on Gardner street.

 Later the business moves to main street, where it is still located. No merchant has been active on main street longer than Sharkey. For 60 years he as been a real milestone known for his pleasant disposition and comic antics.

 Summer of ‘71

Summer of 1971. “Knock Three Times” by Dawn is the top hit. “All in the Family” is the most popular TV show. Intel introduces the microprocessor, an invention that revolutionizes our lives. George Harrison organizes Concert for Bangladesh.

 In Sparta many activities are organized for the centennial, including a theatrical production on the high school football field involving hundreds of residents. A special memorial magazine features opening words by President Nixon.

 The President has more on his mind. Vietnam veteran John Kerry makes a plea in a Senate hearing to end the war. George Wallace, Governor of Alabama, rides a wave of anti-busing sentiment to become presidential candidate.

 The magnificent victim

In 1971 Sharkey is a founding member of the Dirty Dingus Gang. He has a special role: the victim. He appears out of the crowd wearing a big hat and long white coat. He shakes his fist and shouts at the gang. They respond with blazing guns. Sharkey dies magnificently in the street.  

 The gang are popular. They are invited to other towns for celebrations. Proceeds go to the Sparta Ambulance Fund. They also organize the first beer tent during Town and Country Days, a slightly rowdy tradition that continues in Sparta today.

Sharkey Badgerow lives with his wife Lunita in the family home on West Averill street. They have 4 children and 10 grand children. He still runs the family jewelry business at 169 East Division street.

 This Milestones on Main Street article was produced for Sparta Today. Input and contributions to this column are welcome. Please send your ideas to Dean Lettinga at hlet@hetnet.nl or contact Joan Lettinga at ‘Round Again in Sparta, 887-2414.

Keep up the great work, Affordable Flowers. Like to learn more about Affordable Flowers? Call Krinn today at 616-887-8841 or visit them at 525 E. Division, Sparta, MI 49345 (located across from Tom’s Bakery).

Keep up the great work, ChoiceOne. Like to learn more about ChoiceOne Bank? Visit their website at www.choiceone.com.

Our Featured Business Member of the Month is Hessel-Cheslek Funeral Home.

Hessel-Cheslek has been independently family-owned and operated since 1964.  They are a non-denominational funeral home that is committed to individualized and personalized care for all family needs.  Their full service funeral homes services

Their staff answers the phone and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Any questions can easily be answered on our toll free number 1-866-887-1761.

www.hesselcheslekfuneralhome.com

All About Learning Project in a Classroom.

All About Learning Inc, partners with schools in over 30 states to provide academic enrichment programs focusing on science technology engineering and math. The focus on these specific areas is in part because US students have traditionally fallen behind students in other countries in these areas of study.

The award process started with 235 nominated companies, and several rounds of applying and company verifications, All About Learning Inc. was chosen as one of the “50 Companies to Watch” awardees in Michigan. The awards are abased on several different categories in businesses including management philosophies, unique business qualities, and innovations. The award is to recognize the vital role companies of this size play in the economy. The foundation behind the award, the Edward Lowe Foundation, champions the entrepreneurial spirit by working with entrepreneurs. For more information, visit www.EdwardLowe.org.

How did Stackpole grow his business to achieve this award? Stackpole says the secret is that “We keep the business simple, and it helps the business grow. The success has come from learning how to spread our business across the country” though they remain headquartered in Sparta, Michigan, and website at www.michiganlearning.com. “We are honored to receive this award and will be attending a black tie affair and having dinner with the governor in April.” Looking forward to the future, Stackpole says, “we have continued interest in expanding our seemingly recession proof business. We are open to speaking with interested investors in the community.”

With the increase in gas prices today, driving from downtown Sparta to the Alpine shopping district, let alone to “The Mall”, may be more expensive than you imagined… big time. The distance from Downtown Sparta to Interstate 96 is 15 miles (Thank you Mapquest).

This means that after driving 15 miles to your destination and then 15 miles back to Sparta, you’ve just added 30 miles to your gauge. With a vehicle that gets 20 miles per gallon, that is 1.5 gallons of gasoline round trip, and it makes you feel the crunch at the pump. You can do the mental math on this one: although this month gas is down to 3.00 per gallon, a “quick” round trip jaunt to Alpine will cost you $4.50 in fuel expenses. Remember when gas was nearly $4.50 a gallon?

AAA Breaks it down
When you break it down even further, according to the 2007 AAA annual study “Your Driving Costs”, experts found that motorists pay an average of 62.1 cents per mile after taking into account gas, oil, maintenance and tires, as well as insurance, depreciation, financing charges, license, title and registration. (The make and model of the vehicle would have a direct impact on the cents paid per mile as well.)

Here are the estimated numbers for a 2003 vehicle:
62.1 cents per mile x 30 miles from Sparta to Alpine and back = 1,863 cents ($18.63)

$18.63! Nearly $20 for a round trip “just” down to Alpine and back.

Time is Money
And what about your time spent? For going 30 miles at an average of 55 mph you spend almost 33 minutes on the road. That is, if there isn’t construction, an accident, or rush hour delays, either.

Now let’s say a big box store on Alpine is having a sale. You see an ad for a great item that is on sale for $10.00 after a mail-in rebate. Maybe you could find it in Sparta for $20 regular price. After all is said and done, if you run down to Alpine to pick up your one item, you would have paid $28.63 because of travel expenses (not to mention postage for that rebate and your precious time you would have spent on the road, polluting the air)! You could have saved $8.63 by just shopping locally, purchasing the same item yet spending in Sparta.

Ask yourself if you are really saving enough to venture down to Alpine or Grand Rapids after a “deal” next time, if you could find the same items here in Sparta.

Thinking Local
Need an even bigger reward for shopping locally than merely saving money and lots of time? Simply put, that much MORE of the money you spend locally stays local. It is a great way to support the local businesses that sponsor community events, whose name you see on your kids’ Little League Team tee’s, and who buy the raffle tickets for your school fundraiser.

Here is a list of top reasons to “Spend in Sparta”:

• Significantly more money re-circulates. When you purchase at local businesses, more money is kept in the community because local businesses often purchase from other local businesses, service providers, and local growers.
• Non-profits organizations receive greater support from local businesses
• Environmental impact is reduced
• Local businesses make more local purchases requiring less transportation and usually set up shop in town centers rather than on the fringe. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution.
• Most new jobs are provided by local businesses.
• Small local businesses are the largest employers nationally. The workplace, pay, and benefits tend to be better as the owners live in the same community as their employees.
• Local business owners invest in community.
• Local businesses owned by people who live in this community are less likely to leave and are more invested in the community’s future.
• Competition and diversity leads to more consumer choices.
• A marketplace of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term. Research shows that entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character.

While considering Holiday Shopping this season, give a second thought to our local businesses here in Sparta to see if there isn’t something you can find on everyone’s gift list that will support our community and our local businesses. And be sure to take another look in Downtown Sparta for your everyday needs– this may be something you can’t afford to ignore! (Sources: www.localfirst.com, www.mapquest.com, and www.aaaexchange.com )

- posted by Elizabeth Gorski, DDA Director and Gabi Amaya-Baron