If you ever needed a reason to take advantage of the incredible parks and trail systems we have through the City of Walker and West Michigan, our weather in July was it. I hope that we never take for granted the miles and miles of trails through our parks to take a break from the busyness of our daily lives. If hiking and biking are not your thing, please take the time to visit the parks and sit and enjoy the nature around you. Our City Commission and staff continue to place a high priority on our parks and recreation programs and significantly increased that budget allocation this year.

On August 1, we celebrate the annual event known as National Night Out. This event happens on the first Tuesday of every August around our country. The purpose is to bring our communities together to help keep our neighborhoods strong and vibrant. While we have a number of events, large and small, taking place that night, I would encourage us as a community to do this not just once a year but to make it as much of a regular process as possible. The neighborhood gatherings and social time make more of a difference than we sometimes realize and can have so many benefits. If the city or I can help in any way, please let us know.

This past week we hosted the City of Holland leadership team and some of their City Council for what's known as Community Exchange Day. We had visited them earlier in July for the same thing. They have a beautiful city and have many positive things going on for their residents and businesses. Yet, while we know we have two different types of cities, we face the same decisions and challenges that they sometimes do. It is always good to listen to and collaborate with similar cities like that. We can then make our respective communities much stronger for all. After spending the day with them proudly showing off our City and all that makes it special and unique, I continue to be reminded of what a special place we have in Walker. I also am reminded every day what a privilege and honor it has been to lead our community these last five years. I do not make a lot of promises because I want to make sure that I never let any of you down. However, I can promise you that not a day goes by that I do not thank all of you for the opportunity to serve in this role and help make Walker a better place to live, work, and grow.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and as always, thank you for making the choice to call Walker home.

Mayor Gary Carey, Jr.

Walker PD has seen an uptick in larceny from vehicle incidents as well as another surge of stolen cars. While the tips listed below probably seem like common sense, they are often overlooked or forgotten, leading to easy targets for thieves. While Walker remains a safe community to live, work, and play, we ask all those that frequent the city to remember the following:

1. ALWAYS lock your vehicle when it is left unattended. While we do occasionally see windows broken, these instances are fairly infrequent & usually occurred when thieves see something of great value or use (car keys) left inside.
2. If you have a garage, remember to keep the overhead door down & always lock the side door. We are now seeing incidents where folks park in the garage but leave the side door unlocked. Keys are often left in unlocked vehicles inside garages because owners feel simply keeping the overhead door down is enough of a theft deterrent. However, if the side door is left unlocked, thieves walk in and pillage the garage, and if they find the key to your vehicle, simply open the overhead door and back out.
3. Report suspicious activity as it occurs. This gives officers out on patrol the best chance to catch thieves in the act. All too often we receive reports hours or days later, with almost no leads to follow up on. For example, we recently received a call in the late morning hours from someone who observed thieves going through cars around 2 AM in their neighborhood. Had that person called at 2 AM, there is a good chance officers could have caught the thieves in the act and prevented multiple other larcenies from occurring. Remember, Walker PD is on duty 24/7, 365. We are here to protect and serve. Just dial 911!

Fire Department Updates

Emergency Home Supplies

Every home should have an emergency supply kit located in an accessible storage area. It's best if you store the items in plastic containers that are easy to grab and carry. Kits should be checked every six months, and expired items should be replaced.

Emergency kits are meant to help you survive not only during an emergency but also during the aftermath. Click the image below for more details on what to include in an emergency kit.

Income Tax Department Updates