The Segal Waters Compensation and Classification study commissioned by Barry County is a complicated document, pages of numbers and comparisons with wages and duties of those in similar positions in other counties, cities and businesses. So, it is not surprising that few people understand the entire scope of the 85-page report.

In the case of the COA, implementing it has caused confusion and misunderstanding. The COA board, which is not required to follow the county’s method of implementation, first voted to approve the Segal Waters study recommendation that Executive Director Tammy Pennington have a comparable wage of $85,592, but the board approved it up front, instead of over a four-year span, as the county is doing.

The move meant Pennington would get a raise to her $64,117.20 annual salary to $80,641.60 beginning May 1, and an increase of two percent until 2020.

In a special meeting Wednesday morning, the board agreed with a request from Pennington to reduce her salary from $80,641.60 in the first year to $69,971.20 and then follow the four year phase-in as the county is doing.  

Wednesday afternoon Pennington said she had nothing she would add .

Students athletes who were sexually assaulted at the school by volunteer weight room instructor Chad Curtis under the guise of rehabilitation, have settled their lawsuit against Lakewood Public Schools and Board of Education.

Lakewood Superintendent Randy Fleenor released a statement which said: “The Lakewood Public Schools has settled a lawsuit stemming from Chad Curtis’s sexual misconduct perpetrated against our former students.” The amount of the settlement was not released.

The students have not settled with Curtis, who is scheduled to go to trial in August if no agreement is reached. Curtis is serving seven to 15 years in prison after being convicted of six counts of criminal sexual conduct against female students by a Barry County Jury in August of 2013. He is representing himself in court.

The weekend of June 10-11, everyone, residents and non-residents alike, can fish without a license in Michigan during 2017 Summer Free Fishing Weekend. Also, the DNR will waive the fee for vehicle entry to Michigan’s 103 state parks and recreation areas for the free fishing weekend

The fishing is free, but all other fishing regulations still apply.

To mark the anniversary of 10 years in its new location and 1,380,000 visitors, the Hastings Pubic Library will recreate the symbolic exchange of venues on Saturday, June 3 and is inviting everyone in the Barry County area to line up between the former library on Court Street and present library building and transfer 200 books. The lineup begins at 9:30 a.m. sharp and begins exactly at 10 a.m.  

Everyone Is invited to come into the library at the end of the exchange for an open house to hear about the special programs and activities for individuals and groups, speakers and special events for all ages and interests.

A Battle Creek man and woman died as a result of a motorcycle crash with a deer  in Johnstown Township about 7 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Barry County Sheriff’s Office.

Michael Charles Edwards, 39, died at the scene in the crash on Pifer Road between Banfield Road and M-37. His passenger, Kiley E. Wiegand, 19, also from Battle Creek, was transported by Life Care Ambulance to a Kalamazoo area hospital where she later died from her injuries.

Neither Edwards or Wiegand were wearing helmets at the time of the crash. Speed does not appear to be a factor; it is unknown if alcohol or drugs were contributing factors in the crash.

Sheriff’s deputies were assisted by Johnstown Fire Department, Michigan State Police, Life Care Ambulance Service, and the Barry County Road Commission.

Firefighters from Wayland and Yankee Springs fire departments responded to a garage fire at 428 Tyler Road Wayland Township on Memorial Day, Wayland’s Deputy Fire Chief Dan Miller reported.

Two vehicles were lost in the fire.
 

Firefighters fought the blaze that had spread to the house and also contained a grass fire caused by strong winds carrying burning debris into the grass and brush, Miller said. The home was occupied at the 4 p.m. fire; there were no injuries to either family or firefighters. The fire is still under investigation and no dollar amount of loss has been set, Miller said.

Mutual aid came from Hopkins and Martin fire departments, Thornapple Township Emergency Services, Wayland Area EMS and the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office. Hopkins moved a fire engine and personnel to cover the Wayland station.

“We thank everybody who assisted in this incident as well as Allegan and Barry Central Dispatch Centers for their help, too,” Miller said.
 

Photo: The scene at a Tyler Road structure fire on Memorial Day.

(photo courtesy of Dan Miller)

Some Hope Township residents are asking why the old section of Cedar Creek Cemetery is not getting the attention they say it deserves. The south end  of the cemetery was vandalized about three years ago, suffers from lack of regular maintenance, and despite offers from different groups to come in and clean and repair damaged headstones, none have been given permission, resident Barb Cichy said.

The township has millage to support the cemetery that could be used to bring the old section up to snuff, she said, but it gets complete mowing and trimming care just once a year before Memorial Day and is neglected the rest of the year. Cichy, and others, also challenge the transparency of the township’s dealings on cemetery/sexton’s services performed by Hallifax Services.

A Freedom of Information Act request for information by one of the critics brought a copy of a sheet of paper from Hallifax’s Service detailing what the service would do for  $1,500 a month for one year, undated with no signature from a township official.

Hope Township Supervisor Mark Feldpausch responded to each claim.

The township has begun the process of finding a company that specializes in cemetery restoration to do the work on the south end of Cedar Creek Cemetery. Officials have talked to one company and will talk to others before deciding on one to contract to repair damaged headstones, Feldpausch said.

The township’s plan is similar to what other townships do; dedicate an amount from the voter-approved millage each year and do as much as they can with the funds for that year, he said. The board has not decided on the specific amount yet.

In August 2016, township residents approved renewal of 1 mill for fire protection and cemetery maintenance (.75 mill for fire and .25 mill for cemetery) for four years. 

Feldpausch said he has not heard the complaint that some groups have offered to work on the problem and been denied. Some time ago, there was one offer to recruit volunteers to work on a cleanup that was given the go ahead, but nothing further was heard on the offer, he said.

On Hallifax’s service, Feldpausch said Hallifax’s was the low bid, and also the best offer, out of the bids taken by the board for sexton services.

“We accepted his bid; that’s in the minutes of the meeting. Hallifax does a tremendous job and the board has not had one complaint about his work,” he said.

The Cedar Creek Cemetery dates back to the 1800’s and has military veterans buried there.

Photos: Examples of the vandalism at Cedar Creek Cemetery

Eight people lost their lives in eight separate traffic crashes during the 2017 Memorial Day holiday weekend, according to preliminary reports, say the Michigan State Police.

In comparison, six people were killed in five traffic crashes during the same holiday weekend in 2016.

Of the eight deadly crashes, restraints were not used in four, alcohol use was a known factor in one of the fatal crashes, two involved motorcycles; a helmet was not worn in one and it is unknown if a helmet was used in the other. One victim was a bicyclist.

“These numbers are preliminary and only reflect those fatalities reported to the Michigan State Police as of 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 30,” stated Spl/F/Lt. Jim Flegel, MSP Traffic Safety Specialist. “We continue to urge motorists to use proper restraints and to never drive while impaired on alcohol or drugs or while distracted.”

The 2017 Memorial Day holiday weekend ran from 6 p.m. on Friday, May 26, through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 29.

The Barry-Eaton District Health Department, (BEDHD) and local farmers are coming together to bring Project Fresh, a program that makes fresh, farmers market produce available to low-income, nutritionally-at-risk consumers, to Barry and Eaton county WIC participants who are pregnant, postpartum or have children from 1 to 5 years old. 

A coupon booklet, worth $25, will be given to WIC participants to be used at local farmers markets in summer of 2017 to buy fresh, locally grown produce.  All farmers participating in Project Fresh will have a laminated yellow poster which reads, “Project FRESH Coupons Accepted Here.”

For a coupon booklet,  Barry County WIC participants should visit the Hastings office of the BEDHD on Friday, June 9, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 330 Woodlawn Avenue, Hastings.

For a coupon booklet, Eaton County WIC participants should visit the Charlotte office of the BEDHD on Thursday, June 8, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 1033 Health Care Drive in Charlotte.

One booklet will be given per family. While no appointment is required, there is a limited supply of the coupon booklets which will be given out on a first-come/first-served basis. Those with questions may call the WIC office in Barry County at 269-945-9516. //

BEDHD encourages everyone to eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day for better health. Fruits and vegetables are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They are naturally rich in nutrients, low in calories and fat, and are able to reduce health risks such as cancer, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and other diseases. Fruits and vegetables are the original fast and easy food.

A Wyoming Police Department detective, a member of the  Kent Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (K.A.N.E.T.), was conducting standard testing of suspected narcotics Monday in the form of a white powdery substance when he began to experience symptoms that could possibly be related to a drug exposure, and so NARCAN was administered, the Kent County Sheriff’s Office reports.

The detective was transported to a local hospital to be checked and he is conscious and alert.

The substance was collected on the day before as part of an ongoing investigation. The detective bureau has been temporarily evacuated and will remain closed until the Grand Rapids Fire Department hazmat team concludes air quality tests. All remaining divisions within the KCSO complex will remain open unless the fire department requests otherwise.

K.A.N.E.T.  has detectives from the sheriff’s office, Wyoming, Walker and Grandville police departments and East Grand Rapids DPS.  It operates out of the sheriff’s office at 701 Ball Ave NE.

A long-held dream of former Hastings Mayor Frank Campbell came true Monday with the dedication ceremony of a monument to all veterans, the Veterans Plaza  

American Legion Post 45 Adjunct Jim Atkinson conducted the ceremony during the Memorial Day Parade when the monument was presented to the people with the City of Hastings committing to the upkeep of its newest attraction.

Campbell and his good friend, Mayor Bob May, both wanted a monument for all veterans, and agreed in 2010 to, “go for it.” They had a concept drawing and started to solicit funds, but as May’s health worsened over the next few years, work on the project stalled.

Campbell admitted he “half gave up” on the monument when May died, but he was appointed to replace May as mayor and soon continued work on their dream, saying many times he wanted to see it done before he retired in 2016.

Working all four years he was mayor, Campbell pushed, prodded and encouraged the monument, keeping the project moving forward for the enhancements to the Civil War monument that sits at the entrance of Tyden Park.

In his remarks Monday, Campbell said in 2016, he thought the monument to veterans was, “needed now more than ever, with the situation of the world today.” With a short pause to control his emotions, he said to applause: “Now, we’ve got it.” Campbell said “many, many, good  people” contributed time, work and money, and with three anonymous donors giving, “substantial amounts” he has enough to cover the city’s cash outlay for the plaza.

 “We have $42,000 in the bank; when the city has the final totals, we will hand over the check,” he said. “We will pay it back; it is all private money.”

May’s widow Deb thanked those who helped build the monument, “from the bottom of my heart.”

Mayor David Tossava said the City of Hastings, “is proud to maintain the monument. This gives a sense of pride to the whole community. Everyone has a friend or family in the service. This is for you, to sit and reflect, relax and remember.”

Atkinson listed a dozen people and organizations that worked on the project, stressing that there were many, many more who had a part in the finished tribute. It now includes five smaller monuments to veterans moved from the Barry County Courthouse lawn circling the Civil War monument, flags for POW/MIA and each military service, lighting, decorative fencing and seating.

“These monuments now have a permanent home,” Atkinson said,  inviting everyone, veteran or citizen to, “come to a place that is revered in all veteran’s minds.”

NOTE: Computer problems prevented uploading any photos from the dedication and the Memorial Day Parade.

The Eaton County Sheriff’s Office, Delta Township Fire Department and the General Motors assembly plant in Delta Township have been working together on active violence training and will conduct a full-scale training exercise at the assembly plant Wednesday, May 31. The training is part of the continued effort to prepare and train for an effective multi-agency response to an active violence incident in the tri-county area, according to the Eaton County Sheriff’s Office.

Several local first responders will be participating, including the Eaton and Ingham county sheriff’s offices; Delta, Lansing, Meridian and Delhi township fire departments;  the Lansing Fire Department; Charlotte, Potterville and East Lansing police departments; the Michigan State Police and Eaton County Central Dispatch.

“General Motors and first responders are training to promote public safety and to save as many lives as possible in the event something like this ever happens in the tri-county area,” the news release said.

The exercise is closed to the public and some roads near the plant may have partial or full closures for parts of the morning and early afternoon.  Some areas around the plant also will be closed except for those actively participating in the exercise.

Four eight-hour days of warrant sweeps in Eaton and Ingham counties during May targeting felony warrants from all the agencies taking part was a tremendous success, according to an Eaton County Sheriff’s Office news release. Teams of specially trained members from several area law enforcement agencies targeted violent offenders and violent warrants.

Four teams were sent throughout both Eaton and Ingham County because those who commit crimes often don't stay in one area or commit crimes where they live. The teams were seeking some 80 subjects with warrants for multiple offences, from homicide - delivery causing death, felonious assault, criminal sexual conduct 1st degree, unlawful carrying of concealed weapons, drug offenses, embezzlement and fraud offenses.

“The results of the operation were tremendous and clearly demonstrate how efficient and effective a well organized multi-agency approach is to bring fugitives to justice and fight crime in our neighborhoods,” the release said.

A few highlights of the operation:

* 62 people were located and arrested in the four days of the mission,

*104 arrest warrants were cleared, including 53 felony warrants, 38 misdemeanors and 13 civil warrants for child support,

* a suspect wanted for homicide, delivery causing death in East Lansing was taken into custody,

* several people with multi-county criminal sexual conduct warrants were arrested,

* narcotics seized included heroin, crack cocaine, and several methamphetamine labs,

* nine original, new felony charges were requested.

Taking part in the fugitive sweep were the Eaton County Sheriff’s Office, Michigan State Police Lansing Post, Grand Ledge, Potterville, Charlotte and Eaton Rapids police departments, Lansing Police Department’s Violent Crimes Initiative, Michigan Department of Corrections Absconder Recovery Unit, and the Lansing Area Fugitive Task Force.

“We wish to thank every agency and every officer that contributed to the success of this operation,” the release said.

A ceremony honoring Vietnam Era vets is set for June 10 at the Barry Expo Center on M-37,  midway between Hastings and Middleville. The American Legion Riders from Hastings Post 45 will enter the Expo at about 1 p.m. when the program will begin and continue until 3 p.m.

Each Vietnam Era veteran will be awarded a commemorative pin recognizing their service and asked to videotape an account of their time and place in Vietnam. Much more is going on at the ceremony, said William Roush, Adjutant Chapter 110 MOPH, Military Order of the Purple Heart.

“Besides the pinning on of the 50th Vietnam Era Vets,  I have on hand to give to all of the kids an 8x11 inch U.S. Flag.  Also, we had Save-A-Lot store in Hastings give us 1,200 bottles of water and the Disabled American Veterans Organization gave us snacks to give to everyone,” he said. The Delton High School Band will add music to the event.

The Battle Creek Veterans Administration Medical Center has loaned four displays of the 20 years the United States was in Vietnam, and there will be a picture history of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, USA, out of Hastings, on display. The "5 hat Missing Man" table will be performed, a POW/MIA remembrance ceremony, and bag pipes will perform  the Posting of Colors. 

“Veterans who did not make it into the country will receive a pin for being in the service at the time of war,” Roush said. “I will have on hand help for any Veteran or/and his family with VA benefits that they may need.”   

At approximately 1 p.m. Friday, May 26, Allegan County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a plane crash at the Plainwell Airport at 630 19^th Street in Gun Plain Township. The plane had crashed at the end of the runway with the pilot and three passengers onboard.

The pilot and one of the passengers were transported to a local hospital for minor injuries; the other two passengers were treated at the scene and released, deputies said.

The incident is still under investigation.

The sheriff’s office was assisted by Plainwell Department of Public Safety, Gun Plains Fire Department, Plainwell EMS and Life EMS.    

Allegan County Sheriff’s deputies responded Wednesday evening to a report of a car striking a pedestrian on 142^nd  Avenue and 38^th Street in Overisel Township.

Deputies learned that the pedestrian, Julie Nicole Genzink, 19, from the Bentheim area, suffered a significant head injury in the collision.  She was transported to the hospital where she underwent surgery last night and it currently in critical condition, according to deputies.

Genzink was jogging on 142^nd with a woman friend and was struck when the pair suddenly crossed 142^nd Avenue. Her friend made it across the road but Genzink was struck by the car as it was slowing in response to the first runner crossing the roadway, deputies said.

Two eye witnesses to the crash both stated that the runners did not appear to look before crossing the roadway and that the car was not able to avoid hitting the her.

The crash remains under investigation, however, it does not appear that the driver of the vehicle was at fault, officials said. The investigation will continue, and when complete, will be reviewed by the prosecutor’s office. The driver will not be identified until the prosecutor reviews the report.

 The sheriff’s office was assisted by the Michigan State Police, Overisel Fire Dept. and AMR.

WBCH offers this space to area school superintendents to highlight news in their districts. This posting is from Hastings Area School System Superintendent Carrie Duits.

"The Hastings Area School System (HASS) is blessed by the generosity of our community! We are thankful for everyone who supports our schools and students—whether through their time, talent, caring or financial donations.

Monday evening, the HASS Board of Education had opportunities to express their

gratitude for all of the above!

Prior to its regular meeting, the board held a reception for retiring teachers and staff who are leaving with a combined 349 years of service! During their time at HASS, many have gone above and beyond what was expected, and our students benefited from their time, talent, and caring.

We can’t express enough about how much we appreciate all that they have done.

The board adopted a resolution honoring the following staff who are retiring effective with the end of the 2016 -17 school year: Kay Acker, Raymond Boulay, Rebecca Bradley, Cynthia Clark, Christopher Cooley, Charmaine Henke, Kitty Hoke, Nancy Jenks, Judith Johnson, Steven Kogge, Sue McKeough, Ellyn Main, Rebecca Parker, Mary Pennington, Wilbur Raab, and Kurt Schaaf. Thank you one and all!

Later in the meeting the board once again expressed its gratitude- this time for the generosity of the community—accepting with great appreciation, the following donations totaling $91,297.46.

* Hastings Education Enrichment Foundation-- $9,316 for subscriptions to grade/age appropriate news magazines for the middle all elementary schools; transportation for middle school and elementary field trips; and Decision Day breakfast for seniors, staff and families and transportation to elementary schools for parades

* Edythe Marshall Estate-- $69,981.46 for an animal facility for the benefit of the middle school FFA

* Kisscross Events/Barry-Roubaix-- $400 for the high school FFA

* Hungry Games-- $6200 additional donations to support the backpack meals program

* Anonymous-- $3,000 for transportation for the summer lunch program

* Al & Pete’s Sports Shop-- $400 to support students in need

* FHI-- $1,000 to provide a maker space lab at Northeastern

* Wal-Mart-- $1,000 to Central to purchase school supplies

We are overwhelmed with the generosity of our community—thank you one and all!

The board also approved the list of students eligible for Hastings High School diplomas as submitted. We are very proud of the 194 Saxons who are graduating this year. And we are thankful for all our teachers, staff and our community that have supported them every step of the way!

Congratulations Class of 2017!”

The latest plan to repair the damage done in 2015 to the Little Thornapple River Drain by tree removal to prevent flooding has been submitted to the DEQ for review and approval, Barry County Drain Commissioner Jim Dull said Tuesday.

Aaron Snell, co-owner of Streamside Ecological Services, submitted a revision of an earlier restoration plan that has been at the DEQ for months.

Dull said he is optimistic that this plan will be approved after working with DEQ officials, Snell and the other members of the Intercounty Drain Board.

The board has jurisdiction over the drain which has parts in Barry, Ionia and Kent counties. Drain Commissioners of the three counties sit on the board.

Dull anticipates the DEQ will approve the plan, and submit it to the Environmental Protection Agency. “They might make some tweaks, but I expect to move ahead,” he said. “Everyone just wants to get it done."

"With the exception of one property owner (along the affected area of the river) all of the other owners have said we could work on their property,” Dull said. That owner will work directly with the DEQ, he said.

With the various approvals, and oversight by the DEQ, work can begin. In the meantime, the Intercounty Drain Board attorney will produce an agreement for the board and the DEQ on the scope of the work to be done, Dull said.

In 2016, Barry Dispatch 911 moved to the next generation of technology with the switch to fiber optics from copper wires and become part of the NextGen Network. 911 Director Phyllis Fuller in the annual report Tuesday, said the new system means prioritizing of calls, back up service in an outage, and the ability to transfer its operations to other service centers along with other advantages.

“Fiber is good news for us,” she said. “It has opened so many doors for us.”

Central Dispatch also developed and adopted a new 911Service Plan in 2016, replacing the last update in 2009. The plan contains enforcement power in a new Emergency Service Ordinance.

No person shall intentionally place a false 911 call, engage in a swatting hoax in the county, knowingly engage in call jumping, impede first responders from reaching an emergency, or fail to forward 9121 calls or texts are a few of the restrictions.

Fuller also listed several statewide awards earned by the “phenomenal staff that do a fantastic job.” Going forward, the center will continue to work to keep up with technology, retain telecommunicators in the high stress positions and continue its involvement with the state legislature, she said.

The annual report included charts of 911 calls for service by the month over 2013-2016, showing a 35 percent increase over the years, and a call for service by type for 2012-2016, with the vast majority of calls for police. A 2016 call summary showed the numbers of outbound, land line,  wireless, abandoned, text, and nonemergency calls.

Fuller supplied a history of the operating budget, with millage collected, budgeted amounts and actual expenditures for 2012-2016. The 911 board very is careful with its funds and has a healthy fund balance, she said.

That has allowed them to use some of the fund and not levy all of the taxpayer approved millage for several years, something she thinks will happen again this year.  In 2012 and 2014, they levied three quarters of a mill instead of a full mill, and 6/10 of one mill in 2013.

“We’re really unique. There aren’t many other departments that have that leeway,” she said.

Scott Monroe, plant manager and now also interim general manager of the Southwest Barry County Sewer & Water Authority, had his salary raised at Tuesday’s board meeting.

The board approved the raise because of the increased workload with a “mix of his previous and the new position as interim general manager.” 

Chairman David Messelink, who represents Hope Township on the board, said he checked and found the supervisor of the Gull Lake Sewer and Water Authority makes $97,500 a year with benefits.

A $1,000 a month raise, and keeping his present benefits, was set for 90 days to see if both parties will want to continue the arrangement. If it becomes permanent after the 90 days, Monroe will receive $88,775 annually, up from the present $77, 775.

Monroe, who has been with the authority for 23 years,  offered to hold off the raise for 90 days, but the board declined, making it effective the next pay period.

Messelink said he expects Monroe to, “rise to the challenge and do an excellent job.”

In a split decision at a May 4 special meeting, the board fired former manager Mark Doster after months of wrangling about his pay, hours worked and accessibility to the public.

Messelink, Barbara Earl, representing Johnstown Township; Wes Kahler, from Barry Township, and Matt Peake, Hope Township, voted to terminate Doster.  Jim Stoneburner, Prairieville Township, voted “no.”

In the next few weeks, the full board, along with Monroe, will work on a job description and duties for the combined positions. Still to be negotiated is a separation package with Doster.//

Monroe said he has talked to officials at Gilmore Car Museum about possible sewer service and will talk again about their future plans, what they have on site now and go over a feasibility study of a sewer district including the museum recently completed by Prein & Newhof. He also asked the firm to develop a bid on engineering costs for the project, “if we move forward.”

In other business, the board approved leasing a fingerprint/ time clock system for employees at the office and the plant for $2,016 a year. The biometric time clock system comes from Advanced Time Management, from Canton, with guarantees of replacement of a system within 24 hours, if needed.

And, security cameras will be installed at the authority office with coverage of the parking lot and entrances and at the plant, also covering the parking area and entrances, from Prudential Alarm & Security. from Oak Park, at a cost not to exceed $5,000 for installation, equipment and training. Camera footage will be available for 30 days, then be recorded over.

The Barry County Board of Commissioners Tuesday unanimously approved the replacement of the Gun Lake Dam on Marsh Road in Orangeville Township.

The dam was saved from collapse in May of 2015 by temporary emergency measures. Land and Resource Engineering (LRE) recommended a new control structure made of steel to protect public safety, properties around the lake and preserve natural resources. An informal meeting of residents from around the lakes showed all in favor of replacing the dam.

The vote approving the replacement of the dam by LRE was put off two weeks to give county Attorney Doug Kelly time to review the agreement language.

The Allegan County Board of Commissioners has approved replacimg the dam, which was required within 60 days of Barry County’s approval.

Commissioners also approved:

*a contract for two years with Iris Waste Diversion Specialists for $40,000 per year for recycling coordination in the county.

*the purchase 12 color copiers from Ricoh Corporation for  $52,522.33 with five years maintenance, supplies and training and $003 for black and white copies and $.03 for color.

*entry into the Michigan Department of Agricultural Farmland and Open Spaces Preservation, more commonly known as PA 116, for Norman and Kim Hammond in Section 2 of Barry Township and Brad Smelker in section 7 of Carlton Township, and partial termination of PA 116 for property owned by Brian Leudke in Section 24 of Carlton Township.

Looking for excitement this Memorial Day weekend?  Celebrate the official kick-off to summer at the 11th annual Charlton Park Day Saturday, May 27 from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

A new exhibit, “Tangled Alliances: The United States in WWI,” is on display at the stone museum building, along with crafts, activities and treats throughout the Historic Village.  Watch master craftsmen in action in the blacksmith shop and fiber spinning in the township hall. 

Sample cookies and bread baked on a wood stove in the Sixberry House and the Bristol Inn.  Popcorn and balloons are available at the Upjohn House. 

Two bounce houses will be there for the kids to enjoy.  Cowboy Tommy and his fancy roping tricks are featured at 12:45 p.m.  Hop aboard one of the park’s trams for a tour of the park between noon and 3:30 p.m.

Several organizations, including Barry County’s Central Dispatch, Transit Authority, Road Commission, Commission on Aging, YMCA and Mid-Michigan Mounted Color Guard will be attending with goodies and information.  Fingerprinting for children will be done by the Barry County Sheriff’s Posse.  WBCH 100.1 FM will host a live radio remote as well.

The mission of Charlton Park Day is to honor Barry County residents who have supported the Park for the past 81 years.  Thanks to 38 generous community donors, the entire day is free to everyone with no tax dollars used.  Stop by for lunch and bring your appetite.  Free grilled hot dogs, chips, ice cream, and bottled water will be provided to all visitors while supplies last.

“Representatives from the Michigan Longbow Association, Civil War reenactment, Barry County Youth Day and Gas & Steam Engine Club will be onsite to promote upcoming park events,” Stacey Graham, event coordinator said.  “The 1890 Corley Sawmill will also be running”.

The Park is now open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily so stop by to swim, boat, picnic or hike today.

Historic Charlton Park is southeast of Hastings at 2545 South Charlton Park Road. For more info, visit www.charltonpark.org or call 269-945-3775.

Photos

Upper left: Cowboy Tommy and his amazing rope tricks are popular with kids at Charlton Park Day.

Lower left: Barry County Commissioner Vivian Conner gives visitors a ride on the tram at last year’s Charlton Park Day.

A discussion what is and what is not a city park under various city codes and policies was held by the Hastings City Council Monday. City Attorney Stephanie Fekkes told the council the current city definition says a park is used for athletic events or sports, a place to bring interaction. Fekkes said in her mind, that does not fit the Thornapple Plaza which provides entertainment events, so would not be a park.

By consensus, the council asked City Manager Jeff Mansfield to add the word entertainment to the definition of a park and more language controlling those uses.

Also Monday, a public hearing at the June 12 meeting was set to take comments on a possible special assessment district on eight property owners, including the city, to pay for 2,025 linear feet of five-foot wide sidewalks at a cost of $153,000 along West State Street.

The new sidewalks will connect other sections already in place and make walking safer as people walk between destinations on the western edge of the city and future urban areas to the west, Mansfield said.

Riverside Cemetery on State Road will get an entry arch from low bidder Copperrock Construction for $64,600 as recommended by the Riverside Cemetery Advisory Board. The bid turned out to be $10,000 higher than the original estimate. The funds will come from an account held at the Barry Community Foundation.

Also, several years ago, the city intended to do away with pole mounted signs in favor of ground signs for traffic safety, grandfathering in existing pole mounted signs with a non-conforming status. The council approved amending the ordinance to require the removal of non-conforming poles before a ground mounted sign can be installed to prevent both signs being at the same location.

Two developers have submitted offers to the city to buy and rehabilitate the former Moose building. The council set a public workshop for 6 p.m. at the June 12 council meeting to hear the proposals details, “so that you can make a more informed decision,” Mansfield said.

The council also approved closing a portion of Market Street from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. during Wendy’s 18^th annual Classic Car Show on June 16 and also Sidewalk Sales days in the downtown area on July 7 and 8.

Andrew Ortwein, a local resident, was given the go-ahead by the Hastings City Council Monday to create a Food Forest in Bliss Park by planting fruit trees, bushes and plants on about 0.5 acres that is now open space, to be open to all residents to harvest.

The area will be planted and cared for by sponsors, and others, with trees including  paw paw, apple, peach, pear and cherry; shrubs such as cranberry, blueberry, gooseberry and gojiberry and vines like grape raspberry, hardy kiwifruit and blackberry.

Ortwein said the list is preliminary and things can be added or subtracted.

Forest gardening is low-maintenance sustainable plant based food production incorporating fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs and vines and perennials vegetables with yields directly useful  to humans, he said.

Ortwein plans to work with MSU Extension in plant selection to assure compatible plants and trees and with civic clubs and others to raise fund for the plantings. No city funding or staff work would be required, he said. Seattle, Detroit and other places are developing food farms.

Also Monday, with council approval of  the Department of Public Services Director Lee Hays recommendations, the DPS will:

*enter a $52,416 contract with A-I Asphalt for milling and resurfacing city streets,

*purchase a Hurco Valve Trailer for $58,695, to be used to “exercise” some 480 water valves in the city. The machine will open and close the valves, some that haven’t been opened since they were installed. The machine is not as likely to break the valves as opening it manually, Hays said. He hopes to find valves now that may break in the middle of winter. Councilman Bill Redman said he considered it, “preventive maintenance,”

*complete the sale by auction of a 2001 Rosco Vibrastar III roller, two 1995 Lawnboy push mowers, and a 1951 Horner welder.

WBCH offers this space to area school superintendents to highlight news in their districts. This posting is from Maple Valley Superintendent Michelle Falcon.

“It is official. We have been granted nearly $300,000 to complete the air conditioning at the elementary buildings this summer. 

With the cooperation of our union leadership, board, and administration, we were able to acquire a year round school grant by agreeing to a year round calendar for our Pathways High School. 

This was a competitive grant which only certain districts met the qualifications. The state set aside $1.5 million dollars to award schools who submitted a complete and quality grant. 

There is so much to be grateful for at Maple Valley Schools. As we know climate controlled classrooms make a positive difference in our learning environment. 

GO LIONS!”

Boat Smart. Boat Safe. Wear it.

Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf is alerting those who go boating that they will encounter hazards and risks.  It is important to make an emergency less likely to happen by managing those risks, such as wearing a life jacket. “Playing safely will make your time on the water much more fun, he said.”

During National Safe Boating week, May 20-26, the emphasis will be on safety on the water, especially the use of life jackets by everyone on or near the water.

Leaf said life jackets can be the difference between life and death in many boating accidents. Each year, on average, 700 people die in boating related accidents and eight of every 10 victims were not wearing a life jacket. “Thousands of people would be alive today had they taken the simple precaution of wearing a life jacket when they went out on the water,” said Virgil Chambers, executive director of the National Safe Boating Council.

Leaf also stressed the importance of regular maintenance checks of life jackets. When jackets fail to inflate properly, the results can be life threatening.

The national safety campaign is designed to reach more than 70 million boaters in North America and bring this year’s life-saving message: Boat Smart. Boat Safe. Wear it.

The campaign is a partnership of the National Safe Boating Council, the U.S. Coast Guard and National Association of State Boating Law Administrators.

The Carlton Township Board has sent Barry County Administrator Michael Brown a letter notifying him that by unanimous vote, they intend to submit a claim to the county’s insurer, MMRMA, for payments its citizens have made through special assessments to pay for reconstruction of work on the Little Thornapple River Drain.

The administrator’s office has not received the letter as of Thursday, May 18.

The letter, dated April 10,  unanimously approved by the board on May 8, said it wants to recover, “past and future charges being mandated to Carlton Township for additional work outside of the scope of the original contract.”

The contract to remove trees along part of the Little Thornapple River Drain by Geiger Excavating in September of 2014 soon led to property owners complaining of trees being cut and left lay, bank erosion, loss of ground cover along the river’s banks, lowered property values and general devastation of the river and their property.

In response, the Intercounty Drain Board stopped the work, and hired Streamside Ecological Services to develop a plan agreeable to the DEQ to repair the damage.

The DEQ rejected the first  plan from Streamside, the second, submitted in March of 2016, and is still being negotiated by officials and the DEQ.

With little or no work done on the basic problems along the drain,  the drain board has levied $330,000 on property owners in Ionia and Barry County.As of Feb. 7, this year, the drain board has  paid $182,286.03 in legal fees to two law firms and $85,315.23 to Streamside.

Carlton Township Supervisor Brad Carpenter did not return calls seeking a comment.

The Barry County Board of Commissioners liability insurance is through the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority a self-insurance pool formed by counties in 1980 to  provide liability and property coverage to municipal governments. 

The case against the former Barry County Animal Shelter Director Billie Jo Hartwell, scheduled for a probable cause hearing in front of Judge Michael Schipper in District Court Wednesday, was instead moved to a preliminary exam on June 1 at 2:30 p.m.

Hartwell was charged in early April with one count of misconduct in office, a felony common law offense that carries a maximum of 5 years in prison.  

The charge against Hartwell stems from a combination of alleged acts of misconduct, ranging from unauthorized taking of dog food to inappropriate conduct toward a Barry County Jail inmate worker.

County inmates work at the shelter and other county entities in a work release program.

A Freedom of Information request for the Barry County Sheriff’s investigation was first extended because the investigation was not complete, then denied for the same reason.

The initial hearing set for  April 12 was adjourned because her Attorney, Jeffrey Portko, with Advocate Law Offices in Grand Rapids, was to be in federal court. The next scheduled hearing, for May 3, was adjourned because another person had stepped forward with an additional complaint against Hartwell, but hadn’t been interviewed by investigators.

Hartwell was fired from the shelter position the third week in April. She is free on bond. 

Memorial Day is a federal holiday on the last Monday in May to remember those who died for their country while in the armed forces. Originally called Decoration Day, an organization of Union veterans in 1868 established it as a day to decorate the graves of the fallen veterans with flowers.

Many towns, villages and townships observe the day with ceremonies to salute the veterans, including Hastings, Middleville, Hickory Corners, Nashville, Orangeville and Yankee Springs townships, and Caledonia. What follows is a listing of area activities on Sunday, May 28 and Monday, May 29.//

The Hastings American Legion Post # 45 annual Memorial Day Parade will be different this year with the completion of the Veteran’s Plaza at Tyden Park. The memorial to all veterans from all branches of the military service covering all the conflicts and wars has been several years in the planning.

It is now a reality and will be dedicated Monday, May 29.

The parade will begin at the corner of Boltwood and State Streets at 9:30 a.m. Post 45 Color Guard, followed by the Post’s Cooperative Honor Guard, will lead the parade west on State Street to Broadway, north on Broadway to Tyden Park and to Veteran’s Plaza.

Wreaths will be placed at the Soldier’s Civil War Monument and  other monuments honoring all veterans. A rifle salute will be followed by the playing of  Taps. The dedication of the plaza will then be conducted with presentation of the American flag as well as six flags representing the branches of the military services and POW-MIAs. The Hastings High School band will play the anthems of each branch of service and end with the national anthem.

Thirty Minutes later, the Riverside Cemetery service honoring the veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic will be conducted at the cemetery.  The gravesite of the most recently buried veteran at the cemetery will receive a wreath, a rifle salute and the playing of Taps. As with previous years, no political signs, banners, sirens or horns, candy or pamphlets will be distributed.

“This parade and dedication are solemn occasions to honor military personnel who have given the ultimate sacrifice to uphold and defend the freedom and ideals of America,” said Jim Atkinson, parade chairman.

Prairieville:

The Prarieville Memorial Day Parade begns at 1 .m., Monday, May 29.

Caledonia:

Members of American Legion Post #305 will hold observances for fallen veterans at five cemeteries on May 29. The schedule: Alaska at 9 a.m., Blain at 9:45 a.m., Dutton at 10:30 a.m., Holy Corners at 11:15 a.m. and Caledonia at noon. The Main Street Memorial Day parade kick off follows.

Clarksville:

Lake Odessa VFW Post 4461 marks Memorial Day on May 29 beginning at 8:30 a.m. with the Post Color Guard leading the Clarksville Memorial Day Parade to be followed by observances at Clarksville and Woodland cemeteries and by a final memorial at Lake Odessa’s Lakeside Cemetery.

Hickory  Corners:

Memorial Day activities begin with a pancake breakfast at the Hickory Corners Fire Department from 7 to 9:30 a.m. followed by  the parade at 10 a.m. sharp starting at Cadwallader Park. The parade’s 125 to 150 participants, Shriner’s Mimi-T’s, Delton and Gull Lake high school bands, kids on bikes and Boy/Girl Scout Troops march to the East Hickory Corners Cemetery for a memorial service honoring departed comrades and a fly over by the Civil Air Patrol (weather permitting).  Retired Colonel Frank Walker will be the guest speaker. A chicken bar-b-que at Simmonds-Williams American Legion Post 484 follows.

Middleville:

The annual Memorial Day Parade in Middleville steps off at 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 29, from McFall Elementary school, the marchers stop at the Thornapple River Bridge to lay a wreath to remember those who served on the waters, and Taps, 21 gun salute,National Anthem and fireworks. At Hope Cemetery on East Main and Sheridan, there will be an invocation, a local veteran tribute, the National Anthem sung and signed by TKMS and first graders of Mrs. DeVries' class,  a civilian fly over by Hastings Flying Club, Taps & echo, and a flag folding presentation  by Boy Scout Troop #327.   Breakfast is available at the United Methodist Church from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. 

Nashville:

This year’s Memorial Day Parade will begin on the north end of the village at 11 a.m. and march down Main Street, to Sherman, to Lakeview Cemetery for an observance to remember veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice. The public is invited show up at 10 a.m. to walk, ride their tractor, or horse, or decorate your kids bikes and be in the parade. After the parade, everyone is invited to a potluck at VFW Post 8260. Bring a dish to pass.

Orangeville:

The Memorial Day Service at the Veteran’s Monument at the Orangeville Township Hall begins at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 28.

Supervisor Tom Rook will welcome the visitors and introductions made by Trustee Robert Perino.

An invocation by Pastor Dan Bowman, from Orangeville Baptist Church, is followed by the Delton Kellogg Band under the direction of Sarah Knight, playing a medley of patriotic songs.

 Guest speakers are: John Rolland, Brigadier General, U.S. Army Ret; Vivian Krewson, former Sergeant, U.S. Army; Ed Ellard, former Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army; Brad Vandenberg, former Sergeant, U.S. Army and Bill Owen, Brigadier General, U.S, Army, Ret.

A reading of the deceased Honor Roll of all known Orangeville Township veterans, the laying of a wreath at the monument and the Hastings American Legion Post #45 Honor Guard 21-gun salute will be followed by Taps, concluding the ceremony.

Yankee Springs Township:

The township hosts a Memorial Day service on Sunday, May 28 at 4:30 p.m. at the Yankee Springs Fire Station on Payne Lake Road.

Photo: Ceremonies at Riverside Cemetery in Hastings at an earlier Memorial Day observance.

The Gun Lake Tribe and the U.S. Department of Agriculture  will present the Environmental Speaker Series: The Importance of Pollinators on Wednesday May 24, at 6:30 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. Dinner, also free, will follow the presentation at the Luella Collins Community Center, 419 126th Street Shelbyville. Speakers will be from the Gun Lake Tribe and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The decrease in pollinators in the United States over the last 20 years is a very serious concern.  The speakers will inform the audience about the important roles bees and other pollinators play in our ecosystem and what we can do to support and protect pollinators.

Attendees will be given a seed packet, or a small flowering plant, both native.

Anneke Vermeulen, a soil conservationist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will be part of the presentation.  She works with local farmers on conservation plans to manage resources responsibly for both humans and wildlife.

Pollinators are a strong passion of hers and she is looking forward to the opportunity to share her knowledge with the Gun Lake Tribe and all those who attend the May 24 event.

The 2017 Class of Hastings Police Cadets is continuing the program’s mission of giving back to the community, following in the footsteps of the first two classes. In their latest project, cadets attended the Household Hazardous Waste Collection on May 13, where they collected discarded batteries to sell to Padnos Louis Iron & Metal Company in Hastings, Sgt. Kris Miller said.

The cadets netted $361, and donated it to Barry County United Way. The money is earmarked to help fund a BCUW car seat program to be held in July, Miller said. Last year, cadets donated the proceeds from a similar effort to the YMCA to help kids pay for programs.

The cadets, all Hastings High School students, were busy throughout the school year, helping others by doing chores like raking leaves and washing windows around the COA building and for several elderly homeowners,  serving hot chocolate to “trick or treaters” on Halloween on Green Street and checking candy, helping during Easter Egg Hunts, entertaining kids with crafts and treats before they go to “Shop with a Cop,” cleaning up trash along the Hastings River Walk, and helping with a bicycle helmet fitting event, Miller said. This year’s class of Cadets will have its own graduation ceremony later this month.

Billed as Hastings Michigan Recycling Center for Barry County, Padnos recycles plastic bottles, electronic waste, aluminum cans, newspapers and all kinds of scrap. The Barry County Solid Waste Oversight Committee sponsors two Household Hazardous Waste Collections a year.

Photo (upper left) Taking part in the check presentation to the Barry County United Way are (from left) Hastings Police Sgt. Kris Miller, Cadets Joshua Sherwood and Carson Winick, BCUW Executive Director Lani Forbes and BCUW Community Input and Veterans Affairs Coordinator Pattrick Jansens.

Photo (left) Hastings Police Cadets who worked at the May 13 Hazardous Household Waste Collection are (front row, from left) Dakota Chilton, Allyson O'Dell, Justin Voshell, Hayden McMahon, (back row) Deputy Chief Dale Boulter and Cadets Hunter Tyner, Carson Winick, Joshua Bachman and Joshua Sherwood. 

A Hastings resident according to the Hastings Police Department  was scammed out of $500.00 when he went on line to locate a company to repair his computer. The company charged him $300.00 for their service. Shortly there after the company contacted him telling him they were told by another source they must return his $300.00 plus a another $100.00. The check to him was for $1,200. He was to take out the $400.00 and send the rest by gram to China. When he went to the store to send the gram it was not working. He was advised then to purchase $500.00 in gift cards and send the verification codes. That's when he discovered he was scammed out of The $500.00.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer and also causes wrinkles, blotches or spots on your skin.

The good news is that skin cancer can be prevented, and it can almost always be cured when it’s found and treated early.

During the month of May, join the Barry-Eaton District Health Department in taking action to prevent skin cancer and reduce the risk of UV damage by taking these simple steps today to protect your skin:

* Stay out of the sun as much as possible between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

* Use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher. Put on sunscreen every 2 hours and after you swim or sweat.

* Cover up with long sleeves and a hat.

* Check your skin regularly for changes.

For more information on skin cancer prevention strategies, visit www.skincancer.org or www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/barryeatonhealth and stay tuned for a series of webinars offering child care centers, recreational facilities and outdoor workers easy-to-implement skin cancer prevention tactics.

Ionia County Sheriff Dale Miller wants teens in Ionia County to have a fun and memorable experience at this year’s graduation and graduation open houses. To ensure that teens stay safe, he is reminding them and their parents that underage drinking is not only dangerous but it is against the law. 

“You can’t have a memorable experience at graduation if you are unable to remember any of it because you have had too much to drink,” Miller said.

The consequences of underage drinking are serious.  Every year underage drivers under the influence of alcohol kill or seriously injure themselves or others in crashes.  In some communities a partnership between law enforcement and school officials prevents students who have been caught drinking from participating in extracurricular activities, he said.

Miller offers the following tips to prevent underage drinking and keep this year’s prom and graduation open houses safe for everyone in the community:

• Parents and other adults must remember that underage drinking is against the law. Not only is furnishing alcohol to someone under age 21 a crime, it sends the wrong message.

• Parents and teens both need to understand that “everybody is doing it” is just plain wrong! Being liked should never mean giving up your personal responsibility or caving in to social pressures. Parents have an obligation to set boundaries that tell teens which behaviors are appropriate and which are not. //

• Everyone in a community is responsible for preventing alcohol-related injuries. During graduation time retailers and others in the community have a responsibility to report suspicious activity to law enforcement.

Suspicious activity may include: Drinking and/or visible intoxication of a youth, someone purchasing a large quantity of alcohol, furnishing alcohol to a minor, or a teen using a false ID and prom parties hosted in hotel rooms

 “Keep safe during your end of school celebrations,” Miller warns. “If you are a teen, don’t drink or use drugs. If you are a parent, remain vigilant about what your teen is doing. By making it inconvenient for kids to drink, you just may save a life.”

The Barry County Commission’s committee of the whole unanimously recommended entering a contract for a solid waste coordinator to provide the resources and expertise to help create and expand sustainable recycling in the county.

Frank Fiala, chairman of the Barry County Solid Waste Oversight Committee, proposed a two-year contract with Iris Waste Diversion Specialists, Inc. to work with township leaders and others to increase recycling in the county.

“Iris has a wealth of experience in the recycling arena, and has a strong track record in providing similar services for units of government throughout the State of Michigan,” Fiala said.

The $40,000 a year cost is to be paid from the Barry County Solid Waste Fund, which Fiala said has been built up over time.

Sarah Archer, president of Iris, will work with the BCSWOC, township and local units of government, other organizations and the solid waste industry to coordinate and improve recycling through source reduction, source separation, recycling and reuse.

Archer will first “explore all facets of recycling” in Barry Country, and work with others to coordinate efforts to keep items out of the landfill and “improve what we have,” Fiala said.

Archer noted that Michigan does half the rate of recycling of neighboring states, with a recycling rate of just 14 percent.

“You can’t force residents to recycle, but you can give them opportunities,” Commission Chairman Ben Geiger said, adding that some townships in the county have effective recycling programs. //

Also Tuesday, IT Director David Shinavier’s request to buy 12 new copiers/printers for the county was also recommended for approval by the committee. Shinavier had earlier approval to seek bids for copiers; nine companies responded. The goal is to have all the copiers with one vendor, one contract and the same age, Shinavier said, which will bring lower price and maintenance costs.

The low bidder, Ricoh Corporation, asks  $52,522.33 for the dozen machines with five years maintenance, supplies and training.

The IT department will sell some of the older copiers and keep at least four for other county offices that use copiers less frequently, like in the Courts & Law basement where records are kept.

The cost for black and white copies is 0.0030 and 0.0300 for color copies. The county produces about 92,000 copies a month.

Commissioners also recommended approval of entry into the Michigan Department of Agricultural Farmland and Open Spaces Preservation, more commonly known as PA 116, for Norman and Kim Hammond in Section 2 of Barry Township and Brad Smelker in section 7 of Carlton Township, and partial termination of PA 116 for property owned by Brian Leudke in Section 24 of Carlton Township.

The recommendations are expected to be acted on at the next regular board meeting.

Barry County Commission Chairman Ben Geiger issued a clarification after Tuesday’s meeting on the commission’s future consideration of a millage request to fund a new Commission On Aging building.

Commissioners will not vote next week on the issue, but instead will discuss several issues over the coming weeks regarding revised ballot language, discussing paring the size of  the building from 25,000 square feet to 20, 000 square feet, and the size of the millage, “to save some taxpayers dollars,” Geiger said. The initial plan was for a 20 year, 0.1843 millage request on the Nov. 7  ballot to fund a new $6 million Commission on Aging building.

A resolution approving an Aug. 8 ballot request was ready for a vote at Tuesday’s special board meeting, but COA Director Tammy Pennington said she preferred a November date to give them time to answer questions and provide information to the people.

By consensus, the commission agreed to change the resolution language to Nov.7 and now have until Aug. 15 to submit revised ballot language.

The latest, updated financial figures show a new 25,000 square foot building closer to M-43 at its present site on Woodlawn Avenue that would cost $5.5 million; adding architectural costs of $385,000 and the cost of bonding, $135,000, brings the total of $6 million.

Funding the project as presented, would require a 20-year bond; with 4.5 percent annual interest, the requested millage would be 0.1843 mills. Barry County property owners with a taxable value of $50,000 would pay, on average, $3.27 the first year and $9.22 in subsequent years. //

Pennington, who gave the COA’s  annual report at the committee of the whole meeting immediately before the special board meeting, answered several questions from commissioners.

After consulting similar counties COA’s with like facilities, Pennington expected savings of approximately $19,632 annually by making Meals on Wheel meals in house in a new commercial kitchen and anticipated growth of the adult day services. She anticipated more savings from other programs, fund raising events and other services.

With more room, adult care could serve 15 to 20 adults, up from nine. Wheelchairs and  walkers hamper movement in the small space they have now, she said.

Pennington said the “big room” that the community uses frequently for special meetings,  holds 180 and would go to 300. With more space, they wouldn’t have to set up and take down every event they have in the big room. With dedicated smaller rooms, say for computer use and instruction,  they could run two programs at one time, without having set it up and tear it down,” she said. “Overall, it would help our core mission.”

Without a new building, the cost for maintaining the current building would be approximately $175,000 to $200,000.

Asked they could forgo repairs for a while if the millage passed, she said: “We could get by for two years, if a new building was at the end of the rainbow.”

The COA board met last week and passed a resolution supporting a millage request for August or November. The last COA millage request of 0.497 mills for 10 years was approved by voters in 2015.

A second proposal to move the COA into the Barry Eaton District Health Department building, the BEDHD into the Friend of the Courts building, the FOC into the empty Michigan State University’s Extension offices in the Courts & Law Building at a cost of  $5.5 million was not discussed.

Kent County Sheriff’s Office deputies are not releasing the names or gender of a pair of 21-year-olds who suffered non-life threatening injuries in a 5:30 a.m. crash in Caledonia Township today (Monday).

Deputies report a Caledonia Township resident was driving a Toyota northbound on Thornapple River Drive, south of 68^th Street when the vehicle left the roadway, drove into a cemetery, over several headstones, and stopped when it hit a tree.

The driver was transported by ambulance to Spectrum  Hospital; the passenger, from  East Lansing, was transported by ambulance to Metro Hospital. Oficials said alcohol may have been a factor.

The crash  remains under investigation.

The cemetery is owned and maintained by Caledonia Township. The township clerk was made aware of the damage to the headstones, which date back to the 1800s.

The sheriff’s office was assisted by Caledonia Fire/Rescue and Life Ambulance.

The Hastings Police Department presented a check to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital with the proceeds funds raised in the Hastings Cops versus Hastings Teachers fundraising game in honor of five-year-old Leo Loeks. More than  $6,200 was raised and donated to Helen DeVos where Leo, the son of Megan and Bill Loeks of Hastings, goes for treatment of leukemia.

Pictured at the presentation are, from left, Police Chief Jeff Pratt, Sgt. Kris Miller, Laurie Alighire, program coordinator for Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, and Amy Smelker, Star School Elementary principal. Pratt thanked “everyone involved who made the fundraiser a very successful event.”

A formal Vietnam veteran lapel pinning ceremony will be held in Barry County Saturday, June 10 in commemoration of the 50-year anniversary of the war. All interested residents and veterans are encouraged to join in paying tribute to the men and women who were too often forgotten when they returned home.

The event Saturday, June 10 at the Barry Expo, 1350 M-37, Hastings, is sponsored by State Senators, Mike Kowall, R-White Lake, and Mike Nofs, R-Battle Creek. The senators will present a Vietnam War Commemorative lapel pin to U.S. veterans who served on active duty at any time from Nov. 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975, regardless of location.  

The lawmakers are hosting the welcome home Vietnam veterans event to thank and honor Vietnam veterans and their families, along with the Barry County Honor Guard, American Legion Post 484 Hickory Corners, American Legion Post 45 Hastings, American Legion Post 140 Middleville, Disabled American Veterans Chapter 7 Battle Creek, Military Order of the Purple Heart USA Chapter 110, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4461 Lake Odessa, and American Legion Riders Post 45.

RSVP to Barry County American Legion Commander Jim Gross at 616-328-1343 or by email at j.gross13@yahoo.com. 

Guest speaker will be Brigadier General Michael A. Stone, assistant adjutant general for installations for the Michigan Army National Guard and deputy director, Michigan Department of Military & Veterans Affairs.

“The commemoration honors all Vietnam veterans, whether they served in-country, in-theater, or were stationed elsewhere during the Vietnam War period,” Kowall said. “All were called to serve and the overwhelming majority of these veterans served honorably and admirably.”

“I’m honored and privileged to be able to present these Vietnam veterans with these Commemorative Lapel Pins,” Nofs said. “It’s a small token of our gratitude and appreciation for their sacrifice. That sacrifice will not be forgotten.”

 The commemoration was authorized by the U. S. Congress in 2012 to thank and honor Vietnam veterans and their families in hometown America in light of the 50th anniversary of the war.  Kowall has held numerous events throughout the state, often partnering with the senator of the district where the event is being held. “It is always a moving time for me when I am able to present the lapel pins and personally thank each veteran for their service,” Kowall said.

Gold Star Mothers or Gold Star Wives of the Vietnam era who would like to receive an “In Memory Of” pin at a future lapel pinning ceremony should contact Lynn O’Brien in advance of the ceremony at 517-373-0563.

The event is made possible in part by the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration.

For more, visit www.vietnamwar50th.com.

Grab a fishing rod and enjoy some of the finest fishing Michigan has to offer during the 2017 Summer Free Fishing Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, June 10 and 11.

That weekend, everyone – residents and non-residents alike – can fish without a license, though all other fishing regulations still apply. Also, the DNR will waive the fee for vehicle entry to Michigan’s 103 state parks and recreation areas for the free fishing weekend.

.

Before Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf gave his monthly report to the County Board of Commissioners Tuesday, he noted this is National Correctional Officers and Employees Week. The time to recognize the men and women who work in jails, prisons and community corrections, to raise awareness of the duties, hazards and sacrifices made by correctional workers.

Leaf said corrections officers work behind the scenes without a lot of publicity and suggested sending a card to a corrections officer to let them know they are appreciated.

The American Correctional Association (ACA) issued a proclamation saluting the thousands of women and men working in corrections, in administration, security or health care, in the federal system, a state system, a local facility, a private facility, or in a military facility, in an adult facility or a juvenile facility, in a prison, a jail, or a community-based program, saying the officers and workers are owed a tremendous debt of gratitude.

“Corrections professionals put their health, safety and lives on the line every day to maintain public safety, to reform and rehabilitate our nation’s offenders and perform many other duties. Our highly devoted corrections personnel do more than ‘guard’ offenders. They treat, counsel, train, teach and rebuild lives. They give hope,” the ACA message said.

The ACA encouraged correctional administrators and leaders as well as public officials to present awards and/or send letters of commendation and recognition to all those who have served in corrections dutifully, honorably and/or with distinction.

Sgt. Cleon Brown, a 19-year-veteran of the Hastings Police Department, has filed a lawsuit contending his civil rights were violated by racial discrimination when he revealed an Ancestry.com DNA test said he is 18 percent African.

The city, Police Chief Jeff Pratt, Deputy Chief Dale Boulter, Sgt. Kris Miller and City Manager Jeff Mansfield  were named in the federal lawsuit. The amount named in the suit is in excess of $500,000. The lawsuit has brought a response from the city (see related story).

Brown’s Attorney Karie Boylan, from Boylan Law in Rochester, said Tuesday they have not received the document. “We are waiting for their response to our complaint. I asked for them to come to the table to find a resolution…to  find remedies and a consent agreement; more training; put remediation rules in place, make the responsible people pay for what they did, so fences can be mended, to make the department the best it can be, so Cleon can support himself working in his profession.”

After Brown filed the suit, the defendants retaliated by un-friending him on Facebook and taking him off the official Hastings website, Boylan said. “When they used to have friendly banter when they passed in the halls, now they don’t talk to him,” she said. “Mansfield now doesn’t even acknowledge him.

“Cleon wasn’t allowed to play in the April 26 basketball game, something he has done for years. He was told he couldn’t attend sergeant’s school, then they said he could, but it had to be on off-duty time without pay, then they changed policies so he wouldn’t have time to do it, so he would fail. Chief Pratt wanted him to resign,” she said.

“I want to make abundantly clear this has to do with the main defendants,” Boylan said. “Eighty percent of the staff, the other officers and union rep all support him, making it tolerable to keep working. It is just the people in charge, the others are fine.” Brown is five years away from retiring, he needs to keep working, she added.

Brown’s health has suffered from the stress of the alleged harassment and retaliation, she said. “He sleeps in an upright position because of acid stomach. He has sores in his mouth from the acid.”

Boylan said when they get the city’s response, it will be followed by “four to six months of dealing with legal issues and then go to regular court.”

A Hastings police officer is suing the City of Hastings, and several officials for racial discrimination.

Sgt. Cleon Brown, a 19-year-veteran of the police department has named the city, Police Chief Jeff Pratt, Deputy Chief Dale Boulter, Sgt. Kris Miller and City Manager Jeff Mansfield in a federal lawsuit filed early last month alleging derogatory remarks to him about his race.

Brown contends after he told fellow officers in November, 2016, that an Ancestry.com DNA test said he was 18 percent African, several officers in the department harassed him on different occasions during November and  December 2016.

In a traditional event where officers put notes and other items in each others Christmas stockings during the holidays as a way to reduce the stress of their jobs, Brown a found black plastic Santa head with the number 18 percent in his stocking.

He said the harassment continued until Dec. 23, 2016. The law suit is for $500,000.

However, city attorneys issued a statement saying there are five elements Brown must meet to prevail in his charges of discrimination and he meets none of them.

“Sgt. Brown cannot demonstrate the elements necessary to prevail on a claim of illegal racial harassment with regard to the allegations contained in his Charge of Discrimination,”  the statement from Hastings officials said.

The five elements:

(1) He is a member of a protected class,

(2) He was subject to unwelcome racial harassment,

(3) The harassment was based on race,

(4) The harassment unreasonably interfered with his work performance by creating a hostile work environment and,

(5) The employer is liable for the harassment if they fail to take prompt and corrective action once they become aware of harassment.

The city’s response:

Racial discrimination laws were not designed to protect those who can demonstrate some trace amount of a particular race through testing, but on outward appearances that stereotype an individual.

Brown made a point to tell others of his heritage, he joked about it in a racially derogatory way himself, went to other officers and raised the topic and engaged in typical racial stereotypes. “Clearly, Sgt. Brown welcomed his interaction with other officers on this topic.” the statement reads. “In this case, the facts show that not only did claimant invite joking and banter regarding racial stereotypes because of his African heritage, but he never found them to be abuse or hurtful toward him,” according to the statement. //

 “Sgt. Brown did not mention the fact that he was offended by any actions of fellow officers during November and December, 2016, until February, 2017.” When he did, Pratt asked if there were any more instances of harassment, and Brown mentioned the black Santa.

Pratt told Brown he had made sure the Santa was removed at the time and told those who had seen the Santa there would be no more joking with Brown about his genetic test results. Brown acknowledged there were no incidents after Dec. 23, 2016.

Since the city took appropriate action to prevent any further harassment or any matter involving illegal harassment or discrimination, the city is not liable for the harassment, the statement concluded.

Brown was hired by the Hastings Police Department as a patrol officer on April 13, 1998.  He was promoted to Sergeant on January 30, 2016. 

Barry Transit Director Bill Voigt was gratified by the results of a survey taken on about how riders felt about using the transit service.

Conducted by a research team from Michigan State University and contracted through the MDOT, the survey found customer satisfaction was “very high” with the Barry County Transit.

“MSU actually conducted interviews of our clients on several of our buses all day long over a few days.  They did this at no cost to our taxpayers, too!” Voigt said. “As always there is some work to do but all in all, I think the ratings were quite high!  I think if you take out the high and the low it leaves a pretty fair picture.”

The survey was conducted on Feb. 24 and March 3 and 1, with data collected from 58 respondents.

The majority of respondents answered very satisfied for every question in the satisfaction category. The results of the trip purpose category showed the service is mostly used to travel from home to reach a destination, and the most common destination is also home. The questions on demographics, shows the most common Barry County Transit Authority riders are Caucasian/white 65 years or older and retired with no special needs.

For customer satisfaction, transit riders were asked 19 questions in seven categories: timeliness, comfort, cleanliness, information availability and ease of use, customer service, safety/security, and cost/value. In each category, the majority of respondents rated themselves “very satisfied.”// Forty five transit riders were asked what they would do if public transportation was not available. Forty five persons responded to the question. Forty percent said they would not make the trip; 

13 percent said they would look for alternative destination.

The remaining 46.7 percent would take the following alternative transportation options: 15.6 percent said they would walk, 15.6 percent said they would get a ride, 2.2 percent said they would drive and 13.3 percent said something else. The majority of respondents said their total combined annual household income was less than $10,000.

Some additional comments:

· “I am very happy that we have the transit. Almost all the drivers are friendly and easy going. You also have a great team on the phones. I just love Miss Mary, oh and Larry is a pretty good guy too. Keep up the great work Barry County Transit Team!”

· “One of the most exceptional transit systems I have ever encountered. Considerate and professional.”

· “Love the service”

· “Add hand sanitizer to buses”

· “I am 89, and have trouble getting on the bus, some help, others do not. Have requested the car but they say they always booked. I go to see my son in the nursing home. Have no other way to get there.”

· “I answered this for the whole time I have used the service, not just today's experience.”

· “Very good transportation services”

· “I am a first time rider and will definitely ride again!”

· “I am appreciative of the fact Barry County offers this service as I do not own a vehicle. Nothing negative to say.”

· “Service is fantastic and everyone is wonderful. Would like to see service expanded on Saturdays and running on Sundays (church)”

· “Great service. Thank you!”

Customer satisfaction was very good overall. Analysis of the final question of the survey, which asked if respondents had any additional comments, demonstrates that riders are pleased with their transit experience.

However, a few respondents commented that sometimes they find the drivers to be acting unprofessionally on the job or are unhelpful. This is especially true for the respondent who commented that they almost got hit by an agency bus.

It is recommended that the agency reiterate safety and timeliness measures with its drivers so that these issues are not of concern in the future.

The Delton Kellogg Board of Education has unanimously made its choice for its next superintendent.

Kyle Corlett, currently principal of Park Elementary in Three Rivers, was asked to negotiate a contract to lead the district after a special board meeting Monday 

The search started with Hartman Consulting in February, leading to interviews of seven candidates, that were narrowed to four for second interviews in late April. The board members who visited Park Elementary said they talked to officials, teachers and others and heard nothing but positive things about Corlett.

The goal is to have Corlett in place on July 1. Interim Superintendent Carl Schoessel leaves the district on June 30. Schoessel accepted the position in the summer of 2014, when officials were having difficulty finding a permanent replacement for retiring Superintendent Paul Blacken. Schoessel signed on for two years and agreed to stay an additional year.  Well known in the community, Schoessel was superintendent for the Hastings Area School System for more than 20 years.

Corlett taught English at Momence High School in Momence IL. from 2007 to 2013; was Curriculum Coordinator there 2013-2014; was Curriculum Director/Elementary Principal for Iroquois West Elementary Community Unit School District (CUSD) 10 in Gilman, IL. from 2013 to 2015 and principal at Park Elementary in Three Rivers from 2015 to present.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities at Cornerstone University, a Masters degree in Education from Olivet Nazarene University and is working toward a PhD in Educational Leadership:K-12 Leadership, at Western Michigan University, with anticipated course work completion in spring of 2018.

Corlett said it was an honor to be selected by the Delton Kellogg Board of Education. 

Barry County Commissioners and other colunty elected officials, will have their pay decided by others after they voted, 5 to 2 to set up a County Officer’s Compensation Commission to decide salaries for elected officials, other than judges. The new commission will be a seven-member independent body appointed by Commission Chairman Ben Geiger from a list of names submitted by the other commissioners. The commissioners would need to ratify Geiger’s choices, he said.

Determinations by the compensation commission would go into effect unless a super majority of the commission voted against it. If county commissioners do not act, the salaries would be effective in the first odd-numbered year after the committee’s determination. In answer to questions, Geiger said the commission members would get paid only mileage, not per diems, would set their own time table for considering salary increases and their own criteria; they do not have to follow the recommendations of the Segal Waters compensation study.

Commissioners Vivian Conner and Heather Wing voted no, with Conner saying she was elected to make decisions. “I’m not afraid to look at the compensation of elected officials and vote on those decisions,” she said. “I don’t want to delegate the process…I really feel we need to leave it in our hands. That’s what constituents want us to do.”

“I would just as soon not decide my own salary,” Commissioner Dan Parker said.

Barry County had a compensation committee until about  2003, when it was abandoned in favor of commissioners setting salaries. The new committee members could not be a member or employee of the legislative, judicial or executive branch of any level of government, or a member of that person’s immediate family, Geiger said.

Elected Barry County officials are the clerk, prosecutor, sheriff, register of deeds, treasurer, drain commissioner, surveyor and commissioners.

Also to do with salaries, in a memo to other Barry County Commissioners dated April 28, Geiger notified them that a recent action granting wage increases to the Barry County Courthouse Association employees, general fund department heads and non-represented (GFDHNR) employees in line with a compensation study, also would mean raises for Administrator Michael Brown.

“While the County Administrator has a separate employment contract, Michael was included in the list of GFDHNR employees that were granted salary increases effective May 1, 2017 through 2020, though the current agreement with the County Administrator expires December 31, 2019,” Geiger said.

Brown’s contract calls for salary of $103,334.40 annually in 2017 and any further increases or decreases in salary in 2017, 2018 and 2019, would be based on increases or decreases of other county managers, he said.

Brown was listed with the other GFDHNR employees approved for salary increases “off scale” but a corresponding off scale pay scale for the county administrator was not attached, Geiger said.

However, the county administrators position was one of the job titles that was compared in the study. Based on the comparison, the overall market maximum for the County Administrator’s position was $124,105, he said.

Following the same strategy used with the other employees, the market max in 2015 would be the 2020 target and salary adjustments for the administrator are as follows, he said: “Effective May 1, 2017, the salary will be adjusted for a 2017 annual salary of $106,314.95; effective 1/1/18 an annual salary of $113,201.10 and effective 1/1/19, an annual salary of $118,657.55.” //

Commissioners contracted for a classification and compensation study in September 2015 with Segal Waters Consulting Group for $92,500.  In the compensation part of the study, Barry County employee’s pay was compared to four geographical neighbors, Kent, Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Eaton counties. Based on population and taxable values, Montcalm, Ionia, Cass and St, Joseph counties were selected. Two cities, Kentwood and Kalamazoo were also compared. They were all asked to identify pay rates for 50 job titles, or benchmarks.

The commission also delayed approving the replacement of the Gun Lake Dam on Marsh Road in Orangeville Township by Land and Resources Engineering until May 23, to give county Attorney Doug Kelly time to do what Conner called “a little wordsmithing” on the agreement language.

An 18-year-old woman was struck and killed by a train in the Village of Lake Odessa just after midnight Wednesday.

“It appears that no one else was involved and early indications are that it was an accident or self induced, no foul play at all,” Lake Odessa Police Chief Mark Bender said.

The name can’t be released at this time, he said.

Barry Eaton District Health Department officials gave an update on data they can access and how they use it to the Barry County Commissioners Tuesday, but before the presentation, Citizen Jack Miner spoke, asking the commissioners to remember three things as they listened to the report.

“Thirty five percent of our residents receive some type of Social Security, $55,064 is the average household income in Barry County and six executives of the Barry Eaton District Health Department will cost the taxpayer close to three quarters of million dollars in this fiscal year,” he said.

The health department’s budget is about $6,350,000 and none of the departments under the control of the commission have executive costs that come near those numbers, Miner said.

“You have shared control of the health department with Eaton County and maybe it’s time to reconsider this arrangement.”

In the report, BEDHD Health Officer Collette Scrimger reported a 2016 highlight is that they are a nationally accredited Health Department after achieving accreditation from the Public Accreditation Board.

Anne Barna, evaluation manager, discussed data sources available on the department’s health statistics website, data from surveys for area schools, and phone surveys inside Barry County.

Other  data sources available to the health department include the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Statistics website,  the State of Michigan Profile for Healthy Youth, county health rankings, and the CDC, she said.

The Barry County Community Health Needs Assessment identified Chronic Disease, Mental Health, Obesity, Smoking and Tobacco Use and Opportunities for Physical Activity as top health concerns.

In other business Tuesday, the commissioners:

*officially named the former library/post office the Tyden Center for an early influential Hastings businessman, Emil Tyden. A survey on WBCH and the county website showed an overwhelming majority percent of respondents wanted it named after Tyden.

*approved the sheriff’s office upgrading technology with 10 new Kustom Signals Raptor speed radar detectors from low bidder Kustom Signals for $17,420.

*accepted the taxable value report for the county from Timothy Vandermark, equalization director.

* approved the 2018 budget calendar with specific dates for each step in the process from May to Oct. 24, 2017.

*approved the Office of Community Corrections 2018 grant application to the state for a total of $100,073. 

Lawrence Bauer American Post # 45 in Hastings will accept donations for poppies during May 18, 19 and 20 during Post #45 Auxiliary Poppy Days. Thursday, May 18 volunteers will be at K-Mart and Wal-Mart;  Friday, May 19 at K-Mart and Family Fare and Saturday. May 20 at K-Mart, Family Fare and Wal-Mart.

Since its inception, the red poppy signifying the blood lost by millions of Allied soldiers in World War 1, has lived up to its motto: “To honor the dead by helping the living,” by directly benefitting thousands of disabled American veterans. The movement is said to have been inspired by a poem by Colonel John McCrae.

Flander's Field by John McCrae:

“In Flanders Fields the poppies blow,

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky,

The larks, still bravely singing, fly,

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago,

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved and now we lie,

In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe

To you, from failing hands, we throw,

The torch, be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us, who die,

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow,

In Flanders Fields.”

Thanks to many dedicated volunteers, the Tyden Park Veterans Memorial is being finished and is expected to be dedicated Monday, May 29, after the Lawrence Bauer American Legion Post 45 annual Memorial Day Parade that steps off at 9:30 a.m. The limestone caps will be set on the brick piers this weekend, and the three foot tall black aluminum fence will be installed between the piers on the May 15^.

87^th District State Rep. Julie Calley, Portland, welcomes residents to office hours in two communities on Monday, May 22.

Calley will give attendees a legislative update before taking individual meetings of ten minutes each at:

* The Village of Lake Odessa, Page Memorial Building, 839 Fourth Avenue, Lake Odessa, from 11 a.m. to noon.

* The Barry County Courthouse, Commissioners’ Chambers in the mezzanine, 220 West State Street, Hastings, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

"District office hours allow me to learn more about the priorities of the people I serve,” Calley said. “I value their insight and welcome the opportunity to address questions." No appointment is necessary. Residents unable to attend scheduled office hours may send their questions and ideas to Calley at 517-373-0842 or via email at JulieCalley@house.mi.gov.

William C. Cobbs III is running for the governship of Michigan as a Democrat in 2018.

“I am not a politician...I’m a citizen who feels called to serve my community to steer us out of difficult times,” he said. “The state must restore public policy driven by its citizens.”

Cobbs attended Detroit public schools, and worked his way from stock boy in a Detroit clothing store to a Global Vice President in  Xerox Corporation.  A U.S. Navy veteran, Cobbs is retired from Xerox. "Now I coach promising Fortune 500 Company executives on how to listen to their customers, how to listen to their team and how to win,” he said.

He believes the way to take Michigan forward is to build a solid foundation, emphasizing a long term plan for fixing the state’s infrastructure, investing in a quality K-12 education for the state’s children and assuring access to safe, clean, affordable water.

Education: The foundation of a restored State of Michigan includes restoring K-12 public education through proper funding. A college tuition promise type fund. Every school should have a vocational program to teach plumbing, carpentry, electric, so those who don’t go to college can earn a living in Michigan. “If we don’t do it, we will be in deep trouble.”

Infrastructure: “Flint was at its core an infrastructure issue...if we have learned anything in Flint, it is that we need a state-wide 20 to 25 year infrastructure plan, he said. ”It would be paid for with 30-year municipal bonds. “That would provide work for any citizen who wanted it for the next 20-25 years.”

Environment: “We must have a water and environment policy that protects Michigan for Michigan people… a policy to restore and protect the Great Lakes and our inland waterways. Michigan is surrounded by 20 percent of the world’s fresh water supply, we have to protect  it.” He advocates shutting down the Enbridge pipeline under Lake Michigan  and saying “no” to any increase in water for Nestle. “Water is going to be the new oil,” he predicted.

Income tax fairness: Cobbs proposes a progressive income tax with no change in the current Michigan income tax rate of 4.25 percent tax for households earning up to $200,000 a year. The rate would progress gradually with a top-stop of 10 percent for households earning $600,000 or above. Cobbs said it will raise between $3.2 to $8 billion dollars in revenue. The additional dollars would service the municipal infrastructure bonds.

“Under Governor Rick Snyder, the state has made international headlines of mice infested schools, water shut offs and lead poisoning, I’m tired of Michigan going in the wrong direction.

“In Michigan, we have a ton of issues. People say what about insurance, what about this, what about that? If we have a foundation for the future, the rest will come. Take care of the most important issues first.”

Cobbs graduated from Cass Technical High School in Detroit, attended Wayne State Law School and the University of Michigan. Married for 36 years to Lisa Weaver Cobbs, the couple lives in Farmington Hills, have two children and a granddaughter.

Out of an abundance of caution, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development today issued a consumer advisory for 16.9 ounce Pepsi bottles distributed in Michigan under product codes HC022373 and HC022473.

An investigation initiated by a consumer complaint determined some of the products contained metal flecks due to a malfunction of equipment during bottling. Laboratory analysis identified the flecks as iron and chromium.

The metal flecks found during the investigation were very small (0.1 - 0.3 mm), but there is a concern that larger flecks could have been formed when the equipment failed. No known injuries or illnesses associated with these products have been reported to date.

The advisory applies only to 16.9 ounce plastic bottles of Pepsi-Cola – it does not apply to Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Zero Sugar, or any other Pepsi-Cola flavor variations, or any other package sizes.

Consumers are encouraged to check whether they have purchased Pepsi 16.9 ounce product with these lot codes, and if so, return the product to the place of purchase. Pepsi has removed all affected products from store shelves, but some of the products may have been purchased before the market withdrawal occurred.

Questions or concerns may be directed to Pepsi-Cola Consumer Relations at 866-433-2652 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT, or www.cu.pepsico.com/pepsi; or contact the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development at 800-292-3939.

Dwain Reynolds, a member of the Green Party from Yankee Springs Township, is running for governor of Michigan in 2018. A Democratic Socialist, Reynolds said, if elected, “I would listen to the people and ask what’s best for everyone. I would break the stranglehold the rich and big business have on our democracy. It’s about time they paid their dues; the taxes for the rich would increase drastically,” he said.

The high school Social Studies teacher believes with gerrymandering and other electoral issues,  big money, big business and special interests have taken democracy away from the people.

“We need to bring democracy back the people, make a Michigan where my votes count,” he said.

Businesses should be owned by the workers and have a say in who manages it and how money is spent and everybody should have the  ability to unionize, including those in prison, he said.

Nestle would not get water from Michigan, if he were governor, Reynolds said. “Nestle has no business taking water away from the people…that’s profit over people.”

"Education is incredibly important," he said. "We need well-rounded critical thinkers who can earn a living here. Schools need machine shop, metal works, plumbing and electrical training to certify a trade to make a living, work their way out of poverty and keep pursuing more education. And, make it absolutely free, not putting them into debt.”

The minimum wage should be $15 an hour, and Medicare and Medicaid retained. He would have the people vote on the state budget.

There would be no private electric and water companies; it would provided by municipalities with management elected by the people.

“I worry about the people I care about. Republican policies and ideology is hurtful. Democrats try, but it’s just band aids. We need somebody to stand up for the people who don’t feel they have a voice. I will be all inclusive and work with everybody.”

“I know I’ve got a long way to go. My run it not to fix things with band aids, but to reform the way we do things to make them better. I see a better future.” Reynolds said he accepts donations for his campaign from private donations only. To learn more about Reynolds visit: reynoldsformichigan.com.

Photo: Dwain Reynolds

An article saying that a Hastings police officer, Sgt. Cleon Brown, is suing the City of Hastings, its police chief, two police officers and its city manager for violating his civil rights, was aired in a news story on WOOD TV Saturday.

WBCH e-mailed City Manager Jeff Mansfield, Police Chief Jeff Pratt, and Brown’s attorney Karie Boylan, early Saturday morning asking for comment.

Pratt said that all comments on the matter will be handled by Mansfield.

“We are simply not at liberty to provide comment on this matter at this time,” Mansfield said. “We are of course in the process of addressing these allegations through the appropriate channels.  We will do so as expeditiously as possible.”

Brown’s attorney alleged that Brown was harassed and his civil rights violated by fellow officers after he learned that he was 18 percent black, the news story said.

The city, Pratt, Mansfield, Deputy Chief Dale Boulter, and Sgt. Kris Miller are named in the suit, according to the aired report, which also said the lawsuit is for in excess of $500,000. WBCH will attempt to learn more details about the charges, where they were filed, the attorney for the city and possible court dates, as well as comments from Boylen and Brown.

Photo: Sgt. Cleon Brown displays a police camera mounted on his glasses in a file photo.

In a special meeting May 4, the Southwest Barry County Sewer and Water Authority board opened the meeting, and went into an hour and a half closed session with Attorney Scott Dwyer from Mika, Meyers.

They came back into open session and voted 4-1 to eliminate the administrator and project manager positions, thus ending Administrator Mark Doster’s employment with the authority.

The motion to terminate Doster also made Plant Manager Scott Monroe interim general manager for the time being.  The board will look at a salary adjustment for a general manager, and also negotiate a separation package with Doster.

The action comes after months of questions about Doster’s pay, hours worked and accessibility to the public. Barry County Commissioner David Jackson has brought up Doster’s pay at several board meetings, charging he was being paid full-time wages for a part-time  job.

A shaken Doster asked for a few minutes to think before making a comment on his dismissal.

David Messelink, chairman; Barbara Earl, representing Johnstown Township; Wes Kahler, from Barry Township, and Matt Peake, Hope Township, voted to terminate Doster.  Jim Stoneburner, Prairieville Township, voted “no.”

In his response, Doster traced his involvement in the sewer serving Southwest Barry County from when, as a Barry County Commissioner in the early 1990s, he voted to approve funding for the system, to as Prairieville Township Supervisor, he served on the authority board, and became its chairman.

Doster said the system was then facing severe financial trouble and lawsuits, which he helped resolve by refinancing a large debt, saving the authority money and raising the user rates to finish paying the debt. He became administer of the authority in 2005.

The authority has avoided raising rates since by expanding the service to Long, Gilkey and Guernsey lakes, Delton, Cloverdale and other areas, he said. “All were extraordinarily successful.”  

He praised authority employees, saying they worked well together, and the 2,200 to 2,300 people on the system who helped solve the problems.

“We’ve had 12 years of extraordinary success ,we’re in fine financial position. I always had a policy of treating everyone fairly, everyone like a human being. I’m extremely proud of what I’ve done here.”

In other business, the board increased the authority office hours immediately to 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.  The board is considering a fingerprint system as a “time clock,” and security camera system for both the plant and office, and will act on that at its regular board meeting May 23 meeting. //

Messelink later issued the following statement:

“Tonight we turned the page and tomorrow we begin writing a new chapter in the history of the Southwest Barry County Sewer & Water Authority. The board, after reviewing the Authority’s operations, finances, structures, and needs, has decided to go in a different direction by eliminating the Administrator & Project Manager positions and creating, at least on a temporary basis, the position of General Manager.

Scott Monroe, the current plant manager, has been appointed to be the general manager on an interim basis and will serve in that capacity until further notice. The board will decide the exact direction and implementation in the coming months.

“The board and all employees of the authority remain fully dedicated to providing the best service and support possible to our customers. We are excited about the opportunities ahead to better serve our community.”

Thanks to the Bissell Pet Foundation’s latest statewide Empty the Shelter event, 1,530 pets found forever homes, according to the Foundation.

The Grand Rapids-based non-profit paid all adoption fees at 65 shelters and rescue organizations, including the Barry County Animal Shelter, on April 29.  

 “All of the adoptable cats that were in the shelter (nine) were adopted.  Seven dogs were adopted, only two senior dogs were not,” County Administrator Michael Brown reported.

Adopting families paid only the licensing fees, which vary by county from $7 to $12. Bissell picked up the rest and also gave each family an AdoptBox.

A roundup of the results of requests by area schools for bonds and millage on May 2 shows both approvals and rejections by the voters.

Delton Kellogg Schools request for renewal of  the 18 mill non-homestead millage for four years passed, 604 to 546.

Kent Intermediate School District voters passed an enhancement millage request for  0.9 mill for 10 years, 39,996 to 34,193. Barry County voters in the Intermediate voted against the proposal, 1,110 to 816.

Kalamazoo  Educational Service Agency’s request for renewal of 1.5 mills for three years in Regional  Enhancement Millage passed 16,833 to 10,386. Barry County voters tallied 101 “no” votes to78 “yes” votes.

Both proposals by Wayland Union Schools failed: The $34.1 million bond proposal, 1,959 to 1,103 and the $20.845 million bond proposal by  2,011, to 1,049 (including Barry and Allegan County). Barry County voters in the district also rejected both requests: proposal 1, by 150 to 86 and  proposal 2, by 153 to 83.

Pennfield School District voters rejected a $8.6 million, 30 year bond proposal, 855 to 820. Barry County voters in the district reflected the loss, 23 to  9.

In Prairieville, the request for .8174 mills for four years for police protection was denied, 304 to 232.

The Charlotte Dental Center at 623 Courthouse Drive has added a second dentist.  Dr.Tamar Shrikian, DMD, recently joined the My Community Dental Centers network and is joining Dr. Randle Samuels in the Charlotte center.  Shrikian earned her dental degree at the University of Pittsburgh with research interests in restorative, emergency and special needs dentistry.  Shrikian said she looks forward to improving patients understanding in the importance of good oral health, dental treatment and providing quality care. 

My Community Dental Centers operates the dental center on behalf of the Barry-Eaton District Health Department,  providing dental services to Medicaid enrollees, Healthy Kids Dental, Healthy Michigan Plan, low-income, uninsured and those with private insurance seeking a dental home. Comprehensive dental care for the entire family including – exams, cleanings, fillings, crowns, and dentures is provided.

The care is customized to meet the individual needs of each person, and offered in a patient centered atmosphere with exceptional customer service. The centers also use electronic patient records, digital radiography, and state-of-the-art dental equipment.

 The Charlotte Center is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information or to register as a new patient, call 877.313.6232 or visit www.mydental.org.//

Studies show that when your mouth is healthy, chances are your overall health is good as well.  Follow these tips for a healthy smile and overall healthy you: Visit your dentist regularly, brush twice a day for at least two minutes, using a soft bristled brush and fluoridated toothpaste, floss each day and eat healthy foods and limit snacks.

Shrikian's motto, “Treat others the way they want to be treated” reinforces not only the care she gives her patients, but MCDC’s value system.  The Charlotte Dental team welcomes  Shrikian and the increased dental care in Charlotte and the surrounding areas. 

The Barry-Eaton District Health Department (BEDHD) gave out free short-term Radon home-testing kits to residents of Barry and Eaton counties during National Radon Action Month in January.

Now, residents whose test results showed that they have elevated levels of radon in their home, around or above 4 picocuries per liter of air [pCi/L], might be wondering what to do.

Residents with  short-term test result at or around 4 pCi/L, they should do another short-term test or a long-term test. A short-term follow-up test is best for homes with very elevated radon levels.  For homes with levels around 4 pCi/L, a long-term test will give a more accurate idea of the year-round radon level. Residents should fix their homes if two radon tests have results of 4 pCi/L or higher.

BEDHD offers short-term radon home-testing kits for $8 and long-term testing kits for $22.

Radon is a naturally-occurring invisible and odorless radioactive gas. It is caused by uranium decay in soil and bedrock. From the ground, the gas moves into buildings through cracks and openings in the foundation or walls, including at floor/wall joints; sump openings; and other plumbing, wiring, or ductwork openings.

Fixing homes with high radon levels is known as “Radon mitigation,’ and should be done by a qualified contractor who has specific knowledge, equipment and skills. The State of Michigan does not regulate Radon professionals, but there are two national associations that certify radon mitigators. To look for a local qualified mitigator go to the National Radon Safety Board (http://www.nrsb.org/) or the National Radon Proficiency Program (http://aarst-nrpp.com/).

The cost of radon mitigation depends on how a house was built, its foundation type, and how high its radon level is and prices vary. Residents should get more than one estimate, compare proposals and ask for references when considering hiring a mitigator. //

Local resident Brenda McNabb-Stange, of Hastings, described her experience with radon mitigation. McNabb-Stange had her home tested for radon before she purchased it. The level was around 14 pCi/L. After a contactor sealed cracks and openings in her basement and installed a pipe and a fan system to draw radon outdoors, that level was reduced to about 0.7 pCi/L. Her mitigation system has lasted 11 years and hasn’t needed any maintenance. She believes everyone should test their homes for radon: “It’s silly for anyone not to test. I think it’s a risk for [others]—an unnecessary risk—and [radon] is so prevalent around this area.”

For more EPA information on radon mitigation, see

http://bit.ly/2nDLhMH.   For more, visit https://www.epa.gov/radon, or contact BEDHD at (517) 541-2615  in Eaton County or (269) 945-9516 in Barry County.

Gun Lake Casino cut the ribbon today unveiling the $76 million expansion to the public. The expansion includes Harvest Buffet, more gaming space, and a new Stage 131 bar.

Gun Lake Casino cut the ribbon today unveiling the $76 million expansion to the public. The expansion includes Harvest Buffet, more gaming space, and a new Stage 131 bar.

“We’re thankful to the community, our guests, and over 900 team members, who have supported Gun Lake Casino over the years and have made it what it is today,” said Scott Sprague, chairman for the Gun Lake Tribe.

“We’re pleased to offer a fantastic regional entertainment destination, along with employment opportunities and economic growth for our friends and neighbors here in West Michigan.

Gun Lake Casino originally opened its doors in February of 2011 with 83,000 square feet, which included 1,400 slot machines. The expansion will bring slot machine totals to over 2,000, with an additional 73,000 square feet. In addition to slots, the expansion also houses the 300-seat Harvest Buffet, offering lunch, dinner, and specialty nights, including steak and crab legs.

The addition also boasts a new Stage 131 bar, which will replace the former Stage 131 and is nearly double in size.  Stage 131 will continue to play live, local music seven nights a week with no cover charge.

“We’re excited to offer these new amenities for our guests.  We think they are really going to enjoy the new offerings we have,” commented Brent Arena, vice president & general manager for Gun Lake Casino. 

“We’re also thrilled to begin improvements to our current casino, including widening the aisles and improving the ventilation system.” Gun Lake Casino will continue its expansion endeavors, with additional table games, a high-limit room, and another bar planned to open late-summer into early fall. 

Photo: Gun Lake Tribe cuts the ribbon to open Gun Lake Casino’s new expansion

Left to right: Council Member Jeff Martin, Council Member Jennie Pearl Heeren, Council Member Phyllis Davis, Chairman Scott Sprague, Vice-Chairman Ed Pigeon, Gun Lake Tribal Gaming Authority CEO John Shagonaby, Council Member Jodie Palmer. 

A Hastings student is in trouble with the law and Hastings school officials after he posted a picture of himself holding a pistol with a text on "snapchat" a popular social media that said "don"t come to school tomorrow."

One of the students who received the text said they didn't even know this person. When the young man was question by Hastings Police with his mother present, he said,  "it was a joke."

The pistol  taken  by officers is a "Powerline Daisy BB Gun Pistol.

The Barry County Prosecutor is  now reviewing the police report.

Names have not been released.

Nicholas Kane, 10,  is a fourth grader at Central Elementary who lives with childhood rheumatoid arthritis.

On Saturday, May 6, he and his family will participate in the Walk to Cure Arthritis at John Ball Park Zoo in Grand Rapids. Mom, siblings Ashleigh, 26, Jacob, 18 and Makenna, 17 as well as other family members will walk with Nick.

The funds raised from the walk goes directly to the Arthritis  Foundation’s nonprofit mission to find a cure for America’s leading cause of disability.

Nick was diagnosed at three. His classmates have known him since pre-school and now elementary and have always been entirely supportive, his mother Lona said.

“When he has to be in a wheel chair, they fight to see who will get to push him. When he goes on the elevator, he can pick one friend to ride with him.”

For many years, Nicholas’s condition has required frequent trips to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital for rheumatology and orthopedics treatment and St. Mary’s for pain management.

“Through it all, his classmates have been kind and supportive,”  his teacher Teresta Bolo said. “However, recently they began to support him on another level. They joined in his fundraising efforts, creating awareness posters and giving speeches to other classes.”

In their speeches, they told of Nick’s struggles and provided information about his upcoming walk.

When the Kane’s get to the zoo for the walk, they will spend the day there, with a picnic lunch in front of the zoo and tables with free stuff for the kids, mom said.
“He’s a great kid. You’d never know to look at him what he is going through.”

Anyone can join the walk. Most teams are for supporting children, but there adults too.

“He has had great teachers at Central, they let him go to the office for medicine when he needs to; they support him in general, but Mrs. Bolo goes above and beyond, making posters and letting kids talk to the other classrooms. She’s just a great teacher.

“Nick and three girls made the presentations to the other kids. Anything he can do to end pain and treatment of arthritis, he’s all for it. He loves doing it.”

Bolo said the “presenters”  encouraged fellow students to donate pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and dollars. In the end, his classmates raised $120.37 for “Team Nicholas,” she said.

Quoting a motto that the fourth graders have been living by this year, one student proudly commented, “No day is complete until a kindness is done. Today we did a kindness...a kindness for Nick.”

Photos: (Top left) Nicholas Kane holding a collection poster

(Top right)  Brennan Reser and Rachael Hewitt creating informational posters that were hung around the school.

(Middle left) Fourth graders Rachael Hewitt, Nicholas Kane and Izzy hold the money collection container they decorated.

(Bottom right) Ms. Bolo's fourth graders class.

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The Barry County Commission’s committee of the whole has recommended replacing the Gun Lake Dam on Marsh Road in Orangeville Township. The full board will act on the recommendation at its meeting next Tuesday.

The dam was saved from collapse in May of 2015 by temporary emergency measures. A subsequent study by Land and Resource Engineering recommended a new control structure made of steel to protect public safety, properties around the lake and preserve natural resources.

The approval sets in motion the many steps involved, including approval by the Allegan County Board of Commissioners within 60 days of Barry County’s approval.

At an informational meeting held by Land and Resources Engineering for residents around the lake, all of the estimated 25 people present voted in a straw poll to replace the structure. Commissioner Vivian Conner, who represents District 6, said everyone she talked to on the subject, “just wanted to get it done.”

In other business Tuesday, the committee recommended approval of:

* the results of an unofficial survey held by WBCH and on the Barry County website, in which responders clearly wanted the former library on Court Street to be re-named the Tyden Center after early Hastings businessman Emil Tyden. Eighty two voted for Tyden, 10 voted for Andrew Mellon, 12 for the Cabinet Building and 26 supplied their own choices.

* the sheriff’s office request to continue upgrading its technology with 10 new Kustom Signals Raptor ROP-1 Dual Ka-Band speed radar detectors from low bidder Kustom Signals for $17,420. The office has 20 detectors, with 15 working. Undersheriff Matt Houchlei said deputies highly recommended the Kustom detectors and they are user friendly.

* the county's taxable value report from Timothy Vandermark, equalization director.

* the timelines for development of the 2018 budget, with specific dates for each step in the process from May to Oct. 24, 2017.

* the Office of Community Corrections 2018 grant application to the state, for a total of $100,073 for plans and services and $5,392 for a drunk driver jail reduction program. Administrator Dawn Karfonta said they asked for more funding this year to add anger management services and cognitive behavioral services to men and women separately. Karfonta said she was leaving Barry County this week to work for the State of Michigan and quipped she would then be assessing Barry County’s future requests.

Barry County Commissioners Tuesday delayed a decision on moving ahead with plans for a new Commission On Aging  building until they get more information on several things; possibly lowering the $6 million price tag, how to handle operational costs if the building twice the size of the present one is built, if they should try  to meet a May 16 deadline to put the millage proposal on the August ballot, pay $50,000 for a special election, and hear more from their constituents.

Mark Nettleton, attorney with Mika Meyers law firm explained the funding. The recommendation is for unlimited general obligation bonds of $6,020,000 over 20 years. With a millage rate of 0.1843, a projected 4.5 percent interest rate and using the example of a residential property’s taxable value of $50,000 and state equalized value of $100,000, the cost to the homeowner would be $9.22 a year, Nettleton said. The first levy would be on interest only, or  $3.27, and subsequent years would be both interest and principal at $9.22 a year.

There are two conflicting sides, Commissioner David Jackson said.” We know it has to be taken care of.” But he questioned unknown figures in the cost of repairs, the savings in maintenance and repairs, operational costs and doing meals in house.

“The COA does a tremendous  job…it would be a benefit to have a building for 50 years in the future,” he said.

However, people are reminding them of all the millages they already pay, he said. “Barry County voters are very generous, but they’re tired. They’re just tired of millage taxes…it seems fast to me.” He also asked for more information from the COA.

Consideration was pushed back to a special board meeting after the committee of the whole meeting on May 16. // 

COA executive Director Tammy Pennington said there would be a additional costs, but the proposal came up so quickly, the board had not met; a special meeting has been called for Friday to discuss the proposal. Parker asked Pennington to see if she could get operating costs in a few weeks.

Pennington said money would be saved in maintenance and repair costs, additional income could come from offering more services, and they could find the difference in cost for catering Meals on Wheels, which they do now, to making the meals in house in a larger, commercial kitchen in a new building.

Conner suggested delaying the issue and more study on other options, like selling the FOC building, as the facility plan suggests. Commissioner Heather Wing said there was time to look closer at the proposal. Commissioner Jon Smelker agreed there was no rush; he pointed out that the November election would be just three months after the August election.

Commissioner Howard Gibson said an August ballot will have no other proposals, and the general election in November might have many issues and lessen the chance for passage of millage. The discussion was only on a new COA building. No commissioner spoke on the three-way move that is the alternative plan: Moving the COA to the Barry Eaton District Health Department, move the health department to the Friend of the Court building and the FOC to the Courts & Law Building for a total cost of $5,592,000 for renovations and additions.

Bob Van Putten, Landmark Designs, gave a brief overview of the new COA building that would cost $6 million, including architect’s fees and bonding: an expanded dining area, a commercial kitchen, adult day care, meeting room and classrooms, and mechanical improvements. The building would have a residential feel and ease of entrance, with the size going from 9,600 square feet to 25,000 square feet.

Carlton Township resident Larry Bass said the people have already taken on a big burden in taxes. At the local level, property owners pay millage to support the schools, Thornapple Manor, COA, Barry County Transit, Charlton Park, 911 and individual school bond proposals. Most townships also have millages for fire and police protection.

At the state level, Bass said, with cutting taxes on businesses $1.4 billion a year to make the state more attractive to businesses, the Snyder administration has put the tax burden from the business sector onto the people.

“There is the road funding bill with a gas tax and vehicle registration fee hikes, taxes on pensions, fewer child deductions, and tax on unemployment.”

And now, Bass said, he is paying a special assessment for the restoration of the Little Thornapple River Drain.

Jan McLean, retired executive director of the Barry County Community Health Authority, was presented the Liberty Bell Award by the Barry County Bar Association Monday during the Law Day program.

Bob Byington, president of the bar association, said the honor is awarded to those who have given outstanding community service and shown a commitment to their community.

 “Started in the mid-1970s, there have been 35 recipients, now Jan joins that list,” Byington said.

Linda Maupin, good friend and authority board chair, introduced McLean. “Jan spent 32 years in mental health, 32 years, 15 as executive director,” Maupin said.

She said McLean knew the importance of therapy dogs in hospitals, nursing homes and schools, and she guided the change from a Barry County department to an authority. She was director during the building of the new mental health building, which was on time and under budget, Maupin said.

“I am so honored to be accepting this award here today,” McLean said. “The mission at the authority always included helping a person to whom we provided services achieve equality. It just made sense to that this was the right thing to do. This included reducing the stigma associated with mental illness, intellectual  developmental disabilities, and substance abuse for  the persons who asked for our help and educating the community.//

“We also tried to provide opportunities to increase the quality of our clients lives and give them a chance to realize their dreams, be it living on their own, obtaining a job or registering to vote, getting an education or just providing a place to hang out with friends-things that most of use take for granted.
“There is still a long way  to go but progress has been made to increase awareness  and advance the rights of all Americans. However, I did not do this alone and the vast majority of credit needs to go to the staff of Barry County Community Health Authority for their tireless efforts to help those persons that they serve. Thank you.”

Photos: (Upper left) Retired executive director of the Barry County Community Mental Health Authority Jan McLean holds the Liberty Bell Award presented to her at the Law Day program.

(Middle left) The McLean family: left to right: Husband Steve McLean, Jan McLean, daughter Haley McLean, Jan’s brother Steve Perry and daughter Madison McLean.

(Lower left) Jan McLean, left, with Attorney Stephanie Fekkes, organizer of  the 2017 Law Day program. 

The role of the law in protecting citizens of the United States is always the focus of Law Day.

In Hastings this year, Judge Mark T. Boonstra from the Third District Court of Appeals was keynote speaker. Traditionally it is also the day the Liberty Bell is presented to a deserving person.

The award in 2017 was given to Jan McLean, retired executive director of the Barry County Community Health Authority (see related story).

Judge Amy McDowell welcomed the crowd to the annual Law Day recognition at the Barry Community Foundation Monday. The idea of a Law Day was first proposed by the American Bar association in 1957 to honor the role of law in the United States. Congress passed a joint resolution establishing May 1 as Law Day in 1961, she said.

The theme for the 2017 Law Day is “Transforming American Democracy: the 14^th Amendment,” which McDowell noted is the foundation of many civil rights.

Barry County Bar Association President Bob Byington, added that the 14th Amendment includes due process and other protections for the nation’s citizens, and is one of the most litigated amendments to the Constitution.

Byington introduced keynote speaker, Judge Mark T. Boonstra, who sits on the Third District Court of Appeals. Boonstra, in private practice for 27 years before being appointed to the Court of Appeals in 2102, won a full six year term in 2014. He attended Michigan State University and earned his law degree from University of Michigan.

Boonstra, 59, said the 14^th amendment has four main sections, but Section One is the most well known. It assures that the State will make no laws which will take privileges or immunities of its citizens or deprive any person of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness without due process of the law or deny any person equal protection of the law.

Boonstra talked of several very different cases which he heard. One was a complaint by residents that a neighborhood bar and grill’s music was too loud, a case where teens broke into a house and stole marijuana, another terminating parental rights, one where her refusal to accept a blood transfusion led to a woman’s death, and another where two factions in a church were both fighting for control of the church.  Each of the cases turned on the protections in the 14^th Amendment.

“As you can see, the 14^th Amendment really does affect what we do in the real world,” he said.

Photos: (upper left) Judge Mark T. Boonstra, Third District Court of Appeals, was featured speaker at Law Day.

(Center left) Judge Mark Boonstra (left) enjoys a laugh with 87^th District Rep Julie Calley and Barry County Bar Association President Attorney Bob Byington.

(Lower left) Barry County Chief Judge William Doherty talks with Judge Mark Boonstra, Third District Court of Appeals,  before the Law Day program begins.

A crew of volunteers responded to a call to help in the second annual  trash clean up in the township on April 29. Yankee Springs Township Supervisor Mark Englerth said he was very happy with the turn out and the effort.

“This year we went further than we did last year when we spent 95 percent of our time in the township. This year, we went as far as Fish Lake in Orangeville Township and Daggett Lake, which I think is in Rutland Township. We also went to Middleville to the state game area there. Some of the volunteers worked more than  12 hours.”

Dumpsters were donated by the Barry State Game Area and Yankee Springs Township.

Englerth and his wife Janet and the Dauntless Jeep group split the cost of 20 pizzas and 100 bottles of pop that were consumed.

Submitted photos show what volunteers did during the day.

On June 9, 2007, residents from all over Barry County formed a line from what became the former Hastings Library on Court Street to the brand new structure on State Street. Hand over hand, they moved 500 books from the old building to the new, marking the transition from the past to the present.

To mark the anniversary of 10 years and 1,380,000 visitors, the library is going to recreate the symbolic exchange on June 3 and is inviting everyone in the Barry County area to line up between the former and present library buildings, and move 200 books.

The lineup begins at 9:30 a.m. sharp and begins exactly at 10 a.m. Library Administrator Laura Ortiz said, to avoid tying up streets or traffic too long.

In 2007, 87^th District Rep. Brian Calley gave a short speech marking the occasion. In 2017, now 87^th District Rep. Julie Calley will do the same.

Ortiz is inviting everyone to come inside the library at the end of the exchange in a kind of open house to see the changes made in the first 10 years. Hear about the special programs and activities for individuals and groups, speakers, special events for all ages and interests, and visit the  well used large community meeting room.//

Technology has changed and the library is keeping up with more ways to convey knowledge or entertain; computers to use, M-P3 players, tablets and more.   

The new library was built completely with donations from private sources, taxpayer approved millage now supports operations.

“Come in and see what we have. Everything will be opened up…this is your library, come and see it all,” she said.

The first event was video-taped; this one will be, too. The original video, already on the library Face book page, will be running during the open house for the enjoyment of the people who were there, and those who weren’t.

The library celebrated its 120th year last year. The former library was also once home to a U.S. Post Office. It is now a county-owned building holding county offices and technology equipment.

Just like your average homeowner, the staff and volunteers at the library are “spiffing it up” painting and planting the rooftop gardens, Ortiz said.

The library is Gold LEED Certified in Architectural Design, the most widely used green building rating system, so everyone is encouraged to wear green for the event.