SN 9-10-2022

The Sun and News, Saturday, September 10, 2022/ Page 7

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Supporters push for Charlton Park millage renewal

and restoration of 1987 levy

James Gemmell
Contributing Writer
In 1936, Irving Delos
Charlton decided to pre-
serve the past by donating
210 acres of property south-
east of Hastings to Barry
County for a museum and
recreation facility.
He renamed it Charlton
Park in honor of his par-
ents.
Before then, the area had
been known as Indian
Landing, because
Potawatomi tribes had
migrated there in the early
1800s. Today, the historic
village, museum and recre-
ation area encompass 310
acres along Thornapple

Lake in Hastings Charter

Township, at 2545 S.

Charlton Park Rd.

Barry County residents

will be asked in the Nov. 8

general election whether

they would like to renew

the current annual millage

rate of .2191 mills to fund

the park and, also, whether

they would like to restore

the rate to the originally

approved 0.25 mills. That is

25 cents per $1,000 of tax-

able value. If approved, the

millage rate would be in

effect for nine years.

“We feel that this is a

modest ask of our commu-

nity at a quarter-mill to

continue to make Charlton

Park and the recreation

area available to all of us

for generations to come,”

Catherine Getty told the

Middleville Village

Council’s Committee of

the Whole on Tuesday

night. She is vice chair-

woman of the Barry County

Parks and Recreation

Commission board. The

parks commission, com-

prised of county officials

and residents, govern all

county parks.

The current millage rate

has not increased since it

was passed in 1987. The

restoration of the original

0.25 mills would restore the

millage to what it was

before the Headlee

Amendment rolled it back.

In 1978, Michigan voters

approved the change to the

Michigan Constitution to

limit property tax revenues.

The Headlee Amendment

says, if the assessed value

of a property increases by

more than the inflation rate,

the millage must be reduced

so that the local unit’s total

taxable property yields the

same gross revenue, adjust-

ed for inflation.

The amount of Headlee

rollback that would be

restored for Charlton Park

is less than $2.50 per year

for the average homeowner

in Barry County. Renewal

of the current millage

would cost a typical home-

owner about $18.56 annual-

ly.

“The main purpose is to

provide operating and

maintenance funds for

Charlton Park,” Doug Klein

said. He is president of the

Friends of Barry County

Parks & Trails citizens’

group, which paid for fliers

and posters promoting pas-

sage of the millage.

“The park is a valuable

asset to the community,”

Klein said. “It provides rec-

reational opportunities;

everything from picnic

areas and a swim beach to

the Historical Charlton Park

village. That includes old

houses such as blacksmith

and carpenter shops, an old

bank and a general store.

It also serves as a place

for schoolchildren to come

and learn about the history

of Michigan – and West

Michigan, in particular. In

addition, it holds special

events on weekends

throughout the year.

The Fall Harvest Festival

and Tractor Show will be

held in the park Sept. 23-24.

An All Hallows Evening

special event is scheduled

for Oct. 29. And an event

titled “Of Christmas Past”

is set for Dec. 10-11. More

information is available at

charltonpark.org.

On most days, there is no

cost to enter the park, which

is open year-round during

daylight hours. However,

there are admission fees for

some special events that

have extra costs associated

with them. The events gen-

erate additional revenue for

park operations. There also

are fees to rent park facili-

ties.

“It is a beautiful park

with fantastic special

events,” Getty said. “We

have considerable invest-

ment out there with our his-

torical buildings. But they

take a lot of care and

resources to maintain.

These buildings are very

old. It’s an amazing genera-

tional asset and we want to

continue to offer this oppor-

tunity to explore the past,

along with the natural ame-

nities of the area.”

Charlton Park hosts

between 4,500 and 5,

students annually for edu-

cational programs that pro-

vide a first-hand historical

experience.

“It brings the past to

life,” Getty said. “They get

to experience candle dip-

ping, the township hall, and

learn about the foundation

of our governmental sys-

tem. They go into the one-

room schoolhouse, which

was always my kids’ favor-

ite because it’s just so dif-

ferent from the way they

learn now.”

Charlton Park has more

than three miles of trails,

plus shoreline and lake

access. The historic build-

ings contain more than

30,000 artifacts.

“Many of our buildings

date back to the 1850s to

1900, and truly depict our

rural American life and cul-

ture,” Barry County Parks

director Dan Patton said.

“Additionally, the millage

helps us build partnerships

with various foundations,

businesses, grants and indi-

vidual donors – all dollars

that go directly into the

operation of Charlton

Park.”

Alto Harvest

Festival and Car

Show slated for

Sept. 17

Alto will be celebrating

its 41st annual Alto Harvest

Festival and 16th annual

car show on Saturday,

Sept. 17 with activities for

all ages. The event will

kick off with the Alto/

Bowne Township

Firefighters’ pancake

breakfast at 7 a.m.

Saturday, Sept. 17. The

breakfast will run until 10

a.m. and will be located at

the Alto Fire Station. Golf

cart shuttles will be avail-

able to and from the break-

fast.

Opening ceremonies for

the festival begin at 10 a.m.

at Veterans Park with the

national anthem, a formal

flag raising ceremony by

the Girl Scouts and the pre-

sentation of colors by the

Alto American Legion Post

528.

The car show is expect-

ed to pull in nearly 200 hot

rods from the community.

Registration begins at 7:

a.m. and the show runs

from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Goodie bags and dash

plaques for the first 150

entries will be provided.

The top 50 entrees will be

awarded. Those interested

will pay $10 to enter.

The Alto American

Legion is hosting bingo

from noon to 6 p.m. Kids

bingo will be from 9 a.m.

to 11 a.m.

In addition to bingo, the

festival will host a baking

and pie eating contest. Kids

can make their way to the

Alto Baptist Church for the

designated “Kid Zone,”

featuring a petting zoo,

bounce house and more.

Meanwhile the Alto

Library will be conducting

their gently used book sale,

as well as a scavenger hunt

during the festival.

Barry County Commissioner Catherine Getty, a

parks and recreation advocate, spoke about Charlton

Park at Tuesday’s Middleville Committee of the

Whole meeting (Photo by James Gemmell)