The Sun and News
Your Hometown Newspaper Serving Middleville and Caledonia Areas
No. 22/ June 3, 2023 Published by J-Ad Graphics, Inc. • 1351 N. M-43 Highway, Hastings, MI 49058 145th year
- Middleville, Yankee Springs honor
vets for Memorial Day - Tesla proposes installing charging stations
in high-traffic area of Gaines Township - Caledonia soccer girls chasing first
district title since 2013 - Thornapple Kellogg girls shut out
Hamilton in district championship - Scot senior, Baldwin, shoots his way
into D1 Boys’ Golf State Finals
IN THIS ISSUE...IN THIS ISSUE...
Book vending machine unveiled at
Page Elementary
Greg Chandler
Staff Writer
Clara Keizer approached
the newly-installed vending
machine in the lobby of Page
Elementary School, inserted
a token and pushed the but-
tons to select what she want-
ed.
But the fourth-grader
didn’t receive a candy bar or
a bag of chips.
Instead, Clara received a
book — “Whatshisface” by
children’s author Gordon
Korman — the first book to
be dispensed out of Page’s
new book vending machine
unveiled Thursday after-
noon.
Clara, a member of the
Page student council, played
a key role in acquiring the
book vending machine. She
wrote a grant application to
the Barry Community
Foundation’s Youth
Advisory Council, asking for
funding to help the school
acquire the machine.
“I just think it’s cool. A lot
of kids are excited about it,”
Clara said. “Reading is
always a good thing.”
The Page student council
and the school’s Parent
Teacher Organization
worked together over the
past year to bring in the book
vending machine. Fourth-
grade teachers Stacy Sikkema
and Jacki Schneider, advisers
to the student council, came
up with the idea. Sikkema
had seen a news story of a
similar project in another
community and thought it
would be worth trying to
bring into Page.
“In fourth and fifth grade,
we know that research shows
that the enjoyment of reading
starts to go down a little bit,”
Sikkema said. “Sometimes
our kids see reading as a pun-
ishment rather than as aTK class of 2023 receives ‘Last
Lesson’ at commencement
Brett Bremer
Sports Editor
There were rows and rows
of folding chairs filled with
many of the 238 Thornapple
Kellogg graduating seniors of
- The Bob White Stadium
grandstand was filled with
proud spectators. The high
school staff and administra-
tion were seated on the field
turf, looking up at the com-
mencement stage.
In the sea of people, the
Trojans spoke of finding
humanity during commence-
ment Thursday, May 25.
Senior Andy Liu, graduat-
ing with highest honors, pro-
vided a gaming-themed open-
ing.
“We must appreciate and
cherish each victory in our
lives,” Liu said. “Roadhog
teaches us success comes
from hard work and determi-
nation and the courage to take
risks. These are the same
qualities that have brought us
to this momentous occasion
today. Congratulations, class
of 2023. May our future be as
bright as a golden scar and as
victorious as a victory royale.”
In the end, finished with
the lessons learned with
friends with an online slant,
Liu sought out classmate
Austin Chivis in the crowd.
He had Chivis stand through a
rendition of “Happy Birthday
to You,” performed by nearly
everyone in attendance.
“It is [assistant superinten-
dent Christopher] LaHaie’s
birthday too, everybody,”
Thornapple Kellogg High
School principal TonyPetersen said as he returned to
the microphone. “He doesn’t
want us to sing to him,” he
added with a smile.
Later, senior Luke Kaiser
introduced the evening’s key-
note speaker, TKHS English
teacher Cary Saxton.
“Mrs. Saxton both inspires
her students and is proud ofthem,” Kaiser said. “In her
curriculum, Mrs. Saxton chal-
lenges students to adjust to
unexpected obstacles in cre-
ative ways and to regard the
world through new perspec-
tives. Armed with an endless
stream of classroom ideas,American Legion
continues Memorial
Day tradition in
Caledonia
Greg Chandler
Staff Writer
Hundreds of people lined
Main Street and nearby side
streets Monday for
Caledonia’s annual
Memorial Day parade.
American Legion Post
305 organized the parade
and services at Lakeside
Cemetery afterward, as
those in attendance honored
those who gave their lives
in defense of their country.
The legion post has held
Memorial Day observances
for nearly 75 years, post
adjutant Scott Baldwin
said.
“It is a conscious effort
to remember that Memorial
Day is about more than bar-
becues and the kickoff of
our summer months,”Baldwin said.
Post member Brian
Stauffer was the keynote
speaker for the ceremony.
Stauffer served in the U.S.
Army for 26 years in the
medical field, rising to the
rank of command sergeant
major. He served in Iraq
from 2007 to 2008. Among
his military honors are the
Legion of Merit Award,
Meritorious Service Medal,
Airborne Wings and the
Bronze Star. Stauffer spoke
of the need to remember not
only those who lost their
lives but also their families.
“While this day is typi-
cally spent recalling the
valor of (the) men and
women who died whileMembers of American Legion Post 305 conduct
a rifle salute in memory of those who lost their lives
in service to their country. (Photos by Greg
Chandler)See MEMORIAL DAY, page 3Thornapple Kellogg graduating senior Andy Liu welcomes his classmates to
their 2023 commencement inside Bob White Stadium in Middleville on Thursday,
May 25. (Photos by Brett Bremer)See LAST LESSON, page 2Page Elementary School fourth grader Clara Keizer
pushes the buttons to select her book from the book
See BOOK VENDING MACHINE, page 5 vending machine. (Photos by Greg Chandler)