The Hastings Banner — Thursday, February 29, 2024 — Page 5Kudos to Barry County
Commissioners for
addressing renewable
energy legislation
To the editor:
I would like to thank the Barry County
Board of Commissioners for their efforts to
address the subject of renewable energy as it
affects our country. At the meeting they orga-
nized, which was held on Feb. 13, the com-
missioners met with some experts to inform
the attendees of the meeting with information
on renewable energy and took questions and
comments from those in the audience.
Thank you to the Hastings Banner for its
coverage of that meeting which brought to
light a subject of which some of us were not
aware. In October, The Reminder printed an
article on this issue. Perhaps some of us did
not read the article or did not understand the
impact this would have on local communi-
ties and on our state. In order to prevent the
state from taking over the placement of
solar and wind components in our commu-
nities and in our great state, registered vot-
ers must send 550,000 signatures on peti-
tions to the state requesting that this issue be
brought to a vote on the November ballot. If
we cannot get this to a vote and pass the
request, we will have no say about where
the state can put up these solar panels or
windmills. Our petitions are due May 29,
2024.
It is imperative that we let our state gov-
ernment know that we demand local control
over placement of solar panels and windmills
in our community and in our state.
If you would like a petition, please call
Kelli Case at 616-262-6469.
Anita Barcroft
HastingsIndependent thought
trumps party politics
To the editor:
I am a news junkie. I have been since I was
in junior high. I like to know what’s going on
in our country and the rest of the world. I get
the news from either network TV or print. No
internet. No cable. No satellite.
It was kind of intriguing to read the Feb.
15, 2024, Hastings Banner and see two
somewhat lengthy ‘Letters From our Read-
ers,’ each one coming from a totally differ-
ent camp. I’ve noticed over the years that
politicians from the federal level down to
the state level seem to get out of bed each
day thinking, “What can I say today to insult
and ridicule someone in the other party?”
Sometimes it seems as though that attitude
extends to people right down to the local
level. But don’t get me wrong. If either one
of the two writers of those letters was my
next-door neighbor, I’m sure we would get
along just fine.
Even talking to people I come in contact
with, I hear things like, “I always vote
Republican,” or “If he’s a Republican, he
won’t get my vote.” There are many issues
(problems) in America today when it comes
to abortion, gun control, global warming,
taxation, the southern border situation, etc.
Sometimes I agree with one party, other
times I side with the other party. How could
I be comfortable in either party if I support-
ed them on one thing but opposed them on
another? I sometimes wonder why we need
political parties. I don’t think we do. If any-
body can explain why political parties are a
necessity, I’ll listen. Most people couldn’t
imagine a country without them. Many peo-
ple tend to think, “Well, we’ve never done
that before, so it can’t be done.” But it has
been done before. When our founding
fathers gathered to write a constitution for
our new country, there weren’t any political
parties. They took all summer, but they
hammered out a constitution that still works
for us today. Can you imagine if they had
been like the so-called statesmen of today?
Politicians that dig in their heels and become
frozen into positions with no possibility of
compromise sometimes just to deny the
other party any success at all.
If our founding fathers had behaved like
the political leaders of today, their great-
great-great-great-great-grandchildren would
still be haggling over writing a constitution.
Consider how choosing a new Speaker of the
House went a few months ago. If everyone
was an independent instead of a card-carrying
member of the ‘R Club’ or the ‘D Club,’ it
might have been settled sooner. But when
party bosses on each side tell everyone in
their group to keep voting no, no matter what,
chances for compromise go right out of the
window.
Compromise. That’s a word all politicians
use but they don’t really mean it. Each party
wants only what’s on its own agenda. Noth-
ing more. Nothing less. If the American tax-
payer is paying Congress for stalemates,
they’re getting their money’s worth.
Many people on TV talk shows and even
some people I’ve talked to personally that are
big on political parties seem to have the atti-
tude that, “We and our party are perfect in
every way but everyone on the other side
wants to destroy democracy.”Now I’ll say something that might give
some people an excuse to disregard what I’ve
said so far because they think, “Well, he’s just
a religious fanatic.” But the truth is God is
real and Satan is real and I think most people
are smart enough to know that one of them
wants us to live in peace and harmony and to
love one another. But the other one delights
in seeing us divide into groups and begin
insulting and mistrusting each other and
refusing to move at all towards each other
because that would betray what their party
stands for. There’s a verse in the Bible (Mark
3:25) spoken by Jesus that reads, “A house
divided against itself cannot stand.” Abraham
Lincoln liked that verse so much he used it in
one of his speeches.
Is there another country on the face of the
Earth that has as many problems as America?
But never mind that, let’s keep dividing into
groups and talking endlessly about how great
our group is and how everyone else is worse
than dirt. Maybe that’s the road that will lead
us into the sunlight.Kennith Echtinaw
Hastings Charter TownshipSUBMIT A LETTER TO
THE BANNER
As the name implies, letters should be
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We do not publish anonymous letters, and
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libelous or slanderous will not be published. - All letters are subject to editing for style,
grammar and sense. - Letters that serve as testimonials for, or
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thanks” will not be accepted unless it is of
public interest, which will be determined by
the editor. - Letters that include attacks of a personal
nature will not be published or will be edited
heavily. - “Crossfire” letters between the same two
people on one issue will be limited to one for
each writer. - In an effort to keep opinions varied, there
is a limit of one letter per person per month. - We prefer letters to be printed legibly or
typed
212196
TOWNSHIP OF HOPE2024 NOTICE OF BOARD OF REVIEW
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Board of Review will meet at the Township
Hall, 5463 M-43 Hwy., Hastings, MI 49058 to examine and review the 2024 as-
sessment roll. The board will convene on the following dates for the hearing of
appeals of assessments or taxable values, poverty exemptions, parcel classifi-
cation appeals and/or current year qualified agricultural denials:Tuesday, March 5, 2024, 11:30 am Organizational Meeting
Monday, March 11, 2024, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Tuesday, March 12, 2024, 3:00 pm to 9:00 pmAnd on such additional days as required to hear all persons who have given notice
of the desire to be heard until assessment rolls have been revised, corrected and
approved.APPEALS ARE HEARD ON FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS; letter appeals
will be accepted and must be received no later than 5:00 pm the Friday before the
first appeal hearing.Tentative ratios and estimated multipliers for 2024 are as follows:
Agricultural 44.47% 1.
Commercial 47.43% 1.
Industrial 46.92% 1.
Residential 42.02% 1.
Personal Property 50.00% 1.Tentative equalization factor of 1.0000 for all classes is
expected after completion of Board of Review.Doug Peck, Supervisor Hope Township
Kevin Harris, Assessor Hope TownshipHope Township Board Meetings are open to all without regard to race, color,
national origin, sex or disability.American with Disabilities (ADA) Notice
The township will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services, to
individuals with disabilities at the meeting/hearing upon seven (7) days’ notice
to Hope Township. Individuals with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids or services
should contact Castleton Township by writing or calling.Hope Township Clerk
5463 M-43 Hwy.
Hastings, MI 49058
269-648-Sold out Barry-Roubaix
to take over Hastings
in less than two months
Jayson Bussa
Editor
The gravel road cycling race that annually
takes over Hastings for a single weekend in
the spring is coming into focus.
And, there are some new wrinkles associ-
ated with the massively popular event.
Organizers of the 15th Annual Barry-Rou-
baix have been actively working to shore up
all the plans for this year’s event, which
opened registration to cyclists in mid-No-
vember last year and filled up all available
slots in less than 36 hours. Race day is slated
for April 20 while offering a variety of activ-
ities the evening before.
The event’s organizers recently held a vol-
unteer appreciation event at the Walldorff
Brew Pub & Bistro in Hastings and offered a
presentation about this year’s event to mem-
bers of the Barry Community Foundation.
As always, the Barry-Roubaix will featuregravel road races of a variety of lengths,
including 18, 36, 62 and 100 miles. A total of
5,200 cyclists signed up for the event with a
whopping waiting list of over 700 riders. The
field of cyclists will feature racers represent-
ing 44 states and eight countries.
Organizers estimated that the event would
generate roughly $1.4 million to $1.8 million
of economic impact for the local community
and nearly $40,000 would come back to the
local organizations that volunteered in some
capacity.
Volunteers are an integral component of
the event. Roughly 350 volunteers are expect-
ed to lend a hand this year.
The look of the event will be a little differ-
ent, too, as long-time title sponsor Founders
Brewery of Grand Rapids will not be return-
ing this year. Instead, Blackrocks Brewery,
based in Marquette, will have its name at the
front and center of this year’s event.Local tow truck driver heads to
Washington D.C. to advocate for industry
Jayson Bussa
Editor
When nationwide members of the towing
and recovery industry make their way to
Washington D.C. next week, a local face will
be among them.
Long-time Hastings tow truck operator and
former business owner Matt Spencer will be
making the trip on March 3-5 as the national
industry trade group Towing and Recovery
Association of America Inc. gathers at the
nation’s capital for its Legislative Action
Workshop and Hill Day.
This gives members of the industry a
chance to meet federal lawmakers and discusssome of the more pressing issues of the day.
Safety for workers in the industry has been
an ever-present concern, and Spencer recent-
ly suffered through yet another needless trag-
edy, and he’s telling his story in hopes of
inspiring change.
Spencer’s son, 25-year-old Keegan also of
Hastings, was struck by a vehicle and killed
last year along M-6 Highway. Keegan was on
the job, working in the median of the high-
way when a driver lost control, drove off the
road and struck him.
The death of Spencer’s son yet again high-
lights the importance of tougher laws and
stricter enforcement that would require driv-ers to move over and slow down when in the
presence of a tow truck operator who is
assisting by the side of the road.
Spencer is not sure what to expect during
his trip to Washington D.C., but he is pre-
pared to tell his story.
“I don’t know if I’m going to get in front
of Senators or House reps – I don’t really
know,” Spencer said. “But I will go with that
association to tell my story of Keegan’s kill-
ing by the side of the road.”
A complete feature on Spencer and his
mission to inspire change in laws and enforce-
ment is available in the current issue of the
Reminder.The magic of March is Reading Month
Thomas Albert (R-Lowell)
Michigan State Senator
March – the month when we traditionally
focus on motivating young people to read –
has snuck up on us again. This year, I thought
I would take a fresh look at the significance
of childhood reading beyond just that of basic
comprehension. Yes, comprehension is
important – but as I look at my own child-
hood, and now toward my own children, I see
a dimension well beyond humdrum reading
mechanics.
Before I could read, I remember quite well
prolonging the loathsome nightly order from
my parents that it was time to “go to bed.” I
did have in my arsenal one tried-and-true
method of delaying the inevitable. I would
ask: “Mom, can you read me a story?” And
without fail, she would always acquiesce.
Now that I am a parent myself, seeing what
comes with those daily responsibilities, I
understand the true significance of her charity.
There was one book in particular, called
“Strangers’ Bread” by Nancy Willard, that
my mom would read with unparalleled enthu-
siasm. It was a story about a young boy,
Anatole, who would wait outside a store until
called upon to deliver goods to customers.
Anatole finds himself walking all the way to
Mrs. Chiba’s house to deliver a loaf of pum-
pernickel bread.
Along the way a fox, rabbit, sheep and bear
all appeal to Anatole’s good nature and con-
vince him to share the bread with them and
bum a ride in his wagon. In truly humorous
fashion, before long, poor Anatole is unable
to pull his wagon with such an oversized
load. In a twist of fate, the animals declare
“One good turn deserves another.” They then
pull the tired boy to Mrs. Chiba’s house –
only for him to stand on the front porch emp-
ty-handed.
Anatole decides “the truth is best, even
when it sounds like a lie.” He confesses to the
assortment of wild animals eating the bread.
After an awkward silence, Mrs. Chiba finds a
way to forgive the poor child – remarking she
should have ordered two loaves. She recalls
her own mother’s words, “If you have two
loaves, give one to your friends.” To which
Anatole innocently and nobly remarks, “And
if you have one loaf, give it to your strangers.”
I do not summarize this story simply to
reminisce, but also to illustrate how good lit-
erature can help mold a child’s imagination
toward what is virtuous or rightly ordered. It
is much easier for a child to see the goodness
of a virtuous act – in this case, honesty, com-
passion and understanding – through the
imagination. Good stories like “Strangers’
Bread” highlight universal and timeless
truths, which, God-willing, will have pro-
found and positive impacts later in life.
I have discovered recently the massive
trove of good children’s literature that has
been written in the past. Many people may be
initially put off, or even intimidated, at the
sound of classic literature – but the hesitation
is indeed unwarranted. The advantage these
works have over the contemporary is time.
Over many years, you could say the wheat is
separated from the chaff.
I can attest from experience in reading to my
own kids, that there is a timeless enthusiasm for
reading works such as “Pinocchio,” “Anders-
en’s Fairy Tales,” “The Princess and the Gob-
lin” and “Little House in the Big Woods”. And
if one really desires to explore stories that have
stood the test of time, the greatest teacher of all
time reached the imagination through the use ofparables, which can be found in countless chil-
dren’s versions of the Bible.
As we go through March is Reading
Month, I hope to encourage people to see the
value of reading beyond an essential skill
needed later in life – but also as an invaluable
means to instilling virtuous principles within
our young. I, for one, am eternally grateful
my mom saw through my ulterior motive of
simply wanting to avoid bedtime and decided
to read good books to me anyway.
There are plenty of lists of good books
available, but I would recommend John
Senior’s “The Thousand Good Books” as a
starting point.
State Sen. Thomas Albert represents the
18th District, which includes Barry County
and portions of Allegan, Calhoun, Kalama-
zoo, Kent, and Ionia counties.Cyclists head out from the start/finish to embark on a 36-mile ride through rural
Barry County during last year’s Barry-Roubaix, which featured unseasonably warm
weather. This year’s event is scheduled for April 20. (File photo)Matt Spencer is a 44-year veteran of the towing and recovery industry. He said that
members of the industry are constantly faced with extreme safety hazards while on
the job. (Photo by Jayson Bussa)
Sen. Thomas Albert