The Sun and News, Saturday, March 2, 2024/ Page 3also were seven write-in
votes cast.
As for the Republican
ballots cast in Gaines
Township, 2,382 votes
were for former President
Donald Trump, 1,054 for
Nikki Haley, 82 for Ron
DeSantis, 20 for Chris
Christie, 11 for Ryan L.
Binkley, eight for Vivek
Ramaswamy and two for
Asa Hutchinson. And 144
people voted for
“Uncommitted.” There
were six write-in votes.
In Kent County, the total
Democratic votes were
34,339 for Biden, 1,283 for
Phillips, 1,563 for
Williamson, 5,972 for
Uncommitted, and 140
total write-ins. On the
Republican side, the coun-
ty vote totals were 44,
for Trump, 25,648 for
Haley, 1,266 for DeSantis,
394 for Christie, 286 for
Ramaswamy, 211 forBinkley, 94 for Hutchinson.
There were 2,571 uncom-
mitted votes and 82 write-
ins.
The Kentwood Public
Schools’ sinking fund mill-
age proposal received a
thumbs-up from 1,262 vot-
ers in Gaines Township
and a thumbs-down from
1,025. Overall in Kent
County, the proposal gar-
nered 5,288 yes votes and
3,761 no votes.
“As election workers,
we were glad to have a
‘trial run,’ knowing the
August primary and
November general elec-
tions will be much busier,”
Brew said.
He thanked the commu-
nity for its support during
the voting period, includ-
ing Providence Church,
Hillside Community
Church, Heritage Baptist
Church, Ada Bible Church
and the Gaines branch ofthe Kent District Library.
They all opened their
buildings to host the town-
ship’s nine polling pre-
cincts.
“This saves the taxpay-
ers money not having to
rent community facilities
and allows polling pre-
cincts to be near the voters’
homes. And we are very
grateful for our election
workers, who work hard,
long hours with accuracy,”
Brew said.
He also expressed grati-
tude to local restaurants
that delivered meals to
election workers.
The next primary elec-
tion will be Aug. 6. The
general election is Nov.- A special election will
take place May 7 in Kent
County for various
municipal and school
elections, but they won’t
be voted upon in Gaines
Township.
With 12 classrooms
involved between the vari-
ous programs offered at the
early childhood center, that
has led to a wide range of
sports that will be covered
at the festival, ranging from
more traditional sports like
basketball and football, to
sports like ice fishing and
sled dog racing.
“Each classroom picks
their sport, then they plan aliteracy-based activity to
incorporate into that
theme,” Barthel said.
Students who attend the
event will each receive a
passport when they arrive.
They they are expected to
make the rounds, trying to
hit as many different activi-
ty areas as possible.
“As they go from room to
room and complete an
activity, they get a stamp ontheir passport. Once they’ve
earned five stamps, then
they can come to the book
raffle area and choose a
book,” said Barthel, who is
in charge of book raffle
area.
In addition to the book
raffle area, a Scholastic
Book Fair will be held for
students who would like to
purchase a book to read.
Guest readers will be
appearing through the
building, reading to stu-
dents, and representatives
from the Kent District
Library Caledonia branch
will also be present. There
will also be a snack room
set up for visitors, Trocinski
said.
The best advice for those
who want to go? Get there
right when the event starts
at 6. “if they want to get to
every classroom,” Trocinski
said.VOTING, continued from page 1
LITERACY FESTIVAL, continued from page 1
(Next to Harding’s Market)
4624 N. M-37 Hwy. Ste E, Middleville, MI
269-213-
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Pictured here are organizers Candi Harper (left) and Jodi Barthel (right) as they
work in the book prize room during a previous year’s event.The long-running literacy festival is focused on
promoting early childhood literacy in the community.In this file photo, Gaines Township Clerk Michael Brew (center) speaks at a
township board of trustees meeting.