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Page 8 — Thursday, March 7, 2024 — The Hastings Banner

STATE OF MICHIGAN

5TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT - FAMILY DIVISION

BARRY COUNTY

PUBLICATION OF NOTICE OF HEARING

REGARDING PETITION FOR NAME CHANGE

CASE NO. and JUDGE 24-297-39-NC

WILLIAM M. DOHERTY

Court Address: 206 w. Court St., Ste. 302, Hastings,

MI 49058

Court Telephone No.: 269-945-

In the matter of Mackenzie Viola Chapin-Dyer.

TO ALL PERSONS, including: whose address is

unknown and whose interest in the matter may be

barred or affected by the following:

TAKE NOTICE: Samantha Hoogterp has filed a

petition for name change. A name change hearing

will be held on 03/27/2024 at 2:45 p.m. at 206 W.

Court St., Ste. 302, Hastings, MI 49058 before

Judge William M. Doherty to change the name of

Mackenzie Viola Chapin-Dyer to Mackenzie Viola

Hoogterp. 213151

Planning commission to potentially discuss

rezoning, amending zoning standards next month

Hunter McLaren

Staff Writer

The Hastings Planning Commission might

be looking at making some changes to city

zoning next month.

Commissioners discussed making changes

to the Residential Suburban (R-S) zoning

requirements or making changes to the city’s

zoning map at their meeting Monday. The

discussion was a continuation of last month’s

meeting, in which they discussed a Cass

Street neighborhood with inconsistent zoning.

The issue arose when Garry Moyer, a resi-

dent on the 900 block of West Clinton Street,

inquired about an exemption from minimum

setback requirements on his property. He

intended to build a garage on his property but

found the 15-foot minimum setback required

by the R-S zoning requirements was too

restrictive for the way his home is configured

on the property. Upon looking into the issue,

it was discovered many of the lots zoned for

R-S in the neighborhood do not conform with

city requirements.

An analysis by the city discovered that 11

of the 26 lots in question do not conform

with the 15-foot minimum setback require-

ment. All 11 instances were built before the

district was zoned, meaning they’ve been

grandfathered in.

Commissioners generally found the R-S

requirements to be mostly unsuitable for the

character of the neighborhood, characterized

by the fact that nearly half of the lots were

non-conforming when they were rezoned.

The discussion also brought into focus an

issue on the commission’s task list, to review

zoning throughout the city to ensure it was

consistent. Commission Chair David Hat-

field said zoning issues like the ones seen in

South Cass Street would be easier to handle

with a more simplified set of zoning codes

and ordinances.

“We’ve got a fairly complex zoning code

compared to a lot of communities,” Hatfield

said. “I think what we realized as the housing

committee has been working on multi-family

issues, we felt that we needed to make a

comprehensive review of our zoning, our

residential zoning ordinances in particular, to

make sure that we are really doing what we

intend to do.”

Commissioners motioned to tentatively

hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. on April 1 in

City Hall to discuss either amending the R-S

setback requirements or rezoning the South

Cass Street neighborhood as R-1 or R-2. The

date is tentative because it falls during spring

break, with commissioners unsure if there

would be a quorum present to take any

action. Hatfield lives in the affected neigh-

borhood and abstained from the motion, and

would be unable to contribute to a quorum.

Once the date of the public hearing is

determined, residents in the affected area and

any houses within 300 feet will be provided a

notice. Further complicating the issue, if

commissioners find it necessary to rezone the

neighborhood at their next meeting, they will

be required by municipal law to begin a

lengthy master plan amendment process.

Steve Hoke, a Hastings resident who lives

next door to Moyer, encouraged commission-

ers to think carefully about how to proceed.

Whichever route the commission chooses to

follow could have wide-reaching implica-

tions – for example, rezoning the area to R-

could allow duplexes in the neighborhood.

“I don’t want duplexes in my area,” Hoke

said. “That’s a change that could happen,

possibly. I know it’s not necessarily going to,

but (it would change a reason why) we spent

basically our life savings and half of our life

in this area.”

Barry Conservation District receives $196,500 grant

to combat invasive species like Mile-a-Minute Weed

The Barry Conservation District announced

this week that it has been awarded $196,

in state grant funding.

The funds come to the BCD as part of the

Barry, Calhoun and Kalamazoo Cooperative

Invasive Species Management Area (BCK

CISMA). This grant allocation underscores

the collaborative efforts of BCD and BCK

CISMA in combating invasive species across

the region.

The funds awarded to BCD are a portion

of $3.6 million that was allocated by the

state for 31 projects aimed at addressing

invasive species. Among these projects is

BCK CISMA’s initiative to tackle the men-

ace of Mile-a-Minute Weed, currently only

found in Calhoun County. This aggressive

invasive vine poses a significant threat to

Southwestern Michigan’s native wildlife and

ecosystems.

Sara Huetteman, the invasive species coor-

dinator for the Barry Conservation District,

plays the leading role in driving the success

of the BCK CISMA, including securing fund-

ing for critical projects that address Red

Swamp Crayfish and the Mile-a-Minute

Weed.

Huetteman’s dedication and expertise

points to BCD’s commitment to preserving

Michigan’s natural heritage and protecting

biodiversity.

“We are really happy to receive this grant

funding so we are able to continue offering

free services to landowners with Mile-a-Min-

ute Weed,” Huetteman said. “(The weed is)

known to grow up to six inches a day, quickly

smothers trees, and forms dense mats that

endanger the habitat of local wildlife. Our

goal is to prevent it from spreading further

into Michigan and protect our native plants

and animals.”

Barry Conservation District extended its

appreciation to all the BCK CISMA partners

and Michigan Invasive Species Program

(MISP) for their support and collaboration.

For more information about Barry Conser-

vation District and its invasive species man-

agement efforts, visit barrycd.org/bck

Hastings ‘Matilda’ performance is the culmination

of years of student, community involvement

Hunter McLaren
Staff Writer
Hastings senior Keegan Lindsey never
thought he’d be a lead performer. In fact, he
wasn’t sure he even wanted to be on stage.
“I guess I wasn’t really like considering
doing the show until... I don’t know,” Lind-
sey said. “I just thought it was my senior year
and I was wanting to get out there.”
It would be understandable for a first-time
performer to avoid the limelight, opting for a
minor role while they learn the ropes and take
cues from their peers. Instead, Lindsey has
found himself in the role of the loud, intimi-
dating, force-of-nature headmaster Agatha
Trunchbull in “Matilda,” the musical based
on the Roald Dahl book of the same name.
Although he admits it was a little daunting,
he said it was easy to put his faith in Hastings
Choir Director Andrew Moore and everyone
else involved in the program.
“I was hesitant at first, but I just realized
this is what I signed up for. I had to put my
trust in Mr. Moore and everyone who cast
me, basically,” he said. “Even though I was
hesitant, I just thought no one was going to
care as long as I did a good job. I realized it

was important to put the energy into it, and I

was going to get back what I put in.”

Lindsey and dozens of his Hastings class-

mates have been preparing for their first show

set to take place tonight at 7 p.m., with further

showings each day through Saturday taking

place at 7 p.m. at the Hastings Performing

Arts Center. Saturday will have an additional

showing at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at

hastings.ludus.com.

Even before tonight’s show, Lindsey said

he’s already quickly realized what makes

performing so great.

“I never really understood the appeal of it,”

he said. “But then you get on stage, and you

realize you can be as goofy as can be and

people are entertained by it, it’s just nice to

take a step back from the real world and just

be someone else.”

As fun as it is, Lindsey also feels playing a

leading character can have a lasting effect

that reaches beyond this week’s performanc-

es.

“Being a lead, I think it’s not only a big

responsibility of learning your lines and

doing your part in the musical. You don’t

realize how many kids are looking up to

you,” he said. “I remember being in eighth

grade or a freshman, I looked up to all those

seniors and upperclassmen. You want to be

like them.”

Senior Abigail Byykkonen, performing as

teacher Ms. Honey, said each performance

contributes to the legacy of the arts and music

programs at Hastings.

“As a lead, you’re a role model,” she said.

You’re gonna influence even the kids that are

super little to want to do stuff like this. We

definitely should be promoting the arts. I

hope we do it justice.”

Music has always been a part of Byyk-

konen’s life, she said. That being said, she

never knows what to expect as a performer.

To be a performer is a highly dynamic expe-

rience – no two performances will be the

same. She said rolling with the punches and

learning how to be flexible on the fly is all

part of it.

“You have to be okay with failure when

you’re going to be in musicals because

you’re going to do everything, and there’s

always going to be a way to improve it and

to make it better,” she said. “If you can’t

accept that you’re going to make mistakes

and you’re going to not do it the best way,

then it’s not going to be enjoyable. But once

you embrace the fact that you’re gonna

make mistakes, then it becomes super fun

and you can really see growth and improve-

ment.”

It’s also easy to see that no one person

could put on the show. While students con-

tribute hundreds of hours dedicated to

rehearsal and practice, Byykkonen said par-

ent volunteers and the show’s directors argu-

ably contribute even more time.

“We’re just the tip of the iceberg,” she said.

“There’s so much that isn’t seen or acknowl-

edged that should be.”

It’s a community experience, through and

through. Byykkonen said teachers like Moore

and her mom Faith Byykkonen, choir director

at Hastings Middle School, have brought the

best out of her.

“They always pushed me to excellence and

to do my best. They taught me things that I

was not taught in other classrooms that were

life practical skills,” she said. “I think music

is super important, just as a way to express

yourself and to push yourself out of your

comfort zone.”

It’s exactly why she and senior Zachariah

Byle are looking forward to pursuing a career

in music education following graduation.

They hope to share those experiences and

lessons with the next generation.

“Music has always helped me throughout

life, and it has definitely helped me step out of

my shell and become a different person,” Byle

said. “I just want to be able to help other peo-

ple do that and experience what music can do.”

The Mile-a-Minute Weed is an invasive vine that is known to grow six inches in a

single day. The weed can be found in Calhoun County currently while environmental

professionals attempt to keep it from spreading. (Courtesy photo)

Hastings High School senior Abigail Byykkonen (center) in costume as Ms. Honey,
surrounded by “kindergarteners” (back, left to right) Anika Bourassa, James Stevens,
Ally Herder, Bella Kensington, Micah Johnson, Nate Traver, (front, left to right) Liam
Bradley and Sophie Haywood. (Photos courtesy of Bob Gaskill)

Baylie Guernsey (center) practices

among classmates for this week’s

“Matilda” performance.

Hastings High School students rehearse in the Hastings Performing Arts Center leading up to the show. Choir Director Andrew

Moore said this year’s show is a true culmination of the school’s music and arts programming.