The Hastings Banner — Thursday, May 6, 2021 — Page 7halls, offices and basement, and also was
commissioned to diligently mow the lawn,
keep it clean and in the fall of the year, he was
not to permit the leaves to remain were they
fell and enrich the soil with their leafy mold.
So, all the leaves were raked into piles and
burned.
Now what could the poor grass on the
court yard to under such conditions? Here
were the many big maple trees becoming
larger every year, taking more moisture from
the ground, shutting out more and more of
Old Sol’s rays with their widening and
thickening leafage.
City water was applied by the janitor, but
the tree roots took most of it. He did his best,
but his work of mowing and raking and
sprinkling could not feed the grass, so the soil
“soured” on the whole proposition. His
sprinkling could not restore the once velvety
green, so the grass became pale and anemic. It
refused to respond to his efforts to have it
grow the fine green carpet that won the
admiration of Editor Clark 60 years ago. The
grass, in spite of the janitor, became paler and
thinner, with increasing bare spots that were
anything but pleasing.
The supervisors noticed the bare spots on
the lawn and the sickly appearance of the
grass and decided something must be done
about it. They found a chap who said he could
make grass grow on that court yard. The
board told him to go to it, and he did; and the
proof is there that he could and did make
grass grow. What did he do?
First, from the east half of the court yard,
he took out enough trees to give the sun a
chance to get to the grass for some part of
each day. By the same token, he removed also
the rooty robbers that had stolen the moisture
that should go to the grass roots.
Next, he realized that grass, like a human
being, has to be fed. So, he loosened the
packed soil, then added food for the promised
crop of grass by having several loads of rich,
leaf-mold added. When this had been worked
in properly, he sowed the grass seed.
Did it grow?
Did it grow? Do you inquire?
If there is a lingering doubt in your mindon that proposition, take a stroll over to the
east side of the court yard and convince
yourself that it did grow. Then it might be
worth your while to take a look at the west
half of that same yard, and you will not the
striking contrast.
Grass is like folks – shut out the sunshine
and forget that a life cannot grow unless it is
nourished, and you see results that are not
pleasant. Grass cannot do anything to control
the conditions that limit or prevent its proper
development. Grass cannot “be choosy,” but
folks can do a lot of that.
Growing a life means bringing out
possibilities that are within us. Psychologists
declare that folks develop but a small
percentage of their possibilities, and some act
as if they do not care anything about it. But it
is worth caring for. The attention we give to
that matter largely determines what we
become. It is, of course, important that we all
recognize that our Creator has furnished us
not only the Perfect Example, but has revealed
to us His Way of Life, and explained how wecan have His help in getting it.
We can learn from the courthouse lawn
that we cannot rob ourselves of the things that
would enlarge and enrich our inner selves and
grow a real life. That life is within us. Too
many outside attractions and distractions can
rob one of the real joy of living. There are
wholesome diversions – and we need them.
But when they become the aim and chief
purpose of our living, then bare spots and in
anemic inner self are the results.
A wholesome life must be fed. A real life
needs constant nourishment. The forces, the
habits and qualities that will feed the inner life
and make it grow are available. They call for
will power, intelligent choosing, often for
sacrifice. But they are worth it.
The greatest enemy of real life is neglect.
If we neglect the things that make for
health of body, strength of mind, dependable
morals and spiritual growth, are we wise or
otherwise?
The new courthouse lawn did not “just
happen.” It was planned.Cook shared history, life lessons
from the courthouse lawn
Former Banner co-owner and editor
Marshall L. Cook frequently recalled the
early days of Hastings in his columns. The
following, from the May 29, 1941, Banner, is
more unusual in that it focuses on not a
person or a building, but on the courthouse
lawn. And, he compares the needs of grass to
those of humans, both physically and
spiritually.
Many Banner readers have noticed the
beautiful new lawn on the east side of our
courthouse square. Until this year, it was
anything but attractive in appearance – [it]
was “spotty,” and what grass there was seemed
to have suffered anemia. The development of
that half of our downtown public square
suggests some history and invites some
thinking that may prove interesting.
Nearly 60 years ago, M.H. Clark was the
editor of the Barry County Democrat, then
published in the old National Bank building
[on the northwest corner of State and Jefferson
streets]. At that time, there was a row of
maples around the courthouse square, also on
each side the wide walk leading from the
north entrance of the old frame structure to the
State Street sidewalk.
While the trees were of considerable size,
they were much smaller than now, and a
considerable part of the yard had no trees. The
city operated no waterworks plant in those
days to furnish moisture in a dry season, but
the rains and the sun brought forth a fine crop
of grass each spring.
Regularly, at that season, Editor Clark
would make this announcement in the local
columns of the weekly Democrat: “The
courtyard is carpeted in beautiful green.” The
following issue of the Banner would usually
say in effect: “No one can question the beauty
or the greenness of the court yard carpet, but
that is so evident and so generally known that
it can hardly be classed as news.”
The explanation of this annual spring
announcement in the Democrat was no doubt
the fact that Editor Clark had spent most of his
life in a city of considerable size, where an
entire downtown block of green lawn could
not be found – hence the editorial raptures
over our court yard’s green carpet. It was
comparatively easy to grow such a lawn then
because the sun could reach all parts of the
yard at some time during the day, and the
grass had practically all the benefit of the
usual rains.
There came at that time occupants of the
sheriff’s office who reasoned with themselves:
“We concede that a court yard carpet of
velvety green grass is beautiful and attractive,
but no more so than maple shade trees, with
their leafy limbs towering skyward. Their
abundance of cooling shade is especially
inviting to the public in the ‘good old summer
time.’” So, Uncle Ike Vrooman and some of
his immediate successors planted maple trees
plentifully in the grassy area of the court yard.
Maple trees refuse to be limited in their
growth as is the grass. So long as they remain
small, they do not interfere with a green
carpet on the court yard. But when they
became of much greater size, their roots steal
the moisture that should feed the grass; also,
their large and yearly-increasing leafage shuts
off more and more sunlight from the green
carpet, robs it of its strength, deep color and
vitality, which isn’t so good – for the grass.
In the old frame courthouse, the janitor’s
job was not so difficult. He had to keep the
hall and the offices clean and see that there
was a supply of stove wood for the big heaters
of that era.
But when the new brick structure was
place on our public square [1892-93], the
janitor had plenty to do. He was expected to
attend to the usual cleaning of the courtroom,Social News
Shade trees now provide relief from the late-August sun during Hastings Summerfest.
The grass, though trodden for three days during the festival, quickly recovers.
This fountain was removed and repurposed during World War II, so this photo likely
was taken around the time M.L. Cook wrote about the courthouse lawn in May 1941.“The rains and the sun brought forth a fine crop of grass each spring,” on the old,
mostly unshaded lawn, former Banner editor M.L. Cook wrote of the yard near the
second courthouse. The wooden structure served the county from about 1849 to 1892-
93.
MICHAEL KINNEY
PLUMBING
Licensed Master Plumber
Licensed Journeyman Plumber
New construction, remodel, repair, drain cleaning.
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Same Day Installation
Office (269) 948-
Mobile (269) 838-License
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Maintenance Helper
We have increased our starting wage to $14.50 per hr.
with the ability to earn up to $15.75 within the first
year! We give a 50¢ premium for 2nd and 3rd shift.
Also TONS of growth opportunity.
Our address is
429 S. Michigan Ave, Hastings, MI 49508Apply at https://www.qualityaluminum.com
or in person.Hastings Area School System
is accepting applications for:
the position of
Administrative Assistant/
Accounts Payable
Successful candidate should have an Associates Degree
in Business or related field, prior office environment
experience, be proficiency with Microsoft Office programs,
and have excellent organizational skills. Individual
should also have strong analytical and mathematical
aptitude, be dependable and able to handle confidential
information with discretion. The ability to deal with
parents, employees, and community members is a must.Please see our website for the full job description.
http://www.hassk12.orgSubmit a cover letter, resume and references to:
Mr. Tim Berlin
Assistant Superintendent of Operations
232 West Grand St
Hastings, Mi 49058
[email protected]Deadline for application: May 28, 2021Happy Mother’s Day
Evelyn Johnson Allerding
Love,
Your
Family
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