VOLUME 167, No. 25 Thursday, June 24, 2021 PRICE $1.

1

THE

HASTINGS

Devoted to the Interests of Barry County Since 1856

National nonprofit selects Banner for news initiative

Rebecca Pierce

Editor

The Hastings Banner is one of only three

news organizations in Michigan that were

chosen this year for Report for America, a

national initiative to support local news

coverage.

Benjamin Simon, 21, of Philadelphia, a

recent graduate of Washington University in

St. Louis, is the newest staff member at The

Banner.

Simon also is a member of the Report for

America reporting corps, a program created to

transform the economics of local news by

providing an infusion of local reporting

resources. The overarching goal of the

program is to replace the business model with

one that will be sustainable into the future.

Additional reporting positions come at a

critical moment, when many local newsrooms

are closing – leaving a vacuum of trusted,

accurate information that is being filled by

online and broadcast disinformation, said

Steven Waldman, cofounder and president of

Report for America.

Michigan, in particular, has sustained large

losses in the number of reporters covering

community news. The impact is significant.

In maintaining its commitment to covering

the community, The Banner , among other

J-Ad Graphics Inc. publications owned by the

Jacobs family, created a news oasis in the

midst of a local news desert in southwestern

Michigan.

“The business model of news is broken,

mostly due to internet technologies that

dismantled the way newspapers were able to

pay for the news side of the business,” Fred

Jacobs, CEO/publisher of J-Ad Graphics Inc.,

said. “For hundreds of years, newspapers

covered the cost of local news by attracting

readers and providing advertisers with a solid

relationship with their customers.

“Prior to the internet, local newspapers

were the only way to get this information to

the local audience. Now the internet is

threatening many businesses, such as

automotive, retailers, real estate and more,

which were traditionally weekly advertisers.”

Community support is essential to

maintaining these businesses, along with the

news organization that fulfills a vital role of

informing the public about the workings of

Renewing our

celebration of July 4

See Editorial on Page 4

Area softball players

earn all-state honors

See Story on Page 12

Delton finds savings

in elementary project

See Story on Page 2

NEWS

BRIEFS

See NEWS BRIEFS, page 2

See NEWS, page 9

It’s over: County rescinds

state of emergency

Rebecca Pierce

Editor

Barry County’s state of emergency will

end effective June 30, county commission-

ers decreed.

The emergency declaration wasn’t unan-

imous when it was instituted last spring –

and it wasn’t unanimous when the vote to

rescind it was taken Tuesday.

In the 5-2 decision, commissioners

Catherine Getty and Dave Jackson opposed

it.

The emergency, which was declared

March 23 and originally intended to extend

to Dec. 31, was largely driven by the need

to ensure that local units of government

could continue to meet virtually, county

officials said.

It also was designed to encourage greater

participation by the public, who could

attend open meetings virtually, in compli-

ance with the state Open Meetings Act, they

said.

Board vice-chairwoman Vivian Conner,

who cast the lone dissenting vote in March,

opposed the resolution from the beginning.

United Way ‘stocking

up’ is today

Barry County United Way is taking part

in a statewide food collection event,

Summer Stock Up, Thursday morning to

help fill the shelves of local food pantries.

“We are asking that the community rally

together to bring as many of the following

items as possible: boxed macaroni and

cheese, canned vegetables, boxes of cere-

al, canned fruit,” Morgan Johnson of the

United Way said in a press release.

The collection will be from 9 a.m. to

noon Thursday, June 24, at the Barry

Community Enrichment Center, 231 S.

Broadway, Hastings.

Organizations supported by the Summer

Stock Up drive include the Hastings Food

Bank, operated by Barry County Cares;

the pantry at Middleville United Methodist

Church; Manna’s Market in Lake Odessa;

and the Hastings Fresh Food Initiative,

which is operated by United Way.

“Every year, food pantries across Barry

County are fully stocked during the winter

months, thanks to generous holiday dona-

tions,” Johnson said. “But when summer

comes, donations drop considerably, and

pantry shelves become sparse.”

Those who’d prefer to donate funds

may “shop their impact” online at https://

app.mobilecause.com/e/njoiqw?vid=ix

Alumni board

canceling banquet

The Hastings High School Alumni

Association Board has reached the diffi-

cult decision to cancel the 2021 alumni

banquet. After contacting some members

of this year’s anniversary classes, the

board determined that people continue to

be uncomfortable attending large gather-

ings where a meal is served.

Next year’s banquet is being scheduled

for the Friday evening of Summerfest in

August 2022. The board is looking for-

ward to returning to normal after two years

without holding the banquet.

Family event getting

historical this week

The weekly No Family Left Indoors

program will be at Historic Charlton Park

and McKeown Bridge next week.

No Family Left Indoors is intended to

get families – and individuals and couples,

too – outdoors exploring natural and man-

made local treasures.

Uncle Irving’s Treasure Hunt, hosted by

Charlton Park and the Barry County Parks

and Recreation Board, encourages partici-

pants to search for and follow clues

throughout historic village to earn prizes.

Nearby, during the same June 28-July 2

span, participants can take a goofy photo

on the historic iron-truss McKeown Bridge

or draw a picture of their favorite animal

crossing the bridge.

Passports are available this year (http:/ /

bit.ly/NFLI2021). Anyone who completes

six or more events for the passport can

earn prizes. Passports may be picked up at

Hastings Public Library or Pierce Cedar

Creek Institute.

More information is available at cedar-

creekinstitute.org.

City band to have

patriotic conclusion

The historic Hastings City Band will

conclude its summer season next week

with its “Tribute to America” concert at

7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 30.

The band, which dates back to 1857,

and is comprised of local volunteer musi-

cians high school age and up, will play its

fifth and final concert at Thornapple Plaza.

Other programs in the Hastings Live

Ben Simon (right) the Banner’s newest reporter and a member of Report for America’s reporting corps, interviews Chad Cullers

last week for a story about the Barry County Adult Drug Court. (Photo by Scott Harmsen)

Spectrum, Beaumont

announce intent to merge

Taylor Owens

Staff Writer

Spectrum Health and Southfield-based

Beaumont Health have announced plans for a

possible merger to create a healthcare organi-

zation of 22 hospitals and more than 64,

staff members.

The two non-profit corporations signed a

letter of intent June 14, and aim to complete

the merger this fall.

“Beaumont Health and Spectrum Health

are leaders in our respective markets and, by

bringing together our organizations to create a

new system, we have the opportunity to deliv-

er greater value in high-quality and affordable

health care to our communities,” Spectrum

Health President and CEO Tina Freese Decker

said. “Together, we can provide a more per-

sonalized experience that prioritizes individu-

als’ health while also attracting and retaining

great talent to our vibrant communities.”

Under the agreement, Freese Decker will

serve as the president and CEO of the new

organization, known as BHSH System, while

Beaumont Health CEO John Fox will help

with the transition before leaving the system.

“Our organizations share complementary

strengths in areas such as quality and have

similar missions, visions and values,”

Beaumont Health President and CEO John

See MERGE, page 8

Who will manage the city?

Hastings City Council

narrows its nationwide

search to five candidates

Benjamin Simon

Staff Writer

The City of Hastings released on Friday

evening the names of five finalists vying to

become city manager.

The candidates are: Richard Downey, vil-

lage manager of Kronenwetter, Wis.; Bret

Harmon, administrative services director for

the city of Sanger, Calif.; Susan Montenegro,

city manager of Leslie; Richard Downey, vil-

lage manager of Kronenwetter, Wis.; Sarah

Moyer-Cale, Paw Paw village manager/zon-

ing administrator and DDA executive direc-

tor; and Timothy Wolff, Lake Isabella village

manager.

The release of these names marks the con-

cluding stages of a months-long effort to fill

the opening.

The search process began in early May

when the former city manager, Jerry

Czarnecki, stepped down. The council com-

missioned the Michigan Municipal League to

identify a list of applicants. Lead Executive

Recruiter Kathie Grinzinger facilitated a

screening process involving about 20 appli-

cants. That number was whittled to 10. Then,

during an executive session during the last

city council meeting on June 14, the council

shaved the number from 10 to five.

The next step is for the final five candidates

to be interviewed July 8 during a daylong city

council meeting.

Mayor David Tossava said council mem-

bers are hoping to finalize their selection that

day after the interviews are done.

Here is a look at the five candidates, their

background and what they said they hope to

offer Hastings:

Richard Downey

When Downey started his job as city

administrator of Elkhart, Kan., he had never

been there – let alone to the state of Kansas.

That began a bit of a trend for Downey.

Since then, he has accepted jobs in Rock

Falls, Ill., and Kronenwetter, Wis., places he

had never visited before.

It’s the “small things” that have helped him

to integrate quickly into unfamiliar places,

Downey said. And, if chosen for the

opportunity as city manager in Hastings, he

said he intends to follow that same pattern.

“It’s showing up at the farmers’ market,

doing the Chamber of Commerce, getting

involved with local organizations –– be it the

Lions Club or Kiwanis or something of that

nature. ...” Downey said. “And then, honestly,

when I was in Kansas, even when I was in

Illinois, I visited all of the businesses. I made

sure [I knew] who they were, what they were

about.”

When asked how his strengths line up with

the city manager role, Downey immediately

pointed to his 20 years of experience. Through

a Community Development Block Grant in

Rock Falls, Ill., Downey helped create a

housing rehabilitation program that allowed

See CANDIDATES, page 2

Bret Harmon Richard Downey Susan Montenegro Sarah Moyer-Cale Tim Wolff

See RESCINDS, page 3