Banner 10-28-2021

Page 4 — Thursday, October 28, 2021 — The Hastings Banner

Have you met?

Do you remember?

Did you see?

Pandemic response

a shameful reality

No matter where one stands on the vac-

cine controversy and mask debates, there

is one thing certain: We’re all losers.

Leave out the science or how COVID-

19 might have escaped from a lab in

China – this country has bungled its

response to the greatest national crisis of

our time. There’s no toilet paper again at

Walmart. Shipping containers are being

blown off cargo ships waiting offshore

for enough dockworkers to unload. And

heart attack victims are lying on stretch-

ers in hospital hallways because emer-

gency rooms are full.

In the most powerful country on earth,

the pandemic is bringing us, embarrassed,-

to our knees.

Some friends leaving the college foot-

ball game in Kalamazoo Saturday night

stopped at three of their favorite restau-

rants to celebrate. All three notable estab-

lishments had closed earlier in the day,

unable to find enough employees to staff a

night shift.

Another friend is building a house at

the lakeshore, hopeful to have it closed in

before the rain and snow comes. Last

week, a front-end loader sat quiet for

three work days next to a stack of lumber

as an absent work crew – if one was even

available – waited for roof shingles on

back order.

I’m no economist or supply-chain guru,

but I do believe that these clumsy predica-

ments are largely self-inflicted and, even

more concerning, are showing our true

colors as Americans.

There was once a time when we went

to our neighbor’s aid when things got

challenging. When one community suf-

fered, we all suffered. Reminders of that

kind of care remain when we see news

broadcasts of folks helping neighbors

who have been victimized by devastating

fires, floods, and hurricanes. Yet there

was once a time in this country’s history

when we – as a nation – demonstrated

love for our neighbors.

We were one in the days and weeks

following the 9/11 attack on the World

Trade Center and the Pentagon. That out-

pouring of aid, compassion, and care for

each other rivaled the national response

when Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941.

That was went enlistees lined up at recruit-

ment offices to serve in World War II;

some of them were too young to be sol-

diers. They misstated their birth dates to

be accepted. Women stepped up to the

munitions assembly lines and farmers

donated food when rations were imple-

mented to conserve resources.

The Great Depression of the late 1920s

and early 1930s produced America’s

greatest unified efforts. Programs were

created and embraced that put people to

work, fed their families, and provided

hope. The birth of today’s Social Security

system came in 1935 when our country

provided unemployment insurance, old-

age insurance and welfare programs for

those most in need. The Federal Deposit

Insurance Corp. still survives as a protec-

tor of our savings, and the Civilian

Conservation Corps provided jobs for

Americans to build roads and bridges and

plant trees, the forerunner of today’s

nationwide interstate expressway system.

World Wars, a Great Depression, even a

terrorist attack on U.S. soil have been sud-

den and devastating national challenges.

Today’s times seem to be more of a slow

boil, but they are as tough as any America

(and the world) has ever faced.

We are poisoning our water and air,

eroding our top soils, and creating condi-

tions for the fires that are burning down

our forests and national treasures. The

pandemic has stalled the important educa-

tional progress we’ve needed for many

years to keep from falling further behind

other countries. Crime has increased while

police are not supported. And income

inequality is growing while 99 percent of

us wonder why 1 percent of Americans

hold this country’s wealth.

It does not matter on which side we

stand. Our antipathies toward those posi-

tions and people with whom we disagree

distract us from the deadly divisive lava

that’s slowly flowing toward us. To para-

phrase novelist Joyce Carol Oates, “Our

lives are a connected series of minutiae

interrupted at unpredictable times by sig-

nificant events.”

In the minutiae, Americans are betray-

ing their heritage. Instead of forums for

public discourse and discussion, public

meetings have become like hockey games.

We argue to hear ourselves talk and feel

like we’ve won the argument, not to grasp

another viewpoint or make progress

toward some greater understanding of the

problems we must face together.

While the world crumbles around us,

Americans prefer to deal with their First

World problems. Television news is now

carrying reports of a vastly downsized

Christmas season because of supply-chain

problems. Regular advice from the televi-

sion marketing accomplices impart “shop-

ping strategies” on how to secure those

most-sought gifts before the pandemic

disruption puts coal in our stockings.

From the days even before the pandem-

ic, one Grand Rapids car dealer has been

framing personal happiness as “driving

success.” The underlying marketing mes-

sage is that a car, not compassion, empa-

thy, or tolerance for others, will affirm our

image in this world. Not “driving success”

means we’ve been left behind. Maybe the

lesson of this pandemic is to redefine

America’s definition of progress. “Driving

success” starts from inside us, not from

behind a steering wheel.

Norman Wirzba is a theology professor

at Duke Divinity School and, although the

focus of his book, “Food and Faith” does

not directly address today’s pandemic

madness, his overarching theme applies to

it: We all depend on others.

“All along life’s way, a person grows

and develops because of receiving nurture

from others,” Wirzba says. The art of life

is to “know how to move sympathetically,

hospitably, and responsibly within this

togetherness.”

Our origins are from – and our depen-

dence is on – others. These are the times

and the places in which we live. Why are

we not continuing to honor and celebrate

them?

My own life and security has been nur-

tured by the places and the people of

Barry County. Amidst today’s rancor and

suggestions that devious forces are under-

mining this beautiful home, I remain

devoted to the people who have made me

better, who asked how they could help me

succeed, who have been devoted to my

happiness.

It’s my responsibility to hospitably

return that nurture and not be sidetracked

by distracting rhetoric, temporary turmoil,

and unkind words.

America was built on dreams; common

people using opportunity to improve their

lives. Some dreams have been grand.

Skeptics once scoffed at President John F.

Kennedy’s challenge to Congress in 1961

that we land on the moon before the end of

the decade. In 1968, we were affirmed in

believing that even the most massive of

dreams can come true.

Dreams take us beyond our present

reality; they help visualize how the pres-

ent is a foundation to the future.

Today, we don’t seem to have a dream

• or the will to help make another’s dream
  come true.
  But, as our past victories have shown,
  we have the ability to overcome massive
  obstacles.
  We need to do so again.

Doug VanderLaan

Guest Columnist

The Hastings Banner

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Curiosity on overload about oversized load

This oversized load made its careful way through the county Monday, Oct. 18. It looked a bit like a portable silo, but the

motorists who saw it parked southwest of the village of Middleville near Adams Road after 1 p.m. that day weren’t able to

conclusively identify the structure. It ended up traversing much of the county, heading south on M-43 before turning west at

the intersection with M-89. Those who can identify this edifice are welcome to email [email protected] to let us know.

Youngsters

decorate

downtown

Banner Oct. 27, 1983

Hastings schoolchildren

decorated downtown store-

fronts with posters depict-

ing all that is special bout

the Halloween season. The

artists whose work was

judged the best were on

hand Tuesday afternoon for

ribbons and recognition.

First, second and third

place winners received gift

certificates from Felpausch

Food Center. Winners in

the grade 1-3 division were

John Herbstreith, Brad

Gee, and Jason Miller;

grades 4-6 Sarah Fare,

Kori Keast and Jenna

Merritt; and grades 7-8, Gary Kellay, Daryl Pyle and Aija Roush. Another 27 students won honorable mention, including (pic-

tured here in random order) Yvon Roush, Marc Witnan, Kendra Shepard, Austin Zurface, Anne Endsley, Debbie Titus, Jill

Havey, Cassie Benner, Shawn Davis, Roberta Groner, Lisa Williams, Jackie Longstreet, Cindy Wood, Shanna O’Keefe, Paul

Buchanan, Jennifer Kornstadt, Barbie Fare, Blanca Pacheco, Brooke Faught, Ana Pacheco, Rachel Phillips, Aubrey Watson,

Alison Gergen, Gary Davis, Violet Krepps, Janet Davis and Missy Phillips.

Jean Hazel of Lake Odessa is looking

forward to celebrating her 102nd birthday

this Saturday, spending time with her chil-

dren and numerous grandchildren. She’s

also excited about her birthday trip to a

casino.

Jean still lives in her own home, assisted

by neighbors and family members who

check in on her.

When she was younger, Jean Hazel

enjoyed bowling in a league and dancing.

Nowadays, reading and watching the

Detroit Tigers and Michigan State

University basketball are two of her favor-

ite ways to pass the time. Going to a casino

is a special treat.

Ivah Jean Roth was born Oct. 30, 1919,

in Clarksville to Gottlieb and Pearl

(Hansen) Roth, less than a year after World

War I ended. She married shortly after

World War II ended.

She was the middle of seven children and

first attended Bushnell School in Clarksville.

After her family moved to Lowell, she went

to Merriman School. She graduated from

Clarksville High School in 1937.

She and Lake Odessa native Russell

Hazel were engaged in 1941 not long

before Russell was sent overseas with the

U.S. Army, but they did not marry until

Dec. 22, 1945. He spent much of the war in

France, England and Ireland, before being

honorably discharged Nov. 10, 1944.

Jean had been busy during the war, as

well, working in Ionia on the inspection

line at the AC Sparkplugs factory.

She and Russell had two children: Tom

Hazel and Sally O’Rielly. Now, Jean has 31

grandchildren, great-grandkids, and great-

great grandchildren.

Russell, the son of Alfred and Anna

(Sickles) Hazel died in 2010. He was 92,

and he and Jean were married nearly 65

years.

Granddaughter Katie O’Rielly, who lives

in Lansing, said Jean is in great shape,

physically and mentally. The family threw a

big party when Jean turned 100 in 2019.

But, they decided a few people visiting at a

time would be better this year, “so she can

celebrate this birthday and spend more

quality one-on-one time with everyone,”

O’Rielly said.

For much of her childhood, Jean’s family

lived on a small farm in Clarksville raising

animals, such as pigs, cows, horses and

chickens. Like many others of her genera-

tion, they didn’t have a lot, but they got by.

But she does recall some special indul-

gences, like going to the movie theater in

Clarksville to see silent films, watching

with amazement as an airplane flew over-

head, and, as a teen, going to dances in

Clarksville and Alto.

“I enjoyed Saturday night dances – the

foxtrot, waltzes and square dances at parks

or at a dance floor in Alto,” Jean said.

She met Russell Hazel at one of those

dances.

When she was 21, she moved to Lansing

and worked at the A&P grocery store, and

later in the Union Cafeteria at Michigan

State College.

Jean later took up golf and, eventually,

got into a bowling league in Lake Odessa in

the late 1940s. She once bowled a game in

which she registered spares in all 10 frames.

“I got a medal for it,” she said.

She gave up bowling after 32 years, but

she still cooks, especially rolls for every

holiday meal.

“She’s got a special recipe. and everyone

loves them,” O’Reilly said, adding that her

grandma also makes a Swiss dish similar to

crepes called Snicklefritz.

As for mementoes, Jean still has a purse

her then-fiance brought home from France

while on leave in 1943. Another favorite

item is a wooden mashed-potato beater “that

is probably 100 years old,” O’Rielly said.

For her zest for life and love of others,

Jean Hazel is this week’s Banner Bright

Light.

Favorite president: Lincoln.

Favorite president in my lifetime:

Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Favorite movie: “Gone with the Wind.”

Best advice ever received: Be honest.

Favorite TV show: “Little House on the

Prairie.”

Favorite baseball player: Al Kaline.

If I could have a super power, it would

be: To get the world back in a normal

condition.

Favorite vacation destination: Las

Vegas.

Greatest song ever written: “God Bless

America.”

What I’d tell a high school graduate:

Follow your dreams.

Secret to a long life: I don’t know. It just

happened. I never smoked.

Favorite dinner: Salmon patties.

My biggest challenge: Just getting up.

If I could, I would ...: Work outside.

What I want for Christmas: Just hav-

ing my family around.

If I could change just one thing:

Everyone would get along better. All

countries.

When I grow up, I want to be ...: Just

the way I was.

I’m most proud of: My family.

If I won the lottery: I’d divide it among

my family. And buy a new couch.

Greatest thing about Lake Odessa: I

have really good neighbors.

Favorite comics character: “Uncle

Wiggily.”

Favorite childhood memory: Being

with my family. We always had some-

thing going on.

Best inventions ever: TV and airplanes.

Each week, the Banner profiles a person

who makes the community shine. Do you

know someone who should be featured

because of volunteer work, fun-loving per-

sonality, for the stories he or she has to tell

or any other reason? Send information to

Newsroom, Hastings Banner, 1351 N. M-

Highway, Hastings, MI 49058; or email

[email protected].

Jean Hazel