Page 2/The Sun and News, Saturday, November 20, 2021ized marijuana for recre-
ational use in the state. The
vote within the village,
which is Precinct 3 of
Thornapple Township was
793-528, in favor. Overall,
the township voted againstthe proposal, 1,997-1,716.
A decision on approval of
the marijuana retail licenses
is expected by the end of the
year, Urquhart said.
“It definitely was a wild
ride, I’ll tell you that much. Itwas a lot of work. We put in
a lot of time,” he said.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever
have an experience like this
again. I’ll take it as a great
badge of honor to go through
that. I don’t want to go
through it again.”Middleville DDA to award more grants next year for facades
Greg Chandler
Staff Writer
Middleville Downtown
Development Authority is
investing more money in its
facade grant program and
making some changes in
how it will deal with grant
applications.
The DDA board Tuesday
approved several revisions in
the program, including
allowing a limited number of
residences that are in the
DDA district to apply for
grants. The board also
approved an authority budget
that more than doubles fund-
ing for the grants – from
$31,800 this year to $77,
next year.
“It lays out more of what it
can go for,” DDA board
chairwoman Kim Jachim
said.
The additional grant funds
are expected to assist with
projects such as the resto-
ration of the historic train
depot, DDA Director
Katherine Schmidt said.
The facade grants are pri-
marily designed to encour-
age downtown businesses to
upgrade the appearance of
their properties. Applicants
must be in the DDA district.
Grants can be used for such
upgrades as repair or replace-
ment of windows and doors,exterior painting, awnings
that are historic in appear-
ance, masonry repair or res-
toration, or historic resto-
ration such as original brick
or woodwork, according to
DDA documents.
Commercial grants of up
to $10,000 can be awarded
for a corner building with
two facades, $5,000 for a
rear facade and $2,500 for a
side facade. The applicant
must invest at least 50 per-
cent of the total project cost
to receive the grant, accord-
ing to DDA documents.
Board members set a one-
year timetable for the project
to be completed, once thegrant is approved. They
debated the idea of a six-
month limit, but agreed on
one year because of ongoing
challenges getting supplies
needed to complete the work.
“If you go to order some-
thing, sometimes you’re
waiting eight months, nine
months, a year to build it,”
Schmidt said. “Suppliers are
waiting on parts to build
something.”
The DDA board agreed to
allow residences in the dis-
trict to apply for grants, but
on a limited basis. The board
will allow four residential
applications for the year to
be approved, with grants of
no more than $500.
“That way, we’re not over-
come [with requests for resi-
dential projects],” board
member Kristen Fisher said.
The board earlier this year
received a request from Casey
and Paul Haney, who own a
house on Grand Rapids Street
near the skate park at Calvin
Hill Park, to fund a portion of
a new privacy fence for their
home. It was the first residen-
tial request for funding
through the facade grant pro-
gram. The Haneys cited secu-
rity issues with kids from the
park running through their
yard.
The DDA board initially
rejected the Haneys’ request
in August, but then in
September approved award-
ing $2,500 toward the cost of
the project. The discussion
prompted concerns of moreresidents wanting to seek
funding for fences or other
projects at their houses.
The board also approved
reduction the size of the
application document from
16 pages to 10, and tightened
up language to give the DDA
board parameters for approv-
ing or denying grant applica-
tions.
“The DDA board has the
right to approve grant awards
that are deemed to be in the
best interest of the village of
Middleville, the DDA and
the facade program,”
Schmidt said. “The board
also reserves the right to nul-
lify grant awards that are
found to be non-compliant
with the conditions of the
program or nullify the award
if the property changes
hands. The non-compliance
would have to be fixed and
be addressed later. The board
reserves the right to revise or
end these programs at any
time, and in no way guaran-
tees the availability of fund-
ing for any specific project at
any given time.
“In other words, it gives
you guys a little bit more
power to say no if a project
comes up that you truly feel is
not why the facade program
exists. It is OK to say no.”
The DDA budget for next
year is about $234,000, up
from more than $213,
this year. The authority is
expected to end 2022 with a
surplus of more than
$15,000.The 2022 DDA budget
also includes $19,000 in
funding for village events,
such as the Riverbank Music
Festival, Heritage Days, the
Independence Day celebra-
tion, and the Movies Under
the Stars series.
The budget also includes
$43,000 for arts and culture,
with funding expected
through a crowd-funding ini-
tiative that could be matched
by a $20,000 from the
Michigan Council of Arts
and Cultural Affairs. That
funding is expected to sup-
port an Art in the Air event,
in partnership with the
Thornapple Arts Council,
next summer, according to
the budget memo from
Schmidt.
Funding for the DDA bud-
get comes primarily from tax
increment financing, where a
portion of tax revenue from
properties in the downtown
district are captured and set
aside for economic develop-
ment and promotional activi-
ties downtown.
The DDA will capture
more than $167,000 in reve-
nue from the village and
another $30,000 from
Thornapple Township,
according to the budget
memo.
The DDA budget must
still be approved by the
Village Council. That action
is expected to occur Dec. 14
when the council plans to
adopt the village’s 2022 bud-
get.will be greatly missed, but he
will always be remembered
for the legacy and impact that
he had on his family and our
entire Caledonia community.”
Elizabeth Fanco, a
Caledonia parent, said that
many students discovered a
love for orchestra because of
Sowerby’s passion for music.
“At a time in life where kids
struggle to know who they
even are and what they want to
be, Mr. Sowerby helped mid-
dle schoolers learn to express
themselves through their
stringed instruments,” Fanco
said. “When my kids had those
big, early-teen-years emotions
and no words to express them,
I’d often hear them practicing
the same songs over and over
again in their room.
“Mr. Sowerby taught them
to strive for excellence through
music in a world largely out of
their control, and to have fun
while they were doing it.
A violinist and graduate of
Eastern Michigan University
with a degree in music edu-
cation, Sowerby began his
teaching career in Grand
Rapids Public Schools before
coming to Caledonia. He
also taught at Blue Lake Fine
Arts Camp. In addition to
teaching orchestra at Kraft
Meadows and Duncan Lake,
he also coached in the middle
school tennis program.
“He was loved by the play-
ers and very excited about
being a part of the tennis pro-
gram,” Caledonia High varsity
tennis coach Scott Bont wrote
in an e-mail to the Sun and
News. “He was eager to assist
in any way that he could.
“I was just talking with a
high school student
(Thursday), as this student
was reminiscing about how
Coach Sowerby helped him
in orchestra with switching
instruments, as well as being
his tennis coach. David also
was one of our summer ten-
nis program coaches before
he became too sick to be in
the sun all morning. Our ten-
nis program will definitely
miss him being around.”
“David did everything he
loved at 110 percent,” said
Trish Lulich, a sixth-gradeteacher at Kraft Meadows.
“Whether it was hockey, ten-
nis, riding one of his many
bikes, cheering his kids on at
their sporting activities, or
battling one illness after
another with his wife at his
side, he was always all in.
“Teaching orchestra was
no different, he loved it.”
Sowerby is survived by his
wife, Rebecca, who teaches
science, technology, engi-
neering and mathematics at
Kraft Meadows; three chil-
dren, Aidan, Lydia and
Cooper; parents, John and
Lindy Sowerby; brother,
Joseph (Carrie) Sowerby, sis-
ter, Emily (Jeff) Young, and
extended family.
“His loss will leave a void
in many people’s lives, in
this community and in the
CCS orchestra programs; but
his gift of music will go on
and on,” Lulich said. “Every
time one of those young
musicians picks up their
instrument and plays, David
lives on in every note.
“What could be a more
beautiful legacy than that?”HOLIDAY
HAPPENINGS
MIDDLEVILLE UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH
111 Church St. in MiddlevilleNOVEMBER 21, 2021- FREE Community Thanksgiving Dinner
Turkey and all the fixings
2-4 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall
Carry out available
DECEMBER 21, 2021- Holley Trolley Rides 5-8 p.m.
Ticket pre-sales at 4:30 p.m.
$1 per person over age 5
Free for children seated in an adult lap
Maximum charge of $5 per family
Free hot chocolate and music in
MUMC Fellowship Hall
Crafts and Santa helpers provided
by Journey Church
DECEMBER 24, 2021
Christmas Eve Service 7:00 p.m.SOWERBY, continued from page 1
MARIJUANA, continued from page 1
For Sale
CIDER MILL VILLAGE- Mid-
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BUYING ALL HARD-
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FARM LAND WANTED to
rent for 2022 and beyond, 269-
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ATHLETIC FACILITY
Membership Offerings:
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