Banner 1-6-2022

Page 4 — Thursday, January 6, 2022 — The Hastings Banner

Have you met?

Do you remember?

Did you see?

Keep USA strong

for the future

When are Americans, corporate

America and the American government

going to stop looking the other way while

China chips away at our independence?

Our country relies on China for every-

thing from personal health products to the

computer chips used in everything from

home security systems to our vehicles.

We are making China – or at least the

top officials of China – very wealthy and

yet we let China walk all over us.

Take COVID-19, for example. Why

hasn’t our government made it clear that

the reason for our two-year COVID pan-

demic – called by some the worst national

health epidemic since the Spanish flu

virus of 1918 – is China?

Why not place that responsibility direct-

ly where it belongs?

Now, with the newly discovered

Omicron variant, Americans will have

gone through at least three unique varia-

tions of the infection.

The result, as we all know, has been

difficult for our communities. Schools

were forced to close and turn to long-dis-

tance teaching. Churches had to discontin-

ue traditional services.

Many churches turned to Facebook and

YouTube to livestream their Sunday ser-

vices from a sanctuary occupied by only

the officiant, organist and a handful of

necessary technical experts.

All across our country, numerous busi-

nesses were forced to close and workers lost

their jobs and income. Community events

were canceled, and travel was restricted.

Our nation and citizens suffered great

emotional and financial loss.

Still, there has not been even a sugges-

tion that the Chinese government be held

accountable and asked to provide financial

support to those who were harmed by the

worldwide problem that originated in a lab

in Wuhan, China, or was somehow spread

from bats there to a cluster of patients.

But, even if COVID is not a concern,

consider the numerous challenges we now

must face as a result of relocating a major-

ity of American’s manufacturing to China.

The crisis caused by that situation

should be obvious in the current sup-

ply-chain problems we are experiencing.

We wouldn’t have had to worry about

getting Christmas gifts our family – toys

for the kids, appliances for Mom and a

new computer for Dad – if we were still

manufacturing those products here at

home and not in a cheap labor nation

across the sea.

Even many of our medications, both

over-the-counter and prescription – are

now manufactured in China.

As a heart patient taking many different

pills every day, I worry what I’ll do if we

get into some conflict with China and

those medications are no longer available.

(And I can’t help but wonder how we can

be confident that those medications won’t

be tampered with if our economic rela-

tionship with China takes a nosedive.)

We have come to expect that our wash-

ing machines, freezers, ranges, and other

once American-made appliances will

come from China because they can be

made there more cheaply. The prices may

be lower, but we are told to expect that

these appliances will only last about 10

years. I have a GE refrigerator-freezer in

my basement made in the USA that is at

least 30 years old and still doing its job.

A friend recently shared her concern

about how much of what is sold in our

stores is made in the China.

She suggested I check everything from

pillows to sofas to grocery items to see if

it is marked “Made in China.”

She then suggested I also look for

“Made in the USA” products and see how

little more I would have to pay to keep my

dollars here in America.

I also know that many of our famous

buildings, such as the General Motors

building in midtown Manhattan, and once

American–owned businesses – including,

ironically, the General Electric Appliance

Division – are now actually majority owned

by Chinese companies and investors.

Is China winning a silent war with

America and are we paying the price?

Will we wake up one day and discover

we live in the United States, but those

states have become a branch of another

nation – the United States of China?

I understand why so many think they

can’t do anything as individuals to stop

what’s happening. But that isn’t so.

The American consumer has the power

to vote with their feet.

Meanwhile, the leaders of our major

corporations, government agencies and

retail chains should be able to see where

this China mentality is taking us.

They need to take action: Bring manu-

facturing back, stop borrowing money

from China and place a high priority on

tapping the economic resources we have

here at home.

Let’s keep American strong for our chil-

dren and their children.

This guest editorial is by Peter Wagner,

publisher of the N’West Iowa Review.

Know Your Legislators:

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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:

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Michigan Legislature

Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Democrat, P.O. Box 30013, Lansing, Mich. 48909.

Phone (517) 373-3400; 517-335-7858 (Constituent Services).

State Representative Julie Calley, Republican, 87th District (All of Barry County),

Michigan House of Representatives, N-1191 House Office Building, Lansing, MI

48933. Phone (517) 373-0842. e-mail: [email protected]
       State Senator Dr. John Bizon, Republican, 19th District State Senate, Phone 517-
       373-2426 or toll-free, 855-347-8019. Email: [email protected]; U.S.
       mail: Sen. Dr. John Bizon, P.O. Box 30036, Lansing MI 48909.

U.S. House of Representatives

Peter Meijer, Republican, 3rd District (All of Barry County), 1508 Longworth House

Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515-2203, phone (202) 225-3831, fax (202) 225-

5144. District office: 110 Michigan Street NW, Suite 460, Grand Rapids, Mich. 49503,
      phone (616) 451-8383.

U.S. Senate

Debbie Stabenow, Democrat, 702 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.

20510, phone (202) 224-4822.

Gary Peters, Democrat, 2 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510-

2202, phone (248) 799-0850. District office: Gerald R. Ford Federal Building, Room

720, 110 Michigan Street NW, Grand Rapids, Mich. 49503-2313, phone (616) 233-

9150.

President’s comment line: 1-202-456-1111. Capitol Information line for Congress

and the Senate: 1-202-224-3121.

Raising the roof

at Harvest Pointe

Work is progressing on the $

million Harvest Pointe housing proj-

ect next to Thornapple Manor,

Administrator Don Haney said. About

half of the new 50 units in the assist-

ed living project are already spoken

for, Haney said, and they haven't

even begun to seek residents. The

complex will help address some of

the critical housing issues for senior

living in Barry County for senior liv-

ing, Haney said. Harvest Pointe will

offer one-bedroom suites and studio

units, dining services, a spa, on-site

laundry, walking paths, transportation

availability, hair/barber salon, activi-

ties, housekeeping, mail service and

on-call nursing. More information at

269- 945-1326.

Chamber recharge

Banner Dec. 20, 1971

Happy over results – The 1972 Hastings

Area Chamber of Commerce membership

drive resulted in 40 new members, Manager

Bob Johnson (third from left) announced at

the windup meeting Friday at the Hotel

Hastings. The amount pledged was $23,586,

exceeding the $23,000 goal. The drive was

organized as a “football theme” following the

pro league structure. Here, Lynn Brown

(right) from City Bank, the “league commis-

sioner,” presents a certificate of meritorious

service to Bob Blough for his team’s winning

effort in the campaign. Larry Kornstadt (left),

from National Bank, served as league statis-

tician. “I’m very excited about this year’s

drive results,” Johnson said. Blough’s team

alone raised $2,316 by renewing 10 mem-

berships and obtaining seven new members.

Since Sarah Geukes was 9 years old, she

has missed just one county fair. And that

was only because of extenuating circum-

stances: Her son was born that same week.

Geukes grew up on a farm in Woodland,

where her parents were closely involved

with the fair. Her father, Ron Dingerson, an

agricultural lender, served as the vice pres-

ident of the board. Her mother, Julie

Dingerson, a nurse, volunteered as a 4-H

club leader.

As a kid, Geukes showed sheep, pigs and

steers, and every year, her sole summer job

included “raising the animals and getting

ready for the fair and working in the barn.”

She collected enough money from selling

the animals to pay for a large portion of her

first year at Hope College. She even met a

boy at the fair, a boy named Jeff Geukes,

whom she would later marry.

After aging out of the showmanship

competitions, Geukes continued attending

the fair and, for about the last eight years,

she has served as a 4-H leader. Her husband

is the lamb superintendent. She lives on a

farm in Middleville, where her family of

four has raised lambs and pigs. Even her

kids, Jack and Emma, have carried on the

fair tradition, with Emma participating in

competitions across the area, traveling as

far as Ohio.

“It’s in our DNA,” Geukes said of the

county fair.

But Geukes, 46, doesn’t spend all day

thinking about the fair. She has a full-time

job. She is the principal at Hastings Middle

School – and an award-winning one.

Geukes, a graduate of Lakewood High

School, was attending college when she

realized the profession she wanted to pursue

“I just knew I wanted to do something

that helped people,” she said.

Her interest in education blossomed

while at Hope, where she studied special

education and elementary education. She

solidified her career choice during a junior

year school trip to South Dakota. For a

month, Geukes worked in a middle school

special education classroom on a Native

American reservation.

After college, Geukes worked for

Hamilton Community Schools for about 20

years. She taught special education for four

years and second grade for 11 years. After

receiving her master’s in Early Childhood/

Early Childhood Special Education and

doctorate degree in Educational Specialist

in Leadership from Grand Valley State

University, Geukes spent five years split-

ting time between being a principal and a

teacher.

But Geukes lives in Middleville and it

took her 35 to 40 minutes “on good roads”

to get to work. Once her kids reached their

high school years, she decided to look for

jobs closer to home.

That’s when she took a job as the princi-

pal at Central Elementary in the Hastings

Area School System. And, this year, she

transitioned into a new role as the middle

school principal.

“As a principal, I can really impact stu-

dents by supporting the teachers and mak-

ing sure that they have what they need, and

barriers are out of the way so that they can

teach and students can learn,” she said.

Geukes has now logged four years in the

district. And one Friday morning, while

answering phones on the front desk at the

middle school, she received a text message

from the Michigan Elementary and Middle

School Principals Association Region 9

president, Dan Scoville.

“Hey, congratulations,” Scoville wrote.

“Guess why.”

Geukes asked why.

“Well, you’re the Region 9 Principal of

the Year,” he responded.

“I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’”

Geukes thought. She didn’t even know she

had been nominated for the award. But she

was nominated – by Stephanie Wenger, a

teacher at Central Elementary.

“I was shocked. I mean, definitely hon-

ored,” she said. “But shocked.”

In December, Geukes drove up to

Traverse City with her family, where the

organization recognized her.

How does one wins a principal of the

year award?

When Geukes explains it, it sounds quite

simple: “Being present.”

But the way to accomplish that is some-

thing else: “You kind of have to, as a prin-

cipal, do whatever – they call it ‘duties as

assigned,’ ” she said. “Whatever comes up,

and it’s not even assigned, it’s whatever

the building needs from you, you have to

do it for your students and your staff. From

safety to health stuff to leading [profes-

sional development] – all of it.”

For this honor, for her role in the Hastings

Area School System and her longtime sup-

port of the Barry County Fair, Sarah Geukes

is this week’s Bright Light:

If I could go anywhere in the world...

I would say Hawaii. That’s the dream loca-

tion; I hope to get there maybe by the time

I’m 50.

When it’s quiet: Floating in the pool and

reading a good book.

What kind of books I read: My sum-

mer books are mostly like ones that I

don’t have to think too hard about, like

fiction. Not really like romance or any-

thing like that; I like mysteries or that

kind of stuff.

What motivates me: My kids and just

helping them to be the best of whoever they

are. Athletes or students or just people.

If I won the lottery: I would donate to

my favorite organizations that support

families here in Barry County: Barry

County Family Promise and then we have

Hand2Hand, which is a backpack program

we got started here in Hastings through

some local churches. And then I would

probably buy a vacation house up North

with the rest of the money.

If I could have any superpower, it

would be... I think it would be able to trans-

port yourself places, not have to commute

or you could be with family like in a second

and then be back. I think that would be my

thing.

Greatest thing about Barry County...

is just the people here. I mean, my husband

and I have chosen to stay here. I’ve lived in

Barry County every year except for when I

was in college. And then we both chose to

come back here and stay here in the com-

munity and that’s mostly because of the

people that are here.

Favorite memory of Barry County

Fair: Aw, so many. Probably, I don’t

know, I think because my husband was

from a different school and we’d ride

rides together with friends. I’d met friends

that he grew up with, his friends and it

was just a lot of fun. I looked forward to

fair every year.

Sarah Geukes

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