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VOLUME 169, No. 9 Thursday, March 2, 2023 PRICE $1.

T HE

H AST I NGS

Devoted to the Interests of Barry County Since 1856

Parents, swimmers appeal to

Hastings school board to keep

swim co-op with TK/DK alive

Greg Chandler

Staff Writer

Two days after helping his team win a

conference championship, Hastings High

School junior Riley Shults pleaded with

district officials Monday night to keep a

long-standing cooperative swimming pro-

gram with neighboring Thornapple Kellogg

and Delton Kellogg high schools intact.

With his teammates from the Barry

County Barracudas – the name of the coop-

erative team that has its home meets at the

Hastings High pool – present to provide

moral support, Shults’ voice broke as he

spoke out in opposition to a decision by

Hastings Area School System Superinten-

dent Matt Goebel to end the 19-year-long

cooperative arrangement and have Hastings

have its own swim teams next year.

“I am 100 percent a Saxon. But I’m also

100 percent a Barracuda,” Shults said. “I’ve

heard that our administration wants to do

the best for Hastings kids. I know that keep-

ing the co-op together is best for Hastings

kids. We won’t have a strong program if this

is dismantled.

“Please, school board members. I’m ask-

ing you to reconsider and please keep the

club, the Barracudas team together, until we

have a team that can stand on its own.

Please, please, please. We need this team. I

need these guys.”

The Barracudas won the O-K Rainbow

Conference Tier II boys swimming title on

Saturday, despite having only one first-

place finish in the meet. However, the

team’s depth made the difference as they

won the conference title for the first time

since the co-op was established.

Goebel at Monday’s school board meet-

ing outlined his rationale for the decision

to end the cooperative arrangement, say-

ing that he “objectively looked into multi-

ple variables” regarding the program. He

said he shared his reasoning with the board

Students explore career pathways at

inaugural Barry County CareerFest

Hunter McLaren
Staff Writer
Students from all over the county had a
chance to explore career pathways at the
Barry County CareerFest last Friday.
More than 50 businesses and occupations
were represented at the inaugural event at
Hastings High School, nearly all of them based
in Barry County. More than 800 Hastings High
School students toured the event during the
school day, allowing them a chance to connect
and network with industry professionals.
The businesses were split up into four main
groups across the school: health and human
services; business management, marketing,
finance and technology; engineering, manu-
facturing and industrial technology; natural
resources, agri-science, and culinary arts.
Each student was given a chance to talk to
every vendor in each group.
The school hosted the event in conjunction
with the Barry County Chamber of Com-
merce, with an additional time from 6 to 8
p.m. that evening where students could return
for more information or students from other
districts could attend.
Ed Domke, career and technical education
director at Hastings, said the event was delib-

Barry County Republicans look to rally

party, reclaim power in state government

Jayson Bussa

Editor

After an election that saw control over the

State Senate and House slip through its fin-

gers, Michigan Republicans have been left to

regroup.

And, members of the Barry County GOP

believe that their county and district can lead

the charge in getting the party back on track

and in power in the next election.

“Barry County, when compared to other

counties, is not necessarily more passionate

than any other county, but I believe Barry

County has a lot more people that are just

getting up and going and ready to get active,”

said Jon Rocha, a high-profile voice within

the Barry County GOP. Rocha was recently

named to the state committee for District 2, a

Survey shows support

for HASS building

improvements, concerns

about fiscal responsibility

Greg Chandler
Staff Writer
A survey of residents who live within the
boundaries of the Hastings Area School Sys-
tem found there is support for a bond issue
later this year that would address such needs
as replacing the entire roof of Hastings High
School, upgrading heating and cooling sys-
tems at district buildings, updating bathrooms
and locker rooms, and improvements to the
high school cafeteria and media center.
However, that same survey found the dis-
trict is facing a perception issue with regard
to its fiscal responsibility, which may be a
challenge when it goes to the polls.
The HASS Board of Education Monday
heard a presentation by Paw Paw-based Per-
spectives Consulting Group, which conduct-

ed a 27-question online survey in December

asking residents their opinions of the school

district and how they might vote on four

different bond proposals if they were pre-

sented to the community in August of this

year. A total of 586 people responded to the

survey, with the results having a margin of

error of plus or minus 4 percent.

“We’re used to seeing these types of

numbers from political polling. This is a

good result,” Perspectives consultant Gary

Goscenski told the board. “Plus-or-minus 5

(percent) is considered the industry aver-

age, plus-or-minus 4 percent is actually

better.”

Changes to no-fault insurance a

disservice to Michigan residents

See story on page 4

Barracudas win league meet

in co-op's last gasp

See story on page 9

City looks at plans for ice rink,

pickleball courts at Tyden Park

See story on page 8

See SWIMMERS, page 2

See SURVEY, page 3

Marty Mayack (center), a large animal veterinarian at Bull Creek Veterinary Service

in Hastings, brought a pig skull, horse skull and a cat skeleton for students to see up

close. (Photos by Hunter McLaren)

Consultant Gary Goscenski of Perspectives Consulting Group of Paw Paw shares
results of a survey regarding a possible Hastings Area School System bond issue to
the district’s Board of Education Monday night at Hastings Middle School, as consul-
tant Bryn Bogemann looks on. (Photo by Greg Chandler)

Hastings High School junior Riley

Shults pleads with the Hastings Area

School System board and administra-

tion to keep the cooperative swimming

program with Thornapple Kellogg and

Delton Kellogg High Schools going at

Monday’s school board meeting.

(Photos by Greg Chandler)

Delegates from the Barry County GOP participated in the Republican state conven-

tion last month. The group endorsed Billy Putman for chairman of the statewide party.

See REPUBLICANS, page 3 (Photos provided)

Middleville’s Department of Public Works and Hastings’ Department of Public

Services joined forces to talk with students about municipal infrastructure opportu-

nities.

See CAREERFEST, page 2