The Hastings Banner — Thursday, April 8, 2021 — Page 9From Time to Time
157881CLOVERDALE DRAIN
NOTICE DAY OF REVIEW OF DRAINAGE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES
AND REVIEW OF APPORTIONMENTSDATE: Thursday, April 22, 2021
TIME: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Ever After Banquet Hall
1230 N. Michigan Avenue
Hastings, Michigan 49058
QUESTIONS: (269) 945-At the Day of Review, the Drain Commissioner shall have available to review the tentative apportionments
against parcels and municipalities within the proposed Drainage District, and shall (1) carefully reconsider and
review the description of land comprised within the drainage district (2) carefully reconsider and review the
apportionment of benefits; and (3) define and equalize the apportionment as is just and equitable. The com-
putation of costs will also be available at the Day of Review. Drain assessments are collected in the same
manner as property taxes and will appear on your winter tax bill. If drain assessments are being collected for
more than one (1) year, you may pay the assessment in full with any interest to date at any time and avoid
further interest charges.A general description of the lands by section number proposed to be added or deleted from the Drainage
District is as follows:Drain Name MunicipalityPortions of Sections
AddedPortions of Sections
RemovedCloverdale DrainBarry Township 4-9, 16-18 5 & 6
Hope Township 10, 15-16, 19-21, 28-32 15-17, 19-21, 29-
Prairieville Township 1-2, 10-16, 21-23 N/AComments on the apportionment of benefits may be submitted to the Drain Commissioner in writing before the
Day of Review at the Office of the Barry County Drain Commissioner, 220 W. State Street, Hastings, Michigan
49058 or [email protected], or comments may be submitted in writing or verbally at the Day of Review.
Comments submitted in advance must be received by the Drain Commissioner prior to the Day of Review to
ensure consideration. Barry County, Barry Township, Hope Township, and Prairieville Township will be
assessed at-large.Additional information, including a map of the proposed Drainage District boundary revisions, and the Notice
of Letting (containing the number and length of sections, the average width of each section, and if the drain
will be closed, the amount and specifications of all tile or pipe required; the location, number, type, and size of
culverts or bridges to be installed, if any; and conditions upon which the contract will be awarded) can be found
at:http://www.barrycounty.org/departments_and_officials/officials/drain_commissioner/Persons with disabilities needing accommodations for effective participation in the Day of Review should con-
tact the Drain Commissioner’s Office at the number noted above (voice) or through the Michigan Relay Center
at 7-1-1 (TDD) at least 24 hours in advance of the Day of Review to request mobility, visual, hearing or other
assistance. You may appeal the Drain Commissioner’s decision to revise the district boundary to the Barry
County Circuit Court within ten (10) days, and you may also appeal the determination of apportionments to the
Barry County Probate Court within ten (10) days.Dated: April 1, 2021 Jim Dull
Barry County Drain CommissionerRing around the planet
Dr. Universe:
How did Saturn’s rings form?
Amelia, 9, Washington StateDear Amelia,
We still don’t know exactly how the rings
around Saturn formed, but scientists who
study Saturn’s rings have come up with a
couple of ideas.
One common theory many scientists agree
upon is that Saturn’s rings are made from the
little leftover pieces of what used to be a
moon.
My friend David Atkinson is really curi-
ous about the solar system and told me more
about it. He is a graduate of Washington
State University and now works at the
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
California. He also worked on the Cassini-
Huygens space research mission which
helped us learn more about Saturn, Saturn’s
large moon Titan, and the entire Saturn sys-
tem.
When we investigate questions about
Saturn’s rings, he said it helps to know about
both moons and gravity. Moons are usually
smaller than their planets. Our Earth has just
one moon, but Saturn has 82 moons. Each
moon has a name, such as Titan, Enceladus,
Mimas, Dione.
NASA scientists think Saturn likely has
another 29 moons, but we are still waiting to
confirm the discoveries and give the moons
their names.
Saturn, like Earth and other planets, also
has gravity around it. The gravity gets weak-
er the farther you travel from the planet.
Atkinson said that for each moon, Saturn’s
gravity on the side of the moon that faces the
planet is stronger than the gravity on the side
that faces away from the planet.
“The gravity stretches the moon out a lit-
tle bit,” he said.We call this a tidal force.
He told me the story of a scientist named
Édouard Roche who figured out that if a
moon gets close enough to a planet, this
stretching force will be so strong, it can
break a moon apart.
“The theory is there was a small moon of
Saturn that got too close to the planet. That
small moon got inside Saturn’s Roche Limit,
or inside that special distance, and the tidal
force broke the moon into pieces,” Atkinson
said. “Those pieces spread themselves
around the planet, and that is the ring.”
Over the years, scientists have been able
to study the size, thickness and materials that
make up Saturn’s rings. We’ve learned that
the rings are made up of rocks, ice and dust.
Scientists also have asked what would hap-
pen if we took all of the materials that make
up Saturn’s rings and packed them together.
“It turns out that it would pack together
into a pretty small-size moon,” Atkinson
said.
You know, Saturn isn’t the only planet that
has ring systems. Jupiter, Uranus and
Neptune also have rings, too. But the rings
are pretty faint and much harder to see, even
with a telescope.
We still have much to discover about our
solar system and the worlds beyond Earth.
Maybe one day you can help us learn more
about the way different planets form and
help us find answers to big questions just
like this one.Dr. UniverseDo you have a question? Ask Dr. Universe.
Send an email to Washington State
University’s resident scientist and writer
at [email protected] or visit her web-
site, askdruniverse.com.look to the Flint water crisis to see what are
the effects of not maintaining basic infrastruc-
ture.”
The pandemic showed the importance of
access to clean water, Onwenu said, noting
that Whitmer issued a statewide order impos-
ing a moratorium on water shutoffs to protect
residents who had lost jobs and couldn’t pay
their water bills.
“I think the theme of this moment is that
there have been a lot of issues that have been
festering for a long time, and COVID just sort
of ripped the mask off of these issues,”
Onwenu said. “Hopefully this is the chance to
get the funding to get some real work done.”
The Michigan Legislature extended the
shutoff moratorium, but that law expired
Thursday, eliminating a statewide safeguard
for both residents and businesses who may
still be struggling to pay water bills.
Some communities have already extended
their own local moratoriums, including
Detroit, where Mayor Mike Duggan has said
the city will not shut off any residential water
customers through at least 2022.
Upgrading water infrastructure is a good
investment because it can help local govern-
ments save money in the long run, said
Hackbarth, of the Municipal League.
“You’ve got some communities that are
fighting constant water main breaks,” he said.
“If you get funds now and you can do that
rebuild, then your maintenance” costs will go
down.
Broadband expansion
The federal law also allows local govern-
ments to spend stimulus funds on broadband
infrastructure, which could especially benefit
rural residents whose homes still aren’t con-
nected to fiber optic cables and can also strug-
gle with poor cell phone reception.
The Whitmer administration estimates as
many as 1.2 million households — 1-in-
statewide — lack a permanent fixed broad-
band connection. Existing state and federal
grant programs aim to close that digital
divide, but experts have predicted it could still
take years to close.
The pandemic further exposed the broad-
band gap in everything from school instruc-
tion to office work moved online. And some
of those changes — including new corporate
flexibility for remote work — will likely con-
tinue even after the pandemic ends.
“Broadband is probably one of the most
important areas of investment going forward
in the post-pandemic economy, where reli-
ance on internet and connectivity is absolutely
vital,” Leiser said.
“There’s been a lot of emphasis on fixing
the damn roads in Michigan, and that contin-
ues to be important. But I think this is kind of
a once-in-a-lifetime injection of resources and
thinking long-term and thinking big about it is
going to pay off. Investment in broadband
infrastructure would be a really important use
of this money, especially in more rural parts
of the state.”
(Note: The federal stimulus plan will only
allow local governments to spend on roads to
the extent they lost tax revenue they would
have used for that purpose. In other words, the
stimulus is not going to “fix the damn roads,”
but Biden has proposed a separate $2 trillion
infrastructure plan hat includes funding for
roads and bridges, along with billions in addi-
tional funding for broadband expansion and
water infrastructure.)
The rush to extend broadband service or
lead service line replacements could lead to
competition for installers among local gov-
ernments, driving up the price of labor and
supplies. And that’s why “regional coordina-
tion and capacity building is going to be abso-
lutely essential,” Leiser said. “If you don’t
know what your neighbors are doing, then
you can be kind of working at odds.”
That happened at the national level early in
the pandemic as states were bidding against
each other for personal protective equipment
because “there was no federal coordination to
prevent that from happening,” she added. It
was one of the “biggest failures of the pan-
demic.”
Upgrade sewer systems
Aging sewer infrastructure is also a major
challenge for some Michigan communities,
and the federal law will allow stimulus fund-
ing to be used for “necessary” upgrades to
those systems as well.
Environmental groups have been sounding
alarms for years over decrepit sewer systems,
leaking pipes and failing sewage treatment
plants that contribute to the estimated 5.7 bil-
lion gallons of raw sewage that is dumped
into Michigan waterways each year.
“There is no shortage of investments that
can be made in underground infrastructure,”
said Hackbarth, of the Municipal League.
While it is not specified, the National
League of Cities is using the Treasury
Department to define sewer infrastructure in a
way that also allows local governments to
fund work on wastewater and stormwater
systems.
Aging septic systems, which are often used
in rural areas without access to a municipal
water supply, also pose risks in some parts of
the state. As of 2016, 10 percent of Michigan’s
1.3 million septic tanks were “experiencing
operational problems,” according to a state
report.
Grebner, the Ingham County Commissioner,
said he’s exploring the possibility of partner-
ing with small townships to help property
owners replace failing septic and well systems
that can drive down property values if they
are discovered by inspectors.
“Just imagine if we said to all these people
that are hiding from us all this time: We got
cash money,” he said. “Come out of the
woods, man. You’re welcome.”Robert H.
Brooks to
celebrate 90th
birthday
Robert H. Brooks will celebrate his 90th
birthday on April 17, 2021.
He was born iIn 1931 at Borgess Hospital
in Kalamazoo. He married the beautiful
Beverly A. Belson on September 6, 1953 and
they have lived 67 years of love together as
they continue to set a wonderful example for
their three daughters and sons-in-law. They
have nine grandchildren and 21 great
grandchildren.
Please consider sending him a birthday
card to 875 Terry Lane, Hastings, MI 49058.Cody Allen Reurink, Wayland and Dani
Rae Herschberger, Wayland
Kimberly Jalynn Lipscomb, Battle Creek
and Lance Richard-Nicholas Carter, Battle
Creek
Ann Marie Schalk, Freeport and Daniel Jay
Schalk, Freeport
James Douglas Brinkman, Dowling and
Mary Jo Amundson-Brinkman, Dowling
Kathryn Ann Labioda, Hastings and Carl
Peter Priemier, Hastings
Ilana Marie Delarosa, Middleville and Levi
Benjamin Hatcher, Hastings
Brianna Renae Kingsbury, Wayland and
Nathanial Cole Pastrick, Kalamazoo
Glenna Maxine-Ruth Knapp, Wayland and
Cody Lee Hysell, MiddlevilleVerna Sunior to
celebrate 100th
birthday
On Thursday, April 8, 2021, Verna Sunior
is celebrating 100 years of life.
Verna came to Hastings as a young woman
from Desbrats Ontario, Canada.
She worked many years as the traffic
manager for WBCH retiring in the fall of
1981 with the adoption of Baby Ursula, a
treasured gift still today. Verna enjoyed
traveling with her husband Richard in their
motorhome throughout the Southwest United
States and Ontario.
Gardening and flowers have always been
such an enjoyment especially when entering
the magic of her green thumb into the Barry
County Fair for judging. Verna shared her
knowledge and excitement for the outdoors
and nature as a member and president of the
Hastings Garden Club. Little criiters have
always held a special place in her heart. She
had a special way and could nurse anything
back to health, even Murphy the day old
bunny.
You proably won’t see her out and about in
her favorite red boots but she would still love
to receive birthday wishes and cards.
Cards can be sent to: Emmanuel Episcopal
Church, 315 W. Center St., Hastings, MI
49058.Two drivers killed in separate
Lockshore Road crashes
Taylor Owens
Staff Writer
Two motorists lost their lives in separate
crashes on Lockshore Road in Prairieville
Township this week.
A 26-year-old woman was traveling north
on Lockshore Drive near West Hickory
Road when her vehicle left the road and hita tree at 7 p.m. Sunday evening, according to
a press release from Barry County Sheriff’s
deputies.
The driver, who was the only occupant of
the vehicle, was taken to Ascension Borgess
Hospital in Kalamazoo where she later died
of her injuries.
At about 1 p.m. Wednesday a 76-year-oldman was driving north on Lockshore Road
near Milo Road when his vehicle ran off the
road and struck a tree.
The driver, also the lone occupant of the
vehicle, was airlifted to an area hospital
where he later died from his injuries, police
said.
Both crashes remain under investigation.Continued from previous page
Local MARSP
cancels meeting
The Barry County chapter of the Michigan
Association of Retired School Personnel has
canceled its semi-annual general meeting in
May.
Organizers encourage members to stay safe
and get a COVID-19 vaccine so that the
September meeting may go as planned.