HB 9.16.2021

The Hastings Banner — Thursday, September 16, 2021 — Page 5

Friday is deadline for local ARPA project proposals

Barry County commissioners are seeking
proposals “from qualified local units of gov-
ernment to help inform its planning regarding
use of the funding being received by the coun-
ty through the American Rescue Plan Act.”
The county will be looking for formal pro-
posals – and the electronic copy must be
received via email – no later than noon Friday,
Sept. 17.
These ARPA-funded projects could be

transformative, commissioners have said, and

could have an impact across municipal bound-

aries. As a result, the county board has OK’d

the intention to collaborate with other coun-

ties or the state if the project is appropriate.

County officials have said they will consid-

er a grant award for projects that demonstrate

a critical, identified need in the community, a

long-term investment in the community, an

impact that extends beyond the boards of the

local unit, and a funding need that is beyond

the ability of the local unit to fund solely

through its own allocation of ARPA funds as

well as other resources.

Projects that are proposed need to adhere to

certain guidelines governing the use of ARPA

funds, including the following:

Support public health expenditures, by

funding COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medi-

cal expenses, behavioral healthcare and cer-

tain public health and safety staff.

Address negative economic impacts caused

by the public health emergency, including

economic harm to workers, households, small

businesses, impacted industries and the public

sector.

Replace lost public sector revenue, using

this funding to provide government services

to the extent of the reduction in revenue expe-

rienced due to the pandemic.

Provide premium pay for essential workers,

offering additional support to those who have

borne and will bear the greatest health risks

because of their service in critical infrastruc-

ture sectors.

Invest in water, sewer and broadband infra-

structure, making necessary investments to

improve access to clean drinking water, sup-

port vital wastewater and stormwater infra-

structure, and expand access to broadband

internet.

Ineligible uses for the funds include direct

or indirect off-setting of a reduction in net tax

revenue due to a change in the law from

March 3 through the last day of the fiscal year

in which the funds provided have been spent.

Also, no recipient may use the funding to

make a deposit to a pension fund.

General infrastructure spending is not eligi-

ble – other than water, sewer, and broadband

investments.

A fact sheet on The Rescue America Plan

Act of 2021 explains the relief will go to sup-

port urgent COVID-19 response efforts and

continue to decrease spread of the virus and

bring the pandemic under control, replace lost

public sector revenue to strengthen support

for vital public services and help retain jobs,

support immediate economic stabilization for

households and businesses, and address sys-

temic public health and economic challenges

that have contributed to the unequal impact of

the pandemic on certain populations.

“Recovery funds provide substantial flexi-

bility for each jurisdiction to meet local needs,

including support for households, small busi-

nesses, impacted industries, essential workers

and the communities hardest-hit by the crisis.

These funds also deliver resources, address

issues related to water infrastructure, broad-

band, the COVID-19 pandemic, and efforts to

help mitigate future pandemics,” the fact

sheet indicates.

The $1.9 trillion federal rescue plan was

signed into law March 11.

from our readers

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State News Roundup

The Hastings Banner

Devoted to the interests of Barry County since 1856

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• NEWSROOM •
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• ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT •
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CFO

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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.

Know Your Legislators:

Great community

response for Hand2Hand

To the editor:

Summerfest Worship on Thornapple Plaza

was fabulous!

The many people who attended helped

make this special Summerfest worship possi-

ble.

The music was fantastic, the food was deli-

cious, and $1,120 was received in special

offerings to support the Hand2Hand program

here in Hastings.

Hand2Hand works through local churches

to provide food for school children who face

hunger on weekends.

Summerfest Praise Team – The Green

Street Praise Band – sang the crowds’ favor-

ite contemporary worship songs while chil-

dren colored encouragement cards for

Hand2Hand volunteers and recipients.

After worship, a free cookout took place

for the community.

Rev. Bryce Feighner,

Hastings

SOCIAL SECURITY MATTERS

Online glossary helps

with terms and acronyms

Vonda VanTil

Public Affairs Specialist

Some of the terms and acronyms people

use when they talk about Social Security can

be a little confusing. We’re here to help you

understand.

We strive to explain your benefits using

easy-to-understand, plain language. The Plain

Writing Act of 2010 requires federal agencies

to communicate information clearly in a way

the public can understand and use.

This can be particularly challenging when

talking about complicated programs like

Social Security, Supplemental Security

Income and Medicare. If there’s a technical

term or acronym you don’t know, you can

find the meaning in our online glossary at ssa.

gov/agency/glossary.

Here are a few examples.

If you’re considering retirement, you may

want to know your full retirement age, or

FRA, and your primary insurance amount, or

PIA. These terms determine your benefit

amount based on when you when you start

getting requirement benefits. The PIA is the

amount payable for a retired worker who

starts his or her benefits at full retirement age.

If you start your retirement benefits at your

FRA, you’ll receive the full PIA.

Most years, your benefit amount will get a

COLA (cost-of-living adjustment), which

usually means extra money in your monthly

benefit.

What about DRCs, short for delayed

retirement credits? DRCs are the gradual

increases to your PIA that occurs the longer

you delay taking retirement benefits after

your full retirement age. Every month you

delay taking benefits, up to age 70, your

monthly benefit will increase.

If one of these terms or acronyms comes

up in conversation, you can be the one to help

clarify the meaning, using our online glossary.

Learning the terminology can deepen your

understanding of how Social Security

programs work for you.

Vonda VanTil is the public affairs specialist

for West Michigan. You may write her c/o

Social Security Administration, 3045 Knapp

NE, Grand Rapids MI 49525, or via email to

[email protected].

Shadows of darkness still alive today

To the editor:

I recently moved to Hastings, Michigan,

from a bustling metropolis. Before that time, I

never heard of this mostly farming communi-

ty.

Perhaps it is the secrets of your past and the

shadows of the unsaid that this community

wanted hidden, but not forgotten.

Finding out that our Michigan community

was a “Sundown Town” was quite shocking

and saddened many hearts.

I was raised in our “Great State,” defended

it and our cities across the “Deep South,” and

the “Great Northwest,” for which I lived for a

total of 15 years.

When, on a lovely afternoon in downtown

Hastings, my beautiful chocolate brown

granddaughter was accosted with a racial slur,

my husband and I were both embroiled with

anger and it saddened us greatly.

I should note special thanks to our grand-

son who stood up for his cousin.

For the refusal to see that we are all beauti-

ful and wonderfully made: Psalm 139:13, 14.

That should not be a scripture touted to

apologize for cultural and ethnic difference.

We should be seen in the truth and reality

that we are all one race: Human, Acts 17: 26,

27

Desiree C. Holley and Joe Sancimino,

Hastings

It’s a great time to be alive

To the editor:

What a great time to be alive!

One of the things that gives life meaning

and satisfaction is accomplishment. Then,

again, adversity can lead us to despair and

make life miserable. Let’s not look at adversi-

ty as a totally negative aspect of life, but

consider the possibility of accomplishment

presented by adversity.

We are at a pivotal moment in human histo-

ry right now. Many problems face us. Do I

need to make a list? Environmental and polit-

ical concerns top the list and threaten the sta-

bility of our existence. Many of these prob-

lems are intertwined and are best tackled

concurrently.

With each problem or challenge is an

opportunity to find a solution and make things

better – maybe even better than they were

before.

So do we despair and do nothing? Or

worse, do we work against those who are try-

ing to solve problems and make things better?

I think it’s much better to not ignore the warn-

ing signs we are being given. It’s better to

support those who are actively trying to work

for the betterment of all people and the pro-

tection of our environment.

If we, as a global community, survive the

next few decades, it will be because we faced

our adversities and accomplished much to

make things better.

Think how satisfying that will be.

What a great time to be alive!

Scott Savage,

Hastings

Michigan National Guard

praised for helping food bank

The Food Bank Council of Michigan

Wednesday celebrated the Michigan National

Guard for their service and devotion of more

than 150,000 hours to the food bank mission.

“It is truly amazing what can happen when

no one cares who gets the credit, and that was

the precise ‘can do’ attitude the men and

women of the Michigan National Guard

brought with them to our warehouses,” Dr.

Phillip Knight, FBC Michigan executive

director, said during the luncheon celebration.

“Their work, impact and dedication enabled

Michigan’s food banks to do more than ever

before in our history. I am thankful for these

men and women and the leaders of the MNG

for their vision, selflessness and strength to

accomplish the mission.”

For Michiganders facing food insecurity,

the Michigan National Guard’s efforts to

distribute food helped equate to more than 55

million meals. To distribute food safely during

the pandemic, distribution centers used a

drive-through style process, providing a safer,

quicker and more efficient way to deliver

food.

“With a joint task force comprising an

average of 95 MING members, approximately

1.3 million pounds of food moved through

seven food banks weekly to local homes,

schools and shelters,” said U.S. Air Force Lt.

Col. Joseph Meadows, commander and officer

in charge of the Joint Force Air Component

for the Michigan Joint Forces Headquarters.

The National Guard assisted the state’s

seven regional food banks in distributing 47

percent more food in the first 12 months of

the COVID pandemic than at any other time

in history.

“The members of the Guard were diligent

in learning every aspect of food distribution,”

said Dr. Knight. “During their time with us,

they truly became members of the food bank

team.”

For more information, visit https://www.

fbcmich.org/.

BARRY ISD, continued

from page 1

They discussed the advantages of the oper-

ation, in which Hastings and Delton-Kellogg

are the top priority.

“If the school becomes part of an ISD in

another county, which is the case for some of

the school districts in our county, then they’re

kind of a tail of the dog, if you will,” Franklin

said. “It’s not that the whole dog isn’t import-

ant, but this is the end, you know, and you’re

farther away from the center of things.”

BISD board members President Bob

Becker, Vice President Carl Schoessel,

Secretary Deb Hatfield, Treasurer Bette

Matteson and Trustee Marsha Bassett brain-

stormed ways they could better highlight the

options that the intermediate district offers to

students.

Becker called it a “focus issue.”

“If we can be the facilitator to say, “Here’s

all that is available,’ can’t we find a way to

support each other?” Becker said. “It will

build a strengthening between, not just the

two districts, but the students. They will now

know and understand people, and you can’t

help but grow stronger through that.”

In other action, the board:

• approved hiring paraprofessional April
  Tobias, paraprofessional Claudia Spieth and
  Young Adult Program teacher Annette
  Shumay.


• selected Becker to represent the BISD
  board at the Michigan Association of School
  Boards Special Assembly. Hatfield will serve
  as the alternate.


• went into closed session to conduct the
  superintendent’s evaluation. They did not
  assign an evaluation score. They said they
  will continue their discussion during the
  BISD’s Oct. 12 meeting.

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