Banner 10-14-2021

Page 6 — Thursday, October 14, 2021 — The Hastings Banner

National Wild & Scenic Film

Festival in Hastings Saturday

Pierce Cedar Creek Institute will host the Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour at the Hastings Performing Arts Center at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16. The festival will be both in-person and virtual, with films beginning at 7 p.m. More than a dozen short films, ranging from about five to 20 minutes in length, will cover a variety of topics and perspec- tives from across the world. One film is based on a story by a 10-year-old boy and his family’s canoe trip on waters connect- ing to the north shore of Lake Superior. Another tells of lessons learned by a young man with autism who hikes the Great Smoky Mountains. Other film topics include polar bears, migratory birds in the Great Lakes region, and a bee-keeping movement in Detroit. The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is a collection of films from the annual festival in Nevada City, Calif. Now in its 18th year, Wild & Scenic focuses on films that speak to environmental concerns and celebra- tions of the planet.

The annual festival is building a network of grassroots organizations connected by a common goal of using film to inspire activism. With the support of national part- ners Peak Design, Hipcamp, EarthJustice, Klean Kanteen and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, the festival can reach an even larger audience. “In recent years, the festival and its On Tour Program has grown to more than 240 events, supporting organizations and their local community causes through outreach, fundraising and education,” Hunter Jones, WSFF On Tour coordinator, said in a press release. “The On Tour community is an incredible collection of organizations from every corner of the country who are full of empathy, open-minded and eager to make a positive difference for the word, their communities, and the environment.” Each film has elements of appreciating the environment and learning to become stewards of the environment. Pierce Cedar Creek Institute aims to educate and inspire through its work with

students, community programming and through its biological field station. So, the festival is a natural extension of its work to inspire people to act on behalf of the natural world. The institute’s mission is to inspire appreciation and stewardship of the environment. Hastings Performing Arts Center is at 520 W. South St., Hastings. Tickets are $20 for in-person or virtual attendance, with a $5 discount for Pierce Cedar Creek Institute members and a $ discount for students. In addition, an on-demand feature is available to anyone who purchases a ticket to the event – in person or virtual. all attendees will receive a link and have the opportunity to access the program again – or for the first time if they weren’t able to attend the live event

as soon as the live event ends Oct. 16.
Tickets may be purchased at https://
qudio.com/event/piercecedar/register
More information can be found at
CedarCreekInstitute.org or by calling call
269-721-4190.

Decision expected tonight on

Yankee Springs hall expansion

Greg Chandler Staff Writer The Yankee Springs Township board is expected to decide tonight what direction to take regarding expansion and renovation of the township hall. The board will meet at 6 p.m. at the hall, 284 N. Briggs Road. Board members will choose from one of six options, which fac- tor in one of two office expansion options, whether the meeting room at the hall should be renovated, and whether the renovation should include upgrading two bathrooms near the front entrance of the hall to be compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act. Monday night, the board held a hearing to get public feedback about the project. Eight residents showed up, three of whom were members of the hall renovation committee that has studied the project since April. Only one routine question was asked during the hearing. The township hall was built in 1971, and offices were added on in 1978. “The township population has tripled during that time,” said Township Clerk Mike Cunningham, who has led the hall renovation committee. “Rules, regulations and expecta- tions of township government have dramati- cally increased during that time. The hall and office buildings have not been expanded or improved to keep up with the increased growth and needs of the township.” Yankee Springs’ population has grown from 1,482 residents in the 1970 U.S. Census, to 2,251 in 1980, to 5,322 in the 2020 census, Cunningham said. Maintenance projects have been deferred over the years, such as replacing the heat- ing and cooling systems in both the hall meeting room and the offices, insulation of the hall, replacing exterior siding in the offices, and new flooring in the hall meeting room, Cunningham said. “I think some of that’s because people were waiting for this project,” he said. “The project’s not new. The efforts have been ongoing since ... 2012 and earlier.

Nothing’s happened to change the situation over the years. It’s only gotten worse.” The options the board is considering, according to information from Fleis & Vandenbrink, include: Option 1 – A 1,700-square-foot expansion on the existing 4,000-square-foot building and renovation of the current offices and meeting hall. This is essentially the same plan that was approved by the township board on a 3-2 vote in October

Only Trustee Larry Knowles remains
from the board that made that decision.
The estimated cost of this option is $1.
million – $300,000 more than had been
expected in 2019, according to estimates
from the engineering firm Fleis &
Vandenbrink. Higher building and material
costs are largely the cause of the increased
cost estimate.
Option 2 – A 1,040-square-foot expan-
sion and renovation of the current office
space, while leaving the hall meeting room
untouched. That option has an estimated
price tag of $678,000.
sion and renovation of the current office
space, again without renovating the hall
meeting room. The estimated cost for that
option is $909,000.
Option 4 – A so-called “flip flop” design
where the township offices would be
moved into the existing meeting room, and
the offices would become the new room for
township meetings. This is the only option
that does not call for adding on to the hall.
Initially proposed as a potential cost sav-
ings by some of the renovation committee,
the estimated cost for this option came in at
$1.3 million.
sion and renovation of the offices and
meeting hall, with an estimated cost of
$969,000.
Option 6 – The full renovation and
expansion proposed in Option 1, adding on
renovations to the bathrooms and kitchen
area. That option was added at a special
board meeting Sept. 30 after Township

Supervisor Rob Heethuis suggested the bathrooms near the hall entrance be upgrad- ed to be ADA-compliant. The estimated cost of this option is $1.3 million. In a recommendation to the township board, the 10-member renovation committee gave equal support to the two larger expansion proposals, Options 1 and 3. Option 6 was added after the committee recommendation. Among needs the committee prioritized in its study of the design options were a secure entry to the offices with window access to the receptionist, deputy clerk and deputy treasurer functions; offices for the supervisor, clerk, treasurer, assessor and zoning administrator; storage space for election equipment; and a conference room, according to township documents. “This committee really looked at things. They turned it all over for us. They laid it out in our special meeting,” Heethuis said. The township earlier this year set aside $300,000 in its budget for the hall renovation, and plans to finance the remaining cost. The township entered the current fis- cal year with general fund reserves of more than $1.98 million. “We’re in a better financial position than we’ve ever been, even compared to 2019, the last time that this project was approved,” Cunningham said. If the township were to finance Option 1 over a 10-year period, its reserves would fall to more than $708,000 by the end of the 10 years, Cunningham said. The board could potentially take three votes – one on expansion of the offices, one on whether to include the renovation of the meeting hall room, and one on whether to include the bathroom and kitchen renovation. “We thought that might be a simple way to work through the vote,” Heethuis said. Cunningham agreed. “We wanted to make sure, as we go through each vote, we know what we’re voting for,” he said. “Breaking it down into pieces seemed to be the most logical thing.”

Welch appointed to fill TK board opening

Greg Chandler Staff Writer The operations director of the Barry County Road Commission has been appointed to fill an opening on the Thornapple Kellogg Board of Education. Jake Welch was appointed to the school board Tuesday night, after the board inter- viewed seven candidates at Thornapple Kellogg Middle School. Welch replaces former school board president Kristen Cove, who resigned last month after six years in office, and he will serve until the November 2022 election. “I want to help this community. I love this community,” said Welch, who has lived in the district for eight years. “I work here, on purpose. I think having people that love this community and have a desire to help on your board ... is why we’re all here.” During his interview, Welch said one of the biggest challenges facing TK is the vit- riol that has swept the Middleville community over the past few months, most notably over whether the wearing of masks should be mandated or a matter of parental choice. “Our society [is] moving in a direction where it’s OK to quickly hit ‘send’ [on an email or social media message], and be someone that can hide behind a monitor and say things and bolster themselves in a way

that negatively impacts other people – I think it’s impacting all of us,” Welch said. “It’s the same thing at the road commission. The comments get worse, constantly. The angry people get worse. Everything is moving in that direction and at warp speed. To have calming influences on the board, to have people with experience dealing with that kind of stuff, I think would help you.” Welch, who also chairs the Yankee Springs Township Zoning Board of Appeals, said he is used to dealing with angry people, both through his job and through the zoning board. “Disagreements are going to happen,” he said. “I think working through those [disagreements] professionally and considering multiple opinions and differing views is part of everyday life. It’s a necessity. You need to be able to accept opposing views, you need to be able to listen and consistent- ly be able to work through those in a common-sensical way, to come to a solution that not everybody’s happy with, but people can understand. I think that’s what most people want ... As long as they know you’re listening and that you care, that gen- erally goes a long way to working through those situations.” Welch, 38, has been with the road commission since 2013. Prior to that, he was a construction project manager at Kentwood

Excavating for five years. He said his past construction experience also can be a benefit to the board and district as it continues to deal with growth. After nearly three hours of interviews, the board narrowed the field to its top three candidates: Welch, Allison Hinton and Chris Noah. Hinton is community outreach director for the YMCA of Barry County and Noah is a family medicine specialist with Middleville Family Practice. From there, each board member gave their top two choices, with two points for a first choice and one for second choice. Welch was the top choice of four of the six board members for eight points. “I appreciate his passion for the district and wanting to be here, as well as his experience with the road commission,” board vice president Jeff Dickman said of Welch. “There’s a lot of correlation to what we’ve experienced here lately [and] what he’s experiencing. I think he’s got a good under- standing of the role of the board.” “I believe the road commission back- ground, with our ever-growing community, will be beneficial to this board moving for- ward. I liked when he said he was listening and advocating. I appreciated that,” board member Krissy Hooson said. Dickman, Hooson, board president Matt

Powers and board member David Smith named Welch their top selection. Board secretary Alexis Snyder and board member Anne Hamming chose Hinton as their first selection. Hinton was a second choice of two other board members, adding up to a total of six points. A total of nine candidates applied for the board opening. Two of the candidates, Richard Hamilton and Brenda Hess, with- drew their nominations prior to Tuesday’s interviews. Also interviewing for the position were Andrew Parsons, a surgeon at Spectrum Health Pennock Hospital; Carrie Sandborn, a family medicine physician and instructor at Western Michigan University; Douglas Nagel, executive vice president of employ- ee benefits at HUB International; and Katie Stanton, a stay-at-home mother of two TK students and substitute teacher. Welch also has been a volunteer baseball coach with the Thornapple Area Parks and Recreation Commission, has coached youth football and basketball and currently is a line coach for the junior varsity and varsity football at Thornapple Kellogg High School. Welch attended Ferris State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in manage- ment from Western Michigan University in 2008.

1699 W. M43 Highway, Hastings, MI 49058.

945-

1351 North M-43 Hwy. Hastings 945-

1301 W. Green St. Hastings 945-

This information on worship service is provided by The Hastings Banner, the churches and these local businesses:

HASTINGS FREE METHODIST CHURCH "We Exist To Be An Expression Of Who Jesus Is To The World Around Us". 2635 N. M-43 Hwy., P.O. Box 8, Hastings. Telephone 269- 945-9121. Email hastfmc@ gmail.com. Website: http://www. hastingsfreemethodist.com. Pastor Brian Teed, Assistant Pastor Emma Miller, Worship Director, Martha Stoetzel. Sunday Morning Worship: 9:45 a.m. Kids Church and Nursery are available. Our worship center is set up for social distancing. Aftermath Student Ministries: Sunday 6 p.m.

SOLID ROCK BIBLE CHURCH OF DELTON 7025 Milo Rd., P.O. Box 765, (corner of Milo Rd. & S. M- 43), Delton, MI 49046. Pastor Roger Claypool, (517) 204-

Sunday Worship Service
10:30 to 11:30am, Nursery and
Children’s Ministry. Wednesday
night Bible study and prayer
time 6:30 to 7:30 pm.

ST. ROSE OF LIMA CATHOLIC CHURCH 805 S. Jefferson. 269-945- 4246 Pastor Father Stephan Philip. Mass 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Mass 8 and 11 a.m. Sunday.

HASTINGS BAPTIST CHURCH 309 E. Woodlawn, Hastings. Matt Moser, Lead Pastor. Sunday Services: 9:15 a.m. Sunday School for all ages; 10:30 a.m. Worship Service; Senior High Youth Group 6- p.m.; Young Adults 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Family Night 6:30-8 p.m., Kids 4 Truth (Children Kindergarten-5th Grade), 6:30-8 p.m. Middle School Youth Group; 6: p.m. Bible Study and Prayer. Call Church Office 948- for information.

CHRIST THE KING PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (PCA) 328 N. Jefferson Street. Worship 10 a.m. Nursery provided. Pastor Peter Adams, contact 616-690-8609.

WOODGROVE BRETHREN CHRISTIAN PARISH 4887 Coats Grove Rd. Pastor Randall Bertrand. Wheel- chair accessible and elevator. Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Worship Time 10:30 a.m. Youth activities: call for information.

LIFEGATE COMMUNITY CHURCH 301 E. State Rd., P.O. Box 273, Hastings, MI 49058. Pastor Scott Price. Phone: 269-948-

Website: http://www.lifegatecc.
com. Sunday Worship 10 a.m.
Wednesday Life Group 6:
p.m.

PLEASANTVIEW FAMILY CHURCH 2601 Lacey Road, Dowling, MI 49050. Pastor, Steve Olmstead. (269) 758- church phone. Sunday Service: 10 a.m.

WELCOME CORNERS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 3185 N. Broadway, Hastings, MI 49058. Phone 945-2654. Worship Services: Sunday, 9:45 a.m.

Worship

Together

...at the church of your choice ~

Weekly schedules of Hastings area churches

available for your convenience...

Fiberglass Products

THORNAPPLE KELLOGG ATHLETIC BOOSTERS

CRAFT AND VENDOR SHOW

Saturday November 2 0 , 202 1

9 :00 am – 3:00 pm

Thornapple Kellogg High School

3385 Bender Road, Middleville MI 49333 (enter thru Athletic entrance – show is in Main Gym)

Come out and support your local crafters and vendors while

supporting your local athletes. Pancake Breakfast Bake Sale Concession Stand FREE Admission

All proceeds benefit Thornapple Kellogg Athletic Boosters

Craft & Vendor Show

9 :00 am – 3:00 pm

3385 Bender Road, Middleville MI 49333 (enter thru Athletic entrance – show is in Main Gym)

Come out and support your local crafters and vendors while supporting your local athletes. Pancake Breakfast Bake Sale Concession Stand FREE Admission

All proceeds benefit Thornapple Kellogg Athletic Boosters

9 :00 am – 3:00 pm

3385 Bender Road, Middleville MI 49333

(enter thru Athletic entrance – show is in Main Gym)

Come out and support your local crafters and vendors while supporting your local athletes. Pancake Breakfast

Bake Sale

Concession Stand FREE Admission

All proceeds benefit Thornapple Kellogg Athletic Boosters

VENDORS NEEDED • Contact Michelle 616-893-9087 to reserve your spot.

All proceeds benefit Thornapple Kellogg Athletic Boosters.

Come out and support your local crafters and vendors while supporting your local athletes.

Jake Welch

Banner 10-14-2021

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