VOLUME 167, No. 43 Thursday, October 28, 2021 PRICE $1.
T HE
H AST I NGS
Devoted to the Interests of Barry County Since 1856
Pandemic response
a shameful reality
See Editorial on Page 4
DK boys win their
first district trophy
See Story on Page 11
Rotary remembrance
tribute honors five
See Story on Page 5
Thornapple Wind
Band ready for
Friday’s concert
After more than a year and a half of
musical silence, the Thornapple Wind
Band will again fill the stage and present
a free concert honoring the fall season.
The public is invited to join the band
at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, at the
Hastings Performing Arts Center at
Hastings High School, 520 W. South St.
(Note: Hastings High School will be
hosting Charlotte in a varsity football
district playoff game beginning at 7
p.m., which likely will affect parking.
Concert-goers may want to arrive early.)
The concert will feature classic pieces
found in “Highlights from Guardians of
The Galaxy,” “Over the Rainbow” with
a saxophone solo by Paul Jackson,
“Amazing Grace,” and other selections.
All of this will be under the direction
of Dave Macqueen.
The Thornapple Wind Band, a group
of adult musicians from several area
communities, presents a mix of melo-
dies. No two concerts are the same,
varying in selections and musicians. All
concerts are free and open to the public;
donations are accepted.Chamber hosts
virtual economic
summit Nov. 3
The Barry County Chamber and
Economic Development Alliance will
continue with its annual economic sum-
mit next month, in a virtual format.
The annual event is designed to be
informative and inspiring and focused
on economic development in Barry
County.
“What’s Your Plan?” will be the focus
of the event the summit from 1 to 4:
p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3.
Admission is $20 for chamber mem-
bers and $30 for non-members.
The agenda will include:
1 p.m. – Barry County Chamber &
Economic Development Alliance
Engagement and Economic Impact by
Jennifer Heinzman, president.
1:35 p.m. – A word from Greg Moore,
representing the summit’s signature
sponsor, Consumers Energy.
1:40 p.m. – “What’s Your Plan?” Matt
Goebel, superintendent, Hastings Area
Schools.
2:10 p.m. – Blue Zones update.
2:30 p.m. – Dr. Damon Arnold:
“Discover Your Purpose.”
3:30 p.m. – A Look into the Economy:
Trends in the Nation, State, and Barry
County, Jim Robey, principal at Robey
Analytics.
4:30 p.m. – Closing remarks.
Anyone interested in attending may
register at mibarry.com.‘Senior Citizen
of the Year’
nominations sought
Highpoint Community Bank and the
Barry County Commission on Aging are
sponsoring the 22nd annual Senior
Citizen of the Year Award.
This award highlights contributions
made by individuals age 60 and older to
civic and social life in Barry County. It
focuses on the positive benefits of
remaining active while growing older.
The award will be presented at the
COA’s annual Christmas Party Dec. 16
in Hastings. The recipient will receive aNEWSNEWS
BRIEFSBRIEFS
See BRIEFS, page 2
Delays plague former Moose Lodge project
City council resolves misunderstanding with developer
Benjamin Simon
Staff Writer
More than a month ago, the city finalized
selling the property at 128 N. Michigan.
It was cause for celebration.
For more than three years, the former
Moose lodge property had sat vacant and,
finally, after six amendments and months of
negotiation, construction was set to begin.
Now construction still hasn’t started and,
instead, a few signs, boxes, poles and cones
scatter the lawn there.
The project was delayed again in recent
weeks after a misunderstanding with the
developer, A.J. Veneklasen, about the cost of
water and sewer system improvement fees.
The Grand Rapids-based developer expect-
ed to pay $19,000, City Manager City Sarah
Moyer-Cale said, while city officials were
expecting more than $100,000.
Monday, the city council voted to make an
exception and lower the water and sewer sys-
tem improvement fees for A.J. Veneklasen to
$6,225. That decision is expected to pave the
way for construction to begin, where 21 mar-
ket-rate apartments and 2,630-square-feet of
retail space will be built.The city charges different amounts for res-
idential and commercial facilities, Moyer-
Cale said. Residential facilities are charged
for each residential unit in the building, while
commercial facilities pay a one-time sewer
and water fee.
If not amended, A.J. Veneklasen would
have paid $2,290 per unit for water and
$3,090 per unit for sewer on each unit, which
would have totaled more than $100,000.
“The purpose of this fee is to have new
developers basically buy into the existing
system,” Moyer-Cale said.
Following the exemption, A.J. Veneklasen
will pay those fees once as if it were a com-
mercial facility.
Councilmember Al Jarvis said he wants to
prioritize getting the work started.
“I mean, we’re trying to get people to bring
housing in,” Jarvis said.
As the city brings in other housing develop-
ments, such as the 73-unit Royal Coach proj-
ect, Moyer-Cale and council members agreed
they need to review the law in the future.
“I think what’s happened in the past is that
residential [property owners are] paying more
than their fair share and commercial’s proba-bly not paying enough,” Moyer-Cale said.
“There’s probably a better way to distribute
the fee than the way that it’s currently set up,
but it’s going to take us some time to establish
how that fee should most fairly be charged.”
Councilmember Brenda McNabb-Stange
voted in favor of the motion, but criticized
the company for not confirming the fee
beforehand.
“I have a continuing problem with them
coming for more,” she said. “The fact is,
they’re this far into a project ready to break
ground and they’re just now finding out how
much the fees are for connecting. I don’t
understand. I don’t understand why they
didn’t know that before they even made a bid
to build on the property.”
Barring any unforeseen circumstance, the
adjustment to the water and sewer price will
be the final step before construction.
Community Development Director Dan King
said he expects A.J. Veneklasen to break
ground within the next few weeks, with the
earliest date being Monday, Nov. 1.T.J. Maxx approved for Hastings site
Benjamin Simon and Taylor Owens
Staff Writers
The Hastings Downtown Development
Authority approved plans for a new T.J.
Maxx in the Hastings Center last Friday.
The new store, an off-price retailer of appar-
el and home fashion, according to its website,
will fit into about 23,000 feet of the center.
That section of the building has remained
empty since Kmart closed nearly three years
ago. Family Farm and Home set up in anoth-
er part of the building, while another 30,
square feet has yet to be filled.
Community Development Director Dan
King said he estimates that the company will
begin construction within the next two months.
“They will likely start as soon as they can
get the bid process completed,” King said.
He said he believes the store will attract
customers from around Barry County and
surrounding areas.
“We, like many people, are excited
because of the economic benefit that a
national chain will bring, not only to that
center, but to the downtown businesses and
restaurants,” King said.Meanwhile, the DDA is pushing for prog-
ress on a streetscape plan.
The board started brainstorming its streets-
cape plan in October 2019. Two years later,
the DDA still hasn’t implemented a plan, and
members are getting antsy to move forward.
“We don’t even know when we started, but
we think it was two years ago, and I don’t
have a lot of confidence in all of what we’ve
gotten, and we just make no progress,” DDA
member Deb Hatfield said during the DDA’s
Oct. 21 meeting.
The conversation was prompted by immi-
nent tree removal in the downtown district.
The city’s Department of Public Services
currently has plans to cut down diseased treesi nearly November. But that would mean having
no trees in downtown Hastings for the indef-
inite future.
“We can’t risk the tree falling on someone
or a vehicle,” City Manager Sarah Moyer-
Cale said.
DDA members contemplated whether they
wanted no trees in the downtown area.
DDA member Lynn Denton said he
wouldn’t mind seeing the trees come down- which cause a mess for business owners
- and replacing them with hanging plant
baskets.
Grizzly’s impending
retirement prompts
donation for K-9 unit
Rebecca Pierce
Editor
He entered the Barry County Board of
Commissioners’ chambers Tuesday morning
and sat down before them.
With a straightforward, unflinching gaze,
he listened intently as his accomplishments
were extolled.Highpoint Community Bank celebrates 135 years
Benjamin Simon
Staff Writer
In 1886, 35 Hastings investors came up
with $50,000 and started Highpoint
Community Bank.
Over the years, locations have changed.
The name has changed. The size has changed.
But one thing hasn’t changed: Highpoint
Community Bank is still based in Hastings.
Tuesday, Highpoint Community Bank cel-
ebrated its 135th anniversary at its headquar-
ters on Jefferson and Court streets. Mayor
David Tossava honored the company with a
proclamation from the city.
“We’re a community bank. It’s important to
us that we stay in the community that support-
ed us all along,” Marketing Director Nancy
Goodin said. “Even though we’ve grown to
seven branches and different drive-thru loca-
tions, it’s important that we support local
business and that we are a local business.”
The bank began in 1886 under the name of
Hastings City Bank. Over the first four
decades, it grew to more than $1 million in
deposits before the Great Depression hit,
bringing funds to $500,000.
Many banks shut down. HCB survived.
Goodin called it one of the more impressive
parts of the bank’s history.
“During the Depression, when so many
banks went under, this bank continued to
meet the needs of our community,” Goodin
said. “And this bank survived the Depression
and flourished afterward. So I think that’s a
testament to the strength and stability of this
bank through 135 years.”A presentation to Officer Grizzly, who
will be retiring next spring, was offered by
the Barry County Sheriff’s Office Posse
Tuesday to fund his replacement in the
K-9 unit. He is shown here during the
proceedings with his handler, Deputy
Travis Moore, a 22-year department vet-
eran. (Photo by Rebecca Pierce)Hastings Mayor Dave Tossava prepared and read a special proclamation to honor Highpoint Community Bank’s 135-year mile-
stone. Shown, from left, are: Tossava in foreground; Ashley Van Alstine, assistant vice president, retail banking; Timothy Tierney,
senior vice president, retail banking; and President and CEO Mark Kolanowski. (Photo by Rebecca Pierce)See CELEBRATES, page 3
See K-9, page 2
See T.J. MAXX, page 2
See DELAYS, page 2
'We are excited because of the economic benefit that a
national chain will bring, not only to that center, but to
the downtown businesses and restaurants.'Dan King,
Hastings community development director