Page 2 — Thursday, November 18, 2021 — The Hastings Banner
want to be a police officer because I want to
make people feel safe,’ and he wanted to
make me feel safe ... He knows when some-
body’s not feeling well, and he wants to be
that protector.
“It makes me feel like I did somethingright for him, for him to be a good person –
and that’s all I ever want.”
Rose said she loved the way the communi-
ty rallied around Dre.
“It makes me feel really good, because I
was born and raised here, I grew up in thiscommunity,” she said. “To see them come
together to make him happy, to give him
something that he’s always wanted, it’s just
really amazing that people would stop what
they’re doing for just one day to make him
feel a little bit better about himself.”patients, visitors, employees and care provid-
ers. We are confident that all Oaklawn poli-
cies and procedures have been followed
related to this matter.
“As in all such matters, Oaklawn’s process-
es are followed to their full conclusion and are
intended to support all parties. Oaklawn is
committed to full cooperation with any out-
side agency review of these matters. Each
day, Oaklawn Hospital strives to deliver per-
fect care to everyone any time we are entrust-
ed with their health and wellbeing. Per stan-
dard human resources practices and according
to laws in place to protect the privacy ofpatients and employees, individual employee
matters cannot be shared with other parties.”
The woman reported the incident to the
human resources department, who recom-
mended that she contact the police. The woman
did so, and said she wanted to press charges.
When police contacted Bizon, he said he
had been in quarantine since the day of the
alleged incident because he had tested posi-
tive for COVID.
But, Bizon said, he could still come into
the department for an interview, if it didn’t
bother the officer. The officer declined, and
said they could conduct the interview afterhis recovery from COVID.
When the officer reached back out for an
interview, Bizon said he had hired an attor-
ney, and the attorney sent the officer a state-
ment.
The Calhoun County Prosecutor’s Office
referred the case the state attorney general’s
office, who re-assigned it to Barry County
Prosecutor Julie Nakfoor Pratt. Bizon is
scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 1.
He was elected to the state senate in 2018,
representing Barry, Calhoun and Ionia coun-
ties. According to his website, has been prac-
ticing medicine for more than 40 years.Delton decides not to leave Barry ISD
Taylor Owens
Staff Writer
After researching the potential of joining
the Allegan Area Education Service Agency,
Delton Kellogg Schools Superintendent Kyle
Corlett said it would cost the district too
much money to use its programs.
“In a nutshell, Allegan has special ed
programs that we don’t have,” Corlett said.
“They have a career center that is very
impressive, but also, their millage rates are
more than twice ours, and even if we joined
them, their model is different than Barry’s,
so it would cost us over $200,000 out of our
general fund to pay for special ed staffing.
“So at this time it doesn’t seem to be
financially beneficial to go with Allegan,”
he added. “But, what we walked away with
was, there was definite points that we
would like to see our [intermediate school
district] improve on. The programs that
Allegan offers – there’s no reason we
couldn’t offer that with our special ed. It
would cost more, but I think our students
deserve it.”
He also said the district is exploring ways
of creating career technical education pro-
grams in Delton.
“What we learned is that the grass isn’t
greener, for sure, but there are different
ways we can make our own grass greener,”
Corlett said.In other business:- The board approved a motion to give
Corlett the authority to spend up to $300,
to purchase a fuel tank for the bus garage
failed in a 2-2 vote.
According to Corlett, the district’s insur-
ance company said their current tank is aging,
and they need to purchase a new one.
Treasurer Sarah Austin said the insurance
company is charging the district a high
deductible until it is replaced.
Corlett said the district hired a consultant
to help with the process, and the school had
received six bids. He is set to review the bids
and conduct interviews with the companies
this Friday.
But, Corlett said, it will take 40 weeks to
get a new tank delivered and installed, so
he wanted to start the process as soon as
possible.
Trustee Rodney Dye questioned why the
district would purchase a steel tank instead of
fiberglass. He said his wife works with fiber-
glass tanks, and they are more durable.
Corlett said he wasn’t sure how much fiber-
glass would be in the tanks, but they are
estimated to have a 30-year lifespan, which is
about how long the previous tank lasted.
Corlett recommended the board approve
the purchase so the process could begin, but
he suggested Dye and the other members
contact the consultant, and he would not pur-
chase a tank if they did not feel comfortable
with it.
Dye said he felt the decision was too sud-
den for such an expensive purchase, and he
could not vote approve the purchase.
Vice president Kelli Martin said they could
hold a special meeting after Corlett reviewed
the tanks, in which the board could select the
bid.
Martin and Austin voted to approve the
purchase, while Dye and trustee Brandy
Shooks voted against.- Craig Jenkins, Robert Houtrow and
Jessica Brandli were absent. - The district received a clean audit, accord-
ing to Joe Verline, CPA of Gabridge & Co. - The board voted 4-0 to approve allowing
four additional school districts into the
Southwestern Athletic Conference. Delton
athletic director Mike Mohn said accepting
the districts will allow the conference to
reshuffle the league and will lead to less trav-
el time for Delton students to athletic events. - Corlett said the district has seen an
increase in COVID cases in the past few
weeks. He asked parents to keep their kids
home if they feel sick. - After crunching the numbers during
count month in October, Corlett said the dis-
trict has 1,138 students. He said the district
had projected having 1,050 at this time, about
two years ago.
Barry ISD will continue
Benjamin Simon
Staff Writer
About eight weeks ago, the Hastings Area
School System and Delton Kellogg Schools
officials questioned whether they might be bet-
ter off in a different intermediate school district.
Since then, the fate of the Barry
Intermediate School District seemed in
limbo. That is no longer the case.
Both Hastings and Delton Kellogg have
decided they will not break away from the
BISD.
“Now the conversation is coming back
around to ‘OK, let’s work together. Let’s
move forward together,’” BISD
Superintendent Rich Franklin said. “You
know, additional services that we can pro-
vide – how do we pay for them?”
The conversation of leaving the BISD
started when Hastings, Delton Kellogg and
BISD held a special meeting in early
September to discuss a regional enhance-
ment millage. But, by the end of the two-
hour conversation, they weren’t talking
about the millage. The conversation had
shifted to joining another ISD altogether.
No decisions were made that day, and all
three districts agreed to spend a few weeks
completing their own cost-benefit analysis
of staying with BISD or moving elsewhere.
Superintendents and board presidents of
each district met again Oct. 29 to present
their findings. It was not a “decision-mak-
ing” meeting, Franklin said, but rather a
chance for the three districts to speak and
find a way to work together.
There, both Hastings and Delton Kellogg
agreed they would be better off staying with
BISD. While Hastings did not complete a
cost-benefit analysis report, Franklin said
Delton Kellogg went through an extensive
review of the possibility of joining another
ISD-type entity.
“Delton, in particular, had done a pretty
detailed analysis of comparing their
cost-benefit analysis with us and with
Allegan [Area Educational Service
Agency],” Franklin said. “And what they
found was that [joining Allegan] was
cost-prohibitive. It would cost [their taxpay-
ers] much more, and they would actually get
less in terms of service.”
During the BISD monthly meeting last
week, Franklin provided the rest of the
board with an update on the situation. He
said the three districts will move forward
and try to think of ways to drum up more
resources for the intermediate school district
to provide its students.
But they’re still in the decision-making
process. The three districts will meet again
before the end of the year. One potential
option is a regional enhancement millage
that would go toward special education and
career and technical education.
“[The goal is] to really hammer out what
are the needs, to really identify needs,”
Franklin said. “And if we can’t find another
way to pay for them, then we talk about a
regional enhancement.”
In other action, the BISD board:- Accepted the first reading of its policy
report. The report must go through two read-
ings a year. The board focused on the public
participation portion of its policy. “We’re just
going to make sure we’re reviewing and that
everything we’re doing is following not only
the law, but best practices to favor openness
and transparency,” Franklin said. - Accepted a bid from Quality Air for
$24,457 to replace two heating and cooling
rooftop units at the West Learning Center.
EARLY THANKSGIVING
DEADLINES
forThe
Hastings Banner
Deadline for ADS: Tuesday, Nov. 23 at 3 pm
Deadline for NEWS: Tuesday, Nov. 23, at Noon
Deadline for CLASSIFIEDS: Tuesday, Nov. 23 at 2pm
Papers will be
on the newsstandsWednesday, Nov. 24
GREATGREAT
CHRISTMAS GIFT!CHRISTMAS GIFT!
A new book from
J-Ad Graphics
and the YMCA
of Barry CountyFor 75 years,
Camp Algonquin
has providedopportunities for
our community togrow and thrive.
Now you canrelive the
memories ofstories, songs,
and life lessons.Pre-order your copy now for $30 online
http://www.ymcaofbarrycounty.org/camp-algonquin/alumni/Or by calling 269-945-
Anticipated release date in time for the holidays.
HISTORY OF CAMP ALGONQUIN
- CELEBRATE 75 YEARS! –
SEN. BIZON, continued from page 1 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
secure financial position, officials said. The
district then conducted another superinten-
dent search and hired Corlett in 2017.
During his tenure, Corlett worked on his
Ph.D and earned it this year.
In his resignation letter, he reviewed some of
the district’s challenges and accomplishments.
“For over the past four years, it has been an
honor and a privilege to serve Delton Kellogg
schools and its community as its superinten-
dent,” Corlett wrote. “During that time, the
district has made great strides in a number of
areas, including the passing of a bond that
will improve facilities and update technology,
the purchase of new reading and math curric-
ulum programs, increasing counseling sup-
port, as well as having successfully navigated
through a pandemic together.
“I am proud of these accomplishments that
were only possible through the collective
efforts of the board, staff and community. The
school district is in an excellent position,
academically and financially, to move for-
ward and continue the positive momentum it
currently has.
“I anticipate working with the school board
to ensure that an interim superintendent is in
place to carry on this success.”CORLETT, continued from page 1 ––––––––––––––––
BOY, continued from page 1 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Dremony Rose (center, right) tours Hastings City Hall with his family. (Photo by Benjamin Simon)Hastings City Police Chief Dale Boulter swears in Dremony Rose.
(Photo provided)Hastings Deputy Police Chief Julissa Kelly shows
Dremony Rose how to make an announcement on the
police radio. (Photo by Taylor Owens)