Opportunity awaits
if wisdom prevails
See Editorial on Page 4
Delton and Valley cheer
qualify for D4 regionals
See Story on Page 9
'Rickety jail' at top
of county's to-do list
See Story on Page 2
Players hosting
auditions Tuesday
The Thornapple Players will be
presenting the comedy “Young Fran-
kenstein” in early May.
To fill the roles for this Mel Brooks
play, auditions are planned Tuesday,
March 1, at 7 p.m. in the Dennison
Performing Arts Center, 231 S. Broad-
way, Hastings.
The play has eight roles, plus the
ensemble. Many ensemble members
have lines, producer Norma Jean
Acker said. Individuals auditioning
for the ensemble/chorus must sing at
auditions.
Rehearsals will be 7-9:30 p.m.
Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Tech rehearsal will be Sunday, May 1
(mandatory attendance). Show dates
are May 5-8. Dress rehearsal Wednes-
day, May 4, will be open to the public.
Doug Acker and Julian Kratochvil
are directing. Amy Young and Angela
Seeber will teach vocals. Carol Svihl
is house manager.
Anyone with questions may call
Norma Jean Acker, 269-945-2332, or
text 269-908-0870. Anyone interested
in a part but who cannot audition
March 1 is asked to make other
arrangements with the director or pro-
ducer.Serenity Village
officials to kick
off campaign
Serenity Village officials will
announce the Time to Build cam-
paign, a fundraising effort in Barry
County to construct an alternative
homelike environment for terminally
ill hospice patients to live out their
final days in peace and dignity, sur-
rounded by those they love.
The announcement will be made at
10 a.m. Thursday, March 3, at the
Barry Community Foundation, 231 S.
Broadway, Hastings.
The news conference will provide
information about the Time to Build
campaign, give an overview of fund-
raising progress, and provide a sum-
mary of how the new facility will
serve local and regional families.
Anyone wishing to attend is asked
to RSVP to [email protected].
More information can be found at
serenitybc.org.Pieces sought for
mental health art
display
Barry County Community Mental
Health Authority is announcing a
community art project open to all indi-
viduals in Barry County.
Organizers said the goal is to create
a welcoming atmosphere that inspires
recovery through art.
Artists in the county are invited to
show their creativity and passion for
mental health awareness and recovery
by submitting up to two pieces of art-
work for consideration for permanent
display at BCCMHA. Artwork and
entry form can be submitted April
25-29.
Artwork selected for permanent
display will be announced in The
Reminder May 21.
Submission forms are available at
BCCMHA, 500 Barfield Drive, in
Hastings.NEWS NEWS
BRIEFSBRIEFS
VOLUME 168, No. 8 Thursday, February 24, 2022 PRICE $1.
THE
HASTINGS
Devoted to the Interests of Barry County Since 1856
Lofts rise above downtown
City, merchants, developer excited as new building takes shape in Hastings
Benjamin Simon
Staff Writer
The Lofts@128 are rising from a lot in
downtown Hastings that had been vacant for
nearly four years. The foundation is in place.
Bricks and mortar are forming walls. And,
with every day, the building seems to grow a
little taller.
Lynn Bolek, project manager for the Grand
Rapids-based developer and general contrac-
tor, a.j. Veneklasen, estimates they will com-
plete the project by the fall – at the latest.
The nearly $4.9-million apartment build-
ing on 128 N. Michigan Ave. will offer four
stories of mixed-use space. Known as the
Lofts@128, the development will include
21-market rate dwelling units, two lease
spaces for office and retail use and its own
on-site parking lot.
Initially, the developer was hoping to fin-
ish The Lofts by the summer, but it was set
back by six weeks because of the poor
weather and a concrete mix design issue.
Framing is expected to being in mid- to
late March.
“It will start progressing once we get the
framing on it,” Bolek said. “You’ll start see-
ing the actual shell of the building and the
structure. So, it’s a progress. We’re out of the
major part of it.”
Bolek has worked in construction for 29
years, including multifamily dwelling units,hospitals and warehouses. Often, she said,
she receives strong community support from
places like Grand Rapids.
But that’s nothing compared to what she is
seeing in Hastings. The mayor, the commu-
nity development director and law enforce-
ment officials – everyone, she said, has gone
out of their way to introduce themselves.
She called it a “good, warm, fuzzy” feel-
ing.
“I can honestly say working in a smaller
town like Hastings, they’re so welcome to
you. We felt very welcomed to build there,”
Bolek said. “Sometimes in the bigger cities,
they’re excited, but sometimes you can’t
have that personal one-on-one just because
they’ve got tons of projects going.”
Jody Peterson has served as the manager
of the South Jefferson Street General Store
for six years. She has lived in the Hastings
area since she was in sixth grade. She inter-
acts with people every day at the store and
attends downtown business team meetings.
From business owners and residents, Peter-
son has heard constant support for the incom-
ing apartment buildings.
“It’s been vacant for a long time,” she
said of the property once occupied by the
Hastings Moose Lodge. “I think people get
tired looking at a vacant thing, a vacant
piece of property. I think it’s exciting to see
it go up, and I drive past it every day comingto work, and it’s fun to watch it as it devel-
ops and goes up all winter long in this frigid
weather.”
It’s no secret that the city needs more
housing. Many in the area consider that the
No. 1 issue in the city.
The Lofts@128, city officials say, will
help meet that need. It could provide apart-
ments for young professionals or offer
seniors an opportunity to downsize from
larger homes, further opening the housing
market.
But the Lofts@128 will go beyond filling
a housing need. City Manager Sarah Moy-
er-Cale said she thinks it will further “acti-
vate the downtown.”
Community Development Director Dan
King said he suspects the market-rate status
will attract people with disposable income.
Peterson envisions it will create more foot
traffic downtown, attract additional business
to retail shops and draw more people to that
side of the city.
“I think it’s going to be a positive because
people will be living right close to down-
town, and it will bring more people down-
town to shop and dine and enjoy all the con-
certs and things that Hastings has to offer,”
Moyer-Cale said. “I think it’s a good thing.
“The more people living downtown and
businesses downtown, I think it’s a positive
thing.”Senator pleads guilty to assault
Taylor Owens
Staff Writer
Michigan State Sen. John Bizon, 70,
R-Battle Creek, pleaded guilty last Thursday
in a Calhoun County court to assault and bat-
tery of a female health care worker.
The charge stemmed from an Aug. 14 inci-
dent involving a nurse practitioner who said
Bizon reached his arm around her waist and
cupped her hip while she was reviewing med-
ications with him in an exam room.
The misdemeanor carries a maximum pen-
alty of up to 93 days in jail and/or a $500 fine.
Sentencing in the case has not yet been
scheduled.
According to the court record, Bizon went
to the Oaklawn After Hours Express in Mar-
shall Aug. 14, 2021. He was experiencingCOVID-like symptoms, and went to the clin-
ic to get a COVID test.
A staff member said Bizon had been sent to
the clinic by Oaklawn President and Chief
Executive Officer Gregg Beeg.
Marshall City Police reported that the
nurse practitioner first saw Bizon sitting out-
side the health care facility at a picnic table
designated for employees, which she thought
was strange. He waved to her, but she said
she did not wave back because she did not
know him.
Later, during his examination in the clinic,
she recommended an over-the-counter medi-
cation for Bizon to take for his symptoms.
When Bizon said he did not understand, she
stood next to him and showed him the medi-
cation on her laptop.At that point, Bizon put his arm around her,
“intentionally grabbed her with his right arm/
hand,” pulled her to him and “squeezed her
waist with his right hand, in a cupping
motion,” she told police.
He then told her he was an otolaryngolo-
gist, which is an ear, nose and throat doctor.
She told police she was so shocked by his
actions, she did not say anything.
According to the record, Bizon wanted her
to order a different medication for him, but she
refused. She told him that what he was request-
ing was not a medication for his diagnosis.
The nurse said he questioned her, told her
he was disappointed in her and became visi-Bradford
White
$20.5-million
expansion
moves ahead
Tax abatement
request wins
village OK
James Gemmell
Contributing Writer
Middleville’s largest employer is halfway
home to a 12-year tax abatement on a $20.
million expansion at its facility at 200
Lafayette St.
The village council voted 6-0 Tuesday
night following a public hearing to adopt a
resolution authorizing signing an agreement
with Bradford White Corp. for an industrial
facilities tax (IFT) exemption certificate.
The abatement, which falls under Public
Act 198, will be for a 15,550-square-foot
addition to its steel receiving and employee
entrance. The project got underway a few
months ago. The cost to improve the land and
build the addition amounts to nearly $20.
million, according to village documents.
“We’ll sign an agreement between Brad-
ford White and village representatives,”
Assistant Village Manager Brian Urquhart
said. “It goes to the Michigan State Tax
Commission, and they make a decision on
that. Typically, that’s procedural and cere-
monial. And then, the next tax year, they can
get up to 50 percent of their real property tax
abated – provided those benchmarks are met
that are in the IFT agreement.”
Those benchmarks typically have to do
with job production. John Heyboer, an engi-
neering manager at Bradford White, told
village council members the company
expects to add about 130 new jobs on an
additional production shift.
“That is to support increased production
in our assembly facility,” Heyboer said.
“There are some other things being expand-
ed in that, but that’s the main gist.”
Bradford White designs and builds water
and space heaters, among other items, for
residential, commercial and industrial pur-
poses.
Village Trustee Kevin Smith asked Hey-
boer how many of the new jobs will impact
Middleville residents.
“I would say that all of them would
impact Middleville in that all of them have
the potential to be customers to businesses
in the area,” Heyboer responded.
“Of the 130 jobs that you’re creating in
that expansion, how many of them live in
the village of Middleville, paying property
taxes that would offset the request for a tax
abatement for your project?” Smith asked.
“All of those new jobs that we add have
the potential to be residents of the village. I
can’t really say exactly which ones will be
from the village and which ones won’t.
They haven’t been hired yet,” Heyboer
replied.The Lofts@128 are beginning to take shape in Hastings. This fall, the new apartment building will add 21 dwelling units and two
lease spaces to the city. (Photo by Scott Harmsen)State Sen. John Bizon (right) and his
attorney Martin Crandall of Detroit. (Photo
by Taylor Owens)See SENATOR, page 2
See BRADFORD, page 2