The Hastings Banner — Thursday, May 12, 2022 — Page 3QUESTIONS:
ASK US...Hulst Cleaners Pick-Up StationSisters Fabrics
218 E. State St., Hastings • 945-
OPEN: Monday-Friday 8 am-5:30 pm;
Saturday 9 am-3 pm
Pray For Our World >
QUESTIONS:
ASK US...
Sisters Fabrics
218 E. State St., Hastings • 945-
OPEN: Monday-Thursday 8 am-5:30 pm;
Friday 8 am-7 pm; Saturday 9 am-5:30 pmCongratulations to
the Grads of 2022
- 108" Wide Cotton
- Good Selection of Cotton
Prints
COVID cancels local theater production
Greg Chandler
Staff Writer
A community theater production was post-
poned last weekend after at least six people
were exposed to the COVID-19 virus.
The Barry-Eaton District Health Depart-
ment issued an advisory Friday, alerting the
community about the COVID exposure that
was tied to the Thornapple Players’ production
of “Young Frankenstein” at the Barry Com-
munity Enrichment Center.
The exposures occurred May 4, during a
dress rehearsal for the production, and May 5,
the opening night of the show. About 70 peo-
ple attended the dress rehearsal and about 115
people attended the Friday performance and
an after-performance gathering, BEDHD com-
munications specialist Emily Smale said in a
news release.
Two individuals tested positive for COVID
while four others were symptomatic.
“All six of the individuals attended all three
events,” Smale said in an interview Tuesday.
The Thornapple Players postponed their
remaining performances of “Young Franken-
stein” in light of the positive COVID cases.
“They worked with us to let us know [what
happened] and to figure out what to do,”
Smale said.
Everyone who attended the events is con-
sidered to have been exposed to COVID-19.
“These events are an example of how
quickly COVID-19 can spread through a com-
munity via large gatherings or events,” Smale
said in the news release.
Thornapple Players President Norma Jean
Acker said they contacted the health department
as soon as they learned of the positive cases.
“Our main mission was to stop the spread
and to protect our cast, crew, patrons and their
families,” Acker said Wednesday afternoon.
It was the latest of many challenges for the
local community theater group and this partic-
ular production. “This is a difficult show, but a
really fun show,” she said. “This cast, crew
and production team went all-out under very
stressful circumstances [to put it on].
“There is still some question as to whether
or not we will cancel this show and move on
or reapply for royalties and present it as our
fall show,” she added. “We have been trying to
do this since March of 2019. There are many
factors involved, and no decision can be made
until we have all of the facts, costs, etc.”
Health department staff is encouraging any-
one who attended any of the events and who is
either unvaccinated or at high risk of severe
illness to:- Get tested at least five days after exposure.
- Watch for symptoms until 10 days after
exposure. - If symptoms develop, isolate immediately
and get tested. - Wear a well-fitting mask in public.
- Avoid being around people who are more
likely to become very sick from COVID-19.
In addition, BEDHD staff is encouraging
people to stay up to date on their COVID-
vaccines, to get tested before and after large
events, maintain social distance when appro-
priate, and wear a mask if they believe they
might be at higher risk of severe illness.
COVID-19 hospitalizations statewide rose
to 876 Monday, up from 774 Friday and 729 a
week ago, according to newly released Michi-
gan numbers.
Most of the increase is in hospitals in six
counties in Southeast Michigan. The COVID-
19 patient census in those counties – Wayne,
Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, St. Clair and
Monroe – increased from 490 to 557 between
Friday and Monday.
The increase in hospitalizations has been
slow but steady for about a month after hit-
ting 470 April 6 at the end of the initial omi-
cron surge.
New variants of omicron have driven the
latest increase, but the overall impact has been
muted in terms of hospitalizations. During the
delta surge last fall, hospitalizations rose
quickly, an indication that omicron, though
worrisome for those with health conditions,
has led to less severe illnesses.
The risk levels suggest masking recommen-
dations; healthy people in counties at medium
or low risk can remain safe without wearing
masks in most settings.
But the “high” risk category includes a rec-
ommendation for everyone, regardless of vac-
cination status, to wear a well-fitting mask in
most indoor settings.
More information can be found at barryea-
tonhealth.org/covid-19-center or michigan.
gov/coronavirus.
Bridge Michigan contributed to this story.Help Wanted:
Barry County seeks to hire more employees
Rebecca Pierce
Editor
Barry County government and small busi-
nesses have the same problem right now:
Hiring.
“That’s one of the challenges I’m dealing
with right now,” County Administrator
Michael Brown.
“We’re just struggling to hire – and even
retain – staff,” Brown said. “We’re all trying
to figure that out.
“What is the magic formula?”
Sometimes, the problem is the pay; other
times, the job itself is not highly desirable, he
noted.
But the number of vacancies creates anoth-
er concern for them, and that’s making sure
that the employees they have aren’t getting
burnt out because they’re so short-staffed.
As part of its classification and compensa-
tion study process, the county looked inter-
nally at its positions to make sure that compa-
rable positions across departments were being
compensated at comparable levels.
“Then we looked at our external environ-
ment to see how we compensate employees
compared to the labor market,” Brown said.
“Historically, we had looked at comparables
as far as similar population and similar tax-
able value. The reason we used that is partic-
ularly the taxable value – that presumes our
revenue, or what we can afford. The problem
with that look is that we don’t have many
counties in our labor market that meet that
comparison.”
Brown said, in the past, that study had
ended up looking to counties up north, not
necessarily where Barry County employees
were either leaving to go work or where the
county was trying to draw from.
So they decided to look to the counties in
geographic proximity.
That places them in an entirely different
territory that is “a bit uncharted,” Brown said.
“The first thing that then comes to mind
though – and we always had argued we can’t
compete with – Kent County. We just don’t
have the resources. But what we ultimately
did was look at it.”
In doing so, they struck a process where
they aim to be at 90 percent of the market
comparables, Brown said.
“We can’t compete, dollar for dollar, but
we’re going to be within 10 percent.”
That may give the county some chance when
it comes to vying for qualified job seekers.
“Now,” he added, “the challenge is to
make sure we stay there and don’t, what you
call, creep one way or the other. My concern
right now is that their labor market may be
moving up faster than ours ... and (how to)
keep pace with that.
“That being said, we’re also looking at a
market – is it transitory? Is it just short term?
“We don’t want to move up too fast.”
Last Tuesday, at their Committee of the
Whole meeting, commissioners discussed the
difficulty in filling vacant animal shelter
employee posts.
The kennel has four part-time positions
and two are vacant.
After hearing a request from Animal Shel-
ter Director Ken Kirsch, commissioners rec-
ommended combining the two part-time
vacancies into one full-time position that
would pay $30,140 annually plus benefits.
That recommendation was approved at Tues-
day’s board meeting.
Commissioners also approved increasing
the pay rate for the two remaining part-timeanimal shelter employees from the current
$9.87 an hour to the Barry County Court-
house Employees Association salary sched-
ule.
The recommended rate for these part-time
jobs will be Classification Grade 1, which
starts at $12.70 and tops out at $15.14 at four
years. The annual cost will be $15,581.
In other business Tuesday, the commis-
sioners heard the 2021 annual reports from
Drain Commissioner Jim Dull and Erin
Moore, director of District 7 Michigan State
University Extension.
During her presentation, Moore noted the
overwhelming support at last year’s Barry
County Fair resulted in a total of $755,
from the livestock sales with 700 young peo-
ple participating in 4-H in the county.
In other action, commissioners:- approved spending up to $60,589 for a
contract with Graphic Sciences to digitally
image court files in circuit, district, and
Friend of the Court offices, with funds to be
paid from CESF Supplemental Grant that was
designated for this project on Jan. 25, 2022.
and Data Processing. New Deputy Court
Administrator Dave Pelon made the request. - approved the Office of Community Cor-
rections grant application – totaling $154,
in expected grant funds – for fiscal year 2023.
Community Corrections Administrator and
Specialty Courts Manager Tammi Price made
the request. - approved amending the Municipal
Employees’ Retirement System Health Care
Savings Program participation agreement and
contribution addendum for county Central
Dispatch employees, effective March 1, 2022. - approved setting the county’s budget cal-
endar for 2023. - approved pre-paid invoices totaling
$5,907,718.36, claims of $109,776.51, and
commissioner reimbursement for mileage of
$341.53.
Vice Chairman Vivian Conner ran the
meetings last week and this week in the
absence of Chairman Ben Geiger.
Hastings Legion
Memorial Day events set
This year’s 2022 Memorial Day Parade,
hosted by the Lawrence J. Bauer American
Legion Post 45 in Hastings, will step off at
9:30 a.m. Monday, May 30. Participants will
begin gathering at 8:30 a.m. at the corner of
Boltwood and State streets.
The parade will be led by the Legion’s
Color Guard, followed by the Honor Guard,
Legion members and other veterans, National
Guard and Reservists, Legion Auxiliary,
Legion Riders, the DAV chapter, Sons of the
American Legion, Scouts, the Hastings Area
Schools Marching Band, and other partici-
pants.
The parade route will proceed west to
Broadway, then north to the Veterans Memo-
rial where two wreaths will be placed: one
honoring all veterans and one honoring the
POW-MIA soldiers. A rifle salute, taps, and a
short ceremony will follow.
The parade will continue to the bridgewhere a wreath will be placed in the river with
a rifle salute, and taps will be played to honor
those who served, and are serving, at sea.
Riverside Cemetery on State Road will be
the final stop at the GAR Monument at the
end of the Avenue of Flags. Another ceremo-
ny will be conducted, including placement of
a wreath, a speech, and a rifle salute, and
taps.
Honors will be given and the final wreath
placed on the grave of the most recently bur-
ied veteran.
“As in previous years, no political signs,
banners, posters, sirens or horns will be
allowed in the parade,” Jim Atkinson noted.
“This is a solemn occasion to honor all pres-
ent and past military personnel who have
sacrificed to uphold freedom and the ideals of
America.”
Anyone wishing to register to participate
may call Atkinson at 269-948-8219.United Way celebrates most successful campaign yet
Hunter McLaren
Staff Writer
Corporate and individual donors helped Barry County United Way
raise $707,062 in its 2021-22 fundraising campaign.
Lani Forbes, executive director of Barry County United Way, said
it’s the highest amount the local agency has ever raised. The fundrais-
ing goal had been $675,000.
Donors were recognized at the “Hope Happened” event held May 5
at the Barry Community Enrichment Center.
Forbes said the funds raised will go toward various community
programs, including Barry County mental health services substance
abuse prevention program, providing daily meals to 350 senior citi-
zens, Green Gables Haven shelter for women and children, services
for veterans, youth sports, 4-H programming and more.
“We spoke at the kickoff event of spreading the seeds of hope
across our community,” Forbes said. “Thank you all for choosing to
plant those seeds. Because of you, hope happened.”
City council approves
new budget, continues
improvements
Hunter McLaren
Staff Writer
The Hastings City Council Monday
approved the 2022-23 fiscal year budget.
The budget passed was the same as dis-
cussed at the council’s budget workshop
April 25.
Budgeted general fund expenses for
this year’s budget were up to $6.57 mil-
lion this year as compared to last year’s
$6.24 million.
Budgeted general fund revenue went
up to $6.41 million compared to last
year’s $5.7 million. Increased revenue
came from a small increase in population
in the 2020 U.S. Census, which increased
shared revenue from the state. The budget
also reflected $700,000 in federal Ameri-
can Rescue Plan Act COVID-19 relief
funds to be received over 2022 and 2023.
City Manager Sarah Moyer-Cale listed
some significant expenses as the reason
for the jump in expenditures, including
$35,000 for landscaping and screening
around generators at the city hall; $20,
for new street lights; $20,000 for a wage
and compensation study of city employ-
ees; $15,000 for reconstruction of the city
website; $30,000 for cloud access tech-
nology and procedures for the police
department; $67,650 for new air packs,
breathing apparatuses and radio equip-
ment for the fire department; $35,000 for
surveying and architecture services for a
preliminary design of a new emergency
services building; $90,000 for parking lot
improvements; $20,000 for compost
screening; $20,000 for improvements to
Sweezy’s Pond; and $20,000 for ameni-
ties at the dog park.
Additionally, the expenditures includ-
ed $500,000 allocated to reconstructing
the bathrooms at Fish Hatchery Park,
with half of those funds expected to be
grant-funded. A Michigan State Housing
Development Authority grant for $75,
received by the city to redistribute to low-
or moderate-income, single-family home-
owners for improvements to housing
exteriors also was included in revenue
and expenditures.
The council also passed a resolution
affirming that the use of excessive force
against nonviolent civil-rights protesters
is prohibited. Moyer-Cale said although
the city police already have in place a
policy prohibiting the use of excessive
force, approval of the resolution was a
formality required by the Michigan Eco-
nomic Development Corporation to qual-
ify for federal funding through the Com-
munity Development Block Grant.
Dale Boulter, Hastings chief of police,
said he understood the resolution was
passed as a formality, but thought the
requirement from MEDC was redundant.“Why would I use excessive force
against anybody, whether they were a
civil rights demonstrator or not?” Boulter
asked. “Seems a little ridiculous to me.
But again, that’s not to say anything
against Sarah. It’s MEDC that wants this
stuff. It’s kind of crazy. Force is used.
Excessive force should not be used. It’s
pretty obvious, in my opinion.”
Council member Don Smith said he
wanted Boulter and the city police to
know that the council wasn’t implying
that the department has been using – or
would ever use – excessive force, and
that the resolution was passed only to fit
grant funding requirements.
“I know the police officers in Hastings
have acted admirably for years,” Smith
said. “It’s silly when the state requires us
to have additional requirements that are
already within the law that we already
follow just to fit requirements for grant
funding.”
In other business, the city council:- Issued a proclamation declaring May
20-21 as Poppy Days in remembrance of
members of the U.S. Armed Forces who
have died in the line of duty. - Approved the $26,265 purchase of a
2022 Ford Escape for the police depart-
ment from Signature Ford Lincoln in
Owosso. - Approved an invoice for $25,
from Grand River Construction for
improvements to the wastewater treat-
ment plant. - Approved an invoice for $9,141 from
Dickinson Wright for city attorney pro-
fessional services. - Approved an invoice for $7,764 for
repairs to department of public service
trucks from West Michigan International. - Approved an invoice for $5,956 from
Ferguson Waterworks for the purchase of
new water meters. - Approved an invoice for $114,
from Fedewa Inc. for improvements to
water towers. - Approved a request for $22,310 to
replace a pump at the water treatment plant. - Set a joint workshop with the city
council and planning commission at 6
p.m. June 13 to discuss the potential
development of nine townhouses at 134
E. Court St. by developer Marvin Helder. - Approved the placement of a “Take a
Plant, Leave a Plant” stand near the “little
library” in Thornapple Plaza from com-
munity member Melissa Starrett from
May 10 to Oct. 15. The stand allows for
local residents to take and leave small
plants they may be growing, Starrett said. - Authorized the mayor to sign an
application for a grant request in the
amount of $30,000 from the Michigan
Arts and Culture Council.
Barry County United Way at its celebration event May 5 recognized corporate and individual donors who gave more than
$10,000. The Alexis deTocqueville Award was presented to representatives of local companies and individuals, including (from left)
Stacy Steward representing Viking Corporation; Julie Palmatier, representing Highpoint Community Bank; Gloria Brushwyler,
accepting on behalf of herself and husband, Kevin Brushwyler; Bill Rohr, representing FlexFab, and also accepting on behalf of
Doug and Margaret DeCamp; and Traci Downs, representing Hastings Mutual Insurance Company.
Call for Hastings Banner ads
269-945-9554 or 1-800-870-
MICHAEL KINNEY
PLUMBING
Licensed Master Plumber
Licensed Journeyman Plumber
New construction, remodel, repair, drain cleaning.
BRADFORD WHITE WATER HEATERS
Same Day Installation
Office (269) 948-
Mobile (269) 838-License
#
& Insured