Page 4 — Thursday, May 19, 2022 — The Hastings Banner
The Hastings Banner
Devoted to the interests of Barry County since 1856
Published by... Hastings Banner, Inc.
A Division of J-Ad Graphics Inc.
1351 N. M-43 Highway • Phone: (269) 945-9554 • Fax: (269) 945-
News and press releases: [email protected] • Advertising: [email protected]Frederic Jacobs
Publisher & CEOHank Schuuring
CFO- ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT •
Classified ads accepted Monday through Friday,
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Scott Ommen
Mike GilmoreTy Greenfield
Jennie Yonker- NEWSROOM •
Rebecca Pierce (Editor)
Kathy Maurer (Copy Editor)
Brett Bremer (Sports Editor)
Greg Chandler
Hunter McLaren Benjamin Simon
Subscription Rates: $52 per year in Barry County
$60 per year in adjoining counties
$65 per year elsewherePOSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
P.O. Box 188
Hastings, MI 49058-
Second Class Postage Paid
at Hastings, MI 49058Have you met?
Do you remember?
Did you see?
Where police and public
support should intersect
People in Barry County should be thank-
ing Judge Michael Schipper for service
beyond the call of duty.
In the past several months, the efforts
of Schipper and his staff have been
remarkable.
Some of the criminal cases being tried in
his court go beyond what one would typi-
cally expect of serious crime in this com-
munity.
It is the stuff of nightmares.
And, lately, defendants in these high-pro-
file criminal cases are opting not to have
jury trials.
So Judge Schipper has been the jury, the
trier of fact, sparing those people who
would have been empaneled on juries from
having to hear and see some horrific evi-
dence.
That was a blessing.
Or was it?
Some have said that a jury trial for
Andrew Lafey, who videotaped a homicide
as he committed it, would have made a
powerful impression – perhaps a realiza-
tion of the depth of a deeper problem – and
possibly sparked a sense of outrage in the
community.
Instead, the general view regarding this
murder case seems rather complacent: Just
leave it to law enforcement and the judge.
They’ll take care of it.
Once the defendant is found guilty and
sent to prison for life, that makes every-
body feel like justice is served, right?
But it’s not that simple.
The victim in the Lafey case was a vic-
tim long before she was killed.
If the place where she was murdered is
where people go to indulge in hard-core
drugs and indiscriminate sex, where teen-
age girls become addicted and then become
prey, perhaps justice in this case requires
further action.
If the place where that murder occurred
can clearly be shown as the site for ongo-
ing possession and consumption of con-
trolled substances, that property might be
subject to seizure and forfeiture laws.
Seizure of that property could make
quite a statement about the community’s
tolerance for such activities. It would cer-
tainly be a strong show of public support
for law enforcement in the county.
Why not go in there, raze the existing
structure and create a place of beauty
named for the victim who lost her young
life amid pain and suffering while others
sat by and did nothing?
Will the community sit by and do noth-
ing as well?
The police provide us with some solace
amid these grievous incidents.They don’t sit by while crimes are being
committed.
And their response here in recent cases
certainly merits praise.
Prosecutor Julie Nakfoor Pratt said she
had no doubt that the actions of police in
the apprehension of 45-year-old Allen
McClure of Middleville saved the victim’s
life. McClure was convicted of torture,
kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment and
assault with intent to do great bodily harm
and recently sentenced to 50 to 75 years in
prison.
Meanwhile, the national media seems
transfixed by the wrongdoings of a few that
tends to demonize all.
But the hard, cold truth is, when police
are successful in their work, it’s rare that
the public or the press even hear about the
good ones. That’s because the satisfactory
outcome of police work is public safety
and preservation of the peace. It’s to be
expected. Do people really notice what
they expect to see?
Besides, most police officers don’t go
around bragging about their successes.
Occasionally, though, there are a lot of
witnesses – and word travels fast.
The Timothy Riddle case was one of
those.
Last August, Riddle, 48, of Hastings,
who was a suspect in a home invasion and
the theft of two shotguns, disobeyed a
police officer and took off heading north
on M-43, traveling at speeds in excess of
110 mph. Then he barricaded himself in a
gas station in Woodland.
Anyone driving on M-43 at that time on
that 12-mile stretch from Hastings to
Woodland knew about that chase. Amaz-
ingly, no one got hurt.
Judge Schipper marveled at it, saying a
car traveling that fast would be “like a bul-
let,” and getting hit by a car traveling that
fast would almost certainly result in death
to all involved. The fact that the entire epi-
sode did not end in someone’s tragic death
was miraculous.
Schipper attributes that miracle to the
police officers, who showed great restraint
throughout the chase and standoff, which
ended in Riddle’s arrest seven hours later.
It’s long past time to offer some praise
for the judge on the bench and the cops on
the street.
They’ve done well under great duress.
The question that remains is whether the
community will see the need, then find a
way, to root out those places that would
harbor a killer like Lafey.Rebecca Pierce,
EditorElection inspectors
go to school
Barry County Clerk Pamela Palmer pro-
vides training for citizens who are interested
in becoming election inspectors. Election
inspectors are the people who assist voters at
the polls on Election Day. Registered voters
who are interested in learning more should
contact Palmer's office. Here is one of the
sessions that recently took place in the Tyden
Center. Palmer, shown here taking questions
from the class, is responsible for training elec-
tion inspectors – and that needs to happen
long before an election even takes place.Outstanding group
Banner May 18, 1961Outstanding group – These are members of the Modern Homemakers Extension group of Hastings, which won first place
for their goal sheet achievements at the annual Barry County Achievement Day program. The members include (front row,
from left) Mrs. Jack [Hilda] Osgood, Mrs. Jerry Hogan, Mrs. B.H. [Mildred] Sullivan, Mrs. Gordon Carrothers, Mrs. George
[Anne] Hamaty; (middle) Mrs. Jack [Katie] Wood, Mrs. James [June] Morgan, Mrs. Frank [Constance] McCloskey, Mrs. Harold
[Gladys] Bolo; (back) Mrs. John [Mary] Leary, Mrs. John [Jeanne] Meisenbach, Mrs. Tony [Peg] Hein, Mrs. Lyle [Eileen]
Gillespie, Mrs. Leslie [Mary] Cook and Mrs. Alfred [Bernice] Lowe. Mrs. James [Anna] Radford Jr., also a member, was not
present when the photo was taken by Leo Barth.George Holzworth came to Hastings in
2013 because the wastewater treatment
plant needed some serious help to start run-
ning smoothly.
“This place has changed, night and day,
from what it was,” Holzworth said. “Now
it’s a dream to operate, fully compliant, and
life is good.”
Holzworth, born in Jackson and raised in
Rapid River, is a contractor for Operations
Services, and currently oversees operations
at the Hastings wastewater plant. When he
first began working at the facility, the plant
was struggling to keep up with the city’s
demands. Parts of the facility were aging and
outdated, and he faced many staffing issues.
Since then, Holzworth was able to over-
see new construction, renovations and
updates to the facility that brought it up to
speed. New pumps helped the treatment
plant meet demand, renovations to older
parts of the facility made it a much safer
work environment, and an updated comput-
er system is in place now to alert staff of
any issues, even if no workers are present at
the facility.
He’s no stranger to operating facilities
that are under duress. As a contractor, he’s
hired by municipalities seeking outside
help for a variety of reasons. He has worked
at about 30 other sites across the country
and internationally.
“I’m kind of a stress junkie,” he said.
“I’m used to going into projects that have
either bad staffing or operational issues and
turning them around.”
One project took him to Egypt, where he
said the rain would usually evaporate before
it hit the ground because of the heat. Anoth-
er project took him to Virginia Beach, Va.,
where he was tasked with pumping water
from a reservoir through 76 miles of pipe to
the city.As the situation has stabilized at the
Hastings wastewater treatment plant,
Holzworth said he’s able to look back on
the project with a sense of pride. Normally
when his job sites start running smoothly,
it’s time for him to move on. Now,
Holzworth isn’t so sure that’s the case.
“In our industry, everyone’s retiring. I’m
an old dog now,” he said. “I have to remind
myself I’ve been doing this for 30 years.
There’s no one coming to replace us.”
Right now, Holzworth said, not enough
workers are coming into the field. He
encourages any young people interested in
the field to come and tour his facility.
Many fields of study and trade practices
are utilized there every day, he said, with
staff members studying everything from
physics and biology to pipefitting and
electrical work.
Holzworth goes into projects knowing
that, as a contractor, he’ll only be asked to
stay until he’s no longer needed by the city.
That being said, he likes living in a smallcommunity in Michigan. He might be get-
ting a bit attached to his projects, too.
“I always told the city and my company,
‘This is my baby. You know you’re going to
have to pry me out of here,’ ” he said. “This
has been all absorbing for the last nine
years. I’m very proud of what I’ve accom-
plished, and I think it will maintain if I’m
here or not.”
For his upgrades to Hastings’ infrastruc-
ture and his role in keeping drinking water
clean, George Holzworth is this week’s
Bright Light.
People I most admire and why: My
parents. Their lifetime of faith and service
to others exemplify what we should all
hope to achieve.
Something that changed my life: Liv-
ing in Egypt. People here don’t know how
good we have it.
A big accomplishment for me: Helping
to land this upgrade at the wastewater treat-
ment plant.
Favorite saying: “Holzworth’s Law
states that Murphy was an optimist.”
The greatest president: Ronald Reagan.
Greatest song ever written: Beetho-
ven’s “Symphony No. 9.”
What I’d tell a high school graduate:
Forget college – go into the trades!
Hobbies: Reading, hunting, wood-
working.
Best invention ever: The printing press.Each week, the Banner profiles a person
who makes the community shine. Do you
know someone who should be featured
because of volunteer work, fun-loving per-
sonality, for the stories he or she has to tell,
or for any other reason? Send information
to Newsroom, Hastings Banner, 1351 N.
M-43 Highway, Hastings, MI 49058; or
email [email protected].George HolzworthKnow Your Legislators:
Michigan Legislature
Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Democrat, P.O. Box 30013, Lansing, Mich. 48909.
Phone (517) 373-3400; 517-335-7858 (Constituent Services).
State Representative Julie Calley, Republican, 87th District (All of Barry County),
Michigan House of Representatives, N-1191 House Office Building, Lansing, MI- Phone (517) 373-0842. e-mail: [email protected]
State Senator Dr. John Bizon, Republican, 19th District State Senate, Phone 517-
373-2426 or toll-free, 855-347-8019. Email: [email protected]; U.S.
mail: Sen. Dr. John Bizon, P.O. Box 30036, Lansing MI 48909.
U.S. House of Representatives
Peter Meijer, Republican, 3rd District (All of Barry County), 1508 Longworth House
Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515-2203, phone (202) 225-3831, fax (202) 225-- District office: 110 Michigan Street NW, Suite 460, Grand Rapids, Mich. 49503,
phone (616) 451-8383.
U.S. Senate
Debbie Stabenow, Democrat, 702 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.
20510, phone (202) 224-4822.
Gary Peters, Democrat, 2 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510-
2202, phone (248) 799-0850. District office: Gerald R. Ford Federal Building, Room
720, 110 Michigan Street NW, Grand Rapids, Mich. 49503-2313, phone (616) 233-
9150.
President’s comment line: 1-202-456-1111. Capitol Information line for Congress
and the Senate: 1-202-224-3121.