The Hastings Banner — Thursday, May 19, 2022 — Page 5Repeated 'no' vote hurts school district
To the editor:
The next time “no” voters experience diffi-
culty in finding professional services from
physicians and medical professionals, attor-
neys, teachers and educational staff and many
other professional services in the Hastings
community, take into consideration the effect
of your vote in the recent school millage pro-
posal and other related elections.
Continued negative voting (including those
“yes” voters who neglect to exert the effort to
even vote to support the proposal) erodes the
potential to support the basic tenet of quality
community values founded upon a sound
educational base.
The Hastings community has been blessed
with the generosity of a few families provid-
ing needed resources for extraordinary facili-
ties, such as the performing arts center and
many others.
Basic voter support for the community
school system millages must complement
these efforts.
Hastings is so fortunate to have dedicated
teachers who spend their own financial
resources to provide educational materials for
their students in a community that will not
support their millages. This will not last, and
educators continually leave to move to pro-
gressive communities that support their
school system’s needs.
State of Michigan funding of school sys-
tems by voter-supported millages is ludicrous
and an exemplary byproduct of a full-time
overcompensated Michigan legislature that
barely works part-time and should be totally
overhauled or abolished.
Imagine the United States Defense
Department having to hold bake sales and
millage campaigns to afford funding the
purchase of a new bomber, battleship or
other new armament.
Continued negative support of the Hast-
ings school millage proposals will result in
the lack of even basic community services
and graduates who consider entertainment assetting fire to a police car, a historic building
site and their highest educational achieve-
ment of release from jail for the weekend.
The opposing result will be additional fund-
ing for larger jails and police staff.
Hastings and all Michigan citizens must take
responsibility for support of school millages to
provide for quality community life for their
children and all others rather than awaiting the
next free handout for minimal existence.
There will always be naysayers – that can
be overcome by positive action to support
quality education for our children and future
of our community.Wade W. Nitz,
HastingsSymbolism behind that little red flower
To the editor:
It occurred to me while researching infor-
mation about Poppy Days, May 20-21, that I
did not really know that much about it. I came
across this poem and wanted to share it:
“In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow
between the crosses, row on row.
That marks our place; and in the sky the
larks still bravely singing, fly scarce hearing
amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago, We lived,
felt dawn, saw sunset glow, loved, and now
we lie here in Flanders Field.
Take up our quarrel with the foe. To you,
we throw the torch; be yours to hold it
high.
If you break faith with us who die, we shall
not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders
Fields.”- Lt. Col. John McCrae December 8, 1915
For more than 100 years, the poppy has
served as an international symbol of the sac-
rifices of lives in war with the hope and
prayer that none have died in vain.
American Legion Auxiliary membership
of three-quarter-million men and women
directly related to a veteran who served our
country, both past and present members of
our armed services proudly support them,
their families, and current service members
of our armed services.
We sincerely hope that everyone who sees
veterans handing out poppies will make a
donation.Darlene Hopkins,
Hastings
American Legion Auxiliary Post 45
Chairman Poppy CommitteeSaxon CTE trades program celebrates
another year of projects in the community
The Hastings High School Career and
Technical Education Trades program finished
two large projects again this year.
Each year, these off-site projects give 18
students hands-on job experience, starting
from planning stages and ending with a pro-
fessional final product. Teachers Jason Hoe-
fler and Mike Schneiderhan lead students and
solicit projects from sponsors.
This year, the two projects included a
shed at the McLean residence and a pole
barn at the Birman home. The sponsors, or
property owners requesting the projects, are
responsible for providing the location and
the cost of all materials for the build. The
school provides educational support for the
program and ensures the experience is as
comparable to real life as possible for stu-
dents.
Hoefler and Schneiderhan focus on assist-
ing students through planning, soft skills,
safety and problem-solving as situations arise
on the job site. This partnership between the
school and the sponsor provides a win-win
for our students and the community. These
projects start at the beginning of the school
year, and typically finish in mid-May. Some
of the projects can be completed at the school
and then transported to the site, where the
students finish the floors, walls or other por-
tions of the project.Our CTE Trades program has some amaz-
ing students who are learning real-life, hands-
on skills, which they will take with them for
a lifetime, or possibly into a career path. We
are very proud of them and are lucky to con-
tinue this program for future years.
If you have an idea for a project, live with-
in eight miles of the high school, and would
like to become a sponsor for future projects,
email [email protected].Stolen gun found two days later
Police recovered a firearm May 9 that was stolen from Bob’s Gun and Tackle. Officers
were responding to a domestic disturbance at a residence on the 1200 block of Boltwood
Street involving a 34 year-old Hastings man and his mother when the man informed
police he had stolen the gun from the store on May 7. The man told police he went to the
store to buy a pistol to defend himself and his home “as the country would be going to
war soon over food shortages.” Two associates at the store had placed several pistols on
top of the display case to show the man, who tucked one of the guns into the back of his
waistband when one associate walked away and the other was turned around. The man’s
mother said he told her the same story after returning to the house Saturday and showing
her the pistol. The woman did not decide to report the stolen gun until her son began to
make threats toward her. Police confirmed that the weapon had been stolen and returned
it to the store.Scrapped vehicle in hit-and-run
A 40-year-old Bellevue man called police May 11 to report that he had bought a vehi-
cle for scrap that he believed may have been involved in a hit-and-run crash in Delton.
The man said he bought a blue Dodge Durango with a red bumper from a woman who
said she had hit a tree with the vehicle. The responding officer was familiar with the hit-
and-run in Delton and reported that the vehicle matched the description of the one in the
incident. The officer informed the Barry Township Police Department, who impounded
the vehicle and contacted the man for more information.Handgun falls out of backpack
A 62-year-old Hickory Corners man called police May 12 to report that he lost his
handgun. The man told police he placed the holstered pistol in a backpack, which he then
placed on top of a trailer his vehicle was towing. After driving south on M-43 for some
time, the man realized that he had left the bag on the trailer and pulled over to check it.
He found the bag hanging on the trailer with a hole in it from dragging across the road,
and the handgun was missing. He went back the way he came and found the gun’s hol-
ster, but failed to find the pistol.Lauren Nicole Moore, Goshen, KY and Vibhav Pratap Singh, Minneapolis, MN
Todd Allen Bouwman, Middleville and Angela Lee Rohraff, Middleville
Shelby Marie Byrne, Dowling and Luke Alan Froncheck, Dowling
Jarod Michael Glawe, Frankfort, IL and Sarah Ann Buffa, Manhattan, IL
Nicole Allyse Strouse, Hastings and Colten Slade Farnsley, Shelbyville, INMarriage Licenses
Carveth Village
of Middleville
http://www.CarvethVillage.com
“Remember... if you can’t live alone... live with us!
690 W. Main Street, Middleville, MI 49333
269-795-Carveth Village
Looking to fill multiple positions
including:Housekeeping,
Dietary Servers, and
Nurse Aides for the Elderly
Flexible hours and
competitive wages available.Apply in person at
690 W. Main St., Middleville, MI 49333
or online at http://www.carvethvillage.comEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
BARRY COUNTY COMMISSION
ON AGING
The Commission on Aging (COA) for Barry County is
looking for an Executive Director. The purpose of this
position is to direct and supervise all employees, programs
and services involved in meeting the needs of the senior
population in Barry County.
This includes oversight of administration, budgeting,
programs and nutrition, foster collaborative partnership
with other agencies in the state and county, marketing
the COA through media presentations, publications and
brochures to help promote the needs of seniors.
For a complete job description, please visit the COA website
(https://www.barrycounty.org.commission_on_aging_new/
indexpnp). Use the COA Employment Application and
return completed application with your cover letter and
resume by mail to:
Executive Director
Search Committee
c/o Barry County COA
320 W. Woodlawn Ave.
Hastings, MI 49058HASS Headlines
Matt Goebel, Superintendent
Hastings Area School SystemStanding near one of the finished building trades projects this year are (foreground, front to back): Parker Roslund, Gage
Richmond, Eddy Contreras, Reese Landes, Lucas Greenfield, Joey McLean; (back, from left) Collin Fouty, Robby Slaughter, Caleb
Teunessen, Zane Warner, Jonny Schantz, Lanny Teunessen, Dan Harp, Drew Gleeson, Ethan Malik, Brendan Warner, Jackson
Dubois and Zander Botimer
Troopers arrest barricaded
gunman at local campground
Greg Chandler
Staff Writer
A 24-year-old Battle Creek man is facing
felonious assault charges after he allegedly
threatened campers at the Welcome Woods
Campground in Carlton Township Monday.
Trevor Dean Leiter has been charged with
three counts of felonious assault in connec-
tion with the incident that occurred about 4
p.m. at the campground on Welcome Road,
north of the city of Hastings, Lt. DuWayne
Robinson of the Michigan State Police Fifth
District office said.
State Police had received a report of a
domestic altercation involving the suspect
and his girlfriend. Prior to troopers arriving,
Leiter allegedly threatened to kill people at
the campground and fired one shot from a
handgun, Robinson said in a news release.The suspect’s girlfriend managed to walk
away to a safe place, and the suspect retreated
inside their recreational vehicle. When troop-
ers arrived, the suspect initially refused to
exit the RV, and officers surrounded the vehi-
cle. Additional units from the Barry County
Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to
assist, Robinson said.
A short time later, Leiter complied with
police negotiators and surrendered without fur-
ther incident. He was taken to the Barry County
Jail, where is being held on a $10,000 bond.
No one was injured in the incident, which
remains open pending further investigation
by State Police and court proceedings, Robin-
son said.
Leiter is scheduled for a probable cause
hearing at 10 a.m. on May 25 in District
Court 56B.Call for Hastings Banner ads
269-945-9554 or 1-800-870-