Barry Hastings rides off into the sunset, this time for good

Barry Hastings has signed off writing his column for the second time and insists this time it’s for good.

Larry Hamp of Hastings, who has been writing the political column for about three years with nearly 150 installments, called Townbroadcast Friday and indicated he just cannot continue because of declining health. He said the same thing about nine months ago, but rebounded to resume the challenge of writing a weekly column about politics, military history and a variety of other topics.

However, Mr. Hamp says this time he just doesn’t see how he can continue. He said he hasn’t been the same since he mysteriously collapsed on Election Day 2016 while waiting in line to vote. The Veterans Administration could not identify a specific medical problem, so he returned to the activity of column writing.

But these days, he says, he tires too easily and cannot put in the time and effort necessary to write an effective and informational treatise on a weekly basis. He has been invited to submit copy any time the spirit moves him.

Hamp lives in the Hastings area with his cats. He has fashioned an unusual sort of interesting life around being a veteran of the Coast Guard, a serious history student at Grand Valley State University and Western Michigan University, a long-time men’s fast-pitch softball coach in Freeport and a former reporter and columnist for the Hastings Banner. He has regarded himself as a serious student of military history and has been an avid reader, gardener and lover of cats.

Townbroadcast has appreciated his efforts to provide food for debate and discussion, and wishes him well in his self-imposed retirement.