Apex Clean Energy – Blazing Star Solar has announced latest recipients of the Blazing Star Solar Community Grants totaling $30,000,for “their community impact and alignment with the program’s mission.”
Community Action of Allegan County (CAAC) received the lion’s share of the money, with $15,000 going to the Crisis Utility Assistance program. The program helps families earning below 200% of the poverty line with their utility bills.
Executive Director Lisa Evans said, “With support from APEX Clean Energy, CAAC looks forward to extending crisis utility support to more people in need and is incredibly grateful for their philanthropy and partnership.”
Wayland Fire and Police Departments were awarded $5,000 to provide new furniture for a renovated training room. The training room also serves as a polling place and a community meeting room.
“With their support, we are now able to upgrade our training room with new furniture that supports better training and stronger service for our residents,” explained Police Chief Scott Matice.
The Allegan Conservation District won a $4,000 grant for the Seeds for Restoration program, which will establish a community seed bank for native plants. Executive Director Brian Talsma said, “We’re really excited to get Seeds for Restoration off the ground, thanks to this award.”
The Wayland Union Robotics Team again was awarded a grant of $2,500 to help the team prepare for competition. The funds were put to good use, with the robotics team winning the district title last week and is moving on to the state tournament.
Another $2,500 was awarded to the Wayland Area Emergency Medical Services (WAEMS), for purchase of bicycle helmets. WAEMS was able to distribute free bike helmets from a grant in 2021.
Henika District Library was awarded $1,000 for an innovative project that will use virtual reality to promote interest in STEM education.
“By offering equitable access to innovative VR technology, the library is strengthening STEM literacy, supporting classroom learning, and inspiring curiosity and future career exploration in our community,” Youth Librarian Tori Schreur was quoted as saying.
News of the grants comes as the Wayland Township Planning Committee prepares to hold the first hearing for Apex Clean Energy’s 125-megawatt solar project on Wednesday, April 8. The meeting will be relocated from the township hall to the SS Cyril & Methodius Church at 159 131st Ave. It will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m.
Apex has placed a summary of the permit application on the Blazing Star Solar’s website for concerned residents to review. The review can be found at https://www.blazingstarsolar.com/permit_application.
