By Staff
LANSING – The Senate on Dec. 10 unanimously approved legislation to rename a portion of M-63 in Berrien County as the Harry Gast Parkway, state Rep. John Proos announced.
"Harry Gast served the people of Michigan for more than 30 years with dedication and an unwavering sense of service. He was an icon in the Legislature and a champion of southwest Michigan," said Proos, R-St. Joseph.
Gast represented Berrien County in the state Legislature from 1971 to 2002.
First elected to the House of Representatives, he moved to the Senate in 1978, where he chaired the appropriations committee for several years before leaving office due to term limits.
In 2003, St. Joseph honored Gast and his years of service by designating a portion of M-63 as the Harry Gast Parkway, but the Legislature never passed legislation to permanently rename the road. Last year, Proos introduced legislation to officially rename the road extending from the intersection of M-63 and the Blossomland Bridge north to the intersection of M-63 and Klock Road.