Belleville-Area Independent

published: Sept. 2, 2010
School District turns toward green custodial care of buildings

By Rosemary K. Otzman

Independent Editor

Brian Brice said the Van Buren Public Schools are going to be green clean – for the safety of students, staff, and the environment – starting now.

And, he is heading toward having the district certified as the only green clean school in Michigan through LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

Brice, school district Supervisor of Plant Operations and Services, presented a detailed plan to the school board at Monday’s special meeting and called his plan “Healthy High Performance Cleaning”.

It also was a detailed plan for use of the custodians. A precise chain of command is in place and Brice reports to School Supt. Tom Riutta.

He said last year it cost the district $75,000 in overtime for custodians and this year he has set aside $25,000 with a plan on how to keep the overtime controlled.

In beginning his study of what’s needed in the district, Brice said he had building audits done on custodial care in two buildings and found that they ended up very differently. He said the crews use the same equipment and products and so they should have been similar results.

That’s when he got to studying the situation and got into green technology.

He said standards now have been set and responsibilities assigned.

“We will be using microfiber rather than dust mops and HEPA vacuum cleaners,” Brice announced, explaining the kinds of more natural cleaning solutions that will be used. He said it cost $24,000 for supplies to get started, but that is already in his budget for supplies.

The schools have to be recycling and there are a lot of other specifications. It takes about two years to get certified, but “We’d be the only CIM certified school in Michigan,” Brice said.

“We’re going in a whole new direction. I’m excited,” Brice said.

“Thank you for making the change,” said Board Treasurer Martha Toth.

Later Brice said that he believed having green schools will attract parents to the district. Also, he said, the custodial department will become more valuable to the district if it is committed to green cleaning and less likely to be replaced by outside contractors, which is being done in some districts to save money.

In other business at Monday’s meeting, the board:

* Held a lengthy discussion on Ron Kosinski’s request for continued bus service for his children to Haggerty Elementary School, a short distance from his home. Because of the lack of sidewalks and the dangerous traffic on Haggerty, the late School Supt. Pete Lazaroff had promised Kosinski that his children would be transported to school, but it was not in writing. This year Kosinski was told that is no longer the case. After the board heard him out, they voted unanimously to continue to provide the transportation for another school year and reevaluate the situation next July;

* Approved hiring V-International of Southfield as the Belleville High School Security Firm at a rate of $11.40 per hour, lowest of five bidders, as recommended by Brice, who will supervise them. The agreement is for one year. Brice said the security officers, who dress in shirts, coats, and ties with name badges instead of standard uniforms, will work to keep the students safe from the construction, among other assignments There will be an on-site supervisor, Ray Bentley. Cost is expected to be $55,000 based on school days. The firm has experience with schools and two are retired Detroit police officers, Brice said, adding they plan to start off with four officers, but can go up to six, if needed;

* Approved the low bid of $1,146,700 from Esko Roofing & Sheetmetal of Shelby Township, lowest of four bids, as recommended by Paul Wills, Plante Moran CRESA. This was rebid for a different roof system than the first bidding and comes in $201,827 less than the original estimate. The $79 million project is running about $2.4 million under budget so far;

* Was advised of a variety of field orders which included $2,360 for asphalt work on Davis, $19,687 in temporary fencing, $3,050 in additional temporary fence at the varsity baseball field, and $12,826 for a 4” ductile iron water main to the administration building to replace the 70-year-old, 3” cast iron main that has snapped when equipment drove over it four feet above and cut off water to the administration building. The pipes will be in straight lines and a digital record made of where they are, said Sid Dotinga of Granger Construction;

* Was advised the fiber-optic cable has been cut again during construction. Supt. Riutta said the first cut may have been the fault of the district, but the next three times were the fault of the construction people and the district will be dealing with their insurance company;

* Approved the request of Business Office Manager Pam Smart to change the bills payable procedure to put all the bond transactions on one register and all the others on another register, so it will be easy to determine what is spent on the bond project. Also, the bills payable will be presented to the board for approval on the second and fourth Monday of each month, instead of just the second Monday, to avoid late fees;

* Approved the employment of custodians, at $13.06/hr., David Schultz, Edgemont; Ronny Brice, BHS; Lee Smither Jr., North and South Middle; and Delores Nadeau, Elwell;

* Approved an unpaid general purpose leave of absence for Deborah Nickell for the school year. She is a SMS building paraprofessional with 15.5 years of service;

* Approved the requested terminations of teachers Jennifer Bissell, ECDC/preschool, for other employment after 3 years of service; Stephanie Kerns, BHS, for other employment, after 5 years of service; Jason Hurst, NMS/BHS, employer terminated, after 5 years of service; and Diop Aguib, itinerant, resigned after 1.5 years of service;

* Approved employment of teacher Jennifer Masterson for BHS, salary $39,365; Carrie Parks, .8 occupational therapist, $45,292; and Katrina DeKleine, speech and language, $45,775;

* Learned the annual backpack giveaway by Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano is on Thursday, Sept. 2, but only those who have been contacted know the time and place because of the limited number of backpacks; and

* Reminded the board of the 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 2, board meeting at the Administration Building to discuss goals for the district.

Governor considers clemency for murderer of local woman in 1980

By Rosemary K. Otzman

Independent Editor

The family of Mary Jean Wilson is having to relive the nightmare of her slaying 30 years ago as her murderer seeks clemency from his life sentence.

Careleen Jones of Van Buren Township said her sister was shot in the face and killed by Carl Works, now 51, who was sentenced to life by a Monroe County jury in 1981.

Mary Jean was 20 years old and the mother of two. Her body was left in an Exeter Township ditch by Works and his girlfriend Sheila Royster, then 19, of Belleville who served time for also shooting Mary Jean in the face. Works’ shot was the killer, however.

Works has requested clemency from Governor Jennifer Granholm and on Sept. 7 the Michigan Department of Corrections Parole and Commutation Board will hear testimony in Ionia.

“Life should mean life,” said Jones, who will be at the hearing with other family members to give testimony as to why the governor should not release Works.

“He was diagnosed in prison as being a psychopath, or with an anti-social disorder,” Jones said. “He should not be free. He killed my sister.”

Reportedly Works, who currently is serving time at the Kinross facility in the Upper Peninsula, has had seven major misconduct violations while in prison, including disobeying direct orders and using cocaine.

Assistant Monroe County Prosecutor Michael C. Brown said he is fighting to keep Works in prison because he believes Works still is a threat to society.

Brown also plans to attend the Sept. 7 meeting in Ionia to do all he can to keep Works in prison.

“If he’s released, he’s probably going to hurt someone,” Brown is reported as saying. “We want him to stay where he is.”

Jones said she hopes people in the community will write to Gov. Granholm to protest the release of her sister’s murderer.

The clemency hearing will hear testimony and then give a recommendation to the governor, who will make the final decision.

In the last two years the governor has allowed release of at least 106 Michigan prisoners, including 31 convicted of first-degree murder.

Library Board rescinds July action, reduces Nov. millage proposal

By Rosemary K. Otzman

Independent Editor

After thinking it over for two weeks, the Belleville Area District Library Board rescinded its July 27 decision to ask the public to approve 1.35 mills in perpetuity for library operation on the Nov. 2 ballot.

At its regular meeting, Aug. 10, a new motion was passed to, instead, ask voters in the tri-community of Belleville, Van Buren and Sumpter, for .7 mills for 12 years to operate the library.

Sumpter voters approved the .7 mill tax levy for library operation several years ago when the township board said they couldn’t afford to give general fund money to the library. The .7 mill tax, if approved in November by voters in the tri-communities, would replace the current .7 mill levy in Sumpter, with no increase for Sumpter taxpayers.

Van Buren Township and the City of Belleville currently support the library out of their general funds and the passage of the millage would allow Van Buren and Belleville to use those earmarked funds for other things. The property owners in Van Buren and Belleville would see a .7 mill increase on their taxes beginning in December.

Lara Bassett from the law firm of Miller Canfield, Paddock and Stone was present at the Aug. 10 meeting to give legal advice on the ballot proposal. She already had furnished board members with election law and candidate information.

Also on the November ballot will be the election for the permanent library district board. All but one member of the interim, appointed board is running for election, along with two newcomers.

Interim Board member Joy Cichewicz, who made the motion for 1.35 mills at the July 27 meeting and then the motion to rescind that 1.35 mill motion at the Aug. 10 meeting, said after the permanent board is elected and the .7 mill approved, the board can always go back to voters later for additional operational millage and for a bond to build a new library and satellite library in Sumpter.

John Juriga, who is a candidate for the library board, encouraged the board to seek a millage for a certain period, not “in perpetuity.”

“They [voters] like to know it will end,” Juriga said.

In other business, the interim library board:

* Extended the employment agreement with attorney John Day for legal services until the board’s January meeting, set for 1/11/11;

* Approved the two-year, at-will employment agreement for Library Director Deb Green with the understanding there will be an annual evaluation, on a 5-1 vote. Interim Board member Elaine Guiterrez voted no because she was convinced it would be better to have it in writing in the agreement that there would be an annual evaluation;

* Unanimously passed updated policies on Attorney Use, Social Security Number Privacy, Circulation, and Collection Development Guidelines. The policy on Internet Use will wait for action until certain details are clarified;

* Learned a Resolution concerning the district library from Sumpter Township officials was expected to be passed at the township’s Aug. 10 meeting, but was not brought to the table;

* Approved purchase of a file server to replace the LOL (Little Old Lady) currently in use;

* Approved in advance two insurance payments every month to assure the bills are paid on time, a problem because of a conflict between the billing cycle and the monthly meeting date. Blue Cross Blue Shield Dental is $399.91 and Medical Alliance Health is $4,156.79 monthly;

* Learned the penal fines are down more than expected for the 2009/10 fiscal year. The fines were projected at $75,000, down from $80,000 the previous year, but the actual amount for 2009/10 was only $42,388. This will cause them to dip into the fund balance more than expected. Some of the decrease is just an overall drop in penal fines and motor vehicles fines collected, but a larger part is because as a district library and not a Wayne County branch, Belleville no longer benefits from the Romulus Police Department’s “extraordinary collection” of speeding ticket fees, the Librarian’s Report stated;

* Learned a $10,000 anonymous donation has been made to the library to use wherever needed;

* Learned Can (John) Gokcek has been hired as a 10-hour-per-week technology student assistant. He will be a junior at Belleville High School this fall and possesses a great knowledge of computer networks and operating systems; and

* Learned a student in library graduate school, Elizabeth Machie, who has lived in the community for several years (daughter of Juliet Machie, Associate Director of the Detroit Public Library) started as a library volunteer on Aug. 4. A new resident, Sandra Loveland, retired as public library director from Cave Creek, Arizona, will start volunteering in September.

At the end of the meeting, interim board members voiced relief that the millage request was scaled back.

“I’m relieved we changed it,” said Cichewicz, adding, “We were dealing with political ramifications.”

“The bigger picture is keeping the district library in existence,” said Interim Board Secretary Chris Brasil. “I’m glad we went down.”

Guiterrez said she was glad the interim board passed the ballot language so it could be on the November ballot.

Interim Board Member Mike Boelter suggested others might like to see the new Dexter District Library, where they are glad to give tours. He said the community is smaller than this one.

Interim Board President Mary Jane Dawson also said she was glad that they changed the proposed millage number.

“I think it’s going to be easier for the public,” Dawson said.

Among those present in the audience at the meeting were candidates for the library board in the November election, Harry Van Gelder and John Juriga.

published Aug. 26, 2010:

Van Buren School Board eliminates
19 parapro positions, lays off 14

Before a hostile crowd of paraprofessionals and their teacher supporters, the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education at Monday’s regular meeting unanimously approved the elimination of 19 K-5 paraprofessional positions and the layoff of 14 paraprofessionals.

“We’re very sad to do this,” said Treasurer Martha Toth as she made the motion to approve. Vice Chairman Bob Binert seconded the motion, which was approved by the board, with members of the audience shouting out their votes of “nay” to no avail.

Several teachers and parents spoke on behalf of the importance of the paraprofessional helpers in the elementary classrooms and board members agreed they were very valuable.

“This is not something any one of us wants to do,” Toth told the crowd. “We have been spending our seed corn, spending our fund balance. We’re taking $1 million from the fund balance this year and I don’t know how we’re going to balance the budget next year.

“We have not been able to keep cuts out of the classroom and I ask myself will this one be the one that causes us to lose more enrollment and hasten the decline?” Toth said.

When asked if the federal money recently approved to keep jobs in education couldn’t be used here, School Supt. Riutta said that money is still tied up in Lansing and the state is deciding what to do with it.

“The minute this district goes into deficit, we become an at-risk district and the state takes over,” Supt. Riutta said, adding the state could consolidate Van Buren with another district and all the union contracts become void. “The state makes the decisions.”

He said, “Very honestly, we are out of money,” adding the board is in negotiations with the teachers’ union asking for significant cuts and an agreement has yet to be arrived at. Then, they will be asking the other bargaining groups to help.

Riutta told the crowd, “You saw the scores … even some of the scores at the elementary level aren’t that good … we have to change … We’re in the lower quarter in every school except two… We have to do more with less.”

Sherry Frazier, a former school board member who is running for the board again this November, said with the cuts proposed, it’s going to be impossible to get a quality education in the Van Buren Public Schools. She demanded a list of administrator salaries and Riutta said she would have them.

“Next year there will be another round of cuts and I don’t know how we’re going to make it,” Toth said.

Trustee Kevin English said the board has learned that the district is owed $1 million in unpaid taxes from Wayne County and if they cannot bond by the end of the month, “We have to file a deficit reduction plan.”

President David Peer said the board doesn’t know if there will be 30 students in an elementary class as some of the people in the audience said and the board has to look at other options to help the teachers.

The 14 paraprofessionals slated for layoff (pending the outcome of the Aug. 30 bid day on the 48 positions still in place districtwide) are: Heather Wolf, Denise Armatis, Paula Brown, Jack Loria, Qin Xu, Jeanette Stewart, Katerina Tyner, Amy Allender, Sabrena Lind, Margo DeLibra, Susan Stanau, Lena Wilson, Marilyn Krawulski, and Stacy Carr.

* Unanimously agreed to layoff two certified staff (Angela Mays and Jami Wiese) and recall from layoff 14 other teachers: George Buhro, Robert Hinderer, Jason Butka, Marcus Hosman, James Parcha, Michelle Kinsey, Courtney Leaym, Therese-Anne Eldredge, Ashley Thomas, Megan Phillips, Elizabeth Portincasa, Brooklyn Dobis, and psychologist Agiub Diop and special services elementary Catherine Wiser;

* Reduced, for the 2010-11 school year, the two school resource officers to one, eliminating Van Buren Township Officer Ryan Bidwell for a savings of $62,000. The board retained Belleville Officer Kris Faull. The cut was made because of a lack of funding;

* Approved the requested terminations of Kimberly Fisher, a secretary at BHS for 11 years, for personal reasons, and Director of Finance Nick Armelago, who served for 5.5 years, for personal reasons. Also, approved was the retirement of Nancy Norris, a bus driver for 27 years;

* Approved hiring Andrea Acomb as itinerant district psychologist at a salary of $47,092, and Brian Burrell as custodian at ECDC/transportation at a salary of $13.06/hr.;

* Approved the requested terminations of Interim North Middle School Principal Carl Shultz, Jr., for other employment, after being a BHS assistant principal for three years; and the following teachers, for personal reasons: Sarah Kovach, three years at Edgemont; Lindsay Thurman, three months at ECDC; and Ra-mon Watkins, six months at BHS;

* Approved the lowest of four bread bids to Great Lakes Baking Company for $17,484.25 as recommended by the Southeast Wayne County Buying Cooperative and approved the lowest of five milk bids to Country Pride Dairy for $84,794, as recommended by the cooperative;

* Heard curriculum reports from Deputy Supt. Peggy Voigt on Defined Autonomy and At Risk Services;

* Approved the Commercial Purchasing Card Agreement #2 and the proposed list of 34 school employees who will carry the cards;

* Heard a presentation on the district’s new School Fusion website that will be on line for the beginning of school, but won’t be in its final form until later;

* Heard a loud complaint from retired teacher Bob Myers (38 years teaching) who said he was dissatisfied with his retirement package and threw his wooden plaque of appreciation from the district on the board table in disgust. He said he was supposed to get a retirement bonus of $738 and the district still owed him $250, which he said he doesn’t really need because he’s also been selling real estate for 28 years. “You sent me a letter congratulating me on my retirement. Bull sh-t!” he continued, adding that the district now wants him to sign a letter written by an attorney promising to remain off district premises in exchange for his $250 “settlement.” Myers shouted: “Am I a criminal?” Supt. Riutta said the way he’s behaving that evening is the reason they asked him to stay off the property and people in the office won’t take Myers’ calls because of the way he treats people. “It’s an insult, an insult,” Myers said as he stomped out of the meeting room; and

* Learned the next board meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 30 at South Middle School and the proposed off-site board planning session will be held at 6:15 p.m., Sept. 2, at the Administration Building, since no other site was available.

Belleville DDA will lead celebration
when Main St. project done

By Rosemary K. Otzman

Independent Editor

A special celebration is being planned by the Belleville Downtown Development Authority after the Main Street project is complete.

Although a Marketing subcommittee is being closed-mouthed about the plans, in the past community relations consultant Linda Davis Kirksey had talked about doing a Greek dance down the middle of Main Street once the project is over.

At the Aug. 18 meeting of the DDA, Kirksey said they are tentatively planning the celebration the first week in November.

Kirksey reported that more than 300 shopping bags and dining promotion cards were passed out during the Taste of Belleville. The DDA also will be continuing the co-op ads with businesses in local newspapers.

The DDA also discussed seasonal banners and holiday decorations. There is $15,000 in the budget for such purchases. After looking at pictures of possible banners, DDA member Gary Snarski asked about having American Flags to hang.

The DDA used to have flags, but apparently they wore out.

“You’d get a lot of use out of flags – and besides, I’m patriotic,” Snarski said.

DDA member Mike Colletta suggested they get banners with pictures of American flags on them to see if that cost less. The DDA decided to get prices on both.

“There’s a distinct difference between an American Flag and a banner of a flag,” said Councilwoman Kim Tindall from the audience, adding that it’s possible to get American Flags actually made in the U.S.A.

DDA Treasurer Sabrina Richardson-Williams asked administrative coordinator Carol Thompson to get prices on banner enhancers (lights that go on top of the banner hardware).

The DDA also agreed to ask Thompson to get prices on how much it would cost to get someone in to decorate the town, as suggested at a previous meeting.

Resident Ruth Kessel said the DDA had been discussing spending money to put in an expensive Welcome to Belleville sign. “We already have a Welcome to Belleville sign that looks fine,” she said, adding that others in the community agree.

In other business at the hour-long meeting, the DDA:

* Opened two sealed bids for the Village Park Walking Paths. Blue Ribbon bid $68,742.50 and Davenport Brothers bid $99,723.75. After Dave Vallier of Spicer Engineers reviewed the bids in the back office, he came back to the DDA meeting to recommend the low bid of Blue Ribbon, which was accepted unanimously by the DDA. Oct. 15 is the completion date set;

* Heard Ruth Kessel complain about the DDA’s spending priorities. She said while they are getting $350,000 less this year in tax capture, they are planning to spend money on an entryway sign that’s not needed, wayfinding signs and special arms for light poles. DDA chairman Kerreen Conley said the DDA is getting prices on these things to find out if they can be afforded from the DDA funds or the leftover bond funds as extra embellishments to the Main Street work. DDA member Ken Voigt said regardless of what the DDA decides to do it will not impact the city council budget because the DDA has its own sources of funding. Also, the DDA will not go into debt for anything more, he said. Kessel said she would like to see it in the paper when the DDA makes decisions on spending;

* Approved, by a roll-call vote, amending the bylaws to have the meetings officially start at 6 p.m. and to have the meeting times for the year set at the annual meeting in January;

* Heard DDA member John Hoops report that they have decided to send the broken aerator from the Victoria Commons pond out for repairs this year and table any new purchases until they can research what new infrastructure would be needed. There was some discussion in the past on whether the current aerator was large enough for the job;

* Heard businessman Ron Vesche ask about the façade program so he can redo the front of Main Street Flowers. He wanted to know if there was enough budget to cover all those who apply and are successful and Conley said, “Our intent is to encourage a lot of participation”; and

* Heard DDA member Jim Higgerson say he sent Thompson some information about a foam-cored sign that could cut the cost of a proposed new Welcome to Belleville sign. He asked that the information be sent to all board members for review.

Animal lover urges Van Buren Township Board to close animal shelter

By Rosemary K. Otzman

Independent Editor

Diane Madigan, appearing as a private citizen at the Aug. 17 meeting of the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees, urged the board to immediately close the shelter and suspend the animal control officer.

“We cannot condone or cover up inhumane treatment of our animals and incompetent record-keeping practices,” Madigan said, referring to recent complaints about the animal control situation.

She said she requested from VBT under the Freedom of Information Act, required Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) records and Department of Agriculture records, including admission and discharge date of any animal picked up with a description, length of stay at the shelter, and euthanized animals.

“I’ve been told that these legally required records do not exist,” Madigan said. “I’ve also been told that the cost of maintaining this animal-dumping facility is $105,000.”

Madigan reminded the board that a year earlier she stood before them to complain about Animal Control Officer Robert Queener’s torturous euthanasia he performed on her neighbor’s pet, a yellow Lab Mix.

She said after that meeting, she discovered Officer Queener was not certified or trained in the use of the Schedule II DEA controlled euthanasia serum, sodium pentobarbital.

She said at that time, the township did not have a public safety director, so she and her husband met with Captains Greg Laurain and Kenneth Brooks.

“They told us that when Al Ostrowski was animal control officer, he was the best they ever had and probably the best they ever will have.

“They admitted that they had not supervised Officer Queener as Al had trained him.

“Al had over 40 hours of sodium pentobarbital training at the Michigan Humane Society and was and is certified in its usage.

“They said that they would stop euthanasia until Officer Queener was certified in the usage of this deadly narcotics and ‘Go by the Book’,” Madigan said.

The animal control department is under the supervision of Captain Laurain.

Madigan said over the past month she heard several complaints from citizens about narcotic-filled darts being left at the scene of an animal capture, gunshots heard at the shelter, drowning of cats, the smells of dead, rotting dogs coming from the dumpster at the animal shelter, and Animal Control Officer Queener boarding his personal pet at the shelter while taxpayers pay him overtime to visit.

She said she started reading “That Book” that the captains referred to and forwarded information on DEA requirements and Michigan law regarding illegal dumping of animals’ bodies in the dumpster and mandatory record keeping.

Madigan’s neighbor on Bak Road, Phyllis McLenon, told the board about how the Yellow Lab died in agony after Queener gave an incorrect shot.

“I am an animal lover and I speak for my friends,” McLenon said.

Public Safety Director Carl McClanahan said the incident with the Yellow Lab happened several years ago and since then Queener was trained in the use of the euthanasia drug.

He showed irritation that Madigan had filed a “half dozen FOIA requests” over the past week or so. (The township had requested additional time beyond the 5 days allowed to comply with the FOIA request.)

He told her she would get the FOIA response the next day and, “We are complying and being completely transparent.”

Director McClanahan said, “We’ve written a mission statement,” but did not offer to share it.

“I have no intention of closing the dog pound without a direct order from the Supervisor,” McClanahan stated. There was no comment from Supervisor Paul White.

Resident John Delaney responded to McClanahan’s statement that the Yellow Lab incident was old: “Let’s talk about incidents on your watch.”

He reminded McClanahan of the dog in the dumpster and the dog in the freezer and, “shoulders were shrugged.”

He said it has taken six weeks for the complaints about the animals to be heard.

McClanahan said when there was a report of the dog in the dumpster, it was investigated immediately.

“We found out what happened and corrected that issue,” he said. “The gun shot at the dog pound. We had a statement … I’m not saying a shot wasn’t fired at the dog pound. We don’t know… The statement and police report will be released to Mrs. Madigan tomorrow.”

Resident Joannie Wazney said to Director McClanahan, “You said things are being looked into. When will we know what your investigation has found? Also, is the animal control officer still working there? Is he still using the same methods? I’m anxiously awaiting the results…”

McClanahan replied that he did research and wrote a mission statement and the records will be reviewed by several supervisors. He added the report will be ready within 30 days.

Resident Pam Ruff said she lives next door to the animal shelter. She heard gunshots at the shelter on July 19 and did not immediately call police.

She said she’s been told many times by police officers that they shoot cats there and sometimes drown them in five-gallon buckets. She said one day she heard a cat screeching and went over to find a soaking wet cat with a bullet in its head.

July 19 was on a Monday and by Wednesday there was a smell so bad that her husband went over to see what it was and found a decomposing dog half out of a trash bag in the dumpster.

She said she called police and an officer came over to the shelter and didn’t open the gate. He said it would be taken care of by Waste Management.

Ruff said Waste Management couldn’t get in when it came to collect the trash and so the dog continued the stinking all day.

Ruff said she went to the police department and Officer Roy Schroeder said he would take care of it. By then, the dog was leaking out of the bag, she said.

“If you were living next door, you wouldn’t say it was taken care of right away,” Ruff said.

She said between about 1996 and 2000, the township shots cats.

Trustee Jeff Jahr objected to the discussion of the animal control problem during a board meeting and told Ruff to talk to Director McClanahan. Ruff replied that she tried to talk to the director.

“The Supervisor should tell the director to talk to you,” Jahr said.

“I don’t feel it was handled right,” Ruff said.

Editor’s Note: Diane Madigan is vice-chairman of the VBT Public Safety Committee and runs a VBT ranch where police dogs and other dogs are trained. Joannie Wazney is one of the principals in the Buster Foundation, a rescue group for bully dogs. The DEA will be out on Sept. 17 to inspect the township’s records.

published Aug. 19, 2010
Spicer, Bricco in talks on who pays for water line glitch last year

At Monday’s meeting of the Belleville City Council, resident Mike Renaud asked if anything was being done about the new water lines that were directionally drilled through sewer lines last year.

The damage was discovered recently as the Main Street contractor prepared the roadbed for concrete.

Mayor Richard Smith said that is an issue between Spicer Engineers and the contractor for the water line (Bricco).

“It’s being taken care of, but it’s not coming out of the city’s budget,” Mayor Smith said.

DPW Director Keith Boc said Spicer was the general contractor on the water line project and Bricco was the contractor. Boc said there is a bond on file and either Spicer or Bricco would be responsible.

At issue is who is going to pay for the repair work and the televising of the lines that pinpointed the problems.

Boc said there were “four total” problems and they already have been corrected.

Resident Kay Atkins asked if there are inspectors on site for the present work and City Manager Diana Kollmeyer said Spicer has inspectors on site daily.

In other business at Monday’s 17-minute regular City Council meeting, the council:

* Approved the Girl Scouts use of Victory Park for the annual city-wide Garage Sale on Sept. 11 and 12. The scouts will offer spaces to people who do not live in the city to sell their items for a $12 donation per space. This fund-raiser is for three Ambassador Juliette Girl Scouts;

* Approved the request of the Belleville Area Council for the Arts to hold its monthly meetings at Victory Station. The council meets at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. The group will pay the $200 damage deposit required, but rent will be waived. President Kay Atkins said they moved out of the Chamber offices where they had paid $250 a month. Now that money can be used for community art events. Atkins said the arts council is looking for a permanent home of its own;

* Approved the request of Ron Allen of the Veterans of Foreign Wars District 4, to hold a joint POW-MIA event at 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 18, at the Veterans Memorial on High Street, which requires closing of High Street from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The event is expected to last no longer than 30 minutes;

* Approved accounts payable of $304,830.37, including the following departmental expenditures in excess of $500: to BS&A Software, service/ support, $730; to Macomb Community College, membership dues, $1,050; to Matthew Raich, Strawberry Festival, $656; to Shaun Farmer, Strawberry Festival, $624; to Unistrut Detroit, sign post, $502.80; Wayne County AR, prisoner lodging, $665; Blue Ribbon, road repair, $1,690; W. Metro/Acme Door, restroom door, paid by DDA, $830; and Blue Ribbon, sewer repair, $2,300. Councilwoman Kim Tindall said she was glad the reserve police officers didn’t have to wait until January this time to get paid for working the festival;

* Heard City Manager Kollmeyer say lane closures on Main Street are expected later this week as concrete pouring begins;

* Heard Atkins announce a Community Art Show from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 28 at St. Anthony gym. She said she tried to get funding to help with the show, but was unsuccessful. The show was out of the DDA district, so didn’t qualify for funds. She said Walmart told her they gave Van Buren Township $1,500 to fight obesity and Meijer said they were concentrating on feeding the hungry. “The art council is on its own,” she said. Atkins and Steve Jones are selling special Belleville Bridge fudge in the spirit of Mackinac Island fudge, to earn funds for the council.

Sumpter Police Sgt. Eric B. Luke of Belleville is a new Lieutenant in the township police department, serving as second in command to Chief James Pierce.

Chief Pierce’s promotion of Luke was ratified unanimously by the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees at its regular meeting Aug. 10. After the meeting, 34^th District Court Chief Judge Tina Brooks Green officially swore him in and the chief presented him with his new badge.

The ceremony took place before a roomful of well-wishers, including his immediate family and many members of the police, fire, and dispatch departments.

Among the family members present were Lt. Luke’s wife Trully and their twin sons, Benjamin and Alexander, who were born July 16.

Chief Pierce told the board in a memo that the promotion would allow the police department to operate at a higher level of professionalism, with a clear chain of command.

Currently there are patrol officers and sergeants, with the chief the only command officer. Lt. Luke will routinely be called upon to serve as Acting Chief and will be responsible for the overall activities of the department in the absence of the Chief of Police.

Historically, the Sumpter Department has had an officer second in command to the chief that was called Commander, and Pierce had been Commander before Melvin Turner was fired.

Chief Pierce said Lt. Luke would be on one year of probation in his new position. He gets 75 cents more an hour in pay, similar to what he got when he was promoted to the rank of sergeant.

“This increase will remain in effect until such a time as the township is able to support average pay parity among the ranks,” Chief Pierce wrote in his memo.

Lt. Luke is a 1992 graduate of Washtenaw Community College where he earned an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice. His first job as a police officer was with Sumpter. He was hired by Chief Clinton Brown and began July 21, 1994. He was promoted to corporal in November 2000 and then to sergeant in September 2008.

“Since his promotion to the rank of sergeant, Luke has been monumental in overseeing the adherence to Departmental Rules and Regulations and patrol functions,” Chief Pierce said, adding that Luke currently is attending the 26^th Session of the Eastern Michigan University School of Police Staff and Command to further enhance his leadership abilities.

In his comments to the board at the meeting, Chief Pierce said, “He’s nothing but an outstanding corporal and sergeant. When I have questions about the law, I go to him. He’s an ideal police officer.”

In a related agenda item, Chief Pierce’s appointment of Colleen Marie Carefelle to the position of part-time police officer was also approved unanimously by the board.

Carefelle, 24, is a 2008 graduate of Schoolcraft College where she received an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science, Criminal Justice. She completed the Wayne County Regional Police Academy’s Entry Level Police Training Program.

She is a graduate of Salem High School in the Plymouth-Canton School District. She is a single mother of a five-year-old son and has no prior police experience. She presently works as a cook in Canton and was looking for her first police job.

Chief Pierce called her an excellent candidate for part-time employment with the Sumpter Township Police Department. He said she was hired because she has no police experience and no “baggage” in this area and he will be able to teach her the procedures in Sumpter.

Her appointment is contingent on successful completion of a physical/ medical examination and drug screening.

* Approved signing an agreement with Midwest Backflow Prevention for cross-connection control for the water department;

* Approved going out for sealed bids for the fire station roof replacement when specifications are finalized. Resident Sharon Claxton said the shingles are curled up and there may be a chance to get in on a class-action suit against one particular shingle manufacturer. Deputy Supervisor Craig Moody said that is being looked into;

* Approved purchase of $9,550 worth of fire department equipment from Apollo, including pants, coats, helmets, gloves and hoods;

* Approved making part-time employee Michael Karll a full-time employee of the Water Department;

* Approved a Fire Department fund-raising chicken broil at the fire station from noon to 4 p.m. on Sept. 12, to earn money for the department’s annual Halloween party for township children. Meal tickets will be $8 each;

* Cancelled the grass-mowing contract with Newton’s Lawn Management for lack of performance;

* Approved hiring Michigan Lawn Management, the second-highest bidder, to fulfill the rest of the contract for the 2010 senior grass-cutting service paid out of federal Community Development Block Grant funds;

* Approved paying for a 6” meter which was borrowed from the City of Clawson for Rawsonville Woods on an emergency basis;

* Heard Moody announce that the new benches outside township hall were donated by Cub Scout Pack #822;

* Heard resident Sharon Claxton question the letters sent to senior citizen grass-cutting clients by lawn contractor James Newton in a Sumpter Township envelope and paid with the Sumpter postage meter, apologizing for the “lack of quality and promptness” of his grass cutting. Claxton said that looked to her like “a misappropriation of funds” and Newton should have paid for sending such a letter himself. Claxton also noted that Newton had been paid $1,741 through CDBG for senior grass cutting, plus $200 and $800 for cutting around the township hall grounds. “I personally talked to James Newton and he promised that grass at 45445 Willis (a senior citizen’s home) would be cut on Monday, Aug. 3. Didn’t happen… This lawn contractor makes the township look bad and creates a backlog of complaints that should not happen”;

* Heard Supervisor Johnny Vawters say that during the recent election he visited every precinct and he got about 40 complaints on grass cutting (out of the 50 places to cut). Moody said he has 23 recorded complaints, plus about the same number unrecorded. Trustee Peggy Morgan said, “We went above and beyond to give him [Newton] a break because he had many family issues … many sad issues…” She said he cut grass for the township last year without a problem. Moody said, he liked Newton and he was even placed on Parks & Rec., but then when Newton was supposed to meet with Moody on the recent problem, Newton left a message he was in Tennessee. “That was the icing on the cake,” Moody said, referring to the subsequent firing;

* Heard Police Chief James Pierce thank those who helped pass the police/dispatch millage on Aug. 3 with a 1,041-379 vote. And, he said although he knew it was politically incorrect, “I thank God for helping us out with His guiding hand.” Deputy Treasurer Karen Armatis added, “The Chief named a lot of people, but he didn’t thank himself.” The audience applauded the chief’s efforts;

* Heard Donna Stewart asked for use of the Sumpter Community Center without charge for the second annual craft show, with most of the crafters coming from Sumpter. She asked for either Oct. 15-17 or Oct. 22-24. The dates will be checked with the schedule; and

* Approved consulting engineer Keith Uutinen’s request to provide the Sumpter water numbers to the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department for the water line project at the east side of the township. His company, Metco, is doing the project, but he cannot release the numbers to himself without board approval. In the future, Sumpter will decide whether to get a second water connection from Detroit through this new line.

Published Aug. 12, 2010:

Principal Mike Van Tassel says
BHS in ‘crisis mode right now’

By Rosemary K. Otzman

Independent Editor

Belleville High School’s new principal Michael Van Tassel told the school board on Monday that his school is in “a crisis mode right now.”

BHS was the only school in the district not making Adequate Yearly Progress, with the lists released last week. Also, a recent study showed in the ninth grade class of about 400, at least 100 have failed a core subject.

Van Tassel and Bonnie Riutta gave a presentation to the board that outlined their plans for crisis intervention, hammered out in the last 13 days.

Riutta, the wife of School Supt. Thomas Riutta, was hired as a curriculum consultant for BHS. She referred to her 35 years in curriculum, and said there are obvious student achievement problems and some students who are failing one or more classes.

“Some kids aren’t engaged,” she said, adding that “Not everybody is doing the same thing in teaching.

“We have to be focused on curriculum, based on data,” Riutta said, adding, “We need to have a crisis intervention plan and then a long-term plan.”

Van Tassel said many students fail because of attendance problems and they have to make kids come to school. The plan is for assistant principals to mentor these students and to reintegrate them into the same class.

If a student has failed one class, the administrators need more data to find out why and the counselor will determine what avenue to take.

If, for example, a student has failed the same class twice, such as algebra, they will create a different algebra class with different methods to help the student succeed.

If a student fails one or two classes as a senior, the push would be to get the student to graduate.

As to discipline problems, the assistant principal would create an action plan with suspension as the last resort, Van Tassel said.

“We’re both a little nervous about changing everything in three week’s time,” Riutta told the board.

Van Tassel said, “We’re in a crisis mode right now.” He said 94 ninth grade students have failed English Language Arts tests and 36 are not coming to school.

Board Vice President Bob Binert said a student will fail, if the student doesn’t have the background knowledge to build on.

“It’s what happens before they enter high school,” Riutta agreed. “We have to have data.”

“If they didn’t pass English 9, they are not taking English 10,” Van Tassel stated. “If we have to go five years, we’ll go five years. It makes no sense to go forward without the basics.” The days of social promotion are over, he said.

Riutta said for the 2010-11 school year, they have three goals: Math, English, and 9^th Grade Pilot.

“Mike is working at changing the culture of BHS,” Riutta said.

Van Tassel said, for example, each math teacher will have a set of graphing calculators, “a first in BHS history.”

Riutta said they will be using the MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) assessment program with ninth graders, which gives instantaneous results, telling weaknesses that can be addressed at once.

Van Tassel summed it all up, saying they have found a lack of aligned curriculum and different executions in delivery. Also, there is a lack of student motivation and engagement.

“This is a good start for 13 days, but it’s not where we want to be,” Van Tassel said adding, “This has not been the best for student learning, but I promise it will be.”

“You called it a crisis and it is,” said Board Treasurer Martha Toth.

Deputy School Supt. Peggy Voigt reported that all the schools in the district passed Adequate Yearly Progress assessments, except for BHS.

“We have some work to do,” she said.

Toth pointed out that every sub-group at the school has to make progress and if they don’t the whole school suffers in the totals.

(Details of the recent state assessments are in the Extra Things I Know column on page 4 of today’s paper.)

In other business at Monday’s meeting, the board:

* Approved the low $124,873 quote of Davenport Brothers Construction to install a temporary, stone parking lot on the property leased from St. Anthony Catholic Church for the parking of 250 student cars during ongoing construction of the new BHS;

* Approved Board President David Peer’s one-year appointment of Trustee Brenda McClanahan as the board member on the RACY Board of Directors. The Belleville-Sumpter-Van Buren Area Substance Abuse Task Force has three representatives from each member group;

* Heard an update by Pam Smart on the proposed Commercial Purchasing “P” Card through JPMorgan Chase Bank that will be issued to 20 administrators to save money for the district, by cutting paperwork on bill handling and check writing. The board discussed safeguards and School Supt. Tom Riutta said a list of those proposed to get cards will be brought back to the board for approval;

* Approved the requested retirements of Willinda Fletcher, accounts payable in the administration building, after 28.5 years of service; Peggy Manners, North Middle School cook/manager, after 30.5 years of service; and Alene Knust, cook at Tyler, after 34 years of service;

* Approved the employment of Daniel LaMothe as groundskeeper at a salary of $16.94/hr.;

* Heard parent Elizabeth Verde ask about the artificial turf field that will be put on the BHS football field, with concerns about whether the band will get to practice on the field. Flat-bottomed shoes are hard on the field, but it will bounce back, said President Peer, quoting experts;

* Heard another parent with questions on construction of the swimming pool and timing devices. Sid Dotinga of Granger Construction said the system was designed by experts and he had confidence in the pool’s designer; and

* Went into executive session to discuss negotiations and an attorney’s written communication.

Six candidates have filed for four-year terms on the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education by the 4 p.m. Aug. 10 deadline.

* Ralph Nodwell of Van Buren Township, who served on the school board for many years and didn’t run for reelection last year because he was out of state and inadvertently missed the filing deadline. He filed early this year so he wouldn’t miss out.

* David Peer, an incumbent of Ypsilanti Township, has served as board president for many years and is running again. He is retired from the auto industry.

* Victor Hogan of Van Buren Township, incumbent and another longtime board member, currently serving as board secretary. He is a cancer researcher at Wayne State University.

* Michael Miazga of Van Buren Township, a newcomer as a candidate, is present chairman of the Van Buren Township Public Safety Committee and is treasurer of the local Masonic Lodge.

* Scott Russell, another newcomer as a candidate, is a resident of Van Buren Township.

* Sherry Frazier, an educator and former VB School Board trustee, filed on the last day. She lives in Van Buren Township.

Van Buren Township Public Safety Committee discusses animal control issues

By Rosemary K. Otzman

Independent Editor

Members of the Van Buren Township Public Safety Committee clashed during the Aug. 4 meeting over alleged problems with animal control and an official investigation, following citizen complaints about a dead dog being dumped in a dumpster for several days in hot weather and smelling up the neighborhood.

There also are concerns in the community about a dog shot by a police officer and alleged boarding of the animal control officer’s personal dog at the shelter, although this was not mentioned during the meeting.

Vice Chairman Diane Madigan, who was chairing the meeting in the absence of Chairman Mike Miazga, said she had complaints about an incident at the animal shelter and went to Public Safety Director Carl McClanahan with the information.

The previous Monday, she said she was present when Director McClanahan and others inspected the shelter and found it was clean and in order. She said Director McClanahan is conducting an investigation and she will keep the committee apprised of the situation.

She said taking part in the inspection besides Director McClanahan and herself, was VBT Trustee Al Ostrowski (a part-time animal control officer in Dearborn). Also reportedly at the inspection were VBT Animal Control Officer Bob Queener and his union representative Jennifer Price.

(Queener sat in the audience without speaking during the Public Safety Committee meeting. He was next to Treasurer Sharry Budd, his mother’s best friend. Budd spoke only once, when asked about public safety millage.)

Madigan is a long-time dog trainer, knowledgeable about dog care and training.

Director McClanahan told the committee that there is an investigation, but there are no charges. He said it involves disposal of an animal and some issues at the dog pound. He said he is revising policy.

Trustee Phil Hart, the township board’s liaison to the Public Safety Committee, was irate that he wasn’t included in the inspection, since he is the board’s representative to the committee.

Hart complained to McClanahan: “You assured me everything has been done by the book.”

“We are having an administrative investigation … some new information surfaced,” said McClanahan, referring to Department of Agriculture rules. He said he wants to make sure to be in compliance.

“This undermines your credibility,” Hart shot at McClanahan, insisting the police have others who investigate.

“Are you saying it’s not something to investigate?” McClanahan asked.

“You sent out on the airwaves that there is an investigation,” Hart criticized, referring to the live transmission of the meeting via cable TV.

McClanahan said he wants to make sure the township’s policies are in compliance with state law and there is absolutely nothing unusual about this.

“Do you have an open case?” Hart persisted.

“Yes, I do,” McClanahan replied. “There were some issues I wasn’t aware of with the Department of Agriculture. I’m making sure our policies are in compliance with state law.”

Hart said he thought the records Madigan requested of McClanahan on the animal shelter were inappropriate.

“When someone FOIAs a document, what do you want me to do?” McClanahan replied.

Hart said he would like to sit down with McClanahan and discuss the situation.

Supervisor Paul White said a resident filed an official complaint and Director McClanahan responded.

“We went to the shelter to observe conditions there and it was in good condition,” White continued. “We want to make sure that the animal shelter is in compliance with Michigan Department of Agriculture rules and regulations.”

“I don’t know that we’re not in compliance. That’s what the review is about,” McClanahan said.

“You want to review the policies? I’ll help you,” Hart said and McClanahan said he may take him up on his offer.

Hart then complained again about why he wasn’t invited on the inspection, adding, “It sounds like a personal agenda.”

John Delaney said from the audience that the inspection was held during the business day and Hart doesn’t attend contract negotiations because he can’t get away during the day.

“I put this into motion,” Delaney said. “I called Trustee Ostrowski and Diane Madigan.” He added that Ostrowski is a champion of animals.

He said Director McClanahan and Officer Adam Byrd didn’t get the official report until the previous day at 1700 hours.

Hart insisted that anyone could have called him to inform him.

“Residents have concerns about how animals are disposed of,” Delaney said, referring to the days when cats were drowned in buckets.

Hart complained to Madigan that she let Delaney speak and a lot of what he says isn’t right.

Joannie Wazney of the Buster Foundation also spoke from the audience. She said this investigation, “or whatever it’s labeled to be” is because of a citizen’s complaint and it is proper to be brought before the Public Safety Committee.

She asked Hart to show more compassion and he tried to talk over her voice to drown her out, but she continued talking, admonishing Hart, “Sometimes you should be quiet and listen.”

Hart accused Wazney of personalizing everything.

Chris Wisner said from the audience, “I think this has gone too far… If there is a board member sitting on a committee, somebody should have called Mr. Hart… I blame you, too, Mr. White.”

Later Madigan said she had sent a July 29 email to all members of the Public Safety Committee informing them that there were complaints about the animal shelter. She said no one, including Hart, called to ask what was going on. Madigan said there were five citizens who complained to her in the beginning and then more.

In other business at the Aug. 4 meeting, the committee:

* Heard reports on activities of police, fire, and community policing. McClanahan said police overtime has decreased 61.7% through June from 2009. Bob McKenna asked from the audience why figures showed a large disparity between requests for warrants and warrants issued: 168 submitted and 62 approved. McClanahan said is doesn’t mean there’s a problem with investigations, it just means the prosecutor doesn’t think there is enough evidence to win a conviction;

* Heard Fire Chief Darwin Loyer reply to a question about emergency sirens saying he looked into a grant for six sirens at $20,000 each, with the township having to pay 25%, but VBT doesn’t have the money. He tried getting approval to use 911 funding, but the state said no;

* Heard committee member Richard Wardwell say he was concerned over the morale of female officers on the force and so rode along on patrol with Officer Jessica Shippey, who recently was named in a law suit concerning the pat down of a Muslim man after a traffic stop. “We don’t have to worry about them,” he said of the female officers;

* Heard Hart note that the public safety millage will expire at the end of 2011 and they have to get it renewed. He said the committee should carry it as an agenda item at every meeting. He asked McClanahan to put a plan together to pass the millage because time is going fast. He said they need to ask for a renewal or something else since property values are down and money is down. Supervisor White said elected officials cannot tell voters to vote yes or no and that a citizens’ committee would have to handle the millage vote;

* Heard Delaney say that Clinton Township dissolved its police department because of finances. He said the majority of voters in VBT won’t pass a millage for public safety until some issues are resolved. He said there is an impression of favoritism for “Jerry’s Kids” and a three-year fire fighter, who is also a lieutenant on the police department (Ken Floro), was promoted to fire lieutenant, too, although three others who had been on the department a long time had tested favorably. “There’s a cause for concern that we’re going backward,” Delaney said;

* Heard McClanahan say the promotions in the fire department followed an objective process which took more than nine months. He confirmed that an additional “small stipend” is given at the end of the year to fire officers. In responding to comments on the blended rates that make cross-trained police officers acting as fire fighters earn four or five times the hourly rate that fire fighters are paid, “We are required by federal law, when they work, they get paid”;

* Heard Wisner say that the committee should remove Ramone Crowe’s name tag from the board table, since he doesn’t come to meetings and maybe someone more diligent should be put in that position. White pointed out that Crowe missed the first meeting, the day after he was appointed because of a previous commitment, and then attended his first meeting and missed this, his second meeting;

* Heard Wazney say it cost the township $95,000 to have an animal control officer and since they “don’t follow policy and pitch a dead dog in the dumpster,” it seems a great waste of money. “I was deeply disturbed when I heard it… I have a real hard time with an animal placed in a dumpster and not disposed of properly… That might be a place to think about cutting”;

* Heard Guy Smith of Van Buren Estates on Lohr Road say there is a big animal control problem in manufactured home communities in the township. He said a lot of animal control issues are not addressed and information on how to handle it isn’t getting out. He said there are over 150 feral cats terrorizing the community and nobody know what to do about it. Madigan asked, “We don’t pick up cats, do we?” and she was told that the township does not pick up cats;

* Although the animal control report said zero dogs were adopted out in July, Lena Flannery of Van Buren Estates said she adopted a pet from VBT Animal Control after she saw its picture in the Independent. (That was during the days when Trustee Ostrowski was animal control officer and furnished the newspaper with pictures of stray animals needing homes and the Independent published them without charge.) Flannery said residents wanted to have a Neighborhood Watch program set up, but, she said, VB Estates management is discouraging that, saying, “They don’t want us driving around scaring people”;

* Heard Officer Adam Byrd say he researched the cat problem and it will be looked into and advice will be given to the community. During his research, Byrd had called Dearborn Animal Control for information and officials there informed Ostrowski of the call. Ostrowski works for Dearborn Animal Control and said he offered to help VBT with the problem, but has not been taken up on his offer. He said when he was animal control officer, in VBT, he bought eight live traps for cats and helped catch cats after a resident was scratched by a feral cat and had to be hospitalized; and

* Heard Chaplain Jim Richter announce a Public Safety Appreciation Day on Sept. 11 from noon to 2 p.m. at The Church of God pavilion, next to Fire Station #1 on Hull Road. The community is invited to a free pig roast, with churches associated with the chaplains providing side dishes; and

* Announced the next Public Safety Committee meeting is at 5:30 p.m., Sept. 1.

After about two hours more of discussion on the merits of natural sod vs. artificial turf, the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education voted 4-3 in a special meeting July 29 to go with the artificial turf.

Voting in favor of the synthetic turf were Board Vice President Bob Binert and Trustees Toni Hunt, Kevin English, and Brenda McClanahan.

Casting no votes were President David Peer, Treasurer Martha Toth, and Secretary Victor Hogan. The three had voiced comments in favor of natural sod because of the cost.

The synthetic turf will cost $378,000 to install over the base bid for seed and the natural sod would have cost $28,000 more than seed.

Paul Wills of Plante Moran CRESA said at the July 26 meeting, where the subject also was discussed at length, that because of bids coming in lower than expected on the $79 million Belleville High School project, there is some $6 million that can be spent on alternates.

The football field surface was one of the alternates and engineers said a decision had to be made soon so work on the infrastructure could begin.

Andy Turbett of Fanning Howey architects said sod would be placed on six inches of topsoil with a drainage system underneath the field.

Synthetic turf would require a perimeter drain system and strip drain system across the field, then a six inch stone base and a concrete curb perimeter between the field and the track.

While the synthetic turf has a warranty for eight years, it is more difficult to estimate how long sod would last, “since it grows,” Turbett said.

A crowd of people packed the board room as a presentation was given by two synthetic turf professionals. Many people in the audience wanted to speak on the subject. Near the end of the meeting, Norm DeBuck of New Lawn Sod Farm in Van Buren Township gave an impassioned plea for natural sod.

Synthetic turf is not recyclable and the district will have to pay for landfilling the “carpet” because the EPA “tells us where to put it,” said Chuck Allbright from Turfix.

Allbright said the EPA was concerned about contaminants because players urinate, bleed, and vomit on the surface.

He said sometimes Mexico or some organizations will buy the old synthetic turf when it is being replaced.

Secretary Hogan was concerned where the money would come from in eight or ten years when the carpet needed to be replaced. The replacement cost was estimated at some $500,000.

Trustees English and Hunt said the board would have to start putting money aside for the replacement. Hogan and President Peer said there is no money to put aside and if they had money they would be able to buy textbooks, which they can’t afford this year.

Aaron Cross, the vendor from ProGrass said, despite claims, they have never found staph or MRSA on artificial turf. He said a player could get a scratch on his arm on the field and it could get infected in the locker room.

He said the warranty covers a lot, “but if somebody lights your field on fire, that is not covered by warranty,” Cross said.

“It’s not a magic carpet. Something will happen. We’ll train your staff how to make minor repairs,” he said.

He said that the carpet is made for cleats and flat soled shoes are hard on the field.

Toth asked about the annual marching band review “with a bunch of marching feet” and the vendor said it would be hard on the field, “but it will come back.”

Allbright said the old Astroturf was breaking people’s bones, but the new turfs have layers that cushion the surface.

“My opinion is spraying anti-bacterial spray on the field is B.S.,” Allbright said. “The industry doesn’t believe in it.”

The vendor said the synthetic turf does hold the heat and would be about 10 to 15 degrees more than sod. He said if it’s 90 degrees outside, the field would be 100 degrees.

DeBuck, the sod farmer, scoffed at that remark. “It will be hotter than that.” Later he said the temperature would actually be 40 to 50 degrees hotter.

“Ours is designed to be like perfectly groomed Bermuda grass,” Allbright said.

Cross said it would take from 45 to 60 days to install the field, once it is ordered.

Hogan asked could the field become unplayable and have to be replaced? And he was told there are state and federal guidelines for safety that could shut down a field if it can’t be replaced.

“If we don’t have a half-million dollars and can’t replace it, we can’t play football,” Hogan said.

“We’d have to come up with $40,000 to $50,000 a year to put aside for replacement,” Treasurer Toth said, adding the district has had to tap the fund balance time and again and it will be gone in a year.

Peer, too, talked of the declining revenue and how they are searching for ways to keep teams and coaches on the field.

Vice President Binert said one of the biggest issues over the years is being able to use the football field, which is restricted during rainy weather and during times when it is being readied for football season. The marching band couldn’t practice there, either.

Toth said with an engineered field, with new drainage installed, that wouldn’t be a problem. The drainage will be put in place with either sod or synthetic turf. The field currently is seeded only and reportedly is in poor shape.

Binert said with synthetic turf the field could be used in the summer. Toth asked, “For what?” and Binert replied he didn’t know, but in the past the fields weren’t available to groups.

Binert said the field could be rented out for additional revenue, like in Birmingham, and Peer asked, “Who would we rent it to?”

Peer said if the district charged organizations in the community, they would be renting it to the people who actually paid for it.

Hogan said by actual count the district uses the field just 38 times a year and even if it were 48 times, it would be costing $1,000 for each use.

“We’re building a premier high school with premier facilities,” Trustee Hunt said.

Toth noted the district is outsourcing its vocational education to Wayne Westland and the district could bring that back if the facilities were available.

“You can play football on a natural grass field,” Peer said. “That’s what they try to emulate… If you only use it 30, 40, 50 times a year, you can do it on grass.”

Former BHS teacher and coach Wes Wishart said the district doesn’t have the grounds staff to maintain sod. He claimed it has been three years since the football field grass was aerated and a private citizen secretly spread 500 pounds of grass seed to try to improve the field.

“We’re not opposed to a grass field, if you had a record of maintenance,” said resident CeeJay Marshall. “It’s horrible, horrible,” he said of the present field.

“A natural grass field would be wonderful, wonderful,” Marshall said. “But he (the facilities director) doesn’t have the maintenance crew to take care of what they have.”

Marshall suggested the district could go for a special millage in 10 years to replace the field and he would be first in line to vote for it.

“We already passed the millage [to build the high school]. Let’s spend the money,” Marshall said.

“I am not against artificial turf,” Hogan said. “I’d be second in line to vote for the millage. But to commit a half million dollars ten years from now, I can’t do it.”

Van Buren Township Clerk Leon Wright said as a parent, with two boys in the schools who are very active in sports, he was in favor of the artificial turf.

“We can’t give up on our kids… I know you don’t want to put a burden on the board in 10 years, but you can be proactive in putting money aside,” Wright said.

“We can figure out how to pay for it 10 years from now,” Wright said. “It’s time for us to stand behind them [teachers] … Give parents a reason to keep kids in our schools … Give kids something to be proud of and we’ll figure out how to fix it later…”

Binert suggested a sinking fund and Peer said the present sinking fund will be expired by then.

“There is a way. It doesn’t have to come out of general fund money,” Binert said.

“I see women sitting in the front row [of the meeting] whose jobs were eliminated [because of declining funds],” Toth said. “We didn’t promise the best in building the high school … We couldn’t afford the best.

“The only place we are best is the football field?” Toth asked. “It’s not part of our mission.”

A man in the audience who did not identify himself said the field is used only 40 to 50 times a year because that’s all it can be used. “If we have a premiere athletic field … it will be used.”

DeBuck told the merits of natural sod and offered the district his talents to give advice. He said he has aeration equipment and could come and aerate the field.

“I have expertise to offer and I’m right here in the community,” DeBuck said.

“If I could have your grass crew out there taking care of the field, no problem,” Marshall said to DeBuck. “But this district has a history of not taking care of this field … People didn’t want to pass a millage for 22 years .. there’s a new type of people moving in here now…”

Peer said Brian Brice, supervisor of the facilities, already has said he’s going to need a full time person to take care of the high school fields, “no matter what we do.”

Peer said Marshall’s comments about the community are 100% not true and the community does support the schools.

He said before proposal A, the district levied 49 mills, which was one of the top three millages in the state.

“As to the millage, we finally got it right and the voters did it at the right time,” Peer said.

After more discussion, as the clock’s hand neared 10 p.m., Binert said they could go on with the pros and cons for some time, but he’d like to take a vote. He made the motion to approve synthetic grass, English supported and the 4-3 vote approved the motion.

As a related matter, approved an eight-year, third-party insured warranty bond on the synthetic turf at a cost of $2,000.

published: July 29, 2010

School Board to decide on artificial turf or sod for BHS football field

After a lively discussion at Monday night’s meeting, the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education agreed to continue the artificial turf vs. natural sod investigation in a special meeting at 7 p.m. today (Thursday, July 29).

The school board was making decisions on alternates for the $79 million Belleville High School project, since bids for the work have been coming in so much lower than estimates.

These are the alternates that need to be decided now, so they can be incorporated into present construction.

Paul Wills of Plante Moran CRESA said the project is $6 million under the total construction estimate price and the alternates total some $2. In mid August they will have an idea of the total Guaranteed Maximum Price, he said.

Wills said under the bond guidelines, $79 million has to be spent on the Belleville High School site or revert back for bond payments.

While all the other alternates for the project were approved easily by the board, the subject of whether to put artificial turf on the football field, at an estimated cost of $377,794.15 was a hot topic.

Actually, it was not the cost that was at issue, but whether artificial turf was a healthy choice for high school athletes. And, after ten years when the artificial turf fails, would the district have the money to replace it.

The artificial turf option would call for a recommended eight-year, third-party insured warranty bond at an additional $2,000.

Board Vice President Bob Binert, who obviously supported artificial turf, had invited two men from the Birmingham Public Schools to tell of their positive experiences with the artificial surface.

Sumpter Township resident Don Juchartz, a graduate horticulturalist with over 60 years of international experience and 32 years on the faculty of Michigan State University, spoke passionately in favor of natural sod for the safety of the students.

He brought with him two local sod farmers – Norman DeBuck of New Lawn Sod Farm in Van Buren Township and Stephen Chont of Waltz Green Acres Sod Farm in New Boston. They added more information on natural turf.

“I implore you, you do not want artificial turf,” Juchartz said. “You want natural.”

“This is heavily one-sided,” complained Trustee English, adding the natural turf supporters are giving personal experience and opinions. He said he wanted more information from artificial turf people.

Resident CeeJay Marshall also spoke on behalf of artificial turf, encouraging the board to study the matter more before making a decision because he felt some board members already had their minds made up in favor of natural sod.

The board asked for a vendor to speak to them on artificial turf and Todd Dewolf, regional vice president for Prograss will be invited to the July 29 meeting.

Also, athletic director Rod Fischer will be invited to attend the meeting. The board asked for a copy of the artificial turf warranty.

The mandatory alternates recommended by Plante Moran CRESA consultants and approved by the board were:

* Wood flooring for the gymnasiums, plus athletic markings and scoreboards, at $178,500 from Kuhn Specialty Flooring of Commerce Township, lowest of six bidders;

* Painting at $318,796 from Seven Brothers Painting, Inc. of Shelby Township, lowest of three bidders.

Decisions on discretionary alternates, suggested by Fanning Howey and Granger Construction, needed to be made to keep the high school building project moving forward on time. The board approved the following:

* Additional 300 seats to the main bleachers/grandstand home side at an estimated cost of $39,300. This puts the home seating at the stadium from the planned 2,200 to 2,500;

* Additional bleacher/concrete slab to visitor seating, estimated at $64,290. This would double the visitors’ side, which now is 250;

* Slurry wall for the retention/detention pond to keep groundwater from infiltrating, estimated at $126,610. Without the 2’ thick impervious wall, the pond wouldn’t have the capacity needed after a storm;

* Stainless steel connections for timber framing, instead of galvanized, $9,652 estimate;

* Cafeteria East addition at an estimated cost of $344,025, which will make available an additional 120-160 cafeteria seats, with this area able to be shut off from the main cafeteria with folding dividers. This project deducts the concrete patio paving and ornamental fencing originally planned at the cafeteria, at a deduct of $10,150;

* Rubber floor tile in the cafeteria/remove PCT at an estimated cost of $113,744;

* Sod at four ball fields (baseball, softball, east and west practice fields) instead of seed at an estimated cost of $87,736. Seed would take 1 year to 15 months to be ready for play and sod gives almost immediate access. The school has its own wells and is not paying extra for water to irrigate.

* Approved the Boys & Girls Club request for use of a school bus on Aug. 11 at the going rate for a trip to Comerica Park for a special club event, with Trustee Kevin English abstaining because he works for the Boys & Girls Club;

* Approved an agreement with St. Anthony for use of slightly less than two acres of land to be used for a parking lot for 250 cars during BHS construction. The district agreed to pay $50 per car for a total amount not to exceed $12,500, upon completion of the gravel parking lot. The district will have rights to use the parking lot from now until July 2014;

* Approved the minutes of a special student disciplinary meeting on July 19 that was held in open session because neither the student, his parents, or any representative attended. The South Middle School student was suspended for the 2010-11 school year;

* Approved the retirement of bus driver Nancy Gronemeyer after 23 years of service, as of June 23;

* Approved the employer termination of bus driver Johnnie Kincaid after four years of service, as of May 25; and

* Set a special meeting for 7 p.m. today (Thursday, July 29) at the Administration Building (drive through the muddy path at the construction site to get there) because there were so many time-sensitive decisions that had to be made at Monday’s meeting. Other pressing school business needs to be addressed, as well. The sod-artificial turf discussion was added to the full agenda.

published: July 29, 2010
Primary vote is Tuesday, Aug. 3;
Sumpter PD millage up for renewal

The most important decision in the Tri-Community on the Tuesday, Aug. 3, primary ballot will be in Sumpter Township where voters will consider renewing 2 mills of taxes for police operations.

If the millage is not renewed, the township may have to take drastic steps because of budget restraints, that could result in doing away with local police and dispatch and jobbing it out to other entities.

Two mills equals $2 per $1,000 of taxable value. The levy will run for six years and will raise an estimated $670,000 in the first year.

In nearby Augusta Township in Washtenaw County, voters will decide on renewing 2 mills for operation of the fire department.

All the voters in the state will be making decisions on the Republican or Democratic part of the ballot for Governor to reduce the field for the November election. Voters can’t cross over in the partisan part of this election. If they try they could have their ballots thrown out.

Representatives in U.S. Congress will be on the partisan ballot, which also will whittle the fields down for the general election in November, along with state senators and legislators, the county executive and sheriff.

This area’s Wayne County Commissioner, Kevin McNamara, has no opposition from Republicans or Democrats this time around, so his name will be the only one on the Nov. 2 ballot for the position.

VBT board approves Carl McClanahan as permanent public safety director

Note: Director McClanahan was officially sworn in by Clerk Leon Wright just after 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 28, before a crowd of about 50, which included a contingent of VBT police officers who lined up and congratulated him after the brief ceremony. In some brief remarks, McClenahan said just before the recall election in February he typed up his resignation. After the recall failed, he shredded his resignation, he said, and began doing what needed to be done in his department.

Carl McClanahan, who was appointed Van Buren Township interim director of public safety a year ago and was sworn in to the position in December, was named permanent public safety director on July 20.

Supervisor Paul White recommended McClanahan for the permanent position and his recommendation was ratified by the board on a 4-2 vote.

Board members elected in 2008 -- Clerk Leon Wright, Trustees Denise Partridge and Al Ostrowski and Supervisor White -- were the four voting in favor of McClanahan.

The holdover board members from the previous administration, Treasurer Sharry Budd and Trustee Jeff Jahr, voted no. The third holdover board member, Trustee Phil Hart, was absent. Supervisor White said Hart told him he would be “traveling.”

The three holdovers voted against making McClanahan the interim director last year.

At the workshop White brought in Charles Castle, an EMPCO consultant, to give a brief presentation on the process that was used to evaluate the candidates.

Jahr objected to hearing another presentation that they already heard when they hired EMPCO.

“A couple of board members expressed dissatisfaction with the process,” White explained.

Castle said he was a senior consultant for the police side of EMPCO and would give some brief comments but wouldn’t get into the specific scores or the scenario used.

He said EMPCO makes sure no one doing the evaluations knows any of the candidates so they can “remove any inside biases.”

He said they don’t measure the education or resumes, since when candidates reach this level as finalists, those things have already been scrutinized.

“I met with the supervisor a while ago and got the township history and jobs analysis and sent a questionnaire to all board members and they answered three questions” on the duties expected, Castle said.

There were three assessors. He said he held an orientation meeting with the four candidates and they were given an exercise for an oral presentation. Castle said it usually involves them preparing for a press conference or a report to the board, such as researching taser use.

The candidates scored against standards, not each other. Also, each candidate prepared an oral resume. After more explanation, Castle concluded: “That’s the Reader’s Digest version of the assessment.”

Supervisor White gave the background of the appointment as he presented the agenda item.

The board had previously allocated McClanahan’s interim pay for nine months, so it was about to run out. He had been paid an annual salary of $89,000, pro-rated.

His new personal services agreement calls for a salary of $90,000. The board majority agreed to re-allocate $45,000 from the undesignated fund balance in the current budget to the director wage line item. The board also approved reevaluating the public safety department line items during the budgetary process to return anticipated overages back to the general fund.

Supervisor White said in March the updated job description was approved by the board and the township advertised for applicants. Thirty-seven responded, including McClanahan.

On April 20, the board voted to hire the firm of EMPCO, Inc., which specializes in testing services for public safety and municipal governments.

Each board member was given a copy of all the applicants’ resumes and was asked to providing their listings of the top candidates. This allowed the field to be narrowed to five, who were then given to EMPCO for evaluation.

One of the five immediately removed himself from the pool and so the remaining four were tested by EMPCO on June 8 and the results given to the board. McClanahan got the top score.

By the time the board got to personal interviews of the top four, two more had dropped out – Westland Police Chief James Ridener and Warren Police Captain Scott Pavlik.

On July 12, McClanahan and former Bloomfield Hills interim director of public safety Paul J. Myszenski, now retired, were interviewed in public session. Trustee Hart was not present, but Myszenski said Hart called him and interviewed him over the phone.

When the agenda item on the public safety director was brought up at the work study session on July 19 – where there is no cable TV coverage – nothing was said concerning White’s recommendation, with Jahr just complaining about having the EMPCO presentation.

At the July 20 board meeting, with live/recorded cable TV coverage, however, Trustee Jahr pulled out a lengthy prepared statement and began reading, starting with, “I suspect I will not be voting with the majority on this item.”

Jahr said it was obvious that McClanahan would be appointed to the position before the previous director even left. He referred to Jerry Champagne who was fired in May 2009 by the four new board members. Since then, Champagne sued and the township settled for more than $400,000 for him and his lawyers.

Jahr said he didn’t want to disparage Carl McClanahan, but the voters also elected him [Jahr] and, “I owe the voters my independent judgment… We’re all simply doing the job we were hired to do.”

Jahr complained that in the past, under the previous administration, consultants met with the board and discussed the strengths and weaknesses of candidates.

He said McClanahan got the highest score of 92%, but the board was not told why. He said EMPCO did not explain the details of their assessment, and Jahr said he realizes that is proprietary.

“It is our responsibility to pick the best candidate,” he continued. He said the township received 37 candidates and he spent a lot of time going over their resumes and rating them on their credentials.

“A number of candidates appeared to be more qualified than” McClanahan, Jahr said.

Jahr claimed Supervisor White published the EMPCO scores in a paper and that’s why two candidates dropped out. (White told the Independent he did not give the scores to anyone but other board members and one of them shared it with the public. He said he did not see any scores published anywhere.)

Jahr said he felt “a new and uninvolved candidate would serve to heal the community.”

Treasurer Budd said she completely agreed with Jahr. She complained that now McClanahan is getting a raise when the township is making cuts.

Supervisor White said the process he followed was called for by the trustees and the board hired EMPCO, which has a good reputation.

White said McClanahan passed the evaluation with a high score and then he passed his psychological evaluation with a high recommendation.

White said McClanahan had shown courtesy and respect for all the township board members.

He said it was “demanded by the board of trustees that we go through the process and we did and he came in first.”

“I don’t have anything against Carl,” Budd replied. “But why waste money on a search when you knew all along who you were going to pick?”

Clerk Wright said he has been listening to the statements from board members twice a month – every other week. Last year he said there were statements that he was connected with McClanahan and later that was determined to be unfounded.

He said he had no personal inklings who would get what positions at the township through he has been accused of that.

“I demanded we go through the process to see who was the best,” Wright said. “I told him [White] he doesn’t have a vote from me until we find out who is best.

“It’s appalling to me that we went through the process and it still doesn’t satisfy certain individuals. I don’t know why,” Clerk Wright continued.

He said he has talked to members of the Public Safety Department and they have given their support to McClanahan.

“Why the other gentlemen stepped down, I haven’t a clue,” Wright said, adding, “It’s an honor for me to make the motion to hire Carl McClanahan.”

“There have been statements made that he isn’t the man for the job,” White said. “Director McClanahan came to the top of the group.”

He said Pavlik dropped out because he wasn’t able to get his retirement as planned and would have lost $12,000 a year in benefits if he resigned now.

White said he has received glowing reports from officers on McClanahan. He said he has asked McClanahan to take the politics out of the police department and, “Carl has been admirable in doing so.” He said he is making small strides and large strides in the department and has worked to reduce overtime.

“A year and a half ago, I asked for community policing and recently that was instituted,” White said.

“I believe Mr. McClanahan has risen to the position and is the best fit for our community,” said Trustee Denise Partridge.

After the 4-2 vote accepted McClanahan as the new public safety director, the audience broke out in applause.

In a related action, the board voted 5-1 to confirm the supervisor’s reappointments of Michael Miazga, Raymond Bailey, and Diane Madigan to the Public Safety Committee with terms to expire July 30, 2012.

Budd cast the only nay vote, complaining that in the past a committee member who wanted to be reappointed was told she needed to fill out an application and because she didn’t she wasn’t reappointed.

“Because of the process and what has been going on, I will be voting no,” Budd announced.

Budd said there was no input from the board or from Director McClanahan for these reappointments and she objected to that.

Barbara Rogalle Miller said she filed a Freedom of Information Act request through former Supervisor Cindy King, asking how many of her appointments had been nominated by board members and the FOIA response was, “Zero.”

Community Policing Officer Adam Byrd said he was speaking as a resident of VBT and he said it has been an honor to work with this Public Safety Committee.

He said two years ago the community voted and four new board members were elected because of the new transparency promised. He said the new Public Safety Committee members are going to meetings in the community, spending their hard-earned money, and reporting back to the committee.

“I’m very proud and glad to support the Public Safety Committee,” Byrd said.

“I support the Public Safety Committee,” Budd replied, “but we have to have a system. Either fill out forms or not. I’m against the process, the way it was done. He didn’t even ask the director.”

White said he talks to the director every day and Budd replied that she emailed McClanahan and asked him if he had input and he said no.

“This is a reappointment,” Wright said. “We can sit here and talk committee members down. Just approve it or don’t.”

“He told ladies they couldn’t be reappointed without filling out an application,” Budd persisted.

“Nowhere in the bylaws does it say ‘ask the director’,” said resident John Delaney from the audience, adding the late Max Johnson worked to take the committee away from the control of the Public Safety Department and it was set up for the supervisor to determine the appointments. It was not up to Director McClanahan to put in any vote,” Delaney said.

“When the recreation committee members were appointed, the director has a recommendation,” Budd said.

Delaney said Budd insinuated that the director did not have input and, “It was not his shot to take.”

Public Safety Committee member Reggie Miller said she couldn’t be more proud of the committee. She said when she was first appointed she felt terrible, “Mrs. Budd knows,” because there should be a set policy for people who wish to serve their community.

Miller said she supports McClanahan’s appointment and supports Community Policing Officer Adam Byrd.

“In case you don’t realize it, politics plays a role,” said resident Charles Tackett. “When you get to be the big dog, you get to make the appointments. It’s no secret I did not support Cindy King and she didn’t put me on the planning commission.

“He’s the supervisor and he has the right to make the appointments,” Tackett said. “Let’s not diminish the office of supervisor.”

White said he’s proud of the people he has appointed and some carry advanced educational degrees. “I am proud of the quality of the people we have serving. It’s outstanding the way people have risen to serve.”

The 4-1 vote was taken and Budd voted no, explaining she is against the process not any person.

Wright observed, “You see true democracy at work. We make a decision and not all agree. I respect every person at this table. We agree to disagree and this is the democracy you voted for.”

VBT resident complains about ‘batch plant’ noise

By Rosemary K. Otzman

Independent Editor

Lisa Myers is tired of all the disruptions to her quiet life in Van Buren Township. These disruptions have been going on for more than three years now and, apparently, won’t be stopping any time soon.

She came to the VBT Board of Trustees to beg for help.

At its July 20 meeting, Myers gave an impassioned report on what it’s like to live on Tyler Road, a few doors down from Haggerty Road – and kitty-corner across from the I-275 batch plant on the NE corner approved by the township and operating this summer.

Myers explained how first the construction to enlarge the bank center across the street disrupted the neighborhood.

Then the reconstruction of Tyler Road turned into a three-year nightmare, which included a dust problem so bad they couldn’t use their pool, their driveway was closed, there was flooding in their yard twice (once up to the foundation), and a ditch that was not done right.

She said she talked to Wayne County Commissioner Kevin McNamara about it and she said McNamara told her there had been more than 200 complaints on the project and the road failed all its inspections. Some upgrading to Tyler is taking place this summer, she said.

Now, she said, after 23 years of living in her home, there is a guardrail placed in front of her house – only her house and she is not on a corner. She was told there was a pipe that needed protection there.

She said road workers hit a gas line (which closed Tyler Elementary School for the day), spilled diesel fuel on her drive, and more.

Now that the road is supposedly done, there is the noise and dust from construction vehicles on the corner. The site is used as a base of operations for construction on I-275.

She said she was told at the end of May that the work would be done in 4-6 weeks, which means it should be done by now.

But, she said, the township had granted them permission to work at night, with the sound so invasive that it was hard to sleep.

She said she called VBT Police because of the noise one night and Officer Ryan McCormack and Sgt. Charles Bazzy shut the operation down for the night.

She said the owner of the construction site has been putting her family up at a motel room, which would end July 22.

She said he has a deadline of Aug. 3 to be done with the current work, but he plans to come back in September.

She pleaded with the township board not to grant permission for that kind of project to continue in a residential area.

Myers said the township building department granted them the approval to set up shop there.

Dan Swallow, director of planning and economic development, said it is a temporary batch plant and, “We granted temporary land use.”

He said they were to work during the day, but then they had to work dusk to dawn because the concrete would not cure in high temperatures and MDOT shut them down.

“We – the board – didn’t issue the permit,” said Trustee Jeff Jahr to Myers. “The supervisor needs to talk with the director to see what can be done. We can change an ordinance, if necessary. This was something done administratively.”

Myers said she understands that Haggerty Road from the North I-94 Service Drive to Ecorse is going to be redone and, “We’ve done our time. This construction site can go somewhere else.”

Myers said the contractor “has been a peach” with trying to alleviate some of the problems, such as putting a liner in the bottom of the dump trucks to deaden the noise when the gravel being loaded hits the metal beds.

“I get on the ground and ask you to please make this stop,” Myers said to the board.

Supervisor Paul White directed Swallow to set up a meeting with the contractor and Myers to discuss the problem.

“We shouldn’t allow a nuisance put up next to a residential area,” Jahr said.

Myers said she was told by the building department that the township would have to let them back in if they did everything required.

“That’s why I’m here,” Myers said. “I could see it going on and on…”

Supervisor White said he hoped to do something for her.

“I feel for that woman,” said resident Charles Tackett, adding that other well-known freeway contractors, such as John Carlo, put their batch plants in the freeway interchanges or otherwise near the freeway, not in residential neighborhoods a distance from the freeway.

published: July 22, 2010
Mike Foley tells city council: Spicer didn’t fulfill contract

A pre-construction meeting for residents and business persons in Belleville was paid for by the Belleville Downtown Development, but Spicer Engineers failed to hold such a meeting.

This is the message Mike Foley, owner of Frosty Boy, brought to the city council Monday, during the council’s 29-minute session.

“I reviewed the contract with Spicer and there was a lump sum payment to Spicer and work was paid for and not received,” Foley said.

Foley referred to the Oct. 15, 2007 Letter of Agreement for Professional Services signed by Spicer officials Wayne A. Zolnierek and Ronald Hansen and City Clerk Diana Kollmeyer on Oct. 16, 2007 and DDA Chairperson Rosemary Loria on Oct. 17, 2007.

On page 3 of the agreement, under Design Phase Meetings, it states: “Spicer Group will prepare a PowerPoint presentation with presentation maps and present the project and expected construction schedule at one public informational meeting. It is expected this presentation will be scheduled after construction bids are obtained, contractor is selected, construction is scheduled and sequencing has been finalized. Spicer Group will make and distribute meeting minutes. The fee is a lump sum price per meeting of $1,938.”

Also, he points out, on page 4 of the agreement under “Construction Administration and Staking” it states: “Once contract documents are in place and DDA/City funding is in place, Spicer Group will schedule and coordinate a pre-construction meeting for the project. All parties involved with the project will be required to attend including utility providers, contractor and subcontractors, the DDA/city, local or country representatives and any others that may be impacted with construction.” (italics added)

Also, on page 4, “Spicer Group also recommends a meeting to be held to inform all local businesses and local residents as to the anticipated schedule of the project and impacts of construction. This meeting is included in the fee schedule and work plan in the Design Phase Meetings section.”

“We’ve already paid for all of this and haven’t had it,” Foley told the council.

“Why weren’t these meetings held to inform not only residents, but the people who make their livelihood on Main Street?” Foley continued, noting he said the largest construction project in Belleville’s history shouldn’t be run by volunteers (DDA members).

“We already paid for the meeting,” Foley repeated, adding he’s sure that Spicer wanted to fulfill its contract and that somebody must have told them, “never mind.”

Kollmeyer, who is now city manager, said a pre-construction meeting was held with utilities, contractors, city and DDA representatives – just a regular pre-construction meeting.

“I don’t think the pre-construction meeting was for those impacted by the work,” Kollmeyer said.

Foley said they did the pre-construction meeting, but didn’t include those impacted in any meetings.

“It’s unconscionable to move forward without getting us all together and trying to make up for it with a 7 a.m. meeting with volunteers,” Foley said, referring to the July 20 meeting at city hall that was to be chaired by the current DDA chairman Kerreen Conley. This is after construction has already begun, he pointed out.

“Why didn’t Spicer fulfill its contract?” Foley continued. “We weren’t privy to any sequencing. We were all shocked when they started on the wrong side of the street.”

He said instead of an early morning meeting, that is too early for him to attend, he would like to see the promised PowerPoint presentation and have bi-weekly meetings with Kollmeyer, who said she is the one in charge of the project, with a lot of help from DPW Director Keith Boc.

Foley said the very first day of construction, Denny’s driveway was blocked with a big pile of dirt, blocking access to his hair salon. He said that could have been avoided with a pre-construction meeting and input from the businesses.

Prentice Howell of the Antique Shop said for the last three days two pieces of huge equipment have been on his sidewalk blocking his front door.

“I don’t have a front walkway like the other businesses,” Howell said, with a demand. “I expect it to be gone by 10 a.m. tomorrow.”

He said the equipment appears to be broken, and “If it’s broke, it can’t sit there week after week after week. I’ll get an injunction.”

Howell said whoever put up the temporary no-parking signs doesn’t know how to put zip-ties on the posts, since the ends of the ties are sticking out at the height of an eight-year-old’s eyeballs on the sidewalk side.

Councilman Brian Blackburn agreed with Howell: “Your front door is not a parking lot.”

Councilman Jim Shrove said the council will be doing a follow-up on the contract and Councilwoman Kim Tindall she, too, would like to see the contract. She noted that she did not get invited to the pre-construction meeting, either.

When someone asked how much the false start on the wrong side of Main Street was going to cost the city, Boc said, “It’s not going to cost the city anything. It was the engineer’s mistake.”

Councilwoman Tindall said there are issues that need to be addressed for the merchants on Main Street. She noted the officials at city hall will get paid no matter what happens on Main Street and it is the merchants who are truly impacted.

“I don’t know who dropped the ball,” Tindall said, noting, “The meeting tomorrow is a day late and a dollar short.”

Mayor Pro Tem Rick Dawson said, “I also thought it should have happened … I’m sorry you won’t be here at 7 a.m. I think we’ve fallen down on communications. The DDA and us, too.”

“I’m here almost 24/7. All you have to do is come in,” said City Manager Kollmeyer.

Foley said they should have a meeting every two to three weeks as a remedy to show an attempt at communication.

“The ball should be in Keith and Diana’s court,” Foley said. “Keith knows what he’s doing. I would hope he’d be our point man for this project.”

“You’re right. He’s the one who knows where everything is underground,” Kollmeyer said.

* Heard Mr. and Mrs. Fred Trombley, who live at 110 Liberty, say they are interested in acquiring the pump house at 100 Liberty that the city is considering demolishing and selling the property. They were told some things have to be done to the infrastructure there before it can be sold, and the city will have to take bids on the property before selling it. The Trombleys said they would wait for word from the city;

* Approved $120,706.74 in accounts payable, including the following departmental expenditures in excess of $500: to R. Dixon Lawn Service, $930 for grass cutting (includes $300 for Village Park when the city’s mower broke, plus cutting of empty lots); HD Water Works Supply, $658.22 for grates for road repairs; McCoig Materials, $607.50 for cold patch/pot holes; and Stan’s Alignment Service, $609 for vehicle maintenance;

* Heard Kollmeyer say she would be at city hall at 7 a.m. the next day for the meeting with businesses and, “Hope we can work through some things”; and

* Heard Steve Jones encourage everyone to come to the Music Lakeside concert July 22 at Horizon Park. He also announced the Art Colony for the four Thursdays in August at the park and an art show at the end of August.

Strawberry Festival OKs stop-payment fee on check from Foley

By Rosemary K. Otzman

Independent Editor

Monday’s meeting of the Belleville National Strawberry Festival Board of Directors was considered a wrap-up session, with reports from various committee chairman on the festival with intentions to improve next year’s event.

But before the regular business, Board President Tom Fielder gave the public a chance to speak and Mike Foley of Frosty Boy had a complaint.

After it was all said and done, the board voted unanimously to give $35 to Foley to cover the stop-payment fee on a check he gave to the festival and then withdrew.

Foley said he believed the way Vendor Chairman Sharon Pokerwinski handled a payment from Foley to the festival was fraud.

He said he was told that the vendor spaces were full and so for him to have the spaces in front of his business open to the street, he would have to pay $250. He gave Pokerwinski the check and then saw that the spaces in front of his place were vacant anyway and there were no vendors up to Five Points.

“I believe that was fraud,” he told the board. “I was told it was full to get money. On the phone a couple of days ago, she told me it was a gift. Last year I lost 50% of my business during construction and I can’t even afford to sponsor a Little League team this year.

“I was absolutely ready to jump through the phone when she said it was a donation,” Foley said.

He said as soon as he saw the setup Thursday night and Friday and saw not one vendor south of Goofy’s car wash, he decided he shouldn’t have had to pay. That’s when he put a stop-payment order on the check and incurred a $35 fee. He asked the festival board to reimburse him.

He also complained about the Boy Scouts dumping trash in his dumpster on Thursday and Friday until it was full. They told him they were told to use the dumpster behind Frosty Boy.

He said he decided not to go to court over what he considered fraud until talking to the full board.

Pokerwinski said Foley had told her, in front of her family after they had purchased ice cream at his shop, that he wanted to do what he could for the festival.

She said they decided 23 food vendors were enough and those were all sold out.

He had four spots in front of his business and that would equal $400, Pokerwinski said. He asked me to give him a price and I said $250, she told the board.

“We were sold out of food vendors. That was not a lie,” Pokerwinski said.

Joan Bodnar, the festival’s executive director, explained that the scout leader who usually supervises the boys had to work Friday night and the dumpster episode was a mistake. They were supposed to use the dumpster behind Mr. Goofy’s, she said.

Festival President Fielder said selling Foley two spaces in a place where “nothing exists” is not the right thing to do.

“I’ve always worked with the board and even was on the board in the past,” Foley said, noting he brought in motorcyclists as entertainment to add to the festival.

“She led me to believe something was true to get money,” Foley said. “Now she explains it’s food vendors she meant when she said ‘we’re sold out.’”

Pokerwinski said the festival had 16 craft vendors open and they were put in a central location.

Fielder said Pokerwinski had charge of commercial vendors. He asked for a motion to put the reimbursement of $35 on the agenda for action and Bob Stoner made the motion, seconded by Diane Shew.

“This is not to beat Sharon up,” Fielder stated. “She was full and they put crafters in the middle.”

Robert Austin of Brown Bag restaurant said he had problems with the festival, too. He said last year he paid $200 for a space for his restaurant. He said this year he was told it would be $500 per space.

He said, right off the bat, merchants who are in the city all year long are charged more. He said he should be able to get some consideration. He said he couldn’t afford the $1,000, so he decided to barbecue at his place, which he had done for three weeks “with the city’s approval.”

He said he got calls from merchants telling me, “Robert better not be cooking out there.”

Austin said over the Strawberry Festival weekend, the festival filed a police report on the cooking outside and outside seating, he said.

“I think it’s unfair that festival will pick on people who are here all year long,” Austin said.

He said his wife owns a boutique and she was asked if she could sell outside. “Whether it was her or her employee who was asked makes no difference. She had a sidewalk sale permit obtained previously.”

He said the Strawberry Festival should be a part of this community and not just make money and leave. He also said they should be nicer to merchants.

“Someone from Strawberry Festival filed a complaint, with no name,” Austin said, adding it was true that he did not have a permit.

“Since then, I’ve applied through the city and it’s working its way through the system,” Austin said. “I continue to cook with the approval of the city.”

Pokerwinski said she and Bodnar “had a conversation” with the police chief and he had to ask the city manager for information. She said Diana Kollmeyer said he could cook, but not have outdoor seating or a band.

“We were talking to the chief about two different things – the gospel people and him,” Pokerwinski said, adding she talked to Shawna Austin’s mother and “she said Shawna wasn’t there, then I left.”

She said last year all the food vendors were charged $500 each and, “We let him go.”

Fielder said this year Austin did not have a spot and he was an independent businessman doing his business at his regular location.

“It’s unfortunate the Strawberry Festival was the one that pointed it out to the city,” Fielder said. “Shawna also was not in the festival venue.

“If the Strawberry Festival was involved, I apologize,” Fielder said.

“I had seats outside since April when I opened,” Austin said. He said he asked the city council if the Strawberry Festival has carte blanche on that street for the festival and the council said no. Fielder also said, “No.”

“Some of the merchants think the festival does have control of how we do business during the festival,” Austin said.

Foley asked about the situation at Mr. Goofy’s where the owner was directed to shut down vendors he had sold space to.

Fielder said Goofy’s was in direct competition with what was going on on the street. But with Robert and Shawna, they are not within the festival district and, “It’s unfortunate that it was done.”

Austin said, “You had entertainment in Mike’s lot and he didn’t have a permit from the city, so I felt I was singled out. I hired entertainers on my own dime to add to the festival when I read they weren’t having entertainment this year.”

The festival committee then discussed business matters and reports on the festival, which had increased revenues of $14,750 this year. Sponsor revenue at $35,000 was $8,000 more than expected, said Bodnar.

A letter received from the Chamber of Commerce earlier that day, giving the festival 30 days to terminate use of cubicle space at the chamber building, was put on the agenda and discussed. The festival representatives will talk to the chamber first before making any plans.

Sumpter Township Police Officer Beth Egerer has been named Officer of the Month for July by her department for her work in getting two local sex offenders convicted.

At the July 13 meeting of the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees, Police Chief Jim Pierce said these two offenders have been brought to justice with the help of Officer Egerer’s efforts.

On June 25, 2009, Officer Egerer was dispatched to a sexual assault investigation. The victim was 12 years old and she said the offender touched her in the pool and then cornered her in the bathroom and took a video.

On July 8, 2009, Bou was taken into custody on a parole violation stemming from a different sexual assault that occurred in Sumpter Township.

On July 15, 2009, the police department received an approved warrant for Criminal Sexual Conduct in the second degree and Habitual 4^th Offender for Bou.

Several search warrants were issued and executed by the Sumpter Police Department and the video and camera used were recovered.

On June 10, 2010, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office went to trial with defendant Bou and he was found guilty of all charges. The Prosecutors are going to ask for a sentence of 10-30 years in prison, Chief Pierce said.

In the other case, on June 26, 2009, Officer Egerer received a fax from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office regarding a sexual assault that had occurred in Sumpter. The victims were nine and seven years old when their grandfather started sexually assaulting them.

Phillip Thomas was charged with nine counts of sexual assault. Last week, Thomas pled guilty on two counts of Criminal Sexual Assault in the First Degree and the Prosecutor is going to ask for the maximum amount of prison time, Chief Piece said.

Criminal Sexual Assault in the First Degree carries a sentence of life or any term, not less than 25 years.

Judge William Szlinis bound two Sumpter Township residents over to Wayne County Circuit Court for trial on charges of first-degree home invasion.

Judge Syzlinis, retired from the 34^th District Court bench, was filling in for Chief Judge Tina Brooks Green on July 14 at the Romulus court.

Richard Levoid Johnson and Demetre Maurice Brown-Lovelace, both 19, were returned to the Wayne County Jail to await their July 21 court appearance at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit.

Judge Szlinis was considering the attorneys’ requests for pretrial bond service reviews for the co-defendants with the possibility of reducing their bonds, when Sumpter Police Detective John Toth jumped up in the courtroom and told the judge the bond that was set was cash bond, not 10%.

“Oh, that makes a big difference,” Judge Szlinis agreed, continuing the set bond.

The two men were apprehended by police on June 29, one after he allegedly was seen by police leaving the residence just broken into and the other at the hospital where he was taken by friends after he cut himself on the glass broken for entry.

At first, police thought two men were sleeping in the residence that was broken into and entered by the intruders, but Sumpter Police Chief Jim Pierce said police found out later that one of the men had left before the break in and the other was sleeping.

“A man should feel safe sleeping in his own home in Sumpter Township,” said Chief Pierce, who attended the court session on July 14 in case he was needed as an eye witness in the preliminary exam, which was set for the two co-defendants.

The two residents of the home on Sumpter Road near Dunn Road were also present in the courtroom, along with Sumpter Police Sgt. McGlynn and Det. Toth, both of whom were on vacation. Toth had driven from Traverse City, where he was on vacation, to attend the court session for the preliminary exam.

But the two defendants chose to waive their rights to preliminary exams and go right to circuit court.

Chief Pierce said the home invasion charges are very serious and could lead to life imprisonment, since the home was occupied and a knife was found on one of the men.

Eight people are running for seven seats open on the first election held for the Belleville Area District Library Board.

The candidates include six who had been appointed to the interim board, plus two newcomers.

The candidates will be listed on the Nov. 2 General Election ballot and voters in the City of Belleville, Van Buren Township, and Sumpter Township will be able to vote for seven names at large.

The seven-member interim library board was appointed by officials in the three municipalities to get the board started after forming the district was approved by the three municipalities.

Cynthia Hawthorne, Director of Elections in the Wayne County Clerk’s office, said those filing as of the 4 p.m., July 15 deadline were:

Candidates gathered about 40 signatures on their petitions or filed a $100 fee without petitions.

Paul Henning, who was appointed to the interim board by Van Buren Township, did not file to run for the permanent board.

photos by Bill Otzman

published July 15, 2010
VBT Board of Construction Appeals:
Fence those open basements

By Rosemary K. Otzman

Independent Editor

After a two-hour, lively discussion on July 8, the Van Buren Township Board of Construction Appeals granted the appeal of the developer of Cobblestone Ridge Villas on West Huron River Drive.

He no longer is ordered to fill in the open basements that have been there since 2005, but there are some stipulations and he has 30 days to comply.

He has to encircle the seven open basements with 4’ high vinyl-coated cyclone fencing, cemented in with locked gates. He also has to pump out the 4’ of water in some of the basements, clean up the straw, bricks, steel and other construction debris, and install green barrier areas.

Harlan Davenport, chairman of the board, said he would be out there keeping an eye on the developer’s work. If the work isn’t done within 30 days, the board will meet again to consider ordering demolition of the basements.

Joe Paluzzi of Michigan Homebuilders has promised to do the work so he doesn’t have to knock down and fill in the basements. He emphasized he has a big investment in the project.

At one point, Davenport made a motion to order Paluzzi to demolish the basements, but the other two board members – Bob Coppock and William Osier – did not second the motion.

Davenport also said he would like to see a hefty cash bond to assure Paluzzi would comply, but Coppock said, “No bond for me.”

Coppock showed sympathy for the builder’s situation, saying they are all builders on the board and they all know how hard the current economy has been for them.

“I understand the situation he’s in. It’s dead. I feel for you, I do,” Coppock said.

Matt Forster, VBT building official, said he ordered the demolition of seven building foundations installed in 2005, which would have three to four townhouse units in each.

He said the job was abandoned for more than two years and because of a lack of attention, there is standing water in some of the basements, which is a drowning hazard; there are complaints of odors; and freezing temperatures over the years have caused damage to the basements.

Forster said all the permits expired in 2005-6 and the last inspection was Dec. 1, 2005. Since then work was abandoned, he said. He noted the orange fencing around the foundations has fallen down and there is construction material left on the sites, with the brick and stone causing blight problems.

Forster said he sent certified mail to the address on file at the township and it was returned. He sent the mail to the name on the tax roll and that, too, was wrong. He finally posted the properties on May 18-19 and someone alerted the developer and Michigan Homebuilders called the township about May 20.

Davenport said under the rules, the developer had the right to appeal and he did.

Paluzzi said he definitely didn’t predict what happened to the economy and he didn’t expect to still be involved with those building sites five years later.

He said he would like to bring the foundations up to the proper conditions, because he still wishes to use them. He said demolition is a drastic order.

A man from Jaeger Engineering told the board the concrete still has structural integrity.

Paluzzi said he would like to clean up the sites, remove the straw, fix the orange fencing, and get the sites back to the proper conditions. He said they intend to complete 30 or so units.

“It’s five years later,” Davenport said. “Why has it come to this? I drove by … it is unsightly. Nothing is maintained… We three are contractors and we know we have to protect the public any way we can.”

Forster repeated that the foundations have been in for five years and there has been a complete lack of maintenance for 12 months.

“Five years is a long time,” Davenport repeated. “We’re trying to weather the storm like everyone else … You did not come forward without having to come to us for an appeal…”

Osier noted that Forster gave the board pictures of Paluzzi’s Celtic Farms community that is being built in Flat Rock.

“If you can build houses, you can maintain your development here,” Osier said. “If I left a project like that, I’d be feeling pretty guilty right about now.”

“We haven’t thrown our hands up,” Paluzzi said. “We wouldn’t be here today if we had.”

Coppock asked Paluzzi what he planned to do and he said he would “re-maintain the fences” and install 6’ chain link fences around the open basements with construction barrier, so people wouldn’t be able to see into the lots. He would contain and maintain the site.

Paluzzi complained that the homeowners association for Cobblestone is “upsidedown.” He said 46% of the residents are not paying their association fees, while he has snow removal, insurance, and maintenance to cover.

“I’m glad those pictures were presented,” Paluzzi said of his development under way in Flat Rock. He said he started that six years ago and five homeowners are living there and eight new homes are under construction.

He said he worked with the bank there and that made way for the project. He said the “bank here is harder.”

“We don’t have anyone knocking on our doors to buy,” he said.

“You can protect that property,” said Davenport. “But it’s still a visual eyesore. I know I wouldn’t want to see that for the next 5, 6 years.” He added that he wouldn’t consider a construction barrier fence because it is unsightly.

“I’m look for ways to try to work this out,” Davenport said.

He said, “We have a problem with the hardship, but you waited a long time to come to us. To wait 12 months …”

Paluzzi said, “We received nothing until May of this year.”

Forster said another site manager was out there and the warning was verbal. “We tried to light a fire,” Forster said, presenting pictures from June 15, 2009. “You can see there were maintenance issues then.”

Forster said, “As a building official, I took responsibility to have houses built safely. It’s my duty to the citizens of our community.”

Forster said in 2005, Paluzzi pulled permits for all those lots to beat the water rate increases and Paluzzi said that was so and that the cost would have been four times greater had they waited.

“We had 62 units to absorb,” Paluzzi said. “Not only did we have to pull permits, but we poured garage footings, and installed plumbing. We felt the absorption rate would be five months.”

He said the project was not phased and all was done in one push.

“It made practical, common sense to do that,” Paluzzi said. “The intention was to build them all.”

“You beat the water rates by putting in all the basements at once,” Forster said. “I think we have to come up with a better plan so people don’t have to look at that for 10 years.”

Forster said the township had to cut the grass there twice this summer.

He said the Michigan Building Code and Property Maintenance Code gives two options: demolition or bring it up to code, keep the basements dry and pumped out and renew the building permits and get active with building within a reasonable time.

Paluzzi asked if he was the only developer with problems and if there were others in the community. Forster replied that the township sent several notices at the same time.

He said Country Walk, built by Bernie Glieberman, went back to the bank and they sold it to builders who completed the work.

“Is there anyone like me with 30 units that need to be started?” Paluzzi asked, and Forster said no.

Forster said he would like to see a “good chunk of bond” put up to ensure the work.

Davenport said the appeals board last met 10 years ago or more, so they were out of practice. He asked for input from the audience.

Bob Marion said he and his wife Theresa have lived at Cobblestone for four years and they’ve watch it all happen.

“Nothing I’ve heard from the developer accounts for the blatant neglect of the property. He owes $9,000 back electrical bills, so their meter is locked out.

“… He has a track record of not doing anything … He sold the properties and the way to deal with the purchasers is to ignore their concerns … Animals fell in and we have to call the township because there is standing water in the foundations. He has not taken the time to come out and see…

“This builder, when we first moved in, had $100 a month association fees. Why should residents pay the fees when they get nothing in return?” Marion asked. “Year after year after year of neglect and disinterest in the people who bought his properties. He has done nothing to demonstrate he will change.

“You chose to pay association fees for unpaid, unbuilt properties and then raised the rates arbitrarily to $145,” Marion said, adding that the developer has to pay the difference.

He said only four out of the 24 people who live there aren’t up to date so the 46% figure is not true.

Theresa Marion said the developer said he would come out and clean up the area, but for four weeks nobody’s lawn was cut and residents had to rent, borrow, and buy lawnmowers to do the work that is supposed to be taken care of by the association.

“The township will make him do it,” Coppock said.

Resident Elroy Szabo said, “I think you should deny the appeal. He’s basically abandoned the project. We have 24 units without any representation as an association.” He said Paluzzi violated the rules by not auditing the books and is in arrears to several vendors and doesn’t address the issues in the development.

“All the basements are flooded, the fencing is down, and he hasn’t checked,” Szabo said. “He’s basically thumbed his nose at Van Buren Township. I feel you should deny his appeal.”

When Coppock asked if the sales site is open, Paluzzi said it no longer is manned because there is no traffic.

“Maybe the best answer is to throw my hands in the air and just walk away,” Paluzzi said.

Residents said they have seen people come up to the sales office and then leave when they find no one there.

Paluzzi said this is an $18 million project and they had to pave part of Hoeft Road.

In other business, the board voted to approve the township rules as presented and officially voted Davenport in as chairman.

VBT grants 12-year tax abatement for General Electric at Grace Lake

By Rosemary K. Otzman

Independent Editor

A 12-year, 50% tax abatement agreement with General Electric was approved unanimously by the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees at its July 6 regular meeting.

Although by the township’s regular grading system for abatements, GE would only rate an 11-year abatement, it was granted the full 12 years because it will be reoccupying office space vacated by Visteon, plus will add at least 275 new jobs.

Executive Assistant/Assessor Susan Ireland presented the Industrial Facilities Exemption Certificate for New Equipment, noting that although GE plans to employ more than 1,000 people eventually, now the projections are set at a more reachable 275.

The abatement is on the $1.7 million new personal property GE is adding to building 40 and part of building 45 at the former Visteon Village, now called the Grace Lake Corporate Center.

GE is establishing its Advanced Manufacturing and Software Technology Center and will be GE’s largest population of technology professionals under one roof.

With the tax exemption, GE will pay about $11,200 in township taxes over the 12 years instead of $22,400. For all taxing jurisdictions (including Van Buren Township) GE will pay about $52,379.06 in total taxes instead of $104,758.

GE is expected to make an additional request for an abatement later for building 50 and the remainder of building 45. Due to time limits for filing an application, it is necessary to split the request into two applications, Ireland said.

The property is located in existing Industrial Development District #18, granted to Visteon on Oct. 16, 2001.

A GE representative said the company is fortunate to have the workforce in Michigan from which to draw. He said recently 500 job openings were posted and there were 48,000 applications, with most being Michigan residents.

Supervisor Paul White said he doesn’t like to give tax breaks to businesses, but if the township doesn’t compete in this way, it will lose out.

The GE representative said they picked Michigan out of 10 states for this new facility and the Grace Lake facility built by Visteon allows them to get up and running in a short time.

He said there are 350 employees now and plan to have 450 by the end of the year, increasing to 900 in 2011 and 1,000 in 2012.

“We will get half of what the tax would be instead of having empty buildings,” said Treasurer Sharry Budd.

Resident Reg Ion said he has a problem with tax abatements because the “big guys get it and other guys don’t.” He said that if the township denies the abatement, the company can appeal to the state and the state could override the township’s decision. He was advised that was correct.

“Any jobs are good jobs in Michigan,” Ion said.

In other business at the July 6 meeting, the board:

* Unanimously terminated the lawn mowing contract with Abraham Landscaping company for lack of performance and granted the contract for the remainder of the summer’s grass cutting to Michigan Lawn Management (Randy Brown) at the price he bid in the spring;

* Postponed action on contracting with Michigan Lawn to also do surplus grass cutting and related services for enforcement of the grass and weeds ordinance, to help Gonczy’s Property Maintenance, the hired contractor who got behind because of the rainy weather this spring. Trustee Philip Hart insisted Gonczy do the work at the bid price saying Gonczy could hire extra help, if he needed it. For property owners to get one fee if Gonczy cut the grass ($20 per ¼ acre) and another if Michigan Lawn did ($29.95) was unacceptable to Trustee Jeff Jahr, as well as Hart;

* Approved extending without penalty the collection of the 2010 Summer Property Taxes from the current deadline of Sept. 14 to Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010;

* Approved the job description for cable director and the personal services agreement with Aly McCracken for the position, moving her from a part-time independent contractor role to director at the same pay of $36,564. She did not qualify as an independent contractor under IRS rules because she didn’t have a separate office, didn’t have her own equipment, and didn’t pay her own employees, as required, said Supervisor Paul White;

* Approved unanimously support for the Wayne County Department of Public Services Application for Transportation Economic Development Funding. A project to reconstruct Ecorse Road from about 200’ west of the SB I-275 ramps to the NB I-275 ramps (coordinated with the reconstruction of the Ecorse Road bridge over I-275) was made eligible for MDOT TEDF-A funding due to the GE investment at the Grace Lake Corporate Center (formerly Visteon Village). This project, at a total cost of $2.25 million has a $1.8 million funding request and $450,000 in matching funds from Wayne County, would have a completion date of December 2012;

* Approved paying the voucher list which included a check for $7,877 to Empco, Inc. for assessment of public safety director candidates;

* Heard Director Bruce Ross announce that the Recreation Center is a cooling center and people are welcome to come to cool off from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 6 p.m. on weekends;

* Was advised that from 8 a.m. to noon on Aug. 14 is Free Shredding Day at the township hall parking lot, where Recall Corp. will accept five cartons or five medium size bags of documents to shred without charge. Details are on the township website;

* Heard Ion say that the sky blue paint on the new water tower blends in with the sky color and planes might hit it. DPW Director Todd Knepper said a base coat was put on the tower and the blue-tinted paint is the second coat. White paint will cover the blue (and they will be able to see where they missed painting) and the finished design will have bright blue rings at the top and bottom and the VBT logo on two sides.

School Board approves eight more contracts for BHS construction

By Rosemary K. Otzman

Independent Editor

At Monday’s meeting of the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education, the board approved eight more contracts for construction of the new $79 million Belleville High School, now under way.

Bidders recommended by Plante Moran CRESA, and approved by the board, were:

* Building flatwork and concrete, ELS Construction of eight bidders, $1,360,000;

* Miscellaneous steel, Casadei Steel, Inc., of four bidders, $620,000;

* Gypsum and acoustic ceilings, ANM Construction Co., Inc., of six bidders, $1,398,900;

* Food Service, Stafford-Smith, Inc. of three bidders, $144,218;

* Manufactured casework, Case Systems, Inc., of six bidders, $349,240;

* Science casework, Architectural Systems Group, LLC, of seven bidders, $718,700;

* Telescoping stands, foldup bleachers for both gyms and mezannine level – Interkal, Inc. of two bidders, $207,868; and

* Fire protection to make the building 100% sprinkled – Shambaugh & Son, L.P., of eight bidders, $788,475.

Paul Wills of Plante Moran CRESA said gave an update on the progress of construction, noting the foundations, south wall and frames are visible from the south side of the building. The mason is expected on site July 26.

He said there are $8 million worth of smaller contracts yet to approve.

At Monday’s meeting, the board also:

* Discussed setting up a forum for candidates after the primary election to ask them what they think about education. The district will look into having such a forum at Wayne County Community College;

* Approved the MiSec (Michigan Schools Energy Cooperative) bylaw amendment as presented by Pam Smart, Business Office Manager, to implement a diesel fuel program by the co-op. Van Buren currently participates in the electric co-op program with substantial savings and it may participate in the diesel program in the future;

* Postponed the off-site special board meeting, originally scheduled for July 15, until sometime in August, because issues to discuss are not ready yet; and

* Heard Curriculum Director Peggy Voigt give a report on the lack of Annual Yearly Progress at BHS last year and since Title I federal funds are being used, the steps they had to take to inform parents. The district does not yet know this year’s AYP rating for the high school. She said the poverty level is 50% at the high school, so they are using the federal funds provided and so will continue to face sanctions if AYP is not met.

The next meeting of the board will be Monday, July 19. It will start with a disciplinary hearing at 6 p.m. (which was postponed from a previous date), and will include two executive sessions, one to discuss a letter from the district attorney and one to discuss contract negotiations.

Flags demolished at VBT cemeteries set off patriotic fire storm

By Rosemary K. Otzman

Independent Editor

Van Buren Township’s Flag Lady, Marie Krouse, with her arms full of tattered and broken American Flags, told the VBT Board of Trustees at its July 6 meeting about the demolition of flags that she had placed on veterans’ graves.

The township board already was set on firing Abraham Landscaping for not fulfill its obligations at mowing and for being careless in the cemeteries, but Krouse’s report, followed by statements by historian Cathy Horste strengthened the board’s resolve.

Krouse said she comes from a family of people who have served in the military, including her husband who retired after 24 years in the Air Force and two children who are on active duty.

She loves her country and its flag. Since she is currently unemployed, she has taken the responsibility of placing flags on the graves of veterans in the township’s four cemeteries. Two to three times a week, she visits the cemeteries to check the flags for damage. (She also places flags in the Sumpter Township cemetery.)

She said two weeks before Memorial Day she checked the cemeteries and found that the township’s cleaning crew had pulled out all the flags and thrown them in the trash after the annual spring cleanup.

Krouse said Boy Scouts earn badges for properly disposing of American Flags and she always carefully collects damaged flags. She gives them to the Veterans of Foreign Wars and they give them to the Boys Scouts for the ceremony.

“You had a lot of angry vets who felt dishonored right before Memorial Day,” Krouse said of the members of the Belleville VFW and Polish Legion of American Veterans posts.

She put in all new flags so they would be in place for Memorial Day.

On June 25, she said Joanne Montgomery from the clerk’s office called her to tell her a new veteran had been buried at Tyler Street Cemetery. She brought her flags, supplied by the township, and headed to the cemetery.

When she arrived, she found many flags that were damaged by weed-whipping, which she can tell is much different than weather damage.

After checking, she found another 30 were destroyed at Soop Cemetery.

“All the flags were new before Memorial Day,” she said, adding she had photos of the damage to the flags and stones.

“If you don’t have to pay them, please don’t,” she said of Abraham’s. “They don’t deserve it.”

Cathy Horste, VBT’s volunteer historian since 1976, gave a history lesson on VBT cemetery care. She had served as Sexton of the Township’s cemeteries during the 1970s and early ‘80s.

She said she is glad the township has taken steps to solve the problem with the mowing, but now it must address the state of disrepair of the fragile, old tombstones in the cemeteries.

She said a five-foot monument in Tyler Street Cemetery has a sizable chunk knocked off at the corner of it, apparently by a lawnmower. She said they could match the color left as evidence.

She said in the 1900s, the township organized cemetery associations at each of the cemeteries. A portion of the sale price of each cemetery lot was set aside for the perpetual care of the cemeteries and the tombstones.

Although the township mowed the grass, the cemetery associations did things like maintain the pitcher pumps, reset fallen stones and repair broken ones.

They used the money from the township in the perpetual care accounts to do the resets and repairs, Horste said.

“Between the township’s DPW and cemetery associations, our cemeteries were beautiful – the envy of our neighboring communities,” she said.

She said in about 1975, the township disbanded the cemetery associations and put their perpetual care money into the general fund.

Supervisor Elton Gollwitzer promised the public, the lot owners, and their descendents that the township would continue the perpetual care, including, specifically, the stone maintenance.

“I know the township meant well with that promise -- many of you have family buried there. But I fear the promise may have been forgotten,” Horste said.

She said after last year’s Haunted History Tombstone Tour, she received several telephone calls from people who enjoyed the tour but were very concerned about the fallen stones.

She said the establishment of a cemetery oversight committee is a good idea, but she is against leaving the work up to volunteers. She said the repairs should be paid for by the township in accordance with the promises made in 1975.

She said in 1977, she supervised the township’s reset work, which took only a bag of ready-mix cement to fill the frame and reset the stone on it.

She said she will volunteer her time to work with the DPW crews to identify the stones that need to be reset in each cemetery and to show them how to do it, if necessary.

“I beg you, don’t let the well-being of our treasured souls depend on committees and donations or the goodwill of others,” said Horste as the tears flowed.

“And please don’t let these treasures become lost.”

Clerk Leon Wright said he visited all four cemeteries and found they are in “dire need.”

He said he is organizing a cemetery advisory committee with the sole goal of putting together a cemetery ordinance.

“I want to reach out to the community to get their ideas on this… And I will see what support we can get from the general fund to support this.”

Supervisor White commended DPW Director Todd Knepper for being on top of the mowing problems from the start. Knepper said Parks and Facilities Director Bruce Ross reported back to him on the problems and they tried to do the appropriate thing.

published: July 8, 2010
Sumpter police nab 2 for home invasion, as home occupants sleep

Sumpter Township Police arrested two men for pulling a daytime home invasion that was so quiet the home’s occupants slept through it all.

The two men could be looking at life sentences, since there is a heavy penalty for breaking into an occupied home, said Sumpter Police Chief Jim Pierce. A knife was found on one of the men.

Arraigned July 1 at 34^th District Court on first-degree home invasion charges were two 19-year-old Sumpter residents: Richard Levoid Johnson of Karr Road and Demetre Maurice Brown-Lovelace of Wear Road. Each must post a $100,000 cash bond for release, with no 10%. They are being held at the Wayne County Jail.

They will be back in court at 9 a.m. July 14 for preliminary exams in the 34^th District courtroom of Chief Judge Tina Brooks Green, who will determine if there is enough evidence to bind them over to circuit court for trial.

It all started on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 29, when a neighbor to a home on Sumpter Road in the Dunn Road area, walked over to the police department to talk to Chief Jim Pierce, who was in the police department parking lot.

He said two black males were in the driveway of the house next door, knocking on the door and peeking in the windows. Then he heard glass break and he came over to tell police.

Chief Pierce said he drove partway up the driveway next door to the house and then walked up the drive.

He said he saw a man at the house who he had arrested several times before, most recently at Sumpter County Fest. Chief Pierce said the man looked at the chief and the chief looked at the man, and they both registered recognition.

Then, the man he knew (Johnson) rode a bike west into the woods, wearing a black T-shirt and carrying a backpack.

Another male, this one with a striped shirt (later identified as Brown-Lovelace), came out of the house and headed toward the woods in a northerly direction.

Chief Pierce said Belleville Police Chief Gene Taylor heard the pursuit on his radio and volunteered to help.

“Gene was in a position to see, observe, and apprehend the first guy on the bicycle,” Chief Pierce said, adding Taylor was savvy enough not to believe anything the man told him after he was apprehended.

The man had changed his shirt to another color and ditched his backpack in the woods.

When Taylor asked Johnson why he was so sweaty, he explained that he had been exercising by riding his bike in the woods.

“Chief Taylor held him for me and I IDed him and arrested him,” Chief Pierce said.

The second man had cut his arm fleeing from the house and had left his blood at the scene. Chief Pierce said the man got away and made it to a house, where someone took him to the hospital.

“They probably passed right by us on their way to the hospital,” Chief Pierce said.

A Michigan State Police tracking dog followed the scent to the house and then the dog was taken to the hospital where it identified the man whose scent he had been tracking. The MSP Trooper Mirandized Brown-Lovelace and kept watch over him until Chief Pierce could arrive and take over.

Chief Pierce said doctors told him the tendons in Brown-Lovelace’s elbow were cut so badly the man will never have complete use of the arm again.

Both men were lodged in the Sumpter holding cells until they could be arraigned at 34^th District Court.

“We have a small department and we have to bring people in to make a case,” Chief Pierce said, noting Officer Toth is good at interrogation.

Meanwhile, the people in the house were sleeping didn’t know what was happening outside.

One of the suspects was found with a knife and Chief Pierce said it didn’t belong to the homeowner.

Chief Pierce said Sumpter Police had arrested the same two guys at Sumpter Fest. He recalls they were being “smart mouthed” and both had warrants and were arrested.

Others who were troublesome at the festival were issued “trespass” tickets and were not allowed to go to Sumpter Fest.

Johnson had been arrested for obstructing a police officer in March and in December was in custody for another offense and tried to commit suicide by trying to hang himself with a blanket.

Dispatcher Malissa Baker, who discovered Johnson’s attempt, said Chief Pierce gave him a good talking to at the time and, because of that face-to-face discussion, Pierce was able to recognize him at the crime scene.

Chief Pierce said Johnson was the first one to be put in the department’s new restraint chair while he calmed down.

Chief Pierce said Van Buren Police had used its restraint chair on one of Sumpter’s unruly arrestees recently and so Sumpter thought it should get such a chair, too. He said it has been very useful, when needed.

Sixty-four years later, Primitivo Gutierrez completes ride in C-47

By Rosemary K. Otzman

Independent Editor

It took 64 years for Primitivo Gutierrez III of Belleville to complete a ride in a C-47 that was interrupted after taking off from Seattle in 1946.

On Saturday, Gutierrez climbed aboard the vintage C-47 plane at Willow Run Airport and took off to complete the flight he started so long ago.

Gutierrez recalls he was coming home to Detroit from Seattle, and he and his buddy decided to try to hitch a free ride in an Army aircraft. Although he and his friend were Navy, they were still military and rated the ride.

Gutierrez remembers they were in the air for about 10 minutes, when the pilot got a message that there was a higher priority in Spokane, to pick up some cargo, and the plane had to land and bump the sailors.

“We decided just don’t fight it and took the train to Michigan,” he recalled.

But now, he had a chance to ride in essentially the same plane – a C-47 – to buzz the Fourth of July parade in Ypsilanti.

Dutch Jordan, a member of VFW Post 2408 in Ypsilanti, made the arrangements for two seats on the Yankee Air Force vintage plane to fly over the parade. The Fourth of July parade in Ypsilanti has been held every year for the past 81 years, he said.

Gutierrez saw his chance to complete his ride on a C-47 and took part in the raffle for the seat – and won.

It was a little harder for Gutierrez to climb up the ladder to the plane now than in 1946 because he’s now got a stiff knee and a burn on the back of his knee from botched treatment after surgery.

But, he said, he practiced climbing a ladder at home so he’d be able to get in the plane – and he did it without any trouble at all.

Gutierrez served in the Navy from 1943 to 1945 in the European Theatre – Italy, North Africa, Belgium, France – and then his ship went through the Panama Canal to the Pacific Theatre.

His 30-man gun crew ship was headed to Iwo Jima, but they were ordered to give their equipment to another ship and head to another island.

“We were so mad,” he recalls, noting they wanted to fight at Iwo Jima. Later they learned of what happened there and, “We were glad we didn’t make it.”

He said he belongs to Belleville VFW Post 4434, and found that another member, the late Leonard Rochon, had been at Iowa Jima. The two didn’t know each other then.

“I came to Belleville from Detroit in 1947. Belleville is my home,” Gutierrez said.

He and his wife Sarah Jane had 12 children: seven daughters and five sons. His wife of 64 years died May 28, 2009 and Jeff and family moved in with him to keep watch over him.

“They really take good care of me,” he said of his children.

Present with him on Saturday to see him off were his sons Primitivo IV, also a member of VFW Post 4434 and also of Belleville, and Jeff. At Post 4434 members differentiate between the two Primos, by calling the younger one “Primo Quattro”.

“I’m really looking forward to the ride,” he said Friday night and his sons agreed their dad was really excited about the upcoming adventure.

On Monday, he raved about Saturday’s flight. “It was beautiful. It was just what I was expecting. It was the end of my flight 64 years ago.”

He said the plane took off and made “four rounds” and then landed. Then it took off again and made another short flight before landing for good.

The Yankee Doodle Dandy aircraft is a survivor, too.

It was saved from a devastating fire at the hangar on Oct. 9, 2004.

The plane never left the states and, most recently, was on loan to the University of Michigan from Selfridge Air National Guard Base until 1970, when the Yankee Air Force purchased her.

The U of M had used her for aerial data gathering for its Environmental Research Institute.

The YAF restored the plane to troop carrier configuration and after 18 months of painstaking restoration work earned the “Best of Transport” category award at Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Gutierrez said the plane he was on in 1946 had no seats on it, being just for cargo. He was happy to see the C-47 he was going to ride had seats – indentations in benches along the walls.

When the YAF Museum was on fire, five members, with adrenalin pumping, pushed the 25,346-pound plane out of the blazing hangar to save it. Also saved were the B-17 and B-25. Other planes were lost in the fire and the YAF and its foundation is on a mission to rebuild into a first-class museum facility.

On Saturday’s flight, pilots were Howard Rundell and Tony Buttacavoli. Ray Christiansen served as flight engineer.

“They talked me into joining the museum,” Gutierrez said on Monday, noting he will be able to do volunteer work there.

The Yankee Air Force Museum will host Thunder over Michigan on Aug. 7 and 8 at Willow Run Airport, featuring what is advertised to be the largest gathering of WWII heavy bombers in the world.

A number of American and German WWII vehicles, with crews, is expected to parade through Belleville on Aug. 6 to promote the planned battle reenactment during the annual air show. The parade will take place if Main Street construction allows.

Yet another violent storm ripped through this area on Sunday afternoon – the fourth storm during the month of June that required sounding of the emergency sirens in the City of Belleville and Sumpter Township.

At about 2:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon a tornado with winds up to 105 mph damaged several roofs and destroyed two garages southeast of Willow and Clark near New Boston, but caused no deaths or injuries.

The National Weather Service said it was surveying damage in the Carleton areas of Monroe County to determine whether that, too, was a tornado.

There were reported sightings of low, rotating, ominous clouds heading east in southern Sumpter Township in the Willow Road areas near Karr, Sumpter and Haggerty.

Belleville Police Chief Gene Taylor spotted first funnel cloud he ever saw in the Willow/Clark Road area and alerted Sumpter Police to its whereabouts. A Sumpter police car followed the funnel westbound, finally abandoning the observation as it headed past I-275. Chief Taylor watched it from the north. The Sumpter officer then offered help in Huron Township.

“Good thing we have a network of sirens to warn the people,” said a television weather forecaster on Sunday afternoon, noting the people of Southeastern Michigan were warned repeatedly by the National Weather Service, TV reports, and a series of emergency sirens that went off in community after community as the storm marched its way across the state at about 40 mph.

Sumpter Township is looking into reports that when the sirens were activated, some or all failed to sound. The sirens had worked fine on three previous occasions recently.

At about 2:14 p.m. fire fighters at Van Buren Township Station #1 at Sumpter and Hull roads reported hail falling. A minute later, police reported hail at Five Points in downtown Belleville.

Shortly thereafter, North and South Middle Schools opened their doors to be available as storm shelters for the public.

By 3 p.m., the storm had finished with the Belleville area and was heading eastward.

A campground in Clyde Township, west of Port Huron, was not under a tornado watch or warning, before the storm swooped down flipping campers around and into a lake, killing a man and injuring four others.

Through Sunday, Michigan reported 5.4 inches of rain for the month, more than 2 inches above normal, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures were about 3 degrees above average in June.

There have been more tornadoes and warnings in Metro Detroit so far this summer than the entire summer of 2009, according to weathermen.

At Monday’s School Board meeting, a contract with an electrical contractor that had just gone to a non-union shop was approved after some lively discussion.

Trustee Martha Toth said several months ago the board agreed that it would not insist on union contractors for work on the Belleville High School construction, but would require “prevailing wages” be paid to contractors, so no workers get mistreated.

Taking that position was for the highest good of the taxpayers, Toth said, and the board realized the job site could be the site of picketing.

Metro Electric Engineering Technologies of Romeo bid $4,990,000 for the architectural, mechanical electrical work on the new high school.

The next lowest bid was from Gillis Electric, Inc., a union shop in Livonia, at $5,678,000, which is $680,000 more than Metro’s bid.

The estimated cost for the work, before bidding, was $5,397,580, so Metro came in $407,580 less than the estimate and Gillis came in $280,420 more.

Sid Dotinga, project manager for Granger Construction which is overseeing the high school project, told the board when the bid came in so low, he went over the scope of the work with Metro and was satisfied Metro knew what the job was and could do it.

To make sure, since Metro was going with a “new open shop business model,” Metro was asked for a second performance bond to make sure the work was completed and on Monday afternoon, Metro presented a letter from a bonding agency saying the bond would be issued.

Dotinga said Granger does that (requires additional bonding) selectively on specific contractors. He said the management team will keep close track of where Metro is and make sure they have certified payrolls.

Dotinga said Joe Brewer, owner of Metro, is a competent manager and, “It’s a calculated business decision to stay competitive.”

Gary Helmer, business representative from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, was present to give board members a warning that the union has grievances against Metro, “which we are going to pursue.”

Helmer said Brewer thinks the 20 men needed for the job will stay with him, but Helmer thinks the men will stay with the union.

He said Brewer has been a good contractor over the years, but “We are going to pursue our interests.” He told the board, “There’s a lot to think about.”

In other contracts recommended to the board by Plante Moran CRESA at Monday’s meeting, the board approved:

* E&D Specialty Stands in the amount of $468,950 for grandstands and bleachers, lowest of four bidders;

* ThyssenKrupp Co. in the amount of $132,400, for two elevators, lowest of three bidders;

* Great Lakes Mechanical, $3,523,000 for sheet metal, lowest of eight complete bids;

* Building Automated Systems and Services, $512,112, for temperature controls, lowest of three bidders.

* Approved use, at established rates, of a school bus for Huron Valley Ambulance’s Camp 911 on July 8 and 9 to take campers from Van Buren Park to St. Joseph Hospital Emergency Room and Van Buren Township Fire Hall #1;

* Approved requested retirements of teachers Henrietta Stover, BHS, after 14 years; Constance Riggs, Savage/ Haggerty/ Rawsonville, 31 years; Evelyn Larabell, Rawsonville, 41.5 years; Ethel Anderson, Edgemont, 32 years; and Linda Lewis, Edgemont, 39 years. The termination of Kaleena Jedinak, Tyler, after 5 years was approved for relocation; and

* Approved the following requested terminations of support staff: Susan Johnston, paraprofessional/NMS, retirement; Arlene Morin, food service /Savage, 38.5 years, retirement; Diana Campbell, secretary/Haggerty, 28 years, retirement; Kerry Zielinski, secretary / SMS, 9.5 years, employer termination; and Vanessa Janke, secretary/ administration, .5 years, other employment.

Five more contracts for construction of the $79 million Belleville High School were approved by the school board at a special meeting June 21.

The following contracts were recommended by Plante Moran CRESA after reviewing competitive bids and selecting the lowest, responsible bidders.

The Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education unanimously approved the recommendations:

* Tennis Courts and Surfacing – Goddard Coating, $35,648 (low bidder of five);

* Landscaping – Mid-Michigan Turf Care, $218,120.60 (lowest of 11 bidders, including Davenport Brothers of Belleville at $385,877);

* General Trades – Heaney General Contracting, Inc., $2,339,987 (low bidder of five); and

Also at the June 21 meeting, the board held two executive sessions: one to discuss a written opinion by the district attorney (34 minutes) and one to discuss contract negotiations (1 hour and 37 minutes).

The board also heard information from Forensic Accountant Tom Taylor of Taylor and Associates on the amended budget.

Taylor spoke to the board about the budget process. He said early in the school year discussion should be held on the budget and the board should adopt a budget calendar.

“If you are diligent about sticking to this calendar, you are not rushing around at the end of the year to finalize your budget,” he said.

The board held a special meeting on June 24 to adopt the final amended budget for 2009-10.

After a public hearing Monday, the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education approved a balanced budget of $52 million, which necessitated cutting into the fund balance to balance.

“We’re spending over a quarter of a million dollars more than we’re taking in and we’re running out of people to cut,” said Board President David Peer in explanation.

School Supt. Thomas Riutta said the board is trying to “keep everything together.”

He said with no changes, three years down the road the district would be $34 million in deficit.

“There won’t be a Van Buren District,” he said. “We’d have a beautiful new high school that’s vacant.”

Board members said the state has said districts in deficit funding could be combined with other districts.

Financial consultant Tom Taylor said, “Once you spend your fund balance, you become a deficit district and we don’t want to go there … then we’d have to talk to the state about what we’re going to do … You don’t control your own destiny.”

A group of paraprofessionals were present in the audience, apparently alerted to the budget that cuts to zero the number of paraprofessionals in the elementary schools.

At first, board members said the board has yet to make a final decision on the paraprofessionals, but then admitted the parapros they were not in this budget, but could be put back if things work out.

Board members said there were no teacher recalls in the budget, referring to the 81 that were laid off earlier in the year.

The district has assumed 233 fewer students this fall, at $7,700 per student in state aid that would be lost. Taylor said that 130 of that number is from closing the alternative education program.

The state has yet to decide exactly how much state aid the districts will get, and may not make that decision until it has to in October.

Also, since there is a decline in property values, there are a record number of appeals on property taxes, and the district won’t know what “charge backs” they will get from the county on that.

“Our objective is to keep this district solvent. We don’t want the state here,” said Trustee Bob Binert.

“This year we eliminated alternative education and career education,” Toth said. “Next year we won’t have those big things to cut and I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

Board members said there is nothing in this budget for library books or textbooks.

The Van Buren Township Planning Commission voted unanimously at its June 23 meeting to recommend rejection of the Visteon rezoning application to make way for a generator at the east area of the Visteon property.

The landfill-gas-to-electricity generator would be placed in the backyards of some Van Buren Township residents, who have strongly objected.

Dan Swallow, director of planning and economic development, said the recommendation to deny the rezoning request is expected to be on the agenda of the township board’s July 20 meeting.

The township board will make the final decision, since the planning commission is a recommending body.

The vote was taken after almost two hours of discussion and, although they were told to behave themselves and not applaud during the meeting, the two dozen residents present clapped anyway after the final vote.

Several homeowners spoke against the rezoning of 7.01 acres requested by Visteon from the present AG-Estate to OT Office Technology, citing noise, odors, loss of property values, and a host of other fears.

Visteon’s request had diminished in size from some 10 acres earlier in the year to the current 7.01, after neighbor opposition and the planning consultant’s previous recommendation to deny.

But, despite other objections, the decision by the commission was based strictly on the June 18 recommendation to deny by Sally Hodges of McKenna Associates, the planning consultant.

In a nine-page statement, Hodges backed up her recommended denial by pointing out the shortfalls of the request.

She said the requested rezoning is not supported by the Township’s Master Plan sequencing standards. The site is in an isolated finger of land projecting into an established single family residential neighborhood and no provision is made to use Visteon Way to benefit the township through an expansion of the OT area, other than lots owned by Visteon.

Hodges said while researching the request recently, she found that Visteon has yet to turn over Visteon Way to the county as a public road. Hodges pointed out that township taxpayers paid for the road, constructed some eight years ago, that was supposed to be public, but it’s still private, owned by Visteon.

Also, the generation plant proposed use is not permitted by right in the OT district, she said.

The site does not strictly meet the lot area requirements of the sequencing standards and the location of residential parcels on three sides negatively affects the build-ability of the site, limiting its future use when required protective screening and setbacks are provided, she said.

Also, the substandard lot area and location of residential parcels on three sides may make it difficult to adequately protect the single family residential neighbors from the impacts of noise, truck traffic, odors, lights, fumes and other impacts of OT uses.

And, since the proposal does not meet the sequencing standards of the master plan, the zoning change could set a precedent for other sites.

Also, the proposed rezoning may cause remaining AG property to the north and south to have a reduced value as AG property and as OT zoned property because of lack of access to Visteon Way.

Before Hodges gave her report, James J. Militello, director of global real estate for Visteon, went on the defensive.

He said Visteon hasn’t turned Visteon Way over to Wayne County, but that process is currently underway and was delayed by the county which wanted a DTE easement.

Swallow said the county has transmitted a quick claim deed to Visteon for execution, but there are quite a few concerns “out there” that should be looked at.

Also, Militello referred to talk that Visteon was not truthful with the buyer of a house recently sold and didn’t tell the new owner about the proposed generator in the back yard.

“Our obligation ends with our property,” Militello said, adding he made complete disclosure to the buyers about the property.

He said he did not tell them who lives next door, what the school scores are, or other details because it was not his obligation.

Also, the property two doors down from the new home-buyers was posted with the rezoning application information, which is proper, he said.

Attorney Timothy Stoepker, representing Visteon and Hoosier Energy (which is ready to build its $25 million landfill-gas-to-energy plant), defended the rezoning request.

He said they are seeking to rezone the property to OT, which is what it calls for in the Grace Lake Master Plan. Once the property is rezoned, it can have any number of uses, “but we address the use being sought.”

Stoepker said the plan is for a co-generation facility, taking methane gas from the nearby landfill to heat water to provide a primary heat source for Visteon’s campus, with the energy going into the electrical grid “and ultimately to Visteon or local businesses and residences.”

He said the 20’ tall, 136x58’ facility would be self-contained, with piping underground and five smokestacks.

Stoepker quoted the VBT website, saying the township’s goal is to work towards a green community and green development.

He said now the methane gas from the landfill goes up the air stacks into the air.

“For many people this is a new use,” Stoepker said. “Well, it’s a new day … we’re looking at ways to make ourselves a green community … take a landfill that’s a problem … and keep methane gas from going up in the air … put energy in the grid and allow the State of Michigan to fulfill its renewable energy goal…”

John Delaney of Mida Drive said at a recent private meeting held by Visteon for neighbors, they were told energy would be sold to the grid.

Also, the neighbors were told the house in question hadn’t sold because it was damaged by vandals and might never be sold. Delaney said in fact the house was sold by Visteon two days before that meeting.

“A promise is only as good as the promiser,” Delaney warned, referring to the unkept promises of Walmart.

Burt Whitbeck, who lives next to Visteon Way, said he is an electrical contractor and knows what a generator is and that they are usually in industrial complexes. He asked if environmental impact studies were done, and he was told they had been done.

Whitbeck said Visteon bought up seven homes from neighbors and then sold four of those to new owners.

Michael West said he bought the newest house and, “I’m not saying I was lied to, but I wasn’t told that I would have a generator in my back yard.”

He said his wife has multiple sclerosis and “anything irritates her… this is irritating her…” and negatively affecting her health.

West said he drove by Visteon the previous night and, “there wasn’t a light that wasn’t turned on,” showing the corporation really has no concern over energy use.

West said he does not want “a big humming building in his back yard.” He said they bought the house without knowing about the generator planned. “I’m sure Visteon won’t buy it back. I don’t think we could sell it.”

Ernie Tozer of 9200 Hannan said, “This potential accident is in our backyard.” He added that if the residents living there now won’t sell, the goal of the master plan for that whole area to be OT might never happen.

Tozer stated this generator is an industrial process since it takes a raw product, processes it, and produce hot water to heat the buildings at Visteon and electricity to send to the grid.

“They are deceitful people … liars and back-stabbers,” said Shari West, who said they would have to pay for her funeral since all this is wearing on her health.

When Commissioner Tom Koscielny asked about moving the generating plant to another location on the Visteon property to get it away from the residents, attorney Stoepker said other locations had been considered.

Militello got an aggressive tone and challenged Koscielny, asking if they moved it would it then be a permitted use.

A permit to Hoosier Energy to install the generating facility on that site was approved by the Michigan DEQ in November. Residents had to find out about the generator plans on their own, since Swallow did not tell them about it until after they badgered him with questions at the first public hearing on the rezoning.

In other business at the two-hour meeting, the commission tabled approval of the minutes of the May 26 meeting because of some inaccuracies. The corrected minutes will be considered for approval at an upcoming meeting.

Commissioner Donald Boynton was absent and excused from the meeting because of a death in the family.

published: June 24, 2010

Consultants give McClanahan top score in VBT top cop search

After the candidates for the Public Safety Director position in Van Buren Township were screened by the township board and their four favorites sent on to professional consultants for evaluation, the top choice turns out to be VBT’s present interim director, Carl McClanahan.

On Tuesday, VBT Supervisor Paul White said the four now will be scheduled for interviews by the board in a yet-unscheduled work/study session. Then, the final vote by the township board will be taken at an upcoming meeting, hopefully on July 6, Supervisor White said.

The four finalists for the Public Safety Director position were evaluated by EMPCO, a professional assessment consulting firm, on June 16 at Van Buren Township Hall. The finalists were:

* Carl McClanahan, VBT Interim Public Safety Director, a resident of Van Buren Township;

* Paul J. Myszenski, appointed as Interim Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police for Bloomfield Hills Dept. of Public Safety; and

Supervisor White said McClanahan achieved the top ranking score in the EMPCO assessment center.

McClanahan has been serving as VBT Public Safety Director since the first of the year, filling the spot left vacant when Jerry Champagne was fired in May 2009.

Police speculated the drowning death of a 14-year-old swimmer last week was due to him getting caught in the undertow of the Huron River that goes through Belleville Lake on its way to Lake Erie.

The cold, 70-degree temperature of the lake that day may also have been a factor.

Van Buren Police Captain Gregory Laurain identified the teen as Kasey Farley of Ypsilanti, who had been swimming off the beach in Van Buren Park with his cousin.

The cousin, Fred Hensley, 18, told police he and Kasey were swimming just off the beach area and Kasey went out past the posted warning buoys on his own.

Capt. Laurain said Hensley reported that he looked away and then heard Kasey calling for help and flailing in the water. Then Kasey went under.

Capt. Laurain said police and fire rescue teams responded to a 911 call at 3:12 p.m. on June 16.

The VBT Marine Unit was already on the lake and responded within minutes. The Public Safety Dive Team also responded, along with whatever officers were available.

Officers manning the traffic unit were pulled into regular patrol duties as backup, to go on runs as the emergency efforts unfolded.

Farley reportedly was located at 4:17 p.m. by a diver in about eight feet of water, 200 feet from shore, beyond the buoys.

Attempts to revive him were immediately initiated by fire personnel on the scene as he was pulled into a boat and was continued by paramedics as Huron Valley Ambulance transported him to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:15 p.m.

Hensley told police that Kasey knew how to swim and he did not know what could have happened.

Capt. Laurain said the incident is under investigation by police. He said the autopsy was done by Washtenaw County and they are awaiting the results of the toxicology tests, which “take a while.”

Police said the teens were staying at their grandmother’s home in the area, and the grandmother told a television reporter she did not know they had gone swimming.

Opal Thomas told a Channel 2 News reporter that she wouldn’t have given permission to go swimming and she thought Kasey was in the house with other boys.

Thomas said she was Kasey’s legal guardian and was in the process of adopting him.

While the swimming area of Van Buren Park beach is marked by buoys with a sign warning of deep water and strong current, there is no lifeguard on duty.

Last weekend’s Belleville National Strawberry Festival went off without major glitches, with the usual fights, lost children, and disagreements between local merchants and the festival committee.

Vendors said there were more people this year, but they had less money to spend. The number of vendors was fewer than usual.

On Friday night, the carnival rides were shut down by police because of the impending storm, which blew through, cutting electrical power to some of the surrounding rural Van Buren and Sumpter township areas for almost a full day.

A construction fence at the high school was knocked down by the 60 mph winds that blew up Friday, but on Saturday morning the fence was put back in place, none the worse for wear.

The festival parade on Saturday morning was under sunny skies, which was the norm for the rest of the weekend. There were fewer floats this year, but lots more politicians.

Four funeral processions traveled through the congested city on Saturday, briefly interrupting the detoured traffic.

Some festival-goers complained about a “soapbox preacher” expounding at the corner of Main and Second without a festival vendor permit, but Police Chief Gene Taylor said the preacher was exercising his constitutional right of freedom of speech and refused to remove him.

Robert Austin, formerly of the closed Red Beans and Rice and now of the Brown Bag Deli, told the city council Monday night of his weekend clash with the festival committee and city officials over whether he had the proper permits to be cooking and serving outside and having a band playing.

Austin said he has had outdoor seating at the deli since he opened. He said he cooked 630 slabs of ribs over the weekend and he said he thought he had permission to run his business there.

He said a member of the festival committee shut down his wife selling merchandise in front of her shop, even though his wife had the required sidewalk sale permit.

“The city council should reconsider how the festival infringes on our businesses,” Austin said.

He checked with City Hall, he said, and was told the proper permits for what he wants to do will cost $1,100 which he can’t afford. He asked for a break on the cost of the special-use approval procedure and the outdoor café permit.

The council agreed to meet with merchants who wanted input on the festival committee agreement before next year’s festival, but agreed the fees quoted to Austin are necessary because the planning consultants have to be paid for reviews and other expenses.

In a related matter, John Juriga said the new wall seating around town was well-used during the festival, but those sitting there got ketchup, mustard, and other food stains on the seats. He said the seats need to be power-washed and sealed before the next festival.

After a lengthy discussion at Monday’s regular meeting, the Belleville City Council voted 3-1 to store a portable stage in the DPW yard if someone else would buy it and manage it.

Councilman Jim Shrove, who voted no, said Belleville doesn’t have any city events for it.

“If an organization wants it, they should buy it and pay for it,” Shrove said.

Purchase of the portable stage, a deal at $4,500, was proposed to the Downtown Development Authority by DDA member Ken Voigt last week, but the DDA said the city should own it. DDA members informally agreed to purchase it, if the city would assume ownership.

When Voigt appeared before the city council with his proposal, however, the council was less than enthusiastic.

The stage, which is in Alabama and Voigt proposed to buy sight-unseen, is a customized 20 ft. cargo box which unfolds to a 17x24’ roofed stage. The front section can be expanded to 25’.

Voigt said the stage comes equipped with a plug for a portable generator, over 20 electrical outlets, overhead stage lights, rope curtain lighting, built in electronics, drum riser, and cushioned flooring. At the front of the stage there are four high-speed cooling fans and 20 more performance lights.

While the council was discussing with Voigt about who should own the stage, Kay Atkins and Barbara Miller of the Belleville Area Council for the Arts were whispering to each other in the audience.

They came up with a proposal to present to BACA that would use the $5,000 Moriatory fund as a revolving loan fund, as it has in the past when it fronted money for the community band and later for the community chorus, who both paid the fund back.

Atkins said they could rent out the stage and earn the money to return to the fund.

Voigt said a lot of communities own stages. He thought Belleville could get the stage and make it available to any nonprofit groups in the 48111 zip code to encourage more events.

“We’re the only community in Southeast Michigan that has a downtown on the lake,” Voigt pointed out, adding the music festival he ran in 1999 on the lake was very successful and made great use of the lake.

“You’re splitting hairs about who’s putting on an event,” Voigt said. “We need to act like a community. It’s our thing.”

Most agreed that buying the stage sight-unseen was risky business, but Voigt said even if it needed upgrading, it was a deal since new stages cost about $100,000 and a similar used stage on eBay cost $19,000.

“It’s well worth it,” said Chief Gene Taylor. “It could be used … or could sit like the Santa Claus Shop and go dormant.”

Don Bluhm told of his experience with antique car purchases and said while the stage would be good for the community, “Don’t buy a pig in a poke. I haven’t seen many good ones.”

* Voted to raise the sewer rate by 8%, a 45-cent increase, because the city’s rate has been increased. Water rates remain at the current rate of $5.56;

* Approved a clerical correction of a utility rate resolution passed last June to modify the ordinance to match what the city has been doing since then, according to city attorney John Day;

* Approved accepting the low bid of The Jeffery Company of Gibraltar for $19,733 to resurface the alley running south from West Columbia Avenue, near Five Points. There is only $17,000 in the budget for the project, so cutbacks in the scope will bring it down to the budget price. City Manager Diana Kollmeyer said they would like to have the project done before Main Street is torn up for construction, so it can be used as an alternate route for some motorists;

* Set a public hearing for 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 6, to consider an ordinance amendment regulating electronic message signs. Both the Van Buren Public Schools and the City of Belleville would like to erect such signs;

* Approved the request of Girlstown to hold car washes from noon to 6 p.m. on June 30 and July 21 (rain days July 1 and 22) next to the fire hall at Second and Liberty, as it has done for the past two years. Kay Atkins suggested the girls do some community service to give back to the city that is paying for the water they use and Autumn Ross said she would take the idea back to her supervisor;

* Heard Mayor Richard Smith say that a year ago a committee came up with suggestions for park usage fees, but he wants to sit down with the new members of the parks & rec committee to discuss the proposal. City Manager Kollmeyer said while they are at it, the 1999 parks ordinance needs cleaning up, too;

* Approved the 2009/10 fiscal year budget amendments, with just two weeks left in the fiscal year. The amendments were recommended by Plante Moran consultant Molly Goike, who explained the changes and noted the fund balance will be about $50,000 less than expected, bringing it to $170,180;

* Adopted revisions to the city’s drug-free workplace policy, as recommended by City Manager Kollmeyer;

* Approved accounts payable of $291,605.60 including the following purchases in excess of $500: Birchler Arroyo, $654, planning services; Hennessey Engineers, $2,592.75, survey/alley improvements; Jack Doheny Supply, $847.67, sweeper repair; Mich. Ammo Co., $828, ammunition; and Midwest Backflow, $814, inspections;

* Witnessed Don Bluhm show water samples from his tap on Brain Street and ask for help with the water quality, so his wife can do the laundry and brush her teeth. He said DPW Director Keith Boc said he would be flushing the hydrants every 10 days, but since that promise the flushing has occurred only April 29, May 11, and June 10. Bluhm asked if he should go to the board of health, saying his family has to buy bottled water for cooking and drinking. The city will look into it; and

* Voted to change the next meeting date to July 6 at 7:30 p.m., since the July 5 date first set is inappropriate because City Hall will be closed that day because of the July 4 holiday.

On June 7, Jerry Champagne began work on his new job: Public Safety Director of the City of Ecorse.

This was little over a year after he was fired as public safety director of Van Buren Township.

Recently, his civil rights law suit against VBT and township officials was settled out of court with a payout of $457,000 for him and his lawyer.

Joyce Parker, appointed Ecorse emergency financial manager by Governor Granholm last year, was quoted recently as saying she would be looking at the two other top candidates for public safety director after the one they chose worked a few days and decided to back to St. Clair Shores.

Public Safety Director Stephen Poloni, who had worked at St. Clair Shores for 23 years and sought other employment during a recall drive there, decided to stay after the recall failed.

Poloni was to work through the end of July. Also, Ecorse’s police and fire chiefs had retired in November and continued on their jobs until the new public safety director could be appointed.

Ecorse has a $14.8 million budget, with 19 police officers and 14 fire fighters. The city levies 64.1 mills, and the emergency financial manager said the city would have to levy an additional 10.4 mills for police and fire as of July 1, which will cost Ecorse taxpayers about $200 more a year.

Without the millage, the city would have to lay off 9 police officers and 7 fire fighters, Parker said.

Van Buren Township’s population is about 27,000 with about 11,715 households. Ecorse has a population of 10,137 with about 4,000 households.

VBT has 45 sworn police officers and 36 fire fighters. Ten fire fighters are blended (cross-trained) police/fire officers.

After the rush-hour traffic flows through the city this afternoon, Main Street in Belleville will be closed so vendors and the carnival can set up shop for the 34^th annual Belleville National Strawberry Festival.

The festival officially begins on Friday on Main Street, at St. Anthony Catholic Church with a carnival and beer tent, the Chamber of Commerce midway next door at the high school (which opens Thursday at 5 p.m.), and events planned at Trinity Episcopal and Belleville Presbyterian churches on Belleville Road.

A free shuttle service, the Wyandotte Trolley, will be running continuous loops around the festival starting at the Meijer parking lot on Belleville Road. It will be available from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

The highlight of the week end will be the big parade at 11 a.m. on Saturday. It starts at the high school and heads toward Five Points and then turns to negotiate a narrow path through the vendors on Main Street, ending at the museum, where it disbands.

The Princess Laura Riverboat is offering half-hour cruises on Belleville Lake every hour from 1 to 5 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Cost is $5 for adults and $2.50 for children 12 and under.

There will also be a dinner cruise from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The boat is docked at Horizon Park.

A children’s area on Main Street will feature the Meijer’s Children’s Mobile Unit, Zhu Zhu Pets Tour 2010, and the Kraft Lunchables Tour 2010.

The only free stage entertainment scheduled will be from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday at Frosty Boy on Main Street when the Strawberry Idol contest is held.

On Sunday, the Annual Cinnamon’s Fathers’ Day Car Show will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Victory Park.

St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, 409 W. Columbia Avenue, will host festival events from 4 to 11 p.m. on Friday, noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Trinity Episcopal Church, 11575 Belleville Road, will feature a craft fair and plenty of strawberry treats. It will be open 4-9 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Belleville Presbyterian Church, 11900 Belleville Road, will offer juried crafters, food booth, and strawberry treats. Guided tours will be available of the Martha-Mary chapel, which was one of those built by Henry and Clara Ford to honor their mothers.

Events at the church will take place from noon to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

The downtown area, with a new extension of the children’s carnival behind the museum, will be open from noon to 10 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

The festival office is at the Chamber of Commerce, 248 Main Street, phone 734-283-9634. Joan E. Bodnar is executive director and Tom Fielder is president of the Strawberry Festival Board of Directors.

Because of budget cuts, there will be no Strawberry Queen pageant and no entertainment on Main Street, other than the Strawberry Idol.

Three representative of Wolverine Power Cooperative addressed the workshop session of the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees on June 8, explaining who they are, that they want to be friends, and that they might move the generators they just bought in Sumpter to a location in northern Michigan.

Wolverine was represented by Craig Borr, executive vice president; Brian Warner, director of environment; and Mick Raschke, chief plant operator in Sumpter.

Raschke was hired from FirstEnergy who built the natural-gas-to-electricity peak generating plant on Rawsonville Road in Sumpter in 2002 and then sold it to Wolverine early this year. Wolverine took over operation April 1.

“The Sumpter Township facility is very, very valuable because it uses natural gas fuel, especially if the Cap & Trade carbon tax is passed,” Borr said.

He said it depends on federal carbon legislation. He said such a plant can come on line quickly when the wind doesn’t blow to move its wind turbines Up North.

“We have the ability to move the plant to Northern Michigan, but it’s nothing we plan to do short-term. It’s an option for the long-term,” Borr said.

One is the property classification issue: real vs. person property. FirstEnergy filed an appeal with the Michigan Tax Tribunal and then Wolverine stepped in.