Grand Traverse
Walker to seek Mich. Senate seat
TRAVERSE CITY -- Former state Rep. Howard Walker plans to abandon the private sector and instead start a campaign to return to the state capital.
The Traverse City Republican said May 2 at a Republican breakfast his intention to seek the 37th District Senate seat in 2010. The seat currently is held by Sen. Jason Allen, of Traverse City, a Republican who can't run again due to term limits. The Senate district stretches over seven counties from Traverse City to Sault Ste. Marie.
Walker served the maximum six years in the House and in January said he was not going to run for the Senate. Instead, he planned to return to the private sector.
Local schools taking flu precautions
TRAVERSE CITY -- Local school districts are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst as swine flu continues to pop up across the state.
Several downstate schools shuttered their doors after probable or confirmed swine flu cases surfaced in their districts.
The Grand Traverse region has been immune so far, but area superintendents know that could change in a heartbeat. Officials said they're taking precautions to ward off the illness and could close schools if a local case emerges.
"We're not going to panic, but we also want to protect our students," Frankfort-Elberta Area Schools Superintendent Tom Stobie said.
Traverse City Area Public Schools, the area's largest district, also is focusing on "deeply cleaning" light switches, hand rails and other high-traffic items, spokeswoman Alison Arnold said. That's coupled with an effort to drive home the importance of hand-washing.
"Everything is heightened," Arnold said. "In all of our schools, especially our elementary schools, hand-washing is being really stressed before and after any sort of contact."
Traverse City board unveils draft budget
TRAVERSE CITY -- The neighborhoods and corridors outside downtown Traverse City could get some more attention with a proposed community development director.
A one-year pilot project that calls for Downtown Development Authority Director Bryan Crough to shift much of his focus outside the downtown is among a few changes in the city's proposed budget.
City commissioners on Monday got their first look at the draft budget. A public hearing is set for May 18, and the commission must approve the budget by June 1.
The proposed budget is balanced at $14,376,900. The property tax will stay at about 13.2 mills.
The community development director will remain an employee of the DDA, but the city would budget $30,000 for office expenses and project seed money.
Police say man damaged cruiser
TRAVERSE CITY -- A man who allegedly tussled with police officers and smashed one of their cars faced a Taser -- and now could face multiple criminal charges.
Traverse City police were called at about 3:30 a.m. May 3 to a party on the 1500 block of East Front Street on a report of a disorderly person.
Officers found an Elk Rapids man, 28, in an argument in front of the residence. The man allegedly arrived at the residence intoxicated, Traverse City Police Capt. Steve Morgan said.
The suspect knew someone at the party, but didn't know the person who lived there. He became "aggressive and vulgar" when asked to leave, and police were called when he refused.
Officers handcuffed the man, but released him when no one at the scene wished to file a complaint.
Officers told him to leave multiple times, Morgan said, but the man began shouting obscenities and wouldn't depart. When officers told him they planned to arrest him for disorderly conduct, he allegedly became combative and swung at the officers.
A patrol vehicle was damaged in the struggle when the man, whom Morgan described as very large, slammed into a vehicle.
An officer eventually used a Taser to subdue the man. He was taken to Grand Traverse County's jail and could be charged with being a disorderly person and resisting or assaulting a police officer.
State cuts hit area hospitals, police
TRAVERSE CITY -- Hundreds of thousands of state dollars will be yanked away from the region under the governor's budget plans.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm issued an executive order Tuesday to cut $349 million from the current state budget in the latest round of cuts. Of that, $304 million will be cut from the general fund.
It means state trooper layoffs, $40 million trimmed from local government revenue-sharing programs, and $16 million less for community health services and Medicaid programs.
Doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and other health care services that treat Medicaid patients will see a 4 percent cut.
It amounts to a large, bitter pill for Munson Healthcare to swallow.
"At a minimum, it will be $500,000 and most likely, more than that," said Barb Gordon-Kessel, Munson Medical Center spokeswoman.
The hospital will not turn away anyone who needs treatment, she said, but must absorb additional expenses and have no expectation for repayment. That's against the backdrop of fewer patients with health insurance and the ability to pay for medical care, she said.
Capt. Tim Rod, Michigan State Police 7th District commander, said 12 of the district's 145 troopers will lose their jobs.
He said around-the-clock patrols will continue, though with fewer troopers on the road. Affected troopers are recent graduates with less than a year on the job.
Every state police post in the district, save Gaylord's, will lose at least one and maybe two troopers, but no posts will close, Rod said.
Commons barns to feature garden
TRAVERSE CITY -- Local organizations hope to grow awareness and cultivate appreciation for all things green through a botanical garden, entrepreneurial farm program and children's activities at the Grand Traverse Commons barns.
The Traverse City commission this week approved a management agreement with three local organizations to use the public land near West Silver Lake Road.
The Botanical Garden Society of Northwest Michigan will plant a community botanical garden. Little Artshram will continue educational gardening and art programs for children and teens that already take place at the site.
SEEDS, a local nonprofit ecological research and design firm, plans to set up an educational farming program for semi-skilled farmers who don't have their own land or markets.
Van disappears, then is found in flames
TRAVERSE CITY -- Someone ran off with a cleaning company's van shortly before 3 a.m. Tuesday as crews worked to clean the Bayview Inn Bar & Grill on U.S. 31 in Acme Township. A short time later, deputies found the heavy-duty van engulfed in flames down a rugged two-track road near Scenic Hills Drive.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Department at 995-5152 or Silent Observer at 947-TIPS.
Group to foot arsenic bill at park
TRAVERSE CITY -- Protecting the public from arsenic contamination at a proposed park in Peninsula Township could cost more than $200,000, but taxpayers won't have to foot the bill.
The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy will pay for the work, said Glen Chown, the conservancy's executive director.
The nonprofit agency facilitated the $2 million park's purchase and holds an option to buy it. But the conservancy came under criticism in January for not initially disclosing the contamination prior to township voters' approval of the deal.
New developer takes Whiting reins
TRAVERSE CITY -- A new developer is in control of a proposed makeover of downtown's Whiting Hotel building, a project that will have to make do with about $2 million less in taxpayer support than expected.
Traverse City real estate developer Gene LaFave recently took over the $8 million historical renovation of the Front Street building from Bob Sutherland, founder and president of Cherry Republic.
The project is intended to restore the 1893 building's exterior to its original look, make it energy efficient and create affordable and low-income apartment housing for downtown workers.
The project originally was supposed to attract over $4.3 million in public financing, but "the money is just evaporating by the day," LaFave said.
Grand Traverse County's land bank authority can contribute $800,000, not $1.6 million, as originally was estimated. The project isn't eligible for $450,000 in state historical tax credits because state officials don't recognize the downtown as a historical area.
LaFave said $400,000 in federal affordable housing assistance was pulled, and several other sources were trimmed.
Estes won't seek re-election as mayor
TRAVERSE CITY -- Mayor Michael Estes will not run for re-election in November, but city Commissioner Chris Bzdok hopes to take the reins.
Estes, 59, beat incumbent Linda Smyka in November 2007 for a two-year mayoral term.
"I can't say it was a real conscientious decision the day I was elected, but I had no intentions really of running for re-election in the beginning," Estes said. "I absolutely love the job, and I've tried to devote a huge amount of time and energy towards it, and I just have some other things I want to do."
He plans to devote more time to natural resources committees and traveling.
He owns Estes Enterprises Inc., a private investment company, and Estes Tree Farms in Antrim County. He worked for Ford Motor Co.'s finance staff and previously was a state auditor and an accountant.
Leelanau
Voters OK millages in Northport, Benzie
NORTHPORT -- Students at Northport Public School will be able to continue their education in the small Leelanau County town thanks to voter support of an operating millage renewal.
Leelanau Township residents on Tuesday voted 516 to 132 in favor of a five-year, non-homestead operating millage renewal for 15.6583 mills. Only 13.388 mills will be collected.
The school has 146 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. It does not receive state education tax dollars, meaning the school could have been at risk of closing had the millage failed.
In Benzie County, voter support of a jail millage spared officials from closing a 20-bed wing and laying off some corrections officers.
Residents voted 1,482 to 1,244 in favor of a six-year, 0.9-mill levy for county jail operations.
The millage covers about two-thirds of the $1.5 million budget for the 47-bed jail.
Voters narrowly approved a $530,000 bond proposal for Benzie County's Frankfort-Elberta Area Schools. An $850,000 bond proposal failed by 33 votes last November.
The lower bond proposal passed 541 votes to 525 this time around, with voters in Crystal Lake Township against the bond.
The bond will be repaid at an average 0.21-mill rate over the life of the seven-year bond. Taxpayers will pay 0.06 mills the first year.
Voters in Antrim County supported a one-year renewal of an 18-mill non-homestead operating millage for Mancelona Public Schools.
It passed 218 to 61, said Superintendent Jeff DiRosa.
Wexford
Wexford teacher faces CSC charge
MESICK -- A Wexford County teacher faces a criminal sexual conduct charge.
Paul Paulik, 48, was arraigned this week on a single count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, a court spokeswoman said. He is free on bond.
Paulik was placed on paid suspension from Mesick Consolidated High School in March pending the outcome of a Wexford County Sheriff's Department investigation.
A female student approached school officials about an alleged incident at the school after school hours March 5. Superintendent Dennis Stratton then called police, authorities previously said.
No one was in the office to comment about the investigation early Friday afternoon, a Wexford sheriff's spokeswoman said. Prosecutor Mark Smathers and Stratton did not return calls for comment.
Paulik is listed as a math teacher on a Wexford-Missaukee Intermediate School District directory.
