The Vicksburg school district’s curriculum director, Gail Van Daff, outlined proposals for improving language skills of middle school students in a June presentation to the school board.
The proposals are intended to counter problems revealed in standardized testing following the pandemic.
“We celebrated, certainly, the areas where we met our target and we agonized over the areas that we did not,” Van Daff said. “We want you and our families to know we are not where we want to be, where we know we need to be for our students and where we know we can get to with our students.”
Results in some cases are not due to a lack of effort, a lack of care or a lack of dedication from teachers, Van Daff said.
“As I talk with curriculum directors in other districts, they, too, (experience) struggling,” she added. “Particularly at the middle school, to come out (from) where we were in the pandemic. Not an excuse, but it does explain that middle school is having a really tough time coming out of the pandemic.”
“This year, we started a complete review of our English courses at the middle school,” she said. “We’re looking at resources, time allocation, lesson planning and instruction to better support students in learning.”
Among the proposals:
Re-establishing the culture of reading in all classrooms, not just in English.
Helping students to review their own data in order to take that data seriously and personally, and help them chart their growth.
“Analyzing data at the student level, not just stopping with the aggregate numbers, but actually digging down and looking at who are these students and which students do we need to move to small-group instruction,” she said.
ELO intervention – expanded learning opportunities at the middle school. “We looked at how we can better allocate time within those periods as well as use our assessment data better to inform our instruction,” Van Daff said.
Analyzing attendance data at the middle school and student engagement, and how those two factors might play into student achievement.
“Lastly, summer services have not been an effective format,” she noted. “In fact, we sent over a hundred letters out to students at the middle school level for summer school and got eight positive responses back. Of those, not all those students would be able to attend all the days. So, we’re going at it a little bit differently than bringing the students in.”
“We’re going to provide some additional instruction over the summer but we’re going to do a more intentional after-school programming and support next year while the kids are actually there and we’ll do some intervention with them at that point,” she said.
Vicksburg High School athletic teams had a very successful spring season. Vicksburg Athletic Director Michael Roy reports that of the 11 teams that competed this spring, four placed first in the Wolverine Conference and two teams placed second. Several Bulldog coaches were also recognized by their peers: four coaches were voted Wolverine Conference Coach of the Year, two received District Coach of the Year, and three were honored as Regional Coach of the Year.
A point of pride for Roy is the athletes’ performance in the classroom. The average GPA of the senior athletes is 3.656, and 15 graduating seniors will be playing at the next level. Seventeen student athletes received academic honors at the district or state level.
In August, the South County News will present a wrap-up of individual team sports and the exceptional Bulldog season.
6-year-old Lilly Williams played a life-size version of Connect Four with her sister, Kennidey, 9, at the June 14 ‘Burg Days of Summer kickoff event.
By Jef Rietsma
Blessed with perfect weather, a jovial crowd and family-friendly attractions, the inaugural ‘Burg Days of Summer event June 14 got the series off on the right foot, village officials said.
“This is a phenomenal night …what’s been created here in Vicksburg has been nothing short of awesome,” village President Tim Frisbie said. “Jim Mallery, the village manager, his ideas, his progressive thinking from a social standpoint, bringing families into an environment where they feel safe, are safe and welcome. It’s just so rewarding to see this.”
Standing at the corner of West Prairie Street and Michigan Avenue, Frisbie smiled as he observed families eating together, children lined up at an inflatable climbing structure and live music at two downtown venues.
“This is everything we could have hoped for and it’s exciting to think we have eight more Wednesdays of fun after this,” he said.
The ‘Burg Days of Summer features a number of food trucks, live music on two stages, kids’ attractions and plenty of other draws for people of all ages. Frisbie said the downtown social district was created in part to complement events such as ‘Burg Days.
Mallery said the key to ‘Burg Days and all that went into planning it is establishing a family-oriented event. As Frisbie did, Mallery scanned the two downtown streets and confirmed what he saw is exactly what he envisioned when ‘Burg Days was just a concept.
“I see people with smiles on their faces, interaction with our retail establishments – the clothing stores, the flower shop, the restaurants – just look around 360 degrees and you see kids of all ages, parents, grandparents, strollers and most importantly, smiles,” Mallery said. “We want Vicksburg to have a great reputation and continue this every summer as long as we can. In fact, we want Vicksburg to be a place where neighbors become friends … that’s our goal.”
Mallery said $26,000 of the $40,000 budgeted for the summerlong series is being covered through grant money.
Vicksburg resident Alexandra Chambers, a Centennial neighborhood resident, said she lived in Vicksburg for five years, left for two years then returned about five years ago.
She said the village’s Facebook page did a nice job promoting the June 14 ‘Burg Days event. She and her three children – Kennidey Williams, 9; Lilly Williams, 6; and Elijah Williams, 2 – especially enjoyed the kids’ games.
“These are the kind of events that make me glad we moved back to Vicksburg,” she said. “It’s a community that looks out for its residents and wants to make it a nice place to live. No regrets about moving back.”
Portage residents Rady and Laurie Adams joined their Vicksburg-area friends, Jim and Pat Moiles, for a bite at the Village Hideaway.
Like Chambers, Laurie Adams said they found out about ‘Burg Days through the village’s Facebook page and were eager to see if the event would live up to its hype.
“We know there are some good places to eat in Vicksburg, and we thought it would be a good idea to come here and eat and see what all is going on,” she said.
Jim Moiles added: “Vicksburg is a beautiful community and something like this gets everybody out, it helps the business in town, it’s just a real nice get-together. I know they’re doing this weekly and I have no doubt we’ll come back again.”
‘Burg Days of Summer will take place Wednesdays through Aug. 16, though the series will take the night off July 5. Music acts will perform from approximately 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on two stages – one on Main Street, the other on Prairie Street.
Meanwhile, Erik Ragan, a Vicksburg resident, brought his wife, child and dogs, Tucker and Poppy, to the event. He said dog-friendly gatherings are always fun to patronize.
“It’s fun, the music is a nice touch and what a beautiful night to be outside,” he said.
Vicksburg Village Council members last month were asked to consider reinstating the community’s annual curbside junk collection.
During the council’s May 1 meeting, residents Kelly Christiansen and Kate Wunderlin cited a number of reasons why the village might wish to offer the service once again.
Finding a company willing to do the pickup is a problem, Village Manager Jim Mallery said.
Christiansen said she is aware of several people who don’t have a vehicle – a pickup, for example – in which junk can be transported to the annual collection at the ball fields near Sunset Lake Elementary. Christiansen added the timing of the summertime junk collection also poses potential conflicts.
“Many of us are out of town or have other plans on a summer Saturday,” she said. “Even last year, my family and I made sure we were home on that Saturday, we brought a few loads and when we arrived with our last load, the trucks were gone and it was before the published end time.”
Christiansen also said a significant amount of curbside junk ends up getting recovered by scavengers who find uses for discarded materials. That in itself is a great example of recycling and adds less to landfills, Christiansen said.
“The scrap metal available benefits others, as you may know,” she added. “Vicksburg Rotary has raised over $30,000 with their scrap pickup … we make it pretty easy for them by putting it out to our curb for them to collect.”
Wunderlin said resumption of curbside junk pickup would help address blight in the community. The service, she said, benefits everyone.
“We also feel this could create a lot of good will with citizens by reinstating this amenity,” she said, noting that Plainwell, Middleville and Parchment continue to offer curbside junk pickup.
Village President Tim Frisbie said the matter is under discussion among village staff, Village Manager Jim Mallery and the council.
“Whatever we do, it’s going to be in the 2024 budget, so there’ll be ample time to have these discussions and we’ll put forward some ideas … whatever we can do to be a team player,” Frisbie responded.
Mallery said Vicksburg’s last curbside junk pickup was conducted in 2019 and it cost nearly $17,000. He said curbside junk collection has never been a matter of cost.
“COVID happened, so the service wasn’t provided during (2020), and each year, including this year, the companies would not provide it … neither Republic or Best Way would commit to a village-wide, curbside pickup. Both companies, Mallery said, gave staffing and concerns that items left at the curb are items they can no longer take to the disposal site as reasons to back out.
“This is a no-brainer. We would budget (curbside junk pickup) in a heartbeat to have it done but we can’t get anyone to do it.”
He noted a few communities that offer curbside junk pickup are serviced by a single waste company. Mallery explained that in such instances, municipalities include in their contract with a single-service hauler some type of annual curbside junk pickup.
Council member Carl Keller said he, too, misses the curbside junk pickup. He recalled that an old swing set he placed by the street a few years ago was eventually picked up and presumably repurposed by someone.
He said the matter of resuming an annual curbside junk collection remains on the village council’s radar.
In an unrelated matter, council member Rick Holmes noted that Vicksburg Little League did not petition the village for a parade permit this year. As a result, a longtime tradition that should have taken place April 28 did not.
“Unfortunately, there was an organization that did not engage the village to the extent that they could have, and that’s the Vicksburg Little League,” he said. “For some reason, they chose not to file a petition and those kids did not have a parade this past weekend. I really hope they file an application (next year). I think the village would very quickly approve it and we’d more than happy to see that parade in town.”
Highway Street on Vicksburg’s south side and the non-motorized trail on the north side will be repaved this year.
Village council members at a mid-June meeting approved 2023-24 road work projects. Highway Street, part of the county’s W Street, will be resurfaced from village limit to village limit, Village Manager Jim Mallery said.
“That entire stretch will be a mill-and-fill, meaning it’s milled two inches and overlayed with asphalt, with the same curbing that’s currently there,” Mallery said. Battle Creek-based Lakeland Asphalt was the low bidder at $262,000.
Mallery said he drove all 21 miles of streets in the village with a representative from the Kalamazoo County Road Commission. He said they identified streets to schedule for crack-fill treatment in 2024. Mallery said the village receives state-issued funding for care of major streets and a lesser amount from MDOT dedicated to local streets. He explained why some streets will receive attention before others.
“It would be our goal to not put asphalt down, knowing in a couple of years we would be digging up a sewer,” he said. “We’re holding off (on) Kalamazoo Avenue between Highway Street and Prairie Street due to the condition of the sewer (under Kalamazoo Avenue). We’re still identifying funds for that future project and a sewer that is directly under Kalamazoo.”
The non-motorized trail will be resurfaced from its start near North Street to TU Avenue. Mallery said the low bid was from Michigan Paving for $144,000. The trail will receive an overlay of about two inches of asphalt.
“They’ll blow out the cracks, fill the cracks then add overlay,” he said. “Then, on both sides of the new overlay they come back later and apply crushed (stone) on both sides to stabilize those edges.”
Mallery said both paving projects are to be completed before the end of the calendar year.
Mallery said he will provide a report early next year detailing local street projects eyed for 2024. As an example, he said street improvements are planned for areas not addressed in 2022 in the Trillium neighborhood, as well as for entryways into the original Allen Edwin plat off 22nd Street.
Council members considered and eventually approved a 4.5% raise for Scott Sanderson, police chief and assistant village manger; Michelle Morgan, director of finance and treasurer; and Christian Wines, village clerk.
Mallery said 4.5% is consistent on average with raises issued to counterparts in communities comparable in size to Vicksburg.
In addition, Mallery recommended increasing wages by $2.50 an hour for three DPW employees and an office staff member.
Concern was expressed about whether it might be ideal to pause raises and decide later whether such action is warranted. However, the majority of the council recognized the value in retaining employees, and the cost associated with losing a worker, then hiring and training a replacement.
Mallery provided a detailed explanation, confirming the village is in a position financially to support the proposed raises.
In other action:
Mallery said four additional outdoor tables will be purchased at a total cost of $14,000 for use downtown. Two are slated for Oswalt Park and two in the bump-out outside the Hideaway.
Mallery and council members commended Randy Schippers, a longtime village employee who has retired as Department of Public Works director. Mallery introduced Jim Meyers, a Mendon resident, as the village’s new director.
Council member Rick Holmes raised the idea of a permanent restroom facility in the downtown area.
Council President Tim Frisbie suggested consideration be given to the installation of pickleball courts. Holmes proposed working with Vicksburg Community Schools and inquiring about adding pickleball lines at the school district’s tennis court complex.
Mallery said the amount of online traffic on the village’s Facebook page increased significantly over the previous four weeks.
Once again, the streets of Vicksburg will become a trip down memory lane as the village welcomes thousands of visitors and more than 1,000 old cars.
It is always interesting to hear the stories people tell about memories they have of cars in their lives. Many times, they see a car like they took on their honeymoon, or the first car they remember as a kid and perhaps their first car. Cars are a part of the American dream and opened travel to the masses.
The Vicksburg Community Association has hosted the festival from the very first year. It came about when people such as Sue Moore, Mike Wunderlin, Dick Masse, Knowles, and others came together to help the Village which was struggling. The goal was to host an event that would bring people to discover us. Community activities and volunteerism were down, and the town needed a reason to give it a little spit and polish.
Historic vintage vehicles like the Model T, brass era cars, hot rods and special-interest cars will once again find their way to Vicksburg. Friday night will host the cruise in a low-key event to just bring car guys together to put their hoods up and talk cars and share stories. Hundreds of cars are expected to show up Friday as a warmup for the car festival on Saturday.
We are pleased to announce that Larry Garden, a frequent visitor to the car festival, will be bringing a special guest car. It is a 1929 Pierce Arrow, Club Brougham Sedan. It was shown at the Amelia Island Concourse this past March where it won Class Award in the American Classic category. Dutchboys Hot Rods will also have a display of some of their recent projects along with displays from our sponsors.
Our message to the community is that the Old Car Festival is meant to be a very special day of fun in the Village. From the very first year the message has always been to have a place where people interested in cars can gather and celebrate their hobby and share it with our community. The festival is about life in a small town and the beauty of that.
The outside activities will be much the same as in years past. We welcome back the antique campers to the Historic Village as well as the antique gas and engine show and many special displays at the Historic Village buildings. Downtown you can visit “Northern Lights,” a special display of Breweriana along with the return of the NABA Beer Advertising and Collectible swap meet in the big tent adjoining the entertainment tent.
The Mill at Vicksburg is once again sponsoring our live entertainment tent with the Vicksburg High School Jazz Band performing from 10 a.m. to noon and then the return of “Guitar Up” playing old hits from 1-3 p.m. Come visit the Clark Park Arts and Craft Show, the Library Book Sale and don’t forget the Pancake Breakfast at the Fire Station.
If you would like to help direct cars, please call Skip at 269-720-4144.
