Council Member Mike Rochholz was chosen council president at a February meeting, replacing Keith Gunnett, who resigned in January. Council Member Kathy Mastenbrook was appointed president pro tem, to act as temporary president in Rochholz’s absence.
The Council considered whether to continue several village-sponsored activities due to a lack of participation. They included Citizen of the Year award, for which no nominations were received in 2022 or 2023; the holiday matching gift program initiated during COVID to assist local merchants; and the summer food-truck rallies held in Burch Park which have had declining attendance. The Council will discuss them at a March meeting.
Toni Rafferty of the 2024 Schoolcraft 4th of July Volunteer Committee told the Council that she had received notice from the Schoolcraft school district that its grounds won’t be available for the 2024 fireworks activities as originally planned. And due to planned construction activities at The Dome on US 131, that site will be unavailable as well. At this point, the Committee does not have any alternative sites available to launch fireworks. Rafferty said she will keep the Council notified of any developments.
Village Manager Cheri Lutz told the Council she and Bert Gale of Associated Government Services are in the process of accepting bids for the demolition of the structures on 203 Pine Street. A resident asked if the 5th wheel travel trailer at the property is also now owned by the Village and if it could be sold with proceeds used to offset demolition expenses. The Council will investigate whether that is possible.
The village is going to forgo filling the vacant finance director position and hire the accounting firm of Plante Moran to assist with year-end financial reporting, audit activities, and other accounting activities. The village’s auditor, Doug Wohlberg, supported the move. The village will review costs and benefits of making this a permanent arrangement and of eliminating the full-time finance director position after a trial period. Former director Kristina Lafferty resigned in January.
Police Chief Scott Smith told the Council that after researching sources of firearm replacements for village officers, he had found a source that would accept trade-ins of their current equipment. In doing so, he said he was able to save the Village $4,300 in this budgeted expense.
The Council, considering an ordinance for recovering costs of cleaning up hazardous waste from those responsible, heard from South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority Chief Tracy MacMillan and Board President Tracy Locey.
They said that since the 1990’s, the local fire departments have been working on their abilities to deal with any hazardous waste incident. They continue working with Kalamazoo County resources which support them as needs arise. MacMillan and Locey also said they can ask for resources located in Battle Creek and the Pfizer corporation has made available its scientific resources if needed.
The Authority supports adoption of the cost recovery ordinance. It allows the village to go back to the sources of an incident for the recovery of cleanup costs versus instead of using its general fund. The council will review the proposed ordinance and vote on it at a future meeting.
The council discussed the need to attend meetings of a group studying feasibility of a wastewater treatment facility to serve northern St. Joseph county and southern Kalamazoo County.
Rochholz volunteered to begin attending meetings as a nonvoting associate member to ensure the Village Council stays aware of decisions and actions taken by the South Kalamazoo County/North St. Joseph County Clean Water and Resource Preservation Initiative Study Board.
The study group is investigating the possibility that a facility would lead to improved environmental quality provide infrastructure to support economic development and job growth in the region along the 131-corridor.
The study, still preliminary and labeled as “interim”, was created by six municipalities. It has been published and presented to boards and is posted on websites of Park Township and Lockport Township.
New coaching sessions this year for the Tournament. Top left to right: Kathy Forsythe, Leeanne Seaver, and Susan Kallewaard. Bottom left to right: Rick Chambers, Annette Smitley, and Denise Miller. Read their biographies in vicksburgarts.com.
By Syd Bastos
In 2014, Deb Christiansen, president of the Schoolcraft Friends of the Library, had a vision. As Deb explained back then, “We wanted to create something a little fun and exciting for the writers of the community.” With support from the Schoolcraft Community Library and small cadre of volunteer judges, the Tournament of Writers was born. Back then, if you had a Schoolcraft Community Library Card, you could submit poems and stories in fiction and nonfiction in several age divisions with a promise that all stories would be published in a compendium. That first book featured 19 authors and was 114 pages long. In 2019, Deb asked the Vicksburg Cultural Arts Center to be the Tournament’s fiscal sponsor and in 2020, the VCAC adopted the Tournament as a permanent program.
While the impact of the Covid pandemic stinted the Tournament in 2020 with only 13 authors, the Tournament, as with so many other things, rebounded. Last year 71 authors submitted 98 works and the anthology grew to 373 pages! The book signing party has expanded to a book release and book signing celebration with the authors, family, friends and the public at large. Over 100 people attended last year’s celebration.
The Tournament encourages and promotes our local writers with a competition that is open to both new and seasoned writers of all ages. In addition to celebrating writers with cash prizes, the competition also provides constructive and encouraging feedback from judges to help participants gain insights from thoughtful readers. Every entry received for the Tournament of Writers is published in our annual Tournament Anthology, which participants receive for free. The cost to enter the Tournament is $20 for Adults and Senior Age Divisions and $10 for Junior and Young Adult.
This year, in response to requests from prior Tournament participants, the Vicksburg Cultural Arts Center has added free coaching sessions with six local authors and educators to give emerging authors an opportunity to perfect their stories before submitting them for judging. Coaching sessions started in January and will end February 22. Writers can sign up for a coaching session at the Vicksburg District Library by going to vicksburgarts.com.
Submissions will be accepted February 1-29. In March, 20 judges will read, score and provide comments on each submission. On April 1, the Vicksburg Cultural Arts Center will announce 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in poetry, fiction and nonfiction and in four age divisions. Prior participants of the Tournament as well as the current participants will join us on location as we go Live on Facebook to announce the winners!
The 10th Anniversary Tournament Celebration will be held at Wind + James Event Center in Schoolcraft on April 18 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Keynote speakers and selected readings from this year’s entries will be featured. Two new awards will be announced as well as winners of the Tournament’s Grand Prize and Gilbert & Ivy Youth Grand Prize. A total of 40 prizes worth over $2,500 will be awarded. The 10th issue of the Tournament Anthology will be released at this event and this year’s authors will be in attendance for book signing. The public is invited to this exciting celebration and will be able to purchase their own copy of the Anthology at the event.
For more information about the Tournament of Writers, or to enter the Tournament, visit the VCAC website: https://vicksburgarts.com.
Blind Date with a Book – Through the month of February we will have a Blind Date with a Book display. Read the pick-up line and decide if you are willing to go on a blind date with a wrapped book!
Prairie Page Turners Book Club – February 7 at 2 p.m. Book club pick is “Night of Miracles” by Elizabeth Berg.
Take and Makes – Available all month for ages 3 and up.
Legos, Magformers and Keva Planks STEM Activity – Ages 6 and up in the Community Room. Open every day until 30 min before closing. (Closed Saturday February 3 and 10)
Nailed It! – February 10, 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. 5th grade and up. Cupcake decorating challenge. Registration required. Sign up at the library or call 679-5959.
Friends Meeting – February 14, 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the library. The Friends meet every 2nd Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. For more information contact Brooke Matyas at matyas.brooke@gmail.com.
We Both Read – New collection of books for parent and child to read together.
Just a reminder that we are closed when Schoolcraft Schools are closed due to inclement weather.
The Schoolcraft Board of Education at a January meeting learned revenues will increase by about $1.2 million.
Finance Director Kendra Drewyor said increases in new, one-time funds from the state, and property taxes are major drivers of the change, although enrollment is also a major factor.
“I had budgeted kind of a steady enrollment, but we did see an increase,” Drewyor said.
High School Principal Matt Dailey gave a short update on the school’s curriculum guide. He said the school will have a curriculum guide for the board by February. Dailey wants to see schedules set for the 2024-2025 school year before students leave for summer break. He also said the school will have some new elective course proposals sometime in October or November.
In other news, the board unanimously decided to return its officers to the same positions as 2023. Jennifer Gottschalk will continue to serve as president with Jason Walther as vice president. Wade Rutkoskie is treasurer, and Katie Redmond is secretary.
The Village Council approved a $2,040 request by the Eagles Nest to help fund expected 2024 utilities expenses at the building which houses two local non-profits: Friday Pack and the local Food Pantry.
The Schoolcraft Friday Pack provides weekend food packs for food-insecure Schoolcraft students throughout the school year. As a mobile satellite of South County Community Services, the Food Pantry provides monthly food deliveries to at-risk Schoolcraft families. Volunteers deliver food once a month to local households, including residents of Cedar Park senior housing. Non-perishable food donations may be dropped off at Harding Market’s “Neighbors helping Neighbors” collection box or at the Schoolcraft Community Library.
Todd Carlin, who represents the Village Council on the board of the South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority, told the Council that the authority does not want to schedule a special meeting with the Village Council to discuss the process in establishing their annual budget. The authority did invite the Council to discuss its budget at one of their upcoming meetings. It was noted at the Council meeting that the authority had not asked the Village for any additional funding for the purchase of a new fire truck in 2023 as previously reported.
As in December, police Sergeant Jamie Edwards told the Council there has been an increase in larceny cases involving unlocked vehicles. He repeated the importance of citizens ensuring that they are locking their vehicles and not leaving valuables in their vehicles. He noted that the perpetrators are only entering unlocked vehicles at this point and that Vicksburg and South Portage continue to have the same issue.
The Village Council approved the request to renew the village’s annual contract with Kalamazoo County for the village’s continued participation in the county’s Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Program. Village participation in the program allows residents to dispose of household hazardous waste at no additional charge at the hazardous waste center at 1301 Lamont Avenue in Kalamazoo.
Village Manager Cheri Lutz provided the following updates to the Council:
She is working with the Village Attorney Bert Gale from Associated Government Services, as well as the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to ensure proper adherence to requirements related to the demolition of structures located at 203 East Pine Street. Bids for demolition are currently being reviewed.
Village Finance Director Kristina Lafferty resigned from the post in January. Lutz will fill the role as soon as possible.
A final village budget will be presented to the Council at its February 19 meeting.
The Council ended its January 14 meeting by formally recognizing outgoing Council President Keith Gunnett’s many years of service on the Council. At the first meeting in February, the Council will discuss moving forward with actions for Gunnett’s replacement. Village residents interested in learning more about the responsibilities of village council president or applying for the role should contact any of the current council members. A list of members is available on the village’s web page.
