Schoolcraft village and school board voters will see uncontested races on the Nov. 5 general election ballot. Vicksburg-area voters will see contests on both village and school board ballots.
Both village and school board elections are nonpartisan.
On the Vicksburg Board of Education ballot, eight candidates are seeking two seats beingvacated by long-time trustees Virgil Knowles and Carol Lohman. They’re Lisa Hostetler, Rick Burmeister, Kathy Miller, Alex LaPorte, Lucas Hillard, Michele O’Neill, Elizabeth Castleberry and Jaime Buikema. Terms are for six years.
Incumbent Ron Centofanti, appointed to the board last year to fill the seat vacated by former trustee Jennifer Buikema, is running unopposed to finish her term ending Dec. 31, 2028
There are no challengers on the Schoolcraft Village Council. Incumbent President Michael Rochholz, appointed to fill the remainder of former president Keith Gunnett’s term when Gunnett resigned, is unopposed for a new two-year term. Incumbent Kirk Bergland is running for reelection to a four-year term. Shawn Rance and Jennifer Doorn are running for four-year council terms to replace Rochholz and Russell Barnes, who is not seeking reelection.
In the Schoolcraft school board election, incumbent trustees Christopher Blodgett and Wade Rutkoskie are unopposed for six-year terms.
On the Vicksburg village ballot, incumbent council President Timothy Frisbie is seeking re-election to a four-year term. Five residents are vying for three four-year terms: Incumbents Ryan Wagner, Gail Reisterer and Dennis Olsen and challengers Joe Rounds and Jessica Cox.
None of the candidates in the school and village elections had withdrawn by a July 26 deadline.
Cemetery ordinances were also discussed at the township meeting.
By Phyllis Rose
The Schoolcraft Historical Society now has an additional $15,000 to use for improvements on the Underground Railroad Museum thanks to a unanimous vote by the Schoolcraft Township Board at its July 9 meeting.
Speaking before the vote, Barry Visel, vice-president of the Historical Society, said that interest in the museum is higher than it’s ever been.
However, it’s been 40 years since major improvements have been done on the museum, he said. Initial fundraising monies were used to repair the foundation, which has been completed, and to install new windows which will be done in August.
Other improvements that need to be done include sealing the roof and replacing the picket fence and ramp. The total cost for improvements is expected to be about $95,500.
The initial bid for replacing the roof was about $35,000, said Visel, but the society will be checking with other contractors for additional prices.
Speaking in favor of the donation to the museum, Trustee Jenny Sportel, a fifth-grade teacher in the Schoolcraft Schools, said she has toured the museum with her students and that the experience is very informative.
The museum was originally the home of Dr. Nathan Thomas and used as a stop on the Underground Railroad.
In other discussions, the Board heard an update on the U Avenue road project from Dave Pawloski, vice chairperson of the Road Commission of Kalamazoo County. The trees have been removed in the first stage of the two-year project. The road will be pulverized, rehabilitated with a structural overlay, and shoulders widened, all at a cost of $1,050,000.
Pawloski noted that the commission is a bit behind schedule on the project.
Due to all the trees down in the county because of the recent storms, he said it might take a year to get all the trees cleaned up. The road commission is also busy chip sealing on some roads
He encouraged residents to report any road issues such as potholes to the commission’s website, kalamazoocountyroads.com.
The Board also discussed a $10,000 invoice from the W.E. Upjohn Institute for employment research for updating the Township’s master plan.
Barry Visel, chairman of the Planning Commission, said that the process of updating the plan was not smooth and was beset with various problems including spelling errors and maps being mislabeled.
“But we got the job done,” he said. “Did we get our money’s worth? I don’t know.”
Visel said that perhaps they should take their concerns to the firm and make sure everything is done before paying them, possibly approaching them with a list of grievances.
Two major issues discussed during “member time” were the cemeteries and the need for a police presence.
Clerk Virginia Mongrieg said she is getting calls from people outside the township who want to purchase a burial plot because the township’s rates are cheaper than other places. But that takes away spaces that could be used by township residents. She suggested that maybe there should be a change to the burial permit process.
The other cemetery issue brought up by Supervisor Don Ulsh is that people are putting items on the graves which not only look unsightly but also make it hard to mow.
Mongrieg noted that decorations are removed from the graves twice a year. Those who purchase a gravesite are given a list of rules to be followed. But people don’t follow the rules.
Trustee Sportel suggested listing the rules on signs at each of the cemetery entrances. She also noted a problem when someone buys a gravesite for future use and then years later when the plot is needed, the rules have changed but the family doesn’t know that.
“Let’s do some investigation on cemetery ordinances or rules,” she said.
Regarding police presence in the Township, Supervisor Ulsh raised the issue during the Board’s June meeting, noting that they had three options: hiring a full-time deputy, hiring a deputy for specific patrol hours, or sharing with another township. Currently, Michigan State Police cover accidents.
After Ulsh brought up the issue again at the July meeting, Trustee Tamra Stafford reported on research she had done on the costs of policing as reported from area villages and townships.
“I don’t see it,” she said. “It’s a lot of money. What are we going to get?”
Ulsh noted that the Township has the money with over $1 million in the bank.
No decision was made. Sportel said the Township should keep discussing the issue.
On another topic, Treasurer Teresa Scott suggested looking into getting new legal counsel for the Township, since the current firm is not responding promptly to requests for information. She suggested putting out a request for proposal to get new legal counsel. No action was taken.
Bryce and Sue Cooley at the back entrance of Grand Antique Gallery in Schoolcraft.
By Kathy Oswalt-Forsythe
Local businesses need support during the 131 construction project. While traffic is down to one northbound lane during this current phase, business owners want to remind residents that they can still visit village shops and restaurants through back entrances on both sides of the highway.
Signs at the Lyons Street and Eliza Street and 131 crossings direct motorists to Schoolcraft Antique Mall and MarJo’s. Signs along the detour west of town remind travelers that B & G Discount is also open. But it’s not enough, and retailers and restaurants need more help.
Sue and Bryce Cooley of Grand Antique Gallery on 131 know it “will be great when the construction is finished,” but say business has been slow. They have worked to draw attention to their back entrance, placing antiques and collectibles near the back door. Like many Schoolcraft business owners, they are hoping that motorists know how to find the streets behind various shops.
Stacey Sherman, owner of the Beauty Bar, recognized that her established clientele and social media are helping survive this difficult time, but she said she “looks forward to the traffic again.” She continued, urging the community to “Order the take out, go antiquing, grab a cold beer on a hot day, go out for breakfast on your day off. Continued support is the best way to help businesses get through to November.”
In May, most of the Schoolcraft’s eighth-grade students and a handful of teachers traveled to Lansing on a field trip to the Michigan State Capitol at the invitation of State Representative Matt Hall.
“They not only welcomed our trip, but they invited us to go through a committee simulation,” said eighth-grade social studies teacher Karl Schook. “It was their idea to do this committee simulation where they would have our students break into groups, go to the actual committee rooms where the Michigan House of Representatives sit down and debate bills, and our students were to debate and vote on actual proposed bills that are being voted on.”
The mock committees covered six draft bills currently being debated by representatives in the state House. “It ranged from everything from the abolishment of daylight savings in the state of Michigan to the speed limit of bicycles on Mackinac Island to providing emergency medical transportation systems to retired police dogs,” explained Schook – “actual bills that are being debated in our government right now.”
Schook said Rep. Hall and his staff “rolled out the red carpet for our students.” In addition to the invitation to participate in mock committee sessions, the eighth graders were treated to a catered breakfast and tours of the Capitol and Hall’s offices.
There was something for all students at the building, from the excitement of the debates to the magnificence of the building’s architecture. “They really enjoyed being in the Capitol building, really enjoyed that feeling of being taken seriously by serious and respected political leaders and they appreciated being able to experience Michigan government in a way that made the study of our system of government more [relatable],” said Schook. “The only criticism I received is that they wished they could have stayed longer.”
The trip was more than exciting; it changed how the kids at Schoolcraft view their government. Said eighth grader Jamaica Gray: “I used to think, ‘maybe they just sit around all the time writing on papers,’ but the Capitol Building is actually really big and there are many different offices for many different things.”
Students on the trip may also have been encouraged to explore another potential career path. “Now that I know the things that they do, that they vote on, what I can do in politics, it’s giving me a sense of what I can do in the future and how it can help me change perspective for certain things,” Gray said. “I think I’d consider going into [politics] at some point.”
