by Justin Gibson | Aug 5, 2018 | Schools, Vicksburg
April and Matthew Hawkins at the Vicksburg School Board meeting where he was introduced as the new high school assistant principal. They have three children, two of whom attend Sunset Lake Elementary school. He most recently served as principal of Centreville High School.
By Sue Moore
A smooth settlement of school union contracts marked Keevin O’Neill’s first meeting as superintendent in July. “I was very pleased with the degree to which the employee groups worked thoughtfully and collaboratively with the administration to make the best use of our limited resources.
“I believe in all three cases, we were able to apply some of the new revenue in a way that allows the District to continue to compete for the very best talent, but which also protects the financial stability that Vicksburg Community Schools is known for,” O’Neill said.
Three-year contract agreements with financial openers each year were negotiated with the Vicksburg Parapro Association (VPA) and Vicksburg Educational Support Personnel Association (VESPA) with salary increases of 2.5 percent across the board for VPA and 2 percent for custodians, maintenance, food service, building secretaries and transportation union members.
For the Vicksburg Education Association (VEA), the teachers’ salary schedule will be increased by 1.9 percent. Employer subsidies for health insurance will remain unchanged at 2017-2018 levels, effectively passing the 2.5 percent premium increase to employees. The savings generated by passing the increase to employees was applied to the salary schedule, accounting for 0.4 percent of the 1.9 percent increase.
Additional one-time payments to VEA members will be made if enrollment meets certain targets. The salary schedule will be reduced if enrollments fall significantly below projections. “We are proud of the great relations we have with our employee units and appreciate the joint effort to reach an agreement that is fair to both the employee groups as well as the schools,” said Skip Knowles, school board president.
In other business, Asst. Supt. Steve Goss walked the board through the construction work going on across the school district. Frederick Construction is the construction manager on the projects and runs a tight ship for making sure the work is complete by the time school starts Sept. 4, Goss pointed out.
The high school’s west side is receiving a major renovation with the courtyard being built out with a retaining wall, bike racks, tables and benches for outdoor space for students and visitors. A sidewalk will connect this area to the stadium. “In addition to the construction projects, the third and final series of the 2014 bond issue includes $1.5 million for technology upgrades and replacements,” Goss said. A new accounting system and new on-line student/parent/teacher portal called Skyward is being installed and should be ready to roll out in September. It is headed by Don Puckett, the director of technology, who was questioned in depth by board members as to how parents and students will be notified of the change. Teachers will be trained first, Puckett said. Then the portal will be opened to students and parents for assignments and grades in early September.
by Justin Gibson | Aug 5, 2018 | Schoolcraft, Schools, Vicksburg
This team worked on plans for Newaygo State Park and received Honorable Mention. They are from left to right: Tim Axtell, Greg Mills, David Benedict, Kyle Rose and Tanner Groves.
By Sue Moore
Teams from Schoolcraft and Vicksburg placed in a statewide industrial design competition for awards given annually by the Michigan Design Council (MDC).
“Our goal is to increase participation year over year by encouraging educators to showcase the power of design thinking along with the creative outlet of industrial design,” said Jeff DeBoer, the executive director of the design council. “We hope this competition becomes a stepping stone for the next generation of great industrial designers employed in Michigan.”
Students are invited to tackle a design challenge linked to Michigan and larger societal issues, he said. Students are encouraged to use design thinking principles as their pathway to innovation. This year’s Design Prize challenge was to design a product to help people explore and enjoy Michigan’s parks.
The MDC hosted a group of 250 attendees to recognize gold, silver and bronze winners along with honorable mentions in the competition, for students up to grade 12. The attendees included students and parents, teachers and administrators, industry and state government partners, at the University of Michigan Museum of Art.
Honorable mentions went to one team in at Schoolcraft High and three teams at Vicksburg High. Greg Mills, the industrial arts teacher in Vicksburg, received the Director’s award. It recognizes an instructor that exemplifies teaching creative problem solving and design thinking skills in their classroom.
Honorable Mention – Andrew Giese, Peyton Fisher, Levi Balcom, Schoolcraft High School, Schoolcraft. Entry – Electronic Nature Guide.
Honorable Mention – Maxwell Tidey, Ryan Sink, Zachary West, Chase Perry, Vicksburg. High School, Vicksburg. Entry – Mackinac Island State Park.
Honorable Mention – Cody VanderHorst, Parker St. Clair, DJ Bullock, Taylor Burson, Vicksburg High School, Vicksburg. Entry – D.E.L.L. Express.
Honorable Mention – Kyle Rose, Tim Axtell, David Benedict, Tanner Groves, Vicksburg High School, Vicksburg. Entry – Newaygo State Park.
by Justin Gibson | Aug 5, 2018 | Schools, Vicksburg
The Vicksburg squad shared a field with the team from Austin Minnesota in the final round of the team competition.
By Kip Young
On July 12th, 10 members of the The Bulldog Clay Target team took off for the Michigan Trap Association headquarters in Mason for four days of action-packed clay shooting at the first-ever USA Clay Target National Championships. It was attended by over 2,200 student athletes from 14 states.
Included on the Vicksburg team were Tyler Sands, Jeffrey Hoagg, Tanner White, Owen Moberley, Trevor Young, Glen Rhyner, Kody Fruehauf, Andrew Pratt, JP Fritz and Trevor McClish. To qualify for the national event, athletes had to average 20.0/50 targets per round during the five competition weeks.
Athletes spent the first day honing skills on the practice fields. Before the day was over, more than 1,500 practice rounds of trap were shot by the visiting athletes, more than 37,500 targets thrown in a single day, a new Michigan Trap Association Mason facility record.
On July 13, team competition began with Vicksburg entering two five-member squads into the field of 180 schools from across the country. Both squads competed, with each member shooting 100 clay targets. When the dust settled, the squad of Sands, Hoagg, White, Moberley and Young finished 42nd with a team score of 460/500. The squad of Rhyner, Fruehauf, Pratt, Fritz and McClish finished 123rd with a score of 432/500. Squads had to be in the top 80 to move on to Sunday’s team final.
Nine Vicksburg athletes competed in the individual competition including Sands, Hoagg, White, Moberley, Young, Rhyner, Pratt, Fritz, and McClish. Vicksburg advanced four shooters into Sunday’s individual final, 113th Rhyner (97/100 R40), 165th Hoagg (96/100 R65), 321st Sands (95/100 R1), 345th White (94/100 R24).
On Sunday, four of Vicksburg’s athletes competed in the individual final in the morning. Competition was stiff with three athletes, none from Vicksburg, shooting a perfect 200/200 and ending the competition in a shoot off with around 1,000 people watching.
Vicksburg’s four athletes finished the day with a solid showing with Rhyner in 252nd place with a 189/200, White in 319th place with a 186/200, Hoagg in 381st place with a 181/200, and Sands in 398th place with a 179/200. Sands suffered a gun malfunction in the final round of the individual competition.
In the afternoon team competition, the Vicksburg team of Sands, Hoagg, White, Moberley, and Young shot 462/500 to finish in 46th place with a total score of 922/1000. The team fought the afternoon heat to finish strong.
The Vicksburg Clay Target Team is a member of USA Clay Target and the Michigan HS Clay Target League. The team competes in the fall and spring seasons and is open to students in grades 6-12 enrolled in Vicksburg Community Schools.
by Justin Gibson | Aug 5, 2018 | Government, Vicksburg
Tom Ham, president of Renaissance Golf Management, spoke to the Vicksburg Village Council about his business plan for Angel Crossing Golf Club.
By Sue Moore
A business plan for the municipally owned Angels Crossing Golf Club was presented to the Vicksburg Village Council at its July meeting. Tom Ham, the president of Renaissance Golf Management Group was hired in April 2018 to turn the golf course around. This report is his road map to future development.
Village Manager Jim Mallory said he has sought to have a business plan submitted for some time and this is what is needed for the course to be successful, he told the council. League play and memberships are up this year but there has been some confusion from golfers about new rules instituted by Ham’s company.
No golf carts are allowed in the parking lot this year as a safety precaution. That is a big change; they have been chugging along this way since the course opened. But insurance doesn’t cover the risk, Ham told the council. “It can be an inconvenience, so we are looking at other ways to accommodate the loading and unloading of golf bags by the front door. When you put up some boundaries you can make people unhappy.”
Also, too much alcohol is being brought onto the property against all the rules, Ham said. “Management needs to follow up and to say this is what we expect of you as a customer.”
Monthly financials are being sent to the financial committee of the council. A new point of service system has been installed to make things run smoother. “This is not an easy job or the village would have done it ourselves,” Mallery said.
Highlights of the plan’s measurable objectives for 2018-19 are on the village’s web site and include:
• Streamline operational efficiency.
• Develop a unique marketing strategy.
• Angels Crossing Golf Club, by all accounts, is one of the best layouts in the state of Michigan. Initial observations of course conditioning and aesthetics are below average as they relate to expectations, pricing, and comparative in competitive settings. Renaissance Golf Management believes that Angels Crossing Golf Club can be a “special” facility, but that success is dependent on improved maintenance practices and effort.
• As with any facility, the Angels Crossing golf shop operation is the nerve center of the facility. The focus is to optimize member and guest experiences while protecting the club’s interest and safety standards. The club must be for all to enjoy equally and it is the golf shop operation’s responsibility to ensure this for all guests.
• Angels Crossing Golf Club Food and Beverage operation is full service and has limited potential for events, wedding venues, and dining experiences based on kitchen and seating. The key to success is minimizing costs and limiting product selection while trying to come up with new and creative menu items.
• The Angels Crossing Golf Club clubhouse is functional but is lacking as far as storage, seating, kitchen area, and large golf outing hosting.
• Personnel is the backbone of any company. Angels Crossing will continue to strive to hire the most professional and dedicated employees in the industry, provide a positive work environment, and minimize the cost of payroll while maximizing productivity. In addition, we realize that we must be proactive in attracting outstanding employees and understand that great people come along when we may not be looking to fill a need. We will be open to make every adjustment in our workforce to accommodate an outstanding person that would better the future for Angels Crossing.
James Earl thanked Ham for his business plan, saying it will be measurable and will transform Angels Crossing if implemented. This accountability is what the council had requested over a year ago in his public statement.
by Justin Gibson | Aug 5, 2018 | Government, Vicksburg
Evelyn Taylor is a senior citizen who needed some help with repairs. Dr. David Schriember and Diane Durian asked Mr. Fix-it Larry Forsyth to help with getting her mailbox repaired on Sprinkle Road.
Evelyn Taylor, in her sixties, has the same name as her mother. This was sometimes confusing for the staff at Dr. David Shriemer’s office in Vicksburg; the younger Evelyn was her mother’s caretaker until her mother’s death. Schriemer has worked with the family for many years.
Now, after years of living in a close-knit family within a close-knit and caring community, Evelyn is living pretty much alone. She stays busy with hobbies and keeping a tidy, organized home. She is very involved in her church and is a kind and caring person to those who know her.
But her world is smaller now and Dr. Schriemer, her primary care giver, called South County Community Services (SCCS) to ask about services the agency could provide to keep her safe and connected to her community. Within a few days, Senior Outreach Coordinator Diane Durian called Evelyn and set up a home visit. Evelyn was invited to go along to the Senior Expo and to the holiday party for seniors. Diane is now on Evelyn’s contact list when she has questions or needs assistance.
Immediately following their first visit, Diane arranged to have an SCCS volunteer come to her home and fix her mailbox so that if emergency help or transportation services were needed, the helpers could easily find Evelyn’s home on the ever-busy Sprinkle Road. Evelyn is pictured with her doctor, David Schriemer, Durian and volunteer Larry Forsyth, who set things right and attached high-visibility house numbers. These are the types of services that help South County seniors stay in their homes safely. The Say Yes to Seniors millage proposal on the August 7 ballot is intended to assure that more seniors in Kalamazoo County can be served this way.
by Justin Gibson | Aug 5, 2018 | Government, Vicksburg
By Sue Moore
Vicksburg is joining the National Night Out program this year, 34 years after the program to connect communities with law enforcement was organized.
The program will be held in Clark Park from 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 7.
The idea was conceived to bring public safety units to the people they are serving in hopes of connecting with residents throughout America, Police Chief Scott Sanderson said. He saw the good that was accomplished in his years with Kalamazoo Public Safety and decided to bring it to Vicksburg.
“National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live,” according to their website.
“It’s a night out against crime,” Sanderson said. “The good news is that Vicksburg has very minimal crime. This is a very safe community and through our outreach, we plan to keep it that way.”
Other first responders have joined with Sanderson for the event. That includes the Village Department of Public Works, South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority and South County Emergency Medical Services staff. They will have their vehicles on display in the park.
Hot dogs will be prepared by the Fire Department staff and drinks will be available, all donated by Family Fare. It will take place rain or shine.
Besides the one-time showcase event, police have been meeting with kids to play kickball or whiffle ball once a month. They will be outside at the Centennial development again to play with kids in the neighborhood on Thursday, Aug. 9 from 5-6 p.m.
The first National Night Out in 1984 was joined by 400 communities with a total population of 2.5 million. In a recent year, 16,000 communities with a population of 38 million participated.
