Vicksburg Village Council appears to be moving forward on its October decision to order demolition of a residential structure in the 500 block of East Prairie Street.
But its owner said he is hoping to secure a building permit to make necessary corrections.
During their Oct. 16 meeting, council members approved a resolution centering on a residential structure at 513 E. Prairie St. Police Chief Scott Sanderson, acting in the capacity of assistant village manager, said the house has been declared an unsafe structure.
He said the village has given more than enough time for its owners, Virgil and Carol Knowles, to address the many issues plaguing the house. Still, no corrections to bring the house up to a safe standard have been attempted, he said.
“This all started in August 2021, when the case was initiated by (the village) … there were many things that needed to be at that location to that structure,” Sanderson said during an update.
Building permits necessary to begin rehabilitation were issued in May 2022 and again in March 2023, Sanderson said. In both situations, however, it appears no work was performed and the building was then condemned due to its compromised state.
Village Council members held a public hearing in the summer and gave the property owners a deadline of Sept. 15. The Knowles on Sept. 14 requested an extension, which the village denied, Sanderson stated.
Chris Hamilton, representing South Central Michigan Construction Code Inspections, elaborated on the situation after Sanderson’s summary. She said the agency has done its part but is not getting cooperation from the homeowners.
“It’s been very frustrating because there’s no response to our phone calls … nothing is remotely even being done,” Hamilton said, adding she has been inside the residence and was stunned by its woebegone condition.
She cited a variety of flaws that were noted inside the residence, painting a grim picture of its state.
“It’s not in good shape … it’s not good,” she noted. “And not being able to get a response from anybody to say ‘yes, we’ll move forward’ (is frustrating).”
Hamilton said an additional problem is a growing presence of raccoons, feral cats and potentially other nuisance animals. She did not specify if the animals are inside the residence or living outside in its vicinity.
Council member Carl Keller said he has lived kitty-corner from the property for 33 years. He said the house in question has been vacant as long as he can remember.
“This has been something I’ve kept staff aware of for a number of years,” Keller said, adding he eagerly supports the motion to continue plans for potential demolition.”
During the Nov. 6 village council meeting, Mallery said efforts to generate a response from the Knowles remain fruitless.
“Through the advice of our attorney, we have posted the resolution on the property and the residence of the Knowles, as well as sent certified, first-class mailings of the resolution to both individuals,” Mallery said, noting the steps triggered a 21-day response period that concluded Nov. 27. “We are going to have our attorney come before the council (Dec. 4) to give an update and be available if you have any questions.”
Reached by cell phone Nov. 27, Knowles said he planned to meet with Mallery Nov. 28 and seek a permit to correct a compromised foundation.
Knowles shared his opinion on the condition of the house.
“The house is far better than a house that needs to be torn down,” Knowles said. “I’ve had the house a long time. We got into a major renovation of it in the teens (decade) and then it just got kind of lost in the shuffle.”
Vicksburg’s DPW Crew shows support for shopping small.
By Jef Rietsma
Vicksburg Village Manager Jim Mallery used a baseball analogy to describe the state of the new municipal building.
“It’s right now in the bottom of the ninth inning,” he said during the village council’s Nov. 20 meeting. “It is under budget … on time and paid for in cash. We’re really looking forward to it.”
He said some electrical work at the new building is wrapping up, as is replacement of faulty siding. Landscaping will take place in the spring.
The move is expected to begin the first week of December and will include relocating file cabinets filled with old documents. The file cabinets are destined for the basement of the new building. Mallery said at some point the documents – some dating to the 1970s – will be digitized for permanent preservation. The process could cost as much as $75,000, he noted. New office furniture is due in the week of Dec. 5, Mallery said.
Computers and computer-related accessories are to be moved the week of Dec. 11. Mallery said staff is expected to relocate that week and day-to-day operations from the new site will start Dec. 18.
Mallery then explained a few other key dates.
“I still anticipate the first governmental meeting will be held … Jan. 29, the first public meeting in the building,” Mallery said, noting the village council meeting that night will start at 7 p.m.
The first planning commission meeting at the new complex will be Feb. 12 and a public open house is tentatively set for May 18.
Located on a site north of the village water tower on North Richardson Street, the $2.5 million complex was originally expected to open in February.
Its ceremonial groundbreaking took place April 24.
Village officials said the new municipal hall will be ADA-compliant, feature enough space to accommodate all facets of the village’s police department, large enough for staff to conduct day-to-day operations and provide proper room to host village council and other village-related meetings.
A licensed demolition crew will eventually raze the existing village hall after the new facility is constructed and open for business.
Mallery said village taxpayers will save between $1.5 million and $2 million over the course of a typical 30-year bond because the project is being paid with cash.
In other village council news from November:
Mallery announced the kickoff of the “I Shopped Small – Love The Burg” campaign. The “shop local” blitz will include yard signs, social media and other methods to promote Vicksburg as a retail and dining destination during the holiday shopping season.
Mallery said the village’s Planning Commission at its Dec. 11 meeting will field a presentation on the proposed Homestead At Centennial residential development along the west side of South 22nd Street, as well as a site-plan review for a proposed Biggby Coffee.
Council members agreed to move forward with downtown banners to recognize U.S. military veterans from Vicksburg. Mallery said the village in January will begin in earnest an attempt to solicit potential veterans to include on the displays. The vertical banners will be displayed during the month of May and again Oct. 15 through Nov. 15. The banner project was spearheaded by council member Rick Holmes.
Steve McIntosh, manager of Family Fare in Vicksburg, was recognized for his leadership and support of the community. McIntosh, a Jackson native, has worked at the Vicksburg store for three years.
Council members agreed to purchase four golf carts for continued use at Angels Crossing. One has been used as a beverage cart, the others as utility vehicles. Mallery said buying the vehicles outright will be more efficient than continuing to lease them, as the village has since they were new. Total cost is $26,235. The money will come from the golf course’s revenue fund.
Repaving of the recreation trail will be delayed until spring. Mallery said the repaving will cover a stretch from behind Prudential Nursey north to TU Avenue.
Left: Students making friends with Pollux the ox after he powered a sorghum press. Middle: Makayla Williams driving mammoth donkeys Bernice and Olga as Rick Eshuis looks on. Right: Students inside Tillers Museum learning about traditional American farming implements with Rob Burdick and Jim Slining of Tillers. Photos by Noreen Heikes.
By Noreen Heikes
This fall, Scotts-based Tillers International partnered with the Animals and Plants introductory agriscience class at Vicksburg High School to pilot a “Back to the Future” project. The students were tasked with using knowledge from 19th century farming technology to engineer a farm implement that would solve a specific current problem in the developing world.
Tillers International’s mission is “to preserve, study and exchange skills and tools that empower communities worldwide to improve livelihoods and agricultural productivity.”
The organization works both in the US and in developing countries to re-engineer antique farm equipment from locally available materials to allow more efficient agricultural production. Low-tech equipment that is human or animal powered tends to be more easily afforded and repaired than the large farm implements commonly used in the US.
Tillers has ongoing projects in several African countries. Most of these involve some form of animal-powered tillage or cultivation equipment. At the Scotts farm, it prototypes these implements and uses draft power (horses, donkeys and oxen) to operate them. It also teaches classes on skills as diverse as blacksmithing, timber framing and draft animal power.
After learning a bit of background information on global food supply and agriculture in developing countries, students formed working groups. Each group was given a specific challenge to solve via the implement they designed. With this challenge in mind, students went to the Tillers farm and toured both the museum and the prototype shop. This allowed them to gather ideas, photograph implements, and consult with Tillers experts regarding their project. In addition, they viewed sustainable agriculture practices, and worked with the mammoth donkey team.
The project wrapped up with each student group presenting their invention to a panel of experts from Tillers. Students were able to receive feedback on their work and learn more about the engineering and mechanics involved in prototyping new “old” technology. In addition, students were offered the opportunity to continue partnering with Tillers in various capacities, including supervised agricultural experience projects, taking classes, and carrying their implement forward through forging and fabrication.
Right photo: Noreen Heikes, Vicksburg Community Schools; John Kern, Paper City Development; Lauren Burns, Tending Tilth; Gabe Francisco, Van Buren Conservation District; and Kyle Mead, Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). Photos by Taylor Kallio.
Tilth: cultivation of land; tillage
No gas-powered mowers shave the 16-acre grassland at The Mill at Vicksburg. Trimming’s taken care of by Lauren Burns, owner of Tending Tilth, and her herd of several dozen sheep.
The Mill in a press release is showing off a partnership with Burns and her contract sheep-grazing business. Through the grazing practices of the company, the grassland site in the conservation area of The Mill has been verified as environmentally sustainable through Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). Lauren and Mill representatives unveiled a sign identifying the status at the Mill Tuesday, Oct. 17.
2011, Public Acts 1 and 2 codified the MAEAP into Michigan state law. MAEAP is another way the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and Michigan’s agriculture industry are proactively and comprehensively addressing environmental concerns. This program is the state’s latest tool to assist in the implementation of agricultural pollution prevention practices on farms.
MAEAP is a voluntary, proactive program designed by a coalition of farmers, agricultural commodity groups, state and federal agencies, and conservation and environmental groups to teach effective land stewardship practices that comply with state and federal regulations. It shows producers how to identify and prevent agricultural pollution risks on their farms.
The program includes a livestock category, focusing on environmental issues related to livestock activities, including manure handling, storage and field application, as well as conservation practices to protect water and prevent soil erosion.
In addition to the sheep grazing provided by Tending Tilth, Vicksburg High School students and other community members have found ways to use and enjoy the prairie site at the Mill. Current community partnerships include: Western Michigan University’s Hydrogeology Department, Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency (KRESA) and the Kalamazoo College Biology Department.
Something’s Brewing bills itself as Kalamazoo’s original coffee house. According to co-owner Heather Turner, the whole thing started when her mother, Cindy Galbraith, “a beautiful, strong, loving woman decided to buy a quirk little purple shop on South Street in Kalamazoo a little more than 10 years ago and open a coffee shop.” Heather adds, “She’s the glue in our partnership, the dough behind the cinnamon rolls, the crust behind the quiche, and the sass behind the bar.” Heather’s interest in opening a shop in Vicksburg comes from living in the area and being excited about the events in Vicksburg and all the improvements downtown. “We did a pop-up event in Silo Chic during an event last year,” she says, “and it’s the first time we sold out of everything we had.”
Coffee’s social element seems to have waned over the years with the advent of drive-through windows and the expansion of almost everyone, including gas stations, having the brew available to accommodate our fast-paced lifestyles. Cindy explains, “When we are at our best in Kalamazoo the shop is full of people who work downtown, hospital staff, police and neighborhood folks sharing greetings and kind words each day. And that is the vision for our Vicksburg location.”
While coffee will be the backbone of the operation the assortment of pastries and treats is not to be overlooked. Reviewing their daily selections on their Facebook page is sure to intrigue your tastebuds. From a “Not Cinnamon Roll,” stuffed with sausage gravy, melty cheese and crispy seasoned potatoes, to pepperoni rolls and peach crumble bars, and on to something known as, “Summery Zucchini Whoopie Pies,” chances are good you’ll be leaving with more than coffee. Cindy says, “I taught Heather everything I know in the kitchen, and her creativity takes over from there.”
This dynamic duo plans to do a soft opening, or two, before being in full operation before the upcoming holiday season. Heather says, “I’ll need a couple of test runs doing what we do in Kalamazoo on a 40-foot counter on a six-foot counter in Vicksburg, The new shop will be located within the Silo Chic store on Main Street in downtown Vicksburg, giving customers a bigger city shopping opportunity in our safe and friendly small town. The new business hopes to work with the village to have complimentary outdoor seating in the future.”
Hours are still being decided but an early opening to accommodate teachers is likely. The successful partners also hinted at Vicksburg being a test market for things including a “Take N Bake” option. Heather adds, “The ways in which the businesses support each other, work together, and welcome newcomers is amazing!” The benefits of Vicksburg’s recent upgrades in the downtown continue to keep the community thriving.
Two friends at the pumpkin decorating station. Photo by Megan Myers.
The Indian Lake PTSO held a Bulldog Bash and Carnival on October 13 with help from many area sponsors. Students and their families participated in various activities, including face painting, pumpkin decorating, bounce house jumping, and obstacle course adventures. The children also played carnival games including a cookie walk, spider toss, eyeballs in a cup, corn hole, and a putting green. Balloonatic was also there to make a variety of things out of balloons for the children.
The PTSO served hot dogs, chips, cotton candy and popcorn for every student. The donations given by businesses and organizations allowed the PTSO to provide the event for free for the Indian Lake Community. The sponsors also provided students with a colorful T-shirt to wear during the walkathon held earlier in the day on the school grounds.
