'Sonny' Wheelock fires back
TRAVERSE CITY (June 1) — First, Grand Traverse County board members allegedly denied fellow Commissioner Christine Maxbauer her legal right to videotape public meetings.
Now, board chairman Addison "Sonny" Wheelock wants to regulate how she signs correspondence.
The day Maxbauer said she planned to sue the board for alleged state Open Meetings Act violations, Wheelock sent Maxbauer a letter accusing her of misrepresenting her opinion as that of the entire board.
Wheelock contends that if Maxbauer identifies herself as a county commissioner in letters she signs, it's implied she represents the entire board.
Wheelock's main complaint is not what the letters say, but what they don't. He wants Maxbauer to include in her written correspondence a statement that she is not representing the opinion of the entire board.
Judge halts Kolke Creek cleanup
GAYLORD (June 1) — A state judge halted a hotly disputed groundwater cleanup project in Otsego County, ruling the proposed method would harm the environment and violate state laws.
Judge Dennis Murphy, of the 46th Circuit Trial Court, ruled that Merit Energy's state-approved plan to pump 1.15 million gallons a day of treated wastewater to Kolke Creek was unreasonable.
He further said the plan would negatively, permanently alter a delicate ecosystem: the headwaters of the famed Au Sable River, a blue ribbon trout stream that with its tributaries flows through eight Lower Peninsula counties.
Teen hurt as deer tries to jump bus
BEULAH (June 2) — Three deer interrupted Shannon Hebert's bus ride to work and left her with a bloody face and a strange animal tale.
"A lot of people have told me that most people wouldn't believe that three deer tried jumping over a bus," Hebert said.
Hebert, 16, was on a Benzie Bus headed to her job at a golf course when three deer attempted to cross U.S. 31 east of Honor. One of the deer crashed into the bus.
The next thing Hebert knew, she was covered in blood and glass and a witness told her about the deer. One of the deer crashed through two passenger windows and struck Hebert in the face.
The deer-bus crash was a freak occurrence, said Benzie County Undersheriff Rory Heckman. Collisions between vehicles and deer aren't uncommon, but injuries rarely result and deer rarely attempt to jump a vehicle as large as a bus.
Senior center to reopen
MANCELONA (June 2) — There's a fair number of older folks in Mancelona who can't wait.
Their local senior center will reopen after a closure that began in late April.
"A lot of people get great use out of that place when it's open," said Wayne Woodruff, of Mancelona. "My wife and I are both 84 and we appreciate going up there five days a week."
Many seniors in the community are frustrated about the center being closed for so long, since every taxpayer in Antrim County supports the program, Woodruff said.
Voters approved in 2005 a tax request of 0.4 mills through 2010 to support the Antrim County Commission on Aging, which operates the Meals on Wheels program and congregate meals at senior centers in Mancelona, Bellaire, Central Lake and Elk Rapids, among other programs for seniors.
Not just fish are caught in bay
TRAVERSE CITY (June 2) — The heaviest catch in the tall ship Manitou's nets this spring is spirogyra, a slimy, green algae that has fouled Great Lakes waters and beaches.
Since May 1, the tall ship's nets have hauled up an average 75 pounds of spirogyra every weekday it trawls the lower part of West Grand Traverse Bay for fish specimens to use in Inland Seas Education Association classes. The largest load so far has been more than 200 pounds, said Tom Kelly, ISEA director.
"We've been getting more algae in recent years, but never this much," Kelly said. The nonprofit ISEA has run school ship programs since 1989.
Kelly said the amount of spirogyra clogging Manitou nets is "a dramatic increase" from last year.
Townships set to go it alone
HONOR (June 3) — Two townships are working to split from Benzie County zoning, even as the county attempts to woo them back in an effort to further its county-wide master plan.
Homestead and Inland townships are holding joint sessions to develop their own master plan, the first step toward establishing their own zoning ordinance.
Homestead Township sent the county a letter informing officials that the township would not pay a voluntary fee for county zoning. Inland Township also hasn't paid the fee, said county Administrator Chuck Clarke.
"They've been talking about (establishing their own zoning) for some time," Clarke said. "In the short term I think our objective here is to work with them to get them back in."
Cathy Demitroff, Homestead Township supervisor, said the townships hope to have their own zoning ordinances in place by next fall.
County OKs tentative deck deal
TRAVERSE CITY (June 4) — Grand Traverse County approved terms of a tentative $5.49 million deal with downstate developer Federated Properties to construct and eventually own a parking deck on West Front Street in Traverse City.
Attorneys will draft a lease purchase agreement in which Federated will build the parking deck as part of an eight-story, mixed-use development at 145 W. Front St. The county will lease three floors and approximately 216 spaces in the deck for an estimated 15 years before taking over ownership for $1.
The county Brownfield Redevelopment Authority unanimously approved the terms.
Services, spending under scrutiny
TRAVERSE CITY (June 4) — The city will exercise caution when hiring for vacant positions while officials examine the city's services and expenses.
City Manager Richard Lewis said no job openings will be "automatically" filled as the city prepares to review the efficiency of its departments. He said now is a good time to conduct a study because the city is in "strong financial shape," despite struggling in recent years with projected budget shortfalls. But, the financial future and the level of funding received from the state remains uncertain, Lewis said.
Commissioner Ralph Soffredine said the study should answer questions about whether money is being spent efficiently and "what services are we giving that we don't have to give."
Lewis said cuts identified through the study could be implemented in future budgets.
Seniors dig out a piece of the past
TRAVERSE CITY (June 5) — Christina Childs can't recall what mementos she and her Glenn Loomis classmates sealed in a time capsule six years ago.
But when Childs, 17, saw her former sixth-grade teacher not long ago, she made sure they wouldn't forget to unearth it.
"She was asking me about college, and I said we still have that time capsule to open," she said. "I can't exactly remember what we put in it. I just remember we were given these manila envelopes."
Childs, now a senior set to graduate from Traverse City West Senior High, will join her classmates in the library at Glenn Loomis to crack open the piece of their history.
Michelle Clark taught sixth grade at Glenn Loomis when the classmates put together the time capsule and sealed it in a large plastic barrel. She now teaches at Central Grade School and is eager to reunite with her former students.
"It was a class project. We had a small sixth grade class at that time, about 42 students," she said. "At the end of the year we decided this would be great to bring them all back their senior year and open this time capsule."
Breast cancer awareness spurs new center
TRAVERSE CITY (June 5) — Ruth Ann LaMott has seen a lot of change in the 22 years since she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
LaMott, 60, said breast cancer awareness has dramatically increased, as has demand for early screenings for a disease that afflicts one of every seven women.
The Traverse City woman is helping lead an effort spearheaded by the Munson Healthcare Regional Foundation to build a new breast health center that will better meet today's needs.
The breast health center is the focus of the foundation's annual fundraising campaign that kicked off in May. A new $3.8 million, 8,000-square foot clinic is expected to open in spring 2008 in the Copper Ridge development located off Silver Lake Road in Traverse City.
Officials sour on ethics laws
TRAVERSE CITY (June 6) — A requirement that Grand Traverse County's elected commissioners abide by state ethics laws concerns some commissioners, including those who do business with the county.
They want state lawmakers to loosen laws that require them and other officials to disclose their business contracts with the county.
Deputy county prosecutor Bob Cooney this year discovered possible state law violations by members of the county board, chiefly board Chairman Addison "Sonny" Wheelock, who owns a welding company that's done about $27,000 in county business since his 1998 election, including about $13,500 in business in 2006.
Cooney said Wheelock and the board failed to publicly disclose and vote on the bulk of payments to Wheelock.
Hydroelectric dams still operating
TRAVERSE CITY (June 6) — Consumers Energy has no plans to shut down 11 hydropower dams on three northern Michigan rivers, despite releasing a report detailing the costs of doing so, company officials said.
The gas and electric utility also doesn't want to boost rates to build a fund that could pay for decommissioning or removing the plants someday, a move sought by a coalition of fishing groups.
Consumers Energy was required to study the possibility of retiring the dams on the Au Sable, Manistee and Muskegon rivers under a deal with state and federal agencies in 1992. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission also made studying the matter a condition when issuing 40-year license renewals for the dams in 1994.
Bike commuters hit more than traffic
TRAVERSE CITY (June 7) — It was billed as "Smart Commute Week," a feel-good, bike-to-work project intended to wean Traverse City workers from their gas guzzlers, at least temporarily.
But a failed hydraulic line on a city street sweeper spread a slippery trail for nearly three-quarters of a mile and left some bicycle commuters smarting from broken bones, damaged ligaments, scrapes and bruises.
At least three bicyclists were injured when they wheeled over the oily mess that spread from the post office on Union Street to West Front Street and onto Division Street.
Building inspector director fired
LELAND (June 7) — Leelanau County officials fired the longtime building inspections director for what they said were ongoing management problems in the department.
Robert VanDyke, a 15-year employee of Leelanau County and the inspections department head for the past dozen years, was terminated by county Administrator David Gill, who took over as interim Inspections Department head.
"I can't comment on a personnel issue, but there were problems in the department and (VanDyke) was terminated," Gill said. "There were several management issues over there ... ."
Gill said there are no ongoing investigations involving the department, which issues building, electrical and plumbing permits in the county. There was no severance package as part of VanDyke's dismissal, other than his accrued vacation and other leave time.
Judges uphold local smoking regulations
CHARLEVOIX (June 8) — A panel of state appeals court judges snuffed out a legal challenge to a workplace smoking ban in four northern Michigan counties.
Three Michigan Court of Appeals judges unanimously agreed with the Northwest Michigan Community Health Agency and its ability to establish smoking regulations for public health, denying an appeal filed by a group of local business owners opposed to smoking rules adopted in 2005 in Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet and Otsego counties.
Boyne City attorney James Young, who represents the health department, called it a significant case for Michigan law, with binding precedent for lower courts.
"This opinion has statewide impact because the same issues that affect our four counties affect every other health department across the state," Young said.
New regulations in the four-county region essentially ban smoking in most workplaces except restaurants, bars, casinos and company vehicles with only one occupant. Businesses can choose to provide a designated, ventilated smoking area.
M-37 could be a scenic route
TRAVERSE CITY (June 9) — The Michigan Department of Transportation may soon designate a local highway a scenic heritage route in an effort to preserve the road's agricultural, rural and scenic characteristics.
An 18-mile stretch of M-37 in Peninsula Township, from Peninsula Drive to Old Mission Point, could join Michigan's four other scenic heritage routes if MDOT does not receive any significant objections to the plan by July 9.
"This is one way to ensure that the future for generations to come will be able to experience the road the way it is now," said Bob Felt, spokesman for MDOT. "I think you are going to get a lot of agreement from the local community because the Old Mission Peninsula is so unique."
After 63 years, man gets diploma
TRAVERSE CITY (June 9) — Wendell Holmes will be a different kind of senior than the 430 Traverse City Central High School students who'll likewise receive diplomas.
Holmes, 81, was fighting in World War II when he was 18; today, he'll receive his certificate at the same ceremony as his granddaughter, Heidi Pangborn.
"I don't need it now, but I'm going to get it anyway," he said, laughing.
Holmes will receive the honor because a state law allows veterans of World War II and the Korean war to apply for a degree if they attended a high school in Michigan and were in the service when they would have graduated.
Heidi never thought her grandfather would join her for commencement.
"Obviously, it's an amazing thing he did for our country, so I'm glad to share the experience with him," she said.
Moomers keeps on dishing it out
traverse city (June 10) — Bob and Nancy Plummers' popular Moomers Homemade Ice Cream shop on North Long Lake Road heads into its 10th year in business this summer, and the family plans to open a new creamery at their adjacent farm and extend the Moomers brand to a line of milk products.
Not bad for a business that started by making change out of a shoe box in a rural location that doubters said would never work for an ice cream store.
The shop, located about five miles west of downtown Traverse City, quickly became a gathering spot as its reputation for high-quality homemade ice cream spread. It's been a recipe for success, and the amount of ice cream produced has grown from around 4,200 gallons made in the first year to almost 30,000 gallons last year.
It's also become a yearly destination for thousands of area school children who tour the ice cream store and neighboring dairy farm each spring and fall.
"It's become known as the Moomers experience," she said.
Tough Choices
TRAVERSE CITY (June 10) — Traverse City Area Public Schools administrators face complex choices as they contemplate closing up to three elementary buildings in fall 2008.
District administrators recently held public forums at nine elementary schools and presented the criteria they will use in picking what buildings to close. The decisions are part of a plan to maintain programs and small class sizes in the face of budget shortfalls and declining enrollment.
Standards established by the school board include walkability, historical significance, enrollment, renovation costs, transportation implications, open enrollment figures and the number of students who would be displaced.
Other items are proximity to non-TCAPS public schools, the value of property for other uses and the size and flexibility of the building and site for TCAPS purposes.
The board already eliminated six elementary schools from closing consideration. Old Mission and Traverse Heights recently were reconstructed using bond funds, and the other four schools — Silver Lake, Westwoods, Courtade and Blair — are the newest of the district's 15 elementary buildings.
Rep. creates nonprofit organization
TRAVERSE CITY (June 11) — State Rep. Kevin Elsenheimer paid a Lansing lobbyist to create a nonprofit corporation in his name that can lobby his colleagues, advocate on political issues, and accept untraceable donations from individuals and corporations.
But the Antrim County Republican said he will only use the corporation to benefit area youth, despite what's stated in incorporation documents for the Elsenheimer Community Fund.
"It's something I'll use to send northern Michigan kids to camp or on class trips to Washington, D.C.," Elsenheimer said. "I don't see it as a means to advance a policy agenda."
Elsenheimer could have organized as a charitable organization, which would have limited the corporation's political activity.
Instead, the Elsenheimer Community Fund is organized under section 501c(4) of the Internal Revenue Service code, the same as advocacy organizations such as Planned Parenthood and Right to Life. Such organizations can advocate on issues, lobby government officials, and participate in partisan campaign activity related to their underlying mission.
An attorney, Elsenheimer said he's not "personally aware" of the differences in nonprofit organizations.
Woman hits new heights for 80th
TRAVERSE CITY (June 12) — The excitement etched in Alma Keller's face was evident through the early morning haze. Having just hit her 80th birthday, Keller was floating nearly 3,000 feet above Grand Traverse County in a hot-air balloon — a dream she'd been awaiting for 70 years.
"Oh, Jeff, this is far beyond what I had imagined," she told pilot Jeff Geiger of Grand Traverse Balloons, Inc.
The ride was a special birthday present lifted off with donations collected at Bible Baptist Church in Traverse City, where Keller inadvertently set everything in motion with an offhand comment to a friend about her desire for a balloon ride before she died.
Dear Governor ...
TRAVERSE CITY (June 13) — Sue Zell sat at a cafeteria table and watched 56 smiling Eastern Elementary School fourth-graders pose for a photo.
That perch allowed the Eastern Elementary principal to realize how much the students enjoyed writing to United States governors.
"The kids were validated by the finished product," she said. "All the students were so pleased with their letters. It's like lighting a match, and hopefully, each year it will get bigger and better."
The fourth-graders recently completed letters to every state governor as part of a Learn and Serve grant given to the Michigan Community Service Commission. The commission wanted to involve elementary students in an educational project that took them beyond the classroom, and the letter pitch proved the perfect fit with the National Governors Association conference, said Trish Fiebing, volunteer coordinator with Traverse City Area Public Schools.
All 56 students wrote a letter, and eight created two brochures for the Traverse City Chambers of Commerce.
Veterans secure tax money for fireworks
TRAVERSE CITY (June 14) — Local veterans didn't want to observe Independence Day in the dark.
And, thanks to tax-dollar donations from area governmental units, no one will.
Grand Traverse Bay will resound with loud bangs and light up with bursts of color this July 4 after the Grand Traverse Area Veterans Coalition secured nearly $30,000 to pay for holiday fireworks.
This year's display had been in doubt after funders extinguished their support. But coalition president Larry Butcher said veterans were determined to mark the day with the traditional display.
The coalition asked local units including Traverse City, Grand Traverse County and more than a dozen townships to share the fireworks cost based on the units' population. All agreed, except in Grant and Union townships, where Butcher said decisions are pending.
Stein honored for his work
TRAVERSE CITY (June 15) — A local real estate agent whose career in downtown Traverse City stretches four decades received the 15th annual Lyle DeYoung Downtown Achievement Award.
Rick Stein, who started working downtown in 1967 and was among the early organizers of the city's Downtown Development Authority, was presented the award at the annual meeting of the Downtown Traverse City Association held at the Park Place Hotel.
Stein, owner broker of RE/MAX Bayshore Properties Ltd., is described by downtown officials as a "tireless" volunteer for the city's central business district on a wide range of topics ranging from bayfront planning and parking development to the recently completed downtown market analysis.
The DTCA Board also honored retiring board member David Denison of Amical restaurant, who's stepping down after 12 years. Officers for the coming year are president Leisa Eckerle-Hankins, vice president Todd McMillen, secretary Jim Valesano and treasurer Brian Kluzak.
Trimester coincides with new standards
TRAVERSE CITY (June 15) — Traverse City Area Public Schools plans a switch to a trimester high school schedule as it implements new statewide graduation requirements.
The new timetable, slated to begin at high schools in the fall of 2008, has been in the works at TCAPS since the state enacted the Michigan Merit Curriculum last year.
Graduation standards will go into effect with the class of 2011 and will increase the required number of high school credits from 12 to 16. A trimester schedule will not extend the school day or school year.
DDA asks city to work out deck deal
TRAVERSE CITY (June 16) — Downtown Traverse City officials want the city to negotiate an agreement to operate a West Front Street public parking deck.
The city's Downtown Development Authority asked the city commission to work on a 15-year agreement to operate about 216 public spaces in a development by Federated Properties. The agreement would be between the city and the Grand Traverse County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, which plans to use $5.49 million in state brownfield funds to purchase the parking from the developer.
The county would own the parking, but has turned to the city to handle operations such as security, inspections and selling parking permits. The DDA estimates it would cost about $21,600 a year to operate the deck, with the county to cover the costs through parking revenues there.
DDA officials believe it will be a "break-even" arrangement.
Winery climbs ladder of success
TRAVERSE CITY (June 17) — With acres of scenic vineyards and West Grand Traverse Bay as a backdrop, it might appear that Eddie O'Keefe sits atop the world as his family's Chateau Grand Traverse winery enjoys record production and a burgeoning list of awards.
But the way he sees it, they're only at the first step of the ladder.
Chateau Grand Traverse is fresh from an impressive showing at the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition, and O'Keefe is determined to springboard that success into finding new markets across the country and beyond.
He hopes to blaze a trail other regional wineries can follow.
The impressive showing will help gain Chateau Grand Traverse a significant toehold in the coveted California wine market. The Ralphs supermarket chain features medal winners from the Los Angeles competition throughout its stores in the Golden State, and O'Keefe said he'll ship West up to 200 cases of each medal winner in a major marketing breakthrough for the winery.
No-bid contract could be awarded
TRAVERSE CITY (June 18) — City commissioners will consider awarding a multimillion dollar, no-bid contract to run its wastewater treatment plant.
City Manager Richard Lewis said expertise provided by Operations Management International, or CH2M HILL OMI, is significant and it makes sense to renew an agreement with the plant's long-time operator for another five years.
Commissioners are expected to vote on the contract for plant operation and related services. Next year's OMI fee is more than $2.3 million; of that $323,564 is in "indirect" costs, including company profit.
The contract spells out possible rebates for some costs. Traverse City pays about 45 percent of the bill, with the remainder shared by nearby townships that use the facility.
The city did not seek bids, in part because OMI has proven it can service the plant's "state-of-the-art system," Lewis said.
Acme to boost sewer rates 47 percent
ACME (June 19) — Acme Township's board plans to boost sewer rates by more than 47 percent in order to save the township sewer system from bankruptcy.
At a special public hearing the board will consider increasing sewer bills from $57 to $84 a quarter beginning with the October bill.
Sewer rates haven't increased since 2001, township Supervisor Bill Kurtz said. An analysis of the township's sewer fund shows that without a significant increase it will go broke by fall 2008.
The fund has been operating at a deficit since 2003, when the township began paying for the upgrade to the Traverse City Waste Water Treatment Plant. It then took on more debt in 2004 for an expansion of the sewer main.
Cyclists are bucked from their bikes
TRAVERSE CITY (June 20) — Bob Otwell was cruising along with a group of about 15 bicyclists when he felt something close in on him.
Dan Hofstra, biking next to Otwell, saw movement, a flash out of the corner of his eye, but it wasn't until he absorbed the impact that he realized what it was: a deer.
"I played a little football in high school, but I never took a hit like that," Hofstra said.
Otwell, the executive director of TART Trails, and Hofstra joined an exclusive club when a deer collided with them.
Hofstra said he was going about 15 miles per hour when the deer dashed out of the woods. Trailing cyclists saw him flip over the animal and land on his back on the pavement.
The deer then slammed into Otwell and ran off.
A group member called 911 and Otwell and Hofstra were taken by ambulance to Munson Medical Center.
Otwell suffered a broken pelvis and possibly separated his shoulder.
Hofstra received several stitches on his knee and sustained a possible fractured vertebrae.
Deputy won't face alcohol charges
TRAVERSE CITY (June 20) — A Grand Traverse County sheriff's deputy who was arrested for drunken driving in Leelanau County's Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore won't be charged with an alcohol-related offense.
But Gregory Scott McManemy, 43, Long Lake Township's community police officer, was charged in U.S. District Court with one count of failing to abide by a traffic control device. He's also expected to face a charge of creating a hazardous condition, said Larry Johnson, head ranger at the park.
"They are a form of misdemeanor under the code of federal regulations," Johnson said. "It is typically a fine and they are not normally required to appear in court."
Grand Traverse Undersheriff Nathan Alger said McManemy was cited for what essentially is a civil infraction under Michigan law.
McManemy will return to road patrol as sheriff's officials launch an internal investigation into the incident, he said.
Nurse's license may be forged
TRAVERSE CITY (June 21) — A Traverse City woman who worked at an East Bay Township adult foster care home despite having a criminal record faces a felony charge after authorities alleged her nursing license was invalid.
Denise Diana Tinker, 50, could face up to four years in prison after she allegedly used a forged nursing license to gain employment at Horizon North Inc., an adult foster care home where she worked as a registered nurse from December 2004 until January 2007, court records show.
Michigan Department of Community Health records show Tinker's nursing license was suspended in November 2004 when she failed to report numerous misdemeanor convictions to MDCH as required by the public health code.
Horizon officials fired Tinker on Jan. 18 after she didn't show up to work. The facility's owner later was tipped off to Tinker's invalid license, Alger said.
Ballast water lawsuit planned
TRAVERSE CITY (June 22) — Environmentalists notified shipping companies of a lawsuit accusing them of violating the federal Clean Water Act by releasing invasive species into the Great Lakes.
The National Wildlife Federation and seven other groups consider oceangoing freighters a leading source of exotics such as the zebra mussel and a recently discovered virus responsible for fish kills in several of the lakes.
They said the lawsuit would be filed in federal court after a required 60-day waiting period. It will seek an order barring the ships from discharging ballast water into the lakes unless they get federal or state permits and install sterilization equipment.
Scientists have documented at least 183 aquatic exotic species and another 124 terrestrial exotics within the basin, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported this month.
Housing service to end in Sept.
TRAVERSE CITY (June 22) — Goodwill Industries of Northern Michigan will stop providing residential services in September at the Whiting Hotel, citing rising program costs and reduced state funding.
The decision by Goodwill's board of directors is effective Sept. 30 and will affect about 50 residents who live at the hotel in downtown Traverse City, as well as 14 Goodwill employees.
For the last three years, the nonprofit agency used the Whiting for low-cost alternative housing and as part of a partnership with the state to help people transition into the community after incarceration.
Cecil McNally, Goodwill executive director, said changes and reductions in state funding for housing and case management services strained Goodwill's resources and jeopardize other efforts at a time when needs are growing.
Without adequate funding for judicial programs, the agency can't provide the necessary level of services, he said.
Hull Park to get an upgrade
TRAVERSE CITY (June 23) — Hull Park could become a hub of recreation for those with special needs.
A $440,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation will allow people of all abilities to walk, bike, garden and sail in the area surrounding the park at the north end of Boardman Lake. Three local groups will start by raising $200,000 in matching funds to pay for upgrades to the spot.
"There was a kind of intimacy there that you don't find on the bayfront," said Jeanne Snow of the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation. "We felt it was ... a kind of a quieter area for families."
The foundation helped secure the grant and will assist with fundraising.
Cutting the carbon
TRAVERSE CITY (June 24) — Anthony Mencarelli figured global warming and other threats to the environment weren't going to be solved.
Then, the 18-year-old took an environmental science class at Manistee High School and learned about new technology and advances in renewable energy.
"It gave me more hope because I always thought the world was doomed," he said.
Mencarelli was interested enough in the subject to volunteer at the Michigan Energy Fair, where about 130 exhibitors showcased alternative and sustainable energy products and techniques.
The event, organized with help from the nonprofit Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association, continues today at the Manistee County Fairgrounds in Onekama with workshops and vendor exhibits.
It's expected to draw as many as 6,000 visitors, whose attention will be focused on energy, conservation and sustainable and green building, said Allan O'Shea, a Manistee County commissioner and fair co-chairman.
Turtle species are on the decline
TRAVERSE CITY (June 25) — Leslie Mertz's first foray into the study of northern Michigan reptiles and amphibians 15 years ago included a population survey that had not been conducted since 1912.
What she discovered was a surprise.
"We found that there was a large decrease in the turtles," Mertz said. "They had found turtles everywhere, and we found virtually no turtles."
In fact, four of the eight turtle species found in northern Michigan currently are listed as species of special concern by the state Department of Natural Resources.
The Blanding's, Wood, Eastern Box and Spotted turtles all have been on the list since the 1990s, and their futures do not look good.
The Spotted turtle's status has been downgraded to threatened, one step closer to endangered, and the four species not on the list appear to be declining, as well.
Budget based on more state money
TRAVERSE CITY (June 26) — Traverse City Area Public Schools board members adopted a 2007-2008 budget that predicts an increase in state funding to public school districts.
The $87.7 million preliminary budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1 is based on a $100-per-pupil raise in the state foundation grant, which is the primary funding source for public schools and would bring in about $1 million for TCAPS.
Paul Soma, TCAPS chief financial officer, said district officials have received no word from the state on what level of funding to expect but must have a budget in place by the end of June. The $100 figure is based on the best information available and TCAPS is in a position to adjust if necessary because of sound financial planning, he said.
Bumper crop of cherries predicted
TRAVERSE CITY (June 26) — A bumper tart cherry crop is projected for northwest Michigan, with industry officials anticipating the largest harvest in six years.
Northwest Michigan cherry growers are expected to produce 160 million pounds of tart cherries this year, up 40 percent from last year and the largest crop since the 2001 season produced about 180 million pounds of tart cherries.
"It's larger than it's been the last few years," said Perry Hedin, executive director of the Cherry Industry Administrative Board. "I'm also told the quality is looking very good."
Trustees approve $33.3M budget
TRAVERSE CITY (June 27) — Northwestern Michigan College trustees approved $33.3 million in general fund expenses for 2007-08, about a $1.3 million increase over the current year's budget.
Meanwhile, the aviation program, which is being retooled for efficiency and technological updating, is expected to see a nearly $100,000 reduction in the amount it receives from the general fund.
The budget, representing the fiscal year running July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008, foresees a 4.1 percent rise in revenues and expenses. The 100-student flight school is predicted to spend almost $1.3 million in the coming year, about the same as the current year.
Board denies it violated state law
TRAVERSE CITY (June 28) — The Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners promised to consider educating themselves on state sunshine laws if a fellow commissioner would drop a lawsuit over an alleged state Open Meetings Act violation.
No such luck, said county Commissioner Christine Maxbauer, who filed suit against the board.
The board approved with an 8-1 vote a letter to Maxbauer that states that the board will seek an expert to present a seminar on the Open Meetings Act but also reaffirmed the board chairman's assertion the county did not violate the act.
"There is no question the county board needs training," said Maxbauer, who cast the one "no" vote. "Based on tonight's letter they still do not understand what they did wrong."
Community service required for program
NORTHPORT (June 28) — Students who apply for Northport's version of the Kalamazoo Promise will need to show that they and their parents are giving back to the school community.
The Northport Promise would pay up to four years of college tuition for students who graduate from Northport Public School and attend any public, post-secondary school in Michigan.
A group of Northport area residents launched the initiative in February in an effort to boost dwindling enrollment in Leelanau County's smallest public school district.
The Northport Promise steering committee approved a set of qualifications for the program. Applicants must have attended school at Northport for at least four years before graduation and the amount of financial assistance is based on the number of years spent in the district.
Students and their parents or guardians also will be required to participate in school-sponsored projects and programs during their years at Northport.
Detective survives scare
TRAVERSE CITY (June 29) — A little bit of luck is all that stood between Todd Heller and death.
The Grand Traverse County sheriff's detective spent a quiet day at home with his wife a day after a Traverse City man allegedly attempted to shoot him in the parking lot at Montmorency County's 26th Circuit Court.
Heller, 39, was at the Atlanta courthouse to testify against Robert Kenneth Becker, 45, who's accused of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for molesting a 14-year-old boy Becker met while working as a respite caregiver for Northwest Michigan Child Guidance Center. Becker was acquitted in 2005 of similar sex charges with the same victim in Traverse City.
Moments after jurors found Becker guilty of the potential life sentence, he fled the courtroom to the parking lot, with Heller and a Montmorency sheriff's deputy in pursuit, Grand Traverse County Sheriff Scott Fewins said.
Becker ran about 150 feet to his car, pulled out a loaded .20-gauge shotgun from his back seat and fired it point-blank at Heller's chest, Fewins said.
"It was a come-to-Jesus moment," Heller said. "Why it didn't go off, I couldn't tell you."
Web cams shed light on beacons
NORTHPORT (June 30) — Lighthouse aficionados visiting the Leelanau Peninsula will soon get two for one, thanks to modern technology being used to link several of the historic sites.
The Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum in Northport recently received a $10,000 grant from Rotary Charities of Traverse City to install webcams at the Grand Traverse light and the beacon on South Fox Island.
Stefanie Staley, the museum's executive director, said the new cameras will ensure that everyone can enjoy the panoramic views, even if they can't make it to the top of the Grand Traverse Lighthouse tower or trek to the South Fox light. Similar systems are used at other lighthouses around the state.
"Ninety-nine percent of the general public will never get out to South Fox Island," she said. "This will allow anyone with any physical or other limitations to see that lighthouse up close."
Print this story
E-mail this story
