No. 1: State Theatre reopens as daily film venue
TRAVERSE CITY -- The State is just great.
A renovated State Theatre reopened on Nov. 17, bringing back daily movies to downtown Traverse City and giving a boost to Front Street.
The movie house's grand resurgence earned it top billing in a Record-Eagle newsroom vote of the year's most important local stories.
But cinematic success at the previously shuttered downtown icon didn't come easily.
A series of setbacks befuddled efforts to reopen the theater before the Traverse City Film Festival and film maker Michael Moore galloped to the rescue. At their side were scores of volunteers, donors and workers who rehabilitated and decorated the theater.
Rotary Charities of Traverse City in May announced deal to hand over the theater to the film festival after lengthy negotiations. Rotary Charities took over title to the building from the State Theatre Group after it failed to enact plans to renovate the building into a performing arts center.
The debut 2005 film festival played out at the theater, among other locations.
Now, the State Theatre is the new, permanent home to the film festival. Its improvements include comfortable seats, murals and metal sconces made to replicate the originals.
The first weeks of the theater's new operation generated buzz around town and sold out seats at several shows. The opening night featured a gala and the film "The Kite Runner."
Other unusual offerings included simulcasts from The Metropolitan Opera in New York and a viewing of a state championship football game from Detroit's Ford Field that featured the Traverse City St. Francis Gladiators.
The State's renaissance happened after a rich past. The theater opened in 1916 as the Lyric, but burned in 1923 and again in 1948. It reopened in 1949 as the State Theatre.
No. 2: New direction for Traverse City commission
Traverse City -- City residents voted for change and in doing so swept out of office local politicians closely associated with a contentious high-rise development and parking deck project.
Michael Estes ousted incumbent Mayor Linda Smyka with 65 percent of the votes in November. Challengers Barbara Budros and Jim Carruthers won seats along with incumbent Ralph Soffredine to join Jody Bergman, Chris Bzdok and Deni Scrudato on the city commission. Incumbent Commissioner Scott Hardy was handily defeated.
"It's a totally new dynamic ... it's almost as though you have a totally new city commission in terms of philosophy," Estes said. "A lot of things are going to change."
Before the overhaul, Scrudato often was the lone challenger of many city initiatives. Now, as mayor pro-tem, her opinions frequently garner support from the newcomers, and generally from Bzdok and Soffredine. Bergman typically voted in the majority with the past commission, but is now more likely to be in the minority on certain issues.
Estes, Carruthers and Budros ran on the campaign message "We listen."
Much of the race boiled down to voter disapproval of the way incumbent commissioners dealt with Federated Properties' West Front Street developments and parking deck proposal.
Voters in August 2006 overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to fund a deck with up to $16 million in city bonds. The commission later continued discussions with Grand Traverse County's Brownfield Redevelopment Authority about city operation of parking spaces in the deck.
Estes, wary of the brownfield authority's approach to that project, is now urging for a separate city-controlled authority.
Changes in the brownfield process are among the first of many new ideas Estes hopes the city will investigate. He also wants to cut spending, lower taxes, improve roads and attract more public involvement through city boards.
No. 3: TCAPS closings prove controversial (tie)
TRAVERSE CITY -- Three elementary schools in Traverse City Area Public Schools will close at the end of this school year, following a divided vote by school board members and heated exchanges between parents and administrators.
School board members voted 4 to 3 in July to shutter Bertha Vos, Glenn Loomis and Norris elementaries, the result of a nearly yearlong planning process that recommended closing up to three schools. The decision was one of several that resulted from the process, including a reconfiguration of TCAPS secondary schools, shifting the district's east-west boundary and a move from semesters to trimesters.
Following the vote, many parents developed a sense of mistrust toward administrators after what they say was a lack of consideration for their feedback. Some pulled their children out of the district in favor of neighboring ones, such as Elk Rapids, while others are gearing up to send their children to another district school next year.
Parents of Bertha Vos students filed suit against TCAPS in September, but the case ultimately was dismissed. The district, however, did not emerge unscathed after 13th Circuit Judge Philip Rodgers sharply questioned the lack of critical analysis presented in TCAPS' defense.
Further adding to the contention was a December decision to move the TCAPS public Montessori program out of its seven-year home in Central Grade School and into Glenn Loomis beginning next year. The plan to move Montessori into a closed school arose during the planning process, administrators said, but some Glenn Loomis parents have said it appears the district is flip-flopping students.
The decision also inspired a few Bertha Vos parents to run for the school board, leading to a total of seven candidates for two seats in the November election. Marjie Rich, who sat on the long-range planning committee, and Traverse City West Senior High graduate Megan Crandall earned spots. Their first board meeting will be Jan. 14.
No. 4: Man accused of slaying, burying pregnant girlfriend (tie)
TRAVERSE CITY -- Williamsburg resident Justin Stair faces two potential life sentences after he allegedly shot and killed Dawnette Marie Harrell, his pregnant girlfriend.
Stair, 21, is in the Grand Traverse County Jail on an open count of murder and assault of a pregnant individual after authorities believe he killed, then buried Harrell near his parents' Whitewater Township home in April 2006. His trial is scheduled for Jan. 23.
Harrell's mother, Donna Hart, reported Harrell missing April 5, 2006, after she had not heard from her daughter in several days. State police interviewed Stair, Harrell's estranged husband Timothy Harrell, and others before they released news of Harrell's disappearance in October.
Stair told authorities he and Harrell met at the Cherryland Center off South Airport Road early April 2, 2006, that he drove them to his parents' Samels Road residence to talk, and that he dropped her back off at Cherryland "sometime between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m."
State police searched property surrounding the Stair residence on May 3, at the urging of sister Deanna Fredrickson. Officers located the missing woman's remains in a shallow grave in the woods about 100 yards from the house.
Police arrested Stair on May 15 after a search of his parents' home uncovered Harrell's purse, car keys and a .32-caliber revolver concealed in ceiling tiles at the house, records show.
Harrell, 29, died of a .32-caliber gunshot wound to the head, experts testified at Stair's preliminary examination in August.
A series of recent motions has delayed Stair's jury trial.
In a motion filed Dec. 5, county Prosecutor Alan Schneider seeks to exclude evidence of Harrell's estranged husband, Timothy Harrell's, history of violent acts against his wife.
"...(I)t is apparent that (Stair) ... will attempt to suggest to the jury that Timothy Harrell's propensity to commit violent acts toward his wife, Dawnette Harrell, raises a reasonable doubt of his guilt," the motion reads.
Schneider contends Timothy Harrell may have had a motive to kill his wife, but "evidence shows Timothy Harrell had no "practical opportunity" to commit this crime," the motion said.
Circuit Court Judge Thomas Power is scheduled to review Schneider's motion Jan. 11.
No. 5: Federated projects drag
Traverse City -- Controversy and setbacks thwarted progress on Federated Properties' West Front Street projects.
Construction has yet to begin on developments at 124 and 145 W. Front St., and the downstate developer hasn't revealed what, if anything, will be built.
Company representative Michael Uzelac and Federated also parted ways this summer for reasons no one has detailed.
Federated originally planned to build an eight-story residential and retail complex on 145 W. Front St. with a 530-space public parking deck. Most recent updates from the developer mention a scaled-down project, but don't include details. The changes may require a new permit and could impact brownfield funding.
City commissioners discussed funding options this year after voters in August 2006 overwhelmingly rejected a bond proposal of up to $16 million to pay for the public parking deck and other related improvements.
The latest plans call for Grand Traverse County's Brownfield Redevelopment Authority to lease and eventually own the parking spaces, while the city agreed to consider plans to maintain and operate the deck.
Those proposals angered many residents and became a rallying cry for city commission candidates who successfully defeated incumbent project supporters in the fall.
Examination of a city charter section by residents and a local attorney further challenged the development. Some contend that all projects involving public money require city voter approval, but opinions from the city's attorney and a downstate law firm hired by the city disagreed with that stance.
Federated's special land-use permit expires in February, and the developer has delayed meeting with the city to discuss an extension.
Plans also are sketchy across the street, where the former Grand Traverse Auto dealership was demolished last summer, leaving an empty field on 124 W. Front St.
Contractors filed construction liens last month for more than $413,000 in unpaid demolition and environmental testing bills.
Would-be tenants are now unsure of their plans to move onto the property.
No. 6: Meijer admits paying for, manipulating recall campaign
ACME -- A shovel of dirt has yet to be turned on construction of a new Meijer store along M-72 in Acme, but the political and legal wrangling between the retail giant and Acme Township dominated headlines throughout the year.
Township board members survived a recall vote last February, but the public only recently learned of Meijer's deep involvement in the recall effort. Documents attached to a lawsuit between Meijer and township Treasurer Bill Boltres that surfaced in December showed Meijer spent thousands on a public relations firm to help orchestrate the failed recall attempt against the township board, in apparent violation of state campaign finance laws.
Meijer settled its lawsuit with Boltres on Dec. 21 for an undisclosed amount, and issued a brief statement the following day acknowledging its financial ties to the recall group. It said "senior company officials" were unaware of those efforts until only recently.
But the political stress created by the ongoing friction took its toll. Former Acme Supervisor Bill Kurtz unexpectedly resigned in August, citing in part the turmoil over the ongoing Meijer dispute. The board selected former trustee Wayne Kladder to fill the remainder of Kurtz's term through the 2008 elections.
In 2007, the state Court of Appeals also weighed in on the two major lawsuits involving Meijer and Acme. In mid-September, the appellate court reversed part of a 2005 ruling by 13th Circuit Court Judge Philip Rodgers to vacate permits for a Meijer store and plans associated with The Village at Grand Traverse, a mixed-use project for a 182-acre site on the west side of Lautner Road along M-72.
Three weeks later, the court declined to hear Meijer's appeal over the township's conditional approval in 2006 for a Meijer superstore along M-72 as part of the Lautner Commons project on the east side of Lautner Road. Meijer objected to several conditions placed on a land-use permit issued by the township, conditions that were upheld by Rodgers.
Both projects remain on the drawing board entering 2008.
No. 7: Happy birthday, Mackinac Bridge
ST. IGNACE -- Big Mack had a big birthday.
This year the Mackinac Bridge turned 50 years old and celebrations were held this summer on both peninsulas.
"The bridge withstood both the weather and the wear and tear of traffic for 50 years and we expect to get at least another 50, if it's well maintained," said Bob Sweeney, administrator for the Mackinac Bridge Authority.
The white towers and green cables of the five-mile span long ago became a symbol of Michigan and a national landmark, a destination for millions of tourists. Locals see it as a beautiful part of the area's landscape, the way to family, friends, jobs and vacation getaways.
"Every time you see the bridge is amazing. To see it as the sun rises, to watch sunsets behind it, to see fog roll in, engulf the bridge and then lift away. You never get tired of seeing it or driving over it," said Mackinaw City business owner Jean Hunt.
The Mackinac Bridge cost $70 million to build, including $26 million for the foundations and $44 million for the steel. Construction began in 1954 after bonds were sold to fund the bridge, designed by renowned engineer David Steinman.
Construction work began in May 1954 and employed 3,500 men at the bridge site, with another 7,500 in quarries, shops and mills. More than three years later, the connection opened to traffic on Nov. 1, 1957.
Toll rates were hiked by bridge leaders this year and motorists will begin to pay new rates in 2008, with incremental increases through 2014. The increased tolls will raise money to pay for an expected $300 million in major infrastructure improvement projects over the next 20 years, including a new deck and upgrades to the concrete and structural steel.
No. 8: Group wants to site huge amusement park in Crawford County
GRAYLING -- Roller coasters could rocket into Crawford County.
State and local officials considered conceptual plans this year for a $161 million amusement park pitched by downstate developers on 1,800 acres of state land south of Grayling. Questions about the project's financial viability and the lead developer prompted officials to demand proof of investments before the venture moves on.
Company officials said they aren't deterred.
"We believe it's an ideal location as a gateway to the north," said Susan Haddad, spokeswoman for Axiom Entertainment of Rochester.
The company's lead developer is Patrick Crosson, who emerged from personal bankruptcy last year and worked in the 1990s to build a theme park in Indiana, a plan that eventually failed in bankruptcy.
Axiom has yet to submit required financial documents for the Crawford County project to state and local authorities because they are still being prepared, Haddad said.
The state won't sell the land to Axiom until the developer proves it has adequate financing, said David Freed, chief of land and facilities for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. And after 18 months of an exclusivity agreement for the property sale, state officials will now take other proposals for the land, he said.
No other proposals emerged in the weeks since the deal expired.
"It's all just a pipe dream until he gets the property," said Curt Jansen, chairman of Grayling Township's planning commission.
He said the longer the company waits to hand over records, the more it looks like it may not happen.
The land sale is not on the agenda for the Michigan Natural Resources Commission in January, a discouraging note, Jansen said.
Project proponents say the development would benefit the local and surrounding economies, provide as many as 2,000 jobs and focus a spotlight on northern tourism. Others say the park could create environmental problems and also question the potential use of millions in public dollars on the endeavor.
No. 9: GT County septage plant flush in red ink
TRAVERSE CITY -- Taxpayers were left to wonder if the Grand Traverse County board's $400,000 loan to bail out the troubled county septage treatment plant amounted to more of a donation, considering the plant faces projected losses of up to $1.3 million by 2011.
The first long-term projection of the plant's financial health released in September showed it will continue to lose between $210,000 and $240,000 a year over the next four years.
County Commissioner Christine Maxbauer opposed the loan. She said residents who are connected to city or township sewer services shouldn't have to subsidize a plant created to treat septic tank waste.
Left with the choice of either defaulting on the $7.8 million bond to build the plant or covering the debt, commissioners voted to make the loan with full knowledge they may have to forgive it in the future or specially assess township taxpayers in Peninsula, Garfield, Acme, East Bay and Elmwood townships. Elected leaders of those communities comprise the sewer and water committee that oversaw construction of the plant and guaranteed bond payments.
The plant partially collapsed in June 2005, a month after it opened, and reconstruction recently was completed. The plant was built to treat septic and holding tank waste. It takes in only about half of what local engineering firm Gourdie-Fraser Inc. projected in a 2001 study that helped convince the county and five townships to build it.
The county board also decided to intervene in the financial crisis and currently is in the process of seeking outside experts to perform an independent analysis of the plant's financial problems and develop a long-term business plan.
Despite the dire financial picture, board Chairman Addison "Sonny" Wheelock and Commissioner Larry Fleis insisted the plant will turn itself around and wanted to wait a year before the county intervened.
No. 10: Christine Maxbauer jolts GT County board
TRAVERSE CITY -- Christine Maxbauer's first day on the Grand Traverse County board of commissioners was a historic moment for the county: It marked the first time someone filmed and subsequently broadcast an entire county board meeting.
It was the start of 12 months in which Maxbauer refused to march to the county board's drumbeat, putting her at odds with both her fellow commissioners and the county's administration.
For years the board balked at televising its meetings; it refused again in 2007.
So the first-term commissioner lugged her video camera and tripod to county board and committee meetings to show the public its county board in action. The results weren't always flattering.
A committee meeting captured some of her fellow commissioners claiming global warming was a socialist plot by Al Gore, Jimmy Carter and the United Nations that would best be resolved by sending an e-mail to the sun.
When some of her fellow commissioners threatened to walk out if she filmed the board's annual goal-setting meeting, Maxbauer sued the board for violating the Michigan Open Meetings Act. The board later settled the suit and apologized to Maxbauer, though never admitted it violated the law.
It was one of her few victories, as she usually found herself voting against the majority on controversial issues.
Maxbauer opposed using taxpayer dollars to bail out the financially failing septage treatment plant unless the project director, Michael Houlihan, was fired. She voted against a no-bid public relations contract, and tried without success to get the county to adopt a county-wide ban against smoking in public places. Her move to ban smoking at all county-owned parks was referred to a committee.
She opposed the county brownfield redevelopment authority commandeering a public parking deck project on West Front Street after city residents voted overwhelmingly against funding it, and was chastised by county board Chairman Addision "Sonny" Wheelock for voicing her minority opinions in letters to state lawmakers.
On Dec. 26, however, the board finally capitulated on televising meetings. It unanimously agreed to begin televising all of its board and committee meetings, beginning in January.
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