Grand Beach Village Council discusses potential tree removal regulations

Before launching into official business at their Wednesday, Jan. 19, meeting, members of the Grand Beach Village Council presented a plaque to longtime former police chief Dan Schroeder.

Schroeder was injured in February in 2019. Council president Deborah Lindley said that it’s “hard to believe he’s been gone from the village for three years.”

She said they planned to have a reception for him sometime this summer to give him a “proper goodbye” for his service to village for more than 40 years.

“As a police commissioner, Dan, it was a pleasure working with you – you had great rapport with the citizens and respect from the citizens,” Lindley said, adding that his father was chief before him.

Schroeder, who was participating remotely said that the village was like his “second family.”

“I’m the last in the Schroeder family to serve in village so on behalf of myself and family, thank you for my support - it was an honor and pleasure to serve the village,” he said.

Councilmembers agreed to have a letter for the building permit packet regarding removing trees in the village to review by next month’s meeting.

Building Inspector Bill Lambert said in the Village of Michiana, contractors are required to come to the office and register, as well as to pay a $50 fee, before performing any work.

Lambert said a zoning permit, which tells what work is going to be done during a project and how many trees must come out, is needed for a project.

Lindley said that along with removing trees, it would also be a good idea to put information on registration and variances in the letter.

She added that a permit needs to be posted on a tree so when village officers see work starting, they would merely have to check and see if a permit has been issued to determine if it should continue.

Councilmembers agreed to discuss registering contractors next month as well as to review Michiana’s regulations.

With regards to the Wildwood – Ely Avenue Loop, councilmembers approved sending paperwork from Merritt Midwest Inc. and the document that councilmember Paul Leonard and Joe Farewell have worked on together to village attorney Sara Senica for her review.

Leonard said that councilmembers had in front of them “content” that will be put into a formal easement document by Senica. He said that a legal description of the parcel of land that’s subject to the easement revealed that there’re three parcels. He said that Senica will need to decide if she can do one easement document with all three parcels, or she must do three separate one.

He added the purpose of the easement is that the village is putting in a waterline there, that the village is responsible for putting it in there and that the village is also responsible for maintaining and fixing it.

Councilmembers approved hiring a full-time deputy clerk at $17 an hour with benefits.

Clerk and treasurer Mary Robertson said that she’s put ads in the local papers, on the Michigan Municipal League website and sent the job posting out to the local clerks but hadn’t received any applicants.

Councilmembers Blake O’Halloran said it may not be wise to make the position be part-time or outsourced due to the training involved, adding that the new person may someday take over as clerk.

Councilmembers agreed to each come up with a list of what they need done and the costs associated with their respective projects with regards to a potential millage increase before next month’s meeting.

Lindley said she wanted a “solid list of what we want to do” with the funds that would be raised from an increase.

“When we go out to the public, we have to have an idea of projects we want to have done and for ourselves to know how much we want to get,” she said.

Other decisions include how many mills the village will ask for on the ballot proposal and the number of years for the increase. Lindley said she preferred the millage proposal being on the November ballot, as that would give them the summer to elicit responses from the public.

Councilmembers approved contracting with Cardenas to perform the scope of work involving tree trimming and tree removal, which will benefit the golf course, for $23,000 last November.

The proposal includes removing trees from a resident’s property off the second hole to allow more sun to hit the golf course. It was suggested by councilemember James Bracewell that there be a signed agreement from the property owner to allow the village permission to remove and/or trim the trees that are marked with an “x” as well as to allow the tree contractor access to his property.

Lindley said Senica made an agreement that needed to be signed by the homeowner and notarized and then to have the homeowner sign a contract with the tree service; however, when Robertson had received everything, the agreement wasn’t notarized, and the contract wasn’t signed. She directed O’Halloran to have the property owner to sign the agreement, either with or without the notary, and to sign the contract.

O’Halloran said after “much discussion,” the property owner signed the agreement but he “didn’t want to because he doesn’t like the way he’s been treated in the past for other reasons.”

“I will do what I can but I’m not promising that he’ll do it,” he said, adding that right now they already have a signed contract from him that’s “very, very clear on exactly how everything works…We’re kin dof pushing this person,” he said, adding to “keep in mind we were the ones requesting to knock his trees down.”

Councilmembers approved contracting with Carpettown to replace the flooring in the pro shop for $11,575.

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE New Buffalo Times — SINCE 1942 —

Renovated fitness center unveiled at MCHS

The Fitness Center and Weight Room at Michigan City High School no longer resembles “The Dungeon,” as it was once nicknamed.

New weights featuring things like adjustable benches, bars and bumper plates have replaced all the weights and other related equipment dating back mostly to 1995.

Four treadmills and two elliptical machines along with a new rubberized floor sporting the school logo on every other tile were added.

Also new are three large screen monitors fastened to the walls to watch training videos.

Phil Mason, head coach of the high school football team, said the atmosphere is more inspiring and the new layout allows him to bring in more players at a time for weight training.

“It’s extremely functional. It’s just an awesome place for us to get in and get our work done,” he said.

“Everything is brand new so I like it a lot,” said Tyler Bush, a sophomore and starting quarterback for the Wolves, who made it to the semi-finals in three of the past five post seasons.

The facility is open to all students and staff.

Special Education teacher Matthew Ard worked out several times a week in the old facility.

He immediately noticed the difference while looking around and sampling the new equipment during an open house and ribbon cutting Wednesday.

“Everything was kind of old and run down. Now, it’s bright. It’s absolutely fantastic,” he said.

A $75,000 grant from the Healthcare Foundation of LaPorte went toward the nearly $104,000 cost of the renovation.

Maria Fruth, the HFL’s president and CEO, said the project is in line with the foundation’s mission of making LaPorte County one of the top 10 healthiest communities in the state.

“This is a win, win situation,” she said.

Student athletes will also use the facility as part of their physical education curriculum.

High School Athletic Director Craig Shaman said everything is new except for just a few of the old machines that were still in good shape.

He said most thrilling for him is seeing the reaction from students using the facility.

“It’s something that other schools and other people are now envious of and, usually, we’re on the other end of that,” he said.

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Indulging in wintertime fun at Chikaming Ice Rink

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

With temperatures

dropping to the low ‘20s and piles of snow coating the ground, skaters made good use of the Chikaming Ice Rink located at Harbert Community Park last weekend. In addition to the ice rink, there’s also a “dinky rink” for the younger skaters. Over 60 pairs of skates, free of charge, are available to rent and are in the concession stand. Skaters can email their name, phone number and address to staylor@chikamingtownship. org to receive a combination to the lock.

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SCHOLASTICS

Red Arrow Raiders had successful first season

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

The first season of the Red Arrow Raiders Eight-Man Cooperative Team, which was comprised of football players from River Valley and New Buffalo, was a success.

At the New Buffalo Area Schools Board of Education’s Monday, Jan. 24, meeting, Red Arrow Raiders Coach Matt Johnson said that they started the season with 22 young men on the team. They ended up with two of them (one from each program and school) dropping out early on, so they began and ended with 20 players.

“The main motivation for cooping for us on our end was to be able to provide a JV program - which we were able to do,” he said.

Adding that they were very fortunate to be able to have a JV season, Johnson said of the 20 kids on the team, 12 of them were freshmen or sophomores.

He said the “biggest hurdle” was the fact that many the players from River Valley hadn’t played football for two years, since their season was cut short in 2019 and there was no season in 2020. As a result, some juniors and seniors hadn’t had a “functional experience in football since middle school.”

Overall, the Raiders ended the season 4 and 5. Some school records were even broken, including most points scored in one game twice, and one player set school record for total touchdowns in a game. “To be able to have some of these milestones in our program would not have been possible because 12 members from New Buffalo and eight members from River Valley – there’s no functional way either team would’ve gotten through a season,” he said. Johnson added that there were a couple injuries to three of the starters, forcing a couple JV players to step in and play “significant minutes in the varsity game.” Adding that there’s a benefit to playing JV contests, Johnson said they “had got game time experience, they had got real world experience, they had played, they had gained a little bit of confidence so coming up and playing at the varsity level, they were more confident in their abilities in competing against some of those varsity players.”

While they were losing some seniors, he said that “by all accounts” he believes that everyone else on the team will be returning. Seven young men who are in the eighth grade have also committed to playing next year and the players are “actively recruiting.”

Superintendent Dr. Jeff Leslie said that the board wanted a rundown of the season before they potentially approved a football coop at the middle school level.

Johnson said the board would need to decide on the coop no later than April 15, which is when applications for fall sports need to be sent to the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA).

Board members approved a payment of $183.60 to New Buffalo Inn and Spa (with board president Lisa Werner, the owner, abstaining), which was for a two-night stay for a guest speaker at the school.

Werner followed up on why the special board meeting, which was scheduled for Monday, Jan. 17, to discuss a face mask addendum to the district’s Return to Learn Plan, was cancelled.

She said she attended a Zoom meeting held the next day with other

superintendents and the Berrien County Health Department and that, based on the information that was provided by the health department, there was “no support for them to support masking.” Werner added that she felt the board had gotten “all comments from the Johnson added that public” at a meeting that was held last there were a couple December regarding masking in school. injuries to three of the starters, forcing a couple JV players She said there appeared to be a “lot of back and forth between superintendents to step in and play and the health department.” “significant minutes “Honestly, I wish the health in the varsity department would support one way game.” Adding that or another and not leave us in the there’s a benefit to lurch, if you will,” she said, adding that playing JV contests, Johnson said they “had got game time she spoke to Leslie and some board members before determining not to experience, they hold the meeting. had got real world The district’s current Return to Learn experience, they Plan makes masking in school optional. had played, they The district had to go into remote had gained a little learning the week before Christmas bit of confidence break and the second week of January so coming up and playing at the varsity level, due to surging Covid cases. Board members approved appointing they were more Martha J. Marcero of Thrun Law firm confident in to serve as the board’s hearing officer their abilities in for their personnel hearing, which was competing against conducted that evening. some of those Board members then convened varsity players.” into Closed Session to discuss privileged client-attorney information, during which they voted to have an independent party investigate the personnel complaint.