March 7, 2015 • Vol. 136 No. 10 514 S. Kalamazoo Ave. in Marshall, MI • Phone 269-781-5444 and FAX 269-781-7766 • www.advisor-chronicle.com
In The News:
STUDYING FOR
Randy Davis a finalist for state superintendent position Marshall Public Schools Superintendent Randy Davis is among six finalists who will interview this week in Lansing to become the next state superintendent. The announcement by the State Board of Education was made March 3 in the ongoing process to replace current Superintendent Michael Flanagan, who is retiring by the end of June. “This is exciting news for me and the district,” said Davis. “When I got the call, I was like, ‘Wow.’ I was totally floored.” See story on page 5
City Council focuses on moving ahead Marshall On March 2, the Marshall City Council held a joint work session with the Marshall Planning Commission to hear a presentation from Redevelopment Ready Communities staff regarding the city’s application for certification to be a Redevelopment Ready Community. “We are doing well in many areas, and we still have some work to do,” said Community Services Director Natalie Dean, who had applied for the RRC program in the fall. The council also held a goal setting work session on Feb. 20-21 with consultant Lewis Bender to define what an ideal Marshall would look like in the future. See story on page 2
Homer School Board selects finalists in search for Superintendent The Homer Community School Board has narrowed the field in its search for a new superintendent. Onsted Community Schools High School Principal Robert Wright and Harper Creek Community Schools High School Principal Matthew Montange have been selected as the two finalists. The district plans to have a new superintendent selected by the end of March with a start date to be determined at a later time. See story on page 12
VFW looks to increase membership with auxiliary groups In his first year as VFW Post 4073 commander, Bill Thick Jr. is looking for ways to increase membership and promote the post. “I have a vision to breathe life into our dying post,” Thick said. “There are no living World War I veterans and World War II veterans are passing away at the rate of over 1,000 per day, with Korean War veterans not far behind.” To kick off his new outlook, Thick is working with the post to start a Ladies Auxiliary and Men’s Auxiliary to increase membership. See story on page 34
Marshall Middle School hosts Teach to Lead Summit Marshall Middle School was honored by the U.S. Department of Education with an invitation to host a day-long Teach to Lead Summit Leadership Lab at MMS on Feb. 27. The purpose of the lab was to present the IF (intervention focused) Data Project, a student-centered systematic approach to making sense of the reams of student data that are currently collected throughout the school year. Attendees included educators and administrators from around the region. See story on page 24
Time to ‘spring forward’ It’s that time of year again, where we “spring forward” this weekend as daylight-saving time officially begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 8. Moving the clock ahead can affect one’s personal health, sleep habits and lifestyle. See story on page 3
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he Marshall Civic Players is in final preparations for the upcoming performances of the hilarious musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Under the direction of Charlene Rucker, cast members are learning lines and their characters are memorizing spelling devices in preparation for the bee. Readying for the March 13 opening (and competition) are Tucker Hale, top, and Chris Howell, right, and, center from left, Sam Friia, McKenzie Schafer and Dan Kirby. See story on page 11