Behind the Headlines

By Stephanie A.

I just received a copy of this. I thought it may be of interest readers since roads, or the crumbling of at least, seem to be a favored topic in Monroe County. Make of it what you will.

The following is pasted from an email:

“Dear Honorable Angerer, Ebli, and Richardville,

Well, it’s upon us – Pothole Season in Michigan. We have all been around long enough to know it goes hand-in-hand with the arrival of the Robin! Of course one is anticipated and excites us – the other is dreaded and infuriates us. If potholes could only fly, some say that it would become our State Bird. As a Commissioner of the Monroe County Road Commission (MCRC) I am writing to ask once again that you make it a priority to find solutions to the road-funding debacle in Michigan.

I realize that Governor Granholm has appointed a Task Force to investigate the present road funding system, and offer in 2008 and 2009 ideas for a solution. But please understand that from my position that timetable is simply not acceptable. Our State Legislators cannot simply set aside this serious issue while a committee discusses possible options. This committee will not come back with “the solution”. It will submit options for possible solutions. And when will we enact solutions? Long after the road situation has become so severe that whatever funding option are suggested, it will take many years to get us to a level playing field with our deteriorating roads. We are in crisis now. Each year, each month we get further behind in terms of the cost of reconstruction and maintenance.

I am not one to bring complaints without offering workable solutions. So, here are three solutions that will provide immediate help. These first two you have heard before.

1) Diesel Parity – How about simply moving forward with diesel parity? There seems to be no good reason why gasoline is taxed at 19 cents and diesel fuel at 15 cents. That simple change would bring some relief. Certainly there would be some opposition, but making difficult decisions always brings opposition.

2) Hands Off MTF Funds – At the very least Lansing could eliminate the “off the top” shifting of millions of dollars collected for road improvement that are being sent to various other departments in the Capitol. Taxpayers have a right to expect that when they pay their fuel tax, vehicle registration fees and license fees that the money will definitely be spent on road improvement. It seems too easy for Legislators to use road improvement dollars to solve the ills of other departments. Quit robbing Peter to pay Paul!

3) Tax Credit For Road Millages – A new solution is allowing a “state tax credit” to voters who step forward and approve local road millages. A local road millage involves voters adding taxes on themselves for a specific service or needs. Let it become a dollar for dollar credit for those who are willing to step forward and take control of the road situations in their townships. Township Officials and road agencies could collectively work together and prioritize the roadwork to be done. Basically it boils down to this: Local tax dollars staying within the townships (not passing through Lansing), under local control, addressing local issues (roads, bridges, culverts, drainage, etc). Michigan Legislators for years (even before your time) have consistently demonstrated that they embrace the idea that “locals should pay for local roads”. Ask not what Lansing can do for you, but what you can do for your township/municipality. Let it happen.

We need solutions now – not a year or two of more discussions. The more talking that is done in Lansing the further behind your districts are in terms of getting ahead in the area of road improvement. I have provided several ideas for your consideration. Please step forward with strong leadership and enact legislation that gives local townships and road agencies the necessary avenues to maintain and improve the road system under our responsibility and in our counties. Road agencies and township officials are willing to take on the responsibility for local road maintenance. What we ask of you is the tools to make it happen. Please, help us help your constituents.
Respectfully,
Anthony M. Majauskas, Chairman
Monroe County Road Commission”

By Stephanie A

With it’s somewhat spooky moniker, I’ve always been a little curious about this piece of land. I’d heard about its probable acquisition into the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge awhile ago and now, it’s happened. Yesterday there was a little ceremony and official announcement that the 49 acres that once comprised the Lady of the Lake youth camp will now be part of the refuge.

Though I’m generally reluctant to link from one blog to another, I think it’s worth it in this case. Anyone who wants to get a sense of what the Lady of the Lake land looks like, check out Erie Hiker/Monroe Expatriate’s blog at www.blogsmonroe.com/expatriate/?p=1062. It’s very much like a virtual tour of the place.

You can look for more detailed info on the whole official aspect of the land acquisition in today’s MEN or check at the web site www.monroenews.com.

The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge has more information too. Check out: www.fws.gov/midwest/detroitriver/.

Something that kept occurring to me, as someone who has never fully explored the land: what kind of camping experience was this for the kids? All I picture is overwhelming wetland and mosquitoes. Does anyone remember camping there?

By Paula Wethington / paula@monroenews.com

Yes. We really do have a winter storm warning in Monroe on Good Friday.

And the s— is falling.

Detroit weather bureau.

By Paula Wethington / paula@monroenews.com

Last fall, my daughter Karolyn was a speaker for an awards program. Specifically, as one of the area’s Gold Award Girl Scouts in the class of 2007, she was asked to give a speech about her scouting experiences during the Huron Valley Girl Scout Council’s annual Women of Distinction awards luncheon in September.

I made arrangements to get her from her college campus in South Bend to Ann Arbor on the appointed date, and the two of us attended the luncheon.

Before lunch, my daughter and Jennifer Guerra from Michigan Public Radio, who served as mistress of ceremonies, went over their presentation notes. Various dignitaries, some of whom we had met previously, and some we knew only by name, came by to say hello.

After the program, I told my daughter it would be polite, since she was a speaker, to give personal congratulations to each of the winners. So we made our rounds through the room.

Keep in mind my daughter was the only one in the room wearing a youth Girl Scout uniform and had already given her remarks to the audience. As a result, she was easy to pick out in a crowd.

And yet, with the rush of friends, relatives and corporate sponsors to the award winners, we had to wait quite a bit for our turn to give remarks and a handshake to each of the honorees. “Congratulations on your award, it was nice to meet you,” … and that’s about all we were able to manage.

But we accomplished our goal of personally greeting all four honorees before everyone departed.

Now what does this story have to do with the business of being a reporter? (more…)

“People die there!” said one person.

“I know, that’s why they’re always hiring,” responded another.

By Paula Wethington / paula@monroenews.com

Monroe County’s 2008 Big Read book is “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The kickoff for The Big Read celebration is Friday with the opening of Monroe Community Players’ production of the play based on the book.

You can read Barb Krolak’s write-up about the MCP production here.

You can find all the details of what’s going on with The Big Read at the Monroe County Community College’s page.

And Behind the Headlines will be the place to find Big Read blog chit-chat from The Evening News reporters.

In concert with the kick-off to the Big Read, the Monroe Community Players will perform Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” this weekend at the Meyer Theater. During Monday night’s rehearsal, Norb Nowak, as Atticus Finch (left), confers with his client Tom Robinson, played by Chanzo Tambuzi, in the first courtroom scene.

Photo by Kim Brent / posted at The Monroe Evening News photo gallery

A couple things about the story that ran today on the alleged “secret” settlement deal. (Read the story here)

Jerry Oley was not questioning whether Mr. Berns was fired. It was pretty clear that he was fired and Mr. Oley said something to the effect of it was a pretty sweet deal for someone who was an at-will employee (no contract) who had been fired. There was a little mix up in the editing process. It was my fault – I wasn’t clear about what I was saying in the story.

Also, in the web version of the story, the sidebar with details of the contract didn’t appear as they did in the print version. Here is what the sidebar said:

“The agreement stated that Mr. Berns could not seek any legal retribution against the county or the 911 board authority for any reason if he signed. Here are some of the provisions of the settlement agreement:
• The county will pay $50,000 in severance, minus state, federal and local income tax withholdings to Mr. Berns.
• The county will also pay $10,126.37 for accrued but unused vacation and sick days as of Dec. 31, 2007.
• Should Mr. Berns participate in the county-sponsored health, dental or vision plans, the county will pay the monthly COBRA premiums for up to eight months, starting in January of 2008.
• He will remain on paid administrative leave until Dec. 31, 2007.
• All records of discipline will be purged from the personnel file.
• Mr. Berns can still call on the county for written or phone references.
• The county agreed not to oppose his application for unemployment.
• Mr. Berns agreed not to disparage or demean the county or the people outlined in an earlier provision.
The agreement was signed by Charles Londo, county administrator and chief financial officer, Sheriff Tilman Crutchfield and Mr. Berns and went into effect on Dec. 28, 2007.”

One reader emailed me after reading the story and asked a great question. He wondered where the funding for the 911 board comes from – i.e. is the county contributing to it, “which would justify Mr. Oley’s concerns”?

Here was my reply:
“From what I understand, the county board does supply the Central Dispatch department with budgeted funds and, as listed in the line item budget, the position was considered a central dispatch position. Essentially that means the county supplies the money for the job. However, once money is allocated to an authority – which falls under a different class of organizational structure – the county doesn’t really have much say in what they do with it. So, it’s not a very straightforward answer. This is just what I’ve found out and I need to verify it to see what is the real deal here.”

To take it further, the Ambulance Authority is a separate budget item, but is also supplied money through the county. As an authority it has certain autonomy, very much like the community mental health board authority. The county commissioners appoint the board members but don’t have direct oversight like they would a committee.

By Paula Wethington / paula@monroenews.com

We have a new piece of inspirational art at The Monroe Evening News’ downtown Monroe office. It’s a huge banner featuring The First Amendment, hanging down what used to be the main stairwell from the newsroom to the old main entrance, but is now a stairwell that is used mostly by employees.

I didn’t get a really great picture of it. Either I had to zoom in close enough so you can pick out the words, or zoom back out so you can get the full effect. But it really does look neat, and you’ll want to ask to see it when you visit our office.

(and the rest of it does continue down the stairwell ….)

By Stephanie Ariganello; stephaniea@monroenews.com

Browsing through the paper this weekend, I was drawn to the classified ad that simply read: “MUSKRAT MEATS Call Bill at …” How could anyone pass that up? (I’m fond of packages of nuts that label their innards as meats, like walnut meats or almond meats. I think that was in play here.) I was so taken by it, I didn’t even realize it was under the wanted to buy heading rather than the for sale heading.

So I called, wondering about these mysterious muskrat meats. Were they available? Where did they come from? Bill, the man seeking the meats, clarified. He wanted some muskrats for bear hunting. He usually uses beavers to draw bears close, but beavers have become scarce – harder to find and more expensive. So he figured muskrats were a none-to-distant relative and they would probably work, too. Hence the ad, seeking the meats.

He said they used to be available at Monroe Frozen Foods, and he could satiate his need for muskrat whenever he needed to. While this batch he wants for hunting, he said they used to trap them at the creek near his home and his mom would cook them up in creamed corn for big family dinners. But he’s having a hard time locating any muskrat. Bill said he keeps hearing about all the muskrat dinners and has been wondering if they’ve cornered the market. So his question is: where does one acquire muskrat around here?

Apparently he’s not the only one. About 20 minutes before I phoned him, he said he got another call asking how much he was charging.

This seems like a uniquely Monroe thing. What do you think?

Pretty powerful, apparently.
U.S. Rep. John D. Dingell, D-Dearborn, is ranked the fourth most powerful member of the House, according to new rankings by Knowlegis, a firm that gathers Congressional data and links clients with legislators.
The organization ranks legislators annually on the position they hold on committees, the influence they wield, the legislation they move forward and the earmarked funding they get for their constituents.
Only Reps. Nancy Pelosi of California, Steny Hower of Maryland and Charles Rangel of New York were ranked higher than Rep. Dingell.
Rep. Dingell also was ranked the fourth most powerful among Democratic lawmakers and the most powerful federal legislator in Michigan. Carl Levin, was the next closest among federal legislators from Michigan, ranked eighth in the state.
Rep. Dingell’s stock began soaring in 2007 after regaining his position as chairman of the powerful Committee on Energy and Commerce. In 2005 and 2006, he was ranked in the 80s.
To see all rankings, click here.