Archive - Jun 4, 2008

By JIM LINCOLN

Collaboration between artists and the Tecumseh business community has resulted in a benefit fundraiser for the Tecumseh Center for the Arts.

The Flight of Fancy Art Auction began as an idea last January involving birdhouses —decorated, designed and created as pieces of art — to be donated for auction as a means of fundraising for the TCA.

On Tuesday, TCA director Johanna Walker was beside herself. “Isn’t this fabulous!” she asked. “It’s incredible when you look at the talents of these artists.” She said the project has turned out to be an “enormous collaborative effort,” starting with a three-person committee, including Kathy Field, of Tecumseh Youth Theater, Stephanie Harmon, of the Tecumseh Players, and Tecumseh City Manager Kevin Welch, all of whom worked to get the project off the ground.

Initially, organizers hoped to get 20 to 25 birdhouses for the fundraiser. As of Tuesday, over 50 had been delivered to the lobby of the TCA. Students, teachers, a police officer, and museum director were just a few among those participating with a personally designed birdhouse. The birdhouses are being distributed this week for display at local businesses.

Students at the Lenawee Vo-Tech supported the project by making over 40 birdhouses out of wood provided by the TCA. The city’s Department of Public Works pitched in by making 20 birdhouses. These birdhouses were provided to the artists to design and decorate, although some chose to make their own base structures themselves. One artist has submitted a working duck house made from pottery. A majority of the birdhouses are made for indoor decoration, although some can be used outdoors or modified for outdoor use.

A special open house and ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled at Herrick Medical Center on Thursday, June 12, with the public invited to attend between 6:30 and 8 p.m.
The second of two phases completes a major $13.1 million renovation of the hospital, which opened a new emergency department last year.

Anyone familiar with the former hospital will remember the maze of hallways that led from the front entrance to other areas of the hospital, and specifically, to laboratory and outpatient services.

No resemblance of the former interior remains, with a main hallway that now leads along a gentle curve from the front entrance, past a fireplaced reception area, to a large registration and waiting area located halfway between the front and rear entrances. Either entrance provides easy access to the main hall and the registration desk.

The changes present a complete makeover for the hospital’s main entrance and outpatient service area to improve convenience, as well as provide an environment that provides more privacy and confidentiality in a warmer, more calming atmosphere, as described by Rich Laliberte, Herrick Medical Center’s site administrator.

Greg Corbett, president of Bixby and Herrick Medical Centers, said donors and employees of ProMedica would be the honored guests Thursday during an official ribbon cutting ceremony.

“The project was really a collaboration between the medical staff and community,” Corbett said, crediting the efforts of Merlyn Downing, retired chairman and CEO of United Bank & Trust who led a local $5 million fundraising campaign.
“Forty percent of the project cost came from the community,” said Corbett, noting the importance of the community’s commitment to the medical center.

By DEB WUETHRICH

Tecumseh City Council members held a Study Session prior to Monday night’s regular meeting in order to discuss the possibilities of adding a dog leashing requirement to its present ordinance. Tecumseh resident Lolly Luegge, who lives in River Acres subdivision, brought the issue to the council’s attention a few weeks ago, stating that she has talked with a number of neighbors and other residents who have experienced problems involving dogs and would like to see that dogs remain under the control of their owners with a leash.

“A lot of people think the city already has a leash law,” Luegge said at that time.
The city’s current ordinance regarding dogs references a requirement of “reasonable control,” but does not require them being on a leash. It states, “No dog shall be allowed to run at large in the city unless the dog is under the reasonable control of the owner.” Many dogs will visit the city’s parks and walk down streets with their owners. The “reasonable control” has loosely been defined as coming when the owner calls it, according to Tecumseh City Manager Kevin Welch.  

City officials decided to address the matter, however, in the interest of health and public safety, and brought information to the Study Session to begin that process. Welch said that he and Tecumseh City Clerk Laura Caterina had made inquiries, did some research, and learned that 242 Michigan communities have leash ordinances.

By DEB WUETHRICH

Tecumseh City Council members adopted an ordinance on Monday night regulating door-to-door sales, clearing up some definitions and penalties for non-compliance. The council also adopted a fee schedule with a daily fee of $25 and an annual fee of $200 per solicitor, and will become effective on June 15. The council members opted to make violation of the ordinance’s provisions a misdemeanor rather than working up to one.
Violators sometimes will claim that they did not know they had to have a license, or that each member of a group must have one. Council member Larry Van Alstine pointed out that it is the Police Department that has to enforce the ordinance with individuals who violate it. “You’re going to get some things like phony identification,” he said. “I think it should be a misdemeanor.”

“I think if it’s a misdemeanor first thing, then they’re going to be more careful of what they do,” said council member Gary Naugle.

The ordinance distinguishes between peddlers, solicitors, transient merchants, and Service Club or Not-for-Profit groups with fee exemptions made for recognized charitable events and specific groups such as youth organizations. Licenses may be denied following criminal background checks for various reasons, including fraud, misrepresentation or false statements. Soliciting hours in residential neighborhoods are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ordinance was adopted.
In other business, the council members:

• Heard a report from City Assessor Amanda Lacelle, who noted that the city had 123 appeals during its Board of Review this year, with 76 denied and 43 changed. She noted that the high number of foreclosures have not only been difficult for the homeowners, but in attempting to determine a true market value for homes.