Archive - Mar 26, 2009

Sadly, another of Clinton's historic structures has met its fait. The culprits have been found and they will most likely pay, but that won't bring the old structure back. I'm not a lifelong resident of Clinton. I only lived there briefly, but I did have a chance to see the building from the inside, to see the thick beams and the old, heavy milling equipment left by previous owners. Having once worked at a Pro Hardware, I could appreciate the True Value, hardcore guerilla DIYers' kind of hardware store that it was, even if the extent of my DIYing has most often amounted to a sloppy coat of paint. 

Some might say it was just an old building, and it was that, but at one time it was somebody's dream and livelihood. There is life in that. 

I know there are Herald readers who remember going there, and I, for one, would love to hear the stories and memories of the old building. Even if you never went there, give me your general thoughts on historic buildings in this area. 

PHOTO BY JIM LINCOLN 

By DEB WUETHRICH

With a 5-1 vote before a standing-room only audience of more than 100, the Tecumseh School Board accepted a series of bids for the construction of a new athletic field complex at Tecumseh High School on Monday night. Board member Lou Englund was absent. Board member Jason Sines opposed the motion. Following the meeting, Sines said, “As I’ve pointed out at other meetings, I have some financial concerns about being able to afford it,” he said. He stuck to his guns in his belief that there could have been more exploration of the options before moving ahead with the new structure. “I just would have liked to have had more time to look at fixing the old facility first,” he said.
Prior to the vote, board members pointed out that the resolution did not include technology or weight room equipment, restrooms or concession stands, demolition of old bleachers or other items that still will need attention at some future date.

Sines made an attempt to amend the motion to accept the bids. “Have we really looked at this artificial turf when concessions and bathrooms aren’t on there? It’s like we’re sacrificing a lot of usability in those areas just to have artificial turf,” Sines said. He suggested that the motion be amended to exclude the artificial turf so that those dollars might be better used toward concessions and/or bathrooms. The motion failed for lack of a second.

CLINTON — The Clinton Police Department is planning to seek warrants from the Lenawee County Prosecutor for the arrests of one adult and two juveniles from Tecumseh who are allegedly linked to the fire that destroyed the historic Atlas Feed and Grain building in Clinton Thursday, March 12.

Clinton Police Chief Michael Randolph said he was unable to release the names of suspects, but that the warrants are being sought for arson.

The Clinton Fire Department was called to the Atlas Feed and Grain property after 6 p.m. on the day of the fire. Crews from Sand Lake, Manchester, Chelsea, Adrian City, Madison Township and Ridgeway worked to contain the fire in less than two hours, but the building was a total loss.

Investigators from the Michigan State Police Fire squad brought in accelerant-sniffing dogs and determined last Tuesday that arson had caused the fire. A charge of willfully and maliciously setting a fire to property valued at more than $20,000 is considered a felony in Michigan and can carry up to 10 years in prison with fines amounting to as much as three times the value of the property.

CLINTON — Acting on a tip, Office of Monroe Narcotics Investigations (OMNI) officers assisted by Tecumseh and Clinton police raided a home in Water Wheel Estates in Clinton finding an active methamphetamines lab.

Police arrested David Alfred Gibbs, 53 of Clinton on charges of delivery and manufacture of an illegal substance, possession with intent to sell methamphetamine, operating and maintaining a drug lab, maintaining a drug lab with hazardous waste and operating and maintaining a methamphetamine lab in close proximity to other homes.

According to OMNI, Gibbs has an extensive record of drug arrests and was last released from prison in May of 2008. The mobile home, which was owned by a relative of Gibbs’s, will be condemned and destroyed following further investigation of the property.

By CRISTINA TRAPANI-SCOTT

CLINTON — The Village of Clinton Manager Kevin Cornish said the receipt of $685,000 of federal stimulus money should allow the village to proceed with the Tecumseh-Clinton Road renovation project in 2010 as he had hoped.

The money, which was earmarked for a county rural task force project, was awarded to the village last Wednesday by a vote of two to one of the task force committee made up of Cornish, Lenawee County Road Commission representative John Keck and Lenawee Transportation Corporation representative Marcia Bohannon.

“It’s very good news for us,” said Cornish. “We need the money in order to get the project done. It’s extremely good news.”

The money does come with the resolution that the village will give $600,000 to Lenawee County Road Commission should the village receive a Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Category A grant that it has applied for. “We are still working aggressively to secure the category A money,” Cornish said.

The village has been looking at ways to fund a $2.3 million renovation of the increasingly deteriorating road for several years without passing the bulk of the cost on to its residents. It’s already secured funding through grants for half the cost of the project, the stimulus money will leave $600,000 that Cornish said will likely be paid half with village funds and half through a loan.

A tentative agreement was reached between Lenawee Stamping Corporation (LSC) and members of United Auto Workers 3000 on Monday evening, March 23.

The Union is expected to hold an information session for its members on Sunday, March 29, with a vote to be taken on Monday, March 30. Polls are expected to be open until just after midnight on Monday.

LSC General Manager Rob Vandertogt said that the Union has requested that details of the tentative agreement not be discussed until Sunday’s presentation before the members has taken place.