Archive - Feb 2012

By DEB WUETHRICH

Harvey Schmidt (D-Tecumseh), who served Tecumseh as mayor for 10 years, was expected to formally announce his candidacy for the Michigan House of Representatives seat in the 57th District on Monday. The kick-off campaign was scheduled for 8 a.m. Feb. 6 in Lenawee County Commission Chambers at the County Courthouse in Adrian.

Schmidt said his campaign and tenure, if elected, would focus on job creation and ending the adversarial climate that has dominated the Lansing political landscape for the past year.

“Michigan will never return to greatness so long as we continue to be governed by policies that pit one group against another,” said Schmidt. “We cannot create an environment that leads to sustained job growth and business expansion by passing laws that make Michigan an unattractive place in which to live and work. And that’s exactly what’s happened in the past 13 months.”

Schmidt also plans to focus on government reform and helping middle-class families make ends meet, noting that people all over Michigan are struggling and the state continues to cut programs that can help them.

Schmidt, owner of Schmidt and Sons Pharmacy with 35 years of business experience, has had a history of helping management and labor find common ground, leading to successful business growth and stable, good-paying jobs for employees. He vowed to use his negotiating expertise and independent thinking to develop new policies that restore the balance he sees Michigan as sorely lacking.
“Lansing politicians may pay lip service to cooperation and collaboration,” Schmidt said. “But their actions speak very differently. They tilt the playing field so one side wins. I level it so everyone wins.”

He refers to Michigan’s new income tax structure as an example of that tilted playing field.

By DEB WUETHRICH

A couple of years ago, Gary Krauss, 72, of Clinton, discovered that he was having difficulty bending over to pick up the ball off the green while playing golf. He asked his doctor about it.
“Dr. [Daniel] Doman said, ‘You should start working out,’” Krauss said. He took the medical advice and started spending time at the Carter Rehabilitation Center, using the weight machines there.

Krauss was no stranger to weightlifting, but he hadn’t actively pursued the interest for about 25 years, he said.
“I used to work out with my son, Michael, when he was in high school, and when I was 40, I had a goal to bench press 400 pounds, and I achieved that goal. I haven’t done much with it since,” Krauss said. During those earlier times, Krauss and his son worked out together, and Michael went on to become a state champion in discus and shot put in high school and got a football scholarship at the University of Michigan. “He played for Bo Schembechler,” Krauss said.

Krauss also followed the efforts of his grandson, Spencer Krauss, who was a state champion in shot put and discus as well as playing all state football, and played quarterback at Albion College. His granddaughter, Taylor Krauss, a senior at Clinton High School, won the shot put and discus two years in a row at the state level, so the Krauss family members are no strangers to athleticism.

While working out at Carter Rehab last year, Krauss heard about the Senior Olympics and was told he could find information on the Internet about it, so he looked it up.
“I found out they would be having their 2012 Senior Olympic Event in Rochester in January,” said Krauss. He had a lot on his mind last year, as his wife, Diana, was suffering from leukemia. Krauss said he made his commitment to follow through with his interest in participating in the Senior Olympics because of a promise he made to his wife.

By DEB WUETHRICH

A couple of years ago, Gary Krauss, 72, of Clinton, discovered that he was having difficulty bending over to pick up the ball off the green while playing golf. He asked his doctor about it.
“Dr. [Daniel] Doman said, ‘You should start working out,’” Krauss said. He took the medical advice and started spending time at the Carter Rehabilitation Center, using the weight machines there.

Krauss was no stranger to weightlifting, but he hadn’t actively pursued the interest for about 25 years, he said.
“I used to work out with my son, Michael, when he was in high school, and when I was 40, I had a goal to bench press 400 pounds, and I achieved that goal. I haven’t done much with it since,” Krauss said. During those earlier times, Krauss and his son worked out together, and Michael went on to become a state champion in discus and shot put in high school and got a football scholarship at the University of Michigan. “He played for Bo Schembechler,” Krauss said.

Krauss also followed the efforts of his grandson, Spencer Krauss, who was a state champion in shot put and discus as well as playing all state football, and played quarterback at Albion College. His granddaughter, Taylor Krauss, a senior at Clinton High School, won the shot put and discus two years in a row at the state level, so the Krauss family members are no strangers to athleticism.

While working out at Carter Rehab last year, Krauss heard about the Senior Olympics and was told he could find information on the Internet about it, so he looked it up.
“I found out they would be having their 2012 Senior Olympic Event in Rochester in January,” said Krauss. He had a lot on his mind last year, as his wife, Diana, was suffering from leukemia. Krauss said he made his commitment to follow through with his interest in participating in the Senior Olympics because of a promise he made to his wife.

By DEB WUETHRICH

Tecumseh City Council is expected to consider a resolution Monday night allowing the city to authorize a bond so that an engineering study on repairs to the Red Mill Dam may be obtained. The cost to obtain the engineering study is estimated to be $8,000 to $12,000.

Tecumseh City Manager said the way the law is written, residents have to obtain names on a petition requesting that a Lake Level District with Lenawee County be created under Public Act 451 of 1994 before the costs are known involving the dam’s repair.

“It’s just the way the law is written, and it’s not the county’s fault or anyone else’s fault, but it’s a little backwards,” said Welch.

He said he has been in touch with Drain Commissioner Steve May, as well as Frank Quinn and Robert Stross of the Friends of Red Mill Dam, and many names have been obtained, but the petition has not yet been submitted to the county.

“Once they submit the petition, they are pretty much committed, but the cost of the repairs are not known,” Welch said, indicating that it puts people in a difficult position for moving forward.

“The agreement would be subject to council’s approval, but the city could put up the bond so there would be assurance that we will pay the engineering costs if a district is not created,” he said. “That would allow the county to get estimates without having the commitment from residents first.”

Welch also will be assuring council Monday night that in offering the bond, the city expresses that it has no intentions to own, operate or otherwise fund the repairs to the dam, unless required to do so as a part of an assessment district determined by the county.

“This would just allow everyone to better know what they’re up against,” said Welch. “It’s not uncommon to do something like this for a special assessment for something like roads. We would do this basically to help the residents.”

Ousterhouts Flowers at 220 E. Chicago Blvd., Tecumseh, was broken into sometime over the weekend between Saturday, Jan. 28 and Monday, Jan. 30. Approximately $400 in cash was stolen.
Police found a door in the greenhouse ajar, with evidence of pry marks and a bent latch. Owner Ginnie S. Travis said that the store was locked up at 5 p.m. closing on Saturday.

When the owner opened the store on Monday morning, she noticed the open door and the cash register door was also open. Approximately $200 cash was taken from the cash register and $200 from a safe.

Police are still investigating the incident.

Bonnie L. Bush, age 76, of Tecumseh, passed away Feb. 1, 2012 at Cambrian Assisted Living of Tecumseh.

Bonnie was born June 22, 1935 in Washtenaw County, Michigan the daughter of Milton and Elizabeth (Nagy) Naugle. She was a graduate of Britton High School, class of 1953. She was married to Lowell G. Bush on December 10, 1954 in Britton, Mich. He preceded her in death on Nov. 26, 2007.

Bonnie worked in downtown Tecumseh during her earlier years and throughout her life as a volunteer to various non-profit organizations in the community. She had been an involved member of the Congregational Christian Church, Britton and the Tecumseh Assembly of God in various capacities. She also operated an executive home cleaning business in the Saline/Ann Arbor area for many years.

Bonnie is survived by a son Mark (Nancy) Bush of Tecumseh; grandchildren, Nathan, Aaron (Anna), John, Micah, and Alexandra “Alex”; brother, Milton (Nancy) Naugle and sister, Suzanne Halstead.

In addition to her husband, Lowell, she was preceded in death by her parents and son, Ward.

Visitation was from 12 p.m. (noon) until 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 at the J. Gilbert Purse Funeral Home, Tecumseh, followed by a 2 p.m. funeral service with Pastor Tom March officiating. Burial followed in Macon Cemetery, Macon Township. Memorial contributions in memory of Bonnie may be made to Hospice of Lenawee or R. J. Pasquale Ministries.
Condolences to the family may be made online at www.pursefuneralhome.com.