By DEB WUETHRICH

A panel of representatives assisting Tecumseh City Manager Kevin Welch with the hiring of a new police chief met again on Thursday to conduct interviews with three remaining candidates. The panel members included: Mayor Harvey Schmidt, Adrian Police Chief Terry Collins, Tecumseh Fire Chief Joe Tuckey, Interim Police Chief Scott Smith, and Evans Street Station co-owner Beth Kennedy.

Robert Sinclair, who is a Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. started his law enforcement career with the Deerfield Police Department in 1980, worked with the Tecumseh Police Department from 1981-1985, and has been with the Michigan State Police for 25 years.

“One of the reasons I’m interested in Tecumseh is that this city has given me so much over the years, I’d like to give something back,” he said.

He lists among his major accomplishments his time of working and coordinating the efforts of more than 19 different agencies at the Michigan International Speedway during race weekends. Other tracks across the country have been interested in the traffic pattern his team devised for after the race.

Like Wednesday’s candidates, Lt. Todd Mutchler and Ex. Lt. Carl Fuhs, Sgt. Sinclair believes that a police chief needs to be visible and accessible to citizens in the community.

“It used to be easier when we had programs like DARE in the schools, but the police chief needs to be involved in the community,” he said. “I see police work as not just law enforcement, but also public relations, being involved with the city in different aspects.

By DEB WUETHRICH

An interview panel began public interviews of five candidates for the position of Tecumseh Police Chief on Wednesday, Sept. 1. Two candidates were asked a series of questions by Tecumseh City Manager Kevin Welch, Mayor Harvey Schmidt, Tecumseh Fire Chief Joe Tuckey, Interim Police Chief Scott Smith, business owner Beth Kennedy, and Adrian Police Chief Terry Collins.

Lt. Todd Mutchler, who lives in Manchester, currently serves with the Canton Police Department where he has worked for 23 years. He said he was drawn to apply for the position because, “It’s always been a goal of mine to be chief, and this position was too rich to pass up.”

Lt. Mutchler’s responsibilities have included being a platoon commander, working patrol, supervising the detective patrol for three years, and overseeing school resources officers. He said his personal management style includes getting to know the strengths, weaknesses and personalities of the officers and tapping into their strengths.

One of his accomplishments in his present position was his role in the establishment of the Canton Response To Hate Crimes Coalition, which included partnerships within the community for which he received an award. Lt. Mutchler also shared some of his ideas on how to engage with the community with the panel, stating, “I think one of the keys to the police organization is engagement with the community.” He said he believes a police chief has many opportunities and avenues through which to be a part of the community and even to serve as an ambassador.

By DEB WUETHRICH

Four seniors from Provincial House in Adrian spent Friday morning at the Bristle Horse Farm in Tecumseh during the fourth of four sessions of a pilot program designed to involve them with the care and feeding of animals. ProMedica provided funding of $50 per resident per hour for the sessions, which included some classroom instruction as well as hands-on care of horses, donkeys and ponies.

George Kishpaugh, Irene Hanning, Mike Roth and Nancy Farant, also known as the Golden Giddy Up Gang, were happily engaged last Friday in the care of a donkey named Martin and a pony named Artimus. Martin stood quietly, exhibiting a lot of patience as two of the residents combed out his hair. Artimus, a small pony, was a little friskier, nudging Mike in search of some carrots, which were soon provided for the animal.

“How do you like that pony whisker kiss from Artimus?” asked Jan Vescilius, head trainer for Lenawee Therapeutic Riding, and also director of Therapeutic Riding, Inc., of Ann Arbor. Jan explained to the participants that just like people have to work and then be paid, Artimus should wait for a bit for his carrots, or he’d just be looking for more.

During a walk to the center of the arena, Artimus provided a laugh for the seniors and several volunteers working on the project when he laid down and rolled in the dirt, seeming to provide a good challenge for the participants to work on his coat again.

“You need to flick the dirt away with your hand,” said Jan, as she demonstrated and then fitted the seniors’ hands with a grooming implement.

By DEB WUETHRICH

There is one thing Tecumseh Fire Chief Joe Tuckey has learned through experience: disasters come in many shapes and forms and no two are exactly alike. The needs that arose in Dundee following a tornado this past spring could be different from those another community might face, though there would be some commonalities.

“I don’t know if you’re ever prepared for such a thing,” said Tuckey. “You can go through drills but when an incident occurs, you never know what might be needed.” He said the fire department does have plans and checklists to follow, however, with some of them being in the form of a notebook compiled by the county’s Emergency Management team.

Members of the Tecumseh Fire Department spent some time helping in Dundee after receiving a call from Lenawee County’s central dispatch. Monroe County had issued a request for more assistance.

“We went to the hotel by Cabela’s but the people were pretty much lined up waiting for the buses by then,” said Tuckey. “So we headed for the fire station. It took nearly an hour to go four blocks, because of all the trees and limbs in the road. There was a guy with a front end loader in front of us clearing up debris and not just a few limbs, but solid for the whole distance.”  He added that getting debris cleaned up is 90 percent of what’s involved in a disaster.

Tuckey said Dundee did a good job of coordinating what was needed, such as the buses being available to evacuate hotel residents and others to the middle school. If such an incident were to take place in Tecumseh, Tuckey said local resources would be utilized first, then, if needed, the county could set up an Emergency Operations Center.

“They would be ready to take care of things like rounding up buses, because I wouldn’t have time to be doing that,” said Tuckey.

A reminder to close and lock your doors is the message from the Tecumseh Police Department for both home owners and business owners following a rash of larcenies last week and reports of open doors.

Tecumseh Police Sergeant Troy Stern said most of the larcenies that occurred last week involved unlocked vehicles in the area of Shawnee, Bidwell and Chippewa streets. Six larcenies were reported in one night between Aug. 18 and 19.

Police are currently investigating a larceny at Tecumseh Middle School where officers on foot patrol found an unlocked door. Officers also found unlocked doors at Tecumseh High School. At both schools, the doors were left unlocked when the buildings were not in use.

Reports of downtown businesses leaving doors open or unlocked have also been received with at least one larceny reported.

By DEB WUETHRICH

The city of Tecumseh was the subject of a walkability audit on Monday afternoon when Dan Burden, the nation’s most recognized authority of walkability, bicycle and pedestrian programs and other planning elements, visited the downtown.

The audit is a hands-on evaluation of the walking conditions within a particular portion of a community followed by design improvement recommendations. Burden was joined by approximately 20 individuals representing city staff, Parks and Recreation Department and board, the Downtown Development Authority, Herrick Medical Center and other interested entities.

The program is part of a Michigan Department of Transportation collaboration with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and Michigan Department of Community Health. Tecumseh was one of several Michigan cities that had applied to have an audit take place in the community.

“What I do is take a good look at your community with you and identify components of a future as being tied to your past to help visualize where you might want to go,” said Burden, who has personally photographed and examined walking, bicycling, placemaking and town center conditions in more than 2,500 cities in the U.S. and abroad. Burden was involved with a now famous project in Albert Lea, Minn., where a program was designed for a small city to become healthier and more active.

“We were able to add 10,000 years of life for the residents as a result of changing their lifestyle, environment and purpose in life,” said Burden. “The story has made a lot of headlines and is appearing this month in US News.”