By JIM LINCOLN

“We are tremendously excited,” said a jubilant Richard Johnson at a recent meeting of the Tecumseh Carnegie Preservation League (TCPL) regarding a purchase agreement for the historic Carnegie Library located on the corner of W. Chicago Boulevard and Maiden Lane.

The non-profit organization was formed in January to facilitate the acquisition and renovation of the vacant library, which has been on the market for several years. Local attorney Gary Baldwin closed on the sale of the property to the TCPL on Tuesday with a land contract for $110,000. Baldwin purchased the building from the Tecumseh Public Schools in 2002.

“The real work starts now,” said Johnson in regards to a community-driven fundraising campaign.  Johnson was the brainchild of the project and has spearheaded discussions as chairman of the league.

The project start was made possible through a $30,000 grant from the Community Fund Foundation, which issued a check to the group last week. “This is really great, a first milestone,” said league committee member Kim Koch.

Inspection of the building was led by Krieghoff-Lenawee Company, which has estimated renovation costs at $710,000.

Tecumseh City Manager Kevin Welch, who is heading up the fundraising campaign, said at least half of the $710,000 project would be needed within two years. “This is going to take a lot of work,” he said. “The building needs to be a community entrusted project. We all need to be prepared to support it.”

“The Carnegie Library and its legacy are an important part of Tecumseh’s history.  To restore this building and return it to public use is a testament to the spirit and tenacity of this community,” said TCPL committee member Paula Holtz.

By DEB WUETHRICH

The Tecumseh City Council authorized a new city fund on Monday night in order to receive proceeds from bonds that were recently sold for the Tecumseh Business and Technology Campus infrastructure project and to manage the payment of the debt service. In his city manager’s report, Kevin Welch noted that the $1.1 million bond sale was successfully completed on March 29. He said the interest rate varied from 4.0 percent to 4.75 percent.

“We need a separate fund to be able to handle these funds,” said Welch. He expects monies will be deposited on April 13. “Once the funds are distributed and the bonds paid off, this fund will cease to exist,” he said.

Construction is under way at the Tecumseh Business and Technology Campus, but some redesign work was needed when crews discovered that the gas utilities actually were located ten feet off of their anticipated location, requiring a change to the sewer installation and design. Welch said another surprise was finding that M-50 must have been 10 feet south of the current road at one time, something crews discovered while digging, with the roadway found about two feet beneath the surface.

“They had to break up big piles of cement before they put the water main in,” Welch told council members. The difference also was accounted for in the redesign.

A resolution also was passed authorizing the city manager to sign contracts relating to a street improvement project on North Evans Street through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“This project will be 100 percent funded by the federal government through the stimulus package,” said Welch. He said the city’s only responsibility would be for engineering costs.

By DEB WUETHRICH

Those who have scanners may have had a little chuckle a couple of weeks ago when an officer’s voice came across the radio stating to the dispatcher, “We have captured Rocky Raccoon.” Tecumseh Police Department Officers B.J. Horn and Bill Warner responded to a call from a city residence after a woman stated that there was something in her car. Items in her garage had been scattered. En route, when officers inquired as to what might be in the car, Dispatcher Monica Andrews said, “I don’t know, but it’s big and furry.”

Sharon Weidmayer was out walking west of Clinton when she found what may be the largest non-typical buck ever recorded in Michigan. The buck’s rack green-scored 247-4/8 but must be measured again to see if it’s the official state record. Weidmayer gave the rack to a friend, Ron Waldron. His grandson Trevor Humphrey (r) is shown with the large rack. Measurements will be taken in two weeks to determine the rack’s final score. See Sports for full story.

By CRISTINA TRAPANI-SCOTT

Three Tecumseh High School students have cooked up a way to pay for college—literally. Adam Steuwe, Kyia Salts and Britni Birt along with Holly Lanway of Onsted High School and Megan Crowell of Morenci High School are members of a ProStart culinary team that took the top prize, which included individual scholarships of $36,000, at the Michigan ProStart Student Competition held Sunday and Monday, March 14 and 15, in Frankenmuth.

In addition to the winnings, the team will compete at the National ProStart Invitational in Overland Park, KS, at the end of April. The top prize is a $100,000 scholarship.

The team was one of two teams to come out of the LISD TECH Center hospitality and culinary program and compete at what instructor Chef Corbett Day calls the Olympics of student culinary competitions. To become members of the extracurricular competitive culinary teams, students underwent an intensive auditioning process. Once selected, they committed to a grueling afterschool practice schedule that began in October. They trained in the kitchen at the TECH Center and at the Americrown kitchen at Michigan International Speedway. Along with Day, Americrown Executive Chef Frank Marrara and Pastry Chef Tabetha Harvey advised the team. Mentors also included past student competitors Robert Stretch, Adam Langmeyer, Jake Graf and Matt Lacelle.

By DEB WUETHRICH

A film crew from WXYZ Channel 7 News in Detroit visited Tecumseh last Thursday and Friday to tape segments that could air as part of a “Best Schools in Michigan” program later this month. The show is now scheduled to air on April 14 at 8:30 p.m.

The Tecumseh School Board voted in February to retain Sussman and Sikes, a professional marketing firm from Southfield, for $25,000, to help the district with a marketing campaign which included a spot on the “Best Schools in Michigan” program this spring. The school district will be able to utilize DVDs from the film as well as other marketing materials to help promote Tecumseh Public Schools.

On Thursday, film crews, including the show’s producer, Mary Mercado, spent time with Mayor Harvey Schmidt as well as students, parents and educators at some of the district’s elementary schools. On Friday, the crew filmed at Tecumseh High School.

Video also was taken at some athletic practices, a Tecumseh Lenawee’s CHILD program, and in some community neighborhoods.

“We really want to highlight the community because it is a unique place,” said Susan Goldman of Sussman-Sikes. “It has a great lifestyle that people may not be aware of. It’s such a cute town.”

Mercado, from Detroit, said this was her first trip to Tecumseh.
“I was pleasantly surprised,” said Mercado. “I thought I’d been everywhere around our area, but Tecumseh is really a hidden gem.”

At the last Tecumseh School Board meeting, board members announced that the district would host a special viewing of the “Best Schools in Michigan” segment on April 14 in the Tecumseh High School Cafetorium. Student music groups will also provide entertainment for the event, which begins at 7:30 p.m.