Consumers Energy powers the community through intern program

It’s no secret Consumers Energy has been powering Jackson through the hottest month of the year, but some of its most vital energy sources might be a surprise.

Frosting, sprinkles and hot fudge, to name a few.

The sweet favorites were staples Monday evening at a dessert and movie gathering hosted by Consumers interns at the Jackson Interfaith Shelter as part of the company’s Summer Intern Challenge.

Adults enjoyed ice cream sundaes and popcorn, while kids indulged in a “create your own cupcake” station. The grown-ups and teenagers watched “The Blind Side,” and youngsters viewed “Tangled.”

“The people are nice, and just being able to put what I want on my cupcake is my favorite thing,” said 8-year-old Malina Triplett of Jackson, who was showing off her creation with her twin sister, Malia.

For the fifth straight summer, a majority of Consumers’ interns are using July to give back to the community by partnering with organizations such as the Salvation Army, American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity.

“A big part of Consumers Energy is we’re a very giving culture, so having interns participate and be able to be a part of that gives them a real valuable experience of what it would be like to be part of our company on a full-time basis,” said Carolyn Bloodworth, the company’s director of corporate giving.

She said 14 teams of volunteers are doing everything from hosting book drives to repairing houses.
Jackson High School graduate Suzanne McCloskey, a graphic design intern, said it is rewarding to donate time to the community where she grew up.

“I’ve worked in the Interfaith Shelter … and I just thought it would be beneficial to help out,” the 26-year-old Baker College student said. “I know it’s been a tough year.”

Her team of seven interns provided the shelter with more than tasty food. They are finishing a toiletries drive at Consumers, partnered with local businesses to offer massages and manicures Monday and are helping the shelter establish its identity online.

“We helped create a Facebook page, and my teammates are putting PayPal on there so the shelter will now be able to accept online donations,” McCloskey said.
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As published in the Jackson Citizen Patriot on July 26, 2011

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Albion School Board withdraws offer, re-extends it to interim superintendent in span of five minutes

Amidst a sea of passionate debate amongst locals the Albion School Board has decided to enter contract negotiations with Bobbi Morehead to become it’s interim superintendent for a second time.

But the former principal is not yet publicly addressing several issues that have created apprehension among several board members and a section of community members that remain adamant that Albion native Maurice Ware is a better candidate.

“(Morehead) texted me back earlier today and informed me she is not making any comments until she has signed a contract to be our interim superintendent,” school board President Dan Skean said. “She is excited and enthusiastic about working with us but she has decided to wait to speak until she signs on the line.”

In the span of five minutes Tuesday the school board withdrew the offer of the interim superintendent job they extended to the former W.K. Kellogg Middle School principal last week and then elected to offer it to her again via the same 4-3 vote that took place July 12.

The board re-visited its initial vote after board members Shawnette Spicer and Sonya Brown suggested Skean had not adequately provided them with all of the necessary information to make “an educated and concerned decision” in the selection process.

Spicer, Brown and board member Ruth Valdes also voiced concern about how Morehead handled a particular alleged sexual assault of a former teacher-aide that occurred in the summer of 2010 at W.K. Kellogg Middle School when she was principal.

Seth Graves, a detective with the Emmett Township Department of Public Safety investigating the alleged sexual assault, said he had no evidence Morehead knew of, and didn’t report, the alleged relationship between the employee and student, according to a report in the Battle Creek Enquirer.

Morehead did not return repeated calls and e-mails Wednesday after indicating through a text message she would answer questions via e-mail.

Skean said the incident dissolved with Morehead receiving the “only verbal reprimand on her record” by her superintendent and if board members had asked he would have shared with them more information on the candidates.

Brown said Ware had no reprimands in his personnel file and she believes he would be better at harvesting community relationships.

“The people out there tonight have voiced their choice (in supporting Ware), now it’s time for us to listen,” Brown said before the board re-selected Morehead.

Albion resident Joe Jackson said the board missed an opportunity to “right a wrong” by selecting Ware as its interim superintendent. Once the vote was taken in support of Morehead, a majority of the more than 60 people present groaned collectively and exited the boardroom.

“Your community is not happy about who was elected as the temporary superintendent — I don’t know if you’ve discovered that or not,” Jackson said.

Board member Al Pheley said he knows some people doubt Morehead but he’s heard a lot of positive feedback from people in the community “that it was a tough choice to make, but it was the right one for their situation.”

She had a strong record of achieving Adequate Yearly Progress standards at W.K. Kellogg and has been described by former co-workers as a “change agent.”

Board member Ruth Valdes, who supported Ware, said more than 40 years of teaching experience lead her to believe that Morehead has an uphill battle ahead of her.

“From talking with teachers at the high school, while I can’t speak for them, I can say they would have voted for him…and they know he has a special gift with people — children as well as adults.” she said. “Dr. Morehead is walking into a situation where a lot of people are very heart broken and that cannot be denied.”
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An update to the story published in the Jackson Citizen Patriot on July 20, 2011

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Two Jackson County school districts pledge to explore merging services, possibly share superintendents

The Michigan Center and Vandercook Lake school boards agreed Monday to work toward sharing services and employees — up to and possibly including the superintendent.

They also left the door open for future collaboration with other districts.

The agreement, which was unanimously approved at separate board meetings, formalizes discussions that have already been occurring. Further board approval would be needed to commit the districts to actually sharing any services.

Both districts will maintain their identities, officials said. “Cardinals are still going to be Cardinals and Jayhawks are still going to be Jayhawks,” Vandercook Lake board President Delinda Woods said of the districts’ nicknames.

School officials said sharing services can save money and provide more effective programs.

Services that will be under consideration for sharing include transportation, maintenance, business office functions and state and federal reporting, said Michigan Center board President Gerald Holda and Vandercook Lake Superintendent Tony Hollow.

Positions would be eliminated by not replacing retirees rather than by laying off employees, Hollow said.

The two districts will lay the groundwork for collaboration of services during the 2011-12 school year. Holda said he expects to see fruits of the agreement soon.

Hollow said the agreement with Michigan Center does not mean the two school districts will combine into one.

“We’re creating a plan so that doesn’t happen,” Hollow said.

State lawmakers have provided financial incentives for school districts to cooperate. The Jackson County Intermediate School District already has worked with districts to provide joint services in areas such as technology and accounting. Jonesville and Reading schools in Hillsdale County are among districts already sharing a superintendent.

The agreement strongly corresponds with the Service Consolidation Plan portion of the “best practices” incentive approved by the Michigan Legislature and Gov. Rick Snyder. Districts that meet four of five best practices identified by the state get an additional $100 per student in state aid.

Michigan Center Superintendent Scott Koziol — who once worked under Hollow as an administrative assistant and curriculum director — said the agreement includes the possibility of one day sharing superintendent services because “we feel that it’s important to include every position that the districts have — we’re talking about teachers as well.”

Hollow said he plans to stick around as Vandercook Lake superintendent at least through the end of a three-year contract extension recently approved by the board.

“How fair is it of us to say, ‘Hey, we may share our custodial department, but don’t you dare think the superintendency is the ivory tower position that cannot be explored later on?’ ” Hollow said.

Koziol said the agreement is worded to encourage future partnerships with other districts within the county because the boards wanted to leave “no stone unturned in providing students with the best education possible.”

“We feel like it’s important to get the ball rolling with our two districts, but by no means is it exclusive of any of the other county school districts,” he said.

East Jackson school officials publicly acknowledged they were open to exploring sharing superintendent services, but Koziol said the timing is purely coincidental.

“This here started back in March and we felt like a July board meeting motion would set us up well in regards to the kind of the timeline Tony and I have moving forward,” Koziol said. “It doesn’t have anything to do with East Jackson, but East Jackson is a great district and if there are opportunities for collaborations or shared services with them, we’ve included that in the motion we passed.”

East Jackson officials could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.

Lyman Robertson, president of the Vandercook Lake Education Association that represents the district’s teachers, said he has no concerns about the shared services talks. He said he trusts that the deal won’t lead to layoffs.

“I think it’s proactive that they’re looking to keep the costs down with the current economy and the situation at the state level,” Robertson said.

Michigan Center has about 1,390 students and Vandercook Lake has about 1,300.

Citizen Patriot education reporter Bob Wheaton contributed to this report
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As published in the Jackson Citizen Patriot on July 19, 2011

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Two councilmen at the heart of divide in city of Albion

As the Albion City Council tries to resurrect a municipality that is home to a shrinking school district and floundering downtown business district, there is a distinct divide down the middle of Eaton Street that continues to manifest itself at the heart of public debates.

On one side sits Councilman Andrew French of Precinct 6.

The Albion College chemistry professor is usually calm and collected, but when helping allocate city funds he is terse and unafraid to fight for his vision of a rejuvenated downtown that includes new businesses and family fun for locals.

He is a member of the board of directors for Kids ‘N’ Stuff Children’s Museum in Albion and openly admits he is “trying to please as many people as possible” as a first-time councilman.

Across from French sits Councilman Maurice Barnes Jr., a representative for residents of Precinct 1, who works part time at the Albion Inn and has an abundance of family members living in Albion.

Barnes’ priorities include complete transparency from the city and 100 percent equality for all people, taxpayers and nontaxpayers alike.

He has questioned spending city money on projects such as the restoration of the historic Bohm Theatre and represents those he feels are overlooked, including the nonprofit Double Vision Center on Superior Street.

“Anytime I try to represent people who don’t have access to privilege and power, it’s almost like I’m the bad guy. I’m a black man; I know what it’s like to go without,” Barnes said at the June 6 council meeting. “We’ve got kids walking the street … and it’s almost like we just want to look over them every time, just like with the Bohm.”

French admits Albion has significant sections of poverty, but he said it’s about more than race.

“I think Albion as a city has this undercurrent of haves and have-nots, and councilman Barnes brings that up on a regular basis,” French said. “Clearly his constituents for the most part are African-American, and so he tries to make it a race issue, but I’m trying to make it a haves and have-nots (issue).”

The basis of many of their heated arguments is not immaterial.

The 2010 U.S. Census shows that Barnes’ precinct has a black population of 55 percent, while 90 percent of French’s constituents are white. Almost 18 percent of housing units in Precinct 1 are unoccupied, compared to 12 percent in Precinct 6.

Such numbers fueled Barnes’ irritation when the council voted to put $8,000 of its Reader’s Digest We Hear You America prize money toward reclamation of the Bohm Theatre.

He believes the city has more pressing needs to address.

“You want to give all the money to the Bohm … be fair, people, you have people not with the socioeconomic status you have,” Barnes said June 6. “Not all of them have a mother and father in their home. They need extra help, and a couple of thousand dollars is not going to break your backs.”
French said he understands Barnes’ frustration, but he tries to maintain a delicate balance that accommodates people of varying socioeconomic status.

He said it’s not easy trying to serve those who are paying taxes and those who are in rental units or subsidized housing and lack the same access to resources or power.

“How do you meet their needs without always giving to them without them having to work for it?” he asked.

Mayor Joe Domingo said there are pros and cons to the perpetual debate.

“Sometimes I think it does interfere because some of those things I think could be taken care of on a personal level if they get that far,” he said. “But if it’s a topic that is brought up and those two have their different opinions, I’d like those opinions shared for everybody to hear so they know we don’t all think and feel the same way.”

French showed good will toward Barnes at the June 20 council meeting when he proposed to gift the Double Vision Center $700 instead of $500 and reduce the Kids ‘N’ Stuff Children’s Museum’s allotment from $500 to $300 when awarding the remaining $2,000 in prize money from Readers Digest.

He said compromise is one way to prove he’s interested in the community as a whole, not just a particular section of it.

Barnes said he’s willing to compromise when the vast majority of Albion residents disagree with him, but his primary mission will continue to be making life better for Precinct 1 residents.

“All I want is for everybody to be treated fairly … and we have a council with different ideologies and different demographics and different upbringings and values,” he said.
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As published in the Jackson Citizen Patriot on July 18, 2011

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