tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127266492011-10-17T02:04:48.015-04:00The Chelsea Report is a personal journal written by Chelsea resident Mike Steklac. The blog includes entries about his life in Chelsea. Mike writes the blog on his personal time. Time between entries depends on his schedule and how much free time he has to write. Feel free to leave a comment or question or send an e-mail if you have a topic that you would like to see posted to the blog.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.comBlogger2571100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1168212916062686652007-01-12T22:33:00.000-05:002007-01-12T22:35:09.503-05:00

If you have been around Grant Street or North Main Street between North Street and Sibley Road during the past couple of weeks you have probably noticed some work going on in the sewers and large trucks with Insituform® marked on the side. This is a $121,000 project to line two sanitary sewer mains in the City. They finished the last section of sanitary sewer today on North Main Street between

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1168211065927357632007-01-07T18:02:00.001-05:002008-07-07T11:38:56.756-04:00

There are a number of families that are synonymous with Chelsea. One of those families is the Staffan family. The Staffans go back over 150 years when Frank A. Staffan established a funeral home in Chelsea. The funeral home exists today as the Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home.George Staffan was the fourth generation of Staffans to own the funeral home. This funeral home was host to George's

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1167002636889084252006-12-24T18:22:00.000-05:002006-12-24T18:47:53.250-05:00

Click on this link for a special holiday message! Enjoy!

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1165720493391283542006-12-09T22:13:00.000-05:002006-12-10T13:44:35.806-05:00

On Thursday, I had the honor of being invited by State Representative Pam Byrnes to attend a bill signing by Governor Jennifer Granholm. I posted about this legislation that Representive Byrnes introduced over a year ago.This legislation started as House Bill 4853 and morphed into Senate Bill 1182 and was eventually adopted into law as Public Act 338 of 2006. This Act will allow cities and

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1165717725812169502006-12-09T21:18:00.000-05:002006-12-09T21:28:45.813-05:00

Chelsea has three new department heads. On the right is Chief of Police Ed Toth. Chief Toth is retired from the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department where he was a lieutenant in charge of western Washtenaw County operations.In the middle is Public Works Superintendent Craig Maier. Craig was the Foreman in the Department of Public Works before he was promoted to Superintendent.On the left is

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1165716851537929182006-12-09T21:13:00.000-05:002006-12-09T21:30:02.713-05:00

The Chelsea area's newly-expanded library has been open for nearly a month in its location in downtown Chelsea. Here are some photos of the interior of the new library:First floor entryway.Stairway to second floor.Children's area on first floor.Second floor landing with teen area in background.Line of computers on the second floor.Fireplace and reading area on second floor.Study areas on second

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1165712765658869352006-12-09T20:05:00.000-05:002006-12-09T20:06:05.783-05:00

Neil Lau from Visul Corporation installs their truncated dome product at the corner of Main and South streets near the post office. The purpose of the truncated domes is to provide a tactile surface warning of the location of the street for persons with visual disabilities. Detectable warnings were originally required in 1991, but the installation of detectable warnings was suspended to allow

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1164502761228007152006-11-25T21:54:00.000-05:002006-11-25T22:02:53.610-05:00

For a small town like Chelsea, we have an abundance of cultural activities that many communities much larger than us do not have. One example was a program that was a partnership between the Chelsea District Library and Cranesbill Books to bring in Michael Schumacher, author of Mighty Fitz: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. This is the description from the book jacket:When the Edmund

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1164497861428742692006-11-25T18:29:00.000-05:002006-11-25T18:38:32.523-05:00

Katy has been practicing on a new musical instrument called a contrabassoon. Katy started playing the bassoon last year and was very excited when she heard that Chelsea High School was acquiring a new contrabassoon and that she might have the opportunity to play it.This instrument is huge. The case is around five feet long and doesn't fit very easily in the back seat of the car.The notes coming

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1164496556376888912006-11-25T18:07:00.000-05:002006-11-25T18:17:00.386-05:00

The Professional Building at Chelsea Community Hospital, 14650 East Old US-12, recently opened its doors on the hospital's campus. The Professional Building includes hospital services and offices that have relocated to this updated facility including laboratory services, ChelseaCare Pharmacy, some x-ray/imaging services, endoscopy, interventional pain, and Chelsea Surgical Associates (Drs.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1164392967445754372006-11-24T13:21:00.000-05:002006-11-24T13:30:16.916-05:00

It's funny how word spreads in a small town like Chelsea. I perked up when I heard someone telling a story about a talking deer in the City and more specifically at Reed Barbering-Gary's in downtown Chelsea. I also heard the story told by another person who had seen the deer.Sure enough, the next time I was in for a haircut there was a deer head mounted on the wall conversing with a little boy

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1163894187800963702006-11-18T18:48:00.000-05:002006-11-18T18:56:27.826-05:00

The City of Chelsea has received the Promoting Active Communities Bronze Award from the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports. The awards recognize communities that make it easier for residents to be physically active. The process required the completion of an assessment of a community’s environment, policies, and programs related to promoting and supporting physical

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1163890068733209582006-11-18T17:40:00.000-05:002006-11-25T09:39:23.446-05:00

Last Wednesday was the opening day of the fifteen-day firearms deer season in Michigan or what I call Michigan's High Holy Days. I was approving a parade of vacation requests for November 15, while keeping track of who would be left in the City. High absenteeism during this 15-day period is pretty common for many businesses throughout the state. There are school systems and businesses in the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1163883715328884502006-11-18T15:54:00.000-05:002006-11-25T09:35:34.686-05:00

Like many other Michiganders and Chelseans I will be watching the football game between the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State University Nuts er . . . Buckeyes. Chelsea is biased toward the Wolverines due to our proximity to the U of M campus in Ann Arbor and the many Chelseans that work for the University. There are many Buckeyes who have settled in the area and both sides

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1162780395677327642006-11-11T16:00:00.000-05:002006-11-25T09:33:08.160-05:00

Last Friday night many homes in the Chelsea area turned into bed & breakfast homes. The Ball State University Pride of America Marching Band visited Chelsea before Ball State University's November 4 football game against the University of Michigan. The band made an appearance at the playoff game in Chelsea on November 3. Chelsea High School and volunteer parents worked hard to find host

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1162778705415690052006-11-05T20:57:00.000-05:002006-11-05T21:05:05.516-05:00

Once again, the Chelsea community is coming together to console one of its families after the sudden death of one of our citizens. John Winans died last Wednesday, November 1, 2006, after being struck on his bicycle by a car near East and Summit streets. I was at the scene of the accident not long after it happened. Planning and Zoning Administrator Jim Drolett came upon the accident right

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1162763242531452362006-11-05T16:40:00.000-05:002006-11-05T21:08:17.206-05:00

I have had some people ask me who am I endorsing or support for [fill in the name of the office]? What is my position on Proposal [fill in the number]? Some people erroneously infer that if I am not endorsing a particular candidate, that I must be supporting the candidate's opponent.I do have definite personal positions on who I will vote for on Tuesday as well as my stand on the various ballot

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1162507023707960422006-11-02T17:29:00.000-05:002006-11-02T17:38:14.596-05:00

I was on a conference call and webcast with a group of city managers from across the country this afternoon. The purpose of the session was to give feedback and share information concerning a project by the American Water Works Association to develop a campaign to communicate to the public about the value of clean water.Sometimes I think we take clean water for granted. When you look at the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1162410971434174632006-11-01T16:30:00.000-05:002006-11-02T17:27:15.166-05:00

Mayor Feeney and I hold up a plaque that was delivered to the City offices by Sally Rojas with The Ann Arbor News. The City of Chelsea received the Gold Readers' Choice Award for the Best Small Town as voted by the readers of The Ann Arbor News! It's nice to get recognition for something that Chelseans have known for a long time.Another Chelsea Gold winner was The Common Grill which was voted as

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1162256489584595042006-10-30T19:53:00.000-05:002006-10-31T08:10:54.550-05:00

Leslie Surel has put together a list of voter resources over at her Things To Do In Chelsea web site. If you haven't decided on who or what to vote for, then check it out.Washtenaw County has put together a great site at WashtenawVotes.org. The County staff has combined voter information with their Geographic Information System to provide information tailored to the individual voter.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1162254870214351522006-10-30T19:27:00.000-05:002006-10-30T19:34:30.343-05:00

One of Chelsea's own, Marine Lance Corporal Clifford R. Collinsworth, was laid to rest today in Oak Grove Cemetery. Corporal Collinsworth was killed in combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq when a roadside bomb exploded next to his Humvee. He was a member of the 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. This was

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1162069015131320442006-10-28T21:11:00.000-04:002006-10-29T09:25:26.096-05:00

Katy recently passed her driving test. This means she is one step closer to getting her driver's license. In retrospect, under Michigan's Graduated License System, she probably has had more driving and classroom time than I had before I obtained my driver's license. It still doesn't make it any easier to turn the keys over to her so she can drive solo.Teresa won't let me use any tricks like my

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1162056539251140782006-10-28T14:25:00.000-04:002006-10-28T16:10:28.356-04:00

Last Saturday, we had company coming over to the house for dinner. Before our guests arrived Teresa asked Marybeth to take Justice out for a walk since he had not been out for a while.Shortly after we adopted Justice, we found that he had a wild streak in him, especially when it concerned squirrels. If he sees a squirrel, he has this intense desire to chase it. Justice has amazing eyesight. He

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1161572098667719962006-10-22T22:50:00.000-04:002006-10-23T00:22:13.796-04:00

The United Methodist Retirement Communities including the Chelsea Retirement Community (known locally as "CRC") are celebrating the 100th anniversary of their founding. The Chelsea Old People's Home was constructed in 1906 on land donated by Frank P. Glazier. The original buildings no longer stand, but today the CRC campus is 58 acres and includes independent and assisted-living apartments, a

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1161567412987591252006-10-22T21:29:00.000-04:002006-10-22T21:36:53.190-04:00

Last Sunday Marybeth and I attended A Night in Mexico at the Chelsea Church of the Nazarene. Luisa (pictured above) is a Rotary Youth Exchange student from Mexico. She is attending Chelsea High School this year. She will be staying with three Rotary host families during her stay. She must attend some Rotary youth programs and part of the exchange involves sharing information about her

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1161080911601451802006-10-17T06:21:00.000-04:002006-10-17T06:28:31.620-04:00

Marybeth plays on Beach Middle School's 8th grade basketball team. Last Friday, Marybeth's team was playing Saline. Her grandparents, aunt, and I were there to watch her play. Saline's coach argued too strongly with the referee on a call and ended up being charged with a technical foul.Chelsea's Coach Rahn Rosentreter picked Marybeth to shoot the free throws for the team. Marybeth was out on the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1160741624240081282006-10-13T07:50:00.000-04:002006-10-13T08:13:44.283-04:00

Last night, five new members including me were inducted into the Washtenaw Toastmasters Club. Left to right: Collyer Smith, Sophia Guevara, Caroline Wahla, Club President Mayna Schumacher, me, and Rosario Carillo. Toastmasters International and the Washtenaw Toastmasters Club promote improvement of oral communication and leadership skills.Each week there are three speakers who give short

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1160677991752138782006-10-12T17:14:00.000-04:002006-10-12T17:20:41.423-04:00

Snow squalls and cold weather arrived in Chelsea today. In all my years in Southeast Michigan and Northern Illinois, this is the earliest that I remember seeing snow. Hopefully, this does not portend a cold fall and severe winter for our area.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1160452558162542292006-10-09T22:56:00.000-04:002006-10-10T00:04:49.320-04:00

This past weekend, our family, and especially Marybeth, were dealing with a new baby. This baby was part of Marybeth's child care class at Beach Middle School. The baby is a Baby Think It Over infant simulator. The baby is computerized to simulate a real baby and teach teens about the demands of being a parent.The baby cries at random intervals. When the baby cries, Marybeth has one minute to

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1160440656249685202006-10-09T20:25:00.000-04:002006-10-09T20:37:36.296-04:00

Interim Public Works Superintendent Craig Maier pushes the City's first load of salt into storage. The leaf pickup program will be beginning soon. Let's hope the use of salt will not be too close behind.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1159921311617045872006-10-03T20:11:00.000-04:002006-10-03T20:21:51.706-04:00

What do my Dad and Dick Tracy have in common? Well, it's not the fedora hat. My Dad gave that up around 40 years ago. My Dad and Dick Tracy both turn 75 years old this week.Marybeth and I traveled to Illinois this past weekend to get together with my sisters, brother, aunts, and friends to celebrate my Dad's birthday. While, Dick Tracy hasn't changed much in 75 years, my Dad looks very

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1159654786633873142006-09-30T18:02:00.000-04:002006-09-30T18:27:28.676-04:00

Oktoberfest is coming to Chelsea on Saturday, October 7! This is the 3rd Annual Chelsea Oktoberfest. The event started four years ago as the Roll Out the Barrels party to celebrate the conclusion of two years of construction in Chelsea's downtown.The Oktoberfest celebration is now located in the Southtown business area in the parking lot at Chelsea Lanes, 1180 South Main Street in Chelsea. The

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1159639403678593742006-09-30T14:13:00.000-04:002006-10-02T09:21:25.630-04:00

Technicians from the engineering firm of Tetra Tech MPS place a blower over an open sanitary sewer manhole in front of the Chelsea Post Office in preparation of smoke testing that section of the sanitary sewer system. The smoke testing is part of a Sanitary Sewer Evaluation Study (SSES) being performed on the older parts of Chelsea's underground sanitary sewer system.The smoke is made by a zinc

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1159532064671451732006-09-29T07:49:00.000-04:002006-09-29T08:18:07.816-04:00

Yesterday, I, along with township and city officials, was able to tour the new McKune Memorial Library. Since I last walked through the building, much of the drywall has been installed and a lot of painting has also been completed. The building still has a way to go before it opens in mid-November, but it is exciting to begin to see what it will look like when it is finished.Here are some

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1159231753934032222006-09-25T21:04:00.000-04:002006-09-25T21:10:21.793-04:00

The website for the Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce has had a makeover thanks to the talents of Chelsea resident Leslie Surel. Leslie's company is Surelutions and she has also made over the Chelsea Festivals website.If you haven't seen either of these websites recently, you should check them out.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1159230858799087732006-09-25T20:28:00.000-04:002006-09-25T21:19:19.873-04:00

Rev. Joy Barrett, Senior Pastor at the First United Methodist Church of Chelsea, blesses a German shepard dog during a Blessing of the Animals service at the church yesterday afternoon.This was the first service of this type at the church and it was well attended. There were large dogs, small dogs, cats, rats, rabbits, and horses that all came to receive blessings.We walked over to the church

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1159122257779897102006-09-24T21:31:00.000-04:002006-09-24T21:38:04.773-04:00

Yesterday, Chelsea's Boy Scout Troop 425 celebrated over 80 years of service to the community. At the opening ceremony at the Chelsea Community Fairgrounds, the Troop received tributes from Mayor Ann Feeney and State Representative Pam Byrnes.Chelsea resident Brad Bowersox, Scout Executive with the Great Sauk Trail Council noted that less than 2% of Boy Scout troops last for 80 years. Troop 425

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1159130781474989052006-09-24T16:39:00.000-04:002006-09-24T16:46:25.446-04:00

Our house has only one full bathroom. With three women in the house in various stages of the beautification process, I don't have a set time when I can get access to the bathroom for my morning shower and shave.Yesterday morning, I thought I was in the clear when I found the bathroom open. As I made my way down the hall I heard Teresa call out, "You can't go in there!" I said, "Why not?"

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1159066758857741542006-09-23T22:52:00.000-04:002006-09-24T16:54:12.440-04:00

Below are scenes from last night's football game against the Lincoln High School Railsplitters. The Chelsea Bulldogs defeated Lincoln by a score of 55-0. Chelsea scored two touchdowns in the first 30 seconds of the game. The score was 35-0 at the end of the first quarter. The Bulldogs are undefeated.The weather was not the best; a steady drizzle fell throughout the game and made the field and

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1159059389591057042006-09-23T20:50:00.000-04:002006-09-25T08:40:23.876-04:00

Construction on the infrastructure for Heritage Pointe Phase IIA is underway. Phase IIA will have 45 homes. The City offices have been getting a lot of calls about the developer and the type of homes to be built.The developer is Diversified Properties and the homes should be substantially similar in size and price to the Pulte homes in Phase I.The Heritage Pointe development has five phases.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1159057496233331522006-09-23T20:18:00.000-04:002006-09-23T20:24:56.390-04:00

Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce President Steve Daut (left) presents Gigi and Chris Batsakis with a certificate recognizing Gigi's Flowers and Gifts' 10th anniversary.Last Thursday, Gigi's was the last stop in a four-business Business After Hours. The event started at Mike's Deli and proceeded in order to In Chelsea Hair Salon, Zou Zou's, and Gigi's Flowers and Gifts. There was a lot of great

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1158713771294311492006-09-19T20:50:00.000-04:002006-09-19T21:02:01.003-04:00

Katy received her academic letter last night from Chelsea High School Assistant Principal Julie Deppner. Assistant Principal Patrick Little is left and Principal Ron Mead is at the podium.Students who attain a grade point average of 3.7 or higher are eligible to receive the letter or pin indicating multiple years of receiving the award. Fifty-seven students received their First-Year Award; 26

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1152491230909337922006-09-17T21:04:00.000-04:002006-09-19T21:09:23.646-04:00

I have posted earlier about my participation in the sport of geocaching as well as the importance of Chelsea as a cache-friendly city.Although it is fun to search for geocaches, it is also fun to hide them too. Before I hid any geocaches, I wanted to get some experience looking for caches, seeing how they were hidden, and what containers were used.I spent a couple of months on and off thinking

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1158421145706301792006-09-16T11:35:00.000-04:002006-09-17T15:15:08.010-04:00

In my opinion, this is why America will never be invaded: The crazy ingenuity of Americans. These guys take some plumbing materials, an air compressor, a shopping cart, and American beer cans (no beer, of course) to create a lethal weapon.Some people may look at this a guys with too much time on their hands. Others might see the core of America's homeland security.More beer cannon footage with a

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1158420379768934932006-09-16T11:19:00.000-04:002006-09-16T11:47:31.736-04:00

This is a video of police dog training in France. These dogs are fearless. I was amazed at how the dog jumped over the top of the car to go after the criminal firing a weapon on the other side.I don't know if the Chelsea Police Department's canine, Tango, is trained to do any of these tasks (and I'm not sure I want to find out). Tango is trained to sniff out drugs and to perform searches.It is

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1158416802761531442006-09-16T10:30:00.000-04:002006-09-16T10:39:07.356-04:00

Last night, the Chelsea Bulldogs footbal team defeated the Adrian Maples 40 to 21 at the newly-renovated Jerry Niehaus field. The renovation was part of a $28 million bond issue by the Chelsea School District for improvements to school district buildings and facilities.The stadium renovations included a new entrance building and ticket booths, a new concession stand, seating for over 4,000 people

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1158199113992441602006-09-14T07:30:00.000-04:002006-09-14T07:53:08.016-04:00

Above is the new logo for my professional organization, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). The new logo comes with a new motto: Leaders at the Core of Better Communities.This replaces the old logo below that has been in place for around 40 years.I like the new look and the focus of this new branding campaign.I have been a member of ICMA since I was a student nearly 25

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1158117471064337152006-09-12T23:10:00.000-04:002006-09-13T16:10:47.993-04:00

At the Chelsea Rotary Club meeting today, we heard about a remarkable program called Ele's Place. Ele'’s Place helps children to cope with the death or life-threatening illness of a parent, sibling or other close family member or friend. Ele's Place allows grieving children to connect with other children who understand their situation.Ele's Place is based in Lansing, but they are considering

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1158100134200876162006-09-12T17:57:00.000-04:002006-09-12T18:28:54.296-04:00

I was informed by a resident today that a dead crow was found on his property on South Street around Labor Day. The crow was submitted for testing and found to have the West Nile Virus. This is the first time that the virus has been detected within the City limits. At this time, no human cases have been reported in Washtenaw County. Human cases have been reported in Wayne and Oakland counties,

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1158011061574344082006-09-11T17:43:00.000-04:002006-09-12T09:53:34.316-04:00

It's hard to believe that five years have passed since the attacks on 9-11. On September 11, 2001, I was serving as city administrator in Gering, Nebraska. Gering is in the Mountain Time Zone, two hours behind New York City and Washington DC. I had arrived at work early, around 6:30 a.m. (our work day began at 7:00 a.m.).My secretary came in and asked if I had heard about the plane that hit the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1157934654749272512006-09-10T20:54:00.000-04:002006-09-10T21:00:05.713-04:00

Last week, there were a couple of county workers doing some work on the doors to the Courthouse in downtown Chelsea. I heard that Deb Greer at River Gallery spoke to our County Commissioner Mark Ouimet about the condition of the doors on the front of this historic building. The doors were weather-faded, the brass was tarnished, and the windows were dirty.The workers refinished and stained the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1157815685778372322006-09-09T00:43:00.000-04:002006-09-09T12:49:15.340-04:00

Last weekend, our family attended the wedding of Vera, one of Teresa's co-workers from Chelsea Community Hospital. Vera and her husband Chris are from Nigeria. The wedding was a very nice blend of American and Nigerian traditions.The wedding was held at Saint Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Jackson. The church was a beautiful setting for the wedding. The church has very impressive stained

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1157393970711291002006-09-04T14:05:00.000-04:002006-09-04T14:28:00.990-04:00

I ran across this video showing a water main break in Keego Harbor:This break really doesn't surprise me. This portion of Keego Harbor is primarily recovered swamp land and the soils are not very stable. There are stories of sewer lines that were put in under streets in this part of the city, that broke off and disappeared. I know some of the residents on this street and I am sure they must

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1156704625931959082006-09-04T11:44:00.000-04:002006-09-04T14:22:48.986-04:00

I recently have seen an obnoxious commercial on television produced by The Center for Union Facts. The commercial features a couple of lazy government workers giving poor service to citizens standing in line. In the commercial, these workers are more concerned with their time off benefits provided by their union than serving the citizens.While I'm not the biggest fan of unions and I do think

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1156795612762673592006-09-04T11:16:00.000-04:002006-09-04T11:22:25.610-04:00

We have all been in a position to see a driver acting recklessly or doing something stupid and said to ourselves, "I wish there was a police officer here to see this." Request for traffic enforcement is one of the most common requests that I get. Citizens requesting that a police officer be posted near their home to catch speeders and/or vehicles running red lights or stop signs.Unfortunately, we

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1157026133428518372006-08-31T07:45:00.000-04:002006-09-02T10:55:37.656-04:00

Would you buy a water softener? That was a question that a resident asked me recently. I had just finished answering his questions about the problems that the City was having with the reverse osmosis system and how we needed to bypass the reverse osmosis system in order to keep up with demand in the water system.I told him that I had decided to reactivate my home water softener. He responded

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1156727961324391032006-08-30T06:37:00.000-04:002006-09-02T10:58:39.700-04:00

The new Nebraska quarter has made its way out to Michigan. The quarter features Chimney Rock located in Western Nebraska. Chimney Rock was located about 15 minutes east from where we lived in Gering, Nebraska. There was a lot of history in the Gering area. Many of the pioneer trails of the westward expansion of the United States went through the Gering area including the Oregon trail,

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1156701772224039242006-08-27T13:50:00.000-04:002006-08-30T06:45:20.623-04:00

The new local phone book for the Chelsea area has been distributed. The photos of the downtown shown on the front cover were taken by me.Unfortunately, my family has discovered that we were not included in the listings. I always have my residential phone number listed in case someone needs to contact me at home. Not all city managers have their home address and phone numbers listed.Usually,

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1156699307623918752006-08-27T13:28:00.000-04:002006-08-27T13:33:32.970-04:00

Spectacular!! is the best way that I can describe the work that the Chelsea Garden Club does each year at the Chelsea Post Office at the corner of Main Street and South Street in the downtown. The club is the caretaker for several landscape beds around the post office.The Garden Club has also planted and maintained flower beds at the McKune Library. Of course, that site is under construction

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1156698399225505912006-08-27T13:03:00.000-04:002006-08-27T13:07:57.870-04:00

On the right side of this page is a heading for Presentation Downloads. Under this heading are links that will allow you to download PDF files of recent PowerPoint presentations on the 2006-2007 Budget, property taxes, and water system status. The last two presentations were from the August 17, 2006 town hall meeting held by the City Council. The files also include my speaker's notes that will

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1152241283672424212006-07-06T23:00:00.000-04:002006-07-06T23:52:11.933-04:00

This afternoon, I had an appointment to give blood at the Chelsea Community Blood Drive. As I was going through the mini-physical examination the nurse asked me if I wanted to be a double red donor. I wasn't sure if she was making a Nebraska Cornhuskers joke or not. They seemed to be very excited when I agreed and they were announcing to all the other nurses that I was a double red donor. I

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1152234850405222172006-07-06T22:45:00.000-04:002006-07-06T22:57:55.746-04:00

I was downtown tonight and saw flyers up that said the wooden horse in front of the Mule Skinner Boot Shop was stolen. I spoke with owner Bill Conn who told me it was stolen off the sidewalk on Saturday. I think he is serious about the Dead or Alive part . . . for the person(s) who stole the horse. Hopefully, it was someone's idea of a prank and it will turn up soon.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1152134730108649252006-07-05T22:13:00.000-04:002006-07-05T23:18:42.430-04:00

Last week, I reconnected my home water softening unit. If you have been reading the newspapers, I sent out a news release advising our water customers that due to water system demand it was necessary to shut down the reverse osmosis softening system at the Water Treatment Plant in order to ensure that the City could provide sufficient water to the system.If you are frustrated by the problems of

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1152132868518935452006-07-05T15:39:00.000-04:002006-07-05T23:21:42.476-04:00

Chelsea's 2006-2007 fiscal year began on July 1. A PDF file of the budget hearing PowerPoint presentation is available on the web and gives a good overview of the City's budget. Here are some of the highlights from the budget:The total City budget is nearly $16.1 million and represents a 2.24% increase over the prior year's budget.The City will be more aggressive in major and local streets

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1150598942384671202006-06-17T22:08:00.000-04:002006-07-10T09:03:03.893-04:00

Pedestrian crossing buttons are reappearing along Main Street in Chelsea's downtown. The buttons were removed by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) a couple of years ago. Pushing the buttons gave a longer cycle time for pedestrians to cross Main Street. MDOT found that removing the buttons did not appear to significantly slow the traffic flow or increase backups on Main

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1150578235296035292006-06-17T16:59:00.000-04:002006-06-17T17:23:22.723-04:00

It's race weekend in the Chelsea area! NASCAR races are scheduled at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. Chelsea is close enough to the action to have our hotels and restaurants full with teams and fans. I must not have been out on Main Street at the right time this year, but last year there were streams of buses and other RVs making their way down to the track. You can tell that these

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1149958229499386112006-06-10T12:39:00.000-04:002006-06-10T12:50:29.533-04:00

City Hall has been getting a few calls since the mysterious painted Ts and Xs started showing up along Main Street (M-52) in the City and on some side streets. Most of these marks were next to a MDOT (Michigan Department of Transportation) survey stake.Based on their size, color, and the black outline, I theorized that MDOT was performing some sort of aerial survey of M-52 for some undetermined

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1149767748419872262006-06-08T07:40:00.000-04:002006-06-10T12:56:27.593-04:00

There is a joke in the solid waste business that one of the perks that workers have i that they get first crack at all the best stuff that has been thrown away. In fact, if you ever been out to Chelsea Solid Waste Transfer Station, you will see that part of the building looks like a natural history museum as our workers have rescued perfectly good stuffed deer heads and other hunter's trophies

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1149552800168680222006-06-05T20:10:00.000-04:002006-06-05T20:16:46.676-04:00

Where were you during the Great Blackout of 2006? 2006? Wasn't the last great blackout in 2003? Didn't Chelsea miss out on that blackout?Fortunately, there has been no blackout in 2006. However, emergency procedures have been developed to help avoid another failure of the electric grid. A couple of weeks ago, Chelsea Light & Power participated in a simulation to test these emergency

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1147657973591689382006-05-17T19:55:00.000-04:002006-05-17T19:57:51.766-04:00

I have a selection of baseball caps in my closet. Recently, I have been wearing a special hat -- a Sysco hat. Sysco is a food service distributor, but this hat has a different meaning to me. This hat was given to me by Police Chief Scott Sumner.On December 17, 2004, a bank robbery took place in Chelsea. The bank robber had hit several banks in Southeast Michigan and was named the "Sysco Kid" by

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1145619886490580362006-04-21T07:36:00.000-04:002006-04-21T07:44:46.510-04:00

I am slowly working my way through writing a post concerning the events of the past week. In the meantime, I have linked to several previous posts concerning Chief Scott Sumner:Champion Pumpkin!Scenes from 2005 Hometown HolidayMain Street Railroad CrossingWhoa! Slow Down

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1144691175252742572006-04-10T14:18:00.000-04:002006-04-10T14:22:39.446-04:00

I've been hearing from citizens who are concerned about a proposal to increase water rates for irrigation systems that use a separate water meter. Here is some background from the Agenda Item Summary that I prepared for tomorrow's City Council meeting:Explanation of Agenda Item: At the March 28, 2006 City Council meeting there was a proposal initiated by Councilmember Hammer to raise the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1144636681163304122006-04-09T22:38:00.000-04:002006-04-10T00:15:54.956-04:00

I mentioned in an August post that the property around our home was like an arboretum. The property has a variety of mature trees. With the good weather this weekend it was time to pickup all the branches and twigs that fell off the trees during the winter.The Chelsea Department of Public Works provides brush pickup on the second week of each month, so this was a good time to get everything out

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1143843236600945042006-04-06T23:41:00.000-04:002006-04-07T00:13:01.083-04:00

Now for a post about bad addictions. A week ago I attended a program at Beach Middle School called For Parents Only. This was an educational program for parents about drugs that their children might be exposed to, especially at parties and trendy clubs.The presenter was Kenneth Krygel, a former Detroit police officer and an Alcohol & Drug Recognition Expert with the Criminal Justice Training

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1143843274011458322006-04-06T22:19:00.000-04:002006-04-10T00:19:42.186-04:00

Geoaddict is my geocaching name. I started participating in geocaching since early January. I chose that nickname after determining that I had become addicted to the sport.The addiction to this sport crept up on me slowly. The first sense that I was becoming addicted was on February 4, 2006 when Marybeth, Justice, and I went up to Lindley Road to search for a cache located in the woods near

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1143636213029031062006-03-29T07:52:00.000-05:002006-03-29T07:54:25.866-05:00

Chief Scott Sumner borrowed and installed a speed sign yesterday on southbound Main Street at Sibley Road where the speed drops to 35 mph before entering downtown Chelsea. The speed sign shows the approaching vehicle's actual speed and the sign will flash if it the vehicle is traveling faster than the speed limit.It was interesting to watch all of the vehicles who put on their brake lights as

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1143512959041410942006-03-27T21:18:00.000-05:002006-03-27T21:29:19.083-05:00

The Chelsea Report was recently featured in the Winter 2006 Quarterly Communicator newsletter public by the American Public Power Association (APPA). I was interviewed a couple of months ago for the article, but I never expected that it would be featured on the front page!I have also been invited to speak about blogging at a session at the APPA National Conference in Chicago in June.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1143506863952420072006-03-27T20:45:00.000-05:002006-03-27T21:30:56.436-05:00

This afternoon, Mayor Feeney and I welcomed exchange students from Shimizu, Japan at the Arctic Coliseum. I was told the Shimizu area enjoys a lot of winter sports including ice skating. The City of Sapporo hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics and is located on the same island as Shimizu.Shimizu is a town with a population of over 10,000 located in the Kamikawa District, in the Tokachi Subprefecture

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1143408716464305752006-03-26T16:28:00.000-05:002006-03-29T12:26:54.783-05:00

From the life can be seriously funny . . . blog.P.S. This sign is a joke and made up. Apparently, this comes out of a controversy with some activists who are critical of residents in the area surrounding the reservoir. New state laws required that the reservoir be covered to prevent contamination. However, the area residents did not see it as a drinking water source but as a recreational

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1143406627405733582006-03-26T16:19:00.000-05:002006-03-29T12:30:02.526-05:00

As I walk around Chelsea, I'm starting to see homes where residents have raked leaves in the street or onto the lawn extension. While the City provides curbside leaf pickup in the fall, this service is not provided in the spring. The leaves will just stay there and start killing the grass underneath. Raking the leaves into the street isn't a good idea either since they will clog up the storm

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1143333568395278832006-03-25T19:22:00.000-05:002006-03-25T19:39:35.206-05:00

Art Linkletter said that "Kids say the darndest things!" I am finding that teens say the darndest things! . . . or, at least, my teen.Katy has been playing golf with the Chelsea High School Girls' Golf Team. Recently, she brought home a list of golf equipment that she needed. I was teasing her about some of the things on the list including a golf glove.I asked her why she needed a golf glove. I

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1143324517339643362006-03-25T18:02:00.000-05:002006-03-25T18:30:05.356-05:00

The Chelsea School District has an active Community Education Program. One of the most popular classes is Dog Obedience. Justice recently graduated from the beginning class. The classes are taught by Chelsean Jeremy Montange.Justice is a sweet dog, but he can be undisciplined at times. We hope if we can get him to behave all the time, he can volunteer as a therapy dog. He is very good with

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1143083144656886272006-03-24T23:22:00.000-05:002006-03-24T11:24:28.046-05:00

If you happened to drive by the Chelsea Milling Company's parking area north of the railroad tracks on Monday afternoon, you were probably wondering what was going on. There were an assortment of emergency, city, state, and federal vehicles parked and about 15 to 20 persons. Some of those individuals had safety vests and hard hats.Police Chief Scott Sumner called an emergency meeting on Monday

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1143075384030629322006-03-22T21:15:00.000-05:002006-03-27T15:10:52.500-05:00

First things first: Katy is relatively okay. She is not in a coma; she did not lose an arm; and she did not lose her eyesight. She does have injuries, but none of them are life-threatening or likely to leave scars.The title of this post is Accidente Grande de Katy, which is Spanish for Katy's Big Accident. Katy had a big accident on Monday. Monday evening was the Spanish Fair at Chelsea High

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1142811037919864252006-03-19T18:14:00.000-05:002006-03-19T18:46:17.696-05:00

Shortly after I arrived in Chelsea I started to notice that I was having trouble focusing on words that I was reading. It was nothing serious, the letters were just not as crisp as they used to be.Throughout my life, I have had excellent eyesight. At one time, my eyesight was rated at 20/10, which meant that I could read the little letters at the bottom of the eyechart. So it was a liitle

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1142807098801625252006-03-19T17:33:00.000-05:002006-03-19T17:34:53.873-05:00

I frequently get persons who want to see me at City Hall, so it was pretty funny a couple of weeks ago when Konnie came back to my office to tell me that "Nurse Nanna" was here to see me. I knew immediately who it was, but I think the office staff was wondering what this visit was about.Several months ago, I started to participate in the sport of geocaching. My first find was a cache called

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1141529971486699742006-03-04T22:13:00.000-05:002006-03-04T22:39:31.620-05:00

Friday, March 3 was Teresa's birthday. We went to see Guest Artist, a play at The Purple Rose theatre. The play was written by Jeff Daniels.I found the play to be very intense. Each of the performers were great; from Randall Godwin's hilariously dry performance as the ticket man, Patrick Michael Kenney's performance as the young theater apprentice who wants to be a playwright like his hero

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1139848488981171422006-02-26T21:28:00.000-05:002006-03-01T12:23:29.086-05:00

Occassionally, I will receive nasty letters criticizing the City, City employees, and/or me. Many of these types of letters are sent or dropped off anonymously without any way of contacting the citizen who has the made the complaint or criticism.I encourage people to leave a contact name, phone number and/or address, so I can address the concern or criticism personally. Honestly, this is part

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1138592516317889642006-01-29T22:32:00.000-05:002006-01-29T22:41:57.106-05:00

I certainly don't encourage alcohol consumption, but this post from the Urban Oasis blog from Ann Arbor was too funny not to link to it:The Ann Arbor City Council Drinking GameFor those of you who don't follow the Ann Arbor City Council, their agenda and public comment period frequently have items that have little to do with local government. Many times there are issues of national and

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1137976900543296762006-01-28T12:08:00.000-05:002006-01-28T12:08:50.396-05:00

Katy is interested in playing for the Chelsea High School Girls Golf Team. Last weekend, Katy, her friend Katie, Marybeth, and I drove to the golf dome driving range in Jackson to hit some balls.I guess my golf clubs will finally start getting used on a regular basis. I bought my golf clubs over twenty years ago and started learning how to play. In Illinois, if you wanted to network with other

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1137976542678308432006-01-26T23:45:00.000-05:002006-01-26T01:05:45.650-05:00

One of the things that I enjoy about working in city management is collaborating with colleagues. Unlike the private sector where competition sometimes does not promote collaboration, in the public sector collaboration and sharing of information is desired and encouraged.Recently, Water Superintendent Rob Jones, Acting Water Foreman Corey Davis, and I hosted a meeting with city managers and

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1138254014868496602006-01-25T23:37:00.000-05:002006-01-26T00:44:07.886-05:00

It seems that some members of One World One Family (OWOF) are expressing concern about my January 16, 2006 post. One comment was that "he has no events for other Federal Holidays which 'waste' equal dollar amounts." If I have offended anyone, I apologize.My point was that there are certain holidays that should be more than a day off. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is one of them. Memorial Day

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1137469049304776612006-01-16T22:37:00.000-05:002006-01-16T23:17:29.460-05:00

About 40 to 50 people participated in a symbolic civil rights march through downtown Chelsea this evening. The was the fifth march sponsored by One World One Family in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This day causes us to pause and reflect on diversity and racial and ethnic justice and equality, especially how far this country has come and how far it still has to go in achieving the dream

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1137431529792326212006-01-16T12:08:00.000-05:002006-01-16T12:12:09.916-05:00

As a convenience to Chelsea property owners, property tax information is online. This was an initiative of City Clerk/Treasurer Terri Burtch and provides our property taxpayers the ability to check their information 24/7. You can see the amount of the tax bill and when the bill has been paid.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1137379531772160142006-01-16T11:00:00.000-05:002006-01-16T12:03:21.606-05:00

I received an inquiry from a Chelsea resident about whether any of Chelsea's electricity came from renewable energy sources, especially sources within Michigan. Recently, I posted about Chelsea's interest in two power plants in Michigan. Both of these are coal-fired plants. The energy that we receive from these plant is about 5 megawatts (MW).The remainder of Chelsea's energy needs are

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1137280125260682992006-01-14T22:10:00.000-05:002006-12-06T17:19:26.230-05:00

One of the challenges that the City deals with every year, is how to fund the maintenance of our street system. A drive around the City will show that the maintenance needs far exceed the available funds. One of the sources of funding comes from the Michigan Transportation Fund with 61% of the funds going to counties, cities, and villages under formulas established by the Michigan legislature

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1136682886709726442006-01-07T21:00:00.000-05:002006-01-07T21:02:52.963-05:00

I received a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for Christmas. So I have started to use it for the sport of geocaching. Here is a description of the sport from Wikipedia:Geocaching is an outdoor activity that most often involves the use of a Global Positioning System receiver or traditional navigational techniques to find a geocache or cache placed anywhere in the world. A typical cache is

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1136601277360684922006-01-06T21:34:00.000-05:002006-01-13T17:41:18.353-05:00

Today, we had several reports of a huge fireball in the sky over Chelsea. Upon closer inspection it appeared to be the sun, which is something that hasn't been visible for several weeks. I guess we'll enjoy it while we can, since it is supposed to cloud over again tomorrow.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1135652573542628392006-01-02T21:07:00.000-05:002006-01-02T21:44:30.843-05:00

If your New Year's resolutions include getting more exercise, then you should stop downtown to see the new walking map on the side of the Chelsea Market on Park Street at South Main Street. The map was funded by a grant from the Chelsea Community Foundation. The space for the map was donated by the family of Howard "Red" Flintoft. The map was produced by Scott Eckland at Eckland Imaging and

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12726649.post-1135612365398238292005-12-26T10:48:00.000-05:002006-01-02T21:47:22.606-05:00

The Steklac Family traveled to Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan. Greenfield Village is part of the complex that was renamed several years ago to The Henry Ford. Holiday Nights is a special event held during December that celebrates Christmas using living history.One of the most interesting stories that I heard was that in the late 1700s Christmas was not celebrated in America. Since the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07576635165122376804noreply@blogger.com0