Marshall golfer Selena Brown tees off at the par 3 10th hole during Coldwater Jamboree while Sarah Moss sinks par putt at the 18th-Watch

Albion Area Adjustment Committee honors the late Elaine Furu-Bakerr

The Albion Area Adjustment Committee honored the late Elaine Furu-Baker of Marshall at the Michigan Works office in Albion Tuesday. Kellogg Community College President G. Edward Haring presented Robin McViegh of MIchigan Works with the plaque honoring Furu-Baker, who died last spring and was credited with starting the committee that helps the Albion business community. On hand were Furu-Baker's husband Greg, and sisters Joanne Furu and, Mary Ellis.

MPS to hold open forum on facilities Sept. 22

The Marshall Public Schools Board of Education and administration in a workshop Monday night decided to hold a town hall-type open forum inviting the community to weigh on what direction the district should take in light of the recent bond issue that failed to pass. The forum will take place on Monday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. in the Marshall High School Cafeteria.

Registration at Marshall High School

Monday was registration day for students at Marshall High School, with Principal Bryan Klochack saying that things went along fairly smoothly with no major problems concerning students' schedules. The school will hold an open house on Sept. 10 and Klochack said that an additional open house will be held following the opening of the newly remodeled media center in mid October, although no definite date has been announced.

Marshall Mainstreet wins award

The Michigan Downtown Conference Partners have announced that Marshall Mainstreet and their Blues Festival project as well as After School Arts Program have been selected to receive awards through the Michigan Main Street Promotion Committee.
The awards will be presented in September at the Awards Luncheon being held as part of the Michigan Downtown Annual Conference.

This week's front page. Click to enlarge.

Fall sports preview this Saturday!

John Hendler's 2008 Marshall High School fall sports preview will appear in this Saturday's Chronicle, with team photos, coach interviews, schedules and early competition coverage. (Note: A headline in the Aug. 16 paper incorrectly reported the date for this edition.) See the Aug. 23 Chronicle to find out who will make up the soccer, cross country, swimming, football, golf and volleyball teams at MHS this fall.

Marshall, B.C. Child Advocacy Centers benefit from fundraiser

The Eighth Annual Mini Golf Outing at Krystal Falls Golf Land in Battle Creek was held Thursday night to benefit the services of the Marshall Child Advocacy Center and the CAC in Battle Creek, both operated by Sexual Assault Services of Calhoun County. The event is designed to raise between $10,000 and $15,000 to operate the centers to provide sexual assault services to child victims including site operations and pediatric exams, said Program Director Joyce Siegel. Revenue was generated through donations, hole sponsors, admission fee and raffles.

Chronicle/Ad-Visor editor to transfer to Battle Creek

Chronicle editor of the past five years and Chronicle/Ad-Visor Executive News Director since December, Shelly Sulser, has announced she will accept a transfer from the J-Ad Corporation's Marshall offices to their Battle Creek offices to head the Battle Creek Shopper news staff as executive editor.
She replaces editor since 2001 Jim Hitchcock who has resigned to start his own business in Grand Rapids, Forest Frogs.com.
"I'm excited about new opportunities to focus more on human interest type stories, to help citizens deserving of recognition and with inspiring stories to tell get those stories into print," said Sulser.
Sulser came to Marshall Feb. 10, 2003 and had just one week to redesign and transform the Chronicle after its purchase by J-Ad owners John, Fred and Steve Jacobs, owners of the Ad-Visor, Shopper and Hastings Reminder, along with seven other west Michigan weeklies and two Printing Plus locations.
"I've worked hard to turn the Chronicle into a reliable hometown paper of which the community and the surrounding communities can be proud," said Sulser.
Since coming to Marshall from Hastings, Sulser's work and the work of the news staff has garnered eight Michigan Press Association awards for design, reporting, photography, sports reporting and columns.
She's been responsible for coordinating content and design and has voluntarily taken on the task of launching and maintaining the Chronicle/Ad-Visor Feedback Forum.

Taking over will be award winning sports reporter John Hendler, who will continue to cover sports while supervising Chronicle content and design in a hands on role. Joining him will be new staff reporter Corinne Kellogg, who returns to the paper after working here as an intern last summer and subsequently graduating with her journalism degree from Adrian College in May.
He takes over Monday, Aug. 25.
"John and Corinne, along with the continued hard work and dedication of Ad-Visor staff editor and writer, Mary Tinsley Young and Donna Daines, will carry on in their sincere endeavors to give the greater Marshall area two publications that give readers all the news they need," said Sulser.
Contact John at 781-5444 or chronicle@jasnetworks.net and, after Aug. 25, contact Shelly at 1-800-870-7083 or shopper@j-adgraphics.com.
J-Ad Graphics/J-Ad Corporation are headquartered in Hastings, 1-800-870-7085.

This week's front page. Click to enlarge.

Man crashes car, assaults deputy, goes to hospital

On this date at approximately 1300 Deputy Investigators from the Calhoun County Office of the Sheriff were dispatched to the area of F. Drive North near 23 Mile Road in the Township of Marengo for a personal injury accident. Upon arrival it was determined that a single vehicle was traveling westbound on F. Drive North when the driver lost control and exited the roadway striking a tree. An investigation of the accident revealed that the driver was Operating While Impaired. As the driver was being arrested for this offense he became combative and assaulted the deputy. The driver was subdued and transported to Oaklawn Hospital for treatment where he remains with non-life threatening injuries. The deputy was not treated. The driver, a 53 year old Albion, MI man will be charged with Operating While Impaired and Resisting & Obstructing Police upon his release. (See this Saturday's Chronicle for details and more photos.)

Calhoun County Fair in full swing

Kayla Marshall of Litchfield was one of the early grand champions at the 160th Calhoun County Fair Tuesday with her cross bred steer. Monday was Veteran's Day while Tuesday was Kellogg's Kids' Day. The fair continues through Saturday, Aug. 16 in Marshall.

This week's front page. Click to enlarge.

Fair booths taking shope today, animals arrive Sunday

The Fredonia Grange is at the Calhoun County Fairgrounds today, setting up the story of the origins of rural mail delivery at their both in the oldest fair building in Michigan, the floral hall. According to Alice Schneider, pictured, the Grange is responsible for pushing the federal government to provide rural mail delivery. Here, an early rural delivery buggy, on loan from Mike Schragg's collection from the United States Postal Museum in Marshall, is the main feature of the story the Fredonia Grange will tell at the fair. It's just one of many attractions converging on the fairgrounds in Marshall. The fair runs Aug. 10-16. See the CCAIS linke at right for more information.

This week's front page.

Area proposals go down in defeat

Efforts by Marshall Public Schools officials to pass a $35.3 million bond issue to expand classrooms and repair buildings in spite of a $16,000 EPIC MRA poll that warned the school board of such a potential outcome were defeated by 335 votes in yesterday's primary election. Also, Fredonia Township voters turned down a millage request for three disaster sirens and in Burlington Township an effort to build a combined township and village hall was also defeated. See this Saturday's Chronicle for reaction and more on local election results that saw John Hallacy and Jill Booth nominated to face off for District Judge, Kate Segal and Greg Moore to vie for state representative, Larry Cortright for drain commissioner and Eusebio Solis and Becky Rocho for county commissioner. Mark Schauer soundly defeated Sharon Renier in the democratic bid for 7th District U.S. Congress. David Adams won the nomination for sheriff. Click here Election Magic for instant results and breakdowns.

Marshall Brass announces employment reduction

Marshall City Manager Chris Olson announced at Monday's Council meeting that Marshall Brass, owned by the Leggitt Family, has announced employment reductions. "I guess we'll see what the outcome will be," Olson said at the meeting. General Manger John Tracy confirmed earlier this year that the company was for sale. UPDATE: The letter by Marshall Brass HR Director Nichole King to Marshall Mayor Bruce Smith was released by the city on Friday, Aug. 8. It confirmed that 47 permanent layoffs took place between April 21 and July 21 of this year. The company employs 108 unionized workers. See full story on page 1 of the Aug. 9 Chronicle.

Planning commission fails to convince council

Planning Commission Chairman Alec Allen and member Keith Mengel, along with the presence of commissioners Tim Banfield, Kara Wills and Ken Oates, and on the council, liaison to the commission Jim Dyer, bolstered by support from citizen Kathy Smith and city zoning administrator Natalie Dean, failed to convince a majority of the Marshall City Council to adopt a new ordinance regulating garage sales. Speaking up at last night's city council meeting's public hearing against the proposed ordinance that would have limited such sales to three times per year lasting no longer than three days each were citizen Kathy Miller and Marengo Township residents Creighton Burrows and Gardy Berezosky. The lengthy explanations in favor of the ordinance unanimously recommended by the Planning Commission resembled a filibuster attempt to urge passing of the new regulation of such sales that Allen and Dean admitted generate few complaints. "I'm not sure I'm willing to accept ours is in crisis yet," said Mayor Bruce Smith about the city's issue with alleged perpetual sales. "I think it's a bad idea," said Fourth Ward Trustee Matt Glaser. "What's a garage sale? A guy who chains four tires to a tree with a for sale sign or four or five tables in the yard? I've never seen a problem like this in this town. It's silly. You're getting into miniscule regulation that's impossible to enforce." Second Ward Trustee Mike Kinter said he agreed with Glaser.
"When I lived on Mansion Street, I couldn't open my gift shop out of my house," he said. "I don't think we need another level of bureaucracy here." He said ordinances regulating unlicensed vehicles and junk are already difficult to enforce. The vote ended in a 6-1 result with only Jim Dyer, former planning commission chairman, voting yes.

Primary elections are tomorrow

Before going to the polls in the Aug. 5 primaries, go to the newsstands and get your Marshall Chronicle to read up on the candidates for judge, drain commissioner, county commission, 7th District U.S. House of Representatives and state representative. Voters in the Marshall Public Schools and Fredonia and Burlington townships will also decide bond issues.