V-Teeh Proposes Site Eondo Plan for the Parnell/Fulton Site
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ENTER THE LEDGER EASTER 25t COLORING HCAG 4 S0N,3' jOOK BINDERY CONTEST! Sec pg. 22 for details, w.0n I MCPORT, MICHIGAN Look for the Ledger's new "Business Matters" column on pg Volume 17, Issue 20 Lowell Area Readers Since 1893 Wednesday, March 31,1993 Cost centered Benedict resident analysis gives helps extend the Lowell a clearer independence of the picture of a cloudy Bowne Twp. elderly Thanks lo the volunteer that provides meals for ihe revenue situation work of Gladys Benedict, eld- extended program in Bowne erly Bowne Township Township, relies heavily on It is intended to give the Lowell School Board a residents are now able lo pro- volunteers and donations for difTerent picture of expenditures vs revenues vs state, long Iheir independence and its operation. It provides home federal or local requirements - it is also intended to avoid costly institutional care delivered meals forseniorcili- assist in any ftitnre decision making where the school under a recently expanded zens 60 years of age and over would be affected by reductions in programs. home meal delivery plan pro- who are homebound and can't While the cost centered analysis was completed on viding alternatives to high cost cook for themselves. March 18, and its findings presented to the Lowell institutional care. Kent County Commis- Hoard of Education on March 22, did provide a differ- Benedict first started de- sioner Judy Harrison adds, ent picture, the picture still remains very much unclear. livering meals lo four of her "Many times people are ca- The picture will remain unclear until schools learn Bowne Township neighbors pableof living independently, how the school finance reform issue will be solved. in the middle of February. but are unable to prepare ad- Ijowell assistant superintendent Gary Kemp said if the She makes two trips a week equate meals for themselves. picture remains the same Lowell Schools would be to each of the four homes, However, innovations like looking at roughly $2 million in school cuts. delivering a total of 20 din- home delivered meals are less Governor John Engjkr's plan to cut and cap prop- ners. expensive and more desirable erty taxes and revamp school ftinding by raising sales "At first I was making one for the client than entering a tax to six percent, has not been rejected outright by the trip a week and delivering all nursing home." Kent Connty Superintendents Association, but it has the meals at once," Benedict Benedict said the genesis noy been enveloped either. "The association still sup- explains. "Then 1 realized just of the extended program came ports the BLT proposal," Lowell Superintendent Fritz how these people looked for- when two area families called Esch said. "Although I believe if the Legislature is ward lo my visit and the lime Michigan's House Majority willing to address the concerns we have with the I spent talkingwith them. They Leader, Dick Posthumus, and Benedict leaves her Bowne Township home to deliver Governor's new plan^ I think it is something that we've were appreciative of the com- asked if a program could be dinners to her elderly friends. giit to go with." panionship as much or more started for the elderly in the is the type of person who is teers who help her out when Details of the plan the Superintendents do not like than the dinners." area. willing to become involved needed. With only four homes include: Benedict's visits have been Posthumus then contacted and give to her community, to deliver meals to, Benedict * It eliminates binding for adult education filled with conversations on Harrision, who searched for Without people like her, I don't has been able to handle Ihe 0 It shifts the responsibility of under funding for the paintings and the history of volunteers. know what we would do." task. retirement system to local districts. Bowne Township. " I learned we'd only be able The program provides nu- Dinners could include * There is a concern with the cash flow payment The lifelong Bowne Town- to bring this program to our tritionally balanced meals for scallop potatoes, fish, maca- schedule. If passed on June 1 the school wouldn't get ship resident says the people area if we could find people the elderly which are essen- roni, a vegetable and a fruit any money until Oct 1, the State's next fiscal year. she's delivering food to she who would be willing to vol- tial to the maintenance of a or desert. The program also * The plan would also roll back the tax levy to 20 has known all her life. unteer their time to make it person's health. provides a quart a milk a week mills and set the limit at 25. There is a concern this Senior Meals, the program work," Harrison said. "Gladys Benedict has three volun- lo each home. would he very limiting. "The plan is better than what the legislatures have presented, I'd like it to contain a little more of the BLT V-Teeh proposes site eondo plan plan," Esch said. The Governor's new plan also proposes giving a maximum of $5,000 per student Lowell is now at $4^91 per student. Kemp says schools are skeptical as to what for the Parnell/Fulton site other kind of expenses school's will have to pick up Lowell Township's Plan- proximately 56 acres be used for V-Tec lo develop the land. department regulations. through this plan. "Those are expenses were not aware ning Commission has re- for 12 condo units. Each unit The engineering firm has al- The commission will take of now," Kemp said. "The big concern, though, is the ceived a site condo plan from would use roughly four acres ready received approval from no action on the proposal un- plan is attached to a constitutional amendment which V-Tec engineering lo develop and a private road would be the Kent County Health De- til it looks over the site plan has to be voted on before the sales tax can be raised condominiums on property built on the site. partment for sewer use and and a site condo ordinances is from four to six cents." off of Parnell and Fulton. The site plan presented lo will begin testing the land for The revenues from the increased sales tax would be The plan designates ap- the commission is the first step well use determined bv health V-Tech, cont'd., pg. 20 used to cover the decrease in property tax. The cost centered analysis indicates the revenues SENIOR ALL-NIGHTER COMING generated by each program, and it indicates notations Along Main Street The Senior All-Nightcr is coming soon, Friday, May 28. for programs which are federally required or required The cost is $40. Mail to: Senior All-Nighter, 1017 N. Hudson, through the board of education or the core curriculum. Lowell, Mi 4^331. The analysis was broken down into four areas, in- struction, support services, athletics, non-athletics. The analysis points out that the advanced classes LOWELL MOOSE EASTER EGG HUNT cost more per student Kemp says that is because there The Lowell Moose Lodge SO1) wilh WLAV ^T-ROCK, will are fewer students enrolled in the classes. hold iheir 2nd Annual Easier Egg Hum Saturday, April 10 at "There will be other factors considered when decid- Creekside Park, (Gee Drive). ing on possible cuts," Kemp said. "We will consider if Age group limes aa-: 12 lo 12:30 p.m. for six and under; the information could be picked up elsewhere and 12:30 to 1 p.m. for seven through 10 and I lo 1:30 p.m. for 11 whether Lowell wants to short change students of op- through 13 years old. There are prizes and the egg hum will portunities. go on rain or shine. The average cost per science student at the high ATTENTION LOWELL MERCHANTS school is $313. This is also the highest average of the It has come lo the allention of the Lowell Ledger/Buyers SENIOR II) PICTURES high school departments In the instruction area. The Guide that a company from out of state is trying to sell ads for In honor of our senior citizens they will be taking l.D. low being the animal science class which cost $197 per our phone directory. The company is using our name as part of pictures al tin- main office of FMB Stale Savings Bank, 414 E. student and the high being the advanced chemistry its introduction. Main Street. Pictures can hi* laken from 10 a.m. lo 3 p.m. on class which cost $493. Please note that this directory cover will NOT fit our local Friday, April 2. Analysis, cont'd., pg. 20 directory. So it behooves local businesses not lo purchase an ad. Main St, cont'd., pg. 20 The Lowell Iyed^str-Wednesday, March 31,1993-PaRe 2 The Lowell Ledger-Wednesday, March 31,1993-Page 3 Interment Bowne Mennonite United States Navy during was a member of the Hastings; four sisters Mildred Cemetery. World War II and was a life Clarksville Bible Church and Stalter of Lake Odessa, Julia time member of the VFWPost had lived and farmed in the Dukes of Hastings, June Numbers are sweet for first Clarksville area all her life. McDiarmid of Cedar Springs OBITUARIES MERWIN - Morris Mont- #702 in Wyoming and a mem- Surviving are her husband and Cleone Tobias of gomery Merwin, aged 73, of ber of the National Associa- Leo; one son, Wayne Kyser Hastings; one daughter-in- Wyoming, passed away Tues- tion of Civilian Conservation of Cedar Springs; three law Louise Kyser of ever Maple Syrup Run Alumni.