County to Seek Coloma Twp. Approval to Open Gun Range Coloma Citizens Protest

WHS Principal Chisek announces retirement... Page 2 Paddler to share adventure St. Pat’s Parade draws large crowd to Coloma... Page 12 of Paw Paw River trek this Sunday at MDOT plans “open house” March 24 to present M-140 Sarett Nature Center... reconstruction project through downtown Watervliet... Page 12 see Page 9 The Hometown Newspaper for Coloma - Hartford - Watervliet Call... 463-NEWS E-mail... [email protected] TRI-CITYOur 129th Year Issue #11 March 17, RECORD 2011 Seventy-five Cents Public hearing set for Special Land Use Permit process County to seek Coloma Twp. approval to open gun range By Annette Christie fall under that. if the answers have not already been Almost a year in the making, the pub- Shortly after that closure, Sheriff Paul received, they will seek them. lic hearing has been set before the Bailey worked out an arrangement for It is not a requirement that the Plan- Coloma Charter Township Planning his officers to do their shooting at the ning Commission take action follow- Commission for Berrien County’s Coloma Rod & Gun Club to obtain ing the public hearing. It is more like- Special Land Use Permit Application their required training hours. The ly that it will tabled for consideration to reopen its gun range . Sheriff’s Department in addition to and research. JONATHAN ASHBROOK...of Co- At its Tuesday, March 15, meeting, other police agencies complete their Ultimately, it will be up the Coloma loma was recently awarded the the Planning Commission set the date shooting training at the Rod & Gun Charter Township Board to approve or honor of Eagle Scout. Jon is a mem- for the public hearing at the next reg- Club. deny the Special Land Use Permit. ber of Troop 603 in Stevensville. ularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Planning Commission Chairman The Planning Commission’s role is to Troop 603 is sponsored by Stevens- April 19, at 6:30 p.m. Gary Griffin said at the end of the provide a recommendation of some ville United Methodist Church; Berrien County is seeking a Special public hearing that he doesn’t expect kind, one way or the other. BLOSSOMTIME AWARDS...Miss Scoutmaster is Doug Weingart. For Land Use Permit to operate the anything to be resolved that night. “We provide what the Township Watervliet Kelsey Rogers received his Eagle Project, Jon built two Sheriff’s Training Facility located on The questions and comments of those Board needs to make an informed de- the Photogenic and Modeling aquatic observation decks over a Angling Road. The public hearing is in attendance will be documented; and cision,” Griffin said. awards at the Showcase of Queens pond at Sarett Nature Center in contingent on Berrien County provid- held Sunday, March 13, as a part of Benton Harbor. Jon is a senior at ing the answers to a list of 12 more the Miss Blossomtime Pageant. Lakeshore High School and the son concerns or questions prior to the See Page 11 for Blossomtime photos of Mickey and Mary Chris Ash- deadline for publishing the public and stories. (Jordan Krieger photo) brook of Coloma. hearing, April 3. North Berrien Fire-Rescue (Contributed photo) Dan Fette, Berrien County Communi- ty Development Director, informed to service Bainbridge Twp. the Planning Commission that the Police County had just received the addition- al questions that morning and inquired again; Township saves Coloma if there would be anymore. & Fire The Planning Commission members all concurred that, if the list of ques- $560; increases charges Reports citizens tions was answered, the public hearing Compiled by Annette Christie would proceed. to residents for fire calls The application that the Planning By Angela Stair The Board also voted unanimously Gravestone vandals protest Commission is reviewing is the sec- At the March 14 meeting, the Bain- for the Township to no longer cover Should City dictate ond revision, following an original list bridge Township Board of Trustees the cost of fire runs over $1,200 as it sought in of questions and concerns that needed reinstated North Berrien Fire-Rescue has done so in the past. Now, residents what can be to be spelled out in the application (NBFR) to cover the portion of the who have a fire will not only have to Hartford Township from the first submission in Septem- Township that it previously had cov- pay the cost of a fire run up to $1,200 Sheriff Dale S. Gribler of Van Buren parked in yards ber 2010. It was resubmitted in Dec- ered up until last year. but will also be responsible for any County reports that his department is ember 2010 with the additions that the Last year, the Township had dropped amount over that too. investigating damage made to approx- and driveways? Planning Commission wanted; how- NBFR as part of a cost-cutting move. The Board encourages residents to imately 26 headstones in Pioneer By Christina Gelder ever, outstanding monies held it up. The Township felt the increase in last look at their fire insurance policy and Cemetery located in Hartford Town- Coloma’s City Commission meeting With the original submission, Berrien year’s offer for coverage from the make sure they are covered. ship. The damage was discovered last on Monday evening, March 14, was County paid the $300 application fee NBFR was more than it could bear. ELECTRONIC week by persons visiting the cemetery certainly well attended as many citi- and placed $1,000 in escrow to fund The Watervliet Fire Department and PAYMENTS; LAKE and reported in a department press zens came out mostly in protest of a any consultants that the Township Benton Charter Township Fire De- release last Thursday, March 10. proposed ordinance. The ordinance in would need to review the application. partment picked up the area and divid- MICHIGAN COLLEGE Investigators determined that the dam- question was up for a public hearing In November, Coloma Charter Town- ed it for coverage. TAXES; MORATORIUM age was done within two weeks prior and would severely limit where recre- ship officials asked for another $5,000 This year, the NBFR sent a new offer ON SALE OF MEDICAL to that time. ational vehicles, trailers, and other in order for the application to proceed, to the Township Board for considera- MARIJUANA Of the 26 headstones damaged, some stating that invoices from their attor- tion; and after talking with all three dated back to the late 1800s. Officers similar items could be stored on prop- The Board approved the policy and ney had eaten up not only the first fire departments, the Board decided noted some of the headstones were erty in the City. resolution to pay the federal withhold- $1,000 but another $3,689.50. If the unanimously to reinstate NBFR. knocked over, causing some of them The ordinance stated that no person ing taxes, Social Security taxes, etc., County paid the $5,000, that would Watervliet Fire Department offered a to break. could park or store a recreational vehi- online. The federal government will leave only a remainder of $1,310.50 in contract for just covering its normal The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone cle, boat, snowmobile, camper, trailer no longer accept them through the escrow. area in the amount of $18,760; if it with information to please contact that and other like equipment in a front mail with a coupon as in the past. In January 2011, discussions were covered the extra portion, the cost office at (269) 657-3101, Silent Ob- yard, driveway or required (seven feet Treasurer Nancy Weber said a special held between representatives of the would be $28,140. server at 866-774-2345, or Crime from the property line) side yard. Pro- savings account was set up with a County and Township and a joint un- Stoppers at 800-342-7867. Callers’ visions in the ordinance provided lim- $100 minimum balance to be kept; derstanding was reached that, if the Benton Charter Township Fire De- information can stay anonymous. ited exceptions for loading and un- and, as these taxes come due, a de- County paid the $5,000, the applica- partment offered coverage of its nor- posit for the correct amount will be loading but did not allow anything to tion would proceed. mal area for $10,000; or $15,000 if it put in the account and then transferred be hooked up to any utilities, except It was also agreed that the Township had to cover the extra portion. electronically to the government. for the recharging of batteries. would not incur further consulting North Berrien Fire-Rescue offered a The commissioners answered ques- fees beyond that total unless prior five-year contract, with the first year Treasurer Weber updated the Board tions and listened to comments during notice was given to Berrien County. being $12,939 to regain their prior on the request made by Lake Michi- the 45-minute hearing. Many of the The County submitted the amount in area of Bainbridge Township to serve. gan College to collect its taxes. LMC questions had to do with particulars early February. Supervisor Jerry Jollay said, after re- contacted Weber and said it was defi- At Tuesday night’s meeting, Zoning viewing their offers, he recommend to and gave real or supposed examples. nitely interested and would pay the Administrator Cheryl VanDrasek said the Board to reinstate NBFR. He Several were outraged at the sugges- $2.50 per parcel to have it done. Last that at this time there is an invoice emphasized that the $560 savings tion that they might need to store their year, the college had asked but said from Williams & Works, an engineer- alone was not the determining factor; NUMEROUS HEADSTONES vehicles elsewhere if their back yards “no” because of the cost.

Load more