 By Holly Moon, Newaygo County Treasurer
As a county treasurer, my focus every day is to advocate for the taxpayers I serve. That means being prudent with your money, investing in our local economies, and making our voices heard when it can make a difference in the lives of our families, neighbors and communities. That’s why I’m speaking out now — because we have a real opportunity to protect taxpayers and free up funds for investing in our communities. During this lame duck session, Congress has an opportunity to protect our communities and taxpayers from the negative impact of rising interest rates. There is bipartisan legislation ready to be voted on that would protect our local governments from higher interest rates and borrowing costs by restoring money market funds as an important source of low-cost capital. H.R. 2319 in the House and S. 1117 in the Senate would effectively reverse a harmful Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulation adopted a few years ago that increased borrowing costs for local governments, making infrastructure projects and other investments more expensive. This legislation has the support of more than 300 national, state and local organizations, including the Michigan Association of County Treasurers, Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Michigan Association of State Universities, Michigan Association of Counties, and the Michigan Municipal League. As of result of the SEC regulation, investors shifted $1.2 trillion in assets from money market funds that support local economies to funds that invest strictly in U.S. government debt. According to a recent study by Treasury Strategies, state and local government entities in Michigan lost over $2 billion in funding from tax-exempt money market funds between January 2016 and April 2018. State and local governments, and the citizens they represent, have in recent years taken the brunt of Washington policy decisions that only seem to benefit the largest and most politically-connected Wall Street firms. Reversing the SEC’s money fund rule is one thing Congress can do to benefit our local communities in Michigan and throughout the country. That’s why a broad coalition of elected leaders, public- and private-sector finance officers, trade unions and local chambers of commerce are calling on Michigan’s congressional delegation to support H.R. 2319 and S. 1117. This legislation will allow our state and local governments to utilize lower-cost borrowing options, increase investments in infrastructure projects that benefit our communities, and provide increased economic opportunities for our citizens.
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Dear Editor,
As I’m sure you know, there is a group of individuals who have asked for the 3 Wisemen to be removed. I have started a petition to show that OUR community wants has a voice and we want them to stay put. Here is the link!! They have been displayed since 1941 I believe. This tradition needs to continue. https://www.causes.com/campaigns/128924-show-that-our-community-wants-the-3-wisemen-left-alone Jen Roesly  By Carmen Faulkner
In my family, which is to say my parents, my partner, our extended families, our close friends, everyone with whom we hug openly, we are bad communicators. We sometimes speak a language of passive aggression, finding it easier to make remarks about poorly spent time or poorly seasoned food than address problems directly. We might mention our jobs, which really means we need to talk about money. We may bring up relationships, which really means we need to talk about hope or heartbreak. There was this time, awhile back, when our communicative ineptitude was exacerbated as my Dad was struck half-down by cancer. We talked then about logistics, about symptoms. We talked about the weather or color of the sky, attempting to synthesize our bleached hope for better days. We didn’t say ‘How can I reach you?’ ‘What am I doing wrong?’ We didn’t say ‘I would be devastated if this was it.’ Or, ’I have and will continue to fail you.’ We shuffled around rooms, patted one another on the shoulder, sighed a lot. During that time there were layers of lighthearted conversation masking love, masking difficult conversation, masking confusion, sometimes masking a bitterness that didn’t have a name. Sometimes when saying goodbye for a few days our voices would crack, and we didn’t really know why, but we’d make comments about beating traffic, mentioning that it ‘wouldn’t be long at all,’ until next time. We didn’t say ‘What if I never see you again?’ We didn’t say ‘Why haven’t I said to you all of those things I want to?’ There were occasions, though, during those times, that didn’t feel like some sort of weight, like peripherals singed dark at the edges. My Dad is a guitar player. He has been since he was 15 and, rebelling against his family or society or schooling or some invisible monster, he became one with reckless abandon. He flung his life into musicianship playing full time, then part time, then full time again. He loved old rock and roll, jazz and blues, country. He appreciated the greats: Johnny Winter, Duane Allman, Miles Davis. He learned from them about rhythm and soul and blues, carrying their lessons into the bands of his youth, his adulthood, and into today. After his treatments, when he was beginning to climb back up the rocky hill to health, he played his first gig in many months. He couldn’t sing, his voice left in a chemically-induced coma in a ditch somewhere, but he had his guitar. Our family was there, wide-eyed and nervous, wringing our fingers and smiling too much. We watched him that night, standing atop the cheap plywood deck, neon lights and plastic tarps advertising $2 Miller Lites, his thinned body clutching the guitar like a lifeline. Led by his former band, he stood just to stage left, his body dimpling in and out of the bright lights. They began with light hearted country, and his eyes lit up with the casual effortlessness of if all. His fingers flew up and down the fretboard, his eyebrows arched, hips swaying back and forth. We smiled, all of us in our family, deep down into our bones and across rooms or universes into each other. We breathed. Was it the first time in a long time? We breathed. Later in the set he began a Jeff Buckley version of Hallelujah and for a few minutes in that dirty bar the room was silent, suspended in some kind of time that doesn’t count down into the ends of minutes, but rather up into the heavens of them. The notes hung off each other, cascaded down staffs unseen into a haunting and beautiful weariness. In all of our eyes were tears, real tears of unapologetic sentiment. Something passed through us then, my emotionally bound family, a kind of hope or resolution or recognition. It may not have changed everything, all of our constipated conversations, but it did give us the space to breathe. That night gave us the space to try. All of that to say that what it took to bridge gaps of understanding in my family was bits of mahogany and string and carbon fiber. It was years of practice and patience and guidance from teachers or professors or idols. It was art. In my family, these issues, they are trivial. Petty dust-covered corners of human nature that could just as easily be swept up if we weren’t so stubborn. But we have larger issues, humanity, and in times of shouting and raging and raising of fists, I’d like to think that the answer could be the same as it was in my family. I like to think that if there were a gift that would transcend language and allow us to communicate, be it across borders or classrooms, across racial or socioeconomic or demographic divides, or even, to start, just across families adrift, it is this thing my Dad has. It is art. Looking now down roads into years or futures I know very little, but I know this now. I will forever give my kids art, and hope that they learn to communicate with it as my Dad has.  What did people look at when sitting in the mall 'rest areas' before cell phones? Diary of a first-timer: Black Friday Edition By Alicia Jaimes So, being 23 years old and a lover of all things discount, I feel a little ashamed to admit that I’ve never been Black Friday shopping. I never considered it because it always seemed like a far-off dream that people with a heftier paycheck enjoyed. Well, things were a little different this year. This year, my family decided to embark on the journey of bargains and deals. This is a story of adventure, sweat, and a little bit of tears. Fellow first-timers beware: this is Black Friday unedited. Pre-game- Thursday, Nov. 23 In a moment of spontaneity, my family and I decided to hit Fremont Walmart for their Thursday Black “Friday” sale. The sales began at 6 p.m. so we decided to head there around 7 p.m. to miss the crowd. We considered Thursday as a trial-run to the Friday shenanigans we had planned. We arrived at Wal Mart to see the parking lot full. Cars were parked on snow banks, in no parking lanes, and one was even at the entrance still running as someone sat in the driver’s seat. Trying to find a parking spot was difficult. Customers pushed carts filled with big boxes and bags. Many had a grin as they quickened their walk, slightly crouched, to their cars. with body’s on high-alert. Apparently, however, no amount of high-alert ever gets these folks to get out of the way of moving vehicles. We entered the store to find people. So. Many. People. Flooding the aisles, overtaking the registers—it was crazy. People were diving into boxes of clothes trying to find their perfect size, others ran to the other side of the store when they heard the $30 toys were marked down to $10, and then there was us, cramming as many pillows as we could into our two carts because they were only $2. Checking out wasn’t as scary as I expected but after paying everyone had to be inspected before leaving the store. I felt like a common criminal. Leaving the store, it was us who grinned and crouched as we wheeled our goodies to the car. It was then we encountered the problem of how we were going to fit them all into the car. By the time we got home it was about 10 p.m. and my sister and I still had to clip out coupons and come up with a game plan so we knew which stores to hit tomorrow. We hit the pillows at about midnight. Showtime, Friday, Nov. 25, 5 a.m. *BEEP, BEEP, BEEP* “Ugh, no, just a few more hours.” *Snooze* Later that day at a reasonable time… After getting too many hours of sleep, my mom, sister, brother and I packed our coupons and game plan and hit the road. We weren’t too upset to miss the craziness we’ve heard happens during the early morning retail battles. We were going to be on Alpine by about 1 p.m. and if we missed the really good sales, at least we had our sanity and could comfortably shop for the rest of the day. Ha ha. Cue Alpine: a mess of cars and soon-to-be car accidents. People were weaving in and out of each other, one even hit someone as we drove past the aftermath (the drivers were okay). Part of me shrugged this off as good ‘ole Alpine and the other part was uneasy with nervousness. We decided to stop at the strip mall before heading to Rivertown Crossings and walked into our first store. “Buy 3 get 3 free” covered the windows and entrance. What a deal! We squeezed ourselves between customers smelling candles and finding their favorite scents, and the line wound throughout the store, almost ending outside. Little did we know this would be the first of many lines we’d encounter that day. After flying through a few stores on Alpine, we decided we were ready for the big leagues as we headed to the mall. We were wrong. Everywhere was packed, and I swear we spent more time in lines than actually looking at the store. Our list, our game plan, our sanity—all out the window. After leaving our first store, hot and mad, I considered calling it a day. Luckily, after refueling our systems with sustenance from the food court, we felt stronger and more confident. Grabbing carts, we wove through crowds of people and began tossing in anything that was our size and seemed like a good deal. In the moment that I found five name-brand, $60 sweaters on sale for $10 each, I was bitten by the Black Friday bug. Nothing could stop me now! Except the mall closing—that’s right. We stayed until we were kicked out and still managed to miss three of the stores we wanted to get to. Conclusion Returning home at 10 p.m., my arms ached as giant bags hung from them, my back killed from spending the better-half of the day standing in lines, and my feet were puddles of jello, and I was on a discount high. Would I do it again? Absolutely. Would I sleep in until a reasonable time? Never again. I finally understand why people get crazy in the retail holiday: there’s just not enough time. With all the people and waiting in half-hour lines, you have to get up early just to make sure to get what you came for…and then some. Sure, I became the bug-eyed discount shopper, but hey, it’s only once a year and that’s good enough for me.  Packing in the pillows after scoring a bargain.  “My foster mother told me … she would save me from being Penobscot.”
By Sally Wagoner Dawnland, a documentary about Native American children, culture and the Child Welfare System, will be shown on Sunday, November 18, 2:00 p.m. at Loomis Lodge, 136 Croton-Hardy Drive, Newaygo. This free event is open to the public and is being hosted by the Native Circle of Newaygo County, a non-profit organization dedicated to sharing culture and history from the Native American Indigenous voice. Due to the mature and sensitive nature of the film, older youth and adults as opposed to young children are the recommended audience. As recently as the 1970’s, one in four Native American Indigenous children were living in non-Native foster care, adoptive homes, or boarding schools This occurred due to the government policy that empowered agents to forcefully remove Native American children from their homes and place them with white families. Physical abuse, emotional harm, and cultural genocide were the results. In Dawnland , for the first time, these Native families are being asked to share their stories. This feature-length documentary goes behind the scenes of the first government sanctioned Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the United States to pursue this national tragedy. For over two years, Native and non-Native commissioners traveled across Maine. They gathered testimony and beared witness to the devastating impact of the state’s child welfare practices on families in Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot tribal communities. Collectively, these tribes make up the Wabanaki people “This is not ancient history,” reports one member of the Native Circle of Newaygo County. “We have Native families today, here in Michigan, who experienced these things personally in recent memory. The skeleton of a huge, industrial “Indian Boarding School” still stands in Mt. Pleasant. And these things still happen today with a Child Welfare system that is biased against Native parents. Many of our children are still taken from our People and placed in non-Native homes. Many of us suffer the intergenerational effects of our parents’ and grandparents’ traumas, and we are still finding our way to healing and home: physically, emotionally, geographically, and spiritually.” The name Dawnland refers to the Wabanaki People who live at the easternmost edge of Turtle Island (U.S and Canada). They are the first to see the new day’s light. The filmmakers state, “If harmony and justice begin in the east, as some prophesize, surely this Truth and Reconciliation Commission is a sign of this beginning.” The film will be preceded by prayers sung with Drum by area First Nations members to help prepare people and place for the difficult stories that unfold. Discussion will follow the presentation to help with understanding of this dark history and its continued influence on people and policy. All are welcome to participate in these events. For more information, contact the Native Circle of Newaygo County: 231.709.9005; nativecircle4@gmail.com  By Cynthia Arneson
Imagine being a 17-year-old high school senior and finding yourself homeless and on your own. It is a stark existence fraught with despair. There are currently more than 2 million homeless youth in the United States, with Michigan ranking sixth in the U.S. We do not evade this reality in our part of Michigan. There were 323 unaccompanied homeless youth reported last year in Newaygo, Oceana, Lake, Mason, Manistee, Missaukee and Wexford counties. Our youth, our children, need stability to thrive. Homelessness means instability. There are more than 36,000 homeless children in high, middle and elementary schools in Michigan, according to the University of Michigan. There were more than 63,000 people who experienced homelessness last year, according to the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness. For youth without a parent, guardian or home, each day means spending a significant amount of time trying to find somewhere to stay for the night. They need to find someone who will put them up. The homeless youth in rural locales like ours are not quite as obvious as people sleeping on sidewalks you might see in places like Grand Rapids or Muskegon or even Big Rapids. Homeless young people sleep in tents, live in abandoned buildings or vehicles, or are, for most, continually couch surfing. Two local agencies are focused on helping homeless and runaway youth ages 12 to 21 years old: Staircase Youth Services and the Youth Attention Center. Based in Ludington, Staircase Youth Services serves Lake, Mason, Manistee, Missaukee, Oceana and Wexford counties. Based in Big Rapids, the Youth Attention Center serves Newaygo, Mecosta and Osceola counties. Both boast years assisting at-risk youth, with Staircase Youth Services established in 1972 and the Youth Attention Center in 1977. Both work with school districts and other agencies such as TrueNorth Community Services to assist youth and families in crisis. A recent survey by Staircase Youth Services and the Youth Attention Center of 287 area homeless youth provides insights into why they are on the streets scraping for an existence. The No. 1 reason is family dysfunction. Those situations include parents addicted to drugs, abuse and neglect, difficulties with blended families, overcrowded households and what they term unfair rules. Many shared they became homeless because their views differed greatly from their parents and they felt unaccepted. We also find youth identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ) are six time more likely to experience homelessness. Youth also become homeless when their parents lose housing. Family poverty often results in parents moving away, and leaving older youth to fend for themselves. There are also youth aging out of foster care with nowhere to go. The fact is 17- to 21-year-olds often become homeless through no fault of their own. A lack of family support and life skills places these young people at risk for sex trafficking, drug use and chronic homelessness. Staircase Youth Services and the Youth Attention Center help our homeless youth find stable housing through host home programs. This allows youth to stay in their communities. Host homes are paid a monthly stipend to provide housing, food and guidance. The youth, their case manager and host parents work side by side to assist the youth in reaching their goals. They gain educational and employment support, life skills training, access to community resources and the support they need to foster their positive development. At Staircase Youth Services and the Youth Attention Center, the biggest successes we see are when our youth graduate from high school, go on to college or trade school, find steady employment and leave our programs feeling supported by their community. A supportive embrace is what our youth, homeless or not, need from us. We need to extend a helping hand; not a cold shoulder. Cynthia Arneson is executive director of Staircase Youth Services, a Ludington nonprofit that provides supportive, preventive, and homeless services for youth and families at-risk or in crisis. Staircase Youth Services, the Youth Attention Center and TrueNorth Community Services are helping raise awareness of homeless and hungry youth, adults and families during Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week, which is November 10 to 18. November is Homelessness Awareness Month.  Dear Editor and community members,
On behalf of Fremont Area Community Foundation, I am writing to express our support of the 911 surcharge proposal appearing on Newaygo County ballots this Election Day. The Community Foundation feels strongly that we must ensure Newaygo County’s Central Dispatch has the updated technology it needs to continue providing all of us with safe, efficient 911 services. Our local 911 dispatchers provide 24-7 lifesaving operations that all of us rely on. In 2017, local dispatchers placed or received 71,835 calls and dispatched 34,581 incidents. And we ask them to do all of this on a system built in 2002 and running on a Windows 2000 server. Think for a moment of how many times you’ve replaced and updated your own personal technology like computers, laptops, or cell phones in the last 16 years. The primary source of funding for technology updates—like the ones our dispatchers so desperately need—is the 911 surcharge on land lines and contracted cell phones/devices. In 2003, Newaygo County voters approved a surcharge of up to $3 per month. But even with this support, the surcharge requires approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission. In 2008, they reduced the surcharge, causing revenues to significantly decrease over the last 10 years. Currently, the surcharge is $1.95 per month. On November 6, Newaygo County voters will be asked to reinstate the $3 surcharge. The total increase would be just $1.05 month—less than four cents per day! Funding will be used exclusively for supporting 911 equipment and services in Newaygo County. Over the next 10 years it will cover the costs of purchasing a main computer system for 911 communications and documentation, a telephone system, dispatch radio consoles, and more lifesaving technology. The Community Foundation is proud to join the Police and Fire Chiefs Associations in supporting this proposal. As an organization committed to improving the quality of life for everyone in Newaygo County, we feel that it is our responsibility to support the lifesaving work of Newaygo County 911 Central Dispatch. Best regards, Carla A. Roberts, President and CEO Fremont Area Community Foundation  Newaygo School Board candidates answer questions
With an octet of contenders vying for three positions on the Newaygo School Board we at N3 thought it might be a good idea to give voters a little glimpse at the candidates and perhaps provide a forum for prospective board members to share their views. We polled some of the local citizenry on what they would like to know about those who are running and came up with 14 questions. These were sent to each of the candidates and these are their replies. This is a lengthy read to be sure, but we believe a worthy one. And please take time to vote on Tuesday. -Near North Now Phil Ottinger What motivates you to run for the board? My motivation to run for school board is a lifelong passion to help young people achieve their highest potential in life. Being involved in youth sports for parts of five decades proves this passion is heart felt. How long have you in the district? What school activities have you been involved in? I have been in the School District my entire life. I have been primarily involved in youth athletics. I believe athletics is a tool of education and I used athletics to teach young people the lessons of life What skills to you bring to the board? Leadership Patrol Leader in Combat USMC. Ability to make tough decisions. Discipline. Hard Work. Problem solving. Working for a fortune 500 Company in a leadership capacity I had to make cost effective and efficiency decisions every day. That is what I would do on School Board try to give out kids the best education in the most cost efficient way. What is your own experience with public education? As a student at Newaygo. As a parent of three children and two Grandchildren at Newaygo. As a School Bus Driver at Newaygo. And as a coach of youth at Newaygo. I believe seeing the landscape of Newaygo education from all the different angles gives a great view to make informed decisions that go to the heart of the community and kids. What do you see as your responsibilities as a board member? Be a team player on School Board. Having my own voice and views but unite with the consensus of views to go forward with the decisions that must be made for the best interests of our community and children. What do you see as the priorities for the coming years? To make sure that we are giving our children the best education with the greatest cost efficiency with for our community. I have a wealth of experience in efficiency and cost. Everything we do must be looked at through the lens of what is best for the kids and subscribe to the Motto of Whatever it takes. What do you see as strengths in the school district? Our whole community is a strength. Our School board, our teachers, our business leaders, and most of all our unity as I have seen throughout my life we reach out to others in time of crisis like a big family. What do you see as the primary challenges ahead? Costs will always be a challenge in the future. We can not give the children what they need if we do not address the costs of getting what they need. We must be proactive and forward thinking on a priority basis of where we have to be in 10 years and what we need to do to get there. What is your vision for NPS? My vision for NPS has no limits. To be the shining light on the hill that all public schools would be trying to measure up to in education. Efficiency, quality of teachers, quality of leaders. That we would produce the most educated, motivated, well mannered and behaved young people on Graduation night, so they could achieve the goals and dreams. How should teacher performance be measured? Teacher performance should be measured like I was in a Fortune 500 Company and like the students they teach. Performance is not guesswork it is setting a standard for our teachers and making sure they hit that standard. Describe your experience with conflict resolution and consensus building. This is perhaps where I have my greatest experience because this has been my life, from USMC, elder in my church, Union leader and Supervisor in Fortune 500 Company. I have been on all side of the spectrum and found consensus and unity in moving the ball forward towards the goal. This is a skill that you must have to be a good school board member. As a board member making key decisions who might you seek advice from? I would seek people who had been there before. Former educators, school board members, Superintendents principles. I would also include parents because I believe they have great views that could be very helpful. I don’t view a school board as its us and them. It is all of us together can make the best decisions. At some point schools may need to go to the community and ask for additional resources i.e. bond, millage. How would you help enlist support in the community for an initiative like this? The most important thing to get support is to be upfront with information to community that the need is really a need. If you do that Newaygo has always been supportive because this community wants what is best for their kids. If we look at the updates recently the school board has done this and the support was there. What book you’ve read has influenced you the most? The Bible. The teachings and principles in the Bible are what guides my life. Jefferson, Lincoln, Washington and most of our countries great leaders claimed this book as a great influence to them. I subscribe to their thinking and know from experience that it works. Artemisia Clark What motivates you to run for the board? Primarily my deep interest in keeping Newaygo an attractive place for families to raise their children. A strong school system is a key attractor for families. The more families that are attracted to our great town the better economic structure for our business and services. My hope is that my daughter grows up to love Newaygo as much as I do and that love can be fostered through a good school experience. How long have you in the district? What school activities have you been involved in? I have lived in Newaygo School District most of my life. I am a K-12 Newaygo alumni. I moved away in my 20’s for a few years but returned home. I’m a very involved member of the NPS school system, my involvement includes:
What skills to you bring to the board? Due to my professional experience I have extensive experience in change management, process collaboration, purchasing optimization, staffing, union contract negotiations, policy and procedure implementation, continuous improvement methodologies, public relations & communication, and benchmarking initiatives. From a personal experience perspective I have served on government boards for the township, worked with at risk youth through the YMCA, been a middle school and high school coach and a middle school drug prevention specialist. I have gotten to know many of the staff at Newaygo Public Schools due to my involvement and have built great relationships with many in our district. I’m actively involved in our community and have a large and diverse network throughout Newaygo allowing me to gain perspective across many varied social and economic groups of people. What is your own experience with public education? I am a K-12 Newaygo Public Schools graduate as is my husband. Our daughter is a 5th grader at Newaygo Middle School. My mom is a retired teacher and my dad in his retirement became the Transportation Supervisor for Newaygo Public Schools. I also was a substitute teacher for 3 years while finishing my college degree. My experience with public schools gives me a unique perspective because I have an understanding for what teachers go through in a day, what administration faces and what students need. However, as a professional for a large public company I bring perspective from a business mindset. What do you see as your responsibilities as a board member? A school board should oversee policies and procedures that protect students, staff and administration in order to be fiscally responsible and legally protected. The school board should make sure that the expectations of the staff and administration are clear and in compliance with state and federal regulations. I also would like to see the school board take it a step beyond to make sure that Newaygo Public Schools has procedures in place that foster an attractive learning environment that is innovative, inclusive and exciting for all students regardless of their talents. What do you see as the priorities for the coming years? My number one priority is to ensure that NPS has very clear policies and procedures. This includes the School Board having basic operating principles. The School Board should clearly establish what and how they oversee in the district and what they expect the leaders to be responsible for. What do you see as strengths in the school district? I truly believe the employees of NPS are awesome! With limited resources I see many of them go above and beyond. Each of us have opportunities for improvement and growth, but at the core of what we have is some amazing people doing all they can to educate our kids. What do you see as the primary challenges ahead? In a small community with limited financial resources and the same regulations and expectations as bigger and more funded districts we still have to find a way to reach the changing needs of our student body. We need to think creatively to educate & provide services for our students especially through all the budget constraints and mandated regulations. It is difficult to change with new generations and their learning styles, but if we don’t figure out how to adapt and utilize the resources we do have we risk losing students to other ways of being educated. What is your vision for NPS? I would love to see a school system where our kids are serviced regardless of their needs. Special education, main stream and gifted students receive what they need to be successful. Individual talents at NPS recognized and not asking all students to be and think in the “standard” box would be an amazing outcome. My hope is that we solve how to keep our students at NPS instead of choosing to go to private, charter or online schools. How should teacher performance be measured? Although there are mandated metrics for staff and administration, I would like for NPS to be more inline with other professional evaluation methods. I think it is important to get peer and customer feedback. It is essential for one’s growth to understand what perceptions are out there so that you can work to improve or capitalize on what is working. Sharing best practices due to feedback will improve the school as a whole. Describe your experience with conflict resolution and consensus building. As a Process Pillar Lead for General Mills my core responsibilities are both conflict resolution and consensus building. The foundation of conflict resolution is in fact consensus building. Helping people understand that not every outcome is going to be 100% in everyone’s favor helps build trust that the resolution is for a greater purpose. Helping people understand their role in the resolution is key. As a board member making key decisions who might you seek advice from? In order to have a good solution you need to gain perspective from not only those that work for the school system but the customers of the school system. It is important to seek input from many in order to be able to represent those that have elected you. At some point schools may need to go to the community and ask for additional resources i.e. bond, millage. How would you help enlist support in the community for an initiative like this? I would enlist support by working with my local network of the Newaygo community. I have proven this effective through my work with the most recent bond issue and the network we built to drive and market that initiative. Communication channels that I have used are social media, community forums, mailers and newspapers to communicate. What book you’ve read has influenced you the most. As cliché as this might seem I would say the book Eat, Pray, Love was a turning point for me personally. This book really initiated my desire to be comfortable with who I am. Learning to embrace my own needs and flaws and work on those actively and daily while staying true to myself was sparked by a book where a broken woman had to search the world to discover her authentic self. I think it is important to define and discover who you are daily and stay true to your ethics and beliefs even when people don’t agree. Morgan Heinzman What motivates you to run for the board? I’ve been to couple of the school board meetings, and with having 20 yrs of being involved in board government, I feel that I can offer some help. I also want to learn the ins and outs of the education school system. How long have you in the district? What school activities have you been involved in? I moved into the school district in 1978 when I was in the eighth grade. What skills to you bring to the board? I have been part of board government for 20 years. I have been to many classes on how a board is supposed to function. What is your own experience with public education? I am a product of public education and all three of My children have been through public education, and also my wife is a public educator. What do you see as your responsibilities as a board member? To oversee the quality of education provided by the school system to make sure there is a healthy and safe learning environment; And to make sure the public has input into all aspects of the school system. What do you see as the priorities for the coming years? What do you see as strengths in the school district? What do you see as the primary challenges ahead? These three questions go together...the primary challenges for any school system today is to be able to keep up with technology and being able to teach it as fast as it develops. that has to be the primary goal . The strength of Newaygo school system lies within its teachers, its facilities, and it’s extracurricular activities. What is your vision for NPS? To keep Newaygo Public Schools a small community school. How should teacher performance be measured? I do not believe the evaluation of a teacher’s performance is the job of the school board. I believe that is the job of the superintendent, and the school board’s job is to hold the superintendent accountable to make sure that it’s done. Describe your experience with conflict resolution and consensus building. As part of several different boards throughout the community over the years, I’ve had to deal with both conflicts and consensus building in many circumstances As a board member making key decisions who might you seek advice from? I would seek input from everybody and anybody I could depending on what the decision is. At some point schools may need to go to the community and ask for additional resources i.e. bond, millage. How would you help enlist support in the community for an initiative like this? This is what I would never do,I would never hold a series of 12 meetings with the public to try to make a decision on something and then after meeting 10, go to a backdoor room and make that decision and never asked the public how they felt. If I was on the school board, I would make sure something like this never happens in Newaygo again. The Newaygo school board will be faced with public decisions in the very near future as to what happens with some of its old buildings when it’s done with it and the community involvement in this has to be taken very seriously. What book you’ve read has influenced you the most? The Art of the Deal by Donald Trump Tom Frisbie What motivates you to run for the board? My motivations for running for the board include being more involved in my community and bringing a new perspective and fresh ideas. How long have you in the district? What school activities have you been involved in? I have lived in the district for over 25 years. Youth athletic coaching, elementary field trips, helping with band performances, and a high school football volunteer are just a few activities I have been involved with over the years. What skills to you bring to the board? As a board member, some of my skills will include; making sound business and financial decisions, communicating with others, working well as a team, an advocate for students and understanding community relations. Also, I having experience serving as a board member on other organizations within the community. What is your own experience with public education? I am a proud parent of two Newaygo graduates and a current NHS Junior. My wife is a 1991 graduate of Newaygo High School. Both of our graduates attend Northern Michigan University. Our son will be graduating in December with a secondary education degree and plans to work in the public school system. What do you see as your responsibilities as a board member? To work with the superintendent, administration, facility and the community to provide a high quality educational environment for all students. What do you see as the priorities for the coming years? 1. Making sure we are filling staff vacancies with quality personnel. 2. Being fiscally responsible in keeping up with our changing economy and funding. 3. Making sure our students are prepared for employment. What do you see as strengths in the school district? I believe our school has a strong foundation, good community support, and most of all, a caring and devoted administration and faculty. What do you see as the primary challenges ahead? A few challenges I see for the district include; * providing funding and staffing for our at risk students and special education programs * retaining students * accessibility to vocational and skills training. What is your vision for NPS? My vision for NPS is to bond community and school together for the best interest of the students, faculty and community while promoting innovation and maintaining high standards for all. How should teacher performance be measured? Teacher performances should be accessed at the district level in conjunction with the PA 173. With this said, I am open to learning/researching evaluation techniques that fit our district's needs, which would support understanding the differences in teacher's methods and student learning. Describe your experience with conflict resolution and consensus building. My day to day experiences in a sales and service industry provides me with daily problem solving skills and working with a variety of people within our community. I am committed to resolving problems quickly, calmly and establishing common goals for all involved. As a board member making key decisions who might you seek advice from? When making key decisions, I would first seek advice from the parties involved and then from individuals with experience with the decision at hand. At some point schools may need to go to the community and ask for additional resources i.e. bond, millage. How would you help enlist support in the community for an initiative like this? No bond or millage should be presented without first listing the benefits to students and community. Full transparency and honesty is how I would enlist community support. What book you’ve read has influenced you the most. The Bible. Jami Schultz What motivates you to run for the board? I am motivated to run because I graduated from Newaygo Public as did my husband, we have two kids that will soon enter the Newaygo Public School system and I think it’s a great time for me to serve on our school board. How long have you in the district? What school activities have you been involved in? I have lived in the district for more than 20 years. I was involved with the school bond mileage, I have also volunteered to help with athletic events. What skills to you bring to the board? I bring a positive attitude, I have the communication and interpersonal skills necessary to build relationships with the administration and fellow Board members as well as the community. I have a willingness to learn, I won’t pretend that I know all the ins and outs of the school system, that is why we have the excellent staff in place to run the school on a day to day basis, but I am willing to learn all that I need to do the best job I possibly can as a board member to serve the kids at NPS and the community. I am aware that my role as a board member is to maintain an environment that discourages micromanagement or undermining of the superintendent, but instead be a voice for the community. What is your own experience with public education? Aside from attending public schools from 9th – 12th grades, my mother was the Business Manager for Newaygo Public for 20 years, my aunt was the High School Principal for many years. I have many family members and friends that are employed within the school system, this allows me an understanding of just how important a strong school system is for our community. I feel it also gives me insights at all levels in the school system. What do you see as your responsibilities as a board member? The responsibilities of a school board member are to set goals for the district, develop and establish policy, evaluate the Superintendent, review the budget, approve, review and evaluate curriculum, participate in contract negotiations, determine facility needs. My role is not always to make others believe what I believe but to listen to the people we serve and represent their opinions. As a board member, it would be my responsibility to ensure that directives are in the best interest of the entire board and district and to also support the Superintendent. What do you see as the priorities for the coming years? I feel that Newaygo has a strong school system, in the coming years I feel we need to build on what we have, focusing on developing the whole child, safety and overall welfare. Doing what we can for all students so that they are safe and in an environment where learning is the number one priority for them. An example would be the third-grade reading law, while NPS was already incorporating many of the law’s requirements this has helped to increase focus on early literacy. What do you see as strengths in the school district? The dedicated staff at NPS, from bus drivers to the Superintendent, NPS staff truly believes that kids are worth whatever it takes. I can say that I have seen it with my own eyes that this is a special place for children to learn, grow and reach their fullest potential. Being a part of the Promise Zone, Kickstart to Career, access to technical training, the initiate of K-12 implementing PBIS, these are all strengths of our district. Community support is also a huge strength in our school district. What do you see as the primary challenges ahead? Safety is a constant concern not only for parents but also for our school district. Continuing to do all we can in the district and the community to ensure we are keeping kids safe. The education environment is an ever changing one, keeping up with those changes is something that is a constant challenge. Finding a balance between what is required from state and national levels and doing what is right for our kids and this area. I feel that NPS does a great job at being fiscally conservative but I think that finances are always a challenge in public education. What is your vision for NPS? A strong school system is the heart of a community, and we have one at NPS. My vision is that this continues for many years to come and that we continue to make not only student achievement but also development of the whole child the priority. How should teacher performance be measured? Teacher performance should be measured by not only state testing assessments, but also should include whole child development as well as assessment data throughout the school year determined by state regulations, administration and staff. Describe your experience with conflict resolution and consensus building. I have worked in Customer Service for almost 20 years, I am currently the supervisor of the Call Center at Great Lakes Energy, on a regular basis I deal with conflict resolution. I think it’s important to hear all sides, get all the facts when working on a resolution. It is important that people feel they are heard, it may not always be a decision someone likes but it is important to get their opinions about it. As a board member making key decisions who might you seek advice from? I would seek advice from the Superintendent, administrators, teachers, support staff and from people that have retired from the school system but who hold a great deal of knowledge and understanding regarding it. The decisions that the board makes directly impacts all levels in the school system, most importantly students, I think it’s important to be fully informed and to gather opinions before making key decisions. At some point schools may need to go to the community and ask for additional resources i.e. bond, millage. How would you help enlist support in the community for an initiative like this? I would be fully informed about what we are asking for and why. I would welcome questions and concerns from the community so that they are fully informed as well. I think that, as was done with the last bond proposal, having open regular meetings that people can get the facts are very important. I think on issues like these it is important to be very transparent to the community, after all it is their tax dollars we are asking for. What book you’ve read has influenced you the most. A book I have recently read and has had an impact for me is ‘Spark’ by Angie Morgan, Courtney Lynch & Sean Lynch. Jim Badgero What motivates you to run for the board? I have 2 kids currently enrolled in Newaygo Public Schools and I want to do all I can to make sure they (and all the other students enrolled) receive the best education and have a safe environment to learn as possible. How long have you in the district? What school activities have you been involved in? I moved to the area in May of 2000. I have been on the School Board since 2009 and have been involved with Bond passage, goal setting, facility assessment, hiring a Superintendent as well as classroom Finance presentations, chaperoning field trips, and helping with sporting events. What skills to you bring to the board? I have been on the board for 10 years and have served on the Finance and Personal Committees for many of these years. I have been part of the teacher contract negotiations process. I feel that experience and history is invaluable to this process as many times you need to know where you have been to know where you are going. What is your own experience with public education? My wife and I are both graduates of the Michigan public school system. My two boys are enrolled in NPS and we never considered anything different. I feel public schools are the best place for children to be. What do you see as your responsibilities as a board member? I feel that as a board member we set policies, budget, school mission/goals, hiring and evaluating our superintendent and facility needs all based on input from the community. What do you see as the priorities for the coming years? I feel that we need to find a way to market our schools to attract families to move into our district to stop the declining enrollment that we have been experiencing. Also finding and recruiting staff to provide the best education for our students is getting harder and more competitive as we have staff retire. What do you see as strengths in the school district? I feel that our staff is our greatest asset. We have so many employees that go above and beyond to take care of our kids. What do you see as the primary challenges ahead? Funding and budget are always a battle. As well as making sure our students get the most out of their education. What is your vision for NPS? To be the school of choice in our community, I take pride of our schools and will always be and advocate for NPS! How should teacher performance be measured? I feel that student achievement is what is the most utilized in measuring performance. But there are so many other issues that arise in a teacher’s day to day routine as well as turnover in the student population that it is nearly impossible to solely base it on test scores alone. Describe your experience with conflict resolution and consensus building. I am very open minded, and level headed. I will always take the time to hear both sides of an issue and make my decision based on all I take in. I always try to be positive and respectful of all opinions. As a board member making key decisions who might you seek advice from? I rely on getting input from our school administration, professional staff and community members before I make a decision. At some point schools may need to go to the community and ask for additional resources i.e. bond, millage. How would you help enlist support in the community for an initiative like this? I would help make sure the facts are supplied to the community in the most transparent and positive way. I would attend forums, go door to door and be available to discuss any concerns anyone might have. What book you’ve read has influenced you the most. I can’t say any one book has influenced me most, but I have read many autobiographies on successful business leaders and athletes. Reading how someone has risen to the top of their field and motivate others to be the best they can be is what I take away from these books. John Goodin What motivates you to run for the board? I was appointed to the board several months ago, and would like to stay active in our school community and continue to contribute to some things we’ve already started in order to stay accountable to the public – the approval of a comprehensive set of board policies is one example. How long have you lived in the district? What school activities have you been involved in? I’ve lived in the district my entire life and graduated from Newaygo Public Schools, as have my children. I’ve spent a lot of years being involved with kids in our community, where I helped grow the youth football program and build a strong connection with the high school program (through good management, were able to give back to the JV/Varsity program for allowing us to use their fields by purchasing new equipment for them, and we were largely responsible for construction of the concessions building at the HS football field that is now used by the NHS Band and other groups for their fundraising); I was very involved in Little League; coaching; MYWAY Wrestling; various youth fundraisers; had a key role in remodeling a spare room in the high school for use as a mat/wrestling room for students & teachers; and I worked on the AYSO soccer fields. Many of these things were accomplished with fellow candidate board Morgan Heinzman. I’m proud to have been able to support many kids & families over the years, and honored to have been chosen to receive the Newaygo I Care Award in 2016. What skills do you bring to the board? I'm not afraid to work hard and tackle the tough parts of a job (which I’ve done my whole life); I am skilled in negotiations and getting to the bottom of things to help drive improvement -- I do this every day at work; I feel I understand the heartbeat and needs of the community, and I already have some experience on this board, as well as on other boards and committees. What is your own experience with public education? I spent K-12 in Newaygo Public Schools, which I feel prepared me well for life. My father was a public school teacher, my in-laws were teachers, and my daughter is currently studying to be a teacher. I have always supported the role of public schools as an anchor in their communities throughout our state. I know first-hand how important they are. What do you see as your responsibilities as a board member? To be honest and transparent with the community and taxpayers; to work to be knowledgeable and have an understanding of our district so I can be an advocate for NPS and the kids and families of our district. What do you see as the priorities for the coming years? What do you see as the strengths in the district? What do you see as the primary challenges ahead? What is your vision for NPS? As a board member, I am one of seven. It’s important for the board to be open & honest and work together with our administration and community to identify these things and help move our district forward in a way that’s best for Newaygo. Describe your experience with conflict resolution and consensus building? As an agent on the executive board of the Teamsters, a national & international union, this is what I do every single day in my work. I was a UPS driver for many years and I worked my way up to a position on the executive board, so I have a lot of experience in seeing issues from many different perspectives and compromising to find the best solutions to benefit all involved. Jackie Malsom I’ve been a board member for a number of years. I love Newaygo schools that helped both of my children be successful adults. My goal as a board member would continue to make Newaygo schools help, educate, and embrace students to become the best that they can with their lives. Both of my children are college graduates, one a graduate of University of Chicago. Great teachers and staff that are dedicated to instill belief that kids can follow their dreams and be successful.  By Ken DeLaat
Nearly there. In just over a week Election Day arrives and with it the end of the continual stream of political ads that have poured across my screen and infected the airwaves. Here’s the thing. I really like TV a lot. I recall a few decades ago when it seemed like folks I knew were having conversations about TVing that went something like.... “Oh, we hardly watch it at all,” someone would say. “We don’t even have one right now,” another would reply in that cooler than thou one-upmanship display that never ceases to puzzle me. “Really?” I’d say. “Because I watch it all the time. All I can. In fact when cable came around it felt like I’d arrived in Nirvana. Australian Rules Football at 2:30am and old sit-coms 24/7? Are you kidding? Life is great, man, truly great.” Ok, perhaps laid on a bit thick but, seriously, I not only watch it but truly revel in my viewing habits. Nowadays I hear people say there’s nothing on despite all the channels. I beg to disagree. Once you allow yourself beyond the boundaries of what you generally might watch (as well as the boundaries of good taste in some cases) there are tons of bizarre and outlandish shows that evidently appeal to a good sized crowd out there. Cruising through the channels one can find evidence of creatures that roam the wilderness, ghosts haunting various sites, and demon hunters who apparently refer their finds to the real life exorcism show. I try to catch them all. Why? Because no matter how strange and whacked out these shows might be I find it intriguing that someone out there (possibly way out there), actually a lot of someones out there, are watching it and buying into it. Which is likely why we are inundated with the poli-ads that tell the most outrageous and twisted half stories about the opposition while singing the praises of the heroes of the ads They work. Personally I am amazed at the number of people running for office who are going to, in one way or the other, doom the country or the state to apocalyptic disasters single handedly. These people must be evil incarnate to desire the death of the economy, the end of health care and the possible elimination of blue M&M’s. You can easily tell who the good person is because they appear in color while the evil wrongdoer opponent is generally in black and white and is frowning or has their mouth open. But what’s surprising is that in half of the ads these same folks appear to be knights in shining armor ready to defend us against the threat of whatever might be fashionable to fear at the time. With some of each it would seem they might cancel each other out and muddy the waters when it comes to making a selection based on TV ads. But nonetheless many of us must base our votes on these sales pitches since these crappy commercials cost a whole lot of money and there is not only no end in sight, they are more prolific than ever. Political season for television is probably like Bike Week in Sturgis SD where more money comes to the area in a few weeks than makes its way into town the whole rest of the year. Can you imagine what might be able to be done with that kind of cash in lieu of tossing it into cheesy, though obviously not so cheap, sales pitches aimed at getting you to buy by denigrating the competition? But that won’t happen and we’re left to ponder why folks are willing to raise and spend a boatload of money, to get a seat at the table in Lansing or D.C. where the salary is but a fraction of what’s spent to capture it. Hmmm. But that’s perhaps for another time. Me? I just want a break from having to hit the mute button over and over and once we’re past November 6…. It’s smooth sailing until the next election cycle begins to ramp up. Say, maybe mid-January or so? “It is important to bear in mind that political campaigns are designed by the same people who sell toothpaste and cars.”-Noam Chomsky  To The Editor:
In November 2003 Newaygo county voters overwhelmingly approved a 911 phone surcharge of $3.00 monthly. During a session in 2008, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) decided to cut surcharges across the state of Michigan, reducing Newaygo County’s to $1.56 monthly. The rationale was that cell phones were becoming more popular, and with adding more devices to the system, the surcharge would generate the same revenue as previous. This was not the case, and Newaygo County Central Dispatch sustained a cut of over 40% in their annual revenue from 2008-2017. A class action lawsuit case was filed by 23 counties in Michigan in an attempt to bring surcharges back to the previous amounts approved by voters. This lawsuit lasted from 2008-2013 when the MPSC agreed to bring Newaygo County’s surcharge back to $1.95 monthly. Although this was better than $1.56, it was still 35% less than approved by voters in 2003. Restoring the voter approved 2003 level of $3.00 monthly will fund the replacement of the outdated radio consoles and make it possible to update and maintain critical public safety dispatching equipment. At this time Central Dispatch does not have any funding available to replace these vital technology pieces. Rumors have spread, which I would like to address: 1. This surcharge is a different way to get money for the Sheriff’s Office. This is untrue. They are two different departments in the county which have separate budgets. The Sheriff’s department uses services from Central Dispatch as does all of the city Police Departments, Michigan State Police, Fire Departments, Ambulance service, First Responders, DNR and sometimes the Road Commission, Forestry Service and others. This telephone surcharge exclusively funds Central Dispatch and it cannot be used for any outside purposes per state law. 2. This is a double dip with the state having passed some new legislation last year. Again, this is untrue. Senate Bill 400 provided funding to be used for 911 infrastructure at the state level to create a fiber network build out, supporting Next Generation 911 technology with some enhanced 911 services. There was about $4,150.00 that passed through to Newaygo County. If that stays the same in the future, we could replace our consoles in about a hundred and ninety years, if their price tag didn’t rise from its current figure of about $850,000.00. 3. This money will probably be wasted on employee salary. Some of that $3.00 will certainly be spent on employee salary, just as it is now. That salary is set contractually with the county and, just like all of the county employees, has not seen more than a three percent cost of living adjustment for many years. I hope that this lays to rest a few concerns and some misinformation that is out there. I know how important to me it is to have local people who are personally familiar with the emergency services in the county as well as the communities they live in, answering the emergency calls that come in. I will provide a recent example of this. August 28, 2018 when storms with 70 MPH winds came through Newaygo County, our Central Dispatch answered 320 call for service between 7PM-10PM and 600 total during the night. Neighboring counties had that same storm come through. I am so glad that we had our own Newaygo County people on hand that night handling those calls for service which included the city DPW’s, Emergency Service personnel and other volunteers. From January 1 – December 31, 2017 our dispatchers took 106,416 calls for service. This includes:
Bryan Kolk Fremont |
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December 2018
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