SPORTS

Magical run ends in baseball semis when Big Reds seventh inning rally falters vs. Richmond See Page 1-B

COMMUNITY

Photos from the Strawberry Festival See Page 1-C

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THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2013 Weave the Web:

Make sure to click on www.heritage.com around the clock for the most in-depth coverage. See most popular story ... Dexter High School alumna crowned Miss Michigan USA.

Belleville High School teacher remembered as being a dedicated, committed educator

By Ben Baird
Heritage Media

BELLEVILLE Michael Caulk, a history teacher and 64-year-old Saline resident, was found dead the night of June 12 in a Belleville High School classroom. He taught at the high school for 10 years. Funeral services for Caulk were at 1 p.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church, 1200 North Ann Arbor St., Saline, with The Rev. James Tuttle and Pastor Mark Caulk officiating. Burial was scheduled to follow with graveside military honors under the auspices of the Washtenaw County Sheriff s Office Honor Guard in Oakwood Cemetery in Saline. Belleville Police Chief Gene Taylor said on June 13 police believe it appears the teacher died from natural causes, but the medical examiners office had yet to determine an official cause of death. His body was found at about 11 p.m. June 12 after his family contacted police, Taylor said. Caulks obituary, posted online by the Robison-Bahnmiller Funeral Home in Saline, states he died from a heart attack. Van Buren Public Schools Superintendent Mike Van Tassel, stated in a media release that the school district has lost a member of its edu-

cational family. He was a committed and dedicated teacher at Belleville High School, Tassel said. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, his current and former students, and the faculty who worked with him for so many years. The school district released Caulks name later in the day Thursday after receiving permission from his family. Counselors were made available to students on June 14. Caulks family has endured some other recent tragedies, including the death of Caulks 27year-old son Jamie in October 2011 from injuries suffered in a car crash on I-65 near Nashville, Tenn. About a month later Lillian, the 11-week-old daughter of Caulks youngest daughter, died unexpectedly at home. Caulk is survived by his wife Missy, daughters Christa and Alyssa, sons Matthew and AndrewDavid, granddaughter Presley, brother Mark, sister Linda, and several nieces and nephews, according to the obituary. Besides his son Jamie and granddaughter Lillian, he was preceded in death by his parents. School was canceled Thursday at the high

school after Caulks body was found, according to the school district. This caused some changes to the last day of school for students on Friday. Caulk Fourth, fifth and sixthhour exams proceeded as scheduled Friday, but first, second and third hour teachers were to grade students based on the third and fourth marking-period grades instead of from exams that were scheduled for these periods Thursday. Students who still wanted to take these exams were given the opportunity to do so by notifying their fourth-hour teacher by Friday morning and then taking them that afternoon or Monday. Laura Zoochi contributed to this report. Staff Writer Ben Baird can be reached at 734429-7380, bbaird@heritage.com or via Twitter @BenBaird1.

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Student remembers Festival draws big crowd late teacher over Fathers Day weekend
By Daniel Heraty
Heritage Media

The Belleville View is looking for Community Bloggers!

If you live in the greater Belleville area and are interested in writing about local events, news and views or even your own interests and hobbies, please contact Michelle Rogers at mrogers@heritage.com.

Despite the threat of rain that loomed over the final two days, Bellevilles 36th annual National Strawberry Festival drew crowds from all over Southeast Michigan, drawn by the vendors, sights, sounds, smells and overall atmosphere of the threeday event. And the rain held off. Its just pretty cool, said Chris Brown from Ypsilanti. Weve come here for seven years and theres always new artisans. There always seems to be someone new.

His wife, Michelle, said they were initially drawn by the food from Bayou Bills, a cajun restaurant chain with locations nationwide. The festival also featured a parade on June 15. Among the vendors were a husbandand-wife team of jewelry-makers, who journeyed from Florida to Michigan for the first time, just to take part in the festival. Richard Lynch, who runs an all-natural jewelry-making business with his wife, Anne, said the reason they came up from
PLEASE SEE FESTIVAL/7-A

By Daniel Heraty
Heritage Media

BELLEVILLE Michael Caulk, a history teacher at Belleville High School who died June 12, is being fondly remembered by one his more recent former students. According to published reports, Caulk, 64, died of a heart attack in his classroom. Tony Koenig, who graduated from Belleville High School in May, offered some of his thoughts on Caulk in an email Saturday. Reflecting on the times spent in Caulks classroom, Koenig offers up an image of a man who truly loved his job and the students in his care. The experience of his class was unlike any other, Koenig said. He made the classes he taught his own rather than something straight out of the curriculum. I will definitely miss his contagious smile and shining spirit. Describing Caulk as energetic and enthusiastic, Koenig said that it was Caulks experiences as a comedian that left students looking forward to his classes. He said Caulk would not just talk about his love for social studies and history, he often would show it as well. He must have had at least 15 model airplanes hanging from the ceiling, Koenig said. He always talked about them and somehow managed to make what I thought to be the most boring subject in school interesting. Koenig said that Caulks sense of humor and antics in the classroom kept the students on their toes, including playing very loud music in order to rouse students who werent paying attention. And then other teachers would ask him to turn the music down, he said. He would laugh it off, making more of his hilarious jokes and sometimes even turning up the volume. More so than in the classroom, it will be the life that Caulk lived outside the classroom, which he shared with his students, that he will be most remembered for. Koenig said that he will remember an all-around amazing man, a feeling he said will be shared by other former students of Caulk, as well. Even outside of teaching, Mr. Caulk was an incredible human being who had lived a very fulfilling life, he said. From the Marines to teaching social studies, this remarkable man will never be forgotten. Daniel Heraty is a freelance writer for Heritage Media.

The Marketplace:

Township hires planning director

VAN BUREN TWP. Arthur Mullen, interim director since February, officially became the townships new planning and economic development director June 4. The Board of Trustees appointment was unanimous. Mullens previous experience includes an assignment as a planner for Detroit and as executive director of the Mount Clemens Downtown Development Authority. He has a graduate degree and is certified with the American Institute of Certified Planners. Mullen will be paid an annual salary of $92,300. His responsibilities include management of the Township Planning and Economic Development Department and support of several commissions and committees: the Board of Zoning Appeals, Local Development Finance Authority and Board of Trustee meetings. Mullens benefits include comprehensive health insurance; a pension in which the township contributes 12 percent of the employees salary, and the employee contributes 5 percent; $50,000 in life insurance; paid time off days including vacation, sick and personal time; and paid holidays. In response to a question from Trustee Regina Miller, township Supervisor Linda Combs described the search process for a replacement for former Planning Director Terry Carroll, who left the township earlier this year. Combs said 46 people applied for the job, which was posted on select Mullen Internet sites. The list of candidates was reduced to five, and two sets of interviews were conducted with each candidate. The panel of employees who helped select the new director included two fulltime elected officials, Treasurer Sharry Budd and Clerk Leon Wright, and others: township planning consultants Sally Hodges and Phil McKenna, a representative from the townships engineering consultants and Executive Assistant Karin LaMothe. Jerry LaVaute

Local ads are just a hop away at the MIcentral.com marketplace. While you are there, you can check out all the special supplements of Journal Register Co. newspapers in Michigan. Click on marketplace on the home page of our website or go directly to www.marketplace.micentral.com.

INDEX
Calendar Editorial Sports Page 3-A Page 6-A Page 1-B

Death Notices Page 18-A

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