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VOL. 142, NO. 28 75¢ THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Council OKs 2-way traffic on Central Weave the Web:

By Erica McClain
Heritage Media
Within its first day, one-way
construction traffic on Central
Street had drawn the ire of several
residents and business owners in
Dexter.
“You systematically just cut me
off from 50 to 60 percent of my
clientele,” said Steve Trammell,
Dexter Party Store manager, to the
Dexter Village Council during a
July 9 meeting. “I don’t know why
it was two-way traffic in your vil-
lage update, and then last week it’s
not. If you don’t have the permis-
sion and you can’t do it properly,
you shouldn’t have gone forward.”
The construction project, which
began on July 9, had closed off
southbound traffic on Central
Street from Huron River Drive to
Second Street, causing an 8-mile
detour for folks who typically
drive Central Street. Motorists had
to take Joy Road east then drive
south on Zeeb Road to get around
the construction. Those driving
northbound were allowed passage
through Central Street’s construc-
tion.
Dexter Village Council decided
to change temporary one-way con-
struction traffic on Central Street
to two-way traffic by a 6-1 vote dur-
ing its July 9 meeting after hear-
ing complaints and concerns from
about 10 residents and business
owners, who said they were never
told the construction would block
off southbound traffic.
A trio of Central Street business
owners told council that in the
first day of construction that their
businesses lost at least half their
customers.
“We can’t survive, and we can’t
do it, and it was a little insulting,”
Dexter Mill owner John Cares said
to council members during the
public comment.
Dexter Party Store owner Bob
Schefer agreed with Cares, telling
council that after living and doing
business in Dexter for 33 years,
he felt like he lives “on the wrong
side of the tracks; my business is
on the wrong side of the tracks.”
Classic Pizza owner Ralph
Schlaff said not only did he lose
business on July 9, but also deliv-
eries took twice as long, and the
construction cut off his suppliers,
including Gordon Foods and Coca-
Cola.
Make sure to click
on www.heritage.com
around the clock for the
most in-depth coverage
of Washtenaw County.
Our “Most Viewed” story
this week is “Concert
Review: “American Idol”
finalists open tour at Joe
Louis Arena.”
Check out
our video:
■ Travel Michigan
VP talks about Pure
Michigan
Click on the “jobs” tab
on the home page of our
Photo by Erica McClain
website
h e r or
i t ago
g edirectly
. c o m to
http://jobs.heritage.com.
Two nonfunctioning traffic lights hang where the Central Street con-
struction begins at Second Street. The construction was still one-way
traffic on July 10, but flaggers were expected to be in place to make Join us on Twitter:
the traffic flow two ways starting July 11. Become a Dexter
Leader follower. Click
The motion to solve the one-way approve the hiring of construc- on the Twitter tab on
traffic issue was brought forth tion flaggers, who will wave the home page of our
by Councilmember Paul Cousins, southbound or northbound traffic website or go directly
who asked for the council to to http://twitter.com/
PLEASE SEE CENTRAL/3-A ChelseaDexter.

Jim Carson announces run for village president

By Erica McClain
Heritage Media
Longtime Dexter
Village Councilmember
Jim Carson has made his
official bid for council
president this upcoming
November election.
Having served the vil-
lage of Dexter for more
than 10 years, first as a
planning commissioner
then a councilmember,
Carson said he has three
components to his cam-
paign platform.
The first and foremost,
Carson said, is improving
communication with con-
stituents.
“We don’t do a very good
job including residents
and business people in the
decision-making process,”
Join us
on Facebook:
Click on the Facebook
tab on the home page of
our website or search for
Carson said, But the otherwise,” Carson said. post,” Carson wrote on his us on Facebook.
noting the village office “The point is: The funding campaign website. “I am
village staff ’s isn’t the only options are out there, and running because I think
lack of notify- structure we just need to find out that the time is right and Get breaking news:
ing people Carson wants which ones are best.” I have a passion for good To receive breaking
about the one- fixed. He said Carson added that he government and the ener- news alerts, text
way Central the fire sta- also supports the potential gy for public service.” HERNews to 22700
Street con- tion needs to regional fire authority Carson, who was first
struction this be improved – comprised of Dexter elected to the Dexter
past week. “We or replaced, a Village, Webster, Scio and Village Council in 2003,
need to make need that was Dexter townships – as long was on the village’s plan-
sure people are highlighted as the name the Dexter ning commission from
involved in the during Area Fire Department 2001-2003 before becoming The Marketplace:
process, and the Dexter stays intact. an ex officio member of Local ads are just a
my No. 1 issue Area Fire Carson said he began the commission. hop away at the MIcentral.
com marketplace. While
is to have a bet- Department’s exploring the idea of run- Carson currently you are there, you can
ter policy for communica- exhaustive work with aid- ning for village president serves as the Dexter check out all the special
tion and participation.” ing the community in the several months ago and Senior Center Board of supplements of Journal
To aid residents in talk- March 15 tornado’s dam- has had conversations with Director’s president, the Register Co. newspapers
ing with village officials age. more than 20 residents. Western-Washtenaw Area in Michigan.
and vice-versa, Carson said “The challenge is going “My government and Value Express Board of Click on “marketplace”
a new village office should to be how we are going community involvement Director’s president, the on the home page of our
be a major priority. to finance it – whether over the past nine years Economic Development website or go directly to
“It’s time to deal with it’s through a Capital has prepared me to hold www.marketplace.micentral.
com/ROP/Categories.aspx.
it,” he said. Improvement Plan or the village’s top elected PLEASE SEE CARSON/3-A

INDEX
School board raises facility use rates Editorial
Calendar
Page 6-A
Page 3-B
By Krista Gjestland education departments’ tricts charge,” she said. work, such as mowing or likely see an increase for
Heritage Media budgets, said Trustee Julie The cost for to rent the lining fields. those who do not qualify for Death Notices Page 10-A

D
exter Community
Schools Board of
Education passed a
motion on July 2 to
increase facility use
rates.
Rates for using the
district’s athletic and com-
munity facilities are being
increased between $5 and
$60 per hour depending
upon the activity.
The rate increase is one
of the ways the district is
trying to supplement the
athletics and community
Schumaker.
“We want to encourage
community use, but we also
want to ensure we cover the
district’s costs,” she said.
“Realistically there’s a cost
to the district to operate
and provide services to the
community for the use of
these facilities.”
Schumaker also said that
the rates are still overall
lower than other districts
in the area.
“The rates that are being
proposed here tend to fall
at the low end of what dis-
high school gym is $40 per
hour for nonprofit groups
and $60 per hour for all
others. The average high
school gym costs between
$40 and $98 at other schools
in the area, according to
a document given to the
board by Sean Burton,
executive director of sup-
port services for Dexter
Schools.
Trustee Richard Lundy
suggested offering dis-
counts to nonprofit groups
that do some of their own
maintenance and prep
“It might make sense to
be able to give them some
kind of credit if they do
some of the preparatory
work to use the facility,” he
said. “Some of them would
like to have lower costs if
they are making measur-
able contributions.”
The board passed the
new fee schedule unani-
mously, though President
Larry Cobler, Vice
President Michael Wendorf
and Trustee Bonnie
Everdeen were not present.
School lunches will also
free or reduced lunches.
Margee Faber, assistant Sports Page 1-C
director of food and nutri-
tion services, said the dis- Community Page 1-B
trict is federally mandated
to make sure full price News Tip Hotline: 475-1371
students’ costs aren’t being
subsidized with federal
money for free and reduced
lunch students’ benefits.
To get to the federally
mandated level, the district
needs to increase prices by
25 cents per student. Ele-
mentary students would
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recycled paper
PLEASE SEE RATES/3-A

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