Bay City Commission meeting every week in July, touring electric plants

The Bay City Commission is going to have a busy month, with meetings planned for every Monday evening in July. In addition to the regularly scheduled meetings on July 2 and 16, three Finance Policy Committee meetings have been set:


• July 9, focusing on the electric department's generation plant upgrade compliance project. Commissioners and others attending the meeting are invited to tour the generating plants on both sides of the river. The meeting is scheduled at 6 p.m. in Temporary City Hall, 700 Fourth St.

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Bay City mayor on Baytown: 'There are certainly risks involved in subsidized housing'

With a recent shooting incident amplifying public perception that Baytown Family Neighborhood is unsafe, and statistics showing a higher crime rate there than in the city at large, local officials say they are concerned. But even though city leaders feel the subsidized housing complex should be held up for scrutiny, they say they are unlikely to take action for now due to other pressing city issues. Bay City Mayor Christopher Shannon, a former 1st Ward commissioner where Baytown is located, said the city does recognize problems associated with the facility.


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Violence worries Baytown mother as neighbors call for private security at Bay City housing complex

For little more than a year, Jennah LeVasseur has lived in a unit of the Baytown Family Neighborhood on Bay City’s East Side with her 3-year-old son, Brenden Noonan. Though she initially thought its bad reputation was exaggerated, a May 23 shooting incident has left her with a different opinion. “I don’t like Baytown,” she said. “It’s kind of scary. I’m really kind of worried about how this summer is going to turn out.” LeVasseur, 21, said she grew concerned following the May 23 fight and shooting that happened in the 1100 block of North Jackson Street, inside Baytown. Police have said Roger L-Derring Davis Jr. hit Dequentin Nowell in the face with a shotgun, which later fired as the two continued fighting. Davis and his girlfriend, Baytown resident Kimberly A. Campbell, fled the scene but surrendered to police a week later.


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Brett Leppek gets another game to build on his Bay City Central legacy

Of all the legends of the Central-Western football rivalry, nobody has a more unique story than Brett Leppek. So it's only fitting that he gets one more tale to tell. The recent Bay City Central graduate caps his high school career Saturday when he participates in the 32nd annual East-West All-Star Game, the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association showcase event that kicks off at Alma College's Bahlke Stadium at 4 p.m. "I didn't expect to play football another day, so it's pretty exciting," he said. "This is a pretty big deal for me."


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Bay City police say 'something is always going on' at Baytown housing complex

Does Baytown deserve its reputation as a hot spot for criminal activity in Bay City? Police records for the past six years show the subsidized housing complex is the scene of more crime based on its population than in the city at large. Here's what the data from 2006 through this year shows:

• The 46 assaults reported at Baytown represent 1.4 percent of the city's total of 3,279 assaults. According to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Baytown's 150 units house 312 people, or 0.89 percent of the city's total population of 34,932.

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Statewide hype for Bay City Fireworks Festival could cause crowds, traffic backups on Fourth of July weekend

As excitement builds for the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Bay City Fireworks Festival scheduled for July 5-7, expect huge crowds from throughout the state. Although this influx of visitors is likely to have a positive impact on businesses, Bay City Fireworks Festival President Doug Clark said attendees should expect crowds and be patient as they enjoy festival activities and one of the largest firework displays ever shot off in the state. A major change to the fireworks show this year will be the temporary closure of the Veterans Bridge in downtown Bay City from 5 p.m. to midnight Saturday, July 7. The finale of the show will feature 50,000 shells fired in 50 minutes, 5,000 of which are set to be shot from the bridge surface.


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Bay County educators offer easy tips to keep students learning over the summer

Summer is here, which means most students have more than two months before they dive back into any form of school work. They can lose a lot of information during that time, but there are ways to retain the material they have learned over the previous school year. Here are some simple tips to keep students educationally engaged over the summer. “Read, read, read” Bangor Central Elementary Principal Margy Dewey said the school encourages students to “read, read, read” over the course of the summer. She said reading is one of the easiest and most portable ways to keep up on learning.


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Bay City needs 21 citizens to serve on local boards

Citizens have the opportunity to participate in Bay City government through several boards and commissions that have vacancies:

• The Board of Review needs one person for a term to expire Jan. 1. Must be a city taxpayer. The board reviews and tentatively approves the assessment roll, and hears and makes decisions on appeals by taxpayers from valuations made by the city assessor. Meets in March, July and December.

• The Building Code Board of Appeals needs five people for terms through Aug. 1, 2014. Must be city residents. The board has the jurisdiction to recommend minor variances in the electrical, plumbing and mechanical application of the Building Code, to allow alternative construction methods or materials, and to recommend amendments to the Code. Meets as needed.

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San Francisco 49ers rookie Trenton Robinson credits coaches for teaching him how to be a leader

As a professional in the National Football League, Bay City’s Trenton Robinson is among the best in the world at what he does. But Robinson hasn’t forgotten who helped get him there. In a video interview with csnbayarea.com, Robinson talks about his love for football and how his coaches helped get him to the NFL as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. A three-year starter at Michigan State, Robinson was named first team All-Big Ten and was picked in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the 49ers.


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Rain likely as Bay City gears up for Skid Row concert, River Roar

There is a 60 percent chance of rain tonight as L.A. Guns, Cinderella and Skid Row take the stage in Veteran's Memorial Park in Bay City. The concert at 7 p.m. kicks off the 25th annual Dow Bay City River Roar weekend of races. The National Weather Service forecasts showers before 9 p.m. and thunderstorms between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. The weather is 77 degrees, cooling off to 55 degrees.

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Bay City awarded $75,000 grant for urban planning; community invited to offer ideas

Bay City will receive more than $75,000 in urban planning assistance to chart its future, and residents are invited to offer their input. The Michigan Association of Planning chose the city to receive a service grant valued between $75,000 and $100,000, funded by the C.S. Mott Foundation and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Bay City planners, other city staff, appointed and elected officials, and community leaders work one on one with nationally renowned urban planning experts over the next year to study the community's assets, make recommendations to ongoing planning and development efforts, and further improve them.


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Free concert in Pinconning features acoustic music, crafts

The Standish Friends Society hosts "A Night in June," an acoustic music concert, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 21, at Pinconning City Park, located on M-13 north of Wilson Cheese.  Local musicians will perform blue grass, classic rock and roll, oldies, folk and a variety of other musical genres. Art and crafts vendors and food vendors will also be on hand.  Standish Friends Society is an alternative and enhancement to Bay-Arenac Behavioral Health, serving people with developmental disabilities, mental illness, and/or substance use disorders. "A Night in June" is designed to emphasize the importance of friends and family on the road to recovery while bringing positive energy to the community.


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Bay City Western product Chad Jasman named Academic All-Big Ten for University of Michigan baseball

Chad Jasman has found success everywhere he’s gone. Including Ann Arbor. The former Bay City Western standout was the lone player from the University of Michigan baseball team to earn Academic All-Big Ten honors. It marks the second conference where Jasman has earned academic honors after being named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Spring Honor roll in 2009 as a member of the Kansas State baseball team. A relief pitcher for the Wolverines, Jasman had a 1.80 ERA in four appearances out of the bullpen during his redshirt junior season.


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Auburn man arraigned in connection with armed robbery of 7-Eleven, gun theft charges

Wearing a shirt emblazoned with “Y_u Ar_ An Id_ot. Would you like to buy a vowel?” an Auburn man listened as a judge read him the litany of felonies he’s facing in connection with a convenience store holdup and the theft of a relative's guns. Bay County District Judge Timothy J. Kelly this afternoon arraigned Robert K. Lebeau, 43, on single counts of armed robbery, larceny of a firearm, larceny in a building, possession of a firearm by a felon, larceny of a financial transaction device and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, plus two counts of felony firearm. The most serious charge, the armed robbery count, is punishable by up to life imprisonment.

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Bay City native Patrick Yandall makes the most of his trip home for the Michigan Jazz Trail Festival

Patrick Yandall stands under a big umbrella, and that means he’ll feel right at home Sunday, June 24, when he closes the Michigan Jazz Trail Festival in Saginaw. “I had heard a little about it,” the Bay City native, now living in San Diego, said of the three-day, three-city music fest. And that was enough, he said, to hop aboard when he was in Michigan last year to host a fundraising special on Delta College’s Channel 19, WDCQ.
The jazz guitarist performs another show for the public television station the night before his festival appearance, filming a concert before a live audience at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 23, at the Bronner Performing Arts Center in Frankenmuth.

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Bay City teen armed himself with a knife to stir up a fight near Birney Park

An area teen is charged with a trio of felonies after police say he armed himself with a butcher knife and went looking for a fight near a Bay City park. Bay County District Judge Timothy J. Kelly on Monday arraigned 17-year-old Joshua A. Aldrich on charges of carrying a weapon with unlawful intent, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with intent to cause harm less than murder. Around 12:30 a.m. Sunday, Bay City police responded to a call in the 200 block of North Jefferson Street, near Birney Park. A woman there, Corrie Schlicker, had called 911 claiming Aldrich was threatening her with a knife.


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Dow Bay City River Roar co-founder Chuck Frantz proud to see race hit its 25th birthday

Chuck Frantz has seen a lot change in Bay City over the last two and a half decades. But one thing he’s happy to see remain is the Dow Bay City River Roar. As the annual tunnel boat race hits its 25th anniversary, Frantz is happy to see his baby going strong. “When you’re having fun, time flies,” he said. “There have been so many changed through the years when you stop to look back at it.” As one of the race originators, Frantz has seen the River Roar grow from just a race in its inaugural year to a multi-day event now that features concerts, carnivals and overall community involvement.


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Michigan Supreme Court sends 2009 sexual assault case back to Bay County Circuit Court

Following a ruling by the state Supreme Court, a Bay City man charged with sexually molesting a preteen girl might soon face a trial, three years since he was charged. In a 4-3 decision, the state’s highest court this month remanded the case of Richard K. Pullen to Bay County Circuit Court for trial. Though Pullen, 58, was charged with two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of aggravated indecent exposure in 2009, the case has been on hold since Circuit Judge Joseph K. Sheeran in 2010 ruled prosecutors could not present evidence of past sexual abuse in Pullen’s trial.

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Fans have a chance to become drivers at 25th annual Dow Bay City River Roar

The last weekend in June always marks a busy weekend in the Great Lakes Bay region, especially on the water with the Dow Bay City River Roar. And as the race event heads to the Saginaw River in downtown Bay City for the 25th annual race weekend — which make it the longest standing powerboat race in the country — race officials are doing everything they can to make sure people throughout the community get involved — literally. A new feature brought to the River Roar this year that coincides with the quarter-century festivities includes an opportunity presented by River Roar officials and the American Power Boat Association to take a class and learn how to become a power boat racer.

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Strict Essexville ordinance bans use of all consumer fireworks outside holidays, effective Monday

This Sunday night marks the last hurrah until July 3 for people who have been lighting off fireworks within the city limits. The Essexville City Council passed an ordinance on Wednesday that makes it illegal to use consumer fireworks at any time other than the day before, the day after or the day of a national holiday. The ordinance goes into effect on Monday. City attorney Gerald Pergande said the ordinance, which officials began to draft several weeks ago, was on the fast track to implementation. The decision to enact the most-thorough ban possible eliminates confusion that could have occurred if specific hours for use had been determined instead, he said.

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Major portion of Midland Street closing Thursday

Four weeks after the first phase, road work is closing Midland Street again. Midland Street between Euclid and Wenona will be closed to through traffic from 6 a.m. until city crews are done with phase II of their resurfacing. The work is estimated to be complete the same day, weather permitting. The same stretch underwent microsurfacing on May 17. Residents in the area are asked to park on the nearest side street and have trash out for pickup by 7 a.m. Driveway access will be limited.

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Bangor Township 10-year-old loses battle with brain tumor

 Lynne Moore still can picture David English dancing. It was last summer when English, the then-9-year-old who was fighting a deadly brain tumor, first walked into her Bangor Township Schools office, saw the bicycle her organization purchased for him and “did a little dance because he was so excited.” “He had such a fantastic personality,” said Moore, the school system’s human resources director and leader of the district's Project HOPE, which helps students and staff in need. “He was so mature; the most mature 9-year-old I’ve ever met. I’ll never forget that day.”

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Three men face criminal charges in connection with graffiti of Bay City's Liberty Bridge

Three local men are facing misdemeanor charges after police say they used Bay City’s Liberty Bridge as a canvas to convey anti-government beliefs. Bay County District Judge Timothy J. Kelly last week arraigned Michael A. “Myke” Gonzalez, 25, Brian P. Seidl, 22, and Scott L. Williams, 19, on counts of malicious destruction of property between $200 and $1,000 and conspiracy to commit that crime. Williams and Seidl were also charged with possession of marijuana. Bay City police around 1 a.m. Wednesday responded to a call of four men on bicycles gathered under the western side of the bridge. Officers arrived to find spray-painted slogans such as “Inform yourself,” “Build the new world,” “Wake up,” “One Love” and “Broke free” decorating the concrete abutments and support beams.

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Bay City Public Schools discussing budget at tonight's board meeting

Facing a June 30 deadline, the Bay City Public Schools Board of Education plans to look at the 2012-13 budget at tonight’s meeting. The meeting is at 7 p.m. in the administration building, 910 N. Walnut St.
Districts are required to have a budget in place before the start of the financial year, which begins July 1. The board plans to open up a segment of the meeting for public comment but probably will not finalize a budget tonight.

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Bay County teen arraigned on felony charges stemming from crash involving 14-year-old

A 17-year-old has been arraigned on six felony counts stemming from what prosecutors say was a deliberate attack on another youth with a pickup truck. Bay County District Judge Mark E. Janer this morning arraigned Wesley A. Gage on five counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, a four-year felony, and one count of reckless driving causing serious injury, a five-year felony. Gage appeared before the judge voluntarily, accompanied by his mother and attorney, Kevin J. Rieman.

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Late Bay City businessman, philanthropist Joseph Krantz 'did a lot of good things that a lot of people never knew about'

Mark Kaplenski did not know Joseph Krantz personally, but the Bay City resident still considers him an important person in his family's life. A scholarship from the Bay Commitment Scholarship program through the Bay Area Community Foundation, initially funded by Krantz, made his daughter Melissa's college education possible. Kaplenski had always wanted to tell his daughter's benefactor how much the contribution meant to them, but he never had the chance. "I wanted him to know what he did for my daughter, so I went into his office (Friday, June 1) to try and thank him for all he did for us," Kaplenski said. "I didn't realize he had passed away." Krantz, a businessman and Bay City native, died at home May 21 after a lengthy illness. He was 76.

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Witness recalls Saturday double-stabbing in Bay City's South End

A night of celebrating a friend’s upcoming marriage resulted in two of the revelers recovering from stab wounds and a third man jailed in connection with the incident fewer than 24 hours later. Around 11:30 p.m. Saturday, Bay City police responded to fight and double-stabbing near Madison Pub, 1001 S. Madison Ave. on the city’s South End. According to police reports, officers arrived to the sight of Chad A. Rauschenberger, 26, standing in front of 1008 S. Madison Ave., his shirt covered in blood. Andrew J. Prevost, 27, was nearby, also bleeding from fresh wounds. Both men were part of the bachelor party, which arrived at the pub on a party bus around 10:30 p.m.

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Tri-City Motor Speedway cancels Friday night races due to rain

The only winner tonight at the Tri-City is going to be mother nature. A persistent rain on Friday soaked the track and with more rain in the forecast track promoters had to cancel the short track's races for this evening.
Friday's races were supposed to be part of a special "Kids Night sponsored by Weiland Contracting" promotion at the track with autograph sessions and a bike give-a-way. According to the track's website the Kids Night event is being rescheduled to next Friday, June 8.

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