It was a vision that changed the lives of many boys, helping them to become successful, valuable members of society.
Fifty years later, the tables started to turn.
Ray, the rock-solid pillar of the community on which so many depended, started to forget to do simple things. Ray’s wife Hilda remembers, “Ray would lead a song in church and tell the choir to sing verses one and two, but then sing verses one and three.” A short time later, Ray was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease.
It was the mid-1990’s by then, and even though Ray knew he had Alzheimer’s, he was still active. As years went by, however, the disease progressed.
“Ray’s Alzheimer’s has been like a growing child,” says Hilda. “It started off small and has progressed so slowly that you don’t realize how it’s changed until you look back.”
Hilda continued to care for Ray herself until August of 2006 when her daughter talked her into trying the Adult Day Services (ADS) program provided by Human Development Commission (HDC). Not only did Hilda need help with physically caring for Ray, she also needed the emotional time off to re-group.
“It was so difficult to leave him that first day,” recalls Hilda. “But he enjoys and looks forward to going to ADS each day.”
Hilda explained that at ADS, Ray and others do activities that help with his memory. They also participate in armchair exercises as well as social activities. “I encourage those who need help (caring for a loved one) to contact ADS. I don’t know what I would do without them,” said Hilda.
HDC’s Adult Day Services program operates in Sanilac, Huron and Tuscola Counties. More information is available by calling HDC’s central toll-free number at 1-800-843-6394 or locally at: Sanilac 810-648-9452, Huron 989-550-4922, Tuscola 989-672-2273.
“The hardest part of (Alzheimer’s),” said Hilda, “is missing the communication. You can’t tell your spouse the things you have for 60 years.” Hilda recalls when she and Ray were first married and started working with youth within their church. Later, the couple got involved with Youth for Christ, a non-denominational organization that focused on working with teenaged boys and girls. The couple shared in the joy of their work and traveled internationally to expand the organization, including trips to Africa, France and Barbados.
Eventually, Ray, with the help of Hilda, founded Teen Ranch. The purpose of Teen Ranch was to place at-risk and delinquent boys on a working farm, to teach them life skills and values, work ethics and faith. Teen Ranch started with a 100-acre farm just north of Clifford and one house. Ray found a way to add a housing building almost every year for ten years, mostly through private funding. Teen Ranch helped hundreds of boys over the years. Shortly after Ray’s retirement in the early 1990’s, both the Teen Ranch and local Youth for Christ organizations folded.
Ray Clendenan has definitely left his mark in this world. He took care of America’s youth, and now the favor is being returned through family and Adult Day Services. Ray is now 81-years-old and was very recently diagnosed with terminal rectal cancer. The impact that Ray has left on this world is great, and it will be felt for many years to come.
Council bans ORV’s
from Marlette streets
Golf carts and similar off road vehicles will be banned from city streets following a presentation by Sgt. Lance Cook of the Michigan State Police Traffic Safety Division at the June 15 meeting of the Marlette City Council.
“We cannot allow it according to state law,” Marlette Police Chief Brian McGinnis summed up to a crowd of some 35 citizens who attended the council session.
Following Monday’s council meeting, McGinnis noted that the local police department will enforce the state law banning the use of such vehicles within the city limits.
“Our position now is we are going to follow the state law which prohibits the use of golf carts and ORV’s on public streets,” McGinnis said.
McGinnis added that the Marlette Police Department has already issued two citations, one for the use of a golf cart and the second for the use of a 4-wheeler in which a man and two children were riding without helmets. In both cases, neither driver had a valid Michigan driver’s license.
However, council did seem receptive to adopting an amendment to the policy which would allow for the use of golf carts for permanently disabled persons.
Council referred the issue to the Ordinance Committee which is expected to meet with McGinnis in the near future to discuss formulation of such an amendment. If approved, however, it might be early fall before such legislation goes through the policy procedure of a first and second reading as well as a posting time for such an ordinance amendment to go into effect.
The legislation does not affect motorized wheelchairs as they are allowed to operate under the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Sgt. Cook informed the gathering that there are several issues with golf carts, chief among them the fact that they fail to meet safety standards.
“Golf carts are not low speed vehicles as they come out of the factory. They don’t meet the safety standards. It is missing a lot of important safety equipment,” Cook said. Among those items are shoulder harnesses, proper windshields and two sets of brakes. While golf carts could be retrofitted to meet requirements, other difficulties include the fact that the units must be titled, plated and insured, must be operated by a person with a valid driver’s license and that drivers are required by law to wear motorcycle helmets if they convert their golf cart to a low speed vehicle.
In addition, a retrofitted golf cart must be brought to a police officer for inspection and, oftentimes, police officers may not be familiar with state code. A resident asked if he could use his mower as transportation while he traveled from one residence to another to perform lawn mowing services.
“For us, that’s a common sense thing,” McGinnis noted stating that such an effort might be considered incidental movement. He added, however, that the resident could not use the mower to haul a trailer behind him.
Other residents queried regarding an alleged local ordinance in Brown City which allows for the use of golf carts within city streets.
“The Brown City ordinance is in conflict with state law and is therefore null and void. It could open the city up to huge liability,” Cook offered.
Cook noted, however, that PA 240 of 2008 allows for the use of ORV’s including standardized golf carts to be operated on certain county roads with an ordinance and that local municipalities within these counties may also pass similar ordinances. To date, those counties range from Bay City north, but the Thumb area may be included in this public act in the near future.
Cook noted that residents may wish to contact their state legislators to get this legislation adopted.
Violation of the state law is subject to a 90 day misdemeanor and a $100 penalty. One exception to the law is that golf carts and similar vehicles can be allowed under a parade permit.
In another move having potentially similar consequences, council adopted a resolution that it will no longer give permission for organizations to conduct solicitations at the four corners intersection of M-53 and Marlette Street.
Currently, the city will not disallow such solicitation, but will no longer give approval, thereby, hopefully, eliminating the city from any liability issues in the event of a accident.
While generally allowed in all communities, trustee Steve Quade noted that such practices could also be considered against state law. Quade added that the city is penalizing those who have used common sense to operate golf carts with care and caution in the past.
“Common sense isn’t so common anymore,” trustee Ron Elliott said. Council also amended a previous resolution and transferred $60,000 instead of $53,985 from its Equipment Fund and moved it to the General Fund to balance the 2008-2009 city budget.
Council also approved the 5-year contract for wastehauler services with its current provider Richfield. Council approved the wastehauler bid with modifications.
Trustee Chuck Zampich noted that the contract should include the date of a Friday pickup and should list the rates which were previously approved by the city council for the duration of the contract.
The new contract will cause residents’ rates to increase from $9.50 per month to $11 per month.
Council is still awaiting final resolution of a $75,000 bill from Layne Northern on work and repairs to wells three, four and five as time to formulate a solution seems to be running short.
Laponsie noted that company representative Manning Larson has twice canceled scheduled appearances at council meetings to discuss the bill, but is asking for the issue to be resolved.
He is asking for payment on the bill and we still have some questions on that,” Laponsie said.
“I’d like to have a workshop on both of these issues (Layne Northern and costs for operating the Wastewater Treatment Plant). Both of these will affect the budget,” Elliott said.
“I really think Manning should be here. We have all of these questions and he’s the only one who can provide the answers,” trustee Dennis Cargill said.
“It says in his letter that the issue is out of his hands as of June 30. We’d better get our points in as soon as possible,” Zampich said.
“The council has asked for a detailed bill for some time and now he’s dropping the hammer a little bit,” Laponsie said.
Council was scheduled to meet in workshop on June 22 to discuss both issues.
Council also placed 26 delinquent sewer and water bills on the tax rolls and heard from Marlette Mayor Donald Redman that the City of Marlette has been advised by the Michigan Municipal League that it is on a list prepared by the Michigan Department of Treasury of some 70 municipalities in Michigan that are facing critical financial issues. Marlette recently adopted the 2009-2010 budget which reflects a projected General Fund equity of just $118.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
District approves increasing
2009-2010 General Fund budget
The Marlette Board of Education unanimously approved a 2009-2010 General Fund budget showing a slight increase in fund equity while also adopting deficit spending budgets in both the areas of Athletic Fund and Food Service Fund budgets at its June 8th Marlette School Board meeting.
The Proposed General Fund Budget reflects a beginning fund balance of $1,339,712; revenues of $9,615,015; expenses of $9,588,514 and an ending fund balance of $1,366,213. This is an increase in the General Fund equity of $26,501. The budget does reflect a .75% salary increase per the employee contracts, a .5% increase in the State of Michigan Retirement rate, no bus purchase and no major technology purchases.
“The budget is a little misleading in the fact that we are receiving $74,000 in Title Category monies and approximately $200,000 in IDEA funds which are used for special education programs through the stimulus monies. There is also the possibility of a couple of other funds.
“The expenses were skewed as the building transition expenses of last summer were also reflected into this budget.
“We are just trying to whether the storm. We will have three or four more years like this due to declining student enrollment,” Marlette Superintendent Duane Lange said.
Board also approved the 2009-2010 Proposed Athletic Fund Budget as presented. That budget reflects a beginning fund balance of $9,599; revenues of $260,300; expenditures of $263,198 and an ending fund balance of $6,701. This is a decrease in the Athletic Fund equity in the amount of $2,898.
Similarly, board also unanimously approved the 2009-2010 Proposed Food Service Fund Budget. The proposed budget reflects a beginning fund balance of $32,868; revenues of $474,875; expenses of $497,899 and an ending fund balance of $9,844. This reflects a decrease in the Food Service Fund equity in the amount of $23,024 due to the amount of equipment that needs to be replaced.
Business Director Jeriann Patterson and Superintendent Lange also reviewed the 2009-2010 August State Aid Note Resolution. This year, Mrs. Patterson recommended that the district borrow $850,000, which is a $50,000 increase over last fiscal year. The borrowing is necessary to support the district’s cash flow since the district receives 27% of its funding after the student school year ends and the fact that the payroll dates to not coincide with the dates the state aid is actually received. Also, there is no state aid payment received in the month of September when the majority of the school year supply invoices are due.
“We receive over $2,000,000 in state aid after we are done educating our kids. We have to borrow when we don’t have the state aid coming in,” Lange observed. In the past, the district has ranged from borrowing as little as $650,000 to as much as $1,300,000.
Board also approved the final revision of budgets for the 2008-2009 school year. The final revised 2008-2009 General Fund Budget reflects a beginning fund balance of $1,566,360, revenues of $9,513,527, expenses of $9,740,175 and an ending fund balance of $1,339,712. This reflects a decrease in the district’s fund equity in the amount of $226,648.
Board also approved the final revised 2008-2009 Athletic Fund Budget showing a beginning fund balance of $1,045; revenues of $259,773; expenses of $251,219 and an ending fund balance of $9,599. This is an increase in the Athletic Fund equity in the amount of $8,554. However, approximately $6,000 of the equity would be used for the mandatory football equipment reconditioning that will take place in the 2009-2010 fiscal year.
Board, likewise, approved the 2008-2009 Food Service Final Budget revision. That revision shows a beginning fund balance of $12,800; revenues of $475,344; expenses of $455,276 and an ending fund balance of $32,868. This is an increase in the Food Services Fund equity in the amount of $20,068. It was noted that depending on any Federal Stimulus Funds received under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act the fund equity will be used to replace obsolete dishwashers at each building and other equipment as needs.
Board also inked Janet Kraft to a kindergarten teaching position, Susan Hutchens to a third grade teaching position and Jamie Twiss to a morning Elementary Physical Ed teaching position. All three appointments are for the 2009-2010 school year.
Board also accepted the resignations or Shari Hirsch as the junior high girls track coach and Jeanette Yaroch as the junior varsity cheerleading coach.
Marlette Jr/Sr High School Principal Dale Moore also reported that the junior high staff will be implementing discipline plans for seventh and eighth grade students such as RTC, Positive Behavior and MiBLSi for the 2009-2010 school year. Mr. Moore noted that there are 22 students participating in the summer credit recovery program at the Jr/Sr High School this month.
Elementary School Principal Michael Distelrath reported that the year went well and that there are plans underway to review the Accelerated Reader Program to include kindergarten and first grade students.
Lange also noted that, due to a change in the requirements by the State of Michigan, the Learning Center curriculum will need to be modified. A subcommittee including school board members Nik Woods, Sarah Kady and Mike Kiley, was formed to review the necessary changes and to provide input on the operation of the Learning Center for the 2009-2010 school year.
