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Bellevilles defense stands tall again in Students join Flag shutout win Corps See Page 1-C See Page 1-B

COMMUNITY

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VOL. 29, NO. 39

TOP SOIL
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 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 ... Saline resident and band, Forte, finish Americas Got Talent run in fourth place.

City works to help secure in-town location for new Belleville library
By Jerry LaVaute
Heritage Media

BELLEVILLE The Belleville Area District Library might expand soon. On Sept. 16, the City Council unanimously accepted a property option recently offered by library officials with a $200,000 to $250,000 price tag for the current library and the municipal parking lot across the street. City Attorney Steve Hitchcock had received a verbal OK from a professional appraiser recently that the price range was accurate, prompting the council to approve the option. The option would be locked in until 2015, Hitchcock said, and could be exercised only to build a new library. Resident Mike Renaud asked what would be done with the street that runs between the library and the parking lot. Would the street be closed and be used for the library? Would the

Tyler students practice bus safety

Staff members teach students safety procedures including what to do at railroad crossings
In collaboration with Van Buren Schools Transportation Department, Tyler Elementary staff took time out from their busy back to school schedule to teach and practice bus safety procedures. VBT bus driver Mrs. Katrenia arrived at school in the middle of the day on Sept. 11 and led safety classes for each of Tylers students as classroom teachers brought their groups out to the bus. I remember these rules from last year, said 2ndgrader Grace. But maybe some kids forgot. We had a lot of fun learning how to be safe on the bus! Students practiced procedures such as how to get on and off the bus, how to sit safely in the seat, what to do at railroad crossings and quiet signals from the driver. This was such an important event, said Principal Aleisa Pitt. We are so grateful that our VB Transportation Department worked with us on this. Heres to a safe and amazing school year!
Photo courtesy of Van Buren Public Schools

street remain open, with a walkway above to connect different sections of the library? Those questions are among the development plans library officials had not yet finalized, awaiting the citys approval to begin to consider such an option. Former Mayor Tom Fielder summarized the consensus at the meeting when he said, We want to be neighbors. The next step is a public hearing at 7 p.m. Oct. 2 in the Belleville High School miniauditorium, in which all five alternatives for library locations will be outlined for tricommunity residents. The idea to expand the library has been in the works for some time. It was a year ago that library officials expressed frustration in their dealings with city officials about where a new library might be built. At a library board meeting Sept. 11, 2012,

President M.J. Dawson recounted her monthslong effort with the council to resolve the land issue on which the library now sits, when she asked the city to allow the library to use that property and the municipal parking lot across the street for the new library. The council took no action, agreeing to take the issue under advisement. For their part, however, city officials said there was a lack of data being provided by library officials including specific plans regarding changes to public and private property, as well as the costs associated with the changes. Jerry LaVaute is a special writer for Heritage Media. Follow his blogs Pas Blog and The Eye of the Storm at http://jlavaute.blogspot.com. He can be reached at glavaute@gmail.com or call 1734-740-0062.

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Right, Tyler students are all smiles as they practice bus safety.

Scheduled training burn this Saturday

Submitted by Fire Chief Daniel Besson

VAN BUREN TWP. The Van Buren Fire Department will be conducting a live fire training burn on Sept. 28 at 7080 Edwards Street (cross streets of Ecorse Road and Beverly Street) from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. The training exercise will consist of six interior drills where firefighters and command officers can sharpen their fire attack, ventilation, search and rescue, hose advancement and

ladder raising skills in a controlled training scenario. At the end of the interior drills the house will then be allowed to be consumed by fire and leveled in a controlled setting. The fire departments training staff will follow the National Fire Protection Associations Standard ( No. 1403) on live-fire training in order to ensure the proper requirements and safety standards are followed. The training is being organized by Battalion Chief Ron Folks who has overseen multiple live-fire training burns

and will offer firefighters a great classroom to learn in. This is an excellent training opportunity and the Fire Department is grateful to the following for making it possible: Gary Fischer (who donated the house), Belfor Restoration, Huron Valley Ambulance and the Van Buren Firefighters Association. The training activities may cause some minor
PLEASE SEE BURN/10-A

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INDEX
Editorial Calendar Sports Page 4-A Page 3-A Page 1-C

Death Notices Page 14-A

Library board authorizes operating millage renewal

By Jerry LaVaute
Heritage Media

News Tip Hotline: 248-745-4613

BELLEVILLE The Belleville Area District Library board adopted a resolution at its meeting Sept. 10 to renew the annual library operating tax of 0.7 mill. One mill is equal to $1 per $1,000 of a propertys taxable value.

The property tax millage is assessed in the city of Belleville and the townships of Sumpter and Van Buren each year. It is how library operations staff salaries, books and so on are funded. In 2014, voters might be asked to consider what is likely to be a much larger millage to fund the building of a new library, either on a significantly larger site centered around the

current library, or on Belleville Road just northeast of the Belleville Bridge at the entrance into town. In other business: Library Director Debra Green said plans for the annual Harvest Fest, most of which takes place on the street in front of the library, are
PLEASE SEE LIBRARY/10-A

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