Poet earns bronze medal Creature conservancy Saline students share

for FFA public speaking offers summer camp their soles for charity

See Page 7-A See Page 7-B See Page 3-A

The Your Hometown Newspaper

VOL. 61, NO. 13

Saline Reporter THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011
75¢

City continues funding of Celtic Festival “I think we deserve better than that,” he said.
Weave the Web:
Make sure to click on www.
heritage.com around the
clock for in-depth coverage of
Vote close, but event is Last year, tickets prices were decreased to
Washtenaw County. Our “Most
Viewed” story this week is
make it more affordable for families. “Movie Review: ‘Paul’ charm-
profitable most years According to the report, the event made a ing but misses potential”
profit of $4,727 and has made a profit 11 out of the
By Amy Bell 15 years it has been in operation.
Heritage Media Marl said the committee should be an indepen-
dent board, not sponsored and controlled by the
The 16th annual Saline Celtic Festival is set to city, similar to the Harvest of the Arts festival
take place this summer, but it’s uncertain how committee. Check out our videos:
long the city will continue to help fund the finan- “I think it’s time for a change; I think it’s time ■ 2 for U
cially-challenged event. for a new direction,” Marl said. ■ Principal gets slimed
The Saline City Council adopted a resolution The festival is operated by community volun- ■ Michigan Firehouse
4-3 March 21 approving the festival’s permit and teers and a seven-member executive committee. Museum’s Comedy Jam 4
a $5,469 waiver of fees for the police and public The 31 chairs work throughout the year to plan ■ Pen to Paper Rally to
worker services associated with the beer and the event. save film incentive program
wine tent. Councilman Patrick Ivey said from talking to ■ 2 for U Sports
Designed to honor Saline’s sister city, Brecon, his constituents, he thinks the event has run its
Wales, the festival, set July 8 and 9 in Mill Pond course and it’s not something that most local resi-
Park, features live entertainment, food and ven- dents think should continue to be supported with Check out our blogs:
dors. taxpayer funds. ■ IdeaLab Heritage’s Blog
Mayor Pro-Tem Brian Marl was among the Ivey said the city’s money would be better ■ Inside the Newsroom @
officials opposed to the resolution. Marl said he invested in regional advertising campaigns Reporter and News-Leader
was disappointed it took the festival’s committee promoting free events such as Summerfest and ■ The Starting Five
eight months to send its financial report for 2010 Winterfest.
to the city. He also questioned whether community groups
Marl said he was “troubled and quite frankly such as the Girl Scouts or Kiwanis, which benefit
appalled” that the 2010 annual report was given from the event, have tried to help the festival’s
to the City Council on the same day the council overall financial picture.
was expected to approve the event for 2011. A fes- “I don’t see a lot of evidence of that,” he said.
tival committee meeting was also held before the Funding for the annual Saline Celtic Festival is safe for this Connect with
council meeting. PLEASE SEE FUNDING/3-A summer, but the community gathering’s future is uncertain. HotJobs by Monster:
Click on the “jobs” tab
on the home page of our

Board discusses website or go directly to

http://jobs.heritage.com.

Photo by Kevin Doby

looping, school
Woodland Meadows
Elementary School
student Evan
Marshall dumps
choice programs Join us on Twitter:
slime on teacher choice, the Saline district could
Drew Perry. By the Expansion of see a decline in student enroll-
We have 1,291 followers
on Twitter. Become a
end of the assembly, ment. Saline Reporter follower.
Perry and Principal choice program “I’ll be honest, the motivation Click on the Twitter tab
Wanda Killips were for schools of choice is largely on the home page or go
completely covered spurs debate financial,” he said. directly to http://twitter.com/
in slime, a reward the Trustee Lisa Slawson was on SalineMilanNews.
students received for By Kevin Doby the board when the program
meeting their Jump Heritage Media
was introduced at the high
Rope for Heart goal. school level and remembered
The Saline Board of the outcry from some com-
Education met March 22 at munity members. She said all
the Woodland Meadows media of the negative aspects people
center to make updates and were worried about have not Join us on
minor changes to policies that occurred.
are necessary to facilitate the “Everyone was worried their Facebook:
Michigan Association of School house would be worth negative We have 570 fans on
Boards merger with another dollars. I can’t sell my house Facebook. Click on the
organization. right now, but it’s not because Facebook tab on the home

Local students rewarded for Expanding the schools of
choice program generated the
most discussion. Currently,
Saline has 116 students enrolled
page of our website or search
of schools of choice,” she said. for us on Facebook.
Slawson also asked Graden
if there had been any increase

fundraising efforts at school

in disciplinary action since the
in the school of choice pro- program was instituted.
gram at Saline High School. “No,” he said, “there has
The board discussed in brief a actually been a decrease in dis-
By Kevin Doby State, places like that,” Wilczynski said. plan to extend the program to ciplinary action.”
Heritage Media After three weeks of fundraising, kids who the seventh- and eighth-grade There were two presenta-
The Marketplace:
raised more than $40 were allowed on stage levels. Local ads are just a hop
tions at the meeting. One pre- away at the MIcentral.com
Woodland Meadows Elementary School fin- in front of the school to pour slime on either “We are not using it to try sentation was from Woodland
and grow the district,” said marketplace. While you are
ished its Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser with a Principal Wanda Killips or third-grade teacher Meadows Principal Wanda there, you can check out
fun assembly for students March 25. Drew Perry. Superintendent Scot Graden, Killips. She updated the board all the special supplements
The fundraiser was organized by physical “I’ve just been getting checks left and right for “but to make sure there is not a on changes at her school, of Journal Register Co.
education teacher Laura Wilczynski with $40 because parents want their kids to slime the decrease and so we can stabilize including the addition of Pooh’s newspapers in Michigan.
money raised helping the American Heart principal,” Wilczyinski said. the student population.” Corner, which has brought 3 Click on “marketplace” on
Association, which funds research toward heart After the assembly, Wilczynski said that about Graden said the high school year-olds into the school popula- the home page of our Web
disease and other heart-related illness. 120 students were given the opportunity to slime grades have the highest popu- tion. site or go directly to www.
“What’s nice is that it benefits places around lation in the district and he marketplace.micentral.com/
here. The money goes to Wayne State, Michigan worries that without schools of ROP/Categories.aspx.
PLEASE SEE REWARD/7-A PLEASE SEE BOARD/7-A

Community Calendar . 1-B News Tip Hotline – 429-7380 www.salinereporter.com E-mail: editor@salinereporter.com
WHAT’S Commentary . . . . . . . . . 6-A
INSIDE Deaths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-A
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-C BRIEFLY... tificate for meat at a local market, potatoes, fresh vege- is recommended for children ages 4 and older accom-
table, fresh salad and dressing, fresh fruit, rolls, butter, panied by their parents. The program is free, but regis-
milk, and Easter goodies such as candy, egg dye, tration is required. Call 429-0106, to reserve a spot.
■ Donations sought for Easter dinners for needy:
Easter grass sealed in its original bag and a ready-to-eat ■ Relay for Life forming in Saline: The American
Printed Saline Area Social Service is asking for the community’s Cancer Society Relay for Life will hold a kick-off meeting
on dessert. Each meal needs to feed four people. Call
recycled help to make the upcoming Easter holiday a little bright- to prepare for a new Relay for Life in Saline planned for
Saline Area Social Service by April 11 at 429-4570 to
paper er for some area residents. The agency is in need of hol- help. July 30 and 31. The meeting will be held from 7 to 8:15
iday donors for 35 families. Each donation needs to ■ Puppet show coming to Saline library: p.m. April 13 at Saline Recreation Center, 1866
come in a decorated shopping bag with handles or a Ventriloquist Vikki Gasko will bring her puppet magic to Woodland Drive. Reserve a seat by April 7 by calling 1-
box. Suggested menu would include meat or a gift cer- the Saline District Library 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The show 517-262-4489 or email cynthia.pepple@cancer.org.

Not getting a pot of gold back from the IRS? Tax returns for:
We can help you go from owing money this year to getting money back next year. • Individual
That’s tax planning. And great tax planning goes with great tax preparation. • Business
• Estate

Get great tax preparation at Capstone. (734) 429-1040

537 E Michigan Ave, Saline