Tag Archives: Mason

Mason community keeps Rayner Park clean

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By Andrea Raby
Mason Times staff writer

In 2010, Rayner Park should have closed. Despite its history, Ingham County no longer had the budget to keep the park going. But thanks to the City of Mason and its citizens, Rayner Park is still a place to play.

Since Ingham County’s announcement in 2010, Mason has worked closely with the Rayner Park Rally Club many other community groups and businesses to save a park that means a lot to the community.

A marker from when Rayner Park was built

A marker from when Rayner Park was built

“It’s historic in the fact that it’s the very first Ingham County park,” said City Administrator Marty Colburn. “Initially they wanted a fairly sizable sum for us to purchase it from them.”

Colburn said the city negotiated the sum down so that every year for six years, Mason pays one dollar to Ingham County. At the end that period Ingham will turn the park over to Mason for one dollar. Colburn said Ingham County was spending $44,000 a year on the park’s upkeep. Continue reading →

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Turning Pointe Donkey Rescue opens farm to public

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By Danielle Woodward
Mason Times staff writer

Volunteers from Turning Pointe Donkey Rescue prepare to cut the ribbon that will signify opening tours of their farm to the public

Volunteers from Turning Pointe Donkey Rescue prepare to cut the ribbon that will signify opening tours of their farm to the public

Donkeys brayed and onlookers cheered as the Mason Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting April 20 for Turning Pointe Donkey Rescue, celebrating the start of the facility’s seasonal public tours.

The nonprofit Michigan based organization gave its first public tour that Saturday as part of its mission to inform the public of the need for donkey rescue.

“Businesses and organizations in the Mason area (Mason and Dansville) are invited to be members of the chamber. The farm joined recently to boost its community awareness and networking opportunities,” said Mason Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Doug Klein.

Turning Pointe, which operates out of Dansville, is dedicated to, “the health and welfare of miniature, standard and mammoth donkeys,” according the their website.

“Our goal is to re-home donkeys and to educate potential donkey owners so they have a good idea of what they are getting into,” said Turning Pointe tour director JoAnne Sprayberry.

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Prescription Drug Task Force working to keep Mason safe

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Prescription drugs confiscated by the Mason P.D.

Prescription drugs confiscated by the Mason P.D. Photo credit, Mason P.D.

by Henrik Blix
Mason Times staff writer

MASON—Prevention and education. Those are the methods Mason leaders are using to address prescription drug abuse.

Police Chief John Stressman said the police department’s job is more about prevention than enforcement.

“We’re trying to get ahead of the game,” Stressman said. “We’re proactive and aggressive about preventing problems before they get started.”

According to the police department’s annual report, drug offenses accounted for 16 of 221, just over 7 percent, of total arrests in 2012.

Some of the drugs obtained by the Mason P.D. through the take back program

Some of the drugs obtained by the Mason P.D. through the take back program. Photo credit, Mason P.D.


Mason’s police department is one of the first to participate in Ingham County’s year-round pharmaceutical take-back program, said Sandy Stacy, the department’s evidence manager. She said the program helps collect unused and expired prescriptions, which keeps them out of medicine cabinets and off the streets. Mason residents can deposit their unused prescription drugs in a marked container inside city hall.

Stressman said there was some proliferation of possession and use of those drugs by school-age youth, which led to the foundation of the Capital Area Prescription Drug Task Force in 2011.

Stressman said the task force involves the police department, the Mason Public Schools, the 55th District Court, Families Against Narcotics and several others.

The police department’s annual report said the task force recently became involved with Families Against Narcotics, a group in southeast Michigan that helps addicts and their families. Continue reading →

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Mason officials unveil memorial tree program

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By Henrik Blix
Mason Times staff writer

MASON—City officials are planning a program that will allow residents to donate legacy trees to the city as part of the 150th anniversary celebration.

Rayner Park, one of the potential sites for legacy trees to be planted

Rayner Park, one of the potential sites for legacy trees to be planted

City administrator Martin Colburn said the idea is a joint venture between the tree commission and the sesquicentennial anniversary committee.

Elaine Ferris, a member of the city council and the tree commission said the idea will allow residents to tie family history into the streets as well as beautifying Mason.

“Essentially, the idea is that it’s a family tree in the truest sense of the word,” Ferris said.

Colburn said the city plans to register every tree by donor, the type of tree and whom it honors. The trees will also be logged by GPS so future generations will be able to look up their locations.

City council member and chairperson of the sesquicentennial anniversary committee Marlon Brown said Mason is proud of being a tree city. He said memorial trees give people a way to commemorate the sesquicentennial while also displaying the city’s pride in its tree population.

“One of the things people really like about Mason is the natural beauty and the character,” Brown said. “It just seemed like a natural fit.” Continue reading →

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Institute publishes school superintendents’ salaries

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By Cody Harrell
Mason Times staff writer

MASON—A report on school superintendent compensation in Michigan shows a range of $300,000.

The collection was published in late February 2013 by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Media Relations Manager Ted O’Neil said that the purpose of the database was to provide transparency for taxpayers who were concerned with the distribution of funds by school boards and superintendents.

Michigan, Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Budget and Salary/Compensation Transparency Reporting

This graphic can be found on all high school websites and links to all public official salaries.

O’Neil said that superintendent compensation is determined can be affected by a number of factors that are worked out between the superintendent and school board members. Although compensation is not required outside of salary and pension, many districts offer annuity, health benefits, insurance, travel and other expenses.

The database breaks up the package into seven categories: salary, pension, travel, insurance, annuity, other and total. According to O’Neil and Mason Superintendent Mark Dillingham, “other” covers compensation not accounted in the first five categories. This could include costs for moving the family, vehicle allowances, expense accounts, bills, etc.
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Mason reaffirms relationship with sister city Vitina, Kosovo

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By Henrik Blix
Mason Times staff writer

MASON—In a bilingual ceremony Monday evening, the City Council reaffirmed Mason’s sister city status with Vitina, Kosovo.

Mayor Arifi and Mayor Clark read the sister city pledge

Mayor Arifi and Mayor Clark read the sister city pledge

In a statement spoken in Albanian and translated to English, Mayor Nexhmedin Arifi thanked the people of Mason and the City Council for supporting Vitina.

Arifi discussed the state of his city, the changes he has seen during his tenure as mayor and expressed wishes to continue Vitina’s relationship with Mason.

Arifi and Mayor Leon Clark then reaffirmed the sister city pledge in their respective languages, signed the pledge and exchanged gifts. Continue reading →

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Kosovo delegation visits in early April

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By Henrik Blix
Mason Times staff writer

MASON—The city of Mason will host visitors from sister city Vitina, Kosovo, next week for tours and discussion of American business and government .

City Administrator Martin Colburn said there will be three visitors, including Mayor Nexhmedin Arifi, the mayor of Vitina.

“I’m just excited for them to be here,” said Mayor Leon Clark. “We were there for a week and they are such wonderful people. We became friends in a very short period of time.”

Colburn said the guests from Kosovo will fly in Saturday afternoon and on Sunday they will visit people in Mason who immigrated from Kosovo in the late 1990s.

Colburn said although the itinerary is not finalized, they have several events planned. Continue reading →

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Mason blood donor reaches 20-gallon milestone

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Jerry Spink poses with his 20 gallon pin in his Mason residence.

Jerry Spink poses with his 20 gallon pin in his Mason residence.

By Cody Harrell
Mason Times staff writer

MASON— Twenty gallons. One-hundred-sixty pints. Four-hundred-eighty potential lives touched. Sixty-five years. One man.

Jerry Spink, 85, has been a Mason resident and blood donor since 1966. Coming out of the service after being drafted into World War II, Spink has given blood multiple times each year to Red Cross blood donation centers. On February 21, Spink reached a hefty milestone for any blood donor: 20 gallons of blood.

Spink donated his first pint of blood when he was discharged from the U.S. Army following his 20-month service in World War II. While reluctant to admit it, Spink was paid $25 for his donation and said he never knew it would change his life.

“I thought it was a little embarrassing for me that I was being paid to give blood,” Spink said.
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Women’s Expo connects Mason’s businesses and women

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By Andrea Raby
Mason Times staff writer

On March 3, the ladies of Mason and the businesses that serve them gathered for the fifth annual Mason Area Women’s Expo.

A young model walks the runway wearing clothes from Kellie's Consignments

A young model walks the runway wearing clothes from Kellie’s Consignments

The expo was 10 a.m.–3 p.m. at the main arena at the Ingham County Fairgrounds. Drs. Lynne and Dan Sowers of Sowers Chiropractic put on the event as a way to promote their practice and other businesses in Mason.

“We found that we draw more from the Mason area, not as much from Lansing, and I know what was the case for a lot of businesses,” Lynne Sowers said. “So we put together this women’s expo and asked area businesses if they would like to be involved.”

Although the first year only saw 26 businesses participating, Sower said this year they had 60 vendors, including travel agencies, cosmetics suppliers, photographers and jewelers. In past years as many as 1,400 women have come to see what Mason Businesses have to offer.

Dart Bank, Biggby Coffee and Besco also sponsored this event. Biggby donated coffee for the day while Besco provided water. Continue reading →

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Mason Kiwanis hosts blood drive

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Bill Huntington checks in for his appointment with Kiwanis Golden K member Anne McConnelee. Bill was one of 46 Masonites that gave blood Thursday.

Bill Huntington checks in for his appointment with Kiwanis Golden K member Anne McConnelee. Bill was one of 48 Masonites that gave blood Thursday.

By Cody Harrell
Mason Times staff writer

MASON—The Mason Kiwanis and Golden K clubs hosted a Red Cross blood drive Feb. 21 and brought in a large crowd of Mason residents.

The Kiwanis and Kiwanis Golden K held the blood drive at St. James Catholic Church at 1010 S. Lansing Street. The event, held every 56 days, aims to bring together citizens from Mason in order to raise blood for the Red Cross. The Red Cross requires donors to wait 56 days between blood donations to let the body recover from each donation. The Kiwanis Club keeps this in mind when beginning planning for the next blood drive.

Kiwanis Golden K member Phyllis Montague coordinated the event with the Red Cross to promote advertising for the blood drives in Mason. According to Montague, the Red Cross and Kiwanis have teamed up to host blood drives for over 30 years in Mason and usually bring in 50-70 donors every drive. Thursday’s drive brought in 48 donors who gave 43 “good units” of blood, each unit equivalent to a pint.

“Most people give blood because they know there’s a need,” Montague said. “Anyone who can likes to give blood in this city.”
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