Business & Economy

Traverse City tall building proposal as statewide implications

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By CAITLIN DeLUCA
LANSING — Traverse City voters are deciding how to regulate the height of city buildings, in a vote with statewide implications. The local decision is whether to require voters to approve the construction of any city buildings more than 60 feet tall. The proposal is supported by Save Our Downtown, a group  that says citizens should decide when such buildings are allowed. It is opposed by Stand Up TC, a group that says the proposal is illegal. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette recently bolstered their argument, warning in a letter to Traverse City officials that the proposed amendment to the city charter conflicts with the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act.

Business & Economy

Traverse City tall building proposal as statewide implications

By |

By CAITLIN DeLUCA
LANSING — Traverse City voters are deciding how to regulate the height of city buildings, in a vote with statewide implications. The local decision is whether to require voters to approve the construction of any city buildings more than 60 feet tall. The proposal is supported by Save Our Downtown, a group  that says citizens should decide when such buildings are allowed. It is opposed by Stand Up TC, a group that says the proposal is illegal. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette recently bolstered their argument, warning in a letter to Traverse City officials that the proposed amendment to the city charter conflicts with the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act.

Business & Economy

Traverse City tall building proposal as statewide implications

By |

By CAITLIN DeLUCA
LANSING — Traverse City voters are deciding how to regulate the height of city buildings, in a vote with statewide implications. The local decision is whether to require voters to approve the construction of any city buildings more than 60 feet tall. The proposal is supported by Save Our Downtown, a group  that says citizens should decide when such buildings are allowed. It is opposed by Stand Up TC, a group that says the proposal is illegal. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette recently bolstered their argument, warning in a letter to Traverse City officials that the proposed amendment to the city charter conflicts with the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act.

Business & Economy

Northern Michigan pioneers effort to reduce food waste

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By BRIDGET BUSH
Capital News Service
LANSING – Emmet County’s recycling program has been recognized as one of four model programs in the state for having a high quality service that matches the needs of the community. The Michigan Profile of Recycling Programs and Potential Recycling studied recycling programs across the state, concluding that the level of participation among residents and businesses is a strong social cue to encourage others to recycle. The study was done by the Northeast Michigan Council of Governments with a grant from the Department of Environmental Quality. Under a recent law signed by Gov. Rick Snyder, beginning October 1, establishments that recycle 100 tons or more per year must collect data and report their activities to the state. The law requires the Department of Environmental Quality to operate a statewide database of recycling efforts, exclusive of food waste, by the facilities, which will be published annually online.

Business & Economy

Rescued food feeds the poor

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By KAREN HOPPER USHER
Capital News Service
LANSING — Trucks carrying some 40,000 tons of cherries will drop them off this month in Cadillac to fill food bank shelves in West Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. It’s part of a statewide effort to reduce food waste and put it to use feeding poor people. “The state is one of the winners when hunger comes off the table,” said Phil Knight, executive director of the Food Bank Council of Michigan. Flawed and ideal vegetables are held back from the grocer’s shelves and your dinner plate. Industry marketing agreements among growers mean some ideal or “type one” fruits and vegetables are not sold during years where the harvest is strong.

Parks & Recreation

Branding Traverse City to lure tourists, businesses

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By AMELIA HAVANEC
Capital News Service
LANSING – Creating a community’s brand is more than a logo and a few billboards along the highway. An effective branding strategy promotes recognition and can also unite community residents. “Some people have an impression in their minds of what a city sort of is, and by branding you develop this image and have some control over what that image is going to be,” said Suzeanne Benet, Seidman Marketing Department chair at Grand Valley State University. In the case of Traverse City, the area is designated as one of the “most beautiful places in America” by Good Morning America. But there’s more beyond the dunes.

Education

Vocational education programs help close skills gap

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By STEPHEN INGBER
Capital News Service
LANSING – At the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District, choosing a career education program is almost like choosing a college major, school officials say. “Students are learning how to do something,” said Patrick Lamb, principal of the district’s tech center. “They are taking their education and tying it to a skill of relevance.”
It’s an example of a statewide push to develop career and technical education programs to meet the need of skilled labor openings. “We hope to have more vocational classes for our students,” said Tim Buckingham, a mentor at Big Rapids Virtual School, an alternative education program for the district.  Buckingham provides guidance to students who are seeking alternative education options.

Agriculture

Some (not all) state wines heading for China, Asia

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By EDITH ZHOU
Capital News Service
LANSING – Significant growth in the wine-grape industry and wide availability of cherries have created a boost in Michigan wine production and its appearance in other states and even other countries. “The industry is growing fast—nine wineries were added to our list last year,” said Karel Bush, promotion specialist at the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council. According to Bush, the state has more than 150 wineries with more than 100 of them using home-grown fruits. And half are located along the Lake Michigan shoreline from Traverse City to Southwest Michigan. Bush said both the quality and the quantity of this year’s wine is very good.

Health

Virus risks still high in northern Michigan, experts warn

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By LAUREN GENTILE
CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE
LANSING — Although temperatures are beginning to drop as summer winds down, the risk for insect-borne illness is still on the rise in northern Michigan. The highest risk for contracting an insect-borne illness like West Nile or Eastern equine encephalitis occurs between August and early October, according to the Department of Community Health. “We don’t see a rise in cases of West Nile until mid-August and this year is up from last year a lot,” said Angela Minicuci, public information officer for Community Health. West Nile is spread by a mosquito species that easily reproduces in a warm, dry climate. With the little rainfall Michigan has had over the summer, the population of these mosquitoes has risen, said Minicuci.