MONTROSE — According to Hill-McCloy High School English teacher Sarah Alguire, the Young Americans workshop will be returning to Montrose, March 13-15. The three-day workshops cost $47 for each student participating in the program, which educates them in music, dance, performance and teaching. At the conclusion of the workshop, the students present a two-hour concert, which is open to the public (adults - $8/students - $5).

Alguire said students will be selected for the Young Americans program based on the essays they write about why they want to be selected. Knowing that not all students who would be selected will be able to afford the $47 participation fee, Alguire asked the Montrose Community Schools Board of Education for help. She specifically asked if they would consider utilizing money from the old pop fund to provide scholarships for students who could not afford to attend the workshop.

Superintendent Mark Kleinhans commented that he has heard great things from parents who talked about the “absolutely powerful” transformation/influence the program had on their students. It had been described as a “blossoming.”

Alguire agreed saying, “It really was amazing.”

The Montrose School Board agreed to allocate $1,410 for 30 scholarships that would be provided for kids who could not otherwise afford to attend. Students who need scholarships will write essays explaining why they should be selected to receive a scholarship. Students whose families can afford to pay for the program are encouraged to do so.

Kleinhans told the board that it was really rare that the Young Americans returned to a district, but since former Choice School Director/Middle School Assistant Principal Terry Bigelow had been among the first students to participate in the Young Americans program back in the 1960s, he feels Montrose had an edge.

Contact the Kuehn-Haven Middle School office at (810) 591-8834, for student signup and ticket information.

MONTROSE TOWNSHIP — McKinley Road, south of Kee-Wah-Din and north of Farrand roads, is expected to close beginning at 7 a.m. Tuesday because of work on a sanitary sewer pipe under the road. The county Drain Commissioner's Office said in a news release that the road is expected to reopen no later than 5 p.m. on March 18. The closing is needed to install a sanitary sewer main.

MONTROSE — The Montrose Charter Township Board continues to seek grant support for the installation of a bike trail leading from Barber Park north to M-57, and west to the point where Montrose Township and City of Montrose meet; as well as northward along Seymour Road to Allen Drive.

Montrose Township Supervisor Mark Emmendorfer explained that the trail would give kids a convenient and safe way to travel between the school and Barber Park, and would provide people a safe way to travel between the park and Montrose businesses. Emmendorfer had contacted Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) about the possibility of obtaining a grant for the project. However, Emmendorfer explained that under MDOT’s rules, the township would have to build the trail 10 feet wide. Wade Trim engineering estimated the cost of such a project at $504,000. The most the township could hope to gain from MDOT would be $200,000. The township would have to come up with the $300,000 balance.

Emmendorfer expressed frustration with Genesee County as well. He said, “MDOT and Genesee County don’t want to give us the money [since we’re] a rural community. I think it would be a good thing for our community.” If they reduce the width of the trail from 10 feet to six feet wide, the price should come down significantly; but there would be no MDOT funds to support it.

Looking for other options, Emmendorfer talked about pursuing grants through the Jennings Foundation, and a Saginaw County foundation. “We’ll see if we can do this without Genesee County and the MDOT grant,” he stated. The Montrose Township Board has shown support for the trail project. However, they are not prepared to fund the project entirely using the impact fee funds. Other funds will have to be secured before they move forward.

MONTROSE — The Montrose Charter Township Board wants its residents to have a say in how the impact fees from the landfill are spent. In January, the Montrose Township Board posted a survey online asking its residents to respond. Residents also have the option of taking a regular paper survey at the township office, if they prefer. The survey questions are mostly focused around the level of satisfaction with the services currently provided by the township. It also asks township residents for opinions about how the the Brent Run Landfill impact fees should be spent to support various types of programs or projects within Montrose Township.

As the March 7, survey deadline approaches, Supervisor Mark Emmendorfer encourages residents to let their opinion be known to township officials by completing a survey. If you wish to take the survey online, go to the Montrose Township website. Then look under a link listed as Montrose Township Capital Improvement & Impact Fund Survey. If you have questions or concerns about the survey, contact the Montrose Township Office at (810) 639-2021, and choose extension 3 for Supervisor Mark Emmendorfer.

Over the past several months, local municipalities across Michigan have been wrestling with how to address zoning issues associated with the Michigan Medical Marijuana law, passed by voters in November 2008. Both the Michigan Municipal League and Michigan Township Associations have devoted seminars and panel discussions to provide information to their membership about the new law; as well as providing details about ordinances that have already been written; including some that have been challenged.

Those serving on planning commissions, city and village councils and township boards who are dealing with the issue recognize that the federal government still considers marijuana illegal. However, they are also aware that some communities, which have enacted strict ordinances to keep marijuana growing facilities and dispensaries away, have been sued.

According to the Michigan Department of Community Health website, qualifying patients must register with the state. The website identifies several medical conditions qualifying, where the patient is suffering from a debilitating medical condition such as: cancer, glaucoma, HIV positive, hepatitis C, Crohn’s disease, agitation of Alzheimer’s disease, severe and chronic pain, and seizures, among others.

Each municipality will have to determine how to address or whether to address the new law. So far, the topic has been discussed during several public meetings.

CITY OF MONTROSE — During the Feb. 8 meeting of the Montrose City Planning Commission, City Manager Frank Crosby distributed copies of the Burton’s marijuana ordinance on behalf of Mayor Ray Foust. Planning Commission Chairman Frank Taylor said he had attended a conference presented by the Michigan Township Association (MTA).

“There’s quite a bit of controversy out there,” Taylor said. He asked the commissioners whether they wanted to have an ordinance to address medical marijuana or not.

“It’s my belief, we really want a medical marijuana ordinance,” Taylor told the other commissioners.

Crosby advised they go cautiously. He explained that people could use medical marijuana in pills and not have to harm their lungs.

Councilman Adrian “Bud” Tackebury felt that in pill form medical marijuana would not create zoning issues.

Taylor commented, “When it was voted in, there was no provision to legally procure the seeds.”

Crosby responded, “Michigan law violated federal law,” making reference to the Interstate Commerce clause.