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[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=47767.69

Under MCAS, City Loses Again
It appears that the Michigan City Area Schools can't stand success. Look at all the great press recently. Students attacking each other, attempted poisoning of teachers, 50 percent drop-out rate, and now what very little is left of a growing girls basketball program is being squashed.

I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder toward the whole school system employee protection system. I am an entrepreneur, and a business owner and in my world if you don't get things done to go forward you lose your gig. Period.

Our school system seems to embrace laziness, apathy and greed. I am an Elston graduate and have lived here most of my life. I have personally directed hockey camps here with Chicago Blackhawks and NHL All Stars. The Michigan City Park Department, led by Darrell Garbacik, helped put together these great opportunities for our local kids, and he and his staff have a great attitude toward our city and, from what I read, they have helped with Mr. Butler's Girls Basketball Academy.

I would guess that Mr. Butler spends countless hours of volunteer time and effort to do something positive. He has built this program to the regional level and should feel very proud. Guess what MCAS, you are breaking Mr. Butler's heart.

Do we need to do an economic impact study to show the economic benefits this town, its residents and business of this program. It brings young athletes and good people to town and they spend money. I suppose MCAS isn't interested in the girls basketball team selling more tickets, which create revenue and increase the fan base, which is a positive thing.

I hope it isn't too late to fix this. MCAS should roll out a red carpet to Mr. Butler and furnish the best gym and facility we have for this program, and if not, Mr. Butler's phone will ring from a neighboring town and they will roll the red carpet out to him and Michigan City loses again.

We wonder why we can't grow our town and bring good people here to live. Until we fix our school system and its attitude, the downward spiral will continue. Mr. Butler, "Keep Diggin", you have a great program that needs to continue.

Tim Jahnz

Michigan City

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=47767.69

Schools Wasted Cash Fighting Girls
I have previously shed light on the Michigan City Area Schools' decision to block our Michigan City youth girls basketball program (Michigan City Basketball Academy) from using gyms while never actually telling our program why we were being denied.

Out of courtesy to MCAS I left out a few details hoping that they would come to their senses, but I see that was a pipe dream. I am curious if the taxpayers of Michigan City know just how much of their money was wasted by MCAS and its legal staff fighting to ensure a group of MCAS kids would not be allowed to use facilities that they allow other MC Park and Recreation programs to use freely without question. I ask the school board president to release that information to the public so they can truly get a picture on this waste of money. They had no problems forking over thousands to their attorneys to ensure these kids could not use an empty gym, I guess their attorneys are more important than our kids, as it would have cost them nothing to let them play.

Now I see that School Board President Clyde Zeek has fingered MCHS Athletic Director Robert "Bear" Falls as the person responsible for our program's demise. Given all the conversations I personally had with Mr. Falls related to this issue I find it ironic that he always claimed to support our program, and was working to see we got gym time, as he believed our program was a great feeder system for our MCHS Lady Wolves basketball program.

Something sure smells funny surrounding this issue to say the least. He was in favor of our program, saw its relevance, and yet has sought to deny us access to gyms sitting un-used?

Seems somebody needs to figure out which story they are going to tell. I cannot believe MCAS can do business this way, or does morality have no place in our school administration now?

How can we expect students to respect a school system when this type of action is allowed to take place?

Roger Butler

Lady Wolves Basketball Assistant Coach

Organizer, Coach

Michigan City Basketball Academy

[Dave]

I stand corrected. Thanks, Ang, I've never been in the gym.

Couldn't they do something like limit the kids' access during the practices so the cleaning crew could clean the bulk of the place and clean the area used by the kids after they leave? Or change the time of the MCGBA events so there would be enough time to do the cleanup after it was done?

Is this another problem with a relatively simple solution that has evaded the "Powers That Be"?

[Ang]

I stand corrected. Thanks, Ang, I've never been in the gym.

Couldn't they do something like limit the kids' access during the practices so the cleaning crew could clean the bulk of the place and clean the area used by the kids after they leave? Or change the time of the MCGBA events so there would be enough time to do the cleanup after it was done?

Is this another problem with a relatively simple solution that has evaded the "Powers That Be"?

No, it's not really that simple. There are PE classes in there all day Mon-Fri, then after school there is practice. Not just basketball, either. The whole gym building is full until about 9-ish. This is why there is such a need for a field house. Here is a typical after-school day in the Wolves Den: You will find track or X-country runners in the hallways (until is gets warm enough to be out doors), the cheerleaders are in one of the balcony's or upper gym, the Wolvettes (dance team) are in the lobby between the gym and pool, baseball is usually on the main floor and softball has one of the upper gyms. Fall and winter sports are worse because there are more of them (sports). After the MCHS students finish with the gym, Parks & Rec comes in for their basketball games, etc.

On the flip side, the high school is assigned a certain number of custodians per shift. The grave yard shift has the fewest custodians. These guys typically clean the hallways, restrooms, and common areas. Mid-shift works on classrooms, etc and days mostly follows kids around cleaning up after them. The school is HUGE and if IRC, there are only 12 total custodians plus one Foreman assigned to MCHS. Each custodian is assigned an area with a list of specific things that need to be done each day. Some days have different tasks. (This I know because I am the one who typed up all the work schedules way back when I worked at PP). It is really a HUGE undertaking to rearrange the cleaning schedule--trust me.

Plant Planning has tried to get more custodians at MCHS, but Admin "can't afford" the extra payroll. Right now there is one day shift and one 2nd shift custodian assigned to the whole gym building. This includes the main gym, two upper level gyms, four stairwells, four restrooms, the pool and locker rooms, two PE locker rooms, the teams' locker rooms, the weight room, the athletic trainer's offices, Heritage Hall, two concession stands, a basement (under the pool) and the Athletic Dept. offices. Crazy, huh?

[JHeath]

...Plant Planning has tried to get more custodians at MCHS, but Admin "can't afford" the extra payroll. ...

I wonder how many custodians would be afforded in the place of one Admin person. Maybe we could do with one or two less over there.