[lovethiscity]

No one can use the Y until the electric bill is paid, which is a very sizable hurdle for any non-profit organization.

The Park Department master plan calls for almost $6 million just to do a new office building on the lake. Why do we need to be the only city on the great lakes to have the park office on the beach? Chicago with all their festivals can get by without having prime office space on the lake. Why not use the $6 million to purchase and rehab the YMCA building? A permanent home for the Park sponsored Basketball, swimming and maybe get the gymnastics program back. An office that would be more accessible to more people. A Park Dept. that would offer more year round activities.


Why this will never happen: the park board and admin. will never allow their arrogant ego's to get out of the way of what is actualy the best thing for Michigan City.

[Southsider2k12]

When we were looking at what it would take to save the Y, most of the general estimates for saving the building were a fraction of the $6 million you are looking at in their budget.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=49128.95

Trying To Serve The Youth While Dealing With Adult Controversies
MCAS, Parks Dept. look to fix issues of gym use, cancellation of girls AAU program.

Deborah Sederberg
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - Not surprisingly, Michigan City Area Schools and Michigan City Parks and Recreation Department have different versions of the apparently winding road leading to the girls AAU basketball season cancellation.

Brian Studtman, the founder of the Michigan City Girls Basketball Academy, said his goal is to provide girls with an opportunity to acquire basketball skills.

More importantly, he hopes the program teaches the girls about social skills, responsibility, teamwork and the value of academic achievement.

Despite the recent controversy over who is responsible for cancellation of the last season, Studtman said he is grateful to both the school corporation and the park department for support.

"I'm grateful to the park department and the school administration," he said. "Mr. (Michael) Harding has been supportive. I see him at many athletic events. He used to coach an AAU-sanctioned team."

Studtman is also an assistant coach for the Michigan City High School girls basketball team.

The Michigan City Basketball Academy and the girls AAU team

are one and the same at the moment, he said.

In the 2007 season, some 44 girls from fourth through eighth grade participated.

Park Superintendent Darrell Garbacik said he has a letter from MCHS girls coach Gary Collins in which Collins refers to the AAU team as a "feeder" organization for the high school team.

Betsy Kohn, director of communications for MCAS, says the middle school basketball programs are the school corporation's feeder programs.

Studtman says both programs contribute to the success of the high school program.

Kohn said this year's saga of the canceled season began Sept. 7. Jeremy Kienitz, the park department's recreation director, applied to use the Elston gym from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays for the Men's Basketball League. It is sponsored by the park department.

The school corporation agreed and on Dec. 7, he requested an additional two hours. The request was granted.

On Jan. 3, The News-Dispatch published an open call for girls to audition for an AAU team between 2 and 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 6, at the Elston gym.

Because that time was reserved for the men's league, administrators got curious and found the AAU team was using time reserved for the men's league.

"That's a violation of policy," Kohn said.

One group is not to give their gym time to another group.

Back in 1988, when the school corporation needed land from Zilla Park to expand Marsh School, the park department donated the land.

Since that time, the park department is right under MCAS on the priority list for use of school facilities. MCAS does not charge the park department.

MCAS officials question whether the AAU team is a park department program.

AAU officials were told they would have to pay for gym time which came to just over $300 for four hours, according to Studtman.

The park department cut a check for the $300 for AAU, but the check was returned. It was hand-delivered to MCHS and it was hand-carried back to the park department on March 10.

"We couldn't accept a check from the park department because we don't charge the park department for use of the facilities," Kohn said.

On Jan. 25, Dave Williamson, director of plant planning for MCAS, informed the park department the AAU girls cannot play when the gym is reserved for the men's league.

On Feb. 29, Garbacik said, he received a letter from MCAS saying the park department cannot sponsor the girls AAU team. MCAS considers the team to be a community group, a designation that drops them to the third tier on the priority list. It also puts the team in a position of being required to ask the board for a fee waiver.

MCHS Athletic Director Bob "Bear" Falls said Tuesday some organizations are not following the rules. Rather than appearing before the school board to ask for a fee waiver, they go to the park department.

Back in 2001, Studtman said, he was told by MCAS officials his best hope of getting the fee waived was to secure sponsorship from the park department.

Garbacik noted the park department has sponsored and supported the girls since 2002.

In 2005, when the state cut its contribution to MCAS by $1.5 million, the school board began to charge everyone - except the park board - to use its facilities.

Since that time, those who request a fee waiver are required to make that request to the board. Although school administrators can approve use of the facilities, only the board can approve a fee waiver.

Today, MCAS School Board President Clyde Zeek will meet with Phil Latchford, president of the park board, and Mayor Chuck Oberlie. They will attempt to reach a solution on this matter and on others involving the park department.

"I just hope what happened this year doesn't affect the program for next year," Studtman said.

"I hope in Michigan City, we all can be a team for the benefit of our youth."



Contact reporter Deborah Sederberg at dsederberg@thenewsdispatch.com.

[Dave]

As athletic director, Falls said, he has an obligation to protect the Wolves Den, "the ninth-largest high school gym in the country, not in the state, but in the country."

He is doing his best to keep the gym empty on Sundays to allow for proper cleaning and maintenance.

Oh, for crying out loud. Let the kids use the gym until 10 p.m. or whatever, and get some cleaning crew in there to do the work overnight before 7 a.m. Monday morning. This is hard to figure out?

[Ang]

In Bear's defense, it is not that easy to just "get a cleaning crew in there." That gym seats over 7000 people, it IS the 9th largest high school gym in the Nation (and in a couple record books). To properly clean it, it takes a minimum of 5 custodians working 5-8 hours. Cleaning the Wolves Den is not a matter of just pushing a dust mop across the floor. There are two levels of fold up bleachers with a smaller gym behind each of the balcony bleachers. There are two sets of restrooms, plus entry ways, corridors, and stairwells.
The kids mess it up pretty bad during the week and Sunday's are usually spent in there doing a thorough cleaning, typically over two shifts. The reason Sunday was picked is because it is against IHSAA regulations to practice or hold sporting events on Sunday. Theoretically, no students are supposed to be using the gym on Sunday therefore that is the best day to clean it. This was actually determined by Plant Planning, who supervises the custodians, not the Athletic Dept.

However, having cleared that up, I think that Bear could've come up with something better, or fully explained the reasoning behind that remark, as I did above.

[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"?

[lovethiscity]

When we were looking at what it would take to save the Y, most of the general estimates for saving the building were a fraction of the $6 million you are looking at in their budget.

That would still leave plenty for the "JOE DOYLE< BOB MCKEE<DARRELL GARBACIK" Bath-House down at the beach.

[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.

[Southsider2k12]

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.

Or more...

[Southsider2k12]

Good for Chuck stepping in and trying to fix this. Hopefully we see more of this leadership.

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=11492

Oberlie Talks To MCAS, Parks
Agreement reached, and girls basketball program may be back on the courts soon.

Jason Miller
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - The recent dust-up between the Michigan City Parks Department and the Michigan City Area Schools looks like it will come to an end soon.

Mayor Chuck Oberlie mediated a sit-down between representatives from both institutions Thursday.

"I feel very good about the meeting," MCAS School Board President Clyde Zeek said Thursday as he walked out of an hour-and-a-half meeting in Oberlie's office. "Given the circumstances, I'd say this is the best resolution for the situation."

Oberlie, Zeek and Park Board President Phil Latchford met in the closed-door meeting Thursday to hash out a disagreement between the school and parks department. That rift caused the stoppage of a local girl's basketball program.

The school district recently stopped allowing the Michigan City Girl's Basketball Association to use school gymnasiums in what park officials called a breach of a long-standing contract.

The contract allowed organizations under the park department umbrella to use school facilities for free.

School officials have yet to explain the move, but Oberlie said the trio came up with an agreement that will "straighten everything out," and allow the girls to get back on the court.

"I'll have a draft of a conclusion this week that the three of us will sign, then it will have to go before their respective boards," Oberlie said. "I believe we've found a proposal that is good and in the best interest of everyone involved."

Last week Zeek told The News-Dispatch MCAS Athletic Director Bob "Bear" Falls was handling the issue, saying he'd had nothing to do with it. Latchford had said Zeek and school board member John Kintzele had been involved in negotiations aimed at resolving the issue.

Both men said Thursday, however, the other had been helpful in dealing with the issue that, until handled by Oberlie, couldn't be settled.

"Mr. Zeek has always returned our calls and has been willing to meet," Latchford said. "He's been a gentleman."



Contact reporter Jason Miller at jmiller@thenewsdispatch.com.

[Dave]

Good for Chuck stepping in and trying to fix this. Hopefully we see more of this leadership.

Gee, two days after my "take them to the woodshed" post. I'm really beginning to really think city hall reads this board.

[lovethiscity]

Gee, two days after my "take them to the woodshed" post. I'm really beginning to really think city hall reads this board.

Well Oberlie sure must not pay attention to his monthly meetings with his dept. heads. They surely brought this to his attention months ago. If not, why are they still his dept. heads? That would be like sending Al Walus to Arizona during Super Bowl week on an education junket after the hiring debacle in the Sanitary dist. oh wait he did send him....... never mind.

[Southsider2k12]

Gee, two days after my "take them to the woodshed" post. I'm really beginning to really think city hall reads this board.

I don't care what it takes... If that was it, great! If not, that's cool too. Strong central leadership would solve a lot of the problems where it seems we have so many groups competing against each other for limited resources. Its almost as the pie gets smaller, the dividing lines get deeper. Instead of working together to make less go further, we work together less, and get way less accomplished. If you look at someone like Rich Daley, he doesn't allow the infighting to occur. Even if you don't like him, the City of Chicago has a very definite direction.

[Dave]

I don't care what it takes... If that was it, great! If not, that's cool too. Strong central leadership would solve a lot of the problems where it seems we have so many groups competing against each other for limited resources. Its almost as the pie gets smaller, the dividing lines get deeper. Instead of working together to make less go further, we work together less, and get way less accomplished. If you look at someone like Rich Daley, he doesn't allow the infighting to occur. Even if you don't like him, the City of Chicago has a very definite direction.

I was being somewhat facetious about that "woodshed" thing.

I do agree that we need some leadership. On the other hand, I don't like the Chicago model, which has always impressed me as being a "who you know" and a "who you buy off" situation. Leadership with what's best for MC in mind is what we need, not a bunch of petty dictators trying to run a bunch of little fiefdoms. If the people we have would actually start working together, use a little common sense, learn to admit it when they commit errors, and then correct those errors and move on -- then we'll be on track towards something better.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=33155.07

Council Hoping MCAS, Parks Resolution Found
Members table idea to force the two organizations to settle contract dispute.

Jason Miller
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - The Common Council came up with a resolution for the contract impasse between the city's park department and school district, but members Tuesday held out hope it won't be needed.

"Let's hope it doesn't become necessary to take it off the table," Michigan City Council President Ron Meer said Tuesday.

The council unanimously voted Tuesday to table a resolution to force the two organizations to settle a contract dispute that forced park department athletic events out of school district facilities.

Park Board President Phil Latchford and MCAS School Board President Clyde Zeek met with Mayor Chuck Oberlie in Oberlie's City Hall office last week seeking a resolution to the issue. It arose in the fall when the school district began to ask park groups to pay to use school facilities.

Latchford and Zeek signed an agreement drawn up as a result of that meeting, and in response Oberlie asked the council to table its resolution as both the park and school boards look to sign off on it.

Oberlie said the agreement won't be released until it is approved and signed by both boards.

For some 20 years, the two entities worked off a contract that exempted park groups from paying rental and usage fees to use school facilities.

"I am hopeful that next time we meet there will be a solution," at-large councilman and former park board president Bob McKee said.

The school and park department have been haggling over the contract dispute for months, but the issue came to a head last month when the Michigan City Girls Basketball Academy was essentially kicked out of a school gymnasium.

Park officials said in order to get the girls back on the court, the department sent payment to the school district. The check was returned and the park's request to use school facilities was denied because the contract wouldn't allow the park department to pay.

"In view of the agreement between the park board and the school, they're hoping an agreement will settle the issue," park board attorney Pat Donoghue said Tuesday. "(The council's resolution) would be superfluous if the two sides agree. Let's keep our fingers crossed. Let the kids play."



Contact reporter Jason Miller at jmiller@thenewsdispatch.com.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...&TM=33726.9

Ridiculous Snit
Schools, Parks Behave Like Children

Editorial

While it appears that ruffled feathers have been smoothed and egos massaged in the ridiculous snit between the Michigan City Parks Department and Michigan City Area Schools, no one should get their hopes up until both the School Board and Park Board sign off on the deal brokered by Mayor Chuck Oberlie.

"I'll have a draft of a conclusion this week that the three of us will sign, then it will have to go before their respective boards. I believe we've found a proposal that is good and in the best interest of everyone involved," said Oberlie.

Let's hope he's right and this awful incident can be put in the city's rearview mirror.

The only thing the community learned from this whole mess is that when it comes to the city's children, the egos of adults are more important.

What was discussed in a 90-minute closed-door meeting in Oberlie's office Thursday afternoon hasn't been revealed, but the fact that the mayor had to get involved in the first place speaks volumes about the pettiness and childish behavior from both sides.

The root of the dispute goes back to a 1988 agreement between the two when the city deeded park land to MCAS for the expansion of Marsh School. In exchange, the Parks Department was allowed to use school gymnasiums for park programs. That agreement chugged along without much concern until the School Board this year refused to allow the Parks Department to operate the Michigan City Basketball Academy, an AAU program that is the feeder system for the successful Lady Wolves basketball team.

As a result, the season was canceled. That left the girls out in the cold while the adults on both sides were more interested in marking their territory than in solving their differences.

Both sides claim to have the interest of children at heart in their programs. It's too bad it took a closed-door meeting with the mayor to remind them of that.

Our Opinion
The Issue: School Board and Park Board presidents finally meet to solve basketball dispute, but it's too late for girls AAU season.

Our Opinion: It took far too long for the so-called adults in charge to sit down and work out an agreement. The whole episode is embarrassing to the city.

[Southsider2k12]

Now that I have thought about it for a few days, I have a couple questions... Why did Oberlie step in here? When the Y was in trouble, his exact words were... "If I help you, I have to help everyone." My next question would be why for YEARS has he not stepped into the quagmire that is the MCEA versus the MCAS? I would think the school system as a whole would be more important than a single park program.

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=12024

Mayor Hopeful For Settlement
The Zilla Square Agreement of 1988 is the source of much of the ongoing controversy between MCAS, Michigan City parks.

Deborah Sederberg
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - Despite the school board's rejection of a memorandum of understanding with the city's park department, Mayor Chuck Oberlie remains hopeful an agreement can be reached.

On Tuesday, the Michigan City Area Schools Board passed a motion, presented by board member Jim Kintzele, which told the park board the memorandum of understanding needs more work.

At Kintzele's suggestion, the school board agreed to form a negotiating team consisting of himself and board President Clyde Zeek and Kintzele plus Superintendent Michael Harding. The board asked it also include two park board members along with Park Superintendent Darrell Garbacik.

A mediation session took place March 27 involving the mayor, Park Board President Phil Latchford and School Board President Clyde Zeek. The park department "sponsors many recreation programs," the memorandum says. It includes baseball, soccer, swimming, track and field, basketball, football, golf, volleyball, Summer Festival activities, karate, skateboarding and others.

Harding told the board the memorandum of understanding contains contradictions of the Zilla Square Agreement of 1988.

That agreement was signed when the park department agreed to give a portion of Zilla Square Park to MCAS so it could expand Marsh School.

In return, the park department was granted no-charge access to school facilities.

A disagreement about the accord reached the point of raised voices when the Michigan City Girls Basketball Academy canceled its 2008 AAU season lacking an agreement on the use of gym space.

The school corporation's position was the team could not be considered a park department program and was not entitled to use the facilities as the park department might, for no fee.

AAU program representatives could have requested a fee waiver from the school board, but never did, according to Michigan City High School Athletic Director Bob "Bear" Falls.

At one point, the park department slated the academy to play in a school gym right after the men's league, Falls said.

The corporation said that move violates policy. Only the specific organization to which gym use is granted can use it during its specified time. One organization is not permitted "piggy back" onto another group's gym time, according to MCAS.

Park Superintendent Darrell Garbacik argued the park department has sponsored the AAU team since 2002.

In a memo to school board members, Harding wrote, "MCAS must maintain the right to manage the facilities which include maintenance, activities and procedures."

Falls says the Wolves Den is one of the system's busiest gymnasiums.

"We have to have time to clean it properly," said Dave Williamson, director of plant planning.

"A facility not being used by MCAS is considered to be available for park use," according to the memorandum of understanding.

Harding said he wants to know who authored the memorandum.

"It would appear to be heavily slanted toward the positions taken past, present and future of the M.C. Parks and Recreation Depart-ment," he said.

Oberlie said he is hopeful.

"The school board recognizes the (1988) agreement, and they agreed to more talking," he said.



Contact Deborah Sederberg at dsederberg@thenewsdispatch.com.

[JHeath]

Now that I have thought about it for a few days, I have a couple questions... Why did Oberlie step in here? When the Y was in trouble, his exact words were... "If I help you, I have to help everyone." My next question would be why for YEARS has he not stepped into the quagmire that is the MCEA versus the MCAS? I would think the school system as a whole would be more important than a single park program.

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...ArticleID=12024

The Park Dept is part of the City, and Chuck is ultimately responsible there. This is most likely why he has stepped in on this issue. Not so much because of the one specific issue, but because it's a City department.

As far as the MCEA v MCAS issue, it's quite a mess. Yes, the school system as a whole is very important. However, he's not really in a position of any power to do much about it. He's not a part of the bargaining team. It would seem inappropriate for him to step in to this one.

[Dave]

Now that I have thought about it for a few days, I have a couple questions... Why did Oberlie step in here? When the Y was in trouble, his exact words were... "If I help you, I have to help everyone." My next question would be why for YEARS has he not stepped into the quagmire that is the MCEA versus the MCAS? I would think the school system as a whole would be more important than a single park program.

Well, to be fair to Oberlie (something I really hate to do, southsider), this dispute is between two city departments, whereas the the issue with the Y was the ongoing viablity of a non-city government not-for-profit corporation. There is a substantial difference there. Granted, the "If I help you, I have to help everyone," statement does show him to be something of a jerk, seeing as I would expect the major to be helping everybody. Not just his buddies, like getting his secretary a paying position at the Main Street Association without having to interveiw for the job, or letting one of his buddies hire his brother-in-law with multiple DUI convictions to a job requiring driving a city vehicle.