Several people have written concerned that we cannot afford the proposed millage for improvements to our schools and rehabilitation of the High School.
The way I see it, we can't afford not to reinvest in our schools.
When employers look to invest or relocate in a community, one of the first things they look at are the quality and condition of the schools. They want to make sure that they will have a skilled work force that they can draw on in the future.
If we don't reinvest in our schools and our children's education, the employers and high paying jobs will leave our region for other areas on the country.
If we have to sacrifice a little today so that everyone has a better chance at a decent job tomorrow, then that is exactly what we need to do. Besides, what is it we are being asked to "sacrific," for the average Van Buren Township household about $235 a year or just 65 cents per day!
The other major concern I have heard in the community is falling home values. This is simply a case of supply and demand.
If we want to attract people to buy the existing homes in our community, we have to supply what those potential residents are seeking. We all know one of the first things people look at when buying a home is the quality and condition of the schools.
Whether we like it or not, our home values are inexorably linked to the quality of the schools. To maintain or improve our home values, not only do we need to paint the trim, we need to reinvest in our schools. I would argue spending $235 a year on the schools, and having improved schools to promote, would result in a greater increase in value than spending that money directly on your house.
Finally, I would like to point out to Van Buren Township residents that the 6-mill tax for water and sewer improvements expires at the end of 2009.
I haven't heard anyone, including the candidates for Township Supervisor, suggest that that millage should be renewed.
Therefore, even if you vote for the school millage, your taxes will be going down at the end of 2009.
It's a win-win situation for everyone, the schools are improved and your taxes go down.
Vote "yes" on the school proposals for jobs, our home values, and our kids!
Dan Swallow
Van Buren Township
BHS's band is something to be proud of
To the Editor,
I'm writing to share some good news, to balance the perspective on the children in our Van Buren Public Schools, and to ask for your help in supporting these fine young men and women.
I'm a longtime resident of the community, having graduated from Belleville High School myself in 1979 and taken residence here for the past 40-plus years.
I've always appreciated our community and feel fortunate to have enjoyed many of its benefits over these past four decades. During those years we've seen many changes and much growth. For the most part I feel this change has been positive, however, for the past two to three years it seems that much of the news that reaches our print media regarding our community, our school system, and our children has been negative.
Our community has been embroiled in a public debate that, at times, has become bitter regarding the future of our high school and how we can best go about replacing the building and facilities in a financially responsible and economically viable way.
In addition to this struggle, our community has also taken a black eye over the last couple of years regarding the increased levels of violence we seem to be experiencing.
I'm thinking back to the concern over the "mob" scene that took place with our Strawberry Festival two summers back, the concern over potential "gang" activity and related violence in our schools, neighborhoods and community, and most recently the tragic shooting and death of one of our young people.
Please understand that I don't bring these issues up to deny them or tear the scab off their wounds, but rather to contrast them against an enlightening experience I was blessed to enjoy recently and a burden and responsibility I assumed to balance our perspective and share some good news.
This enlightening experience was the opening concert for the Belleville High School jazz band and symphony band. If you are not acquainted with the Belleville High School bands program, you are missing what is quite possibly the brightest jewel in our community.
The economy around us is troubled, the concerns over violence are legitimate, and our high school building and facility are still in dire need of attention. All those issues seemed to magically melt away as I listened to beautiful music and absorbed this special moment.
It was as if the music brought out the best in us. For that moment, or more precisely those 90 minutes, there was absolutely no bickering between the people in attendance and no debating about violence or who is responsible and why it is happening. It was just a small space of bliss, created by the great children from our community who are taught by the gifted teachers in the bands program within our school system.
As much as the negative issues have dominated our community news in recent years, I'm choosing to bear the burden to spread some good news.
Community, stand up and take notice that something special is going on in our midst! And it's not something new. For the past four years that our child has been involved in the band program it has been a truly outstanding experience.
The Belleville Marching Band has just concluded its fall season and has performed up to its significant reputation. Within the marching band, our drumline has created quite a stir this fall with outstanding, special performances they have conducted. In fact, at the past three home football games many of our fans have stayed after the game and chanted loudly in unison "Give us the drumline!"
I could go on at length to extol the virtues of this program and the benefits to our students, but for the sake of brevity I will not. I would like, however, to highlight a couple of their most recent major accomplishments.
For the 2008 to 2009 academic year, the Belleville Symphony Band has been invited to perform at two major events. The first is the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Jan. 19 to 21.
The other is the National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis, Ind., March 19 to 21, 2009. These opportunities represent a most prestigious honor as only the best applicants from the state and the nation are invited to participate in these two respective events.
The community support they have received has been equally impressive as these students and this program. The band booster program has successfully tapped into the community and achieved outstanding levels of support. With that support as a given and the additional fund-raising activities the band members themselves have engaged in, I'm afraid there is still a significant burden that will be placed upon these students and their families to make their participation in these two wonderful events possible.
Yes, this is where my request for your support comes into play.
Economic times are tough and I frankly don't know if the Belleville community can do much more to financially support this program and these two specific events. So I'm asking for businesses, individuals and organizations outside of our local community and in the greater southeastern region of Michigan to consider supporting this extraordinary program and group of students.
Given the current financial struggles we are all facing, and coming off the heels of the Christmas holiday, it's certain that many of these students and families will struggle to raise the $700 to $800 out-of-pocket funds necessary for each child to go.
I know that my wife and I both work multiple jobs and we certainly feel the pinch of this expense and struggle to raise these funds. I can't imagine how those are managing who have multiple children in the band program and/or are some of the many in our area who are currently not employed.
On behalf of our children, our band program, our schools and our community, I ask you to join me in helping to balance our perspective! Join me in helping to spread this good news! Join me in choosing to accentuate the positive! Join me in investing in our community and these good children that it has produced!
Please understand that this request for your support is not made on behalf of the school district or the band program. In fact, neither is aware of my intentions to submit this request. This request was born out of a special little moment of bliss where the music of the bands was able to help me balance my perspective and be reminded of the great things that we have in our community, our schools and our children.
Here before us stands a wonderful opportunity to invest in the best resource in our community! I challenge you, if you are able and interested in supporting these bands and their participation in these two special events please contact the Belleville High School Bands program and earmark your donation to the "student out-of-pocket expenses for the Michigan Music Conference and the National Concert Band Festival."
You can reach the High School by phone at 697-9133. The school mailing address is 501 West Columbia, Belleville, MI, 48111.
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