Central Michigan Life

LIFE Central Michigan University

| Monday, August 29, 2011

CENTRAL MICHIGAN

INSIDE 3A - Mount Pleasant Public Schools saves $600,000 for district CM-LIFE.COM - Check out the website for a slideshow of week in photos

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1B - Toth, Horton lead CMU defense as seniors on soccer team

| Mount Pleasant, Mich.

Judge extends order to prevent FA from striking Union’s right to picket restored CM Life Staff Reports

An Isabella County judge restored the Faculty Association members’ right to picket on Friday, but not without continuing the restraining order that prevented them from engaging in a work stoppage earlier this week. Judge Paul H. Chamberlain will wait for a recommendation from state factfinder Barry Goldman, who will conduct open hearings Sept. 7, 9 and 13 on the campus, as the FA and CMU administrators proceed with bargaining terms of the union’s contract. The recommendation will arrive sometime between mid-October and early November, and another hearing will be scheduled. Officials from both groups expressed satisfaction following Friday’s hearing, which ended nearly three hours after its scheduled time because of a closed-door meeting between two parties in the judge’s chambers. FA President Laura Frey called Chamberlain fair and

CM-LIFE.com w Check out our video coverage of the FA’s reaction to the hearing

insightful, and said the outcome was “a win for the faculty and students at CMU.” “We have had our First Amendment rights restored,” she said. “We should have never had them taken away.” She would not comment on who initiated the bargaining meeting in court. Attorney Robert Vercruysse, an attorney representing CMU, said the university was delighted with the results and is “looking forward to presenting the remaining issues.” The court will revisit the issues of each group’s claims of unfair labor practices 20 days after Goldman’s report is filed. In addition to prohibiting further striking, the court agreed upon nine orders after bargaining, including: •CMU will enter an agreement with the Michigan Education Special Services Association to provide FA members with an option to select different

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photos by jeff smith and andrew kuhn/photo editors

MAIN: Army National Guard Sgt. Steven Riske embraces his three daughters Gracelyn, 5, left, Averly, 1, and Kadyn, 3, Friday afternoon in front of his High Street home. Riske returned to his family after serving a nearly nine-month tour of duty in Kuwait. “He’s been gone a long time,” said five-year-old Gracelyn. TOP LEFT: Kadyn, 3, jumps with her arms up in anticipation of her father Steven returning home Friday in the front lawn of their High Street home. TOP RIGHT: Riske, sits with his daughter Kadyn, 3, in the living room of his High Street home Friday afternoon.

Ross: ‘We hope to move past this’

Welcome Home Sergeant returns to Mount Pleasant after one year of active duty in Kuwait By Emily Grove | Metro Editor

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hough the Fourth of July was more than a month ago, the Riske house, 314 E. High St., was decked in red, white and blue to celebrate a special homecoming on Friday. As Sgt. Steven Riske of the Army National Guard rounded the corner to his home, he was met by embraces from his three daughters, Gracelyn, Kadyn and Avery. “He’s been gone a long time,” said 5-year-old Gracelyn. Earlier that day, Riske’s wife Carly and her father drove to Port Huron to meet Riske at the bus station. On Sept. 15, 2010 Riske became active duty and left in November for Kuwait.

Originally, Carly had planned a small gathering to welcome her husband home, but while she was away the plan changed. “I came home and it literally looked like the Fourth of July had puked all over my front porch,” she said. “I’m just as surprised as he is.” Carly’s sister, Kelsey McCormick began decorating the front porch, but even she wasn’t prepared for the twist the event took. “I just thought, let’s do something fun and just decorate the front of the house, so we started doing everything and the neighbors just kept coming over,” she said. Neighbors and even people passing by transformed the event from being a small family gathering to a cookout complete with a “Welcome Home” cake. A woman dropped off a box of flags, while another gave a gift card to Papa John’s, McCormick said. Clyde Dosenberry, owner of Doozie’s Ice Cream Place, 1310

By Mike Nichols Senior Reporter

E. Pickard St., also gave the family Doozie dollars, she said. Carly said she could not contain her emotions when she first saw her husband. “We all chased the bus when we saw it,” she said. “And of course I was the blubbering wife when he hopped off.” As Riske sat at a picnic table eating hot dogs with his daughters, he smiled while looking at all the people surrounding him. “It’s just wonderful (and) very exciting to see everyone,” he said. “It’s been so long that you forget.” Riske said he has plenty of family plans to make up for lost time, including taking his daughters fishing, as well as going to the zoo and water park. Carly said she is looking forward to family normalcy, like being able to go to the grocery store without having to find a babysitter for her daughters. “I don’t feel overwhelmed anymore,” she said. “It’s back to

University President George Ross opened up Sunday night’s forum with an apology to students, saying last week was a difficult one on campus amid issues facing CMU and the Faculty Association. About 20 people attended the forum, arranged by the Student Government Association, at Warriner Hall’s Plachta Auditorium, where Ross, Provost Gary Shapiro and David Burdette, vice president of Finance and Administration, answered questions. “I’m going apologize on behalf of this administration and also on behalf of the faculty,” Ross said. “We hope to move past this, get a contract signed sooner than later and we hope to educate you.” Ross, Shapiro and Burdette spent the hour answering questions about the financial situation of CMU. Jenison graduate student Shawn Witte said he came ear-

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ly and wanted to ask about the contract, which expired on June 30. “I was kind of curious why George Ross the contract didn’t get extended,” Witte said. SGA President Vince Cavataio, Shelby Township senior, said it was difficult to alert students without being able to send a mass email, an ability he said Ross promised SGA will receive soon. “To some extent, I’m disappointed that we didn’t get the message out as we should have,” Cavataio said. “But to another extent, I’m glad that this might be a sign that campus might be going back to normal.” However, Hartland senior Kelly Schiess was disappointed. “I think regardless of their stance on the issues, students

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Soaring Eagle Water Park, hotel 28 percent complete By Jordan Spence Senior Reporter

The Soaring Eagle Water Park and Hotel is continuing to make progress on construction with more than one-quarter of the work complete. Construction for the resort, 5665 E. Pickard St., is set to finish by the summer of 2012 after it began in April. “I would say it’s about 28 percent finished,” said Saginaw Chippewa Indian Public Relations Director Frank Cloutier. “Soon we will be starting siding and sheeting.” Jason Fischl, superintendent of the construction project, said progress is being made quickly. “The main structure is fin-

ished, including the north tower, south tower and the second floor,” Fischl said. Horizon Construction Group of Wisconson is building the hotel and has partnered with architecture firm Thalden Boyd Emery. The framework is in place, but it’s been too windy recently to install much glass, Fischl said. Glass will be installed when the winds die down. One unusual glass structure is a large skylight that will run over the water park portion of the hotel. “The skylight is approximately 60 feet wide and 100 feet long,” Lisa Darnell, property manager for Migizi Economic Development Company said. Darnell said plans have been

“Everything is going smoothly. There’s been no major design changes or problems.” Lisa Darnell, Migizi Economic Development

Company property manager on budget and in line with the schedule set. “Everything is going smoothly,” she said. “There’s been no major design changes or problems.” Construction of several different pools is also currently underway. There will be a pool separate from the park area specifically for guests without a park pass, Fischl said. The park will be 45,000 square

feet and will include a wave rider, body slide, bowl slide, rock climbing wall, lazy river, children’s play area and a private adult pool. Cloutier said because the hotel is not on tribal land, a liquor license specific to the square footage of the project is needed. Gaining the license should not be a problem for the June opening, he said. metro@cm-life.com

adam niemi/staff photographer

Construction continues at the Soaring Eagle Water Park and Resort at 5665 E. Pickard Rd. The project began in April and is set to be completed by the summer of 2012.

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