Custer Lasts, Stands Proudly

[XLFD]

The small village of Custer Michigan, a little over 10 miles due east of Ludington has experienced recent events that tell an incredible story of the progress despite a weak economy and troubles experienced by Mason County during the same period.  Although there are less than 300 people in the village, coincidentally about the same amount of George Armstrong's Custer's cavalry losses in the Battle of Little Bighorn, these citizens have came up rather big since the latter part of last year.

It began with the September acquisition of Custer mainstay, Johnny's by a couple who wished to restore the business back to its glory days. The former restaurant/sports bar and entertainment center in Custer was sold to Rick Sherman and Sheralyn Cousineau.  The new owners plan to maintain much of Johnny’s historic traditions along with their own fresh ideas to meet the needs of the local area.  Their success would be very stimulative of the local economy.  Their Facebook page. 

On 10-30 12, the Mason County Eastern school board approved a resolution to annex the Free Soil Community Schools district.  The resolution was then sent to the Michigan superintendent of schools for his approval, which was granted.  The issue will next shift north to Free Soil, where the issue is on the Feb. 26, 2013 ballot.  If this is approved, more money and students will matriculate through the expanding school district.  Which will likely be good for the Freesoil contingent because...

On January 11,2013,  Bridge Magazine created several separate top-10 lists to compare schools and then created an overall list with MCE schools finishing in sixth place overall.  The list took into account socioeconomic factors behind the performances, and put ii in a formulaic matrix to determine which district gets the best results per dollar.

The school district was also:

• first place on the Top Value-Added Rural Schools list.

• third place on the Top Value-added Traditional School District list.

• fourth place on the Top Value-added High School list.

• fifth place on the Top Value-added Low-income Schools list.

This made even the little bit of bad news from Custer even more significant.  Less than a week after being noted for its achievements, investigators at MCE Schools, having noticed problems with the books of previous years, found that a previous business director had allegedly misappropriated about $100,000 of funds from the district.  Police arrested Robert Crane Bacon, charged him with embezzling from the school district between 2003 and Dec. 31, 2011.  This signified that the district had even had less money to work with, but still put quality education for their children.  It shows also that the replacement business director knows his stuff.

More notoriety came to the village in December when it was revealed that US House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, during rather contentious debate in Congress over the imminent fiscal cliff, fired of a letter to Lon Reader of Custer thanking him for the jerky Reader sent, autographing two photos and briefly noting his visit to Ludington earlier this year.  Reader met Boehner when the Speaker spent an evening at Stix Bar with a group from Epworth Heights this summer.  Such familiarity with the person who is only two heartbeats away from the US Presidency by this villager, shows that Custer is ready for national recognition.

 

But perhaps the most exciting thing that has happened in Custer, that hasn't happened in Mason County's other cities and villages in recent years, was a tax/fee break for the citizens of that community, courtesy of aforementioned Lon Reader, Village President.

According to him, the 199 affected residences and businesses will see about a 25 percent in reduction in costs assessed for utility fees because the village was able to pay off a loan from its general fund used to pay off the $675,000 bond for the work received in 1995.

The bond for the work, set up through a federal program, was issued for 40 years and wasn’t scheduled to be paid off until 2035. It was paid off two months ago and since then the village council reviewed costs of maintaining the system before establishing the new rates.

“I think that this kind of municipal management is at least note worthy even on a small scale,” said Reader.  COLDNews Feb3

I agree.  Custer, and its leadership (Readership?), should be commended for all the positive momentum they have going, without  the economic growth models that Scottville and Ludington have embraced over the last few years.  It gives one hope that the rest of the county can look in on them and learn through their example.

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

Paying off bills without investing in the future with more bills? What a concept. Way to go Custer!!!

[XLFD]

And as should be noted, the total millage rates for the village of Custer (2011) is 28.0647 (homesteaders) almost as small as most Mason County townships, whereas among Mason County's bigger cities:

Ludington:  38.2858

Scottville:  47.5406

[XLFD]

Next thing you'll be telling me is that having the Scottville City Council re-elect a Mayor who, in his own words, drove around town drunk in the early morning when kids were on their way to school and wound up going "Dukes of Hazard" into the local gully, is incapable of running a town wisely. 

Those observations you make, EyE, has led several people I know to move out of the City of Scottville, and many that still say grumble about the exact thing you just said.  It's too bad, and it's more than just can be blamed on those who are running the city now; their problems go back to the prior millenium.

[Richard Reader]

It is great to see that Custer government is being managed so well.

[XLFD]

If your surname is any indication, you have the right to be proud of the management.

[easymoney]

I for one, wish the new owners of Johnie's, all the luck in the world.

There are some of us from Ludington, scottville, fountian, manistee, who practically lived  all week-end at Johnies.

Friday night, skate, Sat. afternoon skate, evening the dance, and, Sunday afternoon skate, used to hitch hike up there every week-end, from 1959-1961. At least my parents knew where I was, and, It was safe to hitch hike back then. When people saw your skates slung over your shoulder, they knew where to drop you off.