This is part of Schoolcraft County's Manistique Emerald Elementary School...

02/12/07

CAVEAT: 

This article is one of a series of editorial articles that express personal 
opinions and views. They are written with no pretensions to be error free. I 
will gladly correct substantial errors of fact. My opinions can change, 
depending upon my awareness of changes in factual information. It is my intent 
to remain focused on specific public issues, regarding the personalities 
involved. For all I know, all the characters are saints, concerning their 
private lives and other public business... 

Changes may be requested by e-mailing the details to 

pmarkham@manistique.org 



Manistique Lakeside Consolidated School photographs that illustrate my concerns:
Click any gallery photo for full size image. NB! Full size images are
~800KB to 5.5MB in size. 


This is my email exchange with Manistique Area Schools superintendent,
Esther Mudge, after my first attempt to voice my concerns regarding my
observations and concerns regarding the construction of Manistique's
new Emerald Elementary School.


Fri, 29 Dec 2006 18:32:52 -0500

Subject:	F.W.I.W. correction...

What I wanted to write, and what I wrote, do not coincide. As this is not
a subject related to my expertise, I have a degree of difficulty
expressing a technical observation, without knowing the appropriate
jargon. Hopefully, the revision below will clarify my concerns:

I have, for some months, had reasons to take photographs of the new 
school building site. Subsequently, I have wandered the buildings 
looking at some of the design features and building techniques.

Nothing of great significance was apparent to me, until I looked 
closely at the concrete block walls - as in, many walls.

Looking at the mortar joints between blocks, on both sides of the 
walls, it appears, to my layman's eye, that most vertical joints, 
between individual concrete blocks were fractured, not by external 
stress, but by shrinking of the mortar. To verify that my perspective was
not clouded by a failing memory of similar work, I wandered about town,
looking at recent block, and older masonry work, and found nothing similar
in nature.

I suggest that you, and the school board, take a close look,
and if you see what I see, and, if appropriate, hire an independent 
consulting engineer, with impeccable credentials regarding such 
matters, to determine if the work meets the "appropriate?" ratio of 
block joint surface void area to block joint surface to surface 
adhesive area, and the "appropriate?" quality of the mortar adhesion, in
both vertical and horizontal block joints.

Though there appears to be little evident fracturing in the 
horizontal joints, I suspect that is nothing more than the 
consequence of compression force, due to gravity, that allowed the 
blocks to settle as the mortar shrunk. IF that is what happened, the
integrity of horizontal joint adhesion would be compromised, also.

Also, I have speculative concerns about the advisability of laying 
frozen concrete block, in what can only be described as freezing 
weather. As I see it, frozen block is being laid, when the 
temperature barely clears 32 degrees at the warmest part of the day, drops
into the low twenties or teens, and most of the working environment, and
material, is open to the weather.

As always, I have photographs to document my concerns.

Peter Markham




Date sent:	Fri, 02 Feb 2007 13:27:17 -0500

Subject:	elementary site

Mr. Markham:

Yesterday I belatedly received your email of December 29.
I appreciate your concerns about maintaining a quality building
project.

Manistique Schools has several quality assurances in place for this
project:  a qualified architect/engineer, an independent project
manager, and another quality control engineering firm that does ongoing
materials testing. 

We would appreciate it if we could know the exact location of your
concerns.  Will you share the pictures you took which indicate sites of
concern. This would expedite our process in maintaining a quality product.

Upon receiving the pictures, I will meet with our professionals to
review the concerned areas.

Sincerely,
Esther Mudge



Date sent:	Mon, 05 Feb 2007 11:13:32 -0500

Subject:	Elementary site photos


Good morning, Esther,

You should be able to download a 27MB .zip file of images at:

http://www.manistique.org/public_ftp/new_school_photos.zip

or browse to:

www.manistique.org/public_ftp

and download manually.

Peter




Date sent:	Fri, 09 Feb 2007 16:23:10 -0500

Subject:	Re: Basis for my concerns

Mr. Markham:

Thank you for informing me of your concerns.  Our professionals have
reviewed your photos and concerns.

Perhaps you would be able to attend a meeting we will be having on
February 15, as the people who can most appropriately answer your
questions will be there. We are meeting at 9:00 am.

Please let me know if you can make it.

Esther Mudge



Date sent:	Fri, 09 Feb 2007 17:21:20 -0500

Subject:	Re: Basis for my concerns

I will be there.

Peter



Date sent:	Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:43:17 -0500

Subject:	Re: Basis for my concerns

Good morning, Esther.

Having given your offer a little more thought, I prefer to discuss my
observations in the open public M.A.S. Board meeting of 02/19/07.

If you do not care for that forum, I will merely speak during the 
public comment period, and let the cards fall where they may.

Therefore I will decline your offer.

Peter



Two concise references that justify some of my concerns:
Portland Cement Association Reference - Cold Weather Masonry Construction

The Brick Industry Association - Technical Notes on Brick Construction



KISQ, Schoolcraft County Airport historical weather data. Change date to view other relevant days of interest.  
http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KISQ/2006/12/23/DailyHistory.html?req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA

Cold weather masonry references at the Portland Cement Association web site:
Portland Cement Association reference material link
inclusive search terms: cold weather masonry



Historical weather records for the period of time considered:

Manistique weather record of 12/23/06


Manistique weather record of 12/24/06


Manistique weather record of 12/25/06


Manistique weather record of 12/26/06


Manistique weather record of 12/27/06


Manistique weather record of 12/28/06


Manistique weather record of 12/29/06


02/19/06

I attended the Manistique Area Schools Board meeting, this evening. Prior
to the last public comment period various Emerald Elementary School project
representatives provided the audience an update of the school construction
progress, and addressed some of my concerns.

"The minor gaps" were addressed with the masonry contractor, Olsen and
Olsen, and will be... filled, covered.

The representative said the walls are reinforced with vertical steel, and the
cosmetic fractures are nothing more than "untooled" surfaces, and represent
normal, standard practice.

Someone on the Board said something to the effect that no trespassing was
allowed on the site, and the representative speaking to the audience, agreed
that safety concerns justified a no trespassing policy.


During the public comment period, prior to reading my questions, I asked the
representative whether vertical reinforcing steel was used in the lower rear
walls, as was used in the higher front walls. He said it was.

I then read the following:


"Given my understanding that the consolidated school project is not finished yet, 
and my awareness of design details is almost zero, then,...

Why do I get the impression that the current grading of the property, from the 
northern wall of the school, to the northern catch-basin, is designed as much to 
drain water and runoff to Catteragus St, as it is to the catch-basin? Assuming 
the runoff is to be kept on-site, as previously claimed, is what I perceive 
nothing more than an illusion, or will a culvert or ditch be used to route 
easterly runoff to the catch- basin; or will it run down-slope into the street 
and residential property?

What are the possible consequences of laying concrete block without adequate 
consideration of freezing weather? As one aware that distilled water, at 
standard temperature and pressure, freezes at 32 degrees F, why should I be 
unconcerned about freshly laid block exposed to ambient breezy air temperatures 
dipping into the teens?

With no connection, known to me, between extreme weather and fractures and voids 
I have observed in the joints of much of the masonry, do I have any reason to be 
concerned about the actual strength versus the design strength of the supporting 
walls?

Peter Markham"

After I read my questions, the representative answered my concerns.

Regarding my runoff concerns, he said that when the project is finished, the
finished grade would ensure that all the runoff would be directed to the north
catch basin.

Regarding my cold weather masonry work concerns, he said that an accelerant was
used in the mortar, and he knew of no freezing weather work.



As I am the first one to admit my difficulty in seeing that which I do not, and
I admit my failure to understand all that which I do not, I will merely
offer my perceptions and conclusions.

If the fractures and voids are minor and cosmetic, and will be covered by facing,
then why have Olsen and Olsen fill and cover them? Why waste time and money on
hidden "cosmetic" work?

Having spent some time with a set of feeler gauges, and strips of .040" thick
computer paper, I will assure anyone that doesn't wish to trespass, and check for
themselves, that cosmetic fractures they are not, and the time to actually fill
the fractures and voids, in such a manner that the block to block joint integrity
is close to 100%, would be cost prohibitive.

One of my photographs shows a past attempt to mask the fractures in one wall,
indicating to me that someone else didn't like what I see. All that was done is
a messy job of smearing mortar over the fractures. That was done before I was
aware of any of the shoddy looking block work.

Regarding the statement that vertical reinforcement steel was used in all walls,
the same for the short walls, as the high. I do not recollect seeing any in the
short walls, and my photographs of 12/24/06 and 12/27/06 show nothing close to
what they show for the high walls. Perhaps, between the obvious vertical rods in
the high walls, there is invisible reinforcing rod, the same used in the short
walls. Perhaps my choice of dates and times to visit, or take photographs, was
when all the reinforcing steel had just been covered by block... 

The northeast wall, that I documented being built during freezing weather,
without protection, was no illusion. That the representative said he knew of no
freezing weather masonry work, implies that I was doing his job, and not getting
paid.

Obviously, if the representative knew of no freezing weather masonry work, then
no one would expect him to know if appropriate freezing weather masonry techniques
were employed. The other two representatives present at the meeting said nothing.

I know what I witnessed. I know what I photographed. I have the N.O.A.A. based
weather data for that period of time. According to high school physics and
chemistry, with a basic cold weather masonry reference from the Portland Cement
Association, and a little common sense, I have no reason to doubt my perception
and conclusion that there is more shoddy masonry work in the new school than I am
happy with.

I watched a heap of people lie and evade the consequences of their choices,
regarding the stadium design and construction problems, and my baloney alarm is
ringing, again.

Regarding the only comment from a Board member, and the concurrence of the
representative, implying that I was trespassing, I will point out that I have
never seen NO TRESPASSING signs on the property, and even if I did, I would
trespass, regardless. It is obvious, to me, from the silence of all the Board
members, that not one has paid as much attention as I have to the building of
the school, and they volunteered for the job. If I have to trespass, to do their
job, so be it.

It is as if spending $12,500,000? of "other folks money" requires no responsibility 
to see the job done right, beyond relying on others to say, "All is well."
with an implicit "Trust me."


02/20/07

Before I got out of bed this morning, I let my mind wander about the school
building site as I reconsidered, for the umpteenth time, my perspective of the
masonry construction process, and how I may have missed the vertical reinforcing
steel in the short walls. I would never have known, if, between the times I
visited the site, the vertical steel was lowered through the aligned holes in the
blocks, after the walls were built, then the protruding ends cut off and capped
with the top course of blocks.

That said, to me, it still does not justify the apparent and widespread deep
fractures and voids of the work, that, from my perspective, is testimony of poor
workmanship, while building walls in cool and freezing weather. Smearing surface
mortar over a network of fractures and voids, before and after my observations,
with a finishing tool during the building process, or later, with a trowel,
means nothing to me, beyond cosmetic gloss.

The design purpose of the steel would be to add to the strength of properly laid
block, not to compensate for the weaknesses of improperly laid block.


As I mull over the laughing and joking I witnessed, on 12/27/06, while the
masons made feeble attempts to remove the ice from the top protective panels of
the northeast wall, I still fail to see the humor, in what I understand to be
the almost totally ineffective attempts to limit the consequences of adverse
weather on the continuing masonry work. Beyond deception value, I still see none. 

Once again, I fail to see the emperor's clothes, and I have provided additional
photographs to illustrate why I do not doubt my perception.


02/22/06

As I was "blown off", 02/19/07, as a concerned resident lacking the elementary
skills to perceive correctly, or understand, the basic requirements for cold
weather masonry work, I made an effort to solicit some critical professional
opinion from "engineers" unassociated with the Emerald Elementary School project.
After searching the web for the best likely source of germane opinion, I settled
on:

http://www.eng-tips.com

After following the procedures to obtain the privileges to post my concerns, I
did so, mid-morning, in the form, below.


"Rastafarian (Civil/Environmental)	Feb 21, 2007

I am an ignorant laymen, with no credentials concerning
engineering topics, but I have a question concerning what I
consider inexcusable cold weather construction techniques.

A new school is being built in my community, in the Upper 
Peninsula of Michigan, to serve a population of ~9,000
in a county of ~1,300 square miles, with very few technically 
inclined individuals. I have authored web pages to illustrate
my concerns, at:

http://www.manistique.org/manistique_emerald_elementary_school.html

The URL for a 5.5MB panoramic image, below, shows the lunch break
view of work occuring during mean hourly temperatures in the upper
twenties. What you see, regarding "weather protection", never
changes, the work area, and materials are always open to the
weather. It is claimed an "accelerant" is used in the mortar mix. 

Is the product likely to be compromised, and why?


http://www.manistique.org/images/emerald%20elementary%20school/
imagepages/image4.html

T.I.A."

I knew that my query was as much political, as technical, and likely to be
deleted by the internet forum moderator. Given the brick wall of silence and
evasion I was dealing with, in the local public forum, my choices were
limited, beyond spending my life learning a new discipline or hiring the
services of a true professional that wasn't paid to maintain a policy of
silence and evasion.

I do not have the life, money, or the inclination, to be the goat for others,
to that degree.

By mid-afternoon, there were five responses to my query, some of which
included the engineering code references regarding my concerns. All responses
to my inquiry agreed, to one degree, or another, that there were serious and
justified reasons for my voiced concerns, based upon the premise that the
information I posted in my web pages is relevant and correct.

Later in the afternoon, I checked the responses to my query to find that all
record of my query, and all responses, were removed from the forum site, as if
they never existed. My inquiries concerning the reasons for the deletion were
ignored. My intention to save the day's responses, later in the evening, was too
late. Someone, somewhere, took offence, for some reason, and another piece of my
life was wasted.

So, what to do?

I have tried to be as civil and responsible as possible, to allow those with
the responsibility, to speak up and deal with the issues I raised, in an open,
objective and responsible manner. Beyond "minor gaps", "normal standard practice",
and "use an accelerant", I heard nothing else of consequence, relative to my
voiced and documented concerns. From the Manistique Area Schools Board, I heard
nothing. From the superintendent of Manistique Area Schools, I heard nothing
beyond her reference to quality control from three sources; and from them I heard
almost nothing of consequence that referenced any verifiable details of the
engineering and construction standards relative to the construction work being
done.

In a nutshell, all I heard was evasion. If I know nothing else, I do know that
science, engineering, and construction codes and standards, are not subject to
arbitrary revision by those with the professional responsibility to do
otherwise.

It is now time to identify the names, positions, businesses, and organizations
of those responsible for what concerns me, and let time, publicity, and human
nature work its magic. My patience and good will is exhausted.


While taking care of some errands, downtown, I walked past the new school, around
12:50, 26 degrees F, with 20+mph winds from the N.N.W., and noticed, while I was
freezing my butt off, that some reinforcing steel rod was now an evident part of
the short walls. The first question that came to mind was, has the grout been
poured around the rods, to the bottom of the walls, with no voids, and, when was
it done, if it was done, yet. My second concern, knowing how unconcerned some were
about masonry work in freezing weather, were the weather conditions, for the 48
hours after the grout was poured, if it had been poured.

My observed absence of reinforcing steel, in the short walls, was not an illusion,
and as part of the continuing building process, could have been identified as such,
by the project engineer, at the last meeting, when I mentioned I had seen none.
Why no relevant answer to my query? I dunno. Perhaps I was speaking English.
Perhaps I misspoke.

The more I see what is happening, the more I am inclined to conclude that the
decision to halt outside work, for the remainder of Winter, as I remember being
reported in the Pioneer Tribune, became optional as a consequence of economic
pressure. What was likely a planned halt of exterior masonry and concrete work,
because of cold weather concerns and expense, has been dispensed with, as a
consequence of "marginal" Winter weather, and a subsequent chance to limit
or recoup unanticipated expenses.

From my perspective, milder unpredictable weather has encouraged questionable
decisions to make up for time lost, and other unforseen or unconsidered costs
incurred, due to the lack of foresight, and vacillation, regarding such
questions as drainage, sewers, heating, windmills, parking, green space, etc.
- not to mention engineer generated problems that are bound to surface in such
a project.


According to a letter I received from M.A.S. Superintendent Mudge, dated 02/22/07,
quality control for the Emerald Elementary School includes the following three
firms:

Integrated Designs Inc., Architect Dax Richer
Wolgast Corporation, Field Manager Tim Kraft
Bittner Engineering, Materials testing


Olsen & Olsen Building Contract(ors) is the primary block masonry contractor.

I can only guess the quality control responsibilities of each business listed, and
I can only guess what business has the responsibility to oversee cold weather
masonry construction quality, practices, techniques, and weather protection.





03/03/07

After some serious soul-searching, considering the addition of more grief to my 
life, I offered the following editorial letter, to Manistique's Pioneer Tribune
newspaper. It was printed in the 03/01/07 edition.

"I have, since mid December, been unhappy with what I perceive to be a less than 
desirable masonry product at the Emerald School building site. With no 
credentials regarding such matters, I do understand that a quality product is 
the consequence of good science, engineering and building practices, and not the 
result of arbitrary and expedient personal opinions regarding such matters.

I voiced my concerns, by email, with Manistique Area Schools Superintendent 
Esther Mudge, first, and, subsequently, voiced them at the M.A.S. Board meeting 
of 02/19/07. I was not happy with the responses I received. No information 
provided, regarding my concerns, referenced any appropriate engineering standard.

Either the schools walls have been built in cold and freezing weather, without 
appropriate weather protection, or not. Either the mortar mix and preparation 
was appropriate for the weather conditions, or not. Either the building blocks 
were clean, dry and above freezing, or not. Either there is quotable engineering 
reference material that addresses my voiced and documented masonry joint 
fracture related concerns, or there is not.

I do not expect the project engineers to drop everything to address my voiced 
and documented perceptions, right or wrong; they have a school to build. What I 
do expect, when I ask serious justified technical questions, is for a
representative to quote and provide verifiable plain English references, that
justify what I witnessed, and that set my mind at ease regarding my perception
that, at least, some of the school walls are of less than desirable quality, and
may, or may not, have the designed integrity envisioned.

In today's world, for an engineering company, it is no great expense to identify 
and quote applicable and appropriate current engineering and construction 
practises for this part of the country, with a great deal of construction 
unfriendly weather. For an Upper Peninsula school that was built, substantially, 
during cold weather months, without any visible and effective outdoor 
environmental controls, I would expect a little more community interest in the 
whys, hows and consequences, with professional peer reviewed references.

Though I may be ignorant, I can smell evasion a mile away. Though I may be 
ignorant, of most of the universe, I know that people will say and do anything, 
with sufficient motivation, to achieve that which they deem is in their personal 
self-interest. Until I read some relevant and qualitative justification for what
I see, I consider, with considerable suspicion, what I have heard, to date.


Perhaps, design and construction quality control should be monitored by an 
independent professional, less likely to be influenced by personal interests in 
the construction of the Emerald Elementary School. Maybe, the community should 
spend relatively few dollars for a truly independent qualitative evaluation of 
the project plans and work, to date, to minimize the potential for greater 
future expenses. I suggested such an option, in my email exchange with 
Superintendent Mudge, and heard no subsequent response.

I have no interest in summoning the demons of the past; I don't have to. They 
live among us, today, and forever, as long as community leaders fail to 
recognize their own ignorance, and fail to act to reduce its impact on the 
community. The new stadium, and many other community projects, to a significant 
extent, stand as testimony to ignorance and foolishness. The necessity of an 
independent "community consulting engineer", with impeccable credentials and 
integrity, with no economic, political, or family ties to the community, is not 
optional in a region of limited economic and intellectual resources, cursed by 
the silence, or detachment, of its resident professionals.

Then again, maybe, I'm all wet, and all that I see, and understand, has no 
credible basis in fact, or has no relationship to my voiced concerns regarding
the Emerald Elementary School.

Peter Markham"


For those that might wonder why I will not live, quietly, with the status quo,
regarding the Emerald Elementary School, I will provide some historical context,
from one, with no children, who is nothing more than a supportive voter that
understands that the only difference between us, and stone age cannibals, is
formal public education.

I cannot quote the precise cost of the new school, but assuming a round figure of
a passed $12,500,000 bond proposal, and a static Schoolcraft County tax paying
population of 5,000, then, averaged out, that is $2,500 per person, spread out
over the lifetime of the bonds, plus and minus all the real world details I have
ignored. Not a fortune, but it is cash unavailable for other necessities of life
in a county with a depressed economy.

Beyond the significant effort of personnel associated with the local Manistique
newspaper, the Pioneer Tribune, and my personal efforts documented within my web
pages, I am unaware of any other significant effort by anyone, or group, to make
the fifth bond proposal, or any previous school bonding proposal, a success. The
apparent lack of effort, and the general subsequent misery surrounding the
building of the new school, was foreseen, by me, a few weeks prior to the bond
proposal vote in November, 2005. I received, then, in the mail, a one sheet
brochure, that detailed nothing more than an architect's conceptual colored
drawing of a building purported to be the planned new school. The were no details
of what was to be purchased with the $12,500,000 of taxpayers' money.

The bond proposal was an offer to buy a pig-in-a-poke, for $12,500,000. I had
no problem refusing the offer. With a significant part of my life invested in
supporting the conceptual effort to build a new school, I voted against it,
because there were no details of what I was voting for, beyond a drawing on a
postcard.

Shortly after the proposal passed, it became quite obvious, to me, from the
continuing coverage of school issues by the Pioneer Tribune, that the Manistique
Area School Board, and the Superintendent of Manistique Area Schools, Esther Mudge,
showed no more awareness, or understanding, of what was needed for the new school,
than I did. I concluded, from each article that I read, and the few board meetings
I attended, that the continued changes to the school plans were the consequence
of everyone concerned flying by the seats of their pants with little more idea of
where they were heading, or how they would get there, than this ignorant voter.

I actually considered, seriously, that there was sufficient background work done
to define exactly what the community needed, prior to October of 2005, after
four failed bond proposals. Silly me! 

I supported the new school bond issue, based upon the merits of the project, to
find out, later, that most of the self serving pronouncements, from the Manistique
Area School Board, were based upon little more than "blue sky", as in wishful
thinking, as in pipe dreams - as in betrayal of my confidence.

I have little doubt that Schoolcraft County will have its new school. I have
little doubt that the facility will provide better educational opportunities
for area children, than current facilities. I have little doubt that the lack
of foresight, preparation, and oversight, regarding the new school, will
result in a product of less community value than is due Schoolcraft County
tax-payers.


With no perfect foresight, I note, on the horizon, the consequences of evading,
ignoring, denying, or lying, about the impact of the county wide use of the
Emerald Elementary School, on the city's ancient and decrepit Oak Street sanitary
sewer line. Ex-councilmen Dougovito, Nygren, and I, were declared, by some, as
the "cause" for the failure of the first bond proposal, because we voiced
concerns, almost ten years ago, about the questionable adequacy of the local sewer
line to handle the additional load from the proposed consolidated school.

The new school will add the effluent load of three other schools it replaces, to an
ancient, fractured, and leaky residential sewer line. To the best of my knowledge,
there was no public consideration of including an Oak Street sanitary sewer upgrade
with any school bond proposal. The issue was ignored. Consequently, I suspect, as
in too many other cities, Manistique residents will be pay for all the city
infrastructure upgrade, and maintenance, to provide the infrastructure required for
the urban amenities that enable others to choose a preferable, quality rural life.

Part of the required improved city infrastructure is Manistique's "Lakeside Road",
including  an infamous piece of the north end of "Lakeside Road", a piece of a
public road, in Manistique Township, "made" into a Manistique city street, by 11th
Judicial Court Judge Stark, according to Manistique City Attorney Filaramo. That
decision was presented to the public as one that holds harmless Manistique Rentals
Inc., the City of Manistique, Manistique Township, and Schoolcraft County officials.

City and county officials, and administration personnel, allowed M.R.I. to quarry
away part of a 66' right of way, that would have been part of the surveyed and
mapped northern end of Lakeside Road, in the City of Manistique, if that road had
been developed, as surveyed and mapped. Instead, the City moved and improved,
unilaterally, an historic highway-by-user crossing private property, to the east
of the surveyed road, without acquiring any legal authority to do so, even though
the north end of that public road was outside the city limits of Manistique, in
Manistique Township.  

The ironic and sad consequence is that, at least, one county resident, Al Burns,
gets to pay more than his share, as part of the front yard of his property was
seized, and held, by the City of Manistique, based upon Manistique City Attorney
John Filaramo's interpretation of Judge Stark's 11th Circuit Court decision. With
few personal resources to fight tax funded "city hall", Burn's lost two legal
fights to force all involved to do the right, and legal thing. 

Al Burns was, effectively, forced by the courts, to replace, with his private
property, the public property that M.R.I. removed and converted, with the default
blessing of the city and county officials. Manistique's reasoning was based upon
little more than a pack of lies, misrepresentations, and the dereliction of duty of
local public officials, condoned by default, by silence born of public ignorance
and apathy. If Mr. Burns does not obtain professional representation, and deep
enough pockets to match those of the City of Manistique, it is most likely that he
will lose his property, with no appropriate compensation for the tangible losses
and associated misery forced upon him by the tactics of official extortion, from
the City of Manistique, unchallenged and sanctioned by Schoolcraft County officials.  

Progress is inevitable, but not all the expenses are shared in an equitable
manner. History records that it is part of the human hunter-forager's nature to
organize and prey on one's neighbors and environment, locally, and internationally;
with the help of those that know better, and have the responsibility to act
accordingly.


03/12/07

Having heard no further response from anyone in the community, I sent the
text contents of this web page, by certified mail, to:

Bureau of Construction Codes,
Office of Local Government and Consumer Services,
P.O. Box 30222,
Lansing, MI 48909

with the following introduction:

To Whom it may concern:

The following is my perception of sub-standard masonry work at Manistique 
Emerald Elementary School, currently being constructed in Manistique, 
Schoolcraft County. It is part of my web site that includes photographs, and 
reference documents that may be accessed from the home page of:

http://www.manistique.org

I have no engineering or construction credentials. I have no children. I have no 
affiliation with any political, social, religious or fraternal organization. I 
have nothing to gain, but a heap of grief in my life, by soliciting some 
professional help with no vested interest in a community project.

Please read the following, and decide if there is any reason to consider my
written concerns. I have no telephone. I may be contacted at:

pmarkham@manistique.org

Sincerely,
          Peter Markham


		  
03/16/07

Today, I received the certified mail receipt, indicating that Jeremy Hall,
agent for the State of Michigan, had received, on Mar. 14, 2007, my written
mailed concerns regarding questionable construction techniques, and quality,
of the cement block walls of the Manistique Emerald Elementary School.

Incidental to my perspective of the construction of the new school, is the
recent decision by the Manistique Area Schools Board to replace
Superintendent of Schools, Esther Mudge, for what was claimed, by one school
board member, as a difference of vision from the board. As one totally
unaware of any "difference of vision", or any other public indication of a
mutinous Mudge, I assume that the Manistique Area Schools Board decision to
let her contract lapse was as much an effort by board members to distance
themselves from the consequences of their own failures, as whatever they
chose to attribute to her, as evidence of her "different vision".

As the chief administrator of local schools, Ms. Mudge has the responsibility
to administer the M.A.S. Board's will, as well as administer the education
related requirements of the state and federal governments, and stay abreast
of, and administer, the latest in educational theory and practices. I am sure
that she isn't perfect, but, I am completely unaware of any administration
problem, described as a "difference of vision" that justified her
unsubstantiated public ousting.

So what am I missing, that no one wishes to detail? Without objective and
specific justification and substantiation, the stated reason for her ousting
is viewed by me as an expedient political ploy for M.A.S. Board members to
evade their collective responsibility for unidentified failures of Manistique
Area Schools, assuming that her "difference of vision" is more than failing
to appease the personal and undisclosed whims of individual Board members.

My self-motivated interest in the construction quality of Schoolcraft County's
Manistique Emerald Elementary School ends here. If no one else cares, I have no
reason to care, either. I must pay my taxes regardless of whether community
leaders ensure accountability and appropriate value for a major community
investment.