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January 31, 2013
B
ELLEVILLE
- R
OMULUS
City clerk earns national certification
Person(s)
of the
year named
Romulus Winter Frost plans under way
Romulus City Clerk Ellen L.
Craig-Bragg has earned the desig-
nation of Certified Municipal Clerk
(CMC), which is awarded by the
International Institute ofMunicipal
Clerks Inc.
The International Institute
grants the CMC designation only to
those municipal clerks who com-
plete demanding education
requirements and who have a
record of significant contributions
to their local government, their
community and their state, accord-
ing to Institute President Brenda
Cirtina, MMA.
The Institute was founded in
1947 and has 10,300 members
throughout the United States,
Canada and 15 other countries. The
mission of the global nonprofit cor-
poration is to enhance the educa-
tion opportunities and professional
development of its diverse mem-
bership, she added.
“In light of the speed and drastic
nature of change these days, life-
long learning is not only desirable,
it is necessary for all in local gov-
ernment to keep pace with growing
demands and changing needs of
the citizenswe serve,” saidCirtin.
The City of Romulus “can take
immense pride in Ellen's educa-
tional accomplishments and
achievement of this milestone,”
Cirtin added.
Craig-Bragg, in her fourth year
as Romulus City Clerk, said she
was excited and proud to earn the
CMC designation and will continue
her studies to bring the best possi-
ble service to the citizens of
Romulus.
Classes sponsored by the
Michigan Association of Municipal
Clerks and accredited by Central
Michigan University covered such
subjects as strategic planning, par-
liamentary procedure, budgeting,
managing negativity and conflict,
organization, and management
communications, among others.
“I'm honored that Romulus vot-
ers placed their confidence in me
to serve as their city clerk,” she
said. “I enrolled in this intense pro-
gram to better myself to serve the
community. This has been a wealth
of knowledge. The training and
education are priceless.”
Craig-Bragg has been enrolled
in government-related coursework
since 2006, when she was a newly-
elected member of the Romulus
City Council and completed classes
through the Michigan Municipal
League's Elected Officials
Academy.
Some of the other courses she
has completed have covered the
OpenMeetings Act, the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA), liquor
licensing, public speaking, profes-
sional writing and managing an
office.
“Having the ability to work with
other municipal clerks across the
state is a great resource,” Craig-
Bragg said. “It's awonderful organi-
zation and all of us have the same
goal of providing the best service
we can to our constituents.”
Pat and Lynn Ostrowski have
been chosen as the Romulus
Chamber of Commerce Person of
theYear.
The couple was surprised with
the news of their selection at a spe-
cial luncheon last week. They are
the owners of Blue Sky Ice Cream&
Hamburger Restaurant which they
purchased in 2000.
Not long after they took over the
business, a customer asked when
the car show started for the season.
Lynn Ostrowski said she was con-
fused and asked what he was talk-
ing about.
He told her that he had seen cars
in the restaurant parking area on a
Tuesday or Wednesday having a
show.
After talking with her husband,
the couple hosted the first organ-
ized car show at the business which
attracted 16 or 17 cars. After 11 sea-
sons of car shows, which noware on
Thursdays every week from May
through the end of September,
approximately 80 - 130 classic cars
can be seen in the lot. The highest
count to date in one week was 290,
theOstrowskis recalled.
Along with food, Blue Sky pro-
vides picnic/park dining in an area
that provides parking not only for
vehicles but for horses, golf carts,
monster trucks, classic cars, semis,
bicycles, motorcycles, and just about
anything else a driver can think of
to park.
The couple said that the commu-
nity is important to them and that
theywant tomake sure they provide
quality events that everyone can
afford andwould like.
"We are very blessed with the
customers and neighbors; you could
not ask for better people," Pat
Ostrowski said.
Once a year, Blue Sky hosts a
charity baseball game at a local
park. Proceeds go towards Kilo
Charlie Alpha (K-C-A), an organiza-
tion started to help out Green Beret
veterans who are battling cancer.
Local high school players partici-
pate in the game and each sells tick-
ets with all funds raised going
towards theK-C-A.
Charity Palooza is a euchre tour-
nament sponsored by Blue Sky. The
top three winners pick a charity of
their choice to receive thewinnings.
They have animal adoptions at the
restaurant as well, and schedule a
local veterinarian who provides
services on site on a regular basis.
Along with the many contribu-
tions to the success of the Romulus
Chamber of Commerce and to the
community, the Ostrowskis are well
known in the local schools.
Throughout the school year they
attend many of the Barth
Elementary school events. They
donate prizes, equipment and phys-
ical labor to many school functions
and it is not uncommon for them to
celebrate student successful aca-
demics by inviting them to Blue Sky
for a spring celebration.
Teens who spent their summers
working at Blue Sky and are now
young adults, continue to serve the
community in philanthropic ways.
Some have gone on to organize
fundraisers forworthy causes, while
others have returned to the area to
work as coaches and tutors for the
youth.
Pat and Lynn Ostrowski will be
honored at a special award banquet
to be announced in earlyFebruary.
Ice skating, ice carving demon-
strations, music and games will all
be part of the second annual
Romulus Winter Frost Day, set for
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23,
atMaryAnnBanksMemorial Park.
Ice skating is planned for the
outdoor ice rink at the park, which
is located along Goddard and Ozga
roads at FivePoints.
Ice carving, which was a big hit
a year ago, returns with students of
the Ice Carving Club at Henry Ford
Community College. Coordinated
by Chuck Usztics, the carvers will
include Robert Speeks, Lanier
Duren, Ghassan Ismail, William
Byrd, Christopher Burnash, Paul
Nuznov, R.W. "Ditto" and Justin
Kuderik.
Usztics, "Ditto" and Kuderik are
Romulus natives. Kuderik is a past
winner of the Plymouth Ice
Carving competition.
Maria Lambert, director of the
Romulus Downtown Development
Authority (DDA), said the fun fami-
ly event also will feature music,
games, food, hot drinks, a warming
pavilion andmore.
The Winter Frost is sponsored
by the DDA and Romulus resident
volunteers.
To volunteer, sponsor the event
or obtain more information, call
Lambert at (734) 955-4533.
Pat and Lynn Ostrowski
Horizon Park dock
plan moving forward
Bringing people in from the
water of Belleville Lake into down-
town and allowing residents more
access out onto the lake were the
issues addressed with a recent
grant application to the state for
upgrades and improvements to the
dock atHorizonPark.
City officials scheduled a recent
public hearing as a requirement of
the grant application the city has
submitted to the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources
(DNR) to obtain funding for
$123,200 in improvements to the
public dock. City officials selected
the Spicer Group to design the pro-
posed upgrades which tentatively
add a 160-foot floating dock with
slips for several boats and room for
jet skis to the existing pier.
During the public hearing,
David Vallier from Spicer said the
number of slips the city would be
allowed to add is unclear as the
city is legally prevented from
installing more than 10. Also
planned are a canoe and kayak
launch and a kayak/canoe slide for
ease in launching the watercraft is
also proposed.
The grant has an April deadline
and requires a 25 percent match
fromthe city.
The next step in the process is a
decision by the downtown
Development Authority members
during the meeting next month
regarding the components to be
included in the project and the
amount the DDA is willing to
match to obtain the state grant.
Ellen L. Craig-Bragg