Mt. Pleasant Youth Police Academy Graduates 21st Class

Cadets from the Mt. Pleasant Police Department’s 21^st Youth Police Academy recently celebrated their graduation with their law enforcement mentors, family and friends. Those in attendance enjoyed comments from academy leader Officer Josh Theisen, and retired educator and coach Denny LaFleur who served as keynote speaker.

For the past three weeks these sixth through eighth grade cadets learned what it takes to become a law enforcement official; integrity, trust, leadership, compassion, and the ability to quickly assess a situation. All of this is in addition to the rigorous physical requirements of the job. By completing a series of hands-on training sessions and classroom instruction, cadets realized how much knowledge and fitness a police officer must possess to perform their job.

Cadet Andrew Moutsatson, Mt. Pleasant Middle School 6^th grader shared, “During the academy I learned to believe in myself and push through challenging tasks. I was surprised at the many responsibilities a police officer has, and all of the paperwork they have to complete. It was very nice of the police officers to take time to teach us,” he continued. “They were all very kind, caring and helpful. I know Officer Theisen will be there to help me with many things when I am in the middle school.”

Mt. Pleasant Middle School 8^th grader Chloe Churchman graduated from the academy last year and returned this year as a cadet instructor. She originally learned about the academy through her school. “The Youth Police Academy made me a better person due to its discipline and challenges it provided,” Chloe stated. “The police officers teaching the academy are real people and they are very kind, considerate and caring. Besides learning so much about law enforcement, it was wonderful to get to know the officers personally, and know they are here to help us in so many ways.”

The Youth Police Academy is a free program which offers sixth to eighth grade youth an up-close view of the skills and necessary training needed for law enforcement officials. Applications for this summer program are distributed through the schools in May and also available at the Division of Public Safety, 804 E. High Street, Mt. Pleasant.

Gratitude is extended to the Central Michigan University Police Department, Isabella County Sheriff Department, Michigan State Police, Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police Department, Saginaw Police Department, DNR, MMR, Mt. Pleasant Fire Department, and Isabella County Central Dispatch who also shared their expertise with the cadets throughout this program.

Live Radio Show Discussing City News Broadcast on WMHW-FM

Infrastructure, upcoming events, public safety, elections and more are discussed on “Mt. Pleasant City Connect”. This live 30-minute radio show, produced by WMHW-FM, features City of Mt. Pleasant staff sharing the latest City news and updates.

During the summer “Mt. Pleasant City Connect” is broadcast at 1 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday’s of the month. To listen tune into 91.5 FM or live stream at www.wmhw.org.

Mt. Pleasant City Connect Broadcast Schedule

June 1: Guest – Aaron Desentz, City Manager

June 15: Guest – Heather Bouck, City Clerk

July 6: Guest – Phil Biscorner, Director of Parks and Public Spaces

Krysta Carabelli Fills Social Crisis Advocate Role

*At the March 28, 2022 Mt. Pleasant City Commission meeting, Public Safety Director Paul Lauria introduced Social Crisis Advocate, Krysta Carabelli.*

Krysta Carabelli recently joined the Mt. Pleasant Division of Public Safety as a social crisis advocate. This is a new position resulting from an expanded partnership between the City and RISE, an agency which provides support services for survivors of both domestic violence and sexual assault.

With an overwhelming need for mental health support services, RISE and the City have entered into a one-year pilot program agreement. The purpose of this agreement is to offer networking services to individuals suffering from mental health and temporary crisis issues, as well as substance abuse and drug overdose situations.

Director of Public Safety Lauria stated, “An innovative concept for a public safety division of our size, this new position will provide further guidance to first responders in dealing with these specific types of encountered incidents.” He added, “It will also connect individuals to additional resources in obtaining specialized help. The Division of Public Safety is excited to see where this pilot program takes us as we continue to serve with pride, integrity and compassion.”

Krysta, a two-time graduate of Central Michigan University, earned her master’s degree in Clinical Professional Counseling. Previous work experience includes service as a social worker, domestic violence counselor, and a sexual assault counselor. For the past year Krysta has worked for RISE, specializing in trauma and crisis counseling.

Krysta shared, “I went into counseling to help people, and while completing my degree I decided to concentrate on trauma and crisis counseling. Trauma work is difficult, but I am honored to be a support when needed.” She continued, “You can make a drastic difference in someone’s life by being present and genuine. This integrated approach with first responders can make a noticeable difference.”

City Awarded Financial Certificate of Achievement for 34th Year

For the 34^th year in a row, the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) awarded Mt. Pleasant the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. GFOA established this recognition program in 1945 to encourage and assist state and local governments to go above the minimum requirements of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. The award acknowledges municipalities that clearly communicate its financial story while motivating potential users and user groups to read the Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAnFR).

The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting. The CAnFR was prepared by the city’s dedicated Finance Division staff. Budget preparations that led to this award were spearheaded by Mary Ann Kornexl, Director of Finance and Chris Saladine, Assistant Director of Finance.

Youth Outdoor Exploration Program Launch Successful

The City of Mt. Pleasant’s Parks and Recreation Department recently partnered with Central Michigan University’s Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services Department (RPL) to form an exciting indoor rock-climbing class for area youth. The program, led by RPL Instructor Jordan Bruursema, and trained CMU student facilitators, is designed to build participant’s self-confidence and social skills through climbing, bouldering and other group activities. Attendees also learn about harnesses, knots and proper safety techniques to help them meet their rock-climbing goals.

The Youth Outdoor Exploration program offers rock climbing classes for kids 6-9 years old and 10-13 years old. Classes take place at the indoor climbing wall located in Finch Fieldhouse on CMU’s campus on Monday and Wednesdays, January 24 – February 23.

Initial sessions, which began in Fall 2021, have been met with great interest. The goal is to offer year-round programming not only on CMU’s campus, but in the City’s expansive park and river trail system where outdoor education and nature-based sessions will take place.

Spring sessions will be offered in mid-March. Follow the Mt. Pleasant Recreation Department on Facebook for registration information as it becomes available. www.mt-pleasant.org/recreation.

Know Your Neighbors. A message from Director of Public Safety Paul Lauria.

Being neighborly, is not only polite – but your front line of defense in emergencies.

Your neighbors, if they know you, will be the first to notice if something is not quite right.

To make sure your front line of defense is strong, get to know your neighbors.

Talk now, before a problem arises.

Isabella County Enhances 9-1-1 Services and Emergency Notification with Smart911; Replacing CodeRED

Isabella County public safety officials announced Smart911 is now available for free to all residents. Individuals who were previously signed up for CodeRED will need to sign up for Smart911 to receive timely and actionable emergency alerts via email, text or voice message. This should be completed before the CodeRED system is discontinued on December 6, 2021.

Smart911 not only informs citizens of emergencies, but allows individuals to create a Safety Profile for their household, if they wish. These profiles include detailed information citizens want 9-1-1 representatives and response teams to know in the event of an emergency. Profiles can be completed by visiting www.smart911.com or downloading the Smart911 App.

With this new system, when an individual makes an emergency call their Safety Profile is automatically displayed for the 9-1-1 representative, enabling the proper response team(s) to be dispatched to an exact location with detailed information. Examples include fire crews knowing how many people reside in a household, EMS staff being informed of allergies or specific medical conditions, or police having a photo of a missing child in seconds, rather than minutes or hours.

Downtown Mt. Pleasant Christmas Celebration Scheduled for December 3 and 4

Downtown Mt. Pleasant will be filled with holiday spirit at the Christmas Celebration slated for December 3 – 4, 2021. A community tradition for almost three decades, this event offers a variety of activities for the whole family.

On Friday, December 3 at 5 p.m. the celebration kicks off at Town Center with a new Winter Market featuring specialty crafts and food vendors. Candy Cane Lane at Town Center will host a variety of children’s games and activities, and the Community Sing-Along and Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. Christmas light tour hayrides will also be offered. Tours will begin at University and Broadway Street.

Celebration attendees are invited to help the Mt. Pleasant Police Department and Toys for Tots “Cram-A-Cruiser” with new, unopened, unwrapped toys. Stop by Town Center between 5 – 8 p.m. to get an up-close look at a police cruiser while helping the toy drive.

Saturday, December 4 highlights include the Jingle All-The-Way Kids Fun Run, 5K and 5 Mile Run starting at Max & Emily’s. Registration must be completed online. Races begin at 7:50, 8:25 and 8:30 a.m. Proceeds benefit Toys for Tots.

A pancake breakfast with Santa is scheduled from 9 a.m. – noon at the Sacred Heart Parish Hall, admission is $7 per person and children under four are $5. The festivities continue with the lighted parade winding through the streets of downtown starting at 6 p.m. To celebrate and honor frontline/essential workers, Jeniffer Faydenko assistant produce manager at GreenTree Grocery, will serve as the parade Grand Marshal. To complete the day, holiday fireworks viewed from downtown, will light up the sky after the parade.

Registration forms for the Jingle All-The-Way Kids Fun Run, 5 Mile Run and 5K Walk/Run, Winter Market Vendor Application, volunteer opportunities, and parade entry applications (due December 1) can be found at https://bit.ly/3k4Jw9B.

Additional Video Campaign Honor: City of Mt. Pleasant Receives Bronze Telly

The City of Mt. Pleasant was recently conferred with a bronze Telly Award for its “Be the reason” online video campaign. This honor is in addition to the Award of Excellence presented earlier in the Communicator Awards competition.

The Telly Awards are respected worldwide and honor excellence in television and video for all screens as judged by a group of leading television and video experts from some of the most prestigious companies in entertainment, publishing, advertising and emerging technology, such as WarnerMedia, NBC News, ESPN Films and Dow Jones. In determining winners, entries are evaluated against a comprehensive industry benchmark for excellence.

For this year’s judging, more than 12,000 entries were received from all 50 states and 5 continents. Telly award winners represent submissions of the most respected advertising agencies, television stations, production companies, publishers and public relations units from around the world. Other Telly Award Winners include: Netflix, CBS/Late Late Show with James Cordon, Nickelodeon, FOX Entertainment, Disney, Comcast, the Smithsonian, Colorado State University and Santa Cruz County.

“In the face of a year like no other, the visual storytelling community has continued to defy the limitations of our new world,” shared Sabrina Dridje, Telly Awards Executive Director. “This year’s submissions doubled down on what we already know about the industry,” she added. “Creativity will never be stopped. Collaboration will always prevail. New ideas and stories will always find a way to break through to an audience.”

The City’s “Be the reason” online video campaign addressed the COVID-19 pandemic.

The purpose of the effort was not only to educate the public on proper safety measures, but to emphasize the purpose and urgency of these precautions while creating a feeling of comfort and unity. Due to the state’s Stay-at-Home Order, no new video could be shot. Instead, existing footage was repurposed with all production being completed remotely by the City’s creative team.

To view the award-winning campaign visit:

https://bethereasonwearamask.myportfolio.com/

The creative team for the “Be the reason” PSA video campaign included Tenley McLaughlin-Good/Graphic Designer, Paul Lauria/Director of Public Safety, Zach Huffman/Videographer/CEO and Founder of Hyvion, Jim Bollella/Voiceover Talent/Owner of Freeform Audio, and Darcy Orlik/Director of Public Relations.

UM-Dearborn’s iLabs’ recognizes City of Mt. Pleasant for supporting business in their community

The City of Mt. Pleasant has been recognized for its successes and efforts in contributing to Michigan’s entrepreneurial growth and economic development in the annual eCities study conducted by researchers at iLabs, University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Center for Innovation Research. Mt. Pleasant was honored as a four-star community along with 94 other communities across the state. This is the fifth time the City has been recognized by UM-Dearborn.

According to City Manager Nancy Ridley, “We are pleased the City of Mt. Pleasant is receiving this recognition for the fifth time. Economic development is only successful when both public and private sector leaders work together and realize the importance of consistent and quality growth to our community. This designation is an indicator of that dedication and commitment.”

The 2020 eCities study analyzed publicly available data from 277 communities from 54 counties in Michigan. Researchers focused on the five-year changes in property values, community assets, and tax rates, which can demonstrate the growth, investments and cost of doing business within the community. For example, over the five-year period of 2015-2019, these communities increased their capital assets by an average of 2.4 percent per year by investments such as library equipment, building, water, and sewage improvements, and street renovations, while property tax rates increased by less than 1 percent on average per year.

Although accounting for less than 20 percent of the State’s cities and townships, the 277 communities analyzed are home to 70 percent of Michigan’s population and 87 percent of the state’s commercial property. “Each year, the eCities project aims to highlight the successes and continued commitment of cities and townships to grow business and support entrepreneurship within their communities,” said Kari Kowalski, iLabs project manager.