Michael Arcuri

“This funding is critically important to help to revitalize our cities and downtowns, and foster economic development where we need it most,” said Arcuri who is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “This bill also includes vital funding for federal programs that support Griffiss Park in Rome, HOPE VI housing in Utica, and community development block grants in Auburn. Investing in transportation improvements to make our roads safer and more efficient goes hand in hand with programs to remediate brownfields, invest in downtown renovations, and work with local businesses to create jobs and opportunity. I urge the Senate to pass this critical bill and the President to sign it into law.” 

The Lansing Board of Education (BOE) voted Monday to appoint the firm of Castallo & Silky as consultants to help the district hire a new Superintendent of Schools.  "We're ready to go ahead with those folks and have them advise us through the process," said BOE President Tom Keane.  "We talked to them about trying to go as quickly as we can.  I think they are interested in helping us go quickly as well."

The school board is faced with hiring an interim superintendent while they search for a new superintendent, business administrator, and director of curriculum, the three top administrative positions in the district.  But board members could not agree on a job description for the director of curriculum position.  Part of the problem was that former Director of Curriculum Deb Pichette did so much above and beyond her job description, notably managing and restructuring the district's technology department, that board members are at a loss as to how all the things she did will be covered.

(Left to right) School board members Bonita Lindberg, President Tom Keane, Glenn Swanson, Sandi Dhimitri, David Dittman