Printed

onrecycled paper

NEWS TIP HOTLINE: 475-1371

Editorial Page 6-A

Calendar Page 4-C

Deaths Page 10-A

Sports Section B

Community Section C

INDEX

‘The Plaids’ thrill on Encore’s stage

Page 2-C

INSIDEEgg hunt mania!

Page 1-C

INSIDE

VOL. 138, NO. 17 THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 201175¢17 THURSDAY, APRIL 28 201175¢

Chelsea StandardWeave the Web:

Make sure to click on www.heritage.com around the clock for the most in-depth coverage of Washtenaw County. Our Most Viewed story this week is “Chelsea Lumber, former contractor could head to mediation”

Check out our video:■ 2ForU■ Scott Beal at LitWalk■ Creekside Earth Day

celebration

Connect with HotJobs by Monster:

Click on the “jobs” tab on the home page of our website or go directly to http://jobs.heritage.com.

Join us on Twitter: We already have 897 fol-

lowers on Twitter. Click on the Twitter tab on the home page of our website or go directly to http://twitter.com/ChelseaDexter.

Join us on Facebook: We already have 319 fans

on Facebook. Click on the Facebook tab on the home page of our website or search for us on Facebook.

The Marketplace: Local ads are just a hop

away at the MIcentral.com marketplace. While you are there, you can check out all the special supplements of Journal Register Co. newspapers in Michigan.

Click on “marketplace” on the home page of our website or go directly to www.marketplace.micentral.com/ROP/Categories.aspx.

Photo courtesy of the Chelsea District Library

Lisa McClure, youth and teen librarian, stands inside the McKune playhouse.

Moving outMission Marketplace will lose its 2,100-square foot downtown storefront in May to a new bakery

PLEASE SEE MOVE/3-A

By Art AisnerSpecial Writer

A Washtenaw County judge last week broadened a lawsuit between Chelsea Lumber and a former contractor to include allegations of fraud.

Circuit Judge Timothy Connors ordered that Jason Adkins, a former Chelsea Lumber employee, should be included as part of civil suit brought by garage builder Lenard Kozma against the family-owned construction company initially in 2007.

Connors also delayed the trial timeline for the case as attorneys for both parties expressed an interest in medi-ation, court officials said. The case was initially scheduled for trial in September, but that will now likely be pushed into early next year as mediation talks could begin next month.

“We want to move in that direction and, for the most part, in these cases we try to resolve the issues rather than continue litigating them,” said James Fraser, Kozma’s Saline-based attorney.

Kozma sued the company alleging that it misrepresent-ed their exclusive agreement with him to build garages and that members of its sales team purposely steered busi-ness to other contractors in exchange for perks and cash kickbacks.

There was no written contract between the parties and Connors initially dis-missed all nine allegations, citing that Kozma failed to demonstrate a “meeting of the minds” between him and company officials, documents show.

Upon nullifying the verbal agreement Kozma believed he had reached to become the company’s exclusive garage builder, the remaining

counts had no legal standing, Connors found.

But Kozma appealed, and a three-member panel of the Michigan Court of Appeals reversed Connors’ decision and sent the case back to Washtenaw County for trial.

The justices concluded that the evidence provided did not specify how long the agree-ment was to last, or how the contract could be terminated by either party. However, they found that those issues should have been brought before a jury to decide and were not reason enough to dismiss the entire case without further exploring the facts.

The alleged misrepresenta-tion, Kozma argues, ruined his 35-year business relation-ship with Chelsea Lumber, which also has locations in Saline and Bridgewater Township, and cost his busi-ness thousands of dollars.

In the lawsuit, Kozma accuses Adkins, who worked in the company’s pole barn and garage division, of tak-ing a pole barn referral fee and signing Kozma’s name on invoices for materials for an overhead garage door that amounted to roughly $400 from Kozma’s account with the company.

Ann Arbor-based attorney Emily Palacios, who is rep-resenting Chelsea Lumber, opposed the motion to add Adkins to the case in court, officials said. She did not return messages seeking comment on the case Monday, April 25.

In addition to Adkins, the lawsuit also names other current or former employ-ees and contractors with Chelsea Lumber, as well as Creekside Construction. The Stockbridge-based company was addressed as a key player

Chelsea Lumber lawsuit could go to mediation soon

By Crystal HaydukSpecial Writer

The Mission Marketplace, Chelsea’s destination for unique, international fair trade merchandise and gifts, will be moving in early May. Their lease with Tannin Property Group ends on April 30, but according to Kevin Frahm, executive director of the store, both the landlord and the new tenant are “…gra-ciously allowing us to remain for a few more weeks while the new business gets in order.”

The store has been in its 2,100-square-foot location at 117 S. Main St. for nearly five

years. “It’s painful to have to leave,

but understandable,” Frahm said. “There’s no bad guy here – just a perfect storm of events.”

Erik Majcher, owner of the Tannin Property Group, explained that when the reces-sion hit, one of their commer-cial tenants closed their doors, creating a substantial short-age of income.

At the same time, Tannin extended Mission Marketplace’s original lease in six month increments at a reduced rate “…with the hope that the economy would turn around, and they would be

able to commit to a pre-reces-sion rental rate, at which point we would again sign a multi-year lease.”

Majcher said that they were just beginning to negotiate a longer-term lease when they were approached by the new tenant, who could afford the current market rates.

Frahm said it is not known where the Mission Marketplace will be relocat-ing, but they are currently assessing three possibilities in Chelsea.

“We anticipate a decision within a month,” Frahm said.

Photo by Crystal Hayduk

After nearly fi ve years, the Mission Marketplace will be moving from its location on Main Street. Kevin Frahm, executive director of the nonprofi t, said they have not found a location yet.

PLEASE SEE LAWSUIT/3-A

Stop in and check out the new addition to Chelsea District Library’s KidSpot, a playhouse modeled after the exterior of the McKune house.

This project was headed up, designed and painted by Lisa McClure, youth and teen librar-ian, constructed by Michigan Recreational Construction and funded by the Friends of Chelsea District Library.

“I got the idea for the play-house because our little play-house/puppet theater was very flimsy, and sometimes it would come apart, so it obviously wasn’t designed for commercial use,” McClure said. “I started out by making very preliminary sketches based on the existing playhouse but much stronger.”

McClure explained that she wanted to make it large and strong enough for older chil-dren as well with a large open-ing in the back so a parent could come in or a special needs child could sit in a standard chair.

McClure said once the early drawings were approved, she drew three detailed plans for the front.

“We went to the Friends for approval for funds, and they went wild over the McKune style, approving $1,500 for the building and for paint,” McClure said.

After contacting several building companies, wood-working companies and indi-viduals, McClure decided to go with Michigan Recreational Construction, which con-structed large-scale wooden playground structures similar to Chelsea’s Timbertown.

“They are very knowledge-able about youth safety issues, so they knew all the details about how to make it safe for children with rounded edges and inset bolts,” McClure said.

Not only is the playhouse exterior beautiful, the inside is just as intricate. McClure designed a narrow slot to keep menus and price lists, all of which she will be designing.

There is also a cabinet with door that can serve as stor-age, a refrigerator or an oven. Shelving was designed through-out for baskets with play toys

Librarian designs miniature McKune house

PLEASE SEE MCKUNE/3-A

1A

JUST 15 MINUTES FROM CHELSEA • LOCATED RIGHT OFF I-94 • NO ENTRANCE FEE

5025 ANN ARBOR ROAD, JACKSON, MI • gantonretirement.com • 517-764-2000 for your tour of this state-of-the-art center!

STARTING AT $2,895 PER MONTH!STARTING AT $2,895 PER MONTH!with medication administration in all levels of care

Legacy Assisted Living & Legends Alzheimer’s Center

1170 S. MAIN STREET • CHELSEA

(734) 433-9900Minutes from Ann Arbor

I-94 Exit 159

Sell Your Unwanted/Broken Jewelry Here

WE BUY ALLCOINS & CURRENCY

ChelseaRare Coins

WE WILLBEAT ANYOFFER BY10%ORMORE!

GOLDOVER$1400!!

TOP $FOR

GOLD & SILVER

GOLDOVER

$1400!!