TRUMAN HIGH SCHOOL: Carpenters' union volunteers time to construct stage through city, schools joint cooperation

While the Taylor School District and the City of Taylor are separate governmental entities, when one can help out the other, they often do. One such instance started Sunday (October 11), thanks to our great friends from the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters Local 687.

Ron Maracle, along with Mark Styles, Michael Zocher, Burl Stanley and Ken Hassell, volunteered their time to create a stage and sound wall in the Truman High School theatre. Truman is a school that was built at a time when the “open” building plan concept was popular, and the round theatre room located in the middle of the high school not only lacks a true stage, but the walls stop about three feet from the ceiling, causing sound issues both inside and outside.

Economic Development Director George Sutherland, Administrative Assistant Kimber Dorton and Communications and Marketing Director Karl Ziomek met with school administrators and principals before the school year started in an effort to make sure that everyone understood that when the City of Taylor could help the school district, it would. Mayor Rick Sollars has made it clear to both the City staff and the school district that his administration is very willing to aid public education where it can.

One of the ideas that came out of that meeting was the creation of a stage for Truman. After that conference, the City’s team made contact with the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters Local 687 and together they met with Principal Melissa Skopczynski and her staff to work out the details of the construction. The local – and specifically Maracle – has been instrumental in many volunteer efforts throughout Taylor, including creating a pavilion at Taylor North Central Little League and the City’s Veterans Home Program.

In addition to this project, Local 687 will be helping the City’s parks maintenance staff relocate the inline hockey roller skating rink to Heritage Park later this month.

“This is all about the kids,” Maracle said. “This type of effort helps bring communities together. It’s all about a brighter future.”

“Ron is a great friend to the City of Taylor and its schools,” said Mayor Rick Sollars. “The union has always stepped up and volunteered when it could, for the betterment of the community.”

Maracle wanted to thank everyone that came out and volunteered their time on this project as well as everyone that has volunteered their time on other projects and activities in the past. He pointed out that none of these projects could be done without the time, dedication and commitment of union members.

Local 687 will be heading back to Truman on Sunday, October 18, to finish hanging the drywall, and mudding and taping, to complete the project.

By the way, both Dorton and Styles are graduates of Truman.

"I haven't been back inside the building since I graduated," Styles laughed. "Been to plenty of football games, but not inside here. I'm glad we could do this."

For a complete album of photographs, click here for the Taylorcity facebook account.