Part of Dowagiac’s personnel policy for “at least a decade” is a provision allowing 50-percent reimbursement on college tuition.

“This is to encourage people to grow and expand and try to have it toward some program that impacts their current job or jobs they’re trying to obtain with the city,” City Manager Kevin Anderson reported to City Council May 9 in response to questions raised at a previous meeting.

Anderson said “about seven” employees utilized the benefit during that decade, including two currently, Officer Stacey Bazan of the Police Department and City Engineer Christopher Bolt, who directs the Department of Public Services (DPS).

“The other provision within this particular policy says that if you leave employment within the first four years after completing these expenses, there’s a graduated scale for reimbursement,” the city manager stated. “Seventy-five percent the first year, 50 the second, 25 percent the third.”

Police Chief Tom Atkinson, Deputy Police Chief Steve Grinnewald and Assistant City Manager Rozanne Scherr, the human resources director, have also availed themselves of the program, Anderson said.

In other business, Second Ward Councilman Jim Dodd distributed copies to his colleagues of a story from the Holland Sentinel detailing “Five things you should know about Dowagiac” — although the newspaper spelled it “Dowogiac.”

The piece, illustrated with Tuck Langland’s “Dance of Creation” sculpture in Farr Park, summarizes the city’s rich history, from its name taken from the Potawatomi word for “foraging ground” to its 1848 incorporation, population of about 6,000 and proximity to the Dowagiac River. The article talks about Dowagiac’s four furnace companies, William Renesten’s mill, James Heddon’s Sons fishing tackle company, Dogwood Fine Arts Festival, the Museum at Southwestern Michigan College and this being the first stop of the “Orphan Train” from New York.

Second Ward Councilman Bob Schuur attended Monday noon’s dedication of the 13th sculpture of an eagle by Texan Bob Guelich and pronounced it “positively beautiful. Thelda Mathews deserves more kudos” than Mayor Don Lyons gave her.

Monday night at SMC, while her husband, Fred, was upstairs conducting the Board of Trustees meeting, Dogwood President Brad Yazel surprised Mrs. Mathews, an 18-year volunteer, before David Baker introduced Chuck Loving.

“Her regal stature made her a natural choice for the job” of chairing the Visual Arts Committee, Yazel said. “She’s been a rock — no pun intended — for her family, this festival and this community. Her mastery and command of language as a former English teacher have convinced countless people to step up to the plate and get involved. She helps bring art and culture to other communities through her work at K&M, leading its sculpture division, so others may enjoy what we do here in Dowagiac — life enriched by arts. Thelda Mathews is a lady I truly admire and adore.”

“All of this could not have been accomplished without the volunteers on our committee,” she said. “I did not do it alone. I have the best committee of the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival, although Rich Frantz argues with me.”

“The school children who came out and sang two songs were well-appreciated by everyone who was there,” added Mayor Pro Tem Leon Laylin. “Their chalk art interpreting our art throughout the city was quality for their age group.”

First Ward Councilman Junior Oliver praised locating Touching Earth II in Burke Park for arriving Grand Old City visitors “because to me that reflects that our city has vision. Eagles represent great vision.”