Slight dip this year in road work spending 
As the orange barrels start to come out of storage, Michigan can look forward to a construction season similar to the last few years - which is to say, busy.

"We will be spending about $1.5 billion on road and bridge work this year, which is just slightly less than what we spent last year, $1.54 billion," said Michigan Department of Transportation Director Ari Adler. "This is the first year in quite a while that we've seen a dip in spending." He said road and bridge repair spending ratcheted up to about $1 billion in 1998, and then climbed every year through 2001.

Leading the list of MDOT projects this year include:

1. Work on 7.5 miles of the new M-6 freeway in Grand Rapids. The $61 million in work will include grading, drainage, wetland creation and several bridge structures.
2. Along the new US 131 bypass north of Cadillac, $39 million will be spent on repaving.
3. Large projects in the Detroit area include ongoing work on I-94 on the east side, and reconstruction of the Lodge freeway between I-75 and Griswold.

All-Trades tourney set for May 18-19
For the 13th straight year, the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council will host the All Trades Softball Tournament, to benefit the "Blueprint for a Cure" campaign to fight diabetes.

Last year, the tournament raised $39,000, and since the event began, $265,452 has been raised. In 2001, the tournament ranked in the top 10 in fundraising among fifty cities in the nation as part of the building trades' Blueprint for a Cure effort.

The tournament will be held at Gier Park in Lansing on May 18-19, and is open to any affiliated building trades local union interested in participating.

For more information, contact the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council at (517) 484-8427. The tournament is limited to 24 teams, and the deadline to enter is April 19. The tournament fee is $200 per team.

Petitions support straight-ticket votes
A petition drive to place a referendum on the ballot in November that would allow state voters to decide whether or not their right to vote a straight-party ticket should be eliminated has garnered 250,000 signatures in only 69 days - nearly 100,000 more than the number needed.

Earlier this year, state Republican lawmakers passed a bill into law that eliminates straight-party voting on ballots. Many voters prefer straight-party voting, which eliminates the need to go down the entire ballot and make individual choices. Republican lawmakers voted to oust that method of voting, so it's no surprise that the majority of straight-party ticket ballots were cast by Democrats.

"This is an extraordinary grassroots accomplishment on the part of Michigan citizens within the Democratic family," said Mark Brewer chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party, which sponsored the petition drive.

Petitions will be reviewed by the Secretary of State and may face legal challenges before the question appears on the ballot.