Sales of educational resource materials are climbing at the Museum of Ojibway Culture's store, said Shirley Sorrels, director of the museum, who holds one of the State Street store's offerings. The St. Ignace Downtown Development Authority will negotiate a settlement with the Michigan Treasury Department for money it owes for school taxes. Since 1994, the state has not allowed DDAs to capture school tax money and the St. Ignace agency has $203,000 in an escrow account to return to Lansing. The state says it owes $230,000.

The only person in Lansing connected with the program retired, however, said DDA Director Deb Evashevski at a DDA meeting May 12, and DDAs were told to keep the money until it was able to continue the collection process. St. Ignace Treasurer Gene Elmer said the previous state auditor had requested additional paperwork, which Mr. Elmer provided more than three years ago. The new auditor, who has just been hired, was recently able to locate the three-year-old documents, which were still in the original unopened envelope mailed by Mr. Elmer.

"We hope we can clear this up in 2006, that's my goal," said Mr. Elmer.

In other business, Shirley Sorrels, director of the Museum of Ojibway Culture, told the authority that the museum store so far has sold $6,000 more than it had last year at this time, primarily through book sales. The store offers Native American crafts and books. The museum offers educational materials on the Native American culture, which are popular with schools, she said. The depleted book inventory needs to be restocked in preparation for the National Congress of American Indians, which will be in Sault Ste. Marie June 18 through 21, she told DDA members. The museum will have a booth at the conference and trade show.

More than 1,500 people from across the country, representing 250 tribes, are expected to attend the four-day event, she said.

The DDA contributes $40,000 annually to the museum and oversees museum operations. Museum funds are tracked in a separate account from the DDA.

Mrs. Evashevski said the Department of Natural Resources has given the go-ahead for engineering on the boardwalk addition at the old railroad dock, which will lead to the new lighthouse. Construction funding is still tied up in the state legislature and politicians, including former State Senator Walter North, have been recruited to pry it loose.

Paving the parking lot behind downtown stores began Monday, May 15, under a $47,881 contract with Norris Construction. The project is expected to take two weeks, said Mrs. Evashevski. Plans originally had called for trees to be placed on an island in the lot, though planners now realize the trees would have interfered with snow plowing. She said the members are considering placing large planters in the space during the summer months.

The DDA will list a house on Glashaw Street for $95,000 with a real estate company after trying to sell it by itself for more than a year. The house faces State Street and contains two apartments. Funds from the sale of the property will be used to finance restoration work at the Museum of Ojibway Culture.

The next DDA meeting is scheduled for Friday, June 9, at 8 a.m. on the second floor of City Hall in council chambers.