by Justin Gibson | Feb 25, 2019 | Community, Schoolcraft
Some of the board members who are working on bringing the Miracle Field to Schoolcraft are seated: Jud Hoff, president; standing, from left: Josh Baird, vice-president; Heather Meyer, marketing and public relations; David Olson, founder; Lisa Anspaugh, treasurer; Bill Deming, secretary; Josh Will, fundraising.
By Sue Moore
A field of dreams is coming to Schoolcraft. It’s to be called the Miracle League of Southwest Michigan. devoted to a baseball field for children with disabilities.
To Dave Olson of Vicksburg, it’s simply the Miracle Field. He and many others have become the driving force behind planning the layout and recruiting children who would benefit from having a place of their own to play baseball.
They have submitted an application to the IRS for 501c3 status and should know soon if their dream qualifies as a nonprofit. The group Is on Facebook as Southwest Michigan Miracle League.
Olson witnessed such a field in Grand Rapids last summer and vowed to bring a similar structure to the South Kalamazoo County area. With the help of Bill Deming, former parks and recreation director in Portage, they found the perfect place to locate such a field; at the Dome in Schoolcraft, owned by Josh and Amber Baird and Jud Hoff.
A more dedicated group of people could hardly be found anywhere, Olson says. He personally helped to recruit Deming, Jud Hoff and Josh Baird. Others quickly said yes when they heard his dream. “We don’t want to turn away any child that is interested. The kids in the Grand Rapids area say they live for the days they get to come and play baseball. There are so many disabled kids out there – it’s a whole demographic of people not being served. I have an army of people who want to help with this project,” Olson claimed. He is the owner of The Postman on Sprinkle Road.
Olson is passionate about the opportunities the Miracle Field will provide for people with disabilities. He believes it will offer life-changing activities including camaraderie and a sense of teamwork for kids who don’t get that in the real world. One of the unique aspects will involve a buddy system of volunteers that will assist the players, Olson said.
Jud Hoff, president of the new board of directors, aims to bring the field to reality. Deming has been researching the requirements for a field that will work for kids with disabilities. It will be asphalt with a rubber matting over the top and maybe Astro turf shaved down so the surface area will accommodate wheelchairs and walkers so they won’t roll over. It will need dugouts that wheel chairs can access along with a pitching machine and other amenities, Deming said.
Other board members include Lisa Anspaugh, treasurer and an accountant who lives in Schoolcraft and Josh Will, vice president and wealth management officer with Southern Michigan Bank & Trust, in charge of fundraising and Heather Meyer, public relations and marketing with her business of HMM Consulting. Although this small group has been working together on planning for six months, it has just added two new board members, Dr. Luchara Wallace from Western Michigan University’s special education department who specializes in learning disabilities, and Wade Rutkoskie of Schoolcraft, who will lead construction efforts and is senior business manager at Tekna Corp.
The board members have formed a Youth Corps to support the organization. It consists of Baird’s son, Jacob, at Vicksburg, and Hoff’s son, Bryce, at Portage Central, and the friends they have recruited.
by Justin Gibson | Feb 25, 2019 | Community, Schoolcraft, Vicksburg
By Schoolcraft 8th Graders Alivya Mandigo (Writer/ Interviewer),
Brandon Machinski (Photographer), and Aidan Flinton (Copy Editor)
Black History Month was established in 1926 and has been celebrated in February by many Americans ever since. It’s a month when schools, libraries, businesses and other organizations honor African Americans who fought for their rights. Many schools use the month to further educate students about the people who represented themselves and their beliefs in a way that made a difference in the world.
African Americans are honored because they did what everybody thought was undoable – they stood up even when they were told to sit down, because they believed they could make a difference for themselves and others.
The observance goes beyond our own borders; It’s an annual observance in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Netherlands. The European nations observe it in October.
The Schoolcraft Community Library purchases and sets out books that highlight achievements of African American men and women to help people become more aware about black history. A librarian points out it’s not a topic generally addressed.
An 8th grade student from Vicksburg says that her school doesn’t really do anything to acknowledge this month or educate the students about these important people. This student was asked if she thought this month was important to celebrate. “Yes, because we need to remember important people.” She also says that she thinks her school should start a club for students that are curious about the topic of black history instead of stopping current units to learn about it.
Black History Month is a time of honoring and celebrating African Americans, though a lot of schools and businesses in our area still don’t do enough to acknowledge it.
by Justin Gibson | Feb 25, 2019 | Community, Schoolcraft, Vicksburg
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Weddings can be very festive.
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Local pastors were asked by the South County News religion writer, John Fulton to share a few of their memorable stories about weddings they have performed.
Rev. William Planck
(This is their personal story told in first person)
My wife and I were the principals in a “hillbilly” wedding when I was serving as associate pastor.
The idea was that I, as the groom, did not know who I was going to marry.
The wedding party was at the front of the church, with my wife playing the bride.
The pastor was escorting me, in my bibs, T shirt, over-sized boots and straw hat, from the back of the church to the front.
Every time I passed a woman or girl, I lunged at them and said. “Is this the one?” to the delight of most and the startled rejection of others.
When we got to the front, the pastor’s wife, a reserved “old church” woman, was my wife’s maid of honor and the head usher was my best man.
When we arrived at the front I was introduced to my bride.
Keeping in character, I said, “If it’s all the same to you I’d rather have this one.” as I lunged at the pastor’s wife.
She gave out a scream and ran off the platform. So, in character, I took off and chased her all the way around the church to the delight of everyone except the pursued.
When we got back to the Platform, I was again introduced to my bride, and told that she was the one. Vows were exchanged, which include such things as “sloping from the same troth”.
After the vows, we were pronounced man and wife and retreated to the back of the church with a standing ovation from everyone.
“Tha, tha, that’s all folks”
Pastor Buff Coe
I have always believed that if I ever wrote a memoir of my pastoral ministry, wedding and funeral stories would have a prominent place. At such events, we ask people who have little or no experience with such ceremonies to participate in rituals with which they have little familiarity and probably no prior experience.
My first such memory concerns a wedding that took place in 1978 during the great blizzard of ‘78. The groom’s family brought the food for the rehearsal dinner to the church on snowmobiles since that was the only way in or out of their road.
My next memory comes from the early 1990s. The wedding took place in the chapel of the large suburban church where I was the associate pastor. It was February and the heat was on. It was warm in the room and I suspect the men in the wedding party had been celebrating a little too much the night before. At the point in the service where I asked the best man for the rings, he said, “I can’t see s—,” and he toppled over. (You may want to edit this story for publication, but that is what he said.)
The other situation involved a couple who had been married for 40 years. Everyone knew the relationship was troubled, so no one was surprised when the husband moved out and the couple divorced. However, after a few months, the two of them began dating. Later, the husband moved back into the house and eventually they asked to be married. I figured that if they didn’t know what they were getting into after 40 years together, nothing that happened in three sessions with their pastor was likely to change their minds, so I went ahead and presided at the wedding without the usual premarital sessions. They remained together until the husband died a few years ago.
At one of my first churches, which averaged about 40 in Sunday morning attendance, we kept the heat turned down when the building was not in use. Before each wedding, I had to remember to turn the heat up so the building would be at a comfortable temperature. The only heat vent in the sanctuary was a large metal grate in the floor about halfway down the center aisle. At one of my first weddings, which took place in the wintertime, I conscientiously turned the heat on so the building would be comfortable for the ceremony. Unfortunately, the furnace kicked on just as the processional was starting, so the bridesmaids each had to pass over the heat grate which blew their fluffy petticoats up over their heads! After that experience, I learned to turn the heat off at least five minutes prior to the ceremony so the bridesmaids did not have to hold their skirts down as they walked down the aisle!
Pastor Ed Courtney
I have found in doing wedding ceremonies “things” will happen and you must be ready to be flexible and innovative at all times. The only wedding I ever had where there was a problem was when the best man forgot the bride’s ring. During the portion of the service where the rings and vows were to be exchanged I put my hand out to receive it from the best man and he just looked at me like I just shot him. With very wide eyes and a shrug of his shoulders – NO RING. In that moment I thought, “You had one job to do and you dropped the ball.” I smiled and leaned into his face saying, “Play along, reach into your pocket and hand me an imaginary ring.” He complied and I held up the imaginary ring, spoke of its significance and the groom took the imaginary ring and recited his vows slipping the imaginary ring on her finger. To my knowledge they are still married and with the real deal -–a real ring.
Pastor Greg Culver
I don’t have a funny wedding story so far as those types of stories go. Mine tend more toward the awkward type like a bride on the verge of a nervous breakdown because the “perfect day” was unattainable. I’ve had mothers contend with me for control of the wedding. A lecherous father hitting on the maid of honor. A groom who showed up drunk (It was a wedding I immediately cancelled, much to the chagrin of the entire family. But the warning was given at the rehearsal.).
During my twenty years, I have also officiated over some very beautiful, poignant moments when the couple teared up when sharing vows to one another and holding that promise before God. Another couple, the first thing they wanted to do upon be wed was share Communion with their family and friends. An older couple who giggled so much they had to take time out to suck on their oxygen before the ceremony ended.
by Justin Gibson | Feb 24, 2019 | Schoolcraft, Schools
By Travis Smola
The Schoolcraft school board at its January meeting approved refinancing the district’s 2009 bonds at lower interest rates. The move is expected to save an estimated $400,000. That’s expected to show up in lower tax rates dedicated to repayment.
Refinancing won’t affect the maturity of the loans, which will be paid by 2026. But it lowers interest rates which ranged from 2.5-4.75 percent.
The district was able to borrow at 2.26 percent and a cost of $4,345,000. The buyer is Stifel, Nicolaus & Company Inc, a brokerage and investment banking firm from Okemos. The result is an eight-year, $400,987 savings to taxpayers until 2026 when the repayment term ends. Of that savings, $72,873 will be used to pay the advisors and lawyers involved in the process.
“That savings will go straight to the community in the form of reduced millage rates,” said the district’s attorney, Matt Hiser of Thrun Law. “I think it’s always important for the district to understand and the community to understand that this isn’t a savings going into the school district general fund, this is really an opportunity for the district to give back to the community by taking advantage of this opportunity.”
Because the process is heavily regulated, the money can be returned only as savings and not banked for future projects.
While the process is similar to refinancing a home mortgage, Finance Director Rita Broekema said that unlike a mortgage, there are limited windows for a district to do this kind of refinancing. In the case of the 2009 bonds, this was the district’s last chance to do it.
The whole process has been ongoing since November. The district worked with PFM Financial Advisors to evaluate its credit rating ahead of the sale. PFM then worked with Standard and Poor’s Financial Services to establish a stable rating of “AA-“ for the district due to a stable economy, low overall debt and growing property tax base.
“Schoolcraft Community Schools’ bonds were well received by the bond market with interest from local banks and national investors,” Stifel Managing Director Brodie Killian said in a district press release. “We were able to take advantage of current low interest rates that met the goals of the district and resulted in a nice savings that will be passed on to the district’s taxpayers.”
“The board of education is very intentional about being good stewards of taxpayer dollars,” Board Treasurer Kathy Mastenbrook said in the statement. “We are committed to being transparent and accountable. We take seriously that which has been entrusted to us and are committed to managing our resources wisely.”
by Justin Gibson | Feb 24, 2019 | Schoolcraft, Sports
Bowling coaches Logan and Mark Blentlinger.
The Eagle bowling program, in the middle of its 13th season, is experiencing growing pains. Graduation hit the Eagles hard with just three bowlers returning from the 2017-18 teams.
First-year head coach for the boys’ program is Logan Blentlinger; the assistant coach is Ally West. Both were bowlers for the program in earlier years. Blentlinger was a pivotal part of the program’s first-ever Regional championship team in 2012 and was also that year’s Division 4 individual Regional champion. West was the first girl to go on to bowl at the state level. The two are bringing some great experience to this team.
New bowlers in the boys’ program have adapted very well and are starting to progress nicely, according to Coach Blentlinger. He is very happy with how fast these new bowlers are coming along. Leading the team in average is sophomore Max Desmond with a 144, followed closely by sophomore Kyle Fleck with a 138 average so far. The boys are competing against some very strong teams with lots of experience. The toughest team they face is Bronson, the reigning Division 4 state champions.
|The girls program is coached by Mark Blentlinger who took over the entire bowling program in 2010 from retiring coach Roy Stanford, who had started the program four years before. The girls lone returning bowler is sophomore Maya Pearce. “She has done a great job helping the new bowlers learn the ropes,” her coach said. Pearce is leading the team with an average of 116 followed by freshman Lindsey Hills with a 104. Both teams have a 3-8 record in the conference right now.
by Justin Gibson | Feb 24, 2019 | Schoolcraft, Sports
The Schoolcraft boys’ varsity basketball team has been rolling over opponents this season even though bad weather caused cancellations against Coloma and Watervliet. It has a record of 13-1. Hackett Catholic Central was able to hand the Eagles their only loss 56-72 back in December. Now 7-1 in the conference play, they beat Delton-Kellogg Jan. 31 convincingly 76-38 and Lawton by the same score on Feb. 1.
Three Eagles hit double digits in the win against the Panthers. Kobe Clark netted 18, followed by Ty Rykse with 16 and Bryce VanderWiere with 12. The Eagles were able to force 25 turnovers and out-rebounded the Panthers 54-31.
The Eagles will see Hackett again Feb. 5. They will host Kalamazoo Christian for homecoming and senior night on the 8th. That will be followed by heading to Constantine to face the Falcons on the 19th and a make-up game against Coloma on Feb. 20. They start off District play against the Comets of Kalamazoo Christian at Gobles High School at 7:30 pm on Feb. 25.
