Left: Schoolcraft’s team couldn’t catch #12 in time. Right: Easton Poulson throws the ball with all his might. Photos by Stephanie Blentlinger, Lingering Memories Photography.
By Mark Blentlinger
Coach Scott Muffley and the Eagles have had a roller coaster of a season so far, having games rained out and a lack of umpires. This young Eagles team has only two seniors on the roster this season, Tyler DeGroote and Luke Housler.
Muffley has been counting on his team’s pitching and strong defense to put wins in the column. Pitchers that have been key this season are Fisher Holmes, Eli DeVisser and Easton Poulson. Strong relief pitching is able to come in when needed; Austin Jones, Luke Housler, Ryley Brunner, Ethan Goodard and Thomas Rutkoskie have all come in as relievers.
Coach Muffley said “Through thick and thin we have been inconsistent at the plate” with days when the hitting is very good and other days the hits just don’t happen. Muffley added, “We need to get some consistency heading into the postseason.”
Most of the teams the Eagles are playing have more of upperclassmen with more experience under their belts. The Eagles coaching staff has been focused on working on patience and education. The team is sporting a 10-13 record as of now with wins against Delton Kellogg, Constantine, Mattawan, Parchment, Galesburg Augusta and Plainwell. With all games being double headers, the Eagles have also posted losses to most of the teams they have wins against.
On June 4, the Eagles will start the post season by taking on the Colts of Comstock at Centreville in district play.
Schoolcraft’s Abby Curtis drives the ball down the field. Photo by Stephanie Blentlinger, Lingering Memories Photography.
By Mark Blentlinger
Posting a 15-2 record so far this season, the Schoolcraft Ladies soccer team has been dominating its opponents by scoring 103 goals and allowing only 34. The Eagles’ two losses came at the hands of Loy Norrix, 3-8, and Kalamazoo Christian, 0-5. Some of the key wins by the Eagles were against Kalamazoo Central 10-5, Vicksburg 5-0, Lawton 7-0 and Watervliet 10-1.
The Eagles began post-season against the Bronson Vikings at Schoolcraft High School on Roy Davis Field May 25 where they won the District Qualifier, 9-0. They play a District semi-final game Tuesday, May 31 at Roy Davis Field.
The 2022 Schoolcraft Schools Alumni Association Banquet has been cancelled. The group has not held the annual banquet since 2019 due to COVID.
Current members of the Alumni Association Executive Committee include Scott Paquin, president; Aaron Beery, past president; Dale Martinson, treasurer; Sue Bates Hendriksma, acting secretary; and Judy Shelley Oliphant and Betsy Rice, members at large.
New officers are needed for some positions if the Association is to return to normal activities after this year. Those with questions or interested in helping the Alumni Association in the future should email alumni@schoolcraftcs.org.
Early last year, South County News turned to its readers for help with launching a new feature.
We were interested in learning about people and their collections. There was no way of knowing how strong a response we’d receive, or if there would even be any response. In a matter of days, however, emails started pouring in.
One by one, we were contacted by people eager to share their collections. The items were as diverse and interesting as the collectors themselves. Names, phone numbers and emails subsequently were compiled, and collections were featured in the order responses were received.
Over the next 13 months, we followed through on every tip. The first profile was in the May 2021 edition and focused on Jeffrey Kik, who floored us with a mind-boggling collection of more than 20,000 logo golf balls. Perhaps more impressive than the collection itself was Kik’s knowledge of his inventory and his meticulous manner of display.
Kik told us that just a few dozen golf balls had eluded him. One in particular was a Godfather’s Pizza logo golf ball. Through the magic of the internet, company representative Susan Hartmann saw the story and reached out to the newspaper from her Nebraska office. Hartmann was kind enough to send Kik a three-ball sleeve of the long-sought logoed balls.
Die-hard NASCAR collector Scott Phillips, a Schoolcraft-area resident was also included in the column debut. His finished basement served as more of a shrine to the sport than a place to relax.
Aviation enthusiast Patrick Burnham was next, featured in the June edition. Burnham mentioned his longtime desire to secure a full Delta Airlines uniform. A local commercial pilot read the article and jumped into action hoping to help Burnham. In the end, though, Delta had to quash the idea due to security concerns, according to company officials.
Over the next 10 months, we had the pleasure of showcasing a variety of collections and their proud keepers.
Kline’s Resort resident Grace Bond shared her small but special collection of ceramic and toy seals. Vicksburg’s Richard White walked us through his immense Lego collection, displayed on a number of tabletops and arranged to create a dazzling Lego city.
Ken Franklin reminded us you’re never too old to play games. His massive collection of board and card games was too large to include in a single photograph. The youngest collector so far, Vicksburg Middle School student Sawyer Sutherland, awed us as much with his World War II collection as he did his impressive historical knowledge of the event.
Mary Ritter, who lives just outside Schoolcraft, debated whether her collection of porcelain angels was worthy of being profiled. In a word: Yes. Ritter’s clear admiration toward her collection and their beauty were a reminder of the joys that come with collecting and why people collect things in the first place.
Another Kline’s Resort resident, James Gleason, took us back in history with his priceless collection of Native American artifacts. In January, we visited the home of Jon and Bri Neddo in Vicksburg. In addition to their collection of Dungeons and Dragons miniature figures, we were treated to visuals of Bri Neddo’s superior talent as a painter of the pieces.
Vicksburg’s Susan Harper has had a life-long love for horses. We took a look at her collection, which is spread over portions of four rooms and her basement, and felt there was no need to further convince us of her unrelenting affinity toward equines.
Leigh Fitzgerald has spent years exhaustively searching for memorabilia related to the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. We were thrilled to share the fruits of his labor. Area resident Leonard Darling, in fact, read the article and has an item to contribute. We are in the process of arranging a meeting between the two.
The most-recent profile centered on Kathy Hiemstra and her collection of Strawberry Shortcake dolls, figures and memorabilia.
Now, our inventory of collectors to profile has been exhausted. Consider this a call-out to anyone who wouldn’t mind sharing their collections with us and our readers. No matter the size, regardless if it’s an item already profiled, it doesn’t matter how odd.
Please let us know what you have to offer. We hope to return in May and for several months that follow.
Mothers come in all shapes and sizes Children usually think they have the best, Even baby robins are happy in their nest.
Through the years, Moms have been put On a pedestal. They don’t expect To be honored that way, still, Each year, we celebrate “Mother’s Day.”
When we were welcomed into this world She cuddled her bundle of joy, if we’d fuss, Then she caressed, loved and nurtured us.
We squirmed when she gave us a “spit bath” If naughty, we got a swat on the behind, And we learned the importance of being kind.
Did we appreciate the sacrifices she made In order to buy something we longed for? We loved her for the many times she was There with the cough syrup in the middle of The night, for having clean clothes to wear, For sewing the badges onto Scout uniforms, And for putting Band-Aids on our boo-boos.
Your mom still worries about you each day It doesn’t matter how many birthdays You’ve had. Too busy to call her? Now that would be sad.
If you are lucky to still have your Mother Tell her daily the things you want to say, Don’t wait for one special day in May.
Kindergarteners at Indian Lake Elementary School in Vicksburg get ready for a ride in 2021. Photo by Paul Selden.
Inspired by the success of the All Kids Bike Kindergarten PE program in Vicksburg schools, neighboring Climax-Scotts and Schoolcraft school districts have received funding from The Vicksburg Foundation to bring the program to their elementary schools as well.
The innovative program includes an eight-lesson curriculum, PE teacher certification, 25 balance bikes with pedal conversion kits, helmets and support for five years from the Strider Education Foundation. The program can be conducted entirely on school grounds or inside a school gymnasium.
“This will especially benefit many of our students and their families who may be struggling during these unusual times,” said Superintendent Doug Newington of the Climax-Scotts district. “It would be great to provide the opportunity for all of our kindergarteners to learn to ride a bike. It will benefit them for the rest of their lives.”
Schoolcraft Superintendent Rick Frens agreed. “All Kids Bike is an incredible way to teach our students a life-long healthy hobby at an early age. Riding a bike is a great way to stay active and enjoy being outside, and our kids need healthy habits more than ever. Bike riding is also a fun family activity.”
Bike Friendly Kalamazoo is acting as the area’s local fund raiser, helping schools apply for grants and raise the money from local supporters. “The program will help our most precious resource learn to ride safely, and give them a fantastic opportunity to exercise, as well,” said Bill Adams, Bike Friendly’s vice president and chair of its fundraising committee.
Vicksburg PE teacher Sawyer Duncan was one of the first to implement the program in Michigan, in 2021. “While riding a bike seems like a skill that everyone learns, that is not always the case. This program teaches students balance, coordination, perseverance, bike riding and safety. As Bike Friendly Kalamazoo’s Education Chair, my goal is to spread this program to area elementary schools so that every student in greater Kalamazoo knows how to ride a bike safely from a young age.”
Vicksburg Superintendent Keevin O’Neill praised the program. “The All Kids Bike program was easy to integrate into our physical education curriculum and is relatively easy to adopt in any school that has a playground, indoor gym, or safe space in a parking lot. Most importantly, the students thoroughly enjoy the program.”
Information about Bike Friendly Kalamazoo’s All Kids Bike Kindergarten PE Program will be updated at bikefriendlykalamazoo.org. The organization is a 501c3 Michigan nonprofit organization whose mission is to help make the greater community even more bicycle friendly.
