by Justin Gibson | Dec 12, 2019 | Schoolcraft, Sports
Katie Parker.
By Sue Moore
Senior Katie Parker, Schoolcraft’s first-base player, has signed a letter of intent to take her talents to Western Michigan University (WMU).
Katie played first base for the majority of the 2019 season according to coach Shane Barry. Due to teammate injuries, Katie also played 12 games at shortstop. Last season she hit third in the lineup with a batting average of .437, including 52 hits, 51 RBIs, 48 runs, 19 walks and eight homeruns. Defensively, Katie also helped the team with a fielding percentage of .930, 3 errors on 43 chances. These stats are why Katie was named honorable mention All-Area Dream Team, first team All-Conference, first team All-District, and first team All-State.
“The ultimate teammate is a good description of Katie,” Barry said. “Her willingness to help the team any way she could by moving to shortstop for 2-3 weeks was huge for our team and its success. She is constantly encouraging, helping, and having conversations with her teammates. During the off-season, Katie has helped the new freshmen feel welcomed and part of the team. She truly loves and cares about her teammates.”
“As one of the most coachable kids I have ever had, Katie’s potential for her senior season and in college is very high. Katie is always training to improve and learning more about the game; very responsive to instructions,” Barry said. Parker for her part said the new coaches last year lent a lot of enthusiasm to the team. “It was fun coming to practice and that made us better as we continued into the playoffs.”
“Katie is a fun-loving kid who is always smiling and having a good time. She can also flip the switch when it’s time to turn up the intensity! One of the first conversations I had with KP was about how she wants to represent her family, team, school and the community of Schoolcraft the right way. I think that speaks volumes to the kind of person she is. I can’t wait to see the success KP has on and off the field!” Barry added.
Her parents are Erin Holmes and Zac Holmes. She sports a 3.8 GPA and will major in marketing at WMU. “It’s going to be an emotional season for me with it being my senior year at Schoolcraft High School, but I look forward to hopefully bringing back a state title for our town,” Parker said.
by Justin Gibson | Dec 12, 2019 | Schoolcraft, Sports
Adrienne Rosey.
By Sue Moore
Adrienne Rosey, Schoolcraft’s star pitcher during the 2019 softball season, has signed a letter of intent to play ball at Trine University in Angola, Ind. next year. She plans to major in engineering design. In high school she was on the National Honor Society and was all-everything in the pitching category.
Her coach, Shane Barry, said Rosey had a phenomenal year pitching. She had a record of 17-2 with a 2.49 ERA, 172 strikeouts in 103.2 innings and 28 walks. “This speaks of how great of a season she had,” he exclaimed.
Rosey noted that she likes having control of the game but is shy about the attention that has come her way. When not pitching, Rosey proved she could play third base as well. Rosey has a .890 fielding percentage with 89 put outs. Offensive stats continue to speak about the kind of season 2019 was for her. She proved she deserved to be the number two hitter in the lineup all season with a .420 batting average, 55 hits, 39 RBIs, 51 runs, 12 walks, 19 stolen bases, and two home runs. She was honored as Kalamazoo area Athlete of the Week, Players to Watch in Southwest Michigan and was one of the top Michigan players to watch on the way to state finals.
“Always joking around laughing and having a good time. Rosey is another kid who flips the switch when it’s ‘go’ time. She’s a hard worker, cares for her teammates and wants what’s best for herself and her team. Rosey is an all-around great player. It doesn’t matter where she plays defensively or where in the lineup she is, she will excel. I am excited to see what the 2020 season brings for Rosey and the Eagles softball team,” Barry said.
In her junior year, including the post-season, she hit for a .426 batting average and led the team in stolen bases with 18. As Schoolcraft’s pitcher in seven post-season games including the State Final, she was 4-1, allowing nine earned runs, with 1.9 strike-outs per inning pitched. She set new Schoolcraft records for her first three years of competition.
Her sophomore year in 2018 she was on the Conference Leadership Summit, awarded team leadership and sportsmanship twice, plus All-Conference; All-District; All-Region and All-Academic team. The team became conference champs with an 11-1 record.
In 2017 as a freshman, she was All-Conference with a .62 ERA; All-District and Region as a pitcher; The team was conference champion with a 12-0 record. She was on the All-Academic team and named Student Athlete of the Month.
Her parents are Everett and Chris Rosey. She has played on the Sabre Cats travel team for three years.
by Justin Gibson | Dec 12, 2019 | Schoolcraft, Sports
Coach Nate Ferency addresses the Schoolcraft football team following its near miss in the Regional football championships. They lost to Jackson Lumen Christie by the tinniest of margins. That team was runner up in Division 7 state football finals over Thanksgiving weekend.
By Mark Blentlinger
The road to a state football championship for Schoolcraft’s team has often gone through Jackson, where Lumen Christi believes it’s the top dog in Division 7 playoffs. They proved indeed they are on their home field, Nov. 15, beating the Eagles 35-30 in a closely fought duel. The Jackson team is now in the state finals for the fifth year in a row, having beaten Cass City in the quarterfinal game.
The Eagles handed the 10-0 Lawton Blue Devils their first loss to end the team’s season Nov. 8. The high-flying Eagles were able to put up a total of 591 yards against Lawton’s 298, winning 47-10 and giving the team another week of practice and closer to Ford Field.
The next week, however, was not going to be a walk in the park. The Eagles would be hitting the road and heading east to Jackson and Lumen Christi to take on the three-time Division 6 state champions. This year, however, the Titans are in Division 7 and planned on winning another state championship. The Titans sported an 11-0 record; the Eagles, 10-1. The first meeting of these two teams came three years earlier, in the Division 6 District Championship in Schoolcraft, where the Titans were able to stop an Eagle drive with an interception in the end-zone, resulting in a field goal to win 37-34 in overtime. The Titans were facing a Clark then as well – Ricky Clark, a two-time Kalamazoo football player of the year.
Now the Titans would be facing off against Kobe Clark, who was also on the 2016 team as a freshman, playing alongside his older brother. The scene was set. It was a cold Friday night, with snow piled all around the outside of the turf field and heaters on the sidelines.
The Eagles’ first possession ended with a punt on a fourth down. The home team showed some serious ball movement and with all of their size on the offensive line, took the lead on a 33-yard run by number 6, Walker Plate, and the scoreboard read 7-0 Titans.
With another four and out from the Eagles, the Titans hit paydirt again on a one-yard run from Plate. The first quarter ended with the Titans up 14-0. Early in the second quarter, the Titans would find themselves holding a 21-0 lead. The Eagles were able to finally light up the visitor sideline and scoreboard with a 13-yard pass from quarterback Alex Thole to fellow junior Harmon DeVries. Unfortunately, the extra point was wide of the goal posts. The Titans would add another seven before the half ended, giving them the 28-6 lead. Midway through the third quarter, it looked like the Titans were no longer worried about the Eagles and led 35-6. The Eagles, however, were not just going to roll over and give up. Alex Thole hit Parker Lawerence in stride with a perfect 83-yard pass, for an Eagle score. Unfortunately, the Eagles extra point attempt failed again.
Within the first minute of the fourth quarter, Thole’s pass found Lawerence again for a 2-yard score, but again, the extra point eluded the Eagles. With 7:51 left in the game, the duo of Thole to Lawerence struck again, this time on a 72-yard touchdown pass, adding six more for the Eagles. The Titans and their fans began to squirm a little. Thole then added his fifth touchdown pass of the game to Jimmy Downs, from 15 yards out. With another missed extra point, the clock read 1:05. An onside kick failed to go the required 10 yards. The Titans took a knee three times to seal the deal, giving them the win 35-30 and the Regional Championship.
“We were able to put together some quick plays that gave us a chance to come back,” Head Coach Nate Ferency said after the game. He’s proud of the offense, giving Thole time to make his reads and get the ball to the playmakers. “I couldn’t be prouder of all of my guys for never giving up.”
Player of the year candidate, Kobe Clark, fought back tears and said, “I am so proud of all of my teammates. We continued to fight right to the very end. We fought and never gave up.”
The Schoolcraft Eagles will be losing 17 seniors, but Coach Ferency said, “I hope the foundation has been laid by this team and we continue the path we are on.”
by Justin Gibson | Dec 12, 2019 | Government, Schoolcraft
By Travis Smola
“I hope that the townspeople appreciate and the businesses appreciate your generosity,” Christmas walk organizer Deb Christiansen told the Schoolcraft Village Council.
“But in organizing the event this year I was getting a little bit of pushback,” Christiansen added. She said she had asked each of the business owners to contribute $50 towards expenses for the walk. The annual event is highlighted by arts and crafts sales, bake goods, holiday music, food service and other items for sale at local businesses and churches. Christiansen has been involved with the walk for a few years since the walk’s founder, Norma Tackett, passed away.
Christiansen said much of the $642 she was asking for goes to advertising in the South County News. “I feel it is very important to have the advertisement there,” she said. Christiansen also plans to use the funds for other promotional materials and presented posters and brochures for the event to the council.
She also asked about the possibility of the village opening its building during the walk as a restroom stop and a place for walkers to warm up in case of bad weather. “The public restrooms are really kind of limited downtown,” she added.
When the Council discussed the matter, Trustee Todd Carlin asked if the funds could possibly come out of the Downtown Development Authority’s fund. Village Manager Cheri Lutz and Finance Director Tammi Youngs said funds are available there and could probably be used for the purpose.
Council members unanimously agreed to approve the financial assistance and rounded the number up to $650. Lutz also told Christiansen they could discuss possible use of the village’s building for the event. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Christiansen said.
The council at the meeting also approved $510 in financial assistance to Eagle’s Nest. The Nest operates the Schoolcraft Food Pantry and Friday Pack, which provides meals to students on weekends who might otherwise not eat. It also operates Adam’s Kids, which provides food, diapers and other necessities to struggling families.
The three organizations receive a lot of support and donations from local churches and youth groups, but were there to ask the council’s support to pay their utilities. They noted that the food pantry has improved greatly and there is no waiting list to receive donations this year. “We thank you very much for what you do for us because we can continue to serve those who come to us and ask for help,” Sue Kuiper of Friday Pack told the Council.
The Eagle’s Nest item was already in the budget; trustees unanimously approved the request for another year. The trustees thanked the agencies for their service to the community. “Your lights won’t go out this year,” Gunnett said.
by Justin Gibson | Dec 12, 2019 | Government, Schoolcraft
By Sue Moore
Could the threat of annexation by a neighboring city or village cause Schoolcraft Township to become a charter township? Its Board of Trustees considered the possibility, then placed the issue before voters on a March 10, 2020 ballot. The vote to do so was unanimous.
“Becoming a charter township would protect us from annexation,” Supervisor Don Ulsh explained. “The Portage city manager told me they don’t have enough property to build affordable housing on anymore.” Other governmental units too have eyeballed expanding their village boundaries into the township over the years, he has indicated on other occasions.
“What are the downsides of going in this direction?” Treasurer Teresa Scott asked.
Township Attorney Mike Homier didn’t offer downsides. “We would be able to provide more fire and police protection than a general law township. It would make annexation a lot more difficult for others if we were a charter township.”
Trustee Ken Hovenkamp asked if switching to a charter township government would make a difference in efforts to create a district to fund sewer expansion in the township?
It would not, Homier said.
General law townships, according to an article on the Michigan Townships Association website, receive at least one mill of the tax of up to 15 to 18 mills allocated among a county, its townships, school districts and an intermediate school district. A charter township does not share in that allocation, but voters may authorize a tax of up to five mills, or up to 10 mills with another vote. Currently the township receives .8 mills.
In other business, trustees heard a presentation from Joanna Johnson, director of the Kalamazoo County Road Commission, citing the services provided to the township residents along with the use of township road money on secondary roads. The road commission is responsible for 1,268 miles of roads in the county. Johnson stressed the need for citizens to be the county’s eyes on the condition of roads they travel. There is a portal on the road commission web site where people can report anything that needs to be fixed on any road in the county. It is possible on the web site to track this report through to its final outcome.
A civil complaint that has been simmering between neighbors for two years was again brought in front of the board, asking for their help in resolving the dispute. The disputants were allowed time at the end of the meeting to describe their problem but no decision was made.
A condemnation order for the Plainsman Motel on US 131 to demolish it has an upcoming hearing in January, the attorney informed the board.
by Justin Gibson | Dec 12, 2019 | Government, Schoolcraft
President Keith Gunnett and Trustee Mike Rochholz discuss budget cuts for Schoolcraft village.
By Travis Smola
The Schoolcraft Village Council approved budget cuts totaling $57,474 for the rest of the fiscal year ending in March.
Village President Keith Gunnett said “The cuts were because our village has gotten a letter from the state of Michigan for the last four years requesting a corrective action plan due to the spending down of our general fund balance.”
He said the cuts are vital for keeping everything running smoothly. “That still doesn’t get us to a zero balanced budget,” he said. “It still looks like we’re going to be taking money out of fund balance to balance it in the end.”
Effective with the vote, the village will reduce police coverage from 24 hours a day, seven days a week to 20 hours a day for seven days a week until March. This will save $8,900.
Schoolcraft will also postpone codification of ordinances until March. This move saves $20,000. It will reduce equipment rental rates by 80 percent retroactively back to March 1 of this year to save another $12,300. This prompted a request for further explanation from Trustee Todd Carlin.
The village will also hold off on filling two positions until at least March. Postponing filling a vacant Department of Public Works position will save $15,000. The other, a municipal complex cleaning position, will save about $1,300. Gunnett said the staff agreed to take on the tasks of the municipal complex in-house for the time being.
Gunnett said they didn’t like taking these cuts, but it was something that had to be done. “We’re now to the point we’re going to be cutting into positions or pay or cutting services to the public, which you don’t want to do,” Gunnett said. “We can’t keep living by digging into our fund balance every year to balance our budget.”
Trustee Kathy Mastenbrook pointed out this wasn’t the only thing the village was doing about the budget. “This is not the only cuts we’ve made,” she said. “Staff has taken no increases. The council has taken a reduction of pay. There have been other avenues we’ve pursued besides this that were not enough. That’s why this is being done in addition.”
Tammi Youngs, village finance director, noted during the meeting that they have looked at the possibility of using a Headlee override. The Headlee Amendment of 1978 requires voter approval for a local tax increase. Youngs said an override would raise the millage from 14.7 to 17 mills, an additional $2.30 per $1,000 taxable valuation, and bring in an additional $87,000 a year.
Michael Rochholz noted that’s an option to consider, saying it would bring taxes in the village back to where they are supposed to be. “We’re just under where we were tax revenue-wise before the recession,” Rochholz said. He said they need to watch the money and make sure they don’t overspend. Rochholz also believes they will probably need to plan more revenues and cuts for the near future.
The Headlee Amendment requires local tax rates to be reduced below authorized levels if the taxing unit’s total valuation increases faster than the rate of inflation. Voters may override the reduction.
Through it all, Gunnett stressed that even though they’re making cuts, the village is not in a dire situation. “The village is not in any jeopardy of our fund balance being so low that we can’t function,” Gunnett added. “We’re far and above what the state requires for a minimal fund balance.”
