volume 1, issue 51
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The Weekly Pride Volume 1, Issue 51TRANSCRIPT
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Twenty-five years of coaching ball for kids from first grade to college, Bill Ballagh is well known around the soccer and baseball fields in the Stockbridge area. He is one of the volunteer youth coaches th rough S tockbr idge Community Education. Most of us know the huge commitment coaching can be, and the importance of good role models for children. It was Bill’s father that was his role model and showed him how to give back to his community. “My Dad was a tremendous worker,” Bill began. “He was the type to lead by example. He coached and taught school for 18 years. I still consider him the best baseball coach I’ve ever seen!” It was Bill’s connection with Community Education that led him to the Stockbridge Outreach. He and his
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If you’re like most parents you are thinking “EEEEK school’s almost here.” Preparing for school can be one of the most stressful times of the year for the whole family. Here are six simple ideas to make it easier. 1. Ease into the school year. Starting early will make it easier on everyone. Move bedtime back at least three weeks before school starts. Don’t make plans for a big trip just before school starts. Try to get the whole family back into the school year routine ahead of time. Reestablish the homework, TV time and bath schedules now to make it easier when school starts. During homework time you can read to young children and practice skills such as writing and multiplication with older children. Designate a place in the house where homework is to be done and encourage the rest of the family to be quiet during this time to discourage distractions. Only 15 to 30 minutes a day is necessary to get the homework routine established. Starting this schedule early will make it amazingly smooth on the first day of school. Everyone’s attitude and stress level will be better. Some children experience anxiety about starting in a new class or school. Parents can relieve this anxiety by talking
with their children and reassuring them that most children feel this way. Put a positive spin on the event by involving them in picking out their school clothes and supplies. Talk to them about the new things they will be learning and the new friends they will make. Remind them of the friends they will be seeing again after the summer and if possible set up play dates with some of them to reestablish those supportive relationships prior to the first day of school. Middle school children about to start High School may be anxious about the change. Here is a book for them that will help with the transition. High School Bound: The Ultimate Guide for High School Success and Survival. (Westgate Publishing &
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Ready, Set, School! by Julie Glair, freelance writer
The Forgotten “Thank You” - Bill Ballagh by Julie Glair, freelance writer
MASON AVIATION DAY YANKEE AIR
FORCE COMES TO TOWN
Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 55 will host MASON AVIATION DAY on Saturday, August 15th, from 7:30 am until 6:00 pm. The Yankee Air Force will be coming to town with their WWII B-17 Bomber Yankee Lady , along with their Stinson V-77 Reliant Yankee Friend Ship . The public is invited to come and tour these meticulously restored World War II era aircraft. Better yet - experience the flight of the lifetime on board either or both! Portions of the proceeds from the sale of their flights and memberships will support the rebuilding effort of the Yankee Air Museum that was destroyed by fire at Willow Run Airport on October 9th,
(Continued on page 6) Bill Ballagh and family after he was awarded Volunteer of the Year at Stockbridge’s
annual, A Day in The Village festivities.
By mid July, most kids are bored with summer and are anxious for school to start. But for two local area young men, this summer has just opened up an entirely new avenue. Nick May of Williamston and Elliott Silveus of Leslie recently attended the
13th Annual World Championship of Per-forming Arts. Held at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles July 12-18, the World Championship of Performing Arts (www.WCOPA.com) is a sort of Olym-pics for the Performing Arts. Leslie resident talent scout Karen Van
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Local Stars Shine Bright in LA by Corinda Hackworth
Elliott Silveus shows off his hard earned medals.
The Board of Education of the Leslie Public Schools is pleased to announce that a tentative agreement with the Leslie Education Association has been ratified by both parties. According to the Association leadership, the LEA ratified the agreement on Friday July 31 by an overwhelming majority. Board members applauded the parties ability to work together in face of a very challenging financial picture. Board President Randy Sherrell stated, “In a time of declining State revenues, we were able to explore creative solutions to our financial challenges. The Board and I very much appreciate the Association leadership and teachers for their
collaborative mindset which enabled us to turn the corner and come to an agreement.” Trustee Pat Fogg thanked the District and Union bargaining teams for never giving up, and being able to work together during the summer. “I know times are tough, but it is when things are difficult that creative solutions can emerge. Thank you for all you did to reach this agreement.” The four year contract provides for no increases to the teacher’s salary schedule, but teachers will either receive half of their automatic annual step salary increases or a one time, off schedule salary payment of $615 during the upcoming school year. Scarce District
dollars are also dedicated to preserving the teachers’ MESSA insurance plan, but at a reduced benefit plan design and with a specific sharing of future cost increases in the insurance. Teachers will experience increases in prescription drug copays, office visits and annual deductibles, and will pay $1040 per year for their new health insurance plan. Superintendent Corey Netzley described what made the deal come together. “Our teachers acknowledged the District’s need to maintain a fixed set of costs during these difficult school years when State funding is reduced and uncertain. We acknowledged the Association’s desire to trade salary
schedule increases as well as automatic step increases for lower out of pocket insurance costs and maintaining a reduced MESSA plan. By acknowledging each party’s priorities, we were able to collaborate on a four year agreement.” The four year agreement is welcome as the District and teachers prepare to welcome students to a new school year. “We are very pleased to devote our full energies to maintaining the great education the Leslie Public Schools offers our students,” said Board Vice President Bill Myers.
LESLIE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE LESLIE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION RATIFY A TENTATIVE AGREEMENT
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August 11, 2009 www.theweeklypride.com 888-318-1766
Mondays - Free Play Group - ages 1-4 from 10-11am - Leslie First Baptist Church, 202 E. Bellevue St. Mondays - Free Line Dance Classes - Hankerd Hills Golf Course - 7:00pm Mondays - Support Group for Taking Off Pounds Sensibly. Weigh in from 5:15-5:45pm at the First Baptist Church in Leslie. Meeting from 6:00-6:45pm Contact Coleen, 589-8145. Thursdays - Free Play Group - ages 1-3 from 10-11am - Stockbridge Heritage Elementary Gym, 222 Western Ave - Contact Wendy Moncada, 517-372-9411 ext. 6 to register. Fridays - Summer Activities in the Park - Sponsored by Stockbridge Community Education and Friends of the Library - Veterans Memorial Park playground pavilion - Stories, Crafts, Games for kids - 10:00am-Noon
Thursday, August 13th - Stockbridge Community Outreach Board Meeting - Stockbridge Middle School Room 117 - 4:45pm Saturday, August 15th - Sunday, August 16th - Antique Tractor, Truck and Farm Equipment Show - Waterloo Farm Museum, 9998 Waterloo-Munith Rd, Grass Lake - Free Event to the public. All tractors welcome. (See Ad on page 8) Wednesday, August 19th - Waterloo Area Historical Society Board of Directors Meeting - 12700 Jaycox Rd, Stockbridge - 7:00pm
Wednesday, August 19th - Stockbridge Downtown Development Authority Meeting - Council Chambers - 134 E. Main St - 7:00pm Saturday, August 22nd - Stockbridge Summertime on the Square - All Sports Day - Downtown - 9:00am Wednesday, August 26th - Leslie City Planning Commission Meeting - Leslie City Hall - 6:00pm
COMMUNITY CALENDER
Church of Christ 4783 S. M-52 Hwy, Stockbridge (517) 851-8141 Sunday Bible Study 10:15 am Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 am Sunday Evening Worship 6:00 pm Wednesday Bible Study 6:30 pm Ministers Bruce Harris and Larrel Whitaker Christ Episcopal Church 9900 N. Meridian Road, Pleasant Lake Sunday Morning 9:00 Youth Sunday School 9:00 Phone 517-769-2333 Congregational United Church of Christ 116 W. Bellevue Rd, Leslie 517-589-5226 Sunday Worship 10:30 Christian Education opportunities every day of the week. www.lesliecongchurch.org/ [email protected] Rev. Dr. thom Bower, Pastor and Teacher
Dansville Free Methodist Church 1340 Mason Street, Dansville (517) 623-0365 Pastor Amy Thompson SS 9:30-10:30 am Morning Worship 10:30-11:30 Evening Worship 6:00 pm Wednesday Prayer meeting 7:00 pm Dansville United Methodist Church 1317 Mason Street, Dansville (517) 623-6591 (517) 623-6594 Worship & Sunday School 9:15 am Pastor Don Fry Family Tabernacle Church of God 5115 Green Road, Stockbridge (517) 851-8327 Sunday Worship 10:30 am Wednesday Evening 7:00 pm at Howlett School 126 Webb St, Gregory www.familytabernaclecog.net Pastor Jeff Howard First Baptist Church “Leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ” 950 S. Clinton Road, PO Box 64, Stockbridge (517) 851-7075 Sunday Worship 9:15 & 11:00 am Discovery Island Sunday 11:00 am Wednesday 5th Dimension Youth Group 6:00 pm Tuesday & Thursday Exercise Class 9:00am www.1stbcs.org [email protected] Pastor Brian Johnson
First Methodist Church of Waterloo Territorial Road, Stockbridge (517) 851-7287 First Presbyterian Church 101 S. Center Street, Stockbridge (517) 851-7015 Sunday School 9:30 am Sunday Morning Worship 10:30 am Church Offices Open T-W-F 9am-12 Pastor Shannon O’Leary Freedom Community Church “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 Leslie Public Middle School Cafeteria Kimball Road, Leslie, MI Pastor Wes Emmerson 517-676-3222 Sunday Worship – 10am Good Shepherd Mission 5050 E. M-36, Stockbridge (517) 851-9800 Morning Service 10:30 am Tuesday Bible Study Parson Billy R. Allen Grace Lutheran Church 212 S. Sherman St., Leslie Pastor Martin Schroeder Sunday Worship 10:00 am Sunday School & Bible Class 9:00 am Grand River Community Church "Where Living Water Flows" 2443 Olds Rd, Leslie Pastor Bruce Crockett [email protected] (517)589-5448 Sunday Worship 10:30 AM Gregory Community Church “A Caring Community” 126 Church Street, Gregory (734) 498-2591 Sunday Worship 11:00 a.m. Rev. Heidi DeMott-Shanes, Pastor [email protected] Highest Praise Worship Center 5107 S. Clinton Street, Stockbridge (517) 851-7758 Sunday Morning Worship 10:30 am Sunday Evening Worship 6:00 pm Wednesday Family Enrichment Night 7:00-8:00 pm Bishop Jeffrey Lambert
HOW DO YOU KNOW?
Heritage United Brethren Church Meets at Dansville High School (517) 281-8931 Sunday School 9:00 am Sunday Morning Worship 10:30 am Sunday Night HS Youth Group 7:00 Tuesday Night MS Youth Group 7:00 Monday Night Elementary Youth Group 3:00 pm www.hubchurch.weebly.com Pastor Cal Hodgson Email: [email protected] Pastor: Jeruel Baptist Church 11400 Plum Orchard Road, Munith (517) 596-2128 Sunday School 10:00 am Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 am Sunday Evening Worship 6:00 pm Wednesday Youth Clubs & Prayer Meeting 6:30 pm Pastor Bob Castle Millville United Methodist Church 1932 N. M-52 Hwy, Stockbridge (517) 851 -7853 Pastor Robert Freysinger [email protected] www.millvillechurch.org Sunday Services: Breakfast from 8:30 - 9:30 Blended Worship Service 9:30 a.m. Adult Bible Study Class 11:00 a.m. Tuesday Bible Study - 1:00 p.m. Wednesday Bible Study - 6:30p.m. Munith United Methodist Church 224 N. Main Street, Munith (517) 596-2441 Worship Hour - 9:30 Rev. Larry Rubingh Plainfield United Methodist Church 17845 M-36, Gregory Sunday School 10:00 am Sunday Worship 11:15 am Minister Judi Darling S.S. Cornelius & Cyprian Catholic Church 1320 Catholic Church Road, Leslie (517) 589-8492 Weekend Masses: Sunday 8:00 am & 10:30 am Saturday Confessions 4:00-4:30 pm Father Mike Petroski
VISIT A LOCAL CHURCH TODAY!
Southwest Church of the Nazarene 14555 Holmes Road PO Box 74, Gregory, MI 48137 Church : (734) 498-2682 Pastor : (734) 395-9157 Sunday Services: Sunday School - 10:00am Morning Worship - 11:00am Evening Service - 6:00pm Wednesday - 7:00pm NETS (Teen Program) Caravan for Grades 1 - 6 Benson’s Buddies - Age 3 - K Pastor Gary A. Slusher [email protected] St Jacob Evangelical Lutheran Church 12501 Riethmiller Rd, Grass Lake (517) 522-4187 Sunday Worship 10:15 am Pastor Scott Schwertfeger www.stjacobgrasslake.org Stockbridge United Methodist Church 219 E. Elizabeth Street, Stockbridge (517) 851-7676 Rev. Larry Rubingh Worship Hour - 11:00 am Trinity Pentecostal Church 4935 Freiermuth Road, Stockbridge (517) 565-3310 Sunday School 10:00 am Sunday Worship 10:45 am Wednesday Youth Group 7:00 pm Thursday Bible Study 10:30 am Pastor Mark Roark Trinity Lutheran Church Missouri Synod 5758 West M-36 Putnam Township 734-878-5977 Pastor Merelyn Snider Sunday School 8:45 am Sunday Worship 10:00 am Pastor: Unadilla Presbyterian Church 20175 Williamsville Road, Gregory (734) 498-2348 Sunday Worship 11:00 am Pastor John Qiu United Baptist Church 2510 Heeney Road, Stockbridge (517) 565-3121
If your church is not listed please let us know! Email [email protected].
August 11, 2009 www.theweeklypride.com 888-318-1766
PAGE 3 - THE WEEKLY PRIDE
LIBRARY EVENTS
This summer, Be Creative @ the Library! Our Summer Reading Program is for kids, teens and adults. Come in to sign up and start earning fun prizes. We also have free family entertainment all summer long. DANSVILLE ALL AGES ADULTS Adult Book Discussion Tuesday, Aug.18 6:30 pm Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins LESLIE All Ages Family Movie Nights Mondays, August 10, 17, 24 5:30 p.m. Stop by the library or call (517) 589-9400 for titles. CHILDREN Children’s Crafts Wednesdays, August 5 and 12 3:30 p.m. TEENS & TWEENS Crafts for Teens & Tweens Thursdays, August 6 and 13 3:30 p.m. Game Night @ the Library Thursday, Aug. 20 6–7:30 pm Join us for Wii and board game competitions. ADULTS Adult Book Discussion Wednesday, Aug. 12 1 pm The Bath Massacre by Arnie Bernstein STOCKBRIDGE ALL AGES Live at the Library Series Enjoy free performances featuring locally-based musicians. Past performances have included brass band to jazz to blues to country and bluegrass. Try out some tunes yourself at open mic sessions preceding the performances. Find details at the library, or give us your email address and we’ll add you to our Live at the Library list. We’re a great smoke- and alcohol-free venue—refreshments, too! CHILDREN Activities in the Park Fridays, Aug. 7 & 14 10 am Come to Veterans Park for stories and games. Receive “Be Creative @ the Library” coupons that can be redeemed for prizes at the library (while supplies last.) Pre-registration appreciated by calling (517) 851-8222. This program is a joint effort of Stockbridge Community Education and the Friends of the Stockbridge Library.
Real Estate Corner With Sandy Goetz,
Realtor ® If you need more information or have any questions, you can email me at [email protected] Or call me at 734-475-3737
FHA Program to Help Struggling Home
Owners The newly enhanced FHA Making Home Affordable Loan Modification Program will help struggling home owners—who qualify—to significantly reduce their monthly mortgage payments and stay in their homes, said NAR President Charles McMillan in a public statement. The changes expand the Obama administration's Making Home Affordable Loan Modification Program to include FHA borrowers. NAR is optimistic that this will have positive implications for thousands of home owners, McMillan said. “Until foreclosures have been significantly reduced and housing inventory reaches a more normal level, there can be no true housing recovery," McMillan said. "The FHA–HAMP program will go a long way in achieving these important goals by helping FHA servicers bring mortgages current, buy down loans by up to 30 percent of the unpaid principal balance, and defer these amounts until the first mortgage is paid off." NAR will continue to call on Congress and the Obama administration to expand the first-time home buyer tax credit to all home buyers and continue efforts to streamline the short-sale process. "Along with the expanded loan modification program, addressing these issues will help reduce foreclosures and housing inventory, and stabilize home values," McMillan said. Source: NAR/Realtor Magazine 7/31/09
family have made the Outreach their “family project”, for the lack of a better term. “Some people devote themselves to the Lions Club or the Jaycees.” Bill continued, “The Outreach is something that needed some upgrades and we’ve been able to facilitate getting it done. My sons help me with maintenance projects and my wife, Annette and daughter run the concession stand behind the Outreach during the games to profit the Outreach. It’s important to teach our kids that there are lots of people that need help sometimes, and that everyone can help others.” Bill has been involved in the painting of the building, addition of the ramp at the front entrance, adding steps at the back door, working on the storage shed, routinely weed-wacking and maintaining new shrubs. Bill is quick to add that each of those projects were completed with the help of others he had either contacted to help or saw the need themselves. The next upgrade is planning to be a new sign for the building. Bill serves on the Board for Chelsea Senior Center, the Board for Olivet College Insurance Program, is the Assistant Varsity Basketball Coach for Stockbridge High School. Born in Lansing and raised in New Lothrop, near Flint, MI, Bill graduated from New Lothrop High School. He then went on to Olivet College, played baseball and golf there while earning his Bachelor Degree in Business with an Insurance Concentration. Bill has put in 21 years with State Farm Insurance and has owned the agency located in Chelsea, MI for the last 14 years. “It’s one of those businesses that isn’t appreciated until there is a problem. The families that we serve mean so much to us,” Bill
explained. “We want to continue providing a quality insurance product to them, and be there to help when they need us.” Bill is a proud family man. He and his wife, Annette have been married 19 years. They have four children, Amanda 16 yrs, Skeeter (William IV) 13 yrs, Daniel 9 yrs, and Joey 4 yrs. old. They moved to the Stockbridge area 20 years ago because they both had grown up in a farming community and small town and wanted that atmosphere for their own family. Bill researched the Stockbridge School system before moving and has been happy with the children’s progress, the teachers and administration. “It’s pretty rare that all of us are home at the same time. Either Annette or myself are usually going to one of the kids events and I love being able to coach one of our kids, too,” Bill said. Bill and his family currently live in Munith where they built a home five years ago. Bill admits that his family has a special place they love to go to together. It happens to be the place Bill and Annette spent their honeymoon: Walt Disney World in Florida. “We’ve gone many times and really have a great time there. It’s a very special place for our family!” Bill said. “I have to tell you something,” Bill insisted. “My wife, Annette is the one deserving of the Forgotten ‘Thank you’. It amazes me how she can manage our kids, run the household like she does and still has energy and passion to encourage us to do the things we do. She’s great!” Well Bill Ballagh, keep Annette at your side, and know that your community and I thank you for all you do, for all of us!
If you know someone deserving of a Forgotten “Thank You”, please email me at [email protected].
Thank you (Continued from page 1)
Andel attended the event with her two protégées, May and Silveus. The WCOPA is nothing new to Van Andel, whose daughter, Katelyn, attended the WCOPA at age 14 and again last year, at age 17. “Katie won the gold medal in the Swimsuit Model of the World and also took a gold medal in acting,” Van Andel says proudly. “It has totally opened up a whole new world for her.” Van Andel’s daughter is currently on scholarship for a five week course at the New York School of Conservatory Arts, where paid actors teach each course. Upon first meeting Van Andel through her daughter, Silveus told Van Andel he was interested in modeling. “I told him straight out there were a couple things he needed to work on if he was serious,” Van Andel said. “The next time I saw him, he looked amazing!” Silveus began modeling at age eight for companies such as JC Penney and has maintained a career off and on ever since. It was when Silveus entered a model-ing competition held in Lansing last De-cember that landed him an agent, Tami Smith, who is also President of the Nova Model and Talent Scouts (www.novatalentscout.com). Van Andel stands by her word when it comes to WCOPA. “When I tell someone you can go there and model, I mean it!” Silveus worked hard all week long, competing in various modeling categories for his age group and his hard work and endurance has paid off well. Silveus walked away at the end of the competition with silver medals in Male Modeling Commercial Casual, Male
Modeling Commercial Formal, Male Modeling Commercial Swimwear and Male Modeling Photo (all ages 16-17). Silveus also took home a bronze in the category Male Modeling Spokesmodel, in which all models must present something personally made by them to the judges and give a 60 second speech about it. Silveus designed a t-shirt to raise awareness for heart disease, donating 50% of profits to the American Heart Associa-tion. Categories at the WCOPA can range anywhere from modeling and acting to vocal and dance. Obscure categories, usually anything featuring a group, are a little easier to win, simply due to the lack of entries. “When you have more than one person involved, it gets kind of difficult for eve-ryone to commit,” says Van Andel. Not only has witnessing talent like Silveus’ blossom been part of the reward of Van Andel’s job, but also encouraging him to take that extra step. “Elliott is so shy and it was so hard for him to appear confident,” says Van An-del. “But as soon as one judge saw him, she immediately asked him if he could act. He definitely had the look, but they wanted him to act, too.” This area was much more difficult for Silveus, who had never catered to the thought of acting. But as the champion-ships wore on, Silveus’ confidence began to grow and opportunities began arriving. For the immediate future, Silveus says Smith wants him to fly out to Los Angeles as soon as next month to begin the foun-dation for a successful and long term ca-reer. Upon Smith’s recommendation, Silveus plans on leaving Leslie, Michigan for Los
Angeles permanently after graduation next spring to pursue his dream. While all of the star treatments of Hol-lywood appeal to so many, it can be an extremely difficult game. Many people audition for the big event, but one must be personally invited to attend the WCOPA ‘s annual champi-onships in Los Angeles. Many celebrities, Disney executives and CEO’s from record labels and televi-sion companies attend the conference every year in hopes to discover their Next New Star. Lauren Dombrowski, producer of ‘MADTv’, was completely overwhelmed by the talent displayed at WCOPA. “American Idol cannot hold a candle to the singing that went on here tonight,” she commented. And just because someone shows enough talent to compete at WCOPA, getting there is a whole other ballgame. “Each person is responsible for their own airfare and accommodations,” states Van Andel. “When my daughter went, we held garage sales, pop can drives, you name it, we did it!” Williamston resident Nick May also competed at the WCOPA, taking home two bronze medals in Male Vocal Gospel and Male Vocal SA Gospel, in the age bracket 18-24. “Nick has so much talent,” gushed Van Andel. “Not only does he have an awe-some voice, but he also writes all of his own lyrics and music, something the judges really like to see.” The 14th Annual World Championship of Performing Arts will be held July 17-25, 2010.
Local Stars (Continued from page 1)
PAGE 4 - THE WEEKLY PRIDE
August 11, 2009 www.theweeklypride.com 888-318-1766
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August 2nd found Laura McLellan running the streets of Chicago in her first ever half-marathon. She completed the 13.1 mile course in
a time of 1:47:56, finishing 1764 out of nearly 15,000 runners. Way to go Laura.
McLellan Competes in Half-Marathon
At left - Clif McLellan, Beth McLellan, Laura McLellan, and Darren Hejnal shown post-race, Above - Laura cruises through the 12.5 mile mark.
11800 Trist Rd., Grass Lake, MI 49290 (517) 522-8527
Lunch & Golf Special August Only
18 Holes of Golf Hot dog & beverage at the turn
$20 per person Monday - Thursday
8 a.m. - Noon *Must Present Coupon*
Bring your lawn chairs and blan-kets to the Courthouse lawn in down-town Mason on Thursday evening, August 13, to hear the Backwoods Band entertain - back for their fifth year. Sponsored by CP Federal Credit Union, the free concert begins at 6:00 p.m. on the west side of the Courthouse, 341 S. Jefferson Street. For more information, call (517) 676-1046. This concert is part of the Mason Area Chamber of Commerce's fifth season of "Thursday Night Live!," a summer series of live musical entertainment presented by Independent Bank and scheduled on eight select Thursday evenings. The three remaining free outdoor concerts take place at 6:00 p.m. on the Ingham County Courthouse lawn in downtown Mason on August 13 and 27, and Sep-tember 17, weather permitting. The Mason Optimist Club will be selling hot dogs; chips and pop nearby, so families can enjoy a picnic dinner dur-ing the concerts or stop by restaurants and stores in Mason afterwards. For the August 27 concert on the Courthouse
lawn, sponsored by the City Limits Sports Grill & Bowling Center, the series will feature the finals of the second an-nual "Mason Area Idol." While not a true competition, that concert is currently open to local entries from those 18 and over who live in the 48854 and 48819 zip codes. To enter, participants fill out an entry form ( a v a i l a b l e o n l i n e a t www.masonchamber.org and at the Chamber office) and submit it with a vocal audition cassette tape, CD, or MP3 file (one song) no later than Monday, August 3, 2009 to: Mason Area Chamber of Commerce, 148 E. Ash Street, Mason, MI 48854. The free concert entertainment series concludes with the Mason High School Band on Thursday, September 17, led by Beth Bousfield, MHS Band Director. The Mason High School Cheer Squad will join them in the program, sponsored by Dart Container Corporation. This last concert will also mark the beginning of Mason's "Down Home Days" weekend. All concerts are weather permitting.
MASON THURSDAY EVENING CONCERTS CONTINUE WITH THE BACKWOODS BAND
August 11, 2009 www.theweeklypride.com 888-318-1766
PAGE 5 - THE WEEKLY PRIDE
BackStreet Steakhouse and Seafood is now on Facebook. Become a fan
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114 N. Center Street, Stockbridge - 517-851-7785
Kitchen Hours Mon - Thurs - 7am - 9pm
Fri - Sat - 7am - 10pm Sunday 7am - 8pm
Medina’s Mexican Cuisine Monday 11-5
Wednesday 11-7 Friday 11-5
August 21, 2009 The Ingham Conservation District is organizing a cleanup of Huntoon Creek in Leslie as part of the Upper Grand River Implementation Project (UGRIP), a project designed to improve water quality in key areas of the Upper Grand River Watershed. Please contact Michelle Beloskur at the Ingham Conservation District by August 7, 2009 for more information and to register (517) 676-2290 or [email protected].
Huntoon Creek Cleanup CRAFTERS WANTED FOR MASON'S 36th ANNUAL DOWN
HOME DAYS
Crafters are wanted for the 36th an-nual Down Home Days Courthouse Show in Mason being held on Saturday, September 19 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The show is an outdoor show around the Ingham County Courthouse in downtown Mason and is held rain or shine. The show features a mix of arts and crafts, flea market, food vendors, and community group booths. Forms a r e a v a i l a b l e t h r o u g h t h e www.masonchamber.org website. Call the Mason Area Chamber of Commerce office at (517) 676-1046, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday, for more information. The 131 lawn and 18 street spaces are 10' x 10' and the fee is $60.00 per space per show. Exhibitors may set up any time after 6:00 a.m. on the day of the show. The show is non-juried and appli-cations are accepted on a first come, first serve basis until all booth spaces are reserved. Exhibitors who participated in the 2008 Down Home Days Courthouse show will receive the same booth space only if their applications and payment were received by July 15, 2009. Electricity is not available. No carpeting or flooring is permitted on lawn spaces. This year, organizers are again mov-ing toward having three sections in the show, "Artisan's Row" for arts and crafts, "Community Corner" for local groups, and "East Market" for flea mar-ket and manufactured items. Only one vendor for certain manufactured items is allowed (i.e., Tupperware, Mary Kay, etc.) in "East Market". Another area is called "Kid's Korral" and has activities for youngsters. Michelle Davis of the Greater Lans-ing Shopping Guide and chair of the event says, "Our estimates are that up-wards of 4,000 to 6,000 people attend the show each year, depending on the weather." She adds, "We anticipate a good response this year based on current interest and last year's overwhelming success."
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August 11, 2009 www.theweeklypride.com 888-318-1766
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Careful, Or You’ll End Up In My Column! By: Corinda Hackworth
[email protected] There is a t-shirt in one of my catalogs that says, “Careful, or you’ll end up in my novel”. Now while I don’t have a novel, I do have this column. And now that more people are reading, I’m finding that whenever something “story worthy” happens, people turn to me with total panic in their eyes and blurt out, “Don’t write about this!” And like any writer knows, being in the right place at the right time is what it’s all about. So for someone to ask me not to tell what I’ve just seen is really disappointing. So when a good “would be story” comes my way, I jump on it greedily. But then, alas, it is yanked away with an emphatic “No!” Which parallels this story. A few months ago, I was getting a tooth filled at my dentist in Stockbridge. Okay, I’ll just
say it: Dr. Dobos. There. This next part is kinda peculiar, but it does have a point: I love it when my mouth is numb. I don’t enjoy getting numb per se, but once I’m there, it’s sheer nirvana. And the other part that is unusual is that I don’t mind going to the dentist. I like Dr. Dobos because he is a good dentist and he listens to my stories and laughs at them! Of course he can’t do his job until I shut up, so maybe he’s just being polite and biding his time. (Or would that be “biting” his time?) No, I‘m going to go with he finds me amusing. So anyway, when I was told I had a cavity, well three, I was elated. It’s not like I purposely refrain from brushing just so I can get numb. It’s just a happy coincidence. So. Not only did I need to have three cavities filled, but they were on opposite sides of my mouth, and one was on the top and two were on the bottom. We’re talking Novocain all around, friends! Being the professional he is, Dr. Dobos had already numbed one side and was proceeding to numb the other side. Then he stopped abruptly, and left me sitting there, dreading the awful shot but nearly hysterical with anticipation for the
wonderful numbing that would follow. With the little shot trigger poised just above my mouth, he said thoughtfully, “Y’know, I can give you the shot here,” he paused to run a rubber covered finger along my gum, “and that will make the entire side of your mouth numb.” Now if my mouth hadn’t already been opened, it would’ve opened then. My eyes lit up and I grinned up at him with a crooked smile. A little puddle of drool ran out of the side of my mouth as I shook my head up and down enthusiastically. “Unh, yak! Gak yee eww akk?” He stood over me with a thoughtful look, and replied, “Yeah, I could. But it’s really not good for you.” I could see him starting to waiver. I shook my head back and forth, trying to convey excitement through my eyes. “Eeeks okeh! Ah dun cak!” By this time he had taken a few steps back, and I knew I was losing him. He still had the shot gun in his hand, but was lowering it slightly as more time elapsed. I motioned to my mouth and nodded, giving him the thumbs up. “Ahh won tek a-one.” By now, he had pulled the mask down off of his face. “You know, Corinda,” he began. “I’m not sure the insurance company would be happy if I billed them for an entire mouth
numbing. And then there’s your article. What would people say if they knew I numbed you for pure pleasure?” Of course, Dr. Dobos was only kidding about the article. I think. He is a great dentist and I love him dearly, but at this moment I had had enough. “Ewk jess howd de cankee in fwonk of me, den yak eet eway!” I forced indignation. “Awk wonk tek. Pweask?” I pleaded. Dr. Dobos slowly shook his head. “No, sorry. I just don’t think I can do it. We’ll just numb partly as planned.” So pouting with bitter disappointment, I sat and endured the shot and felt the tiny, tingle creep up one small part of my mouth. Later, as I sat chatting with Dr. Dobos before catapulting myself out of the chair, (I always forget to let the chair be lowered first) I asked him if I could relay this story. Not that I had any immediate plans to, but I like to keep my memory (aka: The Rubbermaid) full and my story options open. So it is with his blessing, I can actually relate a story about the goings-on in a small dental practice in Stockbridge. And if you do happen to pay Dr. Dobos a visit, tell him I sent you. I’ll get a discount on his teeth-whitening services. Which I so desperately need!
SUDOKU PUZZLES OF THE WEEK If you have never completed one of these you might be asking what the rules are. They are quite simple. Each column needs to contain the numbers 1 - 9, each row needs to contain the numbers 1 - 9, and each 3 x 3 set of squares needs to contain the numbers 1-9.
3 1 9
1 2 8 6
4
8 7 1
6 4 3
6 3 9
5
8 4 9 5
6 4 8
8 3 4
7 9
3 8 2
7 2 4 1
6 9
7 3 2 1
5 8 1
9 6
6 7 2
Last weeks solutions at right.
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2004. There will be an All-U-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast (served with eggs, sausage, juice & coffee) from 7:30am to 11:30am; followed with a Grilled Steak Dinner from noon until 6:00pm. (Pork BBQ, Brats, and Hot Dogs will also be available. Weather permitting, there will be helicopter and warbird rides available for purchase, along with a variety of aircraft on display.
EAA Chapter 55 invites all to come out to the Mason-Jewett Airport (corner of Kipp & Eden Roads in Mason) for a fun day of food and planes, planes, planes.
FREE ADMISSION FREE PARKING
For more info, contact Bill Bezdek 517-351-0448 or Bill Purosky 517-655-1432
(Rain Date: Sunday, August 16th)
(Continued from page 1)
August 11, 2009 www.theweeklypride.com 888-318-1766
PAGE 7 - THE WEEKLY PRIDE
www.countrycomputercare.com In Home PC Repair and Website Design
Jody King (517) 414-1892 Email: [email protected]
The following commentary was written by State Representative Barb Byrum (D-Onondaga). If you have any questions, please call (517) 373-0587. We are blessed to have the world's best doctors and medical facilities right here in the United States. Our technology and understanding of medicine has enabled us to wipe out many diseases that, a few short years ago, were killers. People are living longer, better, fuller lives thanks to the advances that we have made in the medical field. Despite our advances, there are still many areas that we do not understand. In particular, the workings of the
brain have eluded scientists and doctors, even as more than a million Americans each year suffer a traumatic brain injury. Of these 1.4 million, more than 50,000 die each year, while 235,000 more are hospitalized. Sadly, many are unaware of the importance of early treatment when someone suffers a brain injury. Though we may never fully understand the brain, doctors have found ways to provide effective treatment that improves the quality of life of brain injury victims and helps them reach their full potential. By starting treatment early, doctors can better mitigate the effects of these injuries and help put patients on the road to recovery. However, because these injuries are so complex, it's proven very easy for some unscrupulous insurance companies to delay and deny the legitimate claims of brain injury sufferers. By postponing these claims, they increase their own profits by holding on to your money as long as possible and make interest off their investments. When someone suffers a traumatic brain injury, they should not have to fight both their injury and their insurance company. That is why I have thrown my full support behind a plan in the Michigan House to crack down on this practice of wrongful denial of legitimate claims by strengthening consumer protections and going
after the corporate culture that rewards this sort of behavior. Insurance companies have attacked me for supporting this plan, but this fight is not about me. It is about helping the people who have had their insurance companies abandon them at the worst possible time. It is about making sure that victims are getting the care and compassion they need. That is why I hope you'll join me on Saturday, August 15th at 8:30 a.m., for a 5K run/walk/wheel to support the Origami Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center. For years, this pillar of the community has helped people with serious brain injuries recuperate by providing them with the quality care and services they need. Now they need our help. The registration fee is $20, and proceeds go to help victims of brain injury. Registration begins at 8 a.m. at 3181 Sandhill Road in Mason, just five minutes south of MSU. For more information, visit www.origamirehab.org, or call (517) 336-6060. With your assistance, programs like Origami can help victims of traumatic brain injury get their lives back. Please consider joining me on August 15th to support this worthy cause.
Capitol Notes
Barb Byrum State
Representative
Services
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Experienced Babysitter - Reliable, honest, nurturing, 14y/o honor roll stu-dent would like to babysit your children. Available to sit until 11pm. 517-851-8889 Marc’s Masonry Chimney’s, Porches, Stucco, and More! Call 734-498-7435 for more information
Notices DANSVILLE FARMERS MARKET: Held every Thursday 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Located on the corner of Dakin and M-36. Vendors space still available. Seasonal and weekly rates. Call (517) 652-4524.
For Sale Transmission repair start at $495. Check out low prices on transaxles and overdrives. 30 years experience. Free towing. Phone Pierce Auto 517-623-6277 Buying disabled cars and trucks. 1998 and newer. Will pay up to $1000. Free Towing. Phone Pierce Auto 517-623-6277
The Weekly Pride is independently owned and operated. Our mailing address is PO Box 595, Stockbridge, MI 49285. It is published as part of The Killinger Group. The Weekly Pride reserves the right to refuse any material submitted for publication. Advertisements published in The Weekly Pride do not necessarily reflect the views of it’s owners or staff. Advertising Deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday. All news, display advertising, and classified should be submitted and paid for prior to that time. Information can be submitted via email, phone, or in person. A member of The Weekly
Pride will gladly schedule an appointment to d iscuss your advertising needs. Advertiser’s and Reader’s who feel that an error has been made are encouraged to contact The Weekly Pride immediately. When an item is found to be a mistake or misleading, a correction or clarification will be published. All cancellations of display or classified advertisements are due by 5 p.m. on the Friday before the scheduled publication. This policy is subject to change.
POLICY STATEMENT
Leslie Area Historical Museum Closed due to Sewer Backup
The recent rains on top of a problem within the sewer main caused several sewer backups over the weekend. This was the second backup in City Hall in three weeks. The City is investigating the issue and hopes to resolve the issue quickly. We thank everyone for their patience. The Historical Museum will be closed indefintely until further notice. If you have any questions, please call Brian Reed at the City at 589-8236 or Steve Hainstock at 589-0179.
Garage Sale Grandma's Attic Sale Waterloo Farm Museum, 9998 Waterloo-Munith Rd., Sat. Aug. 15th, 10 AM to 5 PM, Sun. Aug. 16th, noon to 5 PM, proceeds to benefit the Waterloo Farm Museum and Dewey School Museums. To donate items to sell, please call, 851-8745
PLEASE WELCOME TO THE SALON - TIFFANI WALDRON *SPECIALS WITH TIFFANI*
PEDICURE $30 & GET A FREE HAND EXFOLIATION
Back to School Hair Cuts $3.00 off regular price
SPECIAL OFFERS VALID 8/06/09 - 8/28/09
CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT TODAY! 149 S. Main St. Leslie (517) 589-8187 Cell (517) 488-5515
HOURS MONDAY 9-1 & 5-9
TUESDAY & THURSDAY 11-7 FRIDAY 9-6 SATURDAY 9-3
CLOSED WEDNESDAY & SUNDAY
PAGE 8 - THE WEEKLY PRIDE
August 11, 2009 www.theweeklypride.com 888-318-1766
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Entertainment, 1997). 2. The next thing is to get organized. Start a family calendar with everyone’s activities and commitments listed. Fill out the school’s information packet and return it early so you aren’t trying to pull information together at the last minute. Have the kid’s immunization records ready and up to date. Update emergency contact and health/allergy information with the school. Get a copy of the school calendar and add important activities such as orientation and parent teacher nights to your calendar. Start a folder for school newsletters and papers that you will need to refer to later. Set up a “get ready the night before” policy so the kids have their clothes picked out and there backpacks ready each school night. Check the school’s dress code prior to buying school clothes and start early so you can take advantage of sales and get to the resale shops before everyone else does. Get a list of school supplies from your child’s teacher so you are sure to have it all. Upper level students may need combination locks and calculators as well. Don’t forget hand sanitizer and/or disinfectant wipes. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that backpacks need to be chosen carefully. Choose a backpack with wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded back. Pack light. Organize the backpack to use all of its compartments. Pack heavier items closest to the center of the back. The backpack should never weigh more than 10 to 20 percent of the child’s body weight. Always use both shoulder straps. Slinging a backpack over one shoulder can strain muscles. Consider a rolling backpack. This type of backpack may be a good choice for students who must tote a heavy load. Remember that rolling backpacks still must be carried up stairs, and they may be difficult to roll in snow.
3. Planning ahead for healthy meals will make everything easier. Plan your meals and buy ingredients for them and lunches on the weekend. Don’t forget that for students, (and everyone else), breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Lunches will need to be transported so get a lunch box or some sturdy bags in stock now. Older children know what they like in their lunches but the younger ones don’t have enough experience to be able to choose a healthy variety. Try introducing new foods now so you know their preferences before school starts. Cut up foods into small bite sized pieces to make them more attractive to little people. Teach children to bring uneaten food home so you know what they are actually eating and make sure they aren’t trading food with other children. 4. NOW is the time to set the family’s priorities and schedule. Don’t add activities as they come up during the semester. Decide now what sports or extracurricular activities your child will be involved in. This will make it possible for you to set the family’s schedule around them. Limiting the number and frequency of these activities will make each one more enjoyable and less stressful for you and your child. We limit our children to 2 activities per week outside of school and rearrange homework and mealtimes on those days. This teaches children to prioritize and make wise choices about how to use their time. Remember, children need unstructured play time. Setting aside time each day for them to entertain themselves is especially important for the development of creativity in younger children. 5. Prepare for transportation to and from school. If your child is walking or biking to school, chart out a route to the school or bus stop. Take a dry run a few days
before school starts and scout out safe places or houses along the way where they can get help. Go over the rules about stranger awareness and traffic safety. Arrange for your child to walk with a friend and stay in areas that are well traveled. Since they will be walking in the dark for part of the year, make sure they have reflective tape or clothing so they can be seen by cars. Be sure your child has at least 2 phone numbers they can call to reach you and/or another adult for assistance. ALWAYS wear a bike helmet if riding. If your child is taking the bus, remember to get the bus schedule or pick up and drop off times. Plan your child’s walk to the bus stop. If they are at the bus stop alone you may want to go with them the first few days. Don’t forget to discuss the bus route and safety rules with them. If you are driving your child, have a back up plan in case you are late picking them up. Confirm carpool arrangements in advance and make sure your child knows who is picking them up. Make sure you have enough booster seats and seat belts for children that require them. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children under 13 years of age should ride in the rear seat of vehicles. If you must drive more children than can fit in the rear seat (when carpooling, for example), move the front-seat passenger’s seat as far back as possible and have the child ride in a booster seat if the seat belts do not fit properly without it. Familiarize yourself with the school’s procedures for drop-off and pick-up traffic safety. Remember that many crashes occur while novice teen drivers are going to and from school. You should require seat belt use, limit the number of teen passengers, do not allow eating, drinking, cell phone conversations or texting to prevent driver distraction; and limit nighttime driving and driving in
inclement weather. Familiarize yourself with Michigan’s graduated driver license law and consider the use of a parent-teen driver agreement to facilitate the new driver learning process. 6. Plan for after-school care. Make sure your child knows where to go after school. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children 12 years of age and younger not come home to an empty house. Make arrangements with your care provider and make sure your child is familiar with the care provider. If your child will be home alone after school establish safety rules for locking doors and windows, answering the door or phone and make sure they can check-in with you when they arrive home so you know they are safe. It may seem overwhelming but getting an early start NOW and dividing this up into manageable steps will make the experience smooth and anxiety free. Start by making a list of the things mentioned here and scheduling them on your calendar. Then you won’t forget anything or have to think about it all at once. As parents it is our responsibility to make our children’s transition to the school year as stress free as possible. START NOW!!!
Schools Back (Continued from page 1)
Stop in and check us out, free snacks and refreshments will be available.
Register with a Friend and the registration cost is will be waived (FREE) as well as having your name put in a drawing for a chance to have both of your second months Tuition FREE.
Fall Schedules are in... Classes start September 8th.
Jazzy Jen's School of Dance 119 W. Main St (Suite C, back entrance)
Stockbridge MI 49285 (517) 851-9477
Fall Registration August 10th - 12th 5-9 pm
and August 17th -19th 5-9 pm
The Clothes Closet’s Back to School Open House
Saturday, August 15
10 a.m.—12 Noon
Offering school supplies while supplies
last
Gregory Community Church 126 Church Street
Gregory, MI 48137 Questions?
Call (734) 498-2591