Volume 1, Issue 46

America Celebrating 233 Years

Photos from the Gregory 4th of July

Parade. More inside.

888-318-1766 PO Box 595, Stockbridge, MI 49285 TAKE ONE - FREE

Volume 1, Issue 46 Tuesday, July 7, 2009 Published Weekly

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The Forgotten “Thank You” - Jon Fillmore by Julie Glair, freelance writer

Not only does he have a family history in the Stockbridge area, but he currently runs a successful business that was established in 1946 by his father. As the President of the Abbott and Fillmore Insurance Agency, he carries on the legacy formed by his father, Ronald, and Wendyl and Marjorie Abbott. After his father became sole-owner in the 1980’s, Jon Fillmore joined him in 1995. “I had the privilege of working with my father and mother until 1997. It was a special two years”, Jon said. Born and reared in Stockbridge, Jon went on to Michigan State University to acquire his bachelors in finance. Then he went to University of Michigan and got his Master’s of Business Administration. For eight years he worked in Detroit and Dallas for Comerica Bank as the Vice President of Commercial Loans, before returning to Stockbridge to join the family business. Currently, Jon is very active in his community as the President of the Stockbridge Area Chamber of Commerce. He was part of the original planning committee for “A Day in the Village” in 1995 and continues to be an active part of the committee today. Jon is on the Board of Directors at the First Presbyterian Church of Stockbridge and is an Active Elder there. He attributes his strong morals to the teaching of his parents and grandfather. “Jim Brown, my High School Cross Country Coach, taught me the importance of self-confidence. He also taught me that with a positive mental attitude and hard work, you can be successful,” Jon shared. Jon enjoys boating, camping, golfing

(Continued on page 3)

It’s a one-of-a-kind event. There is nothing quite like the spectacular balloon launches of the Hot Air Jubilee. This year, July 17-19th at the Jackson County Airport, there will also be some exciting new attractions including an exotic animal show, a pyrotechnics event featuring vintage aircraft, and the Flying Aces pro Frisbee team. The Hot Air Jubilee is a three day annual festival founded in 1983 by a local balloon pilot. The event has grown to be one of the largest festivals in Michigan. Some of the activities included an arts and crafts show, aircraft displays, car show, antique tractors, 4-H petting zoo, remote control airplanes, air show, live entertainment, and more. The Jubilee was twice voted the “Favorite Community Event” by the readers of Jackson Magazine. The Hot Air Jubilee is a non-profit organization made up of an all-volunteer seven member Board of Directors and a core group of approximately 35 other volunteers. Community support is essential in keeping this tradition alive. If

you are interested in volunteering in some capacity, contact the Hot Air Jubilee office at 517-782-1515 or [email protected]. In addition to providing an affordable, fun-filled weekend for families, the Jubilee supports the Jackson area in many ways. Local civic groups and other non-profit organizations are compensated for their help in selling admission

(Continued on page 3)

Up, Up and Away! by Julie Glair, freelance writer

FREE AIRPLANE RIDES FOR KIDS:

Young Eagles Aviation Day will be held on Saturday, July 11th, 2009 from 10:00am until 2:00pm at the Experimen-tal Aircraft Association Chapter 55 hanger, Mason Jewett Airport, Mason, MI. Local pilots will be offering area youngsters ages 8 to 17 their first air-plane flight FREE of charge. Young Eagles Aviation Day is part of the National EAA Young Eagles Pro-gram, created to spark aviation interest in young people. Since the program was launched in 1992, volunteer EAA pilots have flown over 1.5 million young peo-ple who reside in more than 90 coun-tries. Local Chapter 55 pilots have flown over 2,000 youngsters from the mid-Michigan area. Flights will be on a first come, first served basis; approximately 20 minutes in length. A parent or guardian MUST be present or provide a signed permis-sion slip. Advance reservations for large groups are encouraged. Following the flight, each young person will receive a certificate making them an official Young Eagle. Their name will then be entered into the World’s Largest Logbook , which is on permanent display at the EAA Air Adventure Museum in Oshkosh, WI. The Logbook is also accessible on the internet at www.youngeagles.org For additional information call Doug Koons 517-676-5001 or Bill Bezdek 517-351-0448 or visit www.EAA55.org

Jon Fillmore pauses from his busy schedule.

THE WEEKLY PRIDE

July 7, 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

Tuesdays, July 7th-July 16th - Weight Loss Challenge Stockbridge Heritage Elementary Library - 6:00pm Tuesday, July 7th - Leslie City Council Meeting - City Hall - 7:00pm Thursday, July 9th - Stockbridge Outreach Board meeting - Stockbridge Middle School, Rm 117 - 4:45pm Sunday, July 12th - Stockbridge PigSkin Meeting - SHS Library - All Football Parents Encouraged to Attend - 6:00pm Monday, July13th - Stockbridge Board of Education Meeting - Smith Elementary - 7:00pm

Monday, July 13th - Leslie Board of Education Meeting - LHS Board Room - 7:00pm Friday, July 17th - Leslie’s 5th Annual 5-K Run. All proceeds to benefit Leslie Outreach - 6:30pm Saturday, July 18th - Leslie’s 6th Annual Softball Tournament & Street Dance. Contact Pete Zamora - 517-589-0324 or 517-896-3651, or e-mail - [email protected]. There is also a food and beverage tent in downtown Leslie during the street dance from 5:00pm-midnight.

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 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 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 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 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 William Gatz 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].


PAGE 3 - THE WEEKLY PRIDE

LIBRARY EVENTS DANSVILLE ALL AGES Movies @ the Library Thursdays, June 25-Aug. 6 - 1 pm Join us every Thursday afternoon for family-friendly movies. Call (517) 623-6511 for titles. Movies @ the Library Thursdays, July 9-July 30 - 1 pm Join us every Thursday afternoon for family-friendly movies. Call (517) 623-6511 for titles. Instrument Petting Zoo Wednesday, July 8 - 2 pm Here’s a great opportunity to see, hear, touch and learn about a variety of musical instruments. Held in Dansville Village Hall. LESLIE All Ages Science Alive * Tuesday, July 7 11 am & repeated at 1 pm A biologist and a collection of exotic critters invade the library, offering hands-on contact with parrots, turtles, snakes—maybe even a chinchilla. Registration is required. Held in Woodworth Elementary Cafeteria. ADULTS Adult Book Discussion Wednesday, July 8 - 1 pm Thunderstruck by Eric Larson STOCKBRIDGE ALL AGES *On Thursday, July 9, the library hosts Larry Guenther and Friends. They will be playing bluegrass, waltzes, and rags on guitar, mandolin and dobro. Open Mic, 5:30 pm Featured Performers, 6pm PALamazoo Puppets Wednesday, July 8 - 10 am This show will delight the senses with award-winning original songs, spiced with colorful puppet characters. Musical instruments and multicultural rhythms, mixed with a generous dose of humor and dance, add to the fun. Teens Duct Tape Workshop Wednesday, July 8 - 6 pm College student, duct tape professional and former David Letterman guest William Beacom is back with another great hands-on workshop. Come and get stuck at the library! Children Activities in the Park Fridays, July 10 – Aug. 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

5 Ways to Expedite a Sale Selling a home quickly remains a challenge in many markets across the country. Heidi Cole, an associate with the Corcoran Group in Palm Beach, Fla., offers this advice for anyone who wants to expedite a sale: • Cut the asking price 10 percent to

15 percent below what comparable properties in the neighborhood are selling for.

• Spruce up the outside. Update the landscaping. Power-wash the exterior and paint the door.

• Appeal to first-time buyers. Advertise on younger consumers' favorite Web sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Hire a photographer to shoot the house with a wide-angle lens so the rooms look bigger in online photos.

• Price the house in the lower end of the range. A $299,000 house is in the high end of the $250,000 to $300,000 range but a $301,000 home is in the low-end of the $300,000 to $400,000 range.

• Do what you can to make the deal close quickly. Be ready to move, offer to pay part of the closing costs, and/or throw in a year’s worth of association fees.

Source: Money Magazine, Beth Braverman (06/30/2009)/Realtor Magazine (6/30/09)

and reading a good book but is quick to add that his favorite use of spare time is running 5K races with his family. Jon and his wife of 18 years, Elizabeth, both enjoy playing Rummy and card games together as well as watching their three children in their various activities. The feeling Jon gets when he helps out in the community echoes the feeling he receives with his work. “When a client has a loss, from a fire for example, I’m able to talk with them and help them rebuild because they were properly protected.” Jon continued, “It’s that ‘sense of relief’ that is important to our clients and lets me know we have done our job properly.” Thank you Jon Fillmore, 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)

wristbands. Donations have been made to the Jackson Community College Flight Center, the Experimental Aircraft Association and the Jackson County Airport for the use of their facilities. The Hot Air Jubilee also makes a point to support local businesses by purchasing everything possible for the event in Jackson County. Be sure to mark your calendar for July 17, 18, and 19th. Don’t miss Jackson’s showcase event and be ready to “oooh” and “aaah” at the magic that is the Hot Air Jubilee.

Up, Up, snd Away! (Continued from page 1)

15th Annual Stockbridge Athletic

Golf Scramble The annual Stockbridge Athletic Golf Scramble has been scheduled for July 31st at Hankerd Hills Golf Course. Check-in will begin at 7:00am with an 8:00am shotgun start. All participants need to pre-register. This event is a 44 team scramble full of fun and excitement. All proceeds go to support athletic programs at Stockbridge High School. There are a number of sponsorship options available to satisfy everyone. You can find the registration form elsewhere in this paper or contact Jeremy Killinger by emailing him at [email protected] or calling 517-404-5163 for more information.

Leslie American Legion to host

Cooling Station The American Legion Post 491 in Leslie will host a cooling station on all days when the temperature reaches 90 degrees or above. The American Legion will be open from noon until 5 or 6pm and will have cold water, ice tea, newspapers, cards. Soon there will be a tv as well. If you have any questions, please call Roy McClain at 589-9122.

THE WEEKLY PRIDE


Mark your calendar! Backup Solution performs live at The BackStreet

July 25th 9pm-1am.

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

STOCKBRIDGE FARM LEAGUE RESULTS “Sponsored by the American Legion”

6/30 Lions Club Yellow vs. Lions Club Lime For the Yellow team Daniel Ballagh had a great hit that found it’s mark, see photo below. Paige Brown, Tyler Showerman, John Davis, and Michelle Zemke all played really well. For the Lime “Green Machine” Team Carson Robinson had a great game as he caught a line drive while playing SS and hit a grand slam. Wes Hansen broke out of his slump with a great hit. Connor Marshall and Paige Wooden played well defensively.

Aggie U12 Results

The Dansville White U12 baseball team lost two games to end their season with a 8-4 record. The Aggies lost to Mason Auto Body on Monday night with a score of 9-7. They were unable to make up a six run deficit at the end of the second inning and had several attempts to score, but Mason’s defense held the Aggies to their seven runs in the top of the sixth and secured the win.

The Aggies played Holt Black on Tuesday night and were unable to beat the tough Ram defense and ended the

season with a 12-2 loss. Coach Young said “We hit the ball hard, but they don’t have anything to show for it because they were always right there to catch the ball and make the play. We couldn’t catch a break.” The Aggies will be playing in the post-season Mason Pony League tournament the week of July 13.

EMAIL US YOUR SPORTS INFORMATION TO [email protected]

Rachel Owen laughs as Coach Ballagh lies on the ground after being hit by a line drive courtesy of his son Daniel. Everyone was safe on the play.

A pair of Aggie’s make the play in last weeks action.



Congratulations DANSVILLE AGGIES SOFTBALL TEAM!

CMAC League Champs, District Champs, Regional Champs, State Quarter Final Champs,

And 1st Time to State Semi Finals in Dansville History!

Congratulations to Devin Culham, Kelsey Doolittle,

and Michelle Borowski On being chosen for the

Mid Michigan Allstar Game!

And to Devin Culham Allstar choice for

Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association Allstate

Game!

1st Team Allstate Devin Culham

Stephanie Bohlmann

Great Job! From

Dansville Athletic Boosters

Congratulations Girls! From Swan Fuel Service

623-6087

Congratulations on your great year!

Dansville Grocery 623-6000

Congratulations Team! From Coach Dan Ream

Reams Barbershop 623-6670

Stephanie Bohlmann slides in.

Pitcher Devin Culham

Catcher Beckah Guy First Base Kelsey Dolittle

Shortstop Michelle Borowski

(Not in order of above photo) Devin Culham, Kelsey Doolittle, Shelbe Potter, Rebekah Guy, Stephany Bohlmann, Nikki Powers, Michelle Borowski, Kathryn York, Michelle Przybylski, Addie Price, Samantha Bohlmann, Alison Schlicker, and Coach: Mick Ream

THE WEEKLY PRIDE


9 4 8 7 1 5 2 6 3 6 2 3 8 9 4 1 7 5 7 1 5 6 2 3 8 9 4 1 5 2 4 6 9 7 3 8 4 8 6 3 7 2 9 5 1 3 7 9 5 8 1 4 2 6 5 9 7 1 4 6 3 8 2 8 6 1 2 3 7 5 4 9 2 3 4 9 5 8 6 1 7

5 9 7 3 4 1 6 2 8 4 1 2 6 8 7 5 3 9 6 3 8 9 5 2 1 4 7 8 6 3 5 9 4 7 1 2 9 7 5 1 2 8 4 6 3 2 4 1 7 3 6 8 9 5 7 5 4 2 6 3 9 8 1 1 2 6 8 7 9 3 5 4 3 8 9 4 1 5 2 7 6

My Peril of Hope By: Corinda Hackworth

[email protected] Well, friends, by the time you read this my birthday will have c o m e a n d mercifully will have gone. I‘m as confused now as I was when I was a teenager, if not more. I’m having an identity crisis. I’ve reached and passed many milestones and thus far I’m none the wiser. I’m at an awkward age, an in transit age. I’m way beyond the driver’s license, graduation, twenty-first birthday celebrations. I’m past the party-all-the-time stage (I hate that word: “party”). In fact, I’m too old (and tired) to even consider “party”-ing at all. I can no longer stay out all night and manage to get up for work on a few hours sleep. I’ve passed the “first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage” stage.

I’m old enough now that there is not even any excitement in moving or getting a new car, because the fresh, giddy feeling of independence has been replaced with worry. A new home comes with a mortgage, a new car equals a car payment. And it’s not like I have absolute freedom in choosing the car I want. It must be practical, get good gas mileage and be able to haul Friday and three muppets, not to mention their ever-growing assortment of friends. In addition, it must be sophisticated enough so people won’t look twice and wonder why an older woman is crammed into a young-looking car. I’m too old for cruising up and down Main Street on the weekend yet I’m too young to go to bed at 8:00 on Saturday night. Unfortunately, weekends are now for resting up and rejuvenating for the upcoming week. Last showings at the movie theater have become a thing of the past because any showing past 9:00 is too challenging for me to stay awake at. I’m old enough that I must question my choice in clothing, lest I dress too young. However, I’m still young enough that I need not wear the Elastic Waistband Pants yet. My mind is young enough that I still

want to do backbends and cartwheels like in the days of my youth. However, my body tells me that I am too old for such nonsense. While my age sounds old when I verbalize it, yet aside from minor aches, pains, cracks and creaks, I don’t feel as old as it sounds. I’m sure there are many of you out there that, like me, are confused about where they belong. Too old to take spontaneous road trips to see the World’s Largest Frankenstein (Bridgeview, IL), yet too young to go voluntarily on a trip to Branson, MO. My young-adult impulsive, live-for-the-moment adventures are long over yet I’m still over twenty years away from retirement. I’ve had many older people tell me that I have a lot to look forward to and I do, I know I do. What I miss most of all, is the license to be young. I mean, let’s face it. If I did half the things I have the urge to do, I’d just be a loser. The age of accountability has come and gone. And what really distresses me is that when I had the legitimization to be young, I didn’t realize I had it. Now that it’s gone, I wonder how much I really utilized it.

Poet Robert Frost wrote “Perils of Hope” which reads as follows: “It is right in there Betwixt and between The orchard bare And the orchard green When the boughs are right In a flowery burst Of pink and white That we fear the worst. For there’s not a clime But at any cost Will take that time For a moment of frost.” And I can tell you, friends, in all honesty that this is the oldest I’ve ever been.

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.

2 5 7

1 7 4 5 3

8 7

6 3

1 9 4 6

6 5

4 8

7 8 2 5 4

4 9 6

9 5 2 6 3

8 4 2

3 2 9 8

6 2 4 8

8 6 7 9

3 9 2 1

9 4 8 6

7 1 9

3 8 9 7 4

Last weeks solutions at right.

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You can view and/or download every edition at our website. We can even send you a weekly reminder. Just click on

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“Fantastic Foods” was the name of the summer camp for students of the Ingham Intermediate School District interested in the Culinary Arts. Campers spent a week learning the trade which included food preparation, sanitation, and customer service. Each day, students were able to bring home items they had made in the kitchen. On the last day of camp, family and friends were invited to a brunch in which the students served the food items they had prepared. The meal consisted of homemade muffins, soup, pie, quiche and macaroni and cheese to name a few. For more information on this and other programs offered, contact your student’s

career counselor or the Capital Area Career Center at 517-676-1051 which is located at 611 Hagadorn Rd., Mason.

Career Exploration at the Capital Area Career Center

Tyler Beauchamp of Stockbridge prepares fresh fruit for brunch.

At left, Charla-Fay Smith, Teacher at CACC, instructs

students on customer service before serving

baked items.

TRENT PAGE - MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR! Leslie’s Trent Page was named the Lansing State Journal Male Athlete of the Year. Page, a three sport athlete, led his Blackhawk team to the state finals in MHSAA Divi-sion 6 football action this past fall. He also was the runner-up in the MHSAA Divi-sion 3 State track meet in the Long Jump. Page will take his athletic prowess to Ferris State where he has signed a letter of intend to play football this upcoming fall. Trent is the son of Andrea and Dana Page of Leslie. He is the grandson of the late Richard Frohriep, to whom Page says he owes his abilities and work ethic to. Congratulations Trent Page on being named Athlete of the Year!



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. In 2007, the budget for Michigan's general fund – the fund out of which most state programs are paid – was based on $9.4 billion in revenue. As we stand today, we have seen those funds decline by 26 percent, an unprecedented drop that has created a $1.7 billion hole in our budget. In May, the Governor issued an executive order which cut $300 million from this year's budget. These were painful cuts, which among other things, required state employees to take six unpaid furlough days, cut Medicaid by 4 percent, and lowered the amount of revenue sharing that went to local government. Here in the House, where our budget was unaffected by the

Governor's executive order, we voted to cut our budget by 4 percent. This will be accomplished by reducing the office budgets for each Representative, while requiring every employee at the House to pay more for their health care, among other cuts. I have also voted to make real cost-saving reforms, including voting to cut the pay of state lawmakers, including my own, by 10 percent and voting to end the free lifetime health care provided to legislators. I would like to see a way to keep funding for all valuable programs that receive state funding. In reality many programs will see some level of reduced funding. My hope is to spread the pain instead of hurting one program significantly more than another. Here is where we stand on some of the important budgetary issues: Michigan Promise Scholarship Earlier this month, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to completely cut the $140 million Michigan Promise Grant Scholarship that has assisted Michigan high school students achieve a post-secondary education. As we face this budget crisis, education must remain one of our top priorities. If we do not provide our children with the education that will prepare them for the 21st century economy, we have no hope of bringing businesses and jobs to our state. Cutting this important program is counterproductive and I will fight to restore this funding for our students.

Early Childhood Education As a mother, I know the value of these programs, and the good they can do in preparing our children to succeed in school and later in life. Unfortunately, this is one of the programs that has been targeted to be cut by the Senate. Again, we cannot turn our backs on our children at a time when they need us the most. We can find areas to streamline and reduce the size of government without taking away from programs that work for our kids. Revenue Sharing Revenue sharing provides funding for local governments, money that goes into police, fire and public safety programs. The Senate has proposed taking away even more money from these public safety programs, cutting more than $100 million. I believe that any cuts that we make to the state's budget must not threaten public safety, so when this plan came to a vote in the House yesterday, I voted to restore much of this funding. Because we rejected these Senate budget cuts, this and many of the other budgets will now go to a conference committee, which is made up of both Senators and Representatives in order to work out differences in these bills. If you have any questions or concerns regarding Michigan's budget, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email.

Capitol Notes

Barb Byrum State

Representative

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Distribution area includes Stockbridge, Dansville, Leslie, Bunker Hill, Gregory, Unadilla, Munith,

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Services

The Classifieds We offer the lowest rates around!

Email - [email protected] or call - 888-318-1766 to place a listing. Rates are $5 for the first 25 words and $0.10 per word thereafter. Add $1 to get your ad stylized with bold letters and fancy boxes!

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

For Rent LESLIE SCHOOLS - 4BR, Duplex, Unfurnished. Call 517-589-9067 or 517-945-4436 for more information. After 5/15 call 517-589-8616 or 517-879-7833 GREGORY - Beautiful Victorian style house, two blocks from downtown Gregory. Newly remodeled. All appliances are new. Large backyard. Detached garage. $900/month. Call 517-712-8205

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. Sea-sonal and weekly rates. Call (517) 652-4524.

Parents of Teen Drivers Can Earn $30 The University of Michigan Transporta-tion Research Institute is conducting a focus group about internet resources for parents of teen drivers ages 14-18 years of age. Each eligible participant will earn $30. For more information or to sign up for this focus group, please call toll free 1-877-615-6124 or email: [email protected]. Stockbridge Athletic Golf Scramble Now registering. $300/team includes 18holes, cart, breakfast hot dog at the turn, lunch buffet, door prizes, and more! Contact Jeremy Killinger @ [email protected] or look for a regis-tration form in today’s paper.

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Wanted Roommate Wanted to share a house in downtown Stockbridge. No Smoking, No Pets, Full House Accessibilty. Call 517-416-4627 for more information.

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THE WEEKLY PRIDE


Omega Farm Happenings

by Cecil E. Darnell

Of course you remember Omega Farms. Their long running concrete fences along M-52 and Grand River Ave. hinting at the rural enterprise going on behind them. Angus cattle could be seen peeking through those fences at folks traveling past. Cattle have a natural curiosity that makes them do such things and Angus are no exception. Clifford Simmons gives us a glimpse of Omega Farms in 2008 and upcoming projects. Omega Farms encompasses some 4000 acres of Mid-Michigan real estate. Cliff mentions that in preparation for the current farm movement, they evaluated every acre of the farm in an attempt to determine just what the Almighty might have expected to be the best use for each parcel.

There are a dozen barns on the property; nearly half of them have been restored to a farm use level. Others are scheduled for restoration over the next few years.

“We are all stewards, but we do not always recognize this,” Clifford Simmons observes, as he talks about Omega Farms. Anything that has any meaningful depth must stretch beyond a single generation. The pieces that are in place to assist the handing of power from one generation to the next becomes the real test of wisdom. Omega Farms has three of their foundation bulls honored by life sized photos displayed in their sale barn on the premises. Two of the foundation bulls (Mr. Marshall and Super Max? are buried beside the entrance sidewalk to the sale barn. There are stories within the stories when chasing the history of events surrounding stewards. Clifford mentions the purchase of one of their foundation bulls. His dad bought him in Scotland. He came to the America by ship. The herdsman from the Scottish farm rode over with the animal. That herdsman then stayed and worked on the Williamston (MI) farm. Eventually, Clifford’s parents stood up with the herdsman and his family when they became citizens of this, their new country. The tale of Omega Farms (which begins in 1955) has seeds in a number of family names that had worked the land as it developed into the entity it has become. The emphasis is aimed toward building a farm brand logo known to those who care; a symbol that projects a quality product, and superior taste that instantly comes to mind when the Omega logo is seen. With the legislation from recent years, this instant quality recognition seems to be even more important than in the olden days when more of our nation’s food was produced domestically. What value does a quality food have for parents shopping for their families? Omega value, we suspect. Some of that fencing that people will remember is being incorporated into the dressing of the grounds along the Grand River Avenue facility as a part of the updating of Omega. Actually, the idea for the concrete fences was picked up by one of the Omega stewards while visiting Kentucky horse country. However, horses and cattle treat fences differently. The early fences had three rails. Those worked fine for horses, but cows would poke their heads

through the rails to reach grass on the other side. While poking their heads through the fence they would break the middle rail and it would just fall to the ground once broken. Then a cow would just wander out of the pasture and eat wherever she pleased. Adding a forth rail to the fence addressed the problem with the cattle. Early on it was discovered that making the cement fences for Omega was more economical than buying them and shipping them in. It is a good thing too, just think about how many of those fence rails (along with cement posts) would be required to surround 4000 acres. There is a 1975 visual mounted in the farm offices showing the reaches of the Omega. In the day the picture was created it was a revolutionary idea. Today such an overhead shot would be a couple of clicks from an orbiting camera.

“Dad was a good teacher, even when I didn’t want to be taught. Actually, dad and mom started the farm. I have been working the farm ever since I was a kid. My early memories are from taking on the showing of cattle (getting them ready for shows, moving them in and out, looking after them, that whole steward thing fit my status and ability at the time. Michigan State University (MSU) was a natural for me, the location, the focus of University, my interests…it is little wonder that Omega has a little bus with our farm logo on it that we take to MSU football games.” Clifford graduated from MSU) Dad did a lot of the marketing and I worked on the production things until his death. In 1990 we bought a 1500 acre ranch in Council Grove, Kansas and moved the live cattle operation there. Our operation was about 150 miles west of Kansas City. It was just too difficult to operate efficiently with 900 miles between the beef operation (in Kansas) and the cash crop activities in Michigan. Until last December, we hadn’t had any cattle here in some 18 years. In December we brought some seed cattle back here and began work on the Omega Brand herd back on line in Michigan. The current direction of Omega Farms in Michigan is tied to the

death of Clifford’s father and the difficulty of working two separate operations so far apart. Going back to basics with Omega Brand in Michigan makes a lot of sense. This is our flagship direction. During the early years we had a railroad car and moved cattle by train on those tracks we can see when we stand in front of the Grand River Farm and look south. As the original farm grew, there have been so many associations and partnerships with people that we missed when we were so spread out. Whoever thought that being a steward was an easy assignment never really tried it. Omega Farms was at an appropriate point for reviewing the entire operation. There is something about thinking that can lead to change. Often change can set the stage for doing things better. Bringing back the Angus cattle is one of the steps evolving out of this entire philosophical revue that nudged us in the direction we are now heading, “ Cliff Simmons observed. This is the thinking that has led us to converting a lot of the acres into conservation areas. We believe that such thinking is good for us, the community, the land and the future of Omega Farms and that seems to be what stewarding is about in the scheme of things. This thinking is also what encouraged us to take another look at the buildings. We decided to either restore them or take them down. This has been a great boost to the barn restoration activity. We are having a ball with this. What we do is instantly visible and everyone notices. That is cool. We have done restorations on eight barns and two houses on Grand River and have another dozen buildings left yet to do. We have invested a lot of money in the process so far, but we are preserving a visible history and it is difficult to put a value on that. That one facility on Grand River where we have done so much work used to be Grand River Stock Farm before Cliff’s father and grandfather bought it as part of Omega farms. Eventually all the cattle will be at this location and the concrete fences will be a part of this presentation, visible to every passer by traveling Grand River Avenue and M-52. “The most exciting moment I ever had at an auction?” Clifford answers, “It would have to be at the National Western Denver Stock Show. I was 12 years old and selling my steer there was such a mixture of emotions that I still remember it.”

Clifford Simmons

Volume 1, Issue 46

Documents

Transcript of Volume 1, Issue 46