Friday, March 12, 2010

Lapeer West secretary Chris Sierakowski brings her EMT expertise to the radio

Lapeer West secretary Chris Sierakowski brought her emergency medical technician knowledge and experience to the radio program Friday. With St. Patrick’s Day, spring vacation and the prom season approaching, Lapeer County Prosecutor Byron Konschuh invited Mrs. Sierakowski to talk about a range of safety issues.

Drunk driving, supervision for high school students on spring vacation and sudden infant death syndrome were all areas touched on during the program.

Mrs. Sierakowski sometimes mixes safety lessons in with the daily announcements to students at Lapeer West High School.

Lapeer East, West and Community High School students honored for art at show

A recent show at Gallery 194 in downtown Lapeer recognized the artwork of a number of Lapeer East and Lapeer West art students who had work selected for the Region 10 Michigan Art Education Association show.

A number of those students were selected for State judging in Lansing. (With the artwork all in Lansing, no photos were available for this article, but we will be putting up high school artwork next week).

At Lapeer West students from Mrs. Nancy Barry’s class were Elizabeth Smith (senior), Cheryse Burns (junior) and Rachel Gillotte (junior). Students from Mr. Jeff Bolzman’s class were Rhonda Vandercook (senior), Cheryse Burns (junior) and Jessica Phelps (senior). Kelly Greenman was selected from Mrs. Julie Fernandez’s eighth grade art class.

Three students of Lapeer East teacher Mrs. Deb Helbig, Kayla Miller (senior), Hillary Davlin (junior) and Ayla Asawasathaporn (senior – two pieces) also had artwork selected for further judging in Lansing.

The 2010 Michigan Art Education Association Region 10 Art Show is a juried art show of student art from Genesee and Lapeer counties.

Other students who had work chosen for the region show were:

Lapeer West: Karley Bauroth (sophomore); Kami Carpenter (freshman); Samantha Chouinard (8th grade); Lisa Noelle (senior); Alexandra Norton (sophomore); Haileigh Sanders (senior); Madison Dearing (8th grade); Abrianna DeBono (freshman); Lauren Gates (senior); Kaylee Hammerstein (freshman); Danielle Holmes (freshman).

Lapeer East: Sharon McCully (senior); Dawn Wesley (senior).

Lapeer Community High School students in Ms. Kelly Wagner’s class: Kayla Bowman (senior); Amanda Ramirez (senior); Sonja Dietz (senior); Magan Hadley (senior); Amanda Swain (senior).

Lapeer East graduate Ray Stover, now head of Gladwin's MidMichigan Medical Center

Raymond Stover said he was “very quiet and very shy” while growing up and attending Lapeer Community Schools, so much that it was painfully difficult to talk to people.

But now, that quiet kid is President and Chief Executive Officer of MidMichigan Medical Center in Gladwin. He said one of his main duties is seeking out the more than 200 employees, as well as medical center patients, to boost morale, inform them about current issues and solicit their concerns and ideas.

How did the 1984 Lapeer East High School graduate overcome his fear to become the communications heart of a thriving medical center? It started, he said, with mentoring from his family, teachers and coaches in Lapeer.

“It surprises me and my family that I would be in this job,” Stover said. “My dad (Sherwin Stover) and I were just talking about that the other day.”

Stover said his mother, Charlene, who passed away in 1993, was the first to help him overcome his shyness by enrolling him in a variety of activities. His sister, Ruth Stover-Lange, his opposite in many ways, was very outgoing and he said he watched and learned from her. He had a co-op job while in high school and said his father taught him a strong work ethic.

His opportunities while a student in Lapeer schools also played a role, he said. He became close to several teachers who encouraged him, starting in elementary school in Attica. Most of his elementary school friends went to Zemmer Junior High, but because of where he lived, he went to the former White Junior High School.

“I met a lot of new people at White and that was a good experience for me,” he said.

Along the way, Stover discovered he was a talented baseball player. That led him to join the Lapeer East team and meet Coach Brad Gerlach. The two became close – Gerlach gave him the nickname “Razor, because he was a real sharp kid,” which sticks to this day – and helped him get a baseball scholarship to Saginaw Valley State University.

His sister said their family was poor when they were growing up and Gerlach’s assistance was a big factor in helping her brother go to college.

Ruth Stover-Lange, a 1982 graduate named Most Outstanding Graduating Senior, is a teacher in the North Branch School District. She said until she began working with students, she did not realize just how great an influence teachers and school had on her and her brother.

“He had a lot of encouragement from teachers,” she said. “Baseball also was very important. Having a team full of friends supporting you is huge, and his coach was very instrumental in helping Ray get the SVSU scholarship.”

Gerlach said he always recognized Stover’s potential.

“He was an outstanding baseball player and outstanding human being,” Gerlach said. “He was someone you’d want working for you or even better, running something. His senior year, he just blossomed.”

Gerlach downplays his role in helping Stover get to college, saying it was his student’s talent and hard work that propelled him forward.

“I just made the connections and the talent spoke for itself,” he said.

Raymond Stover said he was very good in math while in Lapeer schools and decided on a career as a certified public accountant. After graduating from SVSU with a bachelor of science degree in business administration, he got an accounting job with the Blue Care Network, starting him in health care.

He joined Midland-based MidMichigan Health in 1990, starting in Midland and then moving to the organization’s medical center in Clare, where he rose to vice president and chief financial officer. He was promoted to his current job at the 20-bed primary care Gladwin medical center in January 2008.

“One of my most challenging duties is recruiting doctors to come to a rural hospital,” he said. “And then there is keeping up with what is happening with the economy and its impact on health insurance, declining reimbursements and keeping people in their jobs.”

He continues to seek mentors, saying he met several people at MidMichigan who helped him grow and now relies on the advice of many people as he learns his new job.

Stover also has served on the boards of several civic groups.

He lives in Midland with his wife, Rose, and their four daughters – Jessica, 21, a student at Lansing Community College, Samantha, 17, a Midland High School senior, and 16-year-old twins Jalynn and Taylor, high school juniors. He returns to the area a few times a year to visit his father, who now lives in Otter Lake, and Ruth, who still lives in Lapeer. He said he is very proud to call Lapeer his hometown and hopes students will take advantage of all the community and school district have to offer.

“Take your education very seriously,” he advised, “especially as hard as it is to get into college these days. Soak up as much as you can. Build relationships with teachers because you’ll be surprised at how often you need to return to them for advice.

“And get involved in the community. Offer some time back because it helps you and because Michigan really needs it now.”

Thursday, March 11, 2010

High School Robotics teams compete at Kettering, Lapeer East moves on to Ann Arbor


In an atmosphere not unlike a major high school sporting contest, the Lapeer East High School Robotics teams competed at the FIRST Robotics competition at Kettering University this past weekend.

The 22-member Lapeer East Robotics team, led by teacher and advisor George Mavis, placed 14th out of 40 teams after the two-day event. The East team will now take its robot to Ann Arbor this weekend for another meet.

Sponsored by CCS Robotics on Imlay City Road and PNC Bank, the East robot played soccer, scoring points by robotically kicking a ball into a goal and scored bonus points by successfully hanging the robot from a metal stand, one of the few teams to do so.

“This is a great experience for our robotics club members,” said Principal Kelly Paige. “It is great to see 22 students who are ‘geeked’ about math and science and a bleacher full of supportive adults, friends and family watching as referees, a timer and the competition unfolds.”

The Lapeer West Robotics Team also passed inspection and participated in the Kettering competition.

Lapeer East, Lapeer West High School wrestlers compete at State Finals

Lapeer West High School wrestlers and a wrestler from Lapeer East High School represented themselves well at the recent State Wrestling Individual Finals at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

West wrestler Dean Somers, took fifth place in the State in the 103 weight division.

Other members of the West team who wrestled at the State Finals were Adam Nichols (103), Dakota Carie (112), and Nate Irelan (135). Dakota and Adam each won matches in their weight divisions at the meet.

“I’m proud of the work these young men put into the sport during the recent season,” said West Coach Matt Nowak. “It takes a lot of dedication to end up in the State Finals.”

East wrestler Isaac Joseph (145), a junior, also won one of his matches in his weight division, but missed placing in the top eight by one point in his last match, said East Coach Al Lalonde.

Health Department announces vaccination help for parents with financial challenges

The Lapeer County Health Department asked us to provide information to parents/guardians who need help in obtaining required vaccinations for school.

Federal stimulus funds will be available for Tdap, meningitis, and varicella vaccines.

A clinic date has been set for Thursday, April 8th by appointment only.

Besides vaccinating children with Medicaid, uninsured, underinsured, and Alaskan Native or American Indian, this vaccine allows us to expand that eligibility to children who have copays or deductibles that would hinder them from receiving vaccines from their Healthcare Provider.

The only vaccines we will be able to provide to school-age children with insurance that covers part of vaccine costs are Tdap, Meningitis, and varicella vaccines.

To set up an appointment, to determine eligibility or to ask questions, parents should call (810)-667-0448.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

"Greatest Art Show on Earth" to be held at Lynch Elementary on March 19 (free root beer floats too!)

“The Greatest Art Show on Earth” will be held at Lynch Elementary School from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, March 19.

Each student at the school will have a piece of art or sculpture on display at the show.

Student tour guides will offer tours through the sculpture park that will have more than 400 pieces of art.

Every student will also display a two-dimensional piece of art in the show.

If seeing “The Greatest Art Show on Earth” isn’t enough of an incentive to come, parents will be serving free root beer floats at the show.

“The students have worked very hard on their creations and we are hope many people will turn out to see them,” said art teacher Karen Milito.

A month of reading is the month of March, the celebration starts with a hat-on-a-cat

Food, drinks, guest readers and “Cat-in-the-Hat” pins highlight the “March is Reading Month” celebration at Lapeer West High School on Wednesday, March 31, during the school day.

Students will belatedly celebrate the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as “Dr. Seuss,” on that day. The celebration could not be held on Dr. Seuss’s real birthday – March 2 – because of the crush of tests and the end of the trimester.

On that day, Student Council will provide food and drink to all students and special dispensation will be made for the wearing of hats and pajama pants for students who purchase “Cat-in-the-Hat” pins. Funds raised from the event will benefit the Family Literacy Center of Lapeer.

Teachers are invited to participate by devoting 15 minutes of class time to reading to students if the teaching schedule allows. Other staff will be invited to be guest readers and teachers will also be invited to participate in a bookmark activity.

The West media staff has purchased bookmarks to distribute to students and is sponsoring a book review contest with signed copies of books as prizes. “READ” temporary tattoos will also be sold as a fund raiser.

Special decorations will adorn the Book Club display. The Book Club will sell tattoos, Cat-in-the-Hat pins and Cat-in-the-Hat cookies during lunches.

“Students at Lapeer West are great readers and this day celebrates the atmosphere of reading that is so prevalent at our school,” said teacher Mrs. Daryl Debano, the club sponsor.

Lapeer West Clothing Construction students provide comfort to kids with quilts

A Lapeer West High School class project in the Clothing Construction class of Ms. Charlotte Cornell yielded more learning than just the skills needed to make a quilt.

Photo caption: Some McLaren employee names are not known. Second from left (standing) Ms. Charlotte Cornell, teacher; West student Whitney Avenall (next to Ms. Cornell), students Tabitha Barber and Jane Craemer (far right standing next to Dr. Dr. Ed Gullekson, and student Morgan Burgess (front, center). Additional photos are at the District's photo gallery.

Students in the class made baby and child quilts and then donated them to Hurley Medical Center and the Child Evaluation Center at McLaren Regional Medical Center in Flint in February.

Four students and Ms. Cornell drove to Hurley and McLaren to deliver the completed quilts and received a warm reception at both hospitals.

At McLaren, Dr. Ed Gullekson and a social worker at the CEC, talked to the students about the medical profession and gave them a tour of the facility and clinic which deals with children who have been abused.

“The doctor told us that the kids at the center who receive the blankets will have the comfort of them for the rest of their lives,” said Ms. Cornell. “When the four students returned, they shared the information with the rest of the class. It had a trickle down effect.”

In the next trimester class which began this week, Ms. Cornell said she is planning to have the next class create teddy bears for the CEC at McLaren.

Students sometimes need a little financial help in buying the material needed for the class and Ms. Cornell said donations of material are accepted at school. Donations of money or material can be made by calling Ms. Cornell at Lapeer West at (810) 667-2423.

'Farm-ol-o-gy' event to highlight local agriculture is Thursday, March 18

We received the following press release about a Lapeer County Farm Bureau event - "Farm-ol-o-gy" that may be of interest to our parents and students.

Milk a cow, drive a combine, and talk to a farmer at Lapeer County Farm Bureau’s farm-ol-o-gy event

LAPEER — In recognition of National Agriculture Week, the Lapeer County Farm Bureau is hosting Farm●ol●o●gy at the Lapeer Center Building, Thursday, March 18, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Farm-ol-o-gy attendees can chat with local farmers “over the fence” and learn some science behind farming, what it takes to be a farmer, the advantages of buying locally grown foods, and why farmers make good neighbors. Over 20 local farmers representing organic, cash crops, livestock, fruit, maple syrup, honey, and specialty farming will be available to answer questions.

Hands-on attractions include a combine simulator where you can try your hand at harvesting; Urlene the cow offers the chance to experience milking a cow and Lapeer Master Gardeners will teach you how to make paper pot plant starters. Lapeer County’s FFA, under the guidance of Tammy Hyatt, Ed Tech’s horticulture and agriculture instructor, will demonstrate ice cream production, embryo transfer in cattle and how to raise alpaca.

The evening also brings a 100-mile-meal to the Center Building.

“Six times a year we cater a meal to raise funds toward the restoration of the Center Building,” remarks Cathy Carter, manager of the Center Buildings. “We were presented with the opportunity to regain sight of where our food comes from by creating a meal using foods grown within 100 miles.

We did our research and found many local farmers and growers we weren’t aware of,” she notes.

“Our biggest challenge has been the time of year; there is not much growing outside right now, but we have been able to put together a premium meal featuring pulled pork, roasted vegetables, biscuits, slaw, with apple crisp for desert. We are sticking with the 100 mile theme right down to the butter,” says Jackson.

Farm-ol-o-gy is a free event sponsored by Lapeer County Farm Bureau, Michigan Thumb Works and the Lapeer Center Building. Doors open at 4:00 p.m. The 100-mile-meal starts at 4:00 p.m. in the west wing of the Center Building.

Tickets are $8.00 and can be reserved by calling Cathy Carter at 810-664-2109 or Gloria Ginell at 810-664-9712.

Project R.E.D., Rural Education Day, hosted by Farm Bureau, inspired this collaboration.

Kelly Lewis, Farm Bureau’s Promotion and Education chairperson, explains, “Research suggests that the general public is eager to know more about the food they eat, where and how it is produced, and the connection farming has to their community.”

“Bringing the public and local farmers together at a single venue has been an idea I’ve had brewing for a couple of years. As the county coordinator for Project R.E.D., I have seen the positive reaction Lapeer County’s third graders have toward farmers and agriculture and I want to bring that to all the people of our community,” added Lewis.

For more information regarding Farm-ol-o-gy, please call Teresa Fick at 810-441-0911.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Lapeer West's Project Graduation hosts Schwan's fund-raising event Saturday, March 13

Project Graduation of Lapeer West is conducting a Schwan's Truckload Sales Event this Saturday, March 13, 2010 from 10 am until 4 pm. The pickup location will be in the parking lot of Sleep Doctor Mattress store, 700 S. Main St, Lapeer ( across the street from Kroger Gas as well as Meijer Gas).

Project Graduation of Lapeer West will earn a percentage of the sales made on Saturday to help offset the cost of providing an all night, chaperoned, fun, substance-free Graduation Party for the entire Lapeer West Graduating class of 2010, to be held on Graduation night June 6, 2010.

Community support of this fundraiser requires only that our friends stop by the yellow Schwan's trucks and purchase an item of their choice. Project Graduation of Lapeer West thanks you, our community for all the wonderful support of our organization and our mission.

Lapeer West hosts First Annual Spring Fashion Show

The First Annual Spring Fashion Show will be at Lapeer West High School on Thursday, March 11th. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. to view and shop vendor booths. The fashion show will begin at 7:00 p.m. with our Jazz Band providing the entertainment before the event!

Also during the fashion show, West will host the first ever MR. LAPEER WEST Contest! Winners will be chosen by audience response so come and cheer on your favorite!

Vendor booths will offer coupons, appointments & incentives. Used prom dresses will also be for sale and entry is only $2.00.

Battle of the Bands this Friday at Lapeer East

High school bands from Lapeer East, Lapeer West and Lapeer Community High School will face off in the Battle of the Bands on Friday, March 12 in the Lapeer East High School auditorium. Doors open at 6 p.m. and music is scheduled to start about 6:30 p.m.

Admission is $5 and the proceeds will help pay for the Leadership Forum of OMNI Council, an umbrella student leadership group made up of students from all three high schools.