Archive - Apr 10, 2008

Tecumseh High School runners Dan Eastyerday (l) and Kyle Peake (center) prepare to hand off their batons as the Indians’ boy’s team cruised ahead of visiting Ida to win its first dual meet in the last five years. See sports for the story.

Renovations at Herrick Medical Center are just weeks from completion with a grand opening scheduled in late May or early June. Herrick’s facility director Rich Laliberte (left) and President of Herrick and Bixby Medical Centers Greg Corbett were pictured last week in the newly constructed registration area. Patients and visitors to the hospital will have a hard time recogni- ing the former facility when they walk through the main entrance. A new grand corridor ties the front entrance to the rear entrance to the hospital with a completes redesigned and decorated interior, as well as a new front entrance on E. Pottawatamie Street. A date for a public open house will be announced.

By DEB WUETHRICH

The City of Tecumseh will soon explore the feasibility of expanding the Tecumseh Community Center, following Monday night’s City Council authorization to spend $6,000 toward architectural work to assess possible renovations or additions which could include a new gymnasium. Krieghoff Lenawee would do the work, with the additional $12,000 feasibility price tag to be provided by anonymous donors.

Tecumseh City Manager Kevin Welch said an anonymous potential donor approached the city approximately a year ago and some talks have been held to determine what steps could be taken to further explore expansion. He said another party, who also wishes to remain anonymous, also has joined some discussions that he has participated in along with Tecumseh Parks and Recreation Director Pat Sorise and Tecumseh Mayor Harvey Schmidt.

“We were approached by somebody who agreed with the city that we need a community center that could afford the opportunity to offer more indoor programs,” said Welch. He said one of the goals would be to offer more physical activity for youth. “We’re still in the very, very preliminary stage to determine whether it’s even feasible,” Welch said. “But we’re looking at whether we might be able to do this at the current site, utilizing the current community center, which we already own, and that seems to make the most sense.”

Currently, several indoor activities are held in locations owned by area partners including the Herrick Memorial Hospital and the LISD’s Milton C. Porter Center gym.

By DEB WUETHRICH and CRISTINA TRAPANI-SCOTT

State Senator Mark Schauer said just about every issue hearkens back to the economy in this year’s political campaigns. The Battle Creek Democrat visited with the Herald on Tuesday as he gears up to make a bid for the 7th Congressional seat, currently held by Tim Walberg, R-Tipton. He also visited the Tecumseh Kiwanis Club that day as the guest of Lenawee County Commissioner David Stimpson. The Democratic primary election will be held on August 5, and Sharon Renier, of Munith, also has expressed an interest in running. Schauer said forms of intent must be filed in May.

Schauer earned a degree from Albion College and pursued a career in the community service field, serving for a time as executive director of the Community Action Agency of South Central Michigan and coordinator for the Calhoun County Human Services Coordin-ating Council. He said that he is a fierce advocate for children.

He later became a Battle Creek City Commissioner and then ran for the State Legislature, beating a Republican incumbent in 1996. He is in a second term as a State Senator and was chosen by his colleagues to serve as the Senate Democratic Leader. Schauer is married to Christine, and is the father to three stepchildren and a six-month-old grandson.
Following are some of Schauer’s views on topics he shared with Herald reporters:

In regards to Alice Corfmans letter to the editor about how she was appalled by a police officer’s brutal and cruel action in shooting a raccoon,

What she should have said was “I applaud the officer forresponding to the call, and alleviating the problem.”

He was was putting himself in danger. Raccoons and skunks are one of the biggest carriers of rabies and distemper.

Maybe if she had talked to the officer about it, he could have explained his actions, and she would have felt better about it. Sometimes what you see is not the true picture.

We had a raccoon in the yard across the street from us, and a  postal worker saw it, and was afraid of it by the way it was acting, and asked me to call the police. A police officer quickly responded to our call, and by watching it going around in small circles, he could tell it had distemper. He used his noose and caught it and it was shot.

A raccoon is a nocturnal animal, and if it is out during the day it is usually sick.
 I thanked him and he thanked me for calling. I think this was a very humane way to take care of the problem.

Stan Pete Dermyer
Tecumseh

I began with the Tecumseh Products Company in April of 1952. My brother, Ronald Wonderly, and also my brother-in-law, Donald Withrow, worked there also, starting in 1952. I worked on assembly of refrigeration compressors for about 20 years, and then went into wastewater treatment for another 20 years. I had 40 plus years in and retired in 1992.

Mr. Herrick was a very friendly man and did many things for the community as well as for many individuals that worked for him.

I met many wonderful people who are still friends. One of the great things is meeting those same old-timers in Leesburg, Florida, where a lot of us seem to congregate in the wintertime. We all meet for lunch in February along with many other Tecumseh people and reminisce about the old days and past experiences at the Products.
We are sad to see it go as it has been a part of so many families’ lives, for so many years.

Walt Wonderly
Holt, MI