Archive - Aug 7, 2008

Tecumseh Area Little League's (TALL) Major girls 12-year-old All-star softball team was one of six state champions to advance to the regional competition in Carthage Missouri, but the team ended its dream season with a loss to the eventual regional winner, Illinois.

After going 3-1 in pool play with its only loss (8-2) coming from Sterling, Illinois, Tecumseh earned the number three seed and was paired with Flatwoods, Kentucky, the number six seed, on Friday, July 31. Tecumseh won 10-4 to advance to the semifinal on Saturday but had its work cut out, as the girls would have to beat the tough team from
Illinois to continue on.

Illinois proved unstoppable, defeating Tecumseh 11-0 on Saturday morning and then beating Kansas 12-0 later in the championship final to advance to the Little League Softball World Series.

Tecumseh opened the games with three straight victories before losing to Illinois in pool play. Tecumseh defeated Dakota 14-1, on Monday, July 28, and then beat Indiana 9-1 the next day. On Wednesday, July 30, Tecumseh shut out Missouri 10-0 but lost 8-2 on Thursday against Illinois. Tom Forest and Mark Rowe coached the team.

TALL's Big League team advanced to the regional games in Kalamazoo on Saturday, Aug. 2, and exited pool play with a 3-1 record. TALL beat Indiana 1-0 and Wisconsin 2-1 on Saturday, Aug. 2, and then defeated Illinois 16-7 before losing 5-2 against the hosting Michigan District 9 team on Sunday.

Two semifinal games were played out on Monday, giving Tecumseh an opportunity for a comeback, but the hosting Michigan District 9 team won both contests with 3-0 finals to advance to the Little League World Series.

By MICKEY ALVARADO

Last year's overall finish was arguably the best athletic and academic school season that Tecumseh High School has ever had with two state championship titles won and many other accomplishments attained.

Academically, Tecumseh had a National Honor Society Recipient (swimmer), a Michigan Athletic Association Scholar Athlete final list (girls cross-country), and an outstanding year with 13-of-17 Valedictorians and Salutatorians in its graduating class as athletes. The Val/Sal list is as follows: Andrew Malmquist (4.17 GPA, cross-country), Wystan Neil Palmer (4.15, swimming), Michelle Koupal (4.12, golf), Amanda Putt (4.08, cross-country, track), Megan Patterson (4.06, volleyball, basketball), Benjamin Andre (4.06, track), Kayla Kalmbach (4.06, basketball), Ashley Hartmen (4.06, golf), John Hacker (4.04, football, basketball), Theresa O'Leary (4.04, volleyball, track), July Cory (4.04 DNP),
Deanna Shelle (4.02, swimming. soccer), Tara Findley (4.02 DNP), Simin Manole (4.02, DNP), Thomas Bell (4.0, basketball, baseball), Nichole Hughes (4.0, volleyball, basketball, softball) and Abigail Melnik (3.98, DNP).

Two of the three sports seasons picked up state titles including a back-to-back performance from the varsity girls softball team in the spring. The Indians' varsity girls bowling team won the state title during the winter season.

OK, OK, I’ve had enough!
We’re going to fix the energy shortage by pumping up our tires? All passenger cars and trucks have had to have inflation sensors since October 2006 and if the tires on my truck get low they nag me worse than my wife.

We’re going to fix the energy shortage by getting a tuneup? All cars manufactured after January 1, 1996 have OBDII (computer controlled On Board Diagnostic) which automatically keep the car tuned up as the various engine sensors adjust for changing air, fuel and load conditions.

Leave it to a Harvard lawyer to have no idea how the real world works. A self-proclaimed Magna Cum Laude graduate of the Vatican of hyper self-esteem he pontificates like a four-year-old describing things he knows nothing of and which exist only in his inflated ego-imagination.

And now this Obama airhead says we’re all going to get electric cars that have a 40 mile range so I can drive the 52 miles one way to work each day and while I’m walking the rest of the way there get handed a car payment I can’t afford because I’m currently suffering Granhom economic gastro intestinal distress? Since he’s opposed to nuclear power, coal fired power and spends his hot air promoting windmills which are both inefficient and don’t hardly exist except in his mind, where does this Dodo think the electricity is going to come from so I can drive halfway to work before the batteries crap out even if I was stupid enough to buy his car that doesn’t exist either?

Jesus, Lord, save us from this stupidity the likes of which I have never witnessed in all my 60 plus years of paying attention to the political follies.

Doug Myers
Tecumseh

What a surprise we had when reading our July 24th copy of the Herald, which we just received. We continue to get the Herald at our new home in Beaufort, SC. The cover of The American Profile weekly insert was a photo of our street here in Beaufort, SC, with our house in the background!  The photo was actually taken two years ago and was the cover of the local Homes magazine. And the feature story was about porches, for which our neighborhood is known. We will enjoy showing this insert to our friends and neighbors here.

By the way, we left Tecumseh 10 months ago, and we truly miss the city and its people. Tecumseh is a gem of a town... great small businesses, good schools and good city management. A town of good neighborhoods and wonderful people. And we would give anything for a Muk’s Pub club sandwich or Basil Boys breadsticks. We are finding new favorite places here in Beaufort, and though it is HOT now, the winter was great. Actually, we ate our Thanksgiving dinner on the porch!

Hello to our friends and business associates, we miss you all!

Mary Kaye and Scott Riley
Beaufort, SC

My sincere thanks to everyone who attended the Joseph Robarge benefit dinner last Saturday held by the St. Elizabeth Knights of Columbus.  More than 200 people attended the dinner in a tremendous show of community support to help raise money for a special speaking device for Joseph.

 
Thanks also to the Tecumseh Herald for the wonderful article about the camp and highlighting Joseph’s special need.  Through the generous contributions received at the benefit dinner and the contributions from other organizations and individuals, we have more than half the total amount needed to purchase the device for Joseph.  

I would especially like to thank the men from the Knights of Columbus for organizing the event and doing the work to make it all possible.

Gail Elliott
Tecumseh

On Monday of this week (July 21, 2008), our “Fitness Is Ageless” senior exercise class was informed that our last class would be Friday. This is a class that began in the early 1980s with some of the original members still in attendance. The reason given was that the HMC gymnasium was to be used as storage. We were shocked about the abrupt ending of the class and about the intended use of this facility.

Currently the gym has been available for community use such as: blood drives, flu shot clinics, after school basketball use by youth and adults, the senior exercise class which has two on-hour classes three times a week, and other health topic related gatherings (one related to diabetes was held recently in which hundreds of people attended). These groups will no longer have this space to use. The Wellness use of the gym has been good for the community over many years, especially the seniors who need a facility to get much needed exercise with professional instruction at a reasonable price.

The senior fitness center class has been very fortunate to have excellent instructors since I have attended: Catina Lowe, Liz Steele and currently Colette Meyer. They have tailored the exercises to the needs of aging adults: low impact aerobics, step routines, flexibility, range of motion, exercises to improve balance, stretching, and strength building with weights, resistance bands, and large exercise balls. I consider this class to be very important to the health of seniors because it meets three times a week and is balanced in nature.