Archive - Apr 2009

Noreene May Kourt, 83, of Raisin Township, formerly of Pinckney passed away April 25, 2009 surrounded by her loving family.  Noreene was born May 12, 1925 in Detroit, Mi.,  the daughter of William and Bertha (Biskey) Mansfield.  She married Robert Kourt and he preceded her in death.

 Noreene is survived by her children, Stanley (Debbie) Kourt of Gaines, MI, James (Darlene) Kourt of Britton and Kathleen (Noel) Smith of Fowlerville, MI; 5 grandchildren and  3 great grandchildren

Besides her husband Robert, she was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Doris.

Funeral services will be 2:00 P. M. Wednesday, April 29, 2009 at the J. Gilbert Purse Funeral Home, Tecumseh with the Rev. Lloyd Jewett officiating.  Burial will follow in Raisin Presbyterian Cemetery,

Raisin Township.  Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Lenawee.  Condolences to the family may be made on line at www.pursefuneralhome.com

Tuesday, May 5, is the election date for an available seat on the Tecumseh School Board and three seats on the Tecumseh District Library Board. In the City of Tecumseh, precincts will be consolidated at the Tecumseh Community Center with two precincts voting in the main room and one in the Glass Room. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. City Clerk Laura Caterina said that directional maps will be available at the Community Center to help direct voters to the proper precinct.

School board candidates are:

• Tim Connors, a Tecumseh High School graduate, lifelong resident and former wrestling coach who currently serves as President of the Tecumseh Area Little League. Connors was formerly employed by Boysville in Macon, and currently works as a shipping and receiving manager for Cabela’s.
• Jimmie Rice, who has lived in the district for 36 years, is a former music teacher and band director at Tecumseh High School, where he served for many years prior to retirement from the school district.
• Jim Patrick, a 21-year resident who is now retired. He was a former educator/administrator in the Madison School District, a former educator at Royal Oak Schools, and also in private business. He also is retired from the U.S. Marine Corps.
The three seek one seat on the school board, being vacated by current president Debbie Johnson-Burges.
Tecumseh District Library Board candidates are: Karen Stoops, Matt Lenke and Stan Legenc.

BY CRISTINA TRAPANI-SCOTT

CLINTON — Imagine being a high school freshman. Those early days can be tough, navigating new hallways, new schedules and being the underclassman. Now, imagine that along with all the pressure of starting high school your body turns on you, swells and turns red or purple, so that all you can do is wear sweatpants and flip flops to school. A few kids around you do what kids will do when confronting difference. They tease you. On top of all of that the mere act of being in a crowded lunchroom is more than just emotionally painful. It’s physically painful.

For Clinton High School senior and valedictorian, Anabel Gilbert, the picture is all too real. At the start of her freshman year she was diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), a rare disorder that causes intense pain that is out of proportion to the severity of an injury. Little is known of the disorder and what causes its sudden onset, but unlike regular injuries the pain tends to worsen over time instead of get better.

Gilbert was 14 years old and at marching band practice when symptoms first surfaced. She put on her shoes and felt something in her foot pop. She said she didn’t think anything of it and made her usual trek home on foot. The pain worsened and she went to the emergency room that night. The doctor told her nothing was wrong, but by the next day her entire foot had turned purple. She said what followed was a series of trips to different doctors and specialists as her symptoms worsened. Finally, after nine weeks, a doctor at the University of Michigan Health System diagnosed her with RSD.

“I used to run six miles a night, and I asked the doctor when I would be able to run again. He said, ‘You’ll be lucky to be walking in a year,’” said Gilbert.

Early struggles with RSD

By DEB WUETHRICH

Block scheduling at Tecumseh High School will remain in place for the coming academic year. Tecumseh School Board President Debbie Johnson-Burges read a statement noting that block scheduling was just one of several programs that were evaluated as part of the board’s goals. “Block scheduling is one of them, and we must look at it both educationally and financially,” she said.

Many students and parents stepped forward earlier this school year to share their views on the benefits of block scheduling, which includes 90-minute seminar periods within a semester system. Both groups said they valued the seminar time because students could receive additional assistance, work on group projects, and have opportunities to finish homework which facilitated participation in extracurricular activities and after-school jobs. District officials have looked at the possibility of going to a trimester system, which some other schools have done.

“The Board will continue to assess the value of all programs we offer at Tecumseh Public Schools to ensure that we are able to provide academic excellence in the most cost effective manner,” Johnson-Berges said.

The board also reviewed an artist’s rendering during a report about a proposed concession building that would also house a ticket office, restrooms and storage space. Finance Director Bill Wright said that the preliminary costs were estimated to be approximately $138,000, mostly for materials, and that he expected some of the labor to be donated.

Wright said he expected approximately 70 percent of the funding to be privately raised.
A Concession Steering Committee has been formed to explore fundraising possibilities, and Tecumseh Athletic Director Griff Mills is coordinating a brick sale fundraiser toward the project.

A new state law (P.A. 540) promoted by State Representative Dudley Spade (Tipton) has led to criticism of the Tecumseh Public Schools recently after bids were awarded for the construction of the athletic complex and demolition of the bleachers and concession stand at the Tecumseh Middle School.

The law allows schools to adopt a policy that gives local businesses preference in bids for school projects, even if a non-local bid is lower. The law took effect only in January, which gave little time for the Tecumseh Public Schools to review and adopt such a policy. The law is merely an option, not a mandate for state school districts to adopt, and thus far, no school in Lenawee County has adopted a policy based on the new law.
In a major oversight, the new law fails to define “local.” Any Michigan business that submits a bid to a state school district could fall under the definition of “local.” Therefore, workers in Lenawee County could easily lose their jobs to any union or business from elsewhere in the State of Michigan.

Despite flaws in the law promoted by Representative Spade, we encourage the Tecumseh Public Schools to pursue a policy that would give preference to local businesses in the Tecumseh area.

The Herald invited the Tecumseh schools to address the issue  to our readers, which is printed below.

Tecumseh Public Schools’ analysis of P.A. 540, school bid law preferences

Background Information

To The Editor,

Once again the TCA has provided  us with exceptional entertainment.  What a show the cast of  BARRAGE gave us.  They were sensational.  Never have I seen such enthusiasm both from the stage and from the audience.  The patrons of TCA truly shook the rafters.  The fiddling was fantastic as well as the fancy footwork. There are no words in my vocabulary to describe the result of the combination of the two other than to say it was explosive. The addition of TSO was an extra special treat.  They did a wonderful job. I am sure they were all inspired and all wish they could attend the camp the Barrage cast  referred to.
Thanks again to Jo Walker and the TCA staff.
                 
        
Marlene Mauer
Tecumseh