Archive - Jul 2010

To the Editor:

With Michigan’s economy at the brink of absolute failure, the constituents of this state need to be very aware of the background of those who are running to be their voice in Lansing. First of all, we need someone who will have a voice. We do not want someone who will be a puppet. We need someone with actual experience, not associate experience in Lansing.  

We need someone who has experience running a successful business. Michigan needs representation that will put our state budget back on track while attracting not only businesses, but also the younger generation to work those new businesses.

Jim Van Doren has a voice and he is not afraid to use it. He is his own person, unlike others whose only experience comes from working as an aide. Jim’s connections are real life experiences with multiple successes. Jim also has the business experience that this state needs to get it back on track. I love this great state. I want what is best for Michigan and the generations to come who want to live, work and raise a family here. That is why Aug. 3, I am voting Jim Van Doren to the 57th State House seat.

Katherine Yockey
Riga

To the Editor,

I urge everyone in the 57th District to vote for Jim Van Doren for State Representative in the Aug. 3 Primary Election. He is a dedicated public servant in our community. Jim is always ready to listen to concerns and answer questions. Some politicians just talk about how they worked hard for the people they serve, but Jim has demonstrated it through his work as Chair of the County Commission. We can depend on him to continue his great service in the years to come. Vote Jim Van Doren on Aug. 3.

Moses Hensley
Tecumseh

To the Editor,

I told myself some time back that I was not going to write another letter to the editor in regards to the schools, but I have held this in long enough. In one of the board meetings the athletic director made comparison of the size of the athletic budget with other schools so now I am going to make a comparison in regards to the financial situation of the Tecumseh Public Schools (TPS) and the Adrian Public Schools (APS).

TPS has privatized just about everything and the last was the custodians. At least the APS gave its custodians a chance to keep their jobs and that is more than I can say about the TPS. TPS was also going to do away with a full-time principal at the high school but now that they can’t afford to move the central offices to the high school like they had planned so they are going to hire a full-time principal. They were going to have three part-time principals at the high school, McAran, Mills and Niles, and what a disaster that would have been.

TPS has done away with a full-time elementary principal and made the principal at Patterson the principal at Herrick Park and Patterson.

I have been asking myself why is the APS in so much better shape financially than the TPS as to why they have not had to do all the privatizing that the TPS has had to do when both schools have lost students and state aid. The only answer I could come up with is that the APS have done a better job financially than the TPS. I think it is about time we had a change of superintendent and finance officer, and as far as the board members, most of them have left the board that helped get us in the finance problem the TPS are in. I hope the new board members can get things turned around and get the schools headed in the right direction.

Just a few random thoughts today on some random topics. Recently NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) telescope discovered there are 25,000 new, never before seen asteroids floating around up there. Reports note that 95 of these are considered "near Earth," which only means that they are within 30 million miles of us. The project cost $320 million and was launched in December so scientists could use this ultra-sensitive new technology to get a better idea of what else is out there. I guess we are not to be too concerned about the asteroids, because the scientists say they are not a threat to Earth. When we hear such things, though, we think of the science fiction movies, like Bruce Willis' Armageddon where a bunch of macho guys are sent up to blast it to pieces before it hits the Earth full force. I guess if one really is headed this way, though, we won't be able to do much but wait for it to come, since the space program isn't what it used to be. Isn't an asteroid collision what some speculate brought the end to dinosaurs on the Earth? Bet THEY didn't see it coming!

  Another cruise through news reports shows a lot of concern about teens, especially, engaging in something called "i-dosing," where they go to a website and get digital sounds that supposedly mimic the high of drugs such as marijuana or cocaine. The action is said to alter brain waves and a person's mental state. As this concern has spread, some experts (neuroscientists and others) say it's just a "virtual" experience, an "imaginary" ecstasy. I guess the biggest concern is that  people who seek out these sites, especially young people, may be led to Websites or other sources of real drugs. (Just when you think you've heard it all, something new pops up prompting worries about kids and what they are exposed to.

Margaret A. Leighton, 91, of Tecumseh, went to be with her Lord and Savior, July 21, 2010, at home surrounded by her family.  Margaret was born April 16, 1919, in Britton, Mich., the daughter of Ford and Doris (Zeluff) Exelby.

After graduating from Britton High School in 1936, she received in 1940 her bachelor of science degree from Michigan State Normal College.   Muskegon Heights was her first teaching position and at this time she met and married Edward (Bud) Leighton settling   on Pottawatamie Street in Tecumseh where she still resided.

Margaret was a very dedicated elementary teacher at Lincoln, New McKinley, Birdsall and Alexander Schools  in Adrian retiring after 34 years of service.

In 1957, she married Robert Hoekstra and enjoyed many friends and dances at the Tecumseh Country Club and a great trip to Europe.   She had many great adventures traveling to Europe, the Caribbean and Hawaiian Islands, Alaska and all through the United States with travel groups and good friends.  

Margaret was a very dedicated church member, active in the Mary Martha Circle and the turkey suppers.  She was the oldest living female member of the Britton Congregational Christian  Church.  Her memberships included  the Michigan Education Association, Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel (Lenawee), Business and Professional Women's Association (Tecumseh and Adrian), and the Herrick Memorial Hospital Auxiliary - volunteering for over 3,000 hours.  Her friends were many and of all ages from the 3-year-old next door to 103-year-old good friend, Mrs. Claxton.

Gerard (Jerry) Francis Cark, 78, of Ann Arbor, Mich., died peacefully on July 28, 2010.  Jerry was the son of Clarence J. and Kathryn M. born in October of 1931.  He is preceded in death by sister, Kathryn Lung and brothers, Clarence and John Cark.  

He attended St. Charles Elementary School and graduated from Central Catholic High School.  He was drafted out of high school, in 1949, into the US Army during the Korean Conflict.  After basic training he served his time guarding the Panama Canal.  Jerry was self-employed most of his life and enjoyed over 30 years of retirement.  He was married to Joan Linderman in June of 1959 and resided at Evans Lake in the Irish Hills of Michigan for 25 years.  He could be seen anywhere in the country at a bluegrass festival.

He is survived by wife, Joan of Ann Arbor, Mich.; daughters Kathryn Cark of Houston, Texas, Lisa (Mike) MacDonald of Hersey, Mich., Brenda (Bernard) Tucker of Ypsilanti, Mich., Patricia (Frank Vincent) Cark of St. John, United States Virgin Islands; and son, Michael (Kerri) Cark of New Smyrna, Fla.  

He had great fun and shared joy with grandchildren Millicent and Matthew MacDonald and Morgan and Michael Cark they will miss him dearly.  He has many nieces and nephews that he loved and enjoyed spending time with.  He showed his family how to enjoy life, love every minute and cherish the simple pleasures.

Jerry will be cremated and mass will be said in his honor on Friday, July 30 at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Shrine in the Irish Hills where he will be buried.

Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Joseph Shrine, Brooklyn, Mich. or Arbor Hospice, Ann Arbor, Mich.