By DEB WUETHRICH

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church will celebrate its 50 years within the Tecumseh Community with a social event on Saturday, April 19, and a Festival Worship Service and dinner on Sunday, April 20. Saturday’s events will include a 1950s theme Sock Hop, complete with hula hoops and ice cream treats. On Sunday, Bishop John Schreiber, Bishop of the Southeast Michigan Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, from Detroit, will join the congregation in marking its special event. A celebration dinner will take place at Masonic Hall following the services.

Betty Wing, a charter member, and June Macbeth, who joined within a couple of years, can remember when Gloria Dei was first organized and made its home at its present site after purchasing the old Brownsville School, which was built by Henry Ford. Church members including Jim Colson and Dean Sheldon remember going to school there, according to present pastor, Reverend Richard Webb, who has been there for 14 years. Wing and Macbeth recalled those early days.

“I remember when some young people went around our community and asked how people in town felt about a new little church,” said June. She said she had been a Lutheran all her life, and found a friendly community at Gloria Dei as the congregation grew.

“Pastor Bergman came to our house,” said Betty. The Reverend Robert Bergman was installed as the congregation’s first full time pastor in June of 1958, although the church became organized on March 11, 1958. Originally, worship services were held in the local high school gymnasium in the building that now houses the school district’s central offices. Four other pastors also served Gloria Dei including The Reverend Victor Gruhn, Dr. Lazlo Gero, The Reverend Frederick Prezioso, and The Reverend Ronald Johnson.

Tecumseh Youth Theatre’s production of School House Rock will be
rocking the TCA this weekend. Directed by Sarah Miller and produced by
Karen Nowak-Rochford, the TMS presentation features a cast of 40,
supported by 8 tech members, and three musicians — Tim Prettyman, Scot
Hannaa-Weir and Jason Kuay. Pictured above are TYT players Becca Nowak,
Brianne Nowak, Alissa Reeder and Meg Wallich. Showtimes are: April
18-19, 7:30 p.m.; and April 20, 2 p.m. All tickets are $6. Call
423-6617 for info.

By DEB WUETHRICH

Young children in the Tecumseh School District who might need a little extra time and attention to adapt to the school kindergarten environment will be able to find such a program within their home district next year, thanks to a nod of approval by the Tecumseh School Board on Monday evening. Parents will be able to learn more about the Young Five’s program for the 2008-2009 school year at a Kindergarten Registration Fair on Saturday, April 19.

Sutton Elementary School Principal Deb Langmeyer, outlined the program at a previous school board meeting, noting that the district previously lost some children to neighboring communities that have such programs. She said the goal was not to steal students from other districts, but provide residents of Tecumseh the option of a Young Fives program right in their own community. Langmeyer said the goal could be accomplished with an increase of one half-time FTE in staffing at a cost of $44,719 including benefits.

“That would enable us to put in a Young Five’s program to address kids who are developmentally young and coming into kindergarten this coming fall,” she said. “We would need just 6.1 students to enroll to have it be cost neutral.”
The move would bring 11 FTE teachers to 11 sections throughout the district. Ten teachers would teach regular kindergarten and one teacher would teach one full day every day section of Young Five’s kindergarten. Three regular classes would take place at Sutton Elementary; two regular and one Young Fives would be located at Tecumseh Acres; three regular all day classes would take place at Patterson Elementary, and two regular all day classes would be located at Herrick Park Elementary School. Young Fives students would be bused to their neighborhood schools and ride a shuttle bus to Tecumseh Acres.

Attention Ladies! Text your girlfriends and head to Tecumseh on April 18 and 19 to experience Women’s Weekend.  Merchants have planned a variety of activities, especially with you in mind.  Take in a floral demonstration or a fashion show luncheon.  Enjoy great savings on jewelry or sign up to knit a special project.  Live entertainment, gifts with purchase, refreshments, women’s health presentations and much more will be offered both days.

Pick up a complete listing of activities at one of the following participating businesses:  Ivy Gallery, Bad Hair Day, The British Tea Garden, The Wild Iris, Edison Chiropractic, Grey Fox Floral, Hacker Jewelers, Keila’s Creative Collections, The Yarn Basket, Tilton and Sons Shoes, The Tecumseh District Library, The Daily Grind and Tecumseh Chiropractic Center.  

Make sure you grab your beret as you head out for the Art Walk on Friday, April 18 from 7 to 9 p.m.   Thirteen businesses have teamed up with the Lenawee Center for Visual Arts (LCVA) and will host artists and their works for the evening.  Spend the evening perusing original art and chatting with the artists.  Take a moment to soak up some live entertainment.   Enjoy complimentary refreshments at all thirteen locations.  Pick up your Art Walk map at:  The Yarn Basket, Evans Street Station, The Boulevard Market, The British Tea Garden, Tilton and Sons Shoes, That Used Bookstore, The Wild Iris, The Ivy Gallery, Great Ideas, DGII, Pentamere Winery, Timeless Stitches and Susan Whitney Studios.

Please contact Shelley Lim at 517-424-6003 or by email at slim@tecumseh.mi.us for further information.

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.