514 S. Kalamazoo Ave. in Marshall, MI • Phone 269-781-5444 and FAX 269-781-7766 • www.advisor-chronicle.com

In The News:

August 11, 2012 • Vol. 133 No. 32

911 funding surcharge rejected By a margin of only 64 votes, Calhoun County

voters decided that they didn’t want to fund theCalhoun County 911 Consolidated Dispatch Centerwith a $2.25 per device monthly surcharge. “Weknew it was going to be close, but I'm not sure anyof us predicted the margin to be less than half apercent,” said CCCDC Executive Director JeffTroyer of the more than 14,000 votes cast. “One ofour goals was to have good voter turnout for theproposal and I think that everyone is pleased with14,500-plus votes. We worked very hard on theproposal and I think everyone involved iscomfortable with the outcome.” Those voting nototaled 7,298, while yes votes totaled 7,234.See election coverage on page 10

New Albion superintendent, Jerri-Lynn Williams-Harper settles in

Since becoming Albion Public Schools newsuperintendent last month, Jerri-Lynn Williams-Harper says she feels like she’s been on rollerskates for the past five weeks, becoming familiarwith her new position and becoming familiar with asmany teachers as she can. “I’ve been trying to findout who’s who and what’s what and what the needsare and what needs to be pulled apart and sewnback up,” said Williams-Harper, the formersuperintendent at Beecher Community Schools nearFlint. “It’s just what happens when you come in newto a place.”See story on page 34

City Council cuts two school crossingguard positions

At the Aug. 6 Marshall City Council meeting thecouncil approved a recommendation to discontinueschool crossing guards at the intersections of GordonSt./Mansion St. and Green St./Jefferson St. MarshallPolice Department Chief Jim Schwartz presentedfindings from the school crossing guards assessmentand studies using AAA guidelines that the policedepartment began in May. “The study takes into effectthe speed limits, amount of traffic, the gaps betweenthe traffic and the signage associated at crosswalksutilized by the students,” said Schwartz. The crossingguard intersections are now limited to four.See story on page 12

Day in the life of an auctioneer: A generational love for the bid

Most people come to the 4-H auctions year afteryear to buy an animal or project to support local kids.And it’s no different for the auctioneers. They haveshown a love for Calhoun County by hitting that ringevery year to raise up the bid prices for local livestockand projects. Even for those who attend the auctionseach year, there may still be a lot of unknowns aboutthe life of an auctioneer. Four local auctioneers speakabout their experiences in the business and theirmemories of the Calhoun County Fair. See story on page 46

Marshall couple helps families in needWho knew that a Jet-Ski could help families in

need? Back in 2008, Heather Meyer of Marshallreceived the Jet-Ski as a gift from her mother, but ayear later, it had not seen much action on the water.“It just sat in the driveway,” said Meyer, who, alongwith husband Ryan, decided to put the Jet-Ski togood use. “We thought to do something good with it,so we sold it and used the money to start the MeyerCritically Ill Children’s Fund.” The fund providesfinancial assistance to critically ill children and theirfamilies during families’ challenging journey torecovery. See story on page 30

Across Calhoun County, 4-H members are preparing their animals for the 2012 SmallAnimal Auction (Aug. 15) and the Large Animal Sale (Aug. 17). Shown readying for lastyear’s events are Hallie Adams of Marshall and her dairy starter calf; Homer resident

Brock Nelson and his award-winning homegrown market hog; Steven Osborn, also of Homer,and his Grand Champion Individual Market Sheep; and Danielle Heisler of Springport with the2012 Grand Champion Market Steer.

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Editor’s Corner

The idea of a county fair in thetraditional sense was not really re-vealed to me until I arrived in Mar-shall eight years ago.As a kid growing up in South

Florida, we had what was called the Dade County YouthFair, held ever April for two weeks.I went to that fair on several occasions, but for the life

of me, I can't recall ever seeing a single farm animal ortractor pull, or even a tractor for that matter.The fair had dozens of rides and game booths and

would attract several hundred thousand people each year.And all the times I went, I never ran into anybody Iknew, except for this one girl, Maxine, who had a hugecrush on me in fifth grade. (By comparison, one can't gomore than 10 feet at the Calhoun County Fair, it seems,and not run into somebody you know.) As I was comingout of one of the haunted houses, I saw her on line rightat the exit, and, not wanting her to see me, I hid insidethe haunted house for about five minutes until the coastwas clear.Of course, hearing blood curdling screams at 100

decibels for any amount of time is not good for one'shearing, let alone the five minutes I his from Maxine.With that being my only exposure to a county fair, I,

as a real city slicker, was woefully ill prepared at theCalhoun County Fair two years ago when I went to takephotos of the tractor pull.I got as close as possible to get a good shot as the first

participant approached the line.As I looked around, I noticed every single person in

my vicinity had something either plugged into or cover-ing their ears.If you've ever locked yourself out of your car or

home, I'm sure you're familiar with that sinking feelingyou get in your stomach after you release the door andrealize, albeit a second too late, that you don't have yourkey and are about to suffer the consequences of beinglocked out.A split-second after my realization that my ears were

unprotected, I experienced the loudest noise I had everheard as the engine revved and the driver made his waydown to the other end of the grandstand.I immediately dropped my camera and placed a hand

over each ear, but the damage was done. The pain thatseared through my ears was so intense, it felt like bloodwas gushing out of each ear. Thankfully, no blood, but Iwas essentially deaf the rest of the night and the ringingin my ears wouldn't completely go away for a couple ofweeks.Well, this year I'm ready for the tractor pull, and any

other loud events, mostly because I have no hearing left.Seriously, though, this week, I'll make sure to protect

what's left of my hearing, but I'm sure a new faux pasawaits me this week.You can take the boy out of the city, but you can't al-

ways take the city out of the boy.Enjoy and have fun at the fair and until next week,

may the good news be yours.

The 164th Calhoun County Fair kicks off today, Saturday, Aug. 11 and willrun through Saturday, Aug. 18. Michigan’s oldest fair will draw an esti-mated 50,000 people this week. What are you looking forward to the most?

Letters cont. to next page

Teagan Craft,Marshall“My favorite thing is probably

the rides. I like the merry-go-round.”

Elliotte Dodds,Marshall“I like the animals. I like seeing

the horses. And riding the ferriswheel.”

Word on the StreetWhat are you looking forward to at fair?

by John Hendler

Brionna Craft,Marshall“I can’t wait for the rides. I love

them all. And the cotton candy.”

Rachel Ramirez,Marshall“I’m looking forward to seeing

the horses. My favorite ride is thepony rides.”

Addison Powers,Marshall“I’m looking forward to all the

rides, especially the ferris wheeland merry-go-round.”

Melodi Schwarz,Marshall“I like volunteering at the gate

for Rotary as a ticket taker.”

Hospital has not damaged Marshall’s reputationTo the Editor:When I moved here in

1973, Marshall relied on thetown’s leading employers,State Farm and the Eatonplant, as well as some mid-size businesses to helpmaintain a certain quality oflife. What most of thesecompanies have in commonis they no longer operate inMarshall.Fortunately Oaklawn

Hospital has picked upsome of the slack havingadded over 700 jobs sincethe mid-70s. Its growth hasbrought hundreds of resi-dents to Marshall, many ofwhich have purchased andimproved some of our his-

toric homes. Oaklawn’s suc-cess also brings thousandsof visitors to Marshall, liter-ally every single week. Isn’tthat a good thing for ourdowntown?I agree with others who

say the changing world ofhealthcare will provide in-creasing challenges for Oak-lawn to continue to thrive.Back in the 70s Marshall’scitizens banded together tohelp Oaklawn survive. Nowsome seem to take a morbidpleasure in predicting itsdoom or suggesting we re-strict its growth by not in-cluding any historic struc-tures in the proposed expan-sion zone, a move the hospi-

tal says could add millionsto their long-range expan-sion needs.For all the claims that

Oaklawn will be the deathof Marshall’s historiccharm, I’ve yet to see evi-dence that their growth hasdamaged our town’s reputa-tion. Their projects havebeen nice enhancements,which include severalrestorations and reuse ofolder buildings. And thehouses that have beenmoved, including one onHome Tour this year, alwaysseem to improve in appear-ance following the move. Ido empathize with theneighbors who feel their

property values may bedamaged, but the hospitalhas offered a proposal toprotect their values.I think Oaklawn’s man-

agement and Board havedone a remarkable job ofproviding this communitywith first-class healthcarewhile also being an out-standing corporate citizen. Ihope City Council valuesthe hospital’s welfare asmuch as most of the peopleof this community do, andwill act to enhance its futurerather than restrict it.

Pat McCann,Marshall

Saxton thanks voters for primary election supportTo the Editor:First say thank you for

your vote of confidence.Thank you for choosing meas your Republican candi-date for Calhoun CountySheriff in the Aug. 7 pri-mary election. I hope youwill return to the polls andsupport me again on Nov. 6.Next a thank you on be-

half of my family. As youcan imagine, we have beenbusy over the past fewmonths campaigning andtrying to meet as many ofour county residents as pos-sible. Though we have notbeen able to share as manymeals together as a family

as we would like because ofour hectic schedules, wecontinue to live the Ameri-can dream. It is one inwhich we can feel secureand free; where we canwork and play in a safe en-vironment and where wecan appreciate our differ-ences and celebrate thosethings which we have incommon and all hold dear.I am thankful to everyone

who not only voted for me,but also to those who ac-tively campaigned on mybehalf, put signs up, con-tributed generously, andspread the word about mydesire to serve the commu-

nity as your next countysheriff.This primary election

gave me the opportunity tomeet and make new friends,to listen to your concerns,and to discuss importantcommunity issues that mat-ter most to our families. It isa big responsibility beingelected to the office of sher-iff, but one I look forwardto taking with your contin-ued help.I would be remiss if I

didn’t also express mythanks to the women andmen of the Calhoun CountySheriff’s Office who dedi-cate themselves to serving

and protecting all of the citi-zens in our county everyday of the year. Their com-mitment to excellence is ex-ceptional.Thank you again for

putting your trust and confi-dence in me through thisyear’s primary election. Asyour sheriff, I will do every-thing I can to protect the lifeand property of every citi-zen in this county, to faith-fully follow the laws of ourState, and to operate the jailin a fiscally responsiblemanner.

Matt Saxton,Captain, Calhoun County

Office of the Sheriff

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Hello Dr. Swender. GoodbyeAllergies.

Oaklawn Hospital is pleased to welcome David Swender, DOto its medical staff as the area’s newest Allergist/Immunologist.Marshall native Dr. Swender returns home to welcome newpatients to Oaklawn Medical Group-Allergy, Ashma & Immunologypractice opening in August. A fellow in allergy/immunology at University Hospitals/Richmond Medical Center in Cleveland, Dr. Swender’s practice will focus on the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of allergic and immunologic conditions, including allergies, asthma, food allergies and immunodeficiency.

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MHS fall sports practices get underwayBoys tennis, girls golf open seasons Aug. 15

Marshall High School football players opened practice Aug. 6 with three days of conditioning drills before putting on the pads Aug.9. The varsity team open its season athome Aug. 24 versus St. Joe at 7 p.m.

Shannon Hicks blasts out of the sand at the MarshallCountry Club during the first day of golf practice Aug.8.The girls golf team opens its season Aug. 15 in the GullLake Invitational.

Kyle Weck works on his juggling skills at practice lastWednesday. Soccer opens its regular season Aug. 21at home versus Charlotte.

Brooke Mason is able to get to the ball in time duringdefensive drills at volleyball practice Aug. 8. Marshall’svolleyball season gets underway Aug. 17 at Gull Lake.

Cross country runners, from left, Maya Williams, Kilee DeBrabander and LaurenFeasel are all smiles heading out on their first run last Wednesday.

Stuart Murch, right, leads a group of runners through the MHS student parkinglot. The boys and girls teams open their seasons Aug. 17 at Ella Sharp Park inJackson at the Michigan Center Invitational at 4 p.m.

photos by John Hendler

Redhawk Open is Aug. 18 at Marshall Country Club

Nine Marshall 7th graders competed in the Circuit Basketball State Finalsin the 7th/8th grade girls division July 27-29 andtook first place. The de-fending 6th grade Circuit State Champions finished the tournament with a8-1 record. In the championship game the Marshall team avenged an ear-lier 11-point pool game loss with a four- point win over an 8th grade teamfrom Ludington. Front row, from left: Chloe McAllister, Jill Konkle, CarleeLong, Taryn Long and Abbie Hershock. Back row: Nikki Tucker, HannahDelmotte, Sarah Townsend and Georgiana Pratley.

The Marshall Shock fast pitch softball team finished second in the Eaton County SoftballLeague this season with a 12-2-3 record. The league is made up of teams from Marshall,Bellevue, Homer, Lakeview, Maple Valley, Olivet, Pennfield, Potterville and Springport. Frontrow, from left: Paige Bouwens, Mackenzie Bonnell, Ashley Sprague, Mackenzie Benham, JillKonkle and Lindsay Gardner. Back row: Coach Andy Dale, Elisa Saari, Lauren Day, Savan-nah Bouwens, Allison Johnson, Kay Dale and Coach Dave Benham. Not pictured are play-ers Mical Knafel, Victoria Trudell and Coach Sal Konkle.

The Redhawk Open golf tournament will take place Aug. 18 at Marshall Country Club teeing off at 9 a.m. The event is limited to 40 foursomes, but at week’s end, therewas still room available for a couple of foursomes. The cost is $90 per player and $360 per foursome. Those interested in signing up can contact Eric Dale at 269-317-0446or Marshall High School Athletic Director Tom Duffey at 269-781-1334. Above left, Duffey, left, is pictured with Jason DeVine of Party Time Tents, who is donating the tents,tables and chairs for the event. In the right photo, Duffey is pictured with Darin Lee, left, of Mel’s Allsport, Ben Masters and Ronda Masters, formerly of RoMa’s. RondaMasters and Mel’s Allsport are teaming up to sponsor the breakfast for the event.

Marshall 7th grade girls winbasketball championship

Marshall Shock U12 softball take 2nd

MHS girls swimming and divingopen season at Bridgman Aug. 23

Monica Lubis gets in her laps in the Marshall High School Pool during thefirst day of practice Aug. 8. The girls swimming and diving team opens its

season at Bridgman on Aug. 23 at 6 p.m.

photo by John Hendler

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ad-visor&chronicle – August 11, 2012 – Page 52

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