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Tomlinson member ofaward-winning teamStoeckle awardedAQHA scholarshipLady Hawks bowin regional finalPage 4Page 5Page 9Complete coverage of the Cass City community and surrounding areas since 1899CASS CITY, MICHIGAN - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2011VOLUME 105, NUMBER 13FIFTY CENTS 16 PAGESOh, deer!Hunterscan nowuse baitby Tom MontgomeryEditorSEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ripped through mid-Michigan early Thursday morning, downing trees and power lines.Among the casualties was the Stan and Melva Guinther residence, 4445 Oak St., Cass City. Their home is just a blockfrom Main Street, where most businesses were forced to close their doors for the day due to a power outage that lastedmore than 12 hours. DTE Energy Co. officials said the storm affected roughly 35,000 customers, most of them in theThumb area. (Related photo, page 8)Leipprandt new Ubly High School principalby Tom MontgomeryEditorJoel Leipprandt isn’t new to education or the Thumb, but when hewalks back through the front doorsof the Ubly Community Schoolsbuilding next fall, he’ll be tackling awhole new role as an administrator.Leipprandt, a Pigeon native and1978 Lakers Public Schools graduate, recently agreed to trade his highschool math classroom in for thehigh school principal’s office.Actually, he’s already gearing up tostart tackling his new job, whichofficially begins July 1.“I guess I have an advantagebecause I’ve got a good relationshipwith the student body right now.They know me, they know how I am.So, that’s going to be nice,”Leipprandt said, adding he also feelshe shares a mutual respect with thehigh school teaching staff.“For me, it’s going to be a hugestep, a big lifestyle change, but I’mhoping my coaching skills that I’veused for the past 25 years” willenable (me) to help coach other edu-cators. “And I’m really looking forward to learning some of the teaching styles the other teachers areusing.”Leipprandt is an experienced coachas well as teacher, having spent thepast 26 years in education.After graduating from Lakers HighSchool, he earned his Bachelor ofArts Degree, with a double major inmathematics and physical education,at Spring Arbor University, graduating in 1983. He then returned to thisalma mater, teaching high schoolmath at Lakers for the next 4 years.Huron County deputies fuelingup with ethanol to save moneyby Tom MontgomeryEditorThe Huron County Sheriff’sDepartment is doing its part toembrace alternative fuel sources topower its fleet of patrol vehicles.Huron County Sheriff Kelly J.Hanson recently announced that hisofficers will be fueling up withethanol in an effort to save money.“In early March of this year, an inhouse study began on the use ofethanol as fuel for our vehicle fleet.Because our patrol vehicles have no‘normal’ driving patterns, an averagehad to be taken over several days inorder to determine whether ethanolwould work for us or not,” Hansonsaid.“At first I was very skepticalbecause of the decrease in mileageand of accounts I have heard aboutethanol producing poor mileage,” headded. “As it turns out, our patrolfleet, which is mainly ChevroletImpala cars, averagedbetween 1.5 miles to 2 miles less pergallon on E85 as opposed to unleaded (gasoline). We also experimentedwith E50 and found that there wasjust about one mile per-gallon differ-ence.“Basically, when we took and put apencil to it, it was determined that aslong as pricing patterns betweenunleaded and ethanol remained closeto the same, E85 would be the betterchoice,”Hansoncontinued.“Obviously, we will be continuouslymonitoring price differences to makesure what is in the county’s bestinterest.“We believe if the price differencePlease turn to page 8.Leipprandt then decided to exploresome other options.“I wanted to see what else was outthere in the world, and I applied atIonia (Public Schools),” he recalled,adding he spent the next 11 yearsthere teaching math.Leipprandt, who played basketballat Lakers and, later, at Spring Arbor,has spent 25 years as a coach, mentoring junior high, junior varsity andvarsity boys’ basketball teams atLakers and in Ionia. He left Ionia —located halfway between GrandRapids and Lansing — in 2000 toaccept his teaching position in Ubly,bringing him and his family backhome.“My folks still live in Pigeon andmost of my family lives up in theThumb. We’ve got a pretty closeknit family,” noted Leipprandt, whoalong with his wife of 31 years,Melanie, has 7 children, includingJoel, 28, an associate pastor in BadAxe; Tyler, 26, a fifth grade teacherin Brown City; Alicia, 19, a sophomore at the U.S. Air Force Academyin Colorado Springs, Colo.; andMarshall, a junior at Ubly HighSchool. The Leipprandts also have 3adopted daughters: Dajnae, 8, a second grade student in Ubly; Diamond,3; and Destiny, 2.Looking back, Leipprandt said hePlease turn to page 8.Thumb area hunters will be allowedto use bait again when deer seasonrolls around this fall.Baiting for deer — utilizing cropssuch as apples, corn, carrots andsugar beets in an effort to lure animals to specific hunting stands —remains controversial.Some hunters see the practice ascheating, a way to bag a doe or buckas quickly as possible with littleeffort, while others see baiting as ameans to open up the sport to morehunters and generate revenue for thestate as well as for businesses thathave depended on bait sales in thepast as an integral part of their livelihoods.A sharply divided Michigan NaturalResources Commission (NRC)Thursday approved lifting a 3-yearold ban on deer baiting in the LowerPeninsula. The vote was 4-3.Baiting and feeding has beenbanned for a number of years inAlpena,Alcona,Crawford,Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego andPresque Isle counties due to the outbreak of bovine tuberculosis (TB) inwild white-tailed deer. However,due to the confirmation of chronicwasting disease (CWD) in one deerat a privately-owned preserve inKent County (in western Michigan)in 2008, the ban was extended to theentire Lower Peninsula.Although the rules have now beenrelaxed in the Lower Peninsula, theuse of bait isn’t a “free for all”proposition. The amount of baitallowed will be limited, and NRCofficials are pushing for stiffer penalties for hunters who violate the rules.The NRC last week approved a proposal to allow baiting in limitedquantities from Oct. 1 through Jan. 1.Hunters may place any type of bait,no more than 2 gallons at a time,across a 10-foot by 10-foot area perhunting location.The NRC also reinstated recreational feeding of deer in the LowerPeninsula, with the exception of the6-county Bovine Tuberculosis zonein northeast Lower Michigan.Property owners may now place 2gallons of bait on their propertywithin 100 yards of their residenceyear-round.The NRC also placed a 3-year “sunset” on the regulations, which meansit will consider the baiting issueagain in 2014.During the years since the DNRimplemented the ban on baiting inthe Lower Peninsula, agency officials have tested thousands of whitetailed deer for CWD, but did notdetect another case.DNR spokeswoman Mary Dettloffsaid the NRC has directed thedepartment to work with thePlease turn to page 7.Cass City funeral homegearing up to go GREENby Sherri KeatonStaff WriterWhen driving by Kranz Funeral Home in Cass City, don’t be surprised tosee giant solar panels placed right in the business’ backyard.Jim Kranz, co-owner of Kranz Funeral Home, said the solar panel frameswill hold 28 panels in each of their beams.The decision to install the solar panels was made in December 2010.“We recycle everything,” Kranz said. “We do everything we can to try tobe environmentally friendly.”Kranz was a part of the Detroit Edison (DTE) SolarCurrents Program thatallowsDTE to obtain easement rights to locate large solar arrays on suitable property in southeastern Michigan, according to the website. And the propertyowner receives an annual income generated as an easement payment.“A few years ago the state of Michigan mandated that 15 percent of allenergy being produced be produced by renewable sources,” he said. “TheyPlease turn to page 8.THE “TNT” (The Natural Tones) band plays during the kick-off of this year’s Music inRotary Park concert series Friday. Above, (left to right) are Rich Lasceski, the 2 youngestband members, Andy Lasceski, 7, and Jimmy Lasceski, 3, and Ken Wisneski. (See story,page 6)
PAGE TWOCASS CITY CHRONICLE - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2011CASS CITY, MICHIGAN2 participate Flowers by Marissain the MMTAHanging potsSemi-Finals 8.95Rachael Rule and Halle Keimrecently participated in MichiganMusicTeachersAssociation(MMTA) Semi Finals in Midland. Flats 9.95All vegetable plantsRachael RuleJerry and Connie VandemarkVandemarks celebrategolden anniversaryBoth students received high scoresat districts, which qualified them forsemi finals. Testing included areas ofaural awareness, transposing, sightreading, technique and theory as wellas performing from memory 3 piecesin contrasting styles before a qualified judge.Rawson Memorial District Library, Cass City, will show the followingSenior Citizen Movies Friday, June 17 at 1:30 p.m. Closed Captioning isavailable.Echo: An Elephant to Remember: Echo, the elephant matriarch, was thesubject of many films and the leader of a carefully studied herd of elephantsin Africa. In May of 2009, she died of natural causes. This film is a look backat the remarkable animal through extraordinary footage and interviews withthe scientist, cameraman and researchers that cared for and studied thisamazing herd over the course of more than 30 years. In life and in death,Echo’s leadership and wisdom remains the key to her family’s survival. (60minutes)Cruising Europe: The Seasoned Traveler heads to Europe for a rivercruise on the Rhine. The ship departs from Amsterdam, and then enters thebusy Rhine River in Germany. There is much to see as the ship sails along:verdant hills, majestic castles, picturesque towns and cities, and lush vineyards. River cruises have become hot travel tickets for mature travelers, andGeorge Bauer talks to some about the journey. (30 minutes)JOHNSONAPPLIANCE &REFRIGERATIONSERVICECass City, MichiganOver 20 Years ExperienceWashers, Dryers, Stoves,Dishwashers, Microwaves,Refrigerators, All BrandsHalle KeimRule received honorable mentionfor her performance at semi finals.She is a junior at Cass City HighSchool and is the daughter ofMichael and Becky Rule of Caro.Keim is a sixth grader at Laker Jr.High and is the daughter of Brianand Lisa Keim of Bay Port.Rule and Keim are piano studentsof Pam Dubey of Pigeon.Janis Stein ontap at libraryJoin author Janis Stein at RawsonMemorial District Library in CassCity Wednesday, June 22, from 7 to8:30 p.m., as she discusses herbooks.A Huron County native, Stein is afreelance writer, assistant editor ofThe Lakeshore Guardian, and ownerof Stein Expressions, LLC, aMichigan company dedicated towriting memoirs and preserving history.In 2008, she published “Schools ofYesteryear, Volume I”, which detailsthe histories of 15 one-room schoolhouses in Huron County, and in 2009she published “Musings of a CountryGirl”, a collection of short stories.Also in 2009, Stein served as a contributing author and was instrumental in assisting the Huron CountyHistorical Society in self-publishingits state award-winning book,“Celebrating 150 Years HuronCounty, Michigan (1859-2009)”.In 2011, she published “Tales ofTragedy & Triumph”, a collection ofshort stories where history and fiction merge. She is currentlyresearching schoolhouses for hersecond volume of “Schools ofYesteryear”, which will include thehistories of 15 country schools located in Bingham, Paris and Sheridantownships in Huron County.EVERYFRIDAYFISH FRYIncludes All You Can EatSoup & Salad Barfrom 4:00-8:00 p.m.Join us forThis Puzzle Brought To You By:Answers toJune 8, 2011Action GuideSERVICEDIRECTORYAPPLIANCE SERVICEJerry and Connie (Muntz) Vandemark of Deford recently celebrated their50th wedding anniversary. They were married June 10, 1961 at the Cass CityFirst Presbyterian Church with a cake and ice cream reception following.In appreciation for their years of commitment, their family is planning adinner party Saturday, June 25 to celebrate with close friends and family.Their children are Brian and Kaylene (Brown) Vandemark of Deford,Bryan and Sue (Vandemark) Toner of Cass City, Bridgett Vandemark ofDeford, Chad and Brenda (Vandemark) Middaugh of Caro, AndrewVandemark of Troy, Justin and Ashley (Hadd) Toner of Cass City andChantell Toner of Cass City. They also have 3 great-grandchildren: Trinity,Jacob and Karly Middaugh of Caro.Senior movies slatedFind the Service or ProductYou Need in This.SUNDAY BRUNCHServing 10:00 a.m. - 2 p.m.Breakfast & Lunch Items,Soups, Salads & DessertsIncluding anOMELET STATION!“Omelets made to order”Sherwood on the Hill989-665-9971 or 989-665-25946625 Third St. Gagetown(989) 872-1101PRINTING SERVICECASS CITYCHRONICLE Business Cards Invitations Flyers Brochures Booklets6550 Main St.Cass City, MI 48726(989) 872-2010Professional and BusinessDIRECTORYACCOUNTANTSINSURANCEAnderson, Tuckey,Bernhardt & Doran, P.C.Thumb InsuranceAgency, IncGary Anderson, CPAJerry Bernhardt, CPAThomas Doran, CPAValerie Hartel, CPATerry Haske, CPALaura Kosal, CPAJill Mulders, CPAJamie Peasley, CPA 715 E. Frank St., CaroPhone 673-3137 6261 Church St., Cass CityPhone 872-3730 2956 Main St., MarlettePhone 635-7545Your hometown independentinsurance agent for: Term & Universal Life Auto Home Business HealthCertified Public AccountantsCHIROPRACTORSINSURANCE PROTECTIONIS OUR BUSINESS“We want to be your agent”Agents:Jim Ceranski Pat SteckerCathy Stacer6240 W. Main St., Cass City, MI OMETRISTSEYECARE& EYEWEARFOR EVERYONEDENTISTS Professional eye exams Prescriptions filled Large selection of frames All types of contacts No-line bifocals Glasses repaired Blue Cross & VSP participantDAVID C. BATZER II, O.D.FAMILYDENTISTRYDr. R. Paul Chappel, DDS, PCDr. Donald Brockriede, DDS, PC3720 Huron StreetNorth Branch, MI810-688-3008PLACEYOUR ADTODAY,CALL872-2010Professional Eye Care4672 Hill St., Cass City872-3404Bad Axe 269-7263PHYSICIANSS.H. Raythatha,M.D.Dr. RayBoard CertifiedFamily Medicine4672 Hill St.Cass CityPhone 872-5010Office Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8-5VETERINARIANSALL PETSVETERINARY CLINIC P.C.Susan Hoppe D.V.M.4438 S. Seeger St.Phone 872-2255
CASS CITY, MICHIGANCASS CITY CHRONICLE - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2011PAGE THREESlices of Lifeby Jill PertlerThere’s a panther in the houseClarke HairePublisherTom MontgomeryEditorOwen-Gage board hassome fences to mendExperts will tell you that there is no such thing as ablack panther. Scientifically speaking, they do not exist(panthers, not the experts).Experts know, because they study these things extensively. Black panthers are, in actuality, jaguars, leopardsor perhaps even bobcats - depending on which continent you reside - born with the trademark ebony fur andhaunting yellow-green eyes.Confusion about the panther designation is understandable. While the wild felines in question are knownby their common names, the genus for big cats likeleopards and jaguars (again we’re going scientific here)is Panthera.Given this expert scientific terminology, I can see howthe term “black panther” came to be. Thank goodnessthe experts can tell us what is and isn’t real when itcomes to black panthers, because if it were up to me I’dtell you I had one living at my house.Black panthers (which are leopards without spots, real-Owen-Gage School officials have some fences tomend.At the conclusion of a brief but acrimonious specialmeeting last week, the Owen-Gage Board ofEducation hired a new, part-time superintendent inJim Wencel, who retired last year as superintendent ofthe Bad Axe Public Schools. The vote was 4-3.Not exactly a confidence booster for the new schoolchief, who faces some serious challenges in terms ofkeeping the Bulldog ship afloat financially in the coming year.it was given to someoneDear Editor,else because they couldThe prospects of a majority of this board supportingRecently my daughter start right away. MyWencel in his new position are even slimmer now that learned of an opening at a daughter told this businessshe would like to giveschool board President Terry Muntz — one of those store in Cass City for 4 thatcashiers. She went in and her current employer a 2who voted in favor of hiring him — has resigned.applied. She is a college week notice out of courlooking for a job. tesy.Sadly, the board members who voted against Wencel studentWas she not given theShe never heard from thisdid so largely based on “what they’ve heard” about store, but the sign was still opportunity at this jobout looking for cashiers. because of that? She washim, not his qualifications.She decided to go in and told by 3 people that shea good chance ofThe 25 or so community residents who attended the ask if anyone had looked hadat her application. An being hired, but they couldmeeting clearly favored Wencel’s hiring, and yet board interview was set up for not call her to tell her whatend of the week. She was going on? And whenmembers who made it clear they want nothing to do thewent to the interview and she called, she was givenwith the man backed their positions with little more was given no more than 6 the oldest excuse in thequestions and told she had book, they hired someonethan innuendo and hearsay.a very good chance of else.We all know that, in small communities, opinions are being hired but they would It will be a long timehave to set up a follow up before I shop at that storeoften created and driven by agendas, not necessarily interview for the follow- again and it isn’t becauseing day so she could meet they did not hire her — itby fact.with another interviewer. is because of how theyIn any event, here’s a little reality check: veteran She waited for the phone played her.never received it.Lakers Public Schools educator and administrator call,Called to find out what Jeanette ReedBob Drury — hired as the interim superintendent was going on and was told Cass Citynearly a year ago — is scheduled to leave Owen-GageReporter’s notebookat the end of the month after pulling the district out ofa financial fire that very likely would have cost the district its independence via the appointment of an emergency financial manager before long.Without some strong leadership to continue Drury’s by Tom Montgomery with the same number ofEditorfishing rods we left withwork over the next several months, especially in thea whole other storyarea of finances, the Owen-Gage community might as I’ve always wanted to (that’sI’ll have to share somewell start planning a funeral now, because at some retire from some sort of day).activity while I’m still on Boat didn’t fill withpoint, school officials are simply going to have to top, so maybe I should water while 4 or 5 milesconsider giving up fishing from shore.close the doors.with my brother-in-law. Wind didn’t shift andIs Wencel a “perfect fit” for the school? Maybe not. Dave and I have always suddenly start blowing 30an interesting relation- miles an hour, forcing usBut he has a strong background in technology and hadship when it comes to fish- to ride 9-foot waves for 2school funding, he’s been in education for 27 years ing — we go out, argue hours in hopes of gettingand almost kill each other, back to the harbor alive (ifand he’s familiar with Huron County and its schools. then we make plans for the you’re old, picture thetrip. It was much Gilligan’s Island televiOne of 3 candidates who interviewed for the position, nextworse when we owned a sion show opener).he’s also willing to work part time for 15,000 to boat together, but we We remembered tohaven’t mellowed much bring a net, which elimi 20,000 a year.since we sold that craft nated the need to improAnd let’s face it; school officials can’t afford to waste and he bought another vise with a plastic bucket(well, several boats, actu- (which, by the way, is notany more time.ally) on his own.only difficult,
Kranz was a part of the Detroit Edison (DTE) SolarCurrents Program that allows DTE to obtain easement rights to locate large solar arrays on suitable prop-erty in southeastern Michigan, according to the website. And the property owner re
