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Commodity Code #8014-0729

Autumn 2013

Life in Tecumseh and Surrounding Areas

In diversity there is beauty and there is strength.


~Maya Angelou

Sherrie Beaubien

517.403.5211

Sales Manager Tecumseh

Sales Manager Adrian & Manitou Beach

Bob Fox

517.605.5206

Tecumseh Red Mill by DeWayne VanEtten

doeth good like a

A merry heart

Downtown Tecumseh 517.423.9300 | 115 S. Evans St familyandintegrativemedicine.com Open: 9am-7pm M, T, TH, F

6 ........... READING 'RITING 'RITHMETIC 10 ......... ATTENTION TO RETAIL 13 ......... COSTUME JEWELRY 14 ......... CHAIR PERSONALITY 17 ......... PEDDLING HISTORY 20 ......... VOLUNTEER 24 ......... FALL FAMILY FUN 26 ......... AUTUMN PHOTO ESSAY 29 ......... WE HAVE SERVED 32 ......... AUTUMN'S BOUNTY 34 ......... FRIES WITH THAT MURAL? 38 ......... HAPPENINGS 43 ......... REACHING HEIGHTS 50 ......... CATERING TO YA

contents

medicine
Family & Integrative Medicine
On sta at Herrick & St. Joseph Hospitals Board Certi ed in both Family & Holistic Medicine

John J. Kelly, MD, MPH

On the cover
Black Door Gallery Acrylic "Leaves" by Charles Owens of Blissfield. Photo by Hollie Smith

homefront
homefront@tecumsehherald.com www.homefronttecumseh.com P.O. Box 218, 110 E. Logan, Tecumseh, MI 49286

Published seasonally by Herald Publishing Company


Mailed free of charge to homes and businesses in the Tecumseh School District and beyond. Distributed at shops and festivals all over S.E. Michigan and at State of Michigan Welcome Centers.
Publisher: Jim Lincoln Creative Director: Suzanne Hayes Production Artists: Hollie Smith, Sara Brandys and Joseph Romero Contributors: Mickey Alvarado, Lynn Boughton, Deane Erts, Rebecca Peach, Mary Kay McPartlin, Kerry Hamilton-Smith, Cristina Trapani-Scott, Deb Wuethrich Advertising Sales Staff: Adrienne Ayers, John Beyer, Sue Kotts Garcia, Suzanne Hayes, and Carla Reed
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thank you advertisers


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A Frame Above, LLC .............................................. 34 Abbott Accounting Services ................................... 46 ABC Grow & Learn Children's Center ..................... 46 Abstract Builders .................................................. 15 Act 1 Studio .......................................................... 46 Adams Chiropractic .............................................. 28 Adrian College ....................................................... 16 Adrian Home & Pet Sitter ..................................... 47 Alber Orchard & Cider Mill .................................... 39 Amlee Stump Grinding .......................................... 46 Angela's Angels & Gifts ......................................... 37 Appleumpkin Festival ............................................ 27 ASC Orthotics & Prosthetics .................................. 38 August Company .................................................. 33 Baileys WaterCare ................................................. 32 Basil Boys ............................................................ 33 Beatty & Company ................................................. 46 Big Boy ................................................................ 32 Bill's Service ........................................................ 38 Black Door Gallery ................................................ 13 Blissfield State Bank ............................................. 25 Blissful Living ....................................................... 47 Boutique De Joie .................................................. 33 Brettys.................................................................. 26 Bricktown Diner..................................................... 45 British Tea Garden ............................................... 26 Brooklyn Irish Hills Chamber of Commerce ............ 48 Brown & Sons Roofing ........................................... 38 Bumbles .............................................................. 40 Burdick Kitchen & Bath ........................................... 7 Calder Dairy Farm ................................................ 35 Cambrian Assisted Living....................................... 20 Carpenter Farms Pmpkins LLC .............................. 46 Carpet on Wheels ................................................. 28 C'est la Vie............................................................ 37 Chelsea Chevrolet Buick ........................................ 40 Chelsea Teddy Bear Factory .................................. 40 Cherry Creek ........................................................ 48 Citizens Gas Fuel Company ................................... 31 Classic Cabinets ................................................... 12 Clinton Fall Festival ............................................... 23 Coconuts .............................................................. 19 Companion Animal Clinic ....................................... 21 Conklin Estates .................................................... 26 Copper Nail, The .................................................. 23 D & P Communications .......................................... 45 D' Printer .............................................................. 24 Desjarlais, Lawrence MD,PC ................................. 23 DG II Gift Shop ..................................................... 23 Dog House, The ................................................... 31 Doll Cottage, The ................................................. 46 Dougs Glass & Screen .......................................... 19 DS Auction ........................................................... 24 Edward Jones .......................................................... 3 Ella Sharp Museum ............................................... 34 Evans Street Station ............................................. 27 F&S Landscape Inc................................................ 47 Fabulous Darling .................................................. 48 Family & Integrative Medicine - Dr. Kelly .................. 3 Farm Bureau Insurance ........................................ 45 First Federal Bank ................................................ 18 Foundation Realty ................................................ 51 Gallery 108 ........................................................... 45 Golden Acres ....................................................... 17 Governor Croswell Tea Room ................................... 8 Great Ideas ............................................................. 8 Hacker Jewelers ................................................... 13 Handler Funeral Home & Cremation Services .......... 6 Hidden Lake Garden .............................................. 22

Hitching Post Antiques .......................................... 23 Hooligan's Grill .................................................... 31 Houpt's Pumpkin Patch ........................................ 45 House of DeVaughn .............................................. 34 Howard Hanna ........................................................ 2 IDK Creative Dcor ................................................ 48 J-Bar Hobbies ....................................................... 20 Jessee Salon Group and Tangles .......................... 21 John Underwood Chevrolet Buick ........................... 28 Kapnick Orchards ........................................... 21, 50 Kemner-Iott Agency............................................... 36 Killarney Realty ..................................................... 41 La Fiesta Restaurant ............................................. 44 Lady C .................................................................. 37 Lancaster Agency ................................................... 9 Lenawee County Visitors Bureau .......................... 38 Lenawee Fuels, Inc. ............................................... 36 Lenawee Humane Society, Howl-o-ween Ball ......... 47 Lily Whitestone ...................................................... 37 LoMonaco Chiropractic ......................................... 46 Martins Home Center .............................................. 3 McLennan Gardens ............................................... 39 Meckley's Flavor Fruit Farm .................................. 11 Morgan Valley Farms............................................. 16 Moveable Feast .................................................... 39 Natural Health ................................................. 39,40 Naugle Plumbing and Heating ................................ 4 NuSash ................................................................ 17 O'Hara Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram .......................... 30 Ollie's Group ......................................................... 32 One Five One ........................................................ 34 Penn Acres Grain ................................................... 9 Persnickety .......................................................... 49 Pheasant Brook Apartments ................................ 41 Promedica ............................................................ 52 Radio Shack .......................................................... 46 Random Conforts ................................................... 4 Red Mill Pet Supplies ............................................ 32 Rich's Rod and Custom ......................................... 47 Rock Paper Scissors ............................................ 21 Saline Craft Shows ................................................. 9 Sand Creek Antique Craft Show ........................... 47 Seasons Salon & Spa ............................................. 4 Sky Walker Flying ................................................. 25 Southern Michigan Railroad ................................... 3 St Elizabeth Bazaar ............................................. 13 St Elizabeth Parish Center .................................... 25 Stevenson Lumber ................................................ 41 Susie Swipes the Grime ......................................... 46 Sweetlynni's ........................................................ 18 Tecumseh Camera .................................................. 6 Tecumseh Center for the Arts .................................. 5 Tecumseh DDA ........................................................ 9 Tecumseh District Library ................................ 13,33 Tecumseh Family Dental ....................................... 50 Tecumseh Insurance ............................................ 16 Tecumseh Paddling Company .................................. 4 Tecumseh Parks and Rec ..................................... 16 Tecumseh Place ................................................... 21 Tecumseh Veterinary Hospital .............................. 47 Theresas Angels and More .................................... 48 TLC Community Credit Union .................................. 18 Tobacco Zone Smoke Shop.................................... 47 Wacker Chemical Corporation ................................ 42 Waves Hair Studio ................................................... 9 Weeden, Josephine Ortodontist ............................ 18 What A Find Consign for the Home .......................... 8 Wild Iris, The ........................................................ 25 Youthful Logic ...................................................... 47

Weve placed this paper clip in one of our advertisements in this magazine. Simply tell us which ad you found it in. Well draw from all correct entries on November 4, 2013 and give $100 to the lucky winner. To enter, send your answer, address & phone number to The Tecumseh Herald, P.O. Box 218, Tecumseh, MI 49286, or submit online at homefronttecumseh.com 4

Find the Paperclip

PAPERCLIP CONTEST
Vicky Ford of Tecumseh found the paper clip on page 40 in the Stevenson Lumber ad in the 2013 Summer issue of Homefront.

the world's a

stage
We bring it close to home

Saturday, October 26

TCA Halloween Bash!


Featuring:
Costumes highly recommended! $25 registration includes a t-shirt, race starts at 1 pm, register at the TCA or Parks and Recreation Free! 3 pm, on stage at the TCA Short Films from some of Michigans most celebrated independent film makers. This is a PG-13 event. Festivities start at 6:30 pm. Films show at 7:30 pm Tickets $10 Classic favorite holiday story of the Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Elaborate costumes and sets highlight the fantastic dancers in the 9th biannual ballet

From Los Angeles, one of the HOT Comics to Watch in 2013 An international headliner known for his energy, rubber face and versatility. Lose your breath with gut-busting laughter. Featured on Bob & Tom Radio and TV Shows, National Lampoons Operation Comedy Tour, NBC TV, Songs and carols of the holiday season by 22-member big band. Under the direction of Dr. Marty Marks. Tickets $5.

ONLINE

BUY TICKETS

Selected Peformances

BEER & WINE

RENT THE TCA

and add some drama to your next special event!

DiNO Light by Lightwire Theater

The Irish Rovers


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reading 'riting and 'rithmatic


By Kerry Hamilton Smith
enry Ford is a wellknown name throughout the world for his genius in mass-producing automobiles. However, in this area, the industrialist, who owned a good share of real estate in northeast Lenawee County in the early 20th century, is better known for his willingness to forge the education of many people who still remember with fondness his generosity and passion to enlighten. Gordon Comfort is one of many in the area who can recall educational experiences in the Ford School System, which was technically known as the Edison Institute and was based in Dearborn. Named after Fords friend Thomas Edison, the focus of the program was to teach through hands-on experience. And it wasnt just the three Rs (reading, riting and rithmatic). For example, the Centennial School, which still stands on the corner of Centennial Road and Billmyer Highway southeast of Tecumseh, had a basement with kitchen facilities. Everyone had the opportunity to work in the kitchen, said

s e i r o m Me
Besides B id photo h restoration i , we transfer old photos, slides, tapes, and movies to

ve er Pres the

In the basement of the

dvd
Authorized Dealer

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6

Mon - Fri 9-5:30 Sat 9-1 517.423.3370 206 E. Chicago  Tecumseh

Comfort. Wed learn how to prepare meals and how to set the table properly. It also doubled as a locus for artwork and music, he said, recalling a piano in the basement. The main floor had a wood stove for heat. We all got to take turns taking care of that, Comfort said with a smile, implying that carrying in the wood for the stove was probably not an educational experience everyone enjoyed. Outside, a 30-foot by 30-foot building with central heating fueled by coke, served as a workshop with lathes, hand tools and jigsaws. Its hard to describe the variety of things we did. There was a lot of outside activity, Comfort said. Activities included being bused to the museum in Detroit, visiting the MarthaMary Chapel (which has since been replicated at Greenfield Village in Dearborn) for special services every other week, ice-skating at the millpond at the mill on Mills-Macon Highway, and being given a small plot of land along with the seeds to plant a victory garden after WWII. Students were taught how to prepare the soil, sow the seeds, take care of the plants and harvest the vegetables. There was a lot of Get out and do it. Comfort said.

During the holidays, the Centennial School was transformed into a theater. A stage was set up and curtains were hung on a taut wire in front of the stage and drawn by hand. One of my early recollections is that I played the part of a turkey, said Comfort with a chuckle. They had all these little touches, he said. All the desks had a ruler. They were wooden with inlaid wood in the middle. Each inlay was a different type of wood and the kind of wood was identified, whether it was cherry, oak, birch or beech. One of the things the Ford Schools produced system-wide was The Herald, a newspaper that was printed every two weeks and distributed to all students. Artwork and written pieces were published, updates on what each school was doing were provided. Articles about history and technology were often the lead stories. At the end of the year, each student in the system received a bound book of all issues of The Herald for that year with their name foil-stamped on the cover. Comforts artwork and stories about his spelldown championships (he still has the medals) can be seen and remembered fondly by leafing through the volumes. Comfort , whose ancestors have lived in the same area for well over a century, started in the Ford system at the Green Lane Academy on Comfort Road. From there he attended first grade at the Comfort School. From second through sixth grade, Comfort attended Centennial School. Other Ford schools in the area include the Waring School which was located at the corner of Billmyer and M-50, the Brownsville School, now part of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church on the corner of Brown and Evans streets and Macon High School, now Holy Cross (Boysville). In addition to that, several other houses and the stone school, still standing on the corner of Macon Highway and Clinton-Macon Road next to where the Martha-Mary Chapel was located, were other buildings used to learn specific vocations. Just east of the stone school in Macon, Ford purchased the Pennington home on the south side of Clinton-Macon Road to use as his summer residence. The Ford model was quite efficient. According to Comfort, supply trucks would make scheduled stops to each school. Mr. Ford himself would also stop in at each of the schools. Everybody knew who he was, but it was not a big deal, Comfort recalled. Students who were ill were sent to the Convalescent School (Henry Ford Hospital), free of charge. Comfort remembers going there when his tonsils and adenoids were removed. In 1946 when Henry Fords health declined and the profits of Ford Motor Company suffered, the Ford Schools were shut down. Comfort began attending Tecumseh Schools where he remembers having worked on subjects they had already covered. In 1947 Henry Ford died and the school system became a memory. Recently, Comfort listened to part of the American Experience series on PBS that cast Henry Ford in a negative light. It was disheartening for him to hear. Ford exposed us to a lot of things, Comfort said warmly. He basically sought to take care of his people.

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Governor Croswell
TEA ROOM & RESTAURANT

Est. 2010

Hastings Mutual
I N S UR A N C E CO M PA N Y

hastingsmutual.com

PORT

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A C E S.C

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IN MA

FU

BUSINESS
community doesnt become a nice place to live, work, shop, do business and play through the efforts of just one person. It takes a team effort. Thats especially true when it comes to having a vital downtown and the ability to capture the interest of new business ventures while helping others to remain in the community. The City of Tecumseh is fortunate to have its own Economic Development Department, something that is not true of every city. There is overlap in representation and cooperation between the Economic Development Department, the Tecumseh Area Chamber of Commerce, city government, including City Council, as well as the Central Business Association and Downtown Development Authority. We have merchants in Tecumseh that buy into the idea that were stronger together, which is a big deal that you dont always get in a lot of towns, said Tecumseh Economic Development Director, Paula Holtz. She said the city is also fortunate to have its own marketing coordinator in Linda Hewlett, and most cities do not have such a position. We have great cooperative marketing campaigns to make sure advertising dollars are pooled for one specific purpose, and Linda helps coordinate special events downtown. Tecumseh City Manager Kevin Welch said it helps build up an event when everyone is on the same page. Like during sidewalk sales, he said. Everybody is on board and we have very good success everybody plays a part and we certainly provide a support role. Its like a three-legged stool. It takes all the legs to hold up. While the Tecumseh Economic Development Department partners regionally and statewide with the Lenawee Economic Development Corporation and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, having its own branch of economic development allows the city to do things that the broader organizations dont necessarily have time to do. We get to know the business people very well, whether its a current business, someone who wants to expand or a new business, said Welch. Its like having some control over your own destiny, and we try to make Tecumseh businesses feel like this is a great place to be, and that we will be their advocate. Were focused only on Tecumseh. Holtz said her department often is aware of state and even federal incentives that might be available to a business tools that can help them be more successful and helps business owners make those connections. Visitors are often impressed by the fact that most downtown storefronts are filled. We try to partner business owners or entrepreneurs with available locations in our town, Holtz said. We keep an active list of available properties and update it regularly. Blush Boutique owner, Holly DeWitt, can attest to the solid networking available in Tecumseh. When first scouting a downtown location, Holly looked at the former Chocolate Vault site (Foundation Realtys current location). It wasnt perfect for what we needed and it was going to take a lot of effort for what we wanted, said Holly. She said Paula Holtz then thought of another building that wasnt yet for lease. She knew the owner might be considering a lease, Holly said. Wed passed the building before, but no one was ever in there, and we had no contact. So Paula passed on my email expressing interest and the rest is history. If Paula hadnt put this forward, we might not have had an opportunity to be in this building. Holly said her experiences in working with the city have been positive. As far as Paula and her team, Linda and Denine [Wells, administrative assistant], theyve been great, Holly said. Theres always a great response downtown when things are going on, and they provide us with appropriate marketing materials. Theyre quick to respond, friendly, helpful, and have an open door. I definitely see them as more like an alliance and helping hand there for us. Kathi and Tom Carey, who own The Dog House, located in the former Eggleston Jewelers building, also received a boost in getting their business started. The couple was first interested in the Ivy Gallery, which ultimately was going to need some environmental cleanup. Paula connected me to everything, Kathi said. She helped us apply for the Brownfield grant to get the Phase 2 study done, put us in touch with the building department, and was just a big help at every turn. After settling on the second location, Kathi said the city also helped with a signage grant and a quick turnaround on their liquor license application for a special license available to restaurants in a downtown business district. Anytime I had questions, I would go to Paula and I would always find answers, said Kathi. Or she would direct me to who had them. Other businesses that city officials have helped turn into Tecumseh success stories include: assisting JRs Hometown Grill and Pub with a faade and signage grant from the DDA, and an expedited process for their liquor license application; developing a Brownfield Plan and Tax Increment Financing capture to assist in leveling out the extraordinary costs associated with the former dry cleaners site for Tim Hortons Caf and Bake Shop; and working with GLOV Enterprises on a Community Development Block Grant worth $360,000, which should result in 100 new jobs by next year, 50 that have already been brought into the company with new contracts and machinery purchases. Holtz said having Welch take the interest that he does in the entire city also plays a role in the communitys success. There arent too many city managers who are as active as Kevin is, said Holtz. I genuinely give Kevin credit because he gets Economic Development. Hes very involved and not every city manager has the ability to engage like that. He has personal relationships with a whole lot of Tecumseh businesses, and thats not easy to do. Thats a big deal. Its not that businesses couldnt do some of these things on their own, said Welch. But they may not necessarily know what incentives and programs are out there. We consider it part of our role to find those for them and help them make the connections and advocate for them. And in the end, that makes our job a little easier. Holtz said economic development projects have become more complicated than in the past. It seems like the deals arent easy with contamination issues, licensing and other concerns. Its not cut and dried anymore, Holtz said. Were in the business to help make the process as smooth as it can be. Thats one of our roles.

Were in the business to help make the process as smooth as it can be.

to

RETAIL

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New Jacks o l openocation n ing s oon!

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JEWELRY

costume jewelry
BY LYNN
everly M. Hoisington, M.A., longtime resident of Tecumseh, is a costume jewelry collector and dealer a career she has enjoyed for over 40 years. Her loyal clients bring their treasured pieces to be appraised, as well as repaired, by this talented jewelry professional. A member of Costume Jewelers Collectors, Intl., Beverly travels throughout the state, presenting informative seminars to groups at historical societies. Her interesting lectures are entitled The History of Vintage Costume Jewelry Appraise, Repair and Care. This passionate jewelry buff shares her experience that, Vintage costume jewelry does not have to be over 100-years-old to be collectible. It can be extremely valuable, depending upon its condition and the manufacturer. She wisely advises her clients not to sell their pieces without checking the value, but if they find a piece of costume jewelry at a great price, to snatch it up it could very well be a valuable trinket. For example, remember the Sarah Coventry home jewelry parties from the 1970s? Believe it or not, these pieces are highly sought after in todays costume jewelry market - partly because they are rhodium-plated and will never tarnish. Who knew?

a gift of jewelry history

In October, Beverly will present a unique gift to the Tecumseh District Library - a signed copy of a reference book entitled , by Melinda L. Lewis. The book includes 4,000 detailed photographs, as well as the delightful story of a company that became one of the foremost designers and manufacturers of costume jewelry in the 19th and 20th centuries. Readers are taken step-by-step, decade by decade, through the development of the Napier style. Throughout its 121-year history, this company smartly encouraged creative freedom from its designers, thus raising the bar for the American costume jewelry industry. The book contains many fascinating tidbits on past fashion trends, especially those of the 20th century, when costume jewelry became a necessary accessory to fashionable dress. The book is an enjoyable read overflowing with eye-candy for those who love costume jewelry. It is also a great tool for collectors and dealers, as it describes how to recognize materials and designs to closely date Napier jewelry. Its colorful pages include detailed photos and descriptions, approximate dates, materials used, whether a piece is marked, and the estimated value.

jewelry on display

In addition to donating this stimulating book, Beverly will display some pieces from her costume jewelry collection at the Tecumseh library throughout the month of October. Through this gift and the exhibit of her treasured baubles, Beverly hopes to introduce residents to the incredible world of costume jewelry. Why not stop by the library, browse through the Napier jewelry book and enjoy Beverlys unique jewelry on display. And if you are wondering how much your grandmothers broach is really worth or have collected pieces over the years and would like them appraised, Beverly Hoisington may be reached at 517.424.0022.

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Chair
By Lynn Boughton Chairs . . . when you think about it, they play a significant role in our daily lives. Many of us begin our days sitting in a kitchen chair to enjoy our first cup of coffee and close our days relaxing in an easy chair, reading or watching TV. In between, we find ourselves sitting in a rolling office chair in front of our computers or desks. Chairs are a utilitarian must in our homes. It makes you wonder - what would our dining rooms, living rooms and patios be like without the beloved chair? Over the centuries this functional piece of furniture has been manufactured with a myriad of materials. Designers have used wood, metal, plastic and wicker to create comfortable and stylish seating. Chairs have been carved, molded, caned, filled with beans, upholstered, stained and painted. They have been constructed to seat one, one-and-a-half and two people. In fact, the chair is probably one of the most unique and diverse of our homes furnishings. We want our chairs to be functional and add pizzazz to our rooms. We like our chairs to make a creative statement, as we cover them in faux animal prints and paint them quirky, fun colors. We also like them to compliment our sofas, rugs and accessories. Thus, we begin our search with these ten perfect chairs.....

No.

ality
No.

No.

of an English garden Notice the original even more interesting after years of wear.

The Windsor chair dates back to the 16th century. Dont let the fool you this chair is really as comfortable as it is beautiful.

Naturalists can live comfortably in this

No.

No.

Wonderful vintage wooden chair, artist, Carol Duncan-Poore

No.

rocker whose original condition.

No.

nod to the

furniture style, this chair has a fabulous faux-

back and seat.

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No.

gives this side chair an

by Century, has it all, including decorative nail heads that frame its arms and back.

No.

No.

10

with chrome frames and red vinyl

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EXPLORE

Bike tours focus on Tecumsehs history

PEDALING

HISTORY
Nu SASH
Windows Since 1948

Story by Deane Erts Photos by Hollie Smith

icycles have been a big part of Jim Kesslers a position in Harland, Ky. From there, he accepted another teaching job at Swartz Creek, Mich. In life since he first learned to ride one in his 1986 he started in Tecumseh, stepping in for retiring Jack Whelan. Pat Connors was conducting the hometown of Flint, Mich. When he found bike tours at that time, Kessler said. Connors gets credit for starting the historic bike tours for THS a way to combine that passion with his students. Traditionally, Connors, who also taught social studies, would take his class to the Capitol other lifes passion, teaching, he was Building in Lansing, but funding was cut, and that field trip was scrapped, so he hit upon the idea delighted and so were his students. When of a historic tour of Tecumseh, which tied in neatly with the portion of his class that concentrated I was a kid, during the summer on Michigan history. Those bike tours have now become the tradition that Kessler we were outside from sun-up to is more than happy to perpetuate. Tecumseh was very important to Michigans sundown, like most of the other early history, and most people who live here dont realize how rich this town is in kids I knew, Kessler said. Wed significant landmarks and monuments. They pass them every day and dont have hop on our bikes, put our baseball a clue about the history behind them, Kessler said. Connors was aware of the gloves on the handlebar and take valuable lessons that could be learned in town and knew that Tecumsehs history off. The rule was that we had to be history, and most was Michigan history in a very real way. home right after the streetlights Kessler has been taking his students on the tours since 1995, and he says that came on. Our parents didnt drive he inherited a very popular tradition. I usually take between 18 and 25 students, us to our Little League games; we and there are never any absences on tour days, he said. He usually recruits several live here dont rode our bikes. Everybody did. parents to help escort the cyclists. He remembers his first long bike Tecumseh historian Clara Waldrons book ride of that era as a trip from his serves as the blueprint for Kesslers tours. He cant take his students to all of the rich this town Flint home to the home of his sites mentioned in the book, but he hits the most interesting ones that can be taken grandparents in Mt. Morris. in on a single day. Not all tours are identical, but he and his students usually start Now, as a social studies their tour, appropriately, with the towns founder, Musgrove Evans. landmarks and teacher at Tecumseh High School, Evans settled on the banks of the River Raisin in 1824, and a little known monuments. Kessler gets a lot of road time in monument just northwest of the Evans Street bridge marks the spot. The house the company of his students as was later moved to its present location on East Logan Street. Another favorite point they peddle around Tecumseh on the tours is the Tecumseh Center for the Arts. The building dates only to the to take in the historic sites as he early 1980s, but Kessler ties in the history of the Herrick family, a major donor to imparts his extensive knowledge of the center to the current day. Ray Herrick was one of the founders of Tecumseh the citys early days. Products, which was the major employer in Tecumseh from the 1930s until the company moved its Kessler began his teaching career after manufacturing to locations elsewhere. graduating from Central Michigan University with Tours usually include the Tecumseh Senior Center, formerly known as the community center.

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But the building has a history that goes back to when it was known as Hayden Mill and was the destination of much of the areas grain. The grain was milled there and shipped out via rail from Tecumsehs bustling depot, which now stands at the corner of Chicago Boulevard and Ottawa Street. One of the highlights of the tours is the Stacy Mansion with the stories that have accumulated about that Tecumseh landmark, but as much as the students enjoy the lore and the riding, one of their favorite parts of the tours is lunchtime. We are often at the Stacy Mansion about lunchtime, Kessler said. The kids usually head west on Chicago Boulevard to hit one of the fast food places. I usually headed downtown to Dons Beef, when it was still there. But Kessler said that Brookside Cemetery is probably the site that generates the most questions and excitement about history. There are just so many stories there, he said. You cant go ten paces without running into a famous name or a veterans grave, and we go into the background that the memorials call to mind. We spend more time there than any place else. The tour ties in perfectly with Kesslers classroom curriculum. About two-thirds of class is devoted to Michigan history and one-third to Tecumseh history, but of course the two

intertwine both in the classroom and on the tour. Kessler said that he is indebted not only to Waldron and her account of Tecumsehs first century, but also to local author Diane Proctor and her book on the historic buildings of Tecumseh, Both books are available at Tecumseh District Library. Kessler loves history, and he loves to ride his Giant (a brand of bicycle). He recently acquired the bike and retired his trusty Schwinn that he had been riding for decades. The Giant is a great bike, he said. Its so much lighter than the Schwinn, but any bike will do for the tour. I see all kinds. The tours are something that I expect to keep doing. Theyre very popular and educational, too. Theres not really a substitute for learning about history when youre looking right at it. One of best parts about the tours is hearing from students who graduated long ago. They tell me that the tours were the best part of their high school experience.

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VOLUNTEER
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By Mary Kay McPartlin

ello, my name is Mary Because I was a stay-at-home mom, it also allowed Kay and I am a life-long me to use my writing and creative talents, instead volunteer. Organizations of letting them go stagnant. When I re-entered the and groups need support, workforce after my son started middle school, I didnt and since I lack the have an 11-year blank on my resume, thanks to all my financial resources to be a generous unpaid volunteer hours. philanthropist, I volunteer my time. My The July 1 edition of had a cover story about work benefits the organizations, sure, how service work is helping battle-scarred veterans but it does me good, too. My connection assimilate back into their communities. Soldiers returning to others and the world around me are from Iraq and Afghanistan are often disconnected from both important. Volunteering plugs me American life, with many suffering from post traumatic in to other people. stress disorder. Volunteering has been shown to help More and more studies veterans feel better and reconnect with show that its not just my ...people who civilian life. opinion that volunteering is The Mission Continues, a St. Louis good for me. United Health volunteer volunteer organization was created Group and the Optum to offer service opportunities for are in better veterans, and has helped men and Institute of Minnesota did a study this year that showed physical, women transition back to their old people who volunteer are in life simply through service projects. better physical, mental and mental and According to the article, the emotional health. Mission Continues is one of several emotional When my son was veteran volunteer organizations in the in elementary school, I United States. Busy hands often can volunteered in a variety of health. quiet the mind, and working alongside ways in the classroom, in the library, other veterans puts a new perspective on military and as part of the parent group. The teamwork. The focus of daily activities is on helping and school needed support from parents to rebuilding, which seems to have a healing effect on the help the kids, and I benefited because volunteers as well as benefiting communities wracked by I went from knowing no one to having storms or violence. a whole new group of friends in the A friend of mine, suffering through the collapse of parents and teachers. It felt good to his marriage, decided to make time for volunteer work at know the people I saw at school events his church as a way to distract himself from the turmoil and to be known. in his personal life. His handyman abilities have benefited

Just some of the volunteer opportunities listed on the VOLUNTEER Lenawee! portal:
Tecumseh Historical Society Croswell Opera House

volunteer.lenaweecf.org
his parish, and my friend finds he is happier, more self-confident and feels like he really belongs for the first time at the church where he was once just a Sunday Mass attendee. Often the elderly can become isolated, and volunteer work is one way to reconnect with others. Volunteering provides interaction with other people, both those standing alongside as a volunteer and those receiving volunteer services. Every Friday I volunteer at the food pantry at my church in downtown Toledo. One of my team members is a widow in her 70s who found retirement too isolating and boring. She volunteers to help people in need of food assistance, but also to help fill her day with something worthwhile. Interacting with all the different families that come through our door in need of food, she enjoys spending time with each person. The result is they feel special and she makes a connection. The best part about being a volunteer is the chance to pick and choose where and when to share time and talent. I like to volunteer where I spend a lot of time, thus my tenure at the elementary school and my church. Most groups and organizations need volunteers, so the best thing is to find a place intriguing and enjoyable. The hunt for volunteer opportunities can start with United Way, which sponsors an annual Day of Action every September that brings together people to help those in need. The website, lists projects throughout the county in need of volunteers for the third

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Friday in September. There are opportunities available to help children, families, schools, animals, senior citizens, and nature. The event only lasts for one day, but the needs addressed certainly dont disappear after the Day of Action. Another chance to try out the role of volunteer happens on Oct. 26 with Make a Difference Day. Coordinated in Lenawee County by Lenawee Community Foundation, this nationwide day of volunteerism offers the chance for anyone interested to help out in a variety of different ways. Lenawee Community Foundation sponsors VOLUNTEER Lenawee! all year long as a way to connect interested men, women, teens, and children find an organization in need of their talents. The volunteer portal has been in operation for two years and is a valuable tool for the community. We were the first volunteer center in the country to have the portal up and running, said Sue Hammersmith, President and CEO of Lenawee Community Foundation. A quick visit to the volunteer portal at www. volunteer.lenaweecf.org can match up a volunteer with a variety of local organizations in need. All it takes is putting in a zip code and deciding the distance to travel and the process begins. A zip code of 49286 and a selection of any distance brings up 200 different volunteer needs in the county. The choices range from nature (Tecumseh Parks and Recreation) to office (Tecumseh District Library) to entertainment (Croswell Opera House) to family support (Family Counseling and Childrens Services) all found just on the first page. Visitors select a volunteer position and find out the days and times volunteers are needed, age requirements, physical requirements, location information, and what the volunteer position entails. If the position is a good match, a click of the express interest button sends the request to the group organizer. Contact is made with the prospective volunteer and the work begins. For those without a computer, a call to 517.423.1729 allows the employees of Lenawee Community Foundation to help make the perfect volunteer match. We are more than willing to assist, said Hammersmith. Volunteers are vital to every aspect of a vibrant community, and volunteering enriches the volunteer, Hammersmith said. Volunteers tutor children, support the arts, promote health, visit the elderly, assure the well-being of our libraries and more. So many organizations, from churches to municipalities to county organizations as well as non-profit groups, need help and rely on volunteers to get work done. The only tool necessary is a willing heart. The benefits of volunteering better health, feelings of happiness, connecting with other people make sharing personal time more than worthwhile.
23

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FALL

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CLINTON FALL FESTIVAL

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Since 1993

S D AUCTION
Service & Antiques
ERE GET HWAY Y N A CAN YOU
One Sunday a month & a few Wednesday evenings

September 27, 28 and 29 Clinton Kick off fall in the Village of Clinton and enjoy arts and crafts, food vendors, car and tractors on display, plenty of outdoor music and lots of childrens events. Hundreds of talented artisans await eager shoppers. The diverse entertainment lineup begins at 11 a.m. on Friday and continues through all three days until 5 p.m. on Sunday. And the FOOD. . . over 30 food booths with a great variety of ethnic and all American favorites. www.clintonfallfestival.com or call 517.456.7396.

KAPNICKS 35th APPLE FESTIVAL

October 12 and 13 Britton You wont want to miss Kapnicks 35th Apple Festival on October 12 and 13. In addition to wagon rides and other Fall weekend activites at the Orchard, this special weekend offers great food, entertainment and 80 arts & crafts booths you can even make some apple butter. Take the shuttle to the Appleumpkin Festival Downtown Tecumseh. www.kapnickorchards.com 517.423.7419.

TECUMSEH APPLEUMPKIN FESTIVAL

Hidden Lake Gardens Fall Foliage Festival

October 5 Tipton Get ready for pumpkin painting for all ages, wagon rides, crafts, vendors, artisan demonstrations, animal shows and incredible scarecrow displays. www. hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu 517.431.2060

October 12 and 13, 2013 Tecumseh Its the 20th year of this wonderful downtown Tecumseh festival and youll want to bring the whole gang to town for this one. For the younger set enjoy the midway rides, carnival games and inflatables. Be sure to stop by the complimentary Make-It Take-it Scarecrow Tent to create a family scarecrow. Visit the Antique Street Fair, the Flea Market and the Arts & Crafts Show. For those who crave live entertainment, they have that, too! And, finally, for the foodies, all of the favorite fair food vendors will be in town for the weekend. www.downtowntecumseh.com or call 517.424.6003 for information.

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Enjoy tractor-pulled hayrides, a five-acre corn maze and a straw maze. Take the kids to pick out a pumpkin right from the patch, view the animals and tour the 1890s cider press. Treat the family to cider, donuts, caramel apples, jams and other delicious goodies. There is also entertainment every weekend. www.alberorchard.com 734.428.9310

Alber Orchard & Cider Mill - Manchester

There is no better way to spend a fall day than out on the farm. This location has a u-pick pumpkin patch, hayrides, home-baked goodies and fresh, tangy cider. Play spooky miniature golf and tour the haunted house, if you dare! www.houptspumpkinpatch.net 734.529.3371

Houpts Pumpkin Patch - Dundee

Kapnick Orchards

Britton. Stop by any fall weekend for wagon rides through the Enchanted Forest. They also offer u-pick apples and pumpkins, homemade fudge, jams, jellies, honey, syrup, baked goods, and, of course, apple cider. www.kapnickorchards.com 517.423.7419

Carpenter Farms

Adrian. This weekend take a hayride around the farm and through the woods, viewing the colossal, creative straw displays along the way. Challenge the family to an eight-acre mystery corn maze or have fun in the indoor straw maze. Laugh at the little ones as they disappear into the corn in the corn box and checkout the barnyard buddies in the petting area. www.carpenterpumpkins.com 517.265.8399

tour or for an introductory Flight Lesson. From Adrian, well go 25 miles in any direction of your choosing. Half hour ight - $80 complete. Johanna Walker

Fall is the perfect time for a sight seeing

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Meckleys Flavor Fruit Farm - Somerset


Center Spend an entire afternoon to experience it all! There are pony rides, hayrides through the orchard, a petting zoo, and a bounce house. Munch on apples and drink cider while browsing the pumpkin patch. Enjoy live entertainment, weekend BBQs and pick up scrumptious baked goods or home dcor in their unique gift and antique shop. They also have a cider bar, serving hard ciders on tap. www.flavorfruitfarm.com 517.688.3455

11:30a-5:30p

Sunday Oct. 13

Join us as we carve out a Tecumseh Tradition with Amish style-melt-in your mouth roast beef, mashed potatos & gravy, green beans, coleslaw, rolls, & dessert.

McLennan Gardens
Manchester. This is a real destination for family fun in any season. Find unique gourds, pick pumpkins, and even try a hand at their new pumpkin slingshot. Visit their country store for local crafts, maple syrup, and taste testings. They are open daily. Watch for updates on upcoming Fall Festival on Facebook. www.mclennangardens.com 734.428.7005

Flight Lessons Advanced Ratings Aircraft Rental Tailwheel Endorsements Aircraft Maintenance & Annuals

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Arts & Crafts Bazaar


Oct. 26

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St. Elizabeth Parish Center

Downtown Tecumseh aglow

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Au
r e f l

reflect up on your present blessings of which every man has many - not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.
Charles Dickens

Aut umn
l e c t i o n s

27

28

Served
By Deane Erts

Have

We

Were all like brothers, he said, especially the guys who youre with all the time.

our years ago this magazine published a story about three Tecumseh High School graduates who were enlisting in the United States Marine Corps: Tyler Kormos, Andy Ruch, and Neil Hull. The trio had been friends since grade school and had decided long ago that they would become Marines when they graduated. They made good on their pledge upon graduation, and we decided to do a follow-up to find out what their experience in the Corps had been and how it will influence their futures. They were not the only members of the THS Class of 2009 who had chosen to join the military straight out of high school, in fact, 16 classmates out of a senior class of 246 had committed to one branch or another of military service. Of those 16, eight had chosen the Marines, and Kormos, Ruch, and Hull were a representative sample of the students who had taken the long and arduous path to becoming a Marine. All three of the young men in the original story are currently living busy lives. Kormos was discharged in mid-September, Ruch was discharged in March, and Hull will serve for another year. So, not surprisingly, we had to touch base with parents to collect some of the information on what has transpired in the interim and what plans for the future are known.

caught up with Corporal Kormos recently by phone at his current post at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. As it happens, Camp Lejeune will be Kormoss final posting. At the time of the interview, he was in the final weeks of his service, and he was happy to talk about his time as a Marine. Kormos said that Marine boot camp is every bit as grueling as most people imagine it to be, only more so. It was tough, he said, all three months of it. I was prepared for the tough physical part, but even worse was the stress that they keep you under. Its constant. A lot of the guys woke up in the middle of the night screaming. After boot camp, things settled down a little bit, and the training for a specialty began. Kormos had hoped to enter military police training, as he had expressed in his ambitions for the future four years ago. Yeah, it didnt work out that way, he said. You pretty much become whatever they need you to be. In his case, he was satisfied with the artillery and weapons training that he received and hopes to take advantage of those skills when he gets out. He was also grateful for the opportunity for travel that the Corps provides. He was stationed at, or traveled to, a wide range of foreign ports and posts, including Djibouti on the Horn of Africa and Libya. He also, was in Spain, Italy, and Yemen to mention a few of the international sites, in addition to the various stateside military installations where he served or trained. The places he has seen and the experiences he has had are

We

etched in his memory, but he said the most memorable part of his tour of duty has been the friends that he has made. Many of the friendships, he anticipates, will endure long after his service is over. Were all like brothers, he said, especially the guys who youre with all the time. The bad part is that you can become friends with someone, and then he gets sent somewhere else or gets discharged. But there are always other brothers around and new ones coming in. There was home leave, too, of course, and relationships on the home front remain and are strengthened on periodic leaves. One of those relationships blossomed into marriage. In September of 2012, Kormos married Tecumseh fiance Caitlin Montalvo; so all plans for the future will include his new bride. The couple plans to return to the Tecumseh area, and Kormos hopes to put his thorough knowledge of weaponry to use locally as a director of a prison armory or as an officer in a local police department. Ken, his father, when contacted for information

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30

Served continued...

about where his son was currently stationed, said that he and his wife, Candy, were looking forward to his imminent return. Were really proud of Tyler and what he has accomplished, he said, but were really looking forward to having him back home.

has had a little time out of the Corps and experienced the trials of civilian life post-military, including the dicey current job market. We were unable to speak with him directly because he was in the middle of moving into student life in Cincinnati after two brief stints at jobs where he did not feel his talents and potential were being put to good use. He found out that they [the jobs] were not what he wants to do for the rest of his life, said his mother, Debbie. She said that in the service he was a machine-gunner but discovered an interest in the medical field, which is the direction he is heading with his studies. Tim, his father, recalled when they drove down to pick Andy up for leave after boot camp. He was so glad to get off Parris Island, he said. Cpl. Ruch served two tours of duty in Afghanistan. Of his military service his dad said. He was a good Marine, but he is moving on to a different chapter of his life.

Ruch

if
but

Its not a storm will knock out all of your power...

when!

the Marines gave them a condence in themselves that they didnt have before.

Hull, Cpl. Neil Hulls mother, said that her son was very busy with the remainder of his military service. We cant even get a hold of him, she said of attempts by her and husband Ed to contact him. Hull is an anti-terrorism specialist who has served two tours at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, plus tours in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Indonesia. His two fellow Marines from Tecumseh served their four years of regular duty and opted out of the Corps, but Hulls special training obligates him to spend at least another year in the Marines. He will be able to get out on August 24, 2014, his mother said. Cheri said that her son did not send pictures of the places he has been stationed because most of them were strategically sensitive postings. They take a dim view of sending photos home, she said. Cheri said that in one of the intermittent conversations that she was able to have with Neil he had told her about how much he had enjoyed leave in Japan. He said some of the Japanese had jokingly called him The Gentle Giant when he was there, she said. I can see how they might, hes blond, hes six-foot-six, and most of them can walk under his arm. He said that they are extremely kind to American soldiers. Everybody wanted their picture taken with him. Hull has also gotten married to a Tecumseh sweetheart during his service. He wedded Kaitlin Vandecar, and the couple now has a nine-month-old daughter, Annalyse. The young Hull family has tentative plans after Neil is discharged to move to the West Coast where he will study law. When Neil was in the second grade, he said that he either wanted to become a Marine or a lawyer, Cheri said. Now it looks like hes going to accomplish both. Reflecting back on the past four years, Cheri summed up the sentiments of all six parents of the three Marines. Its amazing to look back and see how much theyve changed. They were always good boys and they joined the Marines in good physical shape, but the Marines gave them a confidence in themselves that they didnt have before. Im sure that there will be a reunion of all three in the future.

Cheri

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Camryn Nowak (L) Elle Nowak (R)

Deb Wuethrich

Bounty
Autumn's
hile Farm-to-Table has become something of a buzzword over the past couple of years, people throughout the largely rural Lenawee County area have been making home-grown, homecrafted goods available direct to the public for many years. The term is largely interpreted to mean obtaining food from its original source local farms, or even from small growers who have gardens but not a lot of acreage. Roadside stands have been a long-time staple in the community, dotting the country roadways with their wares from early summer through late fall, from Prochaska Farms in Macon to Dusseaus stand on M-50 and M-52, Tillotsons Farm Market and others. Fresh fruit and vegetables can also be found locally at such places as Kapnick Orchards and Todds Garden. A Veggie Mobile has also been spotted in Lenawee County. As summer has wound down and fall comes on, area farmers markets are also popular places to seek good, wholesome food staples. For example, Tecumseh Downtown Farm Market now has eight vendors who take to the streets each Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and they will be offering goods through the end of October. (A second farm market also operates on Saturdays at the corner of Maumee St. and Russell Road). Tecumseh residents Nina Pappas and her husband, Scott Schwemmin grow flowers and vegetables on their 250-acre farm in Saline. Nina is the current organizer of the downtown market, and has been involved with the startup of the Adrian Farmers Market as well. She and Scott also take part in a farmers market at Walker Tavern. Nina said shed always been interested in landscaping and when she met Scott, they pooled her interest in flowers and his in growing vegetables and produce. She said people comment on how attractive their farm market stand is. You have to see it in the morning, she said. We started today with 50 bouquets of flowers, but they were gone within the first hour.

32

Scott Schwemmin

The couple also offers Shop the Crops opportunities at their Saline farm on Maple Road, one mile south of town off of Ann Arbor-Saline road. Signs are posted when they are open. Nina said the Tecumseh Downtown Farmers Market is getting a lot of patronage as people not only learn local growers are in town, but notice the stands as they drive by. We get a lot of visitors from out of town as well as locals, she said. Last week a Sysco Food truck driver stopped and bought produce, even though he was delivering food himself. The vendors sell everything from produce to coffee and honey, as well as crafted items. Nina said some of the items that are coming on for fall include broccoli, cabbages, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, spinach and kale, to name a few. For us, we try to grow a few things that people dont regularly find, such as edamame and lima beans, Nina said. One of the current vendors hopes is to grow the downtown market. Next year, we hope to fill up the whole town in front of the various stores, said Nina. She is also happy to see that Clinton will soon be getting its own farmers market. Personally, we enjoy doing this in our hometown. We know most everybody and they know us. Selling healthy vegetables and produce is also something that doesnt draw an age line. Each summer, Camryn, Elle and Tyler Nowak open their own mini-farm market behind The Daily Grind, co-owned by their grandmother, Pat Van Camp. At least two days a week, the kids fill a table with food products they have picked from their own home garden in Tecumseh and accept donations for them. One late summer day, they had green beans, squash, bite-sized tomatoes and various greens for sale. They get to keep half their earnings, but half goes to charity, typically to St. Elizabeth Church, said their father, Gary, who is a school teacher in Madison. My dad was a farmer and I learned about being responsible by selling things we grew, he said. I thought it would be good for them as well. The family has set up the stand over the past three years, and when people make a purchase, the kids bag up the purchases themselves. When they plant the garden, they select items they will put on their own table, then grow some extra for sale. I like earning the money and picking the vegetables, said Tyler, 9. Elle, 7, said, I like watering the garden, picking the vegetables and making money. And Camryn, 4, also enjoys the whole process. When asked what she liked best, she said, I like sitting here and talking to people.

33

3225 Fourth St Jackson, MI 49203 www.ellasharp.org 517.787.2320

Come out to the Ella this fall for a day of family fun! Our annual festival is free and open to all ages, with plenty of seasonal activities and tasty treats to enjoy.

Sunday, October 6 12 4 pm free admission (nominal fees for some activities)


e Ella is proud to present American Impressionism: the Lure of the Artists Colony, an art exhibit from the Reading Public Museum. is collection of lyrical landscapes, penetrating portraits, and remarkable still life paintings, documents an important moment in the history of American art.

Would you like


w i t h t h a t

Exhibit open October 26 January 11

Sometimes art and history can be found in the most unlikely of places. McDonalds restaurants are the place to go for fast food hamburgers, fries, shakes. In Tecumseh, the local McDonalds restaurant is also home to one-of-a-kind murals by artist Leland Beaman. When the restaurant was being built in 1977, the Bodman family, franchise owner, commissioned Jackson artist Leland Beaman to bring Native American Chief Tecumseh to life for restaurant patrons. It was a lot of fun, I enjoyed doing that mural, Beaman said from his home in Arizona. I think I did five McDonalds. The Bodman family opened several franchises in the area around the same time, and wanted each restaurant to feature local history. Beaman was a respected artist with a studio and art supply store in Jackson at that time. He taught, sold art supplies,
34

painted, and created murals. They would have a crew come in and build the McDonalds, he said. I kind of built along with them. Everything was just as smooth as glass. Ive never had a construction job work like that. Featuring different important moments in the life of Chief Tecumseh was Beamans artistic task. Ive always had an interest in Indian history, said Beaman. Tecumseh is the George Washington of the Indians. I wanted to get across the story that the Indians are a lot like we are. The stories depicted in Beamans McDonalds murals are taken from his own research about important historical figures. One of Beamans favorite stories about Chief Tecumseh was a meeting the chief had with an American general. The general was complaining about hostile Native American behavior, and Chief Tecumseh explained the reason for the hostility was because people were being pushed from their homes. The general argued Americans were just moving closer, which wasnt aggressive behavior. While he was talking, Chief Tecumseh kept moving

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closer and closer to the general on the bench, and as the general kept moving back, until, finally, he fell off the bench. Beaman believes this was a very effective demonstration of the aggressive behavior of the United States against Native Americans. He was a genius, Beaman said. The 80-year-old artist still paints, including murals. Much of his work focuses on history, especially western expansion throughout America. His work can be seen on his website www.lelandbeaman.com, and throughout the

city of Jackson including the Ella Sharp Museum of Art and History. Thats what I enjoy, I really like history, said Beaman. I just finished a mural a couple weeks ago, under a guys staircase. It had a packhorse and cowboy going through the desert. The work of Walt Disney and Norman Rockwell are especially inspirational, despite their commercial component. To me, Norman Rockwell was spiritual, Beaman said of the popular American artist. Beaman appreciates new artwork and ways to paint. I

think its just a plethora of choices, he said. I love where the world is going these days. Everything is in style. Although the Tecumseh McDonalds is about to be torn down and rebuilt, Beamans work and the visual history of Chief Tecumseh will live on. Jeff Stanton, the new owner of the franchise, said when the renovation occurs, Beamans artwork will be donated to the Tecumseh Historical Society. Until the building is demolished, possibly next year, patrons of the restaurant will continue to learn about the life of Chief Tecumseh while they enjoy a hamburger and fries.

DOWNTOWN

DOWNTOWN SYLVANIA ASSOCIATION

Fall Festival & Parade October 20 11-3 pm Downtown Sylvania Parade 12:45pm 419-410-6009 Downtown Delights November 14 5 - 9pm Downtown Main Street
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Fall Color Tours from the Air!! SkyWalker Flying is offering Sky Tours over the beautiful Michigan Fall Colors of Hidden Lake Gardens! Tours can fly out of Adrian or Tecumseh. Reservations: SkyWalker Flying, 517.759.2590 or fly@skywalkerflying.com Mystery Corn Maze & Pumpkin Fun! Hayrides - Petting Zoo - Pumpkins & Fall Dcor. Carpenter Farms, Adrian. 517.265.8399 Auctions Most Saturdays 6pm and one Sunday a month at 1pm. DS Auction Service & Antiques. 517.424.SOLD.

Please call ahead before attending events for any schedule changes

IN AND AROUND TOWN


SEPTEMBER 27-28-29 Clinton Fall Festival Lots of vendors, food, car show, parade, arts & crafts, raffles, silent auction, entertainment, book sale & more! Ride the Rails, see Southern Michigan Railroad Entry! Downtown Clinton 517.456.7396 SEPTEMBER 28-29 Ride the Rails...between Tecumseh & Clinton! Ride DURING the annual Clinton Fall Festival OR ride the train TO the festival, from Tecumseh! Southern Michigan Railroad 517-456-7677 or 517-423-7230 SEPTEMBER 27-28-29 All Shook Up Come travel back to 1955, small town America, and discover the magic of romance & the power of rock & roll! Croswelll Opera House, Adrian 517.264.SHOW [7469] or www.croswell.org SEPTEMBER 28 Ghoultide Gathering 8am-4pm. Annual Halloween Artists Invitational at the Chelsea fairgrounds. www.GhoultideGathering. com SEPTEMBER 28 Spring Beauties: Bulbs for the Southeast Michigan Garden 10:30 am 12 pm. Learn about the species and variety and selection available, companion planting and naturalizing to get your garden off to a rousing start. Hidden Lake Gardens517.431.2060 or hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu SEPTEMBER 28 Autumn Jewels: The Science behind the Scenery 1:30-3pm. Learn about the chemical and biological processes that go into our annual fall fashion show and get a glimpse of the beauties of our own native species as they go through their annual transformation. Hidden Lake Gardens517.431.2060 or hiddenlakegardens. msu.edu SEPTEMBER 29 Premier Attractions - Baby exotic animals Meckleys Flavor Fruit Farm. www. flavorfruitfarm.com or 517.688.3455 SEPTEMBER 30 Card Party 2-4pm. Cambrian Assisted Living, Tecumseh. Come out for an afternoon of fun and play your favorite card games. Tecumseh District Library 517.423.2238 www.tecumsehlibrary.org SEPTEMBER 30 Harlem Ambassadors basketball game 7pm. Tecumseh Middle School. Tecumseh Area Chamber 517.423.3740

September
SEPTEMBER 20-21 7th Annual Art-A-Licious Festival Art, Music, Food & Lots of Free Family Fun! Downtown Adrian. 517.265.2265 SEPTEMBER 20-22 31st Annual Fall Tractor Show & Flea Market Farmers Antique Tractor & Engine Association. Corner of US 223 x Forrister Road. Gate Admission $3 - Camping Available SEPTEMBER 20-22 All Shook Up Come travel back to 1955, small town America, and discover the magic of romance & the power of rock & roll! Croswelll Opera House, Adrian 517.264.SHOW [7469] or www.croswell.org SEPTEMBER 21 Demystifying Plant Names - Its all Greek (or Latin) to Me 2-4pm. Registration Hidden Lake Gardens (M-50) Tipton, 517.431.9148 or hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu SEPTEMBER 26 Downtown Divas at Dusk 5-9pm. Downtown merchants will open their doors and offer special promotions, refreshments and many diva delights for your pleasure. www. downtowntecumseh.com 517.424.6003 SEPTEMBER 27 Ravishing! 8pm. Dawson Auditorium, Adrian College. Leah Crocetto, soprano, Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin, Barber: Knoxville, Summer of 1915, Theofanidis: Visions and Miracles Canteloube: Songs from the Auvergne. Adrian Symphony Orchestra. 517.264.3121 or info@adriansymphony.org 38

October
OCTOBER 1 How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football 7-8pm. Learn how Teddy Roosevelt saved the sport and how it brought about other innovations. Tecumseh District Library 517.423.2238 www.tecumsehlibrary.org OCTOBER 5 Fall Foliage Festival Fall foliage turns brilliant colors with lots of fun activities planned for the entire family. Explore the grounds & life size scarecrows! Hidden Lake Gardens517.431.2060 or hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu OCTOBER 5 Lunch With Style 11:30am. Fashions by The Wild Iris and a delicious lunch served by British Tea Garden at the Roof Top Cafe. www. thebritishpantry.com OCTOBER 6 CROP Walk Manchester. www.48158.com OCTOBER 8 Sailing Down to Rio on the Queen Mary 2 7:30pm. Guest host Film maker Doug Jones. Travel Adventure Cinema. Tecumseh Center for the Arts. 517.423.6617 or www.theTCA. org OCTOBER 11-13 Sweeney Todd A musical thriller, chilling, suspenseful, heart-pounding masterpiece tells the infamous tale of the unjustly exiled barber who returns to 19th century London seeking revenge. Croswelll Opera House, Adrian 517.264.SHOW [7469] or www.croswell.org OCTOBER 12 Second Saturday Sunrise Series Start your day off with sunrise and breakfast treats at Hidden Lake Gardens. Arrive fifteen minutes before sunrise. Class will be hosted by HLG staff. Hidden Lake Gardens517.431.2060 or hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu OCTOBER 12 Crawing through the Hills Grab a friend or two and join the Brooklyn-Irish Hills Chamber members for various pit stops throughout the Irish Hills! 517.592.8907 or IrishHills.com OCTOBER 12 Pumpkin Quest Festival Downtown Brooklyn on the Square. Village of Brooklyn DDA 517.592.2591 or brooklynmi.com OCTOBER 12 Off the Beaten Path 10am. Get off the pavement and learn more about the hiking trails and off the beaten path sites of interest. Hidden Lake Gardens517.431.2060 or hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu OCTOBER 12 Establishing and Maintaining Winter Interest 10am-12pm. Gardens can be beautiful places for us year round. Through careful selection, installation, and maintenance of plant matter, hardscaping and garden features. Hidden Lake Gardens517.431.2060 or hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu OCTOBER 12 Jasmynn's Voice Autism Awareness Meckleys Flavor Fruit Farm. www.flavorfruitfarm.com or 517.688.3455 OCTOBER 12-13 20th Annual Appleumpkin Festival Arts & Crafts, Antique Street Fair, Carnival Rides, Fair Food, Inflatables, Live Entertainment and much more! www.downtowntecumseh. com or 517.424.6003 OCTOBER 12-13 Ride the Rails during Appleumpkin! Enjoy fall colors along the River Raisin for 2 hours with a stop along the way for complimentary cider and donuts! Board: 806 S. Evans St, Tecumseh. Southern Michigan Railroad 517-456-7677 or 517-4237230

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Sharon Mills Photo by Karl Racenis

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OCTOBER 12-13 35th Annual Apple Festival Enjoy fresh apples, cider and donuts. Wagon rides, a petting zoo, childrens talent show, and over 80 craft booths. Kapnick Orchards 517.423.7419 or www. kapnickorchards.com OCTOBER 13 Fall Color & Cuisine Tour Throughout the Irish Hills. Experience the fun of nature's fall colors with cuisine specialties of the Irish Hills! 517.592.8907 or brooklynmi.com OCTOBER 15 Things that Go Bump into the Night 7-8:30pm. Explore the world of ghost hunting with Brad Mikulka, director of Southeast Michigan Ghost Hunters Society. Tecumseh District Library 517.423.2238 www.tecumsehlibrary.org OCTOBER 16 Book Bingo 1-2pm. Play bingo to win books and other prizes. Tecumseh District Library 517.423.2238 www.tecumsehlibrary.org OCTOBER 17-20 Fall Color Tour Excursions Fall colors along the River Raisin Valley. 2 hours, stop for complimentary cider and donuts! Southern Michigan Railroad. 806 S. Evans Street, Tecumseh 517.456.7677 or 517.423-7230

OCTOBER 18-20 Sweeney Todd A musical, heart-pounding masterpiece tells the infamous tale of the unjustly exiled barber who returns to 19th century London seeking revenge. Croswelll Opera House 517.264.SHOW [7469] or www. croswell.org OCTOBER 19 Annual Howl-O-Ween Ball 6pm. Our annual Howl-O-Ween Ball at the Lenawee Country to benefit the Lenawee County Humane Society. 517.26.3462 or www. lenaweehumanesoc.org OCTOBER 19 TSO Spooktacular "Come As You Aren't" 6:30-9:30pm. Silent Auction & Dessert, Costume Party. Tecumseh High School OCTOBER 19 2nd Annual Blues & Brews Festival 3-9pm. Live music, brewing demos & 10 craft beer tastings! The Pavilion, Downtown Adrian OCTOBER 19-20 Kids Weedend at Houpts Clown with face painting,Costume contest,Pumpkin moonwalk, pony rides, and train ride. Houpt's Pumpkin Patch, Dundee www.houptspumpkinpatch. net

OCTOBER 20 Evans Street Station Cooking Class 5pm. Seasonal ingredients, recipes and knowledge for your home kitchen. $55 covers required. Evans Street Station, Tecumseh, 517.424.5555, www.evansstreetstation.com OCTOBER 20 Fall Festival & Parade 11-3 pm Downtown Sylvania. Parade 12:45pm. 419.410.6009 Fall Color Tour Excursions Fall colors along the River Raisin Valley. 2 hours, stop for complimentary cider and donuts! Southern Michigan Railroad. 806 S. Evans Street, Tecumseh 517.456.7677 or 517.4237230 OCTOBER 26 Children's Halloween Party 12pm. Dundee Old Mill Museum. www. dundeeoldmill.com OCTOBER 26 Family Paranormal Tour 6pm. Dundee Old Mill Museum. www. dundeeoldmill.com

OCTOBER 26 Halloween Bash Indie Film Fest 7:30pm. Short Films from Michigan Independent film Makers. Tecumseh Center for the Arts. 517.423.6617 or www.theTCA.org OCTOBER 26 Halloween Bash 5K Run 1 Mile Fun Walk Tecumseh Center for the Arts. 517.423.6617 or www.theTCA.org OCTOBER 26 Halloween Horse Camp Overnight opportunity, parade, costumes, bonfire and of course Horseback Riding. Morgan Valley Farm. 517.423.7858 www.morganvalleyfarm.com OCTOBER 26 Antique Appraisals with Joseph Merkel 12-4:30 pm. Ever wonder what that family heirloom might be worth? Heres your chance to find out!www.chelsea.lib.mi.us or 734.475.8732 OCTOBER 30 Trunk and Treat 7-8pm. Tecumseh Church of the Nazarene 1001 N. Union Street Tecumseh. 517.423.4960 OCTOBER 30 Fear Factor 2:45pm. Join us outside for some fun, creepy, and totally gross stunts. Tecumseh District Library 517.423.2238 www.tecumsehlibrary.org

Chelsea
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Ghoultide Gathering 4FQUFNCFSrBNQN Chelsea Fairgrounds Antique Appraisals with Joseph Merkel October 26 QN Ladies Day in Chelsea November 9 BNQN

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OCTOBER 31 Halloween Party 7pm. Cider barn and Cidery Bar open, hard ciders on tap, live entertainment. Meckleys Flavor Fruit Farm. www. flavorfruitfarm.com or 517.688.3455 OCTOBER 31 Halloween Trick or Treat/ Caramel Apples on Mill Porch Manchester. www.48158.com

NOVEMBER 16TH Christmas in the Village Morning Parade, Crafts & Baked Goods. Manchester. www.48158.com NOVEMBER 17 Evans Street Station Cooking Class 5pm. Seasonal ingredients, recipes and knowledge for your home kitchen. $55 covers four Evans Street Station, Tecumseh, 517.424.5555, www.evansstreetstation.com NOVEMBER 19 The New Health Care Law: What it Means for You 6:45-8:15pm. Explanation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and how it will affect consumer and senior health coverage. Tecumseh District Library 517.423.2238 www.tecumsehlibrary.org NOVEMBER 20 Book Bingo 1-2pm. Play bingo to win books and other prizes. Tecumseh District Library 517.423.2238 www.tecumsehlibrary.org NOVEMBER 22-24 Wizard of Oz Tecumseh Youth Theatre Musical Production. Fri & Sat 7:30pm, Sun 3pm. Tecumseh Center for the Arts. 517.423.6617 or www.theTCA.org NOVEMBER 23 Sand Creek PTO Antique & Craft Show 8am-3pm. Top notch juried show, handcrafted items and antiques. 230 booths. Sand Creek High School, 517.436.3124 or craftshow@ sc-aggies.us NOVEMBER 28 Thanksgiving Feast 11am5pm. Join us for a glorious buffet featuring traditional Thanksgiving favorites with delicious Evans Street special touches. Evans Street Station, Tecumseh, 517.424.5555, www.evansstreetstation. com NOVEMBER 30 Lunch with Mrs. Clause & Christmas Crafts 12pm. Dundee Old Mill Museum. www.dundeeoldmill.com

November
NOVEMBER 1 Adrian First Fridays 5- 9pm. Come and experience a night of art, food, and fun at Adrian First Fridays! www.downtownadrian.org NOVEMBER 2 Halloween Horse Camp Overnight opportunity, parade, costumes, bonfire and of course Horseback Riding. Morgan Valley Farm. 517.423.7858 www.morganvalleyfarm.com NOVEMBER 2 The Michael Malone Comedy Show 7:30pm. Even Fish Have Fathers Comedy night. Voted Hot Comic to watch 2013 Tecumseh Center for the Arts. 517.423.6617 or www.theTCA. org NOVEMBER 2 Crab Races Manchester. www.48158.com NOVEMBER 3 Branson On The Road 5:30pm. Classic country, hilarious comedy, bluegrass, rockabilly and hand clappin gospel. Croswelll Opera House, Adrian 517.264.SHOW [7469] or www. croswell.org NOVEMBER 5 Yesterday and Today in Adrian 7-8pm. Ray Lennard will take you on a photographic journey of the Adrian business district from as far back as the Civil War. Tecumseh District Library 517.423.2238 www.tecumsehlibrary.org NOVEMBER 8 Rhapsody and Rags 8pm. Dawson Auditorium, Adrian College, Mark Markham, Schuller: Ragtimes, Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue. Adrian Symphony Orchestra. 517.264.3121 or info@adriansymphony.org NOVEMBER 8 & 9 Holiday Open House Holiday shopping and annual Recipe Walk. Downtown Streetscape Lighting Ceremony 7:00 pm Friday Evening. www.downtowntecumseh.com 517.424.6003 NOVEMBER 8-10 38th Annual Blissfield Yuletide Cheer Downtown Blissfield kicks off the holiday season! Weekend of holiday shopping and family fun. NOVEMBER 8-10 The Wolf Tales These three, 20 minute operas tell the stories of The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood and others, but this time from the wolves perspective. Croswelll Opera House, Adrian 517.264.SHOW [7469] or www. croswell.org NOVEMBER 9 Saline Craft Shows 8am - 3:30pm. $4 Admission Ages 10 and under Free. Over 234 Craft Booths, Concessions and Bake Sale. Saline Middle School. www.salineshows.com NOVEMBER 9 Ladies Day in Chelsea 10am6pm NOVEMBER 10 HolidayWineFest 5-8pm. 60+ wines from around the world with hors d'oeuvres to match. Live music, silent proceeds benefit restoring the Tecumseh Carnegie. Evans Street Station, Tecumseh, 517.424.5555, www.evansstreetstation. com NOVEMBER 12 Amazon 7:30pm. Travel Adventure Cinema. Guest host film maker Marlin Darrah. Tecumseh Center for the Arts. 517.423.6617 or www.theTCA.org NOVEMBER 12 Local Authors Night 7-8pm. Local writers will discuss their books. Tecumseh District Library 517.423.2238 www.tecumsehlibrary. org NOVEMBER 14 Downtown Delights 5-9pm. Downtown Main Street Sylvania NOVEMBER 16 Mega 80's Night 8pm. Experience raucous, rebellious, pure entertainment as you rock the night away to all of your favorite 80s ROCK hits! Croswelll Opera House, Adrian 517.264.SHOW [7469] or www.croswell.org

December

DECEMBER 6 Christmas Parade Downtown Tecumseh. Floats, Bands, Holiday Lights and Santa. The whole family will enjoy this holiday event. www. downtowntecumseh.com 517.423.3740 DECEMBER 6-7 Promenade Candlelight Home Tour Tour historic homes decked out in their holiday finest. Tickets: Chamber of Commerce and The Daily Grind www.downtowntecumseh.com 517.424.6003 DECEMBER 7 Christmas Home Tour Manchester. www.48158.com DECEMBER 13-15 Handel in Holy Rosary Holy Rosary Chapel, Adrian Dominican Campus. Adrian College Chamber Choir, Michael Gartz, organ. Albinoni: Adagio for Organ and Strings, Handel: Organ Concerto in G Minor, Op. 4, No.1, Handel: Messiah (Christmas portion) Adrian Symphony Orchestra. 517.264.3121 or info@ adriansymphony.org

Winter Homefront published December 6


Advertising Deadline November 12 Call Suzanne Hayes 517.423.2174 or email homefront@tecumsehherald.com Send us your events happening December 6 - March 26 in 25 words or less. Include contact information and we will include them free of charge, space permitting. Send to hollie@tecumsehherald.com or mail to P.O. Box 218, Tecumseh MI 49286.
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then for a New York company with a local office while saving money for his move to the Big Apple, where he could pursue his dream of acting and performing professionally. Earlier this year, he made the big move. Like many who go to New York City to pursue acting, he holds a day job while he auditions, but he enjoys all aspects of city life. I ride my bike to and from work every day, which is a blast in New York. It feels like doing something death defying. Its a cool place. At the end of the day everybody is there for each other, said Felkey. Being a WMU theater graduate has helped him. He was able to participate in a showcase audition that put him in front for agents, managers and casting directors. That is where he met his current

manager. His manager has helped him get auditions. He feels he is on the cusp of getting the work he is looking for. Already, he has received call backs for shows like Rock of Ages and is on the waiting list to possibly get a regular singing gig at a prominent New York piano bar. He said that it takes persistence and he is determined to stick it out. Still, he knows he has the support of his family and friends back home. Tecumseh will still be home, he said. It will always be place I go back to. Its important to know where you come from. It makes you who you are. I wouldnt be here if it wasnt for Tecumseh. Tecumseh got me into theater.

For 2008 Tecumseh High School graduate Matt Felkey, the son of Mitch and Michele Felkey, the bright lights of Broadway may be his focus, but he will tell anyone that none of that would be possible if he had not had the support of the theater community in Tecumseh. While growing up in the Tecumseh area Felkey regularly appeared in local TYT productions. All his early theater experience definitely influenced his career path. Following graduation, he auditioned for the touring production of the Tony Awardwinning rock musical and was called back. He also was asked to audition for the part of Puck in the now hit television series Glee. Its funny. When I saw the script I thought, Who is going to watch a show about show choir? I was in show choir in school, but I didnt think anyone would want to watch a show about it, Felkey said. His early brushes with professional work solidified that performing would be his academic and career focus. Felkey went on to Western Michigan University and studied musical theater and performance. In addition, he was accepted in the universitys prestigious Lee Honors College. Throughout college, Felkey continued performing in musicals as well as dramatic productions and began performing in a band. While the primary focus of his work was in theater, Felkey said many of his classes focused on theory and he even had classes that focused on the technical aspect of theater. The musical theater program is highly competitive with only 14 students being admitted each year. Felkey said auditions lasted an entire day. He was required initially to sing and do a monologue and if he was called back then he had to dance. It was great that they did it that way, because I am a terrible dancer, he said. In addition to his academic program, Felkey was involved in the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. Following graduation, Felkey returned home. He worked at the Heidelberg in Ann Arbor and

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heights
reaching new
By Cristina Trapani - Scott
The streets of San Francisco could be a world away from the small town feel of Tecumseh. Still, 2002 THS graduate Robert Boden, the son of Robert and Jan Boden, has no problem feeling right at home in the city. An attorney, he currently works for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in San Francisco. While hes happy to be living and working in the city, he got his start in public service right here in Michigan. Boden attended Central Michigan University after graduating high school. He initially studied political science and journalism and ended up double majoring in economics and political science. After graduating in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree he spent the following year working on political campaigns. He interned for Dudley Spade, who at the time was serving as Michigans 57th District State Representative, and he worked on Chris Lewlesss campaign for the Michigans 68th House of Representatives seat.

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Throughout that time I knew I was going to go to law school, but I had a year off and I wanted to get campaign experience, Boden said. He did begin law school at George Washington University in Washington, DC, in 2007, but for a few months before that he was accepted to the Center for Progressive Leadership and was placed in a political job in DC. He worked for M & R Strategic Services, a political consulting firm with clients such as the American Civil Liberties Union. He said living and going to school in DC made him realize he liked living in the city. However, he knew he wanted to leave the winters behind. He spent his final semester of law school working in Oakland, California. In 2010, he passed the California Bar and applied for the Presidential Management Fellowship Program, run by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. The program prepares people with advanced degrees for work in the federal government. It is through the fellowship that he landed in his current post with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In October, he will be acting supervisor in the Honolulu, Hawaii, office. Although he will continue to be stationed in San Francisco, he will travel to Hawaii from time to time as well. Boden admits that his life has gone in a direction he never expected. Back in high school he thought he would have stayed in Tecumseh. I really liked Tecumseh, he said. I am proud of being from Tecumseh. I was convinced I would be running for city council and be there the rest of my life. He said city life made him realize he liked the perks city life had to offer. He liked not having to rely on a car. He liked being able to walk to the store or walk to work. For me, when I lived in a city for the first time, I realized I was going to live in a city for the rest of my life, Boden said. MORE STUDENTS
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Sarah Nowak had every intention of becoming a dentist or orthodontist when she was young. That was before the 2008 THS graduate discovered her passion for performing. Tecumseh, of course, has been a big part of that. If I didnt have Tecumseh Youth Theatre (TYT) I probably would not have discovered that I could do theater, she said. She appeared in many TYT production as well as productions at the Croswell Opera House in Adrian. In fact, her first appearance was in the Croswell Opera House production of . I was hooked. Once I started I couldnt stop, Nowak said. After high school she spent some time at Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, and Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, before returning home to finish her undergraduate degree in musical theater at Siena Heights University in Adrian. Throughout college, she continued to perform in local productions as well as productions in Ohio. Among her favorites was her role as Mrs. Lovett in the Siena Heights production of . In addition, she enjoyed performing in the Croswell Opera House production of and in a . Toledo, Ohio, production of In the spring, Nowak auditioned for a spot as a performer at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia, and was offered a performing contract. I didnt think anything would come of the audition, she said. I had one weeks notice. It all happened pretty quickly. She spent the summer working as a vocalist for three different shows at Busch Gardens, the Killarney Village Band, the Killarney Kamotions and the Italy Village Band. It was her first professional gig and while she had some long days of performing, she was excited to have the opportunity. I met lots of very talented people, she said. Friends I know will be in my life for a long time. According to Nowak, her next step will likely be a move to New York City, where she will continue to audition for shows. She credits her parents Joe and Rhonda Nowak for being her biggest inspirations and her biggest supporters. She also said she has learned a great deal from her professors and from Michael Yuen, who has been her voice coach since high school. He taught me everything I know, she said.

Todd Tue, a 1997 THS grade, points to a high school viewing of Pink Floyds The Wall as the first time he became curious about film making. Its not that it was the greatest film ever made, but at the time I thought it was weird, and I found it interesting that you could do different things like that with film, he said. That interest led him to Eastern Michigan University where he studied telecommunications and film, and where he met his wife, Andrea LeVasseur. Tue did not go directly into film making out of college. In fact, he was not quite sure what career path he would take. LeVasseur already was planning to travel to Japan to teach English, so he decided to join her. The couple returned in 2005 and moved to Chicago where they have built a life together and now have a three-year-old daughter, Maybelle. Tue immediately found his way into film production and in 2007 edited and co-produced his first big project, a documentary film titled , which was directed by artist, musician and film maker, J.D. Wilkes. The documentary focused on art and music in the south and looked at local legends in small towns. It premiered on New Years Eve 2007 in Nashville. In 2008, Tue incorporated his own production company, Milk Products Media, www.milkproductsmedia. com, and started shooting and editing various music videos, book trailers, documentaries and more. His work on led to another big documentary project, . The film looked at the life of legendary Nashville musician, Charlie Lauvin and featured interviews with Lauvin and such country music greats as Marty Stuart,
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A TRADITION SINCE 1960

George Jones, John McCrea, and Emmylou Harris. The film was an official selection of the 2012 Nashville Film Festival. He travels frequently for shoots as well as does work in Chicago. His recent projects also have included a five-part music video series for country musician Shooter Jennings, son of Waylon Jennings, and a pilot for Country Music Television that took him to Johnny Cashs home where he met Cashs son, John Carter Cash as well as created a book trailer for bestselling author Sarah Vowell. Tue said that getting this far has not been easy. I wasnt exactly sure what I wanted to do when I got to Chicago, he said. I got a job as a camera operator. I had very little experience. I just started to do camera operations and over the course of freelancing, thats where I got my education. Really on set was where I learned how to do and how not to do things. He added that he had to do a lot of pitching for projects early on. More and more he is finding current projects lead to other projects. Tue is glad to have established his business in Chicago. Chicago does have a really great production community, he said. When we moved in 2005 to do production, Michigan was not viable. We ended up in Chicago because it did seem a little less cut throat than New York City or Los Angeles. MORE STUDENTS

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GALLERY

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Even in college, 1996 Tecumseh High School (THS) graduate Matthew Peach, the son of Marvin and Rebecca Peach, was feeding his entrepreneurial spirit. He attended Tri-State University in Angola, Indiana, (now known as Trine University) and later University of Michigan, but what he focuses on most about that time is the fact that he started his own computer networking company in his dorm room at Tri-State. It was the early days when small businesses needed computer networks, he said. He later sold the company. He moved back to Michigan and worked in computer consulting for a while before going off on his own again and working as an independent consultant. Six years ago, he partnered with a friend and leapt from computers to video production, launching M-1 Studios, a Michigan-based company that shoots films for businesses and organizations. Peach began working in the film industry in 2003. As the need for businesses and organizations to build an online presence grew, so did the need for quality video production. That is where Peach and his partner, Mike Madigan, found their niche. Because video is becoming more and more integrated into our lives, theres a need for businesses to do more video, Peach said. The company has produced more than 30 film projects and has been tapped to work with such clients as Royal Oaks Arts, Beats and Eats. Along with producing videos, Peach has expanded his production talent into events. In recent years, he has become known for organizing and developing Baconfest, Michigans premier bacon festival held in both Royal Oak and Traverse City. We bring in some of the best chefs from around town and they all make dishes with bacon as an ingredient, said Peach. All the pork is from Michigan. Almost everything about the event is focused on Michigan bacon. Its really just a big foodie event. Ive always been a producer, sort of a go between between the creative side and the business side. As a producer I wanted to get into more events. I wanted to find something on my own and eventually I came up with Baconfest. All the work Peach has done in Detroit has garnered some noteworthy attention. This year he was nominated for 40 Under 40 recognition. He now lives in Livonia with his wife Kate and for all he does in the Detroit area, Tecumseh is never too far from his mind. He has even involved Tecumseh businesses in his work. Tecumseh has had a huge influence on me, especially when I travel. I really see how nice a town it is and I really appreciate it. Until you get out there, you really dont understand how great a town it is and how great the schools are. Tecumseh gives me a lot of strength, Peach said.

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For most Tecumseh residents hearing the name Casablanca likely evokes images of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. For Angela Wyse, a 2005 Tecumseh High School graduate, the name evokes something quite different since that is where she currently lives and works. The largest city in Morocco, Casablanca is home to the American Consulate where Wyse holds a position in public affairs. She credits the Rotary Club of Tecumseh for instilling in her a sense of wanderlust. After graduating, Wyse spent a year in Belgium through the Rotary Exchange Program. She returned home to attend the University of Michigan, where she studied public policy and Russian. After graduating, Wyse went on to the Harvard Kennedy School of Public Policy. While there she was awarded the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship,
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which prepared her for two years of work in the U.S. Foreign Service that is required as part of the fellowship. In addition, she completed two internships with the U.S. Department of State that included work at the Vietnam desk and the United States Embassy in Laos. During that time, she had the opportunity to meet former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Morocco is where she has landed for her Foreign Service post. Wyse currently is about one third through a two-year tour. Her role is to explain American policy to the people of Morocco and to help differentiate true American values from what Moroccans might see on television or in movies. Im always really impressed by the energy and enthusiasm of young Moroccans, she said. Its so exciting to be serving my country in such a positive way. Its great to represent the U.S. government to these individuals, particularly in a country thats really important to U.S. relations. The move was not without its challenges. Wyse said it was difficult to move to a country where she does not speak the language. She does speak French, but not Moroccan Arabic. Not only was there a language barrier, but she know no one there and was starting her very first full-time job. The happy ending of the story is that Ive met wonderful people here, Americans and Moroccans, she said. The best thing is I feel a lot of pride in the public service Im doing. I feel like Im doing work that is fulfilling. I feel like Im not just trying to make money, but Im doing something where I can give back. Wyse said that now the hardest part of doing what she is doing is being so far from her family. She is the daughter of Heide Kaminski and Steve Wyse and has three siblings with whom she is very close. Still, her family is proud of the work she is doing. They have always encouraged me to do something in the Foreign Service, so they are happy about that, said Wyse.

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Brooklyn
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Owners Sue Laurinec and Pat VanCamp frequently provide corporate breakfasts, business luncheons and special events both in Lenawee County and surrounding areas. We work closely with our clients to provide healthy customized meals Laurinec said, and we use fresh ingredients. Escue of Hooligans Grill in Adrian said, We strive to provide a quality feast, with guests walking away with a fulfilled palate. Hooligans Grill is an Irish-German restaurant that opened this past spring in a historic building in downtown Adrian. In addition to the meals available on site, they offer full-service catering throughout Lenawee County. Hooligans catering features dishes made from fresh ingredients, all made inhouse. Offerings include home-cooking and traditional dishes, fish, as well as wild game, such as venison, in season. Hooligans catering offers full bar services on location for any private party. They specialize in a line of beers on tap from local and regional craft breweries. Escue believes caterers can help decide which of the two styles of dinner catering, set menu or buffet style, will best suit the event and set the proper tone.

everything from appetizers to full dinners. Even though seafood is their mainstay- prime rib has become a specialty. While they don't deliver off-site , they do cater to customers who want their meals to go-preparing anything off their varied menu. "Orders for our award winning Key Lime pie are very popular for parties, weddings and holidays," said co-owner Stephanie Cheever.

Erika

Em
Tecumseh evansstreetstation.com 125 W. Chicago Blvd Tecumseh basilboys.com

featuring chicken, beef, salads, pizza, pasta, bread sticks and more. Their carry-out dishes are often a favorite at local potlucks. Many people order just a large buffet-sized dish or two to pick up for a special event or family dinner, said Pereloff. Its time saving and popular.

Dan Huntsbarger, owner of The


Moveable Feast Catering, said, Its always best to discuss your vision and your budget with the caterer. The Moveable Feast Catering, located in Manchester, is one of Michigans premiere event catering services. We treat each event as an individual and focus solely on the clients needs and wants, Huntsbarger said. We closed our Ann Arbor restaurant to focus solely on catering. The Moveable Feast provides full event planning from set up to tear down, with a fleet of trucks and mobile kitchens. They staff and handle all the details of any sized event from a small intimate party up to thousands of people. We have our own bakery and a 42-acre farm where we grow some of the vegetables and fruits we use in our dishes. The Movable Feast also supports local growers as they buy locally as often as possible. We create our dishes from scratch using fresh, never frozen, products, said Huntsbarger. Daily Grind, downtown Tecumsehs own coffee shop and restaurant, also provides catering services. Their specialty is healthy breakfast meals, but they also offers soups, sandwiches and salads and special request menus.

Lisa Gilgallon of Tecumseh started


LG Meals from Home, a catering business and personal chef service, just over a year ago. Gilgallon has a love of cooking and believes LG Meals from Home provides a unique feature that sets her company apart. While my business is newer, Ive been in the catering business for many years, Gilgallon said. We offer event catering and personal chef services for local families. In addition to full service catering, LG Meals from Home provides daily fresh cooked meals delivered directly to the home. Meals can be served hot, or ready to heat and eat, said Gilgallon. The chef service is designed for a working family pressed for time or for an individual who doesnt want to cook a whole meal for one person. The service can be scheduled for one day a week, every day of the week or just for a special occasion. Bar and Grille in Tipton offers their Tiki for on-site large gatherings - and it is for Tiki parties that they provide

Tecumseh thedailygrind.com

hooligans-grill.com

Tecumseh lgmeals.com

themoveablefeastcatering. com

Coconuts

The

coconutsbarandgrille.com

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Ya

By Rebecca Peach

the one thing that most social gatherings, corporate events and private parties all have in common? Food! Sharing a meal gives people a chance to spend time together in a relaxed atmosphere. From large parties, corporate or charity events to small family parties and special occasion celebrations, these social events often revolve around a shared meal. No matter the size or number of people, it can be overwhelming to plan and to host this pleasure in life. When faced with organizing such an event the best decision can be to call in a professional caterer for assistance. From simple to simply elegant, local catering services can provide from carry out to fully staffed five-course meals with full bar services. turned to local caterers, who shared their philosophies on catering as well as offering tips for planning a catered event. Street Station is noted for inspired dining and freshly cooked superb meals at the restaurant in downtown

Whats

Tecumseh. They are also noted for quality catering services, which serve locations within an hour of Tecumseh. Catering doesnt always have to be just full meals and special events, said Beth Kennedy, Evans Street Station Manager. Kennedy suggests looking at the type of the event. From simple carry-out to full-seated events with fine china, each event is different. Discuss the menu in advance, and make sure to know what is included. Work within your budget, there is no wrong way to go, she said. Evans Street Station uses an ingredient-driven menu, meaning they seek out the freshest quality foods of the season to design a custom menu and dishes. Kennedy suggested mentioning to the caterer any dietary restrictions or allergies. Evans Street Station frequently caters benefit events, private parties and weddings. Kennedy believes a love of catering allows them to be a bit more creative. One of her favorite events to cater is the annual ProMedica wine tasting and dinner every fall. Evans Street Station teams with partner restaurant Glass House Caf and Catering of Ann Arbor to make the event special. 18 years in the business, Nick Pereloff of Tecumsehs Basil Boys restaurant has handled meals for events with guests numbering anywhere from 10 to 1000. Pereloff said, We work closely with clients to create a dinner menu providing the best possible quality and selection. Pereloff suggests discussing alternate dishes with the caterer. The goal is for meals to provide economical yield without sacrificing taste or presentation. Whats most important? Pereloff said with a laugh, The food has to be tasty. Basil Boys restaurant provides a private room for parties up to 50. We offer full on-site services in our private dining room or we can deliver, set up and staff at your location, Pereloff said. Although a caterer can organize and deliver a large group meal with only a couple days notice, its best to give as much notice as possible. Basil Boys has a popular menu of Italian dishes,

After

Evans

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116 W. Chicago | Tecumseh | 517.423.6767 3282 N. Adrian Hwy | Adrian | 517.266.8888 FoundationLenawee.com
Mark Baker 517.206.2121 Wendy Warner 517.206.4980

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Underlying
of

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SUPPORT n: foun6da6tion
1. the body which something is built upon. 2. the fundamental principle on which something is founded.

base
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Our locally owned and independent realty business has a rm footing in this community. Our Realtors expertise have built a reputation of trust, care, commitment, and
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overwhelming support in reaching your realestate goals. - Mark Baker


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2013 ProMedica

Make your health a priority. See a ProMedica Physician.


Dont let the busy schedules and time constraints of everyday life get in the way of taking better care of yourself. Its too important to you, and the people in your life who count on you, to be there for them. Thats why ProMedica Physicians wants to remind you that now is the time to see your health as a priority. So make an appointment to see a ProMedica Physician today.

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