Author: Doug Donnelly

Blissfield’s football season ends

The Blissfield Royals ended their regular football season with a 5-4 record, but it was enough to get them into the playoffs in Division 6.

They mowed down Napoleon first – top seed in their district – then Columbia Central for their district’s championship.

However, when they traveled to Madison Heights Bishop Foley on a bitterly cold Friday to face the Cougars of Warren Michigan Collegiate for the regional title, their season came to an end as the Cougars won 32-6 to advance to the Division 6 semifinals.

For Brad Heineman’s complete story, please see the Nov. 15, 2017, edition of The Advance.

Blissfield Royals win district football crown

The Blissfield Royals won its first district championship in football since its Cinderella football year of 2007 that took the Royals of that era all the way to Ford Field where they lost in the state finals.

The Royals went back to Columbia Central, where they had defeated the Golden Eagles earlier in the year, and did it again Friday night with a 27-17 victory to claim their district’s title in the Division 6 of the MHSAA state football tournament. The team was presented with the trophy at Columbia Central and hoisted it high after singing the school fight song joined by student fans on the football field.

Blissfield will play for the regional title next weekend.

For the complete story, please see the Nov. 8, 2017, edition of The Advance.

Royals suffer homecoming loss, 28-20

After several Fridays of cleanly executed football with few mistakes, the Blissfield Royals came into their homecoming bout as a favorite over Hillsdale. Even with two key players – Josh Eisenmann and Nathan Chappuies – sitting out with injuries, buzz was the Royal team had the weapons to wage a successful battle.

“I feel like we have individuals that can step up in the absence of those two,” said Coach Ryan Love. “Our game change was changed slightly, however a few missed opportunities proves to be costly.”

Very costly, in fact, resulting in a 28-20 Royals loss to the Hornets and putting the home team in a must-win situation for the last two games of the regular season if they are to earn a playoff berth.

The game started off tight in scoring, but fraught with interceptions and fumbles from the opening plays plaguing both teams on a field damp from a steamy day of rain. And Blissfield was further hampered by a spate of penalties as it tried to pass its way to a win with quarterback Gavin Ganun launching 37 passes and connecting on 16 of them for 221 yards.

For a complete rundown of the game as well as a photos from homecoming, please pick up the Oct. 11, 2017, edition of The ADVANCE.

 

While Blissfield battled for a comeback in the final quarter, two third-quarter mistakes which had put the Hornets in the Royal red zone twice and led to two touchdowns and extra points was just too much to overcome.

 

Whiteford tames Sand Creek Aggies, 53-14

By BRAD HEINEMAN

OTTAWA LAKE — Perhaps the most entertaining game of the Whiteford Bobcats varsity football season thus far, was saved for its annual homecoming game, Friday night, Oct. 6, 2017, in Ottawa Lake against the visiting 3-3 Sand Creek Aggies.
For the first time this fall football season, the Bobcats trailed in a contest, falling behind early in the game, 7-0, as the Aggies turned a couple of uncharacteristic first quarter Whiteford turnovers into points.
But even by facing their first deficit of the year, the Bobcats remained a poised and controlled football team.
Whiteford eventually found the end zone two times in a row following the Sand Creek score and the Aggies responded with another answer to tie the game in the second quarter, 14-14. But the Bobcats still had plenty of juice left in them — on both offense and defense — as Whiteford went on to delight its packed homecoming crowd with a big scoring second and third quarter and a 53-14 victory over the Aggies.

For a complete account and photo of the game, please see the Oct. 11, 2017, edition of The Advance. Game and homecoming photos can be found on our Galleries.

Police seek witnesses to fatal crash

A 29-year old Toledo, Ohio, woman is dead as a result of a single-vehicle crash on Yankee Road east of Riga Highway, Saturday night, Oct. 7.
According to a news release from Michigan State Police F/Lt. Cuevas of the Monroe Post, troopers  responded at approximately 11:48 p.m. and discovered the Tiffany Lynn Shaw, 29, who was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical services personnel.
The Michigan State Police are asking anyone who may have additional information or
witnessed the crash to contact the Monroe Post at 734-242-3500.

For the complete story, please see the Oct. 11, 2017, edition of The Advance. For weekly delivery to your home, please call 517-486-2400.

Townships discuss potential for sharing services

By MELISSA BURNOR

A continuing conversation about consolidating fire and emergency medical services took place Oct. 4.  Faced with rising operational costs, equipment costs, demanding training requirements, rising medical calls and fewer people ready to answer the call some local township leaders are researching an idea of consolidating services.
Supervisors from Blissfield, Riga, Ogden, Palmyra and Madison townships met at the Blissfield Township Hall.  Blissfield Township hall.  Deerfield Township Supervisor Ron Cousino was also invited but did not attend. Blissfield Township Al Navarro said the reason stated was that at the current time Deerfield has a full roster and no pressing needs that would compel them to look at alternatives.
Ogden Township Supervisor Richard Marks attended the meeting mainly he said for information.
“We are very happy with Madison, he said, we have no reason to look elsewhere.”
Riga Township Supervisor Gary Kastel said that he is looking at a possibility of a merger between at least Riga and Blissfield townships for fire and EMS services.  No information was released on any concept of what that could look like.
Navarro said moving forward it is likely that only he and Kastel will continue with the discussion as the other local townships did not see a need to move forward with the discussion.
Whether the idea is feasible or not, both Kastel and Navarro said they owe it to the residents to look into any possibilities that could strengthen services for the communities.
“A lot of things would have to be worked out, but only, Riga and (Blissfield) are serious about working together,” Navarro said of the current situation.

For the complete story, please see the Oct. 11, 2017, edition of The Advance.

Festival goes on with big schedule despite carnival no-show

At approximately noon on Wednesday the River Raisin Festival Committee issued a statement.  The carnival company contracted to bring rides to the 34th annual event will not be showing up this year.

“It is with much disappointment that we must acknowledge the fact that the carnival we signed a contract with has failed to show to our 2017 event,” a statement on the Blissfield River Raisin Festival social media account  said.
The festival committee said there are plenty of other activities that will entertain people during the festival.

The Old National Kids Corner has several activities and lots of entertainment on the Tugboat Stage, sponsored by Bailey Family Chiropractic.

There will be additional inflatables brought in to use in place of the carnival. Plenty of festival food vendors and merchant vendors and crafters will be open throughout the event. There is a new train ride and pony rides for kids, too.  This year, another new attraction is a free kiddie tractor pull contest Friday night, sponsored by M.A.C.

Several events and attractions were scheduled to give festival-goers plenty of selection and that hasn’t changed.  On Thursday night there will be a movie night showing the new version of “Jungle Book” along with a tractor show and the Miss River Raisin Princess Walk highlighted by the big annual fireworks show.  Baby Blissfield will also be announced on Thursday. Downtown is the DDA’s Iott Insurance Agency Car and Bike Show.

Friday’s events are highlighted by the Miss River Raisin Festival scholarship pageant and fireworks, followed by the Mojo Doyle Band on the Pavilion Stage. The .  Everyone is invited to the parade, sponsored by Green Plains, on Saturday morning.  Also downtown on Saturday is the new Three-on-Three Basketball Tournament, presented by the Blissfield Recreation and Parks Department. There is the big waterball tournament and then the new Duck Race on the River Raisin Saturday. Entertainment is scheduled all three days and Saturday evening’s events will be culminated with the Ticket Storm at the softball diamond where the marathon softball tournament will take place Friday and Saturday.

Any updates and changes to the schedule will be available at the River Raisin Festival information tent.

Blissfield pool, BD school levies pass

The voters of Blissfield and Britton Deerfield went to the polls Tuesday, May 2, and approved the ballot issues before them.

Blissfield will have a new swimming pool as a result of a 506-331 vote of approval for the project for two mills over 20 years.

Britton Deerfield approved a two-mill sinking fund for five years by a vote of 337 yes to 295 no.

Elizabeth Prisby

Elizabeth Leona Lips was born on Friday June 20th 1919 in Riga Michigan to Caesar Joseph and Marie Sylvia Lips.  She was one of four children, the others being Arthur Morris born in 1913, Leslie Joseph born in 1915 and Marcella Florine born in 1923.  All of them have preceded her in death and she called herself the last of the Mohicans.
She was a first-generation American, as her folks came through Ellis Island from Belgium.
Her first job was baby-sitting and house cleaning for $1 a week. When she was 18 she also worked at Gilson Hardware Store in Blissfield, Michiganm and sold tools, plows and farm equipment.  When she was 26 she worked at a factory in Adrian, Michigan, soldering helmets for World War II soldiers.  She was also a seamstress and made jackets in Blissfield.
Growing up on a farm, her most hated chore was picking eggs and feeding the chickens because everything smelled.  She never really liked her name and hated being called Lizzie so insisted on being called Elizabeth or Jason (only she knows why).
Even though she only made it through the 10th grade, she took a typing class and got a certificate in child caring.  And she was a voracious reader who didn’t have to wear glasses until she was in her 80s but then gradually got macular degeneration.
Elizabeth was 25 when she met Daniel David Prisby at a dance hall on a Saturday night but at the time she was seeing other people so they were just friends until she was about 28.  When asked what finally attracted her to him, she said she wanted a good-looking man who could dance, always have money and a job, that could fix things and would love her forever.  They got married on July 12th, 1947, and had a big reception at the Breeze Inn at Ottawa Lake.  She picked the right man.  Their marriage lasted 51 years until Dan passed away in 1998.  Their only child, daughter Lynnette Rae, was born December 7, 1949, in Philadelphia.  Elizabeth hoped to travel the world while being a Captain’s wife, but after two years in North Carolina and two years in Pennsylvania they ended up moving to Solana Beach, California in 1952. Dan went off to fight the war and Elizabeth ended up with a 2-year-old, no friends, and the worst rainstorm year known to California at the time.  Since Friday’s child is loving and giving, she soon made lifelong friends and never regretted moving from Michigan.  The family moved to Norfolk, Virginia, for another two years in 1956 and then came back to California.
Elizabeth was an accomplished seamstress, oil painting artist and loved dancing, boogie boarding at the beach (until age 76!) and playing cards. And those that knew her knew about her love of hot sauce and that darn course ground black pepper.
She also loved fishing, camping, baking and gardening.  She was very active in the PTA, St. James Academy Mother’s club and helping out at the church doing rummage sales, running the fudge booth and hobnobbing with others from the church, such as Luci and Desi Arnez and Jimmy Durante.  She and Dan were members of the Good Sam’s Club and went camping and fishing and across the country many times in their motorhome.  They made it to Massachusetts and all the way to British Columbia and all the continental US.  Elizabeth always wanted to go to Hawaii and Alaska but time just didn’t allow it.  She also loved going to Catalina Island where she and Dan celebrated their 25th anniversary.
Elizabeth had an amazing memory and maintained her sense of humor until the end.  She always told her daughter that she just wanted to fall asleep and not wake up.  She died at 11:10 pm March 22 of natural causes on her terms.  And to those who knew her, she says TallyHo!
Her daughter Lynnette Bordeaux hosted a celebration of life event April 8, 2017 at Palomar Estates East Clubhouse from 1pm to 4pm.  650 Rancho Santa Fe Road San Marcos CA 92078.
In lieu of flowers (if you knew her you knew she was allergic) potted plants or a contribution to Silverado Hospice (silveradocare.com would be appreciated.
Please go to Tributes.com and look for Elizabeth Leona Lips Prisby in CA and add memories, photos and comments to her online tribute.

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