Author: Doug Donnelly

Blissfield’s Kelsey Wyman breaks 1000 points as a junior

Blissfield High School varsity women’s basketball player junior Kelsey Wyman has been a scoring standout for the Royals since stepping onto the varsity court as a freshman. Thursday evening, she scored her 1,000th career point in a 54-50 win over Ida. In doing so, she joins Nikki Pawson (2005) as the only Lady Royals to ever break 1,000 points, according to Blissfield High School Athletic Director Steve Babbitt. As a junior, she still has the rest of this season and her senior year to raise the total even further.

Kelsey Wyman and her team of Blissfield Royals celebrate her 1000th scored point in basketball. Photo courtesy Blissfield High School athletics.
Kelsey Wyman and her team of Blissfield Royals celebrate her 1000th scored point in basketball. Photo courtesy
Blissfield High School athletics.

.

Basketball brackets announced

Blissfield High School Athletic Director Steve Babbitt has announced the brackets for the MHSAA district basketball tournament. The women’s tournament will be hosted at Summerfield High school Feb. 29-March 4 and Blissfield will host the men BBB District men 2016 GBB District Bracket 2016March 7-11. (Brackets courtesy Steve Babbitt, BHS AD)

 

 

Zorn conducts Blissfield coffee hour Feb. 19

Sen. Dale Zorn will conduct a district coffee hour in Blissfield on Friday, Feb. 19.

Coffee hours are open to residents to express their opinions or concerns about state government or to request assistance with a state issue.

The coffee hour will be held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Cakes n’ Shakes, 133 S. Lane St. in Blissfield.

To respect other patrons of the restaurant, no town-hall style discussions will be entertained. No appointment is necessary.

Residents who are unable to attend the coffee hour may contact Zorn’s office at (517) 373-3543 or via e-mail at SenDZorn@senate.michigan.gov.

Three Blissfield, three Madison wrestlers advance to regionals

A little Blissfield home cookin’ was all Blissfield wrestlers Noah Nieman, Austin Hall and Caleb Bangerter needed Saturday at the Blissfield-hosted Michigan High School Athletic Association Wrestling District 31, division four competition. Both Nieman and Bangerter placed first in their weight class division, while Hall placed in a qualifying third-place spot, ensuring all three Royals another shot to wrestle in the regional rounds.
The top four finishing wrestlers in each weight class move on to the regional rounds of wrestling held this Saturday in Bronson.
For the Madison Trojan varsity wrestlers, they too will send on three Trojans to Bronson this Saturday in second-placed Frankie Najera and fourth-placed finishers Isiah Wyatt-Young and Clarence Burger.

For the complete story and several photos, please see the Feb. 17, 2016, edition of The Advance.

Ruth “Gerry” McGaffigan

Ruth “Gerry” Geraldine McGaffigan, age 88 of Blissfield passed away on Sunday, February 14, 2016 at Lenawee Medical Care Facility, Adrian. Gerry was born on February 25, 1927 in Grayling, Michigan to William and Ruth (Lovely) Golnick.  Gerry was a Cadet Nurse during WWII. In 1952, she married James McGaffigan and they shared 56 years of marriage until his death in 2008. Gerry and Jim were the type of people who were on their honeymoon for 56 years.  Together, they loved and nurtured family and friends.

Gerry worked as a registered nurse for Bixby Hospital, retiring in 1988. She loved being a nurse so much that she maintained her nurses license for over six decades.  She was a member of Light of Christ Catholic Parish, St. Peter the Apostle Church in Blissfield.

Gerry lived for her family, she had a great sense of humor and a quick wit. Gerry loved gardening, she spent many hours nurturing her gardens as she did people.  She loved all creatures, big and small.

Gerry was a mom to all those who knew her, she nurtured everyone whom she came in contact with.  Gerry had a heart of gold and always put others first.  She has been known to persuade many into a nursing career.  She loved all those who cared for her at Lenawee Medical Care Facility.  She was the receiver of many hugs at the change of shift.  If you met Gerry, you loved her instantly.

Gerry lived for her family and surviving are four children, Timothy (Lillian) McGaffigan of Jackson, MI, Dennis (Vicki) McGaffigan of Escanaba, MI, Kevin (Trina) McGaffigan of Albion, MI and Susan McGaffigan of Blissfield, MI, (who were not just mother and daughter, but best friends); 9 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren; three brothers, Robert “Bob” (Jeri) Golnick, Harold “Tike” (Sally) Golnick and Karl (Karen) Golnick, all of Grayling, MI and one sister, Delores “Butch” Feldhauser of Grayling, MI. In addition to her husband, James, she was preceded in death by her parents and 2 brothers, Claude “Buno” Golnick and William “Fritz” Golnick.

The Funeral Liturgy will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, February 18, 2016, at Light of Christ Parish (St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church), Blissfield with Fr. Francis Mossholder presiding.   Burial will take place in Pleasant View Cemetery.  Visitation will be held on Wednesday, February 17, 2016 from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m.      with a Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m. at Anderson Funeral Home, Adrian.  Visitation will also be held on Thursday, from 10:00 – 10:45 a.m. at church.
You may send condolences to the family at www.andersonfuneralservices.com. Memorial contributions may be made to Lenawee Humane Society.  Envelopes are available at Anderson Funeral Home, Adrian.

Blissfield to survey residents, businesses on wants, needs

By Melissa Burnor

Should the village of Blissfield continue sidewalk snow removal? If village residents have an opinion on the issue along with several others, they might consider completing a survey the village will be sending to them soon. According to Village Administrator James Wonacott, a citizen and a business survey should be sent out within a week.
The two separate surveys, approved by both the planning commission and the village, ask for input as the village works to update its comprehensive plan that expires in November 2017.
Citizens will get a chance to rate village services from street maintenance to curbside recycling and police services. The citizen survey also asks how often residents use  facilities such as parks, picnic shelters, library, swimming pool and the village office
Business owners surveyed will also get an opportunity to rate village services and will be asked about snow removal and some other questions that would identify things the village could do to support business and future business development.

For the complete story, please see the Feb. 17, 2016, edition of The Advance. For at-home weekly delivery, just call 517-486-2400.

Johnson extended as BD superintendent; recall petition possible, says citizen

By Melissa Burnor

The Britton Deerfield board of education made a commitment to extend interim superintendent Stacy Johnson  in that capacity through the end of June 2017 at the Feb. 11 board of education meeting.
Although not on the agenda of he board president called for a motion to add the year onto the interim position as well as hire retired teacher Marie Waterbury to take on a lion’s share of the middle school and Deerfield elementary principal duties. Waterbury came back to the distinct this year and is working as the Deerfield building’s school success coach.
Johnson offered her services to the district through the end of the 2016-17 school year. She was appointed interim superintendent in December for the remainder of the school year after the abrupt retirement of Charles Pelham. She is also still the principal of the Deerfield building that houses the middle school and one of the elementary schools in the district. For the complete story, please see the Feb. 17, 2016, edition of The Advance.

Meanwhile, in a separate story in the Feb. 17, 2016, edition of The Advance

Decisions made at the Feb. 11 Britton Deerfield School board meeting has added to the concerns of at least one community member.
Tom Lopez, who has attended several board meetings in the past few months, said he is concerned about some of what he believes are hasty or possibly predetermined decisions the board has made.
He said that he has more of a problem with the way the board made the decision to  keep Stacy Johnson on as interim superintendent more than the decision itself.
“It seemed predetermined,” Lopez said of at he decision. The item was not on the agenda and there was not enough discussion about it, according to Lopez.
He said he is concerned about the board; concerns that he said are shared by other members of the community that are meeting on Thursday evenings. He sent an email to the members of the board on Friday stating that he intends to file a petition of recall for lack of confidence in their ability to be forthright.
Lopez said Monday he has gone as far as to get the information from the Lenawee County Clerk on the recall process.

The complete story is in the Feb. 17 Advance.

Steven “Steve” Cantrell

MANITOU BEACH—Steven “Steve” D. Cantrell, age 59, of Manitou Beach, passed away peacefully Saturday, February 13, 2016, at home surrounded by his loving family and friends.
He was born on November 13, 1956 in Adrian, MI, the son of Dwayne and Sue (Williams) Cantrell.  He graduated from Adrian High School in 1974, and then the family moved to Blissfield and purchased Norton Equipment, he currently served as president.
On October 20, 2001, he married the love of his life, Linda Tagsold Cantrell and she survives.
Steve was a member and served on the board at Devil’s Lake Yacht Club.  He enjoyed sailing, sand drag racing, boating and spending time enjoying the lake with his many friends and family.
In addition to his wife, Linda of 14 years, he is survived by father, Dwayne of Blissfield; his two sons, Ryan (Lindsey) and Brandon (Stephanie), both of Blissfield; grandchildren, Taylor, Ty, Lucas and Wyatt; Brody and Isabelle; his brother, Scott (Monica) of Blissfield and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Sue.
Visitation is Tuesday, February 16, from noon to 2 pm. and 4 to 8 p.m. at Wagley Funeral Home, Tagsold Chapel, Blissfield.  Funeral services for Steve will be on Wednesday, February 17, at 1 p.m. at the funeral home with Gene Perry officiating.  Burial will follow at Pleasant View Cemetery, Blissfield.
Memorials contributions are suggested to Hospice of Lenawee or the Lenawee County Humane Society.  Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.  Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.WagleyFuneralHome.com

error: Content is protected !!