UPbeat News 11/4/99

11/4 -Stephenson High School students were evacuated from the building this morning when a note containing a bomb threat was found in a bathroom. The building was throughly checked and searched and no bomb was found. Classes resumed at about l p.m.

11/2 - Kristi Panske was the high scorer with l4 points in the Stephenson JV team's 50-33 win over Carney-Nadeau Tuesday night. The varsity lost 62-35 in the non-conference game played in Stephenson.

11/1 - The Stephenson Athletic Booster Club met in the kitchen of the high school Monday night while a banquet for the cross-country teams was going on in the gym next door. That's because Rae Lynn Thoune, who is the head cook at the elementary school is also the president of the Booster Club, and was also serving the meal for the banquet. There was also a PTO meeting scheduled for the school library. Timing was very important. Banqueters were fed just before the Booster Club meeting at 6 p.m. The meeeting ended in time to make it to the PTO meeting at 6:30. That one ended in time to get home to watch the Packers get clobbered on Monday night football.

Things moved quickly. At the banquet the varsity girls' cross-country team, who were named Great Northern Conference Champions this year, took home a bunch of trophies. There were seven 'Most Valuable Player' awards instead of the usual one. They went to Lisa Granskog, Tiffany Tessmer, Kate Godin, Joanna Grille, Allison Phillippo, Jessica Newlin and Natalie Harrand. Jessica Newlin was also named 'Rookie of the Year' and Joanna Grille and Lindsay Nordin took trophies in the 'Most Improved' category. Coach Greg Dausey praised the girls for working hard and long to come out on top, but his standing out in front of the school applauding each of the girls as they finished practice runs probably added considerably to their motivation to excel.

Thomas Van III received the 'Most Valuable Player' trophy for the varsity boys' team and Nathan Herrild was their 'Rookie of the Year.'

At the Booster Club meeting Assistant Principal Chris Rundle passed on compliments received from the team and fans from Onaway who lost to Stephenson in the state football playoff game here last Saturday. "They couldn't say enough about how good we treated them, saying it was a first class operation. Thank you very much." Stephenson travels to East Jordon on November 6 for a game at l p.m. EST. Rundle reported on progress getting buses lined up for the team, fans and cheerleaders. The fan bus will leave at 6 a.m. and have room for 47 students and parents. Ron Lutri at the Sports Stadium Bar is also looking into arranging for another fan bus.

At the PTO meeting fund raising was discussed. Should we sell candle, books, or something else? Decisions will be made at the next meeting. There is work planned for a 'memory book.' The adopt-a-highway cleanup project went well, with less garbage collected than on previous outings. They voted to spend $410 on a set of 3" letter dies for children to use for school projects and $l50 to help cover the cost for a Christmas movie program sponsored by the local theater for children and their families.

One of the mothers suggested giving recognition to bus drivers who give exceptional service. She gave an example of the driver of bus #18, she didn't know the driver's name but says she goes out of her was to be helpful to her kindergartener on rainy days or if her child is running a little late. (June Kiszely drives #18.)

And at the Packer game in Green Bay - fans actually left the field early!

10/30 - It's definitely kids' night in Stephenson and there are bunches of them out enjoying this night-before-trick-or-treating. The Future Farmers of America (FFA) group took over the Lots-a-Tots Day Care Center and worked most of the day turning it into a Halloween Fun House. That included Amy Brown and Nikki Joslin who were working the 'Haunted Campsite' area. They had to hold back a little the first hour of operation when the younger children visit. "They get scared pretty easy and start to cry so we go easier on them." But the second hour they can scream a lot and chase kids around because that's when the older, braver ones creep and crawl through the seven room 'mansion' prepared for most anything.

10/30 -The Lots-a-Tots group moved to the MSU Extension Office meeting room for their annual Fall Fun Night. A donation of a can of food for the local food pantry was worth 4 tickets for the many games set up for young kids. Employees and their families supervised the activities and made sure participants won lots of treats.

Amanda Sandahl (as Bert) and Amy Smith (as Ernie) helped Austin and Sawyer Grinsteiner, ages 4 and 6, toss hula hoops over pumpkins to win their pick of prizes. Pumpkin Loleta Anders passed out candy to winners at her beanbag toss game and although Kristine Sandahl was a very convincing witch hovering around the snack table . it wasn't enough to keep the kids away from the food.

There was a pumpkin contest with the Brandon McFadden and Dave Buechler families taking lst and 2nd place. Casey and Cody Wilson took lst and 2nd in the poster contest. Brandon McFadden should have gotten a 'most creative' award for his use of metal pop bottle covers on his poster. At age 4 his drawing skills aren't real good yet so mom Raelynn had to explain that those were his tractor wheels. Of course!

10/30 - And the pumpkin-busting news of the day....The Stephenson Eagles football team hosted their first ever state play-off game and beat the Onaway Cardinals l4 to 6. That gives Stepenson a 6-3 record. They will travel to East Jordan, now at 8-2, for their next game on Saturday.

It was a warm, sunny day and there are a lot of people of all ages and interests who have had a very happy day today.