Lunch with Santa

The Beaver Island AMVETs Ladies' Auxiliary put on a hot dog lunch for the kids today at the Gregg Fellowship Hall at 11:30 a.m., and gave them each an opportunity after 12 pm to sit on Santa's lap, or Mrs. Claus's lap, and, of course, tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas. This also gave moms and dads plenty of photo opportunities.

The stage was set by Tina Walker.

These ladies worked very hard to make sure everything was just right and that lunch went off without a hitch.

Lunch was served and all the kids, of all ages, awaited Santa and Mrs. Claus.

And the guests of honor arrived: Santa and Mrs. Claus

Santa, here's one more!

The AMVETs Ladies did a wonderful job of organizing this event! Thank you to all of your members! Thank you to Santa and Mrs. Claus! It was good Christmas spirit event!

From Stoney and Donegal Danny's

Full Menu Always Plus Daily Specials
Lunch Mon-Sun 11-2 Dinner Mon- Sun 5-8:30
B-fast Traditional & Specials 11-2 Sat & Sun
Daily Happy Hour Mon- Sat 2-8pm & Sun it's ALL DAY!
$2 Domestic Beer & 10oz Drafts Every Tues & Thurs
Weds. Ladies Nite - Happy Hour All Day & $3 Well BomBs
Live MUSIC Friday, Dec. 23rd with Rigormortis!
NEW YEARS EVE WEEKEND....
Fri Dec. 30th Live MUSIC with Danny, Danny, Cindy & Friends!
Sat. Dec. 31st. NYE ...Full Menu Plus New Year's Eve Dinner Specials ( will post them soon ), Then MUSIC with Danny, Danny, & Cindy Happy Hour AND RIGORMORTIS to bring 2012 in!
Sun. Jan. 1st ...some Island Tunes, GAME DAY !!! ( Lunch & Dinner not served this Sunday ... BUT , a Complimentary New Years Day Munchie BUFFET , will be available, along with our Famous Bloody Mary Bar , Noon to 8pm... PLUS , it's Liam's Birthday Celebration!
Pub will be open until 2am Daily! Please Join us for...
Great Food, Great Drinks, Good Times with Great Friends!
Merry Christmas, Safe & Happy Holidays, and our best to you in the New Year!
We appreciate your Patronage!
Liam & Marilyn

Peaine Township Meeting, December 14, 2011

The items discussed at the Peaine Township meeting included the traditional approval of minutes and bills for payment, the Townships Land Acquisition/Lawsuit Update, a Zoning Ordinance change to allow overnight lodging for limited time at the Welke Airport, a posting of the U.S. General Services Administration related to the Southhead Light property, a NRESC meeting report by Pete Plastrik with two resolutions, the status of a possible BIRHC/EMS merger, scheduling of a joint township meeting to meet with the EMS Emergency Air Transport Consultant, and a discussion of the Beaver Island Emergency Services Authority-its status and implications of current method of operations in Peaine Township.

Video of the entire Peaine Towship Meeting is available HERE

The next regular board meeting will be held on January 11, 2011, with the schedule special joint township meeting tentatively scheduled for Monday, January 23, 2011.

Island Airways Report on Progress of Emergency Air Transport Operation

At this meeting, Island Airways president Angel Welke publicly announced that the FAA from Grand Rapids had met with them. The possibility of becoming an FAA certified Air Ambulance is nearing completion and may be completed by February 2012. Angel also reported that Michigan legislators are working to pass a law that would require a two million dollar liability insurance amount instead of the current ten million dollar amount. Angel stated that Island Airways would be purchasing this two million dollar liability insurance policy, so "all pieces should be in place by February."

This was a welcome announcement by all present, and BINN looks forward to publishing another article as soon as the paperwork is received by Island Airways. The FAA certification is the first step toward getting a State of Michigan licensed "Air Transport Operation" to be able to transport emergency patients off Beaver Island within a much shorter period of time than off-Island air transport companies are able to do. Although Northflight is a licensed Air Transport Operation, the timeframe for transporting patients is extended to more than two hours, and they will only come during the daylight hours. The USCG helicopter is a viable option, but it also takes a life threatening emergency to activate and also has an extended time of arrival.

Beaver Island Lighthouse School Honors Fall 2011 Graduates

There were many tears, cheers and congratulations for the two newest graduates of the Beaver Island Lighthouse School, Alicia Sepell-Rikli and Lance Flees.   Thanks to their dedication and hard work, both were excited and proud to be receiving their high school diploma.   Alicia received the honor of valedictorian of the class and was the recipient of the 10-10-10 scholarship.  She plans to attend college on the mainland next fall.  Lance intends to pursue a career developing electronic games.  We wish them both the best in the future and hope that they will remember us on Beaver Island. 

We must not forget the accomplishments of the other 22 Lighthouse students.  Each received a certificate of completion for the Fall 2011 session.   Their curriculum and schedule are rigorous, but each and every one of them did it!  Congratulations!!!

We are looking forward to another year with the Lighthouse students.  Hoops, Halloween haunted houses (which we don't know how, but, get better and better each year) and, according to one Beaver Islander, “the most ridiculously delicious spaghetti dinner on the island”!!  Thanks to each and every one of you and we will see you in February 2012!

From the Beaver Island Community School-Ms. McNamara, Principal

BICS Teachers Complete

Teacher Miranda Rooy has received National Board Certification®! Miranda is one of only 348 teachers in Michigan who have received National Board Certification. Miranda's area of certification is: Generalist/Early Childhood. Miranda joins fellow teacher Deb Robert as a National Board Certified teacher; Deb renewed her Generalist/Middle Childhood certification last year. BICS is indeed lucky to have two such wonderful teachers on staff.

The process for becoming a National Board Certified teacher is lengthy and comprehensive. There is a lot of self-evaluation and evaluation of your work by other highly recognized teachers. Through the lengthy and focused certification process, Miranda had to demonstrate through portfolio, video and written testing that she:

•  is Committed to Students and Their Learning.

•  Knows the Subjects she Teaches and How to Teach Those Subjects to Students.

•  Is Responsible for Managing and Monitoring Student Learning.

•  Thinks Systematically about Her Practice and Learns from Experience.

•  Is a Member of a Learning Community.

Beaver Island Community School is one of 9 school districts in the state that provides incentives for teachers to earn National Board Certification. Bloomfield Hills, Detroit, Dexter, Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids are among the other Michigan districts that encourage teachers to become National Board Certified.

School Enrollment Numbers Up by 6:

The fall school count was 70 when you include the 3 preschool students who attend school three mornings per week. Since then, the count had increased to 76 students. The new students are spread out across the grade levels, with 2 elementary students, 2 middle school students and 2 high school students. School enrollment has fluctuated over the years with the average student enrollment for the last 50 years being 72.

Three high school students to be inducted into the NHS

On Wednesday, December 21 st , three new members will be inducted into the National Honor Society. According to NHS advisor, teacher Connie Boyle, current members Jenna Battle and Olivia Schwartzfisher will welcome new members, Marissa Crandall, Erin Boyle & Olivia Cary. New members will recite the following pledge at the induction ceremony which will be attended by families, mentors and younger students.

I pledge to maintain high scholastic standing,

To hold as fundamental and worthy an untarnished character,

To endeavor intelligently and courageously to be a leader;

And to give of myself freely in service to others.

In doing so, I shall prove myself worthy of the National Honor Society to which I have been selected.

Seniors “bring in the tree”

Seniors, Gus Connaghan, Matt Cull, Dan LaFreniere, William Lemmink and Michael McCafferty brought in the traditional school Christmas tree to be lit and decorated by all grades. The tree rivals any from senior classes before as it towers and glitters in the multi-purpose room.

BICS Places 2nd in Statewide Online Math Competition

SumDog, a free online math gaming competition has held student (and staff and parent) attention for the last several weeks. When the competition ended on December 15 th , BICS took 2 nd place. New student, junior Michael Pryor, was the 7 th top student in the state with 12,211 correct answers.

End of Year Thank You

Wow, it is the end of 2011; seems like we just celebrated the turn of a new century. So much has happened here at school in the first decade of the new century and each year the community gives so very much to the school, its students, the parents and staff. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the community for this. I know I will miss people and/or groups as I strive to list many of the things that are done for the youth of Beaver Island and for with I am most grateful. Attendance at the Holiday Program; what a warm feeling to see so many of you there with smiles on your faces and praise for the students as they finished the performance.

Mentors, formal and informal, what a wonder to me that so many of you who have other obligations and commitments, and, maybe even your own young children, take the time to support and mentor our youth – I have seen mentors help with homework, help with college applications, help set up opportunities that might not otherwise exist. Voters and taxpayers, I am grateful for your ongoing support without which the very idea of running a quality K-12 program on this remote inhabited island would not be possible.

It is indeed a daunting financial task to meet all the state and federal requirements to keep a school open here and your commitment to doing that never ceases to amaze me. I see the students proud of their building and their opportunities because they know the community values education.

The wildlife club, for the past three years, you have donated to the 21st Century Learning Scholarship fund to make it a little easier for students to tackle college.

Community members who come to watch our students in their athletic events, referees from the mainland are constantly amazed at the number of spectators and at the sportsmanship shown by those who attend, it means so much to the youth of the island that you are there.

The Property Owners Association, as the group who pays the most taxes on the island, you could gripe and complain that the youth of the island are not your responsibility; instead you take on a challenge to help organize an annual career awareness day.

The townships, a simple thing like setting up volleyball net on the beach or a more complex action like setting up the Human Resources Commission which helps families meet the needs of their children are things I am grateful for. The many people who organize activities for the youth around special holidays throughout the year, over time it has been different people or groups, but in the end there is always someone who is willing to tackle the event planning and thank goodness for that.

The AmVets Ladies providing opportunities for students to buy Christmas gifts for their families. The transit drivers who go out of their way to accommodate the students and their varied schedules even to the point of having them practice their poems in route. I can go on and on and never list or acknowledge a fraction of the positive gestures and actions taken on behalf of the youth of Beaver Island.

I just want to say Thank You to all of you – what you do for the youth you do for the future of Beaver Island.

2011 BICS Holiday Program

The annual BICS Holiday Program took place Wednesday, December 15, 2001. Ron Marsh agreed to take time out of his evening and video tape this performance. Thank you, Ron! The program was and always is a wonderful way to get into the Holiday spirit, and for most on Beaver Island, a way to get into the Christmas spirit. There were lots of different styles of music included in the program as well as recitation of poems. The finale is the gathering of all past students, current students, and staff who all use American Sign Language as well as their voices to present the traditional Keep Christmas With You.

Video of the Performance viewed HERE

Sheriff W.D. (Don) Schneider Offers Safety Tips for On-Line Holiday Shopping

CHARLEVOIX -- On-line shopping is a great way to save time, travel, and money, but with the increase of online holiday shopping Charlevoix County Sheriff Don Schneider wants to remind shoppers to keep their identities safe.

· Never give out your Social Security number!  Reputable on-line merchants should never require you to submit your social security number. 

· Only shop using secure Web sites.  Most websites will have a pop up screen indicating that they have a security certificate, a “lock” should also appear in the bottom corner of your browser window.  Use only reputable Web sites that you are familiar with.  Unfamiliar companies can be checked by searching the Better Business Bureau Web site at www.bbb.org of by calling the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division toll free at 1-877-765-8388 .  If you are in doubt, don't order!

· Check out the merchant's privacy and security policies.  Some merchants ask for personal information to sell to other merchants, direct marketers, and even telemarketers.  Read their on-line privacy and security policies so that you know where your information is going.  Some merchants will allow you to opt out of giving this information.

· Avoid “spam” by creating an e-mail account that you use only for ordering.  With Yahoo and Hotmail among others offering free e-mail accounts it's easy to create a secondary account that you use to place on-line orders.  Any e-mails you receive to that account would then be solely order confirmations and unsolicited emails.  Making it easier for you to ignore seemingly legitimate phishing scams.  Never respond to unsolicited emails asking you for personal information.  Legitimate sites such as Pay Pal will never send you an email asking for personal information.  If you receive such an email do not click on the link, this may direct you to a fraudulent website.  Open a new browser window, type in the legitimate website, and follow their instructions for reporting a suspected fraudulent email.

· Use the same credit card when making all on-line purchases.  If you use only one credit card for all your on-line purchases it will make it easier for you to track them and identify any fraudulent transactions.  Fraudulent transactions can result from on-line merchants mishandling your credit card information.  If you use a card that has a relatively low credit limit this can also prevent thieves from obtaining authorizations for large purchases.

· Watch those shipping charges.  Carefully check and compare shipping and handling charges before ordering.  Some merchants will add 10% to 15% to the purchase price, making what seemed like a great deal into a bad deal.  Keep in mind there are lots of on-line merchants that will give you free shipping if you meet a minimum purchase amount, but if you go below that amount it can cost a lot!

· Print out and keep all copies of receipts.  Keep all you receipts in an organized file that you can easily access in case of any problems.  Matching those receipts with the packing lists that come with the products will ensure you receive everything that you ordered.

For more safety tips Sheriff Don Schneider encourages residents to visit the Michigan Sheriffs' Association website at www.misheriff.org where you can sign up to receive monthly newsletters.  Founded in 1877 the Michigan Sheriffs' Association is the oldest law enforcement organization in Michigan.

McDonough's Market Holiday Hours

December 24th: 8 a.m.- 3 p.m., 5 p.m.-6 p.m.

December 25th: Merry Christmas, Store Closed!

December 26th, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

December 31st: New Year's Eve 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.

January 1, 2012: News Year's Day 11 a.m.-noon

January 2nd: 8 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Video of USCG Cutter Alder

 

Rich Pischner Passes Away

Rich Pischner has passed away this morning after a long battle with Huntington's Disease. Rich is the son of Elston (Two Guns) and Lovicey Pischner. He was the brother of Eleanor Mooney, Bob & Don Pischner, Sharon Davis, Barb Dudley, Helen Deakin, and Kay Peterson

NRESC Meets with MSU Facilitators

In a six-hour session on December 10, 2011, beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at approximately 4 p.m., the Natural Resources and Ecotourism Steering Committee met with two facilitators both from Michigan State University. John P. Beck is the Associate Director and Associate Professor in the School of Human Resources and Labor Relations at Michigan State University. Julie L. Brockman, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the School of Human Resources and Labor Relations. Their contact information shows a mailing address for both. John Beck has an office in 432 South Kedzie Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824-1032. His email is beckj@mus.edu. Julie Brockman has an office at 416 S Kedzie Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824-1032. Her email is brockma4@msu.edu. The website for their department can be found at http://hrlr.msu.edu

The Facilitators, John Beck and July Brockman

The purpose of this meeting was to achieve a thorough discussion of all aspects of working together to form a complete plan for Beaver Island natural resources. The meeting began with a welcome, introduction, a listing of ground rules, and an overview of the agenda. This was followed with a review of the NRESC mission statement. The next item on the agenda was an environmental scan and capability analysis. This was to answer some questions to hopefully gain consensus. Waht is the current and future environment within which our RNESC efforts do and will operate? What is the state of our personal and institutional capability to meet the challenges of this environment and the potential of activities together? The group had to determine internal capabilities including strengths and weaknesses. They also had to determine the external environment that included opportunities as well as threats.

After this small group work was completed, the small groups came back together to debrief and discuss what each group had come up with.

Then the participants broke up again into the smaller groups to identify stakeholders and the interests of the stakeholders related to the subject. The small groups joined together again and presented their work by individual groups and identified those items that were the same and those that were different.

After this discussion, the agenda called for "Charter the Planning Process," which was a discussion with remediation about the following question: "Where do we go from here?" Then Mr. Beck and Ms. Brockman , Bob and Julie, discussed the next steps. The group provided an evaluation for the day, and then adjourned at approximately 4 p.m.

Fly Fishing the World--Beaver Island TV

Fly Fishing The World With Conway Bowman

Here's a teaser for the Beaver Island episode of Fly Fishing the World. The upcoming air dates so far are as follows: Fri 12/16 at 9am , and Sat 12/17 at 7:30 p.m. Dish Network TV 395 - Direct TV 605

www.thirdcoastfly.com Thanks Matt Dunn of Third Coast Fly and Indigo Guides.

"This thirty minute show is about much more than fishing. It's clear from the teaser that the Beaver Island character comes through as we planned," said Steve West.

From Island Treasures Resale Shop

We have many nice Christmas decorations available 
at the BOGO- BUY ONE, GET ONE- sale this week only! 
We will be open Thurs. through Sat., Dec. 15-17, noon until 4:00. 
Come in for good deals on coats, hats, scarves, boots, and many other items. 
The Island Treasures crew wishes to thank our community for their continued support . Merry Christmas! 
We will be closed during Christmas week, Dec. 22-24 so that our volunteers have time for their celebrations.

BICS Basketball Last Weekend

The Islanders and the Lady Islanders hosted the Grand Marais team this past weekend on Friday and Saturday. The Friday games started right on time, and by the first time-out, the Islanders were ahead 9 to 7. Unfortunately, the Islanders fell behind 23-30 at the end of the second quarter. Halfway through the third quarter the Islanders were behind by six points 32-26. With six seconds to go in the third quarter, the game was tied 35-35. With six minutes left in the game, the Islanders were behind by one point. With less than ninety seconds in the game, the islanders were behind by five points, 52-47. With 64 seconds left in the game, the Islanders trailed by three points, 52-49. The final score was Grand Marais 52, Beaver Island 49.

The Lady Islanders had some difficulty getting the ball into the basket on Friday night, but they were ahead 5 to 2 six minutes into the game. The shots continued to bounce out of the basket, so that with three minutes left in the third quarter, the score was Lady Islanders 17, Grand Marais 10. The score at the beginning of the last quarter was 17-12 with the Lady Islanders ahead. With only one minute and a half left in the game the score was 19-14, and that is how the game ended.

Saturday morning the Lady Islanders played first. The score was tight with the Lady Islanders behind a minute and a half into the second half with a score of 15 to 16. Yet, about a minute into the final quarter, the Lady Islanders were ahead 26-21. The Lady Islanders won 34-28.

Lady Islanders First Half Highlights Grand Marais 12/10/11

 

Lady Islanders Second Half Highlights Grand Marais 12/10/11

 

As the boys game got going there was a very close game going on. Early in the third quarter the score was tied at 23-23. Two minutes later, the Islanders were behind by three points. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Islanders were behind eight points, 34-42. With only 51 seconds left in the game, the score was tied 52-52. The Islanders ended up winning the game 56 to 54.

Emergency Services Called Out

At approximately 1:30 am on one day this past week, the Beaver Island Fire Department (BIFD) was called out to take care of a grass fire in a backyard. Beaver Island EMS (BIEMS) staged at the Holy Cross Church to standby for any injuries that might occur during the fire suppression activities of the BIFD to firemen or bystanders. The fire was put out quite quickly, and all returned home to get back to bed.

The damage done by the grass fire can be seen in the pictures above. Attaboys to our BIFD and our BIEMS for the quick response and practical hands-on accomplishments! Thanks for a job well done!

Interfaith Children's Worship Service

Holy Cross is sponsoring an interfaith children's worship service that will begin with the singing of Christmas Carols at 3:40 p.m. on December 24, 2011. The service will begin at 4 p.m.

An Open Letter to the Citizens of Beaver Island

Click HERE to view this letter

USCG Cutter Alder Changes Buoys

The USCG Cutter Alder visited Beaver Island last night, December 8, 2011, and began the work of changing and removing buoys around the Beaver Island Archipelago. The cutter Alder spent the night near the island's harbor and could be seen by just looking out the windows of the downtown businesses. As the morning of the 9th of December began, the cutter started with the three mile buoy and worked its way into the harbor. The smaller boat was launched to do its work over near Garden Island and into the Paradise Bay to remove the buoys and return them to the Alder. They could not have asked for a more bitter cold day with the temperatures in the low 20's and with a west wind at 20 mph, making the windchill very low, at least below ten. Windburned faces were going to be a definite result.

The Alder was first caught out from Luney's Point on its way to switch the buoys at the harbor mouth.

USCG Cutter Alder heading in to exchange buoys.

A few pictures were taken from the shoreline of the harbor area to give you an idea of what the crew aboard the cutter might have seen as they looked toward Whiskey Point and into the harbor.

First a picture of the entire harbor

These pictures were taken from right to left as one might pan the harbor from the deck of the cutter.

The smaller boat headed into the harbor to take care of the in-harbor buoys marking the channel.

The cutter Alder began the approach to the buoy marking the mouth of the harbor.

The Alder came alongside the buoy, used hooks to move it close and then hook up the chains to hoist the buoy onto the deck.

Get the summer buoy out and put in the ice buoy.

Interesting icecycles on the CMU dock

Onload the bouys from the smaller boat to the Alder

Maneuver the Alder to allow the smaller boat to come into the wind for loading the smaller boat onto the Alder

All loaded onto the Alder and ready to head out.....

Goodbye, cutter Alder! See you in the spring!

Ice on the Gull Harbor ponds.....Mute Swans along the ice built-up shore line.

Frank Solle's USCG Pictures

The Alder approaches


Just offshore


The light breaks through the dark clouds


The sun hits the ship broadside

At the mouth of the harbor

Cold duty on a cold day, bringing in the cans

Yes, it was that kind of a day

From Stoney and Donegal Danny's

Sunday...30%, 15%, $1 off at Stoney! Enjoy the Holiday Spirit
All Clothing & Hats 30% off!
Enjoy Lunch at Stoney before the Show Sunday
and get 15% off your entire check!
AND get Double off on Happy Hour after the show!
From 3-5pm get $1 off ALL Drinks ,
Then Happy Hour till 2am!
We appreciate your patronage!
Happy Holidays!
Liam & Marilyn

Beaver Island Christian Church Cookie Carnival

Take a quick look at the video to see some of the customers, but more importantly the wonder different types of cookies that were available at the Cookie Carnival.

 

The ladies and gentlemen working to get ready.

The Welcome message.

Some of the school children as customers...

Lil Gregg comes from the kitchen to greet Hellen Pike.

Grandpa Gregg's Peanut Brittle sold out early

St. James Township Board Meeting, December 7, 2011, Video

View Video clips of this meeting HERE

Beaver Island Comedy Group's Holiday Hilarity 3

(Photos courtesy of Elaine West)

Click HERE for a link to some video clips and story

National Honor Society Stockings for Soldiers Project

The final project packed over 300 boxes for the National Honor Society project total. Congratulations to all who participated! This worthwhile project was sponsored on the island by the National Honor Society, Beaver Island Chapter, with Connie Boyle as supervisor. Here are pictures of the boxes and those packing the boxes:

BICS Newsletter December 2011

Beaver Island Fishing Featured in National Orvis Catalog

Kevin Morlock of Indigo Guide Service is featured in a national Orvis holiday catalog releasing a large carp. The headline says, “So you want to catch big fish?” Three Indigo Guides will work on Beaver Island during the summer of 2012. The photo, by Tim Romano, was taken in spring of 2011 during the Indigo / Chamber of Commerce media outing.

Gwen Marston Receives an Award in the 2012 New Your Book Show

Gwen Marston received the following notice for her newest book:

"Congratulations! It is our pleasure to inform you that your entry: 37 Sketches , in the category of  Special Trade General Book Under $75, has won an award in the 2012 New York Book Show. 
 
We are in the process of preparing individual award certificates. Due to the great number of people who attend the New York Book Show each year, the certificates are not distributed the evening of the event; rather, they are sent under separate cover to the winning entrants.  In the very near future, the award for your winning entry will be mailed to you at  the address you provided on your entry form.   
You can view your winning entry on display, along with this year's other winners, at the   26th Annual New York Book Show, which will be held Tuesday evening, March 20, 2012, in the Grand Ballroom at The Manhattan Center (311 W 34 Street) in New York City. 
Thank you very much for your support of this wonderful book-publishing event. We hope that you will join us and hundreds of our fellow publishing professionals as we meet to view the “Best of the Best.”  See you at the Show! 
Sincerely,
The 2012 New York Book Show Committee"

Munson Hospice Honors Four Area Volunteers

Honorees live in Grand Traverse, Benzie, Kalkaska counties, and on Beaver Island

Four residents from the region have been honored by Munson Hospice for their dedicated service to the program.

Jane Johnson, Grand Traverse...Susan Griffiths, Benzie County.....Lois Williams, Beaver Island...

Grand Traverse County resident Jane Johnson, Benzie County resident Susan Griffiths, and Beaver Island resident Lois Williams were selected as the Hospice Volunteers of the Year for their service and dedication to the hospice program. 

Alice Babcock, Kalkaska

Alice Babcock from Kalkaska was presented with the Peter M. Strom Outstanding Volunteer Award. 

Johnson began with Munson Hospice in 2000 and has served as an office volunteer, respite volunteer, and friendly visitor in the home setting.  After taking computer classes, she started doing data entry for the bereavement program.  She continues to recruit other individuals to assist with the bereavement mailing.  Learning to play the harp and offer therapeutic music at the bedside has been her great love for the past seven years while continuing to lead the Munson Hospice bereavement mailing program. She has volunteered more than 3,000 hours during the past 11 years and has also discovered a gift for acting. She appears in Munson Hospice's Boundaries video with her husband at her side.

“We are truly grateful for her dedication and commitment she makes to our hospice program.  She's always here when we need her and is very reliable and dependable,” said Judy Goodrich, Volunteer Coordinator for Munson Hospice. 

Griffiths completed training in April 2009 and volunteers at Hospice House where she handles a variety of responsibilities providing direct care to the patient, cleaning the patients' rooms or the main areas, doing laundry, or picking up meal trays.  She is greatly appreciated by the staff. 

“Susan is a great individual, very compassionate and dedicated to helping make a positive difference in another person's life,” Goodrich said. “Her compassion for Hospice House residents and the friendliness and willingness to be involved where ever needed has made her special to all our residents and their families. She has driven more than 6,000 miles during the two-and-a-half years she has volunteered for us.” 

Griffiths has presented at a state volunteer symposium and also for volunteers at education meetings in Beulah, Traverse City, and Beaver Island. She is always requested back.

After sensing the need to have a hospice program on Beaver Island, Williams assisted in recruiting other individuals to comprise Munson Hospice's first volunteer training in her area in July 2008.  Since then, she has continued to recruit others and recently gave a talk on the island about the benefits of hospice care.  “Lois is a true believer that hospice is not giving up, it is about changing tactics,” Goodrich said. “It's about living.”

She has broadened the scope of reading interests by submitting book reviews for our newsletter. When volunteers leave the organization, they request to stay on the newsletter mailing list to continue to hear about the books that she shares with others.

Babcock was presented with the Peter M. Strom Volunteer Recognition Award.  This award is presented annually to a volunteer who demonstrates commitment to the organization by furthering the mission of Munson Hospice. 

Babcock has been a member of the Munson Hospice team for many years through its affiliation with North Country Hospice as a patient care coordinator since 1985. She has set up education meetings and trainings, made phone calls, offered assistance to the family and the patient, recruited volunteers, creates schedules for volunteers for respite care, and offers support to other volunteers and people in her community.  

“Her dedication, compassion, leadership, energy, enthusiasm and spirit have made her an exceptional and cherished volunteer,” Goodrich said. “Alice goes that extra mile caring for what she believes in and wears many hats in the process.”

For more information about the Munson Hospice Volunteer Program, contact Goodrich at (231) 935-8485 or jgoodrich@mhc.net .

St. James Recreation Plan Survey Results

• Adherence to Essay Question
• Originality
• Organization
• Writing Style
• Depth of Analysis

• First Prize:                               $1,000 each
• Second Prize:                           $500 each
• Third Prize:                                 $250 each

Beaver Island Community Center

BEAVER ISLAND COMMUNITY CENTER

At the Heart of a Good Community

Check www.BeaverIslandCommunityCenter.org or the Community Center for listings

Beaver Island Community Center December

Senior Center Activities for December

COA Menu for December

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