For full results from the Greater Thumb West Championship meet and others, pick up the Saturday, May 18 edition of the Advertiser

Members of the Reese boys and girls track and field team gather around their pair of Greater Thumb West Championship trophies following the GTW Championship Track Meet, held at Vassar High School Tuesday evening.

Photo by John Cook • Caro Rotary president Barb Haranda looks on as Advertiser editor Bill Petzold putts on hole No. 1 at the disc golf course which wends its way through Beith Park and the Tuscola County Fairgrounds.

By Bill Petzold
Editor

CARO — Ask a Thumb area resident if they’ve ever played disc golf and you might get a blank stare in reply.

But now that courses are popping up in more and more places in the Thumb area — including the recently completed nine-hole course at the Tuscola County Fairgrounds in Caro — more people are taking a shine to the sport, which is free for anyone to play.

The baskets have been in place at Caro’s Beith Park and the Fairgrounds since November 2011, but it wasn’t until late last summer that the course was finalized. This will be the first full season that the course — designed by disc golf enthusiast and Caro Parks and Recreation Committee member Sean Smith — is open for the entire summer.

Smith fell in love with the sport while living in Ann Arbor, and mentioned the idea of building a course in Caro for residents to enjoy.

“I started about 18 years ago; I lived in Ann Arbor and I heard that there was a frisbee golf course somewhere around me and I had always wondered what that was,” Smith said. “I found the course and just started to pick it up. I went out with my regular frisbee — not anything like a disc — and I’m throwing it about 20 feet or 30 feet, and the other guys are out there with these (disc golf discs) making these massive throws, but it was a good way to start. Then I found a disc golf store, bought my first discs and got a little more involved in it.

“It was a great stress reliever after work. I worked in early childhood (development), and I was a team leader and had management responsibilities, and after I got driven nuts at work every day by the staff I was supervising it was like, ‘Let’s go out and throw some discs around and get some of that stress out.’ ”

After hearing Smith’s idea to build the course, Caro Rotarian Gary Anderson did the fund raising to make the course a reality, including writing a grant and enlisting the support of local businesses. Smith designed the course and Anderson purchased materials, recruited hole sponsors, organized the course’s construction and worked with the Tuscola Technology Center to develop signs for the course. Anderson and Smith joined Caro Rotary president Barb Haranda and Advertiser editor Bill Petzold for a brief exhibition round Thursday.

Anderson said the Caro Rotary and the Cass City Rotary also will square off in a friendly cross-county

See DISC GOLF A12

match later this month, and plans are already in place to expand the course to include more holes and make it a full 18-hole course. All the baskets are designed to be able to be taken down so that they are not damaged during an event like the Tuscola County Fair or the steam engine show that takes place at the fairgrounds.

“When Sean designed the course we now have, he’s got two different options for another nine if we get enough usage and we see that people want it, we can make it an 18-hole course; they’ve got lots of room down there,” Anderson said.

The biggest advantage to local residents of having a disc golf course in town is that the sport is essentially free to play if someone has discs, which can be purchased at Walmart or another similar store. And, thanks to the Caro Rotary, those who want to try the game out for free may check out discs from The Brentwood. Those interested may inquire at the counter and sign up to borrow one of the 10 sets of discs the Rotary purchased for use by local disc golfers.

“It truly wasn’t that expensive (to build the course),” Haranda said. “Rotary put up half the money and then we had nine sponsors and they just stepped right up. I think they only had to put in a couple hundred dollars each. So it really wasn’t that expensive to set up, and it’s free for those who want to use it.”

Disc golf is a sport originated in the 1970s by college students with a frisbee and plenty of spare time on their hands. In the years since, it has grown in complexity and popularity.

One would have a hard time mistaking the discs used for playing the game with the frisbees people play catch with at the park or beach. Just like a set of golf clubs, a set of golf discs usually includes a couple drivers, a midrange disc and yes, even a putter. The drivers have a lower profile and sharper edge to help them slice through the air and travel farther, while midrange discs are rounder, heavier and generally more accurate and stable to help with approach shots. Putters are usually the heaviest and “floppiest” of the discs, making them even more accurate to throw and easier to land in the basket.

The game is played a lot like regular golf too. Players take turns throwing their discs along the course toward the basket. The basket has a ring on top with chains hanging from it. The goal is to throw the disc into the chains and let it drop into the basket. Once the disc is in the basket the player records their score, and, just like ball golf, the person with the lowest score takes “honors” and tees off first at the next hole.

The Caro disc golf course begins at the sign near the shuffleboard and tennis courts in Beith Park and wends its way through the buildings at the Fairgrounds. There is a sign marking the start of the course, and attached to the sign is a box with course maps and scorecards.

Bill Petzold is the editor of the Tuscola County Advertiser. He can be reached at petzold@tcadvertiser.com.

DENMARK TOWNSHIP — A petition for water, at a proposed lesser cost, has begun circulating in Denmark Township in recent days.

Approximately 60 residents of the abandoned water distribution system met last month at the request of township resident Mark Gruber. Gruber, along with other residents of the special assessment district, has interest in reforming the water distribution system’s special assessment at a lesser cost per parcel than the previous proposed project.

Also present at the meeting was John Billette of Civil Engineering Consultants of Auburn. Billette obtained the prints of the original Project A-2010 Water Distribution System and believes that there is a lot of “excess” in the original project, he said at that meeting. He believes he can further reduce the cost of the project by reducing the number of parcels, miles of line and number of hydrants.

“I think that the $17,000 cost of the original special assessment might have scared some people. A lot of things went wrong with that project and I think everyone is in agreement with that,” Gruber explained at the meeting.

See WATER A12

The circulating petition has a proposed cost of approximately $9,500 with a 10 percent contingency. If the project costs were to exceed $10,450 the project would immediately end.

Gruber estimated during the meeting last month that a $10,000 fee with interest, over a 40 year period, would cost a property owner approximately $456 per year, or $37 per month.

“I don’t want people to squander this opportunity,” Gruber said. “This is an excellent opportunity for people to get water. People should have their water tested, really evaluate their wells and look further down the road.

“People should really take a hard look at this petition that is circulating right now and not be afraid of this opportunity.”

Once the petition has circulated, and if a need is in fact found, then a more accurate cost will be calculated. The petition will remain in circulation until the end of May. At this time, approximately 10 to 12 individuals are circulating the petition.

If a petition is circulated and residents do want water, the petition will be submitted to the Denmark Township Board of Trustees for approval. If the board approves the request for water then public hearings will be scheduled and bids will be sought at that time.

After months of debate, the Denmark Township Board of Trustees voted to abandon the previous Project A-2010 Water Distribution System in November.

The Denmark Township Board of Trustees will be at 6 p.m. Monday at the township hall.

TUSCOLA COUNTY — An effort is underway to get a utility company to pay the full charge of fire department runs done for them.

Tuscola County Commissioners were informed by a concerned resident that fire departments were having difficulty getting DTE to pay their fire bills for runs; and if the company did pay, it was generally a small percent of the total bill.

Because of that concern, commissioners asked a DTE representative to attend a county meeting to discuss the issue. From there, a special meeting with fire chiefs and DTE representatives was set for 11 a.m., May 24, at the Almer Charter Township Hall, 1310 Cameron Rd., Caro, to bring the two sides together.

When there is a storm or high winds, fire departments are called out for wires down, arcing wires, or for fires started from that. Some fire department runs can be only for a short time while others can last for several hours while waiting for the utility company to respond.

When a resident reports a downed wire or arcing wires, a fire department has to respond to secure the area and stay on site until the issue is resolved by the utility company, explained Akron Fire Chief Marv Hasso.

DTE’s Regional Manager of Corporate and Government Affairs Ron Chriss, agreed, “We poorly performed in this area,” and there needs to be better communication and ways to work together.

“One problem is there is no uniformity to the bills,” said Chriss noting fire run charges can very greatly from township to township in the same county. “Some (departments) charge a flat rate of several hundred dollars even if they are on scene for a short time… like eight to 20 minutes some have minimum charge of the cost for one to two hours.

“For the same type of run and amount of time, one department charged $1,500 while another $2,500.”

In Tuscola, charges very from one department to another. A few of the reasons for the different ranges are the number of townships served by a department, the kind of equipment the department has, if the department is supported by a millage, and the amount generated by a millage as well as other variables.

Chriss noted fire-run charges in the Thumb weren’t as high as the metro areas.

In the Thumb, fire departments are operated by volunteers as needed instead of full staffed like the larger departments are.

“We’re trying to get a handle on why the charges are so different. We’re trying to get the departments to develop a guideline on rates and procedures,” said Chriss noting some departments seem to charge more because of the concept that the company has deep pockets.

“I don’t that’s a problem in this county… just pay the bills you owe the departments,” stated Commissioner Craig Kirkpatrick.

Commissioner Christine Trisch stated, “You (DTE) are ethically and morally obligated to pay for those protecting you property.”

Hasso pointed out that court action is generally needed to get fire bills paid, and that when DTE does pay the amounts are random.

“There seems to be no guidelines for what you decide you are going to pay… not the full amount,” said Hassock. “It’s take this or leave it.”

Chriss noted the company feels there were times that fire departments were dispatched when it wasn’t necessary and dispatchers should ask more questions first… like where are downed lines located – near a road or residence or in the middle of a field, is line sparking because it is touching a limb, and such.

According to Tuscola County Central Dispatch Director Bob Klenk, those are all standard questions dispatch centers ask, and having a fire department secure an area is a matter of safety and liability.

“(The company) can’t pay all call for just a few minutes,” said Chriss.

To that statement, “Departments around here are all run by volunteers and they need to be paid,” stated Commissioner Roger Allen.

Another issue was how long departments were on the scene and DTE’s response time, which is suppose to be within four hours.

“There could be 20-30 lines or more down in an area or others,” explained Chriss about slow response time. “We don’t have people on standby.”

Some fire departments have had to stay on scene 10 hours or more “baby-sitting” power line issue, noted Hasso.

Fremont Township Supervisor Henry Wymore said the township is in litigation currently with DTE over unpaid fire bills, and that others have had to sue also to get fire bills paid.

There are 14 fire departments in Tuscola County, and hopes are to have at least one representative from each of them at the meeting next Friday.

Mary Drier is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at drier@tcadvertiser.com.

Being a savvy disc golf veteran, I immediately recognized the benefits of having a course in town. It took a little while but I finally had a chance to interview Sean Smith and Gary Anderson, the two men who led the effort to build a course for Caro residents to enjoy.

In my estimation, the Caro Rotary Club, the Brentwood and the sponsors who helped build the course deserve a ginormous “Kudos!” and a stout pat on the back for bringing a fun, challenging and FREE entertainment option to town.

Once you have the discs, there is absolutely no charge for a round of disc golf. People have said of disc golf: “Oh yeah, that’s a hippy sport.” Well yeah, it is if hippies are playing it. But it’s also a men’s, women’s, boys, and girls sport that costs nothing to play. Did I mention that it’s free?

For that reason mainly, as well as the fact that once you begin playing you get hooked on the challenge of trying to improve your score, my brother and I and our friends played frequently during our college days in Kalamazoo. While my brother could throw a disc over a mountain back in those days, I was always more of a second-shot player, and my second shots kept me competitive with anybody in the group because I was always putting for par.

On Thursday, I only played three holes with the creators of the Caro course — Nos. 1, 2 and 9 — partially because of the hard work I knew that was going on at the office* and wanted to get back. Course designer Sean Smith showed a smooth and practiced delivery, while Gary Anderson showed a knack for making accurate throws and Rotary president Barb Haranda was having fun even though it was her first round.

The point I’m trying to make is that disc golf is a game that can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of age, gender or skill level, it is a great low-impact physical activity for those looking to get in better shape, it gives families a sport to enjoy together, and oh yeah — it’s FREE.

I’d encourage anyone who likes having fun to stop by the Brentwood and check out a set of discs for a round. If you’re serious about disc golf, you’re going to want your own discs, but the free loaner discs are a nice added touch courtesy of the Caro Rotary.

Take advantage of this free opportunity — get out and disc!

___

* I would be remiss not to give kudos as well and a special shout out to our Advertiser composition department — manager Stacey Tucker, designers Kristin Sherman and Jennica Graustein, page guru Mary Gawrylowicz and lightning-fast typist and copy editor Jan Eremia — for all the hard work they put in this week to make this year’s graduate sections a success.

For Tuscola County parents, the grad tabs are a special keepsake that no doubt will survive to be a yellowed reminder of a student’s shining moment in time in scrapbooks around the county.

For our comp department, the grad sections are the equivalent of the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, NHL Stanley Cup — and Mary G’s Daytona 500 — all rolled into one. Some of the chores they’ve tackled include resizing and cropping hundreds of senior photos, dealing with CD incompatibility issues, and organizing the ads for and building 20 extra pages this week — none of these are easy tasks.

Thank you all very much for all your hard work, you guys do a great job. Thanks are also in order for our county schools for helping us make sure your grads get the recognition they deserve.

Bill Petzold is the editor of the Tuscola County Advertiser. You may contact him at petzold@tcadvertiser.com.

“Merhaba!” That’s “Hello” in Turkish. Why Turkish? Well, I am learning some basics of this language because I will be traveling there this upcoming July to work an unpaid internship on bottlenose dolphin field research. Because this internship is unpaid, I have been raising money to pay for living expenses while I am there and several wonderful people from our community have generously helped me out so far. I wanted to publicly thank these people.

So “Cok Tesekkur Ederim! (Thanks a lot!)” to Andrea Health, Rachael and Lee Ackerman, Pat and Cristie Rahn, Laura Loo, Barbie Tuttle, Jan and Al Finkbeiner, Mary Penn, Karen O’Connor, Ian Rahn, John O’Connor, Dawn Parrott, Catherine and Greg Arnett, Janet Kohler Dewicke and Pam Hensley. Also to these generous local businesses: Brink Electric of Sebewaing (Yvette and Kyle Brink) and Small Wonders of Caro (Penny and Dave Hogan).

If you would like to help me afford this career-making opportunity, you can donate via my fundrazr.com site at https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/bSCF2 “Shannon’s Dolphin Research Internship” or come visit me at the B&B Bakery booth at Caro Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

“Ictenlikle” (Sincerely),

Shannon O’Connor

Ahh! Common sense. What a great thing. Over the last several months, I have had many people suggest that I run for a seat on the Caro school board. Although I have no plan to do so at this time, I will not totally rule it out. I am only one person, and in order to effect any change to the district, there must be more than one person to raise a voice. I can, however, assure everyone that if I make a run there will be a 100% greater emphasis placed on substantive education, and I would not take $25 from the taxpayers to go to a meeting. Lastly, there most likely would be louder and more animated meetings.

These writings are meant to inform you, the taxpayer, as to how your business is being conducted at the Caro school district. It is not meant to Monday Morning Quarterback anything, but to show that the use of simple common sense doesn’t exist here. All of the information here has been given to the Advertiser as proof of merit.

In January of this year, the school board tabled the purchase of reading textbooks from McGraw-Hill. In the same month, 11 students were sent to Washington, D.C. to the presidential inauguration: an event that I watched on TV for free. In March, the band director asked to plan a trip to Disney World, in Orlando, during spring break next year for a three-hour clinic. The cost is $920 per person. What are you going to do with the rest of the time? How much money are the taxpayers on the hook for? The reason you ask for permission is that the taxpayers will be paying for something. Wait for it . . . V-a-c-a-t-i-o-n.

What happened to the textbooks? My best guess is that if the issue was discussed, there is a need and there are other publishers out there. Secondly, I thought there was a great need for boilers. Taxpayers should not be funding field trips when the district is millions in debt. Field trips need to be suspended. Now we need busses. Bonuses were doled out at recent contract negotiations.

In April, the athletic director suggested that the district purchase meters to measure the utilities used at the pool. Really? At my house, if the electric bill is too high, I turn off the lights. I usually see the fruits of my labor realized the following month. We pay for the pool to be open for lap swim for less than 10 people.

There are 40 days built into the school calendar. That does not include snow days, funeral days, sick days, and whatever else. A greater concentration toward education would mean less time off.

I have lived in this community my entire life. What I find so disturbing is that through no fault of their own, 85% of the kids qualify for federal meal programs. I have been told that the criteria for the program is fairly lenient, none the less, they qualify.

We have two persistently underachieving buildings here, and a school board that does not represent that demographic. The names are prominent, they have upper income jobs and businesses, but can they honestly relate to people who make $15,000 or less a year? People who cannot afford to send their kids to Orlando, or afford any vacation at all. Of the 85%, that leaves 15% of us have to keep this thing afloat. Of that 15%, about half are retired or on some sort of fixed income. So, when I said earlier that if I ran for the board I would not take a stipend of $25 I mean it. To a person who gets a retirement of $600 a month, $25 is a lot of money.

It has long been the opinion of many, myself included, that educators should not be placed in positions of money management. Simply put, they are not financiers and this proves that fact.

Lynne M. Gludovatz

Caro

Charlie is survived by his wife, Beverly; four children, Dale LaJoie & Theresa Davis of Caro, Yvonne Holley of Chicago, Sheryl (Tony) Pich? of Bridgeport, and Debra (Mark) Flikkie of Caro; six grandchildren, Chelsea LaJoie, Mackenzie LaJoie, Kenneth Charles “K.C.” (Carina Aguirre) Aulbert, twins Devine and Devonte Holley, and Andy Martin; two great-granddaughters, Charleigh Hemingway and Audrina Reyna Aulbert; his remaining siblings, Bernice Bashton of New Mexico, Mary (Darrel) Asay of Colorado, Esther (Jack) Smith of Caro, Roseann LaJoie of Colorado, Edward (Peggy) LaJoie of Cass City, George LaJoie of Caro, Donald (Barb) LaJoie of Caro, Robert (Maxine) LaJoie of Caro; and several nieces and nephews. The family wishes to extend a special thank you to Joan Morrison, Kyle Flikkie and Cassie Parker for their support. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by the remainder of his siblings, Elaine Phillips, Thomas LaJoie, Walter “Bud” LaJoie, and Margaret Kemp; and two nephews, Donald LaJoie, Jr. and Wayne LaJoie

A celebration of Charlies’ life will be held at the Ransford Collon Funeral Home on Saturday, May 25, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. with his wife, Rev. Beverly LaJoie, officiating.   His cremated remains will be buried in the Ellington Township Cemetery.  The family will receive friends and family at the funeral home on Saturday, May 25, 2013 from 11:00 a.m. until the time of the service at 1:00 p.m.  Those planning an expression of sympathy may wish to consider memorial contributions to the Charles LaJoie Family Discretionary Fund, c/o Beverly LaJoie, 205 W. Sherman St., Caro, Michigan 48723. The family was assisted with these arrangements by the Ransford Collon Funeral Home of Caro.  Friends may share memories, thoughts and prayers online at www.RansfordCollon.com.