Joe LeBlanc, Petoskey Noah Morse, Mackinaw City Charles Strehl, Gaylord St. Mary By Mike Dunn MANCELONA – The Mancelona boys of coach Rick Duerksen were in the hunt for the Ski Valley Conference championship until the final week of the season before finally finish- ing as runner-up to unbeaten Bellaire in the highly com- petitive league. The presence of multi-tal- ented junior guard Brandon Dingman was one major rea- son why the Ironmen were a force to be reckoned with on the hardwood again this year. The smooth-striding, fluid-flowing 6-foot-2 junior made the twine dance to the tune of an eye-popping 27 points per game this season as he eclipsed the 1,000- point scoring plateau and put himself in position to become Mancelona’s all-time leading scorer next year. For his efforts, the danger- ous Dingman has been named the Top Choice Player of the Year in boys basketball. He is the first player from Mancelona to earn the honor. Serving as team captain of the 2014 Dream Team along with Dingman is senior for- ward Joe O’Bradovich of Onaway. Other members of the 2014 Dream Team roster include senior guard Luke Harrington of Cheboygan, sophomore wing Ben Lubitz of Mio, senior wing Noah Morse of Mackinaw City, sen- ior forward Joe LeBlanc of Petoskey and rangy senior wing Charles Strehl of Gaylord St. Mary. The 2014 Coach of the Year is Dennis Kann of Mio [see separate story in this issue] after leading the Thunderbolts to 19 victories, a runner-up finish to Hillman in the North Star League and a Class C district championship. Joining Kann on the 2014 coaching staff is Eddy Szymoniak of Onaway, who guided the Cardinals to a remarkable turnaround season featuring a 17-6 record, including a 12-4 mark in the rugged Ski Valley, and a berth in the Class D district finals with Hillman. Dingman, like all excep- tional players, was more than just a twine-tamer on the court. He also handled the ball efficiently, made smart decisions, and contributed under the boards as well as defensively. He finished with 5.8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2.5 steals per game in addi- tion to his prolific point totals. In addition to earning Player of the Year honors, Dingman also received sev- eral other accolades, includ- ing first-team All-Ski Valley and All-Region along with Special Mention All-State in Class C from the Michigan Associated Press and fifth- team All-State from the THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 Athlete of the Week (989) 705-8284 www.MainStreetGaylord.com 236 West Main, Gaylord Real Estate One Gaylord would like to congratulate the Athlete of the Week FOR WEEK OF MARCH 30-APRIL 5 KARI BOROWIAK GAYLORD ST. MARY The Snowbirds' sweet-shooting senior guard was named among the top six Class D players in Michigan by the Detroit Free Press in its All-State girls basketball team TOP CHOICE ALL-AREA BOYS PLAYER OF YEAR 2006 – Richard Blair, Pellston 2007 – Grant Carey, Roscommon 2008 – Ridge Hahn, Pellston 2009 – Gerrit Mortensen, St. Ignace 2010 – Cory Starkey, Petoskey 2011 – Cory Starkey, Petoskey and Chris Hass, Pellston 2012 – Chris Hass, Pellston 2013 – Micah Thomey, Mio 2014 – Brandon Dingman, Mancelona COACH OF THE YEAR 2006 – Rich Moffit, Grayling 2007 – Tom Johnson, Gaylord 2008 – Garth Law, Mackinaw City 2009 – Pat Enders, Gaylord 2010 – Stephen Seelye, Wolverine 2011 – Rich Moffit, Grayling 2012 – Cliff Hass, Pellston 2013 – Rich Moffit, Grayling 2014 – Dennis Kann, Mio S SECTION B CALL - (989) 732-8160 • FAX (888) 854-7441 OR EMAIL: MIKE DUNN - [email protected]ANDY SNEDDON - [email protected]DENNIS MANSFIELD - [email protected]SPORTS Junior Brandon Dingman of Mancelona is the 2014 Top Choice Player of the Year in boys hoops. Photo by Mike Dunn Continued on page 2 Top Choice Boys Hoops Mancy junior tamed the twine for 27 points per game; O’Bradovich of Onaway is fellow team captain Brandon Dingman, Mancelona Joe O'Bradovich, Onaway Luke Harrington, Cheboygan Ben Lubitz, Mio Dingman is 2014 Player of Year DREAM TEAM Brandon Dingman (11), Mancelona* Joe O’Bradovich (12), Onaway* Luke Harrington (12), Cheboygan Joe LeBlanc (12), Petoskey Ben Lubitz (10), Mio Charles Strehl (12), Gaylord St. Mary Noah Morse (12), Mackinaw City *Captains SECOND TEAM Carlos Bautista (12), Onaway Seth Thomey (12), Mio Tyler McClanahan (12), Grayling Justice Juntilla (12), Grayling Ben Pearson (12), Cheboygan Logan Huff (10), Johannesburg-Lewiston Collin Watters (11), Gaylord HONORABLE MENTION: Alanson – Brett Williams, Kody Wicker Alba – Brandon Milbocker Cheboygan – Derek Sturvist Gaylord – Zach Pasternak Gaylord St. Mary – Nick Harrington Grayling – Michael Branch Inland Lakes – Mike O’Connor Johannesburg-Lewiston – Brandon Huff, Nathan Fox Mackinaw City – Jonah Robbins, Matt Rivera Mancelona – Griffin Borst, Logan Borst Mio – Bryce DeGrammont Onaway – Joe Sigsby Pellston – Austin Hamlin, Connor Kintz Petoskey – Aron Lee, Evan Whitmore, Jason Bur Wolverine – Mikie McNiel COACHING STAFF: Dennis Kann, Mio; Eddy Szymoniak, Onaway PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Brandon Dingman, Mancelona COACH OF THE YEAR: Dennis Kann, Mio TOP CHOICE ALL-AREA 2014 BOYS BASKETBALL
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Transcript
Joe LeBlanc,Petoskey
Noah Morse,Mackinaw City
Charles Strehl,Gaylord St. Mary
By Mike Dunn
MANCELONA – TheMancelona boys of coachRick Duerksen were in thehunt for the Ski ValleyConference championshipuntil the final week of theseason before finally finish-ing as runner-up to unbeatenBellaire in the highly com-petitive league.The presence of multi-tal-
ented junior guard BrandonDingman was one major rea-son why the Ironmen were aforce to be reckoned with onthe hardwood again this year.The smooth-striding,
fluid-flowing 6-foot-2 juniormade the twine dance to thetune of an eye-popping 27points per game this seasonas he eclipsed the 1,000-point scoring plateau andput himself in position tobecome Mancelona’s all-timeleading scorer next year.For his efforts, the danger-
ous Dingman has beennamed the Top Choice Player
of the Year in boys basketball.He is the first player fromMancelona to earn thehonor.Serving as team captain of
the 2014 Dream Team alongwith Dingman is senior for-ward Joe O’Bradovich ofOnaway.Other members of the 2014
Dream Team roster includesenior guard LukeHarrington of Cheboygan,sophomore wing Ben Lubitzof Mio, senior wing NoahMorse of Mackinaw City, sen-ior forward Joe LeBlanc ofPetoskey and rangy seniorwing Charles Strehl ofGaylord St. Mary.The 2014 Coach of the Year
is Dennis Kann of Mio [seeseparate story in this issue]after leading theThunderbolts to 19 victories,a runner-up finish toHillman in the North StarLeague and a Class C districtchampionship. Joining Kannon the 2014 coaching staff isEddy Szymoniak of Onaway,
who guided the Cardinals toa remarkable turnaroundseason featuring a 17-6record, including a 12-4 markin the rugged Ski Valley, and aberth in the Class D districtfinals with Hillman.Dingman, like all excep-
tional players, was more thanjust a twine-tamer on thecourt. He also handled theball efficiently, made smartdecisions, and contributedunder the boards as well asdefensively. He finished with5.8 rebounds, 3 assists and2.5 steals per game in addi-tion to his prolific pointtotals.In addition to earning
Player of the Year honors,Dingman also received sev-eral other accolades, includ-ing first-team All-Ski Valleyand All-Region along withSpecial Mention All-State inClass C from the MichiganAssociated Press and fifth-team All-State from the
THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014
Athlete of the Week
(989) 705-8284www.MainStreetGaylord.com
236 West Main, Gaylord
Real Estate One Gaylord
would like to congratulate the
Athlete of the Week
FOR WEEK OF MARCH 30-APRIL 5
KARIBOROWIAK
GAYLORD ST. MARY
The Snowbirds'sweet-shooting seniorguard was namedamong the top sixClass D players inMichigan by theDetroit Free Press inits All-State girls basketball team
TOP CHOICE ALL-AREABOYS PLAYER OF YEAR
2006 – Richard Blair, Pellston
2007 – Grant Carey, Roscommon
2008 – Ridge Hahn, Pellston
2009 – Gerrit Mortensen, St. Ignace
2010 – Cory Starkey, Petoskey
2011 – Cory Starkey, Petoskey and Chris Hass, Pellston
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Brandon Dingman, Mancelona COACH OF THE YEAR: Dennis Kann, Mio
TOP CHOICE ALL-AREA 2014 BOYS BASKETBALL
By Ben Murphy
MIO – They came up a bitshort in the North StarLeague championship raceand in regionals, but regard-less, the Mio Thunderboltboys' basketball team, underhead coach Dennis Kann hada good run. Mio lost just oneNSL game and cruisedthrough districts before get-ting handed a heartbreakingloss to Beaverton in theregional semi-finals, finish-ing the year 19-3. With this isin mind Kann was named theWeekly Choice basketballcoach of the year.“It all starts with commu-
nity,” Kann who is 171-62after 12 years of coaching theBolts said of keys to thestrong program. “It startswith the parents supportingus coaches and the kids hav-ing the ability to get into thegym. I think you put all thatin with the coaches that wehave and the knowledge weare able to bring it all togeth-er and make it successful.” Kann is no stranger to suc-
cess on the basketball court.As a 1989 graduate at theschool, he was part of varsity
teams that went 67-5 andwon the class 'D' state cham-pionship in 89. From therehe played college basketballat Central MichiganUniversity and OaklandUniversity and played pro-fessionally overseas. Kann then assisted at Mio
for 10 years before serving asthe head coach the last 12.With all that in mind, Kannknows better than anyonethe importance of basketballtradition at the school.“It means a lot,” he said. “I
think that what makes it spe-cial to me is being able tocome back and put in thetime and effort with the kids.I think it helps with the kidsbeing able to relate to some-body who has had success. Mio lost a small but talent-
ed senior class, includingMicah Thomey and Kann'sson Dennis Kann III cominginto this year, but the coachstill wasn't surprised that histeam did as well as they didthis year.“The saying success breeds
success, I really believe that,”Kann said. “The kids put a lotof effort in. We changed somethings up that we were doing
in order to fit our team betterthis year. That's one thing asa coach, you have to be ableto adjust on what type of kidsyou have. I thought we didsome things that we didn'teven do the previous yearsand that was an importantpart of our success. The kidsput the time in to earn some-thing new and put in hardwork.” Even if Mio wouldn't have
had the success they'veencountered, Kann feels he'dbe able to keep going just forthe sake of teaching.“For me, it's just being able
to work with the kids,” hesaid. “I love coaching ingames too, it's definitelyexciting, it gets my adrena-line going. I like being able togive back to the kids and givewhat was given to me fromthe coaches that I had.”Still, the coach admits win-
ning never gets old.“I like being competitive,”
he said. “Our teams arealways competitive becauseI'm competitive. Put it alltogether and that's the rea-son for doing it.”
Detroit Free Press.Dingman, 16, is the son of
Kurt and Michelle Dingmanof Mancelona. Brandon’solder brother Shayne was astandout track and crosscountry athlete for theIronmen is now doing bothfor Siena Heights UniversityBrandon hopes to follow inShayne’s footsteps and com-
pete at the college level inbasketball after his prepcareer ends next year.With the future in mind,
Dingman diligently devotedtime and energy in the off-season to developing thenon-shooting aspects of hisgame.“I put in tons of time (dur-
ing the off-season) working
on defense and on jumpingand securing rebounds,” hesaid. “I also worked on a loton ball handling and pos-sessing the ball. I had a fewgames this year where I hadtoo many turnovers but onthe whole I improved andthat’s what I was looking for.”Dingman completed the
2013-14 season with more
than 1,300 total points in histhree years on the varsity.The school record of 1,385points is well within reachand, barring injury, shouldbe overtaken sometime earlynext season.The young man acknowl-
edged his personal stats butdeflected praise from himselfand instead talked about hiscoaches and teammates.“Everybody worked really
hard and we came togetherin a big way this year,” hesaid, noting that the Ironmentook a huge step forward interms of their level of playthis season.“The major thing about
this year is we’ve been able toplay with teams we haven’tplayed with before,” he said.“We beat East Jordan in over-time and they went on to thequarterfinals. We came realclose to beating Bellaire. Itdidn’t matter who we playedor where we played, we wentinto the games confident wecould win.”O’Bradovich earned All-
State recognition from theDetroit Free Press, amongother honors, after a stellarseason in which he averaged22.4 points and 10.3rebounds while settingschool records for points in agame (48) and points in aseason (518), breaking therecords previously held bythe legendary “Magic” MartyMix.The senior also surpassed
1,000 points this season,
reaching the milestone witha 3-pointer in the fourthquarter on the same night inlate February in which he sethis school-record 48 pointsin an 83-59 win over RogersCity. Mix had held the recordwith 44 points in a game.The hardworking 6-foot-2
Harrington, who is probablythe most improved player ofanyone else on the entire TopChoice team, averaged 21points and 3 assists whilehelping the Chiefs to earn an11-8 record and secure theStraits Area Conferencechampionship.Morse, an honorable men-
tion Class D All-State selec-tion, surpassed the 1,000-point scoring plateau in thefirst game of the playoffsagainst Engadine. For hisfour-year varsity career,Noah flooded the nets for atotal of 1,044 points altogeth-er. This season, he averaged19.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.1steals and 2.5 assists for theComets, who finished with asolid 16-6 record. The 6-foot-4 Lubitz moves
with a fluid grace on the floorand makes contributions inall phases of the game. Hisshooting, ball handling anddefensive pressure were keyfactors in the Thunderbolts’14-1 record in the North StarLeague and the team’s 19-3overall record. Lubitz lubri-cated the nets liberally, aver-aging 21.6 points and 3.8assists while playing pointguard, shooting guard and
small forward. He was hon-orable mention All-State forboth the Michigan AP andthe Free Press.The 6-foot-4 LeBlanc was a
steady force this season forthe Northmen of coachDennis Starkey. The senioraveraged 14.5 points pergame and shot a sparkling 41percent from the floor whilehelping the Northmen toachieve a 14-7 record and an8-5 mark in the very toughBig North Conference.The rugged, rangy 6-foot-4
Strehl showed up every nightwith a blue-collar mentality,as his stats reveal. The scrap-py senior averaged 18.4points and 10.1 reboundsand finished with 350 points,notable achievements con-sidering the Snowbirds ofcoach Ken Blust were fre-quently short-handedbecause of injuries andopposing defenses focusedtheir efforts on keepingStrehl under wraps.The Top Choice second
team features senior forwardCarlos Bautista of Onaway,senior guard Seth Thomey ofMio, senior guard TylerMcClanahan and senior for-ward Justice Juntilla ofGrayling, senior forward BenPearson of Cheboygan, jun-ior forward Collin Watters ofGaylord, and sophomoreguard “Lights Out” LoganHuff of Johannesburg-Lewiston.
Page 2-B • Tell our advertisers you saw their ad in the Weekly Choice April 10, 2014
Top Choice Boys Hoops
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Top Choice Boys Basketball Continued...
Mio Coach Dennis Kann talks to his players during a timeout this season. Kann guid-
ed Mio to 19 victories and a Class C district championship. Photo by ben MurPhy
April 10, 2014 Tell our advertisers you saw their ad in the Weekly Choice • Page 3-B
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DETROIT FREE PRESS2014 ALL-STATE GIRLS HOOPS
By Mike Dunn
GAYLORD – St. Mary sen-ior Kari Borowiak andJohannesburg-Lewistonsophomore MaddieShowerman added to thelaurels of their respectivebasketball seasons last weekwhen they were chosen aspart of the annual DetroitFree Press All-State team.Three other area players
were honorable mentionpicks of the Free Press.Johannesburg-Lewiston sen-ior Brittany Cherwinski, who
capped her outstanding four-year varsity career, was hon-orable mention in Class C.Junior Lexi Szymoniak ofOnaway, who earned a dou-ble-double in 18 of 22 gamesfor coach Marty Mix, washonorable mention in ClassD along with junior ChelseyCloss of Mackinaw City, whowas having a stellar year forcoach Adam Stefanski beforebeing sidelined by an injury.The 5-foot-6 Borowiak
helped to lead St. Mary to a17-2 regular-season recordand 19-3 overall and to
repeat as Ski Valley champi-ons. She was picked for theFree Press second team andlisted among the top six play-ers in the state in Class D.Borowiak was also a first-team All-State selection ofthe Michigan AssociatedPress and the Weekly ChoicePlayer of the Year.Borowiak, who will be tak-
ing her game to ConcordiaUniversity in Ann Arbor nextyear, averaged a healthy 19.2points per game in spite offrequently being double-teamed or being the subject
of box-and-one defenses.She also averaged 5 stealsand 4.8 assists. She finishedher career with 1,446 totalpoints, second on St. Mary’sall-time scoring charts.
Showerman, a versatilesecond-year varsity starterfor coach Heather Huff,helped the Cardinals toanother strong season on thehardwood, finishing with 15wins in spite of a relativelyyoung roster. She was afourth-team pick in Class C.She averaged 13.9 points and7.2 rebounds per game.
Showerman also earnedhonorable mention All-State
recognition from theMichigan Associated Press.
Borowiak of St. Mary and Showerman of J-L earn All-State honors; Cherwinski of J-L, Closs of Mack City and Szymoniak of Onaway are honorable mention
CLASS DFirst TeamDevin Conley, Litchfield, 6-9, Sr. FDavid Loney, Frankfort, 6-3, Jr. FEvan Kraatz, Allen Park Inter-City Baptist, 5-11, Sr. G (captain)Brandon Childress, Baldwin, 6-3, Jr. FMarcus Matelski, Boyne Falls, 6-2, So. GSecond TeamDemarco White, Southfield ChristianNick Hincka, PosenBen Stasewich, MunisingMike Warren, Fruitport CalvaryDenny Hall, BellaireThird TeamKyle Abrego, PeckAlex Doyle, Battle Creek St. PhilipNick Robak, Waterford LakesTravis Vincent, Powers-North CentralJordan Terry, Lansing ChristianFourth TeamColt Tefft, LitchfieldLindsey Hunter IV, Southfield ChristianDeShawn Brooks, Westside ChristianDan Stenback, CedarvilleKris Crosby II, Traverse City ChristianFifth TeamJoe Duncan, CedarvilleMason VanPamel, HillmanLuke Barber, Allen Park Inter-City BaptistGrant Holbein, Adrian Lenawee ChristianJoe O’Bradovich, OnawaySixth TeamDalton Trefil, Fulton-MiddletonMarlo Brown, Southfield ChristianGriffin Lewis, MorriceReilly Merrill, Bear LakeBrett Maser, Au Gres-SimsHonorable MentionAdam Callow, Muskegon CatholicAdam Kline, Waterford LakesAlex Outinen, Painsdale-JeffersAnthony Kaminski, Taylor Baptist ParkGarrett Kraatz, Allen Park Inter-City BaptistAustin Hearns, Franklin Road ChristianBrad Brittingham, ColonBrooks Hyble, Mt. Pleasant Sacred HeartCharles Strehl, Gaylord St. MaryAaron Orban, Suttons BayBen Feliczak, Manistee Catholic CentralChristian Eckert, Burr OakCurtis Russell, Kent City Algoma ChristianEmmanuel Stokes, Genesee ChristianEthan Riddell, Camden FrontierJeff Hilliard, Kentwood LutheranJames Schrader, BellaireJustin Bates, Bay City All SaintsKeenan Campinen, Carney-NadeauKyle Aldrich, Carney-NadeauKyle Case, Kinde-North HuronMax Walz, Jackson ChristianNate Crane, Akron-FairgroveNick Klassen, Wyoming Tri-unity ChristianNick Maguire, Akron-FairgroveNoah Kalthoff, Hillsdale AcademyRyan Schaffer, Huron Valley LutheranRyan Stewart, Parkway ChristianSam Sweet, WalkervilleShane Beaune, BrimleyTristan Haener, Peck
DETROIT FREE PRESS2014 ALL-STATE BOYS HOOPS
GAYLORD – Four playersfrom the coverage area of theWeekly Choice have beenselected as part of the 2014Detroit Free Press All-Stateboys basketball team.Junior Brandon Dingman
of Mancelona and sopho-more Ben Lubitz of Miomade the grade in Class Cwhile senior forward JoeO’Bradovich of Onaway andsenior Charles Strehl of St.Mary were picked in Class D.The four players are also partof the Top Choice All-Areaboys basketball team thatappears in this issue.The 6-foot-2 Dingman,
who is also the WeeklyChoice All-Area Player of theYear, averaged a whopping 27
points per game this seasonas Mancelona won 15 gamesand finished as runner-up tounbeaten Bellaire in therugged Ski Valley Conference.“Dead-Eye” Dingman alsorecorded 5.8 rebounds, 3assists and 2.5 steals pergame.In addition to being
named to the Detroit FreePress team, Dingman wasalso a Special Mention All-State pick of the MichiganAssociated Press along withbeing first-team All-SkiValley, among other honors.The 6-foot-4 Lubitz, who
plays small forward as well asthe backcourt for theThunderbolts of coachDennis Kann, averaged 21.6
points and 3.8 assists whilehelping Mio to post a 19-3record, finish as runner-up inthe North Star League andcapture a Class C districttitle.O’Bradovich, a beast under
the boards for Onaway, aver-aged 22.4 points and 10.3
rebounds while settingschool records for points in agame (48) and points in aseason (518), breaking therecords previously held bythe Cardinal legend MartyMix. O’Bradovich alsoeclipsed the 1,000-pointplateau this year, quite an
achievement considering hemissed time the previous twoseasons to injuries.
The rangy 6-foot-4 Strehlalso averaged a double-dou-ble this season, putting up18.4 points per game andpulling down 10.1 reboundsfor the Snowbirds of coach
Ken Blust.The full Detroit Free Press
All-State boys and girls ros-ters from all classes can beviewed elsewhere in thisissue.
Dingman of Mancy, Lubitz of Mio, O’Bradovich of Onaway, Strehl of St. Mary make Free PressAll-state roster
Boys Hoops
Freep names four area players
Brandon Dingman Ben Lubitz Joe O’Bradovich Charles Strehl
Page 4-B • Tell our advertisers you saw their ad in the Weekly Choice April 10, 2014
LOCAL SPORTSOn-line at www.weeklychoice.com
Crappie are among themost difficult pan fish to pat-tern, because of their ten-dency to suspend in thewater column, except in thespring. During this time,crappie move to shallowwater – sometimes in water only a
couple feet deep – to spawn,so there isn't a lot of watercolumn to suspend in.Crappies are suckers for
both minnows and jigs. Theeasiest way to fish for them isto suspend the bait (either aminnow or a jig) under abobber, halfway between thesurface and the bottom,around any sort of cover –weeds, brush, dock pilings ...whatever.Anglers who prefer a more
active approach can cast withjigs and swim them back orfly fish with minnow-imitat-ing streamers. Just thinkshallow in spring.For more information on
crappie fishing, visit their
page on the Michigan Fishand How to Catch Them
website.
SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTY– The third suspect involvedin the illegal killing of acougar in SchoolcraftCounty in December haspleaded no contest to tak-ing/possession of anendangered species.Todd Anthony Richard,
40, of Burt, appeared incourt Monday to enter hisplea and was sentenced to$625 in fines and costs,along with 24 hours ofcommunity service for hisrole in the poaching inci-dent. During sentencing,
93rd District Court JudgeMark Luoma made clearthat he did not believe thecougar killing was a caseof self-defense. Lastmonth, Troy AnthonyRichard and TheodoreRobert Richard pleadedguilty to their involve-ment in the case.Anyone with informa-
tion on any other poach-ing case is encouraged tocall the DNR's Report AllPoaching (RAP) Line 24hours a day, seven days aweek at 800-292-7800.Information can be leftanonymously; anyoneproviding informationleading to an arrest and
conviction may be eligiblefor a cash reward funded bythe Game and FishProtection Fund.To learn more about
cougars in Michigan, which
are classified as an endan-gered species under statelaw, visitwww.michigan.gov/cougars.
By Mike Dunn
ONAWAY – It’s official.Onaway’s hard-slammingsenior outside hitter MariahEhrke, one of the most prolif-ic scorers and high-impactplayers ever to don the uni-form for the Cardinals, hassigned her letter of intent toplay for Alpena CommunityCollege.The signing of the high-
powered Ehrke, whichoccurred on the same day asAlpena’s hard-hitting TaylorGenschaw made her com-mitment to the Lumberjacks,appears to be a boon for theACC program and coachJohn Dietlin. TheLumberjacks will certainly beable to match artillery withnearly anyone next year.
Ehrke was a humanfirestorm at the net forOnaway, wreaking havoc onopposing defenses with hercrisp, surgically-sharp deliv-eries.She leaves Onaway with
her fingerprints all over therecord books. In her seniorseason alone, she broke herown school record for killswith 592 to go with a .237attack percentage, 612 digs(second on the team), 72 acesand 33 blocks. She earnedfirst-team All-State recogni-tion as one of the top eightClass D players in the entirestate in addition to beingnamed to the All-RegionDream Team and first teamAll-Ski Valley. She was alsothe Weekly Choice Player ofthe Year.
Ehrke posted a remarkabletotal of nine school recordsin her brilliant varsity career,including 22 kills in a match;an .800 attack percentage in amatch; 1,637 attacks in a sea-son; 592 kills in a season; 4.32kills-per-set in a season;4,519 attacks in her career;1,419 kills in her career; 2.804kills-per-set in her career;and 2,115 digs in her career.As Coach Steve Watson
pointed out, Ehrke was thekind of player who madeeveryone around her betterand that can be seen in howwell the Cardinals faredwhen Ehrke was on the floor.During the four years thatEhrke was a starter atOnaway, she played on teamsthat established 18 new teamrecords out of 23. Onaway
won three straight districttitles, two Ski Valley titles in arow, the school’s first-everregional championship involleyball, and a berth in theFinal Four.Watson also lauded Ehrke’s
character.“As good as she is as a vol-
leyball player, she's moreimpressive as a person,” thecoach said in an article print-ed in December in conjunc-tion with Ehrke being namedPlayer of the Year. “Family,religion, academics – thesethings are the driving forcesin her life. She's the kind ofperson you want your kids tohave as their best friend.She's the kind of girl I wantmy own daughters to be likewhen they grow up.”Mariah, the daughter of
Holly and Darin Ehrke ofOnaway has also been cho-sen to compete in the presti-gious Gold CoastTournament of Down UnderSports in Australia in thesummer of 2014.She and Shaylee Smith of
Pellston, who are familiarfoes during the season andhave faced each other manytimes, will both be represent-ing the U.S. and traveling toBrisbane this summer to par-ticipate in the once-in-a-life-time experience.
Ehrke to play for Alpena CCOnaway’s slamming outside hitter will stay closeto home while taking her career to the next level
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April 10, 2014 Tell our advertisers you saw their ad in the Weekly Choice • Page 5-B
Volleyball
Cougar kill suspectpleads no contest
Third suspect in Upper Peninsula cougarpoaching case enters plea in 93rd District
Court
On Monday evening, April14 at 7:00pm, the MackinawArea Historical Society willpresent Charlie Vallier asguest speaker at theMackinaw Area PublicLibrary. He will present a pro-gram about the history ofsnowmobiling and the storybehind the Top of the LakeSnowmobile Museum, locat-ed on the north side of US-2across from the business dis-trict in Naubinway,Michigan.Their Mission Statement
has been to establish a facili-ty to preserve and display forthe public the history ofsnowmobiling, includingsnowmobile related memo-rabilia and literature, as wellas to provide an educationalcenter and meeting centerfor the Naubinway Land ofEchoes Tribal Elders, and acommunity welcome centerfor the Naubinway/EngadineMerchants Association.They currently hold two
major antique snowmobileevents a year which are anattraction for the whole fam-ily. The Annual Top of theLake Swap Meet and theAntique and Vintage
Snowmobile Show and Ride.In 2003, Show regulars met
to discuss how they couldshow antique snowmobilesinside a facility. In 2006 theyheld their first organizedmeeting, followed by manyothers in which they learnedhow to form a non-profitorganization, create a busi-ness plan and mission state-ment and elect a board ofdirectors. In 2007 theyacquired a Laundromatbuilding and, after 6 weeks ofrenovations, moved intotheir first museum.Just recently, in February,
2014, they held their GrandOpening of a brand newmuseum which they had dili-gently been working on sincethey first acquired 1 acre ofland, just north of theNaubinway business district,back in July of 2010. Thegroundbreaking was held inMay of 2013 and they movedin on October 19, 2013. Inorder to achieve the reality oftheir new museum theyworked in partnership withthe Sault Ste. Marie Tribe ofChippewa Indians; were ableto secure a substantial grantfrom the Michigan Council
for Arts and Cultural Affairs;and acquired a building loanfrom a regional bank which isbeing paid back throughdonations from museumsupporters. The Top of the Lake
Snowmobile Museumopened in 2007 with 62 sledsowned by nine people alongwith some interesting mem-orabilia. Now they have 82sleds owned by 40 people, 9donated to the museum,along with a wide variety ofdonated memorabilia. Theyhave also had 6 sleds donat-ed to the museum to use asraffle fundraisers. All fundsreceived from donated itemsat their fundraisers are thenused for museum operation.Future goals include more
displays, a library available tovisitors, and office space forthe local CommunitiesAssociation and the localLand of Echoes Tribal Elders.The program will be held at
the Mackinaw Area PublicLibrary on Monday, April 14,2014 beginning at 7:00 pm.Refreshments will be offeredfollowing the program.
Mariah Ehrke of Onaway has signed her letter of intent to play
for Alpena Community College. Photo by Carrie baDgero
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Page 6-B • Tell our advertisers you saw their ad in the Weekly Choice April 10, 2014
VANDERBILT – The State ofMichigan has announced asettlement with GoldenLotus, Inc. resolving a 2008sediment release on thePigeon River which killedthousands of fish.Golden Lotus, Inc. owns
Song of the Morning Ranch,located in Vanderbilt. Theproperty includes a largereflecting pond created bythe Lansing Club Dam,where a gate malfunction inJune 2008 caused a rapid andlarge sediment release. Therelease killed numerous fishspecies, including brown andbrook trout.A lawsuit filed against
Golden Lotus, Inc., by theDepartment of NaturalResources and theDepartment ofEnvironmental Quality, withMichigan Trout Unlimitedand the Pigeon River CountryAssociation serving as inter-vening plaintiffs, sought torecover lost public trust dam-ages and to provide a mecha-nism to permanently fixproblems with the dam.The settlement reached in
Otsego County Circuit Courtrequires Golden Lotus, Inc. towork in coordination withthe DNR and DEQ to perma-nently draw down theimpoundment behind theLansing Club Dam, preventsignificant discharges in thefuture, and provide mitiga-tion for the damages causedin 2008.Golden Lotus was fined
$120,000 in mitigation anddamage costs, to be paid overeight years. The organizationwill pay an additional
$30,000 if it fails to submit tothe state a plan for additionalriver restoration within twoyears of the date of the settle-ment.“I appreciate the good faith
efforts made thus far byGolden Lotus and the organi-zation’s demonstrated com-mitment to restoring thePigeon River,” said DNRDirector Keith Creagh. “Thissettlement represents athoughtful resolution thatwill allow Golden Lotus tocontinue to operate while atthe same time protecting andenhancing one of Michigan’sworld-class natural resourcesfor current and future gener-ations.”“We are pleased to see this
long-standing litigationresolved,” said DEQ DirectorDan Wyant. “The terms ofthis agreement are a win forMichigan’s environment, theranch, and the thousands ofpeople who enjoy the PigeonRiver each year.”The impoundment draw-
down is scheduled to beginthis spring and will be moni-tored closely to ensure waterquality is protected. Thedraw-down and terminationof all dam operations willreturn the river to its naturalcourse and reduce the struc-ture’s negative effects ondownstream river reaches.The draw-down is the first
step to what all partiesbelieve will be a more com-prehensive river restorationproject to come. The cooper-ative nature of this settle-ment will be a key ingredientto all future restoration activ-ities.
State, Vandy ranchreach agreement
Court settlement reached regard-ing 2008 sediment release will pro-
tect, enhance Pigeon River
GRAYLING – Looking foran opportunity to get outsideand give back to Michigan'snatural resources? OnSaturday, May 3, from 9 a.m.to 1 p.m., volunteers willgather in Grayling to plant anacre of jack pine seedlings.The jack pine forest pro-
vides the primary nestinghabitat for the rarest memberof the wood warbler family,the Kirtland's warbler. Veryrestrictive habitat require-ments result in nests in just afew counties in Michigan'snorthern Lower and Upperpeninsulas, in Wisconsin andthe province of Ontario and,currently, nowhere else onEarth. Kirtland's warblers areground-nesters that prefer
jack pine stands more than80 acres in size, where thenest can be concealed inmixed vegetation of grassesand shrubs below the livingbranches of 5- to 20-year-oldtrees."Birding is a rapidly grow-
ing hobby and a growingmarket - in 2011 birdersspent $41 billion on trip-related expenses in theUnited States," said AbigailErtel, Kirtland's warblercoordinator for Huron Pines,citing a recent U.S. Fish andWildlife Service report. "TheKirtland's warbler is one ofthe rarest songbirds in NorthAmerica, and northernMichigan is the place to seethis amazing species, which
creates an opportunity forlocal communities and thestate to benefit economical-ly."Biologists, researchers and
volunteers observed 2,004singing males during the offi-cial 2013 Kirtland's warblersurvey period; 2,063 maleswere observed in 2012. In1974 and 1987, when the low-est survey numbers wererecorded, only 167 singingmales were found."Huron Pines is excited to
be partnering with the DNRto organize the jack pineplanting day," said Ertel. "Wehave a strong history ofworking with the DNR toaccomplish conservationprojects, and this volunteer
event is a great way to cele-brate this work while provid-ing an exciting, hands-onlearning experience foreveryone involved."To join in on the fun,
please register to attend atwww. h u r o n p i n e s . o r g .Volunteers will meet for thisfree event at 9 a.m. at StaleyLake Road in Grayling, juststeps from the Au Sable River.Volunteers should bring
gloves and appropriatefootwear and expect moder-ate physical activity. Areminder with location andevent details will be emailedto participants before theevent.Water, coffee and snacks
will be provided. There will
be sack lunches and a freegift from Gates Au SableLodge. Tshirts and e-sub-scriptions to Michigan Out-of-Doors magazine also willbe available, provided byMichigan UnitedConservation Clubs (MUCC).
Additional support is pro-vided by MUCC, Gates AuSable Lodge, Fairmount SandMining Company and SavingBirds Thru Habitat.For more information on
the Kirtland's warbler, visitwww.michigan.gov/wildlife.
Volunteers are being sought to plant jack pine
seedlings on May 3 near Grayling to help preserve
Kirtland’s warblers. Courtesy of Dnr
Help to preserve Kirtland’s warblersVolunteers are sought to plant jack pine seedlings on May 3 to
preserve nesting habitat of rare song bird
GAYLORD – With thearrival of spring, wild ani-mals are giving birth andhatching the next genera-tion. Baby red foxesappeared in dens during thelast days of March and thefirst days of April. The firstlitters of cottontails willappear soon. Great-hornedowls have already hatchedand are growing up in sticknests high above the ground.Mourning doves have madenests, and some havealready laid eggs. As springtime brings an
increase in sightings ofnestlings and baby animals,the Department of NaturalResources (DNR) encour-ages Michigan residents toget outside and enjoy theexperience of seeing wildliferaising its young, butreminds them that it isimportant to remain at a dis-tance."These are magical
moments to witness but,unfortunately, sometimesthe story has a different end-ing when people take baby
wild animals out of thewild," said DNR wildlifebiologist Erin Victory.“Please resist the urge to tryto help seemingly aban-doned fawns or other babyanimals this spring. Somepeople truly are trying to behelpful, while others thinkwild animals would makegood pets, but in most casesneither of those situationsends well for the wildlife.”"We appreciate the good
intentions of those whowant to help, but the ani-mals are better off left alonethan removed from thewild," Victory added.Victory explained that the
species that are most prob-lematic are white-tailed deerand raccoons. “Deer seem sovulnerable and helpless, butreally they stay still becausethat is a mechanism to letthem be undetected.Raccoons seem cute andcuddly, but they grow up tobe mischievous and aggres-sive. It’s best to just leavethem alone.”It is not uncommon for
deer to leave their fawnsunattended for up to eighthours at a time. This behav-ior minimizes the scent ofthe mother left around thefawn and allows the fawn togo undetected from nearbypredators. While fawns mayseem abandoned, theyalmost certainly are not. Allwild white-tailed deer beginlife this way.Most mammals have a
keen sense of smell, and ifhumans touch them, theirparents will abandon them.Other wildlife, such as birds,should not be handledeither. Adult birds will con-tinue to care for hatchlingsthat have fallen from theirnest, and although mostbirds do not have a strongsense of smell, if peoplemove them, the adults maynot be able to locate andcare for them.The DNR advises:* It is illegal to possess a
live wild animal, includingdeer, in Michigan. Every dayan animal spends withhumans makes it less likelyto be able to survive in thewild. * Many baby animals will
die if removed from their
natural environment, andsome have diseases or para-sites that can be passed onto humans or pets. * Some "rescued" animals
that do survive becomehabituated to people and areunable to revert back to lifein the wild. * Eventually, habituated
animals pose additionalproblems as they matureand develop adult animalbehaviors. Habituated deer,especially bucks, canbecome aggressive as theymature, and raccoons arewell-known for this, too. "Licensed wildlife rehabil-
itators are trained to handleand care for wild animals.They know the peculiaritiesof diet for the birds and ani-mals they assist. They alsoknow how to release them sothey can survive in the wild,"said Victory, "If you know ofa deer or other animal thathas truly been orphaned –and remember, most are not– a licensed rehabilitatormay be able to help."For a list of licensed reha-
bilitators visit www.michi-gandnr.com/dlr or call yourlocal DNR office.
DNR: Leave wildlife in the wildEnjoy springtime baby animal sightings but resisttemptation to remove wildlife from their habitat
LOCAL SPORTSOn-line at www.weeklychoice.com
Cheboygan River: Anglersare beginning to catch theoccasional steelhead. Alpena: The boat ramps
are frozen in so it is going tobe a while before boats canget out. The only fishing inthe area would be for panfishthrough the ice on theimpoundments. Thunder Bay River: Is still
frozen below the 9th StreetDam however the ice is notsafe for ice fishing. Fletchers Pond: Was pro-
ducing bluegill and sunfish.
Some caught the occasionalperch and crappie. Au Sable River: Is finally
open from the Dam to themouth. The Rea Road accessand the Whirlpool are openfor launching. A 4-wheeldrive is still needed but a fewmore days of warmer weath-er will make it easier tolaunch. Steelhead have beencaught in the deep holesalong the bends. Spawn, waxworms, spinner baits andsmall spoons have beenworking well. Keep an eye on
the flow as it continues topick up with rain and meltoff. Anglers should avoid theice shelves as they are notstable. The parking lot at themouth is open but the skidpiers are not in. Tawas: Ice anglers inside
the state harbor are catchingsmall perch. Off Jerry'sMarina, a few walleye werecaught near Buoy #4 and offthe mouth of the river duringthe evening hours. Tawas River: Is open.
Steelhead and suckers have
been caught in the lowerriver Rifle River: Sucker dippers
are setting up near Omer, butthey may have a hard timeuntil the ice flows movedownstream. Suckers are inthe river and are hitting oncrawlers. Just find some openwater.Torch Lake: Is producing
Atlantic salmon, whitefishand burbot.Munising: Those fishing
the bay reported catch ratesas fair to poor. Because of
rain, there was deep slush ontop of the ice which madetravel difficult. The ice was 20to 40 inches thick in mostareas. Most are targetingcoho as they make their wayinto the bay. Some are stilllooking for splake, whitefishor smelt. A few salmon werecaught between Sand Pointand the Anna River. Anglersused jigging spoons 20 to 30feet down. The best chancefor a legal size splake hasbeen off Sand Point or infront of the Anna River when
using minnows. Smelt are inthe bay however catch rateswere poor. Fishing activity inTrout Bay was slow.Munuscong: Nothing has
changed. A few perch werecaught near Grassy Islandand west of Dan's Resort.Cedarville and Hessel:
Perch fishing was slow andwill be until spring gets here.
Steelhead fishing is picking upRain and warmer temperatures has increased steelhead fishing; ice is slowly melting on many inland lakes
DNR Fishing Report
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Among the many highlights is an open floorplan that gives fantastic Lake Huron views fromjust about anywhere in the home. There arebeautiful knotty pine ceilings throughout, a gor-geous stone fireplace in the main living area,wood floors, a stunning gourmet kitchen withrich wood cabinetry, tongue and groove woodceiling with recessed lighting and wood floors.The home also features central air conditioning,and a huge bonus room with two bedrooms and
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Real EstateWhy Isn’tMy HomeSelling?
Compliments of Ed Wohlfiel
Part 3 of 3Here are some of the
most common reasonsbuyers are turned off bya particular house, somake sure these areaddressed before lop-ping thousands of dol-lars off the asking price:
Put on a good showThis is the second
biggest reason a homeisn’t selling. Buyersoften talk of “connect-ing” to a house. This isnot likely to happen ifyour house is not com-pany-coming-over cleanand ready to show like amodel. This goes for theoutside as well. If youdon’t want to put theeffort into doing this,then you’d better adjustyour price to compen-sate because buyers willonly consider yourhouse because it’s agood deal, not becauseit “speaks to them.”
Can’t buy what theycan’t see If you make it difficult
for people to see yourproperty, then chancesof a sale at the price youwant drops consider-ably. Selling can be anuisance, but it’s a nec-essary one. If you don’tallow a lockbox orrequire appointment-only showings, you arethe culprit to the housenot selling.
Out of your handsIt’s not always the
seller’s fault that ahouse isn’t selling.Sometimes the marketchanges and buyers dis-appear. Maybe a newhome development hasopened nearby and theyare “stealing” the cus-tomers. Or maybeyou’ve received badadvice from your agent.Any of these can affectwhether your housesells, which means youneed to consider thereasons and make thenecessary adjustments.
April 10, 2014 Tell our advertisers you saw their ad in the Weekly Choice • Page 9-B
Page 10-B • Tell our advertisers you saw their ad in the Weekly Choice April 10, 2014