By Mike Dunn GAYLORD – The St. Mary girls basketball program enjoyed another outstanding season in 2013-14, including an outright Ski Valley Conference championship and a lofty state ranking. Senior guard Kari Borowiak, the only area player to earn first-team All-State honors from the Michigan Associated Press, added to the laurels of her stellar four- year prep career, finishing as the second all-time scorer in the storied history of the Snowbird program. Coach Dan Smith, in his second year as the head coach of the Snowbirds, guided his rela- tively young team to 19 victo- ries. For their efforts, Borowiak has been named the 2014 Top Choice Player of the Year and Smith has been named the Coach of the Year. Borowiak joins Karl Jacob (2012) as a representative of St. Mary earning Player of the Year recognition. This is the third time in four years that St. Mary has produced the coach of the year. Kevin Foster also earned the award in 2011 and 2012. Borowiak and fellow senior Maddie Hamilla of Gaylord are co-captains of the 2014 Dream Team, which features four seniors and three soph- omores. The roster also includes seniors Brittany Cherwinski of Johannesburg- Lewiston and Jalen DeFlorio of Mio along with super sophomores Brandi Wagner of Gaylord, Madison Showerman of Johannesburg-Lewiston and Bekah Myler of St. Mary. The second team also includes several underclass- men. Along with hardwork- ing Petoskey senior Kati Lewis, the second team ros- ter features juniors Lexi Szymoniak of Onaway, who generated a double-double in 18 of the Cardinals’ 22 games for coach Marty Mix this season, Brooke Hancock of Cheboygan, Sammie Denno of Grayling and Lauren Bell of Mackinaw City in addition to long-armed freshman center Eileene Naniseni, who helped the Lady Ironmen to achieve a remarkable turnaround sea- son. Player of the Year The 5-foot-6 Borowiak averaged 19.2 points per game for the Snowbirds while helping them to repeat as Ski Valley Conference champs and post a sparkling 17-2 regular-season record. In the postseason, the Snowbirds won their first two games to advance to the Class D district finals against THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 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 23-29 STERLING McPHERSON GAYLORD HIGH SCHOOL The high-stepping, strong-striding Blue Devil senior distance runner finished sec- ond overall among all D-2 runners in the 1600 meet at CMU on March 26 in a time of 4:56.06. TOP CHOICE ALL-AREA GIRLS PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2008 – Ashlie House, Johannesburg-Lewiston and Megan Murphy, Onaway 2009 – Ashlie House, Johannesburg-Lewiston 2010 – Kerby Tamm, Petoskey 2011 – Kerby Tamm, Petoskey 2012 – Karli Jacob, Gaylord St. Mary 2013 – Kelsey Ance, Petoskey and Mackenzie Edwards, Gaylord 2014 – Kari Borowiak, Gaylord St. Mary GIRLS COACH OF THE YEAR 2008 – Heather Huff, Johannesburg-Lewiston 2009 – Heather Huff, Johannesburg-Lewiston 2010 – Heather Huff, Johannesburg-Lewiston 2011 – Kevin Foster, Gaylord St. Mary 2012 – Kevin Foster, Gaylord St. Mary 2013 – Frank Hamilla, Gaylord 2014 – Dan Smith, Gaylord St. Mary 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 Gaylord St. Mary coach Dan Smith and senior guard Kari Borowiak are coach and player of year on 2014 All-Area team. Photo by Dave baragrey Continued on page 2 Top Choice Girls Basketball Borowiak is Player of Year, Smith is Coach of Year; Gaylord’s Hamilla is Dream Team co-captain Kari Borowiak, Gaylord St. Mary Maddie Hamilla, Gaylord Brandi Wagner, Gaylord Madison Showerman, Johannesburg-Lewiston Brittany Cherwinski, Johannesburg-Lewiston Bekah Myler, Gaylord St. Mary Jalen DeFlorio, Mio Coach Dan Smith, Gaylord St. Mary St. Mary player, coach honored DREAM TEAM Kari Borowiak (12), Gaylord St. Mary* Maddie Hamilla (12), Gaylord* Brandi Wagner (10), Gaylord Madison Showerman (10), Johannesburg- Lewiston Brittany Cherwinski (12), Johannesburg- Lewiston Bekah Myler (10), Gaylord St. Mary Jalen DeFlorio (12), Mio *Captain SECOND TEAM Brooke Hancock (11), Cheboygan Lexi Szymoniak (11), Onaway Samantha Denno (11), Grayling Kati Lewis (12), Petoskey Eileene Naniseni (9), Mancelona Lauren Bell (11), Mackinaw City Lindsey Zaremba (11), Gaylord HONORABLE MENTION: Alanson – Leah Sierra Alba – Sydney Hogerheide Cheboygan – Bridget Blaskowski, Macey Charboneau Gaylord – Lauren Hintz Gaylord St. Mary – Gabby Schultz, Georgi Nowicki Grayling – Cierra Prosser Inland Lakes – Allison Furst Johannesburg-Lewiston – Hailey Weaver Mackinaw City – Brooke Yoder Mancelona – Emily Nixon Mio – Leslie Asman Onaway – Erika Price Pellston – Hanah Carter Vanderbilt – Amanda Arlt Wolverine – Courtney Whittaker COACHING STAFF: Dan Smith, Gaylord St. Mary; Frank Hamilla, Gaylord; Heather Huff, Johannesburg-Lewiston; Ben Tarbutton, Mancelona PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kari Borowiak, Gaylord St. Mary COACH OF THE YEAR: Dan Smith, Gaylord St. Mary TOP CHOICE 2014 GIRLS BASKETBALL
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By Mike Dunn
GAYLORD – The St. Marygirls basketball programenjoyed another outstandingseason in 2013-14, includingan outright Ski ValleyConference championshipand a lofty state ranking.Senior guard Kari Borowiak,the only area player to earnfirst-team All-State honorsfrom the MichiganAssociated Press, added tothe laurels of her stellar four-year prep career, finishing asthe second all-time scorer inthe storied history of theSnowbird program. CoachDan Smith, in his secondyear as the head coach of theSnowbirds, guided his rela-tively young team to 19 victo-ries.For their efforts, Borowiak
has been named the 2014Top Choice Player of the Yearand Smith has been namedthe Coach of the Year.Borowiak joins Karl Jacob
(2012) as a representative ofSt. Mary earning Player of theYear recognition.This is the third time in
four years that St. Mary hasproduced the coach of theyear. Kevin Foster alsoearned the award in 2011 and2012.Borowiak and fellow senior
Maddie Hamilla of Gaylordare co-captains of the 2014Dream Team, which featuresfour seniors and three soph-omores. The roster alsoincludes seniors BrittanyCherwinski of Johannesburg-Lewiston and Jalen DeFlorioof Mio along with supersophomores Brandi Wagnerof Gaylord, MadisonShowerman ofJohannesburg-Lewiston andBekah Myler of St. Mary.The second team also
includes several underclass-men. Along with hardwork-ing Petoskey senior KatiLewis, the second team ros-ter features juniors Lexi
Szymoniak of Onaway, whogenerated a double-doublein 18 of the Cardinals’ 22games for coach Marty Mixthis season, Brooke Hancockof Cheboygan, SammieDenno of Grayling andLauren Bell of Mackinaw Cityin addition to long-armedfreshman center EileeneNaniseni, who helped theLady Ironmen to achieve aremarkable turnaround sea-son.
Player of the Year
The 5-foot-6 Borowiakaveraged 19.2 points pergame for the Snowbirdswhile helping them to repeatas Ski Valley Conferencechamps and post a sparkling17-2 regular-season record.In the postseason, theSnowbirds won their first twogames to advance to theClass D district finals against
THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 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 23-29
STERLINGMcPHERSON
GAYLORD HIGH SCHOOL
The high-stepping,strong-striding BlueDevil senior distancerunner finished sec-ond overall among allD-2 runners in the1600 meet at CMU onMarch 26 in a time of4:56.06.
TOP CHOICE ALL-AREAGIRLS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
2008 – Ashlie House, Johannesburg-Lewiston and
Megan Murphy, Onaway
2009 – Ashlie House, Johannesburg-Lewiston
2010 – Kerby Tamm, Petoskey
2011 – Kerby Tamm, Petoskey
2012 – Karli Jacob, Gaylord St. Mary
2013 – Kelsey Ance, Petoskey and
Mackenzie Edwards, Gaylord
2014 – Kari Borowiak, Gaylord St. Mary
GIRLS COACH OF THE YEAR2008 – Heather Huff, Johannesburg-Lewiston
COACHING STAFF:Dan Smith, Gaylord St. Mary; Frank Hamilla, Gaylord; Heather Huff, Johannesburg-Lewiston; Ben Tarbutton, Mancelona
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kari Borowiak, Gaylord St. Mary COACH OF THE YEAR: Dan Smith, Gaylord St. Mary
TOP CHOICE 2014 GIRLS BASKETBALL
Bellaire. In the rubber matchbetween the two schools, itwas the talented and moreexperienced Eagles who pre-vailed, ending St. Mary’srecord with a 19-3 mark.Borowiak finished her
four-year prep career with aneye-popping 1,446 points butshe was far more than just ascorer for the Snowbirds. Shewas also an excellent ballhandler and a tenaciousdefender for coach Smith aswell as a strong rebounder. Inher senior season, she aver-aged 5 steals and 4.8 assiststo go with her 422 points.“Kari’s an asset in every
phase of the game, the kindof player who makes every-one around her better,”Smith said about his starplayer. “She makes gooddecisions and she’s a leaderand a role model. She’s thewhole package.”As Smith pointed out,
Borowiak’s contributions tothe success of this year’steam went far beyond num-bers and stats. “We put a lot on Kari’s back
this year because we hadsuch a young team,” Smithsaid. “She allowed theyounger players to look toher for physical and emo-tional support and she gavethem confidence.”Borowiak knew what her
role would be this season andshe embraced it.“I knew it would be a
whole different team cominginto my senior year and theother girls would be lookingto me to be a leader,” shesaid. “I did feel some pres-sure at first but everybodywas motivated and workedhard and we jelled togetheras a team really well. Thatmade a big difference for allof us.”
Borowiak noted that thiswas supposed to be a“rebuilding season” for theSnowbirds, who lost severalkey players from the teamthat reached the Class Dquarterfinals the previoustwo years.“The bar was set pretty
high for us but we knew com-ing in we had to establish ourown identity this year,” shesaid. “Over the summer dur-ing team camps we kind ofstruggled. In our first fewgames (of the season) wewere still working throughthings and coming together.But we were improving andwe came out on top and thatgave us a lot of confidencegoing forward.”Borowiak focused her
energies on improving thenon-scoring aspects of hergame and that paid big divi-dends as the Snowbirds keptwinning games.“My goal this year was to
improve my rebounding andassists and to continue to bea consistent scorer too,” shesaid. “In the beginning itwasn’t as tough but when westarted playing teams (in theleague) the second timearound I faced a lot morepressure. It was frustratingnot being able to penetrateas much or have open shots,but the other girls stepped uptoo and that made us a lotstronger as a team.”Borowiak and fellow
Dream Team member, long-armed sophomore BekahMyler, developed a chemistrythat proved to be a catalystfor the Snowbirds as the sea-son went along.“Bekah and I could kind of
read each other,” Borowiaksaid. “We knew where eachother would be. HavingBekah inside helped a lot
because when the other teamstarted putting two playerson me, Bekah made thempay for it.”Borowiak, the daughter of
Mitch and Karen Borowiak ofGaylord, will be taking hergame to ConcordiaUniversity in Ann Arbor nextyear.“When the coach at
Concordia talked to me thefirst time, he was really niceand encouraging,” Kari said.“When I went there and visit-ed it was small and I likedthat. It wasn’t intimidating oranything. I watched a prac-tice and liked the way he ranit and the style the girls playthere. I felt like I could fit in.“They try to push the ball
but they’re very controlled onoffense,” she added. “They’reoffensively pretty quick butthey’re still aggressive defen-sively.”Smith has no doubt
Borowiak will shine in col-lege as she did in high schooland perhaps even more.“I believe Kari will blossom
at Concordia because otherteams won’t be focusing juston stopping her the way theydid in high school,” he said.“As point guard, she’ll be ableto use her passing, her floorvision and her shooting skillsin ways she wasn’t alwaysable to at St. Mary. The spac-ing and timing will be somuch better at that level andthat’ll only make Kari’s gamethat much better.”
Coach of the Year
Smith and assistant coach-es Pat Schultz and Jeff Hunterrecognized coming into the2013-14 season that the suc-cess of the team in the longrun would depend on howquickly the underclassmen
developed.“We knew it was going to
be a huge challenge becausewe had such a young team,”said Smith, who is himself aformer scholar-athlete at St.Mary who excelled in foot-ball, basketball, track andbaseball. “We knew we wouldhave to rely on Kari for sureearly on and rely on our othersenior Caylee Lawnichak andon Bekah because they werethe only other players withany kind of varsity experi-ence.“Fortunately for us, Danica
Bebble, Georgi Nowicki andGabby Schultz worked veryhard and solidified theirpositions on the floor andthat allowed us to keep get-ting better as we went along.”St. Mary was able to do win
the Ski Valley title outrightthis season, which was a
notable achievement giventhe level of competition,especially facing Bellaire andJohannesburg-Lewistontwice each.“The conference was very
tough again and there wassome parity that we haven’tseen in a while,” he said.“Joburg and Bellaire were astough as they’ve been in thelast several years. For us toget three of four of thosegames is a testament to allthe girls on the team comingtogether and knowing what ittakes to win those high-stakes games.”Smith’s biggest disappoint-
ment was falling to Bellaire inthe district finals but he was-n’t disappointed in his team.“I thought the one differ-
ent between us and Bellairein the rubber game was theirveteran players,” Smith said.
“They started four seniorsand one junior and that’swhere they had the advan-tage. We started one senior,three sophomores and afreshman.“Regardless of that, we still
had a great season and it wasa privilege for me to coachanother great group of kids atSt. Mary. I couldn’t be moreproud of the effort of all theyoung ladies on the team.”Joining Smith on the 2014
Top Choice coaching staff areHeather Huff ofJohannesburg-Lewiston,Frank Hamilla of Gaylord andBen Tarbutton of Mancelona,who guided the LadyIronmen to eight wins and alate-season upset of Bellairein his first year at the helm ofa program that had not won agame for two-plus seasons.
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LOCAL SPORTSOn-line at www.weeklychoice.com
Top Choice Girls BasketballContinued...
St. Mary senior Kari Borowiak with the Class D regional championship trophy she helped the
Snowbirds achieve last year. Photo by Dave baragrey
Look for the 2014 TopChoice All-Area boys
basketball team in theApril 10 issue of the
Weekly Choice
NEXT ISSUE
The Michigan Departmentof Natural Resources annual-ly adjusts fishing regulationsto ensure that the state's fish-eries' resources are managedproperly and to provide thebest benefits to anglers andthe public.For the coming 2014-2015
angling year, which startedTuesday, April 1, the DNRwould like anglers to beaware of the following newfishing regulations:•Crayfish Possession and
Use - Non-native crayfishspecies, including but notlimited to red swamp cray-fish and rusty crayfish, maynot be possessed or used forbait, whether dead or alive,on any public or privatewaters of Michigan.•Muskellunge Size Limits -
Larger size limits for muskel-
lunge are now in effect forGun Lake in Barry County (46inches) and Big Bear Lake inOtsego County (50 inches).• H o o k - a n d - L i n e
Restrictions - It is nowunlawful to fish with artificialbait or minnows in theClinton River cut-off channelin Macomb County from thespillway weir to the HarperRoad Bridge from March 16until the Friday before thelast Saturday in April.•Walleye Size Limits - A
minimum size limit of 15inches for walleye is now ineffect for Craig Lake StatePark waters in BaragaCounty.•Special Regulations
Removed - The special regu-lations and permit require-ment to fish at Jewett Lake inOgemaw County have been
removed. General statewideregulations now apply.In addition, anglers are
reminded that the BetsieRiver spawning closure is stillin effect. The lower portion ofthe Betsie River from theBetsie Valley Trail Bridge westto a line in Betsie Baybetween the westernmostdock of the Northstar Marinaand the westernmost dock ofthe Eastshore Marinaremains closed to fishinguntil further notice.Detailed information on
these regulation changes andmore can be found in the2014 Michigan FishingGuide, now available at allmajor retailers and on theDNR website at www.michi-gan.gov/fishing.
New fishing regulations now in effect
Northeast Lower PeninsulaFishing Report
Au Sable River: Is openand accessible for shore andboat anglers. The launch atRea Road was the most openas ice was still built up at theWhirlpool. Steelhead werecaught near the gas line andthe mouth. Try spawn, waxworms, small spoons, bodybaits or flies.
Higgins Lake: Ice anglersare still getting some perchalong the north end nearEvergreen Park, the churchcamp and Sunken Island. Forrainbow trout, try wigglersnear the Conference Center.The lake trout bite hasslowed and no word onsmelt.
Tawas: A few nice perchwere caught in 18 feet offJerry's Marina howeveranglers were throwing back alot of small ones. Quite a fewwere fishing inside the har-bor but the fish were small. Afew walleye were caught outpast the end of Tawas Point inwater at least 20 feet deep.
Au Gres: There were lots ofanglers fishing off PalmerRoad. They're getting bothwalleye and perch from 6 to 8feet of water. No limits butsome nice fish were caught.
Au Gres River: Steelheadanglers hoping to fish theEast Branch will have to waita bit longer because WhitneyDrain near the Singing Bridgeis still iced in.
Rifle River: Dip net seasonopened on March 20th how-ever anglers will be waiting awhile as the river was stilliced in.
Northwest Lower PeninsulaFishing ReportThe area has more snow
and continued frigid temper-atures which is making ice,not melting it! Ice fishingcontinues like it has for thelast four months.
Traverse City: Those fish-ing the East Bay have caughtlake trout in 80 to 150 feet offDeepwater Point. Most arejigging sand kickers or whiteSwedish pimples. The WestBay had slower catch ratesbut lake trout, cicso andwhitefish were caught in 96feet near the pressure crackwhich is out from the boatlaunch on M-22.
Boardman River: Anglersare starting to see some steel-head.
Upper Peninsula FishingReport
Cedarville and Hessel: Theperch harvest has been slow.It looks like catch rates willnot pick up until spring notonly arrives, but stays.
Little Bay De Noc: Ice con-ditions remain the same. Ifyou have an extension foryour auger you might want tobring it. Perch anglers hadmixed results. A majority offish were caught from theSecond Reef in Kipling to justsouth of the "Narrows". Deepwater 30 to 40 feet is best forjumbo perch. Those fishingin 10 feet of water on the eastside of Butler Island caughtlots of small fish. Whitefishwere caught in 35 to 40 feetoff Gladstone however thebetter catches were off SandPoint in 75 to 85 feet.
Munising: Angler numbersand catch rates were down.The thick ice is almostimpossible for those withouta power auger. A couplesalmon were caught betweenSand Point and the AnnaRiver. Try jigging spoons 20 to30 feet down. Some say the
bigger whitefish were movingtowards shallow water.Anglers will want to trybouncing eggs off the bot-tom. Splake action was slow.Try minnows off Sand Pointand the City Pier for biggerfish. Anglers are markingsmelt but catch rates werepoor. Catch rates for burbothave increased. Herring werecaught near the rivermouths. In Trout Bay, catchrates were spotty.
Munuscong: Some perchwere caught near GrassyIsland and west of Dan'sResort.
Long winter still impactinganglers
Harvest of perch and steelhead will remain slow untilspring really arrives
DNR fishing report
PETOSKEY – Petoskey sen-ior Joe LeBlanc has earnedfirst-team All-Big NorthConference recognition in
boys hoops after helping theNorthmen to a 9-5 record inthe league and a 14-7 markoverall.
Joining LeBlanc fromcoach Dennis Starkey’sNorthmen team are a trio ofsophomores on the honor-
able mention roster: EvanWhitmore, Aron Lee andJason Bur.Representing Gaylord on
the All-Big North roster arejunior forward Collin Watterson the second team andhardworking senior Zach
Pasternak on the honorablemention rolls.
LeBlanc is first-team All-Big NorthPetoskey senior helps young Northmen squad to 14-win season; Watters earns sec-
ond team for Gaylord
Basketball
FIRST TEAM:Andy Merwede (12), AlpenaJalen Brooks (12), CadillacAlex Scott (11), T.C. WestTyler Pintar (11), AlpenaJoe LeBlanc (12), Petoskey
April 3, 2014 Tell our advertisers you saw their ad in the Weekly Choice • Page 3-B
LOCAL SPORTSOn-line at www.weeklychoice.com
By Mike Dunn
MOUNT PLEASANT – TheGaylord and Petoskey trackteams traveled south onWednesday, March 26, toparticipate in the annualChippewa Relays at CentralMichigan University. TheDivision 1-2 indoor meetdrew teams from around thestate.There were some very
good individual performanc-es at the meet for both theBlue Devils and theNorthmen.FOR THE BOYS, Gaylord
senior Sterling McPhersonshined in the 1600-meterrun, taking second among allthe D-2 schools in the meetand sixth overall with a stellarearly-season time of 4:56.06.Strong-striding junior
Steven Fitzek flew to a third-place finish in the 60-meter
hurdles, and sixth overall,with his whiplash time of9.05 seconds. Fitzek alsoearned a respectable top-20overall finish in the 400 dashin 57.48 seconds.Junior Collin Watters
poured it on for the BlueDevils in the 400 dash, takingsixth overall in 56.5 seconds.Coach Matt Warren also
noted the performances offreshmen Jack Hervela andNate Boswood. Hervelaturned in a strong early-sea-son time of 5:08.48 in the1600 run and Boswoodburned the track with histime of 25.02 seconds in the200 dash.In the field events, Justin
Roberson secured 15th placeoverall in the high jump,clearing the bar at 5 feet, 4inches. Austin Kirby reacheda distance of 17 feet, 5.5 inch-es in the long jump and Zak
Goddard completed the 800run in 2:18.63.For the Petoskey boys, Tom
VanSlembrouck turned onthe juice in the final leg tosecure a very respectableeighth-place time of 10:57.73in the 3200 run.B.J. Chatterson, legs
pumping like pistons,churned out an outstandingfourth-place time of 8.86 sec-onds in the 60-meter hurdles.Versatile Andy Frampus flewover the pole vault bar at aheight of 10 feet, 6 inches toearn a top-10 finish in thatevent and Frampus alsoearned a top-25 finish in the800 run with his time of2:18.94.Mark Smith took 17th
place overall in the highlycompetitive 1600 run withhis respectable time of5:04.02.ON THE GIRLS’ side for
Gaylord, it was the flying feetof freshman Savannah Kronecarrying her to a second-place overall finish in a wind-burn time of 27.83 seconds.Teammate MaddieMacQuarrie also had anotable showing in the race,taking 19th overall in 29.7seconds.Sophomore Alexis Smith
also showed up big at thehuge indoor invitational, tak-ing sixth place overall in the1600 run in a time of 5:46.18.Sophomore Casey Korte
launched herself to a gravity-defying distance of 16 feet, 2inches to take third placeoverall in the long jump atCMU.The fine-tuned 1600 relay
foursome of Grace Sanders,Savannah Krone, Casey Korteand Erin Borgeson teamedup to take third place overallin a lung-stretching time of
4:29.08. Borgeson also blewto a 17th place time of 1:08.19in the 400 dash.Sanders also secured 11th
place in the 60-meter dash(8.60) and 18th in the longjump (13-6). MacQuarriedashed to a 13th-place timeof 8.66 seconds in the 60dash.Sydney Borowiak stormed
to an 11th-place time of10.79 seconds in the 60 hur-dles and Skyler Wickert flewthrough the air to take 12thin the high jump (4-6).Freshman Bailey Checksdeposited the shot put 29feet, 2 inches to take 12thplace overall and teammateLauren Reed (28-9) was closebehind in 14th place.For Petoskey, Lily Cesario
was simply sensational in the3200 run, pushing to a strongsecond-place finish in aremarkable early-season
time of 11:52.56. Lily alsoanchored Petoskey’s 3200relay, which took ninth in11:02.85.Sarah Goble and Sydney
Hopp each secured a top-10finish in the 1600 run for theNorthmen, with Goble fin-ishing eighth in 5:52.44 andHopp taking 10th in 6:00.64.Teammate Jalynn Byersearned 20th place in 6:16.04.Carolyn Norton took 20th
in the 400 dash (1:10.39) andKristen Coats took 26th in the800 run (3:02.33).In the field events, it was
Shae Luch launching to a21st-place distance of 13 feet,3.5 inches in the long jumpand strong-armed AlexisKnapp landing the shot put28 feet, 3 inches to take 18thplace.
Blue Devils, Northmen take part in annual Chippewa Relays Indoor Meet
GAYLORD – The All-BigNorth Conference girls bas-ketball team for 2014 wasannounced recently and
Gaylord, which finished asrunner-up to Cadillac, waswell-represented.Earning first-team recog-
nition for the Blue Devilswere senior Maddie Hamilla,who led the league in scoringwith 12.4 points per game,
and silky-smooth sophomoreBrandi Wagner. Earning hon-orable mention were hard-driving senior Lauren Hintz
and blue-collar juniorLindsey Zaremba.For Petoskey, it was hard-
working senior Kati Lewis
being named to the secondteam and fellow seniorAmanda Stinger earninghonorable mention.
All-Big North girls team namedHamilla, Wagner of Blue Devils are first-team picks; Lewis of Petoskey makes
second team
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Basketball
The Department ofNatural Resources remindsanglers that a new fishinglicense season beganTuesday, April 1, coincidingwith the new regulationcycle. All 2013 fishing licens-es are good through March31, 2014.Michigan's fishing licens-
es were restructured March1. Anglers now have fiveoptions when making theirpurchases:•Resident Annual - $26•Nonresident Annual -
$76•Senior Annual (for resi-
dents age 65 or older) - $11•24-hour (resident or non-
resident) - $10•72-hour (resident or non-
resident) - $30All fishing licenses are
good for all species.
Residents and nonresi-dents also can purchase thehunt/fish combo license for$76 and $266, respectively,that consists of a baselicense, annual fishinglicense and two deer tags. Abase license is not requiredwhen purchasing just a fish-ing license.Revenue generated from
the new fishing licenses willbe invested into Michigan'sfisheries, including greateraccess to world-class fishingopportunities, improvingfisheries habitat in inlandlakes and streams, andincreasing the health andquantity of fish stocked instate waters.The DNR Fisheries
Division depends primarilyon funds received fromlicense sales and federal
excise taxes on fishing tackleto manage the state's fish-eries. Buying a fishinglicense, even if you do notplan to fish, can make a bigdifference to the futurehealth of Michigan's prizedfreshwaters.There are two simple ways
to purchase a fishing licensein Michigan:•Visit a local license retail-
er or DNR customer servicecenter and make a purchasein person.•Use the E-License system
website to buy a licenseonline 24 hours a day, sevendays a week. Visitwww.mdnr-elicense.com onyour computer, smartphoneor tablet to get started.For more information on
fishing in Michigan, visitwww.michigan.gov/fishing.
New fishinglicense needed
April 1New regulation cycle for fishing also start-
Marcie Meier (12), Ogemaw HeightsShelby Miller (11), Ogemaw HeightsAmanda Singer (12), PetoskeySierra Fraser (10), T.C. CentralCallie Bartkowiak (12), T.C. CentralEliza McCall (11), T.C. CentralMikaela Ray (12), T.C. West
BIG NORTH CONFERENCE 2014 GIRLS BASKETBALL
OTSEGO COUNTY –Although some areas of thestate may still have severalfeet of snow on the ground,Michigan's wildlife knowsthe spring season – with anincrease in daylight hours – ishere.Animals are beginning to
wake up from winter hiber-nation; bears are amongthose starting to emergefrom their dens.Food and mating are the
two drivers behind theincrease in wildlife thatMichigan residents may beseeing lately. Since bears typ-
ically mate in June or July,food is the primary cause forthe increase in bear activityduring the spring."At this time of year, bears
are looking for food," saidDepartment of NaturalResources bear and furbearerspecialist Adam Bump. "Theyare hungry after spendingmonths in their dens. Whilewe might not think of birdfeeders and trash cans asfood sources, a hungry bearcertainly may."Each spring, as bears leave
their winter dens and resumedaily activity, wildlife officials
begin receiving calls aboutbear sightings and even theoccasional bear damagingbird feeders, trash cans andgrills.Birdseed, because of its
high fat content and easyaccessibility, is especiallyattractive to bears. Once birdfeeders are discovered, bearswill keep coming back untilthe seed is gone or the feed-ers have been removed.
"The majority of com-plaints we receive about nui-sance bears in the springinvolve a food source. Theeasiest thing people can do
to avoid creating a problem isto take in their bird feedersand store other attractants,like grills, trash cans and petfood, in a garage or storageshed," Bump said. "Once thewoods green up, bears tendto move on to find more nat-ural sources of food, as longas they haven't becomehabituated to the birdseed orgarbage cans."Bears that are rewarded
with food each time they visita yard can become habituat-ed to these food sourcesunintentionally provided bypeople. This can create an
unsafe situation for the bearand become a nuisance forlandowners if a bear continu-ously visits their yard duringthe day and repeatedlydestroys private property insearch of food.DNR Wildlife Division staff
members are unable torespond directly to each nui-sance bear complaint andinstead ask that landownersdo their part to help reducepotential food sources intheir yards before calling forfurther assistance. The trap-ping of nuisance bears is onlyauthorized by DNR wildlife
officials in cases of signifi-cant property damage orthreats to human safetywhen other techniques havefailed.Anyone who is experienc-
ing problems with nuisancebears and has taken theappropriate action to removefood sources for a period oftwo to three weeks, but hasnot seen results, should con-tact the nearest DNR officeand speak with a wildlifebiologist or technician forfurther assistance.For more information, go
to www.michigan.gov/bear.
Spring weather impacts wildlifeBears are emerging from hibernation and looking for food; other wildlife are on the move
MANISTEE – MacombCounty man was arraignedrecently in 85th DistrictCourt in Manistee Countyon charges of illegally takinga black bear without a per-mit and excessive use ofdeer bait. The charges stemfrom a Nov. 16 bear poach-ing incident in ManisteeCounty during the firearmdeer hunting season. JamesEarl May, 33, allegedly shotand killed a bear and left itto die in the woods. May willappear at a pre-trial exam in85th District Court on April9.Michigan conservation
officer Carla Soper original-ly responded to a complaintof a black bear lying dead inthe woods in ManisteeCounty. While investigatingthe complaint, the DNR putout a statewide press releaseasking for information andMay contacted the investi-
gating officer shortly after asa result. Soper was able tointerview him and presenther case to the ManisteeCounty prosecutor.The Manistee County
prosecutor’s office issued anarrest warrant for May onthe charges of taking a bearwithout a permit and use ofexcessive deer bait.Conservation officer KrisKiel arrested May at hisMacomb County residenceon March 2.The bear had been found
dead of a shotgun woundnear a hunting blind onpublic land in CleonTownship. Witnesses saidthat the bear had beenkilled on Nov. 16 at approxi-mately 5:30 p.m. Three bearcubs are believed to havebeen orphaned as a result ofthe bear being killed,although the cubs were notlocated.
Poaching bear inMichigan carries a restitu-tion payment of $1,500 perbear, a minimum $200 fineand jail time of up to 90days. In addition, a viola-tor's hunting privileges maybe suspended for up tothree years.The DNR’s Report All
Poaching (RAP) Line isavailable 24 hours a day, 365days a year to take informa-tion regarding any fish orgame violations inMichigan. The number forthe RAP Line is 800-292-7800. Information also canbe reported online atwww.michigan.gov/conser-vationofficers.Information may be left
anonymously, though infor-mation leading to an arrestand conviction is eligible fora cash reward funded by theGame and Fish ProtectionFund.
Man arraigned forbear poaching
Conservation officers arrest man whoallegedly poached black bear in Manistee
County
The Department of NaturalResources reminds everyonethat after the heavy ice andsnow cover melts onMichigan's lakes in earlyspring, it may be common todiscover dead fish or otheraquatic creatures. This year'ssevere winter, with heavysnow and ice cover, will cre-ate conditions that cause fishand other creatures such asturtles, frogs, toads and cray-fish to die."Winterkill is the most
common type of fish kill,"said Gary Whelan, DNR fishproduction manager. "Giventhe harsh conditions thiswinter with thick ice anddeep snow cover, it will be
particularly common in shal-low lakes and streams andponds. These kills are local-ized and typically do notaffect the overall health ofthe fish populations or fish-ing quality."Winterkill occurs during
especially long, harsh win-ters ? similar to the one expe-rienced this year. Shallowlakes with excess aquaticvegetation and soft bottomsare particularly prone to thisproblem. Fish and otheraquatic life typically die inlate winter, but may not benoticed until a month afterthe ice leaves the lakebecause the dead fish andother aquatic life are tem-
porarily preserved by thecold water."Winterkill begins with
distressed fish gasping for airat holes in the ice and oftenends with large numbers ofdead fish that bloat as thewater warms in early spring,"Whelan explained. "Deadfish and other aquatic lifemay appear fuzzy because ofsecondary infection by fun-gus, but the fungus was notthe cause of death. The fishactually suffocated from alack of dissolved oxygen fromdecaying plants and otherdead aquatic animals underthe ice."Dissolved oxygen is
required by fish and all other
forms of aquatic life. Oncethe daylight is greatlyreduced by thick ice anddeep snow cover, aquaticplants stop producing oxy-gen and many die. The bacte-ria that decompose organicmaterials on the bottom ofthe lake use the remainingoxygen in the water. Once theoxygen is reduced otheraquatic animals die and startdecomposing, the rate thatoxygen is used for decompo-sition is additionallyincreased and dissolved oxy-gen levels in the waterdecrease even more leadingto increasing winterkill.For more information on
fish kills in Michigan, visit
www.michigan.gov/fishing.If you suspect a fish kill iscaused by non-natural caus-es, please call the nearestDNR office or Michigan'sPollution Emergency AlertSystem at 1-800-292-4706.The Michigan Department
of Natural Resources is com-mitted to the conservation,protection, management,use and enjoyment of thestate's natural and culturalresources for current andfuture generations. For moreinformation, go towww.michigan.gov/dnr.
The Department of NaturalResources today announcedthat, starting April 1, theapplication period will openfor the new Deer PrivateLand Assistance Network(Deer PLAN) grant program.The Deer PLAN, funded bythe Fish and Game Fund, isdesigned to support private-land deer habitat improve-ment projects in the north-ern Lower Peninsula."There are two primary
goals applicants shouldstrive to meet," said DNRwildlife biologist BrianPiccolo. "The projects shouldproduce tangible deer habi-tat improvements and buildlong-term partnershipsbetween the DNR andsportsmen's clubs."
For 2014, $50,000 will beavailable, focused on the fol-lowing counties: Alcona,Alpena, Crawford,Montmorency, Oscoda andPresque Isle. Funds will beallocated across these sixcounties based on a compet-itive grant application scor-ing process."A focus area will concen-
trate habitat projects in aparticular region, and indoing so will provide greaterbenefits to deer populationsin areas where we have iden-tified habitat issues," saidDNR Deer Program biologistAshley Autenrieth.Application amounts must
be between $2,000 and$10,000 and the grant recipi-ent is required to provide 25
percent of the total grantamount. Projects can takeplace on private land,Commercial Forest Act landor other non-state-ownedland.Project applications are
due by May 14. Successfulapplicants will be notified byMay 30.The complete grant appli-
cation package is availableonline atwww.michigan.gov/dnr-grants by following the DeerPLAN link under WildlifeHabitat Management nearthe bottom of the page.The Deer PLAN grant pro-
gram is made possible byMichigan's new hunting andfishing license structure.
LOCAL SPORTSOn-line at www.weeklychoice.com
April 3, 2014 Tell our advertisers you saw their ad in the Weekly Choice • Page 5-B
Deer PLAN grant program underwayProgram is designed to support private-lane deer habitat improvements projects in
GAYLORD – With the 2014fuelwood season underwaythis week, the Departmentof Natural Resources hasstreamlined its system tomake it more convenient forresidents to purchase per-sonal-use fuelwood permitsin person and by mail. Theseason runs through Dec.31.The mail-in order forms
are available online at theDNR website www.michi-gan.gov/fuelwood.“Folks are encouraged to
save gas and time by order-ing this year’s fuelwood per-mit through the mail,” saidBill O’Neill, chief of theDNR Forest ResourcesDivision. “Many peoplerely on wood to heat theirhomes at a lower cost. Wewanted to give people acouple of options for pur-chasing their permits tomake the process easierand more convenient.”Permits cost $20 and
are for use on designated
state forest land in thenorthern two-thirds of thestate and allow for collec-tion of up to five standardcords of wood per house-hold. Fuelwood collectedwith the permit can be usedfor personal use only andcannot be resold or traded.The permits are good for 90days.In response to residents’
heating energy needs dur-ing Michigan’s long winterthis year, the DNR beganearly sales of 2014 fuelwoodpermits – more than amonth before the tradition-al starting date of April 1.
Because of the uniquewinter, the DNR is allowingthose who purchased anemergency permit to pur-chase another regular per-mit this calendar year.The DNR has issued fuel-
wood permits for decadesand issues between 2,500and 3,500 each year.For further information
on how and where to pur-chase a personal-use fuel-wood permit, contact yourlocal DNR office or visitwww.michigan.gov/fuel-wood.
DNR fuelwoodpermits nowavailable
Fish kill may be common this springLong, severe with heavy snow and ice cover creates conditions that cause fish
Due to recent expansion in our business, weare currently accepting applications/resumesfor men or women in our customer service
department. REQUIREMENTS:
Customer service experience, Able to start immediately, Business casual dress and have
Reliable transportation. Call Monday or Tuesday for interview.
989-705-1723
CUSTOMERSERVICE
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The Grayling DDA/Main Street Program is accepting applications for a full-time Manager. The Main Street Manager will be responsible for coordinat-ing downtown revitalization activities for the City of Grayling, a northern
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Page 8-B • Tell our advertisers you saw their ad in the Weekly Choice April 3, 2014
By Jim Akans
This charming and spacious Grayling arearanch has undergone so many updates andrenovations in recent years that it is basicallymore new than old!
With a whopping 1,888 square feet of livingspace on the main level, this three-bedroom,two-bath home has plenty of room for thegrowing family to enjoy along with the manyamenities the home offers. Highlights includecentral air conditioning, Pergo flooring andluxuriously plush carpeting, jetted tub in themaster suite, covered front porch and openrear deck, two-car garage AND storage shed,fenced back yard and more.
This home is “clean as a whistle” and readyto move into and start enjoying right away.Recently, the seller of this home invested over$7,000 in new kitchen cabinets as well newflooring. Other updates and renovations tothe home have included two additions withinthe last 10 years, plus a new roof, waterheater, windows, flooring and maintenance-free vinyl siding.
This spacious and thoroughly updatedGrayling area ranch home has recently under-gone a reduction in the asking price, and isnow listed at just $108,500. Call BrianJergenson today for a private showing. (989)732-1707 or [email protected].
1738 S. Otsego Ave., P.O. Box 641 Gaylord, MI 49735
LEVEL 2.5 ACRE PARCELWith good mix of trees, paved roadaccess, electric adjacent and state land
across road.
$17,900 MLS #280761
25K PRICE REDUCTION!Peaceful Up North Custom Built 3 Bed, 3Bath Home on 10 Wooded Acres. PrivateSetting Flourishing with Wildlife (see Elk-Deer in back yard). New Maple Flooring,Field Stone Fireplace, T&G Vaulted Ceiling,Built In Appliances, Wet Bar, Jet Tub, Sauna.Large Deck, Naturally Landscaped, 2 1/2Car Attached Garage, Car Port and
Additional 24x24 Out Building. Close toGaylord, Petoskey, Boyne Falls.
$310,000 MLS #280633
OLDY BUT A GOODY. 3 Bed, 1 Bath usable Cabin with 2 addition-al fixer upper cabins for the do-it-your-self-er. Another shed and garage currently usedfor wood storage. All on 1.7 acres within a
1/2 mile of Big Bear Lake.
$43,900 MLS #287342
PRICE REDUCTION...For More Than 300 Feet of Frontage onOutstanding Fishing Traverse Lake. PrivateLake with No Access to Lake Unless YouOwn Property...Here's Opportunity toOwn! Docs on File from Health Dept
Indicate this is Buildable Lot.
$20,000 MLS #285316
Feature HomeOn the Market
6355 Atkinson Road, GraylingListed by Brian Jergenson of Keith Dressel Realty (KDR) (989) 732-1707
Price reduction on spacious Grayling area ranch homefeaturing numerous recent updates
Real EstateWhy Isn’t My
HomeSelling?
Compliments ofEd Wohlfiel
Part 2 of 3Price based on greedEven if it’s been shown that
your house will likely sell foraround $250,000, you insist onlisting it for $275,000 because“you never know, someonecould come along who just hasto have it. Besides, if we don’t getany bites we can always lowerthe price later.” The problem is itwon’t take long for buyers torealize your price is unrealisticand think you are, too, and won’twant to deal with you unless thehouse is “a steal.” The listing lan-guishes, so you drop the price,but not enough, it sits evenlonger and pretty soon you havea listing that’s been on the mar-ket so long buyers decide thereis something wrong and steerclear.The solution is to get the price
right. This is done by using whatis called a Competitive MarketAnalysis (CMA). If you’ve hiredthe right agent, this is the firstfolder out of their briefcasewhen you meet to list yourhome. A CMA breaks down thesales price of homes that aresimilar to yours in location, size,age and condition.Your agent will also consider
the listing prices of homes onthe market, but these are usedmore to identify the competi-tion. Even with a strong agentand CMA, your price may not beon target. That’s because themarket is always changing andyour agent should be updatingyour CMA whenever anythingcomparable to your propertysells.Not every reason your home
isn’t selling will be the price,although they will be related toit. Here we have that value vs.price issue. If buyers perceiveimperfections in your listing,they will want a discount, so ifthey’re not buying, your price isnot discounted enough for buy-ers to believe the value to themat least equals that of your price.For example, if your lawn is
brown and the landscapingworn, buyers will want a dis-count. The problem is that a sell-er will not consider this a majorissue and attach a much lowerdiscount than a buyer willaccept.This is why it is imperative
that sellers do everything theycan to eliminate any issues buy-ers may have with their housebefore listing. Obviously, youcan’t do anything about a badlocation, such as being near rail-road tracks, or that you have justone bathroom. But you and youragent should have factored thesedrawbacks into the listing price.