{"id":1871,"date":"2016-02-18T20:58:57","date_gmt":"2016-02-19T01:58:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/miserybay.usanethosting.com\/indylite\/?p=1871"},"modified":"2016-02-18T20:58:57","modified_gmt":"2016-02-19T01:58:57","slug":"more-news-18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/indylite\/2016\/02\/18\/more-news-18\/","title":{"rendered":"More News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bernard Feldpausch<\/strong>: the epitome of selfless service<\/p>\n

by Rhonda Dedyne<\/p>\n

<\/embed><\/p>\n

A lifetime writing about people, places and events has provided me with many opportunities to meet individuals who have had a positive impact on our mid-Michigan communities. Bernard Feldpausch, who passed away February 11, is one of those people. It’s impossible to count the number of lives he touched during his 91 years of selfless service, or measure the effect Bernard’s integrity as a successful business owner of Bee’s Chevy-Olds and Bee’s Sports had on multiple generations.<\/p>\n

\"bernard1\"Compassionate and caring, Bernard was tenacious in the many projects he and like-minded community leaders championed through the decades of the mid-20th century into the new millennium. His genuine concern and honest humor made it impossible to say no to Bernard when he had an idea he wanted to share with others. I can attest to that, as can many others who had the sometimes dubious honor of being on Bernard’s telephone chain. How we all will miss those calls and the sound of his voice, mixing a funny story with a request for help with this or that project – always for the benefit of the most vulnerable among us.<\/p>\n

Young people held a special place in Bernard’s heart. In the early 1960s, he helped organize and sponsor the Clinton County Soap Box Derby that was held in downtown St. Johns. Over 5,000 spectators watched the 53 entries in that debut race. Those numbers were multiplied many times over in subsequent years, providing countless hours of positive interaction between youth and adults.<\/p>\n

Similarly, when St. Johns Youth Baseball teams needed a new home in the late 1960s, the organization looked to Bernard for help. He responded by donating land on Townsend Road from acreage he had purchased to build his new Bee’s dealership – and the ball fields were finished and in use before his own facility opened in 1969. Additional fields, lighting, concession stand, parking and other improvements over the years benefited from Bernard’s generosity. <\/p>\n

Providing educational opportunities for area youth were also high on Bernard’s to-do list. When Bee’s relocated to the current location on BR-127, the “old” dealership building on Higham Street west of Clinton Avenue became the home of Clinton County Shared Time Vocational Programs coordinated by the Clinton County Intermediate School District. Students learned valuable on-the-job skills in food services, automotive repair and maintenance, data processing and cosmetology through classes that were available to students from across the county. The collaborative arrangement had a positive impact on thousands of young people enrolled in the program that received state and national recognition.<\/p>\n

\"bernard2\"<\/p>\n

A desire to help individuals with unique needs, the elderly and the under-privileged prompted Bernard’s involvement in the development of the county-wide transportation system we know today as Clinton Transit. In his typical never-say-quit fashion, Bernard worked with other community leaders to establish the inaugural fleet of Community Resource Volunteers “Blue Buses” that provide low-cost\/no-cost transportation to county residents. Although Bernard hasn’t worked on the busses in recent years as he once did, Clinton Transit offices remain at the Higham\/Brush street location.<\/p>\n

Examples of Bernard’s selfless nature are visible in countless other organizations that have touched the lives of many families: Clinton Area Care Center, Clinton (Sparrow) Memorial Hospital, St. Joseph Catholic Church and School, and the Knights of Columbus to name a few. He received numerous honors over the years including the Clinton County Area Chamber of Commerce Bill Patton Award that is given annually to an individual who demonstrates continued commitment and dedication to the betterment of the community, and the Honorary Paul Harris Fellow by the St. Johns Rotary Club.<\/p>\n

While Bernard accepted the awards with grace and thanks, personal recognition was never important to the true gentle man and gentleman. My calling him a “gentleman” would have garnered a humorous reply of some sort from him, I know that for sure. He once said that he most loved “God, people, automobiles and airplanes – and in that order,” which was undoubtedly true. Although, he may have added honey bees to the list or any other creature of God’s natural world that he loved so much.<\/p>\n

Every conversation with Bernard always included some mention of nature: pairs of geese that he and Adeline watched on the pond; the beauty of changing seasons; bees and the vital role they play in agriculture and the continuation of food sources to sustain the human species. <\/p>\n

Another constant in our conversations were bits of wisdom which popped up as part of the stories he enjoyed telling, usually dating to his youth and often involving his father. I call them “Bernie-isms.” Examples follow:<\/p>\n

Bernard didn’t like to wear a hat when he was young which frequently resulted in his being chastised by his dad – at least that was Bernard’s version of what preceded this “Bernie-ism.” After once again being scolded for being hatless in the cold, working outside on the farm, Bernard’s dad said to him, “Well, I’ve finally figured out why you don’t need a hat – An empty barn doesn’t need a roof.” That was classic Bernard – poking fun at himself and making someone else laugh in the process.<\/p>\n

Other “Bernie-isms” were more serious and practical:
\n“All the knowledge in the world is nothing if you don’t have common sense, too.”
\n“There are no perfect people in this world – and we are one of them.”
\nAnd this one, paraphrased from his father when Bernard was attempting to get his first job, “If you’re going to get this job and keep it, you’d best do more than what’s expected of you.” Good advice for anyone, at any age. <\/p>\n

In what turned out to be my final visit with Bernard and Adeline in the past few months, I reminded him about the time he took me flying in his beloved airplane so that I could take aerial photographs of the US-27 bypass around St. Johns. <\/p>\n

\"daddy\"<\/p>\n

That flight in the autumn of 1995 was memorable not because of the bypass, but for the photos I took of my parents farm on Forest Hill Road in Riley Township where we spotted my Dad walking up the farm lane to the house. Bernard tipped a wing down, saying hello. Of course Dad had no idea at the time who was flying in that plane, but it was special to me – and to Bernard. A smile crossed his face when I re-told that story one last time. <\/p>\n

Bernard’s life is a wonderful example of service above self. It is an honor to call him my friend.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/picasaweb.google.com\/110845930262453987007\/16bernard?authuser=0&feat=directlink<\/a><\/p>\n

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Mark Your Calendar<\/strong><\/p>\n

CASA Spaghetti Buffet <\/p>\n

Wednesday, February 24 from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at St. Johns Big Boy <\/p>\n

******<\/p>\n

Kindergarten Registration – March 15 – 17<\/p>\n

St. Johns Public Schools offers all day, everyday kindergarten. Children who will be 5 years old on or by September 1, 2016 are eligible to attend school in the fall.<\/p>\n

Please visit the web page www.sjredwings.org<\/a> to get school updates and information.<\/p>\n

******<\/p>\n

Annual Spring Wetlands Conservation Banquet – April 15, 2016<\/p>\n

The Clinton County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited (DU) will host it\u2019s 35th Annual Wetlands Conservation
\nbanquet on Friday April 15, 2016. The event will once again be held at Smith Hall on the 4-H Fairgrounds in St Johns. <\/p>\n

\n

Leonard to hold office hours <\/strong><\/p>\n

State Rep. Tom Leonard today encouraged people to join him for office hours scheduled during March.<\/p>\n

Rep. Leonard, R-DeWitt, said office hours will place on Friday, March. 11 at the following locations:<\/p>\n

\u00b7 In St. Johns at the Big Boy, 1408 S. U.S. 27, from 8 to 9:30 a.m.; and<\/p>\n

\u00b7 In Ithaca at the Hearthstone Oven Bakery and Caf\u00e9, 126 S. Pine River St., from 10 to 11:30 a.m. <\/p>\n

No appointment is necessary. Those unable to attend may contact Rep. Leonard by calling 517-373-1778 or toll free at 877-859-8086, via email at TomLeonard@house.mi.gov<\/a> or through his website at www.RepLeonard.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

Briggs Library News<\/strong><\/p>\n

March is Reading Month<\/em> – Briggs Library is celebrating March is Reading Month with crafts, games, and snacks inspired by your favorite characters and stories! Readers ages 3-5 can get their groove on with Pete the Cat Tuesday, March 8; readers ages 6-8 can “Shel-a-brate” Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree Tuesday, March 15. Both programs will run from 6:30-7:30p.m. Registration is required and is now open.<\/p>\n

Comic Book Presentation<\/em> – Did you know that Michigan State University houses the world’s largest library comic collection? Randy Scott, Assistant Head of Special Collections at MSU, will be at Briggs Library for a special March is Reading Month presentation on Tuesday, March 29 at 7:00p.m. to discuss this collection, the work that goes on at a comic art library, and will even bring examples of the interesting and rare items the collection houses. All ages are welcome, but the program format may not suit young listeners. Registration for this program is now available.<\/p>\n

Lapsit Storytime<\/em> – “Favorite Character Tales” There are still a few openings for children ages 12 to 24 months with adult participation. You are invited to share the wonder of stories, music, creative movement, crafts and signing with some of our favorite book friends. Choose between Friday mornings 10:30-11, Feb. 19 – Mar.18 (no session on Good Friday) or Monday evenings, 6:30-7, Feb.22 – Mar. 28. Registration is open now. It is a wonderful opportunity for the children to meet and socialize in a relaxed and fun way. <\/p>\n

Chapter Chatter<\/em> – “Through a Door” will be the theme for children ages 6-8. What will we find behind the doors that we walk through in this 4 week session? Library staff will choose stories that will be shared at each session. The fun will happen on Thursday evenings, 7-7:45pm, Feb. 25- Mar.17. The “door locations” will be announced at a later date. Registration is required and is open at this time. Like books, it will be an adventure!<\/p>\n

Toddler Storytime<\/em> – “Toddler Tails” Join in the fun with tales about animals with “tails”. Sessions are Thursdays, 10:30-11 am or 6:30-7 pm, March 24 – April 28. We will enjoy music, games, crafts and creative movement throughout the 6 week sessions. Registration is required and opens on Thursday, February 25th. We’ll have a tail waggin’ time!<\/p>\n

Easter Bunny<\/em> – Celebrate Easter at the Library with the Easter Bunny! On Tuesday, March 22 from 6:30-7:30p.m. the Easter Bunny will be hopping into the Library. There will be a snack, game, stories and a craft. Bring your own camera and take a picture with the Easter Bunny. Registration is required and opens for kids of all ages on Tuesday, February 23. <\/p>\n

Bookaholics Book Club<\/em> – The March selection of the Bookaholics is now available. We will be reading “Me Before You” by Jojo Moyes, the story of ordinary girl Louisa, who takes a job working for recently wheelchair-bound Will. Will has always lived a huge life, and now he is not sure he can live the way he is, but Louisa refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. We will meet Thursday, March 17 at 6:30p.m. at the Library. Ours is an open club that is always accepting new members, so stop in and join us!<\/p>\n

Staff Picks<\/em> – If you are looking for a good book to read here is a list of titles that Library staff enjoyed or found informative in the last month. Fiction: “The Center of the World” by Jacqueline Sheehan, “Blackout” by D. Rosenfelt, “Storm Front” by R. Conroy, “After She’s Gone” by L. Jackson, “Guest Room” by C. Bohjalian, “Likely Story” by J. McKinlay and “Secret Sisters” by J. Krentz. Non-fiction: “Lights Out, a Cyberattack: a Nation Unprepared by Ted Koppel.<\/p>\n

\n

Baker College to move to Semesters <\/strong><\/p>\n

Baker College officials have announced that the college will transition from a quarter format to a semester format beginning fall 2017.<\/p>\n

A traditional academic year is a nine-month period composed of either quarter- or semester-based coursework. As a quarter-based institution, Baker College currently offers three quarters of coursework, each typically 10 to 12 weeks in duration, along with a summer session. The semester calendar will offer two 16-week semesters of coursework and a 12-week summer session.<\/p>\n

“The trend in higher education is certainly a semester schedule, especially in Michigan,” said Bart Daig, Ph.D., Baker College System president and CEO. “Our students will gain many benefits when our schedule aligns with the majority of higher education institutions.”<\/p>\n

He noted the following student benefits:
\n\u00b7 Longer-term internships that will provide additional real-world training.
\n\u00b7 Availability during traditional college breaks for summer and holiday employment.
\n\u00b7 Entering the job market at the same time in the spring as most other college graduates.
\n\u00b7 Greater ease of transferring credits and enrollment to and from other institutions of higher education.<\/p>\n

The new schedule also better aligns with high school calendars. It allows for additional opportunities to collaborate with high schools and for enhanced support of Baker College’s many existing high school dual-enrollment, direct-credit and early middle college initiatives.<\/p>\n

A transition committee has created a detailed implementation plan that provides a transparent and seamless process for students, faculty and staff.<\/p>\n

“Of high importance in this transition is to not disrupt the academic progress of current students,” said Denise Bannan, Ph. D., Baker College System vice president for academics. “It will be cost- and time-neutral for them. Advisors will ensure that this will not increase the cost to complete a program nor will it increase a student’s time to graduation. Annual tuition fees and financial aid on the semester calendar will remain comparable to those on our present quarter calendar.”<\/p>\n

For more information about the transition from quarters to semesters at Baker College, visit http:\/\/baker.edu\/semesterconversion<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bernard Feldpausch: the epitome of selfless service by Rhonda Dedyne A lifetime writing about people, places and events has provided me with many opportunities to meet individuals who have had a positive impact on our mid-Michigan communities. Bernard Feldpausch, who passed away February 11, is one of those people. It’s impossible to count the number Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/indylite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1871","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/indylite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/indylite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/indylite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/indylite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1871"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/indylite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1871\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/indylite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1871"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/indylite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1871"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/indylite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1871"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}