SJMS previews current Theatre production
The cast and crew from the St. Johns Middle School Theatre’s production of Madagascar gave preview performances to their middle school peers at St. Johns High School. From there they traveled to Gateway, Eureka, St. Joseph School, Oakview and Riley to perform selected scenes for the elementary students.
SJHS grads complete Boston Marathon
Kayleigh and Karrigan Smith 2015, St. Johns High School graduates, recently completed the 2023 Boston Marathon.
Kayleigh qualified for 127th running of the Boston Marathon at the 2022 Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City, and Karrigan qualified at the 2022 Ogden, UT Marathon.
Kayleigh is an Occupational Therapist and Karrigan is a Prosthetist and Orthotist.
2023 Area Proms
Support the Arts Council
Why would you support the Clinton County Arts Council?
CCAC is dedicated to marrying arts and the community together through free or low-cost events and outreach activities. CCAC provides a diverse range of events and programs focused on teaching, learning and appreciating the arts so that we can build and maintain a strong, creative, and connected Clinton County. Did you know we have 4 branches providing art to our community?
Art and Soul Gallery – The gallery offers affordable classes for kids and adults in a wide range of mediums from various painting classes, stained glass, pottery, and more. Whether you’re a beginner or more experienced artist, there is something for everyone. The gallery, itself, offers local artists an outlet to sell and display their work, as well as an opportunity to support all of our artists.
The Mint City Singers (MCS) – Love to sing? Or maybe just love music? Mint City Singers is a community-based vocal music ensemble for singers from Clinton County and its surrounding communities. It is designed for people who love to perform a wide variety of choral music and provides individuals the opportunity to enrich their lives and our community through group singing. New members are always welcome and should contact clintoncountyarts1@gmail.com.
Homegrown Productions – Homegrown Productions has been a regularly performing theatre group since 2006. Homegrown produces a minimum of two shows per year with a musical review or variety show often making the line-up. Performances mainly take place in the Wilson Center Auditorium in downtown St. Johns, though a handful of performances have been done in partnership with the Starlight Dinner Theater in Lansing. Homegrown Productions strives to provide a world-class theatre experience in a small town. Casting and auditions for Homegrown Productions are open to anyone who wishes to be part of the Homegrown community, no experience necessary.
Concerts in the Park and Events -There’s no better way to savor a summer night than spending a warm evening outdoors for a concert in the park. Sponsored jointly by the Clinton County Arts Council and the City of St. Johns, our “Concert in the Park” series begins in mid-June each summer and runs for twelve weeks. Concerts are held every Wednesday evening at the William E. Tennant Performance Shell in St. Johns City Park. Concerts are FREE of charge, although donations are gratefully accepted.
CCAC Sponsored Events – CCAC sponsors amazing events like the annual Chocolate Walk, Plein Air Painting Competition, Chalk It Up, and performances throughout the year by the Mint City Sings and Homegrown Productions. Watch for additional events to be scheduled.
To keep these art opportunities available in our community and to continually improve, we need your help. It takes a community to succeed.
For as little as $35 a year, you can help by becoming a member! Learn more about our membership levels and benefits by clicking the button below! It is easy to sign up. Fill out the form and drop off to the Art and Soul Gallery located downtown or simply click here https://clintoncountyarts.square.site/membership-2020 to sign up and pay for your membership. Every dollar is appreciated.
Remember When – The East Ward School story, Part I
by Maralyn Fink
[Editor’s Note] East Ward/Teresa Merrill School stood on the north side of East State Street in St. Johns. It is now a business area that featured Dollar General at 707 E. State Street.]
In 1974 a committee was formed to work on the history of East Ward School in preparation for a centennial celebration in 1976. This committee was composed of PTA members and past or present East Ward teachers.
The committee members decided that it would be nice to have an open house in honor East Ward’s 100 years. Also from the meetings stemmed the idea of writing as much of East Ward history as was possible. The following story is the result of this idea.
Members who assisted in getting information for this project are:
Gertrude Bennett, Cerelda Hicks, ThelmaWeismiller, Teresa Merrill, Laurita Allison, Ethel Huot, Janet Loucks, Jerry Beaufore, Rita Meier, Betty Webster, Evelyn Putnam, Helen Judd
Individuals who assisted the committee with retrieving information are:
John Baumgartner, Leo and Sara Pouch, Ivah Tolles
Also during the time this project was underway several other people from the community of St. Johns were contacted and assisted with bits and pieces of news. To the members of the committee, to the three resource individuals and to all the other people contacted who related information we thank you.
St. Johns Union Schools
1856-1876
The first school taught in St. Johns was a select school in charge of Kiss Karie Coryell, sister of Mrs. Swegles. She was visiting Mrs. Swegles in the summer of 1855, and that summer taught school in a shanty on Walker Street. Previously this shanty had been used as a blacksmith shop.
In 1856 the first public school was taught in the same building by Mrs. Gunsally and Mr. J. Wilcox, the latter of whom was assisted by his step-mother.
At the annual meeting of the voters of the school district in September, 1856, it was resolved to organize the district under the law authorizing the formation of union districts. An election for officers declared these to be elected: Hiram Hodge as moderator; John Ransom as director, Spenser Gibbs as assessor, and the following as trustees: A. M. Crawford, S. T. Hayward and David Sturgis.
At the same meeting it was resolved to raise $3,000 to build a school house and at a public meeting on October 12, 1857, the donation of a school site was accepted from A. H. Walker, on behalf of the Village proprietors.
This resolution seems to have met with some subsequent objection on the part of the taxpayers. Many of these taxpayers joined in a suit for an injunction against the levy of a tax for $3,000 for the construction of a school house upon the grounds, that the appropriation was an extravagant one, and that the resolution passing it was illegal.
The court sustained the application for an injunction and the district, therefore, voted to raise $500 for the building of a school house. This time there was not a dissenting voice.
The school house was erected upon the lot donated by the village proprietors and stood where now stands the Episcopal Church. It was completed in the fall of 1858 at a cost of $495. The builders were McKay and Mitchell.
The taxes voted in the district during the school year of October 1858 included $100 on each of the 156 scholars, $206 to pay the fees and costs in the injunction suit, and $500 to pay for the school house.
In 1862 the district resolved a second time to organize into a union school district. Actually, it was not until October 6, 1965 that the territory covered by the village of St. Johns was set off by the township school inspectors as District No.4.
In 1863 it was resolved to purchase the present union school site for $870 and to build a new school house for $10,000. Upon advertising for bids, it was found that Brainard, Wood and Dane would build such a school house for $8,850.
The district accepted Brainard, Wood’s bid and borrowed $9,000 from James Soverhlll of Geneva, New York for 10 years at 8 1/2 percent annually.
The building was completed in October 1865. It consisted of a main structure 54 by 31 feet flanked on each aide by a wing 14 by 31 feet. The entire edifice was constructed of brick. Its height was three stories. To the original contract price of $8,865 the district added on behalf of the contractors $1600 to cover extra expenditures incurred by them. So the total cost of the building reached $10,450.
The first teachers in the new union school (presently called central) were J. B. Nixon of Pontiac as principal, Miss Anna Miller of Ann Arbor as first assistant; Miss Emma Sickels of Owosso, as second assistant; and Miss Hunt of St. Johns.
On the first of November in 1865 the old school house on Walker Street was sold for $500.
1876-1906
The East side school was built in 1876 at a cost of $3,000. The school’s attendance was 52 students in the primary grades. The teachers in 1880 were Crissie Hill and Ellen Moore. The two-room East Ward
school was a pale gray-whlte brick. The yard around the school was low and usually wet–virtually a frog pond.
Inside the school were two potbelly stoves used for heating each room respective1y. One room held the kindergarten and first grades. The other held the second and third. The enrol1Inent was very small, about 8-15 students per grade. After the third grade , students went to the Union School (Central).
Many young people started their education at the East Ward school. Unfortunately most of the names of the students have been lost. We do know, however, that Addie Holmer Dutton was one of our first students. She attended East Ward in 1876. She was 12 years old at the time she first came to the school. In her memories she recalled walking through the woods each day in order to get to East Ward. Another young lady on record at that time was Marguarite Travis Norefleete. She began her kindergarten career at East Ward in 1894.
At the turn of the century the children of Addie Holmer Dutton became students of East Ward. Ivah Dutton Tolles, Ross A. Dutton and Dora Dutton Goodwin were students during the years of 1892-1906. At that time, also, the Frank family was sending their oldest girl to East Ward. Cerelda Frank Hicks attended for seven years (1903-1910). She showed great promise and went home with excellent grades and good reports.
[Next week Maralyn continues the story from 1905-1916
Maralyn’s Pet Corner – What Do Flea Eggs Look Like and How Do You Get Rid of Them?
Just the word “flea” can make us itchy—and it’s no wonder why. One flea can rapidly turn into an infestation of parasites that lay innumerable little flea eggs on dogs and cats.
Catching fleas early is essential for controlling a flea outbreak. To get a flea infestation under control, it is important to fight fleas at every life stage, including targeting flea eggs.
Here are some tips for identifying flea eggs on pets and how to get rid of them so you can keep your pet (and home!) pest-free.
What Do Flea Eggs Look Like?
While adult fleas can be identified pretty easily, flea eggs can be a little trickier to detect.
Flea eggs are almost microscopic—typically about 0.5 millimeters in length and about half as wide. That’s about the size of a grain of salt. Flea eggs have a soft shell called a “chorion” that has an off-white color, similar to a grain of salt, though they are more oval in shape.
Because flea eggs are easy to mistake for dry skin or sand, it’s usually not the first thing pet parents notice if their pet has a flea problem. If you have a flea infestation, finding flea dirt or actual fleas on your pet or in the home are more obvious signs.
If you’d like to discern a flea egg from something else, place the speck on a dark piece of paper under a magnifying glass to identify the characteristically oval shape of a flea egg.
Flea Eggs vs. Flea Dirt
People often mistake “flea dirt,” or flea feces, for flea eggs—though both are signs of a flea infestation.
Unlike flea eggs, flea dirt is dark and crumbly. You can identify flea dirt by putting a few of the specks on a white piece of paper and adding a couple drops of water. If you see a red color—which signals the presence of digested blood—then you’re dealing with flea dirt.
Flea dirt itself isn’t actually harmful and it’s easy to wash away with a gentle bath. The bad news is that it absolutely indicates a flea problem, which means your pet will require more than just a bath for treatment.
What Do Flea Larvae Look Like?
Flea larvae hatch from flea eggs. They are an off-white color and look like tiny worms, ranging from 2–5 millimeters in length. But you may not see them during an infestation because they quickly burrow deep into carpets, cracks, and grass.
How To Get Rid of Flea Eggs
At any given time, flea eggs make up more than half of a flea population, so it makes sense that you’ll want to address them quickly and effectively. However, getting rid of flea eggs should be a part of a multi-pronged approach to eliminating a flea infestation.
Treating Pets to Kill Flea Eggs
Many modern flea treatments for pets contain ingredients that kill adult fleas and insect growth regulators (IGRs), which stop flea eggs from maturing into adults. Some IGRs also work to sterilize female fleas so they can’t lay viable eggs.
Talk with your vet to decide which treatment they recommend for killing flea eggs on cats or dogs. They can help you choose the best product for your pet.
Products for Eliminating Flea Eggs in the Home
Foggers provide a simple way to kill flea eggs (and many other pests). It’s recommended to use foggers in combination with sprays or other products that can be used under furniture, where foggers have trouble reaching.
Many pet parents choose to use an environmental insect growth regulator to stop fleas from developing. Sprays with IGR, such as Sentry Home household flea and tick spray for pets, are great for killing flea eggs in your home.
Vacuuming and Cleaning to Get Rid of Fleas
Another effective way to get rid of flea eggs at home is to vacuum thoroughly. Flea eggs aren’t sticky, so while adult fleas typically lay their eggs on their host, those eggs soon fall off into the environment.
Several years ago, people commonly believed that the fleas would continue to develop in the vacuum and make their way into the environment, but that’s simply not the case. Vacuuming kills adult and non-adult fleas (eggs, larvae, pupae), which means you don’t need to worry about what to do with the vacuum bag or canister.
You can remove 32–90% of flea eggs (depending on the type of carpet you have) by simply vacuuming every other day while treating your flea infestation. Vacuuming will also lift up carpet fibers so that other environmental treatments work more effectively.
Vacuuming is a great idea even if you don’t have carpet—on hard surfaces such as hardwoods or tile, vacuuming can lift flea eggs from hard-to-reach cracks. Mopping and steam cleaning can help to kill flea eggs, and washing linens, bedding, and pet beds in the washing machine on the hot cycle is also advisable.
If possible, declutter your home so it’s easier to clean and there are fewer places for flea eggs to hide.
It’s important that your flea-control program tackles fleas at all of their life stages, including flea eggs. Employing multiple types of flea protection will help to cover any gaps in your strategy.
Be sure you speak with your veterinarian about the safety of any products you choose to use in your home and on your pet.