Superintendent Mark Palmer to be honored June 8
St. Johns Public Schools outgoing Superintendent Mark Palmer has been with the St. Johns district for 24 years. He took over as superintendent in early 2018 after a long tenure as the high school principal. His education career spans 35 years.
Please join the community for a Retirement Celebration honoring Mark Palmer on
Thursday, June 8 from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00.p.m. in the High School Cafeteria
Want to help your community?
Are you looking for an opportunity to help out your community? AmeriCorps may be an option for you.
Americorps is a non profit organization that gives back to the community in so many ways. When you join AmeriCorps, you choose how you want to give back.
– Mentor a child. Help boost graduation rates.
– Support communities impacted by natural disasters.
– Work to end hunger.
These are just a few of the service opportunities available to you through AmeriCorps. There are many different opportunities to go through.
What are some of the benefits of AmeriCorps? They offer opportunities with different time commitments and requirements, meaning that you can serve in whatever capacity works for your passion, goals, and lifestyle. Through their programs, they also provide benefits for members, including education awards, housing stipends, living allowances, and supplemental health insurance. Benefits may vary by program.
If you are interested and have any questions please email today.
Flags go up and down at Mt. Rest
an album by Maralyn Fink with courtesy photos
Demolition of Teresa Merrill School
by Maralyn Fink
SJ Board of Education makes plans for sale of city properties
East Ward (Theresa Merrill) School was designed by Oliver Hidden and opened in 1876.
It was enlarged in 1908. It was placed on the U.S. Register of Historic places in May, 1980.
A day after three new city schools were dedicated, the St. Johns Board of Education began the process for disposal of three “old” city sites. Board members approved the start of plans which will result in the sale of Swegles Elementary School, and razing of Perrin-Palmer and Theresa Merrill prior to the sale of the sites.
The East Ward School was a single-story brick structure consisting of two sections: the original building, constructed in 1876, and a 1906 addition. The 1876 building was a rectangular structure, with a low hip roof with a gable at each end. A projecting entrance had an arced, recessed porch topped with another gable. The brickwork contained an elaborate decorative scheme with corbelled and paneled bricks. There were two rooms in the interior.
The 1906 addition was approximately the same size as the earlier section, and also contained two rooms. It had a high hip roof and brickwork that matched that of the earlier section.
A bell tower which was originally above the front entrance to the older section had been removed. In addition, the original narrow windows of the older section had been removed and replaced with wider windows which matched the newer section.
One more visage of Oliver Hidden architecture crumbles Jan. 5, 2000
by Rhonda Dedyne
First there was the old Clinton County Courthouse; then Central School toppled and fell; and last week Teresa Merrill School came tumbling down.
Constructed in 1876 at a cost of $2,000, the former East Ward School was one of several renowned public and private buildings in St. Johns designed by Oliver Hidden.
Along with the courthouse and Central School, other sites in St. Johns that bore the Hidden touch were the old Steel Hotel, North Ward School (also built in 1876 as a predecessor to Perrin Palmer), and the former John Hicks house located on State Street.
Both Central School and Teresa Merrill were listed on the National Register of Historic Sites.
Community and alternative education classes had been located at the Teresa Merrill site from the mid-1980s until the current school year. Those students are now housed in the renovated Wilson Center, formerly Rodney B. Wilson Middle School.
The relocation of classes from Teresa Merrill to the Wilson Center foreshadowed the eventual demolition of the oldest remaining school building in St. Johns.
“We did have a couple people who were interested in it, but once they went through and saw the amount of work and money that would be needed for renovations that interest was gone,” said St. Johns School Supt. Dick Tait.
A $24,000 contract for demolition of the school was awarded to H&M Demolition of Holland, which also was the low bidder on the Perrin Palmer property that was razed last year.
“The board decided to take it (Teresa Merrill) down for liability reasons, and also to make it more attractive to sell the site as vacant land,” Tait said.
Appraisals on the property as vacant land are in the $400,000 range, he said. It is currently zoned for municipal use.
The fact that the building was registered as historic site posed no problems in terms of demolition.
“If we would have used any federal or state-designated dollars to renovate it, there would have been a complicated procedure to follow,” Tait said, adding that the district had consulted its attorneys in checking on the legality of demolishing the building.
In its day, the old East Ward School was a architectural gem, known particularly for its unique brickwork. The following information is provided courtesy of Brian Grennell, an area resident who documented Hidden’s works in a 1998 research paper.
“East Ward was one-story, built of a salmon colored brick. The stepped brickwork pattern was incorporated along the top of the walls below the eaves, creating a bracketed effect. Sharp gables rising from the front and sides pierced the roof line.
“Large arches framed the three doorways and the classroom windows consisted of large rectangular openings in the brick, within which multiple double hung sashes were framed.
“The 1906 addition, generally similar in size to the earlier section, is a two-room block with a high hip roof and corbelled and paneled brickwork matching that of the 1876 building.
“A mansard-roof bell tower which once capped the front gable of the older section of the school has been removed and the narrow windows of the older section have been replaced by broad ones matching those in the newer section.
“The interior was finished in a simple manner, with beaded pine wainscot and throughout, and trimmed with oak and ash.”Its original East Ward name was changed in 1976 when the school district recognized a veteran educator, Teresa Merrill, by naming the building in her honor. Mrs. Merrill retired in 1957 – after teaching in St. Johns Public Schools for 50 years, including 27 years as principal at East Ward.
The following comments were posted at the Chatterbox following the demolition:
Posted by Terry Jasso (Salazar) on January 07:
I no longer live in St. Johns but every time I go back to visit I love to drive through town and reminisce about the old times I spent here. I use to live right across from the East Ward school and have a lot of memories of playing in that school yard with all the neighbor kids. I was also back in town for my 20 year reunion in August and seen some of those kids that I started school with at East Ward. So it really saddens me to see all these historical places in St. Johns being demolished. I sure wish there were a way to save some of these places. They really give St. Johns character and before you know it they’ll be gone and it will look like any other big city.
Posted by Sherry Kentfield Szekeres on January 09:
I agree with you. I, too, lived across the street from East Ward School. I attended first grade thru fourth grade there. Mrs. Bennett and Mrs. Merrill were my favorite teachers. All the neighborhood kids would play softball on the field at the school most summer evenings. I won my hula hoop contest in the yard of the school. There wasn’t much playground equipment, but we enjoyed the swings and we could touch our feet on the tree limbs if we dared to go high enough. I must have attended school there in the early ’50s, but I returned in the late ’70s to let my daughter swing on the same swings. It is sad to read about the demolition of my old school buildings. They will be missed.
Remember When – Community pitches in to help with Howe Greenhouse recovery in 2020
Knob Hill Tavern and Howe’s Greenhouse are teaming up to bring you a special to help us rebound from COVID and the fire. They are offering a Flowers and Dinner Special.
Purchase either a 6-month ($300) or a l-year ($600) flowers and dinner special. Each month you will receive a bouquet of flowers and a 16″- 3 Item pizza and bottle of wine. Call in advance for pick up at Howe’s Greenhouse and Flower Shoppe 517-669-9822 and Knob Hill Tavern 517-669-3800.
Following the devastating August 2 fire the business part of the operation reopened on August 3.
With the support of many in the community 95% of the cleanup has been done within a few days. The family issued special thanks to Laura Mullaney for the food she brought and to Julie Watkins at the Knob Hill Tavern and Restaurant for the pizzas.
Letters – Howe’s Greenhouse celebrates 100 years
Just want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone that came to help us celebrate 100 years of serving the area, from our open house throughout the month of May. We are so blessed to be apart of this community.
– Howe’s Greenhouse & Flower Shoppe, LLC
Maralyn’s Pet Corner – Why Cats Fight With Other Cats and How To Help
Having cats that fight with each other in a multi-pet household can be stressful. This is especially true if you’ve just adopted one cat and had hoped that your resident cat would be happy to have another cat around.
If the introductions are not going as planned, here’s some insight on what’s behind the cat-to-cat aggression and some things you can try to keep the peace.
Play Aggression
One scenario where cats may fight with each other relates to play aggression. A cat may be predisposed to play aggression when interacting with another cat if they:
– Were under-socialized as a kitten
– Do not get enough playtime and exercise during the day
– Have not been given appropriate alternative outlets for playing
This can cause injuries if the aggressive cat is overly intense in stalking, pouncing, and biting the other cat during play. While play aggression is more common in kittens, it can happen in cats under 2 years of age that have never had other feline playmates.
Play and grooming between cats is healthy, but it’s important to understand the difference between appropriate play behavior and fighting or dominance behaviors.
Look for ears pointed forward in interest, loose and easygoing body movements, gentle mouthing and rubbing against each other, taking turns with dominant and submissive postures or grooming behaviors, and taking small breaks from playing or grooming.
A cat on the verge of fighting with their playmate may start to thrash their tail from side to side, flatten their ears, puff up their fur, or have dilated pupils.
Fear Aggression
Another scenario that might cause cats to fight would be fear aggression. An example would be when a cat encounters an unfamiliar cat in their environment without having a proper introduction period.
Fear aggression can also happen when an outgoing cat approaches a naturally shy, fearful cat, or when a dominant cat tries to bully a more submissive cat. In these cases, the shy, submissive cat may lash out at the friendly or dominant cat.
A fearful cat may also avoid the other cat or assume a defensive position by freezing and crouching low to the ground before initiating a more offensive response. When overly threatened, the fearful cat may thrust their ears forward and lunge at the other cat, initiating a fight.
Territorial Aggression
Cats may also fight over their territory, combining territorial aggression, status-induced aggression, and inter-cat aggression. Territory fights can happen soon after new cats are introduced to one another, or they may begin over time as antagonistic feelings build between the two cats and a social order is established and challenged.
It’s not uncommon for cats to claim domains for themselves and protect valuable resources, such as high perching spots, litter boxes, toys, attention from humans, and food and water sources. For instance, if there is only one good spot for the cats to watch birds and other prey animals outdoors, the cats may fight over this prized spot.
Redirected Aggression
Two cats in a household may fight if their aggression is redirected from sensing an unfamiliar cat in the area or hearing a loud noise in the distance. In this scenario, the cats are unable to respond directly to the unfamiliar cat or the frightening noise and may become agitated. This can cause the cats to release their tension on each other, resulting in a fight.
How to Stop Cat Fights
To stop cats from fighting, you’ll want to redirect their attention. You can do this with a short, sudden noise, such as hissing from a can of compressed air (not directed at the cats). You could also redirect play behavior toward an appropriate toy, such as a wand toy.
You should never use physical punishment, yelling, or loud, sustained noises because these can increase fear, anxiety, and aggressive behaviors in cats. You also don’t want to put your hand or any other part of your body between cats that are fighting or try to pull them apart, because you can get injured.
How to Help Cats Get Along
Fighting in cats can be managed with calming products such as multi-cat Feliway diffusers that plug into the wall. Aggressive cats may also benefit from anti-anxiety medications such as fluoxetine and gabapentin, particularly if one of the cats is often the instigator of the fighting.
To resolve fighting between cats long-term, you’ll also need to address the root cause of the behavior.
Play Aggression
For example, play fighting behaviors can be corrected by directing the aggressive impulses toward a more appropriate outlet. Offer your cats a variety of toys with different textures—small, light, catnip-laced toys; balls with bells in them; wand toys; laser lights; and toys stuffed with food or treats are all good choices. Cats may also benefit from more play during the day to help them use energy and keep them mentally stimulated.
Territorial Aggression and Fear Aggression
Territorial, inter-cat, and status-induced aggression can be managed by giving each cat their own space and ample resources, such as multiple cat trees, plenty of toys and attention, and distinct food and water sources, as well as litter boxes spaced far enough away to avoid squabbles.
Cats with personality differences or those that were introduced too quickly without the proper setup may benefit from a reintroduction protocol. Here are some steps to follow:
Separate the cats into their own confined spaces with food, water, a litter box, a perch, toys, and a view of the outdoors.
The cats can then swap spaces and spend a bit of time in each other’s rooms alone.
Slowly, over several days or weeks, the cats may spend increasing amounts of time in each other’s presence, first in crates so they can see and smell each other but not interact, and then roaming freely if fighting and aggressive behaviors do not happen. Attention and praise should only be given to cats when they are calm.
It’s important to have realistic goals when dealing with this situation. With some cats, your goal may have to be peaceful co-existence rather than becoming friends. If you can get cats where they are not fighting with one another, which may mean they ignore each other with even a few hisses here and there, this is achieving the goal. You want the fearful cat to become confident enough to claim their own territory, including their food, water, litter box, and cat tree, and have the dominant one leave the fearful one alone.
Hormonal Aggression
If aggression is due to hormonal influences, male or female cats may need to be neutered or spayed if they are not already.
Redirected Aggression
Cats with redirected aggression issues can be managed by removing the threat from view, such as pulling blinds over windows if the cats act aggressively when they see unfamiliar cats or other animals outside.