{"id":2766,"date":"2018-11-15T20:57:18","date_gmt":"2018-11-16T01:57:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/?p=2766"},"modified":"2018-11-15T20:57:18","modified_gmt":"2018-11-16T01:57:18","slug":"features-39","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/?p=2766","title":{"rendered":"Features"},"content":{"rendered":"

Eureka Elementary raises funds<\/strong><\/p>\n

Eureka Elementary School staff and PTO have been raising funds and reaching out to organizations within the community to beautify the school grounds and make it more enjoyable for the students.<\/p>\n

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The first item on the beautification list this year was a shade tree and buddy bench for the playground. Mark Smith from Smith Lawnscapes donated the labor to plant the tree, and donations from the school run-raiser that took place on October 30th were used to purchase the tree. The second item on the list is a buddy bench for students to rest, read, or reflect during recess. Under Cubmaster, Ashley Foster, Pack 516\/396 will be donating funds raised during the Blue and Gold Cake Auction, for the purchase of the buddy bench. Five boys from the pack attend Eureka, the bench is scheduled for installation in the Spring.<\/p>\n

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On Saturday, November 10th, Lowe United Methodist Church hosted a spaghetti dinner fundraiser, and parents and children from Eureka Elementary School cooked and served the meal to those that attended. With the funds raised during this event, and a partnership between the church and the school, discussion is taking place regarding additional beautification projects for the spring that could include plant education.<\/p>\n

Anne Marie Potter, Principal at Eureka Elementary School said, \u201cI’m excited about the partnerships we are forming as we add elements to our playground that will make a positive difference for our students, now and for many years to come. I’m very grateful for the support from our families, PTO and the Eureka community as we show our kids the power of working together toward a shared goal.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Clinton County 4-H youth represent Michigan at 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl Contest<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\n2018 Michigan 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl Team<\/em><\/p>\n

Five 4-H members from Clinton County represented Michigan at the 39th annual North American Invitational 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowlcontest on November 2 and 3. The event was held in Louisville, Kentucky, as part of the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE).<\/p>\n

The team members are Ian Black of Eagle, Amanda Hicks of St. Johns, Dakota Dershem of St. Johns, Kyle Schafer of Westphalia, and Miriam Cook of Pewamo. They won the state dairy quiz bowl contest during Michigan 4-H Youth Dairy Day this past summer, thus earning the chance to compete against 17 other elite 4-H teams at the invitational. Coaches and Michigan 4-H volunteer leaders Rodney Pennock and Susie Green worked with the team throughout the fall to prepare them for the NAILE contest.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe kids worked hard for this contest,\u201d said Coach Pennock. \u201cThey met once or twice a week for the last two months. They were fun to work with as they were soaking up as much information as possible. I am very proud of these five young people, who worked very well together as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two-day contest includes an individual written exam and a team quiz bowl competition. Composite scores from the exam on the first day were used to create the double-elimination bracket for the team quiz bowl on Nov. 3.<\/p>\n

During the quiz bowl, participants buzzed in to answer questions about a range of dairy-related topics, such as nutrition, reproduction, farm management, and cattle health. At the end of each round, the winning team advanced and the losing team dropped into the consolation bracket.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe team did a fine job representing Michigan,\u201d said Coach Green. \u201cI had such a great time helping these hardworking young people prepare and I think I\u2019m the one that learned the most! They are so fun to be with and along with their coaches, they put in long hours getting ready for this competition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Team member Kyle Schafer was grateful for the chance to compete in Kentucky and interact with other 4-H\u2019ers from across the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a great opportunity to compete against and meet other youth from across the county,\u201d said Schafer. \u201cI\u2019m going to miss attending these competitions because I have so much in common with the other 4-H members: the dairy industry. I enjoyed hearing about other people\u2019s dairy farms and their future plans. I also know these 4-H members are my peers who I will be working with in the dairy industry in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though the competition is over, Coach Green knows it was just the beginning for the 4-H\u2019ers who entered the contest: \u201cI had them all as novices and it was exciting to see just how far they\u2019ve come. I am confident they are going to do great things in life!\u201d<\/p>\n

Michigan 4-H is the youth development program of Michigan State University Extension. It is open to all young people ages 5 to 19. For more information or to join a 4-H club or group, check out Michigan 4-H online.<\/p>\n

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Durgan named AHC Rookie of the Week<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Air Force Academy freshman Kieran Durgan was named the Travel Team USA Atlantic Hockey Conference Rookie of the Week as he helped lead Air Force to a sweep of Bentley, November 9-10, at the Cadet Ice Arena.<\/p>\n

A forward from St. Johns, Durgan scored two points in the Bentley series. He had an assist on Friday and scored a goal on Saturday. His +4 over the weekend was the best by any AHC freshman. He also blocked three shots and won five faceoffs.<\/p>\n

Durgan has scored a point in five straight games. His five goals, and three game-winning goals, are tied as the most by any freshman in the nation.<\/p>\n

\"\"In March, 2018 Durgan had suffered a shoulder injury that prematurely ended his season, his on-ice tenure with the Shreveport Mudbugs and his junior hockey career.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a great leader on and off the ice,\u201d Mudbugs forward Jordan Fader said. \u201cHe\u2019s a 200-foot player that does a lot for us, but his leadership is really what makes him the person he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

After he recovered, Durgan moved on to the Air Force Academy.<\/p>\n

Durgan says, “I was originally a big soccer player. My dad played soccer, and my soccer coach was also a hockey coach and asked me to try it out. I tried it out; and that first year, not good, I wasn’t good at all. That second year I kind of fell in love with it so that kind of took me to where I am now.”<\/p>\n

Air Force is in first place in Atlantic Hockey with a 6-4 overall record and a 6-2 mark in conference play. The Falcons travel to Springfield Mass., for a two-game league series with AIC, Friday-Saturday, November. 16-17. Friday’s faceoff is at 2:05 p.m. ET, while Saturday’s game starts at 1:05 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n

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You don’t need a train ticket to celebrate Christmas in Ashley<\/strong><\/p>\n