Standing up for Children That Changed on Friday, Them Here, I Want to Keep Dec
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Inside: e Our decade in review. 2010-2019 Newberry News Vol. 134, No. 32 U.S.P.S. No. 383980 newberry-news.com January 1, 2020 $1.25 Today’s Weather 27 /25 Tomorrow 39 /31 Newberry, Michigan Stay off McMillan: the trails The new until they AT&T tower is on freeze By Carol Stiffler Snowmobile trails have taken a beating in the re - The new AT&T tower cent week, as warm tem - just west of McMillan is fi - peratures and rain have nally on. softened the snow and People turned it into a soft, sloppy who live in mess. the sur - Allyn Cooper, a board rounding member on the Tahqua - area, in - menon Area Snowmobile cluding the Association, said it’s best northwest - to let the trails harden back ern part of up before riding on them. Courtesy of Whitefish Township Schools Lakefield, have been eye - “It tears the trail up,” ing the tower since it went Cooper said. “Just like up in August 2018. The when you drive a car lights were on, but nothing across slush, it leaves a else happened. track. As much as I want Standing up for children That changed on Friday, them here, I want to keep Dec. 27, 2019, when the the trails nice.” tower went live. McMillan The snowmobile associa - residents noticed the differ - tion grooms and maintains Five superintendents to meet with Whitmer ence right away. 128 miles of trails, which “Everybody’s told me still have a decent bed of it’s on,” said Nick Wheeler, snow despite the recent By Carol Stiffler of its funding; Burt Township “We understand that at times who owns the land the warm-up. Schools lost $221,000, or 23% of there are hard decisions that have to tower was built on. The Cooper watches the Five regional school superintend - their funding. They were in jeop - be made,” he said. “Especially us, tower, and Wheeler’s prop - weather and says the fore - ents will meet with Governor ardy of closing. being in superintendent roles. But erty, is technically in Lake - cast is going to improve Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday, it’s not appropriate to use children field - just across the soon. Jan. 8, when she hosts a ceremonial from our area as their pawns.” boundary line of Columbus “Snow means business,” signing for the supplemental fund - When all else When all else fails, he said, do township. he said. “Pray for snow.” ing bills she signed two weeks ago. what’s best for the kids. “My neighbor said The supplemental bills restored fails, he said, “That’s the message we conveyed they’ve got great service $573.5 million in funding in vari - the whole time, and what we’re now,” said Wheeler, who ous areas, including for the rural do what’s best going to continue to convey,” said currently uses Verizon but and isolated school districts of for kids. McKee, whose district currently has is likely to switch to AT&T Snowy owl Whitefish Township, Burt Town - 56 students. now. “There ought to be a ship, DeTour, Mackinac Island, and The five superintendents will lot of happy people.” released on Beaver Island. meet with the governor’s educa - Residents on the western Whitmer invited the superintend - “We spearheaded a lot of the let - tional team first on Jan. 8. After, side of Lakefield noticed a Dec. 27 ents from those five school districts ters and the call for action,” said they’ll spend 90 minutes with Whit - strong cell reception in to the ceremonial signing, and Tom McKee, superintendent of mer for the signing and a question- their homes for the first The U.P.’s famous snowy they’ve all agreed to go. Whitmer Whitefish Township Schools in Par - answer session. time, ever. Former dead owl, rescued on Dec. 5, was vetoed the funding for rural and adise. “We battled for it and we’re McKee invited anyone who has zones, like Shady Lane, released back on Drum - isolated school districts on Sept. 30, excited that it went through, along an education-related question for now have LTE coverage. mond Island on Dec. 27. 2019, along with 146 other line with other things.” the governor to email him at tmc - We contacted AT&T, but The female bird was found item vetoes that sent shock waves McKee said there will be no hard [email protected], or to call the they were unable to pro - on the street by Dr. Dick across the state. Whitefish Town - feelings at the meeting, but he does Whitefish Township School at 906- vide a statement prior to Bennett, a veterinarian on ship Schools lost $216,000, or 16% have a message to get across. 492-3353. our press deadline. the island. The bird was ex - hausted from her migration from the Arctic, he said, and was malnourished. She was treated at the Wildlife Rehab Center in More teens are using the Tahquamenon library Grand Rapids before being By Dion Mindykowski that number dropped to 17, before workshops. Those Tuesday nights with teen transferred to the Brave - climbing to 32 in 2014. It was in As 2019 came to a close, we programming might be a little nois - heart Raptor Rehabilitation As you may have noticed, over 2015 that we finally found some recorded the statistics of the final ier than other nights, but those are Center in Twin Lake, MI. the last decade, the staff at the success. That year, library programs teen program of the year, bringing teens that are in a safe environment, Upon release, the owl Tahquamenon Area Library has had a total teen attendance of 305. our total annual attendance to a not out getting into trouble, many of flew strong and low to a worked hard to expand our program This was thanks to the Dungeons & record of 426. That’s over a them socializing face-to-face in - distant evergreen tree. offerings for all ages. One of the Dragons, Geek Night, and Teen 2,400% increase from that record stead of through electronic devices. Footage of her release is hardest age ranges to reach was that Writing Workshop Programs. In low year in 2013. In fact, Geek They are doing crafts, learning available at the Drummond between the ages of 11 and 18. 2019, thanks to a Library Services Night on December 17 had 29 teens about STEM, playing board games, Island Animal Clinic Face - In 2012 our total annual teen pro - and Technology Act grant, we were attend, nearly as many as used to at - and some are even checking out book page. gram attendance was 30. In 2013, able to start offering 3-D printing tend programs in an entire year. books. You voted Trees are literally for the birds Here comes a new year, By Bill Cook forest characteristics is and with it, maybe, an in - needed for optimum habi - spiring feeling of a new be - According to the U.S. tat. ginning. Nationwide Fish and Wildlife Service, What makes “good” bird statistics indicate 40 to wildlife watching in Michi - habitat? It depends. 45% of American adults gan is estimated to be a Let’s start with a large make at least one New two-plus billion-dollar ac - parking lot. Not good habi - Year’s resolution. tivity. Birding, alone, at - tat? Well, it’s great habitat tracts about two million if you’re a Ring-billed Gull We asked on Facebook: people. In the high altitude looking for discarded and Have you made any New economic picture, these spilled food. It’s also a Year’s resolutions? With aren’t huge numbers but pretty safe haven to con - 101 votes, you said: they’re significant in the gregate during migration as natural resources world. potential predators can be Roughly half of all birds spotted long before they that occur in Michigan use can reach the gulls. YES at least one kind of forest. Carol Stiffler Now, if Ring-billed Trees and forests - both young and old - are critical to thriving bird habitats. 15% Habitat quality is not a Gulls and their allies were straight-forward thing. Dif - the only thing that mat - NO ferent habitats serve differ - tered, then biologists might 85% ent functions, and at “brushy” conditions to nest Young sapling stands offer they “drum” to attract See TREES, page 2 different times. and raise young. In winter, critical escape cover from mates and establish terri - Take the Ruffed Grouse, mature aspen and the male predators. The males like to tory. So, in a landscape of for example. It likes thick flowers are preferred food. have large logs from which a few acres, a diversity of News 2 January 1, 2020 Carol Stiffler TREES, continued trees). You’ll likely need to cage them from deer and advocate for more paved rabbits. Carol Stiffler parking lots. 5. Plant woody species Trees along Truman Boulevard, and across the region, were perfectly coated in snow on Monday, Dec. 30. There are about 150 bird that produce berries, nuts, Stronger trees were stunning; weaker ones bowed and snapped. species that use Lake States and similar fruits. This food forests, not to mention the source is called “mast”. other vertebrate taxa and the 6. Large logs on the mind-boggling numbers of ground are valuable habitat invertebrates. Every species components. has a unique set of habitat 7. Protecting those spring requirements. It can be quite season puddles (vernal complex and, therefore, a pools) is important. bit challenging to answer 8. Build and/or maintain 2010 - 2019: A decade in review the “best habitat” question.