WEEKEND EDITION MIAMIOK.COM Have a great day! THREE WARDOGS RECEIVE Thanks for supporting 4A-3 FOOTBALL HONORS your local paper! SPORTS, PAGE B1 6 54708 10125 7 MIAMI NEWS-RECORD Serving Miami and the surrounding communities since 1903. Friday, December 18, 2020 | Vol. 116 No. 101 | $1.25 Santa Project delivers in the clutch Carla Nielsen [email protected] Local Santa pro- gram delivers toys for Christmas Carla Nielsen cnielsen@miam- inewsrecord.com MIAMI – A local charitable organiza- tion that provides (sometimes called the families in need with a Santa Project) has been brighter Christmas has accepting donations to been busy this week help provide area children making dreams come in need with toys so true. they can have a merry The Ottawa County Santa Program SEE PROJECT, A3 COURTESY PHOTO Sadie Davis (left), Annie Oakley and Jasmine Morris, students in Jennifer Johnson’s first-hour sophomore English class, sit in front of a project the class did as part of studying Elie Weisel’s “Night.” Fairland students learn about Elie Weisel, Holocaust Assemble museum honoring victims after reading the memoir museum after “Night” by Elie Wiesel. The theme was “We Shall this year it would be a good “Night” ranks as one of reading ‘Night’ Never Forget.” project. The kids loved it. the most important Holo- “I wish I could say it They did a good job. They caust literature works. Jim Ellis (the museum display) was created all the artifacts that Johnson said some of the [email protected] my idea, but I saw the idea are on the wall.” students had to pretend online somewhere and “Night,” written in 1960, they were a Jewish prisoner FAIRLAND — Sopho- I thought ‘what a great tells of Wiesel’s experience and write a daily journal. more English students at way to finish our project,’ with his father in the Nazi Another of the options Fairland High School have especially because this German concentration was to design a movie COURTESY PHOTO learned about the horrors being a pandemic year,” camps at Auschwitz and poster pretending this was Conor and Cody Thetford and Josey Wells play on of German concentration Johnson said. Normally Buchenwald between 1944- going to be made into a the rocket in Key Club Park. and extermination camps she normally would give a 1945 at the height of the movie. through a class project. 100-question test and have Holocaust. Other individual proj- The first hour sopho- the students write an essay It tells of the liberation of ects were to make a map Countdown under way on more English class, about the book. Buchenwald by the United of Auschwitz, write an taught by Jennifer John- “We don’t have that States Army in 1945. He relaunch of Miami’s rocket son, created a Holocaust much time, so I thought was only 16 at the time. SEE STUDENTS, A3 Jim Ellis “We are sandblast- [email protected] ing, checking on all the welds and then MIAMI — The land- repaint it,” said Kevin mark rocket in Miami Browning, Public COVID takes toll on MPS High School Key Club Works Director for Carla Nielsen ends Friday. can take a break over the holidays Park is being prepped [email protected] All other sites continue with in- and things will reset and we can come for launch. SEE ROCKET, A3 school instruction until further notice. back in January to better numbers MIAMI – As Miami Public Schools “This week has been our most chal- and continue to provide in-person prepare to head into the Christmas lenging this school year, as it relates to instruction.” break at the end of this week, COVID- the number of COVID-19 cases,” MPS The concern, Hogan said, is that 19 suddenly became more of an issue Superintendent Jeremy Hogan said. the extended break and holidays will at three school sites. “We spiked considerably and I don’t mean some people will travel and “get Miami High School, Will Rogers know if that’s because of the Thanks- out amongst others,” which could have Middle School and Nichols Upper giving break or if it’s just starting to hit a negative impact when school starts Elementary shifted to an entirely dis- us very hard. What the health depart- back in Miami. tance learning format. ment has been communicating to me “I’m never going to fault anybody On Monday, Dec. 14, the Ottawa is that almost every case we have dealt for doing what they feel is best for their County Health Department reported was due to close contact at home.” family and themselves, but we sure additional COVID-positive individu- Hogan said it got to where it affected want to encourage everyone to follow als to MPS, which included three staff staff levels at those three sites so much the three W’s — wear a mask, watch members and three students at MHS, that school couldn’t be held safely and your distance, and wash your hands … two staff members at WRMS, and adequate supervision provided. to protect themselves and others.” two staff members at Nichols. Due to “There are a large number of cases Hogan went on to say that he COURTESY PHOTO the number of staff and students in at the high school and I just received applauds his staff and their commit- The submarine, which had been located in Riv- isolation or quarantine, all three sites notice today that we have had an ment and dedication to serving our erview Park, has been sandblasted and will get moved to distance learning only for additional three students test posi- new paint before being moved to Key Club Park. the remainder of the semester, which tive there,” he said. “So, hopefully we SEE MPS, A8 ŗÑĩêÁ ĒÏÏ«}} "Õħ A¼¼ o\«Ô A¦f }âØ{ «¡o ¦ A¦f ÔoØâoÔ ÕċÊAÄyÊħđ }«Ô ³ê AþØ «} ¬AÊ£ ċÕÄ ħċyyđ ÔØâ¡AØ{ 0âAÔ⦠o\ ³êâ Ƽư D B0D _c B0B0 H< Ɨýưóý ²éÛ üo ü fÔAü A ¦A¡o B0ĕǪǪǪľŘŘŘƟ ŬľŘÝů óýƼĕƼýŘư ¨ ,H*H]c.:s>]wŴHB ĄĄĄÛ²éÛ A fAþ }«Ô A }Ôoo }â *ĘĻ¿ DŽƐ ʼnĻ *©Òʼnʼnħ Ļ¿ cǚĘƫƫÒƉ í¦â ³êÞêä{ B0ĕǪǪǪƗýƼƟó A2 | FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2020 miamiok.com THE MIAMI NEWS-RECORD NEWS • Fried Hominy (coated in Cherokee Nachos cornmeal) • White Queso Cheese come from a family one of the kid’s birthday sauce I that loves getting parties. I had come up with • Shredded Cheese (I used together with each the brilliant idea to start American) other and friends to socialize making homemade beer at • Shredded lettuce and eat. It has been that way home, and was going to use • Chopped Red Onion for as long as I can remem- this celebration to unveil my of chicken noodle soup for many years I didn’t have to • Chopped Tomato ber. Be it a holiday, birthday finished product. The men DONNIE family members to come worry about what we were • Chopped Jalapeno party, or some other excuse and I had gathered around RAY and enjoy at the house after having or prepping anything Directions to get together, we generally the kitchen table for the first to take. When I was married find a reason to get together bottle opening. Well, I don’t the parade. This night was First you have to make to a great cook, she would be and eat. know what happened, but nothing out of the norm, but some chili using Buffalo making stopped. the one that did the cooking. I can remember back in when I went to open the still sticks into my memory instead ground beef. Next, Another gathering that But after she passed away, I the 1970’s when my wife bottle, pressure had built because, my late wife was open and drain a can of now always prepare a dish and I were a young couple up inside the bottle, and it comes to mind was on a one of the best cooks I was white or yellow hominy, pat of some sort to take to the hosting these get togethers blew the cap across the room night in the late 1970’s of the ever around, and to save dry and coat with cornmeal. gathering. occasionally. One particular hitting my wife in the eye. I Miami Christmas parade. It time that night, she had used Fry the hominy in oil, in a Recently, my sister hosted get together that comes to can’t remember if she ended was a cold evening for the a relatively new product skillet until crispy and set one of these get together for mind is the time we had up with a black eye or not, parade so before going, my from the grocery store at aside to cool. no particular reason at all, friends and family over for but I do remember the beer wife had made a large pot the time called Soup Starter. Building the nachos, take and it was a nacho theme. Why would I remember a cookie sheet and spread So I decided to be creative that? Because it was pretty the chips on it, ladle the and try to bring something darn good! I don’t know if white cheese dip over the a little different. I wanted to this product is even avail- chips, then add some of the make a nacho dish based on able anymore or not, but buffalo meat chili on top of a Native American theme. if I think about it, I will that. Next spread the fried I had done this before and check the next time I’m at hominy over the nachos and called the dish Cherokee the grocery store.