Volume 1, Issue 46 APRIL 12, 2024
YOUR LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NONPROFIT NEWS SOURCE
West Shore Community College to facilitate new community center in vacant grocery store in Hart The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity recently announced $64 million in Community Center Grant funds for 100 Michigan municipalities and organizations to expand programming or work on capital projects to serve 1.6 million Michiganders. West Shore Community College (WSCC), a public institution of higher education in Scottville, received $1 million to facilitate the renovation of a vacant 26,000-square-foot grocery store in Hart into a community center. The center (located inside the former Gales IGA and recent Hart Village Market building) will provide college access, a technical center, a childcare facility, access to workforce development tools, income stability, healthcare resources, literacy support and public meeting spaces. WSCC’s organizational history is marked by a
commitment to serving the educational needs of the local community. An important aspect of note is the most recent addition to the college, the Downtown Manistee Education Center. This community center is the prototype model for the community center in this request. The positive impacts WSCC has had through this center in Manistee can be replicated and even enhanced through a center in Oceana County. WSCC remains a vital educational and cultural center for the residents of Mason and Manistee County and the surrounding areas. The college continues to evolve, meeting the ever-changing needs of its diverse student body and community through innovative programs and services. WSCC’s commitment to providing affordable, accessible and high-quality education remains at the core of its mission. WSCC has demonstrated a steadfast dedication
to serving the educational and cultural needs of its community, fostering growth, opportunity and community enrichment. Oceana County is one of the few counties in the State of Michigan without in-county access to post-secondary education and training. Residents are forced to travel to multiple locations to receive services from various non-profit and support agencies. In addition to offering higher education and childcare, this project aims to address the needs of the community by bringing together nonprofit organizations with similar missions to serve the county’s working poor as a one-stop resource hub. This project is and has been an ongoing collaboration by agencies who support the need for access to higher education, workforce development, childcare, housing, food, etc. in Oceana County for years.
Hart Middle School 8th grader places in the Top 10 in 55th Annual America & Me Essay Contest By Sharon Hallack The Oceana Echo Community Contributor
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Hart Middle School eighth grade student Grace Tucker was recently named a Top 10 winner in the Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan’s 55th annual America & Me essay contest for 2023-24. Sponsored locally by the Klotz Agency - Farm Bureau Insurance, Tucker’s essay entitled “Follow Your Dreams” competed with over 3,000 other eighth grade student essays from nearly 200 schools across Michigan. Each student’s essay must be no longer than 300 words and focus on the topic “My Personal
Michigan Hero”. Tucker’s essay tells the story of her father, Don Tucker, who grew up in an unsafe neighborhood in Detroit, being raised by parents who weren’t the best role models. In her essay, Tucker talks about her father’s first jobs, his education, and his entrepreneurial spirit. “He wanted to start a campground…Multiple people told him that his business would never be successful…My dad didn’t listen and pressed on,” reads Tucker’s essay. “My dad is my hero because no matter how many challenges he has faced, he has always found a way to persevere and work hard.” She doesn’t mention it in her essay, but interestingly, Tucker’s parents are third-generation campground owners in the Silver Lake area. Grace, the daughter of Don and Sarah (Klepper) Tucker, current owners of the Silver Lake Resort & Campground, is the granddaughter of Brian and Nancy Klepper, former owners of the Parkside Store, who also helped start the Silver Lake Resort with Grace’s parents. Her g r e a t- g r a n d p a r e n t s , Richard and Marilyn Klepper, started the first modern campground in Silver Lake, which was located where Golden Township Park is now. When deciding who
to write about, Tucker said that even though she admires both of her parents’ stories, she confesses, “I knew my dad’s story would be more of a pull. Over the years, our family has talked a lot about my dad’s past, so I already knew most of the details. He’s a good motivator. He’s taught me (that) you have to work for what you want. It’s not about who you or who your parents are. He’s never been super pushy, just the right amount,” Tucker said with a smile. Her mother actually taught English in the Midland area before moving to the west side of the state. “I ran my essay by her. She helped with the grammar. My dad didn’t read it until I got into the top three (in the semi-final round),” Tucker said. Tara Eisenlohr is Tucker’s English Language Arts teacher at HMS, and she has been submitting her top ten selections into the contest for the past 12 years. Every fall, Eisenlohr turns writing an essay for the contest into a class assignment. “Some students don’t know who to write about and say they don’t know any heroes. But we talk a lot about who inspires them and what makes a true hero. I enjoy doing this assignment at the beginning of the year; I
find out so much about my students and some of the obstacles they’ve had to overcome,” Eisenlohr said. “I’m allowed to send in 10 essays. Sometimes it’s hard for me to choose. I get attached to each essay as I hear my students’ personal stories. Some of them are so inspiring, so beautiful and so emotional.” Over the years, she has relied on a team of fellow teachers, along with her mother, a former school administrator, to read dozens of students’ essays and help narrow the field down. This year, the top 10 essays submitted by Eisenlohr were written by Lucia Avila, Joselyn Flores, Ellie Gross, Isabela Hernandez, Rhezlynn Shafer, Emma Thomas, Grace Tucker, Lili VanAgtmael, Vivi VanAgtmael and Bella Villanueva. In February, schools found out the top three winners of the ten submitted by their schools. Along with Tucker, Gross placed second and Shafer placed third. All three advanced to the finals. Eisenlohr said over the years she’s had several students place first in the semi-final round. Their names are engraved on a special plaque in the school’s display case, but never before has anyone from Hart Middle School placed in the top ten for the entire state.
Grace Tucker As a top ten state winner, Tucker has been invited, along with other top ten winners, to attend a special day in their honor Wednesday, May 29. As guests of Farm Bureau Insurance, they, along with their parents and teacher, will enjoy a cruise aboard the Michigan Princess Riverboat, visit with top Michigan government officials in downtown Lansing, attend a Lansing Lugnuts game as featured guests, and be recognized in a special ceremony where they will receive a plaque, a medallion, a check in the amount of $1,055 for themselves and another check for the same amount payable to their school. In addition, because Tucker was sponsored by local agent Klotz, Hart Middle School will receive an additional check for $555. Eisenlohr said she
and Tucker will be working together to come up with ideas for how to spend the school’s prize money. “It will be something special and beneficial for our eighth graders,” Eisenlohr said. When asked about future aspirations, Tucker currently says she doesn’t have any concrete plans. She was quick to point out that her parents don’t want her to follow in their footsteps as a teacher or campground owner, but she says she is intrigued by the medical field. Time is on her side. For now, her name has been added not only to the school’s “My Personal Michigan Hero” award plaque but to one at the state level as well! There is no doubt she is honing her writing skills. With the support of her family, and especially her “hero dad,” she is well on her way to becoming someone else’s hero someday. Klotz said he and his agency has been a proud sponsor of the contest locally for the past eight years and were pleased to offer this year’s top three local winners, Tucker, Gross and Shafer with $40, $30, and $20 gift cards, respectively. All ten essays are available to read by visiting https://new.michfb. com/about/community-involvement/america-me-essay-contest