Stepping Stones Garden Club honored with Cardinal pins

Members of the Onaway Area Community Schools Board of Education showed they were impressed with the efforts of the Onaway Stepping Stones Garden Club to beautify the grounds of the school by honoring members of the group with Cardinal pins.

A handful of the volunteers were in attendance for Tuesday?s school board meeting, and were presented with the prestigious pins by president Mitch Winfield.

?The board would like to officially recognize the Stepping Stones Garden Club for their many contributions to the beautification of our school grounds,? said Winfield.

Together the club has funded and planted over 30 trees and shrubs, countless flowers, installed edging, and applied mulch. ?Their plans for a Memorial Garden to honor veterans, and the installation of underground sprinkling, only add to their impressive efforts thus far,? said Winfield.

The project is under the direction of president Lee Ann Ayotte, chief designer Eloise Elkington, grant writer Michelle Riley, project manager Kay McInnes, and many club members, ?who have contributed to the beautification of our school.?

IN OTHER business, Steve Kowalski of Rogers City was hired as a middle school science/social studies teacher. He also was appointed as co-JV football coach.

On June 22, board members Terry Materna, Sharon Lyon, administrative intern Tammie Bongard, teacher Jodi Brewbaker, and superintendent Bob Szymoniak interviewed four candidates for the job vacated by Mark Gengle, who is going to Millersburg. It was the committee consensus to hire Kowalski.

?He has coaching experiences in Rogers City and did a great deal of subbing for us this past year,? said Szymoniak. ?In fact, Steve was our most sought after sub. The teachers loved him, the kids loved him, and he did a great job for us.?

Athletic director and varsity football coach Tony Hoffmeyer recommended John Gibbs as the other JV coach, which was approved by the board.

? VARSITY BASEBALL coach Larry Shaffer tendered his resignation. It was accepted with regret.

? Election of officers was conducted during the annual organizational meeting. Materna nominated Winfield to the post of president, with support from Marsha Tovar. Darwin Smith was elected as vice president. Materna will be the treasurer for the next year, while Lyon was named board secretary. The newest member of the board, Chris Church, was not at the meeting. The board also voted to continue conducting regular meetings on the second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.

? A resolution of support for the Ocqueoc Watershed proje

ct was received from the Presque Isle County Board of Commissioners. The commissioners, who approved the resolution June 30, commended the efforts of the Onaway fifth graders, their supportive parents, as well as the teachers and superintendent.

?The Presque Isle County Board of Commissioners supports efforts to better understand and protect the Ocqueoc River Watershed for current and future generations,? the resolution stated.

Fifth graders studied the many aspects of the river as a part of the 2005-06 science curriculum and presented their findings at the Ocqueoc Outdoor center in early May.

?These presentations were sophisticated, highly informative, and included salient facts of interest to county residents,? stated the resolution.