Following the traditional opening day ceremonies games will begin at 11 a.m. T-ball, rookie baseball and minor softball games will all kick off the days action. Rookie softball games will be played at noon followed by minor baseball games and major softball games at 1 p.m. The major baseball teams will play at 3 p.m. Saturday.

The C-1 race will begin at 4 p.m. on Saturday on the south side of M-68.

Paddlers will paddle a very short distance downstream, turn a buoy, and head upstream to Black River Road, where they will turn the same buoy as they do in Sunday’s C-2 race. They’ll go downstream to the initial buoy in Tower Pond, turn that, and finish along M-68 Highway.

There is a $500 purse with bonuses for masters, seniors, women, and new this year, the first paddler 20 and under.

On Sunday, the C-2 race begins at 10 a.m. with both the Expert 1 and Expert 2 races starting and finishing at the boat launch on Tower Pond behind the softball field and township hall/fire hall on M-68 in Tower. It is same course as last year: a loop on Tower pond, portage Tower Dam (300 yards), paddle to the end of Kleber Pond, turn back and portage Tower Dam again (still 300 yards), paddle to M-68, portage road, paddle up to Black River Road and return downstream. Expert II will have a shorter course with only two portages.

There is a $1,000 purse, including masters, seniors, mixed (three places) and women’s bonuses. Participants must be a member of the Michigan Canoe Racing Association to receive points and prize money. Lunch will be provided by the Onaway High School Class of 2014.

Onaway High School sophomore Morganne Badgero received permission to place a salt water fish tank in the commons area of the middle/high school.

Badgero appeared at Tuesday’s board of education meeting to make a presentation regarding the request. She first asked if the board would continue the meeting in the commons area where the tank would be located, and she would provide additional information.

President Sharon Lyons had the entire board walk down the hallway to where it would be located.

Badgero, who received a Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative grant, proposed removing a bulletin board across from the middle/high school offices to make room for the tank. The grant will fund other school projects as well.

The reason for salt water fish – she said they are more colorful. The board was told, that if when Badgero graduates in two years and nobody steps forward to maintain it, “we could take it out and put it back to the way it was.”

Fullerton believes there will interest in keeping it going.

“It is going to fill the majority of that bulletin board,” said Fullerton. “ As far as specific dimensions, I don’t know, but it is going to be pretty good size.”

IN OTHER news:

Mary Larson was appointed head cook to replace Deb Nash next fall. Larson has been a cook for the district for several years.

Nash, who is retiring, has been an employee of the district since 1994.

The board also approved the 2013 senior class trip to Chicago.

It will be a schedule jam-packed with activities with no overnight stay. They will be going to Six Flags Amusement Park, eat at the Hard Rock Café and watch the Blue Man group.

Fullerton and Teri Mundy have volunteered to drive a school bus.

“Mrs. Mundy and I are going to try and sleep as much as we can during the day, and tag team driving home,” said Fullerton.

A charter bus would have been too much money to pull off the June 18-19 trip.

Students making the trip will be paying $100 apiece to go, which will cover part of the fuel costs.  There would be no cost to the district. The bus leaves at 4 a.m. June 18 and returns June 19 at 7 a.m.

The Cardinals won the opener, 3-2, before taking the nightcap, 11-1. The sweep improved the Cards’ SVC record to 9-0 going into yesterday’s (Thursday’s) twinbill at Mancelona. Onaway is 13-4 overall.

In game one, OHS scored a run in the bottom of the third to break a 2-2 tie. Andrew Prow earned the win, scattering seven hits, walking one, and fanning nine in six innings.

The Cardinals made just one error and collected six hits, with Justin Gedda smacking a double, scoring a run, and driving one in.

Onaway scored six first-inning runs in game two and never looked back, providing plenty of support for winning hurler Matt Tollini, who allowed just two hits, walked three, and fanned 10 in five frames.

OHS again made just one error and again had six hits (in addition to a dozen walks issued by Trojan pitchers). Chris Cleaver had a double and three RBI, Prow had a double and two runs scored, and Ray Self stole three bases.

Two days earlier, the Cardinals were swept in a doubleheader at Atlanta. Onaway was shutout by Garrett Badgero in the opener, 7-0, and gave up four runs in the bottom of the final inning to lose the nightcap, 4-3.

Chae Whitsitt suffered the defeat in game one. He allowed seven ones, just one earned, on five hits, walking three and fanning four in six innings of work. The defense made five errors behind him.

The offense managed just three hits – singles by Tollini, Cleaver, and Gedda.

The Huskies scored three of their four sixth-inning runs with two outs against game-two Cardinal hurler Tyler Welklin, who allowed four hits, walked two, and fanned six in five and two-thirds innings.

The defense made a pair of errors and the offense collected six hits, with Chae Whitsitt going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases and two runs scored. Cody Whitsitt added a triple.

Two days before that, the Red Birds swept host Bellaire, winning the opener, 4-1, before taking the nightcap, 12-0. Prow earned the win in game one, allowing just five hits, walking none, and fanning four in six innings.

The defense made just one error, while the offense collected nine hits and scored three runs in the fifth to break a 1-1 tie. Cody Whitsitt went 3-for-3 with a double and two runs scored, while Tommy Auger and Andrew Perry each went 2-for-3 with a double.

In game two, 10 straight Cardinal hitters reached base to open the fifth inning, with eight of them crossing the plate, turning a 4-0 lead into a mercy-rule blowout.

Tollini earned the win, allowing just one hit, walking four, and fanning five. The defense played error-free ball, while the offense exploded for 13 hits.

Tollini helped his own cause, going 2-for-4 with a double and four RBI. Prow and Perry both recorded two hits and both scored a pair of runs.

The Cardinals will travel to Pellston on Tuesday and host Inland Lakes next Friday.

Those who finish in the top two in an event will qualify for state. Those who finish outside the top two also can qualify based on meeting pre-determined times or distances.

On Monday, the Cardinals will match up against the Hurons and Vikings at the annual Presque Isle County Championships in Posen, and on Wednesday they’ll be at the Ski Valley Conference Championships at Mancelona.

Last Monday, the track team competed at the 17-school Central Lake Invitational. The Cardinal boys finished 10th, while the OHS girls were 13th.

The boys’ 3,200-meter relay team of Joe O’Bradovich, Joe Traynham, Rich Hoff, and Noah Bacon led the way, finishing third. Bacon, Hofff, Jason Sigsby, and Jamal Porter were fourth in the 800-meter relay and seventh in the 400-meter relay.

O’Bradovich was fourth in the high jump, Porter was fifth in the 100-meter dash, Sigsby and Hoff finished six and seventh in the long jump, and Traynham took eighth in the 800-meter run.

Elise Arkwood, Ashley LeCureux, Hannah Materna, and Danielle Hosner were seventh in the girls’ 3,200-meter relay, while Arkwood, LeCureux, Kallie Shimel, and Maddie Sayers were eighth in the girls’ 800-meter relay.

The victories improved the Cardinals’ SVC record to 9-1, heading into yesterday’s (Thursday’s) doubleheader at Division 4 honorable mention Mancelona. OHS is 11-6 overall and ranked sixth in Division 4.

Emily Estep led the way from the mound and at the plate in the opener against the Trojans. Estep allowed two runs on two hits, walking three and fanning seven in seven innings. The Cards made one error behind her.

Onaway managed just four hits, with Emily Estep belting a two-run homerun. Jade Galer had a pair of singles, while Temara Lupu had a double.

The nightcap was nowhere near as close, with 11 straight Red Birds reaching base to open a 10-run third inning. Emily Estep allowed three hits, walked one, and fanned two in four innings. Onaway made no errors and exploded for 17 hits.

Galer went 3-for-3 with a triple and three runs scored, Erika Price went 3-for-3, Morganne Badgero went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs, Lupu went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI, and Lexi Szymoniak had a two-run homerun.

Two days earlier, the Cards participated in a tournament at Petoskey, dropping the one game they played, 7-1, to Escanaba. Emily Estep allowed seven runs, four earned, on eight hits and two walks, fanning six.

OHS made three errors and had six hits, with Galer going 2-for-2 with a double and Lupu going 2-for-3. Onaway was up 2-0 in the top of the third against Petoskey when the tournament was called for weather.

Last Thursday, the Cardinals swept Bellaire, winning 7-0 and 13-0. Emily Estep allowed two hits, walked one, and fanned eight in seven shutout innings in the opener. The Cards made one error and had 12 hits.

Lupu went 3-for-4 with a homerun, a double, two RBI, and two runs scored. Emily Estep was 3-for-4 with a homerun and two runs scored. Megan Estep had two doubles and drove in two runs. Badgero singled, doubled, and scored twice.

The Red Birds broke open a tight game in the nightcap with six runs in the fourth and five runs in the fifth. Emily Estep allowed two hits, walked none, and fanned five in five innings. Onaway made no errors and had 14 hits.

Megan Estep went 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored, Sam Brasseur was 3-for-3 with a triple and three runs scored, Emily Estep was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, and Badgero was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

The Cardinals will travel to Pellston on Tuesday and will host Inland Lakes next Friday.

Members of the Presque Isle Election Commission approved petition language May 9 to recall Onaway mayor Gary Wregglesworth, as well as commissioners Chuck Abshagen and Jessie Horrocks.

That gave the green light to the group Citizens for a Safer Community to collect signatures and put the question on the November ballot. They need to collect 58 valid signatures in 60 days. The effort could be delayed if an appeal is filed.  As of Thursday morning, no appeals had been filed at the county clerk’s office. The deadline is May 20. Each official would need to pay $150 apiece to file an appeal.

MEMBERS OF the Presque Isle Election Commission listen to arguments regarding recall petition language. Pictured, from left, are treasurer Bridget LaLonde, Judge Donald McLennan and clerk Ann Marie Main. (Photo by Peter Jakey)

Organizers of the recall, led by sponsor Judy Shaloy, have scheduled a town hall meeting Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5857 to provide information, have petitions available for signing and announce potential candidates for city commission.

On April 25, proposed petition language was submitted to the county clerk’s office and reviewed May 9 by the county election commission. The board, consisting of probate Judge Donald McLennan, clerk Ann Marie Main and treasurer Bridget LaLonde, heard arguments on the clarity and factual nature of the petition language.

All three petitions set forth the same allegations.

“That each individual has failed to make decisions in which the voters have entrusted regarding the safety and security of our community by refusing to explore or take advantage of offers or options from citizens or other outside governmental agencies to retain the Onaway Police Department,” said McLennan, reading the proposed recall language. “And by doing so, is putting the community’s safety and security at risk.”

The board was charged with determining whether each reason stated in the petitions is based upon conduct occurring during the officials’ current term of office and whether each reason, “is factual of sufficient clarity to enable the officer whose recall is sought and the electors to identify the course of conduct that is the basis for the recall.”

Horrocks attended the 16-minute meeting and told the board that the city has been exploring other avenues to retain the police department. “Putting the community’s safety and security at risk? I believe that is an opinion, instead of a fact. Because, if that were a fact, every township and city in our county is at risk.”

Horrocks said Posen, Grand Lake, Millersburg, Ocqueoc do not have police departments, “aren’t they at risk? I am just stating, that this is an opinion.”

She also believes the citizens of Onaway have put their trust in her decisions by electing her to 16 years on the city commission.

Onaway city manager Joe Hefele spoke again on behalf of mayor Wregglesworth and commissioners Horrocks and Abshagen.

“At a hearing 15 days ago, it was said that this election commission did not have to make a determination that the allegation was based on truth to move it forward, only that the allegation was factually stated.

“Further, it was said that a determination as to the allegation was truthful was best left to the electorate, not this election commission. I do not believe this is the intent of the legislation. In fact, I believe it is quite the opposite.

Hefele said the definition of “factual,” according to the Oxford English dictionary as, “based on, or concerned with things that are known to be true.”

Hefele said a petitioner could present language that “easily could be proven false by the meeting minutes, but still move forward as factual or true by the election commission. Again, I cannot stress enough that I do not believe that such a scenario was the intent of the legislature or the governor when this act was approved and signed into law in December.”

Shaloy, who was in attendance with other supporters, did not speak.

The election commission determined that it is not charged with the authority to determine whether the allegations are sufficient or true, but only whether they are stated clearly and factually.

The vote of the commission was unanimous to approve the language. If a recall election takes place, it would be conducted in November.

She was born July 21, 1960 in Rogers City to William and Rita (LeMere) Lounsberry.

Conni is survived by her son, Charles Fluit of Rogers City; stepson, Derrick Erickson of Phoenix, Arizona; a brother, Colin (Evelyn) Lounsberry of Alpena; a sister, Robin Lounsberry of Alpena; nieces, Natasha, Nika, Nadia and Narissa Lounsberry; and a nephew, Micky Lounsberry.

Online condolences may be addressed through www.beckfuneralhome.org.

She was the daughter of Theodore and Mary (Schleben) Pardike, born September 30, 1928. She was baptized and confirmed in her faith at St. John Lutheran Church and graduated from Rogers City High School.

Rose Mary is survived by brothers, Theodore (Catherine), Guy (Ann) and Marlow (Eleanor); and many nieces and nephews. Online condolences may be addressed through www.beckfuneralhome.org.

He is survived by his children, Nathan and Angela Kelly of Rogers City; former wife and loving caregiver, Susan Muckle of Rogers City; grandchildren, Caden and Landen Brege of Rogers City; and sisters, Catherine (Zenon) Grace of Richmond, Carolyn (Jack) Fleury of St. Clair and Jackie (Howard) Viegelahn of Rogers City.

Per Jim’s wish there are no services scheduled. Cremation arrangements were handled by Rewalt Funeral Home in Richmond.  For condolences visit:  RewaltFuneralHome.com.