Advertisement

Henige will travel to Lansing for Michigan's 28th Annual Homecoming Queen Selection on May 3 and 4 to compete; Michigan's Homecoming Queen will receive a cash scholarship and expense paid trip with the chance of becoming America's Homecoming Queen.

Henige said she is looking forward to meeting new people at the event, held at the Holiday Inn South Convention Center.

America's Homecoming Queen, Inc. is a non-profit organization promoting education, educational travel and community service for high school homecoming queens in all fifty states. The group strives to give the young women opportunities to achieve their dreams and goals.

Henige was selected for the program from her application, which included leadership traits, community service and high school activities. The senior said she felt honored when she was selected for the program, but that she felt more honored that her peers had chosen her as queen.

Henige, the seventeen-year-old daughter of Pam and Randy Henige of Chesaning, will attend Central Michigan University to pursue a pre-medical degree. In high school, she has earned honor roll and student of the month recognition and has been involved in National Honor Society, student council, cross-country, track and Bohaty's School of Dance.

The competitors will collect sponsorships to cover the costs of the program. All sponsorships received in time will be acknowledged in the State Program Book; those who donate $25 or more will be acknowledged by the group's National Office.

Anyone who wishes to sponsor Henige can contact her by mail at 17829 Briggs Road, Chesaning MI, 48616.

Three New Lothrop FFA teams qualify for State competition

DEB MILLER

The Tri-County Citizen

BYRON - Three teams from the New Lothrop FFA chapter qualified for the State Leadership Contest to be held during the 80th annual State FFA Convention scheduled for March 5-7 on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing.

The teams advanced to the next level of competition by placing in the top two of their respective categories during the Region IV Regional Leadership Contest held Thursday at Byron High School.

Sixty-four teams from 11 schools competed at the Regional competition that saw 22 of the teams qualify for the State competition.

Teams competed in eleven different categories that included Junior High Public Speaking, Junior High Conduct of Meetings, Greenhand Public Speaking, Creed Speaking, Prepared Public Speaking, Extemporaneous Public Speaking (impromptu), Job Interview, Greenhand Conduct of Meetings, Demonstration, Ag Issues, and Parliamentary Procedure.

Teams advancing to the State competition for The New Lothrop chapter include the Junior High Conduct of Meetings team, the Greenhand Conduct of Meetings team, and the Parliamentary Procedure team.

Junior High Public Speaker Tyler Moore and Greenhand Public Speaker Hannah Hajek placed as alternates to the State competition.

The Junior High Conduct of Meetings team received a Gold Award and took first place. Members of the team are, Cody Loll, Caitlin Clason, Haleigh Austin, Courtney Seamon, Kristen Wenzlick, Zachary Clason, and Hayden Hafner and Michael Gasper.

The Greenhand Conduct of Meetings team received a Gold Award and took second place.

Team members are, Ann Weisenberger, Abby Colston, Courtney Wendling, Alaina Krupp, Jesse Streng, Katie Priest, and Jordan Wendling.

The Parliamentary Procedure team received a Gold Award and took first place. Team members are, Jon Harris, Chelsea Parsons, Kaitlin Ebenhoeh, Abigail Seamon, and Marissa Angst.

Schools competing at the Regional competition included Byron, Lapeer, Lapeer County, Perry, Corunna, New Lothrop, Mason, Webberville, Roosevelt, Dansville, and Ovid-Elsie.

Clio Relay for Life kickoff March 4

The American Cancer Society invites everyone in the Clio community and surrounding areas to celebrate cancer survivorship, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against cancer at this year's 7th annual American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Clio.

The event is scheduled for June 20-21 from 2 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Clio City Park and organizers note that although the event is three months away, now it the time to get involved.

Kickoff for the event will be held at 6:30 p.m. on March 4 at Clio High School where teams can register and interested persons can obtain information on forming or joining a team.

Relay for Life is society's signature event dedicated to increasing awareness and raising funds to fight cancer.

Teams camp out overnight taking turns walking laps around the track.

During the event participants and visitors will have the opportunity to celebrate the victory of area cancer survivors during the "Survivors Lap" to be held at 6 p.m., remember those lost to the disease during the "Luminaria Ceremony" to be held at 9:30 p.m., and participate in the new "Fight Back Ceremony" that gives everyone a chance to proclaim their way of taking action against the disease.

For more information on how to get involved contact Nancy Pacheco at 810-210-8099.

Donations can be made to this local Relay for Life event by visiting www.relayforlife.org Community members are invited to start or join a team by following the links to the local relay event at that same site.

The American Cancer Society is a nationwide community-based voluntary health organization founded in 1913 that is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service. National headquarters are located in Atlanta, GA. The Society has 13 Regional divisions and local offices in 3,400 communities involving millions of volunteers across the United States.

For more information on the ACS, call toll free 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org

Community combines efforts to complete church construction

Hillary Darling

The Tri-County Citizen

OAKLEY - Last year, the Oakley Community Church helped over 3,500 people through their Compassionate Ministry-now, with the help of community volunteers, the church is finishing a 4,000 square foot addition that will enable further service opportunities.

"We're a community church," said Pastor Frank Ward, who has been working with the church since 1999, "we want to help the community and the people have been very responsive."

The additional space, Ward said, could help to double the people impacted by the Compassion Ministry that provides boxes of food and a church service to families in need. The addition will also house classrooms, a fellowship hall, commercial kitchen, storage for the ministry's food distributions and a youth room. Ward hopes to be able to eventually provide area youth with ping-pong and foosball tables in the second story youth room. Associate Pastor and Chef David Ward, Frank Ward's son, will help get the kitchen open to offer breakfast to the youth as well.

For every dollar that comes into the church, 33 cents is used in mission work, both local and foreign. Along with their Compassionate Ministry, Oakley Community Church offers free Wednesday night tutoring to area students.

Jim Ward-the general contractor for J. Ward Construction, the company working on the building, and Pastor Frank Ward's son-estimated that the church saved $55,000 from volunteer workers.

Area residents have helped the construction process in multiple ways, from volunteers such as Kenny Perkins or neighbor Margaret Jordan, who allowed the building to be built up to the property line. Contractor Jim Ward also donated his time working on the building.

The fellowship hall has been dedicated to Blair Baker; Pastor Frank Ward said Baker's financial contributions made the project possible.

Along with the addition, the entryway received renovations to include a study and a nursery.

The excavations enabling the addition to the church, built in 1888, began in March of 2007. Jim Ward hopes the work will be completed within the month, with things such as painting, furnishing the electricity, installing kitchen and bathroom plumbing, carpeting, cupboards and kitchen appliances still in process.

Oakley Community Church is located at 327 S. Main Street (M-52) in Oakley.