‘The moment you make friends is the moment you start collecting memories’

Seth Berry • April 15, 2022
Exchange students at Marshall High School discuss their experiences of studying in the United States

Four foreign exchange students are finishing up their final few months at Marshall High School before they return to their home countries in June.

Beatriz Guerra (Brazil), Mamom Lachaud (France), Jonathan Sorensen (Denmark) and Carlos Garcia (Spain) all faced the uncertainty of COVID-19 before coming to the United States while wondering when or if they would be allowed to study abroad on top of the already strenuous process involved with becoming selected to study in America.

Garcia said he has wanted to come to the United States to study since he was 5 years old and convinced his mother to start the process of trying to make that become a reality.

“I was always telling my mom, ‘I want to go to study (in America) in high school, maybe in 10th or 11th grade,’” said Garcia.

Toward the end of 2020, Garcia’s mother agreed to start the process of making his dream become a reality.

That process ended up taking almost a year’s time (Sept. 2020- July 2021), but after writing many letters and signing a collection of paperwork, Garcia was selected to study abroad in the U.S. and started attending Marshall at the start of the school year in August.

Sorensen, on the other hand, came up with the idea of coming to America because he felt school was getting quite dull in Denmark after a while.

“I’d just talked to some friends and (we concluded) school is very boring right now, we need a break,” Sorensen said. “We were like, ‘what can we do instead?’ Then I said, ‘we could go to America.’ And actually, one of my friends is in Alaska right now and the other is in Texas.”

Sorensen said he was searching for a host family for about half a year. He thought many people were worried to take exchange students in because of the fear that they could get sent home at any point and time because of the pandemic. He was finally notified that a family was interested in hosting before the school year began.

For Guerra, she said she has always wanted to be an exchange student because both of her parents were. Guerra said her dad came to Battle Creek to study when he was in school.

Guerra was originally supposed to come to the U.S. in 2020 but was not allowed because of the pandemic. After running into a couple more road bumps after that, she finally arrived in Marshall last December to come to school for the second semester.

Lachaud is also in Marshall for half the school year. She originally wanted to come for the full year but said if that happened she would have to repeat an entire year of school in France.

“If you go for one year, when you come back in your country you have to do the year again,” Lachaud said. “I’m a sophomore in France, so if I were to come here for one year, I would have to do my sophomore year again and I did not want to do that.”

Between what they are learning in Marshall Public Schools and how the education system works in their home countries, each student pointed out some distinct differences.

Garcia said he has enjoyed his education experience at Marshall more than the schooling in Spain, although he said he believes the schooling system is more challenging in Europe.

“The biggest difference is that I think it’s harder in Spain and in Europe in general,” he said. “And your grade depends more on your tests. Here, it depends more on if you do homework assignments and stuff. In Spain, our tests are 50-60% of the grade, so if you have a bad (test) grade, your (overall) grade is really bad even if you do all the homework. But I like this system better.”

Sorensen said the grading system in Denmark aligns similarly with Spain’s, but that the length students go to school in the United States is different. He also pointed out how much different the math curriculum is in the U.S. compared to Denmark.

“Something I find a bit weird is that your (U.S.) high school is four years, and in Denmark it’s only three years. Math, I find it so confusing that you have so many different types of math. Here, they go very specific and in Denmark we just go over the basics of everything.”

Guerra said the biggest difference from her schooling in Brazil compared to the United States is that she is used to staying in one classroom back home for a given school day.

“In Brazil, I think the main difference is we don’t change classrooms,” Guerra said. “We stay in the same classroom the whole day and the teachers switch classrooms. “We also don’t get to choose our classes - everyone just studies the same things.”

Lachaud drew a similar comparison as Soronson about some of the curriculum being much different in her home country in France as opposed to the U.S., such as algebra. She also compared the grading system between Marshall and her school back home.

“We don’t have a grade for homework,” she said. “The teachers (in France) will come and check to see we’re doing the homework, but that’s it. “And I would say, at the beginning here, I thought the courses were not super easy, but easier than in France.”

Lachaud also mentioned the length of the school days are longer in France.

Being an exchange student and traveling across the world to a different country and adapting to a different culture would be a challenge for just about anyone.

But each have involved themselves in extracurricular activities and have made plenty of new friends to help acclimate into the high school.
Both Garcia and Sorensen played soccer in the fall for the Redhawks and said that was a wonderful experience for them.

“I’d say the best thing I enrolled in was soccer,” said Garcia. “It’s a place where you make friends. I came here the 21st of August, and I started soccer on the 24th, the same day we started school. So, it was perfect for making new friends and that’s a friend group I have right now.”

Added Sorensen: “I came on the 9th and started soccer the 10th (of August), I was very tired. Probably the best way to get friends to begin with is just sports because it’s easy to meet people with similar interests.”

Sorensen added that he also did swimming and diving in the winter and is currently on the track and field team as well.

Guerra said she didn’t have much trouble making new friends at Marshall, but that she was a competitive dancer in Brazil and has continued that during her time at Marshall, which has only helped her with making friends and meeting new people.

“I think any kind of sport or extracurricular activity that helps you meet new people helps with making new friends,” she said.

Guerra is also part of the soccer team this spring with Lachaud, as Lachaud said she is excited for the season and that she has been outgoing in school and has enjoyed meeting the other students.

“I will play soccer with Bea (Beatriz), so that’s going to be fun,” Lachaud said. “I’m very open minded so that’s really helped me in class with talking with people.”

Although all of the students were excited about coming to the United States to study, it was still difficult for them to leave home and leave friends and family behind for a time.

Garcia said the last days before he left to come to Marshall were hard knowing that he wouldn’t be seeing anyone back home for a time.

“The last days before coming here, it was the worst days because it was like, ‘I am going to the United States and I’m not going to see you all (for a while)’, '' said Garcia. “I was kind of enjoying every last moment before coming here, thinking ‘this is going to be the last moment I can do this with my friends’ and things like that. Also in Spain, my country is a big culture for family—family is everything. My mom, my dad, my grandma and grandpa, I’m wishing to see them right now—it’s been about six months since I saw them last.”

Sorensen was in Paris when he learned he would be coming over to the U.S. for school and had eight days before he had to be in Marshall. By the time he got back to Denmark, he had just two days before he had to leave and made every effort during those couple days to spend time with friends and family.

“Like Carlos, I’m used to always being with my friends,” he said. “I think I just invited all of my friends up to my school and we just played soccer for like four hours. I kind of miss my friends.”

Guerra added that in Brazil, family also means a lot to their culture, which means having to deal with a level of homesickness from time to time. Even while missing her family back home, Guerra is enjoying her experience at Marshall and believes this experience is well worth it.

“Also in Brazil, our family and friends really like to be together, and I miss my family and friends,” said Guerra. “But at the same time, I’m just really glad to be here and be able to get this experience.”

Lachaud said it was also difficult leaving people close to her back home. Even though Lachaud is doing just half a semester at Marshall, she acknowledged it’s still a long period of time to be gone.

“I think I was stressed (before leaving France), it was a big movement going to live for the U.S. for six months—and it’s far away too,” she said. “But I enjoyed all of my moments before (I left). I had my two best friends come with me to the airport with my brother and my mother. My mom started to cry, my friends too and my brother (at the airport). But I’m enjoying my life here.”

Host families are an essential part to the life of an exchange student as they welcome the students in and offer them support and a place to live.

Garcia and Sorensen live together with the same host family as both of them spoke highly about the family’s care and concern they have for both of them.

“They’re really warm, they’re always looking out for your grades, we’ll watch movies,” said Garcia. “I was selected (as an exchange student) in July during the last two days. That was so lucky, and I was so excited to come here and they (the family) were explaining everything to me. We went to Detroit, and we’ve gone to so many places—South Haven and (places like that).”

Added Sorensen: “They are nice. I didn’t have that many at home (in Denmark), so I’ve become more independent while being here and it’s mostly because of them. They take us a lot of different places. Especially in the summer, we were all over the place and it was fun. I really like my host family.”

Guerra said her host family has also been supportive and that she has learned a lot from all of them.

“My host family is just amazing, they’re the best,” she said. “I’m so grateful for them. I have two host siblings who also actually go here to Marshall. It’s just fun. I’ve learned so much from them, they’re always willing to explain everything and we just share a lot of things. Even little things about American culture, they’re always willing to teach me something new. And I also think that I’ve taught them a lot of things about Brazilian culture and about things that represent my country. So, it’s just a really fun experience and it’s a really cool exchange and I’m really grateful for them.”

Lachaud’s original home when she came to the U.S. was in Homer, which she said was an enjoyable experience, but the host mother had some health problems, which caused Lachaud to have to move to Marshall.

Now, she lives with the niece of her original host mother, so Lachaud was able to stay within the same family.

“I didn’t have any house siblings in my first family,” Lachaud said. “I think it’s always better when you have house sisters or house brothers. Now, I have two house sisters—one is in college and the other is here in Marshall. I’ve really enjoyed it. My house dad, when he was in college, took French, so he knows something about the country, and he’ll say goodnight in French to me. They’re all super awesome with me.”

When the school year ends in June and their experiences in Marshall come to an end, each student said they hope to be able to look back and reflect on what they each learned and the memories each one of them made while in the United States.

Sorensen said he has been traveling since he was young and has always been eager to explore different countries.

“I have been traveling since I was very little, I’ve been to like 23 countries or something,” he said. “The memories are the reason I came here. I wanted to experience a new culture. It’s actually not too different from the way I used to live, but there’s still the small details sometimes that come up. It’s just fun and I love experiencing new cultures.”

Guerra said she thinks all of the exchange students are learning a lot, not only about the United States, but also about themselves.

“You’re away from your family and experiencing so many new things,” Guerra said. “It’s just really amazing and I think that in a few years I’m going to look back at it and be like ‘wow,’ and see how much I’ve grown since I got here. It’s just really cool to experience new things every day and to meet so many new people.”

Lachaud agreed with Guerra and touched on similar topics in terms of what she is going to take away from studying in the U.S.

“I think if there’s one thing I can say I learned, it’s that you have to be very open minded,” she said. “I’m so grateful to be here and I’ve enjoyed my experience.”

Garcia said he has really focused on trying to make a lot of friends and create memories during his time in Marshall. He also added that his mother has always been one to motivate him and keep him organized and that coming here forced him to be more independent as well.

“You start doing things for yourself and organizing yourself,” he said. “Your mom can’t tell you ‘you’ve got to study from 4 to 6,’ you have to do it yourself and say, ‘I am going to study from 4 to 6.’ Also, the moment you make friends is the moment you start collecting memories. I was thinking about coming for college as well if that’s possible, but if not, just collecting all the moments I have here with friends.”
By Seth Berry September 10, 2022
Get to know MPS Superintendent Becky Jones as she looks ahead to the new school year Marshall Public Schools Superintendent Becky Jones said she has always had a passion for wanting to work in education. Even though her master’s degree is in business from Spring Arbor University, Jones originally went to school at Eastern Michigan University to be a special education teacher when she was an undergraduate before making the switch to the business field. “I always wanted to work in some sort of line in education and be a part of the school system,” Jones said. “My aunt was a special education teacher in an early childhood role and she worked for Jackson ISD. That was part of the reason why I wanted to go to school to be a special education teacher when I started. I ended up changing and I’m not 100% sure why I changed, but it’s interesting that I ended up into the system in the career path of doing that.” After Jones graduated from EMU, she landed a job in Jackson as a business manager for a construction company before being hired at Jackson County Intermediate School District in business operations. Jones has been in the school system ever since her time at Jackson County ISD before coming over to Marshall Public Schools, where she served as the director of business operations for the district for eight years. Jones said the relationships she built over the eight years in that role has helped her transition into the superintendent role. “I think with how I am as a leader and how I am as a person, I like to build a lot of personal relationships,” said Jones. “So I think that’s just something that has come natural for me over the eight years, I’ve just always built really good relationships with the people that I work with. I care about the people, I care about families, I care about our students. It didn’t seem unnatural for me to fill into the role of interim, because it was something I wanted to do.” Jones was appointed interim superintendent in May 2021 after the departure of former Superintendent Randy Davis. After eight months, the Marshall Public Schools Board of Education unanimously agreed to hire Jones into the permanent role. When reflecting on when she officially was hired into the permanent role, Jones commended the many who have supported her during the process and said she feels honored to now be serving in the role. “I think that educating people’s children and educating our youth is a very important role,” said Jones. “It’s an honor and a blessing in how I look at it.” Jones added that she is driven and inspired by being able to serve two communities, being students and families in both Marshall and Albion. “When I look at the district as a whole, I look at it as serving two communities,” Jones said. “Obviously we have an interesting history as a school system with bringing Albion into the system and serving both Albion and Marshall. That to me alone, just having the two communities that we get to serve, is a wonderful thing. Both communities have a lot to offer when you look at it. There are a lot of great people, leaders and businesses that are really supportive of the school system and really supportive of our kids. That’s one of the many benefits of this role.” Jones added she is also inspired by being able to serve the students as a whole and being able to interact with them and the teachers who are involved in their learning development. “Also the kids and the interaction with the kids. We get to go out to buildings and interact with the kids and interact with the teachers,” Jones added. “We have a wonderful staff in the district. When I look at the role, I don’t look at it as a superintendent role, I look at it as ‘I get to work with these amazing people who work for Marshall Public Schools and I get to meet all of these wonderful community members.’” In a March article from the Battle Creek Enquirer, former Board President Richard Lindsey acknowledged Jones played a key role in the annexation of the Albion School District and Marshall Public Schools in 2016. Jones further explained how she was involved in that process. “I walked alongside Dr. Davis when annexation happened,” she said. “I sat in all the meetings, went through all the financials and worked on all those things and what it would look like. So I was right alongside working through the annexation piece of it. Through annexation, there were a lot of people that care about both communities and about wanting to make sure that all of our kids have equal opportunity and equal access to good education. To me, in my eyes, that’s the one thing that matters, is equal access to kids for education.” As superintendent, there are both challenges ahead for Jones along with some things that she is excited about in terms of plans the district is implementing going into the school year. “I’m really excited about our strategic plan,” Jones said. “I think it’s really important for organizations to have a vision for what they are working towards. And I think that we’ve clearly written out what our vision is as an organization. I’m really looking forward to putting that in place.” As far as challenges go, Jones brought up being able to educate students in a post-pandemic world and focusing on providing support for students and families on what they need to further their education in light of all the disruptions that took place in schools during the past two years. “I think we still have a lot of challenges post pandemic when we’re looking at children and we’re looking at education,” Jones said. “We as a district need to sit down and focus on where our kids are at and where we need our kids to be in terms of education. So, I think for this year it’s really going to be a huge focus on what support we can give our families and the things we can do to really get our kids educated and where they need to be in a post pandemic world.” Another challenge in Jones’ eyes is how to put a new bond on the table and how to get community members to support one this time around. Last November, a $45.6 million bond was voted down by a 2 to 1 margin. She also mentioned the school’s sinking fund millage that she said will be on the ballot for voters this November. “We have $75 million worth of needs,” said Jones. “We obviously had a failed bond attempt and those needs haven’t gone away. So we’re going to have to go back out to the community in looking at a bond and (figure out) what we need to do. We need to sit down and talk about where we’re at with that. Another thing is with our sinking fund millage. That is set to expire and we’re going to be putting a renewal on the November ballot. It is a renewal but it’s not going to be worded as a renewal, because we’re going to add in security and technology services for that. So we’re really going to have to get out there and communicate effectively with the communities about that.” When Jones’ time is done at MPS, whenever that may be, she said she just hopes for both communities to look at the school district and be proud of what it represents. “I want both communities to be proud of their school system,” she said. “I want Marshall Public Schools serving both Marshall and Albion communities and for it to be a choice district for those communities. I want them to be proud of the work we do here and how we educate their kids.”
By Seth Berry August 11, 2022
Get to know MPS Superintendent Becky Jones as she looks ahead to the new school year Marshall Public Schools Superintendent Becky Jones said she has always had a passion for wanting to work in education. Even though her master’s degree is in business from Spring Arbor University, Jones originally went to school at Eastern Michigan University to be a special education teacher when she was an undergraduate before making the switch to the business field. “I always wanted to work in some sort of line in education and be a part of the school system,” Jones said. “My aunt was a special education teacher in an early childhood role and she worked for Jackson ISD. That was part of the reason why I wanted to go to school to be a special education teacher when I started. I ended up changing and I’m not 100% sure why I changed, but it’s interesting that I ended up into the system in the career path of doing that.” After Jones graduated from EMU, she landed a job in Jackson as a business manager for a construction company before being hired at Jackson County Intermediate School District in business operations. Jones has been in the school system ever since her time at Jackson County ISD before coming over to Marshall Public Schools, where she served as the director of business operations for the district for eight years. Jones said the relationships she built over the eight years in that role has helped her transition into the superintendent role. “I think with how I am as a leader and how I am as a person, I like to build a lot of personal relationships,” said Jones. “So I think that’s just something that has come natural for me over the eight years, I’ve just always built really good relationships with the people that I work with. I care about the people, I care about families, I care about our students. It didn’t seem unnatural for me to fill into the role of interim, because it was something I wanted to do.” Jones was appointed interim superintendent in May 2021 after the departure of former Superintendent Randy Davis. After eight months, the Marshall Public Schools Board of Education unanimously agreed to hire Jones into the permanent role. When reflecting on when she officially was hired into the permanent role, Jones commended the many who have supported her during the process and said she feels honored to now be serving in the role. “I think that educating people’s children and educating our youth is a very important role,” said Jones. “It’s an honor and a blessing in how I look at it.” Jones added that she is driven and inspired by being able to serve two communities, being students and families in both Marshall and Albion. “When I look at the district as a whole, I look at it as serving two communities,” Jones said. “Obviously we have an interesting history as a school system with bringing Albion into the system and serving both Albion and Marshall. That to me alone, just having the two communities that we get to serve, is a wonderful thing. Both communities have a lot to offer when you look at it. There are a lot of great people, leaders and businesses that are really supportive of the school system and really supportive of our kids. That’s one of the many benefits of this role.” Jones added she is also inspired by being able to serve the students as a whole and being able to interact with them and the teachers who are involved in their learning development. “Also the kids and the interaction with the kids. We get to go out to buildings and interact with the kids and interact with the teachers,” Jones added. “We have a wonderful staff in the district. When I look at the role, I don’t look at it as a superintendent role, I look at it as ‘I get to work with these amazing people who work for Marshall Public Schools and I get to meet all of these wonderful community members.’” In a March article from the Battle Creek Enquirer, former Board President Richard Lindsey acknowledged Jones played a key role in the annexation of the Albion School District and Marshall Public Schools in 2016. Jones further explained how she was involved in that process. “I walked alongside Dr. Davis when annexation happened,” she said. “I sat in all the meetings, went through all the financials and worked on all those things and what it would look like. So I was right alongside working through the annexation piece of it. Through annexation, there were a lot of people that care about both communities and about wanting to make sure that all of our kids have equal opportunity and equal access to good education. To me, in my eyes, that’s the one thing that matters, is equal access to kids for education.” As superintendent, there are both challenges ahead for Jones along with some things that she is excited about in terms of plans the district is implementing going into the school year. “I’m really excited about our strategic plan,” Jones said. “I think it’s really important for organizations to have a vision for what they are working towards. And I think that we’ve clearly written out what our vision is as an organization. I’m really looking forward to putting that in place.” As far as challenges go, Jones brought up being able to educate students in a post-pandemic world and focusing on providing support for students and families on what they need to further their education in light of all the disruptions that took place in schools during the past two years. “I think we still have a lot of challenges post pandemic when we’re looking at children and we’re looking at education,” Jones said. “We as a district need to sit down and focus on where our kids are at and where we need our kids to be in terms of education. So, I think for this year it’s really going to be a huge focus on what support we can give our families and the things we can do to really get our kids educated and where they need to be in a post pandemic world.” Another challenge in Jones’ eyes is how to put a new bond on the table and how to get community members to support one this time around. Last November, a $45.6 million bond was voted down by a 2 to 1 margin. She also mentioned the school’s sinking fund millage that she said will be on the ballot for voters this November. “We have $75 million worth of needs,” said Jones. “We obviously had a failed bond attempt and those needs haven’t gone away. So we’re going to have to go back out to the community in looking at a bond and (figure out) what we need to do. We need to sit down and talk about where we’re at with that. Another thing is with our sinking fund millage. That is set to expire and we’re going to be putting a renewal on the November ballot. It is a renewal but it’s not going to be worded as a renewal, because we’re going to add in security and technology services for that. So we’re really going to have to get out there and communicate effectively with the communities about that.” When Jones’ time is done at MPS, whenever that may be, she said she just hopes for both communities to look at the school district and be proud of what it represents. “I want both communities to be proud of their school system,” she said. “I want Marshall Public Schools serving both Marshall and Albion communities and for it to be a choice district for those communities. I want them to be proud of the work we do here and how we educate their kids.”
By Seth Berry August 11, 2022
In February of 1921, while what would eventually become the Marshall Country Club was being organized, 70 acres on the south shore of Lyon Lake was purchased for the golf course. That summer was spent by members raking stones, tearing down fences and leveling off and cleaning land while Harold C. Brooks, the club’s first president, hired golf architect Tom Bendelow of Chicago to help design the course. The following year, Brooks erected the club house that was planned by his architect friend Howard Young of Kalamazoo. A breezeway connected the club house with a pro shop and the country club was up and running. There have been a few changes made to Marshall Country Club over time, including the course being renovated into an 18-hole course from a nine-hole course in 1972. But 100 years later, the country club is still serving area golfers, with numerous events on tap as MCC celebrates its centennial year. Director of Communications Nancy Card said she believes Marshall Country Club’s ability to adapt over time has allowed the golf course to stay open even during ever-changing times. “It (country clubs) used to be much more formal,” said Card. “It used to be the ‘good ol' boys club.’ It used to be a high stakes kind of a thing. And now, through the evolution of all of these years, it’s interesting to me to see how creative we’ve had to become in order to continue to operate in the new world. It’s so different and we can’t operate like we used to back then. Just watching the changes and the evolution and how things have made us who we are today, that’s very important. And it’s so exciting to see how people are consumed with this. They really love our country club.” According to a 2019 article from Business Insider , country club memberships dropped 20% from 1990 to 2014. The number of clubs are also diminishing, as there were over 5,000 member-owned full-service golf and country clubs in the U.S., according to the article. By 2017, that number had fallen to about 3,900. MCC used to be a strictly private country club, but over time has morphed into a quasi-private, quasi-public course, with a restaurant, Lyon Lake Grill, that is open to the public. Feef Dillon, a member of the centennial celebration committee, said offering a warm environment has been one of the main keys to making the country club a successful operation. “I think we have to have a welcoming environment that welcomes all walks of life,” said Dillon. “Female, low and high income, we have to make it affordable for people to want to be here and make it worth their while and offer activities that are appealing to people. Long gone are the days where you could write off your country club membership. It used to be that companies would foot the bill. That’s no longer the case. Now we have to find ways (to gain members) and the relationships make it happen.” Tom Duffey, an MCC Board member and past club president, added it’s not only the friendships that are created, but the community environment that has made the country club a special place for him and many others. “This is a great place for family activities,” Duffey said. “We have both Marshall golf teams here, Homer golf teams, Albion College, Olivet College. I brought my kids out to play and now I’m bringing my grandkids out to play. It’s just a friendly, nice place to bring kids. You’ll see a bunch of kids out here hitting balls. It’s just a nice place to come out to.” The COVID-19 pandemic brought tough times to many businesses across the country, and MCC was no exception. House Manager Sarah Coco has been at MCC for four years and said while there have been some difficult times to get through, she did not ever want to leave because of her passion for the country club and seeing how much it matters to so many people she interacts with. “This is my first time working at a country club and it is different than any other restaurant, bar or hospitality place that I’ve ever worked at,” said Coco. “It was pretty challenging during COVID in that situation to get creative with how to be open, how to serve the members. It was a struggle, a huge struggle. You kind of step back and think ‘why am I doing this? You could go anywhere right now and get a job.’ But for me, I can’t do that because this place just means so much to so many people that it becomes special to you.” Vicki Knickerbocker, another member of the centennial celebration committee and MCC member said the country club is special to her in many ways, from building friendships to simply giving her and her husband a hobby. “I think it’s very important for both myself and my husband because it gives us something to do,” Knickerbocker said. “We could be working in our yard or doing something (else), but we’re outside and it’s beautiful out here. My husband is out here (frequently). I’m here maybe a couple days a week, but if it wasn't here where (would we be)?” To date, MCC has held monthly celebrations to honor its centennial year. On Aug. 13, two golf tournaments and a dinner will be held at the country club. The first tournament of the day is for current and past members only and will begin at 8:30 a.m., while the second tournament—a four-person scramble, is open to anyone and is set for an approximate 1:30 p.m. start time. Both tournaments have limited spots available. The centennial dinner is open to the public and tickets are currently on sale. Anyone interested in purchasing tickets can contact MCC. There will also be a raffle drawing that event organizers hope will be held that night, where ticket holders will have a chance to win a variety of prizes, with the top prize being a free membership to the country club. MCC will conclude its celebrations on Oct. 1 with “100 years of fun” and standup comedian Dave Dyer, an event that will also be open to the public. “We want people to know that we are celebrating, why we are celebrating and that we invite them to come and celebrate with us,” Card said.
By Seth Berry July 4, 2022
Jerry Sacharski was a recreation league director in Albion who pioneered T-ball as an organized youth sport in 1956 because he couldn’t stand to turn away young children with the desire to play baseball. Sacharski passed away in February of 2009, but his memory has lived on, which was apparent on June 25 when well over 100 community members came together at Tee-Ball Garden in Albion, where a new T-ball statue and historic plaque was unveiled under the leadership of the Restore Our Coke Sign: Bring Art and History Downtown campaign team. Many of Sacharski’s former players and their families were present to celebrate the event, along with members of the Sacharski family, including Jerry’s three sons—David, Michael and William. Following the ceremony, current T-ball players played a short game in Victory Park near Hannah Street, which was followed by an “Old-Timers” game. John Sims, one of Sacharski’s former players who spoke at the ceremony, expressed appreciation for his former coach and the impact he left on him and many others who played for him growing up. “I go down to that field and I can see him (Sacharski),” Sims said. “I think everyone who played “pee-wee” ball with him remembers him. We have very few people in our lives as young people who make a mark like that. I’m 70 years old and I still remember that guy with very great kindness. He was good to us.” Sims also cited a 1960 T-ball exhibition game, when Sacharski took him and other pee wee players to Michigan State University to put the sport on display in front of a TV audience as the game was videotaped by a local television station. In 2000, the video was accepted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, N.Y. Sacharski was also a teacher with Albion Public Schools for nearly three decades. His son David said his father was great at teaching the fundamentals of the game and brought his teaching qualities to the baseball field. “My dad wanted the kids to learn the fundamentals of baseball while playing T-ball, which was sometimes called pee wee ball,” said David. “Notice the word ‘fun’ in fundamentals. He wanted the kids to have fun and at the same time, learn basic skills. Being a teacher, he made T-ball a classroom activity on grass.” William, another of the three Sacharski sons, said he was one of the original 60 T-ball players in Albion. He remembers the summer of 1956 when “everything changed” in terms of how the game of baseball was played when he was a young boy. “The whole game that we played changed,” said William. “As a 7-year-old kid, we actually got to go up to bat and we actually got to hit the ball (instead of getting walked or striking out). You could take a stance and that ball was sitting there on the tee and you could just kind of drive through it. There were no free passes, there were no strikeouts. Every play, something happened. Just like Dave said, after a while, your fundamentals and your skills (improve) because you’re not standing around.” Michael is the oldest of the Sacharski boys and said he was an umpire during the first T-ball game in June of 1956. He thanked everyone who showed up to the event and commended all who helped his father make the sport successful. He told a story about his father after Jerry retired from school teaching when he was in Hawaii that embodied the type of person and coach Jerry was. “I think the second spring he was there, he ambled up to the park that was near our home, because they were staying in our home,” Michael said. “And he ambled up in the park, and in Hawaii they have springtime youth baseball. He was sitting around on a picnic table watching how teams were practicing on the various fields and he did that a few times. Finally, one of the coaches of one of the teams—the players would have been T-ball players here, but they had (the pitcher) throw the ball, they don’t hit it off the tee—the coach said ‘I’ve seen you here, do you know anything about baseball? Would you like to help coach?’ And he said ‘yes, I will do that.’ The name of the team was the Padres, and they were already 0-3 and by the end of the season, they were I think about 12-3 and took the championship. He never told anybody who he was or where he came from. And to this day, the coaches, the players, the parents—have no idea who this guy was.” Janet Domingo and Linda Kolmodin lead the Coca-Cola team and led the effort for the new plaque and statue at the Tee-Ball Garden. The garden is a cooperative venture with the Calhoun County Land Bank and Albion Community Foundation. Money was raised for these art installations and additional landscape improvements through a matching Patronicity campaign through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, according to a press release that ran in the ad-visor in the June 25 edition. Donated funds were held by an Albion Community Foundation. Other completed projects included the iconic Coca-Cola sign restoration and the new Malleable Mural celebrating Albion’s long foundry history.  “This is the completion of our three (main) projects,” said Domingo. “Many years ago, when I was working at the hospital, I made a video about Albion. I named it, ‘Small Town, Big Heart.’ Well, the town’s a bit smaller (now), but it hasn’t changed. As a result of a very successful campaign, we were able to continue with our goal to bring art and history downtown. We’re not quite done yet. We have a couple other small projects in the works. Thanks again to everyone and to everyone who supported us.”
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