|
|
 From: Shawn Personke
Western Washtenaw Recycling Authority (WWRA) will partner with the DART Container Corporation and community volunteers to host a #6 foam recycling weekend on June 4, 5, and 6, 2021. DART will deliver a trailer to the WWRA Chelsea/Manchester Road bin site. Staff and volunteers will be onsite to help collect and sort items brought in by community members during collection hours. Marc Williams, WWRA facility manager, is glad to be bringing this opportunity to the community. "Western Washtenaw residents are great recyclers. People want to recycle as much as they can, so when this opportunity came along, we decided to see how we could make it happen.” Chelsea residents Bill and Glenna Jo Christen are volunteering to help with the project. Over the past 2 years, the Christens have collected foam from friends, family and neighbors, stored it in their garage, and then delivered it to the DART facility in Mason. “Glenna Jo and I are very happy to see the foam recycling process being shared with the Chelsea area community,” said Bill Christen. If this collection goes well, the WWRA hopes to add more collection dates. DART Container makes food and beverage packaging items and actively collects and promotes foam recycling opportunities throughout the country. After recycling #6 foam, DART sells it to “manufacturers of picture frames, interior molding, pens, rulers and foam packaging,” according to their website. Additionally, they recycle the paper scrap from their line of insulated cups, creating foodservice products made of recycled, recyclable and compostable or renewable materials. Community recyclers need to know that only EPS #6 foam is acceptable. Examples of acceptable #6 include egg cartons, meat trays, some food take-out containers, medical coolers, and block furniture and electronic packaging. Items not accepted are building insulation boards and packing peanuts. Packing peanuts can be taken to Recycle Ann Arbor on Ellsworth. The Christens and other WWRA volunteers will be onsite during collection hours to answer questions and help review foam items. Hours for the event are Friday, June 4, 1 to 7 p.m.; Saturday, June 5, 9 a.m. to 5p.m.; Sunday, June 6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Christen likes to remind people of what Annie Leonard, executive director of Greenpeace, said. “There is no such thing as 'away.’ When we throw anything away it must go somewhere.” “We have seen the enthusiasm grow among the people who faithfully bring their foam to us for recycling,” said Christian. “We feel that with the support of Dart and WWRA more foam products can ‘go somewhere’ that will do less harm to our community.” Western Washtenaw Recycling Authority (WWRA) is a not-for-profit partnership of and subsidized by five municipalities (Townships of Dexter, Lyndon, Manchester and Lima, and the City of Chelsea) working together to find alternative ways to handle waste and promote reducing, reusing, and recycling. The townships are served by convenient drop-off centers while the City of Chelsea has weekly curbside recycling pick up. For more information, visit www.WWRArecycles.org.  By Dave Merchant dmerchant9701@yahoo.com
Chelsea senior Natalie Davies is taking her running skills to Wayne State University in the Fall. She recently signed to be a Warrior. Natalie will compete in cross country and track. “They have one of the top 5 journalism programs in the state, I want to live in a big city, I talked to many coaches and the Wayne State coach was the one I clicked the most with,” Natalie said. “The running program sounded similar to what we did in cross country focusing on tempo runs, and that program was a good fit for me in cross country.” She has had some interesting running experiences. “I had a unique experience with cross country… my freshman year, I ran 23 minutes 1 second in the 5k 3 times (the cut off for a varsity letter is 23 minutes). Coach Clarke made an exception because I got that time multiple times,” she added. “My sophomore year was my first year running on varsity. At the regional (how to get to states), my shoe fell off in the first 100 meters of the race, I ran my worst race of the season. My junior year, I ran at the regional with a stress fracture that took me 8 months to heal from (no running without pain for 8 months… did cross training and a little running, but it took way longer for it to heal than normal) ran my worst race of the season in pain (neither year we made it to states). Senior year we won the pre-region, regional, and got 7th in the state. That was definitely the best end to the season I could have hoped for after so much adversity the last few years.” She ran 19 minutes 53 seconds at the Gabriel Richard meet where nearly everyone ran a personal record, and she was the first girl on the team in 2 years to run under 20 minutes. That was her junior year. “Track season my sophomore year was one of my favorite seasons ever,” she said. “I fell in love with running and I got really close to all the runners and made my closest friends.” Her majors at Wayne State will be Journalism and Computer Science. Natalie will live on campus. Her family includes parents Amy and Jeremy Davies, and siblings Nora and Iris Davies. She likes being a Bulldog. “I moved here in 8th grade. There have been so many opportunities here,” she added. Her goals are admirable. “I want to improve a lot and enjoy my time running in college,” she said. “I want to write for a big newspaper someday and/or be a programmer for a company that has to do with learning languages and write for them… my options are open, especially with 2 majors. Also, like my dad, I want to coach for kids.” She has had many influences. “I started cross country as a Freshman because Coach Clarke told me I should join in middle school track (my mom is a runner and she thought I would like distances, so that is why I joined middle school track) because I didn’t play a fall sport, but I ended up quitting 2 sports I played for most of my life before that (softball and basketball) because of running,” she said. “I stopped playing softball my sophomore year to run track, and I stopped playing basketball my junior year because I had an injury from running and my senior year I ran in the winter instead of playing basketball. For her many family members, friends, teammates, coaches, and teachers have helped her get to this point. “I couldn’t be more thankful for them and the opportunities that I have. Coaches McPherson, Clarke, Swager and Gabrielson have helped me as a runner and person so much,” she stated.  From D&B Strategic Marketing
The Chelsea Education Foundation (CEF) is accepting scholarship applications through April 30, 2021. CEF offers 15 scholarships to Chelsea High School graduating seniors and/or current college students living within the Chelsea School District. In 2020, the Foundation awarded over $29,000 in scholarship monies. Since 1990, over 900 students have received scholarships from CEF to further their educational goals. Lynn Fox, Chelsea Education Foundation board president, said the organization has been fortunate to be the recipient of funding for various scholarships. “Individuals and business owners, who understand the importance of support for Chelsea area students to further their education, have allowed CEF to act as a pass-through to help those students. The endowments established for the CEF-funded scholarships have grown over the 30 years the organization has been in existence. These endowments are important to our ability to provide scholarships.” Many of the scholarships offered honor Chelsea community members, including the Joseph Piasecki Memorial Scholarship, named for the Chelsea School District superintendent who started the CEF in 1990. The Joel Gentz Memorial Leadership and Service Scholarship is named for Gentz, a 2002 Chelsea High School and Air Force lieutenant who died during a rescue mission. Other scholarships are career specific. The Chelsea Family Dentistry Scholarship and the Mary Merkel Memorial Nursing Scholarship provide for students pursuing a degree in a healthcare field. The Chelsea Rod and Gun Club Scholarship is aimed towards students interested in hunting, fishing, conservation, shooting sports, or other outdoor related activities. As its name implies, the CEF Engineering, Computer Science, or Accounting Scholarship is open to applicants pursuing a degree in any of those fields. While many scholarships are geared toward traditional four-year college students, the CEF is pleased to offer awards for those pursuing skilled trade careers or skilled training, such as the Chelsea Education Foundation Academic Scholarship and The Brian McGrath Memorial Scholarship. Others are designed for the non-traditional student or students already enrolled in a course of study, rather than a newly-minted graduating senior. While other scholarships were set up for applicants who have shown acts of kindness or have participated in community service projects. The process of applying is easy and Fox encourages applicants to take a look at the Foundation website to see what is available. The deadline is April 30, 2021. And then, the review process begins. “We have a wonderful group of scholarship reviewers who rank each essay,” Fox said. “I'd say that one never knows what will stand out in an essay that will bring a high ranking score for one essay over another. Those reviewers don't know whose essay they are reading since all identifying information is redacted.” She cautions against using the same essay for more than one application, noting that it usually results in a lower rank, because each scholarship has its own specific requirements. “There is no ‘one size fits all’ when applying.” Fox says the best part of the whole process is Class Night, the evening when scholarships are announced. “It’s an exciting event — pre-pandemic, of course. It's gratifying to read thank you notes that show how impactful a scholarship can be for a student.” Scholarships provided by the Chelsea Education Foundation Complete scholarship information can be found at the CEF website: www.chelseaeducationfoundation.org/scholarships.
 By: Charla Hamilton charlachelseaguardian@gmail.com
The excitement is building in Chelsea as a new business is about to open. PAX Gymnastics will be opening March 15. Owner Brigitte Laketa can’t wait to get started and share her passion for gymnastics with the community. Chelsea Guardian recently spoke to Brigitte to learn more about her and about PAX Gymnastics. Chelsea Guardian: Provide some background information on PAX Gymnastics, how long you have been in business, where did the idea come from for PAX Gymnastics etc. Brigitte Laketa: I am a 33 year veteran in the sport of gymnastics. The daughter of a dance teacher and gymnastics coach, and began my career at a very young age. Following a successful collegiate career at Western Michigan University where I was the captain of two Mid-American Conference championship teams, I was named Broncos Head Women’s Gymnastics Coach at age 22. I’ve spent 10 years as Head Coach earning two MAC Coach-of-the-Year awards. I stepped away from coaching to start a family but quickly returned to the sport, coaching for 10 years at International Gymnastics in Charlotte, NC. Here, I was instrumental in developing several girls into collegiate gymnasts. My family and I moved back to Michigan where I opened Studio 306, a small gym in my hometown of Concord, Michigan; the very gym that my mother started 52 years earlier. Now, I’m bringing my vast experience and unique perspective to Chelsea with PAX Gymnastics! My husband, Parker, and I are the parents of four sons, Parker and Preston, and twins Rhett and Luc. D CG: Why did you choose to open the business in Chelsea? BL: I have always liked Chelsea! It has such a vibrant downtown. It draws people from a wide area. I feel we can service families from Dexter, Stockbridge, Manchester, Grass Lake, and even Ann Arbor. CG: What is your favorite thing about owning your own business? BL: I’m able to do something I’m passionate about. I love the opportunity to have a positive impact on young people. CG: What are some things you love about Chelsea and about having a business in Chelsea? BL: Most gymnastics gyms are in business parks because of the square footage that they require. I was very fortunate to have found 15,000 sq. ft in downtown Chelsea. My families will be within walking distance to shopping and restaurants. I’m excited to be a part of the Chelsea community. CG: What do you feel sets you apart from similar businesses in the area? BL: My experience and my approach. I am not trying to build Olympians. However, if I see talent that can go the distance, I will refer them to coaches and gyms that are designed for that purpose. CG: Any other special facts or information you would like the Chelsea community to know (are you involved in any community projects, fundraisers, etc)? BL: Currently PAX Gymnastics offer gymnastics for ages 1-18 years, gym ninja for boys and girls, tumbling classes, Tot Time, Summer Camps, Parent’s Night Out and Birthday Parties. I would love to start a co-op high school gymnastics team involving area high schools and a cheer program. Next steps include our Summer Camp Program for both preschoolers and school aged students. Information will be available soon. In Latin, Pax means peace. I think it’s important doing what you enjoy and spending time with people that make you happy. That brings me peace. PAX where power, positivity, passion and performance meet PEACE. For more information on PAX Gymnastics visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/PAXGymnastics/. PAX Gymnastics is located at 375 E. North Street in Chelsea. Stop by, say hi to Brigitte and welcome them to the Chelsea community! |
ChelseaNews and information 
|
||||||||||
RSS Feed