William Sorrells Sworn In As Brevort Township Trustee
By Paul Gingras

Lily Freel (right) pauses from her coloring while she greets people coming into the classroom at Les Cheneaux Preschool in Cedarville Thursday morning, March 16.

William Sorrels was sworn in as a trustee on the Brevort Township board Tuesday, March 7, and will serve until the November election. He replaces Mark Peterson, who resigned to become the township fire chief.

Mr. Sorrels worked on the Mackinac County Road Commission for 25 years, served as deputy clerk for Brevort Township from the mid-1990s through 2004, and helped install the township's sewer system.

In other business at the March 7 meeting, trustees prepared for the township's third attempt to build a new township hall, and Supervisor Ed Serwach said he would like to put the plan to a vote in August or November.

"The community center was built in the 1930s and it's simply falling apart," he said. The building also is not handicapped accessible, he added, and making it so would be nearly impossible.

Fred Luepnitz of Brevort Township recently provided the board with two plans for a new community center. Both include a township hall combined with a fire hall, and one plan also includes a library. Township residents voted down the past two attempts to upgrade the building, so Mr. Luepnitz has sought to create a less expensive building. Mr. Serwach said the board's priority will be to incorporate a community center into the new facility, but firemen Wayne and Mark Peterson insisted that a fire hall be put on the ballot, also.

U.S. Department of Agriculture grants and loans could be used to help construct the badly needed facilities, Mr. Serwach said. The most likely form of funding would be a low interest loan, but township residents would have to approve it, he added.

The board purchased a $1,200 sump-pump for the township hall, Mr. Serwach said. With spring storms coming, the equipment will be needed to keep the basement from flooding.

"We didn't really want to stick money into this," he added. "It's a Band-Aid. I sure hope it will work."

The four-month effort to secure a $2,000 halogen streetlight at the corner of Worth Road and M-123 will finally end. For the past several months the township has sought, without success, an alternative method of paying for the light. Cloverland Electric Cooperative assured the board that the light would be installed soon, at the township's expense, Mr. Serwach said.

The township continues to seek estimates form Maverick Construction, Belonga Excavating, and Art Huskey & Sons Excavating for demolition of the old Bradford building in Moran. Work will proceed when the township board determines the cost of demolishing the building and secures a grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Once demolished, a new hardware store will be constructed.

Brevort Township will continue a long-standing tradition of holding an annual meeting April 1, the day the board approves its annual budget. Brevort is one of the last townships in Michigan to hold an annual meeting, Mr. Serwach said. Residents can express their approval or disapproval of the budget during the meeting, and the board will give out the Citizen of the Year Award the same night. Les Cheneaux Preschool To Host Enrollment Open House

Les Cheneaux Preschool Cooperative will host an open house and registration Tuesday, April 11, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the preschool classroom at Les Cheneaux Elementary School in Cedarville. It will be the first time preschool applications will be available.

Les Cheneaux Preschool is a board-operated cooperative that offers two-day and three-day sessions for children ages 3 to 5. The two-day session is recommended for younger children and is offered Tuesday and Thursday, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. The three-day session is recommended for children who plan to enter kindergarten the following year and is offered Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with an extended school day Wednesday, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Students in the three-day session work more with letters and numbers and have lunch in the school cafeteria. The school year is September through May. Sue Rye teaches the school and Myla Haske assists her.

The curriculum includes classroom work and field trips. Parents work with the preschool board to raise money for the school to offset the price of tuition, and the school's biggest fundraiser is its annual holiday bazaar in November. Parents serve as classroom aides on a rotating basis, so there is at least one other adult besides teachers in the classroom every day.

Applicants must pay a $15, non-refundable enrollment fee.

Information and applications can be obtained by calling Kristi Goodell at (906) 647-8330.

Returning students will be given the first opportunity to enroll. The school can take 20 students, Mrs. Goodell said, and she expects to have 13 spots available by registration night.

Preschool is open to children who will be three years old by January 1, 2007.