By Julie Freeman 477-6959 engadinenews@sbcglobal.net

Welcome spring! The sunshine and warmer temperatures at the beginning of this week were definitely a welcome change.

The Tahquamenon Thunder hockey team has been named the 2009-2010 District 8 Bantam "B" U.P. Champions. "We played a real good tournament as a team," Coach Casey Cook said. "We had a scare with Calumet and Copper Country, who made a game out of it and kept coming at us, but our defensemen, Kyle McClelland, Shane Lick, and Willy Lanaville put it together in the end to stop pucks from getting to the net. If there was to be a tournament MVP named, my vote would have gone to "Welts" [Kyle Welty]... He made point blank stops on two separate penalty shots that switched momentum our way in a couple of games and just kept making one big save after another, game after game. The forwards played some great minutes and put together some very impressive plays with their passing skills. "Brownie" [Dustin Brown] scored 14 goals in five games, which was huge, but he had a great supporting cast and all of our lines were major contributors to bringing home this championship. This team really came together and I think we're hitting out peak right when we should be." The Thunder Hockey Team will next travel to Mt. Clemens Ice Arena to face the host team, along with other district winners from Dearborn, Livingston, Midland, Chelsea, Bay City, and St. Ignace, Friday, March 5, through Sunday, March 7.

There will be a benefit spaghetti dinner for Gina Paradise to help with travel and medical expense, Saturday, March 13, at 2 p.m. at the Manistique Eagles Club. Donation is $6 for adults, and there is no charge for children age six and younger. There also will be a 50/50 raffle and auction.

Tahquamenon Falls Little League sign-up for Little League registration, which is open to all area boys and girls, age five to 16, will be held at the Tahquamenon Area School’s main lobby, Thursday, March 4, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and again Thursday, March 25, from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sign-up will be held at the Engadine Consolidated Schools Thursday, March 11, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, call (906) 586-3770. Volunteers are needed.

Erickson Center for the Arts presents the music of Neil Diamond, John Denver, Cat Stevens, Bread, and James Taylor by tribute artist Doug Thomas Saturday, March 6, at 7 p.m. at the Erickson Center in Curtis. Cost is $10 at the door.

There will be a benefit bake sale for Marge Warren to help with medical expenses Friday, March 12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Pamida store in Manistique.

Happy birthday to Bobby Laverty and Brett Bednarski March 4, Glenn Frazier and Tammy Darknell March 5, Laura Flatt, Nancy Fulton, and Amanda Zimmerman March 6, Kaylee Standring March 7, Sherry Wicker, Eric Oberle, and Greggory Everhart March 8, Scott Miller and Wayne Schroeder March 9, Bubbles Breen March 10, and Cale Grinnell, Craig Funke, and our wonderful granddaughter, Mallory Morrison, March 11.

Until next time, take care.