• Fan comments on Bays game
• Biology Dept. thanks community
• Tribal member thanks family and friends for care and concern
• OCS students thank community
• BMEC response questioned
• BMEC responds to inquiry
Fan comments on Bays game
On Tuesday, Jan. 24, I went and watched the Brimley Bays basketball team in their non-conference match-up with the Sault High Blue Devils. The junior varsity game was a real nail biter that ended in a two-point loss for the Bays. The varsity game was equally exciting, with the Bays defeating the bigger Blue Devils by a score of 72 to 64.
During half time of the varsity game, I listened to the usual grumbling about bad calls from the referees, bad coaching, and the, "What they need to do..." input from fans and parents.
After the varsity Bays game ended in a victory, you would think I would have left the school elated. However, I did not. What I felt was total disgust, again. The reason is something that has been happening for years. Why would Coach Robbins put a player in for the last four seconds of the game? Because I've seen him do this on several occasions before, I shouldn't have been, but I was again completely stunned. And not only myself, as I heard fans behind me say, "That is just terrible to do that to those boys. Why even put them in? They'll only get to take two steps before the game is over. That is so bogue!" To be quite honest, my expressions regarding this were much more "colorful."
Why does Mr. Robbins and other coaches do this? Don't they know the message they're sending these kids? This is the message I get from these actions: Just because they don't have the God-given talent of a select few, they will sit the bench until we have a big enough lead so they don't somehow screw it up. So what if they go to practice every day and run and sweat just like their starters. Win at all costs, right?
I'll stand with many others and applaud any and every kid that a coach sends out on the court for four seconds of a game, including those that don't even get in. Do you want to know why? Because those kids, those team players, jump right up, even after their coach's insulting slap-in-the-face, and go out on the floor to play - even if it is for a whole four seconds.
Darlene M. LeBlanc
Brimley, Mich.
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Biology Dept. thanks community
The Bay Mills Biology Department would like to thank the following people and departments for their help with the logo contest: the teachers and faculty at the Ojibwe Charter School; the judges for the art contest; Dee Bowen and Corey Pine in the Graphic Design Department; Shelly Deuman and last, but not least, every participant that submitted his or her artwork for the contest. Every participant did an excellent job.
We would also like to acknowledge Stephanie Sabatine and Mary June at the Lake Superior State University Native American Department. The participants' artwork will be on display throughout the month of February at the Native American Art Gallery located in the LSSU library.
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Tribal member thanks family and friends for care and concern
I would like to give a big heartfelt "thank you" to my family and friends who stood by me during my illness. To my family, your being there at my side and sitting with me, not wanting to leave me alone so that I wouldn't be afraid, meant so much to me. We are truly blessed with the love that we have for each other.
To those of you that sent cards and flowers - thank you, as well! I appreciate your kindness and concern. And most of all, thank you to my husband, Sam. You make a wonderful nurse and really bring home the true meaning of "in sickness and in health."
I love you all and again thank you so much.
Love,
Ruby Hatfield
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OCS students thank community
The Ojibwe Charter School of Bay Mills would like to give a big thanks to Ken Hopper, Don Elliott, and Shelly Deuman. They all won the 50/50 raffles and donated the money back to the OCS PTO. Thanks!
We would also like to thank everybody who helped with the Winter Feast. Thanks to Mike Breakie, Paul Breakie, and Jacques LeBlanc, Sr., for setting up the gym and hauling tables and chairs; Kat Memegos for cooking the delicious fry bread; Jay Memegos and the P.R.I.D.E. Drum Group for doing such a great job drumming, dancing, and singing; Levi and Terry Carrick for cooking the fish; and Mike Willis for doing the Opening Prayer. The Winter Feast was a great success; thank you all for making this such a wonderful event!
P.S. Thanks to Aunt Twizzle and other community members for cleaning up afterwards!
Thanks again,
OCS Students
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BMEC response questioned
We are writing in regards to an incident that happened very early in the morning on Jan. 14. Bay Mills Emergency Connection was paged out for a snowmobile accident on Irish Line, west of M-221. The initial page stated that the patient was unconscious and the officer on the scene stated to "step it up." The problem: BMEC was at War Memorial Hospital because of a previous emergency. BMEC asked dispatch to page out for a second rig, but no one answered the page, and BMEC took at least 15 to 20 minutes to respond to the scene.
A lot of people in the area knew that a snowmobile club from Ohio, with approximately 150 people, was going to be in the area, besides all the other people that would be here, and they decided to stay off the trails during the weekend. As residents of Superior Township, this incident has really upset us, as this is not the first time that this type of incident has happened. Next time it could be one of us, or you or your loved ones.
BMEC wanted Superior Township's ambulance and finally received it, but obviously they cannot staff it. I would like to know why they do not have a back-up plan.
Something really needs to be done about this situation so it does not happen again. The residents of Bay Mills and Superior Township deserve to have adequate care.
Claude and Mary Denker
Kevin Denker
Marna Singleton
Carol Passmore
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BMEC responds to inquiry
Dear Mr. and Mrs. C. Denker, Mr. K. Denker, Ms. Passmore and Ms. Singleton:
First of all, I would like to thank you for your care and concern for the well being of the residents and visitors of the communities of Bay Mills and Brimley. Though I'm sure your concern is genuine, it is rather misinformed. I would like to take this opportunity to explain the situation to you and to the residents of these communities.
On the night of Jan. 14, 2006, Bay Mills Emergency Connection was dispatched to a snowmobile accident on Irish Line Road. BMEC was already out at War Memorial Hospital delivering another patient to the emergency room. BMEC did ask that the back-up ambulance be dispatched to the scene. Though there was not enough staff for a "full crew" for the back-up ambulance, a licensed EMT responded directly to the scene within moments and began stabilization of the patient while BMEC was en route to the scene. So to say that "No one answered the page" is incorrect.
In a perfect world, BMEC would have enough funding and providers to staff two full-time ambulances. As you well know, that is not the case. We do indeed have a back-up plan in place and that plan is to staff our Unit One with a full-time paramedic and EMT on call 24/7 paid, and to staff the back-up ambulance with volunteer EMTs and medical first responders from within the community on a volunteer basis. This means that we count on people within the community to take classes, gain licensure, and then dedicate their time to the people of these communities in their hour of need. Though we do have a handful of these dedicated individuals, not all of them are available 24/7, due to work and personal schedules.
BMEC took over the ambulance from Superior Township as part of a joint endeavor. It was not fair that they were footing the bills for the back-up unit when it was covering both townships and the reservation. Furthermore, when a back-up ambulance is used as seldom as ours, we simply cannot expect it to be a full-time operation. The cost is too great and the providers involved would not be getting enough experience to keep up their skills.
The answer to this dilemma is community involvement. We need people to step up to the plate and become volunteers. I am aware that at least one of you is a licensed EMS provider, but has never joined our roster after repeated requests from the administration here. I now ask you, as an EMT and community resident, to step up to the plate and become a volunteer. If you still don't want to join us, then go out in the community and recruit people who might be interested.
Again, I thank you for your concern and request that if you have any further questions or concerns you address them to me personally. As always, I have an open door policy to all members of the surrounding communities and am willing to sit down and address any concerns that you have. The office door will be open and the coffee pot on. If you would like, you may even contact me at home.
Respectfully,
Captain Ruth Ann Summerville
Paramedic BMEC
Work: 248-2021, Home 248-3110
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