Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By KELSEY HANSEN
Marenisco — Rumors about the Gogebic Miners football team ending were addressed at the Wakefield-Marenisco School Board meeting Monday.
Cathy Shamion, W-M superintendent, said they are just rumors and said the school has no intention of breaking up the Miners.
“Despite rampant rumors and discussion on the radio during our final game last Friday, there are no plans or intentions of dissolving the Gogebic Miner co-op,” Shamion said. “Wakefield-Marenisco is not going to dissolve the co-op and go to an eight-man football team next season.”
It has proven to be a very successful cooperative program with Bessemer and there is already a schedule set for next season for the 11-man football team in green, black and white uniforms.
“A co-op is like a marriage and even when the partners don’t always see totally eye-to-eye, they work through the minor issues and remain together,” Shamion said.
W-M will continue to work with the Bessemer Area School District and is proud of co-op programs in both football and cross-country.
A resolution was approved for a Career and Technical Education Middle College, supported by the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District and the Gogebic Community College.
The CTE Middle College will provide opportunities for area students to receive associate degrees from GCC while still enrolled in their respective high schools.
The local districts, allowing students the chance to get a degree at little or no cost to the student or his/her family, will cover the cost of the tuition and fees.
“We don’t expect to have a lot of students participate in this program, especially at first,” Shamion said. “But it is a wonderful opportunity for those few students who want to take advantage of it.”
The board accepted the resignation of custodian/bus driver Greg Bressette and hired Nicole Ribich as junior varsity girls’ basketball coach for 2015-’16.
It was also reported W-M High School has become a member of the National Honor Society, with Kathy Makela pursuing the membership in NHS.
NHS is an organization that recognizes leadership, service and character, as well as academic achievement.
Also mentioned was the free Big Powderhorn Mountain season ski passes being offered to all sixth graders on the Gogebic Range this year.
The board thanked Robert Mercure, former principal of Wakefield High School, for his donation of two children’s books he wrote. Mercure created two Upper Peninsula-themed alphabet books with accompanying crossword puzzles.
The board commended Mercure on his excellent art work, despite his disclaimer that it was “folk art — even Grandma Moses had to start somewhere.”
The W-M Parent-Teacher conferences are set for Thursday, Nov. 12, from 1-4 p.m. and then 5-7:30 p.m.