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Caledonia parents seek mask exemptions
Greg Chandler • October 26, 2020
Two parents in the Caledonia Community Schools are asking district officials to allow for exemptions to a requirement that students wear masks when in school for in-person instruction.
Mark Pyper and Rachel Bowman made their requests to the board of Education during Monday night's meeting at Duncan Lake Middle School's Performing Arts Center.
The requests come as many school officials in Kent County are worried about the rising number of COVID cases in the county. Area school leaders are urging students to continue to practice social distancing and wear masks, with the possibility of a shift to virtual learning or restrictions on extracurricular activities if the trend of COVID increases doesn't change.
Of the approximately 4,700 students in the Caledonia district, fewer than 10 have been approved for medical waivers, Superintendent Dr. Dedrick Martin said. He said he does not foresee a change in the district's policy.
Pyper has a son in the eighth grade at Kraft Meadows Middle School who he says cannot tolerate a face covering because of respiratory issues. Pyper contacted school officials at the start of the school year to ask that the mask mandate be waived.
“We provided a medical history for our son, outlining his diagnosis, that impacts his ability to tolerate a mask,” Pyper told the school board during a public comment period. “His principal told him it was not enough, and sent him to class with a mask. I communicated with the principal to determine what was required and was told that I needed a signed document [from a doctor]. Upon calling the pediatrician's office to set up an appointment to discuss the symptoms, they reported that they were not signing any notices for any schools due to liability.”
Pyper sent an email to Kraft Meadows principal Steve Uyl Oct. 12, asking again that his son not be required to wear a mask. Pyper cited a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services order issued a week earlier mandating facial coverings indoors but allowing for exemptions for those who cannot tolerate a facial covering for medical reasons.
“Upon entering school, my son was given a choice to put on a mask or stay in the student support room,” Pyper said. “He chose not to wear a mask, and he spent the entire day in a small room by himself.”
Pyper said he did not find out about the incident until he saw an email after the school day ended.
Bowman has two sons in the district, one at the high school and one at Duncan Lake.
“As parents, we should have the right to verbally express for our children what they can and cannot tolerate when it comes to face coverings,” she said during the public comment period.
The high school student has a medical exception to the mask mandate because of asthma, but Bowman wants her younger son to be able to opt out, as well. She says the younger child has had struggles in school because of the face covering requirement.
“It's difficult to talk to people, it's difficult to hear teachers, it's difficult to understand what they're trying to teach,” she said. “We [as parents] should have the ability to give a verbal representation that our child cannot wear one. That's what we're hoping for.”
Bowman questioned the effectiveness of wearing cloth masks, citing a 2015 study she said linked wearing of masks to increased instances of respiratory illness.
“There haven't been any long-term studies done to see what effects, physical or psychosocial, our children may have from wearing masks for 8-9 hours a day, or even more,” she said. “At the end of the day, we as parents know what is best for our children. There needs to be another option besides virtual learning for those who are unable to get a doctor's note for an exemption. Social distancing, along with proper hygiene, should be enough.”
Martin said the district “has always honored a licensed medical doctor's note if a student is medically unable to tolerate wearing a face mask.”
“We're beginning to see an increase in the number of COVID cases across the region,” he said. “With that, I certainly don't anticipate or don't see that this will be the time to relax the requirement to wear a mask.”
Monday, the Kent County Health Department reported 314 new cases of COVID-19, the most in a single day since the pandemic began and the most of any county in the state of Michigan. The previous single-day high for the county was 235 new cases Oct. 12.
Tuesday, Martin and Thornapple Kellogg Schools interim superintendent Dan Takens were among about 45 superintendents across West Michigan who signed on a letter expressing concern about the rise in COVID cases and urging people to take necessary steps to prevent its spread.
“If cases continue to trend upwards, county health departments warn schools may be forced to implement additional restrictions to prevent continued infections,” the letter read. “Restrictions may include cancellation, or other mitigation efforts, of extracurricular activities like athletics, band, choir and drama. As a worst-case scenario, schools may be asked to shift to a distance learning instructional model either periodically or for an extended period of time until cases decline."
Kent County Health Department Director Adam London expressed concerns around rising cases in local schools in an Oct. 15 public health bulletin.
“Our numbers of people testing positive that are related to schools is rising. Our middle school and high school numbers are significantly higher than the elementary numbers. The rate of positive cases in elementary age children is about half of the rate for people age 12-17 years, both nationally and in Kent County.
“Through our contact tracing, we are seeing very limited transmission of the virus from the classroom setting. Most of the new infections among students can be traced to social activities and sports activities.”
The youngest member of the Middleville Village Council has been named the village’s new president. Amanda Fisk, who was elected as a trustee to the council in November 2018, was appointed to the president’s office by her colleagues Tuesday night. She succeeds the late Charlie Pullen, who died Nov. 20, 2020, of complications from COVID-19. Pullen had been the village’s president since 2009. Fisk, 35, was one of three candidates who were considered for the president’s position, along with trustees Mike Cramer and Kevin Smith. President Pro Tempore Sherry Ronning took a straw poll of council members to see who they would support. Fisk and Cramer each supported themselves. The remaining council members – Ronning, Smith, Mike Lytle and Ed Schellinger – all supported Fisk. A formal motion followed, with Fisk being unanimously supported. “I support you in whatever help you need. I look forward to your leadership,” Ronning said. Fisk has several major goals she would like to see accomplished this year, most notably approval of an ordinance that would legalize marijuana-based businesses in the village. “Seeing that through was part of the reason I ran for council in the first place. I'm excited to see that nearing its end,” Fisk wrote in a text message following the meeting. Fisk also said she sees adjusting and reviewing the village’s contract with the Barry County Sheriff’s Department as a top priority. In addition, she supports continued park development, including improvements to the riverbank parks, Calvin Hill Park and the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail. “I embraced hiking this year as a way to get out of the house amid shutdowns and quarantines, so embracing and expanding on our distinction as a North Country Trail Town is something I'd be interested in exploring,” Fisk wrote. Fisk serves as Middleville’s representative on the Thornapple Area Parks and Recreation Commission. Finally, Fisk wants to increase contact with residents and business owners in the community. “The village is lacking a little in social media presence, and I think sometimes we struggle to reach members of our community in a way that works for them,” she wrote. “I definitely want to work with staff, council, and other boards and commissions to get the message out about what we're doing and how they can be involved.” Fisk was the top vote-getter among four candidates in the 2018 trustee election, capturing 762 votes. Last year, she announced that she was running for Barry County clerk as a Democrat but later withdrew her candidacy due to work and family circumstances. Fisk is a 2003 graduate of Thornapple Kellogg High School. She holds an associate’s degree in sociology and psychology from Lansing Community College, a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Michigan State University and a master’s in public administration from Walden University.
The lead was so large that the Fighting Scots could start their celebration a day early. Certain South Lyon, Freeland and Thornapple Kellogg would be unable to catch the Caledonia High School equestrian team with one event to go on Sunday, Oct. 18, the Fighting Scots had fun with a team Halloween party Saturday after the first four days of riding at the Michigan Interscholastic Horsemanship Association State Championships in Midland. Taryn Kooiker, one of the seven ladies who was a senior captain for the Fighting Scots this fall, and freshman Griffin Wolverton, the only guy in the high school program, came dressed as each other. “Griffin really pulled off the Teryn outfit,” said Caledonia head coach Kellie Scheidel. Not only did they have each others' outfits down, but their personalities as well. Scheidel said for her it was just one more example of the outstanding team atmosphere and camaraderie among her riders as they worked to make that one step up from being the Division A 2019 Reserve Champions to the Division A 2020 State Champions at the Midland County Fairgrounds. The Fighting Scots finished the weekend with 417 points, 105 more than the 2020 Reserve Champions from Freeland who finished in second place with a total of 312 points. The victory caps off a perfect run through the season for the Scots who also won District and Regional Championships. The Scots also won MIHA State Championships in 2015 and 2002. This is Scheidel's second season leading the program. Caledonia was the only team to score in all 17 classes in Midland, and put up the top point totals of the finals in Saddle Seat Fitting and Showing, Saddle Seat Pattern, Saddle Seat Bareback, the Flag Race, the Stakes Race Timed Event and tied Thornapple Kellogg for the most points in the Two-Person Relay. Thornapple Kellogg was third at the state championship, just 24 points behind the Reserve Champions from Freeland, with a total of 288 points. The Trojans were the top scoring team in Saddle Seat Equitation and the Cloverleaf Race as well. Behind the top three teams, South Lyon was fourth with 244 points followed by Ogemaw Heights 214, Rockford 193, Milford 114, Milan 66, Chippewa Hills 22 and Alpena 0. The Two-Person Relay was the only event left on Sunday at the championships, which were extended a couple days to help with social distancing. “It was a long one, but it was definitely worth it,” Scheidel said. “We competed Wednesday through Sunday, so it is longer than our usual shows.” Being that it started on Wednesday it left a little less time for riders and horses to recover from the regional round of the state tournament, and to perfect the state finals patterns in each class. “I kept telling the kids from day one you guys are state championship worthy, just keep your head in the game and don't get defeated if something goes wrong. Brush it off,” Scheidel said. Caledonia had one senior graduate after the 2019 runner-up finish at the state championship meet. All but four riders returned to the arena for the Scots this fall, and Scheidel said everyone got to contribute to the state championship performance. Kookier, Hailey Chu, Remington Steenwyk, Carlee Gibson, Madeline Peterson, Marcia Ball, and Lauren Kane were the Scots' seven senior captains this season. “We have seven seniors,” coach Scheidel said. “It is very sad. It is going to be very sad to see them all go. With the seven seniors it is such an experienced group of kids. They had been to state three years prior and they kind of know how it goes. Everyone exceeded my expectations.” The team also included riders Kendra Lloyd, Mia Stiver, Anna Eliassen, Mia Nelson, Griffin Wolverton and Kylie Greenlee and team groom Emma Hayden. Scheidel's coaching staff also included assistants Hannah Cox, Zach Scheidel, Laura Darby, Kim Fredrick and Karah Lloyd.
Last year, Lydia Cole, then a Thornapple-Kellogg junior, was the star of the Delton Kellogg/Thornapple Kellogg/Hastings varsity girls swim team's annual Cancer Awareness Meet. Cole had been diagnosed with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors at the end of her sophomore year. She'd continued to swim the 2019-20 season while undergoing chemotherapy treatments, and her team dedicated the Cancer Awareness Meet to supporting Cole and her family, using the slogan “Team Lydia.” Cole — who was interviewed prior to the 2019 Cancer Awareness Meet — said cancer scared her less than it had. Swimming with her team and staying busy kept cancer from being the focus of her life. She had found a sense of normalcy and felt confident she could beat cancer. “The diagnosis isn't the tough part. It is the rest of it, going through scans and now knowing what the outcome is going to be and when the outcome isn't so great having to deal with it. I feel like I have handled it a lot better than I expected. It doesn't scare me that much anymore, because I know that I can beat it,” Cole said. Cole, 16, died just a few months later in January. Thursday, the DK/TK/Hastings girls again donned their pink swim caps — still adorned with “#teamLydia” — as they hosted the Wayland girls swim team for the 2020 Cancer Awareness Meet. They wrote Cole's name — along with the names of others who have fought or continue to fight cancer — in thick pink marker on their backs, shoulders, arms and legs. In keeping with tradition, swimmers on both teams wore pink caps and tied pink ribbons on their suits. Pink balloons and ribbons decorated the pool area, along with pink signs that read “Two teams, one hope.” DK/TK/Hastings Coach Carl Schoessel started the Cancer Awareness Meet after his wife, Loretta Schoessel, began losing her battle with breast cancer; she died in 2011. Since then, Schoessel and his team raise money for the American Cancer Society at the meet and, over the years, have donated several thousand dollars to the society. Last year's proceedings were given to Cole's family to help cover the cost of her treatments; this year they were donated to the Lydia Cole Scholarship Fund, in addition to the Cancer Awareness Society. Loretta Schoessel's name, along with Cole's, was written on each of the DK/TK/Hastings athletes. It was a big night for DK/TK/Hastings swim team's season, too. They went into the meet undefeated with a 4-0 record in the OK Rainbow Tier II conference, while the Wayland team was 3-1 in conference duals. Schoessel kicked off the meet by recognizing Cole's family and noted this event would not be like previous Cancer Awareness meets. “Due to COVID, many of the things we've done at this meet in past years won't be able to be done tonight,” Schoessel said, referring to a bake sale, raffle and chuck-a-duck fundraiser – where spectators through rubber ducks from the balcony into a life ring in the pool. Without these traditional modes of fundraising, the team has raised money by asking family members, friends and others for donations. Additionally, spectators could donate by putting money in buckets labeled either for the Lydia Cole Scholarship Fund or Cancer Awareness Society, depending on what they wanted their donation to support. While the total funds raised from Thursday's meet have yet to be counted, Schoessel said Friday they might have raised a few thousand dollars. “From what I've been told and what I saw, it looks like we're going to easily get a couple thousand dollars,” Schoessel said. The meet began with a flurry of activity as athletes paced the poolside cheering passionately for teammates, their voices echoing off the tiled room, through the crowd, and up into the rafters. The swimmers approached the pool, ready to complete their events. They paused only to dedicate races to those who've been impacted by cancer, reading their names aloud before the event began. “Before each event, the names of the people we want to honor and remember will be announced,” Schoessel said. The 100-yard breast stroke event was dedicated to Cole; it was her favorite event. The meet ended with even more intensity than it started, as the Wayland girls beat the DK/TK/Hastings swimmers by only 1 point, with a score to 93-92. Before the meet, DK/TK/Hastings was in first place in its conference; now, the team is tied with Wayland for first place. “We knew it was going to be very close going in. In fact, I had told the girls it could come down to a one-point lead,” Schoessel said. “There's no hard feelings because we really value this meet.” “We would have loved to have won.” The final words of Coach Schoessel's speech, which began the meet, ring true for the DK/TK/Hastings girls as they look to come back from Thursday's defeat. “Finally, the motto of our meet: Support the fighters, admire the survivors, honor the taken,” Schoessel said, “and never, ever give up hope.”
Two write-in candidates have filed to run for the Middleville Village Council, while another write-in has filed for a seat on the Caledonia Village Council. Robert Bishop and Kevin Smith turned in their names as write-in candidates for the Middleville council by Friday's 4 p.m. deadline, while Cheryl King-Miller put her name into the ring for a council seat in Caledonia. Robert Bishop, 40, is a longtime area resident who graduated from Thornapple Kellogg High School in 1998. “I've been hemming and hawing about it for years,” Bishop said. “I saw there were two candidates for three positions, so I decided to throw my hat in.” Bishop's professional background is in engineering and information technology. He studied computer programming at Grand Rapids Community College and holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Grand Valley State University. Bishop has been cubmaster of Cub Scout Pack 3065 in Middleville for the past three years, and spent nine years as an assistant scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 105 in Middleville, where he received his Eagle Scout award in 1998. Kevin Smith, 51, is community manager and co-owner of Mix Coworking Studio, a collaborative and creative work space in downtown Middleville that serves startup firms, entrepreneurs and remote workers. He also owns 165 Properties, a local real estate management company. He is the former head of information technology at Acrisure, an insurance broker in the Grand Rapids area. Smith has lived in Middleville for 13 years. “I love living here and I think the population of Middleville has drastically changed since I started living here,” he said. Smith recently proposed a series of traffic-calming measures out of concern for speeding in the downtown area. Smith has a bachelor's degree in computer information systems from Western Michigan University. He and his wife, Renee, have four children, three of whom attend Thornapple Kellogg High School. A total of three seats are up for grabs on the Middleville council Nov. 3. Incumbents Sherry Ronning and Mike Lytle are running for re-election, while Phil VanNoord decided not to seek another term on the council. Village President Charlie Pullen is running unopposed. Cheryl King-Miller, 41, has lived in the Glen Valley neighborhood in Caledonia for the past three years. She is a former teacher in the Chicago area and has been a substitute teacher at Emmons Lake Elementary School. She currently homeschools her two daughters, ages 12 and 10. “I thought we needed some representation from our neighborhood on the council,” King-Miller said. “I knew one of the people from the neighborhood is leaving [the council, referring to incumbent Trustee Eric Van Gessel.] and the other one is running for president [referring to Trustee Jennifer Lindsey, who is running against current President Todd Grinage].” King-Miller earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Western Michigan University and a master's in language literacy from Nova Southeastern (Florida) University. She was once president of a local parent-teacher organization in Holt, a suburb of Lansing. Only two candidate names are on the Caledonia village ballot for three available council seats. Incumbent trustees Daniel Erskine and Karen Hahn seeking re-election.
