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Season of festivities underway in Rockford
Rockford’s mayor and mayor pro-tem and State Representative Tom Pearce all spoke before a crowd of hundreds Wednesday, November 18, kicking off the holiday season with the fourth annual lighting ceremony in downtown Rockford. Enjoy carriage rides Thursdays and Fridays December 10 and 11 and 17 and 18 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.Rockford’s mayor and mayor pro-tem and State Representative Tom Pearce all spoke before a crowd of hundreds Wednesday, November 18, kicking off the holiday season with the fourth annual lighting ceremony in downtown Rockford. Enjoy carriage rides Thursdays and Fridays December 10 and 11 and 17 and 18 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The 66th annual Santa Parade will be Saturday, December 5 at 11 a.m. with Santa at the Rotary Pavilion after, plus much more. See ad on page 12 for more information.
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Schools ban field trips until township sets sex offender policy
Jeff Hawkins is arraigned in Rockford’s 63rd District Court on Tuesday, November 10. The 40-year-old employee of Plainfield Township has since been fired. The arraignment was the last before the county closed the court for consolidation at a new courthouse on the East Beltline.
Rockford Superintendent angry over proximity of offender, school
by BETH ALTENA
Rockford Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Shibler had harsh words to say about Plainfield Township officials’ failure to notify him that a convicted sex offender was working practically within arm’s reach of elementary students.
Forty-year-old Jeffrey Hawkins was fired from his job as firefighter and deputy clerk for the township after a Friday, November 6, incident when the convicted sex offender was accused of soliciting a teenage boy on the Internet for immoral purposes. Hawkins allegedly used Facebook to contact the youngster.
Hawkins had been convicted in 1997 of criminal sexual conduct with a 12-year-old family member.
In a letter to the media released November 10, Plainfield Fire Chief Dave Peterson stated, “At the time of his prior conviction, steps were taken to limit or eliminate the possibility of him being alone with a minor child. At the time of his prior conviction, considerations for continued employment were taken concerning the employment record and attitude of Mr. Hawkins, the family members who were involved, and the recommendation of his mental health professional. Based on that information I felt that with proper safeguards his continued employment with the fire department did not constitute a threat to the public.”
Chief Peterson said the latest investigation was the result of activities outside his position as a firefighter but nonetheless reason for termination. He also said the township personnel are deeply concerned for the victims and family members involved in this unfortunate incident. He fired Hawkins effective November 10.
In 2000, Hawkins was appointed as deputy clerk for the township.
Shibler sent a letter to the township, backed by similar sentiments from Northview and Comstock Park schools. Shibler’s letter informed Supervisor George Meek that no field trips will be allowed to the Plainfield Charter Township until a sex offender policy is implemented. “As I am sure you can appreciate, one of the most important duties I have as superintendent of schools, is to ensure the safety and security of the children entrusted to our district,” he stated in the letter.
Shibler also questioned whether the township broke the law by allowing Hawkins to work within 1,000 feet of a school. “The law is very clear that a sex offender cannot be within 1,000 feet of a school,” Shibler said.
Belmont Elementary School is located right next to the Belmont Plainfield Fire Station, and Plainfield Township Hall is located next to that, at 6161 Belmont Avenue.
“I should at least have been notified. That’s a concern and I should be concerned,” Shibler stated. “The bottom line is that he was convicted in his first offense in 1997.”
Shibler said his concern was the safety not only of students who may attend field trips to the station, but also those who may come into contact with Hawkins as his duties as an emergency medical service provider.
“We ask all volunteers, not just employees, but also all volunteers at Rockford Public Schools to undergo a background check. We would never hire anyone who was convicted of a sex offense,” Shibler said. “It’s just common sense for anyone who comes in contact with a school.”
Following Hawkins’ arrest on the second count of criminal sexual conduct, for using a computer to commit a crime, and for being a second offender in criminal sexual conduct, Plainfield Township Clerk Scott Harvey, who has been with the township one year, fired Hawkins as deputy clerk. He stated that he had no idea Hawkins had a prior sexual offense conviction and was on the Michigan Sexual Offender Registry. According to Harvey, there was nothing in Hawkins’ township personnel file indicating the conviction or that he was on the sex offender registry.
Plainfield Township Manager Robert Homan said shortly after Hawkins’ arrest that the township has no policy regarding background checks or hiring or employment policy for those with a criminal background. At the November 16 regular township board meeting, Harvey told the board that he had implemented a criminal history policy for his department until the township adopts a policy regarding background checks for employees and potential employees.
At this same meeting, Supervisor Meek opened the citizens’ comments portion of the meeting. “The board will not answer any questions for the benefit of Jeff and his family until there is a final decision in the case,” Meek said. “We will take your comments and we will record your comments, and if there is a question in those comments, we will get back to you, but it is not going to be tonight.”
Jan Lastocey stated that the fire chief did not have the right to hide this information from parents of children.
Stacey Komack stated that she is a mother of four, three of which attend Belmont Elementary School. “What did you know, when did you know it, and what did you do about it?” she asked.
Shibler said he has no intention of contacting other townships that do not have a criminal background check in place for potential employees and stop fire department field trips. “This is dealing directly with a specific situation and a specific employee and an employee right next door to an elementary school,” he said. “We certainly will continue to have field trips.” He said that none of the district’s other eight elementary schools is so close to a fire department.
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Four-senior play wins state championship
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SENIORS END HIGH SCHOOL WATER POLO CAREER WITH WINNING PLAY—Senior captains Derik Bothma, Connor Thelen, Kyle Peterson and Tyler Manikowski lift the state championship trophy. Photo by GORDON PETERSON
Let’s start at the end. State championship game—end of third period—and Rockford water polo senior captain Tyler Manikowski has been struggling. At the side of the pool during the quarter break, he climbed out and said to Coach Dave McWatters, “Coach, put Eric in. He’s playing better than me”—Eric Chisholm the sophomore, Manikowski the senior. The senior captain gave way to a kid two years younger, a kid truly playing great water polo, saying, “Go, Eric. Go play. Go win this game.”
With their tremendous shooters, Kentwood soon pulled ahead by two, but Rockford fought back with junior Jeff Schmitt’s three great goals, and then Kentwood scored a penalty shot to tie.
Now under a minute, McWatters called time. Back at the side of the pool, he’s decided on the lineup to finish regulation time—six starters plus either Chisholm or Manikowski. The coach turned to Manikowski, who had been on the bench now for most of the fourth quarter, and said “Tyler, you’re the senior. It’s your call. Can you do it?” “Put me in, coach,” Manikowski replied.
Peterson, to Bothma, to Thelen to Manikowksi is how the passing went. Manikowski had the greatest step-out to the ball he’s ever had, turned, saw the back of the net, and blew the ball past Kentwood’s great goalie, who had just moved to counter Bothma’s—and then Thelen’s—fakes.
Manikowski’s two-meter defender hardly reacted. The defender was too tired. He had played every single second of the game.
Coach McWatters commented, “Tyler’s unselfishness is a powerful example of what won us a state championship. Tyler calling himself out, making way for the young kid who was playing the best polo of his life, rested Tyler enough for that last minute, so he had the energy to make the greatest play of his life. Tyler’s unselfishness helped win us a state championship.” Many things go into winning a state championship.
Peterson, to Bothma, to Thelen to Manikowski—that was the last play. Peterson, as he always does, set up his teammates for success. Bothma—the great shooter now because he’s also become a great passer—rose up while everyone thought he was taking the last shot, and the goalie committed to his side of the cage, but Bothma passed to Thelen. Thelen, rising out to his waist and faking to shoot, forced the goalie to commit to the near side. However, Thelen passed to Manikowski at set, and they scored!
Peterson, to Bothma, to Thelen to Manikowski—the four seniors—always have each other’s back, and will forever know that they inseparably led their team to the state championship.
The end-of-season awards for Rockford men’s water polo are as follows:
Most Improved: junior goalie and captain Pat Fase
Best Defense: senior captain Kyle Peterson
Most Valuable Player: senior captain Derik Bothma
Coaches Leadership Awards: senior captain Connor Thelen
Resilience Award: senior captain Tyler Manikowski
The team’s season record is 30-12, with their seventh state championship in 10 years (2000, 2003-2007, and 2009).
Commentary from Coach McWatters:
Last spring, Derik Bothma, Kyle Peterson, Tyler Manikowski, Connor Thelen and I met at Taco Bell. We talked about how tough this season was going to be, graduating six starters, only Derik having significant if any state tournament experience. We talked about how everyone was counting us out, even our friends on the other teams. and about how a majority of our varsity team would have to be made up of freshmen and sophomores. Just look at the numbers: over 16 on a varsity team, with only eight total seniors and juniors—that means a lot of younger players.
I promised them that day that I would do everything I could to win this year, as long as they could promise me that they would give it everything they had.
During the darkest of days this season, we would renew that promise. I will keep teaching, we will keep learning, we will not give up. We will do everything we can to win this year.
Last week we met again at Taco Bell. Now we know the end of the story. We sat in the very same seats, and talked for almost two hours, reliving Derik’s tremendous shooting and steals (156-3.6 per game).
Kyle’s amazing defense was also a topic, shutting down guys who are 6’8” Division I swimmers, and 6’6” 240-pounders, and some of the greatest shooters I’ve seen in high school water polo.
We talked about Tyler’s resilience, and the hundreds probably thousands of step-outs we practiced, all coming down to one of the best step-outs I’ve ever seen in high school water polo, with :42 seconds left in his career. If that’s not resilience, I don’t know what is.
We also spoke of Connor’s leadership—the glue keeping everyone together—returning day after day to face the fears and challenges, all the while being second on the team in assists and steals.
I told them about how that night two Saturdays ago, when they stepped forward to receive the state championship trophy, with the coaches, the several juniors and 18 freshmen and sophomores gathered behind them on the deck, I learned forward to all the younger players and spoke with all my heart, “Gentlemen, there are your leaders. There are your role models. Be like them!”
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Alcohol suspected in head-on that killed teacher
Rockford Michigan State Police Post Commander Chris McIntire said alcohol may have been a factor in a crash that killed a 30-year-old first grade teacher on his way to work early Monday, November 23.
McIntire said the driver who caused the crash was headed the wrong way on the East Beltline and hit the car of Aaron Haynes, of Grand Rapids. Haynes was northbound and the truck driven by the other man, unidentified at press time, was headed southbound in the northbound lane. The accident happened near the Five Mile intersection at 7:15 a.m. in Plainfield Township.
McIntire said the unidentified driver had a Washington state identification card. “We can’t tell if he had a Michigan driver’s license,” he said. He is a 38-year-old Latino male who was in stable condition Monday afternoon.
Detectives found liquor bottles and cans in the vehicle, and he may have been driving without headlights. Police hope witnesses will come forward with more information.
McIntire said there was no evidence either vehicle braked prior to the collision. The area is not lighted by streetlights.
McIntire declined to identify the school or district where Haynes worked and said the children there were in crisis intervention because of the tragedy.
Anyone with information is asked to call Trooper Joe Young of the Michigan State Police at (616) 866-4411.
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Your vote needed to move Rockford grad to broadcast job
ROCKFORD’S GUITAR MAN—Vote for Emmett TerBeek at WOTV’s website.
ROCKFORD’S GUITAR MAN—Vote for Emmett TerBeek at WOTV’s website.
Contest to decide next television spokesman
Any employer knows how difficult it can be to find the right person for the job. Next time, just run a contest. WOTV 4, an affiliate of WOOD TV 8, is finding its next spokesperson that way, and Rockford resident Emmett TerBeek hopes to win the job.
TerBeek was chosen as one of 20 finalists from an open casting call in Grand Rapids and Portage that had hundreds of hopefuls. On November 30 he will be on the station live with the other finalists to hear who made it into the final six. The lone winner who is chosen December 7 will be awarded a $20,000 one-year contract to work for the station as spokesperson and on-air personality.
The 2004 Rockford graduate works as a musician, music teacher and male model. He would like to break into a broadcast career and perhaps the movie industry with this opportunity. Although many may think his interesting way of earning a living is a dream job, he graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2008 with a degree in marketing with an emphasis on sales.
“When I graduated, I couldn’t find a job in sales,” he said. So he went with his other talents and makes money with music and modeling. Now he isn’t interested in pursuing his intended field, but hopes landing a gig on television could help him get into Michigan’s new movie industry. Rockford residents can help him succeed.
The next round will be five individuals chosen by the station, and one more by popular choice. TerBeek hopes Rockford will come through for him by logging on to WOTV’s website (www.wotv.com) and vote for him. He is the only finalist from Rockford. Voting is through November 29.
VOTES NEEDED—Emmett TerBeek wants to be the next Face of 4. Photo courtesy of WOTV 4
TerBeek said he thinks he did pretty well on his initial audition. He waited in line three hours and was nervous going in. “As soon as I got in front of the camera it was smooth sailing,” he said.
While waiting for his audition he and other hopefuls were able to watch the auditions of those before them. He said no one seemed to meltdown and he understood from talking to others waiting that he was up against a lot of talent with tons of broadcast and performance experience.
The interviews were limited to one minute, and TerBeek used his time with a song written just for the audition and a quote from the movie The Anchorman: “I look good. Really good.” His interview, as well as others, is online at the station’s site.
He hopes people will remember him as the “guitar man.” He used his guitar in his audition and has been teaching to Rockford residents and the area. Some may remember him as the guitar teacher at Pick’s music store in downtown Rockford.
Runners-up get nothing, but win or lose, TerBeek is happy he gave it a shot. “Life will go on. I’ll chalk it up to a great experience and I was able to meet some really cool people,” he said.
“I’m hoping personality and good looks will nail it,” he said. “A vote for Emmett is a vote for Rockford.”
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