St. John’s UCC. Google street-view image.

by Keegan Sweeney

After 135 years, St. John’s United Church of Christ, located at 12376 Waters Rd in Freedom Township, is closing after a difficult decision made this past spring by the church’s board. While St. John’s will cease meeting there, the church building will soon house another area church. 

After looking for a buyer, Foundation Building Church in Chelsea — which currently meets at 512 Washington St near Chelsea High School — came forward. The St. John’s Church Board agreed to donate it, as it was important to them that the building is handed off to another church. 

Over the years, the church has seen fewer people in attendance. “Sadly, what has happened is people have just left the church. You know, we haven’t had a Sunday school for years,” Jeanne Spencer, the church’s board president, said. “It was hard to draw new people because we weren’t able to offer all of the amenities that many churches can.” Eventually, the church building’s critical-repair costs outweighed the funds coming in. 

“You could see it coming. Our funds were dwindling, and we talked about it for many meetings. What do we want our beloved church to go to? It was decided that if we could give it to another church or sell it to another church, that was the first priority,” Spencer said. When the opportunity came to donate it to Foundation Building Church, the church’s board embraced the handover. “We were very happy about it,” Spencer said. 

As a denomination, St. John’s Church is a part of the United Church of Christ. On a continuum, Spencer said that the church falls on the opposite end of the most conservative churches. The St. John’s Facebook page describes the church as “The quaint country church, nestled in farm country, steeped in tradition, yet progressive to today’s times.” Foundation Building Church’s website states that they are a community that “welcomes people of all genders, racial, and social backgrounds as we passionately pursue the presence of God,” echoing sentiments of St. John’s Church. 

Being organized and built in 1891, the church has enjoyed a long history locally. Early founders consisted of those belonging to the German Hinderer, Trinkle, and Buss families. Spencer was baptized, confirmed, and married in the church. She has also served as the church’s organist. Her father, the president preceding her, married someone from the Trinkle family and then joined the church. He then passed the torch to her. 

Spencer said that if one looks through the church’s membership book, there is a swath of members from the three German families. Over her time at the church, they have organized many community events such as fundraising dinners, ice cream socials, and euchre parties. They also organized an annual Christmas drive for local families in need — and the Manchester Community Resource Center helped identify those families.

She noted one story that sticks out to her. One summer, a granddaughter of a church member approached the church and asked for help. She was a teacher on a Native American reservation in South Dakota and explained that the previous winter was difficult on the reservation — so the church then organized a drive for them.

Now, although the church’s building is closed, Spencer wants to continue the tradition. “The church is really the people,” she said. She mentioned plans to eventually regroup and meet in someone’s home or a local building: “Even though the church [building] had to be parted with through the donation, the church, St. John’s, with the people, are going to continue.”

The three candidates selected to interview for MCS superintendent: (left to right) Widad Luqman, Tom Johns, and Nabil Nagi. The first two photos are Mirror file photos. The third is a MCS staff photo from the district website.

by Sara Swanson

In light of Manchester Community Schools’ (MCS) superintendent, Steven Head’s resignation, due to health issues announced two weeks ago, the school board held a special meeting last Monday evening, July 27, after which they invited three internal candidates to interview for the position of superintendent: Widad Luqman, Tom Johns, and Nabil Nagi. Luqman is principal of Klager Elementary School and director of the Manchester Early Childhood Center; Johns is principal of Riverside Intermediate School and the district’s athletic director; and Nagi is the district’s director of special programs.

Unlike the last superintendent search little more than a year ago, which lasted months, involved hiring a search firm, and opened the field to external candidates, opening only to internal candidates means a much a shorter process. 

The next step in the search process will begin this evening, August 3, as the MCS staff will have the opportunity to participate in a closed question-and-answer session then provide feedback to the school board.

On Wednesday, August 5, the school board will interview candidates beginning at 5pm in the high school media center. Each candidate will provide a presentation followed by interview questions from the Board of Education. This meeting is open to the public, and the board states in a letter that went out to families, “community members, families, and staff are encouraged to attend.”

On Thursday, August 6, the candidates will participate in a community meet-and-greet from 6pm to 7:30pm in the high school commons. This is described as an informal event where families and community members will be able to meet each candidate, ask questions, and share feedback with the Board of Education. Children are welcome.

The board has scheduled the selection of the superintendent to take place on Tuesday, August 11, at 6pm, in the high school media center. 

Until then, MCS chief financial officer Shannon Cajic will serve as interim superintendent. The board stated that Cajic has been a dedicated member of the Manchester Community Schools administrative team since 2018, serving in a variety of leadership roles throughout her tenure and that she holds the appropriate administrative certification and brings extensive experience. The letter states, “The Board is grateful for her willingness to provide steady leadership during this transition.”

Manchester City Hall, 912 City Rd

submitted by Michael Sessions, City of Manchester manager

The City of Manchester is providing residents with an update on several infrastructure improvement projects that will take place during the week of August 3–7, 2026.

72-Hour Municipal Well Test

The City will resume the required 72-hour municipal well test on Monday, August 3, with a step-up test. The continuous 72-hour pumping test will begin on Tuesday, August 4, and conclude on Friday, August 7.

Residents in the area may notice intermittent generator noise during the testing period. The generator has proven to operate more quietly than originally anticipated, and any noise is expected to be minimal. The generator is necessary to complete the required testing of the municipal well.

As part of the testing process, blowoff valves have been installed at Kirk Park and the Department of Public Works (DPW) facility. Residents may observe water discharging from these locations during the test. This is a normal and expected part of the well-testing process and is not a cause for concern.

Ockrow Street Sanitary Sewer Project

Work on the sanitary sewer improvements along Ockrow Street is expected to be completed on Monday, August 3, and Tuesday, August 4. The City appreciates the patience and cooperation of residents during this important infrastructure project.

Riverbend Lift Station Improvements

Construction at the Riverbend Lift Station is scheduled to begin on Thursday, August 6, and continue through Friday, August 7. The project will install new piping designed to eliminate a bottleneck that occurs when two pumps are operating simultaneously. These improvements will enhance the efficiency and reliability of the City’s wastewater collection system.

The City of Manchester appreciates the patience and understanding of residents as these important infrastructure improvements are completed. These projects are part of the City’s ongoing commitment to maintaining reliable water and wastewater services for the community. Residents with questions regarding these projects are encouraged to contact the City Office during normal business hours.

The Wooden Nickel program is a partnership between the Community Resource Center and Manchester Farmers Market. Mirror file photo.

by Keegan Sweeney

Dana Turner-Queen, the manager of the Manchester Farmers Market, and Carol Wotring, the director of Manchester’s Community Resource Center (CRC), believe that fresh food is a human right. To help make that a reality during a low point for fresh-food access in Manchester, the Farmers Market teamed up with the CRC to create the Wooden Nickel Program, which is still going strong today.

The way it works is, the CRC distributes tokens known as wooden nickels to qualifying residents at the Thursday Farmers Market or at their office during open hours. They can then be used to purchase fresh food at either Manchester’s Thursday or Sunday Farmers Markets. The tokens can be used to purchase up to $40 per month of produce, herbs, eggs, honey, and produce-producing plants. Recipients can even opt to have CRC volunteers shop the Farmers Market for them and have the fresh food delivered to their doors. CRC then reimburses the Farmers Market vendors.

The wooden nickel program has been running for years and was part of a solution to address the problem of Manchester becoming almost a “food desert,” a community with limited access to affordable and nutritious foods, with the closing of the only full-service grocery store in the area. Turner-Queen explained that during the years without a grocery store there was nowhere else to get food besides Dollar General. 

Although Manchester once again has a full-service grocery store, the Wooden Nickel Program continues to be an important source of fresh food for low-income residents. In addition to the Wooden Nickel Program, SNAP benefits can also be used to purchase food products at the Farmers Market. Turner-Queen said, “If you’re a human, you deserve food and you shouldn’t feel bad about needing it.”

Whether or not you participate in the Wooden Nickel Program, if you shop at the Farmers Market, you are benefiting from it. The program encourages vendors to keep returning to the market, such as their largest producer whose commute and participation would not be possible without the wooden nickels. 

Wotring reports that the CRC administers an annual satisfaction survey for the Wooden Nickel Program and people are “overwhelmingly” satisfied with what they can buy and with the program itself. Along with opening up access to food, the Wooden Nickel Program has also proven to increase locals’ sense of community involvement. In the survey, residents indicated they feel more a part of the Manchester community because they take part in the market. Overall, Wotring said, the CRC’s mission is to “connect people to resources that improve their lives, and, whatever those resources are, we want to bring those to Manchester.”

Although the Wooden Nickel Program is being sponsored by the Chelsea Hospital Community Benefit Fund this year, in past years it has been funded by a grant from 5 Healthy Towns Foundation (5HF), through Manchester Wellness Coalition (MWC). Currently 5HF through MWC is funding the CRC’s weekend kids’ meal program. The CRC provides meal kits to students within the Manchester school district, kindergarten to 12th grade, who may experience food insecurity on the weekends. They also currently provide operating support for Manchester Farmers Market. 

If you would like to see if you qualify for the Wooden Nickel Program or the weekend kids’ meal program, call the CRC at 734-428-7722 or email info@manchestercrc.org. Along with administering the Wooden Nickel Program and weekend meal kits, the CRC delivers groceries locally to City of Manchester residents and the four surrounding townships. They offer in-person shopping at their food pantry and distribute emergency funding assistance to prevent eviction or utility shut-off. They help locals apply for and/or keep Medicare/Medicaid and federal food assistance programs as well. 

Matt Pegouskie, 5HF Community Investment Manager, explained that the 5HF funding for the Farmers Market is just some of the money invested in helping Manchester to eat healthier over the years. “Over $1 million dollars has been granted to Manchester-area projects since 2012,” he commented, “funding ‘Eat Better’ projects, including the Farmers Market/Acorn Farmers Market, school and community garden programs, and food assistance through CRC.” 

Pegouskie highlighted how the Farmers Market’s expansion to include Sundays, which started this spring, increases opportunity to access fresh food with the Wooden Nickel Program. “It provides another day of purchasing power,” he said. 

He also stated that the Manchester Farmers Market fits into a broader collaboration of markets across the 5 Healthy Towns communities of Manchester, Chelsea, Dexter, Grass Lake, and Stockbridge. Every September, farmers markets from each town join together and organize a Farm to Table Feast Fundraiser. This year, the feast is on September 13 at Grass Lake Park from 4pm to 6pm. Tickets are $75 per person and the feast features live music, a lively silent auction, and a seasonal, farm-inspired meal. All proceeds go toward the five farmers markets. Tickets for the fundraiser can be purchased at 5healthytowns.org. 

The Manchester Farmers Market runs from 10am to 2pm at Wurster Park on Sundays, and from 3pm to 6pm on Adrian Street on Thursdays.

Wotring emphasized the importance of the Wooden Nickel Program and the Farmers Market in making Manchester healthier. “We all want to be as healthy as possible, no matter what our income levels are,” she said. “It should be a right for everyone to have access to fresh food. It’s the right thing to do.” 

The reporter who wrote this article was paid with a grant from 5 Healthy Towns through the Manchester Wellness Foundation.

Learn about the MCS school board candidates before you vote this fall at an online forum on August 12. Bridge Michigan file photo.

by Sara Swanson

While the primary election may still be front and center in our minds, the general election will be here before you know it. You will have your first opportunity to learn more about the candidates running for school board in November next week. All ten candidates have been invited to participate in an online forum on Wednesday, August 12 starting at 7pm. The panel will be moderated by Devin Girbach, a Manchester JR/SR High School Social Studies Teacher and president of the Manchester Education Association and is being hosted by the Washtenaw County Democratic Party. The Zoom link for the panel is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83935305685. 

Opioid- and Non-Opioid  Related Overdose Deaths, Washtenaw County Residents, 2016–2025. From Washtenaw County Health Department July 2026 Opioid Report.

submitted by Washtenaw County Health Department 

The Washtenaw County Health Department has released a new Opioid Report detailing recent local drug overdose data trends. All overdose deaths decreased by nearly 15% from 2024 to 2025. 

“Our analysis shows that local opioid-related overdoses reached a 10-year low in 2025,” says Patty Krause, MPH, community health analyst with the Washtenaw County Health Department. “These deaths have been consistently trending down since 2022, which is incredibly encouraging.” 

“Every year, it becomes clearer that increasing access to harm-reduction tools, treatment, and recovery support saves lives,” says Jimena Loveluck, MSW, health officer with the Washtenaw County Health Department. “We are continuing to build on this progress through investments from our local opioid-settlement funding.” 

In 2025, 58 Washtenaw County residents died from an overdose (down from sixty-eight in 2024). Twenty-five died from a non-opioid related overdose and thirty-three died from an opioid-related overdose. 

Most people who died of an opioid-related overdose were white (76%), male (76%), and 25-to-54 years old (64%). This is consistent with previous years. 

Fentanyl and/or fentanyl analogs were involved in 79% of opioid-related overdose deaths among Washtenaw County residents in 2025. 70% of opioid-related overdose deaths involved other substances in 2025. 

“We are grateful that our local overdose deaths are still trending down, but a single overdose is one too many,” says Krause. “Anyone who uses drugs and their family, friends, and acquaintances should know how to use harm-reduction tools like naloxone, which is widely available for free throughout our community. Recovery is possible and support is available.” 

Additional data is available in the full July 2026 Opioid Report. Visit washtenaw.org/opioids for additional opioid reports and data. 

The Health Department is leading Washtenaw County’s planning to leverage local opioid-settlement funds. The County will receive more than $18 million over 18 years to mitigate harms from the ongoing opioid epidemic. 

In October 2025, funding was awarded to several community organizations through September 2028. Funded projects focus on harm reduction, recovery, treatment, prevention, and supporting coordination to best serve community members. The Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee meets regularly to provide ongoing oversight, ensure transparency, and monitor use of these funds. These meetings are open to the public. 

Anyone who uses drugs should follow these safety tips whenever possible to prevent an overdose: 

• Test drugs using fentanyl and xylazine test strips 
• Avoid using alone and take turns when using with others 
• Take care if you have not used in a while 
• Avoid mixing drugs, including alcohol 
• Have naloxone ready and know how to use it 

Naloxone (also known as Narcan) is a safe medication that counteracts an opioid overdose. There are several ways to get free naloxone in Washtenaw County. This page also includes information about how to pick up or request free drug-checking test strips. Test strips are small strips of paper that can detect the presence of fentanyl or xylazine in all different kinds of drugs (cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, etc.) and drug forms (pills, powder, and injectables). 

Recovery is possible. Anyone in Washtenaw County can call 734-544-3050 or text 988 for support. Find local stories of recovery, medication disposal sites, and harm-reduction and treatment resources at www.washtenaw.org/ItIsPossible. Local schools, businesses, health-care centers, faith-based groups, and organizations are encouraged to order free campaign materials to help share information about harm reduction and recovery resources. 

The Washtenaw County Health Department promotes health and works to prevent disease and injury in our community. Our mission is to assure, in partnership with the community, the conditions necessary for people to live healthy lives through prevention and protection programs. Local public health information and updates are always available at www.washtenaw.org/health. The Health Department also provides frequent social media updates (@wcpublichealth) and sends weekly email newsletters; sign up at http://bit.ly/WCHD555. 

by Sara Swanson

Manchester area voters went to the polls yesterday to vote in the state primary election with even more voters opting to vote absentee, at least in the precincts that break out those numbers. There were three state races everyone has their eyes on, both Democratic and Republican races for governor, and the Democratic race for the US senate seat. In addition there was one contested State Senate race, and six proposals up for vote.

John James is the projected winner in the Republican primary for governor and will face Jocelyn Benson in November, the projected winner in the Democratic primary for governor. All five of Manchester area’s precinct’s Democratic voters supported Benson over Swanson. While four of the precincts’ Republican voters supported James, Bridgewater Township voters supported Perry Johnson. 

The Democratic primary for US senate between Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens was too close to call at the time of publication. In November the winner will face off against Republican Mike Rogers who was unopposed in his primary. All five Manchester area precincts supported El-Sayed.

The only contested state race in our area was State Senate District 15 Democratic primary in which Felicia Brabec defeated Michael White. Bridgewater Township, Manchester Township, and the City of Manchester which are all in District 15, supported Brabec. All other state senate and state representative primaries in our area were uncontested. 

All five Manchester area precincts voted on the Washtenaw Community College operating millage renewal proposal which passed overall. Manchester Township, Freedom Township and City of Manchester voters all supported the millage, but it Bridgewater Township opposed it 253 yes votes to 254 no votes, and Sharon Township opposed it 293 yes to 298 no.

Manchester area voters living in the Saline and Chelsea School districts also had proposals to vote on, the Saline Area School Sinking Fund Millage Renwal Proposal, Saline Area Schools Recreation and Playground Millage, the Saline District Library Millage Renewal, the Chelsea School District Operating Millage Renewal, and the Chelsea School District Sinking Fund Millage. All five millages passed. Bridgewater voters in the Saline School District supported all three millages while Freedom Township voters in the Saline School districts opposed them, but the yes and no vote totals were close in both cases. Chelsea School District voters in Sharon and Freedom Townships supported both Chelsea School District millages. 

All five precincts had turnout ranging from 38.61% in Bridgewater Township to 43.64% Freedom Township. In all five precincts more voters opted to vote in the Democratic primary than a Republican primary. The Democratic primary did have more contested elections than the Republican primary. 

2026 Pistol Prodigies Nations Team. Photo courtesy of Scott and Lisa Poet.

submitted by Scott and Lisa Poet, head coaches, Pistol Prodigies Youth Pistol and Rifle Team

For 12 years, the Pistol Prodigies have been competing in the Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP). SASP is a great nationwide youth-development program that uses the shooting sports to teach life skills. Our new season begins September 1. If you would like to learn more about the team, please join us at the Manchester Community Schools Open Houses at Riverside School and the Jr/Sr High School on August 25. We will also hold two informational meetings at the Manchester Sportsman’s Club (MSC) on Wednesday, August 26, and Thursday, August 27, both at 7pm. Returning team members wishing to shoot this season must attend August 26 OR August 27.

Some of the non-shooting highlights of our year. We love to support our communities. In the fall we participated in the Clinton Fall Festival Parade, Trunk-or-Treat at River Raisin Distillery, and Halloween in Manchester. This summer we worked with the Manchester Men’s Club to help clean up after the annual July 3 fireworks.

Our Senior Division athletes consisted of CJ, Drey, Noah, and Tori; Intermediates athletes were Ava, Brooke, Fisher, Hunter, Marcy, and Violet; and our Rookies were Alex, Bradley, Charlie, Dylan, Sadie, and Zaydin. Our youngest athlete was in third grade and our oldest was a high school junior.

Our Coaching Crew is Bodi, Jeff, Lisa, Mike, Scott, and Drey as our junior coach. Our Adult Volunteers are Gary, Jill, and Steve. Thank you for all of your hard work!

SASP holds competitions around the country. The Prodigies attended matches in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. It was a busy but rewarding year for us!

The Prodigies started off the season with The Valentine Classic Virtual Match. Our friends from The Leadslingers out of Chelsea shot this match with us at Brooklyn Sportsman’s Club. A virtual match is a nationwide match where you compete against teams around the country, shoot the assigned stages, and email the scores into National staff. After the scores are tallied, the medals are mailed out to the teams who earned them. The Prodigies received Three 1st-place with Rookie Optic Rifle, Rookie Iron Rifle, and Rookie PCC, and two 3rd-place medals with Open Division Optic Rifle and Open Division Iron Rifle. High Overall awards went to Drey for 3rd place in PCC for male, and for female, 1st for Ava, 2nd for Sadie, and 3rd for Tori. HOA for pistol 1st for Drey in males and 2nd for Ava in females.

The SASP Michigan State Match was held May 16 and 17 in our backyard of Brooklyn, Mich. You could say that we have a home field advantage as this is one of our regular practice facilities. There we won the following squad awards: three 1st place, one 2nd place, and five 3rd places. 

Next was Wampum, Penn., for the PA State Match May 23 and 24. Our success continued with us winning the following squad awards: one 2nd place and two 3rd places. Individual HOA honors go to Tori with 3rd place for Rimfire Pistol Female.

The Cardinal Center in Marengo, Ohio, hosts both the OH State Shoot and the SASP National Championships. Our first stop was for the OH State Shoot June 13 and 14. There we earned the following squad awards: one 1st place, five 2nd places, and two 3rd places. 

St. Joseph County Conservation and Sportsman Club in Sturgis, Mich., hosted our Great Lakes Regional Match June 27 and 28. This was our last competition before Nationals. And it was one of the best for us. We earned the following squad medals: five 1st places, three 2nd places, and two 3rd places. Individual HOAs went to CJ with 3rd place PCC. 

Our 12th season wrapped up with a return trip to the Cardinal Center for the SASP National Championships. We competed with some of the best youth athletes from around the country. Many of these athletes, coaches, parents, and teams have become good friends. And we always enjoy seeing our extended family.

While Nationals is nine days, we competed over three days. Our performance at Nationals was great. Over 2,800 entries were shot, and we had the following Top 10 squad finishes: Rookie Optic Rifle 6th, Rookie Iron Rifle 5th, Intermediate Optic Rifle 9th, and Rookie PCC 4th. The Rookie Squads were in first and second place until the very last day. Top 10 Individual placings are as follows: Sadie earned two Top 10s for Rookie Division 5th in PCC and 10th in Optic Rifle; Ava earned several Top 10s Intermediate Advance Division placings 8th for Rimfire Pistol and Optic Rifle, 9th for PCC and 10th for Iron Rifle, and Bradley had a 10th-place finish in Rookie Optic Rifle. Congratulations!

The Top Gun Award is for athletes who shoot in both SASP and the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP). The award combines scores shot at Nationals from both programs to crown a winner. Drey is our only athlete who shoots both programs. When the smoke cleared, he earned a very respectable 9th place out of 40 of the best all-around athletes in the country.

The Pistol Prodigies are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. This allows us to offset competition costs by holding fundraising events. Please be on the lookout for our annual Gun-A-Day Raffle coming up this fall.

Our most important asset is our AMAZING group of team supporters. Some are simply folks in the community who follow our FB page and send us constant encouragement. We also have many personal, small business, and corporate sponsors. The sponsors help us offset our competition costs. Our Platinum sponsors are Manchester Masonic Lodge #148, Manchester Men’s Club, MidwayUSA Foundation, UA Local 190 Plumbers and Pipefitters Union, RAB Industrials Inc., and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Our Founding sponsors have been with us since we started in 2014: Ann Arbor Arms, Friends of NRA, L&B Excavating, NRA Foundation, Rare Tool, and Sidearm Defense Training, LLC. Our Gold sponsors are Greg and Nancy Creque, Seal Tech Insulation, International Industrial Contracting Corp., Stevenson Enterprises, and TLC Credit Union. Silver sponsors include Boone & Darr Inc., EPM Professional Grounds Services, Full House Insulators, Ives Auto Parts, Integrity Demolition & Construction, Huntley Fabrication, S & B Electrical Contractors LLC, and Mason’s 52 Landscape Supplies. Bronze sponsors include Ben’s Equipment, Buzzsaw’s Stump Grinding, Diuble Equipment, H & H Heating & Cooling, Koch & White Heating-Cooling, Manchester Collision and Towing, McLennan Landscape, R.D. Kleinschmidt, Inc., and Stadium Hardware True Value. Rounding out the rest of our awesome sponsors are: ER Lawn Service. THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all of our sponsors and those who have supported every season!!

Thank you, Manchester Mirror, for helping us spread the word about the Pistol Prodigies Youth Pistol & Rifle Team! Thanks also to Three Ravens Printing in Tecumseh for doing an AWESOME job on our jerseys.

For more information on the team, please visit www.pistolprodigies.org, come see us at the MCS open houses, and join us at MSC August 26 or August 27.

Shoot safe and we’ll see you on the range!

submitted by Laura Wohlgemuth, Manchester District Library event coordinator

Put your knowledge of the United States to the test as the Manchester District Library invites the community to 50 States Trivia on Thursday, August 13, from 2pm to 3pm. In honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration, participants will gather in the Council Chambers, located at 912 City Rd, lower level, for an hour of friendly competition and teamwork. Players of all ages are encouraged to attend, with teams divided as evenly as possible to ensure an exciting and competitive game for everyone. From state capitals and famous landmarks to history, geography, and unique state facts, this free event is a great way to celebrate America’s rich history while learning interesting facts about the 50 states! For more information, contact the Manchester District Library at 734-428-8045 or lwohlgemuth@manchesterlibrary.info.

Stop by the library or visit the event calendar for information about this and other great programs for all ages at the Manchester District Library (MDL). MDL regular hours are Monday–Thursday, 10am–8pm, Friday, 10am–6pm, and Saturday, 10am–2pm. The most up-to-date hours and the latest news are always available on the MDL website. MDL is proud to serve the City of Manchester, Manchester Township, Bridgewater Township, and Freedom Township. Village of Clinton and Clinton Township residents are also eligible for MDL library cards and welcome to use all MDL resources.

The library, by Robin, a Klager Elementary School first-grader.

by Melissa Yekulis

In honor of the 10th anniversary of the Manchester Mirror, the children of Luther C. Klager Elementary School were invited to write for the paper: Describe a place in Manchester that is special to you. Each week this summer, one of the classes who chose to participate will be featured in the paper with accompanying art from two students. All writings within each class that could be read are included.

We are excited to hear from all of you! Tell us your story of where in Manchester is special to you and why. Email us at themanchestermirror@gmail.com with the subject “Manchester Memories Project.”

This week’s featured class: Miss Yekulis’ First-Grade Class

Hank: My favorite place in Manchester is school. My friends are Milo, Ari, and Bella. I go there every day. I like to go there because I love school! When I go there, I feel happy because I love school!

Skarlett: My favorite place in Manchester is school. My friends are Ari, Autumn, and Miss Yekulis. I go every day. I like it because I love school and I love making friends. When I go there, I feel happy.

Bella: My favorite place in Manchester is school. My friend Miss Yekulis works there. I go there every day. I like to go there to learn things like math, reading and seeing Miss Yekulis. When I go there I feel HAPPY because I love to learn about math and the galaxy.

Annie: My favorite place in Manchester is the soccer field. My friends Kensley, Rylan, and Moreen are there. I go there every Tuesday. I like to go there because I like to have fun and play. When I go there, I feel happy because I can see my friends.

Robin: My favorite place in Manchester is the library. The mayor works there. I go there after school. I like to go there because I like to check out books. When I go there I feel excited because I like to check out books.

Keliana: My favorite place in Manchester is school. My friends are Bella, Violet, and Annie. I go every day. I like to go there to get smarter and learn more. When I go there I feel excited because I am happy to learn!

Vander: My favorite place in Manchester is the soccer field. My coach is there. I go there Saturdays and Mondays. I like to go there because it is fun. When I go there I feel happy.

Violet: My favorite place in Manchester is school. My friends Bella, Annie, Austin, and Mac play there. I go there every week. I like to go there because I learn at school. I love to learn at school. When I go there I feel happy because I love to learn at school.

Milo: My favorite place in Manchester is Carr Park. My friend is Josie. She plays there, too.  I go there every day. On Monday I go to lose energy. When I go there I feel happy because I have fun.

Ryker: My favorite place in Manchester is Meemaw and Papa’s house.  My family that live there are Meemaw, Papa, my aunt and my two cousins.  I go there at random times.  I like to go there to have a good time and hang out and have a good time.  When I’m there I feel safe and happy because I have a good time.

Jacob: My favorite place in Manchester is River Raisin Mercantile. Mrs. LaRocque works there. I go there every summer break. I like to go there because it has cool stuff. When I go there, I feel excited because I waited to find something cool.

Austin: My favorite place in Manchester is the park. My friends Ryker, Bella, and Violet play there. I go there on random times. I like to go there because I play with my friends.

Ari: My favorite place in Manchester is Carr Park. The kids who go there are random. I go there random times. I like to go there so I’m not bored. When I go there I feel happy because I like the park.

Autumn: My favorite place in Manchester is school. These people work there, which are Miss Yekulis, Mrs. Layher, and Miss Amanda. I go there every day except the weekend. I like to go there because I love school and I like Miss Yekulis. When I go there I feel joyful and happy.

Grayson: My favorite place in Manchester is the ice cream shop. The people behind the counter work there. I go there every summer. I like to go there because it cools me down. In the summer, when I go there, I feel so happy because it feels refreshing.

School, by Violet, a Klager Elementary School first-grader.