Saturday, February 25, 2012

Exeter American Legion Auxiliary Spaghetti Feed TODAY!

The Exeter American Legion Auxiliary Post 218 will hold their annual Spaghetti Feed and Bake Sale today.  Visit the American Legion Home in downtown Exeter for some wonderful homemade spaghetti, bread, salad and corn and pick up some baked goods to go.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Fillmore County Hospital Open House Sunday


NOTE THE CHANGE IN TIME FROM THE ORIGINAL  POSTING

Exeter-Milligan Graduate Works in Kingston Jamaica

Exeter-Milligan graduate Talisa Krejci knew she had chosen the right career when she recently took a mission trip to Jamaica to do occupational therapy.

Krejci, a graduate student at the College of St. Mary’s, is working toward her certification in occupational therapy and found this trip was the perfect opportunity to test her skills and gain some experience.

She and seven other occupational therapy students traveled to Kingston, Jamaica to work in five different shelters and an orphanage in the heart of the ghetto of Kingston. Their group was part of a mission trip to assist the work of the Missionaries of the Poor, a monastic order of Brothers.

Krejci heard about the trip, “It was always on my bucket list to leave the country and go do work for others and when I brought the opportunity up to my Dad he told me I couldn’t pass it up.”

She raised the money with donations from family and friends and prepared to leave the country for the first time. While in Jamaica their food and shelter was provided by the Missionaries of the Poor organization in the Kingston ghetto. Part of the experience was staying with at the monastery for part of the week and then with the sisters at the convent and eating a “lot of rice or noodles with a type of stew. It was hard to eat because they left the bones in the stew. They also served a lot of Achi, which is Jamaica's flower. You had to boil them to cook them. Hard to describe the taste! The weirdest thing I ate was rabbit.”

The students took along some of their occupational therapy equipment, such as splints and theraputty for hand exercises but, "It was hard to know what to bring the first time and where to even start. I would really like to go back and would know better what to bring. They always need diapers, clothes, and sandals."

Their primary focus was two women’s clinics, an AIDS clinic and an orphanage. “A lot of the things we did was to keep them clean and most comfortable. We helped brush teeth, wash hands and faces after meals, put lotion on and clip nails. We were able to help a lot of the kids who had tight muscles stretching the best that we could.”

Many of the children at the orphanage were disabled and were there because their families could not take care of them or felt that their disabilities were a disgrace to the family. “It broke your heart because they weren’t getting the help that they needed. There were fifteen-year-old boys in cribs because they couldn’t walk but if they got the therapy they needed they could walk. They do what they can for therapy but they just don’t have the resources. It’s frustrating,” explained Krejci.

The AIDS clinic was a personal challenge for Krejci as she had not been around any AIDS patients. The group spent some time at the clinic filling the patients weekly pill containers with the donated medications and interacted some with the patients, “It really got me out of my comfort zone to be around the patients and maintain my professionalism.”

For Krejci, that one week just wasn’t long enough but she knew it would be one of the last opportunities to get away as she approaches the end of her schooling. With a bachelor’s degree from Concordia she is in her second year at College of St. Mary and when her coursework is completed she will have six months of fieldwork before graduating in June of 2013.

“It felt like I was just getting started, I could easily stay there a month or two months. The first couple of days we were in shock. The most overwhelming thing was driving in Jamaica since they drive on the other side of the street and they are crazy drivers. They are constantly honking at each other but it is just to indicate who goes first, not that they are mad.”

One of the highlights for Krejci were the afternoons spent with some at the women's shelter where they danced every afternoon to gospel Caribbean music together. “It was just amazing seeing the smiles on their faces, and it was reassuring to see and realize that they know they are going to be alright because according to they lyric in one of the songs we danced to, ’Better days are coming.”

“I think about Kingston every day. Things have changed in my life, I’ve been given a different perspective about what is important in life and what isn't.”

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Exeter-Milligan Cheerleaders Host Cheer Camp



Exeter-Milligan Cheerleaders spent Friday afternoon working with elementary students and teaching them several cheers along with some dance moves.  The cheer camp participants each got a t-shirt and performed with the Exeter-Milligan cheerleaders at half-time.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Monsanto Donates $2500 to Exeter-Milligan

The Monsanto America's Farmers Grow Communities Fund presented a generous check of $2500 to the Exeter-Miller FCCLA program.  Pictured with the check are from the left Travis Due, area Channel seed dealer, Erica Yound, Exeter-Milligan FCCLA Chapter President, Rebecca Vossler, FCCLA District President, Tom Vossler, Mary Lou Vossler, Exeter-Milligan FCCLA advisor, Paul Sheffield, Exeter-Milligan Superintendent and Brad Hogan, Monsanto representative.

Exeter-Milligan FCCLA was presented with a check for $2500 during halftime at the Men's basketball game last week on behalf of the Monsanto Fund.

Brad Hogan, a representative from Monsanto, presented the donation to Tom Vossler who was selected as the Fillmore County winner for the Monsanto Fund's America's Farmers Grow Communities.

All eligible farmers in the county could enter to win a $2,500 donation for a local nonprofit of their choice.  Monasanto has donated more than $3.1 million into rural American through the program.  Vossler chose to make the FCCLA program the recipient of his winnings.

Also on hand to present the donation was local Channel seed dealer Travis Due.  Receiving the funds were Exeter-Milligan FCCLA Chapter President Erica Yound along with District FCCLA President Rebecca Vossler.  Both ladies spoke expressing their gratitude both to Monsanto for the generous donation and especially to Vossler for choosing their program as the recipient of the donation.

Exeter-Milligan Family Consumer Science Teacher and FCCLA advisor Mary Lou Vossler also thanked Monsanto and Vossler for their donation.  "We plan to use the funds for the members to attend a session of Zumba.  I am also working on an educational session for the group about drunk driving, and internet safety.  We will also use this donation to offset some of the expenses for our girls to go to the state convention and also hopefully we will have several groups going to the national convention in Orlando."

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Exeter Care Center Crowns Valentine Royalty


Exeter Care Center recently crowned their Valentine's Day royalty.  They are pictured from the left:

Princess~ Verna Steeves
Queen~ Delores Zieg
King ~ Marvin Dockter
Prince~ Merritt Otoupal

Monday, February 20, 2012

Exeter-Milligan Update: National Anthem Sung by 5th and 6th grade girls

Thirteen Exeter-Milligan fifth and sixth grade girls sang the National Anthem before the boys varsity game on Friday, February 17.  Those participating were (L-R)  Macy Due, Kate Jansky, Josie Kresak, Katherine White, Janey Erdkamp, Kaitlyn Vavra, Katie Mounce, Hannah Beethe, Claire Mounce, Alexis Uldrich, Vicki Androyna, Hannah Horne, and Tara Mueller.