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Holt
Community News
TM
Your very own newspaper serving Holt, Delhi Township and Dimondale
Vol. 16 - No. 2
since 1995
www.HoltCommunityNews.com
© 2011 Lansing Community Newspapers
October 30, 2011
Sycamore makes Business expo draws big crowd case for balanced school calendar Will Kangas
wkangas@lsj.com
endar has been an asset. “It’s been wonderful,” she said. HOLT — Sycamore Ele“We’ve noticed a change mentary staff will ask par- in the amount of enrichents an important question ment and quality educaduring parent/teacher con- tion.” ferences this fall. The schedule still has Should Sycamore Elea summer break of about mentary change to a “balfive weeks. Mid-Winter and anced” yearly calendar? spring breaks are longer as The schedule is also well. known as “year round,” Parent Terry Mann said similar to Holt’s Horizon she believes there is no Elementary. hard evidence that a balAn informational meet- anced calendar will help ing was held Oct. 25 in the learning. school’s library and hosted “Also, my child care by Principal Melissa choices would be limited Usiak. if we go to this schedule,” Usiak said in reality, Mann said. students would go to school Usiak said the school for the same amount of has been courting the idea time then “traditional calfor a while, but a prelimiendar” students, but it is nary survey in the spring spread out. showed promise. That includes school She said administration over the traditional three- would like to see an 80 month summer break, percent favorable survey which studies indicate result before it will be purhurts retention of what sued. was learned. Sycamore teacher JesThat “Summer Slide” is sica Fisk said the balanced a good reason to offer a calendar would mean no second balanced calendar more long summer vacaschool in the Holt Public tions, but if it would help School District, Usiak said. the students, she is all for Holly Franck, a former it. Sycamore parent who “This isn’t about staff transferred to Horizon or parents schedules,” she after a year on the waiting said. list said the balanced cal“This is about the kids.” Will Kangas
wkangas@lsj.com
HOLT — The third annual business expo had many different kinds of local businesses under one roof. From Fat Boys Pizza to Craig’s Auto Body, businesses in and around the Holt and South Lansing area were on display in the Holt High School commons area on Oct. 26. “We’ve had a good mix of some people that have never heard of me and some that wanted to learn more,” Incu-Bake owner Marcy Bishop-Kates said. Her business at 2067 Aurelius Road had a recent open house, and is a large kitchen space for use by the community and other businesses. “I glad we were a part of this expo,” BishopKates said. “This is a great way to spread the word about what we do.” Attendees submitted their names for several door prizes from local merchants and the grand prize was a $500 Visa gift card. Many carried bags around and collected many free samples of products offered by the businesses. A high school band concert was featured that night as well. “We had this at the same time as a band con-
The crowd was buzzing as the names of people were read over a speaker and identified as winners in the door prize contest at the 2011 Holt Business Expo. WILL KANGAS cert last year I think by mistake,” Delhi Township Public Services Director Sandra Diorka said. “It resulted in a larger crowd and this year we scheduled it at the same time on purpose.” Diorka was selling hats and gloves made from the sheep’s wool from the wastewater treatment plant grounds. The expo is hosted by the Delhi Township Downtown Development Author- An attendee takes a look at some of the products at the ity. Steven L. Marvin Salon booth. WILL KANGAS
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