8 minute read
Apple Pie Week
A SWEET TIME ATapple pie week
THE SENIOR CENTER
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BY ANNA SWARTZ
REC PE
Open Face Apple Pie
Ingredients 9-inch pie crust Enough thinly sliced Granny Smith apples to generously fill crust 1 ¼ cup sugar 1 stick margarine or butter 1 tablespoon flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 egg ¼ teaspoon salt
Directions Thinly slice apples. Stir together flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Add egg and mix. Add melted margarine or butter and mix well, then pour over apples. Bake at 450°for 10 min., then lower to 350° for 30-40 min., or until apples are tender.
From the kitchen of Wandena Swartz & in memory of her mother Wanda Sisk, who handed down this recipe Apple Pie Week, scheduled for the week of September 12, makes life a bit sweeter at the St. Clair Shores Senior Activity Center. Just ask Joyce McKinnon, who has been helping with the annual event for two decades. She says that member volunteers start peeling apples on Sunday and work through Thursday. Pies are for sale on a first-come, first-served basis on Tuesday through Friday and typically disappear within 30 minutes.
Money raised is used to supplement the cost of the center’s meals program, which offers low-cost lunches for seniors (50+) at 11:30 a.m. every weekday. A suggested donation of $5 donation is requested for those over 60, and $6 for those under 60. These meals are open to everyone, not just Senior Center members or St. Clair Shores residents.
Senior Center Coordinator Matt Hubinsky says these meals are referred to as “dining with your friends,” as it is a congregate meal program. “A lot of wonderful friendships are created as a result,” he says.
The appeal (pun intended) of this occasion for McKinnon? “I enjoy peeling apples,” she says. “And I get to talk to my lady friends.”
These friendships were all formed at the Senior Center. Originally a group of 24, McKinnon refers to her crew as “the birthday club,” since she met them when the center brought out cake and coffee in honor of everyone’s birthdays each month. Since McKinnon met these women and men, their group has dwindled to 14.
A 67-year St. Clair Shores resident, McKinnon and her husband Marvin live within walking distance of the Senior Center. At the age of 87, she drives these days and faithfully shows up about five times every week. Her favorite activities include exercising and playing rummy.
Top Middle: Joyce McKinnon, left, and Joan Chapman Far Right Bottom: Jannett Williams Photos courtesy of the St. Clair Shores Senior Center
Senior Center Coordinator Matthew Hubinsky says that 80 bushels of apples were used during last year’s Apple Pie Week. A total of 1,000 pies were made in 2021, and the goal is to make the same amount this year. Chef Marti Marques and several assistants are the ones who add the special ingredients to the peeled apples and create the perfect homemade pies.
According to Hubinsky, Marques makes a different recipe each year. The type of apples used are a key factor in the recipe chosen, he says. As for McKinnon, when she’s not busy with Apple Pie Week, she enjoys baking at home. “I get recipes out of the newspaper. I let [my friends] be my guinea pigs."
Questions about volunteering for Apple Pie Week, or how to buy a pie? Call Diane or Annette at (586) 498-2413. For more information about the Senior Center’s meal program, call Jeff at the center’s Helping Hands line at (586) 498-2339. the shores 23
HAS FOUR LEGShope
SCS Native and His Australian Shepherd Bring Smiles and Calm to Oxford High
BY ANNA SWARTZ
At Oxford High School in Oxford, Michigan, Merlen is popular – his confident demeanor and kind temperament draw people to him. It’s common to see him in the halls between classes surrounded by a crowd of admirers. Interacting with him makes their day brighter, which is his sole purpose at school. That’s because Merlen is a 10-year-old Australian Shepherd therapy dog owned by St. Clair Shores native Roger Yank, a 1964 Lake Shore High graduate. Merlen and Yank spent two days per week in 2022 volunteering at Oxford High, and they plan to continue in the fall.
Therapy Dogs of Oxford High
On a typical school day, about four therapy dogs from various organizations can be found at Oxford High. Merlen is a 2015 graduate of U.S.A. Therapy Dogs, and five other dogs from the same organization also volunteer at the high school. Yank estimates that approximately 20 dogs of various breeds have walked the halls this year.
“The therapy dogs in the school have been able to provide a sense of joy and playfulness that was so needed here,” says Christine Ellis, family school liaison at Oxford High for the 2021-2022 school year. “Merlen specifically is remarkable. It takes a special dog to come into this environment – not only the institutional feel of the building but the additional anxiety and stress that is clinging to the air here. But Merlen just came in with his sunshine smile and quiet confidence...He would stand at the entrance door, and you could see [the students’] entire body language shift.”
When Yank, who currently resides in Oxford, discovered that the school was seeking therapy dogs to help students and staff heal after the November 2021 tragedy, he started making phone calls. In late January, he was called at the last minute to bring Merlen to the open house that unveiled a renovation to parts of the school.
“Absolutely, I’ll be there in 15 minutes,” Yank said. “Everyone was petting [Merlen] and loving him. He was hugging everybody.” That was the night that introduced them to their work at the school.
Mike Senn, part of the security team employed by ESS at Oxford High, became friends with Yank and Merlen. A retired Detroit police officer who later worked as plain clothes security personnel, Senn felt that he had more to offer and could help with the healing process at the school. During the spring of 2022, Senn was stationed inside the hallway near the main entrance. This spot is where Senn, Yank and Merlen spent many mornings waiting to greet students. Senn also has St. Clair Shores roots – he is a 1969 South Lake graduate.
A Special Duo
“I think it’s 200% positive,” Senn says of Yank’s volunteer work with Merlen. “The look on the kids’ faces is worth a million dollars. It eases their anxiety...You’ll see Roger stopped at a corner between classes, there could be six to eight kids stopped, taking turns petting [Merlen]. The dog is just like their good buddy. And I read that off their faces, it’s genuine. Now, Roger is a very nice person. His temperament is perfect. They both have the same temperament...Their presence is what brings a good feeling to the school.”
Ellis agrees with Senn, that Yank and Merlen are a remarkable duo. She also notes that Oxford High has an enrollment of about 1,800 students, so each day brings a lot of activity.
especially a volunteer. He has a way about him that is instantly calming. He made such a huge difference throughout the year. I feel super honored to have gotten to know them. It takes an emotional toll on the handler and the dogs.”
Merlen’s Mission: Bringing Joy to Students
Yank and Merlen spent partial days on Mondays and Wednesdays at the school. Sometimes greeting students at the start of the day, finding a central spot during passing time for maximum petting access or visiting classrooms. Some doors have a “Dogs Welcome Anytime” sign; other times Yank knocks and peeks in. Then Merlen squeezes between desks to greet students.
“He does his job very well,” Yank says. “Even when I go into classrooms, he goes from person to person.” And yet, all this socializing can be tiring for Merlen. “Some days, it’s too hot in the school for him,” Yank says. “He’ll do it if I keep pushing him. We’ll go out and get some fresh air, and I’ll give him a break.”
Merlen’s incredible manners and patience are due to his therapy dog training. He was also a show dog before Roger Yank and his wife Karen Yank owned him. His therapy training included how to walk past another person and how to properly greet them. Avoiding distraction is another key component to training. Additional training earned Merlen the title of “Advanced Trick Dog” in 2018 from American Kennel Club. According to Karen Yank, he now knows 50 tricks, 13 more than was necessary for his title. The tricks are often incorporated into his therapy with children and adults.
Merlen holds a special place in the hearts of the students. Multiple pictures of him can be found on a student-run Instagram account @oxforddoggies, dedicated to all therapy dogs at the school.
In the end, Merlen is at Oxford High to bring a sense of joy and calm. It’s clear he has succeeded, thanks to the constant support of the Yanks.
“Merlen is a confident individual, it’s like he knows that he’s doing a good thing,” Senn says. “He just shows up and he’s himself...He’s showing his love to the kids. Of course, he can’t talk, but he doesn’t need to.”
