Hartland freshman Elise L’Esperance scored two goals in the junior varsity game then had the Eagles’ only goal in a 1-1 tie against DeWitt in the varsity game Thursday and varsity soccer games as long as they don’t play more than a total of three halves The rule was enacted in 2022-23 to become soccer’s version of the five-quarter rule implemented previously for basketball and football L’Esperance was taken down in the box late in the first half then scored on the penalty kick to give Hartland a 1-0 lead DeWitt tied it midway through the second half for quite a while,” 20th-year Hartland coach Andrew Kartsounes said “She scored two goals in the first half of the J.V game and scored the only goal today on varsity that’s the only time someone has scored in both a J.V Both teams are ranked ninth in the state in their respective divisions Hartland (9-3-1) in Division 1 and DeWitt (7-2-4) in Division 2 “We had some good opportunities in the second half,” Kartsounes said We just weren’t able to find the back of the net The Eagles are 5-0-1 in their last six games since losing 3-0 at Northville on April 14 They will host a first-round game in the first KLAA tournament at 7 p.m The tournament schedule will be released Sunday Fowlerville’s Autumn Carr scored six goals on eight shots Hailee Johnston and Addie Borowy scored the other goals in a game that ended after one half because of the mercy rule RELATED: National championship gymnasts from Fowlerville, Howell bonded as youngsters RELATED: See where 27 Howell High Schools seniors will continue their athletic careers Stockwell’s Noah Piesko struck out eight batters in a five-inning game Coen Chwalek scored four goals and two assists for Hartland Clayton Penzien and Kellen Hull had three goals Alex Criscuolo caused four turnovers on defense Hartland has outscored Belleville 186-4 in seven meetings Mia Balogh scored six goals and one assist and Kelly McKaig had two goals for Brighton 6-4; Madey Ray-Kennedy Causey-Kangas (H) d 6-4; Mackenzie Mackinder-Paige Byrdie (S) d — A commercial gas line leak in Hartland led to the evacuation of anyone within a one-block radius of Haight Drive and Cottonwood Avenue The community was asked to avoid this area According to a social media post by the Hartland Fire Department area buildings have been cleared by HFD and WE Energies will remain closed from Cottonwood to Park for repair of the gas line Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more. Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip Report a typo (WXYZ) — After hearing concerns from residents over traffic and safety in the area of M-59 and US-23 at the Hartland Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday the board voted 6-1 to approve Livingston County's first Chick-fil-A location Some residents say safety is at jeopardy with an already over-concentrated intersection at M-59 and Blaine Road right where one of the proposed entrances of the fast-food restaurant would be There was an accident here just a couple day ago on the intersection itself because of the amount of traffic that comes through," Jason Fowler Hartland’s Planning Commission unanimously approved the initial site plans but the final decision lies with the Board of Trustees which is why residents felt compelled to show up and speak out Tuesday evening “The main concern we have is safety and congestion," Lorna Coury Coury even started a Change.org petition to ask for a delay in plans She and other residents say the intersection of M-59 and Blaine Road is already a backed-up mess and would only get worse with thousands of additional visitors due to the new restaurant we just want them to be thoughtful about how they do this with the township so we minimize traffic and safety impacts," Coury added The main request coming from residents at the meeting was for the township to conduct an independent traffic study to see how the area would fare with the added traffic The last traffic study in the area was done 15 years ago both the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Livingston County Road Commission did not believe an additional traffic study was needed Chick-fil-A representatives says safety will be their highest priority there's passion from the residents and I applaud all of that and we have passion as well because we want a safe environment here too," Chick-fil-A representative Justin Lurk said at the meeting The board voted 6-1 Tuesday to approve the location saying the township will keep safety top of mind as they move forward on the project that doesn't mean all residents are satisfied with one saying "we voted you in we can vote you out next election" toward the end of the meeting "There is attempts to do traffic mitigation on this," Township Planning Director Troy Langer said the winner of the third seat on the Hartland-Lakeside School Board will remain the same — although by the slimmest of margins Unofficial results on April 1 showed Morgan Henning beating John Poulos by 10 votes Canvassers hand counted more than 12,000 votes before the results were announced after 6 p.m The recount did not change who won seats on the board were Matthew McNulty 2,328; incumbent Matt Schwab incumbent Niels Peterson 1,932 and Franklin Brunner 1,918 votes The results also confirm that Peterson was not returned to his seat on the board Henning said she had full faith in the integrity of the municipalities "They were the ones that had their processes challenged Poulos claimed there were tabulation delays after the polls closed and that the machines were improperly reading ballots In cases where there is a question over whether a machine recount would be accurate Poulos was one of six candidates running for three open seats on the board Unofficial results from April 1 were McNulty with 2,326 votes Niels Petersen with 1,933 votes and Franklin Brunner with 1,917 votes The recount included ballots cast in the town of Delafield Hartland-Lakeside is not the only suburban Milwaukee area school district to have undergone a school board election recount in recent years In April 2023, Gregg Eberhardt requested a recount after losing to Preetha Kurudiyara by 47 votes in the Elmbrook School Board Area III seat election. After a four-day recount (This story was updated to add new information.) Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on X (Twitter) at @AlecJohnson12. President Donald Trump holds a cabinet meeting at the White House. WATCH LIVEPolice investigating woman's death in Hartlandby Ariana St Pierre Maine (WGME) – Maine State Police say they are investigating the death of a woman in Hartland Authorities responded to a home on Canaan Road around 6:30 p.m The woman’s body was taken to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta Police say they are not releasing the woman’s name at this time The circumstances surrounding her death remain under investigation there is currently no known threat to the public No other information has been released at this time Hartland freshman Hannah DePestel swept the three shortest races in a dual track and field meet for the second week in a row Tuesday DePestel won the 100-meter dash in 13.01 seconds, the 200 in 26.63 and the 400 in 1:00.99 to help Hartland beat Salem, 75-62. She also swept all three events one week earlier against Howell the 3,200 in 13:02.15 and was on the Eagles’ winning 3,200 relay team with Olivia Linski Brighton’s Juliet Lewis won the 800 in 2:24.80 and was on the winning 1,600 and 3,200 relay teams Selena White and Ella Lorenz were also on both first-place relays Addison Payne won the 400 in 1:00.51 and was on the 1,600 relay team Grace Gray won discus with a throw of 109-6.5 and Kaydence Hoolsema won high jump by clearing 5 feet Howell’s Rori Gregory won long jump with a leap of 15-8 tied teammate Kelsey Storm for first in high jump at 4-8 and ran on the winning 400 relay team Emma Kanka won shot put at 31-1 and discus at 106-4 for the Highlanders Rylee Sams-Fisher and McKenna Gill were on Howell’s first-place 400 and 800 relay teams RELATED: Friendly rivalry: Brighton senior, Hartland freshman form bond through mutual love of track and field RELATED: Brynn Bobby using her track speed to lead Brighton's soccer team in scoring Sam Meriweather won long jump in all five of Brighton’s dual meets He also won the 200 in 22.53 and was on the first-place 800 relay team Brighton’s Luke Bellino won the 400 in 49.20 and ran on the 800 relay team Hartland had a perfect score of 18 points in the throws sweeping the top three places in shot put and discus Roman Ignagni won shot put at 47-10 and was second in discus at 117-0 Raymond Schleif won discus at 141-6 and took second in shot put at 42-4 Romen Williams of Howell won the 300 hurdles in 43.05 and took second in the 110 hurdles in 15.81 Brighton ninth with a 324 and Hartland 10th with a 325 Howell’s Gavin Hill and Rory Sturos tied for 12th with 76s Grady Bissett of Brighton and Luke Downing of Howell shot 77s RELATED: Get them a Jug! Brighton-Howell boys golf rivalry has become pretty special, too Stockwell’s Mickey Brown forced extra innings by hitting a two-run two-out single in the top of the seventh inning Drew Goodwin’s second double of the game scored Aspen Jendrusik Goodwin scored an insurance run on a passed ball Noah Piesko pitched the final two innings for the Sentinels (8-2-1) and got all six outs with strikeouts Fowlerville’s Kiely Davis went 7-for-9 and drove in six runs in the doubleheader Tommi Kleinschmidt was 8-for-10 with two doubles Michaela Gulledge and Valerie Curd each had three hits — Election workers began recounting votes after a school board candidate who lost by 10 votes filed a petition The three candidates with most votes won a spot on the Hartland-Lakeside School Board Matt Schwab followed with 2,171 votes then Morgan Henning with 1,965 votes stating he believes mistakes were made in all wards in the counting The petition claimed tabulation delays occurred after the polls closed due to irregularities and machines were improperly reading ballots Staff on site say that nothing has stopped the process Watch: Election workers begin recount for Hartland-Lakeside School Board seat Poulos was not present at the recount before and while TMJ4 was there TMJ4 tried to reach Poulos for a comment but did not hear back I'm going to be here to make sure that what he wanted gets done and in a way that we can all agree was correct," Henning said Henning said that she would accept the outcome of the results The recount will resume at 10 a.m. Friday at North Shore Middle School. You can view the live stream here With just 10 votes separating him and another candidate for the Hartland-Lakeside School Board in the April 1 election John Poulos on Monday requested a recount of all votes cast in the election Poulos was among six candidates running for three open seats on the board were Matthew McNulty with 2,326 votes (18.9% of the vote); Matt Schwab with 2,171 votes (17.6%) and Morgan Henning with 1,965 votes (15.9%) Poulos was close behind with 1,955 votes (15.9%) followed by Niels Petersen with 1,933 votes (15.7%) and Franklin Brunner with 1,917 votes (15.6%) The board of canvassers will meet at 9 a.m. Thursday in the multipurpose room at North Shore Middle School, 800 E. North Shore Drive, to start the recount, which is open to the public. There will also be a livestream of the recount on the district's YouTube channel at tinyurl.com/H-Lrecount2025 The recount will include ballots cast in the town of Delafield Poulos claimed tabulation delays occurred after the polls closed He also claimed that machines were improperly reading ballots Poulos cited the 10-vote gap between him and Henning "My expectation is that we ensure confidence in the validity of the results," Poulos said in an email to a reporter Henning said she wasn't shocked at Poulo's recount request she said she was disheartened by the delay in the recount request "I will continue to say that I do have full confidence in the local elections and the municipal clerks and the election workers and I think that the results will continue to speak to what they were He has every right to bring this up," Henning said Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on X (Twitter) at @AlecJohnson12 This story was updated to add new information by Matthew Bourgault HARTLAND (WGME) -- The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta has ruled the death of a 78-year-old Hartland woman a homicide Police say the body of 78-year-old Velma Withee of Hartland was found in a home on Canaan Road in Hartland on April 12 The cause of her death is not being released at this time Police say the death is still under investigation and there is no known threat to the public HARTLAND — Coaching hockey at Hartland High School was Rick Gadwa’s dream job and But after building one of the top programs in Michigan during his 14 years with the Eagles Gadwa wants to see how far he can go in his coaching career while he still has the chance The worst-kept secret in Michigan high school hockey is finally out of the bag with Gadwa announcing his resignation as Hartland’s coach to pursue other opportunities The possibility Gadwa was leaving Hartland was the hot rumor swirling around at the state finals last month He even raised the possibility with his players in January to avoid a possible distraction if word leaked before the state playoffs Hartland athletic director Brian Hassler gave Gadwa time to reconsider before a letter of resignation was submitted late last week Gadwa has an undisclosed coaching opportunity outside of high school hockey next season that could lead to bigger things He didn’t want to have regrets years from now that he didn’t step outside of his comfort zone at Hartland to advance in his career It was the toughest decision he’s ever made a 2003 Hartland graduate who played for the Eagles “I have no shame in admitting a lot of emotions went through the decision to do it I don’t think it’s honestly anything I’m completely OK with “There’s a big chunk of me that’s going to stay put right in Hartland you’ve got to make them and you live with them it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through.” RELATED: Joey Larson becomes first Hartland HS player to sign National Hockey League contract Gadwa is one of the most successful high school coaches in Livingston County history He compiled a 295-83-15 record with nine 20-win seasons winning state Division 2 championships in 2018 Hartland established itself as a burgeoning state power by reaching the Division 2 finals in his second and third seasons losing to Livonia Stevenson in 2013 and Trenton in 2014 His three state championships tie him for the second most by a coach in county history Brighton’s Paul Moggach has the record with five hockey state championships Brighton’s Bob Ritsema and Pinckney’s Tom Carney also have three state titles Only four other coaches have won two state championships “I never expected it to happen as early as it did,” Gadwa said told me from the very beginning it takes five years to build a program I remember laughing with him after year two and saying we did it in year two.’ I know what he meant because it wasn’t until year five when you really felt like now you have some tradition It’s built into your program and things start to carry over 2018 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: 'It's just crazy': Hartland wins first state hockey title over Trenton 2019 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: Dominant Hartland repeats as state hockey champion 2022 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: Hartland wins state hockey title on freshman overtime goal Hartland became everything Gadwa dreamed it could be when he applied for the job as a young coach before the 2011-12 season “I remember walking into the interview process with my A.D. who was Jason Reck at the time,” Gadwa said ‘I bleed blue and gold.’ That hasn’t changed I can’t say my passion for Hartland and for high school hockey has changed but what has changed is my experience level and really learning the game at this level for a long period of time and Another factor that pushed Gadwa out the door was frustration with how hockey is treated by the Michigan High School Athletic Association It isn’t just the fact that his second-ranked Eagles and top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central were suddenly placed in the same regional for the first time like allowing coaches to work with their own players in the offseason instead of doling out the responsibility to coaches who aren’t associated with the program I’d allow coaches to work with their players year-round if they wanted to because the game’s essentially become year-round” Gadwa said “I’d adopt one of our other playoff models whether it’s even the way lacrosse does it basically putting the top-ranked teams in separate regionals.” Hassler said he’s already had inquiries about the job even though it wasn’t officially posted until Tuesday One person in the program who has expressed interest is John Brown but in that short time Rick has been one of those coaches that obviously put the time in he’s built that program up to a level that has been one of the top teams in the state,” Hassler said He builds great relationships with the community and kids but it’s one of our flagship programs and I think it’ll draw some good candidates.” Gadwa’s resignation became official at the same time the greatest player he coached became the first Hartland player to sign a National Hockey League contract Larson led the Eagles to their first two state championships and was Mr He said Gadwa’s presence made it easier for him to leave the AAA ranks to play three seasons at Hartland “It was an honor to play for him and Hartland They really helped develop me into the player I am today “He did a great job of talking to me about high school hockey and essentially convincing me to go there He wanted me to go there for the right reason HARTLAND — Vinnie Sabala bailed out Hartland’s hockey team all night long Among his 41 saves were a breakaway in the second period and a point-blank save in overtime after his defenseman fell and lost the puck in front of the net when the Eagles’ season ended abruptly on a long shot in overtime Appearing inconsolable after allowing a goal from outside the blue line giving Detroit Catholic Central a 2-1 victory over Hartland Wednesday night in a regional championship game teammate after teammate embraced Sabala and offered words of encouragement Then coach Rick Gadwa made it from the bench to the crease Sabala patrolled in overtime “I told Vinnie I love him and that game wouldn’t be where it was without him in net,” Gadwa said That message was consistent among everyone who watched Sabala — Hartland wouldn’t have made it to overtime without his big-time performance in net for 57 minutes against the five-time defending state Division 1 champion hands down,” senior Hartland forward Mike Zielinski said we wouldn’t even be sniffing that opportunity.” Even the opposing coach began his postgame remarks with a tip of the hat to Sabala controlling more and more of the territorial edge as the game progressed “It’s tough,” Catholic Central coach Brandon Kaleniecki said the game doesn’t get to overtime without him playing the way he did.” junior defenseman Ryan Dye got the puck in the neutral zone then flipped a seemingly harmless shot on net from between center ice and the blue line from near the right boards Sabala dropped to his knees to make the save and there was a brief pause before anyone realized the puck was in the net 6 minutes and 10 seconds into overtime Dye had no intention of scoring when he sent the puck toward Sabala “I was just trying to get pucks deep,” Dye said “We were just grinding them down that whole game Their goalie played great the whole game and we got a lucky one to go.” The game between the top two teams in the state across all divisions lived up to its billing in front of 700 fans who packed into a sold-out Hartland Sports Center Hartland took a 1-0 lead on Zielinski’s power-play goal from the side of the net with 7:12 left in the first period The Shamrocks tied it on a wraparound by Nick Leiter with 8.21 seconds left in the first following a turnover in the neutral zone Some of the hardest and best I’ve ever seen We were looking to get one more punch and couldn’t quite get there.” The Shamrocks (25-2) won their 13th straight regional championship and 32nd straight postseason game. Their last playoff loss was 2-1 to Brighton in the state semifinals on March 9, 2018 failing to advance from regionals for the second straight year after a 12-year run of regional titles Gadwa said this was a matchup that should’ve been showcased in the final four at USA Hockey Arena “I’m not calling out anyone within the MHSAA I’m saying as a collective group we have to be better It’s happened so many times over my 14 years coaching here we’re one of the best two teams in the state I would have loved to have been able to have this at USA Hockey Arena if we earned it to get there and let teams like this and our kids celebrate a regional championship they deserve that I feel was stolen from them.” Brighton and Howell won regional championships to advance to the Division 1 quarterfinals Brighton will play Salem and Howell will play Clarkston Saturday in the quarterfinals HARTLAND — Aaron Metz’s most recent football experience in Livingston County was at Howell great grandfather played for some of the first Hartland teams back in the 1930s attending high school at Birmingham Brother Rice His first coaching gig was with the Eagles’ freshman team from 1997 through 2000 even though many associate Metz most with Howell it’s like he’s returning home as the new head coach at Hartland Metz was Howell’s head coach from 2008 through 2019 His first three teams reached the second round of the state playoffs with the 2010 team reaching the regional championship game before losing to Rockford That was the only time the Highlanders reached the third round until they did it again last fall The Highlanders were 64-54 during Metz’s 12 seasons as coach Metz was an assistant coach at four schools before becoming Howell’s head coach RELATED: Howell senior Justin Jones commits to Division I college football program He’s been an assistant coach at Lansing Catholic the last four years working with offensive skill positions and the defensive line The Cougars were state Division 6 champions in 2001 and state runner-up this past fall Metz takes over from Thomas Stevenson, who wasn't brought back after being the head coach for two seasons and part of the staff for 17 “I wasn’t out on the head coaching circuit,” Metz said “It had to be the right place and right time for me and my family This is a chance to get back to familiar grounds and make something special happen.” Metz met with returning players Friday morning and told them to hit the ground running beginning at 2:30 p.m He’s looking forward to being part of Livingston County rivalries again even though he’s now on the other side of the M-59 rivalry with Howell Those are the games you want to make that happen in I remember playing on the grass over there (at Hartland) It’s part of the greatness of high school sports It’s where you get to be part of something bigger than yourself.” Hartland athletic director Brian Hassler said Metz was hired from an original pool of 30 applicants Nine candidates were given preliminary interviews and three were recommended for in-depth interviews with a committee “After we interviewed and talked to character references the big thing everybody came back with is he’s just a high-character guy,” Hassler said “He’s going to shake every kid’s hand when they walk out of the locker room after a game That’s kind of one of the draws that was high on our list for everybody in the committee room.” There’s a possibility he could end up teaching at Hartland if a position becomes open “One of the draws with Aaron is obviously his background in education,” Hassler said it’s getting harder to get educator coaches They’re there on a daily basis in front of students and on a daily basis dealing with parents HARTLAND — It was 12 hours after Hartland’s biggest girls basketball victory in three years Eagles coach Mike McKay was already on his way to get in a cramming session Hartland earned a matchup with South Lyon in the regional semifinals by beating rival Howell for the first time this season in a Division 1 district championship game Friday night There are only two off days between the victory over Howell at the game against South Lyon at 7 p.m the Eagles (19-5) can’t afford any off days over the weekend with another win-or-go-home game three days later A light practice was scheduled for Saturday to allow players to recover from the previous night before a more detailed game prep is installed Sunday “We’re trying to get as much info as possible at this point,” McKay said it’s who wants to be there and who’s ready to go We’re trying to prep the kids as best we can.” STATE CHAMPS: Hartland wins first state gymnastics title since 1999 RELATED: Moment wasn't too big for freshman who scored OT winner to send Howell to state hockey final South Lyon won its first district championship since 2008 with a 55-47 victory over Northville Friday night It’s the second time the Lions have beaten the KLAA West champion sharing the Lakes Valley Conference championship with Lakeland Their two losses are to Walled Lake Northern and Lakeland there isn’t anybody who is going to be an easy game,” McKay said Hartland won its 12th district championship in 16 years but its first since the 2022 team went all the way to the state championship game The Eagles’ roadblock in the district final the last two years was Howell I wanted those seniors to go out winning a championship Our first goal was to win our side of the league; that didn’t take place Hartland won a district by knocking off its two biggest rivals The Eagles were 1-3 against those teams during the regular season we all could’ve won a district title,” McKay said Izzy DePestel had 13 points on 6-for-10 shooting Brinley Neuer 12 and Ava McKaig eight for Hartland Kennedy Tucker had seven points and 13 rebounds for the Eagles Alison Farr and Gabby Piepho had 10 points each for Howell The Eagles led 26-24 going into the fourth quarter before outscoring the Highlanders 17-9 Dexter (18-6) and Belleville (23-1) will play in the other regional semifinal at Howell at 5:30 p.m An historic building has been transformed into a beautiful As a passionate champion of the local dining scene Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food" Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association writing or planning for TV and radio spots you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference Occupation: Pharmacist and Owner of Hartland Hometown Pharmacy Previous elected office (if any): Village Trustee (6 years) Occupation: Retired Transportation Sales and Management Previous elected office (if any): Elected Trustee in 2022 and appointed Trustee in 2021 Occupation: Retired (previous business owner) Previously elected office: Village Trustee since April 2013 Ann Wallschlager are running against challenger Mike Demet for village trustee in Hartland with three seats up for grab The Freeman asked the candidates questions ahead of the April election FREEMAN: Why are you running for this position Conner: I’ve been a Hartland Village trustee for the past six years I’m seeking re-election for a fourth term because I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time as a trustee I have a strong interest in seeing Hartland continue to grow and flourish I firmly believe in giving back to the community where I live With a proven track record of managing successful businesses I organically grew and managed a successful region of 75 retail pharmacy stores with annual revenue exceeding $750 million my priorities will include maintaining fiscal responsibility ensuring that all departments remain within budget and exploring opportunities to reduce spending Demet: I am running to protect the character of our fine community Including but not limited to our great local establishments our first responders and our amazing parks Looking at all spending with a long-term best interests of the community view Hallquist: I want to continue to improve the village and keep it a very nice and enjoyable place to live I've been on the Planning Commission for 28 years and the Park Board for 31 years and have a strong base of knowledge and experience with the village Wallschlager: I am running for village trustee to further transparency and accountability in our local government FREEMAN: What is your approach to handling controversial and complicated issues Conner: When confronted with controversial or complex issues I approach them with the same systematic approach I begin by thoroughly reading and comprehending the underlying issues I believe it’s crucial to listen attentively and seek feedback from the residents of Hartland and all parties involved I’ll then reach out to relevant resources and experts to explore available options for addressing the issues at hand considering that I represent the residents of Hartland I’ll carefully evaluate all options and recommend a solution that prioritizes the best interests of the Village of Hartland Assess how a change would affect the community and our taxes Make investments where necessary and protect our community Hallquist: My platform has always been to look out for the village on any issue whether large or small my decisions are made by analyzing the facts with the best interests in the village in mind Wallschlager: When there is a controversial issue in front of the village board I feel it is important to get as much information from our village resources as possible Then comes the need to hear from our citizens It is our job to listen to and represent the citizens to the best of our ability My goal is to make decisions that are good for the citizens and best for the future of our village FREEMAN: How would you deal with the need to improve/grow the area (developments etc.) with the need to respond to the local taxpayer burden Conner: Economic development is the cornerstone of a successful and prosperous community Striking a delicate balance is essential for success While it requires financial investment to bring economic development to the village enabling us to maintain a low tax burden for the residents of Hartland we capitalize on financial opportunities that have no direct impact on the local taxpayer we utilized impact fees to enhance Nixon Park last year SIGN UP Demet: I would try to look out 25 years on capital investments I will always be in favor of top-notch employees and first responders Hallquist: I’m currently on the village of Hartland’s downtown revitalization committee to review our downtown We are looking for ways to modernize and improve our local downtown We have had successes with some developers showing some interest in wanting to assist the village in this effort PayGo TIFs have been used in the past to limit the burden to the taxpayer Wallschlager: Hartland has very few vacant properties left for development Our improvements would be redevelopment/upgrades of sidewalks bump-outs and burying some of our utility lines in our downtown area The Hartland BID does a wonderful job with helping to update and beautify our downtown FREEMAN: Funding and budgets are ongoing issues Conner: The essence of managing a small government lies in setting realistic budgets We dedicate considerable time each year to collaborating with the department heads to determine their budget requirements for the upcoming fiscal year we ensure that these budgets are adhered to we carefully consider the potential impact of these budgets on the residents of Hartland from a tax perspective Our administration has successfully improved services to the Village of Hartland while keeping the tax burden low I’m proud to say that we’ve actually reduced taxes by approximately $1.00 per $1,000 value Encourage local businesses and single-family developments Hartland is in a very strong financial position We welcome any communication on new developments and business building improvements Wallschlager: Having a balanced budget each year is very important to keep taxes down We have great staff that keep our checks and balances in place FREEMAN: Do you think our main street/downtown is healthy and successful Conner: While I believe our Main Street/downtown is thriving and successful continuous growth is essential to maintain the viability of the Village of Hartland but we must prioritize what our residents desire for growth and its appearance to ensure its success This is why I collaborated with the president to establish an Economic Development Committee approximately a year ago This platform provides an avenue for us to engage with potential developers exploring innovative approaches to revitalize downtown Hartland while simultaneously honoring and respecting our historical heritage Demet: Our downtown has improved dramatically and just needs a few more successful businesses In time those will develop and I will encourage that growth I am currently participating with village staff in ongoing discussions with business owners/developers to update our downtown area Wallschlager: Hartland’s downtown area is evolving each year One of our most beautiful and visited parks is only one block off Cottonwood Ave We have destination restaurants along with the Ice Age Trail which goes through downtown Hartland I would like to help bring more essential shopping to our downtown area along with activity venues for our young teenagers See all of our election coverage at gmtoday.com/elections 10 things to know this week from the WOW counties (Waukesha Ozaukee and Washington) sent on Sundays Get the latest Waukesha County news delivered every day so you don't miss out on updates Have Waukesha County breaking news alerts sent to your inbox as they happen At 12:54 p.m. on Wednesday, a vehicle was stopped at Michigan Avenue and Grandview Boulevard for a stop sign violation. The driver a… Read moreWaukesha police blotter: April 30-May 1, 20225 Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: HARTLAND — It’s no mistake that the banner honoring Josh Ruthig bearing his No 21 was raised next to Hartland’s three state championship hockey banners Tuesday night Ruthig never won a state title with the Eagles but he was a major building block who was responsible for all of Hartland’s success during and after his three-year career Ever since Ruthig became one of the first AAA players to buy in to what coach Rick Gadwa was establishing Hartland has been relevant on the Michigan high school hockey scene nearly every year This year’s team has a chance to add a fourth banner continuing a remarkable season with an 8-5 victory over a powerful Livonia Stevenson team Tuesday at Hartland Sports Center None of the amazing memories Hartland fans have experienced over the years would have happened — or at least the process may have taken longer — had Ruthig and his teammates not been on board so early in Gadwa’s tenure Ruthig’s impact on the program was remembered during a pregame ceremony which included his parents and former teammates The 2014 Hartland graduate died from a rare form of cancer in 2022 “I have great memories of Josh,” Gadwa said like from the beginning when I first started coaching When I say foundational piece as to what we’ve built To be able to honor him like this tonight is great He’s forever going to be up in those rafters.” Gadwa said he caught himself looking up at the banner throughout the game “Josh was raised the right way,” Gadwa said It was obviously such an unfortunate circumstance what happened to him Ruthig was part of the first two Hartland teams to reach state championship games The Eagles lost to Stevenson in 2013 and Trenton in 2014 Stevenson coach David Mitchell doesn’t remember Ruthig specifically but recalls what that group meant to Hartland hockey “A number of those guys stood up in front of our bench (before the game),” Mitchell said ‘That was the group that I remember put Hartland hockey on the map And created the buzz and the foundation for what Hartland hockey has become.’” This season’s team has a chance to go down as one of the best in Hartland history The Eagles are 18-1-1 and ranked second in Division 1 behind perennial power Detroit Catholic Central Hartland fell behind by a goal three times early in the game before exploding for six goals in a 12-minute span of the second period The last three goals were scored 44 seconds apart “Everyone really bought in,” said senior center Drake Fletemier who had a goal and set up two others with clean face-off wins It was the ultimate team win on a special night like tonight.” which clinched the KLAA West championship with an 8-0-1 division record The Eagles will face Stevenson (12-5-2) again for the KLAA championship at 7:30 p.m HOWELL — They grew up watching players like Lexey Tobel Whitney Sollom and Amanda Roach help orchestrate long postseason basketball runs for Hartland a junior varsity player three years ago when Hartland reached the state championship game had to wait until her senior year to experience an extended playoff run with the Eagles Brinley Neuer only had to wait until she got to high school helping to deep into the state tournament as a freshman They are among a group of players adding their own names to program’s tradition advancing to a regional final for the eighth time in the past 14 seasons with a 45-39 victory over South Lyon in a semifinal game Monday at Howell High School DePestel couldn’t crack a veteran lineup as a freshman when a senior-led team lost in the state championship game to West Bloomfield at the Breslin Center She was part of teams that lost in the district final to Howell the last two years before beating the Highlanders in the same round Friday night Having once been part of the future of Hartland basketball DePestel realizes what this year’s run could mean to young girls in the bleachers RELATED: Livonia schools leaving KLAA to join Lakes Valley Conference just to inspire the next generation and to have the people who did go on the run watching us in the stands,” she said “It means a lot to be part of it this time I remember from a very young age coming to all these games The experience of playing playoff basketball for the first time is everything Neuer hoped it would be “It’s been a great experience,” said Neuer who scored a team-high 14 points and went 7-for-8 from the line You just have to have confidence out there Mike McKay was part of the early years when Hartland was establishing itself as a premier program working as an assistant coach under Don Palmer he helped the Eagles navigate a district in which they had to beat tough rivals Brighton and Howell Then he came up with a plan to beat a South Lyon team that entered the game with a 20-2 record and twice beat a Northville team that won Hartland’s division of the KLAA “They’ve done this in their history and it’s just great to be part of it and build on it,” McKay said We’ve got a lot of alumni in the stands and we’ve got a lot of young players looking up to these girls These girls have been playing together since fifth grade and stuck together.” South Lyon was playing in regionals for the first time since 2008 and looking for its first victory in regionals since 1987 but experience wasn’t a factor because none of the current Hartland players had been this far either The Eagles’ focus was on trying to contain senior guard Izzy Nooe a 1,000-point career scorer who will play for Bethel University Neither had played against one another before Monday or knew much about the other until watching film Saturday “She’s a really good player,” DePestel said We knew we had to slow her down if we were going to win that one.” but was held scoreless in the final six minutes as the Lions cut a lead that had been 11 points down to four a lot of different screens to try to get some separation.” Ava McKaig and Kennedy Tucker each had eight points for the Eagles reaching the 20-win mark for the seventh time in the last nine seasons The Eagles will have a daunting challenge in the regional championship game against second-ranked Belleville at 7 p.m The Tigers (24-1) advanced with a 79-40 rout of Dexter behind a 32-point performance from sophomore star Sydney Savoury Their only loss was 57-52 to Wayne Memorial on Feb They’ve got talented players and they’re well-coached We’re going to try to come up with a game plan and compete DePestel and the other multi-sport athletes on Hartland's basketball team hope to delay their spring sports for as long as possible She didn't even make her way to soccer practice just to say hello "They told me to stay here and finish what I'm doing and then get over there when I'm ready," she said Any Hartland girls track and field athlete who matches one of Emmy Sargeant’s accomplishments is doing something special And freshman Hannah DePestel is just getting started Running in only her fourth high school meet the 200 and the 400 Tuesday during Hartland’s 83-54 victory over Howell She is the first Hartland girl since Sargeant in 2022 to win those three events in the same meet. Sargeant did so four times that year while setting five school records, the last time coming in the KLAA meet edging Howell sophomore McKenna Gill by 0.02 seconds taking the 200 in 26.62 and the 400 in 1:00.14 She finished the meet by anchoring Hartland’s 1,600 relay team to a first-place finish by 0.53 seconds with a time of 4:22.30 RELATED: Another Kastamo sister emerges and other takeaways from Brighton-Hartland girls soccer Also running on that relay team was junior Elliana Neuer who won the 1,600 in 5:21.99 and the 800 in 2:23.25 went above and below her primary distance to win with personal-best times She won the 1,600 in 5:16.66 and the 400 in 59.09 The Bulldogs had three runners break 5:20 in the 1,600 with Ella Lorenz finishing in 5:18.77 and Lydia LaMarra in 5:18.84 Pinckney senior Madison Cooke swept the three shortest races by taking the 100 in 12.92 Sophomore Jaelyn Ray won the 800 in 2:25.20 and the 1,600 in 5:08.71 for the Pirates winning the 100 in 18.79 and the 300 in 56.16 Pinckney senior Mya Karolak set personal bests to win high jump at 5-2 and long jump at 15-4.75 Junior Lauren Hammond won the 100 in 13.45 and the 200 in 27.55 while sophomore Bailey Yates won the 100 hurdles in 18.61 and the 300 hurdles in 54.00 for Charyl Stockwell Howell senior Lucas Wood won the 1,600 in 4:33.10 and the 3,200 in 10:39.93 Romen Williams won the 110 high hurdles in 16.31 and the high jump with a leap of 6 feet for the Highlanders Brighton senior Sam Meriweather continues to flirt with the school long jump record coming within one inch of the mark set by Noah Grimm in 2018 Meriweather also won the 200 in 22.84 and was on the winning 800 relay team Luke Bellino won the 400 in 50.87 and the high jump by clearing 5-8 Pinckney junior Sam Burtts won the 110 hurdles in 15.58 the 300 hurdles in 41.70 and was on the winning 1,600 relay team Senior Zach Newman won the 1,600 in 4:36.87 and the 3,200 in 10:04.27 for the Pirates Fowlerville senior Kody Sweet became only the second county athlete to break 20 feet in long jump this season Charyl Stockwell’s Nolan Page won the 110 high hurdles in 19.75 putting up a score of 139 at Fox Hills Golf Club in Plymouth Luke Downing was the medalist with a 2-under 33 to come within one shot of the school record set last week by Zach Spencer Jacob Dault and Gavin Hill shot 36 for the Highlanders Freshman Jase Sensor and sophomore Aidan Oake of Hartland shared medalist honors by shooting 37s at Dunham Hills Golf Club Liam Kastamo tied for third with a 38 for the Eagles Fowlerville senior Tommi Kleinschmidt hit two homers in the first game and finished the doubleheader 4-for-7 with seven RBIs Michaela Gulledge was 3-for-3 with two RBIs in the first game for the Gladiators Wyatt Soli pitched a six-inning shutout for Fowlerville in the second game The North Hartland Lake Dam in North Hartland Army Corps of Engineers is starting the process of revising the North Hartland Lake master plan (Valley News-Jennifer Hauck) Valley News photographs – Jennifer Hauck a park ranger at the North Hartland Dam and recreational area The recreational area and dam have 60 birdhouses Army Corps of Engineers is revising the North Hartland Lake master plan Army Corp employees held an open house for members of the public to learn about the new plan Park Ranger Evan Landon talks with Hartland resident Kevin Cox as he looks at the Corps 1999 master plan map Cox said he often walks his dogs around the dam in the recreational area (Valley News-Jennifer Hauck) Valley News – Jennifer Hauck HARTLAND — Regulators are seeking public feedback on a 25-year plan that dictates how the North Hartland Lake recreation area can be used and its natural resources preserved The 1,460-acre recreation area — including the lake and surrounding trails and wildlife areas — are federally owned and managed by the U.S The entire property is governed by a master plan that was most recently updated in 1999 and is being revised The plan outlines long-term management objectives for the recreational natural and cultural resources on the property that are used to inform most daily operations Army Corps of Engineers rangers do everything from managing the recreational areas to building nesting boxes for birds and conducting fish and water quality studies in the lake and Ottauquechee River At this point “we don’t have any changes that need to be done” to the plan USACE Upper Connecticut River Basin Manager John Asseng said at an open house at Hartland Library last Wednesday changes might be made based on public suggestions and in later steps of the revision process Objectives in the 1999 master plan include to “protect and conserve wetlands and rare plant and animal habitats,” “evaluate boating use,” “maintain existing trails” and protect “prehistoric and historic archaeological sites.” The 1999 plan also surveyed and categorized how different areas of the park can be used and outlined capital projects USACE staff chatted with about 30 people about the master plan process during the open house especially the public comment period that is open until May 16 “Everybody seems to love North Hartland Lake and so we’re interested to see what there might be for comments and ideas,” Project Manager Heather Morse said Morse said it is too early to pick out particular themes the public are interested in biologists and other experts will review the written feedback and consider how it might be integrated into the final plan “I’m really pleased at most of the things that they’re doing there and I hope that all of that will continue,” Hartland Conservation Commission Chairman Rob Anderegg said in an interview at the event Wednesday Anderegg said he will ask the Army Corps to “minimize” the use of harmful chemicals by finding alternative ways to control invasive species a spokesperson said rangers have used different practices to try to treat knotweed over the years to find what is “successful and affordable.” But the current practice is to cut the plants and “chemically treat” the new sprouts after a few weeks “to reduce the amount of chemical being used.” The new master plan will take up to two years to complete a draft master plan is projected to be released in July 2026 followed by a second public comment period The final master plan is expected to be finished in December 2026 The public comment period opened April 16 and runs through May 16 either via email to CENAE-NorthHartlandLake@usace.army.mil or sent via mail to USACE North Hartland Lake Clare Shanahan can be reached at cshanahan@vnews.com or 603-727-3216 you agree with our use of cookies to personalize your experience measure ads and monitor how our site works to improve it for our users LIVINGSTON COUNTY — A multi-year lawsuit filed against Hartland Consolidated Schools for allegedly creating an "openly racist environment" for Black students is slated for a jury trial in February The proceeding is scheduled to begin Tuesday District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan More: Students must receive parent permission to take part in culture training, surveys at HCS Tatayana Vanderlaan filed her lawsuit against HCS then-Hartland High School Principal Kate Gregory and then-Assistant Principal Emily Aluia in 2023 alleging she experienced racism as a student at HHS Vanderlaan posted on social media that she was harassed by her peers because she was Black The lawsuit alleges Vanderlaan was “exposed to an openly racist environment that escalated into direct racial harassment and ultimately culminated in explicit threats of white supremacist violence all of which was tacitly endorsed by teachers and by school and district leadership.” she was escorted off campus due to a threat of being “lynched.” The lawsuit states Vanderlaan continued to face harassment through the end of her senior year despite notifying officials multiple times She said the harassment caused her to miss several weeks of school which resulted in lower grades and negatively impacted her plans to attend college to be a nurse or physician The DOJ said HCS has addressed discrimination bullying and harassment on an administrative level but concerns remain for the potential of student-on-student harassment HCS will continue to monitor and track student behaviors School leadership will investigate and determine if discrimination The district will use a third party — Great Lakes Equity Center — to provide an “outside view” for staffers GLEC will consult with the district and provide services and resources to administration members parents and staff can take cultural surveys In December, trustees approved a policy requiring parents to sign a form allowing their children to opt-in for training or surveys made available as part of the monitoring agreement in a filing requesting the case's dismissal on Dec argues many of the incidents alleged by Vanderlaan were undocumented or lack evidence they were reported officials claim they don't remember speaking to Vanderlaan at all The school confirms two students were given 10-day suspensions and referred for mandatory expulsion The district argues it was "limited" in its ability to discipline some of Vanderlaan's peers because they were special education students faced charges from the Livingston County Sheriff's Office Three teenagers were charged with stalking under the harassment theory while another was charged with assault and battery Three were allowed to plead under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act keeping their convictions under seal if they successfully complete probation The fourth student was charged as a juvenile and not named jury trials are often postponed and rescheduled The Daily will provide an update if the case is pushed back A status conference in the case against Pinckney Community Schools is scheduled for April 10 The suit was filed in July 2024 on behalf of several students alleging racial harassment and discrimination at PCS The plaintiffs are all minors — four boys and one girl — who have attended Navigator Upper Elementary or Pathfinder School The students claim “racism has permeated Pinckney Community Schools for years.”  Black students in Pinckney "have been called 'cotton picker,' 'monkey,' the 'N-word,' physically assaulted racially profiled and threatened to be killed because of their skin color." The complaint alleges PCS “turned a blind eye and failed to meaningfully address the racism once and for all.”     Black students at PCS “have suffered emotional trauma and substantial disruption to their education,” the lawsuit says It also alleges several students have left PCS “out of fear for their physical Pathfinder School Principal Lori Sandula and former Navigator School Principal Janet McDole are listed as defendants PCS officials denied their actions created “a hostile educational environment,” according to their response to the lawsuit The defendants argue they “at all times acted in good faith” and “deny any recklessness or callous neglect." The defendants have requested the court dismiss the lawsuit deny all relief sought by the plaintiffs and award costs and attorney fees incurred — Contact reporter Evan Sasiela at esasiela@sentinel-standard.com. Follow him on X @SalsaEvan HOWELL — The situation was about as big as it gets Howell’s hockey team was on the power play which happens to be the second-ranked team in the state It was no place for a freshman — unless that freshman is Bryce Pietila whose goal with 9:36 left in the third period gave third-ranked Howell a 1-1 tie with the Eagles Wednesday night at 140 Ice Den There was no hesitation on the part of Howell coach Keith Robertson to put Pietila on the ice when the Highlanders went on the power play with a chance to erase a 1-0 deficit that existed since early in the game “I have no problem putting him out there on the power play,” Robertson said Pietila has six goals and seven assists in 18 games he has goals in four of his last five games Hartland pounced on a turnover and had a chance at a shorthanded goal The puck came loose in front of the Howell net where Pietila picked it up and began skating up the ice Pietila was given room as he entered the zone before he put a wrist shot from the right circle under the glove and over the right pad of goalie Vinnie Sabala “I went in and just put a shot on net and it went in It’s the type of moment Pietila envisioned for himself while attending Howell games growing up His brother Chad is an all-state junior defenseman for the Highlanders “The atmosphere was just crazy out there,” Pietila said “It’s the most fans I’ve ever seen in my life Pietila didn’t have time to process too much information he had more time to ponder the situation when he was awarded a penalty shot after being hauled down on a partial breakaway with 4:50 left in the second period Pietila skated across the net and slid a shot that Sabala saved by extending his left leg and stopping the puck with his skate Pietila’s tying goal was the second game-deciding goal scored by a Howell freshman in the past four games. Ninth-grader Lincoln Frantti had the game-winner with 9:15 left in a 3-2 victory over Novi one week earlier we didn’t have a senior on the ice,” Robertson said I’m very proud of the young guys who have contributed.” it appeared a goal by Hartland’s Drake Fletemier just 2:03 into the game would hold up as the game-winner The Highlanders tied the game on the power play and had a chance to win it when they went back on the power play with 45.1 seconds left in regulation time which extended into the eight-minute overtime period “We know special teams are important moving forward,” Hartland coach Rick Gadwa said “For us to be able to lock it down on the (penalty kill) at the end of the third and into OT was massive It catapulted us a bit into that later part of OT It was only the second time in 18 games Hartland (16-1-1) hasn’t come away with a victory A 10-game winning streak ended for Howell (14-2-2) but the Highlanders are unbeaten in their last 11 games heading into another big test at 6 p.m Friday against Livonia Stevenson at Eddie Edgar Arena Sabala and Howell goalie Henry Lansky each made 24 saves HARTLAND — Hartland boys lacrosse coach Steven Petersen was describing Grant Barber’s game when he couldn’t complete the sentence “I think he’s probably the craftiest attackman we’ve had since … I won’t say his name,” Petersen said The obvious point of reference was Bo Lockwood even in a program the caliber of Hartland’s It seemed almost wrong to mention another player’s in the same breath as Lockwood But it says something about Barber that his coach almost went there considering the talent pool up front in the three years since Lockwood played has remained deep Barber has scored 11 goals and 12 assists in Hartland’s first five games In one of the Eagles’ most competitive games so far he had five goals and two assists during a 12-6 victory over Grand Ledge earning Livingston Daily Athlete of the Week “He’s the kind of kid where the minute you see him pick up a stick you know he’s got something in his hands,” Petersen said given the general questions we had offensively coming into the season.” The Eagles needed some new forces to emerge up front after they graduated their top four scorers who combined for 254 goals and 144 assists to lead a state runner-up team Barber might have cracked the top four last season but he missed his junior year after breaking his collarbone twice The first injury occurred playing box lacrosse He reinjured it in his second practice with the high school team “I didn’t really listen to the doctors fully and came back a couple weeks early,” Barber said but I was out the rest of the season at that point “That was definitely rough to miss last season I’ve been feeling really good and playing well The opportunity to make an impact with Hartland has been a goal of Barber’s since he began playing lacrosse in fifth grade play for the Eagles on the 2022 state championship team Barber scored three goals and one assist after being called up to the varsity late in his sophomore season before missing last year “That Class of 2022 with Bo Lockwood and a lot of those guys Hartland lacrosse was pretty good at that point To see that and come up and potentially get to the state championship again this year and be one of the bigger players is definitely kind of cool.” HARTLAND TWP. — Hartland Consolidated Schools disbanded its Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee during a special meeting Thursday in a two-hour-plus meeting that included disagreements about a "diversity circus" one board member said was "demeaning" and "culturally insensitive." While public school districts across the country are working to meet new requirements from President Donald Trump's administration, which threatens funding cuts if DEI programs aren't slashed Hartland — in particular — is in a complicated spot HCS receives about $2.2 million in federal funding The district partnered with a third party — Great Lakes Equity Center part of Indiana University — to provide an “outside view” for staffers the website for GLEC is currently inaccessible and phone calls made by The Daily earlier this month went straight to voicemail parents and staff were slated to take cultural surveys requiring parents to sign-off on student participation More: Trump gave schools 2 weeks to ban DEI. Lawyers say it's not that simple. On Feb. 17, the board voted to rescind that policy focusing instead on a form allowing parents to "opt-out" — but Trustee Jeff Scott it seems like we’re trying to double down on DEI in complete opposition to the directive," he said “What we’re voting on is to remove the parent and guardians’ decision to be involved .. Department of Education to discontinue this altogether,” Scott added “We’ve received no legal opinion as to whether this complies with the directive from the U.S More: Lawsuit alleging 'openly racist environment' at HCS heads to trial in February The special meeting Thursday centered on a motion reading: "Based on advice of counsel and the recommendation of the board president in lieu of confusion and vague direction in the current (executive orders) that are being challenged in various forums through litigation and other means; and because of the possible impact on the existing Extension Agreement with the Department of Justice the board temporarily pauses the (DEI Committee) removes any reference to it from the district's website but reserves the right to revisit this at a later date once there is greater clarity after legal challenges to the EOs are completed or further guidance is provided by the DOJ." Hughes said the original resolution was created by the district’s legal counsel as the DOJ awaits direction from D.C He added the resolution complied with the federal directive Scott made a motion to amend the resolution to instruct Hughes to provide a plan to the board for the district to come into full compliance with the letter issued Feb 14 from the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights The amendment and motion were approved 6-0 during public comment and discussion of the resolution expressed concern with a recent presentation at Village Elementary School called “Doug Scheer’s Diversity Circus.” Scott noted some elementary students wore a sombrero and a mock hijab and waved foreign flags Scott said the presentation didn’t reflect the district’s three "Rs" — reason He called the event "culturally insensitive “It's not respectful to the Muslim religion it's not respectful to Spanish-speaking people to put a child in a giant sombrero and parade him across his school then take pictures of it and then post it online," he said assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction said he wasn’t going to "say everything was OK” but disagreed with Scott's overall premise “We’re going to continue to support the differences of students in our community “We’re going to continue to have students be represented in the curriculum We’re going to look at that presentation.”  Support Local News: Subscribe to get unlimited access to our local coverage This led to an exchange between Scott and Minsker:  You won’t say somebody messed up in that room and allowed it to happen.”  Minsker: “I’m not going to contribute with this circus I'm hearing right now.”  What if that was your student forced to wear a hijab and wave a foreign flag?”  Hughes provided the following statement to The Daily regarding the presentation:  “I apologize for the situation which occurred and if any individual was offended. The intent was noble, as the presentation was to be supportive of the district's tenets of the 3Rs of reason, respect and responsibility. The principal approved the presentation based on past experience and a marketing video again feeling that this was a positive and uplifting opportunity "What was not discussed at the board meeting was that the presenter had the different national flags being held up and did a magic trick The trick was that all the flags became (the American flag) .. is made up of many people from many countries around the world but what makes us strong is that we are all Americans.” — Contact reporter Evan Sasiela at esasiela@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on X @SalsaEvan HOWELL — The lowest point in their season became one of the most special As five Hartland girls basketball seniors were being taken out of the game one by one for the final time Replacing senior post player Kennedy Tucker was her freshman sister Taking the floor in place of senior guard Izzy DePestel was her freshman sister “It was really special,” Izzy DePestel said following the Eagles’ 65-35 loss to second-ranked Belleville in a Division 1 regional championship game Wednesday at Howell High School “That was a really good way for me to go out I wouldn’t have wanted to go off the floor any other way Tucker was understandably downtrodden when talking about the game and the end of her high school basketball career But a smile came to her face when the Tucker-for-Tucker substitution was mentioned “I loved getting to play with my sister this year and it meant so much to me.” The game was well in hand heading into the fourth quarter with Hartland trailing 62-24 and a running clock in effect for the final three minutes of the third RELATED: Hartland girls basketball players experiencing what they witnessed as youngsters Eagle coach Mike McKay put the future of his program on the floor to start the fourth quarter to get younger players experience in a regional final but he brought his seniors back onto the court with five minutes remaining it was a show of respect to give them one final shift in a Hartland uniform and a proper exit a few minutes later if I would’ve told them they’d be 20-6 and playing in a regional final at the beginning of the season The Eagles were playing in their eighth regional championship game in the past 14 seasons but it was the first for any of the current players after losses to Howell in district finals the last two years It was a season in which Hartland reclaimed its position among the top teams in the state after what had been “We got Hartland basketball back to where it is We just kind of paved the way for the kids under us McKay said the seniors were great roles models for the younger players on the roster and those who have yet to reach high school who were watching from the stands we’ve got the younger kids coming and watching,” McKay said That’s what we challenged the younger kids to take that next step forward.” coming off a state semifinal appearance and taking a 25-1 record into the state quarterfinals They have one of the top sophomores in the nation in Sydney Savoury Hartland didn’t come into the game intimidated taking an 11-9 lead in the first 2 minutes and 43 seconds Belleville responded by scoring 14 straight points to trigger what became a 50-8 run will form the foundation for the Eagles in the future Playing in big games against an opponent like Belleville can only help their growth “You can’t replace stuff like this,” McKay said Savoury and Secrette Carter had 17 points each for Belleville which won back-to-back regionals for the first time since winning four in a row from 1998-2001 The Tigers will face DeWitt in the state quarterfinals at 7 p.m HARTLAND — When Hartland sophomore Dylan Crowe tells the story years from now perhaps the key detail will be embellished a bit Maybe his walk-off RBI in a 4-3 victory over fourth-ranked Novi will morph from a bases-loaded walk into a line shot up the gap Given his trajectory within the Hartland baseball program Crowe will probably win plenty of games the rest of his career with highlight-reel plays instead of in the anticlimactic manner Wednesday’s game ended The 18th-ranked Eagles had already drawn two walks in the inning so it was no time for someone to play hero Crowe patiently took four straight pitches flipped his bat and shouted toward the Eagles’ dugout before trotting down to first base forcing home Roman Forcia with the winning run Crowe was mobbed by his teammates like he’d just hit a double to the fence Hartland’s coaches expect Crowe to be composed in tense situations His ability to remain calm in the heat of the moment is one of the qualities that earned him a spot on the varsity as a freshman last season RELATED: Battle-tested Hartland softball pitcher rebounds from 'opening day jitters' to shut down Novi RELATED: Brighton, Hartland on collision course for first place in KLAA West girls soccer appearing in 28 of 35 games and hitting .278 He struck out only seven times in 82 plate appearances the Eagles struck out in 18% of their plate appearances “He really has a veteran demeanor out here,” Hartland coach Brad Guenther said we kind of knew he belonged right away with how he carried himself He stepped up even this year on some leadership pieces super nonchalant and composed all the time He’s played in a lot of meaningful baseball games in his life.” Having a year on varsity under his belt has allowed Crowe to play more relaxed “It’s a boost of confidence this year,” he said “I’m just playing with a lot more freedom out there It was a game Hartland seemed unlikely to win because Novi’s starting pitcher was senior Uli Fernsler Fernsler is a Texas Christian University commit who pitched a complete game victory in the state Division 1 championship game as a sophomore With some pro scouts taking notes behind the backstop Fernsler struck out eight of the 14 batters he faced and allowed only one hit in 4⅓ innings He was removed from the game after getting the first out in the fifth inning They promptly put up three runs in the inning to take a 3-2 lead “It’s nice playing him early where he’s probably on a little pitch restriction just like a lot of our guys,” Guenther said so getting him out of the game was nice,” Crowe said but you’ve just got to act like he’s another pitcher and stay calm up there.” Hartland starter Michael Zielinski allowed one hit and two runs in four innings coming out of the game after throwing 66 pitches Reliever Michael Bernardi cruised through the fifth and sixth innings before Novi tied the game on a single by Alex Wilson with two out in the top of the seventh The Eagles won it in the bottom of the seventh on a lead-off single by Forcia an intentional walk to Brayden Crowe following a wild pitch that moved runners to second and third Brighton’s Andrew Everson pitched a one-hitter and struck out 13 batters Alex Larson was 3-for-4 for the Bulldogs (6-1) Howell’s Nick Hoorn struck out nine batters and allowed two runs on five hits in a complete-game performance Josh Soneral drove in two runs for the Highlanders Howell scored twice in the top of the seventh to tie the second game 3-3 The game was called by darkness after seven full innings HARTLAND — Xander Courneya has come a long way since the last time he wrestled at Hartland qualifying for the state tournament last year and earning a No 6 ranking in the state at his weight class this season But a 6-4 loss to Gavin Kern under the spotlight at Hartland two years ago still ate away at the Brighton junior as he returned to the Eagles’ gym Wednesday “I wasn’t letting that happen again,” Courneya said He wouldn’t have to wait long to expunge that loss from his system getting the first match in a dual between two of the top four teams in Division 1 Courneya won 8-0 in a matchup of ranked wrestlers against Hartland’s Easton Culver jump-starting a decisive 50-24 victory for the second-ranked Bulldogs over the fourth-ranked Eagles Courneya is ranked sixth at 144 pounds by Michigan Grappler but I knew I had to go out there and set the tone for the team,” Courneya said This win was pretty big for me and the whole team.” The Eagles beat the Bulldogs by lopsided margins the last two years as they made their way to the state championship match before losing to Detroit Catholic Central each season Courneya’s victory came in one of two early swing matches involving state-ranked wrestlers from each team that the Bulldogs won by major decision The other took place at 157 between Brighton’s Kaden Tindall Hartland had just taken a 6-4 lead in the second match on defending state champion Dallas Korponic’s pin in only 29 seconds Tindall won 10-2 for the Bulldogs’ second major decision “I’ve wrestled Joseph Cappellano a couple times We wrestled earlier in the year at freestyle and I beat him in a fiery match because I knew it would mean a lot for the team and our momentum I went out there and got the points when I needed the points.” Brighton won nine straight matches to build a 50-6 lead “That just sets the tone for the whole dual,” Brighton coach Shawn Scott said of the victories by Courneya and Tindall “They’re probably thinking it’s going to be a close match We’re thinking it’s going to be three either way But to get bonus points and just make a statement right there to start the dual off definitely helps the team throughout the dual.” but is now convinced his Bulldogs deserve it after their first signature victory of the season “I told you back in December I didn’t believe the No It’s very humbling to see the team go out there and perform the way they did.” For a team with state championship aspirations this week is a key barometer for the Bulldogs “We just haven’t seen any of the top D1 schools yet,” Scott said “Our schedule didn’t allow us this year to see No We need to see a team like that before the postseason.” Hartland hopes to return to the state championship match for the third straight year and write a different ending tonight was not the outcome we wanted,” Hartland coach Kyle Summerfield said “We’re definitely going to be getting to work; we have been all year in the next two or three weeks we’re gonna get three or four kids back — One of the top-ranked public elementary and middle schools in the state is facing serious problems according to the Lake Country School superintendent The Hartland school has had two failed referendums in less than a year A big focus for some parents had been on saving band — but now they say the problems are even deeper I love this school; I love this community; I love this school,” said Crystal Chuckel a band parent who has three kids at Lake Country School “It has always been about so much more than band,” said Neil Gustafson a band parent with two children at Lake Country School the first failed referendum had the Lake Country School Board cutting band to a part-time program Parents like Chuckel and Gustafson joined with others to raise money for a newly-formed band booster club Watch: Parents concerned about deep cuts at Hartland school The donations were given to the school to keep the band program full time They had been prepared to do that again this year and had raised $80,000 when the referendum failed a second time on April 1 Now the school board decided multiple staff positions had to be cut “Band is a really externally facing example of what happens when a referendum fails and the budget needs to be cut," Chuckel said "But we have also lost really tenured and cherished teachers." Gustafson said when it comes to his two daughters Both of my girls are in band; both of my girls are in advanced math,” he said “And now both are gone?” asked reporter Rebecca Klopf yeah and two of my favorite teachers are gone,” Gustafson said TMJ4 reached out to the Lake Country School District superintendent Chad Schraufnagel about next steps for the band He said anyone can make a donation to the school but they will have to sign a waiver saying it cannot be for a specific program or person He also issued this dire warning: “The board has a very difficult task of trying to keep a very academically high-achieving school from potentially closing The current issues are bigger than one person or program.” I am fighting for the experience we have had for the last 10 years We’re facing a really uphill battle here and we are at a point of reflection,” said Chuckel Bottom row (left to right): Niels Peterson (i) and Matt Schwab (i) Not pictured: Joseph Henderson and John Poulos Years lived in the district/city/town/village: 30+ years Years lived in the district/city/town/village: Eighth year in Village of Hartland Years lived in the district/city/town/village: Locally for 13 years Years lived in the district/city/town/village: Eight Previous elected office (if any): Current Hartland Lakeside School Board Member (vacancy appointment) Years lived in the district/city/town/village: 10 Previous elected office (if any): Current Hartland Lakeside School Board member HARTLAND — Three seats on the Hartland-Lakeside School District Board of Education are up for grabs during the April 1 general election the seven candidates will be whittled down to six with a primary on Tuesday Incumbents Niels Peterson and Matt Schwab will face off against five challengers: Franklin Brunner The six candidates with the most votes will move on to the April 1 general election The Freeman asked the candidates questions ahead of the primary Henderson and Poulos didn’t respond to multiple messages Brunner: I grew up in Hartland and attended two of our district’s current schools as a student (Hartland South and Hartland North) I have come to realize how lucky I was to have had the opportunity for such a fantastic public education I am running for Hartland-Lakeside School Board because I want to do my part to ensure that our district stays top-tier and focused on academic excellence I have the opportunity to shape educational policies ensure students are receiving quality education and help our schools achieve the needs of all of the students I am inspired by the recent activity of the school board over the last couple of years and I wanted the chance to make a difference I would love the opportunity to be an advocate for the students and bring a fresh perspective to the school board Henning: I’m running for the Hartland-Lakeside School Board because I have three children in the district and a deep commitment to its continued success I want to ensure we remain one of the best districts in the state by prioritizing academic excellence and I believe in open communication between the board and provide the best opportunities for our students I’m excited for the opportunity to serve and make a positive impact Peterson: I have a strong desire to serve the community after completing a 5-year career in the U.S and I feel like being an advocate of the community and steward of the school district as a school board member is the best way I can continue to serve my neighbors and help all kids achieve the academic excellence and character growth they deserve Schwab: My wife and I care deeply about HLSD I see the board as the area where I can lend my time and talents to support our community I’ve learned a lot and enjoyed my time on the school board I’m running again because there is still work to do where I can help I would focus on updating our transportation plan to address safety and security increasing our performance in English and literacy continuing financial transparency and exploring consolidation with Arrowhead and the other feeder schools FREEMAN: What is the most pressing issue facing this school district Brunner: "Student safety" is always issue No There have been several recent safety issues within our district and other nearby schools that rightfully have parents asking what their children’s school is doing to keep them safe in the building and while they are using district-provided transportation There have been multiple events recently that have caused much concern for students I see opportunity in the communication approach as well as ensuring the school staff is empowered to take corrective action for the safety of the students I will review the District’s Safety Plan and can collaborate with the group to insert more processes to give the staff an all-inclusive playbook to help mitigate these instances in the future Safe schools attract families to move to our community and enroll their children in our District Henning: One of the most pressing issues facing the Hartland Lakeside School District is maintaining excellence while navigating financial challenges we must ensure that resources are used efficiently to support students and retain top educators Transparency in decision-making is essential so parents and the community stay informed and involved attracting and keeping highquality teachers is critical to sustaining our district’s success we can continue to provide exceptional educational opportunities while preserving the high standards that make our district one of the best in the state Peterson: Public school funding as a whole has fallen and has increasingly skewed to favor charter and private schools resulting in public schools receiving less investment per pupil from our community at large after the community voted near unanimously on a proposed tax levy the school board ignored this input and underfunded our district Not only does this further the issue of adequate funding for our kids but it also exacerbates the relationship the school board has with the community and families when clear community input is voided and ignored In addition to North Shore Middle School winning the National Blue Ribbon award this past year the district consistently ranks in the top 5 in overall accountability score on the state of Wisconsin report cards Yet it has been my experience that there is still a lot of mistrust of the board and the administration While I hope it is more a vocal minority with these concerns it still creates a lot of tension within the district and distracts from the good work happening in the classroom FREEMAN: Districts are dealing with lower enrollment but Hartland-Lakeside is lucky to have a top academic rating in the state of Wisconsin It is imperative that the next school board focus on policies that maintain that top rating while also enhancing safety and parental involvement Schools that excel in those areas will naturally retain their existing students and attract new families McNulty: Identify the root cause and create a corrective action plan Some ideas can be enhancing the community outreach plan to help engagement Improved marketing to highlight the District’s achievements Identify what the local private schools are doing to attract families and put similar practices in place should they align with our District’s philosophy but I look forward to collaborating with the group to help turn this around Henning: As declining enrollment affects Hartland-Lakeside and area feeder schools Consolidation may be a necessary discussion to ensure financial stability while preserving high-quality education The district should maximize resources efficiently and the community is key to making informed decisions we can navigate these challenges while continuing to provide an exceptional education for all students Hartland-Lakeside School District recently was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School a capstone achievement on the quality of public education available to families inside and outside of our district We need to continue to improve our relationship with the local community and the broader Lake Country community to market the high achieving education destination that we have public schools need to continue to advocate for more equitable public funding with private and charter schools as the increased inequality in this funding directly correlates to the shift in enrollment away from public schools Schwab: Our district should look to merge with Arrowhead and the six other feeder schools We compete against each other for students It is insane that a district this large and prosperous does not offer a coordinated K-12 experience for our children A combined district could offer additional elective classes We could better staff and serve our children with special needs These benefits would help attract more young families and open enrollment students while retaining more who now open enroll out Brunner: Like most school districts in our area Hartland- Lakeside is dealing with budgets that haven’t been keeping pace with rising costs it is important that we make every dollar count and ensure that the entire community (including residents that are not district parents) are informed and have a say in the budgetary process a healthy and top-tier school district benefits the entire community McNulty: There’s information here that I am not privy to Once I am on the board and have the opportunity to review all of the information I will be able to generate multiple ideas on how we can optimize it by introducing cost reduction strategies streamline operations and invest in long-term savings the District needs to get creative on how we can diversify our revenue sources so we don’t need to lean on our local taxpayers via a referendum or other types of community fundraising Henning: Districts must prioritize fiscal responsibility while maintaining educational excellence and maximizing resources can help sustain strong programs and staff retention Transparency in financial decisions is essential ensuring parents and the community understand how funds are allocated collaborating with feeder schools and considering long-term solutions Advocacy for fair state funding and responsible financial planning will help districts navigate these challenges while continuing to provide high-quality education and opportunities for all students Peterson: Lower enrollment will always result in lower funding so while districts and legislators investigate the shift away from public schools school boards will need to manage shrinking budgets School boards should leave all options on the table when it comes to considering consolidation and local levies while advocating with the community to local legislators to respond with increased state funding and while reversing the inequality from the past 15 years of state budgets awarding more funding to private and charter schools than public schools Schwab: Given how Wisconsin funds public schools every district should be preparing to go to referendum I’ve had our district separately track capital improvements we fund from our operating account and I highlight those at each board meeting I try to accurately present the challenges we face and highlight areas where we’ve made meaningful decisions to save costs without sacrificing the education experience we’ve documented and can demonstrate we’ve been good stewards of taxpayer funds and can be trusted with additional funds to address necessary challenges FREEMAN: There continues to be a division within school districts between parents What are ways to make sure everyone is heard the success of our students should be everyone’s priority we should focus on increased transparency and continue to provide opportunities for staff and teachers to communicate directly with the board (and each other) I believe that we can all find common ground and hopefully understand why decisions are being made even if we don’t always agree with those decisions McNulty: I don’t believe this to be the case local minority that does not take the time to truly interact with the community or school board to ensure their voice is heard They send memes on Facebook for three "likes" between friends and are problem focused instead solution focused Through my many interactions coaching multiple youth sports I see a strong community of like-minded individuals that want the same thing with their school district and board I encourage these individuals to be more engaged outside of their keyboard and interact with us in the community Henning: Bridging divisions within school districts starts with better communication and a commitment to open dialogue School boards should create more opportunities for parents and teachers to share concerns through open forums It’s essential to listen — even to difficult feedback — without fear or defensiveness Transparency in decision-making builds trust and fostering respectful conversations ensures all voices are heard By prioritizing collaboration and mutual understanding Peterson: This division stems from communication issues as well as the echo chamber in social media Transparency and engagement between school boards administration and the community will go a long way to bridging the divide The district can do a better job being transparent about legal communication guidelines to better manage expectations on what information is provided for different types of incidents Everyone shares a common goal of educational excellence and student safety keeping this in mind and assuming positive intent goes a long way to having constructive conversations and improving the district Schwab: It is important to realize that every parent who reaches out regarding something impacting their child must be heard We need to be responsive to inquiries and provide multiple avenues to receive input and feedback we need to explain the thought process and rationale but everyone must know that decisions are well thought out and made for the right reasons Read more of our election coverage at gmtoday.com/elections To see every race and referendum that will be on your ballot, visit myvote.wi.gov and click on the "What's On My Ballot?" button HARTLAND — Brady Oumedian didn’t expect to join a loaded Hartland hockey team as a sophomore this season and start filling the net with pucks “I’ve really been like a grinder my whole life,” Oumedian said he didn’t expect to take the ice for his 23rd game of the season looking to score his first goal He picked a big game in which to end his drought but two goals in the Eagles’ 5-0 shutout of Livonia Stevenson in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association championship game Friday at Hartland Sports Center Oumedian entered the game with four assists He’s the only Hartland skater to play in the majority of the team’s games who didn’t have a goal until he went to the net and knocked in the rebound of a Brady Snyder shot to make it 3-0 with 2:43 left in the second period as he took a pass from Nathan Halonen in the left circle and buried a shot under the crossbar for Hartland’s final goal with 8:36 remaining in the game Oumedian is in his first season with Hartland after playing last season for the Compuware 15U AAA team He joined a team that’s been ranked second overall in the state all season His role whenever he gets on the ice is to be a grinder I really just try to learn a lot from them Hartland (20-2-1) has been going with 11 forwards putting Oumedian in no-man’s land in the lineup without set linemates That can leave him sitting on the bench for long stretches while the Eagles roll their first three sets of forwards Hartland coach Rick Gadwa saw growth in Oumedian’s game It was just a matter of time before the production followed “He’s been knocking on the door for a while now,” Gadwa said “He doesn’t always get the most ice in the world This was a different type of game than the one these teams played 10 days earlier but this one was more on brand for a game between the Eagles and Spartans Ian Kastamo’s shorthanded goal provided the offensive spark for Hartland 4:11 into the second period It was the first of three goals in a 10-minute Carson Perkins and Michael Zielinski had Hartland’s other goals Hartland won its fifth KLAA championship in the last nine years and first since 2022 The league features six of the top 10 teams in Division 1 and a Stevenson team that’s ranked fourth in Division 2 a lot of us were shying away from wanting to win thing because teams that did that always had bad luck in the playoffs,” Gadwa said This is a Hartland team that might be immune to the perception of a KLAA championship jinx “Hartland is really good,” Stevenson coach David Mitchell said “It’s one of the best Hartland teams in years so hat’s off to Hartland for how they play It’s 0-0 after one and we kind of gave up a shorty and gave up a power play goal and then they got on a roll KLAA hockey championship games2009: Brighton 2 — A 10-year-old Hartland girl is determined to see how many months in a row she can waterski in Wisconsin Keelyn Snyder's proud dad sent TMJ4 News a Facebook message to share his daughter's waterskiing streak Kiki!" shouts Craig Snyder during a video of his daughter waterskiing in December It doesn't matter the air or water temperature; Keelyn doesn't take time off when it comes to waterskiing or wakeboarding "I kind of like to challenge myself," said Keelyn this 10-year-old has set a goal to ski every month of the year on a lake until she hits 50 months in a row "This past January was probably the coldest one," said Craig it was 20 degrees with 30-mile-per-hour winds." "Have you fallen in the water when it's like that?" asked reporter Rebecca Klopf told us he couldn't be silent about his daughter’s accomplishments as she has been doing this since she was 6 years old Watch: Hartland girl on a 26th-month waterskiing streak My wife and I are so proud of the goals she sets and the pain that accompanies them She pushes through and still wants to do it," said Craig "I just like to be on the water," said Keelyn Craig has submitted his daughter's waterskiing streak to the Guinness Book of World Records to see if she qualifies BRIGHTON — Parker Sundman used the word “easy” when describing how he was able to drive to the basket with impunity Monday night against Fenton It’s not a word the Hartland junior is likely to utter Wednesday night no matter how well he plays against Brighton including 11 during a pivotal third quarter as the Eagles beat Fenton 52-30 in a first-round Division 1 district basketball game at Brighton High School It was Sundman’s second big performance this season against Fenton He had 21 points during a 63-37 victory over the Tigers on Dec 30 in his first game back after missing four games with a knee injury he did most of his damage driving from the wing and scoring layups “I noticed help side wasn’t really there much,” Sundman said Getting to the rim will be a massive challenge against Brighton The first layer of defense will likely be senior guard David McLaughlin, who prides himself on shutting down the top guards on opposing teams The next layer will be any number of big men guarding the paint most notably 6-9 Vince Salmon and 6-6 Dylan Edgeworth Sundman averages 18.7 points per game — 19.4 when you take away a partial game in which he was injured. Against Brighton, he scored 13 points in a 39-36 loss on Jan. 24 and 18 in a 65-46 loss on Feb. 17 “They’re always going to bring their ‘A’ game,” Sundman said Brighton (14-8) has won the last four meetings between the rivals, ending the Eagles’ season in the first round of districts last season. The last time Hartland beat the Bulldogs Sundman was held to four points through three quarters before exploding for 14 fourth-quarter points He made the go-ahead 3-point play with 8.8 seconds left in that game “The guys are really excited for the opportunity,” Hartland coach Kevin Blouin said The two losses to Brighton were part of a 10-12 regular season for the Eagles “We didn’t have the regular season we wanted,” Sundman said Fenton (8-15) did its best to keep the Livingston County rivals from meeting for the third time The Tigers trailed only 19-15 at halftime before the Eagles scored the first 12 points of the second half “We were sped up a little bit in the first half,” Blouin said “We just talked about slowing down a little bit We did a better job in the second half playing fast Logan Morrish had eight points and Layne Broker seven for Hartland Hartland’s hockey team lost for only the third time this season and will have to wait 10 days to get rid of the taste The Eagles completed their regular season with a 4-2 loss Tuesday night at Orchard Lake St 21 in a regional semifinal against Waterford Mott or Walled Lake Northern at Hartland Sports Center Mary’s led 2-0 in the second period when Braelon Rodriguez cut the lead to one goal After the Eaglets went up 3-1 in the third Ian Kastamo got Hartland back within a goal Mary’s finished the victory with an empty-net goal “We were sleepwalking tonight,” Hartland coach Rick Gadwa said It was a result of poor preparation on our part We didn’t play our brand and had no jump.” Hartland’s three losses this season were to the top two teams in Division 3 and Lake Forest Academy of Illinois which had a goal by Carson Perkins taken away in the third period because a referee believed the puck was kicked in Thaddeus Raynish and Evan Stewart each had a goal and one assist for St Bradley DeMasellis set a Livingston Christian record with 10 3-pointers and finished with 36 points Cole Rooney had 21 points and 11 rebounds and Dylan Edgeworth had 15 points for Brighton CJ Sageman had nine points on three 3-pointers and Brandon Lovejoy scored eight points for the Bulldogs (13-5) and Sawyer Gorman and Prince Hayes nine each for Pinckney Dylan Soli 11 and Sam Shrader nine for Fowlerville Shrader and Landon Aeschliman each went 2-for-2 from the line in the final minute to secure the victory seven rebounds and four steals for Brighton (9-9) Ellie Pierson and Anna Minnick had seven points each for the Bulldogs Izzy Cox and Tommi Kleinschmidt had 12 points each for Fowlerville (8-8) Tuesday night Mariah Kirby had 17 points to lead Fowlerville Cox and Kleinschmidt had 10 points each for the Gladiators Lucy Fuchs had 17 points and Olivia Polemitis 11 for Stockwell Zoe Cerda of Howell was second all-around with 35.325 points and won vault with a 9.05 Rori Gregory of Howell was third all-around with a 34.95 BRIGHTON — Izzy DePestel had just made what could’ve been the biggest shot of her life but her expression didn’t reflect that as she headed to the Hartland bench to get ready for overtime After an initial smile while being mobbed following a 35-foot game-tying basket even though Hartland had a sudden jolt of momentum The latest edition of this rivalry was far from over The Bulldogs were 2.5 seconds away from beating Hartland when Ava McKaig heaved a pass from behind the far basket to DePestel who caught it between the midcourt stripe and 3-point line It could have been a devastating blow for the Bulldogs as they headed to overtime but they regrouped to win 38-37 by not allowing the improbable basket to drain their resolve just chucked it up,” Brighton senior Sophia Heady said “I was shocked and a little scared at first playing their fourth overtime game of the season They are 3-1 when playing beyond regulation time we’re moving on,’” Brighton coach Bob Wellman said This is our fourth overtime game in games we’ve actually had the lead and let the team come back so I hope we have the mindset that we can let it go and play four minutes of basketball Hartland coach Mike McKay hoped the Eagles would ride the wave of DePestel’s buzzer-beater for the extra four minutes Brighton went 3-for-6 from the free throw line to get just enough points the Eagles got within one point when DePestel drove and scored with 56 seconds left Hartland had the ball with a chance to win it inbounding the ball under the basket with 7.1 seconds remaining The inbounds pass was bobbled and pounced on by Brighton sophomore Anna Minnick so I saw the ball go up and I just took my chance I knew the clock was going down and I was just holding the ball but the victory was even more important for Brighton The Bulldogs were 0-3 against their two rivals All three teams will be in the same district in two weeks at Hartland just for our team to keep our confidence going into the playoffs.” Brighton is 12-9 overall and 7-7 in the KLAA West They’re better than what their record indicates Gracyn Houck had 10 points and Heady nine for Brighton DePestel had 13 and Kayla Matties 11 for Hartland The six candidates running for the Hartland-Lakeside School Board this spring have a range of issues they want to address Incumbent Niels Peterson wants to finish and implement a new transportation plan to deal with busing issues and better align the district's curriculum with Arrowhead High School Incumbent Matt Schwab wants to start discussing consolidation of Hartland-Lakeside and other area K-8 feeder districts with Arrowhead High School Challenger Morgan Henning wants to strengthen transparency ensure fiscal responsibility and foster strong partnerships between parents Challenger Frank Brunner, one of three members of the Dads for Hartland-Lakeside School Board cited facility and transportation safety and improved staff resident and school board collaboration on the group's Facebook page Neither he nor the other two members of the Dads group — challengers Matthew McNulty and John Poulos — responded to the Journal Sentinel's questions about the election McNulty said he would focus on student safety retaining and attracting top educators and safe facilities as his areas of focus Henning, Peterson and Schwab are supported by Blue Sky Waukesha a nonprofit organization that says it focuses on civics education The group has recommended candidates at the state municipal and school board levels who "best align with our values." While Blue Sky Waukesha does not overtly align itself with any particular political party it has recommended state Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford and current state superintendent Jill Underly both of whom are supported by the state Democratic Party Peterson and Schwab said in response to a reporter's questions: Henning: I will prioritize strengthening transparency ensuring fiscal responsibility and fostering strong partnerships between parents I plan to meet with teachers to understand their needs and hold listening sessions for parents to encourage open dialogue while responsible budgeting ensures taxpayer dollars directly benefit students Supporting teachers with the resources they need and engaging families in their children's education will help maintain the district’s excellence I would like to rapidly finish and implement the new transportation plan being developed to mitigate the numerous issues with busing over the past two years we need to better align our curriculum with AHS to ensure that our graduates have the highest chance to succeed at high school and beyond Schwab: I would like to focus on starting the consolidation discussion between HLSD  Having eight superintendents and 44 school board members developing competing curriculums policies and procedures leads to many challenges for both students and teachers when our kids reach high school That consolidation could lead to better coordination facility use and expanded educational opportunities as well as financial savings  I would also like to focus on revamping our special education program and believe improvements could be made there with better coordination with other feeder schools School districts statewide have dealt with funding and budgeting challenges with many turning to referendums in recent years to address these issues What are your thoughts on how to handle the financial challenges facing your district?Henning: The district must prioritize responsible budgeting focusing on student-centered spending while avoiding unnecessary costs This includes evaluating existing unused resources exploring alternative learning options for students who may not thrive in traditional classroom settings and strengthening partnerships with local businesses to enhance opportunities data-driven financial decisions will ensure long-term sustainability while keeping the focus on student success Peterson: Districts need to get more creative on how to plan for future financial difficulties I voted to recognize additional savings by implementing innovative ideas around health care insurance brokerage and incentives for the district while maintaining current plan coverage we need to take a serious look at district consolidation as public school enrollment continues to fall while continuing to ensure that our staff is right sized for our student population Schwab: We have healthy general and capital improvement fund balances all while being the fifth-highest ranked district in the state  We prioritize spending on areas that directly impact student growth including attracting and retaining the best teachers  We have a great staff and are looking at creative ways to continue to improve and expand our curriculum  It is my hope that if we can continue to demonstrate fiscal responsibility while providing exceptional education the community will step up when the district needs to look to voters to approve additional funding What are your thoughts on the relationship Hartland-Lakeside and its fellow K-8 feeder districts should have with each other and Arrowhead High School in terms of whether to share curriculum etc?Henning: Collaboration between Hartland-Lakeside feeder districts and Arrowhead High School is essential for student success Exploring resource-sharing and smaller consolidations can enhance opportunities while maintaining each district’s strengths Aligning curriculum where appropriate and streamlining services can create efficiencies and improve student preparedness Open communication and strategic partnerships will ensure all students receive a high-quality consistent education while being fiscally responsible Peterson: There is a significant performance gap between the seven feeder districts (89.9 average score from the state) and AHS (80.5) We need to align with each other and with AHS to ensure that students have a seamless transition to high school regardless of feeder district there are numerous resources duplicated across the feeder districts that can be consolidated to keep all districts in a better financial position Schwab: Consolidation should be the ultimate goal the districts need better coordination on curriculum  Our schools spend more time competing than collaborating we could share resources and provide joint learning in both the special education and the talented and gifted front  We could really offer expanded opportunities and targeted education programming across the seven feeder districts in these areas Information is from the Dads for Hartland-Lakeside School Board Facebook page Family: Second-grade child in Hartland-Lakeside School District Community involvement: Years of coaching and volunteer experience in the Hartland area; attended Hartland North and South Elementary Schools as a student Supporters and/or endorsements: Waukesha County Republican Party's WisRed Initiative and the Wisconsin Young Republicans Occupation: Spent 15 years working in tech and security Contact info: Facebook page - Dads for Hartland-Lakeside School Board Community involvement: Treasurer of the Hartland-Lakeside Education Foundation; Finance Committee member The Women's Center; volunteer coach for T-ball Supporters and/or endorsements: Blue Sky Waukesha Family: Two children in the Hartland-Lakeside School District one in second grade and one in third grade Community involvement: Years of local youth coaching experience in multiple sports Past political experience: Current member of Hartland-Lakeside School Board Family:  Wife and two kids in the district Community involvement: YMCA fourth-grade girls volleyball coach middle school sixth-grade boys volleyball coach middle school Dungeons and Dragons club sponsor Contact info:  nielsforhlsd@gmail.com Family: Married with two children in the Hartland-Lakeside School District one in kindergarten and the other in third grade Wife is a former elementary school teacher with a decade of experience Past political experience: Current HLSD Board member Supporters and/or endorsements: Blue Sky Waukesha Contact info:  schwab4hlsd@yahoo.comContact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at@AlecJohnson12 responded to a commercial fire at 559 Progress Drive on Wednesday According to HFD, crews responded to the fire located in the city's industrial park around 4:35 p.m thick black smoke could be seen from miles away The smoke appeared to be under control by the time TMJ4's crew arrived on the scene around 5:40 p.m The cause of the fire is currently under investigation Watch: Hartland Fire Department responds to large fire at Waste Management facility HARTLAND — Not having football constantly on the brain the past few days has been a strange feeling for Thomas Stevenson Hartland’s head coach the past two years and a member of the coaching staff for 17 seasons is now the Eagles’ former coach after the school chose not to bring him back “It was legitimately a 365-days-a-year job,” Stevenson said The vacant head space this week has been weird I’m not thinking about next summer’s 7-on-7s or what we’re going to do for a scrimmage It was 100 miles per hour and a screeching halt.” Stevenson said coaches at Hartland are brought in for evaluations at the end of each season After the Eagles went 3-6 for the second straight year his anticipated year-end review turned into a notification he was no longer Hartland’s coach RELATED: Hartland's Bodie Abbey to wrestle in nation's toughest conference in college RELATED: Meet the 2024 all-Livingston County football offense RELATED: Howell's Justin Jones is Livingston County Offensive Player of the Year after record season The decision hit even harder because Stevenson is a 2007 Hartland graduate who has been on the coaching staff since college “The school decided they wanted to go in a different direction,” he said They wanted to take it in a different direction It’s a place I coached at for 17 years and played at before that it’s sad to be told they don’t want you anymore.” Stevenson said he was given areas on which to improve after his year-end review following his first season as head coach “We talked about a plan to improve those things,” he said We did a lot of things to make the athletic department happy and changed some things around I walked into a meeting and basically was told they don’t see a path forward.” Becoming the head coach at Hartland was Stevenson’s dream job. He took over two years ago when Brian Savage had to step down because he retired as a teacher He coached in various capacities at Hartland before becoming defensive coordinator in 2016 Defense became the Eagles’ strength in the two years before he became head coach as Hartland allowed only 13.6 points per game The Eagles had shutouts in four of their first eight games in 2021 “I can’t see myself not coaching,” he said I still want to coach my kids in their various sports I’ve had a number of schools already reach out and offer opportunities I’d like to try to enjoy the holiday and get through things with my family and figure out what’s best for us Hartland athletic director Brian Hassler said: “We do wish the current staff the best of luck in future endeavors and thank them for their service to our student-athletes but we have decided to go in a different direction.” Hassler said applications are being accepted through the end of the year before the interview process begins Hartland hasn’t won a playoff game since reaching the third round in 2008 the longest current drought in Livingston County HARTLAND — The candidate who took fourth place in the Hartland-Lakeside J3 School Board election for three seats earlier this month lost after he petitioned for a recount John Poulos filed a petition which said he believes "mistakes have been committed in all wards counting and return of votes cast for the office of school board member." The form said Poulos believed that tabulation delays occurred after polls closed due to irregularities and machines were improperly reading ballots A two-day recount was completed on Friday and showed the following results: Matthew McNulty 2,328; incumbent Matt Schwab Poulos’ recount total was one count shy of Henning’s amount "I was happy to attend and witness the recount process firsthand but I had full faith in the integrity of the results and the municipalities While I respect the legal right to request a recount I was disappointed that the challenger chose not to attend or participate in any way it’s especially unfortunate that the financial burden of the process falls on the district at a time when every dollar counts and school funding is always a concern I’m grateful the outcome has been confirmed and I remain committed to serving our community with transparency "Thank you again to everyone who supported me throughout this election and belief in our shared vision truly made all the difference I’m honored by the opportunity to serve and I’m ready to get to work." "God’s will." The initial vote tabulation for the April 1 election had Schwab McNulty and Henning all winning seats on the Hartland-Lakeside J3 School District School Board There were just 10 votes separating Henning and Poulos The top vote-getter McNulty received 2,326 votes Henning rounded out the top three with 1,965 votes Poulos received 1,955 votes or 15.9% of the votes and Peterson received 1,933 votes HARTLAND — There’s nothing like skating with high-end players to turn someone’s season around Hartland junior Carson Perkins didn’t hesitate when asked what triggered the hot stretch he’s enjoying after going without a point in his first three games of the season “Those two” are seniors Ian Kastamo and Drew L’Esperance two of the best forwards in the state of Michigan Perkins scored twice on setups by Kastamo and L’Esperance during the second-ranked Eagles’ 4-2 victory over fifth-ranked Clarkston Friday night at Hartland Sports Center The two goals give Perkins seven goals and seven assists in his last 10 games following his three-game pointless streak to begin the season “There’s nothing better,” Perkins said of his line assignment They always find a way to move the puck to one another and I’m there for the rebounds.” RELATED: Hartland bounces back from first hockey loss; Brighton, Howell win at Munn Hartland coach Rick Gadwa moved Perkins on the top line early in the season to provide a physical presence alongside his two elite scorers It was a plum assignment for a player who played in only eight varsity games last season “We just wanted a little heavy up with them guys who can win pucks off the yellow and help make things happen out there with those guys,” Gadwa said That’s why we’ve kept them together for as long as we have because they’ve been able to get the job done most nights.” While Perkins is the designated grinder on that line he showed some flash on the first goal of the game L’Esperance sent a cross-ice outlet pass from inside Hartland’s blue line to Perkins who surged behind the Clarkston defense and buried a shot into the upper right corner with 5:51 left in the first period “You saw his finishing skills here today,” Gadwa said He’s a great complementary piece for some of the other guys we’ve got him with this year.” Hartland (12-1) had an opportunity to build on its lead when Clarkston took a major penalty The Eagles couldn’t score during 3 minutes and 11 seconds of total power-play time including a full two minutes of a five-on-three advantage Buoyed by the momentum of the penalty kill the Wolves began applying more pressure and were rewarded with a goal by Frank Stanek with 2:28 left in the second Perkins restored Hartland’s lead 2:59 into the third when he scored from in front of the net off a pass from Kastamo Defenseman Ty Kraut made it 3-1 with 9:17 left in the game with a shot from the slot Clarkston cut the lead to 3-2 on a goal by Kyle Lynch with its goalie pulled with 2:34 left in the game L’Esperance sealed the victory by scoring into an empty net with 1:20 left It was the first meeting between the teams since Clarkston won 5-2 in the regional championship game last season ending Hartland’s run of 12 straight regional titles “None,” Gadwa said when asked how much emphasis was placed on avenging last year’s loss We’re just worried about ourselves right now and becoming the team we want to become as a group.” it was yet another close loss in a 5-6-1 season The Wolves lost four times by one goal before losing by two to Hartland with an empty-netter The teams aren’t in the same regional this season “We’re in a good spot,” Clarkston coach Nathan Bryer said “We have a tough schedule and we’ve lost some really tight games we’ve got to start finding a way to win them and turn a corner We’ve been pretty good up until this point.” — New details have emerged about what happened during a terrifying bus ride in Hartland Court records show a parent ultimately got the driver to stop before he took off again The man is now in jail on a $1 million bond is facing 28 counts of recklessly endangering safety—one count for each child on the bus He is also facing an operating while intoxicated charge Cunningham did not speak while in the courtroom but parents of the children on his bus were not quiet My child was missing for over 30 minutes," said a mother who did not want to give her name The prosecutor says the man was supposed to safely get children from school to their homes he drove off and left them on the side of a busy road in 30-degree weather Another mother who came to court says that when she arrived at the bus "I will never forget the look of this kindergartner who came right to me with these big blue not knowing where she lived or how to get home," said the unidentified woman The bus company believes he was circling back but then he kept missing the stop and also missed other children’s stops Records say children yelled out about their stops yelling escalated between the children and the driver Records show he also slammed on the brakes multiple times during the yelling Watch: Hartland school bus driver gets $1 million bond "Some of these victims complained of injuries," said Chris Bailey Police say Cunningham did not have any alcohol in his system but he told them he takes multiple prescription medications "This could have been one of the greatest tragedies in Waukesha County history the court is going to set bail accordingly," said Bailey HARTLAND — The toughest challenges are the most fun for Kennedy Tucker That’s why she looks forward to Hartland’s basketball games with Brighton so much not just for the sake of the rivalry between the schools but because of her individual battles in the paint with Bulldogs senior Sophia Heady Tucker and Heady are the two top post players in Livingston County so the game within the game between the two seniors can tip the outcome of the game one way or the other Tucker has had some of her best games against Brighton this season the latest being a 12-point performance during host Hartland’s 39-27 Division 1 district semifinal victory Wednesday night “I feel like I kind of learned going up against her,” Tucker said but over practice we’ve worked on what she’s good at and stuff like that.” the importance of her matchup in the post was stressed to Tucker a third-year varsity player who has emerged as a key factor in Hartland’s success GIRLS BASKETBALL DISTRICTS: Former coach 'rooting' for Howell after Highlanders eliminate current team BOYS BASKETBALL REGIONALS: Brighton basketball senior battling injury gets to finish career on the court “We knew what we had in Kennedy,” Hartland coach Mike McKay said She showed glimpses in practice of what she’s capable of doing We challenged her tonight and kind of put it on her She rose up and showed what she’s capable of doing.” Tucker got the Eagles started by scoring eight of their first nine points staking them to a 9-7 lead after one quarter “It’s really just a mindset and being a senior and it coming down to the end,” she said Hartland extended a lead that was close for most of the first half to 28-13 early in the third quarter Trailing 31-16 late in the third and with its season on the line Brighton battled back to within 33-27 with four minutes left in the game The Bulldogs had some chances to trim the lead further Brighton (12-11) has been eliminated in the district semifinals by Hartland the last three seasons “We didn’t play our best defense until late in the fourth quarter and we were chasing and cut it to six,” Brighton coach Bob Wellman said It’s unfortunate to end the season like this because I think we’re a better team than what we’ve shown this year They were scrappy and they at times wanted it more than us.” Gracyn Houck had 10 points and five rebounds while Heady had seven points and seven rebounds for Brighton in the district championship game at 7 p.m It’s the seventh straight year that the Eagles and Highlanders have met in the district final and 10th consecutive year they’ve played each other in districts Howell has won the last two district finals after losing the previous four to Hartland we can give them a run and make it an exciting game and The winner will face South Lyon (19-2) or KLAA West champion Northville (15-8) in the regional semifinals at 5:30 p.m Bottom row (left to right): Niels Peterson (i) Years lived in the village: 8 years in Village of Hartland Years lived in the village: Locally for 13 years Previous elected office (if any): Current HLSD Board Member Previous elected office (if any): Current Hartland Lakeside School Board member HARTLAND — The Hartland-Lakeside J3 School District race is heating up to fill three seats Incumbents Niels Peterson and Matt Schwab are facing off against challengers Morgan Henning The Freeman asked all the candidates questions ahead of the April election Brunner: I’m running for the HLSB because I grew up in Hartland and was lucky enough to attend two of the district’s current schools During my time as a Hartland-Lakeside student (30-plus years ago) my father was elected to the school board and he frequently talked about the importance of getting involved and doing your part My father’s message is really hitting home now that my own children are students I would prioritize keeping and improving the district’s “Top School” ranking and work towards making sure we are doing everything we can to keep our students safe Henning: I’m running because I believe in supporting both parents and educators to help our children thrive I’m passionate about promoting transparency and ensure our district remains a place where all students have the tools to succeed I’m committed to making decisions that serve the best interests of our children and community while holding our schools accountable to deliver high-quality education and maintain fiscal responsibility I have the opportunity to influence educational policies ensure students receive a top-tier education my top priorities will focus on enhancing student achievement and curriculum I will accomplish these goals by maintaining fiscal responsibility and I feel like being an advocate of the community and steward of the school district is the best way I can continue to serve my neighbors and help all kids achieve the academic excellence and character growth they deserve My highest priority is to implement the recent strategic plan that the school board has developed to ensure that our students enter high school with the highest chance to succeed while maintaining the district as a premier education destination Poulos: I am running for the school board because my children attend Hartland North and South Elementary schools and I want to ensure they are receiving a quality education My wife was a teacher for 10 years in a Title 1 school and we understand the foundational importance of a strong school and strong community in children’s lives I plan to use my background in finance to look closer at the budget and ensure we are fiscally responsible I want to ensure that the curriculum is the best we are able to provide for our students She substitute teaches in the district; I see the board as the area where I can lend my time and talents to support our community FREEMAN: How do you view the school board’s role vs the administration’s role in running the school district Brunner: The administration handles day-to-day operations necessary to keep the district running smoothly and coordinates with the school board to set policy The school board also acts as a bridge to the rest of the community It is critical that both parties work together like a well-oiled machine we are extremely lucky to currently have a stellar administration led by Tina Vogelmann and Amy Holley Henning: The school board’s role is to provide oversight and ensure fiscal responsibility while representing the interests of the community The administration is responsible for implementing those policies and managing day-to-day operations A successful partnership between the board and administration ensures that educational goals are met The goal is a collaborative approach where the board supports the administration while holding them accountable for student success and operational efficiency always working together to maintain the highest standards for our students and the community McNulty: I believe the school board’s primary role is to provide governance and oversight and ensures the district operates in a way that reflects the values and needs of the community The administration’s role is to implement the board’s policies and decisions effectively managing the district’s day-to-day operations Respecting the distinct boundaries of each role and fostering a collaborative environment is essential to achieving our goals Peterson: The school board’s role is to provide community input and oversight to ensure that the school district is focused on academic achievement and student wellbeing while ensuring public tax revenues are responsibly invested in our district when composed of a well-rounded group of engaged parents surfaces valuable perspectives and acts as the voice of the community The board should work hand in hand with the administration to achieve success in the district as a whole while also ensuring the administration is held accountable Schwab: The board’s key responsibilities include hiring the superintendent working with her to develop district goals and developing a budget that will support those goals The administration can then develop the right processes create the right environment and hire the right people to implement those goals The on-going dialogue between administration and the board should be frequent and honest such that we identify areas we are falling short and make necessary adjustments and refinements to reach the goals identified We also need to acknowledge and celebrate successes along the way to build a healthy culture in the schools FREEMAN: How does a school board balance the need to provide a quality education with the need to respond to the local taxpayer burden Hartland-Lakeside is dealing with budgets that haven’t been keeping pace with rising costs it is important that we make every dollar count and ensure that the entire community (including those that may not be district parents) are informed and have a say in the budgetary process Henning: Balancing quality education with taxpayer concerns requires thoughtful decision-making and prioritization I would focus on ensuring that every dollar spent directly supports student success while being mindful of the community’s financial impact This includes seeking cost-effective solutions exploring additional funding opportunities and maintaining transparency about fund allocation I would also actively engage with educators to understand how they feel best supported and where they believe dollars should be spent to enhance learning By collaborating with both the administration and community we can uphold high educational standards without overburdening taxpayers McNulty: I will work to ensure that the board is making the most of every taxpayer dollar by strategically prioritizing spending on programs and initiatives that result in measurable improvements in student achievement I believe taxpayers are entitled to transparency regarding how their money is being spent so that everyone can clearly see the direct impact of their investment in our schools Peterson: Public school funding from the state has declined over the past 15 years along with public school enrollment The school board’s responsibility is work within the financial constraints of the local revenue limit while advocating for increased and more equitable public school funding Poulos: This should be handled through data driven resource allocation to constantly benchmark efficiency stakeholder engagement to maintain transparency and cost control measures such as technology investments and strategic staff allocation We need to ensure trust is maintained and must have clear metrics for educational outcomes and fiscal responsibility Schwab: I don’t think those two priorities need to be at odds We have healthy general and capital improvement fund balances We prioritize spending on areas that directly impact student growth including attracting and retaining the best teachers It is my hope that if we can continue to demonstrate fiscal responsibility while providing exceptional education Brunner: Public school funding faces a variety of headwinds with “lower enrollment” arguably the biggest challenge and it is critical that we focus on policies that will help us address this the Hartland-Lakeside district was recognized as a “National Blue Ribbon School” and it continues to rank highly on the list of best schools in the state Maintaining and marketing Hartland-Lakeside’s status as a top school will certainly help the district retain our existing students and attract new families to the area Henning: Districts should take a proactive approach to funding by exploring diverse revenue sources with clear priorities for how funds are allocated to support student achievement Regular evaluations of spending ensure efficiency and allow for necessary adjustments districts must advocate for increased special education reimbursement from the state to ensure adequate funding for these vital services By fostering strong relationships with local stakeholders and advocating for fair state funding we can ensure that resources meet the needs of all students McNulty: There’s a lot of information I don’t have access to yet so I can only offer my current perspective Once I’m on the board and have the chance to review the existing budget I’ll be able to come up with several ideas for optimizing it such as implementing cost reduction strategies and making long-term investments that save money the district will need to get creative in diversifying our revenue sources so we aren’t reliant on local taxpayers through a referendum or other community fundraising efforts Peterson: Districts should be creative in how to reduce costs by keeping all options on the table We need to partner together to serve the kids and provide high-quality graduates to high school and beyond Poulos: We must focus on long-term financial planning including development of multi-year budgets We must build reserve funds during stronger economic periods We should be proactive rather than reactive such as by implementing preventative maintenance to avoid costly emergency repairs we need to prioritize core programs and find efficiencies in non-core areas FREEMAN: What can be done to improve student achievement and make sure graduates are ready for the real world Brunner: The Hartland-Lakeside district is lucky to be one of several high-performing districts that feed into Arrowhead High School Two members of the Hartland-Lakeside school board helped coordinate a collaborative group session with invites sent out to all of the area school boards including a focus on where each of the feeder schools excel academically I applaud Tiffany Hawley and Chris Adsit for organizing this and I’d love to see future collaboration opportunities between the districts to make sure we are sharing ideas that could benefit our students and help ensure students are prepared to succeed in high school Henning: Improving student achievement starts with high-quality instruction and personalized learning that meets each child’s needs It's essential to integrate real-world skills help students develop practical skills early on Providing social-emotional support and fostering resilience is also key to helping students navigate challenges we can ensure students are not only ready for high school but also for success in any career path they choose McNulty: Improving student achievement and preparing graduates for the real world requires a comprehensive approach that develops both academic and practical skills Key areas include providing a relevant and rigorous curriculum enhancing teacher quality through professional development ensuring emotional and social support systems are in place and strengthening parental and community involvement the goal is to create a district that fosters a supportive These strategies will not only boost achievement but also equip graduates with the skills and mindset they need to thrive in the real world Peterson: District curriculum should incorporate basic life skill courses while tying in core educational competencies in reading Students should move to high school with a basic financial education along with a strong sense of community service and peer leadership Poulos: Students are successful when they are surrounded by a strong community that both supports them while also challenging them That stretches from the classroom with the best educators and a strong curriculum and in the homes with families that foster strong values When there is harmony throughout these facets And it is our job as parents and community members to ensure we remain engaged and demand the best for our children HLSD “graduates” still have four years at AHS before entering the “real world” HLSD ranks as the 5th highest district in the state – AHS is 44th That drop should be concerning to every parent Better coordination between the feeder schools and AHS in terms of curriculum and expectations around required base levels of knowledge necessary for incoming freshman would benefit all students Unification of all eight districts would allow this coordination to happen organically vs eight different English departments to coordinate curriculum and deliver lessons