MARATHON YOUTH SERVICES

NEWSLETTER

July 1, 2002

Volume 2, Issue 7

It seems it was only yesterday that we were complaining about the cold and rainy weather…not any more! With temperatures in the low 90’s, everyone is focused on staying cool. (of course, being "cool" is always a concern for the boys). Fortunately there is a great escape nearby in Kaiser Pool, and of course the YMCA pool is always available. And, there’s the occasional trip to the lake also.
With the regular school semester over, the boys have been involved in the early summer session. This still gives plenty of time for fun, summertime activities however. This includes racing, our perennial spring and summer obsession. As you will see, this continues to be a very successful venture!

We’re also still adjusting to the combining of staff from Wings and Reynolds Group Homes. With the excellence of qualifications we have, this is going without a hitch!

Read on about the activities and programs of MYS. Please visit us online at www.marathonyouthservices.org, and feel free to direct any inquiries to Doug at 715-842-3240, or email us at admin@marathonyouthservices.org.

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CONTENTS

June Group Home activity update

Ropes Course Excitement

French Café Potato Salad

Racing Again!

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As the month began, we had a couple more boys complete their respective programming and earn discharge. Gus graduated from the HSED Program at North Central Technical College on June 4. He also earned his discharge from RGH and went home on June 25th. Great Job Gus!

Angus was also successful in completing his program, being discharged home on June 4. Another great performance!

Speaking of great performances, Chris C made the honor role in the HSED Program at NTC for the spring semester. We’re all quite proud of Chris for his super effort. He also continues to be a valued employee at Shopko.

Craig has already had a very successful summer school experience with the completion of 123 hours of service work on Rib Mountain through the Wausau School District summer school program. Yesterday he began an academic session at Horace Mann Middle School to complete the program.

As part of the Independent Living Program classes through Children’s Service Society, Mike and Chris C participated in a whitewater rafting experience on the Wolf River last Friday, June 28th. They also attend classes at CSS 3 times a week.

Chris H continues to tend his "salsa garden", using the products he produces to make his ‘secret salsa’. We’ve tried to encourage Chris to share his salsa recipe, but so far he’s guarding the secret. Maybe we can get him to provide us a full report on his gardening and food prep progress next month…

As part of their regular responsibilities around the house, the boys manage to keep up several lawns to include Reynolds, Wings, our house at 617 Hamilton, and one of the neighbor’s houses (as a neighborly gesture). Chris is putting some of the lawn clippings to use as mulch for his garden.

Residents and staff of Reynolds also found time for a trip out to Mission Lake for fishing, swimming and grilling. Craig won the prize for the largest fish caught that day.

July will also get off to a fast start. As part of our annual activities and responsibilities, the boys will again be assisting the Wausau Area Jaycees with the Fourth of July Celebration at Marathon Park. On July first and second, the boys will be helping in setting up for the festivities. On July 3rd through 7th they will be working in food stands doing prep work and serving customers. Then on the 8th they will be involved in the tear down/clean up. This is always a busy week for the boys and staff.

We’re also planning a camping trip for the weekend of August 16 at the Counsel Grounds State Park. Staff member Joe Koenig has also extended an invitation for MYS to join him for a day of water skiing in Minocqua. No doubt there will also be more activities to fill the little time left before it’s time to once again prepare for school.

Sue (RGH Program Manager) reports that the staff re-organization is going well: "We are getting our act together with our new combination of staff. We make a dynamite team. Sarah is our summer camp coordinator along with report writer, Carol in charge of menu and groceries and of course house decorator and much, much more, Rick-evening groups, boat restoration project and reports, Joe, forestry project and keeping our vehicles running. Darwin weekend activity coordinator. Doug keeping us in line and don’t forget the racing, we are working on sparking some interest in this group of boys with that particular project. Suzanne keeping a watchful eye on everything and ready to fill in when needed, and of course all supervising this house full of energetic boys."

There was one more activity of interest to report on this month…


Ropes Course Excitement!

Under the sponsorship of Family Planning Health Services, and coordinated by Rachel Klemp-North of that agency, staff and residents of Reynolds Group Home journeyed to Antigo High School to participate in the Ropes Course. Two of Doug’s sons, Deven and Derek joined in the action also. This activity always proves to be a hit, and a great learning opportunity too. This group was no exception. The boys did an outstanding job in both the low team building exercises and the higher level challenges, putting much trust in their teammates on the ground. We were able to get many great photos of the action. A couple are shared here, and a more complete set of pictures will soon be available at our website at www.marathonyouthservices.org. Be sure to check them out.

Director Doug Adams gets in on the fun! Craig too!




Chris C proves he’s up to the Challenge!









We’re In This Together!



All in all it was a very productive day. Again, our sincere thanks go to
Rachel and the folks at the Family Planning Health Services, as well as
the people of Antigo High School.

With the hot weather we’ve been having this past week, cooking is often one of the furthest things from our minds. Nevertheless, everyone still looks for something to eat when mealtime rolls around. One favorite at my house is potato salad. I’m going to share a recipe that’s easy and delicious! It’s called French Café Summer Salad. Give it a try and let me know how you liked it.

Ingredients

14 medium red potatoes
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 cups shredded red cabbage
1 (11oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 large red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 cucumber, diced
1 (15.5oz) can white kidney or cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup grated Romano cheese
salt and ground black pepper to taste


Directions

1. Place the potatoes in a large pot with enough lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until tender but still firm. It will take 20 to 30 minutes. Drain, cool and cut into bit size pieces.

2. In a large salad bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, and Dijon mustard. Add the cabbage, corn, red onion, red pepper, green pepper, yellow pepper, and cucumber. Add kidney beans, if desired. Mix in the cooled potatoes. Mix until everything is well coated with the dressing. Gently stir in the Romano cheese, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill for one hour before serving.

Served cold on a hot summer day with a loaf of crusty bread and your favorite cheese, this makes a great treat!

For those interested, this recipe makes 8 servings and has 370 calories per serving.



As June 2002 comes to an end and we race into July, Doug and the team continue their impressive performance. At this point in the Racing Season, Doug is in First Place in the point standing at State Park Speedway, home track to the MYS Race Team. He leads at this time with 465 total points as of June 27. In addition, he is in second place at Marshfield Super Speedway, and third place at Golden Sands Speedway in Plover! Quite an impressive performance! Complete standings and results from all races are available at www.racingonline.com.



Doug in the Winner’s Circle at State Park Speedway


June saw the introduction of another of Doug’s sons to the exciting world of racing. Derek joined Dad and older brother Deven on the track, making a real decent showing of budding talent. We look forward to reporting more on Derek’s progress as he gains experience in the high-speed world.

Meanwhile, Deven continues to make his presence known throughout the race circuit. He even made an invitational appearance at the Dells Motor Speedway at Wisconsin Dells.



Deven at the Dells Motor Speedway

As the month of July roars on, there will no doubt be more to report from the area speedways. Check out the website at www.racingonline.com for complete reports on individual races and standings. Also, our website at www.marathonyouthservices.org continues to offer more about the MYS Race Team.


If you have any questions or program requests, feel free to contact Doug at 715-842-3240 or dadams@marathonyouthservices.org. We are always interested in your comments.


 

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Property of Marathon Youth Services, Inc. 2002
Produced by Jim Prozinski

(jimpro@charter.net)