SPY's Newsletter 1/18/2026

      SPY’s Community Newsletter

#390

(1/18/26)

S.P.Y.’s Honor Stacie McNees Desgranges

Pictured (left) is Craig Cappon, President of the Sunfield Area Sponsors of Programs for Youth, presenting the 2025 “Outstanding Achievement Award” to Stacie McNees Desgranges.  Stacie is being recognized for all of the time, hard work, and effort she put in to get an energy efficiency grant from the State that benefited various Sunfield Township entities.  Stacie, who was the Sunfield Township Clerk at the time, obtained a $100,000 “Community Energy Management Grant” from EGLE.  (EGLE stands for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy).  The grant went to update areas of energy inefficiencies in some of Sunfield’s community’s buildings.   Specifically, the Library, the Welch Museum, and the Community Rooms all benefited from it.

As an example, after an energy audit was performed by a professional inspector, areas of loss were recommended for updates.  Thanks to Stacie, the Inspector, and the grant monies, the library received major upgrades.  Three new furnaces with their respective air conditioning units were replaced.  The old units were the originals from when the building was constructed in 2000. The next area of improvement was the lights.  All new LED lighting upgrades were installed.  The library now has three areas that can function on a 50/50 basis.  The patrons and staff have all noticed that even on a 50 percent level, these areas are so much brighter than before, and will save money to operate.  Repairs to an outside fixture will help to illuminate the book return box in the entry area, as well.

Grants are difficult to obtain, and the community is very lucky to have people like Stacie working to help us.  She is well-deserving of this recognition.

SPY Officer Line-Up For 2026

Here is the 2026 leadership team for the Sunfield Area Sponsors of Programs for Youth (the SPY’s) that were elected at the SPY’s January business meeting:

President                     Craig Cappon

        Vice President              Justin “Sam” Coan

       Secretary                     Renee Strimback

    Treasurer                     Shana Cappon

                                                                  Promotions Director      Pete Weller

                                                                 Membership Director    Christina Grosshans

   Sgt.-At-Arms                 Zeke Cappon

                                                                  Director-At-Large          Jeff Gibbs

SPY’s Sportsman’s Nigh Event Report

The BIG Event is just three weeks away!  Preparations continue for our 30th annual Sportsman's Night Event happening on Saturday February 7^th, 2026.  For tickets; prize donations; or for further information, just give event chairperson Pete Weller a call (517-743-1642).

Reminder Of Other Upcoming Events

·      The SPY’s annual Euchre Tournament will be held on Saturday March 14^th.  Details will be coming soon!

·      The SPY’s annual No-Tap Bowling Tournament will be held on Saturday March 21^st.  Details on this event will be coming soon as well!

·      Deep Thought of the Week:  I’ve learned that most of my regrets concern things I didn’t do, and so now I’m more likely to say, “Why not?” instead of “no”.

·      Notable Quote: Mark Twain once said: “Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.”

·      That's Puny Department:  What is Forrest Gump’s password?  Give Up?-----(1forrest1)

·      Did You Know Section: This week we will give you the story behind why the elephant and donkey represent the Republican and Democrat parties.  Neither creature is particularly regal or distinguished.  How did they come to be the symbols of our national parties?  One person is primarily responsible.  A man named Thomas Nast was the most influential political cartoonist in U. S. history.  He  worked for Harpers Weekly magazine as a political cartoonist.

Another political cartoonist first used the donkey to represent the Democrat party in 1837, when a cartoon appeared depicting President Andrew Jackson riding the beast.  However, Nast is credited with popularizing this symbol.  In 1870, he drew a donkey labeled “the Copperhead Press,” to mock the Democrat newspapers who sympathized with the South.

Nast first used the elephant to represent the Republican party in a satirical cartoon.  In 1874, the New York Herald reported that President Ulysses S. Grant intended to run for an unprecedented third term in 1876, and accused him of “Caesarism”, referring to the famous Roman emperors.  Several weeks later, the paper erroneously reported that animals from the New York City Zoo had escaped and were roaming around Central Park.  On November 7, just before midterm elections, a Nast cartoon ran in Harpers Weekly depicting a donkey disguised as a lion and marked “Caesarism.”  The lion was scaring all the other animals that were loose in the park, including the huge elephant labeled “the Republican Vote”.  Nast’s depiction of the two parties using these animals was not complimentary, but it stuck, and they now proudly represent their respective parties.

Incidentally, Nast is also famous for drawing the first modern-looking Santa Claus.  Before Nast, Santa didn’t even have a beard.

Final Notices

1.            If there is any organization or business out there that has something they would like to advertise or promote, please feel free to submit it to this Newsletter and we will help publicize it.  There is no charge.  We are glad to provide this means as a public service to help keep the community informed.

2.             If you are looking for further information about the SPY’s events---Corporate or Platinum Sponsorship information---scholarship forms---youth sports reimbursement forms---past SPY newsletters---etc.---just go to the SPY website at www.sunfieldareaspys.com.

3.            NOTE:  If you know of anyone who would like to receive these SPY’s Community Newsletters, just send me an email at john.sandrafisher@gmail.com with their email address and we will take care of it.