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Event
has special meaning for former abuse victim
There was a day I wouldn’t have dreamed of going outside in winter
to exercise and meet women. Summer wouldn’t have made a difference.
It wasn’t the cold that would have kept me away. I was a battered
woman. I stayed away from people and from situations that made me uncomfortable.
I tried to stay away from life.
I did not like the person I saw in my mirror. At twenty-five years old,
my self-esteem was mangled and I found myself in the middle of an abusive
relationship. I didn’t understand how I got there, or how I would
leave. What I did understand was how I felt—ashamed, secluded,
ugly and unlovable.
My front tooth was knocked out and I could no longer keep my secret.
I called my mom for help. I worked with counselors in Lansing at a place
similar to Harbor House. I was embarrassed, but I reached out for help.
Slowly, I began to trust again. I began to feel alive inside and realize
that it was not my fault.
In recovery, I learned to cover my emotions. I was conditioned to believe
that everything always went wrong. When I heard myself thinking something
negative, I learned to ignore it. I eventually learned to be positive.
Not many people knew of this life-and-death struggle inside my head.
Slowly, I began to believe everything in life wasn’t that bad.
We can trick our bodies into a better mood. When mimicking a smile or
pretending to laugh, our bodies don’t accept that we aren’t
truly happy. Our bodies think we’re happy, so they act as if we
are happy. When we smile or laugh, it is similar to exercising in that
we release endorphins, the feel-good hormones. We also lower our stress
levels.
I moved to the U.P. in July 2004, and I didn’t have one friend
here. Six months later, I had many acquaintances, but just one friend.
That person helped me feel comfortable in sharing my abusive past. She
encouraged me to participate in the Women’s Winter Tour to make
friends and have fun.
On the morning of the Women’s Winter Tour, I hesitated. I could
have pulled the covers over my head. I could have turned around when
I slipped and fell on ice in the driveway. I wasn’t very good at
cross-country skiing. Even so, I went outside to play last January.
Boy, was she right! Even though the weather didn’t cooperate, I
exercised my social muscles. I exercised the right to be myself. I exercised
my willingness to take a risk. I appreciated the camaraderie of women.
I learned that I can be a friendly, outgoing person. And, when I look
at my reflection now, at thirty-eight, I not only like the person, I
love the person smiling back in the mirror. Now, I wouldn’t dream
of not playing in the snow, and I seek to make new friends.
Thankfully, I didn’t let negative self-talk and excuses keep me
away from a fun-filled day.
—Kristine McNease
Editor’s Note: Kristine McNease is now happily married, a step-mom,
a Certified Laughter Leader, charter member of Marquette’s Business
Network International, and an independent consultant for Arbonne International.
Experience “Laughing Away Stress” at the WWT Health &
Fitness Expo on at 2:30 p.m. February 12 on the sixth floor of the Landmark
Inn.
WWT events culminate in February
• “Boas ’n Boots” takes place on February 10.
Ladies are invited to show off with fancy attire, an old formal, tiara
or boa to show off for the cameras—and all with long johns underneath.
Get your photo taken at Wattsson & Wattsson between 4:00 and 8:00
p.m., and be entered to win jewelry. Enjoy a wine-tasting dinner at
Sweet Water—reservations required—or music and contests at
HOTplate. Many businesses along Third and Washington streets will be
open late with sales and prizes.
• The WWT health fair will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00
p.m. on February 11 at the Landmark Inn, this popular event has expanded
to include Peter White Public Library, First United Methodist Church
and the Citadel. Sponsored by the Medical Alliance in Marquette, this
is a not-to-miss event for a $1 entry fee.
• The moonlight snowshoe event is hosted by the Nordic Bay
Inn at 5:00 p.m. on February 11. Cost is $20 with 100 percent of ticket
sales benefiting Marquette Area Harbor House and NTN.
• The National Subaru Women’s Winter Tour begins at 10:00
a.m. on February 12. Starting at NMU’s Jacobetti Skill Center,
skiers and snowshoers can choose from a moderate beginner’s course,
and a challenging and hilly course is for the more experienced.
For more information or to register, visit www.womenswintertour.com
The New Rangers?
Planners consider new team for old hockey town
Starting next season, there may be some hot new skates on the ice. But
for many longtime Marquette residents and hockey fans, it sounds wonderfully
familiar.
Organizers are hoping the Marquette Rangers will continue the tradition
of excellence and enthusiasm generated by the fabled Iron Rangers, along
with championship-winning Northern Michigan University, Marquette Senior
High School and Marquette Junior Hockey teams.
“Marquette is a great hockey town,” said David Saint-Onge,
general manager of the fledgling team. “We want to take history
and move it forward, keep hockey as an on-going culture of our community,
and add another asset to our city.”
The Marquette Rangers filed a membership application with the North
American Hockey League (NAHL) and have received approval to become part
of the league, which is comprised of twenty other teams, from Alaska
to Texas and Ohio and in between. The Junior A level is for amateur
athletes age twenty and younger.
“It’s a natural evolution of hockey in our community,”
Saint-Onge said. “We have Marquette Junior Hockey for the youngest
kids, Marquette Senior High School and the Marquette Electricians for
eighteen and under, and NMU. But many of the young men who hope to play
collegiate hockey have had to leave home to play Juniors. We hope to
bridge the gap between Midget Major and college hockey. We believe it’s
a comfortable fit and adds another spectrum of hockey for our community
to enjoy.”
In addition, he sees many other benefits to Marquette and beyond. For
one, the team received unanimous support from the Marquette City Commission
to use Lakeview Arena as their home ice. With their lease, the Rangers
will become another arena tenant, and eventually will fund improvements
to the facility, such as a new locker room and offices. Additional improvements
also could come in the way of an upgraded sound system and scoreboard.
“We worked closely with the city to negotiate a lease that is supportive
of the team and also helps the city achieve its operational and financial
objectives for Lakeview Arena,” Saint-Onge said of this win-win
situation.
For its twenty-seven home games, team organizers hope to attract a fan
base from throughout Marquette County and across the Upper Peninsula,
along with visiting teams and families, who will stay in local hotels,
eat in area restaurants and shop, powering the local economy. And games
are another social opportunity for local residents, enriching our quality
of life.
Also, a Junior A team is great for the area’s young hockey players,
who have had to move elsewhere in order to continue playing competitively.
The Rangers are confident they will attract talented players, creating
a convenient pool for NMU to fish for the best. They hope to have some
local stars on the roster of twenty-five plus two international members,
as allowed by the league. Players from our sister city of Kaajani (Finland)
are being considered informally. Talent will be scouted from other teams
in the league and midget programs, by hosting evaluation camps in Connecticut,
Detroit, Chicago and Marquette, and by surfing a wave of positive buzz
on Internet hockey forums and sites.
“There’s a huge demand by young men wanting to play junior
hockey,” Saint-Onge said. “We’ll be looking for the best
combination of players who are skilled and competitive, but are also
upstanding citizens of our community.”
Who knows? The next Hanson brothers may be waiting in the box.
Young women also may participate, but Saint-Onge said Junior A is high
level and very physical, for which few female players may qualify.
Saint-Onge stresses they don’t intend for the new team to detract
from any other local hockey programs, but rather work cooperatively
to support each other.
“This concept has been well received by the people and groups we’ve
spoken with so far,” he said. “We’ll have more formal
talks when things are finalized in the coming weeks.”
Now that approval has come from the NAHL, the Rangers have begun a formal
search for a head coach, assistant coach, trainers and other staff members.
A number of people already have put their names in the coaching helmet.
As exciting as it sounds to start a new hockey team, it’s not all
sport.
“Perhaps we are breaking the traditional mold a bit by being a
business that happens to be in the hockey business,” Saint-Onge
said about this operation, which has an annual budget of $400,000 to
$500,000.
He and Rich Tegge of Marquette, who will serve as director of hockey
operations, have been the main impetus for the Rangers, having developed
the concept over the past three years, during which time they waited
for the NAHL to go through a restructuring, which resulted in a better
fit for the region. In addition, they’re working with Chicago investor
and director of player development Brad Layzell—former draft pick
for the Montreal Canadians—to formulate a team from the ground
up.
“Rich and I have a great passion for the game and the community,”
Saint-Onge said. “While neither one of us played hockey as kids,
each of our two children is in hockey and it’s been wonderful to
see the life training skills kids get from the sport, and to watch them
mature as young men and women.”
At the same time, he and Tegge are in business and not stuck in a traditional
hockey mindset. They hope to add nontraditional entertainment to game
intermissions, offer upgraded concessions and create a new recipe for
success, community involvement and enjoyment.
Most of all, they hope residents will support the team by becoming fans
and going to the games. If circumstances allow, local residents also
can offer to billet a player (providing a place for a player to live
with compensation).
“These young men are very focused, mature and eager to succeed,”
Saint-Onge said. “They will be people you will enjoy to be around
and get to know.”
Businesses also can support the team with a variety of advertising and
sponsorship options. And a few spots remain open for slapshot investors.
“Our success is predicated on the receptiveness of the community
to put their arms around this team and call it their own,” Saint-Onge
said. “We hope to add to the rich heritage of amateur youth hockey
in the Upper Peninsula, but it will take a tremendous effort by many
people. Maybe the combination of good hockey, entertainment and social
fun will be the secret to success for a town that’s always looking
for something to cheer about.”
—Rebecca Tavernini
Editor’s Note: To learn more or offer support, visit www.marquetterangers.com
or call Saint-Onge at 360-5076.
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