THE FLINT JOURNAL / TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 2014 / A3
Local GENESEE COUNTY
Michigan Honors: Help us recognize surviving World War II heroes in Flint area
Participants walk the course Sunday during the March of Dimes March for Babies at Bicentennial Park in Grand Blanc. The March of Dimes is a nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of babies and their mothers. (Samuel Wlson/MLive.com)
GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP
Marching for a cause By Nicole Weddington
nwedding@mlive.com
More than 350 people came out for a brisk 4-mile walk Sunday to support the March of Dimes’ annual March for Babies. The event at Bicentennial Park is the March of Dimes’ biggest annual fundraiser and is projected to raise more than $80,000 for the organization’s mission of preventing infant mortality and premature births. “This walk is so important, because premature birth is the No. 1 reason why babies die. It’s an epidemic in the United States, with nearly one in every nine babies being born premature,” said Darlene Chivinsky, division director in Flint for the March of Dimes. Kristin Moss carries her daughter, Katelyn Moss, 5, during the March of Dimes “We’re just trying to find out and March for Babies at Bicentennial Park in Grand Blanc. stop it from happening because it saves for families, it saves on money,” she said. “It would be ences by helping families to find natal intensive care unit in Genesee, fantastic if we could just prevent it resources and leads them to differLapeer and Shiawassee counties,” instead of always having to treat it.” ent organizations that can provide said Ilene Cantor, marketing, comKnowing the challenges that financial help. munity and public relations adminiscome with premature birth As a first-time mom, 30-year-old trator for Hurley Medical Center and first-hand, the Gasper family, of Jennifer Gasper was left wondermember of the Grand Blanc Board Flushing, was named March of ing where to turn when her perfect of Directors for the March of Dimes. Dimes’ Ambassador Family. Parents birth plan didn’t go as she expected “We’re really proud to be a sponsor Jennifer and Brian Gasper have it to play out. and an active participant.” been participating in the event with “March of Dimes has this orgaThe March of Dimes helped their two children since both their nization of people who are sharing 4 million babies last year through sons were born early. their stories online so you know research, education, vaccines and Ethan, 8, was born at 25 weeks you’re not alone, and you can read breakthroughs. Brian Gasper appreand spent the first 86 days of his other people’s stories that are going ciated the research and support life in Hurley Medical Center’s through this,” she said. “They’re out offered by March of Dimes. neonatal intensive care unit. A few there researching and trying to find “There are people there for you years later, Alexander, 6, — A.J. to ways to lower the rate of this hapthrough March of Dimes if somehis friends — was born at 34 weeks pening. It’s a support system.” thing does go wrong,” he said. “And old and stayed in the NICU 11 days The walk included multiple spon- even if you have a healthy baby, a lot before coming home. sors and corporate teams, including of that is because of what they do “We’re here to put a face to the Hurley Medical Center, which had and their research. The amount of cause, say a few words, tell our story more than 50 people from Team things that they can do is just fantasand share the message of March of Hurley in attendance this year. tic. They are there for you.” Dimes,” said Brian Gasper, 33. He “It’s a continuous part of our misFor more information on said the March of Dimes helps supsion as the region’s premier chilthe March of Dimes, visit marport people that share their experidren’s hospital and highest level neo- chofdimes.com.
LINDEN
School settles lawsuit over secretary’s claims she was bullied by principal The school’s attorney, Jennifer Smith had worked Suzanne Bartos, said the 16 years for the district school denies any wrongBy Gary Ridley
gridley@mlive.com
A former Linden high school secretary who claimed she was fired from the district after being bullied by a school principal will be paid nearly $250,000. Jennifer Smith and Linden Community schools reached a settlement agreement after Smith filed a lawsuit against the district in November 2011, according to her attorney Tom Pabst. Pabst said Smith worked for the district for 16 years before she was fired.
doing, despite the settlement. Linden school board President Scott Maker declined to comment on the settlement. District Superintendent Ed Koledo could not be reached for comment. Pabst said the district fired Smith after she complained that she was bullied by a female principal who worked for the district. Smith claimed the administrator began making false accusations against her and began making fictitious warnings that district administrators were unhappy with Smith’s
work, according to Pabst. Smith reported the alleged bullying to the district but decided to file a lawsuit after she felt the district failed to conduct a proper investigation into her claims, Pabst said. Pabst said the district fired Smith after the lawsuit was filed, citing the court action and claims that Smith may have lied during the district’s investigation into the alleged bullying. “You can’t fire someone because they filed a lawsuit,” Pabst said, noting that Smith was protected by the state’s Whistleblower Protection Act. District policies prohibited the harassment alleged
by Smith, and Pabst said it was reporting that alleged harassment that made his client a whistleblower. The principal accused of bullying Smith is no longer employed by the district. Bartos said the principal’s departure from the district is in no way associated with Smith’s allegations. Pabst said Smith, who grew up in and graduated high school from Linden, filed the lawsuit in order to “clear her name.” She is still searching for a new job, Pabst said. Maker said the district has insurance to cover the cost of the lawsuit settlements. The insurance company issued a check April 8 for the entire cost of the settlement.
MLive.com
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There are heroes among us. While some of them never returned from the battlefields, seas and skies of World War II, others came home to live full lives. Their generation is slowly being lost to history, but there are still many among us. We want them to be honored. MLive.com aims to find and recognize all living veterans of World War II in the state of Michigan. It’s a big task, but one we feel should be done. The Flint Journal is a part of that search, and we’re looking for all those who can to tell us about themselves — or their parents or grandparents who served in that war. You don’t need to live in Flint or Genesee County to enter your name or the name of a loved one. If ever your veteran called the area home, be counted. This will be part of a statewide project that, not only will list the names and pictures of our surviving heroes, but one that delves into the history, stories, trials and dedications. The men who served. The women who took care of the country while the men were away.
Those who never came back. We want you to enter information about your surviving veteran so they can be listed among their comrades in our statewide list. But we also want to hear from you. If you think there’s a story that needs telling, a detail we should know about your experience, about Flint, Genesee County, Shiawassee County or Lapeer County that we should know, contact us. You can reach reporter Scott Atkinson at satkins1@mlive.com to share your story. We know there are too many stories to count, and we won’t be able to write all of them, but we want to hear them and tell as many as we can. So stand up. Be counted. Let us tell the world that you were a part of that generation that will never be forgotten. Let us help keep your story alive.
MLIVE Do you know a surviving World World II veteran with a story to share? Submit the information at mlive.com/veterans
FLINT
Mystery remains in death of missing woman By David Harris
dharris5@mlive.com
It was a phone call that Denise Apley had dreaded for months. Her daughter, who had gone missing 13 months ago, had been identified as the woman found dead inside a vacant Flint home three weeks ago. But the mystery remains. How did a woman who was reported missing in Sanilac County end up dead 80 miles away inside an abandoned Flint home slated to be demolished? And how did she die? Apley said she knew something bad happened to her daughter, Kimberly Schubel, not long after her daughter went missing in March 2013. “When my daughter didn’t call her babies and she didn’t call us, you knew,” Apley said. “It’s a mother thing. You carry her for nine months. You are a part of her. You just know.” A contracted Genesee County Land Bank employee was sent into the house in the 6600 block of Eastmont Drive on April 9 to look for hazardous material such as asbestos. Flint police said the worker found the body of a woman inside the home on the city’s north east side in the Dort Highway and Carpenter Road area. Police arrived at the scene at 12:49 p.m. A purse also was found in the home. “It’s one most horrifying things in the world, getting that phone call,” said Apley, who now lives in Texas. A Facebook post shared by Schubel’s sister shortly after the disappearance claims she was last seen in Genesee County
around 3 a.m. March 11, 2013. She was 29 at the time of her disappearance. Apley said while her daughter had flaws, she was a good person who will be missed. “I don’t want her to be known as a nobody who was just found at an abandoned house,” she said. “I just wish I could have gave her a hug and told her I loved her.” Apley said her daughter lived in Sanilac County and grew up in the Bad Axe area, and did not know why she was in Genesee County when she went missing. She had no relatives in Genesee County. Lt. Brian Cole, Michigan State Police public information officer, declined to comment. Apley said she was told by police that they still don’t have a cause of death and that the case is under investigation. Schubel leaves behind two boys, her mother said. She enjoyed crafts and playing with her children. Her sons missed her, Apley said. “(Her son) asked everyday where his momma was and if he she was coming home,” Apley said. When she turned up missing, family shared her photo on Facebook in hopes of getting some information, but nothing came up until the state police contacted her. The home where she was found is one of three in a row that are vacant. People often loiter at the homes and are spots of illegal activities, neighbors said. Anyone with information is asked to call Flint police at 810-237-6801 or CRIMESTOPPERS at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.