Fall 'Tweener

The top photo... Tweener? Maybe. Awkward shape? Probably.

Noises at Monster Truck

CITIZEN PATRIOT • ASHLEY MILLER
Alexis Stackling, 1, of Jackson reacts to the monster trucks Friday night
during their performance on the grand stand at the Jackson County Fair.

NASCAR Sunday (WIDE!)

Slap me on the wrist and tell me to put away my wide angle.
(For the record, I promise I mixed up my lensing.)

As much as I made fun of NASCAR before this summer, I will admit it...
I like it. I like NASCAR.

"My Religion saved me."

Montel Beavers, 15, of Summit Township is a devout Christian and attends the
Church of God in Jackson almost daily. His religious beliefs, he said, separates him from most
other teenagers. "(My religion) saved me and prevented me from doing things other teens are
doing now a days, like drinking," he said. Beavers said he was saved by God on a Wednesday
evening during service when he was 10 years old. "I felt like I needed to be saved
because I knew if God came back, I wouldn't go to Heaven," he said.

Neighbors | Sharon Arntson

Technically speaking, this portrait could be a lot better.
But I really appreciate it.

I learned this summer not to obsess over making a portrait that is completely literal –
Instead, capture personality. Life.

I left with several different portraits, but this one consistently stuck out to me.
This was the most genuine and warm. This defined Mrs. Arntson.

Great-Grandma Love.

CITIZEN PATRIOT • ASHLEY MILLER
Jessie Parker of Jackson laughs as she lifts her great-grandaughter
Isabella, 2, into the air while playing outside her home Thursday morning in Jackson.
"I love them," she said about Isabella and her great-grandson, Cameron, 3.
"They are a joy to have. They keep me going, energized, ready to go."

Queen for a Day

CITIZEN PATRIOT • ASHLEY MILLER
2010 RoseQueen Casey McKay flexes her muscles and laughs with two
participants while 2011 Jackson County RoseQueen candidate Quinn Fischman, 18,
of Jackson gives Halle Arehart, 9, of Jackson a high-five for doing the splits
Wednesday afternoon between activities during the "Queen for a Day"
event at the Cascades Golf Course clubhouse.

Hot Air Jubilee

Hot Town, Summer in the City

CITIZEN PATRIOT • ASHLEY MILLER
Alaijah Boyd, 5, center, reacts to a stream of water while standing in a blow-up pool
with cousins Dwayne Hood, 5, right, and Imonii Hood, 3, of Jackson as her
grandmother sprays the kids with a hose Wednesday afternoon outside their home in Jackson.
"We're enjoying the weather in the pool and keeping the kids together,"
grandmother Sarah Iveson said.

Alpacas- "Honk If You Pronk"

While flipping through a magazine nine years ago, Jan O’Neill came across a picture that inspired her future retirement plan.
It wasn’t a home in Florida, nor a photo of someone traveling an exotic land. It was a photo of a unusual, furry animal with a long neck and legs: an alpaca.
Now in retirement, O’Neill and her husband, Richard, raise about 43 alpacas on their Clare Limerick Alpaca Ranch at 5681 Rives Junction Road.
The journey started in 2002 when the couple bought four pregnant females. “We were fortunate in what we bought,” O’Neill said.
Image, one of the newborn babies, or crias, won a national level blue ribbon during the O’Neills’ first show season. The couple continue to show about four times a year, Richard said.
“When you go to a show, you meet up with all your friends,” Jan said. “Alpaca owners are the friendliest, nicest, helpful people.”
Along with friends and showing, Richard and Jan said watching the crias play is the best part of owning alpacas.
“When we first got them, we used to take lawn chairs out by the fence, bring lemonade and sit and watch,” Jan said.
Still, hard work is involved on a daily basis to take care of the South American species, Jan said.
“It’s made us closer in having to work together to take care of them,” Richard said.
The past nine years have been a fun adventure in getting know the alpacas and how to take care of them, Richard said.
“We used to say, ‘Become enchanted with the alpaca lifestyle,’” Jan laughed. “It connects you with nature. You can’t beat that.”

(I loved working on this package because --
1. I have always had a slight obsession with alpacas. Most likely because they're so awkward looking.
2. I was at the ranch immediately after the cria in the fifth photo was born.. The O'Neills named the little boy Ashton after me!
3. I was able to use funny alpaca terms like "pronk" on a regular basis.)

Porch Sittin'

CITIZEN PATRIOT • ASHLEY MILLER
From left, Erica Denard, 11, Reydontae Worthey, 14, Domojhea Young, 9,
Jalik Bonabart, 10, and Demarquan Smith, 10, sit on the porch between
playing with several other children July 16 outside their Jackson home.
About 15 family members gathered outside while the Jackson Fire Department
worked to extinguish a structure fire down the street.

126th Army Band

CITIZEN PATRIOT • ASHLEY MILLER
SFC Devin Hahn of the 126th Army Band practices his trombone behind the Cascades Falls
Park band shell before the 126th Army Band of the Michigan National Guard concert
Friday in Jackson. He has been playing since he was 13, he said.

SPC Luke Panning, left, of the 126th Army Band dances with Barb Briggson of
Weidman to "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller during the 126th Army Band of the Michigan
National Guard concert Friday night at the Cascades Falls Park band shell in Jackson.

SPC Brooke Briggson of Kalamazoo takes a nap against the back of the
Cascades Falls Park band shell before the 126th Army Band of the Michigan
National Guard concert Friday in Jackson.

SPC Steven Michanowicz of the 126th Army Band dances to "In the Mood"
by Glenn Miller during the 126th Army Band of the Michigan National Guard
concert Friday night at the Cascades Falls Park band shell in Jackson.

SGT William Karsten of the 126th Army Band plays the tuba in front of the audience
during the 126th Army Band of the Michigan National Guard concert
Friday night at the Cascades Falls Park band shell in Jackson.

Freestyle.

CITIZEN PATRIOT • ASHLEY MILLER
Lindsay Rasmussen, 13, above, and Alexander Dunning, 13, both of Jackson,
swim the 400 freestyle for the Jackson County Aquatic Club during the Rose City Swim
Invitational Sunday morning at the Ella Sharp Park pool in Jackson.

Emma Grace, 11, top center, starts laughing with her teammates from
the Jackson County Aquatic Club Sunday afternoon while relaxing
under the team tent during the Rose City Swim Invitational at
the Ella Sharp Park pool in Jackson.

Megan Mehalco, 12, of Jackson volunteers to keep time during
the Rose City Swim Invitational at the Ella Sharp Park pool in Jackson.

Spanish Dancing, Kids & Curiosity

CITIZEN PATRIOT • ASHLEY MILLER
Ella Tupper, 5, center, looks up and smiles while Flamenco dancing
with classmates Thursday morning at the North Star Montessori Preschool in Jackson.
The students dressed up in Spanish clothing and performed a dance recital for parents.

From right, Valen Koszegi, 4, Elijah Maitland, 3, and Eagan Lewis, 4, react
as their instructor's skirt flies while performing a Flamenco dance
Thursday morning at the North Star Montessori Preschool in Jackson.

Division 3 District Baseball Champs

CITIZEN PATRIOT • ASHLEY MILLER
Pitcher Colton Brannick jumps on catcher Ben Lefere, both of Lumen Christi,
after the final pitch to claim the Division 3 District Baseball
Championship title over Michigan Center Saturday afternoon
at Vandercook Lake High School in Jackson.

Ha-Ha-Ha-Hair

CITIZEN PATRIOT • ASHLEY MILLER
Eva Halliwell fixes Shawn McKinney's hair before work Thursday afternoon while their son
Don'Trese McKinney, 3, watches on the porch of their Jackson home.
"We are enjoying the cool breeze," Halliwell said.