Edwardsburg Board of Education trustee Douglas Stickney ended his 29 years of service to a standing ovation from the audience at the board’s regularly scheduled meeting Monday night.

Doug Stickney

President Della Holdread said that he was “faithful, loyal and dependable and always considered the students first” in the time she served alongside him.

“I admire your integrity, which is something not a lot of people have,” Holdread said. “We’ve had a wonderful journey with you. Thank you for everything.”

Stickney in turn thanked the board and the school district.

“It has been a pleasure and a privilege to serve on this board for 29 years,” he said. “Thank you to the board, superintendent, teachers, support staff. Everyone has been working together to make Edwardsburg the best. It’s been a privilege to be a part of this team.”

The Edwardsburg Board of Education also recognized outstanding student achievements and community service.

The National Honor Society raised $15,000 for Operation Christmas, an effort that will provide 40 families with gifts and food on Christmas.

“There was a great effort by the student body and great support from the administration,” Edwardsburg social studies teacher Jeff Kozinski said. “You represented the community well.”

Student Council members collected 11,174 items for the local food pantry, despite losing days to a water outage and snow closures.

Pastor Scott Scheel of Edwardsburg Presbyterian Church, one of three partner churches who operate the food bank (with Our Lady of the Lake and Hope United Methodist Church), thanked the students for their “hard work, generosity, and overcoming obstacles. We couldn’t have done it without the support of the community, the support of the school.”

The board also acknowledged new Miss Edwardsburg Kaitlyn Kutz, first runner-up Brittany Portwood and Mr. Edwardsburg Andrew Boyer.

“Education is essential but so are strong values,” Superintendent Sherman Ostrander said. “That you are assuming social responsibility at a young age is significant. You are able to give of yourselves even with busy schedules and realize that there is something beyond high school.

“This community engages itself in the success of you young people. What a wonderful, wonderful thing. As you reflect on high school, I hope you remember this experience. A lot of families will have a brighter holiday because of you.”