In the late 1960’s, I was a new teacher in Hesperia. I became acquainted with Vern Kortering through Spike Raymond in the 1970’s.
Sometimes school officials and their administrators are elected and appointed for all the wrong reasons. Such became the case in Hesperia. During the 70’s, a superintendent set about canceling interscholastic athletic opportunities for students. Apparently, Superintendent Larry Stancliff saw little value within our interscholastic curriculum. He claimed he was a “back-to-basics” guy. The Hesperia administration of that time then set about canceling extra-curricular opportunities for students, among them the school’s wrestling program. That program had been recognized as an effective means for keeping “troubled students” focused and in school with a chance to graduate. Without that opportunity, so many of our students would have given up and dropped out. I know because they have told me since.
In the midst of that year-long (1976) struggle to reinstate the Panther wrestling program, students, parents, community members, and a couple of teachers endeavored to elect a write-in candidate to the board of education. Superintendent Stancliff, through his office, tried blocking and punishing us at every opportunity. He spent our tax dollars in desperation, to extinguish our voice. In the aftermath of the election that followed, much was discovered. Hundreds of votes for our write-in candidate, Gary Slate, (who went on to serve as a trustee for over 35 years) were illegally miscounted. We sued for a recount at the Oceana County Board of Canvassers. That is when I met Vern Kortering. We had no money, yet he represented us.
Vern got our votes counted! Our write-in candidate was placed on the Hesperia School Board over the objections of the superintendent of schools. That election was a very clear message. The wrestling program was soon reinstated.
It was because of the efforts of Vern Kortering and his friend Spike Raymond that our program exists today. It was because of Vern and Spike that I attended The University of Michigan to earn a doctorate in education. I returned to Hesperia and served as the district’s athletic director (forcing the reinstatement of additional interscholastic opportunities cancelled by Mr. Stancliff) until my retirement in 1996. I also had the pleasure to see no less than four of our student athletes wrestle for (and graduate from) The University of Michigan—one of them as the team captain. Vern’s efforts produced lasting influence within the school district of Hesperia. His fight for the underprivileged and the downtrodden during the 1970’s in Hesperia transpired into hundreds of opportunities and scholarships for our students including state championships in wrestling and cross-country.
Vern’s legacy continues to cast a long shadow that has not been forgotten. His remarkable accomplishments on behalf of Hesperia students remain the “esprit de corps” within the soul of our community. Vern will be remembered not only with fondness in Hesperia but also as an inspiring agent for social responsibility and justice. The struggle continues . . .
John and Sherry Millington
Hesperia
