We all may be fudgies if state sweet is named

By JUSTINE McGUIRE
Capital News Service
LANSING – Children who live about as far away from Mackinac Island as possible while still in Michigan are the inspiration for a bill that would make Mackinac Island fudge the official state sweet. A class of fourth- and fifth-graders from Defer Elementary School in Grosse Pointe Park were required to write to their legislator this past spring, but they wanted to take it to the next level by requesting new state symbols, said Kari Mannino, who taught the class. The students researched possible symbols in groups — three fourth-graders wrote the letter requesting fudge, she said. “They were so excited,” Mannino said of their reaction to the introduction of the bill. “I’m really glad they were honored for their hard work.