All posts by Joanne

National Night Out shines a light on crime prevention by bringing neighbors together

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Area mayors and law enforcement officials will  gather for the Consumers Energy kick off for National Night Out on Aug. 7.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

Once again the communities of Kentwood and Wyoming will be participating in National Night Out — this year on Tuesday, Aug. 7 — where residents are encouraged to turn their porch light on and come out and meet their neighbors. 

 

A nationwide movement started by the National Association of Town Watch in 1984, the annual event promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. 

 

“The City of Kentwood is committed to fostering a strong sense of community where neighbors look out for neighbors, which is what National Night Out is all about,” Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley said. “The City’s police, firefighters, and entire leadership team encourage all to participate and to become active citizens in their neighborhoods.”

 

Various activities will be offered at several neighborhood National Night Out event.s

All residents have to do is turn their porch light on between 7— 10 p.m. to participate although many neighborhoods do much more hosting block parties that range from potlucks to an array of activities. Between the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood. there are about 35 different neighborhood parties taking place, most between 5— 8 p.m with local officers and firefighters attempting to make it to as many events as possible. 

 

The day kicks off with Consumers Energy hosting an early morning event with both Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll and Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley there along with Kentwood Police Chief Tom Hilton and Wyoming Police Chief Kim Koster. The event also will be attended by officials from the Walker, Grandville and Grand Rapids communities as well as representatives from the Michigan State Police and the Kent County Sheriff’s Department.

 

Two large Consumers Energy trucks also will have buckets extended 75 feet above U.S. 131 to help draw attention to the event. which is from 5:30— 8 a.m. with a proclamation read at 7:15 a.m. Police and fire vehicles will line up in front of the Consumer Energy’s building at 4000 Clay Ave. SW.

 

City of Kentwood National Night Out Activities

 

The City of Kentwood will get its National Night Out activities started with an event at Woodland Mall from 3— 5 p.m. Residents will have to opportunity to met with Kentwood police and firefighters and get an up-close look at emergency vehicles. There will be a bicycle raffle and a special visit from McGruff the Crime Dog.

 

There is about 20 different neighborhood events taking place throughout the city, several of which will have a variety of entertainment. Those with special activities are:

 

• Christ Community Church, 2400 Forest Hill Ave. SE, 5— 7 p.m., will have water slides, games, food and beverages.

 

• Wingate Apartments, 3151 Wingate Dr. SE, 5— 7 p.m., will have a dunk tank and live music.

 

• South United Methodist Church, 4500 S. Division Ave., 6— 8 p.m, will have live music, a water slide, games, hot dogs, ice cream, snow cones and punch.

 

• Faith Church, 1412 44th St. SE, 6— 8 p.m., will have face painting, music, games, hot dogs, and pop.

 

• Pentecostals of Kentwood, 2627 44th St. SE, 6—8 p.m., will have a bounce house, puppets, live music, games, food and beverages.

 

• St. Paul’s United Method Church and Forest Pointe Apartments, 3334 Breton Ave. SE, 6—8 p.m., will have lawn games, sidewalk chalk, basketball, food and beverages. 

 

“A strong alliance between citizens and law enforcement is necessary for achieving safer neighborhoods,” said Police Chief Tom Hillen. “Members of our department are always eager to connect with residents during National Night Out as it offers a great opportunity to build positive relationships and promote open communication.”

 

For a complete list of events, visit www.kentwood.us/national_night_out.

 

City of Wyoming’s National Night Out

 

The City of Wyoming’s biggest National Night Out event is in conjunction with the Concerts in the Park series hosted by the Wyoming Community Enrichment Committee. There will be activities from 6—7 p.m. with Chief Koster making a presentation at 6:55 p.m. Then at 7 p.m. the Yellow Brick Road dueling pianos take over for a night of Billy Joel and Elton John music. The theme for the concert is super hero with everyone encouraged to dress as or where something from their favorite super hero.

 

The City of Wyoming has about 15 neighborhood parties ranging from small gatherings to those with an arrange of activities. Those open to the public are:

 

• Oriole Park Neighborhood Watch will host an event at Oriole Park, which is located off of 40th Street, from 6—8 p.m.

 

• South Godwin Neighborhood Watch will host an event at Southlawn Park, 4125 Jefferson Ave. SE., from 6—8 p.m.

 

• Grace University, 1011 Aldon St. SW, from 5—7 p.m.

 

Kent County Sheriff’s National Night Out Activities

 

The Kent County Sheriff’s Department will be part of the South Kent National Night Out event from 4—8 p.m. at Kentwood Community Church, 1200 60th Ave. SE.  The event will include a number of emergency vehicles from several area departments, food and other activities. The event will have demonstrations by the K-9 Unit, vehicle extraction demonstrations, the Kent County Sheriff’s Mounted Unit, children ID packets, a bounce house and dunk tank.

 

For more on the South Kent National Night Out event visit its Facebook page.

On the shelf: ‘The Siege of Budapest: 100 Days In World War II’ by Krisztian Ungvary

Books, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Reviews, , , ,

By Will Miner, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main Branch

 

In the waning months of the Second World War, the city of Budapest was placed under siege for 108 days. Krisztian Ungvary utilizes previously unavailable records and interviews to illustrate, from military and civilian perspectives, the misery and drama that ultimately cost 180,000 soldiers and civilians their lives.

 

Great detail has gone into a sparsely documented chapter of the war. Ungvary quickly describes the events leading up to the siege, followed by a detailed account of the battles throughout the city, the politics and intrigue of the German and Hungarian defenders, their Soviet and Romanian opponents, and the city’s populace caught in the middle. He remains remarkably objective throughout and documents the atrocities committed by the Nazis, Hungarian fascists, and Soviets in equal detail and remains focused on describing the drama of events.

 

Ungvary’s work is not without criticism, however. The detail becomes dense at times; particularly when describing the battles that rage through various neighborhoods of the city. This may have been helped by the use of maps but the maps provided are small and often unreadable. Also, the story is told primarily from the Hungarian perspective and it would have been better balanced with accounts from the Soviet side.

 

In the end, this is an excellent story that describes the bitter disrespect war has for the human condition. It captures the suffering and ultimate survival of the people of Budapest masterfully and illustrates how the strength of a people’s spirit can overcome the horrors and challenges of war.

6 ideas for summer fun with the grandkids

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Courtesy of Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living

 

Summer is in full swing here here in Michigan, and aside from the warm days and clear skies, summer means that the kids are out of school. Whether they’re around the corner or coming for a special visit, spending quality time with your grandkids is a great way to enjoy the season, and there are so many options for fun activities that everyone can enjoy. Having an itinerary for good weather and bad is essential for any grandparent, but which activities should be added to the list of must do’s? Here are 6 ideas for summer fun with the grandkids!

Rock Painting

Rock painting is a fun activity perfect for all ages. It’s also inexpensive, as most of us can find buckets of rocks in our backyard. Art projects are fun for everyone, but there’s more value in getting creative than just enjoyment: kids get to be expressive and work on problem-solving skills, and everyone gets a lasting keepsake from the visit.

 

There’s no right or wrong way to do rock painting. Just find any rocks, large or small, then wash them thoroughly to remove any dirt or sand on the surface. Acrylic paints are easy to find, washable, and dry quickly–just be sure to seal it with a spray sealant to make sure that your craft stays vibrant.

Baking

We all know how Michigan weather can be. One minute it’s a bright sunny day, and the next it’s a gloomy downpour.  Baking is the perfect activity to make the most of less-than-perfect weather.

 

The family recipes will forever hold a place in your grandkids hearts, and passing along recipes is a meaningful way to make memories. But you can also consider mixing it up a bit with a more unconventional recipe. For example, kids love the creativity and silliness involved in making kitchen sink cookies. They consist of whatever you have lying around: nuts, candies, spices–the options are limitless. This is a great way to get your grandkids engaged and thinking creatively. You might end up with peanut butter and mint cookies with Cheerios on top, but you’ll have a blast bonding with your grandkids. Just remember, it’s best to make small batches.

Picnics

Everyone loves a good picnic. Getting away and eating a meal outside is a break in most people’s usual day-to-day, and they’re so easy to organize. Try picking a spot that’s near a nature walk or in a park. After you are done eating you can play and explore until your heart’s content.

Visiting an animal shelter

Visiting an animal shelter is another excellent rainy day activity. Many shelters have rooms for kids, under supervision, to interact and play with cats or dogs. Some shelters will even let you walk the animals. This serves a dual purpose: animals are socialized and more likely to make good pets, and your grandkids will have a blast interacting with them. Visiting animal shelters is also a valuable educational experience. It’s a way to build empathy towards animals, and inspire kids to give back to their communities.

Science experiments

Doing science experiments with your grandkids is educational and fun. It’s important to always keep children engaged with learning, even over the summer, and easy science projects are a great way to get them interested. There is nothing more memorable than watching their faces as they light up with wonder and amazement from a toilet paper rocket blasting off.

 

There are many science kits you can buy online or at the store, but you don’t have to spend a lot to create exciting projects. There are countless DIY experiments you find online. For example, try putting an egg in vinegar and watch as it dissolves the shell. Learn more about how plants grow by putting celery stalks in colored water. Or, you can always do the classic Mentos in diet soda trick to make an explosion–just put safety first, and be ready for some sticky clean-up!

Making jam

Michigan is full of amazing orchards and farms with a ‘pick your own’ option available. The summer offers a variety of fruit to choose from. The most popular ones include strawberries, peaches, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, and raspberries. Native Michigan fruits are a delicious treat when eaten fresh, but you can make them into another fun, educational activity by creating jams and preserves. Everything tastes better homemade, and jams are no exception. They’ll get to see the process from start to finish and bring home a sample of their work.

 

In the summer months, explore different ways you to connect with your grandkids. Michigan has an endless supply of grandchild-friendly activities, meaning long summer days filled with endless smiles and continuous laughter. These are the precious memories that last a lifetime.

 

Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.

 

School News Network: ‘Teamwork makes the dream work’

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Michael Spagnuolo

By School News Network

 

Members of the awards committee for the Michigan Council for Exceptional Children spend hours debating applicants for the Teacher of the Year award. From videos of support to written testimonials, it is evident that each applicant is well-deserving of praise, but Michael Spagnuolo stood out and was named their 2018 Teacher of the Year.

 

Spagnuolo currently serves as the KTC CORE Program Instructor, a specialized training program in partnership with the YMCA that helps equip students with special needs with skills to help them become employable. He also works as the program director for the summer employment program, also for students with special needs.

 

Each day, he uses the motto “teamwork makes the dream work,” to encourage his students and remind them to work together.

 

“Michigan has some of the greatest educators in the country, and I feel incredibly honored and humbled to be the 2018 Teacher of the Year,” Spagnuolo said.

 

Spagnuolo credits his accomplishments to those around him at Kent ISD, Kent Transition Center.

 

“None of the accomplishments I have worked on would have been possible without the dream or the team,” he said. “I am elated to work for an organization that empowers their staff to ensure every student in every classroom achieves every day.”

 

Michael Spagnuolo (far right) with teachers from the KTC Core Program (School News Network)

Reflecting on his award, Spagnuolo dedicates his award to all the exceptional educators in the state of Michigan.

 

“I consider my career path my calling,” he said. “Receiving this award reinforces the joy I receive from being an educator and having the ability to positively impact the youth.”

Pets soothe vets with PTSD

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Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay

 

Service dogs may help reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol in military veterans who have post-traumatic stress disorder, a new study finds.

 

For the study, researchers compared a group of veterans with PTSD who had a service dog to a group of veterans on the waitlist to receive one.

 

“Our previous research suggests that the presence of a service dog reduced clinical PTSD symptoms and improved quality of life,” said study co-leader Maggie O’Haire. She is an assistant professor of human-animal interaction at Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, in West Lafayette, Ind.

 

“In this study, we wanted to determine if those beneficial effects also included changes in the physiology of stress,” O’Haire said in a university news release.

 

The researchers focused on cortisol, a biomarker involved in the stress response system, and one that is detected through saliva.

 

According to study co-leader Kerri Rodriguez, “military veterans with a service dog in the home produced more cortisol in the mornings than those on the wait list.”

 

Rodriguez explained that “this pattern is closer to the cortisol profile expected in healthy adults without PTSD.”

 

In addition, “having a service dog was also associated with less anger, less anxiety and better sleep,” she noted. Rodriguez is a human-animal interaction graduate student.

 

The findings are the first of their kind and offer insight into how service dogs may provide mental health benefits to veterans with PTSD, according to the study authors.

 

The researchers are now conducting a large-scale, long-term U.S. National Institutes of Health clinical trial comparing veterans with service dogs to those without.

 

The report was published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.

 

Benefits of owning a dog:

  • Fight heart disease. Owning a dog has a positive impact on blood pressure, which is one of the main factors in heart attack and stroke, according to Thomas Boyden, MD, MS, Spectrum Health program director of preventive cardiology. The American Heart Association reports a link between pet ownership and lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Studies also show you’ll be more likely to survive a heart attack if you have a dog.
  • Relieve stress. “Being around pets, and dogs in particular, actually changes your body at a hormonal level,” Jared Skillings, PhD, ABPP, Spectrum Health chief of psychology said. Of course, it’s not a cure-all. “Getting a dog won’t cure depression or clinical anxiety, but it certainly can help.”
  • Reduce loneliness. Dogs provide unconditional love. They’re caring, excited to see you and glad to be by your side. Need to talk? “Dogs are good listeners and they’re not going to argue with you,” Dr. Skillings said.
  • Improve sociability. There’s also the added benefit of the camaraderie among dog owners. “Having a dog can connect people to other pet owners, which can reduce isolation, too,” Dr. Skillings said.
  • Inspire exercise. A study published in the journal BMC Public Health said the average dog owner walks 22 minutes more per day than those who don’t own a dog. Daily walks have lots of added benefits, from controlling chronic conditions to burning weight and improving moods.
  • Add purpose. Having a dog or any other pet can give you a reason to get going in the morning. Size doesn’t matter. In fact, cats, horses and birds can all have a similar effect. Even tiny pets—hamsters, mice, fish, insects—can imbue you with a sense of purpose. In one study, elderly people were asked to care for a cage of five crickets. After eight weeks, the people who had the crickets in their homes were less depressed and had better cognitive function than those in the control group.

Is stress or PTSD so common in your life that it feels normal? Do you experience stress or PTSD without even realizing it? For additional infromation, call 616.447.5820 or schedule an appointment with the Spectrum Health Medical Group Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine Program today.

 

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Kentwood continues asking community to help ‘Plan Our Parks’

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As part of its Parks Master Planning events, the City of Kentwood has scheduled an ice cream social today, Aug. 1, at Northeast Park from 6 to 8 p.m.

WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

 

As part of The City of Kentwood continuing effort to seek public input for improving its Parks and Recreation Department programming through a series of Parks Master Planning events, the city has scheduled an ice cream social today, Aug. 1, at Northeast Park from 6 to 8 p.m.

 

Hosted by the city, the event will include complimentary ice cream for participants.

 

Residents of all ages will have the opportunity to help shape the future of Kentwood’s parks by sharing their ideas which will be used as a basis for future parks and recreation development.

 

“We welcome all residents and park users to join us at these events to help plan our parks,” Val Romeo, Kentwood Parks and Recreation director, said in supplied information. “We want to know what improvements the community wants to see. These events offer the perfect platform to share stories and insights as we begin to transform our parks.”

 

Following the event at Northeast Park, other opportunities for input will be offered during other upcoming community events including the Celebrate Kentwood gathering on Aug. 11, and the End of Summer Food Truck Festival on Sept. 15.

 

For more information, please visit Kentwood.us/parks.

 

Clyde Park area remains under water advisory, city awaits test results

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The area marked in black is under a precautionary boil water advisory.

WKTV Staff

joanne@wktv.org

 

NOTE: As of 10:59 p.m. Aug. 2, the precautionary boil water advisory has been lifted and Clyde Park is now fully open to traffic.

 

The City of Wyoming is waiting for water test results to determine if a water advisory issued yesterday can be lifted.

 

Bacteriological test results should be available by midnight tonight, Aug 2.

 

A precautionary boil water advisory was put in place Tuesday evening due to a waterman break on Clyde Park between 26th Street and Cricklewood. About 45 customers are effected by the wtaermanin shutdown. 

 

The area marked in black is under a precautionary boil water advisory.

The break caused a drop in pressure in the City of Wyoming water supply, bacterial contamination may have occurred in the water system. Bacteria are generally not harmful and are common throughout the environment. 

 

What should a resident in the effective area do?

 

Do not drink the water without boiling it first. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and preparing food. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. Continue using boiled or bottled water until further notice.

 

The area marked in black is under a precautionary boil water advisory.

What happen? What is being done?

 

These precautionary actions are being taken due to the loss of water pressure in the water distribution system caused by a water main break on Aug. 1. Whenever a water system loses pressure for any significant length of time, precautionary measures are recommended. When a pressure loss occurs, water from inside a building may back flow into the water supply system.

 

The City has been working to get pressure restored, and water staff will be taking other remedial actions such as flushing and collecting bacteriological samples from around the system. The samples will be collected to determine that the water quality meets the state drinking water standard. Residents will be informed when tests show no bacteria and residents will no longer need to boil water. When water is restored, residents should remove aerators and flush water outlets for a minimum of five minutes. 

 

The boil water notice shall remain in effect until results from the sampling verify the water is safe to drink. Customers will be advised when the boil water advisory has been lifted.

Cat of the week: Craig

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This slideshow requires JavaScript.

By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing

Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet — or few — from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).

 

Volunteer and Wyoming resident Leanne F. is no stranger to the strays in her area, but unfortunately there was one particular cat that was causing quite the commotion this spring (2018) when he kept harassing her newest porch resident who had been hanging around for about 3 months. It had taken about that long for her to gain this fine gray and buff tabby fella’s trust, as he would only appear to eat at her feral cat house when she wasn’t around.

 

Slowly, over time, he began to put on weight and build up his confidence and allow her to win him over. Although she has a heart of gold and will feed whomever is in need, she couldn’t allow this docile, gentle guy whom she nicknamed ‘Gray the Stray’ get the tar beaten out of him, so she enlisted Dr. Jen’s help when he appeared with an infected puncture wound on his head.

 

By the time schedules aligned, the topical medication she’d been applying had allowed the bite to heal and he was happily on the mend, having bonded with Leanne as she lovingly tended to him. However, it didn’t surprise anyone that Craig tested positive for FIV, which is transmitted solely by bite wounds. Even though you can’t find a nicer, more even-tempered cat that Craig here (who was born in the fall of 2016), ya can’t blame a guy for trying to defend himself, even if he failed. Now, he won’t have to worry about that ever again!

 

That. Face.

Once at the clinic Dr. Jen set to work neutering him and getting him program-ready, so this sweetheart could make his way down to our sanctuary in short order. His acclimation period was insignificant, as Craig obviously had been an indoor cat at some point and clearly remembered just how awesome that was. He made friends instantaneously, feline and human alike, and in no time at all had proven himself as one of the most easygoing guys we have. In fact, our cat care director stated that if all of our cats were like Craig, their jobs would be so much easier.

 

Craig is the perfect mix of playful and mellow, relishing time spent napping on the toddler beds as much as he does delighting the volunteers with his enthusiastic lust for life. He could really give or take another cat as a companion when he lands a home of his own, because as long as he has people to please, he is absolutely golden. One-on-one attention is what revs Craig’s engines, and when his rescuer came on shift the first Monday after his arrival, he literally galloped like gangbusters over to see her in response to her voice—how cool is that?

 

He is going to hands down (er, paws down) make the absolute BEST PET for a family who is looking for a fun, fine fella with lots of energy and eagerness to shower his human with affection!

More about Craig:

  • Medium
  • Domestic Short Hair
  • Adult
  • Male
  • Tabby (Gray/Blue/Silver)
  • House-trained
  • Vaccinations up to date
  • Neutered
  • Not declawed
  • Good in a home with other cats, children

Want to adopt Craig? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.

 

To learn about the FIV virus, go here.

 

Interested in volunteering at one of the cat shelters? Email volunteer@crashslanding.org.

Can’t adopt, but still want to help? Find out how you can sponsor a cat!

 

Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary have a common mission: To take at-risk stray cats off the streets of the Greater Grand Rapids area, provide them with veterinary care and house them in free-roaming, no-kill facilities until dedicated, loving, permanent homes can be found.

‘It’s good for everybody’s heart’

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This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Story and photos by Taylor Ballek, Spectrum Health Beat

 

West Michigan’s favorite miniature horse, Charlie, trotted into Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital recently to visit some special kiddos.

 

Leah Davidson, 9, rolled down the hall in her hospital bed to visit Charlie in the playroom. Her mom and staff pushed her bed up to the door and Charlie walked up to the side of her bed to get some love from Leah.

 

She is being treated for osteogenesis imperfecta, a group of inherited disorders characterized by fragile bones that break easily. She smiled from ear to ear as she touched his nose, whispering, “Hi, Charlie.”

 

Photo by Taylor Ballek, Spectrum Health Beat

Charlie’s owner, Ronica Froese, especially enjoys Charlie’s visits to the hospital. They started their therapy visits in 2015 when Charlie was just a year old.

 

“I said if my horse can do this, this is what I want to do with my life,” Froese said. “And it turns out (Charlie) was made for the job.”

 

Froese handed out cards with Charlie’s hoof print on them, as well as small plush horses with Band-Aids on their legs that read, “Get well.”

 

Several children enjoyed their visit with the handsome miniature horse, who sports sneakers and a great attitude.

 

Froese’s favorite part is seeing the children’s big smiles.

 

“It’s good for everybody’s heart,” Froese said.

 

The Child Life team at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is always looking for community visitors to bring activities and events to the hospital for patients. If you are interested in having your group host an event, more information is available online.

 

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Snapshots: Fun things you need to know from Wyoming and Kentwood

By WKTV Staff

victoria@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

"When the flower blossoms, the bee will come." 

                                               ~ Srikumar Rao

The Road Less Traveled

The City of Kentwood announced today that Kalamazoo Avenue from 52nd Street to 60th Street is slated to be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 2 while the road receives a joint repair treatment.

 

Mind the detour. Here are the details.

 

 

 

 

Who knew horticulture could be soooo dramatic?

The MSU Extension Master Gardener Program changes lives. Committed to improving the quality of life in Michigan through horticulture-based volunteerism and beautifying communities throughout the state, the program provides instruction in basic, research-based horticulture science to motivated and active gardeners through an adult (18 years or older) educational program offered by MSU Extension. More info here.

 

Pie in the sky

Carl Sagan once said, “If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.”

 

Failing that, just take this pie crust class at the KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) branch Saturday, Aug. 4th. More info here.

 

You’re welcome.

 

And here you thought you were a superhero

We’ve been fed alternative facts: There is no such thing as multi-tasking. You’re not doing two things at once, you’re switching back and forth. And if you have three or four or five things going, your performance suffers.

 

More here.

 

 

Fun fact:

“Running amok” is a medically
recognized mental condition

Considered a culturally bound syndrome, a person “running amok” in Malaysia commits a sudden, frenzied mass attack, then begins to brood. (Source.)

 

Kentwood’s Kalamazoo Avenue from 52nd Street to 60th Street to be closed Aug. 2

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Kentwood’s Kalamazoo Avenue from 52nd Street to 60th Street to be closed Aug. 2.

 

City of Kentwood

 

The City of Kentwood announced today that Kalamazoo Avenue from 52nd Street to 60th Street is slated to be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 2 while the road receives a joint repair treatment.

 

A detour route will be posted. Traffic delays should be anticipated.

 

The work is part of the City of Kentwood’s ongoing commitment to road repair and maintenance. Kentwood maintains the highest-rated major street network in Kent County according to data compiled by the Grand Valley Metro Council in its 2017 Regional Pavement Condition Survey Report.

 

For more information regarding  Kentwood summer road projects, visit www.kentwood.us.

 

On the shelf: ‘Working Words: Punching the Clock and Kicking Out the Jams’, edited and introduced by M.L. Liebler

Books, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Reviews, , ,

By M. Christine Byron

 

Detroit poet and activist M.L. Liebler has compiled a collection of writing on working by, about, and for the working-class. The 563-page volume features fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoir and song lyrics that chronicle the lives and times of workers over the last 100 years.

 

Ben Hamper states in the foreword “poets, rock stars, filmmakers, activists, novelists and historians lend their voices to this landmark collection about the daily grind.” Eminent American literary figures include Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, and Willa Cather among others. Activists include Woody Guthrie, Dorothy Day and Daniel Berrigan. There are 24 Michigan writers featured in the collection including Anne-Marie Oomen, Bonnie Jo Campbell, Michael Moore, Lolita Hernandez and Dudley Randall.

 

A teacher at Wayne State University, Liebler was inspired in part by his own working-class upbringing as well as classroom necessity. Instead of photocopying pages and pages for his Labor Studies class, he has gathered a rich compendium of Working Words in a single volume.

 

As Michael Moore has stated, “M.L. Liebler is the poet laureate of America’s working class. The collection he has assembled rings out with truth, intensity and love.”

Too soon to talk school?

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Your little one’s first day back to school isn’t that far off. Now is the time to think about new strategies for a productive school year. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Sue Gunnink, Spectrum Health Beat

 

It’s always difficult transitioning from the laid-back summer schedule to the hectic schedule of the school year.

 

It usually takes a good month or so to get back into the groove, at least to where you feel confident everyone in your household is back on track.

 

And once you’ve gotten into the groove again, don’t you wish you could keep it going all year long? Wouldn’t it be great to keep everything running smoothly ’til next June?

 

It just so happens that a few handy tips can keep your family functioning like a well-oiled machine, at least when it comes to nutrition and meal preparation.

 

We all know that one of the best tools in the toolbox is the lunchbox.

Here’s how to keep your meals on track all year long:

Pack ahead

Pack lunches the night before to avoid the rush in the morning. This gives you more time to plan meals, which increases the chances you’ll select nutritious foods. Have your kids get involved in the lunch packing, too. They’re more likely to eat the food in their lunch when they’re involved in the process.

 

Be a portion pro

To simplify lunch preparation, cut your fruit into individual portions for the week. For example: If you have three kids and want them to have fruit each day of the week, you can cut 15 containers of fruit on Sunday night.

 

Get stocked and ready

For after-school snacks, consider stocking healthier items that are easy to grab, such as trail mix, unbuttered popcorn, or peanut butter on sliced apples or pears.

 

Coordinate schedules

Plan dinners in advance. On Sunday night, take a moment to survey your family’s schedule for the coming the week, identifying nights that involve sports practice, school activities, special events and so forth. Plan the meals accordingly. Consider having one night where your child is responsible for coming up with a meal.

 

Prep and freeze

Consider preparing and freezing meals well in advance. Once every few months, you can make a large batch of a particular food item, such as lasagna, then divide it into dinner portions. These can be frozen and labeled for easy use later on.

 

Are you interested in learning more about balanced nutrition? Schedule a personalized appointment with a Spectrum Health registered dietitian or call 616.391.1875 to register for a group class series.

 

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

 

 

School News Network: Coalition launches new vision for education

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‘Launch Michigan’ members vowed to develop an agenda for implementing research-driven strategies for a student-centered system that will extend beyond politics and election cycles to give educators the support necessary to encourage, inspire and improve student performance

By Ron Koehler

School News Network

 

Mark your calendar and cross your fingers.

 

Business leaders, school management organizations, teacher and school staff associations and philanthropic groups are joining forces to make public education the cornerstone of Michigan’s continued economic recovery.

 

Launch Michigan, “a diverse, never-before assembled group of business, education, labor, philanthropic state and community leaders,” announced their desire to set aside differences and create a common agenda to improve and better support Michigan’s education system, in a news conference June 20 at the Impression 5 Science Center in Lansing.

 

So what, you may ask.  What’s so unusual about all groups coming together to solve a problem?  Unfortunately, it’s quite unusual.

 

School leaders could be criticized for having a bunker mentality, hunkering down in the face of criticism.  Business leaders sometimes criticize without really trying to find a solution. Policy makers sometimes react to headlines without trying to determine the root cause of a problem.  There is no one place or institution to draw disparate parties together, which makes it difficult to come together for a common purpose — or even to identify a common purpose.

 

Fortunately, we have a new set of leaders who have set the past aside in hopes of forging a different future.  Rob Fowler of the Small Business Association of Michigan led the way by joining the School Finance Research Collaborative, asserting it is essential for all to have a common understanding of what the experts say is necessary — financially, at least — to achieve the standards Michigan has set for its students and schools.

 

The Business Leaders for Michigan took a leadership role by saying education is too important a piece of the essential infrastructure for economic growth to allow the current conditions to continue.  Both recognized the states that have significantly improved their educational outcomes found business leaders were the catalyst for change.

 

So, to “Launch” this initiative, the new partners came to the podium two-by-two, with Business Leaders for Michigan’s Doug Rothwell and Michigan Education Association’s Paula Herbart joining together to proclaim the new partnership “a nonpartisan issue … critical to making Michigan a place that we can all live, work, raise a family and call home.”

 

Broad and Bipartisan Representation

 

Members — ranging from the American Federation of Teachers, the Detroit Regional Chamber, the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, Kent ISD and all of the major Michigan education organizations — vowed to develop an agenda for implementing research-driven strategies for a student-centered system that will extend beyond politics and election cycles to give educators the support necessary to encourage, inspire and improve student performance.

 

Since this is nonpartisan, and the Michigan Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers were invited to the party, I suppose it’s safe to paraphrase Democratic political consultant James Carville, best known for his advice to Bill Clinton during his presidential campaign against incumbent George H.W. Bush. “It’s the economy, stupid,” Carville said in 1992 and, were he in Michigan today, he’d likely say something equally pithy about education.

 

Thanks to Business Leaders for Michigan, the Small Business Association of Michigan and the regional chambers that have signed on to this coalition for recognizing we need all segments of the school community, and the communities they serve, to rebuild our education system.

 

Teachers, be they affiliated with a bargaining unit or not, are our most important investment in the education system.  They are an integral part of any reform, and it’s reassuring our business partners recommended their inclusion in Launch Michigan.

 

We’ve been divided too long.  Superintendents and their associations shouldn’t be negatively judged for trying to work cooperatively with the associations representing their staff.

 

To bring 100 percent of Michigan’s 1.5 million students to proficiency, we must stop pointing fingers and instead extend our hands to forge relationships and partnerships to better understand, and resolve, the inequities and misplaced priorities that result in underachievement.

 

It’s difficult to predict exactly what will come of this new alliance.  We can hope it resembles the close working relationship developed between business and education in West Michigan, where school superintendents and the captains of industry are working to better understand the skills students need to build successful careers, and to make sure they attain those skills.

 

It’s great to see our work recognized and modeled across the state. Godspeed.

 

Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.

Master Gardener Program teaches horticulture and changes lives

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Photo of Daniel Miraval by Abbey Miller, Michigan State University Extension

By Abbey Miller, Michigan State University Extension

 

Twenty-seven years ago, the Michigan State University (MSU) Extension Master Gardener Program changed Daniel Miraval’s life.

 

“I was an at-risk youth from the southwest side of Detroit and was given a scholarship to attend a Master Gardener Program, which I successfully completed,” Miraval said. “That program led me into an amazing 26-year-career in horticulture and arboriculture.”

 

“For me it was the first opportunity to actually engage in an advanced training related to my job which was in the green industry. I learned the basic building blocks and foundation of horticulture and arboriculture. Upon realizing that it was actually a learnable discipline, it was then I decided to stick with it as a career. It would be much later that I used that to make it a profession.”

 

The MSU Extension Master Gardener Program is an adult horticulture education and volunteer leader program committed to improving the quality of life in Michigan through horticulture-based volunteerism and beautifying communities throughout the state. The program provides instruction in basic, research-based horticulture science to motivated and active gardeners through an adult (18 years or older) educational program offered by MSU Extension. Once trained, Master Gardeners educate others in the community about environmentally and economically sound practices through horticulture-based volunteer activities.

 

In 1991 at 19 years old, Miraval did not have a clear picture of what he wanted to do. He struggled in school, eventually dropping out, and he had been in trouble with the law as a juvenile. Miraval needed a job and applied for a position at Marvin’s Gardens, a small landscape company, owned by Marvin Welch Jr.

 

“I’ve always said that the green industry saved my life,” Miraval said. “Had I not been given this opportunity, I may very well not have ended up as successful and accomplished as I have or be dead or in jail or prison.”

 

Shortly after starting at Marvin’s Gardens, Miraval realized that he had an affinity for and wanted to pursue a career in landscaping because as he says, “landscaping leaves a lasting mark.”

 

Welch showed an interest in Miraval’s progress and suggested Miraval take a Master Gardener class.

 

“He gave me a phone number for the Master Gardener Program,” Miraval said. “I called, they said the price and it was beyond my ability to pay.”

 

However, there was a hardship scholarship program. Welch advised Miraval to tell his story in a letter of application for the scholarship.

 

Miraval received the scholarship and attended the Master Gardener class. Looking back, Miraval recalls this class was one of the first major commitments he had ever made in his life.

 

“I was intimidated by Michigan State University in the title of the class,” Miraval said. “I didn’t graduate high school, but now was doing something with MSU.”

 

“The Master Gardener course provided me with the opportunity to explore the industry and guide me — it saved my life. I would not have put into practice follow-through and commitment. That was my first lesson. Taking the class opened doors for me. It also reaffirmed the fact that being broke is economic, but being poor is a debilitating state of mind. It taught me that when you do find success, you use it as a tool.

 

“I still refer to the Master Gardener curriculum from time to time,” he said. “The foundation of what I have learned as an arborist is in here [the Master Gardener curriculum] and whoever provided the funding that let me participate 27 years ago, when I had nothing, saved my life.”

 

Miraval credits the MSU Master Gardener program for helping people like him, who may not have succeeded in traditional education platforms, still attain levels of industry professionalism. He gives full recognition of his success today to where becoming a professional began for him in Welch’s class.

 

Following the class, Welch continued to serve as Miraval’s first mentor, but certainly was not his last mentor.

 

“Marvin said I should work for a nursery – a big one. Vidosh was one of those he suggested,” Miraval said.

 

During a job interview, Miraval recalled that Bruce White, Vidosh Landscape Center owner and operator and MSU horticulture graduate, asked what his 3- to 5-year plan was. Miraval told him he wanted to be like White. Miraval was offered the job where he continued to learn more about the green industry.

 

“Bruce was the one who recognized my passion for wanting to be a better person and to be part of a winning team,” Miraval said. “He was the one who taught me about hard work and following through with everything you set out to do. He really took me under his wing with the specific intention of recreating me. He became my mentor a month after I graduated from the Master Gardener class when I walked into his office, certificate and test score in hand, looking for more than a job but an opportunity. He served as a mentor for 19 years.”

 

Miraval then met White’s brother, Wayne White, owner of Emerald Tree Care LLC and MSU forestry graduate.

 

“Wayne has been a mentor of increasing involvement for the last 10 years, but his influence, commitment to my success and leaving a legacy has been an intense focus for the last 5 years. He is a true champion of mine and how my taking the steps and action to become a Master Gardener showed my passion for the green industry but more importantly it showed my determination to better myself by utilizing whatever means necessary and for me the first step was the Master Gardener Program.

 

“I think the bottom line is these mentors all taught me the basics of self-motivation, follow-through, work ethic and taking action,” Miraval said. “That seems to be what the Master Gardener Program scholarship contained. Being made available by some endowment I would imagine. I wish I could find out who those people were, and if they are still around, so I could personally thank each one of them. They believed in me without even knowing who I was. I want them to know that the program was a success for me and thank them. Every program needs metrics to prove its worth. I really don’t know what else to say other than thank you and the Master Gardener Program was like a magic carpet.”

 

Miraval continues to be surrounded by mentors that encourage his success and teach him lessons to live by. As he pursues Advanced Credentials in the Green Industry, he came in contact with Steve Martinko of Contenders Tree and Lawn, LLC from White Lake, Michigan. Steve has been a friend and mentor that has helped Miraval plan for the next ten years in his business.

 

Today, Miraval is a certified arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and a co-owner of Green Extraction Technologies LLC, based near Chicago. They specialize in root collar excavation, corrective pruning and provide contract digging services for nurseries and specialized plant health care for residents, homeowner associations, municipalities and other organized properties. Among Miraval’s clients are Virginia farms Ingleside Plantation Nurseries, located on over 2,500 acres with 1,000 acres of nursery production, and White House Natives, LLC, dedicated to growing and harvesting 96 different species of native plant materials on their 25 acre site.

 

In addition to being a professional ISA member, Miraval serves on the Chicago Region Trees Initiative Tree Risk Management work group and is an Openlands TreeKeeper. He is also a member of the Tree Care Industry Association and the Illinois Arborist Association, of which he is a current board nominee. He is a certified tree safety person (CTSP), a certified Illinois pesticide applicator and an Illinois real estate agent.

 

“When I decided to become a an ISA–certified arborist, I reached back to the Master Gardener Program in respect to compartmentalizing how again this daunting advanced studying I wanted to do was similar to the Master Gardener Program. The information is there, it’s well presented and laid out, and all you have to do is apply yourself and inject your passion, and success is imminent.

 

“I hope my story inspires someone else or at least the people who make the policies that make these programs possible so they continue to fund them.

 

“The green industry is a very powerful industry in many ways. Trees are life. They saved mine and now I save theirs.”

 

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Multitasking: More myth than magic

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In a tech-centric world, it’s tough on the brain to focus on any one thing as it’s bombarded with data. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Don Shell, Spectrum Health Beat

 

It was another typically busy day.

 

In between testing patients, Michael Lawrence, PhD, ABPP-CN, a clinical neuropsychologist with Spectrum Health Medical Group, found himself answering instant messages and emails, grabbing a quick lunch, calling AT&T about his cell phone bill, racing to Blodgett Hospital for a meeting, and reading an article a certain Health Beat reporter had sent him for an interview.

 

If that sounds all-too familiar to you, you’re not alone. But if you think you’re multitasking, what you’re really doing is kidding yourself, Dr. Lawrence said.

 

“We all have to do it to some extent,” he said. “But we know multitasking is a misnomer. We have to be aware that you’re not doing two things at work, you’re switching back and forth. If we have three or four or five things, our performance suffers.

 

“The problem is, we don’t know how to deal with technology. We’re bombarded by things.”

 

Our cell phone addictions are doing more than stifling our real-world social lives: they’re stifling our creativity, too, Dr. Lawrence said.

 

“We used to think that different parts of the brain were responsible for controlling different abilities, but what we’ve learned with recent advances in neuroscience is that actually your brain is networked together,” he said. “The Default Mode Network, the DMN, actually encompasses the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system. That’s the part of the brain that turns on when you’re at a resting state. And studies have shown that creativity is increased when you do nothing at all first.

 

There’s an app for that

 

New app helps track your cell phone addiction.

 

Are you addicted to your cell phone? If you’re like a growing number of Americans, the answer is probably yes – and it’s likely worse than you thought.

 

Enter the new app called Moment, which can track just how often you check your messages, emails, Facebook or anything else.

 

You can even set daily limits on yourself and force yourself off your device when you’re over your limit.

 

“It’s the last thing you look at before you go to bed, and the first thing you wake up to,” Dr. Lawrence said. “That’s why this Moment app is so interesting. I don’t think people realize how addicted they are to their phones.”

“When you’re doing too much at once, this area of the brain is burning too much energy, and your capacity to do any one thing suffers.”

 

This flies in the face of the common belief that things such as music can help increase focus and productivity, Dr. Lawrence said, but that doesn’t mean people can’t juggle tasks at all.

 

“I think you can do two things at once, but the problem is, you don’t do any one thing as well,” he explained. “The research says the quieter the environment, the more sterile, the better you do. People say they focus better with music, but your brain has to turn on to process music, and if it’s expending energy to process music, that’s energy it’s not using on whatever else you’re doing.”

 

The multitasking myth isn’t age-specific, either.

 

“They talk about kids with video games, but I think adults are even worse,” he said. “I went to a meeting the other day and everyone was on their cell phone. They say technology is making everybody ADD. It makes our lives better in some way, but at what cost? There has to be some moderation.”

 

Dr. Lawrence said he has a simple way to fight the anxiety of overstimulation.

 

“We all have that feeling, when we’re being pulled in a million different directions,” he said. “When I do it, I realize it and get anxious. What’s the first thing I do? I turn off everything–my cell phone and email–and create a checklist of the things I need to do. That helps me focus and prioritize what I need to do.”

 

The bottom line, says Dr. Lawrence, “We have to learn to adapt, because technology isn’t going away.”

 

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

 

Snapshots: Fun news you need to know from Wyoming and Kentwood

Citizen Journalism, , , , , ,

WKTV Staff

joanne@wktv.org

 

 

Quote of the Day

"I could never resist the call of the trail."  - Buffalo Bill

 

Take a Hike

 

For most of West Michigan, the weather is supposed to be fairly decent on Sunday depending on where you are. This means it will be a great weekend to hit the trails and go exploring. West Michigan has an incredible trail system. My personal favorite is walking the Kent Trails until I get to 84th Street in Byron Centre and then heading over to Houseman’s for an ice cream. (Trust me I’ve earned it by then!)  For more trailblazing ideas, we turn to our friends at the West Michigan Tourist Association who have put together some really cool trail adventures. And we are totally with WMTA when they say “whether you’re traveling by foot or by bike, once you’ve experienced West Michigan immersive trails, you’ll have a hard time getting back in the car at the end of the day.” Amen to that. For more, click here.

 

The Neighbors are having a Party

 

The annual Byron Days Festival takes place this weekend with Saturday being packed full of activities from a pancake breakfast at 7:30 a.m. to a 10:30 a.m. parade and fireworks at dusk. In between there are all kinds of activities such as a classic car show, music, family movies, and food. For more on the event, click here.

 

 

 

The Good Blob

 

A boat owner pulled their pontoon out of Juno Lake (Cass County, in southern Michigan), and discovered a weird, alien-looking, gelatinous blob attached to it below the water line. Was it an invasive species? Toxic algae? Eggs of an alien from outer space!?

 

Jo Latimore from the Michigan State University Extension actually says these blobs are a good thing. To learn more, click here.

 

 

 

Be Involved and be informed

 

In WKTV’s continuing quest to help residents be informed, we take a look at the State House of Representative candidates that are seeking their party’s spot in the upcoming Aug. 7 primary. In the 72nd District race there are two Republican candidates and in the 77th District, there are two Republicans and two Democrats. For more, click here.

 

Fun Fact:

Rollo or Reginald

Those were the names considered for that famous red-nosed reindeer. Rollo was rejected because it sounded too sunny or happy and Reginald was rejected because it was too British. You can catch Rudolph and the gang this November when the musical makes it way to DeVos Performance Hall.

Grand Rapids Public Museum hosts special ‘Be the Astronaut’ planetarium evening

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Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium is located in the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Supplied)

By Christie Bender

Grand Rapids Public Museum

 

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) is hosting a special evening planetarium event Do You Have What It Takes to Be an Astronaut, including a special spotlighted showing of Space School and opportunities for attendees to relax, socialize and learn more in-depth about astronomy.

 

Take part in the full astronaut experience on August 2, Do You Have What It Takes to Be an Astronaut? will test your skills and knowledge of space flight. Start the evening in the planetarium watching Space School, a new documentary based planetarium show, to learn the incredible story of how astronauts train underwater to live and work in space. Missions will be given to participants to see if they can complete the tasks and reach their destination!

 

After Space School, visitors can take command of space vehicles through video game technology in the Museum’s summer exhibition, Be The Astronaut. In a special guided-tour with an expert, visitors will chart their course to the Moon, Mars and beyond. The exhibition features detailed digital recreations of actual places in the solar system built using data from NASA space probes.

 

Tickets are $8 for Museum members and $12 for non-members. GRPM doors open at 7 p.m., with the planetarium show beginning at 7:30.

 

The GRPM will host another evening planetarium show, Night Sky Trivia, on Thursday, September 6 to learn about the night sky and test your astronomy trivia knowledge!

 

September 6 – Night Sky Trivia

 

Explore the night sky inside and out! Start by learning end-of-summer constellations and current astronomy events in the GRPM’s Chaffee Planetarium. Participate in an extended version of the Under Scorching Skies live show to delve into the current astronomical events.

 

Following the planetarium show, venture outside for telescopic observations with the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association (GRAAA). See what you can find in the night sky above the city, with a star chart and astronomy experts to guide you. Participants can plan to see Saturn, Jupiter and Mars, as well as some of the very brightest stars such as those that make up the Summer Triangle.

 

*Outdoor observation is weather-dependent, and alternate indoor activities will include a trivia tournament in the newly renovated Meijer Theater.

 

Tickets for Night Sky Trivia are $8 for Museum members and $12 for non-members and can be purchased at grpm.org.

 

On the shelf: ‘We Learn Nothing: Essays and Cartoons’ by Tim Kreider

Books, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Reviews, , , ,

By Lisa Boss, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main Branch

 

“Fourteen years ago, I was stabbed in the throat. This is kind of a long story and less interesting than it sounds…”

 

Ack! Quite an opening…

 

So, the author’s humor can be a bit dark at times as he illustrates a wide selection of intriguing people, unusual situations, and their moral ambiguities. Cartoons compliment the essays, adding unusual layers. The tone is deeply funny, but in a compassionate way, as he tears into the foibles of human nature. Oddly, with each chapter I felt I liked people more — that in life it isn’t so much “how could this happen?”, but as he wonders, “why doesn’t this happen all the time?”

 

Like the NASA astronaut who drove cross-country in a diaper to confront and dispatch her rival. Initially, the author’s “unhealthy empathy” for her, seems farfetched. But as he leads us along, revealing more and more similarities to our own lives, we’re willing to agree that in some way, “We’ve all worn the diaper.”

 

Kreider says, “turning pain into laughter is my job, and it’s the best you can do sometimes, but it’s a sad impotent sort of solace…”. He does more though, in these thoughtful essays, by revealing the thinness of the line between us and them.

 

It could be the Mennonite upbringing, but for a man who tries for a secular outlook, he seems grounded in “family values”. Proustian themes of time, community, and family, are the backbone of his writing, and the question of how can we truly “know” anyone, even ourselves.

Even your bed may get smarter

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This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

By Spectrum Health Beat Staff; photos by Chris Clark

 

Imagine snoozing comfortably at home while your bed measures your heart rate and breathing—and enters those vital signs into your medical record.

 

Imagine tapping an app on your smartphone when you want to ask your doctor about a new symptom.

 

As health care technology gets smarter—and more personal—patients will find new ways to monitor their medical conditions and connect with medical experts.

 

Spectrum Health staff got a glimpse of products under development recently at an open house organized by Spectrum Health Innovations. Two companies involved in the Seamless Accelerator, a collaboration of startups and industry leaders, displayed their new devices to get reaction from the experts.

A bed that communicates

Hoana Medical, a Honolulu-based company, showed off its LifeBed system, a mattress coverlet embedded with sensors that measure vital signs. It detects heart and respiration rates—and can indicate whether the patient is in bed.

 

Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat

Staff can view the data at a central nursing station or on a handheld device, such as a smartphone.

 

The device aims to eliminate the need to attach sensors, electrodes, cuffs and other monitoring equipment directly to the patient, said Edward Chen, president and chief operating officer of Hoana.

 

“I think in a med-surg world it could be beneficial to have this continuous monitoring available,” said Liz Schulte, an inpatient nursing supervisor at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital.

 

A rise in breathing or heart rate could indicate a patient is experiencing more pain, for example, prompting the nurse to check in. Or it might signal that a confused patient is becoming agitated, perhaps planning to get out of bed to use the bathroom.

 

“We can go in there and proactively act on that,” Schulte said. “A bed alarm is good only once a patient gets out of bed.”

 

The smartphone connection would be a big plus, she added. It would allow a nurse to view vital signs for a number of patients from any location.

 

The LifeBed system plugs directly into the wall, but also can operate wirelessly.

 

“It simplifies the process of having to move monitors,” Chen said. “It has been tested in ambulances and helicopters. Imagine deploying it for large-scale emergency triage on stretchers.”

 

Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat

The version displayed at Spectrum Health is intended for use in the medical-surgical, acute care or home care settings. A steady stream of nurses, doctors and therapists filed through the two-hour open house. Some tried out apps and lay on the LifeBed, watching their vital signs appear on a smartphone screen.

 

“I really thought the vital sign communication with electronic capability was great,” said Laura McPherson, pediatric lead therapist in respiratory care at Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.

 

The system would be even better, she said, if it could be converted to a hardback surface, which would be useful in reviving a patient in cardiac arrest.

 

“This could be the total package,” she said.

A doctor-patient app

Friendly Health Technologies of San Ramon, California, presented information on software and apps that connect patients with their doctor or other medical care providers.

 

Patients could log in to the app on a tablet or smartphone to report common illnesses.

 

The app asks a series of follow-up questions, using evidence-based guidelines, and enters the information into the individual’s medical record. The physician or care provider can then prescribe medication or request a face-to-face visit.

 

The company would adapt the software for different medical specialties, tweaking the questions to match the issues patients are likely to report.

 

“I’d like to see it in action,” Ginny Richards, a Spectrum Health Medical Group nurse educator, said of the telemedicine app. “It might have good potential for families that are reluctant to call.”

 

Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat

Customer validation is “an absolute necessity in product development,” said Brent Mulder, PhD, senior director of Spectrum Health Innovations. “If they get that extremely valuable feedback, it can validate their current course of action or cause a course correction.”

 

Spectrum Health is one of seven partners in the Seamless Accelerator, a collaboration that gives entrepreneurs access to industry expertise while offering experts the chance to influence the direction of next-generation devices.

About enhancing health

The evolving health care technology field encompasses a number of user-friendly apps and gadgets in development that will make it easier for patients to stay on top of their health care, said Eric Topol, MD, the author of several books, including “The Patient Will See You Now: The Future of Medicine is in Your Hands.”

 

They include:

  • A bandage that monitors how a wound is healing and delivers medication when needed
  • A ring that detects when a patient is asleep or awake and can be used in at-home sleep studies
  • A tiny device that measures blood sugar levels—without a needle poke or drop of blood. Someday, Dr. Topol predicts, “Fingersticks for glucose will be obsolete.”

Already on the market is an ear scope that attaches to a smartphone. When parents suspect their child has an ear infection, they can capture a video of the inside of the child’s ears and send it to the doctor for diagnosis.

 

Consumer-focused “on-demand medicine” can mean more efficient care, Topol said at a recent speaking engagement. Research shows the average wait for a doctor’s appointment is 2.6 weeks. And once they arrive at the office, patients wait, on average, 61 minutes.

 

By communicating electronically with their doctor or running basic tests with their smart phone, patients can save time and often rest comfortably at home when they aren’t feeling well.

 

“It’s really about enhancing the health of humans,” he said.

 

Learn more about new forms of health care technology at Spectrum Health Innovations and to learn about e-doctor appointments, visit the MedNow website or call 844.322.7374.

 

Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Employment Expertise: How to find a registered apprenticeship opportunity

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By West Michigan Works!

 

Apprenticeships have long played a major role in training America’s skilled workers, combining classroom learning, on-the-job training and wages that increase as skills are learned. Apprentices not only get paid while learning the skills for a high-demand job, they earn a nationally recognized industry certification.

 

With all these benefits, it’s easy to see why many job seekers are looking for apprenticeship opportunities.

 

What do employers look for in an apprentice?

 

Apprentices go to school for 2-4 years while working full time; they need to balance work, school and life. Employers are looking for individuals who are willing to commit to the process, are dependable, have a positive work ethic and a willingness to learn.

 

How can I find an apprenticeship opportunity?

 

Most often, employers with apprenticeship programs enter existing workers into their programs instead of hiring someone to enter directly into the program.

 

Custom Profile, a manufacturer in Grand Rapids, is one of many West Michigan employers who use apprenticeships to train their workforce.

 

“Our apprenticeship programs allow us to give our employees something really valuable: a chance to learn new skills,” said Jenny Redes, human resources manager at Custom Profile.

 

You can find employers in your area with apprenticeship programs by searching Career One Stop. Once you’ve identified employers with programs, check job search websites like indeed.com or mitalent.org to see if they have any openings. Apply for an entry-level position, express your interest in an apprenticeship and then show them that you’re worth investing in!

 

“One of our employees has been with us for twenty years. Through apprenticeship, he was able to get the skills needed to move up within the company,” Redes said. “We were so excited to see him take advantage of this opportunity!”

 

Occasionally, West Michigan Works! will have a cohort-style apprenticeship program, such as the Medical Assistant Registered Apprenticeship program. Check jobs.westmiworks.org for current opportunities and application periods.

 

Or visit a West Michigan Works! service center and ask to meet with a talent development specialist. They can help you with job search, resume writing, interviewing skills and connections with potential employers.

 

Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.

Air Supply’s weekend concert at Meijer Gardens postponed until Aug. 16

Entertainment, Upcoming Events,
Air Supply. (Supplied/Denise Truscello)

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

 

Announced today, the Air Supply concert at the Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheater, originally scheduled for Sunday, July 29, has been postponed until Thursday, Aug. 16.

 

A statement from the band reads:

 

“It is with deep regret that for the first time in their 40-year history Air Supply has been forced to cancel a pair of dates this weekend — including the show this Sunday, July 29 at Meijer Gardens — following Russell Hitchcock’s recent emergency shoulder surgery. As a result, doctors have ordered Russell to rest and recuperate before continuing with the tour. However, this show is now rescheduled for Thursday, August 16th and we are excited that Air Supply will be able to perform at Meijer Gardens in just a few weeks! All previously purchased tickets will be honored at the new date.”

 

Meijer Gardens adds that fans that are unable to attend the new date may request a refund at their point of purchase. Refunds must be requested by Aug. 3. For credit card refunds, please email customerservice@startickets.com or call 1-800-585-3737. For cash refunds, please visit the main admission desk at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.

 

For more information visit meijergardens.com .

 

‘Full-grown’ guitar wunderkind Jonny Lang to flash ‘Signs’ at 20 Monroe Live

Entertainment, Local Entertainment, Reviews, Upcoming Events,
Jonny Lang. (Supplied/Daniella Hovsepian)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

It’s a cliche story often told — 15-year-old blues guitar prodigy’s debut goes platinum — but it has been 20-or-so years since Jonny Lang first invaded headphones and loudspeakers with the album Wander This World and its earworm single by the same name.

 

Now, at age 36 and with his latest of six studio releases on the streets, 2017’s Signs, Lang is, as Muddy Waters once sang, “a man, I’m a full-grown man, I’m a man, I’m a rollin’ stone.”

 

Jonny Lang will be rollin’ into Grand Rapids to play 20 Monroe Live on Friday, Aug. 10, at 7 p.m. Tickets are still available.

 

“I got married, had kids, and that arc has been recorded on albums along the way,” Lang describes his life and music, in supplied material. “There is a lot of personal history in there, and also some things that relate to world events.”

 

With Signs, he says, he is not merely returning to his guitar-based beginnings, but an embodiment of an even more elemental sound. Beyond focusing attention on his soloing prowess, it is about recapturing the spirit of the early blues, where the guitar was front and center, “leaping out of the speakers,” he says.

 

“A lot of my earlier influences have been coming to the surface, like Robert Johnson, and Howlin’ Wolf,” Lang said in supplied material. “I have been appreciating how raw and unrefined that stuff is. I had an itch to emulate some of that and I think it shows in the songs. Still, I let the writing be what it was and that was sometimes not necessarily the blues. … Some of the songs are autobiographical, but not usually in a literal way.”

 

Now a year into his living with taking Signs onto the road, some of the songs have made their way into his set lists, most notably “Signs” and “Bring Me Home”, but a scan of his latest concerts on setlist.fm show he looks backwards, forwards and sideways on a nightly basis.

 

Lang also reportedly breaks out the slide guitar for “Signs” — maybe my favorite single instrument — and blurs a personal story with the strange, strange events of today’s America and world.

 

“I try to disregard politics as much as I can, but it seems like every day when you wake up there is something else crazy going on — not normal crazy, but more like movie script crazy,” he said in supplied material.

 

20 Monroe Live is located at 11 Ottawa Avenue NW, in downtown Grand Rapids. Tickets range from $35-$60 and can be purchased at livenation.com .

 

 

Kent County Board of Commissioners, Sheriff explain ICE contract 

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Crime Prevention, Our Cities, Politics

 

Kent County Board of Commission

 

At last month’s Board of Commissioners meeting, several community members and representatives of Movimiento Cosecha GR shared concerns about a contract between the Kent County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division, commonly known as ICE. Unfortunately, the meeting was temporarily suspended due to an interruption in the public comment process.

 

Representatives from the Administrator’s Office have invited Movimiento Cosecha GR leaders to meet about their concerns and hope to speak with them directly.

 

The Commission is committed to hearing public comments as it is an important element of our democracy that allows people to communicate directly with their government officials. In order to make sure all residents have an ability to participate, several years ago various rules were established that apply to everyone.

 

Since the June meeting of the Board of Commissioners, there have been several questions raised in the community about the ICE Contract with the Kent County Sheriff’s Department, including what the contract entails and the role of the Sheriff and Board of Commissioners. We believe it is important for the public to know the following:

 

Sheriff policy  and practice

 

Sheriff deputies do not make arrests on civil immigration charges. The Sheriff decided years ago not to seek the required, special authority to make these types of arrests.

 

Sheriff’s Department staff members working at the jail make no determinations regarding the validity of an arrest or the appropriateness of charges. They work to treat every inmate in a humane manner, with high levels of respect.

 

When an individual is arrested for an alleged criminal act and taken to Kent County Correctional Facility, fingerprints are submitted to the State and Federal government. Submission of fingerprints is not optional for the Sheriff Department or any local law enforcement agency – with or without an ICE contract. State and Federal laws require correctional facilities to fingerprint all individuals and send those prints to both databases to confirm their identification. When the FBI receives these prints, the Secure Communities Program (www.ice.gov/secure-communities) requires prints be shared with the Department of Homeland Security. It is this interplay between the FBI and Homeland Security that can trigger action by ICE.

 

In 2017, the Kent County Correctional Facility processed 23,455 people. In less than 0.8 percent of those arrests – 185 individuals – ICE submitted paperwork to detain individuals with immigration infractions that could, upon conviction, result in the individual serving jail time.

 

The scope of services under the ICE contract signed by the Sheriff in August 2012 is very limited, and includes:

 

The provision of temporary secure housing for persons who are facing federal immigration charges detained by and under the authority of the federal government at a current rate of $85 per day.

 

It also limits the housing of individuals held under the authority of the federal government to no more than 72 hours to make sure the federal government either takes custody of the individuals being held or removes the hold, so they can be released.

 

Board of Commissioners’ role

 

The Board of Commissioners has no direct oversight of or control over this agreement.

 

The Sheriff is a Michigan constitutionally-elected official, and pursuant to state law, the Sheriff has the authority to enter into and manage the contract because state law provides the office of County Sheriff with significant latitude in running the jail. The Board is prepared to receive comment on the contract and can facilitate discussion on the topic, but it does not have legal authority to either terminate or renew the agreement.

 

The concerns expressed by Movimiento Cosecha GR about the separation of families arise from Federal immigration law and the activities of Federal agencies including ICE. Federal immigration law can only be changed by federal lawmakers. Neither the County Board of Commissioners nor the County Sheriff can control or change these laws.

 

‘WKTV Journal’ uncorks some unique Michigan wineries in latest segment

3-bottom, Travel, , , , , , ,

 

WKTV Staff

joanne@wktv.org

 

Wine has been a part of the Michigan’s history since the late 1600s. However, the current trend of smaller individual wineries have been growing and developing since the mid-1970s and have lead to a robust wine industry in Michigan making winery tours a popular summer activity.

 

Round Barn Winery is an easy day trip from the Kentwood/Wyoming area.

Jeremy Witt, from the West Michigan Tourist Association, stopped by the station to talk about some of the many West Michigan wineries area residents can visit. Some of the highlights are Round Barn Winery, which is an iconic stop on the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail; Old Mission Peninsula located in the Traverse City area; and Castle Farms which recently opened the 1918 Cellar Wines Tasting Room.

 

The interview was part of our latest WKTV Journal newscast that is currently running on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel. The newscast airs at 7 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m. Friday, and 9 p.m. Monday.

 

All of the WKTV Journal newscasts are available on WKTV’s YouTube channel, WKTVVideos, and then go to playlists and click WKTV Journal 2018.

Wyoming Lions Club hosts free vision screening

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, , ,

According to educational experts, 80 percent of learning is visual. So if a child can’t see well, he can’t learn. Yet most young children don’t get their vision screened until they have problems learning or paying attention in school, which maybe too late. Unless vision problems are detected early and corrected, those problems may become permanent by age seven.

 

On Wednesday, Aug. 1, the Wyoming Lions Club will be hosting a free vision screening from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m at the Byron Community Ministries, 8250 Byron Creek Dr. SW.

 

The goal of the screening is to determine if glasses are needed. There are no age restrictions. Parents and families are invited to bring their children to Byron Center community Ministries for vision screening to make they are on the way to learning in the fall.

 

For more information about the screening, visit 616-881-3012.

 

The Lions Club is an international non-political service organization established originally in 1916 in Chicago, Illinois by Melvin Jones. In 1925, the organization accepted Helen Keller’s challenge to become “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.” Since then, The Lions Club work has included sight-related programs such as collecting old glasses for redistribution to those less fortunate.

 

For more about The Lions Club, click here.

Caffeine, sugar and energy drinks

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Education, Food, Health, How-To's, , , ,

By Beth Waitrovich, Michigan State University Extension

 

Are you looking for that extra burst of energy in the middle of the day? How about your teenagers? Are you or your teenagers consuming energy drinks? Frequently, parents question how safe energy drinks are, especially for teenagers.

 

Caffeine Content of Energy Drinks

Energy drinks contain caffeine and may contain other stimulants such as taurine and guarana. According to the Mayo Clinic, excess caffeine consumption can lead to irritability, nervousness, insomnia, an increase in heart rate and increased blood pressure. Caffeine consumption can be harmful for children with certain health risks. Another reason for concern is that the amount of caffeine in each type of drink varies considerably and the caffeine content may not be listed on the beverage container. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) provides a listing of caffeine content by specific energy drinks that shows caffeine content varying from 70 mg. to over 200 mg. per eight ounces. The AAP has also recommended that children and adolescents should avoid energy drinks altogether.

 

Calories from Energy Drinks

Energy drinks and other sugary beverages, like soda, add extra calories without other important nutrients that children and teens need for growth. For example, one popular energy drink contains 130 calories and 34 grams of carbohydrates in an 8.3 ounce serving. These calories and carbs in an energy drink are higher than a cola. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Report 2017  (NHANES) found that only 33 percent of youth ages two through 19 met the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for American recommendations to limit added sugars intake to less than 10 percent of total calories.  With the higher prevalence of obesity in the United States, reducing sugar consumption is an important strategy towards achieving and maintaining a healthier weight.

 

Better Beverage choices

In order to avoid consuming caffeine and other stimulants from energy drinks and soda with added sugars, find other ways to quench thirst and to energize. Of course, water is the best choice when it comes to quenching thirst. Try adding fresh fruit slices, such as lemon or orange, to keep it interesting for kids. Low-fat milk and diluted fruit juices are also nutrient-rich choices. Limiting added sugars is recommended in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines. Consumption of beverages with added sugars can easily increase sugar intake above 10 percent of calories, which makes it difficult to achieve a healthy eating pattern.

 

Choose movement to increase energy

Physical activity increases our energy levels and burns calories too. The next time your children or teens are feeling tired in the middle of the afternoon, think carefully before reaching for an energy drink. Instead, suggest a short walk. Physical activity increases blood flow and results in feeling more energetic.

 

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

 

 

Hit the trails throughout West Michigan

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Kids Activities, Recreation, Senior Living, , , , ,

By Jeremy Witt, West Michigan Tourist Association

 

West Michigan is rich in natural resources, and the best way to immerse yourself in this bounty is by exploring one of the area’s many trails. Whether you want to get lost in the woods, have a destination in mind, or simply want to wander in the outdoors, you’ll find a great way below to hit the trails. Whether you’re traveling by foot or by bike, once you’ve experienced West Michigan’s immersive trails you’ll have a hard time getting back in the car at the end of the day.

Trail Systems

Kal-Haven Trail

Bikes, kayaks, and canoes are all welcome in South Haven. The Kal-Haven and Van Buren trails each allow biking and hiking, while the Black River is open for all your kayaking needs. The Covert/South Haven KOA, Lake Bluff Inn & Suites, and Yelton Manor Bed & Breakfast are all located in South Haven along the Kal-Haven Trail. Spend your day exploring before returning to your accommodations for a well-deserved night’s sleep.

Hart-Montague Trail

From snowmobiles and bikes to biking and hiking, you’ll find a trail for everything in the White Lake area. Their crown jewel is the Hart-Montague Trail, a 22-mile paved trail that takes you from Montague to the beautiful beaches and sand dunes of Hart. Even more trails await you the White Lake area! Amanda’s Bequest Bed & Breakfast in Montague is located near bike, horseback, and snowmobiling trails. Enjoy your stay at this intimate, cozy and simply grand retreat in a heritage farm-style setting. Buzz’s Lakeside Inn in Whitehall sits on 365 feet of shoreline on beautiful White Lake, where you can paddleboard and kayak. Nearby trails for hiking and biking will surely keep you active during your stay

Whitefish Point Trail

Located near the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Paradise, the new Whitefish Point Trail is a unique trek through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The boardwalk and wooded trail is over two miles, ending at Whitefish Point.

Lansing River Trail

Located in Lansing, the Lansing River Trail offers over 15 miles of biking, walking, and running trails along the banks of the Red Cedar and the Grand Rivers. The Lansing River Trail winds through Lansing’s 10 city and county parks, three museums, two rivers, one creek, and even past a zoo.

North Country Trail

Located near the North Country Trail, Fred Meijer Grand River Trail, and Flat River Trail, the Lowell area is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream.

Fred Meijer White Pine Trail

Located along Fred Meijer White Pine Trail, Cedar Springs Brewing Company in Cedar Springs and Kayla Rae Cellars in Rockford are great stops during your walk, run, or bike ride.

Located on 327 acres outside of Cadillac, Evergreen Resort has access to the White Pine Trail for motorized and non-motorized trail activities. Their on-site Vita Trail offers hiking and cross-country skiing during the winter. With miles of trails for every outdoor excursion, there is always a reason to relish in the outdoors.

 

City Built Brewing Company in Grand Rapids is positioned along a trail that is a connector for both the Kent Trails and the White Pine trail system. Stop by for a beer or some of their non-traditional brewhouse fare.

Deerfield Nature Trail

The Deerfield Nature Trail in Mt. Pleasant offers eight miles of hiking and biking trails, leading to a covered bridge, campsites, and beautiful vistas near the Chippewa River.

Calhoun Country Trailway

Battle Creek is home to the Calhoun County Trailway and Linear Park. The trailway is 5.6 miles of paved trails, while the trail at Linear Park runs along the river through downtown Battle Creek.

Kalamazoo River Valley Trail

The Kalamazoo River Valley Trail is the newest Kalamazoo County Park! The trail is free to use and has a paved-asphalt surface that is 10-feet wide. It’s a multi-purpose trail for non-motorized transportation and recreation. Arcadia Brewing Company in Kalamazoo has direct access to the Kalamazoo River for kayaks and canoes and over 20 miles of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail’s paved bike and pedestrian pathways. Have a brew or some food over a game of shuffleboard and cornhole before heading back out on the river and trails.

Lakeside Trail

The 15-mile Lakeside Trail runs right along the Grand Haven-Spring Lake Holiday Inn. They are also located on the banks of the Grand River, the gateway to Lake Michigan.

Betsie Valley Trail

Vacation Trailer Park is located in the heart of Benzie County. They suggest the Betsie Valley Trail for hiking and biking and the Betsie River for a scenic trip along the waterway.

 

Both the Harbor Lights Resort and Hotel Frankfort are also located near the Betsie Valley Trailway in Frankfort. If you’re looking to grab a drink or meal during your stay, Stormcloud Brewing Company is only half a block from the trail, making it a go-to watering hole after your day exploring the great outdoors.

 

Encore of ‘Got Talent’ as Celebrate Kentwood returns Aug. 11

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Food, Going Local, Kids Activities, Recreation, Upcoming Events,

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

City of Kentwood

 

Kentwood City Hall and the surrounding area will be buzzing with activity on Aug. 11 as the community’s Celebrate Kentwood event returns for a day of fun and celebration.

 

This year’s festival will be one jam-packed day of events at City Hall and the Kent District Library’s Kentwood (Richard. L. Root) Branch featuring family-friendly activities, local food vendors, community booths, a beer garden and live music.

 

Also returning to the annual festival will be the classic car show and Kentwood’s Got Talent. Modeled after the popular TV show, the talent competition will feature singers, dancers and other performers from the community.

 

“The 50th Anniversary Celebrate Kentwood festival was such a great event that the fun, food, and entertainment will return on Aug. 11,” said Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley.  “All of West Michigan is welcome to join as we enjoy the diverse culture and talent that makes Kentwood a desired place to work and raise a family.”

 

The day will rev up at 9 a.m. with the classic car show, featuring dozens of antique, classic and one-of-a-kind cars. Also kicking off the day will be a myriad of local vendors at the Kentwood Farmers Market, offering fresh produce, popcorn, cheese, honey and more.

 

A variety of family-friendly attractions will be on-site from noon to 4 p.m. There will be inflatables for kids to climb, and carnival games to enjoy, among other kid-friendly activities.

 

A previous Kentwood’s Got talent contestant. (WKTV)

Featured talent from around West Michigan will take the stage at noon for Kentwood’s Got Talent. The winner will receive a $500 cash prize. Contestants will have up to five minutes to wow the judges with their talents. The show begins at noon and is free and open to the public.

 

Food trucks will gather behind City Hall at 11 a.m. to offer a variety of savory and sweet snacks and beverages. Community booths from all over West Michigan will also line the streets. A beer garden will be open to adults 21 and older from 12:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

 

Live music will be featured on the main stage throughout the evening. The lineup includes: 2:30-4 p.m., Allie Garland & Awesome Sauce; 4:30-5:30 p.m., Hannah Rose and the GravesTones; 6-7:30 p.m., Asamu Johnson and The Associates of The Blues; and 8-10 p.m., Avalon Cutts-Jones Music.

 

Celebrate Kentwood’s presenting sponsor is DTE Energy Foundation. Platinum level sponsors are Macatawa Bank and NN Mobile Solutions. A full list of sponsors is available online.

 

The Parks and Recreation Department is seeking volunteers for Celebrate Kentwood. There are also openings for the car show and for community booths. Sign-up information and a timeline of events can be found online here.

 

Wyoming voters to see public safety millage on August ballot

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

Officers at the schools, property checks at businesses and residences, the re-opening of the Gezon Fire Station — these are just some of the accomplishments that the Wyoming Department of Public Safety has been able to complete in the last eight years when a public safety millage was approved.

 

This Aug. 7, residents are being asked to provide a permanent renewal of the annual levy of 1.25 mills for public safety. For a resident with a home valued at $100,000, the cost will remain at $62.50 per year.

 

A Wyoming Public Safety firefighter shows how a firehouse works during a recent public safety open house.

“We would like to maintain the level of service we have been able to provide this far and in order to do that those funds would be needed to continue the operations and maintain the efficiencies built into some of our models here for public safety,” said Wyoming Department of Public Safety Chief Kim Koster during a recent interview with WKTV.

 

Police and fire services account for 65 percent of the all spending from the city’s general fund. In 2010, when the millage was first proposed and passed, the city was facing declining state funding, the loss of the General Motors Stamping Plant and falling property values. Voters approved a renewal in 2014. Today, while home values have started to increase, Wyoming has faced continued cuts in state funding and its revenue status remains largely the same.

 

Through its new Pubic Safety service delivery model, the department has created many efficiencies and cost savings. One of those measures lead to the re-opening of the Gezon Fire Station which also now houses the Metro Health – University of Michigan Heath’s helipad.

 

“So through some creative staffing models we have been able to staff this Wyoming fire station out here on the south end of Wyoming for 24 hours, seven days a week,” Koster said. “In addition to that we have added two quick response vehicles. They are able to respond from [the Gezon] Fire Station as well as our central fire station that way we don’t have to take an engine to a medical call, and get there a lot faster and more efficient that way.”

 

One of the Wyoming Department of Public Safety K-9s meets with his fans.

The opening of the Gezon Fire Station and the addition of the quick-response vehicles has helped to reduce response times, according to a recent city report. Other accomplishments by the department include:

 

·       Achieved and maintained Gold-Standard police accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., putting the department in the top one percent of law enforcement agencies nationwide.

 

·       Provided a professional public safety response to more than 37,000 calls for service every year

 

·       Implemented efforts to visit every school in Wyoming each school day, totaling 5,738 school visits last year

 

·       Conducted daily and nightly visits to businesses, making 8,606 contacts and 6,852 closed business checks in 2017

 

·       Equipped every police cruiser with an automated external defibrillator, or AED,  as well as supplying every officer with Naloxone, which reverses the effects of overdoses

 

·       Increased forensic laboratory capabilities providing faster, more comprehensive results which have contributed to a higher success rate in solving crime

 

·       Added three full-time fire fighters

 

·       Utilized part-time employees to implement a peak load staffing model which employs more staff during times of high call volume

 

·       Crossed-trained and licensed 22 City employees as firefighters and utilized paid-on-call staff

 

·       Secured grants that allowed staff to become licensed as EMTs and purchase CPR assisted compression devices

 

Residents can learn more about the millage on the city’s website at wyomingmi.gov/publicsafety or by calling 616-530-7272.

 

Wyoming public safety millage, state senate candidate on WKTV Journal: In Focus

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Crime Prevention, Election, Local Faces, Politics,

 

WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

 

On the latest episode of WKTV Journal: In Focus, WKTV brings you two topics on the Aug. 7 primary ballot — City of Wyoming funding for its police and fire departments through its public safety special millage, and the City of Kentwood’s Republican voters selecting a candidate to run for the Michigan State Senate seat currently held by Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker.

 

The City of Wyoming is requesting to renew its existing public safety millage on the Aug. 7 primary ballot. Millage renewal approval would provide a permanent annual collection of 1.25 mills for the operation, maintenance and administration of city police and fire services. Discussing the details of the request is City of Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll and Chief Kim Koster, Wyoming Public Safety Director.

 

Also on the episode, In Focus is the only one of the three candidates in the Republican primary for 26th State Senate district, which includes the City of Kentwood, without history in state government. Don Wickstra is a Hamilton dentist and political novice, and while he is chairman of the Heath Township Planning Commission he admits to being,“ a name you probably haven’t read in news stories.”

 

In Focus host Ken Norris brings you Wickstra’s story, in his own words.

 

The entire episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus” airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.

 

The episode debuted on WKTV cable channels on Tuesday, July 24, and will again air on Thursday, July 26, also at 6:30 p.m., and will continue on the same days and times the week of July 30. But all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

 

Cat of the week: Edison

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Local Business, Non-Profits, Pets/Animals, , , , , ,
Edison, in his wilder days

By Sharon Wylie, Crash’s Landing

Each week WKTV features an adoptable pet — or few — from an area shelter. This week’s beauty is from Crash’s Landing. Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary rescue organizations were founded by Jennifer Denyes, DVM (Dr. Jen), who is on staff at Clyde Park Veterinary Clinic (4245 Clyde Park Ave SW).

 

Once upon a time, Edison was a feral cat fed and sheltered by one of our volunteers. It took three years for Edison to trust her and be petted, and in April of 2017, our awesome volunteer was able to live-trap him to have him fixed through a TNR program. It was then she realized that Edison just couldn’t get enough love and attention. Were it not for a house full of kittens, Edison would have had a home right then and there.

 

We believe this FIV+, handsome boy was born in December of 2013 and know for a fact that he is as happy as can be with his new-found indoor life. We have observed the following since he joined us at our sanctuary on May 10, 2018:

 

“Edison is so incredibly sweet,” says another volunteer. “Once he figured out that the other cats were pretty cool he picked a couple favorite buddies and curled right up with them and went to sleep. He hangs with Gertie and Billy. He likes people, bird watching, and sleeping on the windowsill. He would do well with another cat in the home. He tends to be shy and a buddy would help him be more confident.”

 

He uses his litter box like a champ, and like most cats, he’s afraid of the vacuum.

 

It only took a few days for Edison to stop hiding under beds and now he never hides. He is so sweet! Since Edison doesn’t have a mean bone in his beautiful buff and white body, the risk of FIV transmission is minimal, with maximum affection towards his new owners guaranteed. Help this little guy’s light shine by taking him home and letting him make your life brighter! I almost forgot to mention that he has two orange polka dot ’angel wings’ on the top of his shoulders, making him even more handsome and unique-looking!

More about Edison:

  • Large
  • Domestic Short Hair
  • Adult
  • Male
  • Buff & White
  • House-trained
  • Vaccinations up to date
  • Neutered
  • Not declawed
  • Good in a home with other cats

Want to adopt Edison? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.

 

Alien-looking blob discovered in southern Michigan lake

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Education, Pets/Animals, , , , ,
This alien-looking blob was found attached to a pontoon boat. Photo by C. Daly.

By Jo Latimore, Michigan State University Extension

 

As an aquatic ecologist at Michigan State University who works closely with Michigan State University Extension, I receive a lot of emails and phone calls about mysterious or unusual discoveries in Michigan lakes. I enjoy responding to them, because it gives me a chance to chat with Michigan residents about all sorts of interesting aquatic phenomena.

 

This story begins with one of those messages. A boat owner pulled their pontoon out of Juno Lake (Cass County, in southern Michigan), and discovered a weird, alien-looking, gelatinous blob attached to it below the water line. Was it an invasive species? Toxic algae? Eggs of an alien from outer space!? They contacted a friend on a neighboring lake who happens to be a volunteer in our statewide Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program, and she reached out to me with a photo and inquiry about the aquatic oddity. I was excited to let her know that they’d discovered a colony of bryozoans!

 

Meet the bryozoans — tiny aquatic organisms that live in colonies. They are filter-feeders, relying on floating bits of food in the water for nourishment. You can view the waving tentacles of a microscopic bryozoan individual on this video. There are many saltwater species of bryozoans, but only a few are native to freshwater lakes. The freshwater bryozoan species that makes blob-like colonies is Pectinatella magnifica. These colonies often form attached to structures like rocks, logs, and — as was the case in Juno Lake — on boats left in the water for a while. Colonies begin to form in the spring, and are most frequently noticed in late summer and fall, when they reach their largest size. Colonies are usually only a few inches across, but can grow to a foot wide or more in the right conditions.

 

Bryozoan colonies attached to the underside of a pontoon boat pulled from Juno Lake, Cass County, Michigan. Bryozoans are harmless, tiny, filter-feeding aquatic invertebrates that can form jelly-like colonies on solid surfaces. Photo by L. Mroczek.

Still, most Michigan residents have never seen a bryozoan colony before, since they are underwater and often small in size. It’s not surprising, then, that these jelly-like, alien-looking blobs raise concern and worry when they are spotted. Luckily, these native species are harmless to humans (although they do occasionally clog pipes). Even better, they are indicators of good water quality, since they depend on healthy waters to survive.

 

To learn more about freshwater bryozoans, check out the Missouri Department of Conservation’s excellent web article. If you find an aquatic oddity in Michigan and aren’t sure what it is, take a picture or two and post it using the  Ask an Expert link on the Michigan State University Extension website.

 

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).