Category Archives: 3-bottom

Why are my pine trees turning brown?

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Austrian pine along a roadside with Dothistroma needle blight. Photo: Jill O’Donnell, MSU Extension.

By Jill O’Donnell, Michigan State University Extension and Bert Cregg, Michigan State University Extension, Departments of Horticulture and Forestry


As spring arrives, we begin to see browning of pine needles in plantations, landscapes and along roadsides. Depending on the type of pine tree, there are several common causes of needle browning in pines.


A crash course in pine ID 


The most common pines in residential and commercial landscapes in Michigan are eastern white pine, Austrian pine and Scots (or Scotch) pine.  Unlike many other conifers, needles on pine trees are clustered together in groups called fascicles. Determining the number of needles in a fascicle is the first step in identifying pines. White pines have five needles in each fascicle. The needles are thin and soft and often pale green. White pines have long (4” or longer), slender cones. Austrian pine and Scots pines are part of group known as hard pines along with our native jack pine and red pine. Hard pines have two or three needles in each fascicle. Scots pines have shorter (1 1/2’” or less) needles and smaller cones than Austrian pines. Older Scots pines have orange-reddish bark, whereas the bark on Austrian pines is grey.

Pine identification left to right: Scots (Scotch) pine, Austrian pine, eastern white pine. Photo by Bert Cregg, Michigan State University. 

Environmental-related issues


Conifers located along the road can be damaged by road salt. Road crews apply sodium chloride and other deicing materials to keep roads clear in the winter. Many plants, especially eastern white pine, are sensitive to salt spray from roadways. Acute damage caused by direct salt exposure is easy to spot since the damage is usually greatest on the side of the trees facing the road. Sensitive trees such as white pine can usually survive one-year’s damage but repeated acute damage can ultimately disfigure or kill trees.  


Another culprit is winter injury. Many conifers are subject to needle drying of winter burn during the winter. The most common symptom of winter burn is brown or red foliage on the exposed (often south) side of the tree. In some cases, trees will have a snowline below which no damage occurs since those needles were under snow when the rest of the tree was drying. Winter burn occurs frequently on dwarf Alberta spruce but can occur on other conifers as well.

Road salt damage on white pine. Photo by Bert Cregg, Michigan State University. 

In addition, several possible fungal pathogens can cause these symptoms as well.


Dothistroma needle blight


Austrian pine is commonly affected by Dothistroma needle blight. The foliage of the lower half of the tree turns brown in March to April.


Dothistroma needle blight is caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella pini. This common pine pathogen kills needles of all ages and can weaken or kill Austrian pine trees. Characteristic symptoms of Dothistroma infection is the presence of needles showing browning at the tip of the needle while the base of the needle remains green.

Dead needle tips and needle base remains green. Photo: Jill O’Donnell, MSU Extension.

The black fruiting bodies of the fungus can be seen in the dead spots or bands on the needles. Dothistroma spores spread by wind and rain and can infect needles throughout the growing season. New needles are susceptible once they emerge from the needle sheaths. The black fruit bodies appear in the fall; however, the spores are released the following spring and summer. The best protection of new needles can occur when applying copper-based fungicides as the new needles emerge from the needle sheaths and as the spores are released from the fruiting bodies. This is usually June and July. Reports suggest that pruning infected branches helps reduce disease.


Brown spot needle blight


Brown spot needle blight (Mycosphaerella dearnessii, syn. Scirrhia acicola) is relatively new to Scots pine in Michigan. Needle spots can appear on needles at any time of the year, but most commonly occur during August and September when trees suddenly turn brown just before growers are ready to harvest. Short-needled Scots pine varieties such as Spanish and French-green are more susceptible to fungal attack than the long-needled varieties.

Left: Black fruiting bodies on dead needles. Photo: Jan Byrne, MSU. Right: Brown spot needle blight symptoms on Scots pine. Photo: Jill O’Donnell, MSU Extension.

Lophodermium needlecast


Lophodermium is a severe needlecast of Scots pine, which in some cases can cause the entire tree to brown in spring. Even though we see the symptoms of Lophodermium in spring, the most important time to protect trees is from the end of July through September. This is when needles are infected from spores being released by the small, shiny, football-shaped, black fruiting bodies that form on the fallen needles. To break this disease cycle, the time to manage this disease with a fungicide is particularly in late July and throughout August, but maybe even into fall if it the weather stays warm and moist.


You can help identify the disease your trees have by knowing the species of pine and the time of year you first see the symptoms. To confirm which needlecast disease you have, send a sample to MSU Diagnostic Services. The cost for a sample is $20.

Lophodermium needlecast on Scots pine. Photo: Jill O’Donnell, MSU Extension.

Pine Tree Disease Overview


Disease: Dothistroma needle blight
Symptoms appear: March/April
Species: Primarily Austrian but also on Red pine, Scots pine
Timing of control: May – July


Disease: Lophodermium needlecast
Symptoms appear: April/May
Species: Primarily Scots pine but also found on Austrian and Red pine
Timing of control: August – September


Disease: Brown spot needle blight
Symptoms appear: August/September
Species: Primarily Scots pine but also on Red pine, Austrian
Timing of control: May – June


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).



CDC: Hepatitis A infections soaring

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The most effective defense against hepatitis A is vaccination, but the most vulnerable populations typically remain unvaccinated. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay


The number of Americans infected with hepatitis A has grown nearly 300% in just three years, health officials reported recently.


The staggering increase has come despite an effective vaccine and is seen mostly among drug abusers and the homeless, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


Hepatitis A virus can linger in feces and be spread hand-to-hand, with infection occurring when a hand contaminated by the virus touches the person’s mouth.


“In the previous decade, large outbreaks of hepatitis A were rare and mostly attributed to contaminated commercial food products,” noted lead researcher Dr. Monique Foster, an epidemiologist in CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis.


Although 2016 saw two outbreaks of hepatitis A caused by contaminated food, the main culprit of outbreaks has been the living conditions of drug addicts and the homeless, Foster said.


The vast majority of the thousands of U.S. cases between 2016 and 2018 involved person-to-person transmission, Foster added.


“Since the hepatitis A outbreaks were first identified in 2016, more than 15,000 cases, 8,500 hospitalizations and 140 deaths have been reported,” she said.


Although hepatitis A can make you very sick, it usually goes away by itself in about six months, after which you become immune, explained Dr. Marc Siegel, a professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.


Hepatitis A attacks the liver, he said. Those most likely to develop serious liver illness are those with other conditions like cancer or those whose immune systems are not functioning normally.


The most effective defense against this potentially deadly infection is vaccination, which is also the best way to prevent outbreaks, Foster said.


“Since the widespread availability of the hepatitis A vaccine and recommendations to vaccinate children, the overall rate of hepatitis A infections has decreased dramatically in the U.S.,” she said.


But a large population of susceptible, unvaccinated adults who were not infected during childhood remain vulnerable to infection, Foster said.


This includes people who use drugs, homeless people and gay and bisexual men, she said.


“Vaccination is the most powerful tool we have to stop these outbreaks now and prevent similar ones in the future,” Foster said.


To this end, the CDC recommends that those at the highest risk get vaccinated.


“Transience, economic instability and limited access to health care among the affected populations have made the outbreaks more difficult for states to control,” Foster said.


Siegel believes, however, that the only way to contain the epidemic and prevent future outbreaks is to solve the social problems that feed it.


“This is really not a hepatitis A problem and it’s not solvable by giving everybody a vaccine,” he said. “We have to realize it’s a public health issue and it’s a matter of cleaning up places where the virus breeds.”


Only by improving sanitation can outbreaks among the most vulnerable be prevented, Siegel said. “It’s more an issue of sanitation, public safety and cultural problems than it is one of public awareness.”


The report was published recently in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


NASA programming features Russian spacewalk on May 29

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By Kelly Taylor

WKTV

On Wednesday, May 29, WKTV Government 26 will be featuring live coverage of the International Space Station Russian Spacewalk. 

Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, who is currently serving as commander of the station, and Alexey Ovchinin will venture outside the space station Wednesday morning for a six-and-half-hour spacewalk. The spacewalk is part of Expedition 59.

This is Kononenko’s fourth time to the International Space Station. This will be his third spacewalk.  This is Ovchinin’s third trip to the International Space Station and his first spacewalk.

Coverage begins at 11:15 a.m., with the spacewalk scheduled to start at 11:44 a.m. The cosmonauts will continue with the upgrades to the International Space Station.

For more information on NASA TV or the International Space Station, log on to www.nasa.gov.

NASA TV can be seen on the WKTV 26 Government Channel on Comcast and AT&T U-verse 99 Government Channel 99.

Dogscaping: Landscaping for you and your dog

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Courtesy Michigan State University Extension

By Dixie Sandborn, Michigan State University Extension


What exactly is dogscaping? Quite simply, it is landscaping for your dog’s safety and enjoyment. Dogscaping is not only for your dog’s enjoyment, it is for yours as well. If you enjoy the outdoors, like to garden or at least maintain a nicely landscaped lawn, it can be exasperating to have a pooch who does not share your passion. Four-legged friends do not always appreciate the hours you labor to have beautiful flowerbeds and perfectly groomed landscape plants around the patio.


There are a few things to keep in mind if you love your pets and your lawn. With a little planning and training, you and your dog can enjoy a shared outdoor space. Landscape design should always begin with a list of how you want to use the space. Draw a map of your property and identify the spaces and their uses. This will help you to plan how much space you have for specific dog activities. Also, list some of your dog’s behaviors and habits. Think about their likes and dislikes.


Here are a few things to consider when landscaping for you and your dog.

  • How much space do you have? Are you planning to share the entire space with your pooch?
  • What kind of breed is your dog? What are some of the breed’s general characteristics? Like humans, all dogs have different personalities, likes and dislikes. A dog’s breed can tell you general inherent characteristics and certain behaviors that are in their DNA. Try to work with those inherent traits instead of against them. This will be much less stressful for you and your dog.
  • Regardless of the breed, a good fence is highly recommended for your dog’s safety. Different dogs and different breeds prefer different types of fencing, but in general, a fence that the dog can see through is nice as they can patrol their territory. It is much less stressful for most dogs to see what’s on the other side of their enclosure. Also, when planning the landscape, you may want to leave a 3-foot “run” around your property’s perimeter (without landscape plants) so your dog has room to patrol.
  • Observe your dog’s behavior. Where do they like to run? Do they like to dig? Do they love to lay in the shade where you want to plant impatiens? Do they jump into your Koi pond every time they are alone in the yard? Try to find creative solutions so the gardener in you and your best friend are both happy.
  • Dogs love to dig! If you cannot deter your dog from digging in a particular area, work with it. Avoid planting your favorite plants in that spot. For example, my dog loved to dig right next to my deck. As soon as I decided it was OK, life became much better for me and my pooch. I simply planted some taller perennials around the selected digging hole and appreciated that she was not digging anywhere else in the landscape.
  • Train your dog to use a potty area.
  • Be vigilant when planting plants that are poisonous or toxic to your dog. This, of course, depends on your dog and how they use their environment. This does not mean you cannot have any plants toxic to your pet, you just need to be aware of your dog’s surroundings and habits. Some dogs like to chew on plants and others only chew up a few blades of grass from time to time. The best advice is to observe your pet and their interaction with landscape plants. Plan and plant accordingly.
  • Add a water feature your dog can enjoy, even a small kiddy pool filled with cool water is enjoyable for your pooch on hot summer days.

For more information about dogscaping or petscaping, there are many great books and interesting articles. One book I recommend is “Canine Design Dogscaping” by Tom Barthel. This book has a lot of great information about plant selection, dog ponds, walkways and fencing. The author includes a chapter on fruits and vegetables to feed your dog from your garden, including recipes for dog treats from the garden.


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).


Reasons why you should throw flip and flop out

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They may look colorful, fun and harmless, but flip-flops are anything but. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Health Beat staff


Warm weather activities seem custom-made for flip-flops.


But even Jimmy Buffett sings about how he blew out his flip-flop when he stepped on a pop top and cut his heel, then cruised on back home.


John Harris, DPM, FACFAS, a foot and ankle specialist with Spectrum Health Medical Group, certainly agrees with Buffett’s iconic lyrics. He would tell you not to wear the flip-flops in the first place. Then you wouldn’t have to worry about cutting your heel.


That’s not all Dr. Harris said about flip-flops, which he considers the scourge of the footwear world.

Top 3 reasons to throw out the flip-flops:

1. Ouch! Heel pain.

The lack of suitable, or any, arch support in flip-flops can cause plantar fasciitis—heel pain or pain across the bottom of the foot.


Anyone with this lingering condition will tell you to avoid it at all costs.

2. Pain in the … ball of the foot

Not having adequate cushioning and arch support can cause soreness on the bottom of the foot.


Treatment requires more supportive shoes with effective arch support.

3. Avoid ‘flip-flop heel’

This condition is caused by walking around barefoot or wearing shoes that don’t have a back.


A thick callus rim forms around the edge of the heel when wearing shoes like flip-flops that don’t have backs to act as heel counters. This creates a situation in which your heel is constantly being exfoliated while walking. That creates a callus.


Aside from being unsightly, the cracked rim of the callus is painful.

Other flip-flip concerns

Less common, Dr. Harris said, but equally concerning are injuries from activities while wearing flip-flops.


Doctors often see ankle sprains from someone playing basketball or other sports in flip-flops, skin abrasions from a child riding a bike while wearing flip-flops, or cuts on a foot when a person wears flip-flops into a river and they slip off and float, exposing the barefoot to sharp rocks and river debris.


In addition, a study by Auburn University points out that wearing flip-flops causes you to take shorter steps and changes the way you walk compared to your gait while wearing sneakers. This can cause muscle strain.


“Instead of flip-flops, wear activity-specific shoe gear,” Dr. Harris suggested.


He pointed out that the child riding a bike should wear sneakers, the basketball player should wear basketball shoes or sneakers, and the person in the river should wear something like Keen shoes for walking in a lake or river, unless it is a sandy-bottomed lake.


“For daily wear in the summer, I’ll wear a pair of shoes similar to flip-flops,” Dr. Harris conceded. “But, I choose a shoe or sandal that has a more substantial sole and significant arch support compared to the inexpensive and flimsy flip-flops you find at stores all over town.”


There are many brands that fit this category, he said, suggesting people look for something like Chaco, Keen, Teva or Vionic.


“They’re designed to protect your foot while allowing you to engage in activities,” he said.


All in all, Dr. Harris encourages everyone to look for summer sandals that have a more substantial sole compared to those that feature a couple millimeters of foam, often found in common flip-flops, and to look for sandals with arch support rather than just a flat surface for the foot bed.


“No matter what brand you select, you still should never play basketball or mow your lawn in flip-flops,” Dr. Harris warned. “It’s just too risky.”

WKTV in Focus podcast answers the question: What does it mean to be a ‘New American’?

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WKTV Journal In Focus podcast on New Americans, with (from right) Emily Bridson, Milinda Ysasi, Bing Goei and In Focus host Ken Norris. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

On the latest episode of WKTV Journal’s In Focus series of podcasts, we discuss the the challenges and contributions made by New Americans, immigrants to West Michigan, the state and all across the country.

Visiting our studios, each with unique perspectives on the subject, are Kentwood City Commissioner and community advocate Emily Bridson; Bing Goei, a successful business person and the former Director of the Michigan Office for New Americans under then Governor Rick Snyder; and Milinda Ysasi, co-founder of the Latina Network of West Michigan and current executive director of The Source, a not-for-profit employee support organization.

For a link to the audio podcast, click here; for a link to the WKTV’s Facebook “The Whole Picture Podcasts” interview video, click here. (If you’d like to give us some feedback on our special In Focus podcast, please contact Ken Norris at ken@wktv.org.)

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 (see our Weekly On-air Schedule for dates and times).

SpartanNash ‘keeps it real’ in unveiling new Family Fare redesign

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  • The Japanese ice cream, mocha, is one of many new items available at Family Fare.
  • Grab-to-go meals and ready-made starters are now available at the Family Fare stores.
  • The new Thrill on the Grill.
  • A selection of specialty cookies are on displayed next to the donuts.
  • The Fresh Divide offers a selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, cut while you wait.
  • City officials and SpartanNash employees get ready to cut the ribbon.
  • The ribbon is cut.
  • The U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps. performed the flag raising ceremony.
  • The Wyoming police and fire received a special thank you from Family Fare.
  • Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bob O’Callaghan presents a plaque to SpartanNash CEO Dave Staples.
  • All kinds of ‘characters’ roamed the Family Fare during the May 18 open house.
  • Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll with (left) SpartanNash CEO Dave Staples and (far right) Burlingame store manager Jake Brower.
  • The new Family Fare branding is featured in the store.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

It was quite the affair at the Wyoming Family Fare grocery store at 2900 Burlingame Ave. SW this past Saturday.

SpartanNash representatives, City of Wyoming officials, and community members celebrated the grand reopening of 18 Family Fare stores in the SpartanNash chain. The stores underwent about $18.3 million of renovations all designed to meet the changing needs of the community and the Family Fare customers.

“It is no surprise to me that they decided to have this ribbon cutting ceremony in the City of Wyoming,” said Mayor Jack Poll, who recently retired from Family Fare after serving as a pharmacist for 15 years. “Where else would you have it?

“We are very pleased to have two stores that are very successful in the city of Wyoming,” Poll said. “They are beautiful stores There are a lot of new things going on and we are really excited to have them here. We look forward to much success here with SpartanNash as they lead in the industry to make this a better place to work and live.”

The redesigned featured the new branding, “keeping it real,” which is centered around creating an exceptional customer experience based. The branding focuses on five promises:

Local: A commitment to supporting local farms, produce, businesses and the community. The store features local products in every aisle along with a commitment of about 60,000 volunteering hours each year by SpartanNash employees within the community.

With value beyond price: A commitment on low prices on items and conveniences such as Thrill on the Grill and lobster mac-and-cheese grab-and-go meals, ready-made sides and starters, plus Fast Lane shopping.

With affordable wellness: A commitment to offer affordable choices that are healthier on a number of items from medications to gluten-free, plant-based proteins, or natural and organic products.

SpartanNash CEO Dave Staples talks to the crowd during the ribbon cutting ceremony on May 18. (WKTV)

Socially smart: A commitment to social and environmental consciousness that include the stores being energy efficient along with supporting a variety of programs and reducing ingredients lists on the store’s products.

Fun and indulgent: This includes the Fresh Divide, the expert Family Fare pit masters, gourmet popcorn, and an in-store taquerias featuring a full-service taco and burrito bars along with fresh-made tortillas and tamales.

“This allows us to feature popular items such as the Japanese ice cream wrapped in sticky rice (also known as Mochi),” said SpartanNash CEO Dave Staples as he talked about all the options available through the redesign to a pack crowd at the Family Fare

In fact, the Burlingame store includes many of the new features of the redesigned such as the Fresh Divide and Thrill on the Grill along wth a Starbucks cafe upon entering. The enter store has gone through an intense remodel, making the store a shopping experience.

“We want people to have an experience when they come here,” said SpartanNash Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Communication Meredith Gremel. “We want them to really enjoy coming to a Family Fare.”

With the desire to create that shopping experience, SpartanNash officials decided to focus on the Burlingame location, closing the one at Rogers Plaza, according to Gremel.

Other Family Fare stores that have been remodeled include the ones in Georgetown Township, Hudsonville, Byron Center, Grandville, Holland, Kentwood, Zeeland, and Grand Rapids.

Land Conservancy of West Michigan completes Phase I campaign for ‘The Highlands’

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By Antonio Bailey Jr., Blandford Nature Center


The Land Conservancy of West Michigan has successfully completed the Phase One campaign for The Highlands. The future of the former golf course as a premier space for learning, recreation and conservation is now secure.


“We are incredibly grateful to the community and donors who have made Phase One of The Highlands project a success,” said Joe Engel, Executive Director at the Land Conservancy of West Michigan. “We are looking forward to a bright—and green—future for this vibrant natural space here in Grand Rapids.”


The Highlands is a partnership between the Land Conservancy of West Michigan and Blandford Nature Center. Both organizations share a passion for preservation, education and making natural spaces available to everyone in the Grand Rapids community. When the 121-acre Highlands Golf Club went up for sale, the two organizations saw it as an opportunity to join forces in a long-term collaboration to transform the land into an accessible urban refuge.


In January 2017, Blandford Nature Center acquired The Highlands with a loan from The Conservation Fund. The Conservation Fund is a national nonprofit organization that helps local communities achieve their conservation goals.


“Had Blandford Nature Center not been able to step in with the Land Conservancy of West Michigan and acquire this property, it would be turning into a housing development right now,” said Jason Meyer, President/CEO of Blandford Nature Center. “We are grateful to the Land Conservancy for their hard work on the Phase One campaign to secure the future of The Highlands.”


The Land Conservancy of West Michigan spearheaded the campaign to raise over $5 million to cover the purchase of the property, a long-term restoration and management fund, miscellaneous campaign costs and the master plan for Phase Two.


“We asked the community to show their support for this project that will provide Grand Rapids families opportunities to engage in healthy outdoor activities and environmental education,” said campaign co-chair David Morgenstern. “They responded resoundingly.”


The completion of the campaign opens the doors for Phase Two, which will focus on implementing the master plan for the property—including installing trails, building a pavilion, adding wetlands and wildlife habitat and opening up a stream long-buried beneath the east end of the property.


“We’re excited that the foundation has now been laid for Phase Two, where the community’s collective vision for The Highlands will come to life,” said campaign co-chair Marti O’Brien.

The Highlands is the first and only neighborhood-based natural space in northwest Grand Rapids that is completely free and open to the public. Its main entrance on Leonard Street is right on The Rapid bus line. With restoration managed by the Land Conservancy of West Michigan, The Highlands will once again become home to native plants and wildlife for all of Grand Rapids to discover.


“For years, expanding Blandford Nature Center to include the 121 acres that made up the former Highlands Golf Club was a pipe dream,” said Mary Jane Dockeray, founder of Blandford Nature Center and campaign co-chair. “To see it transform into a natural area to be appreciated and used by all Grand Rapids citizens is a gift.”


There will be a public celebration of the milestone achievement at The Highlands on the eve of the summer solstice. The event will feature guided hikes, music by AnDro, ice cream and more. It will take place on Thursday, June 20, 2019 from 6:30-8:30pm at The Highlands located at 2715 Leonard St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504. Learn more about the event on the Land Conservancy’s website.


Phase One of The Highlands project was made possible with support from the Judy & Kenneth Betz Family, CDV5 Foundation, Consumers Energy Foundation, Peter C. and Emajean Cook Foundation, Frey Foundation Fund of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, Grand Rapids Community Foundation, REI, The Conservation Fund, Third Coast Development, Wege Foundation, Wolverine Worldwide Foundation and many more.


Ladies, cherish your heart

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Work with a care team to reduce your cardiovascular disease risks. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Diana Bitner, MD, Spectrum Health Beat


For many women, cardiovascular disease is personal because they have lost their mom or sister to a heart attack or stroke.


They get how heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, and that too many women are robbed of happy years with family and friends. They have experienced firsthand a loss that could have been prevented.


Women’s heart disease is more common than thought, and especially increases after menopause if women do not take estrogen medication.


There are other risk factors, which include belly fat, pre-diabetes or diabetes, lack of exercise, sleep deprivation, and a diet high in processed foods, unhealthy carbohydrates and saturated fats.


Prevention of heart attacks and strokes is possible, but has to start with a goal and a plan.


Once a woman decides to not have heart disease, or if she survives a heart attack and wants to prevent another, she needs a team. On that team, at minimum, should be a preventive cardiologist and a certified menopause specialist. This team will put the patient in the middle, and partner with her to help her achieve her wellness goals.


An example of how such a team collaborates might be best told by a patient I’ll call Laura.


Laura came to see our menopause specialists because her hot flashes would not go away and interfered with her life.


She had been told hormones might not be safe because she was overweight, had high cholesterol and took blood pressure medication. Her family had a history of cardiovascular disease and her loved ones had suffered heart attacks.


Her biggest concern? To not have a heart attack herself. She was also desperate to get the hot flashes to stop.


As menopause specialists, the first thing we do after understanding a woman’s story and risk factors is to consider treatment options.


We always start with the SEEDS and Laura definitely had room for improvement in this area. She realized she needed to drink more water, cut the sugar, and get more restful hours of sleep each night.


These lifestyle habits alone could significantly ease her symptoms, but since she was only two years out from her last period, we also had the option of considering hormones. We know that FDA-approved hormone medications used the correct way can actually help reduce risk factors for heart disease and could definitely help her feel better.


In reviewing her history, I saw she had enough risk factors that I wanted the opinion of preventive cardiologist Thomas Boyden, MD. After an evaluation, testing and suggestions for how to prevent heart disease, Laura was cleared to proceed with our treatment plan.


The end result? Laura felt more informed, had the tools to be successful from her care team, and she could start taking hormones because they would be a safe option for her.


Laura now had hope for how she could age differently than her relatives.



Reprinted by permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Monarch butterfly research update – May 2019

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Checking common milkweed for monarch eggs or caterpillars. Photo by Doug Landis, Michigan State University Entomology

By Douglas Landis, Nathan Haan and Andrew Myers, Michigan State University Department of Entomology


Throughout southern Michigan, common milkweed is starting to emerge and adult monarch butterflies have arrived. At the start of this new monarch season, it’s helpful to review what we do and don’t know about monarch biology and conservation. Michigan is an important state for the Eastern migratory monarch, and supporting the summer breeding population is key to monarch conservation.


Recent research in our lab has focused on understanding where monarchs prefer to lay eggs and the fate of those eggs and young larvae (caterpillars). In our studies, monarchs have laid most of their eggs on common milkweed, although butterfly milkweed, swamp milkweed, and whorled milkweed are also utilized, especially later in the summer. When given a choice of laying eggs on common milkweed in different types of habitats, monarchs showed varying preferences.


In one year, monarchs laid more eggs on milkweed growing in corn fields while in another they laid more eggs on milkweed growing in grassland habitats. One of our key findings is that monarch eggs can experience very high rates of predation. In one study 90% of the eggs were consumed by predators before they hatched.


We’ve also been very interested in learning who eats monarch eggs and young larvae and what time of day these predation events occur. We collected a total of 75 insect and spider species from common milkweed and gave them access to eggs and young larvae in the lab. Of these, nearly half readily consumed one or more immature monarchs. We followed up the study by monitoring eggs in the field using video surveillance cameras, confirming that a wide diversity of arthropods consumed monarchs. Most surprising was that 74% of the predation events occurred at night! Common predators include: spiders, earwigs, tree crickets, and even the primarily plant-feeding, small milkweed bug.


Finally, we’ve been interested in what we can do to enhance monarch egg laying and survival. Longtime observers of monarchs have noted that when given the choice, females greatly prefer to lay their eggs on very young plants. Our studies have shown that by late June, common milkweed around East Lansing is becoming relatively unattractive for monarch egg laying. In addition, once it starts flowering, common milkweed attracts large numbers of ants and other predators. These observations led us to consider a new approach to managing milkweed for monarchs.

One egg on a milkweed leaf. Photo by Derrick Turner, Michigan State University Photography

As every gardener knows, cutting off milkweed stem above ground simply causes it to regenerate from the roots. We have found that by mowing approximately one-third of the common milkweed stems in a patch in mid-June and a second third in mid-July, the regenerating stems are more attractive, increasing monarch egg laying up to 10-fold and simultaneously reducing predator numbers by half or more. Our initial studies showed the monarch survival stays the same or increases, but we are repeating the study to gain more information. 


To be clear, we are not suggesting indiscriminate mowing, but if your milkweed stand is starting to flower and the leaves are looking a bit tough, consider trimming back a few stems to near ground level and seeing if the new shoots that come up have more monarch eggs and caterpillars on them. If you’d like to share your observations send a report to landislab@msu.edu.


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).


Money’s tight? You can still eat right

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You can save money on produce by purchasing it in season and preserving it for later, either by canning or freezing. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Health Beat staff


Gas prices are going up again and food isn’t getting cheaper. That’s the outlook in American homes this year.


Amid a tight budget and high prices, what steps can you take to ensure you and your family eat healthy, great-tasting food?


Planning is the name of the game, Spectrum Health registered dietitian Kristi Veltkamp said.


“Lack of planning is the biggest deal-breaker,” Veltkamp said.


Does your after-school or after-work routine involve the question, “What’s for dinner?” Do you rummage through the refrigerator or pantry at the last minute, hoping to whip up something suitable for dinner?


It may be time to sit down and think carefully about how you’re spending your food money. It can help you avoid the desperate, late-evening runs to fast-food restaurants or pizza parlors—or pricey restaurants—and it’ll keep your wallet and your waistline in top shape.

Veltkamp’s 5 tips to keep your food budget under control:

1. Plan your meals 

This is the No. 1 solution to save money. Planning your meals ahead of time allows you to build according to your budget. It sets you up for success each week, Veltkamp said.


It’s not just about dinner, either. “You can pack your lunch so you don’t have to go out at work,” Veltkamp said. “And you can plan to use the leftovers.”


You should also aim for more vegetarian meals—they’re cheaper and healthier. “Meat tends to be the most expensive item,” Veltkamp said.


With a creative mind, you can find new and innovative ways to use items such as beans and rice, which are cheaper and preserve longer, she said. Tacos made from rotisserie chicken and all the fixings, for example, make for a quick, cheap and easy meal.

2. Get Crocking

If you plan your meals ahead at the start of each week, the Crock-Pot can prove to be a lifesaver not only in money but in time, too.


“When you’re doing the cooking yourself, you’ll save more money,” Veltkamp said.


The tacit message here: Stay away from restaurants as much as possible—they eat up your budget. (They also increase your salt intake.)


Generally, Crock-Pot meals can be healthy. “It depends on what you’re putting into it,” Veltkamp said. Canned goods are OK, but you should rinse them first to cut down on the sodium.


“One of the ways it saves on money is when you use more ingredients that haven’t been prepared—raw products like rice, potatoes, beans or even frozen veggies,” Veltkamp said.

3. Buy in season

Items that are local, fresh and in season should be on your list each week.


“They’re higher in nutrients and they haven’t been delivered across the globe,” Veltkamp said. “And if you buy a lot at once, they’re cheap. You can can them or freeze them and save them for later.”


This includes berries, greens, tomatoes and much more. Veltkamp said some people will toss their herbs in water and freeze them into cubes, then throw them into soups once they’re needed.


One tip: Buy in-season items fresh, then buy them mostly canned or frozen when they’re out of season. Some fresh produce can get pricey when it’s out of season.

4. Buy in bulk

Bulk food stores are sometimes hard to come by without a membership—Costco, Sams Club and the like.


But if you can manage to pick up some essential items in bulk, you can truly save a bundle.


What should you buy in bulk? “Things that aren’t going to spoil fast,” Veltkamp said. “Nuts, grains, rice, beans, flour—non-perishable items.”

5. Shun the junk

This is a big one. Junk foods may sometimes appear like the cheap way to go, but in the long run you’re only setting yourself up for trouble.


Junk foods—processed foods, sugary foods—offer empty calories that only leave you craving more.


“Your body doesn’t need the empty calories,” Veltkamp said. “If you eat healthy, you crave less.”


Healthy foods are simply more filling.


Think about it: A bag of chips is a few bucks, but there are many people who can sit down and make that bag disappear in one evening. A bag of apples may cost slightly more.


“But who sits down and eats a bag of apples?” Veltkamp said. One or two apples will satisfy hunger cravings and also deliver much-needed nutrition.


“Healthier foods tend to fill you up more and make you more satisfied,” Veltkamp said. “You don’t have the cravings you get with those processed foods.”


Bottom line: You’re eating less food and getting more nutrition.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


Cat of the week: Pepe LePew

3-bottom, Local Business, Local Faces, Non-Profits, Pets/Animals, , , , ,
Meet Pepe LePew! (Courtesy Crash’s Landing)

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).


Dr. Jen had waited an awfully long time to find the perfect cat to name Pepe LePew, so when Sandi D. (volunteer and friend to all ferals and homeless cats) brought this spectacular specimen to Dr. Jen in early March, 2019, she knew she had found the cat she had been patiently pining for!


Not only was this 3-year-old (born in March of 2016) a stunning tuxedo, but he was extremely stinky, since he was all boy. We didn’t have an opening yet at Crash’s, but Sandi is well prepared to accommodate the wayward souls she picks up off the streets, so she fostered him in her home until we were able to take him into our program on April 11th.


And there was no question on anyone’s mind as to exactly why Dr. Jen bestowed such a moniker on him, as he was still quite malodorous—though totally adorable—upon arrival into our program.


Once at Crash’s, Pepe made himself at home, quickly winning over the volunteers with his stunning looks and spunky attitude. Here is what two of our cat care team members had to say about our beautiful black-and-white, sharp-dressed man:


“ Pepe—he’s adorable and it’s always tempting to scoop him up but he’s a little on the sassy side, and will squirm/swat until he’s put down. He’s young, playful, and maybe a bit of a stinker, but I think as he gets older he would learn to settle down and actually enjoy human affection. He’s a very handsome guy, and I have a feeling he won’t be with us long. A home with older kids, and maybe a dog to buddy up with would be perfect.”

Courtesy Crash’s Landing

“Pepe is a very social guy. He always has to be the center of attention. He does tend to bite a little when he gets overstimulated or when you are doing something he doesn’t like, such as being combed, so it would be best if he goes to a home without young children—older children though would be great for him. He also probably needs a buddy to play with.”


We find it funny that he has been described as a stinker, inside and out, which makes him all the more endearing in our opinion. As you can clearly see, he can also be inquisitive, laid-back and super social, a fantastic combination of traits to possess!

More about Pepe:

  • Domestic Medium Hair
  • Black & White/Tuxedo
  • Adult
  • Male
  • Medium
  • House-trained
  • Vaccinations up to date
  • Neutered
  • Good in a home with other cats, older children

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

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

Take caution while spring cleaning

3-bottom, Community Health, Health, How-To's, Senior Living,
Repeat exposure to harmful cleaning agents can cause serious health problems later in life. To reduce risk, wear protective clothing and properly ventilate your work area. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay


While it’s a regular ritual, spring cleaning can become a dangerous chore for your health, experts warn.


Some cleaning supplies—air fresheners, rug cleaners, bleach, oven cleaners and floor polish—have dangerous chemicals such as volatile organic compounds.


These chemicals become vapors that can irritate the nose, throat, eyes and lungs, said Dr. Timothy Craig, an allergist and immunologist at Penn State Health.


“The nose provides a helpful warning signal,” he added in a health system news release. “If someone’s nose becomes irritated while cleaning, it’s safe to assume his or her lungs will be irritated, too.”


“For most people, using chemical cleaners occasionally would not create clinically significant reductions in lung function,” Craig said.


“But repeated exposure to harmful chemicals over a lifetime could lead to significant disability later in life, especially for people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency, a genetic disorder that may cause lung or liver disease,” he warned.


“We all clean with bleach and other chemicals from time to time,” said Dr. Ann Bogdan, a family health physician from Penn State Health Medical Group-Mechanicsburg. “But I encourage my patients to be careful when doing so.”


The doctors offer these six safety precautions while spring cleaning.

  • Don’t combine chemical cleaners. “In particular, never mix ammonia and bleach,” Bogdan said. This can result in dangerously toxic vapors.
  • While cleaning, be sure to have proper ventilation by opening a window or running a fan.
  • Wear rubber gloves. “Without them, you run the risk of developing redness or rashes on your hands,” Craig said.
  • Try using old-fashioned cleaners. “Diluted vinegar works well to clean windows and baking soda gives you scrubbing power,” Bogdan said.
  • Read labels and look for volatile organic compounds and other potential irritants, even in products labeled as “green” or “healthy.”
  • Look for products with the “Safer Choice” logo, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency deems as “safer for human health and the environment.”

And their final advice: If you develop coughing, wheezing, throat soreness or eye watering while using chemical cleaners, step into another room or walk outside. If the symptoms persist even after leaving the room, call a doctor.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

ACLU’s Smart Justice event focuses national, statewide, local efforts with single goal

3-bottom, Community Health, Crime Prevention, Hard News
The ACLU’s annual Grand Rapids luncheon Wednesday, May 16, at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. (Supplied/Courtesy John Corriveau)

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

The Smart Justice Campaign, led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), has the stated goal to “eliminate racism in the criminal legal system and reduce the U.S. jail and prison population by 50 percent” across the nation.

(Federal Bureau of Prisions)

The need for the effort is clear: America has an “addiction” for incarceration, ACLU leaders like to say — despite having about five percent of the global population, the United States has nearly 25 percent of the world’s prison population, with about 2.3 million people in our nation’s jails and prisons currently, according to the ACLU. Our prison system costs taxpayers $80 billion per year nationwide.

And racial issues are a huge part in the problem: Persons who identify as “Black or African-American” make up about 13 percent of America’s population, but according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, as of May 2019, almost 38 parent of those incarcerated are black. One out of every three black males born today can expect to go to prison in his lifetime, as can one of every six Latino males, compared to one of every 17 white males, according to the ACLU.

But, as was part of the discussion at the ACLU’s annual Grand Rapids luncheon Wednesday, May 16, at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, the problems with America’s legal system are not entirely a racial issue and very much a West Michigan issue.

Brandon Buskey, ACLU national deputy director of the Smart Justice Litigation and Criminal Law Reform Project. (Supplied/Courtesy John Corriveau)

“There are a host of people who are trapped in this system, who cannot get out, who are not black or brown,” Brandon Buskey, ACLU national deputy director of the Smart Justice Litigation and Criminal Law Reform Project, said to WKTV prior to his keynote talk at the local luncheon. “But this is all still tied to our nation’s addiction to punishment. And we really don’t think about these kinds of systems because they are impacting people with the least amount of power.”

And those people without power, mostly people of color, are the focal point of the new ACLU Smart Justice Campaign.

Smart Justice Campaign elements

The campaign, according to ACLU information, focuses on five general areas: reforming sentencing laws and policies that lead to “extraordinary long” prison sentences; overhauling “harmful, unjust, and for-profit” bail systems that discriminate against the poor; challenging prosecutorial “abuse” in the courts and legislatures — and through voter education; addressing a “broken” parole and release system; and, finally, helping prisoner re-entry into society when they are confronted with “federal, state and local legal restrictions that make it difficult to reintegrate.”

“In a nutshell, the campaign for Smart Justice is a multi-year, multi-state effort,” Buskey said. “At the national level, we are developing blueprints for all 50 states, all of our affiliates, that sets forth a real set of options as to how we can realistically get to this goal of 50 percent decarceration. That is where it goes local. That is where states like Michigan have picked up the baton.”

That picking up of the Smart Justice baton, in Michigan and in the Grand Rapids area, has recently taken the form of both a ACLU lawsuit in the Detroit area to challenge bail procedures for low income persons and a local kick-off of a community organizing effort led by Richard Griffin, ACLU field organizer and a survivor of America’s penal system himself.

Local ACLU action focuses on community action

The ACLU’s West Michigan Smart Justice effort, led by Griffin, recently held its campaign launch event which highlighted the local, multi-organizational “community-based” program. Griffin is one of four community organizers recently set up across Michigan.

Richard Griffin, ACLU field organizer in Grand Rapids area. (Supplied/Courtesy John Corriveau)

“Here in Grand Rapids, we partnered with the NAACP, Linc Up (community development organization), as well as the Kent County probate division,” specifically the Probate Court’s Delta youthful offender program, “and other grassroots groups,” Griffin said to WKTV prior to the luncheon. “We wanted educate the Grand Rapids community and make sure the Grand Rapidians were informed as to what Smart Justice is … what the goals are to correct what is wrong with our criminal justice system.”

And what is next for the local Smart Justice effort?

“We want to galvanize this community, to mobilize individuals, whether that be through legislative advocacy to try to move the needle legislatively,” Griffin said, or “our canvasing efforts, to make sure we are getting the word out.”

Griffin has been on the job in Grand Rapids since last year. But his passion for the work runs deep — he was incarcerated at the age of 16 for a drug-related homicide and spent 23 years behind bars. For a WKTV In Focus interview with him from just after he took the ACLU position, visit here.

Over the time Griffin has been on the job locally, he said there has been some lessons learned.

“The biggest lesson is recognizing the social dynamic in Kent County between different demographics and ethnicities,” he said. “The black and the brown communities are dispersed, somewhat, and disconnected. … That was a stark reality for me to accept. I had not been around in this community for some time. Getting familiar with that. … That social and community disconnect is important in rolling out a campaign like this (Smart Justice). … Many people are disconnected from the issues while suffering from the issues.”

ACLU lawsuit against Detroit court system

The lawsuit in the Detroit area — led by the ACLU of Michigan, the national ACLU, and the law firm Covington & Burling LLP — is a federal class action lawsuit against the 36th District Court in Detroit for “violating the constitutional rights of people who are presumed innocent but are confined to jail because they cannot afford to pay bail following their arrest,” so states an ACLU statement echoed by Buskey.

“The lawsuit seeks an overhaul of an unconstitutional cash bail system that discriminates against poor people, locking them up because they cannot afford to pay while allowing those who have money to go free,” he said.

And, Buskey said to WKTV, the current system in the Detroit court system — and mirrored in varying ways across the nation, including in West Michigan — amounts to a modern debtor prison system and can discriminate against all poor persons not just poor persons of color.

“It may be a simple way of putting it, but (calling it debtor’s prison) is entirely accurate,” Buskey said. “In places like Detroit, the going assumption is that a person will have to pay some amount of money prior to their trial if they want to go home to their family. If they can’t pay that money, they are going to go back to jail, potentially for the rest of their case. These are people who have not been convicted of anything, they are presumed innocent and yet … we are essentially running a debtor’s prison.”

In the Detroit court system, Buskey pointed out, 85 percent of the people coming before the courts are having some kind of financial conditions set and they are often held because they cannot come up with the bail money — “and there are other options to make sure people come back to court, which is the whole reason for our current (bail) system.”

It is not just persons of color who are caught up in a legal system that discriminates against the poor, but in Detroit it is impossible to avoid the racial aspect.

“There are a number of reasons why we have allow these types of systems to persist,” Buskey said. “But in our county it is really had to separate the two issues (race and economic status). It is hard to separate the fact that people of color — black people, brown people — have traditionally been those with the least economic means in our country.”

Griffin added that the legal system problems faced by poor persons of color can and do impact all the community in West Michigan, but locally the numbers point to a racial problem as well.

“It is much more than a racially focused issue, but race is still a part of that conversation,” Griffin said. “While African American, Latinx as well as our Caucasian counterparts currently fill our Kent County jail, the African American community only represents 14 percent of this city’s population but we make up over 50 percent of Kent County jail’s population.”

But “more than it being an issue of race, it is an issue of treating people fairly,” he said. “The instruments used to facilitate a prosecution should be used to facilitate it equally and with the intent of reform are rehabilitation in mind, we are not geared to a punitive approach.”

For more information about the Smart Justice Campaign, visit aclumich.org .

Snapshots: Wyoming, Kentwood news you ought to know

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

By WKTV Staff

joanne@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.“

~Winnie the Pooh



Lee High School graduation is tonight.

Pomp and Circumstance

Many members of the Class of 2019 will make that final walk across the stage this week marking the end of their K-12 school years. Kelloggsville High School beat everyone to the punch and hosted its graduation ceremony last week. Godfrey’s Lee High School’s commencement is Tuesday, May 21, at 7 p.m. at Resurrection Life Church and Wyoming High School also has graduation tonight at 7 p.m. at Grand Rapids First. Godwin Heights will have its commencement Wednesday, May 22, at 7 p.m. at its school auditorium. East Kentwood High School has commencement on Thursday, May 23, at 7 p.m. at the school stadium and South Christian’s Class of 2019 graduates on Thursday as well. Next week, Grand River Prep hosts its graduation ceremony at Calvin College’s VanNoord Arena on Thursday, May 30, at 6:30 p.m. WKTV would like to say congrats to all the 2019 graduates.



Avery Robinson III accepts the Alpha Wolf 11 Champion of Character award from Principal Nate Robrahan. (WKTV)

Pack Leaders

Last week, Wyoming High School recognized six more students as Alpha Wolf 11 Champions of Character. There were two each from the sophomore, junior and senior classes. All the students demonstrate the school’s motto of being “kind, compassionate, and gracious.” We wanted to give these students one last around of applause for being so awesome: sophomores Rohim Mohammod and Cameron Simon; juniors Thomas Bushman and Dale Cross III; and seniors Rayne Vieau-Parfait and Avery Robinson III. This year’s Alpha Wolf 11 teacher is math teacher and wrestling coach Steve Zajac.



Grow some food to donate to a local food pantry.

Grow A Row

Michigan State University Extension is encouraging home gardeners to consider “growing a row” of produce for donation to their local food pantry this season. Many northern Michigan pantries are seeking donations of fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs. Pantries ask that donated produce is clean, fresh, ripe, whole, uncut, undamaged and in separate packaging for different produce types. If using pesticides, make sure to follow the pesticide instructions. Please don’t donate produce that you wouldn’t buy for your own family. 

Fun fact:

6 years for a 4-year degree

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 60 percent of the students who attended a four-year program in 2010 took six years to graduate from the program. It was 59 percent for those who attended public institutions, 66 percent for those who attended private non-profit institutions and 26 percent for those who attended private for-profit institutions.

High school sports schedule includes WKTV featured games with Wyoming, Kelloggsville

3-bottom, Education, Kentwood Public Schools, Recreation, Sports, WKTV Featured sports
WKTV offers on-demand viewing of the Wyoming and Kentwood high school sports, community events, and government meetings. (WKTV)

By WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

WKTV’s spring baseball and softball schedule is nearing its end but this week as our coverage crew will be on the road twice this week, with baseball games featuring Wyoming high and Kelloggsville.

But there is high school sports action all over the Wyoming and Kentwood area, so check out something live if you can.

The tentative schedule of WKTV featured game’s remaining this month are as follows:

Wednesday, May 22, boys baseball, South Christian at Wyoming, at Lamar Park
Friday, May 24, boys baseball, Zion Christian at Kelloggsville, at Kellogg Woods Park

Want to be a television sports announcer?

If anyone has ever thought about trying to announce a sporting event, WKTV has a great chance for you to do exactly that! The tentative schedule for May follows and we are always looking for additional announcers, especially for the spring games. If you would like to try it or have any questions, please email Mike at sportswktv@gmail.com.

 
Featured games are broadcast the night of the contest and then at least once later in the week.

WKTV broadcasts on Wyoming and Kentwood cable channels. On Comcast cable, Channel 25 is the Community Channel, where sports events and other community events are shown; Channel 26 is the Government Channel, where local government meetings and events are shown. On AT&T cable throughout the Grand Rapids area, viewers go to Channel 99, and then are given the choice to watch Wyoming (or Kentwood) Community (Channel 25) or Government (Channel 26) channels.

For complete schedules of programs on WKTV channels, see our Weekly On-air Schedule.


All Featured Games, as well as other high school sports and community events covered by WKTV, are available on-demand within a week of play at wktvondemand.com.


For a complete schedule of all local high school sports action each week, any changes to the WKTV feature sports schedule, and feature stories on local sports, visit wktvjournal.org/sports/.

 
Following is this week’s schedule:

Monday, May 20
Boys Golf
South Christian @ Middleville T-K
Fruitport Calvary Christian @ Tri-Unity Christian – Maple Hill
Wyoming @ Christian – Thornapple Pointe
Boys Baseball
Wyoming @ South Christian – DH
East Kentwood @ West Ottawa – DH
Godwin Heights @ NorthPointe Christian
Kelloggsville @ Belding – DH
Calvin Christian @ Wyoming Lee
Girls Softball
Wyoming @ South Christian – DH
East Kentwood @ West Ottawa – DH
Godwin Heights @ NorthPointe Christian – DH
Kelloggsville @ Belding – DH
Calvin Christian @ Wyoming Lee – DH
Girls Soccer
FH Eastern @ South Christian
Hudsonville@ East Kentwood
Godwin Heights @ Hopkins
Kelloggsville @ Wyoming Lee
Tri-Unity Christian @ Covenant Christian
Wyoming @ Middleville T-K
Zion Christian @ Calhoun Christian
West Michigan Aviation @ Heritage Christian

Tuesday, May 21
Boys Golf
East Kentwood – OK Red Post Season Tournament @ Thornapple Pointe
Girls Softball
Belding @ Kelloggsville
Boys Baseball
Zion Christian @ Ottawa Hills – DH
Holland Black River vs West Michigan Aviation – DH @ Zion Christian
Girls Soccer
West Michigan Aviation @ Calvin Christian

Wednesday, May 22
Boys Baseball
 South Christian @ Wyoming – Lamar Park – WKTV Featured Event
West Ottawa @ East Kentwood
NorthPointe Christian @ Godwin Heights
Wyoming Lee @ Calvin Christian
Girls Softball
South Christian @ Covenant Christian – DH
East Kentwood @ Byron Center – DH
NorthPointe Christian @ Godwin Heights
Wyoming Lee @ Calvin Christian
Boys Golf
Tri-Unity Christian @ Wellsprings Prep – The Mines
Girls Soccer
Wyoming – MHSAA Districts @ Hamilton

Thursday May 23, 2019
Girls Soccer
Godwin Heights – MHSAA Districts @ Godwin Heights
Wyoming Lee – MHSAA Districts @ Wellsprings Prep
Boys Baseball
Grand Rapids Crusaders @ Wyoming Lee
Potter’s House @ Holland Black River – DH

Friday, May 24
Boys Baseball
Godwin Heights vs Saugatuck – @ Hope College
Zion Christian @ Kelloggsville – DH
Wyoming @ Zeeland East
West Michigan Aviation @ Belding – DH
Girls Soccer
TBA – @ Godwin Heights – MHSAA Districts
West Michigan Aviation @ Grand River Prep – MHSAA Districts
Girls Softball
Wyoming @ Zeeland East – DH

Saturday, May 25
Boys /Girls Track
MITCA State Meet
Boys Baseball
Wyoming @ West Ottawa – DH

Monday, May 27
Memorial Day

Tuesday, May 28
Boys Baseball
@ East Kentwood – MHSAA Districts
Godwin Heights @ Christian – MHSAA Districts
Kelloggsville @ Holland Christian – MHSAA Districts
Wyoming Lee @ Christian – MHSAA Districts
Zion Christian @ Holton
Girls Softball
@ East Kentwood – MHSAA Districts
Kelloggsville @ Christian – MHSAA Districts
Wyoming Lee @ Christian – MHSAA Districts
Wyoming @ Ottawa Hills – MHSAA Districts
Girls Soccer
Tri-Unity Christian vs Zion Christian – MHSAA Districts @ NorthPointe Christian

Wednesday, May 29
Boys Golf
East Kentwood — MHSAA Regionals
Kelloggsville — MHSAA Regionals @ Diamond Springs
Wyoming – MHSAA Regionals
Girls Soccer
TBA @ South Christian — MHSAA Districts

Thursday, May 30
Girls Soccer
East Kentwood @ TBA — MHSAA Districts
Boys Golf
East Kentwood @ TBA — MHSAA Regionals

Friday, May 31
Girls Tennis
MHSAA State Finals

The Right Place assists cyber security company with expansion

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Vulnerability Discovery & Analysis Labs. LLC will be adding 25 jobs through an expansion in Plainfield Township. (Supplied)

By WKTV Staff


Earlier this month, The Right Place, Inc., in collaboration with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) announced that Grand Rapids-based full-scope cyber security company Vulnerability Discovery & Analysis Labs, LLC (VDA Labs) has expanded to a new location at 5234 Plainfield Ave. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525. This expansion will result in the creation of 25 jobs and a capital investment of $300,000. VDA employees will move into the existing 3,000 square foot location that will house lab and office space, as well as room for product design and security review.

VDA Labs was founded in 2007 to make the world safer by providing world class cyber security services, products and training. VDA helps customers here in Michigan, nationally and even internationally. Example projects include securing new tech in automobiles, conducting ethical hacking for companies to help them proactively fix bugs, monitoring alerts and conducting incident response in emergency situations, and even high-end security research for companies like Microsoft.

“We’re investing in the future of our people, processes and technology,” said Dr. Jared DeMott, founder & CEO, VDA Labs. “We continue to expand our efforts to make our customers and the world safer. Cybercrime is quickly becoming the number one threat to businesses and people everywhere, and we’re proud to serve on the front lines of combating the threat.” 

Dr. Jared DeMott, founder & CEO, VDA Labs (Supplied)

The Right Place worked in collaboration with VDA Labs and the MEDC to ensure the company continued its growth in the region. The MEDC is supporting the expansion effort with the approval of a $75,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. 

“We’re seeing West Michigan’s technology sector continue to grow as more companies choose to invest in our region,” said Jen Wangler, senior business development manager at The Right Place, Inc. and project lead on the VDA Labs project. “VDA Labs’ decision to establish its first campus in Plainfield Township speaks to the quality of our talent and ability to provide a strong foundation for growing tech companies.”

“Plainfield Township is thrilled to welcome VDA Labs to our community,” said Plainfield Charter Township Superintendent Cameron VanWyngarden. “In an ever-changing economy, we are excited to see growth in our local technology industry, especially from companies that are home-grown in West Michigan.”

School News Network: Former EPA official sees young people leading environmental ‘reawakening’

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, , ,
Mustafa Santiago Ali enjoys chatting with WMCAT advanced videography students (from left) Micah Garmon of C.A. Frost Environmental Science Academy; Arieal Jackson of Grand Rapids University Prep Academy; Erion Adams of Grand Rapids Montessori; and Marc Ramirez of Grand Rapids UPrep

By Charles Honey
School News Network

Kalil Adams loves hip-hop, but he never really connected it to global warming until he met Mustafa Santiago Ali.

The East Kentwood senior performed a hip-hop track about environmental justice for Ali, a former top official with the Environmental Protection Agency and climate-change activist with the Hip Hop Caucus. In recent performances at City High/Middle School and Aquinas College, Kalil and fellow members of All of the Above Hip Hop Academy rapped and danced an urgent message titled “There Needs to be Change.”

Precisely, Kalil said later.

“It’s something that should be paid attention to a lot more than what people believe it is,” Kalil said of global pollution and climate change. “It may not seem that big an issue, but there are people who literally are not able to breathe clean air.”

That’s the kind of passion about environmental concerns Ali says he is seeing in young people all across the country, as he brings his global-warning message to students through the lens of hip-hop culture.

“This is not a moment,” Ali said during a two-day string of appearances in Grand Rapids. “This is literally a movement,” similar to the civil rights and women’s suffrage movements. “There’s a reawakening.”

Students like Kalil are a leading force in that movement, seeing the perils that await their generation if they do not act to reverse climate change now, Ali added.

“I’m super-proud of all the young leaders. They’re changing the game. They’ve got folks on Capitol Hill shook.”1 of 2  

  • Mustafa Santiago Ali on a tour of WMCAT classrooms with videography student Erion Adams, who helped film a documentary of his Grand Rapids visit.
  • Mustafa Santiago Ali talks with WMCAT videography instructor Mike Saunders before addressing students

Leaves EPA over Trump Agenda 

He took a break to discuss his work during a visit to the West Michigan Center for Arts + Technology, where videography students filmed a documentary about his talks there, at City High/Middle and at the Aquinas College Performing Arts Center as part of Aquinas’ Wege Speaker Series.

Ali recently joined the National Wildlife Federation as vice president for environmental justice, climate and community revitalization. He worked for 24 years at the EPA, heading its Office of Environmental Justice before stepping down in 2017, two months after President Trump took office. His high-profile resignation came as the EPA under Scott Pruitt proposed slashing Ali’s office budget and plans to eliminate it entirely.

The Trump administration’s agenda of gutting environmental protections, including Ali’s work around the effects of pollution on poor and minority communities, compelled him to resign, Ali said.

“The reason I had to leave was if they were going to go forward with the things they said they were going to do, I knew more people were going to get sick, I knew more people were going to die, and I knew who those people were,” Ali said. “I said I can’t be a part of hurting my people.”

His work with young people aims to enlighten them on how pollution and climate change hit poor communities especially hard. Diesel trucks roar by urban schools, smog settles over poor neighborhoods, and hotter weather exacerbates asthma that disproportionately afflicts African Americans and Latinos, he noted.

“Those are policy choices people made, and they determine who’s going to win and who’s going to lose,” he said.

Hip Hop Motivates and Educates 

He sees young people increasingly alarmed by these trends – and motivated to turn them around. While some are resigned to “game over,” he said, “a whole lot of others are saying, ‘We’ve still got some time if we act now.’”

Events like the March 15 worldwide Climate Strike reflect students’ commitment to act, much like the March for Our Lives has for gun violence, he said. “Young people are going to have to run for office, and fill those positions where people don’t want to do the right thing.”

Hip-hop culture is a powerful motivator and educational tool to reach those future voters, he added. As vice president of Hip Hop Caucus, he championed environmental justice and registered more than 600,000 people to vote. He co-hosts the podcast Hip Hop Caucus Think 100%, a reference to achieving 100 percent clean energy.

In Grand Rapids he connected with All of the Above, a hip-hop program that began at Ottawa Hills High School and is now based at Covenant House Academy. Under the leadership of Matthew Duncan, aka Monk Matthaeus, students wrote and performed a track about pollution’s effect on disadvantaged communities.

Kalil said he learned much about environmental injustice from creating the piece, and was honored to perform it for Ali.

“I never thought I’d actually be able to do something on that scale with someone that big. To be able to even have an opportunity to perform in front of Mr. Santiago Ali, it meant a lot.”

For more stories on area schools, visit the School News Network website, schoolnewsnetwork.org.

Music therapy for senior holistic care

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, How-To's, Senior Living, ,
Courtesy Vista Springs Assisted Living

By Vista Springs Assisted Living


Holistic care seeks to address some of the aspects of your health that traditional care options can sometimes overlook. The holistic approach works to heal more than the body by taking the mental and spiritual needs of a patient into consideration. Things like aromatherapy using essential oils and color therapy help promote wellness that, when used with the direction of a healthcare professional in conjunction with regular care options, can lead to a happier and healthier you.


Music therapy is a type of holistic care that involves listening to, creating, or moving to music. A certified music therapist can assess the needs of an individual and create a plan that can improve physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs. Seniors in particular, whether in assisted living communities or other senior living communities, can greatly benefit from music therapy as it is low-effort and provides a number of holistic benefits.

Benefits of music therapy

Stress reduction

Music therapy can help seniors relax and focus not on their surroundings—which can often be stressful or frightening—but rather to what they are listening to. The right music and lyrics can slow an anxious heart rate and help seniors relax.

Pain alleviation

As with stress reduction, using music therapy can help seniors by focus their attention on the music rather than any physical pain that they may be suffering from. The treatment can help seniors by creating a sensory stimulation that relaxes muscles and calms the mind.

Bringing seniors together

Music therapy is often a social activity. Seniors can listen and do activities in groups while connecting to each other through the music. Being in a group during therapy helps seniors feel less isolated and alone. And an improved social life is important to your loved one’s overall well-being.

Physical movement and exercise

We all know songs that immediately get our feet tapping, and music therapists know how to take advantage of this. Music encourages movement. Swaying, tapping, dancing, and clapping are all forms of physical movement that can improve a senior’s well being without being straining and taxing on the body.

Improved mental health

Listening to music changes our moods. We notice this as we listen to our favorite songs and playlists. Some music can brighten us up, while other music can have a sobering effect. Music is incredibly powerful when it comes to affecting our moods, and a trained music therapist can harness that to improve the mental health of seniors.

Cognitive benefits

One of the most unique benefits of music therapy compared to other holistic care options is the improvement it has been shown to have on cognitive functions in seniors. The rhythmic sounds and vibrations in music increases blood flow to the brain, which can help with a senior’s ability to speak and think clearly.

Music therapy, dementia, and Alzheimer’s

A major reason behind the use of music therapy as a holistic care treatment for seniors is the relation between music and memory—namely, memory loss diseases like Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Music therapy has been shown to help seniors who are suffering from these ailments.


Music can trigger intense memories, even in patients who struggle with memory loss. There have been cases of unresponsive seniors in late stage dementia moving and interacting with music, and cases of nonverbal seniors humming or making noises during music therapy appointments.


Music therapy can also help pacify some of the aggressive and agitated behaviors associated with memory loss disease. As with stress and pain management through music therapy, the relaxing sounds and rhythms can help soothe seniors and encourage calmness.

Paying for music therapy

A big question that you may have is whether music therapy is a reimbursable service through a healthcare plan. Under Medicare, music therapy is a fully reimbursable service so long as they are included in part of a treatment plan rather than as a recreational activity. With Medicaid, music therapy can sometimes qualify under existing treatment categories. Each state is different, so make sure you know beforehand.


Private insurance usually goes through a case-by-case study, but nearly all major health care plans have reimbursed for music therapy at some point. Make sure that you have the backing of a health professional and a treatment plan to show how music therapy will help to reach treatment goals.

Final thoughts

Music therapy provides great benefits for seniors, but as with other holistic care options it shouldn’t be taken as a magic cure for all ailments, or as a replacement for traditional medical care. Music therapy works best when combined with other care therapies.


Another thing to keep in mind is the lack of verified scientific research and scientific studies done on music therapy. While it is an established health profession there are some claims of what music therapy can do that ought to be carefully considered before they are believed.


You can find a music therapist near your loved one, or a sometimes a nearby open class specifically tailored for seniors. The benefits of music therapy when administered by a certified music therapist are incredible, and your senior family member can enjoy all the benefits of this holistic care treatment.


Reprinted with permission from Vista Springs Assisted Living.

Ford Airport crosses million mark with April passenger numbers

3-bottom, City of Kentwood,
A young traveler reads an airport activity book before boarding his flight. (Ford Airport)

By Tara Hernandez
Gerald R. Ford International Airport

April passenger numbers are up 13-percent and total traffic at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) has soared to over a million passengers served this year.

Through April 2019, 1,164,409 passengers have traveled through the airport, and overall passenger traffic is up 11-percent from 2018 – the busiest year in GFIA history.

April 2019 saw 292,699 passengers compared to 259,106 in 2018. April 2019 also beats out April 2018 as the busiest April in airport history.

The Ford Airport has seen passenger increases in 69 of the last 76 months and 19 straight.

“People ask us repeatedly what is our key to success, and we credit our team’s tremendous efforts in safety, customer service, innovation and maintenance, mixed in with an outpouring of community support,” said GFIA Interim President & CEO Brian Picardat. “We know passengers have choices when they fly, but more and more we are seeing our West Michigan community choose the Ford Airport. Our airline partners keep adding routes, frequencies, and capacity because they know our community is supporting the service.”

The Airport is underway on Phase Two of its Gateway Transformation Project which includes updates to the baggage claim area, airline ticket counters, flooring and lighting; along with new restrooms and concessions. Updates on construction at the airport can be found here:https://www.grr.org/construction.php

As passenger numbers continue to grow at GFIA, those traveling are advised to arrive at the airport at least two hours before their flight. Updated security screening information, tips on what to pack/not pack, and more information to make security screening smoother are available atwww.tsa.gov.

The growth is expected to continue further into 2019 with more air service coming to the Ford Airport. Airline partner Allegiant has announced three new nonstop destinations in 2019 as well as the addition of a maintenance base. Nonstop service to Sarasota-Bradenton (SRQ) began on April 5. Nonstop service to Nashville (BNA), and Savannah-Hilton Head (SAV) will begin in June.

GFIA monthly passenger statistics are available on our website:http://www.flyford.org/history.php.

2019 Discover Michigan Farm Fun Directory shares farm memories from notable Michiganders

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, , ,
Just released: The Discover Michigan Farm Fun directory

By Michigan Agritourism

Michigan Agritourism has released the 2019 Discover Michigan Farm Fun Directory, a handy guide for finding authentic, local farm experiences in every region of the state. The directory showcases the unique agricultural destinations of the state’s seven regions, a seasonal produce guide, and colorful photos from featured farms.

The new directory includes quotes from notable Michganders who share their memories about a favorite farm experience. The list includes Tom Daldin of the PBS television program “Under the Radar”, Dorothy Zehnder of Frankenmuth’s Bavarian Inn Restaurant, and Jason Hall of RiDetroit, among others.

“These quotes bring the publication to life through personal stories about great times on Michigan farms,” said Janice Benson, executive director of Michigan Agritourism. “If we look back, many of us have fond memories of a school field trip or family visit to a local farm, and we hope to encourage people to seek out new memories this year.”

In addition to the fun experiences, supporting local farmers is good for the state’s economy, said Benson. “A visit to a local farm is a great way to say thank you to your Michigan farmers.”

The 2019 directory is produced with support from Farm Bureau Insurance and the Michigan Apple Committee. “We’re excited about the release of this year’s directory,” said Farm Bureau Insurance CEO Don Simon. “The guide promotes hundreds of farm destinations across Michigan where visitors can enjoy our state’s bountiful harvest, including farmers’ markets, orchards, cider mills, and many more popular agritourism spots. We’re proud to support Michigan farmers and the agritourism industry.”

Copies of the brand new directory can be picked up at local Farm Bureau Insurance offices, and at Michigan Welcome Centers and many tourist offices across Michigan.

For more information, visit www.michiganfarmfun.com. 

Michigan Agritourism is a non-profit association that supports the agritourism industry through promotion, education, advocacy, problem resolution and networking. Its goal is to keep family farms sustainable, support local economic growth and provide rich and unique experiences for visitors to make lasting memories.

Calvin recognized as Tree Campus USA

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Education, Local Faces
Calvin’s main campus is home to more than 3,500 trees. In addition, the campus has a 100+ acre Ecosystem Preserve. (Photo courtesy Calvin College)

By Matt Kucinski, Calvin College


Calvin College is honored with 2018 Tree Campus USA® recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management. Calvin is one of five Michigan institutions to receive the distinction. (Michigan State University, University of Michigan, Washtenaw Community College, and Western Michigan University were also included.)


“Tree Campuses and their students set examples for not only their student bodies but the surrounding communities showcasing how trees create a healthier environment,” said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Because of your school’s participation air will be purer, water cleaner and your students and faculty will be surrounded by the shade and beauty the trees provide.”


Tree Campus USA, an Arbor Day Foundation program created in 2008, honors colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. Calvin College achieved the title for the seventh straight year by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and student service-learning project. Currently there are 364 campuses across the United States with this recognition.


“Calvin’s Tree Campus USA designation shows the importance we place on not only the care and management of our existing trees, but also on campus involvement in planting new ones,” said Bob Speelman, Calvin’s landscape operations supervisor and a certified arborist. “Campus trees play a key role in making this an attractive, sustainable, and enjoyable place to live, work, and visit. I am pleased that our role as stewards of the campus urban forest has been recognized once again.”


The Arbor Day Foundation is a million-member nonprofit conservation and education organization with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. The organization has helped campuses throughout the country plant thousands of trees, and Tree Campus USA colleges and universities invested more than $51 million in campus forest management last year. 


Reprinted with permission from Calvin College.


School News Network: Students make friends by way of pen

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, ,
Jose Medel-Reyes reads a letter from his Kelloggsville High School pen pal. The letters shared about a time when the writer used courage or grit. (School News Network)

By Bridie Bereza
School News Network


Martellis Forest concentrated intently on the paper before him. The North Godwin Elementary third-grader had just received a handwritten letter from a friend to the south: a Kelloggsville High School 10th-grader named Roman.

Mike Hernandez and Marc Icizanye react to gifts from their pen pals before reading their letters. (School News Network)

“He is an athlete and played lots of sports, but now he only plays basketball,” said Martellis of Roman. “We tell each other what we do and what kind of sports we play. I play basketball exactly like him!”

The two students are pen pals, thanks to a connection between their teachers, Amy Raczynski and Angela Winer. A few months ago, Raczynski, who teaches sophomore English at Kelloggsville High School, reached out to Winer, a former student of Raczynski’s, who now teaches at North Godwin. The two decided to put their students in touch and, so far, the letters have generated a lot of excitement — and a chance to practice the art of written communication.

“They really look forward to receiving those letters,” said Raczynski of her high school students.

Emy Orozco and Camila Vasquez Garcia craft responses to their most recent letter from 10th-grade pen pals. (School News Network)

Special Delivery

Recently, Raczynski’s students sent special gifts for their younger friends: bags filled with stuffed animals, stickers and small toys. The delivery was met with squeals of delight throughout Winer’s classroom.

“The funny thing is, they were just as excited when they got their first letter,” said Winer. “They are so excited to have a friend who is older.”

Aleannah Rohrbough was all smiles as she pulled a plush toy from her bag.

“It’s amazing. I thank her so much! She did not have to do this,” said Aleannah of her pen pal, Holly, who is becoming somewhat of a mentor through her letters.

“I learned that her favorite color is green and I actually learned some good advice: ‘Do not let others put you down,’” said Aleannah. “That was actually really good advice for me, because that actually happens to me a lot in school. And I learned that she loves science and she loves hanging out with her friends.”

Allison Moore and Camilla Casado, 10th-graders in Raczynski’s class, both said they remember thinking it was pretty cool to talk to teenagers or have a pen pal in their younger years. They enjoy reading letters from their younger friends, and are glad to be that older connection for them.

“They may not remember who you were particularly, but they’ll remember they had that older friend as a pen pal,” said Allison.

Nataly Garcia-Jimenez concentrates on the letter she received from her 10th-grade pen pal. (School News Network)

A Lesson in a Letter

Besides the fun aspect of making a friend, there have been some good lessons for both classrooms.

Winer’s students had been discussing the importance of “grit” and “courage”, so she asked the 10th-graders to share an example of a time when they used these traits in their letters.

“So when we respond back,” Winer told her class, “I want you to also share an example of when you used grit or courage. You’re also going to answer any questions that they asked you.”

They repeated after her as she instructed them in formatting their responses: Two paragraphs. Two paragraphs. Two chunks. Two chunks. Answer questions. Answer questions. Share a story. Share a story.

Raczynski said pen pal letters go hand-in-hand with teaching both English and empathy. “They’re writing and having to make sure they’re writing correctly and using proper spelling and grammar for the other kids,” she said. “I think it’s also important to try to be kind to other people.”

Composing letters to younger friends has been a welcome challenge, said 10th-grader Evren Hodge.

“It’s different when you talk to little kids,” said Evren. You have to think of new ways to explain things and use words on a level that they can grasp and relate to. It’s teaching you new ways to communicate with other people.”

For more local school stories, visit School News Network website, schoolnewsnetwork.org.

  • Asantae Coleman and Aleannah Rohrbough pull goodies from presents sent by their 10th-grade pen pals.

  • Aniyah Rosemond opens a special delivery from her Kelloggsville High School pen pal.

  • Isaac Fox checks out the stickers sent along with a letter from his high school pen pal. 

  • Ethan Thompson reads a letter from his pen pal. The letter shared about a time when the writer used courage or grit.
  • A pen pal letter from Kelloggsville High School 10th-grader to Ethan Thompson

FDA amps sleeping pill scrutiny

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, Senior Living, ,
Sleep pills can produce daytime drowsiness that leads to accidents and other harmful outcomes. This has prompted the FDA to issue new warnings on the drugs. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay


Many Americans use prescription sleep meds such as Ambien, Lunesta and Sonata to get good shut-eye.


But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has slapped a tough new warning label on this class of drugs, due to dangers from daytime drowsiness the day after their use.


The move was spurred by 66 cases in which patients engaged in what are called “complex sleep behaviors” after taking the insomnia medications.


In 20 cases, behaviors ended up being fatal.


Causes of death ranged from carbon monoxide poisoning, drowning, falls, hypothermia or motor vehicle collisions (with the patient driving), and apparent suicide, the FDA said.


Forty-six other reports involved serious but nonfatal injuries among people who took prescription sleep meds and then engaged in sleepwalking, sleep driving and other activities while not fully awake, the agency said in a statement.


While no one was killed in those reports, injuries included accidental overdoses, falls, burns, near-drowning, exposure to extreme cold temperatures resulting in limb loss or near death, self-injuries such as gunshot wounds and even apparent suicide attempts.


As a result, the FDA is ordering new boxed warnings—the most prominent type of label warning—on eszopiclone (Lunesta), zaleplon (Sonata) and zolpidem (Ambien, Ambien CR, Edluar, Intermezzo and Zolpimist).


“This warning is likely to affect a lot of people, as millions take hypnotics—sleep aids—at least occasionally,” said Dr. Steven Feinsilver, who directs the Center for Sleep Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.


Another expert said the warning was needed.


“These type of medications are well-known to trigger these (dangerous) events,” said Dr. Thomas Kilkenny, who directs sleep medicine at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City. “In a susceptible person there could be no control over what happens once the patient goes to sleep.”


In addition to the boxed warning, the FDA is requiring the addition of a “contraindication”—advice to not use these medicines for patients who have displayed complex sleep behaviors after taking them.


“We recognize that millions of Americans suffer from insomnia and rely on these drugs to help them sleep better at night,” FDA Acting Commissioner Dr. Ned Sharpless said in an agency news release.


However, “while these incidents are rare, they are serious and it’s important that patients and health care professionals are aware of the risk,” he added.


“These incidents can occur after the first dose of these sleep medicines or after a longer period of treatment, and can occur in patients without any history of these behaviors and even at the lowest recommended doses,” he said.


The association between this class of drugs and complex sleep behaviors has long been included in the labeling of these medications. The new labeling changes should make the warning even more prominent, however, reflecting the risk of serious injury and death, the FDA said.


For now, patients should stop taking these medicines and contact their health care provider immediately if they have engaged in activities while not fully awake or if they do not remember activities they’ve done while taking the medication.


The FDA offered additional advice to people who take sleep aids:

  • Don’t use the drugs in combination with any other sleep medicine, including non-prescription sleep aids.
  • Avoid alcohol before or while taking these medicines, due to raised odds for side effects.
  • If you still feel drowsy after waking, be aware that any insomnia medicine can lower alertness and interfere with driving or other complex tasks.

For his part, Feinsilver said the effectiveness of prescription sleep aids is “overrated” anyway.


Instead, he said, “most patients with chronic insomnia should be treated behaviorally. There often is no quick fix with sleeping pills.”


In the meantime, Kilkenny believes that with the new warning, “physicians hopefully will take greater care in prescribing these medications to patients and also take more care in following up after the prescriptions are written.”


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


Home vegetable gardeners are asked to ‘grow a row’ for their local food pantry

3-bottom, Food, Local Food, ,

By Kendra Wills, Michigan State University Extension


Feeding America believes that food insecurity impacts one in eight people in west and northern Michigan. To address this issue, Michigan State University Extension is encouraging home gardeners to consider “growing a row” of produce for donation to their local food pantry this season. Many northern Michigan pantries are seeking donations of fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs.


All donations are welcome, but please consider popular items such as: 

  • Peppers
  • Apples
  • Potatoes 
  • Tomatoes
  • Green beans
  • Cabbage
  • Cherries
  • Cucumbers
  • Onions
  • Peaches
  • Carrots
  • Squash (winter and summer) 
  • Pears
  • Radishes 
  • Melons 

Pantries ask that donated produce is clean, fresh, ripe, whole, uncut, undamaged and in separate packaging for different produce types. If using pesticides, make sure to follow the pesticide instructions. Please don’t donate produce that you wouldn’t buy for your own family. 


Under terms of the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, donors are protected from liability, should the product donated in good faith later cause harm to the recipient. Be sure to check with your local pantry on the best days and times to bring in donated produce. 


Michigan State University Extension provides support for home gardeners. Their vegetable gardening website provides an extensive list of resources, from finding the best location for a vegetable garden in your yard, planting techniques, to managing pests and diseases. MSU Extension Master Gardeners also staff a toll-free hotline during normal business hours in the growing season for gardening questions at 1-888-678-3464


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).


The 10-minute battle

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, How-To's, Senior Living, , ,
An hour a week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity may reduce disabilities associated with arthritis. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay


Less than 10 minutes a day of brisk walking can help prevent disability in people with arthritis pain in their knee, hip, ankle or foot, researchers report.


Just one hour a week of brisk physical activity “is less than 10 minutes a day for people to maintain their independence. It’s very doable,” said lead study author Dorothy Dunlop. She’s a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.


“This minimum threshold may motivate inactive older adults to begin their path toward a physically active lifestyle with the wide range of health benefits promoted by physical activity,” Dunlop added in a university news release.


She and her team analyzed four years of data from more than 1,500 older adults in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Ohio, and Pawtucket, R.I., who had pain, aching or stiffness in their lower joints from osteoarthritis but were initially free of disability.


The participants’ levels of physical activity were monitored using a wearable device.


An hour a week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity reduced their risk of disability, the study found.


Specifically, the activity reduced the risk of walking too slowly to safely cross a street by 85 percent. It reduced their risk of not being able to do daily living activities—for example, morning routine tasks such as walking across a room, bathing and dressing—by nearly 45 percent.


By the end of the four years, 24 percent of participants who did not get a weekly hour of brisk physical activity were walking too slowly to safely cross the street and 23 percent had difficulty performing their morning routines, according to the study.


About 14 million older Americans have symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, the most common type of osteoarthritis. About 2 in 5 people with osteoarthritis—most of whom have it in their lower joints—develop disability.


Federal guidelines recommend low-impact physical activity for older adults with arthritis and recommend that older adults do at least 2.5 hours a week of moderate-intensity activity.


But that amount of activity can be too much for inactive older adults with lower extremity pain, according to Dunlop.


“We hope this new public health finding will motivate an intermediate physical activity goal,” she said. “One hour a week is a stepping stone for people who are currently inactive. People can start to work toward that.”


The study was published recently in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.


Unraveling Alzheimer’s

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Health, Senior Living, , ,
Earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer’s means patients and families can plan for the future, including safety, care, legal and financial issues. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay


Brain scans can improve diagnosis and management of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study claims.


“The good news is that there are no side effects from any of these recommendations,” said Dr. Thoits, the division chief of neurology with Spectrum Health Medical Group.


Researchers assessed the use of PET scans to identify Alzheimer’s-related amyloid plaques in the brain. The study included more than 11,000 Medicare beneficiaries with mild thinking impairment or dementia of uncertain cause.


This scanning technique changed the diagnosis of the cause of mental impairment in more than one-third of the participants in the study.


The brain scan results also changed management—including the use of medications and counseling—in nearly two-thirds of cases, according to the study published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association.


“These results present highly credible, large-scale evidence that amyloid PET imaging can be a powerful tool to improve the accuracy of Alzheimer’s diagnosis and lead to better medical management, especially in difficult-to-diagnose cases,” said study co-author Maria Carrillo, chief science officer of the Alzheimer’s Association.


“It is important that amyloid PET imaging be more broadly accessible to those who need it,” she added in an association news release.


Funding for the study came from Avid Radiopharmaceuticals Inc., General Electric Healthcare and Life Molecular Imaging.


“We are impressed by the magnitude of these results, which make it clear that amyloid PET imaging can have a major impact on how we diagnose and care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cognitive decline,” said lead author Dr. Gil Rabinovici. He’s a professor of neurology at the Memory and Aging Center at the University of California, San Francisco.

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but early diagnosis means that patients can receive treatment to manage symptoms and be directed to clinical trials for new drugs.


Early diagnosis also means that patients and families can plan for the future, including safety, care, legal and financial issues, and access resources and support programs, the researchers said.


In this study, the PET scans revealed that about one-third of patients previously diagnosed with Alzheimer’s had no significant amyloid buildup and their Alzheimer’s diagnosis was reversed.


But in nearly half of patients not previously diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, the PET scans revealed significant amyloid plaque buildup, resulting in a new diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.


One-third of the study participants who had previously been referred to Alzheimer’s clinical trials showed no sign of amyloid buildup based on PET scans. Based on those results, doctors were able to ensure that nearly all (93%) of patients referred to Alzheimer’s trials were amyloid-positive, which is critical to these trials’ success.


“Accurate diagnoses are critical to ensure patients are receiving the most appropriate treatments. In particular, Alzheimer’s medications can worsen cognitive decline in people with other brain diseases,” Rabinovici said.


“But perhaps more fundamentally, people who come into the clinic with concerns about memory problems want answers. An early, definitive diagnosis may allow individuals to be part of planning for the next phase of their lives and to make decisions that otherwise would eventually need to be made by others,” he said.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Snapshots: Kentwood, Wyoming fun things to do this weekend

3-bottom, Community Health, Going Local, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Recreation

By WKTV Staff
Ken@wktv.org

Quote of the Day

“My artist's statement explains, my work is utterly incomprehensible and is therefore fun of deep significance.”
 
                     ― Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes)
Maya Lin, Blue Lake Pass, 2006. Duraflake particleboard (Courtesy Pace Gallery)

New show at the GRAM

The Kent County Parks and the Kent County Parks Foundation invites all county residents to DISCOVER! Millennium Park, a free, fun, and educational program for all ages Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hansen Nature Trail at Millennium Park (at the corner of Riverbend Drive and Butterworth). For the complete story, visit here.

Supplied (Kent County Parks)

County’s Millennium Park event

The Kent County Parks and the Kent County Parks Foundation invites all county residents to DISCOVER! Millennium Park, a free, fun, and educational program for all ages Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hansen Nature Trail at Millennium Park (at the corner of Riverbend Drive and Butterworth). For the compete story, visit here.

Local high school baseball and softball action is on the schedule for the WKTV sports coverage team. (Supplied)

High School Sports in the sun

There is plenty of spring baseball and softball games as part of the weekend’s high school sports action all over the Wyoming and Kentwood area, so check out something live if you can. For the complete story, visit here.

Fun fact:

158 days

On average, there are 158 sunny days per year in Grand Rapids. The US average is 205 sunny days. Don’t waste one. (Source)

Former Kentwood police cadet joins city police department as new officer 

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Crime Prevention, Local Faces
New Kentwood Police officer Jesalyn Heard, and Police Chief Thomas Hillen, center, with other members of the force. (Supplied/City of Kentwood)

By City of Kentwood

The City of Kentwood has welcomed Jesalyn Heard to the Kentwood Police Department, the first cadet to go through its new academic sponsorship program and the first African-American woman to serve as a police officer in the Department’s 51-year history.

Heard took the oath of office on Monday, May 13. The former Kentwood police cadet recently graduated from Grand Rapids Community College, where she was on the dean’s list, with an associate degree in criminal justice. She also completed the GRCC Police Academy in April.

Kentwood’s police cadet program has launched many careers in law enforcement throughout Michigan for more than 25 years. The program provides eligible students studying criminal justice the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with the Police Department.

“About a year ago, the City Commission agreed to support the Kentwood Police Department’s recruiting efforts by providing an academic sponsorship program to outstanding cadets attending the police academy,” said Kentwood Police Chief Thomas Hillen. “Jesalyn is our first recipient of that program. We’re delighted to celebrate her journey and welcome her to the team as an officer, where she’ll continue to serve the City of Kentwood and its residents with excellence.”

The cadet program allows students to develop their decision making, critical thinking and communication skills, preparing them for a career in the criminal justice system. Additionally, cadets ride-along with officers, observing their day-to-day functions. In order to qualify for the sponsorship program, cadets must maintain full-time enrollment status, as well as high academic standards.

“The cadet program gave me a great foundation of knowledge going into the police academy,” Heard said. “The experiences I gained helped me grasp concepts quicker and gain more insight throughout my education.”

Kentwood police Jesalyn Heard. (Supplied/City of Kentwood)

Heard grew up in the Grand Rapids and Kentwood areas. She attended East Kentwood High School where she was an accomplished athlete in basketball and track. Her parents are also in law enforcement. Her father serves as a sergeant with the Grand Rapids Community College Police Department and her mother works for a warden with the Michigan Department of Corrections.

This is Heard’s first law enforcement job; she hopes to eventually serve in the Department’s Community Services Bureau so she can work with Kentwood’s youth.

 
“When it was time to make a decision about my career, I knew Kentwood was where I needed to be. Not only because of the bonds I had created with the KPD family through the cadet program, but because of my connection to this community,” Heard said. “I want to speak to youth and let them know how important it is to make positive choices and that it is possible to choose a good path no matter what life has thrown their way.”

The new officer also has an interest in the special response team, which is utilized during critical incidents and during the execution of high-risk search warrants.

“We’re proud of Jesalyn’s passion to serve the area she grew up in,” Chief Hillen said. “She has worked hard to achieve this position – I’m confident she will do an outstanding job.”

Heard currently resides in Grand Rapids with her fiancé and two children.

More information about the Kentwood Police Department is available online at kentwood.us.

Before summer hits, test your boating knowledge

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, WKTV Projects, , , ,

WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Summer is fast approaching which for most area residents means lots of fun in and on the water.

But before Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start date of summer, rolls in, there is National Safe Boating Week, May 18 – 24. Purposefully scheduled just prior to the big weekend, boaters are encouraged to arrange for a through inspection of their boat prior to taking it out on the water for the boating season. 

To help boaters prepare, WKTV will be airing the United States Power Squadrons National Safe Boating Test Wednesday, May 22, at 4 p.m.; Friday, May 24, at noon; and Saturday, May 25, at 5 p.m. 

It is estimated that there are 80 million recreational boaters n America engaged in all sorts of activities from paddling to cruising, from fishing to sailing. Yet many states do not require certification of any kind to operate a recreational boat. In the state of Michigan, if you were born on or before July 1, 1996, you do not need any certification. A person born on June 30, 1996 or after does. For more on the boating safety certificate, visit the Department of Natural Resources website. 

Even if you don’t need a certificate, it is always good to brush up on your boating safety. Through the USPS National Safe Boating Test, you can test your boating knowledge. The program features 27 questions on a wide range of boating topics including Homeland Security, Rules of the Road, Aids to Navigation, Carbon Monoxide, and Small Boat Safety. There are real life scenarios and viewers will be able to answer questions about what to do in those situations.

According to the latest report from the U.S. Coast Guard, the number of recreational boating accidents in the state increased from 92 in 2013 to 125 in 2016 and deaths increased from 21 in 2012 to 38 in 2016. An increase in boating accidents has been credited to the rise in paddle sport vessels with there being more than 600,000 such vessels in the state, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. 

Being aware of your surroundings and speed are two key factors in boating safety. The National Safe Boating Council promotes that anyone on the water should wear a life jacket. On its website, it showcases the various life jackets available for all types of water activities from paddling to recreational boating.

The United State Power Squadrons, which along with the U.S. Coast Guard, produced the USPS National Safe Boating Test video, offers boating courses and other public courses and seminar to help make boating a safer and more enjoyable activity. USPS was organized in 1914, and has grown to become America’s largest boating education organization with about 50,000 volunteer members in more than 450 local squadrons. For more information, call 888-FOR-USPS or visit www.usps.org.

Six more Wyoming students identified as leaders of the pack in Alpha Wolf program

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, ,
Wyoming High School students gather for the spring Alpha Wolf 11 Champions of Character awards. (WKTV)

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember you have within you the strength, patience, and the passion to reach for the stars and change the world.  

Harriet Tubman
Junior Dale Cross III



Wyoming High School sophomore Lisa Cross admitted to friends that it was hard to announce the juniors selected as recipients of this year’s spring Alpha Wolf 11 Champions of Character Award. It was hard because, one of them was her brother, Dale Cross III.

“I kept trying not to look at him, but I think he knew,” she said.

As one Alpha Wolf student admitted, you never really know until your name is announced.

Started in 2014, every fall and spring semester, the Wyoming High School students and staff honor six exemplary students with the Alpha Wolf 11 Champion of Character Award — two sophomores, two juniors and two seniors. These students are recognized not for their academic or athletic achievements but for treating others by “being kind, compassionate, and gracious.”

Along with students and staff, special guests included members of the Wyoming community, City of Wyoming officials, public safety leaders, school district administration and members of the Wyoming Board of Education.

“It is always fun to do this and to have this great time together as a community,” said Principal Nate Robrahan. “I think we need to remember that we are a community and we are only better because we are together in what is our community of Wyoming High School, and you guys know enough that I am always so proud to be the principal of this community.”

The fun for many is the revealing of those who will receive the Alpha Wolf 11 Champion of Character Award. Often, the recipients are just as stumped as the students, looking around to see who will be receiving it before realizing that it is him or her.

Sophomore Alpha Wolf 11 Recipients

Sophomore Rohim Mohammod

When Rohim Mohammod came to the school he struggled to speak English, even through he knew three other languages. That struggle has lead him to “pay it forward” by helping others who face the same challenge.

“He is one of these kids who is always trying to make a difference,” said teacher John Doyle who along with a group of students presented the awards. Mohammod has gone beyond just Wyoming High School, but helps immigrants from his country along with discussing human rights and the plight of refugees.

Sophomore Cameron Simon

Cameron Simon is the defintation of “kind, compassionate, and gracious” and is just simply meant to be the next Alpha Wolf, according to the presentators. Sometimes called the class clown, Simon is always willing to give extra support to anyone who needs it. He has participated on the football, basketball, and track teams.

Doyle said Simon never judges and has gone on to volunteer in his community.

Junior Alpha Wolf 11 Recipients

Junior Thomas Bushman

Everyone likes and appreciates someone who makes them feel good about themselves, which is the kind person Thomas Bushman is. He is described as a kindhearted person who greets everyone with a smile and asks them how they are doing, Doyle said. Bushman is polite, outgoing and “ridiculously” nice.

“He is a fantastic leader by example and a true inspiration,” Doyle said with other presenters adding that Bushman continually works to learn and improve for the success of everyone.

“There is a reason this person has a third after his name,” said Lisa Cross of her brother Dale. “You see those named the third are said to have meaning of positive affirmation. They bring the confidence you need in yourself to have in your purpose and your desires. The third represents the mind, body, and spirit. I believe this person, who carries the last name of third, is an essential eleven leader in our school and our community.”

Another student who leads by example, Doyle said of Dale Cross III adding that Dale works hard to make his community better. Lisa Cross noted that because of Dale’s positive mentorship, he already has been selected as a team captain for next year.

Senior Alpha Wolf 11 Recipients

Senior Rayne Vieau-Parfait receives congratulation hugs from friends. (WKTV)

Perhaps no one was more surprised at being named Alpha Wolf 11 recipients than the two seniors.

Rayne Vieau-Parfait is known for her compassion but is content, according to presentators, at being the person behind the scenes. As one presentator put it “she is an excellent listener and when her big round eyes look at you through her glasses, it feels like she can see into your soul.”

Doyle went on to say that Vieau-Parfait is known for being “an easy and interesting person to talk to and she laughs at everything as she has a great sense of humor. She is happy, inquisitive, and very interested in others. She is an excellent example of genuine kindness. Her curiosity is one of her best qualities.”

Avery Robinson III accepts the Alpha Wolf award from Principal Nate Robrahan. (WKTV)

Avery Robinson III started off the ceremony as the student guest speaker and he concluded the event by being named an Alpha Wolf. According to presenters, Robinson is known for giving a voice to everyone.

“There couldn’t be a more perfect theme then student voice, be brave for our last Alpha Wolf recipient today. This Alpha Wolf exhibits bravery in all aspects of their life,” the student presenters said.

Doyle added “He is the hand that will always reach to pick you up when you fall. He is the level headedness you need in times of person turmoil. He’s that brave voice who speaks up for those in the need of advocacy and the kind heart when its compassion, kindness and understanding that you seek.”

Alpha Wolf Teacher Recipient

Teacher Steve Zajac

Receiving the teacher award was math teacher and wrestling coach Steve Zajac. Receiving honorary Alpha Wolf 11 awards were the high school cafeteria staff, who all received aprons with the Alpha Wolf 11 logo.

“When I see what is going in this school, the support and character that is being built right in our community, this is the most amazing place to be,” said Mayor Jack Poll. “So I encourage you as you go on, because some of you will go on to other schools, some of you are going into the workforce, some of you are going to go on to college, remember those words, ‘be kind, be compassionate, and be gracious’ whether you are at your job, someday when you have your own individual families, whatever community you are involved in.

If you keep those things in mind, your life will be better and the community you live in will be better.”

The Wyoming High School cafeteria team with their new Alpha Wolf aprons. (WKTV)

School News Network: Young mom surpasses expectations to get to graduation day

3-bottom, City of Wyoming, ,
Ahnaka Ortiz-Rodriguez attempts to get Izzy, 3, to look at the camera.

By Bridie Bereza
School News Network

Two weeks before the start of her freshman year at Godwin High School, Ahnaka Ortiz-Rodriguez landed in the emergency room with abdominal pain. Her mom was with her while they awaited test results. Ahnaka believed she was experiencing some stomach issues, something she dealt with as a child.  When the doctor walked in, Ahnaka and her mom heard the unexpected: “Your daughter’s pregnant.”

Ahnaka Ortiz-Rodriguez uses any breaks in the school day to work on homework, so she can spend more time after school with her daughter, Izzy, and work as a supervisor at Chow Hound

Ahnaka cried. Her mom cried. They were scared, worried. As the oldest of three siblings, Ahnaka felt she had disappointed her family. She was a good student with a bright future. She was supposed to be a role model. She texted her boyfriend, Joseph Torres, who thought she was joking. It took her mom calling his mom to convince him it was true.

“I had all these thoughts running through my head: ‘Is my boyfriend going to stay? Is he going to help? Can I do this? Am I going to be able to finish school?’”

For Ahnaka, the answer to all of the above was “yes.” But for many teens, that is not the case. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pregnancy and birth contribute significantly to high school dropout rates among female students, with about 50 percent of teen mothers receiving a high school diploma by age 22, compared to 90 percent for those who do not give birth.

Not only is Ahnaka raising her daughter, but she’s also slated to graduate 34th in her class this May with a 3.4 GPA and a recent induction to the National Honors Society to her name. The journey has not been easy, Ahnaka said. Sleepless nights awake with a teething baby followed by a full day of school is not for the faint of heart. But it has been worth it.

5…6…7…Ahnaka Ortiz-Rodriguez counts steps with her daughter Izabella, 3

Fitting Trimesters into Semesters

Ahnaka remembers how torn she felt as she prepared to begin high school.

“At first, everyone was disappointed– which is normal. I was 14 when I found out. A 14-year-old who’s just going to school, who hasn’t even had her teenage years yet. I feel like my family thought I would would just throw the baby on them. That’s what happens sometimes (with young moms), I never wanted them to feel like she was their responsibility.”

Some friends suggested adoption, but Ahnaka knew it wasn’t for her. She would figure out a way to raise her baby and, she decided, graduate with her class.

“I created her, I had her. It’s my and her dad’s responsibility. I wanted to give her the best life possible.”

Ahnaka completed her first half of freshman year at Godwin. Then, wary of both the social ramifications of being pregnant at 14 — the looks, the comments — and the thought that she might miss too much school to stay on track for graduation, Ahnaka chose to spend the second semester of her freshman year learning via the online platform MySchool@Kent, offered by Kent ISD.

School counselor Tish Stevenson has known Ahnaka for four years. She said she was impressed with the way Ahnaka and her mother requested a meeting early in her freshman year to hatch a plan for Ahnaka to stay in school. She was unsure, however, if the plan would work.

“Up to that point I had not had good experiences with online learning. Very few kids had the self-control and family support necessary to work independently,” said Stevenson. “I worried because not only would this girl have to work on her own, but it was also her first year in high school and she had plenty of other things to concern herself with.”

But Ahnaka had school staff and her family in her corner. “My mom was a big supporter and so was my grandma.”

On March 4, 2016, Izabella, or “Izzy” as she is called, arrived — 7 pounds, 12 ounces and sporting a head of dark hair. That’s when everything changed.

“As time went by, it was getting more exciting and the sad part was over. When she came, I feel like that’s when everybody wasn’t upset anymore. How can you be upset when you have a gift right here?” said Ahnaka, referring to Izzy.

Ahnaka completed her freshman year through MySchool, impressing her counselor.

“I was delightfully surprised at the fact that she passed all her classes but one. She was able to independently complete her work, mostly unsupervised and at a very difficult, intense time in her young life,” said Stevenson. “I knew right then that Ahnaka was an exceptional individual.”

Ahnaka knew that being in the classroom would motivate her to succeed. She returned to Godwin in the fall, relying on family and friends to watch Izzy for the first few years.

Ahnaka Ortiz-Rodriguez and her daughter Izabella, 3, outside the Godwin Heights home where they live

Bringing Up Baby

It didn’t take long for Ahnaka to realize the enormity of the sacrifice she was making.

“At first, after I had her, I was very depressed and a little sad and lonely,” she said. “All my friends are going out, hanging out at the mall, having fun. And I’m inside and I don’t ever leave. It was upsetting at first.”

Looking back, she said, “I wouldn’t change it. I would want to be with my daughter. I spent most of my time with her and that’s time that I can’t get back.”

Once school was under way, the work was relentless. Sometimes, Ahnaka would be awake almost an entire night, especially when Izzy was teething or sick, then she would spend almost eight hours at school followed by time with Izzy, homework and another sleepless night.

Whenever friends would tell her it would probably be OK to stay home after a sleepless night, she disagreed. “I can’t miss school because I am tired. If I do, what will I do when I need to miss classes to take her to the doctor or because she’s sick? That’s not a reason for me. It’s not an excuse. You always have enough time; you just have to manage it wisely.”

Jasmine Gonzalez has been friends with Ahnaka since they were in sixth-grade. She said she gives her friend lots of credit for all she does, and is inspired by her ability to juggle everything on her plate. “She makes it look way easy,” said Jasmine.

“No excuses,” is something Ahnaka says often.

Teacher Kelly Gray taught Ahnaka in 10th- and 11th-grade Spanish, and watched her blossom. She showed up consistently, asked good questions, and conquered her fear of public speaking to present in front of the class like a pro, said Gray.

“Ahnaka had a full plate with raising a daughter, who at the time was less than a year old.  Sometimes Ahnaka would come to school tired due to lack of sleep,” said Gray. “However, she never used being too busy as an excuse.”

As Izzy grew, Ahnaka became concerned with her daughter’s learning. She says she often feared that Izzy would be behind because she wasn’t with her all day. They’d spend their evenings together singing songs, learning letters, counting stairs. Izzy would see Ahnaka doing homework and would “help” — in the form of scribbles.

“Izzy left you a note,” Ahnaka would tell her teachers when turning in her work.

Ahnaka said it’s those little interactions that mean so much: “Even if it’s not five hours that I could give her – even if it’s just two minutes counting the steps as you go down them – they remember that.”

While learning all she can in school, Ahnaka credits her mother, Danniele Lucchesi, for teaching her how to be a mom. Her support, said Ahnaka, helped make raising Izzy and getting a diploma a reality.

Ahnaka, Izzy, and a wolf

Meeting Deadlines, Heading to the Finish Line

While infants live on their own terms, students do not.

“I’ve never had a teacher who told me that I ‘couldn’t’ – or try to pity me,” said Ahnaka. “I have the same due dates as everybody else. I want to be treated like everyone else. I’m grateful that my teachers treated me equal and pushed me harder.”

As she finishes the last few weeks of high school, Ahnaka is staying focused. She drops Izzy, now 3 and potty-trained, off at her new daycare at 7 a.m., then picks up Joseph, her boyfriend of nearly five years, and they head to school together. In the evenings, Ahnaka works at Chow Hound, where she was recently promoted to supervisor. Again, there’s always the fear of missing out on time with Izzy, but she knows her daughter is in good hands.

“When I leave for work, she’ll wave and say, “Bye mom, I love you!’” said Ahnaka.

Ahnaka plans to enroll in Grand Rapids Community College, a choice she made because it will allow her to live at home with her daughter. She has already earned credits toward college through dual enrollment, and intends to study nursing, a decision influenced by her experience of having many compassionate and supportive nurses when she had Izzy at Spectrum Health.

“Ahnaka’s claim to fame is her consistency and the very high standards she has always adhered to for herself,” said Stevenson, citing her straight-A and A- record for 10th, 11th, and 12th-grades. “She is dual-enrolled at GRCC and always, always, always takes care of business. Plenty of others would use early motherhood as an excuse to take it a little easier at school. And rightfully so! But instead, Ahnaka has used motherhood as motivation to excel.”

Ahnaka said her drive to succeed comes from many place — from the people who she felt she had let down, and who doubted she’d graduate. It comes from the people who were by her side, and encouraged her to succeed. Mostly, it comes from Izzy.

“Going home and seeing her smile motivates me,” said Ahnaka. “I want to do everything I can for her.”

“She does an amazing job of what she does,”  said boyfriend Joseph, who is also graduating this year.

Ahnaka is excited to think that when she walks across that stage May 22 and flips the tassel on her mortarboard, Izzy will be there to see it.

“I know she doesn’t have the words to say it, but I know she can feel that I am doing this for her.”

  • Ahnaka Ortiz-Rodriguez helps her daughter Izabella, 3, put on shoes before heading outside.
  • Ahnaka Ortiz-Rodriguez watches as her daughter Isabella flies a toy around their Godwin Heights home.
  • Ahnaka Ortiz-Rodriguez listens as her daughter, Izzy, 3, tells her how to operate the Minnie Mouse cash register after receiving coins.

Get your workout mojo back

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

Strength training is a great way to build muscle and avoid weight gain. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)


By Diana Bitner, MD, Spectrum Health Beat


If you’re like most women, you have a tough time getting back into a workout routine once you get out of the habit of exercise.


We think we are active enough with weekend activities, yard work and the occasional jog or bike ride. But as we get older, we realize this type of exercise routine isn’t quite enough, and we start to gain a few pounds each year.


Worse still, if we become more relaxed about our diet, the weight gain is even greater.


We might not notice until our clothes are suddenly a little too tight.


This may be the wake-up call we need to get our exercise mojo back.


So where do we begin? Let’s start with the basics of exercise.

Aerobic, strength, stretching

I like to focus on three types of activity: (1) aerobic exercise, where we get our heart rate up and keep it sustained for a given time; (2) strength training, to maintain and build muscle; and (3) stretching, to prevent injury and fatigue.


All three aspects are important to help maintain a healthy and strong body.


All three also play a vital role in helping you fit into the clothes you love.


Strength training is especially important for women as we age, because if we allow muscle mass to be lost, fat moves in between the muscle fibers, leaving muscles weak and flabby. When muscle mass drops, weight gain starts.


Men don’t often have the same issues as women when it comes to weight gain. They tend to keep weight off more easily for many years because they start with more muscle mass and naturally express more testosterone.


Women who keep their muscles toned by doing interval training, weight lifting, resistance training and incline training can keep the weight off more easily as well.


You may be shaking your head and thinking all this exercise sounds way too difficult, but it’s much easier than it sounds.

Choose it

First, make sure whatever type of workout you pick is something you like to do. For example, I like to swim—I participated on the swim team in high school. I also like to lift weights, and I learned the proper way to lift from my roommate in college.


One of my other favorite forms of exercise is yoga. I do it twice a week at home. As you can see, if you find something you enjoy doing, you can make it work. If I’m pressed for time, I lift weights and do yoga without ever leaving my home.


Fortunately, there are many different forms of exercise—you just need to find the right one for you and your lifestyle.


If you don’t like yoga, try a Zumba, body pump, or kickboxing class. Pilates, Tai Chi, or aquafit classes are also good options. Even better, mix it up and try several types of workouts each week.


To help build muscle, add in some weight-lifting exercises either at a gym or in the privacy of your own home if you have some weights.


If you need a little help getting started, check out one of my favorite health books, Body for Life for Women by Pamela Peeke, MD.


You’ll find some simple strength-training workouts for the upper and lower body in the back of the book. Even if you do the book’s lower-body workout two or three times per week, you can maintain—and possibly even increase—muscle mass. I think you’ll find the exercises and the entire book helpful.

Schedule it

In addition to the type of exercise you choose, you also need to determine a time when you’ll actually do the exercises each day, or at least several times per week.


I prefer to do my workout at night, when I’m too drained to do other work such as paying bills or writing.


When I have finished helping my kids with their homework and my kitchen is cleaned up after dinner, I head to the exercise bike or yoga mat—usually around 9pm. This allows me to get in a good workout, clean up and head to bed before it gets too late.


This routine works well for me and allows me to de-stress from the day. I know I don’t have time to exercise in the morning, so I don’t plan on it. Many women, however, see morning as the best time to do their workout—they’re then done for the day, and they know there’s no way they would do it at night.


After you’ve chosen an exercise and a time frame, you need to put it on your calendar. You may think you don’t need to schedule your workouts, but it really does help you stick to your plan.


Here’s what I recommend: On Sunday night, plan out your week. Start by listing your priorities: work, kids’ events, appointments, exercise. The rest of your day should be planned around these scheduled priorities.


As I look at each day, I plan a longer workout, such as swimming, when I have more time. On days when I’m pressed for time, I schedule a shorter workout, such as the legs and core session from Dr. Peeke’s book.


There is usually one day each week when I simply have no time to fit in a workout, and that becomes my day off. So when the day comes, I have already planned to take it off—no guilt.

Do it

So what are you waiting for? Create your exercise plan today!


Usually by day five of my routine, I’m feeling so good that I’m choosing to exercise instead of making myself do it.


If you can get into a regular routine, add some strength training, and cut down on your carbohydrates intake—especially after 3 p.m.


The results will soon follow.


Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.

Calvin LifeWork unlocks soft skills

3-bottom, Area Education, Citizen Journalism, Education, Local Faces, Tech Trends, , , ,
Photo credit: Andrew Quist

By Connor Bechler, Calvin College


In a haze of coding, caffeine, circuits, teamwork, snacks, and sleep deprivation, around 120 students from Calvin and other universities worked for 24 hours straight, developing a wide range of software and hardware computing projects. The students were competing in Calvin’s first “hackathon,” a marathon software and hardware development competition held from February 8-9 by the CalvinHacks student organization.


As the sun set on February 9, a team of Calvin students emerged victorious, their project—PlantBit—scoring first place. A combination of a smartphone application, an arduino board, a Google Home, and a moisture sensor, PlantBit allows its user to remotely turn on and off grow lights for their plants, while also providing data on the moisture of the plant’s soil.


“It was inspired by the massive amount of succulents I keep in my room,” said team member Lauren Ebels, a biology and computer science major. “I have a whole bunch of grow lights for them, but couldn’t set them to be on when they’d help the plants the most.”


Over the course of the 24 hours, the team divided and conquered: Junior Shion Fukuzawa programmed the remote control iPhone app, Seniors David Widjaja, Megan Koh, and Toussaint Cruise set up the hardware and control database, and Ebels connected the Google Home to the control database.


“There’s a sense of accomplishment,” said Fukuzawa, a math major and computer science minor. “At the end you have to submit something no matter what, and the fact that you worked as a team for 24 hours and actually made something is pretty satisfying.”


“CalvinHacks was a really fun event, and was unlike anything I had ever done before” said Caleb Schmurr, a Calvin junior electrical engineering student whose team worked on a project using an e-ink screen to display information from a Google Home.


“I liked getting the chance to spend time working in an environment that encouraged and supported creative uses of technology,” Schmurr added. “We were able to use our programming abilities gained from either coursework at Calvin or other experiences to create a really unique project.”


Among a multitude of other creative submissions, Calvin teams also designed a web-based video game, a sign language video detection user interface, and an app for tracking grocery purchases.


Reprinted with permission from Calvin College.