Government representatives from all levels attended this month’s Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Matters meeting. (WKTV)
WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org
The Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce’s Government Matters Committee’s monthly forum will next take place Monday, July 9, at Wyoming City Hall.
The Government Matters meeting brings together representatives from the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, Kent County commissioners, local Michigan state senators and representatives, as well as often representatives of Michigan’s U.S. senators and the local U.S. representative who represents the Wyoming and Kentwood area.
This forum is free and open to the public, and allows public questions. It is also rebroadcast on WKTV’s channels and on-demand website.
The meeting for July will be at the Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW, Wyoming, from 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
The meetings are on the second Monday of each month, starting at 8 a.m. WKTV Journal will produce a highlight story after the meeting. But WKTV also offers replays of the Monday meetings on the following Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Comcast Cable Government Channel 26. Replays are also available online at WKTV’s government meetings on-demand page (wktvondemand.com) and on the chamber’s Facebook page.
By Tracie Abram, Michigan State University Extension
Summertime is depicted as a laid-back joyful season, when in fact for many, it is the opposite. Summertime for families of small children means added expenses of childcare or having to pay for additional meals that normally were less expensive due to school meal plans. Summertime generally means an interruption in routine. Children may be up later and therefore not getting enough sleep and possibly skipping meals or not eating as well due to busier schedules. Having a basic understanding of what triggers children to misbehave will help keep homes happy and safe.
One basic understanding is that children (and adults too) will misbehave when they are hungry, angry, lonely/bored or tired (HALT). People will not have as much tolerance and be more irritable when they are hungry, angry or not feeling well. If you or your children are experiencing any of these emotions or feelings halt what you are doing and tend to that need before moving on.
Another reason why children misbehave is that they may not fully understand the request. For an example, if you ask the child to calm down they may not understand that you mean and how to actually calm themselves. This is also an example of a lack of experience. Children do not have the experiences that adults have. It takes time for a child to fully develop problem solving and communication skills.
The practice of mindfulness can teach children and adults how to calm their minds and bodies to find a feeling of balance or confidence. Mindfulness is a practice of paying attention to your senses in the current moment without judgement. It is about being present and acknowledging the moment to moment experiences. Mindfulness helps develop focus and self regulation. When practiced regularly, the events that require acute attention will be less stressful because your body and mind have been conditioned to work together in paying attention.
Another reason children may misbehave is because their behaviors are accidently rewarded by adults. An example is when children wait to do something an adult asks of them until the adults tone of voice increases or that crying and whining gets a parents attention. Children also copy what they see others doing.
Sometimes children do things they know are wrong such as testing the rules, and showing independence. Nobody likes to be told what to do all the time and not have any choices. Children are learning how to do many things at a fast rate and they need to be able to show off what they have learned or can do.
When you or your children are showing one or more of these seven triggers, be mindful and acknowledge what you notice in a tone that will teach, guide and train your children.
Hunger, anger, lonely/bored, tired or sickness
Don’t understand the rules
Lack of experience
Misbehavior was accidentally rewarded
Testing the rules
Copying others
Showing independence
If you are struggling with understanding your children’s behavior, Michigan State University Extension has programming that can help. Nurturing Families, RELAX: Alternatives to Anger, and Stress Less with Mindfulness are programming series that have been successful in helping many parent-child and family relationships. Peruse their website for programming near you.
Welcoming a new sibling can be a big transition for everyone in the family and can be especially tough on children. All of a sudden, a young child’s world shifts dramatically. They have to share their home, their things and the attention of their parents and other special adults. This can lead to behavior outbursts, regression and even tantrums.
Talk about it. Talk about the new baby and what things will be like. “Your little brother will come home and live here with us. Here is where he will sleep. He will cry a lot in the beginning because that is how he tells us what he needs. When he gets bigger you will be able to play with him.”
Get them involved. If possible, include your child in helping prepare for the baby before they arrive. Let them pick out special items for the baby or decorate the nursery.
Plan some special time. One of the hardest parts of welcoming a new sibling can be sharing time with Mom and Dad. Try planning some special time with your older child where they can have your undivided attention at least for a little while. This will help them feel important and special, even if they have to share your attention.
Read books. You can also read books about new siblings like, “The New Baby” by Mercer Mayer, “Peter’s Chair” by Ezra Jack Keates, “There’s Going to Be a Baby” by John Burningham or “Martha Doesn’t Share” by Samantha Berger.
Be understanding. If your child struggles to adjust to their new sibling, be understanding. Remember that it’s a big adjustment and will take time and practice. They may regress, have more tantrums or outbursts than normal or be extra clingy—this is all normal. The best thing you can do is to be empathetic instead of punishing your child. Reassure them with words, “It can be hard to share your time with Mommy, or share your toys. That makes you feel really sad. I understand. It’s OK to be sad.”
Show them love. Load your child up with lots of love and support to reassure them they are loved and supported no matter what changes are taking place at home. Give them physical affection with hugs and snuggles, verbal affection with praise and encouragement and lots of quality time together.
For more articles on child development, academic success, parenting and life skill development, please visit the Michigan State University Extension website.
To learn about the positive impact children and families experience due to MSU Extension programs, read our 2017 impact report. Additional impact reports, highlighting even more ways Michigan 4-H and MSU Extension positively impacted individuals and communities in 2017, can be downloaded from the MSU Extension website.
ByKaren Fifield, Michigan State University Extension
This is the season for food, family, picnics and barbecues. It is important to stay food safe by using a food thermometer when barbecuing. Before you begin the grilling season, explore some tips provided by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to keep you and your family’s food safe.
When purchasing foods for grilling, be careful to transport them safely from the store to your home, keeping meats separate from other foods, particularly poultry. Transport cold foods in coolers or thermal containers, keeping them at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, refrigerate until it is time to cook.
Keep all cooking utensils and equipment cleaned and sanitized to prevent cross contamination from raw food touching cooked food. Never place cooked foods on platters that have contained raw meats. If you feel you need to precook foods for the grill, the USDA recommends partially cooking foods in a microwave, oven or on a stove to help reduce the time it takes to cook on a grill.
To prevent charring, cook foods with low flame or charcoal, also by removing any visible fat that may cause grease to flare. Other safe practices to follow according to USDA guidelines, pertain to cooking foods to proper internal temperatures.
Whole poultry: 165 degrees F
Poultry breasts: 165 degrees F
Ground poultry: 165 degrees F
Ground meats: 160 degrees F
Beef, pork, lamb and veal (steaks, roasts and chops): 145 degrees F and allow to rest at least three minutes
Use a meat thermometer to check internal temperatures; this is a minimal temperature as the meat can be cooked to a higher temperature if you choose to do so. Always keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold, and remember to package leftovers in small amounts and keep in a refrigerator. When reheating any food items it is recommended to reheat leftovers to a temperature of 165 degrees F.
On a special high school sports episode of WKTV Journal: In Focus, WKTV caught up with Brandon Kimble, who in May took over as head football coach of the Godwin Heights High School Wolverines.
Kimble is no stranger to the Wolverine program as he served as the team’s defensive coordinator in 2015. He played wide receiver and safety at East Kentwood High School before graduating in 2006, and went on to play wide receiver at Olivet College. He has also coached in the East Kentwood and Grand Rapids Union football programs.
At the time of his hire, Godwin athletic director Rob Hisey praise Kimble’s football knowledge but also praised his ability to build relationships with kids.
In Focus host and producer Ken Norris talks with Coach Kimble about football, off-seasons in the weight room and, maybe most importantly, leading young men to become better on and off the field.
All In Focus interviews are available on YouTube at WKTVvideos .
The Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) has passed its annual Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification and safety inspection with zero discrepancies.
Commercial “air carrier” airports such as GFIA are regulated by the FAA. Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 139 proposes rules for the certification and operation of airports. This includes strict standards for governing airfield and pavement conditions, airfield lighting, snow and ice control, aircraft rescue and firefighting, personnel training, and handling and storage of hazardous materials. In addition, emergency planning and wildlife hazard management are reviewed.
The three day comprehensive inspection revealed that GFIA is being operated in full compliance with FAR Part 139. The FAA applauded the Airport Authority, on its procedures and noted its effectiveness on the condition of the airfield, the lighting, safe construction activity, and record-keeping.
“An FAA inspection with zero discrepancies is an incredible feat,” said GFIA President & CEO Jim Gill. “This is a testament to the ongoing, year-round attention to detail our employees exhibit to ensure our facilities are safe and secure for the traveling public. I am proud to work among such a talented, efficient staff – some of the best in the country.”
The FAA also checks airport records including training and corrective action documents, and tests the airport’s emergency response.
Just back from a run with her husband, Laura Metro faced a parent’s worst nightmare: Her 6-year-old daughter, Maison, ran to her screaming, “I think Clay died! I think Clay died!”
Metro’s 3-year-old son, who was swimming with family friends, was found at the bottom of the pool with his towel. One friend started CPR—or the closest thing he knew based on what he’d seen on TV—on Clay’s blue, lifeless body.
Paramedics arrived and got Clay’s heart beating again. He was taken by helicopter to the hospital and spent two days in a coma before making what Metro calls “nothing short of a miraculous recovery.”
“The doctors said, ‘We don’t know why he’s alive,’ ” Metro said. “The only thing—the only thing—we can attribute it to is the bystander CPR. … He didn’t see the inside of a hospital for an hour and a half [after almost drowning]. That was really what did it.”
Drowning is the third-leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, accounting for 7 percent of all injury-related deaths, according to the World Health Organization. The agency estimates there are 360,000 annual drowning deaths worldwide.
The Metros’ good fortune is anecdotal evidence of the findings from a study, published in the June 2017 edition of the journal Resuscitation, which found that chances for neurological recovery from a near-drowning increase when the victim receives CPR from a bystander.
“We would advocate for parents knowing CPR, and particularly if they have a pool, they should become familiar and get trained in mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing,” said Dr. Michael Sayre, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle. “Whereas hands-only CPR is typically focused on someone who is not in the water and collapses suddenly for other reasons, people underwater die because of lack of oxygen.”
After Clay’s recovery, Metro founded a nonprofit called CPR Party, using the model of at-home shopping parties to encourage people to teach and learn CPR. The lessons aren’t equal to official CPR certification, Metro said, but “they will know what to do and hopefully, we create a bridge to certification. We just give them that basic knowledge to empower them.”
About one in five people who die from drowning are 14 years old or younger, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And for every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal injuries, often including brain damage. The numbers are particularly discouraging, experts say, because in many cases, drowning is preventable.
“The biggest thing we try to get through to people is you need to maintain constant, active supervision when people are in the water,” said Adam Katchmarchi, executive director of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance. “Regardless of age and swimming ability, you should never swim alone. You should always swim around someone who’s keeping that vigilant watch over the water, whether that be a parent in a backyard pool or whether you’re swimming in a lifeguarded area.”
Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat
On its website, the NDPA stresses what it calls “layers of protection,” including swimmer training, facility safety and parental responsibilities designed to prevent drowning. Drowning can happen quickly and silently, without warning, Katchmarchi said.
“We’re used to the Baywatch drowning, where people see on TV that someone’s going to be waving their arms and screaming for help,” he said.
“An actual drowning victim, when they’re in that 20- to 60-second fight for survival, they’re unable to call for help because all of their energy is being used to keep their head above water. A lot of times they’re bobbing up and down, going under and re-emerging and trying to get air, so it’s really difficult for them to call out for help,” Katchmarchi said.
“It’s really easy to say, ‘Oh, I’m watching my kids,’ but you’re scrolling through Facebook or your Twitter feed. … Even if you’re distracted for just a short period of time, it can happen really quickly and really silently.”
Microbeads can evade filtration at water treatment plants and end up in the Great Lakes, and can be mistaken as food to marine life.
WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org
The federal Microbead-Free Waters Act took effect on July 1. The new law, which was passed in 2015, prohibits the sale and manufacturing use of microbeads in rinse-off cosmetics.
Although the bill was passed in 2015, the three-year period allowed cosmetic companies to phase out the production and sale of microbeads in their products.
Research from the State University of New York in Fredonia found anywhere from 1,500 to 1.1 million microbeads per square mile in the Great Lakes.
The legislation had bi-partisan support, including Michigan Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Gary Peters (D-MI).
“Microbeads pose a very real danger to our Great Lakes and threaten our fish and wildlife populations,” Sen. Stabenow said in 2015, at the time of the bill passing. “This bipartisan bill is an important step in keeping our wildlife protected and our waters safe.”
Microbeads are used in body wash, facial scrubs, and shampoo to aid in exfoliation. Once microbeads are washed down drain, they may evade filtration at water treatment plants and end up in the Great Lakes, according to supplied material. These plastic particles add to the plastic pollution in the lakes and can be mistaken as food to marine life.
“This is an important step to ensure that our Great Lakes are protected for generations to come,” Sen. Peters said in supplied material at the time the ban went into effect this week. “Pollution from microbeads is a serious threat to the health of the Great Lakes, and our ban will help keep our wildlife and waterways safe from further harm.”
More information may be found on the Federal Drug Administration’s website here.
Photo courtesy Michigan State University Extension
ByCindy Hudson, Michigan Sea Grant Extension
Michigan communities are always looking for ways to attract new visitors by taking advantage of natural resources and attractions. Trail systems are one way to encourage visitors to explore and enjoy unique areas. Michigan Sea Grant and Michigan State University Extension are helping communities around the state develop trail systems to attract visitors and also increase appreciation for Michigan’s natural resources.
Birding trails
Developing bird watching trails is a sure-fire way to attract new visitors. According to a U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife Service report, there were 47 million birdwatchers in the United States in 2011 – about 20 percent of the population. That’s a lot of potential tourists. Michigan Sea Grant’s Elliot Nelson, who works as an educator in the eastern Upper Peninsula, has developed resources for communities looking to improve site access for birding tourists. He also was key in helping develop an interactive online map (www.northhuronbirding.com) to help visitors with directions and tips to ensure a successful birding day.
Water trails
Water trails also are touted as ways to help people connect to nature and hopefully add to local economies at the same time. Paddle sports are among the fastest-growing outdoor activities in the United States, according to recent studies by the Outdoor Industry Association. Water trails are designed for people to follow a mapped route in a non-motorized craft such as a kayak, canoe, or stand-up paddleboard.
As with birders, those out paddling the trail may spend additional money on food, lodging, or transportation in the local area. The website www.michiganwatertrails.org identifies routes all over Michigan including the Detroit Heritage River Trail and the Lake St. Clair Water Trail, which are projects that Michigan Sea Grant Extension Educator Mary Bohling helped organize. Bohling also is organizing a new project, the Aquatic Invasive Species Paddling Stewardship Program. The program aims to help water trail users identify and map invasive species along sections of at least 12 water trails throughout Michigan. The program will teach water trail users how to avoid introducing or spreading invasive species through their paddlesport activities.
Those interested in enrolling in the 2019 training workshops should send their name and city of residence to Mary Bohling at bohling@msu.edu, and she will notify them when workshops are scheduled in their area.
Great Lakes Fisheries Heritage Trail
If you happen to be a history buff, there is an ever-growing network of displays and museums called the Great Lakes Fisheries Heritage Trail. The trail provides a good reason to plan a road trip along the Great Lakes shoreline, stopping to visit these locations along the way. Michigan Sea Grant Extension Educators Brandon Schroeder, Mark Breederland, Ron Kinnunen, Mary Bohling, and Dan O’Keefe have organized and collaborated with many partners to create this trail around the state.
Currently, the trail includes museums and fisheries heritage exhibits, coastal fishing communities and historical sites, fisheries festivals and experiences, commercial fishing families and local fish markets, and related research and science. An interactive map identifies each location and describes what visitors will find at each site. The Great Lakes Fisheries Heritage Trail explores the past, present, and future of the lakes through the lens of fish and fishing.
Whether you are a hiker, bird watcher, quiet water enthusiast, or history buff, Michigan’s growing trail systems should help enhance your time enjoying all that our state has to offer.
Technology is used in nearly every industry today; it’s no longer just tech companies that need IT employees. The demand for skilled IT workers is greater than the number of individuals with four-year, computer science degrees. Employers are looking to other providers of training and certification to find qualified talent to fill their IT job openings.
If you have the desire to work in the IT field, there is probably a short-term, affordable program that can help you get your foot in the door. The following five training programs can prepare someone with no IT experience for an entry-level position in the field.
Grand Circus: Offering rigorous coding classes and career assistance coaching, Grand Circus’ 12-week coding boot camps prepare participants for entry-level, computer programming jobs. You can also try out a free Coding 101 workshop to see if a career in coding is right for you!
The Factory: This multi-purpose space in downtown Grand Rapids offers CoLearning, a 12-week program that combine courses and mentoring for small groups to learn key skills in technology, design and entrepreneurship. The coLearning program is ideal for people looking to learn a new skill to switch careers and/or prepare for a new job.
New Horizons: The world’s largest IT training company provides courses and certification in a variety of computer technologies, from Microsoft Office proficiency to cybersecurity certification. You can learn basic word processing on a computer, as well as more technical skills in areas like database management.
Goodwill: The organization known for its retail outlets also provides training and career services. Their Technology Certification Program offers courses for several certifications to prepare participants for an entry-level, IT position. Individuals with significant disabilities or who face other barriers to employment may be eligible for financial assistance.
Google: You can receive IT Support Professional Certification through a free, online program developed by Google. The curriculum will prepare participants for an entry-level role in IT support. The certificate can be completed in about 8 months with 8-10 hours of coursework per week. Enrollment is now open for the five-course program that starts July 2, 2018.
If you’d like to explore careers in IT and find out about available scholarships for technology training, visit a West Michigan Works! Service Center near you to get started.
Employment Expertise is provided by West Michigan Works! Learn more about how they can help: visit westmiworks.org or your local Service Center.
Proposed changes in what your kids learn in their social studies classes are drawing fire from some Kent County parents and teachers, as well as many others around Michigan.
About 80 people turned out at the Kent ISD last week for a hearing hosted by the Michigan Department of Education on proposed changes to the state’s K-12 social studies curriculum standards. They include deleting references to gay rights, climate change, and the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion; decreasing references to organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; and the removal of the word “democratic” from the phrase “democratic core values.”
No one spoke out in favor of the new standards at the hearing, while some claimed the changes are politically motivated. The standards are the state’s expectations for what students are to learn in each grade, though teachers are free to devise their own lesson plans for teaching them.
“To accept the standards as proposed would validate their politicization. You don’t want to go there,” said Jeff Johnston, a Wyoming resident and father of four. “It is a mistake from which we will not easily recover and we cannot afford to make.”
Educators and university experts have been working on the new standards for more than four years. However, some of the changes now under consideration were instituted by a 21-member focus group that included state Sen. Patrick Colbeck, R-Canton, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor in next month’s primary election. Colbeck was invited to join the group after submitting 13 pages of suggested changes, though no Democratic legislators were, according to Bridge magazine.
“This whole thing reeks of someone running for governor,” said Caitie Oliver of Lowell, a social worker for Grand Rapids Public Schools. “I don’t appreciate the education of my students and my children being held captive by people who are using it as a political maneuver.”
Jeff Johnston, a Wyoming parent, said adopting the proposed social studies standards would be “a mistake”
Interest Prompts More Hearings
The hearing was held June 28, the day before state officials extended the deadline for receiving public comments on the standards. The deadline was to have been June 30, but has now been extended to Sept. 30, with a projected spring 2019 date for the standards to be presented to the state Board of Education. Interim State Superintendent Sheila Alles said the extension reflects “the great level of interest” in the changes, and that more “listen and learn” hearings will be added to the 11 already conducted.
However, an official with the state superintendent’s office says the end date is not set in stone.
“There is no deadline. We’ll keep going until we get it right,” said Linda Forward, a senior executive policy administrator with the superintendent’s office. She noted that the current standards approved in 2007 went through three rewrites before being presented to the state board, and additional changes were approved by the board itself.
Forward and Jim Cameron, a consultant who helped write the new standards, agreed the proposed removal of the word “democratic” from the oft-repeated phrase “core democratic values” has generated the most common objections at hearings around the state. Forward says the writers were trying to strike a balance between the use of the words “democratic” and “republic.” The proposed standards add the words “a constitutional republic” in several places to describe American democracy.
“We are a democracy, because we make decisions via democratic process,” Forward said. “We are a constitutional republic, because we are a republic and we were designed by a constitution. All three of those words have real meaning, and getting them in the right place with the right meaning is critical in the process.”
Colbeck was quoted by Bridge magazine as saying the phrase “core democratic values (is) not politically neutral. I’m not proposing core republican values, either.”
Deleting History?
Madelyn Cox, who teaches world history and U.S. history at the West Michigan Aviation Academy in Grand Rapids, spoke out against proposed changes to high school standards that would eliminate references to individual minority groups, including people of color and those who are LGBTQ.
“A lot of these groups are already marginalized in textbooks,” Cox said, noting that she often has to do her own research to address the lack of information in textbooks on these groups. “I think if we continue to write these groups out of our textbooks and our standards, we’re going to write them out of history. I don’t think we can let that happen.”
The new standards also added in language, backed by Sen. Colbeck, on “how the expansion of rights for some groups can be viewed as an infringement of rights and freedoms of others.”
Cameron, the MDOE consultant and a former social studies teacher in Saline, issued a word of caution about the proposed standards, saying just because something is not included does not mean an individual teacher cannot teach the subject matter.
“How you teach, what you teach is a classroom decision, an instructional decision,” Cameron said. “Those are left up to local schools, local districts to decide which examples to include or not to include.”
Just when you’re in the throes of enjoying the lush tree canopy in city, it stops being lush. One day, the shade is gone. The leaves are decimated. The mess is significant.
We can thank our nemesis, the gypsy moth, for that. Despite the June 5th spray in Wyoming, these buggers are back in force. (To learn how gypsy moths came to be such a menace in America in the first place, go here. Warning: Not for the faint of heart.)
The City of Wyoming shares your frustration. The spray has not been as effective as in years past. A gypsy moth consultant says that there are several reasons for this.
According to the City’s website, under ideal spray conditions, 80% mitigation is expected. The consultant believes that extreme cold in April combined with extreme heat in May disrupted many of the gypsy moths’ normal patterns and resulted in fewer gypsy moth larva ingesting the spray product.
The City of Wyoming is documenting calls and conveying that information to the City Council and the consultant. Residents’ calls and emails are valuable and will help determine where treatment is needed in the future.
Thuricide (sold under various brand names) — read the label to ensure it contains Btk
Tanglefoot — this is a wrap that goes around the tree trunk and it prevents the caterpillars from going up to the tree canopy to eat
Pheromone traps are another option, though they are not as effective
Another option is to hire a private contractor to treat smaller trees and ornamentals. Use caution when using other products as some can affect bees, butterflies and other pollinators.
Refer to the City of Wyoming’s Facebook page or website for more information. There’s a form you can fill out on the website to alert the City to gypsy moths in your area. Use it.
Michigan State University Extension has more information on what to do about gypsy moth infestations. Go here.
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).
If Tigger from Winnie-the-Pooh was a cat, boisterous, beguiling, bouncing-off-the-walls Baz would embody him for sure! This busy boy (born in March of 2017) came to us on May 31, 2018, after having been found in the yard of a Wyoming woman who lived in the trailer park just down the from the vet clinic. Initially his rescuer thought he was injured, and coming from the corner of 44th and Clyde Park, she thought perhaps he had been hit by a car and was laying in her grass, stunned and hurting; of course Dr. Jen had the rescuer bring him right down for evaluation.
Once Dr. Jen examined Baz, it was clear that nothing physically was wrong, so it left her wondering if he was yet another cat who was tossed out and left behind, too scared to move or cry out for help. Within a few seconds, he was trucking around the exam room like he owned the place, sporting a way too-tight collar that had probably been on him since kittenhood. Dr. Jen offered to take him in, got him neutered and program-ready with all of the required medical care. He hung out with Dr. Jen for a day or two to recover from his surgery, during which time Baz and she became fast friends. This fabulous fella has the most magnificent markings, a beyond playful spirit and is overall just a terrific tabby!
Once at Crash’s, he took the place by storm, acting as if he had always lived there amongst the furry fold. He is a hoot to watch as he tries to engage the other residents in a wrestling match, but sadly no one quite lives up to his activity level, so Baz is left with us humans to entertain him! We want — no NEED — to find him a home that is energetic as he is, one with kid cohorts and a cat or two that can give him a run for his money! We think he’d even do well with dogs as he is THAT easygoing and open to new experiences.
Nothing gets him down or stands in his way of having tons of fun; it is really fascinating to observe him in his glory, gallivanting around our place like the Energizer Bunny, with his inquisitive nature bringing big smiles to our faces. Not only is Baz adorable, he is comical and curious, promising that there will NEVER be a dull moment when he is around! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to welcome this wonderful, whimsical boy into your world!
More about Baz:
Medium
Tabby (Tiger Striped)
Adult
Male
House-trained
Vaccinations up to date
Neutered
Not declawed
Good in a home with other cats and children
Want to adopt Baz? Learn about the adoption process here. Fill out a pre-adoption form here.
Can’t adopt, but still want to help? Find out how you can sponsor a cat!
Crash’s Landing and Big Sid’s Sanctuary have a common mission: To take at-risk stray cats off the streets of the Greater Grand Rapids area, provide them with veterinary care and house them in free-roaming, no-kill facilities until dedicated, loving, permanent homes can be found.
“Would you do it all over again if you could choose?” an adult son asks his dying father. Jake Beniflah talks of immigration, personal sacrifice, and the stress of acculturating to a place far from home.
By Darren Bagley, Michigan State University Extension
How have federal income tax rates changed over time? Do you think taxes go up, down or stay the same? If we didn’t have an income tax, how would we pay for things like the military, national parks, federal courts and prisons, agricultural research or the many other things the federal government does?
This is the latest article about citizenship activities anyone can conduct with children. This can be done within a family, as part of school activities, a 4-H club or with any group working with young people. Have a robust dialogue about these issues, and encourage young people to find data to back up their opinions. During the discussion, try to limit interjecting your own opinions, and let the youth discuss it among themselves.
The United States had its first federal income tax in 1861 to help pay for the Civil War, kept until 1873 when it was repealed. It started up again in 1894 for one year and left again until 1913, and has been with us ever since. Tax rates have varied widely since that time.
Should tax rates be the same regardless of your income? The taxes paid on the highest income bracket have ranged from as low as 2 percent in 1894 to as high as 94 percent in 1945. What do you think of a 94 percent tax rate? It is important to consider that amount was not paid on all their income, but only on the amount made in that bracket. For example, for the high bracket of 94 percent in 1945, you would only pay that 94 percent rate on income earned over about $200,000 ($2.8 million adjusted for inflation in 2018 dollars). Income less than that would be taxed at a lower rate. For every $1 you earned over that $200,000, the government would take 94 cents of it.
Why would the government tax wealthy folks at such an exorbitant rate? Taxes for the highest earners stayed above 90 percent from 1944 to 1962. Are there any major events that happened during that time? World War II occurred from 1939-1945. We built the federal interstate highway system starting in 1956.
Would any events justify those kind of taxes today? Another world war? The war on terror? Paying off the national debt? Improving our schools? Providing universal higher education? High-speed internet across the country?
Many things are funded by taxes, individuals could also purchase on their own or the government could not regulate. Are there things the government is doing that it should not? Do we need to invest in traveling to outer space? Should parks or prisons be run by private companies who can make a profit?
Another item to consider is that dollars reinvested into a business are not income, but expenses. For example, if you have a company that makes ice cream and you do really well and make millions of dollars, if you use those millions to buy more ice cream stores or ice cream making machines, or hire more people, those are considered business expenses and not a net profit. If an individual or company keeps recirculating money into entrepreneurial enterprises, it keeps the economy going. Perhaps that is what the government of the time wanted to encourage.
Tax dollars are used to fund government programs, from preschool to roads to the military. Spending of tax dollars create jobs, but so does spending in the private sector. It could be argued that high taxes on the wealthy are a “Robin Hood” approach of taking from the rich and giving to the poor. It could also be argued that high taxes are because the government doesn’t trust people with their own money. Where do you fall on those arguments?
Hopefully these questions will get some good discussion going about the value of your tax dollar. If you have some great ideas, share them with your county, city or township, or your state or federal legislators.
Leaders in the field of philanthropy from across the country have noticed a shortcoming in how the nonprofit sector applies principles of diversity, equity and inclusion throughout its critically important and economically substantial work.
The nonprofit sector is a $1.6 trillion industry in the United States, and 1 in 10 American workers are employed in the field. However, people of color and other minority populations tend to be underrepresented in leadership positions in the industry.
Monumental demographic shifts taking place in the U.S. necessitate that the nonprofit sector adapt to changing needs in communities to ensure equitable access to healthcare, education and the workforce.
With this need in mind, the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University is adding former Aquinas College president Juan Olivarez to its ranks to help study, understand and share knowledge about how to improve inclusive practices in the nonprofit sector.
Olivarez will serve as the Johnson Center’s Distinguished Scholar in Residence for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for a three-year term, and will advance the center’s work on building capacity in the nonprofit sector while incorporating principles of equity.
The Distinguished Scholar in Residence position is funded in part by recent grants from the Frey Foundation, the Wege Foundation, the Kate and Richard Wolters Foundation as well as support from the center’s founder, Dorothy A. Johnson. The gifts are part of Grand Valley’s Laker Effect campaign.
Part of the work Olivarez will take on is developing a prototype talent pipeline initiative in the West Michigan area that seeks to better understand the role of employment in inclusive community development. A portion of the initiative will include research and conversations with thought leaders on diversity, equity and inclusive practices, as well as focus on how to make those principles integral to nonprofit work. This research will be shared on a national and global scale to widely advance equitable practices across the sector.
“Philanthropy has the potential to touch all Americans, yet we still have the sense that we’re not truly reaching and assisting all communities enough,” Olivarez said. “So the need is to study, to look at best practices and determine how we can influence the advancement of diversity, inclusion and equity efforts.”
Olivarez brings nonprofit leadership and higher education experience to the position, having served as president of Aquinas College for six years and Grand Rapids Community College for almost 10 years. He also served several years as the president and CEO of the Kalamazoo Community Foundation where he championed innovative community initiatives that focused on improving education opportunities for all people.
“Juan Olivarez is highly respected and experienced in the fields of higher education and philanthropy and will be able to spark the kinds of meaningful, probing conversations this work needs,” said Mark Van Putten, president and CEO of the Wege Foundation. “With the research and convening power of the Johnson Center behind him, we expect to see great outcomes.”
The Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy is a well-regarded center of excellence at Grand Valley State University and a vital resource for the charitable sector both locally and globally, with engagements in Michigan, across the United States, and internationally in Canada, Australia, Europe, and Saudi Arabia.
The Fourth of July — also known as Independence Day or America’s Birthday — has been a recognized federal holiday since 1941. The day actually marks when the Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence. (The vote for independence took place on July 2.)
This year, most communities will be celebrating the nation’s 242nd birthday on Wednesday, July 4. For today’s Snapshots, we provided a list of Fourth of July activities and wish everyone a safe and happy celebration.
Click on the cute little map thumbnails below, and you will be whisked to larger maps which will guide you to where you need to go.
Kentwood
Activities begin with a pancake breakfast at the KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root), 4950 Breton Rd. SE, from 7:30-9:30am and is followed by the NN Mobile Solutions 5K Race & Fun Walk and the parade which starts at Crestwood Middle School, 2674 44th St. SE. The middle school also will be the site for the evening activities that start at 6pm with fireworks at dusk. For more, click here.
Grandville
Grandville’s Fourth of July celebration kicks off the day with a flag raising at 8:30am at the Grandville Middle School, 3535 Wilson Ave. SW followed by a parade. In the afternoon at the Middle School, there will be a variety of activities starting at noon with fireworks at dusk. For more, click here.
Grand Rapids
The Amway Family Fireworks in Grand Rapids will be July 7, yes, Saturday, July 7. The activities such as games, food, vendor exhibits and music, will kick off at 5pm at Ah-Nab-Awen Park, which is right next to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, 303 Pearl St. NW. Fireworks will be at dusk (estimated time is 10:30pm) For more, click here.
Dorr
This community to the south has a five-day celebration that started on June 30 and wraps up on July 4. On Wednesday, there is a community breakfast at the Dorr Christian Reformed Church, 4220 18th St., Dorr, followed by a parade and activities throughout the afternoon. The fireworks will be at dusk (estimated time is 10:20pm) For more click here.
Other local communities:
East Grand Rapids, Ada, Allendale and Cascade will have Fourth of July celebrations as well. These will include parades, activities, and fireworks.
Village of Hopkins
Just a little further south, the Village of Hopkins has teamed up with the Gun Lake Casino for its annual Fourth of July celebration. Activities start with a free breakfast. The children’s parade is at 4pm and the main parade at 5pm. The fireworks, which are being billed as the “biggest boom ever,” are scheduled for dusk. For more, click here.
Lakeshore
The communities of Grand Haven, Saugatuck-Douglas and Holland all have Fourth of July events taking place. Also, Nelis’ Dutch Village will be celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. A vintage car show is set for Tuesday, July 3.
And to the North
Muskegon will be hosting a two-day Fourth of July celebration and the annual Lakeshore Art Festival will be taking place on July 6 and 7. Also, the White Lake area has its Fourth of July parade on Wednesday along with fireworks over the north end of White Lake. Ludington hosts its annual Freedom Festival which includes a parade and fireworks.
And one last boom….
At tonight’s Whitecaps games (July 3) there will be fireworks. The game starts at 7:05pm. For more, click here.
WKTV Schedule July 4 schedule
9:00am — Senior Exercise: Summer Special
9:30am — Celebrating Life & Food: Celebrating the 4th of July
WKTV will broadcast the Kentwood Fourth of July parade.
For the Fourth of July holiday, WKTV will be hosting special programs to celebrate the nations 242nd birthday. The programming will include two showings of the Kentwood 4th of July Parade, 12:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Here is a detail look of the Fourth of July schedule:
9:00am Senior Exercise: Summer Special
9:30am Celebrating Life & Food: Celebrating the 4th of July
Have a dog or few? If so, you may be dreading the impending fireworks. By now, you’ve probably already gotten a taste of how your pet reacts to loud noises — neighborhood kids like to set off fireworks a few days early.
Fireworks displays are an inevitability, but there are some things you can do to help keep your pup calm. Here are some tips for surviving the loud booms.
Exercise your dog earlier in the day to release pent-up energy.
Keep your canine indoors during fireworks and keep him company, if possible. Run the air conditioner to keep him cool.
Don’t take your dog with you to a fireworks display. (That’s just nuts.)
Make sure your dog has a safe place inside to retreat to. Dogs often feel safer in small, enclosed places if they’re scared of loud sounds. Consider crating your pup, if he’s comfortable there. Covering the crate will help.
Keep windows and curtains closed, if possible. Removing visual stimulation can really help.
Ensure that your dog wears ID tags with a collar that fits properly. That way, if he somehow escapes, there is a better chance that he’ll be returned to you.
Leave Fido a frozen Kong toy filled with his favorite morsels. It’s a good distraction.
After the success of creating a transitional house for youth in 2017, Mel Trotter Ministries recently opened a transitional house for women who are experiencing homelessness. The MTM “Melanie House” was established to provide additional housing opportunities for women who have gone through a program at the Mel Trotter Ministries downtown shelter but still face challenging barriers to having a home of their own.
This housing opportunity fosters a supportive community environment and does not exclude women based on physical or mental disabilities, prior criminal history, addiction, bad credit or other barriers.
“The home will offer the tenants stable, affordable housing which they have been unable to secure in our city’s tight rental market,” said Dennis Van Kampen, CEO of Mel Trotter Ministries. “This experience will help these ladies build the foundation for independent living in the future and we believe this experience will help keep them from returning to homelessness.”
The Melanie House is located in an undisclosed location in Grand Rapids. It features two bathrooms, a community kitchen and dining area, and three private rooms for the three tenants who were formerly in an MTM program. One of the tenants serves as an on-site resident assistant and provides encouragement and guidance. Tenants pay $300-$400 a month for rent and also pay for their own utilities.
MTM will also offer aftercare services with a staff case manager who walks alongside the tenants as they connect with their new neighborhood, build credit history, navigate transportation, continue a savings plan and set goals for long-term housing.
Some items for furnishing the home are still needed by donors. To help, please go to www.meltrotter.org/needs to help out.
You can help create the change you want to see by holding your local and state officials accountable — but to do that, you must first be registered to vote; then, you must actually vote. The deadline for registering to vote in Michigan’s Aug. 7th primary election is Monday,July 9th.
Not sure you’re registered? There’s an easy way to find out. According to Robert J. Macomber, Chief Deputy County Clerk, residents can visit www.Michigan.gov/vote to check their registration, find the address of their local clerk or obtain the mail-in voter registration application. It will also tell you your polling location.
Fun fact: Women suffragettes were jailed and force fed for 3 weeks for the right to vote.
“First-time voters who register by mail must vote in person in their first election, unless they hand-deliver the application to their local clerk, are 60 years old or older, are disabled or are eligible to vote under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act,” says Macomber.
Click on Kent County’s Elections page https://www.accesskent.com/Departments/Elections/ to learn more about the August Primary here in Kent County, view your sample ballot, or find your polling location.
Stay informed… and be involved. Don’t miss your chance to have a say in how your state government represents you.
Artist’s Conk (Ganoderma applanatum) fungi in a sugar maple. (Photo by MSU Extension)
ByMike Schira, Michigan State University Extension
Usually, when we see or hear news items regarding tree and forest fungus, it is being presented as bad or something that is killing trees. Sadly in many instances it’s true that newly introduced fungal pathogens, like Dutch elm disease and oak wilt for example, are a major issue resulting in the death of healthy trees.
The majority of fungi we find in the forest are beneficial to the overall health of the stands they are living with. It is inevitable that trees are going to get old, slowdown in growth and eventually die. These life cycle processes can be rather short in some species; for example aspen, jack pine and white birch or quite long stretching to over hundreds or even thousands of years in the longest growing species like northern white cedar in the Lake States region or sequoia and bristle cone pine in the west.
Regardless of how or when a tree dies, the process of decomposition begins. Tree cell walls contain lignin, a compound that strengthens the cells assisting trees to grow tall. Lignin is tough and fungi are thought to be the only major organism that can break it down. This is important to the remaining trees as well as for the newly established seedlings that depend on the nutrients in the dead and dying trees to allow them to grow and remain healthy. Without the decaying action of fungi, wood would not break down to supply the nutrients for the remaining stand in a timeframe that will sustain growth.
The process of plant growth, decline and decay followed by reabsorption of the released compounds is generally referred to as nutrient cycling. Although there are other organisms that aid in the breakdown of plant matter for this process, it is fungi that preforms the important first step by breaking down the lignin. These processes may be at work above ground in the tree stems and branches, or below ground in the roots and stumps. There are many different species and kinds of fungi that are at work in forest stands and vary depending on tree species, soil type and moisture conditions.
‘Launch Michigan’ members vowed to develop an agenda for implementing research-driven strategies for a student-centered system that will extend beyond politics and election cycles to give educators the support necessary to encourage, inspire and improve student performance (Photo provided by School News Network)
Business leaders, school management organizations, teacher and school staff associations and philanthropic groups are joining forces to make public education the cornerstone of Michigan’s continued economic recovery.
Launch Michigan, “a diverse, never-before assembled group of business, education, labor, philanthropic state and community leaders,” announced their desire to set aside differences and create a common agenda to improve and better support Michigan’s education system, in a news conference June 20 at the Impression 5 Science Center in Lansing.
So what, you may ask. What’s so unusual about all groups coming together to solve a problem? Unfortunately, it’s quite unusual.
School leaders could be criticized for having a bunker mentality, hunkering down in the face of criticism. Business leaders sometimes criticize without really trying to find a solution. Policy makers sometimes react to headlines without trying to determine the root cause of a problem. There is no one place or institution to draw disparate parties together, which makes it difficult to come together for a common purpose — or even to identify a common purpose.
Fortunately, we have a new set of leaders who have set the past aside in hopes of forging a different future. Rob Fowler of the Small Business Association of Michigan led the way by joining the School Finance Research Collaborative, asserting it is essential for all to have a common understanding of what the experts say is necessary — financially, at least — to achieve the standards Michigan has set for its students and schools.
The Business Leaders for Michigan took a leadership role by saying education is too important a piece of the essential infrastructure for economic growth to allow the current conditions to continue. Both recognized the states that have significantly improved their educational outcomes found business leaders were the catalyst for change.
So, to “Launch” this initiative, the new partners came to the podium two-by-two, with Business Leaders for Michigan’s Doug Rothwell and Michigan Education Association’s Paula Herbart joining together to proclaim the new partnership “a nonpartisan issue … critical to making Michigan a place that we can all live, work, raise a family and call home.”
Broad and Bipartisan Representation
Members — ranging from the American Federation of Teachers, the Detroit Regional Chamber, the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, Kent ISD and all of the major Michigan education organizations — vowed to develop an agenda for implementing research-driven strategies for a student-centered system that will extend beyond politics and election cycles to give educators the support necessary to encourage, inspire and improve student performance.
Since this is nonpartisan, and the Michigan Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers were invited to the party, I suppose it’s safe to paraphrase Democratic political consultant James Carville, best known for his advice to Bill Clinton during his presidential campaign against incumbent George H.W. Bush. “It’s the economy, stupid,” Carville said in 1992 and, were he in Michigan today, he’d likely say something equally pithy about education.
Thanks to Business Leaders for Michigan, the Small Business Association of Michigan and the regional chambers that have signed on to this coalition for recognizing we need all segments of the school community, and the communities they serve, to rebuild our education system.
Teachers, be they affiliated with a bargaining unit or not, are our most important investment in the education system. They are an integral part of any reform, and it’s reassuring our business partners recommended their inclusion in Launch Michigan.
We’ve been divided too long. Superintendents and their associations shouldn’t be negatively judged for trying to work cooperatively with the associations representing their staff.
To bring 100 percent of Michigan’s 1.5 million students to proficiency, we must stop pointing fingers and instead extend our hands to forge relationships and partnerships to better understand, and resolve, the inequities and misplaced priorities that result in underachievement.
It’s difficult to predict exactly what will come of this new alliance. We can hope it resembles the close working relationship developed between business and education in West Michigan, where school superintendents and the captains of industry are working to better understand the skills students need to build successful careers, and to make sure they attain those skills.
It’s great to see our work recognized and modeled across the state. Godspeed.
A new exhibit titled, “Perceptions of Landscape — Reality and Remembrance,” by local artist Richard Muller, opens at the Leep Art Gallery on July 5 at the Postma Center on the Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services campus in Grand Rapids.
Richard Muller has been an artist for much of his life, specializing in landscapes. He studied oil painting for nine years at the Vincent Trotta School of Art in Flushing, New York. His academic degrees are from Queens College, City University of New York, bachelor of arts; Union Theological Seminary, N. Y., master of divinity; and Duke University, postgraduate doctoral degree. Since moving to Lowell in 2006, he has been a member of the Lowell Area Arts Council, serving on the Gallery Committee.
“My artistic efforts have been directed, particularly in the last several decades, toward the development of a classical style with a view to the insights of the landscape traditions of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. I learn from the past by painting my own versions of classic works’” says Muller.
“My original paintings are typically done on the basis of sketches or impressions of places where I have traveled and been moved either by the natural force of the scene or by a striking feature of the landscape, whether a result of nature or of human activity. My intention is to more evoke a mood or a feeling than simply to represent — to call forth a sense of life and force in the natural order and our human connection with it. I prefer traditional pigments, especially the natural earths. I aim at a feeling of life and depth, a sense of the unity of the whole.”
Muller has exhibited works in the West Michigan Regional Competition, Celebration of the Arts, the Mid-Michigan Art Guild Annual Exhibition, ArtPrize, the Grand Rapids Art Peers Festival, the Fallasburg Festival, and in four solo exhibits since 2010. He is a member of the National Oil and Acrylic Painter’s Society.
The Pine Rest Leep Art Gallery exhibit will be on display at the Postma Center located at 300 68th Street, SE, Grand Rapids, Mich., from July 5 until October 2, 2018. The Leep Art Gallery is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 616.222.4530 or go to www.pinerest.org/leep-art-gallery .
Becoming a caregiver for your spouse or partner can have a profound effect on your relationship.
Traditional marriage vows tenderly express commitment to love each other through the best that life brings as well as well as through the worst of times. As the journey of life continues, spouses and partners confidently face a barrage of changes and transitions together. Over time and through partnership efforts routines, roles and expectations naturally become established.
Identifying role changes and challenges
Changes in the physical, mental or emotional health of a spouse or partner can have a profound effect on relationships. This can include one partner taking on the role of caregiver of the other.
Regardless if the caregiving role developed gradually or if circumstances occurred that changed life instantly, navigating daily life and assuming and accepting the role of caregiver includes navigating both good and bad days. Grief, loneliness, anxiety and exhaustion are all natural feelings that spousal caregivers can experience as they tirelessly try to meet the needs of their loved one. Assuming unfamiliar tasks that their spouse usually completed previously and adding daily care responsibilities, often while still employed, is stressful and can take a toll on a caregivers’ health.
The isolation associated with caregiving
Spouse and partner caregiving is a labor of love. Loyalty is a significant factor that drives caregivers. Spouses often believe they should tackle caregiving single-handedly and do not readily accept offers of assistance from family and friends. Caregivers may feel they can provide the best care for their spouse and do not ask for additional help even when they are feeling overwhelmed. Most care recipients prefer their spouse to be their care provider. Yet care recipients are often dealing with multiple and ongoing health changes that make their own behaviors and needs unpredictable and sometimes challenging. Care recipients may experience a wide array of feelings like anger, grief and depression that spousal caregivers have to attempt to navigate on a daily basis.
Caregivers may experience varying degrees of guilt as they navigate and mourn the loss of what once was normal, and grapple with life as it is now. Pouring oneself into the daily care of another can also lead to isolation as caregivers slowly pull away from social engagements to spend most of their time at home. As a spouse or partner attempts to care solely for their loved one the risk of injury and other negative health factors can begin to appear in the caregiver, which can be amplified by age. It is typical for a spousal caregiver to neglect their own self-care in pursuit of immersing themselves in caring for their spouse.
Caregivers benefit from community resources and support
Every spousal or partner caregiver should be aware that they can equip themselves with new skills and knowledge through education and community support. This can help caregivers confidently provide care with sufficient help and also maintain their own self-care.
Most caregivers and care recipients experience continual transitions in their relationship and Michigan State University Extension highly encourages caregivers to seek support and help to find systems that benefit both individuals. There are evidence-based community programs designed to assist caregivers, including spousal caregivers, to maintain their own mental, emotional and physical health. The Powerful Tools for Caregivers program designed specifically for caregivers will increase self-care habits; build confidence in handling numerous caregiver responsibilities like making difficult decisions, dealing with challenging emotions and finding local community resources. To learn about the Powerful Tools for Caregivers program in Michigan contact your local MSU Extension office.
How can mutations in one supposedly single-function protein result in four unique diseases with symptoms ranging from strangely textured hair to early death?
That’s the question that biochemistry professor Rachael Baker and biology professor Amy Wilstermann are seeking to answer through three linked research projects this summer. Working with three student researchers to conduct experiments on the mitochondria of yeast and zebrafish, the professors are examining the effects of mutations in the protein’s gene to determine its other roles within the cell.
By discovering how each mutation results in each disease, Baker says they hope to more fully understand the mitochondrial system, leading to both “better treatments for people affected by rare diseases and a better understanding about health and wellness in general that could lead to treatments for things like cancer and other disorders.”
Beyond the lab
Baker and Wilstermann, however, view these direct applications as only one step in the larger process of improving the lives of those with rare diseases.
“There’s just a lot of uncertainty [around rare disease]; even when you get a diagnosis, you might not know what the prognosis is,” said Wilstermann. She and Baker aim to help remedy this through two key routes: improving the readability of scholarly work on rare disease and providing a website to collect information for patients and their families.
During the summer, Wilstermann says, the students will work toward both goals by reviewing the literature around a specific rare disease and writing a condensed summary for the website, giving them practice in “taking really complicated ideas and mak[ing] them accessible but still completely accurate.” Wilstermann says that the students will most likely start by covering the diseases which were represented at the rare disease symposium (in March 2018) and are present in the local community.
The website is broadly intended to function as a network for members of the rare disease community, including patients, families, clinicians, and researchers. “We want it to be a place where we can connect people with resources; we want it to be a place where people can connect with one another,” Wilstermann said. “There’s opportunity to bring people together and help build a supportive community around common experiences, and the common experience of being rare.”
A faith-driven approach
“This project, for me, encapsulates why I came to be a professor at Calvin college,” said Baker. “The way we do science looks different here,” she added. “We eat together each week, we value each other, and we [work] in a body of Christ model where different people have different strengths and interests [which we] bring together to be a functioning whole. We’ve employed various practices that are really rooted in Christian principles, and we’ve used those to shape how we run our research team.
“To me,” Baker said, “it’s really exciting that I get to do that and think about it explicitly.”
West Michigan Hindu Temple “pracharak,” or outreach minister Fred Stella listens as Forest Hills fifth-grader Krishna Mano talks about his family’s faith
Brothers Vishnu and Krishna Mano spoke of Hindu faith traditions they observe with their family: lighting a lamp in the evening to symbolize good luck, and praying in the morning and before bed.
The boys, eighth- and fifth-graders, respectively, who attend Forest Hills Public Schools, know a lot about Hinduism, and told 19 peers about the religion during the first-ever Interfaith Service Day Camp. They complemented Fred Stella’s lesson on the faith during a tour of the West Michigan Hindu Temple. Stella is “pracharak,” or outreach minister, at the Ada-based temple.
“I liked that I was educating other people about my faith,” said Vishnu, adding that Hinduism is a minority religion in the U.S. that not everyone knows much about. “Hinduism is not just religion, but the culture and way of life that follows it.”
Students learned details and histories covering Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh religions.
“I experienced a lot of new things that were good for me,” Vishnu said. “I made new friends who are not in my faith. I feel like in these last four days I learned a lot about religion, not just through textbooks, but by experiencing it in their places of worship.”
West Michigan Hindu Temple “pracharak,” or outreach minister Fred Stella talks about Hinduism inside the temple
Forming Interfaith Friendships
Representatives from Kaufman Interfaith Institute, at Grand Valley State University, hosted the camp to connect students from different faith backgrounds, build relationships and add youth voices to interfaith conversations.
“The overall mission (of the institute) is to promote mutual understanding, respect and dialogue across different faith traditions and world views in West Michigan,” said Kyle Kooyers, program manager for Kaufman Interfaith Institute, which has a theme this year of interfaith friendship.
Forest Hills student Vishnu Mano talks about Hinduism while Xander Brown listens
Campers represented Christian, Baha’i, Muslim and Hindu faiths and included atheists and those with no religious affiliation. To culminate the week, they shared ideas about what comes next for students in the area of interfaith work and what camp could include next year.
Highlights were participating in meditation; observing Muslim prayer, during which five Muslim campers joined; and learning about holy books, like the Torah, students said.
“I didn’t know a lot about that religion,” said Jenison High School sophomore Kate Boutell of Sikhism. “They are very inclusive and they recognize diversity of religions.”
Grandville Middle School eighth-grader Radi Rashid said he enjoyed exploring other religions and comparing it to his own, Islam.
“It’s cool learning about all the other religions, and learning that a religion I really didn’t know about is not that different than my own.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Kentwood: City plans activities to celebrate 4th of July
Parades are big thing in Kentwood, so there will be one on July 4th. (WKTV)
All are invited to join the City of Kentwood’s annual Fourth of July Celebration for a full day of activities, including a pancake breakfast, a 5K race and a parade, followed by an evening complete with carnival rides, games and fireworks at Crestwood Middle School.
Music scene: Hot international band Kaleo in GR Sunday
Both dedicated and soon-to-be fans of Kaleo will get a chance to see and hear the group’s range when the band hits the stage of 20 Monroe Live Sunday, July 1.
WKTV YouTube Videos: Check out ideas from the West Michigan Tourist Association
West Michigan Tourist Association’s Jeremy Witt sits down with WKTV to talk about fun, educational adventures West Michigan residents can enjoy this summer.
Shannon Wilson, executive director of GRAAHI, speaks during a news conference about the Pathways to Careers in Health Care initiative June 28 at the Kent ISD Conference Center.
Grand Valley State University and six other area higher education institutions will work to increase the number of students of color who choose health care fields while in college, then succeed in the workforce.
The Grand Rapids African American Health Institute (GRAAHI) announced a “Pathways to Careers in Health Care” initiative to engage with area colleges and universities through a $400,000 planning grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek. Shannon Wilson, executive director of GRAAHI, said the grant allows for college-specific plans of action to engage students of color and help reduce barriers to choosing to study in health care professions.
“This is by far the most influential grant we have received,” Wilson said during a news conference held June 28 at the Kent ISD Conference Center. “It has the potential to change how medical care is delivered in Grand Rapids, and by whom. We can reduce disparities in health care when our health care workforce mirrors the diversity of our community.”
President Thomas J. Haas said the Pathways initiative supports Grand Valley’s strategic plan to increase the diversity of its campus community to reflect that of West Michigan’s population. Hear more in this video.
“This work fits with the university’s other initiatives to prepare students of color for success in college and the workforce; and this project is aligned with Grand Valley’s commitment to the state of Michigan to fill the health care talent pipeline with qualified and diverse health care employees,” Haas said.
Pictured are leaders from area colleges and universities, plus staff members from Grand Rapids African American Health Institute.
Other institutions participating in the Pathways initiative are Aquinas College, Calvin College, Davenport University, Ferris State University, Grand Rapids Community College and Hope College. GRAAHI will engage with each institution in addition to connecting with parents and high school counselors.
Wilson said white health care workers represent more than 50 percent of employees in almost every occupation category. She cited a 2004 report from the Institute of Medicine and the Sullivan Commission that identified the lack of people of color in health care fields as a contributing factor in overall quality of care.
The Pathways project has overall goals of mirroring diversity in the community by 2040, establishing early exposure to advance health care practice careers throughout the K-12 experience, and developing a cohort of African American and Latino/a health care leaders.
Criminal justice in West Michigan was the stated topic of the American Civil Liberties Union Michigan’s “In/Justice” expert panel and community discussion at Grand Rapids’ Wealthy Theatre Wednesday, June 28. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
Criminal justice in West Michigan was the stated topic of the American Civil Liberties Union Michigan’s “In/Justice” expert panel and community discussion at Grand Rapids’ Wealthy Theatre Wednesday, June 28.
“Questions about the relationship between police, prosecutors and citizens continue to dominate the American consciousness,” stated the flyer advertising the meeting, which was attended by more than 200 persons. “The forum brings together community groups and public officials to discuss the causes and solutions to problems with criminal justice in Grand Rapids.”
But Grand Rapids Police Department Chief David Rahinsky and Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker, two of the forum panelists, fielded most of the questions from moderator and local attorney Anthony Green, and often had to defend the organizations they lead.
Responding to a question about the high number of persons who committed non-violent crimes but end up in prison, Becker pointed out that 73 percent of Michigan Department of Corrections prisoners are violent offenders and that while the federal prison average is about 50 percent drug offenders, the percentage in Kent County is about 7 percent.
In addition to Rahinsky and Becker, other members of the panel included Kent County Commissioner Robert S. Womack (District 17; City of Grand Rapids) and ACLU Michigan Legislative Director Shelli Weisberg.
Weisberg set the tone of racial disparity in Michigan’s criminal justice system early on when she said: “We incarcerate to many people, but we incarcerate far too many black and brown people.”
Responding to another question from Green, this one on race relations between the police force and minority communities — “The perception is that nothing has changed,” Green said — Rahinsky agreed that a recent report on GRPD traffic stops does show a level of disparity and that his department is taking action to improve race relations and lessen racial disparity in criminal justice.
“We took that report to heart,” Rahinsky said. “We are in the midst of a battle … collectively, we are making progress.”
Womack, at one point, while agreeing that problems exist with the Grand Rapids police force’s criminal justice enforcement involving minority communities, did offer his support of the police chief.
“We are far from having the relationship we need to have,” Womack said. But “I believe we have the right police chief.”
Other topics discussed in the early part of the community meeting related to bail recommendations and the inability of some low-income persons to pay bail for non-violent offenses, the idea of prosecutors over-charging crimes to allow for easier plea bargains, and action by the ACLU to bring about a fairer criminal justice laws in Michigan.
When the fear of falling fills your mind with negative thoughts and prevents you from participating fully take action to renew your confidence and strength.
The fear of falling is a common and prevalent concern for many older adults whether they have experienced a previous fall or not. Factors such as stamina, mobility, chronic illness, balance and strength can affect how a person thinks and feels about their ability to be active. When the fear of falling causes a person to restrict their daily activities and unplug from things they enjoy, it is important to recognize and evaluate the situation to regain the confidence to be as mobile as possible.
Do not let a fear of falling stop you from getting outside and doing the things you enjoy. Courtesy Michigan State University Extension
Recognize your fears and concerns about falling
First be honest with yourself and identify your thoughts, concerns, and fears about falling. Try to name the feelings you experience. Do you often worry about falling? Are you overly concerned if you fall, someone else will have to take care of you? Has a previous fall shattered your confidence? Have you bought into the belief that falling is inevitable? Are you thinking self-defeating thoughts or feeling hopeless believing you can do nothing about the situation? Do you feel you have lost the power to control your life? Are you concerned that you just have to accept this is how you feel? Are you afraid to tell anyone about your fear of falling?
Recognize the effects these fears and beliefs have on you
After you have identified your specific fears and concerns pause and recognize how these fears may be affecting you. Are you experiencing stress or anxiety, if so how often? Are you experiencing negative thought patterns because of your fear of falling? Are you making different decisions and changing your routine? Have you stopped getting out of your home and declined to attend activities you enjoy? Do your fears interfere with doing daily basic activities around your home? Do you feel you should just do less so you do not fall? Are you sitting down often and noticing changes in your strength or feeling fatigued? Are you cautious about sharing your fears with family, friends and your health care provider as they might not understand and believe they will not be able to help?
Challenge your negative thoughts and replace with positive thoughts
After you pinpoint your specific thoughts and emotions and discern how these potentially negative thought patterns have crept into your life, pause and look at the situation differently. You need to face the truth that being sedentary is not the answer — it only leads to continued loss of balance, strength and flexibility and increases the potential for falling. You have the ability within yourself to make positive changes. Fears, especially non-rational fears, need not rob you of a full life. Our minds are powerful and reframing our thoughts can significantly improve our beliefs and self-confidence. Turn your negative thoughts into positive thoughts. Stop buying into negative self-defeating thoughts, which are harmful. Positive constructive ideas can transform you. Look for simple solutions so you can re-engage in activities you enjoy. Do not hesitate to ask for accommodations to make getting out of the house a comfortable and safe experience. Advocate for assistance and enjoy the things you love to do.
Enroll in a community program to find support and tools to overcome the fear of falling
By Bethany Bohlen, W.K. Kellogg Biological Station
Need a little nature in your mornings? Spend a summer morning at the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary viewing birds on an expert-led walk through the Sanctuary’s picturesque trails.
The Sanctuary hosts Birds & Coffee Walks year-round on the second Wednesday of each month. Visitors can enjoy a leisurely birding stroll led by Sanctuary staff to locate and identify the many birds at the Sanctuary, including songbirds, waterfowl, gamebirds, and birds of prey. Join us afterward to talk about the morning’s finds over a cup of hot, bird-friendly coffee.
This is an excellent opportunity to learn about the variety of birds that can be found at the Sanctuary, and birders of all skill levels are invited. Visitors can bring their own binoculars or borrow a pair from the Sanctuary.
Each program runs 9-10:30 am. Program dates for the next three months are July 12, August 9, and September 13. Sanctuary members attend for free! The cost of attendance for non-members is Sanctuary general admission: $5 for adults and $4 for senior citizens (62+).
The W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary is located at 12685 East C Avenue, one mile north of M-89 and just west of 40th Street. To learn more, visit birdsanctuary.kbs.msu.edu, email birdsanctuary@kbs.msu.edu, or call (269)671-2510.
The W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary is part of the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. Celebrate with us our legacy of conservation as we mark 90 years since W.K. Kellogg donated the lands that now make up KBS to Michigan State University. Our commitment to research, education and outreach stands on the foundation of W.K. Kellogg’s vision for cutting-edge science and learning.
As MSU’s largest off-campus educational complex, we’ve put our land-grant values into practice as we’ve provided the public with examples of science’s crucial role in sustaining natural and managed communities for nearly a hundred years. As we look forward, our students and faculty are working to understand and solve real-world environmental problems for a better tomorrow. To learn more about KBS, visit us online at kbs.msu.edu.
By Maram Hekhuis, LMSW, Outpatient Therapist at Heart of the City Counseling Center
You probably opened this blog for a reason: you are tired of feeling sad, angry, anxious, hurt, hopeless and helpless, and you want to feel happy in your life. You are probably asking yourself “why me?” “why does everyone have it all, but not me?” “why can’t I be happy?”
You may feel victimized by questions that don’t seem to have the answers. As a result, you may feel your life is narrowing in around you, you may feel darkness surrounding you, and you may want to just find a way out. Happiness is not something you inherit or just find. Happiness is something that you need to build up. Building happiness is a process that requires time, patience, effort, hope, and commitment.
If you fail once in building happiness, don’t give up but rather try it again and again. Remember that life is not easy. There is the good, and there is the bad. Just believe that there are better days ahead of you.
So, what is happiness then? According to this article, research suggests that happiness is related to life satisfaction, appreciation of life, moments of pleasure, and the experience of positive emotions. But, how could we experience these factors to build our happiness? The answer is: what we think (thoughts/cognitions) and what we do (behaviors) influence our feelings.
Now that you have learned that our thoughts and behaviors affect how we feel, let’s learn how to make changes in our thoughts and behaviors to build our happiness.
Changes in Cognition:
Positive affirmations: Positive affirmations encourage us to believe in ourselves. These types of statements empower us and motivates us to self-change. You need to begin your statements with “I” or “I am”. For example, “I can do it”. You could write down a list of positive affirmation statements in your diary, on a piece of paper, or on your smart phone apps. Read or/and repeat them daily to yourself.
Be aware of your self-defeating thoughts. “If I’m not successful, then I’m a failure”. Stop and challenge them. What are the evidences that support and don’t support your thoughts? Remember thoughts are just ideas, they are not facts or necessary true. Sometimes our thoughts happen so quickly that we fail to notice them, but they can still affect our mood. These are called automatic thoughts. Remember positive thoughts lead us to feel good and negative thoughts can put us down.
Be aware of and challenge your perspectives about yourself, people and the world. We all give different meanings to situations and see things from our point of view. Therefore, broaden your perspective and see the bigger picture. Ask yourself: “is there another way of looking at this?”
Acceptance. Be comfortable with who you are. “it is as it is”. We tend to fight against distressing thoughts and feelings as if our mind is in a war zone. Learn to just notice them and don’t fight the war. Some situations we just cannot change. We can surf the waves rather try to stop them.
Be appreciative and mindful. Notice what you have rather than what you don’t have. Live in the present rather the past or future.
Behavioral Changes:
Do things for others. This will help you connect with others. Helping and giving to others make us feel valued, appreciated, needed, and happier. We could give our time, attention, and ideas, not necessary money and gifts. You may want to volunteer somewhere.
Connecting with others. Strong social relationships lead to happier and healthier life, give us meaning, and sense of belonging, improve our self-esteem, and make us feel loved, and valued.
Do what you enjoy doing. You could engage in exercise if you enjoy it as being active makes us happier and healthier as our body and mind are connected.
Learn new things or skills. Increase your interest and confidence as this will give you a sense of achievement and success. Find a job, meet new people, try out something new.
Have goals to look forward to and never stop dreaming and believing in yourself and abilities. Feeling good about the future is important for our happiness. Goals motivate us to move forward in life. Make your goals achievable.
May 2018 is going down as the busiest May ever at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA), and airport officials foresee the busy month kicking off an even busier summer schedule.
May passenger numbers were up 11.5 percent year-over-year; resulting in the busiest May ever, and marking the first time GFIA has served more than a quarter-million passengers in the month of May.
“We are happy to hear the first four months of increased traffic in 2018 were not just a fluke of winter and spring break traffic, but that our record-breaking passenger counts are continuing into the summer months,” said Gerald R. Ford International Airport President & CEO Jim Gill. “We are seeing increases in the upcoming months with American adding mainline service to Dallas, Delta adding more frequency to New York-LaGuardia, and United’s capacity to Chicago and Denver increasing.”
May 2017 saw 234,300 passengers, while May 2018 topped that in serving 261,281 – the third largest increase ever for the month of May.
Each month of 2018 has resulted in record-breaking passenger numbers, and the Ford Airport is coming off a 2017 that saw over 2.8 million passengers – the fifth straight year of record growth. GFIA has seen growth in 58 of the past 65 months.
“Our airline partners continue to invest here and are adding more service through the summer with more routes, and larger aircraft to accommodate our growing passenger traffic,” said Gill. “We expect the record numbers and trends to continue in the busy summer months as West Michiganders visit the world, and as the world visits our beautiful West Michigan region.”
The upcoming summer is expected to be the busiest summer in the history of U.S. air travel, according to trade group Airlines for America (A4A). The group estimates that over 246 million passengers will fly in the U.S. between June 1 and August 31, 2018. Historically low fares and a strong economy are noted for aiding in that forecasted record-breaking summer travel period.
Because of the increases both nationally and at GFIA, those traveling are advised to arrive at the airport at least 90-120 minutes before their flight. Updated security screening information, tips on what to pack/not pack, and more are listed at www.tsa.gov
GFIA has invested in new facilities to accommodate the growing traffic by recently completing Phase One of the Gateway Transformation Project – an upgrade in space, retail, food and beverage, restrooms, finishes, amenities, and customer service offerings. The project’s main feature is the consolidated passenger security checkpoint which centralized and combined security screening to one main checkpoint in the Airport. Construction also included new terrazzo flooring, lighting fixtures, pre and post security business centers, a military welcome center, kids play areas, and much more.
Phase Two of the Gateway Transformation Project is slated to begin in Fall 2018 with construction taking place at the airline ticket counters, baggage claim area, and ‘front of house’ area.
“As we continue to grow in traffic it is imperative that our facilities keep up with our passenger demand,” said Gill. “Our passengers keep coming back because we listen to their wants and needs, and as they do we will continue to do our part to improve our amenities, technology, customer service and infrastructure. We are excited to see what the future holds, and we hope to add more growth in the years to come.”
GFIA monthly passenger statistics are available on our website: grr.org/history.php.
The Jared Veldheer Football Camp is ramping up for its fifth season of motivating youngsters while raising funds for Keeping the Beat, a foundation program that provides free cardiac screenings for local high school athletes.
The one-day camp for kids in grades 3 through 8 will be held July 11 at Grand Rapids Christian High School, 2300 Plymouth Ave. SE. The camp, which is from 5:30 — 8p.m., is conducted by Jared Veldheer, an offensive lineman for the Denver Broncos, with help from area football coaches.
“It’s a joy to work with young athletes and a privilege to share information about heart safety,” said Veldheer, a graduate of Forest Hills Northern High School and Hillsdale College. “By partnering with Metro Health, we can help educate kids and parents about how to stay safe in sports.”
To date, the annual camp has raised more than $87,000 for Keeping the Beat. The program invites area high school athletes to Metro Health physician offices throughout the year for enhanced screenings to identify potential cardiac abnormalities. More than 800 teens have received free heart screenings through Keeping the Beat, which supplements the annual physicals required for all high school athletes.
Cost is $20 per student. While students are in the sports clinic, parents are invited to attend an informational session on sports injuries, concussions and heart screen awareness.
The Government Matters meeting brings together representatives from the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood, Kent County commissioners, local Michigan state senators and representatives, as well as often representatives of Michigan’s U.S. senators and the local U.S. representative who represents the Wyoming and Kentwood area.
